I just so very much needed to link to this post by Michael on AMERICAblog.
Don't you just hate it how politicians change their tune according to how it best suits their interests? And how quickly do they do it too!
These quotes would have been such a powerful tool in Kerry's hands last year against the "flip flopper" attacks from the right. I guess his entourage was busy looking for the best locations to have him shoot ducks or go snowboarding.
Wouldn't it be great if the media looked for these blunders and then pestered whoever pronounced them instead of wasting their time, and ours, reporting about Michael Jackson and the Runaway Bride?!
Thursday, August 18, 2005
OH MY GOD!!
Look at these poor hippos in Tanzania and how they are forced to live by human beings. I understand that irrigation for agricultural purposes is vital, especially in these areas of the planet, but it still breaks my heart to see these poor animals' condition.
Hundreds of hippopotamuses crowd into what is left of the Katuma River in Tanzania's Katavi National Park August 17, 2005. The near-motionless hippos are fighting for life as they lie in just inches of water. Irrigation for agriculture near this river is the suspected cause of the hippos' plight.
Here's the link to the picture on Yahoo!
I'm posting this link to Love Makes a Family's petition because I believe it's a just cause.
Same-sex marriage will someday be a reality, even in this country. It already is in 4 nations worldwide, Holland, Belgium, Spain, and Canada, and the state of Massachusetts (Vermont and Connecticut offer civil unions, a second-class status substitute that gives you all the state rights, but none of the federal ones our heterosexual counterparts enjoy.)
Anyway, sign it if you think gays and lesbians shouldn't be discriminated upon based on who they were born to love.
We are all equal under the sun, and therefore we should all enjoy the same rights.
Same-sex marriage will someday be a reality, even in this country. It already is in 4 nations worldwide, Holland, Belgium, Spain, and Canada, and the state of Massachusetts (Vermont and Connecticut offer civil unions, a second-class status substitute that gives you all the state rights, but none of the federal ones our heterosexual counterparts enjoy.)
Anyway, sign it if you think gays and lesbians shouldn't be discriminated upon based on who they were born to love.
Good day everyone! I just checked my email and read the latest one from NARAL Pro-Choice America, asking to demand that the White House release its documents about Roberts:
I'm also posting another quote from the email that shows how out of touch with the average American Bush is:
[T]he White House is stooping to new levels to keep Americans in the dark about Roberts' judicial philosophy. Despite repeated requests from Senate leaders and even historical precedents that dictate how much information the White House shares about nominees, the Bush administration continues to refuse to release records from Roberts' work as a top political lawyer in the first Bush administration.Needless to say, I signed the petition, which you can find here if you want to sign it too.
I'm also posting another quote from the email that shows how out of touch with the average American Bush is:
Americans support Roe... National polls indicate that 65% of the public supports Roe v. Wade. In a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, eight in ten Democrats, two-thirds of independents, and half of Republicans want to see Roe v. Wade upheld in the Supreme Court. Then why did George Bush nominate anti-choice John Roberts to the Supreme Court? Oh yeah, he doesn't care what the majority of Americans think - only what his radical right backers demand.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
I read this article on ABC's website a few days ago and saved the link because it had a quote so sweet to read I couldn't resist to post about it.
It's by Anthony H. Cordesman, an Iraq expert and former Pentagon intelligence official and relates to the dilemma Bush faces in deciding when and how many troops to withdraw from Iraq:
And before any right winger starts attacking me for wishing Iraq plunges into chaos just so that I can see Bush's legacy trashed like Times Square after a New Year's Eve celebration, let me point out that it's a little too late for that.
I hope Iraq is a success, because if it fails, it's gonna be disastrous for the region, for the US, and ultimately for the whole world. But I have no saying in any decision made about it (or we wouldn't be there now...) so all I can do is look at the situation and try to get some consolation out of it.
And nothing would make me happier than to read Bush's name among those of the worst Presidents this country ever had. Because one thing is clear as day, if he's not THE worst, he certainly is way up on that list.
It's by Anthony H. Cordesman, an Iraq expert and former Pentagon intelligence official and relates to the dilemma Bush faces in deciding when and how many troops to withdraw from Iraq:
Cordesman, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said, "The president's legacy, if he fails in Iraq, historically is an absolute disaster. President Bush and the Bush administration can scarcely ignore that problem."Music for my ears... :-D
And before any right winger starts attacking me for wishing Iraq plunges into chaos just so that I can see Bush's legacy trashed like Times Square after a New Year's Eve celebration, let me point out that it's a little too late for that.
I hope Iraq is a success, because if it fails, it's gonna be disastrous for the region, for the US, and ultimately for the whole world. But I have no saying in any decision made about it (or we wouldn't be there now...) so all I can do is look at the situation and try to get some consolation out of it.
And nothing would make me happier than to read Bush's name among those of the worst Presidents this country ever had. Because one thing is clear as day, if he's not THE worst, he certainly is way up on that list.
Man, does time fly or what! I remember saying I would post a review of the last two movies I saw, and never did. Well, even if late, here's a quick commentary.
First off, the good one, Batman Begins. Directed by Christopher Nolan, it showcases a superb cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe, Linus Roache, and, last but not least, Morgan Freeman.
Every actor gives a very good interpretation, the directing is awesome, the screenplay flawless, the score powerful, and the cinematography impeccable. The best thing about this particular chapter of the Batman movies is that it tells you how things got to be the way they are for Bruce Wayne. How and why he became disillusioned with society and how he decided to become Batman. It also does a nice job of showing how all those Batman gadgets we see in the other movies came into existence.
The plot is simple enough and believable enough that it flows nicely beginning to end. Spoiler alert here (skip this paragraph if you haven't seen it yet): the final scene, where he's shown a card of the joker, sets up a sequel with the Joker as the bad guy, which could turn out pretty weird, since we've already had a Batman movie with the Joker. In fact, it was the first Batman and the Joker was none other than the legendary Jack Nicholson, who stole the movie in each and every scene. It's gonna be tough to cast another Joker (who wants to be compared with Nicholson!!) and it's gonna be impossible not to draw parallels between the two performances. I sure don't envy the actor who gets the part. I don't really know the Batman comic strip, but don't they have plenty other baddies to pick from? Or is Nolan (who I assume is bound by contract to direct the next one) trying to stretch and challenge himself to do better than Tim Burton, the director of the first two Batman movies (and the best together with this one?)
...
And now, for the other one, War of the Worlds: I have to say, I was pretty disappointed. For a movie directed by arguably the greatest director of our generation, Steven Spielberg, and starring the greatest movie star of the last 20 years, Tom Cruise (I didn't say the greatest actor, mind you,) it kind of... sucked.
I haven't seen the original movie, and this one might have tried to pay homage to it, but the visual effects looked a little stale and the story heavily borrowed from other movies (The Abyss, The X-Files, Independence Day, and Spielberg's own Minority Report come to mind.)
The screenplay was definitely the weakest link of this overblown, reheated meatloaf. Some of the things the actors were required to do were so ridiculous and absurd, they immediately jolted you out of the fantasy world the director was trying to create (i.e., if you see the pavement in front of you crack and swell, do you stay there and wait to see what's coming out of it, or do you run for your life?)
But the worst thing, and this is the only real spoiler here (skip this paragraph if you haven't seen it yet,) was having Cruise's son come out of his mother's house at the end of the movie. Com' on. The kid was so stupid (who knows why, since it's never explained to us and it just plain doesn't make sense) to absolutely wanting to go over a hilltop to take a look at the total destruction that was going on beyond it (we weren't shown it, but the innuendo was enough.) As soon as he's on the other side, a huge cloud of fire (from multiple explosions) engulfs everything in sight, making it quite clear that nothing and nobody could have survived it. And since he wasn't one of the main characters, but rather a supporting player for Dakota Fanning's, we quickly made peace with the fact the he was gone. Why the need to bring him back at the end? It really looks like this is the human counterpart of the family from The Incredibles. Nothing can stop or kill them. Totally ridiculous.
Too bad. Let's just hope Spielberg will do a better job on the upcoming Munich, although I read its production was getting a little rushed, so who knows if the time crunch will take its toll on the final product.
First off, the good one, Batman Begins. Directed by Christopher Nolan, it showcases a superb cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe, Linus Roache, and, last but not least, Morgan Freeman.
Every actor gives a very good interpretation, the directing is awesome, the screenplay flawless, the score powerful, and the cinematography impeccable. The best thing about this particular chapter of the Batman movies is that it tells you how things got to be the way they are for Bruce Wayne. How and why he became disillusioned with society and how he decided to become Batman. It also does a nice job of showing how all those Batman gadgets we see in the other movies came into existence.
The plot is simple enough and believable enough that it flows nicely beginning to end. Spoiler alert here (skip this paragraph if you haven't seen it yet): the final scene, where he's shown a card of the joker, sets up a sequel with the Joker as the bad guy, which could turn out pretty weird, since we've already had a Batman movie with the Joker. In fact, it was the first Batman and the Joker was none other than the legendary Jack Nicholson, who stole the movie in each and every scene. It's gonna be tough to cast another Joker (who wants to be compared with Nicholson!!) and it's gonna be impossible not to draw parallels between the two performances. I sure don't envy the actor who gets the part. I don't really know the Batman comic strip, but don't they have plenty other baddies to pick from? Or is Nolan (who I assume is bound by contract to direct the next one) trying to stretch and challenge himself to do better than Tim Burton, the director of the first two Batman movies (and the best together with this one?)
...
And now, for the other one, War of the Worlds: I have to say, I was pretty disappointed. For a movie directed by arguably the greatest director of our generation, Steven Spielberg, and starring the greatest movie star of the last 20 years, Tom Cruise (I didn't say the greatest actor, mind you,) it kind of... sucked.
I haven't seen the original movie, and this one might have tried to pay homage to it, but the visual effects looked a little stale and the story heavily borrowed from other movies (The Abyss, The X-Files, Independence Day, and Spielberg's own Minority Report come to mind.)
The screenplay was definitely the weakest link of this overblown, reheated meatloaf. Some of the things the actors were required to do were so ridiculous and absurd, they immediately jolted you out of the fantasy world the director was trying to create (i.e., if you see the pavement in front of you crack and swell, do you stay there and wait to see what's coming out of it, or do you run for your life?)
But the worst thing, and this is the only real spoiler here (skip this paragraph if you haven't seen it yet,) was having Cruise's son come out of his mother's house at the end of the movie. Com' on. The kid was so stupid (who knows why, since it's never explained to us and it just plain doesn't make sense) to absolutely wanting to go over a hilltop to take a look at the total destruction that was going on beyond it (we weren't shown it, but the innuendo was enough.) As soon as he's on the other side, a huge cloud of fire (from multiple explosions) engulfs everything in sight, making it quite clear that nothing and nobody could have survived it. And since he wasn't one of the main characters, but rather a supporting player for Dakota Fanning's, we quickly made peace with the fact the he was gone. Why the need to bring him back at the end? It really looks like this is the human counterpart of the family from The Incredibles. Nothing can stop or kill them. Totally ridiculous.
Too bad. Let's just hope Spielberg will do a better job on the upcoming Munich, although I read its production was getting a little rushed, so who knows if the time crunch will take its toll on the final product.
Three car bombs and more than 40 dead in Baghdad today.
Thank god those damn terrorists are in their last throes!!
Mission accomplished anybody??
Thank god those damn terrorists are in their last throes!!
Mission accomplished anybody??
More hate from the supposedly-Christian right wingers. This time in Maine.
No, absolutely. Homosexuals must be discriminated against in order to save our children from their influence. They probably think, If a child see that gays are treated badly, he won't decide to become gay. As if it were a matter of choice!!
So now, in order to win a repeal of that law, they are re-framing the debate to make it look like that law would bring the state of Maine one step closer to legalizing gay-marriage like it happened in Massachusetts. So they are LYING in order to win the referendum.
And they might succeed. These battles are often decided by the group with the most money or the strongest message, whether it's true or not it doesn't matter.
Let's just hope the people of Maine can see through this smoke screen and decide based on the real meaning of the law and what it proposes, as opposed to some well hidden religious message.
Gov. John Baldacci signed a new law in March that would extend the Maine Human Rights Act to make discrimination based on sexual orientation illegal in employment, housing, credit, public accommodations and education.Now, what's wrong with that? Why should gays and lesbians be legally discriminated against at work, home, or school?
No, absolutely. Homosexuals must be discriminated against in order to save our children from their influence. They probably think, If a child see that gays are treated badly, he won't decide to become gay. As if it were a matter of choice!!
So now, in order to win a repeal of that law, they are re-framing the debate to make it look like that law would bring the state of Maine one step closer to legalizing gay-marriage like it happened in Massachusetts. So they are LYING in order to win the referendum.
And they might succeed. These battles are often decided by the group with the most money or the strongest message, whether it's true or not it doesn't matter.
Let's just hope the people of Maine can see through this smoke screen and decide based on the real meaning of the law and what it proposes, as opposed to some well hidden religious message.
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