Asperger's Syndrome in the news

So the New York Times reports that the show "America's Next Top Model" is opening the public (and a house full of models') view on what it's like to live with Asperger's Syndrome. But I say to the New York Times, why do you hate "Boston Legal" so much? They've had a character (and now two if you count Jerry's new girlfriend) on the show with Asperger's forever. He is very over-exaggerated, sure, but that's the first TV character I've seen with the syndrome on television. But, more seriously, it is cool that "America's Next Top Model" is trying to bring some depth and reality to an industry notorious for being shallow and generally unaccepting to anything different. Thanks Tyra.

Yeah about what we said earlier...

Iran hasn't been building and stashing nuclear weapons since 2003, according to a story in today's New York Times. But Bush and Israel say they still believe Iran to be a threat.
How can that be? If they don't have nuclear weapons, they pose no military threat to the United States as a country. There may be Islamic extremists living in Iran that could potentially pose a threat someday down the road, but the report just goes to show how the rhetoric used by the Bush Administration when talking about the threat Iran posed was bogus.
He is a lame duck and his reaction after the report came out was to dismiss it. It's another example of how the media has been suckered into what the Bush Administration tells them to create fear and anxiety — two emotions that make the United States putty in an idiot's hand.

Hope floats

Brad Pitt helps impoverished New Orleans residents by designing floatable houses.

The project, called Make It Right, calls for building 150 affordable, environmentally sound houses over the next two years. In a telephone interview from New Orleans, where he plans to present the designs today, Mr. Pitt said the residents of the neighborhood had been homeless long enough. “They’re coming up on their third Christmas,” he said.

It sounds like an interesting concept that could also be used in other places on water, such as Florida. Especially if global climate change really will increase the amount or intensity of hurricanes in the future. Floatable houses! Who knew?

Montel Williams is crazy.

Here's the proof: Montel Williams blows up at reporters.
And here I always thought it would be Rikki Lake who would snap under the pressures of extreme fame. It just goes to show you what a celebrity-obsessed culture we live in that this is the top story on CNN. But Montel does have nice and shiny head, at least.

This better not affect 'Lost'

Producers Guild of America,
You suck.
Love,
Lauren

If you've been living under a rock, read this and this, and watch Sarah Silverman say (maybe not ever so eloquently) what we're all thinking.

The writers want about 2 percent of the royalties from when their work is downloaded to iTunes or streamed online. 2 percent!! What's the hold up? This should be in the bag. The producers should cave to the writers, who are the creative vision (or at least part) of these shows and movies. Many shows have begun showing reruns and it's really pissing me off.
Here are the shows I miss the most:
The Office
30 Rock
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show
Lost and Battlestar Galactica (which premiere in January, but there are rumors they might too be on strike!!)
Boston Legal
And some others I can't think of right now. Plus there are tons of potentially good and definitely bad movies that aren't being made too!
The Producers' Guild is responsible for the upcoming recession. Mark my words.
If these writers and subsequently shows don't come back soon, I might have to spray paint a sign, fly to LA and find the picket lines where I'll start shouting "No, no, we won't go." I'm warning you.

Thursday's debate

I smell a big bad Wolf.
It was reported by the Drudge Report two days before Thursday’s Democratic presidential debate that CNN warned Wolf Blitzer to keep his proverbial paws off Hillary Clinton. He was not to attack her if she flip-flopped from earlier statements or focus on the front-runner as a person who needs to be brought down and destroyed. It just goes to show you once again that fair is a word that has no chance of survival in this election.
Wolf strategically cut off the members of the Hillary-called “boys club” with “thank yous,” “okays” or “alrights” anytime they ventured too close to a true revelation about Hillary’s voting record or if they, god forbid, were on the verge of equal air time, speaking as much as Hillary.
In trying to curb any unfair front-runner attack formations, Wolf allowed Hillary to speak more than anyone else, rarely interrupted her and cut off Dennis Kucinich anytime he spoke the truth about her past.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to have a president who actually gets it right the first time around?” Kucinich asked the audience referring to Hillary’s vote for the Iraq War, which earned him a surprisingly thunderous applause from the pro-Hillary audience. Kucinich wasn’t called on again.
It’s understandable that the media, after seeing the devastation of the Bush Administration, would want to endorse a Democratic candidate they feel can win and one that they trust. But guys, at least wait until the primaries are over. Let the people decide for themselves. Every time Wolf would cut a candidate off — a good two to three minutes before he would have cut off Hillary — I wondered if I’d missed the meeting in which equal air time was thrown out the window.
One CNN anchor asked Hillary what she meant when she said her education at Wellesley prepared her for the “boys club of presidential politics,” and if she was exploiting the fact that she is a woman.
“I’m not exploiting anything at all, I’m not playing the gender card, I’m trying to play the winning card,” she said. “People aren’t attacking me because I’m a woman, they’re attacking me because I’m ahead. As Harry Truman famously said, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen and I feel very comfortable in the kitchen, so I’m going to stay.”
The question and answer part of the debate was just as bad as CNN’s planned questions by the anchors. The last question of the night by an audience member (and, surprise, surprise, for Hillary) was, “do you prefer diamonds or pearls?”
Hillary said she wouldn’t be accused of flip-flopping on this issue: “I want both.”
I’m hoping when Anderson Cooper moderates the next debate, the Republican YouTube debate, he will offer equal airtime to all of the boys in the rival club.
Rudy should not be off limits for attacks and (I’d never thought I’d hear myself say it) even Fred Thompson should get a shot to speak his mind.

To watch the debates you can go here. It's uploaded in parts, but after you watch the first one, the rest of the parts are labeled the same, so you can either type it in or find it in the right column.

I can't resist!!!

I was cruising YouTube and other sites today and stumbled upon some really hilarious videos. Enjoy!

Remember this!!

Nathalie Portman Rap
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