( Electoral SNAFU! It involves Florida, naturally. )

I am just... utterly bemused and kind of rageful about this NONSENSE. If I ever see Howard Dean in person, I will be sorely tempted to kick him in the shin.

My next entry will not be about politics, I promise.

P.S. I enjoyed this post about how the Clinton campaign cleverly (one might even say sneakily) played the media this week wrt the "financial troubles" that turned out to be non-existent. I also liked the link within that about how people underestimate the base's love for Hillary at their peril. If Hil' does end up losing the primary, I totally think she should get to be Senate Majority Leader. She would kick so much more ass than Harry Reid.

I watched the Gossip Girl special last night INSTEAD of the State of the Union. It's the first time I haven't watched since I was seventeen. IT WAS AWESOME. (I mean not watching the State of the Union was awesome, not rewatching Gossip Girl. I enjoyed the special, but Maddy was right about the pilot -- it is kind of mediocre.) Less than one year. His last State of the Union ever! Awesomeness.

I was going through my blog roll, and John Mayer wankily bahleeted his entire blog and posted an ambiguous quote and graphic. Why so melodramatic, John? I hope it's temporary because his blog is actually pretty awesome and hilarious. Anyway, it reminded me of what rez_lo always says about stuff like this. "There is no real life, only fandom wank." Or something!

Gnarles Barkley's new single has leaked. I think it's pretty fun.

And, oh my gosh, I totally love this. It's America Ferrera and Amber Tambyln interviewing Hillary Clinton. Like, they filmed it themselves and do terrible dances and talk about not letting the Man get them down. It's completely adorable. (Even if Hillary should take some of her own advice, sigh.)

Disclaimer: And, you know, just to be clear since it's got the Vote Hillary stuff at the end... I am not endorsing Hillary or telling anybody who to vote for. I know people get ill about that. I just think this is so, so cute.

So today is Blue Monday, allegedly the most depressing day of the year thanks to "the combination of bad weather, Christmas debt, and broken New Year resolutions." Last year I was very ill with the flu and wholeheartedly agreed. But I'm not so sure this year! Can it really be the most depressing day of the year if it falls on a holiday? (For those of us who are Americans, anyway.) I do not think so!

So here, have my favorite cover of "Blue Monday." It's the one from the Nancy Drew movie.

"Blue Monday" - Flunk

And heads up! Tomorrow is the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and annual Blog For Choice Day.

It snowed yesterday, and not just flurries! That's the first time in three years! We actually got about two plus inches, which means that everything in town is slow or shut down. Which is the best thing about snow!

But you know what always surprises me about snow? How WET it is! I grew up in Florida and did not experience snow until I was sixteen. I did not expect it to be so wet! I mean, it *is* precipitation. I knew this! But it did not look wet in the movies! Maybe I am just getting the short end of the stick --even when it snows here, it's just barely below freezing. Maybe our snow is the slushy, wet kind? One day I would like to see fluffy, powdery snow, and maybe that will be... less wet? Feel free to disillusion me, northerners. I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LIKE TO DO THAT.

How much did I enjoy Jon Stewart's insane interview with Jonah Goldberg last night? Jonah has always been one of my least favorite commentators. He's the "journalist" who made assy insinuations about Al Gore without doing his homework, was immediately proven wrong by the most basic research, and had neither the grace nor the integrity to apologize and issue a correction. And then there was that time he flew over ANWR to "prove" that it was desolate, lifeless wasteland. He is entirely ridiculous, and I enjoyed seeing him be made a fool of.

And how psyched was I to see this meme making the rounds again? I haven't done it since, like, 2004. There used to be a Mac version, but the site that hosted it disappeared, and I'd basically given up hope of ever being able to do this one again.

( Who comments the most on this journal? )

It's not exactly breaking news that the details of U.S. Navy's confrontation with the Iranians in the Strait of Hormuz are highly suspect. But now that the complete footage has been released, the situation is even more bizarre, because there is NO VOICE on the tape, and there are no floating white boxes either. So what the hell is up? Was the audio even remotely related to the incident? And who the hell thought it was a good idea to splice a scary voice saying that the ship would explode into the compilation footage? Is the Pentagon trying to start shit or did the media just think we were seriously bored last week? Whoever is responsible has some serious explaining to do.

And the most bizarre thing of all is that the voice heard on the tape probably belongs to a local "radio prankster" who heckles ships in the Persian Gulf. WHAT THE HELL. What kind of fucked up alternate universe are we are living in where losers with ham radios and too much spare time can cause international incidents? How much ASS does our media have to SUCK for that to even be possible?

The closer we get to the primaries (4 months, people!), the more DESPAIR I feel. Hillary Clinton is looking like more and more of a foregone conclusion, and I'm inclined to blame the media coverage. I like Hillary, and I'll be alright with voting for her in a general election, but she's just too moderate. (I have no idea how right wing people get away with pegging her as some sort of crazy liberal.) And she's so Establishment! If she wins, it'll have been Bushes or Clintons almost my entire life.

And then whenever I watch the Republicans, it's like they're running for president of a different country. Or, like, a different planet. Actually, it's more like they're running for office three years ago. They are literally stuck back in 2004. I know I'm not their target demographic, but I find it hard to believe that all of this unremitting Tough Talk is resonating with anybody.

Anyway. I don't think anyone can catch Hillary. And if she loses Iowa or New Hampshire, I don't even think it matters. The money isn't going to dry up for Hillary Clinton, especially because all the corporate lobbies love her best. It all feels very inevitable to me.

I think I'll be voting for Obama or Edwards, whichever has the best chance of beating Clinton. How about you guys?

ETA: Mo Ryan has a good article about the very possible WGA strike. I sooo do not want this to happen, sigh.

ETA2: OMG, how could I forget?! Suck on it, Florida!

This completely ridiculous PC World article about how Apple is the new Microsoft pissed me off so much this morning that I still have not fully recovered. I cannot decide which pisses me off the most: the intellectual dishonesty (iTunes is not to iPods as Internet Explorer was to the freaking Internet. And how is Apple pissing off NBC in any way comparable to the anti-competitive bullying that retailers and tech companies have faced over the years from Microsoft?!) or the fundamental misconceptions. People who don't understand why Apple won't license OS X just fundamentally do not get Apple at all. It is not another Dell, and it is not an alternative Microsoft. It's really, really not.

I was channel-surfing the other night, and I randomly and accidentally caught Fred Thompson announcing his candidacy (finally) on Jay Leno. I was unimpressed. I can hardly believe that this is the guy all of the elite conservative intellectuals have been so excited about. He didn't seem informed or even overly interested in politics; when asked whether or not he supported the Iraq War, he said he absolutely did because if we hadn't invaded, Saddam Hussein would have been free to "continue with his nuclear program." WTF!

Instead, he talked about the importance of character and values. He reminded me a lot of George W. Bush in 2002. I suppose that's why so many of conservative politicos would like to see him win the nomination. It's smoke and mirrors; he'll be the firm-but-populist figurehead while they pull the levers behind the curtain. It's not about finding a qualified person for the job or someone with big ideas; it's about finding someone to make unelectable ideas electable. It is so incredibly condescending.

1. I just got a Borders Rewards e-mail, subject: "IS THIS BOOK THE NEXT HARRY POTTER?"

The book was Stephanie Meyer's Eclipse. You know, the sexay vampire books?

Yeah, I LOL'd.

2. I'm watching the recap of AFL-CIO debate, and MAN. Hillary Clinton gave a really terrible sound-bite. ( The audience actually booed her. )

ETA: Well, this wins for weirdest comment ever.

"Journalists" always dither on about what female politicians wear. But today the Washington Post and Meet the Press actually *discussed* Hilary Clinton's cleavage. Because, apparently, unbuttoning your tailored jacket in July and incidentally revealing that you have OMG BOOBIES is a strategic move on her part. Breaking news! HILARY CLINTON'S BREASTS BENT ON WORLD DOMINATION!

"For Hilary to argue that she was not aware of what she was communicating..." GOD, I would like to punch that dude in the face.

Unfuckinggoddamnedacceptable.

The Senate unexpectedly blocks immigration bill.

LOLZ, PRESIDENT BUSH! There goes your last chance at relevance. Congratulations on your MAGNIFICENT FAILURE!

And, yeah, I know that this is going to make conservatives really happy, but they're not going to win in 2008 and when the 112th Congress addresses immigration in 2009, they're going to be democratic and backed by a democratic executive, and they'll pass a real amnesty bill, and it will be HILARIOUS.

Also, I highly recommend the WaPo's four part series on Cheney's tenure as Vice President. It was really, really interesting to read. It's also worth noting that the House is going to vote today on whether or not to restrict Cheney's budget. Which, you have to admit, is freaking hilarious.

Dude. If you watch The Sopranos (or at least the series finale), you will probably think that Hillary Clinton's new campaign ad is COMPLETELY BRILLIANT. It almost makes me want to vote for her.

Michael Moore's Sicko, a documentary about healthcare, is now streaming for free on Google Video. You can watch it here. ETA: It's working again!

To me the really damning part was the bit about how the HMOs and the pharmaceutical industry have corrupted our government. And it's not just those industries, either. Special interests have bought our government away from us piece by fucking piece, and they don't even care enough to pretend they haven't.

It's insane that in the richest country in the world, we have a system that devalues preventive healthcare. My family pays increasingly exorbitant amounts of money for insurance every month, and our provider would not pay for my mother to have a routine surgical procedure that her doctor wanted her to have to rule out the possibility of cancer. (They said she was too young, and they only agreed to the procedure after her symptoms got worse.) My cousin was born with an incredibly rare birth defect. She's been in and out of hospitals for the past three years, and the doctors have been rushing her through dozens of surgeries and procedures because they need to do all of the work they can on her before she turns eighteen. When she turns eighteen, she'll be released from the state's child healthcare program, which she was put on after my uncle's insurance wouldn't pay. (Then she'll have to wait two years until she can apply for coverage because of her "pre-existing condition.")

Anyway. If any of my friends from England, Canada or France (or anywhere else there's national healthcare) watch Sicko, I'd really appreciate your take on whether or not your country's systems were misrepresented. (It all seemed way too idyllic.)

ETA: Here's an interesting discussion about national healthcare in England, Canada, and France. And here's a good debunking of the prevailing myths about Canada's healthcare by a Canadian who lives and works in America.

This is insane. What's even more insane is that I heard nothing about this until I checked my f'list this afternoon. (Thanks to rez_lo)

The video is 20 minutes long, but it's absolutely riveting, especially considering that after the events recounted in Comey's testimony, Bush appointed Alberto Gonzales to replace John Ashcroft as Attorney General.

The FDA has succumbed to lobbying by Archer Daniels Midland, Grocery Manufacturers of America and the Chocolate Manufacturers Association. They are preparing to roll back regulations and allow chocolate and candy manufacturers to replace cocoa butter with cheap vegetable oil!

THIS TIME OUR GOVERNMENT HAS GONE TOO FAR.

Fuck this noise.

It's especially heinous that the majority opinion of our highest court referred to obstetricians as "abortion doctors." No, really.

ETA: Statements on the ruling by all of the 2008 candidates. Both Clinton and Obama voted no on Roberts and Alito's appointments.

So the rumors about the U.S. tacitly supporting terrorism in the Middle East (orignally reported by Syd Hersh in the New Yorker last month) are being substantiated.

+ ABC News reports that we're funneling money to Pakistani militants responsible for a series of guerilla attacks and kidnappings in Iran.

+ The New York Times reports that the U.S. is allowing illegal arms sales from North Korea to Ethiopia because the weapons will be used against Islamic militias in Somalia.

+ CNN reports that U.S. troops are being used to protect an Iranian opposition group in Iraq listed as a terrorist group by the State Department. (Meaning that it would be a crime for any U.S. citizen to support or associate with the group.)

THEY HATE US FOR OUR FREEDOMS, YOU GUYS. It couldn't possibly be because we've been "helping" systematically destabalize the region for the past fifty years or anything, or that we CLEARLY haven't learned our lesson regarding the long-term effects of this sort of shady, backroom bullshit. Do the people in our government seriously think that Terrorist Organization X will just dismantle and go home once they've finished killing the people we don't like? FUCKING UNLIKELY. Haven't we been here before at least half-a-dozen times?

Not to mention that terrorists are supposed to be EVIL. Except when they're not, I guess. Except when they're useful.

"The distinction between 'political' and 'performance-related' reasons for removing a United States attorney is, in my view, largely artificial," he said. "A U.S. attorney who is unsuccessful from a political perspective ... is unsuccessful." -- Alberto Gonzalez's former Chief of Staff

HOW ARE THESE PEOPLE RUNNING OUR GOVERNMENT? That said, I wish this whole USA thing could be over because I really do not care about it at all. So the Bush Administration are corrupt weasels who favor loyalty over competence? Not exactly breaking news.

Also, the iTMS has added a long-awaited and much-requested new feature: Complete My Album. It used to be that if you bought a single or two off of a particular album and then you later decided that you wanted the whole album, you'd have to pay the full $9.99. (This is particularly annoying when one of your favorites pre-releases their singles, and so you have to resist the temptation to purchase them because you don't want to pay twice.) Using the "Complete My Album" feature, you can go back and purchase the album with the price of the singles you've already paid for deducted from the base price. This means that you no longer have to puzzle over choosing between downloading a handful of songs and buying the entire album. A+!

Charlie Norwood, my representative, died today. Good riddance. I'm just wondering who they'll find that's worse than he was to replace him. I bet it'll be Max Burns.

Speaking of stupid politicians, I do not like that John Howard fellow. He seriously said that if he was Al Quaeda, he'd be praying real hard for the Democrats to win in 2008. Oh, LOLZstralia. They are our counterpart is far too many ways.

My littlest sister had this really funny project at school -- a "wax museum" of important figures from the American Revolution. (Her teacher is fresh out of college and therefore kind of insane. The entire project was ridiculously elaborate.) But it ended up being cute. All of the kids wore costumes, and they each had a special place to stand in the cafeteria. And they would stand completely still until you walked up to their "exhibit" and pressed a red "button" that they'd taped somewhere on their person or around where they were standing. Then they'd come to life and give you a spiel about who they are and why they were important to the Revolution. Kierra was adorable as Mercy Otis Warren. But my favorite (besides Kierra, of course) was the little boy who was Crispus Attucks. Attucks was a runaway slave who happened to be the first American to be killed (during Boston Massacre) for Independence. He had a little wooden crate so he could pose jauntily, and he looked *so* bummed out when he informed us that he was dead. Thomas Jefferson was also awesome. And then there was this one kid that even affected a British accent, heee. They all really enjoyed themselves.

(Also, since I helped Kierra with this project, I gotta tell all my British friends that her text-book makes the Brits out to be superbad guys. I mean, it's thisclose to propaganda. My kid sister thinks you are all evil and calls you "redcoats.")

Afterward, we went to Target to buy Kierra some valentines for her classmates. They were all out of the kiddie cards, so we decided we'd just use whatever left-overs we could find from previous V-Days. Surprisingly, Kierra eschewed the Disney Princess valentines.

Kierra: Caaaaitliiin, I'm NINE years old!
Me: Nine WHOLE years?!

And try as I might, I couldn't convince her that Strawberry Shortcake is totally retro. She ended up using Magic School Bus valentines, which was very geeky of her. I approve! We taped a bunch of Crunch candy hearts to the front of the envelopes. Of course, we had to test a random sample of them for poison. And then we discovered that there were Trivial Pursuit questions on the insides of the foil wrappers, so I had to eat a lot of them. (To get to the questions!)

( And now I'm going to spoil the sisterly hi-jinks with some political discontent. )