2,996

Join the Tribute

I could write a lot of stuff about why I'm joining the blogging tribute to those who died on 9/11, but I keep tearing up as I write, so I'll just let the blogger who created the tribute, D.Challener Roe, tell you:

2,996 stories…

2,996 voices…

2,996 remembered…

2,996 is a tribute to the victims of 9/11.

On September 11, 2006, 2,996 volunteer bloggers will join together for a tribute to the victims of 9/11. Each person will pay tribute to a single victim.

We will honor them by remembering their lives, and not by remembering their murderers.

If you would like to help out, either by pledging to post a tribute on your own blog, or by offering your services to promote this cause, just leave a comment here and I’ll email you the name of a victim.

Then, on 9/11/2006, you will post a tribute to that victim on your blog.

But, and this is critical, the tributes should celebrate the lives of these people–kind of like a wake. Over the last 5 years we’ve heard the names of the killers, and all about the victim’s deaths. This is a chance to learn about and celebrate those who died. Forget the murderers, they don’t deserve to be remembered. But some people who died that day deserve to be remembered–2,996 people.

Thank you,

D.Challener Roe

Wordplay: The Movie

The lady in the poster to the left is Ellen Ripstein. We worked together as researchers on the Regis Edition of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." She's a bloody genius!

Go see her in the documentary Wordplay, opening around the country on June 23 (which also coincides with my 6th month anniversary of not smoking, woohoo!). The Wordplay site has interviews that highlight Ellen as well as other contestants in the American Crossword Puzzle Championship. In the interview, they ask Ellen the burning question everyone on the planet wants to know: Pen or Pencil? (I know you were dying to ask that... ok, maybe not dying to ask it.) After a number of times reaching the crossword championship finals, Ellen won the kit and kaboodle a few years ago. I told you she was a bloody genius, didn't I?

And while you're at it, go and read her LiveJournal blog about the life of a genius-crossword puzzling, movie-star jetsetting, goddess.

The film also has interviews with folks like former U.S. President Bill Clinton and comedy pundit Jon Stewart. You'll also learn more about crossword puzzler and Sudoku master, Will Shortz, the Master Puzzlermaster. Which is redundant, but it's late and believe me, I'm no bloody genius.

Yvany: Billie Holiday Contest Finalist!!!

You might remember a few months ago I posted a link to my friend, Yvany's, "Desperate House Child" blog. (She hasn't updated it since March... dang, I thought I was bad not having updated my blog since June 5th... sheesh...)

When I wrote about her blog, I specifically mentioned that she had just posted a recording she made of a Billie Holiday number in order to enter Baltimore's 17th Annual Mayor's Billie Holiday Vocal Competition. I just got a call from her, and she's ONE OF TEN FINALISTS FOR THE CONTEST!

WOOHOO!
YOU GO, GIRL!

The event takes place in Baltimore on Sunday, July 23
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
1212 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410-783-8000

Here's a tiny bit about the event itself:

Initiated in 1990 to honor Baltimore's own jazz legend Billie Holiday on the 75th anniversary of her birth, the vocal competition commemorates Holiday's contribution to music and is designed to encourage and support emerging vocal talent in Maryland through funding, exposure and recognition. The competition was made possible through the generosity of Procter and Gamble Cosmetics Foundation, Inc, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and The Afro-American Newspapers.

Monday is Stop Gay People Day

Unfuckingbelievable. Unfuckingbelievable.

How many more days do we have to live with this guy as President? How many more days until the Republican Party lead us closer and closer to immigration, race, and anti-gay wars here on the American front?

Unfuckingbelievable. Unfuckingbelievable.

From Atrios and Americablog, we have this rant from Jack Cafferty. I use to watch CNN's Morning Show and Cafferty would rankle my haunches. But the old geezer is hopping mad, and I don't blame him:

CNN's Jack Cafferty rips Republicans for wasting time on gay marriage when country has so many other priorities and problems to address
by John in DC - 6/03/2006 11:13:00 AM

Via Atrios:

Guess what Monday is? Monday is the day President Bush will speak about an issue near and dear to his heart and the hearts of many conservatives. It's also the day before the Senate votes on the very same thing. Is it the war? Deficits? Health insurance? Immigration? Iran? North Korea?

Not even close. No, the president is going to talk about amending the Constitution in order to ban gay marriage. This is something that absolutely, positively has no chance of happening, nada, zippo, none. But that doesn't matter. Mr. Bush will take time to make a speech. The Senate will take time to talk and vote on it, because it's something that matters to the Republican base.

This is pure politics. If has nothing to do with whether or not you believe in gay marriage. It's blatant posturing by Republicans, who are increasingly desperate as the midterm elections approach. There's not a lot else to get people interested in voting on them, based on their record of the last five years.

But if you can appeal to the hatred, bigotry, or discrimination in some people, you might move them to the polls to vote against that big, bad gay married couple that one day might in down the street.

In America, we still have a problem within our borders with other people we don't like. In fact, it's very easy, in my opinion, to tip America into discriminatory acts (on the parts of many people) of violence, that would be difficult to hold back. I fear racial and discriminatory violence more than anything else in the world besides a race riot or a terrorist attack.

This administration is just begging for ugliness. I fear they just might get it.

Bush will speak on this today from the Rose Garden. If you can bear it, you can hear or read his White House Radio Address here about the subject.

Happy Birthday, Zanzibar

Mommy kitty misses you
very much.
So very much.
Rest in peace, kitty girl.



In memorium

He's #1! He's #1!

Quinnipiac University just conducted a new poll and asked those surveyed who they thought was the worst President in the post-World War II era.

Guess who's #1?

Go ahead... guess...

OK, fine, it's George W. Bush (among Democrats) and William Jefferson Clinton (among Republicans), though on average, Bush still leads.

You know who really can't stand the man? Younguns 18-29... 42% of 'em rate him the worse.

Maybe there's hope for the youth afterall...

Hattip: Crooks and Liars.