Gonzales plays down role in firings - Politics - MSNBC.com
Well, Sanjaya has let me down--or, more accurately, Alberto Gonzales has proven more resilient than a cockroach after a nuclear winter. I predicted more than a month ago that Sanjaya would last longer on Idol than Alberto would at the DOJ, but he's lying to Congress this morning while Sanjaya makes the morning TV rounds after his ouster.
The Gonzales hearing probably won't yield much truth, but it has served one purpose: MSNBC.com has finally stopped running a full-width banner of Cho Seung-Hui pointing a gun at me across its main page. Don't get me wrong: I'm not diminishing the importance of this story. But just because NBC "got lucky" and received a package of audiovisual material from a killer doesn't mean the network has an ethical imperative to plaster footage and pictures everywhere they can.
And where are all the folks who scream about copycat crimes based on violent movies? Here's a deranged guy who shot up his campus and guess what? His message of anger and rage is finally being heard by someone other than his video camera. His picture is everywhere; pull up any major news site this morning and there was Cho, glock in hand, looking for all the world like an action hero about to seek justice at gunpoint. Comparing himself to Jesus Christ, railing against America's consumer culture, blaming the victims of his crime--all of this Cho has been able to do posthumously because no one in NBC's news room had the sense to say, "Stop. Wait. This may be interesting, but should we really reward the brutal murder of 32 people by publishing the last manifesto of their killer?"
Copy a violent movie? Why bother? Now misanthropes the world over have a good example of how to go out in a blaze of glory. I bet every person who reads this can think of someone they knew in college who had the potential for an act like this, even if he or she wasn't as disturbed as Cho clearly was. The knowledge that all their demented notions could be put out into the world for public consumption is the kind of thing that might put people like this over the edge.
So again, thank you, Alberto, for finally forcing MSNBC to acknowledge that there are more interesting things in the world than the ramblings of a killer. Like the ramblings of a torture-abetting, law-breaking, rule-bending, unqualified nightmare of a "public servant" desperate to cling to his job.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Idol Predictions, Round of Seven
Boy, Ryan Adams must be pissed this morning. A popular contestant on America's most popular television show performs one of his best songs, and the show calls it a Tim McGraw song!? Oh well; Adams probably collected the money the show pays to clear a song. Unless even the producers didn't know it was his!
Anyhow, I'm thinking Blake will be safe, along with Melinda, who was really the only contestant to take the country theme and nail it. Shocking, I know. Maybe she'll be the one who gets to pick which group of three is the top and which is the bottom, Idol's favorite week-of-seven trick.
Despite DialIdol putting him first, I have to put Phil in my predicted bottom three this week--force of habit. I see the nasally Chris ending up in the middle as well, and boy, wouldn't it be nice if this was his week? But I fear that this may be the week when America finally stops dialing for LaKisha, who hasn't put it all together into a showstopper in many, many weeks. Seeing a talented black female singer go in this round would be far from unprecedented; the round of seven was the end of the road for Jennifer Hudson, too.
And yes, DialIdol also has Sanjaya in last place, but I won't believe it until he's actually on the plane back to Seattle!
If I'm right, that would give us a top six with four boys and two girls. Who'd have thought?
Anyhow, I'm thinking Blake will be safe, along with Melinda, who was really the only contestant to take the country theme and nail it. Shocking, I know. Maybe she'll be the one who gets to pick which group of three is the top and which is the bottom, Idol's favorite week-of-seven trick.
Despite DialIdol putting him first, I have to put Phil in my predicted bottom three this week--force of habit. I see the nasally Chris ending up in the middle as well, and boy, wouldn't it be nice if this was his week? But I fear that this may be the week when America finally stops dialing for LaKisha, who hasn't put it all together into a showstopper in many, many weeks. Seeing a talented black female singer go in this round would be far from unprecedented; the round of seven was the end of the road for Jennifer Hudson, too.
And yes, DialIdol also has Sanjaya in last place, but I won't believe it until he's actually on the plane back to Seattle!
If I'm right, that would give us a top six with four boys and two girls. Who'd have thought?
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
So It Goes
Kurt Vonnegut, Writer of Classics of the American Counterculture, Dies at 84 - New York Times
This news, while hardly unexpected, breaks a little piece of my heart. Starting in the spring of my freshman year of college, I read every book Kurt Vonnegut had written up to that time in about a year, and I've since read the subsequent books as well. They meant a lot to me at a time when nothing was quite making sense, and as I shed organized religion, it was Vonnegut who gave me the first tenet of my moral philosophy, direct from God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater: "God damn it, you've got to be kind."
If you've never read Vonnegut, this sad event would be a good reason to do it.
This news, while hardly unexpected, breaks a little piece of my heart. Starting in the spring of my freshman year of college, I read every book Kurt Vonnegut had written up to that time in about a year, and I've since read the subsequent books as well. They meant a lot to me at a time when nothing was quite making sense, and as I shed organized religion, it was Vonnegut who gave me the first tenet of my moral philosophy, direct from God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater: "God damn it, you've got to be kind."
If you've never read Vonnegut, this sad event would be a good reason to do it.
Please Please Me
Cato Unbound: Why Societies Should Pursue Happiness
Those who have been reading for a while may remember my fondness for Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less and The Costs of Living. So you can imagine my delight when I discovered, after reading--and disagreeing with much of--Darrin McMahon's essay, "The Pursuit of Happiness in Perspective," that Schwartz had written a response (linked above). McMahon argues that our relentless pursuit of happiness is actually making well-off Westerners less happy, and he has a point; on The Sopranos, Melfi discusses this very topic with Tony and explains that he is part of the first group of people with the means to worry about what makes them happy rather than how to ensure that they have food and shelter.
Schwartz sees the flaw in McMahon's argument, though. McMahon, he says, conflates the pursuit of happiness with the pursuit of pleasure. He isn't alone, of course, and Schwartz considers this at length:
Those who have been reading for a while may remember my fondness for Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less and The Costs of Living. So you can imagine my delight when I discovered, after reading--and disagreeing with much of--Darrin McMahon's essay, "The Pursuit of Happiness in Perspective," that Schwartz had written a response (linked above). McMahon argues that our relentless pursuit of happiness is actually making well-off Westerners less happy, and he has a point; on The Sopranos, Melfi discusses this very topic with Tony and explains that he is part of the first group of people with the means to worry about what makes them happy rather than how to ensure that they have food and shelter.
Schwartz sees the flaw in McMahon's argument, though. McMahon, he says, conflates the pursuit of happiness with the pursuit of pleasure. He isn't alone, of course, and Schwartz considers this at length:
Why is it true that most people equate happiness with pleasure? Here’s my hypothesis: What we have nowadays in the developed western world is unbridled individualism coupled with extraordinary materialism. Life is about what you have, not what you do, and it’s about what you have, not what we have. What else can the pursuit of happiness mean to citizens like this except the pursuit of pleasure?He's right, isn't he? What the leading Democrats--Clinton, Obama, and Edwards--need to figure out is how to offer this critique of the current state of American capitalism without making voters feel insulted. The excesses of capitalism are the reason why American health care is a mess, for instance; the idea that everyone is meant to fend for him or herself entirely, that the Bible and not Ben Franklin said that God would help those that help themselves, is the reason we accept such travesties as a person who works full-time but can't afford to see a doctor or raise a family in the richest nation in the history of the world. It's high time candidates for president said so.
Then the question becomes: Why are we a collection of individualistic materialists? My answer is that it’s a by-product of the success of free-market capitalism. It is the pursuit of wealth, individually and collectively, that has induced us to equate happiness with pleasure. Benjamin Barber makes this point with great force in his new book, Consumed. The problem for modern capitalism, Barber notes, is that these days, “the needy are without income, and the well-heeled are without needs.” The task of modern economic players is to create needs in people who can afford to satisfy them, and doing that turns us into infantilized pleasure-seekers. No one is going to get rich in a society full of seekers of human excellence.
Idol Predictions, Round of Eight
Well that was ghastly, wasn't it? Latin night went over as well on American Idol as it would on Lou Dobbs Tonight. Few of the singers seemed to get into their songs, and the judges mostly seemed to notice.
Anyhow, I'm going to stick to my guns and predict that Haley's stick-to-her-gams strategy will finally fail. She should be glad, too: she's pretty much out of leg to show. She'll be joined in the bottom three by Phil, whose personality continues to induce yawns even as his singing wobbles between OK and last night's not-so-good. The third member of the unholy trinity is harder to predict, but while I have "Conga" in my head this morning, LaKisha's rendition last night wasn't particularly special and she went early. But it shouldn't matter. Haley has to go home sometime, right?
Oh, one more thing: This is the first time Sanjaya will avoid the bottom three and almost have earned it.
Anyhow, I'm going to stick to my guns and predict that Haley's stick-to-her-gams strategy will finally fail. She should be glad, too: she's pretty much out of leg to show. She'll be joined in the bottom three by Phil, whose personality continues to induce yawns even as his singing wobbles between OK and last night's not-so-good. The third member of the unholy trinity is harder to predict, but while I have "Conga" in my head this morning, LaKisha's rendition last night wasn't particularly special and she went early. But it shouldn't matter. Haley has to go home sometime, right?
Oh, one more thing: This is the first time Sanjaya will avoid the bottom three and almost have earned it.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Sowing the Seeds of Traffic
Worshipping from upper deck
Thousands pack Sears Centre for Easter service in Hoffman Estates
For three Easters, we've struggled mightily to make it to my parents' house on time, only to be foiled by the traffic jam created by Willow Creek's 35,000 Easter Sunday churchgoers. Yesterday, though, a new approach dawned on us--avoid Willow Creek completely by jetting out to Route 59 instead of taking Barrington Road.
Our nifty plan pretty much worked, too; 59 moves pretty quick on a normal day and with none of the new shopping centers that have popped up in Streamwood and Bartlett open for business, the lights were almost all green. Except for one...
As we approached I-90, the light just before the highway caught us. Thirty seconds passed, and we expected to be on our way. Then another thirty. Then several more. Yet cars continued to stream out of the side road, which I eventually realized was the exit from the new Sears Centre.
Turns out that there was no escape. We got away from Willow Creek, but Harvest Bible Chapel, which rented out the Sears Centre for a service attended by nearly 11,000, snared us in its traffic instead. At least we were near the front of the pack that got caught in the post-service jam. I can only imagine that the words of the folks trapped in cars caught more than a mile back on the one-lane, no-way-out-but-through portion of Route 59 were something other than prayerful.
Thousands pack Sears Centre for Easter service in Hoffman Estates
For three Easters, we've struggled mightily to make it to my parents' house on time, only to be foiled by the traffic jam created by Willow Creek's 35,000 Easter Sunday churchgoers. Yesterday, though, a new approach dawned on us--avoid Willow Creek completely by jetting out to Route 59 instead of taking Barrington Road.
Our nifty plan pretty much worked, too; 59 moves pretty quick on a normal day and with none of the new shopping centers that have popped up in Streamwood and Bartlett open for business, the lights were almost all green. Except for one...
As we approached I-90, the light just before the highway caught us. Thirty seconds passed, and we expected to be on our way. Then another thirty. Then several more. Yet cars continued to stream out of the side road, which I eventually realized was the exit from the new Sears Centre.
Turns out that there was no escape. We got away from Willow Creek, but Harvest Bible Chapel, which rented out the Sears Centre for a service attended by nearly 11,000, snared us in its traffic instead. At least we were near the front of the pack that got caught in the post-service jam. I can only imagine that the words of the folks trapped in cars caught more than a mile back on the one-lane, no-way-out-but-through portion of Route 59 were something other than prayerful.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Fair Question
Dodd asks: What if your child were gay? - Yahoo! News
Senator Dodd's run for the presidency is a quixotic quest, but today he's injected a much-needed voice into the debate over equal rights for gays and lesbians:
Senator Dodd's run for the presidency is a quixotic quest, but today he's injected a much-needed voice into the debate over equal rights for gays and lesbians:
"We ought to be able to have these loving relationships," the Connecticut senator said.Dodd, the father of 2-year-old and 5-year-old girls, said his daughters could grow up to be lesbians and that he hopes they would have the opportunity to enjoy marriage-like rights.
"They may grow up as a different sexual orientation than their parents," he said. "How would I want my child to be treated if they were of a different sexual orientation?"
These statements were made on the same day that the New Hampshire House passed a bill that would create "spousal unions" in the state, a new term for the civil unions/domestic partnerships that have been popping up in other states.
I hope the media ask the other candidates about Dodd's statement today, and about New Hampshire's possibly becoming the eighth state to offer some sort of formal recognition to gay couples (following Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, California, New Jersey, and Hawaii). At the least, we should be able to get Democrats on the record saying that where applicable--in matters like income tax, Social Security, etc.--they would support legislation to recognize, at the federal level, whatever form of legal arrangement states come up with for gay couples.Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Idol Predictions, Round of Nine
After last week, when I confidently stepped up to the plate and hit a triple only to be called out stealing home (translation: I picked the bottom three right but sent the wrong one home), I feel less certain about what tonight will bring. The bottom three should be Sanjaya, Haley, and Phil, but I'm predicting only Haley will actually get there. Phil's comments about his wife, I'm guessing, provoked a lot of women to dial his number while wishing their own husbands were half so romantic. And Sanjaya is on track to be a bigger star than any of the others, despite his utter lack of talent. Instead, I see Gina being punished for a weak song; she should have found a way to throw a bit of her style into it to keep her fans voting. And Blake's performance, which seemed great when it opened the show, didn't stand out by the end; I see the curse of first continuing and him making a surprise stop at the center of the stage. It will be short-lived, though, and Haley will finally--finally!--go home. I hope.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Up and Moving
Keeping Up With Tiger Woods by Swinging a Remote - New York Times
Our couch is starting to get jealous. So are Link, John Madden and Al Michaels, and even our Miis.
The reason? After a rough start--literally--Tiger Woods 07 has won most-favored Wii game status, supplanting Wii Bowling and Tennis and making a return to the nine holes of Wii Golf almost unthinkable.
At first, TW07 seemed like a failure. The controls seemed balky, and the resulting ballooning scores were as discouraging as they are in real life, only without the benefit of a day spent outdoors.
But this is a game that rewards the time you invest in it. Over time we've both gained better command of our swings, and the game's system for improving the inherent abilities of your on-screen doppelganger has allowed us to hit the ball farther and more accurately as time has passed. Three weeks into owning the game, and numerous hours of playing time later, I felt immense satisfaction in a final round push Saturday afternoon to qualify for what the game, for licensing reasons, refers to as the "U.S. Major Championship." And when, yesterday, I came back from a six shot deficit after two rounds to cruise to my first major victory on a course, Pebble Beach, that had previously owned me, I think my jubilant victory shout was probably audible to the neighbors.
A few gripes, though. There are still occasional times when I'll be in mid-backswing and the game will pretend I've finished my shot, resulting in a weak dribble rather than the towering approach I had planned. So far this hasn't been my downfall in any tournament, but I fear it will happen in the final round one day and I'll be cursing.
More important to me right now is the game's odd method, at least in my mind, of calculating PGA Tour ranking. After a run of tournaments in my first season in which I've won three regular tournaments and a major and placed second in another tournament--while, admittedly, missing the cut twice and finishing around 20th and 40th in two more events--I've clawed my way to the top of the money list, and I'm far and away the leader in the FedEx Cup standings. I know I've only been at it for a few months of game time, but shouldn't these results translate into a pretty strong PGA Tour rank? Apparently not--I'm 37th, and in significant danger of missing the "U.K. Major Championship," which seems like something that would never happen in real life. If you win a major, you're invited to the rest, right?
Still, this is a great game that's proving quite durable over time. And I have aches from playing it, just like real golf. Hard to beat that!
Our couch is starting to get jealous. So are Link, John Madden and Al Michaels, and even our Miis.
The reason? After a rough start--literally--Tiger Woods 07 has won most-favored Wii game status, supplanting Wii Bowling and Tennis and making a return to the nine holes of Wii Golf almost unthinkable.
At first, TW07 seemed like a failure. The controls seemed balky, and the resulting ballooning scores were as discouraging as they are in real life, only without the benefit of a day spent outdoors.
But this is a game that rewards the time you invest in it. Over time we've both gained better command of our swings, and the game's system for improving the inherent abilities of your on-screen doppelganger has allowed us to hit the ball farther and more accurately as time has passed. Three weeks into owning the game, and numerous hours of playing time later, I felt immense satisfaction in a final round push Saturday afternoon to qualify for what the game, for licensing reasons, refers to as the "U.S. Major Championship." And when, yesterday, I came back from a six shot deficit after two rounds to cruise to my first major victory on a course, Pebble Beach, that had previously owned me, I think my jubilant victory shout was probably audible to the neighbors.
A few gripes, though. There are still occasional times when I'll be in mid-backswing and the game will pretend I've finished my shot, resulting in a weak dribble rather than the towering approach I had planned. So far this hasn't been my downfall in any tournament, but I fear it will happen in the final round one day and I'll be cursing.
More important to me right now is the game's odd method, at least in my mind, of calculating PGA Tour ranking. After a run of tournaments in my first season in which I've won three regular tournaments and a major and placed second in another tournament--while, admittedly, missing the cut twice and finishing around 20th and 40th in two more events--I've clawed my way to the top of the money list, and I'm far and away the leader in the FedEx Cup standings. I know I've only been at it for a few months of game time, but shouldn't these results translate into a pretty strong PGA Tour rank? Apparently not--I'm 37th, and in significant danger of missing the "U.K. Major Championship," which seems like something that would never happen in real life. If you win a major, you're invited to the rest, right?
Still, this is a great game that's proving quite durable over time. And I have aches from playing it, just like real golf. Hard to beat that!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Beaned
Check Out Karl Rove's List Of Targeted 2008 House Races | TPMCafe
What a difference four years can make. In 2004, my district bucked the political tide, turning out a decades-long incumbent Republican in favor of Melissa Bean, a "centrist" Democrat. She held onto her seat in 2006, fending off a loony, somewhat self-financed right-winger in a race that started out as "one to watch" and ended up, if not a blowout, at least not a race anyone was tracking on election night.
Today we find Karl Rove's list of seats to defend and seats to try to win in 2008, and guess what? Four years after losing what was considered a solidly Republican seat, the GOP seems to be abandoning it in favor of trying to protect Peter Roskam's new throne in the 6th, where he had quite a battle before beating Tammy Duckworth.
This sure says something about the state of the Republican Party!
What a difference four years can make. In 2004, my district bucked the political tide, turning out a decades-long incumbent Republican in favor of Melissa Bean, a "centrist" Democrat. She held onto her seat in 2006, fending off a loony, somewhat self-financed right-winger in a race that started out as "one to watch" and ended up, if not a blowout, at least not a race anyone was tracking on election night.
Today we find Karl Rove's list of seats to defend and seats to try to win in 2008, and guess what? Four years after losing what was considered a solidly Republican seat, the GOP seems to be abandoning it in favor of trying to protect Peter Roskam's new throne in the 6th, where he had quite a battle before beating Tammy Duckworth.
This sure says something about the state of the Republican Party!
Idol Predictions, Round of Ten
An entertaining night, wasn't it? But not the best, vocally, which makes this tough. Despite her unexpected tenacity, I see Haley finally going home this week (but then, I said that last week, too). If not Haley, then who? Chris Richardson would be a good choice after being in the bottom two last week, but going last will save him from his own miserable vocals. Instead, the other Chris and Phil will join Haley in this week's bottom three. Or so I'm guessing. Sanjaya, you ask? After that hairdo, we may be seeing him in May!
Friday, March 23, 2007
Heartbreak
Elizabeth Edwards' cancer. - By Sydney Spiesel - Slate Magazine
After reading the article above, I don't know how John and Elizabeth were able to remain so chipper yesterday. I know they have the resources to get the best possible care, but they have a tough road ahead. I wish them well. Anyone who doubted their resolve can have no doubt now. Win or lose--and I still don't see how they win--I think they have brought something special to the race, and I hope this setback only pushes them to make their case about the need for fundamental changes as compellingly as they can.
After reading the article above, I don't know how John and Elizabeth were able to remain so chipper yesterday. I know they have the resources to get the best possible care, but they have a tough road ahead. I wish them well. Anyone who doubted their resolve can have no doubt now. Win or lose--and I still don't see how they win--I think they have brought something special to the race, and I hope this setback only pushes them to make their case about the need for fundamental changes as compellingly as they can.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Bad Call
"Idol" Results Show: Time Flies When You're Being Had
ANATOMY OF AN "AMERICAN IDOL" RESULTS SHOW
Well, it looks like those fifteen calls I made for Melinda should have been directed to Stephanie instead. I know she wasn't going to win, but she sure deserved better than 11th place. Further proof that where you finish within the top 12 has only the slightest correlation to your relative level of talent!
The link above provides a minute-by-minute rundown of the results show last night, commercials and all. As it makes clear, the show is pretty much one big ad with almost no content. Perhaps that's why we're able to watch it in just 15 minutes on the DVR--and spend part of that time ignoring it.
ANATOMY OF AN "AMERICAN IDOL" RESULTS SHOW
Well, it looks like those fifteen calls I made for Melinda should have been directed to Stephanie instead. I know she wasn't going to win, but she sure deserved better than 11th place. Further proof that where you finish within the top 12 has only the slightest correlation to your relative level of talent!
The link above provides a minute-by-minute rundown of the results show last night, commercials and all. As it makes clear, the show is pretty much one big ad with almost no content. Perhaps that's why we're able to watch it in just 15 minutes on the DVR--and spend part of that time ignoring it.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Idol Predictions, Round of 11
Here we go again. While the pundit at MSNBC would have you believe that the departure of another boy tonight is inevitable, DialIdol--which showed a chink in its armor last week when Sanjaya was predicted to finish second and ended up in the bottom two--has a lot more girls than boys on its endangered list.
While I missed both bottom three members who got to stick around last week, I am standing pat and predicting, again, that Haley Scarnato and Gina Glocksen will be in the bottom three. They will be joined, sadly, by Stephanie Edwards, who chose a slow Dusty Springfield song ("You Don't Have to Say You Love Me") when a fast one ("Son of a Preacher Man") would have been perfect for her.
Common sense and the curse of going first will prevail, however, and Haley will finally go home.
While I missed both bottom three members who got to stick around last week, I am standing pat and predicting, again, that Haley Scarnato and Gina Glocksen will be in the bottom three. They will be joined, sadly, by Stephanie Edwards, who chose a slow Dusty Springfield song ("You Don't Have to Say You Love Me") when a fast one ("Son of a Preacher Man") would have been perfect for her.
Common sense and the curse of going first will prevail, however, and Haley will finally go home.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Ending Early
the futon critic - the web's best primetime television resource
In the grand tradition of the British version of The Office comes this announcement:
In the grand tradition of the British version of The Office comes this announcement:
EXTRAS (HBO) - Co-creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have confirmed the series will not return for its third season. The series nevertheless will be sent off with a special (a la "The Office") sometime in the future. No other specifics however were given.This makes me sad, because the show really seemed to hit its stride in the second season. But if two seasons is all we can have, at least they were good ones. Here's hoping the final special sees romantic resolution for Andy and Maggie that's even more pronounced than the Tim-and-Dawn kiss that brought down the curtain on The Office.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Ten Pack
HBO: Rome: Episode Guide: Summary: Season 2: Episode 21
Last night HBO showed the penultimate episode of one of the best shows on television, Rome. Amid all the squabbling over how to feed the people of Rome while Antony and Cleopatra horde their grain in Egypt, the characters managed to bring back one of the show's signature elements from season one: gratuitous sex.
It all served to advance the plot, though. Vorenus had a dream of Niobe, only to be jolted to reality by the bald Egyptian prostitute who had actually shared his bed for the night; we got a better picture of what's going on in his head. Antony and Cleopatra's violent, passionate romps elucidated the intense, destructive nature of their relationship. Pullo and Gaia's fleshy, grasping lovemaking seemed indicative of the secondhand quality of their pairing.
But all of that paled in comparison to the scene with Octavian and Livia. Simon Woods, who took up the role of Octavian for Max Pirkis when the character aged beyond Pirkis's range of believability, clearly gave up food in favor of sit-ups in preparation for this scene, which revealed a whole new set of abdominal muscles that have been heretofore known only to sculptors. To call him chiseled is to understate the case. Ahem...after a tense meeting between Octavian and his mother and sister, we find he and his wife alone. Pounding away at Livia like a jackhammer, Octavian slows down, and she slaps him. Steely eyed, he looks down at her; she slaps him again. Unperturbed, he carries on. The scene cuts to the end of this torrid session; Livia is on top now, her hands at Octavian's throat, apparently enhancing his orgasm by cutting off his oxygen supply.
What does this tell us about Octavian? Mostly that he's an odd duck, really, who gets off on a bit of S&M. The sex scene wasn't as illuminating as the pillow talk that followed, as Livia figured out Octavian's plan to deal with Antony while Octavian caught his breath post-coitus. But I have to mention this scene, because Simon Woods is incredible. I was very sad when I heard Max Pirkis would be leaving, but after last night's feast of flesh--Max who?
The series finale is next week. Don't miss it!
Last night HBO showed the penultimate episode of one of the best shows on television, Rome. Amid all the squabbling over how to feed the people of Rome while Antony and Cleopatra horde their grain in Egypt, the characters managed to bring back one of the show's signature elements from season one: gratuitous sex.
It all served to advance the plot, though. Vorenus had a dream of Niobe, only to be jolted to reality by the bald Egyptian prostitute who had actually shared his bed for the night; we got a better picture of what's going on in his head. Antony and Cleopatra's violent, passionate romps elucidated the intense, destructive nature of their relationship. Pullo and Gaia's fleshy, grasping lovemaking seemed indicative of the secondhand quality of their pairing.
But all of that paled in comparison to the scene with Octavian and Livia. Simon Woods, who took up the role of Octavian for Max Pirkis when the character aged beyond Pirkis's range of believability, clearly gave up food in favor of sit-ups in preparation for this scene, which revealed a whole new set of abdominal muscles that have been heretofore known only to sculptors. To call him chiseled is to understate the case. Ahem...after a tense meeting between Octavian and his mother and sister, we find he and his wife alone. Pounding away at Livia like a jackhammer, Octavian slows down, and she slaps him. Steely eyed, he looks down at her; she slaps him again. Unperturbed, he carries on. The scene cuts to the end of this torrid session; Livia is on top now, her hands at Octavian's throat, apparently enhancing his orgasm by cutting off his oxygen supply.
What does this tell us about Octavian? Mostly that he's an odd duck, really, who gets off on a bit of S&M. The sex scene wasn't as illuminating as the pillow talk that followed, as Livia figured out Octavian's plan to deal with Antony while Octavian caught his breath post-coitus. But I have to mention this scene, because Simon Woods is incredible. I was very sad when I heard Max Pirkis would be leaving, but after last night's feast of flesh--Max who?
The series finale is next week. Don't miss it!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Idol Predictions, Round of 12
I'm going to predict a bottom three and the person who will go home from now until the end of the contest. My predictions are based on own viewing of the show, opinions heard from others at work, DialIdol stats, and MSNBC polls about the contestants. They are NOT about who sang the best or the worst, but about who I think America will reward with the fewest votes.
Tonight, I expect to see Brandon Rogers, Gina Glocksen, and Haley Scarnato in the bottom three. Brandon will go home. Finally!
As for Sanjaya, I still predict he will last a while (in spite of bizarre hair, hoop earrings, and vocals unfit for the shower). How long? Let's go with longer than Alberto Gonzales will have a job...
Tonight, I expect to see Brandon Rogers, Gina Glocksen, and Haley Scarnato in the bottom three. Brandon will go home. Finally!
As for Sanjaya, I still predict he will last a while (in spite of bizarre hair, hoop earrings, and vocals unfit for the shower). How long? Let's go with longer than Alberto Gonzales will have a job...
Prairie Home Asshole
Fuck Garrison Keillor | Slog | The Stranger's Blog | The Stranger | Seattle's Only Newspaper
I am beyond incensed to see Garrison Keillor's column in Salon today. Titled "Stating the Obvious," it starts out a paean to the olden days, like much of Keillor's writing, but quickly turns into a screed against gay parenting and gay marriage that plays on several stereotypes while managing to be incredibly hypocritical coming from Keillor, whose romantic history is not, shall we say, one of steady monogamy. Fortunately, Dan Savage has already posted a thorough--and thoroughly furious--reaction, linked above. Read it and I'm sure you'll agree with him that "What Keillor wrote today on Salon is every bit as offensive as Ann Coulter's 'faggot' joke about John Edwards and relies on the same set of cultural prejudices."
As for me, I'm considering cooking dinner tonight over the flames produced by my copy of Lake Wobegon Days. Where all the children are no doubt straight, right?
I am beyond incensed to see Garrison Keillor's column in Salon today. Titled "Stating the Obvious," it starts out a paean to the olden days, like much of Keillor's writing, but quickly turns into a screed against gay parenting and gay marriage that plays on several stereotypes while managing to be incredibly hypocritical coming from Keillor, whose romantic history is not, shall we say, one of steady monogamy. Fortunately, Dan Savage has already posted a thorough--and thoroughly furious--reaction, linked above. Read it and I'm sure you'll agree with him that "What Keillor wrote today on Salon is every bit as offensive as Ann Coulter's 'faggot' joke about John Edwards and relies on the same set of cultural prejudices."
As for me, I'm considering cooking dinner tonight over the flames produced by my copy of Lake Wobegon Days. Where all the children are no doubt straight, right?
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Small Potatoes
Pace won't apologize for 'gay' remarks - Military Affairs - MSNBC.com
General Pace's comments about homosexuality are deplorable, of course, but should we really be surprised that he won't apologize? He thinks what he thinks; it's wrongheaded and cruel, but so are a great many things he and the administration he serves do. Have you heard him apologize for a senseless war that is killing and maiming young men and women who volunteered out of a sense of duty and honor and are instead being wasted in a vain effort to stabilize a region that clearly needs a chance to duke it out without our interference?
Sometimes self-determination means killing each other. We need to find a way to get off the oil that keeps pulling us back into every Middle East conflict so the Sunni and the Shia can work out a thousand years of differences on their own. If Peter Pace doesn't realize that he needs every man and woman willing to serve, whether gay or straight, in his armed forces to accomplish any of the myriad missions the American military currently has and will have in the future, that's only a minor error in judgment compared to the one he and Bush and Cheney continue to commit in Iraq.
UPDATE, 4:30 P.M.: As Andrew Sullivan points out, the times they are a-changin'. From John Warner, a Virginia Republican: "I respectfully but strongly disagree with the chairman's view that homosexuality is immoral." Reading those words, from that source, I nearly cried. The NBA dumped Tim Hardaway for his comments; Ann Coulter is being dropped from newspapers for hers. Isaiah Washington may be leaving the top scripted show on TV for his. We're still a punching bag for Republicans, as Mike points out in the comments--but maybe it isn't working anymore?
General Pace's comments about homosexuality are deplorable, of course, but should we really be surprised that he won't apologize? He thinks what he thinks; it's wrongheaded and cruel, but so are a great many things he and the administration he serves do. Have you heard him apologize for a senseless war that is killing and maiming young men and women who volunteered out of a sense of duty and honor and are instead being wasted in a vain effort to stabilize a region that clearly needs a chance to duke it out without our interference?
Sometimes self-determination means killing each other. We need to find a way to get off the oil that keeps pulling us back into every Middle East conflict so the Sunni and the Shia can work out a thousand years of differences on their own. If Peter Pace doesn't realize that he needs every man and woman willing to serve, whether gay or straight, in his armed forces to accomplish any of the myriad missions the American military currently has and will have in the future, that's only a minor error in judgment compared to the one he and Bush and Cheney continue to commit in Iraq.
UPDATE, 4:30 P.M.: As Andrew Sullivan points out, the times they are a-changin'. From John Warner, a Virginia Republican: "I respectfully but strongly disagree with the chairman's view that homosexuality is immoral." Reading those words, from that source, I nearly cried. The NBA dumped Tim Hardaway for his comments; Ann Coulter is being dropped from newspapers for hers. Isaiah Washington may be leaving the top scripted show on TV for his. We're still a punching bag for Republicans, as Mike points out in the comments--but maybe it isn't working anymore?
Friday, March 09, 2007
Aloha
TestPattern : 'American Idol' tough to predict (SPOILERS)
So, Sanjaya is through to the top 12 on American Idol. And Sabrina went home, while the charming but talentless Haley Scarnato is moving to the big stage. For a week or two, at least.
Sabrina's departure is sad but understandable--there were five big belters, and the other four each did more to make their personalities stand out. Gina took the rocker mantle this week, Haley played the cutesy country card, and Sabrina was left out in the cold. (Antonella was so clearly out of her league she doesn't merit another word.)
Sanjaya's inclusion over Sundance, though--that's confusing. Beyond his teenager fan base--apparently at that age your ears aren't fully formed?--I think Sanjaya may have successfully played one of the flaws in Idol's voting system. When he showed off his hula skills on Tuesday, many around the country probably grimaced and didn't hear him mention that he lived in Hawaii for four years. But I immediately shouted, "That scheming little bastard! He's trying to get Hawaiians to vote for him!"
As we learned when Jasmine Trias made the top three, it takes a long time to eliminate contestants who have Hawaii behind them, because the state gets to vote alone, dialing into enough open lines that the busy signals that plague mainland voters are an island myth. If Sanjaya can claim the Hawaiian mantle, keep bringing the teenage vote, and bring in Indian votes as well, I can imagine him sticking around for weeks and weeks. Stephanie, Jordin, at least one Chris (probably Richardson), Haley, Brandon, Phil--I have no trouble at all imagining a scenario in which all six of them have gone home and Sanjaya is sharing the stage with Melinda, LaKisha, Blake, Chris, and Gina--and looking so ridiculous in comparison that the producers finally rig the vote and boot him. In short, say aloha to Sanjaya, top 12 member. It may be a while before we get to say aloha again.
So, Sanjaya is through to the top 12 on American Idol. And Sabrina went home, while the charming but talentless Haley Scarnato is moving to the big stage. For a week or two, at least.
Sabrina's departure is sad but understandable--there were five big belters, and the other four each did more to make their personalities stand out. Gina took the rocker mantle this week, Haley played the cutesy country card, and Sabrina was left out in the cold. (Antonella was so clearly out of her league she doesn't merit another word.)
Sanjaya's inclusion over Sundance, though--that's confusing. Beyond his teenager fan base--apparently at that age your ears aren't fully formed?--I think Sanjaya may have successfully played one of the flaws in Idol's voting system. When he showed off his hula skills on Tuesday, many around the country probably grimaced and didn't hear him mention that he lived in Hawaii for four years. But I immediately shouted, "That scheming little bastard! He's trying to get Hawaiians to vote for him!"
As we learned when Jasmine Trias made the top three, it takes a long time to eliminate contestants who have Hawaii behind them, because the state gets to vote alone, dialing into enough open lines that the busy signals that plague mainland voters are an island myth. If Sanjaya can claim the Hawaiian mantle, keep bringing the teenage vote, and bring in Indian votes as well, I can imagine him sticking around for weeks and weeks. Stephanie, Jordin, at least one Chris (probably Richardson), Haley, Brandon, Phil--I have no trouble at all imagining a scenario in which all six of them have gone home and Sanjaya is sharing the stage with Melinda, LaKisha, Blake, Chris, and Gina--and looking so ridiculous in comparison that the producers finally rig the vote and boot him. In short, say aloha to Sanjaya, top 12 member. It may be a while before we get to say aloha again.
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