Audience Participation

Nothing makes me feel more feminine than cooking.

Which is a problem since I don't really know how to cook.

My mission for the Fall is to learn, though. I'm planning to take a class or two in the next few weeks.

I spent my Sunday making one of the few dishes I know how, my world-famous vegetarian chili. I, of course, took pictures of the whole thing.

And it was good:

So here's where the title of this post comes into play: I'm soliciting easy recipes. I recognize that there's a whole world wide web out there where I can seek these out but I trust that my commenters can do better than anything I'll find.

So there.

This honky woman would never check out a man drinking a Bud Light.

Via Hot Air, where else.

Dallas does St. Louis

How cutie is that smile? And how blinging are those earrings?

Dallas is winning 14-7 right now. I hope they take it down while I go out and enjoy this beautiful day.

UPDATE 2:57pm: It takes me forever to leave the house, 20-7.

I have a candidate for '08!

It's for Russia's presidency, though.

What's the angle?

I don't buy it: 82-year old weds 24-year old.

Saturday Silly

Iggy got to go to the Playboy Mansion (for the second time!) and all we got is this pretty cool photo dump.

Damn!

Wait. Congress held hearings on hip-hop? How did I miss that great opportunity to mock our elected officials?

Mad Men Watercooler

"The city is everything."- Joan Holloway

I liked Joanie right away but was sort of afraid she'd be a caricature--the typical bitchy office slut. She's turned out to be so much smarter, more interesting and generally just classier than I first imagined. I also love the fact that a redhead is the hottest woman on the show.

That said, my goal in life is to be like Betty Draper--minus the philandering husband, hot and moneyed though he may be. Could she be more perfect?

"Remember, Don. When G-d closes a door, he opens a dress."-Roger Sterling.

Was I the only one thinking "please don't let the twins kiss, please don't let the twins kiss, please don't let the twins kiss"? And then "please make the roommate stop talking, please make the roommate stop talking, please make the roommate stop talking."

I'm not sure what to make of the new Jewish chick. What's her point? She can't just be someone Don has on the side, he's already got a Jewish mistress. And he can't possibly leave perfect Betty for...anyone. So, what's the deal.

Leave me comments, fellow Mad Men watchers. I need to discuss.

Not news

As Allah might write, "shocka": Women find it hard to date men who earn less than they do.

Via Ari's comment section.

The hazards of fake Republicans

Mike Bloomberg not sure Bush was elected.

How much do I hate Mark Green for making me vote Mike in '01?

Song of the Day

"The Tide is High", both the Blondie and John Holt versions.

"I'm not the kind of girl who gives up just like that."-Debbie Harry.

I'm actually exactly the kind of girl who gives up just like that.

Memo to New Yorkers

The outdoor bar at the Hudson Hotel is only going to be open for another three weeks. I was there last night and, to use a phrase of my brother's, it was straight fire.

Dear Newt

Please. Don't.

Clinch, baby.

I'm the NRA and I vote.

UPDATE: Azi has a post on the dinner (although I feel the St. John's rreference is wildly unrelated) and also reposts the picture above.

And yes, Ron Paul supporters were out in force, both inside and outside the event. I've said it before, I'll say it again, there's a dedication there that seriously impresses me.

Mad about...

I'm hooked on Mad Men. At this point I'm watching the six episodes available On Demand multiple times. What's the story, is the season over? Was there not an episode last week? The last episode I have is episode 9.

In the meantime Gridskipper has a Mad Men guide to NY. It's not very detailed but it is helping me get my Mad Men fix until the next episode.

UPDATE: Ask and you receive. From Mad Men's PR people:

Mad Men is back tomorrow with a brand new episode. Episode 10, "The Long Weekend" airs this Thursday, September 27th at 10/9PM CT on AMC. I have preview photos and clip available here.

People I know

*My friend Alex Brunk is going to work for Fred Thompson. Good news for Fred, bad news for us as Alex is resigning from his blog, Save the GOP. Alex was way ahead of the Fred curve, putting him on his presidential wish list back in 2004. I wish Alex, and Fred, all the best.

*Ben Brofman comes up with an interesting solution to Jewish underpopulation. It's not your mama's method.

*Blogroll Update NY: Political Doodle. I met Abe at one of them rightwinging events around town and he's the right side of this bipartisan blog. Check it out.

*Robert George is competing to be NY's Funniest Reporter on Wednesday, Oct.3. Click here for details.

Song of the Day

"Never Let Me Down" by Kanye West.

I've had this old song on repeat for a few days. It's great, though I could live without the preachy political Kanye verse.

"It's got a line about his mom getting arrested at age 6 for a sit-in and he sings that with that in his blood he was born to be different"- Me

"Kanye? He doesn't seem different."- Dawn Summers

What's a little fascism between you and a friend?

Dining with the devil.

Open Thread

I'm busy until later on this afternoon. Talk amongst yourselves.

Oh. Snap.

"I just don't want to end up like Katie Couric. I want people to take me seriously."

-Miss USA Rachel Smith on choosing journalism as a career.

Sigh

I too miss the old George W. Bush.

UPDATE: I prefer Fred.

Evil in NY

Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia. Next up, Bush visits Tehran University.

Oh, and in case you haven't heard, there are no homosexuals in Iran. I love the raucous laughter from the audience. It's better than when a Harvard audience sat silently while Khatami defended killing those same non-existent gays.

Get your money in with the best of it, vote Republican

Obama plays poker (via Fallen Sparrow):

"I always used to kid him that the only fiscally conservative bone in his body I ever saw was at the poker table with his own money," said state Sen. Bill Brady, a Republican from the central Illinois city of Bloomington. "I said if he would be half as conservative with taxpayer dollars, the state would be a lot better off."

Awesome. With his own money he's conservative, with your money not so much.

Fear the McCain

I've told everyone that would listen that I fear Republicans end up with a McCain candidacy (some reasons are lined out here, here and here). I just got an email that Peggy Noonan is doing an event for McCain in NY on September 17th. I trust Peggy Noonan, and I know a lot of other conservatives do too. If she supports McCain, I can see many people following her. This is a sign, people, believe it.

Oh yeah, wait for it.

From Moveon.org's statement about their NY Times discount:

Now that the Times has revealed this mistake for the first time, and while we believe that the $142,083 figure is above the market rate paid by most organizations, out of an abundance of caution we have decided to pay that rate for this ad. We will therefore wire the $77,083 difference to the Times tomorrow (Monday, September 24, 2007).

We call on Mayor Giuliani, who received exactly the same ad deal for
the same price, to pay the corrected fee also.

If I know my Giuliani, and I think I do, he'll scoff at the very suggestion, as he should.

Woo.Hoo.

UPDATE: I should also note, because it's an incredibly rare occurrence, that it was a good day for NY sports. The Yankees, Mets, Jets and Giants all won.

ANOTHER UPDATE: "That's only two NY teams, the other two play in New Jersey."-Peter

Song of the Day

"I am trying to break your heart" by Wilco.

I'm in an alt-country mood after od'ing on hip-hop for the last few days.

Sidenote: he spends 6 1/2 minutes explaining how he's trying to break her heart, and regretting letting her go, and then the last 30 seconds pleading that he's the man who loves her? I'd rather Eminem tell me he can't be my Superman.

This week in NYC

This Wednesday, I'll be attending the Big Apple Friends of the National Rifle Association dinner and so should you.

Who will be there?

(Note: I will be about an hour late).

Random Public Service Announcement

Everyone I know, myself included, keeps coffee in the fridge or freezer:

Air and light are the enemy of coffee freshness. Store it in a dry, dark, cool (but not cold - the fridge and freezer are BIG no-nos) place, either in a cupboard or an opaque container.

Eliot Spitzer doesn't care about national security

N.Y. Drops Citizenship Proof For Driver's Licenses

"We're changing our policy with respect to getting more people out of shadows and into the system so people don't hide they're here," [Embattled Governor Eliot] Spitzer said.

Sure, why should someone committing a crime have to hide? Let's get them out in the open! Out of the shadows! Into cars. And also onto planes, of course, since a driver's license is all you need. I used to do some work for a group called the Coalition for A Secure Driver's License. I don't know that they're still active but this is from a press release from last October:

“Eighteen of the nineteen 9/11 terrorists boarded those airplanes using driver’s licenses they never should have been issued,” said CSDL President Amanda Bowman. “After the attacks, it was learned that the terrorists possessed 63 licenses from states all across the country. And it was clear why they got them: The driver’s license is America’s internal passport, our de facto national identification card that allows holders access to airplane travel, truck rental, sensitive government and commercial buildings, wire transfers and a host of other terrorism tools and targets. The driver’s license is a terrorist weapon of choice, and Congress must act on that reality,” Ms. Bowman continued.

So, thanks, Gov. Spitzer, for making us that much less safe. But hey, now you've got the illegal immigrant vote--all they need to register is a driver's license--all locked up.

A-trocious

Oh Rudy. You have got to be kidding me.

Busy Day

Back soon.

For those of you fasting for Yom Kippur, may you have an easy fast. Repent!

Al Sharpton, still a clown

If everything is "another Selma", I'm going to start using "it's another Jena" to describe race wars manufactured by sleazoids like Al Sharpton.

Just to sum up for those not following the circus: six black teenagers severely beat up a white classmate. "Five of the black teens were initially charged with attempted murder, but that charge was reduced to battery for all but one, who has yet to be arraigned; the sixth teen was charged as a juvenile."

But of course, Al Sharpton didn't become the man with access to suits by letting the legal system take its course. Oh no. He has to find the "white man bad" angle. And here it is: "The six were charged a few months after the local prosecutor declined to charge three white high school students who hung nooses in a tree on their high school grounds."

In case you're unclear, there were no people in the nooses. The kids maintain they hung them as a joke and the prosecutor has said that their actions, while vile if meant as some sort of threat, were not illegal under Louisiana law. You know what is illegal, though? Beating someone to a bloody pulp.

The Nation of Islam, never a group to be left out of any activity involving self-victimization and rage, is threatening the power of the Lord if Jena doesn't shape up:

"God has the power to wipe Jena, Louisiana, off the map," said Minister Deric Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam in Houston, as he spoke in front of the courthouse to a crowd whose view of him was partially obstructed by 40 strategically placed portable toilets set up by town officials.

He told the early crowd that he was delivering a message from Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, "If they don't give justice, watch what God Almighty will do."

I hope there is justice. I hope the kids who beat up their classmates get a full punishment. And I hope people that separate us, that cause the racial problems between us, rot. That means you, Al Sharpton.

UPDATE: Jason Whitlock says it best (hat-tip James):

There was no “schoolyard fight” as a result of nooses being hung on a whites-only tree.

Justin Barker, the white victim, was cold-cocked from behind, knocked unconscious and stomped by six black athletes. Barker, luckily, sustained no life-threatening injuries and was released from the hospital three hours after the attack.

A black U.S. attorney, Don Washington, investigated the “Jena Six” case and concluded that the attack on Barker had absolutely nothing to do with the noose-hanging incident three months before. The nooses and two off-campus incidents were tied to Barker’s assault by people wanting to gain sympathy for the “Jena Six” in reaction to Walters’ extreme charges of attempted murder.

More fashion advice

I know you guys wouldn't lie to me. So, tell me the truth, are knee-socks on a 30-year old unacceptable?

I have found them to be the perfect compromise for Fall weather. Still cute and showing a little leg but not freezing to death. I wore them out with heels last weekend but I'm not convinced this is appropriate:

Crazy in love

Remember when Dawn Summers met Obama? It didn't go well. Hillary went slightly better:

By now, the Senator had started greeting the folks at the beginning of the line. She shook hands with each person, and spent some time chit chatting and laughing while a professional photographer took photos. As I made my way toward the front of the line, I started to panic. I can’t make fun of mormons!! I mean, what if she laughs and someone overhears and then it’s like a huge scandal and it’s all my fault we get President Giuliani *shudder.* So I decided to go with the more sychophantic “I always thought I was going to be the first woman President, but if it can’t be me, I’m glad it’s you.” But then, I heard someone in front of me say something similar, so I scrapped that in favor of “Actually we’ve met before. I was a White House intern.” But well, you can imagine why I ended up scrapping that. Then I was going to tell her that earlier that night I heard a rumor that she was going to be salsa dancing.

Yes! Perfect! Not cheesy, not controversial and hey, if she actually salsa danced she’d have to give a shout out to the Gimp from the VIP lounge!

Done and done.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

She chokes. Read all about it.

Accomplishments

I met Natan Sharansky on Tuesday night. I didn't faint and I managed to get out that he's my hero.

Thoughts of someone who wakes up for alternate side parking

Dear hippies,

To paraphrase a line from Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, get between me and my parking spot and you'll wish you hadn't.

Love,
A lifelong New Yorker who will have no problem driving right over your "park".

As he pleases

Ken Wheaton got to see Kanye West perform. And in true Wheaton style, he bitched about it pretty much all the way through.

Song of the Day

"Hot Thing" by Talib Kweli.

That white voice you use on the phone when you handle business? Is he serious?!

Attention Conservatives (in particular Conservative Party members) in NY

I need someone to score me a free ticket to this. Despite being a rising star and all, I'm quite poor and want to see Fred mix with this crowd. Who's going to hook it up? I can happily attend as press, sans seat, and write about it here.

Ouchy

My own personal nightmare is someone proposing marriage to me in public. I guess that's better, though, than thinking someone is proposing marriage, accepting, and finding out it was a joke.

Hat-tip Peter.

Life after Paul

About a week ago, Kay S. Hymowitz had a piece on the Opinion Journal page on libertarianism. She writes:

At a time when many others in the big tent of American conservatism are in the dumps, such upbeat assessments are rare. Messrs. Doherty and Lindsey are positively Reaganesque in their optimism, and the movement of which they are a part has undoubtedly made a real contribution to the policy debate in recent years.

The optimism she describes is so visible at Ron Paul events. I went to a debate-watching party on Monday for the "Family Values" debate attended by none of the leading Republican candidates. It was co-hosted by a Ron Paul group. Boy, do they love their guy. They are motivated, energetic and completely devoted. Though not a Paul supporter myself, I really enjoy the enthusiasm. And though my Paul-supporting friends won't like me implying he won't be the Republican nominee, it makes me wonder what all these people will do with that energy post-Paul. Do they follow him as a third party candidate (though he says he won't go that route)? Do they support another Republican? Democrat? No one? Thoughts?

Extra Credit: Guess the book name from which I adapted the post title.

It's an honor to even be nominated

I was inexplicably chosen by NY's City Hall News for their 40 under 40 list of rising political stars.

Don't judge me.

I've already admitted to liking Mandy Stadtmiller's dating column. I don't know why, honestly, it's way too adorable for me but she just hits it on the head sometimes:

When I first re-entered the dating scene a few years ago, I was so blind that I thought every man I dated was the Best Guy Ever. Thankfully, my friend Nikki stepped in and gave me the real clarity I so desperately needed.

“New men,” she said, “are like Asian cuisine. The first time you have spicy drunken noodles, you’re convinced it’s your favorite dish, but then you have the pad Thai, and you realize there are other options.”

The wisdom of crowds

The New York Times to stop charging for Times Select.

"I like being your medicine"

Ok, I'm sold, I love Mad Men.

It does violate my "watch nothing but HBO" policy, and the first three episodes aren't available On Demand, but that's ok, I'm just glad to have another show to watch and obsess about.

Help me.

I have fallen in love with something ridiculous.

I was at Barney's Co-Op a few weeks ago and became mesmerized by a pair of long, red, cashmere, fingerless gloves by Phillip Lim.

I don't even wear gloves. And I'm extremely frugal about things I buy for myself. I'm not very materialistic and can never bring myself to spend much money on objects (travel, dinners and cabs are the big leaks in my budgeting).

But I'm convinced my wardrobe will be incomplete if I don't surrender the $145 asking price. If they had them in brown, the color I most often wear, I would already own them.

My bad-influence friends (hi MD! hi BB!) have told me I should, nay, must buy these gloves. I can't stop thinking about their beautiful red softness. If this isn't love, what is?

UPDATE: Co-Op closes at 8. Who is talking me out of this insanity? Bueller?

Tell me what you think about "Tell Me You Love Me"

I finally got around to watching the first episode of "Tell Me You Love Me". It was ok, a little slow, a little pornariffic for the sake of it, but I don't feel like I'm being suckered into some crappy show ala John From Cincinnati.

Some of you might know this about me but I'm a little commitment-phobic. And, it might be true that if you're a hammer then everything starts to look like a nail, because the marriages portrayed in this show give me the serious willies.

Carolyn, the baby-hungry blonde, is a total nightmare, the person on the show I'd least like to know. Her husband Palek is probably my favorite guy on the show but holy emasculation, batman. I'd still live in his house with him, though, that place is hawt. Jaime and Hugo are too old to be having the conversations they're having. Jaime doesn't know that attraction to others will happen? And Hugo doesn't understand that it's something you lie about, forever? Katie and Dave would be my favorite couple, I just like their easy interaction with each other, but they obviously have some deep-rooted problems yet to be discussed onscreen. Any man that reacts like that when his woman asks him for sex ("I love you! Isn't that enough?") has issues. The older couple is cool and interesting but only had limited screen-time in the first episode. At least they're still having a good time at their age, probably more than all the young couples combined.

Is anyone watching this show? Thoughts?

UPDATE: To confirm that I really am sick, my favorite character on the show is Mason.

Today's sports post

The Cowboys, still undefeated, baby:

And did you see my Yankees take down a game where the Sox had loaded the bases in the 9th and had their best hitter at bat? Didja?

UPDATE: I LOVE Shelley Duncan. Hat-tip Peter.

NY Blogger Party open thread

Please suggest dates (sometime in Oct) and a location in the comment section.

I'm leaning toward East Village Yacht Club, because it's roomy and not loud, though its drink prices are on the steep side. I'm friends with the manager so I'll see if they can hook up some drink specials if we bring a crowd.

To the future and beyond

Wesley Clark endorses Hillary Clinton.

No word on whether that means she also believes time travel is possible.

Last week on Long Island

I spent the holiday in Long Beach, New York. LBNY put in new benches on the boardwalk a few years back and people bought the right to inscribe them with the message of your choice. Here are two fairly typical examples:

I was there a few days after the 6-year anniversary of 9/11 and was amazed at how many plaques memorialize Long Beach residents that died that day:

It's easy to forget that this wasn't just Manhattan's tragedy. Beyond that, I don't really have a point, I just wanted to share these pictures.

Lazy Saturday Thought

I think my winter drink is going to be lychee martini. I'm also going to make a dedicated effort toward rediscovering red wine.

Truthered up

Mary Katharine Ham's video of our 9/11 Actual Truth Protest is now up.

I look pretty hot. And by that I mean I look like I could use some air conditioning and a bottle of water. Maybe some anti-frizz product for the hair.

Hat-tip Dorian Davis.

Back soon

Apples and honey.

Shana Tova

May 5768 be our best year yet.

Gone truthering

I just agreed to participate in Todd Seavey's Lolita Debates to argue the anti-truther position against Sander Hicks, owner of the Vox Pop cafe in Brooklyn and spreader of truther propaganda. He's persistent, that Todd. He also called me the coolest anti-truther and I'm a sucker for compliments.

I recently commented that I wouldn't spit on Vox Pop if it was on fire (it's a few blocks from where I grew up and it riles me up something awful that hipster doofuses have moved into the area and set up a cafe to propagate 9/11 conspiracy theories) so that should be sort of awkward.

I'll let you all know the date as soon as I know.

You can take our lives, but you'll never take our Britney

Imam threatens that "prostitute" Britney Spears.

Shows what he knows. She's no prostitute, she gives it away for free!

Yesterday at Ground Zero

The Truther counterprotest went really great yesterday. I had printed 1000 pamphlets and figured that on a rainy Tuesday afternoon that would be much more than was needed. The entire box was done within the hour. The speed at which everything happened, though, resulted in my not taking any pictures, unfortunately. I know photos were taken by others, so as soon as I get some I'll post/link them here. Mary Katharine Ham has pictures of the WTC site before our protest began.

As people would walk by, we'd hand them a flyer and say "Read the real, shocking truth about 9/11..." The great majority of people would be frowning at this point. These people work in the area, they walk by the truther idiots every day. I imagine many worked in the area on 9/11. It's sort of hard to tell them wacky stories about explosives in the building or how the government knew but let it happen anyway. "...how 19 Middle Eastern men flew planes into our buildings and brought down the towers and how it's NOT a government conspiracy." The faces would soften, they'd smile, and people would stop and take one. It was excellent. We got lots of thumbs up from the previously scowling people as they realized we weren't truthers. A lot of people thanked us for being out there. It was really inspiring.

Thanks to everyone that came out, and thanks so much to Alarming News readers for providing the financial support for the printing. You guys rock. I thanked my readers on the front page of the pamphlet. I'll post a copy here when I get chance.

When we were done, Kevin McCullough asked me when we were next going to do this. It went so well that I can't imagine we won't be there next year. The truthers are there year round. Perhaps we won't wait a whole year to pay them another visit.

UPDATE: Here's a picture taken by Jamie of myself with QuickJustice on the left and Dorian Davis on the right: