What's he on about now?

In case the articles, essays and opinions throughtout this site just weren't enough for you, here's my online diary (a.k.a. 'blog'). It's as close as you'll come to the inside of my head, so don't say I didn't warn you
(and remember, you can always e-mail me if you love or loathe anything you're about to read)...


   Wednesday, November 14, 2007

   IS IT ANY WONDER?

I thought my 15 minutes were up after my slew of media appearances (okay, three) concerning Harry Potter's gay wizard but hooray for Jiri Tlusty, the horny hockey player. Some gossip blog got a hold of nude photos the 19-year-old Maple Leaf had sent to a girl on the Internet and the ever-classy Toronto Sun gleefully made a spectacle of them today.

The news station AM 640 called up fab for a comment but editor Paul hates doing these things and suggested that host John Downs talk to me, "the resident pontificator." Ouch! Truth hurts. Soon, the AM640 website read:

Wednesday, November 14 2007
Scott Dagostino - FAB Magazine Managing Editor
Leafs winger Jiri Tlusty is the center of a whirlwind of controversy after being spotted online both nude, and mock-making out with a boy [though not at the same time]. John detects an undercurrent of homophobia running through the coverage of the story, and who better than Scott to comment on that?

Who indeed. Sweet of them to write that.
But my latest radio stint was difficult because the host and I were in total agreement. As with the "gay Dumbledore" saga, there's little to this story and we both thought the media's treatment of Tlusty today was ridiculous at best, cruel at worst. Chumminess doesn't make for gripping radio debate and I find that, when I'm out of my element like this (I prefer asking the questions), I basically fall into two modes: earnest or wisecracking. At my best, I do both but today I didn't get as many quips in as I would have liked. I was just too annoyed that this kid was forced to apologize. As the host said, 'apologize for what?' He has every right to kiss any buddy he wants, send any photo to any girl he wants.

His only crime, I said (if you can even call it that) is indiscretion. Tlusty didn't understand that, as an NHL hockey player, he's now a celebrity. He's now, like Bowie said, there where things are hollow. How could a 19-year-old from the Czech Republic understand North America's deep sexual hypocrisy, its double standard of both hyping and condemning sex, and its bizarre demand that anyone famous should be a role model to children? The poor guy was just partying and trying to get laid like any other 19-year-old.

As for the "gay" angle, bitch please! Trying to out this guy is the silliest thing I've seen in a while. I've made out with women -- that doesn't make me straight. I maintained on air, as I have in the past, that the gay rights movement has never been just for gay people. Sure, we want to be free to live our lives as we want without being attacked for it, but it's also about freeing straight guys from the homophobia that shackles them too. Two friends can't be physically affectionate with each other or (god forbid) say anything with real feeling for fear of seeming gay. It's a trap that European guys like Tlusty have mostly avoided. Hell, have you ever seen Czech Republic porn? These guys have cheerful sex with other beautiful guys, then take the money home to their girlfriends. Tlusty's drunken tongue play with his buddy is as hetero as it gets over there.

Thanks to the moral guardians of the Sun, Tlusty now says, "I have learned a valuable lesson." He did learn a lesson, but not one with any value in it.

Labels: fab, insanity, media, sports, Trawna

Tschye -- "Boyz Gone Wild."

-- Reply posted by  Whisky Prajer at November 15, 2007

 

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It'd be so much easier on everyone if Brian Mulroney would just keep his trap shut. A good deal of the Canadian public thinks he's as dirty as, well, Jean Cretien but many others are agnostic on the subject. Whatever crimes Mulroney may or may not have committed, they're long in the past and might as well stay buried.

But no -- he's so consumed with his legacy, he keeps coming out of hiding to tell us what we should be writing in the history books. It reminds me of his little tirade two years ago, after Peter C. Newman released his tell-all book. Mulroney fumed:

"By the time history is done looking at this, and you look at my achievements as opposed to others, certainly no one will be in Sir John A.'s league -- but my nose will be a little ahead of most in terms of achievements."

Sure, Brian, but most of us believe it's because your nose keeps growing. Tonight, as the RCMP has announced its reopening another your-tax-dollars-at-work investigation, Mulroney appeared at a speaking engagement in Toronto tonight, met by throngs of reporters eager for scandal.

Watching the video, I'm amused at how son Ben -- who so easily overflows with gush upon meeting any D-list celebrity -- becomes a deer in the headlights when the reporters ask about his dad, then he makes a nervous giggle. Was it too difficult to toss the reporters a "My father is a great man" cliché?

But the speech by Mulroney Sr. is the most telling. I was inclined, mostly out of disinterest, to give him the benefit of the doubt. In a world where Bush and Cheney's lies, larceny and torture are met with shrugs, I can't get too worked up over Mulroney's petty grifting. But then I watched this footage of him announcing:

"I want to tell you here tonight that I, Martin Brian Mulroney, 18th prime minister of Canada, will be there before the royal commission with bells on, because I have done nothing wrong and have absolutely nothing to hide."

And there it was. My doubts vanishing in the rush of déja vu:


Nixon: "I am not a crook"

Uh-oh.

Labels: Canada, media, politics, Trawna

Fearing that the models he hired wouldn't show up for fab's "holiday entertaining" photo shoot today, Paul wisely asked me, Matt and Nick the intern to come along as "background artists" (as Ricky Gervais calls them on Extras) or -- worst case scenario -- as models ourselves.

Which is exactly what happened. The two models didn't show, nor the third one Paul asked for just in case, nor the emergency fourth who was promised to arrive "in 20 minutes!!" (We won't be exactly leaping to use Velocci again!)

So I ended up sitting in a chair, getting made up (for the first time since doing high-school theatre) by the charming Gregory Graveline, who has not only worked his magic on Canadian Idol (gasp with me now!) but regularly charges $125 a face! I felt so exotic! He eased the bags under my eyes, assured me that I won't go bald as quickly as I think I will and left me looking ready to hold my own with the 20-year-old cute boys I'd brought with me.

If I'm sounding terribly vain by now, here comes the karma: first off, I may love my Chuck Taylor sneakers but no one else did. They had to go. I grumbled but Paul said I was "a meat-puppet" and would have to wear the shoes they gave me. Then I had to lose the tee I was wearing under my button-up shirt. Then I was moved to the back of the group, pretending to chat up Nick, and then it occurred to the photographer that everyone but me was wearing black and wouldn't it be great to have a more symmetrical look? A fine round of "you so ugly" jokes followed and I was soon sitting in the living room, while the shoot carried on without me.

So much for my modeling career!

But the host and cover subject made some gorgeous dark-chocolate almond brittle and insisted we all take some back with us and then I got an email from Rick Mercer mentioning that he liked the interview we did in September. Whew! My ego restored, I was able to get back to work. I will never be a supermodel but, even when I'm old and ugly (2009?), I'll still be clever (and I'll still have the almond brittle recipe)!

Labels: fab, homo-a-go-go, introspective, media, writing

The Colbert Countdown will let you know the exact minute the "Best of" DVD arrives this Tuesday. Viral internet marketing in its purest, truthiest form!

Labels: media, politics, silliness, tributes, TV

There's a charming interview with David Lynch in Entertainment Weekly on this week's release of the beautiful "gold box" DVD set of my favourite TV show, Twin Peaks (oh how I need this!). Lynch explains how the series was hobbled in mid-stream by the network's panicky insistence on wrapping up the show's central mystery as quickly as possible:

"[The] question of what happened to Laura Palmer was the goose that laid the golden egg. Then ABC asked us to snip the goose's head off, and it killed the goose."

This is ironic to me for two reasons: first, ABC is now the home of Lost, a maddening show that has remained popular over three seasons by constantly unveiling more mysteries than it solves.

Second, and more important, is the example of artists treated badly by their business partners. Companies like ABC are now panicking over the writers' strike set to begin on Monday. There's been some terrific new TV this fall (I'm loving Life and Reaper) but it's all about to dry up for quite some time because producers can't see why they should share profits from DVD and Internet versions of shows with the writers who created them. They argue that the whole Internet distribution thing is so new, there's no guarantee they'll make any money from it. This thought obviously occurred to them while passing the owners of Amazon and Google panhandling for change on Sunset Boulevard.

Here's the point: since I won't be buying the Twin Peaks set just yet (not until someone can explain to me why this brand-new product is $90 in Canada and $65 in the States), I decided to soothe my lust by buying the fabulous new soundtrack album from iTunes. I could have easily found it for free on the BitTorrent sites but I happily paid the ten bucks and had it playing on my computer within a few minutes. The network people, along with the movie studio executives, record industry thugs and software developers, don't understand this because they view their customers as potential criminals. They refuse to understand if you treat talented people badly and fill the marketplace with crap, the public will respond with the same amount of respect, no matter how many "you're a pirate thief" ads they place before the movie begins.

David Lynch created a weird and wonderful little series and I'm happy to reward him for it...well, him and the pack of corporate weasels who killed the golden goose but still get 95% of its egg. Stay strong at the bargaining table, Writers Guild of America!

Labels: media, music, technology, TV, writing

I blame Darrell.

It's bad enough that his Whisky Prajer blog has been routinely wiser and wittier than mine, but now he's pointed out that November has apparently been designated National Blog Post Month. The idea is to commit yourself to blogging once a day, every day, for the entire month. Since this blog hasn't been updated since August (the poor wife abandoned by my infatuation with the sexy siren Facebook), this is a tall order.

It's not that blogging is hard or anything but I do find writing about my own life tricky. I worry about privacy. Not my own, of course -- I'm the king of Too Much Information -- but that of the friends whose personalities make up so much of my inner and outer concerns. I've been wrestling with this notion this week in regards to a fab piece I'm writing -- I can't discuss my life without dragging other people into it and that feels unfair somehow.

But why worry? I've always been too cautious and, besides, it's not like these people are dating a songwriter. I won't be performing mean-spirited yet incredibly catchy songs about my ex in concert halls for years to come, now will I? Thirty years on and people are still trying to figure out who the hell Carly Simon was so pissed at.

So yes, more blogging. I'll need to get over my fear of being accused of narcissism. This is funny because, hello, it's a blog. Narcissism is the point. Besides, Facebook didn't become a cultural juggernaut overnight because people are naturally shy. I never get when people are criticized for being narcissistic, as if their audience has no choice but to pay attention. You, dear reader, have every choice. I'll continue to ramble while you can read, ignore, agree with or mock any little scribble I put down. If I'm lucky, you'll even write back and start a conversation.

After all, it works for Darrell.

Labels: fab, friends, introspective, media, writing

It's good to see you back in the blogosphere. You've been missed.

-- Reply posted by  The Guy in DKNY at November 06, 2007

 

Holy cow! You could have given your most faithful readers a little head's up, man!

So groovy to have you contributing to the blogosphere again!

-- Reply posted by  Whisky Prajer at November 12, 2007

 

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I just heard that Jerry Falwell has died at 73. I feel a sense of relief.

I wish I were a better person, one with compassion for all, but he's the guy who said this:

AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals.

And let's not forget this gem, right after New York was attacked on September 11, 2001:

I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'

So I can't feel too sorry for him -- he's now sitting at the right hand of God in a glorious paradise free of anyone he disliked so very much.

At least that's what he hoped.

Labels: America, homo-a-go-go, media, politics, religion

Larry King Live had Laura Bush on last night, trying to make her hubby look good as a cheerleader for the Great War on Terror. It didn't quite work:

"Many parts of Iraq are stable now. But, of course, what we see on television is the one bombing a day that discourages everyone."

It's that evil media again, pointing out how Monday's bomb killed 6 people, the other Monday bomb killed 14 people and Tuesday's bomb killed 18 people. Most of these 38 were women and teenagers. Doesn't sound stable to me but I'm not being fair.

Many parts of America are concerned now. But, of course, what we see on television is the one sociopath a day that discourages everyone.

Labels: George W Bush, insanity, media, Middle East, politics, war - what is it good for?

John Edwards, Democratic Presidential candidate, has been ordered to fire two of his campaign staffers by Bill Donahue, leader of the Catholic League. Donogue says Edwards "has chosen to embrace foul-mouthed, anti-Catholic bigots on his payroll." According to their press statement:

"On November 1, 2006, on her blogspot Shakespeare’s Sister, [Melissa McEwan] referred to President Bush’s ‘wingnut Christofascist base’ when lashing out against religious conservatives. On February 21, 2006, she attacked religious conservatives again, this time saying, ‘What don’t you lousy motherf---ers understand about keeping your noses out of our britches, our beds, and our families?’"

Personally, on my blog, I try to tone down the swearing but, for some odd reason, I know exactly how Melissa feels. Edwards admitted that he was "personally offended" by his staffers' previous comments but told reporters that the duo "gave me their word they, under no circumstances, intended to denigrate any church or anybody's religion and offered their apologies for anything that indicated otherwise. I took them at their word."

Sounds fair and should probably end there, but it won't. Donahue, or others like him, will continue to shriek about anti-religious bigotry. Too bad I can't sympathize, though, since Donahue, so concerned with civility and fairness and religious sensitivity, said this in December 2004:

"Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular...Hollywood likes anal sex. They like to see the public square without nativity scenes. I like families. I like children. They like abortions. I believe in traditional values and restraint. They believe in libertinism...these people are in the margins. Frankly, Michael Moore represents a cult movie. Mel Gibson represents the mainstream of America."

My greatest fear is that Bill might be right about that, but I suspect mainstream America is more like comedian Louis CK, the creator of a Married With Children-type sitcom called Lucky Louie on HBO. Donahue attacked his show as "barbaric" and two radio morning show guys got them together to hash it out. It's a long clip but worth it for the way Donahue goes completely unhinged at the end. Sure, he's being ganged up on but this peek inside his head is like a really good horror movie, creepy and fascinating:



Oh, I get it: Donahue is a hero, trying to protect us from Arabian horses, bias crimes, Dakota Fanning movies and white Martin Luther King statue fetishists.

Or something.

Labels: America, media, politics, religion

A strange thing happened on 60 Minutes last night: the President sat down for an interview with someone other than a Fox News puppet and was asked (what?) serious questions...

SCOTT PELLEY: "You know better than I do that many Americans feel that your administration has not been straight with the country, has not been honest. To those people you say what?"

PRESIDENT BUSH: "On what issue? Like the weapons of mass destruction?"

PELLEY: "No weapons of mass destruction."

BUSH: "Yeah."

PELLEY: "No credible connection between 9/11 and Iraq."

BUSH: “Yeah.”

PELLEY: “The Office of Management and Budget said this war would cost somewhere between $50 billion and $60 billion and now we're over 400.”

BUSH: “I gotcha. I gotcha. I gotcha.”

PELLEY: “The perception, Sir, more than any one of those points, is that the administration has not been straight with...”

BUSH: “Well, I strongly disagree with that, of course. I strongly reject that this administration hasn’t been straight with the American people. The minute we found out they didn’t have weapons of mass destruction, I was the first to say so.”

Oh, for pity's sake -- STOP LYING. Dubya consistently makes Bill Clinton sound like George Washington, and Richard Nixon like Mother Theresa. How low does this bar have to drop?

Okay then, George, I do this for you and that sad, strange 25% of Americans who still cling to these imperial fantasies that kill. For the last bloody time...

Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised.
-- George W. Bush, March 18, 2003

There is no doubt that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction. As this operation continues, those weapons will be identified, found, along with the people who have produced them and who guard them.
-- Gen. Tommy Franks, Mar 22 2003

We know where they are. They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad.
-- Donald Rumsfeld March 30, 2003

"Before people crow about the absence of weapons of mass destruction, I suggest they wait a bit."
-- Tony Blair, April 28 2003

"In the Battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed."
-- George W. Bush, May 1 2003

"U.S. officials never expected that we were going to open garages and find weapons of mass destruction."
-- Condoleeza Rice, May 12 2003

"Given time, given the number of prisoners now that we're interrogating, I'm confident that we're going to find weapons of mass destruction."
-- Gen. Richard Myers, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, May 26 2003

"For bureaucratic reasons, we settled on one issue, weapons of mass destruction [as justification for invading Iraq] because it was the one reason everyone could agree on."
-- Paul Wolfowitz, May 28 2003

"I don't think they existed."
-- David Kay, head of the Iraq Survey Group, Jan 23 2004

"I didn't think it through...It was a damned discoverable thing that other people brighter than I should have known. The lesson of life is that the 'obvious' isn't."
-- Jay Davis, former head of the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Mar 17 2004

"I would say that Saddam Hussein clearly had the intention of having such weapons."
-- Colin Powell, Sept 17 2004

"We didn't find the stockpiles we thought would be there...Knowing what I know today, I would have made the same decision."
-- George W. Bush, Sept 18 2004

Of course he would. When Pelley quite reasonably asked if Bush feels at all "crushed" by the Iraq fiasco, Bush said, "Quite the contrary. My spirits are strong, and I’m blessed to be the president." Blessed! I'm sure that'll warm the hearts of military parents as the next round of fallen soldiers are announced.

C'mon America, there's a solution for all this: it's called impeachment. It's not that hard. You did it to Clinton without blinking. Since Bush's May 1 2003 "we have prevailed" speech, you've spent more time in Iraq than you did in World War II. Put a fork in it! The fat lady has sung! And with 3000 dead soldiers and counting, the song's getting old.

Labels: America, George W Bush, media, Middle East, repair, war - what is it good for?

I would be very curious to know how many Americans believe that there are still WMD in Iraq, but that they got hidden during the invasion...

Also, the problem with impeachment is that Cheney would then take over, and he's even more evil than The Moron--uh, I mean Dubya.

-- Reply posted by  The Guy in DKNY at January 16, 2007

 

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I admit it -- I have a sick fascination with bigots. Most sane people just avoid them, for fear of being tainted, but I have this perverse desire to try and understand where that all that hatred and fear comes from. Most times, however, I just end up hating and fearing them. Is that a cycle? Am I a hater if I hate the hater?

I ask because liberal radio host Stephanie Miller received a letter from "Sock," a faithful Fox News viewer after she did a guest-spot. She apparently said something to tick him off, as the death-threat letter he sent her is full of words you certainly won't hear on TV (even Fox) and, oddly, his home phone number.

So she called him -- and I still can't decide if the conversation is horrifying or hilarious. Is it wrong to call up and harass a pathetic, bigoted old man because he mailed you a death threat? Or is it justice?

Labels: insanity, introspective, media

DOOGIE IS GAY! THE WORLD IS ENDING!

-- Reply posted by  Your Old Teacher Sister Margaret at November 04, 2006

 

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The "controversy" over Michael J. Fox this week has been absolutely appalling. After he filmed a political ad advocating for stem-cell research, Fox was slandered by Rush Limbaugh, who actually accused him of faking his symptoms ("He is an actor, after all"). Fox responded with the low-key grace, humour and charm he's always displayed. This clip'll take a bit to load but it's worth it:



Fox's story could've been a tragic one -- charming comic actor struck down in his prime by Parkinson's -- but the way he's played the cards he's been dealt is incredibly inspiring. I've felt nothing but admiration for him and never more so than this week.

Labels: media, politics, tributes

That was a wonderful clip and rather inspiring. I am impressed by the fact that Fox very poignantly and pointedly demonstrated his respect for those who would "prayerfully" reject stem cell research. In other words, he called both sides to the table in the debate and asked for respect of the majority. How very democratic and measureds.

-- Reply posted by  Christos Tsirbas at November 01, 2006

 

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Since conservative Christians were first credited with sweeping Bush into power (twice!) I've obviously carried quite the chip on my shoulder, but how could I not? Their blind, pointless hatred of gay people allowed America to be taken over by thieves, liars, warmongers, racists and child molesters.

Nice job, folks.

And in a Fox News culture, no one listens to the other Christians quietly doing good work -- let alone the Godless Liberals or the Evil Homosexuals -- but now (finally!) liberal Christians are speaking up -- like with this billboard in Connecticut:



"Reclaiming the Prophetic Voice" -- sweeter words have rarely been spoken! And only in this warped era could a condemnation of torturing other human beings be considered a daring political statement.

Meanwhile, David Kuo, former head of Bush's "faith-based initiatives" program, was on Bill Maher's show this weekend to discuss the White House's betrayal. As usual, Maher's a bit of a jerk but Kuo comes off as a champ:

Labels: America, George W Bush, media, politics, religion, repair

I've said for years that, as nervous as my big gay heart gets around the evangelical Christian movement, I could never hate people who believe they mean well. My wrath is reserved for those who've manipulated them for their own gain, those working to abolish the separation of church and state that's allowed Western civilization to accomplish so much these last couple centuries, for Christians and non-Christians alike. Yes, I've been saying it for years -- I just never believed that conservative bow-tie guy Tucker Carlson would, too:

CARLSON: It goes deeper than that though. The deep truth is that the elites in the Republican Party have pure contempt for the evangelicals who put their party in power. Everybody in...

MATTHEWS: How do you know that? How do you know that?

CARLSON: Because I know them. Because I grew up with them. Because I live with them. They live on my street. Because I live in Washington, and I know that everybody in our world has contempt for the evangelicals. And the evangelicals know that, and they're beginning to learn that their own leaders sort of look askance at them and don't share their values.

MATTHEWS: So this gay marriage issue and other issues related to the gay lifestyle are simply tools to get elected?

CARLSON: That's exactly right. It's pandering to the base in the most cynical way, and the base is beginning to figure it out.

Yep, guys like Chris Matthews and Tucker Carlson are now in complete agreement with me. Is that a sign of progress or a sign of serious FUBAR?

Labels: insanity, media, religion

Joe Scarborough, right-wing TV host and former Republican congressman, recently posed the question, "Is Bush an Idiot?" and now criticizes his fellow Republicans for not speaking up against this failed presidency:

That silence -- proof that it is better to be feared than loved in politics -- has had devastating results. The United States is more divided than ever, our leaders are despised around the world, our fiscal situation is catastrophic and congressional approval ratings are the lowest ever. Since nothing sharpens the mind like a political hanging, Republican leaders in the Senate and House are finally considering doing what effete newspaper editorialists have suggested for years: throwing Bush overboard.

I'd like to speak on behalf of effete editorialists everywhere when I say hello, Joe, and welcome aboard the Good Ship Reality! Let's set sail for a new horizon...

Labels: America, George W Bush, media, politics, repair

Newsweek interviewed Robert Greenwald, director of the Halliburton documentary Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers:

Would you say your films are balanced?
No. But they're truthful. Do I have to show a side that isn't truthful — that doesn't have the facts behind it — in order to create balance? I argue no.

Labels: media, repair

Boston Globe writer Johnny Diaz deserves huge credit for being out on the job but, as he reports from this year's National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association conference, it's Thomas Roberts from CNN who deserves huge applause: "Being a panel speaker at a gay journalists conference, he said, was the biggest step he took to really being out in public."

This, however, is not the bravest thing Roberts has done. Years ago, he came forward to testify against Jerome Toohey Jr., a Catholic priest who'd molested Roberts and another high schooler back in the eighties. Roberts' mother feared that her son might be gay and sent him to the priest for counseling.

Roberts told the audience that he's discussing his sexuality now because he's "proud of his partner" and, while people continue to speculate about the sex life of another CNN anchor, Roberts advises, "When you hold something back, that's all everyone wants to know." Exactly.

Sadly, there may be a point to that hiding -- mere days after his announcement, Roberts' 6 o'clock newscast has been cancelled. I hope there's no connection there but, either way, congratulations to a man who not only deals in the truth but lives it.

Labels: homo-a-go-go, media, religion, tributes

The radio this morning practically shrieked with hysteria over today's anniversary. "WHERE WERE YOU ON THAT DAY?" the announcer demanded. It's obscene.

I know where I was. You know where you were. Those of you who lost someone in the attacks remember all too well. I don't live in New York or Washington. I was safe, my friends and loved ones were safe, and for that I'm grateful. I don't need to say any more.

I'd even planned to leave the topic alone altogether (!), until hearing about this "Path to 9/11" TV-movie that aired last night and tonight, this disgraceful piece of propaganda from ABC/Disney. The movie invents scenes out of thin air designed to blame the WTC attacks on Bill Clinton's laziness in the years previous, while whitewashing George W. Bush's ineptitude before, during and after the attacks.

While I'm sure every member of the Clinton administration regrets what more they could've done, these accusations against them are being made by the same people who blocked Clinton's anti-terrorist legislation and condemned his attempts to kill Osama bin Laden as a cheap ploy to distract attention from the earthshattering importance of Monica Lewinsky. It was a disturbingly cynical attack on him then, and even more so now, as no amount of spin or revisionist history can excuse the colossal and horrific failures of the Bush White House.

I am not interested in continually reliving 9/11 but I would like to relive 9/12 -- that tiny flicker of hope and unity that so briefly flourished in the worldwide response to the attacks. The squandering of that moment, that opportunity, is the second tragedy, says the New York Times' Frank Rich this week.

His opinion is shared by Keith Olbermann of MSNBC. He's been on fire this week -- I'd posted a previous commentary below -- but last night's commentary is even more heartfelt, angry and powerful. I still hope that people will listen because there's nothing wrong with the world that we can't fix, so long as we stop listening to the static of fear and lies, and start listening to people like these:

Labels: America, George W Bush, media, politics, repair

Gay activists and news junkie are buzzing over Friday's edition of '20/20' featuring an interview with the men who killed Matthew Shepard in 1998. Elizabeth Vargas claimed to set the record straight on a "story that has often been dramatically oversimplified."

So, in a meandering collection of contradictory interviews, we learn that Aaron McKinney was prone to crystal-meth rages, that Matthew was using as well, that the two knew each other beforehand, that McKinney was bisexual and that none of these interviewees' stories add up in any coherent way.

The Advocate's Chad Graham denounced the flimsy reporting, saying that "Vargas is trying to shove the 'not a hate crime' theory down the throats of viewers, and nothing is going to stop her."

Of course, that means Vargas is oversimplifying. Now I'm as confused as the broadcast itself, so look for an essay later in the week.

Labels: homo-a-go-go, media

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL

Irish 'bad-boy' actor Colin Farrell (who you think would be getting tired of that label by now -- we are) has once again shocked people in an interview by admitting that he's used heroin in the past:

In a candid interview with GQ magazine, he says, "I've smoked it a couple of times, but I knew where I was going. For some reason it seemed pretty f**king nice at the time." But drug prevention workers have blasted Farrell for acting irresponsibly in the knowledge his young fans look up to him. Peter Stoker of the National Drug Prevention Alliance says, "He should not be bragging about taking heroin. Farrell is a role model for children. If he thinks it is so cool he should go to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting and see the harsh reality."

Well, that's sensible enough and...wait. Did Stoker actually say, "Farrell is a role model for children"? Is that what I read? "Farrell is a role model for children"? Whose children? Is someone looking at his son and thinking, "He's too dull -- he needs more booze, more swearing, a bit of heroin and a fling with Britney Spears."

Oh, wait, that's my dad. Never mind.

Labels: family, insanity, media