So, I just got home from a very relaxing dinner at my regular Upper East Side place, where the food is yummy, the bartender is great with the buybacks, and I can sit at the bar and read the Daily News (my fav NY newspaper) in peace.
I'm heading to midtown in a few hours, though, to meet some friends at sleaze city, where the girls dance on the bar (good girls!) and, on my way home to recharge, I passed this little old woman on 2nd, walking her dog, a tiny black poodle. This old gal had to be in her 80s, stooped over, with a walker, but clearly and dearly loving this little pooch. The thing is, whenever I see something like this, I get sort of sad - I always wonder what happens to the dog when the person dies. I always hope there's someone who will take care of it. I know I should probably be feeling for the old woman, but for some reason, I always worry about the pet.
I have issues.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
The summer breeze...
What a nice day today after a few dreary, cloudy, rainy days in a row. I actually got some work done outside, sitting on one of the benches on the promenade along the East River, next to Gracie Mansion.
But we won't be having that many more of them, I suppose. It's hard to believe tomorrow is already September. This year has went by fast!
Can we say double standard?
WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 — Only a few weeks ago, Representative Christopher Shays, a Republican from Connecticut, minced no words in responding to calls led by Democrats for a phased withdrawal from Iraq. “To have a timetable is absolutely foolish,” he said.
But now, as he faces an increasingly tough re-election battle against an antiwar Democrat, Diane G. Farrell, Mr. Shays has undergone a conversion: He is proposing a timetable for a withdrawal of American troops, an idea derided by the Bush administration and many Republicans.
- NY Times
Of course, when a Democrat proposes a timeline for getting out of the Iraq quagmire, he's derided by the GOP as a cut-and-runner, weak on fighting terror, hell, almost a traitor. But, I guess it's different when a Republican does it.
Actually, Shays is a pretty moderate Republican. Connecticut is one of those states where they have to be to get elected. I think he even voted against impeaching Bill Clinton when the GOP got on their moral high horse and put the country through that travesty, outraged that the Big Dog - gasp - got a bobjob.
But the hypocrisy factor, like so much the GOP does, is on Defcon 1 here.
But now, as he faces an increasingly tough re-election battle against an antiwar Democrat, Diane G. Farrell, Mr. Shays has undergone a conversion: He is proposing a timetable for a withdrawal of American troops, an idea derided by the Bush administration and many Republicans.
- NY Times
Of course, when a Democrat proposes a timeline for getting out of the Iraq quagmire, he's derided by the GOP as a cut-and-runner, weak on fighting terror, hell, almost a traitor. But, I guess it's different when a Republican does it.
Actually, Shays is a pretty moderate Republican. Connecticut is one of those states where they have to be to get elected. I think he even voted against impeaching Bill Clinton when the GOP got on their moral high horse and put the country through that travesty, outraged that the Big Dog - gasp - got a bobjob.
But the hypocrisy factor, like so much the GOP does, is on Defcon 1 here.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Banana Republic sucks
You know, all it takes is one stupid salesclerk to ruin your afternoon.
On my way home from lunch, I stopped in at the Banana Republic store on 86th. I had a coupon for 20 percent off any purchases made with my B.R. card.
I went in to get two pairs of khakis. Picked them up in about 45 seconds (see also: bathroom usage, difference between men and women).
Anyway, I then go to pay for them. And there's one damn register open in the whole place. But there's about 10 staffers working the floor of the store, which was almost empty. And there is a customer at the register who is purchasing, and I'm not exagerating, about 20 items! And the girl working the register is, of course, having all sorts of problems.
So I'm waiting there and waiting, now at least 8 or 10 minutes, and seeing all these other staffers wandering around doing absolutely nothing is incredibly frustrating. So I finally catch the manager's eye and ask is there any way to get another register opened. Frankly, he should have taken care of that about 4 minutes earlier - he clearly saw me standing on line behind this clown at the register.
So he brings in this guy who opens a second register and rings up my two items - then takes the 20 percent coupon and starts studying it like it's the Magna fucking Carta. Brow furrowed, lips moving. I ask if there's a problem. Instead of saying anything to me, he calls the manager back over and says, "Can this be used in the store or is it only for online purchases?"
Well, the coupon CLEARLY said it was good for any purchase made with the card...and if used on br dot com for more than $100, there would also be no shipping fee. This apparently was too complicated for him to understand.
Idiot.
So I literally was stuck in the damn store for about 15 minutes when I should have been out in less than two.
On my way home from lunch, I stopped in at the Banana Republic store on 86th. I had a coupon for 20 percent off any purchases made with my B.R. card.
I went in to get two pairs of khakis. Picked them up in about 45 seconds (see also: bathroom usage, difference between men and women).
Anyway, I then go to pay for them. And there's one damn register open in the whole place. But there's about 10 staffers working the floor of the store, which was almost empty. And there is a customer at the register who is purchasing, and I'm not exagerating, about 20 items! And the girl working the register is, of course, having all sorts of problems.
So I'm waiting there and waiting, now at least 8 or 10 minutes, and seeing all these other staffers wandering around doing absolutely nothing is incredibly frustrating. So I finally catch the manager's eye and ask is there any way to get another register opened. Frankly, he should have taken care of that about 4 minutes earlier - he clearly saw me standing on line behind this clown at the register.
So he brings in this guy who opens a second register and rings up my two items - then takes the 20 percent coupon and starts studying it like it's the Magna fucking Carta. Brow furrowed, lips moving. I ask if there's a problem. Instead of saying anything to me, he calls the manager back over and says, "Can this be used in the store or is it only for online purchases?"
Well, the coupon CLEARLY said it was good for any purchase made with the card...and if used on br dot com for more than $100, there would also be no shipping fee. This apparently was too complicated for him to understand.
Idiot.
So I literally was stuck in the damn store for about 15 minutes when I should have been out in less than two.
Taradise Lost
Ouch.
The good folks at TMZ, who brought the world Mel Gibson's drunken anti-Semitic rant, now show us what happens when a "star" falls off the A-List.
Watch Tara Reid being denied entry to a club, as Paris Hilton - oy - waltzes right in. This is painful.
The good folks at TMZ, who brought the world Mel Gibson's drunken anti-Semitic rant, now show us what happens when a "star" falls off the A-List.
Watch Tara Reid being denied entry to a club, as Paris Hilton - oy - waltzes right in. This is painful.
Horizontal stripes are the new black
I just got back from a delightful lunch at Rue 57 in midtown with a friend, let's call her Donna Karan Jr., who is a fashion fanatic. Absolutely obsessed with clothes - oy.
Anyway, she told me something which I had never noticed before, but, of course, once she said it, I started noticing it everywhere on my way home.
If a girl has the right figure, and she wears a horizontal striped shirt, it makes her boobs look bigger.
Damned if it isn't true.
God bless optical illusions.
So there you go ladies, a little fashion tip that will make you and the men in your life happier.
You're welcome.
Anyway, she told me something which I had never noticed before, but, of course, once she said it, I started noticing it everywhere on my way home.
If a girl has the right figure, and she wears a horizontal striped shirt, it makes her boobs look bigger.
Damned if it isn't true.
God bless optical illusions.
So there you go ladies, a little fashion tip that will make you and the men in your life happier.
You're welcome.
Mr. Ed would be more competent
A year-long State Department investigation has found that the chairman of the agency that oversees Voice of America and other government broadcasting operations improperly used his office, putting a friend on the payroll and running a "horse-racing operation" with government resources.
- Washington Post
What the hell is it with these Bush cronies and horses?
Wasn't Michael Brown, the hapless former head of FEMA, who was finally canned after the disastrous federal response to Katrina, head of an Arabian horse showing group?
- Washington Post
What the hell is it with these Bush cronies and horses?
Wasn't Michael Brown, the hapless former head of FEMA, who was finally canned after the disastrous federal response to Katrina, head of an Arabian horse showing group?
A- HA!
That whole Kyra Phillips-caught-gossiping-in-the-CNN-bathroom incident yesterday, in addition, of course, to being hilarious, also helps shed light on one of the age-old conflicts between men and women.
As in, we can never figure out why the hell it takes women so long when they go to the bathroom in a bar. Usually in groups.
Well, Kyra showed us why.
They're having a party in there. They're yakking away, primping and gossiping, and having a good old time.
Guys, did you know some ladies rooms have couches in them? We're lucky to get fucking toilet paper in ours.
They usually try to say, “Oh, we have more complicated clothes to deal with.”
Puh-lease. Holding a goddamn Tupperware party in there is the problem, not elaborate underwear.
Guys go in, we do our business, we're out. If there's any conversation, it's quick and to the point: “Did you see the rack on that blonde?” “Yeah, nice.”
Boom, done.
Thank you, Kyra, for bringing this to our attention.
As in, we can never figure out why the hell it takes women so long when they go to the bathroom in a bar. Usually in groups.
Well, Kyra showed us why.
They're having a party in there. They're yakking away, primping and gossiping, and having a good old time.
Guys, did you know some ladies rooms have couches in them? We're lucky to get fucking toilet paper in ours.
They usually try to say, “Oh, we have more complicated clothes to deal with.”
Puh-lease. Holding a goddamn Tupperware party in there is the problem, not elaborate underwear.
Guys go in, we do our business, we're out. If there's any conversation, it's quick and to the point: “Did you see the rack on that blonde?” “Yeah, nice.”
Boom, done.
Thank you, Kyra, for bringing this to our attention.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Kyra Phillips' husband is handsome and a great, great human being – but her sister-in-law is a BITCH!
In case you haven't seen this yet, here is the clip of the already legendary bathroom break-gossip session of CNN anchor Kyra Phillips, with the audio from her wireless mic inadvertently broadcast live to the world Tuesday as President Bush was droning on about Katrina recovery.
At the beginning, it's a little hard to hear what she's saying, but I've included as complete a transcript as I could compile. Since the video portion obviously stays on Bush the whole time, I would advise clicking the play button, then following along with the transcript (just under the You Tube screen) as you listen to the audio.
The whole thing, of course, is somewhat remincent of a classic scene in Naked Gun, the hilarious Leslie Nielsen movie, when his bumbling Lt. Frank Drebin character is at a fancy function, honoring the Queen of England or something, and he has to give a little speech, and then goes to the bathroom not realizing his body mic has been left on, and the assembled dignitaries are shown hearing hilariously gross noises coming over the p.a. system.
The only disappointing thing about this is Kyra's not dishing about either Bush or some of her cohorts there at CNN. Now THAT would be entertainment.
Alas, it's some silly girl talk about guys, but then she takes a delicious swipe at her sister-in-law – in fact, her words “control freak” are notable for the vitriol in her voice. I'm guessing the next Phillips family gathering is going to be a real barrel of laughs.
And, to the guys, I've been assured by my female consultants that the zipper sound you quite clearly hear is likely her pocketbook, or a cosmetic bag, probably after she's touched up her makeup. Most guys, I think, would automatically assume it's a fly, but apparently not.
(By the way, does it seem like the sound on Bush is deliberately being podded down, as her sound goes up. I get the feeling an audio tech at CNN was either out for a little revenge after some Kyra snub, or just enjoying the gossip and not realizing it was being fed out)
After a few seconds of Bush's blather, Kyra is heard, intriguingly, in mid-diatrabe...
KYRA: “...assholes! Yeah, I’m very lucky in that regard with my husband. My husband is handsome and he is genuinely a loving, you know, no ego, well, we all have some, but you know what I’m saying. Just a really passionate, compassionate, great, great human being. And they exist. They do exist. They’re hard to find. Yup. But they are out there.
COWORKER: (unintelligible)...he's coming for an extended visit.
KYRA: I mean, that's how you figure it all out. Those extended visits -- heh heh heh heh heh heh.
COWORKER: My mom's met him and she really likes him.
KYRA: Mom's got a good vibe?
COWORKER: Mm hmm
KYRA: Good
(unintelligible)
KYRA: “Of course brothers have to be, you know, protective. [ZIP] Except for mine. I gotta be protective of him!
COWORKER: Really?
KYRA: Ugh, yeah. He’s married, three kids, but his wife is just a control FREAK...
ANOTHER WOMAN FRANTICALLY ENTERS BATHROOM: Kyra!
KYRA: Yeah, baby —
WOMAN: Your mic is on!
Then a voiceover from anchor Daryn Kagan is hurriedly put on the air: “All right, we’ve been listening in to President Bush as he speaks in New Orleans today…”
At which point, it once again became drearily unlistenable.
Good times.
Rainy days and Tuesdays always get me down
I don't know why Tuesdays always seem so depressing. At least to me they do; such a blah day, more so even than Mondays, I think. Of course the fact that it's been raining and grey for a couple of days now (the fringes of Ernesto, I guess) doesn't help.
Then again, maybe it's the TV coverage of Katrina one year later. And how sad that town still seems, and how little has been done to repair it, no matter what Bush tries to proclaim. (The one silver lining in the tragedy that was Katrina, if there could be one, is it finally burst the bubble of seeming competence and compassion that many Americans somehow believed the Bush people actually had. Katrina made clear that was a joke).
It's pathetic to see one of the great cities of the world still in ruins, like an isolated third world village. N.O. was one of my favorite cities, not just for the booze and debauchery, but some of the best meals I ever had. And now it will never be the same.
So, I think I'm going to cheer myself up with a bite to eat and a few cocktails at my favorite martini bar tonight (even though it's not the always popular cheap night, Wednesday, just regular happy hour prices abruptly ending at 8, the bastards.)
But on Tuesday evenings they always have a little jazz combo playing. Jazz means New Orleans, of course. Maybe they'll play a lot of Louis Armstrong tonight.
Then again, maybe it's the TV coverage of Katrina one year later. And how sad that town still seems, and how little has been done to repair it, no matter what Bush tries to proclaim. (The one silver lining in the tragedy that was Katrina, if there could be one, is it finally burst the bubble of seeming competence and compassion that many Americans somehow believed the Bush people actually had. Katrina made clear that was a joke).
It's pathetic to see one of the great cities of the world still in ruins, like an isolated third world village. N.O. was one of my favorite cities, not just for the booze and debauchery, but some of the best meals I ever had. And now it will never be the same.
So, I think I'm going to cheer myself up with a bite to eat and a few cocktails at my favorite martini bar tonight (even though it's not the always popular cheap night, Wednesday, just regular happy hour prices abruptly ending at 8, the bastards.)
But on Tuesday evenings they always have a little jazz combo playing. Jazz means New Orleans, of course. Maybe they'll play a lot of Louis Armstrong tonight.
"News" producers at the cable nets breathe a collective sigh of relief
Well, the John Mark Karr thing didn't quite pan out as part of the endless and breathless JonBenet Ramsey cable coverage that was planned, what with him not really doing it and all. (Although they did get to spend lots and lots of time convicting him first).
But that fugitive polygamist has now been captured. And any time you can talk about polygamy and marriage to underage girls, well, that's many less hours you need to spend talking about the Iraq debacle.
But that fugitive polygamist has now been captured. And any time you can talk about polygamy and marriage to underage girls, well, that's many less hours you need to spend talking about the Iraq debacle.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Ouch
Ok, so, per Atrios I take a look at this chart in the Times on home values. Let's just say, as a property owner, I may have passed the peak point of selling, which I've been contemplating for a few years now.
Fuck me.
The graph looks at home values over the decades, centuries actually, starting all the way back in 1890, as a Yale economist measures prices of homes as an investment. (If you click on the image it should get bigger in your browser). It starts at a value of 100, just to have a standardized benchmark that can be measured over the years. It dips down to 66 with the advent of mass production techniques, and also the Great Depression years of the 1920s, and then sort of levels out for many years in the 110, 120 area. But, lately, well, you can see how the value has spiked way, WAY up.
Now, thankfully, Manhattan real estate is a world unto itself, unlike much of the rest of the country. Everyone assumed it would plummet after 9-11, but, damn, if it didn't actually get stronger. And if that shit couldn't kill it, I don't know what can. But, all the signs are pointing to a MAJOR cooling in the U.S. housing market.
This chart is scary. I think I may have to sell this mofo soon if I want to move to L.A., and work out there, or even cash it all in, make beaucoup bucks from the sale, and just be a beach bum somewhere in the Keys. I could totally get into that.
Ahem
Lawyer: No Charges for JonBenet Suspect
By JON SARCHE
The Associated Press
Monday, August 28, 2006; 5:06 PM
BOULDER, Colo. -- Prosecutors decided not to charge John Mark Karr in the slaying of JonBenet Ramsey, his lawyers said Monday after a TV station reported that the schoolteacher's DNA failed to match genetic material on the 6-year-old girl's body.
"The warrant on Mr. Karr has been dropped by the district attorney," public defender Seth Temin said outside the jail. "They are not proceeding with the case."
Boulder County District Attorney Mary Lacy's office did not return repeated calls from The Associated Press.
Too Saucy, a week ago, Aug. 21, 2:46 pm...
Can I just say I'm a tad wary of this story about John Karr, who has supposedly confessed to killing JonBenet Ramsey in Colorado a decade ago, and has just been extradited from Thailand, where he had been living for years.
Let's remember, the press, especially the cable networks, had already tried and convicted the parents for killing their daughter. Or it was JonBenet's big brother. Now it's: "Oops, ok, maybe they didn't do it, but THIS guy - yup, he's the one!"
They never learn from their excesses.
There are people who, for some bizarre reason, will confess to crimes they didn't commit. I've also heard a theory that he was about to be arrested in Thailand for some horrendous crime, and, not wanting to face Thai justice, said he did this, guaranteed to get him extradited to the U.S.
Listen, he may very well have killed that little girl; he clearly is some sort of wackjob, with sexual and other problems, but I wish they would wait to let it play out in court before they start the breathless theorizing.
By JON SARCHE
The Associated Press
Monday, August 28, 2006; 5:06 PM
BOULDER, Colo. -- Prosecutors decided not to charge John Mark Karr in the slaying of JonBenet Ramsey, his lawyers said Monday after a TV station reported that the schoolteacher's DNA failed to match genetic material on the 6-year-old girl's body.
"The warrant on Mr. Karr has been dropped by the district attorney," public defender Seth Temin said outside the jail. "They are not proceeding with the case."
Boulder County District Attorney Mary Lacy's office did not return repeated calls from The Associated Press.
Too Saucy, a week ago, Aug. 21, 2:46 pm...
Can I just say I'm a tad wary of this story about John Karr, who has supposedly confessed to killing JonBenet Ramsey in Colorado a decade ago, and has just been extradited from Thailand, where he had been living for years.
Let's remember, the press, especially the cable networks, had already tried and convicted the parents for killing their daughter. Or it was JonBenet's big brother. Now it's: "Oops, ok, maybe they didn't do it, but THIS guy - yup, he's the one!"
They never learn from their excesses.
There are people who, for some bizarre reason, will confess to crimes they didn't commit. I've also heard a theory that he was about to be arrested in Thailand for some horrendous crime, and, not wanting to face Thai justice, said he did this, guaranteed to get him extradited to the U.S.
Listen, he may very well have killed that little girl; he clearly is some sort of wackjob, with sexual and other problems, but I wish they would wait to let it play out in court before they start the breathless theorizing.
"Kneel before your God, Babylon"
Here's a link to the very funny segment on Sunday night's Emmy's, when Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert presented the award for best reality show. Just click on the little TV box (you may have to see a 10 second ad before the clip plays).
Earlier in the show, Colbert was nominated and had lost for best performance in a variety program to, yes, Barry Manilow.
And, I didn't hear it at the time, with all the hubub at the party I was at, but Conan's introduction of them was pretty funny too.
Earlier in the show, Colbert was nominated and had lost for best performance in a variety program to, yes, Barry Manilow.
And, I didn't hear it at the time, with all the hubub at the party I was at, but Conan's introduction of them was pretty funny too.
Do they like sitar music on the radio that much?
Catching up on some reading this rainy Monday morning, and I just saw this on the always amusing Stalker section on Gawker:
Katie Couric
W 57TH ST AT 10TH AVE
Aug 25th, 2006 @ 10am
I spotted Katie Couric outside of CBS on 57th btw. 10th and 11th Aves. An assistant was holding an umbrella over her as they were waiting for a cab. She looked great!
It made me laugh, because I've seen so many CBS personalities on that barren block waiting desperately for a taxi - it's so far west, the cabs just don't cruise in that area as much as they do in midtown – and I never understood why these people are always waiting for a yellow.
One day, I was heading to the sad Subway sandwich shop on 10th and 56th, and I started seriously ogling a pair of world-class legs, vying for attention from some smelly cabbie from Queens, when I realized it was the yummy Lara Logan, visiting CBS News hq on a break from the Middle East (and, trust me, this was harassment-level ogling - even I was embarrassed).
Then, one afternoon, I actually ended up having to share a cab heading east for four of those long avenue blocks with Leslie Stahl of “60 Minutes” - I was going to a fabulous lunch at Trattoria del Arte, on 57th and 7th, and we both ran for the same lonely cab after waiting outside 524 W. 57 for about five minutes. I almost elbowed her to the ground when I thought she was going to take the fucking thing by herself.
That's so wrong, almost elbowing an elderly woman.
The point is, I can't figure out why these people don't plan ahead and order a company car service, which I'm pretty sure CBS would pay for - or else just spring for the damn black Lincoln themselves (what, 50 bucks?), with the huge salaries they make.
Before joining the penny-pinching-at-least-for-peons TV industry, I used to work in the music business, yet even I – and trust me, not as connected as Katie or Leslie or Lara – knew how to work the company town car service on a pretty regular basis. Good times.
So THEY really could do it any time they want. What they're thinking, dutifully waiting for a yellow, I don't know. It is annoying though.
Katie Couric
W 57TH ST AT 10TH AVE
Aug 25th, 2006 @ 10am
I spotted Katie Couric outside of CBS on 57th btw. 10th and 11th Aves. An assistant was holding an umbrella over her as they were waiting for a cab. She looked great!
It made me laugh, because I've seen so many CBS personalities on that barren block waiting desperately for a taxi - it's so far west, the cabs just don't cruise in that area as much as they do in midtown – and I never understood why these people are always waiting for a yellow.
One day, I was heading to the sad Subway sandwich shop on 10th and 56th, and I started seriously ogling a pair of world-class legs, vying for attention from some smelly cabbie from Queens, when I realized it was the yummy Lara Logan, visiting CBS News hq on a break from the Middle East (and, trust me, this was harassment-level ogling - even I was embarrassed).
Then, one afternoon, I actually ended up having to share a cab heading east for four of those long avenue blocks with Leslie Stahl of “60 Minutes” - I was going to a fabulous lunch at Trattoria del Arte, on 57th and 7th, and we both ran for the same lonely cab after waiting outside 524 W. 57 for about five minutes. I almost elbowed her to the ground when I thought she was going to take the fucking thing by herself.
That's so wrong, almost elbowing an elderly woman.
The point is, I can't figure out why these people don't plan ahead and order a company car service, which I'm pretty sure CBS would pay for - or else just spring for the damn black Lincoln themselves (what, 50 bucks?), with the huge salaries they make.
Before joining the penny-pinching-at-least-for-peons TV industry, I used to work in the music business, yet even I – and trust me, not as connected as Katie or Leslie or Lara – knew how to work the company town car service on a pretty regular basis. Good times.
So THEY really could do it any time they want. What they're thinking, dutifully waiting for a yellow, I don't know. It is annoying though.
And the winner for best Margaritas goes to....me
Guilty pleasure time. I went to an Emmy Award viewing party Sunday night, and, can I first just note, I got major kudos for bringing and making the best tropical drink materials. It was hosted by a guy who was actually nominated for an Emmy a few years ago, and he said it is incredibly uncomfortable being in that auditorium for several hours, especially if you end up not winning. But he still loved the whole experience.
I've been to a few awards shows myself (TV and music industry), not as a nominee, just as an attendee, and I have to say, while it does seem somewhat glamorous on TV, it's really pretty tedious, so I can't even imagine being nominated, and then having to sit in the audience for a few hours (you can't really dash back to the bar area if you're nominated), hoping you're going to win, the nerve-wracking anticipation of how it will turn out if you do get up there, or else the brutal letdown if you don't.
Then again, they're getting $50,000 gift bags, so fuck them.
Just a few tipsy thoughts on the show:
I never thought I'd say it, but Joan and Melissa bring just the right level of cluelessness to the pre-show, red carpet festivities. Damn, Ryan Seacrest is a weasel. I've really got to figure out where the TV Guide channel is on Time Warner Cable.
Not to be a home-town booster, but did it seem like the New York contingent (Conan hosting, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert presenting for best reality show, even the taped montage of the nominations for best comedy/variety show, dominated by New Yorkers - how funny was the Indian call center piece) provided some of the funniest parts of the broadcast?
Wow, it's really uncomfortable to see Dick Clark these days, but God bless him for getting out there.
I think they had some sort of special lighting or a Vaseline lens camera whenever they cut to Annette Bening and Warren Beatty.
During the tribute to Aaron Spelling, how weird was it that his daughter, Tori, and wife, Candy, were sitting quite a bit apart in the auditorium. Think there's some battling going on over that ginormous will? Oh, yes.
Larry David should have won.
Thank you.
I've been to a few awards shows myself (TV and music industry), not as a nominee, just as an attendee, and I have to say, while it does seem somewhat glamorous on TV, it's really pretty tedious, so I can't even imagine being nominated, and then having to sit in the audience for a few hours (you can't really dash back to the bar area if you're nominated), hoping you're going to win, the nerve-wracking anticipation of how it will turn out if you do get up there, or else the brutal letdown if you don't.
Then again, they're getting $50,000 gift bags, so fuck them.
Just a few tipsy thoughts on the show:
I never thought I'd say it, but Joan and Melissa bring just the right level of cluelessness to the pre-show, red carpet festivities. Damn, Ryan Seacrest is a weasel. I've really got to figure out where the TV Guide channel is on Time Warner Cable.
Not to be a home-town booster, but did it seem like the New York contingent (Conan hosting, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert presenting for best reality show, even the taped montage of the nominations for best comedy/variety show, dominated by New Yorkers - how funny was the Indian call center piece) provided some of the funniest parts of the broadcast?
Wow, it's really uncomfortable to see Dick Clark these days, but God bless him for getting out there.
I think they had some sort of special lighting or a Vaseline lens camera whenever they cut to Annette Bening and Warren Beatty.
During the tribute to Aaron Spelling, how weird was it that his daughter, Tori, and wife, Candy, were sitting quite a bit apart in the auditorium. Think there's some battling going on over that ginormous will? Oh, yes.
Larry David should have won.
Thank you.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Oh, to be in that sandwich
As you may know, every guy's fantasy is twins. (Actually, two girls in general will do, but twins, you know, give it that extra ooomph).
Here's a fun story about TALL twins – and just 18-years-old, no less.
Now that's a week's worth of fantasies.
Claire and Ann Recht - each almost 6' 8” - are the world's tallest female twins. They were recruited to play volleyball at American University, and seem like a couple of nice girls in the bargain.
And, wow, talk about legs that go on forever.
I never meet girls like this. Life is so unfair, sometimes.
Here's a fun story about TALL twins – and just 18-years-old, no less.
Now that's a week's worth of fantasies.
Claire and Ann Recht - each almost 6' 8” - are the world's tallest female twins. They were recruited to play volleyball at American University, and seem like a couple of nice girls in the bargain.
And, wow, talk about legs that go on forever.
I never meet girls like this. Life is so unfair, sometimes.
What is wrong with these people?
A new poll shows that fewer Americans view the Republican Party as “friendly to religion” than a year ago, with the decline particularly steep among Catholics and white evangelical Protestants — constituencies at the core of the Republicans’ conservative Christian voting bloc.
The survey found that the proportion of Americans who say the Republican Party is friendly to religion fell 8 percentage points in the last year, to 47 percent from 55 percent. Among Catholics and white evangelical Protestants, the decline was 14 percentage points.
(snip)
(The pollster) speculated that religious conservatives could feel betrayed that some Republican politicians recently voted to back stem cell research, and that a Republican-dominated Congress failed to pass an amendment outlawing same-sex marriage.
- NY Times
What the hell?
The sleazy Republicans cravenly jump through hoops for these religious nuts – from chipping away at abortion rights, to bashing gays, from trying to get prayer in public school classrooms, to denigrating the teaching of evolution – and it's STILL not enough for the freaks?
I seriously wish all the religious fanatics in the world – the crazy Muslims, and our own home-grown Christian variety - would just go and live on a big island far, far away from civilization, hell, give them an isolated country all to themselves somewhere, and let them live with their wacky religious beliefs, with all the restrictive laws and fear of sex and outright bigotry they want – and leave the rest of us the fuck alone.
And then, when they finish killing each other, we can make the land an animal sanctuary.
The survey found that the proportion of Americans who say the Republican Party is friendly to religion fell 8 percentage points in the last year, to 47 percent from 55 percent. Among Catholics and white evangelical Protestants, the decline was 14 percentage points.
(snip)
(The pollster) speculated that religious conservatives could feel betrayed that some Republican politicians recently voted to back stem cell research, and that a Republican-dominated Congress failed to pass an amendment outlawing same-sex marriage.
- NY Times
What the hell?
The sleazy Republicans cravenly jump through hoops for these religious nuts – from chipping away at abortion rights, to bashing gays, from trying to get prayer in public school classrooms, to denigrating the teaching of evolution – and it's STILL not enough for the freaks?
I seriously wish all the religious fanatics in the world – the crazy Muslims, and our own home-grown Christian variety - would just go and live on a big island far, far away from civilization, hell, give them an isolated country all to themselves somewhere, and let them live with their wacky religious beliefs, with all the restrictive laws and fear of sex and outright bigotry they want – and leave the rest of us the fuck alone.
And then, when they finish killing each other, we can make the land an animal sanctuary.
My solemn vow
I will never, EVER go to an open-bar, all-you-can-drink extravaganza again.
Well, unless it's top-shelf stuff, of course, instead of the cheap crap you tend to get at these things.
Oy, my head. Excuse me while I go make a gallon or two of coffee.
Well, unless it's top-shelf stuff, of course, instead of the cheap crap you tend to get at these things.
Oy, my head. Excuse me while I go make a gallon or two of coffee.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Win a little, lose a little
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 — The Food and Drug Administration today approved over-the-counter sales of the “morning-after” contraceptive pill to women 18 and older, resolving one of the most contentious issues in the agency’s 100-year history.
The drug, an emergency contraceptive called Plan B that is manufactured by Barr Laboratories, will be sold only in pharmacies and health clinics. To buy it, women will have to show proof of age. Girls under the age of 18 will still need a prescription to get the drug.
- NY Times
The religious right's heads must be exploding today. Of course, as the article notes, these pills still won't be sold to girls under 18, so, you know, I guess that means they just won't have sex since the pills won't be easily available to them.
And if you ever wonder why this country has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the western world, it's because of nonsense like that.
The drug, an emergency contraceptive called Plan B that is manufactured by Barr Laboratories, will be sold only in pharmacies and health clinics. To buy it, women will have to show proof of age. Girls under the age of 18 will still need a prescription to get the drug.
- NY Times
The religious right's heads must be exploding today. Of course, as the article notes, these pills still won't be sold to girls under 18, so, you know, I guess that means they just won't have sex since the pills won't be easily available to them.
And if you ever wonder why this country has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the western world, it's because of nonsense like that.
I swear I'm not getting a commission
Speaking of photography, as I was earlier, I have four, count 'em, four friends getting married this year (oy, my poor Amex). Anyway, today I was reading an online chat with one of my favorite Washington Post columnists, Gene Weingarten, and, in an aside, he mentioned he had been contacted by a woman, the sister of someone he had previously written about, who had emailed to tell him she liked the article about her brother. Weingarten threw her a plug, noting she's a photographer, and said to check out her work to see wedding photography like you've never seen before.
So, dutiful loser with way too much time on my hands that I am, I clicked over to her site, and, sure enough, there's some really unusual work there. Click on “Wedding Showcase” (at the top of the page) and then hit Next (at the bottom) to see a brief portfolio. And, at about 10 pix in, there's a great photo of a bride and her dog that's incredibly touching. Maybe it's just my love of dogs kicking in, but the “bye old friend” look on each of their faces is wonderful. The “Featured Couple,” section, in the tab next to Wedding Showcase, is pretty good too. Anyway, it's not the usual couple-standing-in-front-of-the-ice-sculpture stuff.
She's based in the Washington D.C. area, so none of my friends would be using her anyway, but all you potential brides in that region may want to keep her in mind.
So, dutiful loser with way too much time on my hands that I am, I clicked over to her site, and, sure enough, there's some really unusual work there. Click on “Wedding Showcase” (at the top of the page) and then hit Next (at the bottom) to see a brief portfolio. And, at about 10 pix in, there's a great photo of a bride and her dog that's incredibly touching. Maybe it's just my love of dogs kicking in, but the “bye old friend” look on each of their faces is wonderful. The “Featured Couple,” section, in the tab next to Wedding Showcase, is pretty good too. Anyway, it's not the usual couple-standing-in-front-of-the-ice-sculpture stuff.
She's based in the Washington D.C. area, so none of my friends would be using her anyway, but all you potential brides in that region may want to keep her in mind.
Back to the Future
Here we go again, with the Bush administration and the radical right's war on science. And, once again, reports The Times, the teaching of evolution is under fire.
Evolutionary biology has vanished from the list of acceptable fields of study for recipients of a federal education grant for low-income college students.
If a major is not on the list, students in that major cannot get grants unless they declare another major, said Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. Mr. Nassirian said students seeking the grants went first to their college registrar, who determined whether they were full-time students majoring in an eligible field.
“If a field is missing, that student would not even get into the process,” he said.
That the omission occurred at all is worrying scientists concerned about threats to the teaching of evolution.
The administration says it was a clerical error, and evolutionary biology will be restored to the list of fields of study eligible for grants, but, reports the Times, scientists who knew about the omission find the clerical explanation unconvincing, "given the furor over challenges by the religious right to the teaching of evolution in public schools. “It’s just awfully coincidental,” said Steven W. Rissing, an evolutionary biologist at Ohio State University."
It may very well have just been some sort of clerical error, but given the history of these people, I don't give them the benefit of the doubt anymore. More likely, they were thinking they could just quietly get away with it, a little omission buried deep in the myriad of paperwork, and it would never be brought to public attention.
They really are determined to make this country a laughing stock in the eyes of the world.
Evolutionary biology has vanished from the list of acceptable fields of study for recipients of a federal education grant for low-income college students.
If a major is not on the list, students in that major cannot get grants unless they declare another major, said Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. Mr. Nassirian said students seeking the grants went first to their college registrar, who determined whether they were full-time students majoring in an eligible field.
“If a field is missing, that student would not even get into the process,” he said.
That the omission occurred at all is worrying scientists concerned about threats to the teaching of evolution.
The administration says it was a clerical error, and evolutionary biology will be restored to the list of fields of study eligible for grants, but, reports the Times, scientists who knew about the omission find the clerical explanation unconvincing, "given the furor over challenges by the religious right to the teaching of evolution in public schools. “It’s just awfully coincidental,” said Steven W. Rissing, an evolutionary biologist at Ohio State University."
It may very well have just been some sort of clerical error, but given the history of these people, I don't give them the benefit of the doubt anymore. More likely, they were thinking they could just quietly get away with it, a little omission buried deep in the myriad of paperwork, and it would never be brought to public attention.
They really are determined to make this country a laughing stock in the eyes of the world.
Next episode, Sarah learns who Ansel Adams was
I went with my bud Sarah to a photo exhibit at the ICP on Wednesday night. (And, at 6th and 43rd, it's conveniently close to Bryant Park, so, of course, we had to meet up for drinks first at the BP Grill – because God forbid we do anything without drinking! Jeezus H. Christ.)
Let me tell you, though, there's nothing nicer than an outdoor happy hour on a lazy New York summer evening.
Anyway, I wanted to see the Weegee exhibit. Sarah, who apparently thought it was something to do with a car window washing device, was pleasantly surprised.
Weegee was the famous tabloid photographer who scoured New York's nightlife in the 30's and 40's. The pix he took, so unposed, so stark, are always something to see.
Though he is probably best known for his noirish crime scene photography, even his everyday stuff packs a punch. Look at this shot of a water main break on Madison Ave., circa 1940. How cool is that wave rolling down the street. And that little Gristede Bros. store, of course, was a forerunner of the Gristedes supermarket chain you see all around the city today, 66 years later.
Let me tell you, though, there's nothing nicer than an outdoor happy hour on a lazy New York summer evening.
Anyway, I wanted to see the Weegee exhibit. Sarah, who apparently thought it was something to do with a car window washing device, was pleasantly surprised.
Weegee was the famous tabloid photographer who scoured New York's nightlife in the 30's and 40's. The pix he took, so unposed, so stark, are always something to see.
Though he is probably best known for his noirish crime scene photography, even his everyday stuff packs a punch. Look at this shot of a water main break on Madison Ave., circa 1940. How cool is that wave rolling down the street. And that little Gristede Bros. store, of course, was a forerunner of the Gristedes supermarket chain you see all around the city today, 66 years later.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Working tirelessly to please you, the Too Saucy reader
A commenter on a previous post asked for a black and white Sinatra clip, to go with the one from earlier today, so voila! This is from a WNET/Ch. 13 special on F.S., which featured a lot of clips from his old 1950s show, which orignally aired, I believe, on ABC.
A few things about it. Unlike much of the tinny-voiced wailing we tend to hear today on TV, there's no lip-synching or audio "sweetening" going on here. Yet, even with the primitive broadcast technology of the 50s (this may even have been a live show), his voice still sounds almost as good as the studio sound on his famous Capitol albums.
And it really was a different time. Look at the cloud of cigarette smoke surrounding him. In fact, at one point, he coughs and clears his throat.
Sinatra also had to change a line in this Cole Porter song. The original lyric was "Some get a kick from cocaine..." He had to change it to "Some like the perfume from Spain..."
A few things about it. Unlike much of the tinny-voiced wailing we tend to hear today on TV, there's no lip-synching or audio "sweetening" going on here. Yet, even with the primitive broadcast technology of the 50s (this may even have been a live show), his voice still sounds almost as good as the studio sound on his famous Capitol albums.
And it really was a different time. Look at the cloud of cigarette smoke surrounding him. In fact, at one point, he coughs and clears his throat.
Sinatra also had to change a line in this Cole Porter song. The original lyric was "Some get a kick from cocaine..." He had to change it to "Some like the perfume from Spain..."
Maureen Dowd doesn't know me
In her column today (locked away behind the Times' pay wall), Maureen Dowd mocks the totally mockable Mr. Britney Spears, Kevin Federline, for coasting on his wife's fortune and fame.
But she does give him grudging admiration about one aspect of his "career."
"...that is the beauty of K-Fed. In a world where many women now outearn their husbands, it’s rare to find men who can be such blissful and unself-conscious marital moochers. “My album’s gonna hit the pop market because of my wife,’’ he bragged to GQ."
(snip)
"Government statistics show that nearly a third of married women now earn more money than their husbands, and nearly a fourth of women in unmarried-partner households make at least $5,000 more than their guys.
"Kate White, the editor of Cosmopolitan, went on CBS’s “The Early Show” last week to give potent women tips about avoiding the Hilary Swank syndrome. “He’s got to feel like he carries the weight in the relationship somehow,’’ she said. “So if he’s not the main financial provider, he’s got to be the protector, or maybe he’s the really social one. When you have dinner parties, or get-togethers, he’s the one who’s really the dominant social force. You’ve got to let him know he has a big role and you can’t talk about ‘my money.’ It’s got to be ‘our money.’ ’’ (Which brings to mind the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” episode in which Larry David told a friend’s non-working wife she could not refer to their money as “ours,’’ since the husband was making it all.)"
Honey, look right here. I am so liberated. I would have absolutely NO problem hooking up with a rich girl who will pamper me. Yes, I admit it: I'd like a sugar mommy. And she better make more than just $5,000 more than me. It should be millions more.
Thank you.
p.s. - oh, and she's got to be cute too. I'm shameless and shallow at the same time.
But she does give him grudging admiration about one aspect of his "career."
"...that is the beauty of K-Fed. In a world where many women now outearn their husbands, it’s rare to find men who can be such blissful and unself-conscious marital moochers. “My album’s gonna hit the pop market because of my wife,’’ he bragged to GQ."
(snip)
"Government statistics show that nearly a third of married women now earn more money than their husbands, and nearly a fourth of women in unmarried-partner households make at least $5,000 more than their guys.
"Kate White, the editor of Cosmopolitan, went on CBS’s “The Early Show” last week to give potent women tips about avoiding the Hilary Swank syndrome. “He’s got to feel like he carries the weight in the relationship somehow,’’ she said. “So if he’s not the main financial provider, he’s got to be the protector, or maybe he’s the really social one. When you have dinner parties, or get-togethers, he’s the one who’s really the dominant social force. You’ve got to let him know he has a big role and you can’t talk about ‘my money.’ It’s got to be ‘our money.’ ’’ (Which brings to mind the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” episode in which Larry David told a friend’s non-working wife she could not refer to their money as “ours,’’ since the husband was making it all.)"
Honey, look right here. I am so liberated. I would have absolutely NO problem hooking up with a rich girl who will pamper me. Yes, I admit it: I'd like a sugar mommy. And she better make more than just $5,000 more than me. It should be millions more.
Thank you.
p.s. - oh, and she's got to be cute too. I'm shameless and shallow at the same time.
Are they finally waking up?
"WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 — Americans increasingly see the war in Iraq as distinct from the fight against terrorism, and nearly half believe President Bush has focused too much on Iraq to the exclusion of other threats, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
The poll found that 51 percent of those surveyed saw no link between the war in Iraq and the broader antiterror effort, a jump of 10 percentage points since June. That increase comes despite the regular insistence of Mr. Bush and Congressional Republicans that the two are intertwined and should be seen as complementary elements of a strategy to prevent domestic terrorism."
- NY Times
If this trend continues it's bad news for Bush and the GOP, who have been shamelessly playing the fear card for five years now to win elections. You can't put anything past them, or the stupidity of a big chunk of the electorate for falling for their crap, but once in a while the American people see through the fog. Hopefully, this is one of those times.
The poll found that 51 percent of those surveyed saw no link between the war in Iraq and the broader antiterror effort, a jump of 10 percentage points since June. That increase comes despite the regular insistence of Mr. Bush and Congressional Republicans that the two are intertwined and should be seen as complementary elements of a strategy to prevent domestic terrorism."
- NY Times
If this trend continues it's bad news for Bush and the GOP, who have been shamelessly playing the fear card for five years now to win elections. You can't put anything past them, or the stupidity of a big chunk of the electorate for falling for their crap, but once in a while the American people see through the fog. Hopefully, this is one of those times.
Here's three-and-a-half minutes of grooviness
Crank the volume up on this. Recorded at one of the cavernous sound stages at the Warner Brothers studios in Burbank (and I've been in them – how cool am I?) it looks like it's from the 1960s, and they just don't make openings for TV specials like this any more. You definitely need a Jack, or at least a dirty martini, to accompany this little bit of Americana. And a “broad” at your side, of course. Preferably with legs that go on forever. And maybe a fedora.
It always helps to go missing on a cruise ship or a senior class trip to the Islands
The cable news nets devote many, many, MANY hours of air time to missing or murdered girls. Usually white, usually blonde, usually cute.
We've all been subjected to their stories over the years – Natalee Holloway and JonBenet Ramsey and Elizabeth Smart - and blah blah blah and told ad nauseum. I always feel bad for them and their families.
But, as a diarist on Daily Kos notes, what about the American girls who are killed every month in George Bush's Iraq debacle? They don't get such breathless attention, if they get any at all, from the national media.
Like Army Sgt. Amanda Pinson, 21, killed in mortar attack, March 15, 2006.
Or Marine Lance Cp. Juana Navarro-Arellano, age 24, killed by small arms fire, April 8, 2006.
Or Army Pfc. Sam W. Huff, age 18, killed by roadside bomb on April 18, 2005.
Or Army Spc. Jessica L. Cawvey, age 21, killed by roadside bomb on October 6, 2004. She had a 6-year-old daughter named Sierra. Her uncle said, "She joined the service because she wanted to provide the right future for her daughter."
Again, on the Daily Kos site, just some of these many dead girls are remembered here.
They never got the never-ending attention from the cable nets the missing cute blondes do. Different class of people, don't you know.
We've all been subjected to their stories over the years – Natalee Holloway and JonBenet Ramsey and Elizabeth Smart - and blah blah blah and told ad nauseum. I always feel bad for them and their families.
But, as a diarist on Daily Kos notes, what about the American girls who are killed every month in George Bush's Iraq debacle? They don't get such breathless attention, if they get any at all, from the national media.
Like Army Sgt. Amanda Pinson, 21, killed in mortar attack, March 15, 2006. Or Marine Lance Cp. Juana Navarro-Arellano, age 24, killed by small arms fire, April 8, 2006.
Or Army Pfc. Sam W. Huff, age 18, killed by roadside bomb on April 18, 2005. Or Army Spc. Jessica L. Cawvey, age 21, killed by roadside bomb on October 6, 2004. She had a 6-year-old daughter named Sierra. Her uncle said, "She joined the service because she wanted to provide the right future for her daughter."
Again, on the Daily Kos site, just some of these many dead girls are remembered here.
They never got the never-ending attention from the cable nets the missing cute blondes do. Different class of people, don't you know.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Such a classy guy
I guess we shouldn't be surprised after seeing him in action at the G-8 meeting, stuffing his mouth with food while Tony Blair was trying to talk to him about the Middle East, but, according to US News & World Report, Bush really is crass:
"He loves to cuss, gets a jolly when a mountain biker wipes out trying to keep up with him, and now we're learning that the first frat boy loves flatulence jokes. A top insider let that slip when explaining why President Bush is paranoid around women, always worried about his behavior. But he's still a funny, earthy guy who, for example, can't get enough of fart jokes. He's also known to cut a few for laughs, especially when greeting new young aides, but forget about getting people to gas about that."
Thank God the Republicans "restored dignity" to the White House after that evil Bill Clinton got a bob job there.
Monday, August 21, 2006
I wonder if he got miles?
Can I just say I'm a tad wary of this story about John Karr, who has supposedly confessed to killing JonBenet Ramsey in Colorado a decade ago, and has just been extradited from Thailand, where he had been living for years.
Let's remember, the press, especially the cable networks, had already tried and convicted the parents for killing their daughter. Or it was JonBenet's big brother. Now it's: "Oops, ok, maybe they didn't do it, but THIS guy - yup, he's the one!"
They never learn from their excesses.
There are people who, for some bizarre reason, will confess to crimes they didn't commit. I've also heard a theory that he was about to be arrested in Thailand for some horrendous crime, and, not wanting to face Thai justice, said he did this, guaranteed to get him extradited to the U.S.
Listen, he may very well have killed that little girl; he clearly is some sort of wackjob, with sexual and other problems, but I wish they would wait to let it play out in court before they start the breathless theorizing.
I will say, according to the AP, the bastard apparently flew back to the U.S. in better comfort than I usually enjoy:
Before takeoff, Karr took a glass of champagne from a flight attendant and clinked glasses with (the agent accompanying him), who sipped orange juice.
Karr first dined on pate, salad, fried king prawn, steamed rice, broccoli and chocolate cake. He also had a beer -- crushing the empty can with his hands -- and then had a glass of chardonnay.
Karr appeared to order the drinks himself.
He later dined on roast duck with soy sauce and yellow noodles, and for his third meal had pizza, chocolates and a bottle of Evian.
Meanwhile, I'm usually stuck in the middle seat in front of the flight's obligatory crying baby, trying to choose between rubber chicken or rubber salmon, and paying $5 for a fucking tiny bottle of Jack.
Let's remember, the press, especially the cable networks, had already tried and convicted the parents for killing their daughter. Or it was JonBenet's big brother. Now it's: "Oops, ok, maybe they didn't do it, but THIS guy - yup, he's the one!"
They never learn from their excesses.
There are people who, for some bizarre reason, will confess to crimes they didn't commit. I've also heard a theory that he was about to be arrested in Thailand for some horrendous crime, and, not wanting to face Thai justice, said he did this, guaranteed to get him extradited to the U.S.
Listen, he may very well have killed that little girl; he clearly is some sort of wackjob, with sexual and other problems, but I wish they would wait to let it play out in court before they start the breathless theorizing.
I will say, according to the AP, the bastard apparently flew back to the U.S. in better comfort than I usually enjoy:
Before takeoff, Karr took a glass of champagne from a flight attendant and clinked glasses with (the agent accompanying him), who sipped orange juice.
Karr first dined on pate, salad, fried king prawn, steamed rice, broccoli and chocolate cake. He also had a beer -- crushing the empty can with his hands -- and then had a glass of chardonnay.
Karr appeared to order the drinks himself.
He later dined on roast duck with soy sauce and yellow noodles, and for his third meal had pizza, chocolates and a bottle of Evian.
Meanwhile, I'm usually stuck in the middle seat in front of the flight's obligatory crying baby, trying to choose between rubber chicken or rubber salmon, and paying $5 for a fucking tiny bottle of Jack.
The things you find on You Tube
Is there anything more unsettling than seeing a drunk Kelly Clarkson pulled out of the audience at a concert, swigging whiskey from a bottle, and singing "Sweet Child of Mine"? With a cover band, no less.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Reason #17 I'm glad I'm not a girl (or a gay guy, for that matter)
I have the worst gag reflex in the world. I mean really bad. I just brushed my teeth there before heading out and, for the second time today, I almost puked just from the toothbrush. And it happens every time.
Seriously, I don't know how you all do that thing you do. God bless you.
Seriously, I don't know how you all do that thing you do. God bless you.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Can we get rid of hair extensions too
"U.S. authorities are advising women not to wear gel bras on airplanes as information developed in the foiled London plot points to an expanding role for women in smuggling explosives on to an aircraft."
I have to agree with them on this. Those damn things are incredibly deceptive. Oh the times I've been disappointed.
I have to agree with them on this. Those damn things are incredibly deceptive. Oh the times I've been disappointed.
This is almost as exciting as the time they found red wine is good for you
Coffee is not usually thought of as health food, but a number of recent studies suggest that it can be a highly beneficial drink. Researchers have found strong evidence that coffee reduces the risk of several serious ailments, including diabetes, heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver.
Now if they can only get mint chocolate chip ice cream on this list.
Seriously, I do drink four or five cups a day. So this is good news.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
No one ever went broke...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three quarters of Americans can correctly identify two of Snow White's seven dwarfs while only a quarter can name two Supreme Court Justices, according to a poll on pop culture released on Monday.
That's a bit misleading. When the poll respondents named Goofy and Grumpy, they were actually talking about the two bozos in the White House.
That's a bit misleading. When the poll respondents named Goofy and Grumpy, they were actually talking about the two bozos in the White House.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Another two hours of my life I will never get back
My guilty pleasure for the season is over - Hell's Kitchen ended Monday night. Knowing how these shows work, I basically figured Heather was going to win, crybaby though she was. The way they were setting up Virginia as Chef Gordon Ramsey's fav lately, I figured it was going to be a "surprise twist" at the end.
Heather did seem to deserve the win, although I somehow doubt they are actually going to give complete control of the kitchen in a billion dollar Las Vegas hotel over to this 25-year-old girl.
I saw it at a Fox viewing party, where they recreated the final menus on the show, Chilean sea bass and short ribs and banana splits and all. Not bad, if I do greedily say so. Although, with the free flowing bubbly, I would have probably been just as satisifed with nachos and shrimp cocktails and pigs in a blanket.
Heather did seem to deserve the win, although I somehow doubt they are actually going to give complete control of the kitchen in a billion dollar Las Vegas hotel over to this 25-year-old girl.
I saw it at a Fox viewing party, where they recreated the final menus on the show, Chilean sea bass and short ribs and banana splits and all. Not bad, if I do greedily say so. Although, with the free flowing bubbly, I would have probably been just as satisifed with nachos and shrimp cocktails and pigs in a blanket.
Two degrees of Bridget Fonda
Any time I've seen Bridget Fonda in a movie, I always thought how damn cute she was, what, with that strawberry blonde hair and those freckles, and that cute little upturned nose of hers. Nice tight body, too.
Well, on Sunday, I saw her in no less than two flicks, “SWF,” and “Singles,” that were playing on various movie stations.
When watching “Singles,'' a pretty cool movie from the 90s, where she played a love interest of Matt Dillon, I suddenly realized, I had been thisclose (as they say in the gossip columns) to boinking someone who was, er, with Dillon, who was, I think, with Bridget.
See, I used to work with a girl who had hooked up with Dillon a few times, and we were always very flirty with each other. (Sadly, I haven't seen her in about four years now.) Anyway, one night, we were out with a bunch of coworkers, drinking and flirting and basically being drunky stupid, and she said, “When are we just going to get it over with and screw!”
You know, I still remember that damn line all these years later, it was so wonderfully blunt.
God bless her.
Alas, we were both seriously shitfaced that night and nothing happened – then or ever, for that matter – but, I now realize, that if it had, I could have been two degrees....
Friday, August 11, 2006
They're always so classy
Nice to see the Republicans up to their usual sleaze, exploiting America's fear of terrorism for their own political gain, and, as usual, trying to conflate the war against terror with the debacle in Iraq.
In the wake of the British arresting 19 people in that plot to blow up airplanes, the GOP went right into their standard political rhetoric. As The Times reported:
Republicans seized on the arrests of terrorism suspects in Britain yesterday to bolster a White House campaign to turn national security issues to their advantage this fall, arguing that the nation needs tough Republican policies to protect Americans from threats from abroad.
And, in The Washington Post, some of them don't even try to be subtle.
"It brings all those realities home and brings back some of the memories of 9/11 that got us into the war on terrorism in the first place," said Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (N.Y.), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee."
Brings back some of the memories. The reporter should have added, "he said fondly."
And might-as-well-be-a-Republican, Joe Lieberman, went all out in his attempt to link Iraq with the war on terror, in the wake of the British developments.
“If we just pick up like Ned Lamont wants us to do, get out by a date certain, it will be taken as a tremendous victory by the same people who wanted to blow up these planes in this plot hatched in England,” Mr. Lieberman said at a campaign event in Waterbury, Conn. “It will strengthen them, and they will strike again.”
I wonder if the American people have had enough of this crap? Unfortunately, it always seems to work for the Republicans. They've played on people's fears to win two elections now. We'll see if it works again in November.
In the wake of the British arresting 19 people in that plot to blow up airplanes, the GOP went right into their standard political rhetoric. As The Times reported:
Republicans seized on the arrests of terrorism suspects in Britain yesterday to bolster a White House campaign to turn national security issues to their advantage this fall, arguing that the nation needs tough Republican policies to protect Americans from threats from abroad.
And, in The Washington Post, some of them don't even try to be subtle.
"It brings all those realities home and brings back some of the memories of 9/11 that got us into the war on terrorism in the first place," said Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (N.Y.), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee."
Brings back some of the memories. The reporter should have added, "he said fondly."
And might-as-well-be-a-Republican, Joe Lieberman, went all out in his attempt to link Iraq with the war on terror, in the wake of the British developments.
“If we just pick up like Ned Lamont wants us to do, get out by a date certain, it will be taken as a tremendous victory by the same people who wanted to blow up these planes in this plot hatched in England,” Mr. Lieberman said at a campaign event in Waterbury, Conn. “It will strengthen them, and they will strike again.”
I wonder if the American people have had enough of this crap? Unfortunately, it always seems to work for the Republicans. They've played on people's fears to win two elections now. We'll see if it works again in November.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Damn those manipulative bastards
Don't ever let it be said that a silly marketing ploy like cheap martinis every Wednesday night is anything less than genius.
Yet another reason why I support Israel
Look at some of their soldiers. Yowza. Compare that to the other side, which, as Bill Maher used to say, makes half their population wear beekeeper outfits in public. (Not to mention, as much as I love Jewish girls here in the U.S., these gals are the real thing, baby, and also probably don't worry too much about the finger nails and the poofy hair).
You know, I have a friend who visits Israel almost every year. I may just have to go with her next time, if only to find the girl in the black tanktop in that pic above. I'd like to personally invite that one back to NY for apple martinis.
The sleazeballs in the GOP gear up for their dirty work
In the wake of Joe Lieberman's defeat last night, the Republicans are apaprently planning to ramp up the replay of their sleazy, fear-mongering ways in the November elections. The head of the Republican National Committee, Ken Mehlman, gave a speech Wednesday morning calling Lieberman's defeat a "shame."
The sleazeball went on to sneer: "Joe Lieberman believed in a strong national defense, and for that, he was purged from his party. It is a sobering moment."
And, as an AP analysis notes:
There's nothing new or surprising about the GOP rhetoric. Less than 100 days before the elections, it's become obvious to Republicans that they can hardly afford allow the midterm elections to turn on a simple referendum on Bush and his policies.
Stoking concerns, or even fears, about Democratic leadership served Republicans well in 2002 and 2004, the first two campaigns conducted in the shadow of the terror attacks of 9/11.
Their hope is it will again this fall, particularly among swing voters who will settle key House races in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and even Connecticut.
But, this time around, sixty percent of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Iraq and a majority would support a partial withdrawal of troops by year's end, according to a CNN poll released Wednesday.
I never put anything past the right-wingers and their dirty tricks, not to mention their blind, sheeplike loyalty to the clown in the Oval Office, but they may have a harder time exploiting Americans' fear of terrorism this election cycle. The public has clearly grown sick of the war, the incompetent way it is being waged, not to mention the way we were lied into it.
The sleazeball went on to sneer: "Joe Lieberman believed in a strong national defense, and for that, he was purged from his party. It is a sobering moment."
And, as an AP analysis notes:
There's nothing new or surprising about the GOP rhetoric. Less than 100 days before the elections, it's become obvious to Republicans that they can hardly afford allow the midterm elections to turn on a simple referendum on Bush and his policies.
Stoking concerns, or even fears, about Democratic leadership served Republicans well in 2002 and 2004, the first two campaigns conducted in the shadow of the terror attacks of 9/11.
Their hope is it will again this fall, particularly among swing voters who will settle key House races in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and even Connecticut.
But, this time around, sixty percent of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Iraq and a majority would support a partial withdrawal of troops by year's end, according to a CNN poll released Wednesday.
I never put anything past the right-wingers and their dirty tricks, not to mention their blind, sheeplike loyalty to the clown in the Oval Office, but they may have a harder time exploiting Americans' fear of terrorism this election cycle. The public has clearly grown sick of the war, the incompetent way it is being waged, not to mention the way we were lied into it.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
I have no fingernails left
Wow, what a nail biter, but Joe Lieberman just conceded (11:10 pm, Tuesday) in the Connecticut Democratic primary. I'm sure my call this afternoon for all the Too Saucy readers in Connecticut to vote for Ned Lamont made the difference.
And, of course, as usual, Lieberman showed how he really doesn't give a rat's ass about the Democratic party. He says he's going to run in the general election in November as an Independent, which could either split the Dem vote and give the Republicans a chance to steal this seat (which would usually, and easily, go to the Democrat), or he might even actually win as the Independent, when many Republicans would vote for him just to stick a thumb in the eye of the Democrats.
Sanctimonious, self-centered prick.
And, of course, as usual, Lieberman showed how he really doesn't give a rat's ass about the Democratic party. He says he's going to run in the general election in November as an Independent, which could either split the Dem vote and give the Republicans a chance to steal this seat (which would usually, and easily, go to the Democrat), or he might even actually win as the Independent, when many Republicans would vote for him just to stick a thumb in the eye of the Democrats.
Sanctimonious, self-centered prick.
Woof
What a delightful morning. Not as humid or hot, a little breezy even. I just got back from breakfast at the Barking Dog on Third, where I sat at one of the outdoor tables and read the Daily News - and also drank about 6 cups of coffee, so I'm bouncing off the walls now.
Oh, and I know I have some Too Saucy readers up in Connecticut. Go Lamont!
Actually, no matter what happens in the Democratic primary there today, the Dems will hold the seat in that reliably blue state come the general in November, but I think it's time to send Lieberman packing. It's bad enough that he's a Bush enabler, especially on the disastrous Iraq war, but there are plenty of other reasons to be tired of him. He first lost me during the height of the disgusting attempt by Republicans to impeach Bill Clinton for getting a bob job, and yet there was alleged Democrat, Holy Joe, on the floor of the Senate, lecturing Clinton about morality, and, once again, enabling the right-wingers.
Asshole.
Oh, and I know I have some Too Saucy readers up in Connecticut. Go Lamont!
Actually, no matter what happens in the Democratic primary there today, the Dems will hold the seat in that reliably blue state come the general in November, but I think it's time to send Lieberman packing. It's bad enough that he's a Bush enabler, especially on the disastrous Iraq war, but there are plenty of other reasons to be tired of him. He first lost me during the height of the disgusting attempt by Republicans to impeach Bill Clinton for getting a bob job, and yet there was alleged Democrat, Holy Joe, on the floor of the Senate, lecturing Clinton about morality, and, once again, enabling the right-wingers.
Asshole.
Monday, August 07, 2006
And she probably had to pay 10 cents to receive it
LONDON (AFP) - A company has defended its decision to fire one of its staff by text message, claiming it was keeping in touch with youth culture.
Katy Tanner, a 21-year-old sales assistant, received the message while she was off work with a migraine, the South Wales Echo newspaper said Friday.
The text message said: "We will not require your services anymore...Thank you for your time with us."
"I don't think it's right to just text someone. At least they should have talked to me face to face," Tanner said.
"You're not allowed to text in sick, you have to phone. The fact that they texted me is a bit of double standards."
Ouch. That is sort of cold. The worst I usually get is: "Running late be there in half hour!" Sometimes with a frowny face.
Katy Tanner, a 21-year-old sales assistant, received the message while she was off work with a migraine, the South Wales Echo newspaper said Friday.
The text message said: "We will not require your services anymore...Thank you for your time with us."
"I don't think it's right to just text someone. At least they should have talked to me face to face," Tanner said.
"You're not allowed to text in sick, you have to phone. The fact that they texted me is a bit of double standards."
Ouch. That is sort of cold. The worst I usually get is: "Running late be there in half hour!" Sometimes with a frowny face.
Ahh cold margs and hot girls in ponytails
My bud Sarah came over Sunday night and we ended up watching The Island, with Ewan McGregor and the voluptuous Scarlett Johannson. I don't know why this movie didn't make more of a splash when it was in the theaters last year, because it was actually pretty cool, and that's coming from someone relatively hard to please movie-wise.
It was sci-fi, which I enjoy, but it still had a somewhat plausible storyline. I won't give away the plot in case you want to watch it (it's playing on Cinemax On-Demand these days) but there's a couple of pretty funny moments, one of which is when the two stars are running for their lives and are on a building scaffolding which plummets to the ground - they survive, of course - and a construction worker is helping them up, and says, “Jesus must love you. That was the craziest thing I ever seen.” Then, as he pulls the absolutely gorgeous Scarlett up, he gets a good look at her and adds,“I KNOW Jesus loved YOU.”
Yes he did. She really is stunning. And as far as I can tell - they're real and they're spectacular (to use the classic line once uttered by Terri Hatcher on an episode of Seinfeld).
There's also a great scene when her character sees a TV commercial for perfume that Scarlett actually did in real life when she was about 17, and gapes in amazement at seeing herself in it. That doesn't make sense, I suppose, if you don't know the movie's plot, but it's a cool moment. That B&W photo is, I believe, from the same ad campaign as the TV commercial seen in the movie.
And she was wearing a ponytail in a lot of the flick. I don't know what it is about girls in ponytails, but I love that look. So cute. Then again, Sarah was mixing frozen margs all night - if it had went on for another hour, I probably would have liked Ewan McGregor in a ponytail.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
I knew I wasn't crazy
Not to pat myself on the back, but no one else ever gives me loving so I have to, my post of a few days ago is echoed in this column today in the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, in a wonderful piece, "Ending the Neoconservative Nightmare," written by Daniel Levy, a member of the Israeli negotiating team at the Oslo peace talks.
My post, which was about the so-called Friends of Israel among the Christian right in the U.S., noted: "The dirty little secret is that these Evangelical Christians don't really give a rat's ass about Jews. They are FOI only because they believe in the radical doctrine of “End Times.”
"They believe the world will end (and quite soon) after some sort of conflagration between Israel and the Arabs and who the hell knows what else, and that the Rapture will happen and all the non-believers (which, in their minds, includes every Jew, of course) will be “left behind” in the hellfires that will engulf the Earth, and all the good Christians will ascend to Heaven - and blah blah blah."
Levy, perhaps a bit more maturely:
"Beyond that, Israel and its friends in the United States should seriously reconsider their alliances not only with the neocons, but also with the Christian Right. The largest "pro-Israel" lobby day during this crisis was mobilized by Pastor John Hagee and his Christians United For Israel, a believer in Armageddon with all its implications for a rather particular end to the Jewish story. This is just asking to become the mother of all dumb, self-defeating and morally abhorrent alliances."
His column maintains that Israel has allowed itself to get caught up in the neocon world view that dominates the Bush adminisration, with the right-wingers calling the shots and actually hoping for some sort of World War III to break out. Unfortunately, Israel, which has always had friendly U.S. presidents clearly supporting it, but also restraining it when necessary as the U.S. tried to play honest broker in the Middle East, is engulfed now in doing the dirty work of these neo-cons.
"Finding themselves somewhat bogged down in the Iraqi quagmire, the neoconservatives are reveling in the latest crisis, displaying their customary hubris in re-seizing the initiative. The U.S. press and blogosphere is awash with neocon-inspired calls for indefinite shooting, no talking and extension of hostilities to Syria and Iran, with Newt Gingrich calling this a third world war to "defend civilization."
"Disentangling Israeli interests from the rubble of neocon "creative destruction" in the Middle East has become an urgent challenge for Israeli policy-makers. An America that seeks to reshape the region through an unsophisticated mixture of bombs and ballots, devoid of local contextual understanding, alliance-building or redressing of grievances, ultimately undermines both itself and Israel. The sight this week of Secretary of State Rice homeward bound, unable to touch down in any Arab capital, should have a sobering effect in Washington and Jerusalem."
Levy also asks, "After this crisis will Israel belatedly wake up to the implications of the tectonic shift that has taken place in U.S.-Middle East policy?"
Sounds like some folks in Israel want Bush and his crew out of office as much as some of do here too.
My post, which was about the so-called Friends of Israel among the Christian right in the U.S., noted: "The dirty little secret is that these Evangelical Christians don't really give a rat's ass about Jews. They are FOI only because they believe in the radical doctrine of “End Times.”
"They believe the world will end (and quite soon) after some sort of conflagration between Israel and the Arabs and who the hell knows what else, and that the Rapture will happen and all the non-believers (which, in their minds, includes every Jew, of course) will be “left behind” in the hellfires that will engulf the Earth, and all the good Christians will ascend to Heaven - and blah blah blah."
Levy, perhaps a bit more maturely:
"Beyond that, Israel and its friends in the United States should seriously reconsider their alliances not only with the neocons, but also with the Christian Right. The largest "pro-Israel" lobby day during this crisis was mobilized by Pastor John Hagee and his Christians United For Israel, a believer in Armageddon with all its implications for a rather particular end to the Jewish story. This is just asking to become the mother of all dumb, self-defeating and morally abhorrent alliances."
His column maintains that Israel has allowed itself to get caught up in the neocon world view that dominates the Bush adminisration, with the right-wingers calling the shots and actually hoping for some sort of World War III to break out. Unfortunately, Israel, which has always had friendly U.S. presidents clearly supporting it, but also restraining it when necessary as the U.S. tried to play honest broker in the Middle East, is engulfed now in doing the dirty work of these neo-cons.
"Finding themselves somewhat bogged down in the Iraqi quagmire, the neoconservatives are reveling in the latest crisis, displaying their customary hubris in re-seizing the initiative. The U.S. press and blogosphere is awash with neocon-inspired calls for indefinite shooting, no talking and extension of hostilities to Syria and Iran, with Newt Gingrich calling this a third world war to "defend civilization."
"Disentangling Israeli interests from the rubble of neocon "creative destruction" in the Middle East has become an urgent challenge for Israeli policy-makers. An America that seeks to reshape the region through an unsophisticated mixture of bombs and ballots, devoid of local contextual understanding, alliance-building or redressing of grievances, ultimately undermines both itself and Israel. The sight this week of Secretary of State Rice homeward bound, unable to touch down in any Arab capital, should have a sobering effect in Washington and Jerusalem."
Levy also asks, "After this crisis will Israel belatedly wake up to the implications of the tectonic shift that has taken place in U.S.-Middle East policy?"
Sounds like some folks in Israel want Bush and his crew out of office as much as some of do here too.
Friday, August 04, 2006
See, he's just a working stiff like the rest of us
WACO, Tex., Aug. 3 -- President Bush arrived here Thursday evening to begin a 10-day stretch at his Prairie Chapel ranch, his longest planned period away from Washington during this summer vacation season.
Bush's scheduled week and a half in Texas is a far cry from last year's working vacation, which was shaping up as the longest presidential retreat in more than three decades before it was rudely cut short by Hurricane Katrina after nearly a month.
What a guy! A real man of the people, don't you know. Only taking 10 days at his multimillion dollar ranch, instead of his usual six-week summer break.
I guess the thought of him relaxing on the ranch last year when Katrina devastated New Orleans, and, in 2001, when he ignored the Presidential Daily Briefing telling him that bin Laden was determined to strike the US with airplanes, which it did a month later, was a tad much for his advisors to bear this time.
Of course, don't worry too much about our Boy George working himself to death. As the Washington Post article notes:
While Bush plans to curtail his long stretches away from Washington this year, he still plans to spend most of the coming month out of town. He has planned long weekends at Camp David and the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, for August, before returning to Texas before the Labor Day weekend.
Bush's scheduled week and a half in Texas is a far cry from last year's working vacation, which was shaping up as the longest presidential retreat in more than three decades before it was rudely cut short by Hurricane Katrina after nearly a month.
What a guy! A real man of the people, don't you know. Only taking 10 days at his multimillion dollar ranch, instead of his usual six-week summer break.
I guess the thought of him relaxing on the ranch last year when Katrina devastated New Orleans, and, in 2001, when he ignored the Presidential Daily Briefing telling him that bin Laden was determined to strike the US with airplanes, which it did a month later, was a tad much for his advisors to bear this time.
Of course, don't worry too much about our Boy George working himself to death. As the Washington Post article notes:
While Bush plans to curtail his long stretches away from Washington this year, he still plans to spend most of the coming month out of town. He has planned long weekends at Camp David and the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, for August, before returning to Texas before the Labor Day weekend.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Yet another revelation from Mel's bust
I used to have an ongoing debate at my last job with a friend who was a fairly observant Jew. She was pretty religious, but, sadly, like so many girls, she wasn't really into politics. So we would go back and forth on the evils (my words) of George Bush and the Republican party, and she would half-heartedly defend them.
Now, don't get me wrong. She wasn't a nutty right-winger by any means. In fact, most of her views were pretty close to mine on the various issues of the day (not to mention she weighs about 85 pounds soaking wet, so was not exactly an intimidating debating partner). But, she was nonetheless convinced that Bush and the conservatives were "Friends of Israel,” so they were really ok. And this was just before she went off to spend a few months in Israel, no less.
But as I kept to trying to point out to her, these so-called “Friends of Israel” weren't quite as they appear.
Oh, you certainly hear about Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell and Tom Delay, and Bush himself, all being great supporters of Israel in its struggle against the Arabs.
But the dirty little secret is that these Evangelical Christians don't really give a rat's ass about Jews. They are FOI only because they believe in the radical doctrine of “End Times.”
They believe the world will end (and quite soon) after some sort of conflagration between Israel and the Arabs and who the hell knows what else, and that the Rapture will happen and all the non-believers (which, in their minds, includes every Jew, of course) will be “left behind” in the hellfires that will engulf the Earth, and all the good Christians will ascend to Heaven - and blah blah blah. Or should I say yadda yadda yadda?
Well, first, let me note, if that really is what's going to happen, I look forward to it. Because not only will we finally be rid of these sanctimonious pricks, but I assume it means us
non-believers will get all their shit that's left back here on Earth. And I've got my eye on one of Pat Robertson's Rolls Royces.
But, I digress. This was about Mel Gibson's recent outing, and what it shows about these right-wing nuts.
Because the recent Mel incident is finally revealing the true colors and the priorities of some of these holier-than-thou Christians. Although they are usually quick to loudly proclaim their support for Israel (and, presumably, the Jews) in the nightmare in the Middle East, they have also been disturbingly quick to rally to Mel's side after it was discovered he started ranting about, yes, the Jews in his DUI bust.
You have Fox's Bill O'Reilly, and perennial right-wing nut job Michelle Malkin, and all the usual suspects, now quickly forgiving Mel and literally trying to turn it around into some sort of anguish about “political correctness,” saying that “Once again the poor religious Christian is being bashed by the evil, left-wing biased media!”
And we all know what those code words mean.
I don't know if seeing these skunks show their fangs will be enough to make my friend see what lurks beneath their seemingly friendly exterior, but, for me, it's just one more example of the hate and the bigotry endemic to that side of the divide.
Now, don't get me wrong. She wasn't a nutty right-winger by any means. In fact, most of her views were pretty close to mine on the various issues of the day (not to mention she weighs about 85 pounds soaking wet, so was not exactly an intimidating debating partner). But, she was nonetheless convinced that Bush and the conservatives were "Friends of Israel,” so they were really ok. And this was just before she went off to spend a few months in Israel, no less.
But as I kept to trying to point out to her, these so-called “Friends of Israel” weren't quite as they appear.
Oh, you certainly hear about Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell and Tom Delay, and Bush himself, all being great supporters of Israel in its struggle against the Arabs.
But the dirty little secret is that these Evangelical Christians don't really give a rat's ass about Jews. They are FOI only because they believe in the radical doctrine of “End Times.”
They believe the world will end (and quite soon) after some sort of conflagration between Israel and the Arabs and who the hell knows what else, and that the Rapture will happen and all the non-believers (which, in their minds, includes every Jew, of course) will be “left behind” in the hellfires that will engulf the Earth, and all the good Christians will ascend to Heaven - and blah blah blah. Or should I say yadda yadda yadda?
Well, first, let me note, if that really is what's going to happen, I look forward to it. Because not only will we finally be rid of these sanctimonious pricks, but I assume it means us
non-believers will get all their shit that's left back here on Earth. And I've got my eye on one of Pat Robertson's Rolls Royces.But, I digress. This was about Mel Gibson's recent outing, and what it shows about these right-wing nuts.
Because the recent Mel incident is finally revealing the true colors and the priorities of some of these holier-than-thou Christians. Although they are usually quick to loudly proclaim their support for Israel (and, presumably, the Jews) in the nightmare in the Middle East, they have also been disturbingly quick to rally to Mel's side after it was discovered he started ranting about, yes, the Jews in his DUI bust.
You have Fox's Bill O'Reilly, and perennial right-wing nut job Michelle Malkin, and all the usual suspects, now quickly forgiving Mel and literally trying to turn it around into some sort of anguish about “political correctness,” saying that “Once again the poor religious Christian is being bashed by the evil, left-wing biased media!”
And we all know what those code words mean.
I don't know if seeing these skunks show their fangs will be enough to make my friend see what lurks beneath their seemingly friendly exterior, but, for me, it's just one more example of the hate and the bigotry endemic to that side of the divide.
A nation of wimps?
According to the Republicans, whenever a Democrat suggested it was time to begin planning for pulling U.S. troops out of the debacle that is Iraq, they were defeatists. Cut-and-run was the delightful phrase bandied about by the GOP against Dems who advocated getting the hell out of there, even when it was decorated war veterans like Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA).
Of course, most of those tough talking Republicans have never served a day in uniform, and don't have any family members serving in the hellhole that Iraq has become.
And now, according to the latest Gallup Poll, most Americans agree with the Democrats, not the Republicans:
NEW YORK - A new Gallup poll released today revealed another upward bump in the number of Amercians who now want a complete U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq in the next 12 months.
That number now stands at 55%, with 19% supporting immediate withdrawal and another 36% wanting it done by August 2007.
"While the percentage of Americans who favor a withdrawal of all U.S. troops either now or within a year is not a supermajority, it is a majority, suggesting that the Democratic leadership is speaking to an issue that resonates with many Americans," Frank Newport, director of the Gallup Poll, writes today.
Another majority, 54%, now say that the U.S. invasion in 2003 was a "mistake."
I wonder when the GOP and their media lapdogs are going to start smearing the American people as cowards and wimps and defeatists?
Of course, most of those tough talking Republicans have never served a day in uniform, and don't have any family members serving in the hellhole that Iraq has become.
And now, according to the latest Gallup Poll, most Americans agree with the Democrats, not the Republicans:
NEW YORK - A new Gallup poll released today revealed another upward bump in the number of Amercians who now want a complete U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq in the next 12 months.
That number now stands at 55%, with 19% supporting immediate withdrawal and another 36% wanting it done by August 2007.
"While the percentage of Americans who favor a withdrawal of all U.S. troops either now or within a year is not a supermajority, it is a majority, suggesting that the Democratic leadership is speaking to an issue that resonates with many Americans," Frank Newport, director of the Gallup Poll, writes today.
Another majority, 54%, now say that the U.S. invasion in 2003 was a "mistake."
I wonder when the GOP and their media lapdogs are going to start smearing the American people as cowards and wimps and defeatists?
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Empty words
I love the apologies these public people make when they get caught saying or doing something stupid. It's all so many empty words, and, somehow, they often try to make it seem like the rest of us are at fault for being offended.
We've got Mel Gibson, of course, apologizing for his hate-filled, anti-semetic tirade, when he was being booked for DUI.
And now we've got Massachusetts' Republican governor, Mitt Romney, who is planning a run for the GOP presidential nomination, apologizing for usiing the phrase "tar baby" when describing a troublesome highway project in the Boston area that has become a political albatross up there.
"A Romney spokesman told AP that the governor was "unaware that some people find the term objectionable and he's sorry if anyone's offended."
It's good that they feel some sort of pressure to actually appear to be sensitive, but, while they can make all the apologies they want, while Gibson can ask to meet Jewish leaders for a dialogue, Romney with the African American community, and they say all the right words in public, the hate in their hearts ain't going away.
We've got Mel Gibson, of course, apologizing for his hate-filled, anti-semetic tirade, when he was being booked for DUI.
And now we've got Massachusetts' Republican governor, Mitt Romney, who is planning a run for the GOP presidential nomination, apologizing for usiing the phrase "tar baby" when describing a troublesome highway project in the Boston area that has become a political albatross up there.
"A Romney spokesman told AP that the governor was "unaware that some people find the term objectionable and he's sorry if anyone's offended."
It's good that they feel some sort of pressure to actually appear to be sensitive, but, while they can make all the apologies they want, while Gibson can ask to meet Jewish leaders for a dialogue, Romney with the African American community, and they say all the right words in public, the hate in their hearts ain't going away.
I don't even want to see my Con Ed bill this month
What is it, 1000 degrees out there again? Yowza, it is hot. I'm home from dinner and a movie ("Lady in the Water" - oy, don't waste your time or money) and just from walking from the theater on Third, I am totally drained.
So, of course, I immediately cranked up the a-c, which has basically been running 20 hours a day for two weeks now. My electric bill is going to be as bad as my Amex bill this month.
Anyway, it looks like the world is still around, so I'm going to jump in the shower, then pour a relaxing glass of brandy and recover from my grueling night with the mindless guilty pleasure awaiting on the tivo in the form of "Hell's Kitchen." But enough with this heat already. Thank you.
So, of course, I immediately cranked up the a-c, which has basically been running 20 hours a day for two weeks now. My electric bill is going to be as bad as my Amex bill this month.
Anyway, it looks like the world is still around, so I'm going to jump in the shower, then pour a relaxing glass of brandy and recover from my grueling night with the mindless guilty pleasure awaiting on the tivo in the form of "Hell's Kitchen." But enough with this heat already. Thank you.
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