the new whiskeyandacigarette.org/samanthachanse.com site is now live. it has been months in the works. it is thanks to the design genius of the derek chung that such things are possible. please enjoy. the mood changer is lovely.

i have had the urge to impale something lately. it’s been some i-feel-like-impaling-something last several days. mebbe even last several months. figurative impalement of course.

as a method to maintain sanity under current global, national, and other circumstances that shall remain nameless, i briefly explore the word impalement:

from my friend dictionary.com:

im·pale     P   Pronunciation Key  (m-pl) also em·pale (m-)
tr.v. im·paled, im·pal·ing, im·pales

()

1. 1. To pierce with a sharp stake or point.
   2. To torture or kill by impaling.
2. To render helpless as if by impaling.

i don’t really want to be involved in (1b), and have no interest in (2). i guess (1b) most closely approximates the sentiment.

and from merriam-webster online dictionary:

i am less intrigued by the etymology.

in the last few minutes i have now read far too much about the history of impalement as a form of torture and execution. i think i have to come up with a better expression that encapsulates my own little emotional potpourri of confusion, pissed-offedness, impotence, irritation (two people a few seats over are passionately debating the perceived career missteps of britney spears; i want to hurl coffee at them, but my coffee is too precious & way too expensive at this cafe), & general ennui. i will take suggestions.

finally had a chance to watch the video of us prez george bush giving geman chancellor angela merkel a sudden backrub in a closed-door g8 summit meeting. i appreciate the opportunity to be momentarily distracted from now habitual rage over the reporting on israeli actions of (and here i would insert lovely quotation marks to indicate that the following term is laughable in this context, but i won’t do that because i’ve developed an aversion to quotation marks for the time being) self defense.

i found this next thing exceedingly amusing. this is the photo accompanying an article in today’s NYT entitled “Marines Aiding in Evacuation of Beirut; New Clash in South.” i had to look at it a few times to process
:
ahhhhhhh…..so sweet. a smiling marine holding a smiling little girl. i’m not sure what’s going on, but i am filled with feelings of warm fuzzy.
a few minutes later when i checked back the picture was of a woman hugging a young one:

thank god they aren’t emphasizing the bombed out hospitals, farms, highways, neighborhoods in now 9th day of israeli attack–that would be hella depressing.

and someone, somewhere, won’t know that was a joke.