Happy Birthday, Michael

Let The Work I've Done Speak For Me

Maybe it is because I am African American, and his family has historically meant a lot to African Americans. Maybe it is because I'm from New England, with family from Boston. Maybe it's because I've lost family members to cancer. Maybe it's because I am an unashamed liberal. Probably because of all of those things, I mourn the death of Senator Ted Kennedy.

I wanted to list some of the bills that he authored and helped pass, but on his senate website, the PDF listing his accomplishments was 54 pages long. While I'd like to say that I'll read it, I know I probably won't get to it soon enough to post this in a timely manner. What I saw was that he authored over 2,500 bills, hundreds of which became law. When the honors and accolades die down over the next few weeks or months, and scandalous memories are dragged out of dusty corners, his legacy as the "liberal lion of the senate" will live on. Hopefully, his dream of universal health care will not die with him.

On the cover of a local newspaper a few weeks ago was a white woman whose health problems led to her losing her job, her health coverage, and her home. I mention that she was white because, unfortunately, the general public sometimes has less sympathy for a person of color in the same situation. The attitude when you don't want to relate to someone else's plight is often: "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps; no one helped me." As untrue and callous as those statements are, the real point here is that so many of us are one serious illness, one major uncovered procedure, one disability away from the same predicament facing the woman in that article.

Peace Day, August 6

Hiroshima Peace Memorial, seen in the light of lanterns lit to honor those who died during the bombing of Hiroshima, August 6, 1945.

Top 10 Reality Show Quotes

In honor of the return of Project Runway, here are my favorite top ten reality show quotes of all time (so far).

And don't ask me what seasons these were from. What do you think, I have nothing better to do than watch TV?

10. The Oh, No, He Didn't award: "I'm not your bitch, bitch!" (Top Chef)

9. The Where's Mrs. Garrett award: " There's entirely too much tootie." (Project Runway)

8. The Biracial Butterfly award: Just about any stupidity to come out of Jade Cole's mouth. (America's Next Top Model)

7. The Oh So True/Sense Confusion award: "Whenever I'm near Jade, all I smell is - bitch." (America's Next Top Model)

6. The Where Did That Come From award: "This is not a butt-rubbing contest." (Top Chef)

5. The Repressed Sexuality award: Little girl: "I just love boobies. I love touchin' 'em, and..." Mom: (interrupting) "Stop, that's nasty." (Toddlers and Tiaras)

4. The Heidi award: "Oh. That's Baaad. But true!" (Project Runway)

3. The Do They Use Ultrabright award: "How do the letters on the Hollywood sign stay white?" (The Millionaire Matchmaker)

2. The I'll Use It When It's Convenient award: Gina saying she's in the competition to represent Asian models and then saying she doesn't date Asian men. (America's Next Top Model)

1. The Needs No Intro award: "Make it Work!" (Project Runway)

2 weeks, 2 weeks....

Whoo, hooo! Project Runway is back!

Well, it will be in two weeks. I wish they were still on Bravo, 'cause I can't see Lifetime being okay with designing clothes for drag queens. Will a tie-in be designing clothes for the Army Wives? Or for one of the sad sack women on their ultra dramatic movies who finally get out of a retched marriage (or relationship, or dead-end job, or dead-end town, or all of the above) and make it (of course, with the help of an understanding, gorgeous man -- played by a young Bruce Boxleitner type.) Spare me the Lifetime movie. It's not my thing, obviously.

Whatever. I don't care. For the moment, my heart is light with the knowledge that Heidi, Tim, "American Designer Michael Kors", and Nina Garcia will be back. If they try to de-gay it, though, they will truly ruin it. Hands off, Lifetime!

Bueller? Bueller?

Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
The Breakfast Club.
Sixteen Candles. - Even though I am really pissed with the use and treatment of the character Long Duck Dong.
Weird Science.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
Mr. Mom.

Some of my favorite movies growing up were by John Hughes. Why are so many icons from my childhood dying? I refuse to face reality. I am not getting older. I will take over Dick Clark's title as the oldest living teenager.

Everything I Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten

The two female journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were captured in North Korea and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor, were released yesterday. Former President Bill Clinton went to the country to negotiate with Kim Jong Il for their release. Go Bill! When I saw this picture of Clinton, Kim, and Kim's administration all arranged like a class photo, I realized something. I'm sure I'm over simplifying, but I think Kim, and dare I say, his country, really wants to be recognized and respected. I admit that I don't know anything about North Korea, their policies and recent history, but I think that these two women were unfortunately captured and so harshly sentenced mainly to prove a point.

I'm glad that Clinton went or was sent to discuss releasing the journalists. It was a good choice, Clinton being a well-loved, well-respected former U.S. President. Clinton has the right amount of power and prestige to assuage the wounded pride of a country that might not have felt that the U.S. was giving it it's just due. I'm just commenting without having read any articles, which I know is a dangerous thing. I don't know what, if anything, we promised them in return, but I do know that it wouldn't have been successful, no matter what, if say, Al Sharpton (or even just some lower level person who was actually part of the Obama administration) was sent over there to do the same job. It's funny, how we get older, maybe even run countries, but all of us still need reassurance that we are good enough. All of us just want the teacher to like us.

Now, I don't know why, but I haven't yet conjured up the same feelings of empathy and sorrow for the three hikers who were captured on the Iran/Iraq border. I have to wonder what the heck they were doing there. Aren't there enough beautiful places to hike that aren't between a war-torn country and a country we aren't on very good terms with? Was this just a case of American arrogance at its worst? At least two of them are based in the Middle East, so they know the area. Even if they got lost, I have to wonder why they were in that particular location in the first place - even those of us who aren't lucky enough to travel to other countries for work know that to be on the Iraq/Iran border as an American would be a dangerous proposition. At least, that is what would be going through my head. Of course, I suppose you could say the same thing about the two journalists who were just released. Whatever. If I ever had to travel to another country for work, I would have just one thing to say: "Just give me Paris."