Whine & Cheese

Electorally Speaking

We interrupt these American Idol posts for some brief political/election chat...

As you well know, I am a Hillary supporter, so I was pretty pleased with last night's results... and thus you should not be surprised to trip over some pro-Hillary bias below and beyond.   A week or so ago, I was figuring last night would probably be the end... but this election's motto certainly echoes that beloved Big Brother mantra of "expect the unexpected." 

No surprise, I think Clinton should continue on in the race.  I will have to respectfully disagree with anyone who says otherwise...  my wallet is currently empty at any attempts to buy the "for the good of the party" argument. 

It's like being at the 19 mile mark in of a marathon and thinking... hmmm, Runner A is about 3/4 mile ahead of Runner B... we like Runner A and it looks like Runner A is going to win anyhow, so why don't we just call the race here... the people at milepost 22 and beyond won't mind...  that way we can rest up for the next race against the 71-year old. (BTW, those numbers are "real" ballparks of where we are in the Dem delegate race and the gap... have I mentioned I kinda like to crunch numbers?!)

That said, I am not being that Pollyanna about Clinton's status either... and was pretty surprised to see articles this morning of Clinton hinting about Obama as VP... what a difference a day makes... but again, whoa nelly!

The other night I wondered aloud... delegates schmelegates super-califragilisticexpialidocious-elegates (go ahead say it aloud, it's really quite fun... tho' a friendly warning, it's also something quite atrocious)...

What would the numbers look like between Clinton and Obama based on the presidential "winner takes all" electoral college?  Too much free time Curiosity got the best of me this morning... so here it is:

Obama: 193
(Wins in AL, AK, CO, CT, DE, DC, GA, HI, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MN, MO, NE, ND, SC, UT, VT, VA, WA, WI)

Clinton: 219
(Wins in: AZ, AR, CA, MA, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, RI, TN, TX)

I know TX is still being hashed out... but let's pretend it's only a primary as the general election is (thankfully) caucus-free... and alas what of the 44 electorates from FL (17) and MI (27)? 

Again, it's just all numbers... and even with the Clinton's "big state" wins, going in I still expected Obama to have a slight lead... and needless to say, some states are going to go "blue" or "red" (regardless of the nominee)... but still an interesting little exercise.

UPDATE:  Just want to clarify/address Scott's comment what I meant when I said "regardless the nominee" is that I am certain Clinton would win states Obama won (or vice versa)... and likewise am confident that many states that would go "red"... my home state of Arizona being a prime example.  I am quite sure our Senator will not face too much much of a challenge securing AZ's electoral votes.

Various & Sundry

As often is the case, the weekend left quite a bit of things floating around my mind...

On Friday night, we saw 12 Angry Men as part of our touring Broadway season tickets.  It's rare that a play is part of the package, so it's always a nice change up.  The "star" of the show was Richard Thomas.  While I am certainly aware of "John Boy" from a pop-culture stance, believe it or not I never watched The Waltons growing up.  So, it's a good thing that, even though he didn't get star billing, that Kevin Dobson, Mac from Knots Landing, was also a jury member as well.

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On Saturday, we visited Todd's parents in Tucson.  At lunch, we had something happen to us for the very first time... the waitress looked at Todd and myself and asked "Are you brothers?"  Very funny, but very strange too.

And it's probably a good thing that I wasn't leaving the tip, as the waitress told me later of my ordered dish "I've never seen anyone eat that much of it!"  Ummm... thanks (not).

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If that didn't get me crabby, Facebook also ticked me off.  Recently I added a Virtual Book Case to my profile, and I get an email this weekend titled "You've been reading 'Pride and Prejudice' for more than a week. Still true?" and the body of the email continued to nag me "We wanted to give you a reminder so that you can keep your profile fresh if things have changed".... Y

Yes, I'm still friggin' reading the book and doing my best to get through it... and I don't need anybody or anything giving me crap about it... especially when I am very much well aware that it's killing all the surplus/progress I had made in my reading challenge up to this point!  Geez, Louise!

Speaking of Facebook, I am finally playing Scrabulous... and now really hoping that it doesn't go away as the makers of Scrabble ain't too happy about it (and I can certainly understand why).  My very best friend from college (as I often say... the Grace to my Will) and I were big time Scrabble players in college and beyond... so when she recently joined Facebook I knew we had to play... though I am not too happy that she got a "bingo" and used the word "feu" in our very first game!   If anyone wants to play (and I know there are a couple of you out there!), I am open ... though I don't know how good/bad I am right now as I don't have a "rating" yet.

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A couple of Hillary notes.   I was surprised how pro-Hillary the first Saturday Night Live was... in the opening sketch, the mocked the googly-eyes the media has for Obama (or perhaps, just the disdain for Hillary) and "Obama Girl" even made an appearance.

But that was nothing to guest host Tina Fey and her most excellent return to the Weekend Update desk. I would post the video, but SNL ones tend to go away very quickly... if you haven't seen it already -- it seems to be the big rage this morning -- if not,  this YouTube search page that might get you to it).  Anyhow, she ended the segment turning the oft-thought "she's a bitch" criticism on its heels... some entrepreneurial folks have already (wisely) jumped on it... gigglechick offers products with the follow Fey-isms:

And on McLaughlin Group, even I can get get a kick out of what some of the conservative panelists say... when asked "What Hillary Clinton needs to do to defeat Obama?" ... new regular on the "right wing" side, Monica Crowley noted that basically "Hillary has to club the baby seal" ... and that certainly (and humorously) sums up what I've been thinking about the Dem Race of late... I just wish I'd come up with that line! 

Express Lane: Issue 44

Marlee Matlin may take a spin on 'Dancing With the Stars' - Yet another casting rumor has the Oscar winning deaf actress ready to rumba... take that prosthetic-legged Heather Mills! (2/4/08)

Rumored Casting for Dancing With The Stars 6 include... Priscilla Presley, Florence Henderson, Marla Maples, Monica Seles, and Cheryl Ladd.  Rumored nyets include Joan Collins and Mira Sorvino.  (2/4/08)

'24' Actress Pregnant - Mary Lynn Rajskub (aka Chloe) cites the writers' strike ("had to keep busy") as the reason for getting knocked up. (1/31/08)

You're Going to (West) Hollywood! - Last night, Leo Marlowe introduces himself to the 'Idol' judges with this self-zinger: "My mom always said she raised a perfect homecoming queen... too bad it wasn't one of her daughters" and makes it to Hollywood. (1/30/08)

Why the Kennedys Went for Obama - Because nothing screams "change" and anti-political dynasty like an endorsement from the Kennedy clan! (1/28/08)

Super Duper Tuesday

Happy Super Duper Tuesday, particularly to those of you voting today.   

A couple of hours ago, we cast our votes in the Democratic primary.  While I know it's just a primary, I still expected it to have a buzz.  It was a crazy scene at our polling place for the last presidential election... the street jammed and a line of people well out the door.

Not quite the same feel this morning.  I wondered if we had turned down the correct street.  Alas, we did and had our choice of spaces in the parking lot... arriving just as the first voter in our precinct was heading out the door (to the cheers of strangely cheerful and/or highly over-caffeinated poll workers) and we were voters #6 and #7.  So not quite a "super" (let alone, "super duper") atmosphere, but I realize we were very early birds.

It was nice to have to only make one decision.  Though given that I was in bed less than an hour before and without those morning mugs of java, it took a bit more concentration than I expected to find Hillary's name on the ballot. 

It's probably a good thing I looked at the sample ballot when it arrived in the mail, otherwise I would have been mightily confused.  Here in Arizona, we had 24 names on the ballot (apparently it takes just some simple paper work and a notarization to get your name on the ballot) ... and in random order!  No alphabetization, no realistic candidate at the top... Hillary was the 16th name list on the ballot (just above former front-runner, Edward Dobson)... so it took me moment to focus and make my little mark on the ballot.

Now it's the very small respite before the declaration of winners, speculation, and spinning (and those political commercials!).  It's going to be a long night of television... and for the Democrats, I am pretty darn certain that things are not going to be pretty darn certain by the end of the night.  I have a feeling I'll be "calling" the end of the night much earlier than the pundits. 

Cyber-Stumping For Hillary

I know things have been very (and unusually) political here on W&C this week... but just bear with me, perhaps once we get through Super Duper Tuesday things will revert back to the normal fluff and fold.

That said, I will direct you over to Scott-O-Rama which is turning into a bit of a Hillary Clinton cyber-rally in the past day and thru the biggest voting primary day this country has seen  Scott asked some of us HRC supporters to do a little cyber-stumping for her.... here's a link to my contribution...  warning, in the spirit of being "green," some of the content of that post has been recycled from stuff you may have read right here at W&C.

I guess you can just say ... I've Got A Crush On Hillary!!  (note: video below for you feed readers)

Ready To Make Nice?

Mommy and Daddy Stopped Fighting!

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a household where I don't have a memory of my parents ever fighting (on the flip side, never saw much signs of affection either)... so watching the recent verbal barbs being exchanged between the Democratic nominees made me cringe at time... I kept thinking... please, not in front of the children...err, ummm... country.

So while last night's first head-to-head meeting of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton won't go down in the annals of memorable and cracklin' debates.  I am not naive enough to think that this is a permanent truce, but it still made me feel better.

The night was not without its disagreements.  But it had the hush of chess match.  I didn't see, nor once things got going and the non-combative tone established, expect any "checkmates"... but there were a bunch of "checks" or moves to safety from both of the candidates.

However, the decision to watch last night's debate probably pushed me into "get a life" territory.  Did I actually chose this over the Lost premiere?!?!?  Well, that's okay.  No spoilers thus far (though, as I type, it's still early in the day) after big season-ending "bangs," the island tends not to get interesting again until the end of the season... or mini-season, as looks to be the case this year.  For those of you who did watch Lost, if anything good happened... shhhhhh!

At least night we got to see celebrities at the Kodak Theater, which may not be the case in a couple of weeks for the Oscar ceremony... but what an eclectic crew!  Look it's Ugly Betty!   Speilberg!   Meathead Rob Reiner!  Diane Keaton (in that darn Annie Hall hat)!  Garry Shandling!   Leonardo DiCaprio (ok, I didn't know he was there until I saw pix this morning)!  Ed Helms?!?!  Pierce Brosnan!  Jason Alexander!  Stevie Wonder!   Josh Lyman!   Err... I mean Bradley Whitford, but that still made me fondly think back to The West Wing... I'm guessing Josh would be an Obama man.

The debate ended on a positive note when a question about a joint ticket featuring both, in alphabetical order, Clinton and Obama got a huge ovation.  I am at a loss whether or not there is true animosity or "like" between the two... and while I have my preferred order, I think it's a ticket that would rock.

What A Difference...

a year makes?   Or not.

Much is being made of the below picture taken prior to last night's State of the Union address as Hillary Clinton, I am quite certain, warmly greets Ted Kennedy while his new BFF Barack Obama's attention is elsewhere... Obama reports he waved to Clinton earlier in the evening.

But wouldn't you have loved to have been that woman in the glasses? 

Bet she's thinking... Awwwwk-ward!

That reminded me of a picture I posted from last year's SotU address of the now leading Democratic nominees for President... 

Hmmm... seems even more appropriate today!

Though you might want to skip that post (though it does funny for some "Aunt Linda" pictures from Saturday Night Live)...since I kinda sorta mention my gut telling me I didn't think either of them would be the next President.

Let's hope I'm wrong and that one of them will be standing the entire time for next year's State of the Union. 

Spin (Re-)Cycle

We watch a decent amount of politics-oriented television... and try to stay even keel, some things just drive me nuts after awhile.

Thanks to this past weekend's Democratic South Carolina Primary we heard a lot about the black vote. Apparently I was supposed to feel a mix of shock and awe that Obama received a vast majority of the black vote... and how devastating it is to the Clinton campaign, who have always received backing from the African American community.  The punditry places much of the blame on allegedly divisive comments made by the Clintons, rather than the "Duh?!" reality that, to the best of my knowledge, neither Clinton has never run against an African American opponent and had competition for this traditionally Democratic voting bloc. 

Now it's true that Clinton had the lead among African American voters in early polls... but this was before a vote was ever cast and before Obama became (in a rapid manner) a viable candidate -- the ever popular, everybody loves a winner/bandwagon syndrome.  I don't see how this is surprising or unexpected.  Likewise, and on the flip side, I don't read much into Obama not getting much of the SC white vote.

Now I am not naive enough to think that race and gender issues are not in play, but I think are being over-stated.  When there is a nominee, how many Democrats will flip to the Republican Party?  I am voting Clinton in the upcoming primary... that said, there is absolutely no doubt that I will vote for whoever the ultimate Democratic nominee is... Obama... Edwards... heck, Gravel (he's still in it right?!).  While our preferences for the Democratic nominee are more passionate than I can ever recall, I don't see a whole heck of lot of votes in the (D) column in jeopardy.  (Again, this is not saying that I don't have my worries about the outcome of the election)

That leads me to my other pet peeve, the "half glass empty" spin.  After the New Hampshire primary, one very well-known journalist (of the "household name" variety... well, I guess... depending on the household) said of Clinton's 39% victory that subtext was that "over 50% of Democratic voters rejected Clinton."  Huh?!?!  Beyond the one vote for their preferred candidate, I had not realized that NH voters were asked whether or not they would never vote for a particular candidate if they were the party nominee?!?

Before going to bed last night, we also caught some of a CNN special where they noted how political polls are used (or mis-used) in the same way.  Their example was a poll question from a prestigious newspaper asking respondents "Who is the best leader?"... Candidate A gets 57%, B 22%, C 18%.  So is it wrong or misleading when Candidate B's political ad states (without ever citing these actual numbers)... "In a recent poll, over 40% of respondents do not think Candidate A would be the best leader for our country."

While I am not "PollyAnna" enough to think that the presidential or any political race is about issues or qualifications, some of this stuff does bug me.  While it's easy to blame the media, it has only become a phenomenon given that it works (or the perception that it works!)... and that "news" channels have to fill-up 24 hours a day one way or another...   

... whether its the lack of context for a quote turned sound-bite, a tear-less "crying" episode, how a poll question may be asked (or the results presented), an "outburst" that didn't involve a raised voice, how you would act if your "first choice" is not the nominee, that 5 might not be the conclusion when presented with the hypothesis of 2 + 2... stop and think... pretty often "doing the math" really ain't that hard.

Sign #27 That Your Political Campaign Is In Trouble

... sharing the hour on Larry King Live (Caller!) with Cojo!

The Face of Change?

No worries... despite what it seems this week, this isn't going to turn into a political blog...

2004 Dem nominee Kerry endorsing Obama

If Obama is the candidate of  "change" and courting the youth vote, me thinks (or is it Barack?) a Yankee Gift Endorsement Swap would be in order with Clinton or how about Kerry's former running mate, Edwards?!

Let's just hope Kerry keeps the orator advice to himself!

Coming Out...

... politically, that is.

Oh what the heck, I have pussyfooted around enough with this post and that post... and it really isn't too hard to read between the lines to have figured out my Democratic nominee preference is Hillary Clinton.  Oh, did the fact that I have a category for Clinton give it away too?!?  Now, I say preference, since as I have stated time and time again, it doesn't matter who the nominee is... they have my vote.

My Clinton "coming out" party here is, of course, thanks to the results of last night's New Hampshire primary.  Truthfully, after Iowa I was feeling as dispirited as Clinton herself.  When I saw the early lead in NH, I just figured it would be slowly and painfully pulled away by the end of the night (ala John Kerry in 2004).  As hinted in Monday's post, I sensed there was not enough time for the Obama momentum to cool... and that we were headed to an Obama coronation, not at all too dissimilar from the one Clinton was accused of months and months ago. 

Heck, post-Iowa on The Chris Matthews Show, the "meter" notched a rare unanimous vote (12-0!) that Obama would be the Democratic nominee.  While voters want "change," it seems they certainly don't want "inevitability" either.  I am glad that things are back to a level playing field.  I would like to think that I would have thought the same if Clinton had swept both Iowa and NH.  While I am no fan of the primary "eat your own" season, but I think we end up learning a lot more about the candidates when its a competitive race.

[tangent] I do have my general election worries.  Todd and I agreed that our Senator John McCain is likely get the Republican nomination (Catty sidenote: Is wife Cindy looking a tad "Stepford Wife" lately?!)... thanks in part to winning to NH, but also by default given the rest of the Republican field.  And whatever the polls say, I do have concerns about a Clinton or Obama match-up vs. McCain.  Still hedgy about the country electing for a woman and black/bi-racial man.  If Edwards mounts a miracle comeback, I'll re-assess... but being a white man is certainly a checkmark in his elect-ability column. [/tangent]

It has bothered me that there is so much anti-Clinton sentiment among Democrats.  What has she ever done to you?  Ha!  Unless you've lived in Arkansas or New York, I am guessing not much.  That said, I get the divisiveness, the baggage, the accusations of being slick or a "politician" (which I think is a circle of hell even lower than "liberal")...

But if "I just don't like her" is a valid reason to not vote for her... without dragging [gasp!] issues into this post, "I just like her" is a big reason I plan to vote for her..

Almost three four years ago today (see, keeping a blog does come in handy!), I had about 15 seconds with the Senator.  It was for a book signing and I admit being a bit scared.  I figured the store would be chilled by her mere presence... and reputed combo of 47% ice queen, 53% bitch. 

It couldn't have been any more different.  Hundreds of people into the line, she greeted me with a warm "Hi" and handshake like I was the first person she met that day. 

While it was over in a little more than a blink of the eye, it was enough for a first impression... and a quite positive one.  For comparison purposes, I kind of regret not going to an Obama book signing event last year.  But while the happy face and greeting could have all been an "act" and that book-signing merely prelude to her Presidential run (at the time, she was in full non-committal mode)... I left feeling she was quite warm and genuine... but also full well knowing that I would not want to be on her shit-list.   

Before I left the signing table, I managed to say to her "I hope you give us a chance to vote for you someday"... Clinton chuckled back "Oh! Thank you!" ... as if the thought had never entered her head.

Come our February 5th primary, I plan to keep my word.

Weekend Mash

Some random stuff from the weekend:

• The holiday season was officially over.  Everything came down over the weekend... some stuff going quicker (picking up outdoor lights) and other stuff taking longer (finding, then re-boxing ornaments).   Some of the bigger house displays in the neighborhood dismantled shortly after Christmas, but I didn't think it was that odd to stay up through New Year's Day.  Though, even I will admit, that it dragged on a few extra days since the holiday was early in the week and it seemed to take awhile to get to the weekend.


• Though we didn't plan on it, we ended up watching a good portion of the NH debates on Saturday night (about half the Republican, all the Democratic)... and so you don't think we're total losers... it was over a very large cocktail.  As I have mentioned before, it is with metaphysical certitude that I am voting for the Democratic nominee and while I do have a preference, I am "fine" with whoever that may be... at this point, it appears pretty certain that that will be -- in alphabetical order -- Clinton, Edwards, or Obama.  That said, I am bit weary of the attempts to distinguish themselves as "change" or "experience."  By merely being a Democrat, they are all "change" candidates... and on the opposite end of the spectrum I don't think any of them are particularly "experienced" (again the top 3, arguably you can say those candidates out of the Race, or even low-polling Richardson, are more experienced).  And, amongst ourselves, we agreed that this time-condensed primary season is not good.  While it is somewhat of a relief to think that most of this jockeying/in-fighting will be over come February 5th, it's not allowing enough time for momentum shifts and re-shifts (and re-shifts!) that I think are pretty important part of the selection process.


• Having blogged for several years now, I have learned that misery loves company.  Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, posts about your wonderful relationship or fabulous vacation are not very popular.  So (!!!), as we tend to do once the calendar rolls over to a new year, we have begun to ponder where to go on vacation this year.  We think we have narrowed it down to 3... again, I am fully unaware of how un-endearing this is... so in that spirit and in no particular order, which of the following destinations would most piss you off to read all about here on W&C:
  

1. Canadian Rockies - This has been a "finalist" destination for several years now.  We likely would have done it last year if we hadn't decided on the Colorado road trip/MINIs in the Mountains last year.  To get slightly more specific, we're talking Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper...
   


2. Hawaii - Our destination of two years ago (Honolulu and Maui)... this/next time, we're definitely interested in going to the Big Island... and probably one other island (a return to Maui?).  While we had a good time there and certainly have pleasant memories (Todd still ribs me over one particular drunken moment), I feel like I need/want to give Hawaii another chance.  Last time, it was in the aftermath of the car accident (not fun to be calling the body shop/insurance companies from your tropical vacation), so I wasn't terribly relaxed or as "present" as I would have liked to have been (and, in retrospect, it took a very long time to get over all that).


3. Europe - Since getting my passport, this has obviously been another destination that has come up over and over again.  Here I can't give specifics.  I have never been "across the pond."  If you are a W&C regular, you know Todd travels to France on business pretty regularly (and is going there in March), but I am just overwhelmed by where to go!  Of course, the "biggies"... London, Paris, or Rome... are immediate considerations... but part of me wants to go a non-obvious route... say Barcelona, Amsterdam, Berlin, or Switzerland (I know that's a country, not a city, but not exactly sure where to start there either... just want Alps!).

If you have an opinion on any of the above... chime on in!

Presidential Politics

For those of you looking for a TAR recap/thoughts, I'm claiming the 5th today... thought it was a good episode, particularly Lorena's classic meltdown over the camel milking... but some thoughts about the Presidential race have been on simmer for awhile, so I feel it's time to let those thoughts out.

I am supporting the Democratic nominee for President. 

Who?  While it doesn't show much depth to my political character... it really doesn't matter... just like it hasn't mattered for most of my voting life.

While it is fun to argue amongst the candidates and take those tests that tell you which candidate most closely aligns with your own belief system, my gut tells me that a lot of people are not too different from myself.

That's why I get kind of frustrated when I read... "anyone but xxx" or "I hope it's not xxx"... and this is about members of one's own political party (or should I say not a member the opposition party?). 

Okay, who am I kidding ... when it comes to the Democrats, those xxx's are pretty much Hillary with a hint of Barack and John thrown in for good measure.  Sometimes it feels as if way too many people are waiting (or, dare I suggest, even hoping) for Hillary's version of the Howard Dean Scream implosion... and again, I am sensing this amongst non-Republicans.

I do "get" the reasons for ABC (the 'ole "'Anyone But Clinton" acronym resurfaces)... yes, even amongst non-Republicans, but I just don't see ultimately what good it does... except give the opposition more ammo (pardon the pun), that it's a divided front... one reason I particularly dislike primary season.

So sure support your candidate, but why go on the record bad-mouthing or expressing disdain for the others?  If Hillary's not your choice, are you voting for Rudy?  If Barack's not your cup of tea, is Mitt the way you go?  If not John E. or Joe or Dennis or Chris or  Bill... then Fred or John M. or Mike or Tom or Duncan?

Avenue Q/Larry Craig Video Mega-Mix

I know the whole Larry Craig thing is old news (even Jon Stewart was none too pleased that it hit at the start of his two-week vacation break)...and I am sick of hearing about it as much as the guy in the next stall next guy... I am also aware that it has made the rounds on other blogs... but just wanted this You Tube handy here on W&C... IMHO, it's the best thing that came out of the whole mess... and if by chance you haven't seen it...  enjoy! 

Whose Line Is It Anway?!?

The biggest television laugh that I had last night was not watching the impersonators on the The Next Best Thing (yes, we're watching and enjoying... sue me!)... or The Daily Show... but via ABC World News Tonight with Charlie Gibson.

The spray Diet Pepsi out of my nose moment came during a report on the current president's latest veto on embryonic stem cell research, where he let loose with this one-liner in this typical foot-stompin' and pouty glory:

"I made it clear to Congress and to the American people that I will not allow our nation to cross this moral line."

I know I should be angry.  Heck, you could have a party (drinking?) game brainstorming a list of things this administration has done that challenges the existence of such a line... and if it does exist, it is of course by intelligent design.

But I laughed at the irony and audacity of it all...  either that or his speechwriters/"people" are having a good laugh for themselves.

State of Disinterest

I just couldn't quite get around to sitting down to watch The State of the Union speech last night.  Now, I am not sure how many of you do (regardless of who the President is) but it was probably the first one I missed in quite some time. 

Now before you get all impressed... much like the Deal of No Deal (what is my obsession with that of late?!), I like to have fun while watching it... often enthusiastically applauding along to the usual standing-O staples of children (after all, they are our future), little old ladies, and the troops. 

But I have just about had my fill of W.  Granted this is my usual disposition, but I just didn't have it in me to listen to him speak for extended length of time this time around.  Now, I should have at least supported the Democratic majorities in Congress... but the Commander in Chief's sudden interest in bipartisanship would have probably just ticked me off.  While we did catch a few minutes of it over dinner, I'll wait for tonight's news and The Daily Show to whittle it down.

While we were chowing down, we saw the standard shot of POSTUS, VPOTUS, and the Speaker of the House (I guess SOTH?).

Now while Speaker Pelosi is showing a bit of 'tude in that photo, I said to Todd it would be much more fun if she at least rolled her eyes a time or two. 

I really would have loved for her to break into some Aunt Linda from Saturday Night Live.

Kristin Wiig's Aunt Linda, a movie reviewing "relative" of Amy Poehler on Weekend Update, is about the funniest thing on the show these days (I realize that's not saying much!)... but her facial expressions and speaking voice are just priceless... she kinda looks like a blond version of Pelosi don't you think?

(Thanks to Jeff who reminded me Wiig has portrayed Pelosi on SNL... check out the comments, Jeff was nice enough to provide a link to that opening sketch.  Alas, I could not find any "Aunt Linda" videos... one was apparently removed from YouTube).

Also, we were not watching long enough, but pretty nice and convenient that Barack and Hillary were in the same shot...   

Though do you think there is a little editorializing being done in this photo?

Interesting photo... and I guess I am not alone, since it made it in pool of available photos from last night.   Care to play "caption this"?

I'll go with ... Watch Your B(ar)ack.

While I hope I am wrong, my gut tells me that, for all those politically incorrect reasons, neither will be the next President.

The Curiously Incompetent Mint

In honor of POTUS announcing a plan for Iraq this evening (c'mon folks, it's progress... at least the words "plan" and "Iraq" are being used in the same sentence)...

Can't quite say the phrase "civil war"? 

Sectarian violence leaving you with a little morning breath?

Introducing Impeachmints!

The mint that will still leave you with a bad taste in your mouth after you're done!

Believe it or not, the mints and tin are real (and as noted peach-flavored too!).  Any attempts at humor are mine.  I saw them at our bleeding-heart crazy liberal, left wing independent bookstore at that recent book signing and new I had to get it.

They had two other "flavors".... IndictMints and National EmbarrassMints... but at $3.50 each (and about one-third the size of an Altoids tin), I figured it exceeded my gag gift budget. 

Despite a couple of search engines thinking I was just a bad speller, I did cyber-stumble onto the other two mints!

If interested, you can purchase them online at Scribbles for $3.95/tin.

Our First President

No, this post is not about George Washington...

For the first time ever, we met a US President... well, "met" is going waaaay too far... let's say... glimpsed the 39th President of the United States... Jimmy Carter.

President Carter was in town last night signing his latest book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid and also his previous one, Our Endangered Values.

As soon as I found out the President was coming to town, I ran over to the book store to reserve our books and, more importantly, our place in line.  Despite being an "early bird", we were in signing group "D"... which still put us several hundred people back.  The event sold out last week with 1,600 books.

It was an absolute mob.  The line of 1,600+ folks wrapped around the entire strip mall... all four major networks plus an independent local station with reporters trucks and cameras on hand, the event being filmed for a documentary about the book tour (directed by Jonathan Demme... no, didn't see him), and a good deal of protesters.  This book has been pretty controversial ... Jewish groups were protesting and later joined by local Palestinians (go figure?!) in support.  One man seemed particularly proud to show those waiting in line his sign that said "Carter, Apologist for Islamic Fascism". 

Yeah, the pretty much sums up the 82-year old Nobel Peace Prize winner who brokered the only Middle East peace deal in my lifetime and spent the weekend building homes in New Orleans for Habitat for Humanity!   If  you'd like, I provided links below with some of the controversies (among other things, it has been called: anti-Semitic, factually inaccurate, plagiarized).

So, we're in line nearly an hour and half before we get into the bookstore.   There had been announcement that the only thing you would be allowed to bring in was the book, car keys, and a wallet.  No purses, no cameras, no cell phones, no food, no drink, etc., etc.   I joked that they were going to ask us to take off our shoes... and believe me, if they did that would be one of the nicer things that would have happened.

I am not blaming the bookstore or Carter... it did not end up being a very pleasant experience. There must have been some good reason for the security and the attitude that we experienced... but still.

It all started when we were being yelled at to start moving up the line.  C'mon, C'mon, Let's go, Let's go were the sudden cry from the security detail near the door.   I was "wanded" in the front, asked to turn around (needless to say without a "please"), wanded again, and my front pockets padded down (they contained the allowable car keys and wallet).

Once entering the bookstore, it felt like you were in a prison.  People constantly yelling at you "keep moving, keep moving" as you snaked through the store... rounding a corner, you were yelled at to "open the book to the title page... quickly, quickly, this has to go quick". 

You then handed your book to one person, who handed it to another, who handed it to another, who handed it to President Carter.  We were at least 4 feet away from the table were told to "keep moving, keep moving"... so you didn't even get a chance to see your book being signed and given the volume and speed of the books, Carter only occasionally looked up at the line that was moving in front of him.  Three more people got your book back to you... and you were told to "keep moving, keep moving" out of the store. 

I wasn't terribly pleased... but heck, still happy to knock something off our hypothetical/Earl-ish To-Do list... #67. See a US President in-person... even if it lasted less the 15 seconds and we were being yelled at the entire time.  I am glad that above picture is from last night's book signing... at least I can see what President Jimmy looked like!

This makes the Hillary Clinton book signing all the more amazing...  granted she wasn't an ex-president (well, "officially"... me thinks she was might powerful in her White House days)... but she extended her hand out for a shake and almost expected some verbal interaction.  That's something I will always look fondly back on... last night, will likely have much different memories.

UPDATE:  Lying in bed last night and remembered that I forgot to mention yet another wacko "security measure"... as we were walking through the bookstore, they were yelling at us "keep you hands out of your pockets... keep your hands up... no hands in pockets"... it was all very, very strange!

Related Links:
AZ Republic: Carter book signing brings out protestors
NPR : Jimmy Carter's Book Stirs Criticism, Complaint
Alan Dershowitz Book Review: The World According to Carter
The Columbus Dispatch: Ex-president’s book stirs controversy (Q&A with Jimmy Carter)

Elections 2006: The Results Post

Figured I'd follow-up on yesterday's post and let you know how our local elections turned out...

I'll let you know... after the break.

Ok, we're back!

Incumbent Republican Jon Kyl you've been named one of the 10 best Senators in the country, but did the AZ voters agree?  <cue dramatic music> Democratic challenger Jim Pederson, you've spent millions of your own fortune with the promise to be "No One's Senator But Ours"... are the voters ready for a change?  <cue dramatic music> waiting... waiting... waiting... waiting... waiting... the Senator for Arizona and going to Washington is.... waiting... waiting... Jjjjjjjjj...... Jon Kyl.  <cue groans>

After completing the "Mud or Muck?" Roadblock ... incumbent Republican JD Hayworth and Democratic challenger Harry Mitchell are neck-to-neck...  who will make it?  Hayworth has a slow cab driver, Mitchell appears to be lost... <cue pulsating dramatic music> .... who will it be... who will it be?  J.D. you are the last person to arrive... I am sorry to say you have been eliminated from the U.S. House District 5 House of Representatives Race.  You have one minute to collect your belongings and say goodbye to your fellow house-guests.

Okay... whatever you're political party affiliation... you win some, you lose some!   But it was still a pretty good night to be an AZ Democrat... with our incumbent Democratic governor Janet Napolitano easily voted in for a second term with nearly 63% of the popular vote.

Onto the propositions... we didn't do so well there.  I say "we" since myself and Todd decided to do a team study on it and vote the same way... why cancel out votes in one's own household?  But we managed to only agree with voting public on 7 of the 19 ballot propositions.

All 4 of the immigration related propositions passed with flying colors (most, if not all, with 70% of the vote).  Again, it was not that I disagreed with them... but I still stand by my belief that they were a huge overreaction to this hot-button issue and not terribly necessary.

Minimum wage was increased... but not for state legislators, whose salary will remain at $24,000.

Both Trust Land props were defeated ... I voted for the one that was viewed as the "better" option (at least by "experts" and the ads), but I am sure I am not alone in not knowing exactly what this would have done anyways.

Who wants to be a millionaire?  The final answer: not a random voter. A bit to my surprise the AZ Voter Reward Act was defeated with nearly 67% of the vote.

Where there's smoke... or should I say where there won't be smoke.  The full ban on smoking in public places (Smoke Free AZ Act) won, while the partial ban (Non-Smoker Protection Act) was defeated.   So hopefully this means less smoking... but also less funding for Pre-School Education, as the 80 cent (or .80 cent!) tax increase also was approved.

The biggest shocker of the election was the defeat of Prop 107, the Define Marriage act.  While still not "called" with 51% of the vote... but I would think a margin of 32,000+ is pretty safe with 99% of precincts reported.  But, color me cynical, but I think we have good 'ole hubris to thank... if the creators had merely proposed an amendment to the state constitution, and not overplayed it to include a ban on civil unions and domestic partnerships (encroaching on the existing "rights" of heterosexuals), I think we would have had a very different result ... and very early last night.  Plus, they didn't even spend much money on TV ads promoting their cause... again, my guess is that the fear-inducing phrase of "gay marriage" would have been enough to put it over the top.   So, of the 7 same-sex marriage related props across the country, Arizona was the only state to not pass the measure.  Again, I can't tell you how surprising that is... granted same-sex remains illegal in the state... but at least there is one less pesky hoop to jump through.

Propositioned

I joined my fellow freedom zombies marchers bright and early at the polls this morning...

While not quite the crowd from the last presidential election, there were still a pretty impressive turn-out... my unofficial entrance poll determined that voters with a last name beginning with the letters A-L outnumbered those with a last initial from M-Z by a 8 to 1 margin.  Good for me!

Once through, we were handed two ballots filled front to back with candidates and propositions... it was the longest ballot in AZ history -- 95 decisions in all.

Page 1, Side 1 was pretty easy... a "Where's Waldo?" search looking for anyone with a (DEM) next to their name.  I'd would like to think that I am beyond voting strictly by party-line, but that does not seem to be terribly in fashion these days... and you know I am all about the latest trends!

Page 1, Side 2 was a little trickier... it was all the yes/no votes for the judges.  Obviously, no political party designations to help here... but the least they could have done was let me know which were the activist ones!  Maybe next time... I love me some activist judges!

Page 2 were the propositions front to back... a staggering 19 decisions to make.  To speed things along, I made myself a cheat sheet.  As usual, it was a smattering collection of hot (warm and semi-mild) button issues:

4 xenophobic, knee-jerk, reactionary props to fight against those darn immigrants.  Umm, English as an official language... how about Spanish as a second language?

Trust Land and Trust Land (that's Prop 105 and Prop 106 respectively)... decisions, decisions...

A very heated and expensive battle between the Smoke-Free Arizona Act (Prop 201) and the Non-Smoker Protection Act (Prop 206)... and yet another smoking-related prop that would raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes by 80 cents to fund Pre-School Education (Prop 203).  Now, if pre-school education is so in need of funding... shouldn't we tax everyone, instead of taxing a product that hopefully would discourage the use of said product (thus decreasing this avenue of education funding!?).  We won't even get into that, thanks to a typo, the tax is actually .80 cents... note the decimal, so if folks really wanted to get technical (and I am sure some will) it would be a $0.008 tax.

There was Prop 200 the AZ Voter Reward Act... that turns our democracy a game show by awarding a $1 million to a random voter (and retroactive to this election if passed).  If The Daily Show comes to town to mock your proposition... well, that's all that needs to be said.

And, of course, no election would be complete these days without writing a little extra dose  of discrimination into the state constitution... Prop 107 regarding the gosh darn sanctity of Marriage.  Believe it or not, most of the ads and recommendations have been for the "no" column... since it would affect more straight (repealing domestic partnership rights) than us gay folk (same sex marriage would remain outlawed by the state... whew!).  But the Prop is supported by our beloved Senator John McCain... and I am guessing by his second wife, Cindy, as well.

So that's it... I got my "I Voted Today" sticker... but who knows, maybe I'll end a millionaire as well!

Mad(eleine) About You

As I believe I mentioned in my original book-signing post, there were a couple of local TV stations on hand to interview Madeleine Albright.  We recorded the news on both channels that night, but neither aired the event.

Fortunately, one of the stations teased the Albright interview all day long ... noting that it would air on the Wednesday night evening news... 4 days after she was in town.  It was amusing to know the "truth"... the station never made mention that the booksigning had been over the weekend.  I am guessing most viewers just assumed it was that day.  So I revved up the TiVos again... actually two of them, one so we could watch on the big screen TV and one on the alternate TiVO, so I could transfer it to my PC and screen-cap (the HD TiVo does not allow any kind of transfers).

So for posterity sake (ours, not yours... haha!), here is Albright speaking to the crowd:

We were a bit curious if we made it on TV.  While certainly not looking to be on camera... and most certainly avoiding the ditzy blonde reporter looking for audience reaction sound-bites... the bookstore was jammed and there were only so many ways a camera could point...

And sure enough, we spotted ourselves a couple of times during the piece.  Here's one of the shots... and yes, we are somewhere in here:

I'll leave it to the handful of folks who read this blog and know what we look to play "Where's Waldo?" to try spot us... I am guessing it shouldn't take them too long.  So you see we were only a stone's throw away from the former Secretary of State... but who would want to throw stones at Maddy, besides the Republicans that is?!

Madame Secretary Returns

As I mentioned last week, this past Saturday afternoon we headed over to the local independent bookstore and caught the Madeleine Albright book signing.  Apparently this was a surprise appearance, the bookstore only had about a week's notice... from what I gather Albright was in town for some private political function (given the upcoming election, I'm guessing a fundraiser) and apparently it was her idea to stop by the bookstore.

It was a standing room only crowd.  Seats quickly filled up as we were called by our signing numbers.  As mentioned, we bought the book the prior weekend and received #48... but nearly 200 books were sold and the store guess-timated they had another hundred people in attendance.  A couple of local television stations were also there... despite recording the evening/late news, we never did see the coverage... given that the store is not that big, it was hard to stay out of camera range.

The bookstore employee kept on erroneously referring to her as "Senator" Albright... but after some grumbling from the crowd, she said perhaps it was just wishful thinking... then called her "President" Albright to enthusiastic applause.  Though a very nice thought, politically impossible for the Czech-born Albright. 

In a nice move, Albright didn't spend much time reading from her book (The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs)... instead just talked about the major points of the book before taking nearly a dozen questions from the audience.  Albright eloquently and effortlessly gave us her opinions on all the hot spots... Iraq, Iran, Israel, North Korea... and, of course, Washington DC.  (On a side note, Albright has the somewhat dubious distinction of being the highest ranking U.S. official ever to meet face-to-face with North Korea's Kim Jong Il.)

She said it was nice to get out of DC... calling the current climate there "toxic"... and while her blood clearing runs "blue"... she was still clearly frustrated by the partisanship ... saying Democrats and Republicans don't (or can't!) even talk to each other these days.  Likewise, there was certainly a bit of anger in her voice that the mere questioning of policy is deemed "unpatriotic." 

Albright mentioned she has only been back to the White House twice in the past 6 years and neither of those "appearances" approached anthing near a dialogue/exchange of ideas.  When the current administration took office, Albright notes they took an A.B.C. approach... Anything But Clinton.  So get out your grain of salt when you hear the Bush White House say that the prior administration didn't provide any guidance (that's my editorial, but I'm am guessing that is what Ms. Albright was saying between the lines). 

Our favorite line from Albright came during the first question asked from the audience... asked what the United States can do to repair our image in the world's eyes... Albright said (and I am paraphrasing)... Well, the answer is quite simple... but it's going to take about two years.

UPDATE: Scott reminded me in the comments about what I said to her when I had my book signed... well, there is a good reason I forgot... the extent of it was... umm, how should I put it... "Hi" and "Thank You."  It was kind of a pretty quick, assembly line-ish set-up as Albright looked up at you after she signed your book... and the next book was already being swapped under her... so really not much time for chat.  Though if I had my mental act together, I was going to ask her who she thought would be the right person for the Presidency in 2008... though being the diplomat she is, I doubt I would have got an answer anyhow.

Albright did close by reading a paragraph from her book... it was quite good and surely shows what an wonderful (but sadly, currently under-used) asset she is to our country.  I encourage you to read it (after the jump)...

tags:  madeleine albright

Think Outside The (Tissue) Box

Ok, I'll get out my cyber-oven mitt in preparation to get flamed here, but...

Can we cut Martha-Ann Alito a little break here? 

As most everyone knows, she infamously cried in view of cameras during her husband's Supreme Court confirmation hearings earlier this week.  If you've been around W&C long enough, you know I am as lefty, liberal, and cynical as most of my peers... but it really surprised me that folks think it was done on purpose, a means of gaining sympathy, or a "Rove-ian cue."

Things that would have set my "A-ha!" radar:
Crying during the Democratic questioning
A more subtle cry... the whole quivering lip, trying not to "ugly" cry... is hard to perfect. 
If she was a "trained" politician's wife
... and most importantly...
If her husband's nomination was ever/even close to being in jeopardy

I have erroneously read (on non-news sites) that it was harsh Democratic questioning that made her cry.  While this is likely indirectly true, her breakdown occurred during Republican Senator Lindsay Graham's praising of her husband. 

Take for instance, my mom... when her mother died she was stoic throughout the entire wake, funeral, and burial, then she is in the supermarket one day,  the cashier innocently asks her "is everything okay" and she breaks down right then and there.  I think a similar thing happened with Mrs. Alito. She expected and was prepared for the jabs, barbs, and knives... but when it was nearly all over and at an unexpected time (in this case, something "nice" being said) that's when she lost it.  I think that is a most human and natural reaction.

That said, I have no problem with the gloves-off handling of Judge Alito... so no criticism of what was said or done by the Democrats (I would have fully expected the same if the party roles were reversed).  Personally, I find the direction the Supreme Court to be quite troubling and Alito's "Concerned Alumni of Princeton" bob-and-weave total bullshit...

So yeah, go after the person who wants the job... and this may be some innocence counteracting my cynicism... but let's cut the wife some slack.  I am guessing this is a woman who has probably had a quiet and uneventful life up to this point... she didn't ask for the job, the front-row seat, the television cameras, or the 18 hours in the limelight (and now 15 minutes of fame).  I know this is not a business where nice guys finish first, but I much prefer the right-wingers have the monopoly on the mud-slinging and the so-called politics of personal destruction.

White House "Holiday" Card

Hold onto your hats folks, here's a post about Bush and the White House that isn't negative!

Last night on the evening news, we saw a segment about the controversy brewing about this year's official White House Christmas Card... or, should I say, "Holiday" card. (You can check out this article: Conservatives miffed by Bush `holiday' card.)  You see, while there is an Old Testament bible passage in the card, the word "Christmas" does not appear anywhere in the card.

Here are a few jaw-droppeing reactions from the religious right:

William Donohue, President of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights:
"This clearly demonstrates that the Bush administration has suffered a loss of will and that they have capitulated to the worst elements in our culture"
(Sidenote: On the newcast, this guy even said he would expect a Jewish president to send out "Christmas" cards)

Joseph Farah, editor of a conservative web site:
"(Bush) claims to be a born-again, evangelical Christian. But he sure doesn't act like one... I threw out my White House card as soon as I got it."

Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association:
"Sometimes it's hard to tell whether this is sinister--it's the purging of Christ from Christmas--or whether it's just political correctness run amok... I think in the case of the White House, it's just political correctness.  It bothers me that the White House card leaves off any reference to Jesus, while we've got Ramadan celebrations in the White House"

The Heritage Foundation claims there is a...
"war on Christmas, (involving an) ever-stronger push toward a neutered holiday season so that non-Christians won't be even the slightest bit offended."

I won't even get into the whole "separation of church and state" debate, but kudos for the official White House card for eschewing Christmas and merely wishing the 1.2 million people who receive it "Happy Holidays."  It is not political correctness... it is just being polite and respectful. 

These people need to wake up and realize they their religion isn't the only one in the world... and while there at it, take a walk down a Hallmark store aisle and realize that ... gasp! ... there are many holidays being celebrated in the coming weeks. 

We are fighting the side-effects of religious extremism "over there" ... but hopefully "everyday" people of faith in this country realize their religion is being just as hi-jacked  right here on our own shores.

And while I am doling out compliments, let me add that I really like the actual Bush card too!   Here it is:

Barney and Miss Beazley (and Willie the cat, too!) on the snow-covered lawn of the White House.

If you want to see more of the Bush Scotties, head on over to the White House Home Page... the new Barney video is available (off in the sidebar on the righthand side) called "A Very Beazley Christmas" (hey whack-jobs there's your "Christmas" reference!)... this year's video is all about Barney being overshadowed by his new sister, Miss Beazley, as she celebrates her first Christmas in the White House.  Not knock out funny, but still pretty cute (set aside about 10 minutes to watch it).

Miered, It's The New 'Borked'

I am a little surprised that there is not much talk in the blog-land about Harriet Miers today...

I guess it was not a big shock to anyone on either side of the political fence... and it is certainly not something that many of use on the left side are finding much to celebrate about (other than it being a "victory" against the incompetence and cronyism of the nomination in the first place)... for sure, the new nominee will clearly be someone who will appease the current president's "base" and that is not going to be a good thing. 

I have a feeling many of us will ultimately think Miers was the lesser of two... well, you know. As I hinted in my previous post about this subject, when the Limbaughs and Coulters have problems with a person you have to start looking at them in a better light!

I borrowed my post title from this AP article via Yahoo!... they say that "getting Miered" is to be "unscrupulously torpedoed by an ally," while being "Borked" (after the failed SC nomination of Robert Bork in 1987) is to be "unscrupulously torpedoed by an opponent."

So it should be interesting to see how this all plays out... and how much lasting, if any, damage this does to the administration (not that they don't have something else to worry about)...

Personally, between this withdrawal and the death of Rehnquist, I am just thinking it is a sign from God that he wants Sandra Day O'Connor to remain on the bench

You Gotta Have Faith?

I am know I am preaching to the proverbial choir here, but is anyone else disturbed by headlines like this:

Miers' evangelical faith a reason for nomination

That rumbling you hear in the distance is our Founding Fathers rolling around in their graves... in defending our Constitution, I guess we can just put on the blinders to that pesky "separation of church and state" thingy?  But at least they wouldn't be looking to Miers to be an activist judge or anything... because you know how much the Right hates those activist judges.

And it just boggles my mind, that a President who has been slammed for "knowing only 5 people" pulled the crony card with this nomination... but then again, he probably isn't aware of this criticism as he doesn't watch TV or read the newspaper.  But apparently, a bunch of other women (apparently this nomination had to be a woman) turned down the offer (or at least the harsh spotlight)... so it went to the lady down the hall.  And has there ever been a Supreme Court nominee who has so much loving/adoring words "on the record" about the nominating President?!?

At least I can take some comfort that all of this is pissing off the Limbaughs and Coulters as much as those of us on the other side of the political fence.

On another note, it was interesting being back in "blue state" territory last week.  We don't have any major positions to fill here in Arizona this Election Day, but back East the airwaves were filled with political ads... and it was refreshing to see the current President used as a negative in a commercial. 

In the race for NJ governor, the Dems were airing an ad that ended with...
[cue foreboding music] ...
Doug Forrestor is Bush's Choice For Governor?  Is He Yours?

The race has tightened a bit in the past couple of weeks... but Dem. Jon Corzine still holds a 7-point lead (down from double-digits).

O'er The Land of the Free

Just thought I'd share this lovely tidbit from a front-page article in this morning's Arizona Republic:

Sen. John McCain said Thursday that he supports an initiative that would change Arizona's Constitution to ban gay marriages and deny government benefits to unmarried couples. The Republican senator became the most prominent Arizonan to add his voice to what has become a flurry of measures competing for a place on the state's Nov. 7, 2006, ballot.

In addition to the same-sex marriage initiative, Arizonans are lining up behind measures to ban smoking in public places, build a wall to keep immigrants from crossing the Arizona-Mexico border...

While I take this all very seriously... had to shake my head and laugh when I read it.

Don't know if you caught my latest "quotable" in the sidebar (I haven't changed it out that frequently of late)... but it is a good one from Jon Stewart:

"A recent checkup showed [President Bush] is arguably the healthiest Chief Executive ever. His secret? Daily exercise and a near total disengagement with reality."

Will probably be back later today with some more stuff... happy Friday!

Nope on the Pope

<soapbox>
Without an ounce of surprise, the new Pope does not seem to be winning any fans in gay blogland.  Reading around, I have read a longlaundry list of all the things Benedict XVI has said and written in the past. Yes, he is ultra-conservative... on abortion, birth control, pre-marital sex, and yes... homosexuality.  I will be the first to say that I don't agree with any of these things!   

But c'mon folks, is this really a surprise?  Did we expect to hear... "Hmmm, maybe we should really take another look at our policy about gay people?"  If so, I'd like to know what drug you and Paula Abdul are on... and get me some pronto!

Sure, I can understand being a little upset... but it seems like a big waste of time and mental energy to get into too much of a tizzy about it.  Sure Benedict seems even more to the right that JP2, but for those of us who are not Catholics (or do not practice)... does the Pope really have any affect on our daily lives?  JP2 was around for most of my life... but never once did I ever shake my fists into the air and say "Darn You... Pope!"

Sure we can say that it perpetuates the belief the homosexuality is morally wrong and the oft-quoted "abomination."  For those who share deeply conservative views, there is going to be no changing of minds any time soon... that is going to take generations (if even that)... and certainly it is silly to expect anything would change with a new Pope... whether he was conservative, moderate, or <gasp!> liberal.

But these days there is a need to compartmentalize everyone into a box... they call us evil, we call them evil back...  or to quote the current President... you are either with us, or against us.  The equation still holds: two wrongs don't make a right.  I wish there was more of that Barack Obama/DNC speech feeling out there...

"We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states. We coach little league in the blue states and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states."

But that just seems very Pollyanna-ish these days...

This all goes back to my "color me grey" mini-rant from last week. 

Can I admit, without guilt, that I got goose-bumps when the bells rang announcing the new Pope or when the crowd roared when Ratzinger appeared on the balcony? 

I am sure some on "my side" would view that as an act of treason... but does that make them any different from Ann Coulter (or those of similar ilk), who will gladly dub any Democrat the same thing without a second thought.

Right-Wrong. Blue-Red. Left-Right.  While I have certainly be guilty of playing that way... I am starting to get tired of "the rules."

Middle ground is an endangered species and a respectful "agree to disagree" philosophy is increasingly the road less taken... or maybe I am just too much of a Libra.
</soapbox>

ADDENDUM: Ok, bad timing on my Paula Abdul line... we just kid you Paula, no harm meant.... Abdul says odd behavior not drug-related

Monday Potpourri

Just a few brief (hopefully!) random ramblings...

Madeleine Albright was very impressive at the book signing on Friday night.  She drew a standing room only crowd and was quite engaging - talking about her book (as opposed to doing a reading) and then taking questions for about 45 minutes.  She just oozes intelligence and rationality... and eloquently jumped from questions about North Korea to Iran to Kosovo to the Middle East without missing a beat.  While she certainly took (well deserved) shots at the current administration (much to the pleasure of the unsurprisingly partisan audience), her answers were genuinely non-political and certainly echoed what she feels is best for our country.  We were lucky to have her as Secretary of State... and one hopes that all her work will not totally be undone.  And she has a great sense of humor, too!  What an honor it was to see and hear her speak!

[For Todd's take... click here... not exactly sure what I said to Ms. Albright, but something like "nice to hear someone speaking rationally and sanely about these things" to which she responded with a smile "I'm trying"... or something like that! It wasn't one of my best book-signing moments... did a much better job with Hillary!]

Re: the Pope, I think I said this around Ronald Reagan's death/funeral... while I certainly don't agree with their politics or what they said/did, I have a hard time not finding some respect for the "office."  Not stepping on anyone's right to speak their mind (and no one on my blogroll need be nervous... I read a whole heck of other blogs that I don't link to!), but personally I can not bring myself to bash (for lack of a better word) pretty much anyone on their deathbed or shortly after their death.  I think the 24-hour news cycle gets a lot of the blame... perhaps it is only natural to want to backlash when we are spoonfed all the "good" with hardly (if any) of the "bad" during these times... especially when it is relentlessly covered by the media.   But I really don't think it serves much of any constructive purpose other than an outlet to the person doing it... it is a black vs. white... it may be engaging the "black," but I think it only makes the person doing it become more "white"...  and I think you start to lose the support of the "greys" in the process... if that makes any sense?!  Anyhow, color me grey.

I am happy for Charles & Camilla... it was nice to see a genuine smile on their faces after their weekend wedding.  Everyone involved is pretty much a victim in a "system" that forces one to marry for any reason other than love.  Hopefully, that'll change down the road, though I suspect it won't happen in time for William and Harry - sure all the parties involved are guilty in some respect (including Diana)... but hopefully a lesson has been learned in this tragic tale of the past 20-30 years. 

Being a recent convert to martinis, we finally got around to trying appletinis (one of JD's favorites on Scrubs!), whipping up or own batches in the last month or so... yummm!    While there is certainly nothing wrong with the traditional concoction, the extra flavoring definitely makes it quite a bit more palatable.  We bought some citrus-flavored vodka over the weekend... so will begin to experiment with more versions on the classic drink!

While I am still a fan of the show, I think Desperate Housewives hasn't "aged" as well as ABC's other breakout new show of the season, Lost.  I know apples/oranges comparison, but I am slightly disappointed with the repetitive nature of the DH leading ladies - Susan's bumbling, Bree's iciness, Lynette being overwhelmed... and well Gabrielle lacking a redeemble feature.  I would like to see a little more growth and a 3rd dimension... something that Lost has been able to continue to do very well as layers are been unpeeled or added onto to each of the primary characters.  While DH has been a bit more willing to give us answers to the show's mysteries... I think Lost is easily winning the "character" battle.

Separated At Birth? Condo-lucy?!

This is not an original idea, I saw it somewhere on the Web probably over a year ago -- but it had such an impact on me that I can hardly look at Condoleeza Rice without thinking of this comparison.  I put together a little graphic of my own... what do you think?

What did you think of Condi's Europe/Middle East trip?  My gay genes kicked in and thought it was all very "Rainbow Tour"/Evita-ish... well some of the lyrics seem to fit:

People of Europe, I send you the Rainbow of Argentina USA

Spain has fallen to the charms of Evita Condi
She can do what she likes, it doesn't matter much
She's our lady of the new world with a golden touch
She filled a bull-ring, forty-five thousand seater
But if you're prettier than General Franco, that's not hard

Let's hear it for the Rainbow Tour
It's been an incredible success
We weren't quite sure, we had a few doubts
Will Evita Condi win through?
But the answer is yes
. . .
There you are, I told you so
Makes no difference where she goes
The whole world over just the same
Just listen to them call her name
And who would underestimate the actress now?
. . .
Now I don't like to spoil a wonderful story
But the news from Rome isn't quite as good
She hasn't gone down like they thought she would
Italy's unconvinced by Argentine US glory
They equate Peron Bush with Mussolini, can't think why
. . .
You'd better get out the flags and fix a parade
Some kind of coming home in triumph is required
Would Evita Condi win through?
And the answer is Yes... And no.. And yes.. And no.. And yes... No
Would Evita Condi win through? But the answer is Yes Yes Yes

Because, Because, Because

Time to don the "I watched the State of the Union Address and all I got is a lousy blog entry" cyber t-shirt.   I don't get too invested in these speeches... they usually just an idealistic grocery list of how to make the country and world a better place... and a chance to cheer and boo.   Educating our children - hoooooray!!  Social Security going bankrupt - boooo!  Let's save Social Security -  yeeeeah!!  Tyranny - booooo!!  Affordable healthcare -- hoooraaaay!!  Frivolous asbestos claims - booooo!!  Huh?!

And I don't know about you -- but did they replace the springs in the chairs of the House?  Those darn Republicans just couldn't stay seated... my own conspiracy theory is that Dick Cheney had a button underneath his desk that sent electrical shocks to the seats -- that could explain the ovations as well as the smirk on the VP's face.

Needless to say, I am sure my fellow folks who are causing the downfall of American society were offended by a portion of the speech.   My apologies for quoting the below, I know "faster to blog" folks have already covered this territory - but my thoughts were the same the same as I watched.  We were just waiting for this line...

Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be re-defined by activist judges. For the good of families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage.

C'mon W., can't we come up with a new way of saying this?  At least we know the administration is capable of the cut-copy-paste feature in their word processing software.  But what was particularly galling was the very next line in the speech...

Because a society is measured by how it treats the weak and vulnerable, we must strive to build a culture of life.

Granted this was a segue into the "anti-stem cell but I won't say 'stem cell'" portion of the speech... and while I don't feel weak and vulnerable, the administration's twisted view of my lifestyle is starting to lean in that direction... but W. wasn't quite done, a few minutes later he says...

Because one of the deepest values of our country is compassion, we must never turn away from any citizen who feels isolated from the opportunities of America.

Again, this was a segue (and yet another "because" lead-off) into a rah-rah "save our troubled youth" portion of the speech, but again the juxtaposition was striking.  At the pauses after these lines, I was just waiting for W. to mutter "unless your gay."

I didn't lose any sleep over this -- it was what I expected, but still it is pretty darn annoying and okay, offensive.

Finally, re: the Iraqi woman-Marine mom hug.  Brilliant.  Initially, I was moved as most by the embrace -- but my cynicism quickly took hold.  Politics is a business and one thing that I will readily admit about this administration is that they are shrewd (and I mean that as a good thing, something I wish the Dems were better at).

So when the talking heads starting speaking of the heart-tugging "spontaneous" action - it struck me that it was likely anything but.  You put these two people in the First Lady's box and what do you expect to happen?!  It was a wonderful moment, but as I said above... simply brilliant.

And poor Hillary... I don't think she has recovered from her stomach virus... she looked like she was about to lose her cookies at any moment... after sitting through the State of Union, I know the feeling!

Inauguration Hostage

No surprise that I work with the television on -- yet another of the great advantages of working from home.   That said, I am rarely focused on it - but it is more background noise than anything else. 

I have my set program schedule and it helps to time out my day.  I won't get into the details of my programming to save myself some embarrassment, but let's just say it is primarily constituted of talk shows and, okay, a daytime soap or two.

But what sucks sometimes is when there is a big news event.  There is no escaping it... whether it be the bombing of Baghdad or a rainstorm here in the Valley.  So today there is no escaping the inauguration.  I suppose I could tune into VH-1 and I do plan to switch over to ESPN2 to catch yesterday's matches at the Australian Open (or is it today's?  calculating the time difference makes my head hurt!). 

So it was on, I was kinda of paying attention...DC looks pretty in the snow. I missed Cheney's swearing-in during an ill-timed (or perhaps subconsciously perfectly timed) trip to refill my coffee mug... and a rare client phone call interrupted Bush's speech.   So I guess I missed the important stuff. 

Though the stuff I heard, was pretty much what I expected... endless mentions of  liberty, freedom, and God... of course, being a proud liberal I wouldn't care about any of that!    I am sure I will catch-up with it all.  I am TiVo-ing it all for Todd -- despite our ill feelings about the person and party in power, it is still "living history" and important to watch.

Speaking of "living history," there was certainly a pang watching Bill & Hillary walk out to take their seats for the ceremonies.  [sigh!] Ah, better days... don't stop thinking about tomorrow!

Ok, that is all on that...will try and view the battle-cry of "4 more years" as a more positive thing now. There is nothing we can do it about it now -- but at least we are guaranteed to have someone new in the top office.

I was intending to write about something else, but this dragged on longer than I thought, so check back in later for an update about my "I don't make new year's resolutions, but there are some things I would like to get back to doing which just coincide with it being a new year."

Escape

Well, what is there to say.... I feel depressed, disheartened, disturbed, discouraged... and I am sure dozens of more words that begin with the letter D.

I just can not imagine what the next four years are going to be like... an administration that does not have to worry about re-election, the Supreme Court (I have a feeling judges are only "activist" when they do not agree with the Republican platform), and with Republican control of the Congress let's see how many things get rubber-stamped (and let's see if W. can get through 8 years without a veto).... ugh... if that was not enough the defeat of all the gay marriage ballot issues, even some that deny civil unions, just feels like a personal assault on my being. I feared all the good buzz earlier this year on this issue was going to create a severe backlash... I fully expect that my little 'ole red state will be voting on that in the near future... and I am not even touching on global issues and the so-called war on terror....or healthcare or the deficit or social security... just stop thinking!

Well, this Vegas trip certainly could not come at a better time... despite crazy work situations for both of us... getting away...and to a place where TV and "reality" is discouraged... and heavy drinking, smoking and other debauchery is encouraged... sounds like just the right antidote.

So take a deep breath....and I will see you sometime next week!