Monthly Archives: December 2011

I don’t have the link with me with me at the moment, because cutting and pasting links from my smartphone is altogether too annoying and time-consuming to bother with as I travel, but I thoroughly enjoyed Mark Steyn’s weekend column on Newt Gingrich. Insightful, brutally truthful, incisive… it is a prime example of why I never miss a Steyn column. Go to SteynOnline and find the link. Totally worth it.

And now back to my snow day.

I’m making banana-apple cookies with my neighbor (and sister from another mister) Nia and listening to Mark Steyn and Jessica Martin’s first full-length Christmas cd. It feels like Christmas all of a sudden. I don’t know about the rest of you, but since Mark and Jessica’s first single, I’ve wanted more than just a few songs, and this cd is perfect. I love traditional Christmas songs, the dorkier the better. I’ve got no use for Mariah Carey warbling some insipid “Give peace a chance” post modern neo-Christmas ballad. If I want meaningless holiday drivel, there are many places I could go. Steyn’s Christmas cds have supplanted my standard Carpenters’ Christmas fare, a staple from my childhood, and I’m okay with that.

This is truly enjoyable, sweet music. I love the many facets of Steyn, the bits of him that aren’t all politics and doom and gloom and seriousness. (Though I love that part too.) This is the Song of the Week Steyn, the generous Steyn, the truly interesting and absolutely nice Steyn. Thanks to him, I know who the lovely, staggeringly talented Jessica Martin is, and I suspect that is the point.

Have a wonderful Christmas, and buy this cd or download the mp3. It’s worth it and it will make you smile throughout the whole season.

If I have to hear about that stupid fake Lisbeth Salander, the heiress Rooney Mara, and her stupid nipple ring — oh how shocking! — any more, I’m going to lose it. Do you people realize that normal women get their nipples pierced because they want to, not for a movie role? That doesn’t mean she’s hardcore, it just means she’ll do anything to be famous.

Did you know that most of Noomi Rapace’s piercings were in place well before she auditioned for the role of Lisbeth? Didn’t think so.

Hey guess what? At one point I had both my nipples pierced, not so I could “appear authentic” but because I wanted to have that done. Not so I could show the world how devoted to a role I was, but for myself.

All is artifice anymore. Nothing has substance, there is no subculture, there are no alternatives to the mainstream dysfunctional “norm.” We are poorer for it.

I’ve seen Lisbeth, and some stupid little girl with shaved eyebrows and some stylist’s idea of “alternative” style is not her. Trash.

I was saddened to learn about the passing of Christopher Hitchens this morning. His death is no surprise, as he was very ill, but it still stings. I didn’t know him, obviously, and I often disagreed with his opinions, but I was terribly fond of him as a writer. I loved his contrarian spirit, that punk rock disagreeableness that is rarely genuine in pundits or opinion essayists. He had no fear of offending large swaths of the general public, including those in his own circle of friends and fellow travelers. He didn’t offend just for the sake of offending, although there is fun enough in that, but because he actually believed what he was saying. I loved that about him, and I will miss it.

He was a right bastard, and he was a wonderful writer. Losing him at just 62 seems a crime.

As I often think about the late Cathy Seipp, I will think of Hitch when something catches my eye that I imagine would incite some strong opinion from him. Throughout the last few years, (especially after moving to California), I’ve often wondered what Seipp would say about this or that idiotic situation or scandal in our schizophrenic state. Now Hitch will be added to my list of “I wonder…”s.

It is a sad day for those of us who loved him from afar, but my condolences — and yes! My prayers! Ha! — are with his friends and family. Peace to you, and know that his suffering is over. He fought hard, and he fought long.

Rest in peace, sir.

I may not be the biggest Gingrich fan, but this interview with his daughter is important. I’ve always found it hard to believe that Gingrich was some sort of heartless monster; it goes against the person he seems to be. That he could be overly intellectual, passionate, undisciplined in some areas, insensitive and occasionally callous seems probable — I mean, we all display these characteristics in turn — but heartless? Gingrich has never come off as heartless. If his daughter is to be believed, he isn’t.

It’s nice to see his daughters defending him, pushback against what has become political legend and a defining character flaw of the Gingrich we think we know.

New post up at inveterate scars. It kicks butt.

I shouldn’t laugh, but anything that combines Palestinian idiocy and #fail tends to make me giggle. You’re right, I am a heartless infidel whore.

We all make choices in life and sometimes those choices lead to our undoing. Throwing rocks at an armored military vehicle will do that.

Sorry guys, I’ve had a busy week and a half. I’ve driven to Phoenix more times than I care to count, and I’ve got to hop a flight out again this Sunday. I know the boys were trying to lure me back with Angelina Jolie gossip in the comment section of my previous post, and apparently they know me too well. Angie is my weakness — my fabulous, glorious Angie and her gorgeousness. We all know she’s amazing.

So, apparently all of us crazy conspiracy theorists weren’t so crazy after all. Isn’t it a great feeling when your government conspires to deprive you of your liberties? The part I’m having the hardest time with is that so many people died to help the Obama administration further an anti-gun agenda. It’s such a cynical plot, and it makes me sick. People died, Mexicans and Americans. Border Patrol agents died. This is very, very wrong. And it’s a very big deal.

People should burn for this. (Figuratively, of course.)

So Herman’s done, which I doubt comes as a shock to anyone paying attention. I think he is guilty of the last charge against him, but I don’t really care all that much about his personal shortcomings. Not my problem.

So where does this leave people like me? I’m not a fan of Paul, who is obviously crazy, Romney is uninspiring, (to say the least), and Newt is annoying. I like Santorum, as I’ve mentioned before. He’s an adult. I like that.

But I’m not throwing in for anyone, because I really want Santorum to stay in the race. I’m not going to jinx him.

I was wrong to back Herman Cain. All this floundering makes him look guilty, and I’m done with it. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

I’m not picking anyone else to back; I’m done. I’ll vote for whoever gets the nom. I’ve got problems with them all, but Newt is starting to get on my nerves. Getting a little ahead of yourself there, buddy. If this campaign has taught is anything, it’s that every candidate is getting their fair share of facetime but that their time at the top is fleeting. Newt would do well to keep that in mind.

The only one who deserves this nom is Santorum, and he’s too much of an adult to get it. He’s not slick, he’s serious. He’s not fluid, he’s principled. He’s not flashy, he’s humble. He’s presidential material, but this country is too juvenile to put adults in higher office anymore.

More’s the pity.