DOUCHEBAG OF THE WEEK: HOLLYWOOD

Yes even in a world where politicians like Charles Rangel have to be explained that what they did was wrong as if they were a five year old child, where BP gets away with murder, where right wing nutbags look fondly back on the days of George Bush, Hollywood has shown that they too can make douchebag decisions.
If you want to know why movies suck so hard look no further than to the god awful writers they hire nowadays. Because every schmuck thinks they can write, producers must be hiring their barely literate friends to pen scripts. Look up the writers for such recent non blockbusters as Charlie St Cloud, Salt (albeit that one's a hit due to Jolie's star), Dinner For Schmucks or Cats and Dogs 2 (really?) as compared to say Inception, Grown Ups or Toy Story 3. The ones with the established writers did well regardless of reviews, the ones with hacks, except Salt, have all done poorly. Is it too much to ask that you hire people who know what they are doing and aren't related to the executive producer or director. And lets face facts: Zac Ephron is not a movie star, I don't care how pretty he is. HE CAN'T ACT! Staring blankly at the screen does not convey emotion.
In a shockingly offensive move, NBC has greenlit the new "comedy" Outsourced about a guy transferred to India to oversee all the jobs lost from America. Hold on a sec. Laughing too hard to type. Oh sorry it was actually a conniption fit I was having. This is funny to you? Maybe we should set a sitcom in a concentration camp. Oops they did and it was pretty good actually (Hogan's Hero's). But that was done decades after the war. Had this been tried in say 1943, I don't think it would have been as popular. This latest attempt at humor is doomed to fail as unemployed people watch others steal their jobs to a faraway land. Brilliant. And how many people do you know who actually like talking to people in India when they call customer service? Very few I would guess. When I do my best and worst of Fall TV next month, this crap will be at the top of the naughty list.
But the real winner this week is the producers of American Idol who have decided they don't actually want or need viewers for the next season. With everyone but Randy Jackson jettisoned, we are now left with new judge, uber bitch Jennifer Lopez, whose personal career has been in a nose dive for years. Her last album did so poorly her record label dropped her. Mind you this untalented singer recorded one of the worst songs ever. EVER. We call it the car alarm song because it has all the rhythm of a highly annoying noise. Unlistenable, AKA Yoko Onoish. Her acting career has similarly suffered, although she is a better actress than singer whose early roles in Out Of Sight, U Turn and the Cell showed promise, she's spent the last decade making the same mediocre rom-com movies over and over. As a judge I couldn't care less what she has to say and the message boards are less than hospitable to her arrival. Steven Tyler has been the rumored other judge, perhaps taking over for the loopy Paula in a new drug induced haze. "I JUST SHOT HEROIN INTO MY EYEBALLS. WWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA." Points to anyone who gets that reference. Idol is dead and their producers are the Douchebags of the week.

Inception: Best Movie Of the Year

When I was younger I delved into the idea of lucid dreaming. Through some trial and error, I eventually mastered it. Too well actually. Imagine have complete control of your dreaming state. It's like being a God. Anything you want can be gotten at the speed of thought. I'll never forget the ability to change houses, women or the landscape at the blink of an eye. At one point I had an epic dream which had something to do with a war on an alien planet. I was the king to be, fighting for freedom, in what appeared to take a lifetime to accomplish. The dream took decades it seemed and when I awoke the next morning, I felt very old, even though no time out of the ordinary had passed. I stopped lucid dreaming soon afterward, realizing that my dream life was becoming more real than the waking state. That is what this movie is about. If dreams are all you have, is reality even possible to go back to?
This mindbender of a film is yet another fantastic film from the always reliable Christopher Nolan. Notice that the only good films coming out this year are from seasoned directors like Scorsese or Nolan and both having DiCaprio in it. Leo plays Cobb a dream thief for hire who now needs to implant an idea into someones' subconscious rather than extract it, thus the title. Like any other heist movie, Cobb pulls together various others needed for the job like the newbie Architect Adriane (Ellen Page), and cohorts Joseph Gordon Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Dileep Rao, and Tom Hardy. Inserted into Robert Fischer Jr.'s (Cillian Murphy) head during a long flight, they attempt to implant info that will destroy his empire. Of course, things don't go as planned and they are forced deeper and deeper into his subconscious, which results in longer and longer time it will take to get out. We also come to learn that Cobb and his wife Mal, Oscar Winner Marion Collard were once trapped in Limbo for over fifty years and once they escaped reality, it was more than she could bear. Her death haunts him and plays havoc with the subconscious world they are stuck in. Part Matrix, part 2001, part On Her Majesties' Secret Service (you read that right) this tour de force is filled with unbelievable imagery. Finally CGI used for the wow factor and not as a cost cutting measure to avoid building sets. This movie pops with a terrific screenplay, haunting imagery, and the "It's about time" factor of finally seeing something on the screen that doesn't leave your mind the minute you walk out of the either. This film stays with you. I can't wait to see it again to pick up on the things I missed the first time around (much like Shutter Island).
Not to be missed. This is only the second 5 star movie this year (again Shutter Island) that I have given. News on Nolan's next Batman should be coming out any day now. Can't wait for that on whatever Leo's got coming down the pike. These two are on fire.

5 stars out out 5

DOUCHEBAG OF THE WEEK: ANTHONY WARD

It was quite the week folks, with more than one leader for outright douchiness. I know most of you are like "who the hell is Anthony Ward?" and you would be right to ask as this story has gone largely unreported in the MSM lately. But before we get to this week's winner, let's review the runner ups.

MAX DEVRIES- A 300 pound man died this week after being too fat for the operating table and fell off when the restraints to hold him place failed. Now his family wants to sue. As if health care isn't expensive enough, we now have to subsides the obese who are too lazy to stop shoveling food into their pie hole until they are like a full tick ready to burst. Enough.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH- Caught in yet another gay scandal, albeit one that thankfully doesn't involve small children, Rome is scrambling to explain undercover footage of several priests caught frolicking in a gay nightclub. Yeah, no priests are gay and it's a sin. Yeesh. Way to go looking sssssoooooooooo hypocritical, Pope Nazi.

NORTH KOREA- Kin Jong Ill is like the little brother constantly looking for attention. Every time the focus is off him for more than two seconds he throws a tantrum. WHHHHHHAAAAAAAA. I don't like your military games. I'm going to nuke em. Yes, Kim Jong Ill has threatened to use nukes against us if we continue with our scheduled games. We have obviously not backed down and in no way shape or form will Captain Numnuts use force against us, less he wants Piyoung lit up like a Christmas tree. North Korea is known for empty bluster and this time is no different. Kim is a megalomaniacal moron but he's not suicidal in the same way Iran is. Let the baby rant and rave and let's move in to more serious topics shall we?

BP-Caught photoshopping three photos this week as well as some less dubious info about BP's dealing with the release of the accused Pan AM 103 bomber has left the once mighty giant oil firm with more egg on it's face. How long can this debacle go on for?

CHARLES RANGEL- The senior Representative from NY was going to be formally charged this week with ethics violations from money taking from lobbyists to go on vacations and to fix up his house. When a reporter asks him whether he's worried about possible jail time or being thrown out of Congress, he snorts in derision as if it were the dumbest question he'd ever heard. He calls NBC news a sham organization and berates them as if they were Fox News. Loser. Hope he's gone soon.

THE BELL CITY BOARD- The town of Bell, California whose mean salary average is 38,000$ was shocked to learn the mayor was making almost 800.000$ a year, the police chief 450,000$, and the Assistant mayor over 200,000$, not to mention all the part time city board members who pocketed 100,000$ each. In a town struggling to stay afloat, these salaries were outrageous. The mayor has resigned and an investigation will be followed shortly.

ANTHONY WARD- Who you ask? As of right now, this guy has cornered the market by spending 658 million pounds for the entire stock of cocoa beans on Europe. The direct result of this is the immediate rise in choclate prices world wide. Just what the world needs in the middle of a new Depression, higher chocolate prices. The funny thing is, according to all the media outlets, this guy's net worth is 58 million dollars (36M pounds) which hardly seems like enough money to buy more than a half a billion dollars worth of cocoa. Could this be one of the secret trillionaires I believe exist? Maybe. But for now, Anthony Ward, you are douchebag of the week.

The Skeptic: Why Are The Best Movies Coming Out On DVD

I have seen some real wank this year in the theater. All I have to say is thank God for Netflix. I have rented some really great movies this year as you can see from previous posts. One of the best companies putting out these independent movies is IFC films. Responsible for movies such as Pontypool and Dead Snow, they are easily the best company to find low budget, effective horror movies. Their latest that I have seen is The Skeptic staring Tim Daly as level headed Bryan Beckett. After his aunt dies, he moves into her house and begins to see weird things like an apparition of a woman and whispers from the dark. Aided by a high strung psychic Cassie (Star Trek's Zoe Saldana) and his law partner Sully (Tom Arnold), Bryan begins to unravel the secrets of the house and his forgotten childhood.
The first movie from director Tenneyson Bardwell is a creepy haunted house movie that has more emotional drama than outright scares. But I have to say, the directing is quite good as is the storyline, which is more than I can say about just about every major release this year. For example the writer for Salt is a hack, most of whose catalog I found to be unwatchable. How does a guy like that keep getting work? Because Hollywood is too lazy and inbred to seek out new talent thus we keep getting Diablo Cody movies or terrible John Logan adapatations.
For those who love movies the IFC brand is a sign of excellence. I'm sure they have their share of awful movies but I have yet to see any I didn't like and a few I absolutely loved (Pontypool, The Triangle). If you like horror this is the new studio to watch for.

3 and 1/2 stars out of 5

In Defense of keeping The Bush Tax Cuts

The way the media portrays the Bush tax cuts you'd think that only the richie riches of the earth would be affected. Or so I thought until I talked to my former editor at the paper I used to work for. He told me that if the tax cuts expire he stands to lose a fortune in taxes. As he is not a right wing nutbag (although he is an unhappy Republican), I decided to look into it to see what he was talking about. Come to find out that everybody is affected by these tax cuts from the poor to the rich. Not a good idea during a Depression to raise taxes unless you want things to get far far worse. For example the lowest tax bracket would rise from 10% to 15%, not an inconsiderate amount. For all of us self employed or on unemployment, this would be a greater burden than some would be able to process. The death tax, of which I support to a certain extent, would tax at 55% all estates over 1 million. This is not a large amount and anyone with a couple houses and a good stock portfoloio coiuld easily top this amount. Why are we equally taxing everyone? The rich need to pay more. Period. Cut taxes for the rest of us and raise taxes and those making more than 20 million a year. For those of you crying that capital investment creates jobs I would ask what jobs? They've all been outsourced to India and China. I would propose tax breaks for anyone creating jobs with this so called wealth but the rest I'd make pay through the nose. The richest of this country pay very little in taxes regardless of what you hear, due to generous tax breaks, write offs and loopholes. The middle class is the one getting squeezed hardest and are the ones least able to afford it. The middle class is disappearing and only by keeping the Bush tax cuts alive, at least for those that need it, are we going to get by. The Republicans have always proved to be the party of the wealthy and powerful, while snookering the rest of the hicks with promises they will never keep or appealing to religious nonsense. The tax cuts must stay or else we will head into a real Depression, one that may be coming regardles of what we do at this point.

Democrats Shoot And Score

The Democrats have good reason to be happy today. In addition to finally getting the unemployment bill passed, financial reform, health care and a few other tid bits, the Republicans have decided that the Juts Say No to Everything policy is working. It isn't. As a matter of fact recent polls show that while your hard core demographic are eating it up, moderates even within your own party are starting to bolt. Unless you listen to Fox News who could quite possibly have the most lop sided polls I have ever seen, their standings are drooping faster and faster. And people haven't really started paying attention to the races yet like they will come September. Those who have taken a good look at the supremely retarded Tea Party candidates have said YECHH and gone with someone else. Barbabra Boxer's number are getting better as Carla Fiorina is getting better scrutiny and Harry Reid getting a much needed bounce versus his nutbag opponent. Seriously, she's batshit insane with the crap she believes. I don't much like Boxer or Reid. But the alternative to these idiots are even more dangerous idiots. Like end of the world dangerous. The Tea Party is a good idea in principle but as long as it's been hijacked by the fringe Republicans it needs to be kept in check. We need moderates like Charlie Christ, a candidate considered deda in the water until recently where he now leads in the polls over a weak democarat and Tea Party moron. People have a tendency to move to the center, as Christ has done winning Independent votes as well as both republican and democratic voters over with his common sense stances on every issue. The world could use more voices like his and more voters to support these kinds of candidates. This is where a true tea party should come into play. Let's nominate people who want to do things like end the wars, raise taxes on the corporations and the elite, cut taxes for everyone else. Watch the economy explode. Jobs will be created as money floods the system and demand for prodcuts rsie. The wealthy will make less. Tough. It's do or die time. Only together can we make it happen.

WED JULY 28TH: Punch A Republican Day

To commensurate the Democratic party in finally getting the unemployment bill passed and the Republicans for being a giant bunch of douchbags, I declare next Wednesday to be Punch a Republican day. In no other universe can their stupidity be tolerated for another day. I am so tired of hearing from these right wing losers that people unemployed due to no fault of their own are lazy, shiftless (aka black or Hispanic) morons who are sponging off the system. If things are so dandy why don't you quit your job, give it to someone who actually could use it and see how long it'll take you to find work. Hunker down because it's going to be awhile asshole. Ben Stein had the audacity to say he's never met anyone unemployed for two years and that anyone who is is probably unemployable anyway because they are lazy, stupid. or have a bad personality. Show me someone out of work for two years and I'm sure they will have a bad personality but not on the days they go for a job dick. This let them eat cake bullshit is dangerous and shows how out of touch these fools are. A recent study showed that even when people are showed facts about something they think they know about, they still will refuse to accept it as fact. How stupid are we as a species when even the truth can't convince people. Part of this is because we have been lied to for so long that we think we have the truth when no one else does and those so called facts are manipulated by the government, the "liberal" media" or a host of other bogeymen we have conjured up for ourselves. This has to stop, so I propose a punch a republican day. If you hear someone say something like "unemployed people are lazy," or "I like Sarah Palin," they deserve a solid punch in the face or the gut, your choice. But this fox news/Glen Beck' Bill O'Reilly nonsense is going to lead us straight into another depression. Their policy of stop spending will destroy this country if all the spending we stop is not on the military and social security both of which need revamping something serious, we are going to flush ourselves into a big big problem. The policies of Herbert Hoover do not work no matter how bad the idiot public thinks they do, mainly because the idiot pundits are shouting about it like Rick Santelli or Fox News imitating Peter Finch in Network (by the way if anyone hasn't seen this brilliant work, rent it. It's scary how right they were about the future of news). Unemployment now is over 20%, hovering somewhere between 21 and 24%. The current numbers are deeply flawed and even Republican Ron Paul (who should have voted for the extension) stated the numbers are fictitious during Congress yesterday. Why is no one listening to this huge problem? Because the Republicans have taken over the mindset of the stupid and now these mindless zombies are vomiting their disease all over. So next Wednesday do your country right and punch a Republican for saying somethig stupid.

The Bounty Hunter:Another Exercise in Miscasting

Yet another film this year that makes one wonder what kind of cookie cutter crap is being foisted on an increasingly angry American public. This movie has studio involvement written all over it. We don't get movies anymore. We get product. I can see the studio meeting now. "Let's get Jennifer Aniston and Gerald Butler together for a movie. They're both real purty. He's a bounty hunter. She's he's ex wife and has to arrest her. Gold, Jerry, Gold." Not exactly.
As a whole, the movie is not bad but it certainly isn't that good either. The script written by yet another nobody who probably has no business writing for anyone, Sarah Thorpe?, is a strict paint by numbers, been there done that screenplay. There is nothing in this that we haven't seen before a thousand times and better. But here's the rub. This could have been something had better people been put into it. Aniston and Butler are not movie stars no matter what Hollywood keeps telling us. Aniston looks amazing still and is a not a bad actress but her star shines less bright than it did on television. Butler on the other hand is a pretty one trick pony who can't go away fast enough. Everything, other than the way overrated 300, has been a disaster for this guy. Other than bit parts in great movies, he hasn't been good in anything. Yet, somehow, someway, he continues to get work. It's as if the studio execs can't count pass ten because the box office for his last 8 movies have been sucky. HE CAN'T OPEN A MOVIE. What do you need it tattooed on your forehead, dumb asses? We don't want to see this guy anymore. Make him go away.
Had they put, I don't know, ANYBODY else in this movie it would have been loads better. What exec put not one but two iffy box office draws into a movie? A MBAtard that's who. Was Martin Lawerence too busy ( I guy I don't even like) or Kathy Griffin. D list celbs could have been more convincing than this tired comic romp. The only highlight was SNL's Jason Sudekis as a lovesick coworker stalking the stunning Aniston. He was actually funny. The rest of this mess, not so much. Skip it like most of America. It's not worth your time.

1 and 1/2 stars out 5

The Book of EIi And A Defense of Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson has been all over the news lately and the court of public opinion has thrown him under the bus. Mind you most of it happened without any authenticity whatsoever. It was reported, thus it must be true. This is a dangerous precedent in that we now see with our own eyes how little the truth means to anybody. Recent evidence has surfaced from reputable sources that the tapes in question are fake. Signs of profession tampering exist to such an extent that the entire endeavour must be questioned for it's veracity. A bitter custody battle is going on between these two and I have personally seen some evil shit that people do to one another who once loved each other. Charges of sex abuse, drug abuse, alcoholism and a potpourri of the most vile things human beings could throw are levied against each other. So why these two would be any different is beyond me. She was a gold digger. No question about it. Poor Mel fell for the wrong girl. Who of us haven't? The stories I could tell about ex-girlfriends are their own brand of horrifying. Is Mel a racist, misogynist bastard? Maybe. But we can't go by these tapes that may have damaged his career beyond repair. I for one hope not as I still like him as an actor. I don't avoid Tom Cruise movies because he's crazy or Russel Crowe movies because he's an asshole or even Roman Polanski movies for being a pedophile. You learn to separate fact and fiction. Too bad the rest of us can't.

The Book Of Eli is easily one of the best movies of the year. All the good movies came out by February this year like Edge of Darkness (go Mel), Hot Tub Time Machine and Shutter Island. Now out on DVD comes this fantastic apocalyptic future where the sun burns everything dry decades in the future. A war has come and gone, reducing the populace to dusty survivors barely getting by. Eli is a Walker, a man with a mission to go west as told to him by God. Along the way he encounters deadly scavengers, an opressive enviroment and eventually a lone town run by Carnegie (Gary Oldman), a man desperate for a Bible, which is exactly what Eli posesses. As Carnegie scemes to get the book form Eli at any cost possible, Solara (the uber-hot Mila Kunis) aides him on his quest West.
The movie is well shot, the landscape desolate and barren. The Hughes Brothers' first film in nine years (From Hell was their last movie) is a masterpiece. The underlying theme of how the Bible is used for both good and evil was really well done and not done in such a way to beat the message into your skull with a hammer.
A great great ending makes this film a must see, especially for fans of the Road Warrior (go Mel).

4 and 1/2 stars out of 5

DOUCHEBAG OF THE WEEK: DEMOCRATS

Yes in a world where I pick on Republicans mercilessly due to the sheer incompetence of their policies, the dems this week get a special shout out for their awful, awful bill for "saving" our financial system and to that of WV governor, Joe Manchin III for waiting weeks to name a replacement for the late Senator Byrd.
First the new "reform" bill. It sucks. BAD. Why you ask? It does nothing to fix any of the problems that caused this disaster in the first place. Traitor senator Scott Brown who could possibly be the biggest schmuck in the Senate, refused to go along with the unemployment Bill which would have staved off the economic disaster unfolding in this country as we speak, but went along with big banks in killing the 19% tax on banks for the new bill. This bill does no good for anyone but banks. How do we know this? Profits have soared this week for all major banks, such as JPMorgan Chase whose profit went up 80%. This happened because fixes on the highly unstable derivative market have been capped at only 3% and those fixes don't take place until 2022. Really? First off, those caps have no real limit so that amount could still bankrupt any major institution. Second, it doesn't take effect until 2022. The world will be a very different place by then. All in all, this bill was one big blow job to the banks ( as I stated in an earlier post) that does nothing to fix any of the problems. Another depression is coming, one the government may actually want to happen to crack down on us and install a truly fascist dictatorship. Recently, the Rockerfeller Foundation outlines four scenarios that could lead to such an outcome due to economic collapse or pandemic, so smart people are taking this seriously. It has also come to light that due to the fact that every state is broke and no more aid will be coming from the feds, police and firefighters everywhere are being shown the door. Stockton and Oakland have already laid off dozens of police, and have publicly stated narcotic crimes will not be looked into it (Hooray for that). The drug war has bankrupted us and it's time for both the R and D's of the Senate to acknowledge this and end it today. WE CAN'T AFFORD IT ANYMORE AND IT'S LEADING TO THE DEMISE OF OUR COUNTRY. But no, Obama still says he's against legalization of pot (moron) or the decriminalization of all narcotics unlike everywhere else on Earth except places like Saudi Arabia and Iran. China and Russia have more sensible policies than we have. Let that sink in for a minute. Communist countries are more progressive than we are with how we treat drug problems. Brilliant. Every state right now is going to have to lay off people that we may need. I may be against the police for the most part, the bad ones anyway, but they do serve a purpose that is necessary. Without these individuals, I would suggest the reinstatement of the militia, a group with less power than police but with the ability to help stop crime. Philadelphia and Boston are laying off dozens of firefighters as well, so if your house burns to the ground remember why that is and who you voted into office.
A special douchebag award goes to WV governor Joe Manchin III for waiting weeks to name a replacement, keeping the necessary jobs bill from going anywhere. Thankfully, a vote will take place next week where it is expected to pass. Unless you listen to Fox news who have said that it won't, the sky is green and the ocean is made of hot fudge. Watching that channel sometimes is really surreal. Manchin waited so long because he wants the seat and plans to run in a special election set up for November. Greedy fuck kept people waiting for their much needed checks so he could grandstand. Congradulations Joe Michen you are indeed Douchebag of the week.

The Country Is Headed the Wrong Way (According To The Idiot Public)

There must be lead in our water, courtesy of W of course, to explain the rank stupidity decimating our country right now. Obama's numbers continue to plunge, mostly due to his fascist stance of business over good government. If he had just gave everyone 50,000 dollars instead of the banks, he'd be the most popular President ever. Think about it. Every individual or couple between the ages of 25-62 would have received a sizable amount of money that would have drawn down both the national and individual debt. Why you ask? Because that money would have gone to credit card debt, mortgages, savings accounts in banks and into the economy in general. Jobs would have been created to offset the sudden influx of money, banks would have been solvent, the housing crisis would have been avoided and a ton of other positive benefits. Incidentally, this idea was floated by several economists and even Jon Stewart, to obviously deaf ears. Instead our money went directly into rich people's pockets. How do we know this? More millionaires were created in 2009 than at any other period in this countries history. People got rich off our misery. FUCK THEM. I'm watching the dissolution of this country which may be purposely engineered. The reason for this is an economic collapse is needed for social unrest to develop. When that happens, welcome to your knew fascist government that will rule with an iron fist. Martial law will be declared and your life won't be worth a plugged nickle. This scenario is far from outrageous. I went through Milford today for the first time in a few months and was shocked how many businesses are gone in such a short period of time. Imperial Chevrolet, which had been there for decades closed shop and now only have the one store in Mendon. You have to figure the dozens of people who worked there are out on unemployment now. Awesome. I am NOT a fan of the democrats who deserve their fair share of the blame for this economic mess we find ourselves in. However, putting the idiots back in power who caused the whole fiasco is suicidal. REPUBLICANS WANT YOU DEAD. That is not hyperbole, they literally want you dead. Why is that? Because they have done more damage to the environment than even most people would guess. Open the paper or turn the news on daily to watch the unfolding horror on the Gulf Coast for proof. The reason that spill happened is W policies. The reason more and more people don't have clean drinking water. W. The economic crisis. W. The unemployment crisis. W and Clinton there (see I'm not just picking on just Republicans). The point is that the nonsense has to stop. Republicans are not looking out for you. You want an total economic collapse, vote R in the fall, assuming we even last that long. At least sane heads prevailed as the latest flotilla to try to break the blockade was diverted to Egypt today after Qaddafi made it clear he had nothing to do with this attempt and to feel free to knock them into next week with no qualms on his part. As his son was on board this may seem heartless, but he was trying to avoid an international incident at a time when Libya is trying to become a world player. The whole thing was an attempt to get Daddy's attention in a failed excuse to show why he was best to succeed instead of his older brother. Didn't work dumb ass. BP has also been thrown into the controversy as it has been rumored that they helped broker a deal to get the Lybian "terrorist" out of prison in return for a lucrative oil deal. That whole Pan Am 103 was quite a sham and the real reason for his release had everything to do with the new trial showing the US and UK government conspiring to frame Libya. I know it sounds far fetched but in actuality this was the first case that I investigated way back when that said something wasn't quite Chippewa (inside joke for those who get it). The case seemed like disinformation and turns out I was right. A Scotland Yard investigator and a CIA operative both testified they helped plant evidence. Rather than delve further into claims the DEA blew up the plane (you read that right, a DEA organisation known as KOREA was responsible for the deaths of all those people in order to cover up a drug scam they set up), they released him for "humatarian reasons." The evidence for this is overwhelming. But now BP finds another scandal for them to fight against.
And the American people are still more interested in Lohan, Lebron and a host of other things that don't matter. Wonderful

Stupidity Reins Supreme

Recent polls show a majority of people of this country have decided that Obama is a socialist with an overly liberal agenda. What kind of crack are these people smoking? Michelle Obama recently gave a speech to the NAACP about the hidden overtones of the Tea Party movement and while at first I was skeptical of such a claim, more and more I think she may be right. The Tea Party is filled with righteous nutbags who have no business being in a position of power. Election of these yahoos will end this country and the fucking Republicans are going to make it happen. What sheep we have become in this country. What pansies we are to believe everything we hear. Every economist out there says the Republican plan, and that of Europe, will certainly lead us into the next Great Depression. It's like no one bothers to pick up a book anymore. Oh wait a minute, they don't. The percentages are staggering over the majority of people who NEVER pick up a book again after high school or college, which as of right now are factory lines that push the repeat button not the think one. Creativity and IQ tests have been dropping steadily now for twenty years, the result of bad parenting, bad education and bad society norms.
This is how we get Republican wannabees as their stupid parents brain wash them into thinking that Rush and Hannity are gods to be worshipped. They are not. They are morons filling America with lies and half truths. Years ago I was stunned as highly educated people, doctors, lawyers, college professors fell under the sway of such nonsense. I knew then what I know now. We're fucked. The Tea Party are racist morons who only care about what they can get for themselves. They better buckle up though because under Republican rule you can guarantee an end to social security, higher taxes on the lower classes and big wet blow jobs to every mutli billion dollar person or company out there. ANYBODY VOTING FOR THESE MORONS SHOULD BE TRIED FOR TREASON. If you know someone about to vote this way, stop them. By any non violent means possible. The Democrats are hardly better, but with them are some reasonable proposals. Technically we should be voting for anybody not involved with these parties but that may have to wait until the Republican threat has been neutralized. Make no mistake about it. The R's are dangerous. And so is anyone voting for them. A revolution looms, as does another world war (troops are massing everywhere, not the news tells you squat. War, if it happens, will begin in early September. Assuming this build up isn't a bluff that is. I don't think it is and neither does most of the world) A depression is becoming more and more likely due to idiotic budget decsions that appear to be made by the ghost of Hebert Hoover.
Don't vote Republican no matter how badly the Democrats are screwing up. Your life and your children's lives depend on it.

The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo: One Of The Best Movies of The Year

Leave it to the Sweeds to once again show Hollywood how movies are made. With last year's equally terrific Let the Right One In and the Norwegian zombie flick Dead Snow, there is some great moviemaking on The Nordic Peninsula. Hollywood is remaking both Let the Right One In and Dragon, but we'll have to see how right they get it. At least the remake of Dragon is being helmed by director, David Fincher, who did such work as Se7en and Fight Club. Brad Pitt is rumored to want the starring role but it appears as of the moment Daniel Craig has the part of the investigative reporter and Cary Mulligan of the upcoming Wall Street sequel is rumored to have the role of Lisbeth, the punk computer hacker.
The movie is a great murder mystery that unfolds slowly but builds to an explosive climax. Investigative reporter Mikael is being railroaded for Libel against a powerful industrialist. Demonstrating how free speech works in other countries (it doesn't. one of the few things we have over the rest of the world), Mikael faces time in prison but not for another six months. He is soon hired by a wealthy philanthropist to uncover the secret of who murdered his niece some 40 years earlier. The girl they hired, Lisbeth, to make sure Mikael was not some degenerate, soon decides to help him with the case after she uncovers evidence Mikael could not figure out. Plots within plots emerge, including a deadly serial killer who'd been offing people for decades.
The movie is not for the squeamish. Rape, murder, and gore pepper the screen but all are necessary to the plot and not tacked on for exploitative goodness. The rape of Lisbeth in the beginning by her parole officer is very twisted but utterly necessary to show how violent this little girl can become. Her hatred of men is widely seen with hints of her abusive past, especially with that of her father. Noomi Repace's portrayal of Lisbeth should have been Oscar nominated and will be the hardest role to cast. Not sure I like the idea of Carry Mulligan in this part but she's certainly a very slight girl, a feature needed for this role.
All in all this is one of the best movies I've seen all year. The twists are great, the story fascinating and hopefully, the remake will shine as well. But for now, we can all look forward to the sequel, The Girl Who Played With Fire, with all the same actors returning. I can't wait.

4 and 1/2 stars out of five

US Armada Heads To Costa Rica. Why?

It has been widely reported that 46 warships, 200 planes and at least 7000 military personal are being sent from the Gulf of Mexico to the hotbed of hostility that is...........Costa Rica? WTF. There are only three reasons for this each more dangerous than the last, all somewhat plausible.
First, the official reason is that this Armada of Death is being sent there to combat the drug war. In Costa Rica. With a boner (inside joke). If this was truly about the drug war shouldn't we be sending it to, I don't know, say, somewhere like Mexico! The drug war there is out of control and is spreading across our borders, killing American citizens. It has been reported that the drug war in Costa Rica is increasing as Cartels seek alternate routes to the US that doesn't involve Mexico. But 46 warships does seem like overkill. The opposition power there has filed a formal request with the Costa Rica government demanding an end to this armada but appears to have fallen on deaf ears. This is probably the most likely reason for the movement of ships but I'd like to point out something our leaders seem to have forgotten. WE DON'T HAVE ANY FUCKING MONEY FOR THIS BULLSHIT. Our military budget is sinking this country fast and crap like this needs to end. Legalize or decriminalize ALL drugs now. Legalize pot and tax it, creating hundreds of thousands of much needed jobs. Decriminalize everything else under a certain amount like the rest of the world has. In France possession of 5 grams of cocaine is legal. Guess who doesn't have the coke problem we have? Guess whose military budget isn't swamping their budgets? The drug war needs to end now. It CANNOT be won. Prohibition didn't work in the 20's. As a matter of fact, it helped bring on the Depression as money that could have been better spent on fixing the ailing economy went into law enforcement. Sound familiar.
But that may not be the case, even though I think that's exactly why we're doing it. The second theory out there is that we are moving our troops into position for a possible attack on Venezuela. This is not as far fetched as you think. Over the past few months, odd ship and troop movements have been reported, with buildups in the Persian Gulf, The south China Seas and now off the coast of South America. If war with Iran occurs, it will be another World War. The powers that be may use this as an excuse to wipe all opposition of the map, like Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Syria, Lebanon and even Somalia at once. The war drums are beating louder and louder. Libya is sending a new flotilla to the Gaza strip next week. That won't end well. Iran is also saying that the recent round of sanctions placed on them is an act of war. Israel is getting itchy about their rivals. War is coming at some point.
Third is the least likely albeit the most frightening. According to unverified reports, a giant methane bubble is poised to erupt from the BP oil hole disaster. This has the potential to kill everyone on the Gulf Coast as well as all life on the planet. 251 million years ago, a giant methane bubble did erupt and 96% of all life ended on Earth so it's not without precedent. The most likely scenario though is that between the methane and the earthquakes and tsunamis it would produce, anyone living within a hundred miles of the Gulf Coast would be killed. Thus the evacuation to Costa Rica, a presumed safe distance. Several top scientists have stated that they are really worried about this saying evidence is occurring that this bubble may be ready to burst. The scientist the government used to help put out Saddam Hussein's oil fires is one such expert who has been vocal about this a year before drilling even started by BP. According to him, details show that a massive methane pocket exists where the drilling is occurring. Signs about the possible disaster are first seen by fissure cracks in the sea bed floor. Such cracks have been reported by investigating scientists, showing an instability of the sea bed floor. Further they say that how the oil rig exploded, a rarity in oil rig disasters, show that a methane pocket may have been responsible. Should the methane bubble erupt, every ship in the area will sink, every person will die. What follows will make the Indonesian Tsunami seem like a wave pool. A supersonic wave, as high as 200 feet, will spread across the region, wiping out states like Louisiana and Florida, The death toll there will be total. In other words, if you live in either of these two states when this disaster occurs, your chances of survival is nil. You won't be much better anywhere else in the area either. Supposedly, according to Wayne Madsen, Obama has secret data concerning this possible tragedy and that is why we are moving troops and equipment out of the area just in case. Madsen is a hit or miss guy but he has been dead on about a lot of things in the past and shouldn't be dismissed outright as a crank. As top scientists are also reporting this, this data should be thought about carefully.
Three scenarios. All reasonable. All dangerous.
Which do you think is likely?

DOUCHEBAG OF THE WEEK: THE WEATHER

Anybody on the upper East Coast this week would completely agree that the one true problem this week was the devastating heat. Responsible for numerous deaths (more people die from heat than cold), brownouts and a sincere desire to avoid public transportation, the heat wave shows no real end in sight. While the coming week will be blessedly less humid, it's going to be Africa hot until, say, November. Record temperatures were up and down the coast with New York, Philadelphia, Hartford, Providence, Boston and DC hitting well into the 100's. Central Park saw their all time high temperature this past week with records that go back into the 1880's. Subways stations recorded temps upward of 124 degrees. The smell must have been something. Imagine that packed train at rush hour, BO and that lovely urine smell mixing into a potpourri of awfulness. MMMMMMM good. Fourth of July was uncommonly hot but at least it didn't rain.
The weather will become more and more like this as climate change takes hold. One meteorologist predicts that by 2030 every summer will be like this with a temperature 3.2 degrees F warmer (2 degrees C). This would be very very bad. Assuming we even get to that point, which as of now looks increasingly unlikely, human life will have to change dramatically and chances are good that at least some of our population will be wiped out. Scarce resources will lead to a bottleneck of human survival, which has happened at least once in our past. We know this because the biodiversity between all humans is less than one percent. The only way that could have accured is if human kind was nearly wiped out at one point in our distant past. Extinctions are nothing new, they happen all the time. We are in the midst of the Sixth Great Extinctions. Pray that human kind is not on that list. Chances are good that some of us will survive, but they probably be those wealthy enough to afford the dramatic changes necessary. The rest of us are dog food.
Our Congress continues to fiddle as Rome burns. Food is now being stolen from home gardens across the country, a dire sign. With Republicans surging somehow in some races like California, we can expect a sudden demise. How Carly Fiorini is ahead of Barbara Boxer is beyond me, but never put anything past the Libertardians who are determined to kill us all. Their candidates are super right wing nutbags. Their support of Sarah Palin should have been a clue. Be afraid of this movement of the moment. The good news it won't be around long, perhaps as short as one more election cycle, due to their inability to have an coherent position. But the damage they could do in that time may be staggering.

Some Are Actually Defending BP

Lately we seem to have a bunch of self appointed morons who think that because they graduated with a MBA, they know everything about everything. You don't. As a matter of fact just about everyone I know with a master's in anything are usually kind of thick. I apologize to any readers out there with one but a lot of people agree with me on this and have even coined the word MBAtards. Having watched people like this fuck up the entertainment industry single handily, (the music industry is on its last legs) you can hardly blame us for not listening to you anymore.
But the MBA's strike again with their tone deaf rhetoric on such topics as cuts in spending (Horrible idea), raising the taxes on the middle class, (recipe for revolution/depression), and GASP, defense of BP by such winners as Rand Paul and Rush Limbaugh. They say there is no such thing as too much profit. Are you HIGH? Too much profit causes high prices on things like oil or medication which in of itself brings more and more hardship on the average worker as prices are driven up. Too much profit equals economic problems, especially when the industries band together to make sure the prices are kept higher than they should. Diamonds are plentiful and cheap. The only reason they are so expensive as that a handful of people control the supply. They short it, raising prices exponentially. And all that money that could have gone into another area of the economy is forced into the diamond suppliers, thus the rise in profits and a drain on the economic system as a whole. So point one, there is such a thing as too much profit.
The second point being made is that BP and like companies make money for other people, like the guy who works at the station, the shipping companies, the railroads, investors, etc. So do drug dealers. Illegal drugs are a trillion dollar business. The amount of money they pump into the economy is huge. By this logic, any business that makes a profit is good for society. Would you be okay with child porn being sold as that is a billion dollar business? Of course not. Just because a company makes lots of money doesn't mean it a good thing. So point two, just because you make money other people depend on, doesn't make it right.
As for the investors, particularly British pension holders, who lost their shirts, that's the meaning of the word risk. The stock market is not guaranteed money. It's no better than the casino, worse if you're an average Joe. Senators made 12% profit in the 90's, business 6% and the average Joe-1.7%. Thus the reason I support a Constitutional amendment that would disallow anybody serving in the federal government, particularly that of members of Congress, the President, or the Supreme Court from owning any stock in any company. The insider trading that goes on here is just too prevalent.
Does BP deserve most of the blame? Yes. But the MMS also gets some scorn for their way to cozy relationship with the companies they were supposed to regulate. However these types of new regulations have hit Republican scorn (surprise) who basically want us to live in oily goodness. These fuckers should be thrown face first into the gulf and then light a match.
BP should be seized, the top brass arrested, and the company sold at auction with the government as partial owners, with all the profits going to the clean up (minus the profits to the partner.) In this way everyone wins.

Knight and Day: Been There Done That

Poor Tom Cruise can't catch a break lately. His last few films have done badly and he really hasn't had a hit since Jerry Mcquire. That's probably why they're looking into doing a Les Grossman movie, a great role as a bit part from Tropic Thunder but hardly something to spin off a whole movie. The worst part is I like this Tom Cruise more than the cocky hotshot he played to death in the eighties and nineties. Films like Valkyrie and Magnolia were great roles and while the private Cruise is bat shit insane, his movie star continues to shine. It is perhaps that very reason why his films do better overseas than here because we can't get the image of Tom jumping up and down on Oprah's couch like a hyperactive, retarded monkey screaming "I love her!" Yuck. But as an actor, he's become quite good. And while he is very good in this role, I think both Cruise and his costar Cameron Diaz are both miscast.
The plot is nothing new but well executed none the less. Tom's a spy, Roy Miller/Knight, and Diaz's June are brought together in unlikely circumstances and are forced to work together to save each other's lives. After a great sequence in a plane where Cruise kills everyone on the plane but June, who is also unaware until it's all over, the two are briefly separated in Boston. When Tom realizes the bad guys are after June as well as him, thinking they are connected in some way, he kidnaps her and a race around the globe is born. Purely paint by numbers plot and a Mcguffin (if you don't know what that is look it up. I can't teach you everything) involving a battery. Don't ask. But Diaz and Cruise do shine, the stunts are good, and the constant drugging of June in tough situations is really funny.
But here's the hitch. Test audiences say Tom came out crazy and Diaz looks old. They were right on both counts. Diaz needs to stay out of the sun for a while. Her age is starting to show. Can't decide whether that's bad makeup or poor judgement. And Tom should be looking at roles that aren't as manic as his character needed to be. At one point, Chris Tucker and Eva Mendez were going to star. I think that would have been a better movie. As a matter of fact, lots of people would have been better and the screenplay sure needed work, first timer Patrick O'Neill's immaturity shows. All in all, not bad. Not great. Thought the Killers was better actually. The stunts in Boston were cool as was the scene with the running of the bulls. Rent it.

3 stars out 5

The Wolfman: Great Remake

I typically hate remakes, especially horror ones. Very few live up to the original and some like Psycho or Nightmare on Elm Street are just exercises in pointlessness. I had heard horrible reviews for this movie and was settled into hating it. I'll admit, the beginning is slow. But Joe Johnston of Jurassic Park 3 fame and Andrew Kevin Walker's screenplay are done quite well. Both of the aforementioned name had taken long sabbaticals before returning to their craft, Johnston was gone 6 years and Walker was gone 9. His screenplay for Seven is still one of my favorites of all times. So to get these talented guys back proved to be worth it because once Benico Del Toro wolfs out the film gets awesome. They keep the same look as the original, which I just watched for the upteenth time recently, with Lawrence Talbot once again being bitten by a wolf and turning into a monster. Emily Blunt is effective as the love interest and Anthony Hopkins does a great turn as Lawrence's father. Hugo Weaving gets a beefed up role as a Scotland Yard inspector looking into the rash of murders, all of which are of course blamed on poor Lawrence Talbot. The screenplay is not a shot for shot remake and the changes are actually quite good, including a fantastic scene with the Wolfman terrorizes London. The best part is the Wolfman isn't some stupid CGI nonsense and looks a lot like the original version. If you like horror movies, especially old ones from Universal in the 30's, this is quite the film.

4 stars out of 5

CNBC warns of possible coming depression

You know it can't be good when MSM starts telling end of the good times scenarios. According to Darryl Guppy, CEO of Guppytrading.com, the markets world wide are showing signs of a depression coming. Using historical data and charts, we see that the same pattern of market fluctuations from the second down turn of the economy from 1929 to 1930 are being repeated. As I have said in previous posts, the steps being taken by the Libertardians are ruining the economy. You cannot cut spending right now except in non critical areas. Things like our legal system, our medical system, our infrastructure, our economic patterns all need to be radically changed. And considering how well Congress is at doing anything at the this point, we can safely say we're screwed. Military budget needs to be slashed by 2/3rds. Social Security needs to be pared down as well as ALL medical costs. Will this happen? Never in a million years. Ten million people could protest till they were blue in the face and it still wouldn't matter. The writing was on the wall for months that a major market correction will happen soon. I am not the only one to notice as seen now by CNBC. The Chinese market is overvalued. Their Market average slipped 1.7% yesterday, a significant downturn,. Tomorrow's trading could be equally volatile. The decision to stop the jobs bill in this country is having horrific effects and it's only Monday. I know somebody who needed an EMT recently. They were almost 30 minutes getting there (she lives in a major city), were rude and didn't have things like tape or gauze or disinfectant. Had this been a major emergency, she would have died. So for all you who don't think that the jobs bill was important, remember it was more than just about unemployment but state aid and tax breaks for small busniesses. Incidently, the real unemployment rate is now 21.5% if you remove all the little accounting tricks they use to deflate the figure that even the nightly news gives with derision. A war grown nearer with a conflict that could go world wide, our economy is going to be in the shambles, and the new bank bill could doom us all, giving the FED unheard of powers that are almost dictorial. Pray it doesn't pass. I grow ever fearful of what is to come. All the signs point to something bad. Very bad.

The DVD Crazies: Much Better Than It Ever Should Have Been

Way back when came out a horrible movie called Sahara. It was based on a Clive Cussler book starring Mathew McConahey as Dirk Pitt (I loathe that name), an action adventure that was neither action nor adventure. I blamed it on the director, first timer Breck Eisner, son of douchbag Michael Eisner who still owes me money for the film his company stole from me a decade ago. I figured well we know how this little prick got his job. The movie was awful, the script lousy and the directing pedestrian. Too bad because Cussler has a zillion books out and while I don't care for them there is certainly a loyal audience out there. When I heard he was directing the remake of a rather mediocre George A Romero movie from the 70's I was less than interested. But then the reviews came in and they said it was really good. REALLY GOOD. I had to see for myself. And to the theater I went. And impressed I was. Had to hand it to the guy he did one of the better films in this lackluster year of film.
The original was filmed in Pittsburgh, like all his films and worked in parts. The stuff that happened in town was great. But the military subplots were dull and pointless. The remake wisely ditches that and leaves us with just the townspeople's stories, particularly that of the town Sheriff played well by Tim Olyphant and his doctor wife Judy (Radha Mitchell). As the town starts to schitz out from reel one, we find the water supply is infected with something and is turning all the residents insane and violent. It plays like a typical zombie/infected film but the directing is quite good and suspenseful and the acting top notch.
This is a good scary movie, lots of gore, lots of things jumping out at you. Not for the squeamish.

3 and 1/2 stars out of five.

PS With the death knell of Jonak Hex, a new horrible film makes it out with the Last Airbender which is actually getting worse reviews than any other movie I've seen this year. Avoid at at all costs.