friday flotsam and jetsum

Update: Readers please take note of this story and this one.
A deadly strain of flu has broken out in Mexico, California and Texas. This is not a L.R. being silly in any way - the links are legit. and scary. The LA Times has a story here on how this flu spreads among people.

Food for the Thoughtless has a piece about farming up. The "grow your own" movement is something to keep an eye on. As is Food For The Thoughtless - he keeps posting gems and scattering them across the weber-inter-net-tubes.

Petty with Palin: I will be more than happy to hold forth on why Sarah Palin should not be President when and if the times comes. I am not a fan of her right wing social stands. But the derangement some Dems still have about her is sad and ugly. And yes, I do think there is an unconscious sexism and fear of the middle class underneath it all. Something about conservative women in leadership positions hits a raw nerve with people like Andrew Sullivan and Huffington readers. Actually, let's face it, any woman in a leadership position is open to being called "a big fucking whore" by the "new" left. It is weird that the GOP fears ambitious women less than the Dems at ths point. How did THAT happen? (Pelosi not withstanding - her unnerving quotes about being "blessed by God with Obama" and general inability to be authentic about much of anything makes her, in many ways, a glorified Marin County PTA President who can't quite give up her Bobby Sherman posters.)

Music: Coldplay bashing has taken on a strangely consistent joke life ever since a punchline connected being a fan of the band with being gay in The 40 Year Old Virgin. Recently a vaguely homophobic reference to Coldplay popped up on my beloved Bones. The joke there being equally heterophobic - as it implied that no straight men could possibly care about dressing well or conversation with women...or enjoy Coldplay. One of the participants in the snide moment being the resident psychiatrist, no less.

It bugs me that saying some "thing" is connected to gay subculture is meant as a short cut for the worst insult a straight man can endure - he might be GAY!!! Horrors!!! I am sure many homosexicals (warning: link will be offensive to some) like Coldplay. Just as many like country music.And some straight guys are a bit soft around the edges. And more gays guys than you'd think are obsessed with cars. And some straight men have wicked good design sense...And I know 2 gay men who served honorably in Iraq....and so on and so forth...
So screw everyone! I like Coldplay.

Trojans on the beach I understand...but Huskers? The USC women's beach volleyball team won the national championship this week. Two reasons for this blurb:
1. In my book, and speaking generally, watching good looking, fit, nominally dressed adults playing volleyball on the beach is one of life's simple pleasures. I'm quite egalitarian on this front in terms of gender...and am, no doubt, well on my way to dirty old manhood...
2. Nebraska came in second. I find this inspiring somehow...it gives "Omaha Beach" a very different spin. Go Husker womens' beach volleyball team!

Let sleeping hot dogs lie: Now a photo Demi Moore posted on her twitter page that, somehow, ties together tonight's themes.