Two characters in search of a country song

* Maud Newton, to whom we link with some regularity, has a new short story in Swink Magazine.

* Bob Odenkirk has an excerpt of: HORNSWAGGLED!!! How the Me of Now was Tricked by the Me of Yesterday into Going to War, by President George W. Bush.

"It was in early October, just barely a month after that great, uh, conflagration, uh, destruction, of the two towers. The meeting was held at the pool room of my ranch house in Texas. In the meeting were Colyn 'The C Man' Powell, Condolisa 'The Condor' Rice, and Dick 'Big Dick' Cheney, and of course, 'Stinker', (that’s me), well, the me of a year and a half ago, The Me of the Past, and we were to have a brief briefing uh, on terroristic insurgencies, uh, activities.

"The Me of the Past started the meeting abruptly, seemingly coming out of nowhere with the question; 'What about Iraq?' Condo responded, 'what about Iraq, Mr. President? We briefed you on that, there are no substantial ties'

"I cut her off, whipping out a new nickname, 'Quit your jawin’, Jawbone!' (Because she has a prominent jaw). 'What do you have to say, Chain Gang?'

"Dick Cheney took a moment to realize he had been re-christened with one of my patented 'nick-ers.'"

* Tell Dick: Prove It or Resign.

"Urge Vice President Dick Cheney to either provide any evidence he has that would show material links and coordination between Al Qaida and Iraq under Saddam Hussein to the 9/11 Commission or, if he doesn't have such evidence, to resign."