Breakfast at Tiffany's – Because I Do Not Know

Do As I Say, Not As I Do, Case No. 48 -- and 49

Earlier this week, we discussed former Vice President Al Gore's hypocrisy. Today, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times (with a a hat tip to Instapundit), the glaring eye of "what's good for the goose is good for the ganger" is turned upon California's top politicians. And across the pond, the Evening Standard unloads on Prince "Ban Big Macs."

Reports the L.A. Times ...

Sen. Dianne Feinstein offers plenty of tips on how California households can combat global warming, such as carpooling and running only a full dishwasher.

But one bit of information Feinstein declines to share is the number of times that she flew last year on her husband's Gulfstream jet, which burns much more fuel per passenger-mile than commercial airliners.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also has asked constituents to do their part to conserve energy -- including cutting summertime power consumption -- even though he takes to the skies on leased executive jets. ...

"There appears to be a discrepancy between calling on people to make personal reductions and using a private jet that exacerbates the problem," Clean Air Watch President Frank O'Donnell said.

Flying on a Gulfstream rather than an airliner is like driving a sport utility vehicle instead of riding a bus, O'Donnell and others say. A single cross-country round trip on a Gulfstream IV, or GIV, the model owned by Feinstein's husband, churns out about 83,000 to 90,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, experts say. By contrast, on a per capita basis, the average American produces 50,000 pounds from all activities in an entire year.

Nonetheless, Feinstein and Schwarzenegger intend to continue their noncommercial flying ways because their jobs demand a flexibility the airlines can't match, spokesmen say.

Then it goes on and on with the hooie about "carbon offsets," which even if it wasn't some scam designed to provide cover for "environmentalists" who don't want to fly with the great unwashed (i.e. me and you), may counter the emissions yet still does nothing about vainly wasting fuel.

And there's the inbred wonder that is Prince Charles, who says McDonald's should be banned as a public health threat. Meanwhile, he failed to check his own food line's nutritional value.

"... it was pointed out that the company's signature Big Mac contains fewer calories, fats and salt than some products in his own organic Duchy Originals food range.

How they compare ...

His Cornish pasty contains 264 calories per 100g compared to the burger's 229 calories, and 5.5g of saturated fat as opposed to the Big Mac's 4.14g."

There's some debate about the calorie count of a Big Mac, but still, check out the fat grams. Amanda from Chicago gets right to the point in the comments section.

I love the irony in Charles' comment ... "It is up to consumers to decide whether to buy them," concerning the pastry. Why can't consumers also decide if they want a Big Mac? I'm so glad the US doesn't have to deal with aristocracy ... we just get Sean Penn instead.

And Congress.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:58 PM
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90210ooooooohhhhhhh

The producers of "Will & Grace" are back with a new gay-centric comedy, starring former "Beverly Hills 90210" cast member Brian Austin Green. (Hat tip: Popnography)

Former "Beverly Hills, 90210" star Brian Austin Green will play a gay man in a new comedy pilot from the creators of "Will & Grace."

The untitled CBS project, from David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, is about two friends and writing partners, one straight and one gay (Green), and the women working with them (Jessica Capshaw, Vanessa Lengies). The project is loosely based on Kohan and Mutchnick's friendship.

We liked the early years of "W&G," but as time passed Will turned bitchier, Grace turned dumber, Jack turned queenier and Karen turned squealier. We're willing to give this one a chance if the pilot is picked up, but this doesn't seem extremely original. It's too much like a one-gay, one-straight "Odd Couple," although many question whether that hasn't already been done, too.

Rumors years ago had one of the male "90210" male cast members who dated a fellow female cast member as a regular on the Hollywood gay cruising circuit. Speculation fell mostly on Brian Austin Green, because he dated two cast members. However, those in the publishing circles, heard a certain male magazine magnate proclaim one more than one occasion that he was bedding the goodie-goodie, not the geeky geek.

Both West Beverly Hills High School graduates later married women, but we thank Brian Austin Green for giving us a chance to bring up that old gossip -- with the guise of relevancy.

6 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:21 PM
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So Where Do We Begin?

Thanks, Blogger, for eating half a post. Let's start over ...

Much has happened since we last gathered. Or not happened.

First, the Oscars. We couldn't watch the whole ceremony ... we don't have eight spare hours on the weekend to do so. But the highlights for us were few anyway. Here they are:

Forest Whitaker. Winner. Love him.

Martin Scorsese. Winner. Finally. Should have won 25 years ago.

Ellen. Funny. Most of the time.

Jerry Seinfeld. Funnier. "Five incredibly depressing movies." A riot. And yawning as Leo DiCaprio (who can't carry Forest Whitaker's lunch ... and he had two chances this year alone!) and Algore slobbered on with each other.

We won't even discuss the former vice president and the glorified PowerPoint presentation he calls a documentary. Instead, this article from the "independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan" -- translation: libertarian -- Tennessee Center for Policy Research pretty much sums up that gas bag. (Disclaimer: In another life, I knew a TCPR staffer, and in 1988, I volunteered on the Gore presidential campaign.)

Gore's mansion, located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES).

In his documentary, the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home.

The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh -- more than 20 times the national average.

Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh -- guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore's average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.

Since the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Gore's energy consumption has increased from an average of 16,200 kWh per month in 2005, to 18,400 kWh per month in 2006.

Keep that in mind the next time the fat blow-hard takes up 10 minutes of our lives lecturing us on what we should do. Hey, Al, your 15 minutes ended about the time Monica took it on her blue dress. Now ride off into the sunset and count your oil bribes.

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Enough about the Oscars. Dictator-lovin' Looney Louie is back in the news. He says his "time is up." No mention if that "up" includes a spaceship. Eighty days and count, eh?

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Yeah, yeah, Americans hate their jobs. Particularly Americans under 25. Blah blah. I remember when we had to walk to the Starbucks on the first floor of the office building. Uphill. Both ways. Whiners.

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So what hasn't changed? Anna Nicole Smith and James Brown are still dead. And not buried.

Playboy Centerfold: 18 days and counting, body still in the morgue.

Soul Brotha No. 1: Two months, body in an undisclosed location -- but in a gold casket. Style even in the end.

Oh, and Al Gore is still a pompous a-hole.

3 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:15 PM
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Boy, Interrupted

It's not a mental hospital, but BaT will not be here for the rest of this week and all of next.

We'll be traveling for work, and blogging will not be a priority. We're heading for the Rockies, where there should be clear skies and -- hopefully -- snow on the ground. Which reminds us of this line from the movie that inspired this blog heading.

"You know, taking us for ice creams in a blizzard ... makes you wonder who the real whack jobs are."

See you a week from Monday ... if not before.

2 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 8:15 PM
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Happy Valentine's Day

Just a short post tonight, as you should have better things to do on Love Day than read about Anna Nicole Smith.

So here's the best Valentine's Day greeting BaT received today:

"I wanted to mail you something amazing, sexy and hot. But the letter carrier told me to get my ass out of the damn mailbox."

Happy V-Day all!

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:31 PM
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She Can't Roll Over In Her Grave -- Yet

It's now time for another round of "Battle for the Body, Celebrity Edition." The possible-baby-daddy count for Anna Nicole Smith's sole surviving child is now up to at least four: the sleazy lawyer/companion, a former boyfriend, Zsa Zsa's husband and the bodyguard/former-chef.

And there are some interesting photos of the former Playboy model and a Bahamian official who granted her immigration favors -- although we're fairly certainly there's no need to DNA test him considering the lily-white Smith-and-God-knows-Who offspring.

Meanwhile, poor Anna Nicole -- who rose to stardom because she looked like Marilyn Monroe -- is now, in death, imitating another celebrity ... James Brown. Like Soul Brotha Number One, there's a fight over what happens to the body.

TMZ has learned that a fight is brewing over Anna Nicole's lifeless body lying in a Florida morgue.

Sources tell TMZ that Anna's mother, Virgie Arthur, wants to claim her daughter's body as soon as possible, paving the way for a proper burial. But Anna's mother, TMZ has learned, is not the only one who wants to claim the former Playmate's body.

We're told Anna's people have contacted Larry Birkhead's reps and tried to bargain. You see, Birkhead has a legal hold on the body per a Los Angeles Judge. If Birkhead releases that hold, Anna's reps promise to give him a sample of her DNA. But here's the catch: Anna's reps have not agreed to give Birkhead a DNA sample of the baby.

Even if Birkhead strikes a deal, it's unlikely Stern could claim the body since he had no legal relationship with Anna -- they were never married. It would seem that in this battle, Anna's mother has the upper hand.

Now, we're not legal experts here at BaT, so we can't comment on who is the rightful heir of the centerfold corpse. But what we do know is there's a special place in hell for people for just about everyone involved in this sordid mess.

P.S. Meanwhile, James Brown is still on ice in Dick Cheney's "Undisclosed Location." A judge told the family last week to hurry it up.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:01 PM
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Just Creepy (Times Two)

At BaT, we aren't fashion experts. We prefer Banana Republic to Prada. But is it just us, or is this sh'aria-inspired outfit the creepiest thing you've ever seen? (Hat tip: Drudge)

And the photo caption leaves us completely clueless:

A model wears an outfit by Fashion East designer Louise Golden during her catwalk show at London Fashion Week in London, Monday Feb. 12, 2007. The designers are showing their Autumn/ Winter 2007/8 collections. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

We're pretty sure if some designer featured the Confederate battle flag -- a widely proclaimed symbol of repression -- then some helpful AP photo editor would explain to us the significance of the fashion "inspiration."

Speaking of creepy, is there anyone out there who thinks Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole Smith's lawyer/companion/possible-baby-daddy, is a good person with good intentions? Anna Nicole's mother is trying to find out the whereabouts of her granddaughter, and this is his response.

As for Stern, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight reporter Mark Steines, he said Daniellynn is the only thing keeping him alive.

"If it wasn't for Daniellynn ... it's the only reason why I'm here," Stern said. "[Arthur is] trying to get the baby ... [I] despise that woman ... as long as I have one breath left in my body ... that woman will not see Daniellynn."

Maybe he's grief-stricken ... being present at the deaths of your girlfriend and your almost stepson in the past few months might do that to you. And maybe there's some history of hatred there between the mother and Stern. But is this something a normal person says to a reporter, just days after the woman he supposedly loves dies?

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark ... and this one has nothing to do with Hamlet.

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:12 PM
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A Sad Life Ends

A depressing day here at BaT. Anna Nicole Smith, the former Playboy centerfold, Guess? icon and all-around troubled soul, died today. (See the post below, as well.) She was only 39.

Anna Nicole Smith, the pneumatic blonde whose life played out as an extraordinary tabloid tale -- Playboy centerfold, jeans model, bride of an octogenarian oil tycoon, reality-show subject, tragic mother -- died Thursday after collapsing at a hotel. She was 39.

She was stricken while staying at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and was rushed to a hospital. Edwina Johnson, chief investigator for the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office, said the cause of death was under investigation and an autopsy would be done on Friday.

Just five months ago, Smith's 20-year-old son, Daniel, died suddenly in the Bahamas in what was believed to be a drug-related death.

Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger said a private nurse called 911 after finding Smith unresponsive in her sixth-floor room at the hotel, which is on an Indian reservation. He said Smith's bodyguard administered CPR, but she was declared dead at a hospital. Later Thursday, two sheriff's deputies carried out at least eight brown paper bags sealed with red evidence tape from Smith's hotel room.

She was just a tragic figure, much like Marilyn Monroe, the woman she modeled herself after. (Ms. Monroe died at 36.) Anyone who watched her horrific reality show on E! could only be in awe of her life ... and not in a good way.

The product of a broken home, a teen mother, a stripper, the bride of an invalid, dirty old man, Playboy centerfold, mainstream model, widow, substance abuser, a mother who lost her son, a woman with a sleazy lawyer boyfriend -- and now a quick death in an Indian casino.

She brought so much on herself, but you just couldn't help but feel pity for her. Sad, simply sad.

RIP, Anna Nicole. Here's hoping you get a better hand somewhere down the road.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:00 PM
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In Memory Of The Mad Man

Five years ago today, we lost a very dear friend after his battle with AIDS. We called him The Mad Man, not because of his wild ways. Quite to the contrary. He was quiet and unassuming, and the nickname was strictly tongue in cheek.

He is gone, but still remembered with love and respect.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:54 PM
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NBGay! Former Pro Hoopster Comes Out

The AFP describes John Amaechi as an "ex-NBA star," which may be an exaggeration. Regardless, the former professional basketball player is set to announce he's gay -- becoming one of only a few male athletes (at least in the major American sports) -- to come out of the lockerroom closet.

John Amaechi, the former NBA player and England basketball international, is to publish a book next week in which he will reveal he is gay.

The autobiography, entitled Man in the Middle, will detail his six seasons in the world's leading basketball league and its release is being eagerly awaited in the United States.

ESPN, publishers of the book have lined up a television documentary featuring the 6ft 10in former centre and a revelatory magazine article prior to the release of the book in the United States on February 20.

Amaechi, 36, becomes the first male basketball player to come out as gay and only a handful of high-profile men in other team sports have done so.

He was born in Boston but raised in England -- and has a British accent. You can watch a clip of him on his Web site. I'm guessing he didn't go to many gay clubs when he was in the States. It would be pretty hard to hide a 6-foot-10 black guy with a British accent.

I'm sorry, all I can think about right now is an episode of "Will & Grace" where Jack was into outing television characters. Will tells him: "C-3PO wasn't gay, he was British."

On a serious note, congratulations to Mr. Amaechi for coming out and chipping away at yet another stereotype. Welcome to the neighborhood!

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 8:33 PM
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C'mon, Get A Life, Round 17

A couple of gay activist groups are upset over a Super Bowl commercial, and a candymaker quickly caves to the hysteria.

A commercial for Snickers candy bars launched in the Super Bowl broadcast was benched after its maker got complaints that it was homophobic.

The ad showed two auto mechanics accidentally kissing while eating the same candy bar and then ripping out some chest hair to do something "manly." One of the alternate endings on the Snickers Web site showed the men attacking each other.

The Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation complained to the maker of Snickers, Hackettstown-based Masterfoods USA, a division of Mars Inc., which also makes M&M's and other candies. ...

Masterfoods spokeswoman Alice Nathanson issued a statement in which she said the company would stop running the ad on television and the Web site.

"As with all of our Snickers advertising, our goal was to capture the attention of our core Snickers consumer," Nathanson wrote.

Good Lord. Can't we have the least bit of a sense of humor? The commercial was funny. Get over it.

And, then there's the PR flack. "Our core Snickers consumer"? Exactly who is that? Insecure auto mechanics? If nothing, the commercial illustrates homophobes' stupidity that an accidental touching of lips could be remedy by self-mutilation.

We really have better things to focus on.

Now here's the correct way to get attention -- and show a real sense of humor.

A group of gay-marriage supporters could begin collecting signatures today for a November ballot initiative that would limit marriage in Washington to couples willing and able to have children.

The measure would also dissolve the union of those who remain childless three years after marrying.

Are they serious?

Gregory Gadow, of the Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance, said the group hopes to make a point by parodying a state Supreme Court ruling last year that denied gays the right to marry because, among other reasons, such unions don't further the purpose of procreation. ...

Gadow said his alliance -- whose name itself is part of the parody, forming the acronym DOMA -- is a loosely organized group of 15 or so friends. While they will work to get Initiative 957 on the ballot and passed in November, Gadow said he doesn't really want to see it enacted -- and would expect the Supreme Court ultimately to strike it down as unconstitutional.

And that's the point, he said. By striking down I-957, he believes the court would be forced to confront its decision in the gay-marriage case.

But, of course, the gay activist groups so upset over a candy commercial are nowhere to be found on this one. Could it be because there's no $18 billion company ripe for a "sensitivity" training shakedown? Jesse Jackson would be proud.

1 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:26 PM
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Help Redesign BaT

Don't forget to vote for your favorite image. BaT will get a new paint job soon, so if you think one of these photos is cooler than the other, tell me in the comment section.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 6:07 PM
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Is Rudy In?

Rudy Guiliani, the former mayor of New York, has removed some "hedge" phrases from this presidential exploratory filing. He is now, legally, on the same footing as two other GOP probables: U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney.

Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who became a national hero for his response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, suggested Monday that a formal presidential announcement was a matter of when, not if.

"Today we just took another step toward running for president," the Republican said, hours after filing a so-called "statement of candidacy" with the Federal Election Commission, which moved him closer to a full-fledged campaign.

"It's a big step, an important one. Quite honestly, we're probably ahead of schedule," Giuliani told reporters in Long Island while campaigning with a state Senate candidate. "We still have to think about a formal announcement and how to do it, but this is a pretty strong step."

C'mon, Mr. Mayor, America needs you in this race. Run, Rudi, Run!

P.S. If you came here to vote on new BaT imagery, scroll down.

0 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 8:37 PM
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More On The New Blogger

Thank you to everyone who commented on their experiences moving to the new Blogger.

I poked around a little more on it using a backup account. I have to say the selling point of new templates isn't that strong. In fact, the new templates look much like the old ones -- just in different colors. Even an HTML novice like myself can manipulate colors. I was hoping for more original designs.

I've surfed through several sites offering blog designs, and most of them seem geared toward 13-year-old girls. I did find one that keeps the sleek, simple look of the current design by MayStar. (Alas, MayStar seems to have retired from creating such templates.) This template will require me to create a new header, which I believe I can do.

Here's where you come in. I want to update Ms. Hepburn's image -- yes, Jay, she stays ... it wouldn't be BaT without her. I've narrowed it to three choices, although once I begin creating the header, I may discover one or more may not work. For now, though, what do you think of these images:

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

The target date for migration and the redesign is our two-year anniversary on March 17, unless Blogger/Google make me move before then.

2 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:43 PM
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Template Temptation

BaT's second anniversary is a month and a half away, and we've been considering a blog redesign. The simple black-and-white look is starting to tire. But, quite frankly, we're not very good at creating our own template, and the packaged designs from Blogger have never been exciting, either.

And now, four years after it bought Blogger, Google seems to be finally interested in improving it. We've been tempted for a couple of weeks now as Google promotes "the new Blogger." We have been hesitant to switch, however, because primarily we don't like change. Secondly, we're worried that some of our previous posts will be lost in the migration. We're already using a customer template, and we're not sure how the exchange will go.

The new Blogger promises features that BaT has been missing. New design features are available, which could making updating our look easier. Feed options are increased, and we have received several requests for RSS and Atom additions. Publishing is suppose to be easier, and there's a label feature which would save time I now spend searching for previous posts on similar topics.

We were almost convinced to switch. Until ...

We read this from Professor Althouse, who did move to the new blogger and is not happy. At all.

Oh, how I wish I hadn't switched to New Blogger! I'm over the problem that the switch itself took three hours, though I'm still irked that there was no warning that it would take such a long time, which would have tipped me off to do it late at night instead of in the middle of the day. And I actually like some of the new features: I get to skip the word verification stage in the comments, I can use labels creatively, publishing is quicker. Maybe there are a couple other things. But the feed doesn't work anymore. ...

If you're going to bring in something important and new, you ought to wow people with it, not make them wallow in regret that you've deprived them of the old. I have defended Blogger for years when people have told me over and over to quit. Ironically, the main reason I've stayed is that I'm assume that anything new will come with its own set of problems.

Of course, her site is much bigger than BaT, and I don't care about lost traffic since I don't have ads and about 30 people a day visit. I'm more concerned about losing posts (even though I have the text backed up) or not being able to switch back to old Blogger if there are problems with the new version.

So, I'm asking for your help ... at least the help of my fellow Blogger users out there. Have you switched, and what's been your experience?