Song of the Day

"Just the two of us" by Bill Withers.

I love everything by Withers, everything, but this is one of the songs I may have under-appreciated. IC woke me up with it a few days ago and it's been in my head ever since. A simple, beautiful song. Especially worth a listen if all you've ever heard is the Will Smith version (which, actually, I'm only a little ashamed to admit I think is sort of adorable).

Is there anything Shawn Macomber can't do?

Shawn Macomber has a hilariously insightful article, at NRO, on the Al Sharpton protests that happened yesterday in NYC. The opening sentence is "The Reverend Al Sharpton crept in and out of the designated protest area at One Police Plaza like the blob in a lava lamp." I mean, really.

Shawn also has a MUST-READ review of the "The Deniers" by Lawrence Solomon, a book about those who dare question the accepted thinking on global warming, in the Washington Times. A snippet:

Likewise, Mr. Solomon's own position as founder and executive director of the well-regarded international environmental group Energy Probe makes it considerably more difficult for opponents to shellac him as a right-wing reactionary moonlighting as an oil company stooge — though, of course, no slander has been proven entirely off limits for demagogues who believe they are the Jack Bauers incarnate in a special environmental doomsday season of 24. ("There's no time for debate, Chloe, we've got to regulate now!") Witness "60 Minutes" reporter Scott Pelly's answer when queried as to why his reports featured no global warming skeptics: "If I do an interview with Elie Wiesel, am I required as a journalist to find a Holocaust denier?"

Recommended

I love Conservative Grapevine, the link site of one John Hawkins. And I'm not just saying that because he linked me today.

Help me sleep

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten is "wear comfortable shoes and have a comfortable bed, because if you're not in one, you're in the other."

I've taken this completely to heart and it's rare that you'll see me tottering in uncomfortable shoes like so many women do. I don't care how smoking the shoe, if you can't walk in it it's not that hot.

But this post isn't about the shoes part of that statement, it's about the bed part. My bed is killing me. I need a new one. I need some advice and since I have the most brilliant, knowledgeable, awesome readers ever, I figured I'd ask you all.

Tell me about your mattress and how much you love it, and what it's called and where I can buy it.

Looking back

In honor of Israel's 60th, I thought I'd relink one of my favorite posts on this site: I am one of the luckiest Jews in history.

(Sidenote: SMVP, mentioned in the linked post, is IC. Funny how life works.)

Quote of the Day

As far as I can calculate it, though, Mrs Clinton can carry all the next five states AND Puerto Rico and still not get an arithmetical majority.

Nonetheless, she continues to act as if she knows something that the rest of us do not. And I can tell you that it spooks the Obama campaign.

-Christopher Hitchens

Via Hot Air Headlines.

Chutzpah

Hillary Clinton really is something else.

Best. Election. Evah.

Sshhh, don't tell anyone

McCain quietly courting working-class Democrats

Happy birthday, dear Israel, happy birthday to you

Pretty Numbers reminds me that making burekas today is appropriate as Israel turns 60! Happy birthday, my second favorite country on earth!

Testing how much patience my readers have for food-blogging

I just made potato-feta burékas and they are awesome. I used this recipe and I plan to pretty much work my way through that site and make everything the burékaboy suggests (Greek-style iced frappé! It's like he's reading my mind!)

Lala land

Clinton vows to fight on

The Picture of Dorian Davis

Dorian Davis, who has blogged here many a time, is now doing a video blog. I think if anyone can prove video-blogging is not just a medium for hot girls, it's Dorian.

Song of the Day

"You make me better" by Fabolous featuring Ne-Yo

This was actually my song of the day at some point last May too. It reminds me so much of last summer, driving back from the beach, skin all salty, eating outside, feeling the sun of my face. I'm looking forward to hearing this summer's anthems but, at the moment, last summer's songs will do.

If you're going to buy me a chainsaw...

...I want the Louis Vuitton one. Hat-tip Hot Air Headlines

(No, I.C., I don't actually want a chainsaw.)

How embarrassing

Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo caught up in transvestite hooker scandal.

His girlfriend broke up with him over it. That never happens in America!

Though being from Brooklyn, I don't have anything against track suits

Shawn Macomber's post on Al Sharpton makes me giggle.

Song(s) of the Day

I've got two today, both by the Beatles. First "Girl":

And, "You Can't Do That":

They're called "teenagers", look into it

Major labor shortage coming to the Hamptons this summer due to cap on foreign worker visas.

Spoiler

Dorian Davis interviews Bob Barr.

I'm not worried about the Barr run:

Still, how much enthusiasm the libertarian base will have for Barr is an open question. To date, he has raised a mere $52,000 – not enough to fund a serious campaign, and practically nothing in comparison with the $4 million that Paul earned during one-day fundraiser last November. But Barr is confident that, as the LP nominee, he could cash in on his name recognition and help marshal the contributions that he’d need to mount a competitive, 50-state campaign. “I am convinced that the funding and the interest are out there.”

The wisdom of crowds

What do you guys think of this couch (in a chocolate suede-y fabric)?

How she shows love

What's particularly awesome about Maureen Dowd's recent columns, and, really, she has been on fire, is that I think that despite her constant "pansy" jabs and ball-less hits at Obama, she'd like him to win. Good thing she'll never like a Republican that much.

I don't make a move without consulting with Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks wants Obama for president, mostly because he's black. Oh, and lest you think he's just the typical liberal actor, he throws conservatives a bone and notes that "even" Ronald Reagan united people as Obama does.

Who is this? Where are we?

Hillary attacks Obama for anti-gun comments.

They're both playing as if they've moved on to the general election. It might be a rude surprise when they realize only one can win. But for the millionth time, is this not the best election in our (my 31-year old) lifetime?

What housing slump?

Basement storage area in NY's famed Dakota building sells for $801,000.

Bye-bye Red Ken

Boris!

Trippin'

So, remember when I was going to France at the end of this month? Turns out, because the boyfriend has what people refer to as a "real job", he can't get away the dates we were planning and so has to miss his friend's wedding. I'm only a little sad about it. I did want to see the rest of France, visit with a friend of mine in Paris, and lounge on some hot south of France beaches but the other night we went to Bar Boulud, the latest in the Daniel Boulud food empire, and realized neither of us likes French food much...which may be a problem in France.

Our current back-up trip plan is a week in California sometime in June or early July. Neither of us have ever been there and it seems up our alley. We're looking to get a reservation at The French Laundry and essentially plan our dates around it. The idea is to do the convertible coast drive, eat good food, hang out in wine country and hit a beach or two.

I know I have at least a few California-based readers, and many more that are familiar with the state, so I'm looking for suggestions. Places to see, restaurants that are a must, leave it all in the comment section.

Today

I'm doing some guest-blogging over at Rightwing News today so do check me out over there.

Here's what non-Facebook users don't understand

If life was like Facebook, you could shut the door in that guy's face and not think twice about it.

You wouldn't like him when he's angry

My all-time favorite superhero growing up was the Incredible Hulk. I was half in love with David Banner, or as much as a 7-year old can be, and that music when he walks off into the distance at the end of every episode, well, it always got me right there.

I didn't see the first Hulk movie because it looked so bad I was glad they left off the "Incredible". But the upcoming one looks pretty good and I love a scrawny Ed Norton as David Banner.

News of the Day

Leonard Cohen is touring! Not in America yet, but still. I just got to find someone to come with me to Toronto...or Edinburgh.

Bobby!

Bobby Jindal was on Jay Leno last night and while he's personable, smart, well-spoken and generally awesome, he completely doesn't work on late-night.** And I love that about him. Anyone who works a little too well on late-night shows, cough Huckabee cough, risks coming off clownish. I hope Jindal goes far.

**Jindal did get off one really great line when Leno asked "your father wanted you to be a doctor, how did you get into politics, the sleaziest profession of all?" and Jindal responded "that and Hollywood." Stick it, Leno.

That's my Bush

The president breaks with a State Department directive and uses the word "jihadists" to describe jihadists.

China and Tibet

Chinese Students in U.S. Fight View of Their Home

Though I'm an immigrant to the U.S., I have no loyalty to Russia, the country where I was born. I see it for what it is, a country with a strong heritage that can produce great beauty in the form of literature, art, dance and so on, but also that can impose a system of destruction on their people for generations and not think twice about it.

I wonder about these Chinese students. They have to know the truth about their home country. They live here, after all, and they see that we don't kill baby girls or lock up critics of the state. And yet they feel defensive in the face of criticism of China. Is it loyalty or denial?

On a separate note, the popular Facebook program Superpoke recently added this poke:

"Love China with _____":

Of course, you can also Free Tibet:

Loving love

I usually despise the people in the New York Times Vows section but the story of this couple, best friends who fall in love, made me smile.

Oh Snap

Joe Bruno (majority leader of the NY State Senate and head Republican in the state) is so mean, I love it. On Eliot Spitzer:

“The previous governor didn’t get it. So he’s not here anymore. He got some things, but he didn’t get away with it. And that is not a good thing, O.K. That’s why he’s in psychiatric care.”

Quote of the Day

“There are … issues that quite simply do not have two sides.”

-Arianna Huffington on her belief that "the political world is made up of right opinions and wrong ones" in a piece by Ana Maria Cox.

This woman is the Paris Hilton of political commentary. Accidental wealth+exhibitionist [corrected from "voyeuristic"] tendencies=we have to see her more than any of us would like. Though, at least Paris isn't giving us her opinion on global warming. Yet.

Obama stunned by Wright's comments

...despite the fact that the new comments are not all that different the old comments.

Allahpundit says it best:

The bottom line: After 20 years of friendship, if Obama didn’t know Wright held these beliefs he’s a moron and if he did know he’s a fraud.

Get what you give

James Taranto on the Wright story:

Wright himself resurfaced last week, sitting for an interview with PBS's Bill Moyers. It was an embarrassing softball affair in which Moyers at times was even less sensible than Wright. At one point Wright rightly observed that "we have the freedom here in this country" to denounce our government, "whereas [in] some other places, you're dead if [you] say the wrong thing about your government." To which Moyers replied, "Well, you can be almost crucified for saying what you've said here in this country."

Which is true, if being "almost crucified" means being subjected to harsh criticism. By that definition, Wright has almost crucified America on many a Sunday.

Song of the Day

"There was a time" by Guns-N-Roses.

The latest news about "Chinese Democracy" seems so promising. Could it be that we'll be listening to it soon?

This is the leaked studio version of the song:

And this is the live version:

Wright on

Everyone is blogging up the latest Reverend Wright comments and Jennifer Rubin at Commentary points to this exchange:

MODERATOR: What is your relationship with Louis Farrakhan? Do you agree with and respect his views, including his most racially divisive views?

WRIGHT: As I said on the Bill Moyers’ show, one of our news channels keeps playing a news clip from 20 years ago when Louis said 20 years ago that Zionism, not Judaism, was a gutter religion.

Except, of course, that "Zionism" is not a gutter religion, it's not a good religion, it's not a religion at all. Everyone knows what Farrakhan said, the fact that Wright is in denial about it is purely defensive.

Wright goes on to say that Farrakhan didn't say anything different than the U.N. or Jimmy Carter, or Desmond Tutu. He concludes with:

Louis Farrakhan is not my enemy. He did not put me in chains. He did not put me in slavery. And he didn’t make me this color.

Does Wright know he was never slave or does that need to be clarified to him? His last sentence, though, that Farrakhan didn't make him "this color" is particularly weird. It sounds like he's calling being black a bad thing. Wouldn't it be G-d who made Wright that color?

Love shrugged

The NY Times profiles extremely specific dating sites. Did you know that there's a dating site for Ayn Rand fans?

Best. Election. Ever.

How fun will it be if Hillary wins the nomination?

UPDATE: "Remarkable as it may seem we now have Clinton calling for debates on issues and Obama name-calling."

Global warming is a crock

"For the last ten years, we have, in fact, been not warming but slightly cooling, which is why the eco-warriors have adopted the all-purpose bogeyman of “climate change.” But let’s take it that the editors of Time are referring not to the century we live in but the previous one, when there was a measurable rise of temperature of approximately one degree. That’s the “war”: one degree."

-Mark Steyn

I can't find a link but Ann Coulter had a funny comment along these same lines: "Global warming means a 1 degree increase every few hundred years. So, you're sitting on a beach and it's 80 degrees and then oh my G-d, it's 81 degrees!"

I hate modern life

Why is this guy congratulating himself on staying faithful to his wife? And he's embarrassed by that when he's around his guy friends? Honestly.

Food

I am so ready for matzoh-sandwich days to be over, who's with me?:

I miss bread, pizza and pasta desperately and I'm not even that big into those things (with the exception of pizza) the rest of the year.

In other food news, I made baby back ribs and fries last night. I'm really critical of the food I make so it means something that I'm letting the world know these ribs were off the hizook. The fries were super good too.

I used this recipe (minus the orange zest) for the dry rub but then cooked both types of ribs according to this recipe. I used this recipe for the fries.

IC's comment after we ate "I feel like I should call people and tell them about this" made me giggle and blush. Learn to cook, ladies, turns out it's true about that stomach-heart connection.

Last year, this time

I'm reading old blog posts (don't ask) and it's so funny to see what a difference a year makes:

*Bruce Bartlett says there's no chance a Republican will win in '08 and conservatives should just go ahead and support Hillary.

*Fred Thompson was lighting my fire.

*I would regularly stay up till 7am. These days I go to bed by midnight.

*The most embarrassing thing we knew about Eliot Spitzer was that he wanted American Idol reject Sanjaya's autograph.

*New Yorkers thought we'd get to choose between Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson. Of course, by the time the primary actually reached us it was Romney, McCain, Huck and Paul left standing.

*I linked to this Esther Kustanowitz article about Jews making the upper west side their home. I wrote that I'm a Brooklyn-ite first and an upper east sider second. And now, well, not so much.

Song of the Day

"Your Woman" by White town.

It is well documented that Dawn Summers has the worst taste in music. Ever. Ever. So it's always a pleasant surprise when her MySpace song isn't Backstreet Boys or Clay Aiken, and today it's this. And yes, Fisch, I am aware she stole it from you.