As spring arrives, the need to touch myself grows. But instead, I have tea!
January 2006
January 25, 2006
The NSA spy scandal, cont.: AG Gonzales’ prepared remarks to the Georgetown Law Center (Jan 24)
Rather than launch into another long post detailing my position on the NSA “domestic spying” scandal—a position that at this point must certainly be clear to all but the most doggedly committed contrarians (or else those who have concluded that I am unnaturally dedicated to arguing my position bad faith)—I’ve decided simply to post the bulk of the remarks made by AG Gonzales yesterday as he addressed Georgetown University’s Law
January 24, 2006
“The forty acres and a mule follow-up to the follow-up to the follow-up post” (from the protein wisdom conceptual series)
I hate to say it, but all things considered—and had I to do it all over again—I think I’d have backed that ‘forty acres and an unlimited supply of lemon Italian Ice” initiative, instead. update: You know, it being so freakin’ hot out here and all.
January 24, 2006
regrettable moments in English language usage, 2
Dragged to a hip hop club by a few of my gal pals, I overreached on what turned out to be a bit of dated slang and called one of the women grinding up against me “phat.” Which, it turns out, is not a compliment—particularly when said sister is four biscuits shy of a Hyundai, and when the typical urban bass riff is simply too overpowering to allow for any
January 24, 2006
Courting Jesters
On the party-line Alito Senate Judiciary Committee vote, here’s John Podhoretz, writing at the Corner: Though it’s certainly true that there’s too much partisanship now and that it’s terrible we can’t come to agreement on judges blah blah blah, there’s something nicely austere about Samuel Alito winning approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee without a single Democratic vote. I mean, who would want a grubby yea vote from Ted Kennedy?
January 24, 2006
Odds, Ends (UPDATED)
1. Thanks so much to Jeff Paxson for the My Name is Nobody and Midnight Run DVDs. Midnight Run is one of my favorite comedies—and I’m ecstatic to finally have it on Region 1 DVD (I had the British version). And any film with Terrence Hill and Henry Fonda is bound to be superb. 2. The Jewish Israeli Awards, sponsered by The Jerusalem Post and Israellycool.com begin in earnest today
January 24, 2006
“Warriors and wusses”
From Joel Stein in the LAT: I DON’T SUPPORT our troops. This is a particularly difficult opinion to have, especially if you are the kind of person who likes to put bumper stickers on his car. Supporting the troops is a position that even Calvin is unwilling to urinate on. I’m sure I’d like the troops. They seem gutsy, young and up for anything. If you’re wandering into a recruiter’s
January 24, 2006
NSA “Domestic Spy” story: additional information revealed?
Here is the complete transcript (including Q&A) of Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence and former Director of the NSA General Michael Hayden, addressing the National Press Club yesterday. (h/t Bob Owens—who believes the transcript hint that all speculation on the technical nature of the intercepts, by both critics in the press and Congress and pundits defending the program, has been way off base; I’m not so sure, but then,
January 23, 2006
a seventh very brief conversation with my stylish and sexy new rimless glasses
new rimless glasses: “So. How have you been? Because you look great! Really. I mean that!†me: “Thanks. But all the credit should go to my new special friend, Klonopin—who, in addition to being sexy as all green get out, likes to do a lot more than have me lie back and hum the theme to “The Flying Nun” while she sits there on my face watching Leno, dry and
January 23, 2006
Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’…an “Other”
If gender or sexual orientation are, as some theorists hold, “socially constructed” (rather than genetically determined), than an identity politics position that affords me the opportunity to attend the Golden Globes for the express purpose of publicly fondling the breasts of Scarlett Johansson—without fear of professional (or even cultural) reprisal—ain’t such a bad deal. Provided, of course, that I don’t have to, y’now, get with any men in order to