A Little of the Old In and Out

In: Howard Stern was apparently invited to the National Press Club, according to Joe Hagan of The Observer. " ... In Washington, D.C., Mr. Stern has met with relative silence.

"Two weeks ago, the committee that runs the National Press Club in Washington voted down a proposal for Mr. Stern to appear as a guest speaker, according to two sources familiar with the situation."

Your loss, Press Club, that would have been a hell of a speech had he given it.

Out: The Smokinggun.com collects through the Freedom of Information Act some of the funniest letters to the FCC from Howard Stern listeners on the double standard of giving Oprah Winfrey a free ride. My favorite line, "Tell me, Mr. Powell, how do you explain the concept of a tossed salad to your kids?"

In: The feud between Catwoman, Julie Newmar and Jim Belushi, hero of the dumpy working man. Too Wong Foo, Julie Newmar: ka-pow!

While, personally, I'd rather devote the space to a dissection of the neoconservative hatred of the UN's origins in Security Council Resolution 3379, and how the disgusting Zionism-equals-racism pronouncement turned Israel forever against the possibility of working with the UN, alas, the thought of Julie Newmar and Jim Belushi mixing it up is too delish. That significant cultural artifact The National Enquirer tells writes that the two C-List neighbors are feuding. "On January 25, Newmar wrote to her local councilwoman, Cindy Miscikowski, complaining about the fence.

"In her letter, Newmar said, 'I live next door to a neighbor from hell . . .

"'I have called Police, Fire, Building and Safety Departments and other authorities on dozens of his prior law-breaking actions. It is exhausting and expensive.

"'Please help me. I need some peace.'"

In: Howard Dean is going to barnstorm the Deep South. Hmmm (a moments pause). Bad fucking idea, Keemo Sabe, let me count the ways. One, you are the poster boy of the Eastern seaboard Democrat. Two, they grow them big and mean and inbred in Mississippi. Three ... But I can't stop Dean, no one can -- he does what he feels is for the good. He's a Scorpio, dammit. Alexander Bolton of TheHill reports:

"'But whether they like it or not, Dean may be coming to a neighborhood near them.
Dean will announce the specifics of his planned tour through the South within �“the next couple of weeks,' said an aide.

�“'He has a number of states in mind,' said Walker Waugh, Dean�’s spokesman. 'He�’s talked about going to Mississippi, and he�’s talked about going to Alabama.'

"Dean also has told some Southern Democrats that he plans to travel to Texas and Louisiana as well."

(The Corsair shakes his head in disbelief and actual worry for Dean's physical safety)

Out: Prada is, I repeat, not going public. Don't believe the hype. Our pal Godfrey Deeny of Fashionwire reports:

"Prada has taken the unprecedented step of issuing a public statement denying a report in the Italian press that the firm will seek a public quotation later this year.

"'With regard to the news: in the Italian press, the Prada Group would like to clarify through its spokesman that while it can confirm the strong improvement in its financial figures, there are no plans for a public listing in 2004,' the Italian luxury specialist said in a statement."

So, now you know.

In: WHCD Bloomberg After party yearbook pictures. An implausibly raven-haired Wayne Newton searches anxiously for the Mark of the Beast on Henry Kissinger's forehead. Andrea Mitchell humors her incontinent, rich granpa. And, tv talking head John McLaughlin flosses his pimpy rings and tries to pull down another 'ho on the DC side with his own prat out technique. Pimp hard, John, cause pimping aint easy.

Out: Morrisey, cause Lindsay says so: "Morrissey's onstage banter bugged me. He kept handing the mic to some idiots in the front row who were talking about politics and Tony Blair and shit, and Morrissey was really cocky. When he first came on stage I thought to myself 'There is the man who got me through high school.' But after a while it occurred to me: 'The man who got me through high school is kind of a...dick.'"

In: Scott L's very smooth Stereogum gives us a high school pic of Fred Durst.Biscuiticuit looks primed for some serious geek love.

Out: Al Gore's purchase of NWI. Programming: 8-9 pm, Plants Making Oxygen: a documentary; 9-10, reruns of The Rockford Files; 11-12, reruns of Barnaby Jones ...

In: Jann Wenner, devoting $200,000 to Salon Media. I guess it is a better investment in securing the Dems in the White House than running a Rolling Stone cover photo of Al Gore with an airbrushed crotch.