a profound moment of symmetry

18 million cracks

After watching Hillary give the keynote address Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention, the word 'wow' just kept coming to mind.

Had I not watched a delayed Tivo of Hillary's speech, you would have been looking at a different face for this week's Wowee Wednesday.

I watched Hillary deliver what may have been the most important, galvinizing speech of her career all the while her heart and many viewer's hearts were breaking, including mine. The entire time she spoke with confidence, grace, eloquence and purpose. All the while nudging us like a mother bird towards our apparent candidate Barack Obama so we can fly to new heights and victory in November. I think this speech will make that even more inevitable.

After watching the speech I felt so proud that I had the opportunity to cast my vote for this strong woman and because of her, I will get to cast votes for more strong women running for president in the future.

This afternoon as I watched her release her delegates, move to stop the roll call and declare Barack Obama as our nominee I couldn't help fight a lump in my throat. Again, I was so proud.

It has been such a pleasure to watch this woman make history over and over again in the last year.

Thanks, Hillary.

“If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there's shouting after you, keep going. Don't ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.” --Hillary Clinton on Harriet Tubman

post-Olympic humor

If you're 16 raise your hand...

Oh! I'm sorry China, I meant 16 years old individually, not collectively.

Wowee Wednesday

Sarah Shahi

Show of hands if you are still trying to pick your jaw up after seeing Sarah as Carmen for the first stime on The L Word? That's what I thought.

If you are looking for a Sarah fix, you can catch her regularly on the NBC drama Life Fridays at 10pm.

Carmen, Carmen, Carmen...we miss you so...

And now for your viewing pleasure:

Ooh! can I get Continuing Ed credits?

Hilarious GOP Convention"leaked memo" on Down with Tyranny

7:00 pm – Ceremonial burning of the U.S. Constitution

7:15 pm – Spiritual Medium Sylvia Browne performs psychic séance in desperate attempt to raise Ronald Reagan from the grave

7:35 pm – "The Pleasures of Adultery" - with Newt Gingrich & Rudy Giuliani

8:05 pm – Gay sex party in Men's Restroom hosted by Senator Larry Craig

8:35 pm - Transvestite Ann Coulter – "My Life as a Man"

8:55 pm – Live satellite feed from Federal Prison – Ohio Rep. Bob Ney Mr. GOP, Jack Abramoff

9:05 pm – Guest speaker ex-Florida Congressman Mark Foley "Joys with Young Boys"

9:25 pm – Oliver North – "Iran is Evil, but I sold them weapons anyway"

9:40 pm – Bill O' Reilly – "The costs of sexual harassment and phone sex with employees" 10:00 pm – Gay sex party in Men's Room hosted by Ken Mehlman and Geraldo Rivera

10:25 pm – Check John McCain to see if he's still breathing and if his adult diaper needs changing

10:35 pm – N.R.A. President hosts an assault rifle target practice on Gays and Mexicans.

10:45 pm - Call emergency squad after a drunken Dick Cheney accidentally shoots his friend in the face.

11:00 pm – President Bush performs his hilarious comedy routine where he looks for Iraq's fictitious WMD's under guests tables.

11:15 pm – Governor Mike Huckabee does his famous uncanny imitation of Gomer Pyle.

11:20 pm – Group intervention to get Rush Limbaugh back into drug rehab

11: 45 pm – Go up on rooftop and throw rocks down at homeless Vets sleeping in alley.

12:00 am – Live satellite feed from Federal Prison – California Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham

12:20 am – Convicted felon/Fox News analyst G. Gordon Liddy – Lock picking secrets

12: 40 am – Guest speakers Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz – "How to lie your Country into a War"

1:00 am – Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay – "Tips on Money Laundering"

1:15 am – Hookers arrive for after party

Broadway Monday

Bat Boy: The Musical "Discovered in a cave in Hope Falls, West Virginia, this half-bat has escaped from captivity and is currently at large. He can be identified by large, pointy ears and oversized eyes that make him profoundly sensitive to sound and light. The creature has reportedly attacked at least 3 people with his razor-sharp fangs and should be considered extremely dangerous."

This Off-Broadway hit is based on the outrageous "sightings" detailed by the Weekly World News, a supermarket tabloid. If you think long and hard, you'll remember seeing this face:

Remember? Well, here's his Broadway musical!

This show is extremely funny, irreverent, and although full of blood, violence and insanity, warms your heart and leaves you humming as you exit the theatre. Sounds like a winner to me!

We saw a local production of this, immediately fell in love and clamoured for the soundtrack recording.

The story runs along the lines of My Fair Lady in that Bat Boy is the Eliza Doolittle character who is transformed in to a productive and lovable member of society via kindly white folks.

Bat Boy: The Musical opened Off Broadway on Halloween in 1997 and has gone on to play regional theatres around the world including Korea and Japan!

financially ok

I went to an estate sale last weekend that yielded a couple of cool mid-century finds and an afternoon's entertainment talking about the characters in attendance.

This sale had some of the usual items, but what we found odd was a number of scrapbooks and photo albums with what most would assume were important pictures and mementos. These books were strewn about and priced accordingly although most people thumbed through them as a gateway to the next bauble.

One of the personal books we found was a daily planner type binder, replete with a set of goals, reminders and affirmations. At the top of one page was written, "I am financially ok." The person who owned this binder had meticulously mapped out their financial goals for retirement with dates that showed the money ending in 2012. As we noticed the date written we both said "They made it!"

In the turmoil of a downward turning economy, it was pretty cool to see that someone hit the goal, and how good they must have felt knowing that they planned well.

I had a little awakening/understanding yesterday while listening to The Stephanie Miller Show on Air America.

Abortion is the political equivalent to medicine's cure for cancer.

If the Republicans are ever able to overturn Roe vs. Wade, they really won't have much to use to mobilize their masses in future elections. The big scary 'A' word will be gone.

I hear you saying it, the next focus would be the gays, but that fight seems like it is a bit too easy. point: Every time an election comes up some state is voting to take away some right, overturn some decision, and shove us back into the dark recesses of a musty closet. Baby step by baby step, they make headway on the gay issue, but reproductive rights stay fairly intact. They don't take a beating every time a voting booth is opened.

I'm meandering all over the place, but my point is that if you take those two topics away, specifically abortion, then the Grand Ole Party has nothing with which to draw the hillbillies of Appalachia down the mountain to flip the switch that keeps them in power.
If you kill the monster in the room, you're left standing in the room alone with no one watching.

That's my 2 cents. Feel free to leave me yours.

muwahahahaaaa!

First Ellen, now Rachel...can Lesbian World Domination be far behind?

Wowee Wednesday

Portia de Rossi

I have had a secret little crush on Portia since her Ally McBeal days. Maybe it was the character. Maybe it was the way whenever she walked in the room everyone seemed to snap to attention, and seem a bit scared because she was so on her game at all times. Here we go with the strong, smart woman type again...

Oh, I remember why, yeah, she's just beautiful!

I was thrilled every week to see her on Arrested Development, an under appreciated thus cancelled show, as the not so bright, but lovable Lindsay. I was floored, like most, to find out that Portia was not only on my team, but dating the captain! Then, she tops it off by joining the cast of Nip/Tuck as a lesbian! Heaven!

Couldn't resist making Portia the Wowee this week when it only seemed right to pair her with last week's pick, Ellen. I mean, Portia is a Wowee all on her own, and as a pair she and Ellen are a Wowee Couple. hmmm...do I smell a new feature?...

Plus, this gave me the chance to squeel about Portia and Ellen's wedding last weekend. I know, paparazzi pics, but don't they look just beautiful?

Broadway Monday

Curtains "Curtains unfolds backstage at Boston's Colonial Theatre in 1959, where a new musical could be a Broadway smash, were it not for the presence of its talent-free leading lady. When the hapless star dies on opening night during her curtain call, Lieutenant Frank Cioffi arrives on the scene to conduct an investigation. But the lure of the theatre proves irresistible and after an unexpected romance blooms for the stage-struck detective, he finds himself just as drawn toward making the show a hit, as he is in solving the murder."

Curtains opened on Broadway for the 2007 season as the last Kander & Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago) musical thus immediately making a part of history and a sure thing for audiences. The show was full of big, brassy numbers which hearken to the days of the 1950's musicals. The show was nominated for a number of Tony Awards in 2007, and headliner David Hyde Pierce took home the statuette for Best Actor in a Musical. The outrageously talented Debra Monk was also nominated for Best Actress in a Musical for this show.

Curtains ran for 511 performances at the famed Al Hirschfeld Theatre and closed on June 29th of this year.

Lonesome Loser

It's not so much the fact that John Edwards cheated on his dying wife. Politicians are all big fat liars, regardless of affiliation, and most are having some sort of affair. The fact that he stepped out on his wife and family in his particular situation is extra slimy.

The part about this that makes me so angry is that John Edwards is so all about himself that he ran for president, and if he got the nomination and won, was willing to put us as a country through another Democratic sex scandal. Thank you so much John for leading us to believe that you actually care about America, the Democratic party, and those in need. It is painfully clear that the only one you care about is yourself.

string on the finger

If you still need a reminder to refuse plastic bags at any retail location, take a look at this:

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/MULTIMEDIA02/80505016

Need an easy fix to plastic bags? Visit Reusable Bags dot com.

If you live where I live, call me and I will sell you some. We keep them in stock.

No excuses.

quick study

Isn't it great that Bush learned so much from neglecting our own citizens in the south during Hurricane Katrina? Don't ever say this guy isn't a quick study! Just take a look at his speedy efforts to help Georgia (no, not our Georgia) during it's recent scuffle with Russia.

Why, aid was off the ground and on it's way a mere 4 days after the incident began. No waiting around weeks at a time for help if you are a citizen of another country!

Atta boy, Georgie! You're doin' a heckava job!

And now ladies and gentlemen, we bring you the latest installment of

America's favorite game show,

"Pot, Meet Kettle"!

Here is today's not-so-secret stupid quote:

"This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia where Russia can threaten its neighbors, occupy a capital, overthrow a government, and get away with it,"

---Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,referring to Russia's lack of solidarity with Georgia and current military action

Folks, what I think she meant to say is:

"This is not 2003 and the invasion of Iraq where America can threaten it's neighbors, occupy a capital, over throw a government, and get away with it."

Stop copying us! Stop trying to be cool like us! Mom!! Russia won't stop copying us! (whine)

Wowee Wednesday

Ellen Degeneres

Oh Ellen! (say it like Audrey!)

No matter what she does, we love it: stand up comedian, sit-com star, awards show host, philanthropist, dancer, spokesperson, advocate, lesbian, pet lover, and talk show host.

Ellen has been through the fire and emerged stronger, better, and able to make even the hardest hearted hateful unable to resist her infectious positivity and sincerity.

What a great team member! I vote Ellen as Captain!

Games of the XXIX Olympiad

Since I was young, the Olympics has always been a part of my television viewing habits. In particular, the Opening Ceremony to be followed by watching as many of the events as my schedule will allow. I have to admit not being overly excited with the choice of host city for this Olympics. China is not known for having a sparkling human rights record. Just do a Google search of "China human rights". See? I wasn't so in favor of supporting the event at all because of my feelings about the country, but my childhood urge to see the parade of champions got the best of me, and I succumbed. And, I would like to note that although I am fervently supporting our team and watching lots of coverage, China is still China. China is still sorely out of touch with basic human rights and dignity. I still am no fan of China.

That being said, boy, am I glad I watched the Opening Ceremony. It was by far the most stunning, beautiful, well-thought out display of pride and tribute I have ever seen. Absolutely amazing. As a girl who is very much in touch with the fact that I am a geek, and electronics excite me a bit more than they should, I was totally blown over by the technology brought to this event: an LED scroll the length of the field, 15,000 performers in all, footprint-shaped fireworks, horizontal then vertical images in one seamless effort, excellent explanation of Chinese history (sans boredom) culminating with the most spectacular torch lighting event ever, and each presentation bursting with symbolism and metaphor. I Twittered about it, but I will say it again, they may want to retire the ceremony from now on because I don't know if anyone could ever compare. Absolutely stunning.

I could go on and on, but if you didn't see it then I'm just blathering about and your next best bet is to see the great photos the press snapped. Enjoy!

The "Birds Nest" stadium

The Olympic rings lifting off the ground.

2,008 Fou drummers

Look closely at this globe. There are performers running on the surface as it spins.

Dapperly dressed by Ralph Lauren, our boys and girls enter the stadium.