The last few days have been a bit crazy for this young(ish) accountant and so I haven't been able to blog much. There are these people here who make me do work and sometimes it's so annoying. Know what I'm sayin'? So, I'll try to roll up the shit that's been on my mind in to one post.
- Palin and the attack of the "death panels".
By now I'm sure you know my feelings on Sarah Palin. I will leave the character attacks out of it for a change and just comment on her recent criticisms about the health care plan. I'm not sure what role she aspires to fill in the world of politics now that she has bailed on the people of Alaska, but so far it seems like she is trying to spread misinformation and hysteria.
Last Friday, on her facebook page, Palin made a statement claiming that the lives of her parents and her son with Down Syndrome would have to stand before Obama's "death panel" to get approval for medical treatment. First of all, why does she constantly bring her family in to political matters when she implores that everyone else leave them out? Second, what page exactly details this part of the plan? Third, didn't she tell the media to stop making things up?
There is no such measure being taken in the new health care reform but that doesn't stop such GOP standouts as Newt Gingrich and Glen Beck from supporting Palin's claims. It's so odd that the people in charge with spreading the talking points can find these conclusions so easily but people trying to verify them have a hard time of it. I wonder why that is. Palin then followed up her statement by urging her mates to "not give the proponents of nationalized health care any reason to criticize us", in response to the mob scenes active at the town hall meetings. How can she instigate one day and try to calm the next?
Palin has no business being involved with any sort of civil discourse. She has neither the integrity nor the intelligence to be discussing matters that can affect life or death.
- Rush and the "liberals are Nazis" b.s.
Last week I bounced out of the office on two occasions during lunch and both times I caught him in the middle of a tirade about how liberals are soooo similar to Nazis. I hate this and hate that I am even posting about it. To spare you most of my ramblings about this first please read about Godwin's Law and Reductio_ad_Hitlerum.
I already discount Rush as an actual informed political, sociological, economical, psychological, and whatever else -ical mind as I have heard him lying so often it's sickening. He just makes shit up so often and presents things to his viewers as fact, and these "dittoheads" go ahead and spew the same garbage without doing themselves the favor of researching anything.
Example, a few weeks ago the hearings were going on about Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor and, as I've previously stated, Rush was very unhappy about this because we Democrats want to put someone who wants to destroy the Constitution on the Supreme Court. He was playing clips from it and, if you recall, there was an exchange between her and Senator Al Franken about an episode of ... Perry Mason was it? Anyway, Rush played a clip where Franken was asking a question about the show and, just before he finished it, she jumps in. Rush then has a hissy fit about how she must have known the questions ahead of time. He went about this for quite a while. What he either lied, misled, or was ignorant of was the fact that he was picking up the question after Sotomayor and Franken had already been discussing it. She wasn't coached or anything of the sort. The thing that is ironic is that acts like these are the very same acts that he attacks in the drive-by media that he hates so much. And he does them multiple times a day. That could qualify him as a hypocrite. As would attacking drug users while being an addict himself. Nothing new here.
So, anyway, Rush has been getting in the business of comparing liberals to Nazis. Why? I guess because it is the goal of his life to demonize them by any means as a way to earn votes for the Republican party. That's just a guess. Liberals are like Nazis because: liberals try to prevent pollution, liberals are against big businesses, and liberals hate Jews. The first two reasons sound good enough. Sure, that sounds like liberals. The third, eh, not so much. But, if you read the argumentative fallacies that I listed above you know that individual characteristics of an ideology does not a Nazi make. That's rookie shit. To play the same game as Mr Limbaugh I will list the reasons that conservatives are like Nazis: they were anti-homosexuals, they had an extreme sense of patriotism coupled with a racial superiority, believed that certain freedoms must be given up for protection, racism, nationalism was the core, they fundamentally rejected liberalism, they were a defense against and opposed communism (Russia), believed in self-sufficiency (drill baby drill!), diversity would only make a country weak, and finally militarism.
Now, because of those reasons do I believe that conservatism is similar to Nazism? No. You can find dozens of reasons why Nazis and Hitler are similar to anyone and anything. That is why the argument is so weak, and so irresponsible. I said it before and I'll say it again. Conservatives right now are overrun with loudmouths who cater to basest of emotions in order to push public opinion and push votes. It is disgusting, and it is irresponsible. This is why we have ignorant fools at rallies carrying signs with pictures of Obama and the Nazi symbol. This is why people referred to Hillary Clinton as "Hitlery".
I don't think these people understand just how evil Hitler and his machinations were. I don't think they understand how serious and soul-damning the Holocaust was. I don't think they can even fathom what kind of legacy these people left behind. This is hard to believe because alot of those who hurl these comparisons about on TV were alive at the time, so I can only assume they forgot. Hitler and his political party murdered thousands upon thousands and caused a war that killed even more. Yet, there is a reasonable explanation for some to compare that to the modern day liberal because of the Health Care Reform bill??? Un-fucking-believable.
- Are you ready for some football???
The NFL is back baby! I'm allowing myself to get amped for the season bit by bit. I've been so focused on baseball that I've barely had time to pay attention to what is going on in the NFL and, more specifically, my Redskins. Unfortunately, ESPN and FSR are spending way too much time on the trio of Favre, Vick, and Plaxico and they seem to leave out any actual sports news. I know it's the state of the business that people look for the drama but what I want to hear about is how Cutler is starting to look with the Chicago offense, how any number of running back battles are progressing, and which team has the finest cheerleaders. But that's just me. I just say no to T.O.
As for my Skins, I don't know. Normally there is a ton of buzz about the team because the would have gone out and signed some flashy free agents for too much money. This year they seem to be much more quiet. They did stir it up a little while looking for upgrades at QB (Mark Sanchez and Jay Cutler), but I'm kind of happy they stuck with Campbell. The kid obviously has tools, but he's had a different offensive system every single year that he's played ball, going back to college. I like him. He didn't make many mistakes at all last year and used his legs a few times to get him out of trouble. I am concerned with how well he will adapt to the West Coast offense. Campbell seems more of a strong arm guy, and not so much a short pass accuracy guy. But we'll see. He has one year of the offense under his belt, and hopefully the trio of rookies from last year will progress to the point where they can actually be useful. Portis will be Portis, but he needs some help from Betts and Cartwright if he is going to last a whole season. Finally Moss and Cooley need to keep doing what they're doing as well.
I loved the signing of Albert Haynesworth, even if I hate Hayneworth himself. I can't even remember the last time Washington has had a game-changing DT to force teams to game plan around. Hopefully he will make the other members of the line even better. I also loved the first round pick of Orakpo. Use him at OLB and DE and wherever you can to get after the QB. I predict at least 10 sacks in his rookie season. Seeing Shawn Springs go was a bummer. The dude was a lock down corner but I can understand the move. He missed multiple games every year due to injury and sometimes you just have to go with the guy you can count on week after week. The emergence of DeAngelo Hall made it possible to lose Springs and so the duo of Hall and Carlos Rogers will have to get the job done. You have to love LaRon Landry and Chris Horton at safety. Once those two got acclimated to each other they were a hell of a force.
My main concern is the O-Line. for the longest time that was the one part of the team you could count on for a solid performance at all times but these guys keep getting older and more nicked up. Jansen isn't even on the team anymore after one too many leg injuries. If they don't do well it doesn't matter how fresh Portis is feeling or how prepared Campbell is. I'm missing "The Hogs" already.
- Music sucks these days
For real
- Movies!
I've had the free time to watch a few movies lately. Some good, some awful. I'll start with those first.
Babel
I heard nothing but good things about this one and so for the longest time I've wanted to see it. Man, was I disappointed. Award-winning my ass. It was painful. Too long. Too full of itself. It was supposed to be the combination of four connected stories. Honestly, I really think they would have been better off splitting it in to 3 movies. The only story I was remotely interested in was the one taking place in Morocco. That seemed to be what it was really all about. Young herders accidentally shoot American tourist. Let both sides of the "is it a terrorist act" discussion commence. The third story taking place back in the USA seemed kind of forced. It was somewhat interesting to show the children of the tourists in Morocco and how conversations looked on either side, but the trip down to Tijuana for the wedding wasn't necessary. If that was forced, the Japan setting was a whole other pile of crap altogether. The resolution of that set piece leaves a half dozen unanswered questions and odd suggestions of incest.
Rachel Getting Married
Again, "Award Winning Performances"!!!! Oh boy, was I going to be in for a treat! Let me tell you something about me: I like just about every movie. Movies, in general, are a good time. Even if I'm feeling kind of blah about it I will still finish it, if only to know how it ended. This one I couldn't even finish. It just seemed to drag on and on. They shot it documentary style, which was interesting, but perhaps because of that they felt compelled to include alot of mundane non-events that wouldn't have been included in a normal movie. The most painful scene of all was probably the rehearsal dinner of said wedding. It seemed like at least 5 people gave speeches. Also, there were several impromptu music performances throughout the movie which were just plain awful. The one thing I will give credit for is how they included music throughout. Your average movie will have a soundtrack with whatever song playing at the appropriate time. Because of the way this was shot a soundtrack wasn't really appropriate, as it was was supposed to be sort of like a home movie. So, to substitute a soundtrack, they always had some sort of musician doing something in the background whenever they wanted to inject some music. It was kind of neat. The movie itself? Kind of crappy.
Changeling
I really liked this one. Angelina Jolie was great in it and the story was very interesting. Movies based on a true story are always better, eh? Woman willing to do whatever it takes to get her son back vs. Police chief willing to do whatever it takes to improve public image. And good times were had by all. Except the son. I think he dies.
Burn After Reading
Weird movies are typically good for me. I'm always down for a black comedy now and then. This one definitely fits the bill. Brad Pitt was kind of hilarious in the movie. There is a scene where he is hiding in George Clooney's closet and about to be discovered so he puts this smile on his face as he starts to stick his head out that is just ridiculous. This is seconds before George's character shoots him in the head. Anyway, all the actors in the movie do a great job.
The Watchmen
Ooohhh. I really liked this one. I had never read the comic but it was described to me as a "dark superhero" movie. It's not your typical Superman or Spiderman movie at all. There's people getting messed up bad, blood, shootings, politics, alternate reality where Nixon is a 3rd term pres, superheroes getting it on, and prison fights. I believe it was made by the same people who did the 300 so that would describe why the mood is the way it is. It's kind of facinating where there is a superhero genre that has only one person with any actual superpowers. The rest are all just people getting dressed up and distributing some vigilante justice. The ending is especially refreshing considering what you might normally expect to happen in a superhero movie. Hollywood must be running out of ideas at this point so anything new and creative is worth a look.
Alright, well I'm really running out of steam with this blog post so I'm going to call it quits. And, to tie it all back to the title I present to you some Lebowski awesomeness.
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