Oh God, please don't let this be true. Hillary Clinton would undermine Obama and make his first two years HELL if this happens:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/11/13/hillary_clinton_secretary_of_s.html?hpid=topnews
She is better left in the Senate, where she can be a strong supporter of universal health care and her other pet causes. She can stay in her seat, which she will comfortably win for the foreseeable future, and be like a new Ted Kennedy, helping to pass massive legislation. She can work in tandem with Obama and be a key supporter there.
However, a woman who so desperately wanted to be President is not going to cede easily to the actual 44th Prez behind the scenes, and that kind of power struggle and backbiting among staff members is exactly what Obama needs to avoid in his choices for main cabinet posts, especially the key post of Secretary of State.
Just remember: the Clintons care first and foremost about the Clinton legacy. Our country could use a great deal more of sacrifice and officials who are willing to make the difficult decisions, and a hell of a lot less of the hubris that comes with the Clinton baggage.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Julia Stiles Is Bringing Recession Homeless Chic Back Into Style for All of Us
This reminds me of Missy Elliot's video for "The Rain" from 10 years ago where she wrapped herself in a trash bag and danced around to Timbaland's beats, and no one faulted her for it, because that song was (to use an appropriate 1998 phrase) off-the-chain.Julia Stiles, you are no Missy Elliot.
Trash bags (even shiny ones!) are not acceptable attire, and if my fears are confirmed and you are in fact wearing said trash bag over a pair of leggings, you have lost my respect forever. Christ, it's the premiere of a Bond movie, the most misogynistic event possible, in which you are practically required to show cleavage as an homage to Bond girls of the past. Incidentally, the Wax Museum in London should look into doing a series of past Bond girls, because that would be awesome.
Back to you, Jules...throw out the goddamn leggings. Shave your legs. Pick out a red dress that shows off your decolletage. Attend Bond premiere. Smile. Receive offer to star in a romantic comedy film, in which you can win back our love and admiration. Oh, and take Missy Elliot off your Blackberry contact list -- her fashion advice is...not good, ever.
Minnesota Senate Races? Yeah, This Ish is Bananas
First: if you've been reading up and expecting daily updates, sorry -- serious family issues took precedence here in P'Cola, but I'm back now.
The race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken is the most insane political race I've seen in quite some time.
1) It's not over yet -- the recount process continues and it looks like (as of today) Franken is ahead by a miniscule amount of votes. Minnesota law demands a well-organized system where votes are audited first, then recounted, and lastly finished by the entire judges-examining-the-ballots stage. This could take awhile.
2) Minnesota voters felt both candidates were complete assholes and as a result, their approval ratings have been extremely low throughout the campaign and now in this purgatory period where we figure out what to do. Perhaps it's because Norm Coleman is an ineffectual Senator who is as likable a public figure as Nixon, and perhaps people are afraid that Al Franken has simply done too much cocaine to do menial tasks, much less make important decisions on Senate votes. Who knows?
3) Florida all over again, minus the dimpled chads nonsense of 2000. Experts say the lead in the race could shift several more times before it's all over. There are questions about whether some absentee ballots were counted or not. As previously stated, this ish is bananas.
4) As pointed out by New York Times columnist Gail Collins, Coleman had the meanest ad in the campaign, but the most hilarious! He found really beat "Hollywood celebrities" to express their disgust at having to work with Franken! The ad included Stephen Baldwin, Pat Boone, former SNL cast member Victoria Jackson, and a slew of others who jumped at the chance for air time. That ad almost makes me want to vote for him, for who am I to disagree with a Baldwin brother?
5) Franken's essay in Playboy called "Porn-O-Rama" became a central issue in the race! Good lord, how did I miss this insanity? It almost makes me want to brave the bitter Minnesota cold if their political campaigns are all like this.
We'll see who wins, maybe by 2011. In the meantime, I hope both sides continue to keep it classy. I doubt it.
The race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken is the most insane political race I've seen in quite some time.
1) It's not over yet -- the recount process continues and it looks like (as of today) Franken is ahead by a miniscule amount of votes. Minnesota law demands a well-organized system where votes are audited first, then recounted, and lastly finished by the entire judges-examining-the-ballots stage. This could take awhile.
2) Minnesota voters felt both candidates were complete assholes and as a result, their approval ratings have been extremely low throughout the campaign and now in this purgatory period where we figure out what to do. Perhaps it's because Norm Coleman is an ineffectual Senator who is as likable a public figure as Nixon, and perhaps people are afraid that Al Franken has simply done too much cocaine to do menial tasks, much less make important decisions on Senate votes. Who knows?
3) Florida all over again, minus the dimpled chads nonsense of 2000. Experts say the lead in the race could shift several more times before it's all over. There are questions about whether some absentee ballots were counted or not. As previously stated, this ish is bananas.
4) As pointed out by New York Times columnist Gail Collins, Coleman had the meanest ad in the campaign, but the most hilarious! He found really beat "Hollywood celebrities" to express their disgust at having to work with Franken! The ad included Stephen Baldwin, Pat Boone, former SNL cast member Victoria Jackson, and a slew of others who jumped at the chance for air time. That ad almost makes me want to vote for him, for who am I to disagree with a Baldwin brother?
5) Franken's essay in Playboy called "Porn-O-Rama" became a central issue in the race! Good lord, how did I miss this insanity? It almost makes me want to brave the bitter Minnesota cold if their political campaigns are all like this.
We'll see who wins, maybe by 2011. In the meantime, I hope both sides continue to keep it classy. I doubt it.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Wild on Tara: Menthol-Chain-Smoking Edition (Not Safe for Eyes)
I'm sure this question has been asked before, but:Didn't she have those things fixed? Isn't there a plastic surgeon who can fix her bad lipo for about $3,000? Can't Harvey Weinstein or some Hollywood producer pony up the miniscule amount of money it takes to fix this if the public is going to be subjected to more photo-ops of this washed-up coquette? (really, it's been awhile since she made a film, so I'm searching for cute puns and...failing)
Schwarzenegger Loves Having It Both Ways
I feel so comforted by the fact that the Governator (Ahnuld) has made a public statement telling gay couples in California "not to give up" on their rights to get legally married. We can all breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that although California voters rejected the legalization of all gay marriages that happened before November 4th as well as all gay marriages after that date, Arnold predicts that it won't last forever.
Open discrimination for a few more years, and the vague hope of a bright future where same-sex marriage is legalized in your state and all others. Right.
Governor Schwarzenegger, who spent a lot of time campaigning for McCain/Palin, who has in the past expressed his disapproval of same-sex marriage, wants to have it both ways.
In a typical Ah-nuld analogy, he compared the fight for same-sex marriage to his bodybuilding pursuits in the 1970s. "I learned that you should never, ever give up...these people should never give up. They should be on it and on it until they get it done." As if the massive movement against Proposition 8 in California was the equivalent of the 3rd-place loser in the 1975 World Bodybuilding Championship.
Thanks for the memo, you condescending jackass. The so-called "gay rights movement" has been "on it" through millions of dollars, millions of supporters, and a tidal wave of change in the past twenty years. The Human Rights Campaign trumps your bodybuliding career (and your horrendous movie career, and your social-climbing Kennedy-marrying career, and your showboating political career.) The movement will continue, the dream of overturning blatant discrimination in your state and others will continue, and I don't need to hear Republican governors telling me that my best wasn't good enough.
By the way, Arnold: your not-very-publicized "public opposition" of Proposition 8 was helpful, except for all of those times that you campaigned with the same Republican Congressmen and the same McCain campaign that publicly supported it. I'm sure that one press release that your office put out opposing the Proposition really makes you feel like you helped a great deal.
Thanks a lot. I think I'll turn to ESPN4 and watch a bodybuilding competition, in order to get fully inspired for the events yet to come.
Open discrimination for a few more years, and the vague hope of a bright future where same-sex marriage is legalized in your state and all others. Right.
Governor Schwarzenegger, who spent a lot of time campaigning for McCain/Palin, who has in the past expressed his disapproval of same-sex marriage, wants to have it both ways.
In a typical Ah-nuld analogy, he compared the fight for same-sex marriage to his bodybuilding pursuits in the 1970s. "I learned that you should never, ever give up...these people should never give up. They should be on it and on it until they get it done." As if the massive movement against Proposition 8 in California was the equivalent of the 3rd-place loser in the 1975 World Bodybuilding Championship.
Thanks for the memo, you condescending jackass. The so-called "gay rights movement" has been "on it" through millions of dollars, millions of supporters, and a tidal wave of change in the past twenty years. The Human Rights Campaign trumps your bodybuliding career (and your horrendous movie career, and your social-climbing Kennedy-marrying career, and your showboating political career.) The movement will continue, the dream of overturning blatant discrimination in your state and others will continue, and I don't need to hear Republican governors telling me that my best wasn't good enough.
By the way, Arnold: your not-very-publicized "public opposition" of Proposition 8 was helpful, except for all of those times that you campaigned with the same Republican Congressmen and the same McCain campaign that publicly supported it. I'm sure that one press release that your office put out opposing the Proposition really makes you feel like you helped a great deal.
Thanks a lot. I think I'll turn to ESPN4 and watch a bodybuilding competition, in order to get fully inspired for the events yet to come.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
I Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself
Bob Herbert's great opinion column from the Times today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/08/opinion/08herbert.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/08/opinion/08herbert.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
Friday, November 7, 2008
Underappreciated Actresses: Laura Dern
Some actresses manage to carve out indie careers that should be applauded. They avoid the usual Hollywood bullshit scripts ("She's blind! But she's also Scarlett Johanssen! And she's on a sinking ship! But of course, she will be the only survivor because her enormous breasts will allow her to stay afloat until help arrives! Coming: Summer 2010!") They pick out roles that pay far less, but choose to work with better directors. Sometimes they are forced into a major blockbuster or two to pay bills, but their entire daily focus does not seem to revolve around grabbing a Chai Latte at Starbucks in front of Italian paparazzi.I think I'll start a category of these actresses. Of course, my first choice was Anna Nicole Smith, whose morphine-induced utterance of the iconic line "Like my body?" is one for the ages. Then I realized that was completely misogynistic and tasteless, and she's also never starred in a movie, so I scrapped that idea.
Next, I went to Laura Dern. Laura Dern kicks so much ass. She's basically the very cool older aunt that I always wanted, the artist or A&R rep for a major record label or a successful writer who would drop in and out of my life, and send me cool postcards and the best new CDs from bands I had never heard of before.
Her movie choices rock. Here's a sample:
1. Citizen Ruth: She plays a single, knocked-up woman considering having an abortion, whose entire pregnancy turns into a farce and parody. It's the only movie I've ever seen that makes fun of both the pro-choice and pro-life movements at the same time, and it's the first movie written and directed by Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt, Election). Laura Dern is fantastic -- she is a woman pulled in all directions, and one whose own personal choices are poor at best, but she's never melodramatic, just basically bemused by all the attention that her one choice brings to others who have never met her.
2. Wild at Heart: The best of the three David Lynch movies she starred in. It also involves Nicholas Cage, and various shenanigans that are best viewed on screen because they are so bananas that I can't describe them in detail here (Sara Mieckowski can back me up on this)
3. Recount: This was a TV movie released just this year, but she plays a SPOT-ON version of Katherine Harris during the 2000 presidential election recall, one that is surprisingly sympathetic to a woman who has become nothing more than a caricature in American politics. Bonus points for Kevin Spacy being in the movie playing famed laywer David Boies.
4. We Don't Live Here Anymore: She didn't get an Oscar nomination for this, but damn well should have. It's a nasty movie. In one 5-10 minute scene, she turns the tables on her cheating husband by emasculating him about his terrible skills at work, at home, and in bed so badly that he literally crumples into a puddle of tears. It's phenomenal, and so is the rest of her performance.
Yeah, Laura Dern was in the Jurassic Park movies, but they weren't THAT bad, and a girl has to eat, right? But I love her and hope that she'll continue to make really interesting, dynamic choices for movie roles.
Various Political Comments: New Administration
Barack won. Our country's in way too much of a bind to spend time gloating. If you are doing so, stop it immediately and do something constructive.
Just a few things. Rahm Emanuel has been a great Congressman for his district in Illinois. He is several inches shorter than I am (which may prevent some of you from thinking that he could scare people.) Make no mistake, though: this is a man who will destroy you if you cross him. I have seen him raise his middle finger in anger and shake it at someone -- the middle finger which, by the way, was partially cut off in a teenage accident. It's not a pretty sight. He effectively ran the Democratic Congressional and Senate races in 2006, a period which might go down as a more historic changing of the guard than the current election. He recruited the right choices and helped the Dems back into power.
So Barack gets a Chief of Staff who you don't want to screw over -- and that includes Nancy Pelosi, if she tries to steer the ship too far to the left of the country. The fact is, election results aside, we are still a center-right country with an electorate who remains socially liberal but economically moderate-to-conservative. Emanuel is a pragmatist. When he worked in the Clinton Administration, he was a proponent of the welfare reform plan that helped to get Clinton re-elected. He is not a Marxist, and let's not pretend otherwise.
Conservatives have spent the day bitching about how Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan should not be on Obama's economic transition team. As if it's somehow entirely her fault that the American auto industry, which has been in decline for twenty years, is failing us. No, it isn't, and the high unemployment in Michigan can be directly attributed to the fact that America makes shitty cars. Sorry. No one wants to buy a Chrysler Sebring, or a Dodge Stratus. Have you ever heard anyone proudly announce their purchase of a Chevy Tahoe? No, you haven't. The re-sale value of all of these cars is simply horrendous, because they are shoddily made and fall apart more easily than their foreign counterparts. I would love to "buy American" but I also want my car to drive me to work every day.
Another problem? GM, Chrysler, and Ford each have about 4,000 auto dealerships in this country, while a foreign dealer like Toyota has only 2,000 dealerships. Frankly, all of the American auto companies are over-stocked, make too many cars, and sell far too few of them. If that leads to an economic crisis in Michigan, how is Michigan's governor supposed to stop it? How is lowering taxes in Michigan going to solve an auto industry problem she has no control over? She's perfectly capable of helping Obama's transition team for the economy, and frankly, anyone (Republican or Democrat) who is governor of Michigan at the moment would receive a great deal of blame for problems that they simply cannot fix. One woman cannot fix the entire American auto industry.
I don't care if Sarah Palin knows whether Africa is a continent, or how she could possibly not know that NAFTA is comprised of three countries (the USA and its only two neighbors, Canada and Mexico, I found that out in 1993 when I was 10, Jesus). However, isn't it interesting that all of the Palin hate is coming from Republican sources leaking the info. to Fox News? If she was so incredibly awful, how were these McCain strategists able to look themselves in the mirror each day, knowing that they had helped to put this woman in a potentially enormous position of power? Yet another reason that Republicans need to clean house and get rid of the Karl Rove-era strategists (like Steve Schmidt) who divide us all into red and blue, black and white caricatures, instead of voters who are capable of comprehending issues.
As to the new Administration, things I like that I'm hearing: Larry Summers for Treasury Secretary (he has some bad opposition research coming his way, but he's brilliant). Chuck Hagel, possibly for a post in the Admin. somewhere, since he's centrist and would do a good job in the right spot. Maybe Colin Powell as Education Secretary, although he wasn't that great a Secretary of State and I'm not sure why Powell is being floated for Education Secretary when that's not his background. I'm glad David Axelrod is Obama's chief strategist, since he implemented Obama's incredible campaign and will be instrumental in making sure that the ideas go from the drawing board into actual legislation.
Point being: this is not the Socialist/Marxist revolution that extreme right-wing conservatives are hoping will happen.
Oh, and to give credit where credit is due: John McCain's concession speech was dignified, eloquent, and exactly the right tone for where we need to go next. Shockingly, I also feel that President Bush gave a GREAT speech about helping the transition into Obama's presidency. Whether he follows through on that promise remains to be seen, but it was nice to have a break from the bitter, nasty, partisan infighting for a brief few moments.
As to whether I'd comment on Amendment 2 and Proposition 8 in California passing? I may be disappointed by it, but I fully expected it in both places. It is the only thing that could possibly make this election bittersweet for me.
Just a few things. Rahm Emanuel has been a great Congressman for his district in Illinois. He is several inches shorter than I am (which may prevent some of you from thinking that he could scare people.) Make no mistake, though: this is a man who will destroy you if you cross him. I have seen him raise his middle finger in anger and shake it at someone -- the middle finger which, by the way, was partially cut off in a teenage accident. It's not a pretty sight. He effectively ran the Democratic Congressional and Senate races in 2006, a period which might go down as a more historic changing of the guard than the current election. He recruited the right choices and helped the Dems back into power.
So Barack gets a Chief of Staff who you don't want to screw over -- and that includes Nancy Pelosi, if she tries to steer the ship too far to the left of the country. The fact is, election results aside, we are still a center-right country with an electorate who remains socially liberal but economically moderate-to-conservative. Emanuel is a pragmatist. When he worked in the Clinton Administration, he was a proponent of the welfare reform plan that helped to get Clinton re-elected. He is not a Marxist, and let's not pretend otherwise.
Conservatives have spent the day bitching about how Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan should not be on Obama's economic transition team. As if it's somehow entirely her fault that the American auto industry, which has been in decline for twenty years, is failing us. No, it isn't, and the high unemployment in Michigan can be directly attributed to the fact that America makes shitty cars. Sorry. No one wants to buy a Chrysler Sebring, or a Dodge Stratus. Have you ever heard anyone proudly announce their purchase of a Chevy Tahoe? No, you haven't. The re-sale value of all of these cars is simply horrendous, because they are shoddily made and fall apart more easily than their foreign counterparts. I would love to "buy American" but I also want my car to drive me to work every day.
Another problem? GM, Chrysler, and Ford each have about 4,000 auto dealerships in this country, while a foreign dealer like Toyota has only 2,000 dealerships. Frankly, all of the American auto companies are over-stocked, make too many cars, and sell far too few of them. If that leads to an economic crisis in Michigan, how is Michigan's governor supposed to stop it? How is lowering taxes in Michigan going to solve an auto industry problem she has no control over? She's perfectly capable of helping Obama's transition team for the economy, and frankly, anyone (Republican or Democrat) who is governor of Michigan at the moment would receive a great deal of blame for problems that they simply cannot fix. One woman cannot fix the entire American auto industry.
I don't care if Sarah Palin knows whether Africa is a continent, or how she could possibly not know that NAFTA is comprised of three countries (the USA and its only two neighbors, Canada and Mexico, I found that out in 1993 when I was 10, Jesus). However, isn't it interesting that all of the Palin hate is coming from Republican sources leaking the info. to Fox News? If she was so incredibly awful, how were these McCain strategists able to look themselves in the mirror each day, knowing that they had helped to put this woman in a potentially enormous position of power? Yet another reason that Republicans need to clean house and get rid of the Karl Rove-era strategists (like Steve Schmidt) who divide us all into red and blue, black and white caricatures, instead of voters who are capable of comprehending issues.
As to the new Administration, things I like that I'm hearing: Larry Summers for Treasury Secretary (he has some bad opposition research coming his way, but he's brilliant). Chuck Hagel, possibly for a post in the Admin. somewhere, since he's centrist and would do a good job in the right spot. Maybe Colin Powell as Education Secretary, although he wasn't that great a Secretary of State and I'm not sure why Powell is being floated for Education Secretary when that's not his background. I'm glad David Axelrod is Obama's chief strategist, since he implemented Obama's incredible campaign and will be instrumental in making sure that the ideas go from the drawing board into actual legislation.
Point being: this is not the Socialist/Marxist revolution that extreme right-wing conservatives are hoping will happen.
Oh, and to give credit where credit is due: John McCain's concession speech was dignified, eloquent, and exactly the right tone for where we need to go next. Shockingly, I also feel that President Bush gave a GREAT speech about helping the transition into Obama's presidency. Whether he follows through on that promise remains to be seen, but it was nice to have a break from the bitter, nasty, partisan infighting for a brief few moments.
As to whether I'd comment on Amendment 2 and Proposition 8 in California passing? I may be disappointed by it, but I fully expected it in both places. It is the only thing that could possibly make this election bittersweet for me.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Tech Industry Corporate Donors: All About Obama
Which industry is suffering in extreme fashion in the current economic doldrums? Banking.
Which industry has managed to mostly sidestep the coming recession and (at least in comparison to others) remain intact? Certain major companies in the tech industry. I.E.: Google, Microsoft, and Apple.
Which corporate donor gave the second-most amount of money to Barack Obama's campaign this year? Google, whose employees gave a total of $727,000 to Obama's campaign. Google only has 20,000 employees.
Which corporate donor gave the most amount of money to Obama's campaign? Microsoft, whose 90,000 employees gave a grand total of $730,000 of public funding to Obama's campaign. These numbers, of course, do not count the emormous amounts given by both companies to the DNC, and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, as well as numerous political action committees.
Oh, and which corporate sponsor gave John McCain's campaign its largest public donation? Citigroup, a suffering national bank, whose employees only gave McCain a public total of $223,500. Not so good.
Just in case you're wondering, Google's employees only gave McCain a public total of $20,000 (barely the cost of a Chrysler, for God's sake!) while Microsoft's employees only gave McCain's campaign $65,000.
Corporate donors give in order to get paybacks when a candidate is elected. The tech industry will continue to thrive in the next administration, and its leaders expect to work closely with the next president. No one thinks John McCain has a prayer of getting elected, unless there are major election shenanigans. You do the math.
Which industry has managed to mostly sidestep the coming recession and (at least in comparison to others) remain intact? Certain major companies in the tech industry. I.E.: Google, Microsoft, and Apple.
Which corporate donor gave the second-most amount of money to Barack Obama's campaign this year? Google, whose employees gave a total of $727,000 to Obama's campaign. Google only has 20,000 employees.
Which corporate donor gave the most amount of money to Obama's campaign? Microsoft, whose 90,000 employees gave a grand total of $730,000 of public funding to Obama's campaign. These numbers, of course, do not count the emormous amounts given by both companies to the DNC, and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, as well as numerous political action committees.
Oh, and which corporate sponsor gave John McCain's campaign its largest public donation? Citigroup, a suffering national bank, whose employees only gave McCain a public total of $223,500. Not so good.
Just in case you're wondering, Google's employees only gave McCain a public total of $20,000 (barely the cost of a Chrysler, for God's sake!) while Microsoft's employees only gave McCain's campaign $65,000.
Corporate donors give in order to get paybacks when a candidate is elected. The tech industry will continue to thrive in the next administration, and its leaders expect to work closely with the next president. No one thinks John McCain has a prayer of getting elected, unless there are major election shenanigans. You do the math.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Media Matters
When I lived in DC, I had two friends who worked for Media Matters for America, and I've been happy to see the organization grow into one of the most influential media outlets for liberals over the past several years. Even though you're all getting inundated with links at the moment, I thought I'd send along this link to a New York Times article about how Media Matters has had a tremendous effect upon Democratic, rapid-fire political responses in this election cycle. If Obama wins, Media Matters deserves a great deal of credit for it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/01/washington/01media.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/01/washington/01media.html
GOP Strategists Look Into Crystal Ball, See Overwhelming Obama Victory
Wow:
So famed GOP strategist Ed Rollins came out on the Sunday morning shows to make his predictions as to whether (and by what margin) Obama would win this election. Here it is:
52% Obama, 353 electoral votes, versus 45% for McCain, with McCain only holding 185 electoral votes.
GOP Strategist Alex Castellanos makes a prediction, too:
Obama winning 318 electoral votes and McCain winning 220.
Oh, and both Rollins and Castellanos predict that the Senate will have 57 Democrats, 41 Republicans, and 2 Independents come January.
Is it too early for me to get excited yet?
So famed GOP strategist Ed Rollins came out on the Sunday morning shows to make his predictions as to whether (and by what margin) Obama would win this election. Here it is:
52% Obama, 353 electoral votes, versus 45% for McCain, with McCain only holding 185 electoral votes.
GOP Strategist Alex Castellanos makes a prediction, too:
Obama winning 318 electoral votes and McCain winning 220.
Oh, and both Rollins and Castellanos predict that the Senate will have 57 Democrats, 41 Republicans, and 2 Independents come January.
Is it too early for me to get excited yet?
Recommended: "Howard's End" by E.M. Forster
Most of you will yawn at the thought of reading an early 20th-century novel involving two sets of English families. If you are in law school, just ignore this, as you clearly don't have time for outside reading.
BUT:
Howard's End is a fantastic book. I decided (since I have FAR too much time on my hands at the moment) to read a lot of classic books that I never got around to reading before, and this one was at the top of my list. I am a fan of the author, E.M. Forster, and his book A Passage to India is one of my favorite books.
Anyway, some various reasons why you might want to read Howard's End:
1. It provides one of the best literary depictions of England in the period directly before World War I. This book is all about money: the final death of pastoral, colonial England and its inhabitants, who had for too long lived on inheritance and a sense of to-the-manor-born entitlement. This group was about to be replaced by another: a group far richer, more business-oriented, and less artistic. The intersection of the Wilcox and Schlegel families in the book provides the backdrop for this change in the social hierarchy. Of course, World War I would forever change England's position in the world again, but this novel provides a good snapshot of a particular period directly before that time.
2. The book talks directly of women's rights. The main character, Margaret Schlegel, inherits a property of her own (Howard's End) and must learn to abandon her artistic pursuits to manage her newfound property, stave off a family who expected to inherit the countryside manor from its owner, and protect her sister Helen and brother Tibby from outside forces. It's not quite a book that comes out directly in favor of women's suffrage, but it provides one of the stronger women characters of Forster's period. Look for Margaret's direct confrontation with Charles Wilcox late in the novel as an indication of how far women have come in Forster's estimation in English society.
3. Forster uses a narrative voice throughout the novel, constantly interspersing the narrator into the dialogue in a way that allows the land of England to become as real to the reader as any of the characters in Howard's End. The symbolic wych-elm tree at Howard's End remains in place, throughout all of the novel's turmoil, the conflict between the two families, and the ever-changing position of England itself. Everything around it changes, but the tree never dies.
Basically, I like Howard's End because (in addition to being an entertaining novel) there are so many different ways to approach reading the novel. It is not often that an author succeeds in addressing more than one social issue at a time, and Howard's End juggles a large variety of them. If you have the time, I recommend it.
BUT:
Howard's End is a fantastic book. I decided (since I have FAR too much time on my hands at the moment) to read a lot of classic books that I never got around to reading before, and this one was at the top of my list. I am a fan of the author, E.M. Forster, and his book A Passage to India is one of my favorite books.
Anyway, some various reasons why you might want to read Howard's End:
1. It provides one of the best literary depictions of England in the period directly before World War I. This book is all about money: the final death of pastoral, colonial England and its inhabitants, who had for too long lived on inheritance and a sense of to-the-manor-born entitlement. This group was about to be replaced by another: a group far richer, more business-oriented, and less artistic. The intersection of the Wilcox and Schlegel families in the book provides the backdrop for this change in the social hierarchy. Of course, World War I would forever change England's position in the world again, but this novel provides a good snapshot of a particular period directly before that time.
2. The book talks directly of women's rights. The main character, Margaret Schlegel, inherits a property of her own (Howard's End) and must learn to abandon her artistic pursuits to manage her newfound property, stave off a family who expected to inherit the countryside manor from its owner, and protect her sister Helen and brother Tibby from outside forces. It's not quite a book that comes out directly in favor of women's suffrage, but it provides one of the stronger women characters of Forster's period. Look for Margaret's direct confrontation with Charles Wilcox late in the novel as an indication of how far women have come in Forster's estimation in English society.
3. Forster uses a narrative voice throughout the novel, constantly interspersing the narrator into the dialogue in a way that allows the land of England to become as real to the reader as any of the characters in Howard's End. The symbolic wych-elm tree at Howard's End remains in place, throughout all of the novel's turmoil, the conflict between the two families, and the ever-changing position of England itself. Everything around it changes, but the tree never dies.
Basically, I like Howard's End because (in addition to being an entertaining novel) there are so many different ways to approach reading the novel. It is not often that an author succeeds in addressing more than one social issue at a time, and Howard's End juggles a large variety of them. If you have the time, I recommend it.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Elizabeth Dole: Taking Campaign Ads to a New Low
Even by the normal standards of nasty, late-in-the-season political ads, this disgusts me. Criticizing someone as "Godless" or attacking their religious affiliations is sickening.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lf2vDk-4Ag
Elizabeth Dole should be ashamed of herself, and I hope this move backfires.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lf2vDk-4Ag
Elizabeth Dole should be ashamed of herself, and I hope this move backfires.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween, Bitches!
I'm not really celebrating it this year, but my original plan was to go as a Trustafarian. If you're looking for a last-minute costume, it's PERFECT! Seriously, all you need are some fake dreads, an intricate knowledge of well-known Bob Marley songs that aren't even true reggae, access to your parents' accounts in order to pay for ganja and do nothing but play Halo 2, and obtain a fake degree from Brown University! Here's an example!
Read This Column from Nicolas Kristof
Uh-oh! It's another mainstream media opinion column! Even worse, it comes from the "New York Times" (or its long-time nickname, the "Gray Lady," which is the nickname used when conservatives aren't referring to it as Pravda 2.0.) Nicolas Kristof writes about the subconscious effect of race on this presidential campaign, basing his column on two psychological studies performed during the past year. He even links to two sites that specialize in testing each individual's own unconscious biases, and I would encourage all of you to take both tests.
Of course, if you'd rather depend upon your evangelical preacher, your tent revival leader, or a blog even less well-known than mine to gather information about a choice as important as whom to elect for the next four years as president, ignore me. I'm simply providing the column, and attempting to point out that when people call Obama "foreign," "not like us," or "Muslim" (not true, by the way), it could very well be a manifestation of a subconscious form of racism. I know that's controversial and an emotional subject, but pretending that race is not a factor in this election is absurd. It is, quite simply, the huge elephant in the room that could very well mean that the latest polling numbers in favor of Obama are not quite as accurate as they seem.
Nicolas Kristof, by the way? Is not some radical Bolshevik. He's a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and a well-respected journalist trusted by both sides of the political aisle.
Anyway, here's Kristof's column from Wednesday:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/opinion/30kristof.html?em
Of course, if you'd rather depend upon your evangelical preacher, your tent revival leader, or a blog even less well-known than mine to gather information about a choice as important as whom to elect for the next four years as president, ignore me. I'm simply providing the column, and attempting to point out that when people call Obama "foreign," "not like us," or "Muslim" (not true, by the way), it could very well be a manifestation of a subconscious form of racism. I know that's controversial and an emotional subject, but pretending that race is not a factor in this election is absurd. It is, quite simply, the huge elephant in the room that could very well mean that the latest polling numbers in favor of Obama are not quite as accurate as they seem.
Nicolas Kristof, by the way? Is not some radical Bolshevik. He's a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and a well-respected journalist trusted by both sides of the political aisle.
Anyway, here's Kristof's column from Wednesday:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/opinion/30kristof.html?em
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sherlock Holmes
Robert Downey Jr. is an excellent choice to make the new Sherlock Holmes movie. He's looking a little too James Bond-ian, "shaken, not stirred" in the above picture, but I think he's going to be great in next summer's film.Hopefully, director Guy Ritchie can get a quickie divorce from that Botoxed nightmare, completely discontinue Kabballah, get a prescription for Adderall to control his herky-jerky camera movements that impress no one, and make a decent film out of an iconic character. Good luck!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Bishop Allen's "The Broken String" -- Simply A Great Album
I know this was released in 2007, but Bishop Allen's "The Broken String" deserves a great deal of credit for being one of the best albums of the last two to three years. It's like taking Wilco's album "Being There" and the self-titled debut album from Ben Folds, mixing the two into a blender, and producing a unique album that plays more like a greatest-hits album, rather than your typical album with ecstatic highs and inexplicable, disappointing lows. Bishop Allen's debut album in 2003 was impressive, but this one takes their melodic abilities to new heights.
Each of the twelve songs, from the pop glory of "Click Click Click Click" to "Rain," which makes you want to get up and dance due to its quick, frenetic beat, will not leave you disappointed.
Maybe the biggest influence on Bishop Allen's second album has been Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," a song of which I retain mixed feelings. After all, any song whose lyrics begin with "I remember when I lost my mind, and there was something so special about that day," brings up a plethora of emotions for myself, and for most of us. Even two years after its release, "Crazy" is probably the defining song of the decade, proving that you can combine hip-hop beats with a bittersweet melody about falling in love and not being able to control your emotions and feelings, whether you want to or not.
Bishop Allen's strength is much like Barkley's "Crazy," taking each song and applying a sense of universal appeal to it. The eclectic mix available on this sophomore album is all the more impressive, since so many bands crash and burn from the pressure of releasing a second album.
I highly suggest you pick up this album and recommend it to every one of your friends. You won't be sorry.
Each of the twelve songs, from the pop glory of "Click Click Click Click" to "Rain," which makes you want to get up and dance due to its quick, frenetic beat, will not leave you disappointed.
Maybe the biggest influence on Bishop Allen's second album has been Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," a song of which I retain mixed feelings. After all, any song whose lyrics begin with "I remember when I lost my mind, and there was something so special about that day," brings up a plethora of emotions for myself, and for most of us. Even two years after its release, "Crazy" is probably the defining song of the decade, proving that you can combine hip-hop beats with a bittersweet melody about falling in love and not being able to control your emotions and feelings, whether you want to or not.
Bishop Allen's strength is much like Barkley's "Crazy," taking each song and applying a sense of universal appeal to it. The eclectic mix available on this sophomore album is all the more impressive, since so many bands crash and burn from the pressure of releasing a second album.
I highly suggest you pick up this album and recommend it to every one of your friends. You won't be sorry.
Great Recession: The Playlist
I was going to make this the Great Depression 2.0 playlist, but it looks like (at least, for the next several hours) that we're not nose-diving directly into a horrifying ecomonic depression. BUT:
Recessions deserve playlists of excellent music. Here are eight songs that will either cheer you up when you have a mounting stack of bills in front of you, or...depress you. Here goes:
1. It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) -- R.E.M. This one is pretty obvious and needs no explanation.
2. Fast Car -- Tracy Chapman. OK, this is literally one of the most depressing songs I think I've ever heard (all about "getting out of this poor town in a fast car that we can't afford") but it's pretty much a sign of the times for a certain part of our population, no?
3. You Got The Music in You -- New Radicals. If this song doesn't scream "1997" I don't know what does (especially the lines about "Fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson, Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson," which incidentally sounds like the worst fashion shoot ever). However, it just might cheer you up.
4. Don't Stop Believin' -- Journey. Seriously the cheesiest song ever (and quite possibly ruined by the finale of "The Sopranos") but it might do the trick?
5. What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Love and Understanding? -- Elvis Costello. This song will cheer you up any time of the day or night
6. God Only Knows -- Beach Boys. From the "Pet Sounds" album which was their best one, and even if you're going poor, if you have someone whom you love, this is a great song to remind you of that.
7. Cities in Dust -- Siouxie and the Banshees. An old song from the '80s, but seriously, this band had a major influence on practically every major current band (if you listen to a Killers album and don't hear the influence, you're probably deaf). Also, it's about cities lying in dust, which might happen if the stock market tumbles any faster
8. Plainsong -- The Cure. This song is practically instant lithium, it will put you in a very good state of mind.
OK, I'm done. Feel free to leave comments with (better) songs to cheer us all up during the recession.
Recessions deserve playlists of excellent music. Here are eight songs that will either cheer you up when you have a mounting stack of bills in front of you, or...depress you. Here goes:
1. It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) -- R.E.M. This one is pretty obvious and needs no explanation.
2. Fast Car -- Tracy Chapman. OK, this is literally one of the most depressing songs I think I've ever heard (all about "getting out of this poor town in a fast car that we can't afford") but it's pretty much a sign of the times for a certain part of our population, no?
3. You Got The Music in You -- New Radicals. If this song doesn't scream "1997" I don't know what does (especially the lines about "Fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson, Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson," which incidentally sounds like the worst fashion shoot ever). However, it just might cheer you up.
4. Don't Stop Believin' -- Journey. Seriously the cheesiest song ever (and quite possibly ruined by the finale of "The Sopranos") but it might do the trick?
5. What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Love and Understanding? -- Elvis Costello. This song will cheer you up any time of the day or night
6. God Only Knows -- Beach Boys. From the "Pet Sounds" album which was their best one, and even if you're going poor, if you have someone whom you love, this is a great song to remind you of that.
7. Cities in Dust -- Siouxie and the Banshees. An old song from the '80s, but seriously, this band had a major influence on practically every major current band (if you listen to a Killers album and don't hear the influence, you're probably deaf). Also, it's about cities lying in dust, which might happen if the stock market tumbles any faster
8. Plainsong -- The Cure. This song is practically instant lithium, it will put you in a very good state of mind.
OK, I'm done. Feel free to leave comments with (better) songs to cheer us all up during the recession.
Sarah Palin is The Biggest Disappointment to Hit the Streets Since Julia Roberts' Pre-Makeover Character in "Pretty Woman"
Although most of you think I am a slave, beholden to every phrase uttered by the mainstream media (MSM!) and Democratic celebrities like Alec Baldwin, I blame the MSM for events of the past week.
Even though the polls show a different story, I still feel McCain can pull out a victory on the 4th. If he pulls a last-minute surprise and announces that he will only serve one term in office, I think he has a legitimate chance of turning around his numbers and ekeing out a very, very close victory based upon the results of 5-7 swing states. Of course, I do not want this to happen, but for the media to ignore it as a potential possibility is simply incompetent.
The mainstream media clearly disagrees with my assessment. Due to the fact that they have absolutely no story to fill the massive amount of cable news time allotted to this political season (Joe the Mister Clean Plumber has worn out his welcome), the MSM has now focused on stories like "Is Sarah Palin a Diva in Disguise?" (no, I swear to God, that was the lead headline on Chris Matthews last night). Worse, they keep perpetuating this fantasy that Palin will run (and win!) the presidential election in 2012. I'm not the biggest John McCain fan, but can we just let the election play out before we anoint Palin as the Republican party's inevitable nominee four years from now? Isn't that extremely premature?
I could use this forum to make fun of Palin, but she does a fairly decent job of that herself. I will say this: Sarah Palin is an ambitious politician. They don't make politicians who become governors (even in states with smaller populations like Alaska) if those politicians are meek, and have no political goals of their own. Palin was not plucked out of the sky; she has been using a PR firm and a well-known Washington law firm to further her interests since she was elected as Alaska's governor. I wouldn't go so far as to say that she was jockeying for the VP position, but she is not a wilting flower, either. She may believe that dinosaurs and humans roamed the earth together 6,000 years ago, but she also wants a political future beyond the "Hockey Mom of Alaska" tagline.
So please, mainstream media: for this last week, let's focus on the swing states that will determine THIS election, and less on whether Palin is a "bitch" or "diva" or "wolf in sheep's clothing." I don't particularly like Palin's policies, but for God's sake, just focus on the fundamentals of the election and less on Caribou Barbie.
Even though the polls show a different story, I still feel McCain can pull out a victory on the 4th. If he pulls a last-minute surprise and announces that he will only serve one term in office, I think he has a legitimate chance of turning around his numbers and ekeing out a very, very close victory based upon the results of 5-7 swing states. Of course, I do not want this to happen, but for the media to ignore it as a potential possibility is simply incompetent.
The mainstream media clearly disagrees with my assessment. Due to the fact that they have absolutely no story to fill the massive amount of cable news time allotted to this political season (Joe the Mister Clean Plumber has worn out his welcome), the MSM has now focused on stories like "Is Sarah Palin a Diva in Disguise?" (no, I swear to God, that was the lead headline on Chris Matthews last night). Worse, they keep perpetuating this fantasy that Palin will run (and win!) the presidential election in 2012. I'm not the biggest John McCain fan, but can we just let the election play out before we anoint Palin as the Republican party's inevitable nominee four years from now? Isn't that extremely premature?
I could use this forum to make fun of Palin, but she does a fairly decent job of that herself. I will say this: Sarah Palin is an ambitious politician. They don't make politicians who become governors (even in states with smaller populations like Alaska) if those politicians are meek, and have no political goals of their own. Palin was not plucked out of the sky; she has been using a PR firm and a well-known Washington law firm to further her interests since she was elected as Alaska's governor. I wouldn't go so far as to say that she was jockeying for the VP position, but she is not a wilting flower, either. She may believe that dinosaurs and humans roamed the earth together 6,000 years ago, but she also wants a political future beyond the "Hockey Mom of Alaska" tagline.
So please, mainstream media: for this last week, let's focus on the swing states that will determine THIS election, and less on whether Palin is a "bitch" or "diva" or "wolf in sheep's clothing." I don't particularly like Palin's policies, but for God's sake, just focus on the fundamentals of the election and less on Caribou Barbie.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Mission Statement
First of all, I find self-involved blogs to be the downfall of journalism, literary pursuits, and the best qualities of the last great American heroes (i.e., the ability to keep a stiff upper lip and a stern demeanor at all times.) Real men don't spill every detail of their personal lives onto a web page. Paul Newman would have scoffed at the idea. I promise not to do too much talking about my personal life.
My blog will primarily focus on politics, the economy, the horrifying mistakes of celebrity fashion, the latest movie and music reviews (only decent bands and movies, no Hollywood tripe), and books that I like and recommend. Being that I'm also a total smart-ass, expect mean diatribes on the absurd. Billy Ocean, I'm looking in your direction.
I make the following correction: my blog will only approach personal issues when I have a hilarious story to divulge about the dysfunctional, Southern, three-generations-too-late group I call my family. I promise to use fake names, and to try not to embarrass everyone involved beyond comprehension. I won't regale you with the best stories of the fam -- those are to be saved for later.
Tomorrow's blog post will include reviews of the new Bishop Allen and TV on the Radio albums, and political analysis on how McCain could still pull this out -- God help us all, except (of course) for the former Lehman Brothers CEO who made $500 million between 2000 and 2007, and paid a miniscule amount of taxes on that gargantuan amount of money. I also plan on debunking this ridiculous nonsense about "Palin 2012," which is the dumbest idea I've heard since she was put up as VP in the first goddamn place.
Oh, and this is the ugliest dress I've ever seen. You have to love "Gossip Girl" for going all out, and managing to create a complete fantasy world during the current recession. Our last recession had Cobain, heroin, angry and defiant music, and the insane ramblings of Courtney Love. I guess I'm left to assume that this recession will have Carrie Bradshaw dressing up in 13 "Sex and the City" movie sequels in endless pairs of $800 shoes, which is not exactly culturally sensitive to those who cannot afford food, but okay.
Incidentally, Blake Lively looks like she'd rather be anywhere than in the lights of the paparazzi while wearing what amounts to a full-length lime in the following picture. Even worse, this looks like a prom dress Molly Ringwald would have thrown up on after a panic attack in 1986 when they didn't even have the good Xanax or Klonopin to sufficietly calm her down. Thank God the pharmaceutical industry has stepped it up a notch, so we can avoid these accidents:
My blog will primarily focus on politics, the economy, the horrifying mistakes of celebrity fashion, the latest movie and music reviews (only decent bands and movies, no Hollywood tripe), and books that I like and recommend. Being that I'm also a total smart-ass, expect mean diatribes on the absurd. Billy Ocean, I'm looking in your direction.
I make the following correction: my blog will only approach personal issues when I have a hilarious story to divulge about the dysfunctional, Southern, three-generations-too-late group I call my family. I promise to use fake names, and to try not to embarrass everyone involved beyond comprehension. I won't regale you with the best stories of the fam -- those are to be saved for later.
Tomorrow's blog post will include reviews of the new Bishop Allen and TV on the Radio albums, and political analysis on how McCain could still pull this out -- God help us all, except (of course) for the former Lehman Brothers CEO who made $500 million between 2000 and 2007, and paid a miniscule amount of taxes on that gargantuan amount of money. I also plan on debunking this ridiculous nonsense about "Palin 2012," which is the dumbest idea I've heard since she was put up as VP in the first goddamn place.
Oh, and this is the ugliest dress I've ever seen. You have to love "Gossip Girl" for going all out, and managing to create a complete fantasy world during the current recession. Our last recession had Cobain, heroin, angry and defiant music, and the insane ramblings of Courtney Love. I guess I'm left to assume that this recession will have Carrie Bradshaw dressing up in 13 "Sex and the City" movie sequels in endless pairs of $800 shoes, which is not exactly culturally sensitive to those who cannot afford food, but okay.
Incidentally, Blake Lively looks like she'd rather be anywhere than in the lights of the paparazzi while wearing what amounts to a full-length lime in the following picture. Even worse, this looks like a prom dress Molly Ringwald would have thrown up on after a panic attack in 1986 when they didn't even have the good Xanax or Klonopin to sufficietly calm her down. Thank God the pharmaceutical industry has stepped it up a notch, so we can avoid these accidents:
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