By Debbie Schlussel
The media world–and some conservative hypocrites like Sean Vannity–are all abuzz over the Elizabeth Edwards interview with Oprah, which airs today on the daytime TV talk show host’s daily garbage-fest.
But it’s no cause for celebration. It’s actually very unseemly. Yes, the guy cheated. So, leave him . . . or not. But don’t do this “Jerry Springer” act all dressed up in the high-brow rapper of the corpulent high-priestess HOprah. If you do this–and Mrs. Edwards did–you really are no different than the trash on Jerry and Maury on every single other channel.
To air your whole dirty laundry on national TV and in a book you’re pimping, well, I’m sorry, Elizabeth Edwards, but I don’t feel for you.

Castration Pity Party: Oprah’s Latest Penis Removal Seminar
What this amounts to is a national television castration of the guy, something Oprah loves to do with cheating husbands. This fits nicely into her anti-male narrative. It’s nothing new. A husband took vows. He cheated. Especially a politician and one with lots of money. Some of the spouses even have cancer. Mrs. Edwards isn’t the first. And there’s really nothing new here . . . unless Rielle Hunter becomes the new spokeswoman for “No Excuses” jeans. And that wouldn’t be news either.
It’s not even new for Oprah. She had on a similarly wealthy and equally low-class “my man cheated on me” ranter from Detroit. A wealthy woman, Suzy Farbman, knew her gazillionaire hubby was a serial cheater on her. But she loved the money and the parties. So, instead, she stayed and wrote a book–which no-one bought or read. And got her sister, a friend and producer for Oprah, to put her and her “repenting” husband and their two sons on national TV for all the world to see. She got her revenge. Her husband’s penis is now basically gone, unable to be re-attached Bobbitt-style (no shocker or coincidence that Oprah featured a gushing interview with the castrater, Lorena Bobbitt, last week).
Sorry, but if your husband cheats on you, going on Oprah to talk about it and whine doesn’t make you any better. It kinda, sorta makes you worse.
Yes, John Edwards is a lout. But not because he’s a philanderer. He’s a cretin because he (and Elizabeth, who certainly doesn’t need the money from this book) made his money off the backs of doctors and hospitals in America, in ridiculous lawsuits in which he portrayed a fetus. That’s why he’s a creep. He’s a leftist, blood-sucking crook and paper pusher, with a giant mansion to show for it. It’s funny–on the Oprah site, it implores you to “go inside the home that John and Elizabeth Edwards built together.” Um, more like the home that the soaked, sued, and screwed doctors, hospitals, and middle-class patients of America built together.
But you won’t hear that on Oprah. Nope.
Instead, the cancer-stricken Mrs. Edwards is using some of her last days, not tending to her family or concerned with the more important issues of our day, like, for example, good medical treatment for less fortunate cancer patients whose insurance premiums are high or can’t get full treatment because their doctors, hospitals, etc. are constantly sued by people like her husband.
It’ll make a great epitaph:

Here Lies Elizabeth Edwards Who Spent Her Last Days Exposing Her Cheatin’ Husband to Oprah’s Housewife Viewers

Why is she doing this? What will it achieve? She doesn’t need the money from the book. If this is to embarrass her husband, why not just leave? Why go on national TV in a moving, talking version of a National Enquirer? The guy isn’t running for anything anymore. His political career is thankfully finished.
Sorry, but I can’t see the purpose in all of this . . . other than to have the unduly moralistic finger-wagger, Oprah, and the missus, expressing their moral outrage–OUTRAGE!–that a liberal, conscience-less hubby couldn’t keep his pants on.
More living, breathing evidence of the the trite old standby:

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned . . . and a sleazy, unduly-worshipped daytime talk show hostess in May ratings sweeps.

It’s shameless and salacious. And not just on Oprah’s part. That’s the usual. But on the woman done wrong’s part, too.
Here lies Elizabeth Edwards. All the money in the world didn’t stop her from doing her part for the low-class cesspool of daytime talk.

By Debbie Schlussel
Bet I laugh a lot. Stay tuned for my review, next week.

By Debbie Schlussel
Hmmm . . . Maybe these are some of the special “contributions” they’ll celebrate on Hawaii’s new Islam Day.
Whether it’s Minneapolis or New York City or Dearbornistan, our “peaceful” friends from the “Religion of Peace” continue to show us their own special brand of “peacefulness.” Alhamdillullah [praise allah].
But remember, it’s not right to judge. We have to be tolerant and understanding of other people’s lifestyles and values, and we can’t be judgmental in thinking our own Western, civilized ways are better. All things go (except our own way of life).
Multi-Culti tidings from Minneapolis:

The Dakota County Attorney’s Office says they will push additional charges against two young men accused of a shooting at a party in Lakeville that injured four people.
Officials say Ahmed Ali, who is either 19 or 20–however they are unsure because he has several aliases–is now the believed shooter in the incident and faces four felony counts of second-degree assault.

Religion of Peace = Religion of Pieces

Osman Oman Osman [DS: hey, why didn’t George Foreman think of tha?–could have named his sons, Foreman Foman Foreman], 20, has been charged with aiding an offender. Police say these two men escaped arrest on the night of March 29 after the incident and were later found in custody in other states.
Dakota County officials say the previous charges against Mohamed Yusef Hussein, 16, of Eden Prairie, were dismissed and the new charges of aiding and offender and providing a false name to a police officer were filed Tuesday.
Police initially had thought Hussein had been the shooter, but forensic evidence and witness statements have now pointed to Ali as the alleged suspect.
Aiding charges against two other teens–Jibril Farah Mohamed, 18, of Burnsville, and Mohamud Ahmed Hassan, 19, of Minneapolis–remain the same. Both of them remain in custody at the Hennepin County Jail.
Lakeville Police say they were called to a home in the Ardmore Mobile Home Park on Caesar Drive just before 12:30 a.m. on March 29 over a dispute about the lack of women at a party at the residence.

But, wait, I thought we were supposed to think that Muslims are more, um, “modest” and less interested in sex than anyone else.

According to the charges, more than a dozen adults and teens were present when police arrived. Police found a male shot in the forearm, another shot in the thigh, a third shot in the buttock, and a female shot slightly below the ankle.

As-Salaam Aleikum from Al-Big Apple:

A New York City storeowner has been convicted of beating a teenage boy in the head with a hammer, apparently ending his chances for an athletic career.
A surveillance video shows Salad Ahmed running from a side room of his Brooklyn grocery store and striking the 14-year-old with the heavy metal tool.
The district attorney’s office says he was convicted Wednesday of first-degree assault and faces up to 25 years in prison.
Prosecutors say Ahmed beat the teen because he had been in a fight with his nephew, a cashier in the store. . . .
The teen has mostly recovered. He testified his speech is still slurred because of his injuries and he’s no longer a star athlete.

Like I said, their own special brand of “peace” suitable for celebratory IEDs on Islam Day. As reader Shy Guy says, “Allah-loha!”

By Debbie Schlussel
The first video is self-explanatory and cute.
The second one, not so much. It puts forth the BS liberal Leonard Nimoy has been spouting for years. He pimps on some Jewish audience the baloney that Judaism is a liberal religion. It isn’t. In fact, religiously observant Jews are very conservative and usually vote that way. It’s the lapsed ones who are libs. Then, he goes on to use the Hebrew words for G-d’s name in vain, and as I told you before, explains how he ripped off the holy greeting of the Jewish priests–the Cohens or “Cohanim”–for his Spock greeting. Can you imagine if a Muslim mocked his religion in vain for a sci-fi movie? He’d be dead. FYI, “shul” is synagogue, the “bima” is a synagogue podium, and “talit” is the Jewish prayer shawl he puts on. For the record, I never look during the prayer of the Cohens–one of Judaism’s coolest and most moving ceremonies. It’s a very important prayer, and it’s sad Nimoy mocked it and used it for “Star Trek.” But then, again, Nimoy used the word, “Shekhina”–the spirit of G-d–as the title of his nudie book of women posing with Jewish religious paraphernalia. Funny, he doesn’t mention that to this gullible audience. The dude is a creep.

By Debbie Schlussel
*** review bumped up from Midnight ***
Stardate 2009.05.07. (Okay, I promise, this is the last stardate . . . until the next “Star Trek” movie.)
Though I’m no Trekkie, I liked the “Star Trek” TV series re-runs and movies as much as the next person (and my mom taught Leonard Nimoy’s son in the New York Public Schools–see my Schlussel Star Trek Trivia post
). But it was getting a little old, like its stars, and tired and haggard. Heck, the original Scottie, James Doohan, is long dead. And the last couple of sequels and TV spin-offs were just not all that.
But “Star Trek,” the latest installment of this late ’60s TV series turned movie franchise, breathes new life into it. And it’s a fun, engaging update, which not only pays homage to its past, but even includes one of the past–Leonard Nimoy as original Spock–in a significant role. His presence is a nice handing off of the proverbial baton, and I’m sure William Shatner is regretting his decision to have himself killed off as the original Kirk, preventing any plausible return in this incarnation.

The movie begins tonight in limited release, with full national release Friday. I saw it amidst a Trekkie audience that consumed it like junkies on crack.
“Star Trek” isn’t so much a “sequel” as it is a reboot with a modern update. We learn how James Tiberias Kirk became Captain of the U.S.S. Starship, and how the half-Vulcan/half-human Spock got there, too. We see both of them as young kids, and that’s fun and interesting. It’s always fun to see a young Vulcan beat up other Vulcans who mock his half-humanness. And it’s fun to see the robot cops on flying motorcycles apprehending a wayward young daredevil, Kirk.
There’s somewhat of a confusing flashback/flash-forward to get us through this and bring back original Spock. But it all gets straightened out and tidied up eventually, amidst terrific special effects and battles with Romulan aliens.
Yes, there is the usual beaming up (and down) of the crew of the spaceship, which is in space amidst a threat from the surviving Romulans (led by actor Eric Bana), out to destroy some important planets. And there are the lines we’ve all come to remember from Montgomery Scott a/k/a “Scotty,” Nimoy’s Spock, and the like.
And the resemblance between the old and new cast members with some modern snarky updates is incredible. The new Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy character, played by Karl Urban, reminds us of the original, DeForest Kelley, getting his mannerisms and hyper-seriousness exactly on point. Ditto for Zachary Quinto’s Spock, who looks just like the younger Nimoy, after make-up, eyebrow transplant, and ear-plasty (or whatever you call an “ear job”). And, of course, main star Chris Pine (whom I liked in last year’s excellent “Bottle Shock”–read my review) is a good casting choice as the funny, restless and slackerish yet smart James Kirk. He’s got spunk, and he’s funny. And I like the new Scotty, as well as learning how he learns to transport members of the Enterprise while the ship is moving. You hardly notice he is the usually goofy comedic actor, Simon Pegg, even though he’s, well, goofy.
If there were any characters I thought were over the top or who added nothing, that would be Chekov and Sulu. Anton Yelchin overdoes Chekov’s Russian accent, extending a stupid joke from a previous Star Trek movie, about being unable to pronounce the “v” sound (which is actually a sound quite common in Russian and easily pronounced–Vasily, Vladimir, Vanya, etc.). The role of Hikaru Sulu is wasted on John Cho, whom we’ll forever see as the stoner in the Harold & Kumar movies. He seems to be there only because he shares George Takei’s Asian visage. Cho adds nothing and is barely noticed. Takei has nothing to worry about in terms of a Star Trek legacy because his “replacement” is like the invisible man.
The beautiful Zoe Saldana, too, adds nothing as Uhura and is more supermodel than Nichelle Nichols’ race-barrier-breaking original. But she is cute and adds the chick factor and mini-skirts to lighten things up.
The always handsome and charismatic Bruce Greenwood as the mature Captain Pike, teacher to both star pupils Kirk and Spock, is a better fit. On the other hand, it was weird and jarring to see the aging Winona Ryder as Spock’s human mother. Shoplifting at Saks makes you look old, apparently, in addition to a good make-up artist on the set.
In case you were wondering, there is “interspecies erotica”–sort of–in this movie. Not the vile, disgusting kind as in “Clerks 2” (read my review of that depraved flick), but very tame romance between humans and aliens . . . and half-aliens (don’t worry, parents, it’s just some kisses and a scene in underwear).
Sad to say, there are no Klingons in this installment (though there is one passing reference). They need to save something for the next sequel.

Old Spock, New Spock
There isn’t a lot of suspense or excitement to the story, but that’s typical of the “Star Trek” genre, both on TV and on screen. Some of the best scenes include one in which Kirk trying to escape giant beings chasing him on a wintry planet. It’s reminiscent of a young Luke Skywalker running from beings in “Star Wars.” And a cool bar scene toward the beginning is also reminiscent of Star Wars’ “Cantina,” with aliens drinking and partying side by side with human space crew members. Both scenes were fun, light, and escapist, the way you want your sci-fi adventure movies to be. I want one of those cool Starship Enterprise salt shakers.
Another bonus: The movie is fine for kids, other than some four-letter words and one frisky, relatively tame brief scene between Kirk and a green woman. It’s not very violent. There are a few fighting scenes between Enterprise crew and alien Romulans, but it’s not bloody or disturbing in the least. It’s basic Star Trek-esque stuff. Also great, the movie is devoid of political sentiment and statements. Very welcome.
If anything, this movie is brighter and more optimistic, plus more humorous than I remember the other “Star Trek” movies. The cast is mostly fresh and a welcome update.
With this new, young cast amply comprising the updated Enterprise crew we know and love, you can be sure the “Star Trek” series will live long and prosper.
Don’t beam me up just yet, Scotty. There’s actually some tiny modicum of intelligent life in Hollywood, after all.
THREE REAGANS

***
BTW, there’s sort of an homage to this scene in the new “Star Trek” movie (and I’m not talking about that weird man-bra Kirk is wearing):

PREVIOUS: “Star Trek” Fever

By Debbie Schlussel
Our longtime very cool Hawaiian conservative surfer friend, Jingo Go Go, alerts us to his state’s pathetic latest display of Islamopandering: Islam Day. No surprise, given the fact that Islamopandering doesn’t just happen in Dearbornistan. It happens everywhere.
Soon, no more bikinis and hula dances in Mauistan. But, hey, maybe they’ll still allow women to wear a lei around their full-ninja niqab face-veil.

Hawaii is planning to celebrate “Islam Day” over the objections of state lawmakers who associate extremist Muslims with terrorism.
The resolution to proclaim Sept. 24, 2009, as Islam Day passed the Senate today on a 22-3 vote.
As more than 100 Christians gathered in the Senate to oppose same-sex civil unions cheered, the Senate’s two Republicans argued that members of all religions shouldn’t forget the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Hawaii Honors the “Positive Contributions” of Islam . . .

Palestinian Woman on Ramallah Street Cheers 9/11 Attacks.

Democrats countered that the diversity and positive contributions of the Islamic world should be honored.
The resolution does not call for any spending or organized celebration of Islam Day.

When is Satanist Day? If they won’t be spending any tax money on it, why not recognize the positive contributions of devil worshippers to our world.
Marilyn Manson can officiate.
Says Jingo Go Go:

September 24th, 13–that’s right 13!–days after the day that marks the only contribution by Islam to our society. That would be the giant hole in the ground in New York, the burnt patch in Pennsylvania, and the hole in the Pentagon.
Excellent contributions, huh?!

Don Ho is turning over in his grave. Maybe they can change the lyrics of “Tiny Bubbles” to “Terror Bombers.”

By Debbie Schlussel
Not sure why, but today on Twitter, one of the trending topics is “crap names for pubs”–in Twitter talk, that’s #crapnamesforpubs.
Some of them are funny or crappy names of actual bars. Others are made up names from Twitterers like me. I tweeted a couple of names I made up (okay, so the second one is a throw away):
* “Beer Goggles Vision Institute”
* “Or Are You Just Glad to See Me?”
Follow me on Twitter.
How ’bout giving us some other “crap names for pubs” in the comments section.

By Debbie Schlussel
It was bad enough when the Bush Administration sent lower-level Department of Homeland Security employees, like Daniel Sutherland, to fete the Muslim-dominated, deceptively-named American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
But now, “Lesbionic Woman” Janet Napolitano‘s DHS is sending her chosen second-in-command (and fellow brush-cut devotee), Jane Holl Lute, to fete this openly pro-Hezbollah, pro-HAMAS group.
It’s simply sickening. You cannot at once head an organization which, by its name, claims to be the Department of Homeland Security and at the same time, pander to groups that openly support mass murderers of Americans and Westerners.
Well, you can, if you’re the Napolitano and DHS bunch (regardless of Republican or Democrat administration). Oh, and by the way, FBI Assistant Director and Bin Laden buddy John Miller will be their to break pita with these pan-barbarians, too.

Deputy DHS Secretary Jane Holl Lute Fetes Hezbollah/HAMAS Supporters
(DHS Artwork by Fred Taub/Boycott Watch)
Even more outrageous, among the honorees, is a group of lawyers who successfully challenged Homeland Security and the FBI in preventing them from taking the adequate time necessary to do background checks on Muslim immigrants. Yup, why should we check their backgrounds? Let’s just let everyone in.
And among the main honorees is Salam Al-Marayati–the man who, on 9/11, was on the radio blaming Israel and the Jews for the attacks. He’s getting an award for “constructively addressing” Muslim’s post-9/11 problems. Yup, that’s constructive indeed. Blame the Jews. He’s also the guy whose wife’s (Dr. Laila Al-Marayati’s) charity, KinderUSA, had to shut down after it admittedly and openly funded HAMAS homicide bombers. Uh-huh, this is exactly the kind of guy with whom top DHS and FBI counterterrorism officials should be sharing the stage. Alhamdillullah [praise allah].
Mr. Al-Marayati, unsuccessfully threatened me with lawsuits, in an attempt to get me to stop writing the truth about him and his wife. So much for the “civil rights” that these frauds keep whining about. “Civil rights for me, but not for thee.”

DHS Deputy Secretary to Keynote Civil Rights Awards Lunch at ADC Annual National Convention
Washington, DC | May 6, 2009 The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is proud to announce that Deputy Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Jane Holl Lute will deliver the keynote remarks during this year’s Civil Rights Awards Lunch headlining an outstanding program of awards and speakers at one of the anchor events during the ADC Annual National Convention.
The Deputy Secretary, the second-ranking official at DHS after Secretary Napolitano, has over 30 years of dedicated military and executive experience and has served as Assistant Secretary General to the United Nations responsible for the support of international peacekeeping operations. ADC is pleased to welcome Deputy Secretary Lute to discuss the ongoing challenges facing law enforcement and the post-9/11 communities and the struggle to maintain and promote civil rights and security simultaneously.
Also confirmed to deliver special remarks at the Saturday June 13 lunch is Chair of the House Judiciary Committee Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). Congressman Conyers has been a tireless advocate for civil rights and most recently championed legislation to provide resources to law enforcement to combat hate crimes. Since the days when he marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Congressman Conyers has been working to protect the rights of all Americans and the integrity of our Constitutional values.
The honorees at this year’s Civil Rights Awards Lunch include Yale Law School’s Lowenstein Human Rights Clinic and National Litigation Project. Spearheaded by Professors Michael Wishnie, Hope Metcalf, Ramzi Kassem, Tina Monshipour Foster, and an outstanding team of Yale law students, the clinic continues to play a central and instrumental role in exposing targeted round-ups of Muslim immigrants during Operation Frontline in 2004 and 2005. Through the work of the clinic, a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit resulted in the release of key documentation on Operation Frontline which, when analyzed, demonstrated systematic discrimination in immigration raids targeting Muslim immigrants.
Also, ADC is proud to present this year’s Excellence in Advocacy Award to the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) for their outstanding work toward substantively and constructively addressing challenges facing the Arab and Muslim community post-9/11. The Award will be accepted by MPAC Executive Director Salam Al-Marayati who has successfully spearheaded MPAC’s excellent advocacy efforts on multiple levels.
Other confirmed speakers during this year’s ADC Annual National Convention include Surprise Special Guest ***, Congressman Keith Ellison, Congressman John Dingle [DS: sic], Congressman Brian Baird, Congresswoman Donna Edwards, Archbishop Cappucci of Jerusalem, Dean of the White House Press Corps Helen Thomas, Professor John Mearsheimer, J Street Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami, Palestinian Member of the Kenesset Said Naffaa, Professor Saad Eddine Ibrahim, ACLU National Board Member Preetmohan Singh, FBI Assistant Director John Miller, and AFL-CIO Middle East and North Africa Director Heba El-Shazli.

Ah, the whole crazy pinata of Islamo-water carriers. Should be lots of fun. As fun as getting your fingernails pulled out.
One other thing: I guess it doesn’t matter much to either of these top law enforcement officials that the ADC’s fellow head butch, Mary Rose Oakar, was forced out of Congress when she was one of the biggest check-kiters in the Congressional check scandal. She also lied to the FBI, along with her nephew-employee and tried to cover it up. She nearly escaped being a convicted felon in a ridiculously soft plea deal the feds gave this swell “law-abiding” Arab-American.
That’s not to mention that ADC’s Senior National Advisor and Midwest Regional Director is FBI Award Revokee, “former” PFLP terrorist, and marriage fraud perpetrator Imad Hamad.

By Debbie Schlussel
Stardate 2009.05.06.
I just got permission from the studio to post my “Star Trek” review, soon. It’ll be up at about Midnight, Tonight. You can also hear my review, latenight, along with my discussion of other topics on the nationally syndicated ABC Radio show, “The Curtis Sliwa Show,” where I usually make a weekly appearance or more.
Stay tuned.

By Debbie Schlussel
Hmmm . . . for the life of me, I can’t figure out why what these people did is wrong. After all, aren’t we supposed to be tolerant of others’ lifestyles and values that are different than our own?
That’s what they keep telling us.
I wrote about this charming couple, last year. Now they’ve finally been sentenced. A question that hasn’t been answered: how much of this money did these Shi’ite Muslims send back to Hezbollah in their native Lebanon?

A Dearborn[ISTAN] man and wife who ran a Detroit convenience store were both sent to prison for food stamp fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.
Wasfi Shalhout, 50, was sentenced to 36 months in prison. His wife, Fatima Shalhout, 43, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

The Shalhouts, who ran Ann’s Market in Detroit, were sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Paul D. Borman.
The Court was told the couple tried to defraud the federal government of about $1.3 million by paying customers about 50 cents on the dollar for their food stamp benefits, then getting reimbursed by the government for the entire amount. . . .
Attorney Harold Fried said in a sentencing memorandum that Wasfi Shalhout “is extremely remorseful for his actions,” and “realizes that he has humiliated, embarrassed and shamed himself, his children, and all those who have supported him.”

Uh, no, they are extremely “remorseful” that they got caught. And so nice that these Shi’ite Muslim Hezbollah constituents hired an “evil Zionist” lawyer to defend them. Typical.
More:

U.S. District Judge Paul Borgman sentenced Fatima Shalhout, 43, president, secretary and treasurer of Ranyah Management Inc. doing business as Ann’s Market, and Wasfi Shalhout, 50, the company operations and business manager. . . .
The Shalhouts allegedly charged a total of $1.26 million in fraudulent transactions, but restitution was for only $1.17 million. The government had already seized about $80,000 through warrants in the case.

Yeah, good luck getting that money back. Like I said, it’s already been invested in some Hezbo rockets, back home, aimed at Israel.
It should be noted that this and other food stamp busts of Muslims in and around Dearbornistan and Detroit were the work NOT of the incompetent FBI. In this case, the successful investigation was the work of IRS agents and those who work for the Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General. Most other successful cases like this–where food stamp fraud in Michigan is foiled (and usually perpetrated by Muslim Arabs)–are the work of the Michigan State Police and a special unit run by Michigan State Police Detective Lt. Marty Bugbee.