DOWD PARODY [Cliff May]Maureen Dowd must be on vacation. What appears to be a Maureen Dowd column this morning is surely a parody of a Maureen Dowd column. I mean, she wouldn’t write anything this ridiculous. And if she did, her editors would never publish it. Headlined “Uncle Dick and Papa,” it pretends to be a comparison of Pope Benedict XVI and Vice President Dick Cheney. Who wudda thunk that those two have anything in common? So faux-insightful! What a joke on Maureen! According to the Dowd satirist, “the new pope is a Jurassic archconservative who disdains the ‘if it feels good do it’ culture and the revolutionary trends toward diversity and cultural openness since the 60's.” (Jurassic archconservative! Don’t you love that? It really does sound like Maureen’s humor. Except, of course, that it’s not at all funny or clever! And that impassioned defense of the ‘60s, the Golden Age for all superannuated hippies and old new leftists – that’s brilliant.) Pope Benedict XVI and Vice President Cheney “are a match,” the satirist continues, “absolutists who view the world in stark terms of good and evil, eager to prolong a patriarchal society that prohibits gay marriage and slices up pro-choice U.S. Democratic candidates.” Is that hysterical, or what? Even Maureen wouldn’t be so clueless as to chide a pope for seeing the world in terms of “good and evil.” The Dowd stand-in then observes that both PB16 and Cheney are “from rural, conservative parts of their countries” – poor dears; had they been raised on the Upper West Side or in Georgetown they’d probably be almost as sophisticated as Maureen!– who “want to turn back the clock and exorcise New Age silliness. Mr. Cheney wants to dismantle the New Deal and go back to 1937. Pope Benedict XVI wants to dismantle Vatican II and go back to 1397.” Get it? 1937 and 1397? The real Dowd would know better than to think that inverting the two digits of a date constitute a thigh-slappingly ingenious literary device. The column also chides the Pope because “as a scholar, his specialty was "patristics," the study of the key thinkers in the first eight centuries of the church.” How dopey of him to study dead white men – and Christians no less! He could have majored in diversity studies with Ward Churchill at the University of Colorado! The kicker of the column is a quote from a real expert – a philosophy professor at the University of Utah who enjoys the extraordinary distinction of having had a letter printed in The New York Times. And pace Papa, he says that, in actual fact, “moral absolutism is relative” because “those who hold 'liberal' views are not relativists. They simply disagree with the conservatives about what is right and wrong." This is a scream! But when Maureen comes back from vacation and sees it, I think she’s going to be angry.
http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/05_04_17_corner-archive.asp#061344
From:
About me: “'But I don’t want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked. 'Oh, you can’t help that,' said the Cat. 'We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.' 'How do you know I’m mad?' said Alice. 'You must be,” said the Cat, 'or you wouldn’t have come here.'” -Lewis Carroll
Friday, April 29
Thank God for the internet, because I don't have the energy to deconstruct Maureen Dowd's mental problems on my own.
posted by Jessica at 12:28 PM | Permalink |
Wednesday, April 20
Art Moo-veau
A cow is living on top of a ten storey building in Santiago in a work of performance art.
It was kidnapped on its way to a slaughter house by a group of artists who won't reveal their names.
The cow was lifted by crane on to the top of the building in the Chilean capital, reports Las Ultimas Noticias.
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1364175.html?menu=
I just like the picture.
It was kidnapped on its way to a slaughter house by a group of artists who won't reveal their names.
The cow was lifted by crane on to the top of the building in the Chilean capital, reports Las Ultimas Noticias.
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1364175.html?menu=
I just like the picture.
posted by Jessica at 3:48 PM | Permalink |
Thoughts on the new Pope:
I don't know enough about the man yet to form a true opinion, but he's only been Pope for a day and already has the entire mainstream media attacking him, so methinks he's going to prove a fine choice.
""Anytime a liberal squeals in outrage, an angel gets its wings."
-from the Free Republic message boards
""Anytime a liberal squeals in outrage, an angel gets its wings."
-from the Free Republic message boards
posted by Jessica at 7:20 AM | Permalink |
Monday, April 18
Quote of the Day
"Meanwhile, I'll be in conclave this week handing out goodie bags and running for pope. Wish me well!"
- Michael Moore, desperately seeking attention like a hyperactive toddler
- Michael Moore, desperately seeking attention like a hyperactive toddler
posted by Jessica at 6:13 PM | Permalink |
Homosexual Episcopal Bishop Out to Claim Bible for Abortion-Rights Activists
Washinton, D.C., April 18, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) The logical consequences resulting from the first ever consecration of a homosexual bishop continued to manifest themselves as Bishop V. Gene Robinson of the U.S. Episcopal Church addressed those Planned Parenthood's fifth annual prayer breakfast in Washington on Friday April 15th.
The Washington Times carried a news article in which Rev. Robinson was reported as directing his comments against "people of faith" and suggested that Planned Parenthood should target them so as to "promote abortion rights and comprehensive sex education".
The main theme of Robinson's comments dealt with the reasons surrounding last year's election results in the United States. The large number of people who voted for President Bush was, according to Robinson, a result of the disconnect between religious people and the pro-abortion mindset, saying, "In this last election we see what the ultimate result of divorce from communities of faith will do to us."
Robinson believes that the only way to defend the pro-abortion mindset is to reach out religiously. He noted that, "our defense against religious people has to be a religious defense. ... We must use people of faith to counter the faith-based arguments against us."
In essence Robinson is advocating the complete reinterpretation of the Scriptures. He is quoted in the Times article as saying "We have allowed the Bible to be taken hostage, and it is being wielded by folks who would use it to hit us over the head. We have to take back those Scriptures," he said. "You know, those stories are our stories. I tell this to lesbian folk all the time: The story of freedom in Exodus is our story. ... That's my story, and they can't have it. … We need to teach people about nuance, about holding things in tension, that this can be true and that can be true, and somewhere between is the right answer. It's a very adult way of living, you know. What an unimaginative God it would be if God only put one meaning in any verse of Scripture."
Rev. Robinson gained worldwide notoriety in 2003 when he was elevated to the office of bishop within the Episcopal Church (known as the Anglican Church outside the U.S.). Robinson had left his wife and two young daughters in 1986 and moved in with a man.
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/apr/05041802.html
Yes, may we all strive to be godly enough to abandon our wives and children....
dictionary definition of nuance: Expression or appreciation of subtle shades of meaning, feeling, or tone
liberal definition of nuance:
a) Word used whenever their opinion is the exact opposite of what is stated in the Bible, Constitution, and/or Declaration of Independence
ex: "There's a right to privacy in the Constitution, and the inside of a woman's body is pretty private, so obviously the 'nuance' of the right to privacy means there's a right to abortion."
b) Word used to talk one's way out of a blantant lie and/or bad public performance
ex: "John Kerry didn't connect with the American people because his speech was too 'nuanced'."
Washinton, D.C., April 18, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) The logical consequences resulting from the first ever consecration of a homosexual bishop continued to manifest themselves as Bishop V. Gene Robinson of the U.S. Episcopal Church addressed those Planned Parenthood's fifth annual prayer breakfast in Washington on Friday April 15th.
The Washington Times carried a news article in which Rev. Robinson was reported as directing his comments against "people of faith" and suggested that Planned Parenthood should target them so as to "promote abortion rights and comprehensive sex education".
The main theme of Robinson's comments dealt with the reasons surrounding last year's election results in the United States. The large number of people who voted for President Bush was, according to Robinson, a result of the disconnect between religious people and the pro-abortion mindset, saying, "In this last election we see what the ultimate result of divorce from communities of faith will do to us."
Robinson believes that the only way to defend the pro-abortion mindset is to reach out religiously. He noted that, "our defense against religious people has to be a religious defense. ... We must use people of faith to counter the faith-based arguments against us."
In essence Robinson is advocating the complete reinterpretation of the Scriptures. He is quoted in the Times article as saying "We have allowed the Bible to be taken hostage, and it is being wielded by folks who would use it to hit us over the head. We have to take back those Scriptures," he said. "You know, those stories are our stories. I tell this to lesbian folk all the time: The story of freedom in Exodus is our story. ... That's my story, and they can't have it. … We need to teach people about nuance, about holding things in tension, that this can be true and that can be true, and somewhere between is the right answer. It's a very adult way of living, you know. What an unimaginative God it would be if God only put one meaning in any verse of Scripture."
Rev. Robinson gained worldwide notoriety in 2003 when he was elevated to the office of bishop within the Episcopal Church (known as the Anglican Church outside the U.S.). Robinson had left his wife and two young daughters in 1986 and moved in with a man.
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/apr/05041802.html
Yes, may we all strive to be godly enough to abandon our wives and children....
dictionary definition of nuance: Expression or appreciation of subtle shades of meaning, feeling, or tone
liberal definition of nuance:
a) Word used whenever their opinion is the exact opposite of what is stated in the Bible, Constitution, and/or Declaration of Independence
ex: "There's a right to privacy in the Constitution, and the inside of a woman's body is pretty private, so obviously the 'nuance' of the right to privacy means there's a right to abortion."
b) Word used to talk one's way out of a blantant lie and/or bad public performance
ex: "John Kerry didn't connect with the American people because his speech was too 'nuanced'."
posted by Jessica at 5:52 PM | Permalink |
Thursday, April 14
Quote of the Day:
"I'm not sure how these descriptions square with the fact that liberals keep responding to conservative ideas by throwing food... Fortunately for me, liberals not only argue like liberals, they also throw like girls."- Ann Coulter
posted by Jessica at 12:16 PM | Permalink |
Tuesday, April 12
Give me a friggin' break.
Sesame Street favourite Cookie Monster is going on a diet.
He is aiming to get healthy during the show's new series reports the New Zealand Herald.
Other characters will also get involved in the health drive. Elmo will be shown exercising.
As part of the project, Cookie Monster, who used to sing that "C is for cookie", will be telling viewers that biscuits are occasional treats. He now sings: "A cookie is a sometimes food."
The producers of Sesame Street will now start with a health tip about nutrition, exercise, hygiene and rest.
Producers deny that Cookie Monster has been placed on a diet. "We would never use the word diet with pre-schoolers," said a spokeswoman.
I'd just like to take a moment to say how happy I am that I got to be a kid in the 80's, before the politically correct banshees descended upon everything that's original or even mildly entertaining. Of course, they'd be more effective if Cookie Monster started each show with "Hey, kid. Get off your lazy ass and go outside and play!" But I suppose screwing up the rhyme scheme of children's songs is one thing. Losing viewers (and revenue) is quite another.
He is aiming to get healthy during the show's new series reports the New Zealand Herald.
Other characters will also get involved in the health drive. Elmo will be shown exercising.
As part of the project, Cookie Monster, who used to sing that "C is for cookie", will be telling viewers that biscuits are occasional treats. He now sings: "A cookie is a sometimes food."
The producers of Sesame Street will now start with a health tip about nutrition, exercise, hygiene and rest.
Producers deny that Cookie Monster has been placed on a diet. "We would never use the word diet with pre-schoolers," said a spokeswoman.
I'd just like to take a moment to say how happy I am that I got to be a kid in the 80's, before the politically correct banshees descended upon everything that's original or even mildly entertaining. Of course, they'd be more effective if Cookie Monster started each show with "Hey, kid. Get off your lazy ass and go outside and play!" But I suppose screwing up the rhyme scheme of children's songs is one thing. Losing viewers (and revenue) is quite another.
posted by Jessica at 1:47 PM | Permalink |
Ah those 'morally relativistic' liberals
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/inbeltway.htm
CNN has another new network president, its fifth in four years. Jonathan Klein's mission: take back the million-plus viewers CNN has lost to Fox News Channel in fewer than four years. Take ever-important prime-time numbers (7 to 11 p.m.), as examined by Nielsen Media Research -- CNN: 775,000 viewers (Anderson Cooper, Larry King, Paula Zahn, Aaron Brown); Fox: 2 million viewers (Shephard Smith, Sean Hannity & Alan Colmes, Bill O'Reilly).Mr. Klein's assessment of his competition? "They've tapped into an outrage that's lurking among a certain small segment of the population, mostly angry white men, and those men tend to be rabid," the new CNN chief tells Charlie Rose of PBS. "They tend to be habitual. They tend to like to have their points of view reinforced." And CNN? "And a, quote-unquote, 'progressive' or 'liberal' network probably couldn't reach the same sort of an audience, because liberals tend to like to sample a lot of opinions," Mr. Klein continues. "They pride themselves on that. And you know, they don't get too worked up about anything. And they're pretty morally relativistic. And so, you know, they allow for a lot of that stuff. You know, Fox is very appealing to people who like to get worked up over things."
*clears throat* "Bush is Hitler!!!! No More Blood For Oil!!!! Tell DeLay to go kill himself!!!" Yup, no one getting worked up over on the left one little bit. On the bright side, it's good to see CNN's president admitting that the network is absurdly liberal. It's the first step toward recovery.
CNN has another new network president, its fifth in four years. Jonathan Klein's mission: take back the million-plus viewers CNN has lost to Fox News Channel in fewer than four years. Take ever-important prime-time numbers (7 to 11 p.m.), as examined by Nielsen Media Research -- CNN: 775,000 viewers (Anderson Cooper, Larry King, Paula Zahn, Aaron Brown); Fox: 2 million viewers (Shephard Smith, Sean Hannity & Alan Colmes, Bill O'Reilly).Mr. Klein's assessment of his competition? "They've tapped into an outrage that's lurking among a certain small segment of the population, mostly angry white men, and those men tend to be rabid," the new CNN chief tells Charlie Rose of PBS. "They tend to be habitual. They tend to like to have their points of view reinforced." And CNN? "And a, quote-unquote, 'progressive' or 'liberal' network probably couldn't reach the same sort of an audience, because liberals tend to like to sample a lot of opinions," Mr. Klein continues. "They pride themselves on that. And you know, they don't get too worked up about anything. And they're pretty morally relativistic. And so, you know, they allow for a lot of that stuff. You know, Fox is very appealing to people who like to get worked up over things."
*clears throat* "Bush is Hitler!!!! No More Blood For Oil!!!! Tell DeLay to go kill himself!!!" Yup, no one getting worked up over on the left one little bit. On the bright side, it's good to see CNN's president admitting that the network is absurdly liberal. It's the first step toward recovery.
posted by Jessica at 9:45 AM | Permalink |
Monday, April 11
And the gang's all bloody here.
John Edwards Speaks Up
Don’t crown Hillary yet!
Hillary Clinton may be all but declared the 2008 nominee here in New York, but don’t tell John Edwards that. “I think talking about a front-runner four years before an election is ridiculous,” he tells us. Edwards is coming to town this week to give a speech at the New School assailing Bush tax policies, and to visit his daughter, who works at Vanity Fair. Now at the University of North Carolina, his voting finger is clearly itchy. We ran through some talking points. The circus of legislative outrage surrounding Terri Schiavo? “We saw the memo that went out to Republican leaders about how they could take political advantage of Terri Schiavo. That’s disgusting. They will pay a price for this in the 2006 and 2008 elections.” The Democratic acquiescence to the appointments of Condoleezza Rice and Alberto Gonzales? “I would have voted against them.” Would you oppose John Bolton as U.N. ambassador? “I would.” The easy passage of tort reform? “People have attacked my [trial lawyer] career ever since I’ve been involved in politics. But the attacks never stick. I think people fundamentally believe that those who have been wronged by powerful interests should be able to hold them accountable.” The reports that you told John Kerry you wouldn't run against him? “The conversations that John Kerry and I have had are personal and private.” —Greg Sargent
I'm starting to wonder if these guys get together and decide to say the stupidest things imaginable all in the same weekend to divert attention from just how stupid their remarks really are.
If Kerry is irrelevant, then Edwards is just... Come to think of it, Edwards isn't relevant enough to warrant his own adjective. I do find it touching that a man who made a hundred million dollars exploiting the suffering of others in court has the gall to say anything about the Schiavo case whatsoever, but I'm sure he's had a lot of time to think it over. After all, it's not like he has a job or anything.
Don’t crown Hillary yet!
Hillary Clinton may be all but declared the 2008 nominee here in New York, but don’t tell John Edwards that. “I think talking about a front-runner four years before an election is ridiculous,” he tells us. Edwards is coming to town this week to give a speech at the New School assailing Bush tax policies, and to visit his daughter, who works at Vanity Fair. Now at the University of North Carolina, his voting finger is clearly itchy. We ran through some talking points. The circus of legislative outrage surrounding Terri Schiavo? “We saw the memo that went out to Republican leaders about how they could take political advantage of Terri Schiavo. That’s disgusting. They will pay a price for this in the 2006 and 2008 elections.” The Democratic acquiescence to the appointments of Condoleezza Rice and Alberto Gonzales? “I would have voted against them.” Would you oppose John Bolton as U.N. ambassador? “I would.” The easy passage of tort reform? “People have attacked my [trial lawyer] career ever since I’ve been involved in politics. But the attacks never stick. I think people fundamentally believe that those who have been wronged by powerful interests should be able to hold them accountable.” The reports that you told John Kerry you wouldn't run against him? “The conversations that John Kerry and I have had are personal and private.” —Greg Sargent
I'm starting to wonder if these guys get together and decide to say the stupidest things imaginable all in the same weekend to divert attention from just how stupid their remarks really are.
If Kerry is irrelevant, then Edwards is just... Come to think of it, Edwards isn't relevant enough to warrant his own adjective. I do find it touching that a man who made a hundred million dollars exploiting the suffering of others in court has the gall to say anything about the Schiavo case whatsoever, but I'm sure he's had a lot of time to think it over. After all, it's not like he has a job or anything.
posted by Jessica at 4:29 PM | Permalink |
Some may call it a desire for reform. I call it a desperate fight against irrelevancy. Hang it up, Kerry.
"Last year too many people were denied their right to vote, too many who tried to vote were intimidated," the Massachusetts senator said at an event sponsored by the state League of Women Voters.
"There is no magic wand. No one person is going to stand up and suddenly say it's going to change tomorrow. You have to do that," he said.
Kerry supporters have charged that voting irregularities in largely Democratic areas made it difficult for voters to cast ballots in the November election. A lawsuit in Ohio cited long lines and a shortage of voting machines in predominantly minority neighborhoods, but the Ohio Supreme Court dismissed the suit.
Kerry also cited examples Sunday of how people were duped into not voting.
"Leaflets are handed out saying Democrats vote on Wednesday, Republicans vote on Tuesday. People are told in telephone calls that if you've ever had a parking ticket, you're not allowed to vote," he said.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/10/kerry.votes.ap/index.html
Thanks, John. Now we have a new way to advertise. "Smart people vote Republican. Stupid-asses vote Democrat. On Wednesday. Provided they haven't illegally parked outside the massive throngs of disenfranchised people whose right to laziness has been taken away." If I were a Democrat, I would find this X-Files conspiracy crap insulting. Not to mention how easily "duped" his constituency is. And since apparently no Republicans fell victim to these evil genius schemes to keep jaywalkers from voting, I guess that if you listen to Kerry, Democrats are just much, much stupider. Thanks, John, for clearing that up for us.
"There is no magic wand. No one person is going to stand up and suddenly say it's going to change tomorrow. You have to do that," he said.
Kerry supporters have charged that voting irregularities in largely Democratic areas made it difficult for voters to cast ballots in the November election. A lawsuit in Ohio cited long lines and a shortage of voting machines in predominantly minority neighborhoods, but the Ohio Supreme Court dismissed the suit.
Kerry also cited examples Sunday of how people were duped into not voting.
"Leaflets are handed out saying Democrats vote on Wednesday, Republicans vote on Tuesday. People are told in telephone calls that if you've ever had a parking ticket, you're not allowed to vote," he said.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/10/kerry.votes.ap/index.html
Thanks, John. Now we have a new way to advertise. "Smart people vote Republican. Stupid-asses vote Democrat. On Wednesday. Provided they haven't illegally parked outside the massive throngs of disenfranchised people whose right to laziness has been taken away." If I were a Democrat, I would find this X-Files conspiracy crap insulting. Not to mention how easily "duped" his constituency is. And since apparently no Republicans fell victim to these evil genius schemes to keep jaywalkers from voting, I guess that if you listen to Kerry, Democrats are just much, much stupider. Thanks, John, for clearing that up for us.
posted by Jessica at 4:16 PM | Permalink |
Deanism of the Day:
"Jesus taught to help the least among us. He spent his life reaching out to the disenfranchised. The Democratic Party is the party of that value, not the Republican Party."
http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/04/11/JohnBrummett/319855.html
http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2005/04/11/JohnBrummett/319855.html
posted by Jessica at 4:12 PM | Permalink |
Wednesday, April 6
I soo wouldn't want to be this woman's grandchild.
Granny rugby-tackled jay walker
A 77-year-old granny made a citizen's arrest in Germany when she rugby-tackled a 25-year-old jay walker.
The pensioner sat on him until police arrived - because he had walked across a road before the light was green.
The woman, from Freital, near Dresden, shouted at the man as he crossed the road before the little green man flashed up.
The old lady said she became even angrier when he hit her with his rucksack as he pushed past her when he reached the other side of the road.
She grabbed his hair and managed to wrestle him to the ground where she sat on him until police, who had been called by a passer-by, came.
He was taken to a local police station where he was fined for jay walking.
A 77-year-old granny made a citizen's arrest in Germany when she rugby-tackled a 25-year-old jay walker.
The pensioner sat on him until police arrived - because he had walked across a road before the light was green.
The woman, from Freital, near Dresden, shouted at the man as he crossed the road before the little green man flashed up.
The old lady said she became even angrier when he hit her with his rucksack as he pushed past her when he reached the other side of the road.
She grabbed his hair and managed to wrestle him to the ground where she sat on him until police, who had been called by a passer-by, came.
He was taken to a local police station where he was fined for jay walking.
posted by Jessica at 10:14 AM | Permalink |
Heh. Well I think it's funny too.
JACKSON CASE ROCKED: JURORS LAUGH, MOCK PROSECUTION WITNESSESJurors in the Michael Jackson case were overheard during a break in the trial mocking a 24-year old witness who claimed he was molested by Michael Jackson when he was 7 and 9-years old, sources claim.Specifically, a Juror was overheard by two reporters saying, "Oh boo-hooo, Michael Jackson tickled me." That statement was followed by laughter from other Jurors. Reporter Bob Tur claims the comment was also heard by a bailiff. Court officials are investigating.Jurors 8 and 9 have been observed laughing during the latest witness testimony, frequently cupping their mouths and talking during testimony.
posted by Jessica at 10:09 AM | Permalink |
How novel. A new left-wing news source.
Bloggorhea
by Joe Hagan
** Exclusive! **
SOURCES: WARREN BEATTY TO BLOG!
The Observer has learned that Warren Beatty, the 68-year-old actor and director, will likely join a lineup of liberal all-stars who will "group blog" on a Web site to be launched next month by columnist Arianna Huffington.
"I probably will," Mr. Beatty said, on the phone from his production office in Los Angeles.
The "Huffington Report," as Ms. Huffington has dubbed it, will also feature such boldface bloggers as Senator Jon Corzine, David Geffen, Viacom co-chief Tom Freston, Barry Diller, Tina Brown and Gwyneth Paltrow (who will helm such pieces as "How to Achieve Success When It's Handed to You on a Platter" and "I flunked out of U.C. Santa Barbara: here are my thoughts on Middle Eastern democracy"). If the name seems to echo that of the Drudge Report—the mega-site operated by the rightward-tilting unofficial editorial director of America’s news cycle, Matt Drudge—well, it’s supposed to. And Mr. Beatty approved of that.
"I applaud the effort to tell the side of the story that Arianna Huffington seems to be engaged in," he said. Mr. Beatty was all too aware, he said, of the power Mr. Drudge has to steer the American media.
"I would say he does a very industrious job of finding the things that he feels could be exploited to further the political agenda of the far right," said Mr. Beatty. (Eeevviiil right-wing conspiracy!)
For his part, Mr. Drudge was deeply skeptical of a Web site operated by Hollywood liberals. And he rebuffed Mr. Beatty’s characterization of his site as slanted toward Republicans.
"I still refuse to be put into the category of feeding completely Republican talking points," Mr. Drudge said. "That’s ridiculous. If they’re accusing me of doing Republican, we can assume all Warren Beatty is going to do is be putting out Democratic talking points.
"I look forward to the Warren Beatty News Network," Mr. Drudge cracked, before asking: "So they really are serious about this, aren’t they?" (heh. Drudge rocks.)
The Hollywooders appear to be. The partisan left has slowly been constructing outlets to counterbalance the partisan right’s perceived influence in radio and television (Air America; former Vice President Al Gore’s TV channel). Ms. Huffington, Mr. Beatty and Co., however, are aiming not at the margins but at the center of the media scrum: the news cycle itself, now being deftly nudged, goosed and spun by Mr. Drudge—daily, hourly, instantly.
"As the day follows the night, Drudge will inspire its opposite," Mr. Beatty said. (Le sigh.
Arianna and Clyde aren’t the only ones gunning for Mr. Drudge. On April 6, New York–based Gawker Media plans to launch Sploid.com, a British-style tabloid site meant to compile breaking news in a similar style to the Drudge Report. Gawker’s publisher, Nick Denton, described its politics as "anarcho-capitalist," pitted only against "all the lazy incumbents who thrive on hypocrisy."
A screenshot of Sploid, provided by Mr. Denton, showed a fairly literal interpretation of a U.K. tabloid sheet, complete with corpulent fonts and bludgeoning (yet merry!) headlines in a style seemingly ripped from Rupert Murdoch’s publishing playbook.
"We want to occupy the space between the whiny left and the ranting right," said Mr. Denton, who said he considered Mr. Drudge a brilliant news editor whose site was likely unstoppable for the foreseeable future.
However, his own project—which will be edited by ex-Gawker editor Choire Sicha on the East Coast and a blogger named Ken Lane on the West Coast—would avoid what he saw as Mr. Drudge’s weaknesses, he said.
"It’s not a wonder that newspaper front pages have their agenda set by him," Mr. Denton said, but "he has some blind spots. Occasionally, there’s a story that takes on the Bush administration that’s a good story. Occasionally there’s a funny, interesting, scandalous story that he won’t touch because it offends his audience. And he won’t take on the churches."
He described Mr. Drudge’s recent lead story featuring the Pope lying in state above the word "Peace" as the "same reverential coverage of every newspaper across the planet."
Mr. Drudge took issue with the criticism. "Oh, he would put ‘Hell’?" he asked. "I mean, c’mon, this is small-time. How do I take seriously ‘Sploid,’ ‘Gawker,’ ‘Wonkette’? How do you begin to take this seriously? It’s like ‘Supercalifragalisticexpialadocious: This is just in!’ … Too cute by half." (Bwahahah.)
In June, Mr. Drudge celebrates 10 years on the Web, having long since become the first draft of daily journalism in America. His site provides a pungent, sneering feed of the conservative, populist media mindset, whether serving as a launching pad for Swift Boat Veterans for Truth or mulling the weekend box office for Sin City and its alignment with the Pope’s death.
Mr. Drudge has stayed on top by being essential—a "utility," he said—and always being there for his readers, day and night. He operates from anywhere he chooses, most recently from his new "newsroom," a brand-new 2005 Mustang GT that he outfitted with a broadband connection. (He engaged in a recent instant-messenger conversation discussing his would-be challengers while sitting in the parking lot of a Chinese restaurant in his hometown of Miami.)
Until now, his dominance has never really been challenged by other independent operators. Other Web efforts have mainly focused on a single area of interest, be it Hollywood or Washington, instead of trying to be one all-encompassing clearinghouse. But here come Ms. Huffington and Mr. Denton with a new format to realign the factual firmament with a breaking-news zag for Mr. Drudge’s zig—hoping, ultimately, to become the news media’s leading sensibility.
Mr. Drudge said he doubted the market for news links would support more players.
"I don’t think that need is there," he said. "I think I fill that need."
Mr. Drudge observed that Ms. Huffington had "tons of charm and humor," but he questioned whether she and her powerful Hollywood friends had the stamina or wherewithal to keep up with him.
"This isn’t a dinner party, darling," he said. "This is the beast! This is the Internet beast, which is all-consuming, as anyone knows who works in this business."
It’s little wonder that Mr. Drudge accuses his adversaries of hanging out at parties. He said he once met Mr. Beatty at a book party in Los Angeles co-hosted by Susan Estrich celebrating a publication by lawyer Burt Fields.
"When he met me, he said it was the biggest thing since meeting John Wayne," recalled Mr. Drudge, who called Mr. Beatty an "extreme charmer. Extreme."
He added that Mr. Beatty’s wife, actress Annette Bening, glowered at him and asked, "‘How’s Sidney Blumenthal?’ with her Being Julia look." (She was referring to the former Clinton White house aide who once sued Mr. Drudge for defamation.)
Mr. Drudge was dismissive of competitors, including the contingent he liked to call "Drudge Babies."
"The road is littered with Wonkettes who have come and gone," he laughed. "They lose interest and/or they can’t make it work. Or burn out."
But Mr. Drudge was still pugnacious. Just name a popular Web site—then count the seconds it takes for Mr. Drudge to dismiss it.
"I don’t read Romenesko," he said, referring to the media-news site run by the Poynter Institute. "It’s redundant to me. Every once in a while, someone will give him a memo that’s hot. Other than that, it’s redundant."
What about the Note, the ABC News political Web site run by Mr. Halperin?
"Oh, please!" said Mr. Drudge. "That Mark Halperin—it’s like picking lint out of your navel. And really old, nasty lint."
Gawker?
"I mean, they have sightings of me in New York City when I’m halfway around the world," he spat. "I feel if they can’t get that right about me, I don’t know what to do."
Mr. Drudge gleefully sent The Observer a number of links to traffic charts generated by Alexa, a service of Amazon.com, which measured the visitors to his Web site versus traffic to other Web sites like Wonkette and Gawker. They showed a giant blue spike for Mr. Drudge, with Mr. Denton’s blogs barely registering in comparison.
"Drudge is very good," said Mr. Denton. "It will probably take us 10 years to catch up with his level of traffic. We’ll have 1,000th of the traffic, at least to begin with."
Mr. Drudge was especially proud of a comparison to The New York Times. According to the charts, the Drudge Report surpassed The Times online during the period in which Terri Schiavo and the Pope dominated the news cycle. He said The Times had been slow to pick up on "the populist wave" of dramas like the Schaivo case.
Mr. Drudge said he didn’t read other blogs, but he admitted to enjoying Rosie O’Donnell’s blog entries—dubbed by Ms. O’Donnell as "the unedited rantings of a fat 43 year old menopausal ex-talk show host."
"She’s the new Maureen Dowd now," he said. "Oh, Rosie’s on fire. She’s the must-read. We read Dowd second. It’s true!"
(In an e-mail, Ms. Dowd said she didn’t read the Drudge Report. "I’m afraid I’ll see something about myself," she wrote. "If he’s got something good, I know I’ll hear about it around the coffee machine.")
Ms. Dowd may be an exception to the rule. Mr. Drudge’s influence on the rest of media runs on self-fulfilling prophecy: Reporters provide him with the good stuff—leaked memos, not-yet-published Times articles, breaking-news links—for a crack at the enormous audience that the good stuff draws to his site.
But to some, the rest of the press has been playing into Mr. Drudge’s hands. His former political friend David Brock, who runs the Web site Media Matters for America, compiled a 33-page dossier on Mr. Drudge, bullet-pointing his many alleged distortions and misreports.
"We try to function not as a Drudge, but as an anti-Drudge," he said via e-mail, "which leaves plenty of room for a progressive knock-off of Drudge."
Mr. Brock said he saw a place for Ms. Huffington’s project.
"I think it’s long overdue," he said. "I’ve always felt that progressives have information and another entity could be fed. I think it could be very successful."
Mr. Denton was more cautious about the idea of a liberal response to Mr. Drudge. "Unfortunately, a liberal tabloid is a contradiction in terms," he said. "I don’t think it’s workable."
If Ms. Huffington and her crew hoped to counteract Mr. Drudge’s impact, their first move seemed aggressive enough: According to a Washington Times item, they were in the process of hiring Andrew Breitbart, the longtime West Coast contributor to Mr. Drudge’s site, to run the Huffington Report.
Mr. Breitbart, who once worked as a researcher for Ms. Huffington before he worked for Mr. Drudge, declined to discuss his current status with Ms. Huffington, but said he was still presently working with Mr. Drudge. On Tuesday, April 5, he was set to appear on Dennis Miller’s CNBC show as an affiliate of Mr. Drudge’s. But he could be contractually annexed by Ms. Huffington.
"I think actually hiring Drudge’s guy is a smart move," observed Mr. Denton. "I don’t know how much he did, but he knows the ropes." ("Drudge is stupid. Drudge tells mean lies. Get me his agent!!)
Mr. Drudge said Mr. Breitbart’s influence was a moot point, because "I’m the final edit. I have control on the Web site. I always have the final edit. My name is on the page."
by Joe Hagan
** Exclusive! **
SOURCES: WARREN BEATTY TO BLOG!
The Observer has learned that Warren Beatty, the 68-year-old actor and director, will likely join a lineup of liberal all-stars who will "group blog" on a Web site to be launched next month by columnist Arianna Huffington.
"I probably will," Mr. Beatty said, on the phone from his production office in Los Angeles.
The "Huffington Report," as Ms. Huffington has dubbed it, will also feature such boldface bloggers as Senator Jon Corzine, David Geffen, Viacom co-chief Tom Freston, Barry Diller, Tina Brown and Gwyneth Paltrow (who will helm such pieces as "How to Achieve Success When It's Handed to You on a Platter" and "I flunked out of U.C. Santa Barbara: here are my thoughts on Middle Eastern democracy"). If the name seems to echo that of the Drudge Report—the mega-site operated by the rightward-tilting unofficial editorial director of America’s news cycle, Matt Drudge—well, it’s supposed to. And Mr. Beatty approved of that.
"I applaud the effort to tell the side of the story that Arianna Huffington seems to be engaged in," he said. Mr. Beatty was all too aware, he said, of the power Mr. Drudge has to steer the American media.
"I would say he does a very industrious job of finding the things that he feels could be exploited to further the political agenda of the far right," said Mr. Beatty. (Eeevviiil right-wing conspiracy!)
For his part, Mr. Drudge was deeply skeptical of a Web site operated by Hollywood liberals. And he rebuffed Mr. Beatty’s characterization of his site as slanted toward Republicans.
"I still refuse to be put into the category of feeding completely Republican talking points," Mr. Drudge said. "That’s ridiculous. If they’re accusing me of doing Republican, we can assume all Warren Beatty is going to do is be putting out Democratic talking points.
"I look forward to the Warren Beatty News Network," Mr. Drudge cracked, before asking: "So they really are serious about this, aren’t they?" (heh. Drudge rocks.)
The Hollywooders appear to be. The partisan left has slowly been constructing outlets to counterbalance the partisan right’s perceived influence in radio and television (Air America; former Vice President Al Gore’s TV channel). Ms. Huffington, Mr. Beatty and Co., however, are aiming not at the margins but at the center of the media scrum: the news cycle itself, now being deftly nudged, goosed and spun by Mr. Drudge—daily, hourly, instantly.
"As the day follows the night, Drudge will inspire its opposite," Mr. Beatty said. (Le sigh.
Arianna and Clyde aren’t the only ones gunning for Mr. Drudge. On April 6, New York–based Gawker Media plans to launch Sploid.com, a British-style tabloid site meant to compile breaking news in a similar style to the Drudge Report. Gawker’s publisher, Nick Denton, described its politics as "anarcho-capitalist," pitted only against "all the lazy incumbents who thrive on hypocrisy."
A screenshot of Sploid, provided by Mr. Denton, showed a fairly literal interpretation of a U.K. tabloid sheet, complete with corpulent fonts and bludgeoning (yet merry!) headlines in a style seemingly ripped from Rupert Murdoch’s publishing playbook.
"We want to occupy the space between the whiny left and the ranting right," said Mr. Denton, who said he considered Mr. Drudge a brilliant news editor whose site was likely unstoppable for the foreseeable future.
However, his own project—which will be edited by ex-Gawker editor Choire Sicha on the East Coast and a blogger named Ken Lane on the West Coast—would avoid what he saw as Mr. Drudge’s weaknesses, he said.
"It’s not a wonder that newspaper front pages have their agenda set by him," Mr. Denton said, but "he has some blind spots. Occasionally, there’s a story that takes on the Bush administration that’s a good story. Occasionally there’s a funny, interesting, scandalous story that he won’t touch because it offends his audience. And he won’t take on the churches."
He described Mr. Drudge’s recent lead story featuring the Pope lying in state above the word "Peace" as the "same reverential coverage of every newspaper across the planet."
Mr. Drudge took issue with the criticism. "Oh, he would put ‘Hell’?" he asked. "I mean, c’mon, this is small-time. How do I take seriously ‘Sploid,’ ‘Gawker,’ ‘Wonkette’? How do you begin to take this seriously? It’s like ‘Supercalifragalisticexpialadocious: This is just in!’ … Too cute by half." (Bwahahah.)
In June, Mr. Drudge celebrates 10 years on the Web, having long since become the first draft of daily journalism in America. His site provides a pungent, sneering feed of the conservative, populist media mindset, whether serving as a launching pad for Swift Boat Veterans for Truth or mulling the weekend box office for Sin City and its alignment with the Pope’s death.
Mr. Drudge has stayed on top by being essential—a "utility," he said—and always being there for his readers, day and night. He operates from anywhere he chooses, most recently from his new "newsroom," a brand-new 2005 Mustang GT that he outfitted with a broadband connection. (He engaged in a recent instant-messenger conversation discussing his would-be challengers while sitting in the parking lot of a Chinese restaurant in his hometown of Miami.)
Until now, his dominance has never really been challenged by other independent operators. Other Web efforts have mainly focused on a single area of interest, be it Hollywood or Washington, instead of trying to be one all-encompassing clearinghouse. But here come Ms. Huffington and Mr. Denton with a new format to realign the factual firmament with a breaking-news zag for Mr. Drudge’s zig—hoping, ultimately, to become the news media’s leading sensibility.
Mr. Drudge said he doubted the market for news links would support more players.
"I don’t think that need is there," he said. "I think I fill that need."
Mr. Drudge observed that Ms. Huffington had "tons of charm and humor," but he questioned whether she and her powerful Hollywood friends had the stamina or wherewithal to keep up with him.
"This isn’t a dinner party, darling," he said. "This is the beast! This is the Internet beast, which is all-consuming, as anyone knows who works in this business."
It’s little wonder that Mr. Drudge accuses his adversaries of hanging out at parties. He said he once met Mr. Beatty at a book party in Los Angeles co-hosted by Susan Estrich celebrating a publication by lawyer Burt Fields.
"When he met me, he said it was the biggest thing since meeting John Wayne," recalled Mr. Drudge, who called Mr. Beatty an "extreme charmer. Extreme."
He added that Mr. Beatty’s wife, actress Annette Bening, glowered at him and asked, "‘How’s Sidney Blumenthal?’ with her Being Julia look." (She was referring to the former Clinton White house aide who once sued Mr. Drudge for defamation.)
Mr. Drudge was dismissive of competitors, including the contingent he liked to call "Drudge Babies."
"The road is littered with Wonkettes who have come and gone," he laughed. "They lose interest and/or they can’t make it work. Or burn out."
But Mr. Drudge was still pugnacious. Just name a popular Web site—then count the seconds it takes for Mr. Drudge to dismiss it.
"I don’t read Romenesko," he said, referring to the media-news site run by the Poynter Institute. "It’s redundant to me. Every once in a while, someone will give him a memo that’s hot. Other than that, it’s redundant."
What about the Note, the ABC News political Web site run by Mr. Halperin?
"Oh, please!" said Mr. Drudge. "That Mark Halperin—it’s like picking lint out of your navel. And really old, nasty lint."
Gawker?
"I mean, they have sightings of me in New York City when I’m halfway around the world," he spat. "I feel if they can’t get that right about me, I don’t know what to do."
Mr. Drudge gleefully sent The Observer a number of links to traffic charts generated by Alexa, a service of Amazon.com, which measured the visitors to his Web site versus traffic to other Web sites like Wonkette and Gawker. They showed a giant blue spike for Mr. Drudge, with Mr. Denton’s blogs barely registering in comparison.
"Drudge is very good," said Mr. Denton. "It will probably take us 10 years to catch up with his level of traffic. We’ll have 1,000th of the traffic, at least to begin with."
Mr. Drudge was especially proud of a comparison to The New York Times. According to the charts, the Drudge Report surpassed The Times online during the period in which Terri Schiavo and the Pope dominated the news cycle. He said The Times had been slow to pick up on "the populist wave" of dramas like the Schaivo case.
Mr. Drudge said he didn’t read other blogs, but he admitted to enjoying Rosie O’Donnell’s blog entries—dubbed by Ms. O’Donnell as "the unedited rantings of a fat 43 year old menopausal ex-talk show host."
"She’s the new Maureen Dowd now," he said. "Oh, Rosie’s on fire. She’s the must-read. We read Dowd second. It’s true!"
(In an e-mail, Ms. Dowd said she didn’t read the Drudge Report. "I’m afraid I’ll see something about myself," she wrote. "If he’s got something good, I know I’ll hear about it around the coffee machine.")
Ms. Dowd may be an exception to the rule. Mr. Drudge’s influence on the rest of media runs on self-fulfilling prophecy: Reporters provide him with the good stuff—leaked memos, not-yet-published Times articles, breaking-news links—for a crack at the enormous audience that the good stuff draws to his site.
But to some, the rest of the press has been playing into Mr. Drudge’s hands. His former political friend David Brock, who runs the Web site Media Matters for America, compiled a 33-page dossier on Mr. Drudge, bullet-pointing his many alleged distortions and misreports.
"We try to function not as a Drudge, but as an anti-Drudge," he said via e-mail, "which leaves plenty of room for a progressive knock-off of Drudge."
Mr. Brock said he saw a place for Ms. Huffington’s project.
"I think it’s long overdue," he said. "I’ve always felt that progressives have information and another entity could be fed. I think it could be very successful."
Mr. Denton was more cautious about the idea of a liberal response to Mr. Drudge. "Unfortunately, a liberal tabloid is a contradiction in terms," he said. "I don’t think it’s workable."
If Ms. Huffington and her crew hoped to counteract Mr. Drudge’s impact, their first move seemed aggressive enough: According to a Washington Times item, they were in the process of hiring Andrew Breitbart, the longtime West Coast contributor to Mr. Drudge’s site, to run the Huffington Report.
Mr. Breitbart, who once worked as a researcher for Ms. Huffington before he worked for Mr. Drudge, declined to discuss his current status with Ms. Huffington, but said he was still presently working with Mr. Drudge. On Tuesday, April 5, he was set to appear on Dennis Miller’s CNBC show as an affiliate of Mr. Drudge’s. But he could be contractually annexed by Ms. Huffington.
"I think actually hiring Drudge’s guy is a smart move," observed Mr. Denton. "I don’t know how much he did, but he knows the ropes." ("Drudge is stupid. Drudge tells mean lies. Get me his agent!!)
Mr. Drudge said Mr. Breitbart’s influence was a moot point, because "I’m the final edit. I have control on the Web site. I always have the final edit. My name is on the page."
posted by Jessica at 9:55 AM | Permalink |
Monday, April 4
Quote of the Day
"Those that are good manners at the court are as ridiculous in the country as the behaviour of the country is most mockable at the court."
-William Shakespeare, As You Like It
-William Shakespeare, As You Like It
posted by Jessica at 8:49 AM | Permalink |
Korean Scientists Succeed in Stem Cell Therapy
By Kim Tae-gyuStaff Reporter
A team of Korean researchers claimed Thursday they had performed a miracle by enabling a patient, who could not even stand up for the last 19 years, to walk with stem cell therapy.
During a press conference, the scientists said they had last month transplanted multi-potent stem cells from umbilical cord blood to the 37-year-old female patient suffering from a spinal cord injury and she can now walk on her own.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200411/kt2004112617575710440.htm
Score another point for the pro-lifers. If this story is reported, however, expect it to fall under the broader category of "stem cell research." We wouldn't want to support any type of therapy that doesn't involve killing embryos. In other news, I hear that had the surgery been unsuccessful, doctors would have instead put the patient into a euphoric state by denying her food and water until she slipped away peacefully, never looking more beautiful. They would like to thank the American judiciary for alerting them to this poignant, moving starvation therapy.
By Kim Tae-gyuStaff Reporter
A team of Korean researchers claimed Thursday they had performed a miracle by enabling a patient, who could not even stand up for the last 19 years, to walk with stem cell therapy.
During a press conference, the scientists said they had last month transplanted multi-potent stem cells from umbilical cord blood to the 37-year-old female patient suffering from a spinal cord injury and she can now walk on her own.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200411/kt2004112617575710440.htm
Score another point for the pro-lifers. If this story is reported, however, expect it to fall under the broader category of "stem cell research." We wouldn't want to support any type of therapy that doesn't involve killing embryos. In other news, I hear that had the surgery been unsuccessful, doctors would have instead put the patient into a euphoric state by denying her food and water until she slipped away peacefully, never looking more beautiful. They would like to thank the American judiciary for alerting them to this poignant, moving starvation therapy.
posted by Jessica at 8:32 AM | Permalink |
A sad day indeed.
Who Closes a Sex Festival for Lack of Interest?
LONDON (Reuters) - Organizers of a major erotic festival are closing for business in Manchester due to a lack of interest, which they blame on recalcitrant northern English men.
http://reuters.myway.com/article/20050401/2005-04-01T161023Z_01_N01339059_RTRIDST_0_ODD-ODD-BRITAIN-SEX-DC.html
Somehow I can't see Amsterdam having this problem.
LONDON (Reuters) - Organizers of a major erotic festival are closing for business in Manchester due to a lack of interest, which they blame on recalcitrant northern English men.
http://reuters.myway.com/article/20050401/2005-04-01T161023Z_01_N01339059_RTRIDST_0_ODD-ODD-BRITAIN-SEX-DC.html
Somehow I can't see Amsterdam having this problem.
posted by Jessica at 8:24 AM | Permalink |
Careful. Now they're after your baked goods.
Cake robber returned once too often
A Chinese man was arrested after attempting to steal cakes at knifepoint three times in an hour from the same shop.
The 36-year-old burst into the cake shop at Changchun city, Jilin province, and told staff to give him some cakes.
"He came in with a knife and told us to freeze. Taking two cakes, he ran away," the shop manager told the Eastern Asia Economic News.
Considering the loss was so minor, the manager didn't call the police, but then, after only ten minutes, the robber returned and stole two more cakes.
This time, the manager called the police and officers were at the scene 30 minutes later when the man came back to the shop, asking staff to "load him with another two cakes".
At first, he told police he was a visitor and only spoke "foreign language", but he finally admitted he had just been hungry.
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1343533.html?menu=
A Chinese man was arrested after attempting to steal cakes at knifepoint three times in an hour from the same shop.
The 36-year-old burst into the cake shop at Changchun city, Jilin province, and told staff to give him some cakes.
"He came in with a knife and told us to freeze. Taking two cakes, he ran away," the shop manager told the Eastern Asia Economic News.
Considering the loss was so minor, the manager didn't call the police, but then, after only ten minutes, the robber returned and stole two more cakes.
This time, the manager called the police and officers were at the scene 30 minutes later when the man came back to the shop, asking staff to "load him with another two cakes".
At first, he told police he was a visitor and only spoke "foreign language", but he finally admitted he had just been hungry.
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1343533.html?menu=
posted by Jessica at 8:14 AM | Permalink |