Hell in a handbasket

Sometimes I feel that we could entitle every entry that way. Hell in a handbasket. I mean, if it isn't one thing, it's another. For example, at the moment the Nostrumite is in a state of permanent depression over the whole Wear Your Guns to Starbucks business. Law and order in the old west was established when people stopped wearing their guns into the saloons, not when they started. But to tell you the truth, to the Mite it's more that Starbucks are the new saloons than that a bunch of idjits feel the need to arm themselves before drinking a cup of coffee (I mean, Starbucks coffee isn't that bad, people). It used to be, life was lived in bars, with a shot o' red eye. You lookin' at me, pardner? Smile when you say that. Does a Colt .45 beat a pair of aces? Transfer all that to a coffee shop, and it's just too...metro. Instead of those four-handed poker games, you've got people in the comfy chairs doing the Kenken puzzles in the back of the Times. I mean, who are you going to shoot if you get two fours on the same line? Jeesh. Anyhow, at least Sarah Palin now has some place where she can get a cup of joe and feel comfortable about it.

By the way, is a Palindrome a really big auditorium where ex-governors put on gladiator displays? Whatever.

Because there was no school at Tennessee Williams for the various holidays, and business was slow at the bookstore because everyone is down in Florida at Disney World wishing they had looked up the crowd numbers before making their reservations, we've got a supersized episode this week. You might even detect an extra load of plot in it, as compared to some of our narrative-free entries. That should give you something to shoot about next time you're in the mood for a latte.

Episode 9: audio / pdf.