When You Ride Alone, You Ride With bin Laden

This is the title of Bill Maher's new color picture book. You know Bill from
his Politically Incorrect TV show - once upon a time funny on an obscure
cable station somewhere - then landing on ABC for the big time, losing its
edge, and quickly getting cancelled because Bill said some silly things
about US servicemen.

You also know Bill from his video documented cavorting at the Playboy
mansion hoogling big blondes and lusting after Hef's stray bunnies. A weird
cat Bill is, at the same time an endearing free thinker who unabashedly
tells it like it is, yet on the other hand an aging dog boy who makes you
feel like he never got his day. (Remind you of anyone you know? :)

His book has a really creepy feel to it, made up of eerie re-constructs
parodies of Adbuster-like second World War poster art. You know, the kind
that looks like awful encyclopedia illustrations. Whether he did that as a
gimmick or because he couldn't enlist more talented graphic artists, who's
to know. The result is unsettling at best, and one wonders if that kind of
squirmy appeal will sell a book in this day and age of way-too-cool low-brow
art and pow-wow computer graphics.

So there must be a reason why I'm writing about this book... Yes there is
and here it is: It's that two chapters are actually dedicated to the
American's perverted affliction with SUV addiction, which indeed explains
the cover art and the title. Striking a "Very" David Bowie: "I'm scared of
the American" note of irony... George F. Will eat your heart out!

There's even a dizzy drawing of a Honda Insight driving down that now famous
little hill in San Francisco, followed by what looks like a black Buick and
a 1960's Pink Cadillac with fins... (?!?)

In the text there's quotes like:

"A totally new driving experience would be a car with wings! Does this car
fly? Otherwise everything is still basically a Chevy." (page 30) (Hey, I
agree! Go tell Moller that, who's been trying for the last 30 years to get
his FAA permit to manufacture such a flying thing!)

and
"Don't change your car by putting a flag on it. Change the car!" (page 29)
(Try telling that to the 5'3 housewife, parked at Stop&Shop, mother of two
barking terrors, without security hauling you away in a straight jacket...)

or
"Al Quaeda funds their most ruthless operations with money they get from
people who sell oil to Exxon before Exxon sells it to you." (page 7) ("One
man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" - the bad guy in the new
Bond film!)

Wow, that kind of rethoric is going to be as popular as... oh let's say:
Michael Moore's "Stupid White Men" which has been on top the NYTimes
non-fiction best seller list longer than any other title before it? Which
only goes to show that a) only liberals know how to read and/or b) only
liberals buy books. Well, maybe not picture books. They leave that to
listeners of Howard Stern.

Keep in mind Bill is probably the kind of guy who likes to flash in sports
cars to impress the babes on Rodeo Drive and logs the frequent flyer miles
on the Red Eye to meet his national talk show guest appearances. Black
limosines or SUVs, who's keeping track. Do what I say... right? Not what I
do. Like Arianna Huffinton. Two peas in a pod, I'm sure. Arianna who once
ranted on his show that ethanol was an obscene waste of pork barrel
spending.

Now a big fat pix of Bill riding the Kaz with two blondes under his arm,
that amazing world speed record holder EV limo the Japanese would love to
mass produce and peddle to H-Towners, now THAT would be something. But would
Bill be caught dead in the same PR shot with Ed Begley Jr.? Although they do
share the same fondness for girls who pull out of magazines... As a matter
of fact, come to think of it, a Bill & Ed's Excellent EV Adventure would be
a media trip to rival Ken Kesey's magic bus ride. Too bad Ken didn't have
bio-diesel back in the day.

Problem is I don't see Bill advocating Hitch Hiker's Clubs, which is what
this country needs more than anything... Now THAT would put a dent in gas
stations... BP - Beyond Petroleum... Have you noticed all the Amoco stations
turning yellow and green? Do they really mean it? Did you know they, along
with Toyota, were major sponsors of the Environmental Media Awards, who's
only grave sin is to give awards to really, and I mean "really" bad TV
shows? Maybe if Bill got a couple of Hef's Bunnies and hitched cross
country, from truck stop to truck stop, in another whacked out version of
reality TV, as funny and goofy as the Osbornes, it would get people to stick
their thumbs back out on the road instead of where it is so forcibly lodged
at the present moment.

For all the info about the book, just navigate to:
http://www.ridealone.com

New Millennium Press
301 N. Canon Drive, Suite 214
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-273-7755
Fax: 310-273-7722
Publicity: Jessica Steindorff

For info on Hitch Hiker's clubs go to:
http://www.remyc.com/hitch.html

Remy C.
ET web-ed
http://www.electrifyingtimes.com