There’s a cute article in Salon this week about the meaning of the lolcats phenomenon. I have to confess, I didn’t get lolcats at first. I guess I’m dumbing down due to the time I spend on the intartubes. But now I think they’re great and I giggle at them all the time. The Salon article overreaches in its explanation of why lolcats are humorous. Of course. The article also has a link to lolpresident, which has some cute entries, one of which is posted below:

An article about contemporary students’ sense of entitlement is all over the Canadian papers today. It cites a UC Irvine study published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence. The article discusses how entitled today’s students feel. Here are some stats from the article: The study asked approximately 400 undergraduates aged 18 to 25 whether they agreed with these statements: If I have explained to my professor that I am trying hard, I think he/she should give me some consideration with respect to my course grade – 66.2 per cent agree If I have completed most of the reading for a class, I deserve aRead More →

I’ve never heard of Generation Jones — the generation between the Boomers and Gen X — until recently. Generation Jones is presumably named such because they (we) are a generation of Jonesers. We yearn for things. This, I identify with. We were too young to participate in the summer of love, the Vietnam War, or any of the defining events of the Baby Boom generation. I’m not sure how I feel about the very existence of a Generation Jones. I’ve identified as a Gen-Xer ever since I read the book Generation X by Douglas Coupland. Some accounts of generations have me dated as a Boomer,Read More →

Obama is president: History in the making. The moment is more profound than anything anyone can say. But like everyone, I just need to say something. I’m happy and hopeful. I got to school this morning and noticed who was and wasn’t ecstatic. The newspapers were all gone before I got to school, which means people are reading! Voter turnout was at record highs.

From CNN “She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone,” said this McCain adviser. “She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else.” “Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom.” If this were a Hillary quote, I’d be livid. I would take it as a sexist slam against her solid leadership skills. But when I heard it about Sarah Palin, all I did was snicker, andRead More →

It is arguable that, because of his inexperience, Obama is not ready for the presidency. It is arguable that McCain, because of his boiling moralism and bottomless reservoir of certitudes, is not suited to the presidency. Unreadiness can be corrected, although perhaps at great cost, by experience. Can a dismaying temperament be fixed?

From George F. Will, Washington Post

(No kidding)