Revealed! Mall shooting in Iowa could have affected Presidential election!

This video is really twisted, but makes an important satirical point. This obsession with stereotyping voters and simplifying the election reduces the election to its lowest common denominator. And this video shows this. But it really is funny......

Wal Mart Worker Trampeled to Death: Bush gives Award

Bush gives an award to shoppers who are dedicated to shopping during our war against terror:


A worker died after being trampled by a throng of unruly shoppers when a suburban Wal-Mart opened for the holiday sales rush Friday, authorities said.

At least three other people were injured.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., in Bentonville, Ark., would not confirm the reports of a stampede but said a "medical emergency" had caused the company to close the store, which is in Valley Stream on Long Island.

Nassau County police said the 34-year-old worker was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at about 6 a.m., an hour after the store opened. The cause of death was not immediately known.

A police statement said shortly after 5 a.m., a throng of shoppers "physically broke down the doors, knocking (the worker) to the ground." Police also said a 28-year-old pregnant woman was taken to a hospital for observation and three other shoppers suffered minor injuries and were also taken to hospitals.

Mc Cain jokes with Goldwater

Great John McCain story!!! John meets Barry Goldwater in Arizona, and Goldwater tells him:"You know, if I had been elected President in 1964, you never would have been held in a Vietnamese prison camp," to which McCain replied, "You're right Barry, it would have been a Chinese prison camp." Get it? very funny. McCain has a sense of humor way out on the edge.

(Goldwater retired as US Senator from Arizona in 1986, McCain replaced him in Senate). McCain haters say that Goldwater didn't like him, the McCain is not a true conservative, blah blah, but Goldwater and McCain got along ok.

Hillary Clinton, Goldwater Girl

Sec. Of State Clinton was once a supporter of Barry Goldwater for President in 1964. her family was affluent, father a doctor, and she embraced her family's politics. By the time she reached Wellesley College she became an anti war activist on campus, and wrote her senior paper on Saul Bellow, a social reformer, intellectual, and Trotskyist (communist). I have seen her picture with some goldwater supporters as a young girl, but can't find it on the net. this picture is not of her, but this is how she looked when dressed up as a Goldwater girl.

If you must eat Turkey, try to find a Kosher turkey.

Here is the Gov. Sarah palin interview, just after she pardoned the Alaska turkey, she goes outside for an interview, and behind her, is the guy who slaughters the turkeys. He puts them in this funnel, positions it and engages a automated slicing blade, and then holds it while is bleeds and empties all its blood the trough underneath -- you can see the turkey (the second one) shaking as it bleeds to death, the guy has to hold it down so it doesn't struggle.

My problem: look at how the camera person positions the interview so you can see the slaughter behind. Of course, sarah can't see it, because it is behind her. so she was kinda set up by the camera person.

Yeah, she prepare the family turkey, just like millions of women across the country. If you are vegetarian, I guess that's gross, but my point is the press really exploits her and sets her up.

BTW, animal rights activists said that the slaughter of the turkeys in the video is more humane than most slaughter houses. There are other videos about turkey abuse, some guy somewhere else grabbing and throwing turkeys in a cage, shoving them in. In contrast, these turkeys are being bled to death, but it can really get much worse in the big industrial slaughter houses.

I really do know Sarah Palin, she lives here in western PA. Since I know her I feel I can understand her. I really don't know Hillary Clinton, on the other hand (don't get me started).

BTW, I am doing a vegetarian thanksgiving. Here is a site that shows how turkeys are hatched, raised, and slaughtered.

I have no plans, maybe help out with the townships turkey meal (for elderly).

Carla Bruni - first lady of france on Letterman Show

here is the First Lady of France singing on David Letterman show, just one more reason to visit France!

She was very sophisticated, and sang very well. We are stuck with Barbara Bush!

get the dirt off your shoulder

get that dirt off your shoulder....song by Jay Z (listen) and then listen to Pres. elect Obama speak in North Carolina after a debate with hillary clinton If Obama listens to Jay Z, and understands how to apply him to a rally, and still sound Presidential (and making Hillary look the fool), then I am sorry that i didnt vote for him! Good luck Obama, and yeah keep that dirt off your shoulders and you will be a good leader. I am actually looking forward to some "Obama" change in DC.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Great movie shown at Regent Sq theater as part of the 3 rivers film festival. I had to see butch cassidy, a 35 mm film, shown with full screen. I sat in the back to see the whole effect, academy award for cinematography. i was there for Paul newman, my friend. I couldn't help but cry when this part was shown, Paul newman and Katherine Ross and the bicycle scene. he was such a great actor, and a good man.

BJ thomas by the way is a great singer, none of his hits ever showed off his range or ability to interpret. the burt bacharach song doesnt give justice to his voice. he sings gospel best.

I thought Paul newman's best movie was "nobody's fool," from the novel by Richard Russo.

Great movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - thanks Paul!

red state blue state

here is red state blue state from univ of michigan

The Republicans CANNOT win the west and south and elect a president. William Jennings Bryan carried the west and south for the Democrats in 1896 and 1900, and lost big time. FDR expanded the Democratic party, to include great lakes industrial states, NY and California.

McCain won more counties than Obama. However, Obama won the counties with the most votes.

There is still a rural urban split that was apparent in past elections. Sarah Palin talked about the small towns, and she is right; that is where Republicans have their greatest strength. But they need urban areas too, where there are lots of voters.

The Republicans will have to find a way of combining rural areas with urban vote. The status of the so called Christian evangelical right wing is also in question: male self identified evangelical christians for Obama easily outvoted those for Mc Cain. The Republicans will have to find a way of getting james Dobson out of the Republican party. The southern born agains are ruining the Republican Party. Ever since 1994, when Newt took over the House, the republicans have had to put up with these right wing moralistic voters - most Americans dont like them, dont like their candidates. W. Bush understood them and how to use them to get votes. But along with those votes comes the moralistic expectations of their supporters. The Shiavo case in Florida really alienated most Americans from the james Dobson's of America. Remember Sen. Frist from Tennessee? he looked at videos (he is a doctor) of Terry Shiavo and claimed she had brain functioning. Her autopsy revealed her brain had shrunk, she had to consciousness at all.

What happened to the party of Lincoln, or Teddy Roosevelt?

"The Year of Living Dangerously" featuring young mel gibson before he went nuts

This is a great film and its now showing on TCM. film is about Sukarno's rule in Indonesia, in 1965, during an attempt of communist overthrow. Sukarno was no commie, and his right wing death squads executed thousands of those commie red bastards. It goes beyond that, Indonesia occupied by Japanese, happy to be rid of british rule, but they hated the japanese. Now japanese out, Indonesia granted freedom by british (thanks, mate) and Indonesia spills over with nationalism, national socialism, perhaps we could call it Fascism, as a reaction against british colonialists, japanese occupiers, and now communist 5th columnists (treason from within, backed by chinese or russian communists). My knowledge of east asia intrigue is limited, shall we say. anyway, this is an australian film, very ambitious, up there with Gallipoli and
Breaker Morant, and has a love story between Mel gibson and Sigourney Weaver. they are both young, beautiful, and it was filmed before they forgot how to act. Mel went on to make his crazy jesus films in aramaic (which is great if you are an archeologist in jerusalem and you actually KNOW aramaic) and Sigourney went on to film ghost busters and Alien. Anyway, the love story is great! the political intigue is great! the executions of commies way too realistic (VP cheney would love that part). Great film

"Come back to me..." Atonement the movie.

"Come back to me," Cecilia whispers to Robbie. Atonement is a movie I have been watching on HBO - the first time I saw it I was almost in shock at the ending. I mean it hurt.

The scenes of Robbie in France, and finally Dunkirk. and the troops arriving back home in england - They were saved, they returned to their past lives, to their loved ones. Actual footage of the Dunkirk survivors.

And then Brionny's interview. She is old, has a disease of the brain, she will soon be suffering from dementia, will forget who she is, will wither away in a nursing home. So she writes her last novel, something she must "atone" before her mind is lost. And then she explains the real ending, the real life ending of Robbie and cecilia, and that is when I gasped. I have seen painful movies before, in fact, I drive to pittsburgh to watch heart breaking films (one from england I forgot i will research and update blog when I find it). But here I am in my apt, and suddenly this movie takes an incredible turn.

and then the scene of robbie and cecilia on the beach...(it is called Redcar beach) -so absolutely beautiful. Here is the scene, but dont click it if you havent seen it, SPOILER ALERT.

I plan on watching again, several times, it is full of nuances, the director placing small details to subconsciously draw you into the plot, each scene designed to affect emotions. A well thought out movie, edited perfectly. The acting, off the charts.

Pefect picture for political film, but too many students have probably seen it. Is there atonement? What about atonement for lost love? Or atonement for the crimes and inhumanity of war?