Quickhits for Oct. 16, 2012

Taking the plunge

Sunday, Austrian daredevil extraordinaire Felix Baumgartner jumped out of a balloon from more than 24 miles up and landed safely (he had a parachute). The whole thing was sponsored by Red Bull. Guess if it’s good enough to get you to fall to Earth, it’s good enough for that unstarted 20-page term paper due in six hours.

Fairest of them all…

The state fair started this week, bringing untold joy into the lives of innumerable Tar Heels. Everyone focuses on the deep-fried whatevers, but we all know the real treat of the fair is the people-watching. Besides being plain hysterical, it serves as a good reminder of exactly how much of a bubble Chapel Hill really is.

FLOTUS

Oh someone named Obama is coming to Chapel Hill? Ho hum, that’s just sooo last spring. Just kidding, this is actually really exciting. Michelle Obama is a talented, brilliant, professional woman. Regardless of your political views, she’ll probably have some really good tips on growing organic okra in your garden.

One-stop, don’t stop

n North Carolina, anyone who is qualified to register to vote can do so and vote on the same day, starting Thursday, and ending November 3. So, now you’ve really got no excuse not to vote. It’s your democratic duty! So get out there, register, cast your ballot, and — best of all — get a free sticker.

LNWR

Late Night with Roy gave us the usual mix of basketball and stupid skits, but it was great seeing Roy return fresh from his victory over kidney tumors. Also, who wants to see basketball players who can actually dance? It made us long for the days of Tyler Zeller flip-flopping his way through Crank That (Soulja Boy).

Town hall brawl

Tonight, President Obama and GOP nominee Mitt Romney will square off in a town hall style debate. On the upside, this means better voter-engagement by candidates. On the downside, Mitt Romney might reflexively fire someone who asks a question he doesn’t like. Ya know, just outta habit.