Rudy & Obama on the March

According to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll (Feb. 22-25), Rudy has gained the upper hand among white evangelicals, and Obama has taken the lead among blacks. With the recent realignment of these important bases of their respective parties, Giuliani now bests McCain among the GOP faithful by a 2 to 1 margin whereas Obama has halved Hillary's lead from 24 to 12 percentage points. With the front-loading of the primaries and the enormous amount of money needed, candidates must prove themselves early in this election cycle. If the GOP wants a Reagan conservative, they better start scouring the country ASAP for one: however, if the Dems want a traditional liberal who breaks ground on the sex or race issues, they need only to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Cf. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/27/AR2007022701030_2.html.

Base Backs Bush

Although Bush's USA Today/Gallup Poll (Feb. 9-11) approval rating is at 37%, his approval rating among the GOP is at 76%. Similarly, 72% of Republicans believe that the invasion of Iraq was not a mistake. Not surpisingly, the top tier of GOP presidential candidates (Giuliani, McCain, Gingrich, and Romney) support Bush on the war and Congressional Republicans are likewise backing him on the latest Dem anti-war resolution with 92% in the House and 83% in the Senate. If he is able to keep 3 of 4 Republicans behind him, he can insure that his ratings do not dip below 30% to maintain sufficient political capital to be a force with which to be reckoned.

Cf. http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070226/opcomreligion66.art.htm.

FNC Loses Fox: Kiran to CNN

In a rare moment of insanity, FNC decided not to renew the contract of the incredibly gorgeous Kiran Chetry. Kiran, a luscious, leggy blend of Ukrainian and Nepalese ethnicities and wife of FNC's meteorologist Chris Knowles, has been the elegant, eloquent eye candy for Fox & Friends First and Fox & Friends Weekend. CNN snared Maxim's 2006 third sexiest news anchor when, allegedly, Fox News unceremoniously ended new contract talks with Kiran's agent, John Ferriter of the William Morris Agency, Inc., which it claimed had demanded that Kiran take over Gretchen Carlson's role as anchor on the regular Fox and Friends. Another source indicated that Chetry had merely requested a written clarification as to whether she would serve as a Fox & Friends co-host and when. Knowing Kiran, the latter explanation seems obviously the more plausible. CNN's fortunes are looking up! She is currently acting as substitute host on CNN's American Morning at 5:00 a.m. CT. I guess that I will have to get a new TiVo season pass.

Cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiran_Chetry; http://www.maximonline.com/slideshows/index.aspx?slideId=2507&imgCollectId=121;
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/chetry_wanted_carlson_fired_53316.asp; and http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i00c30daf8fb3b8f1b92c68de6362e363. For purported
letter ending new contract  talks and allowing Chetry to leave prior to her contract's terms (March 6, 2007) without compensation,
cf. wikipedia cite.

Whizdom

New Mexico, the state with one of the worst rates of driving while intoxicated, has purchased 500 talking urinal cakes to persuade patrons of bars and bistros to not drink and drive. They will be provided by the state's Transportation Department free of charge to restaurants and other establishments that sell alcohol: if the program is successful, the department will ask for future $21.00 Wizmark Interactive Urinal Communicators to be paid for by the businesses. The message given by a female voice is as follows:

    Hey there, big guy. Having a few drinks? Listen up. Think that you’ve had a few too many?           It’s time to call a cab or ask a sober friend for a ride home. It is safer and a hell of a lot 

    cheaper than a D.W.I. Make the smart choice tonight. Don’t drink and drive. Remember, 

    the future is in your hand.

Men are thrice as likely to get D.W.I.'s as women. However, the maker of the battery-operated micturition communicators makes a product for the ladies that flashes a like message on a closed stall door.

Cf. http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/56749.html

Grammys: Not Ready to Make Nice

Last night's Grammys were certainly not ready to make nice with President Bush. The Dixie Chicks swept all five categories in which they were nominated. They won album of the year ("Taking the Long Way"), record of the year ("Not Ready to Make Nice"), song of the year ("Not Ready to Make Nice"), best country performance by a duo or group with vocal, and best country album. (Rick Rubin, their producer won producer of the year.) Ironically, the trio were completely shut out at the Country Music Awards show.

Lead singer Natalie Maines crowed, "Well, to quote the great 'Simpsons, "Heh! Heh!'" She added, "I think people are using their freedom of speech with all of these awards: We get the message." To add insult to injury, President Carter won a Grammy for the spoken word (in a tie with Ruby Dee and her late hubby Ossie Davis for "With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together") for his "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis." Other prominent liberal politicians to have received Grammys in the same category are Hillary Clinton (1997), Bill Clinton (2004, 2005), and Barack Obama (2006).

Cf. http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=2007-02-12T061717Z_01_N07388297_RTRUKOC_0_US-GRAMMYS.xml&pageNumber=2&imageid=∩=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage2;
http://www.cmaawards.com/2006/nomwin/nominees.asp; and
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2007-02-12T000722Z_01_N11314663_RTRUKOC_0_US-GRAMMYS-CARTER.xml.

Monk Rules

When you grab your cart at the local grocery, have you ever considered the hygenic nature of its handle. As you rub your mouth or wipe your nose, do you think of others who have done the same before you, esp., as you pick out your produce? According to researchers at the University of Arizona, shopping carts have more bacteria, spittle, and fecal matter than even public restrooms. An Arkansan law will encourage groceries to give sanitary wipes to patrons. Some nicer stores do now: hopefully, Wal-mart will lead the way for the other laggards. Kudos, Mr. Monk!

Cf. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=2859060.

Curb For Paraplegic

Those expousing the virtues of America's private healthcare model and the vices of a universal healthcare system should consider the fate of a penniless Los Angeles paraplegic. LAPD Officer Eric de la Cruz stated that the unnamed man said that he was dropped off by the hospital van on skid row because he had no where else to go and that the hospital staff told him that he could no longer stay at the medical center. Based on witnesses' writing down of the license plate number and a phone number on the van, LAPD detectives are questioning officials at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center already under investigation for another dumping case. LAPD Det. Russ Long declared that this case was the worst that he had seen in his career. He elaborated, I can't think of anything colder than that; there was no mission around, no services; it's the worst area of skid row." Witnesses related to police that the man, wearing a dirtied hospital gown, propped himself up in the van's door, threw himself tumbling into the street, and pulled himself along with his belongings clinched in his teeth. Further, they disclosed that the female driver left him without a wheelchair or walker and was more concerned with the soiled seats and her facial farding. (Within the last two years, the Los Angeles Metropolitan
Medical Center, the Martin Luther King, Jr./Drew Medical Center, and the Kaiser's West Los Angeles Angeles hospital have also been accused of patient dumping by the LAPD.)

Cf. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dumping9feb09,0,7452706.story?coll=la-home-headlines.

G'bye, Anna Nicole

Anna Nicole Smith (nee Vickie Lynn Hogan), Guess model, MTV reality show star, former Playboy bunny, and widow of billionaire nonagenarian J. Howard Marshall II, was found dead early this afternoon after collapsing at the Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida, at the age of 39. Her death follows the recent death of her son, Danny, from a drug overdose and the death of her stepson E. Pierce Marshall (who fought Smith to keep her from inheriting @ $450 million dollars). According to a source deemed credible by Access Hollywood, a Hard Rock employee discovered Anna Nicole in her hotel room, removed the sheet, and found that she appeared to have become asphyxiated in her own regurgitation. CBS sources added that officers found unlawful narcotics and prescription drugs in the room. Police state that the cause of death is unknown. Smith leaves Dannielynn, a five-month old daughter, whose patriarchal lineage is yet unknown. Photog and former lover Larry Birkhead claims to be the father of the child, and Howard K. Stern, Smith's last boyfriend and attorney, alleges paternity.

Cfs. deleted by AOL Journals apparently.

Naked Sundays

Chanteuse Christina Aguilera revealed to Ellen DeGeneres on Ellen's eponymous show (to be aired today) how she helps keep the hearth's embers stoked with her hubby. "We claim ourselves to be the coziest couple ever: we have something called 'naked Sundays.'" The former Mousketeer elaborated, "You have to keep marriage alive, spice it up: we do everything naked." Makes a single man consider anew the benefits of marriage.

Cf. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,250579,00.html.

Who RU Voting 4?

Rudy Giuliani explained his positions on Hannity and Colmes Monday (2/5/07) after filing his statement of candidacy papers with the federal election commission. He was very articulate and tempered: he explained his views on abortion, homosexual civil unions, gun control, immigration, etc. Rudy looked and sounded very electable. Even though Sen. McCain is the current front runner in the GOP, he appears to be an avatar of Dole (a frank statesman and real American hero but a flawed presidential candidate with skin more than a bit thin). If there is no pro-life candidate with a real chance to win, who will social conservatives back? Once abortion is off the table, even Democrats begin to become viable options.

All Shook Up in the NASA Triangle

43-year-old Lisa Marie Nowak, a July 2006 Discovery space shuttle astronaut, was arrested on attempted kidnapping and related charges according to police. Reportedly, the space traveler donned adult diapers and raced 900 miles to have an unscheduled talk with a younger love rival, NASA engineer Colleen Shipman, who was flying into Orlando from Miami. (NASA astronaut and Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein apparently was the triangle's Romeo.) Allegedly, after conspicuously tailing Shipman into the parking lot, the trench coat-clad Nowak coaxed the leery Shipman into only opening the window of her car a few inches, and then hit her with pepper spray. According to authorities, Shipman reported the assault and later police observed Nowak trashing a wig and BB pistol and carrying rubber tubing, a 4-in. folding knife, garbage bags, $600 in cash and a steel mallet in a bag when she was apprehended. (Police also
indicated that they found six rubber gloves, e-mail to Oefelein from Shipman, a love letter to Oefelein from Nowak, and handwritten directions to Shipman's home. Today, the starry-eyed, love-struck brunette had her bond set at $15,500 and was instructed to wear a GPS anklet and to remain at least 15 miles from Cape Canaveral.

Cf. http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/astronaut-charged-with-kidnap-attempt/20070206065609990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001 and Fox News Live (02/06/07).

UPDATE: Nowak charged with attempted first degree murder. She is now in jail and facing a new bond hearing.

Cf. Fox Online (02/06/07).