United States District Judge John D. Bates dismissed former CIA officer Valerie Plame's lawsuit against Vice President Cheney.
The same judge dismissed the GAO's suit against Vice President Cheney regarding the silliness of the energy meetings notes fodlerol.
Also, he was appointed in Dec 2001 by President Bush, and worked with Kenneth Starr (therefore he must be eeeevil with four e's).
Is he being principled? In both cases he narrowly interpreted whether or not civil service employees have standing when suing the Vice President's office.
Is he thwarting overreaching and preening petty bureaucrats from clogging the courts with endless, needless lawsuits whenever they feel 'dissed' by the Vice President's office?
Or is he a 'Bush Crony' rewarding his friends and preventing them from answering for their misdeeds?
I lean towards the petty bureaucrats are insane and looking to sabotage the current administration any way they can angle. I'm not an expert in this area, but it does seem that the ability for one part of the government to sue another part of the government should be severely limited, and only taken up in the most egregious of cases (neither of these would even remotely qualify).
There are those out there who want to make 'governing while Republican' a crime. That's the impression I get from much of this nonsense. Bureaucracy is always going to lean towards the party that favors entitlements, government programs, and federal micromanagement of all things great and small. Both parties can answer to that description to one degree or another, but the Democrats have no recent history of even the pretense of wanting small government to rein them in. That's why for now and the foreseeable future, the federal bureaucracies will lean heavily Democratic and play petty little game (leaks, lawsuits, malingering) whenever Republicans manage to gain control of the Executive branch.
When Oprah is President Obama's Vice President (you know the O&O ticket makes sense, don't you?), I'll bet she does things that would make even Cheney blush. I also bet there won't be a single lawsuit brought against her by some petty bureaucrat fearful of her secretive ways.
All this concern within the bureaucracy about the overreaching Vice President's office wasn't around when it was Vice President Al Gore doing the overreaching. In countless ways, Gore was Cheney's equal, if not superior in crafting new powers for his office. But he's a darling of the inside the beltway folks, so he got a pass. But he set a precedent that Cheney followed and expanded upon, and now the bureaucrats are upset, but they don't have a leg to stand on (or legal standing), to complain because of their silence when it was Al Gore doing his business.
Either put real limits into the job that the VP can do, or go back to directly electing the VP as we did in the past. Many states still elect their Lieutenant Governors, and so far, that hasn't lead to too much trouble (a little trouble here in CA back in the day when Mike Curb took advantage of some loopholes, but that was fun, and it was the late 70s). A person essentially appointed to the position (nominally elected), shouldn't wield real power, and should just be an understudy as it had been for most of the 20th century (until Gore decided to go crazy with the job). The executive has the right to delegate as he chooses, but I think it would be wise to choose not to delegate too much to an office that's nebulously defined constitutionally and traditionally weak.
If either of the eventual candidates for President wants to win points, they should pledge to NOT delegate too much responsibility on to their Veep.
Bring back the days of Dan Quayle, he was the perfect Veep.
19 July 2007
Again With the Claiming Primacy with Regards to Certain Ideas . . .
Today, Ed Driscoll points to a CNN interview of Dave Chappelle, and Chappelle mentions he wouldn't mind being a White House Press Secretary.
Where have I heard that idea before?
Also, Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube from Zimbabwe said in London (as a critic of the administration, staying in Zimbabwe would mean certain death) that Mugabe must be destroyed from the outside before reform can begin inside.
Where have I heard that idea before?
(my claim on primacy on this one is weaker, since he's quoted well before I posted, but I only heard of what he said, after, so in my mind I said it first, and the suggestion is a more martial outgrowth of my modest proposal for Bill and Melinda Gates, so in that sense it definitely predates Archbishop Ncube's statement)
UPDATE:
Ed Driscoll was kind enough to link my post from last year, now let's see if the Archbishop admits to reading my modest proposal from awhile back, also . . .
Where have I heard that idea before?
Also, Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube from Zimbabwe said in London (as a critic of the administration, staying in Zimbabwe would mean certain death) that Mugabe must be destroyed from the outside before reform can begin inside.
Where have I heard that idea before?
(my claim on primacy on this one is weaker, since he's quoted well before I posted, but I only heard of what he said, after, so in my mind I said it first, and the suggestion is a more martial outgrowth of my modest proposal for Bill and Melinda Gates, so in that sense it definitely predates Archbishop Ncube's statement)
UPDATE:
Ed Driscoll was kind enough to link my post from last year, now let's see if the Archbishop admits to reading my modest proposal from awhile back, also . . .
18 July 2007
But When They Drive Around In the ELDERMOBILE, Will They Notice That the Blinker's On . . .
The world's a mess, The Elder Squad to the rescue (so long as somebody keeps them supplied with Metamucil)[plenty of humor from Daniel Drezner at the link].
Sponsorsed by -----, and -----, as well as -----.
Not a lot of intellectual diversity going on in that bunch.
If I were to put together a group of Elder Superfriends to save the world, the list I put together wouldn't include a commie, an almost commie, a might as well be a commie, and an ultra nanny (and sufferer of a psychosomatic illness).
My Ultraspecial Elder Superfriends would include (but not be limited to) the following folks:
Abe Vigoda, cause he's Abe Vigoda, and I'm fairly certain he's still alive.
J.D. Salinger, you can't be a recluse the rest of your life, maybe while he's been brooding, he's come up with some great ideas.
Chuck Yeager, he's Chuck Effin Yeager, you need somebody on the team who can still kick some ass.
Sophia Loren, gotta have some Europeans, and women, so why not her?
Shintaro Tsuji, the evil mastermind behind Hello Kitty. You need a proper evil genius in any ultraspecial cool problem solving taskforce.
Nawal El Saadawi, fierce advocate for women's rights in Egypt. Tough, sensible, passionate, hated by the crazies.
Jerry Brown, he's currently California's A.G., but he could resign and help be an ultraspecial elder superfriend, he may have been Gov. Moonbeam, but he's always been a deep thinker and willing to follow where the people lead (rare traits in politicians).
UPDATE: Thought I'd expand the list a bit . . . .
Thomas Sowell, how'd I forget him? He'd be the brains of the bunch.
Cheech Marin, a little younger than the rest of the elders, but he's lived a hard life, so that counts, I'm sure he feels just as old as some of these other 'elders'.
Kip Thorne, why not bring in a brilliant theoretical physicist to the mix?
Deacon Jones, the 'Secretary of Defense' anybody Chuck couldn't take care of, Deacon would finish them off.
Liza Minelli, you don't want to mess with Liza, she'll go crazy on your ass. You need crazy on a group like this.
Yoko Ono, the token peacenik in the group. She would be the one everyone loves to hate, she's used to it, so she'd be good as the villain.
In the annals of rich people coming up with dumb ideas, this has to be one of the dumbest. Do they really expect sovereign nations to cede decision making authority to these codgers?
If so they're bigger jackasses than I realized.
Sponsorsed by -----, and -----, as well as -----.
Not a lot of intellectual diversity going on in that bunch.
If I were to put together a group of Elder Superfriends to save the world, the list I put together wouldn't include a commie, an almost commie, a might as well be a commie, and an ultra nanny (and sufferer of a psychosomatic illness).
My Ultraspecial Elder Superfriends would include (but not be limited to) the following folks:
Abe Vigoda, cause he's Abe Vigoda, and I'm fairly certain he's still alive.
J.D. Salinger, you can't be a recluse the rest of your life, maybe while he's been brooding, he's come up with some great ideas.
Chuck Yeager, he's Chuck Effin Yeager, you need somebody on the team who can still kick some ass.
Sophia Loren, gotta have some Europeans, and women, so why not her?
Shintaro Tsuji, the evil mastermind behind Hello Kitty. You need a proper evil genius in any ultraspecial cool problem solving taskforce.
Nawal El Saadawi, fierce advocate for women's rights in Egypt. Tough, sensible, passionate, hated by the crazies.
Jerry Brown, he's currently California's A.G., but he could resign and help be an ultraspecial elder superfriend, he may have been Gov. Moonbeam, but he's always been a deep thinker and willing to follow where the people lead (rare traits in politicians).
UPDATE: Thought I'd expand the list a bit . . . .
Thomas Sowell, how'd I forget him? He'd be the brains of the bunch.
Cheech Marin, a little younger than the rest of the elders, but he's lived a hard life, so that counts, I'm sure he feels just as old as some of these other 'elders'.
Kip Thorne, why not bring in a brilliant theoretical physicist to the mix?
Deacon Jones, the 'Secretary of Defense' anybody Chuck couldn't take care of, Deacon would finish them off.
Liza Minelli, you don't want to mess with Liza, she'll go crazy on your ass. You need crazy on a group like this.
Yoko Ono, the token peacenik in the group. She would be the one everyone loves to hate, she's used to it, so she'd be good as the villain.
In the annals of rich people coming up with dumb ideas, this has to be one of the dumbest. Do they really expect sovereign nations to cede decision making authority to these codgers?
If so they're bigger jackasses than I realized.
You Were the Best Thing In Studio 60, But Dude, Lighten Up . . .
Steven Weber has An Open Letter to Republicans (at HuffPo)
With rhetoric like that, I'm sure he'll persuade many folks to change their minds (or not).
It's a new tactic, I guess, instead of the 'all Rethuglicans are eeeevil' it's 'you neo-cons are just misled, and for the good of the nation must embrace the only rational and righteous path of the ever expanding, compassionate, massive, and massively involved in each and every aspect of your lives federal government, or you're a dope'. Also, leave Iraq yesterday, who cares about the consequences, worked out in Southeast Asia back in the 70s, didn't it? As I understand it, you are suggesting that 'progressivism' is merely common-sense, while any that oppose progressivism is an easily duped idiot who is helping destroy our country. Got it, makes perfect sense.
I won't write an "open letter", instead I'll just fire off a memo to Steven Weber . . .
Dude, talk to an actual conservative, hang out at the Reagan Library one Saturday, chat with some of the visitors, ask them non-leading questions about broad concepts like patriotism, federalism, or liberty, and maybe you'll realize how ridiculous and unpersuasive your 'open letter' is.
I hope you don't expect to persuade anybody, and this is just meant to get into some ultra-lefty cutie's pants, if that's the case, I understand, and sympathize.
Otherwise, dude, chill, seriously (and I mean it about visiting the Reagan Library, you might learn something).
Your faith is fierce, your devotion is duly noted. But before long, those noble qualities will be the very things that allow the hijackers occupying the White House to complete their sacking of the republic. Your misplaced loyalty will prove to have been the strength that is turned into weakness by the cunning, spirit destroying practitioners of the art of the overthrow.
Yet the apologists still sputter away, their sneers and snipes honed to perfect, diamond hardness. So intoxicated by the endless stream of endorphins released during their saber-rattling gallop over fifty years of progressive legislation, the Republican light brigade that once trumpeted Compassionate Conservatism is now comprised of rotting principles, thwarting functioning government and seeking to demonize common sense.
With rhetoric like that, I'm sure he'll persuade many folks to change their minds (or not).
It's a new tactic, I guess, instead of the 'all Rethuglicans are eeeevil' it's 'you neo-cons are just misled, and for the good of the nation must embrace the only rational and righteous path of the ever expanding, compassionate, massive, and massively involved in each and every aspect of your lives federal government, or you're a dope'. Also, leave Iraq yesterday, who cares about the consequences, worked out in Southeast Asia back in the 70s, didn't it? As I understand it, you are suggesting that 'progressivism' is merely common-sense, while any that oppose progressivism is an easily duped idiot who is helping destroy our country. Got it, makes perfect sense.
I won't write an "open letter", instead I'll just fire off a memo to Steven Weber . . .
Dude, talk to an actual conservative, hang out at the Reagan Library one Saturday, chat with some of the visitors, ask them non-leading questions about broad concepts like patriotism, federalism, or liberty, and maybe you'll realize how ridiculous and unpersuasive your 'open letter' is.
I hope you don't expect to persuade anybody, and this is just meant to get into some ultra-lefty cutie's pants, if that's the case, I understand, and sympathize.
Otherwise, dude, chill, seriously (and I mean it about visiting the Reagan Library, you might learn something).
17 July 2007
Why the Internet is the Greatest Invention Since Sliced Bread
Sliced bread really is a great innovation, few people (except the French) think it's a good idea to have to manually slice bread each time you want a sandwich. The time saved over the years is immeasurable, sliced bread has been a true boon to global productivity.
But sliced bread doesn't cough up videos like the one provided by Defamer of Homer Simpson meeting the 17th century "rude man" (or fertility symbol, whatever) in England.
Also, sliced bread doesn't take images from the same place and create the inevitable animated gif.
Jeebus bless teh internets.
But sliced bread doesn't cough up videos like the one provided by Defamer of Homer Simpson meeting the 17th century "rude man" (or fertility symbol, whatever) in England.
Also, sliced bread doesn't take images from the same place and create the inevitable animated gif.
Jeebus bless teh internets.
Boxing Metaphors Are So 19th Century, I'm In the OCTAGON, Baby . . .
My Liberal Identity:
You are an Eco-Avenger, also known as an environmentalist or tree hugger. You believe in saving the planet from the clutches of air-fouling, oil-drilling, earth-raping conservative fossil fools.
I was cited as a "green journalist" before, so I guess this makes sense.
My Conservative Identity:
You are a Freedom Crusader, also known as a neoconservative. You believe in taking the fight directly to the enemy, whether it’s terrorists abroad or the liberal terrorist appeasers at home who give them aid and comfort.
And that's just silly, I'm much more of a paleo-conservative than a neo-con.
Nuance isn't the strong suit of internet quizzes.
(hat tip RIA and Cal at Done With Mirrors)
UPDATE:
Reader I Am responds in the comments (read it for yourself) and here's a partial response to her response:
The OCTAGON reference is to Mixed Martial Arts which is the newer, shinier, and growing in popularity version of man on man violence as spectacle.
"Duking it out" is an appropriate metaphor for politics, but Marquess of Queensburry rules are the 19th century part, in the 21st century we're seeing a return to valuing combatants who are capable of multiple modes of kicking another guy's (or gal's) ass (grappling, boxing, kickboxing).
Politics aren't by Queensburry rules, either, the politicians and political movements that thrive in the United States over the next few decades will be the ones that are willing to challenge the rules, skirt the rules without getting caught, and push the rules as far as they'll go while still being appealing to the spectators (like a good MMA combatant).
I think the MMA days of politics will be better, once everyone adjusts to the shift. More contact between the participants, will lead to more sharply defined positions during the campaigns, hopefully. With all the mud that will get slung, I think a return to ideas is inevitable. When every potential politician has a hard drive full of pictures of drunken high school and college bacchanals, they'll have no choice but to compete on ideas instead of which candidate is 'more pure'.
16 July 2007
"Never mind that the stars sent to bring succor to the natives often are, willingly, as emaciated as those they want to help."
Ouch, that'll leave a mark.
It would seem that misery is the most valued export Africa has to offer, from the perspective of the dogooders of the western world.
Support reform, demand accountability, and let Africans sort things out for themselves, find ways to help people and villages directly without enriching kleptocrats.
While you're at it, kill President Robert Mugabe and all his cronies, there's no hope for Zimbabwe otherwise.
I still think my modest proposal regarding helping Africa makes some sense, sadly.
It would seem that misery is the most valued export Africa has to offer, from the perspective of the dogooders of the western world.
Support reform, demand accountability, and let Africans sort things out for themselves, find ways to help people and villages directly without enriching kleptocrats.
While you're at it, kill President Robert Mugabe and all his cronies, there's no hope for Zimbabwe otherwise.
I still think my modest proposal regarding helping Africa makes some sense, sadly.
14 July 2007
Ponderables
Pondering the 'new' Bin Laden tape. . .
People won't accept that he's bin Dead for awhile now, until the duet with Osama and Tupac finally hits the internet.
People won't accept that he's bin Dead for awhile now, until the duet with Osama and Tupac finally hits the internet.
Prince, Great Performer, Even Greater Capitalist, Part II
Why would giving your music away make you a 'great capitalist'?
For one thing, the record companies have traditionally kept a big chunk of the album sales take, while artists reap more of the profits from concert performances.
By giving the album away, Prince reaches audiences that he may have trouble reaching otherwise. It builds buzz, it gets him positive press coverage.
Prince is shaking things up, the music industry is broken, and fans are disconnected from the artists, this might help repair the disconnect some.
The fanatics (like me) will buy the album when it comes out, even if there'll be a bunch of illegal mp3s floating around. Prince's concerts have been more profitable than any other time in his career, other than his absolute zenith.
He has remained much more relavent than a lot of his peers, and the music he puts out is still pretty awesome. Looking forward to Planet Earth when it hits stores July 24th. Lucky ducks in the UK who pick up their Sunday Daily Mail will get a head start, but that's OK, they can enjoy it, and spread the love.
The labels are pissed at this move, but screw them, not like Prince needs a lot of help from the labels to get people to notice what he's up to.
For one thing, the record companies have traditionally kept a big chunk of the album sales take, while artists reap more of the profits from concert performances.
By giving the album away, Prince reaches audiences that he may have trouble reaching otherwise. It builds buzz, it gets him positive press coverage.
Prince is shaking things up, the music industry is broken, and fans are disconnected from the artists, this might help repair the disconnect some.
The fanatics (like me) will buy the album when it comes out, even if there'll be a bunch of illegal mp3s floating around. Prince's concerts have been more profitable than any other time in his career, other than his absolute zenith.
He has remained much more relavent than a lot of his peers, and the music he puts out is still pretty awesome. Looking forward to Planet Earth when it hits stores July 24th. Lucky ducks in the UK who pick up their Sunday Daily Mail will get a head start, but that's OK, they can enjoy it, and spread the love.
The labels are pissed at this move, but screw them, not like Prince needs a lot of help from the labels to get people to notice what he's up to.
A Story That Doesn't Pass the Smell Test
Sniffing this story, and I get a strong whiff of patchouli.
Could it have happened as outlined in the article? Possibly, but it seems unlikely.
A scenario I imagine is a lot more likely is as follows;
A bunch of people gather, get themselves worked up into a lather about how messed up the world is and how we just need to practice more 'acts of random kindness' and 'love each other more' and 'group hug' more often.
Course those random acts of kindness are always so messy in real life. That homeless guy you give the meal to, pesters you for weeks afterward for a meal every day. That undocumented worker you hire to help with the lawn work pisses on your roses and drinks beer on the job. Sometimes the bumper stickers just aren't enough and small acts aren't enough.
But what if you made up one of those 'oddly enough' type stories that get so much play in the media? What if the 'oddly enough' scenario you spin is a perfect encapsulation of the kind of random act of kindness that everyone should be engaging in ten times a day?
Once the party comes to that decision, then the details require some hammering out. First, it should involve guns and poverty, cause guns are evil, and poverty, like, really, really sucks. Second, make sure the story has enough odd details that nobody would suspect you of making the whole thing up. A robber who when offered a fine wine decides to partake in said wine, and then comes to appreciate the wine seems so unlikely as to be beyond making up. Third, group hug, everyone loves a story that ends in a group hug, if more people practiced group hugs, there would be no war, no genocide, no Republicans, and no Global Warming.
There is some risk, filing a false police report is filing a false police report, and the 911 call you make will most likely be publicly available, so when you make the call, better make the performance convincing. Also everyone would need to get their description of the suspect fairly consistent, but also nebulous enough so that some poor schmo who actually was in the neighborhood, doesn't get wrongly accused.
The detail about the crystal glass being found unbroken in the alley, without any recoverable prints is what suggests to me that this is all crap. But really, if you can give the guy with a gun a 'group hug' you can disarm the criminal.
Also I find it unimaginable that after a gun is pointed at your 14 year old daughter that you don't rip the perp apart with your bare hands, rip off his balls, and stuff them in his mouth. Call me old fashioned, but I think my response (and just about everyone I know) would be more along those lines than, 'here take this bottle of Chateau Malescot St-Exupery"
Also if you're wondering what the man who would 'group hug' the perp who brandished a firearm at his 14 year old's head looks like, Ricky Carioti of WaPo was kindly enough to shoot him (lovely manbag he has, there).
Could it have happened as outlined in the article? Possibly, but it seems unlikely.
A scenario I imagine is a lot more likely is as follows;
A bunch of people gather, get themselves worked up into a lather about how messed up the world is and how we just need to practice more 'acts of random kindness' and 'love each other more' and 'group hug' more often.
Course those random acts of kindness are always so messy in real life. That homeless guy you give the meal to, pesters you for weeks afterward for a meal every day. That undocumented worker you hire to help with the lawn work pisses on your roses and drinks beer on the job. Sometimes the bumper stickers just aren't enough and small acts aren't enough.
But what if you made up one of those 'oddly enough' type stories that get so much play in the media? What if the 'oddly enough' scenario you spin is a perfect encapsulation of the kind of random act of kindness that everyone should be engaging in ten times a day?
Once the party comes to that decision, then the details require some hammering out. First, it should involve guns and poverty, cause guns are evil, and poverty, like, really, really sucks. Second, make sure the story has enough odd details that nobody would suspect you of making the whole thing up. A robber who when offered a fine wine decides to partake in said wine, and then comes to appreciate the wine seems so unlikely as to be beyond making up. Third, group hug, everyone loves a story that ends in a group hug, if more people practiced group hugs, there would be no war, no genocide, no Republicans, and no Global Warming.
There is some risk, filing a false police report is filing a false police report, and the 911 call you make will most likely be publicly available, so when you make the call, better make the performance convincing. Also everyone would need to get their description of the suspect fairly consistent, but also nebulous enough so that some poor schmo who actually was in the neighborhood, doesn't get wrongly accused.
The detail about the crystal glass being found unbroken in the alley, without any recoverable prints is what suggests to me that this is all crap. But really, if you can give the guy with a gun a 'group hug' you can disarm the criminal.
Also I find it unimaginable that after a gun is pointed at your 14 year old daughter that you don't rip the perp apart with your bare hands, rip off his balls, and stuff them in his mouth. Call me old fashioned, but I think my response (and just about everyone I know) would be more along those lines than, 'here take this bottle of Chateau Malescot St-Exupery"
Also if you're wondering what the man who would 'group hug' the perp who brandished a firearm at his 14 year old's head looks like, Ricky Carioti of WaPo was kindly enough to shoot him (lovely manbag he has, there).
Questions I have, the event happened June 16th, why all the publicity 4 weeks later? Why no description of the perp given in the story? Presumably you have an unstable individual desperate enough to threaten young girls within a party of folks with a gun, that person should be sought after, they may do something worse than drink wine next time, where's the description? Why the hell are you conducting multiple interviews (WaPo, Guardian, Today Show?!), and why the hell are you letting your daughter do interviews as well under her own (unusual, and very hippie-ish) name? Do you know how easy it was for me to find her on Myspace (at least it's private)?
Watching the Today Show interview linked above, and I get a serious dose of hippie bullshit.
Sorry, call me a cynic (I don't think Campbell Brown believed them either, she laughs at them throughout the whole interview).
"As we get better at the refinement we will be able to remove virgin rape from the process"
Context, really, really, really, is everything.
13 July 2007
Big Deal? Seriously?
Becks and Posh arrived here in Los Angeles today. The Mayor of Los Angeles himself greeted David Beckham (Villaraigosa was booed at the press conference, the local news anchor pointed out that the boos were because Villaraigosa is a Chivas fan (the other MLS team in town), and not due to his recently made public affair).
The coverage is pretty intense here, but the coverage is more about the coverage, and about how excited we're supposed to be, rather than any real excitement over the prospect of watching Beckham bend it at Home Depot Center in Carson.
They got the usual ritzy mansion in Beverly Hills for themselves, I would have been more impressed if he chose a compound in Carson and built some massively gaudy mansion near the place he'll play.
One annoying note from the coverage locally, they kept referring to the FIELD at Home Depot as the PITCH. Take your Britishisms and stuff 'em up yer arse, I say. If Beckham can call the sport he plays soccer, than we can keep calling the field, a field.
Speaking of coverage, here's BBC, The Sun, Guardian, and Evening Standard going crazy over this crap. Here's the video (with the reporter calling the field a pitch) from the local newscast on KCAL 9. And here's what his commute might look like (don't know the exact location of his new mansion, but it has to be up in those hills somewhere). I wouldn't want to drive it, the 405 is a nightmare, usually.
The coverage is pretty intense here, but the coverage is more about the coverage, and about how excited we're supposed to be, rather than any real excitement over the prospect of watching Beckham bend it at Home Depot Center in Carson.
They got the usual ritzy mansion in Beverly Hills for themselves, I would have been more impressed if he chose a compound in Carson and built some massively gaudy mansion near the place he'll play.
One annoying note from the coverage locally, they kept referring to the FIELD at Home Depot as the PITCH. Take your Britishisms and stuff 'em up yer arse, I say. If Beckham can call the sport he plays soccer, than we can keep calling the field, a field.
Speaking of coverage, here's BBC, The Sun, Guardian, and Evening Standard going crazy over this crap. Here's the video (with the reporter calling the field a pitch) from the local newscast on KCAL 9. And here's what his commute might look like (don't know the exact location of his new mansion, but it has to be up in those hills somewhere). I wouldn't want to drive it, the 405 is a nightmare, usually.
Yet More Desert Related Stuff . . .
. . . you may not have asked for it, you may not want it, but here it goes anyway. A YouTube video of portions of my trip at warp speed (with Orb's Outlands in the background).
The video above was shot during my daytrip on Sunday. The early bits are on National Trails Highway, aka Route 66. The road ain't what it used to be. Towards the end of the Route 66 portion I commit the sin of Shakycam. Films with budgets well over $100 million shouldn't have shakycam, dudes in a car using an inexpensive point and shoot, will give you shakycam from time to time.
The rest is on Kelbaker Rd., cutting through Mojave National Preserve, all the way into Baker, beautiful, beautiful Baker. The world's tallest thermometer towers above the town majestically (or phallically).
Speaking of YouTube, the Al Jazeera babe is really hot. I mean, really, really hot. Her shamelessly uncovered hair has totally messed me up with their wily feminine rays.
My suggestion for Al Jazeera, cover her hair, but otherwise, she should do the news topless. I'll be willing to watch internet feeds of their pro-crazy, anti-American propaganda, if it's delivered by topless cuties with their shiny hair rays properly shielded. Support religious freedom (even in Arab countries), denounce violent jihad and all acts of terror, quit spreading lies about Israel, quit saying one thing in Arabic and another in English, do all these things, and I'll watch your channel online, even without hot topless anchors, otherwise I want nipples, or I ain't watching.
The video above was shot during my daytrip on Sunday. The early bits are on National Trails Highway, aka Route 66. The road ain't what it used to be. Towards the end of the Route 66 portion I commit the sin of Shakycam. Films with budgets well over $100 million shouldn't have shakycam, dudes in a car using an inexpensive point and shoot, will give you shakycam from time to time.
The rest is on Kelbaker Rd., cutting through Mojave National Preserve, all the way into Baker, beautiful, beautiful Baker. The world's tallest thermometer towers above the town majestically (or phallically).
Speaking of YouTube, the Al Jazeera babe is really hot. I mean, really, really hot. Her shamelessly uncovered hair has totally messed me up with their wily feminine rays.
My suggestion for Al Jazeera, cover her hair, but otherwise, she should do the news topless. I'll be willing to watch internet feeds of their pro-crazy, anti-American propaganda, if it's delivered by topless cuties with their shiny hair rays properly shielded. Support religious freedom (even in Arab countries), denounce violent jihad and all acts of terror, quit spreading lies about Israel, quit saying one thing in Arabic and another in English, do all these things, and I'll watch your channel online, even without hot topless anchors, otherwise I want nipples, or I ain't watching.
A Truer Paragraph Never Written
Marc Stein drops some truth:
It's too early for full-fledged disappointments. The only true disappointment I've seen in Vegas so far was the unspeakable sight of a young man bringing a bag from McDonald's into an In-N-Out Burger on Tuesday afternoon, something I've never witnessed in 25 years as an In-N-Out zealot. He ate his McDonalds while his dining companion enjoyed the most sumptuous burger in the history of fast food. It was the epitome of sacrilege.
12 July 2007
An Excuse for a Movie List (F.C.I.L.F.) . . .
. . . MSN has a particularly dumb list of film folks and what wanting them says about you. For those that prefer men, this list, for those that prefer women, this list. Actually, I think a man on man list would be different than the men women want list, same as the woman on woman list would be very different from the women men want list.
Both lists suck, but they make a good jumping off point for my own list.
Given my biases, and orientation, I'll come up with my own top sixteen women in film, or F. C. I. L. F. (I'm assuming the "ILF" part is a pretty well known acronym by now, the F. C. stands for film characters), and then possibly have a relationship with or vice versa, with some the order is one, others it's the other. The list isn't really in order, just 16 women in film I could think of at the moment (on a different day, it might have been 16 other women in 16 different films). Besides, when most men fantasize about women on screen, I don't think the fantasies are generally as 'relationship' oriented as the MSN article would suggest.
1. Barbara Stanwyck as Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity
The silly MSN list had no femme fatales. What kind of list of film ILFs doesn't include femme fatales? This is the best of the lot. Stanwyck may not be the sexiest woman in the world, or have the best body, but she exudes a combination of ferocity, intelligence, anger and even a touch of vulnerability that's hard to match. It'd be a sick, twisted relationship, that ends up in tears or blood (or tears and blood), but who wants to live forever? (besides we are talking fantasy, and not real life, real life stay far away from these types, but as a film fantasy, why the hell not?)
2. Nobuko Miyamoto as Ryoko Itakura, Tax Inspector in A Taxing Woman
Who knew tax collectors could be sexy? This movie rocks. Miyamoto is fantastic in this film, and sexy, and desirable. It's a brilliant film, fun characters, interesting plot, and breezily directed. What makes Miyamoto stand out is her steadfastness, intelligence and dedication. Those are all sexy characteristics in my book.
3. Shirley MacLaine as Bessie Sparrowbrush in Artists and Models
Shirley was incredibly sexy in a pixie-ish sort of way back in the day. Short red hair, pale skin, and dancer's legs is an intoxicating combination. Plus, any woman attracted to Jerry Lewis in full fool-mode is alright in my book.
4. Catherine Deneuve as Miriam Blaylock in The Hunger
So she's a vampire, nobody's perfect. She's a seriously hot vampire, plus she's got that old world charm going for her, and she's the epitome of sleek sexiness in this film. The film reads more like one long perfume commercial than a movie, but at least there's hot lesbian sex in it.
5. Salma Hayek as Rose in Timecode
Salma has to be on this list. Nothing to do with any of the roles she plays, just the fact of her Hayekness. When looking over her body of work, it mostly stinks. This is actually one of her better performances though. An interesting expermiment as a film, but not a good film overall. Saw it with the director in the theatre mixing the soundtrack live (4 separate images play as continuous takes, by choosing which audio to play, the director was foregrounding or backgrounding each subplot however he chose).
6. Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in Return of the Jedi
This one is obvious. Blame my age. Blame the metal bikini. Blame the hotness of potential Jedi powers. I could take out Han Solo no problem, he's a bit of a jerk, anyway, she could do better.
7. Myrna Loy as Nora Charles in The Thin Man
Just about the sexiest female character ever captured on screen. Intelligent, funny, attractive, and willing to drink six or seven martinis with you. What else could you want from a wife?
8. Paula Patton as Angel in Idlewild
Singers are usually sexy (in film), Angel in Idlewild is no exception. Not a particularly deeply written character, but Patton brings vivaciousness to a somewhat vacuous role that you wouldn't expect. She was also excellent in Deja Vu in another role that didn't demand much from her. It's hard being an insanely hot actress of color in Hollywood. Expect a career of damsel in distress, or trophy objects, that's all they'll feel comfortable casting her in. She brings a dignity and charm to those roles though, keep an eye on her.
9. Maggie Cheung as Maggie Cheung in Irma Vep
Maggie Cheung playing herself in a French film about a production gone awry. She's sleek and elegant in this film, basically the fantasy version of her you imagine her to be. Can't beat that. A worthwhile film to see, even if a bit arty for art's sake.
10. Shari Eubank as SuperAngel/SuperVixen in SuperVixens
Imagine a Chuck Jones cartoon, with real life people, most of those people being improbably large breasted women, then you have a small inkling of what this film is like. SuperAngel/SuperVixen is a dual role played by the improbably large (but all natural) breasted Shari Eubank. Angel is incredibly bad, Vixen is incredibly sweet, both are incredibly hot. Don't think of it as an exploitation film, think of it as a sophisticated filmed dissertation on the dichotomous nature of how men relate to women and the artificially forced polar mode of either whoredom or madonnadom faced by women. Or just dig on the amazing cinematography, outrageously over-the-top violence, and absurdly ribald scenarios.
11. Barbara Stanwyck as Jean Harrington in The Lady Eve
Barbara Stanwyck, an actress so nice she makes this list twice. Maybe it's the Edith Head costumes in both pictures. Maybe it's Stanwyck's ability to convey so many emotions so easily. Maybe I'm just weird. Jean Harrington, the con-artist, playing the Lady, falling for, then getting revenge upon, the falling again for Henry Fonda's egghead character is an irresistible character. Sexy on many levels.
12. Joan Whaley and Bridget Fonda as Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies in Scandal
OK, I'm cheating a bit. Can't pick between the two in this picture, they're both really sexy and interesting each in their own way. So I'll choose both in a typically boorish male fantasy sort of way. Exotic dancers and threesomes, what could go wrong?
13. Carmen Maura as Pepa in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
There've been sexier women in Almodovar pictures, but none more attractive than Pepa in this film. Maura brings a vulnerability, strength and smarts to this role that's hard to beat. She's someone you could imagine being around, always giving you something different, moment by moment. Depth is sexy.
14. Grace Jones as May Day in A View to a Kill
Crappy Bond film, crappy bond villainess role, yet Grace Jones makes it work anyway. She's sexy in a frightening sort of way. Strictly one night stand, a bit of athletic and insane fun, material. Still the best of the sexy Bond villainess roles, in my opinion, even if it was in the worst of the Bond films.
15. Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley in Aliens
A protective mother who knows her way around large firearms. Now that's sexy. 'Nuff said.
16. Judy Davis as George Sands in Impromptu
There's something really sexy about Judy Davis. She always looks on the verge of something (usually a nervous breakdown, or consumption, or both), never sure what. Many of the characters she plays are shrill, and high strung, but they are shrill and high strung in a fascinating way. Her George Sands is a great character, one you'd want to know, one you'd want to be with. Great film, even for a chick flick (take that Ms. Steinem).
Both lists suck, but they make a good jumping off point for my own list.
Given my biases, and orientation, I'll come up with my own top sixteen women in film, or F. C. I. L. F. (I'm assuming the "ILF" part is a pretty well known acronym by now, the F. C. stands for film characters), and then possibly have a relationship with or vice versa, with some the order is one, others it's the other. The list isn't really in order, just 16 women in film I could think of at the moment (on a different day, it might have been 16 other women in 16 different films). Besides, when most men fantasize about women on screen, I don't think the fantasies are generally as 'relationship' oriented as the MSN article would suggest.
1. Barbara Stanwyck as Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity
The silly MSN list had no femme fatales. What kind of list of film ILFs doesn't include femme fatales? This is the best of the lot. Stanwyck may not be the sexiest woman in the world, or have the best body, but she exudes a combination of ferocity, intelligence, anger and even a touch of vulnerability that's hard to match. It'd be a sick, twisted relationship, that ends up in tears or blood (or tears and blood), but who wants to live forever? (besides we are talking fantasy, and not real life, real life stay far away from these types, but as a film fantasy, why the hell not?)
2. Nobuko Miyamoto as Ryoko Itakura, Tax Inspector in A Taxing Woman
Who knew tax collectors could be sexy? This movie rocks. Miyamoto is fantastic in this film, and sexy, and desirable. It's a brilliant film, fun characters, interesting plot, and breezily directed. What makes Miyamoto stand out is her steadfastness, intelligence and dedication. Those are all sexy characteristics in my book.
3. Shirley MacLaine as Bessie Sparrowbrush in Artists and Models
Shirley was incredibly sexy in a pixie-ish sort of way back in the day. Short red hair, pale skin, and dancer's legs is an intoxicating combination. Plus, any woman attracted to Jerry Lewis in full fool-mode is alright in my book.
4. Catherine Deneuve as Miriam Blaylock in The Hunger
So she's a vampire, nobody's perfect. She's a seriously hot vampire, plus she's got that old world charm going for her, and she's the epitome of sleek sexiness in this film. The film reads more like one long perfume commercial than a movie, but at least there's hot lesbian sex in it.
5. Salma Hayek as Rose in Timecode
Salma has to be on this list. Nothing to do with any of the roles she plays, just the fact of her Hayekness. When looking over her body of work, it mostly stinks. This is actually one of her better performances though. An interesting expermiment as a film, but not a good film overall. Saw it with the director in the theatre mixing the soundtrack live (4 separate images play as continuous takes, by choosing which audio to play, the director was foregrounding or backgrounding each subplot however he chose).
6. Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in Return of the Jedi
This one is obvious. Blame my age. Blame the metal bikini. Blame the hotness of potential Jedi powers. I could take out Han Solo no problem, he's a bit of a jerk, anyway, she could do better.
7. Myrna Loy as Nora Charles in The Thin Man
Just about the sexiest female character ever captured on screen. Intelligent, funny, attractive, and willing to drink six or seven martinis with you. What else could you want from a wife?
8. Paula Patton as Angel in Idlewild
Singers are usually sexy (in film), Angel in Idlewild is no exception. Not a particularly deeply written character, but Patton brings vivaciousness to a somewhat vacuous role that you wouldn't expect. She was also excellent in Deja Vu in another role that didn't demand much from her. It's hard being an insanely hot actress of color in Hollywood. Expect a career of damsel in distress, or trophy objects, that's all they'll feel comfortable casting her in. She brings a dignity and charm to those roles though, keep an eye on her.
9. Maggie Cheung as Maggie Cheung in Irma Vep
Maggie Cheung playing herself in a French film about a production gone awry. She's sleek and elegant in this film, basically the fantasy version of her you imagine her to be. Can't beat that. A worthwhile film to see, even if a bit arty for art's sake.
10. Shari Eubank as SuperAngel/SuperVixen in SuperVixens
Imagine a Chuck Jones cartoon, with real life people, most of those people being improbably large breasted women, then you have a small inkling of what this film is like. SuperAngel/SuperVixen is a dual role played by the improbably large (but all natural) breasted Shari Eubank. Angel is incredibly bad, Vixen is incredibly sweet, both are incredibly hot. Don't think of it as an exploitation film, think of it as a sophisticated filmed dissertation on the dichotomous nature of how men relate to women and the artificially forced polar mode of either whoredom or madonnadom faced by women. Or just dig on the amazing cinematography, outrageously over-the-top violence, and absurdly ribald scenarios.
11. Barbara Stanwyck as Jean Harrington in The Lady Eve
Barbara Stanwyck, an actress so nice she makes this list twice. Maybe it's the Edith Head costumes in both pictures. Maybe it's Stanwyck's ability to convey so many emotions so easily. Maybe I'm just weird. Jean Harrington, the con-artist, playing the Lady, falling for, then getting revenge upon, the falling again for Henry Fonda's egghead character is an irresistible character. Sexy on many levels.
12. Joan Whaley and Bridget Fonda as Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies in Scandal
OK, I'm cheating a bit. Can't pick between the two in this picture, they're both really sexy and interesting each in their own way. So I'll choose both in a typically boorish male fantasy sort of way. Exotic dancers and threesomes, what could go wrong?
13. Carmen Maura as Pepa in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
There've been sexier women in Almodovar pictures, but none more attractive than Pepa in this film. Maura brings a vulnerability, strength and smarts to this role that's hard to beat. She's someone you could imagine being around, always giving you something different, moment by moment. Depth is sexy.
14. Grace Jones as May Day in A View to a Kill
Crappy Bond film, crappy bond villainess role, yet Grace Jones makes it work anyway. She's sexy in a frightening sort of way. Strictly one night stand, a bit of athletic and insane fun, material. Still the best of the sexy Bond villainess roles, in my opinion, even if it was in the worst of the Bond films.
15. Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley in Aliens
A protective mother who knows her way around large firearms. Now that's sexy. 'Nuff said.
16. Judy Davis as George Sands in Impromptu
There's something really sexy about Judy Davis. She always looks on the verge of something (usually a nervous breakdown, or consumption, or both), never sure what. Many of the characters she plays are shrill, and high strung, but they are shrill and high strung in a fascinating way. Her George Sands is a great character, one you'd want to know, one you'd want to be with. Great film, even for a chick flick (take that Ms. Steinem).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)