than ride with Ted Kennedy!"

seen on sign at Red Dog Saloon in Milford MI week of 2/6/06

Please tell me that the black vote can't be bought as cheaply as Hillary thinks it can! She seems to think that if she tosses out a slave plantation reference or two (no matter in how ludicrous a context) and tags along with Bill to events near and dear to the black culture (in an attempt to siphon off the good will extended him by African/Americans) that she'll be in like Flynn come election time.

And as for the headbanded lady who was neither "staying home to bake cookies" nor planning to be "standing by her man", and who has always talked [the feminist] talk better than she has been able to walk the walk, she still seems to be planning to make her mark on the national scene by trading on being the wife of our "first black president".

Got your barf bag ready? I needed mine when I saw Bill Clinton toting Hillary up to the speaker's platform with him at Ms Scott King's funeral to share defunct president eulogy duties, and definitely saw this as a test run for her political future endeavors. Bill did his very best black preacher impersonation, and as usual, the mostly black congregation greeted Bill with great enthusiasm (go figure). Their reception to Hillary was rather tepid however--she might want to double check those tea leaves, or rather, muse on how far Bill's bank of African/American good will can carry her.

Also giggled aloud at her unfortunate reference to Ms King's tucking her children into bed at night as Martin campaigned for civil rights. After Time Magazine's very recent reminder of his frequent on-the- road quickie affairs, my overly active brain went on to think about who Martin was tucking in while the wife kept the home fires burning.

Although no doubt Corretta Scott King was a dynamic and compassionate woman in addition to being a beautiful one, why exactly is she basically getting a state funeral? She was the wife of a leading figure of his day, but so was Pat Nixon, and I don't even remember her funeral.

I am 100% comfortable with gays in any careers of their choosing. Pastors, priests, girl and boy scout leaders, crossing guards, elementary school teachers--all A-OK with me. So I'm neither leery nor upset that we have a major movie about a couple of gay guys in an outdoorsy profession (although I am starting to wonder if it's being heaped with honors just because it's about a topic dear to the hearts of lefties).

But while completely comfortable with the concept and topic of gay ranch workers, I'm not enthused enough about the subject matter to bother going out to see the movie when I still haven't made it out for "Ring of Fire" or the last "Harry Potter". And since I haven't seen the movie, and have no intention of doing so until Netflix sends it my way, can someone tell me definitively whether these ranch hands are "cowboys" or "sheep-herders"? I've read several reviews that call them "cowboys" and several others that refer to them as "sheep-herders". And certainly taking on another man as a sex partner/true love/soul mate is far more socially acceptable than one of those "other" relationships in which shepherds have the age-old reputation of indulging. (They don't call it "animal husbandry" for nothing!)

In the time honored American tradition of one-upmanship, and in one fell swoop Mayor Nagin has topped for sheer wackiness Robertson's assertion that Ariel Sharon's stroke was God's punishment for sharing land with the Palestinians. Nagin says that Hurricane Katrina was a demo of God's wrath because the almighty doesn't like us in Iraq. He also asserts, completely seriously, that New Orleans is destined to always be a "chocolate" city. Read it for yourself--I couldn't make these things up!

Arlen Specter's office may or may not have mishandled Teddy's letter requesting further research regarding Judge Alito's relationship with CAP, but man oh man, you wouldn't catch too many elected officials prominantly pouting on live television. Waah! I guess he's pretty sure that those folks from MA will continue to reelect him ad nauseum--and damn, he's probably right.

...or we'd have all quit a long time ago." Gotta love Lindsey Graham (R-SC)--his comments sometimes sound as if they've come directly to us via Mayberry, but he almost always seems to display good common sense (and o, those sexy lashes on those droopy eyes!), a rare commodity in our elected officials. I thought the inquisition was lively today. Teddy, always beating his same old dead horse, Schumer, always trying hard to gain a national presence, Hatch, trying hard to bail Alito out of some perceived problem. And try as they may, this Vanguard issue just ain't gonna hunt.

Didn't we just see all of this a few months ago? No, something's different. What is it? O I know! Arlen's hair is growing back with a vengeance, and I find him less likeable without the sympathy factor.

We all make new year's resolutions to improve our looks in some way, right? Lose weight, tone up, build muscle, get contact lenses, have a makeover, update our style, right? So why shouldn't the folks at FNC do that too?

Yesterday, while working too hard to bother searching for the remote to change the channel, heard Juliet Huddy adamantly denying that she had had some cosmetic surgery done. It had never occured to me that she had, so her vehement protesting made me wonder. I thought she had revised her hairstyle; she says she lost weight. Whatever. But looking at EDHill today, had to do a double take--she definitely has a well rested, bright-eyed look now, whereas I had always found her look to be a bit drowsy. Some good sleep, or a bit professional assistance? I'm voting for a nip and tuck here, but she looks good anyhow.

I can't quite figure out David Asman's hair either. There certainly appears to be more of it, but whether he's just grown it a bit and having a better blow out or has been outfitted with a "piece" is beyond me. He looks just dandy, but I liked him with the prominently receding hairline too. Rick Folbaum is obviously a youthful victim of standard male pattern baldness, where first the hair recedes at the two sides/tops of the forehead, but a stripe down the center stays intact. He still has his center stripe, but it looks larger to me. Perhaps Rogaine to the rescue. Mike Emanuel has the same hair loss problem, but I'm not seeing any attempt to patch him up yet.

Once again, unfortunately filling in for Brit Hume, Jim Angle looked positively yellow yesterday. Probably just the rain pouring into my satellite dish. I'd like Jim to go away, but don't actually wish him a horrible disease. I like Adam Housley but he was a dreadful morning host filling in for Brian Kilmeade yesterday. He kept talking about having been at Rick Leventhal's new year's eve party, to which no one else on the set seemed to have been invited. Very bad manners.

First off, I overslept and for revenge all three dogs had payback accidents. At least they went into the tiled bathroom to have them. Planned for my day to be redeemed by making time to sit down and watch Brian Wilson at noon, only to be confronted with that wily Jim Angle filling in for him. And trust me here, JA can't come close to filling Brian's Luchesses and Stetson.

...on christmas eve morning. Of course nobody wants to work today, but someone had to do it. Who annoyed Rupert M enough to get stuck with being a foxy friend today?

The " reigning resident bimbo", Juliet Huddy is in the center chair--hair looks good. I'm not sure if she's on the way down (possibly having been replaced by the thinking man's "RRB", Megyn Kendall) or on the way up (I've heard that "Dayside" is doing well). Perhaps Rupert doesn't know either. Kelly Wright is on my left (Juliet's right), and I'm always happy to see him, thoughtful thinking man that he is (but doen't his hair look just like one of those vintage Ken--as in Barbie--dolls? the years when he was given a bit of rather unappealling fuzz that tended to mold?). He may not be being punished so much as being given an opportunity to strut the stuff he has beyond his reporting persona. The unfortunately weekend-ubiquitous Julian is over on my right. He appears to be sweating in front of the set fireplace. No doubt, he's available whenever he's needed, as he seems to have a rather cushy job in spite of having little or no talent to bring to it. B Lopez, definitely a second stringer is on weather, while Janice Dean "the weather machine" is doing a super job as the newsreader. After the outstanding weather info she's provided in the past year, I think she, like Kelly, is being given an opportunity rather than a punishment--watch out all RRBs--she's good looking, smart, classy and projects an appealingly grown-up sensibility.

No doubt my reading public has felt abandoned for the past few weeks, but you have been in my thoughts. A multitude of family/friend/professional obligations kept me busy for the first 2 weeks of Dec, and since then a horrible cold/flu/upper respiratory thang has had me lying low. But I now expect to be keeping to my usual schedule. Boo.

Did you remember that tonight begins the first of the twelve days of the christmas season? So get that tree up and party like it's Christmas until Epiphany Sunday. Well, stay sober until after mass, and then get that golden ring, turtledove, pear tree thing going pronto. Dibs on the lords a leaping.