Saturday, December 06, 2008

Love And Happiness

You have to watch about a 15-second ad first, but this is a sweet video of two men who married only to see their marriage banned.



Further on that subject, Proposition 8 and similar measures in other states were obviously a step back. But there's reason to think that taken as a whole, this country is becoming more and more supportive of gay rights

And now...

...Bill Hicks, with his message of love. No need to thank me.



What a gifted, cursed man.

Friday, December 05, 2008

A question for the ladies

Look at this photo of "supermodel" Alessandra Ambrosio. Specifically, look at her feet.

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She can't be comfortable...

Irony or something like it



At the beginning of this television season, I would've said my favorite show was "Life." Now it's almost time for midseason, and my favorite show is "Terminator."

Irony, or something like it.

Do you ever get the feeling that Madonna would really rather go home and go to sleep?

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Last remaining Bush supporters continue to become parodies of themselves

But, wow, it's rarely that blatant.

Dear god, no

Paris Hilton wants to play Tinkerbell - not her pet Chihuahua, but the famed fairy from "Peter Pan." A source tells us the celebutard is lobbying for the title role in Disney's live-action version of "Tinkerbell," in which the pixie finally gets a chance at life as a real girl.

On the other hand, I can't decide whether I like this one or not. What do you think?

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Sometimes even I don't think that green makes a person look better

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Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Y'know...

...I'm used to laughing when I watch Jon Stewart. Whether he's (quite rightly) dubbing Robert Novak "Douchebag of Liberty," doing a commentary or other piece.

One of the many reasons why I love the man is because he expresses the frustration that you and I and many others feel. But he does it without losing his sense of humor, as you and I would.

So yeah, I'm used to laughing.

I'm not used to having my mouth drop open in literal, actual, I'm-not-kidding-around-here horror as it did last night.



Shudder.

And she calls him "Big Daddy"...

Good news!

According to straight male conservative pundit and expert on lesbians Bill Kristol, we have won the war in Iraq!

Isn't it about time somebody hit him in the face with a pie again?

Interview with CNN's incomparable Christiane Amanpour

Can be heard here.

Fantastic

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it

Or die.

Headlines that should have been rephrased.

Clinton Will Not Seek Wife's Seat


C'mon. Bob Clark (bless his soul and all that) could write the punchline to this joke.

Deslumbramiento.

"Vaya al oeste"



Neil Tennant, Chris Lowe, the Pet Shop Boys

Whereas...

I've been keeping one eye (get it?) on this "reality" TV show, Scream Queens wherein:

actresses...will vie for an unprecedented prize -- a break-out role in "Saw VI" from Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures.


Now, by "break-out role," I'm assuming they mean the girl who wins will be in a trap (in the movie) that requires her to break her jaw or something to get out. Saw being Saw. Still:

I imagine I'm alone in this (or at least nearly so), especially as the series has progressed. But I stand stubbornly by my belief that the Saw series requires a better class of actor than the wriggling asses and pretty faces (male and female) that make up your Texas Chainsaw Massascream 3's.

Tobin Bell is the most obvious example, and Costas Mandylor is IMO underrated. But of course, they're both men.

Representing the opposite sex, I think that Beverley Mitchell did a nice job with her small, supporting role in Saw II.

But most prominently, we have Shawnee Smith, who is sexy indeed (clock her one unbilled scene in Leaving Las Vegas) but also very much "in the moment" as an actor.

(That's her below. And also, come to think of it, by Mitchell's side above.)


Smith acted in the first three Saw films and she's now one of the three hosts of Scream Queens. This brings up one reason why I’m only keeping one eye on the series.

The young actresses all seem to be taking the "break-out" part of this hype terribly seriously, as though it's just Saw VI and then next stop, romantic comedies opposite Vince Vaughn.

You want to say to them (I do, anyway): Guys, Shawnee Smith was in on the ground floor of Saw. Her character actually had an--whatchamacallit--emotional arc.

And what's more, even before that she had a career going back to the '80s. Her first role in a movie was in the 1982 adaptation of Annie, and she was also in Summer School and the Blob remake.

In the latter, BTW, she was an admitted inspiration for Joss Whedon when he was creating Buffy. And she's appeared on several television shows. Now she's one of three hosts of Scream Queens.

What I'm saying is: I don't think this is necessarily going to be the boost to your career that you imagine.

Another reason I've yet to be able to get though an entire episode without occasionally flipping away: You're familiar with my "actors shouldn't talk" rule?

Picture a show that is virtually nothing but actors talking. Talking about each other (with the long knives out) & about themselves. Actors who may not necessarily be all that bright. Not that it's a requirement, but, well, one of them--I won't say who--has an Official Web Site with the word "Official" misspelled.

Interspersed only with chances to emote! -either in I-want-attention-getting emotional outbursts (at least one or two of them are not so much Scream Queens as drama queens) or in acting "challenges."

James Lipton would blow his brains out after more than half an hour of this.

The third reason is summed up by the fact that I put "reality" in quotes when discussing "reality" TV shows. They're not reality.

So anyway, why am I telling you all of this? I'm telling you all of this because next week is the "big" final episode and I feel like declaring my colors.

Of the women remaining, Michelle Galdenzi is gorgeous, but I've just seen nothing else really compelling about her. Plus, she's a Ren Fest chick, and such behavior should not be rewarded.

Tanedra...well, I'm just not seeing the talent. And again--maybe I stand alone in this, but I happen to think being in a Saw film requires talent (at least some).

So I'm team Lindsay (Felton). I like the look of her:
But it's not just infatuation...more importantly, I think she's shown the most talent.

I also like that when the girls got a scare in last night's episode, Lindsay didn't even spill her wine. Now that's my kind of woman.

Monday, December 01, 2008

Anyone Who Had A Heart

As most of you know by now, sometimes I find some of the best things in quasi-random Google searches. Most recent example: Shelby Lynne. I didn't really know very much about her, but searching her website, I find that...

"I Am Shelby Lynne" — an album embraced by rock and country audiences alike — snagged her a Best New Artist Grammy. It was her sixth album, but Grammy rules are funny like that.


...and that she played the role of Johnny Cash's mother in "Walk The Line," which I saw and rated highly, but I don't remember her specifically. Maybe I'll rent it and watch it again.

Anyway, Lynne's singing sounds like a soul-country hybrid, and her latest album is a tribute to Dusty Springfield. You can hear samples of it at her website linked above; her myspace page. Or here, watch this. She's dangerously, frighteningly good:

Seattle Proposition 8 protest

Remember what I posted about
"One of the little perks for us straight boy allies and the lesbians in the crowd?"


Just thought I'd back that up...

Briefly noted as a revelation of absolutely no curiosity whatsoever

   /ËŒkyÊŠÉ™riˈɒsɪti/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [kyoor-ee-os-i-tee]

2. a curious, rare, or novel thing.


The Bush White House was warned about the looming financial crisis, but chose not to pay attention.

Is it wrong that I'd kinda like to see Bush and about a dozen of his staff vs. my man Jigsaw?

Do you ever get the feeling that the Pentagon is being run by Phil Hartman's character from the Sgt. Bilko movie? (ETA additional excerpt)

...which is a very funny film, BTW. But this ain't so much.

A man called "Matthew Alexander" (a pseudonym) is having a book published about his experiences as an army interrogator. He's also written an article for the Washington Post:

I'm not some ivory-tower type; I served for 14 years in the U.S. Air Force, began my career as a Special Operations pilot flying helicopters, saw combat in Bosnia and Kosovo, became an Air Force counterintelligence agent, then volunteered to go to Iraq to work as a senior interrogator. What I saw in Iraq still rattles me -- both because it betrays our traditions and because it just doesn't work.


But what really made me think that Hartman's Major Thorn was in charge is what "Alexander" says about the-
extraordinary amount of unclassified material -- including passages copied verbatim from the Army's unclassified Field Manual on interrogations and material vibrantly displayed on the Army's own Web site.


-which the Army tried to redact before permitting the book to be published.

If memory serves--and it does--this is very similar to what the CIA did to the gorgeous Valerie Plame Wilson when her book was written. (Her book is also important and fascinating, BTW--I don't mean to suggest she's only gorgeous.)

Back to "Alexander:"

I sued, first to get the review completed and later to appeal the redactions. Apparently, some members of the military command are not only unconvinced by the arguments against torture; they don't even want the public to hear them.


We're told that our only options are to persist in carrying out torture or to face another terrorist attack. But there truly is a better way to carry out interrogations -- and a way to get out of this false choice between torture and terror.

I repeat: Watch this series.



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(8PM on FOX, “A” Channel in Canada)
Rumor Alert: Summer Glau loses all of her clothes in an action-packed shoot-out (And yes, we’re not above making stuff up to get you people to tune into this show!)


-The TV Addict

A choice of replies.

In an interview with the conservative online publication Newsmax, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said the GOP must broaden its appeal to avoid becoming “the old white-guy party,” and recommended that Republicans create a “shadow government” to work on its own agenda.

-Think Progress



1. Ok, quick hands up: Who here thinks the GOP is going to be listening to any Bushes ever again for at least another eight years?

2. Isn't that what some used to call...um I dunno what is the phrase...oh yes: Treason?

Cecile Richards has an entry in the Huffington Post this morning.

Richards is president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

As most of you know, I'm a little wary of Sen. Clinton becoming our next secretary of state. I don't oppose it per se (I mean, it's not like she was Dick Cheney)...I'm just a little wary. Suspicious, you might say.

Ok, so I once said I thought she had vinegar for blood, and I hated some of the things she got up to when running against Obama. But I digress. Richards argues that this (Clinton's nomination) is a good thing; I think she makes some good points.

I'm still not 100% convinced yet, but I'm willing to give Clinton a chance.

Especially since Rush Limbaugh has endorsed her. The only reason I can think of why he'd do that, is to make liberal Democrats like myself wary and suspicious of our president's selection process.

I refuse to give him the pleasure.

For one brief shining moment, President Bush speaks for us all

Political Wire's Bonus Quote of the Day:

"I wish the intelligence had been different, I guess."

-- President Bush, in an interview with ABC News,


You and us both, Dub. You and us both.

I still think she's overly hyped, but times like this I don't mind so much



Tina Fey does Vanity Fair.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

As every single person in California says "Who cares? It's Modesto."

Via the McClatchy Washington Bureau...

Parishioners of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Modesto have been told they should consider going to confession if they voted for Barack Obama, because of the president-elect's position condoning abortion.

Hey, Corey


This looks like to you what it looks like to me, right?