Breakfast at Tiffany's – Because I Do Not Know

Cocktail of the Week -- When Fidel Dies Edition

Fifty-two years ago this week, a young Fidel Castro and his supporters launched their failed attempt to overthrow Batista. His group, known as the 26th of July Movement in honor of its first major military strike, later was successful in its revolution.

"The Beard" will be 79 in a few weeks. Here's hoping it's his last birthday, and we can all have cocktails in a democratic Cuba -- with casinos and beaches and lovely Cubano boys. Until then, we'll have to pretend by sipping this installment of Cocktail of the Week and spray ourselves with water hoses.

And now ... the Mojito, the classic cocktail that dates to Havana of the 1930s.

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz Cuban light rum

Handful fresh mint sprigs

Dash gomme syrup

1/2 lime soda water

Instructions

Muddle the mint, sugar and rum together in a tall glass, squeeze the lime into the mix and drop the lime hulls into the drink. They will release their essential oils into the drink, adding to the flavor and look of this Cuban classic. Fill the glass with ice, top with soda water (not 7-up!) and stir.

Ba-ba-loo!

2 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:47 PM
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Here and Now

Earlier this week, BaT referenced an article about Malcolm X's homosexual past. The author addressed why this would be important now, some 40 years after his death. His answer was that gay black people (I rarely use the term "African-American," because a friend from way back told me, "I ain't African. I'm from the Islands.") need more role models.

Along comes this article, "Claiming Luther Vandross," from Keith Boykin:

And then there is Luther, the quintessential balladeer of our time, a wealthy and successful bachelor with a beautiful voice who, fat or thin, could have easily found a wife but never married and hardly even bothered to fake a heterosexual lifestyle. When asked about his sexuality in a 2002 interview with BET, Vandross simply said it was none of their business. It was an honest answer that no straight celebrity would ever give.

But in the black community, we still subscribe to the policy of "don't ask, don't tell," which may explain why some blacks are upset by efforts to out Vandross posthumously, as if being gay would somehow mar his already extraordinary career.

But what people don't understand is that black gays and lesbians are desperate for affirming images of ourselves. While the white gays get Ellen, Elton and the "Queer Eye" guys, we're stuck with J.L. King, the poster boy for the down low; Jonathan Plummer, a gay man who deceived a famous wife; and Othniel Askew, the black gay man who murdered a New York City councilman a year ago this month. We rarely see positive stories about us in the media, and when straight blacks attempt to tell our stories, they depict us as scandalously as the closeted gay pastor in R. Kelly's music video.

That's why we're so anxious to clutch onto Luther. We're eager to find realistic images that reflect the true diversity of who we are. And that's why we have to tell our own stories.

I find this attitude no different than gay whites who latch on to every "he's gay" rumor out there about some Hollywood superstar or professional baseball player. (Except in this guy's case. We all know he's queer.) Gay people -- young and old -- need role models and people to admire. Remember that the next time some awkward 18-year-old strikes up a conversation with you at the bookstore, or a recently divorced man with gray hair and "straight" clothes on finally comes out and just wants to make a friend at a bar.

It's not always about sex. Gay people are gay. We are also people.

POSTSCRIPT: FB, the offer is always open for a guest post on race and homosexuality. Just let me know. jakemccafferty AT comcast DOT net. (Tell me, however, if you send an e-mail, since I don't check that account very often.)

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 5:18 PM
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Coming to America

Ibrahima Cherif, a refugee from the Ivory Coast, says all the Western money in the world won't help Africa -- at least not as long as we continue to reward the despots and dictators who thrive there.

When eight wealthy nations pledged this month to give Africa $50 billion in aid and debt relief, much of the world watched with hope.

African expatriate Ibrahima Cherif was not one of them.

Western leaders of the Group of Eight talked about ushering the continent out of starvation and the AIDS crisis, but Cherif was in exile in Albertville, on the run from the Ivory Coast. His president wants him dead because he questioned the man's credentials in 1993, Cherif says.

Just three months ago, Cherif -- a professor and government clerk -- was on his knees in the jungle, head down, hands bound behind his back with his necktie, a machine gun pointed at his temple.

He was told, "This is the day you will die."

The gratitude of a former student hired to kill him, the courage of a priest and the friendship of an Albertville businessman got Cherif out of the country alive, but ...

"The G-8 is a joke and the Live 8 concert is a joke because the money will never get to the poor people," Cherif said. "I've seen it happen before. The corrupt politicians and militia keep the money and the clothes and the food that people send.

"Many people want to help Africa, and almost no one understands Africa. It is broken, and I don't know how it can be fixed."

In the case, Africa is in the spotlight. But the same can be said about places across the globe. Money is not the cure-all. Instead, we must stamp out corruption and refuse to accept, as President Bush says, the bigotry of lowered expectations.

Read the whole thing.

2 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:18 PM
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With Friends Like These

Catching up on some reading ... an article in June's (yes, June!) OUT magazine by E.J. Graff points out that gay people are ever-increasingly becoming the scapegoat in politics. Not by the right -- but by the left.

Unfortunately, I can't find the article online, so I'll have to offer up only some portions:

On the right and on the left, American pundits have been saying that because of us the world is going to hell. Either (a) God's about to destroy civilization because of our wanton, sinful desires, or (b) Republicans are now in a position to destroy the globe because of our irresponsible lust for marriage. Since those on the right have been after us for decades (see Anita Bryant et al), their stance is hardly a surprise. But the "liberal" version is really starting to get under my skin -- especially since I have the strong suspicion that it has only just begun."

Graff then recalls the hand-wringing following the 2004 presidential election, when Dianne Feinstein, the liberal editor of The American Prospect and other pundits said the same-sex marriage issue -- not that lame-ass (my words, not hers) John Kerry or the America-haters like Michael Moore -- handed George W. Bush another term in the White House.

So why are the Democrats picking on us? Because they're cowards, that's why. Torie Osborn, former executive director of both the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, notes that Democrats have pointedly avoided picking on some other key constituencies. "They can't scapegoat the black community's position on school vouchers or the increasingly conservative bent on some African-American churches," she says. "They can't scapegoat the Jews who peeled off to vote for Bush because of Israel. And so it's us." As Sue Hyde, New England field organizer for the NGLTF, says, "The Republicans energize their base. The Democrats screw their base."

Which is what I've said for the last 10 years, as I've watched the Democrat Party lose its core following of middle-class people and instead become a party of special interests and so-called intellectuals. Attend a Democrat fundraiser sometime. You never seem to meet anyone who first says, "I'm with the Democrat Party." Instead, it's, "I'm with the ACLU" or "I'm with the Teamsters" or "I'm with Greenpeace." Quite the opposite is true when attending a Republican event (and I went to both this past election cycle). They are on-message and they are publicly united behind one thing: their candidate.

Agree or disagree with their politics, the Republicans have this game figured out. Even when they've had their own bumps in the road (Jimmy Carter's election following Watergate and allowing Pat Buchanan and Co. drag them too far right in '92, opening the door for another triangulating Southern governor in Bill Clinton).

Meanwhile, the underrepresented minorities -- yes, that's us -- continue to ride the tired, old mare. And in the gay community's case, we don't even get to ride. We get to walk behind and try to dodge the shit.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:21 PM
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Malcolm XXX

Speaking of Outrage!, the same Peter Tatchell quoted below published this article in The Guardian in May.

Malcolm X was born 80 years ago today, on 19 May 1925. But amid the commemorations, controversy is brewing. Some black activists are enraged by suggestions that their hero might have been gay - or at least bisexual.

The controversy has been stirring since the publication of Bruce Perry's acclaimed biography, Malcolm: The Life of a Man Who Changed Black America (Station Hill, New York) in 1991. Based on interviews with Malcolm's closest boyhood and adult friends, Perry suggests that the US black nationalist leader was not as robustly heterosexual as his Nation of Islam (NoI) colleagues have always insisted.

Why is this important?

There is not a single world-famous black person who is openly gay. Young black lesbians and gays need role models. Who better than Malcolm X, one of the inspirations of my activism and one of the great modern heroes of black liberation?

So true. Several of my gay friends who are black readily identify with "white" culture. I've often wondered why. Maybe this is an explanation. I'd like to know more about this subject, if others have thoughts.

4 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:09 PM
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Europe in 20 Years?

Dear France, Germany, the U.K., The Netherlands, et al,

This could be you one day. (Caution: I found these photos to be disturbing, although not graphic.):

Two gay teenagers were publicly executed in Iran on 19 July 2005 for the 'crime' of homosexuality. The youths were hanged in Edalat (Justice) Square in the city of Mashhad, in north east Iran. They were sentenced to death by Court No. 19.

Iran enforces Islamic Sharia law, which dictates the death penalty for gay sex.

One youth was aged 18 and the other was a minor under the age of 18. They were only identified by their initials, M.A. and A.M.

They admitted -- probably under torture, London-based gay human rights group Outrage! suggests -- to having gay sex but claimed in their defence that most young boys had sex with each other and that they were not aware that homosexuality was punishable by death.

Some reports say these two may have forced sexual acts upon a 13-year-old boy. Seyd, the queer vegetarian from Dallas, however, notes that an Iranian friend says the Iranian government often invents such stories to keep the United Nations off their back. (U.N.? What us worry?)

While I have advocated in the past corporal punishment for serial, repetitive child molesters, I would have a hard time hanging an 18-year-old and a minor (who is either 16 or 17) for sex with a 13-year-old, forced or not -- particularly when the practice is so common in the region. Towleroad links to another article that provides more details on this angle.

Need I remind you that the official name of the country is: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran. Translated, that's the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Despite the depressing news, I am bolstered by the response of OutRage!. At least there are others who see the threat posed by these bastards.

"This is just the latest barbarity by the Islamo-fascists in Iran," said Peter Tatchell of the London-based gay human rights group OutRage! "The entire country is a gigantic prison, with Islamic rule sustained by detention without trial, torture and state-sanctioned murder.

"According to Iranian human rights campaigners, over 4,000 lesbians and gay men have been executed since the Ayatollahs seized power in 1979. Altogether, an estimated 100,000 Iranians have been put to death over the last 26 years of clerical rule. The victims include women who have sex outside of marriage and political opponents of the Islamist government.

"Last August, a 16 year old girl, Atefeh Rajabi, was hanged for 'acts incompatible with chasity.' Britain's Labour government is pursuing friendly relations with this murderous regime, including aid and trade. We urge the international community to treat Iran as a pariah state, break off diplomatic relations, impose trade sanctions and give practical support to the democratic and left opposition inside Iran," said Mr Tatchell.

The OutRage! press release includes a sample e-mail to send to the Iranian government and to elected officials in countries who trade with Iran. The United States is not one of those countries.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 5:40 PM
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Will You Please Go Away Now?

Aww, I hate to hear this:

The bottom fell out for Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" on Friday night.

The $182 million horror epic, struggling to hold its own among new releases, was beaten at the box office by an indie film about a pimp-turned-rapper.

"Hustle and Flow," a Sundance favorite this year, is playing in only 1,013 theaters. "War" is on 3,265 screens. But the former film took in $2,750,000 on Friday night, beating the latter by about $300,000.

"War of the Worlds," finishing in the eighth spot Friday night, has just passed the $200 million mark domestically. Internationally it's made a little more than that, giving the Tom Cruise pic a total worldwide take of $500 million. Believe it or not, that means it's just about broken even. If it weren't for the foreign audiences, though, War would have been a money loser for Paramount Pictures.

Dear TT, now just go away. And take the rest of your cult with you.

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 8:44 AM
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Cocktail of the Week -- Chocolate Lover's Edition

This post on the health benefits of dark chocolate, I believe, is the most commented upon BaT missive yet. A whole six! To me, that seems to be a reason to celebrate. And what better way than to indulge in the Tall, Dark and Dreamy. (Don't worry, it's 108 freakin' degrees; you'll sweat off the calories in about three minutes.)

Ingredients

1/2 oz. Irish cream (I prefer Bailey's -- and remember Irish cream won't keep indefinitely in the fridge)

1 oz. chocolate liqueur

1/2 oz. vodka

1 scoop dark chocolate ice cream

Chocolate shavings

Instructions

Blend ingredients in a blender with two to three ice cubes. Spoon into a tall dessert glass and top with chocolate shavings.

Remember, it's good for you!

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:48 PM
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Their Flag Isn't Rainbow

If there is any doubt in someone's mind about the "final solution" of the Islamofascist movement, this article should put those to rest:

In an interview with Reuters, Bakri described Osama bin Laden, leader of the radical Islamist network al Qaeda, as "a sincere man who fights against evil forces."

Bakri said he would like Britain to become an Islamic state but feared he would be deported before his dream was realized.

"I would like to see the Islamic flag fly, not only over number 10 Downing Street, but over the whole world," he said.

And don't fall for the canard that this is about Afghanistan or Iraq. Remember any of these?

Unless the world becomes serious about eliminating this threat -- and I don't mean through therapy and caring -- gay men and women can stop marching in parades demanding the equal treatment we deserve. Instead, they will be marching us off to camps to give us the treatment they think we deserve.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:32 PM
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James Doohan: Actor, Liberator

As Texan Dave noted yesterday, James Doohan, the actor who portrayed Scotty in "Star Trek," died yesterday. He was 85. Hidden down near the bottom of his obituary is this jewel about the man.

At 19, James escaped the turmoil at home by joining the Canadian army, becoming a lieutenant in artillery. "The sea was rough," he recalled of the D-Day landing on Juno Beach. "We were more afraid of drowning than the Germans."

The Canadians crossed a minefield laid for tanks; the soldiers weren't heavy enough to detonate the bombs. At 11:30 that night, he was machine-gunned, taking six hits: one that took off his middle right finger (he managed to hide the missing finger on the screen), four in his leg and one in the chest. Fortunately the chest bullet was stopped by his silver cigarette case.

I wasn't a huge Trekkie, but I did see some of the TV shows as reruns and one or two of the movies. Scotty was always my favorite character. He was sort of the Everyman. It all makes sense now. He wasn't acting. His number came up on Juno Beach -- and a cigarette case saved his life. After that, it was -- as we say -- all gravy.

RIP to another one of our D-Day heroes.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 5:48 PM
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If Both Sides Hate You ...

Then Supreme Court nominate John Roberts must be doing something right.

Roberts' short record on the bench and lack of certainty on many important issues complicated efforts by liberal advocacy groups to go on the offensive.

Some far-right groups, meanwhile, suggested Roberts was not as conservative as they had hoped.

"The liberal far left and the conservative far right groups who wanted to see a nuclear battle will have to live to fight another day," said Norman Ornstein, a political analyst at the American Enterprise Institute.

The sniveling twit Charles Schumer hates him. So does that obnoxious hack Ann Coulter. I have a hard time disliking anyone they both hate. Chuck and Ann both really need to get laid, maybe with each other, although I suspect Ann would be the top in that coupling. *Shiver*

CORRECTION: The senator's name is spelled Schumer ... as in schmuck. I have made the correction.

FOOTNOTE: This is my 100th post since starting this blog on March 17. So far, almost 3,500 hits have been recorded, with more than 4,800 page views. Two thousand or so hits were thanks to one link from Instapundit. I should whore out more of my posts.

2 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:45 PM
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Melts in Your Mouth -- No, Not That!

I typically dismiss any medical study that makes it into the mainstream media. Any researcher or doctor with a fax machine or e-mail list can blast his or her way onto the 6 o'clock news. However, sometimes one of these studies comes along that makes too much sense to be wrong.

Dark chocolate is good for you!

The study, published by the American Heart Association, joins a growing body of research that show compounds found in chocolate called flavonoids can help the blood vessels work more smoothly, perhaps reducing the risk of heart disease.

"Previous studies suggest flavonoid-rich foods, including fruits, vegetables, tea, red wine and chocolate, might offer cardiovascular benefits, but this is one of the first clinical trials to look specifically at dark chocolate's effect on lowering blood pressure among people with hypertension," said Jeffrey Blumberg of Tufts University in Boston, who led the study.

Of course, others have been saying this for years.

"All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!" -- Lucy Van Pelt, Peanuts comic strip character.

5 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 5:13 PM
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The Coward Gets Life

Homegrown terrorist Eric Rudolph is officially sentenced to life in prison as part of a plea bargain in the Birmingham, Ala., abortion clinic bombing. (He also seemingly bombed half of Atlanta: Olympic Park, another abortion clinic and a gay bar.)

And before any of the nuts make a case that he was a hero, keep in mind his normal M.O. was to plant two bombs -- one to blow up the abortion clinic (which fits with his saving babies mentality) and the second to explode minutes later (which targeted police, fire and rescue personnel -- none of which had anything to do with abortion).

And Felicia Sanderson, whose husband died in the explosion, said: "I want to tell you there is no punishment in my opinion great enough for Eric Rudolph. When Eric Rudolph leaves this earth and has to face final judgment, I'm going to leave the final judgment in God's hand."

He deserves the needle. Let's hope some lifer has an idle shank handy, although I assume he will serve his time in a more secure federal pen.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 5:09 PM
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Cocktail of the Week -- French Fried Edition

Is there a bigger tool than French President Jacque Chirac? I can't think of anyone, outside of maybe -- just maybe -- Tommy Tooth.

President Jacques Chirac celebrated Bastille Day yesterday by insisting that France had no need to "envy or copy" Britain.

Whether the point of comparison was food, health, education or science, France was in far better shape than its old rival, he said.

Oh, and dentistry too! And jealousy ... And pompousness ... I could go on and on. But instead, let's discuss the only thing French I really like: Grey Goose Vodka. (And what a pretty bottle!) Which brings us to this installment of the Cocktail of the Week. I normally don't use Grey Goose in many mixed drinks, because, well, once you combine vodka with mixers, they all seem to taste alike. Except for the ones that smell like rubbing alcohol. However, this is an exception.

The drink? The Monaco, named for the famed principality, which by the way holds a treaty stating that the French are responsible for Monaco's defense. The citizenry should certainly hope they are never invaded.

Ingredients

2 oz. Grey Goose vodka

1 oz. orange-flavored liqueur

4 red grapes

2 lemon wedges

1 teaspoon sugar

Sugar and red grapes for garnish

(Yes, like the French, it is a tiresome and difficult drink to make!)

Instructions

Moisten the rim of a cocktail glass with a lemon wedge. Roll the rim of the glass in sugar. Place the 4 red grapes, lemon wedges and sugar into the cocktail shaker. Mash well. Add vodka, liqueur and ice. Shake well and strain into the glass. (Strain, for chrissakes, strain.) Garnish with two red grapes on a garnish pick.

Enjoy ... and say a prayer for Monaco.

UPDATE: Matt McMattMatt gives us another reason to love ... er, like ... er, tolerate the French. They hate What's-his-Name, too!

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 8:05 PM
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Harry the Anti-Christ

This pope was a catalyst to the downfall of communism. This pope goes after a fictional character.

In 1979, Pope John Paul II visited his homeland and declared -- in the then solidly Soviet-ruled Poland -- "It is not possible to understand the history of the Polish nation without Christ." Within two years, the Polish people, who were awakened that day in Warsaw and led by an electrician named Lech Walesa, were thorns in Moscow's side.

In contrast, his successor, the already forgettable Pope Benedict XVI, takes on Harry Potter.

In one response, dated March 2003, he wrote in German: "It is good that you enlighten us on the Harry Potter matter, for these are subtle seductions that are barely noticeable, and precisely because of that have a deep effect and corrupt the Christian faith in souls even before it could properly grow."

He also thanked the author for her "instructive" book, in which Frau Kuby says the hugely popular Potter novels risk corrupting young people, preventing them from developing a proper sense of good and evil. She argued this could harm a child's developing relationship with God.

Which reminds me of the time several years ago, when my then 11-year-old nephew absolutely loved Harry Potter. I've never read Harry Potter, don't care to. But in my opinion, reading fantasy and developing an imagination are a lot better for a kid than a video game where the object is to steal cars, beat people with a baseball bat and attempt to outsmart the Mob.

However, my half-crazy, mostly fundamentalist mother refused to buy him anything Potter-related and declared the boy magician "satanic." So for Christmas that year, guess what I did?

I bought every small Harry Potter toy I could find, individually wrapped about a dozen of those things and gave them to him for Christmas. And laughed my ass off at my mother's reaction as he tore into each gift.

Maybe I should find a few and send a care package to that sourpuss over in Rome.

2 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 5:56 PM
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Hurricane Watch

Tropical Storm Emily is taking one of the strangest paths I've ever seen in my many years of amateur hurricane observation. (If you've ever lived on the Gulf Coast, you know that EVERYONE is a hurricane expert.)

And what path is that? Straight-ahead.

Maybe she has a craving for Mexican food.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 5:42 PM
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Come On Baby, Kick Them Daisies

The new "Dukes of Hazzard" movie gets a big 10-1 from Cooter. And that's not a good thing.

Ben Jones, a former Georgia congressman who played the wisecracking mechanic on the popular series from 1979-85, said profanity and sexual content in the film make a mockery of the family friendly show.

"Basically, they trashed our show," said Jones, who now lives in the mountains of Washington, Va. "It's one thing to do whatever movie they want to do, but to take a classic family show and do that is like taking "I Love Lucy" and making her a crackhead or something."

Jones said he read a script of the movie, which is scheduled to be released next month, and that it contained profanity, "constant sexual innuendo and some very clear sexual situations."

On Wednesday, Jones wrote an open letter to fans on his web site, cootersplace.com, urging them to stay away.

Getting over the fact that Jessica Simpson is Daisy ... but Burt Reynolds as Boss Hogg and Willie Nelson as Uncle Jesse? C'mon, it has to be the greatest film of 2005!

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 5:18 PM
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The Real Nazis of Our Time

Unfortunately, the Queers Against Terror blog hasn't been updated since June. We certainly need it now.

Just as we need to erase the Islamofascists from the face of the Earth. Not put them in prison. Not sanction them. Not pretend they are anything more than roaches that need to be stepped on. Remember, heat plus sand equals glass.

From Nigeria ... where George Bush is not president. Nor Bill Clinton. Nor any of the other presidents who have continued to segregate the military with the very people who could want most to blast these motherf*ckers to their 72 raisins.

A man in Nigeria has been sentenced to death by stoning, after he admitted having gay sex.

The man, who has so far remained unnamed, was given the punishment by a Sharia court. The hard-line Islamic law has been criticized in the past for its advocating of stoning as a punishment.

Never fear, the mighty United Nations has arrived.

Philip Alston, the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said the case needs to be reviewed, and suggested sexuality should not be a reason for execution, even if it is considered wrong by religious leaders.

"Sodomy cannot be considered one of the most serious crimes for which, under international law, the death penalty can be prescribed," he told reporters over the weekend, adding that the punishment is "wholly disproportionate."

Yeah, that'll teach them. "Wholly disproportionate." Dem's fightin' words, hoss.

I'm sure these guys are comforted.

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:14 PM
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Ferme-la, la France

The French, who haven't been very successful at armed conflict lately -- oh, say, the last 100 years -- are now fighting among themselves over losing a bid for the 2012 Olympics. And they claim the British "cheated."

But French sporting legend Jean-Claude Killy says his country's famed diplomatic rooster may have come home to roost.

Killy, a World Cup, world and Olympic ski champion, said Paris shouldn't "look for pitiful excuses."

"Imagine trying to obtain today the votes of the east. It's really not easy," he said in an implicit reference to Chirac's criticism of Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic for supporting Washington in 2003 ahead of the invasion of Iraq.

Chirac said it was "not very responsible" or "well bred" of them to do so, adding that "I think they missed a good chance to shut up."

...

(Killy) added that France has no "international sports presence."

No international sports presence, eh? That one is just too easy.

P.S. My French is rusty and overly influenced by Cajuns, so I wouldn't be surprised if I screwed up the title to this post.

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:00 PM
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Dennis' Blow Job

We're now on the backside of Dennis, and so far, we're hanging on to power. There's still some rain and the wind is whipping at times, meaning tornadoes are still possible. But it looks like Dennis wasn't the scourge Ivan was.

In southern Alabama, people realize it could have been worse. However, no electricity is still no electricity.

Crews lowered the number of outages statewide from 360,000 to about 141,000 Monday. Alabama Power Co. workers were restoring power to some 241,000 customers over a large swath of south and central Alabama. That figure was down to 110,000 Monday. While 825,000 Alabama Power customers lost electricity during Ivan, the company's crews faced a challenge from Dennis, too.

"It's scattered all over the place," said Alabama Power spokeswoman Carrie Kurlander. "We didn't dodge the bullet but we dodged the firing squad. Those are substantial outages."

Don't worry, Carrie, the next shooter is already loading her gun. "Tropical Storm Five," who we will know as Emily by Thursday, is ready to lower her boom in the Caribbean. This one could easily go east or west.

P.S. And to answer your question, FB, most people in the seriously affected areas were told to stay home today unless they are considered essential emergency personnel. Or if they worked at Home Depot. Those of us outside the worst-hit areas put on our rain slickers and strapped bricks to our feet and went to work.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 5:45 PM
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Hurricane Update

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Dennis packed a punch as it came ashore Sunday, but -- so far -- it isn't the bad-ass that Ivan was. I had to venture closer to the coast Saturday, and it was truly strange. I practically had the south portion of the interstate to myself for much of the time, while northbound traffic was bumper to bumper at times. Although it did seem that most people who evacuated did so on Friday.

Today, driving back, I had a few less-than-comfortable moments. But I managed to outrun most of the northern part of the storm and only had to deal with constant rain and some wind gusts that shook me a little. The interstate was practically empty both ways this afternoon -- except for the 60-or-so utility company trucks I saw heading south to repair the damage and return power to those struck.

I hope all my friends along the Florida coast and some in southern Alabama and Georgia fare well. Now we have to wait and watch for tornadic activity and flooding -- the major sources of death from hurricanes, since predicting models prevent many fatalities from storm surges and winds when a hurricane blows in.

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:44 PM
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Cocktail of the Week -- Hurricane Edition

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The drink made famous at Pat O'Brien's -- and the monster brewing around Havana right now -- provide us this installment of Cocktail of the Week.

Pour me something tall and strong
Make it a Hurricane before I go insane
It's only half past twelve, but I don't care
It's five o'clock somewhere

Ingredients

2 oz. light rum

2 oz. dark rum

2 oz. passion fruit juice

1 oz. orange juice

1/2 oz. fresh lime juice

1 tbsp. simple syrup

1 tbsp. grenadine

Orange slice

Cherry

Instructions

Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a hurricane glass. Garnish with a cherry and an orange slice.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:16 PM
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Ivan's Twin

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Dennis is coming, and he's gonna be a bitch. As expected, coming ashore Cuba has weakened him some. However, once he hits the warm, open water of the Gulf, there's nothing between him and the coast but sharks.

The storm was expected to regain some strength once it leaves the Cuban mainland and returns to open water, and U.S. forecasters said they expected it to still be a major hurricane, capable of causing serious damage, by the time it reaches the U.S. Gulf Coast on Sunday or early on Monday.

You can keep an eye on the track here. But don't be fooled by the straight projection line. He can still go just about anywhere.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:07 PM
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Hurricane Update

Meanwhile, back on the homefront, the talk around Hurricane Dennis is that it may be a Cat 4 by the time it makes landfall Sunday afternoon. Let's hope this thing doesn't stall too much and build up strength. Maybe Cuba will break it up some and save the central Gulf Coast from an Ivan-like repeat.

For now, though, it looks like Mobile to Fort Walton Beach are in for a world of hurt. Again.

2 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 8:03 PM
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God Save the Queen

Like most of America, I awoke this morning to news of bombings in London. I immediately rushed to the office as one of the agencies who I work with is based in the city. By this time, it was after noon across the pond and all I could reach was voicemail. Finally, after an hour, I heard from my friend and colleague who reported he was safe as was the rest of his group. Although, he reported, with the transit system locked down, many people would have "a long walk home."

I flashed back to September 11 and the scenes of so many people flooded across the bridges out of Manhattan. A mass of humanity.

He reported, "It is a sad day for London." I replied, "It is a sad day for us all. "

He was touched by the comment, but I remember he was one of the first to call me on September 11, wishing this country his best and hoping I had word on another colleague based in Washington D.C.

I have no doubt that the British people will respond to day the way most Americans responded to our awful day. They are a hearty bunch, and the breeding stock for early America. We are similar, in spite of the differences. After reading this article, I'm convinced the terrorists have once again underestimated an entire group of people.

Computer technician Matt Carter, 25, said he was struck by how the attacks had united Londoners. "It's amazing how people have stuck together. I've seen total strangers hugging each other and people coming out into the street with free cups of tea," he said. "We can't let the terrorists defeat us. We've got to show them they will never win."

The British stared down Nazi Germany and withstood one of the massive, destructive attacks of our time during War World II. I seriously doubt a few camel herders stuck in the 14th century will slow them down very much.

God save the queen.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:49 PM
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The Sodomite Hurricane

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Dennis could be a Cat 3 by the time he hits the Gulf. And the current track has him coming right up Alabama's butt. (Which, by the way, was illegal in the Heart of Dixie until a couple of years ago.)

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:29 PM
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One-Two Punch Comin' Our Way

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Cindy and Dennis ... sounds like a boring couple you'd never invite to a party. Maybe a book club, but never a party. Well, it looks like they are about to crash our bash any way ...

Tropical Storm Cindy barreled toward the Gulf Coast on Tuesday with heavy rains and 70 mph winds, forcing tourists and residents to head for higher ground and oil companies to evacuate rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. Another tropical storm, Dennis, also developed in the Caribbean and forecasters warned it could hit Florida later in the week.

Cindy reached tropical storm strength early Tuesday and developed sustained wind of around 70 mph, just shy of the hurricane threshold of 74 mph. Forecasters said Cindy could reach the coast around the Louisiana-Mississippi state line late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but it was not expected to become a hurricane.

A tropical storm warning was posted from Morgan City, La., to the Florida Panhandle town of Destin.
Forecasters said the storm could bring up to 10 inches of rain, and showers from the outer edges of Cindy began hitting the coast Tuesday. There were scattered reports of street flooding in Jefferson Parish, a New Orleans suburb.

The over-under on the number of times TV "news" uses "New Orleans is 'hunkering down' " is currently at six per hour -- or approximately the same number of Hurricanes consumed by the average New Orleanean with a storm day off work.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:52 PM
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The Fourth of July

A happy and safe Fourth of July to everyone ...

(Photo credit: Declan McCullagh. Check him out if you're in need of some work, especially in the D.C. area.)

P.S. Waiting for Jay or BF to comment on this photo ...

2 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:23 AM
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Cocktail of the Week -- Born on the Fourth of July Edition

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In honor of America's Independence Day, the Born on the Fourth of July cocktail ...

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz. blue curacao liqueur
1 1/2 sloe gin (NOT regular gin, SLOE since this drink should be red, white and blue)
Cream (NOT whipping cream, but the real thing)

Instructions

Pour the blue curacao into an ice-filled collins glass. Carefully layer both the sloe gin and cream on top of the ice. (The result should be a blue and red drink with streaks of white shooting through the colors.)

By the way, I mean this Fourth of July -- not this one.