Thursday, June 29
Gag Me
I am sick of hearing about the stupid Star Jones situation. I don't care if she was fired, let go, quit or had a note from her mother. Just make her go the fuck away!
I'm Moving
To Amsterdam!!! This is the coolest idea!!! Click on "FILM" to see pictures of what the Chocolate Factory theme park will look like.
Wednesday, June 28
Real World/Road Rules Challenge
What the hizzy is wrong with Wes? He is such an ass. And if Joanna wants to stay with him, then that's fine with me.
FYI - LOVE Coral still. Bitch is funny.
FYI - LOVE Coral still. Bitch is funny.
Parker Posey
She really steals the show in Superman. She's hilarious, dry, pathetic, and even though, as an actress, she's doing the same routine, it really works here! Loved it.
Watch out for the line when Lex Luther asks her what his father used to say to him. First line, "You're balding." The second line is priceless!
Watch out for the line when Lex Luther asks her what his father used to say to him. First line, "You're balding." The second line is priceless!
Superman
There were moments of brilliance. The cinematography was beautiful, the direction was mostly fluid, the acting was actually very good. The story and the script needed some work, and there were moments of complete ridiculousness.
Overall I really liked it. It doesn't rank up there with X-Men 2 or Spider-Man 2. But then again, let's assume the sequel will.
This is good stuff. Could've been better, but how many movies are perfect?
FYI - My roommate absolutely hated it. And I will say no more since I know everyone is so excited to see this.
Overall I really liked it. It doesn't rank up there with X-Men 2 or Spider-Man 2. But then again, let's assume the sequel will.
This is good stuff. Could've been better, but how many movies are perfect?
FYI - My roommate absolutely hated it. And I will say no more since I know everyone is so excited to see this.
Tuesday, June 27
Flag burning? How about an amendment to stop Troop Burning?
Courtesy of AmericaBlog
-by John in DC - 6/27/2006 09:33:00 PM
Seriously. The flag is doing fine last time I checked, but as for our soldiers in Iraq, that's a different story.
George Bush and the Republican party don't give a damn about our military unless elections are around the corner, then they talk about the troops and parade them in uniform at campaign events as if they were nothing more than a cute baby to be ogled and later ignored.
When it comes to our military, the Republicans feel it's expendable. There is apparently no cost in lives, no cost to our national esteem, no cost in dollars, that will override the Republican mania with using our military as a political weapon against ourselves. George Bush and the Republican party couldn't care less about victory in Iraq - they know they lost Iraq a long time ago. But they do care about George Bush's ego and his inability to ever admit a mistake, so they'll keep or troops in Iraq, watching our soldiers die as the situation gets worse and worse, simply because it would be embarrassing for George Bush to admit he lost the war in Iraq.
Republicans don't care about our troops. Oh they talk a good talk, and love to accuse Democrats of hating the military. But as Atrios wrote once, if he really hated the military he would simply send them to war in the wrong country, in insufficient numbers, with insufficient equipment, and without a plan for victory - and oh yeah, he'd keep them there to die long after we'd already lost.
That's the sign of a real America-hater.
So when do we pass a constitutional amendment to protect our troops, from Republicans?
-by John in DC - 6/27/2006 09:33:00 PM
Seriously. The flag is doing fine last time I checked, but as for our soldiers in Iraq, that's a different story.
George Bush and the Republican party don't give a damn about our military unless elections are around the corner, then they talk about the troops and parade them in uniform at campaign events as if they were nothing more than a cute baby to be ogled and later ignored.
When it comes to our military, the Republicans feel it's expendable. There is apparently no cost in lives, no cost to our national esteem, no cost in dollars, that will override the Republican mania with using our military as a political weapon against ourselves. George Bush and the Republican party couldn't care less about victory in Iraq - they know they lost Iraq a long time ago. But they do care about George Bush's ego and his inability to ever admit a mistake, so they'll keep or troops in Iraq, watching our soldiers die as the situation gets worse and worse, simply because it would be embarrassing for George Bush to admit he lost the war in Iraq.
Republicans don't care about our troops. Oh they talk a good talk, and love to accuse Democrats of hating the military. But as Atrios wrote once, if he really hated the military he would simply send them to war in the wrong country, in insufficient numbers, with insufficient equipment, and without a plan for victory - and oh yeah, he'd keep them there to die long after we'd already lost.
That's the sign of a real America-hater.
So when do we pass a constitutional amendment to protect our troops, from Republicans?
How To Throw A Fit
Click Here
I haven't laughed this hard in ages. Read the story then click on the link to see a video of the baseball dude throw a major-league fit.
I haven't laughed this hard in ages. Read the story then click on the link to see a video of the baseball dude throw a major-league fit.
Monday, June 26
The Apocalypse
It happened last night around 12:30am. There was lightening, then thunder. The dog ran from the couch to the window, and then back to me on the couch, scared. He didn't know what to make of it. And then there was a torrential downpour that lasted maybe five minutes. And then it was nice again.
Very strange weather, especially for June.
Very strange weather, especially for June.
What I love about LA
Oh sure, the weather is beautiful. At least during the week. But come Friday at 5pm, it turns muggy, or cloudy, or rainy, or chilly. Thank goodness, because who would want it to be warm and comfortable and "beachy" on the weekend? Not I, I say! Bring on the bad weather! But only Saturdays and Sundays.
By the way, it was shitty all weekend (chilly, but that's shitty in June). And now it's bright and sunny and 81.
By the way, it was shitty all weekend (chilly, but that's shitty in June). And now it's bright and sunny and 81.
RIP Aaron Spelling
My thoughts and prayers are with Tori.
Actually, this is very sad. The man created like 1,500 TV shows, and some of them were ICONS (90210, Melrose Place, Love Boat). The man will be missed.
Actually, this is very sad. The man created like 1,500 TV shows, and some of them were ICONS (90210, Melrose Place, Love Boat). The man will be missed.
X-Men
Nice greatest hits album. I've heard most of the songs before, and like them a lot, but besides the new track or two that was recorded just for this greatest hits album, I've been there/done that. Moving on....
Oh yeah, that last 10 seconds after the credits... not mind blowing. Just obviously leaving it open for a sequel a couple years down the road.
Oh yeah, that last 10 seconds after the credits... not mind blowing. Just obviously leaving it open for a sequel a couple years down the road.
Friday, June 23
Need Something To Read?
From Salon:
License To Lie
In his devastating new book, Ron Suskind shows how 9/11 allowed George W. Bush and his shadowy courtier, Dick Cheney, to "create whatever reality was convenient."
Salon
License To Lie
In his devastating new book, Ron Suskind shows how 9/11 allowed George W. Bush and his shadowy courtier, Dick Cheney, to "create whatever reality was convenient."
Salon
Thursday, June 22
Memoirs of Pete Doherty
He's publishing his first memoir in 2007. It will cover off his music, drug use and relationship with Kate Moss. I'm going to read this just because I still have no fucking clue who he is and why he is famous! Another thought: who is helping him write this book? You know he can't do it on his own.
Corey and Corey
Haim and Feldman are reuniting for a fake show about fake versions of themselves. Feldman and Haim appeared in several movies together, including License To Drive, Dream A Little Dream, Blown Away and my all-time favorite Feldman/Haim collaboration: The Lost Boys ("death by stereo").
This show totally wants to be on the UPN. Too bad it doesn't exist anymore.
This show totally wants to be on the UPN. Too bad it doesn't exist anymore.
80's Music Videos
There are 1,400 music videos from the 80's on this site, including Air Supply, Bad English, Huey Lewis & the News, Kim Wilde, etc.
http://www.kingofbeaver.com/music_videos/
http://www.kingofbeaver.com/music_videos/
TiVo Desktop
This sounds cool:
Good news everyone TiVo users! The TiVO Desktop 2.3 is out and it’s only going to cost you $24.95. Why would you pay for an upgrade you don’t even think you want? Well, it’s because TiVo had to license technology in order to provide you iPod/PSP/Cellphone conversion capabilities. That’s right, now you can convert your TiVo recorded shows directly into iPod/PSP/Treo format without having to use a third party program. Then again, third party programs like Videora are free, which this ain’t.
http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/tivo-desktop-23-released-includes-ipodpsp-conversion-182406.php
Good news everyone TiVo users! The TiVO Desktop 2.3 is out and it’s only going to cost you $24.95. Why would you pay for an upgrade you don’t even think you want? Well, it’s because TiVo had to license technology in order to provide you iPod/PSP/Cellphone conversion capabilities. That’s right, now you can convert your TiVo recorded shows directly into iPod/PSP/Treo format without having to use a third party program. Then again, third party programs like Videora are free, which this ain’t.
http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/tivo-desktop-23-released-includes-ipodpsp-conversion-182406.php
New Cell Phone
I have Verizon and I'm eligible to get a new phone. What should I get? Right now I'm thinking RAZR, but I know there's some backlash. Only problem: Verizon doesn't have any other phones that don't look like props from 1977's Star Wars.
Lots of Blu-ray news
From Kotaku.com:
Sony just can't stop delaying Blu-Ray. Previously rescheduled for an August 15th launch. Sony's quietly pushed back their first Blu-Ray platyer, the BDP-S1, to October 25th, just a few weeks before the PS3 hits.
This is all very odd. The BDP-S1's price is going to be $995 in the States, where as the PS3 will be $500-$600 dollars and have gaming features besides. Surely that sort of price discrepancy illustrates how foolish it would be to release the BDP-S1 mere weeks before the far better value of the PS3.
So are Sony actually releasing the BDP-S1 to fail.... releasing the two Blu-Ray players within weeks one another so they can point to the BDP-S1 and talk about what a better deal the PS3 is? An odd strategy, to say the least.
And then from DigitalMediaThoughts.com:
One of the bashing points of Blue-Ray has been price. I think based on prior reports, a lot of us were expecting the movies to be in the $30 to $40 range. Needless to say, I was quite surprised to see Terminator on Blue-Ray going for $11.99 on Amazon. That seems to be the lowest price out there for Blue-Ray movies, but they do also have some other back catalog items (The 5th Element and House of Flying Daggers) for $19.99. More recent titles (Underworld: Evolution) were $26.99. I'm not sure if this is just an Amazon thing or if this is a studio marketing ploy, but it sure is nice to be surprise for once with prices being lower than expected.
PS3 is sounding pretty good to me right now. What do you think?
Sony just can't stop delaying Blu-Ray. Previously rescheduled for an August 15th launch. Sony's quietly pushed back their first Blu-Ray platyer, the BDP-S1, to October 25th, just a few weeks before the PS3 hits.
This is all very odd. The BDP-S1's price is going to be $995 in the States, where as the PS3 will be $500-$600 dollars and have gaming features besides. Surely that sort of price discrepancy illustrates how foolish it would be to release the BDP-S1 mere weeks before the far better value of the PS3.
So are Sony actually releasing the BDP-S1 to fail.... releasing the two Blu-Ray players within weeks one another so they can point to the BDP-S1 and talk about what a better deal the PS3 is? An odd strategy, to say the least.
And then from DigitalMediaThoughts.com:
One of the bashing points of Blue-Ray has been price. I think based on prior reports, a lot of us were expecting the movies to be in the $30 to $40 range. Needless to say, I was quite surprised to see Terminator on Blue-Ray going for $11.99 on Amazon. That seems to be the lowest price out there for Blue-Ray movies, but they do also have some other back catalog items (The 5th Element and House of Flying Daggers) for $19.99. More recent titles (Underworld: Evolution) were $26.99. I'm not sure if this is just an Amazon thing or if this is a studio marketing ploy, but it sure is nice to be surprise for once with prices being lower than expected.
PS3 is sounding pretty good to me right now. What do you think?
Free TiVo!
I'm totally serious. Buy.com is offering a TiVo for $150, but then gives you a rebate of $150. If you aren't on the bandwagon, you now have no excuse.
Wednesday, June 21
Tuesday, June 20
Late Shows
If I were a late night talk show host, this is the time I would want to be one. You could be the laziest writer on one of these shows and still come up with some quality shit. There's that much crap going on out there.
"The Supreme Court has ruled that with a warrant, police no longer have to knock before kicking your door in. Unless, of course, you're the Vice President of the United States and we're talking about shooting a man in the face. Then you can come back tomorrow."
---Jay Leno
-
"This is a weird story. President Bush has apologized today for scolding a member of the White House press corps for wearing sunglasses because he found out the reporter is legally blind. ... Bush also apologized for telling physicist Stephen Hawking `to get off your lazy ass.'"
---Conan O'Brien
-
"I've never been a fan of amphibians. Not only do they strengthen the argument for evolution, they are nature's fence sitters. Come on amphibians, which is it...water or land? Pick one. We're at war."
---Stephen Colbert
-
"[President Bush,] you were in Baghdad for six hours. You weren't even in the real Baghdad. You were in the Green Zone. That's like going to the Olive Garden and saying you've been to Italy."
---Jon Stewart
-
"Anybody here from New Zealand? They have a big, new attraction. It's a live sex show in New Zealand. They have actual bulls mounting a simulated cow. Good to see Ann Coulter getting some work."
---David Letterman
"The Supreme Court has ruled that with a warrant, police no longer have to knock before kicking your door in. Unless, of course, you're the Vice President of the United States and we're talking about shooting a man in the face. Then you can come back tomorrow."
---Jay Leno
-
"This is a weird story. President Bush has apologized today for scolding a member of the White House press corps for wearing sunglasses because he found out the reporter is legally blind. ... Bush also apologized for telling physicist Stephen Hawking `to get off your lazy ass.'"
---Conan O'Brien
-
"I've never been a fan of amphibians. Not only do they strengthen the argument for evolution, they are nature's fence sitters. Come on amphibians, which is it...water or land? Pick one. We're at war."
---Stephen Colbert
-
"[President Bush,] you were in Baghdad for six hours. You weren't even in the real Baghdad. You were in the Green Zone. That's like going to the Olive Garden and saying you've been to Italy."
---Jon Stewart
-
"Anybody here from New Zealand? They have a big, new attraction. It's a live sex show in New Zealand. They have actual bulls mounting a simulated cow. Good to see Ann Coulter getting some work."
---David Letterman
Monday, June 19
Understatement Of The Year
The NY Post says, "Britney Needs Guidance".
--Gee... ya think?
Here's an excerpt from PageSix:
BRITNEY Spears needs guidance. "Dateline" staffers were shocked when they showed up with Matt Lauer to interview Spears last week and found the pop star alone in her Malibu manse. "Neither of her publicists, Leslie Sloane Zelnick or Nanci Ryder, showed up," said our source. Spears insisted on doing her own hair and makeup - a regrettable decision. Web sites derided her hair as a "rat's nest" and, when she started crying during the interview, one of her fake eyelashes fell off. "When [the NBC crew] got there, they thought they had the wrong day . . . During the interview, no one was there to rein things in," we're told. Spears, when asked about Kevin Federline being with a pregnant Shar Jackson when they first met, shot back, "Julia Roberts' husband had a pregnant wife when he hooked up with Julia, but no one ever talked about that!" Spears wore flip-flops, a see-through tank and micro-mini jeans. Reps tried to control the damage on Friday. "They asked NBC not to release footage to places like E!," said a source. Asked why Spears was on her own for the interview, Sloane Zelnick said, "Britney is a grown-up and makes her own decisions."
--Gee... ya think?
Here's an excerpt from PageSix:
BRITNEY Spears needs guidance. "Dateline" staffers were shocked when they showed up with Matt Lauer to interview Spears last week and found the pop star alone in her Malibu manse. "Neither of her publicists, Leslie Sloane Zelnick or Nanci Ryder, showed up," said our source. Spears insisted on doing her own hair and makeup - a regrettable decision. Web sites derided her hair as a "rat's nest" and, when she started crying during the interview, one of her fake eyelashes fell off. "When [the NBC crew] got there, they thought they had the wrong day . . . During the interview, no one was there to rein things in," we're told. Spears, when asked about Kevin Federline being with a pregnant Shar Jackson when they first met, shot back, "Julia Roberts' husband had a pregnant wife when he hooked up with Julia, but no one ever talked about that!" Spears wore flip-flops, a see-through tank and micro-mini jeans. Reps tried to control the damage on Friday. "They asked NBC not to release footage to places like E!," said a source. Asked why Spears was on her own for the interview, Sloane Zelnick said, "Britney is a grown-up and makes her own decisions."
Friday, June 16
How many do you read?
Chicago Tribune 50 Best Magazines – “We drew from all quarters of the periodicals universe in compiling this year’s selections. The choices are eclectic, accessible and they reflect the tastes of folks who spend a lot of their time immersed in the world of words and images”
The Economist
Dwell
Wired
The New Yorker
ESPN the magazine
Esquire
Consumer Reports
Blender
Gourmet
The Atlantic
Men’s Vogue
Cook’s Illustrated
Cottage Living
Mother Jones
Men’s Health
Harper’s
Interview
VegNews
Lucky
Conceive
French Vogue
New York Magazine
Vanity Fair
Giant
O
PC Magazine
Vogue
Spin
Time/Newsweek
Self
Whole Dog Journal
Saveur
Essence
Parents
Fine Homebuilding
Baseball America
Reason
Domino
Lincoln Lore
LensWork
Chicago
Bark
Psychotherapy Networker
Everyday Food/Monthly
World Soccer
Twins
Blueprint
W
Wisconsin Trails
Vogue Knitting
The Economist
Dwell
Wired
The New Yorker
ESPN the magazine
Esquire
Consumer Reports
Blender
Gourmet
The Atlantic
Men’s Vogue
Cook’s Illustrated
Cottage Living
Mother Jones
Men’s Health
Harper’s
Interview
VegNews
Lucky
Conceive
French Vogue
New York Magazine
Vanity Fair
Giant
O
PC Magazine
Vogue
Spin
Time/Newsweek
Self
Whole Dog Journal
Saveur
Essence
Parents
Fine Homebuilding
Baseball America
Reason
Domino
Lincoln Lore
LensWork
Chicago
Bark
Psychotherapy Networker
Everyday Food/Monthly
World Soccer
Twins
Blueprint
W
Wisconsin Trails
Vogue Knitting
Ghetto Prom: 2006
This is always fun to watch. Brings back high school memories.
http://crunktastical.blogspot.com/2006/06/shits-and-giggles-ghetto-prom-2006_16.html
http://crunktastical.blogspot.com/2006/06/shits-and-giggles-ghetto-prom-2006_16.html
Sometimes you can trust a pedophile
Interesting story, to say the least.
Fifty-six year old Department of Homeland Security press aide Brian Doyle chatted with a police officer he believed to be a fourteen year old girl about sex, President Bush, and the possibility that "she" may have been an undercover cop, RAW STORY has learned.
Prosecutors have released 400 pages of documents recording the exchanges between Doyle and "Ashlynne," a fictitious girl invented by police to trap pedophiles.
Doyle acknowledged that his actions were illegal, but seemed to indicate that it enhanced the experience:
"hey it is illegal ... and it would be exciting and forbidden ... you are young — illegal — and gorgeous. and it would be great. fun. food, laughter, talk and yes sex."
The Homeland Security aide also added that he met President Bush, and said of the President: "nice guy but not a good president ... he is not very bright and it is evident ... bush is a liar ... there were NO weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. total lie to go to war."
Fifty-six year old Department of Homeland Security press aide Brian Doyle chatted with a police officer he believed to be a fourteen year old girl about sex, President Bush, and the possibility that "she" may have been an undercover cop, RAW STORY has learned.
Prosecutors have released 400 pages of documents recording the exchanges between Doyle and "Ashlynne," a fictitious girl invented by police to trap pedophiles.
Doyle acknowledged that his actions were illegal, but seemed to indicate that it enhanced the experience:
"hey it is illegal ... and it would be exciting and forbidden ... you are young — illegal — and gorgeous. and it would be great. fun. food, laughter, talk and yes sex."
The Homeland Security aide also added that he met President Bush, and said of the President: "nice guy but not a good president ... he is not very bright and it is evident ... bush is a liar ... there were NO weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. total lie to go to war."
Defiance, Ohio
I know we're just a littl po-dunk town but boy! we've sure gotten the press over the past year! First, the big screen flick, "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio", starring Julianne Moore and Woody Harrelson and then our very own Sam Hornish, Jr. won the Indy 500 and now Defiance native, Chad Billingsley makes his MLB debut.
Woot! Woot!
Woot! Woot!
Britney, We Need To Talk
Dear Britney,
I know the press has been hounding you a lot lately and I can only guess how difficult it must be for you, but let's be honest here, shall we?
Doing a nationally televised interview with Matt Lauer requires more preparation than just showing up. For your benefit, I've assembled a few pointers:
1. Gum. Chewing and chomping while attempting to speak is just not an acceptable combination. Watching you attempt to do it is unbearable.
2. Put some clothes on. Yes, we know you are pregnant and your boobs are huge and your belly is expanding. We don't need either part to come bursting through our television screens. It scared the young children in my house!
3. The Skirt. At least I think it was a skirt. Might have been a modified tube top for all I know, but for god's sake woman, keep your legs together!
4. Makeup. You can afford several makeup artists, why not take advantage of that little perk in your life? Maybe you're not aware, but frosty eyeshadow went out back in the 80s, hon.
5. Hair. I'm not even sure where to start. I think you know as well as I do that it looks like shit.
6. Career. Last I checked, you didn't have one.
7. Husband. I know you think love will "conquer all", but seriously, Kevin just tells you that so you'll believe him when he says he wasn't screwing those other girls while partying with his buddies.
I realize this letter may be difficult to read but it's for your own good, Britney.
Your friend,
Jen
I know the press has been hounding you a lot lately and I can only guess how difficult it must be for you, but let's be honest here, shall we?
Doing a nationally televised interview with Matt Lauer requires more preparation than just showing up. For your benefit, I've assembled a few pointers:
1. Gum. Chewing and chomping while attempting to speak is just not an acceptable combination. Watching you attempt to do it is unbearable.
2. Put some clothes on. Yes, we know you are pregnant and your boobs are huge and your belly is expanding. We don't need either part to come bursting through our television screens. It scared the young children in my house!
3. The Skirt. At least I think it was a skirt. Might have been a modified tube top for all I know, but for god's sake woman, keep your legs together!
4. Makeup. You can afford several makeup artists, why not take advantage of that little perk in your life? Maybe you're not aware, but frosty eyeshadow went out back in the 80s, hon.
5. Hair. I'm not even sure where to start. I think you know as well as I do that it looks like shit.
6. Career. Last I checked, you didn't have one.
7. Husband. I know you think love will "conquer all", but seriously, Kevin just tells you that so you'll believe him when he says he wasn't screwing those other girls while partying with his buddies.
I realize this letter may be difficult to read but it's for your own good, Britney.
Your friend,
Jen
Thursday, June 15
Daily Show
You gotta start watching this again. They had Ken Mehlman, the head of the RNC, on the other day. Even he couldn't defend the Administration. "You're the one who has to spray perfume on these turds." Classic line from Jon!
People Weekly has lost its damn mind...
Headline: "Taylor Hicks is People's hottest bachelor; Ace Young, Ryan Seacrest are also listed"
What, was Clay Aiken busy?
What, was Clay Aiken busy?
The Apprentice
Word is, Madonna is now training Lindsay Lohan. (Britney got too pathetic. Seriously, she's going to be koo koo faster than Michael Jackson got there.) Lindsay and Madonna now chat on the phone, talk about taking a spirituality tour around the world together, and study Kaballah... you know, the things any normal 48- and 19-year old would do together.
Bush makes an ass of himself...
No way!
http://www.bestweekever.tv/2006/06/14/icymi-bushs-blind-item-of-the-day/
http://www.bestweekever.tv/2006/06/14/icymi-bushs-blind-item-of-the-day/
Sheryl Crow
She's back!
From CNN:
She still performs more than two hours each night, but the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter is more apt to take a nap during the day. And she's added a private chef to her road crew to ensure she's eating healthy. But the biggest adjustment may be in her attitude. After enduring surgery,
Crow is more appreciative of her blessings, and that includes her life as a performer. "There's been a huge shift in my consciousness about what life holds," Crow told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I wanted to get back to the things that represent my reality to me, and one of those things is definitely playing music and going out and connecting with the fans, who have been so amazingly supportive."
Crow, who went back on the road this month, will get the chance to connect with even more fans later this summer. She and John Mayer are embarking on a joint tour that kicks off in Pittsburgh on August 24. Tickets for the tour go on sale June 24. A portion of the tour's proceeds will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
From CNN:
She still performs more than two hours each night, but the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter is more apt to take a nap during the day. And she's added a private chef to her road crew to ensure she's eating healthy. But the biggest adjustment may be in her attitude. After enduring surgery,
Crow is more appreciative of her blessings, and that includes her life as a performer. "There's been a huge shift in my consciousness about what life holds," Crow told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I wanted to get back to the things that represent my reality to me, and one of those things is definitely playing music and going out and connecting with the fans, who have been so amazingly supportive."
Crow, who went back on the road this month, will get the chance to connect with even more fans later this summer. She and John Mayer are embarking on a joint tour that kicks off in Pittsburgh on August 24. Tickets for the tour go on sale June 24. A portion of the tour's proceeds will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Wednesday, June 14
Dallas: The Movie
They really had an opportunity here, and they fucked it up when they cast Jennifer Lopez as Sue Ellen. Is anyone excited to see this now?
Tin Foil Hats
So I watched an 80-minute documentary on Google Video called Loose Change II. It was all about 9/11 as a conspiracy. Scary stuff, not necessarily because I think it was a conspiracy. But because there are a lot of questions that were never asked, or that we have never received answers to. It is worth a watch. I'd like to see what everyone thinks.
Tuesday, June 13
A Sprinkle O' Lost
From Kristin at E!:
I *believe* Locke, Eko and Desmon will be back. Terry O'Quinn and SexAAA (Adewale Akinnuoye Agbaje) are both under contract, and I've heard Desmond will be back. Now, that could be in a flashback, but it was my understanding his next appearance would be more of the still-breathing-on-the-island variety.
I *believe* Locke, Eko and Desmon will be back. Terry O'Quinn and SexAAA (Adewale Akinnuoye Agbaje) are both under contract, and I've heard Desmond will be back. Now, that could be in a flashback, but it was my understanding his next appearance would be more of the still-breathing-on-the-island variety.
Monday, June 12
Grocery Humor
from the Onion:
You Never Truly Retire From Grocery-Bagging
By Shawn Meille
Architect
June 7, 2006 | Issue 42•23
Long before I got my fancy degree to build residential structures and office parks, I made a name for myself in a different trade. I spent seven long, hard years up to my elbows in some of the filthiest—and yes, bloodiest—brown paper sacks you'd ever want to see. It taught me a lot of hard lessons, some I'm grateful for, some best left unmentioned. But I won't ever forget them. Grocery bagging, like all the other dirty little jobs society requires but pretends don't exist, is easy to get into. Getting out is something else. It's like embedded shrapnel. Like a phantom limb.
I first strapped on the apron at a little eight-aisle place in downtown Tempe—a dusty hell of a city where the damned stalked the aisles. But just because it's a godforsaken sandpit doesn't mean its cans aren't placed on the bottom and cartons of eggs on top. And for the next few years, that was my life.
It was a quick-and-dirty intro to this shadowy and disreputable world. And I saw it all: From shabby little shame-filled deals in shabby little smoke-filled break-rooms over who would "take care" of the old lady with four bags full of new groceries and a colostomy bag full of old ones, to the late-night wet-work cleaning up the mess my less-meticulous comrades left behind, to the last-minute drop-off in the trunk of a blonde housewife's sedan before she takes off into the wind. It's a world most suspect but few see—and fewer own up to.
I was one of those few.
But not the proud. That's a different uniform altogether—one with honor and tradition, not one hidden in plain sight. Friend, odds are you wouldn't have lasted three shifts in my world. I wasn't even sure I would myself. It comes at you like a blur in training: This is a pallet-jack, mind your extremities; this is my brown paper bag, there are many like it, but this one is mine, with its own intricate calculus of weights and stresses which must become second nature if you hope to fill it in under 25 seconds; and this slim, simple, sinister tool is your box cutter. Today, everyone thinks they know what that means. Believe me, they don't. Not really.
And it pulls you in. Whether you like it or not, that adrenaline starts flowing the instant the PA system switches on with a hollow electric click like a thin glass rod snapping. Before the cashier even has time to call for carry-out, you're off that milk crate you were standing on (it's best not to ask about the milk crate), walking briskly, unconsciously, toward the registers. Next thing you know, two brown bags are on the counter in front of you, your catch-hand thrust against the far side of the bag, your dominant hand tossing canned goods and packaged meat off the crook of your elbow and into the catch-hand, which arranges it all in a complex, compact, orderly matrix that belies the chaotic shadow world in which you, the bag boy, operate.
It had to end for me—I always knew I wasn't a lifer—and I left under a cloud, though it wasn't as acrid as the cigarette haze in the break-room. Guy named Macon was running things that day, that hot, humid day. Macon found me in the meat-freezer trying to cool off with a Coke, said the place stank like a slaughterhouse. Anyway, I couldn't explain the Coke, not without a receipt, and with only a month left until the first day of school, I decided to walk away.
All those people are ghosts now. You say you'll stay in touch, but you never do. Bagging was the only thing you had in common, and bagging was the one thing you could never discuss. It was a job that needed doing, and we did it, and now it's over.
But there are times, Sundays mostly, when I take the car down to the ValuSave in the town where I live—you don't need to know which town—and when I hit the checkout, I'm there all over again. The greasy tread of the conveyor belt, the beep of the scanner, the rustle of the register detail tape, and, most haunting of all, the sharp crack of brown-bag paper, all make me realize I'll never be truly free of it. Never.
And, God help me, I don't want to be.
You Never Truly Retire From Grocery-Bagging
By Shawn Meille
Architect
June 7, 2006 | Issue 42•23
Long before I got my fancy degree to build residential structures and office parks, I made a name for myself in a different trade. I spent seven long, hard years up to my elbows in some of the filthiest—and yes, bloodiest—brown paper sacks you'd ever want to see. It taught me a lot of hard lessons, some I'm grateful for, some best left unmentioned. But I won't ever forget them. Grocery bagging, like all the other dirty little jobs society requires but pretends don't exist, is easy to get into. Getting out is something else. It's like embedded shrapnel. Like a phantom limb.
I first strapped on the apron at a little eight-aisle place in downtown Tempe—a dusty hell of a city where the damned stalked the aisles. But just because it's a godforsaken sandpit doesn't mean its cans aren't placed on the bottom and cartons of eggs on top. And for the next few years, that was my life.
It was a quick-and-dirty intro to this shadowy and disreputable world. And I saw it all: From shabby little shame-filled deals in shabby little smoke-filled break-rooms over who would "take care" of the old lady with four bags full of new groceries and a colostomy bag full of old ones, to the late-night wet-work cleaning up the mess my less-meticulous comrades left behind, to the last-minute drop-off in the trunk of a blonde housewife's sedan before she takes off into the wind. It's a world most suspect but few see—and fewer own up to.
I was one of those few.
But not the proud. That's a different uniform altogether—one with honor and tradition, not one hidden in plain sight. Friend, odds are you wouldn't have lasted three shifts in my world. I wasn't even sure I would myself. It comes at you like a blur in training: This is a pallet-jack, mind your extremities; this is my brown paper bag, there are many like it, but this one is mine, with its own intricate calculus of weights and stresses which must become second nature if you hope to fill it in under 25 seconds; and this slim, simple, sinister tool is your box cutter. Today, everyone thinks they know what that means. Believe me, they don't. Not really.
And it pulls you in. Whether you like it or not, that adrenaline starts flowing the instant the PA system switches on with a hollow electric click like a thin glass rod snapping. Before the cashier even has time to call for carry-out, you're off that milk crate you were standing on (it's best not to ask about the milk crate), walking briskly, unconsciously, toward the registers. Next thing you know, two brown bags are on the counter in front of you, your catch-hand thrust against the far side of the bag, your dominant hand tossing canned goods and packaged meat off the crook of your elbow and into the catch-hand, which arranges it all in a complex, compact, orderly matrix that belies the chaotic shadow world in which you, the bag boy, operate.
It had to end for me—I always knew I wasn't a lifer—and I left under a cloud, though it wasn't as acrid as the cigarette haze in the break-room. Guy named Macon was running things that day, that hot, humid day. Macon found me in the meat-freezer trying to cool off with a Coke, said the place stank like a slaughterhouse. Anyway, I couldn't explain the Coke, not without a receipt, and with only a month left until the first day of school, I decided to walk away.
All those people are ghosts now. You say you'll stay in touch, but you never do. Bagging was the only thing you had in common, and bagging was the one thing you could never discuss. It was a job that needed doing, and we did it, and now it's over.
But there are times, Sundays mostly, when I take the car down to the ValuSave in the town where I live—you don't need to know which town—and when I hit the checkout, I'm there all over again. The greasy tread of the conveyor belt, the beep of the scanner, the rustle of the register detail tape, and, most haunting of all, the sharp crack of brown-bag paper, all make me realize I'll never be truly free of it. Never.
And, God help me, I don't want to be.
Who Killed The Electric Car?
I know you've always wondered... but now there is a documentary film being released on 6/28 that will not only answer many questions but raise plenty more.
Go Here to read the PBS site. Click on the "Who Killed The Electric Car" link and it will take you to the Sony website and tell you even more about this fascinating film.
Dan, I'm depending on you to catch this film since it's only being released in NY and LA and I seriously doubt it will make it to my corner of the world. If you can't catch the film, try to catch the program on PBS's NOW. See local listings.
Go Here to read the PBS site. Click on the "Who Killed The Electric Car" link and it will take you to the Sony website and tell you even more about this fascinating film.
Dan, I'm depending on you to catch this film since it's only being released in NY and LA and I seriously doubt it will make it to my corner of the world. If you can't catch the film, try to catch the program on PBS's NOW. See local listings.
It's all coming together...
Sony is launching a line of laptops in Japan that work as DVRs. They record 222 hours (222!) of TV. It's not scheduled for the U.S. yet, but you can bet that if it doesn't make it here, something else will.
I hear this is good...
The Closer's second season premiere is on TNT tonight at 9pm. (Followed by the new show Saved, which I know nothing about.)
Saturday, June 10
Film Fodder
They write the most extensive Lost recaps I've found on the net. Here's Part I of the season finale, in case you haven't read enough...
http://www.filmfodder.com/tv/lost/archives/002716.shtml
http://www.filmfodder.com/tv/lost/archives/002716.shtml
My TiVo is bored...
...and so am I. Especially when I come home drunk and have nothing to watch. Please... recommendations... in the comments section. What is good this summer? What isn't?
Naveen Andrews
From The Tail Section:
LOST star "Naveen Andrews" will be taking on flesh eating zombies in the upcoming Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez double feature "Grind House". An homage to the splatter films of the late 70's, "Grind House" is two seventy-five-minute films stitched together for what promises to be an intense, albeit long, blood bath of old school horror. The directorial duo's first horror collaboration, "From Dusk til Dawn", was identified for it's excessive gore, clever dialogue, and enemic storyline. aveen will be featured in Rodriguez's half of the film, "Planet Terror", as a "bad-ass military scientist". Sounds like fun! Tarantino's installment is titled "Death Proof."
In other news. Andrews is also appearing in "The Brave One" as Jodie Foster's fiance'! Care to wager who may be on the dead list for season three?
LOST star "Naveen Andrews" will be taking on flesh eating zombies in the upcoming Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez double feature "Grind House". An homage to the splatter films of the late 70's, "Grind House" is two seventy-five-minute films stitched together for what promises to be an intense, albeit long, blood bath of old school horror. The directorial duo's first horror collaboration, "From Dusk til Dawn", was identified for it's excessive gore, clever dialogue, and enemic storyline. aveen will be featured in Rodriguez's half of the film, "Planet Terror", as a "bad-ass military scientist". Sounds like fun! Tarantino's installment is titled "Death Proof."
In other news. Andrews is also appearing in "The Brave One" as Jodie Foster's fiance'! Care to wager who may be on the dead list for season three?
Cars
Roger Ebert:
"The movie is great to look at and a lot of fun, but somehow lacks the extra push of the other Pixar films."
Lisa Kennedy (Denver Post):
"Cars is a little pedestrian by Pixar standards."
Chris Vognar (Dallas Morning News)
"Cars isn't quite up to the emissions standards of previous Pixar fare. The engine takes a little while to get warm, the action skews a little younger than most Pixar products and the "city slicker gets schooled by townsfolk" premise is about as fresh as your father's Oldsmobile."
Joe Morgenstern (Wall Street Journal):
"Cars is the first Pixar feature to feel familiar. ... That's a tactic often favored in DreamWorks features but avoided by Pixar until now. It doesn't make Cars a bad picture -- the visual inventions are worth the price of admission -- but it constitutes conduct unbecoming to a maker of magic."
Manohla Dargis (New York Times):
"A clunker. Both in its ingratiating vibe and bland execution, Cars is nothing if not totally, disappointingly new-age Disney."
Amy Biancolli (Houston Chronicle):
"[Cars] is as bumptious, spangly and cheerful a thing as Pixar has released in 20 years of computer animation."
Claudia Puig (USA Today):
"The wizards at Pixar ... never seem to take a wrong turn, and Cars is yet another example."
"The movie is great to look at and a lot of fun, but somehow lacks the extra push of the other Pixar films."
Lisa Kennedy (Denver Post):
"Cars is a little pedestrian by Pixar standards."
Chris Vognar (Dallas Morning News)
"Cars isn't quite up to the emissions standards of previous Pixar fare. The engine takes a little while to get warm, the action skews a little younger than most Pixar products and the "city slicker gets schooled by townsfolk" premise is about as fresh as your father's Oldsmobile."
Joe Morgenstern (Wall Street Journal):
"Cars is the first Pixar feature to feel familiar. ... That's a tactic often favored in DreamWorks features but avoided by Pixar until now. It doesn't make Cars a bad picture -- the visual inventions are worth the price of admission -- but it constitutes conduct unbecoming to a maker of magic."
Manohla Dargis (New York Times):
"A clunker. Both in its ingratiating vibe and bland execution, Cars is nothing if not totally, disappointingly new-age Disney."
Amy Biancolli (Houston Chronicle):
"[Cars] is as bumptious, spangly and cheerful a thing as Pixar has released in 20 years of computer animation."
Claudia Puig (USA Today):
"The wizards at Pixar ... never seem to take a wrong turn, and Cars is yet another example."
Strap-On Veterans for Truth
I just found the strangest website on the internets, and I don't know whether to believe it or not. I guess I really don't, but it is written in a convincing manner, so who knows. It would, after all, explain a lot. From the website:
"We are a coalition of former friends and co-workers of Ann Coulter who are upset by her vicious anti-gay, anti-muslim, anti-feminist rhetoric and feel the truth should be told. Our organization, Strap-On Veterans For Truth, is dedicated to exposing the true past of America’s number one hatemonger.
"Ann Coulter is actually a former drag queen from Key West named Pudenda Shenanigans."
You can read the rest here:
http://www.hoolinet.com/StrapOnVets/tabid/278/Default.aspx
"We are a coalition of former friends and co-workers of Ann Coulter who are upset by her vicious anti-gay, anti-muslim, anti-feminist rhetoric and feel the truth should be told. Our organization, Strap-On Veterans For Truth, is dedicated to exposing the true past of America’s number one hatemonger.
"Ann Coulter is actually a former drag queen from Key West named Pudenda Shenanigans."
You can read the rest here:
http://www.hoolinet.com/StrapOnVets/tabid/278/Default.aspx
Friday, June 9
13 Memorably Unpopular Characters From Popular TV
2. Oliver Martin (Brady Bunch)
6. Steve Urkel (Family Matters)
10. Brenda Walsh (90210)
http://www.avclub.com/content/node/49222
6. Steve Urkel (Family Matters)
10. Brenda Walsh (90210)
http://www.avclub.com/content/node/49222
Welcome to Iran Pt. II
I'm totally serious about this, and people need to wake up. Here's the latest. And it scares me half to death.
"Meanwhile, the NSA is pursuing its plans to tap the web, since phone logs have limited scope. They can only be used to build a very basic picture of someone's contact network, a process sometimes called "connecting the dots". Clusters of people in highly connected groups become apparent, as do people with few connections who appear to be the intermediaries between such groups. The idea is to see by how many links or "degrees" separate people from, say, a member of a blacklisted organisation.
"By adding online social networking data to its phone analyses, the NSA could connect people at deeper levels, through shared activities, such as taking flying lessons. Typically, online social networking sites ask members to enter details of their immediate and extended circles of friends, whose blogs they might follow. People often list other facets of their personality including political, sexual, entertainment, media and sporting preferences too. Some go much further, and a few have lost their jobs by publicly describing drinking and drug-taking exploits. Young people have even been barred from the orthodox religious colleges that they are enrolled in for revealing online that they are gay."
This article is from some sites called New Scientist Technology. Even though I've never heard of it, it doesn't sound impossible. It would've in 1999, but not in 2006.
"Meanwhile, the NSA is pursuing its plans to tap the web, since phone logs have limited scope. They can only be used to build a very basic picture of someone's contact network, a process sometimes called "connecting the dots". Clusters of people in highly connected groups become apparent, as do people with few connections who appear to be the intermediaries between such groups. The idea is to see by how many links or "degrees" separate people from, say, a member of a blacklisted organisation.
"By adding online social networking data to its phone analyses, the NSA could connect people at deeper levels, through shared activities, such as taking flying lessons. Typically, online social networking sites ask members to enter details of their immediate and extended circles of friends, whose blogs they might follow. People often list other facets of their personality including political, sexual, entertainment, media and sporting preferences too. Some go much further, and a few have lost their jobs by publicly describing drinking and drug-taking exploits. Young people have even been barred from the orthodox religious colleges that they are enrolled in for revealing online that they are gay."
This article is from some sites called New Scientist Technology. Even though I've never heard of it, it doesn't sound impossible. It would've in 1999, but not in 2006.
And you thought you had four months vacation from Lost....
From qualie: Any more Lost scoop?
Kristin @ E!: There's some good stuff in this week's Lost podcast. In case you missed it, we learned: We can't say for sure that Desmond survived the season finale, but we'll definitely be seeing him again (Let's hope Locke and Eko are just as lucky!). Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse said when the show comes back in September, we'll understand the consequences of Desmond triggering the hatch's fail-safe and what that means in terms of the island. Apparently, the island was only visible to the outside world for a spilt second, but it was also visible on September 22, 2004 when Flight 815 crashed, so we'll find out how that affects the storyline. It sounds like we'll be getting more Desmond flashbacks and we'll find out why the Others wanted Jack, Kate and Sawyer, but not Hurley. In the first six episodes we'll learn where and what the Others call home, how Jack got his tattoos, why Locke was in the wheelchair and more about the main characters and their relationships. Apparently, relationships will be more important than mythology in season three, although they also revealed that the four-toed statue represents the history and archeology of the island and that we'll find out what happened on the island pre-Dharma days. Apparently, there were other Others around before the 1970s. Oh, and one more thing: We will see the smoke monster again, and I'm not sure what this means, but they said there may have been instances where we saw the smoke monster in season two, but didn't realize that's what it was.
Kristin @ E!: There's some good stuff in this week's Lost podcast. In case you missed it, we learned: We can't say for sure that Desmond survived the season finale, but we'll definitely be seeing him again (Let's hope Locke and Eko are just as lucky!). Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse said when the show comes back in September, we'll understand the consequences of Desmond triggering the hatch's fail-safe and what that means in terms of the island. Apparently, the island was only visible to the outside world for a spilt second, but it was also visible on September 22, 2004 when Flight 815 crashed, so we'll find out how that affects the storyline. It sounds like we'll be getting more Desmond flashbacks and we'll find out why the Others wanted Jack, Kate and Sawyer, but not Hurley. In the first six episodes we'll learn where and what the Others call home, how Jack got his tattoos, why Locke was in the wheelchair and more about the main characters and their relationships. Apparently, relationships will be more important than mythology in season three, although they also revealed that the four-toed statue represents the history and archeology of the island and that we'll find out what happened on the island pre-Dharma days. Apparently, there were other Others around before the 1970s. Oh, and one more thing: We will see the smoke monster again, and I'm not sure what this means, but they said there may have been instances where we saw the smoke monster in season two, but didn't realize that's what it was.
Grey's Switcheroo
So Izzy is back as a season regular, but Chris O'Donnell may not be. In fact, he may be on for just 2 episodes... Hmmm... I thought it was the other way around.
Kristin @ E!
Vote for the Tater Top Awards... the top nominees are:
Grey's Anatomy, 23
Lost, 12
The Office, 11
Veronica Mars, 10
Scrubs, 6
http://www.eonline.com/Gossip/Kristin/Archive2006/060609.html
Update: This poll is harder than the SATs.
Grey's Anatomy, 23
Lost, 12
The Office, 11
Veronica Mars, 10
Scrubs, 6
http://www.eonline.com/Gossip/Kristin/Archive2006/060609.html
Update: This poll is harder than the SATs.
MTV Movie Awards
Did anyone watch? I watched about 40 minutes and then got bored. The only moment that I found exciting was Jake Gyllenhaal winning for Best Kiss (Heath wasn't there). He and Justin Timberlake (the presenter) joked around a bit, Justin grabbed his ass (not kidding), and Jake made a joke or two before saying how big a deal it was that MTV viewers voted for Bareback Mountain to win. I agree, it is a big deal. And it made for the only interesting part of the show (at least that I've seen so far).
24: The Movie
All righty. Guess it's time to watch the TV show on DVD.
By the way, you heard there's going to be a second X-Files movie, right? Cannot wait!
By the way, you heard there's going to be a second X-Files movie, right? Cannot wait!
Prairie Home Companion
After watching the trailer, I totally want to see this movie. But only not sober. The cast is so bizarro (Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly, Maya Rudolph, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin) and I have absolutely no idea what the movie is about.
By the way, Lindsay Lohan has some serious pipes!
By the way, Lindsay Lohan has some serious pipes!
"Truly Peaceful"
That's how Brad Pitt described the birth of the Princess of Africa, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt. Truly peaceful? I've never taken a shit that was truly peaceful, so I can only imagine how violent popping a baby out of my vagina would be.
Attention: Cat People
Animal Planet is known for airing quintessential television events with people replaced by animals - have you seen the Puppy Bowl on Super Bowl Sunday? This time - it's a reality show. Think Real World or Big Brother, only a feline version. Yes, cats all from a variety of rescue groups and shelters living in the Meow Mix House on Madison Avenue in NYC equipped with cameras to follow all the action. When voted out, the extradited kitty is sent to live with its newly-adopted family, arriving with a year's supply of Meow Mix food. The cat show kicks off on June 16, airing in three minute episodes at 9p and continuing for ten weeks.
I didn't know grandpa used iTunes!
CBS now offer six more shows on iTunes - CSI, Survivor, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Numb3rs and NCIS.
iPod Vigil
I'm holding a vigil for my iPod. Somehow all my songs disappeared into the vapor. I think if we all say a few prayers, chant and send "find my music" vibes, then perhaps my Pod will feel appreciated and needed and start working properly.
Cross fingers. Knock on wood. Anti-jinx. Positive vibes. Prayers.........
Cross fingers. Knock on wood. Anti-jinx. Positive vibes. Prayers.........
Thursday, June 8
Take The Survey!
A team of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania is studying what audiences think about some of the most popular television makeover shows. If you have watched any episodes of The Biggest Loser, What Not To Wear, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy or Starting Over and would like to share your opinion - good or bad! - with us, we'd like to hear your thoughts.
Take The Survey Here
Take The Survey Here
Wednesday, June 7
Must Read
From today's NY Times (thanks to my sister for giving me the heads' up):
Block the Vote, Ohio Remix
Published: June 7, 2006
If there was ever a sign of a ruling party in trouble, it is a game plan that calls for trying to win by discouraging voting.
The latest sign that Republicans have an election-year strategy to shut down voter registration drives comes from Ohio. As the state gears up for a very competitive election season this fall, its secretary of state, J. Kenneth Blackwell, has put in place "emergency" regulations that could hit voter registration workers with criminal penalties for perfectly legitimate registration practices. The rules are so draconian they could shut down registration drives in Ohio.
Mr. Blackwell, who also happens to be the Republican candidate for governor this year, has a history of this sort of behavior. In 2004, he instructed county boards of elections to reject any registrations on paper of less than 80-pound stock — about the thickness of a postcard. His order was almost certainly illegal, and he retracted it after he came under intense criticism. It was, however, in place long enough to get some registrations tossed out.
This year, Mr. Blackwell's office has issued rules and materials that appear to require that paid registration workers, and perhaps even volunteers, personally take the forms they collect to an election office. Organizations that run registration drives generally have the people who register voters bring the forms back to supervisors, who can then review them for errors. Under Mr. Blackwell's edict, everyone involved could be committing a crime. Mr. Blackwell's rules also appear to prohibit people who register voters from sending the forms in by mail. That rule itself may violate federal elections law.
Mr. Blackwell's rules are interpretations of a law the Republican-controlled Ohio Legislature passed recently. Another of the nation's most famous swing states, Florida, has been the scene of similar consternation and confusion since it recently enacted a law that is so harsh that the Florida League of Women Voters announced that it was stopping all voter registration efforts for the first time in 67 years.
Florida's Legislature, like Ohio's, is controlled by Republicans. Throughout American history both parties have shown a willingness to try to use election law to get results they might otherwise not win at the polls. But right now it is clearly the Republicans who believe they have an interest in keeping the voter base small. Mr. Blackwell and other politicians who insist on making it harder to vote never say, of course, that they are worried that get-out-the-vote drives will bring too many poor and minority voters into the system. They say that they want to reduce fraud. However, there is virtually no evidence that registration drives are leading to fraud at the polls.
But there is one clear way that Ohio's election system is corrupt. Decisions about who can vote are being made by a candidate for governor. Mr. Blackwell should hand over responsibility for elections to a decision maker whose only loyalty is to the voters and the law.
Block the Vote, Ohio Remix
Published: June 7, 2006
If there was ever a sign of a ruling party in trouble, it is a game plan that calls for trying to win by discouraging voting.
The latest sign that Republicans have an election-year strategy to shut down voter registration drives comes from Ohio. As the state gears up for a very competitive election season this fall, its secretary of state, J. Kenneth Blackwell, has put in place "emergency" regulations that could hit voter registration workers with criminal penalties for perfectly legitimate registration practices. The rules are so draconian they could shut down registration drives in Ohio.
Mr. Blackwell, who also happens to be the Republican candidate for governor this year, has a history of this sort of behavior. In 2004, he instructed county boards of elections to reject any registrations on paper of less than 80-pound stock — about the thickness of a postcard. His order was almost certainly illegal, and he retracted it after he came under intense criticism. It was, however, in place long enough to get some registrations tossed out.
This year, Mr. Blackwell's office has issued rules and materials that appear to require that paid registration workers, and perhaps even volunteers, personally take the forms they collect to an election office. Organizations that run registration drives generally have the people who register voters bring the forms back to supervisors, who can then review them for errors. Under Mr. Blackwell's edict, everyone involved could be committing a crime. Mr. Blackwell's rules also appear to prohibit people who register voters from sending the forms in by mail. That rule itself may violate federal elections law.
Mr. Blackwell's rules are interpretations of a law the Republican-controlled Ohio Legislature passed recently. Another of the nation's most famous swing states, Florida, has been the scene of similar consternation and confusion since it recently enacted a law that is so harsh that the Florida League of Women Voters announced that it was stopping all voter registration efforts for the first time in 67 years.
Florida's Legislature, like Ohio's, is controlled by Republicans. Throughout American history both parties have shown a willingness to try to use election law to get results they might otherwise not win at the polls. But right now it is clearly the Republicans who believe they have an interest in keeping the voter base small. Mr. Blackwell and other politicians who insist on making it harder to vote never say, of course, that they are worried that get-out-the-vote drives will bring too many poor and minority voters into the system. They say that they want to reduce fraud. However, there is virtually no evidence that registration drives are leading to fraud at the polls.
But there is one clear way that Ohio's election system is corrupt. Decisions about who can vote are being made by a candidate for governor. Mr. Blackwell should hand over responsibility for elections to a decision maker whose only loyalty is to the voters and the law.
Tuesday, June 6
Kathy Griffin is a bitch, too (the good kind)
Kathy (to Al Roker, of course): I'd like to go after Ann Coulter, I saw that nut-bag on the show earlier. What's she doing wearing a cocktail dress at seven in the morning. She got home from the party last night. Doesn't she just make stuff up Al? Who fact checks? You can't just let Ann Coulter..
Nice, Senator James Inhofe from Oklahomo
Showing a large photo of his extended family (20 or so people), the Senator said,
"As you see here, and I think this is maybe the most important prop we'll have during the entire debate, my wife and I have been married 47 years. We have 20 kids and grandkids. I'm really proud to say that in the recorded history of our family, we've never had a divorce or any kind of a homosexual relationship."
We're so proud that you have the most vanilla family ever.
"As you see here, and I think this is maybe the most important prop we'll have during the entire debate, my wife and I have been married 47 years. We have 20 kids and grandkids. I'm really proud to say that in the recorded history of our family, we've never had a divorce or any kind of a homosexual relationship."
We're so proud that you have the most vanilla family ever.
Ann Coulter is a bitch
And spews hate. Here's what she has to say about those awful 9-11 widows:
" These self-obsessed women seem genuinely unaware that 9-11 was an attack on our nation and acted like as if the terrorist attack only happened to them. They believe the entire country was required to marinate in their exquisite personal agony. Apparently, denouncing bush was part of the closure process. These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by griefparrazies. I have never seen people enjoying their husband’s death so much."
" These self-obsessed women seem genuinely unaware that 9-11 was an attack on our nation and acted like as if the terrorist attack only happened to them. They believe the entire country was required to marinate in their exquisite personal agony. Apparently, denouncing bush was part of the closure process. These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by griefparrazies. I have never seen people enjoying their husband’s death so much."
Best Headline of the Day
Lion Kills Man After He Jumps Into Cage And Declares “God Will Save Me, If He Exists”...
Monday, June 5
Second Best News Ever
Wanna Play With Josh Holloway?
Well now you'll be able to. You'll be able to do whatever you with a 6-inch tall Sawyer. McFarlane toys is coming out with action figures of the Lost cast. Pictured on the McFarlane Web site is only one prototype -- of Charlie, played by Dominic Monaghan. That figure, along with Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evageline Lilly), Hurley (Jorge Garcia), Locke (Terry O'Quinn) and Shannon (Maggie Grace) will be in the first wave of figures in November.
Fans of Josh Holloway's bad boy character Sawyer will have to wait until next spring (--damn!). The figures will also come with sound. The Charlie figure, for example, will say, "You don't know me? I'm a bloody rock god!" He also sings a line from a song by his band, Driveshaft. According to McFarlane's Web site, each figure will have a detailed base and photographic backdrop, capturing an episode-specific moment in the character's story. Since her character is dead, why bother with Shannon?
A McFarlane Toys spokesperson said it's because they wanted to start with the beginning of the show -- plus Shannon will be in a bikini. The hatch will also be for sale.
Well now you'll be able to. You'll be able to do whatever you with a 6-inch tall Sawyer. McFarlane toys is coming out with action figures of the Lost cast. Pictured on the McFarlane Web site is only one prototype -- of Charlie, played by Dominic Monaghan. That figure, along with Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evageline Lilly), Hurley (Jorge Garcia), Locke (Terry O'Quinn) and Shannon (Maggie Grace) will be in the first wave of figures in November.
Fans of Josh Holloway's bad boy character Sawyer will have to wait until next spring (--damn!). The figures will also come with sound. The Charlie figure, for example, will say, "You don't know me? I'm a bloody rock god!" He also sings a line from a song by his band, Driveshaft. According to McFarlane's Web site, each figure will have a detailed base and photographic backdrop, capturing an episode-specific moment in the character's story. Since her character is dead, why bother with Shannon?
A McFarlane Toys spokesperson said it's because they wanted to start with the beginning of the show -- plus Shannon will be in a bikini. The hatch will also be for sale.
Fool.... Or Not??? You Decide.
First Fuel was rumored to want American Idol 5 finalist Chris Daughtry as their lead singer. Then they made a formal offer. Then he performed with Live on the show’s finale. And now he’s turned down Fuel.
“I’m going to be doing my own thing,” Chris told the Charlotte Observer at his homecoming celebration. He “expects to announce his next career move in a few months, probably after the ‘American Idol concert tour ends this summer,” the paper reports. Apparently, he’s convinced that something better will come along, like a life in obscurity as a American Idol loser. Quick: Name the person who came in fourth place any other season. See?
“I’m going to be doing my own thing,” Chris told the Charlotte Observer at his homecoming celebration. He “expects to announce his next career move in a few months, probably after the ‘American Idol concert tour ends this summer,” the paper reports. Apparently, he’s convinced that something better will come along, like a life in obscurity as a American Idol loser. Quick: Name the person who came in fourth place any other season. See?
Surgery Gone Bad
HBO debuts a new documentary tonight at 10 p.m. ET titled Plastic Disasters. The film is an indirect sibling of reality shows such as The Swan and the original Extreme Makeover, as it “follows three people recovering from surgeries that went horrifically wrong.”
Those surgeries were “relatively minor tweaks (a face-lift, liposuction and a nose job),” The Hollywood Reporter says in its review, noting that the one-hour film shows the results “in graphic detail” as “surgery scenes are gory and frequent. But they are worth acknowledging even with averted eye, to convey the message that plastic surgery is surgery — with no promises of results or guarantee of repair of mistakes.” The paper calls the film “required viewing for anyone contemplating voluntary plastic surgery today.”
Those surgeries were “relatively minor tweaks (a face-lift, liposuction and a nose job),” The Hollywood Reporter says in its review, noting that the one-hour film shows the results “in graphic detail” as “surgery scenes are gory and frequent. But they are worth acknowledging even with averted eye, to convey the message that plastic surgery is surgery — with no promises of results or guarantee of repair of mistakes.” The paper calls the film “required viewing for anyone contemplating voluntary plastic surgery today.”
Thursday, June 1
Now who would believe that Madonna has herpes?
An interesting email was posted on the gossip site What Would Tyler Durdan Do. In his post it said:
Although there have been few specifics about the birth of Shiloh Jolie-Pitt in Namibia on Saturday, most reports are saying Angelina Jolie underwent a planned c-section. So why would a healthy 30 year old woman choose to have a complicated surgery in a country with less than exemplary medical care? According to one email, it's because of her STD. Herpes, to be specific.
"So I had to contribute a tid bit I heard when I was working for 20th Century Fox (in an executive position that will go unnamed) ... we produced 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'. Angie and Brad were indeed having sex on that film, and she apparently gave him some STD's, and that's how Jennifer Aniston first found out ... If you are young, like Angelina Jolie, and healthy, the reason for c-section is almost always herpes. Jennifer Garner is another herpes mom, Madonna another. Both delivered small babies by c-section. Katie Holmes is another."
Although there have been few specifics about the birth of Shiloh Jolie-Pitt in Namibia on Saturday, most reports are saying Angelina Jolie underwent a planned c-section. So why would a healthy 30 year old woman choose to have a complicated surgery in a country with less than exemplary medical care? According to one email, it's because of her STD. Herpes, to be specific.
"So I had to contribute a tid bit I heard when I was working for 20th Century Fox (in an executive position that will go unnamed) ... we produced 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'. Angie and Brad were indeed having sex on that film, and she apparently gave him some STD's, and that's how Jennifer Aniston first found out ... If you are young, like Angelina Jolie, and healthy, the reason for c-section is almost always herpes. Jennifer Garner is another herpes mom, Madonna another. Both delivered small babies by c-section. Katie Holmes is another."
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