New York, New York - it's a hell of a town

God, I love New York.

I just got back to DC from a quick weekend trip to New York City. My cousin was throwing a surprise 40th bday party for his boyfriend of ten and a half years, and had invited 100 guests (including family and friends from both sides) to a weekend-long series of festivities, including Saturday night dinner at Daniel, Sunday brunch at the Rainbow Room, and then they took us all to see "Avenue Q," a really really really wonderful Broadway musical that my friend Michael Giltz writes about in this week's Advocate.

The thing about New York is its energy. For me at least, being a Chicago boy at heart, New York is perhaps the one city in the world (outside of, and perhaps even moreso than, downtown Chicago) in which I feel most alive. The town has an energy that enlivens and inspires. It's also such a hoot, because for those us who aren't from there (or from LA), it's always such a kick running into famous (or slightly famous) people as you simply go about your daily business. Friday night I literally almost ran into Kyan from Queer Eye in the hallway of the condo building I was staying at in Chelsea (Harrison Ford lives in the same building - alas, no sightings), and then Ernest Borgnine of all people was sitting at the table next to us at brunch this morning (unless, of course, he's dead - then it wasn't him). I so wanted to ask the musician playing that sappy brunch music to play "There's got to be a morning after," just to see if Borgnine reacted. Alas, I didn't have the courage.

Anyway, this is a long-winded way of saying that I'm really curious to see how well New York accepts the Republicans when they come to town this summer for the party's convention. I remember quite well back in 1992 when the Democrats held their convention in NYC (to nominate Clinton for the first time) and the Republicans were beside themselves with insults hurled at the liberal Democrats going to that "liberal" city of sin. Now, after 9/11, suddenly the Republicans embrace NYC like it were apple pie and motherhood, and that this was something they always knew. Fortunately, elephants aren't the only ones with long memories. I really hope some enterprising writer pulls up all the old quotes and starts passing them around real soon. Read the rest of this post...

Abu Ghraib prison scandal becomes clearer and clearer

Now that Americans are becoming more familiar with the smear tactics of this administration, they should see through the new smears and denials and jump on this story. This is one of those days when I wish I could watch the Sunday morning shows to see how this one plays out. Thanks "Bombs of Peace" for the link to the rapid spin response from the Pentagon. They've played the smear game one too many times for people to believe them anymore.

"The former intelligence official said that, in his view, Rumsfeld and other senior Pentagon officials had not studied the photographs because “they thought what was in there was permitted under the rules of engagement,” as applied to the SAP. “The photos,” he added, “turned out to be the result of the program run amok.”

“If you even give a hint that you’re aware of a black program that you’re not read into, you lose your clearances,” the former official said. “Nobody will talk. So the only people left to prosecute are those who are undefended—the poor kids at the end of the food chain.”" - The New Yorker

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Bush to host G8 Summit in polluted region

Sounds like there's even a political contributor working the paper mill nearby because they are even shutting it down to stop the air pollution that locals already know.

"President George Bush is to bring leaders of the world's richest to Sea Island next month to showcase his "environmental stewardship".

But the island - the most beautiful of the sub-tropical Golden Isles off the Georgia coast - is in one of the most polluted areas of the American South. Glynn County, which contains Sea Island - the site of next month's G8 summit - is home to 16 hazardous waste plants." - The Independent

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