GOP Faithful: Become More Like Palin

Forget what Mike Murphy and "Tokyo" Peggy Noonan have said about the need for the GOP to become more centrist. Fifty-five percent of Republican supporters polled said the party must move rightward. Here is some more breakdown:

Unaffiliated voters are much more closely divided. Thirty-nine percent (39%) say the party has been too conservative over the past eight years, while 34% think it’s been too moderate. For 14%, the party’s been about right, and 13% are undecided.

Regarding the future of the party, 46% of unaffiliated voters say follow Sarah Palin, while 26% like McCain…

For McCain, unaffiliateds break 10% Very Favorable and eight percent (8%) Very Unfavorable. But 35% of unaffiliated voters have a Very Favorable opinion of Palin, compared to 15% who have a Very Unfavorable view.

There is some speculation the unaffiliated number might be overrepresented by former republicans alienated by Bush, but the results are still conclusive--the party wants more of ideological conservatives like palin and less of wishy washy centrists like John McCain.

Battlestar Galactica--"The Oath"

What an awesome episode from the start to the cliffhanger! This is not the first time there has been a mutiny in the fleet, but each time it has been handled in a realistic manner. People under pressure after escaping genocide will take desperately insane actions. This timearound, it is a continuation from the conspiracy begun in the latter half of last week’s episodes and the webisodes.

Gaeta, still bitter over losing his leg, the events of New caprice, and the original Cylon attack on the colonies, organizes a coup d’ tat with tom Zarek. The plan runs in a very Hitcockian manner with the audience realizing what is going on long before the command staff. By the time they realize it, it is too late.

There are some interesting character moments. Gaeta believes what he is doing is right, but he does want anyone hurt in the process. Not so much for Zarek. Overtime, we have forgotten there was a reason he was in prison back on caprice. The former members of the Pegasus were busy rounding up the skinjob Cylons. They quickly reverted back to their old, brutal ways.

By contrast, Adama is his old self. He manages to escape arrest and teams up with the subversive Starbuck and lee. Starbuck is her same old nutty self. The only time she is not a brooding emo is in the heat of battle where she becomes a raging lunatic. She even kisses lee in the middle of it all. It is all in the heat of the moment. There was no real love in it. There was love in the smooch between adama and Roslyn before she escaped the ship. The pair have one of the most mature 9no pun intended) relationships on television.

The cliffhanger has Adama and Tigh under fire from Gaeta’s rebels. Next week looks to be even more exciting. But what do the new Cylon allies think of all this? We have not heard from them.

Rating: **** (out of 5)

Evangeline Lilly Sells Panties for Children

Okay, the headline sounds dirty, but it isa good thing, actually. Evangeline Lilly is offering proceeds from her lingerie line to help homeless children in Brazil:

The Lost beauty has teamed up with Ebay Giving Works and leading auction management group Auction Cause to barter off intimate goodies (from her personally inspired collection of Brazilian made R*Favela Lingerie) just in time for Valentines Day.

Lily’s hand-picked collection includes over 2,000 pieces of panties and bras in an assortment of cuts, colors and styles to suit every woman’s dreams and desires. But here’s the good news - 10 percent of the proceeds will go to Task Brasil which works to provide a loving and supportive home environment for street children and adolescents in the South American country.

“I’m offering beautiful Brazilian-made lingerie as a fun and enticing way for you too not only invest in yourself, but in the poor and abandoned children of Brazil,” Lilly said.

She? She is doing a good thing. it almost makes up for four years of that silly yo yo act between Jack and Sawyer her character has made us suffer through on Lost.

Caturday

I am certain there is plenty of cash allotted for cheeseburgers in the liberal, pork laden stumulus bill that 200 economists have come out against, claiming it will not work.

The Democrats are going to shove it down our throats anyway.

Jessica Simpson Talks Weight Gain

Jessica Simpson has responded to the controversy surrounding her recent weight gain as demonstrated by the photos of her performing last weekend in Florida and the herd of cattle that had to die to make those pants she is wearing in the above photo:

" Jessica Simpson made no mention of her controversial new curves at a concert Thursday night in Virginia, but she thanked fans for standing by her.

Clad in black leather pants, a hip-length black blazer and silver go-go heels, Simpson, 28, hit the stage promptly at 8:01 p.m. and performed a 40-minute set, opening with “These Boots” before introducing the tune, “Still Beautiful.”

“This song is off my new record… and it’s about finding the beauty in life, no matter what happens,” she told the audience at the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena, where she performed with Rascal Flatts. Simpson later added, “Always remember that someone out there has it worse than you.”

And prior to singing “Pray Out Loud,” she told the audience, “I feel like in our world, we focus on so many things that are unimportant. And I really just wanted to say this.”

Throughout the show, Simpson — who struggled all night with her ear piece — was upbeat. Before leaving the stage, Simpson told fans, “Stay positive, pray out loud, give it up for my band … I love you guys. Good night!”

Which means she will pull a Jennifer Love Hewitt at some point, dropping all the weight, and then decrying how bad she looked and felt back then.

Bill Hicks from Beyond the Grave

Well, not exactly, but the headline certainly grabs your attention, no? Bill Hicks did die in 1994 of colon cancer at the young age of 32, but what I am about to discuss occurred two years prior. Hicks was scheduled to do a stand up routine on the newly minted Late Show with David Letterman when it was only a month old. His set was approved twice and filmed, but was excised from the final episode at the request of CBS. The network felt the routine was too controversial. There is some conflict as to the role Letterman played in the matter. It is not clear whether he nixed the material as well or if he just let the deletion slide because it was too soon after his move to cause a stir.

We will probably find out tonight. Letterman will have Hicks’ mother on the show where he will air the never before seen, seven minute segment fifteen years after it was filmed.

Two points about this. One, while it is great the routine will finally hit the air, this isa lot less innocent time than 1993. Hicks’ routine is no where near as shocking as it was back then. You could hear 90% of it on a Comedy Central special these days. Two, hicks did the routine numerous times on stage afterwards. A couple of YouTube searches will reveal the entire seven minute set. If you area fan of Hicks, you already know the punch lines to what he thinks about pro-lifers and Christians wearing crosses. Those are the cut jokes.

I liked Hicks. I thought a lot of what he said was for pure shock value, but he had a lot of really funny, thought provoking bits if you overlook the fact he did not care about your sacred cows. It should not have been hard t o do so since no one cares about your sacred cows. He might have been a bigger success had he watered down his act, but I appreciate that he did not. Like I said above, as the times changed, he probably would have found a much wider audience with his routines. At least we get to hear something ‘new” one final time, no?

UPDATE: a couple of clarifications from the interview. First, Hicks died of pancreatic cancer, not colonic like i claimed above. Second, david Letterman took full responsibility for pulling the segment back in 1993.

UPDATE: The segment has appeared on YouTube. There are typically copyright issues about this sort of thing, so they may not last long. Letterman treats Mrs. Hicks with a lot of class.

Michael Steele Defeats Katon Dawson

It took six ballots, but Michael Steele is the new Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Here is the final result:

Michael Steele - 91
Katon Dawson - 77

I did not have a dog in this fight, honestly. I had some home state loyalty to Katon Dawson, but I knew his past membership in a white's only country club was going to be his death knell. I am surprised he lasted as long as hedid. Michael Steele suits me just fine.

Burn Notice--"Hot Spot"

This episode was timed just right, methinks. The gang pulls off a caper in exchange for Miami Dolphins tickets which would have been practically worthless last year when the Fins had nothing but goose eggs in the win column. At least this season they won the AFC east, so one could be seen at the stadium without a t hint of embarrassment. Not that it was the only motivation. Fiona was fired up about helping a promising high school football star save himself from a chop shop gang leader who assaulted his sister. There is obviously something in her past that struck a nerve.

The caper ran pretty straight to form. Entertaining as always, but nothing terribly new. Our heroes promoted a gang war between Felix, the small time chop shop gangster, and his boss. The big dog sticks around Miami afterwards, but felix leaves town, thereby ensuring Michael’s clients are safe. It was a nice touch for Michael Irvin to guest star as the high school football coach who got the ball rolling protecting his player.

I thought the Carla story got in the way of things. I am not enthused about the new twist of seeking out the bomber. It seems like a unnecessary way of extending the plotline beyond credibility. We need bigger payoffs more often in order to keep us interested. I did think it was a nice tough for Fiona to land herself in a spot of danger here.

For a time there, we did not know if she even survived. The situation allowed Michael to reveal his true feelings for her. It is about time he honestly admitted them. I am not much a a shipper kind of guy, but I imagine many fans felt that was enough of a satisfying payoff. I will go along with that.

Rating: *** (out of 5)

Blagojevich Removed from Office

Gov. "Hot" Rod Blagojevich of Illinois, under investigation for corruption, was removed from office by a vote of 59-0:

The governor said he would like to apologize, but couldn’t because he didn’t do anything wrong. The senators watched attentively. Many leaned forward in their seats. Some took notes.

“It’s painful and it’s lonely, but I want you to know I never, ever intended to commit a criminal act,” Blagojevich said.

The two-term Democratic governor spoke for 47 minutes, then smiled and winked at reporters as he passed the press box on his way out of the Senate.

Now what are we going to do for entertainment?

How to Disarm a Hydrogen Bomb

Popular Mechanics has an article evaluating Daniel Faraday's plan to disarm the hydrogen bomb the Others captured on last night's episode of Lost. thearticle also offers up a history lesson:

Before we begin, here's a little nuclear weapon history: The bombs the US dropped on Japan during WWII, "Little Boy" and "Fat Man," were not hydrogen bombs; those were atom bombs, a different kind of nuclear weapon. An atom bomb relies on nuclear fission to create its explosion, while a hydrogen bomb relies on fusion (though much of the explosive energy is also created through fission), and is many times more powerful. No H-bomb has ever been detonated against an enemy, but the US has tested them. A series of thermonuclear weapon tests that took place on the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific in the 1950s was called "Operation Castle." The first attempt at a dry-fuel thermonuclear hydrogen bomb device, an operation called "Castle Bravo," was successfully detonated on March 1, 1954 at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Because of Castle Bravo's early success, a second type of nuclear weapon, a cryogenic hydrogen bomb, was not tested. That group included a cryogenic h-bomb nicknamed, that's right, "Jughead."

You do not have to be terribly hip to scientific jargon to understand the article, so check it out.

Crossing the Line Between Journalist & Activist

The guilty party is George Stephanopoulos, who not only cried tears of joy when Barack Obama was inaugurated, but helps draft administration policy on a daily basis:

“What’s worse than the liberal media’s sycophantic coverage of President Barack Obama? ABC’s George Stephanopoulos actively helping design and deliver the Administration’s strategy and message - which he is then charged with reporting.

“Will Stephanopoulos be critical of the White House’s plans when he spends every morning helping to craft them? Not likely. He must from this point forward recuse himself from any reporting involving the Obama Administration.

“For Stephanopoulos, the line between journalist and liberal strategist would be completely obliterated were it not for the fact that it apparently never existed at all. He didn’t fail in his attempt at transformation from liberal operative to journalist – he never made the effort.”

I seriously doubt Stephanopoulos and his buddies in the former Clinton Administration James Carville and Paul Begala are the only MSM figures crossing the line between sycophants and activists for Obama. they are just the first ones to get caught. The MSM has it in its collective head that success for Obama is their duty. they have taken up the charge with all due diligence.

TNG: Commander Riker Music Video

It was tougher to make a swashbuckling video with Riker than i thought itwould be. you might envision the character as an action hero with a romantic side, but he is more of a tomcat who winds up getting into trouble. Perhaps that explains why he waitedso long to take a captain's seat himself. He knew he was not ready for it.

The video wound up being more about Riker and Troi. The teenie boppers on YouTube eat that stuff up, anyway, so it all works out. IIt is set to "Strong" by Velvet Chain. if you have not heard of them before, seek them out. They are a recent, pleasant discovery.

Jennifer Aniston Turns Down Playboy

Jennifer Aniston has allegedly turned down offers as high as $ 10 million to pose nude in Playboy. So I guess you will just have to rent that dud with her and Vince Vaughn in order to see her naked.

Bummer.

Lost--"Jughead"

Now that was a neat episode that answered all sorts of questions. The writers were not kidding when they assured us we would start getting answers fast and furious. The interesting part was how much focus was on secondary characters. It is becoming pretty clear our main Lostaways just happened to be caught up in a conflict that has been going on long before they were even born.

The plot here was pretty simple. Desmond, who now has a son named after Charlie Pace, tries to fulfill his obligation to Daniel to find his mother. He makes a few discoveries I will talk about later and finally gets help from Charles Widmore. The people left on the island are now in 1954 where the others have captured an American H-bomb they need Daniel to disarm Finallly, Locke hooks up with Richard Alpert in 1954. But what they all find is not so simple.

Desmond discovers Widmore has been financing Daniel’s research and is currently paying the medical bulls for a comatose girl affected by the time travel experiments. Daniel’s mother is named Ellie and is currently in Los Angeles. She is more than likely Miss Hawking. The young girl guarding Daniel in 1954 while he examines the H-bomb is probably her, as well. We also learn Widmote was there in 1954 as a young man.

The Others speak Latin as their native language. Are they descended directly from the Romans? Is Richard Alpert a roman citizen? We have no idea how old he actually is, just that he is immortal. Locke set in motion the pair’s meeting at his birth and at the orphanage when he as a child.

Some weird, fun stuff going on here. I was completely enthralled. There were hints last week we would know which female character was going to die soon. Judging by the semi-cliffhanger, I would say Charlotte is t. too adfor Daniel, no?

Rating: **** (out of 5)

Barack Obama Lovefest

The absolute, unconditional fawning over Barack Obama by media personalities is getting to the point I question the sanity of many of them. I keep thinking it cannot last into perpetuity, But as time goes on, I believe it is getting worse instead of better. It is certainly worse now than during the campaign. here is a list of some of the most recent, jaw dropping offenders:

Brian Williams claims Obama is the first non-choice of evils in generations.

Cynthia McFadden says journalists see Obama as a bright hope for the future.

Editorial cartoonists says Obama is too cool and good looking to caricature.

John Ridley proclaims Obama is the first real American president.

Andy Rooney cannot find anyone who dislikes Obama. Who the heck did he survey?

Ashley Judd thinks it is nice to live in American again.

Dee Dee Meyers believes Obama is the most well know celebrity in the history of the universe.

Hopefully, this will not become one in a series of similar posts, but with these bozos so desperately infatuated with the Obamassiah, you can probably expect another fairly soon.

Democrats' Petition Against Rush Limbaugh

The Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee has launched a much ballyhooed petition drive against conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. What do they hope to accomplish? I do not know. read it and see wha you can glean from it:

Last week, Rush Limbaugh actually said that he “hopes” President Obama fails to meet America’s challenges.

Jobs, health care, our place in the world — the stakes for our nation are high and every American needs President Obama to succeed.

Stand strong against Rush Limbaugh’s Attacks — sign our petition, telling Rush what you think of his attacks on President Obama. We’ll send Limbaugh your comments.

I hope Barack Obama fails in his ultra-liberal agenda as well. We have just spent the last eight years hearing that dissent is patriotic. I guess that only true when conservatives are in power.

Miss America Katie Stam

Just to mark the occasion.

Banned PETA Super Bowl Ad

Embedded below is an ad from PETA NBC has refused to air during this Sunday's super Bowl. It features lingerie models performing simulated sex acts with vegetables amid false claims studies show vegetarians have better sex than omnivores. Gee, i cannot imagine why the ad was refused.

it does not matter now. the ad has gotten notoriety and is now all over the internet. It may very well wind up being viewed more times than it would have during the game. At the very least, it will probably air to a more receptive audience.

other than the inane message, it is a decent ad. Hard to keep in mind what they are pushing, but a decent ad:

Sarah Palin Establishes a PAC

It is legitimate. SarahPAC just went live. The Thrilla from Wasilla is in the hunt for 2012!

Birth Control Money Removed from Stimulus

That may very well be the strangest sentence I have ever written here.

Democrats may have thought they could sneak in a few hundred million bucks headed Planned Parenthood's way in the nearly $1 trillion stimulus package, but the recent Nancy pelosi interview on This Week, wherein she failed to explainhow birth control would stimulate the economy, put an end to that:

Democratic leaders in the House are nearly certain to drop federal funding for new contraceptive services and on-going programs to stop sexually transmitted diseases from the $825 billion economic stimulus bill due to hit the floor Tuesday, a senior official told FOX News.

The decision is due Tuesday morning in advance of two high-profile meetings President Obama will hold with House and Senate Republicans to build bipartisan support for his massive economic stimulus bill. The bill contains $87 billion in emergency Medicaid funding to help states crushed by deficits. …

Despite Pelosi’s argument, Democrats and the Obama White House appear eager to deprive Republicans of what’s become a key attack line against the stimulus bill.

It is still just a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of the pork spending in the bill, but it is a start. I do not want my tax dollars going to support birth control regardless.

The incident also demonstrates why Pelosi is completely unqualified to be a policy leader. She could not come up with even one cogent argument why birth control would boost the economy. Hopefully, the democrats will put her front andcenter on many other issues so we can stop funding them, too.

(Via: Hot Air)

Britney Spears Makes Direct Request

Parents groups, radio stations, and various uptight censoring groups have gotten their panties in a wad over the announcement Britney Spears' latest single will be entitled "If U Seek Amy." The problem is, if you say the title fast, it comes out as "F*ck me." allegedly.

As for "Amy," it's hardly an accident that if you say the title fast - and enunciate it a little more clearly than Spears does - you get a crude sexual phrase.

Happily for Jive Records and Brit, the Parents Television
Council (PTC) decided to hyperventilate anyway, creating a tidal wave of free promotion.

That's one reason why, in case you hadn't noticed, Jive was in no hurry to provide a "clean" edit for radio play.

As for Z100, America's defining top-40 station, the clean edit is essential. The PTC may be windbags, but since Z100's parent Clear Channel just fired 9% of its work force, it doesn't need to spend money defending itself at the FCC. Also, Clear Channel CEO John Hogan promised Congress a couple of years ago that the company would have a "zero tolerance" policy on indecency.

You know, you could all be giving her too much credit for clever word play.

Kim Manners (1950-2009)

The director and producer of 57 episodes of the X-Files, most likely including every one of your favorites, has passed away after a bout with cancer.

Godspeed, Mr. Manners.

24--"1:00 PM-2:00 PM"

I thought my lone peeper might be deceiving me when I spotted Brannon Braga’s name in the credits last week. No such luck. He, along with fellow Star Trek franchise veteran Manny Coto, penned tonight’s episode. Had I known the author of some of the most contrived, inane scripts in trek history was going to be the guy who got FBI Agent Walker out of her buried alive pickle from last week, I would have lowered my expectations accordingly. Ignorance is bliss, no?

Well, maybe not. You would have to be mind numbingly ignorant to accept Walker was buried alive, yet somehow survived long enough for Jack’s pals in the former CTU to rescue her. I am sorry, but when you have six feet of dirt on top of you pushing a plastic tarp to your face, you do not have an air supply. You have nostrils full of plastic. Of, course, she seems to only be under a few inches of dirt when she is actually rescued. We are on a tight schedule here. No time to really dig. Sloppy, sloppy writing.

The rest of the episode is not much better. The prime Minister kidnapping plot plods along. Conspirators are still trying to frame the first husband for murder so he does not stumble across the truth about his son’s suicide. The president grandstands about not removing US forces from Sangala, so two airliners are forced to collide in response. The episode endswith the threat of a crash in a heavily populated town in ohio.

Meh. I am underwhelmed.

Rating; ** (out of 5)

Nancy Pelosi: We Cannot Afford More Kids

George Stephanopolous stopped crying tears of joy over the coronation of the Obamassiah long enough to interview House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The two had an interesting exchange over the inclusion of hundreds of millions of dollars for family planning in the stimulus bill—and by interesting, I mean embarrassingly ignorant:

STEPHANOPOULOS: Hundreds of millions of dollars to expand family planning services. How is that stimulus?

PELOSI: Well, the family planning services reduce cost. They reduce cost. The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for children’s health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs. One of those - one of the initiatives you mentioned, the contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So no apologies for that?

PELOSI: No apologies. No. we have to deal with the consequences of the downturn in our economy. Food stamps, unemployment insurance, some of the initiatives you just mentioned. what the economists have told us from right to left. There is more bang for the buck, a term they use, by investing in food stamps and “>like Japan, urging parentsto have more kids to produce a vigoroud workforce.in unemployment insurance than in any tax cut.

First of all, I have yet to figure out how spending a trillion dollars now is going to save money in the future in any regard, much less by limiting the number of children people have.

I will grant her state budgets might be struggling to cover prenatal health care costs and the like. I imagine over a lifetime, the benefits of having an individual working and paying taxes far exceed the cost of child health care. I would chlk the expense up as an investment rather than an expense. Other conservatives may now roast me alive if they so desire.

As for her other point, saving money on school costs is nota short term solution. A child conceived today is not going to start school until 2013 at the earliest. By that point, we may be in an economic boom and, like Japan, urging American to have more kids and produce a vigorous workforce.

Yeah, I know. Not bloody likely in our current self loathing, liberal environment.

The fact is there is no serious economic benefit to spending millions on birth control and even Obama knows it. This money is not going to go to your local drug store for birth control bills and condoms. It is going to Planned Parenthood to promote its social agenda as a thank you for PP’s continued campaigning for Democrats nationwide. The stimulus package is nothing but pork for leftist pet causes.

New York: Laboratory for Democratic Party Implosion

It is a matter of historical fact—when one side emerges victorious in a conflict, the victors soon begin squabbling among themselves. it happens in both war and elections. The most amusing example playing out before use after the Democratic sweep of 2008 is taking place in the aptly named Empire State.

For whatever reason, whether personal or political, Gov. David Paterson passed over caroline Kennedy for Hillary Clinton’s replacement in the Senate. One assumed it was her conscious choice to drop out, but with subsequent comments by Paterson the issue was all about respect and the scorned reaction of the Kennedy family, one now suspects there was more to it than Princess Caroline deciding the senate was not right for her.

None of that is particularly unusual. The governor has the right to pick the successor to an empty Senate seat. Someone gets the seat, lots of other candidates do not. Those who do not have bruised egos. That is the rough and tumble world of politics. But in New York, a state which is for all intents and purposes a Democratic Party fiefdom, that is nowhere near the end of it.

Paterson’s appointment, Kirsten Gillibrand, has been met with disdain from all across the party. Her support for the NRA has prompted arch gun nemesis Carolyn McCarthy to challenge Gillibrand in the 2010 primary. There does not appear to be any allies for Gillibrand speaking up for her against that breach of general political etiquette.

Paterson faces implications himself. His failure to appoint Andrew Cuomo, whom New Yorkers preferred over Kennedy, but who cares what the people want, virtually ensures Cuomo will run against Paterson in his primary, too. Expect loads of internal squabbling in the 2010 primary. Bring your own popcorn.

Now there are two points in all this to consider. Which is sadder: the entire debacle was caused by the snubbing of both the kennedy and Cumo dynasties, which have an arrogant sense of entitlement to leadership over the masses, or that no matter who comes out on top in the primaries, new York is such a one party state, they will win in November regardless?

Jessica Simpson Has Gained a Bit of Weight

As longtime readers are aware, Jessica Simpson has been a draw for the Eye ever since that fateful day in April 2005 when I posted a photo of her as Daisy Duke in the hot pink bikini. She has been a reluctant centerpiece. While I have no qualms about posting provocative photos of attractive celebrities, Simpson has never rung my bell quite like Reese Witherspoon, Neve Campbell, or Shania Twain. But I have to give the people what they want, so those lovely ladies have received sparse attention compared to Simpson.

I assume after posting the above photo that may change.

All I can say is…whoa. Simpson showed up to perform some country songs at a chili cook off in Florida sporting flabby arms, mom jeans, and an ugly belt that is most certainly hiding a gut. I would bet you dollars to donuts over it, but I am pretty sure she would eat them before either of us could pay up.

One assumes Simpson believes she has Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo on the matrimonial hook and has let herself go. It should come as quite a surprise she is that interested. Simpson has generally taken a shine to the flavor of the month guys and dumped them once they fell out of the spotlight. You had never heard of Romo before 2006 and if he does not win a Super Bowl soon, you have to figure she will head for greener pastures. Or at least you did before she porked up. She may have changed tactics on us.

The whole love affair might make for mildly amusing posts somewhere down the line, but I have to assume you will not be particularly interested in seeing any more risqué photos of Simpson. Do not fret much, however. If room even hints he might head for the hills, Poppa Joe will have every ounce of that fat sucked out of her by the University of Guyana Medical center if he has to in order to make him stay. So you still might get some hot pictures of Simpson down theroad.

Barack Obama Action Figure

now this presents a liberal dilemma. The action figure comes with ninja swords and guns, so it is violent. but then, it is a graven image of the One True Obamassiah, who can never bewrong. Therefore, it is probably okay for him to have such accessories. what is an enlightened liberal parent to do?

Seek guidance from Oprah, I guess.

The Last Templar

NBC, in its continuing effort to keep its programming out of the top twenty Nielsen ratings, will air a two part miniseries beginning tonight called The Last Templar. The miniseries features the still hot at 41 Mira Sorvino as an archeologist paired with a religious FBI agent to uncover a secret document that proves the Bible is completely false. The pair is relentlessly pursued by evil agents of the Catholic Church.

Let me say right off the bat I have no intention of watching The Last Templar. it is not my thing. I have not read Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code or seen the movie. Nor have I seen National Treasure or any of its brainless ilk. Nor will I read any novels or see any future movies stemming from the two franchises. If I have no interest in seeing the originals, I certainly have no desire to see a television miniseries so hopelessly derivative of them.

I have two rationales for why I feel this way. You may pass judgment on their merit as you see fit.

First, I dislike conspiracy theory plots, particularly when they involve ancient secret societies and all that rot. I have felt that way since reaching the age I became discerning in my entertainment choices. But to pinpoint the moment I first declared my distaste, I point to Angelina Jolie’s first turn as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. Yes, it is based on a video game series, so you might say I am being too harsh, but bear in mind The Da Vinci Code is just a flashy novel for the semi-literate to feel like they are in on some big secret, so you really cannot weight it much higher than a video game plot.

Lara Croft was the copy of Indiana Jones who was the copy of ‘30’s movie serial heroes who were copies of heroes from ‘20’s pulp novels who were archetypes of heroic ideals themselves. when you continue to make a copy of the copy, there is degradation. Add to that a villain who exists only in the fevered minds of conspiracy theorists like the Illuminati in Tomb Raider, you have a bland character battling villains you cannot take the threat of seriously.

Second, I am about as irreverent as you can be and still be a Christian. I have spent too much time surrounded by fundamentalist who could not differentiate their butts from a hole in the ground, judgmental hypocrites, and just plain Bible thumping kooks to take much of mainstream Christianity seriously. Have lunch with a few Christian college alumni sometime and you will see what I mean. But all that said, the worst you can say about Christians is they are either ignorant or sheltered, but not sinister. There are bad apples that use Christianity for evil ends, but they are preying upon the aforementioned ignorant and sheltered to do so.

I do not buy into the idea any Christian church maintains some grand conspiracy to to hide the fact the religion is a myth. Any stories promoting the idea, fiction or not, make me roll my eyes almost out of my head. It is impossible to take seriously. Hence, I cannot bother with it.

With The Last Templar, we a have a derivative hero of Lara Croft pursuing an ancient mystery while evil Christians are trying to kill her in a mix of plots from cookie cutter books, movies, and video games. Sadly enough, it might actually be a ratings blockbuster. That would be an awful sign of the times.

Jennifer Love Hewitt is Needy & Immature

Your intrepid blogger has been brutal towards Jennifer Love Hewitt on several occasions, mostly having to do with her about face on body image. You may recall she espoused comfort in her previously tubby form and claimed her critics were giving teenage girls the wrong impression about unrealistic expectations of body types.

Then she went on a hip new diet and went out promoting her svelte new self all the while stomping all over her previous statements like so much downtown tokyo under Godzilla.

She even lost her fiance, presumably under the idea that she could do much better. Or was that the reason? US Weekly has the inside info:

"She would call McCall up and go, 'Can you come and sit with me? I'm cold,'" she said. "She would drag him on the set and then pout and they'd fight. Mainly, it was her needing something from him: 'Can you say you love me?"

The news does not surprise me, all things considered. she looks like the whiny, needy type who want to control everything and everyone.

Man Murders Ex-Wife Over Facebook Status

In case you were wondering if some people take online social networking way too seriously, Here is your proof:

A man murdered his estranged wife after becoming "enraged" when she changed her marital status on Facebook to "single".

Edward Richardson, 41, of Mayfield Road, Biddulph, was found guilty of stabbing Sarah Richardson to death.

It is odd enough that a grown man would go ballistic enough to kill his estranged wife over a Facebook status--there isa good reason the two split up, no?--but what is odder still is the sentence he drew from the so-called British justice system:

Richardson tried to kill himself after the attack and was sentenced to life with a minimum of 17 years in prison.

There isa chance this psychopathic fruit loop can be free in seventeen years! With loads of marriage proposals waiting in his Facebook inbox when he is freed, no doubt. but seriously, what do you have to do in the United Kingdom to get permanently locked away?

Obama Picks Fight with Rush Limbaugh

Barack Obama advised republicans visiting the White House to stop listening to rush Limbaugh in the name of bipartisanship:

President Obama warned Republicans on Capitol Hill today that they need to quit listening to radio king Rush Limbaugh if they want to get along with Democrats and the new administration.

"You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," he told top GOP leaders, whom he had invited to the White House to discuss his nearly $1 trillion stimulus package.

One White House official confirmed the comment but said he was simply trying to make a larger point about bipartisan efforts.

It would appear, in all his arrogance, Obama defines bipartisanship as going along with what democrats want without question. that is no different an attitude than what Bush was criticized for having.

But at least Obama has not been divisive during his first week in office.

Battlestar Galactica--"A Disquiet Follows My Soul"

Emotions are still running high after earth turns out to be a bust. Suicides are up, there are riots everywhere, and various authority figures have different ideas on how to proceed. In the midst of all this, Roslin is still secluded away struggling with her loss of faith. Adama, practical leader that he is, carries on with his plan to seek out a new home world with the Cylons in tow.

The Cylons will share their technology with the fleet to speed up the search for a new world, but there is a catch—they want to be fully accepted as part of the fleet under Adama’s protection against any other Cylon factions that may attack. Adama thinks that is a reasonable request. As for the he rest of the fleet, not so much.

They have a point. The Cylons are responsible for the genocide of humanity and have been relentlessly pursuing them for four years now. Why should all be forgiven? Tom Zarek, as acting leader of the government, arranges for each ship in the fleet the authority to refuse any Cylons from setting foot on their ships. A good chunk of the fleet exercises the power against Adama’s will. He believes allying with the Cylons is a military decision, so the battle lines are clearly drawn. We only see the beginning of the mutiny this week. Zarek is arrested, but various other members of the military leadership plot take over from Adama. From the previews, it looks like next week is when it hits the fan.

The episode was full of personal moment as well which appear to be setting up future storylines. Tigh and Six are the first two skinjobs to ever conceive, so the child is something special. Messianic, perhaps? Tyrol discovers his kid is not actually his kid. The father is a minor character we have rarely seen. I think the point of the revelation was to eliminate any questions about there being a half Cylon child. Baltar continues his ranting on how God has abandoned humanity to loneliness and despair. The biggest side story is Gaeta, who quickly decides to help Zarek with his coup. Evidently his biggest role in the plot comes next week.

I cannot think of any words for the final scene with Adama and Roslin. It is sweet in some ways and creepy in others. I am certain fans will jump down my throat for saying as much as I already have, so I will stop there. It was an interesting episode which ran dangerously close to filler, but the vibe that it was setting up bigger things down the road keeps it from being branded as such.

Rating: *** (out of 5)

Caturday

Because everyone's soul feels besieged every now and then.

Kirsten Gillibrand to Fill Clinton's Senate Seat

New York Gov. David Paterson appointed Kirsten Gillibrand to fill Hillary Clinton’s vacated senate seat in a surprise move:

Gillibrand is a moderate Democrat, the 42-year-old mother of two young children who lives in Hudson, N.Y., and is in her second House term.
[...]
She's known as a Blue Dog Democrat, not always popular with liberals for her support of the National Rifle Assn. in her significantly rural 20th District, but said to be Clinton's favorite as her replacement.

Liberals are not happy with the choice. They would say she is too much like Sarah Palin, but since Gillibrandt is pro-abortion, she passes the test for enlightenment and is therefore is at least considered smarter than a pile of Duplo Blocks.

I understand Caroline Kennedy backed or was pushed out for personal reasons, but i am curious why Andrew Cuomo was snubbed. was Paterson feeling like he should appoint a woman since he was leaning towards Kennedy or embarrassed to appoint one dynastic candidate after another dropped refused? maybe he is just a maverick like Blago and wanted to thumb his nose at the party.

Barack Obama Assigns Funds for Foreign Abortions

Actress, liberal activist, and all around loony toon Susan Sarandon may have compared Barack Obama to Jesus, but as I recall, Jesus said, "suffer the littlechildren to come unto me," not "Let's kill as many of them little buggers as we can":

WORLDWIDE ABORTION INCIDENCE AND TRENDS
• The number of induced abortions declined worldwide between 1995 and 2003, from nearly 46 million to approximately 42 million. About one in five pregnancies worldwide end in abortion.

• For every 1,000 women of childbearing age (15–44) worldwide, 29 were estimated to have had an induced abortion in 2003, compared with 35 in 1995.

• The decline in abortion incidence was greater in developed countries, where nearly all abortions are safe and legal (from 39 to 26 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44), than in developing countries, where more than half are unsafe and illegal (from 34 to 29).

• Most abortions occur in developing countries—35 million annually, compared with seven million in developed countries[1]—a disparity that largely reflects the relative population distribution.

• On the other hand, a woman’s likelihood of having an abortion is similar whether she lives in a developed or developing region; in 2003, there were 26 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 in developed countries compared with 29 per 1,000 in developing countries.

Do you see the resemblance between the two Messiahs? Neither do I.

(Via: Four Horsemen of the Obacalypse and Gateway Pundit)

Barack Obama is a Jerk and Beyond Criticism

I knew that already, but I did not vote for the Obamassiah, so I get to say I told you so. any notions you have that Barack Obama would usher in a new era of bipartisaship just flew out the window:

During a morning meeting with congressional leaders from both parties, President Obama acknowledged the philosophical differences between his stimulus package and the Republican plan – but, sources familiar with the conversation said, Obama then noted: “I won.”…

But perhaps taking a cue from Obama’s “I won” line when Democrats were asked if they were concerned about Republicans blocking the package, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had a swift one-word answer: “No.”

as I recall, one of the big criticisms of Bush was his "my way or the highway" attitude, especially with Congress. It was the MSM media who really played up the rift between the executive and legislative branch. Well, Obama is not going to have any of that on his watch. The Politico decided to question Obama about his ban on lobbyists working in his administration versus a former lobbyist being appointed to a high level defense department position. hre is where the Obama/MSM honeymoon begins unraveling:The MSM may love Obama right now, but they love themselves even more. too much of this, and they will brutalize him from here on out.

What Steroids Can Do for You

Talk about sending the wrong message, huh?

Sylvester Stallone looks more cut at 62 than most people do at 22. I know he owes a great deal of it to HGH, but still, it takes more than that to get that fit. Stallone begins filming his latest movie, The Expendables next month. The movie is allegedly a return to more violent action movies of the '80's rather than the introspective 9His claim, not mine) action film Rambo last year.

I am hoping for a revival of decent action flicks,so i am keeping my fingers crossed The Expendables will be a hit and not considered a cheap knockoff of Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards.

Michelle Ryan Joins the Tenth Doctor

It looks like the previous rumor former Eastenders and Bionic Woman star Michelle Ryan would join Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor for 2010 were not quite right. Instead, she will join David Tennant's Tenth Doctor in Planet of the Dead.

This does not preclude her from staying on until the Doctor regenerates later this year, but given the news their will be different companions in each special, i assume ryan is a one off deal.

Which suits me fine. I am still holding out for Jo Joyner.

Burn Notice--"Do No Harm"

I have critiqued Burn Notice in the past for its formulaic ways, but I am still strangely drawn to it. I was looking forward to the resolution of the midseason finale’s cliffhanger and was surprised at how little of tonight’s episode dealt with it. There is the continued storyline about Michael’s search for who burned him, but it is often dragged out so slowly with so many groan worthy twists, one wonders how long it will be before fans throw their hands up in the air in defeat.

There was not much about the storyline here at all. Michael survived the booby trap bomb, of course. He gets assigned by Carla to find out who tried to kill him. He agrees, based on the old enemy of my enemy is my friend idea. I am certain it will not be that easy, but like I said, they have to drag it out somehow.

The bulk of the story is a typical Joe Everyman who has done something stupid and got caught up with a con man. This time Michael just happens to catch the guy about to jump in front of a bus for the insurance money. His kid has a heart condition he cannot afford to pay to treat. A con artist bilks him out of $250,000 for a miracle drug which winds up making things worse, then disappears.

Michael takes it personally because of his near death experience. He later explains it is because one needs a purpose to distract himself after such a traumatic event. I am not certain I bought the rationale for his intensity in the matter, but Michael has exhibited a soft spot for kids, so it is not too implausible. He winds up in a fist fight with Sam once things go wonky and even considers asking Carla for the money. I am skeptical an experienced spy can get so emotional about a case. Well, it is television. I will let it slide.

Everything is resolved beautifully. We even get to see Gabrielle Anwar in a bikini. That is worth the price of admission right there. We are also introduced to the new twist of who tried to kill Michael. Hopefully, there will be a big payoff in the offing rather than just some new corner to turn for the third season when it is all said and done.

Rating: *** (out of 5)

Roe Anniversary

In remembrance of the 44 million lives extinguished in the name of choice, I present this video:Consider it doubly sad since Barack Obama wants to increase funding of foreign abortions, as well. For those keeping score, that is hope, change, and infanticide.

Barack Obama Retakes the Oath

I snickered about to Obama Administration getting off to an auspicious start with the flubbing of the oath of office. I was well aware the flub was Chief Justice John Roberts’ fault and not Barack Obama’s. Roberts is a stickler for proper grammar. He has a history for altering quotations he does not think are worded properly. I di not know if he changed the wording deliberately or out of force of habit, but Obama went along with it after stumbling.

Constitutional scholars suggested Obama retake the oath just to be certain it is valid. Retaking the oath is not without precedent. Both Chester A. Arthur and Calvin Coolidge did so after some wording missteps.

I suspect there was the additional concern of conspiracy theorists claiming the Obama presidency is illegitimate because of the flubbed oath. Considering the legal suits questioning Obama’s natural born citizenship status and the lingering belief among some fringe elements he is a secret Muslim, it was probably prudent.

He probably should not have decided to avoid using a Bible on the retake. That might come back to haunt him.

Kelly Brook

American Idol judge Simon Cowell fired the British model from Britain's Got Talent, thern hired her to host a behind the scenes reality show on the making of Britain's got talent. Some say it proves cowell has a heart. I say it more confirms he has a penis.

Lost--"The Lie"

I can see why the powers that be lumped these two episodes together. It is not that it was bad, but there was not much monumental going on. I got the vibe it was a lot of set up for the future. I was not terribly disappointed, mind you. I just expected a bigger bang to end a two hour event on, particularly when they want me to come back next week. Bah. They probably assume I am already hooked, even if the Hurley episodes are usually mediocre.

The island story, which is bouncing around the time line, appears to take place mostly in the past. The hostiles attack the beach Lostaways with a barrage of flaming arrows. I think what resulted was the biggest body count of Lostaways since the crash. It was awfully gruesome. Our heroes run right straight into the DHARMA Initiative, but are rescued by Locke. Hail, hail, the gang’s all here. Sorta.

The Oceanic Six story has an emphasis on Hurley. He was never comfortable with lying about their post plane crash experience The cracks are showing. He heads to his house with the wounded Sayid after seeing a vision of the dead Ana-Lucia, of all people. I am in the minority of liking Michelle Rodriguez and her character, Ana-Lucia, but I do. Paths cross as jack winds up tending to Sayid and sun contacts the on the run Kate. I do not believe her when she says she does not hold bitter feelings about losing Jin. She is a quisling. The writers have already set her up as dishonest and vengeful.

There is also a rift between Ben and Sayid. There is no indication what that might be yet, but it was enough for him to go ahead and attempt recruiting Hurley before Jack and Sayid arrive. Hurley refuses to go and turns himself into the cops instead, falsely claiming he killed the men who attacked him and Sayid last episode. Ben returns empty handed to Ms. Hawkins, the Isabelle lookalike who explained the inevitability of fate to Desmond in “Flashes Before Your Eyes.” So ben is working for a another and he has a seventy hour deadline.

The next episode reveals a major female character’s death. Charlotte is exhibiting signs of the sickness one gets from traveling through time, so I assume it is her. It would be odd, since her back story is not all that clear. But neither was Libby’s and they finished her off rather quickly, so they are not above it.

Rating: *** (out of 5)

Lost--"Because You Left"

lost is back tonight for its penultimate season. Gone are the flashbacks and flashforwards. There is a new storytelling technique in play which executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse promised would make it challenging to determine what time period events were taking place in. admittedly, there were a few head scratching moments, but I think I got most of it down pat. There were also some interesting revelations, but obvious and not so obvious.

Shall we start with the simplest? The episode begins in the past with the DHARMA Initiative’s Dr. Marvin Candel interrupted in filming one of the orientation videos by a discovery in a nearby drilling operation. The miners have discovered a large energy source that has already killed several men who have tried to get to it. It is not explicitly stated, but I assume the miners were digging at the site of the Swan Station. The energy source is probably whatever the button was releasing every 108 minutes. Daniel faraday was there, lending support to the theory. I am also certain the baby who woke Candel up was Miles. That one is just a hunch.

For the sake of simplicity, I am going to just say the rest of the episode takes place on island time in 2005 and for the oceanic six in 2008. That is not exactly true, as when Ben moved the island, it began shifting backwards and forwards in time like Desmond has done since the third season. It is odd, but they are dumping enough clues for you to figure out where the island people are in the time line.

Locke is bouncing through time even though he is no longer with the rest of them. In fact, the others disappear after the first time shift. Locke witnesses Yuri’s plane crash. Since it took off from Nigeria, it stands to reason the island has moved from the South pacific as well as through time. Again, speculation. Locke runs into Richard Alpert who gives him a compass. You may recall that was one of the items he showed to Locke as a child in a flashback last season to yesy whether her was “ready.” Interesting.

Truth be told, the oceanic six story I seven more confusing Kate and Aaron are forced to go on the run by someone who suspects they are not related. Hurley and sayid are being hunted presumably by the same group. Sun is allied with Charles Widmore and I assume not on the up and up, but it is hard to tell. Not all the he events are not happening concurrently. Plus, Ben does not appear to be the top dog in the outside world like he was on the island.

It was an auspicious start. Some intriguing groundwork was laid out for the rest of the season. I am fascinated to see where it is headed. I am doubly fascinated to learn Desmond, still Daniel’s constant, is going to bea part of it all.

Rating: **** (out of 5)

Hillary Clinton Confirmed as Secretary of State

The vote was 94-2 for Hillary Clinton to become Secretary of State without portfolio. surprise, surprise, she got a boost from John McCain, who never meta democrat he did not adore.

The no votes were David Vitter, who tussled with Clinton during the confirmation hearings over conflicts of interest with the Clinton Foundation, and South Carolina's own Jim DeMint, who probably voted out of some sense of conservatism as a holy cause. I like him, bit i swear he often hears voices telling him to go save France.

The news comes, you know, just as, you know, princess Caroline Kennedy backed out of consideration for, you know, like the empty Senate seat or something. You know?

Barack Obama: Kenyan Santa Claus

Kenya has high hopes for Barack Obama, whom they consider a native son:

“This man is Jesus,” shouted one man, spilling his Guinness as Barack Obama began his inaugural address. “When will he come to Kenya to save us?” If Barack Obama’s spin doctors have been trying to lower expectations since his election victory, the message clearly has not reached the land of his father…

“Now he is president we will get food and jobs,” said Ben Ochieng, as he danced to the traditional music that replaced the planned show…

The Kenya National Theatre even revived its hit show Obama The Musical, which wowed sell-out audiences during the US election last year. It uses parallels with the Bible Story and Mr Obama’s own struggles with racism and drugs — documented in his memoir Dreams From My Father - to portray the incoming President as a saviour for downtrodden peoples of the world…

“It is right that when people get power they look after their family, so we know that Obama will build lots of good things for us, like schools and roads and clinics,” said George Opiyo as he left the theatre.

Even those well informed in international affairs often miss the true mindset of foreign countries. too often, we view the world as a post Cold war environment when much of the world still views it as a post- Colonial Era. i am not certain if that is Kenya's mindset--I am assuming Kenyans blame the west for its econimic woes--or if they just believe Obama has a sense of loyalty to his roots.

Obama has put forth an awful lot of rhetoric on sacrificing because Americans allegedly take more than their fair share of resources. I am curious whether foreign countries take his rhetoric to heart and believe he actually will redistribute American wealth to their benefit. If that is true, I hate to see Kenyans so deluded.

Then again, considering the cash we have forked over for bailouts in the last few months,renovating Kenya might seem like a bargain. Heh. The return on investment would not be much dicier, either.

(Via: Ballot, Soap, Jury, Ammo)

White House Eraees Pro-Life Stance in an Instant

I was afraid this sort of change we can believe in was going to happen, but I did not expect it to be so immediate. The Obama Administration has already changed has already changed the White House home page to reflect its extreme pro-abortion stance.

I like I speculated on Sunday, any mention of the Sanctity of Human life Day are gone. We will not see that again until another republican is in the White House. Hopefully, that will be in 2012. Furthermore, the new home page reiterates Obama’s commitment to upholding Roe v. Wade, funneling millions to planned parenthood under the guise of “prevention,” and broadening research using embryonic stem cells.

I fret over this because it is a slippery slope. A majority of American support abortion because they have been brainwashed into thinking it is a civil rights issue—a woman’s right to choose—rather than a biological one. When a cell splits, it is life. When a human cell splits, it is human life. Any Orwellian euphemisms such as “potential life” or “fetal material undergoing demise” is nothing more than verbal gymnastics to obscure the truth.

Obama may be incompetent about many things, but verbal gymnastics and hoodwinking naive liberals (Oxymoron?) are two exceptions at which he is quite crafty. We in the pro-life camp are going to have to remain vigilant and ever faithful to the cause of protecting helpless life against the silent holocaust masquerading as a protected moral right.

Jean-Luc Picard Music Video

Those young YouTubers still do not care much for the classics. Oh, well. Here we go anyway. I set this one to "From Yesterday" by 30 Seconds to Mars.

Abigail Clancy in a Bikini

Because it is cold and I need a positive boost after Barack Obama was sworn in yesterday. Abigail Clancy in a bikini should do the trick.

The Age of Obama is the Same Old Same Old

Call me a pessimist, but I imagine the Age of Obama is going to be pretty much the same as every other age that has come before it. Why is that? It is not because the economy is going down the tubes or because we are fighting at war which is generational at best. No, it is because people are the same. I am talking about voters, media, and Obama himself.

I recall in 2001, bush could not take the walk to the white house because of protestors. He had to ride in a limo as it was pelted by eggs. I can virtually guarantee every last one of those protestors voted for Obama. They have not felt the hope and change in the interim, either. As the helicopter taking Bush and his wife back to Texas flew over the Mall, the crowd jeered, ‘Sh na na na na na na goodbye,” as though he was the losing team at a sorting events. You stay classy, liberals.

Just how much faith can you have in the blatantly partisan media? You should not be surprised they are fawning over Obama as nauseatingly as they are. They will subsequently cover up for him, too. The media brutally critiqued Bush from the moment he entered office until this afternoon, with only a brief pause after 9/11 to avoid looking deranged. That and to not call attention to the fact the plan was formulated under Clinton’s watch. Get ready for some extended cheerleading until some reporter decides to make a name for himself by asking question…for once.

As for Obama, I do not believe he is greater than the sum of his parts. Those parts are not all that great, either. He is a radical leftist who has been inspired by even more radical leftists. He is in way over his head due to his gross inexperience. He is a novelty act who managed to dupe millions of people into believing a Chicago politician can affect hope and change, whatever those two ambiguous terms constitute.

In short, we are in for a bumpy ride, but we have been there many, many times before.

Bob May Has Passed On

The new year is less than three weeks old, but we have already lost three shining gems of science fiction. I have already written about Patrick McGoohan and Ricardo Montalban. This weekend made it three when Bob May passed on.

May had a long career in television, commercials, and movies, but he is most famous for a role in which you never actually saw him. It was may who was inside the Robot B-9 costume during the run of Lost in Space.

"He was a veteran actor and stuntman who had appeared in movies, TV shows and on the vaudeville stage when he was tapped by “Lost in Space” creator Irwin Allen to play the Robinson family’s loyal metal sidekick in the series that debuted in 1965.

“He always said he got the job because he fit in the robot suit,” said June Lockhart, who played family matriarch Maureen Robinson. “It was one of those wonderful Hollywood stories. He just happened to be on the studio lot when someone saw him and sent him to see Irwin Allen about the part. Allen said, ‘If you can fit in the suit, you’ve got the job.’

I am afraid i do not have a whole lot more to add other than acknowledging the banter Jonanthan harris' Dr. smoth and the robot was the highlight of the series. The robot's voice was provided by Dick Trufeld, but those mannerisms orchestrated by May helped seal the deal.

You will find more details here. Godspeed, Mr. May.

Barack Obama Sworn In as 44th President

I am still not feeling the hope and change, but I voted for Otto von Bismarck and the redneck beauty queen, so what do you expect?

It is no secret I would rather not have Barack Obama as president. I think he is a tax and spend liberal, despise his abortion stance, and fear he is dangerously inexperienced in all facets, not the least of which is foreign policy. I suspect his term in office to be mediocre at best, a disaster of incompetence at worst.

All that said, I can appreciate several aspects of Obama’s inauguration. One, it was the 44th peaceful transfer of power in our nation’s history. We take that for granted, but considering the tumultuous lessons of history, it is an extraordinary accomplishment. Two, Obama is the first African-American to be elected president. It is an historic moment. Who can say when or if it will be repeated? Even if I did not vote for him, I recognize the significance of his victory. Finally, a lot of people seem enthusiastic for once. They are probably chasing rainbows in looking for Obama to be a savior, but at least they can dream for a moment.

All I can say now is goodbye to Bush. I am grateful for your successes and forgive your shortcomings. I appreciate you made the tough decisions when it counted.

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson is the new celebrity model whatsis for Dolce & Gabanna. I have no clue what that is, but the Marilyn Monroe bit is pretty cool even if it is cliche at this point.

Barack Obama tossed her under the bus earlier this year when he denied they were pen pals. since I believe comparisons of Obama to JFK are a farce, it seems only fitting to have Johansson here as a monroe knock off on Obama's Inauguration Day.

24--"12:00 PM-1:00 PM"

Judging by the silent clock ticking down at the end, I would say Jack just learned how brutal going under deep cover can be. He will kill you even when he is trying not to. I guessed last week when Jack put a sleeper hold on Agent walker the interesting working dynamic of the two would be kaput. I had no idea he would wind up faking an execution style shooting 9which probably rendered her deaf, at least.) and then be forced to bury her “alive” to keep up the ruse. I expect some sort of salvation for her, but I cannot imagine a way that would not stretch credulity even more than 24 normally does.

The bulk of the episode was an intense stand off in which the terrorists, with Jack and Tony in tow, Have the Prime minister of Sangala locked in a panic room. Paging Jodie Foster. Actually, jack winds up channeling MacGyver instead as he brews up a poisonous gas using household items to smoke the prime minister out. Crafty guy, that Jack. They get their man and their FBI agent, to boot. Which brings us back to my first paragraph and speculation as to whether walker is going to be sacrificed or does she make it out alive.

It is almost an afterthought, but the terrorists threaten to bring down another airliner while the first gentlemen discovers his son’s death was not a suicide just as he apparently gets whacked himself. Honestly, it was all pretty pedestrian up until the ending. If you had not figured out yet, I am skeptical it means the end of walker. So what was the point? I am waiting for one of the usual big twists that crank the story up. We have not gotten it yet. Maybe next week.

Rating; *** (out of 5)

Sentences of Ramos and Compean Commuted

Unfortunately, Bush did not pardon the two border guards for shooting a Mexican drug dealer. Instead:

Bush didn't pardon the men for their crimes, but decided instead to commute their prison sentences because he believed they were excessive and that they had already suffered the loss of their jobs, freedom and reputations, a senior administration official said.

The action by the president, who believes the border agents received fair trials and that the verdicts were just, does not diminish the seriousness of their crimes, the official said.

Compean and Ramos, who have served about two years of their sentences, are expected to be released from prison within the next two months.

What crime? They were doig their freaking jobs! The pair were made scapegoats during the illegal immigrant debate (Why is it a debate if we already know it is illegal?) and were not pardoned so as not to damage any further efforts to give clemency to illegals.

Because, as the poor Hispanic turnout for pro illegal immigrant amnesty John McCain proves, they really love Republicans otherwise.

(Via: Ace of Spades)

Canadian Politics Meets American Idol

Jeopardy host and Canadian native son Alex Trebek will fill the Ryan Seacrest role in the CBC’s Canada’s Next Prime Minister, a game show which will feature three former Canadian prime ministers choosing a contestant they think will make the best leader of America's frigid hat.

The concept has been sold to the BBC, so it is only a matter of time before Rupert Murdoch decides to bring it to FOX for American audiences. Can you imagine George w. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter filling the roles of Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson?

The sad details can be found here.

(Via: Ain't It Cool News)

UPDATE: Seeing is believing:

Sixteen Random Facts

So I have been tagged with a meme.

I. Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 16 random facts about yourself
II. At the end of the note, tag 16 people
III. You are supposed to tag the person who tagged you, too
IV. If I've tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you. (If I haven't, it's only because I had to choose 16 . . . I still want to know more about you, too!)

(I am supposed to tag sixteen people, but the nihilist in me forbids it. If you want to play, consider yourself duly tagged.)

1. I like cats. They are civil libertarians, epicureans, and survivors. You cannot tyrannize a cat. A cat will teach you everything you ever need to know about conceit versus genuine affection. I respect that

2. The only reason I studied law is because I do not chase rainbows. If I had my druthers, I would have become a writer along the lines of Harlan Elliso.n He is an award winning journalist, novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. I will buy you a double banana split if you can find any random person who can name anything he has written.

3. I dislike espousing adamant beliefs because I am generally embarrassed by the peanut gallery that applauds beyond me. The worst part of any belief system is the believers themselves. Well, that and we cannot keep the stupidest amongst us off television.

4. It amuses me more when you do not get my jokes than when you do.

5. I prefer science fiction because, more than any other genre, it has a ‘big picture’ scope. The more epic, philosophical and complex it is, the more I probably like it, even if I do not agree with the message.

6. On the other hands, I recognize it all boils down to five things; love, hate, desire, pain and fear. So I guess the small things matter most. It is interesting you can burn with all five, no?

7. If I could be a musician, I would be a lot like Don Henley.

8. I am left handed even more by default than most southpaws..

9. I like baseball because it is unique. It is a game where strategy matters more than strength, the only sport where the defense has the ball, and a single game could theoretically last forever.

10. I cannot decide if I like Reese Witherspoon in spite of her being a holier than thou ice queen or because of it.

11. I have artificial hips, one kidney, one eye, and half my colon. I suspect I am still alive solely because I have taken the losses as a personal insult.

12. Oddly enough, I have never broken a bone.

13. I believe history has just as much pattern and definite outcome as math. That most refuse to acknowledge the fact is why history is doomed to repeat itself. That is what in the vernacular is known as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

14. I would like to think optimists lack a certain self-awareness, but I have been around long enough to realize some people are made to suffer while others were born with a gold horseshoe up their butts. There is no real explanation for either.

15. “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls is the best song from the last fifteen years.

16. I would like to own a stable of thoroughbreds. I do not know where the desire comes from as I have never been around horse racing or horses before.

Shania Twain

Because I was in a nostalgic rage last night listening to some songs I have not heard in a long time.

National Sanctity of Life Day

The penultimate full day of George Bush’s presidency is National Sanctity of Life Day. Following in the footsteps of Presidents Reagan and Bush Sr., President Bush has declared the Sunday closest to January 22—the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade—as National Sanctity of Life Day every year since taking office.

The holiday remembers the unborn victims of abortion. As Bush declared on January 15th:

“All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection….The most basic duty of government is to protect the life of the innocent.”

It is worth noting today will be the last for at least four years. Bill Clinton ignored the day. Barack Obama most certainly will. A sad statement on the character of some of our leaders, methinks.

Battlestar Galactica's Big Questions

The most recent episode of Battlestar Galactica, “Sometimes a Great Notion,” answered several longstanding questions and asked a few more. Regardless, there still appears to be debate among fans about all the questions and answers. Shall we work through them? Come, let us reason together. Needless to say, spoilers abound.

First, was that Earth? According to Ron Moore, yes it was a planet called Earth by the13th tribe. But was it our Earth? There is evidence pointing in both directions, but the strongestcase says it is not.

Arguments against the planet being Earth go way back to the third season. Starbuck appears to lee in the season finale in a viper. She tells him she has been to earth and will lead the fleet there. The scene ends with a rapid journey through space until we reach our Earth. We know it is earth because we get a good look at the continents. However, when the fleet finally reaches what they believe is Earth in “Revelations,” we never get a clear look at the continents. It looks like a deliberate attempt to be ambiguous whether the irradiated wasteland actually is our Earth.

Keep in mind two prophecies as well. The Hybrid warned the fleet should not follow Starbuck because she is the harbinger of death. Roslin is assumed to be the subject of the prophecy of the dying one leading them all to salvation. Starbuck lead the fleet to the dead world. Somehow, Roslin will likely regain her faith and lead them to their proper destination—the real Earth.

The revived BSG follows the original series in many subtle ways. You may recall in the original series, they encountered a planet called Terra which they believed to be Earth. This was smack dab in the middle of the Cold War era, so the story surrounding Terra was an allegory for the west versus Communist countries, but the fact remains the planet was under threat of immediate nuclear annihilation. The nuclear attack was prevented by the BSG crew with the help of some celestial beings, which I will come back to in a subsequent question about Starbuck. But the parallels between mistaken identity and nuclear war are compelling. This Earth is probably Terra.

There are only two real arguments in favor of the irradiated wasteland being the real Earth. First, the star patterns in the temple of Jupiter match ours. Gatea said the stars in the discovered Earth’s system were identical. But stars move over time, particularly 2,000 years, so who knows. Second, Anders claimed he once sang Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” in his previous life 2,000 years ago. That would imply this Earth had our cultural history.

Second, is Ellen Tigh the final Cylon? Yes, she is. It fits in with everything we have known about the final Cylon. Not that it boils down to much. It is said the final Cylon was no longer in the fleet. Ellen was about the most prominent person absent from the fleet at that point. D’anna apologized to the final Cylon when she discovered her identity in the Temple Of Jupiter. She was apologizing for the pain and humiliation Ellen suffered on New Caprica. The revelation should probably make her death of the hands of her husband more poignant, but that was so long ago, the sting is gone. For me it is, at any rate.

Third, why did Dualla commit suicide? She was distraught over the discovery Earth is in ruins. She wanted one more happy time, so she spent the evening with Lee. She did not want to go back to being depressed, so she shot herself. It was premeditated because the crew does not normally carry a sidearm while on ship.
Finally, what is Starbuck? The most obvious answer would be a Cylon, but that is too obvious to be correct. I suspect she was the catalyst for the destruction of this earth. Her corpse had been there for a long time. Two thousand years, perhaps? It would fulfill her harbinger of death role.

If we really are following the pattern of the original series, Starbuck may be one of those celestial beings who helped saved terra. In the first half of this season, Starbuck was seen painting ships of light similar to those the celestial beings used. Could Starbuck now be one of them? It is possible. It would probably be a cheap revelation if there is no build up to it, but that might be whatthe remaining episodes are set to do.

Hopefully, they will clarify everything.