2005's Highlights in Hip



(image via gawker via nicola tamindzic)

Tricia Romano, the Village Voice's ambassador to The Hip (And, we cannot fail to note: "Attache to The Door Bitches"), asks some of the noteworthy nightlifers to recall their most vivid experiences of 2005. Not including, one imagines, those pharmaceutically enhanced moments of "pellucid clarity." (Averted Gaze) As expected, among the mentions were: the standard chocolate pussy autograph, Spring 2006 Fashion Week, Coachella, and, of course, Madonna. Here's a taste:

"Thomas Onorato, door bitch: Being so uncomfortable referring to Madonna as 'Madonna,' only to find out the night of that in person, they all refer to her as 'M.'"

"Lizzie Yoder: Going to the Moscow Cat Circus and seeing a cat do a paw stand on an old Russian clown's hand.

"Geo, MisShapes: When Madonna kissed me and wished me happy birthday when she DJ'd MisShapes.

"Haunted Pussy: The Hiro Fischerspooner Halloween afterparty, where Drew Barrymore asked us to autograph her chocolate vagina.

"Ultragrrrl: Getting kidnapped by the Killers and peeing while Hilary Duff sang me a Smiths song. Not at the same time.

"Miss Guy: Having a three-way with Tommy Hottpants and Kate Moss."

More seriously fucked up shit here.

A Little of the Old In and Out

(image via warhols.com)

In: The Paramount Synthesis. In this ultra-slow news week (The Chattering Classes take the last week of the year off), Paramount's reshuffling process is bigger than Liam Neeson's "wenis." Well, almost. (Exaggerate cough suggesting feigned detachment) According to TheHollywoodReporter:

"Wayne Lewellen, president of distribution at Paramount Pictures, is stepping down from the post he has held since 1993. Jim Tharp, who heads distribution for DreamWorks, is expected to take over the distribution reins at Paramount once the studio's acquisition of DreamWorks is completed early next year.

"Lewellen informed his staff Tuesday, studio sources said. He declined comment, and other executives at the studio could not be reached.

"On the television side, Hal Richardson, head of worldwide television distribution for DreamWorks, is expected to take on similar duties, overseeing TV sales for Paramount, sources familiar with the situation said. With Viacom, Paramount's parent company, about to split into two companies, Paramount's TV syndication operation will move to the new CBS Inc., so Viacom will need to assemble a new team to oversee the TV sales of Paramount features and other product from the new Viacom's various units."

(image via nndn)

Out: Senator Trent Lott. Desperation over the stalling of the Defense Appropriations Bill -- avec ANWR -- drove the increasingly ineffectual Bill Frist to allow Senator Trent Lott to freelance (audition? moonlighting? suicide mission?) as Majority Whip to peel off crucial Democrat votes in last week's epic Senate showdown. It didn't work; Lott failed in that test, thus ball but guaranteeing the certainty of Mitch McConnell as the next Senate Majority Leader. According to TheHill:

"(Alaska Senator) Stevens and other GOP proponents argue that oil taken from the Arctic belongs in the defense bill because it is critical to the nation�s security.

"But critics say it is extraneous and have objected to the effort to attach a controversial rider to the must-pass defense bill. Stevens tried to sweeten the package with the promise of funding for Gulf Coast states hit by this year�s hurricanes, money for low-income heating assistance and other items intended to draw support from Democrats and centrist Republicans.

"But Democrats, with the help of Republicans Mike DeWine (Ohio) and Lincoln Chafee (R.I.), stopped the Senate from voting on the defense measure. A vote today to invoke cloture and cut off debate failed, 56-44. Sixty votes are needed to ensure cloture. Four Democrats � Hawaii Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, and Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson - voted with the Republican majority. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) voted against the motion for procedural reasons.

"Earlier in the day, Republican leaders lost an important vote on the $40 billion package of spending cuts that had originally included the ANWR language. On that vote, Democrats were able to stall enactment of the budget with a parliamentary maneuver striking provisions unrelated to drilling. Though the Senate immediately passed the budget billwithout the offending provisions, the move means the House will have to act on the measure again."

And, the rest is History (Or, if Ted Stevens gets his way on ANWR, "Eternal Recurrence").



(image via photos1.blogger.com)

In: The 300 Production Blog. In the spirit of comic book movies and their "avids," which, quite frankly, took Hollywood by storm this year, we give you the "300" blog. The comic was created by Frank Miller and it tells the story of the Spartans heroic battle against the tyrannical King Xerxes of Persia at Thermopylae (A topic, incidentally, that is particularly timely in the midst of this War on Terror). Now, Classics geek that The Corsair is: If only we can get Ridley Scott to helm Xenophon's Anabasis, then we could die in peace. From the blog (link via Cinematical):

"Alright, here we are, finally making '300'. This week concludes our 9th week of principle photography on the film and so far, it has been an incredible journey. Four more weeks of shooting to go and I'm sure they will prove to be just as challenging, but more importantly, just as rewarding. To get things started, let me give you a quick tour of the website. Take a look at the synopsis page for a little insight into the story of '300'. Located in the video journal section you will find periodic video podcasts. Each one will take a look at a different aspect of the filmmaking process as it relates to '300'. Located in the artwork section of the website you will find artwork from the many stages of production. This may include set photos, storyboards excerpts, concept art, set designs, visual effects composites, etc. There is also a downloads section where you will find cool '300' stuff to download."

(image via doe)

Out: Gazpron Versus The Ukraine. There is something rather touching about Vladimir Putin's desire for Respect -- with a capital "R." (The Corsair turns on Tchiakovski) It is comically adolescent.

Now, even though The Ukraine, quite rightly, has agreed, post Soros-financed Orange Revolution, to pay higher prices after a sufficient buffer period to get on their feet, Russia is threatening to cut off their oil supply if they don't phase in the price increases immediately. If this sounds familiar it is; Russia attempted the same miserable tactic on the newly independent Lithuania in the 90s.

It failed then and it will fail now. Via RIA Novosti:

"Russian-Ukrainian relations are not getting any better with the approaching New Year, when the bilateral contracts on gas deliveries and transit will run out.

"While accusing Moscow of political decision-making on the gas problem, Kiev is also sticking to political arguments. It is enough to mention its threat to oust the Russian Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol, or a new spur of the conflict on December 22, when Ukrainian Foreign Minister Boris Tarasyuk bluntly charged Moscow with gas blackmail and even hinted that Ukraine might leave an 'inefficient' Commonwealth. Instead of the CIS, Ukraine will concentrate on cooperation with the EU, NATO, and the U.S., he said.

"Under the circumstances, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yury Yekhanurov immediately discussed the gas issue with EU and U.S. ambassadors. He conspicuously forgot to invite the Russian envoy."

(A considerable pause) Chared, I'm sure.

Picture Pages, Picture Pages ...



We wish him the breast. (image via thecobrasnake)



Acutely illustrated here by Sean Young, witness the inverse mathematical relationship between discernable talent and the opacity of one's dress. (image via wireimage)



For further reference, see above. (image via wireimage)



Celebrity-Polymer constructs Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna bond. Quien es mas shallow? (image via wireimage)



Social Misdemeanor, code violation 6377: Operating one's flavor with an absence of funk. (image via thecobrasnake)

A Little of the Old In and Out



Saucy foreign policy sex symbol, Fareed Z. (image via Melanie Flood/Observer)

In: Fareed Zakaria. When one thinks of Fareed Zakaria many playful sobriquets (Beyond, of course, the inscrutable Senatorish coif), come to the fore. "Future Secretary of State," is at one end of the Zakaria-sphere (Apologies, to be sure, to the cold-blooded, reptilian realpolitikal ambitions of Richard Holbrooke), and, at the other, more playa-hating x-axis of the Zakaria-sphere, the monicker "Intellectual hooker" leaps lasciviously from out of the sulfurous ethers. (A considerable pause)

Perhaps, paradoxically, he is both and none at the same time. According to the salmon-colored weekly:

"Last year, Fareed Zakaria, the Newsweek International editor and television pundit, was invited to participate in a rather unconventional project.

"The Dominican Republic had suffered an economic collapse, and the I.M.F. forced the country's central bank to sell a 2,000-acre tract of lush beachfront property that it owned. A group of about 20 American luminaries formed a consortium to purchase the land, with the idea of building a sort of utopian community, where artists and writers would be invited to stay at cost and the moguls and moneymen who'd financed the place could vacation, play golf and bask in the glow of their artsy neighbors. The list of 'founding residents' includes Moby, Charlie Rose, Alex von Furstenberg, the hedge-fund manager Michael Novogratz, fashion designer Lela Rose and, to lend the group a little political weight, Mr. Zakaria.

"'In New York, you have a lot of connectors-- people who are mostly just social,' said Boykin Curry, the New York investment manager who spearheaded the Dominican enterprise. 'And then you have a lot of smart intellectuals. The two don't overlap very often, but [Fareed] has both. It's not just his ideas and not just his connections, but it's the interplay of the two that allow him to be so interesting.'

"Mr. Zakaria, 41, in the midst of a whirlwind day that involved a round-trip flight from LaGuardia Airport to Washington, D.C. for a taping of his television show, downplayed the Dominican investment as 'an interesting example of globalization' that he was only 'peripherally involved' in."

It all sounds so Kissingerian. (A considerable pause) We await, rapt, with baited breath, upon which fortunate heiress he decides, ultimately, to bestow his "diplomatic linkage." (Averted Gaze) More here.



(image via BritishVogue)

Out: Oswald Boateng. We safely predict that this time next year the glorious couturier "Oz" will have navigated himself out of the breakers of the present, but, according to British Vogue:

"OZWALD BOATENG is still planning to launch a diffusion line, despite the trouble he got into with Marchpole. The High Court terminated the Savile Row tailor's seven-year licence agreement with Marchpole with immediate effect after the two companies failed to agree on a number of issues. But despite battling since November last year, Boateng is still keen to do it. 'It certainly isn't a question of once bitten, twice shy for Ozwald,' a spokeswoman told Drapers. 'He understands the importance of a diffusion line, but Marchpole just wasn't the right partner. He is also interested in the potential of adding a womenswear diffusion line.'"

Good luck, Ozzy.



(image via blacksamaurai.co.au)

In: Mustique. Robust mantans are sorely lacking here in frosty New York City. Not so, however, in -- or is it "on" -- Mustique, tax-shelter par excellence, where the bohemian jet-set contingent of royals, rock and fashion icons sojourn with our favorite creepy mannequin lover, Tom Ford. According to Fashionweekdaily:

"In perhaps what will be the chicest of town hall gatherings, this afternoon The Mustique Company, the organization responsible for the welfare of its enclave of exclusive residents, will host its annual luncheon, followed by an early evening cocktail party put on by the Cotton House Resort, all to welcome this year's sunseekers who plan on toasting the New Year on the isle's sandy beaches. Expected at this gathering are Tom Ford, Mick Jagger and L'Wren Scott, Marisa Noel and Matt Brown, Santiago Gonzalez, Nina Garcia, Douglas Friedman, Valesca Guerrand-Herms, and Vanessa Neumann. Ford, for his part, is bringing a sizable entourage -- but in lieu of publicists, stylists, and the straggling masseuse, the designer's company includes Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson (along with their children), Richard Buckley, and Tim Jeffries. The aforementioned group is, in fact, houseguests of Ford's, who arrived on the island last week and is renting Shania Twain's property. Ford's been spotted turning a nice shade of brown as he relaxes in his dark Bermuda shorts alongside Jeffries on the beach wearing his 'Ryan' sunglasses, from his own line of shades, no less."

Glad to hear that Tom Ford is going with the carmelized nut-brown look (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment), as opposed to, say, Georgio Armani's distinct Vancouver sunset mantan or, more to the point, Ken Auletta's precocious Old Media walnut panelling. (Averted Gaze)

The full monte here.



(image via nndn)

Out: Trent Lott's Gambit. Granted, Senator Lott lost half his assets in Hurrican Katrina and he could easily make up some serious scratch peddling his influence in the private sector. That having been said, we don't for a minute believe the carefully orchestrated hemming and hawing that the Mississippi Senator plans to leave the Senate, assuring, quite possibly, a Democrat Majority in that august body come election time.

Rather, we believe (With a philosophical cynicism), Lott -- and his media amigo, one: Robert Novak -- is leveraging himself to take over the Senate Majority position from Bill Frist (Or, at the very least, snatching up the Majority Whip position as delicious consolation). Of course, that ambition stands athwart Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, who is the acknowledged heir-apparent of the Republican. But if they make enough waves that the Dems will regain the Senate, McConnell may be forced to step aside "for the good of the party."

Sneeeaky. According to our favorite Dickensian villain, Robert Novak:

"Trent Lott within the next week plans to decide between seeking a fourth term in the U.S. Senate from Mississippi or retiring from public life. That could determine whether Republicans keep control of the Senate in next year's elections. For the longer range, Lott's retirement and replacement could signal that Southern political realignment has peaked and now is receding.
Mississippi, one of the reddest of the red Republican states, has not even been on the game board of the Washington analysis forecasting the 2006 Senate outcome. But in Mississippi, prominent Republicans are worried sick. They believe Lott will probably retire. If so, they expect the new senator will be a Democrat, former State Attorney General Mike Moore. Republican politicians in Mississippi believe Rep. Chip Pickering, the likely Republican nominee if Lott does not run, cannot defeat Moore.

"Republican National Chairman Ken Mehlman pleaded with Lott last week to run again. The senator was as blunt with this emissary from President Bush as he was with me. 'Where is our vision and our agenda?' he asked. The malaise afflicting the Bush administration not only threatens a Senate seat in Mississippi but impacts Lott's decision whether to retire.

"A Bush entreaty now to Lott is ironic. Lott was driven out of the Senate majority leader's chair after the 2002 elections when the president refused to defend him from calumnies that a harmless jocular remark on the late Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday was racist in nature. Lott's recently published memoir ('Herding Cats') reveals he was deeply hurt by Bush's non-support."

Typical Novak. That remark was not harmless, especially considering Lott's disgusting past associations with white supremacists at Ole Miss. Still, Lott, balls-to-the-wall, in his own pork-filled way, has used his power to make up for his past mistakes to African-American Mississippians. It could be argued that Lott, at present acutely conscious of his shameful "alliances," could be a great friend to African-Americans as Senate Majority leader once again. Time will tell.



Voted Gen-pop's Most Popular. (image via thesmokinggun)

In: TheSmokingGun's Favorite Arrestees. There is definitely an element of schadenfreude to watching, say, KMart employee "Bambi," doing an impromptu photo shoot at the local lock-up. Or, the sinister elderly gentleman in the Cosby sweater. And how about this unfortunate dude?

More Smokinggun arrestees of 2005 here.

Happy Holdays, Etc, Etc

Since last week was a bit hectic, let me now say Happy Holidays. Thanks for sticking with this blog. Later this week (Thursday?), the 2005 Corsair Year-End Pirate Awards (The Corsair is working on them as we "speak").

Bear with me,
XO Ron

Picture Pages, Picture Pages ...



Lightweight! (image via thecobrasnake)



This guy is the definition of "Country." Boo's laid back, chill; he's got the straw in his mouth; he's got the colonized country hat skewed at a "Fosse" angle. Frustrated Long Island secretaries go on long island vacations to get dance lessons and a casual fling off of cats like him. (image via thecobrasnake)



That's what you get for ordering "beef cheeks" off the menu at a strip club ... (image via thecobrasnake)



Trustafarians throw down the gang sign for (sotto voce) "Parker: Get the town car ready round back." (image via thecobrasnake)



Klonopin before "X" or your gonna get wrecked, borther! (image via thecobrasnake)

A Little of the Old In and Out



Hey there, Mr. Polar Bear. (image via justpetehere)

In: ANWR. ANWR, or, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge drilling issue will not go away. The Corsair opposes the drilling, though, admittedly, we are hugely influenced in this decision by National Geographic specials and the gloriously pristine images of the Arctic. The Corsair has a romantic, James Fenimore Cooperish idealization of Nature. We are also well aware that a patriotic love of the cleanliness of America's habitat means that other, nonenlightened parts of the globe will bear the brunt of our need for oil.

That having been said, ANWR continues to return to Senate debate mainly because of the insanely stubborn politicking of Alaska's Senator Ted Stevens. That old bastard --36 years in the Senate; appointed by the Governor in the 60s -- is tough like old leather. He keeps bringing this this issue back to the table via arcane Senate rules like a bad goddam penny. Says TheHill:

"Senate Republicans were dealt a significant setback today when their effort to pass legislation on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) fell short. Many Democrats and a handful of Republicans oppose the drilling measure, which was attached to a $453.5 billion defense appropriations bill.

"... The underlying defense-spending measure provides fiscal 2006 appropriations for the Pentagon, including a $50 billion fund for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), the chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and the leading Senate proponent of the ANWR provision, inserted the drilling language in his legislation after it became clear last week that it could threaten House passage of the budget bill in which it was originally contained.

"Stevens and other GOP proponents argue that oil taken from the Arctic belongs in the defense bill because it is critical to the nation�s security. But critics say it is extraneous and have objected to the effort to attach a controversial rider to the must-pass defense bill. Stevens tried to sweeten the package with the promise of funding for Gulf Coast states hit by this year�s hurricanes, money for low-income heating assistance and other items intended to draw support from Democrats and centrist Republicans.

"But Democrats, with the help of Republicans Mike DeWine (Ohio) and Lincoln Chafee (R.I.), stopped the Senate from voting on the defense measure. A vote today to invoke cloture and cut off debate failed, 56-44."



The prinipled libertarian senator Sununu. (image via sununu.senate.gov)

Out: Ignoring The Libertarians. The White House oddly is ignoring not just the Moderate Republicans like Olympia Snowe and Lincoln Jeffries, but natural allies like New Hampshire Libertarian ("Live Free or Die") Senator Sununu, whose father, incidentally, is an old friend and occasional emissary of the Bush dynasty.

Their bad. According to the perfect Dickensian villain, Robert Novak:

"At 10:15 a.m. on March 17, Sen. John Sununu was on the telephone with newly installed Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, urging changes in the anti-terrorist Patriot Act. At 3:30 p.m. on April 18, Gonzales was in Sununu's Russell Building office to hear the same message from the senator. To no avail. The Bush administration never took Sununu's message to heart, leading to the current deadlock in the Senate.

"Sununu, a New Hampshire conservative and one of the Senate's rising Republican stars, joined with three other right-of-center Republicans last week to defeat cloture."

Oops.



(image via jsbach.net)

In: Bachfest 2005. It has been said that Mozart and Beethoven were miracles, but Bach was an emissary of God. As an agnostic, we are not quite so sure about the existence of The Endless One.

Still, we appreciate the pragmatic value of Johan Sebastian Bach's concentrated efforts to marshall his considerable natural resources into a public conversation with his personal conception of The Endless One. Bach's genius in his prayer-converstions (AKA: His music) is often breathtaking.

WKCR Online is running "Bachfest," which runs 24 hours a day through December 28th. WKCR will play everything, from the emotionally devastating Goldberg Variations and Suite No. 1 for solo Cello in G major to the hauntingly bleak Tocatta in D Minor to the festive Brandenburg Concertos and the sublime Concerto in F-Minor for Harpsichord.

Bach is for people who appreciate serious beauty. Bachfest here; make it the soundtrack for your holiday season.



Is this Art? (image via alterlaa)

Out: Raushenberg at the Met. If Bach represents the highest achievelment in Western Music, then, quite frankly, Rauschenberg represents the lowest in visual art (The Corsair sips on a Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1978 Grand Pauillac). Lately, we haven't been feeling Phillipe de Montebello. First there were the donor art scandals. Now, fucking Rauschenberg at the Met. According to one Michael Kimmelman of the Old Gray Lady:

"To say that for Mr. Rauschenberg everything came together during the decade from 1954 to 1964, when he was devising these hybrids, is just to speak the literal truth. The combines mixed up paintings with bits and pieces of tattered clothes, athletic socks, newspaper clippings, grimy postcards, broken umbrellas, saw-horses, taxidermied animals, comic strips, pencil-thin neckties, light bulbs and other junk that Mr. Rauschenberg had or bought or scavenged from the street - whatever caught his fancy, which meant just about anything.

"... Now, of course, it's easier to grasp the way these works weave teasing bits of autobiography with fragments of contemporary life and history to make images that can't be boiled down to a single message (academics are always trying to do this) or dismissed as a bunch of hooey (the conservative line). The sexual innuendo of the goat and tire is hard to miss. But then there are many other possible readings. Relying on the old Cubist grid for their formal armature, the combines invite decipherment without coming across, like Cubism, as homework. They provide access on many levels at once, favoring none, anticipating the mental processes of a generation of multitaskers. Half a century later, you might say, the culture has finally caught up to the combines."

(A considerable pause) Excuse us if those sentiments sound like naught else but utter bullshit. Oftentimes, Modern Art strikes us -- especially in the cases of Christo and Warhol, but never in the cases of Picasso or Matisse -- as a clever hustle; an aesthetic posture more geared to inspiring smart conversation than a reflective inquiry into Eternity. If "frozen wit" could net us a half a mil and a house in East Hampton, then we shall quit blogging altogether, frame odd bits of Coney Island oceanic flotsam, and sell it to the suckers and the punks who go in for that sort of thing. (Averted Gaze) Or, maybe we won't.

The Met is for Nicholas Poussin, not Rauschenberg and his outre scams. (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment)

In: Jason Calacanis Predicts. Our old SAR 100 boss and newly minted millionaire Jason Calacanis makes some predictions today about 2006, among which:

" Metblogs and Gothamist will both raise venture or seed capital.

"... Newscorp (and maybe some other folks) might spin out their Interactive assets and take them public.

"... No podcasting company will have any significant success in 2006, but a number of podcasters will be offered great jobs at Sirius and XM Radio.

"... The housing bubble will deflate/burst (it's much worse now than people are saying) and consumer confidence and spending will be moderately shaken. This will create a pullback in consumer advertising which will result in a cooling of the media/Web 2.0 space and another round of main stream media layoffs (think magazines, newspapers, etc).

"... Gawker will hit 20 blogs and get bought by Newscorp--Nick Denton will keep Fleshbot and retire for the third time before spinning the Fleshbot into an ipod video service claiming all the while that 'there's no business in it.'"

More predictions here.



(image via heraldsun.news.au)

Out: African-American Grinches. Chris Rock and Bobby Brown are presently being blamed for ruining Christmas. Crazy. As if African-American men didn't have enough to worry about, what, with the high unemployment rates, early death, high rates of incarceration -- now this! Notherfuck!

They're just keeping it real, people. Mellow out. Why should a chubby white guy get all the credit for stocking the tree with bling!

But, frankly, we are more curious as to why anyone would expose impressionable children under the age of, say, 7, to the risquee stylings of a Bobby Brown or a Chris Rock. Hmm?

Fergie's Crotch Jinx



(image via dramadept.org)

Fashionweekdaily, one of our favorite reads, recounts with boldfacers their fashion faux pas of the past year. As you can imagine, the always candid Michael Musto took the grand prize. Just when we thought we had gotten over the whole Black-eyed pees incident, the glorious Musto puts it all back into proper perspective:

"For a Paper magazine dinner for Fergie, the rock star, I dug up the most incredible old Albert Crudo ensemble I had worn to great effect in the '80s (and I have press-clippings to prove it). The number in question is a brown and white floral print thingie with tight-fitting pants and a gorgeous blouson with butterfly sleeves. I couldn't ride my bike in the outfit (it's too unwieldy and might get caught in the spokes), so right outside the restaurant, I made a big spectacle of changing into it, thankfully not drawing the attention of cops, who probably could have gotten me on indecent exposure. I sashayed into the bash feeling fabulous, and the photographers went wild as I spread my arms and looked like a mythical '80s creature ready to take flight. Unfortunately, what went bye-bye was any sense of decency as I heard a deafeningly loud rip in my crotch area."

(A considerable pause) Oh dear. Her "humps" notwithstanding, Fergie's, like, quite the crotch-jinx, no?

More Musto here.

Shhhh....

I know, I know, baby. (Caress) The Corsair was neglectful. This time of year is hectic. Between navigating Manhattan during the the chaotic NYC subway strike and Christmas errands we had little time to blog. Forgive me?

Picture Pages, Picture Pages ...



Ho, ho (Averted Gaze); Merry Pimpmas ... (image via thecobrasnake)



And the Robin Williams Award for Perennial Spastic Buffonery Goes to ... Roberto Benigni. (image via wireimage)



As always, Shannon Elizabeth circulates within the most elite Hollywood social circles. (image via wireimage)



More than any other life lesson (Bleaching and obnoxious tanning not included), Hulk Hogan taught his daughter Brooke how to suck in that gut the moment the camera flashes. (image via wireimage)

Elton to Ingrid: Wear A Dress to Give Me Away for $100,000



(image via digitaljournalist)

First there were rumors that Ingrid Sischy, who is giving Elton John away, might give up some insider scoop on the Wedding of the Year -- sorry Athina -- for Interview, or maybe even Vanity Fair.

Now, things take a turn for the Felliniesque. According to fashionweekdaily:

"Elton John was said to have offered Ingrid Sischy $100,000 if she would wear a dress to his upcoming nuptials"

Richard Pryor had it all wrong. Cocaine is not gods way of telling you you're making too much money. God's way of telling you you're making too much money is dropping $100 large on a sucker bet with a friend, then turning down $10 Million for the exclusive rights.

More "Heard"

A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via lavinagency)

In: Kurt Eichenwald. Again: Who says print media is dead? Not The Corsair. Kurt Eichenwald's well-excecuted piece in today's Old Gray Lady on the subject of online sexual abuse of teenagers is nothing short of astonishing and devastating all at once. The story highlights the necessity of strong print journalism in an age of short-attention spans and the profusion of moral grays. There is no simple way to do justice to this grim story, but here is some of it:

"A six-month investigation by The New York Times into this corner of the Internet found that such sites had emerged largely without attracting the attention of law enforcement or youth protection organizations. While experts with these groups said they had witnessed a recent deluge of illicit, self-generated Webcam images, they had not known of the evolution of sites where minors sold images of themselves for money.

"'We've been aware of the use of the Webcam and its potential use by exploiters,' said Ernest E. Allen, chief executive of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a private group. 'But this is a variation on a theme that we haven't seen. It's unbelievable.'Minors who run these sites find their anonymity amusing, joking that their customers may be the only adults who know of their activities. It is, in the words of one teenage site operator, the 'Webcam Matrix,' a reference to the movie in which a computerized world exists without the knowledge of most of humanity.

"In this virtual universe, adults hunt for minors on legitimate sites used by Webcam owners who post contact information in hopes of attracting friends. If children respond to messages, adults spend time 'grooming' them - with praise, attention and gifts - before seeking to persuade them to film themselves pornographically.The lure is the prospect of easy money. Many teenagers solicit 'donations,' request gifts through sites like Amazon.com or negotiate payments, while a smaller number charge monthly fees. But there are other beneficiaries, including businesses, some witting and some unwitting, that provide services to the sites like Web hosting and payment processing.

"Not all victims profit, with some children ending up as pornographic commodities inadvertently, even unknowingly."

Perhaps we are especially receptive to the piece today because of our own little brush with cybercrime. Whatever the case, Eichenwald's piece will move you..

(Eichenwald)
(Rachel Sklar on Eichenwald)
(CBS News Eye on Eichenwald)



(image via uga.edu)

Out: The West Wing? We still love The West Wing, arguably the best written show on television, even though, we cannot fail to note, other bloggers consider the show as having "jumped the shark."

Medialifemagazine's Toni Fitzgerald, however, raises some curious questions as to how theembattled show, contending with the death of John Spencer, can stay on the air:

"His death could not come at a worse time for the show, now in its seventh season, with its future already very much in doubt because of sinking ratings and rising salaries.

"The real-life death of such an integral character could well spell the official end for 'Wing,' a show that was once among TV�s most-watched dramas and is now mustering just 8 million total viewers, barely half of what it averaged in its prime years.

"'Wing' was renewed last season at about half the cost of the previous year, forcing many regulars into recurring roles.

"Spencer would ostensibly have played a major role in the show�s season-long election storyline as the vice presidential candidate. In fact, his selection last spring was the show�s season-ending shocker, and one focus this season has been presidential candidate Matt Santos� seeming distaste for McGarry.

"Without McGarry, whose character was a mentor to many of the younger White House staff and the closest confidante of president Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen), the show will lose its wise old sage. And one of the great joys of 'Wing' was watching McGarry advise them correctly while he himself dealt often unsuccessfully with private demons.

"Just how 'Wing' will deal with Spencer�s death is unclear. His character suffered a heart attack last season, and during his recent campaign questions about his health arose.

"It would not thus seem surprising for McGarry to die of a fatal heart attack, but the writers won�t be able to do that without rewriting history. The first episode of the season showed a scene three years in the future where Spencer appeared.

"Unless 'Wing' sets that as a fantasy sequence, it can�t very well write McGarry out."

More at Medialifemagazine here.



(image via uoa.gr)

In: Gisele Bundchen, Musician. Hott. (The Corsair sips a RAGNAUD-SABOURIN Alliance No. 4 cognac) Is it just us or does Gisele seem happier outside of the dark, Scorpionic purview of The Leo? According to Fashionweekdaily (Shoutout to Jim Shi and Faran Krentcil at Fashionweekdaily for being so darn quotable):

"Wearing jeans, tan cushy boots, a loose white tank top, and thin gold arm bracelet, Gisele Bundchen casually made her way into the Chelsea nightclub Stereo Saturday night sans paparazzi, where the Brazilian supermodel played backup guitarist to her friend, Chino Maurice. 'This is my first time performing,' she said over a microphone to the invite-only crowd of about 100. 'I�m here to support Chino!' The two-hour get together marked the first significant performance for Maurice, who is currently working with Damon Dash on a reality show called Hustler. And Dash, along with Charlotte Ronson, Dani Stahl, and Stereo owner Michael Satsky, held court in the back of the massive space, where a stage was built over the dance floor.

The full story here.



(image via jinsa.org)

Out: Senator Evan Bayh. As family-friendly Senator Evan Bayh stakes out the prospects of future center-right real estate in the 2008 Democratic Primary (Think: He's made 2 visits to Iowa and New Hamshire this year), the perfect Dickensian villain, Robert Novak, pooh-poohs his chances with the Jesus crowd:

"Hopes by Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana to become the centrist candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination were not helped by the Nov. 30 ruling of U.S. District Judge David Hamilton of Indianapolis, a former Bayh aide, against the Indiana state legislature opening its sessions with a prayer referring to Jesus Christ.

"When Bayh was governor of Indiana, Hamilton was his chief counsel and master political strategist. Hamilton ruled, in response to a lawsuit filed by the Indiana Civil Liberties Union, that any prayers referring to Jesus Christ by name, 'Savior'' or 'Son of God' are unconstitutional. He said that such a reference ''amounts in practical terms to an official endorsement of the Christian religion.''

We have to agree: Bayh without the distinct Christian flavoring is pretty bland stuff to sell to the competitive Democratic center space come next Presidential primary.

Never Underestimate the Power of John Dingell



(image via autonews)

John Dingell is a tough sumbich; he has "rib-busting ox-strength." On the McLaughlin Group, goldenboy West Wing Executive Producer Lawrence O'Donnell made it known that when he worked on the Hill, people gave Dingell a "wide berth." Meat-and-potatoes loving paleoconservative pitbull pundit Pat Buchanan appreciatively barked, "yup."

That's juice!

In the seemingly endless array of tributes to the astonishing staying power -- 50 years -- of Congressman Dingell, we get this, from Washington Whispers (link via wonkette):

"Rep. John Dingell isn't just the third-longest-serving House member ever, passing the 50-year mark last week at a Hill lunch to celebrate his 1955 election to replace his father. He's also one of the few who can break up the dreadful bureaucracy-speak with folksy sayings like 'That's about as useful as side pockets on a cow' and 'Madder than a boiled owl.' Dingell, 79, tells our congressional correspondent Danielle Knight that the use of 'Dingellisms' goes back to his father. 'I learned a lot from my dad,' he says. 'Dad was a very colorful fella.'Let's be clear: Dingellisms are not like 'Dingellgrams,' the famously harsh, sometimes belligerent notes to agencies the congressman is angry with. Instead, Dingellisms are quirky, off-the-cuff comments that are rich with meaning. Take the one that sizes up bipartisanship: 'My pappy used to say,' explains Dingell, that 'when they say they want to be bipartisan, it means they don't have the votes.'"

And he throws down a little "Dingle Bells" Christmas floetry (here). You see, our definition of Dingellism would have been entirely porny. (WashingtonWhispers)

Rescue Him!



(image via msn.com)

This summer we saw alot -- too much? -- Denis Leary all over the Upper West Side filming his critically praised FX drama "Rescue Me." His coif, we cannot fail to note, was intense: a well-appointed light mahogany chestnut "do" of immense importance. Severity, even. (Averted Gaze) There may have been a touch of auburn highlighting involved -- don't quote us. (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment)

Leary takes his Christmas parties, we hear, just as seriously as he does his bob; according to those intrepid, inquisitive Page Sixxies:

"Late last Tuesday night, following the show's Christmas party at the SoHo Grand Hotel, a band of merrymakers led by Leary swarmed the downstairs bar of Ono at the Hotel Gansevoort and immediately decided to play Truth or Dare with shots of vodka as truth serum.

"But the actors � including Leary, hunky co-firefighter Daniel Sunjata and fetching fire vixen Callie Thorne � preferred 'dare' and instantly turned the game into a flagrant exhibitionism session.

"'They ordered every kind of vodka the bar had,' says our reliable spywitness, 'which included 15 brands. They put it on a Lazy Susan, spun it around and played the game. They were calling it the Boozy Susan.

"'There were no make-out sessions.' Instead, the 'Rescue Me' revelers were merely 'baring their breasts or their [male private parts] � or they'd moon someone. It went on for an hour and a half. Callie lifted her shirt and put her breasts on the bar.

"'Denis slid down a banister completely naked. He did it lickety split,' continues our tattletale.

"'Where they were sitting was facing the hotel's courtyard on Ninth Avenue. They were flashing the incoming traffic. Everyone was blowing their horns at them.

"'It was a lot of fun � completely debauched. The wait staff was laughing their a - - es off. They knew they were going to get an enormous tip.'"

And yet, that hefty tip did not, apparently, include ratfinking. Then again, who can blame the bar-keeps for breaking? Page Six, as we all know, is mightier than even Omerta.

The full story here.

Email Hacking Problems

Once again I'm having email password hacking problems. As if it isn't bad enough that the government is eavesdropping, we seem to have acquired some hacker freak. Sadly, I always attract the crazies; it's the story of my life. If you received a sketchy email from me on Saturday, it wasn't me. Does anyone have any advice on how to stop this (Yes, I know about Symantec)? Aside from what I've sent to the nypd computer investigation technology unit re: communications fraud, I mean.

R

PS: We'll try not to let this inspiration-killing news interfere with today's blog postings.

Picture Pages, Picture Pages ...



We're pretty sure that The Donald has broken to pieces Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation here (image via yahoo.news)



Pink: with ... black fringes; Charmed, I'm sure. (image via ohnotheydidnt)

Harry Connick, Jr Likes JLo's Sweet Ass



(image via lourdes.free.fr)

Sweetface? Nice tush. Honey mouthed Louisiana crooner Harry Connick, Jr. appreciates JLo's substantial "rear cushioning." (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment)

Who doesn't? According to the 3AM Girls:

"WHAT'S up with actor and jazzer Harry Connick Jr? His midlife crisis appeared to be raging when he admitted he finds it impossible to tear his eyes away from the ample buttocks of Jennifer Lopez, 35.

"He gasped: 'I am telling you, when you see her from the back you just... it's like eating too much pecan pie. Everything slows down and you can't respond to people.'"

(A considerable pause) We prefer to use as the food metaphor the hearty "Arroz Con Pollo," or (Sniffs haughtily), at the very least, keeping it real (And really regional), "Gumbo," when speaking of her bountious endowments, but, we suppose, in some far-off island of misfit toys, Pecan Pie is a vaguely copacetic symbol for the nobility of that sweet Nuyorican ass. (Averted Gaze)

Engaging Russia




(image via nsu.ru)


It is unfortunate that the environmentaly disaterous benzene spill in Jilin province of China is the pretext for a pretext for improved Russo-American relations. Still: engaging Russia is better than not engaging Russia, as the Bushies all but did, quixotically, after their disasterous talks with old pal "Pootie-Poot" at Bratislava Castle earlier this year. (The Corsair gingerly lights a Bolivar Royal Corona; pulls; exhales)

There was so much blissful anticipation before Bratislava. Those were the heady days when Henry Kissinger was dispached as a special envoy to Russia on the grounds that Putin, like most lower primates, can probably sense and give wide berth to a fellow apex-predator. (Averted Gaze)

Putin is perhaps now aware --after all this diplomatic correspondence -- of the political reality that jailing the opposition makes him look like a fucking hayseed in the parlors of Washington DC afterhours. (The Corsair shoots back a glass of Sambuca di Canale)

Remember when Vladimir Putin confidently asserted -- again, at fateful Bratislava -- that President Bush had something to do with the firing of Dan Rather? One could literally hear a pin drop as the poor translator rushed through that sentence while Putin beamed triumphant as an uneducated Serf putting something over on his overlord.

Putin seems to get the hint at present that democratic leaders -- wink, wink; yeah--right -- don't jail their opposition for getting saucy at authority. Now, Putin, duly chastised, harasses his political opposition on the DL. That's class! (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment)

The President's hands-on executive search for a "high class" beard for Russia's state-owned oil company is quite touching, in a clumsy Buster Keaton kind of way.

First in line to head Rosneft is former Bush Commerce Secretary Don Evans. He launches Russia TV to up his profile -- and make him look less kleptocratic Byzantine Czar -- to the West.

Gerhard Schroeder is also in line as "liaison" to a Russian pipeline to Europe. This all looks to The Corsair like a class bully making an apology to the class -- this class: The West -- for yesterday's schoolyard hijinx. I guess that's how Putin says "sorry; let's be friends again," by carving up a meaningful slice of the wild boar for his guests. Since we no longer face an existential threat from Moscow we don't have to be on our best manners. But seeing as how rogue nuclear weopon technology getting into the hands of our enemies is still the number one foreign policy priority we must continue to engage Russia. No matter how unseemly it all is.

And if we can gainfully engage Russia (All they really want is respect), while simultaneously extricating them, deflty, from the clutches of the Sino-Russian alliance a la Nixonian triangulation, well, then, that's just the gravy.

A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via uvic.ca)

In: The Print Media. Who says the print media is dead? Yes, Knight-Ridder is potentially up for sale. And, sure, it's not a good time to be an editorial cartoonist. But print media still has a vast influence over our political and business spheres of society. To wit:

Yesterday's reveleation in the pages of The Old Gray Lady -- and the strong web reaction -- that the Bush Administration spied domestically on U.S. citizens led indirectly to the blockage of the renewal of the Patriot Act. Four Republicans -- including, curiously, Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel -- joined the nearly unanimous Democratic Party block.

Moderate Republican Senator Arlen Spector, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, has arranged for hearings into the matter early next year. Curiously, the Times sat on the story, which leads Drudgie-poo to speculate that the filing of the story coincides remarkably with reporter James Risen's new book on the same subject.

Similarly, Steve Case strategically maneuvered Sunday's Washington Post via the Op-Ed page to affect the outcome of the AOL-Google deal. According to today's NYTimes:

"An executive involved in the talks said that as recently as two weeks ago, Mr. Parsons told Microsoft executives that he preferred their bid. Still, that executive said, Microsoft had the impression that executives in the AOL unit preferred to work with Google. Yesterday, several AOL executives said that was true. A source close to Mr. Parsons said his only goal was to do the best deal for AOL's future.

"But a turning point, in Microsoft's view, was an article that Stephen M. Case, AOL's co-founder and the architect of the deal with Time Warner, wrote in Sunday's Washington Post calling for the company to be split up, two executives involved with the negotiations who were familiar with Microsoft's views said.

"Mr. Case's argument was timed specifically to encourage a Google deal, said one person close to him. Mr. Case's longstanding animosity toward Microsoft played a part, this person said, but his main reasoning was that Google has proved itself far smarter about the Internet than Microsoft. That person said that Mr. Case thought that a deal with Google was the best of all the options other than spinning off AOL. Carl C. Icahn, the financier who, like Mr. Case, has been pressing Time Warner to split up the company, was not mollified by the Google deal."

So, we repeat: who says print media is dead?



(image via cnnsi)

Out: Victoria Beckham. Victoria needs to eat some comfort food and chill the fuck out. According to Thisislondon:

"Victoria Beckham was involved in a screaming row with an aging Spanish actress who has been linked to her husband David.

"Posh Spice was spotted yelling at Ana Obregon, 50, in a Madrid gym, saying: 'Leave my husband alone' and calling her 'a piece of s**t.'

"Obregon moved into the same hotel as Beckham when he first joined Real Madrid in 2003.
Reports that the actress was romantically linked to Beckham caused a media frenzy, and the rumours have refused to die down."

Charmed, I'm sure. (The Corsair sips a Col Solare 2001 with hints of earth and caramel) While, yes, Victoria has every reason to worry about David Beckham's malleable fidelity, airing insecurities publicly over her husband's two year old fling with an older woman -- who, incidentally, aint all that -- is probably doing her more harm than hurt.



(image via lott.senat.gov)

In: Blunt Versus Boehner; Lott Versus McConnell. Oh, it's on; it's on like Gray Poupon! The bicameral houses of Congress are in the throes of smackdown. Technically, though, on the House side, everything is in stasis until the embattled Tom DeLay takes himself out of the running altogether for Majority Leader. According to the perfect Dickensian villain, Robert Novak (Who is leaving CNN for Fox):

" A decision on whether to hold new elections for House majority leader to replace Tom DeLay may not be made until the House Republican leadership meets at Cambridge on the Eastern Shore of Maryland following President Bush's State of the Union Address on Jan. 31.

"By then, it may be clear whether DeLay will be able to win acquittal from Texas criminal prosecution in time to obviate an election. Majority Whip Roy Blunt, who has been acting majority leader since DeLay's indictment, probably would be challenged for the job by Rep. John Boehner.

"DeLay has advised colleagues to keep Dec. 27 circled as the date when court decisions in Texas may provide a clearer outlook on what lies ahead."

And, in the United States Senate, Trent Lott is trying to rehabilitate himself (After years of apologies, and lots of pork-barrel legislation directed to African-American interests), according to Alexander Bolton of TheHill:

"Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) said today that he plans to run for a leadership post next year, explaining that he has his sights set on the top job: majority leader.

"But Lott also said that he has not made a final decision about running for re-election next year and said that he is considering his finances after losing his permanent residence, which was appraised at between $650,000 and $750,000, because of Hurricane Katrina.

"'I'm looking at it seriously,' Lott said of his possible retirement. 'If I come back here, I'm going to run for a leadership position.'

"Lott said that he considers Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) a friend, that he appreciates that McConnell stood by him when he was criticized for making controversial remarks at former Sen. Strom Thurmond's (R-S.C.) 100th birthday, and that he's not 'mad' at him for any reason. Nevertheless, Lott said he would consider vying against McConnell for the top Senate post, which is expected to become vacant at the end of next year when Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) retires.

"If Lott were to retain his old post, it would be regarded as one of the most dramatic political comebacks since Richard Nixon recovered from his loss in the California governor race in 1962."

Well, we're not sure about all that, Alexander Bolton, but it would indeed be big. The full story here.



(image via dreamwater.org)

Out: Money Buying Influence in Politics. The whiff of sleaze that hangs about K-Street has never been more pungent. (Averted Gaze) Malodorous swamp gasses -- remember DC's historical beginnings -- in the form of special-interest monies carry over from the K-Street lobbyists and waft the halls of power. (For further instruction see the day's latest Abramoff entanglements) Senator John McCain is gaining momentum in his decades-long struggle to combat the influences of Mannon and get real campaign finance reform going in the House of Representatives.

Did you know, for example, that there are grumblings on the Hill about incoming Senator Menendez? You know the one, John Corzine's appointee? He's not kicking up his dues to the DNCC's. Damed cheek! According to TheHill:

"Thus far this cycle, Menendez has contributed just $57,000 in dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), according to the latest DCCC tallies. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) have given $415,000 and $400,000, respectively, of their $600,000 commitment. DCCC dues vary between $100,000 and $600,000 for the 2006 election cycle, depending on committee assignments and leadership roles.

"'Bob Menendez's biggest talking point for why he should be appointed to the Senate was that he was a member of Democratic leadership,' said a senior Democratic aide. 'Every other member of the leadership has stepped up to the plate. If the DCCC doesn't see that money for some of their challengers, it's going to be remembered.'"

Nice. (Averted Gaze)



Euan and Lucy Sykes-Rellie. (image via fashionweekdaily via patrickmcmullen)

In: The Young Collector's Artists Ball. According to the Guggenheim site, "Funds raised from the event will be used to acquire works by emerging artists for the museum�s permanent collection and to support the museum�s progressive exhibitions program." As for the event itself, Jim Shi of Fashionweekdaily writes:

"Traipsing into the Guggenheim last night for the annual Young Collectors Artist�s Ball, each guest�motivated perhaps because this event signified the end of the winter social season�sought found meaning in their dresses by YSL, the evening�s sponsor. 'Is it over? Are we done yet?' Ines Rivero joked, as she checked her calendar on her Treo.

"Dr. Lisa Airan wore a ruffled number that mimicked the one Kristin Scott Thomas donned in Cannes; Lucy Sykes-Rellie wore a d�colletage-revealing gown that had been lent to Gwyneth Paltrow ('She didn�t wear it because she was pregnant at the time and her boobs were too big,' the designer added); and Amanda Cutter Brooks just wanted something demure. 'I feel like a priest,' she laughed.

"... Inside the museum, guests like Damien Loeb, Damon Dash, Rachel Roy, Lauren Davis, Rachel McAdams ... Usher .. and Celerie Kemble milled about, checking out the art, as seven moving mechanical bulls were erected high atop a lush velvet platform to illustrate the contrast between posh and raw animal energy."

The full list here (And, scroll down to Amanda Hearst's unintentionally hilarious take on the Guggenheim's architecture).

John Spencer, RIP



(image via bbc)

John Spencer, the respected character actor who played the wise and kindly political practitioner Leo McGarry on NBC's amazingly well-written West Wing series died last night in Los Angeles of a heart attack. The loss is ours for he would have made a wonderful fake Vice President; he was going to have a glorious May-December relationship with Kristin Chenowith.

Much has been written today over the synchronicites between Mr. Spencer and the role-of-a-lifetime character he played on television. Lynn Elber of the AP writes:

"Spencer's death by heart attack Friday stunned fellow cast members, who said his health had appeared better recently. The actor, who would have turned 59 Tuesday, died at Olympia Medical Center in Los Angeles after being admitted during the night, said his publicist, Ron Hofmann.

"Spencer played Leo McGarry, the savvy chief of staff to President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet (Martin Sheen), on the NBC series. In a sad parallel to life, McGarry suffered a heart attack that forced him to give up his White House job.

"... Spencer, whose world-weary countenance was perfect for the role of McGarry, talked about the similarities between himself and his character in a 2000 interview with The AP.

"'Like Leo, I've always been a workaholic, too,' he said. 'Through good times and bad, acting has been my escape, my joy, my nourishment. The drug for me, even better than alcohol, was acting.'"

Spencer was, like the character he played, a divorced and recovering alcoholic who, late in life, achieved the zeneth of his aspirations.

This last episode on Sunday past called "The Wedding" involved a dramatic scene in which Congressman Santos, played by Jimmy Smits, and the Democratic Party overlords in the East Room advocate Spencer's character taking over the day-to-day campaign operations from Josh Lyman, his political protoge, played by Bradley Whitford.

Josh has quite possibly lost the Democrat Party Illinois -- 21 much needed electoral votes -- by ceding the television ad wars to the Republicans too early.

From Westwing.beware:

"(DNC Chair) Goodwin tells Santos, 'Only one guy I'd want to have running a campaign this tough. And that's the guy standing next to you.' Leo starts to laugh until he realizes Santos isn't laughing with him. Fade out on Leo."

Fade out on Leo, indeed. McGarry, out of complicated mix of his natural generosity and political loyalty to his protoge, refuses the offer, instead backing Josh, offering his confidence and a moving pep talk. Then, at episode's end, delivers the line of the evening to a conflicted Santos, who clearly wants Leo to take over the faltering campaign.

Spencer, as McGarry, asks Santos to look within himself in the last days of the trailing race to give the campaign what it needs.

It is with these last poignant lines that we remember John Spenser, workaholic, for bringing into our living rooms for 7 seasons the unforgettable Leo McGarry, a warm-hearted, loyal, idealistic, all-too-human pragmatist.

May John Spencer, the exquisite character actor, rest in peace.