Chris Matthews Hardball has a lot of bite

Chris Matthews (MSNBC, Hardball, 5:00 & 7 p.m. Eastern time) had Senator John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth as his guests last night. At one point, Mrs. Edwards made a comment about her husband not being good at telling jokes. A couple of sentences later Matthews said,
"Does she always bite your balls like that?"











The Edwards's were momentarily stunned by the remark. Somehow "bite" has more bite than "bust" which, I'm guessing Matthews meant to say, although I don't think asking John Edwards if his wife "busts" or "bites" his testicles was an appropriate question for him to pose.

I expected to see a comment or two about this somewhere today. I was only able to find one reference to it on a blog called the Kentucky Democrat. This was it:

Bonus Quote of the Day
"Does she always bite your
balls like that?"Chris Matthews, Hardball with Chris Matthews,
December 12, 2006

I read the transcript on the Hardball website, and they changed "bite" to "bust". Why? Come on. Let's play hardball!

E. EDWARDS: There are not that many politicians who are actually very
good
at jokes. John spoke one time and I said I wouldn‘t even go because
it
was—he was supposed to be funny and I didn‘t think he could carry it
off.

CROWD: (LAUGHTER)

MATTHEWS: I love it. You‘re great. Behind
every great man, there‘s a woman trying to kill him.

CROWD:
(LAUGHTER)

E. EDWARDS: He has great characteristics.

MATTHEWS:
What is it? Does she do this? Does she bust
your balls like this when you come home? When you get (INAUDIBLE), does she do that?

CROWD:
(APPLAUSE)

E. EDWARDS: My children are watching this.

CROWD:
(LAUGHTER)

Chocolate Chip cookie Craze

The chocolate chip cookie craze is upon me. I've baked cookies every day this week. I know that chocolate chip cookies are not the best thing for a person who had heart surgery slightly more than a year ago, but it's so much fun. To be perfectly honest, I'm not eating all that many. They're mostly consumed by the boys, my wife and the dog. She (the dog) has been known to eat an entire cookie sheet of hot, just out of the oven cookies--in the blink of an eye. Never turn your back on cooling cookies if she's within striking distance. I was on a chocolate muffin binge for awhile and she went nuts for my muffins.

The cookies of the day were different. Flatter and crispier, but they taste fine, and I've heard no complaints. I was just reading in the King Arthur cook book about the effects of humidity and barometric pressure on baking. The humidity is high and the barometer low today. I'm sure that accounts for the difference.

King Arthur suggests adding a teaspoon or two of espresso to the dough to perk up the cookies. I tried it and it works. The cookies were much perkier.

It's about time for me to start baking bread again. We used to bake bread every other day--before we got lazy. But with the price of 4 dollars for a decent loaf of whole wheat bread, I don't think I have a choice. Bake I must. It's the yeast I can do.

Tyger, Tyger...

Tyger, Tyger

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?


In what distant deeps or skies,
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?


And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?


What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?


When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?


Tyger Tyger burning bright
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?


What's on at the Commons?

While on the subject of English poets, would you care to learn a bit about the difference between the House of Commons and the House of Lords. I thought so. Knowing you would say yes, I give you a link to this video starring Danny Wallace. I found it fascinating. I'll have to watch it again though, to make sure I understand completely the differences between the two houses of Parliament.


I knew it! The fellow has a website. This Internet thing is fascinating.

Thomas W. Nason

Thomas Willoughby Nason
Gambrel-Roofed Barn, 1947, wood engraving

The Best, Worst and Weirdest...

Christmas and Hanukkah songs you're not likely to hear on your radio are featured on this morning's The Best, Worst and Weirdest in Holiday CDs by by Stephen Thompson over at National Public Radio.

Did you know that Santa Claus has a secret agent working for him? I kid you not. What's more, he's a penguin. That clever and funny guy Brad Paisley has written a song about him. Penguin, James Penguin tells the story in black and white.

The Klezmatics sing Hanuka Gelt from their album of songs by Woody Guthrie.

The Klezmatics


There's one by the Chipmunks,

and a very nice instrumental, Christmas Time is Here, by jazz musician Vince Guaraldi . It's from the 1965 television special a Charlie Brown Christmas.

Tom Delay, the Hammer, discovers the blogosphere.

The blog Wonkette -- also known as Ana Marie Cox -- has something to say about former House Majority leader Tom Delay and his new blog Tom Delay.com . Here's a comment by one of the blog's visitors,

Everyone already assumes bloggers are unemployed losers... thanks for reinforcing that stereotype...

December 10, 2006 Unregistered Commenter Marc

Delay was on MSNBC's Hardball earlier tonight (snake oil anyone?),

discussing with Mike Barnicle, his wish to spread the good word of the conservative movement via the blogosphere.

What's an Iraq study group?

Patrick Corrigan, The Toronto Post

According to a Newsweek poll, 26% of those queried were not aware that there was such a thing as the Iraq Study Group!

The Los Angeles Times has a link to the ISG Report.