A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via answers.com via robert birnbaum of identitytheory)

In: Joan Didion. The Corsair has just begun Martini-dry essayist Joan Didion's new book "The Year of Magical Thinking," which is ecstatically reviewed in this Sunday's New York Times Book Review by former poet laureate Robert Pinsky. Here, Pinsky describes Didion's literary handling of her husband, John Gregory Dunne's, tragic and sudden death at the dinner table:

"As in Didion's previous writing, her sense of timing, sentence by sentence and in the arrangement of scenes, draws the reader forward. Her manner is deadpan funny, slicing away banality with an air that is ruthless yet meticulous. She uses few adjectives. The unshowy, nearly flat surface of her writing is rippled by patterns of repetition: an understatement that, like Hemingway's, attains its own kind of drama. Repetition and observation narrate emotion by demonstrating it, so that restraint itself becomes poetic, even operatic:

"'I had entered at the moment it happened a kind of shock in which the only thought I allowed myself was that there must be certain things I needed to do. There had been certain things I had needed to do while the ambulance crew was in the living room. I had needed for example to get the copy of John's medical summary, so I could take it with me to the hospital. I had needed for example to bank the fire, because I would be leaving it. There had been certain things I had needed to do at the hospital. I had needed for example to stand in the line. I had needed for example to focus on the bed with telemetry he would need for the transfer to Columbia-Presbyterian.'

"This is the opposite of hack 'vividness.' Instead of modifiers or the conventions of 'description,' the repeated, vague, nearly meaningless phrases 'certain things; and 'for example' and 'needed to do' dramatize both the inner numbness of shock and the outer reality of the emergency, a terminal reality that is uniquely complicated and simple."



(image via tribuneindia)

Out: "The Squeaker." Did you get a load of what The Corsair calls: "The Squeaker"? That would be the environmentally hostile House Oil Refinery Bill, which passed by a squeaker of 212-210 votes. If Hurricane Katrina was the moment historians will look back on as the moment George Bush became, officially, a lame duck President, then "The Squeaker" could foreshadow another historic turning of the tide as 13 Republicans joined the Democrats -- perhaps looking to reelection -- in opposing the bill. On the Chris Matthews Show last week, Matthews the Insider let drop the astonishing claim that he was "hearing" "up to 70 House seats up for grabs."

The chaos in the House, which could have been mistaken for a particularly spirited debate in the Ukraine's Parliament is described thusly by TheHill:

"In its first big legislative test without indicted former Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) at the helm, the House Republican leadership held open a vote on energy legislation for forty-five minutes while the GOP whip operation - including DeLay - persuaded enough Republican lawmakers to secure passage, 212-210.

"The energy package's sputtering finish is the latest in a series of mishaps for Republicans, who have been hampered by legal questions and power struggles ever since lawmakers returned from their August recess.

"Friday's cliffhanger was not unanticipated by the Republican whip operation, but was a sign that the GOP's once-strong party discipline has suffered from the leadership struggles."

The Old Gray Lady had another take, focusing on the particulars, namely:

"Mr. Hastert repeatedly cornered Representative C. W. Bill Young, Republican of Florida, a longtime lawmaker who opposed the measure, and pressed him to change his vote.
Mr. DeLay, who may be officially out of power but not out of practice as a persuader, concentrated on Representative Roscoe G. Bartlett of Maryland.

"The majority whip, Roy Blunt of Missouri, helped work on Representative Jim Gerlach of Pennsylvania, who was unhappy with a liability provision in the bill.

"During the lawmaker-on-lawmaker lobbying, House decorum deteriorated. Democrats who have been outraged over the Republican willingness to hold votes open to secure close victories called loudly for the gavel to fall, sending the bill to defeat.

"'Doesn't this make the House a banana republic?' Representative Henry A. Waxman, Democrat of California, asked as the two sides shouted down each other."



(image via gothamist)

In: Scott Lapatine. On a lighter note than the last two posts (sorry guys-expecting-humor, it's going to be a serious posting day today), we'd like to congatulate Scott Lapatine of Stereogum on his upcoming nuptuals -- a blogger wedding -- to Eliza Jane. Since Scott is, along with Ultragrrrl, the resident New York blog music go-to guy -- to borrow from Lindsayism -- "I think it's a safe bet that this wedding will have the best music of any wedding in history."

Yes, to be sure; and we believe her even if the effervescent-Lindsay does like the "Gasolina" song. Congraulations, Scott and Eliza Jane.



(image via timemagzine)

Out: The Earthquake. Now, back to the sad pandaemonium of international tragedy that is, incresingly, defining our Age. Once again, our useful ex-Presidents, Bill Clinton and Bush, 41 will be called upon to raise cash and awareness in a global disaster zone. If The Corsair weren't a steadfast agnostic, the sheer concentration and devastation of natural disasters in the past year alone might move us, mightily, to a declaration of faith in the existence of a Divine -- or, more likely, a disustingly Malevolent -- agent at play in the world.

Of the earthquake that has hit, simultaneously, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan -- says Time Magazine's Yusef Jameel in Kashmir:

"At mid-morning, an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck just west of Kashmir's Line of Control, along which hundreds of thousands of Indian and Pakistani troops face off in bunkers and artillery installations and over which they have fought two wars and countless skirmishes and nearly came to a nuclear confrontation in 2002. An Indian army spokesman told TIME:

"'Destruction is massive in Uri. It's close to the epicenter. Initial reports are that not many houses are standing.' As buildings crumbled, he added, gas pipes ruptured and fires swept the central market in the town just across the Line of Control on the Indian side of Kashmir. Simultaneously, landslides cut off Uri, and much of the surrounding area, from the world and swatted two buses full with passengers into a rocky mountain gorge. Sixteen Indian soldiers were buried alive in a bunker at Uri. The Police Inspector General of Police, Javed Mukhdoomi, had definite information on one town, Dangdar, near Kupwara. 'Almost the entire town has been razed,' he said. The Indian army spokesman also had his certainties. The final count of dead would be 'very high,' he said.

"Tens of thousands of people have died in a civil war between Indian security forces and Muslim insurgents demanding either independence from India or union with Pakistan. But the earthquake managed to instill new levels of fear.

"'I'm 86,' said Gul Muhammad Butt. 'Never in my life have I experienced anything like it.'"

One can only hope that in an existential moment like this, when Nature's wraith dwarfs the Liliputian concerns of Man's inane border conflicts ("mine ... is not ... is too"), a skillful politician with an idealistic soul will emerge to the occasion from out of the concrete rubble and take this opportunity-tragedy to put an end to the long-standing conflict between India and Pakistan and pool their collective resources to help the weak -- Why does Nature's Wraith always strike the weak with the lustiest Ardor? -- and the afflicted of both nations to come out of this ... this nightmare.

Red Cross donations here.



CNN's Joe Watkins, clearly in high-auction mode (image via nysocialdiary)

In: The Community Coalition benefit auction. According to our favorite social chonicler, David Patrick Columbia, The Community Coalition benefit auction and cocktail party raised necessary funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. How else would we have known of these good works? Says NYSocialDiary:

"The late media mogul Malcolm Forbes' daughter Moira Forbes Mumma along with co-chairs Chad Burkhardt, Christopher London, and Allison Weiss welcomed guests to the Forbes Magazine Galleries two Thursday ago for The Community Coalition benefit auction and cocktail party hosted by New York Tomorrow's Leaders to raise funds for the Coalition and the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

" ... CNN Crossfire's Joe Watkins served as the auctioneer and riled up the crowd as he tried to raise the bids on hot auction items like a New York Jets jersey from quarterback Jay Fiedler, and a trip to the fabulous Forbes ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The event raised $25,000 for The Community Coalition and an anonymous donor gave additional $10,000 to the victims of Hurricane Katrina."

Bravo.

Drudgereport: Rod Lurie Replaced at "Commander in Chief"



(image via washingtonpost via Mario Anzuoni -- Reuters)

According to DrudgiePoo's headline: "LAWEEKLY entertainment columnist Nikki Finke: ABC/TOUCHSTONE's COMMANDER IN CHIEF series creator Rod Lurie replaced as showrunner by Steve Bochco today because of what sources say was Lurie's wanting to show a 'rough sex' scene between the President's daughter and a Secret Service agent in the back of a limo... Developing... "

Hey, now. Blog love, first of all, to Defamer, who anticipated some hooplah. "Commander-in-Chief," a veritable hit for ABC, is undergoing the aforementioned behind-the-scenes changes; "Commander-in-Chief," which drew in 16.2 million viewers for its premiere is losing Rod Lurie, a West Point graduate who, perhaps, had a little too much masculine "Yang-energy" for the more Yingish Hollywood. Rod Lurie, you'll remember, directed "The Last Castle," and is at present working on a boxing drama called "Resurrecting The Champ." According to Christopher Lisotta of TVWeek:

"'Chief' scored a 4.8 rating in adults 18 to 49 Tuesday, according to Nielsen Media Research. That was a 12 percent increase in the demo over its debut the previous week."

No word yet on the developing "rough sex scene" that has Drudgie-poo's panties in a twist. Do all Geena Davis projects end up this complicated? Is there a Geena Davis jinx? We remember -- though we try to forget -- the filmed-in-Malta fiasco that was "Cutthroat Island (Did anyone in Tinseltown actually expect a film with Geena Davis and Matthew Modine as leads to make back $100 million)." Cutthroat Island gave Corsair pirates everywhere a bad name (Averted Gaze). And who can forget, of course, that quixotic Olympic archery bid.There are lots of explanations floating around the web. From Lisa de Moraes, the TV Columnist for the Washington Post:

"According to some sources with knowledge of the situation who did not want to be identified because their jobs are more important, Lurie and the network had 'creative' differences about future episodes.

"But another knowledgeable, and equally shy, source paints a picture of a guy being stretched too thin trying to handle writing, producing and directing on the series, while juggling those helpful 'notes' from 25-year-old studio and network suits that creators of hit series find themselves suddenly enjoying. This, in turn, caused production logjams, producing that network concern."

And, from AJ Frtutkin of Mediaweek:

"Touchstone TV president Mark Pedowitz (said), 'We thank Rod Lurie for creating Commander In Chief and shepherding its successful launch and we appreciate Steven Bochco coming on board to provide his leadership as we continue through the season.'"

A Brownback-Rove 2008 Alliance?



(image via epochtimes)

The political alliance between Karl Rove and Senator Frist may already be in the process of a slow, drawn-out disintegration; a casualty of this summer's stem-cell debate. Maybe. At least, that's what we are led to think from the new Radar "Fresh Intelligence." We won't entertain here Lawrence O'Donnell's provocative prediction that Rove's lawyer will be indicted, which -- despite O'Donnell's solid record on hazarding such guesses -- in the absense of hard evidence, is essentially McLaughlin-style "predicting."

What is it about Senate Majority Leaders and Presidents that -- even when they are of the same party -- alliances erode? Is it the tense proxitimity to "The Ultimate Prize," namely: the Oval Office, that makes alliances between a President and a Senate Majority Leader -- always -- antagonistic? (The Corsair observes the vermillion sunset then sips, wanly, from a glass of whiskey-mash) ... Perhaps.

Who, then, is the new apple of "The Rover's" eye? Surely, Karl Rove still has his eye on the prize -- namely, the enacting of a Republican majority in all three branches of government for the ages.

Would you believe, then, that squeaky-clean and affable Kansas Senator Sam Brownback is his new "apprentice"? Curiously, Brownback falls in line with the Bush Administration on the Miers vote. Most curious, indeed.

Brownback, whom we cannot fail to note, has been shuttling betwewen New Hampshire and Iowa so often of late ... that it would be almost economical at this point to just purchase some real estate in both places. It feels like he's running; it tastes like he's running. But what about Rove's earlier, behind-the-scenes alliance with Bill Frist that, essentially, got him the Majority Leader position after Trent Lott done fucked the whole shit up? Well, according to Radar Online:

"Conspiracy-minded Capitol Hill insiders are saying the probe of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist smells of political retribution�from the right.

"Frist�s suspiciously timed decision to unload shares in his family�s company, Hospital Corporation of America, only days before the firm announced it would not meet projected earnings last July did raise eyebrows. But the fact that the investigation was spearheaded by Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, Bush�s legal crony, and SEC Chairman (and former Republican congressman) Chris Cox, has observers on both sides of the aisle wondering if it�s an effort to kneecap the senator before he can announce his 2008 presidential bid. (Cox has since recused himself).

"Frist, after all, was once a loyal enforcer of the Bush agenda�famously sacrificing his own medical cred to give Terri Schiavo a clean bill of health�but has recently incurred the ire of his former hard-line comrades by embracing stem cell research and calling for an independent look into the federal bungling of Katrina. Which, in Rove-speak, one Hill insider says, means its open season on Frist."

And if it was Frist's sudden defection (independence?) on stem-cell research that made him -- allegedly -- politically radioactive to Rove, Brownback, in contrast, was on the right side of the issue from the point of view of conservatism. More Radar:

�'We were hearing murmurings of this happening weeks ago, but everyone was so involved in Katrina and no one believed it,' a Republican Senate staffer tells us. 'Why would the Bush administration investigate their own senate leader? It just seems preposterous until you look at Frist�s behavior of late and Rove�s new allegiance to [Kansas Senator Sam] Brownback.'"

We're not vouching for any of this, as it sounds intensely conspiratorial and somewhat suspect. However, the new Rove alliance with Sam Brownback, who is definitely running for President, raises some red-flags as to how stable the alliance is with Frist, who, also, is all-but-certain to run for the Oval Office. McCain, of course, is at present cleaning Bill Frist's clock (The center of power in the Senate has shifted, post-Katrina, from the Republican leadership to the "Gang of 14"; the "90-9" McCain anti-torture vote victory this week; what's to say McCain won't do the same in a Republican primary. Brownback-Rove sounds more organic -- more electable. And you know what Napoleon Bonaparte, whose adages Rove admires, once said about friendship: "friendship is but a name."

Anyway: If Brownback is Rove's new candidate, then that is news indeed.

The full story here.

A Little of the Old In and Out



"Effervescent." (image via onprobation via photos1.blogger)

In: Beyonce's Vanity Fair November 2005 Edition. Thanks to our old friend, Casey, for bringing to our attention a glaring omission on our part, namely, the effervescent Beyonce Knowles. For those of you who are new, The Corsair blog has been hounding Graydon Carter -- for years -- to put some people of color on the cover of VF, as, well, the entertainment industry is disproportionately black (And if Sandra Bullock can score a cover, then you know Oprah should as well, yknow?).

Years went by, but we continued to gadfly, fairly impotently. We cannot even remember the last African-American on the cover of VF (We have hazy, oneiric recollections of Denzel on a beach VF cover somewhere, somewhen, at the turn of the 21st Century; that was before, of course, the embarassing Gretchen Mol VF cover) Well, Graydon stepped up to the plate at long last. VF.com says:

"Jay-Z tells (Lisa) Robinson that the couple have broadened each other musically: 'We exchanged audiences. Her records are huge Top 40 records, and she helped 'Bonnie and Clyde' go to No. 1. What I gave her was a street credibility, a different edge.'

"'Sasha' is the name Beyonc� has given her alter ego, that 'other person' she becomes when she's onstage,' writes Robinson.

"... Beyonc� does admit that it's not always easy working with her father, telling Robinson, 'It's not an easy thing.� We bump heads, we have arguments. People expect me to be a certain way, like a Diana Ross�and they expect my father to be like Joe Jackson, because that's been the pattern when parents manage children. People think that he just controls everything and does everything, but I actually control everything.'"

Bravo Beyonce; Bravo, Graydon. More here.



... Oh no, she didn't (image via gawker)

Out: Cindy Adams' Candy Apple Red Panties. When we think of Cindy Adams' undergarments -- and, we assure you, we aggressively try not to -- Victorian corsets with whale-bone come to mind. Papermag sets us straight on this matter, however; the following is not intended for young audiences.

-- So, there we were, drinking a full-bodied Kenyan blend coffee, doing the diamond sutra, generally feeling full of ourselves, while checking out the Papermag Blogs.

Then it hit us. A bolt from the blue. Everything started spinning. It was like Mr. Mickey had violently suckerpunched us in the solar plexus in the middle of recounting a witty anecdote.

Why?

This, dear readers, is what caused us to expel our coffee at terminal velocity; this, dear reader, is what has The Corsair typing this from the fetal position, sweating furiously:

"Today in Cindy Adams' column, CA, talking about Bush Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, says, 'We won't even discuss fashionistas who are upset with anyone whose Big Day's blue suit featured two brooches, two necklaces and a large button.'

" ... And speaking of Cindy Adams. I was at a brunch at the late, great Eleanor Lambert's gorgeous 5th Avenue apartment and Cindy breezed in wearing a candy apple red suit with matching shoes and bag. She had her little dog Jazzy with her and was done up to the eyeballs. She had her little plate of salad and took a seat on an ottoman or something right in front of me.

"Her skirt was very fitted and pretty short so as she sat down I was treated to a birdseye view of her candy apple red panties. Now that's what Mr. Mickey calls thorough fashion coordination!"

Oh, dear Lord -- No! Auuoughh. We will never again eat candy or apples, or any combination of therein -- or drink Kenyan blend coffee, or listen to Jazz -- it's too redolent of "the bloomers." (The Corsair *shudders*) Too much information!



(image via worth1000)

In: The Fitty Cent European Tour. When last we left Fitty, his entourage had gotten into an altercation -- or two -- in Milan. Plus ca change plus le meme chose. Now, more ultra-violence, this time in the South of France, followed by some "fizzy" to whet the whistle after an afternoon of cracking heads. According to the 3AM Girls:

"Rapper (Fitty) and his crew got into a fracas with fans who tried to storm the tour bus after his gig in the South of France on Tuesday night.

"British tourist Paul Rossiter, who was at the Nice concert, tells us: 'The fans saw the bus at the lights and that was it - they rushed it. They were pulling the doors open and trying to climb in.

"... Apparently some of Fiddy's crew then got out and started fighting with the teens."

Charmed, we're sure:

"An onlooker adds: 'Bottles were flying - it was very scary. The riot police turned up in helmets, waving batons and scattered the crowd.'"

But there is a happy ending to this story -- for Fitty's entourage, at least, if not for the teenagers:

"The singer then went on to Monaco to party at the exclusive Jimmy'z nightclub. A fellow guest reveals: 'They spent a fortune on champagne. They were spraying it about and larking around..'"

Nice. Full story here.



(image via filmgalerie)

Out: The Arthouse-ish "Classic" Division, Over? Is the specialty film division a thing of the past? Eugene Hernandez of the Indiewire Blog paints a bleak, bittersweet picture for the "Classics" division at the Hollywood studios -- the well-beloved SONY Picture Classics notwithstanding:

"I was making the rounds at the Killer Films 10th anniversary party last nigth as buzz intensified about the situation at Paramount Classics. New studio chief Brad Grey had told company co-presidents Ruth Vitale and David Dinerstein ... that he wouldn't be renewing their contracts.

"How fitting that I immediately bumped into Bob Berney and John Sloss, two guys who had considered taking over at Paramount Classics. As the evening wore on and I stepped outside numerous times to take calls and get the story the significance of the news really began to set in. While the stalwart Sony Pictures Classics shows no signs of slowing down, all around them the era of the studio-owned specialty division supporting art, indie and foreign films is over. Fine Line, UA, old Miramax, October...all killed by big Hollywood. The delicate balance of Indiewood, mixing high-profile productions with edgier fare, has paved the way for Hollywood mini-majors like the new Miramax, Fox Searchlight, Focus, Lions Gate, Warner Independent, and now the new Paramount Classics"

The full monte here.

Michael Wolff Ditches Michael's



(image via edge.org)

How long, do you think, before media elite primadonna Michael Wolff is back on the phone, cooing into the receiver, trying, desperately, to get back his old powertable at Michael's?

(The Corsair pours himself a martini and savors the schadenfreude) What's that, Old Boy? You say you haven't heard? (The Corsair downs his glass in a single gulp) Wolff -- the Vanity Fair's resident media scribbler -- has relinquished "Table 5" at the venerable media eatery. Let the jockeying for position begin!

According to the NYPost's Keith J. Kelly:

"Michael's, the West 55th Street restaurant, is getting so popular with the media elite that some of the regulars are having trouble getting choice seats in the front room � and at least one long-time patron is looking elsewhere.

"Vanity Fair writer Michael Wolff devoted a whole chapter to Michael's and the view from Table 5 in his last book, 'Autumn of the Moguls.' Still, when he called for a reservation Wednesday morning, he was told the place was filled to the brim for lunch that day.

"Wolff was further incensed to find that his usual Table 5 was ultimately taken over by Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman and Tommy Mottola."

Incensed, you say? Granted, there is testosterone and ego involved. These things in the rarified air of the Manhattan media elite must be handled delicately; diplomatically, even. One can imagine Wolff, his legendary "big, sexy lips (tm)" moistened nervously, being told, over the phone, that his table -- his table! -- is not vacant, as expected; rather, the table is being occupied by the billionaire owner of the NYDaily News and the former Mr. Mariah Carey.

Now: Imagine the social vertigo involved in hearing that you-who-were-once-somebody are reduced to the unfortunate rung on the New York social ladder beneath Tommy Mottola?

A bitch-fit is not out-of-school, you can imagine. Kelly continues, clarifying:

"'It's war,' fumed Wolff, who vows he is never going to eat there again. 'I'm officially shopping for The Next Place,' he said.

Hasty words, spoken by a fevered and clearly ... irrational imagination. We know Michael's somewhat. We've met Steve Millington, who is a total gentleman. This Wolffian characterization of the situation sounds oddly out of character with the tenor of the joint that we know, however slightly. Of course, there is a logical explanation; to wit:

"Said Michael's General Manager Steve Millington, 'I'm very surprised, he sounded very calm on the phone.'

"Millington said the restaurant had a computer glitch that day and was overbooked.

"'Normally, we keep a certain number of tables for our regulars. I'd have loved to have helped him, but I couldn't.'"

So, now you know. A cooler head would have prevailed. (A considerable pause) Mr. Wolff may commence the grovelling phase of his mini-media meltdown forthwith.

More on "The Gay Cowboy Movie"



Only a man knows how to love a man. (image via themoviezine)

We are fascinated at the phenomenon that is "Brokeback Mountain," which, already, in just the ironic choice-of-a-title makes us chuckle softly, as we sip a chilled glass of Grappa (AKA, the afternoon "constitutional"). Now, this, from Premiere Magazine, November 2005, just when we thought we had heard everything:

"Like (Heath) Ledger, who told a Canadian newspaper, I'll be ... wrangling cattle, and Jake Gyllenhaal,' the actor has kept his sense of humor about what inevitably has been dubbed 'the gay cowboy movie.'

"After watching them give each other 'the best, Western macho kiss' (Director Ang) Lee wryly advised, 'When you kiss a girl, you can never kiss her that hard.'

"Lee remembers that for a scene in which Ledger's real life girlfriend, Michelle Williams, playing his wife, would see them simialrly kissing, the actress 'wanted them to do it to really inspire her reaction shot, and they're sort of necking at each other, and she got angry and yelled at them, 'Come on guys, for real.'

"Recalls Gyllenhaal, 'Heath and I were both saying, 'Let's get the love scenes over as fast as we can -- all right, cool.'"

We imagine the word "dude," and "guy" was also thrown in -- often -- for manly effect at the end of every sentence on set. And, just a guess, there was lots of question-asking in basso profunodo voices about whether or not the cast "saw the game last night."

Fitty Cent's Homemade Crack Recipe



Director Jim Sheridan, in the heezy. (image via digitalhit)

Chris Rock used to cut his "cracks" cocaine up with lactose, which (The Corsair sniffs haughtily), considering the prevalence of lactose-intolerance in the African-American community, seems, in retrospect ... callous. Then again, who expects a cosy businessperson-client relationship with their crackrock dealer? Hmm?

Anyway, Fitty Cent one-ups Chris, as we get his own special recipe, secondhand, from Irish director Jim Sheridan in November's Premiere Magazine (A great issue):

"50 Cent kindly corrected the director on how exactly one goes about cooking crack. ('I think its baking soda with water, heat it up and put the coke in, then ice, and it freezes into crystals,' Sheridan reports")."

Swell and lovely. We still give the Whitney Houston Creativity-in-Crack Award --a burnt and blistered thumbs up -- to Chris Rock, whose crafty crack recipe actually contained Vitamin B12. Good looking out, Chris.

A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via newmediamusings)

In: Jason Calacanis. As you may have heard, our old pal Jason Calacanis, whom we were just talking to yesterday (and he didn't let a word slip) just sold his company, Weblogs, Inc. to AOL for a reported $25 million (This was first reported by Rafat Ali, who was the superstar of yesterday's We: Media conference). This is good news -- most of all -- to the jet-setting Jason, but also for all bloggers. AOL is now in the blogging game; more big-media courting and the general "pitching-of-woo" is sure to follow (Nick, are you reading?). As Jason used to say to us editorss at SAR, "the rising tide carries all boats." He says on his blog:

"Yes, it�s true.I�m in a conference room at AOL right now running down a list of 15-20 press calls with Jim Bankoff� exciting news."

Congratulations to you, Jason. The first million, they say, is always the hardest. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.



(image via andrew.cmu)

Out: NBC Thursdays. Oh, Lord: It stinketh to high heaven! "Joey") (Averted Gaze) Make it go away; make it go away! "The Apprentice" (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment) Kevin Downey of Medialifemagazine has the solution:

"One of the stunners of this new season is just how poorly NBC is doing on Thursday night, even worse than many media planners and buyers had anticipated. What was once known as 'Must-See TV' is now in shambles, and clearly NBC's top programming whizzes, network president Jeff Zucker and entertainment president Kevin Reilly, are in need of a bit of programming advice.

"Here it is: Embrace the past. It's not exactly a no-brainer, but it's close. NBC was the reigning network for two decades based on a very clear logic centered around owning Thursday night. That in turn was built on a lineup of four comedies from 8 to 10 and an hour drama leading into the late news. The thinking: People who turned in for one sitcom would be inclined to stay for the evening."

Thge full article here.



(image via washingtonpost)

In: George Clooney's Network. What an interesting career the Vogue Men's coverboy is making for himself. Say what you will about George Clooney ("Blog quitter!" "Scourge of Lake Como!"), but he does exude -- in a very Holywoodish, image-conscious way -- an air of "lazy" 1950s glamour, if, indeed, any such a phenomenon actually existed back in that oily, black-and-white days era.

But ... we digress. We weren't entirely surprised to hear that he, the son of a newsman who executive produced the groundbreaking -- and overlooked -- "K-Street," plans to follow-up 'Good Night, and Good Luck' with yet another spirited meditation on media. Namely: a live network version of Paddy Chayevsky's "Network." Says the Washington Post:

"Execs at CBS were taken by surprise when Clooney leaked word of the project -- being developed for next fall -- to the Associated Press while promoting his flick 'Good Night, and Good Luck.'

I"ronically, that flick details how, in the '50s, CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow defied corporate and advertiser pressure to expose the scaremongering of Sen. Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee's communist witch hunt.

"Contacted yesterday, a CBS spokesman told The TV Column that the 'Network' redo is 'in the works' but they're 'short on details' at this early stage."

What a hott idea for the cool medium of television. Almost as interesting -- he said, a propos of nothing -- as Woody Allen's teleplay "Don't Drink the Water." (Hey, Trio Tv Programming, that's a suggestion)



(image via timeinc)

Out: Dick Morris. Dick Morris was once a brilliant political strategist. Stellar. So brilliant was Morris that he actually advised the President of the United States and the Majority Leader of the Senate -- simultaneously. As if that weren't a feat to regard with awe, both came from opposing political parties. Morris also invented -- or at least rediscovered from his readings of Napoleonic warfare -- the concept of "triangulation," which confounded Bob Dole and Newt Gingrich at the closing of the 20th Century. Since, at the time, the Soviet Union was in the process of disintegration, and the United Stets was the dominant superpower, it could be argued that Morris was one of the most powerful men oon the planet.

Then came the hooker fiasco on the goddam night of Clinton's DNC acceptance of the nomination (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment). That was bad. And though he resigned, he still blames the Clinton's -- and not himself -- for his Icarian fall.

The Dick Morris of late is a shadow of the man he once was. To wit, his pathological obsession with all-things-Clinton has led him, lamentably, to write his gazillionth tome on the subject of Hillary, this time, entitled, "Condi versus Hillary." (Averted Gaze)

The Corsair would like to ask -- nay, plead -- with publishers and editorial page editors that enable this bullshittery -- Stop.

Please; stop paying this man to write on the Clinton's. You are only encouraging his moist and fetid pathologies! Dick can't get better if you keep rewarding his immoderate rants. So, if Dick comes to you with a pitch or a book proposal on the Clintons, tell him to get over it and get himself a robust cocktail of industrial-grade pharmaceuticals. Shnell.

(A considerable pause) Thank you for listening.



In: Michael's. Prognosis on Lunch at Michael's? Swishy. Our favorite social chronicler, David Patrick Columbia, assesses the scene at Michael's with an exhaustive list of who's-with-whom. From NYSocialDiary:

"Lunch at Michael�s, the Passing Parade: Broadway and Wall Street�s Terry Allen Kramer holding forth with Judith Giuliani, Serena Boardman, and Pamela Gross, while at next to them at the table in the window were Roger Ailes with Rick Leventhal, Shep Smith, and Bill Hemmer (Laurel Touby of Mediabistro.com who takes an every-Wednesday inventory of the Michael�s crowd, described them thusly: '� all in black suits and pastel shirts like East Village undertakers �'). And one table over was Joe Armstrong, known as the Mayor of Michael�s with Newsweek�s Dorothy Kalins; while in the corner, Freddie Gershon with Ann Sweeney. And next to them Mort Zuckerman with music impresario Tommy Mottola; Atoosa Rubenstein with Jeff Bercovici, and Elizabeth Dye."

If you want the whole parade of boldfacers, click here (you know you love it as much as The Corsair does).



"There's a bullet in his tongue," says superhottie Joy Bryant. (image via drexel)

Out: Fitty Cent's Tongue. Once again, we turn to the November 2005 issue of Premiere (A really great issue, BTW):

"By now everyone and their grandma has heard about 50 Cent's crack-dealing past and that fateful day when he was shot nine times. Joy Byant, who plays (50 Cent's) lifelong crush in ('Get Rich or Die Trying') was brave enough to explore the star's famous wound. 'It's a trip: There's a bullet in his tongue,' she says. We were having dinner, and he was like, 'You want to feel?' And he stuck my finger in his mouth. I mean, he is definitely walking around with scars that he can't help but see and feel every day.'"

Eeeew.

We: Media; Thank you Gloria Pan



(image via we:media)

Big ups to Gloria Pan for a wonderful We: Media conference yesterday (We're sorry we didn't get to meet in the rush of things). The Corsair finally got to met the radiant Farai Chideya, who recently tag teamed with Richard Belzer to put the smug David Frum in his place on Real Time with Bill Maher.

We also met our old pal Jason Calacanis, and relieved the glory days of the Silicon Alley Gold Rush. Neither did I know, all the while we were talking, that Jason is in the process of becoming a very rich man. Congrats, Jason.

Al Gore looked tan and rested as he delivered a passionate if very Old Media keynote in the surpisingly intimate AP headquarters conference room. We are surprised he mentioned so many German philosophers (Too bad Gore didn't answer any questions: he appeared angry enough about the "digital brownshirts" -- i.e. conservative bloggers -- and the state of the nation that he just may run)

We finally met the awesometastic Nichelle; we met Susan Mernit, whose compliment before the Gawking Media talk made our day (Thanks, Sue! Excuse me for being shy back there); humble blogebrity Dan Gilmor ("I'm Dan") and a whole lot of other people, probably too many to name here.

Cheers to Gloria Pan, who made it all happen.

On Karen Hughes' Vast Task



(image via mr.dowling)

The spotlight is on Karen Hughes. As Saturday's front page above-the-fold story on Muslim women in Morocco in The Old Gray Lady suggests, the United States has much to say to the women of the Muslim world, ideas of liberation that the Medievalist Al Qaeda oppose. The outmoded philosophy of political realism, a staple of Cold War thinking, placed the United Sates in the awkward position vis-a-vis the Third World in allying ourselves with low-grade tyrants like Musharraf -- did you see him chuckling like a sweet-bitch on 60 Minutes last week?; Charmed, I'm sure -- afraid of the alternative ("apres moi, le deluge"), namely: chaos in the Muslim world. (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment)

This, last week, according to the Beeb, coinciding, curiously, with Karen Hughes' public diplomacy (Zaitgeist?):

"Pakistani activists have reacted with outrage to recent comments on rape victims by President Pervez Musharraf. ;He said that rape was a 'money-making concern' and many argued it was a way to get money and a visa to emigrate.

"Pakistan's most-high profile rape victim, Mukhtar Mai, told the BBC no woman could subject herself to 'such a horrendous experience' to make money.

"Women's groups and activists protested in Karachi on Friday, shouting: 'Down with chauvinism.'"

Muslim women today are, potentially, the mothers of future terrorists or, if we play our card right, the West's greatest non-commissioned diplomatic resource, so it is imperative -- imperative! -- that we engage them in a sophisticated, candid and meaningful dialogue. Unfortunately, this was not the case in Karen Hughes' maiden voyage, but this need not be the last word. Despite how we may feel about Karen Hughes, it is in the interest of the United States and all of us that she succedes.

Muslim women are especially important to us as potential allies in the larger global War on Terrorism because, of late, the backwards views of fundamentalism itself is at odds with their own self-interest. But we cannot -- as Karen Hughes did -- broach this embarassing lack of liberties within Muslim societies from a position of hauteur. That would backfire terribly. America is already the last standing superpower, we bestride the globe like colossi, and everyone is wary at our approach.

Such is the nature of the dynamics of international politics.

If we do not reach out to Muslim Funamentalist -- and reach out to them with a sophisticated, two-sided, and aggressively non-condescending message -- then the potentiality for the spread of terrorism increases exponentially.

Drinking Breast Milk on the set of North Country



This woman's breast milk is, according to director Nikki Caro, "delicious." We'll take her word for it. (image via tv.yahoo)

We know that on-set shenanegans are par for the course. Colin Farrell has been known as "cock out Colin" for asking cast members to reach inside his djellabo pockets and, unbeknownst to them, clutch his wenis.

And then, of course, there is the case of Ben Affleck, the would-be "Benator," who likes to drape his wretched manhood over unsuspecting directors' necks, and also on props. But this one, sweet reader, takes the cake -- or should we say nutrient-rich breast milk. On the set of "North Country," this, from Moviehole:

"Moviehole: Was Charlize Theron on board when you joined, or both of you at the same time?

"Niki Caro: We were stalking one another. We were running circles around each other at that time because our films were being distributed by that guy. And we love him, and we're both the spawn of Bob Berney. So when we met, we had so much in common. We both loved the story and we had very, very similar ideas of what the film should be. It's like a really great first date.

"Moviehole: Describe the atmosphere on set. Charlize didn't go into detail about the jokes, etc.

"Niki Caro: So she didn't tell you then that she was sexually harassing everybody, all the time. I was a willing accomplice. For a film that carries a great deal of psychological weight, and for a film that has such great actors, giving us such great performances, it was a very un- working environment. The actresses were very playful, shall we say. I can't tell you what they did or what they said because it's obscene. One thing I will tell you because it's my last, you get to hear it. I've done 50 television interview back-to-back yesterday, and nobody knows this. You guys know what a white dog is? It's a drink in a shot glass made up of whiskey and Jillian Armenante's (who plays Peg) breast milk. It's delicious. Because Jillian was breastfeeding at the time, because when we went out, she had to pump, and she couldn't be drinking and giving milk to the baby, she would make these drinks and hand them around. You probably shouldn't mention that, it's for your own edification.

Charmed, we're sure; sounds like a grand ole time, to be sure: Charlize Theron, Niki Caro, some whiskey and Jullian Armenante's breast milk. Laissez la bon temps rouler!

A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via opencenter)

In: The We: Media Conference. Tomorrow's We: Media conference hosted by the Associated Press, for which The Corsair is a media Fellow, should be hott. Generally, we don't do these things, but the chance to stalk CBS Digital's Larry Kramer up close and in the flesh proved too tempting to resist. We will be shyly "casing the joint," gaging the social atmospherics, so if we respond to your queries with one-word answers, don't take it personally. We are rather withdrawn and "Ugandan" in person, despite how we come off in the blog.

Also there will be former Vice President Al Gore, who may or may not be a dark horse Presidential candidate for anti-Hillary forces within the Democratic Party for 2008 (And you can be sure that someone, if not myself, will ask him for a comment on that juicy report from "The Chris Matthews Show" last Sunday).

Nicholas Kristoff of the New York Times will, also be there, as will our old pal Jason Calacanis, Jessica Coen, Ana Marie Cox, Farai Chideya, Craig Newmark, and all sorts of blogging and MSM media boldfacers. We won't be liveblogging the event, unfortunately (We want to actually pay attention to some of what is being said), but We:Media will be doing so here.

(image via iwantmedia)

Out: Jon Stewart? Say it isn't so. We don't want to believe it. Is the print media lovefest with Jon Stewart on the rocks? According to WWD (link via iwantmedia):

"The magazine industry loves a good joke � just not at its own expense. Four days after Jon Stewart laid a comic smackdown on four top editors during an event hosted by the Magazine Publishers of America, many industry voices were still grumbling that MPA had shelled out a quarter of a million dollars ($150,000 for Stewart, another $100,000 for the event, according to a source) only to have 'The Daily Show' host question the relevance of print in front of a roomful of advertisers."

Well, what did they expect? A "safe," docile, advertiser-friendly fireside chat with Jon Stewart? Not going to happen. Complaining about Jon Stewart roasting a panel is like ordering sahimi with wasabi and then complaining afterwards about the kick. Caveat emptor:

"And then there were the shots he took at the panelists: Vanity Fair's Graydon Carter, Cosmopolitan's Kate White, Time's Jim Kelly and Men's Health's David Zinczenko. 'I think it's safe to say we probably all felt a little ambushed,' said White afterward. 'We were led to believe it was going to be not a roast or anything of that nature, but a dialogue. The biggest frustration was how poorly prepared he was. He didn't know where to go, and the only thing to do was get nasty or toss it to the audience.'"

(image via all-encompassingly)

In: Harry Reid. It appears that the diminutive Minority Leader Harry Reid has scored a triumph (who knew he had it in him?), possibly in the wake of President Bush's Hurricane Katrina fatigue and the Scooter Libby confusion. Apparently, Reid is the one who recommended Harriet Miers to Vice President Dick Cheney. This is a "no new taxes"moment, redux; like father, like son.

Miers' nomination will, we are predicting, signal the end of the Bush-conservative coalition, already frayed by his spending ways, and, to be frank, there is no guarantee that Democrats like Chuck Schumer themselves will even be on board to defend her against the right. And so, with no guarantees -- no guarantees! -- Reid got through a candidate to the nominating process who hurts the President's base, and will also face tough questioning from the Democrats. Says TheHill:

"Reid urged Bush to consider Miers two weeks ago at a White House meeting also attended by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Pat Leahy (Vt.), the panel�s top Democrat.Senators, aides and activists have consistently predicted a tough battle over the pick to replace O�Connor, who was often a swing vote on the court. But Miers�s selection may make it difficult for some Democrats � Reid in particular � to filibuster a vote or even oppose confirmation."

(image via thisislondon)

Out: Rachel Hunter. Beautiful but emptyheaded mannequin Rachel Hunter only really has to remember one thing, namely, what dress is hanging off her bod. That is all. When asked by reporters what she's wearing, she supplies the line, thus giving the designer some buzz, and everything is okay in the cosmos. That proves, alas, a task too demanding. According to Fashionweekdaily:

"At Jhane Barnes' 30th Anniversary dinner hosted by Patrick McMullan at Cain, the FDNY calendar boys got camera ready for Rachel Hunter�s WE TV reality series Style Me. The Daily talked to Rachel about fish and chips, life in front of the camera, and her least favorite things about fashion week.

"Fashionweekdaily: That's a fabulous dress. Who is it by?

�Rachel Hunter: (Pulling out her tag) I think it's by Lotta in Los Angeles. My friends keep telling me to stop pulling out my tag, but I can't help it. I forget."

Or (Averted Gaze), never knew ...

Nicholas Cage Names Son: Kal-El



(image via hello!Magazine via alphapress)

Eccentric comicbook geek turned B-Lister Nicholas Cage and his 21-year old former sushi waitress wife Alice named their newborn son ... Kal-El Coppola Cage, after Superman, the lost son of Krypton. We shit you not; how could we shit about a thing like this? According to Hello!Magazine:

"Nicolas Cage and his wife Alice welcomed their first child together on Monday, and continued the celebrity trend for unusual baby monikers by naming the new arrival Kal-el, which comic fans will recognise as Superman's birth name.

"'They are happy and healthy and it's quite lovely,' confirmed the actor's publicist, without offering explanation for the name.

"The Family Man himself has been married twice before � or three times if you count the fact that he married and divorced actress Patricia Arquette twice. His other wife was Elvis' daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, whom he divorced shortly before wedding Alice Kim."

Kal-El joins the ranks of Hollywood babies with eccentric names (but good publicity), like Jason Lee's son, Pilot Inspektor, Rob Morrow's unfortunately named child, "Tu" Morrow, Shannyn Sossamon's child, Audio Science, and, of course, who can forget the oily Jermaine Jackson's progeny, Jermajesty (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment).

Remember those quaint days when we thought Rumor and Scout Larue Willis were an odd name?

Picture Pages, Picture Pages ...



Antonio Banderas impersonates the latest collogen-incarnation of his wife, Melanie Griffith.(image via Hello!Magazine)



As elsewhere noted, thecobrasnake only goes in for ad buys in the cheapest markets. (image via thecobrasnake)

A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via filmstew)

In: The Weinstein Company. The curious overlap between the launch of The Weinstein Company and the dramatic "nananana, nananana, heyheyhey -- goodbye" of Michael Eisner notwithstanding (Averted Gaze), Bob and Harvey Wienstein are back in the thick of the game (As evidenced, to be sure, by this robust LATimes blowjob). Post-Gwyneth, post-Penelope, The Weinstein Company has, at present, engineered the red-hott Jessica Alba as their Muse. Some jobs at The Weinstein Company are open, we notice; also, they have Liza Burnett to run their PR department. And, says The Reeler:

"The date October 3 has always occupied a special place in my heart as the day when Bobby Thomson's Shot Heard 'Round the World slayed the Brooklyn Dodgers and launched my beloved Giants into the 1951 World Series. But a more complex legend is crafting itself today downtown, where my other hero, Harvey Weinstein, has claimed Oct. 3 as the date he reclaimed his supremacy among the world's greatest independent producers.

"Yes, indeed�The Weinstein Company is open for business. Harvey and brother Bob have turned on the lights and unloaded the moving van. When you call their phone number ([212] 941-3800�you might need it after enduring Scary Movie 4), a receptionist answers, 'Weinstein Company.'"

No doubt this is a chipper time in Soho. The bloom is just off the rose, a new business venture is in the offing, and, to be sure, Harvey hasn't yet had enough time to psychologically break-down his employees of yet. (More TheReeler)



Out: "Weak Sisters." Our favorite Dickensian villain, Robert Novak, is at it again. This time, he hips us to the complex geopolitical linguistics behind the closed doors of the House Republican leadership in the Hour of the Wolf:

"In today's polarized climate, both parties have contributed to the criminalization of politics. But Democrats, losers in both elections and the world of ideas, have turned to using the criminal process over the last two decades. That means depicting DeLay not as a mere reactionary politician but the cause of national corruption. This resolve was furthered by the reckless DA in Texas and a retreat by House Republicans.

"The decision to reinstate the resignation requirement was the subject of Wednesday's closed-door conference of House Republicans. Rep. Steve Buyer of Indiana declared that the Jan. 3 decision had empowered Earle. He complained that moderate members of the conference had forced the reinstatement. Moderate Republicans, referred to as 'weak sisters' by their House colleagues, are poorly equipped to deal with the politics of 2005."

WTF?!



(image via CindyandJazzy)

In: Cindy Adams. We are loathe to give Imelda Marcos' pal Cindy Adams gossip-journo cred, what with her, over the years, having foisted those Upper East Side vanity rat-dogs onto the public consciousness (Averted Gaze). That having been said, we cannot fail to note that Cindy Adams has had a pretty good run of late. To wit: the Paris-Paris breakup, and the last jailhouse letter of Judith Miller. As our pals at Page Six note, "The Post's Cindy Adams first told of trouble in Paris-dise last Thursday when she reported how the Hiltons, Rick and Kathy, were overheard complaining about Latsis' lack of ambition."

Today, hints Adams, despite Congressman Dreier's successful long-shot campaign to get Schwarzenegger -- and the Republican Party -- all up into the governor's bitch in Sacramento, homophobia trumps party service, if we read her right (which is, between-the-lines), "FOLLOW-UP to the Tom DeLay saga. DeLay and his superior, Speaker of the House of Representatives Dennis Hastert, both wanted DeLay's leadership position assumed by California's Republican Rep. David Dreier. It didn't wash. Reasons you may not be hearing, but reasons I have been hearing circle around phrases like 'no family values.' What it exactly means? Let's just say it means they're attacking him for personal, not political, sensibilities."

Is that something like "weak sisters"? Let's just say Cindy Adams may find trouble getting invites to those swishy Republican events on the Upper-East-Side of Manhattan. Still, we applaud her moxie at "breaking us off a piece" of the scoop. Besides, cucumber sandwiches and overwrought discussions of "noblesse oblige" are overrated.

Hack to Back Kate



Family, en route to embattled Kate Moss. (image via newsoftheworld)

For those of you who asked us, earnestly, in the comments section (before the unfortunate penis-pump ads proliferated), "What about Jefferson Hack," we now have an answer, it just took a while. According to the extremely downmarket Newsoftheworld:

"Jefferson Hack and little Lila caught a flight from Heathrow to Phoenix, Arizona.
The supermodel is being treated at the �2,250 a day Meadows clinic there following her cocaine shame.

"Jefferson's decision to jet to her side came during an emotional phone call earlier in the week.
A source close to the magazine publisher told the News of the World: 'Jefferson has told us that Kate rang Lila, who was three on Thursday, to wish her happy birthday and it was very emotional.

"'He spoke to Kate too and told her how much he loved her and that they were both coming out to see her. Despite their differences he's really worried about her and has been worried since she started dating Pete Doherty."

Doherty, Thisislondon notes, was held for questioning last night over a drug "misunderstanding."

"'(Jefferson Hack) wants to put all that in the past and just help her get better.'"

Bravo. We're all for Kate Moss getting back on track, off the crack, and converting her at-present "concave ass" back into what Johnny Depp once famously described as "highwater booty." That's a happy ending, or at least good beginning, this influx of family support. It doesn't end there, though. It never does with Newsoftheworld, who cannot fail to note, in passing, quite quixotically:

"Kate and 33-year-old Jefferson met in 2001 when he interviewed her for his trendy fashion magazine Dazed & Confused.

"He famously began the conversation by saying: 'You smell of pee.'"

(A considerable pause) Charmed, we're sure. The full story here. (Newsoftheworld)

Fitty Bumrushes Milan, Ninja Style



(image via worth1000)

It is well-known that the bullet-ridden 50 Cent, via his infamous tour rider, is fond of what he calls "cold slaw (sic)." (Exagerrated cough suggesting feigned detachment) But what, dear reader, is up with Fitty Cent and the transatlantic travel?

First, there was news that he got into a "scuffle" on a tour of Nigeria. Then, more benignly, there were the intrepid Page Six reports of an enthusiastic Fitty and his entourage doing it up, flip-mode with the ladies in Iceland ("is, ya-ya?"). Now, more commotion across the ocean. Unlike Iceland, things here get a little "heezy." According to the 3AM Girls:

"WE'RE thinking the childish gangsta 'charms' of 50 Cent, his tag-along pals G Unit and other liggers don't translate well into Italian.

"The poor people of Milan had to put up with the self-styled pimp's entourage going on a booze-fuelled violent rampage and disturbing the peace of the city's Fashion Week.

"Fiddy (sic), as he likes to be known, took his 30-strong crew out to sample the best Milanese nightlife in the early hours of Friday morning after he played a gig in the town.

" ... After a boozy bar crawl, the former drug dealer and his friends turned up at T-35, a brand-new warehouse-style club in the fashion district, at 3am."

Cue: Bach's Toccatta in D Minor, why don't you ...

"... 'It was Fashion Week, so the place was crawling with models and 50 was surrounded by them.

"'But some of the guys with him were getting really aggressive with a group of locals, and without warning chairs were being thrown and fists were flying.'"

Sigh. That's jusy Fitty's way of saying, sweetly, thanks for the hospitality, Milan. Later, much later, after more fiery waters had been consumed:

"... After cruising the city trying to find another party, they went back to Fiddy's super-posh hotel, Principe di Savoia, at 5am.

"A bleary-eyed fellow guest says: '50 and some of his entourage took over the bar. There were a few guests still about in the lobby, and 50's lot were being pretty rowdy.' Another hotel source says that within the hour another scrap kicked off between some of Fiddy's unruly gang and other late-night drinkers at the bar.

"Milanese police confirmed they were called to the hotel in the early hours of Friday morning to investigate a fight, but said no charges had been brought."

You can take the thug out of the ghetto, but ... The full story here.

Separated at Birth?



Supreme Court Nominee Harriet Miers. (image via NYtimes via Gawker)

And ...



Supreme 70s rock icon Alice Cooper. (image via inhard)

More posts here.

Due to the Spam ...



(image via wheely-bin)

Sorry guys, but due to the excessive SPAM (The Corsair got 432 goddamned spam comments over the weekend), only registered blogger users can comment at present. We simply don't have enough hours in the day to delete the odd advertisements for penis pumps (Evidently, the denizens of the blogosphere underworld cannot afford the miniscule $20 a week blogad fee).

If you want to comment, please get a blogger login handle. Let's hope this keeps those damned spammers to a minimum. Again, sorry for the inconvenience to those of you who have been respectful in your comments over the past year.

Ron Mwangaguhunga, AKA, The Corsair

A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via cspanarchives)

In: CBS News Eye Blog. If you don't know it, The Corsair has become fairly addicted to the CBS Eye Blog. It's like digital "crackrock," only we don't lode weight. It intrigues us that CBS bigwigs take our suggestions to heart -- or, at least, appear to take our sugggestions to heart -- about a all manner of things, great and small. There is something fascinating, trusting, candid --especially to a digital communications Gemini junkie like ourself -- about what they are doing. Dare we say: Bold? It is not like MSNBC's cacophony of blog, no, this is something altogether more interesting (How come more Americans don't avail themselves of this?).

Sure, we kid Larry Kramer. Well, kid is too benign a way to explain it: we "blogstalk" him. Mercilessly. But the CBS Eye Blog with Vaughn Ververs fascinates us mightily. A major network news organization this transparent? Heaven forfend!

We should give them an "A" for effort, however it turns out. Cheers. (Now, what is Larry like in real life?)



(image via smh.com.au)

Out: Martha Stewart. Who would have thought that America's Top Model could kick Martha Stewart's ass (Is UPN having a banner season, or what)? And even though she is driven like a West Indian, we vote Martha out once again, making it the second "Out" in as many weeks; a dubious honor, to be sure. According to Broadcasting and Cable (link via iwantmedia):

"In an attempt to boost the flagging fortunes of two new shows, NBC has flipped the Wednesday time slots for The Apprentice: Martha Stewart and E-Ring for the immediate future, beginning this Wednesday, Oct. 5.

"The move is a strategy NBC hopes will help resuscitate both new shows, neither of which are off to strong starts.

"The Apprentice: Martha Stewart had been airing Wednesdays from 8-9 p.m. E-Ring ran 9-10 p.m.

"NBC found that much of its Martha audience was being poached by UPN's America's Top Model, and is hoping E-Ring's 9 p.m. slot, which has no other reality competition, will help rescue the second member of the Apprentice franchise.

"Likewise, the network is hoping that by moving E-Ring out of the drama-heavy 9 p.m. hour - and away from behemoth Lost - it can give the Pentagon drama a chance to bounce back.
E-Ring�one of NBC�s most heavily promoted fall shows�is fading in a 9 p.m. slot loaded with dramas."

And, "drama," singular, as well (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment)



(image via snopes)

In: Steven Spielberg. While we are fairly sure indeed that the mighty Steven Spielberg alone didn't sink the NBC Universal-Dreamworks deal like, say, Tara Reid after a gravity bong-hit, we know he played a major factor. How could a man of his prestige not affect matters on his beat?

Wouldn't you just love to know what went on behind closed doors in those final moments that everything went ... sideways (The Corsair sparks a Cohiba Esplendidos, dramatically)? Someday, (The Corsair pours himself a glass of a very dry sherry) we hope Vanity Fair, or forward-thinkers at HBO, or it's ambitious though less-successful younger competitor Showtime will devote some quality time on the story of how (The Corsair gesticulates, slyly, across the media landscape) this all went down -- really and truly -- whether in a feature article, or in a made-for-cable film. Enquiring minds want to know. Says the Old Gray Lady:

"Mr. Spielberg balked at the idea that Universal wanted to be able to approve spending more than $100 million on a movie, said one of the two executives.

"NBC Universal executives declined to comment on the talks.

"David Geffen, the music mogul and the DreamWorks co-founder who has been negotiating for the company, said he met with Bob Wright, NBC Universal's chairman, in Beverly Hills on Friday. Mr. Geffen confirmed the talks were over, adding it was unlikely the two companies would revisit the notion of an acquisition anytime soon.

"Mr. Geffen said he was sad a deal could not be reached, but Mr. Spielberg was 'happy.'"

We'll bet. But give us some atmosphere; give us some frantic phone calls of pleading Uni execs; give us the Spielberg and Geffen fucking with Uni. Who do they think they are, anyway: Asking Steven Fucking Spielberg for "approval" for any project over $100 mil (Averted Gaze). Don't they know he owns that town?

Out: Turkey. Turkey -- part Muslim nation, part Western -- could have been the linchpin of the war on terror; now, it might fall back into medieval fundamentalist chaos, and -- worse -- on the footsteps of Europe, bordering Greece. There are too many variables in favor, unfortunately, of Turkish disintegration into chaos, among which, a) European bigotry, b) Papal discouragement, coming -- of all places -- from the Apostolic See, c) the very fact that Turkey borders Iran; should Iran goes nuclear, and Turkey subsequently join the EU, then ... a hostile nuclear power is at Europe's doorstep, and, d) that Turkey has invested many years worth of hopes and dreams into the future, an EU future, and a rejection would be perceived as the unltimate insult, thus a recruiting tool for Al Quaeda. (The Corsair sighs deeply, thoroughly vexed; world-weary) Anyway: some backstory: According to The Council on Foreign Relations website:

"European Union ministers work to resolve a standoff blocking Turkey�s EU entry talks Monday, which are caught between Austria�s demand for an alternative to full Turkish membership and Ankara�s threat to walk away. Major stumbling blocks include the EU�s insistence that Turkey recognize EU member Greek Cyprus, improve its human rights record, and recognize the Armenian genocide during Ottoman rule in 1915.

"Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey 'has fulfilled her obligations' for EU membership in a CFR transcript; CFR�s Bernard Gwertzman interviews Europe expert Charles Kupchan, who says Turkey�s entry is unlikely; the Economist reports on challenges to the negotiations; Germany�s Deutsche Welle op-ed says the membership talks are 'hardly realistic'; Turkey�s Ministry of Foreign Affairs outlines Ankara�s relationship with the EU; a Washington Institute brief analyzes German and French views on Turkey�s EU membership;"

More here.



(image via debokenplank)

In: The Risorgimento of The Sci Fi Genre. We never actually thought when we began doing This-Thing-Of-Ours that we'd ever end up putting this sort of thing (Averted Gaze) in the "In" category, but, then again, everywhere you turn -- in the blogosphere, amongst The Chatterers -- there are conversations on the resurgence of Sci Fi (And, almost in the same breath, always praise for Philip Seymour Hoffman's Capote). Says David Itzkoff, re: the trend, in The Old Gray Lady:

"..'Threshold' is just one of several new network series to offer varying degrees of science fiction or fantasy cloaked in real-world scenarios, including NBC's 'Surface,' ABC's 'Invasion' and WB's 'Supernatural.' This trend, say the producers of Threshold, is partly the result of viewers' reawakened appetite for escapist fare in an age of global terrorism. 'It's unexplained phenomena which cause a threat to mankind, and that threat is not contained to one area,' Mr. Heyman said. 'It can happen any time, any place, to anyone. It's something people can really relate to right now.'

"But shows like 'Threshold' may also reflect the networks' belated appreciation of the value of genre entertainment. 'Have you seen the box office numbers on War of the Worlds, by the way?' asked a 'Threshold' co-star, Brett Spiner, who played the android Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation. I don't think the networks are in the business of doing things people aren't going to watch. I think they sniff some dollars here.'"

One cannot forget the last most recent period of American cultural anxiety -- The Cold War -- where, at the outset, science-fantasy, in the form of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Blob, also happened to reign supreme over the American Imagination. Curious, no?

The Kate Moss Coke Video



As Kate Moss is in rehab, this drops. (A considerable pause; Long, slow whistle) The Corsair would have put this (link via Papermag via Mediafetcher) as a definite "In," but for the incessant gabby commentary by the Channel 5 Italian news team that scored this exclusive. God, they didn't fucking shut up!

Blahblahblah -- As if a video of a scantily-clad Kate Moss hoovering up fat, juicy lines of the "Bolivian Marching Powder," dressed in go-go boots and surrounded by drinks and skanky men needs narration. The commentators drown out the natural dialogue of this Reality genre gem with their own self-important inane chatter.

All we can make out is Kate Moss saying, playfully, "This is so gay," as she chops up the nose-candy; then, at another pint, she talks about the weed, or, as she calls it, "skunk; and, finally, there is talk of a trip to Ibiza.

Sounds like a total evening hanging out among the fashionistas.

Cameron Crowe's On-Set DJing



(image via sina.com)

The Corsair found this particularly interesting as it illustrates how music informs the films of Cameron Crowe. This, from Entertainment Weekly's Christine Spines, in the October 7 issue:

"(Dunst) was cast early, after a typical Crowe audition, in which he played the music he'd picked out for the film to see how she responded to it and, more important, how the music sounded played against her image close-up. 'You have this video camera in your face and I would react to different songs he would play,' recalls Dunst, who rarely auditions but agreed because of Crowe's indelible female characters. 'Cameron wrote a beautiful role. She's messy, wise and sad. And the words come easily to me.'

"While shooting, Crowe played music to help the actors access the characters' emotions. It's a technique the director hit upon courtesy of Tom Cruise. 'We were doing the scene where Jerry McGuire's writing the mission statement and I started playing the song by His Name Is Alive and Tom was like, Keep it playing! And he acted the song and it was great.' recalls Crowe, who appointed his assistant to be the on-set DJ, playing mostly Jeff Buckley and Simon and Garfunkel for (Orlando) Bloom, and Rilo Kiley and Rufus Wainwright for Dunst. Still, there are risks involved: play the wrong song and the mood is dead. 'Kirsten came hard with her own opinion on what should be playing,' Crowe says. 'I put on The Monkeys and Kirsten just stopped and said, 'I can't do this."

We'll have to side with Kirsten Dunst on that, Cameron.