Sarah Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Hillary Clinton. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.
By Gloria Steinem
September 4, 2008, la times
Here's the good news: Women have become so politically powerful that even the anti-feminist right wing -- the folks with a headlock on the Republican Party -- are trying to appease the gender gap with a first-ever female vice president. We owe this to women -- and to many men too -- who have picketed, gone on hunger strikes or confronted violence at the polls so women can vote. We owe it to Shirley Chisholm, who first took the "white-male-only" sign off the White House, and to Hillary Rodham Clinton, who hung in there through ridicule and misogyny to win 18 million votes.
But here is even better news: It won't work. This isn't the first time a boss has picked an unqualified woman just because she agrees with him and opposes everything most other women want and need. Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more fair for women everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It's about baking a new pie.
Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh, is no way to attract most women, including die-hard Clinton supporters. Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton. Her down-home, divisive and deceptive speech did nothing to cosmeticize a Republican convention that has more than twice as many male delegates as female, a presidential candidate who is owned and operated by the right wing and a platform that opposes pretty much everything Clinton's candidacy stood for -- and that Barack Obama's still does. To vote in protest for McCain/Palin would be like saying, "Somebody stole my shoes, so I'll amputate my legs."
This is not to beat up on Palin. I defend her right to be wrong, even on issues that matter most to me. I regret that people say she can't do the job because she has children in need of care, especially if they wouldn't say the same about a father. I get no pleasure from imagining her in the spotlight on national and foreign policy issues about which she has zero background, with one month to learn to compete with Sen. Joe Biden's 37 years' experience.
Palin has been honest about what she doesn't know. When asked last month about the vice presidency, she said, "I still can't answer that question until someone answers for me: What is it exactly that the VP does every day?" When asked about Iraq, she said, "I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq."
She was elected governor largely because the incumbent was unpopular, and she's won over Alaskans mostly by using unprecedented oil wealth to give a $1,200 rebate to every resident. Now she is being praised by McCain's campaign as a tax cutter, despite the fact that Alaska has no state income or sales tax. Perhaps McCain has opposed affirmative action for so long that he doesn't know it's about inviting more people to meet standards, not lowering them. Or perhaps McCain is following the Bush administration habit, as in the Justice Department, of putting a job candidate's views on "God, guns and gays" ahead of competence. The difference is that McCain is filling a job one 72-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency.
So let's be clear: The culprit is John McCain. He may have chosen Palin out of change-envy, or a belief that women can't tell the difference between form and content, but the main motive was to please right-wing ideologues; the same ones who nixed anyone who is now or ever has been a supporter of reproductive freedom. If that were not the case, McCain could have chosen a woman who knows what a vice president does and who has thought about Iraq; someone like Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison or Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine. McCain could have taken a baby step away from right-wing patriarchs who determine his actions, right down to opposing the Violence Against Women Act.
Palin's value to those patriarchs is clear: She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. She believes that creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global warming; she opposes gun control but supports government control of women's wombs; she opposes stem cell research but approves "abstinence-only" programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions; she tried to use taxpayers' millions for a state program to shoot wolves from the air but didn't spend enough money to fix a state school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation; she runs with a candidate who opposes the Fair Pay Act but supports $500 million in subsidies for a natural gas pipeline across Alaska; she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, though even McCain has opted for the lesser evil of offshore drilling. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.
I don't doubt her sincerity. As a lifetime member of the National Rifle Assn., she doesn't just support killing animals from helicopters, she does it herself. She doesn't just talk about increasing the use of fossil fuels but puts a coal-burning power plant in her own small town. She doesn't just echo McCain's pledge to criminalize abortion by overturning Roe vs. Wade, she says that if one of her daughters were impregnated by rape or incest, she should bear the child. She not only opposes reproductive freedom as a human right but implies that it dictates abortion, without saying that it also protects the right to have a child.
So far, the major new McCain supporter that Palin has attracted is James Dobson of Focus on the Family. Of course, for Dobson, "women are merely waiting for their husbands to assume leadership," so he may be voting for Palin's husband.
Being a hope-a-holic, however, I can see two long-term bipartisan gains from this contest.
Republicans may learn they can't appeal to right-wing patriarchs and most women at the same time. A loss in November could cause the centrist majority of Republicans to take back their party, which was the first to support the Equal Rights Amendment and should be the last to want to invite government into the wombs of women.
And American women, who suffer more because of having two full-time jobs than from any other single injustice, finally have support on a national stage from male leaders who know that women can't be equal outside the home until men are equal in it. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are campaigning on their belief that men should be, can be and want to be at home for their children.
This could be huge.
Gloria Steinem is an author, feminist organizer and co-founder of the Women's Media Center. She supported Hillary Clinton and is now supporting Barack Obama.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Commentary: Is McCain out of his mind?
(CNN) -- John McCain needs what Kinky Friedman calls "a checkup from the neck up."
By Paul Begala
In choosing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate he is not thinking "outside the box," as some have said. More like out of his mind.
Palin a first-term governor of a state with more reindeer than people, will have to put on a few pounds just to be a lightweight. Her personal story is impressive: former fisherman, mother of five. But that hardly qualifies her to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
For a man who is 72 years old and has had four bouts with cancer to have chosen someone so completely unqualified to become president is shockingly irresponsible. Suddenly, McCain's age and health become central issues in the campaign, as does his judgment.
In choosing this featherweight, McCain passed over Tom Ridge, a decorated combat hero, a Cabinet secretary and the former two-term governor of the large, complex state of Pennsylvania.
He passed over Mitt Romney, who ran a big state, Massachusetts; a big company, Bain Capital; and a big event, the Olympics.
He passed over Kay Bailey Hutchison, the Texas senator who is knowledgeable about the military, good on television, and -- obviously -- a woman.
He passed over Joe Lieberman, his best friend in the Senate and fellow Iraq Kool-Aid drinker.
He passed over former congressman, trade negotiator and budget director Rob Portman.
And he also passed over Mike Huckabee, the governor of Arkansas.
For months, the McCainiacs have said they will run on his judgment and experience. In his first presidential decision, John McCain has shown he is willing to endanger his country, potentially leaving it in the hands of someone who simply has no business being a heartbeat away from the most powerful, complicated, difficult job in human history.
By Paul Begala
In choosing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate he is not thinking "outside the box," as some have said. More like out of his mind.
Palin a first-term governor of a state with more reindeer than people, will have to put on a few pounds just to be a lightweight. Her personal story is impressive: former fisherman, mother of five. But that hardly qualifies her to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
For a man who is 72 years old and has had four bouts with cancer to have chosen someone so completely unqualified to become president is shockingly irresponsible. Suddenly, McCain's age and health become central issues in the campaign, as does his judgment.
In choosing this featherweight, McCain passed over Tom Ridge, a decorated combat hero, a Cabinet secretary and the former two-term governor of the large, complex state of Pennsylvania.
He passed over Mitt Romney, who ran a big state, Massachusetts; a big company, Bain Capital; and a big event, the Olympics.
He passed over Kay Bailey Hutchison, the Texas senator who is knowledgeable about the military, good on television, and -- obviously -- a woman.
He passed over Joe Lieberman, his best friend in the Senate and fellow Iraq Kool-Aid drinker.
He passed over former congressman, trade negotiator and budget director Rob Portman.
And he also passed over Mike Huckabee, the governor of Arkansas.
For months, the McCainiacs have said they will run on his judgment and experience. In his first presidential decision, John McCain has shown he is willing to endanger his country, potentially leaving it in the hands of someone who simply has no business being a heartbeat away from the most powerful, complicated, difficult job in human history.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
BREAKING NEWS
People For the American Way Mourns Del Martin, Equal Rights Pioneer.
http://www.eqca.org/site/pp.asp?c=kuLRJ9MRKrH&b=4445141
Barack on the passing of activist and pioneer Del Martin
By Jamie Citron - Aug 27th, 2008 at 6:30 pm EDT
It was with heavy hearts that we learned that civil rights activist and pioneer Del Martin passed away. Senator Barack Obama made the following statement on her passing:
“Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear that Del Martin had passed. Del committed her life to fighting discrimination and promoting equality. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her spouse Phyllis Lyon, and all those who were touched by her life.”
http://www.eqca.org/site/pp.asp?c=kuLRJ9MRKrH&b=4445141
Barack on the passing of activist and pioneer Del Martin
By Jamie Citron - Aug 27th, 2008 at 6:30 pm EDT
It was with heavy hearts that we learned that civil rights activist and pioneer Del Martin passed away. Senator Barack Obama made the following statement on her passing:
“Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear that Del Martin had passed. Del committed her life to fighting discrimination and promoting equality. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her spouse Phyllis Lyon, and all those who were touched by her life.”
And she did it all IN PAIN
Dara Torres underwent shoulder surgery today.
Olympic swimmer Dara Torres undergoes surgery to repair shoulder injury
Doctor removing arthritic area of right collarbone
Pain nearly kept her from competing in Beijing Olympics
Relief should be nearly instant, recovery quick, doctor says
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/08/27/torres.surgery/index.html?iref=newssearch
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Wake Up America!
Watch Dennis Kucinich's speech today.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/08/26/sot.dnc.kucinich.wake.up.cnn
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Just an average Joe.
Obama finally chose his VP pick today in Senator Joe Biden. The uncensored, down-to-earth, not afraid to fight, Joe Biden. I think it's a great choice.
--
Biden gave a fiery speech in which he praised Obama and criticized McCain, saying "these times require more than a good soldier, they require a wise leader." Biden also emphasized the importance of this election: "This is no ordinary time, this is no ordinary election."
From the AP - Barack Obama introduced Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware on Saturday as a man "ready to step in and be president," and the newly minted running mate quickly turned his campaign debut into a slashing attack on Republicans seeking four more years in the White House.
Sen. John McCain would have to "figure out which of the seven kitchen tables to sit at" when considering his own economic future, said Biden, jabbing at the man he called his personal friend.
It was a reference to McCain's recent inartful admission that he was not sure how many homes he owns.
Before a vast crowd spilling out from the front of the Old State Capitol, Obama said Biden was "what many others pretend to be -- a statesman with sound judgment who doesn't have to hide behind bluster to keep America strong."
Democrats coalesced quickly around Obama's selection of the 65-year-old veteran of three decades in the Senate -- a choice meant to provide foreign policy heft to the party's ticket for the fall campaign against McCain and the Republicans.
Obama made a symbolic choice for the ticket's first joint appearance.
(READ MORE)
The official wedding photos are out. Awwww.....
YOU AND ME AND PEOPLE MAKES 20
With the exception of a rogue pair of quotation marks unleashed by CNN ("Ellen DeGeneres 'marries' Portia Rossi"), the whole world seemed full of nothing but praise and well-wishes for the world's most famous lesbian couple, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, who got married last weekend in an intimate ceremony at their home in Los Angeles.
And by "intimate," I mean 19 of their closest friends and family and, of course, People magazine. (READ MORE)
Friday, August 22, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
"Caroline: Pull a Cheney!"
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008
"Caroline: Pull a Cheney!" An Open Letter to Caroline Kennedy (head of the Obama VP search team) from Michael Moore
Dear Caroline,
We've never met, so I hope you don't find this letter too presumptuous or inappropriate. As its contents involve the public's business, I am sending this to you via the public on the Internet. I knew your brother John. He was a great guy, and I know he would've had a ball during this thrilling and historic election year. We all miss him dearly.
Barack Obama selected you to head up his search for a vice presidential candidate. It appears we may be just days (hours?) away from learning who that choice will be.
The media is reporting that Senator Obama has narrowed his alternatives to three men: Joe Biden, Evan Bayh and Tim Kaine. They're all decent fellows, but they are far from the core of what the Obama campaign has been about: Change. Real change. Out with the old. And don't invade countries that pose no threat to us.
Senators Biden and Bayh voted for that invasion and that war, the war Barack ran against, the war Barack reminded us was the big difference between him and Senator Clinton because she voted for the war and he spoke out against it while running for Senate (a brave and bold thing to do back in 2002).
For Obama to place either of these senators on the ticket would be a huge blow to the millions that chose him in the primaries over Hillary. He will undercut one of the strongest advantages he has over the Hundred-Year War senator, Mr. McCain. By anointing a VP who did what McCain did in throwing us into this war, Mr. Obama will lose the moral high ground in the debates.
As for Governor Kaine of Virginia, his big problem is, well, Obama's big problem -- who is he? The toughest thing Barack has had to overcome -- and it will continue to be his biggest obstacle -- is that too many of the voters simply don't know him well enough to vote for him. The fact that Obama is new to the scene is both one of his most attractive qualities AND his biggest drawback. Too many Americans, who on the surface seem to like Barack Obama, just don't feel comfortable voting for someone who hasn't been on the national scene very long. It's a comfort level thing, and it may be just what keeps Obama from winning in November ("I'd rather vote for the devil I know than the devil I don't know").
What Obama needs is a vice presidential candidate who is NOT a professional politician, but someone who is well-known and beloved by people across the political spectrum; someone who, like Obama, spoke out against the war; someone who has a good and generous heart, who will be cheered by the rest of the world; someone whom we've known and loved and admired all our lives and who has dedicated her life to public service and to the greater good for all.
That person, Caroline, is you.
I cannot think of a more winning ticket than one that reads: "OBAMA-KENNEDY."
Caroline, I know that nominating yourself is the furthest idea from your mind and not consistent with who you are, but there would be some poetic justice to such an action. Just think, eight years after the last head of a vice presidential search team looked far and wide for a VP -- and then picked himself (a move topped only by his hubris to then lead the country to near ruin while in office) -- along comes Caroline Kennedy to return the favor with far different results, a vice president who helps restore America to its goodness and greatness.
Caroline, you are one of the most beloved and respected women in this country, and you have been so admired throughout your life. You chose a life outside of politics, to work for charities and schools, to write and lecture, to raise a wonderful family. But you did not choose to lead a private life. You have traveled the world and met with its leaders, giving you much experience on the world stage, a stage you have been on since you were a little girl.
The nation has, remarkably (considering our fascination with celebrity), left you alone and let you live your life in peace. (It's like, long ago, we all collectively agreed that, with her father tragically gone, a man who died because he wanted to serve his country, we would look out for her, we would wish for her to be happy and well, and we would have her back. But we would let her be.)
Now, I am breaking this unwritten code and asking you to come forward and help us in our hour of need. So many families are hurting, losing their homes, going bankrupt with health care bills, seeing their public schools in shambles and living with this war without end. This is a historic year for women, from Hillary's candidacy to the numerous women running for the House and Senate. This is the year that a woman should be on the Democratic ticket. This is the year that both names on that ticket should be people OUTSIDE the party machine. This is the year millions of independents and, yes, millions of Republicans are looking for something new and fresh and bold (and you are the Kennedy Republicans would vote for!).
This is the moment, Caroline. Seize it! And Barack, if you're reading this, you probably know that she is far too humble and decent to nominate herself. So step up and surprise us again. Step up and be different than every politician we have witnessed in our lifetime. Keep the passion burning amongst the young people and others who have been energized by your unexpected, unpredicted, against-all-odds candidacy that has ignited and inspired a nation. Do it for all those reasons. Make Caroline Kennedy your VP. "Obama-Kennedy." Wow, does that sound so cool.
Caroline, thanks for letting me intrude on your life. How wonderful it will be to have a vice president who will respect the Constitution, who will support (instead of control) her president, who will never let her staff out a CIA agent, and who will never tell her country that she is "currently residing in an undisclosed location."
Say it one more time: "OBAMA-KENNEDY." A move like that might send a message to the country that the Democrats would actually like to win an election for once.
Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com
"Caroline: Pull a Cheney!" An Open Letter to Caroline Kennedy (head of the Obama VP search team) from Michael Moore
Dear Caroline,
We've never met, so I hope you don't find this letter too presumptuous or inappropriate. As its contents involve the public's business, I am sending this to you via the public on the Internet. I knew your brother John. He was a great guy, and I know he would've had a ball during this thrilling and historic election year. We all miss him dearly.
Barack Obama selected you to head up his search for a vice presidential candidate. It appears we may be just days (hours?) away from learning who that choice will be.
The media is reporting that Senator Obama has narrowed his alternatives to three men: Joe Biden, Evan Bayh and Tim Kaine. They're all decent fellows, but they are far from the core of what the Obama campaign has been about: Change. Real change. Out with the old. And don't invade countries that pose no threat to us.
Senators Biden and Bayh voted for that invasion and that war, the war Barack ran against, the war Barack reminded us was the big difference between him and Senator Clinton because she voted for the war and he spoke out against it while running for Senate (a brave and bold thing to do back in 2002).
For Obama to place either of these senators on the ticket would be a huge blow to the millions that chose him in the primaries over Hillary. He will undercut one of the strongest advantages he has over the Hundred-Year War senator, Mr. McCain. By anointing a VP who did what McCain did in throwing us into this war, Mr. Obama will lose the moral high ground in the debates.
As for Governor Kaine of Virginia, his big problem is, well, Obama's big problem -- who is he? The toughest thing Barack has had to overcome -- and it will continue to be his biggest obstacle -- is that too many of the voters simply don't know him well enough to vote for him. The fact that Obama is new to the scene is both one of his most attractive qualities AND his biggest drawback. Too many Americans, who on the surface seem to like Barack Obama, just don't feel comfortable voting for someone who hasn't been on the national scene very long. It's a comfort level thing, and it may be just what keeps Obama from winning in November ("I'd rather vote for the devil I know than the devil I don't know").
What Obama needs is a vice presidential candidate who is NOT a professional politician, but someone who is well-known and beloved by people across the political spectrum; someone who, like Obama, spoke out against the war; someone who has a good and generous heart, who will be cheered by the rest of the world; someone whom we've known and loved and admired all our lives and who has dedicated her life to public service and to the greater good for all.
That person, Caroline, is you.
I cannot think of a more winning ticket than one that reads: "OBAMA-KENNEDY."
Caroline, I know that nominating yourself is the furthest idea from your mind and not consistent with who you are, but there would be some poetic justice to such an action. Just think, eight years after the last head of a vice presidential search team looked far and wide for a VP -- and then picked himself (a move topped only by his hubris to then lead the country to near ruin while in office) -- along comes Caroline Kennedy to return the favor with far different results, a vice president who helps restore America to its goodness and greatness.
Caroline, you are one of the most beloved and respected women in this country, and you have been so admired throughout your life. You chose a life outside of politics, to work for charities and schools, to write and lecture, to raise a wonderful family. But you did not choose to lead a private life. You have traveled the world and met with its leaders, giving you much experience on the world stage, a stage you have been on since you were a little girl.
The nation has, remarkably (considering our fascination with celebrity), left you alone and let you live your life in peace. (It's like, long ago, we all collectively agreed that, with her father tragically gone, a man who died because he wanted to serve his country, we would look out for her, we would wish for her to be happy and well, and we would have her back. But we would let her be.)
Now, I am breaking this unwritten code and asking you to come forward and help us in our hour of need. So many families are hurting, losing their homes, going bankrupt with health care bills, seeing their public schools in shambles and living with this war without end. This is a historic year for women, from Hillary's candidacy to the numerous women running for the House and Senate. This is the year that a woman should be on the Democratic ticket. This is the year that both names on that ticket should be people OUTSIDE the party machine. This is the year millions of independents and, yes, millions of Republicans are looking for something new and fresh and bold (and you are the Kennedy Republicans would vote for!).
This is the moment, Caroline. Seize it! And Barack, if you're reading this, you probably know that she is far too humble and decent to nominate herself. So step up and surprise us again. Step up and be different than every politician we have witnessed in our lifetime. Keep the passion burning amongst the young people and others who have been energized by your unexpected, unpredicted, against-all-odds candidacy that has ignited and inspired a nation. Do it for all those reasons. Make Caroline Kennedy your VP. "Obama-Kennedy." Wow, does that sound so cool.
Caroline, thanks for letting me intrude on your life. How wonderful it will be to have a vice president who will respect the Constitution, who will support (instead of control) her president, who will never let her staff out a CIA agent, and who will never tell her country that she is "currently residing in an undisclosed location."
Say it one more time: "OBAMA-KENNEDY." A move like that might send a message to the country that the Democrats would actually like to win an election for once.
Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com
Rachel Maddow Becomes First Out Lesbian to Host Prime-Time News Show
I knew this was coming when she started filling in for Keith Olbermann. --
Openly gay political commentator Rachel Maddow, 35, is getting her own prime-time show on MSNBC, the cable news channel confirmed on Tuesday.
"This just completes our prime-time lineup," MSNBC President Phil Griffin told the New York Times.
Beginning Sept. 8, Maddow will replace commentator Dan Abrams in the 9 p.m. time slot. Her show will initially focus on the presidential race but will become more of a general news program after the election.
"This is great," Maddow told the Times. "Getting a regular cable show is something I’ve wanted."
Maddow will be the first out lesbian to host a prime-time news or political commentary show on American television, and one of the very few women ever to do so. MSNBC does not have any other news or political commentary shows hosted by women.
AfterEllen.com
Openly gay political commentator Rachel Maddow, 35, is getting her own prime-time show on MSNBC, the cable news channel confirmed on Tuesday.
"This just completes our prime-time lineup," MSNBC President Phil Griffin told the New York Times.
Beginning Sept. 8, Maddow will replace commentator Dan Abrams in the 9 p.m. time slot. Her show will initially focus on the presidential race but will become more of a general news program after the election.
"This is great," Maddow told the Times. "Getting a regular cable show is something I’ve wanted."
Maddow will be the first out lesbian to host a prime-time news or political commentary show on American television, and one of the very few women ever to do so. MSNBC does not have any other news or political commentary shows hosted by women.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi Officially Married
America's current reigning celebrity lesbian couple were officially — and legally — married this weekend.
"Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi were married tonight in an intimate ceremony at their home in Los Angeles," their spokesperson told People magazine late Saturday.
De Rossi, 35, wore a backless, light pink dress, and DeGeneres, 50, wore pants, a button-down shirt and vest, all in white, according to Us magazine. Both outfits were designed by Zac Posen.
(READ STORY)
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Legendary Torres defies odds, age
BEIJING -- Let's start by dispelling some rumors about Dara Torres. She hasn't been talking to the Chinese gymnastics team about age manipulation. She didn't jam the info computers in Beijing with page 457 of her swim résumé. She hasn't reserved a place to jump into the 2047 World Championships to celebrate her 80th birthday when her grandkids could be coaching her.
But let's also confirm this about the amazing 41-year-old Torres: Her two silver medals on Sunday in the swimming competition are a resounding victory for the masters' set, the over-40s who, at least in Torres' sport, are expected to get the nice going-away watch even before their 30th birthdays. If Jason Lezak, at 32, can joke that in swimming terms he's ready for AARP, Torres should be in her category of AANGTBRP: (American Association of Never Going to be a Retired Person).
Torres led for most of the 50-meter freestyle on Sunday, before being out-touched by Germany's Britta Steffen 24.06 seconds to 24.07. She came back shortly after and anchored the 4x100-meter medley team to second place behind heavily favored Australia. With her silver in the 4x100 freestyle relay, she now has 12 Olympic medals -- four of every color from a total of five Games. It's a good bet that some people of a certain age who were clapping in their living rooms were also dusting off their jogging shoes and looking for their tennis racquets. "If that's so, it's great," the new mom said afterwards. "If this helps anyone out there who is in their middle-aged years and has put off what they wanted to do because they thought they were too old or because they have a child, and that they can't balance what they want to do with being a parent, then that's great. What I've done is show them that they can do it."
Torres has been doing it since the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, where she won a gold medal on the U.S. 4x100-meter freestyle relay team when she was just 17. That was five Olympic teams ago. Back then, disco was barely dead, Miami Vice was in vogue, Al Gore was still figuring out the Internet and Lionel Richie and Van Halen were going to No. 1 with songs like "Hello" and "Jump" that had very few other lyrics. And here's the most telling reference: Michael Phelps, the all-time leader in Olympic gold medals with 14, was not even born. A full three-quarters of Torres' 2008 female teammates weren't, either.
"For so long in this sport," said Natalie Coughlin, one of Torres' older teammates, at 26, "it was thought that if you're getting to 16, 17 or 18, you're getting to the end of your career. Dara has done a fantastic job in proving that you can continue to improve and that women can have children and get back into the sport. She has gotten rid of a mythology in swimming that has been there for so long." Torres is affectionately known as Mom and Legend to her teammates.
Yes, doping rumors have dogged her for years, but Phelps' coach, Bob Bowman, points out that Torres is constantly modernizing her stroke, updating her technique more readily than her 20-year-old rivals who, by comparison, are more set in their technical ways. Her improvement curve is still changing, he says, because she is, too. If Torres is indeed thriving on spinach and fruit shakes, it is time to break out the line from When Harry Met Sally: "I'll have what she's having."
Consider what a difficult double she had on Sunday, as much mentally as physically. At 10:40 a.m. Beijing time, she left the awards stand, wearing the silver medal from the 50 free, a race she came within a fingernail of winning. In that time, she fought the temptation to review the race and review her career, because she still had one more race to swim with her teammates. Then she posed for pictures for photographers, tossed her flowers into the stands at 10:41, posed for some more pictures and apologized for running off to the ready room at 10:42. At that point, the announcer began introducing the swimmers for the medley relay. As her teammates walked onto the pool deck, waiting for her to join them, Torres placed her medal inside and skipped back toward Lane 4. The unofficial count of elapsed time between leaving the pool deck from an emotional ceremony and skipping back onto it to race again was 54 seconds. Of the eight women swimming the freestyle legs on their relay teams, Torres recorded the fastest split, at 52.27 seconds, but it wasn't enough to catch Australia's Libby Trickett, who had jumped in with a sizeable lead.
As she left the pool to wait for her second medal, Torres was actually answering questions from her rivals, Trickett and Steffen, about childbirth, at one point mimicking the actual procedure right in the ready room. In Beijing, the mom has lived up to both her nicknames and her legend.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Holy Crap
Russian Judge Rules Sexual Harassment Is Okay As It Ensures Survival Of Human Race
Huffington Post | August 5, 2008 02:06 PM
A woman seeking to become only the third woman ever to successfully bring a sexual harassment case in Russia was dealt a shocking rebuke when the judge threw out her case, ruling that sexual harassment is actually necessary for the survival of the human race:
She alleged she had been locked out of her office after she refused to have intimate relations with her 47-year-old boss.
"He always demanded that female workers signalled to him with their eyes that they desperately wanted to be laid on the boardroom table as soon as he gave the word," she earlier told the court. "I didn't realise at first that he wasn't speaking metaphorically."
The judge said he threw out the case not through lack of evidence but because the employer had acted gallantly rather than criminally.
"If we had no sexual harassment we would have no children," the judge ruled.
Foreign Policy's blog notes that while Russia has made it a major priority to reverse the nation's population decline, this is perhaps not the best way to go about it, considering how dismal working conditions are for Russian women already:
According to a recent survey, 100 percent of female professionals said they had been subjected to sexual harassment by their bosses, 32 percent said they had had intercourse with them at least once and another seven percent claimed to have been raped.
Huffington Post | August 5, 2008 02:06 PM
A woman seeking to become only the third woman ever to successfully bring a sexual harassment case in Russia was dealt a shocking rebuke when the judge threw out her case, ruling that sexual harassment is actually necessary for the survival of the human race:
She alleged she had been locked out of her office after she refused to have intimate relations with her 47-year-old boss.
"He always demanded that female workers signalled to him with their eyes that they desperately wanted to be laid on the boardroom table as soon as he gave the word," she earlier told the court. "I didn't realise at first that he wasn't speaking metaphorically."
The judge said he threw out the case not through lack of evidence but because the employer had acted gallantly rather than criminally.
"If we had no sexual harassment we would have no children," the judge ruled.
Foreign Policy's blog notes that while Russia has made it a major priority to reverse the nation's population decline, this is perhaps not the best way to go about it, considering how dismal working conditions are for Russian women already:
According to a recent survey, 100 percent of female professionals said they had been subjected to sexual harassment by their bosses, 32 percent said they had had intercourse with them at least once and another seven percent claimed to have been raped.
Sitting On Up To $79 Billion In Unspent Cash
The soaring price of oil will leave the Iraqi government with a cumulative budget surplus of as much as $79 billion by year's end an American federal oversight agency has concluded in an analysis released on Tuesday.
The unspent windfall, which covers surpluses from oil sales from 2005 through 2008, appears likely to put an uncomfortable new focus on the approximately $48 billion in American taxpayer money devoted to rebuilding Iraq since the American-led invasion.
(READ)
The unspent windfall, which covers surpluses from oil sales from 2005 through 2008, appears likely to put an uncomfortable new focus on the approximately $48 billion in American taxpayer money devoted to rebuilding Iraq since the American-led invasion.
(READ)
Helen Mirren brings sexy back to 60
Helen Mirren is sexy. This isn't my opinion; this is empirical fact. It's just one of life's great truths. It's like the rise and fall of the tide every day — dependable yet still, somehow, magical. What's that? Evidence? You demand proof? Behold, Helen and her itsy, bitsy, teenie weenie. Sure, it's not a yellow polka-dot one, but it is unmistakably a bikini. And, wow, is it ever sexy. (MORE)
Prepare to be Bitch Slapped
Gay women of the world, I would like you to sit down. Find some place comfortable and a chair you've never fallen out of. Make sure no one important is nearby like, say, a boss or a principal or that coworker who is continually stealing your stapler as a passive-aggressive play for your job. Also, just in case, please consider placing pillows on the floor. The pillows will serve a dual purpose since they can muffle your squeals of delight. Are you ready, are you sure? OK, here goes.
READ MORE
READ MORE
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Former ladies of "Saturday Night Live" will rule the tube (again)
There was so much exciting information spinning out of the TCA press tour last week that it was kind of like being on a 12-day sugar buzz — especially because so much of the news revolved around some of my favorite former Saturday Night Live ladies. Let me condense a week's worth of information for you: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Molly Shannon will be lining up side-by-side with their own NBC comedies this year. (READ)
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF TEST
Throughout the 2008 election, the question that's been raised is whether Barack Obama can pass the Commander in Chief Test... well, we think it's only fair that both candidates be put to the test.
Friday, July 18, 2008
TV Alert: "Saving Grace" returns for more sin and salvation
Are you ready to embrace your Grace? The hit cable drama Saving Grace returns tonight to TNT and with it comes the hardest working, hardest drinking, hardest partying, hardest hitting female detective on television. A bold statement, sure, but this is Holly Hunter we're talking about. Don't make her to pull out the Oscar, because she can. Plus, what other Academy Award-winner poses with a barbed wire fence? (READ)
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Wow.. listen to this!
David Attenborough presents the amazing lyre bird, which mimics the calls of other birds - and chainsaws and camera shutters - in this video clip from The Life of Birds. This clever creature is one of the most impressive and funny in nature, with unbelievable sounds to match the beautiful pictures. This is live animal photography at its very best!
VIEW VIDEO
VIEW VIDEO
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Another great photo/story...
Tori (L) and Kate Kendall, who already share the same last name, hold their five-month-old baby Zadie while being are joined in wedlock as the era of same-sex marriage begins in California, June 17, 2008 in West Hollywood, California
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
After 55 years together, they finally say "I do"
Lesbian rights activists Phyllis Lyon, 84, right, and Del Martin, 87, are among the first to exchange vows as California becomes the second state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. (more)
Another story on them (Lesbian pioneers wed at San Francisco City Hall)
If the above photo doesn't touch your heart, I don't know what does.
Al Gore to endorse Obama
From CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand
(CNN) — After remaining neutral throughout the Democratic primary season, former Vice President Al Gore is officially backing Barack Obama's presidential run, and will appear with him at a Michigan campaign event Monday night.
"A few hours from now I will step on stage in Detroit, Michigan to announce my support for Senator Barack Obama," said the 2000 Democratic presidential nominee in a fundraising e-mail sent to supporters Monday. "From now through Election Day, I intend to do whatever I can to make sure he is elected President of the United States."
Former presidential candidate John Edwards also announced his decision to endorse Obama at a rally in the crucial fall swing state.
I'm not the only one.
I used to love, LOVE Keith Olbermann. Then he started slamming Hillary. And as a Hillary supporter, I was hurt. He's suppose to attack the OTHER side.. the McCains and Bushs.. not OUR girl. It got so bad, I stopped watching.. I started going to CNN instead. I used to love his Special Comments.. but now it seems he is turning into a version of Bill O'Reilly of the left. Since ratings will probably follow I doubt he'll come back to us. Sad.
Tim Russert on Olbermann:
As Russert put it to me shortly before his death, "Keith and I have each carved out our roles in this vast information spectrum." He continued, "What cable emphasizes, more and more, is opinion, or even advocacy. Whether it's Bill O'Reilly or Keith Olbermann or Lou Dobbs, that's what that particular platform or venue does. It's not what I do. What I do is different. I try very, very hard not to come up and say to people, 'This is what I believe,' or 'This is good,' or 'This is bad.' But, rather, 'This is what I'm learning in my reporting,' or 'This is what my analysis shows based on my reporting.' And as long as I can do that I'm very, very comfortable. And nobody has asked me to do anything but that."
Tom Brokaw On Olbermann (and Chris Matthews):
Brokaw says he sometimes feels that he has been cast in the role of hall monitor at NBC News; if so, his charges have kept him busy. The day after the New Hampshire primary, Matthews asserted that Hillary Clinton owed her election as senator to public sympathy for her in light of her husband's sexual peccadilloes. "It was completely out of line," Brokaw says. "And Keith took it to another level" with his "shut the hell up" commentary.
MSNBC executive on Olbermann's relationship with Clinton supporters:
"It was, like, you meet a guy and you fall in love with him, and he's funny and he's clever and he's witty, and he's all these great things," Griffin said of the relationship between Olbermann and the Clinton supporters among his viewers. "And then you commit yourself to him, and he turns out to be a jerk and difficult and brutal. And that is how the Hillary viewers see him. It's true. But I do think they're going to come back. There's nowhere else to go."
Tim Russert on Olbermann:
As Russert put it to me shortly before his death, "Keith and I have each carved out our roles in this vast information spectrum." He continued, "What cable emphasizes, more and more, is opinion, or even advocacy. Whether it's Bill O'Reilly or Keith Olbermann or Lou Dobbs, that's what that particular platform or venue does. It's not what I do. What I do is different. I try very, very hard not to come up and say to people, 'This is what I believe,' or 'This is good,' or 'This is bad.' But, rather, 'This is what I'm learning in my reporting,' or 'This is what my analysis shows based on my reporting.' And as long as I can do that I'm very, very comfortable. And nobody has asked me to do anything but that."
Tom Brokaw On Olbermann (and Chris Matthews):
Brokaw says he sometimes feels that he has been cast in the role of hall monitor at NBC News; if so, his charges have kept him busy. The day after the New Hampshire primary, Matthews asserted that Hillary Clinton owed her election as senator to public sympathy for her in light of her husband's sexual peccadilloes. "It was completely out of line," Brokaw says. "And Keith took it to another level" with his "shut the hell up" commentary.
MSNBC executive on Olbermann's relationship with Clinton supporters:
"It was, like, you meet a guy and you fall in love with him, and he's funny and he's clever and he's witty, and he's all these great things," Griffin said of the relationship between Olbermann and the Clinton supporters among his viewers. "And then you commit yourself to him, and he turns out to be a jerk and difficult and brutal. And that is how the Hillary viewers see him. It's true. But I do think they're going to come back. There's nowhere else to go."
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
"I endorse him and throw my full support behind him"
WASHINGTON — Hillary Rodham Clinton suspended her pioneering campaign for the presidency on Saturday and summoned supporters to use "our energy, our passion, our strength" to put Barack Obama in the White House. (READ/WATCH)
Jeremy Gerard: "A Great Speech"...
Hilary Rosen: "Cemented Her Place In History"
Jeremy Gerard: "A Great Speech"...
Hilary Rosen: "Cemented Her Place In History"
Thursday, June 5, 2008
America's 40 Years War at an End
How fitting--even how poetic--it is that Barack Obama has clinched the Democratic presidential nomination during the week in which we mark the fortieth anniversary of the death of Robert F. Kennedy. This harmonic convergence has deep significance.
These events may come to be seen as the bookends of the second American civil war, a war that has divided the nation and been a dominant force in our politics for four decades. There is genuine reason to hope that 2008 will bring at last an armistice--maybe even a lasting peace--in America's Forty Years War, the internal conflict more commonly known as the Culture Wars, which began in 1968. (MORE)
ok, so he's our guy. Let the love begin.
I looked at a mountain of pics from Tuesday's decisive night, and kept coming back to this one.
First, I appreciate the color of Michelle's dress, reprising -- at least to me -- the '04 conclusion that America (in contrast to the hyper-polarized red state/blue state dichotomy perpetuated by the media) is actually a lot more purple.
I also appreciate Michelle's proud, private, knowing, understated, intimate and unselfconscious expression, as well as the lack of tension in each partner's body. Observing them these many months, it is evident to me that the Obamas' ability to remain so relaxed is a natural expression of confidence.
Mostly though, I tried (fruitlessly) to imagine John and Cindy or Bill and Hillary celebrating the impending nomination with a fist bump, illuminating the fact that, as much as anything, the gesture -- just like this outcome -- is truly a generational thing.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
According to Carrie Bradshaw...
Enjoy yourself, that's what your 20's are for. Your 30's are to learn the lessons. Your 40's are to pay for the drinks.
I like this...
Celebrating Gay Pride Month: In a statement on Sunday, Hillary recognized June as Gay Pride Month and stressed her commitment to the LGBT community: “America deserves a President who appeals to the best in each of us, not the worst; a President who values and respects all Americans and treats all Americans equally no matter who they are or who they love. That is truly the promise of America.”
Hillary has been talking to the gay community from day one. Obama only at the last minute and only in one statement. I think he'd shelf our cause in the appearance of "compromise".
Saturday, May 31, 2008
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I had a gay kid say to me the other day, 'Men and women on death row can marry people on the outside. They're allowed to get married. And gays want the same rights as people on death row.' I thought that was pretty good thinking … It's just an interesting thing that gays don't have the same rights as people on death row.”
— Bisexual gossip columnist Liz Smith during a joint blog post with actress Candice Bergen and newswoman Lesley Stahl on their website, wowowow.com
— Bisexual gossip columnist Liz Smith during a joint blog post with actress Candice Bergen and newswoman Lesley Stahl on their website, wowowow.com
Friday, May 23, 2008
McCain on the Ellen show talking about same-sex marriage.
McCain opposes gay marriage
Sen. John McCain tells Ellen DeGeneres why he opposes same-sex marriage
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/05/22/sot.mccain.on.ellen.cnn
Sen. John McCain tells Ellen DeGeneres why he opposes same-sex marriage
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/05/22/sot.mccain.on.ellen.cnn
Thursday, May 15, 2008
California wins same-sex marraige
Same-gender Couples Win Freedom to Marry
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released the following statement today regarding the state Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage:
“I respect the Court’s decision and as Governor, I will uphold its ruling. Also, as I have said in the past, I will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling.” (READ)
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released the following statement today regarding the state Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage:
“I respect the Court’s decision and as Governor, I will uphold its ruling. Also, as I have said in the past, I will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling.” (READ)
Mr. President, the war isn’t about you — or golf
Olbermann: Bush's claim he gave up game to honor dead GIs is ludicrous
SPECIAL COMMENT By Keith Olbermann
President Bush has resorted anew to the sleaziest fear-mongering and mass manipulation of an administration and public life dedicated to realizing the lowest of our expectations. And he has now applied these poisons to the 2008 presidential election, on behalf of the party at whose center he and John McCain lurk. (READ/WATCH)
SPECIAL COMMENT By Keith Olbermann
President Bush has resorted anew to the sleaziest fear-mongering and mass manipulation of an administration and public life dedicated to realizing the lowest of our expectations. And he has now applied these poisons to the 2008 presidential election, on behalf of the party at whose center he and John McCain lurk. (READ/WATCH)
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Something light...
I got the opportunity to hear Madeleine Albright speak last week in support of Hillary. I think she's brilliant and funny. (She even signed a book for me)
Here's a fun interview of her on GMA about her signature brooches! Enjoy!
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4791645&affil=whas
Monday, May 5, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Friday, May 2, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
North Pole Could Be Ice Free in 2008
abcnews.go.com, April 27, 2008
You know when climate change is biting hard when instead of a vast expanse of snow the North Pole is a vast expanse of water. This year, for the first time, Arctic scientists are preparing for that possibility.
"The set-up for this summer is disturbing," says Mark Serreze, of the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). A number of factors have this year led to most of the Arctic ice being thin and vulnerable as it enters its summer melting season. (READ)
What Does a President Really Do All Day?
Sunday, April 27, 2008; Washington Post
A simple and deceptively tricky question: What does a president do?
If you had to put together the Help Wanted ad for the position of chief executive, what would you write? Something like: "CEO needed to supervise 3 million employees. Must be at least 35, native-born, willing to work at home. Spectacular public failures likely." (READ)
A simple and deceptively tricky question: What does a president do?
If you had to put together the Help Wanted ad for the position of chief executive, what would you write? Something like: "CEO needed to supervise 3 million employees. Must be at least 35, native-born, willing to work at home. Spectacular public failures likely." (READ)
The Messiah Wears No Clothes
Bilerico.com, Filed by: Jerame Davis
April 27, 2008 4:24 PM
Indiana has become the center of the universe thanks to the red hot contest between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. I cannot recall the national interest in what Indiana has to say about the presidential race ever reaching this point. The commercials, the radio ads, the unending rallies and press conferences. And the mail.
In fact, campaign mail is a big part of what I want to focus on. I believe one of the reasons Obama has gotten such a pass on the "negativity factor" is that the mainstream media (MSM) hasn't bothered to look at his direct mail. (READ)
Saturday, April 26, 2008
What would you do?
20/20s Gay Public Displays of Affection Draw Police and Glares
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Primetime/WhatWouldYouDo/
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Primetime/WhatWouldYouDo/
Sunday, April 20, 2008
White Men
Huffington Post by NORA EPHRON
Here's another thing I don't like about this primary: now that there are only two Democratic candidates, it's suddenly horribly absolutely crystal-clear that this is an election about gender and race. This may have always been true, but weeks ago it wasn't so obvious -- once upon a time there were eight candidates, and although six of them withered away, their presence in the campaign managed to obscure things. Even around the time of Ohio, when there were primarily three candidates, the outlines were still murky, because Edwards was still in there, picking up votes from all sectors.
But now there are two and we're facing Pennsylvania and whom are we kidding? This is an election about whether the people of Pennsylvania hate blacks more than they hate women. And when I say people, I don't mean people, I mean white men. How ironic is this? After all this time, after all these stupid articles about how powerless white men are and how they can't even get into college because of overachieving women and affirmative action and mean lady teachers who expected them to sit still in the third grade even thought they were all suffering from terminal attention deficit disorder -- after all this, they turn out (surprise!) to have all the power. (As they always did, by the way; I hope you didn't believe any of those articles.)
To put it bluntly, the next president will be elected by them: the outcome of Tuesday's primary will depend on whether they go for Hillary or Obama, and the outcome of the general election will depend on whether enough of them vote for McCain. A lot of them will: white men cannot be relied on, as all of us know who have spent a lifetime dating them. And McCain is an attractive candidate, particularly because of the Torture Thing. As for the Democratic hope that McCain's temper will be a problem, don't bet on it. A lot of white men have terrible tempers, and what's more, they think it's normal and sort of attractive.
If Hillary pulls it out in Pennsylvania, and she could, and if she follows it up in Indiana, she can make a credible case that she deserves to be the candidate; these last primaries will show which of the two Democratic candidates is better at overcoming the bias of a vast chunk of the population that has never in its history had to vote for anyone but a candidate who could have been their father or their brother or their son, and who has never had to think of the president of the United States as anyone other than someone they might have been had circumstances been just slightly different.
Hillary's case is not an attractive one, because what she'll essentially be saying (and has been saying, although very carefully) is that she can attract more racist white male voters than Obama can. Nonetheless, and as I said, she has a case.
I spent the weekend listening to one commentator after another saying that Obama has it locked up, it's a done deal. I dunno. Hillary is the true whack-a-mole and if she survives on Tuesday, it will be a whole new ballgame. And it will be all because of white men.
Here's another thing I don't like about this primary: now that there are only two Democratic candidates, it's suddenly horribly absolutely crystal-clear that this is an election about gender and race. This may have always been true, but weeks ago it wasn't so obvious -- once upon a time there were eight candidates, and although six of them withered away, their presence in the campaign managed to obscure things. Even around the time of Ohio, when there were primarily three candidates, the outlines were still murky, because Edwards was still in there, picking up votes from all sectors.
But now there are two and we're facing Pennsylvania and whom are we kidding? This is an election about whether the people of Pennsylvania hate blacks more than they hate women. And when I say people, I don't mean people, I mean white men. How ironic is this? After all this time, after all these stupid articles about how powerless white men are and how they can't even get into college because of overachieving women and affirmative action and mean lady teachers who expected them to sit still in the third grade even thought they were all suffering from terminal attention deficit disorder -- after all this, they turn out (surprise!) to have all the power. (As they always did, by the way; I hope you didn't believe any of those articles.)
To put it bluntly, the next president will be elected by them: the outcome of Tuesday's primary will depend on whether they go for Hillary or Obama, and the outcome of the general election will depend on whether enough of them vote for McCain. A lot of them will: white men cannot be relied on, as all of us know who have spent a lifetime dating them. And McCain is an attractive candidate, particularly because of the Torture Thing. As for the Democratic hope that McCain's temper will be a problem, don't bet on it. A lot of white men have terrible tempers, and what's more, they think it's normal and sort of attractive.
If Hillary pulls it out in Pennsylvania, and she could, and if she follows it up in Indiana, she can make a credible case that she deserves to be the candidate; these last primaries will show which of the two Democratic candidates is better at overcoming the bias of a vast chunk of the population that has never in its history had to vote for anyone but a candidate who could have been their father or their brother or their son, and who has never had to think of the president of the United States as anyone other than someone they might have been had circumstances been just slightly different.
Hillary's case is not an attractive one, because what she'll essentially be saying (and has been saying, although very carefully) is that she can attract more racist white male voters than Obama can. Nonetheless, and as I said, she has a case.
I spent the weekend listening to one commentator after another saying that Obama has it locked up, it's a done deal. I dunno. Hillary is the true whack-a-mole and if she survives on Tuesday, it will be a whole new ballgame. And it will be all because of white men.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Joe Scarborough Walks Off MSNBC's "Race To The White House" After Exchange With Rachel Maddow
Update from MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines to Huffington Post:
"Joe didn't walk off. He chose not to participate in the final couple of minutes of the discussion because he felt the conversation didn't fit his role as a political analyst."
Previously:
Did Joe Scarborough walk out of David Gregory's show "Race to the White House" Thursday night on MSNBC? It seems that way by the video below. Joe was a panelist on the show along with Air America's Rachel Maddow, CNBC's John Harwood and former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford, Jr.
The panel was discussing the effect of Sen. Obama's personal and professional relationships on his campaign when Rachel and Joe disagreed. Joe started to challenge Rachel's argument that relationships only become an issue when a political opponent makes them an issue, but she cut him off, "Let me make my point and then you can dismiss me." She then finished with an example of a McCain campaign co-chair in Florida's bathroom activities.
After a commercial break, Joe prefaced his rebuttal to Rachel's point by saying "I don't engage in Crossfire-type debates and certainly I don't want to talk about what people do in bathrooms." When he finished speaking, and after David Gregory had shut Joe vs. Rachel down, John Harrow came on camera. Then, viewers can hear Joe taking off his microphone (2:47 into the below video). When the panel picture came back, no Joe.
Watch Rachel and Joe make their points, hear Joe unplug, and then (after a jump) see the panel after Joe has gone: (WATCH VIDEO)
"Joe didn't walk off. He chose not to participate in the final couple of minutes of the discussion because he felt the conversation didn't fit his role as a political analyst."
Previously:
Did Joe Scarborough walk out of David Gregory's show "Race to the White House" Thursday night on MSNBC? It seems that way by the video below. Joe was a panelist on the show along with Air America's Rachel Maddow, CNBC's John Harwood and former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford, Jr.
The panel was discussing the effect of Sen. Obama's personal and professional relationships on his campaign when Rachel and Joe disagreed. Joe started to challenge Rachel's argument that relationships only become an issue when a political opponent makes them an issue, but she cut him off, "Let me make my point and then you can dismiss me." She then finished with an example of a McCain campaign co-chair in Florida's bathroom activities.
After a commercial break, Joe prefaced his rebuttal to Rachel's point by saying "I don't engage in Crossfire-type debates and certainly I don't want to talk about what people do in bathrooms." When he finished speaking, and after David Gregory had shut Joe vs. Rachel down, John Harrow came on camera. Then, viewers can hear Joe taking off his microphone (2:47 into the below video). When the panel picture came back, no Joe.
Watch Rachel and Joe make their points, hear Joe unplug, and then (after a jump) see the panel after Joe has gone: (WATCH VIDEO)
Will Ferrell Brings Back Bush Impersonation, Slams Jon Stewart
Will Ferrell dusted off his George W. Bush impersonation Sunday night to raise money for autism education. The cause, Comedy Central's "Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Benefit For Autism Education," was started by "Saturday Night Live" writer Robert Smigel, whose son is autistic. Ferrell, as Bush, shared reflections of his legacy with host Jon Stewart.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Gay couples face higher tax bills
MOUNT LAUREL, New Jersey (AP) -- For gay couples, the April 15 tax filing deadline can be a reminder of the disparities they face, even in a nation that is becoming more accepting of same-sex couples.
art.gay.taxes.ap.jpg
Beth Asaro and Joanne Schailey at their civil union ceremony in 2007.
Gay couples often pay higher taxes because they don't get the federal tax benefits that go with marriage. And for couples in state-sanctioned domestic partnerships, civil unions or same-sex marriages, filing federal income taxes can involve doing three sets of paperwork instead of one.
"It's a significant financial disability," said Beth Asaro, who last year entered into one of New Jersey's first legally recognized civil unions.
While the debate over government recognition of gay marriage is a political hot-button with arguments about morality, civil rights and tradition, the tax issue is a mostly practical one for hundreds of thousands of same-sex couples.
Most states ban gay marriage and don't recognize same-sex unions in any way. Only in Massachusetts can gay couples legally marry. Since 1997, nine other states and Washington D.C. started offering civil unions or domestic partnerships that give some or all the legal protections of marriage.
Those protections include allowing gay couples to file state taxes jointly -- and potentially save them money. But they can also make tax filing more complicated for the couples.
That's because the state protections do not help with federal taxes. Under the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, the government defines marriage as being allowed only between a man and a woman.
"You're running one household," said John Traier, a partner in the Butler, New Jersey, accounting firm Hammond & Traier. "But the federal government and a lot of states treat them as two households." (MORE)
art.gay.taxes.ap.jpg
Beth Asaro and Joanne Schailey at their civil union ceremony in 2007.
Gay couples often pay higher taxes because they don't get the federal tax benefits that go with marriage. And for couples in state-sanctioned domestic partnerships, civil unions or same-sex marriages, filing federal income taxes can involve doing three sets of paperwork instead of one.
"It's a significant financial disability," said Beth Asaro, who last year entered into one of New Jersey's first legally recognized civil unions.
While the debate over government recognition of gay marriage is a political hot-button with arguments about morality, civil rights and tradition, the tax issue is a mostly practical one for hundreds of thousands of same-sex couples.
Most states ban gay marriage and don't recognize same-sex unions in any way. Only in Massachusetts can gay couples legally marry. Since 1997, nine other states and Washington D.C. started offering civil unions or domestic partnerships that give some or all the legal protections of marriage.
Those protections include allowing gay couples to file state taxes jointly -- and potentially save them money. But they can also make tax filing more complicated for the couples.
That's because the state protections do not help with federal taxes. Under the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, the government defines marriage as being allowed only between a man and a woman.
"You're running one household," said John Traier, a partner in the Butler, New Jersey, accounting firm Hammond & Traier. "But the federal government and a lot of states treat them as two households." (MORE)
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Yes, I'm a dork and you can be too.
Ok, after all this talk about the Sci-Fi series "BattleStar Galactica" being the best show on television and all the hooplah on the beginning of the fourth season, I headed over to the Sci Fi Channel's website and found this hilarious "get all caught up" movie.
http://www.scifi.com/index.php?clip=frak
After watching this, I bought the first season on DVD.. watched it.. loved it and ordered season two. Enjoy the recap movie.. it's a hoot.
'Sex And The City' Movie: Secrets, Details And An Exclusive Look
There's a moment in the new "Sex and the City" movie, The Post has learned, when Carrie Bradshaw is lounging in a cliff-top Mexican villa, overlooking a breathtaking view of the ocean, with her pink Swarovski-encrusted cellphone in hand. She's checking her voice mail.
First message.
It's from Big, who, as many know by now, actually has a name: John James Preston.
"Babe," he says affectionately, before saying he needs to talk to her urgently.
In a moment of pure impulsiveness, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) throws her phone off the cliff. It goes sailing through the air, with the sun sparkling off the crystals as it falls into the ocean.
It's ludicrous. It's exciting. It's over-the-top.
And it's achieving what many in the film industry believed impossible just a few years ago: building a cinematic fantasy that's bigger than Big. (READ MORE)
First message.
It's from Big, who, as many know by now, actually has a name: John James Preston.
"Babe," he says affectionately, before saying he needs to talk to her urgently.
In a moment of pure impulsiveness, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) throws her phone off the cliff. It goes sailing through the air, with the sun sparkling off the crystals as it falls into the ocean.
It's ludicrous. It's exciting. It's over-the-top.
And it's achieving what many in the film industry believed impossible just a few years ago: building a cinematic fantasy that's bigger than Big. (READ MORE)
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
The Starbucks economy
Forget about the millions of foreclosures, rising unemployment, gas and food price inflation -- you want to know how to tell the economy is really tanking?
Americans are cutting back on their morning lattes at Starbucks.
This tidbit comes to us from Time Magazine's Justin Fox, who writes in his "Curious Capitalist blog " that during a visit to Time's corporate offices on Monday, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said "For the first time in our history as a company, we have negative traffic this year vs. last."
Americans are cutting back on their morning lattes at Starbucks.
This tidbit comes to us from Time Magazine's Justin Fox, who writes in his "Curious Capitalist blog " that during a visit to Time's corporate offices on Monday, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said "For the first time in our history as a company, we have negative traffic this year vs. last."
New information from Al Gore
In Al Gore's brand-new slideshow (premiering exclusively on TED.com), he presents evidence that the pace of climate change may be even worse than scientists were recently predicting, and challenges us to act with a sense of "generational mission" -- the kind of feeling that brought forth the civil rights movement -- to set it right. Gore's stirring presentation is followed by a brief Q&A in which he is asked for his verdict on the current political candidates' climate policies and on what role he himself might play in future. (WATCH VIDEO)
"Sex and the City" and the Photoshop
As the Sex and the City movie fast approaches (May 30, have you circled the day on your calendar with a big red pen yet?), new photos of the fabulous foursome have been released to promote the premiere. The ladies look like no time has passed since they first began sipping cosmos together on-screen a decade ago. Ah, Hollywood magic. Still, some news outlets are expressing surprise that the actresses may have been digitally enhanced in the promo pictures. Um, duh? (READ MORE)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
How about THIS ticket?
Earlier this week the New England Historic Genealogical Society uncovered distant relatives for all the major presidential contenders. Turns out if you're a Democrat, no matter how you vote, you're voting for the Brangelina Ticket. Those clever genealogists discovered that Obama is related to Brad Pitt and Clinton to Angelina Jolie. Talk about your dream ticket. (READ)
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The power of stillness
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jwMj3PJDxuo
Stillness influences the system.
Watch this short video first to see this in action.
Standing still changes how people react to you. It may not be instantly, but soon people will ask: what's going on here?
And it will change what you notice in the system. It can help you notice patterns and to get a "meta" view.
And that new perspective can help you to work out what really matters.
Stillness influences the system.
Watch this short video first to see this in action.
Standing still changes how people react to you. It may not be instantly, but soon people will ask: what's going on here?
And it will change what you notice in the system. It can help you notice patterns and to get a "meta" view.
And that new perspective can help you to work out what really matters.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Bush Gutting The Endangered Species Act
Officials Regularly Overrule Agency Scientists' Recommendations... Personnel Barred From Using Info To List New Species... Not One Species Listed As Endangered In Nearly Two Years... Conservation Group: "Roadblock To Listing Under Bush Is Criminal"...
Some Species Have 'Vanished' (READ)
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Jamie Lee Curtis takes shirt off for magazine
NEW YORK (AP) -- Jamie Lee Curtis went shirtless to pose for AARP The Magazine.
Jamie Lee Curtis couldn't be happier about growing older.
Curtis is shown sporting gray hair and wading in water up to her chest on the cover of the magazine's May/June issue, which will be available Monday.
The star of "True Lies," "A Fish Called Wanda" and other films becomes eligible for membership in AARP, the nonprofit organization for people 50 and over, when she celebrates her birthday November 22.
"I want to be older," she tells the magazine. "I actually think there's an incredible amount of self-knowledge that comes with getting older. I feel way better now than I did when I was 20. I'm stronger, I'm smarter in every way, I'm so much less crazy than I was then."
Curtis, who is married to Christopher Guest and the mother of two children, says she reached a turning point two years ago when a tabloid published a photo of her and gave her weight as 161 pounds.
"I was like, 'How dare you -- I'm not 161 pounds!' I was indignant. I got home and I went on a scale and I was 161 pounds. I was in denial about it," she says.
"So I started a really healthy way of eating, just avoiding things that I had been shoving in my mouth. Over the course of a year, I dropped about 20 pounds," Curtis says.
"Now, I get up at (5 a.m.) every day, filled with energy. I play tennis three times a week, and I do yoga."
Curtis says growing older means paring down to an essential version of yourself.
"I've let my hair go gray. I wear only black and white. Every year I buy three or four black dresses that I just keep in rotation. I own one pair of blue jeans. I've given away all my jewelry, because I don't wear it," she says.
What about her life would she do over?
"I've been an inconsistent parent at times, and it's my greatest regret," she says. "When my daughter was small, I worked too much. I was replicating what my own mother (Janet Leigh) did."
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Crow Says She'll Sing With Fleetwood Mac
LOS ANGELES — Sheryl Crow says she'll soon be singing with Fleetwood Mac, a move sure to give new life to the classic rock band, which hasn't toured in several years.
"I don't want to make any official announcements, but I will say that we definitely have plans for collaborating in the future, and we'll see what happens," Crow told the AOL music Web site Spinner.com in a story posted Thursday.
The 46-year-old singer didn't give a date, but said it could happen next year. (READ)
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Transcript of Obama's speech
The following is a transcript of Sen. Barack Obama's speech, as provided by Obama's campaign.
We the people, in order to form a more perfect union.
Sen. Barack Obama has said the controversy over his ex-pastor's remarks has been "a distraction" to the campaign.
Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy.
Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.
The document they produced was eventually signed but ultimately unfinished. It was stained by this nation's original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies and brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least 20 more years, and to leave any final resolution to future generations.
Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution -- a Constitution that had at its very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty, and justice, and a union that could be and should be perfected over time. (DO YOURSELF a favor.. read the entire thing)
We the people, in order to form a more perfect union.
Sen. Barack Obama has said the controversy over his ex-pastor's remarks has been "a distraction" to the campaign.
Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy.
Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.
The document they produced was eventually signed but ultimately unfinished. It was stained by this nation's original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies and brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least 20 more years, and to leave any final resolution to future generations.
Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution -- a Constitution that had at its very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty, and justice, and a union that could be and should be perfected over time. (DO YOURSELF a favor.. read the entire thing)
Monday, March 17, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
yes, I love Tina Fey.. see her new movie clip
The two women play polar opposites who come together when white-collar Kate (Tina) hires working-class Angie (Amy) to be her surrogate. What ensures is what Tina calls “as close as you can get to seeing me and Amy in a movie version of Laverne & Shirley.”
She doesn't speak for me.
What you're about to hear is a portion of a jaw-dropping speech delivered by an Oklahoma State Representative at a gathering in her district. This is what they say when they think we're not listening. Learn more at www.victoryfund.org/listening
Hypocrisy and power
SO.. if you are a big moralist you're probably cheating with hookers, if you are a gay basher you are probably gay, if you go after child predators, you prey on children oh.. and all of the above are politicians. And their wives.. why do they show up for the press conferences?
(MORE)
This is funny?
George Bush took the stage and sang an early farewell at the Gridiron, an annual roast among politicos and journalist in D.C. Although the media weren't allowed to bring their cameras, somebody did manage to smuggle out of some footage.
LYRICS:
Yes you're all gonna miss me, The way you used to quiz me, But soon I'll touch the brown, brown grass of home.
I spent my days clearing brush
I clear my head of all the fuss
But the fuss you made over harriet and brownie
Down the lane I look and here comes Scooter
Finally free of the prosecutor
Chorus
And then I wait and look around me
At the oval walls that surround me
I realize I was only dreaming
For there's Condi and Dick, my old compadre,
Talking to me about some oil rich Saudi,
But soon I'll touch the brown brown grass of home."
Chorus
That old White house is behind me,
I am once again carefree,
Don't have to worry 'bout a crisis in Pyongyang.
Down the lane I look, Dick Cheney is strolling
With documents he'd been withholding,
It's good to touch the brown brown grass of home."
LYRICS:
Yes you're all gonna miss me, The way you used to quiz me, But soon I'll touch the brown, brown grass of home.
I spent my days clearing brush
I clear my head of all the fuss
But the fuss you made over harriet and brownie
Down the lane I look and here comes Scooter
Finally free of the prosecutor
Chorus
And then I wait and look around me
At the oval walls that surround me
I realize I was only dreaming
For there's Condi and Dick, my old compadre,
Talking to me about some oil rich Saudi,
But soon I'll touch the brown brown grass of home."
Chorus
That old White house is behind me,
I am once again carefree,
Don't have to worry 'bout a crisis in Pyongyang.
Down the lane I look, Dick Cheney is strolling
With documents he'd been withholding,
It's good to touch the brown brown grass of home."
A sign of war with Iran?
Fallon resigns as chief of U.S. forces in Middle East
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Adm. William Fallon has resigned as chief of U.S. forces in the Middle East and Central Asia after more than a year in the post, citing what he called an inaccurate perception that he is at odds with the Bush administration over Iran.
Adm. William Fallon had been serving as chief of U.S. forces in the Middle East and Central Asia since 2007.
Fallon, the head of U.S. Central Command, was the subject of a recent Esquire magazine profile that portrayed him as resisting pressure for military action against Iran, which the Bush administration accuses of trying to develop nuclear weapons.
In a written statement, he said the article's "disrespect for the president" and "resulting embarrassment" have become a distraction.
"Although I don't believe there have ever been any differences about the objectives of our policy in the Central Command area of responsibility, the simple perception that there is makes it difficult for me to effectively serve America's interests there," Fallon said.
In Washington, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters at the Pentagon that he accepted Fallon's resignation "with reluctance and regret."
But, he added, "I think it's the right decision." Watch why some believe Fallon was forced to resign »
"Admiral Fallon reached this difficult decision entirely on his own. I believe it was the right thing to do, even though I do not believe there are in fact significant differences between his views and administration policy," Gates said. (MORE)
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Remember How Women Got The Vote?
by humbled and voting Wednesday, Jun. 23, 2004 at 1:29 PM
Vote is a verb, it does not exist without action. It is a hard won right not a candidate or party.
Remember how women got the vote
The women were innocent and defenseless. And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 helpless women wrongly convicted of "obstructing sidewalk traffic."
They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.
Thus unfolded the "Night of Terror" on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.
For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.
So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because--why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?
Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie "Iron Jawed Angels." It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.
There was a time when I knew these women well. I met them in college--not in my required American history courses, which barely mentioned them, but in women's history class. That's where I found the irrepressibly brave Alice Paul. Her large, brooding eyes seemed fixed on my own as she stared out from the page. Remember, she silently beckoned. Remember.
I thought I always would. I registered voters throughout college and law school, worked on congressional and presidential campaigns until I started writing for newspapers. When Geraldine Ferraro ran for vice president, I took my 9-year-old son to meet her. "My knees are shaking," he whispered after shaking her hand. "I'm never going to wash this hand again."
All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes, it was even inconvenient.
My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was. With herself "One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie," she said. "What would those women think of the way I use--or don't use--my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn." The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her "all over again."
HBO will run the movie periodically before releasing it on video and DVD. I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum. I want it shown on Bunko night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order. It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy. The doctor admonished the men: "Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity."
Friday, March 7, 2008
AHA.. a win/win
HI, I'M BUFFY SUMMERS, AND THIS IS MY LOVER SATSU
In the 12th issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 comic book series, released this week, it was revealed that Buffy slept with a woman ((Thanks to the dozens of AE readers who wrote in to alert me to this news!). You should definitely check out the whole issue — it's a good one! — but for you impatient types, here are the relevant panels, in which Buffy wakes up in bed with a fellow slayer named Satsu who had recently confessed her love for Buffy: (more)
Messed Up.. what if women killed men who hit on them?
When I was in Chicago last weekend. The DJj played this clip on air then took calls. I was shocked that the first caller said he understood what the killer was thinking. The DJ and myself were shocked at his comments. If murder is somehow a rational response to unwanted advances, no men would be left on the planet. Sick.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
In case you missed it...
Hillary laughs it up on "SNL"
I want several things from our next president. A coherent foreign policy. An economic plan that helps the poor and middle class instead of corporations and the rich. An extension of full equal rights to all LGBT Americans. And last, but not least, an ability to laugh at her/himself. However you feel about Sen. Hillary Clinton, she proved she could deliver the latter this past weekend, with a surprise stop by Saturday Night Live. (READ)
It's never easy being a trailblazer. For whatever missteps or miscalculations her campaign may have made along the way, you have to applaud how historic Hillary's candidacy has been. In a race with so many firsts, it's easy to overlook what a truly transformational notion a female president still is in America. And if her candidacy does nothing else, perhaps it has exposed how opposed some still are to the very thought of a woman in charge. If I hear/read/see one more discussion about her voice/laugh/dress/hair/femininity/lack of femininity, I think I'll scream. In the face of all the mainstream sexism and old-school misogyny that still exists, it's easy to get discouraged. And, even here, maybe Hillary has shown us the way. Just laugh.
(READ)
Obama Makes Gay Push, Hillary Pushes Back
In terms of the Clinton call, Herrin added, “What really surprised us was her passion – that she understood the immediate need for our community.”
Within the first 100 days of her presidency, Herrin said, Clinton promised to extend benefits to all same-sex couples who work for the federal government with an executive order, end “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and use the bully pulpit to advocate for a fully inclusive ENDA and a fully inclusive hate-crimes bill. (Herrin and her executive board were not clear how Sen. Clinton would end “don’t ask, don’t tell” – if by executive order or some other means.)
Clinton also discussed how adamant she is about allowing everyone in America to adopt children if they are a qualified couple. “It was like she was indignant,” Herrin said of Clinton’s manner while talking about same-sex couples’ adoption rights. “Her voice just really changed, and that was the part that surprised us – her passion.” (READ)
Within the first 100 days of her presidency, Herrin said, Clinton promised to extend benefits to all same-sex couples who work for the federal government with an executive order, end “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and use the bully pulpit to advocate for a fully inclusive ENDA and a fully inclusive hate-crimes bill. (Herrin and her executive board were not clear how Sen. Clinton would end “don’t ask, don’t tell” – if by executive order or some other means.)
Clinton also discussed how adamant she is about allowing everyone in America to adopt children if they are a qualified couple. “It was like she was indignant,” Herrin said of Clinton’s manner while talking about same-sex couples’ adoption rights. “Her voice just really changed, and that was the part that surprised us – her passion.” (READ)
Slate's Delegate Calculator
IT ONLY GETS HARDER FOR CLINTON GOING FORWARD.
By Chadwick Matlin and Chris Wilson
Updated Wednesday, March 5, 2008, at 1:18 PM ET
The dust hasn't quite settled from last night's festivities, but Clinton almost certainly finished the night better than she started it. She picked up about a dozen delegates in Ohio, according to NBC News and, as of now, is ahead in Texas' delegate assignments. More nuanced delegate estimates and caucus returns are still trickling in throughout the day, so Obama could still trump her in Texas, despite losing to her in the primary. (READ - PLAY WITH CALC)
She Lives!
CLINTON HAS COME BACK, BUT HAS SHE COME BACK FAR ENOUGH?
By John Dickerson
Posted Wednesday, March 5, 2008, at 12:58 AM ET
During Hillary Clinton's 11 straight losses to Barack Obama, her aides and allies started talking about the Clinton roller coaster. She wasn't in a death plunge, they said; it was just a steep drop before an inevitable upward rise. By winning the Ohio and Texas primaries Tuesday, Clinton got that lift, but her campaign seemed less like a roller coaster and more like Lufthansa flight LH 044, a careening near-death experience that stabilized only at the last white-knuckle moment. (READ)
Why is everyone beating up on Hillary? Can't we complete the race?
Or is it just me? But I don't see why Hillary should quit when it's so close.. lets finish. I'd like to vote yet too ya know. I tried to find an article on this view but couldn't find one. So here is something else. If anyone see one, please comment with it.
Dems Fret Over Prolonged Bitter Fight
"Despite Obama's impressive victories in February, Clinton's comeback is based on sowing political seeds of doubt," said Donna Brazile, a Democratic strategist and one of nearly 800 party leaders known as superdelegates for their ability to determine the nomination. "In order to clinch the nomination, he must anticipate the worst attacks ever." (READ)
Dems Fret Over Prolonged Bitter Fight"Despite Obama's impressive victories in February, Clinton's comeback is based on sowing political seeds of doubt," said Donna Brazile, a Democratic strategist and one of nearly 800 party leaders known as superdelegates for their ability to determine the nomination. "In order to clinch the nomination, he must anticipate the worst attacks ever." (READ)
Is it the beginning of the end for marriage?
Forced to unpack my antipathy, I would cite four po-faced motives: atheism; feminism; a loathing of state and/or public intervention in matters I deem private; and something more oddball regarding the close-down of narrative possibility. One reason would be enough to quash any Doris Day ambition; the four together topple into each other like spinsterish dominos. (READ)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Thought Process Flowchart: Ralph Nader
http://www.236.com/news/2008/02/25/thought_process_flowchart_ralp_1_4699.php
Ralph Nader, what the hell are you thinking?
Monday, February 25, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
this looks like fun
Indiana Jones teases us with his new leading ladies
Break out the bullwhip and dust off the fedora. Indy is back. And the lovable old coot has some great gals with him along for the ride. The teaser trailer for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released last week, and while it may not show us a lot, it sure brings up a lot of nostalgia.
Well, gosh, that looks fun. Twenty-seven years after the first Indy adventure and nineteen years after its third and seemingly final installment, the franchise is back with a couple of new faces and a welcome old one. The teaser trailer gives us our first look at Oscar winner Cate Blanchett and Indy’s Raiders of the Lost Ark love interest Karen Allen in action. While the plot is rather hush-hush, the film is set in 1957, and Dr. Jones is up against Russian Cold Warriors, including Cate’s character, Agent Irina Spalko. (READ)
Break out the bullwhip and dust off the fedora. Indy is back. And the lovable old coot has some great gals with him along for the ride. The teaser trailer for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released last week, and while it may not show us a lot, it sure brings up a lot of nostalgia.
Well, gosh, that looks fun. Twenty-seven years after the first Indy adventure and nineteen years after its third and seemingly final installment, the franchise is back with a couple of new faces and a welcome old one. The teaser trailer gives us our first look at Oscar winner Cate Blanchett and Indy’s Raiders of the Lost Ark love interest Karen Allen in action. While the plot is rather hush-hush, the film is set in 1957, and Dr. Jones is up against Russian Cold Warriors, including Cate’s character, Agent Irina Spalko. (READ)
Monday, February 18, 2008
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