The moms and I went to Politics and Prose yesterday to check out Ron Suskind, author of "A Hope in the Unseen", "The Price of Loyality" and his latest effort "The One Percent Doctrine". I enjoyed his previous two books and imagine I'll enjoy the new one. "The One Percent Doctrine" is about foreign policy under the Bush Adminstration in general and more specifically how it was developed in the aftermath of 9/11. Should be, at the least, an interesting read.
As an aside, I intended to review books as I finished them and post the reviews here but I'm a little behind. The book featured to the right, "The Queen of the South", I actually finished a couple of weeks ago and I've since read three other books, so clearly I need to get my act together on that end. I'll get around to it shortly, I promise.
The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11
I believe that the best way to deal with people like Ann Coulter is to ignore them. Coulter doesn't really believe the crazy shit she says; she says it because she loves having people (liberals/and most sane people) flip out over what she says and, more importantly, she likes selling books. So despite making a post about a Coulter vs. Hitler test , my general opinion is not to take her seriously. Having said that, the following is truely bizarre. Via Andrew Sullivan we get a link to an interview Coulter did with Jambands.com .
Apparently, and part of me still thinks this is a joke of some sort, Ann Coulter is a huge, huge Grateful Dead fan. Thats right, Ann Coulter is a self-proclaimed Deadhead. In the interview Coulter (Ann Coulter!) says she's been to around 67 shows and that she loves hanging out with fellow Deadheads at concerts. In reading the whole interview its quite apparent that Coulter really is a fan and more then that a big fan. She even talks about other jam bands she enjoys like String Cheese Incident and Phish, among others. Take this quote for instance:
Moreover, I really like Deadheads and the whole Dead concert scene: the tailgating, the tie-dye uniforms, the camaraderie – it was like NASCAR for potheads. You always felt like you were with family at a Dead show – a rather odd, psychedelic family that sometimes lived in a VW bus and sold frightening looking “veggie burritos.” But whatever their myriad interests, clothing choices, and interest in illicit drugs, true Deadheads are what liberals claim to be but aren't: unique, free-thinking, open, kind, and interested in different ideas. Also, excellent dancers! Watching a Deadhead dance is truly something to behold.
I think my head just exploded.
Kevin Richardson, at 33 the oldest member of the Backstreet Boys, has announced he is leaving the group to pursue other interests . R.I.P BSB, you will always be dear to my heart.
Via AmericaBlog, here’s a fun little quiz. See if you can tell who said what, Hitler or Coulter. I got 10 of 14 right, which isn’t bad I guess. To be fair I imagine you could pull quotes from a lot of people and make them compare quite well to some evil guy but honestly who cares about that when you are talking about Coulter, the lowest of the low, scum of humanity. Andrew Sullivan, incidently, got 13 of 14 right. But he’s an idiot on the Iraq War so I feel fine about that.
In other political news Britney Spears’ hubby K-fed has come out in support of the penny. Words escape me.
Here’s an odd one: 50 Cent and Apple Computers are becoming business partners. What? Seriously, 50 and Apple are in talks to have a 50 Cent branded Apple computer that would be targeted (and priced) towards those with lower incomes. Thats right, hardcore gangsta 50 Cent and nerdy preppy Apple are joining forces. The only thing funnier then that is the fact that I helped get my sister an Apple laptop which she can’t stand because of the lack of a right click on the mouse. Now thats funny people.
On a related note, anyone seen those new Apple commercials with the two guys, one representing Apples and the other being a PC? I actually think they are pretty funny (I’m a huge John Hodgeman fan) but Seth Stevenson, Slate’s ad guy, only gives them a C-. His reasoning is they don’t make him want to by an Apple. They don’t make me want to either (I’m quite happy with my Dell) but I give them props for creativity. If I only bought products based on commercials I’d be a total Apple guy. Like my sister though, I need that right click button. Unlike her, my computer has one. Sucka.
The Chicago Tribune came out with their list of the Top 50 Best Magazines. Top Ten, in order: The Economist, Dwell, Wired, The New Yorker, ESPN the Magazine, Esquire, Consumer Reports, Blender, Gourmet and the Atlantic.
I’ve never heard of Dwell, apparently its some sort of home decorating magazine but the others are all well known. Interestingly the rest of the list, 11-50, seems populated almost entirely by publications with fairly small niches. Rolling Stone and Sports Illustrated, for example, don’t make the list but Whole Dog Journal does. Regardless, the list at least provides a nice resource for expanding one’s periodical habits.
(via Jason Kottke)
Here's a funny little link for all you Entourage fans. Entourage creator Doug Ellin came up with a fake acting resume for Vinnie Chase's deadbeat brother Johnny and gave it to EW.com. My favorite parts Johnny has had? Bulimic Pedophile on the Commish and I would have enjoyed seeing Drama in Mama Mia at Toluca Lake Community Arts Centre. The whole resume is classic.
I saw the Al Gore movie An Inconvenient Truth (here after referred to as AIT) a couple of nights ago. Certainly its an interesting movie and worth seeing, though it has been perhaps over-hyped (through no fault of Gore or the makers). It really is, for the most part, a combination of a long lecture/slide show by Gore and an almost campaign video-like look at Gore's life, not to mention an extended Apple commercial. The theater where I saw the movie at was packed and the movie is doing very well but there is no new information here, not to anyone half-way versed in global warming. The allure of the movie is the presentation, how Gore and the filmmakers bring together images and statistics to enhance their position and really hammer home the seriousness of the problem. The crowd I was in reacted exactly as Gore probably hoped they would; they laughed at his self-depreciating humor and expressed amazement at the photos of snow erosion. As an advocacy movie it accomplishes it's goal well and it has the potential to accomplish a lot in regards to global warming but I wonder if it will reach its potential given the persistence of global warming sceptics attacking both Gore and the movie. More importantly, I wonder about the impact it will have as long as media outlets continue to present this as a two-sided debate with equal numbers on each side. I won't go off on a tangent as to why basically all news organizations are worthless but with global warming you can really see how the media, in their pathetic efforts to seem unbiased, are doing a disservice to their audience. The sad thing about the movie though is that Gore and the filmmakers are, for the most part, preaching to the choir. Like Michael Moore and his films (Note: the comparison between AIT and Moore's films is unfair, I'm just trying to give an analogy), Gore and AIT have been labeled "liberal propaganda" by conservatives. So while people who generally already believe in the dangers of global warming, or are fans of Gore, will see this movie (and they are in droves), I wonder how many people who really need to see it (i.e. global warming sceptics) will actually make the trip to the theater. What really confuses me is why Republicans have latched on to this idea that global warming is a "liberal" cause. What about global warming is against the conservative ideology? I can, perhaps, understand the conservative reluctance to rely on government to solve the problem but what about those who refuse to even recognize there is a problem with warming? Take George Will (or better yet, take Think Progress' response to Will) for instance. In a column discussing Gore's chances of running in 2008 Will aligns himself fairly clearly with those who say there is still scientific debate about global warming. As Gore says in the movie, thats just not true. The debate is over; the problem is there remain those who wish to muddy the waters. At least Will appears to have seen the movie. President Bush, one of those still waiting for the debate to end, has said he has no intention of seeing AIT. Why? Is it because he doesn't want to be reminded that Gore beat him in the popular vote? Or is it because of his legendary lack of curiosity? Last summer I told two people who are quite knowledgeable about politics that I thought Gore would run in 2008 for President. Their response? They laughed in my face basically. Now Gore is still saying that he has no intention of running again and clearly Senator Clinton looks like the run away favorite but Gore position himself as a Hillary-alternative. I actually think there is a good Hillary-alternative who is already running (for all intents and purposes) but think of the advantages Gore has. First and most importantly, he has almost a blank slate on the Iraq War (which in all likelihood will still be a big issue in 2008). He wasn't in the Senate to vote for the war resolution and so has no vote to explain (unlike Hillary). Second, Gore can currently do little wrong in the eyes of the base of the Democratic Party (establishment Democrats and the media are still bizzarely anti-Gore). This is important because primary voters, in this case Democratic primary voters, are more liberal then general election voters. With Hillary's pandering to the middle/right (video games? Seriously Senator Clinton?) frustrating many Democrats, Gore has a real chance of coming at Hillary from the left. Thirdly, Gore's already been through the gauntlet before, and, even better, he won the popular vote. Yes his campaign wasn't that great and he made a lot of mistakes but even with all that he still got more votes then Bush in 2000. So will the man run in 2008? I'm not sure but I'd bet money that he will. There is already a "Draft Gore" movement afoot and it will only get stronger as 2007 and 2008 approaches. I doubt Gore, even if he is truly reluctant to run, will be able to resist the temptation of finally winning the Presidency. Final Verdict? Go see it. Other reviews of An Inconvenient Truth
As if I really needed anymore reasons to dislike Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, now I find this out: the man is a cat killer. A columnist for the Tennessean points out that in a 1989 book written by Senator Frist the Senator describes how he would adopt cats from shelters, treat them like pets for a while and then he would preform surgical experiments on them. Lovely. Frist has apparently acknowledged that this was a sick thing to do but I mean really, whats the deal here? Put this down as reason #123,304,302 that Senator Frist will never, ever be President Frist. (via Political Wire)
Season two of Entourage premieres Sunday night at 10 ET, can’t wait. Jeremy Piven aka Ari gave an interview to the AP about the show here.
Slate’s Daniel Gross made a promise and, man of his word that he is, ate the first chapter of a book. Video of the affair can be found here. looks yummy.
Maxim magazine is trying to save men from, well, themselves. (via Andrew Sullivan)
