ROGER L SIMON: DOES THE HUFFPO SALE MEAN OBAMA AND PROGRESSIVISM IS OVER?
BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE! FORECAST FOR MORE SNOW LATER. If I liked this kinda weather, I'd still be living in Jackson Hole year-round. But I don't. And I'm not. Never will be again, God willing. Best of all I no longer own property there, with its abysmal, falling vacation home market and no end in sight. But I digress, need to return to the point of this post.
They are two-fold and brief:
First, I think Arianna Huffington's sale of the HuffPo to AOL is a lose-lose all the way around. I'm astounded AOL would pay so much---$315 million-- for this online entity that pays its writers nothing. Nothing. Is it supposed to be a liberal privilege to work for the undivine Ms. A? Especially now that she seems to be going in another socio-economic direction? Dana Milbank at the WaPo has written a great piece about her now political flip-flops over the years when it seems to suit her and her pocketbook. He cautions not to get your hopes up that she'll remain a strong voice for the left. He doesn't have to worry with me. More at Pajamas as Tom Blumer pens Huffington's Heist.
Never listened to Arianna and certainly not starting now. Still the fact that she'll be editorial director at AOL seems misguided. Think this will run off many, if not most, of the conservatives still there.
AOL stockholders are voting with their money by fleeing in droves as the stock continues to drop like Icarus, pictured above who ignored warnings, flew too close to the sun, melting his wings, and fell back to earth to his death. How many times can AOL shoot itself in the foot in several decades?
Of course I could be wrong about this, but doubt it.
Second thing is that I thought Christina Aguilera's Superbowl appearance was abysmal to put it mildly. Sure she has a decent voice. Whether you think the Star Spangled Banner should be sung at sporting events, and irregardless of her flubbing some of the lyrics, I found she strongly over-played, over-sang, over-belted out her part---ramping up her voice and drama to piercing levels that verged on shrieking. I found it embarassing and unattractive, to say the least. Furthermore, thought she looked and sounded like the White Witch on steroids. Like tasting like a cup of coffee with too much sugar and cream. Or running your fingernails across a blackboard.
Ugh. Don't want to have to watch that again. Way too much.
1) ditto
ReplyDelete2) ditto
3) ditto
WV: thermi.
Prescient? Could be.
A Double-Feature on my blogroll...
ReplyDeleteWebutante
Getting A Few Things Off My Chest
4 hours ago
Wizbang
Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid
2 hours ago
I liked your post just fine, but how could I possibly resist? :-)
Regarding Christina Aguilera -
ReplyDeleteit's really funny, because two weeks before the Super Bowl, Martina McBride sang the National Anthem at the AFC Championship game and gave a beautiful, professional, moving performance. I share your view of Christina's oversinging, and also felt her Super Bowl performance was embarassing. My wife and I joked for days about the difference between the McBride and Aguilera performances, and how Christina should take lessons from Martina.
Fast forward to the Grammys last night, and lo and behold they open the show with a tribute to Aretha Franklin that has Martina and Christina singing right next to each other. Darned if it wasn't the same result. Christina embarassed herself by wrenching every syllable possible out of her song; I heard somebody say there must be 500 letters in her alphabet, and she was determined to sing each one. Martina immediately followed, and again delivered a master class with a professional, beautiful, soulful rendition.
It's hard to imagine two singers with more different styles, and how bizarre that they were so closely contrasted two times on a national stage within a month?
Martina McBride - 2, Christina Aguilera - 0.
Bradley (Greg's brother)
Hi Bradley, thanks for pointing this out. I didn't see the Grammys Sunday night or their performances. But I hands down prefer Martina to Christina in every way.
ReplyDelete