Give A Speech, Get A Prize

In an edited interview with Deborah Solomon of the NY Times, the emcee of the Nobel Comedy Club explains why Obama got the Peace Prize:

Obama has reduced tensions in the world to a large extent — namely, the divide between the Muslim world and the Western world, which is very dangerous. What he did was to go to Cairo and reach out to the Muslims. There must be a starting point, and this was a very important starting point.

And we've already seen results with Iran, Afghanistan, and the Palestinian talks.

The interview did turn back on itself here:

He [Obama] does want to start a worldwide conversation, to reverse the go-it-alone, cowboy current in American history.

That, believe it or not, was the question.  The response:

These are your words. I agree it’s better to speak than to shoot.

I'm begging now - just shoot me.

Comments

[When will they ever learn.]

Eh, you know, really the problems is that it was the Sheriff, doing something about the cowboys drunk on too much petro profits.
=====================================

[peter]

RAS at minus eleven. double digits day after day.

This almost cheers me up after the Yankee loss.

[Sue]

I thought I heard the Yankees won last night's game. With Jeter hitting a home run. A not producing. I must listen better.

[Jack is Back!]

I've asked this before; is it okay if I call Deborah Solomon a "skank"? She has and extreme version of BDS to the point that it is very rare for any of her interviews not to bring up Bush in some way or another. It is almost a fetish (scratch almost).

And since this is about the Once - maybe this is why he waffles on gay issues. Its like, in his genes. At least, unlike Iran, they admit that they have a gay population.

[osıɔɹɐu]

It doesn't take any courage to go to Cairo and denounce America, 'that's coals to New
castle'. Now to speak up against the Mubarak and Assad regimes, not to mention the house of Saud, that would take courage. Than again, they're two busy scurrying about
the consequences of an Iranian bomb

[JM Hanes]

Somebody's red pencil must have slipped, unless, of course, the exchanges which were edited out of existence were even duller than the ones that were left.

At the risk of driving TM to shoot himself, instead of begging someone else to do the deed, consider this tidbit which hit the cutting room floor long before the Solomon sit down. Jagland, or one of the other Committee members, noted that Nobel candidates are nominated for their work in the preceeding year. Subsequent events may have figured into the Committee's decision, but officially speaking Obama was nominated for his campaign.

[clarice]

You asked for it, TM. This'll hurt you more than it will hurt me (?)Pistolas, please...
jmh, some bright light at JOM highlighted that Norwegian dunce, Jagland's idiocy long ago. Isn't that a remarkable example of pure stupidity?

[osıɔɹɐu]

he was nominated for the campaign, well I should have known, good god almighty.

[Thomas Collins]

TM, Sue is clearly eagerly awaiting your World Series thread, and so am I. Why a thread on Nobel Peace Prize therapy talk and none on Cliff Lee?

By the way, Yankees fans shouldn't worry even if the Phillies win the next two. After all, there is precedent in the playoffs for a team coming back from 3-0! :-))

[peter]

Look here, Mr. Collins, no taunting until it is over. and it ain't over yet. Cliff Lee's performance last night was one for the ages. Even his fielding was magical. give him credit. Tonight will be the Yankees' bats' magical night. Even if AJ Burnett spots the Blunts four runs.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

She's using "reduce" in the mathematical sense, as in "Obama's speech showed that all these tensions were the fault of the Bush Administration, thereby reducing it to a previous problem."

[Thomas Collins]

Peter, to keep my Red Sox bona fides, I have to tweak the Yankees on occasion. However, I am hoping for a great Series no matter who wins.

Tonight, it will be fun to see how Pedro does against the Yankees.

[peter]

TC, I thought that last night's game was very good. I however am old enough to remember when World Series games could be in the day time, and didn't have four or five commercials between half innings. That really spoils the game.

[Thomas Collins]

Peter, the first World Series I really followed was the 1962 Reds-Yankees Series. I forget about the weekend games, but I believe the weekday games were in the afternoon.

At the risk of being pilloried for trying to hijack this thread (how dare I try to hijack a thread in which an esteemed NY TImes writer discusses Obama's "worldwide conversation"), but what was the table top baseball game of choice of JOMers in the 50s and 60s, APBA, Strat-o-Matic, Negamco, Big League Manager, or another one?

[centralcal]

TC and Sue - the world series thread is up as requested.

[Captain Hate]

Peter, the first World Series I really followed was the 1962 Reds-Yankees Series.

Not to be confused with the Giants-Yankees Series.

[Thomas Collins]

Got me on that one, Captain Hate. Yes, it was Giants-Yankees in 1962 and Reds-Yankees in 1961. OK, without the Internet, let me see. Dodgers-Yankees in 1963, Yankees-Cards in 1964, Twins-Dodgers in 1965. Is that correct?

[Captain Hate]

It might be correct, TC; believe it or not, I didn't mean that as a gotcha. I just looked at it and thought "that doesn't look right" and googled it.

[Thomas Collins]

Don't worry, Captain Hate, whether gotcha or not, thanks for setting me straight. By the way, is there a lot of concern in the Cleveland area that LeBron is going to jump the Cavaliers ship when his contract runs out?

[Elliott]

but officially speaking Obama was nominated for his campaign.

So it was the Tiergarten variety platitudes.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Ah, yes, we've seen the results and they aren't pretty.

[Frau Lebertran]

Jagland? Take away Norway's oil revenue, and the Norwegians would be living off cheese and cold liver oil sales.

...and according to wiki,"Since 2006, when the Norwegian whaling quota was increased by 30%, Norwegian whalers have been allowed to hunt a quota of 1052 Minke Whales a year."
Is there a prize for that? Pfui!

[Frau Lebertran]

*cod liver oil* of course. Higher dander = lousy proofreading.

[clarice]

I love Gjetost though.

[Jack is Back!]

And lets not forget Karen Fossum. Terrific writer.

[daddy]

From Elliott's link to Obama's Berlin Wall speech:

"Citizen Obama attempts to pick up where those presidents left off, saying that the great danger in a globalized world with the threat of international terrorism is building new walls.

"That is why the greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another," he said. "The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down."

Wonder if that's why his administration just cancelled 700 miles or so of Mexican Border fence, and decided to let go some 300 Border agents---to reduce the threat of Terrorism.

Plus it makes it easier for out of state Jersey voters to get their hands on Absentee Ballots.

[Frau Lebertran]

IMHO a Nobel Peace Prize selection is above the pay grade of the present bunch of Norwegians.

(Alone, on toast or flat bread, clarice? As a child, my husband was the designated goat milker in his family. Needless to say, goat milk is a treat.)

[Frau Lebertran]

Jack - Is Fossum on a par or better than Fred Vargas? I've read several of Arnaldur Indridason's books, but haven't read any Fossum or Henning Mankell.

[clarice]

I love it on toast or slices of tart apple..And I love it with cloudberry jam .

[Frau Lebertran]

Have you ever looked at the cookbook "Falling Cloudberries"? I don't have it, but it is a beautiful book by Tessa Kiros.
LUN

[clarice]

No, I haven't,frau. I haven't been to Scandanavia in a very long time, but I loved the breakfasts there..and the light luncheon sandwiches (perfect food for traveling).Dinners sometimes seemed boring my comparison.

[Porchlight]

That is a beautiful book, Frau. Hard to imagine a prettier one. The thick binding makes it a little impractical in the kitchen, though.

[Captain Hate]

is there a lot of concern in the Cleveland area that LeBron is going to jump the Cavaliers ship when his contract runs out?

Absolutely; if I were to make a very anecdotal guess on it I'd say that more people expect him to leave than stay. I'm in the "really hope he stays but wouldn't be surprised at all if he leaves" spot. But hope springs eternal. One reason to be somewhat optimistic is that Dan Gilbert has been an excellent owner with very deep pockets who takes very good care of his employees.

[clarice]

The book looks lovely. I keep saying not another cookbook and then another comes along I need to have. I cannot even find my favorites in the jumble any more and each of them has at least one.

I just read thru my mail--there was an appeal for funds from a special program I was in in college which I like and generally support. The appeal was accompanied by a newsletter with a number of alumni articles-one slobbered over Obama and spoke of the thrill of attending his inaugeration; another of the joy teaching Indian children in Gujarat and how the alum's heart soared when a student said Obama would bring change to the world. In my new, let 'em pay for insulting me, I wrote back that I hadn;t voted for Obama; didn't like the job he was doing and since they felt like gratuitously insulting me with this stuff, I'd pass on the contribution this year. I added that I had no idea what others would do, but that generally appeals for such donations were better made without political propaganda enclosed.

[Ann]

This should be the picture for:

WOMAN OF THE YEAR!

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama attends the Fall Harvest of the White House Garden with students from Bancroft Elementary School on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, October 29, 2009.

[Thomas Collins]

I hope LeBron stays with the Cavaliers, Captain Hate. I would love to see a Cavaliers-Celtics Eastern Conference Final with both LeBron and Garnett healthy.

[Ignatz]

--what was the table top baseball game of choice of JOMers in the 50s and 60s, APBA, Strat-o-Matic, Negamco, Big League Manager, or another one?--

Slightly embarrassed to say I never heard of any of them.
When the b-ball mood struck us we generally picked up a ball, mitt and bat and went and broke somebody's window.

[unɹ puɐ ʇıɥ]

Using Michelle on one side of a giant balance and the vegetables on the other the White House today estimated harvesting http://twitter.com/markknoller/status/5270722589>223 pounds of vegetables.

[Porchlight]

clarice, I keep saying "no more cookbooks" too, but I keep ending up with more.

Meow, hit! :) Ann, that picture goes in the all-time album. I hope you're saving them all somewhere! When it's all said and done they'll make an awesome 36" X 48" poster, even if every photo is 1" x 1".

I don't understand why they're still growing and harvesting the garden with the lead in the soil.

[Porchlight]

Thomas Collins,

My brother played APBA religiously in middle school. He is now a fantasy baseball (and football) addict.

[Ann]

LOL hit!

It gets harder and harder to find things to laugh at yet Michelle's garden pictures and this have done it for me this evening.

[jimmyk]

When the b-ball mood struck us we generally picked up a ball, mitt and bat and went and broke somebody's window.

Those of us in more northern climes had to find a way to pass the winter. For us it was Strat-o-matic.

[Ann]

Great idea, Porchlight!

I am done if the security czar ever gets a look at my photobucket account. Yikes

[PD]

Ah, yes, we've seen the results and they aren't pretty.

Sara, those pictures look suspiciously like ones that came out during the cartoon riots. Are they supposed to be current?

example

[clarice]

Ann, that robbery story is wonderful!

The establishment Reps have seen the light on NY-23..From Politico:
"The House Republican leadership is prepared to welcome Doug Hoffman into its ranks, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) said Thursday, a sign that the GOP establishment is recalibrating its approach toward the contentious New York special election and the Conservative Party nominee whose candidacy has divided the party. "

BTW Mickey Kaus says he doesn't like Obama (either).

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

PD: I don't know, my co-blogger posted them. I think the point was not when in London but that the signs that go along with a Religion of Peace indicate a desire for anything but peace. I'll try to get his clarification.

[Gregory Koster]

Ann, you are subverting my favorite notion, viz: the press is hopelessly corrupt and is always bawling for the liberal. The pictures you are putting up make that a difficult proposition to sell. Those photographers may be in danger of being canned, but they laugh themselves to sleep every night...

Note this section of the interview:

"Is it fair to say that Alfred Nobel did little to advance the cause of peace and much to thwart it as a chemist who invented dynamite in the 1860s?"

"Yes. He profited from war. That was why he became a peacemaker; well, not a peacemaker, but he saw the consequences of dynamite, how war became more efficient, an even more awful killing machine."

I don't know a hell of a lot about guns, but thanks to the TIMES, I now know that they are loaded with dynamite. Maybe someone will shoot TM with the TIMES Dynamite Gun, used to kill baby seals that have survived global warming. To be found in the Al Gore Sporting Goods Store, Right behind the pirvate jets.