Made

"I'd hit that".
Offensive? Maybe.
But this is the thinking behind most Republican males' support of Sarah Palin.
It isn't her sharp wit, knowledge of world events, or political acumen that they are attracted to.
Her appeal is that of any other divorce' - that of being on the market.

Is Sarah Palin all bad?
No, not at all.
Her stimulus package extends beyond that of the male Republicans' groins.
At least two female Democrats have benefited from Ms Palin's run for the penultimate spot in the nation.

How is this possible?
- Do you think Rudy Giuliani would have had a chance at the White House if he didn't happen to be the mayor of New York City on 9/11?
Rudy went from being a local mayor to a National Hero just for being in the right place at the right (or wrong) time.
Rudy should thank Osama Bin Laden.
- Or what about Taylor Swift?
If Kanye West wouldn't have interrupted her acceptance speech at the MTV awards, no one would have given her a second thought.
Voters for the Country Music Awards would not have felt the need to vindicate the young country star by "gifting" her all those major awards.
Taylor owes her current time in the spotlight to Kanye West.
Sometimes events converge to "Make" people.

- Tina Fey - Sure, SNL is an iconic show,
but the show is more remembered for it's past successes than it is for it's current malaise.
Tina Fey would have been just another former cast member (Think: Joe Piscapo) who tried to strike out on his/her own with a failed sitcom.
Ms Fey's popularity for her portrayal of Palin on SNL had to also benefit 30 Rock as well.
No Sarah Palin, no Emmy.

-Katie Curic - Thought of as somewhat of a lightweight for a news anchor prior to her Palin interview (And probably the reason she was chosen to interview the former Alaska governor in the first place.), Ms Curic may have been the one who shone the brightest light on Ms Palin's obtuseness.
Katie went from media dud to media darling overnight.

Does Oprah need Sarah Palin?
No. not at all.
But Oprah is a business woman who understand the mantra of, "Give the people what they want.".
(Or even what they don't want.)
Sarah Palin is a ratings coup for the Queen of Daytime television.
Will Oprah be "Made" by interviewing Sarah Palin?
No, The O is beyond that stage.
Being "Made" is something accomplished by lesser beings.
The O "Makes" people - even Presidents.

I Hope Not

With the success of her appearance in Precious,
is Gabourey Sidibe the next Susan Boyle?

Sudden fame can be a daunting thing - especially if one is seen as being less than the traditional beauty.

Just ask Susan Boyle - how does one deal with going from being taunted for ones looks to being praised for one's ability (without thinking they must now conform to the model of a beauty they never really possessed)?

Is Gabourey the next Susan Boyle?

USC Trojans Ranked Number 1*

* Okay, okay... it's in the most recent NCAA Water Polo poll.

1 Florida - Yeah... I'm still hatin' on Max's squad.
2 Alabama - Maybe the Tide can keep the Gator fans quiet.
3 Texas - Texas v. Alabama at the BCS title game? Sure, I'll watch - but it's not like a USC v. Florida match up, or a Texas v. Florida match up.
4 TCU - Beat a team no one ever heard of.
5 Cincy - The world must really be coming to an end.
6 Boise St. - This Bowl season is looking more and more ugly by the week.

18 USC - No loss to Stanford in any sport called "Football" is acceptable (Except maybe in women's Soccer.).

Maybe It's Cultural

Humor is a strange thing - some people get it while others don't.
I think it has something to do with the familiarity of the topics being joked about, or maybe it's a familiarity with the culture being ridiculed.
I rarely find female comedians funny - I just can't relate.
Rosie O'Donnell, Roseanne Barr or Kathy Griffin are just not funny.
(At least not to me.)
I don't get them.
But then again, maybe I'm not supposed to.
And I'm so disgusted just looking at Mo'Nique that I can't even listen to her routines.
She may be the funniest comedian since Eddie Murphy (in his prime), but I can't get over my disgust of this beast throwing her junk around as though she were really Beyonce.

D.L. is 'aight - but he wasn't credible delivering topical news with a humorous point of view.

Maybe if it were HBO and the producers allowed him to curse.

Since Obama got elected - producers had the bright idea of having a Black version for everything (D.L. & D.A.G.).

But John Stewart isn't funny because he is white.

John Stewart is funny because he points out the lunacy of the real news from a clever perspective.

His appeal transcends race because it's true.

I never "got" Monty Python.

It was supposed to be the funniest show in television history - but not to me.

Maybe I lack the proper perspective of those living in the former Empire.

Or maybe it's just that the British wit is a bit to dry for my tastes.

A better gauge of crossover appeal would be that of George Carlin.

Carlin could point out the obvious in a way that would make anyone think; "Why didn't I think of that?"'

Carlin was funny because he tells that truth.

I'm no George Lopez fan - but I appreciate the attempt at mixing things up in late night.

I liked Craig Kilborn because he reminded me of L.A..

I like Kimmel because he reminds me of L.A..

O'Brien, Leno and Ferguson are just doing what everyone else does.

(Sure, they're watchable - but for the guests.)

Lopez's show has the A'List talent interviewed from a Latino/Hispanic perspective.

I like that it's a different flavor than what is seen ever night on every other channel.

Stolen jokes aside - maybe Carlos Mencea would have been a better candidate to host a (network) late night talk show.

Why was Carlos given a show?

To try to fill the void left by...

Dave Chapelle.

Dave could talk about anything to any (younger) audience.

Imagine Dave interviewing Sarah Palin.

Too bad it's thirty or so years past the apex of Pryor's popularity.

Would he have been a good host of a late night talk show?

Would he have been credible?

Be Yourself

How do people get their own talk shows when they can barely speak?
Magic Johnson had the star power but lacked the ability to communicate with his guests or his audience.
Magic suffered from the Marble Mouth (Sounds as though he is trying to speak with a mouth full of marbles.) malady that seems to plague most Black entertainers.
It's works for rappers and athletes - but when one is seeking to reach a broader audience, the Ebonic accent fails.

Fortunately, this doesn't seem to be the case with George Lopez.
Think about it, there hasn't been a successful ethnic late night talk show host since Arsenio.
Kimmel, O'Brien, Leno, Letterman, Fallon and Ferguson - one is just like the rest.
Lopez seems comfortable being George Lopez.
D.A.G., D.L., and (to a lesser extent) Brian McNight all seemed to try too hard to affect a persona that they view(ed) as being mainstream.
All forgot to bring their own flavor.
All seemed to forget who they were - instead, each tried to be what they thought their studio heads wanted them to be - but it was obvious that they were all fakin' da funk.
George seems comfortable being a Mexican - most Black talk show hosts seem to be embarrassed about being Black.

But being embarrassed of being Black (or ethnic) isn't limited to entertainers who seek to crossover.
Politicians often affect their concept of "White" whenever they appear on the news.
You've seen them - the guys who know they're from the hood but who try to sound and act as though they are members of the elite within society.
It's usually easy to spot the poseurs - they're the one's who over articulate every syllable of every word they speak with the haughty accent of Mrs. Howell.
They are the ones who compensate for their lack of sophistication by putting others down.
They are the ones who try to distance themselves from "Those Black People".
These are the ones who imagine themselves as being a step-up from the lesser masses, while in reality they are are just a step next to the lesser masses they so desperately try to avoid.

So, whats the lesson from George Lopez?
Just stop trying to be what you're not.
Instead, just be a better you.

Single Hot Female

How did a warm weather Spring Flu in Mexico turn into a cold weather Fall/Winter pandemic in The Ukraine?
I really have no idea.
If the squabbin' at DV is too much for you,
and the pedantry at SeeNew's spot is above your head -
Check out one hot heina for a take that I couldn't have stated better myself;
http://crazysexytechiecool.blogspot.com/2009/11/curious-case-of-joseph-moshe.html

Babylonians, Parthians, Sasanians and Al Qaeda

The Middle East has been a hotbed of warfare since the beginning of recorded history - and as much time has been spent fighting the West as has been spent fighting among themselves.
A relief in Naqsh-i-Rustam shows the Persian King Shapur I gloating after humiliating three Western Emperors (Gordian III, Philip the Arab and Valerian).
If history repeats itself - Which of these is representative of Barack Obama and the American military?

Can we win the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan (and probably Pakistan)?

Probably not.

Didn't the Parthian armies rout the West by utilizing gorilla warfare and their understanding of the local terrain?

Didn't the Sasanian armies take advantage of their relationships with China to fend off the West?

Apparently Dubya made the age old mistake of overestimating the value of strength.

I'm all for cheap gas but...

What are we even trying to accomplish in the Middle East?

Is it even worth the cost?

Don't Ask (Don't Tell)

Should gays be allowed to be in the military?
Apparently, one of the baddest groups of warriors in ancient Greece was the Sacred Band (Army of Lovers) who formed Thebes' elite guard..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Band_of_Thebes
Maybe gays can fight wars.

It's The Hair?

Kristin said - (T)here was NO WAY I was sweating out my perm."

- Blacks are three times more likely to drown. Many Blacks don't swim for fear of ruining their hair style?
- Black women are more likely to suffer from diseases caused by being obese. Many Black women don't wish to sweat out a good perm?
- Many Black women waste resources (time and money) on getting perms and weaves.

Odd... I knew Sampson's strength rested in his hair,
but I never knew the Black woman's weaknesses rested in their fake or processed hair.