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Breaking a Sweat: Is there more to ‘Client 9′s’ indiscretion?

By SHARON K. GILBERT
March 11, 2008

YOU CAN’T TUNE into a cable news program this week without being assaulted by the round-the-clock, full court press against sitting Governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer. The Emperors Club Prostitution Ring story bears all the hallmarks of tabloid titillation: a high-profile politician, wire-tapping and tax evasion, and a high-priced call girl ring that boasts a ranking of ‘seven diamonds’ for service and satisfaction. What news junkie could ask for more?

Here’s what you might not hear from your favorite talking head on cable: Mark Brener, alleged pimp/CEO of the Emperors Club and one of the indicted defendants, carries an Israeli passport.

I bring this up because of another fallen governor — this one from back in 2004. Recall, if you will, the woeful tale of James McGreevey, who resigned from his position at the top of New Jersey politics over revelations of an ongoing affair with Golan Cipel. Cipel, whom McGreevey met while on a junket to Israel, received a reported $100k per year as New Jersey’s Homeland Security Director, a position requiring high clearance. Read the rest of this entry →

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WHAT SORT of message is Fox News Online sending to college kids? Is the so-called ‘conservative’ network recommending caution when it comes to casual sex? The answer might surprise you.Currently playing on the Fox News website is a suite of online videos called FNC iMag (you’ll find it near the bottom right of the homepage). This month’s issue features back-to-college advice on ‘The Freshman 15′, ‘Dorm Room makeovers’, ‘Campus Safety’, and ‘Hook-ups’.

Just in case you’re not the parent of a teenager, ‘hooking-up’ translates to having a sexual encounter. Referring to this very intimate and personal event as ‘hooking up’ trivializes the moment — why we just ‘hooked up’! The problem with such thinking is the hook part — because no sexual encounter is either emotionally or spiritually without consequence. Read the rest of this entry →

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