friday time sink: ww i ends; katy perry the next double rainbow?; and finally... what it means.

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This Just In: WWI Is Over
Believe it or not, even though the Armistice was signed almost 92 years ago, Germany is still paying off the reparations of World War I. (Talk about long term debt -- I thought my credit card balances were bad...). This is why those firms that buy out structured settlements and annuities are so successful. It's also a glaring example of what can happen when you go about agressing all over the place. (Are you listening Washington?)

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Time Sink, already in progress...

The latest news on The Street (that's Sesame Street, not Wall Street) involves a controversial appearance by Katy Perry. The singer taped the segment wearing a dress with a sheer, flesh-toned bodice that Certain People thought too revealing. The dress apparently so traumatized Elmo that he bolted from the set in the middle of shooting. George Stephanopoulos recently interviewed the allegedly scandalized muppet (who routinely appears on the show naked) on Good Morning America, during which interview Elmo defended Ms. Perry saying "Elmo loves Miss Katy" and "We had a good time. So we’ll have another play date."
Rumors of a Tea Party-endorsed worldwide boycott of figure skating events, where such costumes are de rigeur have circulated widely but to date have not been confirmed, though sources close to the party did note that "Ellmoe's fir is rad." For English-speaking audiences, the approximate translation is "Elmo's fur is red". The belaboring of the obvious was presumably a reference designed to connect the long time TV star to the "red states". Elmo's agent, Grover, could not be reached for comment. One unidentified source who is reportedly close to Ms. Perry was overheard saying, "It's not like she kissed Prairie Dawn or anything. Besides, the dress wasn't all that."
In an unexpected development, the Fox Network sided with Perry offering her a live action role in an upcoming special episode of The Simpsons. In a statement to EW.com executive producer Al Jean said, "In the wake of Elmo’s terrible betrayal, the Simpsons puppets wish to announce they stand felt-shoulder-to-shoulder with Katy Perry." Could this mark a crack in the bond between Fox and the Tea Party?
Less unexpected was Perry's appearance on Saturday Night Live in a sketch spoofing the singer's ill-fated duet, as SNL struggles to remain relevant.

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Two questions arise out of the uproar. The first is whether or not it can be leveraged enough to push it to meme-dom and even further into a viral state. There is some indication of attempts to bring that about based on events that have taken place in the wake of the controversy. Early indications are mixed however and it seems unlikely that the double D can overtake the double rainbow as the next mega-meme given the unprecedented staying power of the double rainbow event. The second question could play a large role in determining the answer to the first however and that is whether or not the Gregory Brothers will pick up the thread with an autotuned version of the original Sesame Street segment. Should that happen, analysts have observed, the potential for even ultra-viral growth increases exponentially. We can only watch and wait.

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Q&A: *sigh* The Question (Or: You didn't think I'd do an FTS without a Double Rainbow reference did you?)

And finally an answer
Will Wheaton's Return to Sanity Rally?

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