The Truffle

Now remember kids, today's word is "accomodate". As in what Congress is supposed to do for President Bush. Go to Team Dubya's response to a bunch of mean Democrats and you'll see this term and "accommodate" used repeatedly. With respect, it is with much regret that we are forced down this unfortunate path which we sought to avoid by finding grounds for mutual accommodation.... It was his intent that Congress receives information in a manner that accommodated Presidential prerogatives.... As a result, your Committees have received an extraordinary amount of information regarding the U.S. Attorney replacement issue by way of accommodation.... In keeping with the established tradition of Congress and the Executive Branch working together to accommodate each others' interests, the President was willing to go even further in response to your inquiries.... The President's offer reflected his desire to cooperate and accommodate.... Issuing subpoenas ...

Egypt has banned female genital mutilation once and for all. This repulsive practice is one of those old cultural customs that have nothing to do with religion and everything to do with irrational misogyny. This is good news for Egypt's women and girls.

Catherine over at I Am Screaming and Punching Myself has done the "tag! you're it!" thang. On that note, here is the meme: THE RULES 1. All right, here are the rules. 2. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts. 3. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves. 4. People who are tagged write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. 5. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog. Eight things about moi: 1. Le Sweetie and I have been together for about three years. When we first met, I thought, “Okay, there is definitely something here.” Something about him made my widdle heart go thumpa thumpa thumpa thumpa! That’s when you know you’ve struck gold. You just know. 2. I had my first tooth filled when I was 21. In fact, I have 3-4 cavities, total, in my mouth. I’ve been lucky in th...

Earlier today there was a blackout that affected Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Yes, shades of last year's blackout where northwestern Queens was without power for about a week. Including my neighborhood. Pissed me off to no end. A brief rundown here. Planet Earth to Con Ed! It's summer. It gets hot. It gets humid. People run the air conditioner. People need electricity for lots of things. Make sure the damn electrical grid works already! And no, I don't believe you when you say the hot weather had nothing to do with it. You lied about last year's blackout, so how does anyone know you didn't lie about this as well? Can you tell I have no respect for Con Ed?

Months ago, I realized that Crazy Annie had tremendous potential to help raise money for all sorts of cool progressive causes. It's really simple. Here's how it goes: Crazy Annie makes one of her insane remarks about liberals or journalists or Democratic presidential candidates or feminists or non-whites or gays or Arabs or people to the left of Bush. Left-wing candidates and organizations post the footage, sound files, or text on their Web sites while urging their supporters to donate! donate! donate! "Send Ann Coulter a message! We're everything she's afraid of, and with your help, we can ( insert name of progressive goal here )!" Looks like John Edwards has already figured this out. This is the second time that Team Edwards has used Crazy Annie's words against her. In fact, I suspect that Elizabeth Edwards called Annie knowing she'd say something stupid and knowing that it would be great for a fundraising pitch. Perhaps Michelle Obama shou...

From White House spokesman Tony Fratto: It's unfortunate that congressional Democrats continue to choose the route of confrontation. Fratto is, of course, talking about the meanies who subpoenaed Bush 'n' Dick regarding their warrantless wiretapping program. Yeah, it's unfortunate--for Bush 'n' Dick. Right, Tony? PS: I've been wanting to refer to them as Bush 'n' Dick for a long time, ya know.

Yosemite Mitt has pissed off PETA. See, about 25 years ago, he and his family went on a road trip with the family dog riding in a dog carrier strapped to the roof of the car. Which is against the law in Massachusetts. Of course, the statute of limitations has come and gone. But the question remains: why not just a. let the dog ride in the car or b. put him in a nice kennel? I remember my mom took the family dog with us to visit my grandparents in Maryland. The dog rode in the car and stuck her nose in the car's air conditioner. Which was pretty funny. But neither here nor there. PETA compares Mitt's dog riding on the roof to torture. The ASPCA is more restrained in its response: "Any manner of transporting a dog that places the animal in serious danger is something that we'd think is inappropriate." This is another installment of "Mitt Romney, the Unintentionally Hilarious Presidential Candidate." (Via Atrios. )

The Miami Herald's Leonard Pitts, Jr. is a the kind of smart, clear-headed editorial columnist that the mainstream media really, really needs more of. Unlike, say, Bozell or Malkin or Susan Estrich or Ted Rall, he's an actual journalist who can write and argue with logic. And he has a 2004 Pulitzer to show for his fine work. So naturally, right-wing extremists have decided that they hate him. The trouble started when right-wing bloggers and racist bigots decided to exploit a horrible crime for political points. A white couple in Tennessee was abducted, raped, and murdered. Five African-Americans have been charged. It made the local news, but was not reported nationally. To the wingnutosphere, this is evidence that the librul media is so wimpy and politically correct that it purposefully avoids covering black-on-white crime so that nobody thinks they're racist. (Please note that the aforementioned African-Americans have been arrested but have not yet been convicted....

If it's clear that most of the general public is either a. dislikes Paris Hilton or b. doesn't care about her, then why is Larry King interviewing her? She is not interesting, folks. Can't you write about Amy Winehouse or something?

Juan Gonzales over at the Daily News sounds deeply unmoved by Christine Todd Whitman's testimony yesterday. In general, the paper's done an excellent job of pointing out her lack of truthfulness, honesty, and leadership following 9/11. I remember when the woman was a rising star in the GOP circa 1995. Who would've thought that this would be her legacy? And who would've believed Colin Powell--once touted as presidential material--would be appearing on TV trying to make people forget he ended his career as a Bush water carrier? Truly pathetic, both of them.

Cartoon Network is making up for the inexplicable Ed, Edd, and Eddy marathon of two months back by running a marathon of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends on the Fourth of July. Right now, Foster's is the only Cartoon Network series I watch regularly. Which is a little sad, considering that CN used to offer lots of clever, inventive series. These have been relegated to Boomerang, CN's "oldies" network, while the lame Ed, Edd, and Eddy and the increasingly unfunny Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy remain on the air. Yes, I plan to get the DVD of Foster's first season. Yes, I'm kinda dorky.

Try not to laugh at this headline. Bushco's gotten all the time in the world, and they still can't do anything right in Iraq. Give it up already.

One general doesn't know if the Iraqis can hold on to territory captured from the insurgents. The Iraqi military does not even have enough ammunition, said Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarek: "They're not quite up to the job yet." His counterpart south of Baghdad seemed to agree, saying U.S. troops are too few to garrison the districts in the capital newly rid of insurgents. "It can't be coalition [U.S.] forces. We have what we have. There's got to be more Iraqi security forces," said Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch. The two commanders spoke after a deadly day for the U.S. military in Iraq. At least 12 soldiers were killed on Saturday from roadside bombings and other causes, raising the U.S. toll for the past week to at least 32. We've been in Iraq for how long? And Iraqi security forces still don't have enough ammo? Yup. Believe it. Brig. Gen. Dana J.H. Pittard, commander of the Iraq Assistance Group, said "it'll take years" for Iraqi security f...

It's no surprise that one of Yosemite Mitt's staff has been pretending he's a state trooper. After all, Yosemite Mitt himself is trying to impersonate a gun-lovin', stem-cell opposin', pro-life religious conservative. Obviously, he's attracted like-minded people for his campaign.

Christine Todd "It's my party tooooooo!" Whitman is the latest of Bush's loyal idiots having to explain why she endangered Americans' lives. Specifically, Whitman, as head of the EPA, said the air around Ground Zero was safe when it wasn't. Like her ex-boss, Whitman has mastered the art of the nonsensical response. Whitman maintained the government warned those working on the toxic debris pile to use respirators, while elsewhere in lower Manhattan the air was safe to the general public. "There are indeed people to blame. They are the terrorists who attacked the United States, not the men and women at all levels of government who worked heroically to protect and defend this country," Whitman said. Yes, dear, we know that. Trying to deflect responsibility just isn't going to work for you or any other Bush employee, past or present. For all the lip service you guys give to New York City and 9/11, you have treated this city like crap. From the t...

CNN took a break from Whatshername who's in jail to bring this sad tale of broken love . A computer programmer found out his girlfriend was having an affair when his pet parrot kept repeating her lover's name, British media reported Tuesday. The African grey parrot kept squawking "I love you, Gary" as his owner, Chris Taylor, sat with girlfriend Suzy Collins on the sofa of their shared flat in Leeds, northern England. But when Taylor saw Collins's embarrassed reaction, he realized she had been having an affair -- meeting her lover in the flat whilst Ziggy looked on, the UK's Press Association reported. Ziggy even mimicked Collins's voice each time she answered her telephone, calling out "Hiya Gary," according to newspaper reports. The cuckolded parrot owner was so distraught that he gave away his parrot because hearing the name "Gary" brought back sad memories. (Via Badtux. )

In my pre-city girl days, I was a rabid bicyclist, so much so that I was nicknamed "the mad biker." I thought that was all behind me when I came to New York City. I'd rent the occasional two-wheeler at Central Park and remember that I missed biking. And then I'd forget I missed it. And then I bought a bike from a friend. It was one of the smartest purchases I'd ever made. Now, I've rediscovered the joys of biking. I've got a regular route around the neighborhood and often pedal around the local park. There are a few streets with clearly marked bike lanes, but oftimes, I have to fight an uneasy feeling as I'm riding on the streets. Okay, it's Queens, not Manhattan. Still, there are some busy roads with honking cars and drivers who don't like sharing traffic with bicyclists. There are also sidewalks that glitter with shards of broken beer bottles. (Maybe the idgits should try recycling their bottles like normal people?) Via Elayne Rig...

Le Sweetie and I went with a friend to the final Mermaid Parade in Coney Island yesterday. It was a bittersweet experience. There were the usual people dressed as mermaids and jellyfish and shrimp and other sea creatures. There were the rawk bands on floats. There were Charlie's Angelfish and the Seapranos. There were the King and Queen of this year's parade (IIRC, Patti D'Arbanville was the queen; can't remember who the king was). There were me and Le Sweetie, going ballistic with Le Sweetie's digital camera, trying to capture the final moments of a well-loved Coney Island pasttime, before yet ANOTHER neighborhood is turned over to condo developers. Enough with the condos. Can't we keep our beloved pasttimes and landmarks. Can't we at least have affordable housing? I'm sick of freaking condos. Yes, yes, there will still be an amusement complex, or so the new owner says. But what kind? Le Sweetie was bemoaning the imminent demise of Astrolan...

It's nothing but thundershowers tonight. So naturally, I had to get caught in one while bicycling. I am now more or less dry. Okay, I guess Winter Solstice 2007 has been somehow disrupted. I was looking forward to watching a bright pink sunset at about 8:45 or 9 PM, but instead I'm indoors watching Olbermann. Speaking of Olbermann, Olbermann Watch decided to make an unexpected return to the Web. You may remember that back in March OW reacted with horror to the news that MSNBC had signed KO for four more years. Four more years? Nooooooo! (Now they know how most Americans feel about Bush's second term.) But I guess these Keyboard Commandos wanted to prove their toughness by forcing themselves to watch more of "Countdown." Now, there's Watching Olbermann Watch. You can guess which blog they're following regularly. I'm waiting for, say, "Watching Watching Olbermann Watch Watch Olbermann." Though the blog URL would be too long.

I'm mainly posting this to demonstrate what strange dressers British prog rockers are. Bass player Chris Squire has been the one constant in Yes, the only one to appear on all their albums--and dressing really badly every time. Dig those sunglasses.

As I said yesterday, I'm not surprised that Bloomberg left the GOP. It was all a marriage of convenience, you know. At least nobody can accuse him of being a RINO--you can't be a RINO if you're not a Republican. Maybe Bloomberg will apologize for inflicting the GOP national convention on us. Anyway, he is not running for president, which is understandable. Not only does he have a year to go as mayor, but Bloomie as independent candidate would be just another Perot. Here's what I really want to see: Bloomberg coming out in favor of medical marijuana. I am not a pothead--stuff smells awful and I hate smoke--but I do remember Bloomberg admitting that he'd tried the stuff and like it. I also remember NORML using that quote in their ads. C'mon Bloomie! This is your chance to really do something radical. You want to go green? What's more green than cannibis?

If Evil Spock is serious about 2012, I have the perfect campaign video and theme song. La Hill should really watch her back with this one.

I'm not surprised by this. He switched from Democrat to Republican only because that way he'd have a better chance of winning. I've never been the biggest Bloomberg supporter; for one thing, I'm sick of seeing NYC turned into a big suburban strip mall. But I suspect he'd be more comfortable as an independent.

Their ranks appear to be growing. These are not the crybaby conservatives for whom manufacturing outrage is a hobby as engrossing as macrame or pottery. These are relatively level-headed people whose views are based on some degree of thought, not on repeated exposure to Faux News. Needless to say, since they're rational conservatives, they don't like Bush, and now Brad DeLong has a breakdown of the right-wing anti-Bushosphere. I think we should recognize that the intelligent, honest conservatives out there are not Bush supporters, and turn that to our advantage in selecting honorable intellectual adversaries. What I would like is a list of "honest conservatives" who fit into the following categories--and let me try to give an example of a person whose existence is recognized by the mainstream media for each class: Class of 2000: People who in 2000 said, "George W. Bush is not qualified to be president, and we should be really worried about this." Class o...

The good: La Hill has a sense of humor. The bad: if you hated the Sopranos finale, this may revive bad memories. The unlistenable: Celine Dion. La Hill. Is using. A song. By CELINE FUCKING DION. Whatever happened to Fleetwood Mac?

Or, to make it really simple: Joe Biden, SHUT UP!

Rudolph Giuliani's membership on an elite Iraq study panel came to an abrupt end last spring after he failed to show up for a single official meeting of the group, causing the panel's top Republican to give him a stark choice: either attend the meetings or quit, several sources said. Giuliani left the Iraq Study Group last May after just two months, walking away from a chance to make up for his lack of foreign policy credentials on the top issue in the 2008 race, the Iraq war. He cited "previous time commitments" in a letter explaining his decision to quit, and a look at his schedule suggests why - the sessions at times conflicted with Giuliani's lucrative speaking tour that garnered him $11.4 million in 14 months. Newsday has the full story. Maybe Rudy can still win some uneasy security voters by talking about bombing Iran.

Mitt Romney, aka Yosemite Mitt , is still trying to sell himself as the kind of Republican candidate that the hardcore authoritarian base can transfer their loyalties to once Bush leaves office. Of course, the base remains troubled by his Mormonism and past support of ungodly things like reproductive choice. They are, however, less concerned about the fact that Mitt is a big war cheerleader with five adult sons who haven't bothered to enlist. This? Is the dumbest quote yet uttered by a 2008 hopeful. Asked on CNN this morning whether the fact that none of his five sons has served in the U.S. military might be a political issue for him, Iraq surge supporter and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said: "Each of my five sons gave two years of their life to the service of their church, and I consider that service to be laudable. But I very highly value those who serve in the military. But it is a volunteer military and I hope that we keep it that way." So, Mitt, is ther...

Okay, time to be fair. Stupidity knows no party line. Take this state senator, a California Democrat. She got into a car accident while driving and chatting on her cell phone at the same time. After voting to ban cell phones while driving. It seems that she has a history of driving like a homicidal maniac. And now she's blaming it on leukemia. You know, ma'am, car accidents kill people, too.

The first Blogswarm Against Theocracy was such a hit that another one is planned for July 1-4. Just in time for Fourth of July Weekend. Time to extol the separation of religion and state that has enabled diverse religious and secular beliefs in this country to flourish. More here.

Britney Spears is a pop star with class, savvy, and a sense of style. Which is why she was horrified when a radio station began using her in ads. Britney Spears is threatening legal action against a Florida radio station that used a bald-headed photo of the pop star on billboards that appear to call her sanity into question. In a June 14 letter to Clear Channel Communications lawyer Donna Schneider, Spears's counsel claims that the billboards promoting the MJ Morning Show were "outrageous to the extreme" and demanded their removal...According to the star's lawyer, Spears's "likeness has a multi-million-dollar value for authorized commercial exploitations" and, as a result, she is entitled to "very substantial damages" from Clear Channel. The MJ Morning Show airs on several stations across Florida. The Spears billboards, which first appeared in April, advertised the program in Tampa, Jacksonville, and Clearwater. The ads in question: Actually,...

Guess which country is now the second-most failed state in the world? Iraq has emerged as the world's second most unstable country, behind Sudan, more than four years after President George W. Bush ordered the U.S. invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, according to a survey released on Monday. The 2007 Failed States Index, produced by Foreign Policy magazine and the Fund for Peace, said Iraq suffered a third straight year of deterioration in 2006 with diminished results across a range of social, economic, political and military indicators. Iraq ranked fourth last year. Okay, how long will it be before the Kristolhammer juggernaut turns up on Faux to complain about the America-haters at Foreign Policy who aren't reporting on the good news coming out of Iraq?

Guess I'm not such an on-again, off-again feminist after all: You Are 94% Feminist You are a total feminist. This doesn't mean you're a man hater (in fact, you may be a man). You just think that men and women should be treated equally. It's a simple idea but somehow complicated for the world to put into action. Are You a Feminist? A quibble: can we get over the dumb idea that feminist = man hater? Wanting equal rights is not the same as hating the opposite sex. Quit pretending it is.

...but it's GREAT to see the Republicans floundering like this. I'm sorry; I know it's bad. It's just that after all these years of "We GOOD! Donkeys EVIL!" it's kind of nice to see that the party can't figure out what they stand for. It's nice to see the base crying into their non-alcoholic beverages as they look at a slate of unappealing candidates as they pray for yet another actor to come be the fearless leader of their authoritarian dreams. This could be the new Republican Party in the making: a disappointed, dissatisfied and inward-looking coalition that abandons Reagan’s hopefulness and tries to hang on by playing on fears of terrorism and anger about immigration. If Fred Thompson’s job is to restore optimism to a dispirited bunch, he faces a task that might have overwhelmed even Ronald Reagan. Oh yeah, and the rightie bloggers are also miserable. Forget Situation FUBAR, Gonzogate, Plamegate, Foleygate, Katarinagate, or Insert-Scandal-H...

Le Sweetie and I called his stepfather to wish him a happy Father's Day. It felt a little strange to say "Happy Father's Day." I haven't uttered those words in years. My own father died of cancer when I was nine going on ten. Dad himself was forty-four going on forty-five. My brother was six going on seven. We were all born in September. In fact, my brother's birthday is the day after mine. Yes, we were born three years and a day apart. I guess winter was a really, uhm, romantic time of the year for Mom and Dad. Anyway, he had cancer of the stomach, but nobody knows where it originated. I only know that it was first spotted when Dad went into the hospital for a hernia. In fact, he and my brother had hernias at about the same time. And from what I remember, this all happened right after my brother had his tonsils removed. I never had mine removed. I was never in the hospital overnight. I never even got that sick--well, except for chicken pox when...

We interrupt the usual political snark, popular culture oddities, cat blogs, prog blogs, punk blogs, and general fun at the wingnutosphere's expense to bring you news of a unique new product that may interest the reader...if that reader wants his or her loved ones to come back from the great beyond as spirits of rage and vengeance. Ahem. It was Scaramouche who first found yet more proof there's a market for everything. Including new ways to store the remains of the dead. Like maybe within the plushy innards of cute angel teddy bears. Huggable Urns is the site that sells these adorable critters. Miss having Grandpa tuck you in at night? Well, now you can have Grandpa right beside you in bed. Grandpa (or what's left of him) is place inside a pouch saying "Eternal Love" , and the pouch is tucked inside the stuffed animal. Not only are Huggable Urns cute, they are economical. Why spend thousands of dollars on a family plot when they could all be stacked next...

Afghanistan, the nation that neocon "thinkers" have deemed unimportant in the drive for an American empire global war on terror, is now a humanitarian mess. So says the Red Cross. Galloping Beaver has the full story.

Lou Pearlman, the man responsible for shoving boy bands down the throats of American listeners, is now bankrupt. All his boy band paraphernalia has been auctioned off. Here is the full story in its schadenfreudelicious detail. Pearlman allegedly defrauded about 1,000 investors of more than $315 million by selling for years a bogus savings account plan, then using their money to cover his losses in other businesses. Banks are hounding him and his companies for more than $120 million, according to court documents. He also is being investigated by the FBI, IRS and state authorities. Pearlman's whereabouts are unknown. He hasn't been seen or heard from in months, nor has he responded to multiple subpoenas. Question: is he hiding from the FBI, the IRS, or angry music lovers? (Via Reconstitution .) Update: Oooops! Looks like the law caught up with Mr. Pearlman. )

...here's a hit song you can listen to without cringing: "Dreaming," by Blondie.

Not only is "Open Arms" at #15 on VH1's list of the greatest soft rock songs of all time , but now "Don't Stop Believin'" is a hot download on iTunes. Admit it--you're feeling that early-1980s nostalgia rush right now. (Confession: I actually like a handful of Journey's songs. We can't all be perfect, right?)

Looks like La Hill has ceased to interest the American public. No More Mister Nice Blog reports that the two recently published books about her have not exactly set the bestseller lists on fire. Moral (choose one): The number of people who are fascinated by her is greatly exaggerated. The number of people who despise her enough to buy these books is greatly exaggerated. Really, there are other women in politics--Democrat AND Republican--who are more intriguing and have a much longer history of accomplishments and public service. However, the media fixates on La Hill, Nancy Pelosi, and a handful of right-wing loons like Mean Jean Schmidt, Michele Bachmann, and Katherine Harris. I'd be interested in learning more about, say, Janet Napolitano or Kathleen Sibelius, both of whom are considered potential running mates next year. Could someone remind the nice news media that there are other women besides La Hill that they could write about?

Man, they keep getting younger. Meet Tyler Whitney, an 18-year-old college Republican and webmaster for Tom Tancredo. He's scrubbed most of the political stuff from his MySpace page, but basic information about this rising star of the conservative movement can be found here , here , here , and here. All four sources note that Mr. Whitney has come out of the closet as a homosexual. This would be filed under "it's his personal bizniss" if not for some unfortunate facts noted by the fourth and final link, Pridesource. Whitney's candidate, Rep. Tancredo, has a zero rating from the Human Rights Campaign, which means he has never voted in favor of any pro-LBGT legislation. In addition, the long-shot presidential candidacy is mired with allegations of support from white supremacy organizations, like the National Alliance, as well as endorsements from David Duke. Tancredo is attempting to ride to the presidency on a wave of anti-immigration campaign promises inclu...

Women who disrobe for Girls Gone Wild cameras and then are shocked-- shocked --when they and their hooters are displayed for the benefit of assorted horndogs. Women like these two dumbasses . Two Florida women have sued "Girls Gone Wild" creator Joe Francis and his film company, alleging a sexually explicit video was released without their consent. In the federal lawsuit filed Monday in Panama City, Brooke Pastolic and Christina Brose said they were enticed to board a "Girls Gone Wild" tour bus with the promise of free clothing. Once onboard, they allegedly were given alcoholic drinks even though both were younger than 21. According to the lawsuit, the cameramen then coerced the women into exposing themselves and engaging in sexual activities, but repeatedly stated they would not use footage in a video. However, the footage appeared on two separate "Girls Gone Wild" DVDs. The women claim the footage was used without their consent, and if they did give c...

Mitt Romney is also kind of boring. He might as well hang a sign around his neck saying, "Hi there. In case you haven't noticed, I'll say anything to improve my chances of a nomination. Judging from his interviews, he is also not that bright. He named one of his kids Tagg. TAGG! What was his trying to do, ensure his kid suffered through twelve years of ridicule at school? What a doofus.

Don't believe me? Read this. The majority of Republicans in the United States do not believe the theory of evolution is true and do not believe that humans evolved over millions of years from less advanced forms of life. This suggests that when three Republican presidential candidates at a May debate stated they did not believe in evolution, they were generally in sync with the bulk of the rank-and-file Republicans whose nomination they are seeking to obtain. Independents and Democrats are more likely than Republicans to believe in the theory of evolution. But even among non-Republicans there appears to be a significant minority who doubt that evolution adequately explains where humans came from. The data from several recent Gallup studies suggest that Americans' religious behavior is highly correlated with beliefs about evolution. Those who attend church frequently are much less likely to believe in evolution than are those who seldom or never attend. That Republicans tend to ...

As we segue from soft rock to early eighties AOR hits, it seems that Journey guitarist Neal Schon is really psyched that David Chase picked "Don't Stop Believin'" for that final scene with la familia Soprano eating onion rings in a restaurant. More here, in case anyone's interested.

VH1 has done yet another top-40 special, recruiting a bunch of comedians, musicians, and other pop-culture pundits for one of its periodic nostalgia trip. This time, it's the 40 greatest (?) soft rock songs of all time. The list is heavy on wussy '70s ballads and schmaltz and other things that make people cover their ears and say, "La la la la la la I can't hear that fucking song." Le Sweetie sat through about two or three entries before grabbing the remote control. And now Stereogum has blogged about it. In case you missed the VH1 special (or want to avoid sitting through it, Stereogum has listed the songs. And judging from the comments section, there are some very opinionated soft rock fans who read Stereogum. (At least they seem to be fans.) "Pina Colada" at number three...sweet. Um, no England Dan and John Ford Coley? No Steely Dan? No "Time Passages"? No Gary Wright? Ambrosia? Gerry Rafferty? Firefall? Lobo? This list is seriousl...

Am I the only one bored by La Hill? Her face on TV, in magazines, and on the bookshelves. There are two new books about her. Me, I think she is really boring. I also think McCain is really boring (not to mention pathetic). I'm tired of hearing about how much they want to be president. We've all known since about 2000 that they want to be president. It's been "Hillary McCain Hillary McCain Hillary McCain president president president 2008 2008 2008," ad nauseum, since then. They don't have new ideas and they're not interesting. Could they both take themselves out of the presidential race so they don't bore the voters to death? Please?

There's a big problem that usually arises when Americans try to form alliances with assorted factions in Iraq. First of all, the new allies often tend to be criminals, warlords, and other assorted unpleasant types. Second of all, these allies are sometimes unpopular among their own people. Third, the alliances don't hold because the Iraqis don't like being occupied by American troops any more than they like al Qaeda. And finally, these allies may turn out to be unreliable. For a complete rundown of all the above points, see this latest WaPo piece. As Swopa over at Needlenose puts it: I can't begin to count how many times the U.S. has been hoodwinked into backing one side or another of an internal Iraqi squabble just because someone told them what they wanted to hear -- in this case, that it was OK to cede control of Anbar to the Sunni locals so the insufficient level of American troops could fail in Baghdad instead for a change.

Think the FBI's got a file on this guy ? In his first interview as the chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party, Dennis Milligan told a reporter that America needs to be attacked by terrorists so that people will appreciate the work that President Bush has done to protect the country. "At the end of the day, I believe fully the president is doing the right thing, and I think all we need is some attacks on American soil like we had on [Sept. 11, 2001]," Milligan said to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, "and the naysayers will come around very quickly to appreciate not only the commitment for President Bush, but the sacrifice that has been made by men and women to protect this country." Just a word of caution, if the FBI does place Mr. Milligan on some sort of list, they should include his background information so that all the other Dennis Milligans in America don't get any grief. I'm sure there are some very nice Dennis Milligans who don't want anoth...

Why does the moviegoing public need a live-action version of Transformers? I'm just wondering, that's all.

Looks like the Senate couldn't muster 60 votes to give Gonzo a vote of no confidence. The final tally: 53-38. Before going into detail who voted against giving a disgraced attorney general a no-confidence vote, guess which party these 38 "nay" voters belonged to ? However, let's give credit where credit is due for the senators who voted yes: John Sununu, Gordon Smith, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, Norm Coleman, Chuck Hagel, and Arlen Specter. And a pie in the face to Joe Lieberman, who voted no. Trent Lott, meanwhile, proves he simply does not get it: "This is a nonbinding, irrelevant resolution proving what? Nothing," said Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss. "Maybe we should be considering a vote of no confidence on the Senate or on the Congress for malfunction and an inability to produce anything." C'mon, dude. That's not the point and you know it. The point is to make a stand and show that the Senate does not support an attorney general who p...

Le Sweetie and I watched 60 Minutes' report on the no-fly list that is supposed to protect America. Boy do I feel safer after watching that. Except not. Basically, the no-fly list is just as ass-backwards as the rest of America's security measures. The original story aired about a year or two ago, but it's still worth following if you want a nice reality check. Thanks to this no-fly list, America at least was somewhat safer. From the 9/11 hijackers, who were already dead when they were put on the list. From the president of Bolivia (what did he do, again?). And from Robert Johnson. Which Robert Johnson, you ask? Well, the one who tried to bomb a Hindu temple and got deported to Trinidad. The no-fly list has made life worse everyone else with that name, because it didn't include the original's date of birth or any other information. So if your name is Robert Johnson and you want to avoid a lot of grief at the airport, you might want to consider a name cha...

That's IT? WTF was that?

Powell has characterized Iraq as a "civil war." Russert has asked him if Situation FUBAR is worth it, given the money and the loss of lives. Powell insists that there is no way to know as the war isn't over. Dude? The war is over. It's not a war any more. It is an occupation. The Iraqi security forces are not up and running and the government isn't functioning well; Powell acknowledges this. At least Powell acknowledges that it's the Iraqis' job, not America's. Tell that to Bushco. Powell thinks "pulling out" is a bad idea. Dude, stop the "cut and run" crap. Nobody's talking about cut and run, OK. Al Qaeda is described as "a small percentage of this overall problem" but a very important one. He acknowledges that the Preznit is unhappy with the way has been handled. Powell did not, at the time, think the war was a mistake. He believes that the responsibility for the war lies with the Preznit. Powell says th...

Addressing a bunch of think-tankers with no sense of the real world, Newt Gingrich has recast himself as the Cassandra of the GOP. Addressing a conservative organization, the former House Speaker never mentioned the president by name, but his political point was clear. "If the Republicans run a stand-pat presidential candidate who ends up being on defense for all of September and October and who is seen by the country as representing four more years, the fact is that Republicans are not going to" win, Gingrich told the American Enterprise Institute. Guess what, Newt? By and large, the GOP race is all about standing pat. Everything about Romney, Rudy, and McCain have said have come to indicate that a. they have no idea what they stand for, and b. they really, really want the GOP base to come out and vote for them. That GOP base is reliable because a. they're guaranteed to never, ever vote for a Democrat and b. they're the only ones dumb enough to think four more y...

The Repub formerly known as Senator Macaca is endorsing Fred Thompson for president. Thompson has the right philosophy, is articulate, has a record and is "the best voice in America," Allen, a Virginia Republican, told a lecture series audience yesterday. He likened Thompson's voice to that of a "modern-day Rex Allen," drawing a reference to a now-deceased cowboy actor. What is this thing that GOP wannabe "rugged individualists" have for cowboys? Between "Brokeback Mountain" and the growing Democratic presence in the Rocky Mountain states, you'd think they'd be looking for a new manly archetype. Tattooed sailors, perhaps? As No More Mister Nice Blog put it: Perfect: One phony good old boy who's actually made most of his money in Hollywood and Washington being endorsed by another phony good old boy whose father made most of his football-coaching money in L.A. and Washington.

Now that Paris Hilton has gone back to jail, will people please stop writing about her? She isn't talented or interesting or smart. Please stop reporting on her. Pretty please?

Lots and lots of kitties for this cat blog!

Okay, is this the Alabama Senate floor or a playground? Republican state senator who punched a Democratic lawmaker in the head expressed regret, saying "that's not the way grown men solve their problems," but he said he won't immediately apologize. Republican Sen. Charles Bishop claimed that Democratic Sen. Lowell Barron called him a "son of a (expletive)" in the Senate chamber on Thursday. "I responded to his comment with my right hand," Bishop said. Alabama Public Television tape captured the punch. "I was raised in the woods of Arkansas and people don't say that about your mom," Bishop said. Excuses excuses. "Son of a bitch" is just a common term of derision, Senator. He was not trying to dis your mother. Try again. Barron denied saying that to Bishop. He said the Jasper senator used an expletive to him and he was trying to get away when he was hit by Bishop on the side of the head near an ear. He said he had not deci...

It was a matter of time, wasn't it. Kiss tribute bands are everywhere. The same is true of Beatles tributes. Slap on a wig, thrown on a suit, and you've got a Beatles tribute band. (Why don't Beatles tribute bands ever perform in the Sergeant Pepper band uniforms? This I've always wondered.) We don't need a Doors tribute band, as Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger have beaten them at their own game, hiring Ian Astbury and touring as--ahem--the Twenty-First Century Doors. At some point, you run out of '60s and '70s bands and have to move forward. Hence, the Journey and Bon Jovi tributes. Journey and Bon Jovi. Can you imagine playing in one of those tribute bands? This is sad. Couldn't they pick some bands deserving of a tribute? PS: Guess who else performed at the same club as Bad Medicine and Evolution? Lucy Lawless. That gig has come and gone, alas.

As a tribute to ELO, the band behind Xanadu's most memorable songs, here is an early clip of the band doing "10538 Overture." This is right after the Move morphed into ELO, and Roy Wood is wearing a gray wig while Jeff Lynne practices for next year's Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Every day, I feel more sorry for Iraqis. As noted in last month, Bush and other Republicans keep confusing Iraq with other countries. This time, they think that we can just keep a bunch of soldiers there like we have with South Korea. The Defeatists explain why this won't work. Korea, for those of you who skipped geography, is a peninsula with a lot of mountains, etc....Capitalist Buddhist Christian Confucian Japanese hating kimchee makers to the south; starving, lobotomized, goose-stepping animists ( I consider Kim Il Song and all the rest of the northern gang on a par with baboons...) to the north. The border is the most heavily mined, guarded, militarized stretch in the world. Makes the old Berlin Wall look like cheesecake. Makes the proposed wall on our southern border look like a turtle fence. There are constant probes, tunnels, etc, but for the most part bad guys to the north, our guys to the south. Iraq is, as we say about Texas, a whole other country. In Northern Irela...

Senator Craig Thomas, Republican from Wyoming, lost his battle with leukemia earlier this week. Although Wyoming's governor, Dave Freudenthal, is a Democrat, state law says that his replacement must be another Republican, chosen by the state's GOP. Soooooo...guess who's being touted as a successor? I'll give you a hint: she's married to a really evil guy and her surname starts with a "C". Nice. Just what this government needs. Another unofficial Republican ruling family that needs to go away. Can't they bring back Alan Simpson? He's much saner than about 75 percent of the Republicans currently in the Senate. (Via Bark Bark Woof Woof .)

It doesn't take much to stoke the latent Beatlemania in our cultural consciousness. Now it's the fortieth anniversary of the Sgt. Pepper album, and yet another opportunity to celebrate the band that totally changed the face of popular music as we know it without even trying to. Mockingbird's Medley is asking readers to name their favorite albums. I'm going with the "red" and "blue" anthology collections, mainly because my parents played them so many times when I was a little kid. It's like I grew up with the band. Of course, I'd be stoked if the Yellow Submarine movie were reissued on DVD. Somehow, it has gone out of print and you will need to check out eBay (and pay a lot of money) to get a copy. In the meantime, there is always YouTube:

Sure, the Harry Potter saga is almost over, but we haven't seen the last of Pottermania. The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter will open at the Universal Orlando Resort, in Florida, in 2009. Harry Potter author JK Rowling said: "The plans I've seen look incredibly exciting, and I don't think fans of the books or films will be disappointed." Touted as a "theme park within a theme park", it will feature attractions and rides based on Harry Potter locations. Based inside Orlando's Islands of Adventure theme park, which already houses Marvel Super Heroes and Dr Seuss islands, the Harry Potter theme will be spread over 20-acres. Woo hoo! I love theme parks and you can never have too many, in my opinion. Hopefully, the attractions will not be too frightening for Le Sweetie.

Yes, it seems the Broadway musical version of "Xanadu" now has its own Web site ! Looks like the musical's going to have the right amount of wink-wink, as it's described as "hilarity on wheels for adults, children and anyone who has ever wanted to feel inspired....You'll want to keep the music in your head and Xanadu in your heart, forever." Le Sweetie is not going to want to see this thing. I'm tempted to go see it myself. Even if the tickets are kinda pricey. I can't help it. It sounds like a blast and I love ELO. In the meantime, a taste of the original for those who missed it.

No, he's not taking up gardening. If you've had a torrid sexual encounter with a politician, Mr. Flynt wants to know. "Have you had a sexual encounter with a current member of the United States Congress or a high-ranking government official?" read a full-page advertisement taken out by Larry Flynt's pornographic magazine in Sunday's Washington Post. It offered $1 million for documented evidence of illicit intimate relations with a congressman, senator or other prominent officeholder. A toll-free number and e-mail address were provided. Just in time for the presidential race. From King of Zembla .

While Lindsay Lohan is off on an extended vacation in rehab at Promises, her vile mom, Dina Lohan, has other little Lohans in the wings to groom for stardom. This gives new meaning to the terms "greedy" and "shameless." DINA Lohan is about to get what she always wanted: her own TV show. Dina - who has ridden the coattails of her eldest daughter, Lindsay, for years trying to become famous - is in talks to do a reality show with E! tentatively titled "Mom-ager," in which she'll try to turn her youngest children, Ali, 14, and Cody, 11, into stars. An insider fumed, "Can you believe that? She totally messed up Lindsay by making her a 'star' and living vicariously through her - and now she's going to do the same to the other two? How the [bleep] can E! do this? Those kids should be in school having normal lives, the life that Lindsay didn't get to have." Dina, who refers to herself as "the white Oprah," has been trying ...

Scooter's headed for the slammer. "People who occupy these types of positions, where they have the welfare and security of nation in their hands, have a special obligation to not do anything that might create a problem," Judge Walton said to Libby as he was sentencing him to 30 months in a federal prison and fining him $250,000. Special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald had asked for a sentence like this, and this morning he told Judge Walton that a tough term was needed for Libby because "the truth matters ever so much." The federal probation office had suggested a sentence in the 15-to-30 month range and Libby's lawyers had famously begged for leniency and asked for probation. No dice, said the judge: You do the crime, you do the time, especially when you should have known better and done better. "Overwhelming evidence" of guilt, Judge Walton declared.

I have to hand it to I Am Screaming and Punching Myself , where I was first exposed to Katie Price, aka Jordan, in all her...essence. If you thought her maternity wear was unbelievable, well...her wedding dress has to be seen to be believed. Nice to see the UK has its own tacky slebs. To Katie/Jordan's credit, she hasn't been arrested for anything or gone to rehab yet.

Dear Congressman Paul: Please explain what's so libertarian about those scary militia dudes and white supremacists you're so chummy with? I mean, the militia dudes are obsessed with the Second Amendment to the Constitution, but aren't too interested in the rest of the amendments. And that Christian Identity group that endorsed you? Congressman, you really should rethink that endorsement. They're a bunch of quasi-religious racist nuts. While you're at it, please explain the bigoted commentary in that newsletter of yours. These kinds of statements have a way of coming back to haunt presidential candidates. Just ask Rudy Giuliani. Of course, Rudy never tried to dodge criticism claim that his writings were ghost-written. It's pretty sad the way a purported "conservative libertarian" would see kindred spirits in people who don't share his much-vaunted for libertarian values. Congressman Paul, perhaps you should go back and re-read the Constitu...

From the Rock: I know a lot of closeted gay actors in Hollywood who refuse to come out, whatever the reasons are and I respect that. But I believe that if people love you now, when you come out, they would love you more. If they don't, then they werten't real people to begin with. They can fuck off.

While LiLo is off in rehab, soldiers and civilians in Iraq keep dying. The U.S. military announced Sunday that 14 American soldiers were killed over the past three days, including four in a single roadside bombing and another who was struck by a suicide bomber while on a foot patrol. The blast that killed the four U.S. soldiers occurred Sunday as the troops were conducting a cordon and search operation northwest of Baghdad, according to a statement. Two other soldiers were killed and five were wounded along with an Iraqi interpreter in two separate roadside bombings on Sunday, the military said. In the boldest attack, a U.S. soldier was killed Friday after the patrol approached two suspicious men for questioning near a mosque southwest of Baghdad, and one of the suspects blew himself up. Military spokesman Maj. Webster Wright said U.S. troops also fired at the second suspect after he began acting aggressively, and the gunfire detonated his suicide vest. "Our initial analysis is th...