Words for Sale, and other stuff (including Dubie’s First Ad)

“Don’t forget to smile when you serve cold drinks.”

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I saw a young man slide on the side of his face onto the bricks of Burlington’s Church Street. Before he started sliding on his face, he was leading the Green Mountain Stage (bike) Race. Worse, because he was leading an extremely fast peleton, the racers behind him piled into him even as he was still trying to stop sliding (on his face).

I was about four feet from the bicycle mayhem. I had to move to narrowly escape being a part of it.

But it ended as fast as it started. In a split second the riders who had just been sliding across the bricks and pavement were gone. Most got back on their bikes and rode off, with not a hint of doubt about it. Their jerseys torn, their skin blistered, and their helmets scraped — but off they went.

The riders who lost their wheels or otherwise ruined their bikes got up and ran to the repair tent, all re-joining the race after receiving their “free laps.”

Great sport. Great day.

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“…[Y]ou know that game, Operation? The whole idea is that you are supposed to not hit the sides and make the alarm go off. For me, though, the only stuff that is interesting is the stuff that hits the sides and makes the alarm go off.” — Shalom Auslander, The Rumpus interview.

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Vermont’s Governor Jim Douglas announced last week that Vermont would officially recognize September as “National Preparedness Month.” Too which, the pot growers in the Northeast Kingdom said, “Duh.”

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I think it’s time for Republicans to stop celebrating Labor Day. I mean, can’t they get their own day? Ownership Day, perhaps. Or hell, just give them Monday.

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Overheard on Church Street:

“You just don’t want to go out with me.”

“We went out Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night and last night.”

“You don’t want to go out with me TONIGHT.”

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Gonzo Vermont: Brian Dubie Update: He’s still got a 26-page plan and you can still find it at his website: BrianDubie.com. Just ask him. In fact, ask him anything and he will say the same.

Here, apparently (read: not confirmed) is the Dubie campaign’s first television ad:

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That’s his story and he’s sticking to it.

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Gonzo Vermont: Meanwhile, the Democrats continue to confuse Vermonters by holding a series of clumsy “unity” events that simply put a brighter spotlight on the fact that there is still no official winner and none of the five who vied for the spot were able to get more than one-in-four voters to pick them as their favorite. The Democrats like to say it’s because “all five were such great candidates.” That must make them all feel good about themselves. But it ignores the obvious truth that the party was disorganized enough from previous election cycles to make this one an organizational mess, featuring five candidate clones who ran like they were all searching for jobs in the winner’s administration. And if they won? Golly gee, they’ll take that too! It’s all rather bizarre.

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For sale: Words.

Contact me regarding rates/possibilities.

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Or: Buy my firewood.

Contact me regarding rates/possibilities.

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Oh my, it’s come to this.

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It all started when she put the ice-cube trays in the dirty dishwater.

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“We get along,” said the neighbor, as if trying to convince himself.

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Let’s go to the audio (turn it up):