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I know we're talking a lot of politics/economy around here these days, but, like, this is super-duper important, especially this close to an election, and my conversation with my sister last night really alerted me to the fact that a lot of U.S. voters have no clear idea what's going on here. (And it has a huge impact on folks overseas as well!) However you feel about it, and however you're voting, it's just generally useful to understand what went wrong and why.
A girlfriend sent along a very easy to understand (and funny!) PowerPoint presentation explaining this "sub-prime mortgage crisis." It's a term you hear thrown around a LOT these days, but what does it mean? What went wrong? I uploaded the presentation for you guys. You can download it here. />
I know we're talking a lot of politics/economy around here these days, but, like, this is super-duper important, especially this close to an election, and my conversation with my sister last night really alerted me to the fact that a lot of U.S. voters have no clear idea what's going on here. (And it has a huge impact on folks overseas as well!) However you feel about it, and however you're voting, it's just generally useful to understand what went wrong and why.
A girlfriend sent along a very...
Because we have a much bigger problem if today ends up being all about how Sarah Palin cheated on her husband. />...
So I'm trying to help my little sister buy a house in Southern California, where she's getting her smarty-pants PhD, by co-signing with her and guiding her through the murky waters of the home ownership process. And I'm on the phone last night with the lender, and, despite the fact that my sister has zero debt and my current debt-to-income ratio is, and always has been, well below 1/2, and despite the fact that we have 15% to put down and are requesting a regular-sized loan, there is still, he explains, no fucking way we're getting a loan right now. He's very sorry, and we should get back in touch in a few months. So I call my sister last night to try to explain this to her, and I start with, "So, um, you're aware that we're currently in like a major economic crisis?" and she's like, "Huh?" and I'm like, "Have you heard anything on the news about this whole collapse of Wall Street? The Lehman bankruptcy? The fact that the U.S. economy as we knew it died a couple weeks ago?" and she's like, "Oh, no. I know I should follow that stuff, but I just don't."
ZOMG.
The insular existence of a scientist.
So for those few registered voters out there who are still BLISSFULLY UNAWARE THAT OUR ECONOMY IS COLLAPSING AND JOHN MCCAIN IS THE ONLY PERSON ON EARTH WHO CAN SAVE IT, McCain is now requesting that he and Obama postpone the first Presidential debate to "focus on the economy."
"I am calling on the president to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself," McCain told reporters while in New York, where he and running mate Sarah Palin were meeting with world leaders at the United Nations. "It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem." The White House said in a statement that it appreciates McCain's suggestion.
"It's time for both parties to come together to solve this problem," McCain said. "We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats and Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved." According to Fox News, McCain has also suspended the airing of all campaign ads as he works on the crisis.
According to CNN, the surprise move by McCain came just hours after the Obama campaign reached out to McCain's camp Wednesday morning to suggest that the candidates release a joint statement on the principles they think are important to incorporate in any bailout bill. The statement would also stress that it is important for Congress to work together on this bill. At 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, McCain returned the call and agreed to work together on some language for a joint statement. That statement was expected by the end of the day, along with comments from Obama on the McCain's suspension and the bailout bill.
Sources reportedly told CNN that Obama would not be suspending his campaign and saw no reason to cancel Friday's debate. At press time, the Obama camp had not yet issued a statement.
I bet there is a LOT of eye-rolling going on at Obama headquarters this afternoon. />So I'm trying to help my little sister buy a house in Southern California, where she's getting her smarty-pants PhD, by co-signing with her and guiding her through the murky waters of the home ownership process. And I'm on the phone last night with the lender, and, despite the fact that my sister has zero debt and my current debt-to-income ratio is, and always has been, well below 1/2, and despite the fact that we have 15% to put down and are requesting a regular-sized loan, there is still, he explains,...
No, no, nobody proposed. Calm down, Mom.
It's a much bigger deal than that.
Jen Schefft is engaged.
Seriously, I'm wandering around the Film.com offices this afternoon, and I walk into Laremy's office to have a very serious chat with him about how he doesn't return my IMs promptly enough ("Was I away? Did you see an away message? Then I didn't get the IM. Because I do other things sometimes besides sit at my desk in case you IM me.").
Laremy shares an office with Pamela. As I'm berating Laremy, Pamela gasps. Like, loudly. W...
My trainer the other day was all like, "Hey, are you watching that new Rachel Zoe show? I LOVE her! She cracks me up," and I was like, "Yes, she's amusing, but also: everything she touches turns to starving."
I have to admit, though, I kind of love Rachel as a stylist. You know how I've been raving about how freaking amazing Anne Hathaway's looked on red carpets lately? You know who her new stylist is? Yeah, Rachel Zoe.
So I've kind of been obsessively following everything she's worn to...
...
Today, for the first time in the history of my entire life, I laughed out loud at something scribbled on a photo on PerezHilton.com.
It was, of course, done by Perez's new ghost-blogger, "liz," and not by him, which explains why it had a fighting chance at being funny. Oh, and it wasn't semen.
Seriously though, "O nuthin jus bein gay" is totally how I'm going to respond to any queries of "What's up?" in the future. ...
Gag me.
On entering a room filled with several Pakistani officials this afternoon, Palin was immediately greeted by Sherry Rehman, the country's Information Minister.
"And how does one keep looking that good when one is that busy?" Rehman asked, drawing friendly laughter from the room when she complimented Palin.
"Oh, thank you," Palin said.
Pakistan's recently-elected president, Asif Ali Zardari, entered the room seconds later. Palin rose to shake his hand, saying she was “hon...
Former hottie Bruce Willis is signed on for his directorial debut with the indie psychological drama Three Stories About Joan.
Bruce will have a supporting role in the film, but the lead will be played by 10,000 BC star Camilla Belle (who is not the girl in the picture -- that's his girlfriend, Emma Heming).
Also appearing in the film: Kieran Culkin. ...
From today's Page Six:
JUST as Page Six predicted a month ago, Hugh Hefner's sham-like world is falling apart. His youngest "girlfriend," Kendra Wilkinson, has been hooking up with Philadelphia Eagle Hank Baskett. Now, it seems his "No. 1" gal pal is looking for an out, too. Tongues wagged when Holly Madison was pictured with notorious ladies' man Criss Angel, and now she tells Us magazine her relationship with Hef will end. "I want to be with somebody who I can be married to, and have ...
It never ceases to amaze me how under-the-radar this couple is most of the time. I actually have a lot of respect for them in that regard. I know, I know. If you'd told me last year that I would be using the word "respect" in reference to Jessica Biel, I would have been like, "I'm sorry, but by 'respect' do you mean 'slut'?" But she actually hasn't been pimping out this relationship, surprisingly.
But, every now and then, photogs catch them being adorable, like this little snuggle in Milan...