Detroit Diva

Frecs has a great post today called I Believe.  There were some things, ok a lot of  things, I needed to read today.  I've got a bad case of the blues and her post made me feel better today.

Check out the Daily Show video "Bush Boogie"   - the best part comes at the end when Bush "busts a move".  Listen closely to what the CNN commentators say during that part. Hilarious.

American Libraries had this little news bite online:

Arkansas Man Wants Library Fined over Lesbian Book

"The father of two teenage boys has asked city officials to fine the Bentonville (Ark.) Public Library for keeping The Whole Lesbian Sex Book by Felice Newman on the open shelves where his sons could find it. Earl Adams said his 14- and 16-year-old sons discovered the book in January while browsing for literature on military academies and were “greatly disturbed,” causing “many sleepless nights in our house.”

Adams wants the city to pay him $10,000 per child, the maximum allowed under Arkansas obscenity law. “God was speaking to my heart that day and helped me find the words that proved successful in removing this book from the shelf,” Adams said in the April 20 Springdale Morning News.

City Attorney Camille Thompson said the book was not pornographic and Adams has no “valid legal concern.” After receiving his original complaint, the library advisory board voted April 3 to remove the book from circulation and look for a similar, less graphic resource for the open stacks. “I thought we had a very intelligent—I almost want to say high-minded—discussion about the book,” said board member George Spence.

Library Director Cindy Suter told the paper that she disagreed with Adams’s conclusion that having Newman’s book in the library follows an “immoral social agenda,” adding, “My focus was to develop an inclusive collection and not an exclusive collection.”

The line "many sleepless nights in our house"  cracks me up - yep, teenage boys and thoughts of women together. Yes, I'm sure it was the immorality of it all that was keeping them awake at night.  But, hey, nothing that $10,000 a kid can't take care of, she says without a hint of sarcasm. Yeah, right!

Patti Smith has a new album out called Twelve.  She does 12 cover songs ranging from Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit to the Stones' Gimme Shelter.  Not her best work - I think she needs to pick up the pace in some cases like in Teen Spirit.  With a few exceptions, such as Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit,  I liked the artist's original version of the song better but overall it's worth a listen or two.

A.V. Club has an interesting article called 15 Things Kurt Vonnegut Said Better Than Anyone Else Ever Has or Will.  Kind of interesting.  I particularily like the first one "I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.'"  Reading this made me realize that either I don't ever notice when I'm happy or I'm never happy.  I hope it's just that I don't notice.  Now if he had said notice when you are anxious or feeling neurotic, that would have been a whole other story.  Hey, I'm feeling neurotic right now - If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.

Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin make Brittney and K-fed look like parents of the year.  In case you don't know Kim and Alec have been in a very long custody battle over their daughter, Ireland.  A couple of days ago, Alec left a really disturbing voicemail for Ireland (who is 11) that  makes you wonder about his parenting skills.  He defended himself by saying that "certain people ... will go to any lengths to embarass [sic] me and to disrupt my relationship with my daughter."  Uh, dude, I don't think you  need other people to help you there.  Not to worry though, Alec is apparently writing a book to explain the call, the custody battle, and something called parental alienation to all to us.   What I say is - grow the fuck up - the kid is 11!  If the courts really want to do the kid a favor - it'll find her some new parents.

Show Pearl the Money

Have you seen the short film where Will Farrell is hounded for the rent by his 2 year old landlord.  Funny! Although, if you have kids you might not think so but I laughed my butt off. 

My thoughts and prayers to everyone at Virginia Tech. 

My heroines of the week are Rutgers women’s basketball coach Vivian Stringer and her players for their grace, dignity, and female empowerment in the face of Don Imus’ racist and sexist remark last week. In case you missed it, radio host Imus called the players “nappy-headed ho’s”.   He got a 2 week suspension.  He should have been fired.  Mel Gibson, Michael Richards, Don Imus – how many times do we have to listen to ignorant people make hateful comments followed by lame, insincere apologies?  Imus’ apology has pretty much consisted of “I’m not a bad person.”  I have news for you, dude, you’re not what I’d call good people.