That J.C. Penney Viral Email

The originator of a viral email about a 1977 J.C. Penney catalog was surprised at how traffic was driven to his site by what he thought was a rather quotidian item.

I was one of the recipients of one of those emails (mine came from a college classmate who, of course, graduated from high school in 1977, as I did), which apparently have been making the rounds since Johnny Virgil first posted his snarky comments about 1970s fashions on his blog, "15 Minute Lunch."

I'm disinclined toward reprinting someone else's material, but I encourage a visit to the original post. It really is funny -- especially if you were around in 1977. (The music was great but the clothes were, let's face it, atrocious.)

To give you a taste of what you'll find there, here is one photo scanned from that old catalog:


For those under 30 years of age, it may be hard to believe that people once wore colors and patterns like those. Yet that's among the mildest of the images. I hate to admit I once dressed in similar "fashion":



(And that's for a formal sitting. You don't want to see the candid snapshots. It's for good reason they did not end up in the National Gallery's current exhibition on "The Art of the American Snapshot" -- which I also highly recommend.)

In pre-Internet America -- even in the 1970s -- the J.C. Penney catalog was your Christmas shopping wish book. (Or was that the Sears catalog? My memory fades.) People dressed themselves and decorated their homes according to the examples they found in the J.C. Penney catalog.

Question for readers: Did anyone else receive the email about the 1977 J.C. Penney catalog? If so, when did you receive it? Did you pass it along to others? Did you trace its source, as I did?

Porn Producers Fight Back

Has it really come to this? Has the Internet spawned so much piracy and so many copyright violations that even the core business of on-line profitability must turn to the courts for relief?

From today's Los Angeles Times:

A major porn producer filed a lawsuit Monday against an X-rated knockoff of YouTube, alleging that it profited from piracy by allowing its users to post videos that include copyrighted material.

Vivid Entertainment Group filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles federal court against PornoTube and its parent, Data Conversions Inc., which does business in Charlotte, N.C., as AEBN Inc.

The suit is apparently the first of its kind in the adult film industry, which has done a better job than the major Hollywood studios in finding ways to profit from putting entertainment products on the Internet.

But in the last year or so, the rapid increase in consumption of all manner of videos on the Web has in some ways hurt the porn producers more than the mainstream companies because consumers of adult fare often get what they are looking for in clips of five minutes or less. Free short clips are easy to find on the Web, undercutting the established porn producers, which earn most of their money from long-form videos.

"We've decided to take a stand and say 'no more,' " Vivid co-Chairman Steven Hirsch said. "We will go after all the free sites."

But wait! There's more:

The suit accuses PornoTube of hosting excerpts of tapes that include such Vivid titles as "Night Nurses," "Where the Boys Aren't 7" and the private work of TV personality Kim Kardashian. The suit seeks damages of $150,000 per infringed work.

Other porn companies also are upset by the explosion in Web video sites, many of which rely on user submissions that borrow heavily from copyrighted material.

"What's happening in the industry is an unacceptable amount of theft," said Jon B., a vice president at Red Light District who asked that his full name not be used because family members don't know what he does.

He said Internet piracy might be reducing his company's profit 35%.

I think the LA Times has come up with a way to make the business pages more -- well, "vivid" is an adjective that comes to mind. Here's the story's conclusion:

Piracy has always existed, but it's more detrimental for the company as it tries to sell more of its content over the Web, Hirsch said. Competing with free Internet videos is bad enough, but competing with free versions of Vivid's material is maddening, he said.

Industry revenue as a whole is up, but it is getting split into more pieces, said Farley Cahen, publisher of Adult Video News Online magazine.

"In the past, it was peer-to-peer networks" that took a modest amount of technical ability to use, Cahen said. "Now, there's PornoTube, XTube, RedTube -- any kind of -Tube you can think of."

"There are longer and longer clips that are free, and the companies are at a loss over what to do."

I just can't wait for this lawsuit to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. That is one case where I'll want to be present for oral arguments.

Avenue Q’s Washington Connections

I almost neglected to post this article I wrote for The Metro Herald. It is based on interviews with two members of the cast of Avenue Q, which is playing at the National Theatre in Washington, one of its stops on a cross-country tour.

Avenue Q’s Washington Connections
Rick Sincere
Metro Herald Entertainment Editor

Two actresses with ties to Washington are in the touring company of Avenue Q, the Tony Award-winning musical playing the National Theatre through December 9. Both studied at Howard University before embarking on their professional careers in film and theatre, and both spoke to the Metro Herald from on the road with Avenue Q.

Danielle K. Thomas, a member of the Avenue Q ensemble, was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She started to take dance lessons outside of school while attending John Dewey High School near Coney Island and soon won a scholarship to study with the Alvin Ailey dance company.

Her dance instructor, Michael Goring, had studied at Howard University, and he encouraged Thomas to explore Howard as an option for college. “I went and visited for a day,” she says, “and I liked it.”

“From the moment I stepped into the walls” of Howard University, Thomas says, “I never stopped being involved in theatre,” both back stage and on stage. “I built sets, did lighting, did wardrobe – did noting but theatre,” and her experience at Howard, she says, “gave me the drive and discipline.”

Thomas performed throughout the Washington area. Her first “professional gig” was with the Woolly Mammoth Theatre, but she also performed in Romeo & Juliet in a joint project with Catholic University. “The Capulets came from Howard,” she remembers, while “the Montagues came from Catholic.”

She also taught dance for children’s theatre for two semesters and taught musical theatre to kids in South East D.C. through Washington Very Special Arts. “We put together a little show” for students who had never been exposed to theatre before and “it was great.”

The late Mike Malone -- an instructor at Howard whose name often comes up in interviews with actors who studied there -- introduced Thomas “to a lot of people in musical theatre, like Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad.” A casting director came to Washington to audition girls for German tours of Little Shop of Horrors and Jesus Christ Superstar. “I was reluctant to audtion,” Thomas says, “but Mike Malone made me do it. I got the job and I loved it.”

After those tours ended, Thomas “took some time to relax,” knowing that she would be going back to Germany and also that she would be in a national tour of Cinderella. “I did a couple of things in New York, some staged readings with writers I knew from Howard.” Eventually, she was cast in The Me Nobody Knows with Maurice Hines, then did Hair for two-and-a-half years, won a “Daytony Award” for Seussical in Ohio, and then landed in the cast of Avenue Q.

Thomas says that Avenue Q “is quite the experience. I remember seeing the show for the first time before I auditioned for it, or even thought I would be part of it, and I laughed through it and loved it.”

As far as the audience goes, she says, “I know no one will walk away and not be pleased. Nobody is spared” from the show’s mockery, she notes, but “instead of being offended, you laugh.” The show has an overall, general good feeling. The theme is “life gets better, life changes, sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, but it’s only a moment.”

During the two-week run in Washington, Thomas’ family will come from New York to see the show, and she plans to visit students at Howard University and the Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts. She also looks forward to visiting some of her old hangouts, such as La Bamba on Georgia Avenue and Tropicana in LeDroit Park.

Asked to sum up Avenue Q, Thomas laughs and says, “Avenue Q is an amazing show. Put all your inhibitions away and have a good time.”

Carla Renata, who plays the part of “Gary Coleman,” shares Thomas’ enthusiasm for Avenue Q.

Born in Cherry Point, North Carolina, Renata’s father was in the U.S. Marine Corps. Her parents had been born in St. Louis, and that is what she considers to be her home town.

Renata was a late-comer to the performing arts, not participating in them until after high school. She had won a scholarship through the America’s Junior Miss pageant and first went to Columbia College in Missouri, later transferring to Howard University, in large part because of Howard’s well-known program in the performing arts. At Howard, Renata majored in Broadcast Production and minored in Drama.

“We didn't have a lot of money,” Renata recalls, so “I tried to rely on the talent I had to pay for my college education.” She went on USO tours, did industrial shows, worked at theme parks like Six Flags. That’s how, she explains, “I got the bug to perform. I couldn't believe I was getting a pay check for doing something I loved.”

After college, Renata went to New York, where she worked as a publicist for eight or nine years for such clients as Coca-Cola and Maybelline. While working for a company called Orchid Communications, she felt the draw of the stage. “I quit and decided that I would go for it and see what happened.”



What happened was that she got a part in the 20th anniversary tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. That initial success was followed by frustration, however. “I was getting further and further in debt,” but she auditioned successfully for Des McAnuff’s production of The Who’s Tommy and went on to work under the same director in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (starring Matthew Broderick).

That was followed by the critically-acclaimed production of Cy Coleman’s The Life on Broadway. When that show closed, Renata says, “I decided to go to Los Angeles to work on [television] pilots.”

Although she went to Los Angeles to work in TV, she got an audition for the LA company of Disney’s The Lion King. “And it ran for three years. That got me back on track.”

Unfortunately, “right before The Lion King closed, my agent kicked me to the curb. For 2003 and 2004, I didn't have an agent, but I was able to book a commercial or voiceover here and there to keep myself afloat.”

After that, “I went to a workshop for ethnic actors, I was one of 20 who participated, and we picked a scene from play or movie, which we would do in front of casting directors from CBS.” Renata reports that the day after the workshop, “I got a phone call that CSI wanted to see me. It all worked out really well. I literally went from being on nobody's radar to being on everybody's radar. I was seen by most influential casting directors and started a television career.”

Renata says that she has an added advantage “because I can sing and I can do musicals.” For six months, she was in We Will Rock You in Las Vegas, which was produced by Robert DeNiro.

How did Renata end up in Avenue Q? She had auditioned for the show in 2005, but the producers decided against a national tour and instead had an extended run in Las Vegas. “When they finally decided to do a national tour, they called me back.”

The role she plays in Avenue Q is named for a real person and is meant to have some of that real person’s characteristics. “I'm not really playing Gary Coleman,” Renata says. “I’m not doing an impersonation of him. I can't be him because I'm a girl and he's shorter than me.”

Within the context of Avenue Q – if one looks at it as a sort of “after-school special” – Gary Coleman is the ‘special guest star,’ the one with all the wisdom. He’s been there, done that. He tries to impart his wisdom upon Princeton” – the character who provides Avenue Q‘s point of view – “who doesn’t have a clue about how to live life after college.”

To prepare for the role, Renata says she “watched a lot of episodes of Diff’rent Strokes, to get his facial expressions and vocal nuances, so I can sort-of, kind-of bring ‘Gary Coleman’ to the forefront.”

For Renata, playing a male character is a challenge because, she explains, “I’m very girly. I like manicures and pedicures. To play a boy in a rugby shirt and overalls and Timberland boots and a baseball cap, I had to find a way to sit on my hands. I keep [my hands] in the pockets of my tool belt, because otherwise I look like a girl and the audience gets very confused. I try to walk like a guy” and do enough “physical stuff” to put the character’s gender across.

On returning to Washington, Renata says she plans to see some of her instructors at Howard who are still teaching. “I’m looking forward to rolling through and saying ‘hi,” and I want to see the campus.” Renata’s mother also lives in Washington, so she will be visiting her, as well.

Doing a national tour and moving frequently from city to city is “physically taxing,” she says. “Sometimes I am so incredibly tired that i don't feel like doing it; the energy we expend in two hours is the same as other people expend in eight.” Fortunately, she adds, “the people I work with are amazingly talented and beautiful, genuine people.”

Moreover, Renata says, she is “happy to have a job, with all the strikes. If I were in Los Angeles, there would be no jobs, except for commercials. Everybody who can’t work on episodic television now is trying to work on commercials,” because those who write commercials are not members of the Writers Guild of America – they are copywriters for advertising agencies – and therefore not on strike. “I am very grateful to have a job,” Renata notes wistfully.

But more than just that, with Avenue Q “I'm getting to live out my childhood fantasy. How many children watch Sesame Street and want to jump into the television and be part of that?”

Asked what she thinks of the show itself, Renata answers: “Avenue Q is funny. We're living in a time when there are natural disasters all over, at war with Iraq, presidential election, Avenue Q will help people laugh. The show pokes fun at everybody but it has a lesson that everything in life is only for now, when you wake up tomorrow, tomorrow's a brand new day.”

Still, she warns, Avenue Q “is an adult-themed puppet show. Children who see it should be 12 or over, because of some of the things we say and some of the things we do.”

That said, she concludes: “If you buy a ticket, you will laugh your buns off.”

Before coming to Washington, the Avenue Q tour stopped in Des Moines and Pittsburgh after six weeks in San Diego. After Washington, the show moves to San Francisco, Tucson, and Houston. It will be in Minneapolis just after the start of the New Year.

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

More than ten years ago, I wrote an article called "A Moral Case for Christmas Commercialism," which appeared in a good number of newspapers around the country, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Las Vegas Review Journal, Kansas City Star, and others.

I slightly revised the article in 2003 and it appeared in a few more newspapers, eventually landing on this weblog in 2004, as one of my first posts.

Every year about this time, two things happen: (1) the number of visitors to that post skyrockets and (2) I get an invitation to talk about the article from one or more radio talk show hosts, usually in distant cities. It's one of those gifts that keep on giving.

Earlier today, a program called "State of Nevada" on KNPR-FM in Las Vegas broadcast an interview with me, which was recorded on Wednesday afternoon. The show was split into three principal segments, described on the show's web page like this:

We'll talk with political science professors Ted Jelen of UNLV and Jim Richardson of UNR about Mitt Romney's "Faith in America" speech, and the role of religion in choosing a president. Then we'll speak with the director of the Western Folklife Center and two cowboy poets about the upcoming National Cowboy Poetry festival in Elko.

Then: We'll discuss holiday commercialism with the star of a new documentary "What Would Jesus Buy?" The Rev Billy Talen and his Stop Shopping Choir crossed the country calling on Americans to curb their consumption in the film that opens in Las Vegas Friday.

Apparently I was the "counterpoint" to the Reverend Billy, who is no stranger to me. (He was a guest performance artist at the Virginia Film Festival in 2003, and I have posted a video of his wonderful First Amendment protest in New York earlier this year.)

You can listen to the interview here.

RLC at the RPV Advance

I alluded in an earlier post to a meeting of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia, which took place as an adjunct to the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) Advance and Straw Poll in Arlington last weekend.

It occurred to me that readers may appreciate some elaboration. The purpose of that meeting was to elect officers for the RLC-Virginia and to apply for rechartering by the national organization, as our state charter had lapsed.

My expectations for the meeting were more than fulfilled, since almost two dozen members and potential members were crammed into a hotel suite at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. Since I had organized the meeting at the behest of other RLC members, I called it to order and was then selected temporary chairman. As soon as possible, I passed the gavel to D. J. McGuire, who was elected permanent chairman by the group.

Here is the news release that we wrote and distributed immediately after the meeting:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: D. J. McGuire (djmcguire_1999@yahoo.com)

Republican Liberty Caucus Organizes in Virginia

(ARLINGTON, December 1, 2007) --- The Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia was reorganized today in a formal meeting taking place in conjunction with the Republican Party of Virginia’s 24th Annual Advance. Twenty political activists from all parts of the state met to elect a new slate of officers: D.J. McGuire of Spotsylvania County as chairman, Bert Mueller of Williamsburg as vice chairman, Rick Sincere of Charlottesville as secretary, and Cliff Dunn of Newport News as treasurer.

“Today was the beginning of the end for big government in Virginia,” said McGuire, who as the “right-wing liberal” (www.right-wing-liberal.blogspot.com) was one of the first opponents in the blogosphere of HB3202, the omnibus transportation bill passed in 2007. “For too long, Republicans who voted for higher taxes could claim to be friends of limited government. Those days are over. Thomas Jefferson lived, thrived, and died here. His vision has lived and thrived there; we will make sure it doesn’t die here.”

The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) is a grassroots, nationwide organization affiliated with the Republican Party (GOP). The goal of the RLC is to elect pro-liberty individuals to public office. The RLC was founded in 1990, and now has members in every state.

“With the loss of a majority in the state Senate and a shrinking majority in the House of Delegates, it is clear that the Virginia Republican Party needs to re-examine itself and return to its pro-liberty, small-government roots, in the tradition of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan,” said McGuire. “RLC members are Goldwater-Reagan Republicans who will work diligently to emphasize conservative principles and recruit likeminded individuals as candidates and political activists.”

The next step for the RLC of Virginia is to apply for official chartered status from the national organization, which is expected to be granted before the end of the year.

For more information, ... visit the RLC’s national web site at http://www.rlc.org.

-30-

Grabbing the bull by the horns, our new chairman decided to address a current public policy issue. We then wrote and distributed this news release about transportation in Northern Virginia:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: D. J. McGuire (djmcguire_1999@yahoo.com)

Republican Liberty Caucus Criticizes NoVA Transportation Authority

(ARLINGTON, December 1, 2007) --- The newly elected chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia expressed its great disappointment at the decision of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) to start collecting taxes before the Supreme Court of Virginia rules on their legality.

“The NVTA is an unelected body, and as such, it is not allowed to collect taxes or fees, period,” said McGuire, who as the “right-wing liberal” (www.right-wing-liberal.blogspot.com) was one of the first opponents in the blogosphere of HB3202, the omnibus transportation bill passed in 2007 that authorized the taxes and fees in question. “Under Virginia’s Constitution, those taxes and fees are illegal, and to collect them before the Supreme Court rules violates the letter and the spirit of the Constitution.”

The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) is a grassroots, nationwide organization affiliated with the Republican Party (GOP). The goal of the RLC is to elect pro-liberty individuals to public office. The RLC was founded in 1990, and now has members in every state.

“Voters in northern Virginia made abundantly clear what they thought of these taxes and fees on November 6,” said McGuire. “Republicans who supported them lost votes and in many cases lost their seats; Republicans who opposed them – like Delegates Bob Marshall and Jeff Frederick – increased their vote share from previous elections. For the NVTA to do this now is a slap in the face to all northern Virginians.”

For more information, ... visit the RLC’s national web site at http://www.rlc.org.

-30-

At the meeting, Chairman McGuire appointed members to serve on a platform committee, a fundraising committee, and a web site committee. Before we adjourned, we agreed to hold our next RLC-Virginia meeting in mid-January.

Freberg the Prophet

Almost 50 years ago, radio personality Stan Freberg released his classic, "Green Chri$tma$," which skewered what he perceived as the over-commercialization of the Christmas holiday season.

Jeff Westover explains in "The Story of Stan Freberg's Green Chri$tma$":

Long before the hotly debated war on Christmas, predating just about any civic debate over public Nativity displays or church and state arguments -- even before the term "political correctness" was coined -- Stan Freberg produced a work satirizing the advertising world's exploitation of Christmas. It was an instant hit and a controversial thorn in the side of Freberg's record producers and Madison Avenue. The year was 1958.

Stan Freberg was by that point a radio superstar. First appearing on radio in the mid-1940s with Jack Benny and the Armed Services Radio Network, Freberg was signed by Capitol Records in 1951 and produced parodies of pop culture's most brilliant stars of the 1950s including Elvis Presley, Cole Porter, Johnnie Ray, Lawrence Welk and Harry Belafonte. Freberg's work -- labeled as comedy by some, satire and social commentary by others -- was brilliantly produced and often charted as high as the hits he parodied.

Green Chri$tma$ used the familiar story line of Dickens' A Christmas Carol as the backdrop for a conversation between Mr. Scrooge, an advertising executive and Bob Crachit, a humble small business owner compelled to keep the season sacred. Set to music brilliantly scored by Billy May, the story is told through mock-commercials for everything from cigarettes to beer by advertisers who use Christmas carols and icons because "Christmas can be such a monetary joy".

Westover's brief essay continues, quoting Freberg himself:

"I listen to that now, and it's like I did it last week. I'm amazed that it holds up all these years." Freberg says. "The interesting thing is that after that record, both Coca-Cola and Marlboro came to me to do ad campaigns. And this is after the president of Capitol, Lloyd Dunn, said, 'Well, I'll tell you one thing, Freberg. You'll never work in the advertising business again.' I was just getting started in the field."

Ironically, Green Chri$tma$ may have marked the turning point in Freberg's career as he shifted his professional focus from radio in the late 1950s to advertising in the 1960s. Freberg went on to a storied career in advertising winning numerous awards and accolades for humor in advertising.

Green Chri$tma$ resonated with listeners but rankled advertisers on Freberg's show. "This record, of course was an attack on the over commercialization of Christmas," Freberg says. "And when it first came out some sponsors refused to pay for any of their commercials that were programmed within five minutes of my record being played. They felt that my record negated their commercials." So critical was the business of radio and advertising that Green Chri$tma$ received no commercial airplay prior to 1983.

I know that last sentence is not true, because I was a teenager in the early 1970s when I first heard "Green Chri$tma$" played on the radio by Bob Moke, the evening disc jockey on WEMP-AM in Milwaukee.

Moke often played novelty records, and around Christmas he played Freberg's "Christmas Dragnet," Yogi Yorgesson's "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas," and a Christmas episode of John "Mad Man" Michaels' "Czarnina Kid" (sort of like LA's Joe Friday transplanted to Mitchell Street, "where the streetcar bends the corner around"). WEMP, it might be noted, also launched the career of Alvin and the Chipmunks; according to local legend, Joe Dorsey, one of the station's top-rated DJs, was the first to play "The Chipmunk Song," which had languished without airplay and could have ended up recorded and quickly forgotten. (An alternate version of this story -- or perhaps an accurate story in its own right -- places Dorsey as the first DJ to play "The Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. Take your choice.)

Anyway, I digress.

"Green Chri$tma$" is a one-act musical play, set in the board room of a Madison Avenue ad agency. Several advertising executives are discussing upcoming holiday campaigns with their boss, "Mr. Scrooge." Along comes a client, Bob Cratchet, and this dialogue ensues:

SCROOGE: What? Who are you?
CRATCHET: Bob Cratchet, sir. I've got a little spice company over in East Orange, New Jersey. Do I have to tie my product in to Christmas?
SCROOGE: What do you mean?
CRATCHET: Well, I was just going to send cards out showing the three wise men following the Star of Bethlehem...
SCROOGE: I get it! And they're bearing your spices. Now that's perfect.

Now comes a news story reporting that the popular energy drink, Red Bull, is withdrawing an ad campaign that seems to have been lifted right from Stan Freberg's playbook. Writes Jennifer Harper in Wednesday's Washington Times:

The makers of Red Bull, the caffeine-charged energy drink favored by ambitious athletes and all-night revelers, has gotten a crash course in religion, courtesy of an angry Catholic priest.

The manufacturer is guilty of committing "a blasphemous act," says the Rev. Marco Damanti, who hails from Sicily, Italy.

Red Bull went too far, he said, in an animated 30-second spot airing throughout Europe that depicts a cartoon Nativity scene: Jesus has a pacifier, and there's a fourth Wise Man. He has not come bearing frankincense or myrrh, but rather a case of Red Bull for the holy infant. The spot ends with a flutter of flying angels, singing "Alleluia" and telling viewers, "Red Bull gives you wings."

Harper notes that this is not the first time advertisers have run afoul of church authorities:

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights took on Unilever in 2001 for substituting onion dip and corn chips for Communion wafers in a print ad for Lipton's Onion Soup Mix. The Kohler Co. company also got into trouble by using an image taken from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel to peddle toilets — the hand of God reaches out not to touch Adam and give life, but to flush.

Catholics are not alone, though. A Volvo TV campaign claimed a new sports utility vehicle could "save your soul" a decade ago, drawing dozens of calls from "conservative Christians." The American Family Association and other groups, in the meantime, have organized letter-writing campaigns and boycotts of advertisers that take liberties with sacred images or flaunt profanity.

There is some dissent among the ranks, though. Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, a District-based activist group, claims that such hypersensitivity — particularly over the substitution of the word "holiday" for "Christmas" in advertising or public events — is simply fodder for "shouting matches."

I have to agree that the "onion dip and corn chips" ad (which I have never seen) sounds like it's in bad taste, but the Red Bull ad -- based on its description -- sounds like cheeky fun. The Vatican, according to Harper, has established some standards when it comes to this issue:

The Catholic Church takes an official stand against offensive advertising that abuses religious content.

"Commercial advertisers sometimes include religious themes or use religious images or personages to sell products," notes "Ethics in Advertising" guidelines drafted by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications in the Vatican.

"It is possible to do this in tasteful, acceptable ways, but the practice is obnoxious and offensive when it involves exploiting religion or treating it flippantly," the guidelines state.

While anyone is free to complain, or to choose not to buy a product with distasteful advertising, it seems to me that "obnoxious," "offensive," and "flippant" are subjective modifiers that will vary from person to person. (See, for instance, the "Looking Good for Jesus Mini-Kit.")

I just hope someone is collecting all these ads to release on a DVD of "bad-taste advertising" -- a perfect stocking-stuffer for a future Christmas.

State Budget Doubletake

D. J. McGuire, writing at the Right-Wing Liberal, pulls out the statistics to show that New Jersey's government has been able to slow the growth of its budget (both taxes and spending) at the same time that Virginia's budget has been skyrocketing.

It's noteworthy that New Jersey has a larger population than Virginia (at 8,724,560 as of 2006, it is ranked 11th among the 50 states, while Virginia has a population of 7,078,515, ranking 12th). So for New Jersey -- with a reputation for profligacy as much as for corruption -- to put the brakes on spending is a real accomplishment.

Notes the Rights-Wing Liberal:

New Jersey enacts its budget every year, while Virginia enacts it every two years (although there are amendments in the "off"-year). In Fiscal Year 2007, New Jersey spent $30.8 billion; in FY08, $33.5 billion. The total expenditure over the biennium is currently as $64.3 billion.

During this same two-year period, Virginia's spending stands over $74.2 billion - a difference of nearly $5 billion a year.

Mind you, New Jersey has had Democratic governors and Democratic-controlled legislatures during the last half-dozen years, yet with a larger population, they still managed to keep spending more than 13% below Virginia, despite our Republican-controlled legislature. Even the split General Assembly that will convene in January will give the GOP more power than it ever had in the New Jersey legislature since January 2002.

Am I the only person embarrassed by this comparison?

Christmas Shopping List

And now for a break from political posts ...

Do you have a hard-to-shop-for friend or relative? Are you looking for quirky gifts that may not be available at Kmart or Target or even Amazon.com? Searching for something for that proverbial "man who has everything"?

Try some of these stocking stuffers from TLA Video's online store. Just be sure to have a camera on hand to capture the expression on those faces on Christmas morning!


It's Okay to Be Gay Playing Cards
(Maybe not a total break from politics, if you believe the personal is the political.) Says the retailer: "Of course it's okay to be gay! Just incase you forget, however, this novelty deck of playing cards features a friendly illustrated reminder on the back. Let's see if your friends can stop laughing long enough to put on their poker faces."






Latter Days T-Shirt
Here's a complement to that Mormon beefcake calendar you've been craving. According to TLA Video: "People have been asking for it for years and it is finally here! This stylish light blue American Apparel T-Shirt sporting the logo to director C. Jay Cox's beloved gay classic Latter Days is made from 100% Fine Jersey cotton. Combed for ultra-softness and comfort, this is, truly, one of the best-looking T-shirts available."











Looking Good for Jesus Mini-Kit
For the impious primpers on your shopping list, try this gift that combines good grooming with bad taste. Writes Robert O'Neill, tongue firmly in cheek, "The Looking Good for Jesus Mini-Kit is designed to help you get on the good side of our Lord and Savior. It redeems you in his eyes and takes the edge off sinning. Included is a mirrored Jesus statuette, vanilla nectar lip balm, Easter-lily hand & body cream (with sparkle!) and a folding mirror compact. Sure to be a big hit at parties, the Looking Good for Jesus Mini-Kit makes a marvelous stocking stuffer for the big guy's birthday."











Kissing Boys Coaster Set
Planning a party with lots of mistletoe hanging about? Protect your table surfaces with these cute coasters. Promoting its other products, TLA Video notes: "This adorable coaster set contains four different images from the popular TLA Releasing movies Latter Days, Another Gay Movie, The Trip and Boy Culture! Each features boys sharing intense and intimate moments with one another. They're sure to give your tummy a few butterflies every time you pick up your drink! Included are four square, 4" x 4" coasters with a heavy duty rubber base and a durable, textured polymer finish surface."







And if those coasters are insufficient for the crowd you expect on New Year's Eve, try these:

Naked Boys Singing! Coaster Set
From off-Broadway comedy to your living room, "this gorgeous coaster set," notes TLA Video, "features four different mouth-watering images of those coveted naked singing boys from the new hit musical revue Naked Boys Singing! They are sure to keep you captivated every time that you pick up your glass. Included are four square, 4" x 4" coasters with a heavy duty rubber base and a durable, textured polymer finish surface."











Instant Gay Accent Breath Spray
Never fear looking uncultured and uncouth with this in your messenger bag: According to Robert O'Neill, "Put a little ssssizzle in those s's and impresssss your friendssss with thisss peppermint flavored Instant Gay Accent Breath Spray. This is a great little novelty stocking stuffer and it's certainly good to have around on dates and at the club. It's always important to keep your breath fresh for close-up conversations and flirtations."












Handz Off Hand Cream
The Mrs. Grundys in your life may appreciate this holiday gift: "A charming little novelty item, the Handz Off Hand Cream is scented with calming coconut, buttermilk and vanilla bean. Offering 5 ounces of a long-lasting, deliciously sensual aroma (just remember not to eat it), it claims to quickly relieve users of the urge to masturbate. Does it work? Er...not really...we've tried. It appears to have the opposite effect, actually. Enjoy!"









Gay Sex! Card Game
And for the anti-Grundys among us, Robert O'Neill writes: "Not only will the Gay Sex! Card Game put some extra spice into your sex life and offer great suggestions, but it promises a good workout as well (and that's one helluva fun way to exercise). Each card features illustrations of men in creative (and frequently humorous) sexual positions. Keep this one hidden in your bedside table drawer for easy access - it's likely to generate an intensely pleasurable nightly tradition."



Diner Picture Frame
For the creative home decorator: Manufactured by Precious Memory, this picture frame is a "bit like an Edward Hopper painting, a bit like everyday life, ... just the thing for a snapshot of those favorite places and people you daydream about." Made of poly-resin, it accommodates one 4x6 picture.







Balls Soap
From the product description: "Because it's not what you've got, it's how you wash 'em! Made with a pure vegetable base, the hefty 7.0 ounce Balls Soap will grace your bod with an intoxicating lemon and jasmine fragrance. It's also sure to give a good chuckle to any lucky fellas that ask to use your shower in the morning."









For the Manichean soul in each of us come these two sets of bath products:


Virgin/Slut Soap & Washcloth Set
The catalog says: "With soothing aromas designed to suit your mood (hot or cold), The Virgin/Slut Soap and Washcloth Set is a nice addition to any bathroom. Contained in an embroidered washcloth along with two bars of soap. The Virgin Soap contains Indonesian patchouli, sandalwood & Madagascan vetivert scents while the Slut Soap contains Italian lemon, Oriental eucalyptus and bergamont."












Virgin/Slut Bubble Bath
Isn't that a cute little imp? "The Virgin/Slut Bubble Bath set contains two 6 ounce jars of frothy, fancy bubble bath to match your mood. Feeling serene and virtuous or down and dirty? The Virgin Bubble Bath contains Indonesian patchouli, sandalwood & Madagascan vetivert scents while the Slut Bubble Bath contains Italian lemon, Oriental eucalyptus and bergamont."












Celebrate Boxed Holiday Cards
You may want to buy these early in the season. TLA Video says: "The tantalizing angel on the cover of this card gives great reason to celebrate. Each of the ten cards contained in this set feature the photo shown. Here's the copy inside and outside the card: Outside: Celebrate Inside: A healthy & happy holiday season."











And if you need more cards for all those new friends you made this year, there's always this angelic herald:


Snowy Angel Boxed Holiday Cards
Running into that angel in America would be enough to turn Tony Kushner into a Goldwater Republican! From TLA Video's notes: "No matter how hot he looks, that cute little angel must be chilly standing in the snow. If only you could warm him up. You can't, of course. He's only a picture on a greeting card, silly. You can, however, stuff him snugly in an envelope and send him to all of your friends for Christmas. Each of the ten cards in this set feature the tantalizing photo shown." Outside, the card says "Peace on Earth"; inside, it says "This season and throughout the year. Season's greetings."









There. Now I have done my own bit for Christmas commercialism -- and posted it on the first night of Chanukah, too. It's your turn, dear reader, to buy something from our sponsors. Just click on any of the links above and soon you'll have visions of sugar plums dancing in your head.

Videoblogging the RPV Advance

There was electricity in the room set up at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City for the Republican Party of Virginia's presidential straw poll. Much of that electricity was generated by the youthful and exuberant Ron Paul supporters, who constituted more than a third of the political activists attending the event.

Still, a good deal of electricity was put forth by the speakers who preceded the vote. I was able to capture a few of the speakers on video but not, unfortunately, all of them, because I had limited tape and a limited charge (speaking of electricity) on my camera.

The first speaker was former Governor Jim Gilmore, who set out a strategy for party unity to undergird is campaign against former Governor Mark Warner for the U.S. Senate in 2008:

Next up was Delegate Chris Saxman of Staunton, who had been toying with the idea of challenging Gilmore for the Senate nomination next year. In his speech, Saxman announced that has chosen not to pursue higher office, either in 2008 or 2009:

(Saxman also later spoke on behalf of his favored presidential candidate, Senator John McCain.)

After the "Senate" speeches were out of the way, a series of surrogate speakers for the presidential candidates took to the platform. (One "candidate" was there representing himself, Hugh Cort, whose strange remarks were greeted with indifference, if not outright hostility, by a crowd waiting to hear from the real campaigns.)

Although he was in the middle of the agenda, the first surrogate speech I recorded was that of Northern Virginia attorney Chris Kachouroff, who spoke on behalf of Dr. Ron Paul in passages that echoed Barry Goldwater's classic book, The Conscience of a Conservative:

Kachouroff was followed a few minutes later by former Senator George Allen, who spoke on behalf of his erstwhile colleague, former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson, with an uncharacteristically wordless Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell at his side:

The last speaker of the hour was former Treasurer of the United States Bay Buchanan, who spoke on behalf of Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo:

Unfortunately, Buchanan's well-delivered speech delivered only four votes for the anti-immigration legislator; Tancredo would have come in last were it not for the zero votes cast for Hugh Cort and for John Cox, who was not represented at the straw poll despite his name being on the ballot.

Finally, state Republican party chairman John Hager (former Virginia Lieutenant Governor and future in-law of George and Laura Bush) announced the results. (His brief announcement is preceded in this video by a few scenes of people queuing up to vote, and a middle-school choir singing patriotic songs.)

When all was said and done, Ron Paul emerged the clear victor in the straw poll:

Scenes from the RPV Advance

Here are a few of the photos I snapped at the 24th Annual Donald Huffman Advance in Crystal City. (I have already reported on the results of the GOP Straw Poll held at the climax of the Advance.)

Members of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia gathered for an organizational meeting that was adjunct to the Advance

The newly elected officers of the RLC-Virginia: myself (Secretary), Bert Mueller (Vice Chair), D. J. McGuire (Chairman), and Cliff Dunn (Treasurer).

UVA Students for Ron Paul: Bree Nicole, Kyle Stamper, and Nicole Gugliucci

Former President George Washington with Scott Walker of Purcellville

GOP activists D. J. McGuire, Jim Parmelee, and Laura Holmes Jost

Youthful Ron Paul supporters hold a banner designed by Curt Dvonch of James Madison University

A vintage Barry Goldwater lapel button

Buttons, bumper stickers, literature, and memorabilia on the Ron Paul campaign table

Former Governor Jim Gilmore (now a candidate for the U.S. Senate) chats with reporters

David Brown of Charlottesville with Governor Gilmore

Adam Bitely of George Mason University holds aloft Gilmore for Senate posters

Ron Paul Wins Virginia GOP Straw Poll

Texas Congressman Ron Paul was the runaway winner of the Virginia state Republican Party Straw Poll today, held in conjunction with the 24th annual Donald Huffman Advance. Final results were (subject to correction):

Ron Paul ..... 182 votes ..... 38 percent
Fred Thompson .... 112 votes .... 23 percent
Mike Huckabee .... 51 votes .... 10 percent
Mitt Romney .... 45 votes .... 9 percent
Rudy Giuliani .... 43 votes ... 9 percent
John McCain .... 23 votes .... 5 percent
Duncan Hunter .... 19 votes ... 4 percent
Tom Tancredo ..... 4 votes .... .08 percent
Hugh Cort .... 0 votes
John Cox ..... 0 votes

There were 479 Republican party activists present and voting. Percentages are rounded.

Update: The Washington Post reports on the straw poll in its Sunday edition; so does the Washington Times, under the headline "Paul easily wins GOP straw poll."

Update #2: Bob Gibson has a report on the Advance and Straw Poll in the Daily Progress. Tyler Whitley incorrectly reports in the Richmond Times-Dispatch that "Paul bused in young supporters" -- the fact is those supporters showed up on their own after being encouraged to attend by others from inside and outside the campaign.

Cooking with Larry Craig

I learned about this recipe from an article by Dan Catalano in C-VILLE Weekly, a local arts and entertainment (and news and politics) tabloid published in Charlottesville.

The article includes a link to the "Congress Cooks" web site, which features something called the "Super Tuber" from Idaho Senator Larry Craig. (I have added emphasis with bold italics.):

Ingredients

1 hot dog, cook's choice

1 Idaho baking potato, 7 to 10 ounces

Mustard for dipping, any style

Other condiments as desired such as cheese sauce, sour cream, chili, chives, bacon pieces or black olives.

Wash and dry potato. Rub with shortening or butter. With an apple corer or small knife, core out the potato center (end to end). Push hot dog through the center. Bake until potato is cooked through.

To Microwave: Place on microwave safe plate; cover loosely (to avoid splatters). Microwave on high about 4 minutes per potato until fork tender.

To Bake in Conventional Oven: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake for approximately one hour or until potato is fork tender.

To Barbecue: Wrap in aluminum foil and place above medium hot coals, turning at least once during cooking. Cook until potato is fork tender.

Serving Suggestions: Allow potato to cool slightly. Eat as a finger food, dipping in your favorite hot dog condiments (mustard is my favorite).

When Senator Craig eventually leaves Congress, at least he has the potential for another career -- as the Ironic Chef.

Ron Paul and America's Youth

The Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University has a Washington program that serves as a sort of training bureau for young political correspondents.

One of those correspondents, Alex Sherman, filed a story yesterday about young people who support Congressman Ron Paul for the Republican presidential nomination. Sherman writes:

So why is Ron Paul, R-Texas, a hit with young voters?

"That's the question," says 29-year-old Moshe Starkman. He is running for Congress in Maryland as a Republican who espouses Paul’s libertarian values. “It’s striking particularly with kids who historically have no interest in politics. They seem to be invigorated.”

Starkman and 25-year-old Aaron Biterman, who created a Facebook group supporting Paul that now has more than 47,000 members, credit Paul’s ideological consistency and his contrarian political views for his popularity among college-age voters.

“I think that our generation, the younger generation, is sort of a rebellious group,” Biterman says. “For some, their entire adult lives have consisted of George W. Bush in office. They want something different.”

Sherman's report, which also includes a video component that complements his text, quotes one Washington-area college student who compares Dr. Paul to an icon of American cinema:

“All people need to do is hear the message,” says 20-year-old campaign volunteer Jay Bui. “I think there’s going to be a real movement, and this is just the beginning of it.

“Ron Paul is the Jimmy Stewart, Mr. Smith, of our generation.”

Ron Paul puts the "trans" in transgenerational.

Held in Low Esteem

For the former chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Representative Duncan Hunter (R-California) has a remarkably low opinion of the men and women who serve in the U.S. military.

During the CNN/YouTube-sponsored Republican presidential candidates' debate in Florida Wednesday night, Hunter was asked by a retired Army general whether he believes "American men and women in uniform are not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians." The point of Hunter's long-winded answer was essentially "yes, they are not professional enough."

Here is Hunter's full response:

General, thanks for your service, but I believe in what Colin Powell said when he said that having openly homosexual people serving in the ranks would be bad for unit cohesion.

The reason for that, even though people point to the Israelis and point to the Brits and point to other people as having homosexuals serve, is that most Americans, most kids who leave that breakfast table and go out and serve in the military and make that corporate decision with their family, most of them are conservatives.

They have conservative values, and they have Judeo-Christian values. To force those people to work in a small tight unit with somebody who is openly homosexual goes against what they believe to be their principles, and it is their principles, is I think a disservice to them. I agree with Colin Powell that it would be bad for unit cohesion.

Substitute "Negroes" for "homosexuals" in Hunter's statement and you have a near-duplicate of the argument used against desegregation of the military during the Truman administration.

At that time, Secretary of the Army Kenneth Royall wrote to Clark Clifford (then an advisor to President Truman, later Secretary of Defense under Lyndon Johnson), attaching a copy of testimony about the Army's "Negro problem," about which he explained to Clifford:

I am trying to give it no large circulation as it would be unwise to have it get to the press...

(Apparently, even in the 1940s, politicians knew that it would reflect badly on them to announce they favored policies based on bigotry.)

A portion of Royall's testimony about Negroes in the military in the 1940s (culled by Average Gay Joe at GayPatriot, who deserves a hat tip) has an uncanny resemblance to what politicians like Duncan Hunter have to say about gays in the military today:

At the outset I want to make it clear that in my opinion the policies which should be applied to the use of all Army personnel, regardless of race, are those policies which best promote a sound national defense. Our basic mission is to win battles and to establish an organization capable of winning battles.

Specifically the Army is not an instrument for social evolution. It is not the Army’s job either to favor or to impede the social doctrines, no matter how progressive they may be – it is not for us to lead or to lag behind the civilian procession except to the extent that the national defense is affected…

Another – and an important – factor to be considered on the question of segregation is the morale of the troops as a whole – their satisfaction with Army life, and the spirit with which they perform Army tasks. In war, when the chips are down, this morale factor may well be the difference between victory and defeat.

We must remember that soldiers are not mere bodies that can be moved and handled as trucks and guns. They are individuals who came from civilian life and often return thereto. They are subject to all the emotions, prejudices, ideals, ambitions and inhibitions that encumber our civil population throughout the country.

Solders live and work closely together. They are not only on the same drill field also in the same living and eating quarters. From the standpoint both of morale and of efficiency it is important in peace and in war that the barracks and the unit areas be so attractive to them that they will devote not only their duty time but a reasonable part of their optional time at the post – that they will not be watching the clock for a chance to get away.

In war it is even more important that they have confidence both in their leaders and in the men that are to fight by their sides. Effective comradeship in battle calls for a warm and close personal relationship within a unit…

In this connection we must remember that a large part of the volunteers in the Army are Southerners – usually a larger proportion than from any other part of the country. Whether properly or not, it is a well known fact that close personal association with Negroes is distasteful to large percentage of Southern whites.

A total abandonment of – or a substantial and sudden change in – the Army’s partial segregation policy would in my opinion adversely affect enlistments and reenlistments not only in the South but in many other parts of the country, probably making peacetime selective service necessary. And a change in our policy would adversely affect the morale of many Southern soldiers and other soldiers now serving…

[I]n my opinion – and I believe in the opinion of a great majority of the experienced Army men and officers – it would be most difficult – and unwise from the standpoint of national defense – to require any substantial proportion of white soldiers – whether from the South or from other sections of the country – to serve under Negro officers or particularly under Negro non-commissioned officers.

It's almost like Duncan Hunter does the same sort of "research" for his speeches that Joe Biden did during his 1988 presidential campaign.

While Hunter did not directly respond to the question posed to him, it is clear from his overall remarks that he thinks most men and women in the military are inbred yahoos who lack the capacity to live and work with people who might be different from them -- people who have different backgrounds or different values, different experiences and different aspirations.

Yet Hunter severely underestimates the capability of the average soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine to be tolerant of differences and to look beyond the surface, creating cohesion even within diversity. (What's that slogan? "E pluribus unum"?) Our men and women in uniform are far better people than Hunter thinks they are.

Zogby International conducted a poll of U.S. troops who had served in Iraq or Afghanistan, which was released in December 2006. Among its findings:

Three-quarters of those surveyed stated that they felt comfortable around gays and lesbians and four-in-five (78%) noted that they would join the military regardless of their open inclusion. Additionally, a majority (52%) reports having received some form of anti-gay harassment training, with Air Force personnel representing the highest level of training (62%) and the Marine Corps the lowest (34%)....

Of those who were certain that a member of their unit was gay or lesbian, two thirds did not believe that their presence created an impact on either their personal morale (66%) or the morale of their unit (64%). Approximately one-quarter of that group believed there to be a negative impact to both.

In contrast, of those who do not suspect the presence of gays or lesbians within their unit, only half (49%) perceive no impact on personal morale, and only less than one third (26%) feel there would be no impact on their unit’s morale. Regarding their unit’s morale, a majority of this group (58%) believes if there were gays or lesbians within their unit, there would be a negative impact.

Put another way, those soldiers who know someone gay also know there is no deleterious effect on morale or unit cohesion. Those who think they do not know someone gay think otherwise.

That is the price of ignorance.

In a separate answer to the same question, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney said during the St. Petersburg debate that he thinks the current "don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) policy "seems to have worked." (Of course, Romney earlier opposed DADT, but he is such a weasel that it is impossible to know if what he says has any relationship to what he thinks -- or if he thinks at all.)

Has DADT worked? Has it worked for the thousands of men and women who were expelled from the military, having their careers disrupted? Has it worked for the taxpayers, who paid to train these men and women, only to lose their services? Has it worked for the highly-valued, scarce translators of languages like Arabic, Farsi, and Korean, who were forced to leave the armed forces simply because they were gay?

Those questions answer themselves.

I understand that Duncan Hunter is the only active GOP presidential candidate who will appear in person at the Straw Poll being held at the Republican Party of Virginia Advance this weekend in Arlington. I hope that someone there has an opportunity to ask him why he thinks American soldiers are such boobs.

Members of our armed forces deserve much more respect than what Congressman Hunter seems willing to accord them. He should be ashamed of himself.