That Was Probably Awkward

In a story about Mitt Romney, Keith Olbermann totally in passing mentioned that Mike Huckabee was taping a guest appearance on The Tyra Banks Show and my jaw just dropped.
No way- that didn't make any sense to me; it seemed like Huck would be the last candidate Tyra would have on her show but apparently it is so (and part of a mini media blitz followed by a taping of The Colbert Report.)

Really what could they have talked about? I'm sure Tyra will talk about his weight loss and like crusade for better diets or whatever and all the feel good Huckabee stuff but there would totally be a giant pink elephant in the room (that if Huck had his way would be quarantined) and that would be the Scary ultra Christian Huck.

For a women whose career is based in a very large part by the gay community, who probably has a tonne of gay friends and who has a very large and loyal gay audience and following is she just going to skirt over all those issues? I know it's not going to be a hard hitting journalistic interrogation, I don't expect that from Tyra but still how could that not be brought up?

I really hope Tyra takes a stand- that truly would be fierce.
And speaking of awkward television moments here is a case of TMI on your local news

once again, pick your perversions. I've never tried it so I won't judge
(and yes I may have just used this post as an opportunity to share the anchorwoman spanking clip)

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People Going To Hell

Bill O’Reilly and Fox News for everything they’ve ever done really but specificially in this instance for his continued lies and hostile reception to the homeless vets that he said didn’t exist and whose plight john Edwards was mocked for bringing into the national consciousness

An impromptu news conference was held in front of the FOX News Channel Studios today because veterans were denied entrance as they attempted to deliver a petition to Bill O'Reilly asking him to apologize for his comments denying the existence and importance of homeless veterans. The ensuing drama resulted in FOX News executives, flanked by security and police officials, attempting to mollify the group of veterans and Executive Director Carol Gardener of Fitzgerald House - a group that assists veterans in need - by speaking briefly to the group. In addition, one of the producers of the O'Reilly Factor, Jesse Watters, challenged the vets by deflecting the comments away from O'Reilly's statements

Here’s Keith’s coverage of the shame


This isn’t really newsworthy, except that it’s existence and threatened showing has made a lot of news, it’s more exploitative but if you’re interested about all the fuss or morbidly curious and so I’m going to hell for sharing it


Funny, He didn’t sound Australian in that video

And whoever strapped bombs to women with down syndrome sent them into a crowd and detonated the bomb, and the women by remote control.


There is a place reserved in hell indeed.

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John Edwards Making the Rounds

here is John on Letterman from Tuesday


and here he is on Keith Olbermann last night

(and I really think if he could give endorsements and not pretend to be impartial that Keith would totally be behind John- they both have the same kind of fire and fighting spirit)

Sigh, I'll alway love that man even if the rest of the world doesn't now

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In Case You Were Out

and missed it Friday night here is Keith Olbermann's interview with Bill Moyer. I actually dvr'ed it and tried to watch it when I got home rather tipsy, which didn't work well at all. But then I watched it the next day and...Keith Olbermann is really smart. I watch his show every night, when I can but I guess it's due to the fact that I still remember him as being a sportscaster so I probably didn't give him enough intellectual credit. And I don't mean just uses big words smart )which is rather annoying at times and I've discovered when someone uses big words unneccesarily I either assume they're smart or pretensious, depending of course on whetehr I liekt he person)
Anyway this is quite a good and thoughtful interview, and of course I'm a devout worshipper in the Church of Keith (an Olbermannite, if you wil) but it is deifnitely worth watching.
it's here in three parts

Part I


Part II


Part III

Just watching some of this again I realize I've come to trust his voice. It's a good voice.

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I Don't Have A Problem With It

So this morning before I got out of bed I was screwing around trying to see if I was the only one who thinks Obama '16 sounds a little better and more properly seasoned than Obama' 08 when I found this website Edwards-Obama '08, and I must say, I never thought about it, I was thinking about pairing John with Joe Biden but with Obama it makes a lot of sense. Sure individually they may not have the experience of a Clinton or Biden, but together? It's almost like Voltron. And Bill Maher, who I'm a little iffy on sometimes, made a pretty good point
when he stated that such a ticket would be unbeatable.

"Both men are charismatic and articulate, while promoting a populist
platform bases on equality and hope. The ticket
would be balanced geographically, as Edwards is
from the South and Obama is from the Midwest."

Not to mention they're both young and enthusiastic and somewhat attractive ( Obama is the somewhat, John Edwards is the attractive)


but with the news this morning that the SEIU has not yet endorsed John it could be a little tougher (and I wish I was Stephen Colbert because right now those Service Employees are dead to me. And after all I've done to support unions)

and so instead of Edwards/Obama'08 it looks more and more like this is the future

though I actually don't have too much of a problem with her (though maybe I should). I don't know if it's the estrogen or the story in the Washington Post this weekend about the strength she's gotten from her mother Dorothy but I like her more and more.
Seriously though the only important thing is that a Democrat wins, because any candidate who does not denounce or cancel his support of a party that is asking people to donate $9.11 (I'm looking at you Rudy) is sick and fills me with disgust. Are you fucking kidding me?! National Tragedy as cute advertising gimmick. (i have a feeling Abraham Sofaer may be in the running for worst person in the world tonight)

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Where Is the Memorial?

Sorry I wasn't going to do any other 9/11 stuff today but this slide show on slate today, about a simple yet elegant monument in Dublin-the Dublin Spire, reminded me that 6 years later we still don't have a memorial or anything at Ground Zero (and possibly work has begun.) I don't necessarily like the Freedom Tower idea but there should be something there.
The Onion News Network, before they ventured into tabloidness with the Richter Story, did an investigation on the slow process of construction and the unhappiness some feel with the design:

Al Qaeda Also Fed Up With Ground Zero Construction Delays
I remember some time ago when Keith Olbermann talked about the lack of a memorial and his idea that I kind of liked- simple yet a powerful statement- I found it on Front Row at the Freak Show
"Keith Olbermann once suggested on his show that they rebuild the towers, only that they build them 2,752 inches shorter, one inch for each life that was lost. " And so when future generations asked why one of the towers was shorter someone would be able to tell them and try to convey that emotion. I think that that would keep it alive in people's hearts through oral retelling, which was the source of transmission of history for eons before writing and, in a way to make sure we never forget. We never forget what the day really meant, unlike those we constantly use it to spread fear and to question patriotism, and for purely political and partisan purposes, but don't remember. As Keith Olbermann said once, as long as there is a hole in the ground at Ground Zero this government has failed. And forgotten. But he says it better then I ever could in this special comment from exactly a year ago today:

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The Theater of Bathroom Sex

Larry Craig said he originally entered a guilty plea because he thought that would make the whole thing go away. Yeahhh, about that. As I'm sure you know it hasn't and in the past couple of days there has been much glee and best expressed through reenactments of the incident (script provided by the arresting officer's report)
First up is the "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" production. The Dragnet theme is a little overdone, at least to me, and though Keith stated that he wanted the droll dry Dragnet style it is totally played for laughs, but you decide:

This is a more low budget, spur of the moment reenactment done by a local tv news outfit (in I don't know where.) My favorite part is the female broadcaster apologizing for her ignorance of male bathrooms:

And finally we have the Slate V Version, once again choosing a grainy black and white feel which adds it's own layer of noir and seedy acts and sordidness.


When I first heard about the story I thought he was arrested just on the basis of tapping his foot, but him looking repeatedly into the stall and waving his hand is really creepy and disgusting. But it reminds me when I was in a guys bathroom stall and written near the bottom of the divider was the instruction "Tap foot 4 BJ" which I never thought much of, or was really curious about ( though it seemed like it should have a schedule of times are something.) But once again there is nothing really erotic about a bathroom. To me. For others however...(and if you include yourself in that group just remember I don't judge) Slate has a very informative article on bathroom cruising. The tapping of the foot is kinda like a ballet in it's own way with intricate and specific rituals (showing the wedding band to increase allure.) Eh, I don't know. Someone's gonna have to buy me a drink (or three) first.

{UPDATE 1:50 p.m. CNN is broadcasting the audio of the interview immediately following the arrest and it is AMAZING. I'll try to find it somewhere online because you really need to hear it.}
{Update 1:59 p.m. here's a link . I'm not sure if it is the full interview though}{This might be better, and it has the transcript as well}

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This Can't Still Be Spoiled, Can it?

I've been holding off doing a post on Book 7 but I figured most everyone who wants to read it has (unless you live in Burkina Faso...or France.) Then I realized this post wasn't actually going to continue any spoilers and since I'm going to be gone next week I need to do it now before I forget. There won't be any spoilers though I remember watching Keith Olbermann lay out his theory (that you can watch here) and as he continued actually getting freaked out because it seemed so plausible. Which is more than I can say about this story in the New York Times today about Chinese Bootlegs of the series. It is an absolutely hilarious article with summaries of each "book." Here is the summary of the Chinese Book 7 " Harry Potter and The Showdown"

Harry makes his last visit to No. 4 Privet Drive, and his aunt and uncle are surprisingly kind to him. Snape shows up unexpectedly to ruin Bill’s wedding. Professor McGonagall reopens Hogwarts with Professor Slughorn as her deputy.

Snape breaks into Hogwarts and rescues Lucius Malfoy from Azkaban Prison. Harry believes that he can defeat Snape and Voldemort only by strenuously practicing charms. Professor Slughorn, inspired by a book from the East provided by Cho Chang called “Thirty-Six Strategies,” devises a plan enabling Harry to seize Snape in the Ministry of Magic. But Gryffindor’s sword, which hung in the headmaster’s office, assassinates Professor McGonagall.

When Harry confronts Voldemort at Azkaban, the Dark Lord tries to win Harry over as a fellow descendant of Slytherin. Harry refuses, and together with Ron and Hermione, kills Voldemort instead. Now what will Harry do about his two girlfriends?

Bloody Brilliant.

About the book, it took me quite awhile (a week) to get through it just because I wanted to keep on reading it and in my mind the longer it took to finish the longer I could savor it (I've always favored the journey so much more than reaching the end of the road) and also whenever something exciting happened or there was any danger I would get so tense and not want to read anymore because I had become way too emotionally invested in all of the characters. I really did enjoy how JK fleshed out and gave Dumbledore a character instead of just being that symbol of good and paragon of virtue (and that she didn't have Ron actually be Dumbledore as a friend, who I won't shame, theorized.) Her influences were pretty obvious throughout, with certain segments and elements being reminiscent of King Arthur, The Lord of the Rings, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe among others. But I was quite happy with it, everything wrapped up in a very suitable way and I know it's crass and rude to say but I'm okay with everyone who died. No one too special to me met their end. And about the end, it took me a full day to turn the "19 years Later" page because I wanted to be able to dream of all of their futures in my own way. I must admit though that I never really liked Ginny and still think Harry's too good for her, I mean he saved the world he could sleep with any witch he wanted. But I was so happy that Neville and Luna played such important parts; they are my two favorite characters ( and I sort of hoped Luna would be the one to end up with Harry.) And if you wanna know more about what happened to some of the characters JK did a live chat where some questions are answered ( though I thought a lot of the time she was just thinking about them on the fly, kind of like that one Simpsons Lord of the Flies episode where at the end the kids are still on the island but the narrator wraps it up "and they were eventually saved by... Oh let's say Moe)

As happens to me for a lot of books that I read, certain songs would get stuck in my head as I read; I remember when I read It I had Outkast's Aquemini and Chonkyfire stuck in my head constantly. Anyway for Book 7 these were the songs that came in and out of my head .

50 Cent-Wanksta (mp3)
The Notorious B.I.G.- Somebody's Gotta Die (mp3)
Crowded House- Don't Dream It's Over (mp3)
Star Wars ( John Williams)- Duel of The Fates (mp3)
Morrissey- There is A Place in Hell For Me And My Friends (mp3)
(and only in the past few days realizing that it is actually over)
Bob Dylan- It's All Over Now, Baby Blue. (mp3)

Sigh, I guess we all have to move on sometime... (like eating something; I haven't done that in a while. I think I can afford it; down to 9.6 stone!)

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True Patriotism

This is Keith Olbermann's Special Comment from last night that I'm in love with and was gushing about. Here it is, as promised. (thanks to whoever uploaded it)


Happy Independence Day

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Your Stuck in my Head Song(s) of the Day

Right now there are two songs stuck in my head; bear with me.
I'm not sure what shampoo commercial it is, but it has Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten in it. I hadn't realized before the Concert for Diana that she was the one who sang it, but after that performance and for some reason today I've had it in my head. The lyrics are so inspirational and hopeful and empowering. Then after Keith Olbermann's Special Comment today (see the below post) I was so happy and hyped, that it was almost religious and some of the lyrics to Lauryn Hill's To Zion then the whole song as well. But neither one of the songs really took precedence and it is one of those times where the lyrics of each keep getting mixed with the music of the other. Like a mash up. So what I'm going to try to do here is try to help you recreate that. Here's a live version of To Zion with Lauryn Hill and Santana. Listen to/Watch it a time or two and get a sense of the music. Now here's Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten

They have a similar musicality right? Or am I just out of my mind? Anyway they are both amazing songs and enjoy either one, either way. And Happy America Day.

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Keith Olbermann

I really hope you all watched Countdown with Keith Olbermann today, July 3 2007. His special comment...wow, wow. It was the most passionate speech I have ever heard. I'm trying to find a video online, but...I am still so pumped and am just now catching my breath. Wow.
God bless that man.
UPDATE-6:10: Here's a transcript of what he said.

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