Monday, June 30, 2008

Politics As Usual





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Friday, February 29, 2008

Daily News : February 29, 2008

The Economist is becoming increasingly popular in America, taking market share from TIME and Newsweek thanks to its intelligent celebritard-free journalism.
Market Watch

Nearly 70 percent of Americans believe traditional journalism is out of touch, and nearly half are turning to the Internet to get their news, according to a new survey.
Reuters

Lucky Soilders wins a million
ABC

A man who planned to walk from Bristol to India without any money has quit, after getting as far as Calais, France.
BBC

Turkey withdraws troop from Northern Iraq
New York Times

Obama has small lead in Texas, close in Ohio
Reuters

Vacationing attorney plays slot machine in Virgin Islands, hits $5.15 million jackpot. Casino manager unplugs machine, tells attorney "It's an obvious malfunction." Guess what the American attorney did next?
KSDK

A brief history on the Leap Year
Some Guy

Campaigns flush with $
New York Times

BBC changed the look of their homepage, loves it!
BBC

Fashion's New Patron's Struggle for the right fit
Wall Street Journal

Stop Stealing Your Fashion, Liquor, And Life Choices From Mobb Deep
Gawker

Olsen twins asked to pose for Playboy
The Superficial

Slates Delegate Calculator
Slate

Just for fun
New Yorker

Thursday, February 28, 2008

The Guggenheim : Cai Guo-Qiang

This show looks insane, horrifying and fantastic. See the links below.

Bio in brief: Cai Guo-Qiang was born in 1957 in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, China. The son of a historian and painter, Cai was trained in stage design at the Shanghai Drama Institute from 1981 to 1985 and his work has, since the outset, been scholarly and often politically charged. Having accomplished himself across a variety of media, Cai initially began working with gunpowder to foster spontaneity and confront the suppression that he felt from the controlled artistic tradition and social climate in China at the time. While living in Japan from 1986 to 1995, Cai explored the properties of gunpowder in his drawings, an inquiry that eventually led to his experimentation with explosives on a massive scale, and the development of his signature explosion events, exemplified in his series, Projects for Extraterrestrials. These explosion projects, both wildly poetic and ambitious at their core, aim to establish an exchange between viewers and the larger universe around them.

http://www.caiguoqiang.com/
Some images from the show

Daily Show : Full Caffeine Eclipse

Daily News : February 28, 2008

Colette Displays Luxury Logos Made From Cocaine
NY Mag
New York Times Blog

Iran "number one power in the world' Ahmadinejad. This guy scares me.
Breibart

Civil rights leader John Lewis dropped his support for Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential bid Wednesday in favor of Barack Obama.
AP

Exchange student says he was denied adequate food
"McCullum says he was denied sufficient food while staying with a family of Coptic Christians, who fast for more than 200 days a year, a regimen unmatched by other Christians."
Boston Globe

Bush is in denial
AP

House Democrats abruptly pulled an ethics reform proposal from consideration yesterday after widespread opposition surfaced from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle a day before a scheduled vote on the plan.

The proposal, months in the making, would create a new Office of Congressional Ethics run by a bipartisan group of six non-lawmakers with the power to review ethics complaints against members and staff, and forward them to the existing Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. The fate of the plan is now unclear, though Democrats vowed they would revisit the issue soon.
Washington Post

Bloomberg not running for President
Huffington Post

Amtrak Repairing NE Corridor Rail Ties
Boston Globe

Asked about her tax returns, Clinton said told Russert: “I will do it as others have done it: upon becoming the nominee, or even earlier, Tim, because I have been as open as I can be.”
Politico

Cuties
Daily Mail UK

18 Best Real Estate sites
MSNBC
Best local information: Terabitz
Best site to price comparable properties: Trulia
To find out what your neighbor’s house is worth: Zillow
Buy a house without a broker: For Sale by Owner
Get Zagat-like reviews of a particular street: Street Advisor

Those sassy teenagers
CBS

New Y-3 store
New York Times

Many American's fear they'll outlive their money
Gallup Poll

Inflation even effects a New York Bagel
NY Post

The £1,800 fashion sensation: the amazing high heels that don't have a heel
Daily Mail UK

Some Obama facts (thanks Amy)

In Illinois, he sponsored over 800 bills.

On the federal level, in his short time, he passed a decent amount of legistlation, in a bi-partisan manner>. His first year in the U.S. Senate, he authored 152 bills and co-sponsored another 427. Mind you, not many passed with that idiot Republican and limpy Demcratic Senate in his way, but that's a lot of bills. The big ones are:

  • the Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006 (became law)
  • The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act,(became law)
  • The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, passed the Senate
  • The 2007 Government Ethics Bill,(became law)
  • The Protection Against Excessive Executive Compensation Bill,(In committee

More about his record can be found here, here, here, and here.

Finally, to learn details of his entire plan for the country should he become president you can go to his website. You can also download his Blueprint for Change here (WARNING: Large substantial 64 page PDF).

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Daily News : February 27, 2008

Rare criticism in Iran of Ahmadinejad rhetoric on Israel
Rowhani warned starkly: "If the international community thinks that a country wants to play troublemaker and eliminate others, it will not let the country do this and will confront it.

"We must act in such a way that the world understands that we are ready for more flexibility and more dialogue."
AFP


Our economy is fucked! Euro Soars to Record High $1.5057
I was just in the Caribbean and the dollar isn't worth a damn.
AP

India missile test to start arms race: Pakistan
Reuters

Russia may support Iran sanctions
BBC

Cubans weary of Raul Castros hints of change
New York Times

Kofi Annan has decided to suspend the talks process in Kenya.
BBC

Most Muslims 'desire democracy'
BBC

Could peace break out in the Koreas?
BBC

Congress asks companies to do more on food safety
Reuters

A hedge made out of marijuana
Gold Coast

Counterfeit Crackdown: New York Police Shutter Canal Street Buildings
WWD

The most spied upon people in Europe
BBC

Man tries to rob store using finger as pretend gun -- outside of his jacket

Local 6

Secret Cure for cramps?
ABC

Philharmonic plays in North Korea
New York Times

Leno is the worst
New York Times

Starbucks promises a perfect cup of coffee or they'll do it again.
I saw this promise as I walked into Starbucks this morning. I reluctantly drink their swill every morning. When will a Coffee Bean open on the east coast! Now there is an excellent cup of coffee.
Yahoo

Pet Sterilization Becomes Law in LA
AP

Special red DUI license plates proposed for MD drunk drivers. TN stays old school with 24 hours of roadside cleanup while wearing orange vests emblazoned with the phrase, "I am a Drunk Driver."
FOX DC

Zac Posen designs a line for Target, in Austrailia?!? What American's aren't sophisiticated enough for him?
Sassy Bella

Balenciaga 2008 Collection
WWD

Clinton needs to stop rocking YELLOW

Yellow is not a happy color when you look ugly in it.
Just in the month of February only she has worn this ugly yellow suit or the one with out the black trim 9x. Yes, nine times. Please, Clinton, stop wearing yellow!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Daily News : February 25, 2008

Obama slams smear photo.
Politico
Drudge Report

"Venezuela is Cuba's biggest benefactor and sends the Caribbean nation millions of barrels of favorably priced oil each year. In return, Cuba has sent about 30,000 doctors to work in the OPEC nation."
Chavez jokes with new Cuban leader.
Reuters

First biofuel flight.
Reuters

Trial starts fro Detectives in Bell shooting.
New York Times

NY Police trial for groom's death.
BBC

Hillary should get out now.
Newsweek

Who will tell Hillary?
The Washington Post

Ralph Nader in the race. why?
New York Times

Nader run could open an avenue for Bloomberg.
NY Sun

Obesity more dangerous than terrorism?
Breibart

Co-Pilot dies during a flight.
BBC

Fewrer youths jump behind the wheel at 16.
New York Times

Full list of Academy Award Winners
Perez Hilton

Must see movie! Won for best Foreign Film: The Counterfieters
Trailer

Oscar Fashion.
Jezebel

More Fashion
Hollywood Tuna

Man dies in cake-eating contest.
BBC

Retailers crack down on serial returns. I hate these people.
Boston Globe

Where do you find peace in NY?
New York Times

Travel information : The Carribbean : Which I just came back from, and miss so very much.
New York Times

World Food without leaving the neighborhood.
New York Times

Friday, February 15, 2008

Kanye West : Flashing Lights

Daily News : February 15, 2008

Michelle Obama
New York Times

Hezbolla Cheif Threatens Israel
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has warned that the militant group is ready for "open war" with Israel, after the killing of one of its leaders in Syria.

"Israel has rejected Hezbollah's claims that it is responsible for Mughniyeh's assassination, but nonetheless has put its embassies and other missions around the world on high alert and boosted troop deployments on the Lebanese border."
BBC
BBC
JPost

Iran's President to visit Iraq in March
Breibart

Rice sent to Kenya
Ms. Rice will be accompanying President Bush on his trip to the African states of Tanzania, Rwanda, Benin, Ghana and Liberia, which begins on Saturday.
BBC

Venezuela breaks its ties with Exxon
BBC

Joanne Borgella
American Idol

Huckabee
The Washington Post

McCain rolls on, takes aim at Obama
Politico

Bloomberg rips government over failing economy
CBS

Daily Show: Late Night Triangle

Late Night Triangle


Moment of Zen

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Daily News : January 15th, 2008

Oprah Winfrey gets her own Cable Network!
Variety

MacBook Air; pretty amazing
Info Sync
Mac World

Cloned meat? sick.
CNN

The GOP loves McCain
New York Times

Race and Gender seem to be the main issues for the Democrats; It shouldn't be an issue at all.
New York Times
The Washington Post

Closing GITMO; Guantanamo Bay Prison
USA Today

Obama releases his economic stimulus plan
Newsday

Kucinich; fyi his wife is pretty hot.
AP

I've been travelling to Dallas a lot, the have awesome libraries
Chron

Spears, really?!?
Perez Hilton

Money and a great stylist/hairdress/spray tanner will get you this look. LOVES IT
Perez Hilton

Why do US pickets walk in Circles?
BBC

Daily News : January 10th, 2008

Do you know anything about the primaries? The candidates? Why this election is so important?

Candidates

What issues are important to them

2008 Primary and Caucus Calendar

Why polls in NH were off
SF Gate
Newsday

Iraq death toll .. not a joke.
Newsday

Won't testify without immunity
New York Times

Bush predicts completion of Mid-East peace treaty
New York Times
The Washington Post

How most of the mid-east really feel about the U.S.
Aljazeera

Sexiest newscasters .. they don't have my picture yet.
NBC

Dail;y News : January 7th, 2008

The Cafferty File

To live or die in New Hampshire
AP News

You can still register to VOTE in New York!! YOU BETTER!!!
Register to Vote

Huckabee, the evangelical rises again
The Washington Post

Iran
Breibart

More assholes.. This woman takes the cake, literally
CNN

Obama win's Iowa Democratic Caucus!
Opinion Journal
The Washington Post

Golden Globes Cancelled
Hollywood Daily

Scary
Xinhuan

108 inches of LCD
Reuters

If you watch the Hills...
Perez Hilton

Oh, Brittney
AP News

Dr.Phil on Britteny
Perez Hilton

What an Asshole!
Dallas News

This seems to happen WAY too often
K Fox TV

Daily News : December 21, 2007

House approves $70 billion more for war funding
AP News

Subway Hike
New York Times

Pakistan suicide blast kills 50
BBC

Do you know your local Bodega cat?
New York Times

Sacha Baron Cohen: Killing off Borat
Telegraph UK


Ms.Puerto Rico's clothes were found to be muy caliente!
Breibart

Vladimir Putin named Time's Man of the Year
Time

Jamie Lynn Spears... pregnant, not even funny.
Perez Hilton

And the Ladies of the View want to talk about it.
Defamer

Woaa... an Apple store in my neighborhood. I just finally stopepd drooling over the Best Buy that opened up.
NY Post

Love the Drudge report
Variety

World Orgasm day?!
Some Blog

Monkey's like to do "it"
Live Science

Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks? I prefer Dunkin Donuts.
USA Today

Not a jolly good time in London
Reuters

"Don't tase me, bro!"
Reuters

Youporn, kinda like youtube but different.
Portfolio

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Daily News : December 5th, 2007

Some serious shizah: Millions of missing white house emails
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/27607
http://crn.com/government/204400457?queryText=crew

Congress has a better work schedule then a school teacher, only problem is they NEED to be at work more.
"In the proposed 2008 schedule, the House will meet 248 days in the 110th Congress, compared with 211 days in the last Republican-led Congress, according to figures maintained by the majority leader's office."
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1207/7162.html

Bill Mahr
http://www.maximonline.com/contests/hbocomedy/maher.aspx

Don't be a good Samaritan
http://www.wnbc.com/news/14778322/detail.html

La Cosa Nostra: Italy mob moss swallowed secrets before dying
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL0523414220071205?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true

"The target for 10 of OPEC's 13 members will remain at 27.253 million barrels a day. The group's newest members, Angola and Ecuador, were given daily production quotas for the first time, of 1.9 million barrels and 520,000 barrels, respectively. That brings the combined target for 12 members to 29.673 million barrels a day. Iraq has no quota."
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a7g5HD3XZPdc&refer=worldwide

HIV Positive Navy Priest Accused of Sexual Misconduct
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/12/marine_chaplain_hiv_071204w/

Who's a cutie!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071205/ap_on_re_eu/germany_polar_bear_1

A football feel good piece
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/sports/othersports/05parish.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

He shouldn't even get a second chance, Imus.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2007/12/05/2007-12-05_don_imus_simulcast_turns_into_simulcrash.html

Tanker Explodes
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/12/05/tanker_explodes_engulfing_nearby_buildings_in_everett/

Health Pros and Cons of Drinking
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/12/04/healthmag.alcohol/index.html

Spanx, love 'em.
http://www.observer.com/2007/spanx-me-baby

Hillary's Hard hitting Hipster
http://www.observer.com/2007/hillary-s-hard-hitting-hipster

TopShop is coming to the States! Ladies. Rejoice!
http://www.observer.com/2007/kate-moss-welcome-topshop-stateside

Iran, Conversation Anyone?

BUSH: Nuke-less Iran remains dangerous
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/04/iran.nuclear/index.html

Some Comments Posted today from this article:

I am far from a liberal and to be honest I did vote for Bush in the last election, but with yet another embarrassing defeat of our intelligence I can't helped but feel ashamed. This is the second time people that we have allowed ourselves to washed in lies from our government regarding foreign nations and their weapons capabilities. I do not feel as though we should totally discredit Iran as a threat, but I also cannot stand for us ruining our world imagine by sticking our foot in our mouth yet again. We look like complete jackasses over the past 5 years, we have declared victory in Iraq after one week and are still there, sworn now that not one but two countries had nukes, and have tarnished Americans great reputation of being a fair and intelligent government. I just hope that the liberal and conservative bashing can stop long enough for us to examine our problems and repair this country, because we need some serious transformations in foreign policy, economy, and homeland security.

Oh yeah, the US should still invade Iran. They may not have nukes, but I heard there's this one guy in their military that can throw rocks really far. If he stands on a hill, look out. Probably can get pretty close to Israel from what I hear. Beware the rock throwing Iranians! I hear they bite too!

"What the president said makes good sense to me. Iran is developing weapons grade materials that could be used in a nuclear bomb. They have sworn to eradicate Israel and do whatever they can to wipe out the US and other Christian countries. Ironically, Iran is also a threat to its Arab neighbors in the middle east. We shouldn't stick our heads in the sand because of our political positions. We need to work together to see that Iran does not get a bomb or the means to deliver it."

"Hmmm... I'm no Constitutional scholar but... isn't there a provision in our Constitution regarding not being able to force a President to turn over office during a time of war? So, what happens if Bush manages to get an official war declaration before his term ends and then manages to prolong it indefinitely? Wouldn't the only means of removing him be a vote of impeachment? Just considering the possibility that this may be a hidden (Or not so hidden) agenda..."

This is also another good article to read:
The New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/04/17/060417fa_fact

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Daily News : December 4th, 2007

Bad Kissers
http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/personal/12/03/bad.kissers/index.html?iref=newssearch

Jay-Z Drama
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2007/11/former_jayz_associate_dehaven.html?imw=Y

The story of Pinkberry's success is really about the chain's image as a design brand. "In my stores, I serve you a $5 dessert, and I let you sit in $500 chairs," says Lee of the Philippe Starck Victoria Ghost chairs in every Pinkberry outlet. "People can tell the difference." They're eating it up right now, but will they still if Pinkberry becomes as ubiquitous as, say, Starbucks?
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/121/berry-berry-ambitious.html

Romeny: "I want to make sure that we maintain our religious heritage in this country, not a particular of faith, if you will, not of a particular sect or denomination, but rather the great moral heritage that we have that's so critical to the future of this country," Romney said. "So, I'll be talking about faith in America -- not my own faith in America -- and of course I'll answer the obligatory questions, as he did."
http://wbztv.com/local/local_story_336200118.html

Randomly Drug Testing Students in FL
"Drug related deaths for both oxycodone and hydrocodone in Florida exceed those for heroin."
http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=69077

France takes ebay to court
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071204/france_ebay.html?.v=4

Shameful
http://www.kwch.com/global/story.asp?s=7446220

Facebook
http://www.02138mag.com/magazine/article/1724.html

Woooaaahhh, Bad Facelift
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=499391&in_page_id=1773&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=picbox&ct=5

Bush, ehh.....
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/world/middleeast/05webreact.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Don't let your friends borrow your car, you may wind up serving a life sentence.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/us/04felony.html?hp

Racial Profiling an official of the ACLU, laughable.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/12/04/specialist_on_profiling_says_he_was_a_victim/

Brad Pitt doing his part in NOLA
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7126350.stm

Sex Trade in Iraq
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7119473.stm

Ban on Sex Toys
http://www.al.com/news/press-register/index.ssf?/base/news/1196763571281990.xml&coll=3

Lamborghini
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/05/video-lamborghini-reventon-from-behind-the-wheel/

Monday, December 3, 2007

Daily News : December 3rd, 2007

The Daily News.. Back in effect.
Have you missed my updates? If so don't fret they will be passed on to you as I ingest them daily. While I don't have time to post the articles in my blog daily, I will be sending out emails to keep you informed of what's happening in the world. In the absence of my updates I've been turning my hobby into my career and now actually work for CNN as a news assistant for the Situation Room. Dream come true! Tune in daily from 4pm-7pm to catch all the action, hey you may just see me in the newsroom.
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/situation.room/

And the days news....

TO:
Senator Barack Obama
FROM:
Karl Rove
SUBJECT:
How to Beat Hillary
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/dee0a6e8-a109-11dc-9f34-0000779fd2ac.html

Banning Junk Food in Public Schools
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/us/02school.html?ref=fitnessandnutrition

No Charges in Myspace Suicide Case
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8TA3O800&show_article=1
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Internet-Suicide.html

AP reformatting
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/business/media/03apee.html?ei=5065&en=401d36c5dc11efa8&ex=1197349200&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print

Romney Ready to Address Mormanism
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/12/03/romney-to-give-mormon-speech/
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/03/romney.religion/index.html

Sean Taylor: Suspects charged with Murder
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/01/sean.taylor/

Don Imus Returns to Radio
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/business/media/03cnd-imus.html?hp

Who's Afraid of Barak Obama?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/opinion/02rich.html?em&ex=1196830800&en=5ead4c3bdc272622&ei=5087%0A

The end of Spam?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/technology/03kirsch.html?8dpc

International Reputation for the Sudanese Government
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7125514.stm

Iran ( you should know about what's happening here)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7125701.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/world/middleeast/03cnd-iran.html?hp

Vanity License Plates
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2007/12/03/2smrt4u/

Nothing you didn't already suspect, but chimpanzees discovered to be smarter than average American college students
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=3945775

For the Child who doesn't have it ALL, yet.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/03/porsches-kinderbob-sled-far-more-luxury-than-your-child-needs/

Chicago Train Crash
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TRAIN_COLLISION?SITE=OHCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Rebuilding LL.Cool J's neighborhood
http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/11/21/heroes.llcoolj.flake/index.html

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Water Parks

Global Guide to Water Parks : http://www.waterparks.com/

Splish Spalsh in Long Island
http://www.splishsplashlongisland.com/

Tuff Gong

I am obsessed with all things Marley these days... specifically Stephen and Damian.. I can't get enough! This talented family is in heavy rotation on my ipod and in the car. Check it out if you've been sleeping.

Traffic Jam


Stephen Marley
http://web.stephenmarleymusic.com/index.jsp

Damian Marley
http://www.damianmarleymusic.com/index.php

The Proust Questionnaire

Do you read Vanity Fair? Great Mag, you should. On the back page they ask a number of questions to a specifc celebrity. It's one of my favorite parts of the magazine. Have you ever wondered where they came up with these questions or why they ask the specific ones they do? Here are some answers..

The Infamous Proust Questionnaire

In the back pages of Vanity Fair each month, readers find The Proust Questionnaire, a series of questions posed to famous subjects about their lives, thoughts, values and experience. A regular reference to Proust in such a major publication struck me as remarkable, and it was only until I'd read Andre Maurois's Proust: Portrait of a Genius that I understood what this was all about.

The young Marcel was asked to fill out questionnaires at two social events: one when he was 13, another when he was 20. Proust did not invent this party game; he is simply the most extraordinary person to respond to them. At the birthday party of Antoinette Felix-Faure, the 13-year-old Marcel was asked to answer the following questions in the birthday book, and here's what he said:

  • What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
      To be separated from Mama
  • Where would you like to live?
      In the country of the Ideal, or, rather, of my ideal
  • What is your idea of earthly happiness?
      To live in contact with those I love, with the beauties of nature, with a quantity of books and music, and to have, within easy distance, a French theater
  • To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
      To a life deprived of the works of genius
  • Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?
      Those of romance and poetry, those who are the expression of an ideal rather than an imitation of the real
  • Who are your favorite characters in history?
      A mixture of Socrates, Pericles, Mahomet, Pliny the Younger and Augustin Thierry
  • Who are your favorite heroines in real life?
      A woman of genius leading an ordinary life
  • Who are your favorite heroines of fiction?
      Those who are more than women without ceasing to be womanly; everything that is tender, poetic, pure and in every way beautiful
  • Your favorite painter?
      Meissonier
  • Your favorite musician?
      Mozart
  • The quality you most admire in a man?
      Intelligence, moral sense
  • The quality you most admire in a woman?
      Gentleness, naturalness, intelligence
  • Your favorite virtue?
      All virtues that are not limited to a sect: the universal virtues
  • Your favorite occupation?
      Reading, dreaming, and writing verse
  • Who would you have liked to be?
      Since the question does not arise, I prefer not to answer it. All the same, I should very much have liked to be Pliny the Younger.

This questionnaire tells us much about two things, the character of petiit Marcel, and the amusement of the young in the Belle Epoque. We see Marcel as a sweet and dreamy Mama's boy, brainy, aesthetic, a young citizen of the world with much sympathy for the feminine. What he sees in Pliny the Younger, famous only for speaking and writing letters, is hard to grasp.

What is fascinating about this questionnaire is that it was considered so great an amusement to very young people in Proust's time. It is hard to imagine a party of 13-year-olds in these times being quizzed about their favorite virtues, painters or characters of fiction and history. If the questionnaire were not to smack of exam, it would have to ask "what's your favorite TV show?" or "what's your favorite band?"

Seven years after the first questionnaire, Proust was asked, at another social event, to fill out another; the questions are much the same, but the answers somewhat different, indicative of his traits at 20:
Marcel in his twenties, 12kb gif

  • Your most marked characteristic?
      A craving to be loved, or, to be more precise, to be caressed and spoiled rather than to be admired
  • The quality you most like in a man?
      Feminine charm
  • The quality you most like in a woman?
      A man's virtues, and frankness in friendship
  • What do you most value in your friends?
      Tenderness - provided they possess a physical charm which makes their tenderness worth having
  • What is your principle defect?
      Lack of understanding; weakness of will
  • What is your favorite occupation?
      Loving
  • What is your dream of happiness?
      Not, I fear, a very elevated one. I really haven't the courage to say what it is, and if I did I should probably destroy it by the mere fact of putting it into words.
  • What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?
      Never to have known my mother or my grandmother
  • What would you like to be?
      Myself - as those whom I admire would like me to be
  • In what country would you like to live?
      One where certain things that I want would be realized - and where feelings of tenderness would always be reciprocated. [Proust's underlining]
  • What is your favorite color?
      Beauty lies not in colors but in thier harmony
  • What is your favorite flower?
      Hers - but apart from that, all
  • What is your favorite bird?
      The swallow
  • Who are your favorite prose writers?
      At the moment, Anatole France and Pierre Loti
  • Who are your favoite poets?
      Baudelaire and Alfred de Vigny
  • Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
      Hamlet
  • Who are your favorite heroines of fiction?
      Phedre (crossed out) Berenice
  • Who are your favorite composers?
      Beethoven, Wagner, Shuhmann
  • Who are your favorite painters?
      Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt
  • Who are your heroes in real life?
      Monsieur Darlu, Monsieur Boutroux (professors)
  • Who are your favorite heroines of history?
      Cleopatra
  • What are your favorite names?
      I only have one at a time
  • What is it you most dislike?
      My own worst qualities
  • What historical figures do you most despise?
      I am not sufficiently educated to say
  • What event in military history do you most admire?
      My own enlistment as a volunteer!
  • What reform do you most admire?
      (no response)
  • What natural gift would you most like to possess?
      Will power and irresistible charm
  • How would you like to die?
      A better man than I am, and much beloved
  • What is your present state of mind?
      Annoyance at having to think about myself in order to answer these questions
  • To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
      Those that I understand
  • What is your motto?
      I prefer not to say, for fear it might bring me bad luck.

The second set of questions and answers give us Proust as a young man, mad for conquest, drawn to love crossing conventional sexual lines, still fixated on Mama. His aesthetic sensibilities have grown more serious (I, however, would not give up Mozart for Schumann, with all his interminable faux endings.) In these responses are early threads of character found in the narrator of Remembrance.

The Vanity Fair Story...

When the editors of Vanity Fair gathered to discuss a regular interview format for coming issues, one staff member suggested creating a "Vanity Fair Questionnaire." The magazine's London editor, Henry Porter, and Editor-in-Chief Graydon Carter, brought up the idea of the Proust Questionnaire, which met with the hearty approval of the numerous Proust afficianados on the staff. Senior Editor Aimee Bell , a fan herself, took on the task of researching and producing this feature, with the assistance of the University of Kansas professor Theodore Johnson, a noted authority on Proust. Since July of 1993, a major celebrity has responded to a version of the questionnaire, found in the back pages of each issue.

I mentioned to Ms. Bell that I had not dared to contact Professor Johnson, or any of the other university Proustians, because my own work was so unacademic. "Why?" she said, "Proust would have liked it."

Monday, July 16, 2007

Daily News : July 16th, 2007

Scores Killed in Iraq
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSYAT71336220070716?src=071607_0817_TOPSTORY_scores_killed_in_iraq
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/16/world/middleeast/16cnd-Iraq.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

North Korea's Reactor Shut Down
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSSP1037320070716?src=071607_0817_TOPSTORY_scores_killed_in_iraq

Earthquake in Japan
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUST14801720070716?src=071607_1032_DOUBLEFEATURE_poverty_in_america

Libya Host's Darfur Crisis Talks
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6899323.stm

Forbidden City Starbucks Closes
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6898629.stm

IHOP is buying Applebees
http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/16/news/companies/ihop_applebees/index.htm?cnn=yes

Edwards Starts Poverty Tour
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1430431820070716?src=071607_1032_DOUBLEFEATURE_poverty_in_america

"Too Sexy for my Bus"
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL161097420070716

I Love it, It's Perfect, Now it Changes
http://news.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/07/16/i-love-it-its-perfect-now-it-changes/
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/fashion/15discontinued.html

Dame Dash
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/fashion/15POSS.html?ref=style

Grapefruit a Link to Breast Cancer
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6900482.stm

Some people throw rice at weddings. This bride and groom threw each other, and then had a "celebratory brawl" with 100 guests. Surprisingly, no booze was involved
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.wedding15jul15,0,2728722.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

Drink in the Open Air.. Great Outdoor Spots in NYC
http://nymag.com/guides/summer/2007/33996/

Christian Louboutin
http://video.nymag.com/?fr_story=ba1cff21e39e15e75f6781e3229e013c85907af7&rf=bm

Worse than Uggs.. the CROC
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/magazine/15wwln-consumed-t.html

Nude Photos Haunt Lindsay Lohan
http://www.nypost.com/seven/07162007/gossip/pagesix/pagesix.htm