Friday, April 06, 2007

Breaking News

BYOB: State to hire poet laureate, but won’t pay for wine

OLYMPIA — Washington State will have a poet laureate, it seems, but without a butt.

After 12 years of unsuccessful attempts, state lawmakers have agreed to hire an official state poet laureate — salary to be determined — to promote poetry statewide and compose poems for government events.

Lawmakers stopped short, however, of Jacobsen’s suggestion that they fully embrace the medieval tradition of providing the poet with a 126-gallon barrel — known as a "butt" — of wine. Instead, Jacobsen said he'll see if the state wine commission would donate wine.

Full story here.

Nota bene: If they offer *me* the job, then I definitely want the wine. Perhaps a velvety Washington Merlot, or a spicy-sweet Italian Pinot Grigio, or a Southeast Australian Savingnon Blanc with hints of grass, pear and apricot. Really, it's not too much to ask. Hehehehe.

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I'm about to start a ten-day stretch of on-call, covering part of a week for a colleague who had planned a trip to Alaska. I hope the nice weather here keeps it from being too crazy busy.

PS: It is almost 80 frigging degreees right now. Amazing. Like a summer day. I'm lovin' it. But it won't last for long. The forecast for the next 6 days: rainrainrainrainrainrain

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