The Truffle

What do you do when you've just been indicted? Keep thinking shiny, warm, happy, fuzzy thoughts. (Via Majikthese. )

That's the word that comes to mind when I read about her. Her education and career seem to be pretty unremarkable. But she's a friend and confidante of Bush and a White House counsel, so supposedly this makes her a prime candidate for the Supreme Court. Right. And, of course, the "a" word is going to come up again during her confirmation hearings. Of course, you can spin her stance any way you like: either she's a rabid pro-lifer or she just wanted ABA to be a "big tent," open to pro-choice and anti-abortion views. Somehow, I suspect the latter, and I hope to hell she's grilled on Roe vs. Wade. Given that it's impossible for me to trust this administration, I'm kind of, uh, nervous about this choice, just as I was with the choice of Roberts. Both Roberts and Meirs have minimal paper trails and little (Roberts) or no (Miers) judicial experience. Thus, there's no way to know if they're Scalias or Souters. Oh, and seems that Mie...

Except actually, it's not. It's a GOP candidate trying to disance herself from the Preznit. Woo-hah! Marilyn Brewer, a leading Republican candidate for the nation's only open House seat, stared into the TV camera and proclaimed her support for the president. She was not talking about George W. Bush. "I stand side by side with Ronald Reagan on less taxes and less government," Brewer told voters at a candidate forum. **** Later, the self-described loyal Republican who voted for the president in 2004 explained her calculus: "If the election was this year ... he would not be re-elected." I imagine after this, Karl Rove will figure out a way to remove Ms. Brewer from the running. (Via Americablog.)

You know, with respectful younger artists showing their appreciation for musical giants by recording duets with them. Ray Charles and Norah Jones, Sinatra and whoever, Louis Armstrong and Kenny G. LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND KENNY G. I still don't know how that was ever accomplished. Well, I do. Armstrong being already dead and in no position to protest probably had something to do with it. Now? Now, you've got senior citizen songcrafters teaming up with gangsta rappers for protest music. It's Burt Bacharach and Dr. Dre, d00d! Doing protest songs! Oh frack, here are all the details.

Dear Abby: Look, I know you've got Alzheimer's and your clueless daughter is doing your column now, but this is really important. I really have to tell someone. I mean, really, really, really, really. Really. See, just 11 months ago, I was so bummed out. Well, if you were reading the news, you'd know why. This country seemed to be turning into the Theofascist Republic of North America. Drastic measure such as a move to Canada or another civil war seemed awfully attractive. My friend Steve predicted that Bruce Springsteen and the Dixie Chicks were going to disappear after November 3. I don't want to see Bruce and the Dixie Chicks disappear! Well, 2005 plodded along and lots of news came out, none of it good. Specifically, Iraq was a debacle, and the GOP thought that putting a feeding tube in a brain-dead woman was a matter of national importance. The Bush administration was still slimy. The GOP was still shitfaced with power. The Faux News blabbermouths kept ...

The Hammer's been indicted. Oh, happy, happy day! Meanwhile, over in the Senate, Block o'Wood Frist is being investigated for some questionable stock sales. Can anyone say "insider trading"? It sounds weird, but there's clearly an upside to a GOP majority--and it's spelled s-c-h-a-d-e-n-f-r-e-u-d-e. Woohoo!

From Jane Hamsher comes the story of Jackie Speier, California State Senator and candidate for Lt. Governor. Speier is the kind of fighting Democrat that the party really needs more of. The most fascinating part of her career concerns her early political career. Speier was a congressional assistant to Rep. Leo Ryan, and she accompanied him on his fact-finding trip to Jonestown in the late 1970s. Ryan was killed during the mission; Speir was shot five times and left for dead. Here's an SFGate piece with more details on this chapter of her life. And she's suffered other tragedies as well: two miscarriages and the death of her first husband in a car accident (when she was pregnant with her second child, no less). No wonder this woman's got fighting spirit. She's the one who first noticed Schwarznegger's little conflict of interest regarding nutritional supplements. Something tells me that all she's lived through, Ahnuld is a walk in the park. And she wan...

Mike Brown, past FEMA head and current FEMA consultant (no, that's not a joke) blames everything on Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin. And I quote: "My biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday that Louisiana was dysfunctional." Brownie still can't explain why FEMA took three days to get to Mississippi.

The mainstream media is still pretending that the antiwar movement too small, too fringe-y, and too radical to be taken seriously. How much longer will they keep pretending? Who knows? But according to Americablog , yesterday's antiwar rally was a major success. Reuters gives a general number of over 100,000 protesters; organizers say it's 300,000. "The protesters were graying baby boomers who had railed against the Vietnam War, parents pushing strollers with toddlers, college students and a few adults in wheelchairs," the Reuters piece says. Sounds like this antiwar movement isn't limited to the ANSWER/aging hippie/leftover Marxist crowd. Perhaps the media pundits should get it into their heads that this is not just a bunch of Saddam lovers, would-be fifth columnists, and lunatic-fringe radicals, hmmmmmmmm? In fact, the antiwar movement counts some right-wing voices among its ranks, most notably the conservative libertarians of Antiwar.com. Rep. Walte...

I gotta admit, these online political belief tests are soooooooooo predictable. You are a Social Liberal (66% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (21% permissive) You are best described as a: Democrat Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Yes, I'm a Democrat! Boo, you poor Freepers! BOOOOOOOO! I scare ya! My favorite quote from this test: "You exhibit a very well-developed sense of Right and Wrong and believe in economic fairness." And people find fault in this?

Joe asks "Can't we do better?"

It had to happen. After Aaron Broussard's tearful appearance on Meet the Press , some bloggers began to dissect his account of a woman's drowning death in a nursing home. I guess they wanted something to take their minds off all the Bush bashin' in the media. The flap over Broussard's testimony is really a tempest in a teacup. All they could prove is that he might have mixed up the date the lady died. Apparently, Broussard is supposed to take time out from overseeing a herculean hurricane relief effort to verify the exact date a person died. What can I say? I guess some bloggers are hoping against hope that people will stop, erm, playing blame games with the federal government, but still... Anyhow, Broussard was on "Meet the Press" again this morning. Russert replayed his original, heartrending testimony and then the attack of the right-wing talking points began: Mr. Russert: Mr. Broussard, obviously that was a very painful, emotional moment, but let ...

Coney Island was rather sparsely populated yesterday. It made me miss sweaty, sticky summer, the season of the Siren Festival and the Mermaid Parade. Ah well. Le Sweetie and I went on some of the rides while there was still time. We took a spin on the go-karts and went on the flume. We also ate ice cream and generally pretended that it was still July. Le Sweetie really, really doesn't like scary rides, so there was no Coney Island Cyclone this time. There were people fishing on the Coney Island pier as the sun went down. The temperature dropped into the 60s or so--and it felt a little chilly. I saw people walking on the beach, but nobody swimming. Everyone wore long sleeves and sweats. We went to see the Shins and the White Stripes. Brendan Branson was the first act up and sounded good--very 1970s power pop. The Shins were rather dull. The White Stripes, OTOH, seriously rocked. Seriously. These guys make sloppy and garagey seem like a virtue, God bless 'em. Next ...

Rita's on its way. It's "only" a Category 3 hurricane now. But the Gulf coast is seriously fucked. And Houston's evacuation plan has run into snags, like cars backed up the wazoo and running out of gas. Oh, and Texas's governor is a Republican, so the wingnuts can't play blame games here.

Well, the National Enquirer says that Bush has started drinking again. The lefty blogosphere loves to hear bad things about Bush (I know I do), but nevertheless, this IS the Enquirer. Elayne Riggs is pretty annoyed to find the leftyblogs chortling over this (probably and possibly fake) story: You know, the guy in the White House has an actual record of what he has and hasn't done this past 4+ years. Most liberals would find that record abysmal. In criticizing this administration, can't we stick to all these known facts, and more are being revealed every day it seems, rather than go to the friggin' National Enquirer to dig up and delight in rumors that Bush is back on the sauce? Amen, Elayne. This story only serves to distract from the really juicy and easily documented wackiness of Bushland...like Jeb Bush's imaginary friend, Chang.

From the "truth is stranger than...oh, never mind department," here's the governor on his imaginary friend, Chang. “Chang is a mystical warrior. Chang is somebody who believes in conservative principles, believes in entrepreneurial capitalism, believes in moral values that underpin a free society. “I rely on Chang with great regularity in my public life. He has been by my side and sometimes I let him down. But Chang, this mystical warrior, has never let me down.” It's nice to see someone didn't abandon his imaginary friend when he turned 13. Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends is full of lovable critters who've been abandoned by the kids to dreamt them up. I can just imagine little Jebby Bush, ensconced in boarding school, miles from Poppy and the family, dreaming up his friend Chang to keep him company. Jebby was probably a lonely boy, with great expectations placed on him by Poppy and Mummy. "We're expectin' great things from you, Jebb...

Pitts has a response to all the kool-aid drinkers who send him nasty e-mails. It's just perfect!

Over at the Decembrist is an essay on why Jack Kemp-style "anti-government government" doesn't work and why the answer is effective government, not small or large government. I myself subscribe to the Goldilocks theory of government: not too big, not too small, just right. But Republicans don't want to hear about it. It's all "government is the problem, let's shrink it." It's never "we can do this better without red tape." It's never "we should use our resources wisely." Republicans are stuck in the knee-jerk "small government, small government" mindset. Commenter Kilroy Was Here sums it up best: Placing conservatives in charge of the government is like putting Lenin in charge of General Electric. When I interview for a job, no one is going to hire me if I say, "I hate this job. I hate this company. In fact, I hate what the company stands for." But we seem to be proud to vote for people who f...

Their spamming doesn't work, doesn't result in any significant business, annoys people, and is simply a pain in the butt. They always sell the same stuff: computer software, college degrees, Viagra, Rolexes. I've got computer software (otherwise, I wouldn't be typing this). I've got a college degree. I've got a wristwatch. I'm female, so I don't have erectile dysfunction. I don't need Viagra and I don't need to have my penis enlarged. I can always tell spam is spam because they have stupid message headers that make no sense at all. A sample from my mailbox: "On go is quaver rent" "Which smoke in whiz" "In learn go sellotape reality" "An start be lithe" I'm not sure where these messages are coming from, but loosely translated, they all mean the same thing: "This is another piece of spam wasting space in your mailbox. You'll buy a Rolex from me, wontcha?" No. Find another way to m...

As noted here and here , conservatives are claiming "March of the Penguins" as their kind of movie--a film that preaches proper values and won't be condemned by CAPalert . How did “March of the Penguins” become a surprise hit? Perhaps because nothing beats the summer heat like a movie set in Antarctica. Perhaps it’s the majestic yet adorable emperor penguins and their fuzzy gray chicks to make moviegoers say “Awwwwwwww.” And yes, it has a powerful family-values message...but one based on reality, not partisan politics. As it turns out, looking for a partner in Antarctica is similar to the U.S. dating scene. Male penguins are not unlike American metrosexuals. “They pout, they strut, and occasionally they will engage in some contact sports,” says narrator Morgan Freeman. Although she isn't around when her baby hatches, the mother penguin is the kind of mom that human mothers can cheer on. As soon as the female lays an egg, she turns it over to the male, who...

He gave brownies a bad name, anyway.

Kate Bush was one of my musical heroes during my teenage years. I adored "The Kick Inside" and "The Dreaming." During a summer in England, I spent lots of nights at the local pub. The pub had a jukebox. The jukebox had "Wuthering Heights," Kate's 1978 hit. I loved "Wuthering Heights" and kept playing it again and again. Sure, it annoyed the heck out of everyone else there, but so what? Kate Bush has been laying low for about 12 years. Now, I find out, via The Velvet Rope, that her next album is almost done. Hooray! Yippee! Yay! God exists after all! Here's a longer piece about Kate Bush and what she's been up to. Basically, she's now a mom, and that's one reason she's been laying low. What's that about good things coming to those who wait? I'm really hoping that the next album will be stunning. If only we could swap Kate for George W...but that would probably violate some sort of international tr...

Via Moxiegrrl, I find that the nation's "compassionate conservatives" can't seem to disengage their mouths at the same time that they disengage their brains. More rock-stupid quotes here. These go beyond the usual stupdity and let-'em-eat-cake blatherings from Babs Bush, Jackasstert, Dubya, and the incompetents at DHS/FEMA. Way, way beyond. 9) "I mean, you have people who don't heed those warnings and then put people at risk as a result of not heeding those warnings. There may be a need to look at tougher penalties on those who decide to ride it out and understand that there are consequences to not leaving.” –Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), Sept. 6, 2005 12) "Now tell me the truth boys, is this kind of fun?" –House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-TX), to three young hurricane evacuees from New Orleans at the Astrodome in Houston 13) "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did." –Rep. Richard Bak...

I guess I saw this one coming... I am Progressive Girl Click on the picture below to read more: Take the 'What Kind of Girl Are You?' quiz at CookingToHookup.com

Who would've ever seen this coming?

Via Crooks and Liars, we learn that FEMA in-over-his-head Mike Brown has been relieved of his responsibilities in Louisiana . But Bush thought Brownie was doing a great job! What happened? And has he been pink-slipped or just sent back to Washington so someone else can handle things down south?

Representative Richard Baker, of Baton Rouge, finds the up side of a hurricane: ""We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did." Laura Bush (remember her?) thinks Kanye West's comments are "disgusting." Wonder what Laura thinks of her mother-in-law's remarks about the evacuees at the Houston Astrodome? On second thought I don't want to know. Oh, this is hilarious. Bush's image czar says looters in NOLA have hurt America's image abroad. No, you imbecile, the government's slow response, seemingly dismissive behavior, and general ass-backwardness are hurting America abroad. The woman's job is obviously to make excuses for the Bush administration.

Jackasstert is now trying to, uh, clarify his statement regarding New Orleans. It turns out he doesn't really want the city torn down after all. Too late, at least as far as one former elected official is concerned... In Syracuse, N.Y., President Clinton was discussing New Orleans' dilemma when someone described the comments. Had they been in the same place when the remarks were made, Clinton said, "I'm afraid I would have assaulted him." Oh yeah, and Jackasstert was at a fundraiser while Congress approved 10.5 billion dollars for hurricane aid. He also attended a car auction, but he claims that the money was given to charity. Someone run against Jackasstert in 2006, please.

I'm waiting for the wingnuts to accuse La Hill of using the NOLA tragedy to boost her presidential ambitions. But anyway, she is now calling for a Katrina commission to figure out where the government fucked up. She even has a smart idea: legislation to separate FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security and make FEMA a cabinet-level agency. It is one of the few smart ideas I've heard from Congress so far. Now, if only La Hill can disassociate herself from the DLC and admit that the Iraq war was a mistake (uh-huh, right), then she'd make a swell presidential nominee.

Dennis Hastert is a jackass. In fact, I might start calling him Dennis Jackasstert.

It's a Yahoo report, which means it's got the bare details of what's going on in New Orleans. But even the bare details are too awful for words. As a New Yorker, who has some idea of the kind of what kinds of horrors a city can endure, my thoughts are with the people of New Orleans. I can't even condemn the looters. How are you or I to know why they're looting? As NO's mayor says, "This is a desperate SOS." Desperate people can do things they wouldn't normally dream of doing. Things they might feel embarassed about later on. I doubt anyone down in that city woke up and thought "No one here? Shops closed? Fucking A! I always wanted a new pair of sneakers!" Let's focus on answering their SOS before we start handing out arrest warrants.

...And the president acts like a deer caught in headlights. Okay, that isn't totally true. He spent August 30, when Katrina socked New Orleans and the deep south, giving a speech and jammin' with country singers. He even had his own gee-tar with a presidential seal! Yeeeeeeeeee-hah! He headed back on 8/31 and gave the lamest of lame presidential speeches. Via Echidne, we find the NYT saying what needed to be said.

Soundbitten responds to the latest talking point re Cindy Sheehan--namely, that she's exploiting her son's death. He also includes a helpful table for determining what's crass and what's tasteful. Hint: that 9/11 Freedom Walk and Clint Black concert coming up doesn't fall under "tasteful."

I spent the weekend in the Poconos with Le Sweetie and friends. It's beautiful up there. However, it started raining on Saturday and was totally soggy on Sunday. Plus, I came down with a cold. Argh! And now Hurricane Katrina has hit the south. Crap.

I read Pam Spaulding's piece on virginity pledges while listening to "The Trees They Do Grow High," a traditional English folk song about child marriage. The song exists in many forms and has been recorded by Joan Baez, Pentangle, and Martin Carthy. Steeleye Span (one of my favorite folk groups) recorded a verion titled "Long A-Growing." The storyline is as follows: A nobleman marries his daughter off to a much younger bridegroom. By "much younger," I mean mid-teens: most versions place the husband's age at fourteen or sixteen, and in one version of the song, he's twelve. The bride isn't too happy about the arrangement, but the father assures her that her husband, with some education, will become a proper young man. Alas, it's not to be: the husband marries one year, sires the next year, and expires the next. More information on the song and its many variations can be found here . So, what's this got to do with virginity pled...

From the Booman Tribune, an interview with Senator Feingold. Feingold says all the things that the Democratic leadership should be saying about Iraq: Steve: In your announcement this week you spoke about the "taboo" of suggesting withdrawal. Has the administration been effective in framing the Iraq issue as a matter of patriotism, and in turn, make overt opposition muted and tentative? Senator Feingold: Unfortunately, until very recently, they have been extremely effective. I mean, we could have won that election in 2002. We were way ahead on domestic issues, but the Democratic Party and Democratic leaders decided to take a pass on the Iraq war. They decided to defer to the President, and I have to tell you many Democratic leaders knew better. This was a bad idea, but they allowed the Bush administration to brilliantly intimidate them into not standing up and saying this doesn't fit in with the fight against Al Qaeda and the terrorists that attacked this country ...

Via One Pissed Off Veteran comes this news item about the kind of welcoming committee the mayor has planned for the Preznit. And there's no accompanying quote from Orrin Hatch. Aw gee.

From Ayn Clouter. Ow, my poor tummy.

With this proclamation, Senator Chuck Hagel wins this week's Counselor Troi Award for Most Blatantly Obvious Commentary. "We should start figuring out how we get out of there," Hagel said on "This Week" on ABC. "But with this understanding, we cannot leave a vacuum that further destabilizes the Middle East. I think our involvement there has destabilized the Middle East. And the longer we stay there, I think the further destabilization will occur." Hagel said "stay the course" is not a policy. "By any standard, when you analyze 2 1/2 years in Iraq ... we're not winning," he said. Naturally, another GOP senator, Mark "Party Line, All the Time" Allen, disagrees. Like Hagel, Allen is considering a 2008 run. If we are (God forbid) still in Iraq by 2008, expect to see a lot GOP nominees duking it out over the Iraq issue. Last week, Senator Russ Feingold was pushing for a deadline for US withdrawal from Iraq--preferably D...

I am not sure whether to be amused or horrified or both. Moore proof of how thin-skinned today's wingnuts truly are. "Oh no! She snarked on Rick Santorum! She was even going to have him sign a Dan Savage book!" Wussies.

In a galaxy of lissome, insubstantial, and undistinguished blond starlets, Natasha Lyonne stood apart--husky voice, head of reddish-blond curls, and a choice of roles that ranged from quirky cult films to ensemble blockbusters. I first saw her in "Slums of Beverly Hills," and she was fabulous as a teenage girl in 1970s California with a flat-broke dad and a crazy cousin. Certainly more deserving of megastardom than Lindsay Lohan. (Not that Lindsay's a bad actress, but she's gotten overexposed and seems way to fragile for all this press attention.) Anyway. Back to Natasha Lyonne. She's in the hospital with a host of medical and drug-related problems. I'm usually not the sort of person to follow celebrities, but this just so sad. She once had so much promise. Here's hoping she makes a full recovery and gets her act together.

Senator Bill "I'm the Senate Majority Leader, so why shouldn't I get the 2008 nomination" Frist now supports (not so) intelligent design. From MSNBC via Jon Aravosis. First, he can diagnose patients by watching them on video. Then he supports stem cell research. Then he supports "intelligent design." Either Bill Frist got through med school by cheating off other students on exams, or he's just spouting this nonsense to make nicey-nice with the religious right, in the hopes that they won't demolish his presidential hopes. Still, it's pretty funny every time he opens his mouth. If he keeps flip-flopping, he'll make himself dizzy.

Well, a couple of Fiona Apple tracks are now on iTunes for download. I, music fan and wary admirer of her talent that I am, went ahead and downloaded them. Now that her album is FINALLY coming out, I feel a little cheated. I suspect everyone was led to believe that she was a victim of label politics. Jon Brion gave the sob story about Sony leaving the album on a shelf because there was no apparent single. "Free Fiona!" cried her fans. My guy wondered if perhaps she could buy back the album and take it to a nice, sympathetic indie. But now rumor has it that Apple herself is the reason the album was delayed. (Of course, no one can explain how the thing got leaked onto the net in the first place.) Oh poopy. That's not as exciting as the concept of Fiona vs. the Record Industry. Anyway, her new album, "Extraordinary Machine," will be out October 4. Here's hoping she can avoid flaking out.

I went to one of the city's many, many vigils in support of Cindy Sheehan. We were right in front of the NBC building, in fact, and perhaps they'll run a ten-second segment on it at some point or other. Feh. The hell with TV news. I've been to demos, but never a vigil. It was a well-mannered but passionate affair. Lots of people were holding candles and the occasional sign (with slogans gladly provided by Moveon.org). I got one of these small candles that I put in a Dixie cup. It's very easy to put a candle in a cup. You use the melting wax, let it drip into the cup, and stick in the candle. Presto. There were a few women from Code Pink (a feminist peace organization that I know very little about). They were identifiable because of their pink outfits and hot pink buttons. They do seem like an interesting group. I'd like to find out more--but as for getting involved, there's a problem: I look awful in pink. It's my worst color. Weirdly enough, e...

A follow-up to yesterday's post re moms, grandmoms, and other antiwar voices. Via Kos, I stumble onto this piece by Missy Comley Beattie, whose nephew, Chase Comley, was killed in Iraq. For those of you who still trust the Bush administration -- and your percentage diminishes every day -- let me tell you that my nephew Chase Johnson Comley did not die to preserve your freedoms. He was not presented flowers by grateful Iraqis, welcoming him as their liberator. He died fighting a senseless war for oil and contracts, ensuring the increased wealth of President Bush and his administration's friends. He died long after Bush, in his testosterone-charged, theatrical, soldier-for-a-day role, announced on an aircraft carrier beneath a "Mission Accomplished" banner that major combat was over. He died in a country erupting into civil war and turned into a hellhole by Bush, a place where democracy has no chance of prevailing, a country that will become a theocracy like Saudi Ar...

These days, the right-wing noise machine's got a problem when it goes up against the antiwar movement. The new symbol of Iraq war opposition isn't some 1960s holdover. It's not some goofy Marxist academic. It's a mother. Specifically, the mother of a fallen soldier. Suddenly, they can no longer frame antiwar activists as a "fifth column" in American life, and they can no longer smear them as traitors to their country. Not when they're moms. After all, motherhood's one of those things that Americans are supposed to love and defend--along with Uncle Sam and apple pie. Smear a grieving mother, and you come off as a heartless dick. Suggest her motives are less than pure, and you risk a raised eyebrow. "She lost her son!" "Have a heart!" Those are some likely responses you'll get. Of course, the right-wing noise machine won't give up trying. But their desperation, their flailing, their rush to find something to use ag...

There's a reason why "conservative humorist" is such an oxymoron these days. They don't dare poke fun at the Bush administration, even though the Bush administration is to blame for the mess in Iraq, the ballooning deficit, the limp economy, the Plame case, and just about every single mess we're in. Well, they could dare. They could poke a few holes in the president's hypocrisy or lampoon his ever-shifting excuses for the Iraq war. They could cast a withering satirical eye at Bob "This is EXPLETIVE DELETED" Novak. But, as Carl Moore's State of the Union strip makes clear, it's easier and less embarassing to just make stuff up. Now, really. Nonsense like this makes "Mallard Fillmore" look smart and insightful. Someone kept a straight face while drawing this? A good political cartoon takes a current event--something rooted in fact--and offers a new perspective that makes the reader grin and, maybe, think. This goes for libera...

Or, "S is for schadenfreude, that's good enough for me." Robert "What journalistic ethics?" Novak threw a hissy fit LIVE on the set of "Inside Edition." Not only did he have a hissy fit, he said a SWEAR WORD! Ooooooooh! Bad Novak, bad! CNN doesn't like it when their pundits swear and curse live on the air, so they've suspended him. Here's the Cliff Notes version from USA Today. Sounds as if James Carville was trying to get in a few digs at Novak, and Novak couldn't take it. The fact that they were planning to ask Novak about--AHEM--Plame probably also had something to do with it. This is one of the funniest examples of an on-air meltdown I've ever heard of. Novak has thus far emerged unscathed from the whole grand jury investigation into the Plame case (probably because he blabbed about everything to save his skin) and continues to be welcome on polical TV gabfests. Why this man isn't a pariah in the punditverse is beyo...

Last week was the Romance Writers of America's annual convention in Reno, Nevada. Nora Roberts was supposed to be the emcee. It was supposed to be, in Roberts' words, "a celebration, a night of fun and anticipation for the nominees, and an entertaining and sparkling event." But the idiots in charge of RWA had other plans, and when Roberts saw the script for the thing, she flipped and refused to take part. As it turns out, even romance writers can be freepers. Selah March has more. Instead of a celebration of RWA and romance fiction over the past 25 years, the RITA/GH awards ceremony included the following: * a video and audio rehash of every national and international tragedy that's taken place since 1980, set to a back-drop of kicky tunes from each year represented. Imagine, if you will, footage of the tanks rolling through Tiananmen Square with "Don't Worry, Be Happy" playing in the background. Apparently, only a last-minute edit managed to save...

I spent a nice long weekend on beautiful Long Beach Island in New Jersey. My guy and I stayed at a motel by the beach and spent our days bicycling, swimming, and going to Beach Haven's amusement park. Meanwhile, I did some early bird Xmas shopping. (My mom is worse than I am. I suspect she has all her shopping done by August.) Also picked up the requisite souvenirs (t-shirts, postcards, etc.). Work is busy but not too busy. Just as it should be. I got my check for a freelance writing gig, so I'm feeling happy. Am also looking to do freelance editing while I'm at it. I've been too busy having fun and keeping up on current events to think about it, but...it's always nice to have extra money.

A new special interest has emerged in this country--the GOP First Movement. These are not the Republicans who consider party affiliation just one part of who they are. These are also not the Republicans who think about their party only on Election Day. These are the Republicans who identify themselves as Republicans first, Americans second. It's for them that the acronym IOKIYAR (It's OK If You're a Republican) was coined. :: The GOP First Movement's unofficial motto is "Party First, Country Second." Grabbing power and votes is the be-all and end-all. Rewarding the corporations who give them money is taken a given with the GOP First Movement. Their goal is to serve the Party; why should the piddly voters concern them? The GOP First Movement embraces the idea of a one-party state with gusto. They make no secret of wanting the Democratic Party either consigned to permanent minority status or simply erased from existence. They have only contempt for the a...

Man, I love Daily Kos. Expecially when they have kick ass diaries like this one. If Bill Clinton had dressed up in a flight suit and landed on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln five weeks after the war began and told us it was over, what would you be saying about him? If Bill Clinton had been in charge of the national security of this country on September 11, 2001 and terrorists murdered 3,000 Americans, what would you be saying about him? If Bill Clinton had invaded Iraq based on WMD that didn't exist, what would you be saying about him? If Bill Clinton had said "Bring 'em on" and encouraged Iraqi insurgents to kill American troops, what would you be saying about him? If Bill Clinton had made us the face of torture in the world, what would you be saying about him? If James Carville and other members of a Clinton White House outed an undercover CIA officer during a time of war, what would you be saying about them? If Bill Clinton had sent troops to Iraq without adequate bod...

I saw "Revenge of the Sith" and after that went back to watch "Return of the Jedi" on DVD. After the snif-snif-WAAAAAAAAAH! moments of "Sith," I really needed to remind myself that the story ultimately has a happy ending. The good guys win; the bad guys lose; love conquers all. Anakin ultimately finds redemption, thanks to his son, the only person in the galaxy who could possibly believe he was worth saving. When "Sith" came out, people drew parallels between the movie and current events. Maybe, on a political level, some parts of the movie do hit home--a senate that grants more and more power to the evil Chancellor Palpatine, for example. Would've liked a couple of scenes with Padme and the other senators standing up to Palpy--which forms the basis for the Rebel Alliance. In the novelization of "Sith," we do see Padme meeting secretly with other senators and putting together a petition of two thousand senators critical of Pal...

The runaway bride in Texas. She will have been forgotten by the end of the year. Bet on it. Brad and Angelina and Jennifer. The media's all over them, but they're kinda mum. And I'm kinda bored by them. When was the last time Angelina had a hit movie anyway? Dean's comments about the GOP. They're "pretty much a white Christian party"? Gawd, after the way the GOP courted white Christians, I never would've guessed. If anything, Dean's comment wins the Deanna Troi Award for Blatantly Obvious Commentary. Why is anyone shocked by this? And why is the right wing echo machine so mad when they've been saying all kinds of nasty things about the opposition for years? Grow a thick skin, people. The West Side stadium that will never be. Now Bloomberg says that New York City let America down. Oh, puh-lease. A West Side stadium would've been a traffic nightmare. Believe me, New York will survive without a stadium. Bloomberg should focus o...

This is only a test. Jeez, I feel like a TV set.