My New Hero Is Keith Wagner: High School Journalist

From the Phoenix New Times:

By Stephen Lemons, Monday, Jun. 14 2010 @ 8:22AM



Huppenthal spanked hard by a student journalist. Is this sweet or what?

No one's ever accused Republican state Senator John Huppenthal of being the brightest bulb in the state GOP's closet. You might think Huppenthal's lowest moment came when he scuffled with a 78 year-old Democratic activist on election day 2008 over a yard sign. He was ultimately found not guilty of sign tampering and theft, but he ended up looking like a sneaky, aggro dolt nonetheless.

In fact, the hapless Huppenthal actually stated in court that he was afraid the senior citizen lady was going to carjack him.

But local student journalist Keith Wagner of Tempe's Corona del Sol High School has done Huppenthal's septuagenarian combatant one better by interviewing Huppenthal and politely, quietly skewering him, confronting the smarmy state Senator with his vote to gut funding to the state's Career and Technical Education programs. This, after Huppenthal bemoans such cuts.

The long form of Wagner's report, which gives more context to the interview:



The result is freaking hilarious, with Huppenthal so flummoxed that he has to get up and walk away. Keep in mind, Huppenthal is currently campaigning for the GOP nod for Arizona schools superintendent.

Ironically, that position has a rich tradition of being held by class-A boobs such as Tom Horne, so it should surprise no one if Huppenthal eventually wins the gig.

Huppenthal's also a toady of state Senator Russell Pearce, and has spat bogus stats in the past regarding the state's undocumented population. When challenged, he was unable to supply the source of his false factoid. Classic.

Wagner's video is getting heavy play locally by liberals on Facebook and other sites, and deservedly so. If more journalists were to follow Wagner's lead, maybe there'd be fewer clowns like Huppenthal in office.

Okay, that's wishful thinking. This is Arizona after all, the Land Time Forgot for a Reason. But still, it's worth a shot...


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I used to live about 2 blocks down the street from that school. Fucking FIERCE.

I think they should make this Keith Wagner kid AZ Schools Superintendent. They should make Huppenthal give up his Senate seat to him, too. that would be rad. This kid just wrote his own fucking ticket in a field that is hemorrhaging jobs.

EAT HIT MATE VOMIT

in that order, if at all possible.

isn't EAT HIT MATE VOMIT the name of that new Julia Roberts movie coming out this summer?

The Golden Girls in "Clueless"

Sans Bea Arthur, who was kind of a wet blanket when you think about it- she quit Golden Girls, and then she wouldn't take part in this skit, either. You're not supposed to quit the hit, Bea! Remember that for your next incarnation, yeah?

Happy Eleventh ROBSETHVERSARY!

Above: Rob at the Ratt/Edgar Winter Group/Starship/38 Special Fairground Spectacular on 05/23/2010, at which we got matching sunburns.

I was supposed to do this on june 4th, not june 6th, but i didn't forget, i just didn't do the blog post.

I met my best friend rob 11 years and two days ago, and we've been pals ever since. Have things gotten stale? Have we grown apart?

NO! You want proof? i can give you some anecdotal proof right now.

The other day, june 3rd, when Rue McLanahan died, some of you may recall that i talked about Betty White being a Highlander. I also tweeted about it. That afternoon at about 2:30, i get a text message from Rob. Talking about how Betty White is a Highlander, and that there can be only one. Later that night i called to say hey, and i asked him if he'd read my blog or tweets about Rue and Betty, and that i'd written about the very same thing, almost word for word. I was sure he must have, but sure enough, NOPE! he came up with the thought by his own self.

Pretty fucking cool.

The Secret of Kells

I am totally going to go see this today after i apply for the janitor job at the loft.

Thank You For Being A WHORE

Above: a young(er) Rue McLanahan after presumably helping Dustin Hoffman practice for the cougar rape scenes in 'The Graduate.'

Rue McLanahan has passed away at the age of 76 after suffering another massive stroke. She will be remembered fondly for her role as Blanche Devereaux, the Whoriest of the Golden Girls. History will forever remember her as the horrible woman who sexualized an entire generation of geriatrics. Thanks for that, Rue.

*shudder*

This of course means that earlier this year when Betty White told Rue "Dear Rue, I hope you hurry up and die so I can be the last Golden Girl left. NOT KIDDING," it wasn't a cute little get well card so much as a DEATH CURSE, which worked it's charms, leaving Betty White THE SOLE GOLDEN GIRL LEFT STANDING.


Golden Girls are not unlike Highlanders, in that there can be only one.

Digital Orca

Author Douglas Coupland (Generation X, Shampoo Planet, Microserfs, All Families Are Psychotic, The Gum Thief) designed this piece for the Vancouver Convention Center. I thought it was pretty cool.

From the plaque at the site:

The 'Digital Orca' sculpture breaks down a three-dimensional Orca whale (they are really dolphins not whales, but I digress...) into cubic pixels - making a familiar symbol of the West Coast become something unexpected and new. This use of natural imagery modified by technology bridges the past to the future. It speaks to the people and activities that created Vancouver's thriving harbour culture, while addressing the massive changes reshaping the BC economy. The sculpture's metal construction and lighting components evoke the daily moods of the harbour and the diversity of those who work there.

Douglas Coupland 2010