A Little of the Old In and Out

In: My fellow blogger and partner in online crimes, Miu Von Furstenberg, is in Los Angeles:

"Miu has arrived and will be trying to avoid any silicon spills during my extended stay. I'm unfortunately not here for pleasure (although I'm sure I will stumble upon some), it's a business thing."

Miu is in LA. The air is thick with scoop. All is good in the world. Basta!

Out: I will not even try to unravel the geopolitical mess that is the Chechnya situation here. Can;t do it. Too fucking complex. But lets, for a second, at least, mull it over, a la Reuters:

" The leader of Russia's restive Chechnya region was buried Monday, the day after an assassination that shook President Vladimir Putin's plans to tame rebellion he sees as a threat to the fabric of his country.

"Thousands of mourners attended the funeral of President Akhmad Kadyrov, an ex-Muslim cleric central to Putin's bid to pacify mainly Muslim Chechnya but viewed by rebels as a traitor. Security appeared tight at the ceremony at his home village, Tsentoroi.

"Kadyrov was killed with six others by a bomb blast at a World War II victory ceremony in a stadium in the regional capital Grozny Sunday. The bomb was planted under the VIP stand where top Russian and Chechen officials had gathered."

I am no fan of central asian terrorism or even the sinister means by which the Black Widows of Chechnya are using in their war, but: Why is Putin holding on to this region? Is it a matter of pride? Is it some barbaric sense that Russia's power will unravel if he lets this region of darker skinned people go? What the fuck is Putin smoking that he considers his Chechnyan War anything remotely like the United States' War on Terror? Why do Russians have such a powerful national addiction shows of force? Does this have anything to do with the suppression of the Orthodox Church, the Death of God, the rise of Communism and now, without any mitigating ethical system, the rise of Ultracapitalism (Sopranos-style)? Is the Russian character okay with autocratic personas? How will Putin respond? Revenge is like cold cuts ... With ultraviolence, most likely.

Out: What's RuPaul up to? The blog says it all:

"i have a real passion for roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds from TRADER JOE�S grocery store. today, while i was down there picking up my supply, i spotted the actress who played 'charlie' (the murdering, kidnapping lesbian) on the NBC soap PASSIONS. i said 'hi charlie,' and she said 'wow, i can�t believe you recognized me with my new blond hair'... she was a brunette/redhead on the show."

(sound of cicadas chirping in the Spring breeze)

Hmmm. Time to cut some records, darling. (Ed. Note. The Corsair is holding out hopes that the Rupe regains the "Eye of the Tiger")


In: Jennifer Capriati's Hulking Arms. Scott L's most excellent blog, Stereogum gives us a peep at those massive barn door delts and massive traps of tennis star and former stoner Jennifer Capriati.

Can you imagine those arms cradling the egg-shell fragile and well moused head of troubled former Friends star Matthew Perry?

Don't get Capriati angry, you wouldn't like Capriati when she's angry.

And, don't get me started on whose been in the arms of Matthew Perry ...

Out: Fashion Alert: Stolen Donna Karan Shwag! Someone walked off with "pounds" of DKNY, and Donna aint having it. According to British Vogue, "A BATTLE is brewing between DKNY and the producers of Notes From New York, which appeared at the Donmar Warehouse in March, after thousands of pounds worth of costumes have gone missing."

The story continues:

" ... ex-RSC actor Craig Purnell, who co-starred with Paul Spicer and Julie Atherton, has held onto the contents of his stage wardrobe, according to the Daily Express. 'It makes me sick to my stomach,' a spokesman for the play's producers, who are set to commence legal proceedings against Purnell, said. 'Everyone involved with the show and all of the staff at DKNY are extremely upset by his actions. Donna and her colleagues have been so supportive of the show and to say we're disappointed in Craig's behaviour is an understatement. It's a case of gross professional misconduct, which means that Craig has not been paid and nor will he be paid unless the property is returned in the condition in which it was given to him.' Purnell's spokesman confirmed that the clothes were still in his possession but said 'the situation is being dealt with. We are obviously hoping the items will be returned.'"

Hey, Craigie: return the DNKY: ASAP! (Ed Note: you don't get to keep the shwag until after you are famous)

In: Fed to Boost Interest Rates Before Election, according to Republican-pariah-monkey-boy Robert Novak:

"The Bush administration has been alerted that Chairman Alan Greenspan (Ed Note. I'm Federal reserving the right to say: That photo was taken in the fucking Coolidge era, Greenspan; you're not fooling anyone there, bro) will guide the Federal Reserve Board to a small interest rate boost before the presidential election, and President Bush is reported to be satisfied.

"According to these sources, the central bank this fall will raise the federal funds (interbank lending) rate from the current historic low of 1 percent to 1.25 percent. The Fed is expected to push the rate to 1.5 percent later this year after the election, and up to 2 percent early next year."

How does Novak, the self proclaimed "Prince of Darkness," King of the studied leak in DC, get this type of detailed information?

Out: Carmen Kass as politkon zoon. Our philosopher queen is not all she is cracked up to be. According to British Vogue, via The Evening Standard, Carmen is indeed aware that she is not the, uhm, er, best qualified candidate for the EU from Estonia. Nevertheless:

"'To Estonians, being part of Europe sounds at first like being part of the Soviet Union,' she says. 'So that is my first task - I don't have a whole lot of policies worked out. I just want to activate people to be a part of it, the political process; to educate people on what it means to go out there and take up the opportunities. I think people in Estonia realise that at least I can represent the opportunity that the outside world offers them.'"

She may not have the policies worked out, people, but she, herself, is no stranger to some serious cardio.