Viva Franken!

Looks like the Lies and the Lying Liars That Tell Them lost out after all. All hail Al Franken, Minnesota's Official Senator, giving us a fairly filibuster-proof majority and giving me hope that improv comedians who are also hilarious writers can someday hold public office.

Pressler Financial Report

*You should never take financial advice from this or any Pressler unless it has to do with fashion, Super Bowl tickets, or happy hour.

In an effort to be responsible on the eve of my furlough, I'm taking my financial health into my own hands. This is nothing sudden; two years ago I made the resolution to take control of my financial education and have been worshiping at the Church of Suze ever since.

But being a marketer, I'm met with a whole other slew of issues:

How can I invest with eTrade when it thinks talking babies are a valid way to sell financial responsibility?

How can I not invest with TD Ameritrade when Sam Waterston, aka L&O DA, is its spokesperson?

Was it Schwab who animated its ads a la A Scanner Darkly? As much as I'd like Keanu to be my doctor (ref As Good As it Gets), my financial advisor? No way.

Well, it's a good thing I make so much money off this blog, by the time I hit retirement I'll probably have enough for a whole refrigerator box.

Albany: Get it Together

Is the pandemonium in Albany really still going on? For those of you sidetracked by compiling your Jackson playlists, our beloved state senate has been deadlocked for the past couple weeks in an episode that's more reminiscent of 8-year-olds playing Red Rover than adults governing a state of 19+ million.

Two senators suddenly switched parties on June 8. Shame, shame, shame on Pedro Espada Jr. of the Bronx and Hiram Monserrate of Queens -- clearly these two are more interested in their own power politics than governing what are undoubtedly very Dem districts.

Now nobody can get anything accomplished. From budgets to education, things are a mess and Paterson's charisma can't save us now. As Marty Markowitz suggested the other night at the Kings County Dems dinner, Albany could use a real leader to get this taken care of. But then, talk is easy. Aisle-reaching, not so much.

Political (Fashion) Crisis

Okay, so I got invited to the Annual Kings County Democratic Committee Dinner tonight, which is awesome. It's at a cool venue I've only heard about that's supposed to have spectacular views of the city. So the obvious question: what do I wear? I'm leaning dress over suit, but how dressy? My life is so hard.

Key Economic Indicator of the Day!

Whoa - this one's a double. I just sent my FYI I'm Furloughed email and within 30 seconds I have at least 20 bouncebacks of the no-longer-here variety. Eek.

Why Can't The Times Print The Word Fuck?

I mean, seriously? I can do it: fuck. See? Not hard. I understand not using it in article text:

The overall tenor of the voters suggested the entire Iranian election was fucked.

Yeah, there are other ways that could be written. But in yesterday's nice article on the three actresses in Twelfth Night at the Delacorte, they substituted "word that cannot be printed" in a quote by Julie White. Which is stupid simply because it isn't true. The letters f, u, c, and k, all appeared in print in that very article, I can't imagine it's impossible to put them together in order. Why, I'm sure the adjacent review of A Midsummer Night's Dream made reference to Puck, just one letter's difference, or that at one point Bruni reviewed a Wolfgang Puck restaurant, or that a hockey article included the word puck, or a profile on an actor's success talked about luck, an accident involved a truck, our senator's first name is Chuck, you see where I'm going with this.

Buck up, Times! Suck it up! Not your fault if an interviewee drops the f-bomb! You're just journalizing! Don't pass the buck! Try your luck! Say it with me now:

Fuck!

*Please note use of Oxford comma in the long paragraph. Oxford comma: I will not give up on you! Oxford comma 4EVAH!!!

Welcome Back David Rohde

You have got to read this story. David Rohde, a reporter for the Times, was kidnapped by the Taliban and held for seven months but escaped! Movie rights, anyone?

Voto Nulo

This is how bad things are in Mexico: people are so unsatisfied with all their candidate choices that there is growing support for the "Voto Nulo" - basically writing in "nothing" on the ballot as an expression of non-support for all candidates. I like it.

Full article.

Twittering the Revolution

Now, I'm a late adopter when it comes to certain things. Yes, hard to believe. I am particularly anti-Twitter, as everyone on Twitter seems to be promoting a brand whether it's themselves or their company, but I have to highlight the fact that everyone worldwide can be on the ground in Iran in real time - check my friend Elizabeth's FB status:

Elizabeth is blown away by revolution Twitter-style. Special tip: If you're injured, don't go to the hospital. Police are taking names and disappearing people directly from the ER. However, if you're on Twitter, you can link directly to a map of embassies that are accepting the injured.

Don't Hate Me Because I'm Ignorant

WTF is going on in Iran? Lord almighty I will be spending quality time with the Sunday Times tomorrow - I am clearly behind in current events.

Key economic indicator! Being too self-focused because of job/financial insecurity to stay up on the news. Sigh.

Iran overview.

Unbelievable photostream.

Ascertaining what the true Iran is has never been harder. What is clear, though, is that the electoral dispute has exposed a deep rift in Iranian society, one that cannot be measured or healed by vote counts. On each side, faith merges with perception, making the partisans believe with fierce certainty that they represent the country’s true majority.

Sound familiar?

The Bar for Health Care Advertising Has Been Raised

Friends Without Money

Here's a topic I think about constantly - even aside from the recession, as I get older, income and lifestyle among my circle of friends starts getting uneven. When we're in college and just out, the trend is to be cheap and then overspend on random occasions; the older we get, the smarter we get about money, thank goodness. All of my friends are from a middle class background, though we definitely range from lower-middle to upper.

And I see it in our current decisions. Being bohemian stops being cool after 26 for the friend that grew up in a nice suburb. The one with hippie parents never cares to upgrade from her Brooklyn studio. The one with still-married, solid income parents won't go below 1000 square feet when looking to buy a condo. The one from a humble background sees no need to drink anywhere other than a dive bar.

I hate it. I love that I'm a bargain hunter and relatively good with my money, but I hate talking about money, I think it's as tacky as talking about your diet (no, I do not need to hear about your latest cleanse). I hate that some of my friends literally make twice as much as I do. I hate that I sometimes make excuses not to go to dinner with my favorite friends because they pick a trendy (read: expensive) Meatpacking District restaurant. Instead of "inconveniencing" them, I consciously tip my social interaction toward my restaurant industry and artist friends, and especially my work friends who are also on paycuts and furloughs.

And I fear this will only get worse as we get older. My first friend to move to the NYC suburbs has an impossibly gorgeous house and nice car; some already have mountain or beach houses, even if it's due to parents rather than their own finances. And as women especially, who we date or marry really makes a difference. I hate to think that I'll miss out on group getaways or social events if I choose to keep working in the arts. I worry that I should have restricted my interest in the field to my weekends and gone corporate off the bat; wish my parents had been more aware of how these things go and explained it to me way back in high school. Although perhaps it was obvious. The problem with the American mantra of "Go for your dreams! The money will follow!" is that it just isn't that simple.

Anyway, this article on Slate is what got me thinking. Check it out.

Obama Helps Teh Gayz

I don't agree with Obama on the gay marriage issue (he's against it), but I very much appreciate this big step forward he make today.

Maybe my friend Babs wants to be my partner? I'd love some of those NYPD benefits...

In Other Nose-Related News

More dangers uncovered! Coincidence? Or global conspiracy???

So apparently the new way to get drugs from place to place is not to swallow condoms filled with the drugs, but to place the drugs inside what would have been a perfectly good candidate for my dinner. Hey PETA, throwing paint on people at Fashion Week is so last season! Sharks are the new minks! Best comment: "I just saw Amy Winehouse with a fishing rod."

Full article.

First Glue, Now This.

Oh great, now the government wants us to stop snorting yet another substance. Stay out of my nose, lawmakers!

Federal drug regulators warned consumers to stop using Zicam, a popular homeopathic cold remedy, because it could damage or destroy their sense of smell.

Full Story.

Holla at Ya Delegate

Well, well, guess who has been chosen as an official New York State Delegate for the Young Democrats of America Conference 2009? You know it! I wonder if they will put "Mayoress" on my name tag... if not, forget it.

Ellis Island is Actually Cool

I'd never had any interest in visiting Ellis, mainly because I didn't realize my mom's side of the family came through there and because I'd always been more interested in the "immigration" circumstances of my dad's side.

But guess what! Ellis Island is actually cool! Check it out:

And What Does a Piggy Say?

Slate Exposes Etsy. Thank God.

You know what I hate?

When someone thinks they're being creative and original and says to me, "I'm starting my own jewelry line!"

People. The world does not need more jewelry lines. There are plenty. Trust me.

But don't take my word for it.

In Which The Mayoress Gets A Court Date After All

Be careful what you wish for.

After my uneventful jury duty day, I was feeling restless and met up with a Cute Boy Who Shall Remain Nameless for drinks. Things went well, so I had the brilliant idea of showing him the view from the piers in Long Island City. Romantic, right? Yeah, the Mayoress has game.

We roll up, get rockstar parking, and walk over. There's a police barricade fence thing blocking the side entrance, no biggie, we go in, there are other people on the piers. Then we hear some guy yell, "Watch out! The cops are coming! It's the state police and they don't mess around!"

My date and I go different ways and seconds later, there's a flashlight on me. I get called over by Mr. MeanyPants NYPD Officer and stupidly remember someone I know getting out of charges by giving a false name. Leave me alone, I'd had a few drinks by that time.

Obvs the name doesn't check out in the system, so I give him my real info, and he makes me get in the cop car and threatens me with arrest and a night at central booking. In Queens.

After I ball my eyes out he gives me a ticket with a criminal court date of August 10. I get out of the car and get the hell out of there. My date and I find each other and I can't decide whether I'm more worried about the ticket or my eyes being all red in front of such a cute guy. He apologizes profusely, buys me a stiff drink, and the rest is not appropriate for this blog.

So! Rally together, Meet The Presslerians! Make your posters, get your "Free The Mayoress" tees, and meet me at the Queens County Courthouse for some real Law & Order type shit! Word.

Jury Duty: Nothing Like Law & Order

Attention, Brooklyn Courts! The following is a list of complaints re jury duty.

1. I was not chosen to sit on a jury. This is preposterous as I would make an awesome juror.
2. There was not enough exciting news on CNN playing in the waiting room all day so at least give me the remote.
3. Speaking of, how can you guys afford a bunch of flat screens with my tax money if I can't even afford one?
4. Someone in my voir dire smelled like booze.
5. Neither of the lawyers in my voir dire were hot and single.
6. Not one fellow juror was worth hitting on.
7. 8:30am? Really?? I'm supposed to be awake enough to make judgment calls about someone's innocence at that hour? If you ask me, everyone is guilty before noon.
8. Blogger was blocked from the waiting room computers so I couldn't live blog the action adventure of it all.
9. My camera was confiscated so I couldn't even get a cute pic with the judge for this post.
   

But on the bright, I rocked a super cute Legally Blonde-meets-Brooklyn outfit in the red/white/blue palette. Bring it!

Justice for All

This week's Savage Love column is brilliant of course, but the comments section in particular has some great thoughts on the gay marriage issue. I especially liked this one:

@27--"Isn't marriage fundamentally a religious institution?" Simply put, it isn't. There are a whole host of legal rights and responsibilities that a modern civil marriage grants. Off the top of my head: Next of kin benefits, the right of the spouse to be the one to make the crucial medical decisions when one becomes incapacitated. Survivor benefits, when you die, most workplaces have to pay your spouse some bucks. No spouse, no $$. You can't just unilaterally call it quits on your husband or wife and leave him or her out in the cold. When you marry, your spouse's kids more or less automatically become your kids, you have a stake in how they're raised.

And there're a lot more purely legalistic reasons why denying gays the right to marry is fundamentally legally discriminatory, and therefore in clear violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment to the US Constitution. It's not about religion, it's about justice. Liberty and justice for all.

Furthermore, "religion" itself doesn't unite with one voice to say anything about gay people. Yes, a lot of, perhaps most, discrete Christian sects are well behind the curve in their approach to gay rights, but not all. Unitarians are fully accepting of gays. Some Lutherans and Methodists are getting on board the big gay love bus. My own Episcopal church is busily tearing itself apart over the issue...

Obama on Democracy - Don't Miss This

Worst Job Ever

Brian Lehrer is interviewing the CFO on GM right now and is not holding back. Go to wnyc.org to listen.