This interview was on Fresh Air today and I thought it was completely fascinating. I've been a fan of Thelma Schoonmakers work for as long as I can remember caring about film and hearing her talk about it is always, always enlightnening.
Something fishy is going on in the White House and I think the Bush administration is going down. Karl Rove is polishing the brass on the Titanic.
Did you know that Doug Fabrizio cheated on his first wife while she was pregnant?And then I checked our stats on the blog to find dozens of hits from blogsearch and technorati with "Doug Fabrizio" as the search string. They all came from the same IP address in Salt Lake City (67.42.23.100). Then I started checking links to all the other sites that had mentioned Doug Fabrizio in some way and they all had the same thing too. And those that didn't have that message looked as though they had deleted the message at about the same time.
Did you know that she found out and kicked his ass out of the house?
He married the woman he was running around behind her back with, so I guess that's something.
Nice guy!!!
I was going to write a post about how much I despise Christmas and think that Christ should be removed from public squares, but instead I posted a picture of Nien Nunb dressed as Santa with a glass of champagne, celebrating the true meaning of Christmas: The Commercialization Santa stands for and getting wasted.Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam Hussein
I read that the Arctic National Wildlife is safe, for now. That's good news. The bad news is that Senate Republicans are not happy about it. The good news is that the Senate Democrats have offered a counter-proposal for decreasing our dependency on foreign oil: by increasing gas mileage requirements for automobiles. The bad news is that Senate Republicans don't like this idea as it would cause an undue stress on industry, especially their buddies making automobiles and refining gasoline.
I read stories like this and it makes me realize how the subject matter of "This Divided State" maintains relevance. The senate passed a ridiculous budget proposal 51-50 with Cheney as the tie breaking vote.
Who's with me? I think if you look at the performances of his work in the past and both performances he turned in on King Kong no one in their right mind would deny that he deserves at the very least a nomination.
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.Let's all remember that Bush is the one calling for the renewal under the basis that America is more secure because of it. Remember the Former 9/11 commision's report card from a couple of weeks ago? If the Patriot Act led to failing grades in 9/11 style attacks a few weeks ago, why is it so important now? Why isn't the congress debating legislation that would actually fix the problems in National Security outlined in their report? This just seems like another political ploy to distract from the real problem because no one actually wants to fix it.
Soldiers conscripted in the War on Christmas
I saw King Kong tonight. I can only give a one sentence review: I enjoyed and was thoroughly entertained by every single moment in the film, it's a masterpiece."A special effect is a tool, a means of telling a story. A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing." --George Lucas
Here's some more links that will take you to the fake trenches on the fake War on Christmas. I posted the best audio and video I've seen in my post from last night.
This "War on Christmas" Business is just nonsense.
On Saturday night I decided I had nothing better to do and saw Elizabethtown. It was not good. Far from it. In fact, it was the opposite of good. Cameron Crowe needs to stop making Cameron Crowe movies. He's too in love with his own style. Elizabethtown was like a bizarro, shitty version of Garden State. And Orlando Bloom puts in a performance on par with Cary Elwes' in Saw. Yes, it was that bad. Why won't directors let him speak above a harsh whisper? I don't get it. And Crowe actually forces Kirsten Dunst to suck. I mean, she's not the best actress or anything, but she can turn in a performance. Anyone else seen Spiderman? Basically, if I had to pick two words to describe this motion picture, they would be: "Fecal" and "Preposterous." "Pretentious" and "Shitty" would be the top two runners-up. I would advise against seeing it. At all costs.
My sister-in-law was at it again today. I was driving her to work and she got on my case about Venezuela again. I don't know if you guys notice, but I like Venezuela and I like Chavez. This infuriates her. She tells me that he's anti-American and needs to be assasinated. It would honestly surprise you to know how many people think Pat Robertson's right on the mark with that one.Citgo Petroleum Corp., which is controlled by the Venezuelan government, signed a deal with three Bronx housing nonprofits to sell 5 million gallons of heating oil at 45 percent below the market rate, an estimated savings of $4 million. The discounted oil will heat 75 Bronx apartment buildings, housing 8,000 low-income working poor and elderly tenants.
"A lot of families are struggling," said Lenice Footman, who hopes her $600 monthly rent will be reduced. Neighbor Dionne Morales agreed, saying she is overlooking the criticism directed at Chavez. "If he can give oil to my country and help the lives of my community, I'm impressed," she said.
"The government should have done it," said Shirley Manuel, 52, a tenants' rights activist, wrapped up tightly in her wheelchair. "This is their country, this is their people -- they should be taking care of their own."
I really can't say anything more about this than the excerpts of the article I posted above. Hugo Chavez is doing more to positively affect the lives of the poverty-stricken in American than George Bush is.
It wasn't that bad. It had a couple of moments that could have been better or made more sense (why in the hell would Mr. Beaver and the other kids chase Edmund to within 100 yards of the White Witchs castle and then start running?)
I want everyone to read this article and remember it the next time you hear a Bush administration official make the claim that they are making us safer.
"What could be so repulsive after all, during the Great Depression, especially, and with yet another war for natural wealth and markets coming, in a young man's belief that each person could work as well as he or she was able, and should be rewarded, sick or well, young or old, brave or frightened, talented or imbecilic, according to his or her simple needs? How could anyone treat me as a person with a diseased mind if I thought that war need never come again--if only common people everywhere would take control of the planet's wealth, disband their national armies and forget their national boundaries; if only they would think of themselves ever after as brothers and sisters, yes, and as mothers and fathers, too, and children of all other common people--everywhere. The only person who would be excluded from such friendly and merciful society would be one who took more wealth than he or she needed at any time."
I just hope they don't put a knife to their own testicles (or ovaries for you ladies out there). So we've had Democrats coming out of the WTF? Closet and begin to strongly attack the Bush Administration. Murtha, Reid, Boxer, Biden, etc seemed to have unzipped and discovered their own political balls. 
I've read these books dozens of times over my life and in anticipation of the movie I've opted to read them again. I started with the Magicians Nephew and just finished the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe today with my kids.
I was going to write a post about how ridiculous the timing of American Thanksgiving is compared to Canada's, but I'd rather post a picture of Lobster Johnson instead.
Well, Hugo Chavez has made good on his promise to start providing discount heating oil to poor communities in America.
Mel Gibson has decided to take on Clean Flicks for cutting The Passion of the Christ.
I was picking someone up from work this evening and was flipping through stations and some late night talk radio caught my ear. Some guy named Rusty Humphries.
While we all wait for Elias and his Zula '08 post, I thought I would share some good news.ZULA/WILLIS 2008
THE MESSAGE
For better or for worse, the Republicans are offering strategies to deal with the problems of the day, whether we like those solutions or not. This is a good thing, whether we like their solutions or not.
It’s my belief that in order for the Democrats to reclaim power, they need to offer productive and reasonable solutions to counter those presented by the opposition. The status quo seems to be this: Republicans define the debate, they pick an issue and write legislation to fix their view of the problem. Democrats hate said legislation and decry the Republicans for partisan hackery and corporate shilling. Sadly, that’s where the cycle generally ends. If the Democrats want to lift themselves from their slump, now that they seem to be feeling empowered, they need to offer sensible solutions in direct response to Republican solutions.
Democrats tend to be against the war. We’d like to see our troops home. The most people in the party seem to be doing is calling for an exit-strategy. Why not outline a clear exit-strategy? Instead of shouting, “There isn’t an exit-strategy!” They’d gain a lot more ground politically if they were to be shouting, “The administration has no exit-strategy. We do, here it is. We’ve mailed this to the President and had 150 Senators and Congressmen sign it.”
The Democrats heads have been spinning because of the recent budget proposals. Instead of argue about the ridiculous nature of the cuts to spending and maintenance on the tax-cuts, why don’t they offer a sensible budget alternative?
I think you get my point. In order to appear strong, instead of fighting about the issues and solutions framed by the opposition, reframe the debates with better solutions.
I know that Democrats have a clear message, a vision to take
Instead, the best argument I’ve heard out of the Democrats for the last 5 years has been, “I’m not Bush.” In my opinion, for the Democrats to make their way out of the hole they've been in for the last 6 years, they will need to be on the offensive insofar as framing the debate. They need to offer the American people a clear vision of where they want to take us and they need to offer realistic plans to get there. And whenever the Republicans choose an issue and run with it, the Democrats need to hijack that issue and offer a better plan to put themselves in the favour of the people.
They can do better than this. I know it.
As soon as the shining stars of the Democratic party that Steve outlined yesterday are able to take this platform to the American people they'll be able to get back to work.
Here are my six platform points that I believe would bring the Democrats to victory:
2) The Budget. There has been no limit to outrageous deficit spending, tax cuts and severe cuts to vital programs. There has been much outrage and little action on the part of the Democrats currently to solve this problem. The Democrats can win many voters from both sides of the aisle on this issue and here's how. "We'll bring sanity back to the budget. We will balance it. We won't spend more money than we're making and we won't outsource our debt."
3) Social Security. This is the best way for the Democrats to draw attention to the hypocricies of the current Republican cabal while at the same time coming out in defense of an issue that has proved important. It's obvious the majority of American's don't agree with George Bush's ideas about Social Security and the Democrats had a chance to force the issue and counter-propose popular legislation that would fix the problem and serve as a major political defeat for the Bush team. They didn't do this. But now they have another chance and it would be foolish to pass it up because we all already know the Republicans have been losing on this issue for two years. And, in my opinion, the solution is simple and two pronged:
4) Health Care. This is an issue that Democrats mention over and over and over again and people are tired of hearing about it and nothing getting done. But there is no reason why we can't figure out a way to provide every American with affordable (or free) Health Care. This is a chance to have a meaningful debate with conservatives and show the world that Democrats aren't Republicans in bad suits. You'd also win the vote of every person that can't afford Health Care. And Jimmy Smits wasn't far off on the West Wing when he suggested removing the words "over 65" from Medicare.
5) Corporate Accountability. Enron, WorldCom, Halliburton, Phillip Morris, McDonalds, Walmart, Exxon/Mobil, Jack Abramof, Monsanto. These have all become synonymous with corruption and it is taken for granted that they have enough money in their pockets to buy any amount of congressmen and presidents or vice presidents to screw John Q. Consumer. I think the Democratic party needs to sever themselves from corporations. I know that sounds crazy, and I know that the Democrats are having a hard time fundraising as it is, but it would be the best PR move in the world to say, "We are no longer beholden to Corporate Interests and Political Action Committees. We will no longer take their money. We are going to ensure that there is a barrier between legislators and private interest. What we do will be the best for the people and the best for the people is Corporate Accountability. And the best first step is to sever all ties with private entities."
6) Homeland Security. The way the Democrats can take this issue back is simple. "We understand more about our enemy than our opponents do. Our opponents have made no effort to understand the enemy and we have. We understand why Abu Ghraib makes the situation worse. We understand why Iraq is having the opposite effect on terrorism that the administration. We understand why we have to be held to a higher moral standard. We know what it takes to keep America safe and it's our moral obligation to do it."
