From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen

The Boss is 60. Can you believe it? And to celebrate there is a fab new exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. That's cool. More jarring is the AARP cover featuring Springsteen, but hey -- he's a baby boomer too.

Anyway, Happy Birthday, Mr. Springsteen. Long may you rock.


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Sand Animation is Ukraine's Got Talent Winner: Amazing to Watch (Україна має талант)

Kseniya Simonova won the inaugural Ukraine's Got Talent competition by demonstrating a rather curious skill: the 24-year-old artist is a sand animator who creates dynamic narratives by manipulating tiny grains of silicon into vivid tableaux. Simonova's victory happened back in April, but a video clip of her winning performance, which made judges and audience members weep, recently became a viral sensation.
Things That Go Pop, 9/23/09

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Tom Delay on DWTS: It Burns, My Eyes, It Burns!

Former Republican Majority Whip Tom Delay, so famous for his strong-arm floor management that he was nicknamed 'The Hammer,' made his debut on Dancing with the Stars this week. It is an uncomfortable viewing experience to say the least. Worse, the indicted former congressman from Texas' song choice was 'Wild Thing.' The dance was supposed to be a cha cha, but really -- especially when he shakes his ass and plays air guitar -- it's more of an ugh ugh. While I guess I have to give him props for the effort and the guts, my eyes still watered when I watched Delays 'moves.' Warning, young children should not be exposed. Two-time champ Cheryl Burke got screwed when she got stuck with 'The Hammer.'



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This Just in for Thanksgiving: Ammunition for Political Holiday Family Feuding and Palin's Turkey Slaughter Disaster

Wanna be able to shamelessly wallow in the Democrats' victory this holiday season? Are you just dying to give as good as you get from your right-wing relatives? Well, look no further for help in your dinner table jousting than this great article from Slate. Use it in good health.

Also, here's a creative remix of the unbelievable interview Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) did at an Alaskan turkey farm this week. There to pardon a turkey for Thanksgiving, she then thoughtfully stopped to do an interview in front of the slaughterhouse -- with turkeys being, um, processed in the background. Wow... just, wow. Thanks to Slate for the gory mad-libbed details in the video.



And here's Letterman's Top Ten List of Palin's excuses for what is, I believe, one of the more amazing demonstrations of piss poor advance work and sad political instincts I've had the misfortune to witness -- not to mention just downright gross.



Just another reason why I don't eat Thanksgiving turkey, folks. It's simply much too literal for me -- it's clearly a big dead bird. Yuck. I prefer my carnivorous food to arrive under plastic wrap and well-disguised, thank you -- and not staring back at me accusingly, either. Yes, I'm a hypocritical vegetarian, and proud of it.

Who wants a drumstick???

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An Early Holiday Gift: "The Mouth that Roared" (and Lies Remorselessly) is... Wired Shut!

In an absolutely delicious bit of karmic justice, it seems that Ann Coulter -- that right-wing talking points spouter, prolific regurgitator/author of absurd new books seemingly every other day, anti-progressive, anti-feminist (or is she just the anti-Christ?) -- has had her jaw wired shut. No, really -- wired shut.

Just in time for the holidays, boys and girls, we have all been gifted with a forced moment of silence from Ann Coulter -- something I didn't think was humanly possible. Better yet, the peaceful bliss could last as long at 5 whole weeks.

The word on the street is that Coulter fell down the stairs -- or was pushed? Okay, okay, that was not funny. Well, maybe a little... but truly, it's not like The Zaftig Redhead to wish bodily injury on anyone (well, except the assholes who cut me off on the beltway). But in this instance, I simply must basque in the irony... the cosmic realignment that has given us all a much needed reprieve. I can do that and still wish her a speedy recovery, right?


It also has gotten me thinking -- always dangerous -- that if Coulter can manage to get her jaw wired shut, rendering her blessedly mute throughout the holidays, what might the benevolent universe bestow upon Sen. Joe Lieberman (turncoat-CT) to balance the scales of justice in that direction? The mind boggles... and mine, at least, also cackles with glee.

On the downside, I do worry a bit about what dipshit theories and outright lies Coulter might plot, write, conjure, etc. while in her mandatory bubble of silence. All that pent up verbiage could kill someone once the wires are removed and she's free to spew again; police would do well to clear the area, and protect us all from her blind vitriol in the new year.

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Time for a Tea Party on the Potomac: On Election Day, DC Demands the Vote

Tomorrow's the big day. The Election Day we've all been waiting for, the one that couldn't come soon enough -- if only to cease the endless commercials, robocalls, and shredding of trees for campaign fodder. Those of you lucky enough to live outside the boundaries of the District of Columbia will also be electing House and Senate candidates in addition to a president. Lucky you. I'm soooo jealous.

As a resident of our nation's capital, I'd like to take this opportunity to remind the rest of the country that while DC votes will help to send the next guy to the White House, the same folks who go to the ballot box in the District today have no voting representation in Congress.

Really. It's true. Taxation without representation is alive and well and being inflicted upon the denizens of Washington, DC. Imagine my surprise, moving here as I did to work on Capitol Hill, to find that my newly-minted DC driver's license also instantly disenfranchised me. Yeah, yeah -- we have a non-voting Delegate, but Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) is only allowed to vote in committee and then only if she doesn't cast the tie-breaking vote. In other words, she only gets to vote when it can't make a difference. She has no vote on the House floor whatsoever -- she's not allowed to vote on amendments or legislation, even final passage.

Meanwhile, DC residents -- many of whom are also, ironically, involved in politics like myself -- have no senators whatsoever. Well, we have a "shadow" senator who has even less clout than our non-voting delegate -- at least Norton gets a salary and has a staff. The District of Columbia, in other words, has the same congressional status as Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. But, um, those folks DON'T PAY TAXES to the United States Government. DC residents do.

How can this be, you ask? Well, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a recent decision, said it's because DC is not a state. The justices were sympathetic to our plight, I'll give 'em that -- but the U.S. Constitution says only states get Congressional representation. So, the only alternative is for DC to become a state, or to amend the Constitution to allow DC representation without statehood.

There has also been this fairly silly compromise that was voted on in the House and the Senate this Congress that would give DC voting rights in the House in exchange for Utah also getting an additional seat. Why? Well, the Republicans would only go for the radical idea of DC voting rights if the additional vote -- most assuredly a Democratic vote -- would be a wash. Utah has been whining since the last census -- they felt they got the shaft, with all the Mormons off on missions -- and that they actually should have gotten another congressional seat back in 2002. Of course, this compromise comes with all kinds of Constitutional questions, a limited shelf life given the decennial census is just around the corner (making this compromise moot), and of course does nothing whatsoever for the District's Senate representation.

That particular conundrum is further complicated by both politics and procedure, since the Republicans do not want the Democrats to gain two Democratic senators from the District, and Senate rules allow filibusters and holds that would make any kind of vote on this issue -- voting rights, a constitutional amendment, whatever -- a very, very high hurdle indeed. The fact that my voting rights, however, are subverted for such narrow partisan interests is the very definition of hypocrisy.

The worst part about all this is that, despite the lack of representation, Congress still feels free to impose its will on Washington, DC in the worst ways possible. They like to use us as an incubator for their crazy ideas -- the Republicans are particularly good at that. Can't get school vouchers that siphon off public monies to private schools, that bypass civil rights, passed nationwide? Nope -- but go ahead, impose them on the District, whose people don't want them. Mad that those same people voted in a gun ban, which has made the streets safer and kept the nation's capital from being the murder capital of the country as well? Sue the city, and take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court (who overturned the ban) because you don't think district residents have the right to govern themselves -- never mind that the gun ban has been in place for decades. Oh yeah, and forbid DC from doing any kind of needle exchange program, too, despite the fact that 1 in 20 residents is infected with HIV. There are lots and lots of examples where congressional conservatives try -- and sometimes successfully -- impose their narrow will on a population that doesn't even have a vote in their chambers. How friggin' insulting is that?

Remember what happened the last time Americans got fed up with that kinda treatment from the powers that be? With taxation without representation? Patriots dumped a bunch of tea into Boston Harbor and the rest is history. My friends, after almost 12 years in DC with very little progress made on DC voting rights, not to mention being treated like a guinea pig by Congress whenever they can't manage to impose their will nationwide, I'm about to throw some Lipton in the Potomac River and see if I can't foment a little rebellion myself. It's past time for real DC voting rights.

Here's a fun video about DC voting rights... get past the bit in the beginning, and it's actually a good song and video.



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SNL: Bush 43's Primetime Endorsement of Palin-McCain

Another priceless entry in what is proving to be a banner year for Saturday Night Live. This latest gem comes from the special Thursday, October 23rd edition of Weekend Update. Apparently George W. Bush has decided to not only school Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) on the duties of the vice president, but also decides his super-duper endorsement is just what McCain needs. Of course, McCain is nowhere to be found, hiding from W for all that he's worth ... but you can watch for yourself.



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Andy and Opie, Ritchie and the Fonz All Endorse Obama

Good guy Director Ron Howard had made a wonderful video, bringing back beloved TV characters to stump for Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). For those of us who grew up on The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days, the clip is a fun walk down memory lane -- with a creative current events twist. Even better, Howard teamed up with former co-stars Andy Griffith and Henry Winkler to reprise their most famous roles.

The video is not a hyperbolic, liberal Hollywood endorsement -- not that there's anything wrong with that! But Howard doesn't take himself too seriously, and says he has voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past -- but like so many of us, feels that this time around the country needs change. Go ahead, give the video a view. It's a welcome oasis in a sea of negativity.

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

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Palin Gets Decent Reviews Playing Herself on SNL

Whoever thought that vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's most sustained television appearance (outside of news coverage of canned stump speeches) would be on Saturday Night Live? Imagine that -- a few weeks before the election, and she's never done a press conference, never done a Sunday morning talking head show. These are strange times indeed, my friend. So SNL decided to help the Alaskan governor out by holding a press conference for her on last night's show -- something the tightly handled Palin has never actually done.

But the reviews are in -- and Palin did pretty well on the Oct. 18 SNL. Truthfully, it seemed like she was a pretty good sport. But being a good sport -- a prop while activity goes on around her -- is not what we need in a vice president. It makes her a bit more likable, perhaps, but her SNL appearance doesn't make her -- or McCain -- any more fit to take the reins this country at a time when we desperately need solid, thoughtful leadership.

Here's the press conference skit -- with a special appearance by Alec Baldwin -- for your viewing pleasure.



And here's The SNL Weekend Update rap about Palin -- performed while the real governor bops to the music.



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Momentary Campaign Ceasefire for Presidential Stand Up at the Al Smith Dinner

The two presidential candidates took a welcome respite from the largely unfunny if not downright dangerous attacks of this year's race for the White House, and instead dusted off some more lighthearted ammunition at the annual Al Smith Memorial Foundation charity event. Held in honor of the late New York Governor to benefit children's charities, the dinner was held in New York City Thursday night and featured such gems as: "I hear you can see the Russian Tearoom from here." Some good stuff -- and a helluva lot more fun than the debates!



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Joe the Plumber is ... not a Plumber -- and his Name is Sam

Samuel J. Wurzelbacher of Holland, OH is the "Joe" of "Joe the Plumber" fame. Yes, the average Joe made famous during the third and final presidential debate on Wednesday night is really a ... Sam. And this discrepancy is not the first issue that has cropped up about the country's latest media celebrity. Apparently, the pipes of Joe's story have gotten a little clogged, sprung a leak, lost a washer -- um, you get the point.

Apparently, Joe is not a licensed plumber and he owes $1200 in back taxes -- according to court records, anyway. No wonder Joe was so worried about Barack Obama's tax plan -- Joe was already in hot water with the tax man. Joe's 15 minutes of fame are about over -- thank God -- though the press was sure hot on his tail today. Wurzelbacher also figured prominently in tonight's special Thursday edition of SNL's Weekend Update and debate spoof. And he got the impressive cultural distinction of inspiring a Top Ten List -- the icing on any shooting star's cake of infamy. From David Letterman's Home Office on Thursday Night, folks, here it is:

Top Ten Messages left on Joe the Plumber's Answering Machine

10) Heard you mentioned in the debate last night, now can you get the hairball out of my drain?

9) This is Joe Sixpack calling -- what are you trying to pull?

8) Sorry, wrong number. I was looking fof Larry the Cable Guy.

7) Dude, did you get to meet Fannie Mae?

6) This is Sarah Palin. Do you consider yourself to be a Maverick plumber?

5) You had a better night than Joe the Dodgers' manager.

4) This is Bob Schieffer. Hijack my show again and I will bust your kneecaps with a tire iron.

3) You've got to get a copy of the Late Night Show's Fun Facts, it's hilarious.

2) It' Brian from The Late Show. Are you available tonight if McCain cancels?

1) It's Madonna. Are you seeing anybody?

Also from the annals of late night: while Joe Biden visited The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, John McCain finally showed up on The Late Show with David Letterman Thursday night -- after dissing him a few weeks back. When Letterman bluntly asked, "So what happened?" McCain simply answered, "I screwed up!" Boy Howdy, Maverick, did you ever. Letterman filleted you after you tossed him over for -- of all people -- Katie Couric. Big mistake. Huge.

Letterman proceeded to grill the Arizona senator about his vice presidential pick -- McCain admitted again that he didn't know Sarah Palin when he selected her, that they had simply met on a few occasions -- and the host was clearly incredulous about the Palin decision. Letterman also grilled McCain about the whole William Ayers issue -- and made McCain squirm when he was asked about a McCain fundraiser G. Gordon Liddy had at his home in 1998. The Letterman interview really was entertaining to watch -- almost as good as an Olbermann Special Comment!

By the way, after all this hubbub about good ol' Joe, McCain admitted to Letterman that the Republican candidate had not yet spoken to Wurzelbacher, and apologized for the media attention the wannabe plumber had received. Game over, folks.

Fact Checking Joe the Plumber

Copyright 2008. The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved.

Kids Tell Parents: Don't Vote for McCain

Kind of along the lines of Sarah Silverman's "The Great Schlep," another campaign is out playing on the power of youth over older voters in the family. This ad, in particular, is aimed at young people -- some too young to vote themselves. It smartly features a few of the actors from the popular CW show, Gossip Girl, and gives humorous ways for young people to talk to -- and stop -- their parents from voting for The Maverick. I find it pretty amusing to have voting for Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) compared to the dangers of drunk driving, with a kid saying: "If you're out and you feel like voting for John McCain, just call me and I'll pick you up -- no questions asked." Then again, considering the selfish binge the Bush administration has been on, spending both the surplus and our international goodwill like drunken sailors, perhaps the perils of a McSame administration are aptly compared.

According to the Partnership for a McCain-Free White House, "Young people overwhelmingly support Barack Obama. But too many of their parents don't. So we launched a fun new ad and site encouraging young people to talk to their parents about John McCain." The campaign, developed by MoveOn.org, gives some important warning signs to look for in parents who may be straying off the progressive path:

1) Prefacing every sentence with "Lemme give you a little straight talk."
2) Arguing that it's crucially important for a president to be erratic and unstable.
3) Referring to the past 8 years of American history as "The Golden Age."
4) Saying things like, "Sarah Palin is a reasonable choice as VP."
5) Having trouble making eye contact.
6) Wandering and pacing aimlessly.
7) Disparaging Spain for no apparent reason.
8) Delusionally believing all people they meet are "[their] friends" —- even though most people are kinda creeped out by them.
9) Being unable to accurately count the number of homes they own, cars they drive, or years the United States should remain in Iraq.
10) Putting a McCain-Palin yard sign in the front lawn.

Time after time this year, we've seen people come out in support of Barack Obama because their children told them to. Or asked them to. Or simply challenged them to follow their hearts and their hopes this time.

But there's more work to do. Right now, young people back Barack Obama by overwhelming numbers. But their parents and grandparents are still leaning more towards John McCain.

People decide who to vote for based on the opinions of the people they trust—and family plays a huge role. The more young people who talk to their parents, the better chance Obama has on November 4th.

Please do your part. Talk to your parents today.

The Partnership's clarion call is clear: Talk to you parents, for the life you save may be your own! Vote for Barack Obama. Amen.





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Sheryl Crow's "God Bless This Mess:" An Eloquent Statement for Change

Folks, I have always been a Sheryl Crow fan. One of the highlights of the Democratic National Convention was seeing her perform -- and of course show her political stripes. In fact, if you go to Crow's blog, you can read about why the grammy-winning singer-songwriter supports Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) for president. Now, she's come out with a new song that gets right to the heart of the matter: "God Bless This Mess." The song is included on Detours, Sheryl Crow’s sixth studio album. Take a look at this live version below, or watch the official video.



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Meet the Press Veep Debate Post-mortem with Gwen Ifil

On October 5, Gwen Ifill, Tom Brokaw, David Gregory and other luminaries of the pundit world gathered for the Sunday morning talking head chatfest known as Meet the Press. Top of the agenda: Saturday Night Live and the vice presidential debate. I will admit I had been a bit disappointed in Ifill's performance as moderator -- I've always thought of her as a serious, credible journalist -- so her kid-gloved handling of Palin was annoying and a bit of a surprise. But after hearing Ifill's perspective, I understand a little better why the debate played out the way it did -- and have more sympathy for her role. I still think Ifill could have pushed more... but this roundtable discussion on MTP is nonetheless enlightening.



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NBC's Brian Williams Dishes about Palin on Letterman: Funny and Informative

I don't know about you, but when I look at Brian Williams, I am inevitably reminded of a "Ken" doll. Not really fair, I know -- he's a good newsman. But he just doesn't move me. Still, I must admit that if I watch the network evening news -- I'm more of a cable girl myself -- I tend to watch NBC Nightly News. I think it's a Brokaw holdover -- nobody did it like Brokaw. Yes, Cronkite was great, but I don't really remember him all that well -- that's just history to me. In my lifetime, Brokaw was the man.

Anyway, I came across this great interview David Letterman did with Williams on Friday -- post-vice presidential debate. It's very informative, and Williams reveals a pretty wonderful sense of humor as well as his chops as a serious newsman. I do need to say there are some sexist remarks by Letterman that I found more than a little problematic -- I know, I know, it's late night television. And while I am not a Palin fan, I couldn't help but cringe at some of Letterman's remarks and his tone as he mimicked the vice presidential candidate. I don't have to like her politics to object to that -- to me, that's an obligation that is above politics. Letterman's sexist remarks are also evidenced in the debate recap Letterman did just prior to Williams coming on stage. Letterman walked a narrow comedy line in the recap -- some of it worked, some most definitely did not.

The Williams interview comes in two parts from YouTube... if you like the first segment, you'll enjoy the second one as well.







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The Palin-Biden Debate, SNL Style, w/ Queen Latifah as Gwen Ifill

Yep, folks, you knew I would post it -- last night's Saturday Night Live skit about the Great Debate. Truthfully, I've practically been forced to post the Oct. 4th video -- it was clear from the site traffic people were dropping by The Zaftig Redhead to see if I'd given some blog real estate the latest SNL ditty -- how could I disappoint? The long and short of it is this: Tina Fey continues to amaze, and Sarah Palin continues to suffer for it. And the SNL crew got some good zingers in on moderator Gwen Ifill -- played winningly by Queen Latifah -- as well as Biden's bombastic style. If you really want to have some fun, check out this great flow chart detailing Palin's debate strategy before you watch the SNL video -- it makes it all come together. Enjoy!


"I want to be done playing this lady Nov. 5," Tina Fey said in September 2008 at teh Emmys. "So if anybody can help me be done playing this lady Nov. 5, that would be good for me."


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Is it Live or is it Memorex? No, It's Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on SNL!

When you have a hard time telling the difference between the real thing and the satire -- well, lets just say, that's not a good sign. Even folks in Palin's own party are getting a little nervous. Listen to this from conservative columnist Kathleen Parker:

"Only Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first."

Ouch. And that's from someone who liked her. Thursday night oughta be interesting, folks. :)

Sarah Silverman and the Great Schlep

Beware: some of the language in this video is more than a little off color and also potentially offensive. It is Sarah Silverman, after all. So why am I sharing it? Well, it illustrates the lengths to which many people are going in order to elect Barack Obama. After tonight's debate, you may also be feeling like you'd go the extra mile to ensure that passive-aggressive windbag -- aka, The Maverick -- doesn't get into the White House.

Speaking of travel -- the point of The Great Schlep is for younger Jewish voters to convince their grandparents and other elders to vote for Barack Obama -- and convince them by any means necessary, as Silverman off-colorfully discusses in this video. I would submit, however, it's not just older Jewish voters that need to be convinced that Obama's the Man -- the polls tell us old white folks in general are proving alarmingly recalcitrant to Change. I'm stunned, of course. As such, even us gentiles should think about making The Great Schlep. Here are the basics about The Great Schlep campaign:

When is the The Great Schlep?
Columbus Day weekend from October 11–13, 2008.

How do I go?
Call up your grandparents and tell them to get the couch ready.

How do I coordinate with other Schleppers?
Use the message board on Facebook. Join our group now!

What if I can’t travel, how can I still take part in The Great Schlep?
Download the PDF and give your grandparents a call. Or head over to JewsVote.org where you can send pre-written grandparent-friendly Obama emails and more.




Copyright 2008 (original text only). The Zaftig Redhead.

Letterman Rips into McCain for Suspending Campaign

John McCain was supposed to appear on The David Letterman Show last night. But, Mr. Straight Talk skipped the late night venue because he "was racing back to Washington" immediately to deal with the economic crisis. Dave apparently took the cancellation with his usual aplomb -- until he found out the Maverick was still in the building -- with Katie Couric. Trust me, after Wednesday's program, it's become very clear Mr. Letterman does not appreciate being dissed as part of transparent political gambit. Yes, folks, Dave is not the man with whom to f#$k. Here are just a few of Dave's zingers from last night -- sprinkled throughout the show.

"When you call up at the last minute and you cancel a show, ladies and gentleman, that's startin' to smell. I mean, this is not the John McCain I know, by God. It makes me believe something is going haywire with the campaign."

"I'm more than a little disappointed by this behavior. ... are we suspending it [the campaign] because there's an economic crisis or because the poll numbers are sliding?"

"Here's what you do if you're running a campaign in the middle of an economic crisis. Here's what you do ... you're a fourth-term senator from Arizona. You go back to Washington, you handle what you need to handle. Don't suspend your campaign. You let your campaign go on, shouldered by your vice presidential nominee, that's what you do. You don't quit! Or is that really a good thing to do?"

"You heard it here first. This just doesn't smell right. This is not the way a tested hero behaves."

Here's the only thing I can say, folks: McCain disses Letterman and cancels appearance? Dave excoriates McCain, his running mate, and his campaign. Keith Olbermann is called in as a last minute replacement for McCain? Priceless!





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Bill Maher's Religulous: In Theaters October 3rd

Anyone else concerned about the encroachment of religion into politics, especially in a country where there is supposed to be a bright line separation between church and state? Well, it looks like comedian Bill Maher has taken on the subject in his film, Religulous. Also, if you are looking for an organization that's fighting the good fight on this issue, try Americans United for the Separation of Church and State; their big project now is to stop illegal church electioneering. AU's efforts are particularly important given the Alliance Defense Fund's efforts to politicize the issue and force a court showdown over the separation of church and state. This weekend, more than 200 pastors plan to endorse candidates from the pulpit; if the IRS threatens their non-profit status as a result they have vowed to file lawsuits as part of the Pulpit Initiative. And, given how the Bush Administration has tipped the scales in the judiciary, I am more than a little nervous about the outcome of such challenges. Maybe Maher's movie -- well timed given the Pulpit Initiative's big day -- will help to stem the tide.



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