Look, we know what those 8 a.m. classes were like, and even Barry lacks the eloquence to keep you awake. That’s why we called in the Stinque Macroeconomics Dancers to welcome you to our Obama news conference Open Thread/Champagne Cabaret. Because when it comes to the dismal science, we know you could use the distraction.

Selections from the London Review of Books classifieds for March 12, 2009.

Loving stick-insect sought for LTR by serious-minded, mid-60s Lefty man with a big laugh.

Has your life been ruined by therapy? Are you stuck in interpretive regress? Me too. Now looking for M, 40s, to live an unexamined life.

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Found this over at John Cole’s place:

And where the fuck is Khazakistan?

BONUS: Did you know Bachmann’s husband can cure teh gay?

If your outrage lasts more than four hours, consult a physician.

Yes, we’re riffing on that title again, as well as picking up an omitted digression from our earlier brief discussion of entreprenurial interview techniques, if only because this one’s playing out in real time.

If you, like us, are obsessive avoiders of Bill O’Reilly’s Cavalcade of Comedy, you may not know that LoofahMan enjoys chasing prey with television cameras, as the clip here from Monday night demonstrates. We didn’t know ourselves, until Jon Stewart took a moment from CNBC-bashing to enlighten us.

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Barry’s on TV again tonight, this time throwing an elbow at American Idol to explain the Battlegeek finale or the economy, whichever is easier. We’ll be firing up our Open Thread/Gaffematic at 7:45 p.m. Eastern.

Issues likely to surface at Obama news conference [Reuters]

Since Mistress Cynica likes Inspector Morse’s Jag, here’s a bit of Richard Hammond driving one that’s been race prepped.

From one of my favorite stops in Wingnuttia – Clown Hall:

Take Michelle Obama…please. Every time I turn around, there she is on a magazine cover. Now, normally, like the Mafia, I lay off the spouses, but inasmuch as this particular spouse attended the same racist church as her hubby for 20 years, I’ll make an exception in her case. After all, in spite of the fact that affirmative action got her an Ivy League degree and a $7,000-a-week salary and, moreover, has sent billions of dollars for no particularly good reason to Africa, she insists this is a mean country. The burning question in my circle is: if the First Family gets a female dog, will she be the First Bitch or will she have to settle for second place?

Wow – you’d think all those professional Christians over at Town Hall wouldn’t call people names. Would Jesus use language like that?

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