DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> My Bully Pulpit

Friday, October 27, 2006

Other site for commentary

OK, 2006 is making my political fingers babble again -- but now i'm doing it over at liberalmediaelite.com....

posted by Kevin Bogart at 10:31 AM 0 comments

Friday, May 05, 2006

Tiptoeing back...

So, hi.

I've relocated to NYC, and am employed again. These things are good. The country is still going to hell in a handbasket, which is not so good.

posted by Kevin Bogart at 2:57 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Blog Quietness

I've been horribly silent recently -- I know that. As some of you know, I'm in the middle of a two month part time gig teaching ACT prep at a far-south side, underperforming CPS high school. It's been rewarding at times, frustrating at times, and always fascinating. However, given the recent rash of people getting canned for blogging on work matters, and given my current underemployed state, I'm not going to be talking about it here. I've got plenty to say in person or on the phone for folks who wanna hear more.

On principle I don't blog about my personal life -- let's just say I'm very happy there.

So that leaves the general pop culture and politics stuff that I opine about -- and the current landscape is just so unbelievably frustrating. This Mary Shiavo stuff is absurd -- I can't even talk about how ridiculous this *federal* circus is. The theocrats are having their day; let's hope they keep pushing an agenda which the majority of Americans find repellent. Course, it'd be nice if the Dems pointed it out...

Culture wise, I'm loving _Fat Actress_, critics be damned. Alley's willingness to completely humilaite herself in quest of a laugh (and she's playing herself!) reminds this viewer of the best British sitcoms (think _Abfab_ and _Keeping Up Appearances_). American TV stars do not exhibit this very often... and the results are a scream. Yes, the show is ripping off _Curb Your Enthusiasm_. It's still funny.

posted by Kevin Bogart at 1:27 PM 4 comments

Bwa ha ha

As MWY said, you don't need to know our posse to find this funny:

http://supas.blogspot.com/2005/03/whos-your-colonial-daddy.html

posted by Kevin Bogart at 1:23 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Gates and Keyes

I just got back from a great weekend in NYC. Christo and Jeanne-Claude's art installation in Central Park, _The Gates_, is spectacular. Plus, if you disagree, it'll be gone in two weeks.

Alan Keyes, former embarrassing GOP candidate for one of the IL seats in the US Senate (formerly a candidate, not formerly embarrassing), is back in the news. Seems his daughter has finished coming out of the closet, after some drama during the campaign about her blog being found, etc etc. The story was of course squashed.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/15/keyes.daughter.ap/index.html

Poor gal -- queer daughter of this guy, who is not just a lunatic rightwingnutjob, but a malicious one as well. As if my weekend wasn't enough of a reminder of how much better I've had it than others have on this front.

Maya, we love ya and we got yer back.

posted by Kevin Bogart at 3:43 PM 1 comments

Monday, January 31, 2005

The Coming GOP Schism and CTW

I've said since election day that while the biggest problem with GWB's second term will be four more years of his court appointments, the second biggest problem is that it puts off the identity crisis that the GOP needs to go through. There are plenty of libertarian-type Republicans who are not happy about the American Taliban wing of the Party and how they are dominating the discourse.

I may have been premature in my sentiments, though -- because the voices are starting to be heard. Christine Todd Whitman, former gov of NJ and former head of the EPA under GWB for about as long as she could stand it, has written a book called _It's My Party Too_ about this very problem. She's a Republican, but she's pro-choice, believes in evolution, etc etc.

In short, she's one of the sensible ones. One of the ones I can disagree with about defense spending, but not tear my hair out with frustration about their stance on the social issues. I can handle the former differences of opinion; I can't handle the Flat Earth Society.

Anyhow, CTW was on Fresh Air last week, and you can listen here: http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13&prgDate=01-27-2005.

She's great -- clearly toeing the party line about not attacking GWB, but voicing some concerns. She definitely tries to fudge around how GWB and his Admin *represent* the problem she's talking about, so she is being a little ham-handed about that. Terry Gross asks some tough questions to that end, and there are a few uncomfortable pauses there. But I don't expect her to take on the GWB Admin with both barrels.

There's been some speculation that this book is the start of her running for the Presidency in 2008. I wouldn't vote for CTW -- she's too Republican to get my electoral support. However, the idea of people electing her to something doesn't bother me. We need more of her voices out there, and we need them soon, and we need them to get organized NOW.

Stopping the theocrats from taking over the country is going to require the support of both us lefties and the Republicans who have some sense. These guys have to take back the mantle of Republicanism, and religious progressives have to take back the mantle of faith.

There's lots to do.

posted by Kevin Bogart at 3:12 PM 0 comments

Sunday, January 30, 2005

AWESOME!

I'm completely addicted to Iron Chef America -- stripping out the goofy interculturality of the original totally works for me. (Laughing at how strange the Japanese are is, well, a different sort of pastime for me).

So the new show rocks, and tonight's episode rocked even harder. The brilliant and gorgeous Ming Tsai took on cocky asshole Bobby Flay, and the ingredient was duck. Tsai stuck his hand down Flay's gullet and pulled out some Foie Gras d'Cocky Asshole Chef of his own, and then made dessert with it.

Yes, he made a Foie Gras Creme Brulee. This may well rival the Foie Gras Granache that I had with Jeff and Mirvy at Aquavit in May 2003!

The whole show rocked. Every dish that Tsai did looked masterful, as did a few of Flay's, it must be said.

I am pleased -- Flay got his arse handed to him. This is a great great day.

posted by Kevin Bogart at 8:59 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Woo!

Toes wiggling -- a little optimism coming out of DC, believe it or not... Sens. Joe Biden and Barbara Boxer have been giving Secy. of State-nominee Condi Rice a good drubbing. Even the Morning Show chickee on CNN said "Wow, it's great to hear Democrats sounding like Democrats again!"

Indeed, indeed.

posted by Kevin Bogart at 9:15 AM 3 comments