Media-Whore D'Oeuvres



(Greg Craig via beeb)

"Soon after his election victory in November, (President) Obama began preparing for his first Supreme Court selection with a meticulous planning exercise .. Once inside the White House, Obama’s team continued to refine their shortlist, researching the candidates’ backgrounds and records. They fully expected a Supreme Court vacancy to emerge rapidly. But they also were meeting the demands of a president who used to teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago, and who wants to leave a lasting imprint on the courts, just as Reagan did. The result: the Obama White House has already sent three judicial nominees to the Senate, well ahead of the pace set by Clinton (whose first judicial pick emerged in August) and slightly ahead of Bush (who sent his first nominee in May). Obama’s top-down approach gives context to who is running the Supreme Court selection. The shortlist work has been led by Greg Craig, White House counsel, not Vice-President Joe Biden, as some early reports suggested. With Craig running the Supreme Court selection process, Obama is leading the work out of the Oval Office." (TheDailyBeast)



(image via observer)

"The hardest thing in the world for an athlete is to get out of bed in the morning. Show me a man who jumps out of bed and I’ll show you someone who has never trained for top competition. It’s the brutal preparation that makes one flinch when taking the first morning heavy, unsteady steps toward the bathroom. Yes, it’s that time of year again, and this time it’s Stuttgart, a town known for its terrific automobiles, as the safest city of Germany, and its proximity to Erwin Rommel’s birthplace. Mind you, I don’t know how safe it will be for the poor little Greek boy this time around. I will be there at the end of May, defending my world judo (70 and over) title, but they say third time is unlucky, or is it the other way round? The miracle of Miami was followed by the victorious battle of Brussels, and here’s hoping it won’t end as the slaughter in Stuttgart. But back to training." (Takimag)

"WHEN Terry J. Lundgren, the chief executive of Macy’s, received Carnegie Hall’s Medal of Excellence in April 2008, he beamed with pride. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg presented the award, which goes to a business leader who supports the arts. More than 1,000 guests, including Martha Stewart, Leonard Lauder and Tommy Hilfiger, cheered from their tables in the Waldorf-Astoria’s Grand Ballroom. Tony Bennett sang his heart out. And Carnegie Hall raised $4.2 million. But when it came time to select an honoree for this year’s medal, Carnegie Hall’s board and management were stumped. They canceled the benefit. Why? Because an honoree is not chosen just to give a speech and be feted. He or she must be willing to make a big donation, usually from the company’s coffers, and — more important — to invite friends and contacts to the gala who will buy $20,000 tables or single tickets for $2,000 to $3,000, bringing new support to the organization. With banks, brokerage houses, real estate firms, hedge funds and even law firms struggling for survival, Carnegie Hall realized it had nowhere to turn as it contemplated a gala for this year." (NYTimes)

"Howard played some audio of Jay talking about driving in to work in his Model T and freezing on the way to work. Then he ended up going to the hospital when he found he had a 103 degree fever... Howard (Stern) played more of the (Jay) Leno clip where he got in a plug for the people at Pepsi and said that they're great people over there. Howard pointed out that Pepsi isn't so great for the kids that are drinking that stuff .. Howard said the whole Jay monologue is sickening with that formula they have. He said that they do everything that Letterman does. He said that's why Jay had him on his show, because Letterman had him on. Howard played more of Jay's speech and called him a douche bag." (Marksfriggin)