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Thursday, May 31, 2012
Mitt Romney's Homer Simpson Moment
The other day, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign released an IPhone App which allowed a user to shoot pictures and superimpose Romney slogans over your photos. One problem. One of the slogans said, "A Better Amercia." Sic. As Homer Simpson would say, "DOH!" Well, this mistake allowed Stephen Colbert to do some classic satire. He argues that Romney has created a new country. So, Colbert decides to sing "America the Beautiful" with spelling errors to celebrate this new country. Silly. Very Silly. And very funny. Check it out. (It's the second part of his Tip of the Hat/Wag of the Finger segment.)
Dark Money threatens our democracy
The Citizens United decision (558 U.S. 50, (2010) is threatening our American democracy. Anonymous billionaires fund secret Super PACs to produce ads which can lie about the facts. While the First Amendment protects anonymous speech, it was never designed to prevent others from criticizing other speakers. So if a billionaire funds a Super PAC and remains anonymous, we may never know his motivation for a particular cause. Perhaps, it's about his own greedy need to maximize his profits. If that's the case, this great country won't advance. Things get done dependent on how much money you have. Yesterday, Rachel Maddow did a great piece on "Dark Money." Check it out and learn.
Those Crazy Birthers, Part Twenty Seven
Last night, Jon Stewart of the Daily Show bemoaned that the upcoming presidential election featured a cerebral and boring Barack Obama versus a boring square Mitt Romney. Tough to do comedy on these guys. But the comedy gods provided us with salvation. Donald Trump is back with his crazy racist birther stuff. Here's Jon Stewart's funny pieces.
Comedy gods help Jon Stewart and the rest of us.
Comedy gods help Jon Stewart and the rest of us.
Fox News produces and airs anti-Obama video
During yesterday's "Fox & Friends" on Fox News, the network aired a video that purports to depict the last four years of President Obama's term of office. (Video is below.) Now remember Fox News says it's "fair and balanced." Well the video looks like an attack ad made by a conservative Super PAC. It features dramatic music. And it slants the facts to show life under Obama has been miserable. There's nothing in the video about Obama's successes. Yeah, it doesn't feature Obama promising to get Bin Laden and then his triumph at getting him. Fair and balanced, my ass.
This reminds me of the time when a Fox News producer urged a crowd to get louder for the the cameras. Now they produce and run what can only be termed an attack ad against President Obama. Believe this now. Fox News is a propaganda tool for conservative Republicans.
Baltimore Sun's David Zurawik said this about the video.
"As the guy who challenged the Obama administration two years when it tried to deny Fox News access to interviews and other opportunities offered to the media on the grounds that Fox was not a legitimate news operation, I have to tell you even I am shocked by how blatantly Fox is throwing off any pretense of being a journalistic entity with videos like this. Don't be fooled by Bret Baier's Boy Scout smile or all the talk about how some shows are news and some are opinion on the channel. Any news organization that puts up this kind of video is rotten to the core."
Fox News' Bill Shine, vice president for programming issued this statement about the video.
The package that aired on 'Fox & Friends' was created by an associate producer and was not authorized at the senior executive level of the network,... This has been addressed with the show’s producers.”
The video was removed from Fox News website.
Well, if you watch Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy, he approves of the video. I believe Doocy's feelings are Fox News views. It's just that they got caught broadcasting what was Republican propaganda that forced them to pretend that they are a news organization.
This reminds me of the time when a Fox News producer urged a crowd to get louder for the the cameras. Now they produce and run what can only be termed an attack ad against President Obama. Believe this now. Fox News is a propaganda tool for conservative Republicans.
Baltimore Sun's David Zurawik said this about the video.
"As the guy who challenged the Obama administration two years when it tried to deny Fox News access to interviews and other opportunities offered to the media on the grounds that Fox was not a legitimate news operation, I have to tell you even I am shocked by how blatantly Fox is throwing off any pretense of being a journalistic entity with videos like this. Don't be fooled by Bret Baier's Boy Scout smile or all the talk about how some shows are news and some are opinion on the channel. Any news organization that puts up this kind of video is rotten to the core."
Fox News' Bill Shine, vice president for programming issued this statement about the video.
The package that aired on 'Fox & Friends' was created by an associate producer and was not authorized at the senior executive level of the network,... This has been addressed with the show’s producers.”
The video was removed from Fox News website.
Well, if you watch Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy, he approves of the video. I believe Doocy's feelings are Fox News views. It's just that they got caught broadcasting what was Republican propaganda that forced them to pretend that they are a news organization.
Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog at the Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Premiere
I've never published this many posts in one month. With this post, I'm at 71. Time to celebrate. Here's the classic Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog at the Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Premiere. He has a lot of fun at the expense of Star Wars fans and I have to say they are good sports. At the end of the video, a special guest that Star Trek fans will love.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Colbert celebrates his Peabody Award and making Maxim's Hot 100 Women
I wrote that Stephen Colbert was getting ready to do a piece on making the Maxim Hot 100 Women. Last night he did a very funny piece on it. Check it out.
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Jon Stewart shows conservative hypocrisy on the issue of socialism
Jon Stewart is called a socialist by the right-wing. Last night Stewart on The Daily Show demonstrated that conservatives are hypocritical on the issue of socialism. They embrace it when it fits their political needs. Check out these video pieces.
Those Crazy Birthers, Part Twenty Six
Hooray Stephen Colbert is back. And he has a take on super rich guy Donald Trump's doubling down that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. Very funny stuff.
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Those Crazy Birthers, Part Tweny Five
Another thing about Donald Trump questioning President Obama's citizenship, is that he raises the promotional material by a literary agency that says Obama was born in Kenya. He says Obama told the agent that. Not true. Here's the actual agent's statement about the material. She says it was here mistake. It was a factual mistake.
Miriam Goderich was that agent. Here's her statement.
"This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me--an agency assistant at the time," Goderich wrote in an emailed statement to Yahoo News. "There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."
Here's Chris Matthews piece on Trump from his Hardball show.
Miriam Goderich was that agent. Here's her statement.
"This was nothing more than a fact checking error by me--an agency assistant at the time," Goderich wrote in an emailed statement to Yahoo News. "There was never any information given to us by Obama in any of his correspondence or other communications suggesting in any way that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii. I hope you can communicate to your readers that this was a simple mistake and nothing more."
Here's Chris Matthews piece on Trump from his Hardball show.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Those Crazy Birthers, Part Twenty Four
Donald Trump has doubled down on his assertion that President Obama was not born in the United States. So, I'm going back in time to post some comedy videos on the subject. Here's Stephen Colbert's take.
Those Crazy Birtheres, Part Twenty Three
In response to Donald Trump doubling down on President Obama's place of birth, and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's refusal to to repudiate him, the Obama campaign has released this web video. It compares 2008's Republican candidate John McCain's standing up to the nuts in his party to Romney's silence.
Those Crazy Birthers, Part Twenty Two
Now that Donald Trump has doubled down on the birther nonsense, let's go back in time and see what Jon Stewart of the Daily Show has to sayy about the birthers. Folks we're going back in time to 2009.
From 2009. Check out the part of the crazy lady at town hall by Rep. Mike Castle (R-Delaware)
From April 2011. O' Reilly of Fox News defends Obama?!
April 2011. Obama releases long form birth certificate.
The racial aspect.
From 2009. Check out the part of the crazy lady at town hall by Rep. Mike Castle (R-Delaware)
From April 2011. O' Reilly of Fox News defends Obama?!
April 2011. Obama releases long form birth certificate.
The racial aspect.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Those Crazy Birthers, Part Twenty One
Now that super rich guy Donald Trump has doubled down on whether President Obama is an American, it' time to to laugh at him and his crazy right-wing Republicans. We go back to 2009 (7-31) to hear what Bill Maher has to say about his insanity on Real Time.
Those Crazy Birthers, Part Twenty
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has embraced super rich guy Donald Trump. Trump in turn has doubled down on this birther conspiracy about whehter President Barack Obama was born in the United States. Sigh. He now says that his request for Obama's college records is about his place of birth. Sigh. We didn't hear thea that the first time that Trump demanded his college records. Maybe it's gotten through Trump's racist head that Obama was brilliant at Harvard College of law. President of the Law Review. Folks, you don't get that honor unless you are the top law student in the school. Graduated Magna Cum Laude. Trump's new claim that college records will show he was born in Kenya are a racist pretext. They want to argue that Obama recieved preferential treatment. It's the conservative angry white man's fear. Obama was a product of affirmative action. You want to know something? Who cares. He was great in law school. Enough, Donald. Have you no shame?
Stephen Colbert gets ready for making Maxim's Hot 100 Women
Stephen Colbert returns tonight. If you check his website, they're featuring pieces on Colbert's good looks. I'm guessing that they're going to do a piece on Colbert making Maxim's Hot 100: The Definitive List of the World's Most Beautiful Women. He was number 69! Back in 2006, Colbert was one of People Magazine's Sexiest Men Alive. Check out Colbert's video piece about making it in People Magazine.
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Monday, May 28, 2012
"Band of Brothers" Statue
If you've seen the HBO mini-series, Band of Brothers, (2001); you know the main character. It's Lt.Dick Winters. (Damian Lewis) Winters was a real life hero. Now he will get a statue in Normandy, France. It's where he and his men of the 101st Airborne parachuted to start the liberation of France. It's dedicated to all junior military officers who served on D-Day. Fittingly, it will be unveiled on June 6, the date of D-Day.
Those crazy Birthers, Part Nineteen
Last week, super rich guy Donald Trump said that President Barack Obama was born in Kenya and was raised in Indonesia. This bold face lie was believed by a majority of the Republican Party last spring. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney had the opportunity to repudiate this racist claim. He refused. It's now clear that the modern Republican Party is racist. And before you say, that's just liberal gibberish. Nobody challenges Romney's birthplace. I mean his father was born in Mexico. And while Obma has consistently been backed up by the evidence, Republicans continue to believe in this nonsense.
Below is a Hardball piece on Trump's idiocy.
Below is a Hardball piece on Trump's idiocy.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Republican Alan Simpson rips the GOP
Former Senator Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.) ripped the current Republican Party for its failure to compromise. Simpson along with lawyer Erskine Bowles developed a plan to reduce the deficit in 2010. It called for spending cuts and repealing tax credits primarily on the wealthy. But today's Republican Party is so right-wing that they will protect the rich from tax costs at the expense of the welfare of the nation. He appeared on Fareed Zakira's CNN program
to air his views. Below is the video of his comments.
to air his views. Below is the video of his comments.
Is mankind doomed for extinction?
The Huffington Post has published this article on paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey. It takes you where you don't expect it to. Leakey says that skepticism about evolution will end with overwhelming evidence. He then pivots to discuss climate change implying that skepticism regarding that theory will also end.
"If you get to the stage where you can persuade people on the evidence, that it's solid, that we are all African, that color is superficial, that stages of development of culture are all interactive, ... then I think we have a chance of a world that will respond better to global challenges."
And he says something that is frightening.
"If you look back, the thing that strikes you, if you've got any sensitivity, is that extinction is the most common phenomena, ... Extinction is always driven by environmental change. Environmental change is always driven by climate change. Man accelerated, if not created, planet change phenomena; I think we have to recognize that the future is by no means a very rosy one."
Is it over for mankind? I hope not. But right-wingers must take climate change seriously. Climate change crosses all political boundaries.
"If you get to the stage where you can persuade people on the evidence, that it's solid, that we are all African, that color is superficial, that stages of development of culture are all interactive, ... then I think we have a chance of a world that will respond better to global challenges."
And he says something that is frightening.
"If you look back, the thing that strikes you, if you've got any sensitivity, is that extinction is the most common phenomena, ... Extinction is always driven by environmental change. Environmental change is always driven by climate change. Man accelerated, if not created, planet change phenomena; I think we have to recognize that the future is by no means a very rosy one."
Is it over for mankind? I hope not. But right-wingers must take climate change seriously. Climate change crosses all political boundaries.
The Ohioan who fought for Castro
David Grann wrote a great piece for the New Yorker about a man from Toledo, Ohio who fought for Fidel Castro in Cuba. His name was William Alexander Morgan. It's a story of love and revolution. And it will break your heart. Here's the article.
"Star Wars" v. "Lord of the Rings"
The Huffington Post is running a fan survey asking the question "What's The Best Movie Franchise of All Time?" It's come down to two franchises. Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings. The choice is easy. The Best Movie Franchise of All Time is "The Lord of the Rings" franchise.
Star Wars (1977) started out strong with the first film, followed by the best of the series, "The Empire Strikes Back." (1980) Creator George Lucas got cute with the furry Ewoks in "The Return of the Jedi." (1983) The series hit bottom with "The Phantom Menace" (1999) and the introduction of the annoying Jar Jar Binks.
"The Lord of the Rings" movie franchise never suffered any drop of quality. The epic series started with "The Fellowship of the Ring." (2001) It was followed by "The Two Towers" (2002) which sustained the momentum. The climax was reached with the great "Return of the King." (2003) Return of the King netted eleven Academy Awards including Best Picture.
Star Wars (1977) started out strong with the first film, followed by the best of the series, "The Empire Strikes Back." (1980) Creator George Lucas got cute with the furry Ewoks in "The Return of the Jedi." (1983) The series hit bottom with "The Phantom Menace" (1999) and the introduction of the annoying Jar Jar Binks.
"The Lord of the Rings" movie franchise never suffered any drop of quality. The epic series started with "The Fellowship of the Ring." (2001) It was followed by "The Two Towers" (2002) which sustained the momentum. The climax was reached with the great "Return of the King." (2003) Return of the King netted eleven Academy Awards including Best Picture.
How to piss off angry right-wingers
So I'm at the local pub. And I see a guy that I will call angry right-winger. I've seen him before. Now angry right-winger is a middle age, Caucasian man. He usually plays Toby Keith at the jukebox. Music for angry right-wingers.
Anyway, I'm trying to enjoy my drink. But I can hear angry right-winger yelling at his buddy. He's about fifteen feet away. "We go attacked by Muslims in 2002. Now we got a Muslim for a president. I don't care what anyone says. He's a Muslim." Sigh. What about some facts you crazy right-winger?
Okay, instead of going over to straighten this moron out, I decide to follow his Toby Keith with music that will clearly piss him and every Republican off. I played Gil Scott Heron. Not just any song by him. I play the black liberation piece, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised." It's from 1970 when African Americans were being discriminated against. And yes, even today they still are. Anyway, it did piss off the Republicans. "What is that?", says another Republican. "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised."
Here's a cool fan video with the music.
Anyway, I'm trying to enjoy my drink. But I can hear angry right-winger yelling at his buddy. He's about fifteen feet away. "We go attacked by Muslims in 2002. Now we got a Muslim for a president. I don't care what anyone says. He's a Muslim." Sigh. What about some facts you crazy right-winger?
Okay, instead of going over to straighten this moron out, I decide to follow his Toby Keith with music that will clearly piss him and every Republican off. I played Gil Scott Heron. Not just any song by him. I play the black liberation piece, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised." It's from 1970 when African Americans were being discriminated against. And yes, even today they still are. Anyway, it did piss off the Republicans. "What is that?", says another Republican. "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised."
Here's a cool fan video with the music.
More Whitney for the white man
I've written it's inevitable that a drunk white guy will play the square "Don't Stop Believin'" I previously suggested Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." Well, here's another Whitney Houston song for you white guys that women love. It's "How Will I Know." Great changes. Nice dance beat. Fantastic hook.
Memorial Day 2012
It's Memorial Day, 2012. Time to thank our troops. Time to thank those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Bill Maher: Obama not radical
On Friday's Real Time, Bill Maher used his last New Rule to tell the right-wing that their comments on President Obama as being some type of radical leftist are off base. Why? Because Maher admits he's far left and Obama hasn't done any of the things on his leftist wish list. Here's the funny piece courtesy of HBO and Mediaite.
Mat Latos won't wilt
Today at Great American Ballpark, it was hot and humid. The Cincinnati Reds were hosting the Colorado Rockies. The game turned out to be a slugfest. The Reds and the Rockies slammed nine home runs. That was a single game record for Great American Ballpark.
Reds starter Mat Latos gave up five home runs. But there's a baseball adage about giving up home runs. Don't put guys on base in front of them. That's what Latos did. And he fought through a hot summer afternoon to keep the Reds in the game. Result? Reds win 7-5 off the power of four Reds home runs. Latos went seven and one third innings to earn the win.
The Reds now sit at first place in the NL Central. They are one and one half games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds are seven games over five hundred.
Here's the story with video.
Reds starter Mat Latos gave up five home runs. But there's a baseball adage about giving up home runs. Don't put guys on base in front of them. That's what Latos did. And he fought through a hot summer afternoon to keep the Reds in the game. Result? Reds win 7-5 off the power of four Reds home runs. Latos went seven and one third innings to earn the win.
The Reds now sit at first place in the NL Central. They are one and one half games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds are seven games over five hundred.
Here's the story with video.
Gayest game ever?
I'ms sure Mass Effect 3 causes conservative heads to explode. That's because the video game has gay relationships all over the place. I wonder if they think the game is some type of indoctrination for the young people. By the way, the concept of indoctrination is a plot point in the game as the Reapers try to to take over the minds of their targets. And before I forget, I'm cool with all the gayness in the game. But I wonder if Mass Effect 3 is the gayest game ever made. Anyway, let's go over some of the gay characters in the game.
1. You, aka Shepard. Okay, you don't have to be gay but you can if you want. And that includes male homosexuality or lesbianism.
2. Liara. Um, she can go both ways. She's an Asari. More on that later.
3. Lt. Steve Cortez. You find this it out early on in the game. He's distraught over the loss of his husband. That has to cause some Republicans to go cuckoo.
4. Specialist Samantha Traynor. She hints at being a lesbian when she talks about how she's attracted to EDI's voice. If you're a male Shepard, you're in for a surprise if you try to hit on her. Video below.
5. The Asari. Alien race. All female. All beautiful. All blue. They can mate with females or males. In case you want to know how they reproduce, here's a Mass Effect Wiki article.
1. You, aka Shepard. Okay, you don't have to be gay but you can if you want. And that includes male homosexuality or lesbianism.
2. Liara. Um, she can go both ways. She's an Asari. More on that later.
3. Lt. Steve Cortez. You find this it out early on in the game. He's distraught over the loss of his husband. That has to cause some Republicans to go cuckoo.
4. Specialist Samantha Traynor. She hints at being a lesbian when she talks about how she's attracted to EDI's voice. If you're a male Shepard, you're in for a surprise if you try to hit on her. Video below.
5. The Asari. Alien race. All female. All beautiful. All blue. They can mate with females or males. In case you want to know how they reproduce, here's a Mass Effect Wiki article.
Meghan McCain must leave the Republican Party
Meghan McCain, daughter of Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) is enduring vicious internet bullyiing. This came after she criticized the Republican Party for its inability to do anything moderate. Previously, right-wingers like Glenn Beck and Laura Ingram have made snide remarks about her looks and weight.
Time to leave the Republican Party, Meghan. They're an angry bunch. No moderates, independents, liberals, minorities and women are welcome to the Republican Party. It will soon be the party for angry, conservative white males. Escape now, Meghan. Live a happier life.
The MSNBC interview that started the fuss.
Time to leave the Republican Party, Meghan. They're an angry bunch. No moderates, independents, liberals, minorities and women are welcome to the Republican Party. It will soon be the party for angry, conservative white males. Escape now, Meghan. Live a happier life.
The MSNBC interview that started the fuss.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Those crazy Birthers, Part Eighteen
I've already written about Congressman Mike Coffman's (R-Col.) despicable comments about President Obama that challenged his birth and citizenship. Friday, Bill Maher on Real Time decided to show how ridiculous the Birthers are by creating a faux controversy about Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's marriage. Being Mormon, Maher challenges whether Romney is monogamous. Thanks to HBO and Mediaite. Check it out.
Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog takes on Quebec
You think it wouldn't be funny but Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog talks to people of Quebec in Canada. Some of the topics are the views of some people to secede from Canada. Here's Triumph.
Friday, May 25, 2012
White men need another anthem
I go to bars here in Cincinnati. And it's inevitable that somebody will play the rock song, "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey on the jukebox. It's likely going to be played by a drunk white male. When it comes on, you can bet he and his other drunk white male friends will sing along. Now imagine these guys think they can sing it, but instead they scream it. "Just a small town girl.... Don't stop believin'..." Sigh. Kill me now.
Look, this song is overplayed. It's overrated. It's square. Nothing much happening harmonically. It's all rock and roll power. Very conducive to angry white guys drunk on beer.
Here's another musical choice my drunk friends. I notice women like to dance to late Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." It's got a great dance beat. Makes you want to dance. Nice chord chances. Catchy hook. Give it try and dance with the ladies.
Look, this song is overplayed. It's overrated. It's square. Nothing much happening harmonically. It's all rock and roll power. Very conducive to angry white guys drunk on beer.
Here's another musical choice my drunk friends. I notice women like to dance to late Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." It's got a great dance beat. Makes you want to dance. Nice chord chances. Catchy hook. Give it try and dance with the ladies.
Bill Murray plays FDR
In a moment of interesting casting, comic actor Bill Murray plays President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He's played in dramas before. See The Razor's Edge. (1984) One wonders if Murray can keep a straight face. It does look very interesting. The film, Hyde Park on Hudson, covers a visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England to Roosevelt's Hyde Park, New York home. Laura Linney also stars. Look for it on December 7. Here's a trailer.
Moderate Republicans are extinct
I've written that there are no more moderates in the Republican Party. Meghan McCain, the daughter of former Republican presidential candidate also confirms this. McCain declares herself to be a moderate Republican. She supports gay marriage for instance. She appeared on Rev. Al Sharpton's Politics Nation on MSNBC. Here are a couple of comments from her interview.
"I'm a proud moderate Republican, but using the word 'moderate' in the Republican party today is considered a dirty word," .... Many people in the Republican party treat me like I'm a freak, like there's something wrong with me and that I'm a mutant from the original design. ... If you're not an extreme right-wing conservative... you're given no respect."
By the way, McCain also says the same thing is happening in the Democratic Party. Not true. She talks about former president Bill Clinton. Good example. Clinton was a moderate in the Democratic Party and that moderate movement nominated him in 1992. There are still moderates in the Democratic Party. But add McCain's voice to those of former senators Chuck Hagel, and Richard Lugar. They all bemoan the extinction of moderates in the Republican Party. It's time to face the facts The Republican Party is a party for right-wing conservatives. IF you are angry and have hatred in your heart for other people, the Republican Party is for you. Moderates, liberals, independents, minorities and women need not apply.
Here's the video from MSNBC.
"I'm a proud moderate Republican, but using the word 'moderate' in the Republican party today is considered a dirty word," .... Many people in the Republican party treat me like I'm a freak, like there's something wrong with me and that I'm a mutant from the original design. ... If you're not an extreme right-wing conservative... you're given no respect."
By the way, McCain also says the same thing is happening in the Democratic Party. Not true. She talks about former president Bill Clinton. Good example. Clinton was a moderate in the Democratic Party and that moderate movement nominated him in 1992. There are still moderates in the Democratic Party. But add McCain's voice to those of former senators Chuck Hagel, and Richard Lugar. They all bemoan the extinction of moderates in the Republican Party. It's time to face the facts The Republican Party is a party for right-wing conservatives. IF you are angry and have hatred in your heart for other people, the Republican Party is for you. Moderates, liberals, independents, minorities and women need not apply.
Here's the video from MSNBC.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
'Men In Black 3" 3D Review
The Men In Black science fiction comedy film series started out in 1997. The first film was successful enough that a sequel was produced in 2012. The premise is that the urban legend of Men in Black (MIB) who intimidate UFO witnesses into recanting or staying silent are real. Only in the film series they're a police organization with multiple purposes. Yes, they debunk UFO sightings to keep the public calm. They also police the aliens living on earth.
Ten years after Men In Black II comes Men In Black 3. The movie opens with alien Boris The Animal's (Jemaine Clement) escape from a lunar prison. In 1969, Boris was arrested by Men in Black's K. (Tommy Lee Jones) K stops Boris' alien race from invading the earth with a global defense system called the ArcNet. In the process, K shot off Boris' arm.
Boris has escaped to enact revenge. He goes back in time to kill K. Boris succeeds. By doing so, it allows an earth invasion in the present since there would be no ArcNet. K's partner J (Will Smith) somehow survives the changes in the timeline and finds out that everything has changed except for him. MIB leader O (Emma Thompson) deduces that there's been a change in the timeline. The aliens attack. She orders K to go back in time and correct the event that caused the failure of the ArcNet. K agrees and goes back in time to 1969 to intercept Boris.
Look, time travel movies are always problematic. First, MIB 3 basically follows the "Grandfather Paradox." The paradox means that if you go back in time and kill your grandfather, you will never exist. Of course, the problem becomes if you didn't exist, how could you go back in time and kill him. See, therein lies the problem in this movie. If Boris changed the timeline then J would also have changed. He would have not known K. Got a headache? There's a nice joke where O diagnoses the disrpution in the timeline by asking if J is getting headaches. To avoid all this, the movie hints that going back in time creates multiple timelines or parallel universes. Before you get a headache, just go with the premise.
In 1969, K is played by Josh Brolin. He's right on as his performance of K sounds and looks like Tommy Lee Jones forty years earlier. Alice Eve is the young O and she's lovely and charming. Will Smith has excellent comic timing. And he's able to make you laugh with his jokes. But he also is able to do it, just with that comic timing. One of the funny scenes, is when J (Smith) is riding in the car with the young K. Barely a line is spoken and J's amusement at K's usual stoic demeanor will make you laugh.
Unlike the bizarre and bloated Men In Black II, MIB 3 sticks to the characters. You got to give credit to Etan Cohen's script. He has crafted a witty screenplay. Director Barry Sonnenfeld, who directed the first two films, sets up action pieces cleanly while keeping the action interesting. There might be wild things going in this movie but it feels real.
As for the question of whether you should pay extra bucks to see the 3D version of MIB III, the answer is no. It was converted from 2D to 3D. Movies shot in native 3D are always better than conversions. You cannot capture every curve, nook and cranny with a conversion. The conversion process is like a pop up book. MIB 3 is not a bad conversion. The lighting is good compared to most conversions. But there's not enough special shots in 3D to make you feel that it's not converted. Most live action scenes don't pop or have depth. It's only the CGI special effects that look good.
Men In Black III is a funny summer movie. There are also nice touches of emotion. It's a blast at the theater. The grade is B +.
Ten years after Men In Black II comes Men In Black 3. The movie opens with alien Boris The Animal's (Jemaine Clement) escape from a lunar prison. In 1969, Boris was arrested by Men in Black's K. (Tommy Lee Jones) K stops Boris' alien race from invading the earth with a global defense system called the ArcNet. In the process, K shot off Boris' arm.
Boris has escaped to enact revenge. He goes back in time to kill K. Boris succeeds. By doing so, it allows an earth invasion in the present since there would be no ArcNet. K's partner J (Will Smith) somehow survives the changes in the timeline and finds out that everything has changed except for him. MIB leader O (Emma Thompson) deduces that there's been a change in the timeline. The aliens attack. She orders K to go back in time and correct the event that caused the failure of the ArcNet. K agrees and goes back in time to 1969 to intercept Boris.
Look, time travel movies are always problematic. First, MIB 3 basically follows the "Grandfather Paradox." The paradox means that if you go back in time and kill your grandfather, you will never exist. Of course, the problem becomes if you didn't exist, how could you go back in time and kill him. See, therein lies the problem in this movie. If Boris changed the timeline then J would also have changed. He would have not known K. Got a headache? There's a nice joke where O diagnoses the disrpution in the timeline by asking if J is getting headaches. To avoid all this, the movie hints that going back in time creates multiple timelines or parallel universes. Before you get a headache, just go with the premise.
In 1969, K is played by Josh Brolin. He's right on as his performance of K sounds and looks like Tommy Lee Jones forty years earlier. Alice Eve is the young O and she's lovely and charming. Will Smith has excellent comic timing. And he's able to make you laugh with his jokes. But he also is able to do it, just with that comic timing. One of the funny scenes, is when J (Smith) is riding in the car with the young K. Barely a line is spoken and J's amusement at K's usual stoic demeanor will make you laugh.
Unlike the bizarre and bloated Men In Black II, MIB 3 sticks to the characters. You got to give credit to Etan Cohen's script. He has crafted a witty screenplay. Director Barry Sonnenfeld, who directed the first two films, sets up action pieces cleanly while keeping the action interesting. There might be wild things going in this movie but it feels real.
As for the question of whether you should pay extra bucks to see the 3D version of MIB III, the answer is no. It was converted from 2D to 3D. Movies shot in native 3D are always better than conversions. You cannot capture every curve, nook and cranny with a conversion. The conversion process is like a pop up book. MIB 3 is not a bad conversion. The lighting is good compared to most conversions. But there's not enough special shots in 3D to make you feel that it's not converted. Most live action scenes don't pop or have depth. It's only the CGI special effects that look good.
Men In Black III is a funny summer movie. There are also nice touches of emotion. It's a blast at the theater. The grade is B +.
Why Romney doesn't want to talk about Bain Capital
The Huffington Post explains how Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's former company, Bain Capital, works. The article also shows why Mitt Romney doesn't want to talk his tenure at Bain. The article says it similar to when the mob moves in on a company, saddle it with debt, loot the profits and then do a "planned bankruptcy." The way Bain does it is legal but harsh. Saddle a company with debt, pay the investors at Bain the proceeds of various loans and cost savings by slashing costs such as the workforce. I like the way the Post says it:
"But for both private equity firms and the mafia, investors use their control of the firm to take on more debt, while at the same time cutting costs by laying off workers.
Cash from the loans and cost savings are funneled back to the investors. This looting continues until the company can't pay its debts. When it finally collapses, the company files for bankruptcy to extinguish the debt -- but private equity investors, as well as mobsters, get to keep the gains they've already reaped."
Here's a video from the Huffington Post.
Stephen Colbert gets it right. Colbert's Super PAC ad on Romney and Bain Capital.
"But for both private equity firms and the mafia, investors use their control of the firm to take on more debt, while at the same time cutting costs by laying off workers.
Cash from the loans and cost savings are funneled back to the investors. This looting continues until the company can't pay its debts. When it finally collapses, the company files for bankruptcy to extinguish the debt -- but private equity investors, as well as mobsters, get to keep the gains they've already reaped."
Here's a video from the Huffington Post.
Stephen Colbert gets it right. Colbert's Super PAC ad on Romney and Bain Capital.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Romney doesn't want to talk about Bain Capital
In a Time interview, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney was given the opportunity to discuss his tenure at Bain Capital. Relevant because Romney keeps talking about his experience in the business to tell the American people that he knows how to fix the economy. Romney basically turned his answer to an attack on President Obama.
There's a reason why Romney doesn't want to discuss Bain. His former company is not about creating jobs. It's not a company that makes widgets. It's about making money for his investors. Bain is a corporate raider. They take over companies and use the assets of the company to finance the takeover. This is known as a leverage buyout.
Ed Schultz did an excellent piece on Bain and Romney yesterday. Listen to former Reagan Budget Director David Stockman talk about Romney and Bain. And for a satirical view, I've posted Steven Colbert's Super PAC ad attacking Romney's tenure at Bain.
Steven Colbert's Super PAC ad attacking Romney's tenure at Bain Capital.
There's a reason why Romney doesn't want to discuss Bain. His former company is not about creating jobs. It's not a company that makes widgets. It's about making money for his investors. Bain is a corporate raider. They take over companies and use the assets of the company to finance the takeover. This is known as a leverage buyout.
Ed Schultz did an excellent piece on Bain and Romney yesterday. Listen to former Reagan Budget Director David Stockman talk about Romney and Bain. And for a satirical view, I've posted Steven Colbert's Super PAC ad attacking Romney's tenure at Bain.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Steven Colbert's Super PAC ad attacking Romney's tenure at Bain Capital.
More Republican racism
At a fundraiser, Congressman Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) said this:
"I don't know whether Barack Obama was born in the United States of America. I don't know that. But I do know this, that in his heart, he's not an American. He's just not an American."
Later with a TV reporter, Coffman said he misspoke. Now, how do you misspeak with a statement like that? Misspeaking is like messing up one cup with two cups of eggs for a recipe. To be fair, he issued a more detailed apology yesterday.
This is all part of the Republican Party's pattern of appealing to racism. When it comes to President Obama, it's clear. Don't think so? The birther movement made Donald Trump a leader in the Republican Party. He raised it hard and heavy and rose to the top. The Party's leaders do nothing to repudiate it. And here are the facts. Obama initially released his short form birth certificate. That's the one you get when you request your birth certificate from Hawaii. Hawaii's official response to the birther nonsense was that Obama was born in Hawaii. Oh, and then there's a newspaper article reporting his birth right after it happened in 1961. Yet, no one questions Republican presidential candidate MItt Romney whose father was born in Mexico
Ed Schultz covered this topic with passion yesterday.
"I don't know whether Barack Obama was born in the United States of America. I don't know that. But I do know this, that in his heart, he's not an American. He's just not an American."
Later with a TV reporter, Coffman said he misspoke. Now, how do you misspeak with a statement like that? Misspeaking is like messing up one cup with two cups of eggs for a recipe. To be fair, he issued a more detailed apology yesterday.
This is all part of the Republican Party's pattern of appealing to racism. When it comes to President Obama, it's clear. Don't think so? The birther movement made Donald Trump a leader in the Republican Party. He raised it hard and heavy and rose to the top. The Party's leaders do nothing to repudiate it. And here are the facts. Obama initially released his short form birth certificate. That's the one you get when you request your birth certificate from Hawaii. Hawaii's official response to the birther nonsense was that Obama was born in Hawaii. Oh, and then there's a newspaper article reporting his birth right after it happened in 1961. Yet, no one questions Republican presidential candidate MItt Romney whose father was born in Mexico
Ed Schultz covered this topic with passion yesterday.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
James Bond makes a big mistake
The new James Bond film, Skyfall will have a big change as to Bond's choice of drink. It will not have vodka martinis. You know the line that Bond says when he orders it. "Shaken not stirred." His drink will be Heineken beer. Beer?
Big mistake. James Bond's former drink spoke of class and sophistication. Beer does not. And while it was done to earn money to make the movie, it speaks to a troubling direction the Bond franchise is going. You fear what is next? Budweiser? And the last Bond movie, Quantum of Solace (2008) was joyless. Gone are the over the top stuff like volcanic lairs which admittedly are crazy BUT FUN. Bond is serious and commercial. Yawn. Better make it fun, Sony, or expect Bond to be eliminated not by a villain but by fan indifference.
You won't be hearing this anymore.
Teaser trailer for Skyfall.
Big mistake. James Bond's former drink spoke of class and sophistication. Beer does not. And while it was done to earn money to make the movie, it speaks to a troubling direction the Bond franchise is going. You fear what is next? Budweiser? And the last Bond movie, Quantum of Solace (2008) was joyless. Gone are the over the top stuff like volcanic lairs which admittedly are crazy BUT FUN. Bond is serious and commercial. Yawn. Better make it fun, Sony, or expect Bond to be eliminated not by a villain but by fan indifference.
You won't be hearing this anymore.
Teaser trailer for Skyfall.
The Ambiguously Gay Duo
While hanging out at TrekMovie.com with my geek buddies, the discussion turned to the old idea that Batman and Robin were a gay couple. I then reminded the guys of the SNL animated piece about two superheroes called "The Ambiguously Gay Duo." You see in the skit the heroes engage in activity that can be interpreted as gay sexual behavior. It's a blast.
Anyway, I've discovered this piece that SNL did last year. It brings back "The Ambiguously Gay Duo." Only this time, our heroes are turned into live action actors. Starring Jon Hamm, Jimmy Fallon, Steve Carell (voice also) and Stephen Colbert. (voice also) It's hilarious.
Anyway, I've discovered this piece that SNL did last year. It brings back "The Ambiguously Gay Duo." Only this time, our heroes are turned into live action actors. Starring Jon Hamm, Jimmy Fallon, Steve Carell (voice also) and Stephen Colbert. (voice also) It's hilarious.
Product placement in "Battleship"
Previously I wrote a comic piece that when the Battleship DVD comes out, you could play a drinking game with it by taking a shot during all the product placement. Now the Brand Channel website has listed the products featured. It lists a whopping amount. There are 13! There's Coke Zero, Subway, LG, Budweiser, and you can't forget the U.S. Navy. I've deleted that comic piece. There's no way you can survive taking a shot with all the products in Battleship.
So when Battleship comes out on DVD in two months, you may wonder if you should rent this turkey. If your're having trouble deciding and want a mindless action movie , rent "The Rock" (1996) instead.
So when Battleship comes out on DVD in two months, you may wonder if you should rent this turkey. If your're having trouble deciding and want a mindless action movie , rent "The Rock" (1996) instead.
Conservatives show their lack of intelligence
I've pounded conservatives and I want to say not all conservatives are as bad as things that I've criticized them for. But there's a pattern among many of them. They don't worry about facts. They react. Previously studies have shown low effort thinking promotes conservatism.
Now another study shows that conservatives are misinformed. We can assume that regular viewers of Fox News are conservative. A study by Fairleigh Dickinson University reports that Fox viewers are least informed than viewers of other news media. Just goes to show you if you watch too much Fox, your brain will rot. By the way, who are the most informed viewers and listeners? NPR listeners did very well. And just think the Republicans want to get rid of it. Those who watch Sunday morning talk shows and "The Daily Show(!)" did well.
Now another study shows that conservatives are misinformed. We can assume that regular viewers of Fox News are conservative. A study by Fairleigh Dickinson University reports that Fox viewers are least informed than viewers of other news media. Just goes to show you if you watch too much Fox, your brain will rot. By the way, who are the most informed viewers and listeners? NPR listeners did very well. And just think the Republicans want to get rid of it. Those who watch Sunday morning talk shows and "The Daily Show(!)" did well.
Monday, May 21, 2012
The dumb moments of "Battleship"
If a movie is really dumb, I like to point out the stupidity. And as I have done with "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" (2011) and "Sharktopus" (2010) it's time to point out the really moronic parts of Battleship. I might add that Battleship is one of the dumbest movies that I have ever seen. That's no easy feat since I've seen hundreds of movies. Battleship could be as bad as Plan 9 from Outer Space. (1959) Okay it might not be that bad sine Battleship does have better special effects. Anyway, let's go over the stupid moments of Battleship. Warning. Spoilers ahead.
1. Chicken Burrito. This sounds like a bad joke but the movie starts out this way. Samantha Shane played by Brooklyn Decker, the gorgeous and voluptuous model, walks into a bar. She goes up to the bartender and orders a chicken burrito. Said bartender closes the microwave door and says the kitchen is closed. WHAT?! I'm guessing the writers have never gone to a bar. There's no last call for frozen microwave food, it's the drinking that they stop at a certain hour. Anyway, if Brooklyn Decker wants you to nuke a chicken burrito, you can't make an exception? You can't put the bloody thing in for two minutes for one absolutely beautiful woman? I would lick her boots if she asked me.
2. Breaking and entering a food mart for a chicken burrito. Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch) says he'll get Samantha a chicken burrito. He commits the offense of breaking and entering to get it. Yeah, I know this is supposed to be funny. But when the cops tase Alex when he's delivering the burrito, it comes off as stupid.
3. Samantha falls in love with Alex. Or love at first tase. Samantha falls in love with Alex over the chicken burrito. Are you kidding me? The idiot just broke into a food mart. Got tased for it. Who knew that committing a crime could be so attractive.
4. Alex survives multiple taser shots after stealing the chicken burrito. With that many taser shots, he should have at least been in the hospital.
5. The Navy takes Alex and makes him an officer. The military doesn't take people with felony convictions. In most states, breaking and entering is a felony.
6. NASA scientists contact the aliens. Get this. NASA scientists find a planet light years away that looks like it could support life. They send a signal to it, thus advertising our whereabouts. Hold on. HOW THE HELL DO WE KNOW IF THE ALIENS ARE GOING TO BE FRIENDLY? I mean these guys are supposed to be smart.
7. Animated radio signal. The movie animates the radio signal to look like a laser blast. It comes complete with sound effects. Yeah, let's forget about the science part in science fiction.
8. Dumb aliens. It's hard to say who is dumber. The humans or the aliens? First let me say the aliens don't arrive in force. The seem to send about five ships. This is their invasion fleet? And if it's a scouting party, how are they going to scout when they are just in the Pacific. Wouldn't it make sense to say orbit the planet and see where the earth's defenses are?
9. Dumb aliens can't drive. Okay, when the aliens arrive in the earth's orbit, one of their ships rear ends a satellite. Let me get this right. They can fly at faster than light speeds to reach us but they can't get out of the way of a lowly satellite?
10. Attack of the Lizard Amish. The aliens are pasty faced humanoids. They have red soul patch beard. They have lizard type eyes. They look like a mixture of an Amish male and a lizard. Call them Lizard Amish.
11. Aliens don't destroy Alex's destroyer. The aliens destroy two of the three destroyer squadron. They don't obliterate Alex's destroyer, the John Paul Jones. Yes, I know if they did that, it's the end of the movie. But it's stupid.
12. The mano-a-mano fight. Some aliens land on Alex's destroyer. Their mission? Find a chicken burrito. I kid. As one is examining the engine room he's attacked by a crew member and Alex. Now the alien can kick everybody's ass. Instead of completing his mission, said alien decides he needs kick Alex's butt. Again, they're smart enough to fly faster than the speed of light. And they can get distracted like this?
13. The aliens can't see without their helmets. Assuming the aliens are smart, they had to know that their eyes can't see in the sunlight of earth. Okay. Then why invade? They can't see their enemies. Real smart Lizard Amish. This goes back to the lack of scouting.
14. The alien peg shaped flying mines. Okay, the aliens who have advanced technology use peg shaped mines to sink ships. This is clearly a nod to the Hasbro game on which the movie is based. You see the game uses pegs to mark hits. But seriously, if the aliens could fly all the way to earth, don't you think they would have better weapons. Say, what about really big laser gun?
15. Use of the USS Missouri. At the risk of sounding unpatriotic, the filmmakers use the legendary battleship USS Missouri for a climatic showdown with the alien ship. The ship has been decommissioned. I might accept the plot point where our heroes get the ship running. But I can't accept that it happens to be carrying live shells since the ship is a floating museum! Again, with the risk of sounding unpatriotic, to help man the ship, the movie shows that there are naval veterans who just happen to be hanging out. Hey, if I'm wrong, somebody please correct me.
16. Rihanna. Singer Rihanna is cast as gunners mate. I'm guessing this is for credibility. I kid. I keeed. Look, she's not an actress. And though she's not horrible, I could not take her seriously for the role.
17. Rihanna's Magic Cap. Rihanna's baseball cap never comes off in battle. When the John Paul Jones sinks, she jumps in the water. And when she's rescued, the cap stays on.
18. The post credits scene in Scotland. Three Scottish kids find an alien capsule. They get dad. He proceeds to take a power saw and open it. Does not even other to contact the authorities. Real smart. Of course, an alien pops out. This is what makes me root for the aliens.
And perhaps, the dumbest part of this movie happened before the movie was made. It belongs to the Universal executives who greenlit this turkey.
1. Chicken Burrito. This sounds like a bad joke but the movie starts out this way. Samantha Shane played by Brooklyn Decker, the gorgeous and voluptuous model, walks into a bar. She goes up to the bartender and orders a chicken burrito. Said bartender closes the microwave door and says the kitchen is closed. WHAT?! I'm guessing the writers have never gone to a bar. There's no last call for frozen microwave food, it's the drinking that they stop at a certain hour. Anyway, if Brooklyn Decker wants you to nuke a chicken burrito, you can't make an exception? You can't put the bloody thing in for two minutes for one absolutely beautiful woman? I would lick her boots if she asked me.
2. Breaking and entering a food mart for a chicken burrito. Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch) says he'll get Samantha a chicken burrito. He commits the offense of breaking and entering to get it. Yeah, I know this is supposed to be funny. But when the cops tase Alex when he's delivering the burrito, it comes off as stupid.
3. Samantha falls in love with Alex. Or love at first tase. Samantha falls in love with Alex over the chicken burrito. Are you kidding me? The idiot just broke into a food mart. Got tased for it. Who knew that committing a crime could be so attractive.
4. Alex survives multiple taser shots after stealing the chicken burrito. With that many taser shots, he should have at least been in the hospital.
5. The Navy takes Alex and makes him an officer. The military doesn't take people with felony convictions. In most states, breaking and entering is a felony.
6. NASA scientists contact the aliens. Get this. NASA scientists find a planet light years away that looks like it could support life. They send a signal to it, thus advertising our whereabouts. Hold on. HOW THE HELL DO WE KNOW IF THE ALIENS ARE GOING TO BE FRIENDLY? I mean these guys are supposed to be smart.
7. Animated radio signal. The movie animates the radio signal to look like a laser blast. It comes complete with sound effects. Yeah, let's forget about the science part in science fiction.
8. Dumb aliens. It's hard to say who is dumber. The humans or the aliens? First let me say the aliens don't arrive in force. The seem to send about five ships. This is their invasion fleet? And if it's a scouting party, how are they going to scout when they are just in the Pacific. Wouldn't it make sense to say orbit the planet and see where the earth's defenses are?
9. Dumb aliens can't drive. Okay, when the aliens arrive in the earth's orbit, one of their ships rear ends a satellite. Let me get this right. They can fly at faster than light speeds to reach us but they can't get out of the way of a lowly satellite?
10. Attack of the Lizard Amish. The aliens are pasty faced humanoids. They have red soul patch beard. They have lizard type eyes. They look like a mixture of an Amish male and a lizard. Call them Lizard Amish.
11. Aliens don't destroy Alex's destroyer. The aliens destroy two of the three destroyer squadron. They don't obliterate Alex's destroyer, the John Paul Jones. Yes, I know if they did that, it's the end of the movie. But it's stupid.
12. The mano-a-mano fight. Some aliens land on Alex's destroyer. Their mission? Find a chicken burrito. I kid. As one is examining the engine room he's attacked by a crew member and Alex. Now the alien can kick everybody's ass. Instead of completing his mission, said alien decides he needs kick Alex's butt. Again, they're smart enough to fly faster than the speed of light. And they can get distracted like this?
13. The aliens can't see without their helmets. Assuming the aliens are smart, they had to know that their eyes can't see in the sunlight of earth. Okay. Then why invade? They can't see their enemies. Real smart Lizard Amish. This goes back to the lack of scouting.
14. The alien peg shaped flying mines. Okay, the aliens who have advanced technology use peg shaped mines to sink ships. This is clearly a nod to the Hasbro game on which the movie is based. You see the game uses pegs to mark hits. But seriously, if the aliens could fly all the way to earth, don't you think they would have better weapons. Say, what about really big laser gun?
15. Use of the USS Missouri. At the risk of sounding unpatriotic, the filmmakers use the legendary battleship USS Missouri for a climatic showdown with the alien ship. The ship has been decommissioned. I might accept the plot point where our heroes get the ship running. But I can't accept that it happens to be carrying live shells since the ship is a floating museum! Again, with the risk of sounding unpatriotic, to help man the ship, the movie shows that there are naval veterans who just happen to be hanging out. Hey, if I'm wrong, somebody please correct me.
16. Rihanna. Singer Rihanna is cast as gunners mate. I'm guessing this is for credibility. I kid. I keeed. Look, she's not an actress. And though she's not horrible, I could not take her seriously for the role.
17. Rihanna's Magic Cap. Rihanna's baseball cap never comes off in battle. When the John Paul Jones sinks, she jumps in the water. And when she's rescued, the cap stays on.
18. The post credits scene in Scotland. Three Scottish kids find an alien capsule. They get dad. He proceeds to take a power saw and open it. Does not even other to contact the authorities. Real smart. Of course, an alien pops out. This is what makes me root for the aliens.
And perhaps, the dumbest part of this movie happened before the movie was made. It belongs to the Universal executives who greenlit this turkey.
Is conservatism dying?
Rush Limbaugh is the de facto leader of conservatives. No question about it. Republicans are scared to criticize him. Politico is reporting that Limbaugh's radio ratings in major markets have taken a nose dive. This follows his controversial remarks regarding Sandra Fluke in which he called her a "slut" and "prostitute" after she argued that private health insurers should cover contraceptives. Politico's story says this:
"The conservative radio host's ratings fell 27 percent in the key 25-54 demo in New York City, 31 percent in Houston-Galveston, 40 percent in Seattle-Tacoma, and 35 percent in Jacksonville, according to a selection of the March 29-April 25 Arbitron ratings provided by an industry source."
But is there a bigger question here? Republicans like to tout their candidates as conservative as if the whole country agrees with their views. But I ask is conservatism dying? Rush's ratings taking a nose dive would seem to make an argument that it is.
Limbaugh's views reflect the view that many conservatives have. That's why Republicans don't criticize him. His remarks about Sandra Fluke are what many conservatives believe. It's become clear that many Americans have decided that they don't share those views.
This country is changing. It's changing within a span of every five years. It will be no longer dominated by white males. Moderates, independents, liberals, women and minorities outnumber the conservatives and particularly the angry white male contingent of conservatives. Rush's angry group of conservatives no longer are the majority or are even close to being the majority. His voice of hatred is being tuned out by the people who don't share his view. And while conservative super PACs are loud, they can't change the views of the great majority of Americans.
The Republicans are going to regret the day they turned so far right, that being moderate is a bad word to them. Their draconian views of how the world works don't resonate to the majority of Americans. Moderates, independents, liberals, women and minorities will not support them. That's a good thing. Because once they get voted out of office, real change can occur. And this country can move forward to a brighter future.
Stephen Colbert on Limbaugh's "satire" and Sarah Palin
"The conservative radio host's ratings fell 27 percent in the key 25-54 demo in New York City, 31 percent in Houston-Galveston, 40 percent in Seattle-Tacoma, and 35 percent in Jacksonville, according to a selection of the March 29-April 25 Arbitron ratings provided by an industry source."
But is there a bigger question here? Republicans like to tout their candidates as conservative as if the whole country agrees with their views. But I ask is conservatism dying? Rush's ratings taking a nose dive would seem to make an argument that it is.
Limbaugh's views reflect the view that many conservatives have. That's why Republicans don't criticize him. His remarks about Sandra Fluke are what many conservatives believe. It's become clear that many Americans have decided that they don't share those views.
This country is changing. It's changing within a span of every five years. It will be no longer dominated by white males. Moderates, independents, liberals, women and minorities outnumber the conservatives and particularly the angry white male contingent of conservatives. Rush's angry group of conservatives no longer are the majority or are even close to being the majority. His voice of hatred is being tuned out by the people who don't share his view. And while conservative super PACs are loud, they can't change the views of the great majority of Americans.
The Republicans are going to regret the day they turned so far right, that being moderate is a bad word to them. Their draconian views of how the world works don't resonate to the majority of Americans. Moderates, independents, liberals, women and minorities will not support them. That's a good thing. Because once they get voted out of office, real change can occur. And this country can move forward to a brighter future.
Stephen Colbert on Limbaugh's "satire" and Sarah Palin
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Reds outlast Sabathia and the Yankees
The Cincinnati Reds won today by beating the Evil Empire aka The New York Yankees. Okay, Yankee fan, I'm sure you're asking what does that make the Boston Red Sox? Well, how about the Romulan Empire? Yeah, I'm mixing Star Wars and Star Trek. But I digress. Today's win gave the Reds the series win by taking two of three from the vaunted Yankees. And they did it during an away series at the legendary Yankees Stadium.
It was a pitcher's duel. Both teams had their aces on the mound. The Yankees had CC Sabathia. And the Reds had Johnny Cueto. The Yankees drew first blood by getting two runs in the sixth. But the Reds hung in there against Sabathia. Reds outfielder Ryan Ludwick hit a low fastball for a home run. Then Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan took an 0-2 pitch and launched it into the left field stands. It was a monster shot. The Reds then showed patience. Shortstop Zack Cozart singled. Then Sabathai walked the next three batters. Reds lead 3-2. In the ninth, Ryan Ludwick doubled in two more runs to give the team a three run cushion. Reds fireballing lefty Aroldis Chapman then got the final three outs for his first save of 2012,
You have to beat good teams like the Yankees, if you want to show you're a contender. Now the Reds must have a winning streak somewhere this season. I'm talking about seven games or more. Let's hope the Reds continue winning with a home series against the Atlanta Braves tomorrow.
Here's the story about the game with video. And here's Frank. What did he say? "If you (I) can make it there, you'll make it anywhere."
It was a pitcher's duel. Both teams had their aces on the mound. The Yankees had CC Sabathia. And the Reds had Johnny Cueto. The Yankees drew first blood by getting two runs in the sixth. But the Reds hung in there against Sabathia. Reds outfielder Ryan Ludwick hit a low fastball for a home run. Then Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan took an 0-2 pitch and launched it into the left field stands. It was a monster shot. The Reds then showed patience. Shortstop Zack Cozart singled. Then Sabathai walked the next three batters. Reds lead 3-2. In the ninth, Ryan Ludwick doubled in two more runs to give the team a three run cushion. Reds fireballing lefty Aroldis Chapman then got the final three outs for his first save of 2012,
You have to beat good teams like the Yankees, if you want to show you're a contender. Now the Reds must have a winning streak somewhere this season. I'm talking about seven games or more. Let's hope the Reds continue winning with a home series against the Atlanta Braves tomorrow.
Here's the story about the game with video. And here's Frank. What did he say? "If you (I) can make it there, you'll make it anywhere."
Bill Maher slams Liberty University
On Friday, Bill Maher slammed Liberty University by saying it "isn't really a university." His final New Rule of the night is correct. If you ignore science, you can't be a real university. Liberty University teaches the earth is 5000 years old, that is five thousand years old. That's yahoo science based on a literal interpretation of the Bible. Look, I'm a Christian but the earth is not 5000 years old, it's much older. Anyway, enjoy Bill's New Rule courtesy of HBO and Mediaite.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
"Battleship" Review
When I heard they were making a movie based on the Hasbro board game, Battleship, I thought what a dumb idea. If you don't know, it's a board game based on a paper game where you guess where the other guy's ships are and try to sink them. When I was growing up, the game featured two plastic boards with plastic ships. There were plastic pegs which you used to put on your grid to mark misses and hits by your opponent. So if the other side hit your ship, you used a peg to pin it on your ship. Trust me this is important for the review of this movie. When I was watching this movie, my first question was "Does a dumb idea for a movie make a dumb movie?" Then after one hour, as an American I was praying, "Please dear God, dont' let the U.S. Navy cooperate with this movie."
I really can't review Battleship without discussing the details of the plot. Because if I say this movie is goofy, you wont' believe me unless I point it out. Writers Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber mix cliches with elements of the game to produce a screenplay. The movie begins in the year 2005. It starts out in a bar with Navy Commander Stone Hopper (Alexander Skarsgård) celebrating his irresponsible brother Alex's (Taylor Kitsch) birthday. Kitsch looks like he just walked of the set of John Carter of Mars with his pageboy haircut. Anyway, in comes Samantha Shane (Brooklyn Decker), a beautiful physical therapist. She's the daughter of Admiral Shane. (Liam Neeson) She goes up to the bartender and orders a frozen chicken burrito. The chubby bartender closes the microwave and says the kitchen is closed. WHAT?! Decker is so voluptuous that you don't care if she acts or not. She's that magnetic. So fat bartender denies her a chicken burrito. Really? She's that beautiful and you can't put a frozen burrito in the microwave? Seriously? If Brooklyn Decker asked me to lick her shoes, I would do it. There must be the death penalty against nuking a chicken burrito after hours. But I digress.
With great stupidity, comes really idiotic behavior.
Alex decides that this is his chance to hit on the lovely Samantha. When he can't get a burrito from the bar, he tells Samantha that he'll get her one in five minutes. Okay, you are asking, "Why the hell didn't he bribe the bartender?" Um, because that's too logical. Anyway, Alex commits the crime of breaking and entering of a food mart, which in many states is a a felony. He literally is running from the police when he presents Samantha with the burrito. Not only does he present it to her, he's tased as he does so. Of course logic dictates that she falls in love with him. And the movie ends because Alex dies from the multiple taser hits. Okay that didn't happen. I kid. But you might wish it did. Later Stone admonishes Alex to get responsible. Alex does by joining the Navy and becomes a lieutenant serving as a tactical action officer aboard the destroyer USS. John Paul Jones.
This being a movie based on a board game, it's really an indie film about familial relationships. Okay, I kid. I keeed. We got to have aliens in here somewhere. Just remember with great stupidity, comes really idiotic behavior. Scientists discover an earth like planet light years away and send a radio signal from Hawaii to it. One scientist says if the E.T. comes he'll be like Columbus to the Indians. with us as the Indians. One should ask at this moment, "HOW THE HELL DO WE KNOW IF THEY ARE PEACEFUL?"
Director Peter Berg uses camera gymnastics to make sure you don't lose interest in the first forty minutes or maybe he's trying to make the movie more realistic by giving the audience seasickness. Anyway, he has the radio signal look like a laser blast, complete with sound effects Oh, who cares about science in a science fiction movie.
Steven Spielberg should sue.
Of course the aliens come. And they are not a friendly bunch. They are sea faring and their spaceships land in the Pacific ocean near an allied fleet doing war exercises. One of the ships is the John Paul Jones with Alex aboard. Also aboard is Rihanna who plays gunner mate Cora Raikes. During the movie she breaks into a hip hop song. Okay, she doesn't sing and she's not that good an actress. You know maybe it would have been better for this movie if she did break into song.
Okay, the alien ships make a mistake when invading earth. The aliens can't bloody drive. Their communications ship rear ends a satellite. So the aliens send a ship to the radar array that sent the signal to them. The purpose? Use the array to phone home and ask for more money. Okay, the plot indicates if they phone home, and the rest of the aliens would come to Hawaii for spring break. Sorry about that. They would come and invade earth. This begs the question why not come in force in the first place like Independence Day? (1996) And by the way the "phone home" phrase is used. Universal who produced this turkey also produced E.T. So they can't sue themselves. Maybe Steven Spielberg can sue.
Attack of the Lizard Amish.
I do have a rule in monster movies. The film must show that monster. But in Battleship, it was a really contrived and a silly idea. Frankly, there was no reason to show the aliens. That's because the movie doesn't really tell us why they're here. Yeah, they want to take over the planet. Or maybe they want to find President Barack Obama's long form birth certificate. The only reason we got to see the aliens was to produce fights mano-a-mano with the actors. In this day of CGI, you would expect them to create some wild looking aliens.
Instead, I'm guessing director Berg had a bad experience with the Amish. The aliens are humanoid. They are pasty faced. They have a red hair soul patch beard. They look like Amish on steroids. Okay, they have lizard eyes. Make them Lizard Amish.
"You sunk my battleship."
In the seventies, there was a commercial for the game. It showed a kid who would yell to his opponent after a successful kill, "You sunk my battleship." So I was waiting for this moment of pop culture. Alas, the writers couldn't get it in. But they got close with a sailor saying something like they "won't sink this battleship."
I've got to give it to the filmmakers for channeling the game for the movie. Remember the plastic pegs from the game? Well, the aliens fire mines shaped like the pegs. The flying mines stick in the hulls of the ship before they explode. The aliens also have a spinning wheel machine that can wreck havoc on targets.
If peg shaped mines sounds illogical, this movie is full of moments like that. One thing I didn't get is why the aliens did not obliterate Alex's destroyer in the first encounter. Oh, that's right you wouldn't have a movie. But after the dumb actions by the humans in the first half hour, I was rooting for the aliens until you realize the aliens are as dumb as the humans. And to bring credibility to this mess, you have Rihanna. There is one remarkable moment with her. With all the mayhem around her and with her jumping in the water, her baseball cap stays on.
So, was there anything of redeeming value to Battleship? Yeah, it's actually the part where the John Paul Jones and the alien ships can't see each other. The humans use tsunami buoys to locate the aliens, with another nod to the board game. It's tense. But you have to wade through an hour of stupidty before we get there.
An American apologizes to Scotland.
After the credits run, there's one more scene of cinematic stupidity. Three Scottish boys find an alien capsule. They get their father. He decides the smart thing to do is to use his power saw to open it. Right. He doesn't go to the government for help or call the local university. Of course, a Lizard Amish alien comes out. As an American I apologize.
Battleship is so bad, I'm sorry that the U.S. Navy cooperated with the production of this movie. Battleship lowers the cinematic intelligence of this crop of summer movies. It's dumb. And the only thing dumber than this turkey is to make a sequel. The is grade is D.
I really can't review Battleship without discussing the details of the plot. Because if I say this movie is goofy, you wont' believe me unless I point it out. Writers Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber mix cliches with elements of the game to produce a screenplay. The movie begins in the year 2005. It starts out in a bar with Navy Commander Stone Hopper (Alexander Skarsgård) celebrating his irresponsible brother Alex's (Taylor Kitsch) birthday. Kitsch looks like he just walked of the set of John Carter of Mars with his pageboy haircut. Anyway, in comes Samantha Shane (Brooklyn Decker), a beautiful physical therapist. She's the daughter of Admiral Shane. (Liam Neeson) She goes up to the bartender and orders a frozen chicken burrito. The chubby bartender closes the microwave and says the kitchen is closed. WHAT?! Decker is so voluptuous that you don't care if she acts or not. She's that magnetic. So fat bartender denies her a chicken burrito. Really? She's that beautiful and you can't put a frozen burrito in the microwave? Seriously? If Brooklyn Decker asked me to lick her shoes, I would do it. There must be the death penalty against nuking a chicken burrito after hours. But I digress.
With great stupidity, comes really idiotic behavior.
Alex decides that this is his chance to hit on the lovely Samantha. When he can't get a burrito from the bar, he tells Samantha that he'll get her one in five minutes. Okay, you are asking, "Why the hell didn't he bribe the bartender?" Um, because that's too logical. Anyway, Alex commits the crime of breaking and entering of a food mart, which in many states is a a felony. He literally is running from the police when he presents Samantha with the burrito. Not only does he present it to her, he's tased as he does so. Of course logic dictates that she falls in love with him. And the movie ends because Alex dies from the multiple taser hits. Okay that didn't happen. I kid. But you might wish it did. Later Stone admonishes Alex to get responsible. Alex does by joining the Navy and becomes a lieutenant serving as a tactical action officer aboard the destroyer USS. John Paul Jones.
This being a movie based on a board game, it's really an indie film about familial relationships. Okay, I kid. I keeed. We got to have aliens in here somewhere. Just remember with great stupidity, comes really idiotic behavior. Scientists discover an earth like planet light years away and send a radio signal from Hawaii to it. One scientist says if the E.T. comes he'll be like Columbus to the Indians. with us as the Indians. One should ask at this moment, "HOW THE HELL DO WE KNOW IF THEY ARE PEACEFUL?"
Director Peter Berg uses camera gymnastics to make sure you don't lose interest in the first forty minutes or maybe he's trying to make the movie more realistic by giving the audience seasickness. Anyway, he has the radio signal look like a laser blast, complete with sound effects Oh, who cares about science in a science fiction movie.
Steven Spielberg should sue.
Of course the aliens come. And they are not a friendly bunch. They are sea faring and their spaceships land in the Pacific ocean near an allied fleet doing war exercises. One of the ships is the John Paul Jones with Alex aboard. Also aboard is Rihanna who plays gunner mate Cora Raikes. During the movie she breaks into a hip hop song. Okay, she doesn't sing and she's not that good an actress. You know maybe it would have been better for this movie if she did break into song.
Okay, the alien ships make a mistake when invading earth. The aliens can't bloody drive. Their communications ship rear ends a satellite. So the aliens send a ship to the radar array that sent the signal to them. The purpose? Use the array to phone home and ask for more money. Okay, the plot indicates if they phone home, and the rest of the aliens would come to Hawaii for spring break. Sorry about that. They would come and invade earth. This begs the question why not come in force in the first place like Independence Day? (1996) And by the way the "phone home" phrase is used. Universal who produced this turkey also produced E.T. So they can't sue themselves. Maybe Steven Spielberg can sue.
Attack of the Lizard Amish.
I do have a rule in monster movies. The film must show that monster. But in Battleship, it was a really contrived and a silly idea. Frankly, there was no reason to show the aliens. That's because the movie doesn't really tell us why they're here. Yeah, they want to take over the planet. Or maybe they want to find President Barack Obama's long form birth certificate. The only reason we got to see the aliens was to produce fights mano-a-mano with the actors. In this day of CGI, you would expect them to create some wild looking aliens.
Instead, I'm guessing director Berg had a bad experience with the Amish. The aliens are humanoid. They are pasty faced. They have a red hair soul patch beard. They look like Amish on steroids. Okay, they have lizard eyes. Make them Lizard Amish.
"You sunk my battleship."
In the seventies, there was a commercial for the game. It showed a kid who would yell to his opponent after a successful kill, "You sunk my battleship." So I was waiting for this moment of pop culture. Alas, the writers couldn't get it in. But they got close with a sailor saying something like they "won't sink this battleship."
I've got to give it to the filmmakers for channeling the game for the movie. Remember the plastic pegs from the game? Well, the aliens fire mines shaped like the pegs. The flying mines stick in the hulls of the ship before they explode. The aliens also have a spinning wheel machine that can wreck havoc on targets.
If peg shaped mines sounds illogical, this movie is full of moments like that. One thing I didn't get is why the aliens did not obliterate Alex's destroyer in the first encounter. Oh, that's right you wouldn't have a movie. But after the dumb actions by the humans in the first half hour, I was rooting for the aliens until you realize the aliens are as dumb as the humans. And to bring credibility to this mess, you have Rihanna. There is one remarkable moment with her. With all the mayhem around her and with her jumping in the water, her baseball cap stays on.
So, was there anything of redeeming value to Battleship? Yeah, it's actually the part where the John Paul Jones and the alien ships can't see each other. The humans use tsunami buoys to locate the aliens, with another nod to the board game. It's tense. But you have to wade through an hour of stupidty before we get there.
An American apologizes to Scotland.
After the credits run, there's one more scene of cinematic stupidity. Three Scottish boys find an alien capsule. They get their father. He decides the smart thing to do is to use his power saw to open it. Right. He doesn't go to the government for help or call the local university. Of course, a Lizard Amish alien comes out. As an American I apologize.
Battleship is so bad, I'm sorry that the U.S. Navy cooperated with the production of this movie. Battleship lowers the cinematic intelligence of this crop of summer movies. It's dumb. And the only thing dumber than this turkey is to make a sequel. The is grade is D.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Republicans declare war on women
Rachel Maddow last night brought up another example of the Republicans "War on Women." I'll get to that below. Now conservatives will say there's no Republican war on women. That's not correct. Let me remind my conservative friends of what you've been trying to do over the last couple of years.
1. Republicans want to get rid of Planned Parenthood. Last year's budget battle was all about Planned Parenthood. Even Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wants to get rid of Planned Parenthood. Now before you right-wingers say Planned Parenthood is about abortion, guess again. Or better yet, get some facts. Of all its services to women, Planned Parenthood does three percent abortions. What are some of the other services? Breast cancer screening, pap smears and family planning. Denying these health care services to women is not beneficial. It's negative to the health of the women of this country.
2. Virginia Republicans wanted transvaginal ultrasounds. Republicans initially wanted women seeking an abortion to have a transvaginal ultrasound. Folks, once Virginia women realized what that was, they protested vociferously and the Republicans backed down. They still want an ultrasound but now an external one. By the way what is a transvaginal ultrasound. It's done by sticking a probe up a woman's vagina. Sounds like rape doesn't it?
3. Republican opposition to women's contraceptives. Ninety nine percent of sexually active women have used contraceptives. Yet, in March, Rush Libmbaugh, de facto leader of the conservatives and Republicans called a woman a slut and prostitute for asking her private insurer to cover it. And then there is former presidential candidate Rick Santorum who thinks contraceptives are morally wrong. Contraceptives are not only used for birth control, they can be used to control cysts.
4. Republican opposition to the Violence Against Women Act. (VAWA) Republicans are seeking to roll back provisions that would safeguard immigrant women married to American men from domestic violence. They would be give a special visa if they were being abused. The purpose would be to allow a woman to seek safety rather than be forced to stay in an abusive marriage. That way the woman would not be deported. I have no idea why Republicans hate immigrant women. Maybe they think that they are property.
See, Republicans are doing things that are against women's interests. Anyway, here's Rachel's video. I've again embedded Kate Becinsale's hilarious Funny or Die piece and Jon Stewart's video on Virginia's transvaginal ultrasound piece.
Funny or Die piece with Kate Beckinsale, Judy Greer, and Andrea Savage.
Jon Stewart on Virginia's Transvaginal Ultrasound law
1. Republicans want to get rid of Planned Parenthood. Last year's budget battle was all about Planned Parenthood. Even Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wants to get rid of Planned Parenthood. Now before you right-wingers say Planned Parenthood is about abortion, guess again. Or better yet, get some facts. Of all its services to women, Planned Parenthood does three percent abortions. What are some of the other services? Breast cancer screening, pap smears and family planning. Denying these health care services to women is not beneficial. It's negative to the health of the women of this country.
2. Virginia Republicans wanted transvaginal ultrasounds. Republicans initially wanted women seeking an abortion to have a transvaginal ultrasound. Folks, once Virginia women realized what that was, they protested vociferously and the Republicans backed down. They still want an ultrasound but now an external one. By the way what is a transvaginal ultrasound. It's done by sticking a probe up a woman's vagina. Sounds like rape doesn't it?
3. Republican opposition to women's contraceptives. Ninety nine percent of sexually active women have used contraceptives. Yet, in March, Rush Libmbaugh, de facto leader of the conservatives and Republicans called a woman a slut and prostitute for asking her private insurer to cover it. And then there is former presidential candidate Rick Santorum who thinks contraceptives are morally wrong. Contraceptives are not only used for birth control, they can be used to control cysts.
4. Republican opposition to the Violence Against Women Act. (VAWA) Republicans are seeking to roll back provisions that would safeguard immigrant women married to American men from domestic violence. They would be give a special visa if they were being abused. The purpose would be to allow a woman to seek safety rather than be forced to stay in an abusive marriage. That way the woman would not be deported. I have no idea why Republicans hate immigrant women. Maybe they think that they are property.
See, Republicans are doing things that are against women's interests. Anyway, here's Rachel's video. I've again embedded Kate Becinsale's hilarious Funny or Die piece and Jon Stewart's video on Virginia's transvaginal ultrasound piece.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Funny or Die piece with Kate Beckinsale, Judy Greer, and Andrea Savage.
Jon Stewart on Virginia's Transvaginal Ultrasound law
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Amnesty for UFO witnesses and Milton Torres' remarkable UFO encounter
The Huffington Post is reporting that former American army colonel, John Alexander, seeks amnesty for members of the military who have seen a UFO. According to the story, the military threatens personnel with discipline if they tell the public about a UFO sighting.
Alexander cites the story of Milton Torres. He served in the U.S. Air Force in the fifties. In 1957, Torres flew a sortie where he was to shoot down a UFO. This thing was not a usual UFO. It was aircraft size. When he was about to fire, the thing took off at a speed that he estimates at MACH 10. He was later told to not talk about it or else he would never fly again. In 2008, Great Britain's Ministry of Defense released numerous UFO documents and Torres' story was one of the reports. Torres was finally allowed to talk about the incident. I've embedded the video linked to the Post's story. This is fascinating stuff.
Alexander cites the story of Milton Torres. He served in the U.S. Air Force in the fifties. In 1957, Torres flew a sortie where he was to shoot down a UFO. This thing was not a usual UFO. It was aircraft size. When he was about to fire, the thing took off at a speed that he estimates at MACH 10. He was later told to not talk about it or else he would never fly again. In 2008, Great Britain's Ministry of Defense released numerous UFO documents and Torres' story was one of the reports. Torres was finally allowed to talk about the incident. I've embedded the video linked to the Post's story. This is fascinating stuff.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Republicans are bigots
Yeah, it's harsh to say that Republicans are bigots. But today they have shown it. There was a rejection of a gay Republican lawyer to become a state court judge. Previously, I've written that Republicans are racist. Here's the summary of that post:
1. Some Republicans have challenged President Obama's citizenship. Even though the state of Hawaii says he was born in there. And Obama produced his long form birth certificate. There are still yahoos who think Obama is not American. And have you seen the leadership of the party tell the nuts to back off? No.
2. Challenges by Trump on Obama 's college records. The point is that he received affirmative action to get into Harvard Law School Sigh. He was editor of the Harvard Law Review. Graduated Magnum Cum Laude. That's not affirmative action folks.
3. Placing Obama 's head on a chimp. Comparing Michelle Obama to a gorilla.
4. The Southern Strategy. Trying to get angry white male votes in the sixties and seventies with an appeal to their racist beliefs.
Now today. In Virgina, Republicans have rejected the appointment of a gay REPUBLICAN lawyer to become judge. Mind you, I'm not talking about gay marriage. I'm talking about the fitness of a person to be a judge. And according to Republicans being gay means you can't be fair as a jurist.
I left the Republican Party in 1980. The Republicans have turned far right back to their racist roots. My fellow Republicans, you might win within the next ten years. But frankly, after the next ten years, it's over. The only people willing to support the Republicans will be angry white males. Minorities, independents, liberals, women and moderates will no longer support you in the near future.
My plea. If you are an independent, liberal, woman, minority and moderate, do not vote Republican. They stand for the worst of our nature. Vote Democrat.
1. Some Republicans have challenged President Obama's citizenship. Even though the state of Hawaii says he was born in there. And Obama produced his long form birth certificate. There are still yahoos who think Obama is not American. And have you seen the leadership of the party tell the nuts to back off? No.
2. Challenges by Trump on Obama 's college records. The point is that he received affirmative action to get into Harvard Law School Sigh. He was editor of the Harvard Law Review. Graduated Magnum Cum Laude. That's not affirmative action folks.
3. Placing Obama 's head on a chimp. Comparing Michelle Obama to a gorilla.
4. The Southern Strategy. Trying to get angry white male votes in the sixties and seventies with an appeal to their racist beliefs.
Now today. In Virgina, Republicans have rejected the appointment of a gay REPUBLICAN lawyer to become judge. Mind you, I'm not talking about gay marriage. I'm talking about the fitness of a person to be a judge. And according to Republicans being gay means you can't be fair as a jurist.
I left the Republican Party in 1980. The Republicans have turned far right back to their racist roots. My fellow Republicans, you might win within the next ten years. But frankly, after the next ten years, it's over. The only people willing to support the Republicans will be angry white males. Minorities, independents, liberals, women and moderates will no longer support you in the near future.
My plea. If you are an independent, liberal, woman, minority and moderate, do not vote Republican. They stand for the worst of our nature. Vote Democrat.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Bill Maher, "Joe Biden must make more gaffes"
On Real Time, Bill Maher's last New Rule says "Joe Biden must make more gaffes." He says this because Vice President Joe Biden made a gaffe supporting gay marriage. This caused President Barack Obama to move his position to support it. I was amazed when Obama chose Biden. This is the guy who said of his boss, ""I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man." Later as VEEP, he said Obama would be tested. Not the kind of thing you want to say to reassure the country about Obama's ability to be commander in chief.
Maher's gag is that Biden's gaffes makes Obama move. It was so funny that Maher got the Republicans to laugh. Courtesy of HBO and Mediaite, here's the piece.
Maher's gag is that Biden's gaffes makes Obama move. It was so funny that Maher got the Republicans to laugh. Courtesy of HBO and Mediaite, here's the piece.
The truth behind Mitt Romney and Bain Capital
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney likes to talk about his tenure at Bain Capital to show that he knows how to create jobs. But look at the facts. Bain Capital was not about creating a company that makes products. It was a venture capital firm. They took over companies and sold them for profit. Sometimes that worked like Staples and sometimes it didn't. The liberal view is that Bain Capital took over companies and saddled them with debt. It then sold them off for profit.
The amazing thing is that a Super PAC, "Winning Our Future" supporting Republican Newt Gingrich took the liberal position. It produced a documentary called "When Mitt Romney Came to Town." I've embedded it below for you.
Now President Obama is also taking on the myth of Mitt. It is now running ads about Romney's tenure at Bain and what he did to companies in his targeting site. He's also set up a website for you to check out Romney's tenure at Bain.
And for satirical look, I've embedded Stephen Colbert's funny attack ad comparing Mitt Romney to a serial killer. You see Romney says corporations are people and since Romney killed a bunch of corporations, well, you get it. Narrated by John Lithgow who's played some serial killers in his time. Ha, ha, ha.
Gingrich Super PAC criticizes Romney's tenure at Bain Capital with documentary.
President Obma's ad attacking Romney's tenure at Bain Capital.
Stephen Colbert's attack ad against Mitt Ronmey's Bain Capital
The amazing thing is that a Super PAC, "Winning Our Future" supporting Republican Newt Gingrich took the liberal position. It produced a documentary called "When Mitt Romney Came to Town." I've embedded it below for you.
Now President Obama is also taking on the myth of Mitt. It is now running ads about Romney's tenure at Bain and what he did to companies in his targeting site. He's also set up a website for you to check out Romney's tenure at Bain.
And for satirical look, I've embedded Stephen Colbert's funny attack ad comparing Mitt Romney to a serial killer. You see Romney says corporations are people and since Romney killed a bunch of corporations, well, you get it. Narrated by John Lithgow who's played some serial killers in his time. Ha, ha, ha.
Gingrich Super PAC criticizes Romney's tenure at Bain Capital with documentary.
President Obma's ad attacking Romney's tenure at Bain Capital.
Stephen Colbert's attack ad against Mitt Ronmey's Bain Capital
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