Here's a profile of my Congressperson, Henry Waxman. In the next few years, you're going to hear a lot about this man.
I think he's terrific. A few years ago, I ran into him at the Souplantation and told him as much. My Very Conservative Friend Roger once made the comment that he wished his Congressman was just like Waxman in terms of integrity and militancy...but of course, applying it all towards an opposite set of goals.
David Bauder on how folks running for office generally like to appear with the likes of Leno and Letterman, as opposed to folks who might ask hard questions. That's long bothered me, though I must admit that even the folks who ask hard questions don't ask very hard questions. I can't think of many that were asked in the recent election. Most of the newsmaking answers that candidates gave were actually clumsy responses to pretty easy questions.
So...what's going on with that Senate recount in Minnesota? Al Franken is ahead by about four dozen votes out of almost three million cast but this could change. This article seems to be a good summary of where this all stands and where it's going.
My favorite restaurant in the country may just be Peter Luger's Steak House in Brooklyn. I used to say it was a place that made you never want to eat steak anywhere else but a few other eateries have since popped up (like the small but growing Wolfgang's Steak House chain) and provided close alternatives.
Still, there's something very special about Peter Luger's. Here, from the New York Times site, is a 360° tour of the Peter Luger steak vault. This is one of those links that may require registration. (And hey, if it bugs you to have to register for a website and you fear them sending you unwanted e-mail, get yourself a GMail account and just use it for sign-ups.)
A song parody called "Barack the Magic Negro" is making the rounds, and was even distributed within the Republican National Committee. It's a riff, of course, on "Puff the Magic Dragon," the hit song by Peter, Paul and Mary. Here's what Peter has to say about it. To all his other complaints, he might have added that the guy who wrote it doesn't know how to write lyrics that scan.
The consensus — that George W. Bush has been a real terrible president — is growing. It's gotten this bad...
First Lady Laura Bush disagrees with critics who call the presidency of George W. Bush a failure. "I know it's not, and so I don't really feel like I need to respond to people that view it that way," Mrs. Bush said in an interview that aired Sunday. "I think history will judge and we'll see later."
In other news, my mother thinks I'm the best writer in the business.
Today is Stan Lee's birthday. Boy, I hope when I'm that age, I have one-third the energy, one-twentieth the fame and one-thousandth the number of people who love what I've done. Happy Stan Lee Day, Stan...from the first person you ever designated with the Hallowed Marveldom Rank of F.F.F. (Fearless Front Facer).
I didn't see this because it was over in the Sports section, where I have never before ventured. It's an article about a new online serialized graphic bio by Trevor Von Eeden. It's a portrait of John Arthur Johnson, the first black heavyweight champ. And if reading the article makes you want to read the comic, here's a link to the first chapter.
Wish I'd known about this before 12/25 so I could have had it up here for Christmas but better late than you-know-what. This is another one of my appallingly-talented friends...singer-impressionist Christine Pedi with moments from her recent holiday cabaret show in New Yawk. Showing guts of steel, Christine invited members of the audience to call out names of celebs and she performed "The 12 Days of Christmas" as those folks. The video ain't great but she is. This is in two parts running about sixteen minutes total and the player I've embedded below should run one part after the other...
December 29, 2008
