Category Archives: communications/media

DN! today

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DN has this up today.

Let’s only hope that the carbon emissions news is followed by actual, you know, action.  Because if anything this administration is famous for–it’s tough words with no backbone.  The other day, I was listening to Limbaugh rant about the immigration law and Arizona and how the Obama Administration was instituting an “800” number for anyone observing a police officer violating someone’s civil rights.  Limbaugh was all for civil rights and said it was about time that they started doing something about it.

bwahahaahahahahahaha. *snort*

Um, okay, he really didn’t say that.  He was incensed that the Obama administration was actually trying to provide a way for folks to speak up.  He immediately said it would be the sniveling liberals who would be calling in and the police officers would be afraid of lawsuits, yada, yada, yada.

My heart was lifted at the news of an “800” number…but then I recalled all the past “strong” words by this administration, followed by…no action.  So, yeah, unless there is a full time staff behind this 800 number, and the people at the other end of the phone are actually empowered to DO something, well, I don’t see it providing much help.  And it might even hurt someone who calls in thinking they are doing a service for the community, give their name, phone number and they themselves are harassed.  I’m just saying this is a possibility.  An administration that allows illegal wire-tapping against the Fourth Amendment leaves me doubting the sincerity of this program.  Why now? Especially after record deportations?

Onto the other stories on DN:

The Tar Sands pipeline being once again pushed by Big Oil and the Obama Administration going along is another red flag that this administration continues to say one thing and do another.  I’m just cynical enough to wonder if the sudden decrease in gas prices has anything to do with the Administration’s agreeing to Tar Sands?

Lawmakers making money off of legislation? No way. They’re the most fine, upstanding individuals ever to walk the Earth. /snark

You see, entitlement only applies to little old ladies trying to collect Social Security and the poor trying to collect food stamps to eat.   They make the laws, so members of Congress are entitled to make profits off of it.

Sorry to see Nora Ephron has passed.  I was watching “When Harry Met Sally…” last night.  Peace to her.

Philosophy of Life

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Cary Grant and Sophia Loren starred in a movie called “Houseboat”.

The script heavily played on Sophia’ figure and was a little uncomfortable in parts with how much it played on her.

There was plenty of sexist comments in the movie which didn’t sit well with me, but there were some moments that showed Sophia had a brain–she invented things to help around the house.  One was a paint sprayer attached to a long pole so that the trim on the houseboat they occupied could be painted.

In the midst of the sexist stuff was this gem:

Grant and his “son” Paul Peterson, were at odds with one another because Grant was always down on him.  (Grant was separated from his wife when she died in a car accident and the children hadn’t seen him on a regular basis, so their relationships were strained.)

Loren had implored Grant to lay off the kid and try to talk to him.  Peterson’s character is fishing off the side of the boat.  And Grant comes to him.  During the conversation, Grant tries to explain death to him.  He had a pitcher of water and tells his son to make it “disappear” (like death).  Peterson pours it into the river.  Grant says it’s not really gone, but is now part of the river.  Then Peterson pours it onto the boat.  Grant waits a moment, and the Peterson says “Oh, I get it.  It evaporates and then becomes part of the clouds, and then becomes rain.”    Then Grant says “Everything’s constantly changing.  Our souls leave our bodies and we go back into God’s Universe for the security of being a part of all life, all nature.  So for all we know, that life is very beautiful…”

Wow. In the midst of this non-serious movie was this great moment of depth.

 

China Syndrome

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… they lied…as DN reported before.

I wonder how much of that radiation made its way to the U.S. via the ocean and the air currents?

Here’s a link on the subject…if they detected it as far as Massachusetts and North Carolina, you can bet there was much more radiation over the western half of the States than is being admitted.  I wonder how many folks have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer since the accident?  And if they are diagnosed, how many doctors are doing detective work to find the cause?  My bet is that they will blame the patient or will not even recognize thyroid issues and instead diagnose the patient with psychosomatic illness?  Nah, that can’t happen…/snark.

 

Sometimes…

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…getting a migriane is a blessing instead….(well, not really, but the stunning news out of Wisconsin would have probably given me a migraine anyway…)

I don’t see a victory here. At all.  I don’t know why it would be viewed as such.  If anything, it’s a stunning defeat of a popular uprising.

…to say nothing of how he was voted in?  I mean, nearly 1,000,000 signed a freaking petition trying to get this creep out of office…how in the world can he be put back in office?

CMD would like to say that it was money.  Perhaps.  But with all the attention from the firefighters, unionists, teachers, etc., Walker had enough negative against him to overcome the money issue.

I would say the problem was with the other candidate they put up.  And Bill Clinton coming to campaign for him didn’t help, at least in my view.  If Clinton campaigns for anyone, I’m automatically skeptical that person is a true Democrat/progressive.  Clinton brought us NAFTA, folks, and the jobs disappeared….how he could be associated with job growth is beyond me.

Manning defense not getting 250,000 pages of documents

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…link here.

I’m glad to see Bradley Manning has a good lawyer that is willing to go toe-to-toe.  Good for him.

If you read the comments section, there’s a poster who mentions that one can take the flag lapel pins and turn them upside down…as a symbol that the country is in distress.

…hmm…I recently inherited one from my mother’s collection…  ::idea starts to roll around in head::

When comedy isn’t funny…

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A family member went to see the move “Bernie” over the Memorial Day weekend…starring Jack Black and Shirley Maclaine.

When he described the plot to me, I was appalled.  It would seem that I’m not the only one…on the wiki site describing the movie, town residents were also appalled at making a comedy out of murder…a real murder, folks.  I cannot understand why Shirley Maclaine would be associated with a movie that applauds murdering a woman because she was a bitch (from others’ descriptions of her treatment of people).

Yeah, women who are bitches *deserve* to be murdered, the murderer even applauded for it.  Only *nice* girls’ murderers should be condemned, right?

Misogyny, anyone…?

Maybe Jack Black and his band can write a song about it….Kill Her Gently…

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UN statement on violence towards women.

And there’s the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.   (hat tip to this poster)

Passing it grudgingly…is there no end to the callous disregard for basic human rights in the Repub party?

Lastly, here is a research paper on violence against women and the media.   Being a Communications Major, I know that the media has an effect on people’s attitudes for everyday life–shaping their beliefs…so why wouldn’t it also be true with violent films?

And why have a Violence Against Women Act to help “mop up” after the fact, when this kind of “entertainment” should be addressed?

Violence against anyone is the dark side manifested in the material world.

California GMO Ballot

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…as California goes, so goes the Nation  (she says hopefully)… (hat tip to organic consumers)

I wasn’t as impressed with this article as Ronnie Cummins.  It failed to note the Purdue University scientist, Dr. Huber, who sent a letter of concern to Vilsack.  But it was sure to get in GMO advocates that have nothing to back up their assertions that this *stuff that resembles food* is safe.

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By now, you have heard of the *cough* research that says people who buy organic food are….jerks.  Um-hmmm…

Organic Consumers states that reason.com is a part of the Reason Foundation, a libertarian “think tank”, which is…wait for it…a member of ALEC.

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Another link organic consumers had was to a movie trailer about the coming water crises.  However, it was made by the folks who brought us “Waiting for Superman” a smear piece on the public school system that was used as a prop to promote charter schools…so yeah, I’m not linking to it.