February 28, 2005
Last rap item for a little while, promise
Foxy Brown told my brother that Game wouldn't last with 50 Cent because of the former's ego and now there's this:
Bush fired Mapes.
I loooooooove the story of Putin misunderstanding that the American press is actually free and not like, say, the Russian press.
There's something happening here....
Now, maybe I'm just a neo-con or whatever, but I find the changes we are seeing in the Middle East pretty amazing. A beautiful, free election in Iraq, compromise from Libya, Syria handing over Saddam's half-brother (who, though a lowly 6 of diamonds is suspected of financing the insurgency), an actual election with actual voting (though, unfortunately, no actual women) in Saudi freaking Arabia and now this. Things are changing and, no matter what the doomsayers think, it's for the better.
Question for people in Brooklyn
I'm working on a project involving my hometown of Brooklyn with which I need some help. Basically, I'm looking for interesting things to see and do in South Brooklyn. By 'interesting' I mean things that you may take for granted would be fascinating to people not from the best Borough. Think L&B Spumoni Gardens, Nellie Bly, the crazy houses in Mill Basin or Manhattan Beach, the bathhouse in Seagate. By 'South' I mean everything south of Park Slope, like Flatbush, Bensonhurst, Bay Ridge, Sheepshead Bay, Brighton, Coney Island, etc. Here is a handy map:
I particularly don't know anything about Bergen Beach, Canarsie, Flatlands and those areas are in danger of being cut from my project if I can't find anything interesting in them.
Le Oscar Internacional
I caught part of the Oscars and more than ever I think that Hollywood is aiming to appeal to people who don't live in America. That's fine, of course, except that most of its target audience lumps Hollywood in the same sentence as the slurs 'McDonald's and Bush'.
There was the requisite Bush bashing from Chris Rock, which bothers me a lot less than the retarded earnestness of people like Tim Robbins with the rhinestone peace sign on his tie.
Did anyone catch Selma Hayek's homage to Che Guevara? What a passionate man. Not as passionate as Stalin or Hitler, but then he didn't live as long either. Roger Simon says it best:
'If Che hadn't died young, people wouldn't worship him so blindly and we wouldn't have to listen to this sentimental crap. Deep down the whole Che cult is just about looks. Can you imagine people still running around in Che t-shirts if he had just been some ordinary looking guy?'
February 27, 2005
For the two people who read this blog for my hard-hitting rap commentary
My brother ran into Foxy Brown last night, at Burkina on Houston, and she told him that Nas was 'a herb' and though she used to be in 'The Firm' with him she was with Jay-Z now. A quick google search reveals that this was in the news but I hadn't heard about it so I figured I'd share.
Blogger Party
Gib from Crosblog and his lovely wife will be visiting NYC March 16-18 and I was thinking it's about that time for another blogger party. How's Wednesday the 16th for everyone? And, any suggestions as to location?
February 26, 2005
Save us.
First the socialists of New York slowed the building of an Ikea in the desperate area of Red Hook, but I didn't care because I would rather take a trip to NJ and pay lower sales tax than go to the middle of nowhere in Brooklyn (with the possible exception of Canarsie, there is nowhere more 'middle of nowhere' in Brooklyn than Red Hook, one of the few areas of that city with no subway). Then, the anti-business zealots stopped the building of a Wal-mart in Queens and a BJ's Wholesale Club in the Bronx, but I did nothing because, really, who was trekking to Queens or Bronx anyway? But now, the insane progress-stoppers are going too far.
Apparently, the best fast food chain in the world, Cracker Barrel, is considering a move to Brooklyn. This is genius as the nearest Cracker Barrel to Brooklyn is 40 miles away in Mt. Arlington, New Jersey. Also, a recent conversation with Flatbush (the proposed area for the Cracker Barrel) dweller Dawn Summers alerted me to the fact that diner-type establishments like Cracker Barrel are scarce in the 'hood. Councilman, professional race-baiter and Ex-Black Panther Charles 'I would like to go up to the nearest white person and slap them for my own personal health' Barron says that Cracker Barrel has a history of discriminating against 'blacks, women and gays and lesbians'. I don't know that this is true, a quick google search shows that there are several court cases that were brought against the company, but I wonder how many companies have never had discrimination cases brought against them and if this is an honest reason to stop businesses from opening. Just to show you the level of crazy that we routinely put up with from our elected officials in New York, the Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, who was courting Cracker Barrel, said "I didn't know about their past; I've never been in a Cracker Barrel. I've already called and invited them. I can't now pick up the phone and say, 'Go, get out of here.'" Erm, Marty, I think they may learn of your feelings without that call, seeing as how you said it to the Daily News and all. Oy.
February 25, 2005
What's in my head.
Remember that song 'Truth' by the Handsome Boy Modeling School I mentioned a few days ago? You can listen to it here. I highly recommend you do.
Update: By the by, I found a great site for hip-hop downloads, if you're into that sort of thing, called Hip Hop Foundry. I recommend 'Envy Me' by Game. That song always puts me in a good mood.
Way too easy
Moron Ted Rall issued a challenge to find the 'worst, most vicious examples of liberal/leftie blogger vitriol'. Right Wing News took up the challenge.
Quote of the Day
So, we could embrace the Libertarian ideal, and work toward a Libertarian world where we'll all just wander the earth -- free from borders and passports, tracking deer with the Indians through the middle of the Wal-Mart, bartering some extra ammo for a bottle of rye, allowing our six-year-old children to strike out on their own and make their precocious ways in the world, enjoying our unlimited freedom...and paying tolls. Lots and lots of tolls. Or, we can take the good ideas from the Libertarians, and discard the rest. The same can be said of any political party, and this is exactly the method that we recommend.-Two Percent Company on why they are libertarians but not Libertarians. Read the whole thing.
Via Kip Esquire.
Blogroll update
I read him all the time and was positive (wrongly) that I already had him on my blogroll. Please welcome Beautiful Atrocities to the California section of the blogroll.
Daydream
I wasn't one of those hoping against hope that Dick Cheney would step down and Condoleeza Rice would take his place before the last election. And, I am not one of those that thinks she has a shot in '08. But, lately, I can't help fantisizing that Cheney will step down (though I love me some Cheney) and that Bush will replace him with Condi. It's more of a want for Bush (and Condi) to make history in this way. The first black person, the first woman, the first single person in some time to hold the office of Vice President. It would break through conceptions on what a president or vice-president must be. That's something that makes me smile every time I think about it.
February 24, 2005
I'm sad.
Love of my life Vincent Gallo is playing a show tonight and I can't go (because I'll be working until late, because it's sold-out and because I have plans with the girls).
Via Peter.
Comments.
I'm still having issues with the comment section. If you get an error message, please do not repost your comment. The message means that your comment is being held for my approval. I approve comments frequently throughout the day.
Blogroll Update
Two more for the NY section:
Manhattan Transfer- I met him through Meghan of the late and great blog Swamp City. Then, at CPAC, I approached him and he seemed not to know me. Turns out, his brother is ridiculously similar looking. Just a warning.
New York Journal-We met last night at James Panero's place and he had the dry sense of humor that I always enjoy. He didn't seem as fond as I was of the tomato soup at the Irish pub that we went to afterward, but I can forgive small flaws.
February 23, 2005
Someone Else's Story (by guest blogger Dorian Davis)
Voter Registration in Manhattan:
Democrats: 581,000
Republicans: 99,000
Last night, I went to the first meeting of the School of Applied Politics (S.O.A.P.)--a biweekly program for people interested in pursuing city council seats--at the Metropolitan Republican Club in Manhattan. There were some great candidates, and I hope they run, but will they?
The media scrutiny is so intense and, often, ugly, that people who could viably overcome the background checks, by the press and the opposition, and make a successful candidacy--people without skeletons in their closets--are dull, and suffer from personality deficits. Those unexciting people run for citywide and national offices and, more often than not, they lose. Why? A couple of reasons. The most obvious is the six-to-one ratio of Democrats to Republicans in Manhattan. But, it is more than that. After all, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Bloomberg won mayoral races on a Republican ticket, and Pataki won the State House. The perpetual losing streak of Republican candidates in many of the State Assembly and Congressional districts is because of the shortage of centrist, broadly-appealing and likable candidates to go up against the Democratic incumbents, with the deck already stacked against us demographically.
The local Republican Party designates our candidates, but the party has been actively pursuing strong candidates, and the vetting process is not the problem. The problem is that interesting people--even now, in the post-Clintonian Age--are afraid to run for public office, because they are afraid that their personal lives will be raped and pillaged, and that their privacy will be violated. And, sadly, it probably will be. That's why a lot of good potential candidates resign themselves to the idea of that old song "Someone Else's Story" from Chess, "I could take my chances further down the line."
What do we do about it? Well, someday--and it won't be long--a candidate with a lot of potential and a colorful past has to bite the bullet and run for a citywide office, on the Republican ticket, in New York City. He will hold a press conference, and neutralize all of his vulnerabilities by admitting them, the day that he announces his candidacy. Of course, fallibility is appalling, so he will fall dramatically behind in the polls, but voters will remember that he was honest about his humble past, and appreciate it, whether or not they return to his fold. Eventually, his campaign will hit its stride, a few months later, and his past will be old news. He will spend the rest of the campaign talking about the issues. The future. He will combine experience, good ideas, policy plans, and--most important to his ability to sell his policy plans and build a coalition--his charisma. Hopefully, it will remind us that politics is a game of chess--not an application for sainthood. Everybody has something to contribute, and everybody can, and should, play.
Lyric of the day (a new, recurring feature)
My friend, and sometimes commenter, MKID, turned me on to this incredible song called 'Truth' by the Handsome Boy Modeling School. The lyrics are here. I recommend a listen, it's a beautiful woman's voice singing in the first part followed by some rap in the second. Despite my semi-obsession with rap lately, I prefer the woman singing:
'You can't hide from the truth
Because the truth is all there is
You can't hide from the truth
Because the truth is all there is
You can't hide from the truth
Because the truth is all there is
You can't hide'
It's a small world.
James Panero, Associate Editor of the New Criterion (the best arts magazine anywhere), had a gathering at his place last night for a screening of an old episode of 'Firing Line' where Bill Buckley interviewed Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver. Ace and I got there late and ended up catching up on remaining CPAC gossip and drinking wine in the corner. Afterwards, the gang headed to Molly's Pub on Third where I had the following funny exchange:
Me: So, my really liberal best friend....
Dawn Steeves: You have a really liberal best friend?!
Me: Yeah, and actually, she is another Dawn...
Dawn Steeves: Another Dawn?!! (looking across the table at Dawn Eden)
Me: Well, sort of, she uses the name Dawn Summers when she blogs...
Girl I met earlier in the night: Oh! Evil Dawn!
Turns out, the girl knows the infamous Ken Wheaton though she seems to prefer my 'evil' description of Ms. Summers over Ken's 'crazy ole' prefix.
February 22, 2005
Labels
I've got a newsflash for y'all: conservatives and libertarians are not the same. And you should know, to further blow your mind, that if you attend the Conservative Political Action Committee conference, you may find libertarians are few and far between. Now, notice, I said Conservative Political Action Committee conference, not Republican Political Action Committee conference. It's true that at a meeting of Republicans, you may find a wide range of both conservative and libertarian thought. But, I thought it was safe to assume that if you attend a conference explicitly marked 'conservative', you shouldn't be stunned that that's exactly what you find.
I enjoyed meeting Ryan Sager and I was enjoying his blog before that. I agree with the premise of his Tech Central Station piece that there may someday be a split within the Republican party in which conservatives and libertarians go their separate ways (the fact that this would probably happen just shortly after the complete destruction of the Democratic party is rarely mentioned). But, Ryan seems to believe that in the meantime conservatives should adjust to libertarian positions for the good of the Republican party. That's the thing about 'movement' activists like the kind that attend CPAC: they're unlikely to do a lot of ideological budging and the Republican party is second to the conservative movement. An example of this would be Alex Brunk and Mark Harris, two guys I met on the Herman Cain campaign that I saw over the weekend at CPAC, that run the website Save the GOP. Neither gentleman is old enough to legally drink and both are bonafide conservatives. The point of their site is to keep the Republican party in line with conservative principles but both guys have told me that they would definitely vote for a pro-life Democrat, say, over a 'RINO' (Republican In Name Only) Republican. You're not going to convince guys like that to suck it up and make nice with the libertarians for the good of the party.
Though I lean libertarian on a lot of issues I had a great time at CPAC, as I did last year and as I probably will next year and the year after that. I don't have to agree on every issue with the 4000 attendees in order to enjoy myself. I look forward to Ryan's report from Freedom Fest on the dearth of conservatives at that annual libertarian conference.
Related:
Doing what you can to survive
In New York, we have 'Urban Republicans'. In the red states, they have 'Born Again Democrats'.
Gaming Amazon for good.
I had the pleasure of meeting Roger Simon during the RNC convention last summer. He was really nice and kind, so it's annoying to read that his political beliefs may be hurting his book sales, due to people 'giving those books one-star (out of five) reviews and leaving derisory comments' on Amazon. I don't know how many people buy books on the basis of those reviews, but nevertheless if you've got a second go over to the Amazon page and hit 5 stars for Roger's books. He definitely deserves your support.
Cowboys only.
"I'm looking for a good cowboy."
-Bush said Monday when a French reporter asked him whether relations had improved to the point where the U.S. president would be inviting Chirac to the U.S. president's ranch in Texas.
February 21, 2005
Not that there's anything wrong with that....
....but is there anyone that the left thinks is not gay? Toby at Ramblings on the Matter picks up the bizarro story that George W. Bush was 'experimental' in college.
Bad start
So, guess who went all the way in to work only to find out we're closed today (despite a discussion that happened last week that concluded we'd be open)?
My boss's protestations that he 'thought' he had emailed me did not make me feel any less violent.
February 20, 2005
Is there anything that super-human genius can't do?
Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D, NY) has accused Karl Rove of planting the fake CBS memos.
Blogroll
I've done some rearranging of the blogroll. Please let me know if anyone is in the wrong section. Also, bonus points to anyone who can name the songs whose lyrics are used in the Tennessee and California sections (assuming that the Georgia and Colorado songs are too easy).
February 19, 2005
Snippets from CPAC
-I'm back in NYC now (left early because my laptop won't turn on and it's cutie Peter's birthday) and I just spoke to Acey who is still in DC. He and Julian are heading over to Grover Norquist's house for a party. I'm jealous.
-I'm friendly with John Fund when I run into him in NY, though he sometimes mistakes me for someone who works at Fox News, so this story about his behavior at CPAC is kind of amusing to me. Maybe he thought they were public computers? Otherwise, just odd.
-Chris Nolan, aka the token liberal among the official bloggers, made this observation about the conference:
I've been here in Washington, D.C., at the Conservative Political Action Committee convention and um, they don't like Liberals here. I'm not sure they even like moderates.But they're very nice and well-mannered. They're also very young. If you're thinking conservatives are a bunch of old coots longing for the days of black-and-white TV, women staying home and minorities in their places, think again.
This is a young crowd. Young as in youthful. "I just took whatever they gave me for graduation," says the nice young man sitting across from me. He's talking about his laptop. It's a contrast to the post-election Democracy Rising party I attended in Berkeley a few months ago. That room was filled with grey hair in part, of course, because hair colorists are an unknown species in that little town. This room – this convention by contrast – is filled with fresh young earnest faces. And lots of blondes.
-Radley Balko notes the mixed messages of some CPAC vendors.
-I thought it was common knowledge that Matt Drudge is gay. I guess not.
-The National Debate is all over an Al Franken meltdown.
-Michelle Malkin did a book signing at CPAC and came over to chat with the bloggers. She was a big sweetie and her family was adorable. La Shawn Barber agrees.
-Mark Harris at Save The GOP has a list of good CPAC quotes.
-Oschisms posts about my questioning his boozy smell and also feels, uh, warmly toward Wayne LaPierre.
-I met an online friend, Melinda Haring of Child of Reagan. She was hi-lar-ious.
-Pat and Claudio from Vast Rightwing Conspiracy have some of the most comprehensive coverage of the panels.
-I miss DC already.
February 18, 2005
5 questions for my hero, Herman Cain
1. Who are your political influences?
Jack Kemp, former VP candidate. Ronald Reagan, becuase of his courageous leadership. Mike Johanns, former Governor of Nebraska and current Secretary of Agriculture. Charlie Norwood, Congressman from Georgia. Charlie was a dentist, who gave up his practice to serve. He tells it like it is. Last but certainly not least, Zell Miller, a true statesmen.
2. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
My ten year goal now is to be a political force to be reckoned with. I can do that in several ways, either in elected office or building A New Voice to be the most vocal, interconnected and persistent (VIP) network around.
3. When are you running again and hiring me?
When I run again I am hiring you, I just don't know when and for what office. I haven't decided that yet, but if I'm a political force to be reckoned with, who knows? Martha Zoller is trying to get me to run for president!
4. What can conservatives do to reach out to the African-American community?
Get them to listen. That's sometimes done best one on one. Don't approach with rhetoric, talk about some facts. Talk about tax codes hurting people who make less money. How the Social Security structure is bad for black people because of their life expectancy. I was on Martha's show and a black gentleman called and asked how to define 'conservative'. I said less taxes, less government, more individual responsibility. I'm pro-life and pro-second amendment. And he said 'when you explain it that way, it doesn't sound so bad.' People are too often coming from a different page in terms of definition. Make sure the labels mean the same thing. Use facts.
5. You had the youngest campaign staff I've ever seen. What do you think other conservatives can do to appeal to younger people like you do?
Give them a reason to get excited, that's all I did. You have to be able to present your views in a way that gets people excited. That's why so many young people got excited about my campaign. They agree with me on the issues but they were also excited about the way I presented the message.
Note
I'm having laptop issues but Acey and Mike Krempasky are kindly letting me borrow theirs. I'll be in and out today so make sure you check into the CPAC Blogger Aggregation site.
Update
As I posted the below entry, Ann Coulter was giving a talk here at CPAC. She just pulled on stage her friend 'and scourge of the liberal media', Matt Drudge.
Ace's post on her appearance is up here.
'Famous for DC'
Say what you will about libertarians, they sure do know how to drink.
I ran into Julian Sanchez and Kerry Howley from Reason Magazine last night and though my feet were hurting in my heels and though I was totally exhausted from the day, I joined them for a drink.
We went to a bar called Red Sage by the convention center. As we were sitting there, Ann Coulter walked by outside.
'Hey, there's Ann Coulter!'- Me
'Are you sure?'- Julian
'Yeah, positive, I wonder if she's coming in here'-Me
'I doubt it....oh there she is'-Julian
Turns out, her companion for the evening was Matt Drudge. You all already know I'm a dork so my excitement over sitting right behind Matt Drudge is probably understandable to most of you. They sat in the booth right next to ours. Julian surpressed his 'inner Tom Green' and I surpressed the urge to turn around and look at them even once.
February 17, 2005
The best so far.
My favorite speaker thus far is no surprise: Wayne LaPierre. I only caught the tail end of his talk, because I was finishing up my time on Kevin McCullough's radio show, but he was incredible as usual. His topic was the UN and he ripped into the organization for its coddling of dictators and various scandals that happen within that deeply flawed organization.
As always, my advice is to try to catch a LaPierre talk. I've written about him before here and here and he continues to impress and fascinate me.
The big dilemma from yesterday.
As I was leaving for CPAC, I grabbed my laptop bag with the 'I'm the NRA and I vote' sticker on it. I wear it proudly all over NY, to horrified glances and gasps and never once thought of removing it. But, wearing it to CPAC seems like wearing a band's shirt to their concert. Cheesy. So, I took it off.
I hope to limit these installments of my life and times and actually go see some speakers soon.
Aggregation
Make sure you check into CPACbloggers.com for posts by all the other fine bloggers attending this event.
So far, I saw Mike Krempasky, the aformentioned man of men Kevin from Wizbang, Matt Margolis and Julian Sanchez. I also met Ryan Seger, LaShawn Barber, Erick Erickson and RCox.
Oh, and the Ace of Spades just got in. How nice of you to join us.
Radio
I'm going to be on Kevin McCullough's radio show at 2:45pm. It's on WMCA and you can listen live on his site.
View from DC
1. I got into DC late at night after working a long, hard day. Acey was already in town and I called him as my train pulled in to meet up for a drink. He said 'do you want to go somewhere good or do you want to meet us where we are?' Um....I met them where they were. The bartender thought I was a 15 year old runaway hanging out with older men (or something) because he id'd me and wouldn't serve me a beer.
2. I got to CPAC and as I was going through security, Senator Rick Santorum walked in holding his presentation that he was due to deliver in minutes. The security guard, totally unimpressed, told him he had to go to the back of the security line. I let him cut in front of me, none of the awed teenagers behind me seemed to mind. Sen. Santorum, his aide and I then hurried around the huge Reagan center trying to find where we were supposed to be. He was really nice, and I felt kind of bad for cornering him during the convention to bother him for supporting Specter over Toomey.
3. Kevin from Wizbang is the man. Let me repeat that: Kevin from Wizbang the man. I am chronically challenged by computer problems. And, thanks to his tireless effort, I'm connected at CPAC and ready to go.
4. I saw Herman Cain and most of the Cain Senate campaign staff. I've worked on a bunch of campaigns and none have the same vibe as that one. All of us would drop what we were doing to go work on any race he would choose to run.
Speaking Of Maureen Dowd (By Guest Blogger Jessica)
Gregory Bullock disagrees with her. Here's a taste.
In her Op-Ed of February 10, 2005, "Condi's French Twist," Ms. Dowd gloats because the United States' new chief diplomat Condoleezza Rice would not make herself available to students at the "elite" Institute of Political Sciences in Paris for a tete-a-tete nonpareil. Ms. Dowd reports that the caliber of questioning would have been along these lines: "George Bush is not particularly well perceived in the world, particularly in the Middle East. Can you do something to change that?" The democratization of Afghanistan and Iraq and the burgeoning entente between Israel and the Palestinians apparently have not yet made Le Monde.
February 16, 2005
Missing the Boat (by guest blogger Dorian Davis)
"You'd think the one good thing about merging church and state would be that politics would be suffused with glistening Christian sentiments like 'love thy neighbor'...I'm getting more the feel of a vengeful mob...running around with torches and hatchets after heathens and pagans and infidels."
--Maureen Dowd, 2004
Several years ago, in February, during Lent, I was on a road trip across the United States, on my way to California, and a moment, in Texas, illustrated how religious faith is misunderstood by the liberal elitists: They see religion, it would seem, as an infatuation with the archaic, and outdated, past. It is not. It is a gentle, optimistic, and moralistic, regard for the present and, until they realize that, they will be unable to establish a foothold for an electorate in the Red States.
I drove down I-40, through Groom, Texas, and saw the Cross of Our Lord Jesus. It was a gaudy, oversized Cross--190 feet tall, four times bigger than Noah's Ark--situated beside the highway, like a tourist trap, and we passed by it after the sun had bowed down behind the plains, when it was almost dark out. It would have been dismissed, I think, back east, by Maureen Dowd, and Paul Krugman, as the work of provincial, evangelical folk, completely separated from modernity, like the cowboys huddled around that open flame in the commercial for Pace Picante sauce, who marveled at the fact that the competing brand was made in "Nuuw Yawark Ciddy!"
It was simple. And profound. And what did it say? That a bunch of religious Texans could communicate more about their humanity, with two perpendicular lines, than Maureen Dowd, in a lifetime of columns for The New York Times. And what, exactly, did it communicate about humanity? That people do extraordinary things. That one hundred men in Texas could put on goggles and gloves, and put fire to metal, for eight months, until that metal became a Cross.
And: it followed that, if Texans built that Cross, with all of the manual labor involved in relation to its massive size, then, surely, Noah, along with his family, could've hammered pegs into sanded cypress wood, into a giant boat. That happened, I thought. That really happened. And, today, it is still happening: in moments, like Joan of Arc's victory at Orleans, and Bernadette's visions of the Virgin Mary, that will end up, someday, in a revision of the Bible, with chapters called The Book of Joan and The Gospel of Bernadette. Miracles happen all the time. We see them, if we're lucky.
Thought as I'm out the door to CPAC
Headline: Militants targeted Eiffel Tower
Just so I'm clear: by 'militants' they mean 'terrorists' and by 'Eiffel Tower' they mean 'landmark located in a country that did not participate in the Iraq war', right?
One Party Puts A Trial Lawyer on the Ticket...(by guest blogger Dawn Summers y'all)
The other party nominates a man without a law license to be a Federal Judge.
Now, I don't really get the logic of renominating candidates that have already been blocked, but I certainly don't get why President Bush would renominate this guy.
Although, come to think of it, maybe a Griffith confirmation wouldn't set such a bad precedent. Especially if it means I make Supreme Court Justice without having to sit through another Continuing Legal Education course.
Chris Rocked (by guest blogger Dorian Davis)
Chris Rock Angers Members of the Academy
I met Chris Rock, briefly, when I was a (very) young intern at HBO Films, and my job was to read scripts and report back to my boss, Aria Anderson. Chris submitted Election Day, which eventually became Head of State. It was predictable. I didn't like it. At the time, his shock-jock comedy was good for another script that we were working on, The Marion Barry Story, where his part as a narrator was an excellent foil for the somber drama of the rest of the movie, but, standing alone in Election Day, it didn't have the same impact. I thought: His comedy has to bounce off of something plain. And stuffy. And venerable. And, when I heard that he was asked to emcee the Oscars, I thought it would be a good opportunity for him to contrast his hip and vibrant humor with the serious decorum of the Academy Awards.
But, his hosting duties at the event have become the subject of a controversy on The Drudge Report, with headlines like, "Chris Rock Shock: Only Gays Watch Oscars." It has, some say, put his job in jeopardy. But, it is important to remember that the Academy hired Chris Rock, with the full knowledge that he was a controversial comedian, and the understanding that people have a sense of humor. Joan Garry, the executive director of GLAAD, said, "Chris Rock isn't making fun of gays--he's poking fun at the Oscars." Sure, he has said off-color things ("Awards for art are f---ing idiotic."). He has said inappropriate things ("It's beautiful that abortion is legal."). But, Chris is doing his job. If they wanted humor about cats and dogs, they would have hired Paula Poundstone. They didn't. They asked Chris--a humble, young, black man in Hollywood--to host a self-adulating ceremony for them, where actors salute their "courage," and give each other statues, for putting on fake noses and starring in Booty Call. They wanted a controversy. And got it.
Biggest Parking Lot In The World? That's A New One. (By Guest Blogger Jessica)
A Small Victory has a hilarious post about the reputation of Long Island being a cesspool of freaks, wealthy mall rats and psycho killers, and the new slogan that doesn't detract from it.
Seriously, if they offered a tour bus with the "Long Island: We Grow Them Weird" sign on it, stopping at all the infamous points and serving Long Island Iced Teas along the way, they could make enough money to fix every pothole on the Meadowbrook Parkway.This is where Amy Fisher shot Mary Jo. And this is where Joel Rifkin tried to hide the bodies. And here is the Lohan house, where Lindsay's mom first approached the idea of giving her teenage daughter bigger boobs. In a few minutes, we'll cross the spot where Billy Joel crashed his car! And this is where the Mepham High School boys first got the idea to stuff pine cones up the....Hey, look, it's a Baldwin brother!
Being a native Long Islander, I can relate to the constant attacks against my hometown. Made for movie TV shows, general comments I've gotten and the headlines of the Long Island Newsday seem to always portray Long Island as the breeding ground for Joey Buttafucos or P Diddy sightings on the golf course out east. Through my four years of college, I was presumed to be a filthy rich trust fund baby who hung out at the food court all the time. (Well, maybe I did hang out at the Smithhaven mall food court quite a bit with my warn out Vans, but hell, what American outside of those from Manhattan didn't? At least I wasn't smoking crack at the underage bar like some people I know.)
There are truly beautiful places in Long Island, besides the lovely mini shopping centers with the requisite pizzeria off Route 110. There's an interesting mix of cultures and it's getting more diverse every day. There are gorgeous beaches, many which aren't crazy packed like Jones Beach. There's lovely foliage,farms that sell fresh produce, parks, ponds, villages, cafes, and restaurants. There's beautiful roads where you can see some wonderful architecture, arts cinemas and many cultural events. Sure, we may say 'go with your baaaayd self' and 'dawk chawcolate'. Sure we may have twelve year olds prancing around with their Kate Spade bags in the Melville Bloomingdales. And yes, we even had a couple of abusive priests, a certain someone who shot her lover's wife in the head, and our share of 7-11's.
But really, people, when I meet you at a bar and you ask me where I'm from and after I tell you, you give me the rolled eyes or burst out laughing, I'll ask you if you've actually been to Long Island or if you just heard through the grapevine from your friend's cousin how freaky of a place it is.
Signed,
A Normal Person From Suffolk County.
Going to CPAC?
A client of my firm's, Larry Ward from Interactive Political Media, is hosting a contest for CPAC attendees. The concept allows individuals to record a 30-second commercial about their favorite public policy issue. The commercials will be hosted at and voted on at Larry's site. The winner in each of five categories will receive a cash prize of $500 and will be able to hear their winning commercial broadcast on Radio America. The winner will be announced Thursday, March 3.
As soon as I heard about the contest I started thinking it's a damn shame that Jeff Goldstein isn't going to CPAC.
And I missed it :-(
Email from Slantpoint Scott:
'I just heard Niger Innis mention you as a "Mutual friend" as he is talking to Herman Cain [on his radio show]. It's on live now.'
February 15, 2005
In addition to 'a dollar short'
Maybe its because I practically memorized 'Catcher in the Rye' when I was in my teens, but the thing that irks me like no other is phoniness. And, there is nothing faker than Valentine's Day. You single people think that we coupled people have something over on you on Valentine's Day. Not so. There is so much more pressure on couples to perform on Valentine's Day than there is on single people. So, to show I don't fake the funk, I spent last night like any other night, doing what I would've been doing on any other random Monday. Ended up going out for a drink with a friend and then a short drive through the Park to see 'The Gates'. Peter and I didn't exchange gifts or cards, just the same happy glances we always do.
Desperate.
Tulsa World, a newspaper in Oklahoma, is harrassing Michael Bates at Batesline for reprinting parts of their articles. Wizbang has the right idea on how to handle them.
Lyric of the day
'World's got me dizzy again
you'd think after twenty two years I'd be used to the spin
and it only feels worse when I stay in one place
so I'm always pacing around or walking away.'
-'One foot in front of the other'- Bright Eyes.
Update: By the by, in case anyone runs off to download this song based on my recommendation, the rest of the song is an anti-Bush tirade but a terrific song anyway.
February 14, 2005
On to bigger and better things
Dawn Eden has a piece in today's National Review Online on Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues.
Involving my readers in my day job
Have you ever read a particularly impressive article about free trade? I like this WSJ piece about 'sweat-shops', but need a few others. Any ideas?
Interview.
John Hawkins over at Right Wing News has a really interesting conversation with Peter Schweizer, the author of several books including Reagan's War: The Epic Story of His Forty Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism.
February 13, 2005
Thought for the upcoming Monday
'I got the patience of a high school teacher with a bright future'
-Lloyd Banks, 'I'm So Fly'.
Winter
Is it just me or does it seem that a lot of people are going through some dark times at the moment?
Memo to NY'ers
If you haven't seen 'The Gates' yet, definitely try to go before they are taken down. Peter and I went yesterday and the orange trail through the park looked so beautiful against a dreary, drizzly day. Highly recommended.
Update: Via Instapundit, I find Ann Althouse's roundup of all things Gates.
February 12, 2005
The bad kid.
Esther has an interesting post about adult bullies. For once, I completely agree with Mr. Ken Wheaton:
Outside of TV and movies, bullies--the intelligent ones at any rate (and they do exist)--are rarely called to the mat for words or actions, precisely because everyone is running around saying "Oh, don't let him bother you. He'll get his sooner or later." My advice: Don't be those people. Take the fucker out. Publicly.
A couple of rules of poker with NY bloggers.
1. Don't believe Dorian Davis when he assures you he knows how to play Hold 'Em.
2. Despite Dorian's lack of poker prowess, telling him to stay in after looking at his cards (and seeing he only has two chips left with top pair on the board) will still result in angry stares from Doug who was trying to bluff up his pair of 6's.
3. When Ari and Dawn square off, just assume neither has anything and they're just both trying to take each other down. There's a rivalry there and they take it out on each other in cards.
4. Dawn must be limited to tournaments. Don't think she won't stop playing right after she wins a big pot, cause she will.
5. Jessica always looks like she's bluffing. Always. Only thing to remember is that she is not always bluffing.
6. Lisa has realized that her face (in particular her raised eyebrows) gives away a good hand, so she now acts super-excited whenever she looks at her cards. 8-3 offsuit? Woooooo!
And another one gone....
I'm pretty stunned that Eason Jordan has resigned. I thought this would be a Swift Vets or Dan Rather situation where the blogosphere buzzes about it for weeks, the mainstream media runs a story on page C8 and the hoopla doesn't reach television saturation for at least a month, usually more. It must be worse than it even appeared for Jordan to resign so quickly.
It's pretty amusing that it happened the same week that the liberal side of the blogosphere had their coup in bringing down the powerful and famous Jeff Gannon. It's like, we see your one obscure reporter from some obscure news service and raise you one top news executive of the best known network in the world.
February 11, 2005
She may have the wrongest politics possible....
....but Dawnie Summers tells excellent 'why me?' stories about adventures in her life.
Cute.
I don't know where he heard it but Jeff Harrell has the rumor that W. has been affectionately calling Condi Rice '44' ever since she became Secretary of State.
Who?
Doofy Dawn Summers called me yesterday while I was on the bus on my way home from work:
Dawn: Have you heard of Jeff Gannon?
Me: Jeff Cannon?
Dawn: Gannon, with a 'g'.
Me: No. Why?
Dawn: Because apparently he has a White House press pass and has ties to gay prostitution.
Me: And?
Dawn: I wonder why the blogosphere isn't celebrating another head on their mantle.
A conversation then ensued about what type of prying is inappropriate into the life of a non-elected citizen. Like I said to Dawn, liberal glee over Gannon's take-down is exactly the problem with the Democratic party: they don't get it. The point isn't to arbitrarily get dirt on reporters and ruin their lives. That's stupid, and if we go that route I have a feeling it'll be more than just newspeople who have dirty secrets to hide. The point is to hold reporters accountable for the opinions they insert into news and for opinions, like say Eason Jordan, that reveal their contempt for whole segments of the population. Gannon got into the White House using a fake name. That's the story. Gay prositution? Don't ask, don't tell.
Acey has a must, must, must click top 10 that sums up my feelings on this matter perfectly.
UPDATE: Buzzmachine has a good post on both Jordan and Gannon and writes much the same as I did:
1. What the White House did:The argument on Media Matters and Kos and other sites has been that Gannon is a ringer put in the White House with a fake "news service" called Talon and that he only pitches softball questions and only repeats the official line. If the White House gamed the press corps in that way, that's a story.
2. What bloggers did:
The bloggers went after Gannon personally, first trying to expose his real name and then his sex life. If Gannon is part of a homophobic organization and if he is gay, then that's a story about hypocrisy. But is it a news story? I'm not comfortable with outing as news, for there was a time not long ago enough when revealing someone's homosexuality was a story and a scandal and a crime when it should not have been; to use that sort of attack by innuendo for the other side -- just because it's for the other side -- doesn't make it right. So here, too, the bloggers end up as the story.
More on gay marriage in NY
The Observer blog notes that Freddy Ferrer, candidate for mayor in NYC, may have some problems with the recent court ruling on gay marriage. Evangelical Hispanics are unhappy that Ferrer is asking Bloomberg to not appeal the decision. The funny thing is that Bloomberg claims to be appealing the decision because he supports gay marriage and doesn't want the fiasco of issuing marriage licenses only to have a higher court render them illegitimate.
Which leads me back to the point that it's a bad idea for courts to decide the issue of gay marriage. Isn't there something to be said for politicians taking a side of an issue, us voting for them based on where they stand, and then them representing our interests in elected office? How are voters who aren't obsessed with politics supposed to follow which leader is supporting which court ruling for which reason? If you really believe in gay marriage, shouldn't you try to change the mind of the citizenry to your point of view instead of forcing it through the legal system?
And, back to the argument I was having with Eric Deamer in my comment section yesterday: people can be for or against court-imposed gay marriage for a variety of reasons. The Evangelicals are for appealing the decision because they want to stop it. Bloomberg wants to appeal it because he's for it. Ferrer wants to not appeal it because he's for it. It's always a bad assumption that those who disagree with you are hateful bigots, and that's all the more true in a complicated situation like changing the definition of marriage.
February 10, 2005
More voting.
I alerted you yesterday about the Jewish Blogger Awards that are happening and now I learn there is also a Catholic Blogger Award. I'm a big fan of 'Southern Appeal', nominated in the 'Best Social Commentary' and 'Best Political Blog' category, so check them out and go vote.
Democracy breaks out.
Or, at least takes a tepid step in the right direction:
Saudi Men Vote in Landmark Election, Women Barred
"Everybody was enjoying it today. It was like a wedding. Next time we will have the bride and it will be complete," said election officer Saleh al-Enezi
Yeah, I was wondering how that was going to work.
NYPD to protect Christo's 'Gates' display
I plan to go see the exhibit this weekend. The drawings got me interested:
And I saw the gates sans material on Tuesday and they looked pretty cool:
On the ball.
Andrew Sullivan and Oliver Willis are all over the breaking story that the daughter of Alan Keyes is a lesbian. Of course, the story actually broke back in September, six months ago, right around the time Dawn Summers' blog adopted the R rating it has yet to shake.
February 09, 2005
Hoping against hope.
Well, I got my first email today for a Bloomberg 2005 event, so it looks like he's definitely running again.
Totally random comment that has zero to do with politics.
I hate that Tupac is considered in the same class as Biggie Smalls, just because they died at roughly the same time in roughly the same circumstances. Tupac is just a talentless fraud whose demise brought him the kind of fame that his mediocre music never would. (I'm listening to Nas's 'I Am' today and he has a song about those two rappers).
Just saying.
I can say with some degree of certainty that there is no writer, other than Mark Steyn, who can draw the comparison between the elections in Iraq and the sneering class to the guy who peed his way out of an avalanche, and make it work.
Do something good.
Andi at Andi's World (a fine blog that advertises here at 'Alarming News') has a way to help wives of injured soldiers.
Life.
Dawn Eden's side of the story, about her firing from the NY Post, is out today in the NY Observer. Her comments on the story are here.
I respect the NY Post, a paper that I don't read, for existing as a right-of-center paper in NYC for as long as they have. But, this whole story is so ugly and unnecessary that it will leave a black mark on their reputation among New York conservatives. Add that to the fact that the best right-of-center paper in NY is clearly the New York Sun (sorry, Robert George), and it seems that NY Post has made a big mistake with their handling of a relatively small infraction by Dawn Eden.
When this first happened, I wondered how I would've felt if the situation was reversed, and it was a liberal copyeditor adding something to a story at, say, the New York Times. The truth is, though, no matter how you feel about abortion or the politics thereof, what Dawn added was a fact. Embryos are frequently destroyed during the in vitro process. I don't believe anyone would dispute that. You can argue that it doesn't matter or that her language showed a bias, but clearly the reporter not mentioning a crucial fact about the process was her way of trying to pass off her own bias as journalism.
Rare from a blogger on either side of the aisle
Steve Silver has a defense of mainstream media. A great read.
February 08, 2005
"Ironic." (by guest blogger Dorian Davis)
Michael Moore "Exposes" Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly
Yesterday, on michaelmoore.com, there was a split screen of Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly "exposed" by Canada's CBC as, allegedly, "liars." Coulter's "lie" was misinformation about Canadian troop deployment to Vietnam, and O'Reilly's "lie" was a one-year-old reference to the "Paris Business Review," a phrase that Moore and Al Franken assumed referred to a periodical, which happened not to exist, when, in fact, O'Reilly never referred to it as a publication, and probably just misspoke.
Is this guy kidding? The best dirt he has on those nefarious "liars" is a mistatement about Canadian troop deployment 35 years ago, and a vague reference to a magazine allegedly called The Paris Business Review? In espousing these charges, when he, himself, is the most famous propagandist of the twenty-first century, Moore has created a very unsubtle, living, breathing irony, that even Alanis Morissette, who misrepresented irony eleven times in her song "Ironic," could probably understand, and I covered it in my review of Fahrenheit 9/11, named, unfortunately, Best Picture of the Year by the People's Choice Awards:
"That finessing of the facts is a Michael Moore trademark. Take the scene of the movie where he shows the American "shock and awe" bombing campaign in Iraq, and says that Iraq never murdered a U.S. citizen. Of course, he forgot to mention the Gulf War, when hundreds of American citizens were killed to free a country that Saddam took by force. He forgot to mention the highly publicized attempt to assassinate President George H. W. Bush. He forgot to mention the fact that Iraq shot at U.S. planes every day for a decade during the inspections of the 1990s. And he forgot to mention the American pilot, Scott Spiecher, who was shot down in the Gulf War, and disappeared. Iraq disavowed any knowledge of him. His initials were found after the liberation in 2003, carved on the wall of a prison in Baghdad. Where is Scott Speicher?"
More Dutch Insanities (By Guest Blogger Jessica>)
Two European films shown at the 34th Rotterdam international film festival caused quite a stir among cinema critics and the audience.
Reason? Presenting anti-western attacks by extremists as a retaliation for the mounting hate and persecution campaigns targeting Muslims in the West in the wake of the 9/11 attacks......
He maintained that cinema remains “the strongest means in exposing the unjust and repressive practices by some Western governments against their Muslim communities”.
“That means is more effective than bullets in revealing the tragedy of the Palestinian people and the aggressions of the Israeli occupation forces.”
Via LGF
That's right, I'm looking for pity
I'm still at work. It's hour 16 of today's workday after having worked all weekend. Sigh.
Update: 2:41am and still at work. Hey, guest bloggers, busy tomorrow (today)?
February 07, 2005
Howard's End (by guest blogger Dorian Davis)
Dean Opponent Bows Out of the Chairman's Race
Howard Dean is running, unopposed, for chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee.
Via The Drudge Report.
Quote of the Day
I don't really know what this means since the only DNC Chair I really knew was Terry McAuliffe and really a one-legged, retarded chimpanzee can do better than Terry McAuliffe.
What Did The Dutch Ever Do To Them, Anyway? (By Guest Blogger Jessica)
Dutch school officials are afraid to step up to the plate and blame those that are actually at fault. Two high school students were strongly advised to remove the dutch flag their backpacks, for fear of violence from immigrant students.
The 16 year old boy and his friend where told by the director of their school that they "urgently should consider" to remove the Dutch flags from their bags, it could provoke other students, mainly Moroccan students. The two considered the urgent request of the school as a prohibition.
One would think that something like this would never happen in the states, but I remember this story a while back, in which a twelve year old girl was asked to remove her red, white and blue beads because school officials said the colors supported a gang.
In both cases, school officials were showing fear of potential tragic events and trying to prevent any sort of incident from occurring. What they failed to do in both cases was to send a message across to the student body of what is appropriate behavior and what isn't.
These stories really irk me. I mean, is it really that hard to get up in front of a bunch of thirteen year olds and tell them that they will be thrown out of school if they do anything so as to even mutter a threatening word? To see passivity in colleges and universities is nothing out of the ordinary. But now this ridiculous form of tolerance is spreading to highschools and junior high schools. It's ironic that those that are most vocal about having fear instilled in them are the ones that are ready to back down even before threats ensue. The idea that either of these acts would cause an ounce of provocation is truly absurd, and this is what should be laid out on the table.
I'm still waiting for the flying cars and teleportation beams (by guest blogger Evil Dawn)
Sometimes I think you have to be middle aged to realize how cool things are. You grow up with MP3s and iPods, as my daughter will, and it’s the way things are. If you remember the KUNK-KUNK of an 8-track tape, having a featherweight gumpack that holds a billion bits of music is really quite remarkable. (Metheny was followed by something from the “Run Lola Run” soundtrack, which was followed by “I Apologize,” by some nutless 30s warbler, followed by “Dawn” by Grieg.) And then there's the cellphones and the tiny cameras and the widescreen TVs and home computers that sing to each other silently across the world; wonders, all. This really is the future I wanted. Although I expected longer battery life.
The Modern Monarchists (by guest blogger Dorian Davis)
"Till now the Republicans have indeed beaten the slaves of monarchy in the field of battle, and driven the troops of the King of Great Britain from the shores of our country; but the secret enemies of the American Revolution--her internal, insidious, and indefatigable foes, have never till now been completely discomfited."
--The Aurora, 1801
In 1788, a Federalist, John Adams, cemented his political fate--his ostracism as a monarchist--when he suggested that we call the president, "His Excellency, George Washington." And now, in 2005, a new batch of elitists are sealing their political fates by suggesting that we defer to "The Honorable" judges of the city and state courts, the appellate courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court:
In fact, one of those elitists, Judge Doris Ling-Cohan, in Manhattan, bypassed the will of the people and, absurdly, construed the words of the New York State marriage law, "husband and wife, bride and groom," to apply equally to both men and women, opening the door for gay marriage. Her logic is tortured. It is pretty pathetic. And it matters because, if we can bend the law blatantly and, frankly, wrong-headedly, for a "good" cause, we can do it for a bad one.
The words "equal protection" are used in a vacuum, but it's part of a five-word phrase: "equal protection under the law." The law doesn't afford any particular group of people a "right" to get married. In this case, the law specifies qualifications for a marriage license, the same way that it specifies qualifications for a hunting license and a driver's license. But, there is no "right" to hunt. There is no "right" to drive. And there is no "right" to get married.
There are people--from Ling-Cohan to Gavin Newsom in San Francisco--who appear to believe, simply, that voters are too stupid to make a decision on the issue of gay marriage. It is the same crowd that would argue that "the majority isn't always right," and that sometimes, like in the case of Brown vs. the Board of Education, the court has to intervene.
In Dredd Scott vs. Sandford, that "intervention," a heretical misreading of the Constitution, meant that all black people born into slavery were permanently condemned to it. In Roe vs. Wade, the right to life (and it's not in quotation marks because it was listed as one of the rights of mankind in the Declaration of Independence) was stamped out by "interpretations" of "rights," like the "right" to privacy, that don't exist, and never existed, in the U.S. Constitution.
Today, like in the time of John Adams, we are facing the "secret enemies," and "internal foes" of a pure democracy, and they are abounding in the debate on gay marriage. They simply don't trust our people. Of course, they're correct in their assertion that the majority isn't always right. But, they have forgotten the other side of that equation: that the minority isn't either. "If a vocal minority, however fervent its cause, prevails over reason and the will of the majority," Nixon once said, "this nation has no future as a free society." It is something to think about.
Busy, busy
I'm working on a huge event for tomorrow so will be in and out today. Luckily, I have some trusty guest bloggers for you that will do their usual fantastic job. Be nice to them and leave them interesting comments. :-)
Gimme A Hells No (By Guest Blogger Jessica)
Cheney denies having any desire to run for president in 2008. Really, did anyone think for a milisecond that this guy was up for that? As much as I would get down on my hands and knees and beg this guy to lead, I know that not only is he pushing 70, he has some serious health problems and frankly, everytime I've seen him speak live, he looks like he's about ready to collapse. So I'll just congratulate Cheney on a job well done and wish him well as he plans for a sweet vacation with Lynne.
Lazy blogging on a Sunday
You rule. in 15 years, you won't be as known as you
are now, but most of the people that will know
you then will like you (or else I'll beat them
with a stick). You're nice to listen to.
What band from the 80s are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
February 06, 2005
Super Bowl Sunday at the office
Gearing up for the big game on your couch with doritos and beer? Not me, I'm at work, as is blogger Snoozy, sitting 3 feet away from me. Snoozy thinks the Eagles are going to win, but I agree with new sports blogger James that the Patriots are pretty unstoppable. Who are y'all liking today?
February 05, 2005
Busy lady.
On January 26th, Condoleeza Rice was sworn in as Secretary of State.
Since then she's
gotten Germany to promise to help in Iraq,
urged Russia to embrace democracy,
attacked the Iranian mullahs,
and stated that the US and Europe are ready to move on (but also noted that 'There cannot be an absence of moral content in American foreign policy. Europeans giggle at this, but we are not European, we are American, and we have different principles').
Not a bad week and a half.
Life is stranger than fiction
Rapper Shyne, arrested with Puff Daddy during that club brouhaha a couple of years back (but unlike Puffy, the not-at-all-bitter Shyne is doing a ten year bid), and State Senator Guy Velella of the Bronx, arrested on some charges I don't understand having something to do with his father, are cellmates.
February 04, 2005
New Blog!!!!
One of my favorite people in the world, James Kobzan, has started a sports blog. I'll be adding him to the blogroll later tonight. Go check out his first post about some big game happening this Sunday and definitely let him know if you agree or disagree with his analysis.
Good news.
Peter sends along a hopeful email with three links about the situation in Iraq.
First there is this story about Iraqi citizens killing five terrorists and also this story in the Arab News (!!!) celebrating the election in Iraq. Money quote from the latter piece:
Everyone says that this is the first free elections in Iraq for fifty years. That is another lie. There has never been one single free election in the long history of the Arabs ever. This is the first one.
And now it looks like 15,000 American troops may come home sooner rather than later.
CPAC
I just stole this blogroll from Ryan Sager (thanks, Ryan!). It is a list of all the bloggers who will be attending CPAC.
The CPAC Bloggers
- Ana Marie Cox
- Bryan Preston
- Chris Nolan
- Erick Erickson
- Hugh Hewitt
- James Joyner
- Karol Sheinin
- Kevin Aylward
- Kevin McCullough
- LaShawn Barber
- Laura Thomas
- Matt Margolis
- Pat Hynes
- Radley Balko
- Robert Cox
- Robin Burk
- Ryan Sager
- Ryan Zempel
- Sean Hackbarth
- Steve McCutcheon
I sure do hope to meet that Steve McCutcheon fella. He sounds swell.
Anyway, if any CPAC bloggers are reading this, I have a recommendation for y'all: we're given the opportunity to request interviews from attendees and I highly recommend you request to interview Herman Cain. He will be on the Friday panel at 8:50am called 'Tax Cuts and Tax Reform'. Here's a recent piece about Mr. Cain visiting Arkansas. I have honestly never met anyone like him and remain impressed enough with him that I still tell everyone I meet about him. (Disclosure that's pretty unnecessary for regular readers: I worked on his US Senate campaign last summer but have zero professional connection to him right now. I just feel strongly that no one walks away from Herman unfazed and that bloggers should take this opportunity to be dazzled.)
Stupid is as stupid does.
Janeanne Garafolo equates the inking of fingers to show solidarity with the Iraqi voters with the Nazi salute. Is there anything that can't be described with a Nazi analogy these days?
Go wish the girl well.
If you've never met Dawn Eden, aka Good Dawn, then you probably won't get the full gravity of the story you're about to read. The words sweet, kind, smart, real and funny are all understatements to describe her. She is also a serious person, concerned with morality, and a dedicated pro-lifer. She was recently fired from the NY Post. She isn't entirely ready to tell her story, but someone at the Post has begun an offensive against her, talking to Women's Wear Daily. Dawn's take on the whole situation is here. I know I'm not alone in wishing Dawn the best in whatever she does.
February 03, 2005
Smart Dems on SOTU.
Dawn Summers: Bush not the worst, Pelosi deer in headlights.
Ryan Sager's Democratic girlfriend on the Dem response: Ready to vomit.
Steve Silver: Gay overtones.
Mickey Kaus: Not exciting, but highly effective.
The bold and the lost.
I loved Bush's speech. I found him inspiring and huge. His words about democracy and freedom, though some may tire of them, will stand the test of the ages, he will be remembered as the president who believed in those values for everyone and who helped spread freedom around the world. I am more impressed with Bush than ever. The hug at the end between the Iraqi woman whose son was killed by Saddam and the American woman who had lost her son in the attack of Fallujah was incredible. Watching Bush (and Cheney!!) tear up was so beautiful and real. Whatever else you think of Bush, I think few people would argue that he isn't geniune. The random kiss with Lieberman after the speech is part of that. Clearly it wasn't planned that he should reach over and plant one on Joe Lieberman's cheek, but there it was.
The Democratic response was icing. The only thing that could've made Reid's false-sounding talk about moral values and small town ways, the laundry list of complaints with no solutions that swept their candidates into office last election, and Pelosi's icy, unblinking stammering any better for me would've been if Dawn Summers was watching instead of at work (she has since seen the speech and responses and inexplicably liked Reid, though says 'must find closet for nancy, put her in, put chair in front, turn off lights, leave room and get new leader'.) These people are unlikeable and have no vision. Republicans aren't perfect, I know that so 15 of you don't need to comment that in the comment section, but they are so far better than the alternative that I went to sleep a happy woman last night, knowing that I support the only serious party in government.
Have I mentioned this is my biggest fear?
Man declared dead found breathing in morgue
I love that via the power of the internet you can listen 'to the 911 call between a shocked North Carolina medical examiner and the EMA team when they discover that a man presumed dead is really alive.'
As he pleases.
Ken Wheaton has been on a roll with his 'non-dating' series, and his latest excerpt, about hooking up with friends, is excellent. His conclusion? 'Sex with friends can be good, as long as you're both mature, honest, drunk ... and incapable of normal human emotion.'
'It's a tough world out there, particularly when you're an arty type who has taken a staunchly pro-American, pro-Bush stand.'
The NY Sun has a great profile today of Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs. The site requires registration but maybe that's available over on that Bug Me Not site.
February 02, 2005
State of our union.
So, in just a few minutes, President Bush will gave his State of The Union address. I remember last year's so well. I was on my way to CPAC with Oschisms and we were listening to it in the rental car. We kept looking at each other and shaking our heads as Bush rolled out entitlement program after spending idea after amnesty program.
This year seems different. Maybe I'm jaded and believe that a Bush who is not campaigning is a Bush who will be true to his conservative principles, but I'm looking forward to tonight. This speech will come on the heels of the wildly successful moment of democracy in Iraq, a moment that the president believed would come even when others did not. I like listening to Bush speak, all jokes about his stumbling aside. He speaks as big as he dreams and I appreciate that.
The state of the union? Strong, bold, daring, free and resolved to fight a war that was brought to us when Bush's term was only a few months old. It's good to be American.
If I didn't already have a 'quote of the day'.....
First, they fail to disrupt the elections, now they kidnap an action figure. Could al-Zarqawi's "Ferocious Rampant Lions of The Faithful Mud Flats," or whatever they call themselves, be losing their mojo?
Quote of the Day
The only three movies this year I liked completely were "House of Flying Daggers," "The Incredibles," and "Hellboy," all of which got rave reviews but were as "locked out" as "The Passion." I'll spare you any outraged mass emails about Hollywood's anti-Chinese/anti-animation/anti-comic book bigotry, though.
Now that the struggle for equality is over, on to the next battle
Drudge: SHARPTON JOINS WITH AN ANIMAL ACTIVIST GROUP IN CALLING FOR BOYCOTT OF KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN
I love being on the right.
"Competition is a good thing"- Stephen Moore, ex-head of Club for Growth on his split with the club, acknowledging the probability of a rivalry between the Club and his new Free Enterprise Fund.
February 01, 2005
Tonight
The firm I work for is Political Capital in NYC. I was half trying to keep it a secret, just to have some level of privacy, but it wasn't working out (especially since my newly blogging co-worker isn't clear on the whole secret concept). Anyway, my boss, Alexandra Preate, is going to be on CNBC tonight at 10pmEST on the show the Big Idea. She's going to be debating with the guy who started the 'Girls gone Wild' series. It should be interesting and you should watch.
Say Goodnight, Johnny (by guest blogger Dawn Summers)
I am too young to remember the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
By the time I could really stay up past 11:30 on a weeknight, Arsenio Hall was barking up a storm on UPN and well, that's where the "urban" youth of America got their late night groove on. Carson was "the man's" bag, dig?
Nonethelesss, I thought all the sappy montage tributes cluttering the airwaves since his demise -- kinda missed the point. The man was a comedian, after all. But last night David Letterman gave Carson the most fitting tribute. He delivered Carson's last late night monologue.
Letterman said Hilton's dog, Tinker Bell, was missing for a few days because it was "with the Taco Bell chihuahua making a sex video."
Another joke noted Democrat John Kerry, under fire for his Vietnam service record, was criticized for throwing away some of his military service medals.
"Not to be outdone, President Bush threw away his National Guard spotty attendance records," he said.
Oopsie
The BBC has apologised for incorrectly broadcasting figures which suggested more Iraqi civilians had been killed by coalition and Iraqi forces than by insurgents.
Roger Simon writes: What the BBC should ask themselves is why their mistakes almost always seem to tilt in the same direction?
I'm not holding my breath that they actually will ask themselves anything of the sort.
Advice.
I can understand liberal bitterness over conservative 'just be more like us if you want to win elections' advice. I feel similar resentment when NY Democrats tell NY Republicans to move even further to the left.
My honest advice to Democrats would be to cut off the crazies (Moore, Franken, anyone who can't stop stammering the word 'liar' when referring to Bush'), stop calling people who disagree with them 'stupid' and most of all, understand that Americans want to be rich -this means that constantly insulting big business or industy, which employs many Americans, is counterproductive. On the foreign policy front, even the slightest bend away from the 'America is always wrong' philosophy would go a long way. Eh, but it's clearly so much more fun the other way, so I don't expect anyone to listen to me any time soon.
Observer link via Ryan Sager.
