Cutting to the Chase

Thanks for the Memories ...

2007-06-21T09:15:00.000-05:00

As any readers of this site might have noticed, this here blog has been running on fumes for some time now. Call it the vicissitudes of life, or a lengthy writer's block, or being too damn busy, or -- more likely -- just plain laziness, but yours truly has hit a formidable dry spell. The blog has had to take a back seat to family stuff, work stuff, new-kid-on-the-way stuff, moving stuff, Billie Jean-is-not-my-lover stuff, etc., and so it is time to officially pull the plug on this blog. Jack Kevorkian is out on the street again (atta boy, Jack-Attack), so the time seems right.

Likely I will be back on the blogosphere in some fashion, albeit with a site that no one knows about, so that I might be able to post or not post at my leisure and without the tsk-tsking from fellow bloggers (yeah, I'm talking to you, Pants, still the nastiest and funniest blogger I personally know).

Three things before I bid you adieu, however. First, thanks to the contributing bloggers here, namely Cassandra D (my beautiful, kind, compassionate, fiery liberal wife) and some really good friends: Daniel Gale-Grogen, Larry Mondello, Conrad Spencer, Dash Riprock and Turtle (although I'll be damned if those last two ever posted more than one or two entries). You guys are all great writers, if not exactly great people, and I encourage you to be fruitful and multiply.

Second, the final episode of "The Sopranos" rocked. David Chase, we are not worthy to breathe the same air you do. Why can't he run as a Democrat in '08?

Third, indulge me one final photo of Apple Rosebud, who is now past 18 months and growing. She will have a little brother in August, although she doesn't know it yet, and subsequently I suspect that she will be weathering a bit of a lifestyle upheaval soon.

So let me just say that this morning she kissed me for the first time, and (cue the cornball music) it was an amazing moment. Each day, I look at this smiling, temperamental toddler and -- although I am far from a "child person" and never seriously anticipated having kids -- I fall in love with her all over again. Daily.

It is something I had never looked forward to prior to getting hitched, and so it is a gift for which I am particularly and deeply grateful. Even when she gets royally pissed off, which generally only happens when we're in a restaurant or at a family gathering, she just makes me feel happy. Maudlin as hell, I realize, but it is what it is.

Here's to you, Apple Rosebud.

This blog's for you ...

How Long Can a Person Hang Upside-down Before Their Head Explodes?

2007-06-11T10:45:00.000-05:00

By Conrad Spencer

The under-appreciated Chris Elliott series Get a Life featured an episode in which a roller coaster breaks down at the top of a loop, leaving Chris and the other passengers suspended upside down for the duration of the episode. It's a great plot for sitcom but, given backup generators and clever mechanical engineering, not something that I thought likely to happen in real life.

But I was wrong.

Friday Random 10

2007-04-27T09:51:00.000-05:00

For no particular reason, this one's for you, Mr. Halberstam, wherever you are ...

1. The Barenaked Ladies, "Sound of Your Voice"
2. Jim Carroll, "Them"
3. Fang, "The Money Will Roll Right In"
4. Belle & Sebastian, "I Love My Car"
5. The Beatles, "Eleanor Rigby/Julia [Transition]"
6. Chuck Berry, "Thirty Days"
7. The Slackers, "Married Girl"
8. The Young Fresh Fellows, "Don't You Wonder How It Ends?"
9. Bobby Vinton, "Blue on Blue"
10. Jane's Addiction, "Ain't No Right"

Ho, Ho, Ho

2007-04-13T09:15:00.000-05:00

Jesus H. Christ. Enough already.

So Don Imus said a stupid, tasteless, racist thing. In our strangely schizophrenic culture, where political correctness thrives alongside mean-spirited shock, that is enough to put a screeching end to a nearly 30-year career.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm no Imus fan. The guy has a lengthy and ignominious history of racism, anti-Semitism and homophobia. He's a prick, OK. His irascibility always struck me as more tiresome than endearing, and I never really understood why such Beltway pundits as Maureen Dowd, Jonathan Alter, Paul Begala and the like were deferential to him while tripping all over themselves to be on his program. Such politicos weren't ballsy enough to go on Howard Stern (who likely wouldn't have any interest in talking to them, unless they were on the Sybian), but Imus was irreverent enough to give the talking-head types a bit of hipster credibility.

And now Imus has been reduced to mea culpas before a dangerous demagogue like Al Sharpton. Now he is eating shit doled out by Jesse "New York is Hymietown" Jackson. And now he is out of a job.

CBS President and CEO Leslie Moonves has placed the Imus fiasco in the context of the ever-wheezy culture war:

"He (Imus) has flourished in a culture that permits a certain level of objectionable expression that hurts and demeans a wide range of people. In taking him off the air, I believe we take an important and necessary step not just in solving a unique problem, but in changing that culture, which extends far beyond the walls of our company."

Yeah, when I think of a network gutsy enough to change the culture, I think of the home of Survivor and Big Brother.

Listen, we're a big, tough, grownup country, and one presumes Rutgers' women's basketball team can withstand the ill-considered taunt of a cranky old fart. I don't fault CBS for booting Imus off the air; that's the company's prerogative. But I do think the furor over a bone-headed remark -- and how it subsequently has been amplified in the mass media -- is more reflective of a hypocritical, weak-kneed, squeamish society that feigns offense while simultaneously dishing it out at will.

Friday Random 10

2007-04-13T08:57:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday the 13th, you superstitious nutjobs, you.

1. Shelby Lynne, "If I Were Smart"
2. Tim Hardin, "How Can We Hang on to a Drean"
3. XTC, "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul"
4. Poe, "Haunted"
5. Dianne Reeves, "Solitude"
6. Television, "See No Evil"
7. Derek & the Dominos, "Key to the Highway"
8. The Kinks, "Dedicated Follower of Fashion"
9. Frank Black, "Headache"
10. The Pixies, "Something Against You"

Grindhouse Memories

2007-04-12T11:10:00.000-05:00

I don't care if Grindhouse apparently tanked in its opening weekend (although, in retrospect, maybe the Weinsteins should have figured that Easter isn't the best time to roll out a movie with more eye-gouging than a Greek tragedy) -- I'm still coasting on a post-Grindhouse buzz.

As such, I've been reminiscing lately about some of my favorite grindhouse and exploitation flicks over the decades. Since this is my blog and what I say goes, I'm sharing some of my own personal faves. Click on the poster to be taken to the film trailer .... And remember: It's only a movie.

Kurt Vonnegut, R.I.P.

2007-04-12T09:15:00.000-05:00

1922-2007

“Like so many Americans, she was trying to construct a life that made sense from things she found in gift shops.” Slaughterhouse 5

“1492. As children we were taught to memorize this year with pride and joy as the year people began living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America. Actually, people had been living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America for hundreds of years before that. 1492 was simply the year sea pirates began to rob, cheat, and kill them.” Breakfast of Champions

“A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.” Sirens of Titan

Return of the Grindhouse

2007-04-06T15:43:00.000-05:00

I was not born a movie geek. It came gradually, with careful nurturing at Saturday matinee double-features (at the long-since-defunct Will Rogers and May Theaters in Oklahoma City) and the instruction of others. Back in my high school days, I had a brother in law, since deceased, who schooled me in the world of exploitation pictures: slasher movies, no-budget sci-fi, sex-starved girls-in-prison flicks, biker pics, blaxploitation, hot-rod car chases and on and on.

It was, in a word, paradise.

I immersed myself in them all, with a number of them -- Dawn of the Dead, Death Race 2000, The Green Slime, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Blood Feast, Last House on the Left, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls -- becoming as much a part of my formative years as Winnie the Pooh and sneaking peeks at my best friend's father's stash of Playboys. Some of the movies were classics of trash aesthetics; most were not. But almost all were masterpieces of the visceral, bristling with energy, enthusiasm and gloriously driven by matters of the Id.

Often made by people whose talents were outmatched by their imaginations, the exploitation movies I gorged myself on during that period instilled in me a deep and abiding love of cinema, both good and bad.

Somewhere in movie heaven, if there is such a place, that dear departed brother in law, whom I'll call Mitch, must be beaming with the release of Grindhouse, the Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino homage to those trash epics of yesteryear.

Even if you haven't seen Grindhouse by this time (and if you haven't, get thee to a multiplex post haste), you probably know the essentials about it. It's a double feature; Rodriguez directs the zombies flick Planet Terror, while Tarantino helms the car chase/serial killer gem, Death Proof. Between the two, there is a slate of wonderful ersatz movie trailers (Don't and Thanksgiving are particular standouts, so hilariously rude you might just lose control of your bladder before all is said and done) and an advertisement for a very dicey restaurant. And throughout this three hour, 12-minute extravaganza, there is unbridled gore, violence, car crashes, rock 'n' roll and insanely hot women.

It is wickedly funny, wickedly gross and just plain wicked. Planet Terror is a kit and caboodle of bad taste that runs the gamut from a go-go dancer with a machine-gun filling in for a prosthetic leg (an iconic, salacious turn by Rose McGowan) to a villain who collects the testicles of his enemies. The more refined of the double-feature, Death Proof, sports an ace performance from Kurt Russell, genuine chills and a car chase worthy of the greatest such scenes in movie history (which, in my book, includes The French Connection, Bullitt, Diva and To Live and Die in L.A.).

But it's the overall vibe of Grindhouse, its singular experience, that makes it such an irresistible, pulpy buzz.

It is celluloid Jägermeister without the boo-face.

It is a hot fudge sundae heaped on the bare midriff of a Vegas showgirl.

It is a piñata burgeoning with narcotics and condoms.

And I can't wait to see it again. Thank you, Quentin and Robert. And thank you, Mitch.

Friday Random 10

2007-04-06T07:24:00.000-05:00

In my baby steps effort to get this once glorious blog back on track (OK, so my definition of "glorious" is a bit flexible), I offer you a return of the Friday Random 10. Today's Random 10 is dedicated to Turtle, who never gave up ...

1. The Arctic Monkeys, "A Certain Romance"
2. Kiss, "Hard Luck Woman"
3. Jonny Lang, "Lies to Me"
4. The Barenaked Ladies, "What a Good Boy"
5. Bobby Charles, "See You Later, Alligator"
6. David Bowie, "Always Crashing in the Same Car"
7. Dianne Reeves, "Too Close for Comfort"
8. Kanye West (and featuring Brandy), "Bring Me Down"
9. Lucinda Williams, "Lake Charles"
10. Fountains of Wayne, "All Kinds of Time"

Horsing Around

2007-04-04T04:19:00.000-05:00

Speaking as a fan of documentaries, I have a deep appreciation for what has been a sort of renaissance for documentarians. I love documentaries -- their diversity, their adventurousness, the curiosity and fearlessness they exhibit in introducing moviegoers to new worlds and new ways of thinking.

Then I came across a recent New York Times story about a new documentary titled Zoo. The flick chronicles the real-life case of Kenneth Pinyan, a 45-year-old Boeing engineer who died after complications arising from sex with a horse. A native of Washington state, Pinyan died of a perforated colon. 'Nuff said. Or would that be Neigh said?

Zoo's co-writer, Claude Mudede, told the Times that he and collaborator Robinson Devor looked at the case of Pinyan -- whose Internet handle was "Mr. Hands" -- and his horse-humping friends and resolved to "revive their humanity":

"Zoo strives to liberate Mr. Hands from his posthumous fate as tabloid punch line. It allows the friends of the dead man a means for disclosure and dares to find, in their candid accounts of their desires and the hidden worlds where they were fulfilled, something strangely beautiful and even recognizable.

“'It was fascinating that there was a community of close friends, that there were basic human interactions happening alongside things that seemed completely alien,' Mr. Mudede said. Zoo minimizes its freak show aspect by emphasizing the coexistence of the mundane and the bizarre ... What emerges here is a sad, even tender portrait of a group of men who met from time to time at a farm, where they would drink slushy cocktails, watch some television and repair to the barn to have sex with horses."

An endeavor to "revive their humanity," huh? You don't say. Seriously?

Let's not beat around the bush: Pinyan fucked a horse. And if you'll forgive the candidness, the guy died from a perforated colon -- which is to say he didn't merely fuck a horse, he evidently went to the trouble of horseplay foreplay, working Mr. Ed into a libidinous lather for the purpose of then, er, umm ... taking the horse.

My contention is this: Yes, there was obviously a humanity to Kenneth Pinyan. He had a family; he had friends; he likely told a good joke and probably donated to Jerry's Kids.

But, surely, not everyone's humanity necessarily calls for revival. This was animal abuse, after all (there is no evidence the farm fling was consensual). I have not seen Zoo, I will admit, and so I'm relying on the Times story as an accurate representation of the film. But it strikes me that a movie about horse-diddling that strives for "something strangely beautiful and even recognizable" is missing the filmmakers' own humanity.

The Writing on the Wall

2007-04-03T10:58:00.000-05:00

By Conrad Spencer

As a parent, there are certain milestones you look forward to with great anticipation -- your child's first step, first words, starting kindergarten. Few things are as cool as when your child sits down and reads you a Dr. Seuss book. Literacy, however, has its dark side.

My son, 6 years old and in first grade, is reading exceptionally well. In fact, he's committed himself to reading 100 books during the month of April. He's already up to 23.

Last night my family and I went out to a Chinese restaurant in Shawnee (an old Western Sizzlin' turned King Buffet) because the marquee advertised a new sushi bar. We live 40 miles from the nearest sushi so this is a great development in my life, even if the sushi itself was mediocre at best.

In the middle of the meal, my son announced his need to potty. I took him to the facilities. He enters the stall and, while doing his businesses, says "Dad, there are words all over the wall!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! 'Hit that...that...puss-ee all night long.' What does that mean?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. C'mon, let's wash your hands."

It's hysterical, but ...

Maybe I'm overly sentimental, or I just read too much.

“But while I was sitting down, I saw something that drove me crazy. Somebody'd written ‘Fuck you’ on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it, and how they'd wonder what it meant, and then finally some dirty kid would tell them - all cockeyed, naturally, what it meant, and how they'd all think about it and maybe even worry about it for a couple of days. I kept wanting to kill whoever'd written it.

****

"I went down by a different staircase, and I saw another 'Fuck you' on the wall. I tried to rub it off with my hand again, but this one was scratched on, with a knife or something. It wouldn't come off. It's hopeless, anyway. If you had a million years to do it in, you couldn't rub out even half the 'Fuck you' signs in the world. It's impossible."

--J.D. Salinger

One Issue at a Time ...

2007-04-02T11:04:00.000-05:00

One problem with elections for federal office -- there's just soo much to remember. Economic policy, defense, trade matters, social issues, special interests, yadda yadda yadda ... it's enough to make one's pointy little head spin.

Which is exactly why Republican primary voters can rejoice today. Single-issue demagogue U.S. Rep. Tim Tancredo of Colorado has tossed his xenophobic hat in the presidential sweepstakes for 2008.

The Denver Post reports that "Tancredo's candidacy will be focused almost entirely on immigration issues."

Just what this country needs, a candidate who can be even more simplistic than the guy already in office.

Designer Vaginas

2007-03-06T16:08:00.000-06:00

OK, so perhaps my first blog post in ages shouldn't be about something so, well, unimportant, but it's tough for me to come across a story about the so-called "last frontier" in cosmetic surgery and not make comment.

Yes, friends, it's vaginal rejuvenation.

The Washington Post reports that the starkly named Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute of Washington (gosh, ladies, how about leaving a little mystery?) is pushing the ... um .. envelope in the cutting-edge field of vaginal aesthetics (on second thought, maybe cutting-edge isn't the right description):

"Critics and supporters of vaginal cosmetic surgery say the mainstreaming of graphic images, including pornography, is fueling demand.

"[Obstetrician-gynecologist Christopher] Warner and [gynecologist David] Matlock say that patients frequently request 'a nice sleek look' similar to images seen in Playboy magazine and on some cable TV channels."

Now, I'm no expert on bioethics, but I have grave concerns about the slippery slope of vaginal rejuvenation.

Friday Random 10

2007-03-02T16:30:00.000-06:00

by Turtle

Sweet jumping Jeebus, I can't believe I got this going. And now that I'm too exhausted to post anything more original or meaningfull, how about an episode of my dearly missed iPod shuffle. C'mon, everybody!

1. Ulysses, "Television"
2. Mickey Hart, "The Main Ten (Playin' In the band)"
3. Super Fury Animals, "Run Christian Run"
4. Magazine, "About the Weather"
5. Mission of Burma, "Trem Two"
6. The Byrds, "5-D (Fifth Dimension)"
7. The Tyde, "Crystal Canyons"
8. The Poster Children, "Want It"
9. Paul Weller, "Bitterness Rising"
10. The Buzzcocks, "Everybody's Happy Nowadays"

happy Fryday everyone!

Note To "Crunchy Cons": Slap Down Those Rotten Republicans

2007-02-27T15:58:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

You know, the radical Republicans and right wing media (= mainstream media, thank you very much) make me really sick.

Here they go with a smear of Al Gore.

What kind of freaks choke down such bilious spewage? What do they have against planet Earth? Do you think we could persuade them to leave?

Time To Scare Up the Energy To Get Scared Again

2007-02-27T10:28:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

You know, I think I can't whip up the energy to worry about this very real threat:

"...one of the nation's foremost experts on the subject of Osama bin Laden says that al Qaeda is "going to detonate a nuclear device inside the United States." If that doesn't scare you, you are no longer scareable."

It's not that I doubt the credibility of this latest report. In fact, it seems more real than the almost certainly politically-inspired threat warnings of the past six years.

It's just that I don't know what else to do. If the powers that be won't listen to Frank Rich and Keith Olbermann and don't respond to my paltry emails, what else can I do? Besides post on a blog?

And our government is an utter failure at everything it touches. I have no faith that even if we put our minds to it, we could do anything right.

Even that bright shining light of success, NASA, has been sullied. The myth of American excellence is dead.

Or maybe I'm just overly pessimistic today.

So there you have it. I've posted my blog post on the subject and that's all I can do.

An Experiment

2007-02-21T14:30:00.000-06:00

By Conrad Spencer

I was raised as a Baptist, but I’m not a particularly religious person, which is why it was odd this last weekend when I had the idea to give up TV for Lent. I don’t think I’ve ever given up anything for Lent, but this year the idea had an odd sort of appeal.

I know I’m not doing it for the usual Lenten reasons, but my reasons may be marginally related. Rather than suffering to better identify with Christ’s 40 days in the desert or removing some barrier of the material world from my relationship with God, it’s more about trying to reconnect with life, and to ease the guilt I feel for spending too many hours in front of the tube. It’s a secular humanist sort of penance.

By most standards, I don’t even watch that much TV and, nerd that I am, a lot of that is PBS. Still I watch enough to make me feel guilty over time that could have been spent doing something better. If you asked me, I’d tell you that reading , listening to music, and interacting with friends and family are activities I enjoy more than TV, but the use of my hours doesn’t reflect that.

This isn’t the first time I’ve cut out TV. In college, I never watched TV regularly, and even since then I’ve gone on anti-TV binges for weeks at a time, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever cut it out entirely. Whenever I’ve cut back on viewing, I’ve always found that I’m happier and more energetic. The desire to watch decreases over time, probably because I’m no longer assaulted by promos for shows I simply must watch. It confusing to me, then, that the habit always seems to creep back into my life.

There are shows I like, but then I also find myself watching highly mediocre shows simply because they’re there. Regardless of the show, it’s the commercials—the dumbed-down, exploitative commercials—that bother me the most. And there’s always the unsettling feeling that I could be doing something better, and more enjoyable.

So the rule—no TV—is pretty simple, but I do make a couple of exceptions. The first is for breaking news or weather of the “tornado bearing down on my house” or “North Korea launching a nuclear attack” variety, not the “Anna Nicole Smith is dead” variety. Secondly, I will allow for movies which (generally speaking, and there are numerous examples to the contrary) have greater artistic merit and no commercials.

For anyone interested, there is a great list of facts and figures about our TV viewing habits here. The one that struck me was that 54 percent of 4-6 year olds would rather watch TV than spend time with their fathers, and I wondered how my six year old would answer the question.

"The Far Right Side"

2007-02-16T10:21:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

From Eric Williams of The Huffington Post:

(via Crooks and Liars)

A Note To CTTC Contributors

2007-02-15T16:10:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

My previous post was grossing even me out, yet I don't have anything I want to blog about. So here I am, taking up space, in order to bump that bloody picture down.

Have at it and post something!

A Reminder...

2007-02-13T16:01:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

...of what is being done in our name can be found at American Torture. (via Andrew Sullivan)

Now that our country seems to be waking up to the folly of the Bush Administration, perhaps we will realize the degree of our inhumanity and shame regarding torture. Or perhaps our fellow citizens have been warped permanently.

It's the Alcohol Talking

2007-02-06T09:42:00.000-06:00

Mel Gibson goes on an anti-Semitic tirade and checks into rehab.

Disgraced congressman Mark Foley prowls for adolescent boys on the Internet and checks into rehab.

Now, it's the turn of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to blame booze for bad behavior. Seems da mayor says hooch drove him him to the hoochie of a close aide's wife.

It's the liquor, I tell yah! It's ... the ... liquor.

If only 1930s-era Germany had boasted a 12-step program or two, we might've avoided the Holocaust.

Irony In Advertising

2007-02-04T15:40:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

I just clicked over to read CNN.com's story, "Woman charged after son, 4, mauled by pit bull."

"TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- The mother of a 4-year-old boy whose foot was mauled by the family's pit bull puppy was charged with child endangering, authorities said Saturday."

The featured Advertiser Links?

"Puppy For Sale: Pit Bull," and "PuppyFind.com: Breeders Pit Bull Puppies"

Something tells me those advertisers might want to fire CNN.

The "-ic" Is Back!

2007-02-04T10:19:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

In a sign of changing times, we get this bit of news:

"Bush had not seen fit to attend a Democratic congressional retreat since 2001, his first year in office. But the new political reality that has Democrats in charge of Capitol Hill for the first time in a dozen years changed his mind. When he appeared before House Democrats at a Virginia resort, he seemed to be trying to make up for lost time.

"With his first words, he sought to put to rest one bone of contention between the White House and the new congressional majority: The dropped 'ic.'

"Democrats found it demeaning when the president, in his State of the Union address last month, referred to the 'Democrat majority,' as opposed to the 'Democratic majority.'

"'Now look, my diction isn't all that good,' Bush told the 200 lawmakers who wrapped up two days away from Washington with family and aides. 'I have been accused of occasionally mangling the English language. And so I appreciate you inviting the head of the Republic Party.'

He got hearty laughs. And he was careful to keep the "ic" firmly tacked on for the rest of his remarks."

Chase, who took note back in August of Bush's addiction to "-RAT" talk, should be happy. It will be interesting to see if this change in rhetoric holds when Bush is speaking to a Republican audience.

"The Onion" Reports on Afghanistan Troop Surge

2007-01-30T16:54:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

As usual, there is painful truth in humor.

Read it and weap.

(via Andrew Sullivan)

Smells Like the Soviet Union To Me

2007-01-30T16:34:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

I can't wait until our Dictator In Chief is out of office. Here's another gem from the desk of The Decider, as reported by the New York Times:

"WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 — President Bush has signed a directive that gives the White House much greater control over the rules and policy statements that the government develops to protect public health, safety, the environment, civil rights and privacy.

"In an executive order published last week in the Federal Register, Mr. Bush said that each agency must have a regulatory policy office run by a political appointee, to supervise the development of rules and documents providing guidance to regulated industries. The White House will thus have a gatekeeper in each agency to analyze the costs and the benefits of new rules and to make sure the agencies carry out the president’s priorities.

"This strengthens the hand of the White House in shaping rules that have, in the past, often been generated by civil servants and scientific experts. It suggests that the administration still has ways to exert its power after the takeover of Congress by the Democrats.

"The White House said the executive order was not meant to rein in any one agency. But business executives and consumer advocates said the administration was particularly concerned about rules and guidance issued by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration."

2007-01-26T15:09:00.000-06:00

Flea Market Montgomery

It is my understanding that it is just like a mini-mall

Drink Up!

2007-01-25T12:11:00.000-06:00

By Conrad Spencer

Just judging from personal experience, I'm a little skeptical of this claim:

Study: Coffee May Slow Balding

Of course, coffee-lover though I am, I fall short of the recommended dosage of 60 cups a day. I also didn't start my coffee habit until after college, at which point my hairline was already in full retreat. Still, there is hope future--I need to get my son drinking coffee by age 13.

Though 60 cups of coffee, along with eight glasses of water and 1500 bottles of red wine leaves time for little else, I'd still welcome a study identifying Scotch as a preventative for Alzheimer's.

Everybody's Doin' It

2007-01-24T17:25:00.000-06:00

By Larry Mondello

Hearing Steve Jobs talk about the Iphone is one thing, hearing the latest from my gas company is quite another. As I sat on hold with Oklahoma Natural Gas Company's "customer service" line today, a recorded gentleman told me of the great news from ONG, they now offer a podcast! I can download an mp3 that gives me all I want to know about the company and its latest news. WTF? What on earth could I care about hearing from the gas company except how much is my bill this month?? Seems too many folks think the podcast thing is cool and innovative. For the most part, it's not.

I held for 20 minutes, just to find out my account #, which they recently changed without telling me.

Hate to go all Andy Rooney on ya, but it pissed me off.

In Case You Missed It

2007-01-24T10:03:00.000-06:00

By Cassadra D

Here's Sen. Jim Webb's Democratic Response to the State of the Union:

Good evening.

I'm Senator Jim Webb, from Virginia, where this year we will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown – an event that marked the first step in the long journey that has made us the greatest and most prosperous nation on earth.

It would not be possible in this short amount of time to actually rebut the President's message, nor would it be useful. Let me simply say that we in the Democratic Party hope that this administration is serious about improving education and healthcare for all Americans, and addressing such domestic priorities as restoring the vitality of New Orleans.

Further, this is the seventh time the President has mentioned energy independence in his state of the union message, but for the first time this exchange is taking place in a Congress led by the Democratic Party. We are looking for affirmative solutions that will strengthen our nation by freeing us from our dependence on foreign oil, and spurring a wave of entrepreneurial growth in the form of alternate energy programs. We look forward to working with the President and his party to bring about these changes.

There are two areas where our respective parties have largely stood in contradiction, and I want to take a few minutes to address them tonight. The first relates to how we see the health of our economy – how we measure it, and how we ensure that its benefits are properly shared among all Americans. The second regards our foreign policy – how we might bring the war in Iraq to a proper conclusion that will also allow us to continue to fight the war against international terrorism, and to address other strategic concerns that our country faces around the world.

When one looks at the health of our economy, it's almost as if we are living in two different countries. Some say that things have never been better. The stock market is at an all-time high, and so are corporate profits. But these benefits are not being fairly shared. When I graduated from college, the average corporate CEO made 20 times what the average worker did; today, it's nearly 400 times. In other words, it takes the average worker more than a year to make the money that his or her boss makes in one day.

Wages and salaries for our workers are at all-time lows as a percentage of national wealth, even though the productivity of American workers is the highest in the world. Medical costs have skyrocketed. College tuition rates are off the charts. Our manufacturing base is being dismantled and sent overseas. Good American jobs are being sent along with them.

In short, the middle class of this country, our historic backbone and our best hope for a strong society in the future, is losing its place at the table. Our workers know this, through painful experience. Our white-collar professionals are beginning to understand it, as their jobs start disappearing also. And they expect, rightly, that in this age of globalization, their government has a duty to insist that their concerns be dealt with fairly in the international marketplace.

In the early days of our republic, President Andrew Jackson established an important principle of American-style democracy – that we should measure the health of our society not at its apex, but at its base. Not with the numbers that come out of Wall Street, but with the living conditions that exist on Main Street. We must recapture that spirit today.

And under the leadership of the new Democratic Congress, we are on our way to doing so. The House just passed a minimum wage increase, the first in ten years, and the Senate will soon follow. We've introduced a broad legislative package designed to regain the trust of the American people. We've established a tone of cooperation and consensus that extends beyond party lines. We're working to get the right things done, for the right people and for the right reasons.

With respect to foreign policy, this country has patiently endured a mismanaged war for nearly four years. Many, including myself, warned even before the war began that it was unnecessary, that it would take our energy and attention away from the larger war against terrorism, and that invading and occupying Iraq would leave us strategically vulnerable in the most violent and turbulent corner of the world.

I want to share with all of you a picture that I have carried with me for more than 50 years. This is my father, when he was a young Air Force captain, flying cargo planes during the Berlin Airlift. He sent us the picture from Germany, as we waited for him, back here at home. When I was a small boy, I used to take the picture to bed with me every night, because for more than three years my father was deployed, unable to live with us full-time, serving overseas or in bases where there was no family housing. I still keep it, to remind me of the sacrifices that my mother and others had to make, over and over again, as my father gladly served our country. I was proud to follow in his footsteps, serving as a Marine in Vietnam. My brother did as well, serving as a Marine helicopter pilot. My son has joined the tradition, now serving as an infantry Marine in Iraq.

Like so many other Americans, today and throughout our history, we serve and have served, not for political reasons, but because we love our country. On the political issues – those matters of war and peace, and in some cases of life and death – we trusted the judgment of our national leaders. We hoped that they would be right, that they would measure with accuracy the value of our lives against the enormity of the national interest that might call upon us to go into harm's way.

We owed them our loyalty, as Americans, and we gave it. But they owed us – sound judgment, clear thinking, concern for our welfare, a guarantee that the threat to our country was equal to the price we might be called upon to pay in defending it.

The President took us into this war recklessly. He disregarded warnings from the national security adviser during the first Gulf War, the chief of staff of the army, two former commanding generals of the Central Command, whose jurisdiction includes Iraq, the director of operations on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and many, many others with great integrity and long experience in national security affairs. We are now, as a nation, held hostage to the predictable – and predicted – disarray that has followed.

The war's costs to our nation have been staggering.
Financially.
The damage to our reputation around the world.
The lost opportunities to defeat the forces of international terrorism.
And especially the precious blood of our citizens who have stepped forward to serve.

The majority of the nation no longer supports the way this war is being fought; nor does the majority of our military. We need a new direction. Not one step back from the war against international terrorism. Not a precipitous withdrawal that ignores the possibility of further chaos. But an immediate shift toward strong regionally-based diplomacy, a policy that takes our soldiers off the streets of Iraq's cities, and a formula that will in short order allow our combat forces to leave Iraq.

On both of these vital issues, our economy and our national security, it falls upon those of us in elected office to take action.

Regarding the economic imbalance in our country, I am reminded of the situation President Theodore Roosevelt faced in the early days of the 20th century. America was then, as now, drifting apart along class lines. The so-called robber barons were unapologetically raking in a huge percentage of the national wealth. The dispossessed workers at the bottom were threatening revolt.

Roosevelt spoke strongly against these divisions. He told his fellow Republicans that they must set themselves "as resolutely against improper corporate influence on the one hand as against demagogy and mob rule on the other." And he did something about it.

As I look at Iraq, I recall the words of former general and soon-to-be President Dwight Eisenhower during the dark days of the Korean War, which had fallen into a bloody stalemate. "When comes the end?" asked the General who had commanded our forces in Europe during World War Two. And as soon as he became President, he brought the Korean War to an end.

These Presidents took the right kind of action, for the benefit of the American people and for the health of our relations around the world. Tonight we are calling on this President to take similar action, in both areas. If he does, we will join him. If he does not, we will be showing him the way.

Thank you for listening. And God bless America.

Torture in Bush's America

2007-01-16T15:30:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

From the Miami Herald:

"The accused was held in extreme isolation for 1,307 days. Held in a nine-by-seven-foot cell. The only window blacked out. He was the lone prisoner on the two-tier cellblock. He was given food through a slot in the door. He slept on a steel mattress. No reading material. No calendar. No clock. Nothing to connect him to the outside world.

"But it was the short trip down the hallway for a dental examination that captured the utter isolation and sensory deprivation inflicted on Jose Padilla during his 3 ½ years in the Navy brig at Charleston, S.C.

"Helmeted guards, their faces obscured behind dark plastic visors, manacled his hands and feet through slots in his cell door. They covered his ears with sound-canceling headphones, covered his eyes with blacked-out goggles."

Read the whole thing.

Stupidest. Editorial. Ever.

2007-01-16T10:26:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

I give you an excerpt from today's Oklahoman:

"We're wondering if the global warming crowd is huddled in an igloo drafting their apologia. The new century has already produced three major ice storms - in 2000, 2002 and 2007. Sure feels like a Little Ice Age to us."

Of course the global warming crowd is not drafting an apologia, because the global warming crowd, unlike the scientifically ignorant boobs running the Oklahoman, realizes that local fluctuations in weather patterns say very little about long-term global weather trends.

I would have expected (unfortunately) such proud ignorance in a "letter to the editor," but for some unknown reason I expected more from the editors themselves.

They just showed again how the Oklahoman earned its title: "Worst Newspaper in America."

Ready For Some Good News?

2007-01-08T10:56:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

From the Washington Post:

"General Motors Chairman G. Richard Wagoner Jr. on Sunday unveiled an innovative prototype, the Chevrolet Volt -- a plug-in vehicle that derives its power primarily from electricity rather than gasoline -- as the world's automakers take on global warming and U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

...

"GM put its electric-car plans back on track after being stung by the rising gas prices after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Higher gas prices ended the boom in sales of large SUVs, which have supported the Detroit automakers. They've also watched from the sidelines as the Prius gas-electric hybrid has brought a windfall of positive attention for the Toyota brand.

"'The domestic industry spends hundreds of millions to cultivate image,' said Harley Shaiken, an economics professor at the University of California at Berkeley. 'What they've been slow to realize is that fuel efficiency is increasingly sexy to many Americans. Even if you don't buy a Prius, you have the sense that Toyota is with the program.'

"GM killed off its previous electric vehicle after corporate officials balked at more than $300 million for further development. At the time, GM nearly had the alternative-car market to itself. GM has played catch-up to Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda, which seized the advantage, turning their electric-car know-how into today's hybrid cars.

"GM's Volt would use its battery pack and electric motor as the primary source of power. The small three-cylinder engine, serving as a generator, kicks in to recharge the battery when power starts to fade. As envisioned, the Volt would have a top speed of 100 miles per hour. It would have an all-electric range of 40 miles, more than what many Americans typically drive in a day, making it possible for some people to commute to and from work without using a drop of gasoline."

And I know of a nice, vacant GM plant they can use to build it.

Friday Random 10

2007-01-05T07:09:00.000-06:00

Just because I want to prove I'm still alive (and to keep from disappointing our loyal reader and perennially absent contributor, Turtle):

1. Badfinger, "Name of the Game"
2. The Who, "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere"
3. Blondie, "Call Me"
4. Shonen Knife, "Top of the World"
5. The Church, "Constant in Opal"
6. Lyle Lovett, "Here I Am"
7. The Barenaked Ladies, "I'll Be That Girl"
8. Elvis Costello, "Getting Mighty Crowded"
9. Aerosmith, "Come Together"
10. Smashing Pumpkins, "Bullet with Butterfly Wings"

Okay, Congress. Get to Work.

2007-01-04T14:13:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

Oversight can't come a moment too soon. From the New York Daily News:

"President Bush has quietly claimed sweeping new powers to open Americans' mail without a judge's warrant, the Daily News has learned.

"The President asserted his new authority when he signed a postal reform bill into law on Dec. 20. Bush then issued a 'signing statement' that declared his right to open people's mail under emergency conditions."

(via AMERICAblog)

It's All a Hoax!

2006-12-27T09:55:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

News from The Independent:

"Rising seas, caused by global warming, have for the first time washed an inhabited island off the face of the Earth. The obliteration of Lohachara island, in India's part of the Sundarbans where the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers empty into the Bay of Bengal, marks the moment when one of the most apocalyptic predictions of environmentalists and climate scientists has started coming true.

...

"Refugees from the vanished Lohachara island and the disappearing Ghoramara island have fled to Sagar, but this island has already lost 7,500 acres of land to the sea. In all, a dozen islands, home to 70,000 people, are in danger of being submerged by the rising seas. "

(via AMERICABlog)

Santa's on His Way

2006-12-24T19:21:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to all my goyim friends and loved ones ...

Now, THAT'S Congeniality

2006-12-21T18:55:00.000-06:00

Miss Nevada USA Stripped of Her Title for Raunchy Photos on Internet

Eat your heart out, Bert Parks.

Sex Tape Derby, Round 79: Rankin-Bass Christmas Edition

2006-12-21T08:58:00.000-06:00

So, Christmas morning arrives, and you have two shiny boxes under the tree. It turns out that Santa has brought you what you always wanted -- sex tapes! The thing is, you have to choose which one to play first, and since Christmas comes just once a year, you have to make the first one special. Which is the first to be unwrapped?

Jessica, the future Mrs. Santa Claus from "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" or...

Mariah Carey in her claymation animated video for "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town"?

Heat Miser from "The Year Without a Santa Claus" or...

The Abominable Snow Monster from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"?

My Pop Culture Triumph

2006-12-18T09:08:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

Anyone who knows me knows that I am pop-culturally challenged. For instance, this weekend we were watching "Saturday Night Live" and a skit called "The Barry Gibb Talk Show." I turned to Chase and asked, "Isn't it Andy Gibb? Who is Barry Gibb?" I was then informed that Barry was part of the Bee Gees, along with brothers Robin and Maurice, and that Andy was their younger brother. Oh well...

Last night, however, I had my own personal pop culture victory. We were listening to Belle & Sebastian's song "Take Your Carriage Clock and Shove It," and until I heard the title I thought it was a remake. In the back of my mind I could hear the wispy woman's lyric "...but I've been to paradise...." though I couldn't remember anymore of the original song.

Google makes sleuthing so easy. I plugged in that lyric and was led immediately to Charlene's Motown song "I've Never Been To Me," which was, apparently, a hit in 1982 and is one of the songs in The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. A visit to the iTunes store confirmed the duplicated melody.

I was so excited and thought I might have been the first to notice, but another Google search proved it wasn't to be. But old news in the music world is still good news to me. The pop culture portion of my brain may be small, but it is occasionally functional. Hooray!

Time Is on My Side

2006-12-17T09:02:00.000-06:00

I am humbled and honored to be named Time magazine's Person of the Year.

It's about time a national publication recognize me for all that I do. It's been a long year -- changing diapers (not my own, in case you were wondering), watching television, eating badly, sleeping at the workplace and whatnot. Thank you for paying attention, Time. Henry Luce would be proud.

But let's be clear about one thing: If this recognition isn't accompanied by some sort of monetary reward, or at least an invite to a fancypants media-elite party with stuffed mushroom appetizers and meatballs on toothpicks and an open bar and starlets without panties, well, then -- screw you, Time magazine.

The Myth of the "Family Restroom"

2006-12-15T16:26:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

In the months before I became I mom, I bought the baby gear, put up baby gates, read books, and generally did my best to prepare for the event my already-parent friends gleefully proclaimed would "change life forever."

As I stocked up on the paraphernalia of breast-feeding (pump, freezer bags, shields, etc.) I also scouted out locations for pumping and nursing. One thing that was reassuring to me was the rise of the "Family Restroom." Have you noticed? They are cropping up everywhere.

But have you ever been in one?

Not a single one of them that I have been in has a place to sit other than on a toilet seat, which is rather unappealing if all you want to do is nurse your baby. I ended up either sitting on the floor or standing by the sink to nurse. In the early days my baby needed to eat frequently and didn't yet get formula, so if I ever wanted to get out of the house and run errands, this issue came up.

I was so disappointed when I took my baby to the children's section of the brand new downtown library, went to the "Family Restroom" when she got fussy, and found no place to sit. I asked the librarian what I was supposed to do. She suggested that I breastfeed out on a couch out in the public area, and offered to shoo people away for me. I ended up dragging a chair into the restroom and have not yet been back to the library.

The days of breast-feeding are behind me, but I feel great sympathy for moms who are trying to make it work. Either society needs to get over being squeamish about public breastfeeding, or "Family Restrooms" (and all public women's rooms, for that matter) ought to provide a place to sit down.

Please Let Him Be OK

2006-12-13T16:35:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

Breaking news is that Sen. Tim Johnson, D-South Dakota, is in the hospital for evaluation of stroke-like symptoms.

Those symptoms are always frightening. But here's the scariest part:

"Should Johnson not be able to complete his term, which ends in 2008, South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds, a Republican, could appoint his replacement, which could shift the balance of power in the Senate."

Don't you just bet there are a few evangelicals out there praying for his demise?

In the past week I've seen Why We Fight, Who Killed the Electric Car?, and Shut Up And Sing. With each one I have felt so thankful that the Democrats are back in control of Congress. I, for one, am praying that that doesn't change.

Get well soon, Sen. Johnson!

Perhaps the Best 75-cent Purchase in the History of the World

2006-12-11T11:48:00.000-06:00

By Conrad Spencer

I came of age as vinyl records were in decline. I remember a rack of vinyl in my local Wal-Mart, though the vinyl offerings paled compared to the cassette tape selection. By the time I started purchasing music with my allowance (about nine or 10 years of age), there were even a few albums available on CD.

So I don't have stash of vintage records, only a couple dusty cases of cassettes, which are mostly worn out, either from extensive playing or spending too many summer days in my first car. There's only one vinyl record in my house that I know of, and that's a copy of Sgt. Pepper's I bought for my wife (with the little paper dolls still intact) for $60. Still, whenever I find myself at a flea market or garage sale, I have to troll through the records in hopes of finding something from an artist I like that might be worth picking up. This never happens. To me, anyway.

Some people have better luck.

Forty years after it was made, The Velvet Underground's first recording has become a financial hit — in cyberspace. Bought for 75 cents four years ago at a Manhattan flea market, the rare recording of music that ended up on the influential New York band's first album, "The Velvet Underground & Nico," sold on eBay for a closing bid of $155,401.

And that will buy you a lot of smack.

Happy Birthday, Apple Rosebud!

2006-12-07T16:45:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

Today I hereby come out of the closet to wish my baby a happy first birthday. Yes, it's true. She's the love child from my relationship with Chase. And a lovely child she is! Happy birthday, little one!

Hot, Blonde Teachers Continue to Plague U.S. Schoolboys

2006-12-07T15:37:00.000-06:00

By Conrad Spencer

Following on the heels of Debra Lafave and Pamela Rogers Turner, among other celebrated cases, a Colorado teacher has been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior with a student.

The media may be getting a bit over-eager to report these stories, as Carrie McCandless and the alleged "victim" apparently never did the horizontal mosh, just had a few heavy make-out sessions and shared a bottle of Jack Daniels. Oh, and unlike past instances, the boy wasn't 14, but 17. It's hardly worthy of a national news story. Of course, Mrs. McCandless isn't just a teacher, she's also the principal's wife.

Having been a teenage boy once, I can attest that they spend most of their waking hours dreaming up just such improbable, fantastic sex scenarios ripped straight from the "plots" of their step-dad's video collection--hell, I'm 28 and still spend most of my waking hours dreaming up such highly improbably scenarios--which is why I can't get too worked up over these cases (female victims, that's a different matter, and I'll just acknowledge there's a double standard).

So, in addition to life imitating art, life now imitates porn as well. That could be a good thing, if only I were in high school again.

2006-12-07T09:19:00.000-06:00

Sesame Streets

Lucious Pusey Revealed

2006-12-06T16:34:00.000-06:00

By Daniel Gale-Grogen

Imagine, if you will, a situation in which your parents named you Lucious Pusey. (Easy, Brick.) The thing is, you are a 22-year-old football player for Eastern Illinois University, not a top-heavy, gymnastically able blonde who completely misunderstood what your righteous high school classmates meant when they said, "See you at the pole!"

Well, if you had to endure the taunts of pigskin fans every weekend because your father, Horatius Felix Pusey, wanted to endow his son with a similarly flowery name, but instead everyone thinks your name sounds like the subtlely implied image of a Georgia O'Keeffe painting, you would visit an attorney, too.

The Smoking Gun has the paperwork for his official surname dump, in which the linebacker will now change his name to Lucious Seymour, after his mother's maiden name. The problem is that now fans are likely to call him "Seymour Lucious Pusey," which is even better than before.

Now, back to our seriousness.

Restaurant Romper Room

2006-12-06T07:30:00.000-06:00

Speaking as the father of a soon-to-be 1-year-old baby, I am well aware that the sight of my family and me trudging into a restaurant can scare the bejusus out of other patrons. I can sympathize. Long before my seed took root, I, too, trembled when I heard shrieking babies in restaurants, movie theaters or trash receptacles. Post-baby, however, I have become a bit more understanding of frazzled parents and the little challenges they endure trying to enjoy once-simple pleasures such as a dinner out.

A few weeks ago (I'm apparently still traumatized by the incident), Mrs. Chase and I took lil' Apple Rosebud to one of those ridiculous themed restaurants -- Joe's Crab Shack, in this case -- for a late lunch. We went around 3 p.m., intent on missing the lunch crowd that would surely not care for a baby currently experimenting with the concept of dumping things on the floor.

Everything was going according to plan. The place was nearly empty.

We ordered and -- as we suspected would happen -- the kid started to get a little cranky and restless once she realized that the Rice Crispies we'd spread on the tabletop had limited entertainment value.

Then a party of five came in, and inexplicably, in a large and largely desolate restaurant, the waitress seated them at the table closest to us. As Apple Rosebud had no intention of letting their presence keep her from exercising her relatively new vocal chords, the onus fell on the wife and me to ask for another table.

And this has happened before. Is it sheer stupidity? The desire of wait staff to tweak their customers a bit? Do waiters and waitresses know that babies make noises?

Classy Up the Joint

2006-12-03T11:49:00.000-06:00

Paris Hilton has canceled a planned appearance as an awards presenter for the Billboard Music Awards.

The reason? Too much class, according to AP:

"'It is my understanding that some satirical references ridiculed some of her peers,' her spokesman, Elliot Mintz, said in a statement. 'Paris did not want to say anything that could appear hurtful or embarrassing about people she knows.'"

Her peers? Billboard now officially gives awards to whores, dimwits and sluts?

The Sea Lion King

2006-11-29T13:59:00.000-06:00

If birds, apes and even stingrays can rise up against mankind, then why not sea lions?

As AP recently pointed out, the creatures have been responsible for a recent spate of attacks along the California coastline:

"In the most frightening of the recent episodes, a single rogue sea lion bit 14 swimmers this month and chased 10 more out of the water at San Francisco's Aquatic Park, a sheltered lagoon that adjoins the bay. At least one victim suffered multiple puncture wounds.

"In Southern California in June, a sea lion charged several people on Manhattan Beach, then bit a man before waddling into the water and swimming away. And in Berkeley, a woman was hospitalized in the spring after a sea lion took a chunk out of her leg."

I can't help but wonder if this is the sort of thing that woolly mammoths or saber-toothed tigers said to each other (in their cute animalistic language, of course) in the Pleistocene Age about those newfangled human beings: You know, beasts making mental notes to themselves how these ex-apes, ever since walking erect, were starting to get a bit more aggressive, a bit more standoffish, a bit more cocky with their clubs and opposable thumbs and whatnot.

And then look what happened; we went and conquered the planet.

Hundreds of years from now, will this rash of attacks be remembered as the inchoate stages of the sea-lion revolution? Is it time to take preemptive measures?

Just a thought.

Update from the Forgotten War

2006-11-29T13:06:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

Remember Afghanistan? Home of the Taliban, shielders of Osama bin Laden? Site of the original "War on Terror"? That war we all agreed on? How's that going?

Not well at all.

Pakistan says we should just admit that we were defeated by the Taliban. Surrender and negotiate, they advise.

Excellent.

Where is the outcry from our politicians and our populace? Where's all the talk about sending the right message to the terrorists? Where's the talk of securing a model democracy for the rest of the region? Do those ideals only apply to Iraq?

Why doesn't anybody seem to care that we are losing this chunk of the War on Terror, too?

The NSTA Responds

2006-11-29T11:17:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) has issued a press release in response to the recent controversy over their decision not to distribute free "An Inconvenient Truth" DVD's to their members.

Key quote:

"Global warming is a very important science/societal issue. NSTA has always supported sound environmental science education. We regret this current controversy surrounding our decision not to mass distribute the DVD to our members, and we are working to promote the availability of the film." [the link is theirs]

My thanks go out to a loyal CTTC reader for emailing me with the updated info.

Ask Them to Reconsider

2006-11-26T15:38:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

From the Washington Post: (via Crooks and Liars)

"At hundreds of screenings this year of An Inconvenient Truth, the first thing many viewers said after the lights came up was that every student in every school in the United States needed to see this movie.

"The producers of former vice president Al Gore's film about global warming, myself included, certainly agreed. So the company that made the documentary decided to offer 50,000 free DVDs to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) for educators to use in their classrooms. It seemed like a no-brainer.

"The teachers had a different idea: Thanks but no thanks, they said.

"In their e-mail rejection, they expressed concern that other "special interests" might ask to distribute materials, too; they said they didn't want to offer "political" endorsement of the film; and they saw "little, if any, benefit to NSTA or its members" in accepting the free DVDs.

"Gore, however, is not running for office, and the film's theatrical run is long since over. As for classroom benefits, the movie has been enthusiastically endorsed by leading climate scientists worldwide, and is required viewing for all students in Norway and Sweden.

"Still, maybe the NSTA just being extra cautious. But there was one more curious argument in the e-mail: Accepting the DVDs, they wrote, would place "unnecessary risk upon the [NSTA] capital campaign, especially certain targeted supporters." One of those supporters, it turns out, is the Exxon Mobil Corp."

read on...

Even the oil and gas industry is coming to terms with the new political reality: the debate over global warming is over and it is past time to address the problem.

So contact the National Science Teacher's Association and ask them to reconsider their decision. An Inconvenient Truth explained global warming to me far better than anything else I have ever seen or read. It's time our children learned the nature of the problem we all face. We won't find a solution without them.

He's Got No Problem with the Colored Folks ...

2006-11-21T16:42:00.000-06:00

Note to self: If ever apologizing for a racist rant, try not to be contrite by using terms deemed politically incorrect about 30 years ago.

Hmm. We guess this explains the famous lost "Seinfeld" episode where Kramer and Newman end up in that wacky minstrel show.

And speaking of "Seinfeld," check out this.

Dear FOX ...

2006-11-21T09:11:00.000-06:00

Dear Mr. Rupert Murdoch,

Amid the hand-wringing and outrage over the woulda-been, coulda-been O.J. Simpson interview on FOX, "If I Did It," let me be honest and say upfront: I'm sorry your network lost its nerve and scrapped the program.

I, for one, was very intrigued to know how the Juice would have murdered his ex-wife and her friend ... had he actually been the culprit.

Something tells me he would've been far too clever to leave a bloody glove at the crime scene. The O.J. Simpson I know, the legendary USC running back and even more legendary co-star of Capricorn One, would've dispatched his victims with decidedly more verve and panache.

There wouldn't have been any almost severing of the head with O.J. The man did everything to the hilt.

Shame on you, Rupert Murdoch. If anyone in the news media had the cojones to buck the timid voices of decency and good taste, it was you, sir.

This is not the FOX I know, the FOX of Bill O'Reilly and Neil Cavuto and Freddy Krueger. You've let us down. You've let us all down.

Thankfully, FOX is still full-steam ahead with its upcoming exclusive interview with George W. Bush, "If I Had Fucked Up the War on Terrorism ..."

Friday Random 10

2006-11-17T01:14:00.000-06:00

Today's iPod shuffle is dedicated to compose Burt Bacharach, crappy Eighties songs I still have and, of course, our brave men and women of the armed forces.

1. Los Lobos, "Will the Wolf Survive?"
2. Tom Jones, "I'll Never Fall in Love Again"
3. Cake, "Meanwhile, Rick James ..."
4. Bruce Springsteen, "Backsteets"
5. Blind Melon, "No Rain"
6. The Stranglers, "Walk on By"
7. The Traveling Wilburys, "Handle with Care"
8. Toad the Wet Sprocket, "Good Intentions"
9. Don Henley, "All She Wants to Do Is Dance"
10. The Dead Kennedys, "Holiday in Cambodia"

Slipped Down the Slope, Or Regular Abuse of Power?

2006-11-16T13:04:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

UCLA campus police Tasered a student for not leaving the library fast enough when he didn't have his proper ID. Then they Tasered him again when he wouldn't stand up. The Daily Bruin has more disturbing details:

"As the student and the officers were struggling, bystanders repeatedly asked the police officers to stop, and at one point officers told the gathered crowd to stand back and threatened to use a Taser on anyone who got too close.

"Laila Gordy, a fourth-year economics student who was present in the library during the incident, said police officers threatened to shoot her with a Taser when she asked an officer for his name and his badge number."

I thought that in this nation, Tasers were used to protect people from violence, not as torture devices to get people to do what the police want.

Tasers cause muscles to spasm, which makes the person fall to the ground and renders physical violence impossible. Tasers also happen to cause severe pain. In this case, the Taser was used specifically to cause pain.

So, are we now living in a society that yawns at torture, or is this just another example of run-of-the-mill abuse of power?

Are we, as a nation, still able to see that this incident was wrong?

"As God Is My Witness, I'll Never Be [Insert Euphemism Here]"

2006-11-16T07:11:00.000-06:00

Actions speak loud than words. Yeah, in fairy tales, maybe. In the lumbering machinations of federal bureaucracy, however, words are important enough to warrant constant Orwellian tinkering.

The latest examples comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has determined that "hungry" is no longer an appropriate term to describe the 12 percent of Americans who go, umm ... without food at night. As the Washington Post reports, "the USDA has determined 'very low food security' to be a more scientifically palatable description for that group."

Nice (and typical) work from a White House administration that never ceases to amaze at its ability to shove its thumb up its, umm ... collective rectal hidey-hole.

Sex Tape Derby, Round 78

2006-11-16T03:43:00.000-06:00

It's another installment of Sex Tape Derby, where you make the call. It's the choice of Solomon: You must view a homemade sex tape of celebrities in various stages of doing it the way they do it on the Discovery Channel. Who would be your choice to spread their wings and learn to, er, fly?

Post your selections in the comments section below.

CMA smackdown: Carrie Underwood or ...

Faith Hill?

Hip-hop hubba hubba: Ludacris or ...

Kanye West?

It Don't Fit

2006-11-15T09:06:00.000-06:00

By Larry Mondello
Leave it to the Juice to pull me out of hibernation.

Story today that O.J. didn't do it, but to sell books and stroke the Heisman ego, he is doing a FOX interview to tell how he "would have done it"

Freedom of speech can really suck sometimes.

Better Than Steele?

2006-11-13T15:32:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

So the RNC has named its new leader and it isn't Michael Steele. As I wrote before, I didn't think he was a good choice.

The winner is...Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida. Name ring a bell? Wondering why? Oh yeah, maybe because of this:

"Martinez started slowly in the Senate where he was embarrassed by a one-page unsigned memo that originated in his office. Written by a Martinez aide and disavowed by Senate Republicans, the memo laid out the political benefits to getting involved in the fate of
Terri Schiavo, a Florida woman whose end-of-life battle became a rallying cry for conservatives.

"'This is an important moral issue and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue,' said the memo. Its author resigned."

Say It Ain't So, Sacha

2006-11-13T08:32:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

I'll admit it: I laughed until I cried when I watched Borat. As an Oklahoman, though, I feel sorry for Kazakhstan--the kinship of the unfairly maligned. And as an American, I'm just a little embarrassed that this movie is getting wide-spread international release.

It's hard not to feel sorry for the boobs in the picture. I hope that the antique store owner was paid well for his destroyed items, and I do feel a tiny bit sorry for the frat boys who claim to have been plied with liquor before giving their "consent" and revealing their racist ways. On the whole, though, I haven't felt that the movie's unwitting stars were owed much of anything from Mr. Cohen and his crew.

And then I read about the citizens of Glod, Romania, who were paid a pittance to be in a movie that they claim to have been told would be a documentary that would shed light on their plight.

"When Sacha Baron Cohen wanted a village to represent the impoverished Kazakh home of his character Borat, he found the perfect place in Glod: a remote mountain outpost with no sewerage or running water and where locals eke out meagre livings peddling scrap iron or working patches of land.

"But now the villagers of this tiny, close-knit community have angrily accused the comedian of exploiting them, after discovering his new blockbuster film portrays them as a backward group of rapists, abortionists and prostitutes, who happily engage in casual incest.

"They claim film-makers lied to them about the true nature of the project, which they believed would be a documentary about their hardship, rather than a comedy mocking their poverty and isolation.

"Villagers say they were paid just £3 each for this humiliation, for a film that took around £27million at the worldwide box office in its first week of release.

"Now they are planning to scrape together whatever modest sums they can muster to sue Baron Cohen and fellow film-makers, claiming they never gave their consent to be so cruelly misrepresented."

A proper Southern lady can surely take offense at being handed a bag of feces, but none of the pranks played on Americans seemed to me cruel. Not so this:

"Mr Tudorache, a deeply religious grandfather who lost his arm in an accident, was one of those who feels most humiliated. For one scene, a rubber sex toy in the shape of a fist was attached to the stump of his missing arm - but he had no idea what it was.

Only when The Mail on Sunday visited him did he find out. He said he was ashamed, confessing that he only agreed to be filmed because he hoped to top up his £70-a-month salary - although in the end he was paid just £3.

He invited us into his humble home and brought out the best food and drink his family had. Visibly disturbed, he said shakily: 'Someone from the council said these Americans need a man with no arm for some scenes. I said yes but I never imagined the whole country, or even the whole world, will see me in the cinemas ridiculed in this way. This is disgusting."

I think that 20th Century Fox and Cohen should use their mega-profits to give this town running water and an apology.

But part of me wonders if that desire for their better compensation is in itself a sign of my American paternalism, ridiculed so well by Borat. Is it actually more respectful to think that those poor folk are, in a weird way, equal to us? Just as worthy to be ridiculed?

I guess the difference is that the American dupes jumped into the tar and rolled around in the feathers, while Cohen himself applied them to the villagers of Glod.

The Math

2006-11-10T14:49:00.000-06:00

By Daniel Gale-Grogan

"I'm looking at 68 polls a week, You may be looking at four or five public polls a week that talk about attitudes nationally, but that do not impact the outcome. I'm looking at all of these, Robert, and adding them up, and they add up to a Republican Senate and a Republican House. You may end up with a different math, but you're entitled to your math. I'm entitled to the math."
-- Karl Rove, speaking to NPR's Robert Siegel about the certainty of a Republican victory.

Click here.

Note To the RNC: Pick a Different Guy

2006-11-10T11:00:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

So Ken Mehlman is stepping down and the RNC wants Maryland Lt. Governor, "'R' is the Scarlet Letter," Michael Steele to take over. If TPM Muckraker is correct and Mr. Steele is indeed responsible for abusing homeless people in his Senate campaign, the RNC should pick someone else. Surely there's a better way to end the perception of a culture of corruption.

That's something they should really think about, given this report:

"...when asked which issue was extremely important to their vote, more voters said corruption and ethics in government than any other issue, including the war, according to national exit polls."

Friday Random 10

2006-11-10T03:21:00.000-06:00

Hey, kids, here's something to dig -- it's the iPod shuffle!

1. The Neville Brothers, "Voo Doo"
2. Little Milton, "Lonely No More"
3. Weezer, "Slave"
4. The Jam, "Strange Town"
5. The Fruit Bats, "This Little Acorn"
6. King Missile, "(Why Are We) Trapped?"
7. Elvis Costello, "Fish 'n' Chip Paper"
8. The Velvet Underground, "After Hours"
9. Bongwater, "The Power of Pussy"
10. Lone Justice, "After the Flood"

Sex Tape Derby, Round 77

2006-11-09T11:04:00.000-06:00

You are stuck in the Hatch with nothing to do except plug those damn numbers into the computer, and suddenly you see two videotapes with the Dharma logo on them, except they don't provide clues as to the devious plans of the Hanso Foundation or the Others -- they're sex tapes! Which do you watch?

"Lost" girls: Evangeline Lilly or...

Yunjin Kim?

"Heroes" heroes: Milo Ventimiglia or...

Adrian Pasdar?

Image of the Day

2006-11-09T09:58:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

(Thanks, Firedoglake, for the link to the Snoopy dance!)

Was It Just Me?

2006-11-08T21:25:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

Did anyone else think that Bush was, um, you know, likeable in today's news conference? It seemed to me that the evil, propaganda-spewing robot had been replaced with that "uniter" we all thought we once knew. Even though I am wary, I must say that it feels nice to have the good clone back.

I did find sardonic humor in his assurances to the terrorists that the Democrats oppose them as much as do the Republicans, to the troops that the Democrats support them as much as do the Republicans, and to the Iraqi people that the Democrats are behind them as much as are the Republicans.

He would have done a great service to this country if he had acknowledged those things just a bit earlier. But better now than never.

Three Wishes

2006-11-08T12:34:00.000-06:00

OK, let's recap.

The Democrats regain control of the House.

The Democrats might be taking control of the Senate.

Donald Rumsfeld steps down.

What wonderful miracle is next? An all-Nicole Kidman TV network? Money and cheeseburgers raining down from the heavens? Monkeys will wash my car?

Yea!

2006-11-08T08:24:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

No time to blog...Gotta read the papers!

Prophets of Doom and Gloom

2006-11-07T13:34:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

From the Rude Pundit:

"Shit, if Karl Rove's got any mojo left at all, the easiest thing would be not to hack a ton of machines to make the numbers go Busherific. No, no, the easy way would be to hack one machine, in, say, Virginia and make it jack up the Democratic votes as a way of discrediting and de-legitimizing the entire process around the country. Then, oh, how the cries will go out about black box voting and paper trails and, hey, Chief Justice Roberts, shouldn't we just shitcan the whole damn thing? There would be a manufactured uproar among conservatives not unlike the mad braying of charging hippos."

And if the Democrats do in fact win, Kathleen Reardon predicts a trap they must carefully avoid:

"When someone with an ounce of cleverness makes a terrible mess of things, they wisely welcome those with new power and invite their suggestions. These anxious-to-have a-say, often naïve, elated and optimistic, novice players usually fall into a trap. They provide options for recovery. The other side, knowing how deep a mess they're in, offers to implement these plans. The CATCH - they do so feebly and the result is failure. They get to say, 'That's what they wanted us to do and we did it. We cooperated and their plan failed.'

"I'm not suggesting that George Bush fix everything he has been unable to fix so far. I am, however, sharing a political quagmire potential for 2008 that the Democrats should carefully avoid. When you did not create a mess, you should do all you can to assure that those who did are visibly involved in the clean up -- reminding people of its creators. In fact, they, with the power and wisdom of their office, should be pushed to take the lead. Otherwise they'll surely trip you up all along the line. And guess who'll be pointing fingers and saying, 'We told you they couldn't do it'? It's a handy trap but one easily avoided with some foresight and savvy political thinking."

Republican Robocalling

2006-11-07T07:41:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

In case you haven't heard about this campaign's big dirty trick from the Republicans, it is voter suppression via robocalling. Basically, they are calls that start off by saying, "I want to tell you something about ....(Democratic candidate)." This is followed by a big pause, during which most people hang up and are annoyed at the Democratic candidate, thinking the call originated there. The machine repeatedly calls back until the person listens to the whole thing, which turns out to attack the Democrat. Only at the end (contrary to federal law) is the originator of the call identified as the Republican Party. And the machines call during major sporting events, the dinner hour, etc. Josh Marshall has been all over it, but it hasn't made the mainstream news enough, I don't think, to counter the tactic.

"Freedom"

2006-11-06T10:36:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

A little YouTube to get you in the mood for Election Day...

(via Andrew Sullivan)

Sad Testimony

2006-11-05T12:27:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

"There's a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I have been warring against it for all of my adult life."
-Rev. Ted Haggard in a letter to his congregation

You would think that this revelation about Mr. Haggard would make more people believe in the biological basis of homosexuality. Here is a man who wanted not to be gay with a passion that evolved into public, though veiled, condemnation of himself.

How terribly sad to be repulsed by who you are, to hate yourself. Surely at least some of his followers will know that if he could have changed his sexual orientation, he would have. And perhaps if they grow in that understanding, they will grow in their compassion and tolerance as well.

Priceless

2006-11-05T08:49:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

I'm waiting (with breath unbated) for the New York Times-bashing crowd, so quick to cry "Treason!" at the publication of widely assumed tactics, to be as vocal in their outcry against President Bush, Congressional Republicans, and the right wing blogosphere for their rush to publish unexamined Iraqi documents that turned out to tell the terrorists how to build a nuclear bomb. In Arabic, no less. All so that the war's cheerleaders could try to prove that we were right to invade Iraq.

Sen. Rick Santorum took credit for putting the information out there, even as he acknowledged not knowing what was in the documents.

Where is the outrage from the right? And why isn't this all over the news? And where's the "thank you" to the New York Times, apparently responsible for getting the administration to pull down the website after warnings from U.S. scientists went unheeded?

"We'll fight them over there so that we can tell them how to fight us over here." Heckuva job, Mr. President!

Meatball Madness

2006-11-04T10:26:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

Now this is true love and devotion:

"NEW YORK -- A detective suspended after testing positive for drugs says his wife served him meatballs spiked with marijuana because she wanted to keep him out of harm's way by forcing him to retire."

She substituted marijuana for the oregano. Mama mia, that's a spicy meatball!

Ending Oversight in Iraq (What Little There Was)

2006-11-03T10:59:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

The New York Times today published a surprising article. Why surprising? Certainly not because it reports on Congress's squelching oversight in Iraq. The surprise is that we had any oversight there to begin with. Here's that little bit of good news; a watchdog has actually been doing his work for the American people:

"Investigations led by a Republican lawyer named Stuart W. Bowen Jr. in Iraq have sent American occupation officials to jail on bribery and conspiracy charges, exposed disastrously poor construction work by well-connected companies like Halliburton and Parsons, and discovered that the military did not properly track hundreds of thousands of weapons it shipped to Iraqi security forces."

If you are saying that this amazing bit of good government is too good to last, you are right. Here's the punch to the gut:

"And tucked away in a huge military authorization bill that President Bush signed two weeks ago is what some of Mr. Bowen’s supporters believe is his reward for repeatedly embarrassing the administration: a pink slip.

"The order comes in the form of an obscure provision that terminates his federal oversight agency, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, on Oct. 1, 2007. The clause was inserted by the Republican side of the House Armed Services Committee over the objections of Democratic counterparts during a closed-door conference, and it has generated surprise and some outrage among lawmakers who say they had no idea it was in the final legislation."

Our government at work. I sure hope next Tuesday is the beginning of a change. How much more of this can our country take?

Friday Random 10

2006-11-03T07:09:00.000-06:00

For the life of me, I don't ever remember downloading the Stills.

1. The Stills, "Helicopters"
2. Bloc Party, "Plans"
3. Green Day, "She"
4. Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Susie-Q"
5. Barbara George, "I Know You Don't Love Me No More"
6. The Shins, "Those to Come"
7. Johnny Cash, "Hey Porter"
8. Ben Folds, "Jesusland"
9. The Fabulous Thunderbirds, ""You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover"
10. Cracker, "Don't Fuck Me Up (with Peace and Love)"

Sex Tape Derby, Round 76

2006-11-02T11:42:00.000-06:00

Sex Tape Derby is making a late-ish appearance this Thursday, but you can blame the good folks of Blogger for that. Anyway, better late than never, my grandpappy used to say.

Let's say you've gotta watch a homemade sex video, or DVD, if you will. Who would be your preference for the starring role? Post your selections in the comments section below.

Cate Blanchett or ...

Vera Farmiga?

Ryan Philippe or ...

Paul Walker?

Surly Go Bye-Bye

2006-11-02T10:01:00.000-06:00

It is with a heavy heart that we at Cutting to the Chase bid goodbye to an erstwhile contributor, Surly. Apparently, booze, golf and misogyny leave a limited amount of time to blog.

Nevertheless, Surly, know that you are always welcome to knock around these parts and comment as you see fit.

Bush's Gift to the Democrats

2006-11-01T15:12:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

John Kerry gives a gift to the Republicans, then Bush returns the favor to the Democrats with this:

"President Bush said Wednesday he wants Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney to remain in his administration until the end of his presidency, extending a job guarantee to two of the most-criticized members of his team.
...
"Bush said that 'both those men are doing fantastic jobs and I strongly support them.'"

Yep. Heckuvu job, Rummy!

Just Say No to Rush, Mr. President

2006-11-01T13:50:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

From today's radio appearance by President Bush on Rush Limbaugh's show:

"RUSH: Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT: Hey, Rush, how are you?

RUSH: Never better. It's a thrill to have you on the program today and many thanks for making time for us.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, sir, for giving me a chance to visit with you."

Our Commander-In-Chief is awfully darn chatty with the guy who has shown his true and hateful colors in his attack on Michael J. Fox.

Last week I was asking of Rush, "Have you no shame?" And now I want to ask Bush the same question. Why would he not shun that asshole? Why doesn't the mainstream media pounce all over him for going on the show of such a jerk?

We all know the answer. Bush's base loves that jerk. And Bush will pander to anyone to win an election.

So I guess what I really want to know is this: Does Bush at least know and believe that Rush is a jerk? Or does he agree with Rush's assessment of Michael J. Fox? Maybe someone from the media will ask him.

Bush, Media Abandon Soldier To Fight Kerry

2006-11-01T13:36:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

The spinners and their dutiful scribes rant on about combat veteran Sen. Kerry's inadvertent comment about Iraq, while in the REAL WAR the Iraqi government has forced U.S. troops to abandon the search for our missing soldier.

And lest you think it is only "liberal" blogs like AMERICAblog that care, here's a similar entry from Andrew Sullivan on the subject. Great way to support the troops.

As Sullivan says, "And where, by the way, is McCain on this? Silent on Cheney's "no-brainer" on waterboarding. Silent recently on Iraq. But vocal - oh, how vocal - on Kerry. It tells you something about what has happened to him. And to America."

With Friends Like This ...

2006-10-31T14:20:00.000-06:00

With Missouri one of the key races for control of the U.S. Senate, Dumbya has announced he will hit the Show-Me State on Friday to stump for Republican incumbent Jim Talent. As AP points out, Talent's reaction to the visit might be akin to unwrapping a Christmas gift, only to discover it's a fruitcake:

"Talent has largely avoided mentioning the president in stump speeches or in his television spots. Other Republicans have also shied away from Bush, whose job approval ratings are a dismal 38 percent, according to the latest Associated Press-AOL News poll.

[...]

"Seizing on Bush's low approval ratings, [Democratic candidate Claire] McCaskill's campaign has been running ads showing photos of Talent and Bush together with the words, 'Talent votes with Bush 94 percent of the time.'

"While campaigning in St. Louis on Tuesday, McCaskill was dismissive of the impact Bush's visit would have on the election, saying it 'is him wanting to appear that he can help somewhere.' "

As the nation continues to wise up about the man in the White House, this might be one of those curious instances in which the candidate not receiving help from Dumbya is more enthusiastic about the visit than the guy who is getting the help.

OutFoxed and Outclassed

2006-10-29T13:48:00.000-06:00

By Cassandra D

Michael J. Fox is one of the classiest people I've seen in a long while. A quote from his interview with George Stephanopoulos:

"I either sound good or I look good. I don't get the whole package."

His interview makes it absolutely clear that his ad was no act. He is so courageous to speak out for the issue that matters to him, and those who find it distasteful to watch him are asses.

The interview is very powerful. Watch it here.

Now THIS Is Funny

2006-10-28T08:47:00.000-05:00

By Cassandra D

The New York Times is reporting on a big shift in corporate campaign donations away from Republicans and to Democrats, which actually makes me more optimistic about the Democrats' chances than a dozen polls put together.

But notice the article's graph:

In October 2004, 73 percent of money from corporate PACs went to Republicans and only 27 percent to Democrats. That makes the current 43 percent to Democrats look downright equitable.

No one could possibly argue that the Republican party isn't the party of big business. And years of the scorched earth, freeze-the-Dems-out K Street Project has had its impact.

My hopes are these:
1) The corporate donations will be balanced and won't corrupt the Democrats as they have the Republicans.
2) The mainstream media's perception that Republicans hold a death-grip on power will fade away, so that there will be no more nonsense like NBC's refusal to air ads for the Dixie Chicks' documentary, or worse, NBC and CBS's refusal to run the United Church of Christ's ad saying that they welcome all people, including gay couples.

Friday Random 10

2006-10-27T10:09:00.000-05:00

Judging from the first selections, I think my iPod wants a spliff.

1. Broken Social Scene, "Puff the Magic Dragon"
2. Bob Marley & the Wailers, "Roots, Rock, Reggae"
3. Roxy Music, "Pyjamarama"
4. Gnarls Barkley, "Gone Daddy Gone"
5. Amos Lee, "Soul Suckers"
6. 3rd Bass, "Brooklyn Queens"
7. Blackalicious, "Green LIght: Now Begin"
8. Athlete, "Chances"
9. The Clash, "Police & Thieves"
10. Ghostface Killah, "Three Bricks"

"Citizen Ruth" with African Orphans

2006-10-26T13:40:00.000-05:00

By Cassandra D

The latest news regarding Madonna's planned adoption of a motherless Malawi boy is as heartbreaking as it is farcical:

The father of the 13-month-old Malawian boy Madonna is trying to adopt said he is afraid criticism of her plans would persuade the pop star to drop her efforts.

"I am afraid Madonna may get angry and frustrated and decide to dump my son because of these people," said Yohane Banda, referring to criticism from human rights activists in Malawi that officials had bent the law to speed David Banda's adoption.

"These so-called human rights activists are harassing me every day, threatening me that I am not aware of what I am doing," Banda said Thursday. "I'm afraid David may be sent back and the orphanage may not even accept him back. So where will he end up? Here? He will certainly die."

The Human Rights Consultative Committee, a group of human rights groups in Malawi, has asked Judge Andrew Nyirenda to review the adoption process to make sure all the laws have been followed. A hearing is scheduled Friday.

Banda said activists tried to visit him Wednesday.

"I hid from them. I didn't want to see them. They want me to support their court case, a thing I cannot do for I know what I agreed with Madonna and her husband," said Banda.

It reminds me of the movie Citizen Ruth, in which people on both sides of the abortion debate seize upon a pregnant woman as a symbol for their cause, getting so worked up that they forget about the human being at the center of the issue.

Why Wait? Go Green Now.

2006-10-26T13:15:00.000-05:00

By Cassandra D

Slate is inviting everyone to participate in their "eight-week carbon diet." Be sure to let us here at CTTC know if you win one of their Slate/treehugger Green Challenge T-shirts. RedDirt, we're counting on you to win.

[Okay, well you can't actually start the challenge from here, but I couldn't find a photo of just their lovely T-shirt. Have to go to Slate to start the contest.]

Sex Tape Derby, Round 75

2006-10-26T09:27:00.000-05:00

Autumn leaves, Halloween, the World Series, political advertisements -- it must be October. Sex Tape Derby, reveling in the sights and sounds of fall, offers this whimsical question: If you had to watch a homemade sex video, who would you rather pick as the star? Post your selections in the comments section below.

"Grey's Anatomy"'s Ellen Pompeo or ...

"Grey's Anatomy"'s Katherine Heigl?

Babe Ruth or ...

Mickey Mantle?

Mine Safety? Nah.

2006-10-23T15:19:00.000-05:00

By Cassandra D

How ironic to hear that Bush has appointed Richard Stickler to head the federal mine safety agency, despite the Senate's having rejected him twice in two months for putting "industry interests ahead of safety concerns." (Reuters)

Why ironic? Because we also learn that this morning we had the latest mine accident fatality, this time in a Pennsylvania coal mine.

In Bed With Thieves and Murderers

2006-10-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

By Cassandra D

...and that's putting it mildly.

If you didn't catch last night's "60 Minutes," there are some gut-wrenching segments worth seeing.

First you can watch a report on the U.S. Coalition Provisional Authority's having been so enamored of an exiled Iraqi who ran a pizza business and could speak English that they put him in charge of buying $1.2 billion in military equipment for the Iraqi Army. $800 million is missing, showing up here and there outside Iraq in the form of mansions and who-knows-what else, while the Iraqi Army got defective and old equipment. And the U.S. doesn't want to look stupid, so isn't helping nab the crooks, many of whom are or were in the Iraqi government.

Then you can hear about how our government is talking the talk but not walking the walk on the genocide in Darfur, in part because the government in Sudan once hosted Osama bin Laden and now gives us little tidbits of information about al Qaeda.

Both stories are sobering and frustrating. The first shows again the maddening incompetence and lack of oversight that have become so familiar to us all, and the second shows just how silent the we and the rest of the world have been in the face of repeating evil and terrible misery. Are we looking the other way while women are gang raped and entire villages murdered because we want the help of the genocidal murderers? Are we turning a blind eye in the pitiful hope that it will somehow ensure our own safety?

Ridiculous and Not Surprising

2006-10-22T22:34:00.000-05:00

By Cassandra D

First, the ridiculous:

George Bush says "We've never been 'Stay the Course.'" Next thing you know he will deny ever having uttered the phrase, "Cut and Run."

****

And now for the completely unsurprising announcement:

Alberto Fernandez, the U.S. State Department official in Iraq who said, "We tried to do our best (in Iraq) but I think there is much room for criticism because, undoubtedly, there was arrogance and there was stupidity from the United States in Iraq," now says that he "seriously misspoke."

Had enough?

Friday Random 10

2006-10-20T07:23:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of the iPod shuffle exercise, I am keeping on a song I am truly embarrassed to have recorded. Betcha can't guess which one ...

1. UB40, "Red Red Wine"
2. Stereolab, "La Boob Oscillator"
3. The Yardbirds, "Steeled Blues"
4. The Pet Shop Boys, "Always on My Mind"
5. The Dead Milkmen, "My Many Smells"
6. Alberta Hunter, "The Darktown Strutter's Ball"
7. Combustible Edison, "The Checkered Flag"
8. Cake, "Commissioning a Symphony in C"
9. The Fiery Furnaces, "Black Hearted Boy"
10. Shania Twain, "You're Still the One"

Sex Tape Derby, Round 74

2006-10-19T08:50:00.000-05:00

Yes, once again it's time for Sex Tape Derby, the show in which contestants fail to win fabulous prizes for determining whose sex tape (or DVD, for the love of God) you would gingerly unwrap and slip into the slot. Today's subjects all come from two new NBC shows with the exact same premise, and neither one has "Law & Order" in the title. Here are your "sketchy" selections:

"30 Rock"'s Tina Fey or...

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"'s Amanda Peet?

"Studio 60"'s Bradley Whitford or...

"Studio 60"'s Matthew Perry?

Let's Done Shoot Us Some Books, Y'all

2006-10-18T16:36:00.000-05:00

Fahrenheit 451's got nothin' on Oklahoma.

In the Sooner State, the Republican candidate for state schools superintendent, Bill Crozier, has his own plan to curb school violence: Protect yourself with old textbooks. This video, courtesy KOCO, must be seen to be believed.

Why do I have the suspicion that ol' Bill and his chums would prefer to shoot up a bunch o' science textbooks?

When a Stranger Calls

2006-10-18T13:03:00.000-05:00

Phone call I took the other night ...

Me: Hello?
Female Voice: ... Listen, you fucker, you'd better call Alyssa.
Me: Huh?
Female Voice: I said you'd better call Alyssa, asshole!
Me: Um ... who's Alyssa?
Female Voice: (long pause) ... I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number.

If anyone reading this happens to know some guy who needs to call Alyssa, well, you might let him know. He's in deep trouble.

A Proposal

2006-10-18T09:34:00.000-05:00

By Cassandra D

Let's make passing the INS citizenship test a requirement for high school graduation.

Or maybe we should combine that with a simple anti-idiocy test. It would be nice if, for instance, the following statement from the New Mexico Geographic Alliance were not a joke:

"No passport or visa required, although many persons in the United States are not aware that New Mexico is a part of the United States and inquire about the need for a passport, a visa, or inoculations."

"Constitutional Couch Potatoes"

2006-10-18T08:55:00.000-05:00

By Cassandra D

Crooks and Liars quotes Jonathan Turley on Olbermann last night, when he spoke about Bush's signing yesterday of the Military Commissions Act of 2006:

Turley: "People have no idea how significant this is. Really a time of shame this is for the American system.—The strange thing is that we have become sort of constitutional couch potatoes. The Congress just gave the President despotic powers and you could hear the yawn across the country as people turned to Dancing With the Stars. It's otherworldly..People clearly don't realize what a fundamental change it is about who we are as a country. What happened today changed us. And I'm not too sure we're gonna change back anytime soon."

Michael van der Galien at The Moderate Voice wants bloggers to weigh in on the question, "What's America's #1 Problem?" Where do we even begin?

This brings to mind the old joke:

"What's the difference between ignorance and apathy?"

"I don't know and I don't care!"

Image of the Day

2006-10-17T14:26:00.000-05:00

By Cassandra D

(via Andrew Sullivan)