Anyone who praises Hillary Clinton’s accomplishments and abilities, her
understanding of world affairs, and her diplomatic acumen is right up
there with the fools, dupes and suckers who take Donald Trump or Ted
Cruz or any of the less colorful bozos in the Republican goon show
seriously.
-- Andrew Levine's "Team Clinton: Fools, Damn Fools and Democrats" (COUNTERPUNCH).
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Truest statement of the week II
The people who take me to task -- it is the same old
thing. "But don’t you want a woman?"
-- Susan Sarandon to Ted Johnson, "Susan Sarandon: Media ‘Lack Imagination, Journalistic Ability’ in Covering Presidential Race" (VARIETY).
Truest statement of the week III
There appears to be a layer of fear that protects Beyoncé from
criticism despite her blatant exploitation of the bourgeoning movement.
Many are hesitant due to her perceived social identity. Her status as a
Black woman does not mean she is for the liberation of Black women. Just
because her music is marketed and packaged to black people does not
mean she is working in solidarity for radical change. Under capitalism,
the masses are merely consumers to the vast majority of these corporate
artists. Profit is their motivation. It is important to be critical of
all corporate artists who attempt to co-opt the movement. How else can
we move to a higher level of struggle and demand that icons and leaders
uphold the ideology and practice of the movement?
If Beyoncé’s embrace of patriarchy is deemed feminist and her lust for money a model for Black liberation then we are in serious trouble. Her target audience, young Black people, will internalize these principles as the correct path to social transformation. The revolution will not be televised, but the corporate media will certainly make it into a product. The courageous actions of thousands of Black people across the country have forced the corporate media to react. Thinking positively about this development is one thing, thinking critical about it another.
-- Reggie E, "How the Corporate Media Uses Beyoncé to Co-opt the Black Radical Movement" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).
If Beyoncé’s embrace of patriarchy is deemed feminist and her lust for money a model for Black liberation then we are in serious trouble. Her target audience, young Black people, will internalize these principles as the correct path to social transformation. The revolution will not be televised, but the corporate media will certainly make it into a product. The courageous actions of thousands of Black people across the country have forced the corporate media to react. Thinking positively about this development is one thing, thinking critical about it another.
-- Reggie E, "How the Corporate Media Uses Beyoncé to Co-opt the Black Radical Movement" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).
A note to our readers
Hey --
A Sunday.
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:
India - protesters vow to continue struggle to fre...
Repost from Great Britian's Socialist Worker
Isakson Praises Senate VA Committee General Counse...
Press release from Senator Johnny Isakson's office.
Highlights
Mike and the gang wrote this and we thank them for it.
Peace.
-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.
A Sunday.
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:
Andrew Levine gets a truest.
As does Susan Sarandon.
And Reggie E.
Judging by South Carolina's Democratic Party primary, there's a good chance we do.
Ava and C.I. take on FOX's latest flash in the pan.
They also do the third installment in their Emmy series.
We wonder what NPR thought it was teaching?
I (Jim) didn't like this idea. C.I. ended up doing it over at THE COMMON ILLS. Once I saw what she was doing with the posts, I got it.
Don't miss it.
Entranced by his own reflection.
Sarandon caught it.
Due to the Academy Awards, we listened to movie soundtracks while we worked on this edition.
Peace.
-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.
Editorial: We elect War Criminals, don't we?
Because if we do, Hillary Clinton has no reason to sweat it.
The War Hawk who promoted war on Libya, Syria and, probably, greater LA wants to be president of the United States.
Listening to her prattle on, it's hard to figure out why.
She has no real plans, no overarching dream of what the country could be, no expressed desire of helping the American people.
So why her?
Maybe, from Saturday's "Iraq snapshot," this is a clue:
The Podesta Group has [PDF format warning] disclosed their new contact to represent the government of Iraq:
Iraq shall pay the Provider an amount of nine hundred sixty thousand US dollars (US $960,000) for services rendered, plus expenses. Quarterly installments of two hundred forty thousand US dollars (US $240,000) shall bee paid by check in advance of each three-month period, including the beginning of the term of this Agreement. Should the Provider be required to travel, Iraq will reimburse Provider at cost for travel expenses, including but not limited to airline tickets, airport transfers, accommodations, and meals. Public relations expenses such as subscription services, events, digital and media monitoring, or advertising will also be passed through at cost.
Expenses for each three-month period shall be invoiced and paid by check with the fees due for the following period. Total expenses billed during the period of this contract shall not exceed forty thousand US dollars (US $40,000).
What's that money buying?
The contract innocently puts it:
The objectives of this contract are to promote better understanding within the United States of the priorities and concerns of the Government of Iraq and to further the purposes of the Strategic Framework Agreement between the United States and Iraq, facilitate dialogue between Iraq and the U.S. Congress and executive branch, and make available to the Government of Iraq the services identified below.
So Podesta's family gets richer and he gets Hillary's ear and what do the Iraqi people get?
A non-responsive government which tolerates and participates in abuses well documented by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.
A functioning media would be raising this issue, asking Hillary at debates, "How will you be protecting the people of Iraq when the Podestas rake in close to a million for representing the government of Iraq?"
The Podesta Group was founded by John Podesta and his brother.
John Podesta is the chair of the 2016 Hillary Clinton for President campaign.
Why does she want to be president?
To help her friends get richer, apparently.
So that vote for the Iraq War -- and all her years supporting it -- were just to create 'business opportunities' for her friends?
You've come a long way, Hillary, to an America where Boss Tweed can be a woman.
The War Hawk who promoted war on Libya, Syria and, probably, greater LA wants to be president of the United States.
Listening to her prattle on, it's hard to figure out why.
She has no real plans, no overarching dream of what the country could be, no expressed desire of helping the American people.
So why her?
Maybe, from Saturday's "Iraq snapshot," this is a clue:
The Podesta Group has [PDF format warning] disclosed their new contact to represent the government of Iraq:
Iraq shall pay the Provider an amount of nine hundred sixty thousand US dollars (US $960,000) for services rendered, plus expenses. Quarterly installments of two hundred forty thousand US dollars (US $240,000) shall bee paid by check in advance of each three-month period, including the beginning of the term of this Agreement. Should the Provider be required to travel, Iraq will reimburse Provider at cost for travel expenses, including but not limited to airline tickets, airport transfers, accommodations, and meals. Public relations expenses such as subscription services, events, digital and media monitoring, or advertising will also be passed through at cost.
Expenses for each three-month period shall be invoiced and paid by check with the fees due for the following period. Total expenses billed during the period of this contract shall not exceed forty thousand US dollars (US $40,000).
What's that money buying?
The contract innocently puts it:
The objectives of this contract are to promote better understanding within the United States of the priorities and concerns of the Government of Iraq and to further the purposes of the Strategic Framework Agreement between the United States and Iraq, facilitate dialogue between Iraq and the U.S. Congress and executive branch, and make available to the Government of Iraq the services identified below.
So Podesta's family gets richer and he gets Hillary's ear and what do the Iraqi people get?
A non-responsive government which tolerates and participates in abuses well documented by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.
A functioning media would be raising this issue, asking Hillary at debates, "How will you be protecting the people of Iraq when the Podestas rake in close to a million for representing the government of Iraq?"
The Podesta Group was founded by John Podesta and his brother.
John Podesta is the chair of the 2016 Hillary Clinton for President campaign.
Why does she want to be president?
To help her friends get richer, apparently.
-
HILLARY CLINTON Pitched IRAQ As 'A Business Opportunity' For US CORPS THIS IS THE EMAIL http://www.scribd.com/doc/283273910/Clinton-Iraq-Email … …
Michael Allen Martin
So that vote for the Iraq War -- and all her years supporting it -- were just to create 'business opportunities' for her friends?
You've come a long way, Hillary, to an America where Boss Tweed can be a woman.
TV: The superficial devil
FOX's latest struggling show is as fake as Tom Ellis' chest.
Ellis plays the title role in LUTHER.
The series has already proven to be the typical FOX show -- an out of the box hit that peters out with each passing week.
High concept meets no plot in the (stolen from the comic books which stole it from Milton) tale of Lucifer Morningstar, the Devil, returned to earth after centuries in hell apparently wishing he could be the male lead in a rom-com.
LUTHER wants to be really edgy and funny but it's about as edgy as 1973.
That's the year Lily Tomlin took offense at LAST TANGO IN PARIS star Maria Schneider saying she'd slept with 20 women and 50 men. Lily told THE NEW YORK TIMES, "Instead of fifty men and twenty women, write that I've had fifty women and twenty men. If I'm going to go out on a bisexual limb, I don't want to play safe by listing more men than women. That was disgusting of Maria."
We were reminded of that as we watched Luther lust over Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German), have sex with Dr. Linda Martin (Rachael Harris) and seduce multiple women.
And apparently one man.
He gets out of bed in one scene leaving behind a man and a woman.
One man.
The show has no edge.
And LUTHER too often plays out like the network's attempt to update MOONLIGHTING as Lucifer and Chloe go from crime scene to crime scene, solving this and that.
The dialogue is often risque but rarely sophisticated and the plots are even more embarrassing.
In other words, the show has all the depth of a glossy coffee table book.
And it's as fake as Ellis' chest.
Remember that?
If you want to wax your chest, wax your damn chest.
But do it consistently.
Tom Ellis waxes for every shirtless scene.
He shows up for those as smooth as a new born.
Yet when wearing a dress shirt, without a tie, open to the second button, he treats viewers to more than a small thatch of chest hair.
It's just another inconsistency in a show that no one ever put any real thought into.
Ellis plays the title role in LUTHER.
The series has already proven to be the typical FOX show -- an out of the box hit that peters out with each passing week.
High concept meets no plot in the (stolen from the comic books which stole it from Milton) tale of Lucifer Morningstar, the Devil, returned to earth after centuries in hell apparently wishing he could be the male lead in a rom-com.
LUTHER wants to be really edgy and funny but it's about as edgy as 1973.
That's the year Lily Tomlin took offense at LAST TANGO IN PARIS star Maria Schneider saying she'd slept with 20 women and 50 men. Lily told THE NEW YORK TIMES, "Instead of fifty men and twenty women, write that I've had fifty women and twenty men. If I'm going to go out on a bisexual limb, I don't want to play safe by listing more men than women. That was disgusting of Maria."
We were reminded of that as we watched Luther lust over Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German), have sex with Dr. Linda Martin (Rachael Harris) and seduce multiple women.
And apparently one man.
He gets out of bed in one scene leaving behind a man and a woman.
One man.
The show has no edge.
And LUTHER too often plays out like the network's attempt to update MOONLIGHTING as Lucifer and Chloe go from crime scene to crime scene, solving this and that.
The dialogue is often risque but rarely sophisticated and the plots are even more embarrassing.
In other words, the show has all the depth of a glossy coffee table book.
And it's as fake as Ellis' chest.
Remember that?
If you want to wax your chest, wax your damn chest.
But do it consistently.
Tom Ellis waxes for every shirtless scene.
He shows up for those as smooth as a new born.
Yet when wearing a dress shirt, without a tie, open to the second button, he treats viewers to more than a small thatch of chest hair.
It's just another inconsistency in a show that no one ever put any real thought into.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Ava and C.I.)
The Emmys will be this fall.
Chances are the same useless nominees will be nominated.
Clair Danes will give the same wooden performance and be nominated, for example.
Here are our picks for five deserving nominees.
Taraji P. Henson (EMPIRE)
As Cookie, Taraji Henson frequently carries the whole show on her shoulders.
Viola Davis (HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER)
Some episodes find Viola playing the lead character, some find her lost in the ensemble.
Jennifer Lopez (SHADES OF BLUE)
With this series, Lopez has reminded everyone of her skill and talent.
Priyanka Chopra (QUANTICO)
One of the few hits of fall 2015 has been carried by Chopra.
Jaime Lee Curtis (SCREAM QUEENS)
We're not crazy about the show but Jamie Lee Curtis has delivered a strong performance.
And the winner is . . .
Taraji Henson. When we argued last year that she should have won, many e-mailers wanted to disagree.
This month alone, she's won The Golden Globe and The NAACP Image Award for her portrayal of Cookie. Still want to argue with us?
Taraji deserves the Emmy. End of story.
With attention to the lack of African-Americans nominated for acting Academy Awards this year, we're doing a series noting the lack of diversity for the Emmys. In terms of African-Americans, only Isabel Sanford (THE JEFFERSONS) has won a Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy (and only won once) and only Jackee has won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy (and only won once). In the meantime, hagged out no-talents like Cynthia Nixon have won Comedy Emmys despite the fact that all they can really offer is watered down drama portrayals. Our previous efforts were "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series ..." and "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Ava and C.I.)."
Chances are the same useless nominees will be nominated.
Clair Danes will give the same wooden performance and be nominated, for example.
Here are our picks for five deserving nominees.
Taraji P. Henson (EMPIRE)
As Cookie, Taraji Henson frequently carries the whole show on her shoulders.
Viola Davis (HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER)
Some episodes find Viola playing the lead character, some find her lost in the ensemble.
Jennifer Lopez (SHADES OF BLUE)
With this series, Lopez has reminded everyone of her skill and talent.
Priyanka Chopra (QUANTICO)
One of the few hits of fall 2015 has been carried by Chopra.
Jaime Lee Curtis (SCREAM QUEENS)
We're not crazy about the show but Jamie Lee Curtis has delivered a strong performance.
And the winner is . . .
Taraji Henson. When we argued last year that she should have won, many e-mailers wanted to disagree.
This month alone, she's won The Golden Globe and The NAACP Image Award for her portrayal of Cookie. Still want to argue with us?
Taraji deserves the Emmy. End of story.
With attention to the lack of African-Americans nominated for acting Academy Awards this year, we're doing a series noting the lack of diversity for the Emmys. In terms of African-Americans, only Isabel Sanford (THE JEFFERSONS) has won a Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy (and only won once) and only Jackee has won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy (and only won once). In the meantime, hagged out no-talents like Cynthia Nixon have won Comedy Emmys despite the fact that all they can really offer is watered down drama portrayals. Our previous efforts were "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series ..." and "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Ava and C.I.)."
Teaching what?
It's hard to decide who is more stupid: Rachel Morello or NPR?
Morello reported the story, NPR aired it.
With tonight's Academy Awards featuring no actors of color among the lead and supporting awards,
"the kids at this school, where ninety-nine percent of the student body is African-American, decided to stage their own Oscars ceremony. They're giving the Academy Award of Excellence to some black members of Hollywood, past and present, who didn't get Oscar nominations, but arguably should have."
Sounds good but then we get to this:
One class honors ninety-one year old actress Cicely Tyson for her 1978 portrayal of Harriet Tubman in A Woman Called Moses, and the honorees in every category receive a gold plastic statue with an "E" on top, for "Excellence."
Cicely Tyson was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for SOUNDER.
She was not nominated for an Academy Award for A WOMAN CALLED MOSES.
But then, a TV mini-series does not qualify for the Academy Awards.
Morello reported the story, NPR aired it.
With tonight's Academy Awards featuring no actors of color among the lead and supporting awards,
"the kids at this school, where ninety-nine percent of the student body is African-American, decided to stage their own Oscars ceremony. They're giving the Academy Award of Excellence to some black members of Hollywood, past and present, who didn't get Oscar nominations, but arguably should have."
Sounds good but then we get to this:
One class honors ninety-one year old actress Cicely Tyson for her 1978 portrayal of Harriet Tubman in A Woman Called Moses, and the honorees in every category receive a gold plastic statue with an "E" on top, for "Excellence."
Cicely Tyson was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for SOUNDER.
She was not nominated for an Academy Award for A WOMAN CALLED MOSES.
But then, a TV mini-series does not qualify for the Academy Awards.
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