The junk drawer

Three things you can talk about this week:

1. The mummified Children of Llullaillaco

2. Michigan’s early primary

3. Norman Hsu

And three things you can’t:

1. How you paid too much for your iPhone

2. Lloyd Carr

3. The “High School Musical” starlet gone web-nude

Quotes of the week

“The life of all mankind is in danger because of the global warming resulting to a large degree from the emissions of the factories of the major corporations.”

– OSAMA BIN LADEN in a video recently released by al Qaeda.

“Craig not only opposes gay marriage, he’s in a heterosexual marriage with kids. Talk about walking the walk!”

– Ann coulter on how although Larry Craig is allegedly into soliciting sex in men’s rooms, he protects the sanctity of heterosexual marriage.

“I think what Oprah can do is potentially bring out the congregants of the church of Oprah.”

– marty kaplan, University of Southern California communications professor, on how Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of Barack Obama for president just might deliver Obama the masses.

Drink of the week

Vodka, 7-Up and grenadine

It closely resembles that drink that made you feel special when all the grown-ups got cocktails and you wanted one too, but the bartender only winked and said he had just the right drink for you.
The spiked Shirley Temple is aesthetically pleasing as well as tasty. Serve it in a clear glass or cup and add the ingredients in order of descending density to achieve the effect of a ruby rainbow. But watch out – a popular drink at southern colleges, it’s sometimes called the Shirley Vomit, so limit yourself.
Maraschino cherry on plastic sword is required.

– ARIKIA MILLIKAN

Themed party suggestion

Buy the football team steroids fund-raiser – It’s true for many that part of the reason to dole out tuition for Michigan is to bask in glory several Saturdays a year. Appalachian State? Oregon? Unranked? Um, here guys, take these.

By the numbers

93 Percentage of the world’s opium supply produced by the Afghan poppy trade

285 Percentage increase of poppy production in a region of southern Afghanistan since nearly being eradicated in 2005

3 Number of billions of dollars wrapped up in Afghanistan’s poppy industry. Poppy trafficking partly funds the uprooted Taliban.

Wikipedia article of the week

“Fashion week”

A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, that allows fashion designers or “houses” to display their latest collections. The most prominent fashion weeks are held in the fashion capitals of Paris, London, New York and Milan. In the early and mid 2000s, fashion weeks sprang up around the globe to draw attention to designers elsewhere.
In the major fashion capitals, fashion weeks are semiannual events. “Fall” fashion weeks, showcasing designers’ fall collections, are held January through March, and “spring” fashion weeks, showcasing spring collections, are held September through November. Fashion weeks must be held several months in advance of the season to allow the press and buyers a chance to preview fashion designs for the following season. This is also to allow time for retailers to arrange to purchase or incorporate the designers into their retail marketing.

The earliest fashion week, held in New York City in 1943, was designed to attract attention away from French fashion during World War II, when fashion industry insiders were unable to travel to Paris to see French fashion shows. Fashion publicist Eleanor Lamber organized an event she called “Press Week” to showcase American designers for fashion journalists, who had previously neglected their innovations. (Buyers were not admitted to the shows and instead had to visit designers’ showrooms.) Press Week was a success, and fashion magazines like Vogue, which were normally filled with French designs, increasingly featured American fashion.