Friday, March 26, 2021

Truest statement of the week

 

Ever since a white Georgia man killed six Asian women and two others in Atlanta, the corporate media have jumped onto the “stop Asian hate” bandwagon as if they are innocent bystanders. It is easy to point fingers at a murdering local redneck and leave unexamined the media role in spreading hatred based on race and nationality. 

Sinophobia in particular has been quite overt, with the corporate media following the dictates of U.S. foreign policy. When Donald Trump was president they repeated his every lie and insult, and supported every decision intended to thwart China. They may have sneered when he spoke of the “China virus” but they joined in telling lies about the beginnings of the COVID pandemic and ignored China’s successful response which resulted in fewer than 5,000 deaths while Americans have more than 500,000 and counting. When those narratives were combined with typical American racism it is little wonder that mass murder and hatred will take hold.

“When Donald Trump was president corporate media supported every decision intended to thwart China.”

Joe Biden is no better than Trump in regard to advocating de facto white supremacy with his foreign policy. He continues all of Trump’s initiatives including any and all interference in the affairs of other countries, bombing Syria, imposing sanctions, keeping a dictator in place in Haiti, and taking vain yet dangerous actions to curb China’s influence around the world. Biden has even maintained Trump’s massive reduction in the number of refugees  who may enter the U.S., a racist policy which could easily be reversed. Racism is the undercurrent of many decisions made in Washington.

 

 -- Margaret Kimberley, "Freedom Rider: Establishment Role in Anti-Asian Bigotry" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).




 

Truest statement of the week II

The entire statement reads like a political screed rather than a prosecutorial statement. It is both unprofessional and unwarranted in addressing the arrest of a citizen. What is bizarre is that most officials in such a controversy would strive to maintain an absolutely legally  objective and politically neutral position. Nessel could have left the matter by detailing the history of noncompliance as sufficient justification for the arrest. Nessel did precisely the opposite to pander to a political base.  She seems to struggle to fulfill every stereotype of a biased political operative exercising criminal enforcement authority.

-- Jonathan Turley, "Michigan AG Nessel Unleashes Political Diatribe Against Defiant Restaurant Owner" (JONATHANTURLEY.ORG).

 

 

A note to our readers

 

Hey -- 

 Friday.

Let's 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? 

 

 

 

 

Finally up.  Sorry for the delay.  I (Jim) admit it should have been up by Tuesday night.  An illustration was the old up and I never could get it to work.

 

Peace,


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



 

 

 

 

Editorial: Iraq?

 Critics of the government have arrest warrants issued.  Activists are being murdered.  What country are we speaking of?


Iraq.


The US government maintains relations with the country and you have to wonder why at this point?  How many human rights abuses does one government get?


Apparently, when you're a government created by the US government, you get a hall pass with no expiration.  


And during all of this, some idiots on the left -- well meaning, to be sure -- are calling for eperations for the Iraq War.   To be paid how?


Forget that billions of US tax dollars have already been funneled into Iraq.  Forget that.  But now well meaning fools who don't keep up with the news or follow what's going on in Iraq insist "Reparations!"  Great.  How?


See that's the issue.  You can't give the money to the government, it's corrupt.  That's why oil rich Iraq has so many people living in poverty -- especially in Nineveh Province.  It's why oil rich Iraq has one of the least transparent governments in the world.


But well meaning fools in the US keep squeaking, "Reparations!"" 


You may be able to buy off your guilt by doing that but you're not helping the Iraqi people.  


Stop kidding yourself.  





TV: The way things are or are thought to be

DISNEY+ dropped THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER last Friday.  Bucky Barnes, traumatized by the events of AVENGERS: ENDGAME which saw the deaths of Black Widow and Iron man and, most importantly, Steve Rogers' decision to abandon Bucky and go back into the past to be with Sharon Carter, imagines a world where his pain disappears.

 


The first seven episodes revolve solely around Bucky and the new partnership he finds with Sam Wilson.  As life partners, the two bond, a bond that is so much more important to Bucky than dating women -- like the woman he leaves quickly to go check out an older man.  In this world he imagines, he and Sam carry out the relationship he always wanted with Steve Rogers.  They set up house together and while Sam works on the family boat, Bucky stays home imagining himself as Laura Petrie, Carol Brady and, after acknowledging the well known theory of womb envy while giving birth to twins, Florida Evans.  But even the twins and the time they absorb can't distract Bucky from the fact that Sam lacks Steve's hairy chest -- that light fur covering that Bucky had a fetish for -- or that Sam also lacks the dank, musky smell that Bucky found so irresistible in Steve.  In episode eight, with reality intruding into Bucky's new world, he is forced to realize that he's created an artificial world using his left arm.  He knew his artificial limb had an enhanced reaction time ability, he did not realize that the time ability action also included the ability to impose an artificial world.  While his life with Sam and their two boys has moments of happiness and joy, he realizes Sam is not -- and never can be -- Steve.  So, with a heavy heart, he ends his artificial world and, in the ninth and final episode, he begins using his heart and his abilities to fight evil and we finally get some action scenes.

 

 

3 JESS

 

 

 Oh.  


Wait.


That was WANDAVISION.


What THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER makes clear is that the deep and ingrained sexism of MARVEL live action remains and probably will do so for years to come.  It also demonstrates that The Water Cooler is full of sexism and s**t as they repeatedly praised the sexist treatment of Scarlet Witch in WANDAVISION.  She endured what Charlotte Gilman wrote about in the 1892 classic short story THE YELLOW WALLPAPER.  But Wanda wasn't made aware of that, nor were the writers of the TV series.  This wasn't a rejection, an indictment.  What Charlotte Gilman rightly railed against in 1892 was embraced as a good story in 2021.  


THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER starts by showing Sam in action mode as Falcon then we get Bucky demonstrating the use of his powers and abilities.  


It's only when it's a woman that MARVEL ties the character's hands behind her back and forces her into a submissive role and a submissive life.  It's only when it's a woman being forced into this role that professional critics, paid to do a job, go ga-ga over that nonsense and talk about it having multi-layers when it's just the same sexist crap men and women have been forcing off on female characters for decades.


Sexist stereotypes abound in this country, in this age.  For example, last week saw many rush to defend a damsel in distress -- as they saw it.  What are we talking about?  Alexi McCammond.  The fallen, the tragic?  What other crap were we told about her?  Oh, yes, the qualified.


Ryan Grim (Asswipe at THE INTERCEPT) Tweeted, "The staff of TEEN VOGUE successfully blocked an extremely well qualified Black woman from becoming its next editor in chief over tweets from when she was a teen that she apologized for years ago."  They were homophobic Tweets, they were anti-Asian Tweets and these Tweets from when she was a teen bull?  It was ten years ago.  


We'll get back to the hatred of Asians in the United States, it's an important topic.  But let's go back to idiot Ryan's notion that Alexi was somehow qualified to be an editor -- or as he put it, "extremely well qualified."  In what world, Ryan, in what world?


She wasn't a strong reporter and she had ethical problems -- not ten years ago, just months ago.  She worked for AXIOS and her beat was the Biden campaign -- while she was screwing the Biden campaign's TJ Ducklo.  And before that had happened?  She had a years-long friendship with him.  Those are conflicts of interests that were never disclosed to readers.  She eventually disclosed the relationship to her editors.  


This isn't journalism, not journalism done well.  The notion that someone this unethical could, mere weeks later, rise to the position of editor?  No.  She wasn't qualified even if you remove her recent lack of ethics from the equation.  But as an editor, you can't remove that scandal.  If she can't police her own behavior how the hell is she going to act as an editor for anyone else?


Answer: She can't.  


Ryan Grim's an idiot, he will always be an idiot.  He will never be a journalist.  He doesn't understand journalism which is why he works for THE INTERCEPT to begin with.  


Sexism abounds.  So does racism and that includes racism against Asians.

 

NETFLIX rescued the hideous DESIGNATED SURVIVOR and allowed them to kill off Maggie Q's character.  She was the only Asian American female on the show and she held the distinction of being the only Asian American female in a lead role on a US-made NETFLIX show.  But it mattered so little to NETFLIX.  This despite the fact that NIKITA, the show she first starred in, remains one of NETFLIX's most streamed series.  And yet paid journalists didn't even notice -- or pretended not to.


The same way paid journalist have told the same nonsense over an over where a White woman -- once a blond -- is a tragic figure who was supposedly molested by Woody Allen -- despite the fact that she's repeatedly changed her story over the years, despite the fact that she repeatedly changed it from the start -- which was noted in the two investigations that two different bodies conducted and found no evidence that Woody Allen had molested Dylan Bailey Malone Allen Farrow -- whatever her name is at any given moment.


The same way this crap load of paid journalists played the 'harmed White girl' card yet again -- they were all over the missing blond girls in the 90s and early 00s.  They did -- and still do -- this over and while sporting their racism proudly.   Because to portray vengeful Mia Farrow as innocent and pure and truthful, the press has to silence two Asian-Americans: Soon-Yi Previn and Moses Farrow.


Both have talked about the abuse they suffered from their adoptive mother Mia Farrow.  In fact, Mia's physical abuse of Soon-Yi is part of the court record.  


But the press ignores it.  HBO ignores it as well.  They rush to do a smear job on Woody Allen and, yes, on Soon-Yi because they think they can get away with it.  As we noted last month in response to that hideous 'documentary' series:


Mia Farrow and her daughter Dylan, hungry publicity whores, are back.  With a bad documentary entitled ALLEN V. FARROW.   Back again.  And the first question to ask is the most important one:  Why?


Because Dylan's a White girl.  


Because Dylan's a White girl we get a four-part mini-series about what she claims happened back in 1992.  What she claims.


It's the '00s all over again with the media ignoring the disappearances of African-American girls to instead have the entire nation fretting over the missing White girl.   It's so ingrained into the culture, this discrimination,  that both FAMILY GUY and AMERICAN DAD have episodes riffing on it.


And now comes HBO.  Help us out, how many documentaries did HBO do on Aiyana Jones?  Police shot and killed her during a raid.  She was seven-years-old.  She also wasn't White.  So HBO doesn't give two s**ts.  Where's the HBO documentary on Breonna Taylor?  That young woman was 26-years-old when police killed her.  Where's the HBO documentary on that?  Oh, wait, Breonna Taylor is African-American.


HBO and Dylan and Mia only care about White girls.


Do you doubt it?


If it's time to make a documentary about Mia Farrow's family, it's time to make a documentary about Soon-Yi.  And that includes how Mia beat her and abused her.  Even Mia admits to some of the abuse.  Wah-wah, she beat her because she was jealous Mia used to 'explain' and the press would just write it up as if that's normal.


Especially coming from a grown woman notorious for throwing herself at every man she could and being enraged when so many rejected her.  She still turns crimson when anyone has the nerve to laugh at her failed attempt to steal Mike Nichols from Diane Sawyer in the 90s.  


America knows that Mia beat her daughter Soon-Yi, it's even noted, Mia beating Soon-Yi, in the New York State Supreme Court verdict written by the judge.  If only Soon-Yi were White, the American media might give a damn, right?

 

 

The mainstream media's done damn little to help Asian Americans.   


They're rarely cast in lead roles in film or television. If they're women, they're more likely to be completely ignored unless they can be portrayed as the dragon lady.  Yes, there is the other stereotypical role "China doll."  But we rarely see that.  We're more likely to see the portrayal of the dragon lady.  It is the most infamous role in US narratives.  Yoko Ono had to live down that stereotype for years.  She was evil, she was manipulative,   It was easier to accept that and blame her for the break up of the Beatles than to be honest that four egos among a group where everyone wants to be a star and has the ability to be is going to destroy any group.  After years with John, Yoko overcame the negative and racist stereotype in the minds of many.  But the stereotype still gets applied to other Asian women.


That is why, for example, HBO didn't do a documentary about Soon-Yi, a young woman who fell in love with a man and escaped an abusive mother in the process.  Instead, they went back to the cesspool of the 90s to again portray the pure blond Mia as pure and wonderful.


At what point does reality ever come to bear on the whole Dylan Farrow story?


Even if you believe the claims put forward, we do not, you still don't have a wonderful Mia.  As Mia Farrow tells the story, Dylan was never to be left alone with Woody.  As we have pointed out for years now, then why the hell did Mia elect to take a shopping trip on the rare day that Woody visited?


There's no honesty in the Mia-Dylan Chronicles, it's just one lie after another.


HBO let two questionable types make a 'documentary' about a decades old story that was covered extensively in real time and they had nothing new to offer.  Well, more lies.  Loved Fletcher's then-girlfriend, now wife, showing up with her lies.  She wasn't even present the day of the alleged incident but there she is vouching for it and claiming everyone knew and everyone knew before it happened and . . .


When does logic ever kick in with this garbage?


If everyone knew, how would it have happened?  Even with Mia gone and multiple babysitters (two of Mia's and another working for her gruesome friend), with all the children present, how would it have happened?


Did you know Woody Allen was that capable and that stealth?  He would have had to be a mastermind.  We'll allow that he's a creative genius but we don't think that he's a genius outside of movies.  


There is no logic and there's no story there to tell, the unfounded allegations were covered by the media in real time and were investigated twice.  No charges were brought against him.  


But our prejudice against Asian Americans allows us to again pretend that a mother who beat her children -- as Soon-Yi and Moses can personally attest -- is a mother to celebrate.  The first episode of ALLEN V FARROW focused on what?  Woody and Soon-Yi.  It was telling that they started with that in an attempt to prejudice viewers and of course Soon-Yi has to be the dragon lady in that sort of a fairy tale.  


Six Asian Americans were shot dead last week in Atlanta (two non-Asians were also killed).  Was it because they were Asian Americans?  Many believe that and they may be right.  Some argue they were shot because they were perceived as sex workers and that could be true as well.  It could also be that they were shot for both reasons.  And though we've seen some reflection in the media -- it's been reflection that they cover from others.  It hasn't been self-reflection and it certainly hasn't been introspection.  


Life isn't fair.


We don't claim that it is.  It isn't fair for women as a group or for ethnic or racial or religious minorities.  It isn't even fair for straight-White males -- not for all of them.


We were reminded of that due to Eddie Cibrian.

 

The dimples alone should make him a star.  And while he has a following, it's not nearly large enough.  If he'd been cast in THE UNICORN, the show would have made sense.  His latest casting is in COUNTRY COMFORT, a new sitcom on NETFLIX.

 

It's not a Norman Lear sitcom, it's not a buzzword sitcom.  It's not supposed to be.  It's a family sitcom and it's good in that genre.  It's a funny show.  

 

It's giving Katharine McPhee a job and that's a really good thing.  We choose our words carefully right now because a piece we wrote many years ago did help break up a marriage per the wife in that marriage.  And the husband in that marriage is now married to Katharine.


She has married and had a child with a hideous man -- we know David Foster, we know him too well.  She needs a career to fall back on.  Fortunately, she's a very good actress and hopefully COUNTRY COMFORT will be well received by viewers -- we're sure that The Water Cooler Set will attack it.


David is so crazed and crazy that our personal hope, for over a decade and a half now, has been that he'd end up with the wife of his frequent writing partner because the two truly deserve each other.  Her constant harping about the chemicals in the environment and her pretend illnesses really grate because she's referring to Lysol being sprayed.  We're not joking.  It's why she and her husband are no longer invited anywhere in the music industry.  Even a dining hall can't have been cleaned recently (four to seven days) or she won't show.  She's a hypochondriac and, let's be frank, a bitch.  So is David.  The two deserve each other.  Maybe the love of a good woman can change him but, sorry Katharine, we don't think that's going to happen.


We hope COUNTRY COMFORT happens.  She deserves a hit show and so does Eddie.  But life doesn't always deliver fairness.  Racism and sexism and all the other ills of humanity wouldn't have to be combated if life was built around fairness.  But they do have to be combated and it's a fight we all have to take part in.  It's what these pieces here have been about each week,







Did Joe Biden just lose the mid-terms?

Currently, the Democratic Party controls the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Currently. The question is, did President Joe Biden just cost the party the mid-terms?

Kat, Wally, Ava and C.I. are hearing complaints in Zoom chats. We're also getting them in e-mails.

People are getting letters about these checks, letters from the IRS, telling them how much they're getting, for example, $600.  Six hundred?  Not $1400?

Note that this is the check that Joe Biden promised in January of this year would be a $2,000 check. He made that promise ahead of the run-off elections in Georgia. Then the Democrats won both seats and Joe scaled it back.

That $2,000 I promised you, he explained, was actually just $1,400. See, Donald Trump gave you $600 at the end of his presidency and I'm just Donald Trump extended, didn't you know?

No, that's not what he promised. He's a liar.

And he's a liar whose checks are pissing off a lot of people.

Grad students on Zoom chats with Kat, Wally, Ava and C.I. are upset because they are getting letters informing them that they're not getting $1400. Why? The letter doesn't say. Just gives them a much smaller amount. The group has asked questions of the students and many have student loans and their deferral paperwork was supposed to have been processed -- deferred because they are still in school. But student loans are being garnished for them -- and we're sure for others.

People are pissed. The ones e-mailing are pissed.

"Why should I vote for the Democrats in November of 2022?" asked Joe W. "Under Donald Trump, I got $1800 with one check being for $1200 and the second being for $600. That was $1800 in 2020. In 2021, Joe Biden's giving me $600. And I voted for him because he was supposed to be better. I'm not voting in the mid-terms. Joe and the Democratic Party didn't take care of me and they're on their own."

Megan Bliss echoes that in an e-mail, writing, "I can't believe that Donald Trump prevented creditors from grabbing these relief checks and Joe Biden can't. This is outrageous. Biden spent his life taking care of his crooked son Hunter but he won't take care of American families. I'm voting Green in the mid-terms. I will not vote for a single Democrat and if I don't see improvement, I'll be voting Green in 2024. That's right, me, a lifelong Democrat who has held her nose in one election after another is done with being screwed over. We need a UBI and we can't get it. We get these paltry $1400 checks and then he's pulling out $500 for my student loan? Not voting Democratic in the mid-terms. Green all the way in 2022 and, if they can get their act together by 2024, I will be voting Green again."



Alison DeNisco Rayome and Clifford Colby (CNET) report:

 

Under the bill governing the second stimulus check, your funds could not be garnished to pay debts like child support, banks or private creditors. However, part of this rule changed with the third check.

The bill authorizing the third payout was pushed through using a process called budget reconciliation. Congressional Democrats used this legislative tool to more quickly pass the new COVID-19 relief bill and the third stimulus check that comes with it, since it allowed them to pass it with fewer votes. But because this process was used, the third checks aren't protected from all garnishment, although lawmakers are moving to fix this now.

There are three types of unpaid debt that could be paid through garnishment: unpaid IRS tax debt, other government debt like child support payments or private debt, according to Garrett Watson, a senior policy analyst at the Tax Foundation. Your third stimulus payment will be protected from outstanding tax debt and child support, but not from private debts, such as debt accrued due to a civil judgment, ranging from civil damages to consumer debt in default, Watson said.

Several banking groups sent a letter to Congress on March 9 asking lawmakers to pass stand-alone legislation to prevent the third check from being garnished for private debts. 



The Democratically controlled federal government refused to protect Americans. The check was given -- a tiny sum -- because Democrats insisted the American people -- at least some of them -- deserved a check, needed one. But they apparently didn't need it as much as the financial industry did and, as we all know, Congressional whores fill the government, not Congressional heroes. 



KINDLE UNLIMITED (Betty, Ava and C.I.)

1summerread

 

In 2018, community sites took turns covering a book every week.  You can see "In 2018, we read books" to review that coverage.  We didn't want to repeat ourselves in 2019 or 2020.  So when Marcia came up with a way to cover books but with a twist, we were all for it.  Marcia's idea was for us to digital books -- we're largely a printed text crowd -- and to use AMAZON's KINDLE UNLIMITED.  So for 2021, we'll be doing a book a week and trying to just use KINDLE UNLIMITED. This week, we're talking with Betty about '"Kim Berry and Andrea Williams' DIAMONDS AND CURLZ".



Purple rain, purple rain.

Betty: Purple rain, purple rain.

Purple rain, purple rain.

Betty: I only want to see you laughing in the purple rain. As Julia Roberts says in PRETTY WOMAN, "Don't you just love Prince?"

The fifth anniversary of his death is coming up.

Betty: I know. I can't believe it's been five years. I'm a big Prince fan and for everyone reading, I asked Ava and C.I. to start with something different.

And we went with the chorus of Prince's "Purple Rain." And Prince is the subject of Kim Berry's DIAMONDS AND CURLZ: 29 YEARS ROLLING WITH ROCK ROYALTY PRINCE which Berry wrote with Andrea Williams. You liked the book?

Betty: I really did. I love Prince but I've read books about him that I haven't cared for. Some seem mean spirited, for example, some just seemed boring. Kim Berry has written a thoughtful book that is moving and, best of all, reads like a conversation. You feel like she's across the table speaking to you. Kim had a very exciting time working for Prince -- filled with ups and downs and she seems straight forward and honest. There are times when she's at the end of her rope and she'll call her mother who always managed to see the humanity in the situation and would pray with her.

In terms of Prince, anything new that the book prompted?

Betty: Honestly, I never gave Prince's visuals much thought. That's partly because I was a little girl when he first made his impact and I loved him right away and people made fun of him back then, "Little Red Corvette" period, for how he dressed and did his hair and make up and I could be very defensive, "Leave Prince alone!" But he had specifics looks and specific ideas and reading Kim's book taught me a new appreciation for his looks. He wasn't passive saying, "Do whatever." He actively sought out new looks.

Right after you posted your review, you told us, "I forgot visuals!"

Betty: And I did. But on that, I forgot to note the sketches Kim provides throughout the book. They really are something and they provide something stronger than just a page or two of photos. You get to see the conception and not just the execution.

We're taping this for HILDA'S MIX, a community newsletter. Those listening to the audio can tell that Betty's really excited but, for those reading, we need to point that out.

Betty: Yes, I am excited. I loved this book. If you're someone who is even mildly interested in Prince, I think you will love the book as well. I like to read but I'm rarely as jazzed on a book as I am on this one.

Very good. Now let's talk KINDLE UNLIMITED. Are you liking it?

Betty: I am. I haven't had a lot of time to read of late. And when I did have time, I was spending close to 30 minutes trying to find something on KINDLE UNLIMITED. So thank you, Isaiah, for explaining that you can search on KINDLE UNLIMITED.

It's a two step process. Search KINDLE BOOKS on AMAZON and then, when the results show up, go to the left side of the page and check in the square by "Unlimited." That will reduce the results to the books that are available through KINDLE UNLIMITED.

Betty: That is so much easier than scrolling through page after page. I am enjoying it and I do recommend it but I do understand why someone reading a book or two a week might feel like they're hitting a wall rather quickly.


---------

"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Isaiah, Ava and C.I.)"

"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Elaine, Dona, Ava and C.I.)"


"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Mike, Ava and C.I.)"

"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Trina, Ava and C.I.)"

"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Stan, Ava and C.I.)"

"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Marcia, Ava and C.I.)"

"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Kat, Ava and C.I.)"

"KINDLE UNLIMITED (Rebecca, Ava and C.I.)"

 


Jim's World

aa5

 

 


Stan's "ZACH SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE" led to an e-mail exchange with 21 readers of this site. We all agreed with Stan that ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE was a far superior film to the Joss Whedon version that stunk up theaters. During that discussion, we started talking about actors who had played superheroes in films. At that point, I was looping everyone into on e-mail chain.

Here is the top ten we came up with for the best performances of superheroes.

1) Hugh Jackman as Wolverine

2) Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man

3) Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman

4) Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther

5) Christopher Reeves as Superman

6) Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man

7) Wesley Snipes as Blade

8) Famke Janssen as Jean Grey

9) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool

10) Michael Keaton as Batman

There was a lot of debate and both Henry Cavill (as Superman) and Halle Berry (as Storm) came close to the top ten. Other names were mentioned but those were the only two who had widespread support. I lobbied hard, myself, for Paul Rudd as Antman but I was alone in supporting him.

After making those decisions, Carla then argued we'd should note the top ten acting performances as a villain.

1) Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman

2) Jack Nicholson as the Joker

3) Ian McKellen as Magneto

4) Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor

4) Rebecca Romijn as Mystique

5) Michael Fassbender as Magneto

6) Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker

7) Tom Hardy as Bane

8) Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn

9) Jared Leto as the Joker

10) Michael Keaton as the Vulture

Joker is a very popular character, clearly. Cesar Romero and Heath Ledger were also mentioned. I was surprised that Jessie Eisenberg and Kevin Spacey didn't get mentioned (and I didn't think to mention either until after we'd concluded our debate and discussion.)

One point that Kelvin made during this discussion? MARVEL doesn't make good villains anymore. Kelvin says that they're all forgettable "since around the time the first three X-Men movies ended or when Jeff Bridges played Obadiah Stane. It's all these aliens and unrelatable characters as villains in the Avenger films. I like a villain you can relate to."

Books

 

books


 

In 2021, we'll be covering digital books.  So far this year, the coverage includes:


Betty's ""Kim Berry and Andrea Williams' DIAMONDS AND CURLZ""


Isaiah's "Marco Bonafede's WORDLESS COMICS"


Dona's "A SPY IN THE HOUSE OF ANAIS NIN (Dona)"


Elaine's "JOAN: FORTY YEARS OF LIFE, LOSS, AND FRIENDSHIP WI..."


Rebecca's "the mommie dearest diary: carol ann tells all"


Kat's "How Mabel Normand's many scandals (at least five) destroyed her career"

 

Marcia's "Paul Jay's bad Gore Vidal 'book'"

 

Stan's "Adrienne Barbeau's bad book THERE ARE WORSE THINGS I COULD DO"

 

Trina's "Mexican Casserole and a book in the Kitchen"

 

 Mike's "Book review CONVERSATIONS WITH CAPOTE



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This edition's playlist

nick

 

 

1) Nick Jonas' SPACEMAN.

 

2)  Harry Style's FINE LINE.  


3) Cat PowersWANDERER.

 

4)  Bob Dylan's ROUGH AND ROWDY WAYS.


5) Alicia Keys' HERE.


6) Dionne Warwick's SHE'S BACK.

 

 

7)  Mavis StaplesWE GET BY.



8) Chaka Khan's HELLO HAPPINESS.


 

9) Peggy Lee's 2 SHOWS NIGHTLY.

 

 

10) Ben Harper's CALL IT WHAT IT IS.

 

Highlights

 

 a park painting 11

This piece is written by Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude, Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix, Kat of Kat's Korner, Betty of Thomas Friedman is a Great Man, Mike of Mikey Likes It!, Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz, Ruth of Ruth's Report, Marcia of SICKOFITRADLZ, Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends, Ann of Ann's Mega Dub, Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts and Wally of The Daily Jot. Unless otherwise noted, we picked all highlights.

 

 

 

"Et tu, ANTIWAR.COM?" -- most requested highlight by readers of this site.



"Kat's Korner: Judy's good -- but not great -- album" and "Kat's Korner: Hail The Conqueror Nick Jonas" -- Kat's latest album reviews.

 

"Kim Berry and Andrea Williams' DIAMONDS AND CURLZ" -- Betty reviews a book.

 

 "Iraq snapshot," "Iraq snapshot," "Iraq snapshot," "Iraq snapshot," "Iraq snapshot," "Protests continue in Iraq," "2 videos to stream," "cultural appropriation," "aoc queen of the fake asses," "The Palestine Pod - Full Episode 002 - All Our Liberation Is Linked," "James Bond, Jimmy Dore and Idiot of the Week," "Jimmy Dore and Glenn Greenwald," "Are we making any progress in addressing COVID or the hardships?," "Dumbest proposed law ever," "Jimmy Dore, Eric London, Kat on music, Stan on TV," "Margaret Kimberley" "F**k you, Katrina vanden Heuvel," "Where is Swalwell's 'I have sinned!' moment,?" "Truth arrives late if at all," "Turley," "We need better than Joe Biden," "Are we prepared?," "Standardized tests," "Nevada's Democratic Party," "Who gets the next warning label?," "Where's the press conference, Joe?," "Joe Biden, the new child predator," "Who's turn is it to walk the sheep dog?," "Joe Biden's war on immigrant children," "Mae Brussell on J.F.K.," "Grab Bag," "COVID," "Howie and Angela and Tara Reade,"  "I stand with Tamir Rice," "Octavia E. Butler," "Bad dog, Joe Biden, bad dog!" and "THIS JUST IN! WHEN DOES JOE GO TO OBEDIENCE SCHOOL?" -- news coverage in the community.

 

 

"First Family Material" -- Isaiah dips into the archives.

 

 "Chicken Soup in the Kitchen" and "Anchovy pizza" -- Trina  and Marcia serve up recipes.



"Liza and Sharon," "Why no one watched the Grammys," "Laura Nyro," "Judy Garland," "5 Nick Jonas tracks" and "Nina Simone" -- Kat, Elaine and Marcia cover music.

 

 

 

 

"ZACH SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE," "A movie worth getting excited over," "DC movies," "Disappointment with the nominees," "The Oscars," "Go watch Justice League on HBO MAX now," "Call Me Kat,"  "Charmed," "March 27th, HBO" and  "Charmed" -- Stan, Ann and Betty cover movies and TV.


 

"Dinos eggs"  and "Octavia Butler on Mars" -- Betty and Marcia cover science.

 

 

 

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