Archive for January, 2009

An Ode To Blogroll Amnesty Day

Friday, January 30th, 2009

For some, Blogroll Amnesty Day (BAD) is an excuse to be generous with their links.

For others, (who shall remain nameless, but you know who you are) it’s simply an excuse.

And for me, of course, BAD’s an excuse to write yet another limerick … as if I needed an excuse:

An Ode to Blogroll Amnesty Day
By Madeleine Begun Kane

Are you planning to celebrate BAD?
If you don’t, skippy’s bound to be mad.
Spread the link love around.
Make sure small blogs are found.
Serve up link juice and don’t be a cad.

No Quid? No Quo!

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

I was glad to see that at least some House and Senate Democrats want to take back the economic stimulus package concessions they gave Republicans in return for what turned out to be a grand total of zero votes. After all, as my latest limerick says, “No Quid? No Quo!”

No Quid? No Quo!
By Madeleine Begun Kane

The stimulus bill was jam-packed
With concessions the GOP backed.
Yet the whole GOP
Nixed the bill. Seems to me
That the Dems should those changes redact.

John Mortimer (Barrister, Author, Rumpole Creator) Dies at 85

Saturday, January 17th, 2009

I was very saddened to read that Rumpole creator John Mortimer died. Not only am I a fan of his books, but I had the pleasure of meeting, interviewing, and profiling John Mortimer for British Heritage Magazine back in 1996 … not to mention sharing champagne with him while we chatted.

Needless to say, I sipped very slowly.

We spoke about everything from feminism and God to computers and murderers. Here are some excerpts from my Mortimer profile:

Judges, according to Mortimer, “take themselves too seriously,” while prisons are a “university of crime.” Mortimer speaks from experience; he earned considerable acclaim as a barrister, especially for his successful defenses in censorship cases. He also represented many divorce clients and accused murderers during his barrister years. According to Mortimer, he much preferred the murderers.

I asked Mortimer which was more difficult to write, comedy or tragedy. “Comedy,” he answered without hesitation. “It is very easy to make people cry, be sad, be miserable. Farce is an incredibly difficult genre. Comedy requires enormous imagination. There are quite a lot of great tragedies, and there aren’t many great comedies.”

Mortimer was equally emphatic about the relative difficulties of his two careers. “Writing is much, much harder than being a lawyer. If you’re a lawyer you can rattle on doing things other people can do. If you’re a writer, you’ve got to do something which nobody else can do. Except writing has less disastrous results. If you write a bad book, no one goes to prison, which is rather a relief.”

Mortimer appears to relish making comments that would tend to provoke a rise, or at least a laugh. Indeed, he laughs easily and often, a condition I found quite contagious. When asked if it’s possible for men and women to communicate without gender getting in the way, he said, laughing, “No. Thank God for it. Vive La Difference.” He added with another chuckle, “I think women don’t want to be sex objects, but I’d love to be a sex object. My own ambition is to be loved only for my body.”

Mortimer, like Rumpole, enjoys making fun of feminists. Yet I sensed that behind his flippant love-me-for-my-body remark was a man who, again like Rumpole, measures women when it matters on merit alone. I suggested that while many women enjoy being sex objects, they don’t want gender to interfere with their careers. “Absolutely,” Mortimer responded, “and so it shouldn’t.”

You can read my entire John Mortimer interview here.

(Cross-posted on my general Humor Blog.)

An Alpha-Political Farewell to Bush and Cheney

Tuesday, January 13th, 2009

Back in 2004 I summed up George Bush’s first term in my Alpha Politics. So it seems only appropriate to do the same for the Bush-Cheney second term. (Most of the links point to one of my satirical posts on the topic.)

A is for Jack Abramoff who’s big in pay-to-play.

B’s for greedy bankers who have fleeced the USA.

C is for Sen. Craig who isn’t gay, except in bed.

D is for democracy which Dubya hasn’t spread.

E’s for the economy which George and Dick destroyed.

F’s for filibuster. You need merely say the “woid”.

G’s for Giuliani who is 9-1-1 obsessed.

H is for hypocrisy — the right-wing does it best.

I is for impeachment which Bush/Cheney sure deserve.

J’s for Joe The Plumber — right-wing symbol. What a nerve!

K is for Ms. Kennedy, the would-be New York Sen.

L is for Joe Lieberman, the worst of traitor men.

M’s for John McCain who zigged and zagged till he was hoarse.

N is for Ralph Nader who is still without remorse.

O is for O’Reilly — shuts up those who disagree.

P is for Gov. Palin who has “saved” the GOP.

Q is for the air quotes placed by John on mother’s “health.”

R is for recession — say goodbye to all your wealth.

S is for Gov. Spitzer. Prostitution did him in.

T is for the terrorists, now savoring their win.

U is for the USA, on life support right now.

V is for the victor. Prez Obama take a bow.

W’s for the White House left by Bush in disarray.

X is for the X’ing out of Bush regs any day.

Y’s for “Yes, we can,” Barack Obama’s sanguine creed.

And Z’s for right-wing zealots who methinks are off their feed.

Wall Street Journal Profiles Financial Poets … Including Me

Monday, January 12th, 2009

Mary Pilon, of the Wall Street Journal, wrote a delightful article about financial poetry entitled Fannie, Freddie, Bear & Hard Times: Wall Street’s Collapse, Told in Rhymes. And I was delighted and honored to be one of several financial poets Ms. Pilon profiled in her article.

My Husband Mark’s A New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest Finalist

Monday, January 12th, 2009

My husband Mark, who has a really good eye for visual humor, recently started entering the New Yorker’s fun weekly cartoon caption contest. And we’re both thrilled that he’s one of only three finalists for this week’s New Yorker contest.

I hope you’ll check it out and vote for Mark’s caption. His is the best one, … and I’d say that even if he weren’t my husband.

1996 Humor Column About Underwear Shopping With My Mom

Monday, January 5th, 2009

Thanks to all of you for your kind emails, comments, and Twitter tweets about my mother’s death. I really appreciate it!

In my mother’s honor, I’m posting a 1996 humor column she inspired during happier (and funnier) times:

Secret Shopper
By Madeleine Begun Kane

“I’m not going in there. No way. Forget it.”

My seventy-something mother’s stance was as rigid as her words; arms folded across her chest, unyielding legs pointed away from the shop I’d just suggested.

She and I had spent the entire afternoon combing through three department stores for the definitive pair of panties. Or at least my mom’s idea of same. This illusive undergarment had to be loose, comfortable, 100% cotton, and totally devoid of lace. And that was just for starters. It also had to completely cover my mother’s hips and come in a large size, the exact number of which she resolutely refused to disclose. … (Secret Shopper is continued here.)

Rest In Peace, Mom

Thursday, January 1st, 2009

2008 was a very difficult year for me and for my family. My father died in January, and my mother died December 30th and is being buried tomorrow.

Rest in peace, mom. I hope you and dad are together again.

I love you both and miss the two of you more than my words can express.

Beatrice Begun (1925-2008)