Politics and prose (and I don't mean the DC bookstore)

First off, via Mary Katherine Ham's blog, I found this clip from last night's Connecticut U.S. Senate debate. Too bad that Mr. Schlesinger (i.e., the gentleman who stands up and speaks out in Sen. Lieberman's defense near the end of the clip) is unlikely to fare particularly well, come November 7, if the latest polls are any indication; that is not to say that I want him to win (as I think Lieberman has, generally, been a good centrist Senator), but that he (Schlesinger) deserves a better fate than third-place ignominy (i.e., behind the "Independent" Lieberman and Democrat-nominated Ned Lamont). The respect Schlesinger shows for his opponent should be widely commended - and imitated, but then again, this is politics we're talking about here.

To see the antithesis of campaign dignity, check out U.S. Rep. Harold Ford (D-TN) in this clip. I was under the impression that Ford was beating Bob Corker in the race to replace our "distinguished" Senate Majority Leader, Bill Frist, MD (who is eyeing an '08 run at the White House), but if that is the case, why would you act as Ford does in the clip? Very odd indeed.

On a less serious note, this past Sunday (10.22), I was reading the "Books" section in the newest edition of The Week when I happened upon a blurb about a book up for a National Book Award finalist entitled Only Revolutions. The author is Mark Z. Danielewski, who, apparently, was heralded a few years back for House of Leaves; I'd never heard of him, but I also found out that he's the brother of "angsty grunge-rock female singer-songwriter" (Wikipedia's words, not mine) Poe. Anyhow, after reading a few reviews^* of this strange book, I've become intrigued about it - so much so, in fact, that I'm debating whether or not to drop my hard-earned money by purchasing it and running the risk that I won't get past the third page. Also, am I reacting to the cover of the book (see below [I saw it in "the real world" at Borders shortly after reading the blurb in The Week {the other cover is a gold eye}]) and the distinctive way in which the text itself was constructed (at least, from what I can see in reviews, etc.)? I'm questioning whether, nearly a decade after having to read "serious" literature as part of my English minor while enrolled at "Affordable Ivy," I'm actually even capable of slogging through and comprehending such esoteric...stuff. I mean, come on - how many books do you know have their own MySpace page? Isn't that, in and of itself, a bit pretentious - or exceptionally pretentious? Then again, I suppose writing a blog entry like this is rather pedantic, pretentious, snooty, uppity, etc., etc., and so on and so forth.

Off to Belgian Beer Happy Hour at Bohemian Caverns - and Ben's Chili Bowl (mmmmm) - I go.

^* These are not the reviews I've read, per se, but a way for you (if you're as into this as I am) to find some reviews quickly and easily.

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