Cashmere Reading: December 9th, 2007

Baby it's cold outside...

So curl up in your new blue throw, hit your radiator with a wrench, and forget that it's before noon -- It's always scotch o'clock.

And this is your Cashmere Reading for December 9, 2007.

The Week In Review:

My brain crush of the century, Frank Rich, has zeroed in (like everyone else) on Mike Huckabee. How is this guy so boring and so terrifying at the same time? For those who haven't been paying attention (and I don't blame you) Huckabee is the candidate who was really fat, but then got skinny, doesn't believe in the IRS, is a baptist preacher, and THINKS PEOPLE LIVING WITH AIDS SHOULD BE QUARANTINED. He made this argument in '92, when he was saying that homosexuality is "an aberrant, unnatural, and sinful lifestyle." Ah the GOP -- you know it's good when the candidate coming up from the rear to lead the polls in Iowa is a complete douchenozzel. (By the way, that links takes you to a statement Huckabee issued today about how he will not recant on his idea that people with AIDS should be sent to the Island of Doctor Moreau.)

Rich points out that once again, the press was way behind on this ("It's gonna be Romney,it's gonna be Clinton....Oh, uh, It's gonna be Huckabee? It might be Obama?") and really has no clue more than anyone else does. However! I think the whole point of this week's column was to make the connection between JFK and...Obama. While everyone else was busy connecting the dots between Romney's "Mormon" speech and JFK's "Catholic" speech, ol Sneaky Richy goes to root for Obama by making him into the young savior not once, by twice!

Exhibit A:

Mr. Obama's campaign, though hardly the long shot of Mr. Huckabee's,could also fall short. But the Clinton camp's panic over his rise in the Iowa polls shows that he's on the right tactical track. The more polarizing and negative a candidate turns in style, the more that candidate risks playing Nixon to Mr. Obama's Kennedy.

Exhibit B:

The most experienced candidate in 2008 is not Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Guiliani or Mr. Romney, in any case. It's Mr. McCain, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson who have the longest resumes. Mr. Huckabee and Mr. Obama, meanwhile, are both betting that this is another crossroads, like 1960, when Americans are hungry for a leader who will refocus the nation on the path ahead.

Easy there, Frank!

(I also glance over Laurie Goodstein's piece "A Mormon's Ultimate Doorbell" because the only thing that interests me more than Scientology is Mormonism. However, I will advise anyone interested in learning anything about Mormonism to read The Book of Mormon, as well as the Doctrine and Covenants, known as the D&C. I will warn you though, they both read like Bible Fan Fiction written by fourteen-year-olds heavy into Stained. Then you HAVE to read John Krakauer's Under The Banner Of Heaven. Seriously. Read it.)


Sunday Styles

This week is super lame: Rich Russians, rich kids playing squash, and Bill Cunningham's "On The Streets" is fairly unimaginative -- rich people wearing winter white. Blah.

The only thing that catches my eye is "A Night Out With" which is with Ellen Page, who rocks so hard. I caught her new movie Juno last week, and thoroughly enjoyed.

I can't bear to read "Modern Love" any more, and I glanced over some sort of themed party thing going on where everyone dresses like it's 1992. Whatever people -- rock your scrunchies at home while listening to M.I.A.. She's better than your nostalgia for Bell Biv Devoe.

Front Section

With the holidays on us, the front section is mostly adverts, but there are some interesting stories hidden.

There's more on Huckabee's kooky go-fascist ideas about locking up all the people with AID's, natch.

The Kurds are fucked, but even more than you had originally thought.

A Foreign Aid bill is getting screwed (ahem) because it would provide funds for organizations who fund abortions for women. Anyone who watches the West Wing will instantly be reminded of Jed and Abbey arguing over breakfast about Clancey Bangert and his gag rule. God, Stockard Channing was so cool on that show.

*Bonus Depression Points!!!!*: People holding up the Foreign Aid bill?? Not Republicans!!! There are five anti-abortion Dems/Blue Dogs, including Jim Langevin (RI) and Henry Cuellar (TX). This makes me think of my mantra as of late, which I have no problem saying, is from "Sex and The City": "I don't believe in the Republican Party, or the Democratic party. I just believe in parties."




(It's at 3:40)


A man, from Baltimore of all places, says he was tortured while he was in GitMo. If we taped it, then the evidence has been destroyed. Jesus. I need more tea to deal with this. I feel like I'd feel better about this if Kurt Vonnegut were still alive.


And, Oprah is stumping for Obama. Inspiring? Scary? I can't tell!


The Arts

Listen: shut up. I don't like Radiohead. I never have. I never will. I find them cold, disinterested, and uninspiring. I know everyone else thinks they float above the ground, but I don't really care about them, or their new record, or how they sold it online for whatever anyone wanted to pay. Didn't Wilco already do that, and with a sense of humor?

Mark Twain has a play that he wrote before he died and it's being put up. Good for him!

Other than that, nothing else catches my eye besides the Grammy Nominees, specifically Amy Winehouse.

Amy Winehouse is talented -- really, really talented. She's also horribly sick and maybe a little nusto, and the photographs of her wandering around in only her bra, crying, and with god knows what caked around her nostrils are really depressing. It makes me wonder -- who doesn't set the camera down, take off their coat and say -- "Dear, take this coat. You ok? Do you need something? Are you lost?" How do you NOT do that? How do you not wrap her up, give her a cuppa?

Anyway, a little clip, to show that the lady can sing, even if she's only singing the blues.





Happy Sunday?

-L