Truest statement of the week

Bernie Sanders is rapidly making himself into Mr. Irrelevant, a footnote of campaign history like Jesse Jackson and Howard Dean before him, the great Progressive Hope of 2016.  He pretends he is the revolutionary his followers want him to be, while he twists and turns his way to Philly for the coronation of Queen Hillary, where he will kiss her ring.  He and Noam Chomsky and Gloria Steinem and Tom Hayden can then get on a bus called Furthur Down the Rathole and tour until November, berating and guilt-tripping independents and lefties to vote for Hillary and against Hitler, aka Trump.

But that is not the candidate bus tour we need, nor one you could pay me enough to see.  What would tremendously benefit the current scene of political rot in America is if the Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, and the Green candidate Jill Stein, announced a two week coast-to-coast tour of debates versus each other.  Both desperately need to elevate their poll numbers and break through the corporate media’s censorship of any candidates but Trump and Clinton.  The networks ignore them, except to run stories of how these so-called third parties are ruining it for everyone by trying to intrude on our democracy and the massive system of corruption that so rewards the paid media and the industry of professional political hacks.

-- John Stauber, "The Debate We Need: Gary Johnson vs Jill Stein" (COUNTERPUNCH).

Truest statement of the week II

Muddying the waters a bit on if she will simply accept these recommendations. After she suggested she will be taking a step back from the investigation and just accepting this, the Justice Department spokeswoman clarified her remarks. She told Yahoo! News that, "the Attorney General will be the ultimate decider.'
So how can you maintain you're just accepting the recommendations and also there is the suggestion that she is the ultimate decider? These seem to be two very different things. 


-- Brianna Keilar asking a basic question on CNN.

A note to our readers

Hey --


Clearly, we'll never get it together to post on a Sunday again.
 




First, we thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:





The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen,
Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.


And what did we come up with?


I (Jim) and adding to this because of e-mail complaints.

• Truest statement of the week

The one and only John Stauber racks up another truest. 

• Truest statement of the week II

Brianna Keilar gets a truest.

• Editorial: Independence for whom?

The Islamic State does not require Iraq to have state of the art technology.  So why is the White House arming the sectarian government the way it is?

• TV: Summer flush

Ava and C.I. take on summer scripted shows.

• Film Classics of the 20th Century

We continue the ongoing series.

• Hillary Bros, the most sexist of all

Why is Hillary Bros were never the focus that the so-called Bernie Bros were?

• Who killed the romantic comedy?

This could have been an epic.  Betty, Ava and C.I. brought the issue up back in April and we thought we'd save it for a movie edition.  But we were slow on things this week so we went with it.  With more time, we would have pointed out that John Cusack hurts every romantic film he's the lead in with the exception of SAY ANYTHING -- too old, too flabby.  We would have noted that when a romantic comedy fails -- or is perceived as failing -- the female star is trashed by 'critics' for months while the male gets a pass.

• This edition's playlist

What we listened to while writing.

• Anti-war newspaper is blocked from reporting as Ch...

SOCIALIST WORKER reprint.

• Gary Johnson Tweets

We listen to John Stauber.

• Thousands rally for Jeremy Corbyn as Labour MPs tr...

SOCIALIST WORKER reprint.

• Jill Stein Tweets

Jill Stein's Tweets.

We didn't make the dealine and get this up on Sunday.

I know.

Peace.




-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I

Editorial: Independence for whom?

Al Jazeera EnglishVerified account ‏@AJEnglish  5d5 days ago

Iraq's Fallujah is liberated, now what? http://aje.io/qv88 

56 retweets42 likes

Shouldn't that have been the question before the 'liberation' of Falluja began?

Yet again, 'lean forward' is actually revealed to be ass backwards.

View all

Link to headline article

UK to send 250 more military personnel to Iraq - BBC NewsThe UK is sending 250 more military personnel to Iraq, almost doubling its presence in the country.

BBC News (UK)

Jun 30, 2016

And when the lack of planning doesn't magically fix anything, well just toss some more troops on it, right?


The illegal war started badly (and illegally) and it continues badly (and illegally).


More troops.

And more weapons.

In fact, the White House is extending billions in credit to Iraq to purchase more weapons.

To fight the Islamic State?

Or to control the Iraqi people?

More and more, it seems the latter.


The US installed this government of exiles which rules over the Iraqi people and wastes the people's money.

As protests against corruption become a regular staple of daily life, the White House appears to be attempting to ensure it's puppet regime, this modern day Shah, remains in power.

If Iraqis ever got a taste of democracy, maybe it would take root.

Maybe it wouldn't.

But as the US government repeatedly decides who will be prime minister, as it nullifies election results (see the 2010 national elections), it appears very clear that what the Iraqi people are rejecting is being a client state of the United States.


Can you blame them?

TV: Summer flush

For all its fault, THE GOOD WIFE provided nearly five seasons of strong television.  Before the show imploded, its calling card was Julianna Margulies who'd built up good will as Carol on several seasons of ER.




BRAIN DEAD is the attempted follow up to THE GOOD WIFE by show runners Robert and Michelle King and its wretched and unwatchable.

They have no calling card in the cast but they do have repellents.

Tony Shalhoub is a nothing little actor who was overused as background on the sitcom WINGS and went to USA where everyone pretended his lack of chemistry meant he was acting on MONK.  He's not acting on BRAIN DEAD either but he is using a ridiculous speaking voice which he, no doubt, thinks makes him Meryl Streep.

It only makes him laughable.

The whole show is as laughable as the Kings image of being 'progressive.'

They're twisted f**ks (remember when they thought a good story was Kalinda being turned on by being physically battered and beaten on THE GOOD WIFE).  Which goes a long, long way towards explaining why the episodes are directed by men and written by men (plus Michelle King) and why the show couldn't be any Whiter if it tried.

This is a show filled with uglies revolving around stupidity.

And it's CBS' 'big' summer show.


It's not a good summer, thus far, for scripted TV.

ABC's out with MISTRESSES.

When Alyssa Milano starred in the show (the first two seasons), approximately four and a half million viewers turned out for the season debuts.

Now?

It's fallen to 2.94 for the opener.

For the record, the two seasons Alyssa starred in MISTRESSES?


The ratings were never that low for any episode, let alone a season debut.

Another season without Alyssa.

Another season when Jes Macallan overacts and looks like s**t.

On the latter, it's not her fault -- the cost-cutting move to Canada has meant poorly lit scenes.

On the former, she's convinced she's cute and she's just not.

She's like Brick on THE MIDDLE, she's aged out of cute and no one has the guts to tell her.

No one has the guts to tell Jerry O'Connell to cut that hair or that he's also aged out of cute.  And it wasn't very smart of the show runner to hire Jerry as a 'hottie' for season four.


ABC's other scripted show is UNCLE BUCK.  It's performing much better in the ratings but the Mike Epps starrer has not set the critics on fire.

The show isn't bad and, if shot in front of a studio audience, it would be a solid sitcom.

Instead, it's another single-camera 'sitcom' with bad pacing and pauses that go on far too long.

Epps and Nia Long are not the problem.

If there is a season two -- the ratings argue for one -- they should switch to performing in front of a studio audience.

Over at THE CW, BEAUTY & THE BEAST should be going out with a bang.

Season four, this season, is the show's last.

And the Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan led show has built up a solid fan base.

But season four has been a disappointment with start-stop plotting and nonsense like an entire episode where Vincent makes like the lead character in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.


It has not made for a wonderful wrap up.

Which brings us to FOX and their season one hit WAYWARD PINES.

Jason Patric is the wrong actor for this show and we went over that back in May.

As the ratings this season have repeatedly drooped, it's obvious America agrees.

Which brings us to NBC.

AQUARIUS is the only summer show thus far that's consistently worth watching.


Now if only NBC could figure out how to promote it and get a scripted show to pair it with.


Until then, the whole summer of scripted television is down the toilet.

Film Classics of the 20th Century

In this ongoing series on film classics of the last century, we've looked at TEA WITH MUSSOLINI, THE LATE SHOW, SUMMER STOCK, THE FULLER BRUSH GIRL,  The Net,  Your Friends & Neighbors,  Shampoo,  The Player,  Dick Tracy,  How To Marry A Millionaire,  Blow Out, You Only Live Twice, Sleeper,  Diamonds Are Forever,  Sleepless In Seattle,  My Little Chickadee,  Tootsie,  After Hours,  Edward Scissorhands, Christmas in Connecticut, Desk Set,  When Harry Met Sally . . .,  Who Done It?,  That Darn Cat!,  Cactus Flower,  Family Plot, House Sitter,  and Outrageous Fortune.   Film classics are the films that grab you, even on repeat viewings, especially on repeat viewings.

"I'm not perverted.  I get good grades.  I go to church.  I'm a cheerleader," insists Natasha Lyonne in the 1999 comedy BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER.




Jamie Babbit directs the film about Lyonne's cheerleader Megan who is sent to a conversion camp when her parents suspect her of being a lesbian.




It's at the camp that Megan realizes she is a lesbian . . . and also where she finds love with Graham (Clea DuVall)

In 1999, this comedy was edgy.

Society's fortunately moved on enough that conversion camps are rebuked even by a sitting president (Barack Obama, to his credit).


But the comedy remains hilarious with scenes where Mike (RuPaul in male drag) attempts to teach teenage boys to act in more stereotypical masculine ways.





It's also the only film where Eddie Cibrian has come across as a full bodied character -- Rock, the son of camp founder Mary.





Lyonne, RuPaul, Clea DuVall, Eddie Cibrian  -- those are only a few cast members.

Bud Cort, Cathy Moriarty, Michelle Williams, Mink Stole, Julie Delpy, Ione Sky, Katharine Towne and (below) Michelle Williams.



This is a 20th century film classic and, good news, 16 years later, director Jamie Babbitt reteamed with Natasha Lyonne to make another comedy classic ADDICTED TO FRESNO (currently streaming on HULU).

Hillary Bros, the most sexist of all

George D. ‏@xdelmar59  10h10 hours agoWashington, USA

George D. Retweeted Rylo Ken

Jill Stein needs to pack her bags and head back to her little hippie nut ranch

Is that what 'the little lady' should do?


Go back to her 'little' ranch?


George D is a Hillary supporter.


Which pretty much says it all, now doesn't it?

He thinks he's going to shout and scream and scare off the woman candidate.

Because that's probably what he tried to do in 2008 when he was for Barack and screaming at Hillary supporters.

Sexists don't change unless they're called out.

And even then.

It's strange that Hillary supposedly stands for democracy but her supporters are trying to bully a candidate out of the race.

Who killed the romantic comedy?

The list of collaborators is lengthy and has to start with 'critics' who traffic in sexism.

They brought out the knives for Meg Ryan following SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE.



But the thing is, even her KATE AND LEOPOLD continues to deliver audiences on streaming services 15 years later.

As Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts walked away from rom coms, the format was supposedly dead.

But, in 2009, Sandra Bullock returned to rom coms with THE PROPOSAL and the film made $317.4 million worldwide.

Because there is an audience for rom coms.

It's not an audience that wants to see Matthew Broderick.

No, THE PROPOSAL teamed Sandra with the attractive Ryan Reynolds.

See that's what really killed the rom com:  Ugly men.

There's nothing romantic about teaming with Ben Stiller (see DUPLEX), or Broderick, or Owen Wilson.

And while not great lookers, Tom Hanks and Billy Crystal had personality.

Hugh Grant and Matthew McConaughey have personality, looks and talent but they need to be teamed with actresses film goes like -- Sandra Bullock, Drew Barrymore, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, etc.

They don't need to be teamed with the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker.

A romantic comedy asks the audience to enjoy two people falling in love, this requires a cast with actors the audience wants to see.


Supposedly the genre was tired and that's why critics attacked it.


If that were indeed true, the super hero films would have been attacked years ago since nothing remotely inventive has been done since Sam Raimi directed the SPIDER-MAN trilogy.


The reality is what it's always been.  Critics attack films where women star or co-star.

They do it because they hate women or just because they know they can get away with it.


It's why they went after Goldie Hawn and Jane Fonda before Goldie, trashing them for supposedly making the same film over and over . . . while ignoring Clint Eastwood doing the same thing in his films.

This edition's playlist

1) Nick Jonas' LAST YEAR WAS COMPLICATED.


2) Ben Harper's CALL IT WHAT IT IS.

3) Janet Jackson's UNBREAKABLE.

4) PJ Harvey's LET ENGLAND SHAKE.


5) Carly Simon's PLAYING POSSUM.

6) Tori Amos'  UNREPENTANT GERALDINES.

7)  Sam Smith's IN THE LONELY HOUR DROWNING SHADOW EDITION.

8) Aretha Franklin's ARETHA SINGS THE GREAT DIVA CLASSICS.

9) Aretha Franklin's WHO'S ZOOMIN' WHO.

10)  Steve Grand's ALL AMERICAN BOY.

This is a repost from Great Britain's SOCIALIST WORKER:

Anti-war newspaper is blocked from reporting as Chilcot report on Iraq is published

by Nick Clark                

Socialist Worker has been blocked from reporting from the publication of the Chilcot report into the Iraq war.

A press spokesperson told Socialist Worker last week that its reporters would not be given access to the official media event.

The Chilcot report is set to be published on 6 July. It is reported to contain heavy criticism of warmonger and former Labour prime minister Tony Blair for his role in launching the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The official publication event in central London will include a media “lock-in” where journalists will get a first look at the report’s executive summary.

There will also be a statement from the report’s author John Chilcot.

Despite applying for press access several weeks ago, Socialist Worker was told its reporter would not be allowed in due to “a limited number of spaces”.

Socialist Worker has consistently opposed the war on Iraq. We have reported from inside the anti-war movement since the launch of the Stop the War Coalition in 2001.

We exposed Blair’s lies while other newspapers fell in behind the war.

Journalists from many of those newspapers will have access to the event.

Payments © Socialist Worker (unless otherwise stated). You may republish if you include an active link to the original.     

Gary Johnson Tweets

Gary Johnson is running as the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate.

1. Gov. Gary Johnson ‏@GovGaryJohnson  Jun 29

   Are #youin? Check out our new video -- and spread it around. #election2016 #TeamGov

   5,696 retweets5,371 likes

    

    

    
2. Gov. Gary Johnson ‏@GovGaryJohnson  13h13 hours ago

   Declare your independence this year. #IndependenceDay #4thOfJuly #TeamGov #Election2016

   

   911 retweets1,330 likes

    

    

    
3. Gov. Gary Johnson ‏@GovGaryJohnson  22h22 hours ago

   Happy #IndependenceDay! It's a great day to remember that #Liberty is the original American value.

   852 retweets1,531 likes

    

    

    
4. Gov. Gary Johnson ‏@GovGaryJohnson  Jul 3

   Thanks @billmaher, we will get there. @RealTimers #realtime #election2016 #TeamGov

   

   540 retweets1,175 likes

    

    

    
5.  Gov. Gary Johnson Retweeted

   Al Punto Univision ‏@AlPunto  Jul 3

   Hoy en @AlPunto: @GovGaryJohnson @GovBillWeld

   24 retweets49 likes

    

    

    
6.  Gov. Gary Johnson Retweeted

   State of the Union ‏@CNNSotu  Jun 30

   Sunday on #CNNSOTU: Libertarian candidate @GovGaryJohnson joins @brikeilarcnn to discuss his campaign.

   

   211 retweets292 likes

    

    

    
7. Gov. Gary Johnson ‏@GovGaryJohnson  Jul 2

   Voters who are hungry for a positive alternative should pay attention.

   549 retweets719 likes

    

    

    
8. Gov. Gary Johnson ‏@GovGaryJohnson  Jul 2

   1 of @politico's "Numbers that mattered" this week: 22% - Millennial voters choosing Johnson vs. Trump & Clinton.

   453 retweets710 likes