They're Neck and Neck

I don't say "WTF" very often - and I have never uttered it in my blog - but today's article in the Los Angeles Times that says, "Shocker polls: That Sarah Palin-Barack Obama gap melts to 1 point - is a definite, "What the F#$#@!#!@" moment to me. What does that even mean? Well, the way that the article explains it is:

Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, look what the pollsters just brought in.
A pair of new surveys revealing that President Obama is still declining and has hit a new low in job approval among Americans just 56 weeks after they elected him with a decided margin.
And -- wait for it -- Republican Sarah Palin is successfully selling a whole lot more than books out there on the road. Even among those not lining up in 10-degree weather to catch a glimpse of pretty much the only political celebrity the GOP has these days.

Of course, Matt Drudge had this article front and center on his website this morning. Obama is President - that is why we refer to him as, "President Obama." John McCain and Sarah Palin lost the election. Don't they get it? Now, I am in no way saying that Sarah Palin has not done a fabulous job in keeping her name in the news for the past year or so. But to imply that Sarah Palin is somehow "catching up" with President Obama is ridiculous. He is the POTUS, and she is a hocking her book and writing on Facebook.

I do think that Palin is doing a little bit better than Drudge, however. I feel like that is the real story. Matt Drudge seemed to hit rock bottom for me when he was lurking around in his fedora the day that Hillary Clinton gave her campaign exit speech in D.C. I am sorry that I can not find a photo or video of Drudge at the concession speech on 6/7/08. If I can locate one, I will add it at a later time.

Forgive me Oprah, for I have sinned...

I just read earlier today that Tiger Woods is going to be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey to discuss his recently disclosed transgressions. By transgressions, I mean the fact that the married, new dad, and world-famous golf pro has more girlfriends than he has putters. OK - people have affairs - that is no revelation. The part that fascinates me is the idea that Oprah has become the person to whom celebrities go to in order to confess things - or at least make their personal issues known. I think that at one time, Barbara Walters held this role. She kind of messed things up on The View, by letting her more back-stabbing and caddy nature be visible. Now it is Oprah. Think of it, Oprah has interviewed - Sarah Palin, Vicky Kennedy, Tom Cruise, and Mackenzie Phillips. I am sure there are many more on this list whom I have missed.

I wondered, when did this role start for Oprah? One of the earliest times that I can remember, was not on her show - but during a stint she played on Ellen Degeneres' show back in the 1990s. Oprah played Ellen's psychologist - one of the first person's that Ellen talked about being gay with. Back then, that was a pretty big deal. Now, people come out - or are pushed out - on sites like TMZ and Perez Hilton; and who did Ellen trust? She trusted Oprah. Here is a snippet of their scenes below:

Good Grief, President Obama!!

Am I glad that President Obama is scheduling a speech tonight to update the world on the status in Afghanistan? Yes, yes I am. However, the speech will be bumping the annual showing of A Charlie Brown Christmas on ABC. Sure - I have a copy of the show on DVD somewhere, but it is just not the same. You know what I mean, don't you? To tell you the truth, the Charlie Brown Christmas show has not been the same for me since Dolly Madison Cakes stopped sponsoring it, but those days are long gone.

This whole Obama-Charlie Brown tangling got me thinking...which of Charlie Brown and his friends would make the best president? Who is the most Obama-like? In my opinion, Charlie's friend Linus is the best fit. He is pretty grounded for a kid, and has held his devotion to the Great Pumpkin through many a Halloween season. Many may question his abilities, considering the fact that he is constantly seen holding a blanket. To me - Linus' blanket is like President Obama's teleprompter - he really doesn't need it - but he feels better having it.

So - keeping with this theme - who is Lucy? Well, the obvious answer is Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Lucy, like Hillary, is not afraid to "play with the boys." That one is easy. I have had a more difficult time coming up with which Peanuts character is Vice President, Joe Biden most like? Not Snoopy; to me, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel seems more Snoopy-like. You know, a little bit behind the scenes - but tough. I think that I am going to have to go outside the box and go with Peppermint Patty. Peppermint Patty is kind and down to earth, but sometimes talks a little bit too much. OK, who is Charlie Brown you may ask? I think that we all can agree on that. Nobody says "Charlie Brown" like Senator John McCain.

Since we won't get to see A Charlie Brown Christmas until next week then, here is a little snippet. Enjoy:

Gobble Gobble

It's one day before Thanksgiving, and it is hard to believe that it has been a year since I first posted about Sarah Palin talking to an interviewer while turkeys were being slaughtered in the background. It is even more hard for me to believe that over 365 days later, Palin is still in the news on a daily basis. That is well past Andy Warhol's prediction of each of us getting fifteen minutes of fame. Well, anyway, here is the video below - and please have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Oh My Nose!!!

OK, there is no way that I could resist today's blog item being about Food Network celebrity Paula Dean being bopped in the face by a low flying ham. Paula was doing a spot about her helping to distribute free hams to needy families for Thanksgiving, when someone in the group got the idea of throwing one in her direction. I actually found the lack of response in her husband (guy with beard showed at end of video) to be just as funny as the incident itself. She was OK afterward, and suffered no bad injuries. No word is in yet on the ham, however. Here is the video:


This Paula Dean incident reminded me of my generation's most famous "hit in the nose" incident on television. Of course, I am speaking about the Brady Bunch scene in which Marcia Brady gets hit with her brother's football and exclaims, "oh my nose." Here is a snippet of the scene below:

American Music Awards

To tell you the truth - I have never been a fan of American Idol. I don't like watching people get ridiculed. I can get enough of that in real life. I don't remember who won last season. I know it was a guy - and that it was down to one cute guy who seemed straight and one cute guy who seemed gay. Well - the straight guy won, but the gay guy - Adam Lambert - made a big ruckus on last night's American Music Awards. Here is the video below:


There are a plethora of opinions out there today. I will take any opportunity to use that word. Terms that I have read include: pushing the envelope; double standard for men; double standard for gay men; lewd, pornographic; cool. What do I think? Well - I think that there is a double standard for men, and particularly gay men. Madonna, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, and - more recently - Lady Gaga - have been doing blatantly sexual maneuvers for years now. Hey - look at Michael Jackson. If I had a dime for every crotch grab that he had done - I would be rich now. But - what is different about Michael? He never kissed a dude - at least on stage, that is.

You know what they say - that there is no bad publicity. Years ago, when I was very deeply in the closet - I remember watching the Grammy Awards with my mother. I told her about Annie Lennox and how she had such a great voice. I nearly plotzed (passed out in Yiddish) when she appeared on stage that night with Elvis style side-burns. It was a little too close for comfort for me and my own issues. I am attaching the video of that performance below. Well, anyway, that was years ago - and performers have been "pushing the envelope" in different ways for years now. I think that it was probably about time that this most recent envelope push was "guy on guy" action.

Google and Clouds

Today is a big "tech geek" day. I pretend to be a "tech geek" - but I am really not one. I know a little bit of stuff - just enough to sound impressive. It usually doesn't work. Anyway, the tech geek event of today is the Google's Chrome OS meeting being held in Mountain View, California. You know it has to be for real - look at the picture of the guys above who are in attendance.

From what I understand, Google Chrome is a web browser. Google Chrome OS is an operating system. The two real big competitors in this market currently are Microsoft and Apple. Microsoft has the bigger piece of the pie, but they are about it. The cute but informative video below explains how Chrome OS is faster and makes more sense now, because people, in general, are using their computers for the internet. When operating systems were first put into place, the internet was not in the forefront as it is now. That is why it takes so long to get onto the internet. Your computer still has to go through all the system checks for all of the other stuff that we only occasionally use. With Google Chrome OS - you are the internet and the internet is you. Your information and data is stored on the internet, and not on your "hard drive." I saw someone comment, "it's not stored on the internet - it is stored on Google servers." Ah - that is the catch. That "cloud" as they call it - where all of your stuff is stored - is stored in Google land. How will this effect privacy, security, etc? I really don't know - but truthfully - I don't think that there is really much left anymore anyway.

OK - take a look at the video and see what you think. Anything this cute can't be scary, right? Oh - and also - you can't download a Google Chrome Operating System - you have to buy a whole new computer.


I am including a video of something else that considers itself - cute, inventive, innovative, and what is "to come." Well, at least Mr. Google would probably hold up better to Katie Couric: