Santorum's Carefully Considered Response to My E-mail

So I wrote to my senators and congressman to express my frustration with the legislature's inability to censure the President over his illegal and troubling wiretap program in January. Arlen Specter wrote back to me relatively quickly, with a longish e-mail that actually went into details of his thoughts on the matter. The Congressman never writes back, so I didn't expect anything. Santorum was mum on the topic until this very morning, when I got this detailed e-mail that showed me how important it was for him to respond to the actual message I sent him.

Dear Lady Voter:

Thank you for contacting me regarding President George W. Bush. I appreciate hearing from you and having the benefit of your views.

I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me, and I will be sure to keep them in mind as I undertake my responsibilities as your United States Senator. During the 109th Congress, a multitude of diverse issues will be considered and debated by the Senate. I look forward to continuing to work on issues of importance to our Commonwealth.

Thank you again for contacting me. If I can be of further assistance with this or any other matter, please feel free to call on me again.

Sincerely,
Rick Santorum
United States Senate

That's it?!? This is the man who sent me a four-page long white paper during the Elian Gonzales saga (did I mention that I write to elected officials all the time in the idiotic hope that they will listen?). So Elian was a hotter topic than an outrageous violation of our constitution? He was more inspired to act by a Cuban custody issue rather than the President cutting the other branches of government out of the process completely? Great job, Rick. I don't know why you even bothered to write.

Now that all that unpleasantness is behind him, Rick can get back to his regular agenda of spewing bigotry and being a righteous tool in the name of the Religious Right's true god: power-mad, hypocritical intolerance.

Is it wrong that after all this time it still makes me squeal?

Here is the latest installment of my Wednesday Notable TV Show Credits of The Past series (yes, it's a series now). A little known fact about me is that when I was in college, around 1995/96, I actually had a section of my personal website devoted to this show. I had an audio file of the theme song, some random facts, a lot of overheated hyperbole about the show's quality, some completely justified passages on the amazing and scorchingly soulful beauty of Johnny Depp, and a picture of the show's producer, Stephen J. Cannell having dinner with his wife (don't ask). If you think that's scary, let me acquit myself by pointing out that there are people on youtube currently churning out thematic "music videos" about this show in the year 2006.

Now I present to you the greatest hot undercover cops posing as high school students drama ever produced: 21 Jump Street. Sing your little heart out, Holly Robinson!

Breaking News: Jessica Alba to Retire

MSN Entertainment Report - Alba: No Slutty Vixen Roles for Me

In My Opinionation, Somebody Owes Randy Newman a Check

To help you get through hump day, here's the opening credits to Blossom. Because there's no such thing as too much Joey Lawrence. Also, I used to love this show. And I remember that during my freshman year of college, someone sent a misdirected fan e-mail meant for Mayim Bialik to my roommate Becca. Which was pretty much the most awesome e-mail ever written. Enjoy!

They're At It Again

Salon has an important article this morning about the continuing assault on reproductive rights in this country. That's right, not only are abortion rights in jeopardy, but now they are picking away at plain old birth control. We can't fall asleep on this one while our rights are taken away. Support NARAL and Planned Parenthood initiatives to get the facts out there. Be wary of pregnancy crisis centers looking for donations. A lot of these organizations provide scientifically inacurate information to teens and try to make them feel like abortion and birth control are both forms of murder. Do your research beforehand. Write to your elected officials and let them know that you will not stand for your health choices being dictated by somebody else's religious fervor. This is a real issue, and the anti-choice movement is gaining momentum in the face of general apathy. We all need to do something now.

As seen on the way to the mall

Don't we all?

Reconsidering Colin Farrell

Salon.com has a great article about Colin Farrell's actual acting talent, and how his problem seems to be miscasting, poor project choices and working with the wrong directors. This explains some of the reasons I just can't sell off my CF stock on the Hollywood Stock Exchange, even as it continues to plummet. He's a great actor who gets maligned by his real life tabloid exploits. He just needs the right movie to hit.

Dad

I've been absent from this blog for a while because my father passed away two weeks ago.

My dad was so funny and smart and passionate about ideas. He studied philosophy his entire life, and was an avid political watcher. He had an amazing voice and a generous spirit. He used to play baseball in college, so he coached us from the sidelines in our softball careers. He always told a great story and encouraged my sister and I to become voracious readers like he was. We didn't always agree, but we liked having our debates. And he loved music.

I think I got from him intellectual curiousity, wit, a love for music and language and bad action movies, a healthy skepticism about institutions, and the ability to get very angry very quickly very irrationally (not the best thing, but still that was him). He ingrained the message in me that I could achieve whatever I wanted as long as I dedicated myself to it, and if something is worth doing, it's worth working to be the best at it.

I'll always regret that I was unable to say goodbye to him. I'm glad that what turned out to be our last conversation was a good one, and that I told him how much I loved him. I've put these great photos up of me and my dad together that I found at my mom's house. I think my favorite is us on the slide at Dutch Wonderland, just because my memory of that day when I was four or five is still so vivid. And you can see how happy I was just to go sliding with my dad. I miss him so much.