Friday, September 29
Survivor Recap
Courtesy of EW:
Mark Burnett is not a patient man. I say this because last season he had four really interesting, unique tribes — and then dissolved them after one episode. I asked him recently if he thought that was a mistake and he wished he had left them intact longer. He said yes and promised that the four ethnically divided tribes in Survivor: Cook Islands would remain together longer. Yeah, one whole episode. Whoop-dee-damn-do! Way too soon, says I, who was enjoying watching the Asian sensations kick everyone's collective ass. But a tribal downsizing it was. At least I think it was. As far as I could follow, contestants were forced to take off their buffs, pick objects out of a bag, play rock-paper-scissors, select members of the same sex who were not previously members of their tribe, crush paint-filled eggs, put said paint all over their face, pick a peck of pickled peppers, do the cha-cha slide, and then take a blood oath offering up their firstborn as collateral. Somehow after all that, they walked away as two tribes instead of four. I think.
It kinda made my brain hurt keeping up with all of that, but any pain I may have felt is nothing compared to what poor Billy must have been going through tonight watching Candice and company mocking his proclamation of love on national television. As if being voted off second didn't suck enough, now he has to endure this?
That was about the most exciting thing that happened after the tribal realignment, unless you're into watching people turn an octopus' head inside out — something the contestants were taught how to do two days before the game started in a special Survivor school. But you knew that already because you read my article in Entertainment Weekly about it, right? Riiiiiiight?
But then came the challenge, which was interesting for several reasons. I even put little numbers next to them so I wouldn't get all confused like during the tribal shake-up.
1. Jeff Probst went all medium-school on us! You see, old-school Probst goes hatless. New-school Probst rocks some sort of safari lid. Medium-school Probst, however, goes for the NASCAR look by donning a baseball cap. Personally, not a big fan of medium-school Probst, but I suppose anything has to be better than that Guatemala getup he was sporting in season 11.
2. The challenge itself was pretty much a carbon copy of one of my favorite Survivor challenges ever: Survivor: Palau's ''Hot Pursuit.'' Except I believe they may have been carrying 20-pound bags in Palau instead of 15-pound ones, which just goes to show you one thing: The Cook Islands contestants are big wussies. The Aitutaki tribe made a huge tactical error, having all of their women drop out early and weighing the men down with extra baggage.
3. How much do we love Yul's suggestion to fight upon realizing his tribe could not outrun Rarotonga? And you never know, with the connection he seems to have to Becky, he could be both a lover and a fighter.
4. Sending Candice to Exile Island? Not sure that was the best move. The woman scored a perfect 1600 on her SATs! You really want to keep her around for some of the puzzles and brain teasers sure to come?
Once Aitutaki lost, it came down to whether Yul and Jonathan would be able to persuade Cao Boi and Flica to vote out Cecilia instead of Becky. How pained and confused did Flica look every time Jonathan attempted to talk strategy with her? I'm pretty sure if you could have heard her thoughts at the time, they would have pretty much approximated the theme song from those old Meow Mix commercials. (You know, ''Meow, meow, meow, meow...'') Or the sound of a lone tumbleweed rolling through a deserted town. For a minute it looked like Flica was pulling a Christy/Dolly, but her wishy-washiness did not cost her — yet. Instead, Cecilia was sent packing. We never saw much of Cecilia this season, which is surprising considering the size of her breasts. We'll miss all three of them. And although Aitutaki lost the first challenge, I still like the makeup of their tribe better than Rarotonga's. In fact, seeing as how Candice is on that tribe, I might even dare to call it love at first sight. (Sorry, Billy — couldn't resist.)
Nuggets O' Lost
Okay kids, only 5 more days!!!! I'm getting all nervous and tingly with anticipation, aren't you?
The October 4 premiere belongs to Jack, who loses it in flashbacks when he suspects wife Sarah of having an affair with his boozin' dad. Desmond turns up post-hatch explosion naked. (oooh... this I gotta see!!!)
October 11: Sayid's plan to locate Jack places Sun and Jin's lives in grave danger. Meanwhile, Kate and Sawyer are forced to work in harsh conditions by their captors, and Henry makes a very tempting offer to Jack that may prove difficult to refuse. Guest starring are M.C. Gainey as Mr. Friendly, Tania Raymonde as Alex, Paula Malcolmson as Colleen, Michael Bowen as Pickett, Byron Chung as Mr. Paik, Tony Lee as Jae Lee, Sophie Kim as young Sun, Joah Buley as Luke, Tomiko Okhee Lee as Mrs. Lee and Teddy Wells as other.
The October 18 episode is Locke-centric and features a trippy airport-set dream sequence. Charlie and Claire are getting married. Kinda. As revealed in this week's issue of TV Guide, the Oct. 18 episode will feature an airport dream sequence in which Hurley is an Oceanic flight attendant, Desmond's the pilot, and Charlie and Claire are husband and wife. The sequence may also include a special appearance by someone who's no longer a full-time employee of the show.
The fates of Locke, Eko and Desmond are revealed after the implosion of the hatch, while Hurley returns to the beach camp to tell the tale of what happened when he, Jack, Kate and Sawyer encountered The Others. Meanwhile, Claire is shocked to find Nikki and Paulo in Jack's tent. Guest starring are Kiele Sanchez as Nikki, Rodrigo Santoro as Paulo, Ian Somerhalder as Boone, Justin Chatwin as Eddie, Chris Mulkey as Mike, Virginia Morris as Jan, Joel Himelhoch as sheriff and Dion Donahue as Kim.
General Spoilers:
-Producers told Yunjin Kim that we wouldn't know until the series finale who the father of her baby is.
-The real name of Henry Gale is revealed - as is the identify of his past love. [Note: Some fans believe Henry's name is "Ben" as Kristin from E! refered to him with this name in chat and when her chat transcript went live, it read "Henry".]
-[Kristin from E! said in her chat: "I'm hearing we'll see a one-eyed-wonder very soon. Think Daryl Hannah in Kill Bill except male and not previously amphibious."] It's a new character, late 40's. A formidable man, tough, a real survivor. A real sense of charisma and danger. Possibly recurring.
-I've only seen two beings [die this season]: (a) a character we knew from before and (b) the cutest little fuzziest more adorable animal (that is not Vincent the dog).
The October 4 premiere belongs to Jack, who loses it in flashbacks when he suspects wife Sarah of having an affair with his boozin' dad. Desmond turns up post-hatch explosion naked. (oooh... this I gotta see!!!)
October 11: Sayid's plan to locate Jack places Sun and Jin's lives in grave danger. Meanwhile, Kate and Sawyer are forced to work in harsh conditions by their captors, and Henry makes a very tempting offer to Jack that may prove difficult to refuse. Guest starring are M.C. Gainey as Mr. Friendly, Tania Raymonde as Alex, Paula Malcolmson as Colleen, Michael Bowen as Pickett, Byron Chung as Mr. Paik, Tony Lee as Jae Lee, Sophie Kim as young Sun, Joah Buley as Luke, Tomiko Okhee Lee as Mrs. Lee and Teddy Wells as other.
The October 18 episode is Locke-centric and features a trippy airport-set dream sequence. Charlie and Claire are getting married. Kinda. As revealed in this week's issue of TV Guide, the Oct. 18 episode will feature an airport dream sequence in which Hurley is an Oceanic flight attendant, Desmond's the pilot, and Charlie and Claire are husband and wife. The sequence may also include a special appearance by someone who's no longer a full-time employee of the show.
The fates of Locke, Eko and Desmond are revealed after the implosion of the hatch, while Hurley returns to the beach camp to tell the tale of what happened when he, Jack, Kate and Sawyer encountered The Others. Meanwhile, Claire is shocked to find Nikki and Paulo in Jack's tent. Guest starring are Kiele Sanchez as Nikki, Rodrigo Santoro as Paulo, Ian Somerhalder as Boone, Justin Chatwin as Eddie, Chris Mulkey as Mike, Virginia Morris as Jan, Joel Himelhoch as sheriff and Dion Donahue as Kim.
General Spoilers:
-Producers told Yunjin Kim that we wouldn't know until the series finale who the father of her baby is.
-The real name of Henry Gale is revealed - as is the identify of his past love. [Note: Some fans believe Henry's name is "Ben" as Kristin from E! refered to him with this name in chat and when her chat transcript went live, it read "Henry".]
-[Kristin from E! said in her chat: "I'm hearing we'll see a one-eyed-wonder very soon. Think Daryl Hannah in Kill Bill except male and not previously amphibious."] It's a new character, late 40's. A formidable man, tough, a real survivor. A real sense of charisma and danger. Possibly recurring.
-I've only seen two beings [die this season]: (a) a character we knew from before and (b) the cutest little fuzziest more adorable animal (that is not Vincent the dog).
Wednesday, September 27
The National Security Debate
There's a fantastic debate going on this week. It involves people asking tough questions, such as, is the Iraq War really helping to make us safer? Did Bush and Clinton do enough to stop bin Laden? Is Bush telliing the truth? Are they really doing things in Congress to make us safer?
So tell me.... why didn't this happen in 2001?
So tell me.... why didn't this happen in 2001?
T-Mobile
They got rid of Catherine Zeta Jones. About time. She was in those commercials for no reason other than to make money!! (I'm not saying that's a bad thing - I'd do the same!)
T-Mobile
They got rid of Catherine Zeta Jones. About time. She was in those commercials for no reason other than to make money!! (I'm not saying that's a bad thing - I'd do the same!)
4 oz.
Isn't this basically the same shit as Nip/Tuck? Nonetheless, I'll watch!
FX has ordered a drama pilot called 4 oz. from Ryan Murphy, the creator of Nip/Tuck. According to Variety, 4 oz. is about a man who is a father of teenage boys, husband and sportswriter, as well as being a transsexual, as he begins the long process of transforming into a woman. Murphy sees this as happening over the course of five full seasons. Casting for the lead role is in progress.
[Source: Cynopsis]
FX has ordered a drama pilot called 4 oz. from Ryan Murphy, the creator of Nip/Tuck. According to Variety, 4 oz. is about a man who is a father of teenage boys, husband and sportswriter, as well as being a transsexual, as he begins the long process of transforming into a woman. Murphy sees this as happening over the course of five full seasons. Casting for the lead role is in progress.
[Source: Cynopsis]
Tuesday, September 26
Fox News
If you didn't see the Bill Clinton interview, get on YouTube now. It will make you stand up and clap!
Grey's Anatomy
I heard the first episode sucked, or at least was a let down. Makes sense, since I heard ABC made them shoot that after they had shot the second episode, which was originally supposed to be the season opener. Confused? Yeah, me too. So I decided to skip it and (maybe) watch it later.
I bought a piano
And I think this $150 beauty was a sign from God because...
Not only was it at the thrift store across from the Goodyear where I was standing crying after dealing with my TWO flat tires that needed to be replaced, but also because it was for sale at the Bible Tabernacle Thrift Shop.
Dear God, thanks for thinking of me.
Not only was it at the thrift store across from the Goodyear where I was standing crying after dealing with my TWO flat tires that needed to be replaced, but also because it was for sale at the Bible Tabernacle Thrift Shop.
Dear God, thanks for thinking of me.
Most obvious list ever
20 "Whitest" Girl Names
Molly
Amy
Claire
Emily
Katie
Madeline
Katelyn
Emma
Abigail
Carly
Jenna
Heather
Katherine
Caitlin
Kaitlin
Holly
Allison
Kaitlyn
Hannah
Kathryn
20 "Blackest" Girl Names
Imani
Ebony
Shanice
Aaliyah
Precious
Nia
Deja
Diamond
Asia
Aliyah
Jada
Tierra
Tiara
Kiara
Jazmine
Jasmin
Jazmin
Jasmine
Alexus
Raven
20 "Whitest" Boy Names
Jake
Connor
Tanner
Wyatt
Cody
Dustin
Luke
Jack
Scott
Logan
Cole
Lucas
Bradley
Jacob
Garrett
Dylan
Maxwell
Hunter
Brett
Colin
20 "Blackest" Boy Names
DeShawn
DeAndre
Marquis
Darnell
Terrell
Malik
Trevon
Tyrone
Willie
Dominique
Demetrius
Reginald
Jamal
Maurice
Jalen
Darius
Xavier
Terrance
Andre
Darryl
Molly
Amy
Claire
Emily
Katie
Madeline
Katelyn
Emma
Abigail
Carly
Jenna
Heather
Katherine
Caitlin
Kaitlin
Holly
Allison
Kaitlyn
Hannah
Kathryn
20 "Blackest" Girl Names
Imani
Ebony
Shanice
Aaliyah
Precious
Nia
Deja
Diamond
Asia
Aliyah
Jada
Tierra
Tiara
Kiara
Jazmine
Jasmin
Jazmin
Jasmine
Alexus
Raven
20 "Whitest" Boy Names
Jake
Connor
Tanner
Wyatt
Cody
Dustin
Luke
Jack
Scott
Logan
Cole
Lucas
Bradley
Jacob
Garrett
Dylan
Maxwell
Hunter
Brett
Colin
20 "Blackest" Boy Names
DeShawn
DeAndre
Marquis
Darnell
Terrell
Malik
Trevon
Tyrone
Willie
Dominique
Demetrius
Reginald
Jamal
Maurice
Jalen
Darius
Xavier
Terrance
Andre
Darryl
Desperate Housewives
Well, this show's gone to shit.
You get one more chance, Wisteria Lane. One more chance. And I ain't jokin.
You get one more chance, Wisteria Lane. One more chance. And I ain't jokin.
Olbermann's Special Comment
I read the text here but you can also click on the video link provided and hear it, too.
It's all very thought-provoking, isn't it?
It's all very thought-provoking, isn't it?
Monday, September 25
Amazing Race Recap
From EW:
What I like most about The Amazing Race is that you're not only entertained (and this episode was more exciting than anything in the previous two seasons) but also educated. As the teams skitter across the planet, viewers come away with fun facts about foreign lands. And here was my takeaway insight for episode 2: Mongolia makes women cry. I'm not sure if that will help Mongolia's Bureau of Tourism, but from the look of the wet, gloomy countryside, they probably weren't getting too many calls anyway.
The episode started so upbeat, too. Well, besides the sound bite from Duke saying he's all for gays and lesbians, as long as they're not his daughter. (This snippet was taken from his pre-race interview, making me wonder how many variations on ''I'm ashamed my daughter's gay'' they made him say that day so they could sprinkle them through the whole series, just to make sure they've properly set him up as homophobic. This way, when he inevitably hugs his daughter at the end of the race and tells her he loves her no matter what, it will qualify as a more dramatic turnaround. Always thinking, that van Munster!)
But after that cringey moment, it was all good vibes for the first ten minutes, with all the teams bonding on the train ride from China. It was less a race than a teen tour. Almost immediately, Duke's comments were forgotten when coal miner David and his wife said they'd never met gays before Tom and Terry but, guldarn it, they like 'em just fine! And these were gays with unfortunate balding patterns: Just think how much they'd love homosexuals with good hair!
But once everyone got into Mongolia, things got cranky fast. It started with Kimberly — as all crankiness does — as she got sprayed with water through the cab window and wondered if she could get diseases from it. How are the Race casting directors able to find attractive, bitchy, xenophobic women every damn season? Do they just hang around at Starbucks, eavesdropping on customers until they hear some woman hysterically demand to talk to a manager because her decaf latte has too much foam, and then they swoop in: ''Pardon me for interrupting, but I have one question: Do you have a boyfriend who you like to scream at almost as much as he loves screaming at you? Yes? Well, how would you like to scream at him all over the world?''
Kimberly is not the sturdiest of competitors. She was instantly wary of the horse she'd have to ride, and her nervousness proved prescient. In one of the slowest collisions on record, her horse moseyed up to a tree and gently pried her off. Now, the afternoon before watching this episode I went to see Jackass 2, so perhaps my expectations for a collision were unfairly high. But come on: When she hit that branch, she was only going moderately faster than if she had been riding a dead horse.
Dustin and Kandice had a tough time, too, although they handled it better. One of them fell off her horse and got dragged about ten yards. And that looked legitimately scary. It almost gave credence to their claim that they wanted to be the first all-female team to win on The Amazing Race so as to ''break the stereotypes.'' Bad news, ladies: When you're beauty queens named Dustin and Kandice (yes, Kandice with a K), it will take more than a million-dollar check and a full passport to break your stereotypes. Even if you both build a rocket that will take a person to Mars and cure their cancer on the ride up, feminists will still roll their eyes when they see you coming. And to make matters worse, these ladies are even in danger of losing their beauty-queen base, after misplacing a hat they needed to move on from the detour. What kind of self-respecting beauty queen loses a hat? I don't care how big and furry it was, that is an accessory, dammit, and it's just that kind of wardrobe disrespect that a judge will take points off for.
Sarah and Peter started out the episode with some characteristically dubious behavior, as Peter asked bystanders for money to watch Sarah run up and down the street with her hydraulic leg exposed. Because, really, what better way to show the world that handicapped people can do anything than by exploiting them like a carnival sideshow? Oh, sure, it's all fine to try to amaze people in distant lands for monetary gain, but I thought this was going to backfire on them when Sarah was about to get on a horse and asked her helper, ''Is this a problem?'' flashing her metal leg. Being that this was the Mongolian countryside, I'm guessing that the helper was utterly surprised and shocked by this, and I was expecting his response to be ''It is good for you for riding, but bad for you because now we must burn you as a robot witch.''
Bad luck struck this pair later, as they tried both options on the detour and failed at them equally. They couldn't manage to pack the portable hut on a camel, and then when they tried to take that yaklike creature down to the water, it bolted on them. This reduced Sarah to frustrated tears, and Peter snapped, ''Sarah, this is supposed to be fun!'' There's nothing like somebody sternly ordering you to enjoy yourself to really pick up those spirits, is there? ''I'm learning a lot about Peter,'' said Sarah, ''and I'm not always impressed by it.'' Gee, I pretty much learned all I needed to know last week. What's taking her so long?
For all their respective weeping and browbeating, Sarah and Peter were first at the mat, and it was there that Phil asked the incredibly awkward question ''Did you ever imagine you'd be two legs into the race and first?'' Two legs? Come on, Phil, they don't give you many opportunities to improvise on this show: Keep making faux pas like that and you'll be back to raising an eyebrow as your only outlet for free expression.
Other teams were bedeviled by breakdowns, flat tires, getting caught in the mud, and general agonized shrieking (Rob and Kimberly again), and the order of teams kept tensely shifting. Ultimately, it was a race to last place between the single moms and the cheerleaders, starting as both of their cars died in the detour parking lot, making for the show's most exciting nail-biter to ever take place in non-moving cars.
Ultimately, the cheerleaders got their car going first, then got lost, allowing the moms to pull ahead. And then, to add insult to injury, even with no chance to win, the cheerleaders still couldn't hit the target with the fiery arrow. It's always sad when a team is caught at a challenge for enough time to see the sun go down. Maybe to add more humiliation, the producers should put an old man in the background of slow competitors so we can watch his beard grow. Or just put Kimberly riding a horse; both go at about the same speeds.
What do you think? Is it fair when someone loses because of equipment malfunctions? How do Rob and Kimberly stack up against the show's previous dysfunctional couples? And did the episode confirm your stereotypes about cheerleaders?
Sunday, September 24
The 50s
I just had brunch with a girl. She told me how much she thinks it'd be better if everything was like it was in the 1950s. Right.
She said she thinks women working has deteriorated the family structure. So I asked her, a single 27 year old high school math teacher, the following question:
Would you rather have been a housewife for the last 6 years, baking, doing laundry, driving your kids around, etc?
She said, "good point." So maybe she hadn't thought that much about what she thinks. Maybe I helped her realize that, perhaps the men and the children were happy in the 50s, but maybe the women weren't.
I think Bush wants it to be like the 50s too. When old, white men had all the power and women, gays, blacks and any other minority was basically a piece of shit. Yeah, that would be fun!
She said she thinks women working has deteriorated the family structure. So I asked her, a single 27 year old high school math teacher, the following question:
Would you rather have been a housewife for the last 6 years, baking, doing laundry, driving your kids around, etc?
She said, "good point." So maybe she hadn't thought that much about what she thinks. Maybe I helped her realize that, perhaps the men and the children were happy in the 50s, but maybe the women weren't.
I think Bush wants it to be like the 50s too. When old, white men had all the power and women, gays, blacks and any other minority was basically a piece of shit. Yeah, that would be fun!
Thursday, September 21
Gossip
Steve-O and Bam Margera were on the Howard Stern show, and Howard was able to get some gossip outta them!
Over the course of the interview Howard got Bam to reveal he spent the night with Jessica Simpson while she was with Nick! (when Dukes was filming.). While at the same time claiming the relationship got blown out of porportion, Bam coyly gave up details to confirm he slept with her. He said he bumped into her, (Steve-O - "yeah BUMPED into her") and Bam said they "wound up at her parents house drinking margarites and it went from there..." Later in the interview Bam said he "left at 8 in the morning". Howard asked Bam "Did she look good naked" and Bam's reply was that she had a personal trainer for the movie, mumble muble.. "yeah, she looked good I can't deny that." Howard then pointed out, regardless of whether or not these stories were true, he felt Bam’s association with Jessica made him a legend to his fans, because he didn’t think people would ever believe he could get a girl of that caliber.
Steve-O claims that Christian Slater hit on him at a party when he was drunk, and told him he was cute and sexy and asked if he wanted to go with him. Steve-O later talked to Christians ex-wife and she said "that's what happens when he drinks - he turns gay".
And some hilarious commensts from Steve-O on Nicole Richie... he said she wasn't really into him, she was looking for "some media coverage that wasn't about her being f'ing skinny." He thinks she even called the paparazzi guys. He didn't have sex with her but they made out and he jerked off a couple times in her bed.
Steve-O also added that he did Nitrous Oxide with Paris Hilton!
Over the course of the interview Howard got Bam to reveal he spent the night with Jessica Simpson while she was with Nick! (when Dukes was filming.). While at the same time claiming the relationship got blown out of porportion, Bam coyly gave up details to confirm he slept with her. He said he bumped into her, (Steve-O - "yeah BUMPED into her") and Bam said they "wound up at her parents house drinking margarites and it went from there..." Later in the interview Bam said he "left at 8 in the morning". Howard asked Bam "Did she look good naked" and Bam's reply was that she had a personal trainer for the movie, mumble muble.. "yeah, she looked good I can't deny that." Howard then pointed out, regardless of whether or not these stories were true, he felt Bam’s association with Jessica made him a legend to his fans, because he didn’t think people would ever believe he could get a girl of that caliber.
Steve-O claims that Christian Slater hit on him at a party when he was drunk, and told him he was cute and sexy and asked if he wanted to go with him. Steve-O later talked to Christians ex-wife and she said "that's what happens when he drinks - he turns gay".
And some hilarious commensts from Steve-O on Nicole Richie... he said she wasn't really into him, she was looking for "some media coverage that wasn't about her being f'ing skinny." He thinks she even called the paparazzi guys. He didn't have sex with her but they made out and he jerked off a couple times in her bed.
Steve-O also added that he did Nitrous Oxide with Paris Hilton!
Six Degrees
A review from Media Life:
Kismet and serendipity are fate at its sweetest. They are the notion that each day opens with the promise of meeting that one other person who stands to change one's life forever. Though appearing to be happenstance, it is grand destiny at work, proof that life has meaning, and that someone up there is watching over, a force of hope.
Anyone who's been to the movies in recent decades knows this force happens to be at its strongest, a magnetic field of sorts, over the island of Manhattan, that place where Hollywood tells us young love was more or less invented.
And there you have “Six Degrees,” the new drama premiering tonight at 10 on ABC. The series, which occupies a critical timeslot for the network, weaves together the lives and stories of a half dozen Manhattanites in an ongoing skein of vignettes that suggests the kind hand of destiny. The series is from "Lost's" J.J. Abrams.
This is storytelling at its most difficult. Through history but a few great writers have been able to pull it off. The first risk is confusion, a mess of personal stories that don't so much weave together as tangle in knots that cannot be undone.
And of course there will always be weaker stories among the stronger vignettes that risk losing readers or viewers. Too, there's the worry that the hand of destiny works too hard at its manipulations, reducing the whole confection to a heap of gimmicks from which sap runs in streams.
But with “Six Degrees,” Abrams largely pulls it off. From the first, when the characters are introduced, one after the other, the storytelling slides into a natural rhythm. In just the quickest snippets, we learn those key identifying elements of each character, and we are opened to the infectious aura of possibility, which is the unifying force of their separate lives. "Six Degrees'" one failing is that a few of the storylines are tired, bogging it down.
Also, no matter how well done, it's not going to yank in the NFL crowd. This is chick TV.
Carlos (Jay Hernandez), a scrappy public defender, is the narrator, and right off he lays out the show's raison d'tre as he ruminates about New York and the many lives that pass by one another each day. Then, in the first of the vignettes, he steps in to spring Mae (Erika Christensen, “Traffic”), a wild child, from a public nudity charge. He is smitten. She's gone.
As we learn, Mae has bigger problems. She's on the run from unknown people for unexplained reasons. Mae snags a job as a nanny for the daughter of Laura (Hope Davis), a recent widow.
Having met Laura, we now go with her for a manicure, and at the salon she strikes up a conversation with another customer, a big-time publicist named Whitney (Bridget Moynihan, “Coyote Ugly”). It turns out they both attended the same Sex Pistols concert over a decade ago. And so it goes.
To work, “Degrees” depends on making outrageous coincidences seem like the most natural thing in the world. That task is made easier by a strong cast, with actors known for their sharp supporting work, mostly in movies.
Davis and Campbell Scott, who plays Steven, a photographer and recovering addict, are both indie film faves who even starred together as an unhappy husband and wife in 2002’s “The Secret Lives of Dentists.” Both avoid the potential over-emoting pitfalls that come with portraying grieving widows and semi-reformed cokeheads.
In their one brief scene together--dialogue-free--Steven secretly snaps a photo of Laura crying on her stoop. It is as understated as it is touching.
Jay Hernandez, best known as the patient, love-struck boyfriend from “Crazy/Beautiful,” gives Carlos the same quiet, hopeful certainty he brought to that earlier role. Moynihan, the most likely breakout star, has done solid work for years. Finally given a meaty part, she takes advantage. Her Whitney’s hard-driving workaholic has a high-strung, almost brittle energy that she makes quirky rather than annoying.
Her manic attempts to prove or disprove her boyfriend’s infidelity, including creating a fake online dating profile, are both funny and heartbreaking.
“Degrees” is strongest when focusing on drama of the heart: Whitney’s doubts, Laura’s struggle to get over her husband’s death or Carlos’ optimistic efforts to find, then woo Mae.
The writers falter a bit when the attention turns to Steven’s coke issues or limo driver Damien’s (Dorian Missick) gambling debts.
As a female-skewing show leading out of a kindred “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Degrees" would do better to skip the addiction plotlines for the romantic. It will be tugging to hold "Grey" viewers from switching over to “ER,” a show with a long history of recovery sagas.
"Degrees'” open-ended structure offers a key advantage: weak storylines can snipped off in a jiffy as the bigger story moves apace. People disappear in Manhattan all the time.
Kismet and serendipity are fate at its sweetest. They are the notion that each day opens with the promise of meeting that one other person who stands to change one's life forever. Though appearing to be happenstance, it is grand destiny at work, proof that life has meaning, and that someone up there is watching over, a force of hope.
Anyone who's been to the movies in recent decades knows this force happens to be at its strongest, a magnetic field of sorts, over the island of Manhattan, that place where Hollywood tells us young love was more or less invented.
And there you have “Six Degrees,” the new drama premiering tonight at 10 on ABC. The series, which occupies a critical timeslot for the network, weaves together the lives and stories of a half dozen Manhattanites in an ongoing skein of vignettes that suggests the kind hand of destiny. The series is from "Lost's" J.J. Abrams.
This is storytelling at its most difficult. Through history but a few great writers have been able to pull it off. The first risk is confusion, a mess of personal stories that don't so much weave together as tangle in knots that cannot be undone.
And of course there will always be weaker stories among the stronger vignettes that risk losing readers or viewers. Too, there's the worry that the hand of destiny works too hard at its manipulations, reducing the whole confection to a heap of gimmicks from which sap runs in streams.
But with “Six Degrees,” Abrams largely pulls it off. From the first, when the characters are introduced, one after the other, the storytelling slides into a natural rhythm. In just the quickest snippets, we learn those key identifying elements of each character, and we are opened to the infectious aura of possibility, which is the unifying force of their separate lives. "Six Degrees'" one failing is that a few of the storylines are tired, bogging it down.
Also, no matter how well done, it's not going to yank in the NFL crowd. This is chick TV.
Carlos (Jay Hernandez), a scrappy public defender, is the narrator, and right off he lays out the show's raison d'tre as he ruminates about New York and the many lives that pass by one another each day. Then, in the first of the vignettes, he steps in to spring Mae (Erika Christensen, “Traffic”), a wild child, from a public nudity charge. He is smitten. She's gone.
As we learn, Mae has bigger problems. She's on the run from unknown people for unexplained reasons. Mae snags a job as a nanny for the daughter of Laura (Hope Davis), a recent widow.
Having met Laura, we now go with her for a manicure, and at the salon she strikes up a conversation with another customer, a big-time publicist named Whitney (Bridget Moynihan, “Coyote Ugly”). It turns out they both attended the same Sex Pistols concert over a decade ago. And so it goes.
To work, “Degrees” depends on making outrageous coincidences seem like the most natural thing in the world. That task is made easier by a strong cast, with actors known for their sharp supporting work, mostly in movies.
Davis and Campbell Scott, who plays Steven, a photographer and recovering addict, are both indie film faves who even starred together as an unhappy husband and wife in 2002’s “The Secret Lives of Dentists.” Both avoid the potential over-emoting pitfalls that come with portraying grieving widows and semi-reformed cokeheads.
In their one brief scene together--dialogue-free--Steven secretly snaps a photo of Laura crying on her stoop. It is as understated as it is touching.
Jay Hernandez, best known as the patient, love-struck boyfriend from “Crazy/Beautiful,” gives Carlos the same quiet, hopeful certainty he brought to that earlier role. Moynihan, the most likely breakout star, has done solid work for years. Finally given a meaty part, she takes advantage. Her Whitney’s hard-driving workaholic has a high-strung, almost brittle energy that she makes quirky rather than annoying.
Her manic attempts to prove or disprove her boyfriend’s infidelity, including creating a fake online dating profile, are both funny and heartbreaking.
“Degrees” is strongest when focusing on drama of the heart: Whitney’s doubts, Laura’s struggle to get over her husband’s death or Carlos’ optimistic efforts to find, then woo Mae.
The writers falter a bit when the attention turns to Steven’s coke issues or limo driver Damien’s (Dorian Missick) gambling debts.
As a female-skewing show leading out of a kindred “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Degrees" would do better to skip the addiction plotlines for the romantic. It will be tugging to hold "Grey" viewers from switching over to “ER,” a show with a long history of recovery sagas.
"Degrees'” open-ended structure offers a key advantage: weak storylines can snipped off in a jiffy as the bigger story moves apace. People disappear in Manhattan all the time.
Tonight is one helluva night
And I'm not even going to be home!
My Name Is Earl
The Office
Grey's Anatomy
Six Degrees/ER
My Name Is Earl
The Office
Grey's Anatomy
Six Degrees/ER
Wednesday, September 20
Tuesday, September 19
Weeds
This must have been a filler episode. It wasn't nearly as twisty and exciting as the last two, and to be honest, I don't like the DEA agent and Nancy's partner having lunch together. It's just on its way to getting a little too silly.
Smith
Not interested in this show, but if you like crime capers:
n movies such as “Ocean’s Eleven,” the real star is the heist itself, the coming together of all the elements of an elaborate scheme according to a complex timetable, all against the uncertainly of something going wrong. Something always does, and that serves to keep the tension high.
The characters themselves are stick figures, men, or women, of action, with almost no back stories. That would slow the pace.
That makes caper stories by their nature a poor fit for television. Week after week of heists would get dull quickly.
In “Smith,” which debuts tonight at 10 on CBS, the writers have come up with a shrewd scheme to solve this problem. The heists remain at the center, but around the heists they deftly build back stories that work to draw the viewer into the characters and to identify with them in the everyday struggles.
Indeed, the heist crew live double lives, by day working the most mundane jobs as they cope with the challenges that families face everywhere. Their secret lives are kept from all, even their families. These are ordinary people living extraordinary lives.
As in “Ocean’s Eleven,” so in "Smith," the characters exude smoothness, quick-thinking, elan under pressure. And yet hanging over them is a sense of foreboding, like a huge sheet of plate glass with a tiny fissure we know will shoot and shatter all to bits. We, and they, the characters, just don't know when.
This sense of foreboding, along with these back stories, makes "Smith" a compelling drama. And it's helped enormously by the quality of the acting crew, led by Ray Liotta as Bobby Stevens, the gang's leader, and Virginia Madsen, who plays his wife, Hope.
By day Bobby works as a salesman but, as Hope suspects, his day job is a front for the heist ring, which specializes in high-end robberies using all the latest high-tech gadgetry. His gang includes: Jeff (Simon Baker), a weapons specialist who’s a little quick on the draw, and Annie (Amy Smart), an unpredictable queen of disguise. There’s also the just-paroled Tom (Jonny Lee Miller) and getaway driver Joe (Franky G).
Liotta, who blossomed as an actor in such movies as "GoodFellas," captures the sense of foreboding that hangs over his crew. He is cool on the surface but quick to snap.
He is the enforcer. When a team member’s gambling problem threatens their plan, Bobby takes him out to an alley and brutally beats him up. That volatility, along with Liotta’s icy stare, keeps the crew in line.
In contrast, Baker’s Jeff is a loose cannon, volatile and unpredictable. He likes the ladies. He appears easy-going. But any perceived slight is grounds for retribution. His behavior is chilling, as when he whistles a ditty as he aims and fires his rifle at a man’s head.
This contrast between slick veneer and lurking violence is heightened by the show's cinematography. Visually, "Smith" moves with the fluidity of smooth jazz. The colors are bright, easy on the eyes, the music techno-cool. It's like watching "Miami Vice” re-imagined and updated with the latest technology and the newest, coolest colors.
To be sure, tonight's premiere has a super-tense museum robbery and all the requisite fast cars and big guns one expects in a series about a gang of high-stakes criminals. The back stories at first seem almost nuisances to slow the adrenaline rush of the big caper.
But as the hour goes on, the back stories begin to grow, delivering the promise of "Smith." How well the series does will depend on how deftly those back stories are moved to the center of the drama. That's when Liotta and Madsen will deliver as actors.
[Source: Media Life]
n movies such as “Ocean’s Eleven,” the real star is the heist itself, the coming together of all the elements of an elaborate scheme according to a complex timetable, all against the uncertainly of something going wrong. Something always does, and that serves to keep the tension high.
The characters themselves are stick figures, men, or women, of action, with almost no back stories. That would slow the pace.
That makes caper stories by their nature a poor fit for television. Week after week of heists would get dull quickly.
In “Smith,” which debuts tonight at 10 on CBS, the writers have come up with a shrewd scheme to solve this problem. The heists remain at the center, but around the heists they deftly build back stories that work to draw the viewer into the characters and to identify with them in the everyday struggles.
Indeed, the heist crew live double lives, by day working the most mundane jobs as they cope with the challenges that families face everywhere. Their secret lives are kept from all, even their families. These are ordinary people living extraordinary lives.
As in “Ocean’s Eleven,” so in "Smith," the characters exude smoothness, quick-thinking, elan under pressure. And yet hanging over them is a sense of foreboding, like a huge sheet of plate glass with a tiny fissure we know will shoot and shatter all to bits. We, and they, the characters, just don't know when.
This sense of foreboding, along with these back stories, makes "Smith" a compelling drama. And it's helped enormously by the quality of the acting crew, led by Ray Liotta as Bobby Stevens, the gang's leader, and Virginia Madsen, who plays his wife, Hope.
By day Bobby works as a salesman but, as Hope suspects, his day job is a front for the heist ring, which specializes in high-end robberies using all the latest high-tech gadgetry. His gang includes: Jeff (Simon Baker), a weapons specialist who’s a little quick on the draw, and Annie (Amy Smart), an unpredictable queen of disguise. There’s also the just-paroled Tom (Jonny Lee Miller) and getaway driver Joe (Franky G).
Liotta, who blossomed as an actor in such movies as "GoodFellas," captures the sense of foreboding that hangs over his crew. He is cool on the surface but quick to snap.
He is the enforcer. When a team member’s gambling problem threatens their plan, Bobby takes him out to an alley and brutally beats him up. That volatility, along with Liotta’s icy stare, keeps the crew in line.
In contrast, Baker’s Jeff is a loose cannon, volatile and unpredictable. He likes the ladies. He appears easy-going. But any perceived slight is grounds for retribution. His behavior is chilling, as when he whistles a ditty as he aims and fires his rifle at a man’s head.
This contrast between slick veneer and lurking violence is heightened by the show's cinematography. Visually, "Smith" moves with the fluidity of smooth jazz. The colors are bright, easy on the eyes, the music techno-cool. It's like watching "Miami Vice” re-imagined and updated with the latest technology and the newest, coolest colors.
To be sure, tonight's premiere has a super-tense museum robbery and all the requisite fast cars and big guns one expects in a series about a gang of high-stakes criminals. The back stories at first seem almost nuisances to slow the adrenaline rush of the big caper.
But as the hour goes on, the back stories begin to grow, delivering the promise of "Smith." How well the series does will depend on how deftly those back stories are moved to the center of the drama. That's when Liotta and Madsen will deliver as actors.
[Source: Media Life]
Studio 60
I liked it. Kind of breezy, a little self-important, but NBC is pretty balsy for letting this show air as it is. It really doesn't let up in its criticism of network television.
The acting was good, especially Amanda Peet. The writing is great, but probably a little too clever. And it was shot exactly like The West Wing.
I'll keep watching. But I didn't love it. Yet.
The acting was good, especially Amanda Peet. The writing is great, but probably a little too clever. And it was shot exactly like The West Wing.
I'll keep watching. But I didn't love it. Yet.
BJ's in the White House again! Hollah!
"Whose life would I like to step into for the day? The president's. I could probably get some things done in the Oval Office."
-Scarlett Johansson
-Scarlett Johansson
Monday, September 18
Holy shit, he's running for President
Al Gore.
He just called for the elimination of ALL payroll taxes. The revenue will be replaced with CO2 taxes, meaning, if you pollute, you pay.
How popular is this idea going to be if he starts talking about it!? Imagine making $60,000 now. It's actually $45,000 or so. But elect Gore, and you just got a $15,000 raise.
Holy crap, Batman.
He just called for the elimination of ALL payroll taxes. The revenue will be replaced with CO2 taxes, meaning, if you pollute, you pay.
How popular is this idea going to be if he starts talking about it!? Imagine making $60,000 now. It's actually $45,000 or so. But elect Gore, and you just got a $15,000 raise.
Holy crap, Batman.
More bad news for Tom
Not only is Katie supposedly having second doubts about marrying this crazy, but he's likely to be replaced by Brad Pitt in M:I:IV or however they plan to title the next Mission: Impossible.
Sucked. Totally sucked.
That's my friend's description of The Black Dahlia.
Another friend:
"Horrible. Bad acting, cheesy dialogue, poor execution. I think they were going for the whole campy, hard case crime, 1940s feel but it was way off. Also, I no longer think Scarlett Johannson is as brilliant as everyone keeps saying."
Another friend:
"Horrible. Bad acting, cheesy dialogue, poor execution. I think they were going for the whole campy, hard case crime, 1940s feel but it was way off. Also, I no longer think Scarlett Johannson is as brilliant as everyone keeps saying."
Bruce Willis
Wow, he basically begged a journalist to write that he doesn't support the GOP! Hilarious! Glad to hear it, otherwise he was "this close" to becoming another Mel.
Studio 60 Reviews
'Studio 60,' Sorkin
stands and delivers
'West Wing' creator challenges network television
By Andrew Lyons (Media Life)
Sep 18, 2006
Here's a challenge: Create an hour-long drama in which the first minutes are given over to a character railing over how bad television has become. Then proceed with a drama that suffers none of those qualities and in fact excels at all the qualities associated with the best of television. That's a dare and a double-dare. It's an invitation to self-immolation.
Yet that the challenge Aaron Sorkin undertakes with “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” which premieres tonight at 10 on NBC. The brilliant but sometimes troubled creator of “The West Wing” and Sports Night” is challenging himself to live up to the values articulated in the impassioned speech his new series opens with.
Damn if he doesn’t succeed.
What follows that opening speech is the antithesis of everything our character decries. “Studio 60,” about a late-night comedy show, moves at a speed reminiscent of “West Wing” in its superior early years. The writing is whip-smart, with characters speaking the way we wish we could speak on our best days.
But beyond the language, Sorkin also delivers ideas. The dialogue is about ideas. One would expect that from a show about a presidential administration, and in "West Wing" those ideas were about religion, drugs, culture wars, journalism and war. Sorkin now delivers that same level of social awareness and thoughtfulness in a series about a late-night sketch show.
It is captured in the series' very first words. Wes Mendel (Judd Hirsch), the executive producer of a sketch show called “Studio 60,” is infuriated. Network executives have cut a controversial sketch. Mendel is so infuriated that he interrupts a live broadcast to deliver a Howard Beale-style tirade. In the struggle between art and commerce, “art is getting its ass kicked.” He rails against a culture in which “people are having contests to see how much they can be like Donald Trump.” He tells viewers, "We’re eating worms for money.” He lashes out about how “guys are getting killed in a war that's got theme music and a logo.”
It will be lost on no one, certainly not media people, that the network under attack is the real-life NBC. That gives “Studio 60” a unique sense of authenticity.
The series opens with Mendel being fired for his tirade. Just-hired network executive Jordan McDeere (Amanda Peet) convinces her reluctant boss Jack Rudolph (Steven Weber) to re-hire former “Studio 60” writers Matt Albie (Matthew Perry) and Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford), who were fired themselves four years earlier. Their challenge is to revive the show.
Whitford, a "West Wing" vet, is a strong Danny and he plays off Perry well. Danny has just fallen off the wagon into a pile of cocaine. He's trying to regain his bearings and his reputation.
Perry's Matt Albie is essentially Sorkin himself, and Perry captures that intensity of commitment. He's smooth, he's agile as an actor. One immediately forgets his years on "Friends."
But the real standout is Peet, best-known for playing conniving climbers. In a scene in which a late-night emergency meeting is called, all the talk is about damage control. As Jordan she warns that if they back down, folks will say that Mendel was right in his rant over bad television. She argues for taking chances, even if it means putting her career at risk.
Staking out a high moral ground on any television show is a risk-filled undertaking, and even more so when the high moral ground is about standing up for quality television. One can see the sap beginning to run from miles away.
Yet in "Studio 60" the sap doesn't run. The heavy moral risk-taking comes off as genuine as its characters. That's a huge achievement.
"Studio" is Sorkin's most ambitious undertaking yet. His challenge will be to sustain the energy and single-mindedness of episode one. But he's certainly off to a strong start.
stands and delivers
'West Wing' creator challenges network television
By Andrew Lyons (Media Life)
Sep 18, 2006
Here's a challenge: Create an hour-long drama in which the first minutes are given over to a character railing over how bad television has become. Then proceed with a drama that suffers none of those qualities and in fact excels at all the qualities associated with the best of television. That's a dare and a double-dare. It's an invitation to self-immolation.
Yet that the challenge Aaron Sorkin undertakes with “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” which premieres tonight at 10 on NBC. The brilliant but sometimes troubled creator of “The West Wing” and Sports Night” is challenging himself to live up to the values articulated in the impassioned speech his new series opens with.
Damn if he doesn’t succeed.
What follows that opening speech is the antithesis of everything our character decries. “Studio 60,” about a late-night comedy show, moves at a speed reminiscent of “West Wing” in its superior early years. The writing is whip-smart, with characters speaking the way we wish we could speak on our best days.
But beyond the language, Sorkin also delivers ideas. The dialogue is about ideas. One would expect that from a show about a presidential administration, and in "West Wing" those ideas were about religion, drugs, culture wars, journalism and war. Sorkin now delivers that same level of social awareness and thoughtfulness in a series about a late-night sketch show.
It is captured in the series' very first words. Wes Mendel (Judd Hirsch), the executive producer of a sketch show called “Studio 60,” is infuriated. Network executives have cut a controversial sketch. Mendel is so infuriated that he interrupts a live broadcast to deliver a Howard Beale-style tirade. In the struggle between art and commerce, “art is getting its ass kicked.” He rails against a culture in which “people are having contests to see how much they can be like Donald Trump.” He tells viewers, "We’re eating worms for money.” He lashes out about how “guys are getting killed in a war that's got theme music and a logo.”
It will be lost on no one, certainly not media people, that the network under attack is the real-life NBC. That gives “Studio 60” a unique sense of authenticity.
The series opens with Mendel being fired for his tirade. Just-hired network executive Jordan McDeere (Amanda Peet) convinces her reluctant boss Jack Rudolph (Steven Weber) to re-hire former “Studio 60” writers Matt Albie (Matthew Perry) and Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford), who were fired themselves four years earlier. Their challenge is to revive the show.
Whitford, a "West Wing" vet, is a strong Danny and he plays off Perry well. Danny has just fallen off the wagon into a pile of cocaine. He's trying to regain his bearings and his reputation.
Perry's Matt Albie is essentially Sorkin himself, and Perry captures that intensity of commitment. He's smooth, he's agile as an actor. One immediately forgets his years on "Friends."
But the real standout is Peet, best-known for playing conniving climbers. In a scene in which a late-night emergency meeting is called, all the talk is about damage control. As Jordan she warns that if they back down, folks will say that Mendel was right in his rant over bad television. She argues for taking chances, even if it means putting her career at risk.
Staking out a high moral ground on any television show is a risk-filled undertaking, and even more so when the high moral ground is about standing up for quality television. One can see the sap beginning to run from miles away.
Yet in "Studio 60" the sap doesn't run. The heavy moral risk-taking comes off as genuine as its characters. That's a huge achievement.
"Studio" is Sorkin's most ambitious undertaking yet. His challenge will be to sustain the energy and single-mindedness of episode one. But he's certainly off to a strong start.
How to make money....
Steve Irwin's funeral will be broadcast on Animal Planet tomorrow at 9pm. It may be 6pm on the West Coast, depending on who your cable provider is.
TV Tonight
Check out The Class on CBS at 8pm. For better or for worse, it's being hailed as The New Friends. How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, and Old Christine also premiere tonight on CBS.
Over on NBC, check out Studio 60 on Sunset Strip. I'm excited to see this one!
If you don't work, check out Megan Mullally's new daytime talk show. She's a nut, so it might have the goods.
Over on NBC, check out Studio 60 on Sunset Strip. I'm excited to see this one!
If you don't work, check out Megan Mullally's new daytime talk show. She's a nut, so it might have the goods.
Sunday, September 17
Meet the Press
I've been watching this lately. From now until the mid-term elections, Russert is having debates for key Senate and House races. Two weeks ago was Rick Sanctorum, who's an idiot, and Bob Casey, who blew him out of the water. Today was George Macaca Allen and Jim Webb. Why can't the Repubs make any sense when they debate?!
This is low-key, entertaining television. And it's important. You can see that the Republicans just want to hold on to power no matter what. Sad state of politics. But it makes for compelling television.
This is low-key, entertaining television. And it's important. You can see that the Republicans just want to hold on to power no matter what. Sad state of politics. But it makes for compelling television.
Mary Jane Drug Dealer
How good is Weeds?
I was two episodes behind and watched them last night. The love affair between Nancy and the DEA agent is turning out to be a shocker! Nice cliffhangers, and nice twists all along the way. It goes from, whoa, he's a DEA agent? to wow, they just got married? to, holy crap, he just busted her pot growing neighbors so she can own the neighborhood? Nice! Can't wait for next week's episode.
Also, I don't recall another 30 minute show with such a vast number of compelling characters. Her best friend is a nut job ("Be my friend!! Be my friend!!") with a losing-it husband and a cute, big-sized daughter. Her brother is such a bad, good guy, he's so much fun to watch! Didn't you love the way he got his nephew out of trouble with the principal? The list goes on... this show has got the goods.
I was two episodes behind and watched them last night. The love affair between Nancy and the DEA agent is turning out to be a shocker! Nice cliffhangers, and nice twists all along the way. It goes from, whoa, he's a DEA agent? to wow, they just got married? to, holy crap, he just busted her pot growing neighbors so she can own the neighborhood? Nice! Can't wait for next week's episode.
Also, I don't recall another 30 minute show with such a vast number of compelling characters. Her best friend is a nut job ("Be my friend!! Be my friend!!") with a losing-it husband and a cute, big-sized daughter. Her brother is such a bad, good guy, he's so much fun to watch! Didn't you love the way he got his nephew out of trouble with the principal? The list goes on... this show has got the goods.
Saturday, September 16
The Family Stone
I liked it, and I didn't. The acting was great, and I loved how the family used sign language all the time. It was shot more like a play than a movie, and I thought the ending was a little weird. But SJP is cute!
Grey's
From joey: What's the biggest shocker you've seen from Grey's so far?
Not one, not two, but three people we know and love--yes, three series regulars!
--are caught in bed with someone they shouldn't be! Did I just blow your mind? I think I did! And two of them are with each other! And I'm not talking about Cristina, Burke, Meredith or Derek.
Not one, not two, but three people we know and love--yes, three series regulars!
--are caught in bed with someone they shouldn't be! Did I just blow your mind? I think I did! And two of them are with each other! And I'm not talking about Cristina, Burke, Meredith or Derek.
I don't get it...
Why is it heart-wrenching?
From Kristin at E!
From elina: Do you know who Kate chooses?
Not yet. It hasn't been written yet. But I can tell you that at some point in the first four episodes, she does confess that she loves someone on the island. [Editor's note: This differs from what I said in the actual chat--sorry! I had it wrong at first.] It is one of the most heart-wrenching (in every single possible meaning of the phrase) scenes you will ever witness. Prepare to freak.
From Kristin at E!
From elina: Do you know who Kate chooses?
Not yet. It hasn't been written yet. But I can tell you that at some point in the first four episodes, she does confess that she loves someone on the island. [Editor's note: This differs from what I said in the actual chat--sorry! I had it wrong at first.] It is one of the most heart-wrenching (in every single possible meaning of the phrase) scenes you will ever witness. Prepare to freak.
Friday, September 15
Project Runway Peek
If you really, really, really wanna see those PR runway collections, head on over to Best Week Ever and take a look-see.
Don't blame me if it ruins you for the finale. You're the one who decided to click on the linky!!
Don't blame me if it ruins you for the finale. You're the one who decided to click on the linky!!
Six Feet Under
Beginning Monday, October 2 at 9pm, Bravo will premiere Six Feet Under. If you've been a regular reader of Sluts, you know that Dan and I totally love this show. Hands down, it was one of The Best television series I have ever watched. It was riveting, ground-breaking television. Granted, the version you'll see on Bravo is going to be heavily edited, but the core of the show will still be present.
Six Feet Under is Tivo-worthy, and I highly, highly suggest you watch.
Six Feet Under is Tivo-worthy, and I highly, highly suggest you watch.
I Know This Is Mean
But I can totally see my in-laws doing this:
Some people are truly clueless.
A widow rented a rotary dial telephone for 42 years, paying what her family calculates as more than $14,000 for a now outdated phone.
Some people are truly clueless.
Lost Goodies
Ian Somerhalder who played Boone, the first major characters to buy-it in season one, on the hit series LOST has come back for another go around. Only this time, it's not popping up inexplicably in someone's flashback, as you might guess. Hot off the release of his big screen horror "Pulse", the former LOST star spent a week in Hawaii working on new material for an upcoming episode of LOST which centers on the bushman-who-lost-his-way John Locke. In the episode Locke, who is still reeling from his actions in the cataclysmic season finale, begins to have visions of the young man who died to keep the hatch a secret. Boone leads Locke to a redemption of sorts and sets him off on a "kung fu" like journey to unravel yet another island mystery. Sources say this journey rivals the season one fascination with the hatch and will find John Locke squarely returning to his mysterious mysticism and McGyver-ish ways.
The opening scene of the Oct. 4 premiere will be very reminiscent of the first scene from last season's premiere, with Desmond in the hatch. In other words, you're probably going to be asking yourself, "Who's that and where the hell are we?!"
The opening scene of the Oct. 4 premiere will be very reminiscent of the first scene from last season's premiere, with Desmond in the hatch. In other words, you're probably going to be asking yourself, "Who's that and where the hell are we?!"
Thursday, September 14
Reality Check
Ahhh... I love the smell of reality!!!!!
On Rockstar: Supernova, Lukas "Skunk Boy" Rossi won. That sucked. I was totally rooting for Dilana. But whatever. Time to move on.
I haven't had time to watch Dancing With The Stars but I hear it got good ratings cuz of all the old people who tuned in.
Tonight, Survivor Cook Islands finally debuts tonight at 8 p.m. on CBS.
I also haven't had time to watch the latest installment of Project Runway but have heard rumors there was a stupid twist. Has my favorite show "jumped the shark" my friends????
On Rockstar: Supernova, Lukas "Skunk Boy" Rossi won. That sucked. I was totally rooting for Dilana. But whatever. Time to move on.
I haven't had time to watch Dancing With The Stars but I hear it got good ratings cuz of all the old people who tuned in.
Tonight, Survivor Cook Islands finally debuts tonight at 8 p.m. on CBS.
I also haven't had time to watch the latest installment of Project Runway but have heard rumors there was a stupid twist. Has my favorite show "jumped the shark" my friends????
Tuesday, September 12
EW Announces Top 50 High School Films of All Time
Why isn't Just One of the Guys further up the list???? I used to watch that, like, every week!
50. Splendor in the Grass 1961
49. Sixteen Candles 1984
48. Just One of the Guys 1985
47. Napoleon Dynamite 2004
46. Flirting 1992
45. My Bodyguard 1980
44. Can't Hardly Wait 1998
43. Stand and Deliver 1988
42. Fame 1980
41. Can't Buy Me Love 1987
40. Risky Business 1983
39. The Virgin Suicides 2000
38. Bye Bye Birdie 1963
37. Friday Night Lights 2004
36. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2005
35. Brick 2006
34. Get Real 1999
33. Hoop Dreams 1994
32. Scream 1996
31. The Karate Kid 1984
30. Bring It On 2000
29. Gregory's Girl 1982
28. Back to the Future 1985
27. To Sir, With Love 1967
26. Pretty in Pink 1986
25. Hoosiers 1986
24. Rushmore 1998
23. Cooley High 1975
22. American Pie 1999
21. Grease 1978
20. Dead Poets Society 1989
19. The Last Picture Show 1971
18. Rock 'n' Roll High School 1979
17. Peggy Sue Got Married 1986
16. Lucas 1986
15. Carrie 1976
14. Donnie Darko 2001
13. High School 1968
12. Mean Girls 2004
11. Say Anything 1989
10. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 1986
09. Election 1999
08. Boyz N the Hood 1991
07. Clueless 1995
06. American Graffiti 1973
05. Heathers 1989
04. Rebel Without A Cause 1955
03. Dazed and Confused 1993
02. Fast Times at Ridgemont High 1982
01. The Breakfast Club 1985
50. Splendor in the Grass 1961
49. Sixteen Candles 1984
48. Just One of the Guys 1985
47. Napoleon Dynamite 2004
46. Flirting 1992
45. My Bodyguard 1980
44. Can't Hardly Wait 1998
43. Stand and Deliver 1988
42. Fame 1980
41. Can't Buy Me Love 1987
40. Risky Business 1983
39. The Virgin Suicides 2000
38. Bye Bye Birdie 1963
37. Friday Night Lights 2004
36. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2005
35. Brick 2006
34. Get Real 1999
33. Hoop Dreams 1994
32. Scream 1996
31. The Karate Kid 1984
30. Bring It On 2000
29. Gregory's Girl 1982
28. Back to the Future 1985
27. To Sir, With Love 1967
26. Pretty in Pink 1986
25. Hoosiers 1986
24. Rushmore 1998
23. Cooley High 1975
22. American Pie 1999
21. Grease 1978
20. Dead Poets Society 1989
19. The Last Picture Show 1971
18. Rock 'n' Roll High School 1979
17. Peggy Sue Got Married 1986
16. Lucas 1986
15. Carrie 1976
14. Donnie Darko 2001
13. High School 1968
12. Mean Girls 2004
11. Say Anything 1989
10. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 1986
09. Election 1999
08. Boyz N the Hood 1991
07. Clueless 1995
06. American Graffiti 1973
05. Heathers 1989
04. Rebel Without A Cause 1955
03. Dazed and Confused 1993
02. Fast Times at Ridgemont High 1982
01. The Breakfast Club 1985
Here's Something Worth Your Time
Wow. I am pretty much speechless after reading this transcript taken from Keith Olberman's Special Comment on Bush on last night's MSNBC.
Well worth reading and definitely gives you much to ponder.
Well worth reading and definitely gives you much to ponder.
Why can't one of these Republicans be President?
Playboy did a poll of its readers....
36 percent of its readers are Republicans compared to 25 percent Democrat, 25 percent independent and 14 percent other parties.
72 percent of Playboy readers favor stem cell research compared with 61 percent of the non-reader group sampled.
Half of Playboy's readers oppose a ban on gay marriage, double the number in the non-reader group.
36 percent of its readers are Republicans compared to 25 percent Democrat, 25 percent independent and 14 percent other parties.
72 percent of Playboy readers favor stem cell research compared with 61 percent of the non-reader group sampled.
Half of Playboy's readers oppose a ban on gay marriage, double the number in the non-reader group.
Reality Tonight & Sunday
Tonight at 8pm, ABC kicks off the third season of Dancing with the Stars 3, which features 11 celebrities and 11 actual dancers, some of whom are endorsed by actual politicians with nothing better to do with their time. (yup... got it on the season pass!)
During the second hour of dancing celebrities, CBS will air Rock Star: Supernova, which will take a little bit longer to exit the stage. Tonight, its two-part finale begins with the final performance show at 9 p.m. Tomorrow night, the winner will be announced at 8 p.m. ET—or, more correctly, probably around 8:50, knowing the way they pad these finales. (okay!!! who are you rooting for?????)
Sunday night at 8:30 the new season of Amazing Race premieres. (definitely on the season pass!!!) Don't miss this show. It truly is one of the best "reality" type shows out there!!
During the second hour of dancing celebrities, CBS will air Rock Star: Supernova, which will take a little bit longer to exit the stage. Tonight, its two-part finale begins with the final performance show at 9 p.m. Tomorrow night, the winner will be announced at 8 p.m. ET—or, more correctly, probably around 8:50, knowing the way they pad these finales. (okay!!! who are you rooting for?????)
Sunday night at 8:30 the new season of Amazing Race premieres. (definitely on the season pass!!!) Don't miss this show. It truly is one of the best "reality" type shows out there!!
The Inside Man
All right. This movie was a little too confusing for me. Loved the way it was shot. Loved the music Spike Lee used. Thought the acting was fantastic, especially Jodi Foster. Thought the story was a good idea. But the ending didn't do anything for me, mainly because I had no idea who helped who or who crossed who. I'd give it a B.
Pop Quiz
What do Charlie Grace, Family Affair, Nothing Sacred, Threat Matrix, Tru Calling, Vengeance Unlimited and Gilmore Girls have in common?
LOST Spoilers
oooh... this stuff is getting good!!!! only 22 more days until the season premiere (only 15 to "A Tale of Survival")!!!!
Special: Lost - A Tale of Survival
Airdate: September 27, 2006
Feeling lost? Having a hard time keeping up with what’s happening on the island? ABC has the remedy for what ails you by inviting both new and avid “Lost” viewers to take an insider’s look at the most talked about, critically acclaimed show on television. “Lost: A Tale of Survival” will explore the series in a way that will bring new viewers up to date, but which current viewers will also find illuminating. From the back stories of some of the most compelling characters on television to the mysteries of the island, “Lost: A Tale of Survival” will provide an insightful glimpse into the lives of the survivors of Oceanic Airlines flight 815.
Episode 3.01: A Tale of Two Cities (Jack-centric)
Airdate: October 4, 2006
[The first episode is Jack-centric not Kate-centric.] We'll see more of why he feels so guilty about his dad. Jack is in a glass enclosure, and will be interacting a lot with a character we haven't yet seen. Kate is in an examining room, and will be interacting with a character we know!
General Spoiler
I can tell you that at some point in the first four episodes, [Kate] does confess that she loves someone on the island. It is one of the most heart-wrenching (in every single possible meaning of the phrase “heart-wrenching”) scenes you will ever see. [Ian Somerhalder will likely appear in a flashback as he was on the set not too long ago practicing lines with Terry O'Quinn.] Despite what Rodrigo Santoro said in that interview with a Brazilian newspaper, [he] actually appears very early on this season, and he will be one-half of the one of the hottest couples I think I’ve ever seen on television. [Kiele and Rodrigo will be some of the survivors who have been living in the background for 2 seasons. Elizabeth Mitchell's character] is not a plane crash survivor. She is a woman. She is romantically linked to someone we already know, and could be romantically linked to a second someone we know.
Special: Lost - A Tale of Survival
Airdate: September 27, 2006
Feeling lost? Having a hard time keeping up with what’s happening on the island? ABC has the remedy for what ails you by inviting both new and avid “Lost” viewers to take an insider’s look at the most talked about, critically acclaimed show on television. “Lost: A Tale of Survival” will explore the series in a way that will bring new viewers up to date, but which current viewers will also find illuminating. From the back stories of some of the most compelling characters on television to the mysteries of the island, “Lost: A Tale of Survival” will provide an insightful glimpse into the lives of the survivors of Oceanic Airlines flight 815.
Episode 3.01: A Tale of Two Cities (Jack-centric)
Airdate: October 4, 2006
[The first episode is Jack-centric not Kate-centric.] We'll see more of why he feels so guilty about his dad. Jack is in a glass enclosure, and will be interacting a lot with a character we haven't yet seen. Kate is in an examining room, and will be interacting with a character we know!
General Spoiler
I can tell you that at some point in the first four episodes, [Kate] does confess that she loves someone on the island. It is one of the most heart-wrenching (in every single possible meaning of the phrase “heart-wrenching”) scenes you will ever see. [Ian Somerhalder will likely appear in a flashback as he was on the set not too long ago practicing lines with Terry O'Quinn.] Despite what Rodrigo Santoro said in that interview with a Brazilian newspaper, [he] actually appears very early on this season, and he will be one-half of the one of the hottest couples I think I’ve ever seen on television. [Kiele and Rodrigo will be some of the survivors who have been living in the background for 2 seasons. Elizabeth Mitchell's character] is not a plane crash survivor. She is a woman. She is romantically linked to someone we already know, and could be romantically linked to a second someone we know.
Monday, September 11
ThinkProgress Update
I received this email today. If you went to their website and signed the petition, chances are you received the email as well. Thanks to those who helped. I really think it made a difference!
As a former Counsel to the 9/11 Commission, I am struck by how far we have come since September 11, 2001 – and by how far we must still go to meet the threats we face.
Today is a day to remember those who have died and those who have risked their lives. It is also a day for reflection about the events that led up to the attacks and sober examination of the steps our government has taken since the attacks. An honest exploration of our policies, past and present, will best protect America in the future.
In the last week, we asked for your help to pressure ABC to fix their inaccurate, partisan mini-series called "The Path to 9/11." ABC aired the first of two parts last night.
Our team reviewed the first half of the program as it aired, and your efforts led to several problematic elements being fixed:
- In its advertising to promote the film, ABC stopped making the claim that the film was "based on the 9/11 Commission Report."
- An extended disclaimer ran both before and after the film explaining that the movie contains "fictionalized scenes."
- A key fabricated scene falsely depicting Clinton National Security Adviser Samuel Berger that had been included in earlier copies of the movie was substantially cut back.
The buzz your efforts created in the press also led to significant victories:
- ABC's educational distribution partner, Scholastic, significantly revised materials they planned to send to 100,000 high school teachers, incorporating the controversy as part of their teaching tools.
- ABC's Internet distribution partner, Apple, has apparently abandoned plans to make the movie available for free on iTunes.
More broadly, our efforts to fight for the truth will permanently be linked to this ABC project. Hundreds of newspapers and television reports described the inaccuracies that were part of the initial version of the movie.
Thanks to all of you who helped make this possible. Together with historians, experts, former government officials, 9/11 Commissioners and staff, the voices of hundreds of thousands of Americans helped stop some of the most egregious problems with "The Path to 9/11." Had it not been for our efforts, a far worse movie would have aired and the news media would not have provided an appropriate review of the film.
Of course, one serious problem remains: ABC's decision to present a fictionalized, partisan view of history that is inconsistent with the findings of the 9/11 Commission. By misleading the nation about the real path to 9/11 and our subsequent national security failures, ABC has abused the public's trust and done a disservice to its viewers.
In the days and weeks ahead, the Center for American Progress Action Fund pledges to continue our honest analysis and exploration of the policies that will best protect America in the future. To help in that effort, we ask one more thing of you: Take a moment to review the real 9/11 Commission Report – and ask your friends and family to take a look at it too. You can read it online
Understanding the real path to 9/11 is critical to protecting our country against the dangers that lie ahead.
Thank you,
Peter Rundlet
Vice President for National Security and International Policy, Center for American Progress Action Fund
For the latest on the ABC movie and other developments, visit our blog:ThinkProgress.org
The Golden Rule
From Media Orchard:
We seem to focus so much on our differences. But how different are we, really? No matter our religious traditions -- whether we choose to worship 100 gods or none -- doesn't it all come down to how we treat one another? And don't we all know the right way, inherently? The rest is artifice and rationalization.
From the writings of the major world religions:
--
Christianity
"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
Jesus, Matthew 7:12, NIV
--
Islam
"Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourselves."
The Prophet Muhammad, Hadith
--
Judaism
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary."
Hillel, Talmud, Shabbath 31A
--
Hinduism
"This is the sum of your duty: Do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you."
Mahabharata 5:1517
--
Buddhism
"Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful."
The Buddha, Udana-Varga 5.18
--
If only we realized how tall we could stand on common ground.
We seem to focus so much on our differences. But how different are we, really? No matter our religious traditions -- whether we choose to worship 100 gods or none -- doesn't it all come down to how we treat one another? And don't we all know the right way, inherently? The rest is artifice and rationalization.
From the writings of the major world religions:
--
Christianity
"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
Jesus, Matthew 7:12, NIV
--
Islam
"Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourselves."
The Prophet Muhammad, Hadith
--
Judaism
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary."
Hillel, Talmud, Shabbath 31A
--
Hinduism
"This is the sum of your duty: Do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you."
Mahabharata 5:1517
--
Buddhism
"Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful."
The Buddha, Udana-Varga 5.18
--
If only we realized how tall we could stand on common ground.
Nine Ways to Commemorate 9/11
--Lifted from Media Orchard
If you're like us, when an anniversary as important as 9/11 approaches, you want to do something, but you're not sure what. So as often as not, you just spend the day like any other.
Here are nine suggestions for commemorating 9/11 that may help you reconnect with that terrible day, as well as some of the valuable lessons it taught us (if in some cases we've already forgotten them):
1. Fly an American flag. Outside your door, on your lawn, or on your car. It's the one symbol that binds us, and we're all in this together.
2. Take time to reflect on the loved ones you have lost during your lifetime. Think about how much they meant to you; it will help you relate better to the emotions of the 9/11 victims' families -- as well as the families of all those who have died in war and terror in 9/11's wake.
3. Treat people the way you did in the days immediately after the 9/11 attacks. Don't honk your horn in traffic. Smile and say "good morning" to strangers you pass on the street. Call your friends and relatives just to tell them you care about them.
4. Listen at least twice as much as you talk. If you have a disagreement or confrontation with someone -- over politics, religion, work or relationship issues, sports, you name it -- try this exercise. Count it off in your head if you need to. Listening is learning; talking isn't.
5. Don't watch the major cable news channels. They simplify issues and stoke divisiveness to attract ratings; they're about the heat of ego rather than the light of reason. If 9/11 taught us anything, it's that the world needs more light and less heat.
6. Don't listen to talk radio. Same reason.
7. Don't read political blogs. Ditto.
8. Read the 9/11 Commission Report. We can best pay tribute to those lost, to those fighting, and to our own children by accepting our duty to be an informed citizenry. As Lee Hamilton says well, "In a democracy, public misperceptions carry an enormous cost."
9. Finally, read the Bill of Rights. Consider it carefully, savoring every word
If you're like us, when an anniversary as important as 9/11 approaches, you want to do something, but you're not sure what. So as often as not, you just spend the day like any other.
Here are nine suggestions for commemorating 9/11 that may help you reconnect with that terrible day, as well as some of the valuable lessons it taught us (if in some cases we've already forgotten them):
1. Fly an American flag. Outside your door, on your lawn, or on your car. It's the one symbol that binds us, and we're all in this together.
2. Take time to reflect on the loved ones you have lost during your lifetime. Think about how much they meant to you; it will help you relate better to the emotions of the 9/11 victims' families -- as well as the families of all those who have died in war and terror in 9/11's wake.
3. Treat people the way you did in the days immediately after the 9/11 attacks. Don't honk your horn in traffic. Smile and say "good morning" to strangers you pass on the street. Call your friends and relatives just to tell them you care about them.
4. Listen at least twice as much as you talk. If you have a disagreement or confrontation with someone -- over politics, religion, work or relationship issues, sports, you name it -- try this exercise. Count it off in your head if you need to. Listening is learning; talking isn't.
5. Don't watch the major cable news channels. They simplify issues and stoke divisiveness to attract ratings; they're about the heat of ego rather than the light of reason. If 9/11 taught us anything, it's that the world needs more light and less heat.
6. Don't listen to talk radio. Same reason.
7. Don't read political blogs. Ditto.
8. Read the 9/11 Commission Report. We can best pay tribute to those lost, to those fighting, and to our own children by accepting our duty to be an informed citizenry. As Lee Hamilton says well, "In a democracy, public misperceptions carry an enormous cost."
9. Finally, read the Bill of Rights. Consider it carefully, savoring every word
Anna Nicole Smith
Her 20 year old son, Daniel, died yesterday in the Bahamas. No news on how it happened. This comes just 3 days after she gave birth to a daughter. Such a happy/tragic circumstance. I feel bad for her. Can you imagine?
Survivor News
From Jeff Probst:
-"We have three love connections of varying degrees, one of which is the strangest love affair we've ever had on Survivor, and I would argue that you've ever seen on any reality show."
-"We have a record number of blindsides at tribal council."
-"We have more fish caught this season than any of our past 12 seasons. And we have octopus that are caught."
-"There's a turning point midway in the show that rocks it in such a beautiful way."
I always keep Survivor on a season pass, but the above tidbits are enough to make me look forward to the new season as well!
-"We have three love connections of varying degrees, one of which is the strangest love affair we've ever had on Survivor, and I would argue that you've ever seen on any reality show."
-"We have a record number of blindsides at tribal council."
-"We have more fish caught this season than any of our past 12 seasons. And we have octopus that are caught."
-"There's a turning point midway in the show that rocks it in such a beautiful way."
I always keep Survivor on a season pass, but the above tidbits are enough to make me look forward to the new season as well!
Saturday, September 9
It's Kinda Like Paypal... But For Phone Numbers
Ran across this today and it's certainly an interesting concept, especially if you have concerns about privacy. Worth a look-see.
Friday, September 8
Scissor Sisters
The Times of London loves the new album. Still waiting for Jen's review:
"In Britain we expect a certain amount of camp from our entertainers — and yet it’s hard to imagine that there might have been a British Scissor Sisters, a band who understood the straight-up disco potential in covering Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb for their debut single. Being out about your sexuality is one thing, but such is the lingering tribalism left by punk’s year-zero approach, that being out about the unholy triumvirate of 1970s genres — soft-rock, beard-rock and disco — is another thing entirely...If Scissor Sisters have felt any kind of pressure to extend the run of hits spawned by their first album, you wouldn’t know it by listening to this guileless, celebratory record. Might Tell You Tonight is a cry for a home where new love waits for the first time, allied to an industrially adhesive chorus."
"In Britain we expect a certain amount of camp from our entertainers — and yet it’s hard to imagine that there might have been a British Scissor Sisters, a band who understood the straight-up disco potential in covering Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb for their debut single. Being out about your sexuality is one thing, but such is the lingering tribalism left by punk’s year-zero approach, that being out about the unholy triumvirate of 1970s genres — soft-rock, beard-rock and disco — is another thing entirely...If Scissor Sisters have felt any kind of pressure to extend the run of hits spawned by their first album, you wouldn’t know it by listening to this guileless, celebratory record. Might Tell You Tonight is a cry for a home where new love waits for the first time, allied to an industrially adhesive chorus."
Chicago Sun Says That "The Path to 9/11" is worse than, well, just about every other TV movie ever made
And that's not sayin' much. Here goes (and, by the way, the review's so bad that it's bad before the review even starts!!!):
Critic's rating: Zero stars
I once sat in a car forever waiting for my mom to come out of a grocery store. I thought that was the definition of "interminable." I had no idea "The Path to 9/11" was in my future.
This is what happens during 4 1/2 lonnnng hours of "Path." Terrorists talk about killing Americans for Allah. FBI and other security officials try to track them but fail. 9/11 happens.
You don't say.
This is the most anticlimactic, tension-free movie in the history of terrorist TV.
It's hard to fathom a brouhaha brewed over such a bore. ABC has received tens of thousands of letters -- including one from Bill Clinton's office -- insisting "Path" is wildly inaccurate and should not air. But ABC still plans to air the two-part movie.
Controversy could boost viewership, except "Path" is the dullest, worst-shot TV movie since ABC's disastrous "Ten Commandments" remake. It substitutes shaky handheld cameras and dumb dialogue for craftsmanship. It could not be more amateurish or poorly constructed unless someone had forgotten to light the sets.
An appalling secondary concern is the tone makes almost every pre-9/11 American look like a fool.
Look, there's a security guard yawning while terrorists plant the 1993 bomb at the World Trade Center. How dare a security guard work while tired.
Oh, hey, there's an airline agent checking in a 9/11 terrorist even though he has a carry-on bag. Stupid airline agents.
Excuse us all, writer Cyrus Nowrasteh and director David L. Cunningham, for not acting like Hitler Youth in the glory days before ordinary Americans knew commercial planes could be turned into missiles.
Idiots.
Cheap emotions are on orange alert. Of all the people who died in the 1993 attack, who does the camera focus on? Ding-ding-ding, you are a winner if you said "a pregnant woman rubbing her belly."
Harvey Keitel and Donnie Wahlberg portray key U.S. agents who give canny speeches about how they can't take out Osama bin Laden because politicians and high-ranking officials balk at giving them the OK. This is the big lie around which other lies scurry, according to both Republican and Democratic policy experts.
If you read some of the investigations into 9/11, you realize fault spreads far and wide, from FBI and CIA agents to politicians of both parties. "Path" depicts most of these Americans as villainous morons, rather than as flawed people committing errors.
The film uses composite characters and ignores some real players. A section centering on Yemen is laughable to anyone who read Lawrence Wright's recent New Yorker piece on Ali Soufan, who was the only Arabic-speaking FBI agent in New York. He was this close to busting the terrorists but got stonewalled by CIA agents who didn't share information.
Soufan was a pivotal point man on the path to 9/11. He is not a character in "The Path to 9/11."
Ground Zero is a sobering soil worthy of facts, not flimsy fiction. The victims of 9/11 deserve 2,996 times more careful and compelling filmmaking than what Nowrasteh, Cunningham and ABC have bored together. They are bearing false witness to the memory of the fallen.
Doug Elfman
Critic's rating: Zero stars
I once sat in a car forever waiting for my mom to come out of a grocery store. I thought that was the definition of "interminable." I had no idea "The Path to 9/11" was in my future.
This is what happens during 4 1/2 lonnnng hours of "Path." Terrorists talk about killing Americans for Allah. FBI and other security officials try to track them but fail. 9/11 happens.
You don't say.
This is the most anticlimactic, tension-free movie in the history of terrorist TV.
It's hard to fathom a brouhaha brewed over such a bore. ABC has received tens of thousands of letters -- including one from Bill Clinton's office -- insisting "Path" is wildly inaccurate and should not air. But ABC still plans to air the two-part movie.
Controversy could boost viewership, except "Path" is the dullest, worst-shot TV movie since ABC's disastrous "Ten Commandments" remake. It substitutes shaky handheld cameras and dumb dialogue for craftsmanship. It could not be more amateurish or poorly constructed unless someone had forgotten to light the sets.
An appalling secondary concern is the tone makes almost every pre-9/11 American look like a fool.
Look, there's a security guard yawning while terrorists plant the 1993 bomb at the World Trade Center. How dare a security guard work while tired.
Oh, hey, there's an airline agent checking in a 9/11 terrorist even though he has a carry-on bag. Stupid airline agents.
Excuse us all, writer Cyrus Nowrasteh and director David L. Cunningham, for not acting like Hitler Youth in the glory days before ordinary Americans knew commercial planes could be turned into missiles.
Idiots.
Cheap emotions are on orange alert. Of all the people who died in the 1993 attack, who does the camera focus on? Ding-ding-ding, you are a winner if you said "a pregnant woman rubbing her belly."
Harvey Keitel and Donnie Wahlberg portray key U.S. agents who give canny speeches about how they can't take out Osama bin Laden because politicians and high-ranking officials balk at giving them the OK. This is the big lie around which other lies scurry, according to both Republican and Democratic policy experts.
If you read some of the investigations into 9/11, you realize fault spreads far and wide, from FBI and CIA agents to politicians of both parties. "Path" depicts most of these Americans as villainous morons, rather than as flawed people committing errors.
The film uses composite characters and ignores some real players. A section centering on Yemen is laughable to anyone who read Lawrence Wright's recent New Yorker piece on Ali Soufan, who was the only Arabic-speaking FBI agent in New York. He was this close to busting the terrorists but got stonewalled by CIA agents who didn't share information.
Soufan was a pivotal point man on the path to 9/11. He is not a character in "The Path to 9/11."
Ground Zero is a sobering soil worthy of facts, not flimsy fiction. The victims of 9/11 deserve 2,996 times more careful and compelling filmmaking than what Nowrasteh, Cunningham and ABC have bored together. They are bearing false witness to the memory of the fallen.
Doug Elfman
Fall TV Preview from E!
Check it out, if you want to know what to watch. VERY comprehensive.
CLICK HERE
(once again... Jen here... fixing Dan's links......)
CLICK HERE
(once again... Jen here... fixing Dan's links......)
Tom DeLay leaves Congress for more important ventures
WTF! Tom DeLay sent out a mass e-mail to his supporters urging them watch "Dancing With the Stars" and to vote for country singer Sara Evans, who "represents good American values."
Why?! This is like Bill Clinton reminding me to TiVo the Real World reunion.
Why?! This is like Bill Clinton reminding me to TiVo the Real World reunion.
First of all, that's the worst English I've ever seen
"I mean Cuban, Puerto-Rican, they are all very hot. They have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it."
-Arnold Schwartzenegger
-Arnold Schwartzenegger
Hi, I'm a Mac
"Apple has issued a recall on several models of Mac laptops because the battery can overheat and catch fire. Experts say a Mac fire is just like a PC fire, except it's more hip and condescending."
---Conan O'Brien
---Conan O'Brien
Jay Leno says something funny
"Over in England Prime Minister Tony Blair has decided he will step down in May. Looks like President Bush has toppled another foreign government."
Thursday, September 7
Best Al Franken Quote Ever
Refering to the new Disney 911 movie:
"He said they would be paying particular attention to the scene where Bill Clinton and Osama bin laden do lines of coke on Madeline Albright's chest."
"He said they would be paying particular attention to the scene where Bill Clinton and Osama bin laden do lines of coke on Madeline Albright's chest."
Karl Rove is an admitted atheist, but is he actually a voodoo doctor?
This is just weird.
NY Daily News: Her head didn't spin around, but Sen. Hillary Clinton was momentarily tongue-tied when a reporter asked what she made of Bush adviser Karl Rove bringing in three Catholic priests to cast her evil spirit from her old West Wing office - as reported in the new Rove bio, "The Architect." After a long pause, Clinton could say only: "I'm speechless." Asked if she thought it was time for a new exorcism in the White House, the possible presidential candidate laughed uncomfortably and said, "Ah ... let's talk about the American automobile [industry]," which is what she'd been discussing before Rove's name came up. ...
NY Daily News: Her head didn't spin around, but Sen. Hillary Clinton was momentarily tongue-tied when a reporter asked what she made of Bush adviser Karl Rove bringing in three Catholic priests to cast her evil spirit from her old West Wing office - as reported in the new Rove bio, "The Architect." After a long pause, Clinton could say only: "I'm speechless." Asked if she thought it was time for a new exorcism in the White House, the possible presidential candidate laughed uncomfortably and said, "Ah ... let's talk about the American automobile [industry]," which is what she'd been discussing before Rove's name came up. ...
Disney's in major trouble if Dems take control of Congress
The Dems laid out a not-so-thinly-veiled threat to take away ABC's free public broadcasting license. Ouch. Bye-bye ABC.
September 7, 2006
Mr. Robert A. Iger
President and CEO
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank CA 91521
Dear Mr. Iger,
We write with serious concerns about the planned upcoming broadcast of The Path to 9/11 mini-series on September 10 and 11. Countless reports from experts on 9/11 who have viewed the program indicate numerous and serious inaccuracies that will undoubtedly serve to misinform the American people about the tragic events surrounding the terrible attacks of that day. Furthermore, the manner in which this program has been developed, funded, and advertised suggests a partisan bent unbecoming of a major company like Disney and a major and well respected news organization like ABC. We therefore urge you to cancel this broadcast to cease Disney's plans to use it as a teaching tool in schools across America through Scholastic. Presenting such deeply flawed and factually inaccurate misinformation to the American public and to children would be a gross miscarriage of your corporate and civic responsibility to the law, to your shareholders, and to the nation.
The Communications Act of 1934 provides your network with a free broadcast license predicated on the fundamental understanding of your principle obligation to act as a trustee of the public airwaves in serving the public interest. Nowhere is this public interest obligation more apparent than in the duty of broadcasters to serve the civic needs of a democracy by promoting an open and accurate discussion of political ideas and events.
Disney and ABC claim this program to be based on the 9/11 Commission Report and are using that assertion as part of the promotional campaign for it. The 9/11 Commission is the most respected American authority on the 9/11 attacks, and association with it carries a special responsibility. Indeed, the very events themselves on 9/11, so tragic as they were, demand extreme care by any who attempt to use those events as part of an entertainment or educational program. To quote Steve McPhereson, president of ABC Entertainment, "When you take on the responsibility of telling the story behind such an important event, it is absolutely critical that you get it right."
Unfortunately, it appears Disney and ABC got it totally wrong.
Despite claims by your network¹s representatives that The Path to 9/11 is based on the report of the 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Commissioners themselves, as well as other experts on the issues, disagree.
* Richard Ben-Veniste, speaking for himself and fellow 9/11 Commissioners who recently viewed the program, said, "As we were watching, we were trying to think how they could have misinterpreted the 9/11 Commission's findings the way that they had." ["9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased," New York Times, September 6, 2006]
* Richard Clarke, the former counter-terrorism czar, and a national security advisor to ABC has described the program as "deeply flawed" and said of the program's depiction of a Clinton official hanging up on an intelligence agent, "It's 180 degrees from what happened." ["9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased," New York Times, September 6, 2006]
* Reports suggest that an FBI agent who worked on 9/11 and served as a consultant to ABC on this program quit halfway through because, "he thought they were making things up." [MSNBC, September 7, 2006]
* Even Thomas Kean, who serves as a paid consultant to the miniseries, has admitted that scenes in the film are fictionalized. ["9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased," New York Times, September 6, 2006]
That Disney would seek to broadcast an admittedly and proven false recounting of the events of 9/11 raises serious questions about the motivations of its creators and those who approved the deeply flawed program. Finally, that Disney plans to air commercial-free a program that reportedly cost it $40 million to produce serves to add fuel to these concerns.
These concerns are made all the more pressing by the political leaning of and the public statements made by the writer/producer of this miniseries, Mr. Cyrus Nowrasteh, in promoting this miniseries across conservative blogs and talk shows.
Frankly, that ABC and Disney would consider airing a program that could be construed as right-wing political propaganda on such a grave and important event involving the security of our nation is a discredit both to the Disney brand and to the legacy of honesty built at ABC by honorable individuals from David Brinkley to Peter Jennings. Furthermore, that Disney would seek to use Scholastic to promote this misguided programming to American children as a substitute for factual information is a disgrace.
As 9/11 Commission member Jamie Gorelick said, "It is critically important to the safety of our nation that our citizens, and particularly our school children, understand what actually happened and why so that we can proceed from a common understanding of what went wrong and act with unity to make our country safer."
Should Disney allow this programming to proceed as planned, the factual record, millions of viewers, countless schoolchildren, and the reputation of Disney as a corporation worthy of the trust of the American people and the United States Congress will be deeply damaged. We urge you, after full consideration of the facts, to uphold your responsibilities as a respected member of American society and as a beneficiary of the free use of the public airwaves to cancel this factually inaccurate and deeply misguided program. We look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Sincerely,
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid
Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin
Senator Debbie Stabenow
Senator Charles Schumer
Senator Byron Dorgan
September 7, 2006
Mr. Robert A. Iger
President and CEO
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank CA 91521
Dear Mr. Iger,
We write with serious concerns about the planned upcoming broadcast of The Path to 9/11 mini-series on September 10 and 11. Countless reports from experts on 9/11 who have viewed the program indicate numerous and serious inaccuracies that will undoubtedly serve to misinform the American people about the tragic events surrounding the terrible attacks of that day. Furthermore, the manner in which this program has been developed, funded, and advertised suggests a partisan bent unbecoming of a major company like Disney and a major and well respected news organization like ABC. We therefore urge you to cancel this broadcast to cease Disney's plans to use it as a teaching tool in schools across America through Scholastic. Presenting such deeply flawed and factually inaccurate misinformation to the American public and to children would be a gross miscarriage of your corporate and civic responsibility to the law, to your shareholders, and to the nation.
The Communications Act of 1934 provides your network with a free broadcast license predicated on the fundamental understanding of your principle obligation to act as a trustee of the public airwaves in serving the public interest. Nowhere is this public interest obligation more apparent than in the duty of broadcasters to serve the civic needs of a democracy by promoting an open and accurate discussion of political ideas and events.
Disney and ABC claim this program to be based on the 9/11 Commission Report and are using that assertion as part of the promotional campaign for it. The 9/11 Commission is the most respected American authority on the 9/11 attacks, and association with it carries a special responsibility. Indeed, the very events themselves on 9/11, so tragic as they were, demand extreme care by any who attempt to use those events as part of an entertainment or educational program. To quote Steve McPhereson, president of ABC Entertainment, "When you take on the responsibility of telling the story behind such an important event, it is absolutely critical that you get it right."
Unfortunately, it appears Disney and ABC got it totally wrong.
Despite claims by your network¹s representatives that The Path to 9/11 is based on the report of the 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Commissioners themselves, as well as other experts on the issues, disagree.
* Richard Ben-Veniste, speaking for himself and fellow 9/11 Commissioners who recently viewed the program, said, "As we were watching, we were trying to think how they could have misinterpreted the 9/11 Commission's findings the way that they had." ["9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased," New York Times, September 6, 2006]
* Richard Clarke, the former counter-terrorism czar, and a national security advisor to ABC has described the program as "deeply flawed" and said of the program's depiction of a Clinton official hanging up on an intelligence agent, "It's 180 degrees from what happened." ["9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased," New York Times, September 6, 2006]
* Reports suggest that an FBI agent who worked on 9/11 and served as a consultant to ABC on this program quit halfway through because, "he thought they were making things up." [MSNBC, September 7, 2006]
* Even Thomas Kean, who serves as a paid consultant to the miniseries, has admitted that scenes in the film are fictionalized. ["9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased," New York Times, September 6, 2006]
That Disney would seek to broadcast an admittedly and proven false recounting of the events of 9/11 raises serious questions about the motivations of its creators and those who approved the deeply flawed program. Finally, that Disney plans to air commercial-free a program that reportedly cost it $40 million to produce serves to add fuel to these concerns.
These concerns are made all the more pressing by the political leaning of and the public statements made by the writer/producer of this miniseries, Mr. Cyrus Nowrasteh, in promoting this miniseries across conservative blogs and talk shows.
Frankly, that ABC and Disney would consider airing a program that could be construed as right-wing political propaganda on such a grave and important event involving the security of our nation is a discredit both to the Disney brand and to the legacy of honesty built at ABC by honorable individuals from David Brinkley to Peter Jennings. Furthermore, that Disney would seek to use Scholastic to promote this misguided programming to American children as a substitute for factual information is a disgrace.
As 9/11 Commission member Jamie Gorelick said, "It is critically important to the safety of our nation that our citizens, and particularly our school children, understand what actually happened and why so that we can proceed from a common understanding of what went wrong and act with unity to make our country safer."
Should Disney allow this programming to proceed as planned, the factual record, millions of viewers, countless schoolchildren, and the reputation of Disney as a corporation worthy of the trust of the American people and the United States Congress will be deeply damaged. We urge you, after full consideration of the facts, to uphold your responsibilities as a respected member of American society and as a beneficiary of the free use of the public airwaves to cancel this factually inaccurate and deeply misguided program. We look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Sincerely,
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid
Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin
Senator Debbie Stabenow
Senator Charles Schumer
Senator Byron Dorgan
Suri Conspiracy Theory
From SocialiteLife.com:
The story goes that when Katie Holmes split with her exboyfriend Chris Klein in March 2005, she may or may not have realized she was pregnant with his baby. She started dating Tom in April, 2005, and according to this tale, when Tom found out she was expecting, he not only didn't MIND , but he insisted on taking credit for the pregnancy. They abruptly got engaged in June 2005. Since the baby was scheduled to be born too soon into their relationship, Tom and Katie faked the birth date. She actually gave birth months EARLIER than the announced birth. She wore padding for the last few months after the REAL birth, and made sure she was photographed. In case you don't remember, Suri's announced April 18 birth was oddly undocumented - there were no hospital records or specifics. Where WAS Suri born? Tom and Katie didn't want their baby photographed because it would be apparent that Suri wasn't newborn. After a few months it's not so easy to recognize a baby's exact age. Have you noticed that Suri has uniquely slanted eyes like Chris Klein?
The story goes that when Katie Holmes split with her exboyfriend Chris Klein in March 2005, she may or may not have realized she was pregnant with his baby. She started dating Tom in April, 2005, and according to this tale, when Tom found out she was expecting, he not only didn't MIND , but he insisted on taking credit for the pregnancy. They abruptly got engaged in June 2005. Since the baby was scheduled to be born too soon into their relationship, Tom and Katie faked the birth date. She actually gave birth months EARLIER than the announced birth. She wore padding for the last few months after the REAL birth, and made sure she was photographed. In case you don't remember, Suri's announced April 18 birth was oddly undocumented - there were no hospital records or specifics. Where WAS Suri born? Tom and Katie didn't want their baby photographed because it would be apparent that Suri wasn't newborn. After a few months it's not so easy to recognize a baby's exact age. Have you noticed that Suri has uniquely slanted eyes like Chris Klein?
New Bush Poll
I'm trying to tell people this country is changing, it's just the politicians that aren't (yet). MyDD.com, discussing a new CBS poll, has the proof:
"Far more humorously and tellingly, when it came to what people liked most about the Bush Presidency, "Don't Know" was the clear winner at 34%, and "Nothing" was a strong second at 19%. "Handling of terrorism" was third at 11%, down from 48% in January of 2002. Handling of Iraq came in a distant fourth at 4%."
No one fucking likes our President. No one. By the way, it seems like this poll proves that Americans also have a sense of humor.
"Far more humorously and tellingly, when it came to what people liked most about the Bush Presidency, "Don't Know" was the clear winner at 34%, and "Nothing" was a strong second at 19%. "Handling of terrorism" was third at 11%, down from 48% in January of 2002. Handling of Iraq came in a distant fourth at 4%."
No one fucking likes our President. No one. By the way, it seems like this poll proves that Americans also have a sense of humor.
Betting on the Oscars
25 weeks to go, and Moviecitynews.com is already placing bets. Top 10:
-Flags of Our Fathers (!!)
-Dreamgirls (!!!)
-Babel
-The Good German
-The Queen
-Little Children (!!! this trailer made me very intrigued)
-The Departed (!!!)
-Volver (!!!)
-World Trade Center (bleh)
-All the King's Men
And the next ten just because...
-United 93
-The History Boys (?)
-Stranger Than Fiction (trailer looks great)
-Little Miss Sunshine (surprised this isn't higher)
-Catch a Fire
-A Good Year
-Running with Scissors (most anticipated by me)
-Marie Antoinette
-Pan's Labyrinth
-The Good Shepherd
-Flags of Our Fathers (!!)
-Dreamgirls (!!!)
-Babel
-The Good German
-The Queen
-Little Children (!!! this trailer made me very intrigued)
-The Departed (!!!)
-Volver (!!!)
-World Trade Center (bleh)
-All the King's Men
And the next ten just because...
-United 93
-The History Boys (?)
-Stranger Than Fiction (trailer looks great)
-Little Miss Sunshine (surprised this isn't higher)
-Catch a Fire
-A Good Year
-Running with Scissors (most anticipated by me)
-Marie Antoinette
-Pan's Labyrinth
-The Good Shepherd
Drugs
I always find this interesting. From AP:
"There were 14.6 million people who reported using marijuana in the past month, about 2.4 million cocaine users and 6.4 million people who used prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes, such as pain relievers, tranquilizers or sedatives. In 60 percent of those cases, the drugs came from a relative or friend for free. Only 4.3 percent reported buying the drug from a drug dealer or other stranger.
"While drug use went up slightly in '05, so did alcohol use. Slightly more than half of Americans age 12 and older reported being current drinkers of alcohol. That translates to 126 million people, up from 121 million people the year before.
"Officials noted that alcohol use among those 12-17 did decline from 17.6 percent to 16.5 percent."
"There were 14.6 million people who reported using marijuana in the past month, about 2.4 million cocaine users and 6.4 million people who used prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes, such as pain relievers, tranquilizers or sedatives. In 60 percent of those cases, the drugs came from a relative or friend for free. Only 4.3 percent reported buying the drug from a drug dealer or other stranger.
"While drug use went up slightly in '05, so did alcohol use. Slightly more than half of Americans age 12 and older reported being current drinkers of alcohol. That translates to 126 million people, up from 121 million people the year before.
"Officials noted that alcohol use among those 12-17 did decline from 17.6 percent to 16.5 percent."
Why 17?
TOP 17 COUNTRY SONGS for 2006:
17. I Hate Every Bone in her Body but Mine
16. It's Hard To Kiss The Lips At Night That Chewed Your Ass Out All Day Long
15. If I Can't Be Number One In Your Life, Then Number Two On You
14. If The Phone Don't Ring, You'll Know It's Me
13. How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away?
12. I Liked You Better Before I Got to Know You So Well
11. I Still Miss You Baby, But My Aim's Gettin' Bette
10. I Wouldn't Take Her To A Dog Fight 'Cause I'm Afraid She'd Win
9. I'll Marry You Tomorrow, But Let's Honeymoon Tonight
8. I'm So Miserable Without You, It's Like You're Still Here
7. If I Had Shot You When I First Wanted To, I'd Be Out Of Prison By Now
6. My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend and I Sure Do Miss Him
5. She Got The Ring And I Got The Finger
4. You're The Reason Our Kids Are So Ugly
3. Her Teeth Was Stained But Her Heart Was Pure
2. She's Looking Better After Every Beer
*And the Number #1 country song is. . . *
1. I Ain't Never Gone To Bed With Ugly Women but I've Sure Woke Up With A Few!
17. I Hate Every Bone in her Body but Mine
16. It's Hard To Kiss The Lips At Night That Chewed Your Ass Out All Day Long
15. If I Can't Be Number One In Your Life, Then Number Two On You
14. If The Phone Don't Ring, You'll Know It's Me
13. How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away?
12. I Liked You Better Before I Got to Know You So Well
11. I Still Miss You Baby, But My Aim's Gettin' Bette
10. I Wouldn't Take Her To A Dog Fight 'Cause I'm Afraid She'd Win
9. I'll Marry You Tomorrow, But Let's Honeymoon Tonight
8. I'm So Miserable Without You, It's Like You're Still Here
7. If I Had Shot You When I First Wanted To, I'd Be Out Of Prison By Now
6. My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend and I Sure Do Miss Him
5. She Got The Ring And I Got The Finger
4. You're The Reason Our Kids Are So Ugly
3. Her Teeth Was Stained But Her Heart Was Pure
2. She's Looking Better After Every Beer
*And the Number #1 country song is. . . *
1. I Ain't Never Gone To Bed With Ugly Women but I've Sure Woke Up With A Few!
Washington Post
Okay, is everyone paying attention yet? Now the Washington Post is onto the Disney/ABC scandal.
Wednesday, September 6
---Breaking News---
I think it's important to be fully informed, so if anyone has information that disputes or contradicts this article I've discovered, please bring it to my attention!
From AmericaBlog:
Executive Director of Democratic Party slams Disney/ABC for "slanderous" fictional TV show about 9/11
This just in from the Democratic National Committee. I have not seen this kind of bitch-slapping coming out of the Democratic Party since the onset of the Bush administration six years ago. This is vicious. Well deserved, to be sure. But absolutely vicious.
If Disney/ABC doesn't fully appreciate the enemy it is creating in the Democratic party, then heads need to roll at that firm because if I were a shareholder, I'd be considering a suit in a jiffy.
From AmericaBlog:
Executive Director of Democratic Party slams Disney/ABC for "slanderous" fictional TV show about 9/11
This just in from the Democratic National Committee. I have not seen this kind of bitch-slapping coming out of the Democratic Party since the onset of the Bush administration six years ago. This is vicious. Well deserved, to be sure. But absolutely vicious.
If Disney/ABC doesn't fully appreciate the enemy it is creating in the Democratic party, then heads need to roll at that firm because if I were a shareholder, I'd be considering a suit in a jiffy.
Does a major national broadcast network want to stain itself by presenting an irresponsible, slanderous, fraudulent, "docu-drama" to the American public?
Not if you and I have the last word -- but either way, we're about to find out.
The ABC television network -- a cog in the Walt Disney empire -- unleashed a promotional blitz in the last week for a new "docudrama" called "The Path to 9/11". ABC has thrown its corporate might behind the two-night production, and bills it as a public service: a TV event, to quote the ABC tagline, "based on the 9/11 Commission Report".
That's false. "The Path to 9/11" is actually a bald-faced attempt to slander Democrats and revise history right before Americans vote in a major election.
The miniseries, which was put together by right-wing conservative writers, relies on the old GOP playbook of using terrorism to scare Americans. "The Path to 9/11" mocks the truth and dishonors the memory of 9/11 victims to serve a cheap, callous political agenda. It irresponsibly misrepresents the facts and completely distorts the truth.
ABC/Disney executives need to hear from the public and understand that their abuse of the public trust comes with a cost. Tell Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger to keep this right-wing propaganda off the air -- we'll deliver your message:
http://www.democrats.org/pathto911
This story is breaking quickly. The bias of the "docudrama" only became known when ABC began circulating previews recently. Less than two weeks ago, 9/11 Commission member Richard Ben-Veniste confronted a lead writer of "The Path to 9/11" after watching the first half of the miniseries at a screening, but most of what we know amounts to bits and pieces because ABC chose to screen the miniseries to conservative bloggers and right-wing media outlets exclusively. Almost none of the Democrats portrayed in the film have even been asked for their thoughts.
But we still know enough, thanks to news accounts and crack research, to fact check "The Path to 9/11" as a biased, irresponsible mess. Here's what you need to know:
Richard Clarke -- the counterterrorism czar for the Clinton administration, now himself a consultant to ABC News -- describes a key scene in "The Path to 9/11" as "180 degrees from what happened." In the scene, a CIA field agent places a phone call to get the go ahead to kill Osama Bin Laden, then in his sights, only to have a senior Clinton administration official refuse and hang up the phone. Sandy Berger, President Clinton's National Security Advisor, called the same scene "a total fabrication. It did not happen." And Roger Cressey, a top Bush and Clinton counterterrorism official, said it was "something straight out of Disney and fantasyland. It's factually wrong. And that's shameful."
Another scene revives the old right-wing myth that press reporting made it impossible to track Osama bin Laden, accusing the Washington Post of blowing the secret that American intelligence tracked his satellite phone calls. In reality, responsibility for that blunder -- contrary to "The Path to 9/11" -- rests with none other than the arch-conservative Washington Times.
The former National Security Council head of counterterrorism says that President Clinton "approved every request made of him by the CIA and the U.S. military involving using force against bin Laden and al-Qaeda," and the 9/11 report says the CIA had full authority from President Clinton to strike Bin Laden. Yet chief "Path to 9/11" scriptwriter Cyrus Nowrasteh, a friend of Rush Limbaugh, says the miniseries shows how President Clinton had "frequent opportunities in the '90s to stop Bin Laden in his tracks -- but lacked the will to do so."
ABC asked only the Republican co-chair of the 9/11 Commission, Tom Kean, Sr., to advise the makers of "The Path to 9/11". The producers optioned two books, one written by a Bush administration political appointee, as the basis of the screenplay -- yet bill the miniseries as "based on the 9/11 Commission Report."
This is a picture of bias -- a conservative attempt to rewrite the history of September 11 to blame Democrats, just in time for the election.
Tell Walt Disney president Robert Iger that you hold his company responsible -- and that this community demands that ABC tell the truth:
http://www.democrats.org/pathto911
ABC is trying to use of the airwaves -- airwaves owned by you and me, and loaned to broadcasters as a public trust -- to slander Democrats and sell a slanderous, irresponsible fraud to the American people, and they're shamefully doing it just weeks away from Election Day.
The Walt Disney Corporation could have given Americans an honest look at September 11. Instead, the company abandoned its duty to the truth -- and embraced the fiction known as "The Path to 9/11."
But ABC isn't the only company pushing this gross revision of history. ABC has enlisted the reputable education and children's entertainment company Scholastic, Inc. to send 100,000 letters to high school teachers, urging them to show students "The Path to 9/11". Scholastic has also created a discussion guide for teachers to use to encourage students and their families to watch this irresponsible fraud and then discuss it in school. The discussion guide does not in any way point out the concerns and criticisms that have been raised about the validity and accuracy of the film.
We've got to stop this now.
ABC/Disney must face an accountability moment. You can ratchet up the pressure on ABC by sending your own letter to Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger -- tell him to keep this propaganda off their air.
http://www.democrats.org/pathto911
We'll keep you up to date as this story evolves.
Thank you,
Tom
Tom McMahon
Executive Director
Democratic National Committee
Rockstar: Supernova
Next week is the big-ass finale. Who do you want to win? Is anyone even watching this? I have been and the only thing I know for sure is that I really dislike Skunk Boy. Make him go away! Dilana is pretty good but I'm tired of her. Toby is cute and can sing but I'm not sure he's the best fit for the band. Magni... now that guy has really grown on me. I could see him winning if he continues to kick ass. But seriously... any of them could win and I'd be happy so long as Skunk Boy gets booted.
Bleep Bush
Sorry I'm so political today, but at least this has a pop culture slant... from Page Six:
"September 6, 2006 -- WYCLEF Jean is not a fan of President Bush - or of savoir-faire. The former Fugee went on a drunken tirade Saturday night at Mixx in the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Vegas after performing with Nelly Furtado at Taj. At Mixx, Jean proclaimed, "President Bush needs to smoke marijuana . . . [Bleep] Bush!" He then leapt into the crowd - which started chanting "[Bleep] Bush!" - and proclaiming, "I'm not Diddy, I don't need no security," as he pushed back 500-plus people with the mike in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other."
"September 6, 2006 -- WYCLEF Jean is not a fan of President Bush - or of savoir-faire. The former Fugee went on a drunken tirade Saturday night at Mixx in the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Vegas after performing with Nelly Furtado at Taj. At Mixx, Jean proclaimed, "President Bush needs to smoke marijuana . . . [Bleep] Bush!" He then leapt into the crowd - which started chanting "[Bleep] Bush!" - and proclaiming, "I'm not Diddy, I don't need no security," as he pushed back 500-plus people with the mike in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other."
Christian Conservative
From a new book called Hubris, written by two very well-respected journalists, Michael Isikof and David Corn.
"President Bush was driven by a visceral hatred of Saddam Hussein, which he privately demonstrated in expletive-laden tirades against the Iraqi dictator. In May 2002--months before he asked Congress for authority to attack Saddam-Bush bluntly revealed his ultimate game plan in a candid moment with two aides. When told that reporter Helen Thomas was questioning the need to oust Saddam by force, Bush snapped: "Did you tell her I intend to kick his sorry mother fucking ass all over the Mideast?" In a meeting with congressional leaders, the President angrily thrust his middle finger inches in front of the face of Senator Tom Daschle to illustrate Saddam's attitude toward the United States.
"As part of an aggressive prewar covert action program--codenamed Anabasis (after an ancient text about a botched invasion of Babylon)--the CIA was authorized by the White House in the winter of 2002 to blow up targets in Iraq and engage in "direct action" (an agency euphemism for assassination) to weaken Saddam's regime and to prepare for his ouster by the U.S. military. For Anabasis, the agency smuggled Iraqi exiles to a top-secret site in the Nevada desert and trained them in sabotage and explosives. The Iraqi force, known as the Scorpions, was being trained to seize an isolated Iraqi military post-in order to create a provocation that could trigger a war with Iraq.
"When Bush was first briefed that no WMDs had been found in Iraq, he was totally unfazed and asked few questions. "I'm not sure I've spoken to anyone at that level who seemed less inquisitive," the briefer told the authors.
"After the invasion, Dick Cheney's aides desperately sifted through raw intelligence nuggets in search of any evidence that would justify the war. On one occasion they sent the WMD hunters in Iraq a satellite photo that they suspected showed a hiding place for WMDs. But it was only an overhead photo of a watering hole for cows. (My note, how the fuck does the U.S. mistake a cow's watering hole for WMDs?)
"At the time of her outing, Valerie Wilson was an undercover officer in the CIA whose mission had been to gather intelligence about WMDs in Iraq. She was the operations manager of the Joint Task Force on Iraq, a unit in the clandestine service of the CIA. This unit desperately tried to obtain evidence to back up the Bush administration's assertions about Saddam's WMDs, yet it found no such evidence.
"Richard Armitage, the deputy secretary of state, was the original leaker in the CIA leak case. But as he was disclosing information to columnist Robert Novak, Karl Rove, Scooter Libby and other top White House aides were engaged in a fierce campaign to discredit Joseph Wilson. Rove even told MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews that the Wilsons "were trying to screw the White House so the White House was going to screw them back."
"Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle seriously doubted the case for war-and questioned the top-secret briefings they received directly from Cheney. One senior Republican, House Majority Leader Dick Armey, warned the President in a September 2002 meeting that Bush would be stuck in a "quagmire" if he invaded Iraq. But Armey and others were afraid for political reasons to challenge the White House on the prewar intelligence."
For much, much more, visit RawStory.com
"President Bush was driven by a visceral hatred of Saddam Hussein, which he privately demonstrated in expletive-laden tirades against the Iraqi dictator. In May 2002--months before he asked Congress for authority to attack Saddam-Bush bluntly revealed his ultimate game plan in a candid moment with two aides. When told that reporter Helen Thomas was questioning the need to oust Saddam by force, Bush snapped: "Did you tell her I intend to kick his sorry mother fucking ass all over the Mideast?" In a meeting with congressional leaders, the President angrily thrust his middle finger inches in front of the face of Senator Tom Daschle to illustrate Saddam's attitude toward the United States.
"As part of an aggressive prewar covert action program--codenamed Anabasis (after an ancient text about a botched invasion of Babylon)--the CIA was authorized by the White House in the winter of 2002 to blow up targets in Iraq and engage in "direct action" (an agency euphemism for assassination) to weaken Saddam's regime and to prepare for his ouster by the U.S. military. For Anabasis, the agency smuggled Iraqi exiles to a top-secret site in the Nevada desert and trained them in sabotage and explosives. The Iraqi force, known as the Scorpions, was being trained to seize an isolated Iraqi military post-in order to create a provocation that could trigger a war with Iraq.
"When Bush was first briefed that no WMDs had been found in Iraq, he was totally unfazed and asked few questions. "I'm not sure I've spoken to anyone at that level who seemed less inquisitive," the briefer told the authors.
"After the invasion, Dick Cheney's aides desperately sifted through raw intelligence nuggets in search of any evidence that would justify the war. On one occasion they sent the WMD hunters in Iraq a satellite photo that they suspected showed a hiding place for WMDs. But it was only an overhead photo of a watering hole for cows. (My note, how the fuck does the U.S. mistake a cow's watering hole for WMDs?)
"At the time of her outing, Valerie Wilson was an undercover officer in the CIA whose mission had been to gather intelligence about WMDs in Iraq. She was the operations manager of the Joint Task Force on Iraq, a unit in the clandestine service of the CIA. This unit desperately tried to obtain evidence to back up the Bush administration's assertions about Saddam's WMDs, yet it found no such evidence.
"Richard Armitage, the deputy secretary of state, was the original leaker in the CIA leak case. But as he was disclosing information to columnist Robert Novak, Karl Rove, Scooter Libby and other top White House aides were engaged in a fierce campaign to discredit Joseph Wilson. Rove even told MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews that the Wilsons "were trying to screw the White House so the White House was going to screw them back."
"Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle seriously doubted the case for war-and questioned the top-secret briefings they received directly from Cheney. One senior Republican, House Majority Leader Dick Armey, warned the President in a September 2002 meeting that Bush would be stuck in a "quagmire" if he invaded Iraq. But Armey and others were afraid for political reasons to challenge the White House on the prewar intelligence."
For much, much more, visit RawStory.com
In Her Shoes
Yeah, so what. This movie came out last year, and I just saw it this weekend.
I've been told over and over again how great this movie is, not just from critics but from the few people I know that have seen it. But it is hard for me to get into a movie about sisters. But this isn't just a movie about sisters. It's a movie about families, and a movie about getting past your damn baggage. I admit it, I cried. And most telling of all, I couldn't fall asleep watching this movie, and I finished it at 5am on Monday morning.
I've been told over and over again how great this movie is, not just from critics but from the few people I know that have seen it. But it is hard for me to get into a movie about sisters. But this isn't just a movie about sisters. It's a movie about families, and a movie about getting past your damn baggage. I admit it, I cried. And most telling of all, I couldn't fall asleep watching this movie, and I finished it at 5am on Monday morning.
Little Miss Sunshine
Wow.
Best fictional movie of 2006 so far (that I've seen). Touching. Hilarious.
The characters were all kooky, but not unrealistic. It was like The Royal Tenenbaums without the quirky storybook feeling. And the girl - she is way too cute. You never know what's going to happen at the beauty pageant, but what does is beyond your wildest imagination. Go see this now.
Best fictional movie of 2006 so far (that I've seen). Touching. Hilarious.
The characters were all kooky, but not unrealistic. It was like The Royal Tenenbaums without the quirky storybook feeling. And the girl - she is way too cute. You never know what's going to happen at the beauty pageant, but what does is beyond your wildest imagination. Go see this now.
Bad Week
At least my week is going better than Bush's (which isn't saing much).
So... undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame was actually in charge of finding WMDs in Iraq leading up to the Iraq War. So I wonder why they leaked her name to the press? Could it be because she refused to fabricate evidence that Iraq had WMDs, like Cheney/Rumsfeld wanted her to? Hmmm...
Disney/ABC is set to air a total fabrication of the lead-up to 9/11 (The Path to 9/11), which is (according to press reports) 100% pro-Bush and 100% pro-Clinton. It's going to backfire though. ABC won't show it to any Democrats, only Republicans. You can bet your ass that as soon as it's aired and viewed by those Democrats the movie shows as spineless, that all hell will break loose. And Clinton, who has been pretty hush-hush about blaming Bush for 9/11, is going to come out fighting. You watch.
Pakistan says they won't arrest Bin Laden. Uh-oh. So why are they are allies again?
White House continues to fully support Rumsfeld. They're the only ones.
Condi compares those who want to pull out of Iraq, to those who wanted to appease the south and continue to allow slavery. Huh???
GOP and White House secretly funded Lieberman's Democratic primary run.... illegal?? Or just unethical???
Karl Rove's father was openly gay, according to a new book.
Oh yeah, and it looks like the Democrats are going to win about 20-40 seats in the House, well over the amount to become the majority party. Do you smell IMPEACHMENT?
So... undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame was actually in charge of finding WMDs in Iraq leading up to the Iraq War. So I wonder why they leaked her name to the press? Could it be because she refused to fabricate evidence that Iraq had WMDs, like Cheney/Rumsfeld wanted her to? Hmmm...
Disney/ABC is set to air a total fabrication of the lead-up to 9/11 (The Path to 9/11), which is (according to press reports) 100% pro-Bush and 100% pro-Clinton. It's going to backfire though. ABC won't show it to any Democrats, only Republicans. You can bet your ass that as soon as it's aired and viewed by those Democrats the movie shows as spineless, that all hell will break loose. And Clinton, who has been pretty hush-hush about blaming Bush for 9/11, is going to come out fighting. You watch.
Pakistan says they won't arrest Bin Laden. Uh-oh. So why are they are allies again?
White House continues to fully support Rumsfeld. They're the only ones.
Condi compares those who want to pull out of Iraq, to those who wanted to appease the south and continue to allow slavery. Huh???
GOP and White House secretly funded Lieberman's Democratic primary run.... illegal?? Or just unethical???
Karl Rove's father was openly gay, according to a new book.
Oh yeah, and it looks like the Democrats are going to win about 20-40 seats in the House, well over the amount to become the majority party. Do you smell IMPEACHMENT?
Tuesday, September 5
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