'10 under 10'

TOP UNDER 20 LIST ... A recent issue of The New Yorker had a "20 under 40" theme. A recent issue of The New York Times had this, by Craig Welter.

" ... the literary community has turned its attention to even younger emerging talent. Here is that next generation:

Rachel Besculides’s second collection of letters to Justin Bieber, “No One Loves You Like I Do,” was published in January.

Emma Bryant’s biography of Jennifer Costawicz, “Jennifer Costawicz Is Mean and Fat and Is Not My Friend Anymore,” is available in paperback."

Read the rest here. They're funny.

Baa-haa-haa!

For couples setting out on long journeys together (literally): helpful advice from The Wall Street Journal.

Car clashes got so bad for Jim and Danna Narnish that they resorted to an extreme measure: A finger puppet lamb. Named Arnella.

When Ms. Harnish feels that her husband is driving too fast, following too close to another car or not turning on the windshield wipers when they are needed, she pulls Arnella out, snuggles the toy up to his neck and—in what she calls "a little delicate girlie voice"—makes the lamb tell her husband what to do.

"Instead of me nagging, it's Arnella nagging," says Ms. Harnish, 65, a retired camera saleswoman from Bend, Ore. "She has saved our 45-year-marriage." ...

Mr. Harnish agrees that the lamb ploy works. "When I hear her whiny little voice, I just say to myself: 'I know what's going on, you don't have to say anymore,'" says the 67-year-old retired middle school vice principal. "Who am I going to argue with—a little lamb on a finger?"

Calling Miss Manners ...

From the April 28, 2010, front page of The New York Times:

"Sir, I beg to disagree"
As the Ukraine Parliament passed a deal extending Russian use of a naval base, proceedings on Tuesday degenerated into fistfights and the throwing of eggs and smoke bombs.

Headline of the Week (…or probably even the year)

"I Tickled Aide, but That Was All, Massa Says"

Here's the story, about a U.S. Representative from New York. Not surprisingly, he has resigned from Congress.

Old news ...

HO-HUM ... All of a sudden everyone is in a lather about the identity of the mystery man Carly Simon wrote "You're So Vain" about. It's David Geffen. Big deal. Back when the song came out, that was well known. I don't know why, and when, it became a "mystery." Maybe Geffen was bashful? Litigious? Anyway, I have a clip from a newsmagazine, circa 1970-something, ID-ing Geffen. I keep it in my Trivial Pursuit game box. (The original, and best, version of Trivial Pursuit, by the way.)

Three's Apparently Not a Crowd

Everybody's already seen this, but it's still funny, so here it is: The wedding announcement last month in The New York Times, with Ricky Bobby hovering behind the happy couple. I can't believe an editor said okay to this. But good work!

The Wall Street Journal Guide to Manly Hugging

"At first they seemed destined for a routine handshake. But Mr. Clinton pulled Mr. Gore into a bear hug. ... "

From an article in the Wall Street Journal about the sudden display of affection between former President Clinton and former Vice President Gore, upon the journalists' return from North Korea. Read on for more details.