WOOT!

I love Woot! It is a site that offers one item up for sale each day. They routinely feature novelty surplus such as Homer Simpson USB LED Desk Lamps and six packs of Star Wars Bobble Heads but every once in a while will throw in ridiculously cheap netbooks and Flip video cameras to keep us coming back. No matter what is for sale, the absolute best feature of the site is its outrageous item descriptions. For instance, when iPod Touches were being sold, (and sold OUT by 10am), they were described as new and improved iPhones that that don't take calls:

But best of all (and unlike the iPhone), it is absolutely impossible for anyone to make a telephone call to this device. That means there’s no possibility of someone ringing me up in the middle of a YouTube exhibition and stopping the show right when the kitten is about to vomit, scuttling the perfect comic timing of the thing.

Another classic is the description for Disney Pix Max digital cameras that even provides cut and paste text for the purchasers they assume will turn around and auction their purchase on eBay.

Check out woot here! I look forward to it each morning almost as much as the Daily Mail!

A Demonstration of What Exactly?

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Originally uploaded by ArthurLovesPlastic

I love working in downtown DC! You never know what sorts of network news anchor or politician sightings might occur at any moment. For instance, over the past several years I have stood in line in front of David Brinkley at Ritz Camera, eaten lunch within view of Cokie Roberts, and witnessed John Kerry shaking hands with consultants. And then there are the random mystery demonstrations. As I was leaving work on Friday I smelled horse poop and saw lots of flashing blue lights and just had to investigate. It turns out the cavalry was called out to monitor a band of scruffy protesters who danced across Dupont Circle while blasting Dexy's Midnight Runners. I have no idea what they were demonstrating against.

Puppet with Attitude

It makes me feel old to know that Sesame Street turns 40 this year!! I would never have thought Ricky Gervais would host a children's show but his outtakes with Elmo are priceless!

End of an Era

I haven't seen this much vitriol on the internet since I last visited Ann Coulter's website! I am talking about fan reactions to last night's L Word finale. It reminds me of Louis CK's assertion that "Everything's amazing, nobody's happy," as he lambasts a spoiled generation for taking today's technological innovations for granted and complaining about petty inconveniences.

I can understand why L Word viewers are not happy about the vague ending to the 'Who Killed Jenny Shecter" saga. But the fact that for the past six years there has been a successful show on television about fashionably hip lesbians is historic. A quarter century ago (YIKES!) when I was attending high school there were no lesbian portrayals on television. It wasn't until 1991 that the first onscreen kiss between two women was televised. I am one of the first people to complain about the dearth of lesbian storylines on network TV in the U.S. compared to Europe, but even I can appreciate how much advancement there has been in subsequent years. For instance, we have an openly gay daytime talk show host at the top of the ratings, at least two out lesbian anchors on cable news, and scores of lesbians on reality TV shows.

One of the things I appreciated about the L Word was the extent to which it crossed over into the mainstream, so that a conversation with a heterosexual woman might easily turn into a discussion of Shane's antics. A straight couple delighted in hearing me take a barhopping logistics call from one of my lesbian friends one Saturday evening, exclaiming "This is so L Word!" Far from being a stigma it was now hip to be lesbian--"L Word" became the new adjective for stylish clothes and trendy hair. Goodbye mullet! Farewell granola! This was a blessing to those of us who thought we might be alone forever because we don't play to type.

My favorite actress on the L Word was Jennifer Beals. Even though after seeing Flashdance and 1985's Bride I thought she couldn't act her way out of a paper bag, she sizzled as the glamorous, artsy, albeit uptight Bette. I was touched during the finale pre-show when Beals' eyes welled up as she recounted receiving a note, delivered via her husband, from a fan describing how meaningful the series was to her coming out. Beals' presence lent gravitas to the lineup based on her role in popularizing torn work-out clothing in the 80's. It is astounding to think just 20 years later she was an ambassador for the millennial iteration of lesbian chic.

A film that was released the same year as Flashdance provided my first sighting of a lesbian character--and I saw it with my parents. Silkwood was based on the true story of a whistleblower at a nuclear plant who dies under mysterious circumstances. Karen Silkwood was played by Meryl Streep and her roomate Dolly, an attractive blue-collar lesbian, was played by Cher. Despite being in middle America, Karen was totally cool about Dolly's orientation, and even gives her a shoulder to cry on without being uncomfortable. The fact that I remember this film so many years later attests to the influence and significance of lesbian onscreen visibility to young minds. Hopefully the advances of the last 25 years have made the coming out process less isolating for today's youth. I just hope they don't take it for granted!

Gift Gaffes

Gift-giving is an art that relies heavily on intuition and insight. I have a few friends who are geniuses at it and present me with thoughtful gifts at birthdays and Christmases that I didn't know I wanted. Finding the perfect gift for a visiting head of state undoubtedly presents an unusual challenge particularly when international relations are riding on the selection. But I am dumbfounded as to why the Obama administration presented Gordon Brown with a set of DVDs. First of all, the U.S. and Europe have different DVD region codes and secondly, Blockbusters in the U.K. are almost as ubiquitous as McDonalds! Brits can easily buy American movies on their own turf!

But the gift gaffe that really left me puzzled this week was Hillary Clinton's present to Russia's foreign minister. Instead of a red "reset" button he ended up with one that said "overcharged." I am surprised that the agency in charge of issuing passports doesn't have anyone on staff to provide translation for ONE WORD.