imkittymyers at hotmail dot com
Saturday, March 19, 2005
SEEN ANY GOOD MOVIES LATELY?
Since I last posted on movies, I’ve been thinking about the ones that maybe wouldn’t be my all-time faves, but movies that I like and would watch again. So, in no particular order and by no means complete, here’s my list … so far:
Let It Ride
Funny Farm
American Dreamer
After Hours
Cannery Row (and Raquel Welch would have been all wrong.)
Coal Miner's Daughter
Desperately Seeking Susan
Evil Under the Sun
High Anxiety
The Hounds of Notre Dame
The Last of Sheila
Rosemary's Baby
The Goodbye Girl
Tempest
How about your list?
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Legendary Western lawman Wyatt Earp is born today in 1848. Earp's fame is based around his involvement in the famous 'Gunfight at the OK Corral' which resulted in the three deaths of three men - Frank McLaury, Tom McLaury and Billy Clanton. Despite some doubts about the legality of the whole affair, Earp survives to die peacefully in 1929 at the age of 81.
Had a great time yesterday with Little H (3+) while Nurse G and hubby C.O. took a breather. We played "dinosaurs" with his collection of deer, elk, bears, elephants and rhinos. Did you know that dinosaurs attack Playskool tables? Oh, yes! And afterwards, they relax and discuss their assorted horns and tusks, too. Then he taught me how to play a board game with his own rules, which were far easier to understand than the actual ones. We fed the rest of his broccoli to the dog. He took me on a guided tour of his art gallery, which just happens to be his room. All in all, I think I had a better time than his parents.
AND THEY SAID IT COULDN’T BE DONE
Here’s an excellent recap of the past two years.
TWO YEARS LATER
Many more of President Bush's most vehement critics are slowly coming round to accepting that dispossession of Saddam Hussein has created the promise of a Middle East that was almost unimaginable back in 2003.
Certainly, it did not produce the disasters — both military or diplomatic — that the critics so confidently predicted.
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A democratic Middle East was not the primary goal: America was pursuing a revolutionary new foreign policy — the pre-emptive neutralization of threats presented by rogue states.
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But the whole strategic dynamic of how the civilized world deals with rogue regimes and warlords has been changed.
As a result, the Middle East — indeed, the world — is safer today for what the Coalition of the Willing, led by President Bush, dared to undertake in Iraq.
A must-watch video clip from Jackson’s Junction (natch):
Scarborough: "Too many liberals and leftist would rather see our troops lose overseas than see George W. Bush win at home."
However, the best place to glean the tenor of the day two years ago is L.com’s archives. Before MUST READS there were SHORT CUTS, pithy paragraphs Lucianne wrote (Mondays – Thursdays) featuring the news of the day. The links in them no longer work, but you can still take a walk down memory lane by reading them. Lucianne: Your one-stop-shop for the tenor of the day. Here are just a few pull quotes:
Tuesday, 18 March 2003:
L.com Quote of the Day: "Our policy is simple: We are not going to betray our friends, reward the enemies of freedom, or permit fear and retreat to become American policies. ... None of the four wars in my lifetime came about because we were too strong. It is weakness ... that invites adventurous adversaries to make mistaken judgments." -Former President Ronald Reagan
Under Reported: Lost in the administration's dizzying, headlong eighteen month rush to war is who is really with us and who is not and how the clatter and spin thrown up by the Frogs has nearly drowned out the facts.
Wednesday, 19 March 2003
Nixed Chicks In Fine Fix: Does anyone find the raging fury aimed at the Dixie Chicks for an airhead remark made in London a bit over the top? People are bulldozing their albums, boycotting stations, trashing their CDs and tearing up concert tickets. Bigger stars have said equally stupid things and not engendered such rage. We suggest the girls make up for it by touring some of the God-awful sand choked, wind driven Army bases and singing their hearts out - naked. That would show they are sorry. Perhaps indignation could be aimed more effectively at old dudes like Walter Cronkite and Jimmy Carter who know better. You might want to tuck this list of Saddam lovers into your checkbook as well.
Thursday, 20 March 2003
President Bush announced military strikes were underway in Iraq late Wednesday night in his address to the nation from the Oval Office.
That was all she posted.
Monday, 24 March 2003
A Brief Respite From The Storm: Here's a rundown on who won the Oscars for those of you who couldn't not tear yourself from the war. The promised career-ending anti-American behavior was kept to a minimum, conceivably informed by the lesson of the Dixie Chicks last week. The only real exception was the odoriferous Michael Moore (trust us, he lives in the neighborhood) spewing some ineffectual traitorous bile. This was nicely offset by Steve Martin's comment that "the scene backstage was sweet. Teamsters were helping Moore into the trunk of his limo."
Calling Dr. Phil: The mother of Hasan Akbar, the Army sergeant who fragged his sleeping comrades says he's being accused because "he is a Muslim." We haven't had time to look it up but we distinctly recall the punishment for treason and red-handed murder in the military was a speedy court martial and the firing squad. We hope this hasn't changed. We don't want to read stories about how he was "misunderstood" and had an unfortunate childhood. All this guy should need is a cigarette and a blindfold.
Tuesday, 25 March 2003
Check out the funny photoshopped anti-war protesters picture!
Wednesday, 26 March 2003
L.com Quote of the Day:"Don't you love this town? You drug an underage girl, you rape her, you flee the country, you get an Oscar. You build a church, and it's 'What are you, nuts?!" -Jay Leno, commenting on Roman Polanski and Mel Gibson
Thursday, 27 March 2003
UN's Nervous Breakdown: There is something very "Mrs. Havisham" about the UN's Security Council meeting yesterday to condemn the military action in Iraq. One pictures these delusional old parties slumped in their moldering wedding finery waiting for their lover, Recognition, who never shows. Add to that a rather pathetic interview Fox News had with Hans Blix (does his manner of speaking only bother us?) as he looked straight into the camera and said 3000 Hazmat suits and syringes of poison antidotes lying about an Iraqi hospital were "certainly no smoking gun" and might have been a "ruse of war" to "trick" the enemy.
Friday, March 18, 2005
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Thursday, March 17, 2005
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Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Irish Baby Names: A Golden Trend
Is it just pure luck that Irish baby names are a smash hit right now? Whether or not they can trace their heritage back to the Emerald Isle, thousands of American parents are giving their children Irish monikers.
Celebrities, too, struck gold with Irish names in 2004: Musician Lou Rawls, actress Tracey Gold, and skater Scott Hamilton all named their sons Aiden (with various spellings). In fact, of the top 1,000 names in the country in 2003, Aiden was the 39th most popular, according to the Social Security Administration. Perhaps that's because Aiden means "fire" in Celtic.
My nephew is named Aidan.
BLOGGING ON THE CEDAR REVOLUTION
Ya Libnan! Almost seems too good to be true--an English language Lebanese blogger at the heart of the Cedar Revolution. Pat poked around at the site a bit and believes the blogger is legit.
MY TOWN
Check the April issue of the National Geographic Traveler magazine, because ...
National Geographic to spotlight Southern Tier
Of the 26 New York sites included in the magazine, The Corning Museum of Glass, the Cohocton Fall Foliage Festival and the Pleasant Valley Wine Co. in Hammondsport are featured.
I discovered this site which has several great pictures of Corning, NY.
PARTY POOPERS
Good grief! I realize that the national color of Ireland is blue ... not necessarily dress blue ... but this is ridiculous.
ST. PAT CAP SLAP BURNS BRAVEST
New York's Bravest were smacked with a departmental order this week that stated, "The wearing of green berets is strictly prohibited."
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"It's a 31-year tradition," said one "Green Beret," saying of the no-beret order, "The Fire Department was built on tradition. It's very demeaning and it's very depressing."
The order, by FDNY Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta and Chief of Department Peter Hayden, also bans "buttons, beads, flowers, etc."
But it was clearly the berets that struck a chord with veteran smoke-eaters — harking back to the Emerald Isle's colonial era, when the British banned the wearing of the green.
HOLLYWOOD LIARS?
Jump back, Patch! You’re just learning that? You should have had everything put into writing with a shark of a lawyer handling the deal.
PATCH ADAMS. You know the name. Robin Williams made a movie about this M.D., social activist, terminal clown and founder of the Gesundheit holistic institute that provides free medical care to the needy. The film was 1998. Now, in 2005, the doc, who decorated an Upper East Side dinner party in earrings, ponytailed hair, wild print shirt and nonmatching baggy, funky pants, says:
"The movie-making experience was horrifying. I never wanted to do it. I only did it because I needed to raise money to build my Virginia hospital, where people earn $300 for a 60-hour week and wouldn't leave for anything because they love what they do.
"The movie made $200 million. Robin Williams earned $2 million for it. And nobody — no person, no corporation, nobody — ever gave me $10. I was promised all kinds of things and never got any of it. See, I didn't use lawyers. I trusted. That's my nature. But you can't trust anyone in Hollywood. Hollywood's a bunch of liars."
Who Is The Real Patch Adams?
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL
OSAMA'S N.Y. BEAUTY
She walks down the street on the Upper East Side, thin and stylish, another well-heeled beauty chatting away on her cellphone.
Except that she isn't — she's Osama bin Laden's niece.
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"She wants to be a pop star, but no record company will have her," said one pal.
"At first, we all had sympathy for her and thought she was a nice girl with an unfortunate family connection." But the pal said Wafah's "attitude" is alienating people
"She's this extremely wealthy girl who is used to getting what she wants and having people jump at her every word," the friend said.
"She keeps saying, 'Poor me — I have no family because I left to pursue my dream.' She has no family because her uncle is a terrorist," the pal said.
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Wafah was born an American citizen while her father was studying at the University of California.
She grew up in Switzerland in a multimillion-dollar mansion overlooking Lake Geneva, a child of European privilege, accustomed to high society and expensive shopping.
“PERSISTANT VEGETATIVE STATE” MY A$$
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Unless something intervenes, Terri Schiavo will begin her slow, excruciating death by starvation on Friday. I truly can not fathom such cruelty. We live in a country where babies are killed wantonly by abortion while vicious death row psychopaths are kept from dying because some think it’s inhumane. These are not the actions of a god but of humans who have a disgustingly warped sense of humanity. I think that pretty much sums up Terri’s husband. In fact, his desire to kill off his wife, with the state’s help, seems to give a great deal of credence to the rumors that he never wants her to be able to communicate with anyone ever because he may have caused her present state by abusing her. I pray for her parents, too, as they are in an impossible position. The thought of allowing a puppy to starve to death causes an uproar in this country. But starving Terri?
Prayers for Terri
What is the urgency, other than financial, to end Terri's life?
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Would it be ethical … to starve her just because she can't feed herself?
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Given Terri's reported responsiveness, her ability to breathe on her own, and the doubt and suspicious circumstances surrounding this case, shouldn't the question be resolved in favor of life, especially given what we've seen recently, for example, with the comatose patient regaining consciousness after 19 years?
I find it haunting that we live in a culture of death where the presumption seems to be against finding that a human being would want to go on living and the burden of proof is on those promoting life.
HIGH PLAINS GRIFTER
(L.)Original by Thomas E. Mails and (R.) Churchill’s rip-off.
Paul Campos, who wrote this column, is a professor of law at Colorado University, the same university where Ward Churchill teaches/taught. The university has come to an agreement with Churchill which amounts to paying him to resign. Campos explains why he believes that this is the lesser of two evils. How the university came to hire such a criminal is another story. However, if my children were enrolled there, I’d be screaming for an accounting. I’d like to think that the Ward Churchill debacle could be the beginning of the end of the liberalati stranglehold of power on campuses everywhere. However, for that to happen, those who are paying the tuitions would have to rise up and revolt, and I just don’t see that happening … not over this, not yet.
Campos: Buy off high plains grafter
Churchill has spent his academic career running an increasingly elaborate scam - the sort of thing that's known among grifters as "the long con." Whatever else one might say about Churchill, it must be admitted that he has an abundance of the trait which marks all truly great con men: shameless audacity. Confronted by an academic job market that would normally laugh in the face of someone with his lack of credentials, Churchill hit upon an ingenious scheme: He decided to become an Indian.
Taking advantage of the natural reluctance most people have to question someone's ethnic self-identification, Churchill, who has no detectable Indian ancestry, simply began insisting that he was, in fact, an Indian. Everything that has happened since has been enabled by Churchill's continuing use of that phony claim to get away with the academic equivalent of murder.
SOUND THE ALARM!
Why the trash can?
Pat has blogged extensively on this at Brainster's.
CITY SNUBS SINN FEIN
Embattled Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams was the keynote speaker at a Manhattan union rally yesterday — but not a single politician showed up to stand by his side.
The cold shoulder to Adams — none of the four Democratic mayoral candidates was in attendance — comes after the White House announced it was boycotting Adams on his current visit to the United States for St. Patrick's Day.
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Adams and the IRA are reeling from growing outrage over the senseless killing of Robert McCartney in Belfast in January by IRA thugs. McCartney, a father of two, was brutally slain over a dispute involving an alleged slight to a woman in a bar.
Both President Bush and Sen. Ted Kennedy have snubbed Adams during his visit, which contrasts with the warm welcome in Washington being offered to McCartney's sisters, who are leading a campaign to put the IRA out of business.
The McCartney sisters are to meet with Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton tomorrow and will be at the White House with Bush on St. Patrick's Day.
Monday, March 14, 2005
STOP THE PRESS!
Rodger, Trace's alter ego, is alive and has rediscovered e-mail! That's right, folks, Trace has disentangled himself from the leggy Lisa long enough to think of me in his time of PR need. Ain't he swell?
Pulp Fiction For The 21st Century
Los Angeles -- The daily grind of the life of a writer-for-hire is explored in dazzling neo-noir style in a series of new short stories from award-winning writer Rodger Jacobs.
Jacobs uses the dark and lyrical prose of the hardboiled masters to essay the daily life of his fictional alter ego, Trace, as he struggles to land assignments and juggle creditors and other dangerous assailants.
“Being a writer-for-hire is a lot like being on the grift,” says Jacobs. “And when you’re on the grift, particularly in a cold city like Los Angeles, a lot of strange and colorful characters gravitate into your orbit.”
In the 12-story series Jacobs recounts his encounters with stalkers, low-rent left wing magazine editors, and crazed fringe celebrities hoping to make a fast buck by selling dirt to the tabloids.
Many of the stories have appeared in preview at Giselle Fernandez’s lastories.com and Jacobs is mulling the possibility of stringing the terse, interconnected pulp fiction tales into a book in the near future.
Rodger Jacobs is the author of the bestselling “Christopher Walken and the Tuna Fish Sandwich and Other L.A. Stories” and is a noted journalist and feature documentary producer.
Carol Ann, Rodger's 12-yr-old daughter, is becoming a great blogger. Known as Gavrochegirl, she blogs on writing and acting. She's doing "The Foreigner" and finding the pace very fast. She's a breath of fresh air!
KINKY FOR GOVERNOR
And why not?
AUSTIN Could Texas be ready for "Governor Kinky?" A mystery writer and sometimes musician has thrown his cowboy hat into the political ring.
Kinky Friedman says he'll run as an independent in a bid to become the next governor of the Lone Star State.
At 60, Friedman has lived a colorful life. He toured with Bob Dylan in the 1960's and has penned more than two dozen novels. He also has been an overnight guest at the White House for the nation's two most recent presidents.
Friedman has to wait wait until after the 2006 party primaries to launch his petition drive. Then he'll have 60 days to gather the signatures of nearly 50-thousand registered Texas voters who bypassed the party primaries.
Friedman says he can win with the support of people who don't feel they're part of things.
He'll put prayer back into the schools and he’ll do whatever it takes to seal the border.
Thank you LoanCat for the audio clips!
I was just called to do emergency babysitting, so posting will be delayed several hours.
Later gator!
