I Wanna Hold Your Hand (But I Don't Want a Brick Thrown At My Head)

The simple act of holding hands can actually be good for your health, according to researchers quoted in this New York Times article.

Of course, this assumes you are neither gay nor an interracial couple, where doing this in public could lead (in many places in the country) to people throwing things at you, or giving you verbal abuse, or just making you feel uncomfortable. This lack of acceptance, still prevalent to a surprising degree in the United States, is what makes people like Mark Foley afraid to be themselves.

This is not something mentioned in the article.

Should Gay People Be Allowed to Serve in the U.S. Congress?

This ridiculous question is now being asked -- and with a "straight face" -- by some high-profile media figures.

It's one of the questions that Chris Matthews asked on Hardball yesterday. His guest was the Democrat running against Dennis Hastert, a former military intelligence analyst named John Laesch. Here's a transcript:

Chris Matthews: We have some tough customers on this show -- Pat Buchanan as you know -- he's a pretty tough customer on the cultural values front. And we had Tony Perkins, who is a Christian conservative activist, on the other day, a leader I should say. Both raising the question, maybe it's a hobgoblin; it's being raised now in this context. Should we have -- should gay people serve in Congress? These guys raise this issue; and do you think that's a fair issue to be raised to broad-brush people who have that orientation given these events?

Laesch: No. I think that America is a country of equality and that every person should have equal rights regardless of your race, creed, sex, sexual orientation.

Chris Matthews: And so you think that's a wrong attitude about this case?

Laesch: Absolutely. Absolutely

Chris Matthews: And so you think a gay member of congress can serve with the same kind of sexual restaint expected of a heteresexual member?

Laesch: Every member of congress should be held accountable for their actions by the voters. We live in a democracy ... in a democracy every one is supposed to have equal opportunity.

You can watch the whole interview at this link.

Can you imagine this same question being asked of any other group? Should Muslims be allowed to serve in Congress? Should [fill in minority here] be allowed to serve in Congress? What about senior citizens?

Here's a thought: All the people who won't be turning out to vote for Republicans come election day because of the Mark Foley scandal don't hate the man merely because he is an ephebophilic stalker-type.

These people hate him equally as much just for the fact that he is gay. They don't like the thought of him having sex with a 17-year-old any more than they like the thought of him sleeping with his longtime partner.

And this is the world in which we live.

Is It Time You Found 'Lost'?

If you never watch the ABC show Lost, it's not too late to start. Although the season premiere is tonight, you can pretty much catch up with the first two seasons by watching last week's recap show on ABC.com, called "A Tale of Survival."

If you watch it, you will get hooked.

I promise.

Watch here by choosing the episode called A Tale of Survival.

Stories of the Day?

1. Mark Foley Details Here

2. Violence in Iraq leaves 52 Dead. Is this mic on?

Barbara Boxes With Fox News Channel

I love the way U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer of California dishes back to the Goldwater Girl anchor at Fox News Channel. The bubbly blonde anchor doesn't even try to hide the fact that she appears to be a Republican political operative with zero credibility and zero objectivity.

Think her turtleneck is hiding a hickey from Bill O'Reilly?

Meet Me In Revitalized St. Louis

St. Louis gets some positive press in today's New York Times. The headline in the story is the same headline as this blog entry.

It's a piece on how the disastrous St. Louis Centre (part of a failed 1980s trend to develop urban malls as a way to revitalize downtown centers) will find new life as a mixed-use commercial and residential space. Nice story.

It's good to see national media covering stories in a "fly-over state," which is a snobby way that people on both coasts sometimes view the Midwest (and anything that is not LA or New York.) Even Fox News Channel, as part of its 10th birthday celebration, broadcast live from "the Lou" yesterday.

Maybe we'll see the Fox News Channel in another 10 years?

Tucker Carlson, however, (pictured above) can please stay at home.

SIDENOTE: If you're hoping to see the St. Louis Cardinals in a prime-time game during the first round of the playoffs, your chances are "zip" and "none" with the Mets, Yankees, and Dodgers (hmmmmm, LA and New York teams!) in the picture.

If The Shoe Fits, Some Won't Wear It

The sign of intelligence, perhaps, is the ability to change your mind. To adapt to new situations. To take new information and consider it thoughtfully, and then act on it. The ability to give up preconceived or ill-conceived notions and admit a mistake.

As Emerson wrote, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."

I thought about this quote when I read the excerpt from Bob Woodward's new book, State of Denial, which is in the new issue of Newsweek.

During the last presidential campaign, John Kerry was labeled as a flip-flopper, with the notion that absolute consistency of thought and the inability to change one's mind is something desirable, or noble.

If you've read the Woodward excerpt, you may be wishing that more people in the Bush admnistration had the admirable quality of being capable of flip-flopping.

The direction of this country could use one giant flip-flop, don't you think?

Read the Newsweek excerpt here.

Listen to moronish political advertising here.

Is Monday Mourning?

More on The Daily Show's hysterical savaging of Cleveland reporter Carl Monday here.

And watch here as Carl tries to "strike back" with his own raw video feed posted on the WKYC website.

With all this media attention stemming from The Daily Show, and with Carl's incredible nose for news as this crafty "reporter's reporter" sniffs out more investigative reports, investigations that could possibly even surpass his fine work exposing masturbating teens, we bet that Carl must really have his hands full nowadays.

Gay Republican Shocks Christians and Soccer Moms Into Voting Democratic

This sentence in today's Wall Street Journal confuses me.

WASHINGTON -- As the scandal over former Rep. Mark Foley has expanded to entwine Republican leaders who knew of his emails to underage male House pages but took limited action, the party has new reason to worry about two key constituencies: Christian conservatives and suburban soccer moms.

Ok, then, let's put this in perspective. You mean there are people who have been voting Republican, who share the values of Republicans, who support the War in Iraq, who think Bush is doing a job, who think the country isn't going in the shitter, who have voted for Bush twice -- and they're going to change their mind because of one horny gay Republican in Florida?

People who change their vote based on this type of event shouldn't be voing in the first place.

I'm talkin' to you, Soccer Mom.

Friday Night Hype: Tivo This Show?

The New York Times really likes the new show Friday Night Lights, which debuts tonight. This review has piqued my curiousity, and we here at The Cup of Joe have a new show to tivo on Tuesday nights.

And just as this show makes its premiere, a show on Bravo (Million Dollar Listing) is having its season finale tonight, and it might be worth a look, especially if you enjoy watching a bunch of West Coast phonies try to buy and sell real estate.

Reporting Hall of Fame: Making the World Safe from Horny Teenagers With Staches

Carl Monday, the reporter who likes beating to death stories about a horny teenager who was caught beating off at the public library, has his own blog. Here's a link.

As you can read for yourself, he doesn't own a spell checker, style book or (apparently) a good reference book where he can check his grammar.

Plaque graphic from the GREAT sports site deadspin.com. LINK

Has Carl Monday Ever Touched Himself?

This is why local TV news is barely watchable. This piece from The Daily Show satirizing Cleveland "investigative reporter" Carl Monday is brilliant.

I'm sure that the object of Monday's "investigations" has learned an important lesson: Never masturbate at the public library.

But, when the camera was turned on him by The Daily Show, do you think Carl learned a single thing?

What's worse, my friends, is that there's a Carl Monday in nearly every city America.

Tell Howie Mandel: No Deal

The first time I got a spam text message from Howie Mandel, I knew it was a scam.

This was the day after I had entered Deal or No Deal's "what's in the case" promotion for the home viewer. At the time I didn't notice (it was in the small print) that they charge people to enter.

It was my first (and last) entry.

Apparently, other people are not in agreement, and NBC is seeing a nice revenue stream for figuring out how to legalize gambling nationwide.

What do you think of this deal? Broadcasting and Cable has the story.

Foley: "ReadN and Ritin R Fun"

Now that U.S. Rep Mark Foley has resigned from Congress, perhaps he will have more time to pursue what he is really passionate about: creative writing.

Of course, he may want to first buy a dictionary and take a remedial writing class at the local community college.

(Clip not suitable for work; I don't think it's suitable for home, either.)

Bob Woodward: Not My Cup of Tea

Ten years ago last month, Joan Didion published a highly critical essay of journalist Bob Woodward in the New York Review of Books. It's a classic. You can read the article here. She was definitely going against the conventional wisdom at the time, but it did get people thinking.

I thought of this essay in light of all the media attention Woodward is getting for his new book. This time, he's critical of President Bush. This is in contrast to his earlier two books, including the one released just before the last presidential election, when the mood of the country was slightly different, and when Bush was more popular, and when Woodward didn't want to say anything to threaten his standing on the Washington cocktail party circuit, and at a time when Woodward didn't want to possibly threaten "sources" (like President Bush) who could give him "inside" information that could be used in his next lucrative book deal. (And these books, obviously, were also before Woodward got serious egg on his face for his connection with the Valerie Plame affair.)

So Woodward has a new book out, eh? Who cares. Let's take a step back to see how he operates: The man kisses political ass to get information -- the type of scoop he has based a career on -- but by the very act of this ass-kissing he becomes an unreliable source. He has become the Insider that he used to loath, and it creates a cycle where he wants his sources to be viewed in as positive a light as possible so that the politicans' tales keep wagging and their lips keep moving. (He's only more critical of Bush now, possibly, because he's still wounded for his part in the Plame-Fitzgerald scandal, and wants to preserve the perception of his independence.)

So although I tend to agree with the information in his new book, "State of Denial," Bob Woodward has absolutely no credibility left with me.

Zip.

Bill O'Reilly on Jay Leno

... Passed on, without comment.

Do the Math: Bad News For Democrats

If the photo at left (which I snapped this morning) is A, and the photo at right is B, then A + B = good news for Republicans next month during the midterm elections.

Throw in an orange level terror alert -- let's call this C -- and you get this equation: A + B + C = Republicans retain House and Senate.

The addition of C, the new terror alert that will allow Republicans to scare just enough Soccer Moms, will be enough to help the Republicans emerge victorious.

What this also means: The Senate seat up for grabs in Missouri stays Republican. Prediction: 52-48 percent, with the Democrat losing, unless something changes between now and election day.

Sorry, I call them like I see them.