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Joe Biden vs. Sarah Palin – Debate Preview, Answers to Debate Questions!

~ Wiberg ~ 2 Comments

The two brightest people in America will go at it on Thursday, October 2, 2008 – they will match wits, trade barbs, be wily. But enough about Andy vs Dwight from “The Office!” (NBC is so in the tank for Andy Bernard, it makes me sick. They should just let Dwight win Angela!).

The other event – Joe Versus the Barracuda. Spoiler alert: America wins! Because I have been following for, oh, about twenty days, I think I can provide expert analysis on this whole debate thing between the Veeps (veeps is insider talk for VP which stands for Vice Prez, which stands for Vice President).

Biden plans to leave half his IQ back in Delaware "to make it fair," he says.
Biden plans to leave half his IQ back in Delaware, "because," he says "he want's the debate to be close."

Sarah Palin will be wearing – just joking!!!! I’m not going to describe what a female politician is wearing because that would be sexist. As long as she looks hot, then I’m all good with whatever she says. Joe Biden will be wearing the same suit he wore in 1972 when he left his lucrative one-year career as a lawyer and traded down to be a politician.

The debate will start with lame thank yous to the host, the audience and the building hosting the debate. Except Sarah Palin will say “thanks, but no thanks” to an offer of a glass of water.

The “moderator,” Gwen Ifill, will ask a series of incredibly stupid questions. Both candidates will answer them with their standard campaign-rally answers. But HERE, on this site, is a preview to some of their answers. I won’t give away the questions. I’ll let you hear those on Thursday night.

EXCERPTS OF ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS YOU’LL HEAR ON THURSDAY NIGHT:

Biden: “I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain’t one of them.” (the crowd will oooh and aaah – the next morning Jay-Z’s record label will file a suit against Obama-Biden).

Palin: Biden, Hemingway called, he wants you back in that boat and on the sea pronto!”

Biden: I know foreign policy. I’ve been everywhere. When you’re from Delaware, you want to travel! (the next day, Delaware Chamber of Commerce files a lawsuit against Biden).

Palin: I read newspapers. Both sides. And I have seen all three Bourne movies, so, please, I know foreign policy.

Biden: I didn’t hear the question, Gwen. I was busy admiring my last answer.

Palin: My favorite SNL skit this season? Oh, I’d say the one with the Joe Biden parody. Oh, you say that hasn’t happened yet. Interesting…

Palin: Hillary Clinton is a woman with 18 million cracks.

Biden: My wife is one of those cracks. One of the good ones. (the next day, his wife files for divorce)

The debate will end with a handshake – between “moderator” Gwen Ifill and Joe Biden. She will nod to him like “see, I told you and O that I was gonna do you a solid.” Biden will act like he knows what she meant but later will ask Obama – “what’s a solid?” He will say “it’s like a favor,” but Biden will still feel like it means something else and remain suspicious of his exotic partner and politician.

Andy Bernard and Dwight Schrute, American heroes.
Andy Bernard and Dwight Schrute, American heroes.

My conversation with Treasury Sec’y Henry Paulson Regarding Debt

~ Wiberg ~ 2 Comments

As everyone knows, Henry Paulson is the Secretary of Treasury, and a banned candidate from the MacArthur Fellows Program (aka ‘ “Genius Grant”). And he’s been busy this week convincing everyone that saving these big loser banks is vital. Apparently he doesn’t think the Economy should be in one of those FAIL photo threads that are shared in emails around the world and if I had more time or interest, I would make one up.

Hey, guess who is not getting a "Genius Grant?"
Hey, guess who is not getting a "Genius Grant?"

Instead, I got Mr. Paulson on the phone, because I owe some money and I wanted to see if I could get it included in the bailout.

Mark Wiberg: Hi, Secretary of Treasury Paulson?

Henry Paulson: Call me HP.

Mark: Are you sure? Like the computer?

HP: Yes. Please. HP.

MW: Okay, HP. Hey, before I begin – you are the top dog at the Treasury Department, right?

HP: Yes I am.

MW: Did you see that movie National Treasure?

HP: I did, on an airplane some time ago.

MW: Is any of that true? Maybe we could use that treasure to help with the bailout? That stuff looked pretty real. It’s up in New York, I think, under Wall Street.

HP: (laughs) Yeah, sure it is. I don’t think that’s going to happen.

MW: What about National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets’ treasure?

HP: Again, I don’t think that the movies were entirely accurate in regards to the vasts amounts of treasure found.

MW: I dunno. I would maybe take a look at those movies again. It seems pretty accurate to me. Where did you go to film school?

HP: I didn’t go to film school.

MW: I see. Bad reel?

HP: What?

MW: Nothing. Listen, HP, I owe several thousand dollars to some very important people because I just had to have every DVD ever made and a kick-ass television that is so friggin’ flat and hi-def that’s it’s just sick. I thought they were all going to increase in value because sometimes DVDs go out of print and you can make like an extra $70 sometimes on a disc. It’s all pretty complicated business investment stuff tied in with major companies like Ebay and Burger King – I don’t have time to explain it – I just need action now. Can I lump my debt in with the big boys. Out of $700 billion, my money is like a drop in the ocean.

HP: I think we can help you out. And by “we” I mean everyone.

MW: Cool. Hey, can I ask you another question?

HP: Sure.

MW: Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Any chance that could help us?

HP: I don’t think so.

MW: Whatevers. I’m just saying “think outside the box” – if you’re going to pay off my debts, I want to make sure you do it in a responsible way, that you think of everything. But just make it quick!


Secretary Henry Paulson denies that the treasure from the film National Treasure could be of any use. I think he is a liar.
Secretary Henry Paulson denies that the treasure from the film National Treasure could be of any use. I think he is a liar.

Gawker Media, hacked emails! Next stop: Law & Order!

~ Wiberg

Just when Law & Order was running out of ideas and New York area actors, along comes Gawker Media. While only hours old, the story of Gawker posting hacked Sarah Palin emails/contacts has already been penned for television by Dick Wolf for his program, Law & Order.

Youve Just Been Gawkered!
You've Just Been Gawkered!
This shit just writes itself
Dick Wolfe: "This shit just writes itself."

The story will involve some morons, according to Wolf.

“We’ve done stories on murderers, rapists, thieves, celebrity crooks, but this story is just one of those file-under-stupid-criminals type of stories. Real easy shit to write.”

Gawker chief Nick Denton
Nick Denton, fresh fish in the upcoming episode of Law & Order.

In the episode, Nick Denton and staff at Gawker media are arrested for violating federal and state laws that prohibit the use of something that was stolen, which this joke writer is too lazy too look up, but knows everyone is all innocent until proven guilty in the court of l-a-w. Everybody on L&O, episode #1,553,221 gets upset, but Denton and crew still go to prison. And they start a prison blog on Prison Life called “Soap.”

Gawker Media's new Prison Blog, Soap.
Gawker Media's new prison blog, Soap.

Well, very meta, but in the episode, Denton is assaulted while posting on his blog, and in his self-defense, he kills the attacker with his Mac book. So he sues NY and McCoy and all these other Law & Order characters I can’t remember for a bunch of damages for being all stressed out over having to kill someone. And then at the end, Denton and crew walk out of prison, with smirks on their faces, all free and stuff. And then at the very, very end, the lawyers meet up with the District Attorney and hear some wise-old-man-whose-seen-it-all crap about “how the system worked.”

And all of this from illegally posting stuff. Coming to you this season, on Law & Order.

The Huffington Post Means Business – Goes with Largest Font-Size Every Made

~ Wiberg ~ 1 Comment
fake news

With the 2008 election only 48 days away, The Huffington Post announced they would begin using the largest font-size ever on their front page headlines.

1,000 pt.

Tired of their 60 pt font, editors at the HuffPost said they would get their stories across better if they used a larger font.

“Tomorrow we’re going with, 1,000 pt font-sizes announcing that John McCain is the devil. We tried it in 48 pt font and we convinced only 14,357 people. We need to convince more.”

Turn it up to 11.
Turn it up to 11.

Insiders say the new font-size will require two monitors to read.

“It’s stupid, but it’s definitely innovative,” said one expert via his Go Phone.

Arianna TheHuffingtonpost, the owner of the site, who coincidentally shares the same name as the website, said something at a press conference but nobody could understand a word.

David Foster Wallace – the end. Author passes away

~ Wiberg ~ 3 Comments

I use my site to think/write out jokes/ideas on news, etc., but occasionally will make mention of something serious. Unfortunately, that has happened this evening, with the report that David Foster Wallace has died, apparently by suicide.

I admit I have not read everything of his, but did recently read the collection of essays in Consider the Lobster, which were excellent.

Consider David Foster Wallace
Consider: David Foster Wallace

He’ s probably best known for his large novel Infinite Jest – which I own but have yet to read yet. It’s just one of those books – you want to read, you hear it’s good, you buy it, but it’s so damn heavy. As someone who earned a MFA, has written very little, and who loves a good essay or novel, I appreciate very much what he did, and the fact that he was teaching English and writing in Southern California.

I don’t know enough about David Foster Wallace to even speculate the reasons for his passing. It’s unfortunate.

At Wikipedia, you can read a bibliography.

UPDATE: A colleague of David’s writes about him here at Huffington Post.

And here’s an interview of David on the Charlie Rose Show from 1997. Even if you’ve never read anything by David, watch it – they cover dozens of topics – film, writing, etc.

Another appearance here on Charlie Rose, with writers Mark Leyner and Jonathan Franzen, having a great discussion on books, reading, and the impact of culture on their writing.

ADDED 9/14/08: I just want to note how embarrassing it is, although not unexpected, that there is no mention of DFW’s passing on television. At least, I haven’t seen one mention of it on any of the major cable news shows – yet I’ve seen the stupid SNL clip from last night a thousand times in 3 hours. This is why people rely on the internet for news.

FINALLY, I want to add this, in light of this news – the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s website, which has useful information for anyone who needs help or knows someone who does, including the phone #1-800-273-TALK. Is it a guarantee they can help? No, it isn’t, but humor me and call if it you think you should.

Joe Biden: Why Can’t I Be Smeared!

~ Wiberg ~ 3 Comments

Late Friday night, Delaware-not-Pennsylvania Senator and vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden complained to the press that absolutely nobody was investigating him. He admitted he was extremely disappointed that the McCain campaign had yet to send a team of lawyers to his home state to research his activities.

I wont be ignored. Senator Joe Biden wants his time in the spotlight to make a gaffe.
"I won't be ignored." Senator Joe Biden wants his time in the spotlight to make a gaffe.

“I have skeletons in my closet, people. I have a high IQ, so my skeletons are very smart. The closet is unlocked, too. Please, pick up the phone, find something out about me. I’m a baaad guy.”

Despite hundreds of hours of media spent on the Republican vice-presidential canddiate, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama’s choice has barely registered with the American voter.

“Give me time, and I promise, I will make a gaffe or say something so inappropriate that you’ll wonder why I’m not in prison. I’m a gaffe-making-machine – just turn me on!”

Biden said if needed, he would buy air time to reveal some of his awful decisions made while a U.S. Senator for over 30 years.

“I will pay to be smeared. That’s how serious I am about winning the vice-presidency.

“I’ve been here forever, and believe me, in what little I’ve done, there are plenty of scratch-your-head moments. Did you know I voted for the United States to bomb Canada during the Stanley Cup finals? I did. I’m a total f*ck up. Just look into it, for Chrissakes!”

Barack Obama couldn’t be reached for comment, according to his advisors. “He’s too busy emailing his suporters. Something John McCAin cannot do.”