Condosleazy

The whole Bolton thing just gets uglier. The Washington Post makes a brief mention of it toward the end of this article, fourth graf from the bottom:

On Monday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told her senior staff she was disappointed about the stream of allegations and said she did not want any information coming out of the department that could adversely affect the nomination, said officials speaking on the condition of anonymity. [Emphasis mine.]

Has anyone seen anything in the media that explores this further? I can't find anything. Let me know. Thanks.

Habemus Papam

So the conclave elected Nosferatu to be the new Pope. Nevermind that he was part of the Hitler Youth movement back in the day. Fine, DailyKos says this isn't the same thing as being a Nazi. Fair enough. Maybe I've been watching too much Hitler on the History Channel lately. In any case, it makes me squirm. Not to mention the ultraconservatism part.

I really wanted the Nigerian. Whatever. Boo.

The Lunchtime Blues

Lawd help me please, I'm about to get another carne asada burrito from the taco truck two blocks away from my office. I mean, they're yummy (and cheap), but this is two days in a row now (three, if you count last Thursday; I had Friday off).

What's the longest stretch of time you've gone having the same thing for lunch? Or is it only me that does shit like that?

Life of the Party

If you haven’t noticed already, I’m a big Salon.com fan. And today they’ve published their first installment of a series called Life of the Party – discussions with “policymakers, candidates, pollsters, analysts, big thinkers, bloggers -- you name it -- about the present and future of the Democratic Party.” I’m really excited about this series, because I really believe that the Democratic Party needs to change in order to get this country away from the ultraconservative, theological, and intolerant path it’s headed down so far.

This first installment highlights a discussion with Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, a Democratic governor that managed to get elected in a red state. He offers some great insight as to how Democratic candidates can better appeal to “Joe and Mary Six-Pack.” Quite frankly, what Schweitzer has to say is nothing new that we haven’t really heard before, but his assessment does validate and highlight the need to understand this major part of the constituency (the gun totin’, church goin’, huntin’ and fishin’ kind) that has eluded the Democrats in the last two elections.

The Siren is bored again.

I don't think this is true about me. But dammit, I like it.

Your Seduction Style: Siren / Rake

You possess an unbridled sensuality that appeals to many.The minute you meet anyone, you can make the crave you almost immediately.You give others the chance to lose control with you... spiraling into carnal bliss.A dangerous lover, you both fascinate and scare those you attract.

What Is Your Seduction Style?

Missed Opportunities

US Airways' website experienced a brief technical glitch this weekend that caused them to offer airline tickets for about $1.86 plus fees. After all was said and done, many tickets came out to $40 after taxes and fees and whatever else.

US Airways Spokesman Chuck Allen said that they'd honor any tickets that were purchased during this time.

Obviously, this would have come in handy for my September trip to Maui. I always miss out on the good shit.

Ten from the iPod

I’m out of ideas today, so I’ll follow Generik’s lead and give you the First Ten Random Songs That Came Up On My iPod. Like to hear it, here it go:

1. “Dirty Man,” Joss Stone
2. “The Quarterdrawing of the Dog,” Siouxie and the Banshees
3. “Cannons” Siouxie and the Banshees
4. “Hand in Glove,” The Smiths
5. “Numb,” Portishead
6. “Always on the Run,” Lenny Kravitz
7. “What About the Half,” Dennis Brown
8. “It Was a Good Day,” Ice Cube
9. “Ordinary People,” John Legend
10. “I Love Jah,” Beres Hammond

What's on yours?

"But I am le tired."

This always manages to crack me up. I know it's a little old. Deal.

Enjoy your weekend, everybody.

There's no place like gnome

The whole Bill Frist thing is getting me all riled up this morning, but today I'd rather go to my happy place and share this story with you instead:

LONDON, England (AP) -- A grandmother stopped an intruder from entering her home by lobbing a heavy garden gnome at him, police said Friday.

Images from "The Full Monty" and the Travelocity gnome are running through my mind all of a sudden. But wait, it gets cuter:

"He lay there and I began to scream. I went back into the kitchen and found a rolling pin in case he came down. I didn't want to break another gnome."

Gotta love those Brits.

Thanks to my friend Cecilia at CNN for the link.

I need to go to more shows.

Sam's blog inspired me to make my own list (not in chronological order, and a mix of "known" and "unknown" bands because, quite frankly, I don't go to enough shows, period).

Instructions:
- Reply to this message telling me which 30 artists you have also seen perform.
- Take the ones from my list that you have seen, and post them on your own blog.
- Keep adding until you have 30. Unless you're like me, who needs to get out more.

1. Peaches
2. Native Elements
3. Dick
4. Smashmouth (pre-"Walking On The Sun" mediocrity)
5. Voodoo Glow Skulls
6. The Cranberries
7. Bjork
8. No Doubt
9. Jurassic 5
10. Dilated Peoples
11. Pharcyde
12. Lauryn Hill
13. Superbooty
14. Planet Asia
15. Carl Cox
16. Sasha/John Digweed (okay, 15 and 16 are DJs, sue me)

Cognitive Dissonance: The Bush Years

Sidney Blumenthal wrote a great article in Salon about the Bush administration's use of rampant cognitive dissonance and how it applies to the impending confirmation of John Bolton. I say "impending," because not one thing has followed even the slightest hint of logic since Dubya's been in office. He's gonna get confirmed. I bet you a carne asada burrito he does.

Anyway, here's the article. I couldn't have said it better myself. Bolton is seriously the wrong guy for the job, and Chafee needs some sense slapped into him.

There I go again, getting all riled up. Bastards.

I'm bored. Humor me, will ya?

What does your birth month say about you?

December
Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egoistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

Interesting. I don't know about the "influential in organizations" part. That remains to be seen. And what's this "changing personality" jazz? But then again, these are so general (yet most are quite appropos, especially the "sexy" part, heh heh) that they can apply to just about anyone.

Take the quiz here and let me know what you came up with. Thanks to JC for the idea.

I love stuff like this, I really do.

From the NY Post:

WRONG QUESTION
WHEN U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia spoke Tuesday night at NYU's Vanderbilt Hall, the room was packed with some 300 students and there were many protesters outside because of Scalia's vitriolic dissent last year in the case that overturned the Texas law against gay sex, our source reports. One gay student asked whether government had any business enacting and enforcing laws against consensual sodomy. Following Scalia's answer, the student asked a follow-up:

"Do you sodomize your wife?"

The audience was shocked, especially since Mrs. Scalia [Maureen] was in attendance. The justice replied that the question was "unworthy of an answer."

The King of Smarm

Admittedly, Karl Rove is good at what he does: Running successful political campaigns. But the manner in which he achieves this is through personal attacks and dirty tricks. PBS’s Frontline program last night, “The Architect: Karl Rove” delved into his background and revealed how it had been his lifelong goal to reinvigorate the Conservative vote. He dedidated 30 years of his career to make this happen, and – as we’ve seen in Dubya’s administration - Rove’s wet dream has become our worst nightmare.

The program distilled Rove’s “understanding of the mechanics of political campaigning” – his modus operandi, if you will – to the following elements:

• Keep your messages simple – and keep them to around four or so; the better to hammer into your constituent’s heads with, my pretty
• Attack your opponent’s strengths; don’t exploit his weaknesses – he's expecting that
• Connect “the gay issue” to your opponent at any instant you feel like you’re backed into a corner; the Conservative Right will spring to life like Hitler after getting a shot of Vitamultin
• Become astute at analyzing poll data, marketing surveys, demographic information (Conservatives are more likely to subscribe to “Field & Stream”), etc.
• Concentrate on small, incremental victories that eventually contribute to the bigger goal

If anything good came out of this program – I know it riled me up enough last night to prevent me from falling asleep for another two hours – it’s that this program gives us “how-to” guide as to how we could fight back and bring some balance into our legislature. Sure, we may decide to take the high road, but basically we now have the playbook. It’s time to sack the quarterback.

Thanks to BYO for reminding me to tune in.

Silicone or Saline?

Why is there even a debate about this? I mean, silicone breasts are probably more "realistic," but why would anyone put their lives in danger for that? To me, it reeks of pure vanity.

Check out the part of this New York Times article where 74-year-old Carolyn Wolfe discusses the strings of silicone coming out of her eyes, ears, and nipples when her silicone implants ruptured. Is that hot?

Get a grip, ladies. If you must get implants, at least get the safer saline kind.

Cloned meat, anyone?

This is just nasty. It's almost enough to make me go veggie.

Okay, not really. But it's still freaky. What a PR coup for the USDA.

Buddy Jesus

Apparently there is some niche to be filled by this talking Jesus action figure. They're going on sale in May - along with the Virgin Mary, Moses, and David versions - and are expected to be priced at about $25 a pop. I'm expecting this to be on every Neocon kid's Christmas list - whether they want the dolls or not.

I can't wait for the Noah action figure, complete with the ark and pairs of animals. That would be badass.

A shout goes out to my friend Paco for the link.

Bolton, Schmolton

So I guess today's the first day of John Bolton's confirmation hearing for the U.N. post, and he appears to be blatantly courting the vote of one Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.), whose vote is still "undecided." But Bolton's surprisingly ... diplomatic ... stance (i.e. that a bipartisan Congress should work together to help rebuild the U.N.'s image) seems to be working. At least for the moment.

In an unprecedented move, John Kerry's taking out ads in Rhode Island to try and persuade Chafee to vote against Bolton's confirmation. How 'bout that, eh?

We'll see what happens. I hope Chafee doesn't kick us in the nuts with his vote.

My new "must-have" book

I’ve posted before about my love of cooking shows. If I don’t have anything to do on a weekend morning, I’ll lie in bed watching them until one in the afternoon.

Living in Northern California, I’ve become what’s been known as a “foodie.” In my old job – where I was making a bit more money and my life was a lot simpler – trying out new restaurants in San Francisco was a form of entertainment. Now, instead of going out to restaurants, I’ve ventured into trying to cook for myself. Oftentimes with mixed results. But whatever.

When people ask me what I think would be a dream job, I always answer “food critic.” I mean, what other job requires that you dine out at different restaurants every week and share with your readership your perceptions about the quality of food, speed of service, ambiance, etc. Plus, the cool thing about being a food critic for a magazine or newspaper is that your employer picks up the tab. How sweet is that? At first, I thought about doing some kind of web project in which I’d visit different restaurants and write about them. But with the advent of a myriad of like-minded websites and blogs, how was I going to make mine stand out?

I'm still working on trying to come up with something.

So anyway. Former New York Times Food Critic and current Editor of Gourmet Ruth Reichl has a new book out called “Garlic and Sapphires.” Chronicling her tenure at the New York Times, Reichl mentions her use of disguises and various identities she takes on when she reviews a restaurant. As you can imagine, when your photo is plastered in every kitchen of every restaurant in Manhattan, you have to find creative ways to ensure your anonymity. Reichl’s playing with different identities also parallels her own personal transformation of self that brought her to her current position at Gourmet.

Sounds like an interesting read. I can't wait to get it.

Achtung Wal-Mart Shoppers!

This article was sent to me by some grad school buddies of mine.

On Friday nights, singles looking for romance, mindless flirting or just a new friend head over to their neighborhood Wal-Mart where they're given a big bright red bow to attach to their shopping cart or shopping basket.

Then it's up to the willing participants to approach one another and take it from there.

But if that's too intimidating, Wal-Mart has set up "flirting points" around the stores stacked with "romantic" merchandise, such as chocolates, wine and cheese, to help with that first awkward step.

[...]

Wal-Mart feels so good about the idea that the retailer trademarked the "Singles Shopping" slogan in German and is also testing it in its stores in Puerto Rico, South Korea and Britain.

Someday, it could even pop up in a few of its U.S. stores.

Read more here. Lawd help me please, I pray that I never ever have to go to Wal-Mart to scam on dudes.