Breakfast at Tiffany's – Because I Do Not Know

Jake's New Project Doesn't Blow

June 1 marks the official beginning of the 2006 North Atlantic hurricane season. It also marks the official beginning of a new Jake McCafferty project: Hurricane Central.

I've been working on the template most of the night. Take a sneek peek and tell me what you think.

Storm blogging begins tomorrow.

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 8:41 PM
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Now If Tommy Tooth Would Only Shave Off His

One of Batman's beards is actually a dyke ...

Comic book heroine Batwoman is to make a comeback as a "lipstick lesbian" who moonlights as a crime fighter, a DC Comics spokesman has confirmed.

Batwoman - real name Kathy Kane - will appear in 52, a year-long DC Comics publication that began this month.

In her latest incarnation, she is a rich socialite who has a romantic history with another 52 character, ex-police detective Renee Montoya.

Instead of carrying a utility purse, like in the old days, the out-of-the-closet Batwoman will strap on a ... (minds out of the gutter, boys and girls) utility belt full of tools (again, people, let's keep this grown up) for plumbing repairs and emergency carpentry. It's unknown whether she will have one of those cool bikes like Batgirl rode, or if she'll go for the stereotypical Subaru. We could go on and on. We joke. We love the lesbians. Without them, who would help us change a flat.

At BaT, we find the whole thing a little silly; it's hardly cutting edge at this point. DC Comics, however, says Batwoman's sexuality is "part of a wider effort to broaden the make-up of comic-book creations in line with society as a whole."

But don't we already have a lesbian superhero?

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:32 PM
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Memorial Day

The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers--the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machine guns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After two days of fighting, only 90 could still bear arms.

Behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put them there.

These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war. ...

The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep knowledge--and pray God we have not lost it--that there is a profound, moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.

You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you. ...

We are bound today by what bound us 40 years ago, the same loyalties, traditions, and beliefs. We're bound by reality. The strength of America's allies is vital to the United States, and the American security guarantee is essential to the continued freedom of Europe's democracies. We were with you then; we are with you now. Your hopes are our hopes, and your destiny is our destiny.

Here, in this place where the West held together, let us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. Let our actions say to them the words for which Matthew Ridgway listened: "I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.''

Strengthened by their courage, heartened by their value [valor], and borne by their memory, let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died.

-- President Ronald Reagan, Pointe du Hoc, France June 6, 1984 -- 40 years after Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy.

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 8:30 AM
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The Evolution Of Dance

Elvis ... The Twist ... Y-M-C-A ... Travolta ... Kung Fu Fightin' ... More Travolta ... Head bangin' ... Michael Jackson ... The Robot ... Breakin', the Moonwalk and the Worm ... Walk Like an Egyptian ... The Chicken Dance ... Ride the Pony ... The Running Man and Hammer Time ... Jump! ... Poppin' ... The Club Geeks from SNL ... The Cotton-Eye Joe ... And a few other surprises guaranteed to make you smile.

It's the Evolution of Dance (or at least modern pop crazes) in six minutes flat.

Viral marketing at its best. It's a video you must see, and if you don't laugh, you ain't right.

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:02 PM
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Hair Of The Dog That Smoked Ya

At BaT, we're already over that crooked SOB Bill Jefferson, so let's look at something else stupid -- although there's nothing quite as dumb as a thieving politico from Louisiana.

If you smoke just one cigarette, you are likely to become a steady smoker, according to a new study:

Trying just one cigarette may not be so harmless for non-smokers after all.

Scientists have discovered that a single cigarette has a "sleeper effect" that can increase a person's vulnerability for three years or more to becoming a regular smoker.

"We know that progression from experimenting with one cigarette to being a smoker can take several years," said Jennifer Fidler of University College London.

"But for the first time we've shown that there may be a period of dormancy between trying cigarettes and becoming a regular smoker -- a 'sleeper effect' or vulnerability to nicotine addition," she added.

Shocked, shocked, I tell you! People who smoke one Lucky Strike may very well smoke a whole pack. And people who eat Lay's, well, we betcha can't eat just one.

Who pays for these things. Jeez.

2 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:41 PM
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It Wouldn't Be The First Boob Elected Governor

Let's play a little game. I will list some traits of current gubernatorial candidates and you tell me the state in which they are seeking office.

1. A 31-year-old housewife and mother of two, who was married at 16 and holds a GED ...
2. An admitted pot smoker and anti-drug war activist ...
3. A former Dennis Kucinich for President adviser ...
4. A rather busty woman touting the campaign slogan: "More of these boobs, and less of these boobs!!" (with her opponents as the "less boobs") ...
5. A Libertarian who is actually more enthusiastic about running than one Democratic candidate and equal in number of arrests to the other Democratic candidate ...

The answers:

1. Alabama
2. Alabama
3. Alabama
4. Alabama
5. Alabama

Meet Loretta Nall, Libertarian candidate for Alabama governor. Never mind that her platform is all over the political map: Alabama National Guard out of Iraq, anti-gun restriction, pro-drug legalization, pro-lottery, anti-Patriot Act, pro-gay marriage, anti-hate crimes legislation.

Sidenote: Her advice to gay people seeking protection from bashers and haters:

Hate crime laws will not change the way people think. They will not spread tolerance and acceptance and they will not stop gay people from being assaulted and killed by the violent whackos that inhabit the earth.

Buy a gun instead. As the Pink Pistols say, "Armed Gays Don't Get Bashed."

Now where have we heard that before?

Loretta Nall doesn't have a prayer (scratch that, she's an athiest, too). She seems to take positions, no matter how off the wall -- unlike Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley who is running on a platform of "No Promises" and apparently no plans. (Hat tip for that nice line goes to Lee P. at A Bama Blog.) She was busted for pot possession, yet she's still not the only gubernatorial candidate to be hauled into criminal court.

Hell, and she sure ain't the craziest one in the race.

If you want to read more about her, she has a blog here. If you want to read more about her boobs and tendancy not to wear panties (um, yeah, I said "panties" in a post about politics), go here.

2 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:21 PM
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The Politics Of New Orleans

Most of the chatter I've heard and blogs I've read since Ray Nagin's re-election as mayor of New Orleans have taken a racial tone. Nagin only defeated Mitch Landrieu because Nagin's black and Landrieu's white -- or so goes the prevailing sentiment.

But these people do not understand the city's political history. Back in April, right after the primary, BaT laid out each side's strategy -- and it basically played out as suggested:

Each camp's strategy appears to be clear. Landrieu will bang the drum of new leadership. Nagin will say Landrieu isn't new leadership. In fact, he's just part of the old guard that Nagin displaced. This old guard includes Landrieu's father and the Morial family who counts among it two former mayors: Dutch and Dutch's son Marc.

And, in the same post, BaT came as close to a prediction as we'll do here:

In the end, the money may stay home. And so may a lot of conservative voters (re: mostly white in New Orleans). They feel betrayed by Nagin, who inexplicably played the race card to an audience who had never been very fond of him. And the conservatives -- and some moderates -- do not trust anyone in the Landrieu dynasty.

The result could be four more years of Ray Nagin. Good, bad or otherwise.

In the end, Landrieu received about 20 percent of the black vote, and Nagin received about 20 percent of the white vote. Nagin benefitted from a larger black turnout and a considerable gain in white support:

Political observers had speculated that to win a second four-year term, Nagin would have to quadruple his dismal 6 percent showing among white voters in the primary and broaden his reach beyond the almost 70 percent of African-American votes he earned in the April 22 contest.

It appears the mayor executed that strategy in textbook fashion to earn 52 percent of Saturday's vote, compared with 48 percent for Landrieu, whose challenge was to broaden his base of white voters and hang on to the 24 percent of black voters' support he earned last month.

For Nagin's white support to go from 6 percent to 20 percent, this means that many of the people who voted for either Ron Forman (the business bloc choice who later endorsed his friend Landrieu) or Rob Couhig (the only Republican in the race -- and who endorsed Nagin) chose Nagin -- even though Landrieu took the Forman-Couhig precients.

Had the mayor not gained white support, even with a stronger black turnout, Landrieu most likely would have won. It says a lot about how people feel about the Landrieus nowadays in New Orleans that they would rather choose Nagin -- who showed a serious lack of leadership in the days leading up to and immediately after Katrina -- over the favored son.

Despite my distaste for Nagin's Katrina response and his "God is punishing us" and "Chocolate City" remarks, I can't say I wouldn't have made the same decision. At least at the rebuilding of the city continues, I have confidence Nagin will maintain his history of honest government. I couldn't say that about Mitch Landrieu and the gang with which he surrounded himself.

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Did They Or Didn't They?

Matt Drudge reported earlier today that Howard Dean and the Democratic National Committee actually worked against Nagin -- who, like Landrieu, is a Democrat. (Although Nagin was a Republican before deciding to run for mayor.)

The DNC denies the report, and Drudge has since, er, I wouldn't call it "retracted," the story:

The DRUDGE REPORT takes chairman Dean and his spokesman at their word.

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Now That's Cold, Hard Cash

U.S. Rep. Bill Jefferson of New Orleans -- who even liberal watchdog groups call one of the most corrupt members of Congress -- is going down.

When they get you on tape negotiating your bribes and joking that the FBI might be listening, you'd have a hard time getting off even in a New Orleans courtroom. But when they find $90,000 cash in your freezer, well, Mr. Bill, welcome to Club Fed:

Unknown to Jefferson, Mody also had been working with the FBI, which videotaped the transaction from several vantage points. Four days later, agents would raid Jefferson's home on Capitol Hill and recover $90,000 in a freezer, where stacks of $100 bills were wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in frozen-food containers.

That colorful -- and potentially damning -- tableau came to light Sunday in an affidavit released by the FBI. Agents had used the affidavit to persuade a federal judge to let them search Jefferson's congressional office a day earlier.

Now, I'm convinced I was right about what Jefferson was really after when he had the National Guard escort him back to his house when people were dying.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:54 PM
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Four More Years For Nagin

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was re-elected Saturday to another term as leader of the Crescent City:

Voters re-elected Mayor Ray Nagin, whose blunt style endeared him to some but outraged others after Hurricane Katrina, giving him four more years to oversee one of the largest rebuilding projects in U.S. history.

"This is a great day for the city of New Orleans. This election is over, and it's time for this community to start the healing process," Nagin said Saturday in a joyful victory speech.

"It's time for us to stop the bickering," he said. "It's time for us to stop measuring things in black and white and yellow and Asian. It's time for us to be one New Orleans."

Nagin won with 52.3 percent, or 59,460 votes, to Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu's 47.7 percent, or 54,131 votes. While the vote was split largely along racial lines, Nagin got enough of a crossover in predominantly white districts to make the difference. He also won a slim majority of absentee and fax votes cast by evacuees scattered across the country.

Landrieu's father, Moon, served in City Hall as New Orleans' mayor from 1970 to 1978. Nagin's father worked in the same building -- as a night janitor. In the end, Landrieu's family ties hurt him as much as they helped. It's hard to argue that you offer a new way when your father and sister (U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu) are so identified as part of the old way. (And Sen. Landrieu should be nervous if she seeks re-election in 2008. Were it not for a strong show in New Orleans in 2002, she would have lost to Suzie Terrell.)

Nagin now has another term to show real leadership in the city. He touted his past successes in television commericals and also played upon fears of changing mayors as the 2006 hurricane season approaches. And, then there was his flirtations with race-baiting.

Voter Elliot Pernell was philosophical about his vote for the incumbent.

"He's been through the experience already," he said, "and won't make the same mistakes."

Let's certainly hope not. Frankly, I'd rather have this mayor.

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 9:25 AM
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Cocktail of the Week -- Ol' Mexico Edition

Much as been made during the last few weeks about illegal aliens -- particular the millions who cross the border from Mexico into the United States each year. Many people welcome these imports into America because they "will do jobs no one else wants." Others, however, point out the hidden costs associated with this "cheap labor," particularly the strain on the health-care and education systems.

Can we all just get along?

Or at least, let's agree that some things coming in from Mexico are worth keeping in "The Land of the Free" ... Talavera pottery, Oscar de la Hoya and, of course, tequila. Tequila, that precious product of the agave plant, is a favorite of frat boys and upscale strip clubs alike, is at the heart of this Cocktail of the Week: The Mexican Madras.

Ingredients

3 oz. cranberry juice
1/2 oz. orange juice
1 oz. premimum tequila (try any anejo)
1 dash lime juice

Instructions

Pour fruit juices and tequila into a shaker half-filled with ice. Shake well and strain into old-fashioned glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

Salud!

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 8:41 AM
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Which Of These Is Not Like The Other?

Light blogging tonight because it's the series finale of "Will & Grace." Besides, isn't 2,000 words in three days enough? (See Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.)

But as we ponder a very different way to end a television series -- if you watched it, you'll understand -- let's ponder this: What do all but one of the senators who voted against a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border have in common ... besides their political party?

Akaka (D-HI)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Murray (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL)
Reed (D-RI)
Sarbanes (D-MD)

Only one is from a state that actually borders Mexico ...

The driving distance from major cities in those senators' states to Houston:

Honolulu: Call Delta
Albuquerque: 850 miles (although the border is less than 300 miles)
Seattle: 2,370 miles
Hartford, Conn.: 1,730 miles
Chicago: 1,090 miles
Milwaukee: 1,180 miles
Vermont: There are cities in Vermont?
Boston: 1,830 miles
New Jersey: 367 exits or about 1,600 miles
Rhode Island: It shouldn't even be a state.
Baltimore: 1,400 miles

Funny, huh?

3 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:32 PM
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Mexico's Answer -- And Ours? Communism

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the leftist candidate for Mexican president, says mass emigration to the United States is a disgrace -- and he blames outgoing President Vicente Fox's administration:

"They are the ones mostly responsible for what is going on because there is no employment, there are no jobs in Mexico so people need to emigrate," Lopez Obrador said on his morning television show."

He said Bush's plan, announced on Monday night, to deploy up to 6,000 National Guard troops to help secure the Mexican border would not end the flow of illegal aliens.

"It is not the solution. It is not an alternative but it is a disgrace for us Mexicans because of the irresponsible rulers of this country," the leftist said.

Fox, a conservative, has not lived up to a campaign promise to create 1 million jobs a year and oil-rich Mexico's economy has grown only slowly in his 5 1/2 years in office, although it is expanding rapidly this year.

If Obrador had only stopped there, he might have found some allies here in the States. Instead, he rolls out the tired leftist ideology of pumping government dollars New Deal-style into the Mexican economy. Of course, it won't be money from his government. Instead, Uncle Sam gets to pick up the tab.

But he said Washington also needs to help Mexico economically if it is to stem the illegal immigration which has mushroomed in recent years.

"The relation we should have between nations and governments is a relation marked by cooperation for development. They need to contribute so that there is development in Mexico," he said.

Of course, the real issue in Mexico is the culture of corruption that permeates the government and business. Until true reform is enacted, foreign capital will steer clear of the country. When people write articles about your business climate, the Chamber of Commerce doesn't want it to be headlined "Greasing Palms."

Wei found that reducing the level of corruption from the Mexican level to that in Singapore would have the same effect on foreign investment as reducing the tax on capital income by 50 percentage points. In other words, corruption reduces foreign investment as much as a tax that takes half of net income!

This does not mean that corruption in Mexico in fact does take half of net income. Wei showed in another paper that unpredictable corruption is more harmful than routine corruption with a steady cost. Part of the stifling effect of corruption on the economy comes through the uncertainty and insecurity it forces on businesses, above and beyond the financial cost.

Mexico has significant oil reserves. Yet when I was in the business, it had to ship the crude to Texas for refinement then import it back in -- simply because none of the world's major oil companies would build plants there. It was too costly -- i.e. the payoffs were higher and the threat of nationalization too great compared to the financial rewards.

So bring on the leftists in Mexico, and watch them run the country further into the ground -- much like Chavez has done in Venezuela -- by continued nationalization of the oil and gas industry and corruption. The key to an improved Mexican economy is not New Deal "economics." Instead, it is economic liberalization and creating a climate conducive to international investment.

Mexico does not have the expertise nor the cash to take advantage of its oil reserves. If it would open this area to foreign investment, it could not only provide jobs and additional tax revenue, but also turn the infrastructure improvements over to private entities. The government could then spend its money on bolstering education and other social programs that would keep its citizens from fleeing north.

Of course, the Mexicans could always choose to install the near-communist Obrador, since the pinkos ... as I wrote here on May Day ... have a history of building walls -- to keep their people in.

It would certainly save us the trouble of building one to keep them out.

2 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:37 PM
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The Coming Split Of Political Parties

Over the years, people have fantisized about a legitimate third political party in American politics that would blend social moderates (even some liberals) with fiscal conservatives -- forming a center-right coalition.

Some third-party candidates have affected U.S. presidential elections, but their influence has been based more of a cult of personality than an organized effort. George Wallace and Ross Perot are perfect examples. (In '68, Wallace captured 13.5 percent of the popular vote and 46 electoral votes. Perot received 19 percent of the vote in '92, although he won no electoral votes.) At other times, third-party candidates have sucked away valuable votes -- and possibly cost one of the major parties a victory. (Ralph Nader in 2000; Perot -- again -- in both '92 and '96.)

The third-party buzz is again becoming popular as the 2008 presidential jockeying begins. Both the Democrats and Republicans could face splits. The Democrats split began years ago, and it continues to divide along Left and Far Left lines. Think Hillary Clinton and Russ Feingold. Over the years, moderate Democrats (i.e., socially and fiscally more conservative) have been pushed from their party and make up a sizable swing vote. Think Bill Clinton's two terms as a positive for Dems; Ronald Reagan's two terms when the tide flows the other way.

Republicans are due a fracturing among its uneasy alliance of social conservatives, tax-cutters, small-government types and wealthy contributors. Moderate Republicans (i.e. the country club types who don't want to pay a lot of taxes but aren't too concerned with prayer in school) were given the nudge a few years ago, although they still hang around because they have nowhere else to go. The anti-big government group/"Don't tread on me" crowd has remained fairly loyal to the GOP (except for a few hundred thousand who danced with Perot). But with the free-spending Republicans and bedroom-peekers in charge of the White House, the Senate and the House, those with libertarian tendancies are casting an eye elsewhere.

New York Post columnist Ryan Sager has a new book coming out tackling this very issue. Its title: "The Elephant in the Room: Libertarians, the Christian Right, and the Battle for the Republican Party."

For decades, the Republican Party has been a marriage of convenience, with the smaller government and moral values wings setting aside their myriad of differences to have a shot at power. But, in this surprising new book, rising star New York Post columnist Ryan Sager predicts divorce in their future. Why? Turns out, social conservatives have have been seeing someone on the side.

Starting in 1999, polls began detecting a new kind of Republican. Sometimes called big government conservatives, populists, and even Security Moms, this group is mostly female, southern, religious, and confident that government is the solution, not the problem. Bush's policies have been created to appeal to this demographic, and his deficits, wiretappings, and gay marriage rhetoric are driving the libertarian crowd to distraction.

As THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM explains for the first time anywhere, this could cause real trouble for the GOP. Not only would infighting lessen the party's efficient image, the people ready to jump ship control much of the campaign cash (on Wall Street) and swing votes (in "leave us alone" states like Colorado, Ohio, Montana, and Arizona). The Republicans don't want to admit it, but their string of titanic victories is heading for an electoral iceberg.

It looks like an interesting book, and over at Real Clear Politics, Sager is writing more about libertarians and their lack of political muscle-flexing: (Hat tip: Instapundit)

That, of course, gets to the question of whether a bunch of individualists can ever be organized. A man who should know a little about that, the Cato Institute's executive vice president, David Boaz, tells two stories. In one, a man wouldn't come to a rally for 1980 Libertarian Party presidential candidate Ed Clark because he had to look at his sister-in-law's car. In another, a man skipped a rally at the 1984 Democratic convention in San Francisco because he had a more pressing engagement ... in a hot tub.

"I think libertarians are looking at their sister-in-law's car, instead of going to political meetings," Boaz says. "And there are also libertarians who are in hot tubs in Sausalito." These may seem like small things, Boaz argues, but the cumulative effect is that people who don't care much for government are the hardest to convince to care about changing it.

The challenge, then -- for those who don't want to see the Republican Party succumb once and for all to big-government conservatism and who don't want to see it become overrun with populists lacking in respect for taxpayers' money and individuals' right to be left alone -- is either to organize existing libertarians more effectively to vote and contribute time and money as a bloc or to identify new constituencies with an overriding interest in remaking the time bomb we call the New Deal (everyone under 40 comes to mind).

Laura Bush is doing her part:

Perhaps the most influential person in the president's life is calling on Republicans to leave the issue of gay marriage and a proposed amendment to the constitution out of political strategies for the coming year. That person is Laura Bush.

According to the Associated Press, the first lady told Fox News Sunday that while she's certain the American people want a debate on the issue of gay marriage, she doesn't think "it should be used as a campaign tool, obviously."

"It requires a lot of sensitivity to just talk about the issue -- a lot of sensitivity," she said.

I like her more every day. Although she now is in closer step with Dick Cheney than her husband, which must make people on the extreme sides of both parties scratch their heads after they thought they'd figured out who to hate and who to love.

Cheney-Bush '08? Laura Bush, that is.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:08 PM
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Lawyer, Candidate, Atheist, Holocaust Denier

It's not often one candidate brings those four traits to a campaign. Lawyer/candidate/atheist maybe ... but throw in equal parts Holocaust denial, "white power," and drug legalization, and you have a moron worthy of Southern politics:

A Democratic candidate for attorney general denies the Holocaust occurred and said Friday he will speak this weekend to a "pro-white" organization that is widely viewed as being racist.

Larry Darby concedes his views are radical, but he said they should help him win wide support among Alabama voters as he tries to "reawaken white racial awareness" with his campaign against Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson.

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Speaking in an interview with The Associated Press, Darby said he believes no more than 140,000 Jewish people died in Europe during World War II, and most of them succumbed to typhus.

Historians say about 6 million Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis, but Darby said the figure is a false claim of the "Holocaust industry."

"I am what the propagandists call a Holocaust denier, but I do not deny mass deaths that included some Jews," Darby said. "There was no systematic extermination of Jews. There's no evidence of that at all."

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"It's time to stop pushing down the white man. We've been discriminated against too long," Darby said in the interview.

A poll published last month indicated the Democratic race for attorney general was up for grabs. The survey showed 21 percent favored Tyson to 12 percent for Darby, but 68 percent of respondents were undecided.

Darby, founder of the Atheist Law Center and a longtime supporter of separation of church and state, said he has no money for campaign advertising and has made only a few campaign speeches.

Well, no campaign advertising until now ...

I've known John Tyson Jr. since he was on the Alabama State Board of Education. I have my differences with him -- particularly his close association with the teachers' union -- but he is an competent (although sometimes accused of being slow) prosecutor in one of the busiest circuits in the state.

While it is too earlier for endorsements -- those will come at the end of the month -- it's safe to say that Tyson would have to be indicted (like one of the Democratic candidates for governor) to not receive the coveted BaT Seal of Non-Disapproval!

6 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 5:00 PM
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Cocktail of the Week -- Mother's Day Edition

They changed our diapers. They made us eat our veggies. They kissed our boo-boos. And, when it was all over, heaped guilt upon us for crapping our pants, for failing to realize there are starving children in China who wish they had broccoli and for hanging upside down on the monkey bars to start with.

Kidding, kidding.

What better way to celebrate Mother's Day than drinking? Preferably with dear ol' Mom, but if she's not around, that's OK, too. In this edition of Cocktail of the Week, let's turn to a recipe both you and Mommy Dearest can enjoy. It's weak enough to prevent you from thinking your mother is Karen Walker and strong enough to keep her from getting on your damn nerves the whole day.

So sit back and enjoy a slice (or 20) of Mom's Apple Pie.

Ingredients

2 1/2 oz. apple schnapps
1 tablespoon Hot Damn (or any other red cinnamon schnapps)
Ice

Instructions

Pour the apple schnapps over ice in a brandy sniffer. Float the Hot Damn on top.

P.S. And a special happy first Mother's Day to Armi. See her new post on motherhood with some cute photos of baby Lily.

3 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 11:10 AM
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Howard Dean Goes Off The Reservation Again

The worst thing that happened to the Democrat Party in 2004 wasn't that John Kerry lost to George W. Bush. It was that Howard Dean lost to John Kerry.

Not because Dean could have beaten the president in the general election, but because Dean would have been trounced by the president -- and Dean would have disappeared like another New England governor who lost to a Bush. Instead, Dean became a folk hero to the Left, and his star shined a little brighter after the pitiful campaign Kerry ran -- or should I say the campaign actually ran over him.

Dean engineered the chairmanship of the Dems, and to this day, I'm uncertain what good he has done for the party. I can, however, point to several embarrassing moments. The latest is his appearance on whack-job Pat Robertson's network. Just agreeing to appear should have been embarrassing enough.

But no. Doctor Arggggggh and his famous smugness had to take it a step further, and the smartest kid in the class couldn't get his facts right:

Dean told Christian Broadcasting Network News that the 2004 Democratic platform declares "marriage is between a man and a woman" -- just one of the points he made in reaching out to religious conservatives who are largely hostile to the party.

But the platform does not define marriage that way, and his remarks prompted the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to return a $5,000 donation from the Democratic National Committee.

Dean later acknowledged his misstatement, but the group sent back the money anyway. "We need for Governor Dean to demonstrate real leadership on our issues," executive director Matt Foreman said in an interview, "not to equivocate depending on the audience."

Now no one could expect even the political party's chairman to know every single policy stance. But one would think he could get the big ones right. Maybe he's so use to his party's "anti-" positions on almost everything else, that he assumed it's against gay marriage, too.

The platform (which was the losing platform) states: "We support full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation and seek equal responsibilities, benefits, and protections for these families." Which when you read it doesn't really say the Democrats support gay marriage or even civil unions. Maybe that's in another part of the platform. I haven't read the whole thing, which I guess means I'm qualified to be the DNC chairman.

One could look at this as gay-baiting, which Dean has treaded closely to at times and crossed the line on others -- even including his so-called bold decision to sign the Vermont civil union bill into law.

This decision and his shameful attacks on gay marriage supporter Ralph Nader are covered in detail here. Many of us were never sure where he was going with the "guns, God and gays" comment. The media tells us he was admonishing Southerners who left the Democrat Party over its positions on those three issues. But for those of us who live here, we were left wondering: "Why did he have to bring us into it?" Instead of resonating with Southern voters, Dean's tin ear simply reminded the rednecks who the enemies are.

And, most recently, Dean fired the Democrat Party's gay outreach adviser after the adviser's partner (also a party activist) chided Dean for inaction on issues he considers important to gay Americans. Dean claims there was no connection between the criticism (made public on April 27) and the firing (on May 2). Five days later. Yeah, no connection there.

Maybe Howard Dean is simply mad at the gays. Is he holding this guy against every homosexual? Blame Toby if you must, but not us all.

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:44 PM
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Fred Phelps Gets His Own Federal Law

He says God hates fags. But he won't be saying it anywhere near a lot of military funerals if the U.S. House has its way.

The House of Representatives has voted to restrict demonstrations at military funerals, a measure aimed at a Kansas church group that has carried its anti-gay message to the last rites for those killed in Iraq.

"We will not allow the repugnant acts of a few to define who we are as Americans," said Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Steve Buyer, R-Ind., before the 408-3 vote on the "Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act." Buyer spoke at a news conference joined by motorcyclists who attend military funerals to shield families from the anti-gay protesters.

Protesters, led by the Rev. Fred Phelps of Topeka, Kan., claim that U.S. military deaths in Iraq are a sign of divine punishment for America's tolerance of gays.

The ACLU is challenging a similar law passed in Kentucky, saying the law restricts freedom of speech and expression. I loathe Fred Phelps and his whole crazy "church" -- which is really nothing but his brainwashed children. But I have a hard time equating his vile protests with the "screaming fire in a crowded theater" speech restriction argument.

Of course, it was OK when Phelps was screaming "God hates fags" at real, live homosexuals.

Phelps, in a telephone interview, described Congress as "an American Taliban" that is "patently, blatantly violating the First Amendment." The nation, he said, "is rapidly reduced to having as much liberty as a frog in a snake's belly."

He said that if the bill becomes law he will continue to demonstrate but will abide by the 500-foot restriction. During the 1990s, the church group also picketed the funerals of those who died of AIDS and gay murder victim Matthew Shepard.

His group has carried signs saying "God Hates You" and "Thank God for IEDs" -- the improvised explosive devices responsible for killing many military personnel in Iraq.

Frankly, rather than passing a federal law against the creep, I wish the cops would just turn their heads for a few minutes while a few of our boys in camo should Phelps how the real Taliban would treat him.

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:28 PM
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C-SPAN: The Tom Cruise Of Boring TV?

C-SPAN, the preferred viewing choice of insomniacs everywhere, has ordered two online video sites to pull Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert's much-talked-about appearance at the White House Correspondents dinner last month:

The cable network asked two Internet video providers, YouTube and IFILM, to pull clips of Stephen Colbert's April 29 performance at the White House Correspondents Association dinner from their Web sites.

C-SPAN said it contacted the companies because the copyrighted material was posted online without its permission.

Both YouTube and IFILM complied with the request.

Colbert hosts a satirical current events show on Comedy Central and performed his comedy routine at the correspondent's dinner.

YouTube posted the Colbert video shortly after the dinner ended and received the letter to remove it May 3, according to Julie Supan, senior director of marketing. The Colbert video was viewed 2.7 million times in less than 48 hours, she said.

The last I heard, there are no Nielsen ratings available for C-SPAN (actually, Nielsen can capture the information, so more correctly stated is: C-SPAN, since it does not sell commercial time, does not subscribe to the Nielsen service -- therefore Nielsen doesn't publish the information). But 2.7 million viewers would have to be about two week's worth -- and that's being generous -- for C-SPAN which, surveys estimate, has about 50 million viewers). If this clip was rated among cable shows, it would be near the top 15, albeit below professional wrestling, several of the 354 "Law and Order" reruns and "A Goofy Movie."

Instead, C-SPAN screamed copyright infringement, showing itself to be worthy of the label "Old Media," or maybe even the Tom Cruise of Boring TV. Shouldn't a copyright actually have value before you waste time enforcing it? What in the hell happens on C-SPAN that anyone wants to watch, except maybe one or twice a year at some banquet. And when it happens, you should be glad your network's logo is splashed all over the Internet.

Conspiracy theorists debate: Is C-SPAN protecting President Bush, who was supposedly skewered by Colbert, or is it protecting Colbert, who really wasn't that funny?

3 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 3:39 PM
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Must-See TV: Kathy Is Back!

Pardon me while I become giddy as a schoolgirl ... tomorrow night marks the premiere of Kathy Griffin's latest Bravo standup: "Strong Black Woman."

Kathy Griffin takes the stage once again for her all-new, laugh-out-loud Bravo stand-up special "Kathy Griffin: Strong Black Woman." In this one-hour comedy roast, Kathy takes no prisoners when it comes to revealing Hollywood's juiciest secrets and red carpet blunders, and this time everyone from Paula Abdul to Dakota Fanning is fair game.

This special is yet another hilarious and surreal account of D-list celebrity survival in a business that Kathy knows all too well. Kathy brings her outrageous stories to the stage to reveal her own vulnerabilities in Hollywood as well as her unbelievable encounters with some of the most well-recognized Hollywood names today. This helps to fill the D-List void before the launch of her second season of "My Life on the D List" on Bravo this summer.

"Kathy Griffin: Strong Black Woman" features an unapologetic Kathy, who refuses to curb her political incorrectness in a hilariously entertaining performance. Find out why Kathy was stroking Celine Dion's hair in a backstage greenroom, the ongoing battle against Steven Spielberg and Dakota Fanning, and the real reason why Paula Abdul is always running late for red carpet events. Grab your best gay and tune in to everyone's favorite D-lister to hear for yourself what everyone will be gossiping about the next day.

OK, you'd expect Bravo to give their own show a good review. But you can judge for yourself with a few sneak previews:

How much fun was the Tom Cruise meltdown? (Courtesy of Bravo) "He's so crazy, the gays don't want him anymore!" "I love that Anderson Cooper covered Katrina ... in Prada."

"That was the box of wine talking." (Courtesy of Bravo)

And starting rumors that devil-child Dakota Fanning is in rehab. Sean Hayes' words of encouragement to the little demon: "Good luck, Dakota, you don't want to go South ... South Dakota!"

Tomorrow night. Bravo. 8 Central. Don't miss it.

P.S.: In case you've been living in a cave for the last few years, the gays love her. The straights ... not so much.

5 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:41 PM
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Cocktail of the Week: New Friend Edition

Another busy weekend means another delayed mixology lesson. But this time is works in nicely to a theme. It's Sunday, BaT has a new blog friend in Lost Beach Girl who has a hankering for $10 cocktails. And this one could very well work itself into a $10 cocktail, considering the ingredients.

BaT proudly presents a sweet, yet light summertime cocktail: Beach Sunday.

Ingredients

2 oz. Stolichnaya peach vodka (aka Stoli Persik)
1 oz. Chambord raspberry liqueur
3 oz. cranberry juice
Juice of 1/2 lime

Instructions

Pour vodka and raspberry liqueur over ice. Add cranberry juice, and the freshly squeezed lime juice. Stir and serve.

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 5:50 AM
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Nagin Bats .500 Today

Douglas Brinkley, historian and New Orleans resident, is greasing the skids for his new book on Hurricane Katrina -- and his locomotive is running over Mayor Ray Nagin. In excerpts appearing in Vanity Fair magazine, Brinkley writes:

... Brinkley describes Nagin as spending most of the week after the storm holed up on the 27th floor of the Hyatt Hotel, looking down on the misery of the Superdome.

With all power out, visitors had to climb the stairs if they wanted to talk with him. Brinkley also describes the mayor scurrying to the roof when a cop warned that rabble-rousers were leading a mob to the hotel from the Superdome.

The book contains at least two scenes in which Nagin is described as hiding in bathrooms. One came after his famously emotional call to a local radio station, when he gave voice to the city's rage by demanding federal officials "get off your asses."

Nagin broke down crying after the call and spent 20 minutes in the bathroom "rearranging knickknacks and toiletries," Brinkley recounts.

In another, Nagin boards Air Force One for a meeting with President Bush and Blanco and is offered a shower while waiting for Bush.

"Like a teenager, Nagin just wouldn't get out of the bathroom," Brinkley writes, saying the mayor wanted to shave his head for a photo op. Aides tried to hurry him, and finally a Secret Service agent kicked the door and ordered him out, Brinkley says.

Nagin dismisses the Brinkley book as biased, and he may have a good case since Nagin opponent Mitch Landrieu is the one peddling some of the negative stories.

In better news for the mayor of Chocolate City, the fourth-place finisher in his re-election bid has endorsed him. Ray Couhig, a millionaire and the only Republican among the major contenders, gained 10 percent of the April 22 primary.

Nagin carried the day because Couhig believes him to be someone "who understands business."

The reference appeared to be a signal from Couhig, the race's only Republican to gather double-digit support, to on-the-fence members of his party that they should feel more comfortable with Nagin than with Landrieu, whose family name is synonymous with Democratic politics on the local and national levels.
Nagin sought to underscore that message, saying Couhig had "a choice between two Democrats, and he chose the Democrat who was more business-oriented." He hailed Couhig's decision as "important for the healing process of the city."

Nagin was a Republican until he decided to run for mayor four years ago in a city where anyone with an "R" on the ballot is almost doomed. So Couhig's endorsement isn't much of a surprise. But he could have declined to endorse anyone. At this point, Nagin needed a win of some kind, even if it was a small one.

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:52 PM
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More Talk Of Illegal Alien Backlash

In an article headlined "After Protests, Backlash Grows," the Washington Post notes increased hostility on the part of people we would assume would be symphatetic to the plight of those who come to this country seeking a better life. But when those people come here illegally -- and then millions of them protest in the street that someone dares to make them follow the law -- that's more than most Americans can take:

Congressional leaders in Washington have gotten bricks in the mail from a group that advocates building a border fence, states in the West and South have drawn up tough anti-immigrant laws, and ordinary citizens, such as Janis McDonald of Pennsylvania, who considers herself a liberal, are not mincing words in expressing their displeasure.

"Send them back," McDonald said. "Build a damn wall and be done with it."

The anger evoked a word that immigrant organizers who opposed Monday's boycott feared: backlash. McDonald and other Americans were particularly disturbed by Monday's boycott and civil action, attended in large part by people who entered the country illegally and are now demanding rights enjoyed by U.S.-born citizens and immigrants who entered the country legally.

"How dare they," said McDonald, a research specialist for the University of Pittsburgh who said she voted for Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) in the 2004 presidential election. "If they are so active, why aren't they in Mexico City, why aren't they forcing their leaders there to deal with the quality of life? If you don't like it here, go home."

As Christi King writes on the Common Sense America blog:

You just know you've gone too far when you tick off the liberals.

And I'm noticing this pattern more and more. Much to my surprise, the attitude isn't from the typical xenophobes who just don't like people because they eat differently or speak "funny" or practice another religion. Some of the most biting comments came as I spoke about this issue with gay men, lesbians and black people. Some of them become downright nasty -- even taken racial tones. I was taken aback, as these same people would normally take the other side of this issue so they would be perceived as sensitive and caring.

Even here on this blog, with most of my readers being gay or gay-friendly, no one is supporting the protesters calls for immediate citizenship or government protection.

I remain torn on the issue, as most of us come from immigrants. But those same ancestors came to this country in a different time, a different era and usually legally. Times are different now. When our forefathers came to the United States, there were no government entitlements, such as public education, welfare, etc. There were no emergency rooms where people are given free medical attention. It was a hard-scrabble life, and you survived by your own wits and determination. They weren't a strain on the social system, because -- quite frankly -- there wasn't much of a social system outside the local church charity.

And that's the difference between then and now.

As Ms. King at Common Sense America points out, American citizens of all political stripes are figuring this out:

"It seems our politicians have, once again, misjudged bipartisanship. While they think that they can divide Americans on issues for their own advantage, there are some issues that are bigger than politics. There are some issues that deal with what is best for America. In those issues, Americans from all walks of life and political stripes will always stand united."

As Churchill once said of us (his mother was born in the States): "The Americans will always do the right thing ... after they've exhausted all the alternatives."

I believe our alternatives are exhausted. Our eastern and western borders are sealed by the seas, our northern border by a country of similar economy and language. Our southern border is open. A wall is coming. But is it too late?

2 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:28 PM
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The Saint Of New Orleans -- Chocolate At That

The New Orleans Saints of the National Football League have been, for most of their nearly 40-year history, lovable losers. For baseball fans, think the Chicago Cubs. Brief flirtations with success, but just enough to make the usual misery worse. Their first winning season came 20 years after their founding, and their first playoff win didn't come until 2000 -- 33 years after they first kicked off.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Saints owner Tom Benson was as unpopular as the mayor, the governor, the head of FEMA and the president all rolled into one as he made moves to abandon the city in favor of his hometown, San Antonio, Texas. The man certainly has a tin ear. The Saints are losers, but they are New Orleans' losers.

Much of Benson's shenanigans and the Saints' long history of medocrity was forgotten on Saturday when Heisman-winning running back Reggie Bush of USC landed in their laps:

Saints coach Sean Payton got the surprise news in a phone call during dinner at one of celebrity chef Emeril Legasse's New Orleans restaurants on the eve of Saturday's NFL draft. The Houston Texans had committed to North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams, essentially serving up Bush on a platter to the Saints, who had the second overall pick.

The coach didn't need much time to think about it, making up his mind "somewhere between the minestrone soup and the red fish."

Saturday morning, about 1,500 frenzied fans jammed into a tent next to training headquarters in suburban New Orleans, shouting "Reggie, Reggie," as New Orleans went on the clock. Some joked they were planning their escape, saying they feared a riot would break out if anyone other than Southern California's Heisman Trophy running back was taken.

There was no riot; the Saints drafted Bush.

For people who underestimate the civic pride athletic teams can generate need to talk to the people of New Orleans this week. This was as big a boost as a successful post-Katrina Mardi Gras or Jazz Fest. Something good happened.

Instead, people who had lost everything eight months ago celebrated like they'd hit the jackpot when a large flat screen TV showed NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue making it official: Bush was a Saint.

The crowd roared, arms raised. Salvation had come. His name was Bush, and it wasn't the president of the United States, whose visit a couple days earlier hadn't generated nearly as much fanfare.

"Did you hear that uprising? I thought that tent was going to blow over. It was almost as loud as the dome," said fan Justin Joliboix, referring to the Louisiana Superdome, where storm damage is being repaired for the coming football season.

I'm not a Saints fan, but here's hoping Reggie Bush isn't another George Rogers -- another Heisman winner drafted by the Saints, who had a couple of good seasons split by a stint in drug rehab. (He was soon traded to the Washington Redskins, and promptly won a Super Bowl ring.) New Orleans deserves better for a change. One player cannot save a football team, but if he's good for the city's morale, he's already contributing. Reggie, please don't turn out to be a punk.

Speaking of punks, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was back in the national spotlight recently. I didn't mention Comedy Central star Steven Colbert's performance at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, where everybody makes fun of everybody. Several blogs have praised Colbert for his "biting" jabs at President Bush, who attended and made fun of himself, too.

Frankly, I didn't think Colbert was all that funny. From what I watched, the crowd didn't either. If you're a professional comedian, the president of the United States should not get more laughs than you.

But ... Colbert did have one good line -- and it wasn't directed at the president. Instead, it came at the expense of Nagin, who was a guest of the Los Angeles Times.

While the main target of the roast was President Bush and his administration, Steven Colbert, host of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" and the lead roaster at the event, didn't spare Nagin.

He welcomed the mayor thus: "Mayor Nagin is here from New Orleans, the chocolate city," Colbert cracked. "Yeah, give it up. Mayor Nagin, I would like to welcome you to Washington, D.C., the chocolate city with a marshmallow center ..."

BaT would like to thank the Los Angeles Times for inviting Nagin. There's no logical reason why a newspaper on the other side of the country would invite the mayor of New Orleans. It had to be a set-up.

Ray Nagin or Marion Barry? Your call.

3 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:37 PM
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May Day Roundup

The "Day Without Immigrants" marches went on today, although it seems most of the impact fell on Hispanic-owned businesses and companies who give immigrants (illegal or otherwise) jobs. I saw no marked results here, except if you had a craving for Mexican food at lunch, you were out of luck.

Elsewhere, people marched in the street, chanted slogans and in general had a grand ol' time:

More than 1 million mostly Hispanic immigrants and their supporters skipped work and took to the streets Monday, flexing their economic muscle in a nationwide boycott that succeeded in slowing or shutting many farms, factories, markets and restaurants.

From Los Angeles to Chicago, Houston to Miami, the "Day Without Immigrants" attracted widespread participation despite divisions among activists over whether a boycott would send the right message to Washington lawmakers considering sweeping immigration reform.

Just a random wonder ... what would happen if the more than 10 million gay people in the United States -- all of whom are citizens, as I am taking a conservative estimate of 5 percent of the total 209 million people in the last U.S. Census -- stayed home in protest of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue"?

And another random wonder ... how many of those people marching today -- if they had a vote -- would cast a ballot in favor of gay marriage or civil unions, standard rights they would inherit the day they gain citizenship while we remain second-class citizens?

What do you think: yes or no?

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Why is it that most of the marchers are Hispanic? I would assume it's because the overwhelming majority of legal immigrants and illegal aliens are from Mexico and other places south of the border.

On Anderson Cooper's blog, here's an amusing tale of why New York's Chinatown, "where nearly everyone is either an immigrant or a child or grandchild of an immigrant," seemed disinterested in the march:

As his employees stir giant vats of dough, Richard Eng, manager of the Canton Noodle Corporation, tells me that he and his employees are too busy to step out and join the human chain planned down the block just after noon today.

"We have too many noodle orders," he says. This company on Mott Street in New York City supplies lo mein and wontons to local restaurants -- all of which are open today.

Maybe I should have tried Chinese today. Instead, I had a club sandwich from the local deli.

---

I felt sorry for my friend Eric today. He came to the United States from Mexico legally as a small boy. He later became a citizen, graduated from culinary school and now works two jobs. He was very upset today -- in tears at times -- as he watched news coverage of the marches.

"They are ruining it for all of us who come here to be Americans," he said. "Look at those flags. Mexican, Guatemalan, El Salvador ... why do they wave those flags? People like you who are Irish or who are German, they do not wave those flags on the Fourth of July. This is very, very sad. Now everyone will think I am illegal because of my skin and my accent. I was born Mexican but now I am American."

He, too, fears a backlash against the people who come to this country and live and work legally, while people march for phantom "rights" to enter the United States illegally and be rewarded for it with amnesty.

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Meanwhile, the libertarian types over at Catallarchy are remembering Communism's victims this May Day. And they aren't forgetting that gays were and are frequent targets as dictated by Marxist philosophy -- discrimination supported by Communist Manifesto co-author Friedrich Engels:

Many communist and socialists activists in free countries today decry the treatment of homosexuals under Stalin, Castro, Mao, and other Marx-inspired dictators as inconsistent with the ideals of Marxism. However, a consistent pattern has emerged in countries that aspired to the ideals of Marx. Those governments claiming to elevate the workers and proleteriats of the world also subjugated those who did not fit their idea of an ideal citizen. Prejudices already prevalent in the cultures became intensified and led to the oppression and fear of those who were different. Rather than being self-contained incidents, this sort of oppression of sexual minorities and other dissidents has been and still is a hallmark of governments that claim inspiration and affiliation with the ideology of Marxism.

You should read it all and understand why in this country we discuss building a wall to keep people out, while the Marxists build walls and raise barbed wire to keep their people in.

3 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:44 PM
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Flattery Will Get You Everywhere

... Or at least in the BaT blog roll, for what that's worth. BeachGirl wrote in a comment last week:

OMG, I LOVE YOUR SITE, based on the Breakfast at Tiffany's reference alone!! I LOVE Audrey Hepburn!! I love what you said about Ted Kennedy as well..

Half of my search engine traffic, it seems, comes from people looking for Breakfast at Tiffany's something or the other. The other half wants to read about Yellow Mama, the now inactive Alabama electric chair, which I covered in a post sometime last year.

Anyway ...

I breezed through a little of Beach Girl's blog, and I've decided to add her to the blog roll over on the left. Categorization is difficult for blogs that are part-opinion, part-diary. I started to put her in the "Not Gay (but maybe close to it)" section, but that's reserved for self-admitted "Fairy Dust." Since Beach Girl is a church-goin' girl, I might have offended her, despite the good company that are Armi and Megan.

So I settled on the "Arts & Culture" because being Southern is a culture unto itself. In fact, Beach Girl could be a long-lost relative just for this description of herself alone:

I am a self proclamined southern belle, with a smidge of white trash thrown in for good measure. I love college football and basketball. I love my family and actually enjoy spending time with them. I think of myself as nice person, but I'll let you be the judge...

And her first-ever post is a must-read. To paraphrase David Alan Coe, you ain't sh*t -- or a Southerner -- if you can't quote "Steel Magnolias."

P.S. Oh, and today, she's preaching what I've heard a lot of people say today about the illegal alien marches. I'm afraid the backlash is building as the radicals hijack the immigration issue.