05/31/2007
News: Paula Abdul, Apes, Wiimbledon, Lost, Cristiano Ronaldo
Algerian AIDS crisis hampered by ignorance, misunderstanding: "In Algeria, where
AIDS spreads mainly through sexual contact, 10 million free condoms are waiting in warehouses of the national pharmacy but there are no takers."
Cristiano Ronaldo does a little thumb-sucking on holiday.
USA Today's Pop Candy blog has compiled the 20 most interesting comments/theories they received about Lost on their forums.
Nine U.S. tennis players, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Vince Spadea, Justin Gimelstob, Amer Delic, Robert Kendrick, Sam Querrey Michael Russell, and Robby Ginepri, wiped out in first round at French Open: "It's the first time at any Grand Slam tournament since the 1973 Australian Open that no man representing the United States will play in the second round of singles -- and it's worth noting that no Americans entered that Australian Open."
Paula Abdul whines about her former publicist, gay PR guru Howard Bragman: "I do a call-in every week for OK! Magazine on 'American Idol.' Because of my brilliant job, they want to do a cover on me. I'm being told by Howard Bragman that I'm too old and no one will ever want to do a cover." Bragman responds: "I'm not going into it. I'll stand by my reputation if she'll stand by hers."
Researchers converse with the apes: "The research we conduct here powerfully informs people about the nature of great ape intelligence. We know that humans and great apes share far more than they differ. I think we have to recognize that. If that does not compel us to preserve great apes in the wild, I don't know what can."
Tom Ford doesn't want you to fit into his suits.
Live Journal deletes hundreds of sex-themed discussion groups: "Some deleted LiveJournal communities went by names like childlove and little_children (a community permits multiple LiveJournal users to post entries, while an individual account is limited to one user). Others, however, broadly fall into the category of science fiction, fantasy or user-written 'fandom' stories--and it is those that have sparked the outcry."
Wii tennis pros alert! The first 'Wiimbledon' tennis tournament will soon be taking place in Brooklyn.
Call him sir: David Beckham to be knighted?
Swiss politicians condemn homophobic posters.
Former View host Debbie Matenopoulos weighs in on the Rosie/Elizabeth feud: "The kind of discussions that occurred between Elisabeth and Rosie are real discussions that happen in this country. The View was the only place on TV where open, heated debate happened. By airing debates like that, regardless of who gets offended, it helps the country move forward. It forced people to question their own beliefs and, perhaps, open their eyes to other possibilities. Being polite and complacent doesn't create change. No one is discussing the fact that the fight was less about politics and the war and more about Elisabeth not having Rosie's back, as a friend. Politics aside, by not defending Rosie, Elisabeth was basically saying 'I don't repect you or our relationship. That had to hurt. That was someone feeling betrayed by someone she considered a friend."
Posted 2:51 PM EST by Andy Towle in AIDS/HIV, American Idol, Censorship, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Howard Bragman, News, Rosie O'Donnell, Sports, Switzerland, Television, Tennis, Tom Ford | Permalink
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I'd say it's high time for Baby Christiano's first spanking.
Posted by: Fes | May 31, 2007 4:02:26 PM
I like the trunks Christiano is wearing. Perhaps he should take them off and send them to me.
Posted by: Brian | May 31, 2007 4:04:10 PM
Rosie/Elisabeth: Well, that's an admirable sentiment, Debbie, and in the realm of being a decent person, it should be irrelevant, but we would be stretching credulity to believe that Rosie would defend Elisabeth if the situation were reversed.
Posted by: KJ | May 31, 2007 4:16:09 PM
Ah, the ubiquitous Rosie Haters. Second only to cockroaches in the likelihood of surviving a nuclear bomb.
Posted by: Leland | May 31, 2007 4:19:39 PM
Christ, that DNA cover to the right is distracting... what were you talking about?
Posted by: Greg | May 31, 2007 4:21:39 PM
KJ, while you may find it hard to believe, I'm pretty sure Rosie would most definitely defend Elisabeth if the latter was wrongly accused of saying something negative about the troops or anyone else. Despite their differences in their politics, nothing in Rosie's behaviour toward Elisabeth on The View would lead one to think otherwise.
Posted by: RJ | May 31, 2007 4:32:54 PM
None of those 9 American men at the French Open were expected to do much damage on the red clay in Paris... Things will look much better for American mens tennis when they hit the grass at Wimbledon next month and even better through the North American hard court summer swing culminating at the US Open... Their results will improve...
Posted by: CHUX | May 31, 2007 4:52:03 PM
Language Log calling bullshit on the talking apes piece
http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/004558.html#more
Posted by: elliott | May 31, 2007 5:05:25 PM
Err, the "Tom Ford doesn't want you to fit into his suits" link forwards to a Martha Stweart Pecan Praline recipe. Interesting subtle dig at weight-watching, but I think that is in error?
Posted by: anon | May 31, 2007 5:17:21 PM
I heart Christiano
Posted by: Dave | May 31, 2007 5:34:25 PM
@ ANON 5:17
No, that's the joke. "This family recipe for pecan pralines comes courtesy of fashion designer Tom Ford."
Posted by: vans30 | May 31, 2007 5:38:36 PM
I love Debbie. Amazing woman.
Posted by: Jack! | May 31, 2007 8:02:12 PM
re: Tom Ford posting, yes there is the recipe, but if you click on the video link on that page you will see Martha and Tom making the offending pecan pralines. Very amusing and interesting to watch the interplay between the two very strong and controlling personalities.
Posted by: hoya86 | May 31, 2007 8:07:49 PM
Happy to say that Livejournal is reversing many of those suspensions as we speak (except for the ones that promote or discuss pedophilia).
Posted by: Jerry | May 31, 2007 8:38:19 PM
Andy, that Becks link is from October 2006. Any reason to post it now? Has it been updated and I just missed it? THANKS for always keeping Becks in the blog :-)
Posted by: Becks07 | May 31, 2007 8:42:57 PM
Oh Leland! Regarding hatred, but Towleroad standards, my comment was rather tepid indeed.
Far from being a "Rosie hater", I loved her from the first time I saw her as a VJ on MTV. Was that the 80s?
Perhaps I should not have extrapolated a hypothetical situation. I can say that in the current political environment, I seldom see anyone "go to the mat" for another who is perceived to be in political opposition.
Posted by: KJ | May 31, 2007 10:04:52 PM
In my opinion, the new owner of Live Journal intended to censor journals for reasons that go well beyond the reasons given. Case in point, read the following profile of a single gay father who is raising children. The journal was shut down and later restored but continues to be restricted/censored: http://blueeyes2.livejournal.com/profile
Posted by: Fred | Jun 1, 2007 6:41:00 PM
"but we would be stretching credulity to believe that Rosie would defend Elisabeth if the situation were reversed."
Well, we stretched it far enough to believe Debbie Matenopolous actually wrote this statement so why not go a bit further?
Posted by: Giovanni | Jun 2, 2007 2:45:37 PM