The Weekly Poll
Results
The 'Camelot' Redux Edition...
Caroline Kennedy has expressed interest in replacing Hillary Clinton as the junior senator from New York. Is she qualified and is she the best person for the position?
Well, then, Poll-fans. Here in the order they were received are this week's grand crop of opinions...
MD (Yes, THAT MD) was cynically sarcastic with...
Depends on what she's willing to pay for it. She should be able to cough up a couple mill.
(Thanks, MD!... Ya got a grin outta me with that, I'm tellin' ya!)
Adam the cine-sound pro said...
Is she 35 and a natural born citizen? Then she's qualified. (actually, it's 30 and 9 years citizenship, but no matter) What Senator has actual credentials to deal with any of the stuff that gets debated and voted on a regular basis? I read the news and can make more informed votes than most of these yahoos. I heard some TV commentator rhyme Camelot and 'Obamalot' and I threw up a little in my mouth. I cannot believe people get paid to say stupid sh*t like that with a straight face. (I'm curious. Who was the commentator?)
Sally P(al) swooningly gushed...
Yes She Can! Okay, I will admit up front that I am, "All things Kennedy," having grown up as a Hippy in Camelot. (I believe that her grandpa Joe Kennedy was a scoundrel for having very close ties with 'Tail gunner Joe' McCarthy and for his anti-Semitism. But, that's not Caroline's fault) Aside from that, and for starters, Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg was raised in New York, having moved here shortly after her beloved father was assassinated when she was a small child.
(Upper East Side, right?) Caroline is also an attorney, having passed the NY Bar (no easy feat), and a recognized author. Damn, she could write her own bills.
(I should hope so) AWA being well connected politically and socially. My God, she must know EVERYONE in Congress!
(even the GOP'ers?) And, she has plenty of close Kennedys with whom to consult should she feel the need - not so for most other Senate candidates. (How awful that must be for those candidates) Furthermore, Caroline has the funds to campaign and win come the next election - an absolute must to keep NY DEMOCRATIC, especially when you know the Neocon enemies will do their damnedest to use the Spitzer, et al., debacle to woo the voters come next election! Caroline can bring contracts, bids, and other goodies (goodies? What kinda goodies? I like chocolate, I do) to the state through her influence and, yes, her name, AND a wonderful name it is, Laddie! (I have a wonderful name, too!. ..Adams... Not one but TWO presidents with that name, Lassie!) Yes, she has kept a "low profile," prior to the 2008 Democratic Convention, but please note, she is also SCANDAL-free - a lot more than most of the NY politico's can say, let me tell you!! Go Caroline!!
(Hey, Pal! I'm not altogether sure why, but when I read your missive, I thought I could hear Simon and Garfunkel singing "...Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme...". Musta been that 'Hippy in Camelot' thing ya mentioned... Just teasin', OK?)
Kappy in Philly up next with...
I would like to see Caroline Kennedy run for the senate seat in two years. Let her spend time traveling through the counties, have a debate or two, and then earn her seat. She never held any public office, and I am sure there are people more deserving that could do just as good, if not better. Let's face it, that family is as close to royalty we have here in the states...'To be honest, I first liked the idea, but am now souring on the thought.
(Ya must be a mind reader, cuz all that is exactly how I feel. Thanks, Kappy)
Baron Dave, erudite as ever was, said...
Is she qualified to be US Senator from New York?
She's spent a lifetime at the periphery of politics. She's probably not the MOST qualified for the job, but she has experience, background and smarts
(not to mention the ability to raise LOTS of cash, haha). She has instant gravitas, and the political connections: She's related to Arnold Schwartzenegger.
(That's a good thing?)
Is she the BEST person for the position?
If New Yorkers, of which I was one for a long time, want a representative who will get things done, then she's certainly one of the best. As a high-profile, politically savvy lawmaker she would be effective on the national level in a way most freshman senators aren't, and in almost exactly the same way that Hillary Clinton was.
New Yorkers would be replacing one nationally known figure with another.
Plus, of course, she would really piss off America's enemies. Both home and abroad. Sphincter
conservatives are already cringing, after decades of hate radio and anti-Kennedy propaganda. As much as
Hillary scares the far-right, Caroline evokes a deep-seated fear of competence and intelligence. Just the thing we need in the senate.
(Yeah! Fear and Loathing on the Potomac! Hoo ha, I like that!)
Conservatives are always saying they want someone "out of the beltway", yet they keep putting Washington Insiders like W or McCain on the presidential ticket and running people like Strom Thurmond and Ted Stevens over and over. Caroline Kennedy is both part of the political landscape and outside of it. Be careful what you wish for, you might get it. Republicans would have the cold hard truth splashed in their face, and most of them are too stupid to notice and too gullible to admit it when confronted by reality. But I digress.
DC Madman opined
She's over 30 years old, a US citizen for over nine years and a resident of NY, so yes she is qualified. The best people NEVER serve in public office. The best people for political office are "commoners", intelligent, open-minded, and have no agenda. I have a feeling Caroline Kennedy is intelligent and open-minded, perhaps she has no agenda, certainly she's not regular folk.
(The age and citizenship requirements make her eligible, but not necessarily qualified, IMHO. Yer spot on about her not being 'regular folk', though. Not by a long shot...)
Cal P has a similar take...
Rich people do not represent the interests of the middle class. They never will. Senators, especially those chosen to fill open seats should represent the middle class. There are simply more of us and we are terribly under represented. (Right on! Power to the people!... or something like that, anyway...)
Charlie, a newbie, adds...
I've been regular reader of Bartcop E! for a while now, and I do pretty well at the trivia, but have been unfortunately neglecting these poll questions (All is forgiven). On this one though, yes, she is highly qualified. Whether she is the best possible is pretty hard to say, but she's better looking than most of the competition. I'm in one of those moods.
(and what manner of mood would that be, eh Charlie?)
joe with the little j said...
I feel that Caroline is very qualified for Hilary's old job, can you imagine the education and all the experiences of her upbringing brought her. Bob I get real tired of all the back seat driving and bitching about Barack
after 8 yrs, of the nightmare, I'm going to give Barack a chance and back Caroline for senator, because we whine we lose since 72 when I first voted we won a third of the Presidential races 12 to 24.
I could say more but that's it. (aw, go ahead and say it, joe. Please!)
Joe with the big J is up with...
Caroline Kennedy. Is she qualified to be a US Senator? I think so, Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution three qualifications for senators: 1) each senator must be at least 30 years old, 2) must have been a citizen of the United States for at least the past nine years, and 3) must be at the time of the election an inhabitant of the state they seek to represent. What else is there that qualifies a person to be a senator? Is Tom Coburn qualified to be a senator? Is James Inhofe qualified to be a senator? I guess they are, they've been elected and seated. They're both stupid, and ignorant, they don't have the sense of a box of rocks, but they are qualified to be in the Senate. I think there are a lot of ignorant senators.
(So do I)
Now, is she the best person for the position? Who knows? Even if she is appointed to the Senate and does a wonderful job, and re-elected again and again, no one will ever know if she is the best person for the job. There may be some old farmer in upstate that could be the best person for the job, but he (or she) will never get the job because he (or she) has no fame or fortune and no one will ever listen to him (or her) because he (or she) is an old farmer. Just as Dennis Kucinich would make an excellent President, he never will be because he's short and funny-looking. It doesn't help one iota that he has a hot wife.
(I wouldn't consider that a liability, but that's me) Some people do listen to Kucinich and they say, "Wow, that makes sense. Next!" He can't possibly make an impression, because he's short and funny-looking.
(Pretty smart guy, though)
So, in my opinion (which doesn't count because I'm from Michigan and not New York) go ahead and appoint Caroline Kennedy, you could do worse. We will find out how well she does the job once she has it, just like anyone else.
(I disagree that your opinion doesn't count. While she would represent the people of NY, she would also sit on committees whose decisions would affect us all. Good point, however, on the upstate farmer...)
lbradway who is from upstate NY has a different choice...
I like and respect Caroline Kennedy but I don't think she's the best person to be our new senator in NY.
(I agree with that sentence in its entirety) Hillary Clinton wasn't born here, but she WAS a real NY Senator. She listened to every farmer and fireman in the state. She campaigned hard in upstate and delivered most of what she promised. She could see the big issues at the same time as the little problems. She brought it home for NY. I don't think Kennedy understands the other New Yorkers. I wouldn't even mind if she was chosen as Lt Governor, but we in upstate need Senate representation, too. My choice would be our House Rep Kirsten Gillebrand. She's intelligent, pretty, capable, and has quietly brilliant political skills. (Sounds dandy fine to me)
Maw had a few choice words to say...
Given the current crop of senators, the village idiot is qualified; therefore she is overqualified.
(Haha, Thanks Maw!... But, is that all or most or perhaps just some senators?)
Ah, well... That was fun, I'm tellin' ya... Kudos to all responders and thanks to all readers... 'Til next week, then... Yer the Best!
BadToTheBoneBob
The New Question
The 'Christmas Conundrum' Edition
Christmas was established as a 'Federal Holiday' by Congress and President Grant in 1870. It has been said that their motivation for doing so was to help bring the country together during the difficult post-Civil War reconstruction period. Considering the 'establishment clause' of the constitution, the question is...
Should the status of Christmas as a 'Federal Holiday' be rescinded due to the religious nature of the celebration?
Send your response, and a (short) reason why, to BadToTheBoneBob ( BCEpoll 'at' aol.com )
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman: Life Without Bubbles (nytimes.com)
It may take a lot longer than many people think before the United States economy is ready to live without bubbles. And until then, the economy is going to need a lot of government help.
Froma Harrop: No Con Hurts Like an Affinity Con (creators.com)
Losing money doesn't feel very good. Losing it as victim of a con feels even worse. And being conned by a trusted friend multiplies the hurt. But there's a special department of psychic pain for having experienced all of the above while fancying oneself a savvy insider in the ways of Wall Street.
Susan Estrich: The Other Marriage Penalty (creators.com)
Energy czar-designate Carol Browner's husband does it. So does Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Tom Daschle's wife. Congressman John Dingell's wife has been doing it for years. Should they all be forced to stop and go home and bake some of those chocolate-chip cookies, the very mention of which got Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton in so much trouble so many years ago?
Last Known Gay Holocaust Survivor Speaks Out in New Interview (advocate.com)
Rudolf Brazda, a 95-year-old German citizen and the last known gay survivor of the Holocaust, has definitively broken his silence on his experience at the Buchenwald camp. In a new interview in the French gay magazine "Têtu," Brazda speaks in detail for the first time since he made provisional remarks at the June inauguration of a Berlin memorial to gay victims of the Nazis.
Paul McCartney's smokescreen (timesonline.co.uk)
The musician has made his most experimental album in years, so why is he using a pseudonym? asks Pete Paphides.
Greg Archer: Dame Edna's Fond First Farewell (advocate.com)
As Dame Edna prepares to bid audiences adieu with her First Farewell Tour (take that, Cher), she sits down with Advocate.com to talk about her maybe gay son, Michelle Obama's dresses, and her plans for matrimony in America.
Stephen Armstrong: Wallace & Gromit are back on TV (timesonline.co.uk)
Amid the mince pies, and out of the Americans' grip, the new Wallace & Gromit film is back where it belongs.
Jim Halterman: Kristin Chenoweth on "Pushing Daisies," Playing Dusty, and Christianity (afterellen.com)
The performer on her new album, playing Dusty Springfield, and her childhood lesbian friend.
A Quickie with Joni Lefkowitz (afterellen.com)
The co-creator of "Joni & Susanna" on frenemies, and why being gay isn't a big deal.
Byron Flitsch: Sharon Gless (Finally) Goes Gay (advocate.com)
She's best known for playing the role of an outspoken, eccentric, overbearing PFLAG mom on Queer as Folk, a tough cop named Cagney on Cagney & Lacey, and most recently the mouthy mother on Burn Notice. But Sharon Gless has returned to gay and lesbian audiences playing a new kind of role: an actual lesbian.
Steven Rea: "Kate Winslet double-dips: Actress is remarkable in two more dark screen roles" (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Look at Kate Winslet's film credits - a list that includes five Oscar-nominated performances and began when she was 17, with Peter Jackson's trippy tale of true-life matricide, "Heavenly Creatures" - and you won't see much that's light and breezy.
David Bruce: Wise Up! Christmas (athensnews.com)
The parents of children's book author Avi are Jewish, although they were not especially observant when Avi and his siblings were growing up. True, the family would light candles at Hanukkah, but they also kept a Christmas tree in their home. That is, they kept a Christmas tree unless Avi's maternal grandfather was visiting. He absolutely refused to enter their home when a Christmas tree was inside, so when he visited in the winter, the Christmas tree was kept outside. In addition, during Passover, Avi's father would read a book of his own choosing, hiding it inside the Haggadah, which contains the story of Passover.
David Bruce: Lois Lowry's "Number the Stars": A Discussion Guide
Free Download.
William Sledd: Holiday Makeover (youtube.com)
"Sylvia" by Nicole Hollander
responded:
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Overcast and cool.
Inaugural Poet
Elizabeth Alexander
Poet Elizabeth Alexander will recite a specially composed work at Barack Obama's inauguration next month, becoming only the fourth writer to read their work as part of a US presidential swearing-in ceremony.
Alexander, a 46-year-old professor of African-American studies and a finalist for the 2005 Pullitzer Prize, will deliver her poem moments after Obama is sworn in as the country's first black president on January 20, organizers said.
"My joy at being selected to compose and deliver a poem on the occasion of Obama's presidential inaugural emanates from my deep respect for him as a person of meaningful, powerful words that move us forward," Alexander wrote on her website.
Alexander will become only the fourth poet invited to deliver one of their compositions at an inauguration.
Elizabeth Alexander
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian McKellen wishes he had revealed he was gay earlier.
The openly homosexual actor - who came out on live radio in 1988 when he was 49 years old - regrets spending nearly half a century being dishonest about his sexuality.
However, the 'Lord of the Rings' star thinks his illustrious career might have been different had he been open about his sexual preferences from an early age.
He said: "I couldn't spend my life being in gay plays."
Ian McKellen
Record Year
Concert Industry
The stock market is in the tank, the plant is closing and the neighbor is losing his home ... the perfect time to go to a concert, by one measure.
The concert business grossed just under $4 billion worldwide in 2008, the most ever for a year and up almost 13 percent over last year, according to Billboard magazine.
"Overall, it's been a pretty good year for touring," said Ray Waddell, who covers the industry for Billboard. "I'd never say it's recession-proof, but it's resilient."
In North America, the average box office gross was up 18 percent and the average attendance up 6.3 percent.
Concert Industry
Ailing Shows
TV
Here's the lowdown on some missing-in-action titles from this year that most expected to see again but which have no airdates on the horizon:
NBC's "American Gladiators." Gladiators ready? No, gladiators are not ready. This competition-series revival enjoyed terrific ratings for its initial run during the Hollywood writers strike early this year. A second season launched in May and suffered a sharp drop in viewers, with ratings fading throughout its summer run. Most consider reality shows cheap to produce, but this stunt-heavy arena competition is not. NBC has not mentioned "Gladiators" on the record, but it's considered canceled.
Fox's "The Moment of Truth." Another strike-era reality hit, this, too, saw a ratings decline during its summer run. Unlike "Gladiators," though, "Truth" isn't very expensive, and Fox has shot unaired episodes for a new season. Given the troubled economy and the show's controversial content, sources said garnering advertiser support hasn't been easy (another reason Fox hopes the cheerfully altruistic "Secret Millionaire" breaks out). No airdate is planned for "Truth," but with episodes in the can, a summer run might be tempting.
Fox's "'Til Death" and ABC's "According to Jim." Both are modestly rated, critically indifferent sitcoms produced by their networks' sister studios that fill schedule holes when needed. "Death" is off the air, but a midseason appearance is likely. "Jim" will leave the air shortly, and ABC plans to air its remaining 12 episodes in the summer unless called into action earlier.
TV
Wants Motown Statues
Martha Reeves
Martha Reeves wants Motown greats like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes - and Martha Reeves - immortalized in statue-form at Detroit landmarks.
The Detroit Free Press reports that the city councilwoman and former lead singer of Martha and the Vandellas is pushing a plan for the life-sized sculptures.
Reeves wants to raise at least US$3 million, with groundbreaking for some statues next year when the recording company celebrates its 50th anniversary.
It's unlikely the cash-strapped city will contribute money to the endeavour.
Martha Reeves
7 Pounds Of Latkes
Pete Czerwinski
That's a lot of latkes. A 23-year-old mechanical engineering student has downed 46 of the potato pancakes in eight minutes to win a contest at a Long Island deli.
Pete Czerwinski (sir-WIN'-skee) says he'd never eaten a latke (lot-kuh) before consuming about seven pounds of them Sunday at Zan's in Lake Grove. The Toronto bodybuilder says he's just "a power eater" whose brain never signals that he's full.
Association of Independent Competitive Eaters Chairman Arnie Chapman says Czerwinski demolished the contest's previous record of 31 latkes, set in 2006.
Brooklyn college student Will Millender took second place Sunday with 29 latkes.
Pete Czerwinski
Cease & Desist In Anchorage
Snowzilla
Snowzilla is no more. Municipal officials in Anchorage have given a cease-and-desist order to builders of the giant snowman that made appearances the last three years in an east Anchorage neighborhood. The giant snowman was a favorite for photographers and camera crews from Russia and Japan filmed the temporary sculpture. Snowzilla in 2005 rose 16 feet. He had a corncob pipe and a carrot nose and two eyes made out of beer bottles.
He was built in the front yard of the Powers family home and Billy Powers said his children collected snow from neighbors homes to add to the height and breadth.
The snowman was built even higher in succeeding years, but not everybody in the neighborhood liked all the cars and visitors who came to see him.
City officials deemed Snowzilla a public nuisance and safety hazard.
Snowzilla
'Sopranos' Actor Cleared
Lillo Brancato
Lillo Brancato, who played a bumbling aspiring mobster on "The Sopranos," was cleared Monday of second-degree murder in the shooting death of an off-duty policeman during a drunken, late-night search for drugs.
The jury convicted Brancato of a lesser charge of attempted burglary. He faces a minimum of three years in prison on that count, but the former actor could get credit for time served because he has been behind bars about that long.
Prosecutors say Brancato and accomplice Steven Armento broke into a basement apartment to steal prescription drugs after a night of drinking at a strip club. Officer Daniel Enchautegui, who lived next door, came out to investigate.
Armento blasted the 28-year-old officer with his .357 Magnum, hitting him in the heart. The dying officer fired back, wounding both men. Armento was convicted earlier this year of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Lillo Brancato
Helps Phoenix Police
David Spade
The Phoenix Police Department has gotten some high-powered goodies courtesy of actor David Spade.
The one-time Phoenix resident donated $100,000 so that the department can buy approximately 50 AR-15 rifles.
Spade said he wanted to make the donation after seeing a TV news report about Phoenix officers having to buy their own rifles. Spade grew up in the Phoenix area and graduated from Arizona State University.
Phoenix Police Sgt. Alan Hill says the rifles will be given to patrol officers and that the agency was grateful for the gifts.
David Spade
Price Of Being A Dad
Jamie Spears
A court has put a higher value on being Britney Spears' father this year: about $75 an hour.
For helping his daughter through her turbulent period, Jamie Spears on Monday was awarded an additional $51,000 payout, reflecting an increase in his monthly payments since he took over his 27-year-old daughter's affairs in February.
Jamie Spears had been receiving $10,000 a month for his work, but Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz increased that amount to approximately $16,000 per month and agreed to give him backpay.
He was also granted an additional $1,200 monthly payment so he can maintain and office, which Goetz said was justified by his work getting his daughter's personal life - and music career - back on track.
Jamie Spears
Thai 'Scorpion Queen' Sets New Record
Kanchana Kaetkaew
Thailand's self-proclaimed "Scorpion Queen" created a new world record Monday by holding a live seven-inch scorpion in her mouth for more than two minutes.
Kanchana Kaetkaew, 39, made her record attempt in front of a crowd at a shopping mall in Pattaya, a city on the Gulf of Thailand known for its nightlife and cabaret.
She held the poisonous arachnid in her mouth for two minutes and three seconds before spitting it out -- all the time wearing a white dress and gloves covered in the stinging creatures.
Kanchana then went on to begin her second world record attempt, entering a glass compound where she hopes to stay for 33 days and nights along with 5,000 scorpions in order to beat her record of 32 days set in 2002.
Kanchana Kaetkaew
4,300-Year-Old Tombs Unveiled
Saqqara
A pair of 4,300-year-old pharaonic tombs discovered at Saqqara indicate that the sprawling necropolis south of Cairo is even larger than previously thought, Egypt's top archaeologist said Monday. The rock-cut tombs were built for high officials - one responsible for the quarries used to build the nearby pyramids and another for a woman in charge of procuring entertainers for the pharaohs.
"We announce today a major, important discovery at Saqqara, the discovery of two new tombs dating back to 4,300 years ago," said Zahi Hawass, as he showed reporters around the site Monday. "The discovery of the two tombs are the beginning of a big, large cemetery."
The discovery indicates that there is even more to the vast necropolis of Saqqara, located 12 miles south of the capital, Cairo, he added.
In the past, excavations have focused on just one side of the two nearby pyramids - the Step Pyramid of King Djoser and that of Unas, the last king of the 5th Dynasty. The area where the two tombs were found, to the southwest, has been largely untouched.
Saqqara
In Memory
Robert Mulligan
Robert Mulligan, who directed the classic film "To Kill a Mockingbird," with its sensitive look at a child's world shaken by the racism of a Southern town, has died at 83.
Mulligan died early Saturday at his home in Lyme, Conn., after a battle with heart disease, his wife, Sandy, said Monday.
Mulligan was also known as the director of Reese Witherspoon's first film, "The Man in the Moon," which came out in 1991. It was his last film, and the family drama brought Witherspoon notice as the younger of two teenage daughters grappling with her first love.
Among his other credits were "Fear Strikes Out," the 1957 drama starring Anthony Perkins as troubled ballplayer Jim Piersall; "Summer of '42," the 1971 wartime coming-of-age story starring Gary Grimes and Jennifer O'Neill; and the 1972 horror hit "The Other."
He also carved out a solid career as a TV director before moving over to film, working on such drama series as "The Philco Television Playhouse" and "The Alcoa Hour.".
Funeral arrangements were pending, his wife said.
Robert Mulligan
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