A Big Fat Waste of Time

CNN International Vs. CNN American Morning

Things I watched on CNN International every morning while I was in Italy:

Coverage on the war in Iraq:
A report on random U.S. raids of Iraqi civilian homes in an attempt to ferret out suspected terrorist sympathizers
This is the deadliest month for coalition forces since the war began:
The ambush and murder of 7 Spanish special agents by the Iraqis
The killing of 46 Iraqis who sought to ambush American troops
Two Japanese diplomats gunned down by Iraqis
The ambush of two S. Korean electrical engineers in Iraq
Mounting fear of terrorist acts in Europe (This meant the Italian passport policeman actually looked up at me before stamping my passport in the airport.)

World AIDS Day-December 1, 2003:
Reports from the UN on international statistics--
3 million people expected to die this year from AIDS--80% of them in Africa.
Russia’s ministry of health says AIDS cases rose almost 100% in 2000.
Thousands of Chinese farmers spread epidemic after selling their blood at unsterilized blood banks
"The statistics are horrifying, the consequences are devastating, and the worst is yet
to come," London’s Financial Times says.

UN launches its international campaign, “Men Make a Difference” calling on men of the world to change their sexual behavior if the AIDS epidemic is to be stopped

Live broadcast of the concert for AIDS awareness in S. Africa sponsored by Nelson Mandela (Beyoncé did her country proud)

A report on a healthy man in Africa who has volunteered to try out an AIDS vaccine in hopes of discovering a cure to help his devastated community

President Bush planning to drop foreign steel tariffs:
A politically sensitive move that could negatively impact the U.S. steel industry causing mass unemployment

The U.S. dollar drops to its lowest exchange rate in the history of the Euro (sucks for me as I'm shopping in Rome)

Two white American policemen in Cincinatti beat a black American civilian until he's dead

Michael Jackson's misfortunes

Things I have watched on CNN’s "American Morning" for the past three mornings since I’ve been back in New York:

In depth analysis of The Simple Life:
Will there be a season two since Nicole is now in rehab?
It has been suggested that the two girls should be sent to live in Africa next
Simultaneous ticker tape reports U.S. raids in Iraq snagged dozens of rebels

A caloric breakdown of the new holiday drinks from Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts
If you’re not careful, you could gain five pounds by the end of the holidays

Terror at the Mall
The G's say this holiday season shopping could really blow up and they really mean BLOW UP

Grammy Predictions
Will Beyoncé kick ass?

Dru Sjodin search continues

Sniper in Ohio

Stupid things Arnold Swarzenegger said, "I think gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman."

350 pound black man dies after police beating

Michael Jackson's misfortunes

Google Gets Opinionated about Our President

I just read this on Say Anything who got it from The Agitator and I think it's worth spreading around like an STD, so spread it.
Go to Google. Type in a search for "miserable failure" and hit the "I feel lucky" button. George Bush's biography comes up. Props to Google. That's funny, yo.

Just got back from lunch at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square, (getting my balanced diet of tasty tunes), where Michael Jackson's "No. 1's" is No. 3 (and climbing, presumably). Food for thought.

Things that made me want to gouge my eyes out last night within a two hour period of prime time television watching / Possible reasons why foreigners want to bomb us:

Trista and Ryan’s Wedding
The Lighting of the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center
The O.C.
Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson
CNN’s "coverage" of the war in Iraq
Kelly Clarkson
The Simple Life
Big in 2003
The…Oh fuck! Just read your tv guide.

I went all the way to Italy and all you get is this stinking t-shirt.

Actually, i'll be posting pictures of my fabulous Italian vacation as soon as I get them from my traveling companion. But until that time, did you know that Rome makes Manhattan look like it's being personally outfitted by Walmart? I've been to Europe before. I was prepared for the fashion, but this was sensory overload. The children, no the infants, are better dressed than most of the mo's in the West Village. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that everywhere you go in Italy there is a fashion show on TV. In the airport, at the local bar, even on the airplane (Alitalia, of course). Still, the Italians have nothing on American personal hygiene. While boarding our connecting flight from Milan to Venice, an Italian guy lifted his arms to place his suitcase in the overhead while his traveling companion simultaneously plopped down in his seat and released twenty some years of accumulated European funk molecules in my general direction. When it comes down to it, I'll take Dial over Prada anyday.

Ironically, I discovered today that My people invented body odor. Well, at least we had the decency to come up with a cure.