Worst of the Year: Spin Zone

Now here's a fun take on the well-worn notion of a "year in review" piece. I might have put the Ford-dumps-gays-Ford-kisses-up-to-gays first, but it's hard to argue that ol' "heck-of-a-job" Brownie doesn't deserve the top slot.

Hypocrisy Watch

Sen. Trent Lott filed a lawsuit against State Farm over Katrina damage to his home. But I thought Republicans were for tort reform?

duPoint- Columbia Winners Announced

My "fishing buddy" and his team at The World have won a duPont-Columbia award for broadcast excellence. What's next - an Oscar for the film version of his book?

How to tell if you're a gay cowboy

Not only is it dominating the movie critics' year-end awards, Brokeback Mountain has achieved pop culture status as the subject of Letterman's top ten list. Gay cowboys of the world - unite!

The I-Pod of Toilets

See for yourself.

The Year in Review, a la George Will

Excellent summary of the year almost past by commentator George Will. Among other observations, he says 2005 can be summarized by three female names: Terri Schiavo, Harriet Miers and Katrina. 'Nuff said.

OK, so torture doesn't work...

Apparently the "proof" that linked Al Qaeda to Saddam was obtained as a result of rendition-associated torture - and turned out to be false. On the other hand, doesn't this discovery mean that President Bush didn't lie about the issue as the Dems have so often charged?

Mon dieu!

Those riots must be driving love-starved French ladies to the end of their ropes

Pope to Gays: "Worthless"

Sullivan's reply says it best, as usual.

'Torture is Counterproductive'

According to CIA chief Porter Goss, the US government doesn't use torture because it is ineffective. The Bush administration is one of the most moralistic we've ever seen, yet it sees no moral problem with the use of torture? Does Goss's comment mean that if torture did achieve its desired end, our government would use it?

Florida Hypocricy Watch

Is there any justification for a legal system that allows a 14 year old boy to be tried and sentenced as an adult for murder yet regards a 16 year old boy as a minor too young to consent to sex with an adult?

XXXOOO

The votes are in....here are the top ten best on-screen guy-on-guy kisses.

Finally, physics proves its worth

I wonder if we'll ever see this taught in high school physics, AP or otherwise.

Full Disclosure?

Since Sarbanes-Oxley has been in effect, it has become almost tiresome to hear about the potential conflicts commentators and their firms may have with the companies about which they are commenting. That's all fine and good. But what about the rest of the punditocracy? Take the case of Jay Sekulow, an omniprensent voice regarding all things SCOTUS. Given yesterday's damning exposé in Legal Times regarding the complicated web of sources and uses of income in two putative non-profits run by him, will the networks start running disclaimners before he speaks? I doubt it.

Harriet, We Hardly Knew Ye....

The inevitable has finally come to pass. As N'sync would say, Bye-Bye-Bye.

Alert - Trace of sanity found in Kansas

The Kansas high court has ruled that juviniles convicted of underage same-sex "crimes" cannot be punished more harshly than if the offense were heterosexual. “Moral disapproval of a group cannot be a legitimate state interest," wrote the unanimous court, echoing language in the Massachusetts gay marriage decision as well as the SCOTUS Lawrence (2003) decision. As those Kansas fundamentalists would say, Glory Hallelujah!

Got PowerPoint Fatigue?

If you're like me, you've grown weary of "death by slide"-style talks. PowerPoint has indeed hurt the effectiveness of presentations while improving their visual quality. Well, this keynote address at a recent O'Reilly Conference the most original, compelling use of the software that I've ever seen. Influenced by something called the Lawrence Lessig flash-style of presentation, it holds your interest, makes you think, and entertains -- and what more could you ask for from a conference address?

All About Harriet

Here are Miers's responses to the Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire. Among the "highlights": looks like her only litigation experience with a constitutional issue is her defense of Dick Cheney's status as a resident of Wyoming, rather than of Texas, which made him eligible to be elected VP with a President from Texas. Well, good for her, but it's not likely that 12th Amendment issues like that one will soon come before the high court again. But one thing is curious: did she have no role in Bush v Gore (2000)?

The Rove/Dobson Call

Just released...the transcript of the conversation between Karl Rove and James Dobson during which the latter learned some things he "probably shouldn't know."

Rosie Gets Slammed, Doesn't Care

The NYT's Ben Brantley reviewed Rosie O'Donnell's "performance" in Broadway's revival of Fiddler on the Roof today. He compared her to a high school production stand-in, and had little positive to say. She had guts to post his review on her blog and to add her own reaction. I was a big fan of her talk show, but even then her success proved the point that in show business, enthusiasm goes a long way. Alas, that's true everywhere but on Broadway, where people still expect to see world class talent for their money.

I-Candy's Owner is Eye-Candy

My new favorite reality show isn't Martha and her apprentices, but "Open Bar" on the LOGO cable channel. It follows a 30-something, newly out (and beautiful!) gay entrepreneur as he builds and opens his dream business: a lounge/bar called I-Candy on West Hollywood's main street. The all-gay all-the-time channel launched on June 30 and is part of the MTV Network family. My cable provider, Comcast, offers the channel as part of its extended basic service and I've been watching more of it than I should.

Miers: Pro & Con

Need some crib notes on the Miers nomination for the next dinner party you attend? These should do.

What was W Thinking?

That's the response leading a web poll about the Miers nomination. The sponsoring web site is anti-Harriet Central. I think the drumbeats are getting louder....

$1900 per U.S. Household??

That's how much money Louisiana lawmakers have requested to re-build their devastated state. Well, perhaps re-build is a bit imprecise. More like pay for a trip to the pork barrel buffet. Sugarcane Research? Give us a break!

No Day But Today

If the soundtrack is an indication, the soon-to-be-released film adaptation of Rent will be very satisfying to Rentheads like me. I'm especially happy that Rosario Dawson--who replaced the pregnant (and thus un-available) original Mimi Daphne Ruben-Vega--delivers the goods vocally. Members of the original cast have held up well for the most part in the decade since the musical first opened off-Broadway. Time has been less kind to Jesse L. Martin, whose voice leaves something to be desired. In any event, I know where I"ll want to be the day before Thanksgiving.

Faith-Based Hypocrisy

E.J. Dionne calls the right-wing on its hypocrisy about the importance of a judicial nominee's religious faith. Krauthammer joins the chorus of voices pointing out that mediocrity has no place on the Supreme Court.

I have a suggestion for the Senator Judiciary Committee: Pull out your notes from the Roberts hearing, and ask Harriet Miers the exact same questions about landmark Court decisions and precidents. In fact, tell her in advance that's what you'll be doing. My expectation is that she'll finds some graceful way to get the President to withdraw her nomination and save herself the embarassment of admitting her inexperience in grappling with core constitutional issues.

Is there no limit...

..to what legislatures will try to get away with? Let's make this Exhibit 1 for why we need courts to protect the minority from the "democratic will" of the majority.

Will to Senate: Reject Miers

George Will argues that the Senate has an obligation to reject Harriet Miers - not because of her views of the proper role of a judge, but because there are good reasons not to trust a president who says "Trust me."

Unforced Error

Cronyism triumphs once again in the Bush White House. Looks like the right wing is having trouble swallowing ol' Harriet - and not necessarily because she's never been married. Is this woman even in the top 10 of American women qualified to be on the Supreme Court?

Glory, Hallelujah!

Best news I've heard in quite some time - Santorum is on the ropes in Pennsylvania. It's early, I know; but let's kick the homophobic moron while he's down - maybe he'll stay there!

Do they or don't they?

Ever the trendspotter, the New York Times has declared that many women at top colleges aspire to be stay-at-home moms. Slate debunks the research method and conclusions, and it strikes me as sociological dilettantism. Meanwhile, last spring my colleagues at Simmons School of Management released the results of their study that contradicts the notion that women are opting out of the quest for positions of power and leadership.

Let Martha be Martha!

Update on the yet-to-be-determined issue of whether Martha Stewart will ever be permitted to be CEOof MSO again. If she can't without pleading guilty to some civil charges, I say she should assert her 90%+ voting share of the company's stock and take it private.

Just in time for the World Series....

Check out this music video, a paeon to a guy named Mike and other sexy ball players

Where to Point the Fingers

In the Katrina blame game, it's game, set, match to Charles Krauthmmer. As always, his analysis strips away the inessential and dismisses the inaccurate all the while making enormous common sense. His verdict: everyone who had responsibility has a share of the blame. Game over.

The public has a right to know...

...who's signing the anti-gay marriage petition in Massachusetts. So, combining good citizenship with HTML, a Massaachusetts couple has established a web site to publicize the names of petitioners.

From the group's mission statement:

KnowThyNeighbor.org is a grassroots, non-profit organization dedicated to removing barriers to public information by making it available online. If it's public information, it should be simple for a member of the public to access it!

Initiative Petition # 05-02, The Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage, represents a public political effort that could negatively affect the lives of many families, individuals, and children within the Commonwealth. By posting the names and addresses of the 65,825+ signers, KnowThyNeighbor.org is supporting the Democratic Process by providing the public with direct access to information that they are entitled to see and that is relevant to this controversial topic.

KnowThyNeighbor.org believes that the general public has the right to easy access of such information and makes no assertion as to how this information should be used by the public. This being said, the founders of KnowThyNeighbor.org, its support staff, and volunteers believe in equal marriage protection for all Massachusetts families an hope to encourage Civil and Legal Discourse on the topic.

Will it intimidate some people? No, I think it will shame them - as it should.

"There were no earthquakes."

Two key Massachusetts legislators have dropped their support for the anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment. Their rationale? The Commonwealth has had gay marriage in place for more than a year, and they see no evidence of any negative effects.

Hey, Karl Rove - are you listening?

How long until we hear this spin from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.?

How bad is the water in New Orleans?

This bad. According to analysis done for Good Morning America, total sewage bacteria in a water sample from New Orleans is 45,000 times what would be considered safe for swimming in a pond or a lake.
One report says it could "take years to fullly restore clean drinking water."

The truth begins to trickle out from the Big Easy

GayPatriot exposes the corrupt politics (big surprise!) at the heart of the crisis in NOLA. This report comes from the Washington Post - not some right-wing blog. Will the rest of the MSM follow-up on this?

AFP Apologizes, sort of

According to Yahoo! the press agency AFP has thought better of it and withdrawn its photo and caption that sparked the outrage about racism re: the looting in New Orleans.

We need competent leadership!

Andrew Sullivan endorses Rudy in 2008. Amen.

Speaking truth to power (again) in the South

As with his Tsunami reporting, Anderson Cooper has distinguished himself by his humanity as well as his keen observation skills. The journalists and technicians down in the affected areas are enduring hardships, no doubt. But Cooper in the Gulf Coast, along with FOX News' Shepard Smith in New Orleans, are leading the pack with ther gritty, no-punches-pulled descriptions of the devstation.

LGBT group supports disaster relief

HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF FUND

Please be part of the LGBT community's response to the loss and devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina has blazed a trail of destruction throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Thousands of homes have been destoyed and several hundred lives have been lost. Many of the survivors are homeless and in need of food, safe drinking water, and medical care. It is estimated that tens of thousands will need temorary housing for months to come. RWF has established a fund for donations to help the survivors of Katrina. We are responding with food aid -- donations through RWF will go to our partner America's Second Harvest (ASH), the nation's food bank network. ASH is one of the most effective charities in the world. ASH expects that at least ten food banks and hundreds of related agencies were hit by Hurricane Katrina. Your donations will be used to provide meals and groceries, transport food to survivors, and secure additional warehouse space to assist food banks in resuming and maintaining operations. 100% of the funds you donate to the RWF Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund will go toward helping the survivors recover.

Donate at: http://www.rainbowfund.org/donate specify "Katrina" or send a check to "Rainbow World Fund", PO Box 14480, San Francisco, CA 94114.

Please help spread the word and forward this email to your friends and families.

Beyond the pale....

Just when you think the Left couldn't possibly shock with its tendency toward shrill, misleading, and disingenuous commentary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. steps up to prove us wrong. While the scientificevidence linking global warming and hurricanes in general is weak, was Mississippi's governor SO influencing regarding the Kyoto treaty on global warming? Had the U.S. signed on to the treaty, would Katrina not heaped its devastation on the Gulf Coast? Shame on him.

OK - Which is it?

Given my new obsession with the Tablet PC (including my own, which arrived on Monday - about which more later...), I'd like to know: is its adoptation rate growing or slowing?

Summer reading list

In addition to the latest Harry Potter, I've been reading The Tricky Part : One Boy's Fall from Trespass into Grace. It's actor Martin Moran's memoir of growing up Catholic, gay, and the victim of a pederast (though not a priestly one). Victim is my word; I'm half-way through, and I'm not sure if he ever sees himself as one. He credits his violator for introducing himself to himself (i.e. discovering and acting on his homosexuality), which is an astonishing act of forgiveness. I've seen Moran on stage only once, as the telegraph operator in Titanic. He memorably sang "The Night Was Alive," a similar tale of self-discovery, this time recounting how a lonely boy discovered Marconi's machine - and a way of connecting with "a thousand voices fighting to be heard."

You're paying? I'll take two.

The always interesting Malcolm Gladwell's latest, making the case that the problem with the U.S. health care system is that insurance companies (and therefore their paid lobbyists) are more concerned about moral hazard problems than with the health outcomes of their customers (or non-customers, as the case may be).

Oh. Never mind.

Flash - we all just misunderstood Pat Roberston when he called for the assasination of a head of state. Thanks for clearing that up.

Make Mine a Tall Vanilla Latte

Apparently, American families are doing so well that a political group found this way to spend its resources and attention. You can get the whole story here. As a shareholder and customer, I think I'll write to Starbucks and let them know I hope they keep putting such worthwhile reading material on their cups. (Although aren't they difficult to read once you slide on the java jacket?)

Crackpot Snaps Tether, Reaffirms Status

OK - now can we all agree that Pat Robertson should never again be considered a legitimate spokesperson for people of faith?

Yes, but are they comfortable?

Talk about delayed reaction. Dolce & Gabbana unveiled their extremely low-riding "pubic" jeans last January and it's taken until today for the firestorm of criticism to hit the MSM (thanks to Drudge). It'll probably take less than 24 hours to hear from him or him.

Hot. Cold. Mustard.

I have seen the future of comedy and its name is Andy Milonakis. His show on MTV consists of short, zany films in which he (seemingly impromptu) delivers some non sequitur or goes into a rap. He's part Jonathan Winters and part Tom Green - but without the latter's raunch or bad taste. One example: he gets into the shower, fully clothed-including his ubiquitous red tartan plaid shirt- and instead of the hot or cold knob, he turns on the mustard knob - and stands under a shower of yellow mustard. His sketches are short, not mean-spirited, and completely original. Watch for him.

New technology on the way...

For the past month or so I’ve been obsessed with TabletPCs. It all started when I read about a professor who used the ink/handwriting features of one to grade his students’ papers electronically. As I was about to receive via e-mail 57 final exams from my own students’ , I had an “A-ha!” moment: if I had a TablePC I wouldn’t have to download, print, staple, and carry them around. Instead, I could keep the entire process electronic and e-mail the marked up and graded exam to each student (added bonus for the students: the exams are returned much sooner). So, after much hunting on the Web, reading discussion groups, even listening to a bunch of podcasts , I’ve made the lead. I chose a Fujitsu 4020, the latest model from one of the first and best producers of TabletPCs. With any luck, it’ll be here in a week or so. I’ll post updates about my transition to this new (to me) technology. Like somany others these days, I expect it to make me more efficient and productive. Time will tell….

RIP: Nate Fisher, 1965-2005

Couldn't the writers of HBO's Six Feet Under have found an alternative direction for the show in its final episodes than to kill its lead character? I mean, I get the layers of irony: he's a funeral director, he reluctantly returned to the family business after his father dies, his wife was murdered, he escaped death in Season 2 ; but honestly, did he have to die?

Jesus wept; didn't Mohammad?

I am numbed as I read about the barbaric execution of two Iranian teenagers for having gay sex. Can a nation long survive with one foot in modernity and another is the Dark Ages? Can the U.S. ever have normal relations, including commerce, with a government and a people ho support the murder of my brothers?

Don't blame me....

Finally, an explanation on the Op-Ed pages of the New York Times for why gay marriage is simply another step in the evolution of an institution that, regardless of its sanctity or lack thereof, has been changing in profound ways for the past century.

Irony, Hollywood -style

From Today's New York Times:

On the front page, we learn that for the 18th weekend in a row box office receipts are down year-over-year.

Over in the business pages, there's a piece about how commercials shown before feature films in theaters are here to stay.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist tosee the connection. Why do theater-owners expect that they can charge us $10.25 to have us sit through ads we can see for free at home? Or miss entirely by watching pay-per-view?

Requiem in Pace

The news of Anne Bancroft's death leaves me sad for her suffering (she died of uterine cancer) and for her family's loss, but most of all at the thought that we'll never see a her in a new role on any screen large or small. Most people remembering her will talk about Mrs. Robinson and The Graduate in the coming hours, but my two favorite roles of hers were Gilbert's mother in Garbo Talks and Mrs. Cage, a one-act that appeared on PBS and isn't yet out on video (and may never be). I hope TCM will soon schedule a tribute to her; that'd be a marathon worth watching.

What did this moron say now?

Pennsylvania's junior dunce doesn't even make sense. What was he thinking?

Time to re-think the show's title....

After last night's episode, ABC should really think about re-naming its hit series "Desperate Husbands." One husband is under arrest, another has lost his job, a third is being rushed to the hospital with another (probable) heart attack - maybe it's no wonder the women are so desperate!

Blasts from the past....

Just read today’s NY Times article on the success of Gawker Media and its network of blogs, including Fleshbot – edited by John d’Addario. I knew John at Yale, where I served as his freshman counselor. One of his roommates was Shawn Levy, a one-time actor who has now made a career as a director of some of Hollywood’s highest-grossing family-friendly fare. His latest, the Pink Panther re-make, has a full-page ad in the Times' special summer movie supplement. Must have been something in the water of our entryway…..

Prepare the gurney and the needle....

Confessed 9/11 participant Moussaoui says he's going to "fight every inch against the death penalty." Sorry, but if he was prepared to die for Allah at the behest of Usama Bin Laden, I don't see why the U.S. goverment can't, at long last, grant his original desire. Hey, buddy - don't worry: at least it won't be in a ball of flame.

Atwood, KS Update

Looks like yesterday's link may have been removed. If so, here's an Acrobat capture of the open letter.

Rejected by town, Kansan returns the favor

More fall-out from the recent anti-gay marriage vote in Kansas. Read this impassioned open letter, more regretful than bitter, that also includes some of the best "protection of marriage" suggestions I've seen:

Marriage in the Kansas shall consist of a union between one man and one or more women.

• Marriage shall not impede a man's right to take concubines in addition to his wife or wives.
• A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she shall be executed by public stoning.
• Marriage of a believer and a non-believer shall be forbidden.
• Since marriage is for life, neither this Constitution nor the constitution of any State, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to permit divorce.
• If a married man dies without children, his brother shall marry the widow. If he refuses to marry his brother's widow or deliberately does not give her children, he shall pay a fine of one shoe and be otherwise punished in a manner to be determined by law.
  

This man has cut his home town out of his will and shut down the world-class website he built for it. Makes me feel better about our decision to take the route through Nebraska, rather than Kansas, on our way back to Boston next week.

[Hat tip to Andrew]

Can Anyone Identify This Man's Husband?

Why couldn't Adam Nagourney report the identity of the other half of this newly-wed couple? Surely there are public records of their nuptials; you can't have a civil marriage in complete privacy, nor should anyone be entitled to privacy regarding something so basic as the names of the betrothed. Couldn't he find a marriage certificate for Finkelstein filed anywhere in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts? What gives?

More from Florida on the "Culture of Life"

In its never-ending rush to lead the country in hypocrisy, the Florida legislature has now made it easier to get away with murder. Where were the Schindlers and Randall Terry during this debate?

What about the sanctity of the Schaivo marriage?

As I write, the feeding tube has been removed from Terry Schaivo despite the outrageous efforts of FEDERAL legislators to override years of unanimous legal rulings in favor of her husband's right to make decisions regarding his wife's health. Thankfully, medical ethicist Arthur Caplan has stated what should be have been obvious to all, especially those who have used the idea of the sanctity of marriage to deny marriage rights to homosexuals (link):

Ever since the New Jersey Supreme Court allowed a respirator to be removed from Karen Ann Quinlan and the U.S. Supreme Court declared that feeding tubes are medical treatments just like respirators, heart-lung machines, dialysis and antibiotics, it has been crystal clear in U.S. law and medical ethics that those who cannot speak can have their feeding tubes stopped. The authority to make that decision has fallen to those closest to the person who cannot make their own views known. First come husbands or wives, then adult children, then parents and other relatives.

That is why Michael Schiavo, despite all the hatred that is now directed against him, has the right to decide his wife's fate. The decision about Terri's life does not belong to the U.S. Congress, President Bush, Rep. Tom Delay of Texas, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the Florida Legislature, clerics in Rome, self-proclaimed disability activists, Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry, conservative commentators, bioethicists or Terri's parents. The decision is Michael's and Michael's alone.

Remember the recent debate about gay marriage and the sanctity of the bond between husband and wife? Nearly all of those now trying to push their views forward about what should be done with Terri Schiavo told us that marriage is a sacred trust between a man and a woman. Well, if that is what marriage means then it is very clear who should be making the medical decisions for Terri? Her husband.

Peggy Noonan couldn't be more wrong when she urges Republicans to act because "no one will mad at you." I am mad at them. How dare they assert that they know better than the countless judges and doctors who have reviewed the case in detail over the past fifteen years? And what has happened to the conservative notions of limited government and respect for rule of law? It is abundantly clear that power has gone to the heads of the Republican leadership in Washington, for they consistently ignore the judiciary's role as a co-equal branch of government (have they read the U.S. Constitution lately, or ever?).

Try this at home....

Guess I need to work on my knowledge of "proof," but oh well -try the test yourself at The Alcohol Knowledge Test written by hoppersplit on Ok Cupid.

Bourbon Congratulations! You're 123 proof, with specific scores in beer (60) , wine (100), and liquor (104).

Screw all that namby-pamby chick stuff, you're going straight for the bottle and a shot glass! It'll take more than a few shots of Wild Turkey or 99 Bananas before you start seeing pink elephants. You know how to handle your alcohol, and yourself at parties.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 39% on proof You scored higher than 86% on beer index You scored higher than 95% on wine index You scored higher than 94% on liquor index

Link: The Alcohol Knowledge Test written by hoppersplit on Ok Cupid

Guess this time there's actually smoke with the fire

[Warning: Link not safe for workplace viewing]
Looks like the blogger-led kerfuffle over Jeff Gannon's [try this .pdf link if the server is busy]presence in the White House briefing room has a basis in fact. Apparently, a man who had no trouble gaining daily access to the White House has a recent past that includes involvement with gay on-line porn and, apparently, male prostitution. And to think, this from a White House bent on forcing Fundamentalist Christian beliefs on all of us.

Here's a first...

My local Sprint store has instituted a new restaurant-like waiting list, complete with a host standing at a podium with a clipboard to manage its customer service demands. He takes my name, and then I guess I'm just suppose to stand around and wait to be called.




I am fifth in line, and it's 4 in the afternoon. There are three clerks working, and someone who looks like a manager milling about. Here's an idea: why not just schedule more staff so customers can simply stand in line for the next available clerk? Better yet, why not have a dedicated register just for people who want to buy or return a retail item (such as yours truly) - and not signup for cell phone service (a time-consuming task) or talk to a technician to solve a problem? What makes them think this system makes any sense for a person who has stopped in to make a retail purchase (it is a Sprint STORE, after all!)? Maybe it's just their way of encouraging customers to use their web site to make purchases. If they don't drive them away to other service providers, that is.

The New Functionalism

According to Iowa Republican representative Steve King, sex has two purposes: procreation and recreation. He's using this to argue that the new Medicare prescription drug coverage should not cover ED treatments, calling them "sex enhancing drugs." Such narrow thinking about the function of sex is to be expected from someone who hasn't fully grapsed that it is 2005, not 1955, let alone how some religions view sex. Further, it sounds like the Congressman is confusing Viagra with lotions or other paraphernalia. Would someone please explain to him the difference between a legitimate medical condition and a need to impress one's partner?

Prediction: The Christian Right's Next Target

No, not the Oscars, at least not before Chris Rock finishes the gig. The debate will be sparked by Million Dollar Baby, one of the year's best films. If you've seen the film, you'll know what I mean. If you haven't, run - do not walk - to see it, because once the debate begins your enjoyment of the movie (IMHO) will be spoiled.

Donnie Deutsch: Can He Save CNBC's Night Time?

Donnie Deutsch launched the nightly version of his "Big Idea" tonight on CNBC, and from the little I watched, he's off to a good start. Star Jones kicked off the show with details about The Donald's wedding. One question: Deutsch's teeth look different, more perfect than I'd noticed in the past. New veneers? Or is he just smiling more broadly because he gets some regular time away from the office now?

Check "Yes" or "No"

I always check the "No" box where my 1040 asks if I want to contribute to the Presidential Election fund. Here's an idea: let us contribute to the reward for capturing Osama Bin Laden and I'd not only check the "Yes" box, I'd lobby everyone I know to do the same and so would everyone else. The probable result: a fundraiser that would put Jerry Lewis' work to shame.

Blizzard of '05

As of 10:45 am, we've had almost 24" of snow, and it's probably going to continue until this evening. The poor dog; he's so confused! Here's the view from our front door, looking onto Commonwealth Ave.



Looks like a good afternoon for a movie marathon - perhaps The Godfather trilogy or maybe the Marx Brothers.

How Kerry Blew It

Finally someone explains the real reason John Kerry lost the election. Kerry never explained what he meant by his oft-repeated campaign line: "I defended my country as a young man and I'll defend it as President." Recall that Kerry made his name by testifying against the war after he returned from 'Nam. So when, exactly, as a young man did he think he was defending his country, and against whom? If he thought he went to war to defend his country, but returned with a different belief, he never said so. If he still believes that he was defending his country in VietNam, then doesn't that call into question the core belief of the anti-war protest movement: that no US interests were at stake, that it was a civil war we had no business being involved with?

Maybe it's the altitude?

A man in Littleton, CO (near the mile-high city) survived with a 4-inch nail in his skull. Undiscovered for six days, the nail had been embedded by a nail gun that backfired. A toothache and some blurred vision led the man to seek medical attention, and an x-ray revealed the cause. Guess it's a good thing he didn't have to take a flight that week; he would really have flummoxed the folks at security.

Braised Short Ribs, Part Deux

The verdict is in....the shirt ribs were succulent, falling off the bones, soft as butter. I see why the techniques and recipes of French cooking have stood the test of time. The folks down under at Rosemount Estates contributed to the success as well: the ribs braised in their Cabernet/Merlot blend and the Shiraz/Cabernet accompanied the meal. We finished with simple fresh strawberries and hand-whipped Chantilley cream. All in all, a fine night of dining.

Balthazar's Short Ribs, part one

Deep breath - let's try to make Balthazar's recipe for braised short ribs. Start the clock...30 minutes of prep (get that mise en place in place!); 15 minutes to brown the ribs, ten minutes of sauteing, and 20 minutes of reducing the Cabernet/Madiera/tomato paste/beef juices mixture. Let cool, then put in the 'fridge to marinate overnight. Stay tuned for part two, and the results!

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Don't Work

The U.S. military has discharged more than two dozen linguists for being gay during the past six years. Meanwhile, we're trying to fight a war on terror, and the deficit of trained speakers of Arabic as well as Farsi puts our soliders, marines, airmen, and sailors at great peril to say nothing of the risks to homeland security. I guess this is just another way that Bill Clinton left the country less safe and less prepared for the dangers of the 21st Century.

Sayonara Serena!

Appearing in her last episode after a four year run, Elisabeth Rohm went out with a "Law & Order twist." Her character,Asst. Dist. Atty. Serena Southerlyn, was fired by her boss for being too passionate, rather than cold-blooded, in her pursuit of justice. Her response? "It's not because I'm a lesbian, is it?" Have we ever had even the slightest inkling that she was a sister of Sappho? I wish I could salute Rohm for playing an out-of-the-closet lesbian whose sexual orientation was irrelevant to her job performance, it was never reflected in her characterization. In fact, during her stint on the show she has demonstrated no growth or development as an actor. She started weak and never really created a character I cared at all about. Good-bye, and good luck, I say.

Flashback: 1969 Draft Lottery

I've been reading David Leavitt's most recent novel, The Body of Jonas Boyd. One character's 1969 military draft lottery number is four, and he decides to escape to Canada. This got me wondering: what would my lottery number have been, and would it have been low enough to mean I would have been sent to 'Nam? Turns out my birthdate was #27 in the 1969 lottery; my husband's was #30. Had we been born 15 years earlier, does this mean we might have met somewhere in the Mekong Delta instead of in New Haven?

Marriage, schmarriage!

Gavin Newsom, San Fransisco's mayor, has announced that he and his wife of three years are getting divorced. The couple cited the difficulties of dealing with careers--which they had before they met, got engaged, and wed--that place them on opposite coasts. Now, recall that this is the same mayor who granted marriage licenses to 4000 gay and lesbian couples in violation of California law and in the process contributed to the political firestorm that resulted in the passage of 11 state contitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage to say nothing of President Bush's support for amending the U.S. Constitution to do the same. I guess we now more fully understand what was going on: I don't doubt that he believes in marriage equality for gays and lesbians, but now we also see that his regard for marriage is something less than traditional for heterosexuals as well.

Anderson Cooper in Sri Lanka

Anderson Cooper has been a stand-out in the tsumani coverage on television. His is a calming presence, sincere and understated. Like the excellent ITN reporter Dan Rivers, whose reports have been on The NewsHour, Cooper's reportage has avoided adjectives, especially comparatives, and reported with nouns and verbs (not gerunds - so take that, NBC and Fox!). Now if only CBS would hire Cooper to replace Dan Rather.....

Bark Mitzvah? Oy vey!

Odd coincidence: two days after this article ran in the NY Times our Aunt Mary sent this Chanukah gift to our whippet, King Louie. Now, if only he would just learn his torah portion...

Has Dan Rather snapped his tether?

Does it bother anyone else that Dan Rather has started referring to "the government representing the people of the United States"? Why has he stopped calling it "the U.S. Government"? Is this the beginning of an industry-wide trend, or just another example of Dan-the-situation-could-give- an-aspirin-a-headache-Rather's blatherisms?

Dim Sum in Chinatown

Got together with the family for dim sum today at Emperor Garden. Judging from the procenium separating one huge dining room from the next and the murals on the wall, I assumed the building had once housed a grand movie palace. Turns out it was a site for entertainment, but for men only. According to my sister-in-law, who remembers it from her days at Tufts, it used to be a strip club known as The Naked I. As for the meal, my feeling is I always think I'm going to enjoy dim sum more than I ever actually do. The sweet pork buns are a treat, but overall I'd rather just order from the menu and share a few plates. Dim sum strikes me as a quintessentially male type of meal; it's all about hunting for the next bit to eat waiting for the carts pass by and then devouring what you nab.

Happy New Year, 2005

We watched this DVD last night, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)", courtesy of Netflix. I found parts of it a tad too psychodelic for my taste, but the creative impulse is breathtaking. Are there no limits to the imagination of Charlie Kaufman?