Just to nip the latest “we told you so!” Iraq story in the bud, the infamous white powder (not to be confused with the infamous aluminum tubes or the infamous giant chemical weapons factory) isn’t anthrax. It’s explosives. Which make stories like this incredibly irresponsible: what do they think people are going to conclude when they hear “vials of white powder”?

Of course, William Randolph Hearst knew this kind of tactic well. He used to run headlines like “BIG BATTLE” in giant letters, with a tiny “Is Expected” below it. Same idea.

Now refresh my memory: did Saddam plan 9/11? I’m just not sure any more.

If only the Presidential Prayer Team site were a joke. But I fear it’s not. This week, kids’ prayers are directed to Colin Powell and Andrew Card. This week’s virtue: Faithfulness. Under “faithful animals,” the caption on a picture of a German Shepherd reads, “This dog is learning to follow every command given by his handler.”

You. cannot. make. this. stuff. up.

I’m sure no one cares about this but me.

I was talking by e-mail to my former co-worker Wayne about the lack of design and creative work available these days, something he and I have a serious stake in. And today I read that UPS spent $20 million on a new logo, which “futurizes” the classic design by the great Paul Rand. Rand’s most famous work is arguably the classic IBM logo, designed in 1956 and still in use today.

The new logo abandons Rand’s simple tied package and manages to replace it with two scourges of contemporary design: the swoosh and the 3D. For a cool $20 mil.

Who says no one spends money on design anymore?

At the theater with Nik to see “View from the Top,” stumbled upon the movie poster for the American Idol movie, “From Justin to Kelly.” Is it just me, or does that title make it sound like some sort of sex-change drama? It’s all well and good to try to cash in – it’s the American way, after all. But can’t anyone come up with a title that makes sense, much less is entertaining and catchy? Anyway, it’s been seven months. Does anyone even remember these kids’ names?

My suggestion? How about “Justin and Kelly: Remember Us?” or “American Idol: The Old Class.”

Yesterday, I did something I haven’t done in a long time: added a new folder to my Favorites menu in IE. The folder’s name? “Iraq.” There are currently 13 sites in the folder. (The latest? Iraq-o-Meter.) What sites do you visit to get war news and comment?

Meanwhile, back at the ranch

The House version of the upcoming federal budget includes $28 billion in cuts to…wait for it…veterans’ benefits.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you can’t make this stuff up.

“I Can’t Believe I Just Read That” Mainstream Media Award of the Week

“He’s being hard on himself; he gave up sweets just before the war began.”

–USA Today notes the President’s wartime mood, apparently suffering from blood sugar imbalance

New Scary Daddy Made Old Scary Daddy Go Away

Brilliant common sense from the estimable John Kusch. Common sense is a casualty in this war.

“It really helps a lot when you eat right before bed; a heavy, heavy, cheesy, creamy meal. Lots of Krispy Kreme donuts came in very handy.”
-Charlize Theron on her method acting method

So have you heard that Charlize is gettin’ uglified in order to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos? I guess I understand actors’ impulse to stretch and do new things. But isn’t she just taking a job away from some actress who’s already unattractive? Give someone else a chance, Charlize.

View from the Top

Went to this movie in a similar spirit to “The Core”: I just wanted something light and entertaining to distract me. (Mission accomplished.) Seeing Christina Applegate say “ASS-es the window” on the previews made me laugh, and that was enough for me to buy a ticket.

What I liked about it was that the humor wasn’t the “punchline-pause-badabump” sort of thing, but more a continuing sense of “this is silly and stupid, and thus funny.” Low-key is a refreshing change for a comedy these days. Plus, there seemed to be some nice chemistry between Gwyneth Paltrow and Mark Ruffalo as her law student boyfriend, and chemistry is something even some high-powered romantic comedies can’t muster up.

If anything, the movie was just a little too nice. It could have benefited from more of an edge, and certainly from more screen time for Kelly Preston (Mrs. John Travolta) as Paltrow’s blowsy fellow flight attendant. She had a great edge that could have pushed this movie above the “pleasant distraction” category.