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Yowzas, they really don’t like President Bush in Iraq do they?  Or at least one Iraqi journalist doesn’t.  How many White House Press Corp wished they’d done this at some point?  But President Bush has excellent reactionary skills.  It’s like he’s a wily mongoose.  The shoes don’t even come close to hitting him.  “All I can report,” Bush joked of the incident, “is a size 10.”

I was half-joking the other day that Bush should remain the figure head of the country for shiggles sake and Obama should go bunker down with the best and brightest, roll up their sleeves and get the job done.  On some level aren’t we all going to miss President Bush?  I mean for the absurd black comedy he brings to the table?  I miss him already.

Director Rod Lurie seems to be channeling Valerie Plame, Judith Miller and Robert Novak all in one big journalism-political fictional stew.  And I’m all for it.  The cast here looks sterling with Kate Beckinsale getting a meaty roll and a journalist who goes to jail rather than give up her source, Vera Farminga as an outed C.I.A. operative could be the potatoes and then everything is rounded out with the tasty additions of Alan Alda, Matt Dillon, David Schwimmer, Angela Bassett, Noah Wyle and Harry Lenix.

Having just seen David Gordon Green’s Snow Angels, it looks like Beckinsale is finally moving away from low-grade romantic comedies and schlocky vampire flicks.  And that is a great thing for film buffs.

Nothing But the Truth is both written and directed by Israeli filmmaker Rod Lurie, of The Contender and Resurrecting the Champ previously. The film first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and is being distributed by Yari Film Group. Nothing But the Truth will arrive in very limited theaters starting on December 19th before expanding wider throughout January.

Mp3: The Decemberists - “Valerie Plame”

Esquire used to be one of my favorite magazine subscriptions, but then out of sheer laziness I let it run out and haven’t bothered to send a new subscription card in.  That was like five years ago.  Can’t say I’ve really missed it, but I do remembered enjoying it greatly.

Anyway, the magazine has selected it’s Seven Greatest Stories and have been nice enough to supply full text!  Woot!  Woot!

Among the stories you’ll find are: Tom Junod’s “Falling Man” (2003), Gay Talese’s “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold” (1966), C.J. River’s “The School” (2006), Richard Ben Cramer’s “What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now?” (1986), Tom Wolfe’s “The Last American Hero is Junior Johnson.  Yes!” (1965), John Sack’s “M” (1965) and Norman Mailer’s “Superman Comes to the Supermarket” (1960).

Maybe it’s time to renew that subscription.  I’ve read all of these pieces at one time or another and can’t recommend them highly enough.

Going through today’s Boston Globe, I was disappointed in the rag’s lack of photographs.? Granted, their new blog, The Big Picture, is probably the best collection of awe-inspiring photographs to be found on the Internet, but still: we’re missing something.

?

Namely, more naked hot people.

In an article about Channel 7 sports reporter Julie Donaldson, who claims her boyfriend punched her in the face, I was struck by the lack of boyfriend photograph.? Ms. Donaldson is what straight people would call “hot.”? Therefore, it’s not unreasonable to assume her boyfriend, too, was hot.? So where’s his picture?? Why aren’t I gawking at his hotness whilst simultaneously decrying his abusive acts?

Then came the article about a naked camp employee (which immediately made me think of Camp Crystal Lake, ’cause I’m a nerd) who supposedly hallucinated and attacked a police officer.? If the Friday the 13th movies taught me anything, they taught me that at least 60% of half-naked or completely-naked camp counselors are hot.? So why aren’t we seeing them?

Apropos of nothing, but quite possibly the funniest thing I’ve seen all week.? A reporter attempts to film a story about Canadian Brown Finchs and their infestation.? First he gets pooped on the shoulder and has a good laugh about “shoulda seen that coming” but then he looks up into the infestation with mouth wide open and the bird’s comic timing couldn’t have been better.