SHOCK: Al Gore Reportedly Had a Two-Year Extramarital Affair with Larry David's Ex-Wife! Curb Your Enthusiasm, There, Oh Inventor of The Internet!

Star Magazine is reporting today (link at bottom) what must be a most Inconvenient Truth for Al Gore -- reporting that for the past two years, he's has had an affair with Larry David's ex-wife, Laurie David (pictured above with Larry and Al & Tipper Gore). Larry David, of course, is the filthy rich co-creator of Seinfeld and star of the HBO hit comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm. The Davids, by the way, divorced in 2007 "amidst reports" that she was cheating then with the caretaker of their Martha's Vineyard summer home (Laurie likes her Lovers, apparently!).

The "shock" here to me is the person with whom Al was allegedly cheating, and not so much the fact that he was having an affair (allegedly), which frankly comes as no surprise. As I stated in this space upon the recent news of Al and Tipper's separation, there would be more to this story since (as the wise, though deranged, right-winger Michael Savage stated that day) people only get separated or divorced for one of two reasons: (1) An affair; and/or (2) Money. (See the "Inconvenient Marriage" item in the Ladies Panel, right sidebar).

One final thought: I seem to recall Al and Tipper claiming, at the time their separation was announced, that there was no cheating and no affair involved in the separation. Thus, if the Star report is true, then Al and Tipper basically tried to pull their best Bill Clinton impersonation, i.e. looking the American people straight in the eye and outright lying to them. Not that I'd expect much better or any different from the likes of Al & Tipper Gore, truth be told. But if Al would lie about something like this, just how much credit are you going to give him for believing a single word that came out of his mouth in An Inconvenient Truth? If this story is true, what little credibility the man might have had left is now completely shot in my opinion (not because of the affair itself, but because of the bald faced lie he tried to tell us -- allegedly).

http://www.starmagazine.com/al_gore_laurie_david_affair/news/16986

Happy Flag Day! And Don't You Dare Blow Your Nose In It Lest You Want a Good Beatin'!

On Flag Day 102 years ago (June 14, 1908), President Teddy Roosevelt was outside of Philly trying to get his grub on. As Roosevelt glanced up from his eats, he spied a man who looked to be blowing his nose with a miniature American flag. Roosevelt immediately picked up a "wooden rod" from the ground (it's always handy to have a few good wooden rods lying around for just such an occasion) and proceeded to use it to whip the other man.

After numerous strong "whacks" to the other man's person, Roosevelt realized that what he had thought to be a small flag was actually just a blue handkerchief with white stars. Roosevelt apologized to the other man, but then -- just for good measure -- gave the man one extra whack for having gotten Roosevelt all "riled up with national pride." True story (apparently). Link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_Day_in_the_United_States

So, Will The Little Fella Next Need to Wipe Saudi Arabia From the Face of the Map, Too?

It's clear that Saudi Arabia has given Israel permission to cross Saudi air space as a part of an Israeli air strike on Iranian nuclear facilities (linked story at bottom). While the giving of such permission would seem highly counterintuitive on its face, it actually makes perfect sense, since I can't believe that too many of the middle eastern Arab nations really want to see a Persian nation controlled by crazy men to be nuclear armed. As the linked story states: "Despite the tension between the two governments [of Saudi Arabia & Israel], they share a mutual loathing of the regime in Tehran and a common fear of Iran’s nuclear ambitions."

All of this begs the question: Will The Little Fella, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, now feel compelled to express Iran's desire to "wipe" Saudi Arabia "from the face of the map," as he has previously threatened with respect to Israel? Will it also become necessary for Iran to wipe the entire Arab world off the face of the map? And will it eventually become necessary for Iran also to wipe most of the world off the face of the map (except, of course, for those friendly to Iran, such as Russia, Turkey (an actual NATO member), and Venezuela)?

I think history has shown that when one country starts with the ambition of needing to wipe one nationality of people from the face of the earth, such ambition and perceived necessity will typically lead to horrific reaches well beyond that of even the originally stated sinister goal. Just as counter-measures largely grounded in appeasement principles have never worked historically in those instances, so too are they doomed to failure when it comes to Iran. Not that anyone in Washington listens to any of us stupid people living in Middle America, of course.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7148555.ece

Sarah "Boob-Gate": Real Or Not? Palin Speaks Out This Weekend.

Pictures like the one above from a recent appearance by Palin at the Belmont Stakes have the blogosphere all abuzz this week as to whether she may have had a little silicon augmentation recently (compare the above picture with the older picture on the left). New this weekend, Palin actually addressed the issue with Greta Van Susteren on Fox News. Although Palin stopped short of uttering the famous Seinfeld line, "They're Real and They're Spectacular," she did offer a straightforward denial, saying: "No, I have not had implants." (Links below).

First of all, if Palin did have a boob job, who cares? Good for her. Although if she did, she does herself no good by lying about it. As to what the truth is here, there does seems to be quite the contrast between the older and newer pictures (perhaps the person in the first photo is a fake Palin like the one from the Nailin' Palin video?). That said, different T-shirts can certainly make a lady's mammalian protuberances look very different size-wise from one shirt to the next. So I'm not passing any judgment. I'll leave it to you to decide.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/12/sarah-palins-boob-gate-re_n_610136.html
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/06/12/sarah-palins-boobs-are-real-get-over-it/
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978289538

"Overkill Is Underrated"

Couldn't have said it better myself. That's a line spouted by Liam Neeson's "Hannibal" character (pictured on left) in the new A-Team motion picture, which was released today and which updates the famous '80s television series (about time -- you have to love it when a plan finally comes together). The film has garnered a PG-13 rating, apparently due in part to Hannibal's cigar smoking.

The reviews have looked to be mostly positive (a few are linked below), describing the film as pure, unadulterated fun and a lot of funny lines. After all, if you ever happened to watch the original series (which I love), what else would you expect except for fun, fun, and more fun? Look for cameos from two of the three living original series stars -- Dirk Benedict and Dwight Schultz (unfortunately, Mr. T turned down a cameo role).

I might even have to endure the teen masses this weekend to go see this one. Or maybe I'm just on the jazz again.

http://www.kcconfidential.com/?p=16637

http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=505201

Wow! Dems Actually Crafting a Message Designed to Appeal to Mainstream American Opinion?! That's a First in a Long Time.

Today's Politico.com contains a rather startling story (linked at bottom) that reports that democrat party operatives are crafting a immigration reform message that will be pushed by dems, although likely not until 2011. The message, which would be utilized as a part of trying to pass comprehensive immigration reform in Congress, would consist of an "enforcement-first, law-and-order, limited compassion pitch" that would eschew a focus on providing a "path to citizenship" in favor of focusing on "getting right with the law" -- meaning "obey our laws, learn our language and pay our taxes." Heck, the message would even drop the use of the silly liberal phrase, "undocumented workers."

First of all, when dems on a widespread basis actually start spouting this type of message, then I'll believe it. I find it very hard to believe that the far left-wingers who control the dem party would ever stand still for such a message. But, at least in theory, I like what I'm hearing and may indeed be very interested if the message is coupled with the necessary dual focus upon securing the border. If dems are actually smart enough to push such dually-focused legislation in the next few years, they will have the support of most Independents, and all of the obligatory "amnesty" blasts in the world from the far right won't be able to stop the legislation. But like I said: I'll believe it when I see it.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38342.html

Episode 1 Tonight of the Hot New VH1 Reality Series, "You're Cut Off"!!! This Show's VERY Entertaining & Extremely Over The Top!!!

Premise of the show: Nine gorgeous young ladies (who also happen to be spoiled brats) are lured into appearing on a show that they think will feature them bragging up and living their normal lifestyles in the lap of luxury. Little do they know, however, that they have been cut off by their families of all their cash and conveniences. The nine ladies must live together in a rather modest house and learn to get along without all of their accustomed luxuries. Moderating (for lack of a better term) this highly combustible situation is professional lifestyle and relationship strategist, Laura Baron.

Nutshell synopsis of Episode 1: The ladies get introduced to this situation and do not react well! Erica and Gia emerge as the two most over-the-top personalities amongst the ladies (and real competitors to be "Queen Bee" of this rotten hive), but Gia and Jaqueline also emerge as the two most emotionally despondent gals in this group by the end of the episode (almost coming to fisticuffs). Before launching into the episode, I think it's necessary to give a quick description of the 9 ladies:

-Amber: A busty blonde and traditional southern belle from Savannah, GA.

-Chrissy: A very sassy African-American hottie from LA.

-Courtnee: A gorgeous African-American beauty queen from Charlotte, NC.

-Erica: A remarkably beautiful, well-endowed blonde (looks a lot like Heidi Montag before all the plastic surgeries) prone to extremely arrogant, self-centered behavior (which I found hilarious), although also with an apparent streak of just a little ignorant bigotry (she's Jewish, herself).

-Gia: A very well put-together hot lady from Cali (who says she's of Middle Eastern ancestry), and the only married mom on this show (who also says she never changes diapers, feeds her daughter at night, or cleans up dog poop), and with some apparent emotional issues, but also quite the "alpha" female.

-Jaqueline: A hard-to-read brunette from Jersey, very close to her family, very emotional, and very much not likin' this situation!

-Jessica: A feisty Italian-ancestry firebrand from Jersey who reminds me in appearance of Amy Winehouse (I find Amy, though not her lifestyle, very hot, BTW).

-Leanne: Another well-endowed blonde from Cali, with a cool, European-accented daddy.

-Pamela ("Pam"): A brown-haired lady who looks like the cute "girl next door," except that she's anything but; how she makes her money is completely shrouded in mystery.

Segment 1: Before it's revealed to the 9 ladies, the show reveals to us that this is an 8-week program, in which the ladies must cook, clean, budget and work a job. If they "graduate," they then have to convince their families to "take them back" (in the sense of restoring their cash flow). The show starts at LA's Beverly Center, a very high-end clothing and jewelry outfit, with the ladies thinkin' they are there to live it up as stars of "The Good Life," a new (and fake) show about the lifestyles of rich divas. But one problem: When the ladies go to check out (running up tabs in the several thousands of dollars), none of their credit cards work! They all then storm off in a huff to the customer service desk, arriving there all at once and shouting in unison at the sales associate there. He tells them to head through that door over there, where all will be explained.

In the room behind the door, the ladies meet Laura Baron, who shows the ladies videos of their family members telling them that they are "cut off." Some of the ladies become very emotional at the news, as if they just lost their best friend (and perhaps maybe they did), including Jacqueline, Jessica and Gia. Others handle the news much better and much more matter-of-fact, such as Chrissy, Amber, Pam, Leanne and Courtnee. In the meantime, Erica has trouble even concentrating on the substance of the message that she's being told by her mom, commenting: "I was wondering, what is she wearing?!"

Segment 2: After the family videos are over, Laura Baron tells the ladies, "Consider this Princess rehab!" The ladies are not appreciative of that remark and do not like Laura. They are defiant (and in denial), all echoing the sentiment that "They Can't Cut Me Off!" Laura confides that the mission of this show is to "turn these entitled princesses into strong Independent women" (and since this blog is The Independent Rage, I can really appreciate that!). The ladies are then ushered out to mini-vans, which they find very offensive ("no limo!?"). Worst yet, the seats in the vans aren't even leather, as Jacqueline notes.

The vans drive through a well-kept, yet distinctly middle class suburban LA neighborhood, which the ladies actually believe to be "the ghetto" (as is obvious, these ladies sure have a lot to learn!). They pull into the driveway of where they will be staying. It's a modest ranch-style house, with admittedly outdated '70s or '80s style outside decor (but very well maintained). The ladies are outraged by the digs, with Erica commenting that "my housekeeper doesn't even live in a house like this."

Then we get a big pan shot of all the ladies' luggage: Literally dozens upon dozens of huge suitcases all piled up in the driveway. The ladies are then informed that from among their huge mass of luggage, they will only be allowed to take one large canvas bag full of stuff into the house (with hair products and diamonds not excluded from the requirement). Then It's Rat Race Time!: The ladies are then told that it's first come, first served as to the choice of beds in the house, and so they will have to quickly pick out their bag of stuff to take in if they want to have an early pick of the litter in terms of the beds (this angle was a pure stroke of genius by the show producers, BTW). Needless to say, the ladies become completely FRANTIC, scurrying to pick out which items of clothing, jewelry, etc., that they will take in, all the time realizing that they really needed to hurry! Interestingly, only Erica departs from this behavior, saying that she will take her time in picking out what to bring in (she says that she's going to make sure that all of her outfits are very well "coordinated" -- really though, you just can't make this stuff up, folks).

The ladies are appalled by the interior of the house (which is very modest and admittedly very outmoded style-wise). Courtnee crows, "Back home, my closet is bigger than this whole house!" (which was perhaps the funniest line of the entire episode, harkening back to the Days when The Nature Boy Ric Flair ruled the world -- one of Natch's famous lines was, (taking off one of his shoes and pointing to a fan): "See this Shoe?! This Shoe costs more than your house, Pal!!!" But I digress.

Anyway, in the bedrooms of the house, Jessica remarks, "SINGLE BEDS! -- I can't believe this!" Even more funny is the bunk-bed set up of each bedroom! And they have to SHARE a mere TWO bathrooms between the nine of them! Then they realize they will have to cook their own meals, and they lament that there are only frozen foods and eggs in their fridge! The segment closes with it being almost nightfall, and with all the ladies inside the house save one -- Erica, who's still out there picking out what to take inside (although, she did resolve to follow this very strategy).

Segment 3: Jessica takes the lead on trying to scare up some grub for dinner. She's taken aback by the ground beef she finds in the fridge that comes in a wrapped roll. Then Erica puts on a very hot French Maid costume and starts traipsing around in it (Erica IS very hot, despite anything else you might want to say about her). Jessica comments that Erica "has nothing between her ears." Gia hangs out in another room, not helping with the meal. She likes to drag upon her hookah, which she does here, and comments that "a diva needs soft hands," and therefore she can't be helping with any cooking or cleaning.

Dinner Time! But the Eats don't turn out so well: As best as I could discern, it looks like the ladies serve up to each other (1) some burnt meatballs, (2) some badly dried up noodles, (3) a very greasy looking salad (how do you get grease into a salad, BTW?), and (4) a dish that my grandma used to call "hamburger crumbles," much to my chagrin (i.e. ground hamburger with some mild seasoning on top). Blah! Yuck! Methinks these ladies need to spend just a few hours of their lives, for once, in a kitchen! (Hey, I'm bad in the kitchen, but could have done a whole lot better than THAT!). As the ladies sit there on the edge of vomiting over this pathetic food, they agree that they are suddenly living "lower middle class" (and again -- not even close!).

After Din-Din, this cheap "box wine" that the ladies have been drinking (the only alcohol in the house) starts to kick in, and business really starts to pick up! Erica knows a trick where she can take the bottom circle of a large wine class and fit it entirely within her mouth (quite impressive)! Then Erica trots out the jewelry box that she so meticulously picked out and brought into the house, allowing the ladies to sample it ("Because if I were them, I'd want to be like me too!"; "I love myself" -- truly endearing, hilarous stuff!). The Big E (as I'm now calling her) Show continues from there, with E quickly shedding the maid outfit and running buck naked in a big circle around the house. BUT Gia is not amused: "I get the sense that Erica wants to be Queen Bee of the house, and that's not gonna happen because there is only one Queen Bee, and that be me!"

Erica quickly gets wind of a bad vibe from Gia and confronts her. Erica comments that they are very different people, noting that she (Erica) is Jewish, and guessing that Gia (who looks and is Middle Eastern) is "Muslim". Gia confronts Erica (and rightfully so) on assuming that she's any particular religion simply based on the way she looks (as I assume Erica would not like some person telling her, "you look pretty Jewish there, Erica"). Gia comments that she could "slap" Erica's "ass," but that she'll refrain. Erica comments, "Gia's such an angry person and I think she could really use a nose job."

Segment 4: The ladies have a group session with Laura Baron: First, Jacqueline reveals why she become so emotional earlier -- it sounds like she feels very close to her parents and thus felt a bit jilted when they completely cut her off out of the blue. And then, frankly, probably the truly saddest moment of the episode occurred (and I'm being serious for once), when Erica revealed that in the past year, when she was about 30 pounds heavier, her old man -- a wealthy and prominent plastic surgeon -- teased her about her weight, making liposuction noises to her and pinching her. This from a dude who accused her earlier in the episode of being "addicted to plastic surgery." As an aside, this rotten old man has quickly shot up my chart for the annual award of Most Pathetic Human Father Alive 2010. (We'll see if he remains at #1). Regardless, I think we can now see the precise source of where some of Erica's issues have emanated.

Segment 5: Girl-next-door (in looks only) Pam claims to be the only "independent" lady amongst these nine divas, saying that she lives in her own apartment and pays her own bills with her own income. Pressed by Laura Baron and others to reveal how she supports herself, Pam resorts to the ridiculous claim that she's an investment banker on Wall Street (again, you just can't make this stuff up) -- a story which even this group is not buying! Jessica comes right out with it: "Are YOU a Prostitute!?" Pam denies that harsh indictment, but remains mysterious on the source of her income. Then Gia, Jessica, Erica and Leanne are all shown talking together about Pam and her claim of supporting herself (after all, such a concept is quite the novelty amongst these ladies). Pam walks in and still clings to her having-a-job story, but she admits she was not being forthcoming in the investment banker claim (but saying nothing else).

Segment 6 (final segment -- Aside: "What Chilli Wants" was so much easier to cover -- only 30 damn minutes!): Pam and Jacqueline have struck up a friendship and have in common that they don't like Gia. They start talking about Gia in the very room where Gia will be staying. Gia gets wind of this, storms in, and orders Pam and Jacqueline to leave. Then Gia tells Jacqueline to get her "fat ass" off the bed (truth be told, the two of them have fairly equal asses, and both quite attractive). Then this rapid exchange: Jacqueline: "Bitch." Gia: "Don't ever call me a bitch -- You wish you freakin' looked like me!" Jacqueline: "Shut up." At that, Gia goes pillow-fight commando on Jacqueline's ass, twice pounding Jacqueline over the head with said pillow and threatening to "kick your ass." Chrissy restrains Gia and ushers her out of the room. Pam (sitting beside Jacqueline during this entire event) laughs and exclaims, "What just happened?!" Off in one of the only two bathrooms, Gia is crying and says that she's an emotional wreck and ready to go home. Jessica (impressively) tries to console her. Meantime, Jacqueline is also shaken, saying that she feels very out of her comfort zone and not knowing how she will survive this whole experience.

End thoughts: This was frankly some fairly wild, hilarious $hit! It's like having 9 of your most over-the-top, pompous, conceded WWE wrestlers all in the same room for one hour (except that wrestling's an exhibition, and these ladies are REAL!). Of course, I'll be back next Wednesday night to recap Episode 2! Be sure to check it out! (For the record, this is likely my LONGEST blog post ever, but that's due to the 1-hour nature of "You're Cut Off").

"Teens Face Worst Summer Job Market in 41 Years." Ouch. But Is There a Bright Side?

The story linked at bottom details the dreadful summer job market that American teenagers face this year. But is the news really all bad? For example, the one type of job that Obama's federal government has been wildly successful at "creating" in the past year has been that of the census worker. That's certainly temporary-type work and would seem perfect for the teens this summer. It sure beats the heck out of cleaning lard vats at the local Burger World, for instance.

And also on the positive side of things: If many teens are unable to garner summer employment, that will leave them with a lot more time to engage in some of their more popular pastimes, such as pounding each other in the gonads ("Sack Tapping"; see my June 2 post) and acting like Wolfmen ("Wolf Packing"; see my June 1 post). Either way (employed or not), I have little worry that American teens will find ways to occupy their time this summer. See: The news is not all bleak!

http://www.cnbc.com/id/37573330

Look at This Goof. This Freak. This Punk.This Subhuman Piece of Slime.

I can officially feel free to talk that way about Joran van der Sloot now that he's confessed to killing 21-year-old Stephany Flores (who was beaten to death, with her neck broken) on May 30 in Peru (story linked at bottom). Has anyone else seen the chilling hotel surveillance video of Flores & Slimeball going into his hotel room that evening -- the last time anyone would ever see her alive? Of course, the odds are about 99% that this cowardly punk also whacked out American teen Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005. And absolute shame on every single law enforcement officer and prosecutor in Aruba for never bringing any charges in that case -- the blood of Stephany Flores is now on their hands. Regardless, I do relish the thought of Sloot The Slime being sent to a Peruvian prison for a long, long time. If you think a young-girl-killing punk like him would have it very bad in an American prison (which he would), just imagine one in South America! HA, HA Slimeball!

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100608/D9G743I82.html

Shocking Details: Teen Girl's Old Man Allegedly Gets All Charged Up, Goes Psycho, & Cattle Prods the Dude Who Sent Daughter a Pic of His Genitals.

This story's from Temecula, California, where 23-year-old Justin Moore apparently picked the wrong 17-year-old girl to whom to send a cell phone picture of Moore's package. Moore claims the photo was just a big joke, but when the gal's old man (45-year-old William Atwood) got wind of the situation, he was in no mood for laughin'. Atwood allegedly tried to lure Moore to his house under the guise of bearing the twig of peace -- allegedly telling Moore that he (Atwood) just wanted Moore to come over so that they could "discuss" the photo. But it turned out to be a fairly one-sided "discussion," because when Moore showed up at Atwood's home, all hell broke loose.

Allegedly, Atwood immediately wielded a shotgun, ordered Moore from his car, and even fired off a warning shot just for good measure. Then Atwood started pulling Moore around by his feet, injuring Moore's shoulder (allegedly). As their polite little "discussion" continued, Atwood forced to Moore to strip down and then Atwood tied him up (allegedly).

Then the "discussion" really started pickin' up. Atwood allegedly told Moore that he (Atwood) was going to "bury" Moore on a local Pechanga tribe reservation. Next, Atwood brandished a handgun and a stun gun, the latter of which Atwood allegedly used to electrically shock Moore for around 20 seconds -- asking Moore, at the same time, "how do you like it!?" Needless to say, Atwood now faces several felony charges, while Moore faces no charges (due to "lack of evidence," prosecutors say).

In the end, it's difficult to determine who's the dumber of these two idiots: The old man who thinks he can take the law into his own hands and get away with it (allegedly), or the young punk who stupidly agreed to visit the home of the father of the gal to whom he'd just sent a picture of his unit (allegedly). Remind me to add Temecula to my ever-growing list of American locales that I likely do not have any real compelling need to visit at any point in the next 100 years or so.

http://www.kdvr.com/news/ktla-dad-uses-taser,0,6804094.story?track=rss

I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United Texas Conference of America (aka the Big 12). NOT!

Published reports this weekend are claiming that the University of Missouri and University of Nebraska have been given a Friday ultimatum to either say a "pledge of allegiance" to the Texas Conference (errrrr, Big 12) and disavow any possible interest in joining the Big 10 conference, or else risk Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado bolting for the Pac 10 conference (link at bottom).

Well, if this ultimatum is true, here's what Missouri and Nebraska should say to Texas and the others in no uncertain terms: Take Your Little Ultimatum and Go F*ck Yourselves! (Perhaps relaying the message a bit more diplomatically, however). Missouri and Nebraska have every right to listen to any interest that the Big 10 has expressed or is expressing, just like any of those other schools would do if they thought that a conference jump could well be in their best interests. And as for those six teams jumping to the Pac 10, I smell as much bluff as I do legitimate threat.

Is telling them to F-Off a definite risk for Missouri (frankly, I don't give a rat's behind about Nebraska)? Certainly is. But I think the risk is worth it: No way should Missouri lay down for letting those other schools dictate ultimatums that would foreclose Missouri from rightfully looking into scenarios (such as a jump to the Big 10) that might well in the best long-term interests of Missouri. In short, Missouri should worry about Missouri first and foremost. Texas, Oklahoma and the rest of them can take their ball and go rot in a Texas $hithouse somewhere for all I care.

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/06/1996533/mu-nebraska-wont-confirm-big-12.html

Down on The Farm, Isn't This Why They Put Decrepit Old Cows Out to Pasture?

So-called White House press corps "Queen" (more like Bigot-In-Chief) Helen Thomas this week blasts that the Jewish people need to "get the hell out of Palestine" and "go back home to Germany, Poland and America and everywhere else." Wow. Nice objectivity. Nice Bizarro World gravitating against everything that it means to be a legitimate journalist. Frankly, Nice Mahmoud Ahmadinejad impersonation! Thomas has that dude (I call him the "Little Fella") down pat! I would humbly suggest that Pasture is the only gracious way for the Wicked Bigot of the East to fade away into a background that's been calling her name for far too many years to even name anymore.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/06/05/2010-06-05_white_house_press_icon_takes_heat_after_slam_of_jews.html

It's Been a Pretty Rough Week for the Two Worst Presidents of My Lifetime.

As Obama struggles to show any real leadership qualities in the Gulf oil spill disaster and as his White House continues to operate under the shadow of allegations that it offered government positions in exchange for politicians dropping out of political races, Obama's poll numbers continue to tank and he's lost any immediate ability to continue to try to foist (errr, push) his far left wing domestic agenda.

But if you think it's been a bad week for His Majesty, just get a load of the week experienced by that great neo-con warrior, W! First Bush was blamed for causing the separation of Tipper Gore and the inventor of the Internet, Al Gore, and then Bush had folks on the radical left (i.e. the little tiny faction that controls the dem party) calling the Gulf oil spill "Bush's Second Katrina." Regardless of the mindless nature of such blasts, it's hard for me to feel too sorry for The Idiot.

So as alluded, it sure's been a tough week to be an out-of-touch, ill-qualified extremist ideologue president or ex-president! Democrats and republicans: Where can I sign up?!!! NOT. And shame on your two parties for putting up these two a$$clowns for president (along with McCain, Kerry and the aforementioned Internet inventor) the last three election cycles -- the American people deserve so much better.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/06/01/cbs_evening_news_gores_loss_to_bush_contributed_to_separation.html

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brad-wilmouth/2010/05/30/time-s-joe-klein-oil-spill-bush-s-second-katrina-republicans-look-wor

Dumb Teen Week Continues:I've Heard of Breaking Another Man's Balls,But This Is Ridiculous...

Perhaps we're starting to see the impact on the younger generation from 10 years of living under the two worst presidents of my lifetime (yes, even worse than Jimmy Carter): When today's teens aren't trying to transform themselves into a Wolfman (see yesterday's post), the males are instead occupying their free time by punching and kicking each other right in the crotch. It's called "Sack Tapping," and this moronic "game" is reportedly quite the rage among American teenage boys (linked story at bottom). Nice game --
a 14-year-old boy in Minnesota just recently lost a testicle as a result of it. After all, nothing says barrel of laughs quite like getting socked in the gonads or seeing it happen to someone else, right? These certainly must be (are) Scary Days to try to be raising young people.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,593680,00.html

They Strut Right By With Their Tails In the Air: Teens Nationwide Turning Into Werewolves, Forming Wolf Packs.

Today's story from The Sun reports of "the latest craze to hit America" -- "packs of teenagers are going to school as werewolves." The "movement" reportedly involves groups of 20 or so teens forming "wolf packs" at their local high schools. The Sun reports that "the kids wear yellow contact lenses and fangs - and even fake furry tails attached to their jeans." (BTW, "furry tails"? What other kind of tail would a Wolfman wear? It's not like a smooth rat's tail is gonna jive very well with the whole werewolf image. And I'm also glad the story clarified that the werewolf tails are, indeed, merely "fake" ones).

The State of Texas appears to have been hit particularly hard by the "wolf pack" phenomenon. As one high school teacher there is quoted as saying, "They walk down the hallways swishing their tails." (Fake furry tails, mind you). Some are attributing the rise of this "cult" to movies such as Twilight and The Wolfman, but one
15-year-old "pack leader" in San Antonio (calling himself "Lupus") disputes that: "Human wolves have been around a lot longer than characters in Twilight," he howled.

As for the purpose of the wolf packs, Lupus explained: "It gives us a sense of belonging. You gain friends and you belong and indulge your wild side." (It's important for 15-year-olds to indulge the 'ol wild side, after all). Lupus' mom appears to approve of the whole wolf act just so long as sonny checks it at the door: "As soon as he walks in the door, he is supposed to take out the fangs, and lose the lenses and tail." (I can understand the prohibition on the lenses and fangs, but what harm does a little fake furry tail really do?).

But alas, the wolf pack craze has not been without controversy. Recently a follower of the movement who calls herself "Wolfie Blackheart" allegedly indulged her wild side a bit too far. The Sun reports that Wolfie "cut off a dog's head and posted pictures on the net of her boiling it." (After all, how else could Wolfie prove to her fellow wolves that she really did, in fact, boil up a dog head?).

Wolfie's defense? Well, she claims the whole incident is not quite so sinister as it's being made out. Wolfie told cops that the dog was already dead when she happened upon it. Barked Wolfie: "I would never kill a canine. I am a canine." No word yet on whether Wolfie's "I'm The Same Species" defense might actually fly in a court of law, but isn't it somewhat akin to an accused murderer claiming, "I didn't kill that man -- I'm a man myself, damn it!"?

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2994405/Werewolf-craze-hits-US-schools.html#ixzz0pYZeAUJv

A Memorial Day Salute to All of Our Fallen U.S. Soldiers. And to the Legendary Clint Eastwood, Who Turned 80 Today.

On one of our most important American days of commemoration, it seems fitting that the great American icon Clint Eastwood would become the country's newest octogenarian today (link to story below). Born May 31, 1930, Eastwood was a kid during World War II and was pushing 40 during the height of the Vietnam War. The war era with which his life as a young man did coincide was that of the Korean War. Eastwood was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1950, where he served for four years with the Army Special Services at Ford Ord, California. It was during that period that he met several established motion picture and television actors (also serving in the Army), who encouraged Eastwood to move to LA in 1954, following his Army service, to pursue an acting career. And the rest is history...

Eastwood is my all-time favorite motion picture actor (and dude can do a bit of directing as well, if you'd never noticed). Here's a countdown of my Top 10 favorite Eastwood films (which I found very difficult to compile, since I limited myself to just ten):

# 10: Dirty Harry ("You've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?")

# 9: Escape From Alcatraz ("There's always the possibility that some a$$hole will be offended, isn't there?")

# 8: High Plains Drifter ("A lot faster than you'll ever live to be.")

# 7: Pale Rider ("There's a lota sinners hereabouts. You wouldn't want me to leave before finishing my work, would ya?") (BTW, one of my favorite words, "leastways," comes from Eastwood's dialogue in this film)

# 6: Bronco Billy ("Are you for real?" "I'm who I want to be.")

# 5: Heartbreak Ridge ("My name's Gunnery Sergeant Highway, and I've drunk more beer, and banged more *****, and pi$$ed more blood, and stomped more ass than all of you numbnuts put together.")

# 4: Fistful of Dollars ("I don't think it's nice, you laughin'.")

# 3: Unforgiven ("I've killed just about everything that walks or crawled at one time or another. And I'm here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you did to Ned.")

# 2: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ("I've never seen so many men wasted so badly.")

# 1: The Outlaw Josey Wales ("I guess we all died a little in that damn war.")

(Honorable mention, just outside my Top 10: Two Mules for Sister Sara ("The least you can do is take off your hat!" "Haven't got time for that.")). (And Caveat: I have Gran Torino on DVD, but shame on me for not yet ever having watched that film. From everything I've read and heard, it probably makes my Top 10 -- if I ever get around to watching it, "leastways").

http://www.examiner.com/x-21681-Celebrity-Headlines-Examiner~y2010m5d31-Clint-Eastwood-turns-80-Hollywood-legend-wont-be-celebrating-To-Make-My-Day-VIDEO

http://www.biography.com/articles/Clint-Eastwood-9283502

Episode 8 (Season 1 Finale) Tonight of "What Chilli Wants" on VH1: Will It Be Bill or Farmer D? Or Neither One?!

Episode Nutshell: In the final episode of Season 1, as a part of Tionna's "Project Intimacy," Chilli goes on overnight dates with the two men who've really garnered her interest -- Bill (the pretty boy white guy, second picture above) and Farmer D (Daron Joffe) (the dude on the tractor, third picture above). And only one emerges and survives as Chilli's real interest going forward into the future.

Segment 1: With the series winding down, and Tionna preparing to head back home to Brooklyn, Tionna and Chilli, along with T-Boz, head to Intimacy Lingerie Shop to pick out a going away present for Tionna. T-Boz tells an Intimacy sales associate, "We have some gigantical breasts to fit, and I know you guys custom." Tionna is then shown shakin' her stuff as she tries on Intimacy bras for Chilli and T-Boz to see. The conversation then turns to Bill and Farmer D, with Chilli and Tionna agreeing that Chilli can't go wrong with either of them. Tionna says that the goal of Project Intimacy is to get business pickin' up for Chilli, who likes to take things very slow with guys. For example, the first kiss is a huge moment for Chilli, and she likes to take her time before allowing it to occur. Chilli comments that "even Tionna does not kiss early." Tionna admits this, saying that she's "not a kisser period," but she also says that she does like to give guys a little taste just to wet their beak prior to that first true romantic interlude. Says Tionna, that may consist of giving the man a little "flash" of her big boobs or even a smack up side the face with one of them, just to let the dude know that things will be pickin' up soon.

Next, Tionna separately meets up with Bill and Farmer D, helping them prepare for their overnight dates with Chilli. Bill is looking to pick out a dress for Chilli, while Farmer D is going to cook a meal for her. Tionna tells Bill that while he's very funny and nice, he really needs to "knuckle down" for this date and get romantic and close to Chilli. Tionna tells Farmer D that he tends to be reserved and that he needs to get more aggressive. She also notes that Farmer D is not exactly the biggest talker in the world, and so she suggests that he write down his feelings about Chilli and read those to her during their date.

Then Bill & Chilli's overnight is ON! Bill takes Chilli to a rental home in the countryside during the day. They have a nice horse ride around the estate, and Chilli says that she likes how she can joke and have fun with Bill all day long. They then lunch in the brick shell of what appears to be a former farmhouse. Bill tells her, "I just want to make you smile," and he gives her the red dress that he picked out with Tionna's input. They share a hug and Chilli feels that they "had a great day" (as we see Chilli carrying Bill on her back as they clown around in a field). And now it's on to the evening...

Segment 2: Chilli and Bill sit down at a restaurant for dinner. Chilli is wearing the red dress, and Bill says that he's "speechless" at the sight. After dinner, back at the house, they sit together on the couch in front of a fire, where the romantic embers start smoldering. Chilli tells Bill that "you have been so sweet and have really sparked my interest." Bill then gets down to brass tacks, telling Chilli to "look in my eyes." "One small request," Bill says, "I would like to kiss you." (My comment here: DUDE, never ask permission -- If the time feels right, then lean on in there and start smoochin'!) Chilli reacts by saying, "I love to kiss, but I would like to make sure." She says that she wants to get to know him just a bit better and observes how she always likes to take things slow. Bill seems to really respect and understand that, and the two share a big hug as the last scene that we see from their date.

Then Farmer D's up to the plate: Farmer D and Chilli also start their date with a daytime opening salvo, this time at the Fernbank Museum. Chilli comments off camera that "there's something special about Farmer D," and that she "can't ignore that." And this is important: She also notes their prior "spirituality issues," i.e. the fact that her Christian faith is at the center of Chilli's being, while that's simply not the case for D. Anyway, near the end of their time at the museum, the two stand atop a high balcony, where Chilli (and this is very close to my heart, because I'm exactly the same) tells him that she's afraid of heights. She says that as long as she looks down at the floor, she's fine, but that once she looks straight ahead, that fear kicks in. (In that regard, she and I are different, because if I'm at heights, the last thing I want to do is look down, or look anywhere for that matter -- asks the folks with me when I actually mustered up the nerve to cross the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado -- but I digress). Chilli comments that D really has her "feeling some kind of way," is really steppin' up his game, and that she's very looking forward to the night time portion of their date.

Segment 3: To the Night with Farmer D: D's also commandeered a house for the occasion. He starts in cookin' them dinner, which is very impressive to Chilli, who finds a man in the kitchen to be very sexy. Off camera, Chilli compares and contrasts Bill and Farmer D, calling Bill very straightfoward, while D's more reserved and mysterious. They sit down for dinner, and D gives Chilli a present, which appears to be an organic variety of lip balm or lipstick (a product which, truth be told, I had no idea one could buy in an organic version!). Farmer D then trots out his written expression of his feelings towards Chilli (meaning he took Tionna's advice earlier in the episode). He reads it, and it emphasizes how beautiful of a person, inside and out, that D views Chilli to be. It also thanks her for sharing that beauty with D. My impression of Chilli's reaction to D's words is that she was absolutely melted thereby. As soon as D is done reading, Chilli immediately lunges to him to kiss him on the cheek.

After dinner, Chilli and D engage in a prolonged session of I guess what I would call, "Which One Is It," asking each other various either/or questions such as "Poor in Love, or Rich & Not," "Long & Skinny or Short & Fat," and "Back Rub or Foot Massage". On the latter question, Chilli chooses back rub, and D immediately gets to work ("I've got those Farmer hands," he spouts). "Not too hard, not too soft," Chilli implores, and D does an impressive job. "That felt good" is the Chilli verdict. The very romantic moments just keep rollin' from there, with Chilli telling D that he's "so cute," followed by her jostling his hair. Then Chilli tells D, "there is something so special and beautiful about your spirit -- I really, really like it." D asks her if there comes a moment when she signals to a man that he's become her exclusive man, and Chilli says it's the first kiss. Next, Chilli & D are in the kitchen, standing face to face with both of their faces afire. D tells her that he'd like to give her a kiss goodnight, but unlike Bill, he doesn't wait for a response and just goes for it. Chilli is receptive, but tilts her head ever so slightly so that another cheek kiss is the result. Says Chilli, "We'll save the lips for a later time. You don't mind, do you?" Farmer D doesn't mind and tells her that it's cool. They then have a big hug, and that's the last we see of their date.

Going into the final segment, here were my views: That both Farmer D and Bill were both still very much in the game. Both had very successful overnight dates with Chilli, and I fully expected both to be carried forward into Season 2 of What Chilli Wants. Further, it was my very distinct impression that while the Bill date went well, the real feelings and real romantic fireworks were much more present in the Farmer D date. In short, the Bill date went great, but you could really feel something from the D date. With those thoughts in mind, flash forward to the outcome...

Final segment: Chilli & Tionna are in the ATL, preparing for Tionna's departure back to the Big Apple and back to Tionna's man. Ironically, Tionna and Chilli discuss how, over the course of this series, Chilli's notorious Chilli Checklist (of attributes that any man of Chilli's must possess) has been very much reduced in size. Chilli says that she's realized that the most important things on her checklist are that the man be family-oriented, loving, into kids, and be a great person. Note: I didn't hear any mention of religion or spirituality on that new short list.

So Chilli & Tionna get down to the Bottom Line, i.e. whether she feels that either Bill or Farmer D might have the potential to be Chilli's husband and a permanent mate. Chilli tells Tionna that there is "a guy" with whom she really "has a connection." Chilli then reveals that such guy is Bill! Tionna starts doing handstands (well, I'm exaggerating there, but she is very happy) since this means that Tionna's matchmaking role has ultimately been successful because Chilli has met someone who purportedly might be her new serious man. Chilli then proclaims the series to be a success. She and Tionna next profess their girlfriend love for each other, and Tionna goes on her way. In the closing credits, new scenes are shown of Chilli meeting up again with Bill and again allowing him to kiss her on the cheek. END OF SEASON 1.

Final observations: Throughout my coverage of this series, I have been very even-handed, just reporting the black-and-white (no pun intended) letter of what's occurred on this series, with very little commentary. But not tonight. Sorry, but I'm just not buying this outcome. In my opinion, Chilli very much stringently applied her checklist to these two dudes, and since Bill ruffled no feathers on that list (purporting to be a very devout Christian), and since Farmer D honestly told Chilli that he just hasn't developed that level of connection to the Christian faith, Chilli went the Checklist-safe route of siding with the dude who more met the strict Checklist definition. Nevermind that it seemed obvious that Farmer D got Chilli's fire burning a fair amount hotter than Bill did.

Bottom line: I think Chilli went the way that she felt to be the safe route. So much for following her heart just as much as she follows her head. But alas, these are just my humble observations: It's Chilli's life, and I hope she and Bill truly do work out, because despite the checklist, I've found both Chilli and Tionna during the course of this series to both be very personable and genuine folks (so much unlike what you typically see on these reality series). My only last parting shot to Chilli: Keep Farmer D in the game in Season 2! There's no reason why he shouldn't still be in the game!

Future Content Note: Be sure to return to this blog for not only a weekly episode recap of What Chilli Wants Season 2 (whenever Season 2 airs), but also be sure to check out my weekly episode recaps of the hot new VH1 reality series You're Cut Off, starting June 9! Should be fun, as always.

Arkansas Dem Senator Blanche Lincoln "Besieged on All Sides": She's the Next Prominent Partisan Politician Who Should Turn Independent.

As reported in today's Politico.com (story link at bottom), labor unions, MoveOn.org and others on the far left "progressive" extreme of things are beating up democrat Lincoln for not being leftist enough (e.g., her opposition to a public option in Obama & The Dems' health care monstrosity -- a bill for which she ultimately voted in favor under intense political pressure) . Meantime, the right-wingers (including right-wing democrats, which they actually have in the Arkansas political culture) are pounding Lincoln for voting with the Senate dems too often.

As Politico reports: "She barely edged Lt. Gov. Bill Halter in the May 18 [dem] primary, falling well short of the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid [a] June 8 run-off, and is now slipping in the polls and being outspent by her opponent and his labor allies." Doesn't this sound all too familiar? It's very similar to the situation Charlie Crist faced in his Florida Senate run immediately before he turned from republican to Independent. And turning Independent is precisely the move that Lincoln should seriously consider. Her far left-controlled party does not want her, and the republicans certainly would not welcome her.

Hey Blanche: You should at least consider it. (Heck, think about it as you watch tomorrow night's season finale of "What Chilli Wants" on VH1.) Even if you turn Independent and ultimately lose, at least you will have done so without being saddled by the need to kiss the behind of a loony far left with whom you are obviously not very comfortable. And you would still maintain the freedom to blast the assorted craziness of the deranged right-wingers amongst both the dem and repub parties in Arkansas. In short, you wouldn't be beholden to anyone or anything except for your own conscience and the best interests of the people of Arkansas. Not a bad spot, if you ask me.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37943.html

The Slow Rise of Centrist Republicans? Yeah Right. They're "Centrist" Right Up to the Time When the Far Right & the Tea Party Starts Tugging at Them.

An article in today's Politico.com (link at bottom) discusses what it describes as the quiet and slow, but steady, rise of "centrist" republicans on the national political scene. The author is Lou Zickar, editor of The Ripon Forum, a "centrist journal published by The Ripon Society." Zickar says that the "comeback" of centrist republicans has taken a hit with tea party successes and Charlie Crist's decision to turn Independent, but Zickar also points to several prominent examples of republican politicians that he views to be centrist, such as Scott Brown and current Senate candidates Linda McMahon, Jane Norton and Meg Whitman.

Although I disagree with a basic premise of this article, as explained below, Zickar does make some good points touching upon how the two political extremes incessantly try to marginalize more-centrist candidates and politicians, and how the growing number of American Independents are the ones who ultimately decide elections:

"For centrist Republicans, it is the best of times and the worst of times. It’s the best of times because, across the country, the number of independents is growing. Polls reveal that at least 40 percent of Americans now say they are at the political center. But it’s the worst because, in Washington certainly, it seems like the political center is being marginalized by the extremes."

"In Washington, Crist’s decision is widely viewed as a loss for centrist Republicans. But it is also viewed as a win for the tea party movement — which propelled Rand Paul to victory in Kentucky last week and is forcing candidates from Arizona to New Hampshire to run to the far right. This rise of the tea party seems to further marginalize centrist Republicans. But to the extent that the tea party is pushing Republican candidates across the country to the right, it is also pushing many Washington Republicans to realize something they’ve overlooked in recent years: The GOP has to remain connected to the political center if it is to build an electoral majority."

"Government is broken. The federal bureaucracy is dysfunctional. And people are angry as a result . . .Centrist Republicans understand this. This is one reason why — despite today’s focus on the extremes — centrists are making a comeback. The comeback is quiet and slow — but steady."

I agree with a lot of those points, but I disagree with Zickar's view that partisan politicians turning Independent is a bad thing. I think it's a great thing. It frees them from the shackles of the two extremes that control our two political parties. A republican or democrat may truly be a "centrist" at heart, but yet will always veer towards the extreme of his/her party (whether it be while in office or when seeking re-election) when enough pressure is exerted by the progressives or by the tea partiers or other conservative powerbrokers. Frankly, I trust a "centrist" republican or democrat to represent the Independent mainstream of the country about as much as I would trust a heart surgeon with the yips.

The answer to our broken political system does not lie in efforts to bring the two parties towards the center, because that is simply not going to happen. Complete waste of time. These parties are what they are, and the only way in which they've ever changed in my lifetime is to become even more extreme-controlled as time has passed. Nope, the ultimate answer lies outside these two parties, with viable Independent and third-party candidacies. We need more partisan politicians to make the very same decision that Charlie Crist made, just like we need more good reality shows like "What Chilli Wants."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37886.html

Oh, Mr. President:I Have a Few Questions...

(Update: See at bottom for initial thoughts on today's presser). Obama today will reportedly be appearing in person for his first White House press conference, in front of the entire White House press corps, in 10 months (the first since the infamous presser last summer in which Obama, without a grasp of the facts, accused Cambridge cops of "acting stupidly" in arresting a Harvard professor). It's unclear whether this will be a full-blown press conference, or whether Obama will only be taking very limited questions. I suspect it's going to be more Obama prepared remarks than anything else. But regardless, he will reportedly be taking at least a few questions, and today's Politico.com posits the seven questions that it would ask at this event. Feel free to read those at the link at bottom -- I didn't read them, but instead came up with my own list of seven questions off the top of my head, which are as follows:

1. Is there any truth to the repeated allegations of Joe Sestak that someone inside the White House offered him a job in the federal government if he would drop out of the Pennsylvania democratic senatorial primary race?

2. Are you really that big of a fan of quail eggs?

3. You say today that the BP oil spill has been successfully capped, but what about the massive amount of oil that's still floating out there and that's reaching land -- Do you intend to continue to follow the course of allowing BP to head up responsive efforts by themselves?

4. What has been the reason for the delay from the federal government in authorizing Louisiana to construct barrier islands off its coast to protect itself from the oil spill?

5. How do you respond to the comments yesterday from James Carville which were highly critical of your administration's efforts with respect to this oil spill and which noted that "we're dying down here"?

6. Have you watched any episodes of the VH1 reality series that all of America's been talking about -- "What Chilli Wants" -- and do you intend to catch The A-Team movie set to arrive in theaters on June 11? (Yes, I realize that's a compound question).

7. Have you read the new Arizona immigration law?

If he hasn't read it: Don't you think it would be important to read a relatively short statute that has garnered the attention of several high-ranking officials in your administration, who are now saying that the federal government will likely sue Arizona over the new law?

If he has read it: As a former constitutional law professor, what is your analysis of the constitutionality of the new law? (Follow up: Can you tell me the precise language of the statute upon which you are relying for those opinions?)

Stick me in the press corps, baby! I'm on a roll!

POST-PRESSER THOUGHTS: I only caught a portion of today's press conference over lunch hour, but also looked at a couple of media accounts. On Sestak, Obama took the same sort of "take our word for it" tone as earlier taken by Robert Gibbs, claiming that "nothing improper" occurred without any further explanation. He also promised that an "official response" from the White House will be coming soon. Why not today, Mr. President? But I think the most outrageous thing I heard from Obama today was his claim to not "know the circumstances" involved in today's resignation of Elizabeth Birnbaum, the head of Obama's Minerals Management Service (which oversees offshore drilling). Please. All in all, most of my above-listed questions were more or less covered, at least in general, as Obama was also asked about the Arizona law and extensively about the oil spill (predictably making his best effort to try to heap a portion of the blame on Bush, of course). However, it is at least a bit concerning that there was not so much as one question from the press corps about quail eggs, "What Chilli Wants," or The A-Team movie. Talk about your missed opportunity.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37857.html

Lifestyles of the Rich & Leftist: How I Forked Over 17 Grand, and All I Got Were Some Quail Eggs & This Crummy Picture with the President.

I noticed today's account of an Obama fundraiser this week for Sen. Barbara Boxer in San Francisco at the "Getty Mansion" (yes, the mansion of Big Oil's Getty family). Eighty people attended this event, at $17,600 a head (or $8,800 an ear, if you're The High Plains Drifter). That payment bought attendees a quick pic with the president plus a dinner consisting of the following menu, which I warn you is largely incomprehensible unless you happen to be a gourmet chef or a bona fide aristocrat. Check it out:

-Starting hors d'oeuvres: "Quail egg with caviar and salmon ceviche with jicama and avocado on a tortilla chip."
-Salad: "Spring onion-asparagus tartlet with Meyer lemon vinaigrette-dressed frisee salad."
-Main course: "Braised Kobe beef short ribs with potato puree and a salsa verde-topped spring vegetable ragout."
-Dessert: "Buckwheat crepes with roasted cherries and almond ice cream."

I guess, to some, the "celebrity" pic with Obama might be kind of cool, but what about them eats? I'd be pi$$ed if I'd shelled out that kind of jack, only to receive that meal. Is there something wrong with garden variety chicken eggs? And what the hell's a "ragout"? Or a "ceviche with jicama," for that matter? "Buckwheat crepes"? Blah. Give me a few White Castle sliders or a tasty bacon, eggs & grits plate any day over that zany menu (just don't give me those things on a daily basis because, with the exception of grits, they are chock full of saturated fat).

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/around-town/food-drink/What-to-Eat-on-a-17600-Date-With-the-President-94935344.html

Ruling: Teacher Free to Curse Up a Storm in Class -- Just So Long As It's Sex-Ed Class!

This from the Big Apple (first link below), where an 89-year-old federal judge has ruled that the city department of education wrongfully suspended teacher Faith Kramer (pictured at left) -- an apparent Ellen Sussman wannabe -- "for discussing vulgar words for sex acts and parts of the anatomy with students in her sex education class." The suspension had followed the teacher getting busted by parents who had read some of the vulgarities in their kids' class notes.

Post-ruling reactions? As noted by the Post, the teacher kept her response to the ruling G-rated -- "I was really happy with the judge's decision; I feel vindicated" -- although I'd like to hear the swearing she might have done if the ruling had gone against her. Chimed her lawyer: "The words [she] used are a frequent part of our language and the language of schoolchildren."

I'm trying to imagine how one of this lady's classes might have gone. Perhaps something like this (based on pure conjecture, obviously): "Alright class, here's today's lesson: Sex is a term synonymous with many words and phrases in our language, and so let's go through the entire laundry list because it's very important for you to hear this and I want you to write down everything I say." Then she breaks into her best impersonation of George Carlin's "7 Dirty Words" routine (second link below), and the expletives really starting flyin'. At the end of the routine, with the class bell sounding, Ms. Kramer sends the kids on their merry way with a few gratuitous parting cuss words -- just for good measure. But the foul language doesn't stop at the bell. Not in Ms. Kramer's class, leastways. As one student is slow in gathering up his class notes after the bell, Ms. Kramer gives him a "you heard me, get the F*** out of here" blast. She's even heard spewing some profanities under her breath as she makes her way towards the restroom after class. Just another day in the life of the Notorious Cursin' Kramer!

But seriously: This ruling definitely does not seem like the right one to me. I'm quite open to the use of curse words in appropriate settings (and use them plenty myself), but that doesn't mean that foul language has any place in a high school classroom. And it's certainly possible (since I know it occurs in schools across the country every day) to teach a sex-education class without needing to use the vulgar versions of such words and phrases as sex, oral sex, penis, etc. Now, I don't know that Ms. Kramer's immediate suspension was necessarily warranted, but a warning and/or reprimand certainly would have been.

Final thought: The lawyer's quote above was choice. Basically he's saying that since all the kids know and use curse words outside of class, teachers should be able to spout them in class. Huh? Talk about a disconnect in logic. How about since many high-school-age kids have sex outside of class, let's permit teachers to bring their significant others to class and have sex in front of the students? Purely non-sensical, as is most everything in this very strange story. BTW, the Post reports that Ms. Kramer has now been reinstated to teach her class, so let the swearing start anew!

http://www.newyorkpost.com/p/news/local/staten_island/foul_talk_is_fair_eXMOhYWp7Me4ky8ebIkl1K http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_Nrp7cj_tM

This One Just Smells Like It May Have Legs: The First Serious Charge of Actual Criminal Illegality in the Obama White House?

This story has been simmering just below the surface for months now, and it's starting to smell more and more like it's gonna boil over sometime soon. Dem Joe Sestak (pictured at left), who last week defeated incumbent PA senator Arlen Specter in the dem primary, has repeatedly claimed in recent months that someone at the White House tried to offer him an illegal bribe in the form of a job offer (perhaps a cabinet post) if Sestak would drop out of the PA senatorial primary (allegedly in order to grease the wheels for a Specter primary victory).

Today's Politico.com (link at bottom) discussed how republicans have been trying to push this issue for several months, requesting that Obama's Justice Department appoint a special counsel to investigate Sestak's allegations. Today, the Justice Department officially rejected that request, even though there is absolutely no indication that the Justice Department has made or intends to make any internal effort of its own to look into these allegations.

The White House has apparently successfully put the kibosh and muzzle on Sestak, who's no longer talking about his prior allegations. As to its own position on those allegations, the White House has been stuttering and stammering around for months, finally resulting in press secretary Robert Gibbs' self-serving and conclusory statement recently that "nothing inappropriate occurred." Gibbs and Obama's White House refuse to say anything else.

Now, while it should be clear that Gibbs and the White House would have every motive in the world to try to downplay and avoid these allegations, precisely what motive would Sestak have to fabricate his allegations? He had a motive to publicly disclose these allegations (i.e. so that he could use them against Specter), but a motive to completely fabricate them? Please. I'm certainly no partisan and have no dog in this fight. But this thing is really startin' to stink to High Heaven, which leads me to my conclusion expressed at the top that this one may well have some actual legs going forward. Stay tuned...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37713.html

Episode 7 Tonight of "What Chilli Wants" on VH1: Tionna Storms Out on Chilli in What's Being Called the Notorious "Bread Incident"!

(If you're not familiar with this show, try this primer: http://independentrage.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-reality-show-what-chilli-wants.html)

Episode Nutshell: Chilli has second meetings/dates with Bill and Farmer D, with one going better than the other, but also with both dudes still remaining in the field of play. But as Tionna tries to set up a more intimate date between Chilli and both of those men, the conversation breaks down into an argument, and the bread starts a flyin'!

Segment 1: Chilli is at home with her son Tron. Chilli notes that things are going well for her, with both Bill and Farmer D recently sparking her interest. Then Tron (a pre-teen) asks how old he needs to be before he can have a girlfriend. Chilli's immediate reaction is age 17! Tron, in contrast, is more thinkin' 13. Chilli advises him to just focus on being a kid right now (great advice) and they will deal with this issue as it presents itself in the future. Chilli comments that she loves Tron's innocence, with "no walls up," and hopes that she can get back to that sort of state of mind in her life.

Then Chilli has her second meeting/date with Bill at the Uptown Comedy Corner in the ATL. Bill's excited. He asks Chilli what she's been up to, and Chilli says that she and Tron had a recent WWE Night where they attended a WWE event together. Bill loves Chilli's fun-loving side and the fact that she's pumped about pro wrestling (BTW, appreciation for pro wrestling is a very cool attribute in a lady, and one rarely found!). Bill also tells her that he can't look at her with a straight face whenever she looks at him with one of her sexy looks. Chilli finds Bill to be a "silly man," which is a big turn on for her. Then they head into the comedy club, where Chilli worries whether Bill will be comfortable given that most of the audience -- as well as the comedian, Aries Spears -- is African-American. Aries recognizes Chilli and immediately starts in on roasting Bill over his "whiteness", for lack of a better description. Bill is a good sport and has a good time with it, which impresses Chilli. Outside, at the end of the date, Bill tells Chilli that he'd like to see her again, then they share a hug, and it's obvious that this was a very successful date from both of their perspectives.

Segment 2: Now it's Farmer D's opportunity for his second meeting/date with Chilli. With Tionna also in attendance, Chilli and Farmer D meet at an event that is showing off Chilli's handbag line. Farmer D has shed his "farmer" clothes and is dressed up this time, with Chilli being very impressed with how good he looks. Farmer D is also very helpful in assisting Chilli with arranging the display of her handbags for the event. Farmer D then gets to meet some of Chilli's friends and family, with Chilli's sister Justice trying to give D a pretty good grilling (with questions touching upon such areas as D's "real age", whether he wants kids, and his thoughts on heaven and hell). Tionna, thinking after awhile that D has probably had enough grilling, intervenes on his behalf to draw a close to Justice's "cross-examination."

After the handbag event, Chilli and Farmer D sit down for a meal (appears to be Chinese cuisine, but not entirely clear if it's lunch or dinner). D tells Chilli that he's inspired by her. He tells her that he really likes her pleasant and easygoing personality, coupled with the fact the she's a bona fide "rock star" (very accurate observations, BTW).

But then BOMBSHELL!! Chilli asks Farmer D about the topic of his religious practices, and D reveals that he in the past has considered himself an atheist, and that even currently -- while he does consider himself to be a spiritual person -- he does not consider himself to be "very religious." This is some trouble, because Chilli's Christian faith is first and foremost in her life, and stands at a very high position on Chilli's Checklist of attributes that any man of hers must possess. Farmer D does say that while he doesn't know whether he would willing to "convert" to an actual religion, he is willing to "embrace" a religion if he gets to know more about it and feels a connection. Chilli is clearly disappointed with the fact that D is not an avidly religious person, but much to her credit -- and as a result of her recent pledge to try to follow her heart as much as she follows her head -- Chilli says that this isn't the "deal breaker" that it normally would be. She says that's gonna try to follow her heart and that she's not prepared to let Farmer D go over his current religious viewpoints (and good for her!).

Segment 3: Chilli & Tionna meet in a lunchtime setting at the ATL's Intermezzo. Tionna reveals her "Project Intimate" to Chilli, involving overnight trips for Chilli with both Bill and Farmer D. Tionna tells Chilli that she wants Chilli to increase the intimacy of her dates with both gentlemen. Chilli is very reluctant, noting that she does not feel comfortable enough yet with either man to go off on an overnight date. Chilli eventually relents and reluctantly agrees, but says that there's no way that she will be staying in the same room with either dude. Tionna is agreeable, noting it's not her goal or desire for Chilli to hook up with either guy on these dates, but instead Tionna wants them to have a more intimate setting in which there might be a little more huggin', kissin' and touchin' than has occurred so far. Then it all goes to hell in a handbasket! (and I'm not speaking of Chilli's handbag line!):

Chilli changes the subject and, given how well she and Bill have connected, asks Tionna (who identified Bill at that prior Braves game, but did not have Chilli meet him at that point) why Tionna did not have Bill & Chilli meet earlier than they did. Tionna explains that after the way Chilli treated Dolvette (a "nice guy," as Tionna puts it) at the Braves game, Tionna felt it better to hold Bill in reserve for later. But Chilli does not accept that explanation and continues to question Tionna about her decision. Chilli comments, "You're the love expert," implying that Tionna screwed up by not having Bill & Chilli meet earlier. Tionna is immediately taken aback, stating, "Don't go there!" Off camera, Tionna says that she was very offended by Chilli questioning Tionna's relationship expertise after all the effort that Tionna has given to try to help Chilli meet the right man. On camera, Tionna then boils over, sweeps their bread basket right off the table and on to the floor and storms off, stating, "Enjoy the rest of your day; Have a nice life." Out in the parking lot, as Tionna prepares to get into her car, Chilli follows her out to try to quell the situation. Tionna exclaims, "I can take my ass back to Brooklyn, and you can still be alone."

Final segment: The verbal altercation continues out in the Intermezzo parking lot. Tionna is looking to drive the hell out of there, but has trouble finding her ("where the F*&% are my...") keys. This gives Chilli an opportunity to come up the car, where she tries to implore Tionna to calm down. Tionna comments that when she gets mad like she just did, she finds that the most positive thing for her is just to walk away from the situation for the time being (a sentiment and course of action with which I can completely identify, BTW -- why sit there and get even madder, when you can walk away and calm the heck down -- I know precisely what she's talking about right there).

Anyway, Tionna does calm down a bit, and apologizes for going quite that far in public (i.e. The Bread Incident), but also expresses to Chilli that she (Tionna) was very offended by the questioning of her expertise after all that Tionna has tried to do for Chilli. Chilli seems respectful of that, but also notes that the two of them need to be able to open and honest with each other with respect to all criticisms that each may have as to the other. The two then depart each other's company, and while they haven't totally made up, it's clear that cooler heads will likely prevail in the end (which I predicted after last week's preview of this episode, since Tionna & Chilli do seem to have a very real connection and friendship). Finally, off camera, Chilli comments that Tionna has helped her to find 2 guys whom Chilli really likes, and so -- as Chilli admits -- maybe there is a "little method to Tionna's madness" after all!

Preview of next week's Final Episode of this exciting new series: Chilli follows through and goes on overnight dates with both Farmer D and Bill. Both dudes try to give Chilli that "first smoocheroo," and it appears that at least one of them is successful! (Stay tuned...)