May 25, 2007--Fanaticism LXXXIII--We Need A Break
On schedule the weather has turned summery and we’re all looking to get away from whatever it is that we feel the need to get away from. So the last thing you’re undoubtedly not looking for is one of my Friday Fanaticism rants.
So I’ll spare you any commentary about the NY Times report—I can’t help myself: it’s linked below—about the emerging movement to issue birth certificates to the stillborn. When this tragically occurs parents are issued death certificates but not birth certificates, which to them feels contradictory and cruel. But now 19 states will issue them even though the babies never lived—except in the womb.
And I’ll force myself not to say a word about the need historic cemeteries have to raise money to preserve existing tombs and grounds. Since pretty much all of their spaces are occupied by eternal residents they do not have the ability to raise cash by offering new plots or services to contemporary customers. So the most enterprising among them are sponsoring various fun events—jazz concerts, brunches with famous chefs and even Halloween parties in under-used crematories.
Congressional Cemetery in Washington DC had so fallen into disrepair that until recently it was populated by wild dogs and prostitutes. But now, also reported in the Times, for an annual fee of $125 and an additional per-dog charge of $40, your pooch can have the run of the place. If you think there would be a limited market for this privilege, think again—Congressional has thus far taken in $80,000.
And under no circumstances, it is the beginning of summer, there is no way I will report about the number of times a jaunty George Bush evoked the specter of Al Qaeda during his brief news conference yesterday after the Democrats rolled over for him and authorized an additional $125 billion for his Surge. Let’s just say it was more than 60 times and leave it at that.
Enjoy the weekend! And if you have the time, come back here tomorrow for the first part of “Crazy Rona.”
So I’ll spare you any commentary about the NY Times report—I can’t help myself: it’s linked below—about the emerging movement to issue birth certificates to the stillborn. When this tragically occurs parents are issued death certificates but not birth certificates, which to them feels contradictory and cruel. But now 19 states will issue them even though the babies never lived—except in the womb.
And I’ll force myself not to say a word about the need historic cemeteries have to raise money to preserve existing tombs and grounds. Since pretty much all of their spaces are occupied by eternal residents they do not have the ability to raise cash by offering new plots or services to contemporary customers. So the most enterprising among them are sponsoring various fun events—jazz concerts, brunches with famous chefs and even Halloween parties in under-used crematories.
Congressional Cemetery in Washington DC had so fallen into disrepair that until recently it was populated by wild dogs and prostitutes. But now, also reported in the Times, for an annual fee of $125 and an additional per-dog charge of $40, your pooch can have the run of the place. If you think there would be a limited market for this privilege, think again—Congressional has thus far taken in $80,000.
And under no circumstances, it is the beginning of summer, there is no way I will report about the number of times a jaunty George Bush evoked the specter of Al Qaeda during his brief news conference yesterday after the Democrats rolled over for him and authorized an additional $125 billion for his Surge. Let’s just say it was more than 60 times and leave it at that.
Enjoy the weekend! And if you have the time, come back here tomorrow for the first part of “Crazy Rona.”
posted by Steven Zwerling at
6:34 AM
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