You gotta have a gimmick, or so the sage stripper advised "Gypsy."

And, with espresso saturation in Seattle and environs at the level of an Exxon Valdez oil spill, sexy gimmicks are the new way for baristas [people who have expertise in making espresso-based coffee drinks] to hook drive-through drinkers with the lure of an especially naughty latte.

We already have "sexpressos," where babe-alicious baristas grind the goods in tiny see-through negligees, thongs and bikini tops.

In Tukwila there's Cowgirls Espresso. In Port Orchard, Natte Latte, in Renton, Bikini Espresso, and there are more. Some spots even feature fetish themes.   more »

Inadvertently, Warhol and Thompson encouraged people to become so narcissistic we have gone from the 1970s Me Generation to the Me, Myself and I Generation.

Today everybody wants to be famous. They just don't want to earn it. Today, armed with videocams and suffering from blog-lust, everybody's a pundit and porno star.

American culture represents a nihilistic west disappearing into a whirlpool of narcissism, sentimentality and moral emptiness.

We have sold our souls for the freedom to shop and screw as and when we wish.   more »

Hollywood is not a radical left zone. Take the Oscars, Hollywood’s annual ceremony to honour the "best achievements" in movie-making. Don't make me laugh.

Oscar Night is one huge world-wide commercial to validate America's cultural imperialism. An 'art form'? More like a propaganda machine to disseminate American 'values'.

We look at some of the motives driving the decisions of studio executives. It certainly isn't artistic integrity.

The single, most significant motive is profit. Hollywood commodifies culture to make money. It is the epitome of capitalism. That in itself turns all Hollywood 'product' into an ideological message.

Studio moguls are in the business of providing 'circuses' for the masses. Find the lowest common denominator, spend millions marketing it, and gloat over the profits.   more »

"What does Mr. Bush become when he has to operate without Rove for the first time in his political life."

Moore says, "He goes from lame duck to lame brain. This presidency is going to achieve nothing...

"There's nothing left that he can accomplish domestically, the war is a mess, and Karl is radioactive."

Moore goes on to explain what he thinks the real motive for Rove's departure is, what must be going through "Turd Blossom"'s head, and finally what this will all mean for the future, or lack thereof, of Bush's presidency.   more »

This brings us to the recall of 9 million Mattel toys created for the U.S. company in China — that Wild West of 21st century capitalism.

How did this happen? For that matter, how did all the other recalls and health and safety warnings concerning Chinese-made products escalate to this point? It's simple, really:

The federal government in the Bush era has not done its job; it has failed to force U.S. companies wheeling and dealing in China to meet our standards for safety and quality. And Americans are paying the price.

Government has failed to protect its citizens — or the environment — from the excesses of the marketplace.   more »