Presidential Humor
Is President Obama funny? He hasn't had much to laugh about lately, but according to a recent Associated Press article, the President has a sense of humor that is "mordant, self-deprecating, deeply ironic." "The president certainly doesn't seem to see himself as a natural comic. But more often than he gets credit for, he flashes a sharp and wry humor," says the article. "It's an important component of his style, helping to humanize an otherwise detached persona in ways that could prove valuable in the political wars ahead." Hofstra University presidential historian Meena Bose ranks him quite high on the presidential humor scale. "I think he does have a good sense of humor," says Bose. "He has a cerebral one, though. It's this dry irony. You have to pay pretty close attention to get some of what he's saying." Here are some listed examples of Obama wit: "Speaking about Mother's Day, he praised his sharp-tongued chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, who's 'not used to saying the word 'day' after 'mother.'" "Praising high-speed rail, he noted its less-stringent-than-airport security: 'You don't have to take off your shoes. Right? Check to see if you're wearing the socks with no holes in them?'"
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Much Ado About Publishing
De-Witched, Authored & Remaindered
Last month, I introduced Moron Press, the publishing house that should exist to put out, as its motto explains, "The Finest in Dreck Lit," all the crap that ain't fit to print but is now the foundation of the publishing industry, which would free other publishers to focus only on books that actually deserve to be published.
This month, with elections finally over, and candidates now making book deals, I present Moron Press' political and media imprints and their upcoming releases.
Political Putzes & Pranksters:
Media Mishegas:
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As a journalist, columnist, essayist, and media critic, Nina L. Diamond's work has appeared in many publications, including Omni magazine, The Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, and The Miami Herald. She was a regular contributor to a number of "late, great" national, regional, and newspaper Sunday magazines, including Omni; the award-winning South Florida magazine; and Sunshine, the Ft. Lauderdale (now South Florida) Sun-Sentinel's Sunday magazine.
She covers the arts and sciences; the media, publishing, and current affairs; and writes feature articles, interviews, commentary, humor/satire/parody, essays, and reviews.
Ms. Diamond is also the author of Voices of Truth: Conversations with Scientists, Thinkers & Healers (Lotus Press) and the unfortunately titled Purify Your Body (Three Rivers Press/Crown/Random House) , a book of natural health reporting which has been a selection of The Book-of-the-Month Club's One Spirit Book Club and the Quality Paperback Book Club.
For its entire run from 1984-1998, she was a writer and performer on Pandemonium, the National Public Radio (NPR) satirical humor program, which aired on WLRN-FM in Miami.
She has appeared on Oprah, discussing the publishing industry, but, in a case of very bad timing, that appearance was two years before her first book was published.
She has written her Much Ado About Publishing column for Independent Publisher since 2003.
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Follow Nina on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/@ninatypewriter
Become a "fan" on Nina's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/NinaL.DiamondFanPage
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Read Nina's other Much Ado About Publishing columns from 2010:
Moron Press: The Finest in Dreck Lit
Playing 20 Questions with Evil Wylie
When LOL Meets PPF
Sunday in the Park with Scarlett, Seuss, Webster, Zhivago & Salinger
There's No Such Thing As a Quick Remote
Thanks for the Genes
From Blog to Eternity
Jessie: A Literary Tail & A Warm Nose for News
Struggles on the Shelves
Impacted Cranial Rectitis