I miss Fred Thompson

Good piece.

It's telling that his most notable moments were negative--marked by his refusal to follow some custom of the modern campaign. (From another debate: "Should government step in and help Chrysler and the other auto makers?" Thompson: "No.") Asked about education reform, he said: "It would be easy enough for someone running for president to say: I have a several-point plan to fix our education problem. It's not going to happen. And it shouldn't happen from the Oval Office." When journalists and candidates, with their typically childlike enthusiasm, suddenly began gumming the word "change" after the Iowa caucuses, Thompson pointed out the obvious: "Change has been part of every election since the dawn of elections, if you weren't an incumbent." He noted how easy it was "to demagogue" the issue of federal spending by dwelling on relatively insignificant earmarks: "All these programs that we talk about in the news every day are a thimbleful in the ocean compared to the entitlement tsunami that's coming to hit us."

Maybe he could be veep? Please??

The Return of Lost!

Lost returns tonight! Whoo hoo!

Here are some unanswered questions.
My favorites:

48. Will the WGA strike permanently disrupt the original plan to end the series with three seasons of 16 episodes apiece?

47. What is Charles Widmore's association with the Dharma Initiative?

46. Who were those guys in the icebound monitoring station at the end of Season 2?

41. Where exactly is the island located?

39. Who are the people on the rescue ship?

38. If Penny Widmore didn't send the ship, then where is her rescue crew?

37. Can Juliet really be trusted?

32. What did Jack mean in the flash-forward when he made a reference to his supposedly dead father being upstairs?

28. Why do all pregnancies result in death on the island?

24. What do the numbers -- 4 8 15 16 23 42 -- mean?

23. Why does the doctor in the Dharma Initiative-orientation films have different names in different films?

11. Who besides Kate and Jack got off the island?

10. Who is Kate's unseen mate in the post-island flash-forward?

8. In Jack's post-island flash-forward, who was in the coffin?

5. How did Mikhail (the eye-patch guy) appear to come back from the dead?

4. Why doesn't Richard Alpert age?

3. What is Jacob?

2. What is the smoke monster?

1. What is that island?

10 Random Facts About Me

Favorite Pizza toppings: pepperoni, mushroom, feta or goat cheese, spinach, tomato
Favorite Potato chip: cheddar and sour cream
Favorite 80s/90s/00s TV show: Family Ties, The Simpsons, Lost
Last CD added to itunes: Romantica
Last meal: combo fajitas at Lauriol Plaza
Last alcoholic beverage consumed: Margarita
Today I wore: black cardigan, gray pants, pink shirt
Lunch today: chicken teriyaki
Last plane trip: Birmingham last Wednesday
Last movie: Juno
Last book read: Dangerous Nation
Last CD listened to: Paste Sampler 39

The politics of art

Candidates and Their Music: I liked this post by Carrie Brownstein on NPR's All Songs Considered site. Particularly this passage:

We'd like to think that our favorite bands, especially those who ostensibly share our political outlooks, have ideologically similar fans. Yet I'm sure followers of Franz Ferdinand or Modest Mouse vote on both sides of the aisle, which is why music is better at uniting people than politicians.

Very true! Artists should be artists. I'm SO tired of politics being infused in songs. If you want to be a politician, fine. But accept the consequences: I won't buy Green Day CDs, or see a George Clooney or Sean Penn film, because of their newfound politicking.

Similarly, I saw Juno over the weekend. I really liked it. And while the abortion issue did arise, the movie was not about that. It was about some kid who got pregnant and gave up the baby. It was about teenagers and being young and stupid and smart alecky.

I am not saying that film or music should be apolitical. I just think that filmakers and song writers need to be cognizant of the fact that audiences come in all shapes, colors, and ideologies. And if they want to make money, they should remember that, and not be offended when my choice as a consumer is to buy a ticket or a CD, or not.

McCain & Judges

There has been all sorts of buzz today at NRO and elsewhere about John Fund's column and this passage in particular:

Mr. McCain has told conservatives he would be happy to appoint the likes of Chief Justice John Roberts to the Supreme Court. But he indicated he might draw the line on a Samuel Alito, because "he wore his conservatism on his sleeve."

Fund does not offer the source of the quote, and McCain's campaign has equivocated, affirming how deeply the Senator supported the Alito nomination. But the real question is: Yeah, so McCain voted for Alito. But would he have nominated him?

This is when I groan at the thought of McCain. LL has said in the past that McCain does not get this issue; he votes like Kyl. But after Kyl's horrid support of the judicial seminar/GMU issue, is that such a good thing? UGH. The real question is: Would McCain have nominated a Harriet Miers, or a Samuel Alito? That answer would be meaningful for me.

The Politics of Being Undecided

This is one of the rare times when I am actually glad to live in DC, and I don't really have much of a vote for president. The primary is meaningless, and no Republican could ever win DC.

I still am undecided. Fred Thompson dropped out, and he might have been my top pick. Maybe. I'm wavering between McCain and Romney. McCain has the war cred, and I think he has a better chance of winning. Romney gets judges. Sigh.

I did think this blog post by Rich Lowry nailed Obama's ascent and the way the Clintons have completely without class.. "Divisions, distractions, and drama." As much as I don't want Obama to be president, ugh to four years of the co-presidency. And between Hillary and Bill, seriously--who is worse? Both are just horrid. Ugh.

I still want someone to make a justification to me as to why Obama is THE candidate. He still has little experience, and most people just seem to care about his rhetoric and his "audacity of hope" hoopla.

But for now, as I keep thinking and waiting out the GOP primary season, I am going to enjoy watching the Clintons self-destruct.

Week in Review

--Had a great weekend with mom, and bought this dress.
--My Fair Lady was wonderful.
--So was DC Coast.
--And 27 Dresses was the perfect chick flick.
--Went to Birmingham yesterday. Had some greasy french food and did the interview.
--Heath Ledger died this week. Very sad, probably an accidental OD. He has a two year old daughter.
--Booking a photographer, and I have visits with two florists coming up. Too much to keep track of.

Let It Snow

We've gotten a light dusting of snow and sleet, but at about 3:30 p.m., things have slowed down some. I see fewer umbrellas.

So things to accomplish with mom this weekend...

Dinner tomorrow at DC Coast for Restaurant Week. Review pending.

Stops tomorrow and Saturday at various wedding gown stores.

Hopefully save-the-dates will arrive. I need to find some cool pens to address them.

My Fair Lady at the Kennedy Center.

And possibly see a movie. I still want to see Juno, but 27 Dresses might be more appropriate.

Kansas and the Week to Preview

So for the second time in a week, I am off to Kansas. This time it is Topeka. The year is two weeks old, and I am on my third business trip. Yippee.

The rest of the week looks like this:

Tonight: Dinner with Jenny W. at Nooshi.
Wednesday: Meet with Photographer Candidate #1, Gym
Thursday: Stop at Safeway, Gym
Friday: Gym, Mom arrives, stop at Omni, dress shopping, dinner at DC Coast
Saturday: Dress Shopping, dinner at home?, My Fair Lady
Sunday: Mass, Brunch?, Save the Dates?, cook dinner, avoid watching playoff football
Monday: Mom leaves, try to get organized again

Celebrity Baby Time

So I know I have blogged before on the culture of celebrity unwed mommies. Now many of them are having kids: Nicole Richie, Poppy Montgomery, Helena Bonham Carter, etc. Stories about Courtney Thorne-Smith, Toni Collette, and Christina Aguilera delivering kind of even things out. Other married pregnant celebs like Melissa Joan Hart, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, and J-Lo (despite the past marriages) balance out the Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, Monica, Lily Allen, and that chick from Law & Order. I have to say I was irked that both issues of In Style feature unwed celeb mommies to be. Come on!

I guess I should not make sweeping generalizations. But it bothers me!

Long Week

I am so ready for a weekend off. The last few have been TX, beach, and NYC. I have errands to run, I want to work out, go to mass, decompress, and watch the Cowboys beat the Giants. I also need some time to myself.

I did finish reading Dangerous Nation. Loved it. Loved the discussion of how slavery expanded the country, and I was eager to learn more about U.S. history in the late 1800s, that forgotten period. I'm reading God and Gold now.

One good thing: I just got a letter signed by President Bush thanking me for my work on the gala! Very cool.

Rough Week

Two trips and yesterday's bad, bad news have made this a rough week. NYC on Saturday/Sunday, then Kansas yesterday. Long. I did make it to the Truman Library.

I am really upset, livid, could not sleep, betrayed, and angered by the way Steve has been treated. It is ridiculously unfair, and I really want to take it out on someone. And I cannot concentrate, b/c this affects my future, too.

Fred Thompson!!!

So I took an online Washington Post quiz today to tell me who my candidate should be. The winner: Fred Thompson!!! I scored closest to him 40% of the time. OK, he's going to lose. But I have my candidate now! Whoo hoo. If it were only this simple....

I talked to Paul tonight. They pretty much have all of their wedding plans done. And I'm officially having a couple of freak out, ohmygod I will never get everything done moments.

But hey, it's the day before the NH primary, and I have a candidate. I'm With Fred! :)

New Faces In Iowa

So Huckabee and Obama came away with the oh-so-critical Iowa caucus victories. Chances are, the Huck is probably not going to do so well in NH, which is much less evangelical and he's just barely campaigned in. But this does put the pressure on Romney. I can see John McCain carrying NH, and Mitt really needing to scramble.

Wouldn't it be interesting if it were McCain-Thompson as the GOP nominees? Thompson did vote with McCain on campaign finance...

I can't say my heart breaks for Hillary's third place finish. I can't stand Edwards, and he won't do well in the south. Obama is a little more tolerable, but barely. But oh how I can't stand Hillary.

On to the next one...

Big Chill IV

Bethany Beach weekend 2007/08 was fantastic, despite my nagging cold. We had a fabulous time eating chicken chili and fajitas, drinking way too much, Penguin Diner, celebrating engagements, shopping at the outlets and getting to know Shannon, playing Poker (whoo hoo I won!) and Loaded Questions, and staying up way past our bedtimes. We have good friends, and we are lucky about that. Other than the Volkswagon freak car thing, the trip was the best yet.

2008 is a big year. Seven months til the big day. And it's been a decade now since I've graduated from college. I sent a STD to the girls about the wedding date. That feels like another lifetime ago.

And this year is off to a busy start already. I think I will be working harder than ever this year...I already booked two trips today, with many more to come.