The death of Walter Cronkite may just be the death of respectable journalism as we know it. He was called "the most trusted man in America." Archie Bunker called him a pinko. His tearing up while announcing the death of President Kennedy could be considered sincere or pretentious, depending on who you talk about.
Cronkite was one of the first journalists in America to say the Vietnam War was unwinable. Two weeks ago, Robert McNamara, former Secretary of Defense and architect of that war, died. Many conservative people I know say McNamara should have never been in the position. But some people may say that Cronkite should have never said what he said about Vietnam even though McNamara has publically admitted himself mistakes he made.
Many Americans believe the government should have some control on the media. I'm not one of them.
William Randolph Hearst helped start the Spanish American War in 1898. He ran a smear campaign against hemp and marijuana to control his his interests in the timber industry, thus getting the growing of both illegal in America.
Cronkite was more or less removed by CBS in 1981, at a period in which the news became more sensationalized. He was 64 at the time and some say he was getting too old for the way things were becoming. I wonder what Cronkite would have thought about the media storm following the death of Michael Jackson.
I always wonder what he would have thought about all the people on the TV picking sides with political parties. Bill O'Reilly, Keith Oberman, Glenn Beck, Katie Couric, Brian Williams, Dan Rather, Rush Limbaugh, Chris Matthews, Shawn Hannity.
First Tim Russert and now, Cronkite. You won't find any more objective or impartial anchormen out there now.
Which is a shame.
Someone had to announce the news of Kennedy's death. The assassination of an American president is an awful thing and Cronkite expressed the feelings of many Americans when he got choked up, cried a little and carried on. He also expressed the excitement of many Americans when he cried tears of joy when Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon.
Both were critical moments for America. One was the lost of its innocence. Another was an assurance that everything was going to be alright after the political and social upheavals of the 1960's.
Cronkite might have been a pinko to some but he just said what was on many Americans' mind about the Vietnam War. He also said this in 1968 when LBJ, a Democrat, was President.
But Cronkite was a journalism first and he remained objective. When he said, "And that's the way it was" he meant that's the fact.
There'll probably never be another man like Cronkite who sat in front of millions of Americans and reported it the way it was, instead of the way he wanted it to be.
Rest in peace, Uncle Walter.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Worst Oscar show ever
I always watch the Academy Awards, but this year, I was conflicted. It seemed, well, terrible. Hugh Jackman hosting. Slumdog Millionair the sure thing. What was the point really? The Oscars used to be the senior prom of movies. Now, it seems like the homecoming dance. No one really cares anymore.
With the SAG awards, the Golden Globes, the People Choice Awards. It justs seems like a little too much at once.
The problem started when they moved the awards from March to February a few years back, given voters absolutely no time to make a decision, so they do what Emmy Award voters have openly admitted to doing, voting based word of mouth. I don't think most of the people who voted for Slumdog Millionaire actually saw the movie.
There were little surprises for a show that was 3 and a half hours long. Well, Penelope Cruz won, proving that anyone reciting Woody Allen's mindless banter can win an award. Heath Ledger won, but really, did you honestly think he wouldn't? He deserves it, but I still wonder if he was alive today, would he have even been nominated. Kate Winselt won, finally. Sean Penn won again, knocking Mickey Rourke off that pedestal he has been on since December. Danny Boyle won Best Director. I like Boyle. I just think he should have been sharing the stage. Speaking of sharing the stage, why do we need the entire cast and crew to get up when a movie wins Best Picture. This has happened over and over again. It needs to stop.
Another thing that needs to stop is the questionable clapping that comes during the In Memoriam montage of people. I know they are applauding the memory of Paul Newman and Bernie Mac, but whatever happened to a moment of silence. And who thought it was a good idea to focus on Queen Latifah singing? Give these people a few moments of time and decency.
There were a few flubs. Will Smith's "And boom goes the dynamite," mess-up and Alan Arkin screwing up Phillip Seymour Hoffman's name. Well, let me, just say, if you can continue to get nominated while belching your lines, then who cares what they call you.
Let's go back to having one previous winner read off the list of nominees and showing their clips. Having actors more or less kiss the ass of the nominees got old after a while.
Speaking of old, where were they? Too many young people. This was like returning to your high school after 15 years and thinking, my God, who the hell is this. I want Jack Nicholson looking all cool in the front row not Mickey Rourke looking like he's at an AA meeting.
Hugh Jackman did an okay job, but I think they need to give Jon Stewart another chance.
With the SAG awards, the Golden Globes, the People Choice Awards. It justs seems like a little too much at once.
The problem started when they moved the awards from March to February a few years back, given voters absolutely no time to make a decision, so they do what Emmy Award voters have openly admitted to doing, voting based word of mouth. I don't think most of the people who voted for Slumdog Millionaire actually saw the movie.
There were little surprises for a show that was 3 and a half hours long. Well, Penelope Cruz won, proving that anyone reciting Woody Allen's mindless banter can win an award. Heath Ledger won, but really, did you honestly think he wouldn't? He deserves it, but I still wonder if he was alive today, would he have even been nominated. Kate Winselt won, finally. Sean Penn won again, knocking Mickey Rourke off that pedestal he has been on since December. Danny Boyle won Best Director. I like Boyle. I just think he should have been sharing the stage. Speaking of sharing the stage, why do we need the entire cast and crew to get up when a movie wins Best Picture. This has happened over and over again. It needs to stop.
Another thing that needs to stop is the questionable clapping that comes during the In Memoriam montage of people. I know they are applauding the memory of Paul Newman and Bernie Mac, but whatever happened to a moment of silence. And who thought it was a good idea to focus on Queen Latifah singing? Give these people a few moments of time and decency.
There were a few flubs. Will Smith's "And boom goes the dynamite," mess-up and Alan Arkin screwing up Phillip Seymour Hoffman's name. Well, let me, just say, if you can continue to get nominated while belching your lines, then who cares what they call you.
Let's go back to having one previous winner read off the list of nominees and showing their clips. Having actors more or less kiss the ass of the nominees got old after a while.
Speaking of old, where were they? Too many young people. This was like returning to your high school after 15 years and thinking, my God, who the hell is this. I want Jack Nicholson looking all cool in the front row not Mickey Rourke looking like he's at an AA meeting.
Hugh Jackman did an okay job, but I think they need to give Jon Stewart another chance.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Zane's 2009 Oscar predictions
Zane’s 2009 Oscar predictions
Since The Dark Knight didn’t get a Best Picture nomination, expect it to win many of the technical awards like best sound and best sound editing. It might even pick up a few awards for best visual effects and make-up.
As for Heath Ledger, expect a very mushy scene. I’m almost sure, Ledger’s little girl is going to be on stage accepting the award as people around the world cry. I mean, let’s face it, the Best Supporting Actor category is a sympathy vote category often reserved for veterans actors. There’s no more sympathy than giving an award to a man who died when he was 28. But I wonder if Ledger would have even been nominated if he was still alive today.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman won a few years ago for Capote in one of his few roles where he doesn’t belch his lines. Michael Shannon is the obligatory, “We feel you did a good job, but not a cold chance in hell” vote. Both Josh Brolin and Robert Downey Jr., two former teen actors and children of famous actors, are more deserving for Milk and Tropic Thunder. But does the Academy really want to reward an actor for portraying the man who came up with the “Twinkie defense” or an actor making fun of method actors and playing it in blackface, nonetheless.
The Best Supporting Actress category is a tricky one. It’s either veteran actresses or up and coming actresses who never get another shot at this time of glory ever again. Viola Davis is a favorite for Doubt, but but Taraji P. Henson might get it for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Marisa Tomei already won, so this is one less award for The Wrestler. Besides people are still mad that she rightfully won for My Cousin Vinny against the Woody Allen penned role for Judy Davis. Amy Adams is a great actress, but this is her second nomination in a few years. She’s got more to come before a win. Some people are still not over being freaked out by her musical performance at last year’s Oscar show. Penelope Cruz might upset the vote. Typically, actors of Woody Allen’s films get wins, but since the movie didn’t get any other nominations not even for writing, it’s a stretch.
As for Best Actress, it is none other than Kate Winslet. Why? Because she’s reached that milestone in which an actor goes from being nominated a few times to being nominated several times. No one wants her to go home empty handed. Also, Winslet is probably the only actress under 40 who doesn’t feel she has to look all anorexic. Meryl Streep is good, but she’s always good and won twice already, even though it’s been like 25 years since her last win. Streep will get her third Oscar, just not this year. Don’t expect another upset like last year with the award going to Melissa Leo from Frozen River. No one saw this movie. The nomination is recognition alone. Angelina Jolie might have been good in Changeling, but she won 10 years ago. Also, she’s up against Kate Winslet. Anne Hathaway is still young and will win one day, just not this year.
As for Best Actor, I hate to say it because we’re all going to have to say it without laughing or cringing, Academy Award winner Mickey Rourke. I know, it sends chills down my back. This might not have been too much of an exaggeration back in the mid-80's when Rourke was an up and coming actor appearing in critically acclaimed movies, but he has more or less screwed up his career for 20 years now. He really doesn’t deserve it. Quite frankly, this movie didn’t revitalize his career. Robert Rodriguez casting him in Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Sin City did. Frank Langella deserves it more for his portrayal of Nixon, but that film is too political. Milk is political but Sean Penn plays a gay guy which next to playing psychos and mentally challenged people is almost surely a nomination. But Penn may have shot himself in the foot when he made that comment at the SAG Awards about this is between just him and Rourke. No, it’s not. Brad Pitt’s a pretty boy and has reached Cary Grant status. Pitt has proven himself a good actor but it’s going to take him about 20 more years before he wins this award. Richard Jenkins is another deserving veteran actor, but the nomination alone is recognition for the little seen The Visitor, but don’t be surprised if this is the upset of the night.
Best Director will go to Danny Boyle. This is the first time in a long time that all nominated directors have had their movies nominated. Stephen Daldry will one day win, when he does a more high profile movie. David Fincher has proven that he can make “happy” movies. Gus Van Sant may one day win, when he can make more mainstream movies like Good Will Hunting. Ron Howard’s already won and Frost/Nixon is too political. There’s still some resentment for The Da Vinci Code. Slumdog Millionaire is Boyle’s baby. A nice good job for an independent director.
But don’t expect Slumdog Millionaire to get the Best Picture win. And here’s why? Best Picture is a thumbs up to the producers. It’s also a British movie. Also, not one single actor from the movie was nominated. How can a movie be so good that not one actor could be recognized out of four categories. This has happened before with Braveheart and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, but those movies were epics and the Academy loves epics.
Good reviews mean absolute dick when it comes to picking the Best Picture. Forrest Gump was despised by some of the top critics in the country. It wins.
Another con is that Slumdog Millionaire has already won a lot of awards already. This is the Golden Globes still trying to live down that Pia Zadora vote or the SAG awards which are just silly. Yes, it won the Producers Guild award but that was expected same as the BAFTA Awards.
Call this the Brokeback Mountain syndrome. Whenever a movie gets a lot of pre-Oscar awards and critical praise, expect the unexpected. Yes, a movie might have won that award, but this is the freaking Oscars.
Finally, Academy voters might see through the fact that Slumdog Millionaire is nothing more than liberal guilt. It’s set in Mumba, which people couldn’t locate on a map until a few months ago. But what really hurts this movie is a debate if it has one or two directors and how the child actors may have been exploited.
So, who’s going to win? Expect the Curious Case of Benjamin Button to win. It will take the other awards like best make-up and art direction and cinematograhy and such. It’s also a period piece movie, which the Academy just drools over. There’s a Forrest Gump/Shakespeare in Love/Chicago quality to the movie, in other words, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Saving Private Ryan and The Pianist may have been better made movies, but we really can’t throw our balls on the line. The Academy is probably saying, “C’mon, we voted for The Departed and No Country for Old Men when we really wanted to dote on Little Miss Sunshine and Juno. You owe us for this one.”
Frost/Nixon and Milk are too political and these movies never win, unless they are documentaries. Milk also got mixed reviews, just as Button, but Button didn’t get snubbed at the Golden Globes. The Reader is another movie that’s too political. It’s a period piece movie, sure, but Kate Winslet win will be enough to appease the movie’s makers.
Slumdog Millionaire might pick up a Best Screenplay win and it might beat out Wall-E for Best Song, but you won’t expect much gold from the Academy. Slumdog Millionaire is nominated for 10 awards. Don’t expect it to get more than half. Button has more nominations and ergo, it will get more wins. It just makes sense.
(I know, I’m probably pissed off the Slumdog Millionaire/Danny Boyle cult out there
who spend countless hours on the Internet looking for any negativity, but I just feel too much is being made about this movie.)
Since The Dark Knight didn’t get a Best Picture nomination, expect it to win many of the technical awards like best sound and best sound editing. It might even pick up a few awards for best visual effects and make-up.
As for Heath Ledger, expect a very mushy scene. I’m almost sure, Ledger’s little girl is going to be on stage accepting the award as people around the world cry. I mean, let’s face it, the Best Supporting Actor category is a sympathy vote category often reserved for veterans actors. There’s no more sympathy than giving an award to a man who died when he was 28. But I wonder if Ledger would have even been nominated if he was still alive today.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman won a few years ago for Capote in one of his few roles where he doesn’t belch his lines. Michael Shannon is the obligatory, “We feel you did a good job, but not a cold chance in hell” vote. Both Josh Brolin and Robert Downey Jr., two former teen actors and children of famous actors, are more deserving for Milk and Tropic Thunder. But does the Academy really want to reward an actor for portraying the man who came up with the “Twinkie defense” or an actor making fun of method actors and playing it in blackface, nonetheless.
The Best Supporting Actress category is a tricky one. It’s either veteran actresses or up and coming actresses who never get another shot at this time of glory ever again. Viola Davis is a favorite for Doubt, but but Taraji P. Henson might get it for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Marisa Tomei already won, so this is one less award for The Wrestler. Besides people are still mad that she rightfully won for My Cousin Vinny against the Woody Allen penned role for Judy Davis. Amy Adams is a great actress, but this is her second nomination in a few years. She’s got more to come before a win. Some people are still not over being freaked out by her musical performance at last year’s Oscar show. Penelope Cruz might upset the vote. Typically, actors of Woody Allen’s films get wins, but since the movie didn’t get any other nominations not even for writing, it’s a stretch.
As for Best Actress, it is none other than Kate Winslet. Why? Because she’s reached that milestone in which an actor goes from being nominated a few times to being nominated several times. No one wants her to go home empty handed. Also, Winslet is probably the only actress under 40 who doesn’t feel she has to look all anorexic. Meryl Streep is good, but she’s always good and won twice already, even though it’s been like 25 years since her last win. Streep will get her third Oscar, just not this year. Don’t expect another upset like last year with the award going to Melissa Leo from Frozen River. No one saw this movie. The nomination is recognition alone. Angelina Jolie might have been good in Changeling, but she won 10 years ago. Also, she’s up against Kate Winslet. Anne Hathaway is still young and will win one day, just not this year.
As for Best Actor, I hate to say it because we’re all going to have to say it without laughing or cringing, Academy Award winner Mickey Rourke. I know, it sends chills down my back. This might not have been too much of an exaggeration back in the mid-80's when Rourke was an up and coming actor appearing in critically acclaimed movies, but he has more or less screwed up his career for 20 years now. He really doesn’t deserve it. Quite frankly, this movie didn’t revitalize his career. Robert Rodriguez casting him in Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Sin City did. Frank Langella deserves it more for his portrayal of Nixon, but that film is too political. Milk is political but Sean Penn plays a gay guy which next to playing psychos and mentally challenged people is almost surely a nomination. But Penn may have shot himself in the foot when he made that comment at the SAG Awards about this is between just him and Rourke. No, it’s not. Brad Pitt’s a pretty boy and has reached Cary Grant status. Pitt has proven himself a good actor but it’s going to take him about 20 more years before he wins this award. Richard Jenkins is another deserving veteran actor, but the nomination alone is recognition for the little seen The Visitor, but don’t be surprised if this is the upset of the night.
Best Director will go to Danny Boyle. This is the first time in a long time that all nominated directors have had their movies nominated. Stephen Daldry will one day win, when he does a more high profile movie. David Fincher has proven that he can make “happy” movies. Gus Van Sant may one day win, when he can make more mainstream movies like Good Will Hunting. Ron Howard’s already won and Frost/Nixon is too political. There’s still some resentment for The Da Vinci Code. Slumdog Millionaire is Boyle’s baby. A nice good job for an independent director.
But don’t expect Slumdog Millionaire to get the Best Picture win. And here’s why? Best Picture is a thumbs up to the producers. It’s also a British movie. Also, not one single actor from the movie was nominated. How can a movie be so good that not one actor could be recognized out of four categories. This has happened before with Braveheart and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, but those movies were epics and the Academy loves epics.
Good reviews mean absolute dick when it comes to picking the Best Picture. Forrest Gump was despised by some of the top critics in the country. It wins.
Another con is that Slumdog Millionaire has already won a lot of awards already. This is the Golden Globes still trying to live down that Pia Zadora vote or the SAG awards which are just silly. Yes, it won the Producers Guild award but that was expected same as the BAFTA Awards.
Call this the Brokeback Mountain syndrome. Whenever a movie gets a lot of pre-Oscar awards and critical praise, expect the unexpected. Yes, a movie might have won that award, but this is the freaking Oscars.
Finally, Academy voters might see through the fact that Slumdog Millionaire is nothing more than liberal guilt. It’s set in Mumba, which people couldn’t locate on a map until a few months ago. But what really hurts this movie is a debate if it has one or two directors and how the child actors may have been exploited.
So, who’s going to win? Expect the Curious Case of Benjamin Button to win. It will take the other awards like best make-up and art direction and cinematograhy and such. It’s also a period piece movie, which the Academy just drools over. There’s a Forrest Gump/Shakespeare in Love/Chicago quality to the movie, in other words, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Saving Private Ryan and The Pianist may have been better made movies, but we really can’t throw our balls on the line. The Academy is probably saying, “C’mon, we voted for The Departed and No Country for Old Men when we really wanted to dote on Little Miss Sunshine and Juno. You owe us for this one.”
Frost/Nixon and Milk are too political and these movies never win, unless they are documentaries. Milk also got mixed reviews, just as Button, but Button didn’t get snubbed at the Golden Globes. The Reader is another movie that’s too political. It’s a period piece movie, sure, but Kate Winslet win will be enough to appease the movie’s makers.
Slumdog Millionaire might pick up a Best Screenplay win and it might beat out Wall-E for Best Song, but you won’t expect much gold from the Academy. Slumdog Millionaire is nominated for 10 awards. Don’t expect it to get more than half. Button has more nominations and ergo, it will get more wins. It just makes sense.
(I know, I’m probably pissed off the Slumdog Millionaire/Danny Boyle cult out there
who spend countless hours on the Internet looking for any negativity, but I just feel too much is being made about this movie.)
Monday, February 16, 2009
Won't Get Fooled Again
I guess every major restaurant or company is entitled to one blunder. Ford had the Edsel. McDonalds had the Arch Deluxe. Remember the whole invisible cola craze of the early 1990's.
Anyway, Papa John's Pizza, which is my favorite pizza restaurant had a special this past Valentine's weekend. Maybe you got snuckered the same way we did. Heart-Shaped pizzas. It seemed like a good idea. My fiancee got some for us. Little did we find out until we got home that we had been bamboozled for what was basically melted cheese on one big cracker. Now, we live about 40 miles away from the nearest Papa John's. She just happened to be in the town on Saturday anyway. I was going to take her out to her favorite Mexican restaurant but we settled on "special" pizzas
Hindsight is 20-20, but when I saw them, I went ballistic. When I saw how much she had paid, I nearly had a shitfit. Usually, I have a shit fit after I eat Papa John's. Anyway, our Valentine's Day was soured by overpriced thin pizzas which were hard as a rock. It tasted like the cardboard pizza you get at Wal-Mart for $1.25.
Needless to say, I was in the doghouse for my reaction, even though I had every right to get angry considering what they advertised looked a whole lot better than what they gave us.
This isn't the first time we've been duped on Valentine's Day. Our first year together, we went to a surf N' turf dinner special. Well, the turf was actually good tender steak. The surf was three jumbo shrimps which the waitress forgot to bring out until we were already looking over the check. The dinner salad consisted of diced lettuce with dressing on it.
Sometimes, it's best to steer clear of all "specials" for special occasions. Go with what you are used to.
Anyway, Papa John's Pizza, which is my favorite pizza restaurant had a special this past Valentine's weekend. Maybe you got snuckered the same way we did. Heart-Shaped pizzas. It seemed like a good idea. My fiancee got some for us. Little did we find out until we got home that we had been bamboozled for what was basically melted cheese on one big cracker. Now, we live about 40 miles away from the nearest Papa John's. She just happened to be in the town on Saturday anyway. I was going to take her out to her favorite Mexican restaurant but we settled on "special" pizzas
Hindsight is 20-20, but when I saw them, I went ballistic. When I saw how much she had paid, I nearly had a shitfit. Usually, I have a shit fit after I eat Papa John's. Anyway, our Valentine's Day was soured by overpriced thin pizzas which were hard as a rock. It tasted like the cardboard pizza you get at Wal-Mart for $1.25.
Needless to say, I was in the doghouse for my reaction, even though I had every right to get angry considering what they advertised looked a whole lot better than what they gave us.
This isn't the first time we've been duped on Valentine's Day. Our first year together, we went to a surf N' turf dinner special. Well, the turf was actually good tender steak. The surf was three jumbo shrimps which the waitress forgot to bring out until we were already looking over the check. The dinner salad consisted of diced lettuce with dressing on it.
Sometimes, it's best to steer clear of all "specials" for special occasions. Go with what you are used to.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
And don't let the door hit your ass on the way out!
In all fairness to former President Bush, he is right. History may me judge him very different. Let's face it, Harry S. Truman wasn't so popular at the end of his term, but people have recognized him as a good, but not great, President. Nixon dominated the last half of the 20th Century, just as Sen. Bob Dole said.
I think the only President to receive a mulligan is John Adams, because he was sandwiched between Washington and Jefferson. That's like being George Lazenby in the Bond movies. Even the 1980-81 cast of Saturday Night Live had Joe Piscopo and Eddie Murphy.
So, will history judge Bush more fair?
Only time will tell. A Presidency is judge by who comes before and who follows after.
Clinton was sandwiched in between two Bushes. (Okay, I'm not going to elaborate with a pun here.)
Anyway, the Bush/Cheney administration might be seen as either a quasi-Fascist dictatorship or a stepping stone. We don't know what will happened in the next generations or so.
But, I want to honestly know, whether conservatives and Republicans would have gone so light on Gore if he had been President.
If, the Sept. 11 attacks, happened on Gore's watch, would people have been willing to pass the Patriot Act?
Would you have been willing to enforce stricter guidelines on FFA regulations and more or less being forced to strip before getting on an airplane?
Would you have questioned if Gore had done away with Habeas Corpus?
Would you have been repulsed by the actions at the Abu Grahib prison?
Would you have allowed our government to detain people, without charges, at a Gitmo, on suspicions of having terrorist links?
Also, how would you have liked it if Gore's press secretary told people they needed to watch what they said after 9/11?
These are the problems people like me had with the Bush/Cheney administration. We let the terrorist win by acting this way.
It's just like George Orwell's 1984.
I think the only President to receive a mulligan is John Adams, because he was sandwiched between Washington and Jefferson. That's like being George Lazenby in the Bond movies. Even the 1980-81 cast of Saturday Night Live had Joe Piscopo and Eddie Murphy.
So, will history judge Bush more fair?
Only time will tell. A Presidency is judge by who comes before and who follows after.
Clinton was sandwiched in between two Bushes. (Okay, I'm not going to elaborate with a pun here.)
Anyway, the Bush/Cheney administration might be seen as either a quasi-Fascist dictatorship or a stepping stone. We don't know what will happened in the next generations or so.
But, I want to honestly know, whether conservatives and Republicans would have gone so light on Gore if he had been President.
If, the Sept. 11 attacks, happened on Gore's watch, would people have been willing to pass the Patriot Act?
Would you have been willing to enforce stricter guidelines on FFA regulations and more or less being forced to strip before getting on an airplane?
Would you have questioned if Gore had done away with Habeas Corpus?
Would you have been repulsed by the actions at the Abu Grahib prison?
Would you have allowed our government to detain people, without charges, at a Gitmo, on suspicions of having terrorist links?
Also, how would you have liked it if Gore's press secretary told people they needed to watch what they said after 9/11?
These are the problems people like me had with the Bush/Cheney administration. We let the terrorist win by acting this way.
It's just like George Orwell's 1984.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Joe the Blunder
In today's society of blogs, vlogs, Myspace, Facebook, etc., people can still live private lives.
However, you can not say that you are not the story when you are half way around the world reporting for what shouldn't sound like, but is, a TV station. As a news reporter myself, I know that if I am arrested for whatever reason, it will be news, just because I have decided to take this position.
Samuel J. Wurzelbacher Jr., aka Joe the Plumber, wants to have it both ways. He wants to be in the media spotlight while at the same time mocking people for putting him in the media spotlight.
I got two words to solve this problem: Go away!
Yes, you can leave. I assure you, Joe, if you went away today, we wouldn't care about you tomorrow. I'm sure you would end up maybe being a punchline on whatever I Love the (insert decade here) show they do on VH1.
But aside from that, no one would care if you dropped off the face of the earth.
However, now, you have decided to write a book, because apparently, that's all conservatives like to do now is write books telling us how stupid we are. Well, if we're so stupid, why do you expect us to read your books?
He's reporting for Pajamas TV, which no one, not even the people at Pajamas TV, knew existed until here recently.
Even worse, Wurzelbacher is even being considered for a 2010 election to Congress. Well, I have a message for all the Buckeyes, get registered to vote right now and keep this man out of Washington.
The last thing we need in D.C. is another arrogant man who people want to have a beer with.
Wurzelbacher took the initiative to inject himself in the spotlight. Joe, no one told you to talk to Obama about his tax plan. But even if you did, you still should have told McCain to lay off after he said you name repeatedly sounding like Papa Smurf.
You intentionally went on all those talk shows and you made your endorsement for the McCain-Palin campaign public.
You even decided to get a manager.
Wurzelbacher, you have done everything imaginable to make yourself a celebrity. Therefore, you are totally entitled to whatever scrutiny the general public wants to put you through.
But this can be very easily solved if you leave the limelight behind you.
We won't care. Honestly, we won't care one bit if we never have to hear about you again.
However, you can not say that you are not the story when you are half way around the world reporting for what shouldn't sound like, but is, a TV station. As a news reporter myself, I know that if I am arrested for whatever reason, it will be news, just because I have decided to take this position.
Samuel J. Wurzelbacher Jr., aka Joe the Plumber, wants to have it both ways. He wants to be in the media spotlight while at the same time mocking people for putting him in the media spotlight.
I got two words to solve this problem: Go away!
Yes, you can leave. I assure you, Joe, if you went away today, we wouldn't care about you tomorrow. I'm sure you would end up maybe being a punchline on whatever I Love the (insert decade here) show they do on VH1.
But aside from that, no one would care if you dropped off the face of the earth.
However, now, you have decided to write a book, because apparently, that's all conservatives like to do now is write books telling us how stupid we are. Well, if we're so stupid, why do you expect us to read your books?
He's reporting for Pajamas TV, which no one, not even the people at Pajamas TV, knew existed until here recently.
Even worse, Wurzelbacher is even being considered for a 2010 election to Congress. Well, I have a message for all the Buckeyes, get registered to vote right now and keep this man out of Washington.
The last thing we need in D.C. is another arrogant man who people want to have a beer with.
Wurzelbacher took the initiative to inject himself in the spotlight. Joe, no one told you to talk to Obama about his tax plan. But even if you did, you still should have told McCain to lay off after he said you name repeatedly sounding like Papa Smurf.
You intentionally went on all those talk shows and you made your endorsement for the McCain-Palin campaign public.
You even decided to get a manager.
Wurzelbacher, you have done everything imaginable to make yourself a celebrity. Therefore, you are totally entitled to whatever scrutiny the general public wants to put you through.
But this can be very easily solved if you leave the limelight behind you.
We won't care. Honestly, we won't care one bit if we never have to hear about you again.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Is GOP dead?
Say Republican and what do you think of? Abraham Lincoln. Teddy Rooslevelt. Eisenhower.
So, how did we go from I Like Ike to laughing about someone tossing shoes at Bush. Easy. Because, the GOP just ain't what she used to be.
It all started with Nixon with his outrageous paranoia. Then, it was elevated with Reagan's "Good Morning in America" blindness. The sad part about Reagan was that we had elected a senile old man who was probably in the early stages of Alzheimer's before he was sworn in to a position where his finger was near the atomic button.
Can Bush be the final nail in the coffin?
Probably not. Republicans are still going to be around but I think they will return to the third party status from which they evolved nearly 150 years ago.
The recent election has shown that the majority of Republican voters are southerners and white. More importantly, it has shown it is the party of the ignorant, by allowing all those false emails being spread as the gospel. It is the party of the racists. If one Democrat made a comment about McCain's disabilities, the Republicans would have had a shit fit, yet, they told us to chill out when they wanted to call Obama Osama and talk about welfare babies this and fist pump terrorist that.
Under Bush and the Republican controlled Congress and Senate, America became a nation of hate and intolerance. The recent incident involving nine Muslims kicked off an airplane for having a conversation that wouldn't have turned heads if it had been said by white people is proof. The GOP wants America to return to the utopia white Americans were promised in the 1950's where they thought blacks and other people of color knew their place.
Hopefully, that doesn't happen.
If the Republicans want to rebound in 2010, they must see the hypocrisy written on the wall. It's time to drop the whole conservative label because I've realized that most conservatives aren't Christians in the true sense, nor are they willing to fight for their country. The only think conservatives care about is pushing their own agenda of do what we say.
Well, GOP, you have less than 2 years until the next election. I wouldn't waste a single day if I was you.
So, how did we go from I Like Ike to laughing about someone tossing shoes at Bush. Easy. Because, the GOP just ain't what she used to be.
It all started with Nixon with his outrageous paranoia. Then, it was elevated with Reagan's "Good Morning in America" blindness. The sad part about Reagan was that we had elected a senile old man who was probably in the early stages of Alzheimer's before he was sworn in to a position where his finger was near the atomic button.
Can Bush be the final nail in the coffin?
Probably not. Republicans are still going to be around but I think they will return to the third party status from which they evolved nearly 150 years ago.
The recent election has shown that the majority of Republican voters are southerners and white. More importantly, it has shown it is the party of the ignorant, by allowing all those false emails being spread as the gospel. It is the party of the racists. If one Democrat made a comment about McCain's disabilities, the Republicans would have had a shit fit, yet, they told us to chill out when they wanted to call Obama Osama and talk about welfare babies this and fist pump terrorist that.
Under Bush and the Republican controlled Congress and Senate, America became a nation of hate and intolerance. The recent incident involving nine Muslims kicked off an airplane for having a conversation that wouldn't have turned heads if it had been said by white people is proof. The GOP wants America to return to the utopia white Americans were promised in the 1950's where they thought blacks and other people of color knew their place.
Hopefully, that doesn't happen.
If the Republicans want to rebound in 2010, they must see the hypocrisy written on the wall. It's time to drop the whole conservative label because I've realized that most conservatives aren't Christians in the true sense, nor are they willing to fight for their country. The only think conservatives care about is pushing their own agenda of do what we say.
Well, GOP, you have less than 2 years until the next election. I wouldn't waste a single day if I was you.
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