Former President George W. Bush has finished clearing all the brush from his 1,600 acre ranch in Crawford, Texas.
During his presidency, Bush often sought refuge at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, considered the Western White House. He was often criticized for spending too much time at his ranch and not enough time attending to domestic problems and world matters. Among his favorite activities were biking and clearing brush.
At the insistence of former first lady Laura Bush, who prefers yoga and socializing to whacking down trees and torching them in solitude, the 43rd president bought a residence in the tony Preston Hollows Dallas neighborhood, where they spend most weekdays. But Bush is still able to spend considerably more time at the ranch than during his presidency.
"Now that he doesn't have to receive multiple daily briefings from the CIA, his chief of staff, economic advisers, etc., he has much more time to engage in activities near and dear to his heart," said a friend. "He's also very hard-working, and sometimes he'll even work right through lunch."
But after eight years of presidency and nearly six months of being an ex-president, there is no brush left to clear. "He just sits around and mopes and it's driving Laura crazy," the friend said. "It's getting so bad that he's started clearing trees that are young and shouldn't be cut down. It looks like those pictures of Brazilian rainforests that have been subject to slash and burn clear cutting."
The former first couple is considering buying another ranch or expanding their ranch by buying the adjoining land of their neighbors.
Bush is not the first ex-president to spend excessive amounts of time on a hobby. Bill Clinton reportedly filled his post-presidency hours by doing thousands of crossword puzzles.
Clinton had long been an avid fan of the New York Times crossword puzzle, even writing them in ink. But after his presidency he had to resort to TV Guide crossword puzzles and even got his aides who flew commercially to collect airline crossword puzzles in order to satiate his appetite for them.
During the filming of Wordplay, a movie about New York Times crossword puzzle editor Will Schortz, the director even asked him to leave the set after he kept harassing Shortz to create him another crossword, complaining that "the ones in USA Today are crap."
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Harry Potter Star Struggling to Adjust to Muggle World
After nine years of filming Harry Potter movies, Rupert Grint, who plays the character Ron Weasley, is reportedly struggling with the prospect of reacclimating to a post-Harry Potter life.
Grint, who recently came down with H1N1, or swine flu, apparently tried coming back to the set where the cast has been filming the seventh and eight movies before he had recovered, insisting that if he could just see Madame Pomfrey -- the nurse in charge of Hogwart's hospital wing -- she would be able to cure him. His attempts to self-medicate at home by eating enormous amounts of chocolate -- a common medicine for various ailments in J.K. Rowlings magical world, including encounters with dementers -- had failed to do anything more than give him a stomachache, according to his concerned friends.
In contrast, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, who play Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, have taken conscious steps to distance themselves from their characters.
In 2007 and 2008, Radcliffe played a stable boy obsessed with horses in the play Equus, with a much-talked about nude scene. His performance received positive reviews in London and New York and critics agree he has done a good job of avoiding being typecast as the most famous boy wizard in movie history.
Watson, meanwhile, intends to attend college in the United States and take a break from acting. Sources say she will be attending Columbia University in New York City, but she has declined to comment.
Radcliffe and Watson have grown increasingly concerned with Grint's mental stability and worry what he will do once the movies have finished. "He insists on being called Ron all the time," Watson fretted to a friend. "That's all very well now, when he can pretend like he's just some very serious method actor, but what about when we wrap? People will think he's mental if he goes around calling himself Ron and waving a wand."
Like his fictional character, Grint has started to express amorous feelings towards Watson, which she has not reciprocated. And he refuses to eat at the same lunch table as Tom Felton, who plays bad boy Draco Malfoy, saying loudly "Gryffindors only at this table. Slytherins eat over there."
Grint also has expressed nostalgia for the earlier years and has taken to alternately caressing and cursing a rat that he calls "Scabbers" and "Wormtail," a prominent character in the third book, Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban.
Film executives at Warner Brothers, the company producing the lucrative Harry Potter franchise, have discussed Grint's mental state with director David Yates and a few fellow cast members. They have tried to keep it confidential for fear of distracting from the much-anticipated release of the sixth film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
One of the proposals currently under consideration is to allow Grint to live on the Hogwarts set for a couple of weeks after the films have wrapped. "Once Rupert sees that the floating candles and Nearly Headless Nick are blue screen magic and not actual magic we hope that will help him realize that Hogwarts is not reality," said one of Grint's fellow cast members.
Grint, who recently came down with H1N1, or swine flu, apparently tried coming back to the set where the cast has been filming the seventh and eight movies before he had recovered, insisting that if he could just see Madame Pomfrey -- the nurse in charge of Hogwart's hospital wing -- she would be able to cure him. His attempts to self-medicate at home by eating enormous amounts of chocolate -- a common medicine for various ailments in J.K. Rowlings magical world, including encounters with dementers -- had failed to do anything more than give him a stomachache, according to his concerned friends.
In contrast, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, who play Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, have taken conscious steps to distance themselves from their characters.
In 2007 and 2008, Radcliffe played a stable boy obsessed with horses in the play Equus, with a much-talked about nude scene. His performance received positive reviews in London and New York and critics agree he has done a good job of avoiding being typecast as the most famous boy wizard in movie history.
Watson, meanwhile, intends to attend college in the United States and take a break from acting. Sources say she will be attending Columbia University in New York City, but she has declined to comment.
Radcliffe and Watson have grown increasingly concerned with Grint's mental stability and worry what he will do once the movies have finished. "He insists on being called Ron all the time," Watson fretted to a friend. "That's all very well now, when he can pretend like he's just some very serious method actor, but what about when we wrap? People will think he's mental if he goes around calling himself Ron and waving a wand."
Like his fictional character, Grint has started to express amorous feelings towards Watson, which she has not reciprocated. And he refuses to eat at the same lunch table as Tom Felton, who plays bad boy Draco Malfoy, saying loudly "Gryffindors only at this table. Slytherins eat over there."
Grint also has expressed nostalgia for the earlier years and has taken to alternately caressing and cursing a rat that he calls "Scabbers" and "Wormtail," a prominent character in the third book, Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban.
Film executives at Warner Brothers, the company producing the lucrative Harry Potter franchise, have discussed Grint's mental state with director David Yates and a few fellow cast members. They have tried to keep it confidential for fear of distracting from the much-anticipated release of the sixth film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
One of the proposals currently under consideration is to allow Grint to live on the Hogwarts set for a couple of weeks after the films have wrapped. "Once Rupert sees that the floating candles and Nearly Headless Nick are blue screen magic and not actual magic we hope that will help him realize that Hogwarts is not reality," said one of Grint's fellow cast members.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Franken Reprimands Staff for Joking
On his first day as the newest senator from Minnesota, Democrat Al Franken reprimanded his chief of staff, Drew Littman, for gently ribbing one of the new staff assistants.
In an effort to appear senatorial, Franken has banned all jokes at the office and in the Capitol building by anyone representing him, including himself.
"We thought he was joking when he said no jokes," but he turned deadly serious when he heard Drew asking the staff assistant whether that the orange checked tie was something he'd gotten from his dad's closet or paid $100 for as the latest fashion," said another staff assistant who asked not to be named. "Then in the staff meeting he was frowning when the schedulers walked in laughing, and asked what was so funny."
The former Saturday Night Live comic-turned politician faced an uphill battle in overcoming public perception that he was not statemanlike enough to be senator, despite his Harvard education.
Memories of Franken's fictional SNL character, Stuart Smalley, remain fresh among Minnesotans, apparently. And during the campaign Franken -- who defeated opponent Norm Coleman by such a slim margin that he was only able to assume his seat eight months after the other freshman senators due to litigation -- was dogged by an article he wrote in Playboy magazine titled "Porn-O-Rama!."
Franken is working hard to revise his image into a worker bee politician who is ready to buckle down into the minutae of health care and the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. (Franken has been appointed to the committees overseeing the health care overhaul and judicial nominees.)
In a turn before the microphones Tuesday, Franken disappointed reporters by sticking to a meat and potatoes script, mentioning such poll-tested terms as "rational health care system," "decent day's wage for an honest day's work," and "education that prepares them for a 21st-century economy."
After ending his statement vowing to "get to work" Franken turned around, without a smile, and walked away.
In an effort to appear senatorial, Franken has banned all jokes at the office and in the Capitol building by anyone representing him, including himself.
"We thought he was joking when he said no jokes," but he turned deadly serious when he heard Drew asking the staff assistant whether that the orange checked tie was something he'd gotten from his dad's closet or paid $100 for as the latest fashion," said another staff assistant who asked not to be named. "Then in the staff meeting he was frowning when the schedulers walked in laughing, and asked what was so funny."
The former Saturday Night Live comic-turned politician faced an uphill battle in overcoming public perception that he was not statemanlike enough to be senator, despite his Harvard education.
Memories of Franken's fictional SNL character, Stuart Smalley, remain fresh among Minnesotans, apparently. And during the campaign Franken -- who defeated opponent Norm Coleman by such a slim margin that he was only able to assume his seat eight months after the other freshman senators due to litigation -- was dogged by an article he wrote in Playboy magazine titled "Porn-O-Rama!."
Franken is working hard to revise his image into a worker bee politician who is ready to buckle down into the minutae of health care and the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. (Franken has been appointed to the committees overseeing the health care overhaul and judicial nominees.)
In a turn before the microphones Tuesday, Franken disappointed reporters by sticking to a meat and potatoes script, mentioning such poll-tested terms as "rational health care system," "decent day's wage for an honest day's work," and "education that prepares them for a 21st-century economy."
After ending his statement vowing to "get to work" Franken turned around, without a smile, and walked away.
Monday, July 6, 2009
PETA Launches Campaign to Rename Dust Bunnies
A leading animal rights organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, launched a campaign Monday to rename small clumps of dust found in hard to reach places including underneath furniture and in corners.
"The term 'dust bunny' is defamatory to rabbits everywhere," PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement.
"Bunnies are living, breathing, sentient beings," Newkirk added. "So-called 'dust bunnies' are made of hair, lint, dead skin and dust. They can be harmful to the health and even shorten the life of electronics."
In lieu of "dust bunny" PETA is suggesting that people use terms such as "dust cluster" or "dust clod."
Newkirk said those terms were far more descriptive anyway, as clumps of dust in no way resemble rabbits.
"The term 'dust bunny' is defamatory to rabbits everywhere," PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement.
"Bunnies are living, breathing, sentient beings," Newkirk added. "So-called 'dust bunnies' are made of hair, lint, dead skin and dust. They can be harmful to the health and even shorten the life of electronics."
In lieu of "dust bunny" PETA is suggesting that people use terms such as "dust cluster" or "dust clod."
Newkirk said those terms were far more descriptive anyway, as clumps of dust in no way resemble rabbits.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Washington Post to Sell Columnist Bylines to Raise Money
A few days after The Washington Post was forced to scrap a plan offering lobbyists exclusive access to Obama officials, lawmakers and Post reporters and editors at salons held at Publisher Katharine Weymouth's house, a Post spokesperson was speechless when asked to comment about internal reports that they were planning to allow people to write articles under famous Washington Post columnist bylines.
"I will have to get back to you," said Kris Coratti, after a pause long enough to say "death of the newspaper industry" five times.
The cost of each column would vary depending on the renown of the byline, according to one business development employee disgusted with the proposal. Pulitzer Prize winners such as Robin Givhan and Eugene Robinson would fetch the highest prices, at between $30,000 to $40,000 per column. Discounts of 10 percent would be given for multiple purchases and related "Tweets" could be purchased for $1,000 to $3,000.
Only the bylines of journalists who engaged in commentary would be for sale. "In the meetings they said that we have high standards to maintain and that we can't just be in the business of making up news," said the disgruntled employee. "However, and I quote, 'Since opinions are just made up, those can change and be monetized.'"
There would be some guidelines for the buyers. They would have to stay on topic; for example, Givhan writes about fashion, and her ghostwriter could not suddenly opine about the politics of the Iranian elections. But so long as they confined their subject matter to a topic typically written about by the journalist, they could be free to write something that diverged from a previous stand.
A draft proposal included examples of how columnists could be used to plug various items or causes. Givhan could, for instance, suggest that Michelle Obama wear Banana Republic items. Banana Republic's competitor, J.Crew, has benefited from a "Michelle Obama effect" due to the extensive coverage of the variety of J.Crew items Michelle has worn.
Dana Milbank, who uses humor to crucify Washington's elite in his Washington Sketch, could direct his barbs at a politician blocking legislation supported by a particular interest group.
The reasoning behind why this would be appealing to wealthy buyers is that these journalists have an established brand name in their byline, according to the source. "An Op-Ed by Joe Schmo of whatever acronymn company won't be read by the movers and shakers. But if you get E.J. Dionne Jr. suddenly taking conservative stands on health care or climate change, that will get a second look by Sen. Baucus or Congressman Waxman," the source said, referring to the chairs of the Senate Finance and Energy and Commerce committees.
The Post is apparently about to begin outreach to a select few, including those who had expressed interest in sponsoring a salon. Non-disclosure agreements would be required before they could even hear the proposal.
In order to get the columnists to go along with the proposal they would receive a 30 percent cut of each column. In order to maintain the secret, columnists also would be required to sign non-disclosure agreements before hearing about the proposal. If they balked at the proposal, they would get "the Froomkin treatment," the source said, referring to recently terminated White House Watch columnist and blogger Dan Froomkin.
"I will have to get back to you," said Kris Coratti, after a pause long enough to say "death of the newspaper industry" five times.
The cost of each column would vary depending on the renown of the byline, according to one business development employee disgusted with the proposal. Pulitzer Prize winners such as Robin Givhan and Eugene Robinson would fetch the highest prices, at between $30,000 to $40,000 per column. Discounts of 10 percent would be given for multiple purchases and related "Tweets" could be purchased for $1,000 to $3,000.
Only the bylines of journalists who engaged in commentary would be for sale. "In the meetings they said that we have high standards to maintain and that we can't just be in the business of making up news," said the disgruntled employee. "However, and I quote, 'Since opinions are just made up, those can change and be monetized.'"
There would be some guidelines for the buyers. They would have to stay on topic; for example, Givhan writes about fashion, and her ghostwriter could not suddenly opine about the politics of the Iranian elections. But so long as they confined their subject matter to a topic typically written about by the journalist, they could be free to write something that diverged from a previous stand.
A draft proposal included examples of how columnists could be used to plug various items or causes. Givhan could, for instance, suggest that Michelle Obama wear Banana Republic items. Banana Republic's competitor, J.Crew, has benefited from a "Michelle Obama effect" due to the extensive coverage of the variety of J.Crew items Michelle has worn.
Dana Milbank, who uses humor to crucify Washington's elite in his Washington Sketch, could direct his barbs at a politician blocking legislation supported by a particular interest group.
The reasoning behind why this would be appealing to wealthy buyers is that these journalists have an established brand name in their byline, according to the source. "An Op-Ed by Joe Schmo of whatever acronymn company won't be read by the movers and shakers. But if you get E.J. Dionne Jr. suddenly taking conservative stands on health care or climate change, that will get a second look by Sen. Baucus or Congressman Waxman," the source said, referring to the chairs of the Senate Finance and Energy and Commerce committees.
The Post is apparently about to begin outreach to a select few, including those who had expressed interest in sponsoring a salon. Non-disclosure agreements would be required before they could even hear the proposal.
In order to get the columnists to go along with the proposal they would receive a 30 percent cut of each column. In order to maintain the secret, columnists also would be required to sign non-disclosure agreements before hearing about the proposal. If they balked at the proposal, they would get "the Froomkin treatment," the source said, referring to recently terminated White House Watch columnist and blogger Dan Froomkin.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Palin Campaigns Vigorously to Resign, Picks up McCain Endorsement
A day after Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced that she plans to step down from the governership later this month, she picked up the endorsement of former running mate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
"I fully support Gov. Palin in her decision to step down," McCain said, accosted by reporters at his Sedona ranch as he was carrying in racks of ribs for grilling Saturday.
"And now if she'll just shut up," McCain was heard to mutter to an unidentified aide as they disappeared into his house.
"Or go ahead and run in 2012; she's got so many opinions on how she could have done it better. I'd like to see her try and then be obliterated in the press," McCain added, apparently not a subscriber to Vanity Fair.
McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain, a commentator for The Daily Beast, who has refused to comment on Palin since the election, continued her silence on the matter, though she nodded darkly at her dad's comments.
Palin, meanwhile, continued to seek additional endorsements for her resignation, with William Kristol of The Weekly Standard offering her most prominent support to date.
Disgraced South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, a fellow Republican, said that while he respected Palin's decision, her contention about not wanting to be a lame duck and ineffective at governing did not in any way apply to his continued governorship. Sanford insisted in a phone interview that he would continue to be a capable chief executive, even as "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" played in repeat in the background.
Palin's staunchest supporters of her decision remain her family. "This isn't family friendly language so I won't repeat it verbatim, but when I asked my husband Todd about resigning his reaction was, 'expletive, yeah!' Palin said. "He celebrated by buying a new snowmobile. We couldn't have afforded it on my governor's salary but you betcha we'll be able to pay for it once I get on the talk circuit."
"I fully support Gov. Palin in her decision to step down," McCain said, accosted by reporters at his Sedona ranch as he was carrying in racks of ribs for grilling Saturday.
"And now if she'll just shut up," McCain was heard to mutter to an unidentified aide as they disappeared into his house.
"Or go ahead and run in 2012; she's got so many opinions on how she could have done it better. I'd like to see her try and then be obliterated in the press," McCain added, apparently not a subscriber to Vanity Fair.
McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain, a commentator for The Daily Beast, who has refused to comment on Palin since the election, continued her silence on the matter, though she nodded darkly at her dad's comments.
Palin, meanwhile, continued to seek additional endorsements for her resignation, with William Kristol of The Weekly Standard offering her most prominent support to date.
Disgraced South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, a fellow Republican, said that while he respected Palin's decision, her contention about not wanting to be a lame duck and ineffective at governing did not in any way apply to his continued governorship. Sanford insisted in a phone interview that he would continue to be a capable chief executive, even as "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" played in repeat in the background.
Palin's staunchest supporters of her decision remain her family. "This isn't family friendly language so I won't repeat it verbatim, but when I asked my husband Todd about resigning his reaction was, 'expletive, yeah!' Palin said. "He celebrated by buying a new snowmobile. We couldn't have afforded it on my governor's salary but you betcha we'll be able to pay for it once I get on the talk circuit."
Ruth Madoff Ponders Hair Dye Endorsement
NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- Ruth Madoff, wife of disgraced financeer Bernard Madoff, is in talks with Clairol about an endorsement for a new line of hair dye.
"She has the most famous streaks of gray right now," said a person involved in the discussion.
Madoff was banned from the exclusive Pierre Michel Salon recently. She used to get blonde highlights every six weeks but the owner banned her out of respect for the other customers, many of whom lost millions in her husband's Ponzi scheme.
Her resulting streaks of gray have been covered extensively by the New York Times, New York Post and other publications. One reporter at the Post has been assigned full time to follow her around and to pay particular attention to her graying roots.
Even if Pierre Michel were to change its mind, Madoff could no longer afford the pricey highlights. The deal that she struck with prosecutors leaves her with just $2.5 million and does not preclude future criminal or civil charges.
The endorsement deal is "by no means final" cautioned the source, and is conditioned upon Madoff improving her public image at least slightly. The one-year deal would be worth approximately $250,000.
The source said that Madoff would be required to use the product though they would send a professional to her apartment to assist.
"Think about the message it would send millions of women who can't afford $200 highlights every six weeks," said the source. "For just $8.99 you too can look like as good as a fraudulent billionaire's wife after just an hour in the privacy of your own bathroom."
"She has the most famous streaks of gray right now," said a person involved in the discussion.
Madoff was banned from the exclusive Pierre Michel Salon recently. She used to get blonde highlights every six weeks but the owner banned her out of respect for the other customers, many of whom lost millions in her husband's Ponzi scheme.
Her resulting streaks of gray have been covered extensively by the New York Times, New York Post and other publications. One reporter at the Post has been assigned full time to follow her around and to pay particular attention to her graying roots.
Even if Pierre Michel were to change its mind, Madoff could no longer afford the pricey highlights. The deal that she struck with prosecutors leaves her with just $2.5 million and does not preclude future criminal or civil charges.
The endorsement deal is "by no means final" cautioned the source, and is conditioned upon Madoff improving her public image at least slightly. The one-year deal would be worth approximately $250,000.
The source said that Madoff would be required to use the product though they would send a professional to her apartment to assist.
"Think about the message it would send millions of women who can't afford $200 highlights every six weeks," said the source. "For just $8.99 you too can look like as good as a fraudulent billionaire's wife after just an hour in the privacy of your own bathroom."
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