Cross-postin' fer jesus**

Check out the latest California news at my other other blog.

**- I know the title makes no sense. It just sounded funny.

What scares me today

1. Google Voice. I heard about this yesterday, where you can get one phone number (assigned to you by Google) and route all your other phone numbers (cell, home, work, etc.) to that one Google number. Does anyone else think such a plan will make it just that much easier for the government (or anyone, for that matter) to monitor ALL our communications?

2. That the Right-Wing Media actually thinks Michael Steele can substantively and effectively "rip" anything, other than maybe a big fart. For the more realistic version of events, see Princess Sparkle Pony's report on the situation.

One giant leap

"Earthrise," taken July 20, 1969, from the Apollo 11 Command Module

Forty years ago today, Apollo 11 left Earth and began its journey to the moon. As a kid, I remember lying on the tile floor of our living room, sick as a dog from Montezuma's revenge after our yearly summer trip to my mother's mother's home in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The floor was cool, and my mom had placed a box fan on the floor to blow air on me. I had a fever and was throwing up everything I ate, but there was no way I was gonna miss that moon shot.

The biggest thing I took away from the Apollo moon landings, especially that first one, was the idea that we could do incredible things if we put our minds to it. The dreams of my generation involved the dreams of the entire planet, rapt with attention, watching that rocket take off and then, awestruck, watching Neil and Buzz walk on the moon. The entire planet! How many times has the entire planet watched the same thing and been so affected, so united? Sure, the Olympics often captivate the world--but those athletes, while they're doing things no regular person could do, aren't braving space and landing on the moon. And countries remain insular during the Olympics, with each nation's people rooting only for their own men and women.

Apollo and the moon landing united all people as one nation--we were all earthlings, not Americans or Russians or Germans or Australians.

Noble people and noble causes, inspiring us all. Do we have anything like that now? When the world comes together, what do they watch? What brings them together? American Idol? Some YouTube video? A sporting event? Perhaps the closest thing is the first few days after 9/11, but we had to experience such tragedy to know that kind of global closeness.

I feel sorry for those who didn't get to experience the moon landing, as well as the other moon missions, first-hand. I think kids today are incapable of imagining a world united for one purpose. They're incapable of imagining that we, puny humans that we are, can accomplish something so huge and so important and so difficult. Kids today are used to daily but somewhat meaningless and empty accomplishments -- cellphones that can take pictures and videos, or iPhones that can wipe your ass for you, or computers so fast you don't even have to wait more than a second for anything to open. Technological progress has become commonplace to them; they're impressed by the latest video game only for as long as it takes them to find another gadget to be impressed by.

The moon landings, on the other hand, impressed a generation of us in a way that is truly lasting. I will always feel that surge of joy and pride and accomplishment, as well as the resulting desire to know more: more about us, more about our universe, more about what we can do. When I see anything related to space, that feeling comes back to me just as strongly as it did back then, as I lay there on the floor, feeling sweaty and feverish but more excited and awe-struck than I had ever been or would ever be in my life. My life, all our lives, were changed forever.

I can't even listen to NPR anymore

In yet another instance of stupidity and bias, NPR pissed me off again (daily occurrence!) this morning.

At 8:30am (Eastern), some guy (can't remember the reporter's name) reported on the Sotomayor hearing yesterday, and he comes right out swinging the idiot-bat:

"So far, she's remained unflappable."

He could've said, "she's remained composed in the face of fucking ridiculous questions about nun-chucks and the like." But no -- he says she's remained unflappable, as if that's some kind of surprise. I guess we should all be surprised when a 'Rican doesn't pull a knife or start shouting obscenities in Spanish. You know how hot-blooded and volatile all we hispanics are.

Then he goes on to say, in his "she's doing well so far!" piece, that she "sounded like a Bush nominee" when she said that judges should be "strict interpreters of the Constitution."

Since when does a judge who declares this to be his/her philosophy automatically sound like a Bush nominee instead of just a judge who's doing his/her job? I guess since the Rovian machine started using that bullshit phrase along with the equally bullshit "activist judges."

Isn't every judge an interpreter of the Constitution, "strict" or otherwise? I mean, either you use the Constitution as your basis or you don't. And if you don't, you don't gain the kind of sterling record that Sotomayor has. And we all know that unless you're a "strict interpreter," you're pretty much an activist judge, and you're going to force women to have abortions while burning a flag and writing a check out to Osama bin Laden (remember him?). Oh, and you hate freedom and America.

I had to change the station at that point.

You know, in a small town like State College, there isn't really much variety on the radio. We have classic rock, oldies, that hip-hop/dance/top-40 crap, and that's about it. I try to remember the old days when NPR was actually a good news source, and I tune to 91.5 FM, and every freakin' day they disappoint.

I'll conclude by encouraging you to check out NPR Check (see my sidebar for the link). There's always an open thread, so you too can talk about the latest stupidity you've heard on NPR. I mentioned the topic of this post in a comment on the latest thread, but I was so angry that I had to post about it.

"If the president does it, it's not illegal"

This morning on NPR, I heard Steve Innskeep interviewing a man from Iran about the many people who've been taken prisoner by the Iranian government since the election. The interviewee named several people, most of them friends of his (I'm sorry, but I was driving and couldn't write the names down--and they won't post today's stories online until later today--I'll link then).

The notable part of the interview, at least to me, occurred when the interviewee revealed that at least one of these prisoners is now reportedly being tortured. He said that "last time," two years ago, the Republican Guard would arrest people but they would just hold them. This time, "it's different," he said--he's heard that at least one prisoner he knows is being beaten and tortured.

"What's changed between last time and this time?" Steve Innskeep didn't ask.

"Last time," the interviewee didn't reply, "the Iranian government and the Republican Guard didn't have as justification the fact that the US tortures all the time. Now they know the US tortures, so why can't the Iranians?"

Innskeep then didn't say, "Oh, of course--if the most powerful and supposedly upright and law-abiding nation in the world can torture prisoners on a regular basis, then other nations whose governments might've been afraid to anger the UN and defy international laws before can now torture just like the US, with impunity."

"Exactly," the interviewee didn't conclude.

Let the boycott of the right-wing media begin!

Crest Whitestrips ...... Delphi ...... Mercedes Benz ...... Comcast
Subaru ...... GMC Suv's ...... Best Buy ...... Travelocity
Capzasin ...... New Phase ...... Orbitz ...... Ditech.com
eloan.com ...... Dawn ...... Toyota ...... Centrum
Nextel ...... Vehix.com ...... Gold Bond ...... Aspercreme
webmd.com ...... American Express ...... Holiday Inn Express
M Professional ...... priceline.com


All these products/companies are ad sponsors of Faux Nooz. Please join me in boycotting them. This list will remain up top as a reminder. And every chance you get to mention the media, call them the "right-wing media." The "liberal media" is simply a lie.

Compare and contrast

This morning, there are two items of note I'd like us to examine.

The first: The number of American children in poverty is going up. Again.

18 percent of all children 17 and under were living in poverty in 2007 -- up from 17 percent in 2006. The percentage of children who had at least one parent working full time was 77 percent in 2007 -- down from 78 percent in 2006. And those living in households with extremely low "food security" -- where parents described children as being hungry or having skipped a meal or gone without eating for an entire day -- increased from 0.6 percent in 2006 to 0.9 percent in 2007, the report said. my emphasis]

Yup, this certainly is the land of plenty, the richest country in the world. It disgusts me that while this goes on, banks and Wall Street billionaires are still crying and bitching for more government bailout money. Our government's priorities have gone completely to hell, all with the help of both repuglicans and democrats. We have a shitty education system, hungry children, and people out of work. Colleges turning away students. But AIG's lining up some more bonuses for their thieving execs.

This goatfuck of a situation leads me to provide the following for contrast:

Dick Cheney's net worth "estimated to be between $30 million and $100 million, is largely derived from his post as CEO of Halliburton from 1995 till 2000." Amazing how someone can work for a company for only five years, yet make between 30 and 100 MILLION dollars doing it. All this for a man who, it's finally being revealed, withheld information from Congress regarding the CIA's torture tactics and other "counterterrorism" efforts.

Maybe NOW there will be some accounting for the war crimes of the Bush Administration. Maybe NOW, after they've seemingly gotten away with it all, Chimpy and Darth Cheney will finally stop their smirking and their hiding.

I won't hold my breath.

Like shooting fish in a barrel

"Summertime, and the livin' is easy.
Fish are jumpin', and the cotton is high."

--George Gershwin

It's too damned easy to make fun of the repugs these days. It's like the shit writes itself. The Sanfords, the Palins, and the other various assorted freaks and bigmouths on the right just seem to spend their time handing out the loaded guns, putting on their blindfolds, and shouting, "Fire!" all the time. It's hilarious.

I guess that's why I haven't posted much. I am still reading a lot of your blogs, though, and you're all doing some great work.

Meanwhile, I'm steadily paring down my possessions and packing the necessities for the big move. Time is moving faster now, thank goodness, and I just can't wait to leave this burg. I'll miss my girlfriend more than I can say, but I'll be happy to see this place in my rearview mirror.

Enjoy your summer--weather here is fantastic, for a change. Sunshine and cool breezes, as opposed to the usual rain.

War update -- still going!

Even as we're pulling out of one debacle, we're ratcheting up in another.

This latest Afghanistan operation is getting as much press as Michael Jackson's death. It makes me think that if the Normandy invasion were happening tomorrow, our guys would get blown out of the water before they even landed because the Nazis would've heard all about the coming invasion on NPR.

Happy Canada Day!

For all you Canucks out there, here are few things you can use for your Canada Day celebrations:

mail a letter with this stamp:


watch out for this guy:

have a few of these:

do whatever it is you do with those maple leaves:

drive a red Barchetta in the limelight with Tom Sawyer and this guy:

don't get lost in Quebec:

fly with these guys:

and take off, hoser!

R.I.P, Michael Jackson--Questions edition

How does this happen?


How does one make millions over a career, but still be $400 million in debt?


What was your favorite Michael song, either with the Jackson 5 or solo?

Do you think his cause of death will be ruled as "natural causes" or one of those "accidental overdoses" that seems to happen so often with celebs?

Infidelity vs. criminality

So yet another repug has been outed as a mere human being with sex on his mind.

Seems a lot of these "family values" spouters sure do like to screw around, either with the ladies or the pages in their office or whatever.

But I couldn't help but think, as I listened to Sanford's press confo cuts on NPR yesterday afternoon, that I really didn't give a shit about his apologies or his tears or his sexy funtimes with Maria in Argentina. I didn't even give a shit that he lied about his whereabouts and told people he was hiking. Let's face it: Cheaters ALWAYS lie about it; if you were a cheater, you'd lie too. It's human nature to want to stay out of trouble. Like when I was a kid, and I blamed everything on my big brother. Sometimes my guilt over having taken apart Mommy's alarm clock, or having left the iron on the arm of the couch and burned a big brown iron-shape into the upholstery, or going to the video arcade instead of going to mass--well, my guilt was so strong that sometimes that all Mommy had to say was "Delia?" before I'd spit out a lie: "I didn't do it! Maybe it was Ricardo!" It was like a knee-jerk reflex, impossible for my little guilty mind to control.

But this stuff? This affair crap? Just like I didn't give a shit about Bill and his sexy cigartimes with Monica Lewinsky, I don't give a shit about Mr Perfect and his Argentina mistress.

Oh, it's hilarious enough to hear about another picture-perfect repug proving that he's just another slimeball cheating on his wife; I mean, that's always good comedy. But did I want to listen to him apologizing to all the people he'd "failed" and "disappointed" and all that? Did I want to hear about his crying back in Argentina and his crying here? Do I want to hear all the blowhards on TV crying about how betrayed they feel?

Nope.

It all just seemed maudlin and forced. It was a big drama show, staged for the media, just because he's a political figure. If he weren't the governor, no one outside his family and maybe his church community would care about whether he was hiking a trail or lying and cheating. I don't care to hear Fat-Tush Limpdick or anyone pontificate on this guy's lack of moral fiber, betrayal of the people, blah blah blah.

What I DO care about is this: this is the same guy who's been a poster boy for the "family values" reich-wing wacko contingent. Back in the 1990s, he was calling for Clinton's resignation after the Lewinsky crap. He's been playing Mr. Family Man with his perfect little white family, posing for all the photos and positioning himself as a presidential contender. If it weren't for this hypocrisy, I would give him a pass, just like I gave Bill. Anyone can make a mistake.

But Mr. Perfect is, in actuality, Mr. Thieving Scumbag. Using state funds to get to Argentina for his sexy fun time--THAT I care about.

And for THAT, and that alone, the guy should resign. And he should go to jail. That's theft, asshole. There's no criminal charge for fucking another woman besides your wife, so I don't care about that--but there sure is a law for using the state's money to do it.

Some new ways to deny global warming

More of that pesky "truth" crap was released about how badly we're fucking up the planet with our CO2 and pollution. To this I say, "Truth, Schmuth!" Here are some handy ways to continue to deny this whole "reality" trip:

1. Mother Earth is going through menopause; hence, the hot flashes.

2. Did anyone ever think that the sun, NOT the earth, just might be getting hotter?

3. Science is for geeks and pussies.

You can thank me later, from your oceanside home in Kansas.

If you haven't seen this site...

...you should.


What my text would say:
Is there anyone in the world who doesn't know what "the coffee just kicked in" means?

Yay, a non-political post!

Sometimes I just have to completely tune out the politics and the news and the idiocy. That's when I do a movie post.

About a million years ago, Dr. Monkey did a list of what he considered to be the best movies made each year since he’d been born. It was a great list, and I decided (and commented) that I would do a similar post for myself. And hey! It’s only taken me a whole freakin’ year to compile the list!

Here are my favorite movies, by year, for every year since the year I was born. Just to bore you to death, I've added the other movies made that year that were also good ones in my opinion.

Oh and one more thing -- I didn't italicize any of the titles because I'm too lazy. Fuck the italics! Anarchy! Anarchy!

Ahem.

Sorry. Here's the list:

1964: My Fair Lady – I didn’t know until a few years ago that the role of Eliza had been originated on Broadway by Julie Andrews, whom I love love love. I knew Audrey Hepburn wasn’t singing right from the beginning, though. I still love this movie, however, especially when Mrs. Higgins chastises her son Henry and Colonel Pickering for being “a pretty pair of babies playing with your live doll.” Excellent. Finalists: Ensign Pulver, Father Goose, Goldfinger, Fistful of Dollars, The Three Lives of Thomasina -- all childhood favorites.

1965: This one was easy – Dr. Zhivago, hands down. Sorry to The Sound of Music and Julie Andrews. (Love you!)

1966: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – I loves me some Clint Eastwood, and this is a great one. “Hey Blondie! Hey Blondie!” Finalists: The Blue Max, Batman, A Man Called Flintstone, Munster Go Home!, What’s Up Tiger Lily?

1967: To Sir, With Love – a sentimental favorite, and I had a little-girl crush on the girl that played Pamela (the one with the crush on Sir). Finalists: In the Heat of the Night, Cool Hand Luke, Valley of the Dolls (hilariously bad)

1968: Funny Girl – an amazing musical and acting performance for a very young Barbra. Finalists: The Odd Couple (remember how Jack Lemmon’s Felix did the allergy-throat “haaa! haaa!”? Priceless.)

1969: True Grit. I didn’t see Butch Cassidy, so that one didn’t win. Plus hearing “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” always makes me carsick.

1970: Little Big Man – “Come and lay on my soft furs!” I really liked MASH too, but Little Big Man is still one of my favorite movies to watch on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

1971: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – still one of my favorite movies and books. Just plain hilarious and well done. Finalists: Dirty Harry, Fiddler on the Roof (especially the bottle dance at the wedding and the Grandma dream sequence), and Man in the Wilderness. I didn’t see the universally recognized greats of this year, The French Connection and A Clockwork Orange.

1972: The Godfather – I’d never seen a movie like this one. Amazingly violent, moving, and terrifying. Finalists: Deliverance (talk about terrifying), Jeremiah Johnson (still a fave), What’s Up, Doc? (pure greatness).

1973: The Sting – This was the toughest year for me. I loved Paper Moon, High Plains Drifter, Badlands, Serpico, and Papillon, but The Sting had such great music.

1974: Where the Lilies Bloom – if you’ve never seen/heard of this one, GET IT. Finalists: The Godfather Part 2, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (“shit-kicking, shit-kicking, shit-kicking!”), Animals Are Beautiful People (a documentary), Young Frankenstein, Uptown Saturday Night.

1975: Jaws – an easy one, and yes—I’m still afraid to swim at the beach. But there were other greats that year: Barry Lyndon (some people find it boring, but I love it), Funny Lady, Love and Death (a GREAT Woody Allen movie), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (pure gold). I never saw all of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest or The Sunshine Boys, but I’m sure they’re great.

1976: Rocky – yo Adrian! Finalists: The Bad News Bears (sweet), Bugsy Malone,d Futureworld (scared the pee out of a young me), Midway, Murder by Death (a classic!), The Omen (see above re: pee).

1977: Star Wars – how could anyone anywhere in America disagree? This movie made me want to be Luke Skywalker, complete with utility belt and hot Princess Leia to kiss. Finalists: High Anxiety, Close Encounters of the Third Kind

1978: Alien – holy moly, was I terrified. Finalists: The Inlaws (“Serpentine, Sheldon, serpentine!”), Escape from Alcatraz, Heaven Can Wait, Kramer vs. Kramer, Breaking Away, My Brilliant Career, Superman, Being There. Many would pick Apocalypse Now but I’ve never seen it.

1979: Norma Rae – still an amazing performance by Sally Field. I also liked North Dallas Forty and Nosferatu the Vampyre (with an incredibly creepy Klaus Kinski).

1980: The Empire Strikes Back – what a sequel. Other faves: Gloria (“I’m the man! I’M the man!” and Gena Rowlands), The Gods Must Be Crazy, Nine to Five, Superman II, Flash Gordon (hilariously bad), and Private Benjamin (“I wanna wear my sandals! I wanna have lunch!”)

1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark – a great adventure movie. Of course, Excalibur was wonderful, as were Chariots of Fire, Mommie Dearest, and the classic Zorro the Gay Blade.

1982: Bladerunner – by now, my Harrison Ford love knew no bounds. I still had no clue about the whole “lesbian” thing. Tron was also a big fave, as I was a complete geek at this point in my life. I never got what was sooooo great about Fast Times at Ridgemont High, though I liked it. Night Shift was funny, until I realized how incredibly sexist-piggish it was.

1983: The Big Chill – this was my senior year in high school and an amazing year for movies. I could’ve picked any of these: Cross Creek, Flashdance, Entre Nous, Educating Rita, Trading Places, Mr. Mom, Yentl, Scarface, Valley Girl, The Year of Living Dangerously – all greats in my book, for various reasons.

1984: The Terminator – a true classic. I love how wimpy Linda Hamilton looks in this one, especially compared to the powerhouse hottie she’d become in the second movie. “I’m at the Tech Noir!” Finalists: Romancing the Stone, Amadeus, American Dreamer, Karate Kid (hee hee!), Dune, Purple Rain (one of the worst-acted movies ever, in every single role! That takes skill!), Sixteen Candles, A Passage to India, Beverly Hills Cop (one of my mom’s favorite movies).

1985: Murphy’s Romance – you’re probably saying, “huh?” This movie featured wonderfully understated and underrated performances by Sally Field and James Garner. Other good ones: Back to the Future, Fandango, Real Genius, Out of Africa, Witness, Mask, The Breakfast Club

1986: Aliens – again, a sequel that topped the original (just like with Empire Strikes Back, Terminator 2, Godfather II, and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers). This movie was scarier and better than the original, with Sigourney Weaver really developing her uber-mother-badass-ness. Finalists: Hannah and Her Sisters (quite possibly Woody’s last funny movie), Heartbreak Ridge (underrated!), Ruthless People.

1987: Moonstruck – this movie gets better every time I see it. So many great lines and scenes! Finalists: The Princess Bride, Wall Street, Baby Boom

1988: Scrooged – Bill Murray at his best, up to that point. He would only get better later. Other great movies: Stand and Deliver, Dangerous Liaisons, Rainman.

1989: When Harry Met Sally – I used to call this my favorite movie. Now I don’t, but only because the Lord of the Rings trilogy just pretty much knocked everything else out. Finalists: Field of Dreams, Batman, The Little Mermaid (shut up! I like it!), Dead Calm, Roger and Me, Chances Are (shut up again! I love Cybill Sheppard!), Miss Firecracker (“Swoop! Swoop!”)

1990: Goodfellas – this movie got everything right. Finalists: Dances with Wolves, Dick Tracy, Pretty Woman (horrible but I still like it), Misery, Tremors (hilarious).

1991: The Silence of the Lambs – followed closely by Terminator 2. It was almost a tie, but Jody Foster’s hot. Other faves: The Commitments, JFK, Backdraft, New Jack City, Thelma and Louise (painful to watch), LA Story.

1992: Unforgiven – Clint, still making movie gold. Finalists: The Bodyguard (I just liked the music, okay?), A League of Their Own, Malcolm X, The Crying Game, Reservoir Dogs (amazing), White Men Can’t Jump (just funny escapism), Far and Away (Nicole Kidman at her hottest).

1993: Tombstone – Val Kilmer made this one with his portrayal of Doc Holliday. I never get tired of watching it. Finalists: Groundhog Day (another Murray classic), The Pelican Brief (I liked Julia Roberts back then), Sleepless in Seattle (I’m a sap, okay?), Jurassic Park (just for the dinos), Schindler’s List, Dave.

1994: The Shawshank Redemption. Did any other movies even get made this year? Who cares – this movie is pure greatness.

1995: Babe – this movie still makes me cry. Other favorites were The American President (I wish we could have a president like him!), Apollo 13.

1996: Fargo – easy. I also loved Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis playing the tallest action heroine ever.

1997: Jackie Brown – pure perfection. Finalists: As Good as it Gets, Good Will Hunting, Contact (Jody = hawt), Donnie Brasco.

1998: Life Is Beautiful – a sweet sweet film. I also loved Rush Hour, Deep Impact (the OTHER asteroid movie, with a smokin’ hawt Tia Leoni), X-Files: Fight the Future (Scully = hawt). Notice how the pickin’s are getting slim? They just didn’t make many great movies in the late 90s, in my opinion. At least not that I saw.

1999: The Talented Mr. Ripley – Matt Damon’s best performance. Other big faves: Fight Club, The Sixth Sense, The Matrix (only because of the filming techniques, not Keanu’s “acting”).

2000: Cast Away – man, this movie makes me sad. I also liked Erin Brockovich and Unbreakable. Couldn’t find another movie made this year that I liked. Wow.

2001: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – is that tiny little Harry just the cutest little thing you’ve ever seen? Yes he is.

2002: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – my favorite of the Ring trilogy, although Theodin makes me yell at the TV because he’s such a freakin’ wimp. The first Bourne movie, The Bourne Identity, was also great.

2003: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – here’s how that conversation on the lava-covered mountainside of Mt Doom would’ve gone had it been me instead of Samwise with Frodo:
Frodo: “I’m glad you’re with me, Sam, here at the end of all things.”
Me: “Don’t worry, Frodo. I’m not gonna tell everyone about how you went all evil and tried to keep the ring. I won’t tell everyone how Gollum had to bite your freakin’ finger off just to get the ring. Just sayin’.”
This was a tough year, finally, after so many crappy years. Other finalists: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Keira Knightley = hawt), Bad Santa (effing hilarious), Calendar Girls, Finding Nemo, Kill Bill Vol 1, Lost in Translation, Monster, Under the Tuscan Sun (Diane Lane = hawt).

2004: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – probably my favorite Harry Potter movie to date, but another tough call with Kill Bill Vol 2, Fahrenheit 9/11, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and The Bourne Supremacy making it a great year.

2005: Pride and Prejudice – I love the book, I love the movie, I love Keira Knightley. Finalists: HP and the Goblet of Fire; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Crash; Capote; Transamerica; The Constant Gardener; Batman Begins; Good Night, and Good Luck; Syriana. Finally, Hollywood (and indie films) started getting it right again.

2006: Little Miss Sunshine – if you haven’t seen this one, please do so. Every single actor in this film was amazing. Other good ones: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, V for Vendetta, Inside Man, The Devil Wears Prada, Eight Below (shut up! It was sad and uplifting!), The Queen, The Good Shepherd.

2007: No Country for Old Men – easy call. Still, some good stuff this year too: Breach, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (I don’t know why I loved these movies; I just did!--probably just Keira), American Gangster, Zodiac, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (great casting, terrible adaption), Atonement (so sad!), The Bourne Ultimatum.

2008: The Dark Knight – not that great a year for movies, in my opinion. I mean, what are you gonna pick – Baby Mama? Sure it was funny, but do you remember anything besides the general hilariousness? Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull –holy crap, Harrison – give it up. You look like a corpse. Do you need money that badly? Just say no! Burn After Reading was okay, with a hilariously goofy performance by Brad Pitt of all people, but it wasn’t the Coen’s best work.

2009: I don’t even think I’ve seen a new movie this year. I’m waiting on the edge of my seat for the sixth Harry Potter movie, which I just KNOW is going to be effing GREATNESS.

I need to lie down... bring me some smelling salts.

Sometimes, I just start smiling, thinking about how grateful I am that we managed to elect Barack Obama instead of the old geezer and the Alaskan freakshow. I think, "Boy, Americans aren't so crazy and dumb after all!"

Then I wake up.

You wanna see some crazy? You wanna see some dumb? Just check out these Princess Sparkle Pony posts, featuring the unedited comments of everyday Americans. By the time you're done, I guarantee you'll feel like you've just gone 15 rounds with an in-his-prime Muhammad Ali.

Sarah Palin's toenails
White Supremacist killer in the Holocaust Museum
More on the Holocaust Museum killer

To think these people work, vote, operate heavy machinery, walk among us, etc. It's truly frightening.

Uh oh...

If Princess Sparkle Pony is right about "frowny sucked-in-lips face" being a bad sign, or as the Princess says, "associated with guilt, embarrassment, acknowledgment of stupidity, etc."--I think Obama's in trouble. This is what the front page at Talking Points Memo looks like:
Oy vey.

Cleansing duck post

Surrounded by activity, I am all still.

Some more thoughts and reactions--UPDATED

President Obama has declared June "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month." Pretty cool, eh? I can't imagine any other president doing this--even Bill Clinton wimped out all the time when it came to teh gay, so I'm glad Obama has recognized that he won't burst into flames if he says "gay" or "lesbian." That moment during his inaugural address when he said those words--that still gives me chills when I think about it.

You can read the full text of his proclamation here. I like this line: "I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists."

Are Americans ready "to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists" yet? Are we even ABLE to do this? Every time I think we're making progress, a Prop 8 or a "Sotomayor's a racist!" or something like that will happen, and I realize we're sooooooo far from embodying the vision of Dr. King when he talked about people being judged by the content of their character. And that makes me sad.

I think that maybe if more of us started turning this whole racial discussion around--talking about it whenever ANYONE is nominated for something, the way I did in this post from the other day--then MAYBE people will see how stupid the whole idea is. Imagine reading something like this:

Roberts nomination: Is it about ethnicity?
John Roberts could be the latest white man to serve on the Supreme Court. And as we learn more about him, the more questions centered on his ethnic background abound. Was he chosen partly because of his white origins? Does he consider race in his rulings? Are we focusing too much on his ethnicity and not enough on his judicial history?

Check out the original post for an explanation. I'd like your take on it. I think it kinda got buried by Iron Chef talk, though, so if you haven't read it, please do and comment either here or there.

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If you don't listen to NPR (I listen for as long as I can stand it, then I always hear something that makes me hit another station's button), you haven't been listening to the amazingly stupid discussion about the Sotomayor nomination to the SCOTUS, and that one quote wherein she actually TOOK PRIDE in being a "wise Latina." God forbid! The nerve!

I read a great guest-post on Echidne's blog; the only way I can figure out how to link to it is to link to all the posts from that day (May 31, my mommy's birthday!). It's the second post down. A great great post, that one--all about the idiocy of isolating one sentence and pinning everything on it -- then turning that tactic around on the idiots who are doing it to try to derail Sotomayor's nomination.

Speaking of NPR, my GOD -- it gets worse every day. Be sure to check out NPR Check, linked in my sidebar, if you want to read about how bad it's gotten.

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Just saw a link to a completely amazing story that is not getting adequate coverage in the MSM: actual clergy--baptists, even!--saying that they support equal marriage rights! h/t to Sue J for the link and for bringing the story to my attention. And no thanks to the many stupid media outlets that are ignoring/underreporting the story.

Gay marriage, as I've said before, isn't really my issue, but I abhor the idea of denying people the right to marry whomever they please. Discrimination is just wrong. So anyway, I was having a deep discussion this morning with my girlfriend, and the subject of living together came up -- as in, sometime in the future. We began to talk about my fears, based on past relationships, about how things just always seem to END, no matter how great things start out. It's disheartening, and it's enough to make me have said on many occasions that I'll never live with anyone again.

That said, I began to wonder whether marriage really would make a difference. Maybe the legally binding aspect of it would help when things get tough. Of course, straights are topping the 50% mark on divorces, but still--does marriage make a difference to two people who've vowed to stay together? You married folks out there--does it?

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On a brighter note, we have baby ducks in our courtyard, and I don't mean the ducks that PoP regularly invokes. They're so cute and fuzzy, and their little markings are so striking. I'll try to get a photo, to cleanse our mental palates from all the shite that regularly flows in the political realm. We also have baby robins. I love spring!

My thoughts on the Tiller murder

Imagine you were sitting someplace in public, just having a lemonade in the park or listening to the preacher in church, when someone came up to you and killed you. For doing your job.

Dr. George Tiller was killed because he did his job--providing a particular medical service to women -- a perfectly legal medical service, I might add.