Friday, December 31, 2004

Happy New Year's from me and George!

I do not care that George is wax. He is lovely.




                                                   A smooch for my wax boyfriend George!



My friend Karen and a camel

Happy New Year

Hello faithful readers,

Happy New Year to you all. I wish you blessings, peace and love for 2005. I had a wonderful holiday in Orlando with Mom, Jenny and Kevin. I got to scratch the kitties with the pink back-scratcher from South of the Border. Since I can't pet the kitties and still be able to breathe, I use the back scratcher. The kitties don't mind. They think it is my paw.

Yesterday, Karen and I went to NYC. I bought a cheap handbag on Canal Street, then we visited my friend Lisa at her office for the New York Daily News in City Hall. Next we took the subway to Radio City Music Hall, where another friend - Jill - is a producer of the Christmas Show. We got to see the camels that perform in the Christmas show! They live in the Radio City basement for the run of the show and every day, their person walks them on 53rd Street. Apparently, camels like to dance and stretch their necks to the tall trees.

My goals for this year are to lose some weight and to really work towards my goal of adopting a child. I want to be a mom more than anything. I wish I were married and pregnant with my own biological baby. But that hasn't happened. This is not to say it won't, but I do feel strongly about being a mom and about the need to give homes to orphaned children. It costs about $25,000 to adopt a child from abroad, such as China or Romania. I do not have that money, but maybe it will come to me in some way. Who knows. If I am meant to adopt, it will happen.

It has been hard for me to watch the coverage of the tsunami. The whole thing is so big, devastating and awful. On one blog, a man in Southeast Asia wrote that it is a good thing he is an atheist, because he can't imagine how a God or god could allow the tsunamis to happen. Perhaps because I am writing this in the comfort of my New Jersey apartment, but I don't belive God caused the tsunami. I believe that these are things that happen on the earth and now, we are just in the way since there are so many of us humans. I believe this after living through the Florida wildfires of 1998 and Hurricane Charley in 2004.

But it is still awful and my thoughts are no comfort to those who are suffering. My sister, Jenny, has been thinking about the tsunami, too and this is what she wrote to me in an e-mail today:

" Hi Kathy,

I wish you a very happy New year, and I hope it is a
more peaceful and hopeful year for us all.

All is finehere.  Quiet.  I am working on revisions,
Mom had breakfast with Judith and Kevin
is getting ready for work.  The kitties are fine.

Kev and I will go out to dinner, then come home and
just hang.  Maybe light a candle in honor of the
people in Asia.  What happened there, it just makes me
heartsick.  All those people...

Jeez, there's your place to look to adopt.  Talk about
immediate need and kids being orphaned!  I'd say
Indonesia/Sri Lanka/India, etc are the places to focus
on!  I just can't imagine having all one's friends and
family just washed away....it's a devastating thought.

So, I think it is right to have sort of a quiet New
Year's, being glad for what we have, and just paying
honor to all those who lost everything.

Seriously, I SO plan to watch any whining in the new
year.  If a tsunami is not whacking into my home and
carrying away all those I love, then I really ain't
got any problems, and I've nothing to complain about!

Thus, on that quiet and sad, but-also-glad-to be-alive
note, I wish you the healthiest and most hopeful of
new years, and hopes for us all for peace and safety.

Love, Jenny"

(KQ again: I did some research and the U.S. government says it will NOT allow Americans to adopt tsunami orphans for the near future. Things are just too chaotic and it would be best for many of the kids to just stay with extended families instead of being completely uprooted. Makes sense.

http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/notices/notices_2017.html)


Tuesday, December 28, 2004

A man with a brain injury and "penis wounded" wants to date me

Oh and he lives in Hungary. I got this e-mail on one of the singles websites I am on.

---


In 1983 I was installing ocean navigation equipment onto a yacht; kneeling 20 feet above its oily teak deck in the aluminum tuna tower, when the single side band antenna I held contacted the marina's power supply cable- its one century old insulation, weather-abused, broken. Just as 7,200 volts entered my right hand 7,200 volts exited both kneecaps. This conduction pushed me backwards off the tower; my chest smoldering pink flesh; my brain charred and comatose; my penis wounded; my life, stopped. Eleven minutes later a Greenbank, New Jersey, paramedic stabbed an insulin needle into my heart, restarted it. Two months after that chemical jump-start, I opened my eyes from coma's darkness, onto a shiny new world; everything different, everything the same. I had head-trauma. 'Head-Trauma'. What happens every time a person loses consciousness. The quantity of the frontal brain damage received moves in concert with the length of the coma. My coma lasted 59 days, on the cusp of permanent injury, which meant that although my reality reception, immediately afterwards, was completely skewed and whacked, it would be temporary.

I relearned to walk; I relearned to eat with a fork and use a knife; I relearned to speak without a stream of drool falling; I relearned to pee in a toilet bowl while standing, then, I moved on. I studied life. I learned when not to speak; I learned to eat life with a spoon; I learned to be humble. I married, I divorced.

*********
Twenty-one years hence I live in Hungary, next door to my wonderful seven year-old son. Presently, I seek a conversation with the Naropa University community in order to attune this Self more with contemplative education; in order to define my unconscious becoming conscious; in order to understand and expiate that; in order to reply, further, to the death knell once heard for me.



Who I am seeking

I seek a kind woman. I live in Hungary, mostly. Although I also have a residence in Southern New Jersey.


Monday, December 20, 2004

Frigid

It is FRIGID here today. Thirteen degrees! That is it.

Am heading to Orlando tomorrow for a week. Mom tells me it is "chilly" there, too. For instance, may only hit 75 one or two of the days that I am there.

Sigh. I remember when I thought Florida was "too hot."

Saturday, December 18, 2004

The Apprentice finale

Kelly won, as we know. This is good. I picked him right out at the beginning of the show. Trump LOOKED like he wanted to pick Jen. But maybe he got confused between picking an employee and picking a wife. Look at Ivana Trump and Marla Maples. Look at Jen. Hello.

But let us not forget Ivana (the contestant) and the exact point at which she lost her mind during the candy-bar-selling task and dropped her skirt for $20. Here is a hilarious re-cap from my favorite website, Television Without Pity:

http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/story.cgi?show=125&story=7225&page=7&sort=&limit=

"...A bit later, Ivana watches Mosaic walk away down the street. "They look like strippers with chocolate bars, I'm not going to lie. And when I say 'strippers,' I mean, like, at a cheap beer dive in Texas. With peanut shells on the floor." If she weren't such a jerk the rest of the time, I would chalk that up to just one of those things where you're so frustrated that you spit out a barrage of insults you know is irrational -- I've done it a million times, mostly about basketball officials. But it's Ivana, so she gets no slack. As she walks with Kevin and Kelly, she says that it's now "a street fight," and she's "not afraid" of Jen and Sandy. They're "cheap hookers," et cetera, et cetera. "Give me twenty bucks a bar, I'll take off my skirt," she says. Now, how you can reconcile calling other women "cheap hookers" and taking money to take your own clothes off is something that isn't quite clear to me, but we'll get back to that. Carolyn, who apparently is around, looks concerned. Ivana interviews that when she saw that Jen and Sandy were using sex appeal, she decided to "do something completely drastic." So. Ivana walks up to this guy and asks him if he'd like to buy a chocolate bar. He hesitates. "Twenty dollars a bar," she says, putting her thumb into her waistband, "and I'll drop my skirt." When he blanches, she says it again. "Twenty dollars a bar, and I'll drop my skirt." He laughs. "Come on," she says. "You're making big money in there, come on." Another guy walks up, and she makes the same comment to him. One or the other of them gives her twenty bucks. She puts down all her stuff. She grabs her skirt, and she pushes it to the ground, revealing white boy-cut underwear with some kind of print on it. One of the guys points."Niiice," he says to his buddy. "Yeeeah," he adds. She executes a spin for him, as another few people walk past. Carolyn stares coldly, thinking, "The Equal Pay Act was passed, and all I got was this lousy idiot in her underpants on the street..."

Are these parents on crack?

WHO? WHO I ask you, are these parents who allow their children to spend the day with Michael Jackson at Neverland Ranch? Regardless of whether or not Jackson is convicted, he is just one creepy dude.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/18/jackson.party.ap/index.html

 

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

George Clooney in wax!

Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in NYC is unveiling a figure of George Clooney tomorrow at 11 a.m. Shriek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.nycwax.com/index.asp

More blood tests

Had more blood tests today. To check my cholesterol and more to check for celiac disease cause I see that doctor on Friday. Apparently, checking for celiac disease involves draining a quart of blood from my body.

I couldn't eat before the test so that was lots of fun. NOT! I got to the blood place and I THINK I had the lady who made me pass out before, but I wasn't sure so I said: "I am a hard stick. I passed out last time. I will be doing this lying down here on this cot."

She is thwapping my arm for a vein. So I say, "If you can't get one, forget it and we will try another day." But no, she felt obliged to soldier on. She found a vein.

Meanwhile, she lined up a series of empty tubes on my tummy. "I am just going to lay these here," she said. Um, sure, I guess. My tummy is now a table.

It was taking FOREVER. I think she is almost done. Then she says, "Two more" and picks up a vial off my tummy/table.

"It is coming out really slow," she said. THANKS FOR THE UPDATE. Now SHUT UP.

Finally was all over and I got orange juice and a hot ham and cheese at the Wawa.

Merry Christmas from the elves and I

Who let the elves out?

http://www.debsfunpages.com/funpages/view.cfm/6678

Monday, December 13, 2004

U2 will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/13/people.rockhall.inductees.ap/index.html

My review of "Ocean's Twelve"

Well, I loved it, of course. George looked sooooooooo nice. But I must say, and I think George would agree with me, that this is really Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta-Jones' movie. The main plot really revolves around them. But that is okay, because Brad looks nice and buff, with cool short hair and silky shirts. Oh my!

Of course, I still love George most. A funny running gag in the movie is that everyone thinks he is older than he is.

The plot is all twisty-turny and I lost the thread several times. But who cares. This will make it more fun the next time I see the movie.

Europe looks wonderful in the movie. Must win the lottery so I can go to Rome and Amsterdam and London and Paris.

Friday, December 10, 2004

I am crabby

Cold, greay, dreary day. Rainy. Yuck. Makes me want to curl up in a ball. Am so crabby that I am ALMOST not excited about the opening of "Ocean's 12" today. Almost. Have papers to grade. Have to be perky at a Happy Hour tonight and I don't feel like it. I gained three pounds while I have been watching my weight. On top of that, I spent the morning at the gynecologist. Yipee.

Thursday, December 9, 2004

Karaoke

I sang karaoke last night. The disco classic, "I Will Survive." Hee.

Tuesday, December 7, 2004

Christmas shows tonight

8 p.m. "A Charlie Brown Christmas." See the Peanuts do those funky little dances. Look at the weird little Christmas tree. Listen as Linus, who is supposed to be five, recites from the Bible

10 p.m. "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy Christmas Special." I hope Carson has some Christmas balls!

Monday, December 6, 2004

Menudo member is on the SWAT Team

...and he got injured in a car crash.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/gen/ap/FL_Menudo_Car_Crash.html

 Police officers, including ex-Menudo singer, hurt in car crash

YEEHAW JUNCTION, Fla. — Four members of the Coral Gables police department, including a former member of the 1980s band Menudo, were injured when the van they were riding in overturned on Florida's Turnpike in Osceola County.

The officers were members of the department's SWAT team and returning Saturday from the SWAT Round-up International, a 66-team competition in Orlando.

Miguel Cancel, one of the officers injured in the accident, was a singer with Menudo as a teenager in the 1980s, said Coral Gables police Lt. Paul Miyares.

The four officers — Eduardo Orbe, 29, Edwin Pagan, 32, Eugenio Arencibia, 32, and Cancel, 37 — were southbound on the turnpike Saturday about 10 a.m. when the rear right tire blew on their van.

The vehicle flipped onto the northbound lanes, coming to rest on the northbound shoulder about four miles north of Yeehaw Junction, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Orbe, the driver, and Pagan, the front-seat passenger, were wearing seat belts. Arencibia and Cancel, who were riding in the back and not wearing seat belts, were ejected, the FHP said. All four were taken by ambulance to Orlando Regional St. Cloud Hospital.

Orbe and Pagan were treated and released.

Arencibia and Cancel were taken by helicopter to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami for treatment. Miyares said Arencibia suffered a back injury and Cancel suffered a "severe injury to his left hand." A hospital spokeswoman referred calls to the department.

Sgt. Augustin Diaz said Cancel recently has performed benefit reunion shows with the group. Some of the members, including Cancel, reunited as El Reencuentro for a reunion tour.

Sunday, December 5, 2004

This weekend...

...I spent hours grading students' papers. Ah, the end of the semester. It is 10:35 p.m. and I still have seven more papers to get through tonight.

  I have read so many mixed metaphors, fuzzy details and bad punctuation that my eyes are about to fall out. One student even started her article with the dreaded phrase: "Webster's dictionary defines." AHHHHHHHH!

  But I did take a break this afternoon to go to the Sketch Club Players performance of "A Taffetas Christmas."

http://www.geocities.com/sketchclub/

  My friend Mary Kate played "Peggy," a dippy performer who can sing in pig latin, among other talents. If anyone lives near Woodbury, NJ, go check out the show.

   I probably won't do any community theater until this summer when I will try out for the Neil Simon play, "Rumors."

I am...

...bloated. Does anyone care? Nah, I didn't think so.

But at least I did not get fired from "The Apprentice!"

Friday, December 3, 2004

The Apprentice

Anyone watch "The Apprentice" last night? WHAT was Ivana thinking by offering to drop her skirt for $20. HelllOOOO. Clearly, she lost her mind.

Trump probably didn't care so much, but it  is not like that is behavior he would want in a CEO.

I wasn't so horrified that Jen and Sandy put on short skirts and heels to sell candy bars. Because they KEPT THEIR SKIRTS ON!

Thursday, December 2, 2004

U2's new album is No. 1 on the charts!!!!

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/02/music.sales.reut/index.html

U2's album tops U.S. charts

cover.u2.jpg

LOS ANGELES, California (Billboard) -- U2 earned its sixth No. 1 album on the U.S. pop charts Wednesday as its new release, "How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," sold almost twice as many copies in its first week as 2000's "All That You Can't Leave Behind."

The new Interscope album moved 840,000 copies in the Thanksgiving holiday week that ended November 28, according to sales data from Nielsen SoundScan.

The Irish quartet's previous package, "All That You Can't Leave Behind," entered -- and peaked -- at No. 3 in November 2000 on sales of 428,000 copies; it has a to-date total of 4.2 million.

U2 ended the two-week chart reign of labelmate Eminem's "Encore" (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope), which dropped to No. 2 with 471,000 copies. The band also terminated the rapper's three-week stint atop the U.K. charts on Sunday.

The album's arrival was heralded by first single "Vertigo," which is featured in Apple Computer's iPod/iTunes TV commercial. The track spent four weeks atop Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks list, which is based on radio airplay, and is currently at No. 3. Additionally, the band made a series of high profile appearances in the week leading up to the album's release, including a performance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" and an unannounced free outdoor show in New York.

U2, which first went to No. 1 on The Billboard 200 with 1987's "The Joshua Tree," has a worldwide sales total of more than 120 million copies, according to Interscope.

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Dreadful oil spill

Dreadful oil spill on the Delaware River this weekend, not too far from where I live. Hundreds of dead birds. Horrible ecological effects. And now the oil is oozing toward the drinking water supply. Oh joy.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/local/10304629.htm

Monday, November 29, 2004

Celeb news

1) Julia Roberts gave birth to twins. She named them Phinneas and Hazel. Hmmmm. Itis a good thing she is rich because those kids will be beaten on the playground.

2) Mariah Carey now wishes to be known as Mimi. Please make a note of this.

Saturday, November 27, 2004

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all my friends and fans, I am thankful for you. Have a great holiday. I will be in DC with my Dad, my brother Patrick and his wife, the Lovely Karla. Hopefully, my Dad will enjoy himself and not spend the ENTIRE time talking about: his cataract surgery, his diabetes and his intestines.

We will be at Georgia Brown's restaurant in DC. Here is a sample of the menu:

http://www.gbrowns.com/dir/events.aspx?NewsID=87

Thanksgiving Dinner is a down home tradition at Georgia Brown's!!!

Always a Washington favorite for Thanksgiving, Georgia Brown's celebrates with our best comfort food, scrumptious turkey with all the fixings, served up with Southern hospitality.  Our traditional Low Country feast is served family style - $36.95 for adults and $25.99 for children.

To Begin...

Your very own Fried Green Tomato with Lemon Cayenne Mayonnaise

Temptations...

Charleston She Crab Soup

or

Ms. Brown's House Salad

Dinner is Served...

(please select one)

Traditional Roasted Turkey with Mashed Potatoes, Cornbread Stuffing and Bacon Braised Green Beans

Untraditional Southern Fried Turkey with Mashed Potatoes, Cornbread Stuffing and Bacon Braised Green Beans

Plantation Rum Glazed Ham with Candied Yams, Sauteed Wax Beans and Cornbread Stuffing

Oven Roasted Salmon with Tarragon Cream Sauce, Sauteed Wax Beans and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

A Vegetarian Protein Selection of "Turkey Croquettes" will be available also

To Send You On Your Way...

Sweet Potato Cheesecake topped with a Caramel Pecan Sauce

Warm Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie

Chocolate and Cherry Cobbler with Appleton Rum Creme Anglaise

Fried Banana with Pistachios, Creme Anglaise and Chocolate Drizzles

Warm Peach Cobbler with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

How is the U2 album?

Need you ask? It is WONDERFUL!!!!

By the time I got to Best Buy at 6 p.m., all the copies but one had sold out.

However, it was odd when the teenage Best Buy cashier looked at my CD and said: "Oh yeah, I think my Mom wanted me to bring that home for her tonight."

Sigh.

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

U2 in NYC

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/22/u2.nyc.concert/index.html

U2 surprises NYC with free concert

story.u2.brooklyn.ap.jpg

U2 jammed at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge to the delight of the crowd estimated at more than 3,000.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- On the eve of the release of its new album, the rock band U2 surprised fans Monday with performances throughout New York City, culminating in a 45-minute concert in Brooklyn in the late afternoon.

The band tipped off members of the news media that it would perform a surprise concert, but it kept details under wraps until late Sunday evening.

Riding in the back of a flatbed truck, the band serenaded New York streets and snarled city traffic as a film crew captured the action for a music video.

The tour ended at Brooklyn's Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park -- on the waterfront between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges and across from the Lower Manhattan skyline -- to the delight of an estimated 3,000 people who had spent hours waiting for the rock stars to arrive.

The fans were treated to a set that lasted more than 45 minutes and covered songs from the band's new album, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," as well as old favorites.

The crowd flocked to the venue after word of the concert spread through fan Web sites. The concert was taped for an MTV special December 10.

Band publicist Dennis Dennehey said if the information about the show had been advertised beforehand, the band would have had to cancel the concert.

Local police were told the performance was simply for a television taping.

An original plan had theband playing in Manhattan's Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, but after it became apparent that too many people had learned about it, that plan was abandoned.

"How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" is the band's 13th album and its first since 2000. It releases Tuesday.

U2 consists of lead singer Bono, guitarist The Edge, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and bassist Adam Clayton.

Monday, November 22, 2004

Northeast Philadelphia

My friend Kristen wrote this wonderful essay about Northeast Philadelphia, the section of city where I grew up and still love. Here is the link:

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/10199738.htm

Toure

On Friday, I met Toure. He is a one-named writer and pop culture commentator who also writes novels. He is a cool dude with a mop of curly hair. He was the featured speaker at a cocktail hour I attended in Philadelphia for Media Bistro http://www.mediabistro.com

Toure writes for Rolling Stone magazine and his interview with Eminem is on the cover this month. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6593164 He is also a commentator on CNN.

He and I chatted after his reading about Britney Spears and Ashlee Simpson. This was while he ate all my fries. We agreed that it would be better to be stuck in an elevator with Britney because Ashlee clearly does not do well under pressure.

Toure has his own website. www.toure.com

 

Religious experience

Oh.My.God. I had a semi-religious experience this weekend as U2 appeared on "Saturday Night Live." They were awesome. Just awesome. I stared in rapt attention during their performances and then my sister and I called each other to squeal and basically make excited gleaping, gurgling sounds at one another since we were too worked up to form actual words.

The band performed three songs on-camera and apparently a few more after the show went off the air. One of the best parts was seeing the SNL cast members having conniptions from excitement as they watched the band. Bono hugged Amy Pohler and Maya Rudolph was so excited she was crying. I am with ya, sister.

The whole band looked cool, even after being together since 1979 and their sound was just so tight. They really do rock. Their album comes out Tuesday. GLEEEP!

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

U2 updates

U2 will be on "Saturday Night Live" this week. SHRIEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This afternoon as I was driving to work, radio station Y100 played most of the new U2 album. SHRIEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only five days till the album is released. AIIIEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!! SHRIEK!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Mmmmmm.

C2 cola. Love it. Mmmmm.

Monday, November 15, 2004

First class

I flew first class this morning from Orlando to Philadelphia.

Is anyone jealous of me?

However, there were no hot towels or hot fudge sundaes. Darn. Just beverages and a cookie.

Tuesday, November 9, 2004

Britney Spears writes her fans ANOTHER letter!

Oh joy. Oh glee. I hang upon her every word.

http://www.britneyspears.com/news-item.php?item=041108&PHPSESSID=9ebd72d8e4d065e48e76c8c48f321602

BRITNEY'S LETTER TO FANS: NOVEMBER 8, 2004

Dear Fans,

I'm just getting back from my honeymoon and it was absolutely breathtaking! This is the happiest I've ever been in my life. Unfortunately, we couldn't take our honeymoon right after the wedding because of the closing on our new house. We are just settling into our new home and it is coming together perfectly. I'm redecorating a lot of things because when we decide to start a family, everything in it needs to be perfecto! I love decorating; it's very therapeutic for me. I believe your house is a reflection of yourself, so I want everything in mine to be exquisite.

My new hobby is experimenting with all different types of art lessons. It's always been a passion of mine. Maybe I'll even do my sister's make-up next year for big events. Jamie Lynn is turning into such a beautiful little lady. Her new show is coming out soon and I am sooo proud of her. It's called Zoey 101 and it will be on Nickelodeon in January. DON'T MISS IT!

I haven't really thought a lot about work lately. What better time for a greatest hits album to come out? I can actually enjoy & reflect on my success at this point in my life. I may be disappointing some fans out there, but I don't think I'll do another tour for a couple of years. My priorities in life have changed. I am having fun again reading all the magazines that I enjoy (mainly because I am not on them). At this point and time, what I want is not my face on every cover, but someone else's instead. I really want to help other people achieve their dreams and possibly even develop new artists. Everything is in the very beginning stages and it feels great to just think about different opportunities that I am interested in pursuing.

The Holiday's are right around the corner and I can't wait to have my own Christmas tree in my very own house. As far as New Year's plans, I really wanted to have a huge party for all our friends and relatives who were unable to be at our wedding, due to the last minute surprise element, but I think we might have to wait until after the house is completely finished.

Well, I've got to go. My dog, Lacy, just got fixed and she's not acting like herself! I'm going to have Shabby Chic re-cover her bed and maybe that will lift her spirits!

Love, B

PS ~ Regarding last week's letter: I'm not the type of person to put blame on other people, but I do feel that some things which were done for me were not always in my best interests. Looking back, I feel now that on my 4th album "less is more" should have been the way to go. As for me quitting the business for good, that is kind of harsh. As I said earlier, my priorities have changed and I am going to be focusing on three main areas of my life for the immediate future. Myself, my husband, Kevin and starting a family. When I really come back, things will be totally different. Until then, there are some things close to me that you might be interested in seeing. For one, you will be able to get a taste of my fine hubby on a few covers; Jamie Lynn has her show coming out and of course, the tabloid's weekly analysis of my "letter of truth". Hopefully, they won't be trying to decipher that one for much longer! I can't wait to read what they say this week. He He! Well, now I've really got to go!

Love ya,

B

A guy and his really Ugly Sweater Collection

Must be seen to be believed.

http://www.buriedlede.com/projects/sweater.html

Saturday, November 6, 2004

Want to apologize to the rest of the world?

Are you like me? Do you feel as if you should be writing apology e-mails to everyone in Europe explaining that HALF of us did NOT vote for Bush? (Even though he seems to think he has a mandate from ALL of us.

Then log on to this site:

http://www.sorryeverybody.com/

And to here:

http://www.sorryeverybody.com/gallery1.html

Thursday, November 4, 2004

My new quote

"The trouble is that once you see it, you can't unsee it. And once you've seen it, keeping quiet, saying nothing, becomes as political an act as speaking out. There's no innocence. Either way, you're accountable."

- Arundhati Roy

In times of oppression, watch "The Daily Show"

Best lines from the show last night, post election:

"If you want to have gay sex or visit a library, tonight is probably your last night."

Also, the red states with their emphasis on morality and cultural values, voted for Bush because they are afraid of "hot man-on-man monogamy."

Wednesday, November 3, 2004

Onward

A friend sent this to me. Now, I feel better. Today, I am going to write and create some art.

The Day After
A short essay on the morning of defeat for the Democrats
By David Gilmore

Yesterday I went walking our precinct and calling lists of Democrats to make sure they had voted. For the past year and a half, I've devoted no less than 20 percent of my waking thoughts to it, surfing the web, checking polls, writing essays. Now it's all over. The country didn't deliver what I had hoped for, but you know what I found the most interesting during the course of my day of running around with the impassioned Democrats yesterday?

I noticed the ant pile in front of 4760 N. Haskell. It was a perfectly constructed volcano of sand. Each grain was laid out in perfect order and placed outside the hole according to its size. The tiny bright red beasts were scurrying about unconcerned with what was going on just a few feet away as we dropped literature on the doorstep. They were not running below ground to check the exit polls on CNN.

In the back seat of the car being whisked about the precinct, I noticed the soft curls of black hair on the back of Peyton's neck descending from beneath his baseball cap. I noticed how he blinked his girlish eyelashes repeatedly whenever his agitated father at the wheel was stern with him.

After hours of channel surfing at a party, I stepped outside to notice the half moon lying on its back over the desert, illuminating the jagged mountain peaks while inside, the country shifted toward the red, chiefly based on morality. As a homosexual, I knew they were talking about my
life without even knowing me. I blushed slightly but no one could see in the park. Could they be right? Maybe I don't deserve to marry and maybe my moral compass is spinning?

The brief flush of embarrassment at THAT thought was nothing compared to how I feel having wasted so much of my creative focus on politics. I stopped playing the piano and singing. I stopped writing poetry. I remembered when asked what to do in times of great political strife, Arundhati Roy simply said, "make art."

But, while the Republican balloon drop over the podium began, coyotes began screaming in the desert like children. I drove home along the empty streets of Tucson with my windows open. I drove past the Radison Hotel knowing that a downer party must be well under way with Democrats consoling one another.

I took a Xanax to calm my nerves and the pain of chewed off fingernails and fell asleep with the TV on just after Jim Lehrer signed off.

This morning instead of tuning in to hear a concession speech, I got out of bed and turned the heat on to warm the chilly house. I opened the piano, like a shopkeeper would turn the sign saying "open for business." I boiled a cup of water and fished the tea leaves out of my cup. Then I checked the olives curing in the kitchen. I had left them too long. They had mold
growing on them.

Today I'm going to work in the garden and sing. The aloes out back need to be separated and transplanted. The fountain needs leveling and I just got a new Leonard Cohen song to work on.

So while the political winners sit smugly, the losers wringing their hands, I'll be waiting for my first hummingbird to come and bathe at the nipple of my fountain. Had things been different last night, I knew that I too would have been sitting smugly, with a the admittedly empty satisfaction of knowing that a majority thinks like me. But not today.

British poet William Blake wrote: "I am really sorry to see my countrymen trouble themselves about politics. If men were wise, the most arbitrary princes could not hurt them. If they are not wise, the freest government is compelled to be a tyranny. Princes appear to me to be fools. Houses of Commons & Houses of Lords appear to me to be fools; they seem to me to be something else besides human life."

Onward.

David Gilmore is the host of Outright Radio on Public Radio International

Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Can't stand the waiting

Can't stand it. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Sunday, October 31, 2004

KQ's Movie Reviews

Here are my latest picks and pans for movies in theaters, on DVD and on cable:

"SIDEWAYS"

Loved it, loved it, loved it! Movie about two 40something guys on a road trip through California wine country before one of them gets married. Paul Giamatti plays a melancholy middle school teacher with a love for vino and a longing for love. He was great. The mechanic guy from "Wings" plays his friend, the lothario. The fabulous Sandra Oh is a woman the "Wings" guy picks up along the way. This movie is about the struggle to make a connection, find love and mean something to someone (and to the universe) even if you are no longer gorgeous and 20something.

"THE RULES OF ATTRACTION"

Hated it, hated it, hated it. Watched it on cable. In the 1980s, I was VERY into Brett Easton Ellis novels. Perhaps I was sucked in by the hype about Ellis and about Jay McInerney. Perhaps I was curious about college kids my age who were doing drugs and having a lot of sex, because I sure as heck wasn't.

This movie finally got made recently, although it has an awesome '80s sountrack. That is the only thing it has going for it. Dawson from "Dawson's Creek" plays the lead and he is horrible and so is his character. They are all a waste of humanity and the movie is bitter and mean. Bleh.

"THE MAYOR OF SUNSET STRIP"

Loved it, although it was often painful to watch. A biography of Rodney Bingenheimer, an L.A. DJ and former stand-in for Davy Jones in the "Monkees" tv series. Bingenheimer was at the top of the A list in the music scene on the Sunset Strip in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Now it seems that time has passed him by. He is still friends with lots of stars like Cher, Blondie and David Bowie. They all make appearances to talk about Rodney. He is a sad little guy though.

Saturday, October 30, 2004

HOW am I going to stand waiting for Election results?

Especially since we might not know the results for days. I am mentally prepared for legal action from whomever is the loser. But what if we have another Electoral College/popular vote split? Aiiieee.

Four years ago, I was right in the thick of things. And thank God I didn't know on Election Night that I would spend the next 37 days in re-count hell. Everyone is geared up for it this time around.

I WISH the polls were farther apart (with Kerry in the lead, obviously). Oy.

More about Catholics for Kerry

http://www.catholicsforkerry04.org/FrJohnArdisRemarkstoCatholicsforKerryRally102404.htm

Friday, October 29, 2004

Dog saves owner's life by calling 911

See? I just love stories like this.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/10/29/canine.caller.ap/index.html

RICHLAND, Washington (AP) -- Leana Beasley has faith that a dog is man's best friend.

Faith, a 4-year-old Rottweiler, phoned 911 when Beasley fell out of her wheelchair and barked urgently into the receiver until a dispatcher sent help. Then the service dog unlocked the front door for the police officer.

"I sensed there was a problem on the other end of the 911 call," said dispatcher Jenny Buchanan. "The dog was too persistent in barking directly into the phone receiver. I knew she was trying to tell me something."

Faith is trained to summon help by pushing a speed-dial button on the phone with her nose after taking the receiver off the hook, said her owner, Beasley, 45, who suffers grand mal seizures.

Guided by experts at the Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound, Beasley helped train Faith herself.

The day of the fall, Faith "had been acting very clingy, wanting to be touching me all day long," Beasley said Thursday.

The dog, whose sensitive nose can detect changes in Beasley's body chemistry, is trained to alert her owner to impending seizures.

But that wasn't what was happening on September 7, and Faith apparently wasn't sure how to communicate the problem. During Beasley's three-week hospital stay, doctors determined her liver was not properly processing her seizure medication.


 

In honor of Halloween...

...I am eating a candy apple. And it is sticking to my teeth.

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

Stern annoys the head of the FCC. Literally

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/entertainment/article.adp?id=20041027062409990001

Corbis

Howard Stern traded shots with FCC Chairman Michael Powell on the air.

SAN FRANCISCO (Oct. 27) - Shock jock Howard Stern made a surprise call to a radio station during an interview of the Federal Communications Commission head, claiming the chairman only got his job because his father is Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Stern called in to KGO-AM radio in San Francisco during a live interview Tuesday with FCC Chairman Michael Powell. After claiming Powell consistently avoids him, Stern began to question his credentials.

"How did you get your job? It is apparent to most of us in broadcasting that your father got you your job, and you kind of sit there and you're the judge, you're the arbiter, you're the one who tells us what we can and can't say on the air," Stern said. "And yet I really don't even think you're qualified to be the head of the commission."

Powell, a Republican, was appointed to the commission by President Clinton in 1997 and became chairman when President Bush took office in 2001. Powell denied Stern's charge and listed his qualifications, saying he is an attorney and was chief of staff of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division.

"I think it's a cheap shot to say just because my father is famous, I don't belong in my position," Powell said.

Stern, who battled for years with the FCC and conservative critics over his salacious show's content, is moving his show to Sirius satellite radio when his contract with Infinity Broadcasting Corp. expires in 2006.

Stern's show was dropped by media conglomerate Clear Channel Communications in April after the FCC proposed a $495,000 fine against it for comments made by Stern. Clear Channel reached a record $1.75 million settlement with the FCC in June to settle complaints against Stern and other radio personalities.

"I don't think that, you know, we have made any particular crusade of the 'Howard Stern Show' or you," Powell said during the 20-minute interview.

"Yeah, OK, Michael," Stern replied. "That's why I've received the largest fines in history."

After Stern was off the air, Powell said Stern's argument was that there should be no limits on what he is able to do on the radio. "If there are going to be limits, someone's going to have to define them and someone is going to have to enforce them."

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Acid reflux disease caused Ashlee Simpson's vocal cords to swell

That is what her dad said. And THAT is why she used pre-recorded vocals.

Um, what?

Hasn't she ever heard of chewing some Tums?

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/entertainment/article.adp?id=20041026075209990034

Ashlee Simpson's embarrassing performance on Saturday Night Live didn't hurt her sense of humor.

The 20-year-old singer and reality TV star took to the stage for Monday night's Radio Music Awards at the Aladdin hotel in Las Vegas to perform " Autobiography," the song that had caused her so much consternation on SNL just a couple nights earlier. Before she began, host Carson Daly assured the audience they were getting a live version of the song, but as the track began Simpson screamed, " It's the wrong song," the Associated Press reports.

Getty Images

 A second later she added that she was " only kidding!" – and then performed the song live.

The self-deprecating moment may have put a lid on Saturday's flub, during which Simpson walked off the SNL stage when her band began playing the wrong song and a prerecorded vocal track was clearly playing.

On Monday her father, Joe Simpson, blamed the lip-synching incident on his daughter's acid reflux disease, which he said had swollen Ashlee's vocal cords. The elder Simpson said it was his decision to go ahead with the prerecorded tracks, Reuters reports. " You've got to do what you've got to do," he said.

Monday, October 25, 2004

My friend Maria's morning conversation with an old lady

From my friend Maria, a reporter in Fort Worth:

i just talked to an 86-year-old woman who claimed to have a useful news tip. she didn't. but she did sing "maria" from west side story to me. then we had a conversation that went something like this: (Maria is happily married, by the way)

> her: now let me tell you about you. you're from south texas, right?
> me: no.
> her: oh. well, you're about 28 years old, right?
> me: 31, actually.
> her: your birthday is in the spring.
> me: um, december.
> her: i thought you were a gemini. i'm a scorpio. you're strong-minded and
> smart. and boy, you have a hard time getting along with your mother. i can
> almost see you. i can picture your hands. if you come by, i'll read them
> for you. i don't usually do that anymore, but i've chosen you.
> me: um, i need to get back to work. thanks for calling this morning.
> her: ok, if you don't want to know more about yourself. but you had two
> love affairs which ended terribly. and you're having a hard time finding a
> man, because you're smart and intimidate them.
> me: i've gotta go.
> her: fine, bye.

Sunday, October 24, 2004

Ashlee Simpson caught lip-syncing at SNL; runs off stage

Ashlee Simpson LIP SYNCS!!??!! How SHOCKING!

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gossip/story/245688p-210457c.html

In the key of fake

New York Daily News

Teen songbird Ashlee Simpson had a microphone malfunction on "Saturday Night Live" last night, scurrying off stage when a production glitch caught her lip-synching the wrong tune.

The pop star, younger sister of singer and TV star Jessica Simpson, sounded great belting out "Pieces of Me" in her first segment on the show. It was the same song that she butchered at August's MTV Music Video Awards, drawing withering reviews for a flat, out of key performance.

But the triumphant moment turned into a debacle when she came out to debut the song "Autobiography" for a second set. But whoever was responsible for piping in a studio-engineered rendition for Simpson to mouth screwed up, playing "Pieces" once again.

The raven-haired beauty hopped around briefly, then slinked off the stage as her hapless band half-heartedly faked away. It didn't take long for critics to vent their rage on Ashlee Simpson's official Web site.

"Finally, you're exposed for the fraud that you are," wrote an E-mail poster named drdrewby minutes after the embarrassing performance. "You have cheated your fans and people who actually thought that you had a lick of talent. You should quit the music business because you are now and always will be a complete and utter joke."

Said CowboyJeff99: "I knew she sounded like crap live, so I was 'wondering' what was going on when her voice sounded just like the radio edit."

When the cast of the live show came out to bid the audience good night, actor Jude Law tried to explain Simpson's slipup.

"What can I say folks, live TV," Law shrugged.

A still-humiliated Simpson apologized to her fans - and blamed her band for playing the wrong song.

Saturday, October 23, 2004

Two new polls show Kerry leading in NJ once again

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/new_jersey/9994077.htm

Kerry widens lead over Bush in N.J., two polls say



Inquirer Staff Writer

Sen. John Kerry appears to have stabilized his campaign in New Jersey, a state he was expected to win going away but that abruptly turned into a question mark after the Republican convention.

Two polls issued this week show the Democratic challenger widening his lead over President Bush, whose hopes of a New Jersey upset prompted his surprise visit to the state on Monday.

Kerry is leading Bush, 46 percent to 40 percent, among likely New Jersey voters, according to Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind Poll, released yesterday. The same poll showed them virtually tied last week.

Kerry's lead expanded to 49 percent to 41 percent when voters leaning toward one of the candidates were included. Nine percent of those questioned were undecided, while 1 percent favored independent candidate Ralph Nader.

Another survey released earlier this week gave Kerry an even larger lead - 51 percent to 38 percent. That poll, by Star-Ledger/Eagleton-Rutgers University, had shown Kerry with just a 6 percentage point lead two weeks ago.

A Quinnipiac University poll showed Kerry with a slimmer lead, 49 percent to 45 percent.

In the Fairleigh Dickinson poll, Kerry showed surprising strength among men, a voting bloc that Republican candidates have carried decisively in recent elections. He had also won back a significant percentage of women voters who had been showing signs of supporting Bush after voting overwhelmingly for Democrats.

The poll suggests that "Bush's brand of conservative Republican politics is not selling very well in New Jersey," said Richard Thigpen, a Democratic strategist and analyst for the PublicMind survey.

"The more Bush does what it takes politically to pursue his Southern- and Western-oriented electoral strategy, the harder it gets for him to carry New Jersey," Thigpen said.

But Stephen Salmore, a Republican consultant and an analyst for the poll, said the state "remains in play."

The Fairleigh Dickinson telephone poll of 503 likely voters, conducted Oct. 13-21, has a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.

Kerry's apparent advantage going into the campaign's final 10 days could ease the concern of some Democrats that their candidate's inattention to New Jersey could backfire on Election Day.

Given New Jersey's solid support of Democratic presidential candidates since 1992, the Kerry campaign made the strategic decision not to campaign there in favor of spending its time and money in certain battleground states, such as Pennsylvania.

The Kerry campaign held firm on its plan even in the face of consistent polling in the weeks after the Republican convention showing Bush running nearly even in New Jersey, chiefly due to terrorism fears in a state that lost nearly 700 residents in the World Trade Center attacks.

And Kerry stayed away even when Vice President Cheney and then Bush, sensing a chance to pick off a Democratic state, both made previously unplanned campaign trips to New Jersey in the last two weeks.

Kerry, in a national radio interview, chided Bush after his trip to Marlton in South Jersey. He said the President was wasting his time campaigning in a state that was certain to vote Democratic in November.

No Republican presidential candidate has carried New Jersey since Bush's father in 1988. Four years ago, the current President Bush lost to then-Vice President Al Gore by 16 percentage points.

Friday, October 22, 2004

Stolen U2 lyrics returned 23 years later

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Music/10/22/people.u2.lyrics.ap/index.html

PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) -- A long-lost briefcase full of notes and lyrics that were intended for the 1981 U2 album "October" has been returned, 23 years after it was stolen at a Portland concert.

U2 frontman Bono made the announcement Wednesday during an appearance before the World Affairs Council of Oregon, saying the returned notes were "an act of grace."

Bono had to rewrite the "October" lyrics in the studio, and band members called it their worst recording experience. Though the record was generally well-received, it didn't earn the praise of the band's debut album, "Boy," or third album, "War."

The briefcase was returned by Cindy Harris, 44, who said she found it in the attic of a rental home in Tacoma, Washington, in 1981. She said she did not know the notes had been stolen until many years later, and then she had no idea how to reach the band.

Her friend Danielle Rheaume spent much of the past year contacting U2's management.

According to "Into the Heart," a book of stories about U2 songs, the briefcase was stolen by some women who joined the band backstage at a now-defunct Portland nightclub.

The band returned to Portland a few years after the theft and Bono asked the audience if anyone knew about the briefcase. He repeated the question when the band played at the Rose Garden arena in 2001.

Kerry wins with voters who've never been wrong: Kids!

Go kids! Go kids!

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/9973817.htm


Inquirer Columnist

Democrat John Kerry rules the 14-and-under crowd. And that might be a bigger deal than you think.

Kerry scored 57 percent of the vote to President Bush's 43 percent in Nickelodeon's "Kids Pick the President" online mock election Tuesday. About 400,000 youngsters voted.

Did we mention that the Nick event, launched in 1988, has never been wrong?

"It's become a legitimate bellwether poll," says Linda Ellerbee, whose Nick News specials began focusing in March on the presidential candidates and their issues.

How legitimate? "I can only say that since '88, the kids have picked the candidate who became president two weeks before the grown-ups did," Ellerbee says.

"I'm not a pollster or a statistician, but my best guess is that kids, for the most part, are voting the way their parents vote. The grown-ups may want to pay attention."

Aside from providing a presidential "winner," the Nick election serves a more important function, says Ellerbee.

"The point is to get kids interested in the process early, with the idea that if they practice voting when they're young, they'll be more likely to go out and vote, for real, when they're older."

The mock election's 1.000 batting average "is the cherry on the sundae."

Ellerbee is not a huge fan of electoral polls, particularly at this time of year in a close presidential race. New numbers are issued virtually every day.

"If polls are so accurate, why are there so many of them? It's been fairly confusing to me. I've simply decided not to pay attention to any of them. My life is a lot less complicated now."

As for her presidential preference, "the wonderful thing about the ballot box is that it's secret," Ellerbee says. "As a journalist, I do not take part in partisan politics."

The happy/craziness of the fans in Boston

This was written by my good friend Elliott, latex god and yoga teacher:

"heya

It's almost impossible to represent what it's been like here all week.  Since that Sunday night 14 inning game that went to like 2 in the morning, people have been walking around like zombies.  Strung out emotionally, exhausted physically - must....watch...game.  Women and men.  People haven't been coming to yoga classes - they're staying home to watch the game or they're too tired from watching last night's game....   I myself watched the final 3 games like watching horror movies - compelled yet terrified.  Viewing the final innings through my fingers, hands across my face, anxious they were going to blow it and self destruct at any moment.   Some thoughts - from yesterday's Times: NYTimes:

"Until the final out, any Boston fan would have sourly insisted that
something dreadful could still ruin this huge lead."

"But that only raised the likelihood that Boston would suffer last night in
some new and hideous way."

and from today's Times:

Certainly anyone who was not a die-hard Yankees fan would say there was a kind of poetic justice to it all: an end to the dominion of the Evil Empire, a stake in the heart of the richest, most storied franchise in sports history. After 26 championships, after years of George Steinbrenner's outspending everyone, after decades of Yankees fans' taunting Boston with chants of "1918," wasn't it finally someone else's turn? And who better to do it than the Red Sox - national symbols, along with the hapless Chicago Cubs, of the perennial underdog?

And there were other morals to be drawn from the narrative. This is what happens when you don't cherish a home-grown star like Andy Pettitte and let him go. This is what happens when you chase after All-Stars like Kevin Brown, Alex Rodriguez, Kenny Lofton and Gary Sheffield, who are hardly true-blue, pinstriped Yankees. This is what happens when you think you can buy a championship team and strip-mine your farm system. This is what happens when you have the hubris not to correct obvious flaws on the pitching staff, like not having any ace left-handers.

Yes, Yankees fans have been horribly spoiled over the years. We did not know the pain of Boston. Or Chicago. Or even the pain of Jets, Mets and Knicks fans. We have taken tradition, luck and money for granted. And so there was that morality lesson as well.

Many Yankees fans had grown so entitled that they practically assumed a trip to the World Series was an annual autumn rite, and now that illusion has been smashed. And because of the shocking way in which the Yankees lost ("Hell Freezes Over," blared The Daily News), the result was not the usual disappointment that millions of sports fans feel every year, but something more disorienting - a kind of identity crisis, combined with a creeping sense of mortality, the realization that this was truly the end to the dynastic hopes that were planted in 1996 and that blossomed between 1998 and 2000. This, after all, was not the same Yankees team, and it did not possess the same mojo or the same ensemble feel. Only Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Joe Torre remain of the old Yankees, and there was talk, even before this week's debacle, of the toll that time and age were beginning to take on some of them."

Thursday, October 21, 2004

My sinuses

Ick. I have a cold and stuffed up nose. Head is pounding, right over my eyes. Eh. Ew. Eh.

Yea Red Sox!

Very happy that Boston beat the New York Yanks last night. Hate the Yanks. Bleh. They alsways win and I always favor the underdog. Which Philly teams used to be before they started just to STINK. (All right, all right. Not the Eagles. They are doing well this year.)

Watched the last half of the baseball game while clutching a pillow. Must be cool to be in Boston today.

Monday, October 18, 2004

Meghan comments on Britney

These are my friend Meghan's comments on Britney's letters to her fans:

--

"I think you should assign your students to do a paper  on a critical reading of this piece!

This is fascinating. She has skillfully woven a leitmotif of "not a girl, not yet a woman" through her prose, a theme ever-present in her musical compositions. As in: " Right now, I have to go-- I really want to watch "Saved" with Mandy Moore and re-runs of "Sex and the City.""    Which is it, Britney?  The Christian-high school good girl movie or the bad girl in the city television program that's too hot for regular cable?


She keeps us guessing. That is the brilliance of Britney Spears.

And here, she applies her message globally: 

"There is so much change going on right now... not only with me, but in the world, as well.  So, the next time you see my face, hear one of my songs or even if I'm the topic of your next conversation, please remember that times are changing & so am I."

Britney's letter to her fans!

http://www.britneyspears.com

NEWS: INFORMATION

BRITNEY'S LETTER TO FANS

Dear Fans,

I am going to start writing this column now as often as possible. The reason being is so I can talk directly to you, my fans, who have stuck by me & who continue to support me. Also, I'm not going to be as busy as my Mom. She's running behind my sister like crazy! I am also going to take some time off to enjoy life. I've actually learned to say "NO!" With this newly found freedom, its like people don't know how to act around me. Should we talk to her like we did when she was 16 or like the Icon everyone says she is? My prerogative right now is to just chill & let all of the other overexposed blondes on the cover of Us Weekly be your entertainment... GOOD LUCK GIRLS!! I'm sorry that my life seemed like it was all over the place the past 2 years, it's probably because IT WAS! I understand now what they mean when they talk about child stars. Going & going & going is all I've ever known since I was 15 years old. It's amazing what advisors will push you to do, even if it means taking a naive, young, blonde girl & putting her on the cover of every magazine.

I know now that my knee gave out on me this past summer so that I would have no choice but to stop. My body was shutting down and needed rest. It's funny how the Man upstairs works. Right now, I have to go-- I really want to watch "Saved" with Mandy Moore and re-runs of "Sex and the City." I want to enjoy all of the simple things that I missed over the past few years due to working way too much.

Being married is GREAT and I can't wait to start my family! There is so much change going on right now... not only with me, but in the world, as well. So, the next time you see my face, hear one of my songs or even if I'm the topic of your next conversation, please remember that times are changing & so am I.

Love always, Britney

P.S. I look forward to writing you all again soon. Kevin and I are finally able to take our Honeymoon!!

NOT the best time for O'Reilly to promote children's book

This is a very funny article. Click here for the full story:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/bal-to.oreilly16oct16,1,6560842.story

Here are some great excerpts:

Released last month, the 188-page book offers children advice on how to deal with subjects such as bullies, divorce, smoking, drugs, music, TV ... and sex. In the book, each chapter ends with O'Reilly's own experiences.

Given the nature of the lawsuit, it's difficult not to contrast his advice to children and Mackris' charges against him.

He wrote: "I didn't have sex until I was twenty years old! Can you believe it? I was kind of a shy guy around girls, and I had absolutely no 'moves.'"

She wrote: Among other accusations, O'Reilly described to her a Caribbean fantasy. "Well, if I took you down there then I'd want to take a shower with you right away, that would be the first thing I'd do."

  • He wrote: "Here's another smart thing to consider. Whatever you do, don't give the details to your friends. That is a betrayal of trust. I don't care if it was the best sex in your life."

    She wrote: O'Reilly in 2003 regaled her and her friend over dinner "with stories concerning the loss of his virginity to a girl in a car at JFK, two 'really wild' Scandinavian airline stewardesses ... and a 'girl' at a sex show in Thailand who had shown him things in the backroom that 'blew his mind.'"

  • He wrote: "I am going to tell you to look for love, though. For most of us, it's a lengthy search, but the challenge is fun. Some people think that's why we're here. Maybe so."

    She wrote: Over dinner in 2002, Mackris says, O'Reilly advised her to avoid contact with her ex-fiance and to "pick up 23-year-old men in bars" and to "meet men with credentials" and to spend the next year doing what she likes "without thinking about the consequences."
  • Sunday, October 17, 2004

    U2 performs live in London

    Why oh why don't I live in London????

    www.u2.com

    Performing to hundreds of fans who had turned up at BBCTV Centre, the band played a blistering version of the new single Vertigo live to millions of UK TV viewers of Top of the Pops.

    You can catch a thirty-second video clip at the TOTP site here.

    With U2.Com competition winners jammed in front of a stage erected below the iconic BBC TV Centre building - and hundreds more fans jammed against the gates from the road - the rain held off as the band performed ‘All Because of You’ and ‘City of Blinding Lights’, the last with Bono on guitar. It was a song, he said, inspired both by early visits to London and by the experience of playing in New York on the Elevation Tour, not long after the events of 9/11.

    ‘I’m amazed,’ said Martin Diggins, a fan from London who had been waiting 24hours outside the BBC. ‘The new songs are breathtaking.’

    Although the band had only been expected to play two songs, after a short break they returned to the stage to play ‘Desire’, ‘Mystery Girl’ and another rendition of ‘City of Blinding Lights.’

    Then, with a promise to ‘see you next summer’ it was back inside for more recording in the studio.

    Thursday, October 14, 2004

    Bill O'Reilly accused of sexual harassment

    Well, this is creepy. One of  his fantasies apparently involved a loofah mitt. Huh.

    http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1013043mackris1.html

    Chris Rock to host the Oscars

    This could be a good choice. Better than some other hosts. I really liked when Steve Martin hosted, but not so much when Whoopi Goldberg was in charge.

    http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/14/oscars.chrisrock.ap/index.html

    LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- The Oscars have a piece of the Rock.

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday announced Chris Rock will host the next Academy Awards telecast.

    Rock, who's been in the films "Head of State" and "Dogma," is best known for his standup comedy specials "Bigger & Blacker," "Bring the Pain" and "Never Scared."

    Rock, 39, has previously hosted the MTV's Movie Awards.

    "I am a huge fan of Chris Rock," said Gil Cates, the producer of the Oscars telecast. "He always makes me laugh and he always has something interesting to say. Chris represents the best of the new generation of comics. Having him host the Oscars is terrific."

    The one-time "Saturday Night Live" regular has won three Emmys for his TV programs and two Grammys for his comedy albums.

    Rock currently is shooting a remake of "The Longest Yard" with Adam Sandler and recently provided the voice of the zebra in the animated feature "Madagascar," both to be released in May 2005.

    His other film credits include "Head of State," "Bad Company," "Down to Earth" and "Nurse Betty."

    The 77th Academy Awards telecast is set for February 27.

    Wednesday, October 13, 2004

    How Dinosaurs Slept

    You know, I HAVE wondered about this....Turns out they slept like birds!

    Fossil Hunters Find Sleeping Dinosaur in China By Patricia Reaney, Reuters

    LONDON (Oct. 13) - Scientists have unearthed the remains of a perfectly preserved 130 million-year-old new species of dinosaur which provide a first-ever look at how the prehistoric creatures slept.

    The small two-legged dinosaur was discovered in China, curled up with its head tucked under the forearm similar to how modern birds sleep.

    ''This is the first report of sleeping behavior in dinosaurs,'' Xing Xu, of the Chinese Academy of Science in Beijing, told Reuters on Wednesday.

    ''We've never had any other information about a dinosaur sleeping.''

    Dubbed Mei long, which means ''soundly sleeping dragon'' in Chinese, the dinosaur was about 53 cm (21 inches) long or about the size of a large bird. Several features indicate its avian origins.

    ''It is one of the most complete skeletons I have ever seen. It is a perfect preservation. We have almost every bone in the skeleton,'' Xu explained.

    ''There is no disturbance. The body is arranged in a life-like posture.''

    The sleeping skeleton was found near Beipiao City in Liaoning province, an area rich in fossils that have revealed secrets of dinosaur behavior.

    The sleeping posture indicates the characteristic probably originated in dinosaur ancestors of modern birds, according to the scientists.

    Judging from its remarkably preserved state and position of the skeleton Mei long died a peaceful, and probably sudden, death.

    Unlike other dinosaurs found with their neck extended back in a classic death pose, Mei long seemed to be sleeping contentedly when it died. Xu and his colleague Mark Norell, of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, are not sure what killed the dinosaur but they said there are several possibilities.

    It could have been starved of oxygen, buried under thick layers of volcanic ash or could have been sleeping in a cave or burrow when the roof collapsed.

    ''What you can see from the skeleton is that it died peacefully, quickly,'' according to Xu who reported his research in the science journal Nature.

    10-13-04 13:39 EDT

    Tuesday, October 12, 2004

    "Michael Jackson is very angry"

    Oh puh-leeeeeeeeze. This is so silly. Michael Jackson is upset because a character who looks like him is in Eminem's new video. I watched it last night on MTV (because now that I have digital cable, I can actually watch videos!!!) and it is freakin' funny. The Jackson character is onstage with Madonna/Eminem. Madonna/Eminem's John-Paul Gaultier boob catches on fire, which sets "Jackson'" hair on fire. Heh.

    Then Eminem, as himself in "Eight Mile," projectile-vomits on the Jackson character. Heh heh.

    http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=159213

    Furious Michael Jackson Reportedly Calls for Ban on Eminem's New Video That Mocks Him

    The Associated Press

    NEW YORK - Michael Jackson is reportedly angered by the way he is portrayed in rapper Eminem's recently released video "Just Lose It." The pop singer is said to be so upset that he has asked networks to remove the video from their rotations.

    "Michael Jackson is very angry. He feels that Eminem has crossed the line," Jackson representative Ramone Bain told the Daily News in Tuesday editions. "Michael is calling on all networks to pull the video."

    In the video, Eminem appears dressed mockingly as Jackson with a group of boys in the background, jumping. Then he sings the lyric in reference to Jackson's child molestation allegations: "Come here little kiddie, on my lap. Guess who's back with a brand new rap..."

    Later in the video Eminem also ridicules plastic surgery done on Jackson's nose, and an accident in which Jackson's hair caught on fire while filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984.

    So far, Black Entertainment Television has agreed to pull the video, and was expected on Tuesday to announce that it is removing the video.

    "Michael feels the video is disrespectful and offensive...it's one thing to spoof someone, it's another to be completely insensitive and disrespectful," said Bain.

    Friday, October 8, 2004

    Think good thoughts for Melissa Etheridge

    http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Entertainment/ap20041008_809.html

    Singer Melissa Etheridge Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, Cancels Tour to Undergo Treatment

    The Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES Oct. 8, 2004 — Singer Melissa Etheridge has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has canceled upcoming tour dates to undergo treatment, according to her publicist.

    Etheridge, 43, will undergo surgery and her doctor expects a "speedy and complete recovery," publicist Marcel Pariseau said in a statement.

    The cancer was detected early and Etheridge has been receiving treatment, Pariseau said Thursday.

    "I am fortunate to be under a wonderful doctor's care and thankful that this was caught early," Etheridge said in the statement. "I am looking forward to a quick and full recovery."

    Etheridge and actress Tammy Lynn Michaels held a commitment ceremony in September 2003. The musician, who lives in Los Angeles, shares custody of a daughter and son with former partner Julie Cypher, who had the children through artificial insemination using a sperm donation from rocker David Crosby.

    Etheridge's latest album, "Lucky," was released in February. Refunds for tickets to her upcoming shows will be available where they were bought; the entertainer's Web site says she had been scheduled to play 11 dates in seven cities this month.

    Tuesday, October 5, 2004

    Fahrenheit Footnote

    http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=32&aid=72329

    For those of you not so sold on "Fahrenheit 9/11,"  here is a website that dissects the different points made in the movie and analyzes them further.

    FootnoteFahrenheit.com

    Monday, October 4, 2004

    Yard sale

    (This is slated to run as a column in the Inquirer later this month.)

    When it comes to yard sales, three rules apply: Bring lots of plastic bags in case it rains, be aware that old ladies like to haggle and sell as many Mariah Carey CDs as possible.

    The morning of Oct. 2 dawned rainy and wet. It was not supposed to be rainy. The day was supposed to be clear but cool, perfect weather for the semiannual yard sale at my apartment complex in Deptford. There would be free coffee and donuts. There would be buyers to cart away my junk from my cluttered apartment.

    Instead, there was rain, old people and wet pants.

    For days I had combed my apartment for CDs I never play (Spin Doctors. Hello, what was I thinking?), videos I never watch anymore ("Independence Day") and knick-knacks that had remained in their box-untouched and unpacked -- since I moved in two years ago.

    My friends Lisa and Karen joined me. Lisa, a veteran yard-seller, brought plastic bags and orange sticker price-tags. Karen, the mother of two, brought kids stuff to sell.
    We got to the site of the sale to find our tables dripping wet. I ran back home for towels and tablecloths. We wiped off the tables and set up our stuff on the plastic cloths.

    That worked until it started raining. Again. Thus began the cycle of rain, wet, no rain, wipe. Thank God for those plastic baggies keeping dry my CDs, videos and knick-knacks. (Mariah Carey must not get moist!)

    At first there were many tables of my fellow apartment dwellers selling their wares. One by one, the families got too wet and packed up. After an hour, there were just three groups of us still there. By now, my jeans were soaked because I kept sitting on a wet chair.

    The first prospective buyers arrived when Lisa and I were setting up. They seemed annoyed that we did not have all our stuff set up at 9 a.m. on the dot. Next came an older woman with a car packed high with stuff. She looked at our stuff to see if she needed more stuff. She did not.

    A man came by to tell us there was a really BIG yard sale in the parking lot of the Tweeter Center that day. With 600 tables! Did he want us to compete? Perhaps to ask 597 strangers to come over into the apartment complex parking lot? Who knows.
    More rain. We ate some free donuts.

    "There were no jelly donuts," Lisa moaned.

    Rats.

    Karen arrived with all her stuff.

    "It was sunny when I left my house," Karen said, eyeing the sky.

    Rats.

    Karen brought a red, inflatable Blues Clues "Thinking Chair." I wanted that chair. Nah, I already think too much.

    Hey, was that the sun coming out? With that, a phalanx of senior citizens showed up. Two ladies came to haggle. For every price I quoted ($2 for the CDs and $1 for the books) they haggled lower. For them, the thrill was in the negotiation. I should have haggled harder but by now, my jeans were completely damp and I was cranky.

    Then came the two older couples. One nice lady with very high hair bought my fan. Perhaps it would help keep her hair so high. They also bought a lot of other stuff. One man three of my CDs - including the Mariah Carey one. Yea!

    A chatty daughter, her mother and her grandmother walked over. They bought even more stuff, including lots of Karen's leftover handbags. Yea! Karen went off to meet her husband and kids with a lot less junk in her life.

    Things slowed down. Except the rain. THAT started up again.

    Around noon, we finally started packing up. That is when even MORE people arrived.

    "Is this it?"a woman shouted out of her car window. "Is this all there is to the yard sale?"

    Yes, yes it was, we said. She looked sad, in a mournful, existential way.

    This was not the case with SUV woman. She looked mightily aggrieved when she saw us packing up the table.

    "The yard sale is over?" SUV woman asked indignantly. "The sign says it goes until 1 p.m. That is what the sign says! Till 1 p.m.!"

    Oh well. Life is full of disappointments, SUV lady. Perhaps you should head to the Tweeter Center. There were apparently 597 more tables than at my apartment complex.

    Lisa and I drove to eat lunch. We pried our soggy money out of our wet jeans. I made about $20. Yea! And then we promptly spent all that on lunch - and dessert-since we were so darn hungry. At least there was a lot less junk in out lives and in our apartments.

    Sunday, October 3, 2004

    Song list for new U2 album

    www.u2.com

    27.09.2004
    Exclusive! The Full Track Listing
    We revealed six tracks earlier this month, now here's news on the complete running order for How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.

    1. Vertigo
    2. Miracle Drug
    3. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
    4. Love And Peace Or Else
    5. City Of Blinding Lights
    6. All Because Of You
    7. A Man And A Woman
    8. Crumbs From Your Table
    9. One Step Closer
    10. Original Of The Species
    11. Yahweh

    Saturday, October 2, 2004

    Friday, October 1, 2004

    Presidential Debate

    Did you watch? At least some of it? I hope so.

    I listened to the first part of the radio in my car, while I also screamed at the radio in my car whenver Bush said something that made me mental, which was often, Sounded like he was becoming a Mr. Cranky Pants toward the end of the debate.

    Kerry did well, I thought. Held his own. Very forceful in his opinions. Hopped right on Bush' gaffe when Bush said "we were attacked" so that is why we invaded Iraq. Whaaah? That would be Al-Qeada who attacked us, Kerry pointed out.

    Not sure what I thought about Bush giving shout-outs to Kerry's daughters and suddenly being all nice and "yo bro, we both went to Yale so you are cool.) Hmm.

    Tuesday, September 28, 2004

    Want the ick factor?

    Then read the official 55-page transcript of the police interview with Kobe Bryant after he was accused of rape (charges were later dropped).

    http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0924041kobea1.html

    Sunday, September 26, 2004

    Details of Britney and Kevin's secret "wedding"

    I just got my People magazine with all the latest details and photos of Brit and Kev's wedding. There are many fine, fine tidbits about this pairing, including the fact that technically (though not in their hearts!) they are not really, totally, completely married yet because they have not signed the wedding certificate. Details, details. Their LOVE is what matters.

    My favorite pictures in the article include the one of all the groomsmen in sweatsuits with the words "Pimp" on the back. Kev's father and step-father had "Pimp Daddy" on the back of theirs. Class! May I point out that Kev's father has a mullet.

    Brit has dyed her hair brown. She needed to brush it at the wedding. It looked grungy with too much product. Kev cried his way through the wedding. Probably because he is one lucky son-of-a-bitch.

    Here is more from the article:

    Britney's Big Day
    Happy tears and talk of babies: Britney Spears and Kevin Federline open up about their surprise nuptials

    Wednesday Sep 22, 2004 2:00pm EST

    Some 40 hours after their top secret Sept. 18 ceremony in Studio City, Calif., newlyweds Britney Spears and Kevin Federline are acting like, well, blissed-out newlyweds: Gazing into each other's eyes. Locking bare toes. Exchanging "Oh babys" and "I love yous." So it's safe to say they're feeling pretty good? "Awesome. Elated," says Spears, lounging with her new husband near the hot tub in the presidential suite of the Hotel Bel-Air. Tying the knot "couldn't have been better," says Federline. Adds Spears: "I'm just kind of happy that we pulled off the whole thing."

    More on this story
    Are They Legally Wed?

    This was not the way it was supposed to happen – as anyone who received one of 100 invitations to the couple's Oct. 16 wedding can vouch. But three weeks ago, amid growing paparazzi attention and mounting stress, Spears, 22, and Federline, 26, scrapped their original plans for a lavish to-do at Santa Barbara's Bacara resort in favor of a ceremony for just 27 friends and relatives – all of whom were kept in the dark until minutes before the ceremony. (Moving up the date prevented the couple from filing their marriage license prior to the wedding.)

    "I just thought it would be too much if we had done it when we were supposed to," says Spears. "It became this huge thing and I was like, 'What are we waiting for? We know this is the real thing, why not just do it now?' That's why I wanted to sneak and do it our little way."

    Saturday, September 25, 2004

    ANOTHER hurricane poised to hit Florida

    My mom, sister Jenny and her husband Kevin in Orlando are getting MIGHTY SICK of all this. Yet my sister and her husband have an interesting theory. Here it is, from an e-mail from Jenny:

    --------------------

    Hello again from Hurricane Land.

    May I say, to start off, it has been a lot of
    hurricanes!  Apparently this is historical.  Whoo-hoo.

    When Charley came, here was the reaction of the
    majority:

    "Well, maybe bad.  Probably not.  Lots of hype."

    After Charley:  "Oh My God!!!!!!It was horrible!!!!"

    Before Frances:  "Oh My God!!!!!! Plywood everything!"

    Before Ivan : "HOLY SHIT!  SONOFABITCH!  That thing is
    huge!  It will crush us all!!!!!!!!"

    During Ivan's return: "It's Back????!!!!???? Oh My
    God!!!!  It will kill us all!"

    Now, in the hours leading up to Jeanne, this is what
    we all sound like:

    "Ok, whatever. 'Sigh'.  Let's go bring in the patio
    furniture.  Good thing we have got that plywood -
    which is staying up - until January."

    BUT, the reason for this e-mail is not for me to
    grouse.  It is to share Kevin's most excellent theory.

    Ok, now we all know there is something suspicious
    about Disney.  Yes, it is merry.  But it is also
    eerily protected from all storms and storm damage.

    I mean, it is a fact.  Sea World and Universal get
    regularly whomped.  Not so Disney.

    This has led to many theories.  One was that Michael
    Eisner had God on his payroll, and God was protecting
    the Land of the Supreme Mouse.

    But that seemed unlikely.  For, as Bono said it best
    "The God I believe in isn't short of cash, Mister!"
    Thus, cannot be bought or whored.  Well said, Bono.
    Well said indeed.

    So, why the otherworldly protection of Disney???

    Who else would have that kind of clout?...

    Ah-ha!  It would be Satan.  It makes sense.  Michael
    Eisner sold his soul to Satan, and then put Satan on
    the payroll.  For a nice sum.  Like buying mafia
    protection for your store, but on a grander scale.

    A tidy arrangement. 

    Now people have asked us here, many many times, "WHAT
    did you Floridians do to piss off God?  You have had
    so many hurricanes!"

    Correct.  Now, here is the theory:  God has grown
    annoyed with the Evil Reign of theUber-Mouse and His
    Dog, Chimpmunk & Duck Minions.  And especially Eisner!

    So, God is angry, at Disney & Eisner.  And Satan.

    Thus in a sort of archetypal (sp?),, Star-Wars-ish
    Good vs Evil battle, God keeps attempting to smite
    Disney.  Tossing laser bolts and all, like the "Heat
    Miser" character in "The Year Without a Santa Claus".
    That is why FL is the lightning capital of the world.

    God kept throwin' em and Satan kept blockin' em.

    So this year God decided to up the ante.  And to throw
    hurricanes.  Figuring one of them will destroy the
    Land Of Mouse Uber Alles.

    But Satan keeps blocking.  So, God has to use bigger
    hurricanes, and even grab ones that were totally of
    course inthe ocean and toss them this way.  And keep
    sending Ivan back in the hopes of at least washing out
    the Eisner & Satan Super Team.

    But, no luck yet.  So, on it goes.  Unless they reach
    a truce.  Which may happen 'round the holidays, as God
    does have to admit that Disney looks pretty with all
    those Xmas decorations, and should get a reprieve...

    Until next summer.

    I think it is a fine theory.  Explains alot, really.

    So, I thought I would share it with you all.

    Ok, I am now signing off.  I am sure there is still
    something lying around here to batten down.

    Love,

    Jenny

    Friday, September 24, 2004

    Miranda is a lesbian!

    Actually, the actress who played Miranda on "Sex and the City" is having an affair with a woman. As Jerry Seinfeld would say: Not that there is anything wrong with that.....

    http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/235315p-202043c.html

    Cynthia Nixon Cynthia Nixon is trying a different kind of sex in the city, the Daily News has learned.

    For almost 10 months now, the Emmy-winning actress has been dating another woman, sources say.

    Back in June of 2003, Nixon split with Danny Mozes, the father of her two children. Last January, according to friends, she began a lesbian relationship.

    Right now, Nixon, 38, does not want to be as outspoken as Rosie O'Donnell, the sources say.

    But Nixon did not flinch when we asked her yesterday whether she is involved with another woman.

    Speaking exclusively with the Daily News, she said, "My private life is private. But at the same time, I have nothing to hide. So what I will say is that I am very happy."

    Word is that Nixon's partner is not in show business.

    "She's just a private citizen who would like to remain private," says a friend.

    Nixon, whose portrayal of marriage-wary lawyer Miranda on the HBO hit "Sex and the City" earned her her first Emmy last Sunday, began a 15-year relationship with photographer Mozes in high school.

    Nixon told one interviewer she and Mozes never wed because "marriage isn't something that appeals to me. Danny was fine with it, so it wasn't an issue."

    Nixon and Mozes, who share custody of their children, are said to have remained friendly.

    One pal says that, although she's committed to her new lover, "She doesn't live with her."

    Nixon has managed to keep the new romance under wraps by going alone, or with her mother, to media-magnet events.

    Besides her role as an education-reform activist (she sends her children to New York public schools), Nixon has been busy shooting "Tanner on Tanner," a new Sundance Channel series directed by Robert Altman.

    Also, she just signed on to play Eleanor Roosevelt - rumored to have had a lesbian relationship with reporter Lorena Hickok - in the HBO movie "Warm Springs," in which Kenneth Branagh plays FDR.

    Nixon's real-life romantic switcheroo runs counter to her "Sex and the City" character, Miranda Hobbes, who had a baby, married her bartender boyfriend and settled down in a Brooklyn fixer-upper.

    While she had her share of flings in the series, Miranda kept things mostly heterosexual, except for one episode. In the first season, her boss mistook her for a lesbian and set her up with a woman. But after one kiss, Miranda realized she was strictly an opposite-sex type of girl.

    Miranda, a serious law-firm partner, generally was the voice of reason on the show, leaving the lesbian love roles and uninhibited sexcapades to pal Samantha Jones.

    In the series, it was Jones, played by Kim Cattrall, who briefly carried on a love affair with a female artist.

    Thursday, September 23, 2004

    Naked yoga is okay in San Francisco

    http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/09/22/nude.yoga.reut/

    Naked yoga OK in San Francisco

    SAN FRANCISCO, California (Reuters) -- Nudists, grab your yoga mats and head for San Francisco.

    City prosecutors Wednesday said it was not illegal to perform naked yoga in the city -- even at the crowded tourist destination of Fisherman's Wharf.

    Prosecutors dropped charges against a limber nudist, known locally as the "Naked Yoga Guy," who made a habit of striking yoga poses in the buff in order to promote a book and his lifestyle.

    The Naked Yoga Guy, whose name is George Monty Davis, had stripped to stretch nearby Fisherman's Wharf, prompting a public complaint.

    But prosecutors decided they had a weak public nuisance case against him because local laws do not bar public nudity.

    "Simply being naked on the street is not a crime in San Francisco," said Debbie Mesloh, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office."To bring a case, a person would have to exhibit lewd behavior, block traffic or impede pedestrians on a sidewalk, something along those lines."

    In another case involving a Los Angeles teenager who dropped his pants to expose his bottom, or "moon," passing motorists from a nearby sidewalk, a California appellate court ruled nudity itself is not a crime, Mesloh said.

    Davis could not immediately be reached for comment.

    Tuesday, September 21, 2004

    My evening with Michael Moore (and 6,000 other people)

    I went to see Michael Moore last night at the Tweeter Center in Camden. It was GREAT! My friend Mary Kate came with me and before she left the house, her boyfriend asked: "What is he going to do? Sing and dance?" No, he just talked. And that was more than enough. He was great. Here is the link to the article in today's Philadelphia Inquirer:

    http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/local/9718421.htm

    And here is more from me: Moore began the evening by reading from "My Pet Goat." The whole thing! That is a very weird book. It involves a carjacking! Very odd. I could see how it riveted Bush's attention while the U.S. was being attacked by terrorists.

    Moore spoke about how Democrats are a bunch of whiny babies lately and all we do is moan about how Kerry is trailing in the polls and what-if, what-if, what-if Bush wins. Moore's advice? Quit whining and spend our energy on defeating Bush. So true. He talked about how Republicans don't spend their time whining. They are up at 5 a.m. each morning, "wondering who they can oppress today." In other words, we need to shut up, keep the faith and make sure everyone who can actually VOTES.

    Moore is not a big Kerry fan. In fact, he supported Nader in 2000 (I still haven't forgiven him for that). His whole mantra was: Bush and Kerry. They both suck. But Kerry sucks less. Amen.

    At the end of the evening, Moore played a video of John Ashcroft singing all the verses of that Eagle song. And Moore had the lyrics onscreen - with a bouncing ball - so we could all sing along. Such fun