Solid...solid as Barack

Here is a compilation of the best SNL political skits from the 2008 season, courtesy of Countdown with Keith Olberman.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

'Tis the Season...

...for giving. This blog post from NBC News is an update of a news story on an 82 year-old WWII veteran who is struggling this winter.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Barney Sings Naughty Christmas Carols

Cheers to Sears

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Do you need inspiration?

A Rare TV Moment

I've admitted in previous posts that I'm a TV junkie. I also admit that I watch enough crap to balance the really high-quality stuff. Below is a clip of a rare, poignant, and personal moment on late-night TV. Craig Ferguson, on his first day back from Scotland, discusses his mother's recent death. Have a few tissues on hand for this one.

BSG Promo, Season 4.5

Obama's First "Radio" Address

The President-Elect certainly isn't resting on his laurels. The Administration's new website also lays out the Agenda.

UPDATE: It seems that our most technologically-advanced President-Elect won't have access to his Blackberry. To put it mildly, that sucks. As someone who has recently become addicted to her smartphone (I have a Palm Centro), I can't imagine not being able to use it. Find out more information on this story in the NY Times article.

Withdrawal

I was a political news junkie for almost two years. Now that the election is over, I'm going through major withdrawal. Even NPR did a story about us. I used to come home late from campaign volunteering and I stayed up past midnight to read the latest blog posts on The Page and Swampland at Time.com, and The Caucus at NYTimes.com. I watched video clips from The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. I read through all of the postings on CNN's Political Ticker. I was hooked! I even read through the transcripts from The Newshour's David Brooks and Mark Shields news analysis segments. I went to work very tired but satisfied that I was fully informed for the day ahead.

Now, I'm a little bored by the every day news. Well, it's only 69 days until the Inauguration. I guess I can hold out until then.

Homer is a Mad Man.

Just a taste...

After I've had a little time to process my short involvement in the campaign, I'll write a longer blog post. For now, I'll leave you with this clip.



Look closely. I think Stephen Colbert is tearing up.

True.

For more about this video, go to the posting on The Caucus.

The Real America?

Fired Up!

I am so proud of our fair city of St. Louis. I was at the Obama rally today and I knew it was a special place to be. I had heard the reports that about 100,000 people gathered at the Arch grounds to hear Barack Obama speak. But, tonight was the first time that I saw a picture. Here is a picture from my vantage point.


And, earlier this evening I was at a birthday party for a friend of my parents. One of the Thai couples at the party, Dr. S. and Dr. S., were so excited that I went to the rally and wanted to hear all about it. This was a special moment for me. Most of my parents' friends are Republicans, mostly for financial reasons. They came to this country with very little and were able to achieve a lot and make a very healthy living. Anyway, this couple, who I have known for over 20 years, really surprised me. They completely understand why Barack Obama is our best hope for a better future for America and the world. They both said that they are voting for Barack Obama, not for themselves, but for their children and grandchildren. I was so happy to hear them express this message. I can only hope that they will convince the rest of the Thai community too.

Check out more photos at The Page by Mark Halperin of Time Magazine. Halperin also has the full text of Senator Obama's speech on his site.

Which Palin is funnier? Ask John Cleese.

Take On Me - the literal version

Politics and Religion

Did he really have to go there? The CNN Political Ticker offers up McCain's comments, distancing himself from this pastor. The scary part is that some people will listen to this crackpot man of God.

Now a question from William Murray

The Wordy Shipmates

The best part is at the end of this interview.

McCain, the backpeddler

After a rough couple weeks of attacks by McCain and his camp against Barack Obama, the senator from Arizona finally decides to back off. But, is it too little, too late? All of the negative ads and smear tactics have incited the party's base and they are angry at Obama. Now, McCain wants to say that this campaign has to be respectful. REALLY?! The McCain campaign says that their voters are not outraged, but frustrated by Obama's plan to raise taxes. Are you kidding me? There are people out there who are saying that they are scared if Barack Obama becomes the president. There is a very big difference between being scared and being worried. I would be worried if John McCain is elected as our next president, but not scared.

McCain is stirring up people's emotions and not in a good way. Instead of talking about the issues and thinking through problems and developing solutions, McCain is encouraging people to vote with their gut. How often has your gut gotten you into trouble? Aren't some gut reactions based on your preconceived notions about people or issues? David Brooks, conservative columnist for The New York Times, explains this Republican strategy far better than I could.

At the beginning of this last round of the campaign, I wished that both sides would provide the voters with well-thought educated answers and plans to our country's and our world's problems. I'll admit that the Obama camp is not perfect, but at least slander and libel are not part of their campaign strategy. These last 24 days will be tough and I'm not sure if I can stomach any more crap.

UPDATE: Are McCain and Palin on the outs? Check out this article from The Times (London).

Mudslinging, according to The Penguin

The parallels to this year's election with this video are astounding! Thanks Pam for the link.

That One

So, could the good old Senator from Arizona be any more demeaning? Check out this story on how a loyal Obama supporter is fighting back. And, some post-debate wrap-up by some regular Joe Sixpacks.

It's a VP play date.

Homer goes the polls.

Thanks, Pam.

Formidable Opponent - Business Syphilis

Extraordinary not ordinary

I want my president and vice-president to be extraordinary people, not ordinary people. I want them to be critical thinkers, highly intelligent, serious, and thoughtful. They should know what the hell their doing and realize that every decision they make affects billions of people around the world. We are not only electing the President of the United States, but also a very powerful world leader.

I think you know where I'm going with this. McCain-Palin supporters harp on the fact that Palin is an outsider and a maverick that so closely relates to the middle class. She's folksy and easy to understand, they say. You know what, don't talk to down to me. I'm not an idiot, and there are millions of people out there who are not idiots.

Give me substance. Give me real answers. Give me intelligent and well-thought answers. I don't want more attacks or whining about the "liberal media". Get over it! Don't blame the media for pointing out that you can't answer a damn question.

Craig and Tim

Here are two of my favorite TV people - Craig Ferguson and Tim Gunn. I love Tim's reaction to the mention of Kenley! Anyone who disses on Tim is bad in my book.

Fascinating Renewable Resources

This broadcast is from KWMU, the NPR station in St. Louis, MO. Don Marsh interviews scientists from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. Listen specifically for the section on extracting oil from algae. The Huffington Post also has a detailed article about algae as energy.

Suspension is for kids.

I'm going back in time a little to beat the dead horse that is John McCain's suspension on his Presidential campaign. Here is Craig Ferguson's take on the issue.



I think Craig is my third favorite late night talk show host, after Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. However, he is my new favorite network late night talking head. Plus, I love the Scottish accent.

Temper, Temper

Do you want the next President of the United States to be serious and thoughtful, or a mean-spirited hothead? I think we've already experienced eight years of one hothead, so I certainly don't want another four. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke discusses the temperament of the two Presidential candidates, based on the first debate, in this column on The Huffington Post (yes, it's another liberal rag).

Here come the Russians!

I love The Office.

I am a budget hero!

Are you a Budget Hero?

Obama makes the grade.

According to Mark Halperin, from Time Magazine, Obama scored higher on the debate than McCain.

Clinton on The Daily Show

I'm sorry that I'm late on posting these videos. I think this is a great interview and now I remember why I voted for Bill.

Sarah Silverman wants your grandparents...

...in Florida to vote for Barack Obama.

No show for McCain on Letterman last night

Illustrated Mad Men

I know you are sick of Mad Men by now, but you have to check out these illustrations by Dyna Moe.

Turn on the time machine...

...and go back five years to a young Stephen Colbert as a correspondent on The Daily Show. Colbert is the king of making outlandish speeches with a straight face.

Mad Men or Ladies

Here are the ladies of Mad Men, in their modern-day attire at the Emmys, courtesy of E! Online and Hulu.com.

Emmys

Congrats to a few of my favorite shows - The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and Mad Men - on winning Emmys this evening.

For your viewing pleasure, here is Stephen's plea for an Emmy from last week.

Moral Psychology - Liberals and Conservatives

This is a lecture given by Jonathan Haidt, a psychologist, in February 2008 about how five moral values shape our political choices. The lecture was sponsored by TED, a non-profit organization bringing together intelligent minds from the fields of technology, entertainment, and design (hence, TED). To find out more about your moral compass, check out the morality quiz, a study by Haidt and University of Virginia grad student Jesse Graham.

Professor Obama

Check out this article about Barack Obama's former students at the University of Chicago's Law School.

The Colbert Report - Powerless

Dig Deeper

In order to combat the opposition, you need to know what they stand for. So, I checked out the McCain-Palin website and looked up their plan for health care. I found an average-length web page with a series of bullet points. The only additional link is to the McCain-Palin position on autism.

Moving over to Obama-Biden website, the health care web page also has bullet points, although in a smaller font. At the bottom of the page, you can download the full 15-page PDF of the Obama-Biden health care plan, as well as additional information on HIV/AIDS and cancer.

If you continue to compare both sites, the results will be the same. Even if you don't agree with Barack Obama and Joe Biden, at least you will know where they stand.

Please educate yourself on the issues before you vote on November 4.

More from Craig

"If you don't vote, you're a moron."

Here is Craig Ferguson's take on America's political process. Please note that Craig is a recently naturalized American citizen and understands that it's our duty to vote. As I noted on my Facebook page, this clip is long for our instant message society, but it's worth watching.

Obama Waffles

I'm so mad, I can't write about this issue. Check out the story at Christianity Today about a vendor at the Values Voter Summit selling Obama Waffle Mix.

Just to be clear, this is not about free speech or satire. It's racism.

The Page

If you've been keeping up with the blog, you'll know that I'm caught up in political coverage and that I try to read sources that represent both sides of the story. The best of these sources is The Page by Mark Halperin at Time Magazine. Mark is a regular contributor to the Charlie Rose Show on PBS and he is the former Chief Political Director at ABC News. There's been a big gaping hole at that news division since Halperin left. He doesn't have the ideal camera persona, like George Stephanopolous, but he has such a breadth of knowledge and detailed analysis, who cares about his charisma. This is definitely a case of substance over style.

The reason why I like The Page is that Halperin hits the highlights of the political news day without providing any commentary. He leaves it up to the reader to pick out the juicy tidbits.

Feasting on Waves

I love Alton Brown. I also love his job, traveling around the Caribbean, searching for all things local and delicious.

Watch his four-part series, Feasting on Waves on The Food Network, Sunday nights.

Bring Tina Fey back to SNL!

Fierceness all over the place

Christian Siriano debuted his Spring '09 collection at NY Fashion Week and I think it looks pretty damn good.

J Lo

Why am I writing a post about Jennifer Lopez? Well, there's a rumor that she is the final judge for this season's Project Runway. If the rumors are true, I think she will make a great judge. J Lo may not be able to create a decent pop album, but she surely knows what to wear and how to wear it. Check out this Elle cover shoot of J Lo wearing exquisite clothes by 9 designers.

A Toast to Tony

I'm a little behind in viewing "No Reservations", but Tony B. wraps up the end of the season in his latest blog post. He also gives a little preview of season 5 -- he's going back to Thailand! Woo-hoo! Please note that this is a rather sentimental blog, at least by Tony Bourdain standards. I guess you can't be snarky all of the time.

And, while you're on the Travel Channel site, check out the crew's blog for "No Reservations". There's a whole lot of snarkiness to go around.

Project Runway - Bryant Park

The lads at Project Rungay have published the Bryant Park collections of the last six designers. My money is on Leanne and I never thought she would win in the beginning.

The Voice of Adam (borrowed from pong's blog)

The Press

No, I'm not talking about the media. I want you to know about letterpresses. Visit my friends at Firecracker Press in St. Louis, or the fine folks at Smock Paper.

A little hope goes a long way.

Oh, the media

This story is one the reasons why I watch the PBS coverage of the election and the party conventions. The folks on the Newshour are objective and respectful. They always have both sides represented and there is no fawning over anyone. I also love the presidential historians.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL PBS STATION.

Bono Seeks Perfection

Damn. U2's new album release date has been pushed to 2009. More details here.

The last note tonight about Republicans

I never thought I would actually post a link on comments from a Republican, but Mike Murphy, a Republican political consultant, has some interesting reservations about Sarah Palin. He is also now infamously known for being a two-face. Yesterday, he made some unsupportive open-mic comments about Palin.

Clueless Republicans

Some people are so clueless that they don't realize that "uppity" in reference to African-Americans has an extremely negative connotation, going back to the days of slavery. Masters called disobedient slaves "uppity". The latest example of how some Republican politicians are out of touch with everyday people is illustrated by U.S. Representative from Georgia, Lynn Westmoreland.

How does earning a good education, using student loans and scholarships, make someone "uppity"? How does helping laid-off white workers as a community organizer make someone "uppity"? Isn't it the American dream to come from humble beginnings to national prominence?

Get a clue.

Here is a good take on elitism from George F. Will.

College Graduate

You have to give Sarah Palin points for not giving up on her education.

Stephen Colbert at the 2000 RNC

Flashback to the 2000 RNC and watch a younger Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart.

What's in a Name?

I saw this gaffe on live TV and laughed so hard. Get the name right for your own candidate, not the one you probably wished was on the ticket, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.

The Two Faces of Fox News Pundits

I love it when Jon Stewart catches pundits and politicians (on either side) in hypocrisy.

UPDATE: As of September 8, this clip has been viewed on Comedy Central's site, 2,994,135 times. Wow!

Is Palin our Thatcher?

Some Brits seem to think that's the case, and I don't think it's a compliment. Check out Justin Webb's post. Even Palin's supports think the same, based on this site called Palin for VP, or from the Times of London.

Thoughts and Impressions of the RNC

I forced myself to watch the RNC coverage last night and as a result, my blood pressure was through the roof. The relentless attack on community organizers was disgusting. I don't think the Republicans realize that everyone who volunteers for the Obama campaign is considered an organizer in their own community. That is the very definition of a grassroots effort. So, way to go, McCain surrogates, you just alienated millions of voting Americans.

As a liberal, I was offended by the attacks made my Mitt Romney on all liberals. The attacks were so rampant, I started to feel like I was a bad and evil person. What the hell! So much for "reaching across the aisle", which according to Rudy Guiliani, Obama has never done. Well, it seems that the Republicans really don't want to work with the other side - just more alienation.

The Race Card

Check out an interesting take on the subject of race in both campaigns from Anna Quindlen.

Colbert Supports President Palin

A Woman's Worth at Work

To follow along with my previous post, please check out this article in the NY Times about a young woman's experience with the harsh realities of being a woman in the workplace.

Thanks to Julie M. for forwarding the link.

Who is Emily?

Geez. I'm posting like a fiend today. While I was watching the Dems Convention, I saw a sign for Emily's List. So, I decided to check it out. This speech by Michigan Attorney General Jennifer Granholm in 2002 explains what Emily's List is very well.



For more information, go to Emily's List.

Sir Charles

I'm not a big fan of the NBA, but I have always liked Charles Barkley. Sometimes he can be over the top in his comments, but he does not hesitate to speak his mind. Most of the time he's funny and pretty damn clever. Check out a rather low-key interview with Charles at the Dems Convention.

Thanks, Hillary.

I admit that I had doubts about Hillary Clinton's headlining speech at the Dem Convention tonight. I have always supported Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate for President because I believe in him and his principles. Tonight is the first time that I believed in what Hillary Clinton has said. I finally believe that she fully and genuinely supports Barack Obama.

Thanks, Hillary.

The 19th Amendment

Thanks to Michelle Obama for reminding all of us that today, August 26, is the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment of the US Constitution. This is the amendment that ended discrimination by gender on the right to vote. Simply, women finally had the right to vote, beginning 88 years ago.

Yet, as illustrated this evening, by Lily Ledbetter, we, as a society, have a long way to go. Women still do not receive equal pay for equal work. Yes, tremendous strides have been made throughout the years, however, in the last government survey in 2005, women earn $0.77 for every $1.00 earned by a man. That's crap.

For more information on the failed Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, please visit the American Association of University Women's website.

Here Come the Dems

Every 4 years in August, I am glued to the tube. I love the Summer Olympics (and Winter too) and I love political conventions. I especially enjoy the convention coverage on PBS.

Yes, I'm a dork.

The Olympics represent the best in sportsmanship, global community, and genuine human kindness. I love it! I'm going to try my best to get to Vancouver in 2010 for the Winter Olympics.

Today is the first day of the Democratic National Convention. Four years ago, I watched the speech by Barack Obama and I started to believe in our government again. I'm excited for the week of great speeches and great stories.

Right now I'm watching Caroline Kennedy's introduction of the Ken Burns' tribute to Senator Ted Kennedy. More blogging later...

Formidable Opponent

I am American.

I have spent the evening NOT making my condo toddler-proof. My sister and her family are staying with me this weekend, which includes my 16-month old nephew. So, what was I doing instead of covering sharp furniture corners? I was catching up on my favorite blogs, and the list keeps growing every few weeks.

One post from my friend Pam caught my attention. Pam references an article about the Spanish basketball team making an offensive gesture toward Chinese people, and frankly all Asians, in my opinion. We're talking about racism. The type of racism expressed by the Spanish is the kind that worries me the most. You could probably call it ignorance. We really haven't come that far in our modern culture if educated adults think that making slanty-eye gestures or using phrases like "fresh of the boat" is even remotely acceptable.

Pam and I were both raised in Midwest towns (in Illinois for her and Missouri for me), where only a handful of Asian kids attended our schools. For most of my childhood I was comfortable at school and with my friends, but once in awhile, I would get a swift reminder that I was not like everyone else in my town. I still live in my hometown and I really can't tell you how often I go through this conversation:

Stranger: "Hi, how are you? That's a different last name. Where are you from?"
Me: "I'm from St. Louis (or St. Peters, my hometown)."
Stranger: "No, really. Where are you from?"
Me: "I was born in St. Louis."
Stranger: "Oh. I mean, what's your nationality?"
Me (irritated at this point): "I'm American."
Stranger (finally noticing my irritation): "Well, that's not what I meant. Where are your parents from?"
Me: "Thailand. They've been here for over 38 years, over half of their lives. I'm American, but my ethnicity is Thai."
Stranger (back to total ignorance of my irritation): "That's great. I love Thai food!"

At this point in the conversation, I either politely extricate myself from this person, making my parents proud for not provoking confrontation, or I steer the conversation to the halfway decent Thai restaurants in St. Louis.

However, lately, I find myself becoming the educator. If anything, I make people uncomfortable by forcing them to see their inherent racism. I honestly think that most people believe that they are not racists, even though they carry these pre-conceived notions in their head, or they ask questions like the ones above. This is how they were raised -- no exposure to anyone of non-Caucasian, non-Anglo, or non-European background.

I think you only know racism if you have experienced it firsthand or if a close friend or relative has experienced it and you share their pain. For me, the pain is not just about racism against Asians, but of people of all races. I know what it feels like to be the minority and to feel alone in a sea of sameness.

Earlier, I mentioned having reminders of race. Even today, I wonder what the person at the retail store thinks when they see me coming up to the counter. Do they automatically think that I speak with an accent? Are they surprised when I speak English with a perfect Midwestern accent? I don't think about this too often, because it would drive me insane. So, I guess it's a sanity check, albeit a negative one.

I live with racism everyday. I never know when it will rear its ugly head. Will I need to get into a debate with my co-workers about immigration? Will I need to remind friends that America is a melting pot and even our exalted forefathers were immigrants? It really does get old. How often do I need to tell people that I am American? Would it be this way if I lived in a more diverse community?

More Randomness

My favorite non-friend bloggers, Tom and Lorenzo (authors of Project Rungay), have started posting about my new favorite show, Mad Men! I really don't have much more to add to that comment. TLO, as they like to be called, explain it all in their post.

I am currently obsessed with the Olympics. Some people hate it, but I LOVE it. Michael Phelps just won his 10th Olympic gold medal, more than anyone else on the freaking planet. I can't get over the dedication, skill, and talent of this guy. His typical day: eat, swim, sleep. It seems so simple but is probably really complicated.

I bought a Wii Fit yesterday, and it's cool. I know the whole balance board thing seems weird and very simple, but the balance exercises are HARD. And, the yoga exercises are demanding. It also makes me realize how out of shape I am. So, I headed back to the gym this evening. I'm hoping that the Wii Fit will help me keep on track. You have to keep track of your other activities in addition to the Wii Fit activities. You also track your BMI, weight, and Wii Fit age. Right now, I'm slightly older than my actual age. That sucks.

And the highlight of the last two weeks:


That's Sarah G., me, and Sarah R. standing in front of Boyz II Men (minus one)!

Honorary Degrees

I was touched by a story I saw on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer this evening. The story was about how Oregon State University conferred 23 honorary degrees to Japanese Americans who were sent to internment camps during WWII. These students were never allowed to graduate from OSU. I know that some people think that apologizing for past behavior (discrimination, racism, slavery, etc.) is unwarranted. I think that these people don't realize that we cannot hide from the sins of our fathers. By expressing remorse, we let the victims of racism and hate know that they are not forgotten, that their pain and suffering has meaning.

You can listen to the MP3 podcast on the NewsHour's PBS site.

Highlights of the Day

A few noteworthy events for Saturday:

1. I attended the opening of the St. Peters Obama Campaign office this morning. The turnout was incredible. The number I heard was 125 people, and that's on a Saturday morning. I was happy to be in a room full of Democrats. I've lived in St. Peters for 24 of the 32 years of my life and the Republicans have ruled as long as I realized the difference between the two parties. So I was excited to see the great turnout this morning and to feel the tremendous amount of positive energy. And, I will tell you right now that, at least in St. Peters, people of every age support Barack Obama. There were only a few young people, but the average age was about 50. One of the speakers mentioned that we should be proud to stand up and support Barack Obama. We don't have to hide in the shadows anymore, because we are not alone in this fight.

2. After three years of living in my condo, my dad finally installed the ceiling fan in the guest bedroom. My sister and her family are visiting in two weeks and it gets a bit stuffy in that room. There wasn't too much yelling, which is a bonus, especially since my mom acts as the foreman on the job. =)

3. The gals and I celebrated Laura's birthday a few days early. Laura is working on the Obama campaign and she really needed the break to just hang with friends. The seven of us had a great time. I'll post our photo booth picture tomorrow.

More Mad Men

Check out this mockup from Advertising Age on Mad Men.

Mad Men

Oh, Mad Men, why did I wait so long to be lured in by your smoky rooms, cool 50's furniture, and smart writing? Seriously, this show is the best drama on TV right now. Kudos to my friends Jenna and Laura for griping at me for not watching this show. I love TV, as you know if you have kept up with the blog, and they wondered why I wasn't drawn in right away. I don't have a good answer for it, but now I'm in like flynn. I just finished watching the season one finale and it was a doozy. I won't ruin it for those of you still planning on jumping on the Mad Men bandwagon.

What I love about the whole show is the cool vibe it has. The set and costume designs are spot on and the casting is perfect. But, the perfect parts are the writing and acting. The tone of the whole show is understated, which I believe is in keeping with how we perceive the 50's and early 60's. The show actually takes place in 1960 and the season finale was set at Thanksgiving of that year. This is the time period before the counter culture of the mid-60's, so everyone was still "straight-laced" and hiding within themselves. The writers understand this perfectly and the actors' execution is flawless.

Most of the dramas out there are so in your face (CSI) or overly dramatic (Desperate Housewives). Mad Men is refreshing in it's quiet tone and desperation, and it's almost painful to watch. The suppression of feelings and desires is so prevalent throughout the show that when someone has a strong reaction the connection to the character feels more real. Tribune TV critic Maureen Ryan goes into more detail on one of her latest blog posts about Mad Men. As mentioned on her blog post, the "slow burn" is the intriguing part of the show and is what definitely captured my interest. I want the build up...the anticipation. I've always found that the best shows don't give you instant gratification.

Plus, for your viewing pleasure, here is the star of the show, Jon Hamm.

Tidbits

A couple notes:

Many thanks to Pam for making her own mixtape on Mixwit and inspiring me to make my own.

The live (free) stream for the Dr. Horrible webisodes is over as of July 20. You now have to buy them on iTunes -- good business sense by Joss Whedon and Co.

I've been hooked by Mad Men. I watched six episodes of season 1 tonight and I need to cram in the remaining seven before Sunday night's season premiere. Last year, I caught an episode in the middle and I didn't grasp the nuances of the show (and there are a lot of them). So, if you're going to pick up this show, watch it from the very beginning.

Reach under the seat for that mixtape

Terminator Salvation

Awesome. I'll write more about The Dark Knight a little later today. It's been a long day. I will tell you that one of the highlights was the trailer for the new Terminator movie, Terminator Salvation. I was so shocked. I didn't even know that a new Terminator film was on the books, although I should keep up with my friend Pam's blog. She listed this fact a few weeks ago. Anyway, Christian Bale plays John Connor, and I think he will be perfect for the role. Of course, I think Christian Bale is perfect in anything.

Dr. Horrible is not horrible.

In fact, Dr. Horrible is fantastically funny. I can't wait for the finale, which will be released tomorrow. I don't want to give it away, but I had a laugh-out-loud moment near the end of Act Two. Neil Patrick Harris is an undeniably talented actor and I never knew that Nathan Fillion could play such a smarmy character with such conviction. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Nathan Fillion, you may know him from his Han Solo-esqe character on the short-lived Fox show Firefly, or the follow-up movie Serenity. Both Firefly and Serenity sprung from the brain of sci-fi genius Joss Whedon, who also happened to produce Dr. Horrible. Oh, he also had a hand in two other mildly successful TV series, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel.

Obama as a Buddhist?

Of course, as a Buddhist, this segment is very interesting to me.

Colbert on Bud

It's Thursday and I've been running around all week. So, I'm behind on my TV watching, and I missed this great bit by our friend Stephen Colbert on the A-B buyout.

Anheuser-Busch InBev

That's the reported new name of what will be the largest brewer in the world. Reuters, the Wall Street Journal, and other news agencies reported the news this evening. Personally, I'm pissed off about this deal, and I'm a shareholder. I used to work for Anheuser-Busch and I have less than 200 shares, but I could care less about the money. I"m watching the local news and they are describing some of the differences between A-B and InBev, most notably charitable donations. In the last 10 years, A-B has donated over $370 million to worldwide non-profit organizations. After skulking around InBev's website, I finally found a short five-page press release about community involvement. I really had to dig for it, though, so it's more than obvious, at least to me, that charitable giving is not high on the companies list.

I'll write more later when more details are released about the buyout.

Dr. Horrible

I love the internet. I love Neil Patrick Harris, most notably as Barney Stinson or as himself in the Harold and Kumar movies. I love Joss Whedon and all of his TV creations. Therefore, I will love Dr. Horrible. Kristin Dos Santos from E! has a detailed article about this straight-to-web series.


Teaser from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on Vimeo.

Rugrats

Let's start the post with this disclaimer: I love kids. I love other people's kids and knowing that I don't have to take them home. Does that sound too cruel? That's just an honest fact. Today I attended a birthday party for a very cute and sassy two year old.


The birthday girl, Amelia, is not in the picture, but trying to get seven kids in the picture represented the afternoon very well. As a couple of the adults noted, getting kids to sit down at a party for a group picture is similar to herding cats. I wish that I had stopped laughing long enough to take some video of this particular episode. The rest of the party was fun and there were no major meltdowns from the kids.

At first, I admit that I was wary about this party, but I'm glad that I attended. All of the kids were super cute, especially the birthday girl, and two years old is a pretty freaking funny age. Well, at least the rugrats are funny to people like me, who does not have a child. The party also confirmed that I am not ready to have kids of my own, at least not in the near future. I can handle my nieces and nephew very well, but I think that's because they are family. Like I stated early, I love kids, but I admit that I'm selfish enough to enjoy having this time in my life to myself.

A couple years ago, I felt a little weird about a lot, and I mean a lot, of my friends having babies. It felt like being left out of a club. But now, I am loving the life I have now. I like hanging out with my single gal friends. I enjoy being able to go to a baseball game at the last minute. I love staying at home on a Saturday night and not really caring if that's the cool thing to do. Oh, and I love my new Wii, but that's for another post. :^D

Pet Peeve #3

It's been raining a lot here in the Midwest, and every time it does, I amazed by how many people do not turn on their headlights. For example, this evening, around 6:30, we had a strong thunderstorm. The sky was fairly dark and the wind was blowing the rain all over the place. In the short seven-mile drive from my parent's house to my condo, I counted 10 cars that did not have their headlights on. I'm thinking about posting a sign on my side window that reads "Turn on your headlights, idiot!"

My Brother Barack

Find out more about Barack Obama's Asian American connection from this AP story.

Summer Movie Blockbusters

I'm really only looking forward to two summer movie blockbusters, The X-Files: I Want to Believe and The Dark Knight. A couple months ago, I was excited about Indiana Jones, but I was a little underwhelmed when I finally saw it.

Pet Peeve #2

I spend a lot of time at my desk at work. To kill the monotony, I surf the web and try to keep up with the latest news around the world. I've discovered that I'm particularly bothered by the ability to leave comments on news stories. I like to read the straight news. I don't want to know what Joe Smith thinks about about the garbage crisis in Naples, Italy. Our society lives by hair-trigger responses and news agencies are feeding our desires to give our two cents ON EVERYTHING. That's why we created blogs, right? We have a controlled venue for our family and friends to keep up with our random thoughts and not-so-random daily activities. Why would I want to leave my opinion open to potential criticism and heartburn by perfect strangers?

Camping at Wimbledon

Breakfast at Wimbledon

I woke up early at 8 AM to watch the Men's Wimbledon final. That's early for a Sunday. The match just ended around 3:30 PM. Three rain delays, 5 sets, and almost half a day later, Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer. It's been awhile since I actually sat down to watch a Grand Slam tennis match all the way through. This one was epic. Nadal won the first two sets fairly easily, but Federer fought back to make it a 5-set match. Some time in the near future, I would like to see the Wimbledon tournament in person. Going to the US Open in NYC might be more realistic, but I think traveling to London would be much cooler. =)

Do a little dance...

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

The original post is at Where the Hell is Matt.

Jay-Z at Glastonbury 2008

Jay-Z performed at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK this past weekend. Does this mean that he's out of retirement? =)

The background on the first song that Jay-Z performed is explained by the folks at Consequence of Sound. I guess the guys from Oasis don't think to highly of rap music at Glastonbury.

If you're not a big Jay-Z fan, at least wait it out until the 9 minute mark, and check out the shout out to Barack Obama and the resulting crowd reaction.

Wimbledon

Visit the BBC's Sports website for full coverage of Wimbledon, starting today.

The Foos

I picked up this video link of the Foo Fighters on SNL in 2003 from the Consequence of Sound blog. If you love music and haven't visited this site, you are missing out! One of the authors on the blog, Michael Roffman, wrote about his experience at a Foo Fighters show in Chicago and also posted the above video on the site.

I am incredibly excited to see the Foo Fighters in St. Louis on July 20. I've been a big fan of their work for years and I don't think they have ever stopped in St. Louis. Or, if they have, I completely missed them. I would have had the chance to see them a second time. They are the big headliner at the Austin City Limits Festival this year. However, my friends and I aren't going this year, but I'm happy to report that I found a buyer for my four tickets. I bought tickets a year in advance to take advantage of better pricing. It was risky, but I didn't want to miss out if someone pretty terrific would be playing at the festival. Anyway, I bought the St. Louis Foo Fighter tickets before I found out the lineup for the ACL Festival. It all worked out in the end. And, I'll be happy to see the Foos in an enclosed and air-conditioned arena instead of in the 99+ degree weather of Austin's Zilker Park.

_ruthiness

Lara Logan on The Daily Show

Lara Logan is tough, honest, and intelligent. I wish that more of her stories made it on the air. I've admired her work on 60 Minutes and her reports on CBS Radio. Maybe she needs to switch networks, because it's obvious in this interview that CBS is not giving her or her stories a fair chance.

Do You Believe?

Meet the Press in Heaven

Luke Russert led the memorial service for his father earlier today. You can see the rest of the memorial service on the Meet the Press site on MSNBC.

Stephen Colbert on Russert

Moment of Zen

At the end of every Daily Show, Jon Stewart shows a "Moment of Zen", and usually it's a funny bit from the day's news. Last night, Jon aired a very poignant part of his interview with Tim Russert in 2004, when Tim published "Big Russ and Me". The above clip shows the first part of the interview.



The second part of the interview is probably one of the most informative and insightful moments I've seen on The Daily Show. Please note that Tim and John are discussing the war in Iraq during an election year. Hmmm...does that sound familiar?

The new Meet the Press moderator?

On my way to lunch today, I flipped through a couple talk radio stations and stopped at one where the subject was Tim Russert. The commentators were throwing out ideas for the new Meet the Press moderator -- Keith Olbermann, Bob Costas, etc. Justin Webb, the North American BBC News editor, suggests David Gregory.

I'm going to throw out Charlie Rose's name. He's used to the roundtable show format and he's an experienced interview. I try to catch his show as much as possible, but our PBS station airs his show at 11:30 PM. My one reservation about Charlie is that sometimes he interrupts his guests, and not necessarily in a good way. Occasionally, Charlie will also talk over his guests. It's an annoying habit, but I think he could definitely work on it.

However, I don't think that Charlie would ever leave his own show in NY. It's a long-running staple on PBS and I don't think he would be satisfied to only talk about politics. Tim Russert had another show on MSNBC, but I believe that show only aired once a week. Charlie's show runs Monday through Friday. Oh well. It was a good thought. Maybe, NBC would make it worth Charlie's time.

The Kids

I attended a conference/trade show in Chicago last week. I flew up a day early to spend some time with my sister, her husband, and their three fantastic kids. It's probably been awhile since I've written about them, so here's a refresher: Megan is 9.5, Erin is almost 5, and Evan is 14 months old.





As the kids get older, I'm increasingly fascinated by their interactions with each other. Megan and Erin are close, but Megan is definitely the older and wiser sister. Megan is pretty good at telling her sister what to do. This is only amusing to me, since I am a little sister and it's great to see this dynamic in action. Erin and Evan are close and they love to wrestle with each other. Erin treats Evan a little bit like a doll, or maybe even a pet. She drags him around the living room, or tackles him and then kisses him. It's all very cute.

The next time I visit, I'll try to shoot a short video, then I'll post it here.

Amazing Grace - movie recommendation

I selected a movie randomly from Netflix, and I got Amazing Grace. It's a little-known movie about an even lesser-known historic figure. The movie is about William Wilberforce, the architect of the abolition of the slave trade throughout the British Empire. The movie is a little slow, but the subject matter is very inspiring. Wilberforce spent over half of his life fighting against slavery.

The song "Amazing Grace" plays a role in this movie. A link is made between the composer of the song with Wilberforce. I'm not sure if the connection is really true, but it moves the story along very well. Anyway, if you have some free time, I highly recommend this movie to lift you up and hopefully inspire you to do your part to make the world a better place.

John Cusack - The Bush-McCain Challenge

Thanks to my friend Pam for posting this on her blog.

A Pet Peeve

When I found out about Tim Russert's death this afternoon, I exclaimed and said, "Oh my God, Tim Russert is dead." I did not expect the following response from my colleagues, "Who's that?" Are you kidding me? An hour or so later, another co-worker came up to me and told me and I thanked God that someone on my team is informed. I really have a hard time dealing with the fact that so many people do not pay attention to what is going on in our political world, or even the rest of the world. I get that most people are not as obsessed about television than I am, but I think they should at least watch the really good quality shows.

Ignorance is not bliss.

Thoughts on Tim Russert

I didn't get up early enough every Sunday morning to see Meet the Press (it airs at 8:00 AM in St. Louis), but when I did catch it, I always felt a little smarter after watching Tim Russert's interviews and analysis. I admired his tactful, yet tough interview style. He respected his guests and made them give us honest answers. In the heart of this political season, I always turned to NBC for their political news coverage, because I knew that Tim Russert would be fair and insightful.

I don't know how I'll get through the rest of the presidential campaign without Tim. I know that sounds silly, but he made the whole crazy mess make sense. I can't watch CNN anymore. Their constant insistence on being "the best political news team on television" is so grating. I'll have to stick to The Newshour or start watching Face the Nation.

I watched a couple hours of tributes to Tim Russert tonight -- NBC news, Larry King Live, Nightline, and Charlie Rose. He is someone that everyone genuinely loved and they told stories about how he genuinely loved his friends and their families. In our current plastic media world, we have very few genuine people reporting the news, and even fewer who are as respected as Tim Russert. He had a real passion for his work and it was evident in every word he spoke.

I will miss him.

Tim Russert

NBC just broke the news that Tim Russert, of Meet the Press, died this afternoon, at age 58. He will be missed.

I'll write more later.

T Lo on SATC

I've been at a conference the last few days, so I haven't had time to blog. I'll report about the conference in later posts, but I'll give you this tidbit for now. The guys at Project Rungay report on the SATC movie on their other blog, Tom and Lorenzo. I must say that I agree with their review. I liked the movie a lot, but some aspects were kind of crappy, i.e. Jennifer Hudson's role. I take particular offense that her character is from St. Louis and is treated like a country bumpkin. I think Tom and Lorenzo's take on her character is spot on.

Enjoy!

Fired Up!

I really had a great birthday. I had lots of good wishes from family and friends, a delicious steak dinner with my parents, wonderful dessert and conversation with one of my closest friends, and the joy of Barack Obama clinching the Democratic Presidential nomination. One of the presents I received today was very appropriate and I love it -- an Obama campaign shirt in Cardinal red. Well, I think it's Cardinal red. =)


Anyway, please enjoy Senator Obama's speech in St. Paul, Minnesota.



If you have problems streaming the video, you may read the full text of the speech at Obama's website.

Christian Siriano at the MTV Movie Awards

Ok, I'm a sucker for the Fashion Police and others who rip on or praise celebrities and fashion. However, Christian Siriano, winner of the latest edition of Project Runway, takes the cake when he reports from the red carpet at the MTV Movie Awards. Be sure to watch for his reaction on the ladies from The Hills. Hilarious!

Observations from the Other Side of the Pond

I've referred to Justin Webb, North American editor for BBC News, in previous posts. Last week he made a keen observation on the political distractions on the campaign trail, i.e. lapel pins and bad bowling.

It's All in the Numbers

If you're interested in how the numbers really look for the Democratic Nomination, check out RealClearPolitics.com.

SATC Movie Opens May 30

In honor of the Sex and the City movie, check out the beautiful Vogue photo spread of Sarah Jessica Parker and Chris Noth.

Cokie Roberts

While I was picking up lunch and a prescription for my mom, I listened to a small part of "St. Louis: On the Air" on our local NPR station. The interview was with Cokie Roberts on her new book, Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation. I saw Cokie Roberts on The Daily Show a few weeks ago and she was smart and funny!



I couldn't catch the whole interview, but I found out that she was going to be at the St. Louis County Library for a presentation and book signing this evening. I invited my friend Stacey, and we attended the event. She really is a delightful and very insightful speaker. I'm definitely going to pick up the book soon, and as soon as I finish the book, I'll provide a report.

Threatdown - Stephen Colbert

How to Build Invisible Shelves

Here are instructions on how to build "invisible" shelves.

Barney Stinson's Blog

While visiting Jenna in Louisville, we had a How I Met Your Mother marathon. In a couple episodes, Barney referenced his blog. So I did a search and lo and behold, CBS has a site for Barney's blog.

Stephen Colbert's Total Gas Holiday

Why didn't I think of it? Watch the whole four-minute piece for some of the smartest comedy on TV.

Justin Webb's America

I stumbled upon Justin Webb's blog, while I was browsing around the BBC News website. From time to time, I like to see how the rest of the world views the United States. Justin is specifically writing about the US campaign for the next president. It's interesting reading.

I Want to Believe

This is a clip of Chris Carter, the creator of The X-Files, discussing his upcoming film. I can't wait!

Quantum of Solace

The Quantum of Solace is such a ridiculous name for the new Bond film, but you know I'll watch it. I've seen every Bond film and I love all of the actors who have portrayed the legendary character, but especially Daniel Craig. He has a quality that I can't put my finger on, but he's just so yummy! Yeah, that's pretty eloquent.

Farewell Eight Belles

I wasn't at Churchill for Derby this year, but I am in Louisville. The Derby party I attended was lots of fun with great people and delicious food. The Derby race was very exciting and I think Big Brown has a real chance at the Triple Crown. After the initial celebration of Big Brown's win, everything came to a halt with the announcement of Eight Belles' death. She was a beautiful horse and really proved herself against the field of boys to finish second in the Kentucky Derby. It was even more tragic that we found out so abruptly on national television, before we even had a chance to really celebrate the win by Big Brown. In our world of instant news, NBC immediately found the Churchill Downs vet to find out what was going on. It was really poor timing. The vet just found out that Eight Belles was euthanized on the track, and then he has the NBC reporter asking him questions. I think it all could have been handled in a much more respectful and classier manner. In any case, here's to Eight Belles. May they keep running fillies in the Derby in her memory.

Kentucky Derby 134

On Thursday afternoon, I'll be on my way to Louisville to visit Jenna and check out the Derby. I'm on a every other year schedule and this year is my time to live it up!

The forecast is for showers and more showers, but we can make our own fun. Right now, my favorites are Big Brown and Eight Belles. These picks, of course, will change as the Derby race approaches.

Baseball in St. Lou

I just got home from watching a great Cardinal victory over the Cincinnati Reds, 7-2. So, this was a Tuesday night game and the temperature was in the low-40s, but somehow there were over 30,000 people in attendance. Sometimes, I daydream about moving somewhere outside of St. Louis, but I don't know if I could do it. I would miss Cardinal baseball too much. I know that seems corny, but the culture of Cardinal baseball has been a big part of my life since I was a kid. So many stadiums across the country struggle with attendance, but tonight is an example of the dedicated fans we have here.

Go Cards!

Even more Bravo

I know you're tired of all my links to Bravo-related shows, but I love Tim Gunn. Check out the latest on his Guide to Style show, as told by the hilarious guys on Project Rungay.

Prince at Coachella

Prince performing Little Red Corvette.



Prince performing Creep by Radiohead. The video is crap, but the audio is great. This is just as good, if not better, than his cover of the Foo Fighters at the Super Bowl a few years ago.

Never Settle

My friend, Stacey, and I had dinner tonight to catch up on the events in our lives. I complained to her that she hasn't written in her blog since January! "But I just posted last week," she said. And, it's well worth reading, so I'm passing along this link to you. I wholeheartedly agree with her response to the "Marry Him!" article in the Atlantic Monthly.

Prince on Leno

Prince performs on Leno before his headlining performance at the Coachella Music Festival.

Huckabee on Obama

This is probably the only time that I admit that Mike Huckabee is right.

Indecision 2008

Here is the latest from our friends at Indecision 2008 on Comedy Central: John McCain's Guide to Training Women in the Workplace.

Colin Firth on The Daily Show

I love Colin Firth. He's damn funny.

Evan's First Birthday

I spent the best weekend in Waukegan, Illinois, celebrating my nephew's birthday. Some people think that he won't remember that I was there, but I know better. That kids smart, just like his sisters. If he's anything like Megan, the oldest, he will have a memory like an elephant. So much has changed in the last month since I saw him. A month ago, he was standing and attempting to walk. Now, you have to catch him before he reaches the open gate at the stairs to the second floor of my sister's house. The girls, Megan and Erin, love their little brother and it's so great to see all three of them interact with each other. Even though they are 4.5 years apart, I think they get along and play very well together. They remind me of the early relationship between me and my sister. Our difference in ages is 5.5 years. My sister was always gracious and generous with her time and her friends, letting her little sister tag along. I hope that Megan and Erin continue to have a solid sisterly relationship.