Everything You Needed To Know About Portuguese Water Dogs
Thankfully, we weren't afraid to ask the resident dog breeder extraordinaire, Peggy Gero DaValt. Here is her delightful reply, full of insight and tips, as usual. I just hope President Obama and family read it one day!
"The Portugese Water Dog is an excellent choice.
Here are my reasons:
(1) It is a purebred dog. It's not a designer dog.
As a purebred dog owner and breeder, so much time and effort goes into genetic research/pedigree preparation/public education. It is pure.
Most purebreds are registered by the American Kennel Club or the United Kennel Club.
Naysayers will say, but there are so many dogs that need homes.
This is true and I applaud anyone that rescues a homeless dog...but a shelter dog got there because people did not spay or neuter dogs that were not intended to be bred.
A designer dog, such as the GoldenDoodle is a Mixed Breed dog. It's a very expensive Mixed Breed dog. I will bet you that people pay more for a GoldenDoodle than they would for one of my purebred Gordons.
A GoldenDoodle has a parent that is a Golden Retriever and a Poodle (most likely a Standard Poodle). So, when you combine those two breeds you have a Mixed Breed dog. You also have a dog that has the potential for health issues associated with the Goldens and/or Poodles or a combination of both. So rather than having just one set of health issues for one breed to contend with, you've opened up Pandora's genetic box by combining two different breeds.
(2) The Obamas made it clear that they need a dog that sheds little if any due to child allergies. I think this dog is a wise choice.
When I suggest to people a type or breed of dog to purchase, you need to take into account: trainability/life style/commitment to the dog.
Any dog in the sporting/working/herding groups produce dogs that are meant to work with man.
As a member of the Working Group, the Portugese Water Dog is no exception. It is a moderate sized dog and with the lifestyle of the President and his family, I think this is a great selection.
They are good with kids and they will be content playing with the Obama girls and who knows may even accompany the President on a jog or two as the puppy matures and his growth plates have closed.
(3) I had some very good breeder/handler friends who raised "Porties" and I loved them and their dogs. Judy died last February and Bruce died about 7 months later. When I see a "Portie" I will always think of them. There are also some great breeders in the Chicago area that I know, too.
For more information I would suggest these web sites:
Each breed of dog in the AKC has a standard that the parent club has put together with what they see as the "perfect" dog for that breed. Each breed has a standard to which it is judged/evaluated. As a breeder, we know there is no such thing as a "perfect" dog, but it's the standard to which we strive to improve our lines upon generation after generation.
Thanks, Victoria, for asking for my opinion. I hope that I haven't offended anyone and have offered valuable educational information about this breed and dogs in general.
Peggy :)"
...no, Peggy. Thank you. You are a hidden ace up the Sundries sleeve, and I am very grateful to you for taking the time to compose this for the readership!
Have you ever heard of the LOL Theory? I only just came across it, and I confess, I have been laughing my head off since.
LOL Theory is explained as "the internet abbreviation lol being placed at any part in any sentence, making said sentence lose all credibilty and seriousness."
ex 1 Doctor: We need to operate on your colon lol, you have cancer.
ex 2 Jesus: Take this all of you and eat it, it is my body, lol.
ex 3 Juliet: Romeo Romeo lol wherefore art thou Romeo?
ex 4 Marx: Workers of the world lol!
ex 5 Abe Lincoln: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth lol on this continent.
Oh God, tears are pouring down my face as I type; my mind trying to find the most pompous sentence to carve up with 'lulz'. I suspect it appeals to the (irreverential) silliness of British humour.
It is almost as good as when Ruth Anne Adams revealed the secret of adding the word "in bed" to any fortune cookie saying.
"You will find a bushel of money [in bed]"
LOL.
IN THE COMMENTS:Blake just provided me with more endless hours of LOLing.
The "in bed" thing is so old, it's inverted. Now you say, "except in bed."
"You will have a great adventure, except in bed."
Meanwhile, Ron comes up with an amazing idea.
Maybe Vic's version of this phrase could be "with Sarah Palin."
Something like...
"Smiling makes you look younger [with Sarah Palin]"
I think PETA have finally lost it. They staged a protest outside the Westminister Dog Show wearing white KKK robes, likening dog breeders to "master race" conscious racists...
Their goal, according to a post on the PETA website, was to draw a parallel between the KKK and the American Kennel Club. "Obviously it's an uncomfortable comparison," PETA spokesman Michael McGraw told the Associated Press.
But the AKC is trying to create a "master race" when it comes to pure-bred dogs, he added. "It's a very apt comparison."
The group passed out brochures implying the Klan and AKC have the goal of "pure bloodlines" in common.
I almost feel like letting this bit of insanity speak for itself, and close the blogpost with it. But let me delve into the topic a bit.
Not everyone who is a PETA supporter leans left politically, but they share a similar mindset with many progressives -- specifically, they take an idea which could at face-value be estimable in intent, and stretch it out to it's most ridiculous conclusion.
It's a plug-and-play logic that is so ridiculous, that it ends up alienating more people than garnering supporters.
E.G.:
They take a notion, such as animal breeders are going for a "master race" (which they are, that's the whole point of the animal kingdom, raw survival by the the fittest exemplars), and then look around for an human equivalent action.
Since they wish to suggest that animals should be given the same legal protections as humans, such as protection from race superiority, they chose the Ku Klux Klan as their imagery -- perhaps a little voice reminding them of Godwin's Law said that's more acceptable than the more "rational" allegory, Nazis. They were the ones who had a Lebensborn programme, not the Klan, morons.
Look, I realise they are doing this for effect to draw attention to their cause, and perhaps they don't really believe Peggy Gero DaValt is the new David Duke. But come on, give me a break.
Like Code Pink, they have a collective screw loose.
I had casually asked Peggy Gero DaValt, a noted dog show handler and breeder herself, to give Sundries readers a few tips ahead of tonight's 2009 Westminster Dog Show.
My word, but she outdid herself, and so by her leave (I hope!) here is her very impressive reply.
"Greetings, Victoria and Westminster KC fans!!
As an avid dog show exhibitor myself (and now for my shameless brag...a dog I co-own and handle...earned his 7th and 8th Best in Show awards in UKC competition this weekend!!....not bad for a 3+ year old male, Gordon Setter). [edit: Congrats!]
Okay...now for the nuts and bolts...
The Westminster KC is held annually in NYC the 2nd Monday/Tuesday of February. The show is open ONLY to champions of record. They limit the number of dogs that can enter to 2500 I believe.
In each breed, during the course of the year, statistics are kept at two levels - all-breed and breed. All-breed refers to the number of dogs you beat outside your breed. Breed competition refers to how many dogs you beat of your own breed. If your dog is ranked in the Top 5 of the breed, you will gain an automatic invite to Westminster, where you don't have to jump through hoops to get to make their lottery deadline.
With that said, today's competition featured breed judging of: Hound, Terrier, Non-Sporting and Herding and you can easily see all of the individual breed competition and results on this web site: Westminster Kennel Club. They stream video for each breed competition.
Tomorrow night will feature: Sporting, Working, Toy and Best in Show competition. I will be watching and cheering for the Gordon Setter winner in the Sporting Group. The #1 Gordon Setter, Nike, retired after the Gordon Setter National Specialty. Nike was not only the #1 Gordon Setter, but he was the #4 Sporting Breed dog.
For more information on the Top Dogs of 2008, you can check out the Canine Chronicle.
There are a lot of top dogs out there and a lot of my armchair quarterbacking will come after I see all the winners of the groups. There are often upsets in the Garden and a dog that may be a favorite may not even get out of breed. Even in hobby sports, politics abounds. And....as we all know, that little "extra" that a dog has pushes him/her to win that coveted Best in Show ribbon.
I have had the pleasure of attending Westminster in 1999 with Judy Browne who owned Kirby, the great Gordon Setter, Ch. Bit o' Gold Titan Treasure. Kirby repeated as the Group 1 winner of the Sporting Group in 1997, 1998 and 1999. This was only done previously by a Smooth Fox Terrier in 1906, 1907 and 1908.
One of my goals is to be able to show at the Garden. I am hopeful that next year or the year after, that River will get that automatic invite and then we will get him there...as it is very expensive endeavor....but one of those opportunities that can't be passed up!
The atmosphere at the Garden is exciting....and one that dog lovers everywhere should witness at least once in their lifetime. The first thing that I noticed was the green astroturf and how small the rings truly are.
I hope that you all enjoy the show tonight and tomorrow. I will be at my mom's house watching on cable with two Gordon Setter friends as we cheer everyone on in the Sporting Group!!
The list of esteemed judges are:
Sporting - Mr. Robert Ennis of Angola, NY Hound - Mrs. Patricia V. Trotter of Carmel, CA Working - Mrs. Paula Nykiel of Washington, MO Terrier - Mr. Peter Green of Bowmansville, PA Toy - Mr. Fred Bassett of Broken Arrow, OK Non-Sporting - Mrs. Charlotte Patterson of Destin, FL Herding - Mr. Robert Slay of Cary, NC
The Best in Show judge for 2009 is Sari Brewster Tietjen of Rhinebeck, NY.
This is a huge honor for judges to judge anything at this show. I believe that at some point in time I have shown to all but two of these judges.
Good luck everyone and enjoy!!
Hug your pooches -
Peggy :-)"
Wow, thanks Miss Peggy! I know I'll be using this info tonight. I used never to miss a Cruft's dog show back in the day.
ADDED 10 February:Peggy kindly writes up another doozy of a followup.
Tonight the Sporting Group (my favorite) will take center stage at the Garden.
The setters will be well-represented. The English Setter is breeder-owner-handled and is a multiple Best in Show winning dog.
The Gordon Setter is a DUAL champion. That means that he has won his field trial championship as well as his show championship. He is birdy and pretty. He has a Best in Show title to his name. The handler of the English Setter put the Best in Show title on E.T.
In the setter world, we like to say that a well-balanced dog has a title on both ends.....
Champion goes on the front end and companion dog, junior, senior, master hunter goes at the end of the name....I think you get the picture.
The new setter breed making its debut is the Irish Red and White Setter. I personally know the first Irish R & W to finish its AKC championship belongs to a friend in Wisconsin!!
The Irish Setter winner is not one that I personally know, but huge congratulations to "her." The Best of Opposite belongs to a good friend of mine from MN who I do her website for. Dante graces the home page along with his grandfather, Hunter, who is the father of my Irish Setter.
I digress....there are pointers, retrievers and spaniels in the group as well. I love the Flat-Coated Retriever breed which is my "wish" breed.
Watch for those overall balanced dogs; the ones who can do what they were bred to do and that is to hunt and move.
I'm not 100% sure who will take the group, but watch for the English Setter to make a "cut" as well as the Irish Red & White since it's new to the group...
The Golden is always a crowd favorite......
On a more somber note, a long-time dog show handler and gentleman, Andrew Doyle, died from injuries he sustained at his home after returning home from a specialty. Mr. Doyle was a well-respected handler of sporting dogs and other dogs as well. He had shown Irish Setters and even made a video of how to groom an Irish for those of us who need help in that area. Mr. Doyle was not even 50.(9/30/61-02/09/09). May the shamrocks and heather fall softly for this man.
Enjoy the show tonight and may the best dog win!!
CORRECTED PORTION:Peggy adds a correction, plus she actually mentions the eventual winner. What talent!
The Irish Red & Whites cannot be shown this Westminster because, *duh* they weren't allowed to compete for championships until January 1, 2009....so everyone...consider that a glimpse into next year's Westminster sporting group.
And....that Sussex that won has lots of "power" behind him....having won the group 5 years ago and now comes back as a 10-year old veteran!! Amazing!!
ADDED: Meet this year's youngest Westminster dog show handler, 10-year-old Rachel Glenn. Amazing.
Poor old Michael Phelps. Not only has he totally let himself go (noes!), but he was recently outed as a stoner by a South Carolinian snitch who sold the photo to that guttersnipe tabloid, News of the World.
When I was a wee girlie, about 12 or so, I got it into my head that I wanted a huqqah collection.
I even dragged one back from a trip to Turkey, where my mother had performed one of her magic haggling acts at the famous Istanbul souk, to buy me a beauty in blue glass for just a few dollars. You can imagine the sight of a pre-teen girl lugging a bong from an airplane, alongside her two glamourous parents. Try that in post-9/11 airports.
In time, I think I had about 8 of them, which I lined up in my very big girlhood bedroom, next to the princess four poster bed, decked out in Hello Kitty pillows and Pratesi sheets. I had a nightlight which I turned on before sleeping, and I loved to look at the sparkly reflections they cast all over the walls, reds, greens, blues, ambers -- a carousel of iridescence.
I loved those huqqahs, which sadly I lost sight of in my many moves.
The thing of it is, like many many people in this world (far more than popular society would have you believe), I have never actually done any drugs in my life -- including that charming gateway drug, Mary Jane.
Mind you, I probably qualify as a second-hand smoker, like that first snowboarding gold medalist sheepishly claimed once, so I'm leaving myself that out.
But no, in real terms, your humble Sundries blogger is a weed-toking virgin.
This is why Phelps' photo above leaves me completely untouched with either outrage, or approbium. I look at it like others would a vintage car rally. Potentially full of fun, just not my scene.
So I went in search of bong photos which raised more emotion in me, than a gentle shrug of the shoulders. I think I found some beauts!
Let me walk them through with you.
It's the second glance that kills, because the first has you mesmerised. The contrasting textures: that dark wood, the whiteness of the sweeping calf, the matching seafoam green everywhere else just makes this photo leap out at you.
Then you notice her footsie ring (sooo Goa 1996), the pseudo-hippie paint on her feet, not to mention those hip-hugging Pucci pants, just before you ugh loudly at the blue Bic resting on her boob. I mean, at least get a Ronson.
This is what I imagine Claud Rains would look like if the Invisible Man were a stoner.
You know what I hate most about bong photos? That most of the people in these photographs are surely no strangers to the activity -- but almost without exception, they and the people around them look like they're seeing one of the great wonders of all time, for the very first frikkin' time. That look of delight mixed with amazement and near reverence should really only be given when beholding the Sphinx, or a child's smile.
Sillies.
Also, that gal's bra strap is showing. THUNDEROUS DISAPPROVAL.
This is either that girl's father, dragging the embarrassed Chloë Sevigny wannabe for a hit of the bong alongside dear old dad, or one of those school counsellors we all had in high school, who wanted nothing more than to hang around with the kids to show how cool and with-it he was.
And yes, I did take note of the Dolphins hat. Go Fish...
Sorry. I got nothing. It's just a crazily hair-dyed Oregon girl inside a messy kitchen, toking on a bong. You've seen one, you've seen the entire Pacific Northwest.
Anyway, I'm much more interested in her espresso maker in the back. Paging Chickenlittle!
No, it's not Nana McCain. I checked.
I Dream of Jeannie with the long bong hit.
She looks like she's in some kind of trance [edit: oh yeah, it's called "getting high"], and I actually love this photo because it only shows you half of her face. If she were about 20 lbs chubbier, we could assign her Odalisque status, minus the hovering black Sudanese mammy, and the bleeding dove, obviously.
Also, me like the colour of her duvet, though I am saddened to see no hint of Hello Kitty anywhere.
Stop the presses!! This is THE BONG PIC to end all bong pics. There is just so much there.
Okay, I'll go first. Impressed that he has a photo on his wall of Al Capone, and not the requisite one of Che Guevara. But that's about it as far as thumbs uppage goes.
If it's not the boom box with the Jack In The Box antenna fob (don't let Jack die!), it's the Schlitz bottle shading the root beer next to it, not to mention the tawdry awfulness of his graffiti-laden couch. You gotta know they must practise their drawings on it first.
Poor guy, he must live in a studio apartment with at least two other guys who think taking another bong hit will make the rat nest sounds go away.
...there but for the grace of God goes Michael Phelps though. He looks bloody awful in that photo above.
Message to Mike: When you start looking like Ben Roethlisberger even without the bong, it's time to sort yourself out, mate.
Ruth Anne Adams and JSU both simultaneously mentioned the newest development in Governor Sarah Palin's political evolution.
She now has her own Virginia-registered fund called "SarahPAC"!
One of the few, very very few, good things about John McCain's campaign was that his website allowed PayPal donations. That's one of the perks of having Meg Whitman as your pal. So I've popped off an email to the PAC officers to try to get this option since I think that would be a monumental boon to raising moneys.
ADDENDUM: As a student of history, I am very observant of messages sent by subtle cues in imagery. When the stakes are at the very highest, most details are not left to chance.
In that spirit, I have observed that Sarah Palin uses her hair down during speeches, which makes her still youthful features appear a little more severe. Almost counterintuitively though, the style flatters her more than the iconic "bun", which has increasingly been shunted aside since her roll-out in Dayton, Ohio. The "hair down" also offers an alternative to the constant short haircuts seen on other female politicians.
This is also why she uses her square librarian glasses (which at one point had been rumoured by HuffPo to be fake. No, she's worn glasses since her earliest childhood. In fact, so do Piper and Trig today, clearly inheriting those genes from their mother). Anything to detract from the fact that she is above-average looking woman in a field where homely women are legion.
Curiously, in the site photo, she is wearing the same shiny black jacket she used the day I saw her in person at the Hotel Intercontinental. That is not a flattering fabric, to say the least, but you can see she is sending another message that this is who she is, what she can afford, and has nothing to do with the supposed clotheshorse the RNC tried to transform her into.
Her posture is relaxed, her hands linked in that almost prayerful gesture she has during rallies, and her prominent jaw is jutting with determination at some far off goal in the distance.
Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand will apparently be getting the appointment after Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg teetered back into her withdrawal.
Not knowing anything about her, my first thought was that it was a savvy move on Governor Paterson's part, to appoint a relative unknown. It's also in line with the Burris appointment of keeping the minority watchers happy, although in this case it is even more untainted.
My second thought was, that woman is way too pretty to be a Democrat. We are talking Bella Abzug country, after all.
And sure enough, I found the Village Voice wringing its hands at the prospect. Here's why.
The irony is that Paterson may be swinging from the nation's most prominent Democratic family to one with strong Republican ties. Gillibrand's father, Doug Rutnik, is an Albany insider and lobbyist whose ties to former GOP powerhouses Joe Bruno, George Pataki and Al D'Amato are legendary.
Palladian, the star Althouse commenter, summed it up for a lot of people when he wrote:
Wow, so the people of New York State will actually get someone from New York State but not from New York City to represent them in the Senate? Cool. And she's not a celebrity or a "princess" and she makes the Village Voice unhappy? Even better.
I am very sorry for Caroline Kennedy, but it seems her camp botched her roll-out, and she did herself no favours by seeming to want the seat, without having the stomach for the fight.
It's one thing to be a Kennedy hungry to serve. It's another to stumble onto the scene, and expect a plum to fall on one's lap after lunching with Al Sharpton.
Please consider this a place-holder post for Oscars nominations talk. Having welched on my promise to write that Christmas Movie Guide for you, I will be taking this post more seriously.
Meanwhile, please consider my own predictions for the nominations to follow. Remember, this is not my choice for each category, given a personal preference. Just what I think the Academy will honour today.
EDIT NOON EST: Yikes, after staying up until the wee hours, I fell asleep shortly before the announcements! I have updated the post below, with the actual nominees, with my earlier picks being striked out.
But let me say that CANNOT BELIEVE The Dark Knight and Gran Torino didn't get nods. The Dark Knight was the best American fim of 2008, for chrissakes! Just further proof that Hollywood is extraordinarily out of touch with the rest of America and even critical acclaim. Apparently, a story about a paedolphile female Nazi was judged to have been worthier than a film which turned a whole genre on its head. Ugh. And no Sally Hawkins!?
I am so upset, I can barely write.
BEST PICTURE
Slumdog Millionaire The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Reader Milk Frost-Nixon
The Dark Knight
BEST ACTOR
Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) Sean Penn (Milk) Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon) Brad Pitt (Benjamin Button)
Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
BEST ACTRESS
Meryl Streep (Doubt) Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married) Melissa Leo (Frozen River) Kate Winslet (The Reader) Angelina Jolie (Changeling)
Kristin Scott Thomas (I Have Loved You A Long Time) Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky) 1/2 correct: Kate Winslet Revolutionary Road
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) Josh Brolin (Milk) Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt) Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
Leonardo Di Caprio (Revolutionary Road) Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) Viola Davis (Doubt) Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler) Taraji P. Henson (Benjamin Button) Amy Adams (Doubt)
Kate Winslet (The Reader)
BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) David Fincher (Benjamin Button) Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon) Gus Van Sant (Milk) Stephen Daldry (The Reader)
Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
FOREIGN FILM
Waltz With Bashir (Israel, Folman) Revanche (Austria, Spielmann) The Class (France, Cantet) Departures (Japan, Takita) The Baader Meinhof Komplex (Germany, Edel)
Incidentally, it's a travesty that Gomorra, from Italy, didn't make the shortlist of 9 foreign films. That is one of the best movies of the past year, full stop.
Having said that, maybe this is a good moment to give you one of those Americanised Top 10 Movies lists.
THE BEST MOVIES OF 2008
1. The Dark Knight 2. Happy-Go-Lucky 3. Gomorra 4. Wall-E (esp. the first-half) 5. Waltz with Bashir 6. Wendy And Lucy 7. Silent Light 8. Man On Wire 9. The Edge of Heaven 10. Revolutionary Road
REVISED: You know what? I took out Slumdog Millionaire: ultimately, I think it is worthy obviously, but it leaves me utterly cold. I also took out Boy In the Striped Pyjamas, because it was more manipulative than perhaps I am willing to admit.
I didn't include marvels like the Romanian 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 Days or Russia's Aleksandra, not because I didn't rate them, but because I feel they belong in last year's crop. In fact, I loved both these films very much. I also didn't include films such as "Rachel Getting Married" or France's "Flight Of The Red Balloon", despite them being high on many lists. I didn't care for either film. Ditto for "Taxi to the Darkside" or the Che series, yuck.
Alas, I haven't been able to watch a film Peggy Gero DaValt recommended, "Synecdoche, New York". The same is true with Cantet's "The Class".
Here are professional critics' Top 10 lists (in Roger Ebert's case, Top 20). I would say I have seen a good 60% of those listed.
But I will skin anyone alive if they put The Visitor as one of the best films of 2008, however good were the performances by Richard Jenkins and his Palestinian actress counterpart, Hiam Abbass.
Commenter Cardeblu linked to this neato morphing sequence on Youtube, showing all the (now) 44 Presidents of the United States.
Watch them turn into their successors!
(Poor dears. They must be spinning in their graves)
Most random morph thought: Doesn't Millard Fillmore look like Dick Morris, though? Most Extreme Presidential Morph: Elephantine William Howard Taft into pencil-thin geek Woodrow Wilson Eerily Alike Morph: Ronald Reagan to GHW Bush and GW Bush to Barack Obama (!) Weirdest Non-Morph: Andrew Jackson's Hairstyle (looks like he just got out of bed)
Sundries' dear friend, An Unamplified Voice, the premier opera blog currently out there, written by none other than JSU, has just joined the ranks of those offered on the Amazon Kindle.
It goes without saying that I already did, though a little bird tells me that perhaps I am not the first. You gotta know people are intrigued!
That makes two blogs that I currently subscribe to -- joining the stately Instapundit in my daily queue (I have the WSJ, as my only newspaper). It's enough for now, as I cut back dramatically.
At my height, I was a paying subscriber to well over 15 newspapers, and blogs; a tally needed because of the crazy, hectic days leading up to the Presidential Election. The free 14-trial is a fantastic way to savour each and every blog out there, giving the Kindle the edge over other similar products by far.
Just the fact that it liberates one from the sometimes crazy amounts of time spent in front of a computer, is all the reason you need to get that e-tschoke.
Don't You Know There's No Such Thing As Werewooooolves
I remembered a skit from a "Best of Carol Burnett" show -- Tim Conway's own inimitable take on the Paul Henreid cigarette gesture I mentioned in a post below.
Minute 5:00 to 5:15.
I had to watch about four of these eight minute clips to find it, and in doing so, I remembered just how much Carol and her Friends were outstandingly funny. The comic timing, Tim cutting up Harvey Korman, Lyle Waggoner the toy boy, Vicki Lawrence's younger sis routines (I imagine commenter Ruth Anne Adams in that role to Peggy's Carol), as well as those priceless, and I do mean priceless, take-offs on Norma Desmond.
God, what happened to television like this?
It's not just that Rosie O'Donnell's weird Christmas skit show didn't take off, it's that comic ensemble performances are not even attempted anymore, anywhere on US television. In Living Colour (two snaps up) was the last one that I recall, though that was more Saturday Night Live, than Sid Caesar.
Amongst the many articles this weekend, there seemed to be a theme developing. It was about the underlying motives of why certain politicians act the way they do, namely, two.
Vice-President-Elect Joe Biden and Governor Rod Blagojevich.
Up to now, the received wisdom about both men was that the first was just "Joe being Joe": a gaffe-o-matic with a history of saying and doing awkward things. Then there is Rod Blagojevich, who everyone knew was dirty (they just didn't know how much).
But now, there are two new conjectures floating out there to explain away their behaviour.
For it seems that some believe that Joe Biden may have had more cerebral damage after his aneurysisms scare over two decades ago, than might have been imagined. The other suggestion, which I found to be rather surprising given that even Democrats are saying this, is that Biden has Alzheimer's.
"An official close to his thinking", as Politico put it rather sketchily, said that Joe Biden has every intention of reducing the role of the Vice-President -- he will not operate a "shadow government", such as Dick Cheney has done according to popular belief.
(In fact, Ruth Anne Adams had expressed a similar opinion to me about the role of the Vice-Presidency having been overemphasised, and this being one of the reasons there was undue attention being paid to Governor Palin)
This also is in line with my earlier post called "Do Not Overshadow Obama, Joe". I had noticed that the "Biden" in the Obama-Biden campaign logo was almost an afterthought. If it had been blurred out altogether, I wonder how many would've noticed.
I wrote:
Though Biden doesn't have a Clintonesque ego, let alone an Obaman one, he is a man with pugnacious touchiness, and he's not above putting some poor schmoe down publicly.
I wonder if he has realised just how much of a second banana he is going to be, especially after Michelle and others are factored in?
Because, if the ticket is elected, this is how it will look like after he's done his bit in November.
Just fair warning, Joe. There's no room for another One in Obama Nation.
Whether this reduction in power is his own doing, in line with his idea that the Vice-President shouldn't be an over-powerful officer in the Administration, or his staff's suggestion, or it has been forced on him in part due to concerns about his mental health, remains to be seen.
I personally think that since the "Joe The Prophet" routine at the two California fundraisers, that Barack Obama and his staff realised the absolute folly of their decision to bring him on to their tightly controlled team, and just put the lid on him ever afterwards. Biden probably figured out (or had told him) that he had no choice but to scale back, anyway.
And speaking of mental health, the reason being touted for Governor Blagojevich having acted as greedily as he did, was that many wonder if he's not just plain nuts.
This is not a recent observation apparently. According to an article about Blago's delusional state these recent months, he has exhibited these signs before.
In 1996, a Democrat who shared a campaign office with Blagojevich, John Fritchey was told that his stepfather had suffered a serious stroke. He walked over to Blagojevich, who was making fund-raising calls, and shared the news.
"He proceeded to tell me that he was sorry, and then, in the next breath, he asked me if I could talk to my family about contributing money to his campaign," recalled Fritchey, now a state representative and a critic of the governor. "To do that, and in such a nonchalant manner, didn't strike me as something a normal person would do."
It's curious to see this being written about a Democratic politician, as I just saw Ron Howard's "Frost-Nixon" (more anon). Howard wanted to bring out what many people of that generation felt was a sickening component to the man -- the money-lust Nixon had.
When will it dawn on people that politicians seek power in part because all else follows; not just influence, but money too.
This isn't a Republican or a Democrat "thing"; it is sadly, a trait common throughout all time with people at the pinnacle of power.
Of the two suppositions, I am much more likely to believe that Biden is a victim of Alzheimer's (and possibly will one day be forced to resign, perhaps ushering in Hillary Clinton as Veep, which makes her strategic move to State that much more sense), than that Blagojevich is batty.
Desperation often feels like insanity, and certainly desperate people can do crazy things. But do not try to make sense of corruption.
It stands alone in the cannon of human failings, an odd filthy combination of weakness and strength.
IN THE COMMENTS: Althouse regular, Ron St. Amant (nice to see you, by the way!), writes about that Nixon characterisation of having "money-lust":
FWIW,
I don't think Nixon had a money lust per se, though in the aftermath of Watergate he was quite assertive about being paid at every turn- but that's an easy one considering his legal fees by then.
Nixon did lust for power for the control he felt it would give him over others. He always wanted to belong. He had an obsessive need to be liked, which only made him seem less likeable.
This is why he floundered so much in personal relations and seemed to flourish in times of great crisis when aloofness allowed him to focus his mind and energy of something other than winning people over.
I haven't seen the film yet, so I can't speak to its portrayal, however I have long owned the book Frost wrote about the interviews titled "I Gave Them a Sword" and Frost himself focuses on the paradox of Nixon demanding payment and his constant refrain (from Checkers on down) of his being disinterested in financial enrichment.
I think Nixon was truly the first modern President, Ron. You will remember that President Truman was so broke, and actually very close to bankruptcy, that a special Act had to be drawn up for Presidential pensions, after they leave office. It was never explicit, but it was assumed Presidents came from means, whether by inheritance, or from having made it in business, before their Presidencies.
It is known that Pat Nixon was mortified when Richard Nixon gave the 'Checkers' speech, saying, "Now everyone will know exactly how much we have" (implying, not very much) and I think this lack of means haunted both of them, for separate reasons.
It's not that he was trying to cash in, exactly, but he realised that money was a buffer towards the hardships of social oblivion and a power-substitute.
In reality, only Bush Sr. and Clinton so far have truly attempted to "cash in" on their Presidency. Their speaking fees (Bush Sr.'s famous Japan tour, and Clinton's exorbitant appearance fees) discomfit me.
On the other hand, they ARE US Presidents, and the lifestyle expected of US Presidents is such that their pensions simply do not compensate their outlays.
In my opinion, Nixon's attitude was not out-of-the-ordinary for a man of his generation, or his psyche (that of the perpetual outsider).
It's just that, well, the things that go unremarked or diminished with some guys, suddenly seem sinister with someone one hates -- Nixon wasn't wrong about this. People genuinely disliked him, and had it out for him (deservedly or not).
Awwww. Little Trig dressed up as Santa. Enchanting.
Governor Palin and family were on hand to greet the record amount of visitors to the Governor's Mansion, in Juneau, yesterday. Over 3300 people braved awful icy conditions for the open house.
One lady was not a local resident, either. She came all the way from where commenter Bekah lives, in Virginia, just to be able to meet her political heroine.
Denise Spencer flew north from Yorktown, Va., for the open house and the chance to meet Palin.
"I said, ’OK, this is what I want for Christmas,’" she said. She’s also considering moving here.
Palin, she said, inspired her to become involved with politics again and she volunteered for the McCain-Palin ticket.
"She’s straightforward — what you see is what you get," Spencer said.
I wouldn't live there, but ever since I heard about the moose stews, the interminable snow machine references, and the caribou cookouts, I tell you, I'm considering taking a trip up there -- something inconceivable for this inveterate city girl a mere year ago.
But I have always wanted to see America as she was over 100 years ago: especially the kind of people who lived at the time. It's not in some tourist trap "wild west" town in Colorado or inside the waxy confines of a museum where that can be found.
It's in Alaska.
ADDED: That is a mountain of a man extending his hand for Palin to shake. He looks like a rather festive polar bear. Maybe Palin can pin him on her hideous Senior Yearbook Photo blue suede outfit instead of that usual pin.
I got busy these past days, but I have a good post cooking for you all on Friday. You know what it is, especially commenter Peggy Gero DaValt (by the way, don't you love that name? It trips from the tongue like an incantation). I can't post it until I have watched all Top 10 films, and I'm nearly there. More soon!
To anyone who has been following my blog since August 29th, you know just how intensely I have been writing about the trajectory of Governor Sarah Palin.
After she failed to make a campaign appearance in Miami, and her ticket lost the presidential election, I thought it would be ages until I saw her in person. It was akin to withdrawal, though I wouldn't go so far as to say it depressed me.
To my slight astonishment, then, the week after the presidential election saw a continued burgeoning interest in the Governor -- if anything, given that she was now calling her own shots, minus the leash of Camp McCain, she was suddenly everywhere.
Then, in one of the most unbelievable strokes of luck that I've had in my life (and I confess that I have been unbelievably blessed, for which I thank God very humbly), it was confirmed that the Governor would be attending the Republican Governors Association at the Hotel Intercontinental, no more than 5-10 minutes away from my home.
I knew this opportunity could not be passed up.
So I gathered up my courage, and sans press pass (though a blogger colleague had kindly offered his), I went to the Hotel early in the morn, and with the self-assurance that I was born with, went past the two Miami police officers closely guarding the barriers into the Hotel. After valet parking my car, once inside, no one bothered me.
Here are tips to anyone wanting to crash one of the hottest events in town.
Dress very well. Be polite. But walk in like you own the joint. Also, don't ask too many questions. Pretend you know what you are doing, and suspicion is lessened. This has served me well the whole of my life, and you would be surprised just the types of people I have met using these suggestions.
I went up one of the two escalators, in a hotel I had been to several times before (knowing the layout certainly helped). In 1994, when we were not actually watching World Cup matches around the US during that amazing year, my parents and I went to watch matches via satellite in the same ballroom area Governor Palin was in today.
Unfortunately, the area around the meetings and press conferences were impenetrable. I decided to play it cool and go back downstairs, milling around the various reporters and journalists we all of us know so well.
Walking past William Kristol, I smiled and he graciously smiled back. I could've cared less about Dana Bash, and the other soberly suited reporters leaning over their state-of-the-art Macs, typing away their bylines or transcribing their notes -- I saw the son of my personal historian heroine, Gertrude Himmelfarb, and that made me happy.
The following are my impressions, and I will stand by them, even if they turn out to be erroneous as to the names of the people I saw. I'll correct them whenever possible, after checking the guest lists.
Incredibly, there was Governor Tim Pawlenty yet again, a man I've now seen three times in two days. He was certainly a media favourite, it seemed to me.
I wondered if the Franken-Coleman situation was why he was in such great demand, but given the interviews I heard him give (2), which were not exactly sour towards Governor Palin, but they were, shall we say, cool towards her, I wonder just how much he was bothered that there but for the grace of God for Palin, he would've been alongside McCain.
I have no doubt at all that he is positioning himself for 2012.
Speaking of which, I saw our own Governor Charlie Crist, some hours later. He is perhaps the most polished man I have seen next to President-Elect Obama. He gives off precisely the same kind of sleek svelteness, which is very difficult to describe. I noticed that his face is much more leathery than he even shows in photographs. You want to talk tanning beds, there's your guy.
He is not an excitable fellow, but it struck me that almost everyone milling around shared his...oh I don't know -- perhaps irritation, mixed with edgy competitiveness.
There was a definite undercurrent of tension there, which perhaps is common in the US political realm when so many high-powered politicians are congregated in a relatively narrow space, but it was really new to me.
I went to get myself my caramel macchiato at the Starbucks inside the hotel, as the conference was in full swing.
I turned around, and I do believe the person I saw was (of all people) ex-Senator Rick Santorum. If I am right, he was accompanied by an aide, both of them acting oddly. They seemed...self-important. He nudged his way past me, though clearly I was in the queue ahead of him. Then, after perusing the desserts counter, he ironically asked me if I was "standing in line", and with a dry retort, I said yes indeed I was (I have an allergy to people who are queue jumpers).
He and his aide started snickering as they went behind me, perhaps caught off-guard at my accent and formal tone.
In fact, I have to tell you something, my dear Sundries readers. The entire atmosphere of that conference oozed people who acted as if they are self-important. I am used to a certain amount of arrogance. God knows I just admitted I can be too.
But there is a fine line between thinking you're so important, that the basic rules of life do not apply to you -- and this Hotel was bursting at the seems with such people.
To me, this is utterly ridiculous.
Certainly, I am not talking about the actual politicians who were there, who perhaps one can excuse for thinking they are important people. If you're a Governor of an US State, heck yeah, you're important.
I am talking about the dark-suited aides, flunkies, and general gadflies hanging around the politicians. I include in this the reporters on their beat, but since this is a political meeting, I will concentrate on these folks.
Perhaps I caught them on an off-day, but it strikes me that if you are the Party striving to get back into the national discourse, and certainly looking to the Governors for leadership not just politically, but in terms of bearing, that it doesn't do your kind any favours by seeming toffee-nosed.
Having a few relatives in Washington, I have met my fair share of these hangers-on, individually; lobbyists, aides, speech writers, and the like. They are often irritating people, and seem to look down on people given who is in and who is out given that day's news cycle. There is an intensity to their "inside baseball" jockeying for knowledge.
That's precisely the idea I got from this assembly.
If they didn't recognise you (and I am not in the least speaking of me, but the little by-plays I observed), or you were not in the loop, your presence was not coveted. Poor Governor Heineman of Nebraska was practically a nonentity there.
You know another strange shock I got from these many black suited aides? That many of them are really effeminate. Not swishy, you understand, though I did see a few of those. But they behaved in a feminised fashion.
One such fellow was ordering Starbucks for a well-known Governor (he said the name loudly, as if the people overhearing it would be impressed, but I will not reveal it out of discretion), and I realised that the "bag men" tend to be young, handsome, well-dressed to the point of being fashionable (which is different from being elegant, of course).
Perhaps it's understandable that when you are in that position, you need to look well since you're representing someone of note. But I was reminded of the many Buckingham Palace staff I used to meet in the after-hours Ebury Wine Bar, near Victoria Station. The men were all exactly this type of effeminate man, and I think they were hired because they got off being so close to power, and loved being surrounded by opulence.
After a while, so as to draw attention away from my lolly-gagging around, I went to the Indigo restaurant downstairs. To my astonishment, as I sat near the bar, about 20 feet away, almost as if he were in a cubicle, there was I do believe Governor Bobby Jindal. He is much younger-looking than you can imagine. He looks like he's a college freshman, and actually, in profile looked bizarrely similar to a young JFK. He was utterly alone, and since I didn't want to stare, I am not sure if he was having a quiet moment to catch up with news, or if he were on his laptop or what.
What an ascetic air he has!
There is a problem with Jindal's chances to run for the Presidency in 2012, as I see it.
There are some people who give off a certain something (more on that in a bit). Jindal didn't at all give me that impression. He seemed utterly unmagnetic, and though not ordinary, perhaps I was expecting more. Frankly, he was nerdy-looking.
To become a genuine threat to run for the Presidency, especially given the adoration of his followers, and the presence that President-Elect Obama gives off (which is genuine, he truly is impressive up close), I believe you need to be a charismatic person. Jindal looks like a rather earnest priest.
After ordering my lunch, I went back upstairs since Governor Palin's remarks were supposed to be over by that time. I went up the escalators again, and a cop smiled as I went by. Whew.
There were two permanent news stations on either side of the circular area. One was busy interviewing Mike Duncan (hey, I finally saw our fearless RNC leader), whilst the other was getting impressions from an NBC or perhaps MSNBC reporter.
If you have gotten this far in my massively long, and somewhat gossipy post, you are about to be rewarded.
Because this is when I saw Governor Sarah Palin, not 10-15 feet away from me.
Before I tell you my feelings about her, let me just add that I think I have suddenly gotten some inkling as to why feminists, and particularly, feminist journalists dislike her so.
As I saw her speaking to a bevy of these black-suits, I realised a startlingly obvious point which hadn't struck me as fully before: she was the LONE woman of power in that entire area.
Though Governor Linda Lingle was there, I didn't see her. I don't think it would've altered my impression that Sarah Palin is doing the impossible -- she is a force in a profession of raw power which is almost entirely male.
In fact, she is not just a force, she is THE FORCE right now.
As she spoke, I am not kidding you when I say that every eye was either unabashedly on her, or trying to pretend they weren't flat out staring at her.
This was the conversation at the bar, as one overheard whispered conversations in snatches.
"Finally, then Sarah Palin went..." "Did you hear that Sarah Palin said..." "An incredible...Sarah Palin...finished"
Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin. The name was EVERYWHERE.
When I read Bekah's account of meeting Sarah Palin, and Bekah had a far more powerful encounter than my simple clapping eyes on the lady, I recall her saying that she had a glow about her. Well, Bekah, if you are reading this, I will tell you that I wondered if that was right or were you simply too moved that day to be able to read her correctly.
I also am aware that since I do genuinely like her, that I did not want this attitude to influence me either way. I want to give you as neutral an impression as I can about Palin.
But I have to apologise for thinking that, because you were absolutely right, Beks. Sarah Palin has an aura around her that is unbelievable. I have never seen anything quite like it in a politician. I used to scoff at the idea of "rock star" whenever Obama was mentioned, but truly, there are certain people in this world which stand out as super stars. It's like they are illuminated by their own personal spotlight.
And Palin in that group of macho egos, waspish young men and resentful career women was most definitely a rock star.
Her head of hair is enormous, leonine even, giving her very slight body a top-heavy look. She was slightly stooped, and wore a shiny kind of black top which I didn't think flattered her, but she still looked utterly beautiful.
She is not that tall (a running joke on Sundries about her height) so my first jolted thought was, Katie Couric must be a shrimp.
But my second thought was 'wow'.
I kept wondering, was she always like this? Does her recent run as the Vice-Presidential nominee somehow make her stand out from those around her, giving her a glamour they just don't have? I would've loved to have known this woman before 2008.
I remember writing a blogpost after her roll-out called "Sarah Palin Does That To People", where I wrote that she has this force which draws her to some people (like Adam Brinkley, who launched that website about her vice-presidential prospects after her gubernatorial win in 2006) or like Ruth Anne Adams or Benning, both of whom mentioned her to me back in May.
We all of us were dealing with the idea of Sarah Palin, but nevertheless, she clearly had the same effect on people who saw in this small-town girl with the funny regional accent, someone to definitely keep an eye on.
Here is another interesting fact, which in fact, was mentioned by a few commenters, those self-same angry feminists, and Dennis Miller on O'Reilly the other night: Palin is sexy.
Not just sexy, as in she is shapely and cute, but the lady oozes a really startling raw sexuality.
I think this is yet another piece in the puzzle of why she is disliked by so many people, or why Sandra Bernhardt and other lesbians found themselves appalled and yet obsessed by her. There is something of the unattainable about her, which must frustrate them tremendously. One has to be very careful when talking about this aspect of her femininity, because it can be misconstrued. It's a chicken or the egg argument, at that.
Most women traipse a fine line between feeling the need to hide their gender in the workplace, to be less fecund, all in the hopes they will be taken more seriously in their jobs. And in walks Sarah Palin, her five children, the product of a happily married state. It must be indescribably frustrating to them that she doesn't play by other kinds of women-determined 'rules'.
Also, they feel that she should, by all rights, be rather ordinary -- I mean, Wasilla, the town of 7,000 come on, they think. This disappoints people who want her to be mundane, which would allow her to be easily dismissed by them.
But she's not, and they, therefore, cannot. This is the Sarah Palin problem for them: she cannot be torn down so easily. They just don't understand why. She keeps popping up, undeterred, confounding every type of received liberal wisdom.
Another thing is that of all the people in that room, one never got a conceited vibe from her.
She kept leaning into people, rocking back her head in laughter, not just listening to what the guys around her said, but paying attention to what they said. This is probably why many people call her "gracious". Her people skills, in the brief time I saw her working them, were exceptional.
Finally, I would say she also gave off an ambitious vibe.
This is hard to describe because obviously it requires personal knowledge of the woman, which I clearly lack.
But if you've ever seen a person on the make, then you've seen Sarah Palin. I understand now why Lyda Green (her Alaskan nemesis) so dislikes her, and thinks she's "sneaky". She was working that room in no uncertain way.
The Plenary Session started up a bit later, so to buy time, I decided to treat myself to a spa visit upstairs.
The beautifully appointed spa was awash with older ladies in the provided cloth bathrobes, waiting for their massages and manicures inside the Relaxation Room. I have no doubt that I was probably seated next to Governor This or That's wife. For all I know, I could've been next to a future First Lady.
Of course, I asked if Palin had been to the spa, but my attendant was "not interested in politics" as she quietly told me. She pronounced politics like many Spanish people do, incidentally, Paul-LEE-ticks.
No worries. I understand. Not everyone is crazy enough about politics to crash a conference to which she was not invited, for the express purpose of posting a very long, chatty, and perhaps at times inchoate blogpost for her readership.
Because I didn't go there and then write about it just for me.
If that had been the case, I would've taken up that kind of offer from the blogger to get a press pass and do it properly. I no doubt would've written up a more professional post, full of wonkese, and less rambling.
Instead, I wanted to be a fly on the wall for you.
As I said, I stand by my impressions of each of the situations I wrote about, but I have the sensation that if you had been there with me, you would've shared my opinions as I wrote them about each person.
I have only one regret, which my mother (who comically surprised me later by actually crashing the event herself...I guess I know where I get my moxie from) told me continues to be a source of frustration to her.
"Why didn't you take a photo of her??"
"Oh mum, come on. I couldn't do that. I was too embarrassed."
"Don't be weak! I didn't raise you to be weak!" (P.S. my mother hates weak people)
"I didn't want to look...like I didn't belong."
(angry) "You were born belonging!"
Perhaps. Interestingly, this is the moral of this quixotic blogpost about the first time I saw Sarah Palin.
Some people were born belonging. When they have a goal, the idea that it cannot be done doesn't cross their mind. But that's not Sarah Palin's destiny. Palin wasn't born belonging. She made it by sheer brute force of her personality, her will, and ambition to belong.
It struck me that being an outsider is sometimes a blessing in disguise. Whilst others preen themselves on how much of an insider they are, how much more they know than the "little people", and just how important they are because of it, Palin stands there amongst them aware that she is the perpetual outsider.
Outsider because of her gender. Because of where she comes from. Because she doesn't play by the rules she was born to.
Sarah Palin just didn't crash an event. She crashed an entire career.
P.S.: Well, once I came down from my pampering, when the joint had cleared out for their Art Deco tour, I did take some photos. Come on now, I have to be good for something!
ON MY WAY! What a gorgeous 85F sunny SoFla day.
The entrance of the Hotel Intercontinental. Traffic homicide? All hands on deck.
A view of our new skyline. Previously the Freedom Tower, now dwarfed by those downtown condos, was the tallest building to the Northeast of it.
Coast Guard Patrol carefully inspecting the waters. A lot of governors needed to be protected inside.
The CNN station where Sarah Palin was interviewed yesterday by Larry King.
A view of the lobby from above.
You can see some of the "blue-suits" lounging around the atrium. That limestone is very neurotic.
I needed to chill out in the Relaxation Room.
As I left, this policewoman's horse cast me a dirty look. It's like he KNOWS.
