And finally, we can breathe!

The McCain-Palin Make-up Bill is $13,200

That's not make-up artist, that's a contractor.

As seen on Keith Olbermann...

According to a report in the Washington Independent, the RNC spent upwards of $150,000 at places like Saks Fifth Ave and Neiman Marcus to spiff up Sarah Palin and her family. As I've said before, Palin is anything but the working class individual she pretends to be. Moreover, she's not above milking the system to get hers.

Hilarious!

The BF sent this to me and it's freekin' brilliant! Basically, it's a spoof on Palin in the Oval Office. Click on different objects in the picture and you get a different surprise! It's supposed to be updated daily, which makes me want to go back every day from now until Election Day. Of course, I hope that they'll do something special for the day afterwards, as well.

Yeah, they're all about the "big tent"

This was part of a local GOP newsletter.

Doesn't this pic just sum up the entire debate?

It's just too confusing!

The Ovation channel has just begun airing Classical Star, like American Idol but set in London and in search of the next Itzhak Perlman or Wynton Marsalis. Is it high brow? Is it low brow? I don't know! I mean, it's Classical music, so I'm inclined to think high brow! But then, it's a reality show following these kids and seeing them with their stage moms, etc, so maybe it's low brow! Argh! Then there are the performances, high brow! But then there are the judgments! Low brow! It's a Sisyphian task to tease this question apart! A veritable Gordian knot! Now I understand [insert impossibly erudite and esoteric anecdote concerning an impossible conundrum, here].

Just Do It!

How much are we giving Wall St.?

Not Political, cute, and hilarious

see more puppies

One full-body Cringe, coming right up.

A friend directed me to this, which he found on Andrew Sullivan's blog. What follows is a frightening look at a segment of society many of us urbanites would prefer wasn't there. Prepare for three full minutes of "Oh my God! Oh my God!" And please check with your doctor ahead of time if you have a weak stomach.





I guess that I am an out-of-touch elitist. I don't want to believe that people like this actually exist and, worse yet, vote. Honestly, this woman is so drunk and has her head embedded so far into her anus that I don't have to judge her, she speaks for herself. Aside from being generally disgraceful, (yeah, I know I sound like Grandma), she's clearly one of the "undecideds" who can be swayed, not by the issues but by personal character. She says that she prefers Hillary and hasn't given up on her yet, so clearly she doesn't see herself as a McCain supporter. Still, she's exactly the sort of stupid that the McCain camp is hoping to influence by referring to Obama by his full name. She explicitly states that the real reason she won't vote for "Barack Hussein Obama" is because she doesn't want an "Ay-rab president" when we're at war with the Middle East. She thinks the "Ay-rabs are trying to sneak this guy in," I suppose as their puppet. To her credit, she doesn't have a problem with his being black, although her friends refer to blacks as "n*ggers," so we can imagine that they won't vote for him either. I have always been surprised that the depressed areas of the country so often vote against their own interests. Now, I'll expect it.

Oh yeah, and check out how the guy driving the... whatever it is, (did they drive over on their lawn mower?). They're leaving someone's house, clearly having partied a bit too much. See how he finishes off his beer and then just chucks the can into the yard in preparation to leave? That's being a good friend and neighbor!

I wonder if they survived the trip home?

Hilarious!

more animals

Where's Obama?

I mean, I know that he's campaigning heavy and he's come out with new ads. Ads I'll never see except on youtube since I don't live in a "battleground" state. Still, he's totally gone from the news lately. What's up with that?

Sarah Palin, tax evader?

According to an article on the Huffington Post, Sarah Palin's tax returns are causing some confusion. For one thing, she didn't pay taxes on $60,000 worth of travel reimbursements, which should have been included according to their expert. Additionally, in 2007 Palin reported to the IRS that her income was about $108k, but according to a personal statement from Palin, her income last year was $197k.

As the most politically astute person I know says, tax evasion is the most amateurish mistake a political person could make. And when you consider that this is one half of the ticket running on reform of corruption, it just really sounds like super-easy irony. Like an After School Special for Beltway Babies.

Tee Hee!

Okay, two things.

1: He gets lost on the stage which isn't really all that big, just kind of funny. Not knowing which side you're going to exit could happen to anybody. It would certainly happen to me, but then I'm not running for president and trying to look other than a doddering old man.

2: I've seen people commenting on something weird going on with his left eye, and you can really see it here. I don't know if he's recovering from pink-eye or an itty-bitty stroke, but it's messed up.

Funny how the brain works.

I'm correcting my students' latest batch of quizzes and came across this, which is really intriguing if you're a geek. And since I am, here it goes. One of the sentences required that they write "he laughed." My student clearly forgot the verb so she made one up, laetravit, taking the adjective for "happy," laetus, a, um, and combining it with the verb meaning "he barked," latravit. I don't know if she did this on purpose or if her head simply combined the two words, but it makes a lot of sense.

Biden may have his work cut out for him tomorrow night.

According to an article from BBC News, Sarah Palin's presence can completely eclipse her actual lack of knowledge. Her former debate opponents have been bewildered at how she bewitches people with her folksy stories, in spite of her inability to answer questions with any substance. As others have pointed out, combine this with the low expectations that she's developed and, so long as she doesn't go completely over the falls on this one, she'll be seen as doing just fine.

Personally, I'm just hoping, praying that the American people remember her ridiculous performances with Gibson and Couric.

Unbelievable!

It's amazing to me how a pundit can make a ridiculous argument and not just get laughed off the soundstage. Listen to this Hardball clip about 1min45sec in as Michelle Bernard, part-time political analyst on MSNBC, asserts that the real problem Palin had when interviewed by Katie Couric was that she had received too much coaching by the McCain camp. According to Bernard, It simply wasn't the same, capable woman she'd witnessed giving the acceptance speech at the RNC. Clearly, the McCain camp just had to stop over-coaching her and "let Sarah Palin be Sarah Palin." Joan Walsh points out that the real difference between Palin-who-sounds-sure-of-herself and Palin-who-can't-string-together-a-coherent-sentence was the teleprompter. Unfortunately, she doesn't push it and Bernard simply sidesteps the point and continues spewing bullshit. Chris Matthews' follow up actually seems to support this assertion. Why didn't everybody else erupt into peals of laughter? Were they simply stunned that Bernard, an otherwise thoughtful and intelligent woman, would be pushing such bullshit? Also, catch Chris Matthews say towards the end that Thursday's VP debate will be the first with a woman. Does nobody remember Geraldine Ferraro?

Totally not political, just damn funny.

Totally not political.

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Brilliant!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

She thinks that humans and dinosaurs lived together!

Granted, the story's source is ultimately a casual conversation with someone disinclined to report favorably about her in any case, but since the McCain campaign won't let her speak all too often to the press, what else do we have to go on? So, as officially as can be stated under the circumstances, Sarah Palin is on the record for believing that humans and dinosaurs walked the Earth at the same time. Is this a joke?

Totally not political.

more animals

Due to high political content, BuddyCrocker is seriously considering returning to a boy-blog format.

Presidential Debate

Was that last post about McCain croaking a bit on the tasteless side? Totally tasteless? Completely legit?

Presidential Debate

What if McCain had a heart attack on live television? What would happen? Would Sarah-cuda run out and shout, "I'm not even gonna blink! I'm ready! Hit me with the next question, Jimmy!"

Presidential Debate

Ugh.

Finally!

At last, the one instance when Sarah Palin exercised executive powers and mobilized the Alaskan National Guard has been uncovered!

Five Days Away!

This Saturday, the California Academy of Sciences opens in San Francisco. I can't wait until my next trip! Especially since I have the inside scoop! A very old, old, old, old, old friend is a very high up in the Academy's hierarchy! Kisses, Sweetie Darling!

Even China's getting in on the action before us.

How 'bout that economy?

Seriously. It's beginning to look pretty scary.

BuddyCrocker Overwhelmed with Palin Posts!

RFK Jr. on Sarah Palin and her reading list

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted the following on Huffingtonpost.com:

Fascist writer Westbrook Pegler, an avowed racist who Sarah Palin approvingly quoted in her acceptance speech for the moral superiority of small town values, expressed his fervent hope about my father, Robert F. Kennedy, as he contemplated his own run for the presidency in 1965, that "some white patriot of the Southern tier will spatter his spoonful of brains in public premises before the snow flies."

It might be worth asking Governor Palin for a tally of the other favorites from her reading list.

The more I know about her, the more my stomach turns.

Ms. Palin, working class.

Yeah. How is it that, during her interview with Charlie Gibson, she can show off her lakeside, mountain view home, along with her own, private seaplane, and then try to pass herself off as a "regular" small town American?


How many small town Americans you know own their own seaplane?

And the Celeb Magnet has been turned back on!

Today's outing, walking up through Tribeca into Soho, the BF and I saw Edward Burns and his daughter having brunch, then we saw Alyssa Milano and Claire Danes in Soho. The BF spotted Ms. Milano and Ms. Danes, I totally missed them. I did, however, see the group Ms. Danes was with, which included one crazy-ass woman, who must have been, like six feet tall, wearing a shiny black cowboy shirt with red appliques... scary.

Okay, so check out this picture from Alyssa Milano's website.



I don't even know where to start.

Thank You, Charlie.

She didn't answer a single question... not as it was asked, at least. She didn't understand or even recognize the single most important element of the Bush Administration's foreign policy. She thinks that she understands Russia because there are places in Alaska from which you can see it, (which doesn't even say that she's gone to those places and looked). She thinks that we have no right to challenge anything that Israel might do in the interests of its national security, (even if they decide to bomb us?). She's ridiculous.

Holy Moses!

What's this? Sarah Palin charged the state of Alaska a per diem for nights she spent in her own home? 312 nights in the first 19 months? Really? I mean, isn't that fraud? And hasn't she been making a name for herself the one who cuts expenses? Complete with a (false) story that she sold the previous governor's helicopter on eBay? Shouldn't all those people ostensibly so interested in fiscal responsibility be enraged by this? Aren't all those people who claim that they want someone they can trust in office just scandalized by this?

Am I the only one who thinks they're kind of, like, boyfriends?

The difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom is lipstick!

Did she just call herself a bitch? And is that the image we're considering to be constructive in politics now? An animal bred to fight, to attack, which goes into a sort of trance when it clamps down on the neck of an adversary? I mean, she invoked the image of that animal, that image of a creature so feral and destructive, so uncontrolled that its only instinct is to kill, not socialize and cooperate, kill. Is this really what we want as potential leader of the free world? What the fuck is wrong with these people?!?

Maverick

So there's all this hoo-hah about how she drives herself to work and sold the governor's helicopter on eBay. What about the driver and pilots who now have no jobs because of Sarah Palin's actions? I had no idea she was so hateful and monstrous towards the common man!

Besides, drives herself to work? Please. That's like using a 15¢ coupon when you buy $500 at the supermarket! But I guess that's Republican accounting.

RNC

Can you say "vomitrocious"?

Interesting Fact...

Sarah Palin's last name means "backwards" in Ancient Greek. According to the Liddel Scott and Jones Greek-English Lexicon, it's an adverb usually used with verbs of motion. In English, a palindrome describes a word or phrase which "runs back" on itself and reads the same forwards and backwards. I'm guessing that in Republicanese, "Sarah Palin" describes someone whose political views run backwards in comparison to what the country really needs.

I'm trying to ignore her but OMG!

Here's Sarah Palin at 24 in 1988, sportscaster for KTUU, NBC affiliate, Anchorage, Alaska! Her accent makes me want to put ice picks in my ears!

Another Cheney... i.e., another asshole.

So Sarah Palin is McCain's chosen running mate. Gross. In addition to her lack of experience, her Creationist bent, her belief that humans have nothing to do with global warming, there's another reason to loathe her, her lack of a soul. Listen to her telephoned interview with Anchorage's answer to Howard Stern, The Bob and Mark Show. The fact alone that she was on a show of such level makes one wonder about her judgement. But what's worse is her reaction to things said about her political rival, Lyda Green, president of Alaska's state senate. (Although they're both Republicans, they have apparently clashed rather seriously.) Bob twice calls Green a "cancer," which is foul since Green is a cancer survivor. The second time he calls Green a cancer as well as a bitch, Palin laughs in response. The host insults Green in other ways, including a reference to her "big and cushy" chair, an allusion to her weight, and Palin never contradicts, never tries to elevate the conversation. She giggles and cackles like Regina George. In fact, when Bob and Mark say that they'd like to come visit Palin, she responds with "We'd be honored to have you." Palin's actions after the interview are just as cowardly and immature, calling Green's office and saying that the governor does not condone name-calling. But isn't that what she does when she lets it pass in silence or, in this case, just giggles? Shouldn't she stop someone speaking publicly in a way which is morally reprehensible and ask him to conduct himself in a more suitable manner? Shouldn't she demand that the level of discourse match the dignity of her office? She's supposed to be ready to step into McCain's shoes when he croaks, for Christ's sake! But how is she supposed to stand up to Medvedev when she can't or won't stand up to a dickhead DJ?



According to Lyda Green's own website, she's withdrawing from the race for re-election. One wonders if her health has been a factor, which would make Palin's response especially odious.

Obama Accepts!

Nicely done, well spoken. I have to say that this year the DNC has felt a lot more like a production along the lines of the Olympic Ceremonies than just politics. And the hoo-hah over the aerial angle? Are people really that desperate to find something to pick at? Guess so. At any rate, it feels more like a reality show than reality. And Obama's acceptance speech was well done, although I have to say I tuned out after a while, the same way that I sometimes tune out when I'm grading the work of a student who always gets A's on everything, (right... right... nice point... blah, blah, blah, "A!").

Back in NYC.

And it's actually cooler than it was in California! Low temps, low humidity... very odd.

Who do they think they're fooling?

I receive Flavorpill, a weekly newsletter featuring cultural and nightlife events for New York City. (I also get Urban Junkie, optimistically hoping that I'll be able to visit London and take advantage of some of their listings. It's been, like, seven years since I've been there, so whatevs!) I love living in NYC, but having spent the first quarter century of my life in the San Francisco Bay area, I know that there are other, wonderful places in the world. That's why when I read things like this, it just pisses me off:

It's easy to make fun of Burning Man: 50,000 costumed/naked hippies converging in the desert for a massive, drugged-out Kumbaya doesn't exactly jive with New York's cutthroat individualism.

Does this writer have eyes? Has she never been to Williamsburg and seen the hipsters who wear "individuality" as a uniform? Has she never seen the herds of CarrieSamrandalottes moving through Soho or the Meat Packing District? Anybody working around the Financial District or Midtown? I see a lot more people doing whatever they can to look like they belong to a group than those acting independently. Actually, the best quote I ever heard about New York was that there are seven million people in New York. So even if you're one in a million, there are seven others out there just like you.

But he got the gold in being a dick.

When the Cuban Tae Kwon Do Olympian, Angel Valodia Matos, was disqualified from receiving the bronze, he kicked the ruling ref in the face. An Olympic, titanic, gigantic display of poor sportsmanship.

And now they're over.

I've watched the Olympics more this summer than I ever have before. I mean, part of the reason is that, for reasons which require no explanation, I've been staying in evenings this summer more than ever before. And it may just be my imagination but it seems like the Olympics buzz has been especially intense this year. It may because of Michael Phelps' amazing eight gold medals. It might be because the Chinese and NBC have done such a nice job. Or it might be because with our present administration, our military quagmire in the Middle East, gas hovering around $4/gallon, the housing and credit crises, maybe people just want a reason to feel good about themselves. Who can say?

Holy F*ck!

My friend, P, has the demo/preview/whatever and about all I can say is: Holy F*ck! This game is absolutely amazing!

Isn't it Ironic?

In the midst of my preparations for today's wedding, between two men (gasp!), there was a knock on the door. Lo and behold, it was a man who was passing out flyers in support of Proposition 8. I wished him sunburn and closed the door.

Red State Grossness.

Did you know that Nebraskan law allows parents to abandon children up to the age of 19? Under its new Safe Haven law, Nebraska allows parents to abandon minors at specific locations, with no questions asked. Other states with Safe Haven laws specify that the child has to be a newborn, but not Nebraska. So if your little girl got a tattoo? Dump her. Your boy not going out for football? Give him the boot. The other thing about Nebraska's new law is that you don't even have to be the legal parent to abandon the child. Wow. I guess that's family values at work. And there's something wrong with me if I judge this? I'm an out-of-touch elitist? Fine, I'm an elitist you frickin' barbarians!

I just received my teaching schedule for the coming year.

I'm teaching first period and eighth. Ugh. Last year my first class was second period, which meant a more leisurely morning. Also, my first period is my myth class with the seniors. My psychic abilities are telling me that attendance could be a problem.

Another Sign from God!

Seriously, people can see a water stain in the form of a shrouded woman and next thing you know they're all "Holy shit! It's the Virgin Mary! Let's set up a shrine right here below the freeway overpass with the rats and the discarded needles!" So why hasn't anyone pointed out the obvious: that our beloved and sainted Walt is sending a clear omen and indication of his plan? I mean, Walt, having transcended human form, must be aware of the future that global warming has in store for us. This Mickey Potato is obviously telling us that within a few years Florida will become way too hot and swampy for anyone to enjoy DisneyWorld (whoops, too late!) and that it is his will that the entire complex be relocated to Maryland! What are we waiting for? Dig it all up FedEx it to Maryland right now!

BebeMoche calls readers "fools"!

Almost three weeks later, BuddyCrocker says, "Now c'mon! That's not nice!"

I bought the farm!

Well, not the "farm," but a lot of clothes! My friend, P, and I went to the Napa Premium Outlets and I finally got to pop my shopping wad. After sweeping through the J. Crew, the Brooks Brothers, and the Barney's outlets, I feel like I'm ready for the fall. Whew!

Of course, it wasn't all shopping. We also decided to go for a drink and dinner up along the Russian River, which would have been more lovely had we not gotten lost. Ah well, live and learn.

Saw It.

Actually, I saw it last Friday night... at the 10:25pm showing... with, like, five other people in the theater. Life in California suburbia can be miserable. Oh yeah, and the movie was NOT for anyone over the age of thirteen.

Hipster Olympics

Okay, it's pretty funny. But something tells me that those who are responsible for it could be defined as being Hipsters themselves. Which makes me wonder, will there be an irony feedback loop? Will the ironic pop eat itself?

Ha!

more cat pictures

Nightmare.

A friend of mine will soon be leading visitors through the newly opening Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. At the moment, he's still in orientation and this is the video they showed over the weekend... you know, just to get into the spirit!

Geekhood.

I spent all day yesterday in UC Berkeley's library, researching and writing. I left feeling as happy as if I'd been to Disneyland. My poor BF.

And in the Cute News...

Norway has bestowed knighthood on a penguin... he dressed for the occasion. (Thank you, I'll be here all week!)

No Gold.

In fact, no nothing. She finished 21st in the three position rifle competition. Ah well.

And Now, a Different Car...

So now I'm driving this and I'll have it until I leave. (The banana yellow beetle was just for a weekend.) It's a Mitsubishi Eclipse, mine is the same burnt orange color, it has NO legroom for the back seats, and the seats are so low that I feel almost like I'm sitting on the floor... or the road. I was expecting to get a Toyota Yaris but they were out of compacts on the day I picked it up. As a result, I got the futuristic-looking sports car. The funny thing is, I think that I'm compensating for how sleek and zippy it looks by the way that I'm driving. I'm driving even more like grandpa than I normally do.

Have I mentioned my amazing students lately?

Actually, I can't say that she was ever a student in one of my classes. But tomorrow one of ours will be competing in Beijing. I've got my fingers crossed!

And by the way, I couldn't give a shit about the lip-synced, computer-generated fakeness of the opening ceremonies. Are we supposed to pretend that this has never happened before? Besides, it might have been fake but it looked damn good. Isn't that what we really care about anyhow?

Dark Knight...damn good!

I gotta say, its several week stay at the top of the box office has been well deserved. We watched it on IMAX last night at the Metreon in San Francisco. Wo.

Could I just be him for, like, a day?

Nom nom nom.

My rental.

Good God. It's hideous. But damn! it's fast and nobody's gonna crash into me... would you drive into something that gives you retina burn?

The Soul Train's a-runnin'

If you get WGN, you really should check out their Saturday afternoon airing of The Best of Soul Train. Were the '70s really that embarrassing? The platform shoes, the polyester bell bottoms, the chains... Especially fun is when the whole cast lines up and couples do their dance moves down the center.

You can see that some couples choreographed their steps and they're totally in sync. Then you have those couples where one told the other, "Just follow me and do what I do." And then you have the couples where one narcissist just lets loose and the poor schmuck he/she has grabbed just kind of walks along with them.

And then, the music's just damn good. It all sounds familiar, but growing up with three brothers whose interest ran from the Who to Kansas to Rush, I just didn't hear a lot of this stuff.

In Cali.

More to come. Not really on vacay but I'll do my best.

This whine has spoiled.

Like in most big cities in August, New Yorkers flee and tourists invade. But this year we've all noticed that it's been different. With the dollar crippled, traveling abroad has been a much less appealing option than before. Even some of those who spend the summer on the beach have had to give up their shares in the Hamptons or the Pines, (Say it's not so!). Since the onset of summer we've heard a new word repeated over and over: staycation, even though the pathetic economy has been a boon to foreign tourists for a while. (I remember people talking this winter about visitors extending their stay so that they could do their Christmas shopping here rather than at home.) Still, most of us remember not all that long ago when things were the other way around, when traveling in Europe was amazing since everything was so much cheaper, (Camper shoes here are less than $60? I'm buying all of these!). We know that things will even out again, that some years are good, (Clinton), and some years are bad, (Bush). On the other hand, there are those among us who feel a sense of indignation about the economy, as if they've been personally affronted by the weak dollar. What do they do? Bitch about uppity Europeans who don't know their place. Check out what they have to say in the New York Times. I have to say that I'm astonished at people's sense of entitlement and the classist tone of the article. New Yorkers are upset seeing "outsiders treat their city like a Wal-Mart of hip." One New Yorker expresses shock about her friends' spending saying: “Back home they’re just run-of-the-mill cubicle people... but here, they’re like three parts Kimora Simmons and two parts Oasis, circa 1995.” My favorite, however, is the unfortunate young woman who clearly doesn't understand that her status has changed after the mere shop girls, who should trip over themselves to help someone as elegant as her, ignore her for some tacky Europeans. "Wearing the sort of outfit that usually acts as a siren for department store salespeople — a Tory Burch shift dress and Jimmy Choo slingback heels — she instead found herself waiting behind a European couple in sneakers and bike shorts..." (Bike shorts! They're tacky and tasteless and they're still getting more attention!) Her inability to grasp the situation is summed up in the following: "She was always used to first-class service, she said, adding, 'But now, there’s an ultra-first.'" The poor thing doesn't even understand how ordinal numbers work. I wonder if she also thinks that Olympians who win silver come in first, it's just that the gold medalists come in ultra-first.

BuddyCrocker now two full months without posts!

No Carrie Bradshaw this weekend.

I would love to have seen Sex and the City this weekend, but just about every showing is sold out. Crazy. Fortunately (?), I've had way too much to do with the end of the school year screaming towards me to actually go see a movie.

Memorial Day Cleaning.

i.e., no traveling for the weekend. Instead it's a very much more emotional trip down Memory Lane. I've found things I thought I'd thrown away, things I'd forgotten I owned, things that don't belong to me. Same for the BF. It's been an odd experience how these things can stir emotions and memories you'd forgotten that you had. It's quite bittersweet. The nice thing is that our guests will be able to use their closet from now on.

No Question About It.

So clearly I was mixed up about when Sex and the City was coming out and there was no need to choose between it and Indiana Jones. So, yeah, we saw the latest installment in which the torch is passed to Shia LeBeouf, the next Indy. Ho hum. Clearly, a movie made for people who have children and watch America's Funniest Home Videos, especially the crotch shots. Yawn.

David COOK won?

I thought for sure that it was going to be Archuletta.

Decisions, decisions.

So, Friday. What's it gonna be?

Life's much better

since I found KCRW's link among the radio listings on iTunes, perhaps the world's most perfect radio station. KCRW is a listener supported radio station that's unlike most public stations. They do the NPR news, always good, and their mix of music is amazing. KCRW introduced me to Lily Allen and West Indian Girl, among others. Check them out!

I should add that my opinion is somewhat biased. KCRW broadcasts out of Santa Monica so I associate them with driving around Los Angeles. Whenever I've driven with my family down to Disneyland I've searched out KCRW the minute that we've gotten over Grapevine, the pass over the mountains separating the central valley from the LA area. Or when I've been in San Diego I've locked KCRW into the rental before I drive off the lot. I always associate KCRW with the freedom of being behind the wheel, driving to someplace I truly enjoy like Disney, the beach, Rubio's, or Pannikin. It's hard not to like a station under those circumstances.

Overheard in the Seniors' hallway...

She got chlamydia so many times, they call her "Applause!"

oucha-mcgoucha!

Who said you won?

Her speech this evening just underscored my discomfort with her. She opened her speech saying that Obama had made a prediction, that she would probably win Pennsylvania, he would win North Carolina, and Indiana would be the tie breaker. Then she said, "We've come from behind, broken the tie, and now it's full speed ahead to the White House!" As of the moment she made the speech, Indiana was still too close to call. I'm annoyed that she would claim victory before she has it. However, it could be brilliant. Either way, she's all in. Do or die. Balls to the wall. She's kind of scary.

Well, next month it's off to Puerto Rico. I actually hope that the contest continues until then, just to see what happens.

What not to do when speaking in the House

Watch as the honorable representative from Oregon morphs into the super-dork! Now, I totally get the reference (obviously) but would I introduce such an analogy in Congress? I think not!

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

I just can't believe he didn't have something in there about "Klingon honor," and finish it with "qapla'!"

Have I become that homo?

I'm enjoying Madonna's new album, Hard Candy, and I'm sure that the twenty-something homo-babies think that I'm just a tired, old queen. Ho hum. Still, she's got a good sense of humor.

Thank God for my students...

Otherwise I might miss out on some of the best of the web...

Been Busy...

Much to do and little mental energy. Sorry.

Hey, BebeMoche!

Best Wishes!

Got Five Minutes? Enjoy I Met the Walrus!

Fascinating! It totally deserved its Oscar nomination for best animated short.

Yes, I'm a sucker for lol cats... pt. 2

Worried about whether or not your lolcat is going to Heaven? Want to share the gospel with them? Do you enjoy blasphemous humor since you already have a direct ticket to Hell? The Bible has been translated into lolcatsspeak! Read it here!

Yes, I'm a sucker for lol cats...

Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!


Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!


Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

Loving Vampire Weekend!

They're a new band, they're from New York, and their music sounds to me like a combination of Save Ferris' brand of ska, surf guitar, and African pop. Enjoy!

And another thing...

If I were a conspiracy theory person, I'd think that everyone in the conservative machine was in on this bid to pretend that John McCain is a moderate, in an effort to make him more acceptable to mainstream America.

In touch with the Common People

Conservative talking-head, Monica Crowley, on this morning's McLauchlin Group, characterized conservative commitment to Republican nominees earlier in the primary season as capricious, saying that it was as if they were in Bungalow 8. Of course, Joe and Marvita in Idaho will immediately and intimately relate to the scene at one of the most expensive and pretensious venues of New York nightlife.

Next thing you know, cats will be sleeping with dogs.

Finally, Courtney Love has someone she can lecture on the right way to live.

Goldfrapp

Fun music, light, funky enough, not too much to think about, likable. Enjoy.

Tonight's the SAG Awards!

And?

Heath.

It just popped up on CNN, Heath Ledger is dead at 28 years old. Possibly a drug overdose. I'm stunned. And then I'm stunned that I'm stunned. I mean, we watch as "stars" slowly self destruct on an almost daily basis. Stories about Britney and Lindsay no longer shock and scandalize. The creeping pace at which they destroy their lives makes their decline seem acceptable, inevitable, even morally correct. Even Owen Wilson's attempted suicide didn't seem all that serious, primarily because he survived. It didn't make sense, but at least it wasn't final. The fact that it was an "attempt" makes it seem like Wilson didn't really "want" to kill himself, like his problems were bad but surmountable. Stories about Heath Ledger, on the other hand, were always about his success, showing him smiling and waving, laughing with the camera. I wasn't a big fan, but I did think that he had a lot going for him. I guess I was wrong.

I'll Be Chaperoning Another Student Trip in February.

I'm sure it will be rough...

Car Rental

Recently, I had a bad experience renting a from Enterprise. It's an experience which has yet to resolve itself, incredibly. I went with National this time, reserving an SUV for the weekend and expecting a much better experience. I took the subway up to National's 12th Street location, having called in only two hours earlier to ensure that my car would be available. When I arrived, I was told that there were no SUVs available. I told the woman helping me that that was simply unacceptable and settled in to getting pissed off about the fact that things were going wrong. While she worked on trying to find a suitable car, I realized that I should try working with her and told her that I was heading up to the snow and would really appreciate her fixing the problem for me. She found and released an SUV that was due to go back to the dealer. It was oversized, made me feel like I was crushing the environment under its tires, but we were covered in the event of a huge snow fall. Thank you, Mary, at National Car Rental's 12th Street, New York City location!

Visited Vermont this weekend.

Bought a nice amount of work clothes at the the Brooks Brother's outlet, played games like Clue and Mille Bornes, romped in the snow, visited art galleries. You know, the usual. The BF's mother made some kick-ass Chicken Asopao which has come back to New York and will make my lunch tomorrow.

This Just In: Vermont is COLD!

Inspiration at Last!

So the BF and I arrive at SFO and pick up our rental car from Enterprise. I've had bad experiences with Enterprise before, enough for me to have sworn off them. However, I was drawn back by a low reediculously low price which I saw on Orbitz, and decided to rent from them again. After all, I needed to get the BF and myself along with all our bags to Mom's for the holidays and a one-way rental was an easy solution. With Hertz, it's always a sure thing that they'll let you rent the car at the airport but return it to a local lot. However, when I asked about returning it to a different location the agent quoted me an additional $100 fee. I figured that I'd just have to make a trip back the next day. (LIttle did I know that the situation would solve itself.)

So the BF and I jump into our new Focus, (marked as having almost no emissions!) and hit Rubio's for lunch before heading into the East Bay. As we headed up the hill towards the Berkeley Tunnel I pressed on the accelerator to pass another car and felt... nothing. I started to pump the gas but nothing was happening. I looked to the dashboard and saw that the car had stalled out on the freeway! We pulled over to the shoulder, such as it was, and after a couple of tries the car turned over again. We limped off the freeway with a sputtering engine and stopped in Rockridge. Then things got nasty. After speaking with several Enterprise representatives on the phone, being cut off instead of put on hold, and several long waits, I finally got what I asked for, my retnal fee waived and a cab ride to Mom's... or so I thought. Despite the assurance from the Enterprise representative on the phone and an additional committment by a representative that I called, the rental showed up on my credit card a week later, for almost twice the rate on my signed contract. After calling my credit card I called Enterprise again, only to be asked with incredulity, "So you think you shouldn't have to pay for this rental?" After explaining to the agent that since their faulty product didn't do what I'd paid for and since it put me and my passenger in possible danger for our lives, I thought that having my fee waived was the very least I could ask for. She agreed and promised to remove the charge.

It's been four days and I'm still waiting for it to disappear from my online statement. However, I must thank Enterprise for giving me a reason to blog again!

Will We Become an Obama-nation?

Because the fact that the title itself would piss off conservative Bible-thumpers seems like reason enough for me to vote for him.


This should not be seen as a true endorsement of Obama, although at the moment I don't find myself opposed to the idea of having him as president.