Saturday, August 29, 2009

The Time Traveler's Wife - Take Tissues Or Insulin

OK, I admit part of the fun of this movie is getting to see Eric Bana naked dozens of times, however the film itself is pretty good.

Let me temper this by saying I never read the novel, so I am basing my opinion solely the movie. It is a stange story of a woman who falls in love with a man who somehow moves back and forth through time. Rather than a voluntary thing, his travels are triggered by some random means so he is often tossed into a strange situation. Because it is something genetic, he arrives au natural, something that makes his trips less than serene.

Not to dwell on the story, for fear of giving it away, I will tell you how this film made me feel. The movie had a strange melancholy effect and though it is a touching love story it is also somewhat sad and nostalgic. The message of the picture was about memory, loss and love, and it managed to touch most of the audience by the number of sniffles I heard as we left the theater.

It is a little bit of a science fiction mixed with a healthy dose of "chick flick", and though I usually don't like the latter genre, this movie worked for me. Though some might find it a bit saccharine, I liked it a lot...and Eric Bana has a nice ass.

Friday, August 28, 2009

A Taste of Their Own Medicine - Republican Bachmann Heckled at Town Hall

The tide may be turning. Republican Michelle Bachmann got a healthy dose of heckling at her Town Hall meeting from people demanding "health care now".

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Ted Kennedy - Gone But Never Forgotten

I was awakened this morning by our clock radio. It's tuned to the local NPR affiliate. They were doing a retrospective of the life and accomplishments of Senator Edward Kennedy. Immediately I knew he had died.

It seems that the media never does this kind of thing until you are gone and that's unfortunate. A man like Kennedy, who has been a fixture in American politics since I was a kid should have been better appreciated while he was living. Luckily, the voters in Massachusetts knew how good he was and kept reelecting him to the Senate. Lucky for America, too. He was a real liberal voice in a sea of mealy mouthed moderates.

We will all miss him.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Democratic Headquarters In Colorado Vandalized - Enough Rabble Rousing From The GOP!

The level of inflammatory rhetoric from the Republican party has reached a tipping point. Now their enraged thugs are vandalizing Democratic Party Headquarters. What's next?

The level of rabble rousing has to stop! Reforming the insurance system in this country does not equate to the kind of crazy talk coming from the GOP. The death threats are increasing and the reasoning is completely false.

The GOP is telling its base that reforming health care is in some way "fascist". I guess the base is illiterate because fascism is the exact opposite of what is being proposed but they have never let the facts get in the way. The result of their campaign has lead to violence and I fear worse will come if they do not tone it down.

When supporters of the right wing start showing up at Town Halls with guns (which they have) its playing with fire. People like Grassley and the like need to put a cork in it for a while and stop banging the drums. If our government starts being intimidated into making decisions because of violence, well that is really fascism!

UPDATE: Though some in the press are saying the person accused of vandalizing the Democratic headquarters is a Democratic Activist, I disagree and here is why. A story in the Denver Post today shows the vandal is connected not with the Democratic Party but an anarchist group.

The political identity of alleged window basher Maurice Joseph Schwenkler — once a matter that spawned bickering and accusations between Colorado liberals and conservatives — became clearer Wednesday.

Anarchist websites lit up across the country as Schwenkler's friends in Colorado asked for cash to bail out the 24-year-old, who stands accused of felony criminal mischief and was described in the solicitations as "a transgendered anarchist" using the name Ariel Attack. Schwenkler was released from jail on $5,000 bail Wednesday.

I still lay the blame for the violent mood of the country squarely on the GOP and their lackeys. Not surprisingly, anarchists get riled up just as easily as anyone when you begin waving pictures of the President in a Hitler mustache.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Michael Jackson's Death A Homicide!

Like I said last week, get ready for the indictments in the Michael Jackson death. Today, sources say the LA County Coroner ruled the pop star's death a homicide. More soon.