A Middle Age Man (Me) Reacts To The New Britney Spears Video

Ken AshfordPopular Culture, Random MusingsLeave a Comment

  Oh, my.  An asteroid heading toward Earth.  This can't be good. Whew.  Apparently the asteroid was merely providing power for this video. They started shooting this video before the backup dancers were dressed.  How embarrassing for them. One would have thought that Britney could afford a larger stage. Britney in a wedding dress is defying gravity on the set … Read More

Rep. Jackie Speier’s Inspiring Speech

Ken AshfordCongress, Economy & Jobs & Deficit, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

Yesterday's House debate on stripping Planned Parenthood of federal funding (aka the Pence Amendment) included a few bright spots, notably this moving, impassioned and dead-on speech from California Representative Jackie Speier. She didn't plan to talk about this, but after listening to Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, who read aloud from a book passage describing how a second-trimester … Read More

My Views On The Budget Debate

Ken AshfordEconomy & Jobs & DeficitLeave a Comment

It's quite simple.  All I have to do is steal the first and last two paragraphs from Krugman: There are three things you need to know about the current budget debate. First, it’s essentially fraudulent. Second, most people posing as deficit hawks are faking it. Third, while President Obama hasn’t fully avoided the fraudulence, he’s less bad than his opponents … Read More

Watson on Jeopardy

Ken AshfordScience & TechnologyLeave a Comment

Lest you think this is the beginning of the end of human civilization and we should start bowing to our computer overlords, you should know one thing: Watson kept crashing during the taping of Jeopardy.  We just don't see that part because it was edited out.  But the taping actually lasted four hours because Watson kept crashing.

Borders Files For Chapter 11

Ken AshfordEconomy & Jobs & DeficitLeave a Comment

Too bad.  I thought they were doing well and had a good business model.  The details: Borders Group Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection Wednesday and said it will close about 30% of its stores nationwide in the coming weeks. The struggling operator of the Borders and Waldenbooks chains sought protection from its creditors in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in … Read More

Bieber Gets All Political

Ken AshfordPopular CultureLeave a Comment

From his Rolling Stone interview: On sex before marriage: “I don't think you should have sex with anyone unless you love them.I think you should just wait for the person you're…in love with.” On health care: “Canada's the best country in the world. We go to the doctor and we don't need to worry about paying him, but here, your … Read More

“Secret” Coca-Cola Recipe

Ken AshfordPopular Culture, Random MusingsLeave a Comment

The recipe:Fluid extract of Coca: 3 drams USPCitric acid: 3 ozCaffeine: 1 ozSugar: 30 (unclear quantity)Water: 2.5 galLime juice: 2 pints, 1 quartVanilla: 1 ozCaramel: 1.5 oz or more for color The secret 7X flavor (use 2 oz of flavor to 5 gals syrup):Alcohol: 8 ozOrange oil: 20 dropsLemon oil: 30 dropsNutmeg oil: 10 dropsCoriander: 5 dropsNeroli: 10 dropsCinnamon: 10 … Read More

My 2010 Oscar Predictions

Ken AshfordPopular CultureLeave a Comment

BEST PICTURE The King's Speech Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Colin Firth The King's Speech ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Christian Bale The Fighter ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE Natalie Portman Black Swan ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Hailee Steinfeld True Grit ANIMATED FEATURE FILM Toy Story 3 Lee Unkrich ART DIRECTION Inception … Read More

Today in Middle America

Ken AshfordImmigration and Xenophobia, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

(1)  A bill moving through the South Dakota legislature would make it legal to murder abortion providers: A law under consideration in South Dakota would expand the definition of “justifiable homicide” to include killings that are intended to prevent harm to a fetus—a move that could make it legal to kill doctors who perform abortions. The Republican-backed legislation, House Bill 1171, … Read More

The “Very Very Heavy Burtation” Maybe Not So Funny

Ken AshfordRandom Musings2 Comments

Reporter Serene Branson was outside the Staples Center for CBS 2 News in Los Angeles and was set to share the "highlights and backstage coverage" from the music awards show when things went wrong.   Massive journalism meltdown? Maybe not. Some news reports suggest she was hospitalized shortly after the report aired — possible stroke?  Other news reports deny it, and claims she was … Read More