Blogcritics Author: Patfish

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Pop Culture Update 3/31/06

Patfish — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 07:41:15 EST

Recent pop culture events that hit the headlines or just plain intrigue Food Addiction?It's not that I have no empathy for hefty Wynonna Judd, having fought the fat fight for so many years myself. It's just that I'm skeptical that taking more calories in than expended in physical energy is an addiction. In that, hold on before unleashing the compassion police, addiction is a syndrome that involves a compulsion to engage in behaviors caused by some sort of physiological dependency. All animals have a physiological dependency on food and that's a fact. Continuing on with the logic, it's possible that a physiological dependency only on foods that have excess calories is plausible. If denial of such foods resulted in severe pain, possibly death. Which is the case with a heroin addiction but not, go with me here, with an "addiction" to strawberry shortcake.Whatever the case and whatever a lack of control and discipline is called nowadays, we wish Wynonna Judd well in her endeavor to rid herself of her "need for food" disorder.We note, with a wry smile, that as part of Judd's "rehabilitation" she was forbidden from the very foods she loves.Back in my day we called that a diet.From SFGATE.com: Judd Tackles Food Addiction in Rehab Country star Wynonna Judd has tackled her food addiction problems head on - by spending 42 days in rehab. The singer checked into the Shades of Hope clinic in Buffalo Gap, Texas, on January 8 after realizing her constant need for food was a disorder. Judd has since lost 30 pounds and she's now determined to live a healthier life. She says, "I just didn't want to come into 2006 like I had so many years of just being so tired. I just wasn't able to really take care of myself like I needed to and I couldn't figure out what was wrong. "(Going into rehab) was like going to college and learning why it is such an addiction. I learned about myself ... why I do the things I do. We are so distracted by so much in life. I slowed down to a pace where I could think thoughts, feel things." Judd admits the rehab experience was tough - she was forbidden from snacking on the things she loves. Is Skin From Dead Chinese Prisoners in Your Make-Up? We're not making this up. And that Chinese cosmetics company's (un-named) spokesperson is anything but clear on whether the process of using the skin of dead prisoners for its make-up line is under research or currently part of their smashing peach blush.The company's "agent" does say, with a quip, that he has no idea why anyone would be upset about this practice as such as using the skin from condemned convicts was not worth making "such a big fuss about."First, the quote says the prisoners had been shot. As with a gun. We don't know what sort of justice they may have received. China is well-known for jailing, perhaps shooting, dissidents. Second, the ultimate depravity, way beyond Google blocking Chinese ISP's from accessing sites with references to freedom and other nasty vocabulary, is for western women, ever in search for everlasting beauty, to use make-up in any way altered, aided or abetted with the skin of dead Chinese prisoners. This whole thing has an inhumane and uncivilized aspect to it that should not be encouraged.From World Tribune.com: A Chinese cosmetics company has been using skin taken from the bodies of executed convicts to develop beauty products for sale in Europe, a London newspaper reported. An agent for the company informed customers it is developing collagen for lip and wrinkle treatments from skin taken from prisoners after they had been shot. The agent said some of the company's products have been exported to Britain, and that the use of skin from condemned convicts was "traditional" and nothing to "make such a big fuss about," the Guardian reported In addition to ethical concerns, there is the potential risk of infection from the harvested skin products. The company was not identified by name for legal reasons and it is unclear whether collagen made from the skin of prisoners was in the research stage or in actual production. "A lot of the research is still carried out in the traditional manner using skin from the executed prisoners and aborted fetus," the agent was quoted as saying. The material, he said, was being bought from "biotech" companies based in Heilongjiang Province and was being developed elsewhere in China. He suggested that the use of skin and other tissues harvested from executed prisoners was not uncommon. "In China it is considered very normal and I was very shocked that Western countries can make such a big fuss about this," he said. Dick Cheney's "Suite" DemandsRock stars and various other celebrities regularly broadcast their hotel requirements in advance of visits for performances in faraway regions. Some require only specific M&M colors are to be provided and bath water must always be Evian.This past week all the scoop was the release of VP Dick Cheney's requirements for hotel rooms.The SmokingGun.com obtained an advance copy of Cheney's list of hotel accoutrements from a loyal member of Cheney's staff and goodness to read it one would get bored.An actual picture of Cheney's advance notice is provided in the link above. It includes such as 4 cans of Diet Sprite, a carafe of coffee, temperature of the suite at a cool 68 degrees, and goodness, a bed. Oh, and all TV's must be tuned to Fox News. Heh. The document, prepared by the vice president's advance team, was obtained by TSG after it was provided to a hotel employee prior to a Cheney visit. When we asked Cheney spokesperson Jenny Mayfield about the document's reference to gifts that hotels might leave in the suite for the vice president, she told us she was unable to address that question since she had not seen the "downtime requirements" rider (she asked for a copy, which we declined to provide in advance of its publication here). At our source's request, we've blacked out the handwritten name and Washington, D.C. phone number of a Cheney staffer. As for the notations regarding extra lamps, specific newspapers, and a carafe, it is unclear whether they were added by an advance team staffer or a hotel official. (1 page) Katrina, the Dog, Honored for Saving Life During HurricaneThere's not much good news coming from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. But the tale of the Labrador retriever, now named Katrina, saving the life of a man by pulling him from flooding waters to higher ground, is a heart-warming one.All hail to man's best friend.From the GrandparentsRus email list: A Labrador retriever who saved a man from drowning in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina received a standing ovation on Saturday night at an awards dinner attended by leading animal rights supporters.The dog, now called Katrina, was brought on stage and named guest of honor at the 20th annual Genesis Awards, given by the Humane Society of the United States to those who help advance the cause of animal rights.Katrina the dog was featured on a report from Los Angeles television station KCAL. The man she rescued told how the black dog helped pull him from the flood to higher ground and credited her with saving his life. WAPO Right Wing Blogger Quits Amidst FuryThe story of Ben Domenech, recruited by the WAPO to write for a conservative blog the vaunted newspaper would sponsor, rages on. This story was covered more extensively by Blogcritic Scott Butki.First, the notion of the Washington Post sponsoring a conservative blog is big news right there. Although I think it's a fine idea, I must wonder if this isn't a preliminary attempt by the ancient print media to recruit people of conservative thought that it can't find within its own staff. It is also an indicator of the print media's attempts to get out in the Blogosphere and become part of the national discourse swirling around them but not covered in their daily newspapers.So the WAPO goes and recruits a blogger of conservative idealology and the guy has an extensive history of plagiarizing the work of others! Don't believe Domenech's lament that the left-wing bloggers would go after him, as if he is as innocent as the driven snow. The evidence against Domenech is very damning. The man had to know it.Let's hope the WAPO doesn't give up on this project and goes out to find another conservative blogger to lead their conservative blog site. If they look hard enough they might find a fine female conservative blogger who has never plagiarized a thing in her life.From HumanEventsonline.com: In his first public comments since resigning earlier today as a blogger for washingtonpost.com, Ben Domenech says his editors there were "fools" for not expecting an onslaught of attacks from the left."While I appreciated the opportunity to go and join the Washington Post," Domenech said, "if they didn't expect the leftists were going to come after me with their sharpened knives, then they were fools."Domenech has been under a steady stream of criticism since washingtonpost.com launched the new blog, "Red America," on Tuesday. Domenech, an editor at Regnery Publishing (a sister company to HUMAN EVENTS), was accused of plagiarism by several left-wing blogs. Lee Greenwood and Other Celebrities to Entertain the TroopsThere is no greater song, by me, than Lee Greenwood's "Proud to Be An American." I loved that song long before it was cool to do so. In a bow to Mr. Greenwood's efforts to lift the morale of our mighty fighting army, we note that he and others will be going overseas to do just that.Semper Fi.From the AF.Mil: Joining Mr. Greenwood will be country-rockers Restless Heart, New England Patriot Cheerleaders, comedian Dick Hardwick and musicians from the Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band, the Band of the Pacific and the United States Air Force Band. Called the Patriotic World Tour, the group will perform at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey; Kunsan AB, Korea; Kadena AB and Misawa AB, Japan; Hickam AFB, Hawaii; and at least three deployed locations in Southwest Asia. The Dixie Chicks Try It Again They'll not be singing with the Patriotic World Tour referenced above. That would be too much.I chuckle as I remember the endless debates on the "fairness" of country-western radio stations across the fruited plains yanking any songs from the Dixie Chicks from their play list. As if the pundits have any control on such decisions of private companies who will suffer loss of audience for such decisions with no need for commentary from the elite who condemn this action as an affront to free speech.Heh.One of this singing trio told a foreign audience that she was ashamed that President Bush was from her home state of Texas. Now go with me on this: a country-western music audience is not likely to take kindly to this kind of sentiment, especially when this brave singer didn't have the courage to say it on her own shores. Kinda like Barney spouting about how he hates kids and thinks they all should be shot.Even with all the pontificating from the elite pundits about fairness and free speech, well has anyone heard much from the Dixie Chicks lately?Not to fear. They're trying it again and it's back to the same old song. Their next song is said to be autobiographical, titled "Not Ready to Make Nice".Good luck you girls. The pundits will take your side yet again but silly Americans, they'll still not buy your records. And no one can make them.From AJC.com:But the Chicks' new single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," is now in rotation in several major markets, pushing it to No. 36 on Billboard's country singles chart after its first full week of airplay. Other stations, however, have been slower to embrace it. "I think a lot of people are in a wait-and-see mode," said Wade Jessen, director of Billboard's country charts. "The next couple of weeks are really going to tell the tale." Maines told a London audience on the eve of the war in Iraq that the group was "ashamed" the president was from their home state of Texas. ...Maines later said she regretted the phrasing of her remark, but remained passionately against the war.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Pat lives in Delaware with her husband. They are owned by four cats, two dogs and one adorable granddaughter. Pat Fish is a published author and her books have drawn attention from her fellow reviewers on Blogcritics. Reviews of Memoirs of Josephine Fish and Mystery and Mirth have been conveniently provided for your reading pleasure.

An Interview With Joseph Shahda, Citizen Translator and American Hero

Patfish — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 06:07:20 EST

As reported by the Kansas City Channel, a revolutionary concept is taking place in the United States' release of documents obtained during the invasion of Iraq on a government website. The federal government is making public a huge trove of documents seized during the invasion of Iraq, posting them on the Internet in a step that is at once a nod to the Web's power and an admission that U.S. intelligence resources are overloaded. Republican leaders in Congress pushed for the release, which was first proposed by conservative commentators and bloggers hoping to find evidence about the fate of Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs, or possible links to terror groups. The web surfers have begun posting translations and comments, digging through the documents with gusto. The idea of the government turning over a massive database to volunteers is revolutionary -- and not only to them. "Let's unleash the power of the Internet on these documents," said House Intelligence Chairman Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich. "I don't know if there's a smoking gun on WMD or not. But it will give us a better understanding of what was going on in Iraq before the war." One such web surfer referenced above is Joseph Shahda, who has already translated ten of these documents as of this writing and vows to continue on until the deed is done.Shahda is originally from Lebanon, having come to the United States in 1994 during his early twenties. He has lived in the United States for the last twelve years. Shahda is a Christian and speaks Arabic and English fluently.A denizen of the conservative web site Free Republic, Shahda's profile lists the documents that he has already translated, fully ten of them.In Shahda's own words: I feel a great sense of duty to do the translation of some these documents because that is the least I can do in time of war to serve the United States of America to whom I am in eternal debt and gratitude, and what I am doing is a small payback toward this debt that I can never fully repay no matter what I do. My efforts to do the translation pale in comparison to the great efforts and sacrifice that our brave troops are doing on a daily basis. I asked Shahda during a phone interview with him on March 29, 2006, why he thought the government didn’t translate the documents. Joseph said doing translations on the many thousands of documents would use up too many of limited government resources. He also feels that our government has moved beyond Saddam Hussein, that the lack of massive stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction was somewhat of an embarrassment best not dwelt on. Shahda also suggested that government bureaucrats in agencies that would be charged with this task tend to be somewhat arrogant, deeming the job beneath them and not worth the bother.I’d have to agree with Joseph in that Arab-English translators are at a premium and likely needed more in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East than in the translation of documents from times past. In addition, each translation might require at least two translations of each document to ensure accuracy.Some would argue this is also an issue with citizen translators but Joseph assured me that he is extremely careful with his translations and welcomes any additional translations alongside his own. In fact, I was privy to a FreeRepublic thread in which Joseph made a typing error, of all things, in his translation. He omitted the word “not” in a sentence. Shahda immediately informed the FreeRepublic moderators of the error. It was quickly corrected and any comments made based on his typing error were removed from the thread. I was impressed with the speed with which all this was handled and the care taken by both Joseph and FreeRepublic to insure the data was accurate. The entire episode left me with a confident feeling of credibility on the matter. I’d argue we are in the midst of some serious history-making and we are learning as we go.I asked Shahda which of his then ten translations were most startling to him. Joseph indicated the following two translations: Saddam Regime Document: Iraqi Intelligence met with Bin Laden in 1995 and Afghani Taliban Consul Spoke of a Relationship Between Iraq and Bin Laden With each translation, Shahda includes the Pentagon number assigned to the document and provides details about what sort of document is being translated, whether a memo or a letter on official letterhead. He indicates which paragraphs he is translating by meticulous paragraph lettering and details who wrote the letter and to whom it is addressed. If the document being translated is vague or unclear in terms of recipient or writer, Shahda so states. Joseph is very careful to make it clear to the reader only what he translates and avoids any editorial insertion into his translations.In response to my question about his thoughts on whether the United States can win the Iraq war, Shahda stated emphatically that the United States is already winning the war.“We are winning the Iraq war, let’s start with this fact,” Shahda stated with a passion. “and we are going towards a result of victory”.Joseph then explained that there are perhaps thirty to forty thousand terrorists against 140,000 U.S. troops. There are 230,000 Iraqi troops working with the U.S. plus 30,000-40,000 coalition troops. Shahda says the numbers are against the terrorists right from the start.“I was in Lebanon during the bombing of the Marine barracks,” Joseph explained. He described the dancing in the street by the Palestinian terrorists responsible for the attack, how they shouted with joy that they had beat the Americans. Only a loss of American resolve can cause us to lose the war, Shahda explained. This from a man who witnessed what happens when America doesn’t fight back.We discussed the ominous situation in Iran and Joseph felt that while America could flatten Iran easily, he didn’t think this would be necessary. “The Iranian people are wonderful and hate the regime governing them,” he said. Joseph expressed joy over the recent “Cedar Revolution” in his own country and stated firmly that such a thing would never have happened were it not for America being involved in the mess that is the Middle East. He believed that American presence and resolve could well cause an uprising in the Iranian citizenry given the right time and circumstance.Joseph Shahda’s optimism and love for America was palpable. In just talking to him I felt my resolve toughen and my own love of my country of birth deepen. Everyday he sits down and begins more translations. I’d argue that Shahda’s meticulous efforts are far better than we could expect from the government bureaucrats.These are historic times. This is an historic action by our government, this recruitment of citizens to aid in the proper documentation of history.For what Shahda is revealing via his translations is how it really happened. Some might argue that the documents cannot be verified. Of course they can’t. They were captured during the turnover of a violent regime. Documents captured during W.W. II could not be verified, indeed, any documents obtained in this manner are what they are: details of a government that is no more. Common sense should dictate that Saddam’s dying regime had better things to do than create forgeries of thousands and documents, letters and memos. To argue that the American administration might have foisted false documents on the American public is to also run roughshod over common sense. Both Saddam and the United States simply had more important issues than bothering with this sort of silliness.History is being made by the likes of Joseph Shahda and other bloggers who are on top of this.Citizens are doing the grunt work and citizens will decide, on the common sense that helps us carry this country on our collective backs, what to believe. We run this country. We can figure it out.With a little help from dedicated souls like Joseph Shahda. Below, the remaining documents and links translated by Shahda as of this writing:Saddam Regime Document Dated January 2003: The French and German Connections (Translation) Saddam Regime Document: Give CNN the Priority for Coverage (Translation) Document Dated February/3/2003: Chemical Gears for The Chemical Group Translation) Saddam Regime Document Dated 2001 Shows Chemical Platoon Still Exists And Active (Translation) March 2002 Document: Saddam Ordered 25,000 Dollars for Each Suicide Terrorist Against Israel. Saddam Regime Document: Saddam Ordered The Use of Chemical Weapons in Northern Iraq (Translation) Zarqawi in Iraq Long Before the War Started Saddam Regime Training and Using Foreign Arab Terrorists As Suicide Bombers

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

TV Review: American Idol - Ten Goes to Nine

Patfish — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 02:48:00 EST

The music of Tuesday, March 28, 2006 featured songs of the 21st century; thus my middle-aged ears didn't know one single song and didn't like any of them at any rate.In fact, the entire American Idol presentation was a big disappointment across the age spectrum it would seem, at least as I judge by my readings across the Blogosphere.Be that as it may, I still watched dutifully and on this night, only one stood out as a winner and even I am amazed at who it was.First, some Idol tidbits.We are not sure how true this rumor is and it does seem to pop up every year as a possibility. It's Paula Abdul and there's always something going on with her. The publicity rule of thumb is there is no such thing as bad publicity and following this maxim, I wonder if yet another Paula rumor wasn't thrown out and about to keep public interest heightened as the competition plows on. This time the allegation is that Paula is high maintenance and subject to medical hysteria involving exhaustion and dehydration.Imagine that in the United States of America.This "Paula is nuts" rumor has an added dimension with the additional tidbit that Jessica Simpson or Britney Spears were possible replacements for Paula.From SF GATE: 'American Idol' Producers Nearly Fired Abdul AP / Chris Carlson "American Idol" producers came close to sacking judge Paul Abdul earlier this month -- and wanted to offer her job to Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson. Tensions on the set of the hit TV show were running high and producers were considering firing the former singer for her erratic behavior. A source tells Us Weekly magazine, "Paula was being very difficult. (She was) crying all the time and arriving late for meetings." The stress from the situation drove Abdul to seek medical attention and she was treated for "exhaustion and dehydration." Kevin Covais on Judges and Being a Sex SymbolAs contestants are eliminated, there is always the post-elimination appearances on the morning talk shows. Kevin Covais was a cute little thing but his resemblance to Chicken Little precluded his stature as any sort of Idol, much less the vaunted American one. Which doesn't mean that Covais' singing career is over by any means. For one thing, he has a lot growing to do, but the fellow does have a magnificent voice. There's a future for Covais and I'm sure he'll find it.Below some cute quips from Kevin regarding his relationship to the AI judges and his tongue-in-cheek status as a sex symbol.From AOL: I try not to analyze it and say Simon's opinion is 10 times more important than anyone else's. I take what each of them has to say and I respect what they all say. But I love the feedback I've gotten from Randy best....I'd gotten nothing but negative feedback. He was always like, ''I like you. I like you.'' But he never said anything about my voice. I was fed up and the New Yorker in me came out. I wasn't expecting to say anything to him that night, but I think he respected me for standing up to him....What was the best advice you got?I think what Simon said to me, which was, ''You had a lot of courage. You're a really brave guy on the show.'' I'm going to take that with me, because I know if I can stand up to Simon I can stand up to anyone....The sex-symbol thing ... In all honesty, it was like a joke. I was just trying to be funny and lighten the mood. People sometimes can't tell when I'm serious or joking, and that was me joking when I said I was a sex symbol. I consider myself a pretty funny guy.Now for a quick rundown of the final ten and their performances.Lisa Tucker sang "Because of You" by none other than former Idol Kelly Clarkson. The judges excoriated Tucker for her song choice, but I thought it was clever as all get out. Not to mention an indicator of how far this contest has come when the contenders for one contest sing songs from the winners of earlier competitions.I thought Lisa's performance, no mind the clever song choice, was really off. She was screechy as my aging ears heard it. Simon told Lisa the song was "too big for your voice" and the performance was "painful".Kellie Pickler sang a song titled, I am not making this up, "Suds in the Bucket". I thought she was out of tune and go on, that song was just silly. Simon deemed it "horrible" and "gimmicky".On to one of my faves, Ace Young. Ace sang a tune called "Drops of Jupiter," which I'd never heard. Randy said it was not only the wrong song, he stipulated that Ace "didn't sing it well". Ace's performance did nothing for me.Taylor Hicks sang a tune -- "Trouble" -- and he displayed good vocals. This week, Taylor remained still as he sang rather than do that crazy chicken dance he normally does all over the stage. Paula made the same comment. Simon said Hicks' clothing reminded him of Clay Aiken.Mandisa was a major disappointment with her gospel performance of "Shackles". Mandisa is probably a singer of the gospel genre and, while this is a well-respected musical category, it's just not a winning genre in this contest. Simon pronounced Mandisa's song and performance as "not for me".I thought Chris Daughtry gave one of the better performances of the evening, although I did not recognize his song, but I did see it as Chris' genre and I can see Chris winning this thing. It was a rock song, titled "What If". If nothing else, Chris was different this evening and his performance demonstrated where Chris will probably go in his singing career. Randy said he was "sharp" and Simon said Chris had gone "too far".Katharine McPhee gave one of the better performances of the evening with a tune called "The Voice Within". I loved her outfit, thought she presented a good voice range, and considered this a good song choice. Paula said McPhee's performance was one of her best and Simon dubbed it one of the better performances of the evening.Up comes country/western rocker, Bucky Covington. Bucky sang a song titled "Real Good Man" and I noticed on occasion his voice completely disappeared! I did like Bucky's interpretation of a country line dance.Perhaps I missed them, but I didn't hear any judge's comments on Bucky's performance.Ah, Elliott Yamin. Not wanting to be cruel but unable to control myself, let me say that Elliott looked like a homeless fellow with that construction jacket and tattered threads. It could be just me, but I thought Elliott tried to act black. His bobbing up and down thing he did looked stranger than strange. There is just no way Elliott Yamin is going to be America's next Idol. Simon called Elliott's dancing "hideous" and yeah, that's the ticket.Finally, the best performance of the evening -- know now that I have never seen Beyonce perform, do not know who she is, and really don't care.Paris, with my ears devoid of any preconceived notions, gave a great performance and hey, I enjoyed watching her. What better judgment than that, to give the audience entertainment? Paris Bennett sang "Work It Out" and she looked the part of the song with her hip clothes and sassy rap moves. Randy called it "the bomb" while Simon, who didn't seem to like anything from the top ten, said Paris looked like a "little girl pretending to be Beyonce".My Prediction Bucky Covington will be sent on his way home.The Elimination The bottom three this week were Lisa Tucker, Ace Young, and Katharine McPhee (this is a surprise).No Bucky?Sent on her way on the evening of March 29,2006, was Lisa Tucker.This is no surprise, but it should have been Bucky Covington.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Political Tidbits 3/29/06

Patfish — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 10:36:38 EST

Republican or Democrat, American or Foreign, the politicos are fine subject for speculation, rumination and a bit of derision Not Even Feingold Stuck Around One of the biggest giggles these past weeks across the political spectrum is Russ Feingold's attempt to boost his 2008 presidential campaign by offering a suggestion to censure the President for the NSA wiretaps.This is an act for which the American populace offers a collective ho-hum because, silly Americans, they have no problem with intercepting phone calls between so-called American citizens and terrorists abroad.Now Feingold is a Democrat and I watched his boring and politically expedient speech with my own eyes the day he suggested the President be censured. The most galling, the most despicable of all, even beyond the silly actions described below by the WAPO, has to be how Feingold didn't even stick around after his speech! Indeed he ran like the dickens because the beloved cameras were waiting. Democratic senators, filing in for their weekly caucus lunch yesterday, looked as if they'd seen a ghost. "I haven't read it," demurred Barack Obama (Ill.). "I just don't have enough information," protested Ben Nelson (Neb.). "I really can't right now," John Kerry (Mass.) said as he hurried past a knot of reporters -- an excuse that fell apart when Kerry was forced into an awkward wait as Capitol Police stopped an aide at the magnetometer. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) brushed past the press pack, shaking her head, and waving her hand over her shoulder. When an errant food cart blocked her entrance to the meeting room, she tried to hide from reporters behind the 4-foot-11 Barbara Mikulski (Md.). Hillary hid behind my own former Senator Barbara Mikulski? Mikulski's what, maybe four and a half feet tall! What a bunch of cowards.How About Those Saddam Documents?The government, under pressure from the Blogosphere and Congress, has begun putting non-classified documents on a web site available to the public.Government Site for Iraqi Document Release.Already bloggers have circled the wagons and mind-boggling revelations are pouring forth.Like this, from Laura Mansfield: March 17, 2006: Documents confirm Saddam Hussein government knew Zarqawi headed Al Qaeda cell in Iraq in August 2002 Documents released Thursday by the US government show that less than a year after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Saddam Hussein's government had identified at least one active Al Qaeda cell in his country. Among the Iraqi documents collected by U.S. intelligence during the Iraq war amd released Thursday is a document, released only in Arabic, which the US government describes as follows: 2002 Iraqi Intelligence Correspondence concerning the presence of al-Qaeda Members in Iraq. Correspondence between IRS members on a suspicion, later confirmed, of the presence of an Al-Qaeda terrorist group. Moreover, it includes photos and names. But it gets better.FreeRepublic has an Arab translator, a delightful fellow who was quoted in the Boston Globe, who is working diligently to translate the documents. The site has compiled all of these translations for easy access and major media are checking them out.So far translated documents reveal that Iraqi intelligence officials met with Osama bin Laden in Sudan, that Saddam did have weapons of mass destruction with details on a meeting on how to hide them from U.N. inspectors, and that Russia was passing U.S. intelligence on to Saddam.Isn't it about time we look deep into what Saddam was up to via these documents and stop the teeth-gnashing over a war the vast majority of our elected representatives voted for?These translations are currently flying under the national radar but give it time. The truth simply cannot be ignored. Especially truth recorded, videotaped, and scribed by the enemy.Bloggers in the Cross Hairs of Campaign Finance Reform I cannot stomach John McCain, ever since the man stomped all over my free speech rights with that ridiculous campaign finance reform act, in conjunction with that great American patriot, Russ Feingold, I might add.Now McCain, aligned with Joseph Lieberman, is trying to quash so-called "grass roots" organizations. This would include bloggers.Oh. But only if your blog is read by over 500 people. So my personal blog would be exempt from whatever ridiculous rules the congress critters want to use to cripple ordinary citizens from Internet discourse. But Blogcritics, where I also post, will have to shut down political talk one month before an election. This is if the new law follows the pattern of that unconstitutional campaign finance reform nonsense.From Newsmax.com: The Senate is scheduled to debate lobbying reform shortly after it returns from this week's recess. While most congressional attention has focused on measures aimed at traditional lobbyists and lawmakers, there also have been attempts to impose restrictive new rules on grass-roots lobbying organizations. Senators John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., are pushing a proposal to require these organizations to register and to report to Congress on their activities. Failure to comply would result in civil or criminal penalties. The proposal has grass-roots organizations understandably nervous. Using direct mail, phone banks and the Internet, these groups hail from all points on the political compass and portray themselves, not always accurately, as outsiders to the Washington scene. The underlying goal for every grass-roots operation is to mobilize an army of citizen activists to support their pet issues. Typically, they encourage the bombardment of congressional offices with constituent communications. Alerted and prodded, citizen activists daily send thousands of letters, e-mails, faxes and phone calls to Congress. Goodness we can't be bothering the vaunted congress critters with our emails and faxes. So they'll pass a law to shut us down.The California Lodi TrialIt's anybody's guess why the mainstream media is ignoring this ongoing trial of terrorists living within the U.S. Maybe these "American citizens" got caught via the NSA intercept program planning their treachery and goodness can't report about terrorists actually being caught by this program.From Little Green Footballs: SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A prosecutor says publications promoting jihad and a Pakistani militant group were found in the home of a Lodi father and son who are standing trial on terror-related charges.Hamid Hayat (hah-MEED' HY'-et) is being tried on charges of providing material support to terrorists by attending an al-Qaida training camp and separate charges of lying to the FBI. His father, Umer (OO'-mer) Hayat is also charged with lying to the FBI.The prosecutor told jurors yesterday that FBI agents found the items while searching the family home two days after the men were arrested last June. The Sound of SilenceDonald Rumsfeld penned his own op-ed recently and it appeared in The Washington Post on St. Patrick's day. So far, well how can anyone argue with the man?They haven't. By Donald H. Rumsfeld Sunday, March 19, 2006; B07Some have described the situation in Iraq as a tightening noose, noting that "time is not on our side"and that "morale is down." Others have described a "very dangerous" turn of events and are "extremely concerned."Who are they that have expressed these concerns? In fact, these are the exact words of terrorists discussing Iraq -- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his associates -- who are describing their own situation and must be watching with fear the progress that Iraq has made over the past three years.The terrorists seem to recognize that they are losing in Iraq. I believe that history will show that to be the case.Fortunately, history is not made up of daily headlines, blogs on Web sites or the latest sensational attack. History is a bigger picture, and it takes some time and perspective to measure accurately. Democrat to Plead GuiltyScooter Libby lost his job over essentially nothing and this chick from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee pleads guilty to illegally obtaining Maryland's Lt. Governor Michael Steele's credit report.And Chuck Schumer, alleged champion of privacy rights, finds time to comment on everything but has no comment on this?From the Washington Times: A former Democratic operative will plead guilty to a federal charge of illegally obtaining Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele's credit report, the woman's attorney said yesterday. Lauren Weiner, who was a researcher for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) last year when she accessed the credit data, will plead guilty to the misdemeanor offense in coming weeks, said her attorney, Whitney C. Ellerman. She will likely be sentenced to 150 hours of community service with no jail time or fines, and her criminal record will be erased after one year of probation. Mr. Steele, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, said he would be disappointed if the DSCC is not held accountable for the actions of its operatives. "It is a stain on the entire organization and the operations of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee," Mr. Steele said yesterday. "It's the kind of politics that turns people off and demeans the electoral process." Selling Ocean Front Property in the Desert to the NY TimesIf the story pleases them, the NY Times prints it. Doesn't have to be true or anything and if it makes America look bad, well there you have it.In this case, they loved the story about the prisoner at Abu Ghraib pictured with arms extended while standing on a block. During the Abu Ghraib fizzle this picture was featured widely by the mainstream media.Below, heh, the raw and tragic story by this poor soul.The Lie Story Almost two years later, Ali Shalal Qaissi's wounds are still raw. There is the mangled hand, an old injury that became infected by the shackles chafing his skin. There is the slight limp, made worse by days tied in uncomfortable positions. And most of all, there are the nightmares of his nearly six-month ordeal at Abu Ghraib prison in 2003 and 2004. Such prose. This poor fellow has a limp and a mangled hand. All due to the mean American soldiers who so tormented him.Heh.The True Story A front-page article last Saturday profiled Ali Shalal Qaissi, identifying him as the hooded man forced to stand on a box, attached to wires, in a photograph from the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal of 2003 and 2004. He was shown holding such a photograph. As an article on Page A1 today makes clear, Mr. Qaissi was not that man. The Times did not adequately research Mr. Qaissi's insistence that he was the man in the photograph. Mr. Qaissi's account had already been broadcast and printed by other outlets, including PBS and Vanity Fair, without challenge. Lawyers for former prisoners at Abu Ghraib vouched for him. Human rights workers seemed to support his account. The Pentagon, asked for verification, declined to confirm or deny it. Heh.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

TV News Personalities - A Critique from a News Junkie

Patfish — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 05:14:09 EST

When one watches the news almost 24/7 one cannot help but glean the personality of the one reporting and/or editorializing about the day's current events.Another Blogcritic, Scott Butki, has written some excellent articles on Larry King and Art Buchwald. Thus I was inspired to take keyboard in hand, toothpick in teeth and tongue in cheek. For the mighty news anchors/commentators cause me fury, laughter, disdain and anger, sometimes all within a one-minute time span.Let us begin with John Gibson of Fox News. John can be seen hosting Fox's 5 p.m. The Big Story. I often ponder that this news show was titled after Gibson's hair. This fellow has the biggest hair of any of the news anchors. Indeed a Fox viewer found a vegetable shaped like Gibson, big hair and all. It was a tomato I think, so go figure.Gibson does a passable job of reporting the day's events but he is by no means impartial. I'd argue that Fox is known far and wide for its conservative slant on the news, so this should come as no surprise. Every day John presents what he calls "My Word" and it's a bit of biased editorializing and most times I agree with "John's Word."In fact, beginning or ending a show with personal editorials is not at all unusual for Fox but I appreciate the effort to stipulate the commentary as personal opinion only. Bill O'Reilly is the anchor of The O'Reilly Factor seen nightly on Fox in the coveted 8 p.m. slot.I cannot stand Bill O'Reilly. Period. And that bit about talking dirty over the telephone that was all the embarrassment last year for good old Bill doesn't help my dislike a bit. O'Reilly too features a segment called "Talking Points," usually at the beginning of his show. I am so glad that O'Reilly doesn't write the talking points for the Republican party as I've never heard such a ridiculous mish-mash of nothing.Although O'Reilly is featured on the Fox News Network, he is anything but a conservative. In fact, O'Reilly is a traitor to conservatives, frankly, and will suck up to any Hollywood loon who would guest on his show. O'Reilly is also a terrible interviewer. He tends to cut people off in mid-sentence and although he often promises to give his guest "the last word," he seldom does.We move on to another Fox News personality and the object of my unbridled passion for many years. I speak specifically of Brit Hume of the high forehead and firm but kind demeanor.If Brit Hume were to ask for my hand in marriage I would leave my husband today and rush to Brit's side. Alas, Brit is married and has suffered great personal tragedy in the suicide of his son. Which only makes me love him more but I'm also fond of how he shoots down Juan Williams every Sunday. It's a sight to behold as Juan -- also a Fox personality, very liberal though Fox news critics often shout that Fox is not fair and balanced -- spouts the Democratic talking points as Brit sighs and holds out his benevolent hand that would bring peace to the world if given a chance. Brit hosts Fox News' Special Report during the 6 p.m. time slot cherished by news organizations in this country. Generally the first half hour is a reporting of the news of the day. Brit also does a small vignette at the half hour called "The Grapevine" and often his tidbits are on politics flying below the radar.Brit then moves on to his panel. News as reported earlier is then discussed with various and sundry pundits as Brit poses the questions and artfully steers the discussion.But it is not all about Fox News. Any certified news junkie would not be caught dead not watching NBC's Meet the Press. Unless, of course, said news junkie is dead, which could be an excuse. This brings me to Tim Russert, a handsome fellow who is also the object of my news junkie obsessions.Conservatives tend to bash Russert as being too liberal but I think Tim does a fine job hosting what is the most widely watched of all the Sunday talk shows. The broadcast media does not have, at least on paper, as much editorial freedom as the cable media. Sure Russert often asks some tough questions that could be considered anti-conservative. But he asks the tough anti-liberal questions too.Recently Russert engaged in a stunt where he promoted his son's fledgling sports broadcasting career in a rather sneaky manner that smelled to high-heaven of blatant nepotism. I lost a little respect for Tim because of this incident.And now there’s the object of my total derision, who can be found at MSNBC. I speak of MSNBC’s Chris Matthews. Chris does a nightly show on MSNBC called Hardball. Depending on the guest of the night, one could easily change “Hardball” to “Softball.” What’s especially annoying, Chris will often launch into a personal vignette during which he will frame the discussion based on assumptions he formed from memories of his glory days back during the Tip O’Neill era. Matthews will continue on with his personal observations right over the discussion then upon, totally disrupting the flow of thought and to the annoyance, one must assume, of his guests.Matthews also hosts a Sunday afternoon talk show with one very refreshing feature. It’s called “tell me something I don’t know”. Each guest is charged with providing an intriguing tidbit, either based on rumor, fact or speculation, that Chris -- and the audience -- has not heard before.Chris Matthews lives in the insular inside-the-beltway world of Washington D.C. He tends to get excited over anything he thinks will become big news. The problem being, Chris often gets the notion of “big news” wrong. He was all over the place over the Valerie Plame thing, even going on NBC’s Today show, declaring that the Fitzgerald investigation was bigger than Watergate and would bring down Dick Cheney’s entire staff if not the VP himself. See, in the elite world of Chris Matthews, the Plame/Fitzgerald thing is probably a big deal. Out here in the land of mere mortals, that entire joke of a case is regarded with a collective ho-hum.In spite of my rancor and derision, I regularly flip over to Hardball during the 7:00 p.m. time slot. It’s refreshing to listen to someone so not a part of my world, so out of tune, just for the humor of it. Oh, and Chris really needs to get rid of his semi-regular guest, Ronald Reagan, Jr. Here’s a fellow who is an expert on dog shows but hey, he’s just as out of touch with the world of middle class minions as Chris Matthews himself.The world of the news and commentary shows is not entirely populated by the males of the species. True crime aficionados have to love Nancy Grace. Not that she’s especially lovable during her self-named show on CNN during the 10:00 p.m. time slot. Nancy tends to growl at her guests and she’s especially hateful to defense attorneys. A trait I find a bit endearing in that lawyers are generally not all that sympathetic. She tends to talk right over her guests at times and there are moments when insults fly right over the air to viewer amusement.We return to Fox for their 9:00 p.m. time slot and tune into Hannity and Colmes. Sean Hannity is the conservative of the team; Colmes the liberal. While Sean is cuter than a teddy bear I can’t bear to listen to him do an interview and indeed had to tune out on his radio show for his embarrassing rudeness.An example would be the evening that a prostitute was a guest on Hannity and Colmes. It’s not often that an admitted “sex worker” agrees to go on television and here was a lady with a lot to tell. Sean gets on his high horse where he begins to pontificate with all the righteousness of the always-righteous and if he was close by I’d smack him alongside the head like his mother I am old enough to be.“Would you want your daughter to be a sex worker,” Sean asked this woman, over and over and over. Now obviously she didn’t want to get into that. Yet no matter how the woman tried to re-direct the conversation Sean kept on with this very rude question. This kind of behavior denies the viewer a chance to hear what this strangely fascinating person has to say. This while King Hannity continues to try and wow the audience with his “point” -- to wit -- being a sex worker is not something you want your daughters to be. We get it already, Sean, now let the lady talk!CNN’s Wolf Blitzer has been a darling of mine from the early nineties when he was a battle-hardened field reporter during the first Gulf War. Wolf hosts The Situation Room during the 4:00 p.m. time period on CNN. Wolf is soft-spoken and a good interviewer. Although there are times when Wolf lets his guests off entirely too easy. Recently he had Clinton Secretary of State Madeline Albright on for his Late Edition Sunday talk show. To my astonishment this woman declared the recent Iraq offensive dubbed “the swarm” as an attempt by the Bush administration to deflect attention away from Bush’s falling polling numbers.Come on, folks. What an outlandish assertion that any president would risk the lives of American soldiers for low poll numbers. Wolf did jump right on this and pressed Albright on it. She then backtracked and mumbled her way out of it. Blitzer, being the gentleman that he is, let it drop. He did assert, as forcefully as Wolf is capable, that such a statement was big news and if true, could be grounds for impeachment. This was a time when the “hardball” version of Chris Matthews would have been helpful. Although since the inside-the-beltway crowd thinks of Iraq as a nasty war in a far, far galaxy, Chris would not have had a clue.Anderson Cooper is alleged to be part of the Vanderbilt clan, continuing on with the tradition of nepotism in the world of news commentary and reporting. Cooper hosts Anderson Cooper 360 during CNN’s 10:00 p.m. time slot.Think boiled cauliflower with no salt. Think vanilla ice cream on an expansive white plate. Think of whatever boring icon that passes your mind. This sums up Anderson Cooper.Finally, there’s Lou Dobbs, host of CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight during CNN’s 7:00 p.m. time slot.There is no more partisan news anchor than Lou Dobbs save perhaps CBS’ Dan Rather. In a recent “Notable/Quotable” column, I feature a treacherously biased quote by Dobbs. Can’t stomach the man.There’s plenty more news and commentary hosts and hostesses who either endear, enrage or anger. Perhaps another day and another missive. For now, those who end up broadcasting across the cable or airwaves to arrive regularly into my home cause me to form opinions and excellent analysis for yon reader.Your mileage, of course, may vary.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

True Crime Update 3/28/06

Patfish — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 07:30:42 EST

Sensational and heinous crimes across the nation, notable for the type of crime, the celebrity of the criminal, or both. The Minister's WifeA woman shooting her husband isn't all that odd. Add the component that the husband was a minister beloved by his congregation and the disappearance of the wife and three children after the deed and there's the makings of a true crime that doesn't end with just the facts.Mary Alice Winkler was a substitute teacher at a local school, Matthew Winkler was a minister, and the three daughters are adorable. By all accounts, the family participated in normal social events and always seemed companionable and happy.It's always that way, isn't it?The good news is that Mary Winkler and the three daughters were found safe. It had initially been feared that the disappearance of Matthew Winkler's family after his death could indicate a forced abduction, although that bit about the family van also missing seemed to point to a wife taking off after shooting her husband.Once Mary Winkler was found, speculation abounded. Why did she kill her husband, the handsome cable anchors asked. Where are the children? Why did she run? Where was she going?The latest is that Mary Winkler has been charged with first-degree murder of her husband. That first-degree thing is ominous as it implicates pre-meditation.When reporters queried the police on the whereabouts of the children, the police were oddly mum. "They are at the police station and being questioned gently by authorities," I paraphrase the response. The public was assured that the children did not witness the murder.Now one would suppose that questioning the children was required in this circumstance but it seemed that as a response to every query, the police responded that the children were still being questioned. This went on, as the handsome cable news anchors kept reporting, for over eight hours by my count.Also, the handsome cable news anchors kept reassuring us that the motive for the murder was not infidelity. Now it is softly whispered that Mary Winkler might have killed her husband for abusing the daughters.The crime was not done in the passion of a marital moment of discord else that first-degree thing would not be in effect. Also, the lengthy questioning of the children seemed odd. The children have now been released to their grandparents, the handsome cable anchors report.If speculation proves correct, this could be an interesting case. Will a woman who murdered her husband for abusing their children get a pass? Are the prosecutors fairly certain that this first-degree charge will stick? Will this be a death penalty case?For now it's all naught but speculation, although I'd argue the handsome cable news anchors are fueling the flames. Soon enough Mary Winkler will get an attorney and soon after that the attorney will be all over the airwaves telling of the awful predicament his client was in and there you'll have it. If speculation proves correct, then this is a case that will be tried before the public.From the Jackson Sun: By ANDREW TRAN Jackson Sun Originally published March 24, 2006 SELMER - The wife of a Selmer minister found slain in his parsonage was being questioned Thursday night as a suspect in his death after she and her three young daughters were found unharmed almost 400 miles from home. Mary Winkler, 32, was spotted by police parked along the side of a road in Orange Beach, Ala., in the couple's minivan about 7:30 p.m. The couple's three daughters, Breanna Winkler, 1, Mary Alice Winkler, 6, and Patricia Winkler, 8, "appear to be in good physical condition," and their mother was cooperative with police, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson said. There was no one else with the Winkler family at the time they were found, Johnson said. Since Mary Winkler was found with no evidence of trauma and with no extra passenger, authorities said it begs questions about why she was found in Alabama almost 24 hours after her husband was found dead. Aruban Cop Theory on Natalee Holloway-DuhThe Aruban Keystone Kops have a theory on what happened to Natalee Holloway and it isn't that she was murdered. According to the head Keystone Kop, Gerold Dompig, Natalee likely died from a lethal combination of drugs and alcohol. Dompig claims that Joran and that other duo of lies and deceit are still suspects as they likely had something to do with it.According to Dompig, Natalee was seen "in possession" of drugs. No mention on what drugs Natalee had or who the witness is that reported this. Also the Aruban police say they've received reliable information on where Natalee's body is buried and, just as soon as the Aruban police are done with all their press interviews, they damn well intend to go look.It's been speculated for about forever that Natalee might have been slipped a date-rape drug. This is nothing new. I'd buy that the Kalpoe boys and lovely, lying Joran didn't intend to murder Natalee, that a date-rape drug combined with the alcohol may have caused Natalee to unexpectedly die to the boys' lustful horror.I doubt very seriously those "drugs" Natalee was alleged to have in her possession were date-rape drugs. Go on. This is not something a female would keep on hand. I'd guess Natalee had a dime bag of pot or some such and if so, it's a great leap to this fact being affirmation of death by drugs and alcohol; the implication being that Natalee administered the drugs to herself.From CBS news: Cop's Theory: Natalee Wasn't Murdered (CBS) Gerold Dompig, deputy chief of police in Aruba and the man leading the investigation into the disappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway, tells 48 Hours correspondent Troy Roberts he feels strongly that Holloway was not murdered, but probably died from complications involving alcohol and, possibly, drugs as well. Dompig makes his remarks in an exclusive interview this Saturday, March 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The chief investigator tells Roberts that he has credible witnesses who say the young woman had drugs in her possession. Dompig also says police have witnesses who claim Holloway was drinking "excessively" on the day she disappeared. Update on Missing Family in Motor HomeAs reported in this column last week, the Stiver family embarked on a trip to the coast in their motor home only to end up missing for over two weeks.The first new information since last week and as a commenter pointed out, the entire family has been found. All were well having gotten stranded on a snowy road but with plenty of supplies to keep them warm and well-fed.But there's another intriguing tidbit about this odd journey. Seems Peter Stivers' mother and step-father were wanted in Arizona for drug charges. From what I've read about the charges, they're not benign, involving the discovery of bags of crack on their property. Mr. And Mrs. Higginbotham have suddenly disappeared from the public stage. Later articles have the couple vowing to clear their name and restore their reputation.From the source of the quote below Peter also declared that he only sees his parents once every eight years or so and this seems odd. He also affirms his parents' "shady past". Yet they all went on this jaunt and under the circumstances should have renewed their acquaintance over the many days they were stranded.It's been asserted that this "disappearance" was planned to keep authorities away from the Higginbothams, although I don't know how this would work because they had to return home someday.From Dailytidings.com: Currently, no one knows the whereabouts of Elbert Higginbotham and Rebecca Ann Bess (aka Becky Higginbotham), according to the family. The pair are wanted in Arizona on drug charges. Higginbotham last met with a Daily Tidings reporter at 2 p.m. Thursday. "He went to the hospital to pick up his medicine," Ed Hill, grandfather of the children who were stranded for 17 days, said at the 3 p.m. press conference. Higginbotham was informed of the warrant earlier in the day. Later, at their home, the Hills said they did not know where Higginbotham and Bess might have gone. "They may have checked into a hotel," said their daughter-in-law Marlo Hill-Stivers, who was stranded in an RV with them. "We haven't heard from them all day." Peter Stivers, son of Bess and step-son of Higginbotham, said he suspected that his parents' shady past would come up as media attention grew. Missing for Ten Years, Now Home AgainTanya Kach was 14 years old when she went missing. She is now 24 and by befriending a deli owner, the "Sparico" referred to in the quote below, she was discovered and re-united with her family.If ever a story had way more to it than currently in the public knowledge, it has to be this one. Her "abductor" is a school security guard, Thomas Hose. Tanya was kept against her will, so she alleges, by Hose, who also lives with his elderly parents.Now for ten years this guy kept Kach captive right under his parents' nose and they didn't notice? Indeed, Tanya was out and about, witness her deli-owner friend. And she couldn't plea for safe release? Further, Hose's attorney is currently all over the airwaves declaring his client completely innocent and this is in "no way" a kidnap case.Getting away from "blaming the victim" mentality, Tanya was only 14-years old at the time of her "abduction." Hose was considerably older and even if he and Tanya were in love or some such, this is still a crime. Yet Tanya is now 24 and if it can't be proven that she was held against her will, do any charges of statutory rape still stand?From ABCnews.com Sparico told "Good Morning America" the alleged captor is a security guard at a school, and that he brainwashed her into thinking that her family didn't want her anymore. He and Kach had allegedly concocted a cover story, telling people that she'd met him when he was 18 and he was working as a security guard at a mall. Sparico said Kach told him she was kept in a bedroom in the house of her captor's parents. She said the parents were unaware she was there, because he locked her in when he went to work. Interesting Littlejohn UpdateBesides having the earmarks of a fledgling serial murder, lies by bar owners, and possible other connected crimes, all reported here on a recent true crime article, the murder of Imette St. Guillen takes another twist. And it's not good.For Darryl Littlejohn, the ex-con bar bouncer and alleged murderer of St. Guillen, is prone to nosebleeds. Which could explain the presence of Littlejohn's blood on those cable ties used to bind St. Guillen's hands.It would seem, as I speculate, that Littlejohn's defense will be that his blood on the cable ties, even the cat hairs on the blanket, are all because he worked at The Falls bar and these items are allegedly from the basement of that bar.So as an employee, and prone to nose bleeds, it's possible that Littlejohn had a nosebleed at some point while rooting around The Falls bar's cellar.From the Boston Herald.com: Source: Bloody nose likely DNA source By Michele McPhee Boston Herald Thursday, March 23, 2006 - Updated: 01:26 PM EST NEW YORK - A history of nose bleeds could explain why Darryl Littlejohn's blood was found smeared on the plastic bindings used to tie up murder victim Imette St. Guillen, a law enforcement said last night, hours after the career criminal was indicted and charged in her macabre murder. The career criminal accused of killing the Boston native claimed in a TV report aired last night that the absence of wounds on his body should raise questions about the blood allegedly containing his DNA found on plastic straps that bound St. Guillen's wrists. But a law enforcement source said jailed suspect Darryl Littlejohn is prone to nose bleeds, easily accounting for the evidence. He is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and unlawful imprisonment. In a jail interview with WCBS-TV, Littlejohn, 41, denied killing St. Guillen and said police "have the wrong person." Bi-polar Debra LaFave Goes FreeAnd she's damn mad about the media attention.Her press conference chastised us idiots out here in la-la land who don't get it that bi-polar disorder could cause such odd actions as teachers having sex with a young teen student in the back seat of a car.She's working on her public image, although I wouldn't be surprised to see this young woman as a Playboy centerfold sometime in the near future.The prosecutors settled on a plea deal in this case because LaFave's young victim would not testify. Simple as that. This decision has nothing at all to do with any bi-polar disorder, as LaFave would have us believe.The picture above is from LaFave's wedding day. If You Can't Be Drunk In a Bar, Then Where?Public drinking to the point of intoxication is a problem in that drunks tend to do bad things like drive or engage in any manner of behavior that is not to the public's greater good.So Texas plans on arresting drunk people right at the source. Well it might work.From Yahoo.com: Texas arresting people in bars for being drunk. SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - Texas has begun sending undercover agents into bars to arrest drinkers for being drunk, a spokeswoman for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said on Wednesday. The first sting operation was conducted recently in a Dallas suburb where agents infiltrated 36 bars and arrested 30 people for public intoxication, said the commission's Carolyn Beck. Being in a bar does not exempt one from the state laws against public drunkenness, Beck said. The goal, she said, was to detain drunks before they leave a bar and go do something dangerous like drive a car. "We feel that the only way we're going to get at the drunk driving problem and the problem of people hurting each other while drunk is by crackdowns like this," she said. With tongue-in-cheek and for leaving with a smile, we humbly offer the following warnings be placed on alcohol containers. Thanks to Granpa Russ email group.WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you are: Whispering when you are not. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol is a major factor in dancing like a retard. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to think you can sing. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to believe that ex-lovers are really dying for you to telephone them at four in the morning. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may be a major factor in getting your ass kicked. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may leave you wondering what the hell happened to your bra and panties. WARNING: The crumsumpten of alcohol may Mack you tink you kan tpye reel gode

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Notable Quotables - 3/27/06

Patfish — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 08:43:38 EST

Quotes of Note that reflect what conservatives think. Or are up against. Telling the Truth, Teachers and AngerJohn Stossel recently featured a segment on teachers, their mighty unions and how no matter how much money we throw at the schools, the children's test scores keep going down. Seems Stossel made the teachers' unions very mad, as the bitter truth often does.From Townhall.com Stossel's response. By John StosselTeachers unions are mad at me because I hosted an ABC News TV special titled "Stupid in America." But when they criticize my "bias and ignorance," I don't hear them refute the points listed in the show. They don't refute them because they can't. RINO AlertLincoln Chafee is considered a doddering fool by most Republicans and more, he is anything but loyal to the conservative cause. A RINO is a Republican In Name Only and for sure, while we can understand Russ Feingold's move to censure the President as being good for Feingold's presidential ambitions, to have a member of the President's own party embrace this silly notion speaks volumes about Chafee.As an aside, we hear Chafee either won't run again or will not be supported by one dime of GOP support.From CitizenOutreach: THE RINO KING"Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-Wis.) resolution to censure President Bush for what he called 'illegal wiretapping' drew sharp denunciations from the White House and Senate Republicans on Monday ... One liberal GOP senator, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, offered some praise for Feingold, saying the resolution would be 'positive' if it fueled debate over the legality of some policies in the war on terrorism."- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 3/14/06 A Little FDR WisdomWhen you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt Well Worth RememberingWars are not easy things and they are seldom won with peace restored as quickly as we'd like. Many are frustrated with the slowness of Iraq to form a permanent government but best to remember, as quoted from the NY Post: The members of Iraq's political class have chosen hope - chosen to fight their battles at the bargaining table rather than in the streets. By doing so, they are, in fact, offering an example of what democratic institutions are intended to do. They are supposed to replace armed conflict with political negotiation conducted by those who might otherwise take up weapons to get their way. This Is ScaryRuth Ginsburg, former head of the ACLU and now the only female on the Supreme Court, spoke recently about the mighty court's penchant for citing foreign law. A concept that, silly me, seems a bit absurd when considering American cases.Below, from Powerline.com a quote from a recent speech by Ms. Ginsburg: To a large extent, I believe, the critics in Congress and in the media misperceive how and why U.S. courts refer to foreign and international court decisions. We refer to decisions rendered abroad, it bears repetition, not as controlling authorities, but for their indication, in Judge Wald's words, of "common denominators of basic fairness governing relationships between the governors and the governed." Okaaaaay. But we do have a constitution already set up real nice like for the great Justices to interpret. If those basic fairnesses "governing relationships between the governors and the governed" aren't in our own fine constitution then they mean nothing in terms of the United States of America. It gets kicked backed to the elected legislators to deal with. What part of this does Ginsburg not understand?Jimi Hendrix?Indeed. And it's a thought worth pondering. Rainbow BridgeWe'd just lost a beloved dog who owned us on this earth for 15 years. Our grief was palpable. Soon after her death this missive came into my email. The author is anonymous and the message is reiterated across the mighty Internet so much that it has become a bit of folklore wisdom.Sure, it's a bit of fantasy and for sure again, there's likely no rainbow bridge except in a bereaved mind. Still, the notion that our beloved pets will be healthy again, will run and romp and -- the best concept of all -- be there to meet us when we too cross over, is comforting.So forgive this indulgence and who knows, perhaps the reader is facing or has recently faced the loss of a pet.For you, keep the dream of Rainbow Bridge in your heart. It helps the ache. Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Pop Culture Update 3/24/06

Patfish — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 08:37:53 EST

Recent pop culture events that hit the headlines or just plain intrigue. Archie Comics/Spider-Man Coming to the Middle EastBetty and Veronica in a burqua? Archie with a beard? And Spider-Man will soon be climbing pyramids.We can hope that such sharing of Americana can promote, on some level, an understanding of cultures.From Teshkeel.com: Teshkeel Media Group, KSC, and Archie Comic Publications, Inc., today announced a new publishing partnership to bring Arabic-language Archie comics, digests and magazines to the Middle East region. The announcement was made by Naif Al-Mutawa, CEO of Teshkeel, and Michael Silberkleit, Chairman of Archie Comic Publications, Inc.Teshkeel Comics releases the first Arabic title from Marvel Comics in the Middle East After significant buzz surrounding Marvel Comics' expansion into the Middle East, Teshkeel Media Group has begun its licensed publishing program with the release of the first ever issue of Spectacular Spider-Man in Arabic. Sheridan/Bolton EngagedRekindled romances, aren't they grand? From CNN.com: Desperate Housewives actress Nicollette Sheridan and singer Michael Bolton are engaged, Sheridan's publicist confirmed Wednesday.Sheridan, 42, and Bolton, 53, dated for several years in the 1990s and rekindled their romance last year. Smoking Sales Show Decrease in Smoking Throughout the PopulaceAlthough I take exception that such decrease is because of that tobacco settlement. Try being a smoker and contacting your state for assistance in quitting the habit. Something that settlement was supposed to enable. The state people have no idea what you are talking about.Be that as it may, I cannot imagine that the American populace hasn't cut down on smoking since 1951. If nothing else, it's hopeful that adolescents, the most vulnerable to beginning the habit, are veering away from a lifetime of derision, smoky homes and cigarette-dented pocketbooks.From the WAPO: Progress in the Smoking WarTHE NUMBERS ARE dramatic -- and encouraging. Americans smoked fewer cigarettes last year than any time since 1951, when the population was half what it is today. Cigarette sales dropped 4.2 percent in 2005 alone and 20 percent since 1998, according to data based on cigarette sales tax figures and compiled by the National Association of Attorneys General.The state attorneys general have an interest in proclaiming progress in the war on smoking -- they attribute much of the decline to the effects of the $246 billion settlement the states reached with the tobacco industry in 1998 -- and it's possible that the study didn't capture some cigarette sales, such as those conducted over the Internet or through the black market Another Health Plus-Chocolate Good For Your HeartIf it tastes good, people will buy it.Scotsman.com: Mars is to start selling chocolate bars which, it claims, are actually good for you. The confectionery giant is to begin large-scale distribution of a line of products under the name CocoaVia, which claim to tackle heart disease and cut the risk of cancer. The sweets are made from a type of dark chocolate high in flavanols, an antioxidant found in cocoa beans that is thought to have a blood-thinning effect similar to aspirin and may even lower blood pressure. The chocolate bars are also enriched with vitamins and injected with cholesterol-lowering plant extracts from soy. Mars, the makers of Milky Way, Snickers, and M&Ms, has spent ten years developing the products which will go on sale across the US next month. Ritter's Family Settles Over Medical Malpractice Battle John Ritter was a wonderful actor. His comedic skills were great and his young death was a tragedy. Now we are to understand the lawsuit, started because of medical mistakes, has been settled; for an undisclosed sum, naturally.The inside talk is that Ritter died from the rupture of a coronary aneurysm. This is ordinarily a sudden and dire medical occurrence. Medical personnel can do little if anything. Unless a person should actually be on the operating table when such a thing happens, these sudden breakages in the arteries are swift and deadly.As I understand, Ritter was already at the hospital when his artery burst. Now there are questionable circumstances; the argument would be that on-site medicos could have saved him.From Hollywood.com: By WENN| Thursday, March 16, 2006 HOLLYWOOD - Actor John Ritter's family has reached a settlement with officials at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in California after suing the medics there for wrongful death and medical malpractice. Ritter died in the hospital in 2003 after collapsing on the set of his sitcom Eight Simple Rules. His wife Amy Yasbeck and son Jason Ritter maintained the actor's life would have been saved had it not been for some costly mistakes. A court hearing, which is expected to end the legal dispute, will take place tomorrow. Not That We're SurprisedSeems producers of consumer goods, in this case food, realized what a wealth of information could be obtained from surfing the net. I must wonder what a great job it would be to surf the net just to find food trends and such.Hey, somebody's gotta do it. From the WAPO: ConAgra Foods Inc. got an early warning from chatter on the Internet that the low-carb craze was fading. The huge food company seized the chance to promote an alternative menu, its Healthy Choice soups, entrees and lunchmeats."By utilizing online message boards you pick up nuances in the marketplace -- customer statements, thoughts -- that enable us to distinguish whether something is a trend that has long-term impact or a fad that will be short-lived," said Nick Mysore, director for strategy and insights at ConAgra, which also produces Butterball turkeys, Chef Boyardee ravioli, Rosarita refried beans and scores of other products. Blauthors and Their BlooksIt's not American Idol but in it's own way; the "Blooker" contest by Lulu.com is a democratic pioneer of sorts. Bloggers who published "blooks" based on their blog postings are democratically elected by the populace. The winning "blooks" are not necessarily published by Lulu but the contest only allows entries based on books that sprang from blogs. The Blooker Prize Finalists "Eggs, Bacons, Chips And Beans", by Russell Davies, a US-based Brit, has outclassed an anthology of Iranian blog-postings and a sci-fi novel by a Canadian called Cheeseburger Brown. LITERARY TRIBUTE TO GREASY SPOON DINERS IS NOMINATED FOR NEW GLOBAL LITERARY PRIZE "The Blooker Prize", World's First Literary Prize For "Blooks" (Books Based On Blogs Or Websites), Announces Short-List "Blooks" Are The Fastest-Growing New Kind Of Book; A New Hybrid Literary Form And The Hottest New Publishing And Online TrendWhile a blog is narrowly defined as an online diary, blogs increasingly take diverse forms. With an estimated 60 million blogs already online and a reported 75,000 new ones launching every day, blogs are the fastest-growing kind of new media. Meanwhile, a growing number of bloggers are now publishing traditional, printed books or "blooks". "Eggs, Bacon, Chips and Beans" is a guidebook to Britain's 50 top greasy spoon diners, by Russell Davies, a Brit now living in the States. "Belle de Jour: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl"by Anonymous (Phoenix), is based on a blog read at one point by 15,000 a day. The prize money is modest; some $4,000, of which $2,000 goes to the overall winner. But the judges are all well known Internet figures and the real prize is that piece of blogosphere glory that goes to the winners of the inaugural contest. THE SHORT-LIST IN FULL Non-Fiction (Six finalists) "Egg Bacon Chips and Beans" by Russell Davies (HarperCollins Entertainment) "Julie and Julia" by Julie Powell (Penguin) "All the President's Spin: George W. Bush, the Media, and the Truth" by Bryan Keefer, Ben Fritz and Brendan Nyhan (Simon &Schuster) "Biodiesel Power" by Lyle Estill (New Society Publishers) "Belle de Jour: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl" by Anonymous (Phoenix) "Stone Cold Guilty - The People v. Scott Lee Peterson" by Loretta Dillon, (Lulu.com)Fiction (Five finalists) "Action Poetry: Literary Tribes for the Internet Age" edited by Levi Asher, Jamelah Earle and Caryn Thurman (Authorhouse) "Gus Openshaw's Whale-Killing Journal" by Keith Thompson (MacAdam/Cage) "Four and Twenty Blackbirds" by Cherie Priest (Tor) "Africa Fresh! New Voices From the First Continent" edited by Rod Amis (Lulu.com) "hackoff.com" by Tom Evslin (dotHill Press)Comics (Five finalists) "Dinosaur Comics: Huge Eyes, Beaks, Intelligence, and Ambition" by Ryan North (Catprint) "Ambidextrous: Collection 1" by Kevin Cornell (Lulu.com) "The Dada Alphabet: An Absurdist's Illustrated Primer" by Stephanie Freese, David Milloway, and Matthew Wood (Lulu.com ) "Totally Boned: A Joe and Monkey Collection" by Zach Miller (Lulu.com) "Comic Strip Volume 1: Scarybear &Friends" by Jason Pultz That Flap About South ParkWhew, what a bang this tidbit is making in the pop culture across the fruited plains. Seems the satirical Comedy Central series, South Park, featured a show which poked fun at Scientology. Scientology is a "religion" of sorts embraced by celebrities so right there you have to know there's a kook factor. Isaac Hayes is the voice of a chef on South Park and it's reported that Hayes quit the show because he didn't like this gratuitous poking at a religion. Not that South Park doesn't poke fun at everything. Religions such as Judaism and Catholicism are also targeted by the cartoon series but evidently derision of these faiths didn't offend him. Then the rumor was flying about that Tom Cruise, one of the more ardent devotees of Scientology. He used his clout to get a controversial show pulled from the air. The South Park creators vowed revenge. At least this is where it all stands as of this writing. Until now it's certainly been an exercise of hoots, howls, and hypocrisy.From Breitbart.com: South Park has declared war on Scientology. Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of the animated satire, are digging in against the celebrity-endorsed religion after a controversial episode mocking outspoken Scientologist Tom Cruise was yanked abruptly from the schedule Wednesday with an Internet report saying it was covert warfare by Cruise that led to its departure. Oh, and goodness knows Tom Cruise would never use his clout and industry muscle to effectively run roughshod over free speech. Would he? Blind Item FunUK the Mirror BLIND ITEM 3/15** ASKED: WHICH Hollywood actor is having furious rows with his wife after he held a series of swinging parties at their lavish home? He likes to get jiggy with other women but his other half is now terrified that the story will get out. GUESSED: Will Smith NY Post Page 6 BLIND ITEMS 3/16** ASKED: WHICH married "Sopranos" actor has been having an affair with an actress who will appear in the series later this season? GUESSED: I think it's Michael Imperioli who plays Christopher and Julianne Marguilies, who is scheduled to appear this season. ASKED: WHICH cute young Hollywood couple is kaput? The blond babe dumped her hunk after she found out he gave her herpes GUESSED: None. But we welcome one.NY Daily News BLIND ITEM 3/12** ASKED: Which drunk X-Man was following Matthew McConaughey around like a puppy dog at Bungalow 8 in the wee hours of Thursday morning after the premiere of "Failure to Launch"? "It was very, very weird," says a witness. GUESSED: I think it might be James Marsden (Cyclops) who, while generally keeping a low profile, has been in several gay independent films. Ending With a Bit of HumorAlthough we're sure this little deer fellow didn't find the predicament of having his head wedged firmly inside a plastic pumpkin the least bit amusing.Seems it was quite a trick to catch the deer as the animal control people chased and the little deer banged into trees as he ran. All ended happily but someone did snap a picture of the unusual sight. From Mercurynews.com In 27 years of catching stray dogs and scooping up roadkill, a Palo Alto animal control officer had never seen anything like the deer in Chia Wu's Los Altos Hills yard. It had a pumpkin head. A smiling, plastic pumpkin head. The juvenile Columbian black-tail had shoved its face into a child's Halloween pail, presumably to lick the sticky-sweet residue of trick-or-treats past, and there it stuck. The plastic bucket was wedged smartly on the deer's little antler nubs. Homeowner Wu discovered the silly sight about two weeks ago as she walked up her driveway. There among the blackberry bushes, along a running creek was a deer statue. She thought, "that's a really weird place for a deer statue.'' Then it moved.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Those Wacky TV Chefs

Patfish — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 07:44:13 EST

To a viewer trying to learn the subtleties of cooking, as well as efficiency in preparation and nuance of seasoning, the plethora of TV chefs can help as well as confuse. For several years now, I've tuned into various cooking shows to learn how the "professionals" do it and adapt the lessons learned into my own humble kitchen.Along the way I've noted that the TV chefs not only have different methods of cooking, they have personalities that can annoy or delight. Below, a slightly tongue-in-cheek summary of the more celebrated of the chefs who grace our televisions.There is a mighty cable network totally devoted to food and its preparation. Thus the many chefs reviewed, by default, are featured mostly on the Food Network.Emeril LagasseAccording to Emeril's bio, Lagasse is of Portuguese extraction, always dreamed of chefdom, studied in Paris, and worked at several very ritzy restaurants until he finally opened his own. Emeril has a doctorate in the culinary arts so this is a fellow dedicated to his craft. An insightful tidbit: Emeril also considered becoming a musician.I'm so tired of Emeril Lagasse my eyes glaze over as soon as he comes on the air, which is little wonder in that it seems the Food Network has Emeril on 24/7. If it isn't Emeril Live then it's The Best of Emeril. For the former, still aired on Food Network nightly in the coveted 8 p.m. time slot, Lagasse cooks in front of a live audience with an accompanying band. We are also regularly treated to many Emeril food specials, including cooking in a school cafeteria. It really is possible to overkill a TV personality, and goodness, lately we see Emeril in commercials pimping toothpaste!Emeril's claim to fame is his infamous "bam" as he clutches favored spices in the palm of his hand, holds his arm high in the air, and with great fanfare, spreads the seasoning into the food while shouting a mighty "BAM." Often there is a drum riffle to add more drama.Emeril has a fixation with garlic and pork fat. What's even odder, every time the man adds garlic to a dish in progress, the audience claps joyfully as if garlic were the elixir of the gods and only Lagasse has enough sense to use the bulb and use it in abundance. It really is possible to use too much garlic folks.Bobby FlayBobby Flay is a redhead with a temperament to match his hair. To read Flay's bio one would think this was the god of the chef world. Bobby graduated from the French Culinary Institute and in May of 1993, was voted the James Beard Foundation's Rising Star Chef of the Year.All the plaudits mean nothing as they forget one thing. Bobby Flay has a notorious temper and has much difficulty keeping help. Now I've read this over the years on various and sundry gossip columns and foodie boards. This doesn't mean it's true, of course, but if one watches Flay a bit closely during any of his three Food Network shows, it's easy enough for the discernable to see a barely-veiled temper. This hasn't much to do with the average food TV viewer and if grilling is your thing, Bobby Flay does it very well.Rachael RayEither love Rachael Ray or hate her. It's as simple as that.Indeed across the mighty Internet there are entire web sites devoted to hatred of Rachael Ray and filled with rants and raves against this perky hotter-than-hot Food Network star.The "problem" with Rachael Ray, and I suggest it softly, is that the woman has a bit of a childish air about her and indeed, in large doses, Rachel could torment.Rachael also has several Food Network shows and her repertoire expands almost daily. I imagine that Ray appeals to middle-aged cooks much like myself who view Rachael's silly giggle good-naturedly as the child reminds us of our own children and grandchildren. But that's just me. This is enough to keep her popular even while large segments of the population view her with enraged eyes and ears.I saw Rachael when she was not in that child-world to which she ascends when she was cooking during her 30 Minute Meals. It was during a recent showing in Food Network's series, The Next Food Network Chef, a reality competition series sponsored by the network. Rachael was giving advice to the would-be chefs entered in the contest and hoping to avoid elimination."Small bites are your friend," she told a young contestant who was charged with eating a food concoction he had prepared."Never stop the action," she shouted to another chef-in-training when the fledgling chef threw her arms up while cooking on camera and said she could not finish the task.I thought Rachael sounded right adult during this segment of the contest.As for her cooking technique, well it is quite simple. Rachael doesn't possess impressive culinary degrees and has likely never been to France. She does spring from a family with extensive restaurant experience. Her set for the 30-minute series has about the oddest-looking oven I've ever seen. I searched for a picture of it but none was available. There are many queries across the foodie boards about Ray's oven. Best I can describe it, the thing has levers instead of handles to open the compartments. And this oven thing has plenty of compartments; goodness knows what they're all for.Rachael is perhaps most famous for her "EVOO," a Rachael-invented acronym for "Extra Virgin Olive Oil." Well it does have fewer syllables but by reading the rants going on by the Rachael-bashers, "EVOO" is a very, very bad thing.Alton BrownGood Eats is a cooking show that I never miss if at all possible. This show, starring Alton Brown, is anything but a boring exercise in culinary wisdom. Brown had initially embarked on a career in acting, producing, and directing films before he realized he loved cooking more than films. Brown graduated from the New England Culinary Institute and then moved on to a goal of making shows about cooking way more interesting than the dull shows of yore.And Alton did just that. For if ever a cooking show combined offbeat entertainment, perfect demonstration of food preparation, and wry but interesting tidbits about the food subject at hand, it would be Alton's Good Eats.One never knows how Brown will begin an adventure into culinary excellence but it's sure to amuse. Once, the entire show was based on a fictional tropical island where there was no electricity much less microwave ovens. Brown carries the theme of cooking without gadgetry throughout the entire show, teaching the somewhat baffled audience just how stranded victims, far from the niceties of civilization, can prepare simple but elegant meals with banana fronds for plates and coconut for seasoning.Alton peppers his show with tidbits on how to use everyday household items for food preparation and how to accomplish a food preparation task with the most efficiency toward the desired result. Brown teaches the viewer the physics of eggs and butter, at times summoning a mad scientist to illustrate what happens to sugar as heat hits it, and how eggs are best used in a recipe and why they work.According to Brown's bio, he strived to create a cooking show that was far from the dull fare of his era. Good Eats is truly the best, most-action packed, and enlightened half hour of food knowledge. The show is the benchmark for how to do it right.Martha StewartMartha Stewart has experience ranging from life on Wall Street to lifestyle guru to a stint as an actual jail inmate and a brief attempt to recruit an "apprentice." Stewart also has a bad-tempered reputation that precedes her. Except with Martha, after a lifetime of public exposure, she manages to keep any temper flares well away from the cameras.I always get the feeling I should put on white gloves when watching Martha Stewart. And frankly I've never seen the woman cook a single thing that I would ever want to make in my own kitchen.Martha Stewart, seen in her syndicated series Martha Stewart Living on various channels across the spectrum, tends to concentrate on cooking items for entertainment, be it for a children's birthday party or an adult afternoon brunch. For viewers wanting a dashing way to cook a handy hamburger, best move on beyond Martha.George DuranOne of the newer cooking shows as of this writing, and hence its featured chef, would be Food Network's Ham on the Street. This show's chef, George Duran, also has an extensive background in the film and TV industry and he too left it all to be trained in France and pursue his own cooking show.Duran's show is certainly offbeat, for at times the viewer might find Duran handing out burritos from a manhole in New York city or munching on an entire turkey while sitting on a park bench. Duran counts on the surprise of his settings and the challenge of cooking under different circumstances to entertain his audience.Once Duran went to a campground, raided everyone's rustic pantries, and cooked everything he found over an open fire. The results were mixed, at least to my own viewing eyes. Somehow he managed to come up with a fairly accurate campground favorite, "S'mores." Other strange concoctions that ascended from Duran's fire pit included day-old vegetables and even a grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich.George Duran is more about entertainment than actual cooking; few cooks would get involved with wrapping leftovers in aluminum foil to later pull a handsome culinary creation from the ashy embers of an open fire.Giada De LaurentiisGiada De Laurentiis has two things against her in terms of being a respected female chef. And neither of them has to do with cooking.Yes, that last name should ring bells as Giada is a granddaughter from deep within the bosom of the famous De Laurentiis family of film production fame. So she's rich. Or at the least her upbringing was anything but middle class. Add to this handicap, the woman is absolutely gorgeous and regularly cooks with tops so low-cut that I often stare in amazement that anyone would ever cook in such a getup. Indeed, half of Giada's chest is displayed during her cooking demonstrations and, besides the perils of splattering bacon in such attire, it must be difficult for any male viewers to pay any attention to Giada's cooking skills.Giada is featured on Food Network's Everyday Italian and also stars in such Food Network specials such as Behind the Bash. This beautiful chef received fine training in France and worked in several upscale restaurants before opening her own cooking business.Everyday Italian does attempt to teach us mere mortals how to prepare Italian-inspired dishes allegedly enjoyed by the common man. Giada handles her subject well but I can't get beyond her beauty and how wasted it is behind a sweaty stove.Beyond the Bash is more in keeping with Giada's persona and background. The show features her gowned and made up in tandem with the glamorous event that is featured for the program. This might include the preparation for the Oscar ceremonies or the behind-the-scenes catering efforts for a major charity fundraiser. Giada, with her knowledge of cooking and her insider status to glamour, is perfect for this show; although, why any budding cook would watch this show for naught but entertainment value is beyond me. Very few of us middle-age cooks struggling with the timing of a most ordinary meal would ever be involved with the preparation of small quiches for thousands of Hollywood celebrities.The above are but a few of the famous chefs who try to woo us with promises of instant cooking knowledge accompanied by a few chuckles. I rate Alton Brown the best of the lot.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

TV Review: American Idol 2006 - Eleven Start, Ten Survive

Patfish — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 03:54:11 EST

Barry Manilow was the featured guest singer-celebrity on the night of March 21. Eleven finalists performed songs from the '50s and this should have been right up my alley. Well, I am more a child of the protesting '60s, but this decade will receive its time in due course and as the contest progresses.At this point in the competition every American Idol finalist is a fine singer with the major differences being in genre, style, and nuanced vocals. Now until the day of reckoning the singers will be judged on how well they perform their chosen songs plus whatever special something the voting viewers see in the performers that hits their vibe.On the chilly evening of March 21, the guest singer of the evening made a surprising announcement. For it was sweet Kelly Pickler who sang Patsy Cline's "Walking After Midnight" and Manilow announced, across the airwaves and to my everlasting surprise, that he had never heard of this song!"I'm from New York, what do I know from country music?" is how Barry phrased it, at which point I almost fell out of my chair. No matter how young looking Barry appears ... the man is older than me even! And yes country music is hardly his genre but he is a singer, a singer with a major repertoire and extensive catalogue. Patsy Cline's famous song about a heart-broken woman walking the streets late at night as she nurses her broken heart is one of the all-time classic songs of the ages.In fact, the announcement of Manilow's presence to aid these youngsters in preparing their song performances from the '50s was a surprise in yet another way. Manilow is a singer beloved by the females on the planet and almost as stridently disliked by the male contingent. Myself adores Manilow and his music while husband says he had to hold his nose to purchase a Manilow requested CD for this past Christmas. This demographic preference did show up later via one of the male finalists but more on this later.For now, how did Miss Pickler do with Patsy Cline's famous song?Attired in a simple tank and pants accented by a gorgeous in-your-face belt, Pickler sang what had to be the best song pick for her by a country mile. Simon declared she did it "absolutely right". And yet Pickler doesn't stand out in my mind and I've yet to envision her as a finalist in this thing.Chris Daughtry, on the other hand, continually shows up in my winning radar although at first I dismissed him as a very unlikely winner. Which is why American Idol has this long lead-up to a final contender because performances get better, quirks are detected, vocal laziness is discerned. The singers are fleshed-out and Chris Daughtry fleshed right into a superstar before my very eyes these past weeks.Chris, dressed in a black shirt, sang "I Walk the Line", made famous by Johnny Cash. Daughtry embraced that song as if his own. There's something about Daughtry's performances that stand out. I considered Chris' performance one of the top three of that evening, if not the best.Mandisa led off the festivities on Barry Manilow night. She looked magnificent with a form-fitting black dress with artful cut-out shoulders. Mandisa sang Dinah Washington's "I Don't Hurt Anymore" and this was her song to perform.Simon dubbed it a "blossoming, sexy performance." Which it was and yet it wasn't a performance that flowed up to my top three picks for the evening. More evidence that these young artists, now being tutelaged by celebrated singers, dressed by experienced stylists and taught by the best vocal coaches, are now in a league of their own.Next up, Bucky Covington. Last week I was very impressed by Bucky's performance, even with that ridiculous angelic hairstyle. Still I nurture a notion that a rocking country-western male singer could make 2006 his year for American Idol. Thus I tend to give Bucky some leeway, but his performance on Manilow night was not one of his best.Bucky sang "Oh Boy," a classic Buddy Holly tune. Covington did put his own twist on this '50's standby but his performance didn't do it for me. Simon termed it a "karaoke performance" and I agree.Katharine McPhee sang the Ella Fitzgerald classic "Come Rain or Come Shine". Katharine is considered by many to be the most overlooked finalist in this season's American Idol and this might be true. McPhee looked enchanting in her flowing dress that so typified her song choice. She gave a smashing performance and yet...still not ringing my bells.McPhee told an interesting anecdote about Judge Simon. She said that when Simon's girlfriend was interviewing him about this year's American Idol that Simon completely forgot her name. Katharine's annoyance was very evident. After her performance, Simon declared Katharine had "turned into a star". Perhaps he wanted to make up to Katharine for forgetting her name.Ah, little Miss Paris Bennett. A singer I've mentally dismissed many times as being too young, as being too cute, as being anything but a singing icon of American Idoldom. Yet each and every week, this small bundle of talent takes the stage and wows the world with the most magnificent of voices and the most joyous of performances. Paris sang "Fever" by Peggy Lee and even Manilow remarked he was shocked at the power of her voice.This is not to mention the glorious fashion attire this miniature queen of song wore, a gold halter gown with a matching flower adorning carefully coiffed locks. The attempt, one assumes, was to give Paris an air of maturity. The attire and the song did just that. Randy said Paris "blew out the box".Paris makes my list of the top three performances of the evening handily.One must tread softly around any critique of Taylor Hicks. For while the singer looks for all the world like a serious accountant released for a wild weekend on the town, his fans are many and fiercely loyal.I simply don't see this guy as winning this thing and his jerky robotic movements only reinforce that notion. "He's only doing his happy interpretation of the music," his legions of loyalists argue. Well sure, if dancing around with no rhyme, reason, or rhythm could be considered an interpretation perhaps Hicks should take it to the Museum of Modern Art. As for Taylor's performance on Manilow night, I thought the man sounded like he had a bad cold. That odd sharkskin suit only added to his accountant image. Judge Paula declared that watching Hicks was like watching an "exercise video." Paula meant this in the best possible manner as is her wont. I agree with Paula but it's not meant as a compliment on this end.We'll move onto my first predicted ouster as a result of the Manilow evening of performances. Lisa Tucker finished ominously in the bottom three last week. She looked cute as a ladybug in a colorful ménage of cropped pants topped with a red shirt covered with a blue jacket, a cool hip look that captured the retro look with a current day ambience. Tucker sang "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", made famous by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. I thought Lisa's voice faded at times. Simon declared she looked as if participating in a "high school musical" and for once, I think Simon nailed it.I predict Lisa will be booted on elimination night.Elliott Yamin was the male performer who reinforced my contention that males of the species do not like Barry Manilow. Indeed, Elliott told the host that before actually meeting songster Barry that he didn't like Manilow music and inferred that he had a bit of derision for the man. Of course, a young singer like Elliott would likely not consider Manilow a singer to emulate. And of course, Yamin declared lustily that after meeting Barry he adored the man with a newfound respect. Well we'll just assume this is the truth for now.Yamin sang a song from the '50s I've never heard of: "Teach Me Tonight" by Al Jarreau. Dressed in casual jeans topped by an unusual combination of a dress shirt and tie, Yamin performed very well for a song outside of his genre.A guest from TV Guide was on Fox and Friends this morning and said that Elliott wrestles daily with diabetes and wears a permanent insulin pump. She also said that Yamin does not practice before his performances.On to Kevin Covais, the young crooner with a marvelous voice accompanied by a "Fearless Fly" appearance. I think this fellow surely is waiting for the hammer to drop on him any day. Perhaps in this week's elimination rounds if Lisa Tucker doesn't beat him to it. It was evident that Covais was appealing directly to his audience of nine and ten year-olds when he sat down for his song performance, dressed in a child-like T-shirt and casual jeans. In his pre-performance vignette, Covais appealed to his base of female youngster fans when he mentioned that he chose Nat King Cole's "When I Fall In Love" as his song for the evening because he too has yet to experience true love and this song is his benchmark mood-maker for when that gleeful day will finally arrive.Of course every dewy-eyed pre-teen in America then will watch Covais croon the tune and dream that Kevin Covais is singing directly to them.Finally we arrive at Ace Young, my first nomination for winner back when there were thirty finalists or so. Last week, Ace was in the bottom three. This week, Ace sang "In the Still of the Night" by the Five Satins and, other than a strange facial sneer, his performance was unique and perfect.So can Ace come back from bottom-three disgrace?If nothing else, Ace's ending of a strong falsetto note certainly gave him some attention that could be the turning point.Dressed in a less-casual fashion than his previous attire, Ace Young in an electric blue shirt and hip look could still go all the way.The Eliminations 3/22/06Quick give me the number of Barry Manilow's plastic surgeon. That medico is so good he should be cloned! No matter his age, Barry sang a rendition of "Love Is a Many Splendid Thing"; before the eliminations. I still love Barry Manilow. Husband left the room.Onto the bottom three then the would-be superstar eliminated.The bottom three included: Kevin Covais, Lisa Tucker, Bucky Covington. I am not at all surprised.After the commercial we learn that Kevin Covais was eliminated. The time has come.Congrats to the top ten. The contest heats up.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.