forwarded from Byron Marshall, the sage of Pineville, LA

[Michael Eisenstadt]

I wanted to pass this information along to 
anyone who didn't see it or hear it today. It 
came as quite a shock to me. Apparently, 
Terri Shiavo died. I know I was surprised 
when I heard this today. 

I know. Many of you are saying, ah ha, this 
is an April Fools joke. Perhaps a cruel April 
Fools Day joke, but an April Fools Day joke. 
And you are saying, ah ha, I will not be taken 
in. Well, goes to show how much you know. 
This is not an April Fools Day joke. It is true.
Apparently she died. It was a rude surprise.

And it is very sad.

Because what is the media going to do for 
the next week or two or three? What will it 
devote itself to covering in every fascinating
detail?  

Whose approach to death will they be able 
to report on with dispatches at every hour? 
What backstage bickering will be the stuff of 
earnest inside information? Who could 
there be to make up for Terri Shiavo?

Oh.

I just heard about the Pope.

And the Prince of Monaco.

Hallalujah! It's a miracle!

And Jerry Falwell!

And Tom Delay!

The report today is that Tom Delay according 
to a statement from his office, is "Past Believing."

I don't know if that means he has lost his 
faith. Certainly not his faith in Tom Delay. On 
the other hand, he flipped off America years
ago.

Or maybe it means, in the words of one senior 
Republican spokesperson, "Tom Delay has been 
past believing for years."

                              *

All of this is true.

It is not an April Fools Day email.

Now I have to go look out the window -- the sky 
is full of flying saucers and they are coming lower. 

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