The Long View - hypocrisy of liberal elite in entertainment industry - Brief Article

National Review, June 11, 2001 by Rob Long

A memo from a SoCal big to his personal assistant

Janice: Could you please take care of the following items before I get back from Aspen? Thanks!

TO DO

1. Send in check for the "Sierra Club Salutes Governor Gray Davis" fundraiser at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

2. Have pool guy come back and check the temperature settings on the pool. It's still too cold-it needs to be about 72. We need to see steam coming off the top in the mornings-please remind the pool guy that it's a LOT colder in Bel Air than it is in Covina or Van Nuys or wherever he's from. Also: The Jacuzzi needs to be set about 20 degrees hotter than the pool. Otherwise, it's hard to get the whole cool pool/hot whirlpool thing going, which makes it almost impossible to relax.

3. Take Range Rover (the old one) to the dealer and have them check out this weird ping it makes when the gas tank is less than half full (about 45 gallons, I think)-which gets especially loud when it idles in traffic.

4. The gardener needs to use the leaf blower on the ENTIRE property. This includes Guest House #1 AND Guest House #2. Please remind him of this, because I think he's ignoring it and thinks we won't notice. My wife just got lasix surgery and sees a lot better now, so she's noticing a lot of things that she used to miss.

5. Please sign my name to the "Open Letter to President George W. Bush" that we got from someone at Warner Brothers, protesting the proposed opening of the Alaska Wildlife Reserve to oil drilling. Please call my publicist and remind her that I have been a longtime activist for environmental issues, go heli-fishing in Alaska every year, wear a lot of cotton, recycle, etc. etc.

6. Take Range Rover (my wife's) to dealer. Have them check the air conditioning. My wife says it's not cold enough and takes too long to get cold. Maybe something wrong with coolant? Maybe needs freon? Have them check this out and make it get really cold, really fast.

7. Call Henry Waxman (my congressman) and set up a meeting for next month when I'm in D.C. for the FCC deregulation hearings. Tell his person that I want to talk about these rolling blackouts that are hitting our area-specifically, my office-and tell him that I want to know how I, as a citizen, can get the current administration to take action. Remind him of the fundraising dinner I threw for him last year, etc. etc.

8. Take the BMW (the convertible, not the 750iL) to the dealer and get them to add an AC or heating vent in the seat well. My son likes to drive around with the top down, but also likes to keep his feet warm. They need to do this BEFORE he comes back from rehab.

9. Check Sub-Zero refrigerators in the pantry. One of them keeps humming and the other makes ice cubes that smell funny. The two in the kitchen are okay, but my wife wants to change the panels from stainless to French Blue. Ask if this is possible.

10. Accept invitation to "Rally Against Nuclear Power" being held at Sony next week. Buy two tables (of 12 each) and ask to have our name listed as "Platinum Sponsors" on the program. Make sure we order a fish entree.

11. Sign op-ed piece circulating around protesting the Bush-Cheney energy proposal. Please describe us as "Concerned Activists." Have publicist mention the view from our place in Malibu, and how it would be spoiled by oil derricks in the distance. Have publicist mention our electric car.

12. Buy electric car. But make sure it has good AC.

13. Have limo (stretch, please) pick me up at the airport on Tuesday night. Please make sure it's running and ready WHEN WE LAND. My wife doesn't like to smell the startup fumes.

14. Take recycling out on Tuesday a.m.

Thanks!