“We dream big, you have to in a land that is the final frontier.”
—William Shatner, on Canada at the Closing Ceremony
March 2010
“President Barack Obama hasn’t kicked the smoking habit, takes anti-inflammatory medication to relieve chronic tendinitis in his left knee and should eat better to lower his cholesterol, his team of doctors concluded Sunday after the 48-year-old’s first medical checkup as commander in chief. The hoops-happy chief executive, who has endured an exhausting White House run and yearlong battles with congressional Republicans, was otherwise declared in excellent health and fit for duty. The White House physician, Navy Capt. Jeffrey Kuhlman, said Obama should stick with “smoking cessation efforts,” the use of nicotine gum, and come back in August 2011 after he turns 50. The slightly elevated cholesterol levels, tendinitis in his left knee and occasional smoking were the only negatives noted. Obama said at a June news conference that he still had an occasional cigarette. It was his first public acknowledgment that he hadn’t kicked the habit. He chews nicotine gum to avoid regular smoking, and his doctor said that should continue.”
—Obama Doctor: President ‘Fit For Duty’ And In ‘Excellent Health’
“President Barack Obama hasn’t kicked the smoking habit, takes anti-inflammatory medication to relieve chronic tendinitis in his left knee and should eat better to lower his cholesterol, his team of doctors concluded Sunday after the 48-year-old’s first medical checkup as commander in chief. The hoops-happy chief executive, who has endured an exhausting White House run and yearlong battles with congressional Republicans, was otherwise declared in excellent health and fit for duty. The White House physician, Navy Capt. Jeffrey Kuhlman, said Obama should stick with “smoking cessation efforts,” the use of nicotine gum, and come back in August 2011 after he turns 50. The slightly elevated cholesterol levels, tendinitis in his left knee and occasional smoking were the only negatives noted. Obama said at a June news conference that he still had an occasional cigarette. It was his first public acknowledgment that he hadn’t kicked the habit. He chews nicotine gum to avoid regular smoking, and his doctor said that should continue.”
—Obama Doctor: President ‘Fit For Duty’ And In ‘Excellent Health’
February 2010
“I have the world championships in Italy, and then I’m going to take a vacation to Mongolia because I want to ride a yak. And after that, I’ll go to Moscow and see some friends, and after that I’m going to go lay on a beach for a little while, and then maybe continue skating, but if not, I want a career in fashion.”
—Johnny on his plans post Olympics, from Vanity Fair (via fuckyeahjohnnyweir)
Obama, Canada's Harper bet beer on ice hockey final - washingtonpost.com →
washingtonpost.com
With the gold medal and national pride already on the line, President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper have added to the friendly border rivalry by betting on the result.
The pair have wagered a case of beer on the outcome with the leader on the winning side buying the loser a little something to drown their sorrows, according to Harper’s office.
If Canada wins, Harper has to buy Obama a case of Yuengling beer. If the Americans win, Obama owes Harper a carton of Molson Canadian.
“Thank you, Canada: For being such good hosts. For your unfailing courtesy. For your (mostly) beautiful weather. For scheduling no more than 60 percent of your float plane departures at the exact moment when I was trying to say something on television. For not seeming to mind the occasional (or constant) good-natured mimicry of your accents. For your unique TV commercials — for companies like Tim Hortons — which made us laugh and cry. For securing this massive event without choking security, and without publicly displaying a single automatic weapon. For having the best garment design and logo-wear of the games — you’ve made wearing your name a cool thing to do. For the sportsmanship we saw most of your athletes display. For not honking your horns. I didn’t hear one car horn in 15 days — which also means none of my fellow New Yorkers rented cars while visiting. For making us aware of how many of you have been watching NBC all these years. For having the good taste to have an anchorman named Brian Williams on your CTV network, who turns out to be such a nice guy. For the body scans at the airport which make pat-downs and cavity searches unnecessary. For designing those really cool LED Olympic rings in the harbor, which turned to gold when your athletes won one. For always saying nice things about the United States…when you know we’re listening. For sharing Joannie Rochette with us. For reminding some of us we used to be a more civil society. Mostly, for welcoming the world with such ease and making lasting friends with all of us.”
—Brian Williams, Leaving behind a thank-you note for Canada
“This [earthquake in Chile] is much more powerful than the Haitian earthquake—1000 times more powerful, I’m hearing—but fortunately looks like it will be much less devastating thanks to Chile’s vastly superior infrastructure, government capacity, and general level of wealth.”
—Matt Yglesias, underlining the degree to which poverty amplifies the negative effects of pretty much anything, including natural disasters. (via abbyjean) (via notemily)
“Eating a Double-Stuf Oreo. Proud to live in the country that originated it. America: in our very greatness lie the seeds of our destruction.”
—
There are tweets that should be in books and then there are tweets that should be on our money.
USA! USA! USA!
(via emilyelisabeth)
“I live in New Haven, so I have to take the train back to Connecticut after these brief, intense encounters. Usually, I spend the hour and forty-five minutes on the train decompressing. I always need to, even if the procedure is “easy” and the patient is asleep throughout. Sometimes I will replay something a client said to me, ruminating on its meaning. Frequently I wonder if she got home okay, I worry about how she’s feeling. Every time, I wonder about what her life was like before and what it will be like now. I think of the women who, groggy after the procedure, smile and dreamily tell me what they want to do next- that they want to enroll in college, or finish school, become a teacher or a counselor, or have kids someday. Frequently they tell me about a child at home, and how much they love their son or daughter. So on the ride home, I like to think that, because I was there, whatever they decide to do next will be a little easier.”
—The Doula Project: Thoughts from an Abortion Doula
“I’ve heard of pregnant women hiring doulas to help them get through labor and delivery, but today is the first I’ve heard of a doula supporting a woman through an abortion. But the Doula Project is doing just that: “Supporting people across the spectrum of pregnancy.” The Doula Project is just beginning — currently it’s comprised of 20 volunteer doulas who work in a hospital in New York City. Abortion doulas help explain the procedure to patients, and provide them with emotional and physical support before and after the procedure. The project plans to expand within New York City, has an affiliate in Atlanta, Georgia, and will provide doula training kits to those who are interested. “To me, it seemed like a very intuitive idea,” Lauren Mitchell, who co-founded the Project, tells Bust magazine. “Why aren’t there doulas for abortions? It’s usually an uncomfortable procedure, it can be emotional, it encompasses a huge range—life, sex, death. It’s intense.”
—Abortion doulas offer unconditional support
“I have no desire to see myself on television. I don’t want to be a panel of formers instructing the currents on what to do. … I’m trying to regain a sense of anonymity. I didn’t like it when a certain former president — and it wasn’t 41 or 42 — made my life miserable.”
—
George W. Bush, on his role post-presidency
“Thank you, speed skaters, for simulating what it would look like if a handcuffed guy tried to get away on Rollerblades.”
—JIMMY FALLON (via inothernews)
“Thank you, Biathlon, for having athletes ski around with rifles on their backs. In America, we love sports where players run around with guns, but we just call it the NBA”
—Jimmy Fallon (via bethanydaigle)
“The house used to be two separate dwellings. Now, one belongs to Tim and one to Helena. Each has its own very distinct decor: hers is girly, vintage and chintzy, while his is a gothic melange of ‘skeletons and weird things’ and floor lights in neon shades. Each partner has their own television, their own Sky Plus and their own kitchen - although Tim’s is barely used. At night they sleep in their respective dwellings. Not only is Tim an insomniac who likes to pace and watch TV, he says that she talks too much and that he needs some peace and quiet away from her. And anyway, counters Helena, he snores. And yet there is the occasional blurring of boundaries since Helena has a craft room in Tim’s half of the house where she likes to print hearts onto fabric and stitch ribbons onto mob caps. She has, as followers of her distinctly ‘shabby-chic’ style will testify, a weakness for fripperies such as broderie anglaise and bobbles. The two studio houses are joined by a ground level communal room, which is essentially a very grand hallway. Recently, a third home was purchased in the street which is home to the nanny and the couple’s two children, Billy Ray, six, and Nell, two. So how on earth does it work? ‘He always visits, which is really touching. He’s always coming over,’ says Helena of Tim, in a way that suggests she considers this a perfectly normal version of cohabitation. It’s a rather rum state of affairs, but Helena enthuses: ‘It really is a great idea. You never have to compromise emotionally or feel invaded.”
—Mr and Mrs Mad Hatter: The very strange world of Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton | Mail Online
“Even my gender has been questioned. I want that to be public because I don’t want 50 years from now more young boys and girls to have to go through this sort of thing and to have their whole life basically questioned for no reason other than to make a joke and to make people watch their television program. I hope more kids can grow up the same way that I did and more kids can feel the freedom that I feel to be themselves and to express themselves. There’s a whole generation of people that aren’t defined by their sex or their race or by who they like to sleep with. I think as a person you know what your values are and what you believe in, and I think that’s the most important thing.”
—Johnny Weir, responding to commentators who questioned his gender, example he sets
“If you think it’s a socialist plot, then please drop out of the federal employees health program.”
—Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), to Republican lawmakers at today’s health care reform summit (via think4yourself)
“I think maybe it’s time we all show a little gratitude to John McCain. I know it’s popular to bemoan the Arizona Senator’s churlish behavior and obvious bitterness, particularly in the last year, but I think what he did today at the “Health Care Summit” shows just how much he loves this country. John McCain knows that, in a time of rising unemployment, economic uncertainty, and a political system which seems badly broken, the American people are nervous to the point of questioning their own judgment. So I think it’s fairly admirable that McCain went in front of the television cameras today and did his very best to reassure the majority of his fellow citizens that when they went to the polls back in November 2008 they made exactly the right choice. Thank you, John McCain.”
—John McCain Helps Heal Some Wounds | The Awl (via peterwknox)
From my modern history lecture today...
November 1982
- as recession worsens, voters blame Reagan
- in off year elections, Democrats gain 27 seats, retaining majority. In senate, no change. Democrats control majority of state houses.
- Reagan’s popularity plummets to 35%
November 1984
- Reagan wins electoral vote 525-13
“Republicans will pick up seats in the midterm elections this year and the next day pundits on tv will say it’s all over for Obama. I just want you to keep in mind what history tells us.” —my professor
“Of course the big equalizer with parenthood is the way that you inevitably end up eating your words about something important to you. Never get too sanctimonious or precious about parenting because one day (in our case I think it was barely a month into parenthood) you will be driven to do something outrageously contradictory to your own beliefs about good parenting and if there is any justice in the world you will be forced to do it in front of other Judgey McJudging parents.”
—blue milk (via amandaw) (via smalltowngayblog) (via littlebeans)
“I will show you Obama’s birth certificate when you show me Sarah Palin’s high school diploma.”
—Bill Maher (via iwasjustsayin)
“Some bloggers, it seemed, wanted me to bring her on my show only if I yelled at her. Or it seemed they wanted me to hit her.”
—Mike Huckabee, on conservative bloggers and their response to his Michelle Obama interview
“I believe that the government that governs best is a government that governs least, and by these standards we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq.”
—Stephen Colbert (via caraobrien) (via brooklynmutt)
“I know a number of people in their 80’s that are living very active, vital lives. Unfortunately my dad is not one of these sorts of seniors. Recently I was regaling my dad with tales of my recent travels. He interrupted me saying, “I wish I had your life!” I told him, “You did! That’s why you’re in bed now!”
—CarrieFisher on her 81 year old dad, Eddie
“…for 12 of the children, last month’s airlift transported them from one uncertain predicament to another. As it turns out, those children — between 11 months and 10 years old — were not in the process of being adopted, might not all even be orphans and are living in a juvenile care center here while the authorities determine whether they have relatives in Haiti who are able to take care of them. The details of the children’s departure — and what that could mean for relations between the United States and the Haitian government, which later detained 10 Americans for trying to take children out of the country without authorization — remain unclear. Ambassador Raymond Joseph, Haiti’s envoy to the United States, said he refused to approve Governor Rendell’s request to remove children from the country who were not already in the adoption pipeline.
…
Senior Obama administration officials acknowledged in interviews that the lines of authority were fuzzy in Haiti on the day of the rescue mission, Jan. 18. And they said that American officials concerned about the well-being of the children had allowed Mr. Rendell to remove them from Haiti even though they had not received clear authorization to travel by the Haitian government and were not in the process of being adopted by American families, as required by a United States humanitarian parole policy announced the day Mr. Rendell landed in Haiti. “This wasn’t supposed to happen this way,” said one senior State Department official, who like others asked not to be identified in order to speak candidly about the episode.” —Questions Surface After Haitian Airlift - NYTimes.com
…
Senior Obama administration officials acknowledged in interviews that the lines of authority were fuzzy in Haiti on the day of the rescue mission, Jan. 18. And they said that American officials concerned about the well-being of the children had allowed Mr. Rendell to remove them from Haiti even though they had not received clear authorization to travel by the Haitian government and were not in the process of being adopted by American families, as required by a United States humanitarian parole policy announced the day Mr. Rendell landed in Haiti. “This wasn’t supposed to happen this way,” said one senior State Department official, who like others asked not to be identified in order to speak candidly about the episode.” —Questions Surface After Haitian Airlift - NYTimes.com
“They try to paint the picture that I was this downtrodden, ugly girl who was unpopular in school and in life, and then I got this role and now I’m awesome. But the truth is that I’ve been awesome, and then I got this role.”
—Gabby Sidibe is a refreshing change from all of those self-proclaimed “ugly ducklings” in Hollywood. (via lizlemon)
“During curling’s run in the Olympics every four years, much of the sports-viewing world gets either strangely addicted or totally bemused by watching the old guys push stones and sweep brooms in what often looks like shuffleboard on ice. But at this year’s event, emotions seem to be at an all-time high. Every day, capacity crowds of 5,600 are filling the Vancouver Olympic Centre, mostly to cheer on Canada, home to 729,000 of the 1.1 million curlers around the globe. The atmosphere is even more electric than the scenes in arenas for other sports, like figure skating. There are two sports in which the Canadians expect nothing less than gold: hockey and curling, and not necessarily in that order.”
—Olympic Curling: Vancouver’s Oddest Obsession
Bristol Palin to make acting debut →
politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com
ABC announced Tuesday Palin will play herself on the ABC Family show “The Secret Life of the American Teenager. According to the network, Palin will play a friend of the show’s main character, Amy. The show has recently focused on how Amy reacts to an unexpected pregnancy.
“I am thrilled to be on this show and to be part of a program that educates teens and young adults about the consequences of teen pregnancy,” Palin said in a statement provided by ABC.
“Most of the tasks given to interns do not inspire pride. Whether getting coffee for the boss or making copies for a meeting, it’s a first taste of the daily grind — though perks and future advantages may be included. White House intern Monique Dorsainvil discovered this at the 2009 Christmas Press Party, where she was assigned to transport bags from one room to another. As the president and first lady took photos with guests, Monique found herself clutching 15 bags. In this moment of desperation, looking up from her carefully balanced totes, she saw President Obama look over and flash her a big smile. “The smile was so endearing because it was a sympathy smile and a ‘I’ve been where you are’ smile,” she said. “It was the type of smile that said, ‘I have been someone’s assistant, I have been in the background, but if you keep working hard, everything will fall into place.’”
—Obama White House Interns: Bags, Meetings and Unforgettable Experiences - Politics Daily
“Glenn, the library isn’t free. It’s paid for with tax money. Free public libraries are the result of the progressive movement to communally share books. The first public library was the Boston public library in 1854. Its statement of purpose: “every citizen has the right to access community owned resources.” Community owned? That sounds just like communism! You’re a communist! It’s like saying diet plans can’t help you people, I learned that by dropping weight at Weight Watchers.”
—Jon Stewart in response to Glenn Beck saying he “educated himself by going to the library.” (via soupsoup) (via spintree)
“MSNBC averaged 8.22 million Total Viewers last night as Team USA hockey defeated Canada. That’s 2.3 million more than watched MSNBC on election night 2008.”
—… the third highest-rated program in MSNBC’s history behind the Democratic Presidential debate on Feb. 26, 2008. - tvnewser (via brooklynmutt)
“We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and — in spite of True Romance magazines — we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way. I do not say lonely — at least, not all the time — but essentially, and finally, alone. This is what makes your self-respect so important, and I don’t see how you can respect yourself if you must look in the hearts and minds of others for your happiness.”
—Hunter S. Thompson (The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967) (via ihatethismess)
Exclusive: President Obama orders a command performance by the 'Glee' kids | Ausiello | EW.com →
ausiellofiles.ew.com
Sources confirm to me exclusively that First Lady Michelle Obama has invited the cast of Glee to perform at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, April 5 — and, barring any last-minute glitches, they’re gonna do it!
Rumor has it Mrs. O and her daughters are big fans of the show. And since a White House gig is an offer that’s pretty darn hard to refuse, Glee’s producers did some lickety-split schedule rejiggering in order to honor the request.
“Ms. Friedman, a 39-year-old actress and public speaker, gave as good as she got. “My mother did not carry me around under her arm like a loaf of French bread the way former Governor Palin carries her son Trig around looking for sympathy and votes,” she told the New York Times. The thing is, in the broader context, Ellen represents a tremendous step forward in Hollywood. For too long, the public image of people with disabilities in this country has hinged on the heroic or the tragic, many disabled actors told me when I wrote on the subject a few years ago. Members of the disabled population don’t want to be defined by their disability, just like so many other minorities don’t want to be defined only by, say, race or sexual orientation.”
—Sarah Palin Taken to Task by Actress With Down Syndrome - Politics Daily
“But everyone knows the real reason why NBC is acting like nobody in America gives a shit about hockey: Nobody in America gives a shit about hockey. In fact, hiding an important hockey game in the upper reaches of the channel lineup was the most patriotic thing NBC could do. Not caring about hockey is a cherished American tradition, up there with starting to follow baseball right before the playoffs and being vaguely aware of how your alma mater is doing in the NCAA tournament. Ever since early man fashioned mammoth tusks into hockey sticks and pushed a primitive puck across the ice, America has rolled its eyes and turned the other way. Plus, think of how much sweeter the victory is, knowing that 95% of Canada was desperately willing their team to victory, while most Americans browsed the Internet with one eye on USA’s Pirates of the Caribbean marathon—and our team still won!”
—Everyone Cares About Hockey All of a Sudden - Msnbc - Gawker (via peterwknox) (via notthatkindagay)
