Movie Picks of The Week

Watermelon Man

- Based upon a book by Herman Raucher, this movie tells the story of a bigoted white man who wakes up one morning to discover that he is Black. Raucher's whimsical script writing and the lead character played by Godfrey Cambridge make this comedy downright hilarious.

****

She's Gotta Have It

- Spike Lee's first feature length film about a woman who dates three different men. It is also one of the few movies in the 80's to bring Black liberation to the forefront. Shot completely in black & white, Lee seeks to depict the idolizing that many women felt about men at the time. He achieves this by not allowing the main character, Nola, to become the central voice in the movie. 

*****

Castle in The Desert

- One of the best Charlie Chan movies. This one is set in a remote castle where a professor dies from poison during a cocktail party, but it is made to appear as if he has died of natural causes. Numerous people are killed along the way as Charlie Chan swiftly tries to identify the murderer. The writing is clever and keeps you guessing throughout the movie. Sidney Toler delivers one of his better performances here. There is no comedic element from Mantan Mooreland in this particular feature, but the film does not disappoint. 

**** 1/2

Suspiria

- Dario Argento's classic horror film about a ballet dancer who arrives in Germany to attend a prestigious school. This dancer learns that the school is front for a witches coven. The film is a superb flick because it was the last film to be shot in Technicolor. Argento's elements are laden in the film such as his use of anamorphic lenses, imbibition prints and vibrant colors. A horror masterpiece.

*****

Republicanos Mudos Necesitan Un Cheque de la Realidad

What universe are Republicans living in? Somebody let me know. Tom Gross of National Review, is already publishing articles based on Sarah Palin's foreign policy credentials. Now, I'm not a student of war - but someone please stop the bullshit right wingers. Ms. Palin, a creationist, has zero foreign policy experience. Her foreign policy reaches to the suburbs of Anchorage where she has fought to protect polar bears. Gross states that Biden in essence wants Iran to get nuclear weapons, while Palin doesn't. Well, with her scantly clad record that she has, where is Gross getting this information. From the cesspool of that ideology that Americans have fallen prey to --- time and time again.

****

Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal critiqued Obama's speech in her column, Declarations. She cited how strong the speech was by comparing it to Obama's speech in 2004. In sum, Noonan objects to the specifics Obama cited in his speech. She, in other words believes Obama should have been less hefty and more lenient in his speech. She objects to the fighting intellectual she saw in Obama on Thursday. She much prefers a relaxed intellectual, like the one she heard in 2004. That southside-ness is emerging and the master of capricious and lancinating prose is irritated. Too bad.

****

Dean Barnett of the Weekly Standard (another pitiful excuse for a magazine) writes in his article, "Diminishing Palin," how the media will be complicit in their agenda to elect the Illinois senator. He notes that the Obama campaign cannot use the experience argument because both Palin and Obama lack it. But the Obama campaign has never used the experience argument. They have used judgment. Of course, Barnett mentions this too. Clever. He compares Palin's receptiveness on Friday to that of Ronald Reagan. This is a moronic device used by many conservative thinkers. They grab ahold of Reagan. Their "messiah." Many right wingers have even used Reagan's name in place of Jesus. For example, instead of what would Jesus do, it is what would Reagan do? No, Barnett, the Obama campaign and the left will not have to critique Palin. She will emerge as a Quayle double all on her own. That reference to Hillary Clinton on Friday didn't bode well among Hillary supporters. They see Palin as someone who supports a woman keeping a baby whose father is a rapist. They see her as a big oil crackpot who does not support equal pay for people who have v jay jays. 

No, Palin will fumble bumble all on her own. That we can count on.

I Wonder What Moose Stew Tastes Like

I am not a wild animal eater. Duck is about as rakish as I will go when eating. My grandfather over the years has enjoyed uncultivated animals like squirrel and rabbit. The flesh of these bestial creatures leave a gummy taste in my mouth that no amount of side dishes can fix. I have never had moose. Perhaps, whenever I make it up to the northern exposure of Juneau, Alaska; I will get a chance to sample the cadmium laced red meat.

Sarah Palin, has tried moose stew I bet. McCain's hip new pick for VP has stunned the political world. She undercuts the central argument that the right wingers have been making that Obama is too cool to be President because of his intake of protein bars and lightly sweetened organic tea. But who on Earth is this newbie from Wasilla, AK? A governor of with minuscule experience. She is inviting and receptive, however. A sure fire up for the Republican base. She energizes the kook wingnuts of the party and even might sway the right of center independents.

McCain threw America for a loop by choosing her however. Of all of the choices available, Mac chose a woman. An obvious pander to the dire hard PUMAs of the Democratic party who are still sobbing that their pantsuit hero did not ride off into the 1600 sunset. A Republican strategist suggested it was a risky, but brilliant choice. I agree. Palin offers a reform agenda. The same one being offered by McCain. The one that was offered by Ronald Reagan and George Bush's pappy. Of course, Palin can deliver the low taxes mumbo jumbo with ease and precision. She has a 80-90% approval rating among Alaskans, which is quite impressive. But on the fundamentals -- she is lacking.

I watched her give her speech today and she was babbling about a bridge to nowhere and how she and the straight talkers of the GOP are the change America so desperately needs. Blah, blah, blah. She along with the other pro-lifers, middle class money guzzlers and conservative compadres are playing themselves if they see this as a game changer.

If the choice is between a so-called straight talker and a moose stew lover vs a savvy intellectual with uplifting oratorical skills and a foreign policy virtuoso, I'll take the latter anyday. This is a game changer, all right; but not in the way the Republicans think it is.

History Made

Obama did it. He officially became the democratic nominee for President. History was made tonight. Smile and reflect on this historic occasion. We should all be proud.

He will make a great President.

Check out the Obama documentary that was shown before his speech.

Perplexed Disquietude

The GOP is worried. Worried that Barack Obama did indeed fight back. They have never had an opponent who has called them out on their twaddle. The GOP has successfully since "Tricky Dick" was in office, painted their opponents as sere and plaintive. Barack Obama proved in his speech and has proved for the past 18 months for that matter, that he is not going to let the merchants of fear and smear swiftboat him. 

Swiftboating is a form of imbruting one's image by any means necessary. The GOP typically uses elements of questioning patriotism, while lacing it with character assassination. They most recently used it in 2004, with Senator John Kerry. 

Barack Obama called out John McCain on his idiotic campaign during his acceptance speech by saying that we can respectfully disagree without questioning each other's love of country. With amusing remarks, Barack showed he could deliver a menacing punch to the GOP merchants of veneration. Karl Rove, a protege of the Bush administration, successfully painted John Kerry as a demon by eviscerating his war record and making him look like a kook. Karl Rove is now working for McCain, but Karl did not anticipate a fight from the Illinois democrat.

Barack Obama's speech set the bar high for the GOP, who has been worried from the start because their brand is ruined. As one Republican put it, "if they were dog food, the grocer would be take it off the shelves." The swiftboating does not seem to be working this time; partly because Obama is tough, but more importantly, because after decades of being controlled like puppets; Americans are rejecting the GOP's excrement. The party of Reagan is truly and utterly addled this election year. 

Que La Baise

Hillary was great, so great it has some Democrats worried. Worried that they picked the wrong nominee. Of course, in an alternative universe, they might have picked Hillary but in this one - the one on planet Earth, Obama is the nominee. There has been much criticism of the Illinois senator since he clinched the nomination back in June that he has been reticent to attack John McCain. They want him to go after the 70 year old gramps in hopes of driving home the point that Mac is too old to be President. 

Some of those prized Hillary democrats are still reluctant to vote Obama. They don't think he's experienced. One lady got on television repeating the same right wing slime that saturates our media. It proved once again that not much is involved in voting - just pulling a lever or in our case nowadays, touching a screen. 

Obama seemed to cave into the Clintons by giving them speaking roles at his convention. There are some high profile dems who feel that the Clintons would try and steal the show thus proving that Obama's nomination was indeed a "fairy tale" as the former President put it. Some close to the Clintons are still fuming at Obama's nomination and feel like he is too wet behind the ears to run this country. They believe he seems aloof like Dukakis and too passive like Stevenson. Pundits readily relish at the comparisons making Obama seem effete. Of course, if he did attack, they portray him as angry; the normal stereotype that befalls African American males in the spotlight.

As I watched Hillary's speech tonight, I thought to myself. Why didn't Obama pick her? She cut McCain with her no way no how comment and seemed to spark more energy than Obama has in the past few months. Then it hit me. Obama is a savvy and polished guy with ruthless ambition. He knows what he is doing. Better to get the Clintons out of the way now than to having them roaming the halls of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue once again along with him, Michelle, Sasha and Malia. 

Mrs. Obama Goes To Denver

For months, conservatives have criticized Michelle Obama for being too candid with the public. Some call her Obama's bitter half, but after last night's performance; no one could walk away from that speech without knowing that she is undeniably ready for the task to be this country's next first lady. The speech discussed her life as a mother, daughter, and wife. She included comments about Barack and how he is just a regular guy. She also made reference to Hillary Clinton and how she changed the way we look at whether women can have the chance to run for President and possibly win.

Michelle Obama did an excellent job of establishing why she is and has been so successful and why Obama is the practical and best choice to be our next President. Sure, conservatives tried to step on it saying that "they did not know if Middle America really heard her" and that "the kids were prompted to act family like when Barack was on the teleprompter via satellite." The speech was carefully crafted but Michelle showed a grace and professionalism that will make her an awesome first lady. If Pat Buchanan was able to admit that then one knows she scored big time. 

Rethugs In The Bleachers

So, Johnny Mac might choose a pro-choice dude to run with. Cool, anger the base more than he already has with his maverick delusions of grandeur. John McCain ain't no maverick, plain and simple. Of course, by picking Al Gore's VP pick, he could remain a "maverick" in the eyes of every last American who wants to believe it. Two Republican strategists who really aren't worth the time nor energy to type their names, told CNN that it would behoove Mac not to choose a pro-choicer. Rush Limbaugh already criticized Mac for even considering damaging the elephant party's history.

But there are some pluses to the ticket (at least in theory). It allows straight talkers like Nancy Pfotenhauer and Jill Hazelbaker (policy people on the express) to spread venom among those angry Hillary supporters who are reluctant to vote for Barack. They can quickly con and hoodwink them into voting for the good solider. Republicans are notorious for conning the public. Just look at the poll on whether or not we should drill for oil. It's pretty high. 

Either way, conservatives will probably hold their noses and vote for Mac even with a pro-choice running mate. Most rethugs don't want Obama running this country. They see him as a pragmatic socialist with a funny name and a dark skin tone. Obama won't get the angry rethugs. Only sensible rethugs are voting for him. Limbaugh will probably vote for Mac, too. But the elephant party's principles and pro-life stance will be put off into the bleachers. The nosebleed section. Oh, well - their brand of dookie is already ruined anyway. McCain would just be flushing the dookie down the toilet with a pro-choice pick.

Bullshit Has Its Place

Arggh! The Rethugs wasted no time shitting and pissing on Obama's announcement that he had chose the Senator from Delaware as his #2. McCain and his posse were salivating at the mouth hoping the charismatic guru would choose Hillary. Not so much. In fact, she was never vetted by Caroline Kennedy or Eric Holder. A sure sign that Obama was not in the mood to deal with the Clinton drama. Of course now this may be a rocky convention. Bill and Hill will put on faux smiles and give dynamic speeches in hopes of stealing Obama's show. But if they hope to repair the leaky damage they caused in the primaries, they'd better get on board the Obama train and quick. 

Many Hillary supporters are already saying how Obama not choosing Mrs. Clinton will be the fall of what Maureen Dowd of the New York Times calls "the One." I doubt it. Why all the brouhaha if Obama is in danger of losing? The problem with the Hillary as VP notion is that it notes that Obama cannot win without Hillary. 

That is a bunch of hooey. Pundits no doubt will be still asking about Hillary and her supporters. You can count on the McCain camp to be kissing hands of those fringe Hillarybots in the coming days and weeks. I bet the former CEO of HP will be dispatched to woo over the remaining fringies. 

Obama's choice of Biden cemented the angry Hillary people. But perhaps in the ten remaining weeks of this soap opera, Obama will be able to convince those Clinton-drunk people that he is a smarter choice than McCain. Obama is already beginning his remarkable slice and dice routine on the elephant party. He'd better keep it up. Obama does have to give a nod to Clinton though, which is why she is speaking at the convention. She made him a stronger candidate to go up against the silent majority that is the Republican smear machine. The crap she threw at him did have its perks. Bullshit, after all, has its place.

Every Rose Has Its Thorn vs Everlong, The Former Gets My Vote

I am a Sirius Radio subscriber. I purchased that lifetime membership so I would always have satellite radio to listen to. This was before the whole SiriusXM merger. Commercialized radio stations always seemed to play the same songs every hour on the hour. I learned from my radio professor at Howard that all radio stations have basically adopted the less is more policy. Essentially, they can play the same 30 songs within 24 hours just in a different order. I mean sure there are a few oldies sprinkled here and there but for the most part unless you tune to a classic rock station or a soft rock station, most stations play the same ole same ole. 

I have found two stations that I really like on Sirius. Classic Vinyl and Classic Rewind. Having always been a rock fan, I particularly became fascinated with it back when Los Angeles had 93.1 the Arrow. Of course now, it has become a clone of all of the Jack stations across the country that play hodgepodges of rock songs from the 70s to today. But the Arrow was different, there was not any recycling(or very little). If I heard Whitesnake's "Is This Love" today then I probably wouldn't hear it until two or three weeks from now, not tomorrow.

Classic Vinyl plays classic rock of the 60s and 70s while Classic Rewind plays 70s and 80s rock. I can hear Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" and Canned Heat's "On The Road Again" on one station, while listening to Bryan Adams "Somebody" and Genesis' "In Too Deep" on another. I personally think rock music is addicting. Most rock songs are sing-a-longs and others simply speak to what you are thinking as if they can read your mind. 

I like today's rock but it seems too simplistic. I'd rather listen to Poison than Foo Fighters any day. So Classic Vinyl and Rewind will stay on my presets for a long time to come. I thought about adding Hair Nation too. That station is a little bit too heavy metal classic rock for my taste however. But I do like Kiss and Tesla, so I might just have to put it @ #3 on my Sirius radio presets the next time I power on the satellite radio receiver.

Viviano Does The Trick

Starbucks has been struggling lately (at least by what Wall Street is reporting). They are closing more than 600 stores and many baristas will be out of a job. But they have vamped up something to make Starbucks more exciting. And one of the new techniques that emerged from the brainstorming palace at Starbucks headquarters was Viviano, which are smoothies powered with whey. I had the pleasure of drinking one about a week ago. Orange Mango Banana. Quite tasty. You cannot taste the whey. The orange bitterness is masked nicely by the mango puree swimming in the concentrate or juice that is used and the fresh banana cements potassium goodness on top of a stunning smoothie.

Another flavor exists too. Banana Chocolate. I have never been a fan of chocolate covered bananas. They serve them at carnivals and fairs and sometimes at the local Fosters Freeze ice cream shops. Once the smoothie hits your tongue, you can taste the whey. The chocolate they use does not overpower the protein flavor and the banana adds a smoothness to the rough taste of the milk plasma. I found myself wanting more and I am not a big fan of whey powder.

Overall, Viviano shines. Now whether it will bring Starbucks back to life after their storm is another story. I think they may have to retune the umph in the Pike Place coffee if they hope to achieve that feat.

Cone of Foolishness

So John McCain may have gotten a chance to hear the questions that Rick Warren asked Obama? Hmm, I smell corruption. Ahem, cheating. Why is this not getting anymore coverage? If that had been Obama, the MSM would be drooling over his potential violation of well, nothing. McCain's morals and ethics have been called into question during the campaign. He repeatedly has failed to talk about himself, just Obama. The only thing I've heard thus far is that he is a former POW. I respect his service to the country, but let's be real. Tell me how you are going to keep my wallet happy and make sure that more of my fellow Americans do not die over in Iraq. The McCain campaign scoffed at the suggestion by NBC's Andrea Mitchell that the straight talker may not have been talking straight.

Well, it looks like the Rethugs are up to their old tricks again. Smearcon William Kristol of the NYT decided to write an op-ed in the Monday edition. He said that Americans got a chance to see the "real" Obama. What that he is a pro-choice democrat? Wow, most democrats are. Kristol even suggested that Obama had made the initial charge of McCain's cheating. The NYT did issue a correction citing Kristol's warped assumptions and charges. I know the NYT is left of center, but they are screwy for hiring that neanderthal who spreads neocon garbage in a rather noteworthy medium.

The McCain campaign did not deny that their prized warrior had heard the "messiah's" answers. They issued a rather rudimentary statement chock full of bull. As usual, the MSM ate up the elephant gruel and did not bother to even cover it. I guess Americans are more focused on the Olympics. The MSM is letting McCain get away with anything and everything. The Obama camp is doing its best to call the media out over their love affair with the double, excuse me, straight talker but that isn't registering with the public. Obama's real threat this election season is not McSame, but the MSM and their determination to keep the independent maverick notion alive in this political arena.

Pull up a seat and open a bottle of scotch - it's going to be a wild ride til November as long as this love affair with McBush continues.

Oil No More

The eagerness and desperation of some on Capitol Hill to drill for oil is leaving a bland taste in my mouth. I for one agree with T. Boone Pickens (although he was responsible for John Kerry's demise in 2004) that we cannot drill our way out of the problem. Conservatives seem to have drilling and more drilling on the menu. They believe McCain has an edge over Obama, calling him "Dr. No" (from James Bond). They even went so far as to lay high oil prices at his feet. Obama has agreed to some offshore drilling as long as it comes in a package geared towards making us more eco friendly. It was a rather savvy political move on his part to agree to something because it takes some of the steam out of what McCain sails that the Straight Talker could have really capitalized on.

Most analysts suggest that we would not see a drop of oil for 10 to 15 years. Conservatives disagree stating that gas has taken a dive since G-Dub lifted the federal moratorium. Nice try. Gas is going to be high and there is no getting around it. It will never drop below $3.50 (period) and if it does then Obama can drive home the uncertainty of our continued dependence on foreign dictators and tyrants to fund our habit. McCain has even noted that if we drill here and drill now, that it will be more of a psychological benefit than a real one. And the public has yet to pick up on it.

If Obama had said something like that, he'd be called on the carpet for it. But Obama's plan, although ambitious is more practical. So what is going on?

The public has taken the Republican delicacy hook, line and sinker. Obama needs to drop the complexity and get to moving on getting the public interested in other ways of fueling our vehicles. He needs to say more specifically why we cannot continue to be beholden to Saudi Arabia, UAE and other people over in the Middle East to run our Toyotas and Fords. Obama can win this argument if he lays out specifics, but cuts to the point and drops the nuance.

Lurking Beneath The Surface

I don't know McCain. Contrary to the assertion by the mainstream media, I had never heard of Senator John McCain until 2000. The notion that all voters know him is not only a misnomer but suggests that the American public follows all Congressional persons as closely as they do the President. Bob Herbert in Saturday’s New York Times, wrote an Op-Ed piece depicting how voters need to “get to know” both Obama and McCain but he focused more on the fumbling and bumbling of John McCain and how we really do not know him.

Very true indeed. Senator John McCain has earned his maverick badge by asserting himself as a different kind of Republican who sees climate change as a problem and will occasionally vote for a progressive bill. However, the John McCain of 2000, from what I observed then, is much different from the McCain now. Having shoved aside his views, McCain has embraced the conservative fringes of his party and adopted the viewpoints of the sitting President, thereby revealing as aspect of who he truly is. John McCain asserted this week that “Barack Obama would rather lose a war…..” This line of attack seems to be tantamount to the McCain campaign and its surrogates.

How can the public not notice all the McCain gaffes and stumbles? Partly because of the declaration by the McCain camp that Obama is receiving too much t.l.c. from the media. Not so says this voter. I have yet to see any truth about McCain. His gaffes are glossed over while Obama’s are dissected and examined with a fine tooth comb. The notion that being in Washington makes you immune to media criticism or scrutiny (as is happening in the case of McCain) is both preposterous and stunning. All of the major networks have done a remarkable job of purporting that Obama is new to the scene and we need to know and see who he really is.

I guess the media sees fit to assess the political arena whenever it feels like it. The voting public will probably never see what is lurking beneath John McCain’s surface. With his harsh humor and 95% voting record with President George Bush, I scratch my head at the maverick averment. Voters are getting a glimpse of what is lurking behind Barack Obama but how can we see what is behind John McCain if everything is collaboratively covered up?