The world's only reliable newspaper

Apostropher informs us that the Weekly World News, chroniclers of the adventures of Batboy, will stop publishing their tabloid, though thank heavens the web version will soldier on. He offers us consolation in the form of an interview with former VP David Perel, done back in happier times.

A guy calls up The New York Times and says “My toaster’s talking to me,” The New York Times hangs up on him. And then he calls us up and says, “My toaster’s talking.” We say, “OK. Put the toaster on. We want to talk to him.”

My favourite Weekly World News story was during the the '92 presidential campign. A space alien shown photographed with Bush earlier that year by the intrepid folks at the News had switched sides and endorsed Ross Perot. A wag in the White House press corps produced the pictures of the alien with Perot and asked the President about this development, and Bush deadpanned, “This is not fair! ... I told him, I said, ‘If I'm going to meet with you, never discuss it.’ I thought he was for me all along and there he is” with Perot.

The quote from Bush was carried by the AP wire ... and, of course, in the Weekly World News, who must have felt embarrassed to have been scooped by the dailies, for once.