Song for the Weekend!

If nothing lasts forever, what makes love the exception?!

Threadless Is Having a $9 Sale

Guess who's buying some t-shirts!

OMG

It's Palin!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Crosblog called it in June:

It's no secret that I think the best GOP #2 is Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska. And I swear it's not just because she's 1) female, and 2) hot, although neither of those is a drawback. The narrative Palin brings would be compelling if she were an ugly dude. She ran as a Republican against a corrupt Republican establishment in Alaska, and is the best spokesperson to argue for continued Republican leadership while acknowledging and addressing the problems that started happening once the GOP got used to being in power. She is so popular in Alaska that if she had the approval ratings of Strickland or Sebelius, she'd resign in disgrace. And it bears repeating that she is the only potential candidate who could "out-hot" Obama.

In His Own Words

Why Obama is not ready to President. An awesome ad by Mcain.

A Bad Joke / Punchline

“I was recruited because I’m a woman. I’m a Palestinian. I’m a Muslim. I’m disabled and, because I’m 30 and still not married, people think I’m gay." - New Jersey delegate at the Democratic Convention


Mine usually goes like this: Woman, African-American, disabled, Muslim, and a lesbian.

via Ace

Just Wow.

Pretty Numbers writes (and urges other to contact the President) about a ludicrous situation going on in Brandeis:

Brandeis University Professor Donald Hindley was declared guilty of racial harassment for using the term "wetbacks" in his Latin American Politics class. What makes this story even more ridiculous is that Professor Hindley was not using the word to single out a student or to demean Mexicans in general; rather, he was critiquing the use of the word. But the mere utterance was enough to offend a student who later complained to the administration.

The fact that the administration is taking this seriously and the fact that Professor Hidley's job is in jeopardy shows how ridiculous political correctness has become on college campuses and other places.

This why I deplore when people use the term "N-word." I find disgusting when someone uses the word "nigger" in a hateful manner. Yet, I don't see any problem of saying the word "nigger" out loud when discussing in a none offensive manner. Usually when telling this information to friends I get the "why say it when it offends people?" response. This is the kind of situation is why we should say it! Because last time I checked words don't hurt people, they may offend people, but besides yelling "Fire" in a crowded room, they don't do anything. In order to have freedom of speech, we must have the right to offend people! We can't be afraid of words! Otherwise someone just uttering a word, a word he was criticizing, can lose their livelihood.

Double Standards

This is another example of Insta's continuing "THEY TOLD ME THAT IF GEORGE W. BUSH WERE RE-ELECTED......And They Were Right" series! Reading about ABC reporters getting arrested for taking photos/video of powerful people donating to Democrats, doesn't quite capture how bad the police were acting. The video is quite incriminating and notice one of the cops is smoking a cigar as he is arresting the producer. The video plays like a snippet of a movie about cops on the take.

Update: Ace clarifies the rules.
So let's sum up the rules:

1) Hard-left anarchist protesters can ignore police orders to disperse and stop blocking traffic without fear of arrest.

2) Pot-smoking DNC delegates are allowed to use illegal drugs publicly without fear of arrest.

3) Reporters are not, however, permitted to stand in pubic streets and take pictures of well-heeled power-brokers whose presence would prove an embarrassment to The One.

Things I Learned From TV Yesterday

If you want to get gum that is stuck in your hair use oil. Also, public fountains are relatively clean and office spigots are kind of gross and need to be cleaned on regular basis.

This Is Why I'm Not A Republican

We get enough nannying from Democrats. Children and the poor, that's the defense for bad legislation? Idiots.
via Ace Headlines

Quote of the Week

Referring to Don Draper smoking and Joan Hallaway walking on Mad Men:

The two deserve their own spinoff. Call it "Smoking & Walking." Just an hour each week of them doing their thing -- smoke, smoke, smoke; walk, walk, walk -- with a little lounge music in the background. It would be a sensation.

I'm a Sucker for Cute Bears

The new video by Kanye West "Good Morning" is really cute. But what's up with the stupid glasses?

The Nerve

I can't really say that I have a categories of people I hate, but it really frustrates me to see rich asshole hypocrites who think they know what is better for everyone try to hold on to power.

Even as he publicly remains coy about his political future, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has quietly approached some of the city’s most powerful media figures to assess whether their publications would endorse a bid to overturn New York City’s term limits, which could clear a path for him to run for re-election next year....

The conversations are the clearest evidence to date that Mr. Bloomberg is seriously considering a challenge to the term limits law that will force him from office January 2010.

Such a move would upend New York’s political world and be a dramatic reversal for the mayor. He has voiced intense opposition in the past to making any changes to the term limits law, which restricts citywide elected officials and members of the City Council to two consecutive terms in office.

Bleh, as usual term limits are for other people.
via Clareified

The Power of the Internet

I posted a while ago about one of my favorite camp songs, Stars in the Sky. I went to a Camp Kingswood, a Jewish camp run by the JCC in Maine. There been a bunch comments left on the post. It's sweet how a little hippie song has resonated with a bunch of people.

Here's a clip from Youtube of the song:

and here is a link to Larry Milder awful rendition (track 8).

One of the commenters has posted more lyrics and song chords:

STARS IN THE SKY by Larry Milder

Stars in the sky, stars in the sky
To bring the summer right back to me
Tell me you'll try, tell me you'll try
To think about me whenever you see those
Stars in the sky

It's just a letter from a friend of mine
A little picture from another time
A little picture of a place that we used to go
A word or two about a friend we miss
A fond reminder of a promised kiss
A fond reminder of a vow we made long ago

Stars in the sky...

We went away when we were very young
To find the person who we would become
To find the person who was hidden somewhere inside
What we discovered these it still holds true
The friends you make become a part of you
The friends you make will each return to you like the tide

Stars in the sky...

And if by chance you should be going there
Please take this message that I hope you'll share
Please take this message to the ones to young to have learned
The time is short and there's so much to do
Don't waste a moment of what's given to you
Don't waste a moment 'cause you'll never see it return

and here is another link to the chords (incomplete).

Harrison Fisher

Harrison Fisher, originally uploaded by Smithsonian Institution.

There's something about his pose that I really like. There's something very masculine about it and his gaze is pretty piercing. He is very manly, without trying too hard I guess. A rarity nowadays.

You Never See An Interview

Where an artist or a writer says he wants to convey one concrete, non-ambiguous message. It's always nuance and ambiguity that they want to "explore." I just read an interview of Matthew Weiner talking about how he sees Don Draper and the whole show - and of course he mentions ambiguity. I found the profile interesting - the article focused on the Jewish aspects of the show. Mainly the idea of becoming an American success:

"I'm interested in telling the story of what kind of person succeeds in the U.S., and it is the outsider, it is someone who is unattached that we value. To succeed in the U.S., one of the deals is you will have to become a white man, and what that means is you will have to give something huge up, which we've all done willingly, and that is very painful. And that is the story. You can reinvent yourself, it will be tolerated, but you are losing something that you don't think you value, but it's going to hurt you, because you can't escape yourself."

I don't know if I completely agree with his assessment but there is something true, I just not sure the "it" is "White Man."

It's Amazing

How easily we forget pain. What an incredible thing the body and the mind are. Of course anti-depressants and pain killers do their job too.

Question for Pamela Anderson and other PETA nuts

Sadly, with no intention of actually watching it, I flipped on the new reality show starring Pamela Anderson. It happened to be an episode where she goes to Washington D.C. to raise awareness for P.E.T.A. She goes on and on about the cruelty of animal testing and how it should be stopped. Personally I think there is something a tad bit deficient about people who take the cause of animals above humans welfare. In fact it's almost offensive to me, P.E.T.A. scream and shout about the experiments on animals, yet tend to forget that these experiments lead to life saving drugs/therapies.
Pam is a vegetarian and I think she doesn't use any animal products because she finds the killing of animals cruel (a leather jacket is her worst nightmare). This got me thinking if all those people who are vegetarians on ethical grounds, then shouldn't they do what they preach when it comes to medicines/medical treatments? I haven't really researched well the topic, but maybe there are people who will not seek treatment based on their disgust for using animals to test new drugs/therapies? I mean I know Pam Anderson has Hep. C and supposedly she has said it is under control, I'm sure there are drugs/therapies her doctors treated her with and I'm sure that if not all, then most of those treatments were somehow tested on animals first.
So, my question for people like Pam, would they refuse medical treatment if it was tested initially on animals? As I see it, this would kill two birds with one stone - people like Pam Anderson get to stand by their ideals and others would get the benefit of having fewer idiots around.

Some Gays Are Republicans Too

I know I was shocked as well. It's amazing how the gay community sees itself as liberal and inclusive of "different" points of views, yet the minute they find themselves dealing with a Republican all hell breaks loose. One would think that Obama has a vastly different position on gay marriage than McCain. But then you would be wrong, since they both don't support it.

I'm not afraid to say it

I love ABBA, in fact I even liked Mamma Mia! I would even see it again.

Although, the one song I dislike is "Dancing Queen." I like that John McCain stands by his taste:

“Now look, everybody says, ‘I hate ABBA. Oh ABBA, how terrible! Blah blah blah,’” he said. “How come everybody goes to ‘Mamma Mia?’ Huh? I mean really, seriously, huh? ‘I hate ABBA, they’re no good, you know.’ Well, everybody goes. They’ve been selling out for years.”


via Hot Air

Dear Jon Hamm,

Please don't talk about what you think of Don Draper. It ruins the illusion (we get it you're a new, sensitive man, who really, really, likes women!)
Sincerely,
Pdov who loves that Bastard (ha - literally).

Of Course

As soon as I upgrade my account this happens. However, this was so worth it.

I Like the Graphic

Favorite Smells

The smell after the rain has passed.

The smell of a baby's head.

The smell of lily of the valley.

The smell of my boyfriend's t-shirt.

The smell of my mother's cooking. (Except when she is making liver, worst smell ever.)

The smell of fall leaves.

The smell of a campfire.

The smell of a new car.

The smell of the St. Petersburg metro.

The smell of a smoking pipe.

The smell of my mother's clothes.

The smell of my sister's apartment.

The smell of an opened book.

Everyone Is A Racist or I Really Hate (Most) Russians

I found these quotes quite appropriate while thinking about recent the world events.

Be friendly with the Russian, but takecare that you have a rock ready on your chest.

Let it be clearly understood that the Russian is a delightful person till he tucks in his shirt. As an Oriental he is charming. It is only when he insists on being treated as the most easterly of western peoples instead of the most westerly of easterns that he becomes a racial anomaly extremely difficult to handle.
-Rudyard Kipling

Highly Amusing Ignorance

On Nepotism:

You should really know the definition of a word you are going to write an essay about. Especially, if you are the real life example of the word (the boss's daughter). (Co-workers can amuse when they are not irritating the shit out of you.)

I've Been Kinda Busy

But I just wanted to let everyone know how much I HATE, HATE, HATE, Russia and Putin. He is definitely on my shit list. Other people have more thoughtful analysis but Russia can go fuck itself.

Update: Stupid co-worker remark of the day: "I was watching the war on tv and it's like Iraq, they are like bombing things. It's terrible."

Not it's mot like Iraq, it's worse, because these are Russians, not ruled bound, hand behind their backs, fire three warning shots American soldiers. These are ruthless, merciless, trained to kill as many as you can Russian soldiers. There is a difference.

Resting by Antonio Mancini

This was my favorite painting in the short time we had at The Art Institute of Chicago. First of the girl in the painting is arrestingly stunning and there is something about her gaze, off to the side, that was captivating. There is also the raw kind of sensuality that emanates from it, that makes you want to look at it again and again. I also love the brown, subdued tones he used, it reminded me of one of my favorite painters, John Singer Sargeant. Here's the expert the official description of the painting:

Mancini's Painting Style and Career:
A portrait painter who worked primarily in Rome after 1883, Antonio Mancini developed an interest in the rich palettes and dark, tonal contrasts of Italian Baroque painting......

With its dramatic impasto, particularly in the bedsheets that surround the ruddy-cheeked, soporific young woman, Resting demonstrates the bold, almost sculptural quality of Mancini’s work from this period. The array of reflective decanters near the subject’s bed suggests that she is a convalescent, perhaps recovering from an illness, given her flushed complexion. Nevertheless, her sensuous appearance conveys as much erotic allure as it does innocent vulnerability. She looks wistfully off to the side, refusing to meet the viewer’s gaze, her barely parted lips and slightly tilted head contributing to her dreamy demeanor. The lyrical atmosphere of this intimate—and intimately scaled—image seems intensified by the curve of the model’s abundant, black hair flowing across the length of the large, white pillow behind her; the red roses she clutches in her hand; and the manner in which she coyly pulls down the sheet to reveal her breast and shoulder.

More Excited

I think I'm more excited that today's date is 08/08/08 (eight is my favorite number), than I am about the Olympic games in China. Is anyone excited? I heard they spent $100 million on the opening festivities alone.

Movie Dilemma

Pineapple Express opens today, it's weird I don't have any desire to see it based on the trailer. But I will probably go since I'm such a fan of Aptow's work.

Study: TV shows depict hot, passionate, sex outside of wedlock.

I know I was shocked too. Who commisions these studies and can I get paid to be the "scientist" who comes up with these earth shattering findings? Yes, tv shows often depict naughty, fun kind of sex - because tv is for entertainment, not a fucking moral spewing instruction program that tells people how to live their lives. Seriously, people spend money on this?

As for references to pornography, sex toys and "kinky" behavior, those are now common on TV, the report said. Visual references to practices such as voyeurism and sadomasochistic sex outnumbered married-sex references by a ratio approaching 3 to 1.

I'm frightened just reading that. It's a scary tv world we live in. It's not like people have the power of choice and supervision of their kids. It's not like you can turn off television.

New York Might Be Fitter Than Boston

Not to start the debate of which city is better (they both have their charms and deficiencies) but does make sense that New Yorkers tend to be more fit because of all the walking they do. I'm definitely a lover of walks - it's nice after a satisfying meal to stroll a few blocks or twenty. The food digest, while you pat yourself on the back for not falling asleep after a long meal.

I like this snippet at the NYC busy bodied Health Department:

Earlier this year the department reported that New Yorkers had gained 10 million pounds in just two years. Gosh! "Consumers must have calorie information readily available when they are ordering food at chain restaurants," Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden proclaimed, "and we must continue to increase access to fruits and vegetables in the neighborhoods where healthy foods are not readily accessible."

Bureaucrats do not [heart] Dunkin' Donuts!

Likewise, bureaucrats do not [heart] elevators. Around the same time that Frieden was decrying the 5,000-ton weight gain, the city launched its not exactly ubiquitous "Burn Calories, Not Electricity. Take the Stairs!" campaign. ("Killing obesity and global warming with one stone," New York Times writer Jennifer Lee remarked.) Since May, Frieden's department has been offering a free, green "Take the Stairs!" poster of a little Gumby man walking up the stairs for landlords to place next to their elevators. I have yet to spot one.

It has Mal from Firefly, enough said

I saw Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog linked in passing at Lady Mathematician and the I saw it on hulu. I haven't watched all of it, but it's not bad and it has Nathan Fillion in it and Joss Whedon had something to do with it....enough said.

La Regalade

This is La Regalade, an oil painting by Édouard Manet which I saw at the Art Institute of Chicago. I like the painting well enough, but what struck me was the description of the title. There is a French word that means, "to pour liquid from a bottle down the throat without touching the lips." This one of my favorite categories of words, Germans have a lot of these - but it's usually has to do with sensations/emotions, not actions.

Speaking of Édouard Manet, he has also produced one of my favorite paintings, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, I always loved the expression of the woman at the bar - something along the lines of dissatisfied contempt. A copy of it hangs near my sink and I often forget that it's there. Yet from time to time I like to re-examine it and notice all the fabulous details of the painting (notice the legs of trapeze artist in the corner).


And as always I can't write something without mentioning on of my favorite Deep thoughts by Jack Handy:
When this girl at the art museum asked me whom I liked better, Monet or Manet,
I said, "I like mayonnaise." She just stared at me, so I said it again,
louder. Then she left. I guess she went to try to find some mayonnaise for me.

Obama slips up again.

I'm with Dead Serious - how many factual mistakes, talking gaffes, and general ignorance can Obama make without the general public noticing? Or the media reporting on it and the charge actually sticking? I really have hope that the general public is smarter than it looks. Hope! Change!

Frank O'Hara

I was reminded about one of my favorite poets after watching the last episode of Mad Men, Frank O'Hara. We see Don reading the book Meditations in an Emergency, and apt choice since O'Hara wrote about New York (the urban experience) in the 1950's & 1960's and Mad Men is about New York in the 1960's. (Quietly wait for the catastrophe of your personality to seem beautiful again, and interesting, and modern.) The best way to describe his poems can be summed up as "I do this I do that" poems (description taken from Getting Up Ahead of Someone (Sun).

I was thinking about New York and missing it - so this poem was lovely reminder of how grand it can be to live there. I especially love the last stanza, it's so full of life.

Steps

How funny you are today New York
like Ginger Rogers in Swingtime
and St. Bridget's steeple leaning a little to the left

here I have just jumped out of a bed full of V-days
(I got tired of D-days) and blue you there still
accepts me foolish and free
all I want is a room up there
and you in it
and even the traffic halt so thick is a way
for people to rub up against each other
and when their surgical appliances lock
they stay together
for the rest of the day (what a day)
I go by to check a slide and I say
that painting's not so blue

where's Lana Turner
she's out eating
and Garbo's backstage at the Met
everyone's taking their coat off
so they can show a rib-cage to the rib-watchers
and the park's full of dancers with their tights and shoes
in little bags
who are often mistaken for worker-outers at the West Side Y
why not
the Pittsburgh Pirates shout because they won
and in a sense we're all winning
we're alive

the apartment was vacated by a gay couple
who moved to the country for fun
they moved a day too soon
even the stabbings are helping the population explosion
though in the wrong country
and all those liars have left the UN
the Seagram Building's no longer rivalled in interest
not that we need liquor (we just like it)

and the little box is out on the sidewalk
next to the delicatessen
so the old man can sit on it and drink beer
and get knocked off it by his wife later in the day
while the sun is still shining

oh god it's wonderful
to get out of bed
and drink too much coffee
and smoke too many cigarettes
and love you so much

Some lonely night we can get together

I saw Andrew Bird a few years opening for the Magnetic Fields, I found his sound magical, what I would like the soundtrack to my dreams to sound like. I was at Newbury Comics and actually bought a CD! I haven't bought an actual real CD in years, it was a thrilling experience. The booklet actually has some very cute art work.

This is one of my favorite songs of the The Mysterious Production of Eggs disc. My favorite track is actually represented by symbol, wasn't sure how to search that on youtube. Fake Palindromes has nice Idian-like music rift which energizes the bejesus out of me. Quite fun.

A Universal Truth (Mine)

When I lose something, I inevitably find something else while never locating the thing I lost.

(I guess the trick is to lose something else, to find the thing I can't find?)