A Question For the Folks 1

Are there really people out there who care (really care, I'm saying) about what John McCain and Anthony Weiner write on "Twitter"?

My Top Three Presidential Voting Regrets

3) Jimmy Carter, 1976 - Ford had done decent job and probably deserved re-election.............2) Ross Perot, 1996 - I wanted to vote for Clinton (and, yes, should have) but was afraid that he was probably going to be impeached (for something serious, I'm saying, NOT FOR FRIGGING LEWINSKI!). Mr. Dole lost me when he said that tobacco wasn't any worse for you than milk (his wife's from North Carolina, the tobacco lobby influence, yada yada).............1) Ralph Nader, 2000 - I was actually tempted to vote for Bush 2. I liked his bipartisan background as Texas Governor and the way that he talked about our having a "more humble foreign policy". Gore, though, who I don't particularly care for personally, is who I no doubt SHOULD have voted for. At the very, VERY, least, he would have kept us out of frigging Iraq (one would only hope, right?).

Miscellaneous 72

1) Sarah Palin obviously exploited that motorcycle rally today. But, come on here, folks. Mrs. Palin is hardly the first candidate (or potential candidate) to exploit a situation for political gain. Bill Clinton (as part of his reelection run in 1996) went in front of a bunch of businessmen and said, "You probably think that I raised your taxes too much. Well, let me tell you something, I think that I raised them too much, too." Thank God, isn't is, that he never spoke in front of......*&^%$&#*&%^@!%@............2) As for MY assessment of Mrs. Palin, I find her to have a middling intellect, AT BEST. I also thought that the woman ran a terrible (divisive at times) campaign in 2008 (those "palling around with terrorists" and "death panel" lines were particularly abysmal) and, in many ways, YES, she brought a lot of the misery on herself. But, come on here, some of the vitriol of late; "media whore","trailer trash", "classless piece of excrement", "trashy wench", "right-wing slut" (oh, wait a minute, I forgot, that's Laura Ingraham), it's really starting to scare me, people. I mean, really, where was it ever written that we have to hate people THAT MUCH?............3) And to those who think that #1 is a bad analogy, THIS - I thought that businessmen (especially those from the corporate world) were the devil, and that by showing you how Clinton was basically willing to suck their ^&^&*^) for votes, you'd see it as a damn good analogy. Guess that I was wrong. I guess that your hatred for the hapless Mrs. Palin trumps basically everything.............4) Compromise (at least on paper) seems like such an easy thing to do. One person wants a top tax rate of 45%, the other one a top rate of 40%. You cut the difference and decide on 42.5%. OR, one guy wants to cut 40 billion off of the defense department budget, the other guy only 20 billion. Again, you cut the difference and cut 30 billion. I mean, I know that not every issue is as easily negotiated as this but, I ask you, why does it ALWAYS have to be Armageddon?............5) Some idiot just referred to me as a "Rush-sucking winger". Nice one, huh? Never mind the fact that I a) never listen to Mr. Limbaugh or b) don't particularly care for Mr. Limbaugh. I guess that they, the progressives, feel that they can say pretty much anything now, huh?

Batty Battle-Lines

When I first started blogging four years ago, I firmly believed that most of the rigid/delusional thinking in politics was on the right; the far-right, specifically. I mean, how could I have NOT gotten that impression; Hannity, Limbaugh, Robertson, Falwell (God rest that miserable bastard's soul, huh?)?..................................................................................................But, I'm telling you, now that I've been doing this for a while, I can tell you, unequivocally, that there is just as much predictable partisanship and lunacy on the far-left (at least in the frigging blogosphere, I'm saying) as there is on the far-right. I mean, just in terms of policy, I'm saying - just as the far-right wants to solve every societal problem with a tax-cut, the far-left wants to solve that same societal problem with a new government program and/or a buffering of an existing one.....................................................................................................And some of the other stuff that gets thrown around is equally numbing; 90% top tax rates, compulsory voting, compulsory unionization (every business with over 50 employees MUST have a union, whether the workers want it or not), a Great Britain style single-payer health-care system, super-duper/mega protectionism, pie-in-the-sky minimum wage rates, etc., etc.. That, and they never want to negotiate/concede ANYTHING. I'm telling you here, when Matt Stone of "South Park" said that he "hated conservatives, but that he REALLY hated liberals", he had to be referring to this crew and their moral/intellectual superiority. I mean, come on, folks, even my kitty will wiggle eventually.

Butt Crack Bracket Creep

Just for the record (again), I'm totally in favor of the top tax rates going back to 39.6% (hell, let's just round it up to 40). The deficits, folks - they're just too big (and, yes, the rising disparity in wealth is also an issue). Granted, my preference, would be to increase the threshold from the Democrats' $250,000 a year to somewhere between $300-500,000 (on this point I'm in total agreement with the new Democratic Congresswoman from New York's 26th district). But even on that, I'm saying, I'd be willing to negotiate......................................................................................................Where I'm much less like to negotiate is on the rates going significantly higher than 40. I mean, seriously, folks. Have you seen some of the rates that the progressives have been throwing around lately; 60, 70, 80, 90%? My God, they're chilling! And, yes, folks, at some point it has to become a punitive (not to mention, a strong disincentive) act............................................................................................................Here, let's just take a look at one of the more modest proposals - 60%. Start there. Add to that the fact that a lot of these same progressives also want to raise the limit on FICA. That gets it up to 67.65%. Add to that the fact that top rate in New York for income tax is 8.97%. That gets it up to 76.62%. Add to that the fact that the mill rate in Allegany County is 30.67. So, if a person making $600,000 a year in that county has a million dollar home, that's another 5%. That gets it up to 81.62%. Add to that all of the gas taxes, sin taxes, luxury taxes, etc. and, man, you really in fact WOULD BE stickin' it to these folks.............................................................................................................Look, folks, I know that this isn't a perfect analysis. Certain taxes, for instance, can also be deducted. But it's at least somewhat illustrative, no?

A Sucker For a Puncher

Can somebody please explain to me why Todd Bertuzzi is still playing hockey? No, wait, let me rephrase that. Can somebody please explain to me why Todd Bertuzzi isn't in prison?.................................................................................................For those of you who don't remember, Mr. Bertuzzi committed one of the most vicious cheap shots in the history of a sport that, well, let's face it here, has a long and bloody history of them. It took place March 8, 2004 and the victim was a player by the of name Steve Moore. Specifically, folks, Bertuzzi skated up from behind Mr. Moore (who never saw him coming) and clocked him in the right temple, knocking him out immediately. And that, God damn it, was just the frigging punch. The landing, in which Mr. Moore's head bounced several times like a coconut - THAT was what did the major damage (three fractured vertebrae in the neck).......................................................................................................Of course, what was almost as outrageous as the assault, was the National Hockey League's anemic response to it. They gave Mr. Bertuzzi a 20 game suspension. 20 games for ruining a person - nice, huh? Or, look at it this way, folks. Bertuzzi got the identical punishment that former Texas Rangers' baseball pitcher, Kenny Rogers got. The only difference is that Rogers punched out a camera. A ruined camera or a ruined human being (yes, Mr. Moore is still recovering from this)? You make the call.

Clift and Garbo - The Dream Team

Her career was basically over (far too prematurely) by the time that his has got started. Still, though, folks, I would have loved to have seem them act together (two of the finest actors to never have won an Oscar), something along the lines of a "Sunset Boulevard" or something. And you know what else, maybe even a Will Hart could have directed it. Huh?

Bush Lite/Obama Heavy

I'll admit it here. I'm kind of intrigued by this Huntsman guy (Jon Huntsman, the former Republican Governor of Utah, U.S. Ambassador to China, and a fellow currently contemplating a Presidential run). a) He's a moderate and b) well, he's a moderate!...................................................................................................And it isn't just my testimonial at work here. In a move that even seemed to surprise the host herself, Ralph Becker, the very liberal mayor of Salt Lake City, went on the Rachel Maddow Show and pretty much unreservedly praised Huntsman. For a brief moment, I thought that maybe his goal was to try and sink Huntsman among the Republicans....until I realized, "Republicans, they hardly ever watch Maddow!"....................................................................................................So, there it is, folks. We truly DO seem to have a moderate running this time. Of course, the real question is, what kind of a campaign is this here moderate going to run? Is he going to run a John McCain, circa 2000, campaign - an insurgent/outsider/new kind of Republican campaign that attempts to appeal to Democrats and Independents as well as Republicans? OR, is he going to run a John McCain (or, even worse, a Mitt Romney), circa 2008, campaign - a campaign in which he flip-flops/runs away from his record? So far, folks, the record is mixed. While, yes, he's so far retained his support for civil unions and sensible climate legislation, he's also stated that he indeed WOULD HAVE voted for the Ryan plan. Granted, it looked like he was being force-fed cow crapolla to say it, but he did.......................................................................................................Me, I'm kind of hoping that he doesn't veer too far off. Don't (as the McCain of 2000 so convincingly uttered) be so afraid to lose. That's what I'd be saying to him.

Obama/Romney/DEMINT!! Care

I've already admitted that the Republicans are being totally hypocritical on health-care; the fact that they're constantly denigrating Obamacare, WHEN they themselves have, at various points in time, advocated plans ALMOST IDENTICAL!! Yeah, well you want an even better smoking gun? How 'bout this - the fact that none other than that conservative of conservatives, JIM DEMINT, as recently as 2007, came out in strong support of, not just former Governor Romney but of actual Romneycare itself - the individual mandate, included!! Youza, huh?..................................................................................................Look, folks, I'm not saying that Obamacare is perfect. In fact, if it's anything at all like Romneycare (and it clearly seems to be), it'll probably end up being exorbitantly expensive. But, for the Republicans here to so continuously paint the President's plan as some sort of Marxist overhaul is completely/utterly bush-league, IMHO.

A Blot on an Otherwise Exemplary University

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what do you think about Congresswoman Bachmann actually holding a degree from William and Mary?"

Continued

Just as it was wrong for the McCarthyites to go after ALL people with Communist sympathies (they clearly should have distinguished more between those with simply ideas and those who actually "collaborated"), so, too, is it wrong for the progressives of today to go after everybody who cooperated with a) the FBI and b) the HUAC..............................................................................................In Mr. Reagan's case, there are at least a handful of mitigating factors to consider. 1) There WERE Communists in Hollywood - some of which in fact WERE causing trouble. 2) Mr. Reagan was NOT a rubber stamp for McCarthy/HUAC. In fact, he criticized them both. "I was all for kicking Communists out of Hollywood, but some members of the HUAC, ignoring standards of truth and fair play, ganged up on innocent people and tried to blacklist them." 3) Mr. Reagan was far from the only famous "friendly witness" to testify before the HUAC. Among the others to testify was Gary Cooper, Robert Montgomery, Robert Taylor, and Aldolphe Menjou. 4) Mr. Reagan received numerous physical threats from competing unions. At one point he actually needed 24 hour guard protection. Under those circumstances, it is easy to see why he would indeed cooperate. 5) There is zero evidence that Mr. Reagan's cooperation resulted in anybody's life being "destroyed" (and, besides, it was Hollywood that ultimately created the blacklist, not the U.S. government). 6) The Conference of Studio Unions (the CSU) had at least some Communist membership. And it was this union that called for the strike in 1945. The full union, when Mr. Reagan put it up to a vote, voted a resounding 2,748 to 509 to cross the line. 7) It was absolutely clear that some of the liberals in Hollywood simply couldn't grasp the fact that Mr. Stalin was as murderous a gangster as Hitler and that the Soviet Union had evil intentions. 8) Reagan (along with Olivia de Havilland and others) formed an industry council to reach out to people who were being threatened with blacklisting and help clear them. The council also pushed to protect actors who were the focus of rumor and innuendo................................................................................................Look, folks, I'm not saying that what Mr. Reagan did was completely pure/honorable. Yes, I have read sections of his House testimony and, while they didn't seem overly blatant, I cannot vouch for any FBI conversations that he also may have had....What I can say, though, more declaratively, is that for Rachel Maddow to simply say that "Reagan was a friendly witness", and to also leave it at that - well, let's just say that it isn't top flight journalism.

Correction

I stand corrected, folks. It appears that President Reagan in fact DID "name names" in 1947, not during his House testimony, mind you (which, to be fair, also included as friendly witnesses; Gary Cooper, Robert Montgomery, Robert Taylor, Walt Disney, Adolphe Menjou, and Elia Kazan), but by cooperating with the FBI. I haven't a clue as to which names he provided. What I do know is that as President of the Screen Actors Guild he did have some run-ins with Communist agitators and that he himself was a very staunch anti-Communist (as was Truman - who Reagan voted for in 1948, as was JFK). There was also an actual belief among certain segments of Hollywood that Stalin in fact was trying to control the industry - its workers as well as the content of the product. Mr. Reagan's anti-Communist fervor combined with the prodding from Hoover probably prompted the former's cooperation.............................................................................................P.S. For an extremely balanced presentation on Reagan in Hollywood, I instruct you to Macro-History; fsmitha.com/h2/eagan.htm

Caving in to Terrorist/Idiot Demands

To all of those clowns who now so cavalierly query, "So, why didn't the President just do this (i.e., release his long-form birth certificate) earlier?", I say......several things. a) He shouldn't have had to do it at all. This, I'm saying, in that only an idiot actually believes this birther crap and why in the hell should the President of the United States cater to these people? And b) Why in the hell didn't these same people demand a similar level of scrutiny with previous Presidents (Bush 2, for instance, with his rather spotty military service record)? Is it simply because Mr. Obama is, I don't know, "different"?............Bottom-line here - these folks really and truly should be ashamed of themselves - REALLY AND TRULY ASHAMED.

It Takes Two Sides to Make a Balance Sheet

Robert Reich and others are correct. The income of the top 1% of wage earners HAS gone up, and gone up dramatically. According to the IRS, the top 1% in 1981 made but a modest 8.3% of the country's total gross income. By 2008, this same group was earning a whopping 20% of that income. So, are Mr. Reich and the rest of the progressives correct in their saying that Reaganomics has in fact ruined America, accentuated inequality, etc.? Well, maybe.................................................................................................You see, folks, Mr. Reich has conveniently left out an important part of the story-line here. Yes, the income of the top 1% indeed HAS skyrocketed. But, so, too, has this particular strata's tax burden. Again, according to the IRS, in 1981, the top 1% payed 17.6% of all income taxes. In 2008, that number grew to a shade over 38%. Please, allow me here to do the math for you. From 1981 to 2008, the adjusted gross income of the top 1% went up (as a percentage of all income) a total of 141%. At the same time as this, the percentage of the top 1%'s tax share went up 116%, not a hugely significant difference.................................................................................................Now, if you wanted to include wealth as a variable, that might more adequately make the progressives' case here. BUT, if you're looking strictly at income and taxes, along with the fact that social spending as a percentage of GNP was basically the same at the end of the Reagan years as it was at the beginning, it is kind of hard to say that Reagan was any sort of huge monster dude - a great President - no, a monster - no.

Just Sayin'

There are people on the (far) left who would blame Reagan for the Tate/LaBianca murders if they could.

It's a Toss-Up Between The Flying Burrito Brothers (Circa Parsons/Hillman) and Uncle Tupelo

What would be my answer to the question, "So, who, in your opinion, is the greatest rock and roll band ever?"...........................................................................................................P.S. I'd probably have to also throw out an honorable mention to Emmylou Harris's Spyboy. Those sons 'a bitches can play it up something fierce.

This, From a Prospective (Presidential) Candidate

"You (President Obama) are a REMARKABLE leader.......I have enormous regard for your experience, sense of history, and brilliant analysis of world events."....Jon Huntsman, former Utah Governor, Ambassador to China, and possible Republican Presidential candidate.......O.K. At least we know now who ISN'T getting the nomination. LOL

So, How Badly DOES Rachel Laddow Hate Ronald Reagan?

She hates Mr. Reagan SO MUCH that this hatred actually prevented her from seeing what was an absolutely perfect opportunity to rip apart yet another famous Republican; a fellow by the name of, hm, what's his name again, oh yeah, RICHARD MILLHOUSE NIXON!! Yeah, that's right, folks, in her snarky, simple-minded rush to imply that Ronald Reagan was a red-baiter sympathetic to McCarthyism, she totally neglected to tell us that the then Congressman Nixon was an actual MEMBER of that dreaded House Un-American Activities Committee (Mr. Reagan was a witness for that committee but there exists ZERO evidence that he actually "named names").................................................................................................So, do I think that the Maddow people are kicking themselves over this? No, I do not. This, folks, in that, while I'm pretty sure that Maddow probably doesn't care for Nixon (he was, after all, a Republican), he is nothing compared to Ronald Reagan (Nixon, at the very least was a liberal on domestic issues). Reagan, folks, is the devil in the minds of most progressives and the ends ALWAYS justify the means..................................................................................................P.S. Just for the record here, Mr. Reagan was hardly a blind disciple of Joe McCarthy. a) He criticized McCarthy. b) He opposed legislation from Washington that would have made membership in Communist groups or the espousal of Communist views illegal. c) He worked hard to get an unknown actress named Nancy Davis off the blacklist (she later became Nancy Reagan). And, like I previously said, he didn't name names.....Look, folks, there are a crap-load of legitimate reasons to criticize Mr. Reagan (the deficits, Lebanon, the savings and loan fiasco, Iran Contra, etc.). You really do not NEED to (and you shouldn't) make these idiotic guilt by association charges. It was wrong for the right to do it with Obama and it's just as wrong for Ms. Maddow to do it here.

The Stupidest Quote of the Year - Thus Far

"He (McCain) doesn't understand how enhanced interrogation works."......Rick Santorum, former Pennsylvania Congressman and Senator, currently running (chuckle, chuckle) for the GOP Presidential nomination.

Miscellaneous 71

1) The Senate Republicans' lockstep vote (48 for 48) to continue oil subsidies for "big oil" is significantly BEYOND perplexing. a) It represents a humongous flip-flop (many of these Senators are on record as saying that the subsidies should be eliminated or reduced). b) It could in fact alienate some of the more principled tea partiers (I'm assuming that there are some). And c) It is absolutely going to destroy them in the general election....What, in the name of God, were they (the reasonable ones; Snow, Lugar, Corker, etc., especially) thinking? They certainly ALL can't be beholding to big oil, CAN THEY?............2) Dirk Nowitzki (star forward for the Dallas Mavericks) went 24-24 from the foul-line the other night. Not THAT is impressive! Of course, what makes it even more amazing is the fact that that this frigging guy is a 7-footer dude (big guys generally don't shoot free throws all that well). Damn, huh?............3) Compare that to me, a guy who can't do ANYTHING 24-24.............4) . Not, mind you, that this is as big a screw-up as Michele Bachmann saying that "the founding fathers worked tirelessly to get rid of slavery" or anything but, still, when MSNBC's Rachel Maddow "reported" (during her May 12th telecast) that Joseph McCarthy was a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee, you really do have to consider that idiotic, too. I mean, come on here, folks, anybody who even follows history a little bit knows that McCarthy was, HELLO, a Senator! Here's to hoping that she eventually corrected this (at the very least on her web-page).

The Worst At That Position Since McGeorge Bundy

What would be my answer to the question, "So, how would you best describe Condoleeza Rice's tenure as National Security Adviser?"

Note to Condoleeza Rice 1

I actually agree with you, ma'am. Saddam Hussein - he was a "threat".....TO IRAN!!!!!!!

Anthropologically Speaking

Joan Rivers had a good one the other day. She was on the Letterman show and started talking about the Kardashian sisters. She said that whenever she sees the three of them hanging together, it's almost like a pictorial for Jacob Bronowsk's "The Ascent of Man" (and, of course, she mugged it out hilariously). Laugh, MAN DID I EVER LAUGH (Khloe I'm assuming to be the Australopithecus).

"Borderline", 1984

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what was the last song by Madonna that you actually liked?"

Now, If He Could Only Get a Ring

In my opinion, Lebron James just might be the most talented basketball player who's ever lived. I mean, think about it. He's got the offensive explosiveness of a Michael Jordan. He's got the passing skills and court vision of a Magic Johnson. And he's got the perimeter defensive skills of a Scottie Pippen. Add to that the fact that he a) runs like the wind and b) jumps like a young kangaroo/rabbit and, yeah, he pretty much IS the entire package................................................................................................BUT, is he in fact THE BEST (this, as opposed to simply the most talented)? That, I'm afraid to say, is still to be determined. a) He hasn't won a championship yet (0-7 - this, despite being on some pretty good teams in Cleveland). And b) he hasn't always come up the biggest in the biggest contests (that playoff series versus Boston last year, for instance).....................................................................................................What he does have going for him is youth. And we also have to remember here. Michael Jordan didn't win his first title until his 7th year (Lebron is currently in his 8th). Hakeem Olajuwon didn't win one until his 10th. Shaq didn't win one until his 8th. Oscar Robertson didn't win one until his 11th (and basically needed Kareem in order to do so) Add to that the fact that a lot of great players have NEVER won one; Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Dave Bing, Elgin Baylor, Steve Nash, etc.. The best, though? Lebron's probably going to have to win at least a couple (titles) to earn that mantle.

Devolving From the North

The other night was a perfect example of why I personally find Lawrence O'Donnell far more palatable than Keith Olbermann. The dude actually did a segment (and, yes, brace yourself here) that was somewhat complimentary of Sarah Palin. He had a writer on from "The Atlantic", Joshua Green, who had just completed a story entitled, "The Tragedy of Sarah Palin". It was an incredible story that, yes, believe it or not, basically said that Sarah Palin in fact WAS a) a good Governor and b) a maverick who fearlessly took on not just big oil but the entire Republican establishment. It was only after Mrs. Palin got that ridiculous VP nomination (something that she was clearly not prepared for) that the wheels started coming off (and, yes, they absolutely DID come off)..........................................................................................................Now, one could plainly ask here, how much of what happened was because of the way that they, the McCain people, handled her, and how much of it was Mrs. Palin herself; her not being ready for prime-time and/or innate temperament tendencies (at this point, it appears that a fair chunk of it was unquestionably the latter)? Either way, though, I don't find it particularly enjoyable - this act of watching an individual self-destructing like this.........................................................................................................But you do see what I'm saying, right? Olbermann would have NEVER done anything even remotely as idiosyncratic as this.

Whip Me, Beat Me, Make Me Write Bad Checks

There are women out there who are quite capable of making us misbehave. For me, Barbara Stanwyck would clearly be near the top of that list (jostling with Greta Garbo). While I hopefully would never go anywhere near as far as Fred MacMurray did in "Double Indemnity", picking up a truck-load of dog crap is a strong, STRONG, possibility.

From John A. Garraty

"In 1930, Congress passed the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act, which raised the the duties on most manufactured products to prohibitive levels. Although OVER A THOUSAND (my emphasis) economists joined in urging Hoover to veto this measure on the grounds that it would encourage inefficiency and stifle world trade, he signed it cheerfully. The new tariff made it impossible for European nations to earn the dollars they needed to continue making payments on their WW1 debts to the United States and also helped bring on a financial collapse in Europe in 1931.............................................................................................He (Hoover) seemed unable to grasp what should have been obvious to a man of his intelligence: that high American tariffs made currency devaluation almost inevitable in Europe and that the curtailment of American investment on the Continent as a result of the depression had dealt a staggering blow to the economies of all the European nations."...............................................................................................For those of you who don't know who Mr. Garraty was, he was one of the foremost historians and biographers of the 20th century (President of the Society of American Historians). He taught for many years at Columbia and his textbook, "The American Nation" is considered by many to be a standard.

The Top Twelve Law Schools in the Country (This, Based Upon the % of Graduates Who Pass the Bar)

1) Yale - 98%, 1) The University of Chicago - 98%, 3) Harvard - 96%, 3) Penn - 96%, 3) Cornell - 96%, 3) NYU - 96%, 7) Georgetown - 95%, 7) Northwestern - 95%, 9) Boston College - 94%, 10) Columbia - 93%, 10) Duke - 93%, 12) Stanford - 92%......................................................................................................P.S. While, yes, the are clearly other criteria that one could conceivably use to gauge the quality of these law schools (admissions requirements, standardizes testing, etc.), to me, it all essentially boils down to how well prepared these students are to enter the field. Passing the bar exam would take demonstrative precedence, I think.

None, Not Even at Gunpoint

What would be my answer to the question, "So, under what circumstances could you possibly envision yourself voting for Newt Gingrich?"

The Complete and Unabridged List of People Who Are Ticked That Osama bin Laden Got Plugged

Michael Moore, Rosie O'Donnell, Noam Chomsky, wd, radical Islam.

Top Ten Most Underrated Movie Characters of the Studio Era

10) Jimmy Ringo (Gregory Peck in "The Gunfighter")........9) Sophie MacDonald (Ann Baxter in "The Razor's Edge")....... 8) Rocky Papasano (Steve McQueen in "Love With the Proper Stranger")....... 7) Alva Starr (Natalie Wood in "This Property is Condemned")....... 6) Charles Oakley (Joseph Cotten in "Shadow of a Doubt")....... 5) Myra Lester (Vivien Leigh in "Waterloo Bridge")....... 4) Kyle Hadley (Robert Stack in "Written on the Wind")....... 3) Perce Howland (Montgomert Clift in "The Misfits")....... 2) J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster in "Sweet Smell if Success")....... 1) Maish Rettig (Jackie Gleason in "Requiem for a Heavyweight")...................................................................................................This is simply my opinion, folks. And, yes, the whole list could in fact be different tomorrow....For now, though, it'll just have to do.

Yeah, So?

What would be my response to Michael Moore's accusation that the Obama administration "executed" Osama bin Laden?

Gots to at Least Listen, People

I suspect that I'll probably be voting for Obama again (I'd strongly consider voting for Bloomberg but his candidacy at this point doesn't appear likely). The Republican field at this point is just too weak and extreme. But I also want it clearly stated here that nobody, NOBODY, has a God-given right to my vote. Circumstances change. Organizations change. And, yes, folks, sometimes you simply need to shake things up (Nader, Perot, anybody?). I'll admit it. I DID vote for Bush 1 in '88 (sorry, but a President Dukakis didn't quite resonate with me). And it isn't just me, folks. Back in 1980, liberal firebrand, Eugene McCarthy, ended up endorsing Ronald Reagan (his stated fears relative to Carter's inability to curb inflation, one of the reasons)...............................................................................................That being said (and, yes, surprisingly), I actually was impressed with some of what I heard from several of the Republican candidates the other night. Paul and Johnson both said a number of things that principled liberals (this, as opposed to partisan Democrats) should in fact second. Johnson, for example, is for an immediate withdrawal from Afghanistan and work visas for illegal aliens. He's also pro-choice up to the time of viability. As for Mr. Paul, he's for legalizing drugs (yes, perhaps he goes a little TOO far here - advocating that even heroin be legalized), gay marriage, and is strongly in favor of civilian trials for terror suspects....................................................................................................Look, folks, I'm not necessarily saying that you should vote for these guys (it's actually quite doubtful that either of them could ever get the nomination). But I DO think that it's always good to a) listen and b) give credit where credit is due. If, for no other reason, than it helps us succumb at night.

A Touch of Genius

My favorite scene from "Touch of Evil" comes pretty much near the ending. It happens when that Orson Welles corrupt cop character approaches his former flame (deliciously played by Marlene Dietrich), herself with a somewhat shady past, and asks her (messing up the cards that she was already reading), "Read my future", and she responds tersely, "You haven't got one." It's a mega/powerful scene and, while, yes, it more or less gives away the ending, you still damn need to watch it....to see just exactly HOW it concludes.........................................................................................I know that I'm probably in the minority on this but, in my opinion, this movie, "Touch of Evil", is Orson Welles' true masterpiece, not "Citizen Kane". And, PLUS, I have never seen Janet Leigh look this incredible - EVER! That, me-buckos, in and of itself......

Miscellaneous 70

1) Nobody can put lipstick on a pig like Dick Morris. But I'm telling you here, his most recent little ditty was boffo, EVEN FOR HIM. The guy, right, he goes on "Hannity" last week and, get this - he refers to the current and prospective field of Republican Presidential candidates as an "extremely strong field". Better than even that, he refers to Michele Bachman as "savvy and intelligent"....Is it any wonder, folks, that Fox is the only outlet that gives this douche-bag the time of day?............2) I have absolutely no problem, whatsoever, in giving Mr. Obama credit for this bin Laden kill - NONE (I mean, he was the commander in chief, right?). I am not, however, willing to put him on a par with Truman, JFK, and Ike. It is way too early and he still has to clean up the mess that he a) started in Libya and b) continued in Afghanistan. Maybe if he accomplishes that, I might reconsider.............3) I have very mixed feelings as to whether or not we should release these pictures of a dead bin Laden. On the one hand, releasing them could provide the families with a sense of closure and/or satisfaction. It could also potentially assuage at least some of the conspiracy theories that are bound to come down the pike (Osama and Elvis together type sightings). On the other hand, the releasing of these photos could inflame certain elements of the Arab world that presently DON'T hate us - a segment, folks, that Mr. Hannity evidently doesn't think is very large/worthwhile.............4) The Bulls' Derrick Rose was the obvious choice for MVP this year. He was the best player on the best team (at least record-wise). But, folks, to say that this was a boffo MVP in a boffo year of MVP candidates would clearly be a stretch. Previous winners such as Steve Nash and Tim Duncan are seemingly on a downward trend. And, others, such as Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James, didn't even remotely approach their banner play. But, hey, congratulations, I guess. It's certainly one more MVP than I'll ever get.

Miscellaneous 69

1) I hate to say it, folks, but the more that Mr. Obama alienates the Progressive wing of the Democratic Party/base, the more that I actually kind of like him. It shows me that he's a) willing to compromise and b) a hell of a lot more cognizant of his duties to the entire country than his detractors give him credit for. And, also, I tend to be a rebel myself at times. In the words of Mr. David Mamet/Ricky Roma/Al Pacino, "Everybody says one thing, I say, 'bet the other way'."............2) I do agree with the Progressives on one thing, though. The "narrative" in fact HAS shifted to the right. Just take the health-care debate, for instance. Mr. Obama has taken a tremendous amount of heat for the "fact' that he's supposedly "taking over the entire health-care system" - this, despite the fact that he's basically just co-opted the Republican plan from 18 years ago. Now, you can certainly debate whether or not the Obama plan is prudent. But radical? I still don't think that that little characterization is going to fly very well....And, yes, folks, even on some of this other stuff. Obama wanting the top tax rates to go back to 39.6% (the Clinton/Gingrich rates, we could call them) is hardly radical, either....I'm sorry here, but the Progressives are absolutely right on this one.............3) The Republicans, meanwhile, continue to have egg on their face. I mean, I hate to be so blunt about it and all but, PLEASE. And the fact that they're always so frigging oblivious about it. Laura Ingraham on O'Reilly the other night, for instance - instead of trying to steer the ship out of these troubled waters, what does she do? She takes a couple of gratuitous pot-shots at Barney Frank. I swear, folks, I almost started yelling at the frigging television, "Dude, enough with the dufus Barney Frank already! Fix the stupid Ryan bill. Make it more palatable. And, please, I'm beggin' ya', take a frigging rubber hose to some of these birther idiots - once and for frigging all!"............4) I still haven't figured out why the Celtics traded Kendrick Perkins.