Da-da-da-da-da-da!

So we're at the ballgame last night. The organ strikes up those six familiar notes, the crowd yells "Charge!" and we realize that we've just been presented the gift of This Week's Discussion Question:

How the heck do you charge in baseball?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "A farm system full of pitching prospects and Terry Ryan couldn't get a stinkin' bat before the trading deadline?" or "Wow, look at everybody doing 'Y.M.C.A.'! Is this GLBT Night?"

Discuss.

(h/t to the kid...)

Wait

Once again, we interrupt This Week's Discussion Question to bring you another helpful tip.

Over the last couple of days, Stephen F. Hayes has appeared on Meet the Press and The Today Show to promote his forthcoming tome, Cheney: The Untold Story of America's Most Powerful and Controversial Vice President. It sounds like a fascinating read, but here's our tip:

Wait for the paperback edition, which should feature an epilogue describing the stoicism and steely resolve Mr. Cheney displayed throughout his war crimes trial in The Hague.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Bonfire of the Inanities

Charles Pierce is a regular contributor to "Slacker Friday" at Eric Alterman's Altercation blog at Media Matters. Yesterday, in taking apart a blogger who contends that what John Edwards spends on a haircut is a legitimate story while Mitt Romney's makeup costs are not, Mr. Pierce concluded with this (but go read the whole thing):

And, were I an editor, and someone brought me a story about John Edwards' hair or Mitt Romney's skin, that person would do it once. The second time, the lazy bastard would find himself typing bowling agate* on Wednesday night.

Thinking back to earlier this week, we present This Week's Discussion Question:

How come Bill Kristol is on my Op/Ed page and Charles Pierce isn't?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "It's unfortunate for Andrea Mitchell and Tim Russert that NBC doesn't run bowling scores" or "Hey! Did you hear Hillary has cleavage!"

Discuss.


*"Agate" being the small type that the bowling scores appear in in your daily newspaper.

What the World Needs Now (Part #717)

Geez. American Idol mercifully wraps up for another year and what pops up on the teevee networks? More Karaoke Shows! NBC's even renewing The Singing Bee for the fall schedule.

While we're pleased to see Joey Fatone off the streets, here's This Week's Discussion Question:

Why would you bother with people butchering old pop songs when these guys are back together?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Hell, why would you watch karaoke sober?" or "Boy, I hope this won't preempt NBC's new series Law & Order: Voter Fraud."

Discuss.

Always Look on the Bright Side

We interrupt This Week's Discussion Question to offer a helpful tip to everyone who read Smilin' Bill Kristol's latest Washington Post column, Why Bush Will Be a Winner.

In the column's second paragraph, Mr. Kristol suggests, "Let's step back from the unnecessary mistakes and the self-inflicted wounds that have characterized the Bush administration."

Here's our tip:

To have any hope of seeing past the unnecessary mistakes and self-inflicted wounds that have characterized the Bush Administration, make sure you step back toward the viewfinder of the Hubble Telescope.

We now return you to This Week's Discussion Question. We apologize for the inconvenience.

(We also swear we had this post's title before we read the WaPo's subhead "On the Bright Side.")

Let's Go

A new American Research Group poll conducted in the wake of the President slipping Scooter Libby a "Get Out of Jail Free" card shows 45% of respondents think the House should begin impeachment proceedings against President Bush. 54% were in favor of the same for Vice President Cheney, so here's This Week's Discussion Question:

Hey! Can we get rolling on these?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Only 40% approved of impeaching Clinton WHILE HE WAS BEING IMPEACHED" or "That's Convicted Felon Scooter Libby."

Discuss.

Patience

Another holiday, another call for patience in Iraq. Nice to see that the president is big on tradition.

Since we're tapped out of patience and since both parties already have presidential campaigns in full swing, here's another installment of This Week's Discussion Question:

Couldn't we just vote this November?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Mmm...Peach!"

Discuss.

Independence Day

Happy Independence Day! Today, we Americans celebrated 231 years of freedom from being ruled by the whims of a distant king. (Make up your own joke here.)

The city in which TWDQ is headquartered held its annual Fourth of July parade a week and a half ago* and some festive parade-goers inspired our Independence Day Edition of This Week's Discussion Question:

Do you suppose Betsy Ross ever considered that her work might someday lead to something like this?

And speaking of the rule of kings, here's our bonus Independence Day This Week's Discussion Question:

Could we solve our energy crisis by harnessing the power generated by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison as they spin in their crypts?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Now if you had some antennae that shot bottle rockets...whoa!" or "Mmmm...Peach!"

Discuss.

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*They figured out you get a better turnout for a Fourth of July parade if you don't have it on the actual Fourth when everyone's blown town. Go figure.

On the Rocks

We swear we had this one the moment the local morning newscast ran footage of the President's boat stuck on the rocks, so after a long absence, here's This Week's Discussion Question:

Metaphor, anyone?

Please keep the discussion civil and do not wander off into "Boy, you can't make this stuff up, can ya?" or "I'm only surprised that it wasn't one of Poppy's friends that bailed him out."

Discuss.