Jon Stewart on the recent corruption case in NJ:

Wrote this one last week, but it mysteriously didn’t post. Sorry about that.

I’ve got a backlog of things to write about. So, in brief:

+ Interview with Tony Morrison in which she talks about her new novel and also President Obama.

+ Cats who Twitter.

+ I thought it was a truth universally acknowledged that baseball was not actually invented by Abner Doubleday and that it was based on a British game, but some dude is using a mention of “base-ball” in Northanger Abbey to prove that the Brits invented America’s pastime. Well, whatever, the first organized baseball game happened at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken. We can argue about the relative American-ness of New Jersey at a later time.

+ Fun fact: the Department of Homeland Security thinks that a 100-mile-think border around the US shall be a zone in which you can be searched. The ACLU is calling this the Constitution-Free Zone. This is, sadly, not as surprising as it should be. What is amazing? Two-thirds of the American population lives in this zone. Think about that for a moment.

Let’s just get to it, shall we:

+ HBO has a new show called The Black List about prominent African Americans. Jezebel has clips. What Toni Morrison says is particularly poignant. She says both that she writes for herself: “It’s the only place where I’m not doing what somebody else wants or asks or needs. Writing is mine.” She also says that, once you take white men off of the menu, there’s a lot you’re free to write about.

+ Smarter than lolcats: the Catorialist.

+ The Times has an article about a Florida teacher teaching evolution in evangelical classrooms.

+ I only just saw Michelle Obama’s speech at the Convention. It was pretty great, am I right?

+ The real issues being addressed at the Convention.

+ Marketing New Jersey.

+ We know now that Joe Biden is our veep candidate. Will this bring him fame and fortune? Historic veep candidates as predictors.

+ Newspapers in my home state may be folding. (Quote: “Soon Jersey residents will have to go back to getting all their news from Springsteen lyrics and Kevin Smith movies.”)

+ Knit historical tyrants.

+ This tool that analyzes browser history is 95% certain I am female.

+ We haven’t done a Polygamist Watch in a while. Check out these photos in the Times about the women of FLDS. Also, practices are being defended in court. Also, Warren Jeffs got indicted.

+ When Batman was gay.

+ Corollary: How awesome was The Dark Knight? I know, right?

+ This will make you happy: