Monday, February 23, 2009
Today's WTF moment
According to the latest Gallup poll, Obama's overall job approval rating is at 63 percent, including 22 percent of those classifying themselves as conservative Republicans. Damn ! It looks like Limbaugh and Hannity are falling down on the job. Lardass and Hannjob need to get on the stick. There's no way 22 percent unindoctrinated is acceptable.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Small blessings
There's almost nothing in the national news that isn't totally depressing. Most of the time, another economic measurement is reflecting a state of collapse. And if there's no horrible economic news, some Republican (or group of them) is saying or doing something so outrageous that I have to go out in my car and yell cusswords. And if it's not the economy or the Republicans, it's some Democrat behaving so badly he or she seems to be trying out for a position in the Republican Party.
In the face of all this bad news, I'm finding little rays of sunshine peeking through the dark clouds. This is the month that Turner Classic Movies calls its "31 Days of Oscar." Every day they feature a schedule of movies that were nominated for Academy Awards. Maybe the nomination was for Best Picture, and maybe it was only for Best Screenplay or Best Editing, but it's still an Oscar nominee. As a result, they're showing lots of movies I've heard about but never seen and I'm finally watching some of them. Thank you, Ted Turner, for creating this channel.
Last night I saw The Life of Emile Zola, released in 1937 and starring Paul Muni. I was slightly familiar with Zola from the Classics Illustrated comic book version of his novel The Downfall, about the Franco-Prussian War. It was a treasured item in my comics collection back in the 1950s. The second part of the movie dramatizes Zola's involvement in the so-called Dreyfus Affair, a real blemish in the pages of French history. Anyway, I was captivated by the story. The Life of Emile Zola is highly recommended.
Tonight's cinematic treat was Pygmalion, released in 1938 and based on a play by George Bernard Shaw. Many people my age are aware that Shaw's play was the basis for the musical My Fair Lady. Having now seen both, I'll admit I prefer the 1938 version. Leslie Howard plays Henry Higgins, a man whose attitude about life resembles my own in some ways. Wendy Hiller, an actress whose work I first discovered when she was well into middle age, plays Eliza Doolittle, and she's excellent in the part.
At any rate, anyone who likes old movies could do worse than seeing The Life of Emile Zola and Pygmalion as a DVD double feature. And thank you, TCM, for giving me a chance to take my mind off reality for a few hours.
In the face of all this bad news, I'm finding little rays of sunshine peeking through the dark clouds. This is the month that Turner Classic Movies calls its "31 Days of Oscar." Every day they feature a schedule of movies that were nominated for Academy Awards. Maybe the nomination was for Best Picture, and maybe it was only for Best Screenplay or Best Editing, but it's still an Oscar nominee. As a result, they're showing lots of movies I've heard about but never seen and I'm finally watching some of them. Thank you, Ted Turner, for creating this channel.
Last night I saw The Life of Emile Zola, released in 1937 and starring Paul Muni. I was slightly familiar with Zola from the Classics Illustrated comic book version of his novel The Downfall, about the Franco-Prussian War. It was a treasured item in my comics collection back in the 1950s. The second part of the movie dramatizes Zola's involvement in the so-called Dreyfus Affair, a real blemish in the pages of French history. Anyway, I was captivated by the story. The Life of Emile Zola is highly recommended.
Tonight's cinematic treat was Pygmalion, released in 1938 and based on a play by George Bernard Shaw. Many people my age are aware that Shaw's play was the basis for the musical My Fair Lady. Having now seen both, I'll admit I prefer the 1938 version. Leslie Howard plays Henry Higgins, a man whose attitude about life resembles my own in some ways. Wendy Hiller, an actress whose work I first discovered when she was well into middle age, plays Eliza Doolittle, and she's excellent in the part.
At any rate, anyone who likes old movies could do worse than seeing The Life of Emile Zola and Pygmalion as a DVD double feature. And thank you, TCM, for giving me a chance to take my mind off reality for a few hours.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Judd ? Mud.
Barry is having problems getting his cabinet assembled, and watching the comedy of errors is starting to be discouraging. Still, unlike a number of Democrats and every single Republican, I'm not ready to write the whole Obama presidency off as a lost cause yet. I mean, what has it been ? Like, three weeks ?
Anyway, the latest nominee to bite the dust is Senator Judd Gregg, R-New Hampshire, who apparently sought the Commerce Secretary position then decided he wasn't suited for membership in a Democratic administration after all. Obama has done exactly what he promised to do, making every effort to work across partisan boundaries, and has gotten crapped on by the Republicans at each turn. I wish he'd say, "Hell, I tried. Now, fuck 'em if they can't take a joke."
Added 10:24 pm: Someone on some blog I looked at suggested Sarah Palin for Commerce Secretary. Now there's a thought. Bring Granny Grins on board for the duration, stick her in some obscure cabinet post, and take her off the table as a GOP nominee in 2012 or ever again. Hooray for the internet !
Anyway, the latest nominee to bite the dust is Senator Judd Gregg, R-New Hampshire, who apparently sought the Commerce Secretary position then decided he wasn't suited for membership in a Democratic administration after all. Obama has done exactly what he promised to do, making every effort to work across partisan boundaries, and has gotten crapped on by the Republicans at each turn. I wish he'd say, "Hell, I tried. Now, fuck 'em if they can't take a joke."
Added 10:24 pm: Someone on some blog I looked at suggested Sarah Palin for Commerce Secretary. Now there's a thought. Bring Granny Grins on board for the duration, stick her in some obscure cabinet post, and take her off the table as a GOP nominee in 2012 or ever again. Hooray for the internet !
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Birthdays in the news
According to an item at wonkette.com, Trig's mom is 45 years old today. I think I may start referring to her as Granny Grins.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Life choices
Here's the choice: I can write on this blog about every single stupid, corrupt or evil thing some Republican does, or I can have a life. I can't do both. Therefore I've decided to focus on a few ridiculous things that Republicans do that scream for a commentary, and just ignore all the rest.
Anyone who's been exposed to the crap that passes for conservative thought these days is familiar with the acronym BDS. It stands for Bush Derangement Syndrome and refers to the hatred that people like me had for the 43rd president, which bordered on insanity. BDS is a thing of the past, replaced now by ODD, or Obama Derangement Disorder. Obviously ODD is a psychological condition similar to BDS that afflicts those of a conservative political persuasion. The guy's been president less than three weeks, and they're already foaming at the mouth and moaning their gibberish. It's best to avoid their ODD behavior whenever possible.
Anyone who's been exposed to the crap that passes for conservative thought these days is familiar with the acronym BDS. It stands for Bush Derangement Syndrome and refers to the hatred that people like me had for the 43rd president, which bordered on insanity. BDS is a thing of the past, replaced now by ODD, or Obama Derangement Disorder. Obviously ODD is a psychological condition similar to BDS that afflicts those of a conservative political persuasion. The guy's been president less than three weeks, and they're already foaming at the mouth and moaning their gibberish. It's best to avoid their ODD behavior whenever possible.
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