Program Note
OK, folks, so far this experiment has to be judged a failure. Tuesday, I threw down a challenge in an attempt to inspire people to submit their own columns to ChrisWeigant.com so we could feature them on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next month. So far, I have gotten none.
If I don't get any by next Tuesday, I'm going to start running old columns, just to fill up this space. Next Thursday is scheduled to be Obama Poll Watch day, but then there's nothing but empty slots for all of August.
Perhaps people are getting hung up on what to write about. If I were one of those snarktastic blogger types, I might take this opportunity to point out: "See? It ain't as easy as it looks!" Ahem. Being above that sort of pettiness, here's an idea for those of you perhaps wondering what would make a good column.
August is traditionally "Silly Season" month. So, what will this year's Silly Season obsession be? Go back and look at any one of my Hallowe'en columns over the years, and make a funny prediction, in a similar vein. Bonus points for outrageousness. Complete the following: "This year's Silly Season obsession will be..."
See? It's not so tough to come up with something amusing. Now, sit down, write it out, and send it to me via email. Posting it in the comments to another article doesn't count, because it defeats the purpose (because people will already have read it).
C'mon, people, we can do better than this! I swear, I will bust out the re-runs if I don't get any submissions, so help us all avoid this fate, and send me your submissions. Do it today!
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Chris, no one ever thought this would be easy. I've been mulling over an idea for a little while; I wasn't aware there was a time frame. I foolishly assumed that during the month, if there wasn't a piece that passed your scrutiny, you'd re-run an old post. Which would be fine by me, I implicitly trust your judgement. Am I misreading your threat? I'd even read a Michale piece if it made it past your sensors :)
Kevin,
Michale is working on his article as we speak.
And, it's guaranteed to be a real page turner ... I mean, page scroller ... that will definitely get past the sensors :)
Let's just hope it gets published!
What about you, Elizabeth? I certainly know you have many opinions, and I'd enjoy reading them in a piece about your overall philosophy. With Michale, I just hope anything relates to the world most of us live in; hence my quip about sensors.
Kevin -
Take my threats along the lines of "Don't make me pull this car over, because I will!" -- take them with a grain of salt.
:-)
-CW
Kevin,
Your quip about sensors was very, very nice.
Well, I've been kicking an idea around for a piece that has something to do with one of my favourite Obama administration officials and I'm not talking about the vice president.
It would be about one of the other hardest working and dedicated public servants America has ever had and someone who has accomplished quite a lot for the American people under difficult and unprecedented circumstances and who has been largely unthanked by an ungrateful nation.
I'm just trying to figure out how to make it funny.
Elizabeth, looking forward to it if it makes it past the Chris screen :)
Elizabeth,
Thank you for your comment on the other thread.
I fully expected that the last line in #5 was going to be "I'm just trying to figure out who that is", which would have been funny.
But seriously, I think "funny" is a great place to go when you've got nothing else, but thoughtful and well reasoned trumps funny every time. Some things scream out PLEASE MAKE FUN OF ME, but I doubt Chris is exclusively looking for funny items, I think that was more a suggestion to inspire the creative juices. There's no sense trying to fit a square peg into a sows ear. Go with a sincere piece, and if Chris says it's not funny enough, preface it with: "A republican walks into a bar, and everybody left. Which brings me to a serious story ..."
Go for it!
CWC,
Okay, now THAT was funny!
Seriously, I think most of the inmates here know precisely who I'm talking about. And, I won't have much trouble making it funny as Michele Bachmann figures prominently. Heh. She is SUCH a hoot! ...
"A hapless Republican House member tries to ask an intelligent question at a committee hearing ... WAIT! A Republican House member tries to do WHAT!?"
Frankly, the real fun would come in the comments section ... if you know what I mean and I'm pretty sure that you do! :)
Chris, I already sent one. I take it it didn't work?
FWIW my piece was totally satire (but obviously the best satire works because there is an element of truth in there ;))
Wrote another article about how Romney can learn something from the UK instead of insulting them and gaffing left, right and centre... :)
i've been AWOi (away without internet) this week, driving through new york state, but i'd be happy to put in another column at some point.
~joshua