I just heard that the Vegas strip Casino Caucuses will proceed. A lawsuit from the teachers union (backing Clinton) claimed that the special "at-large" caucus sites gave the Culinary Workers union (which is backing Obama) unfair advantage. Tori, the pole dancer, will be jumping and swinging for joy.
I was at the Culinary Workers headquarters on Monday (for a CBS Sunday Morning piece to air this weekend). It was pretty interesting listening to supervisors brief canvassers on how to pitch voters door-to-door.
I also missed the premiere of American Idol on Tuesday. But the subject gives me an excuse to post a picture of myself with my favorite contestant ever:
Look, everyone! It's me and Elliott Yamin. (Or is it "It's I and Elliott Yamin!"?) The fifth-season third-place finisher captured all our hearts with his Stevie Wonder suavity and dedication to his mother. A type-1 diabetic, 90% deaf in his right ear, and an admittedly lousy dancer, Elliott defied the odds to become a fan favorite. (When I lectured at Richmond, Virginia's Weinstein JCC two years ago -- it was Purim so I made my own hamantashen to give out -- I was hardly surprised by the reverence with which they spoke about their newest hometown hero.)
I had feared that getting his famously crooked teeth straightened might affect his singing voice adversely. The most minute changes can throw off the delicate balance of intangibles that add up to star quality. Were Elliott's teeth the equivalent of Streisand's nose? The imperfection at the heart of perfection?
I'm happy to report not. His voice still sounds great - and his new teeth are terrific, even if they're slightly oversized. Plus he's a really nice guy.
***
UPDATE: During the taping of Wait Wait, I had a splitting question. When I asked the live audience if anyone had a pain killer, two lovely women bounded up to the stage. One gave me two Aleves (my favorite); the other unzipped her plastic pill carrier and out spilled several brown pills, all different shapes. What were they?!
ALSO: Is anyone from Detroit, Milwaukee or Chicago reading? I think I might eat my first Paczki this year! Have you eaten one? What can I expect?
Reader Comments ( Page 5 of 5)
61. Mo,
A Pazcki is sort of like a creme puff or a Boston creme donut. It's a slightly-flattened ball of dough filled with one of several fillings, such as lemon, strawberry, blueberry, or my favoite, Bavarian creme.
The ones I've eaten are glazed, but the glazing is thinner than a basic Krispy Kreme donut.
Now, I've seen Pazckis with chocolate filling and/or chocolate frosting, but that is just wrong. That is nothing near the traditional Pazcki.
Kent at 12:54AM on Jan 22nd 2008