Saturday, April 29, 2006

Hillary Clinton recently said of proposed immigration reform legislation:

"It is certainly not in keeping with my understanding of the Scriptures because this bill would literally criminalize the Good Samaritan and probably even Jesus himself."

Thanks a lot, Hillary. That helps.

Nationwide general strike's on Monday.

Friday, April 28, 2006

Slapschtick

In an interview about new movie RV (opens today!), which looks like a horrid quasi-remake of the much better Long, Long Trailer, Robin Williams said:

"It was literally like, years ago I was reading a story to my daughter and she literally said, 'Don't do the voices, I just would like to hear the story.' I was like, 'I'm sorry, my little director.' 'Just keep it simple, let's stay to the story, let the story speak for itself. I don't need to have any additional stuff.'"

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Watch this.

This might be the most gratifying link I've posted here. Ever. From last night's Daily Show -- click on "Essay Contest." You'll be so glad you did.
From this week's Entertainment Weekly: "...Wolfgang Petersen knows something about disaster movies. But his latest - a $175 million adaptation of Paul Gallico's 1969 novel The Poseidon Adventure - allowed the director to turn the familiar genre on its head. Literally."

Monday, April 24, 2006

Hang the blessed DJ

There's yet another cold going around. And we had a few days of sun, but today it's back to gray skies and water falling from the air above us. But I did not wear rainboots today. It's a fine line between optimism and stupidity.

In between bouts of slapping the snooze button this morning I heard a KALX DJ mention that he's "under the weather." Then he said something like, "Well, literally, we're all under the weather if you think about it."

I'm pretty sure this really happened, but it could have been just a hypnagogic fantasy. Either way.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Uh oh

Taiwan moves toward China - literally.

In other news, I am literally moving toward finals, then will literally hurl myself toward Switzerland. Posting may be spotty for a bit. Try to console yourselves somehow.

Monday, April 17, 2006


According to CNN, some consulting firm has decided that in terms of quality of life, Geneva and Zurich are the two best cities in the world.

"In fact, if you go underground -- literally -- one of the world's biggest and most controversial science experiments is taking place beneath Geneva's streets. It is the work of CERN, a physics research center made famous by The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown in his earlier book, Angels and Demons... It is a place where anti-matter is created, or at least it will be in 2007 when its giant particle accelerator is completed."

I'll be in Geneva this summer; come visit me. Patricia will be in Rome, where I will visit her, and where she plans to experience the Angels and Demons tour.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Um, check this out, if you dare. "Naughty Knot Lingerie" from "American Inventor."

"I invented it by accident. It literally just fell together in a matter of days."

Also enjoy her mention of "Valentime's Day."
First, this:

Taking A Bite Out Of Crime, Literally

And, more on the Portuguese language: Portuguese idioms translated literally. Here are some favorites:

A mulher e a sardinha querem-se da mais pequenina.
Women and sardines, you want them to be small.

Macacos me mordam!
Monkeys bite me!
(Don't throw stones, you glass-house-liver -- you know you've said "I'll be a monkey's uncle" at least once.)

Quem tem cu tem medo.
Anyone who has an asshole has fear.

P.S. It's still raining.

Saturday, April 08, 2006

Cognizant of cognates

It's not only happening in English. Some Brazilians are mad, too.

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Some favorites from Brainy Quote:

"I literally moved from Kansas to Los Angeles to do Scientology." - Kirstie Alley

"The first time I kissed Brad my knees went weak - I literally lost my breath!" - Jennifer Aniston

"No one has ever written, painted, sculpted, modeled, built, or invented except literally to get out of hell." - Antonin Artaud

"With union membership falling to historic lows and the unions' political clout on the wane, even while unions pour, literally, hundreds of millions of dollars into politics, the coup de grace for the AFL-CIO may come at the convention itself." - Linda Chavez

"Transformation literally means going beyond your form." - Wayne Dyer

"When the Shah found himself in trouble, we quite literally stabbed him in the back." - Alexander Haig

"People take songs so literally."- Richard Marx

"I never did very well in math - I could never seem to persuade the teacher that I hadn't meant my answers literally." - Calvin Trillin

"Classic nineteenth century European imperialists believed they were literally on a mission. I don't believe that the imperialists these days have that same sense of public service. They are simply pirates." - John Pilger

Sunday, April 02, 2006


First Alito, then Bush, now Condi Rice. It's really creeping me out how easily the powers that be evade responsibility by saying "I didn't mean it literally."

"The important thing is to get the big strategic decisions right." Abu Ghraib Schmabu Ghraib.