Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Hackneyed Battle-Lines

Sean Hannity, Charles Krauthammer, etc./the Republicans in Washington - they're all seething in response to president Obama's Iraq speech. They're mad that he 1) never admitted that the surge worked, 2) didn't give President Bush credit for the surge, and 3) refrained from declaring U.S. victory. Well, guess what, folks, apart from possibly #2, President Obama was correct in these omissions. The surge flat-out DIDN'T work. This, folks, in that there still ISN'T a unified government in Iraq. And as far as that victory goes, we haven't exactly achieved that, either (no unified government, violence back on the rise, millions and millions of displaced civilians, a still largely destroyed infrastructure, Christians basically having to worship in secret, etc., etc.). I mean, just ask the American public here. They'll tell ya' (I cite a recent CNN poll which states that 65% of the American people say that we HAVEN'T achieved our objectives in Iraq...................................................................................................P.S. And let us not forget, either, folks, the stated reasons for our going into Iraq IN THE FIRST PLACE were weapons of mass destruction and a supposed link between Iraq and Al Qaeda. If in fact we're supposed to give President Bush all this credit for the surge, should we not also hold the fellow responsible for getting us involved in the first place? I'm just asking here....................................................................................................P.S. 2 I also want it known that these sentiments are coming from someone who HASN'T engaged in a plethora of Bush bashing. I've actually defended Mr. Bush on occasions (against Nazi comparisons, etc.). I'm just trying to stand up to revisionism (Charles Krauthammer, especially - he should clearly know better), that's all.

Monday, August 30, 2010

ENOUGH!

I've been hearing rumors that Sarah Palin's ex future son-in-law, Levi Johnston, may ultimately end up getting a reality-show of his own. So, folks, what do you think? Me, I'm thinking that maybe we should all (all of us - regardless of what out political affiliation may be) stand as one and oppose this stupidity. I mean, I ask you here, have you actually gotten a load of this guy? My God! This dude is so stupid that he actually makes those Kardashian bimbos sound like Fulbright scholars. And, besides, aren't we going to have to take a stand SOMEWHERE? If it isn't with this knuckle-dragger, then when? Come on. What do you say, folks?

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Havana Hit-Man

One of the most underrated players in major-league history is a guy by the name of Tony Oliva. For those of you who are too young to remember, Oliva was a star outfielder for the Minnesota Twins, former rookie of the year (1964), and clearly one of the best hitters (and not exactly a bad fielder, either) of the late 60s and early 70s (to this day, in fact, he's still the only player in baseball history to have won the batting title in each of his first two seasons). Unfortunately, Mr. Oliva ended up blewing out his knee in 1971 and, yes, for all intents and purposes his career was over (yes, he did DH for a few seasons after that but he clearly wasn't the same)..................................................................................................But, I'm telling you, if you really want to know how great he was, just get a load of these numbers from his first eight seasons. Mr. Oliva was first in total hits from that era (1455 - Brooks Robinson was second with 1313), tied for first with Yaz in doubles (278), second only to Yaz in runs scored (711 to Yaz's 734), first in total bases (2356 - Yaz was second with 2244), and easily first in batting average (.313 - Frank Robinson was a distant second at .300). The dude went on to make the all-star team all eight years and ended up with a total of three batting titles. Hell, people, he even won a gold-glove (1966)/had one of the best throwing arms of any big-league outfielder............................................................................................................And you have to remember, folks, the 1960s was largely an era in which pitchers dominated (Denny McLain's 31-win season in '68, for example). For Oliva to have batted .313 in that era is phenomenal. Is all of this good enough to get him into the Hall of Fame - as a lot of his contemporaries (Tony Perez, for example) are suggesting? I don't know. There may be some players who played longer who might deserve it first (Gil Hodges, Maury Wills, Ron Santo, to name a few). But, if you're going to give the honor to a player who dominated for X amount of time (a la Sandy Koufax), Oliva could in fact be your man. I'm not going to make a stink if he gets elected.

When Mr. Fuji and Professor Toru Tanaka Would Throw That Ceremonial Salt Into the Eyes of Their Unexpected Opponents

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what was your favorite professional wrestling shtick from the latter 70s?"

Saturday, August 28, 2010

The E Network's Ranking of Geraldo's Broken Nose (Via a Chair) Episode at 24 of Their Top 50 List of Most Outrageous TV Moments

What would be my answer to the question, "What, in your opinion, is the biggest miscarriage of justice in the past several weeks or so?"

Lee Remick

What would be my answer to the question, "Who, in your opinion, is the most underrated female star (in terms of both looks and talent) of the late 50s and early 60s?"......The evidence? Hm. Try "A Face in the Crowd", "The Long Hot Summer", "Anatomy of a Murder", "Wild River", "Days of Wine and Roses", "Baby the Rain Must Fall".....And, yes, even moving on into the 70s; "The Omen", "Sometimes a Great Notion", "The Competition", "Tribute".....Add to that her tour de force work on Broadway ("Anyone Can Whistle", "Follies", "Wait Until Dark") and television ("Ike", "Damn Yankees") and, yes, folks, you just might have yourself a keeper here.....Green eyes, too, dudes.

And it Doesn't Matter What He Says, Either

I saw an interesting story on CNN last week (maybe it was 2 weeks ago, I don't quite remember). According to one of their investigative journalists, there are literally warehouses filled with food and supplies down in Haiti. And it's damned just sitting there. I mean, I'm not entirely sure who's supposed to be in charge down there BUT, whoever it is (yeah, I know, it's probably not just one person), there clearly needs to be a change. Hows about this one, folks? Two words - General McChrystal. Yeah, I know that I've already kind of put him in charge of the Gulf and all, but just for a while, I'm saying. Just long enough to stop those poor people from starving, etc.. What do you think?

Friday, August 27, 2010

Comparative (Muslim) Religion

The right-wing has been trying to smear this imam for quite some time now. They're apparently unaware that, compared to the dirt-bags who supposedly cooperated with us in Iraq, and who we're presently propping up in Afghanistan, this fellow is a flat-out saint/hero. Yes, the fellow has made a few inartful statements about 9/11/U.S. Middle-Eastern policy but, shit, just take a look at President Bush. He got us bogged down in (count 'em) TWO intractable conflicts (yes, President Obama ably assisting in one of them) over there. That, to me, was for more destructive. And, yes, me-buckos, it was us who "funded" THAT!

A Blood-Fued Between Sarah Palin and the Murkowskis?

GEE, YA' THINK? LOL

Jada Pinkett Smith

What would be my answer to the question, "So, of all the present day hotties out there, which bombshell do you have moving up your rankings the quickest?"......Seriously, though, have you seen her in that new TNT show, "HawthoRNe? I mean, yeah, I know that she's only 5 feet tall and all but, STILL......P.S. Plus, I do go by the name of Will - you know that, right?

And Still We Watched....and Watched.....and Watched

In most of the really great movies, the fate of the main characters is uncertain at first. I mean, that's kind of why we watch the movie, right? Amongst the most glaring exceptions, of course, is that of Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray's character in "Double Indemnity"). In the case of Mr. Neff, we know IMMEDIATELY his fate. This, folks, in that the very minute that Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) slinks out of her room wearing nothing but a towel, we know. Boy, do we ever know.......Not to mention, sympathize...................................................................................................P.S. This, of course, isn't to say that Barbara Stanwyck could have ever gotten me personally to kill. She couldn't have.....Stealing a battery, etc.? Hm, let me just plead the 5th, O.K.?

Men's Tennis

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what's your least favorite sport?"

Women's Tennis

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what's your favorite sport?"

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Sea World for Senators

Mr. McCain has jumped the shark on numerous occasions. This, my friends, is indisputable. The man has flip-flopped on Falwell, immigration, tax cuts, ethanol, and, yes, even on his signature issue of campaign finance reform. But, I'm telling you here, when the man uttered earlier this summer that, "I never really considered myself a maverick", that, me-buckos, was pretty much jumping an entire school.....It's like, what, Mr. McCain? Are you now saying that all of those times that you previously referred to yourself AS A MAVERICK, you were lying about it? Or are you lying about it now? I'm sorry, dude, but, either way, I'm going to have to start referring to you as an "agent of prevarication".

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Miscellaneous 21

1) Sean Hannity has said a lot of reprehensible things of late - no question. But, I'm telling you here, kids, what that blankety-blank said last week on one of his segments went way, WAY, beyond the pale, even for him. Mr. Hannity said that President Obama, during the 2008 campaign, "begged for the job." "BEGGED FOR THE JOB." I mean, talk about a flat-out level of disrespect. And the thing is, folks, it wasn't Mr. Obama who crawled on back to Jerry Falwell, did his very best "cat on a hot tin roof" imitation over immigration, etc.. That was Senator McCain. If anybody "begged for the job", it was him (and, yes, it DOES hurt me to say this in that I absolutely at one point DID respect him)......2) Lisa Lampanelli is as foul-mouthed and disgusting a comic as there is. Unfortunately, she can also be one of the funniest ones. In a recent Comedy Central roast to somebody called Flava Flav, Ms. Lampanelli blurted out (in memoriam to the supposed affair between Flav and actress, Bridget Nielsen) this absolute classic, " How could you (referencing Ms. Nielsen) have sex with this guy. I've screwed more black guys than FEMA and I wouldn't touch him." Let's just say that I more than giggled at it......3) Sheryl Crow supposedly has a new song out that criticizes Sarah Palin. And, yeah, that's fine. Palin at this point clearly deserves a lot of guff. But there is a lyric in the song that does in fact trouble me. Crow says something about "turning off the microphone."....Not good, folks. In this country, we DO NOT turn off anybody's microphone. If Ms. Crow want to turn hers (Crow's) on, that's fine. But she shouldn't go around whining (err, I mean, singing) that we need to curtail free speech. That, my friends, flat-out ain't gonna cut it.

10.0

What would be my answer to the question, "So, on a scale of 1-10, what would you give Eva Marie Saint (circa 1959/the way that she looked in 'North by Northwest')?.........................................................................................................P.S. Feel free to insert Teresa Wright (circa 1943/the way that she looked in 'Shadow of a Doubt').

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Denny's D.C.

Where was it ever written that we all have to order our political meals off of some idiotic blue-plate special? That, folks, more than anything else, is what truly bugs me about politics/political parties. I mean, it's almost as if they want us to literally stop thinking, for Christ!.................................................................................................I mean, just take a look me, for example. In areas such as civil liberties, social issues, and military matters, I'm probably about as liberal a voter as you can get. I obviously couldn't be a Republican (well, at least not in this current environment). But, being that neither could I possibly swallow stuff such as "card check", the stimulus package, and various aspects of the health-care and "cap and trade" legislation, it's also fair to say that I wouldn't necessarily feel all that comfortable as a Democratic operant, either.................................................................................................If you're really wanting to know my opinion here, I'm thinking that this country of ours is in absolute/dire need of a viable third party - a place, folks, where the Paul Tsongases, Warren Rudmans, and saner versions of Ross Perot could find at least a modicum of comfort and, Hell, maybe even a solution or two, too.

Monday, August 23, 2010

More From Foer

"At typical slaughter facility, cattle are led through a chute into a knocking box - usually a large cylindrical hold through which the head pokes. The stun operator, or 'knocker', presses a large pneumatic gun between the cow's eyes. A steel bolt shoots into the cow's skull and then retracts into the gun, usually rendering the animal unconscious or causing death. Sometimes the bolt only dazes the animal, which either remains conscious or later wakes up as it is being 'processed'. The effectiveness of the knocking gun depends on its manufacturer and maintenance, and the skill of its application - a small hose leak or firing the gun before pressure sufficiently builds up again can reduce the force with which the bolt is released and leave the animals grotesquely punctured but painfully conscious..........................................................................................................The effectiveness of knocking is also reduced because some plant managers believe that animals can become 'too dead' and therefore, because their hearts are not pumping, bleed out too slowly or inefficiently......As a result, some plants deliberately choose less-effective knocking methods. The side effect is that a higher percentage of animals require multiple knocks, remain unconscious, or wake up in processing..........................................................................................................No jokes here, and no turning away. Let's say what we mean: animals are bled, skinned, and dismembered while conscious. It happens all the time, and the industry and the government know it.".............................................................................................................What is it, folks, that all of those French people say? Oh yeah, bon appetit!

A Little Something to Chew On

A lot of my fellow bloggers are quick to point out the incestuous relationship (the lobbying, the money, the access, etc.) between government and industry. Well, guess what, folks - try adding me to that list, too...............................................................................................I cite, specifically, the intimate relationship between the USDA and agribusiness; the factory farming/meat industry, in particular. I mean, think about it here. You have an agency that, on the one hand, exists in part to promote the meat and dairy industry and, on the other hand, to provide nutritional guidelines to the American public. Talk about a God-damned frigging conflict of interest...................................................................................................And it's all pretty much bullshit, too. I mean, come on. 95% of the health community knows for a fact that we, as a country, consume entirely too much meat. Wouldn't it, folks, make a hell of a lot more sense to put an independent organization in charge of disseminating nutritional information (the World Health Organization, for example)? It sure as hell would seem better to me. But what do I know, right?

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Here's a Question for You, Folks

Will President Obama face a primary challenge in 2012? And, if in fact this does happen, will that challenge emerge from the left (a Howard Dean, say), or will it come from the right (an Evan Bayh, perhaps)? As a centrist, my preference would obviously be for the latter to happen.................................................................................................But, folks, you also have to consider this little fact. The last two occasions that a President faced a primary challenge, he ended up losing the general election; Ford in '76 (challenged by Reagan) and Carter in '80 (challenged by Kennedy). So, unless you're secretly (or perhaps not so secretly) wishing for President Obama to lose next time, you're probably not going to be interested in seeing him being challenged. This, though, clearly, it WOULD indeed be interesting.

Who's Worse; Beck or Hannity?

This one, folks, was actually quite easy for me. In my opinion, Sean Hannity is easily the more obnoxious one. First of all, he's significantly dumber (not that Mr. Beck is necessarily a genius, mind you, but he does seem to be at least somewhat inquisitive). Secondly, the dude is far more partisan (yes, Mr. Beck does slam the Democrats/laud the tea party but, I'm also telling you, I've seen him rip the Republicans on occasion - there's this one interview with Michael Steele that I particularly remember - when was the last time that you ever heard Hannity blast a Republican?)..........................................................................................................In terms of Mr. Beck's persona, his constantly speaking out of turn, his ass ("Obama's a racist", for example), etc., yeah, that can definitely be hard to take sometimes. But, folks, at least he's entertaining/seems to be enjoying himself. And, Hell, he even seems capable of surprising us on occasion (his recent tacit support of gay marriage, for example). Sean Hannity - him, hm, not so much (I've never seen him stray from orthodoxy - EVER). So, yeah, if in fact I HAD to pick....

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Frank Gaffney: Richard Perle on Steroids

Did you happen to catch Frank Gaffney on "Hannity" the other night? This guy seems to think that we shouldn't allow this particular imam to build his frigging mosque ANYWHERE - not just near the "ground zero" site but period. Hm, can you say divided nation, folks?................................................................................................Oh, and in case you're interested, I am not in any way trying to impugn Mr. Gaffney's motivation or integrity. The fellow wants to keep the nation safe and so do I. I just don't happen to think that this type of absolutist approach to foreign/domestic policy is in any way going to help us accomplish that. In fact, it just might end up putting us in a nastier predicament..................................................................................................P.S. It's also been pointed out that there already is a mosque in that particular neighborhood. And, yes, that makes me kind of wonder aloud. What do these neocons (them, and the various other factions of the far-right) suggest that we do about THAT structure - tear the son of a bastard down? Put it under constant surveillance?.........................................................................................................Oh, and, just for the record, it isn't just the right that's talking nonsense here. Yes, Mr. Gingrich flat-out played the Nazi card. But, so, too, we have Senator Reid caving like a rag-doll/President Obama dancing QUITE foolishly. Throw in Nancy Pelosi's saying that we really ought to be investigating the funds of those who currently oppose the mosque (65% of the American people, in other words) and, yeah, you kind of get my point here......Pelosi and Bachman - I say put 'em both on an island. Parachute Palin in, too, while you're at it.

To Mr.s Hannity, O'Reilly, Gingrich, (Mrs.) Palin, etc.

People, PLEASE, listen to me here. We are not, I repeat, NOT, at war with Islam. We are at war with Al Qaeda and various other radical elements. To say that we are at war with Islam over 9/11 (which, granted, you haven't uttered outright, but your words and actions of late have clearly implied it) is like saying that we should have been at war with Christianity because the KKK were often inspired by their perverted sense of Christian morality. It doesn't make any sense.........................................................................................And even if this imam behind the the mosque project IS a radical, what, pray tell, could he accomplish? You don't think that the FBI is going to be monitoring this guy. And in terms of the dude supposedly wanting to spread Sharia Law throughout the country, come on, let's get real here. First of all, there is more than one type of Sharia Law. Do we know for sure that this guy represents the nastier, more bellicose version of it? And second of all, for him to be able to accomplish this feat, he's literally going to have to get thousands of people elected to local, state, and federal office. The odds of that frigging happening are nil. I mean, sure, I suppose that he could try and summon Burt Lancaster's character from "Seven Days in May" and attempt some sort of military coup but, I don't know, that doesn't necessarily sound all that realistic, either...........................................................................................And, really, isn't it important that we try and stand for a loftier principle here? I think that the families of the victims will understand . We just have to explain it to them - you know, instead of using scare tactics/getting them all riled up and shit.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Guatemala Antigua (With Apologies to Brazilian Bourbon Santos)

What would be Will "take no prisoners" Hart's answer to the question, "Dude, what's your favorite coffee?"

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

A Response to W-Dervish's Impassioned Defense of Olbermann

You said a lot there, my friend. Obviously, Mr. Olbermann's viewers ARE free in fact to "draw their own conclusions". But based upon the fact that Mr. Olbermann ONLY gives one side to literally every story/doesn't EVER allow conflicting viewpoints on his show/doesn't allow people EVER to defend themselves/constantly refuses to debate people, it might truly be kind of hard to come up with an independent conclusion (they would obviously have to watch other programs, in addition to Mr. Olbermann's)......................................................................................................As to your speculation that I would probably "criticize Olbermann for his obvious prejudice against alleged sexual harassers" - you obviously don't know me very well. You see, wd, I am actually to the LEFT of President Obama on social issues, civil liberties, etc.. I am FOR gay-marriage. I am AGAINST don't ask, don't tell. I am FOR federal funding of stem-cell research. I am PRO-choice. I am AGAINST the death-penalty. I am FOR putting batterers in jail and throwing away the key. I am AGAINST rendition. I am AGAINST warrant-less wire-tapping. I am AGAINST water-boarding. I am AGAINST racial-profiling. To say that I am pro-harassment (or that I have some sympathy for harassers) is ludicrous. As for Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill, I have no idea what happened between them (nobody does, save for them). My suspicion is that the truth lies somewhere in between their respective versions of it.....As for Thomas himself, he clearly wouldn't have been my pick. But like I said, elections have consequences.....................................................................................................Yes, Mr. Olbermann did "mention" Massa. But he clearly didn't go on a jihad against him like he did the other stooges you mentioned. And, besides, Massa was a renegade Democrat. He voted against the health-care bill and accused Chief of Staff Emanuel of nakedly harassing him at the Congressional gym. Going after him is hardly the equivalent of going after a Democrat in good standing - I don't know, say, a Dick Blumenthal, for instance (a story that Olbermann TOTALLY ignored - just like Sean Hannity ignored the RNC strip-club scandal)................................................................................................................You listen to Olbermann because you agree with him. Dude, don't you think that that's a big part of our problem these days? People are only listening to people who reaffirm what they already believe. That isn't free thinking. For free thinking to truly occur, you need to accommodate as well as assimilate. As a famous somebody once said, "Nobody has a monopoly on wisdom and truth." I forgot who actually said that. I know that it wasn't Keith Olbermann......................................................................................................Yes, I know that our colleague Rusty uses ad hominems from time to time (we all do, no?). And, yes, maybe he shouldn't (I will let him defend himself). But to criticize him and not see that Olbermann himself is actually the king of such mean-spiritedness (he uses ad hominems nightly), I don't know. You really might want to take another look at Mr. Olbermann.

Monday, August 16, 2010

The Truth About Consequences

I'm going to say the same thing about Elana Kagan that I did about Sonia Sotomayor - confirm her (yeah, I know, they already did). The President, folks - HE won the election, and HE won it decidedly. And, yes, because of this, he gets to choose. I mean, certainly, if he ever decided to send to the Senate one of those same caliber idiots/crooks that Nixon did (i.e., Carswell or Haynesworth) , that would be an entirely different story. But, anything short of that, I'm saying...................................................................................................Oh, and, yes, just for the record, I felt exactly the same when Mr. Bush was President. Mr.s Roberts and Alito were imminently qualified and BOTH absolutely deserved to be confirmed by the Senate - no question about it......................................................................................................P.S. I also want it noted that it was these five Republican Senators who voted yay for Ms. Kagan; Judd Gregg, Lindsey Graham, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, and Dick Lugar (the no votes of Bennett and Voinovich were disappointing/surprising to me). Thankfully, we still have at least a few folks in Washington who DO understand advise and consent.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

The Freedom of Oft-Times Difficult

I'm trying hard to examine this whole "mosque at ground zero" controversy - not from the hyper-partisan/divisive perspective of a Sean Hannity or Olbermann, mind you, but more as a concerned citizen who really does try and make a concerted effort to understand all sides to an issue.......................................................................................................On the one hand: a) The proposed mosque will not be AT ground zero but rather two and a half blocks FROM IT. b) The building in which the mosque and community center will ultimately be quartered is on private property and, hence, would clearly be protected by the separation of church and state......................................................................................................On the other hand: a) A lot of people (families of the victim, included) vociferously object to a mosque (no, not all Muslims are radical but radical Muslims were clearly the lone perpetrators here) being built so close to the worst terrorist attack ever perpetrated on American soil. These people (who, I will admit, I do have some sympathy for) feel that it would be a good gesture on the part of these Muslims to voluntarily move to another site. b) The leader of this project apparently does have some radical views/associations.............................................................................................................Conclusion: While I generally consent to the will of the governed, on this particular issue, I must descent. Because of our long-standing traditions of freedom of religion/the separation of church and state, I simply cannot see how any level of government in America can halt this project. And even if the dude in question does have some radical views, until he tangibly goes out and breaks some laws, we also still have our freedom of speech. I'm sorry, folks, but on this one, I actually have to side with Mr. Olbermann (his sanctimony on the issue, notwithstanding).

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Time For Lindsey Graham to Channel His Inner Everett Dirksen

The illegal immigration issue seems like an extremely solvable one to me. It will, however (and, yes, folks, herein lies the rub), take a couple of things that this country doesn't seem to be all that good at lately; a) compromise and b) a lowering of the temperature...........................................................................................Just for the record, here are what I feel to be the necessary components of an effective policy. 1) A fool-proof/biometric I.D. card that a person (any person) has to have in order to get a job in this country. 2) Stiff (and, yes, I mean very stiff) penalties to businesses who refuse to comply. 3) Beefed-up security on the border to deal with drug/human trafficking. 4) A guest-worker program (to those on the right who refuse to think that this is necessary, I ask you, go to southern California and try to pick lettuce and grapes 9 hours a day in 120 degree weather for minimum wage - the flat-out truth, folks, is that Americans really and truly DON'T want these jobs, and unless you want to start paying 8-10 dollars for a head of lettuce....). 5) A path to citizenship that 1) we make difficult and 2) starts to get the bulk of these people out of the shadows, paying some taxes, etc.. If you want to call this a form of amnesty, fine, call it that. But, I'm saying, short of up and deporting 10-12 million individuals, it's really hard to think of a better idea at this point...............................................................................................Comments, suggestions, I definitely welcome them.

Friday, August 13, 2010

From the Bottom of the Deck, Book Two

Racism (which, yes, continues to exist in America - our election of the first African-American President, notwithstanding) is an absolutely vile/disgusting thing - no question about it. But, I ask you, cannot we also agree here that indiscriminate and hastily assembled charges of racism are also a negative/destructive thing?...............................................................................................Yes, me-buckos, I'm pointing specifically here to Keith Olbermann's almost knee-jerk reaction to the recent ethics charges against Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters. This "character", folks, has literally been saying that it's all about racism, that Representatives Rangel and Waters are predominantly being singled out, YES, because of their frigging skin color. I mean, yes, I know that Rangel and Waters are innocent until proven guilty and all but, please/come on, is it not at least somewhat plausible that these are nothing more than two absolutely dirty politicians....who, you know, just happen to be black? Is that not at least within the realm of possibility?

The Top 20 Actresses (Talent-Wise, Not Stardom) of the Studio Era (With Apologies to Gloria Swanson, Jean Simmons, Anne Baxter, Ava Gardner, etc.)

20) Natalie Wood - A brilliant child star who became an even better grown-up actress (that screen-eating stuff from "Splendor in the Grass" and "This Property is Condemned" was particularly brilliant)......19) Claudette Colbert - Let's just say that I would have flat-out pulled over my car, too......18) Joan Crawford - A prototypical glamor star of the thirties, her talent eventually won out in films such as "Mildred Pierce", "Sudden Fear", and "Possessed"......17) Rosalind Russell - That frenetic shit from "The Women" and "His Gal Friday" is pure, unadulterated virtuosity......16) Irene Dunne - One of the most beautiful and charming actresses ever. And, really, hows about that smile, too?.....15) Susan Hayward - Considered in some circles to have been over the top. I disagree. I mean, come on here, that final walk to the gas-chamber in "I Want to Live!" Try and "top" that, Sandra Bullock......14) Audrey Hepburn - Elegant and enchanting, was literally on top from start to finish. A great humanitarian, too......13) Vivien Leigh - Created (with an ample amount of help, of course) two of the greatest characters in cinematic history; Scarlet O'Hara and Blanche Dubois. If not for her constant battles with mental illness, who can really tell how great she might have been (totally loved her in "Waterloo Bridge", by the way)......12) Shirley MacLaine - While not especially my cup of tea, it is what it is, folks. Quite simple, one of the most versatile and majorly quirky actresses ever. And a hell of a kick-ass dancer, too......11) Greta Garbo - Only because of a truncated career am I not able to rank the woman higher. I mean, come on - those cross-dressing scenes from "Queen Christina" - flawless! Add to that the androgyny, the mysterious and elusive nature of her persona, THE BEAUTY, and, yeah..........10) Elizabeth Taylor - Because of her oft-times buffoonish personal life, I really think that we sometimes forget what a deep/talented performer she was. Her performances in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?" were especially brilliant......9) Jennifer Jones - Won an Oscar in 1943 for playing a nun ("The Song of Bernadette"). Three years later she was nominated again - this time for playing a tramp ("Duel in the Sun"). Nuff said?.....8) Barbara Stanwyck - Some people are referred to as diamonds in the rough. Barbara Stanwyck was a diamond AND the rough. I especially loved the way that she strung around a) Henry Fonda in "The Lady Eve", b) Gary Cooper in "Ball of Fire", and c) Fred MacMurray in "Double Indemnity"......7) Deborah Kerr - The personification of pure class, folks. Couple that with three decades of pure excellence, seven Oscar nominations, etc. and, yeah, you can pretty much understand the lofty ranking here......6) Olivia de Havilland - If the only movies she ever made were "Gone With the Wind" and "The Heiress" - those alone would have gotten her onto the list (that pitch-perfect in them, she was). Fortunately, for us, there were also more; "The Snake Pit", "To Each His Own", "Hush....Hush, Sweet Charlotte", etc., etc.......5) Norma Shearer - People often forget, Norma Shearer was bigger than Hepburn, bigger than Dietrich, bigger even than Greta Garbo. And, while, yes, those hairdos of hers were often hideous - her eyes - those, me-buckos, were frigging magic. As were her performances......4) Greer Garson - While she may have gotten to Hollywood later than the others (I believe that she was 34 when "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" came out), it sure as hell didn't take very long for those green eyes and red hair to dominate (a five consecutive year stretch of Oscar nominations). And, yes, she was exactly what the Western world needed, too, psychologically - a home-front heroine to counterbalance Hitler......3) Ingrid Bergman - Bergman's ability to fight off type-casting ultimately proved fruitful. While she's still most famous for playing the "good girl" in films such as "Casablanca" and "Gaslight", her turns in "Notorious" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" were themselves stellar/an awfully nice change of pace. Oh, and can you-all say three Academy Awards?.....2) Bette Davis - As tough and uncompromising as anybody, Davis, folks, was one of the few actresses of that era to eschew glamor and replace it with realism. And talk about the results - two Oscars, eleven nominations, a list of Hollywood classics that can literally top anybody (well, except for maybe Bogie); "Jezebel", "Dark Victory", "Now, Voyager", "All About Eve", "The Little Foxes", "Dangerous", "Of Human Bondage", etc., etc.. Just an extraordinary life/career......1) Katharine Hepburn - One could easily argue the greatest acting chops ever. Hepburn, folks, is the only actor to have ever won four Oscars (add to that a robust eight more nominations). She was also one of the few actresses who could go head to head with the major dudes of Hollywood (yes, folks, even those who sat behind the camera). I mean, come on, just take a look those frigging movies with Spencer Tracy alone. Katharine Hepburn, ladies and gentlemen - the greatest movie actress EVER!!

Finally, A Little Bit of Good News to Report

Here's an interesting little tidbit for you. Did you know that for every 16 "Junior Mints" that you consume, you also end up getting one full gram of fiber and 8% of your RDA for iron? So, folks, not only are you getting the tastiest/most refreshing snack in the entire galaxy, you're also eating a food that's almost as good for you as asparagus (well, no, but....). I mean, come on, is this not completely/totally awesome OR WHAT? I, personally, cannot wait to tell Kramer.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

A Little Perspective on the BP Disaster

As bad, folks, as this disaster was (and, please, I am not, NOT, in any way defending those cretins at BP), the damage that occurs daily from 1) the factory farming industry (dumping copious amounts of waste into the Gulf), 2) the shrimping industry (which upsets the delicate ocean floor and is threatening other species through "by-catch"), and 3) the continuous development of the wetlands will ALL eventually make this oil leak look like small potatoes. Unfortunately.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

He Who Blurs in Glass-Houses.....

According to Ed Schultz, the (thin) line that had once separated right-wing radio/Fox News and the Republican party is basically gone. His latest evidence (and, yes, folks, he does in fact make a pretty good case) is that when Sean Hannity recently took the night off, Liz Cheney substituted for him....and, ditto, when Mr. Limbaugh took a vacation, the "architect", Karl Rove, substituted for him................................................................................................................Of course, what Mr. Schultz did not include in his analysis was the fact that when his stable-mate, Rachel Maddow, decided to take a break, a fellow by the name of Howard Dean substituted for her. Hm, could it possibly be that the line that had once separated MSNBC (Schultz's and Maddow's current nesting place) and the Democratic party.....

Take a "Break", Guys

Guys like Rush and Hannity are currently making this humongous stink over Mrs. Obama's vacationing in Spain. And, while, yes, folks, I DO understand that maybe the optics aren't quite optimal here, I ask you, can we at least have a modicum of perspective. It is, after all, only a frigging vacation......I mean, seriously, it's not like she frigging went off and shot a bunch of people. But, more importantly, it's not like she's exactly the first extravagant first lady. Can you (for instance) say Nancy Reagan, Jacqueline Kennedy, etc.? Hell, folks, even Laura Bush (who've I've consistently been on record as saying was a first-rate first-lady) - she went on a God-damned frigging safari, for Christ!................................................................................................I don't know, people. If you ask me, this is all just a different damned excuse for these guys to take another massive beemer on the Obamas. And it's really starting to get stale, gratuitous, etc.. To quote the venerable Mrs. Hillary Clinton said, "If the President walked on water, they'd criticize him for not being able to swim."

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Judgement From Contra O'Reilly

You'd figure that, in a movie ("Judgement at Nuremburg") which also included Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Judy Garland, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich, and Montgomery Clift, a relative newcomer such as Maxamilian Schell, could have easily gotten overlooked. Needless to say, he wasn't.........................................................................................................Instead, Schell, in what could easily be called one of the top ten performances of the 20th Century, was totally mesmerizing (and, yes, he won the frigging Oscar as well). I cite (for instance) that scene in which he broke down Clift's feeble-minded character in the court-room. That, folks, is as good a movie scene as ANY. A close second would clearly have to be the one in which he tries to silence Burt Lancaster's guilt-ridden defendant - eventually getting the judge (Tracy) to temporarily halt the proceedings.......................................................................................................And trust me, folks, it does in fact go on and on and on. If, I'm saying, you haven't had the chance to see this classic performance (or even if you haven't seen it in a while), please, do yourself a favor and do so.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

A World Full of Pablum

To all of those people who constantly say that Lady Gaga and Madonna have creativity, I have one very polite word for you - bullshit!! That's (i.e., the idiotic co-mingling of glamor, fashion, and piss-poor music) not creativity. Picasso. Mussorgsky. Kubrick. Welles. Beckett. McCullers. McIntyre (Samuel, the architect). THAT is creativity. It's a pretty humongous difference, folks. And, yeah, it would in fact be nice if our flat-lined society would at least occasionally acknowledge it.

A Disturbing Trend Uncovered

According to a recent poll, 41% of Republicans still think that President Obama isn't an American. THAT, FOLKS, is troubling (utterly astounding, too). I mean, we are, aren't we, talking pretty close to half of 'em here? Rank and file Republicans, too (this, as opposed to the poll strictly being one of the radical right).................................................................................................And, please, folks, you gotta believe me here. This is coming from a person (i.e., me) who isn't intrinsically anti-Republican. I voted for Jody Rell. I voted for Lowell Weicker. I voted for Bush 1. I've voted Republican several times in mayoral elections. My goal has NEVER been to denigrate any group or party (I've even defended, on occasion, the Tea Party). But this, THIS, is a real (black) eye-opener................................................................................................And, yes, me-buckos, I would totally advocate that the saner Republicans/Republican leadership address this situation - NOW! Not just for the good of their party but for the good of the country, too.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

I Can Here Dick Cheney Already

I'm telling you, if Iraq, over the next several years/decades, fails (and I'm still pretty much half expecting it to), it'll be President Obama who'll take the blame for it. And, no, folks, that isn't even going to be remotely fair...................................................................................................I mean, don't get me wrong here. I am totally in favor of holding Presidents accountable and all but, come on, this is Iraq, PEOPLE - a construct significantly more than it ever in fact was a country, a "country" that has, throughout its history, only really been held together by might, a "country"that has already largely been ethnically cleansed (4 million refugees, etc.), a "country" in which the Kurds have already created what is essentially their own nation, a "country" in which true political reconciliation remains as distant as frigging Jupiter, for Christ, a "country"in which the corruption is so bad that it makes Louisiana seem like Amish country, a "country" in which some fanatical douche-bag is inevitably going to preside over it. A "country" that.....Well, you get the idea........................................................................................................I guess what I'm trying to say here, folks, is that, clearly, that whole liberation of Iraq thingy - it still doesn't look like a good idea to me, and that, also, Mr. Obama, just like he couldn't plug the leak in the Gulf, he isn't going to be able to stop the devastation over there, either. Neocon protestations to the contrary, notwithstanding.

I Don't Know, I Can't Decide

What would be my answer to the question - So, what do you like better; Ann Miller's incredibly athletic performance/pyrotechnics from "Kiss Me Kate" or Cyd Charisse's undeniably seductive and alluring knockout of Fred Astaire in "The Band Wagon"?

Sunday, August 1, 2010

The Match-Up

It was Cecille "The Real Deal" Dudley versus "Bruisin'" Susan Powers (a Stephanie Buckner knock-off, if ever there was one). And, yes, folks, to say that this bout was the scrap of the decade is entirely apropo.........................................................................................................I mean, just take a frigging look at the lead-up to it, for Christ - the fact that the both of 'em were stumbin', rippin', roarin', AND snortin' - this, while, at the same time, pleasuring EACH OTHER (rumor has it that even on the day of the altercation.....)!!...................................................................................................Of course, if it wasn't for the actual event itself, the people, en masse - they might have eventually forgotten; the lefts, the rights, the uppercuts, the fact that each and every round was basically decided by a thread. I mean, come on, folks!! Oh and, yeah, where in the hell else could you have EVER frigging seen it - the victor (Dudley) throwing it all away with a kick to the temple - at the frigging count of 8, I'm saying? I mean, I don't know about you-all but that, folks, simply doesn't happen much in my book - not in frigging Wellesley, anyway..