Not Connecting The Paris, Britney, Obama Dots

I cannot even consider this "negative" campaigning because it is just so non-sensical and downright bizarre. How is a man who is married to his very own "heiress" going to compare Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears?

McCain had pledged to run a clean campaign, but like Mike Tyson when he's in the mood to munch ear, the Republicans just can't control themselves. First they tried to blame Barack Obama for the current price of energy, which is actually so high because Republicans have been in Big Oil's back pocket and in denial about the need for alternative energy programs on a Manhattan Project scale.

Now they are comparing Barack Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, apparently intending to suggest that he is a celebrity with no substance.

WTF? Please try again!

The Contemptable Held In Contempt

Karl Rove is not above the law!

The House Judiciary Committee has voted 20-14 to approve a contempt of Congress resolution against former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove for his failure to appear after a Congressional subpoena.

Voting along party lines Wednesday morning, the committee said Rove broke the law by failing to appear at a July 10 hearing on allegations of White House influence over the Justice Department, including whether Rove encouraged prosecutions against Democrats.

The committee decision is a recommendation. It remains unclear whether Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will allow a final vote.

Cancel The Bachelor, Stick With The Bachelorette

While avoiding blogging for a while, I escaped reality by getting hooked on yet another "reality" show. I tend to go for the straight foolishness that is aired on MTV and VH1 because they are too stupid for words and so beyond the pale of anything real that they've become my adult cartoons.

Then "The Mole" (an old favorite) reemerged on ABC along with The Bachelor and The Bachelorette in recent months. The Bachelor is pretty predictable. They are 0-12 as far as marriages or even relationships that last a few weeks beyond the requisite press tour after the finale. If a series has had 12 seasons and not a one has resulted in a fairy tale ending/wedding, why bother? Does ABC think that 13 will be the magic number? The last installment was so obviously going no where that I stopped half-watching half way through and, as par for the course, that "relationship" officially tanked this week. (How the heck did he pick the 22 year old actress daughter of Lorenzo Lamas and think that mess was going to work)?

That brings me to The Bachelorette. In the beginning, I kept forgetting that it was on for 2 hours each week so missed parts of the first couple of episodes. But then it actually drew me in. The first Bachelorette (as has been the case with all of them) was a discard from a previous "The Bachelor" run. With only 4 seasons, the first resulted in a marriage and now a child. It's been 5 years and they seem pretty solid. The next two fizzled but a pattern with the women is that at least they tend follow their hearts and not the path of least resistance. I think the second Bachelorette even picked a guy who was jobless.

So that is why I am rather stunned by the visceral reactions by an inordinate amount of viewers (including some of my friends) when Bachelorette number 4 followed her heart and picked the one guy I tagged pretty early on as the one who'd get the final rose. DeAnna was an intense and emotional young woman and seemed to draw a fair chunk of the guys into her whirlwind. I'm not sure I've ever seen so many tears coming from men's eyes on one series. I think her approach (as someone who was rejected on The Bachelor 11) weeded out the right guys (from her view point) quite well. Once it got to the final 4, naturally, things got much more complicated.

The 3rd runner-up was "hot" and, apparently, the type she always went for. But, as Dr. Phil always asked "How's that working for you?" Graham irritated the heck out of me and I think she wasted precious time on him. He got the first "one-on-one" date and the first kiss. She had obvious concerns about him right off the bat because, at 29, he'd never really had a serious relationship or one that lasted beyond a few short months. That may not have bothered me as much as his apparent jealousy. That bugged me! The premise of the show is "25 guys, one Bachelorette." Yet, he instigates a fight with her when she asked him (and if you have to ask ...) to kiss her by telling her that he didn't want to be "one of a bunch." Hello! Repita por favor! "25 guys, one Bachelorette." I hate that kind of "slowness." Why did he go on the show? He should have been executed (ooops! that's from The Mole) eliminated on the spot after that. But she kept him around and it took both Ellen DeGeneres (who pushed for her to get her own season after being dumped by the bachelor) and his own mother to make her realize that there is no way there would ever be anything to that relationship beyond him being "smoking hot."

Besides, I think he was toasted through most of the show. He always had a drink in his hand and he always looked high as he glared from a distance anytime she was with another guy. I stood up and clapped when she angrily and tearfully sent him packing. Watch that door knob baby!

The 2nd runner-up was a fan favorite but I had issues with him too. According to her "list," he was a solid match. But he was another weird one to me. I had to go back to watch the very beginning of the first episode (thanks You Tube) with the pre-show interviews to see that he'd done his research on her and seemed a little obsessed from the beginning. He described her as his "unicorn" and I could have told him then that he, too, was on the wrong dang show. Right away the other guys (mainly led by that creepy Ron who should have been let go the first night) saw him as a serious threat. There is a "Jeremy" on every show like this who makes it clear that they are only there for the girl (or guy or money) and not to make friends. I never have a problem with those folks because the way they throw the others off of their game or screws with their minds is actually pretty funny (sick sense of humor, I know) to watch. Robert let Jeremy's gag at the out house BBQ cause him to self-destruct and get sent home. The other guys were "straight hatin'. " Ron probably needs to get a mail order bride. I cannot imagine someone who knows and understands English listening to him rattle off cliches like some sort of savant all day long. But, I was entertained because some of those guys were worse than a pack of catty women.

Jeremy got the first, first impression rose on the first night and an individual rose on the first group date. That gave him the privilege of being one of three men to live in the mansion with her for two straight weeks. I'm not saying he wasn't a sweet enough guy but he wasted the first week with her by not really allowing her to learn much about him. He later told her that both of his parents were dead so he was pretty closed off. Since she'd lost her mom as a young girl, she instantly bonded with him over that and he looked more like an obvious choice. He was definitely totally focused on her which is what she wanted as that is how she approached her limited times with each guy. But something was still a little off to me. Even though he wasted no time getting physical with her, the interaction always seemed forced, stiff and contrived. I wasn't feeling them.

While I did not have a problem with him making sure his sole focus was on her and I did not care that he didn't want to have a "frat house" relationship with the other guys, I think he was wholly and completely blind-sided when he was eliminated because he'd failed to pay attention enough to realize that the 1st runner-up was an equally good catch and that she had a very obvious (at least to me) connection to the guy who ultimately won her heart. He was so shocked, in fact, that he somehow convinced the producers to allow him to talk to her again after he'd been cut. I've never seen that happen before and I actually think it might be a good idea because as fast paced and surreal as these shows are in a short amount of time, getting eliminated and whisked off without being sure why or how, is a Jenny Jones Show tragedy waiting to happen. I still don't think he's quite figured out what happened.

He's taking the "she led me on" route in some interviews and even implying that she's not all that bright (yeah dude, but you did a whole lot of crying and "please baby, baby please" action over her so please ...). In the end, with him, the "Picture Mommy Dead" bond didn't translate into a love match for her. Jeremy needs grief counseling to help get over his parents' deaths not a woman who looks eerily like his mother. In my eyes, he went on the show with a hole in his heart and a pre-conceived fantasy of his life with her. That wasn't fair to her and, in the end, wouldn't have worked out.

1st runner-up Jason was another popular guy for viewers and there is no doubt that he was one of the sweetest guys (and I mean that in more ways than one). He absolutely was a good enough guy. But, I had some issues with him too (can you tell I escaped into the show waaay too deeply?). He was another one with wounds. He was divorced by a wife who apparently left when she was pregnant with his now three year old son. I didn't have an issue with the son and I don't think that DeAnna did either. But, just using pure common sense, six weeks is not really enough time to decide if you want to take on an instant family (didn't he say he lived with his younger brother too?) as well as whatever baggage there is with an ex-wife who would leave a man for someone else to go in a "different direction" while with child (okay, Jason seemed to be implying that he was left for woman - that or for someone in the circus or, God forbid, a brother). I'm not sure I'd touch that with a 10 foot pole until I fully investigated things and took it really slow. Nothing is as simple as "she left" and the "divorce wasn't my choice." Besides, he seemed to travel a lot for business and on the hometown date, I found it odd that his mom would specifically ask DeAnna if she liked sports almost as if that was an issue in his marriage (because he did seem to be totally into golf and baseball).

He was another one who'd read up on her, had notions about her prior to meeting her and, came to the show with a heart that was in recovery. Again, I did not think it was fair to come there with the expectation that she, or anyone else, would somehow heal him. He, too, was totally shocked when he was eliminated as if the other guy couldn't have possibly been in the running. Like I said, he was a nice guy (a little too "soft" for my tastes) but I was a little surprised by the arrogance that led him to believe he was a shoe in. The guy I knew in my heart would win was scared to death because he's sized up the competition very well.

Also, Jason seemed to think that he could provide the safety and security DeAnna wanted but, sorry, I think he was looking for the same sense of adventure and fun in DeAnna that she found in his final rival. He was married/in a relationship through most of his twenties and I think may have missed out on some things he needs to explore before getting re-attached again. He needs to be a "Jesse" for a while and then think about settling down again. Otherwise, he'll be in his 40s or 50s and acting out with someone who trusted him to be safe. He made a pretty gracious exit, though. He was kinda rambling, however, and I wasn't sure if he was going on and on about DeAnna or his ex-wife. Ultimately, he realized that she made the right choice for herself and was able to see what I saw between she and Jesse.

So I now come to Jesse ... the snowboarder. One of his cousins applied for him to be on the show without him knowing. For some reason, he assumed that a woman like DeAnna wouldn't give him the time of day (and in the real world outside of the show, given her usual "type" she probably wouldn't have). He wasn't tall. He wasn't dark and well ... handsome is in the eye of the beholder. I didn't think he was hard on the eyes or anything. He wasn't all suited up and, in fact, came in with jeans, loud sneakers and an even louder jacket. He totally expected to be sent home the first night. Well, we should have all known that once he wasn't eliminated in the first rose ceremony (or even the second), that he probably was going to be around a while. Something had to have been going on.

I saw what I thought was the real deal when they had their first one-on-one date where he could have potentially been sent home. It was probably one of the more romantic dates of the season and there was something I saw when they danced together to Natasha Bedingfield's "Soulmate" That was quite a coincidence with the song and quite a coincidence that Jesse won the date because he got down on one knee, held her hand and sang his song to her. It was something about the way he held her hand when they danced and looking back at earlier episodes before I watched the finale, it was there all along. She was just simply more comfortable with him than anyone else in the house - including Graham. The body language between them was brazenly indicative of something symbiotic.

Like Jeremy, he always found a way to be on either side of her. The difference was that Jeremy sat there like a guard dog but she always seemed to be engaged with Jesse, leaning his way or laughing with him. A clip during the finale showed them on a group date at the Dodgers game watching fireworks. She had given Jeremy the rose of the day yet, sitting between them, she was seated much closer to Jesse and looked like she was there with him. I cannot fathom how all those men let him have a prime spot next to her so much of the time. How did they let Jesse happen without any kind of resistance? Was it because they knew he hadn't kissed her yet? I hope some men out there took notes.

Sadly, many viewers have totally judged this guy based on his profession and his appearance (and sorry, being a pro-snowboarder with sponsors is a far cry from being a washed up, non-NBA basketball player like Graham). Her own father told him he had to cut his hair if he was going to marry his daughter. I live in Northern California and his hair was no where close to being Santa Cruz or Berkeley "long." It was just a little messy. People seemed to think that she was choosing this reckless and wild guy over the supposed "stability" that the other two guys offered (Jeremy had to quit his job to go on the show) when he seemed to be more stable than most of the guys in the house. Stable and adventurous are not mutually exclusive. He's got his hands in a lot of things that I don't think he needed to discuss on camera in order to convince other folks. I doubt they'll ever be living on the streets. He didn't go into the show as an adult orphan or a rejected husband. He had a whole heart to offer instead of a bruised one. People seem to feel that she owed Jeremy and Jason some sort of pity pick and that's just wrong.

Jesse also used the strategy of not getting too physical with her until very late in the game (part strategy and, I think, part fear of getting too attached) until he took her home to meet his parents (so that they could pinch he to let him know he wasn't dreaming). He had a nice stable family that he was close to. Jeremy had two fat, ugly brothers who were all but threatening DeAnna not to hurt Jeremy. Who'd want to be in that family? Then, I read some place that Jason's parents were divorced and don't live in the same state. Family values were a key issue and I think Jesse aced the other guys out on that as well.

Jesse definitely underestimated himself and pre-judged DeAnna by assuming that she wouldn't want anything to do with him so I think important lessons were learned by both of them. (Heck, if Travis Barker can have the likes of Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian and his psycho, former Miss USA/Baywatch ex-wife getting into public fights over him, Jesse could've certainly gotten a "hot chick" too if he'd tried earlier - and he better not get big headed before the wedding either).

There are campaigns to have Jason and Jeremy as one of the next Bachelors. I think Jason needs to take his time and make the effort to find someone in Seattle. I think Jeremy is too stoic to carry his own show. I would watch Twilley - who somehow made it to the top six but never got a solo date and I doubt more than a peck on the cheek. I'm sure he is a really nice guy and is a total hoot. He might actually find someone nice (I'm not sure I could watch him kiss anyone without laughing though).

I found this season even more enjoyable than Ryan's and Trista's. It was funny, very emotional and filled with drama ... just what I need when I am avoiding blogging about McCain, Obama and the state of the world. If DeAnna and Jesse go through with their planned nuptials, The Bachelorette, with 2-4, will have a 50% success rate which is far better than the 0-12/0% rate of The Bachelor. Why can't ABC get a clue?

Good Lord Luda!

This is exactly why I'm having such a hard time getting back into posting since my little break. Unless Ludacris was commissioned to write a song for the campaign, why didn't he just keep his pen in his pocket?

Obama recently told Rolling Stone magazine that Jay-Z and Ludacris are "great talents and great businessmen".

"It would be nice if I could have my daughters listen to their music without me worrying they were getting bad images of themselves," the candidate said.

And speaking of which…hide the blog from Malia and Sasha, Ludacris has a new song out, "Politics: Obama is Here."

Some choice lyrics:

"You never should've doubted him
with a slot in the president's iPod Obama shattered 'em
Said I handled his biz and I'm one of his favorite rappers
Well give Luda a special pardon if I'm ever in the slammer
Better yet put him in office, make me your vice president
Hillary hated on you, so that b---- is irrelevant
Jesse talking slick and apologizing for what?...

"You can't stop what's bout to happen, we bout to make history
the first black president is destined and it's meant to be
the threats ain't fazing us, the nooses or the jokes
so get off your ass, black people, it's time to get out and vote!
paint the White House black and I'm sure that's got 'em terrified
McCain don't belong in ANY chair unless he's paralyzed
Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped…"

Obama spox Bill Burton says: "As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism, and degrading images that he doesn’t want his daughters or any children exposed to. This song is not only outrageously offensive to Senator Clinton, Reverend Jackson, Senator McCain, and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with the values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics."

Word.

Do these ninjas just not pay attention to the scrutiny that Obama is constantly under? Are they really so stupid that they don't know how things like this yank Obama back 20 steps every time he takes one forward.

Woosah!

ROTFL

When I stop laughing, I'll try to reserve the judgement that he'll be as dorky and stiff as Tucker Carlson was. Is this really what the world is coming to?

Dancing with the Stars reportedly might have a presidential feel when its seventh season airs this fall in the midst of America's search for a new Commander in Chief.

Former U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle is on "the short list" of celebrity participants currently being courted by ABC for Dancing with the Stars seventh season, gossipsauce.com reported Monday.

The 61-year-old Quayle is a former Indiana senator and also served as vice president under George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993.

... and don't get me wrong, I do love the show and watch it every season. It's just ... a former Vice President? Not getting it.

Stop Being A Moron Your Dayum Self!

Here's more foolishness I cannot even begin to address. I know giving ignorant blow hards a mike and a radio show is the in thing these days and that even racial slurs are acceptable but at some point people need to stop allowing themselves to be made fools of by listening to this kind of idiocy. His remarks weren't "controversial." They were stupid and from the mouth of someone who must have some form of autism himself.

There's been plenty of outrage directed at Michael Savage since the talk radio host recently made his controversial remarks about autism. Parent groups of children with autism are calling for his head, and some advertisers have started dropping Savage as a result of his comments. Talk Radio Network, which syndicates Savage's show to more than 350 affiliates, is standing behind Savage. Here's what Savage, who's known for his incendiary style, said during the show:

Now, the illness du jour is autism. You know what autism is? I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is.... What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot.' Autism--everybody has an illness. If I behaved like a fool, my father called me a fool. And he said to me, 'Don't behave like a fool.' The worst thing he said? 'Don't behave like a fool. Don't be anybody's dummy. Don't sound like an idiot. Don't act like a girl. Don't cry.' That's what I was raised with. That's what you should raise your children with. Stop with the sensitivity training. You're turning your son into a girl, and you're turning your nation into a nation of losers and beaten men.

I searched for studies linking dads or their parenting skills to autism, a developmental disorder that affects a child's ability to communicate effectively, and couldn't find much. (Please E-mail or post a comment if you're aware of evidence I missed). In decades past, some psychologists did put the blame on "refrigerator mothers," who were accused of causing autism by being emotionally distant and cold to their children. But that's an idea that researchers have debunked. Most researchers believe there is no one simple cause but that a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors come together to cause the disease in most cases. Studies of identical twins have shown a clear genetic component, but there's also plenty of strong evidence that prenatal exposure to certain chemicals or infectious agents--such as thalidomide or the rubella virus--causes some cases of autism, too.

Ninja Puleese!

I hate to return from a couple weeks hiatus (I'll explain that later) with this foolishness but somebody explain this mess to me!

Sean "Diddy" Combs is giving marriage a chance.

The bachelor father of six is quietly telling close friends and family that he and singer Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura are heading to the chapel.

"He told everyone to keep it extremely quiet because he didn't want it to get out, but you could tell he was excited," says a source. "Diddy said they hadn't set a date yet, but he wanted his family to hear the news first."

Diddy revealed his engagement to the Connecticut native at his son Justin's eighth-grade graduation ceremony in Riverdale, N.Y., on June 5. The hip-hop megastar met 17-years-younger Cassie after signing her up to his label, Bad Boy Records, in 2006.

Diddy ended his 10-year relationship with model Kim Porter last July.

He's suddenly ready for marriage with this pseudo J-Lo when he's got multiple children with Kim Porter? I don't suppose Kim has any illusions about Sean Combs but still. I think this is ridiculous and if Cassie isn't afraid of his track record, she deserves exactly what she gets.

This Took Guts

Jesse Helms was one of those figures you'd rather forget for his participation in one of the ugliest periods in this country's history. No comment is the best comment on his death I don't speak ill of the dead. This man gave up his job rather than have the flag lowered to half staff for a racist.

L.F. Eason III gave up the only job he'd ever had rather than lower a flag to honor former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms.

Eason, a 29-year veteran of the state Department of Agriculture, instructed his staff at a small Raleigh lab not to fly the U.S. or North Carolina flags at half-staff Monday, as called for in a directive to all state agencies by Gov. Mike Easley.

When a superior ordered the lab to follow the directive, Eason decided to retire rather than pay tribute to Helms. After several hours' delay, one of Eason's employees hung the flags at half-staff.

The brouhaha began late Sunday night, when Eason e-mailed eight of his employees in the state standards lab, which calibrates measuring equipment used on things as widely varied as gasoline and hamburgers.

"Regardless of any executive proclamation, I do not want the flags at the North Carolina Standards Laboratory flown at half staff to honor Jesse Helms any time this week," Eason wrote just after midnight, according to e-mail messages released in response to a public records request.

He told his staff that he did not think it was appropriate to honor Helms because of his "doctrine of negativity, hate, and prejudice" and his opposition to civil rights bills and the federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

I Wouldn't Have Done It

I don't like this. I don't really get her point. I know the Black National Anthem well. In fact, if my recollection is correct, I learned all three verses by heart, by 6th grade, from white nuns at my Catholic grade school However, I love both The Star Spangled Banner and America The Beatiful. This was a city event. Why couldn't she just have sang the dang song?

One of the most notable incidents from Tuesday's State of the City address occurred even before the mayor's speech began.

After the Pledge of Allegiance, Rene Marie was introduced to sing the national anthem.

But that's not what she sang.

Marie actually sang the tune of the traditional national anthem with the lyrics to "Lift Every Voice and Sing." It's a song some have called the National Black Anthem, the Negro National Anthem or the Black National Anthem.

How NOT To Get The Girl!

I'd call this idiot back just to cuss him the hell out!