A Little of the Old In and Out



Better to engage the devil in diplomacy, than to let him ally with Beijing. (image via theeconomist)

In: Vladimir Putin. The balls in Putin's court: The US and Europe announced that they will not press Iran to the UN referral, giving the Russian President time to convince Tehran of the error of their ways. While we are not, in any way, shape or form, shills for the dark, Hobbesian pseudo-klepto-autocrat, Vladimir Putin, it is impossible to not note the gains he has made in the last few days towards a greater respectability on the stage of the global theater.

For example, Japan has agreed to back Russia's bid to the WTO. This historic development, despite the fact that the dodgy diplomatic question of the Northern Territories by Japan, which were seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War II, remains unresolved.

Also, President Bush has -- we cannot fail to note: brilliantly -- placed Russia back in the Middle East game as a player, checking the rogue Iran and, incidentally, isolating China (that fiendish, self-interested comrade of the developing world), which sided with Russia and Iran against the interests of The West. Checkmate!

Putin, caught in between the Eurasianists and the Westernists, has been, of late, leaning towards China and Iran. This puts a belated wedge in that relationship, empowering the "Westernists" in Moscow. All Rusia ever really wanted was to be respected globally, to be "lifted from the pavement," (see Beryadev, on the Eternal in the Russian Soul") so ably expressed in Tchaikovsky's melancholy Sixth Symphony. Those colorful Orange and Rose Revolutions, while necessary, strained our relationship with Russia, owner of untold nuclear warheads, and thus made the world a more dangerous place.

Now, according to The Telegraph:

"President George W Bush has backed a plan to allow Iran to enrich uranium in Russia. The sudden change in tactics over Teheran's controversial nuclear programme has angered hawks in Washington and surprised European diplomats.

"... The latest proposal would allow Teheran to convert uranium if subsequent enrichment, which could have weapons applications, took place only overseas, under Russian control.

"It is the first compromise offer in which America has shown any interest and is designed to develop a joint front with Russia, a long-term ally of Iran."

The deal could gainfully employ the myriads of sell-to-the-highest-bidder -- and thus quite dangerous --Russian nuclear scientists on the War on Terror and, in the process, give the country a new revenue stream in addition to their important role as Overseer of nuclear development in the Middle East. With Russia as less of a roguish Bear, stumbling towards irrelevance, and more of a player with an investment in the future of a stable world, suddenly things look a little bit brighter. Just a little. Now, if only they could work on their abysmal recod on human rights. (A considerable pause) All good things in time.



(image via NYSocialdiary)

Out: Helen Gurley Brown. As we have said before, acidly, middle names that were attractive in the morning of one's life can become highly ironic in the late evening of said sojourn (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment). According to Gatecrasher:

"A hilarious video is doing the rounds that shows Cosmopolitan's legendary former editor, Helen Gurley Brown, in a dance audition for Ellen DeGeneres' show.

"Apparently Brown, keen to plug her last book, had the short film made to convince Ellen to have her on the program to perform a 'pas de deux' (that's a dance for two, for those of you who still haven't forgiven the French).

"'She's wearing a leotard, and she's dancing to the best of Andrew Lloyd Webber,' said a source who's seen the video. 'She hired a Broadway choreographer to coordinate the number.'
Brown, 83, high-kicks her way through the routine with a male dance companion."

Careful with those high-kicks, baby -- you can throw out a hip! Still, Brown gets kudos for jazzing-it-up to Lloyd Webber, which is a surprisingly contemporary choice for the former editrix. We half expected a saucy little Prohibition Age number from Ma Rainey.



(image via neomoda)

In: Naomi Campbell and Robbie Williams' Marathon of Sex. If you don't remember, Robbie Williams was once big on this side of the Atlantic for his one-hit-wonder song "Milennium." And Naomi Campbell is famous for, among other things, beating her social inferiors robustly with electronic gizmos. Put them both together and you get some volatile, long-lasting hott monkey sex, according to the extremely downmarket Newsoftheworld:

"SUPERSTAR Robbie Williams secretly bedded catwalk beauty Naomi Campbell during a steamy year-long affair, the News of the World can reveal today.

"The pair enjoyed marathon 48-HOUR ROMPS behind the back of the supermodel's boyfriend, racing boss Flavio Briatore, acc ording to Naomi's former PA, Rebecca White.

"... Rebecca said: 'The two of them were clearly already close before I started working for Naomi the previous year.

"'She would talk fondly about Robbie from time to time, so I knew they were acquainted.

"'But the first time I actually met him was that day in February 2001 when I walked into Naomi's bedroom...and found them cuddled up in her bed.

"'It was the apartment Naomi shared with boyfriend Flavio with whom she was supposed to be having a serious relationship. But Naomi didn't try to hide that she was cheating on Flavio with Robbie.

"'When I entered the room, Robbie was under the bedclothes but he wasn't wearing anything on his top half. And Naomi wasn't wearing any bottoms because, at one point, she got up to go to the bathroom and I got an eyeful of everything!

"'The two of them spent that entire weekend cooped up in her bedroom together having sex.

"'I lived in the apartment below and every few hours they would summon me up to bring them food and drink."

To replenish the, uh, we don't even want to go there. The full story here.



(image via images.art.com)

Out: Michael Mann's Miami Vice. The Corsair can't wait to see the documentary of the mystical insanity of the making of Miami Vice, transposed, of course, to Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," but heighted by pastel colors and perfectly-coiffed 3 day old beards. According to Radar Online (link via defamer):

"Adding to the near-biblical woes that have beset Michael Mann�s film adaptation of Miami Vice comes a new chapter: Exodus. According to sources on the set of the scandal-plagued Jamie Foxx/Colin Farrell vehicle, crew members have been quitting in record numbers�thanks, in part, to the director�s imperious ways.

"We�re told that since filming began in June, over 120 crew members have jumped ship, exhausted by Mann�s famously obsessive demands, ceaseless revisions, and 24/7 schedule. One production assistant says that resignations are now being turned in on an almost daily basis, with employees typically citing illness or dying relatives. Few members of the original crew remain, the source says."

Full story here.



(image via peta.org)

In: Stella McCartney. Stella's hot. We know people, in fact, who are still nursing their injuries from the infamous sale. Frenzied shoppers even, when supply ran low, grabbed the fucking clothing off mannequins in New York! According to British Vogue:

"STELLA MCCARTNEY's H&M range did just what she wanted for the brand. '[It] was an exercise in branding,' Marco Bizzarri, ceo of the company, told WWD. 'There is such an awareness out there of Stella's name, but until now, I don't know how many people could actually link Stella's name to a product. Plus it's not easy to find our products: We have three stand-alone stores and 200 wholesale accounts. We simply wanted a wider audience to understand the brand, to link the name to Stella's design and quality. At the very least, we've educated consumers � and piqued their curiosity � about Stella's world. Those same women who bought from H&M may well walk into Stella's store looking for the fragrance, a T-shirt, a pair of jeans or the Adidas trainers.'"

Out:



(image via star)

In: Andre's Cave. (Sotto Voce) What lies within: "Andre's Cave." According to fashionweekdaily:

"... for last Wednesday�s very-intimate Giambattista Valli luncheon hosted by Andr� Leon Talley at Barneys�and attended by Helen Schifter, Lauren duPont, Vera Wang, Marina Rust, and Dr. Lisa Airan�a private section of the third floor was transformed into a cave of crushed white paper that covered the floors, walls, and ceilings while headless mannequins displayed his dresses and pink rose petals were strewn all over the tables and the gowns ('It was like Andr�s cave,' said one guest)�"

GW: In Da Club



(image via nysocialdiary)

Our favorite Conde Nast foot fetishist journo George Wayne (Whom we often misidentify as ALT; An honest mistake, yo: There are an infinitude of African-Americans who work for Conde Nast, right?), or, as he likes to call himself in the third person, "GW (Averted Gaze)," is getting into the club business. According to those intrepid Page Sixxies:

"VANITY Fair writer George Wayne is getting into the nightclub business. Wayne � along with Park Avenue architect Daniel LaPorte, Chelsea industrialist Gunther Bilali, and nightlife guru Francois Emond � is opening a 'posh and exclusive' boite called Boudoir on West 16th Street and Eighth Avenue tomorrow night. Wayne should help fill the joint with celebs, though he asks the most impertinent questions in interviews."

... Mostly concerning shapely celebrity man-foot size, shape and length. (Page Six)

A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via arthouse.ru)

In: Bono. The electoral victory of Kaine in Virginia, and former President Jimmy Carter's new book atop the NYTimes bestseller list on his Evangelical roots despite his left-of-center politics and the dyadic "Christian/secular Children's movie" pitch by Disney of The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe all presently suggest that we are in the middle of a Progressive-Christian zeitgeist moment. Sunday's 60 Minutes on Bono and the Right-Wing Christians clinches it:

"When he�s not piquing their ire by using profanities on the air, U2 front-man Bono is enlisting the help of America�s Christian Right to get drugs to African AIDS victims.

"The activist rocker tells 60 Minutes correspondent Ed Bradley that getting conservative Christians on his side was the best way to push the Bush administration to send more aid to Africa. Bradley profiles the Irish super group this Sunday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

"This was one mission that Bono decided wasn�t going to get done by 'taking the usual bleeding heart liberal line,' he tells Bradley. So the guy on the left approached the right, 'particularly conservative Christians,' he says.

�'I was very angry that they were not involved more in the AIDS emergency. I was saying, �This is the leprosy that we read about in the New Testament�Christ hung out with the lepers,� Bono recalls saying, �But you�re ignoring the AIDS emergency.�

"It worked. 'And you know, they said, �Well, you�re right, actually�and we�re sorry. We�ll get involved.� And they did,' Bono recalls. 'People openly laughed in my face when I said this administration would distribute antiretroviral drugs to Africa�. There�s 200,000 Africans now who owe their lives to America.'"

Bravo.



(image via washingtonpost)

Out: Michael Scanlon. The haunted eyes of Jack Abramoff now fall squarely on Michael Scanlon. According to Jospehine Hearn of TheHill:

"Michael Scanlon, a close associate of embattled lobbyist Jack Abramoff and a former aide to Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), was indicted yesterday on one count of conspiracy to bribe government officials and defraud Indian tribes.

"Scanlon is expected to enter a guilty plea at a hearing Monday as a part of a plea deal, agreeing to testify against Abramoff in any upcoming court proceedings.

"The indictment describes Scanlon's dealings with an unnamed lobbyist, 'Lobbyist A,' and an unnamed member of Congress,'Representative #1,' that closely match Scanlon's involvement with Abramoff and Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio).

"... The indictment charges that Scanlon and Abramoff provided numerous gifts to Representative #1 over the course of four years, including a lavish trip to Scotland to play golf on world-famous courses, tickets to sporting events and other entertainment, regular meals at Lobbyist A's upscale restaurant and campaign contributions.

"The lawmaker in turn agreed to perform official acts in support of Scanlon and Abramoff and their clients, the indictment continued."

The full article here.



(image via azcentralpost-gazette.com)

In: Isaac Mizrahi. For some time, around the blogosphere, we have been hearing intermittent reports of Issac Mizrahi's new show on 36th street and the free-floating atmosphere of fabulosity thereabouts. Mizrahi, you'll remember, pioneered the "Classes for the Masses" phenomenon, subsequently copied with specific modifications by Karl Lagerfeld, that connoisseur of horsemeat (AKA, "le cheval") and -- most recently -- Stella McCartney.

What's Issac up to? According to Faran Krentcil at Fashionweekdaily:

"Everybody knows Isaac Mizrahi is a ham, but who would have guessed that Hollywould PR director Elisabeth Gutowski was also craving the spotlight?

"The young publicist, whose tight friendship with boss Holly Dunlap landed her on several of this season�s junior committees, arranged a 'field trip' this week for her entire staff to the new Isaac Mizrahi show. When the gaggle of well-heeled girls arrived on-set, they were given front-row seats and allowed to appear with the zany designer on-camera. "

So when does The Corsair get an invite, Issac?

WoodwardGate: Wrap Up



This Woodward Moment. (image via cbsnews)

The Washington Post, a paper The Corsair believes in, which we designated as "In" this past Thursday, is going through some serious internal debates as to the matter of just what to think about Bob Woodward, of which our old friend David Hershkovits of Paper is calling for a brisk "stepping down." (The Corsair pours himself a chilled glass of Casa Guarenar Grappa) From FishbowlDC this past Thursday we get a sampling of the newsroom debate from the veteral journos over at the Washpo:

"Charles Babington: I feel like we're ignoring the 800-pound elephant on our front page: Bob Woodward. Every day, scores of Post reporters press, cajole, badger, demand, implore people to tell us things they might not want to. When they demur, we try to convince them they should talk to the Washington Post even if they talk to no one else. Today we report that our assistant managing editor, and surely our most famous staffer, 'declined to elaborate on the statement he released to The Post late yesterday afternoon and publicly last night. He would not answer any questions, including those not governed by his confidentiality agreement with sources.' I admire the hell out of Bob, but this looks awful.

"... Jonathan Yardley: To the matter rightly raised by Chuck Babington: This is the logical and perhaps inevitable outcome when an institution permits an individual to become larger than the institution itself. However able and accomplished the individual -- and I agree that Woodward is both -- the institution pays the cost when he or she is permitted to operate within its purview yet under a different set of rules. There are a few others on the paper about whom the same could be said. Perhaps the current embarrassment (for embarrassment it most certainly is) will provide the occasion for re-examining the star system and its attendant risks. This is a big, influential newspaper, one of perhaps the half-dozen best in the world, but it will never be fully mature until it understands that the institution's interests take priority over any employee's, and until it puts that understanding into practice. Judy Miller was granted star status, and look what happened to her -- and to the Times."

Later, in a moment suffused with postmodern irony, the internal debate itself is leaked, in mid-conversational flow, to the Times' Katherine Seelye, causing Yardley to write, with an almost palpable sense of exasperation, "I hardly see any point in having critiques and comments if they are to be publicized outside the paper. How can we write candidly when candor merely invites violations of confidentiality? Many readers say they distrust us. Well, now I find myself wondering if we can trust each other."

Indeed. Such is the strangeness of the ongoing Plamegate investigation in this age of extreme media intropection as well as the real time coverage of the internet. Has there ever been histrically anything remotely like this unfolding event? In addition, presently 16 ex-CIA agents have asked The President not to pardon anyone involved in the Plame case, including -- should they be indicted -- the Woodward source.

This case of what Tim Rutten, of the Los Angeles Times, who writes the definitive piece on the topic, calls "journalistic decadence" is ultimately a problem of confidentiality and access. This is the same problem, incidentaly, that Judith Miller got herself in -- stemming from: a) Too much editorial leeway granted to journo celebrities -- think Miller, assigned to write on bio-weopons, symbollically snatching Dowd's chair at a National Security briefing; b) the clubby Old-Boy atmosphere in DC where the reporters are way-too-close to their subjects. The Corsair remembers, for example, an episode of the old ABC This Week with David Brinkley where Cokie Roberts stridently defended the institution of Washington lobbyists without any opposition and at no point disclosing the highly relevant fact that her own brother, Thomas Boggs, is the King of the that species. (Averted Gaze)

No one in DC questioned Roberts about that line of argument because, well, they're all family. Finally, the last cause -- IMHO -- of the decadence, c) The masterful job that the Administration has done feeding meager scraps to journalists, on the one hand, and withholding access and press conferences on the other, leading many journos -- whether out of sheer naked ambition or the desire to maintain their reputation -- to make Faustian bargains, sometimes going so far as to out-and-out pay pundits.

Rutten writes, acidly, of this phenomenon and its corrosive effect on investigative journalism:

"There is something singularly appropriate about the fact that the Plame affair should involve Woodward, whose skillful and courageous use of the ur-voice among confidential sources virtually created a whole genre of Washington reporting. It�s a journalistic strategy style dependent on the cultivation of access to well-placed officials greased by promises of 'confidentiality.' It�s a way of doing journalism that still serves its practitioners� career interests, but less and less often their readers or viewers because it�s a game the powerful and well-connected have learned to play to their own advantage.

"Whatever its self-righteous pretensions, it�s a style of journalism whose signature sound is less the blowing of whistles than it is the spinning of tops.

"That�s why the Washington press corps, whose ranks include so many alleged commentators that you can�t spit without hitting one, steadfastly refuses to put the Plame affair and its participants in the context that explains the event. That context is the Bush administration�s unprecedented -- and largely successful -- effort to bend Washington-based news coverage to its ends.The Washington press corps doesn�t want to talk about this because it basically puts some of its most admired members in a line of venal patsies."

Rutten cites the usual list of rogues as examples: Armstrong Wiiliams, whose role in ArmstrongGate may land him in the pokey; Judith Miller; Kenneth Y. Tomlinson of the CPB, who instead of turning to right-leaning feature documentaries, which are sorely needed (Think: "Aquinas and Aristotle" as a follow up to PBS' magnificent "Matisse and Picasso;" or, if you wil, a non-partisan documentary on Leo Strauss), became just another idealogue among ideologues. Pity.

Rutten continues, in rare form:

"Placed in this context, Woodward, Miller, Time magazine�s Matthew Cooper and NBC�s Tim Russert are less tragic figures in a grand journalistic drama than they are sad -- but willing -- bit players in somebody else�s rather sorry little charade."

Ouch. The Washington Post's Editorial Page weighed in this morning, saying, in part, in an Editorial entitiled "Mr. Woodward's Sources":

"WE'VE SAID from the start of the investigation into the leak of Valerie Plame's identity that if administration officials deliberately set out to unmask a secret agent, they should be punished. But we've also said that, absent evidence of such behavior, criminalizing communication by officials to journalists would run counter to the public interest. Special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald's investigation is continuing -- he said yesterday he's going back to a grand jury -- and new facts may come to light. But the principle remains valid: It's not in the public interest for reporters to be forced to reveal their confidential sources in cases such as this. That's why Post reporter Bob Woodward should not be vilified for protecting the identity of his source in this complex affair."

"... Much of the public finds the media's extensive use of confidential sources objectionable, and understandably so. Their use should be as limited as possible. When they are relied upon, reporters should impart as much information as possible about the sources' motives. Those guidelines are accepted but too often ignored by the press."

"Is there a distinction to be made based on the motives of the leakers? If so, Mr. Woodward might have had to pass up his first big scoops three decades ago, because his Watergate source, Deep Throat -- recently revealed as FBI official W. Mark Felt -- was disgruntled at having been passed over for the post of FBI director. Newspapers face difficult questions all the time in evaluating the reliability of sources and the appropriateness of publishing their secrets. But if potential sources come to believe that they cannot count on promises of confidentiality, more than the media will suffer."

The full editorial here. We wonder what the eminent Jonathan Yardley thinks of that.

The conclusion of Rutten's Los Angeles Times piece is especially instructive as it says:

"As the Valerie Plame scandal and its spreading taint have made all too clear, the trade in confidentiality and access that has made stars of reporters like Bob Woodward and Judy Miller now is utterly bankrupt.

"It still may call itself investigative journalism -- and so it once was -- but now it�s really just a glittering and carefully choreographed waltz in which all the dancers share the unspoken agreement that the one unpardonable faux pas is to ask who�s calling the tune.

Perhaps this is one of the plusses of the blogosphere -- that glorious lack of access, the Oursiderishness -- bloggers are decidedly not beholden to the subjects that they, we, cover; we owe the powerful nothing, and thus we are generally merciless.

Bloggers children don't attend the same boarding schools like the journos of DC and pols do in the insular DC upper strata of reciprocal maintenance and will-you-be-my-baby's-godfather excahge, strictly on a Need-to-Know basis. The unfolding Abramoff fiasco, which is blowing the lid off what we once thought we knew about the cozy politician-lobbyist love affair is just the gravy in the end. It is curious, we cannot fail to note, that this dramatic collapse of the investigative journalism ideal, this "Fall of Woodward," comes in the wake of Rathergate and amidst the unprecedented Rise of Blogs and citizen journalism.

Arianna Huffington never seems more Oracular -- she's Greek, she'll appreciate the reference -- in her creative use of the blogosphere to "fry the bacon," so to speak, of the pigs snacking at the trough. How curious, all this thusness.

Full LATimes piece here.

The 2006 Pirelli Calendar



Gisele Bundchen, looking goddam superhott in "The Cal." (image via Hello!Magzine via Reuters/2006 Pirelli Calendar)

Among other A-Listers, JLo poses, to be frank, rather unsexily (IMHO), as Ava Gardner (the urban-born Jlo looks sexier as postmodern diva rather than retrobabe), in the new 2006 Pirelli catalogue. According to Hello!Magazine:

"British catwalk queen Kate Moss and Brazilian stunner Gisele Bundchen also appear in the calendar, which will soon be sent out to Pirelli clients all over the world. The exclusive corporate gift, which is not available to the public, is famous for depicting the world's most beautiful women in daringly risqu� poses."

Or, as The Herald puts it:

"The Pirelli calendar has steadily grown in status since its launch in 1964. It is famous for employing some of the world's greatest photographers to take pictures of some of the world's most beautiful women in some of the most spectacular settings across the world.The calendar is known to photographers, simply as 'the Cal', but is not available for sale to the general public. It is provided each year as an exclusive corporate gift with a worldwide distribution of about 45,000 copies.The limited edition calendar, which will be launched today in Paris, features Kate Moss on the cover despite a recent scandal over drug-taking allegations."

The calendar online here. (NSFW!)

Picture Pages, Picture Pages ...



At the reporter's mention of "Pooty Tang" the room got so silent you could hear a sparrow fart. (image via NYSocialDiary)



What we wish was in Fergie's shwag bag: Larry King grade industrial-strength adult diapers. (image via photos1 via justjared)



Nice, to be sure, we certainly wouldn't throw her out of bed; but we generally prefer a woman with a bit more -- how does one say this? -- "Arroz con Pollo" about the ass. (image via photos1 via justjared)



Lord Conrad Black of Crossharbour, recently indicted, en route to "getting in touch with his feminine side" in Canadian prison. (AP Photo/CP, Aaron Harris, File)


No blog posts tomorrow. --R

A Little of the Old In and Out



Flawed, to be sure: but still an incredibly vital institution. (image via gvfn)

In: The Washington Post. If you've read Michael Massing's exhaustive left-of-center essay in The New York Review of Books, you'll feel -- even if you are further along to the right -- a sense that the news has lost its purpose (Okay, okay, yes we did actually propose David Duchovny as CBS anchor-"host"; you were not having an acid flashback; we still think it's a solid). You need look no further than the vital, relevant, if flawed, Washington Post.

Hats off to the Washington Post for doing some kick-ass old fashioned reporting in the last few weeks. After the archetectonically-coiffed Graydon Carter handed them their buttocks on a silver platter after scooping The Washpo on "Deep Throat," the paper has picked itself up with renewed purpose and gotten, in the process, some serious scoopage. To wit: Last week's story-of-the-week, Dana Priest's superior Eastern European Terror Prison story, the Woodward-Scooter Libby conflagration, and yesterday's exclusive from Dana Milbank and Justin Blum that executives may have lied about their participation in Vice President Dick Cheney's Energy Commission. All of these instances have put the paper front-and-center once again. Now add Washpo reporter Walter Pincus, ruled in contempt for protecting his flawed sources in the Wen Ho Lee scandal.

Kudos to the Washpo, if not to Woodward. (We say this even as Huffington is beating the stuffins out of Woodward on her blog). Washpo's execution may leave something to be desired, but even when it's flawed it is something wonderous to behold.

There -- And we didn't even stoop so low as to mention Sally Quinn's jar of peanut butter in case of a terrorist attack. (link via Romenesko)



An Alaskan ass. (image via donyounghouse.gov)

Out: Congressman Don Young. Alaskan House member Don Young turned against his more principled Republican colleagues who, nobly, killed off the quixotic pet project for his district. Humiliated that he was caught stuffing pork -- via the fabled "Bridge to Nowhere" -- he's looking for some payback. Ninja-style! According to TheHill:

"An enraged Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) confronted Reps. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.) last week, excoriating them for lampooning his notorious 'Bridge to Nowhere' as a multibillion-dollar boondoggle.

"The chairman of the Transportation Committee had caught wind that the $223 million bridge was indeed going nowhere � and most House members learned yesterday that the project, which has caused Republicans acute embarrassment for two months, is being killed. So is another span, the $229 million 'Don Young Way.'

"According to witnesses, Young warned Flake and Musgrave that he planned to stay in Congress a long time and would not forget the stinging defeat.

"The confrontation with Young occurred at a closed-door meeting last Thursday."

Congressman Don Young on allegations of "pork" here. (Averted Gaze)



Defamer's Mark Lisanti and Mickey Kaus hug it out. (image via simplelifeinla)

In: The Gawker-HuffPo Party. Arianna Huffington took time out from bitchslapping Bob Woodward to open her Brentwood pad to the Gawker Media empire in the wake of their Yahoo! distribution deal. According to Rafat Ali:

"Surely, the dotcom days have turned into the blogosphere days, and so have the parties. At Arianna Huffington's house in deeply wooded section of Brentwood in West LA (where there was no T-mobile signal), the blog party of the moment happened. The occasion: Gawker's tie up with Yahoo, and of course, Huffington Post is already on Yahoo .. hence the trilogy of connections. Bill Maher showed up for a while...and then some more TV types. Lots of Yahoo people, including Lloyd Braun and Scott Moore. Short speeches by Arianna (thanking Yahoo and praising Nick Denton, the founder of Gawker media), Scott Moore (he joked about how Yahoo's stock went up 6 percent today, after the Gawker deal"

Hats off to anyone who can survive Ron Silver's incessant bloviating. More on Paidcontent, Gridskipper -- link via Blogebrity-- and FishbowlLa. (Photos here and here)



(image via 15minutesmagazine)

Out: Sir Howard Stringer. Our favorite gaijin is in trouble. Let's hope that this doesn't lead to the Seppuku ritual. Regard the defective CD debacle as symbolic of an internal SONY crisis in management. According to those intrepid Page Sixxies:

"THE back-stabbing at the badly merged SonyBMG � and finger-pointing over the expensive recall of 5 million dangerously defective CDs � is forcing Sony chairman Sir Howard Stringer to make some changes, insiders predict.

"Sources say Stringer will remove either SonyBMG CEO Andy Lack or SonyBMG Chairman Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, who has been blamed for the nasty leaks about Lack and his rumored early departure from the company.

"'Stringer has to do something � either fire one or the other, or move them around out of each other's way � because it is tearing the company apart,' an insider said."

Full story here.



(image via askmen)

In: Manolo Blahnik. Women of a certain class have a ... complicated ... emotional relationship with Manolo Blahnik and his high-grade footstuffs. It vexes us, quite frankly. Really and truly it does. Don't ask us to explain what makes Naomi Campbell whisper and Amy Fine Collins frenzy. Fuck if The Corsair knows. According to Fashionweekdaily:

"It�s not everyday Naomi Campbell attends a store party�even if it is Barneys New York.
But that�s exactly what she did Tuesday evening, as she arrived inconspicuously for a cocktail party celebrating the launch of Blahnik by Boman, a book that documents Manolo Blahnik�s legendary foot candy. 'I�ve loved Manolo since I was 15,' Campbell whispered. 'That�s when I first read about him.'

"She wasn�t alone. Hundreds of invited guests�major Blahnik addicts among them�generated Manolo-mania on the fourth floor shoe salon. A legion of fans, including Dr. Lisa Airan, Reed and Delphine Krakoff, Grace Coddington, Isabel and Ruben Toledo, Vera Wang, Amy Fine Collins, and John Bartlett, all gathered to buy out the stock of books�about 250 signed copies were sold�and shoes, of which several dozen were reportedly snapped up. The line, in fact, began forming at 6:30pm and remained steady well into the night. 'Women like frenzy,' Barneys chairman Howard Socol joked as he watched the furious signing of credit card slips and the trying on of shoes. 'It�s healthy for them.'"

The full story here.



Brittany's got it twisted. (image via exchangedesktop)

Out: Brittany Murphy. There is something about Brittany Murphy -- is it the big, crazy eyes? -- that suggests to The Corsair: mental instability. And by mental instability, we don't mean "There's a frog in my hair" craziness, we suggest, rather, Michael Meyer's Halloween potential. This news on Radar Online kind of makes us glad we are on the east coast (lik via defamer):

"In a double-barreled dose of Hollywood bitchslappery, actress Brittany Murphy was dropped on Tuesday by both her agent, ICM�s Jeff Berg, and manager, Brillstein-Grey�s Joanne Colonna, West Coast sources confirm.

�'She was a client at Brillstein-Grey for 12 years, and she�s no longer a client there or at ICM, either,' says a high-level industry insider. 'They decided to let her go.'

"Why the blue-chip firms set the 28-year-old actress adrift so suddenly�even though she was recently named the face of Jordache and has a number of projects in the works, including a Sin City sequel�remains unclear. According to a source close to Murphy, the skinny Uptown Girls starlet was kicked to the curb for unspecified 'personal' reasons."

Full story here, with some "Awful Truths" about Britney from Ted Casablancas.



(image via HBO)

In: HBO's Rome. While we didn't quite cry like a bitch over Pullo and Veronus' heartbreaking scene of friendship in the gladiatorial fundament on last week's Rome, we may have sprayed some hot tears. Don't quoter me. The series was renewed for another season (yes!), but at $100 million things are not assured (Let's hope the DVD's fly off the shelves; this blog will do its part). According to Bill Carter of The Old Gray Lady:

"As for 'Rome,' he said, HBO has been encouraged by the series' growth among viewers and by a second round of critical comments, which largely moved from tepid to enthusiastic.

"In strict viewer terms, HBO calls 'Rome' a success because, while its Sunday totals are not overwhelming, it accumulates more than 7 million viewers a week during its multiple showings.
Mr. Albrecht announced only a couple of weeks into its run that he was renewing the series for another season. But in the interview he said, 'That ship hasn't entirely sailed yet.'

"The reason, he said, has nothing to do with how well 'Rome' turned out. Mainly, the issue has been money. 'Rome' was wildly expensive, costing an estimated $100 million. It initially experienced debilitating production delays, fueling rumors that it was a troubled show. Once it was on the air and was seen to be a quality production, Mr. Albrecht said, those rumors subsided.

"But he said those delays meant he had only a short window of time to retain a hold on the actors, which was why he renewed the series so quickly. For now, that means ordering scripts, which will be difficult to write because they need to cover the complicated period following the fall of Caesar."

Valeo. We're so goddamned there. More.

Paris Hilton, Cruel to Dumb Animals



Paris and Baby Luv, the Little Kinkajou that could ..(image via photos1 via addict3d via justjared)

Paris Hilton shouldn't be cruel to a dumb animal because karmic retribution is a bitch. According to Popbitch:

"Now that Michael Jackson has fled to Bahrain, Paris Hilton is filling the 'crazy celebrity with monkey' void by walking around Los Angeles with her pet primate, called Baby Luv. However, when she visited Agent Provocateur, Baby Luv went bananas, biting Paris and clawing at her face. Paris' calmly tied the monkey to a cabinet, then bought $400 of pants."

(A considerable pause) This news makes us long for the days when false rumors were bandied about that Joe Jackson shot "Bubbles" with a .45 after he happened upon the chimp socialite and Michael sharing a lurid post-coital cigarette.

If Kathy Hilton had done the same to her "pet primate" untold years ago then none of us would have had to endure the inanity of her porn tape.

Powerlunching at Michael's



(image via Helayne Seidman/The Washington Post)

The WashPo finally discovered Michael's, the lo ultimo location to get your Chattering Class lunch on (take bite, loook around the room, gossip, repeat), and, in the process, has granted full media vindication to those of us who have been obsessing, unheralded and unsung, over their precious guestlist forever.

According to Aileen (Laurel was in Chicago) at FishbowlNY:

"FRONT ROOM

"NYC Police Commissioner Ray Kelly with Tom Kelly.

"�Liz Smith at a table for two in the front half of the room

"Seventeen's Atoosa Rubenstein with a blonde we could only see from the back.

"Michael Eisner with an unknown older woman who Michael's staff called 'very nice'

"Fox news honcho Roger Ailes

"... Power lawyer and pater publicist familias Allen Grubman

"Fashion designer Arnold Scaasi. He's not in media, but media people wear his clothes to events like the Emmys. Synergy!"

The question we want to ask but won't is: Did Scassi maintain his glorious, fecund mantan amid this sudden November chill? Because if Scassi isn't looking ripe, then our world is somehow not complete.

Seriously: You do your thing Scassi, you ... (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment) do your thing. The full list of the usual suspects here.

Picture Pages, Picture Pages ...



This gentleman has come to the existential conclusion that he was sold high grade pharmaceutical laxatives instead of the Qualudes he requested. (image via thecobrasnake)



Methuselan Helen Gurley Brown proves once and for all that middle names can be deceiving. (image via NYSocialdiary)



In a future episode of the new Upper-Middlebrow reality series "ArtFight," Robert Rauschenberg delivers a stiff atomic elbow into the unsuspecting chops of Jeff Koons. (image via NYSocialdiary)

Fitty Cent, Litterati



Lo Scrittore pimped out with ice. (image via ent.img)

Author! Author! How The Corsair longs to crack open a tome by Fitty Cent (Loeb Classical Library, no doubt), sip a crisp, unassuming Chablis, chuckle softly in mirthful anticipation of the literary joy on the near horizon, then, climactically, tuck into the yellowed pages with relish and great gusto. Soon. Very, very soon. According to those intrepid Page Sixxies:

"IN his ongoing quest to 'get rich or die trying,' bulletproof 50 Cent is shooting out a line of pulp fiction inspired by his life."

Make sure they get the bullet-in-the-tongue part. That's so Noir.

"The rapper known as 'Fitty' is teaming up with Pocket/MTV Books to publish 'G-Unit Books' in 2007. It will be a series of novellas and graphic novels.

"I't's really just the world that he lives in, rap music, the lives that rappers lead,' said Pocket Books publisher Louise Burke. 'It's contemporary fiction for an audience that might not come to mainstream fiction.'"

In Da Club: Oprah's Book Club, that is, homeslice.

"The 29-year-old rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, has always been an avid reader and has had this idea for some time, said his literary agent, Marc Gerald.

"'He's like the biggest reader on the planet,' Gerald told The Post's Hasani Gittens, noting that 50 Cent is a big fan of 'street lit' writers like Iceberg Slim, author of 'Pimp,' and Donald Goines, who penned 'Whoreson' and 'White Man's Justice, Black Man's Grief.'"

(A considerable pause) Oh. If Iceberg Slim's "Pimp" -- an urban-contemporary rendering of Hegel's Master-Slave dialectic -- is Fitty's literary influence ... we can safely rule out an Oprah Book Club mention.(Averted Gaze)

A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via gothamist via Marilyn K. Yee/NYTimes)

In: Nick Denton. Even as the Gawker commenters are regale us with an anthem of tongue-in-cheek "sell outs," delivered with great gusto, smothering our darling Nicky with faux opprobrium, you'll have to admit, as far as traffic-generating ideas this one is fucking evil-genius brilliant. Leveraging the Gawker cool with Yahoo! traffic equals beaucoup ad revenues. Denton's old school like that. According to PaidContent:

"Once again, Nick Denton zigs where Jason Calacanis zags. Instead of shopping Gawker Media, Denton is teaming up with Yahoo for the blog network's first multi-blog major distribution deal. Dozens of posts from Gawker's five best-known blogs -- Gawker, Wonkette, Gizmodo, Defamer and Lifehacker -- will be published on Yahoo News starting today; the portal already publishes selections from the Huffington Post. Eventually, the other Gawker blogs will be included and the distribution will spread to other Yahoo sites. For instance, Defamer will show up on Yahoo Entertainment. Terms aren't being disclosed but a lot of emphasis is placed on the amount of traffic Yahoo can drive back to Gawker Media ... Yahoo gets Gawker's content; Gawker gets access to tens of millions of Yahoo's users."

Congrats, Nick.



From Rick Salomon, her "kinky Jew," to this marsupial, an actual "Kinkajou" (image via justjared via addict3d)

Out: "Baby Luv." (Averted Gaze) We have learned of the ... existence ... of a Paris Hilton Monkey (tm), or, as we like to call him, "Kinkajou X (The beast is in need of liberation)." If this animal is indeed a Kinkajou, a "hideous kinky (if you will)," as various news media -- ! -- are reporting, it is not a "monkey," but rather a tree-dwelling marsupial. (The Corsair pours himself a glass of Montrachet) Just so you know.

Appartently, the whatever-it-is is as mercurial as its owner, biting yesterday, as reported by the intrepid Page Sixxies, and now, goddamn it, pulling a fucking disappearing act. Today, Fashionweekdaily tells us that the fruit-munching member of the racoon family was almost lost to us -- (sotto voce) and we hardly knew it -- at the Agent Provocateur party in Vegas:

"...Notorious party girl Paris Hilton�who flew in especially for the event�made her usual circuit of very public appearances. The heiress first hit the AP store for a shopping spree�with her monkey Baby Luv in tow�that included a bullwhip, causing a huge flash-happy crowd to amass outside. But while her pet proved to be a must-have accessory in the store, it later went missing prior to the fashion show at Body English. Vigilant club staff immediately began a hectic search, but Baby Luv was eventually returned to Hilton, safe and sound within half an hour. And the show went off without another hitch."



Denise Rich, seen here in a rare photo without a black person hugging her. (image via mushroommusic)

In: Sharon Stone Versus Denise Rich. In the corner to my left (far left), we have that socialite-songstress whom black people love and former wife of disgraced financier Mark Rich, Denise. (Mild applause) And, on the right, we have the flaky but goodhearted AIDS and Third World activist (and, lest we forget, actress), Sharon Stone. Let's get ready to rumble! According to those intrepid Page Sixxies:

"'A DUCK quacks like a duck, a leopard doesn't change its spots, and Sharon Stone will always be, well, Sharon Stone,' laughed one observer when the erratic star failed to show up to present an award to Patti LaBelle at Denise Rich's G&P Foundation gala, other wise known as the Angel Ball. Sources say Rich had, at Stone's request, co-written a song with her called 'Come Together Now' to aid tsunami victims, and then ponied up more than $300,000 to finance an all-star recording and video. 'Sharon paid Denise back by going on Ellen DeGeneres and Larry King and claiming all the credit for herself,' says an in sider. 'Denise was hurt, but didn't respond because Sharon promised she'd attend the G&P fund-raiser. Then Sharon screwed her again."

Sounds positively fucky.



(image via beatsandrants)

Out: Dave Chappelle. Whatever happened to Dave Chappelle? You know him, the amiable African-American comedian who, like Richard Pryor before him, had a brilliant comedy show that died before its time (Jinx?). According to Medialifemagazine:

"Dave Chappelle knows exactly what people think of him after he walked away from a $50 million contract with Comedy Central earlier this year. During a show at The Comedy Works in Denver Monday, Chappelle addressed the rumors about himself straight on. 'I don't know if you've read about me in the papers, but I'm fucking insane,' Chappelle told the crowd. 'Don't ever buck the system because your ass is finished.'"

Ah, "bucking the system." (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment) Is that what he calls walking off the hottest cable comedy show to chill out with a "deep" Muslim pal in Johannesberg?

"Earlier this year, the cable network superstar became TV�s biggest mystery after abandoning production of season three of his popular 'Chappelle�s Show' and reportedly checking into a mental health facility in South Africa. But in an interview with Time magazine Chapelle dispelled those notions, saying that he was staying with a friend, and merely needed to get away for awhile. While it may have been the right choice for him, it certainly wasn�t easy: 'Don't think you can walk away from $50 million, and your wife will just be cool with it,' he joked with the Denver audience. Chappelle is about to embark on a national comedy tour but has no plans to return to Comedy Central."



Pure as the driven Olympia Snowe. (image via uma.edu)

In: The Moderates. This is turning out to be, as we duly predicted, the week of the Moderates. First, Senator Olympia Snowe, Republican of Maine, supported a tax cut package that didn't include a 15 percent capital gains and dividends cut. According to TheHill:

"The clash over the rate on capital-gains and dividend taxes, which are not set to expire until 2008, is the latest in a long-running series of battles between GOP centrists and conservatives over tax policy. Even some conservative lawmakers had hinted shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit in August that the rate extensions could be delayed � though they have since said they support extensions.

"Many centrists, including Snowe, are wary of cutting taxes amid cuts to spending on programs for the poor and mounting federal debt."

And Republican Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Spector, ironically a Jew, sliced up some pork in the budget, according to TheHill:

"Sen. Arlen Specter, has angered colleagues facing reelection in 2006 by cutting $1 billion in pet projects from his subcommittee�s spending bill to pay for programs popular with Democrats and centrist Republicans.

"Historically, the labor, health and human services, and education bill is one of the most project-loaded of the annual spending bills, say congressional observers who track what they denounce as pork-barrel spending.

"A senior GOP aide said yesterday that members of the appropriations committee who are facing election next year are balking at Specter�s plan to cut their projects. Specter is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health, and Human Services (HHS) and Education Subcommittee."

Madonna in Camden



"See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the Dancing Queen"(image via Rex via Hello!magazine)

Reports are trickling in like urine down Fergie's pantleg about Madonna's live show at Koko Club in the UK.

Madonna crowdsurfed; Madonna loves New York; Madonna keeps her "mussular" little ass cantelope-hard with a vibrating machine -- de trop! de trop! Then, as if the supergayness wasdn't enough, the topper: Madonna wore velvet culottes and sported Farrah Fawcett locks.



(image via thisislondon)

Says the Telegraph of all this thusness:

"At 47, she has just released the most relentlessly up-beat album in her career of 20-plus years: Confessions on a Dance Floor.

"Packed with samples from 70s disco acts such as Abba and Donna Summer, it is a collection of songs guaranteed to get people on their feet and moving."

Also: pelvic thrusts, high kicks and Peaches Geldoff, the hungry man's Paris Hilton. More here.

Sienna and Jude Had "Bed Hair" (AKA, "Fuck Dreadlocks")



(image via theage)

Jude Law and Sienna Miller have come to terms with their inherent temporariness. Ironically, this was all communicated to the press during the premiere of "Cassanova." Alls well that ends well, as we always say. According to the 3AM Girls:

"The troubled lovers spent a romantic few days in an LA beach-front hotel getting their relationship back on track.

"And at the Hollywood premiere of her flick Casanova, Sienna confirmed for the first time what the Daily Mirror told you a fortnight ago - the pair are giving it another go.

"'Well, it's pretty obvious, isn't it? We're working things out,' said Sienna, dressed in a black strapless Stella McCartney jumpsuit.

"'And he's always been and will remain my closest friend in the world, so, you know, it's good,' she gushed.

"'We've had a rough ride, so that is good. That's very good.'"

Let's recap, shall we? First, Jude pounced on the marginally-attractive Nanny (Maybe "Daisy" stood for *Da Inner Soul, Y'all*). Then, the news came out after his son confessed he saw some of their "private portions" to the gloriously melancholy Sadie Frost. Sadie duly pitched a fit, and, like clockwork, so did Sienna.

Sienna promptly issued the Sienna's Six Commandments ("Jude shalt not...")

Turns out, however, that Sienna was fucking the new James Bond. (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment) Her bad.

So, Jude, infuriated that she made him grovel in public, pitches woo to the seriously delicious Selma Hayek at Man Ray in Paris, which causes Sienna, upon hearing the news, to interrupt his dinner a few days later, turn a vivid shade of "puce," and, finally, weep uncontrollably at his knees, spraying hot tears.

Drama

(A considerable pause) Now:

"But after a few months fighting like cat and dog the pair are once again at it like rabbits.

"They spent the days before the premiere in the sound-proof presidential suite of the Shutters on the Beach hotel in Santa Monica.

"And the pair certainly got their money's worth out of the �1,700-a-night room.

"A 3am mole tells us: 'They acted like a couple of love-struck honeymooners. They were on the balcony watching the sun set over the ocean.

"'Jude had his shirt off and Sienna was rubbing his chest. Both of them had 'bed hair' so it was pretty obvious what they'd been doing all day.'"

Fuck dreadlocks, they mean. More here.

Picture Pages, Picture Pages ...



Sylvia Miles attends the opening of -- a can of Pepsi! (image via NYSocialDiary)



"I'm used to good ol' fashionedHomestyle Spanish cooking/ If i try that I'll be puking" (image via thecobrasnake)



"Blacula" ensorcells his victim woozy with the smell of chemical relaxer. (image via thecobrasnake)



Pffffffffffft! (image via thecobrasnake)



"What fools these Mortals be." (image via thecobrasnake)

A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via collegepublisher)

In: Patrick McMullan. This photochronicler has juice. While we understand why he took the offending photographs offline, as he has to interact with these publicists daily, we kinda wish he didn't. Still, the fact that they had to beg says something about Patrick McMullan's power. What is The Corsair talking about? According to Fashionweekdaily:

"Dolce & Gabbana publicists were sent into overdrive yesterday as they learned that famed fashion and society shutterbug Patrick McMullan may have inadvertently snapped some photos that would be unrepresentative of the Italian brand. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana had retreated to Bungalow 8 for a private party after a birthday dinner for Gabbana was held at Bette. But while the atmosphere was initially fine for invited guests like Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Jason Pomeranc, Serena Boardman, Stacey Bendet, and Tinsley Mortimer, things got a bit hazy when party crashers not of the Dolce & Gabbana crowd somehow jumped the velvet rope.

"Things got even more fuzzy when certain antics began inside the celebrity-friendly haven.

"Brandon Davis was seen making out with a bevy of models; Marc Jacobs walked in with for-hire escort Jason Preston; and a certain married socialite drew stares as she canoodled with a certain single part-time actor.

"Realizing that the photos�which get picked up by international outlets�might get into the wrong hands, Dolce & Gabbana reps tried to nip the problem in the bud and avoid a PR fracas."

Guesses as to the "certain married socialite"? Who is this certain single part-time actor"? More here.



(image via achievement.org)

Out: Robert Deniro, Hit Man (Again?). Don't get us wrong: We love Deniro. Deniro is an American artist. But there was once a time when Robert Deniro stretched his acting chops to the ultimate limits. He took on the challenging roles. We will never forget breaking down like a bitch in the theater watching Deniro as Father Roderigo Mendoza in "The Mission." Or, for that matter, remember Deniro's astonishing performance as Michael Vronsky in "The Deer Hunter"?

The pendulum swings. Deniro takes on ... "American Express" commercials. (Averted Gaze) According to The Corsair's reckoning, this will be Deniro's sixth role as a mobster. Doood. According to Popwatch:

"Stop the presses! Robert De Niro has signed on for his next film role and -- wait for it -- he's going to play a retired Mafia hitman with a price on his head in an adaptation of Don Winslow's forthcoming novel The Winter of Frankie Machine, according to Variety."

And, according to Variety: "'(Deniro) did say that (he wouldn't play a Mafia character),' (Jane) Rosenthal told Daily Variety. 'But along came Don Winslow, who created a perfect character. The lesson here is, never say never.'"

Come back to us, Bobby D; come back home.



Catie Marron slips into the dark, velvety embrace of political fixer Vernon Jordan. (image via nysocialdiary)

In: Literary Lions Gala. According to our favorite social chronicler, David Patrick Columbia, in NYSocialDiary:

"Last night The New York Public Library held its annual Literary Lions gala, if you�re wondering how I got on to the business of libraries when I was a kid. This is a very snazzy gala and I must admit it has a certain cachet for me because it is staged in the monumental library at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue with its great stone lions � Fortitude and Patience � sitting outside on the great steps.

"... Gayfryd Steinberg and David Monn decorated the place for the occasion. This has become something of a tradition since they first astonished the Lions guests a few years ago. This year the astonishment continued � they decorated the Astor Hall (which is the large entry hall at the top of the Fifth Avenue steps) with oversized floor lamps. The kind you�d put next to a chair or a sofa where you�d sit and read. And they gave off an orangy-yellow glow, just like the perfect light for diving into a dreaming novel or a history of France. That was where they held cocktails.

"It was black tie and the women were in long dresses. No fashion victims here making look-at-me statements. Uh-uh. This is a crowd of women who know how to dress. Silks and satins and chiffons and laces. Anna Wintour was there, wearing a white fur jacket and long blue dress with a train. She has a very coolish visage, as the world knows, but she nevertheless looks spectacularly smart and maintains the image of what one might conjure up for the editor of Vogue. "

Also in attendance: Candace Bergen, HRH Princess Firyal and Lionel Pincus, Graydon and Anna Carter, Ambassador and Mrs. Felix Rohatyn and, among others, Lally Weymouth. And we thought books were like Kryptonite to a softballer like Lally Weymouth.

The full story and pitctures here.

On the Kingdom of Bhutan



The King of Bhutan inspects the royal guard. (image via AFP/Hellomagazine)

The 4th King of Bhutan, a curious chap to be sure, supplemented his traditional Mahayana Buddhist education with an imported English tutor to "open his eyes onto the world beyond Bhutan's borders." (The Corsair pours himself a glass of Castello Banfi Grappa) Since then, he has walked the razor's edge, honoring the traditions of his forefathers while, at the same time, fostering vast socio-economic development. The ultimate extention of those reforms is, of course, democratization.

However, for the commonwealth, who believe their king to be the realization of a three centuries-old religious prophesy, a sacred reincarnation destined to safeguard the nation and take care of his people, democratization is ... difficult. According to Hello!Magazine:

"The King of Bhutan has found himself facing a conundrum that most political leaders can only dream of. His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who has spent that last 30 years working hard to bring peace and prosperity to his homeland, appears to have become a victim of his own popularity.

"As ruler of the tiny Asian country, the monarch has made it his life's work to modernise the territory while also maintaining its traditional customs and values. His desire to bring democracy to the Himalayan kingdom, by ceding power to a directly elected parliament, has been met with stiff opposition from his subjects, however. It would seem Bhutan's 750,000 citizens have no desire to start voting for politicians when their current ruler is already doing such a fine job."

Full story here.

Separated at Birth?



Conde Nast ice princess Anna Wintour (image via fashionweekdaily)



... and Jadis, the evil Narnian White Witch (image via thestonetable)

Picture Pages, Picture Pages ...



We'll have a double-pecker skankwich, hold the cheese. (image via thecobrasnake)



Are we having fun yet? (AFP/Peter Parks)



We won't even deign to comment on this thusness. It would only rob this bittersweet moment of yum of it's inherent "Dayam!" factor. (image via thecobrasnake)



"Only a real man knows how to satisfy another man. Isn't that right, Marty?"(image via thecobrasnake)



A Cautionary Tale: "Special K" before "Grass" or you'll get knocked on your ass, homeslice. (image via thecobrasnake)

Kimora Simmons Goes Blonde



A Turkey Neck for all seasonings. (image via photos1 via justjared.blogspot.com)

Kimora Simmons, self-described "fly bitch," has done gone and dyed her mane platinum blonde (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment). We don't know what exactly precipitated this outrageous maneuver. We give her a ticket and a stiff fine on the social disdemeanor.

Perhaps Russell wanted some variety in le boudoir; perhaps it fits her misguided self-concept of unmitigated Materialism; perhaps the blonde tresses strategically hide the turkey-neck better (Uhm, no on that count) -- fuck if we know!

Speculate, if you will ...

Pajamas Media Closes $3.5 Million; What is Pajamas Media?

Roger, AKA "Raj" Simon (image via pajamasmedia)

Just what is Pajamas Media? It all sounds rather porny, if you ask us. The short answer is that Pajamas Media is a rightward answer to HuffPo. The more the merrier in the blogosphere, we believe. (The Corsair pours himself a glass of the black wine of Cahors, elixir of Popes) Bloggers will include Larry "How about a capital gains tax cut" Kudlow, the leftish David Corn, Japanese internment camp defender, Michelle Malkin, and John Podhoretz. And, apparently, they are positively festive! According to the Pajamas Media blog:

"The launch of Pajamas Media on November 16th, I think, should be a festive event. Because to me, this is a celebration of reaching a certain point. Other groups besides Pajamas Media have talked about doing something like this, and finally we�re gonna do it! It�s reaching a certain maturation, and certain moment, and we really should be festive about it."

According to New York, Judith Miller will be speaking at their November 16 launch party at the Rainbow Room. Finally, they've got a little F-U money, according to their press release:

"Pajamas Media, a new mediaventure designed to bring together bloggers, journalists and commentatorsunder a single umbrella, today announced it has closed its first round of private financing in the amount of $3.5 million.

"Pajamas Media will use this investment to build out its operations and marketing efforts and to expand itsnews and opinion coverage. Pajamas Media will be renamed at its official launch on November 16th in New York."

"The investor group is led by Aubrey Chernick, angel investor andtechnology entrepreneur, and also includes Jim Koshland, a leading member ofthe Silicon Valley venture capital and technology community, and a DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary venture capital investment partnership.

"'Securing this first round of venture backing validates the Pajamas Media business model and will go a long way towards helping us create an environmentthat will deliver on our pledge to change the way people report and access news and commentary,' said Pajamas Media CEO Roger Simon. 'What we are tryingto do is not something that can be done on a whim. It requires a massive commitment from our team and from our platinum line up of contributors andwriters. It also requires capital. We feel fortunate to have the support of our private investors.'"

Current postings here.