Sloppy Seconds

How Kaavya Viswanathan Took Megan McCafferty's Second Helpings, Made Half A Million, And Will Still Come Out Smelling Sweet And Woodsy

Let It Snow

Why are people questioning the abilities of Tony Snow, the newly tapped White House press secretary? Is it because he is coming from FOX News? What if George tapped Jon Stewart (not that he would say yes, or would he?)? Would Stewart get flack for being a not-smart-enough TV personality with good hair? Wasn’t the good hair shtick part of Kerry/Edwards campaign? Kerry said, “We've got better vision. We've got better ideas. We've got real plans. We've got a better sense of what's happening to America, and we've got better hair.” I guess that wasn’t enough for him.

Politicians. I dislike them all, equally. But newscasters…I do have my favorites. I’ve often watched Tony Snow’s “Weekend Live” and found it to be a bit dry. I prefer Bill O’Reilly, but that is a different type of show entirely. I like O’Reilly’s sass even though I do not agree with him on most occasions, but I do enjoy how riled up he gets. I like Monica Crowley and Anderson Cooper—both great looking and also seem very genuine in person.

But Snow, not just a newscaster with locks to love, is a noted political analyst who broke away from TV news in 1991 when he worked as deputy assistant to then President George H. W. Bush. He was the director of speechwriting and also worked on media affairs for the elder Bush.

Ronald Reagan was an actor before he was a politician and perhaps it was his screen abilities that enabled him to be called the “Great Communicator”. He had a good approval rating by the public when in office, the economy was great, and he always shared his optimism. Sure there were flaws in his leadership, there always are, for everyone. Flaws don’t take sides; they are bipartisan. Unless, of course, that flaw is of the head variety.

None of the aforementioned have/had bad hair. Not even gray hair stopped their likeability. Snow has even criticized the President calling him something of an embarrassment late last year. But he was still chosen as press secretary. Maybe it is all about giving good head. Perhaps Bill Clinton illustrated that best.

Let The Sunshine In

Thank you Dr. Sunshine.

United Space of My

What would happen if President George Bush joined MySpace? Maybe this would be the perfect forum for the dialogue so desperately needed. Would the Iran nuke conflict be settled in opposing blogs? Or would President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad bomb us because he thought Bush’s comment to Cheney that read “Let’s wipe him off the map!” was meant for him? Would Bush befriend Kim Jong-il? Would Hilary post a bulletin containing hidden disses for our Republican President that George won’t get, but all her other friends will laugh at? Was it Cheney’s snarky comments to Andy Card that made him quit?

Would Ann Coulter be friends with George Clooney?

Will Moses and Apple Martin create profiles pretending they are 18 so they can chat up Zahara and Maddox Jolie-Pitt?

Will the border patrol team up with Pro-Choicers to gain strength in numbers?
Look what it did for Tila Tequila? She’s a star.

Giving A Hoot

I just finished reading Life Of Pi by Yann Martel. I have to admit, I had little interest in reading this book—the cover didn’t lure me in and the back copy seemed silly and possibly more for kids, but it came recommended so I read. Upon reaching the end, Pi says the following: “I wept like a child. It was not because I was overcome at having survived my ordeal, thought I was. Nor was it the presence of my brothers and sister, thought that too was very moving. I was weeping because Richard Parker had left me so unceremoniously. What a terrible thing it is to botch a farewell. I am a person who believes in form, in the harmony of order. Where we can, we must give things a meaningful shape. …It’s important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise you are left with words you should have said but never did, and your heart is heavy with remorse. That bungled goodbye hurts me to this day.”

I believe in what I call “proper goodbyes”. It bothers me immensely if I do not have this and I am often left feeling exactly as Pi puts it in the book—out of harmony. I hold onto things for a long time, hold onto words that were said or never said. The proper goodbye or a proper closure would have spared these feelings.

Today while walking home from the train I noticed a fake owl hanging from the roof of a building. The owl was tied up by the next by what looked like black cable wire strung from one arch of the building to the other. Maybe it was to ward off other birds? But something about it made me think of the book I just finished. It just seemed so ominous—a hanging owl.

According to folklore, the Greeks believed that spotting an owl meant victory for their armies, while the Romans thought of it as defeat. The Romans also believed that a dream of an owl was an omen of shipwreck for sailors. (This is fitting considering Pi’s misfortune.) To ward off the owl’s evil projections, the offending owl had to be killed and nailed to the door of the affected house. Owls are called "the daughter of greediness" and in some religions, an owl’s hoot signifies desolation and loneliness.

Things that are left hanging hold the greatest burden on my heart.

Rubbing Is Racing, Just Don't Rub The Wrong Way

I love news shows, but Dateline NBC went a little too far when they “planted Muslims” at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia to see how the crowd would react. I have been to quite a few NASCAR races and if you are not wearing clothes to show who your favorite driver is you are going to stick out. I stuck out and even got a snicker or two from some women who made fun of the fact that I was wearing heels in the pit and garage areas. But despite Dateline’s attempt to stir up what I believe they thought were racist rednecks, the heart of America made me proud. USA Today reported that “NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said the group walked around outside the track without any reaction from fans.”

Poston also quipped, "It's outrageous that a news organization like NBC would seek to create the news instead of reporting the news."

I love NASCAR!

Go Dale Jr.!