Cheney Shoots Rice In The Face
by tristero
How humiliating it must be for Rice, a self-styled expert on Russia, to have a boorish bozo like Cheney blunder in to the major diplomacy on Georgia, pushing aside not only her, but her entire State Department.
Dissing people is something conservatives do with the same manic enthusiasm as they collect mansions and private jets.
Saturday Night At The Movies
From crayons to perfume: Top 10 school flicks
By Dennis Hartley
It’s a funny thing. I know that this is supremely silly (I’m over 50, fergawdsake)- but as soon as September rolls around and retailers start touting their “back to school” sales, I still get that familiar twinge of dread. How do I best describe it? It’s a vague sensation of social anxiety, coupled with a melancholy resignation to the fact that from now until next June, I have to go to bed early. BTW, now that I’m allowed to stay up with the grownups, why do I drift off in my chair at 8pm every night? It’s another one of life’s cruel ironies.
At any rate, since it is “that time of the year”, I thought I would share my Top 10 show-and-tell picks for homeroom. As per usual, I must point out this is a completely subjective list of personal favorites; I am not proclaiming these selections to be The Most Beloved School Movies Ever (in case you’re wondering where I stashed Mr. Chips). So I would ask that you grade my list on a curve. Also, please keep both hands away from the keyboard (on top of your desk where I can see them) and don’t start snarking until you have thoroughly read and understood this lesson plan completely. Wait a minute (sniff)- is somebody out there eating pizza? Put it down, and pay attention. Now, ready? Begin!
Twenty-Four Eyes-This naturalistic, tremendously moving drama from Keisuke Kinoshita could very well be the ultimate “inspirational teacher” movie. Set in an isolated, sparsely populated village on the ruggedly beautiful coast of Japan’s Shodoshima island, the story begins in 1928 and ends just after WW 2. This is a deceptively simple yet deeply resonant tale about a long term mentorship that develops between a compassionate, nurturing teacher (Hideko Takamine) and her 12 students, from grade school through adulthood. Many of the cast members are non-actors, but you would never guess it from the uniformly wonderful performances. Kinoshita enlisted sets of siblings to portray the students as they “age”, giving the story a heightened sense of realism. The film, originally released in 1954, was hugely popular in Japan; a revival some years later enabled it to be discovered by Western audiences, who warmed to its humanist stance and undercurrent of anti-war sentiments. Keep a box of Kleenex nearby.
The Blackboard Jungle-I always like to refer to this searing 1955 drama (produced in an era when ADD-afflicted teenagers were referred to as “juvenile delinquents”) as the anti-“Happy Days”. An idealistic English teacher (Glenn Ford) takes on an inner-city classroom full of leather-jacketed malcontents who would much rather steal hubcaps and break windows than, say, study the construct of iambic pentameter. Considered a hard-hitting “social issue” film at the time, it still retains considerable power, despite some dated trappings. Vic Morrow and Sidney Poitier are appropriately surly and unpredictable as the alpha “toughs” in the classroom. The impressive supporting cast includes Richard Kiley, Anne Francis and Louis Calhern. Director Richard Brooks co-scripted with Evan Hunter, from Hunter’s novel (the author is best-known by his non de plume, Ed McBain). The film also had a hand in making Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” a monster hit.
To Sir With Love-A decade after he co-starred in The Blackboard Jungle, Sidney Poitier traded the switchblade and the bad attitude for a nice suit and an earnest lesson plan; it was his turn to play the mentor. This well-acted 1967 drama offered a bold twist on the usual formula (for its time). Movie audiences were accustomed to watching an idealistic white teacher struggling to tame the wild (and usually “ethnic”) inner city students; in this case, you had an idealistic black teacher trying to relate to a classroom chockablock with citizens of the unruly, white British working class. It’s a tour de force for director James Clavell, who also wrote and produced. Culture clash is a dominant theme in many of Clavell’s novels and films; most famously in Shogun. The film is a great “swinging 60s” time capsule-thanks to a spunky onscreen rendition of the memorable theme song by Lulu, and a brief appearance by the Mindbenders (don’t blink or you’ll miss future 10cc co-founder Eric Stewart). Also with Judy Geeson (who delivers a poignant performance) and future rock star Michael Des Barres (Silverhead, Detective, Power Station).
Dazed and Confused-I will admit upfront that my attachment to Richard Linklater’s amazingly vivid 1993 recreation of a “day in the life” high school milieu circa 1976 has almost everything to do with the sentimental chord it touches within me (I graduated from high school in 1974). The clothing, the hairstyles, the lingo, the social behaviors and (perhaps most importantly) the music is so spot on that I was transported into a total-immersion sense memory the first time I saw the film (no, I wasn’t high-grow up!). Perhaps the first wave of boomers a decade or so ahead of me were similarly affected when they first watched American Graffiti (anyone?). At any rate, I knew all these people! Not necessarily a goofy teen comedy; while there are a lot of laughs (mostly of recognition), the sharply written screenplay offers some inspired moments of keen observation and even genuine poignancy at times. Linklater certainly wouldn’t be able to reassemble this bright, energetic young cast at the same bargain rates nowadays: Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Adam Goldberg, Rory Cochrane, Joey Lauren Adams and Nicky Katt, to name but a few. Two bongs up!
Fast Times at Ridgemont High-Amy Heckerling’s 1982 coming-of-age dramedy is another film that introduced a bevy of new talent to movie audiences: Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Eric Stoltz, Nicholas Cage, Anthony Edwards, and of course Sean Penn as the quintessential stoned surfer dude, who makes life a special kind of hell for his history teacher (a marvelously dry Ray Walston). I remember at the time searching in vain for a rental copy that didn’t suffer from extensive “freeze frame” damage at right about that moment where Cates reveals her, um, hidden talents (ah, the good ol’ days of VHS!). Heckerling later returned to the same California high school milieu (updated for the 90s) for her hit Clueless. Rolling Stone reporter (and soon-to-be film director) Cameron Crowe scripted from his book, which was based on his experiences “embedded” at a San Diego high school (thanks to his youthful appearance, Crowe had successfully passed himself off as a student for a year).
Gregory’s Girl– Scottish writer-director Bill Forsyth’s delightful examination of puppy love crosses over from one of my previous Top Ten lists. Gawky teenager Gregory (John Gordon Sinclair) goes gaga for Dorothy (Dee Hepburn), a fellow soccer player on the school team. Gregory receives love advice from an unlikely mentor, his little sister (Allison Forster). His male classmates offer advice as well, but of course they are just as clueless as he is (although they put on airs of having deep insight on the subject of girls, naturally). In fact, Forsyth gets a lot of mileage out of that most basic truth about adolescence-the girls are usually light years ahead of the boys when it comes to the mysteries of love. Not as precious as you might think, as Forsyth is a master of low-key anarchy and understated irony. You may have trouble navigating the thick Scottish accents, but it’s worth it. Also with Clare Grogan, whom music fans may recall as lead singer of Altered Images, and Red Dwarf fans may recognize as “Kristine Kochanski”.
National Lampoon’s Animal House– “Thank you sir. May I have another?” The twisted brain trust behind the National Lampoon produced this riotously vulgar and slyly subversive ode to college frat house culture, which became a surprise box-office smash in 1978. The film kicked off a lucrative Hollywood franchise for the magazine, and (building on the groundwork that was established by M*A*S*H and Blazing Saddles) opened the floodgates for a whole new genre of raunchy, uninhibited and politically incorrect movie comedy. The film is also notable for launching the fruitful careers of director John Landis and future director Harold Ramis (who co-wrote with Doug Kenney and Chris Miller). And what a brilliant ensemble cast: Tom Hulce, Tim Matheson, Peter Riegert, Karen Allen and Kevin Bacon (all unknowns at the time) along with screen vets Donald Sutherland and John Vernon. And no, I haven’t forgotten the guy who steals the show! I’m usually not a fan of physical comedy, but for some reason, everything John Belushi does in this movie, whether it’s falling off a ladder, smashing a guitar, crushing a beer can on his forehead, or simply arching his eyebrow-puts me in complete hysterics.
Massacre at Central High– I know I’m going to get some arched eyebrows with this selection. Despite the title, this is not a “slasher” film; it’s more of a social satire/political allegory (like Lindsay Anderson’s If….). You’ve seen the setup a few times-a gang of alpha high school bullies are terrorizing and intimidating their classmates at will, until a “new kid” rolls in and changes the status quo, Yojimbo style. The film veers into Lord Of The Flies territory, with allusions to class struggle, fascist politics and what-would-happen-if-there-were-no-adults-around anarchy. Don’t get me wrong, this ain’t exactly Animal Farm; after all, the film stars Robert Carradine and Andrew “direct-to-video” Stevens, but for its budget and its genre, it’s an oddly compelling watch. Although it’s a U.S. production, director Rene Raalder (a native Hollander) brings a European sensibility that adds to the fascination. This one edges the very similar Heathers off my top ten, which loses points due to Christian Slater’s annoying pseudo-Nicholson shtick.
Rock’n’Roll High School-In the realm of guilty pleasures, this completely goofy, sunny-side up punk rock musical from the stable of legendary low-budget producer Roger Corman rates pretty high (and one suspects the creators of the film were, um, “pretty high” when they dreamed it all up ). Director Alan Arkush invokes the spirit of all those late 50s/early 60s rock’n’roll exploitation movies, substituting The Ramones for the usual clean-cut teen idols who inevitably pop up at the school dance. To this day, I’m still helplessly in love with P.J. Soles, who plays Vince Lombardi High School’s most devoted Ramones fan, Riff Randell. The great cast of B-movie troupers includes the late Paul Bartel (who directed several of his own cult classics under Corman’s tutelage) and his frequent screen partner Mary Waronov (priceless as the uptight, iron-fisted school principal). It’s kind of bittersweet to watch it now; R.I.P. Joey, Dee Dee and Johnny.
Election– I’m not the only one who vibes a disturbing “life imitating art” tableaux that morphs real-life vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin with the Republicanesque, psychotically perky, compulsively overachieving (fictional) high school presidential hopeful, Tracy Flick…
…am I? (Discuss.)
Class dismissed!
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Populist Go the Weasels
by digby
Michael Kazin, historian and expert on American populism, has written a very interesting article about where we’ve been — and where this election may be headed.
Populism in America is nearly as old as the republic itself. Since President Andrew Jackson’s epic battle to shut down the “money power” symbolized by the Second Bank of the United States in 1833, politicians and citizen-activists have voiced their outrage about the “elites” who ignored, corrupted or betrayed the common people.
Right-wing populists typically drum up resentments based on differences of religion and cultural style. Their progressive counterparts focus on economic grievances. But the common language is promiscuous — useful to anyone who asserts that virtue resides in ordinary people and has the skills and platform to bring their would-be superiors down to earth
During the half-century since McCarthy’s remarkable rise and ignominious fall, his fellow conservatives have rarely stopped singing from the same populist hymnal.
“I had the privilege of living most of my life in my small town,” beamed Sarah Palin in her bravura speech to accept the GOP vice presidential nomination Wednesday night. It was, she explained, the kind of place inhabited by the people “who do some of the hardest work in America…who grow our food, run our factories, and fight our wars.” She defiantly contrasted her plain-folks view of the world to that of “the permanent political establishment” and “the Washington elite.”
It may be the same old song, but cultural populism has helped Republicans win many an election and has consistently put their opponents on the defensive. Richard M. Nixon championed the values of “Middle America;” Ronald Reagan damned a tax policy that took “from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned,” and George W. Bush mocked “liberal elites” for being soft on terrorism and warm towards gay marriage.
Conservatism would never have become a large and influential movement without such language; and liberals have yet to find a way to counter it. Why?
If it were up to me we’d be hammering right now on McCain’s 7 houses and Cindy’s $300,000 outfits, if only to create some dissonance. Nobody is less of a “middle American populist” than John McCain. He’s the one who should have to answer for the criticisms coming from his own running mate.
For more on the old politics of resentment, I’ve written reams on it as well (although hardly with as much authority or erudition.) One series can be found here.
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Democrats Hate America
by digby
Always have, always will. We hate America so hard that we like to throw flags into the trash can (and then throw used kitty litter on top of them!)That’s how much we hate America. Or at least that’s what the Mccain campaign says. (The kitty litter part is implied.)
Drudge rules their world so the cable nets are all over this story:
Democrats are not caring for their Stars and Stripes. At least that’s the message out of John McCain’s campaign.
McCain supporters, claiming they rescued 12,000 miniature American flags from the site of Barack Obama’s nomination acceptance speech last Thursday, redistributed the orphan flags to audience members ahead of a McCain rally in Colorado Springs on Saturday.
[…]
McCain supporters said the flags were discovered by a vendor at Denver’s Invesco Field after the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention. The vendor supposedly found trash bags full of flags in and near garbage bins, and turned them over to the McCain campaign.
Boy Scouts were sorting through 84 bags of flags in Colorado on Saturday, before a McCain supporter had veterans distribute them to the audience.
“We want to find good homes for these flags,” radio host Dan Caplis said at the rally, adding that whatever flags remained would be placed at memorials throughout Colorado.
Audience members, who booed when Caplis announced that the flags were left in Denver, waved the flags and chanted “U.S.A” before McCain arrived at the rally with his running mate, Sarah Palin.
Damon Jones, spokesman for the Democratic National Convention Committee, released a statement saying McCain should applaud the fact that thousands of American flags were “proudly waved” at their convention.
“But instead his supporters wrongfully took leftover bundles of our flags from the stadium to play out a cheap political stunt calling into question our patriotism,” he said.
Sadly, it isn’t actually true, not that it will matter:
According to a senior official involved in organizing the Democratic convention, the McCain camp is simply lying about the flags.
“All of the flags at Invesco were picked up and put in bags and into storage, along with the unused flags and campaign signs. The flags were going to be donated, and the signs were going to be sent out to be used elsewhere,” the official said, speaking anonymously since he was not authorized to talk to the press.
Fox News’ Carl Cameron and Bonney Kapp reported that they had “been told” that “a vendor at Invesco Field found the flags, which were going to be thrown out, and turned them over to the McCain campaign.”
The Democratic convention official says that’s not true.
“It’s pretty reprehensible on their part,” he said. “Someone made an assumption, took the flags, and essentially lied about what was going to happen to them. I mean, c’mon, we were never ever going to throw out flags.”
Why wouldn’t people believe it? We’ve nominated a Muslim terrorist as our candidate after all — and we’ve always hated America. Of course it’s true. Most of us agreed before hand that we were going to take them home and sexually defile them like we usually do. I don’t know who the 12,000 losers who left theirs behind were, but they certainly aren’t good Democrats.
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Keeping It Real
by digby
While we’ve all been enmeshed in the soap opera of the former mayor of Wasilla and Mean Mr Mustard all week, Howie Klein has been doing something useful — raising money for Blue America’s progressive candidates.
He will introduce the winner of the contest today at 1PM over at FDL, so if you’ve contributed, check in over there to see which Blue America candidate gets the $5,000.
But check this out (I can hardly believe it):
Meanwhile at 9AM this morning, we got this awesomely generous letter from Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chairman of the DCCC. Before I share it with you, just let me remind everyone that when Rahm Emanuel and Steny Hoyer beat up on a buncch of Democrats and led enough across the aisle to help the Republicans pass Bush’s continuing occupation of Iraq and, a week later, his hideous FISA legislation, Van Hollen, was one of the few in the Democratic leadership who refused to join them on either. Like a majority of Democrats, Chris voted to end the war and voted against the FISA bill. His letter:
Please offer my thanks to the Blue American community for their continued help to our Democratic candidates. Mobilizing grassroots supporters is crucial in our campaign to strengthen and secure the Democratic Majority. The outpouring of support that the Blue America community has shown this week for our Democratic candidates for change has been particularly exciting. I am pleased to match Blue America’s $5,000 contribution to the winner of your “Vote For A Blue America Candidate” contest. I thank you for your continuing support in securing a New Direction for America.
Warm Regards,
Chris Van Hollen
ChairmanTranslation: today’s winner gets $10,000, not $5,000.
And… futhermore there’s a bonus for our donors today too! Anybody who contributes at least $25.00 before noon will be entered in a drawing to win two (2) fourth row center tickets to the Jackson Browne concert at the historic Orpheum theatre in Los Angeles on October 5th.
I’m as hooked on the presidential soap opera as anyone, but this is the real work of getting progressive policies passed in the congress. We don’t know how many of our candidates will make it this time. probably quite a few. But this contest was run specifically for those candidates who are not getting institutional support from the party (the Red to Blue operation) so it means something that Van Hollen kicked in the matching money. It’s possible that some of the leadership are finally seeing the value of having a progressive wing of the party after all.
If you still want to contribute, you can find all the necessary links at Down With Tyranny.:
You can see what each of our candidates has managed to bring in since last Saturday on our special contest page. Many overly enthusiastic donors gave more than once– some more than a dozen times– to the candidates of their choice. To determine the winner of our prize, only one donation per candidate is counted for any one screen name. The contest remains open until 12 noon (PT), so, by all means, please donate to the candidate, or candidates, of your choice. We have also gotten a generous donation of $1,250 to the Blue America PAC from an anonymous donor who has asked that we match it and donate $2,500 to the runner-up. So… if you’d like to support that proposition, by all means drop some cash into the Blue America PAC slot as well.
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Let Freedom Reign
by digby
The Iraqi government reacted with concern and dismay on Friday to allegations that American officials spied on Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, and warned that it could affect negotiations over the continuing American troop presence in the country.
The claims about espionage against senior Iraqi government figures appear in Bob Woodward’s book “The War Within: A Secret White House History, 2006-2008,” The Washington Post reported Friday.
Ali al-Dabbagh, a government spokesman, said Mr. Maliki’s government would seek explanations and assurances about the conduct of the C.I.A. and other intelligence agencies.
“If it is a fact, it reflects that there is no trust and it reflects also that the institutions in the United States are used to spying on their friends and their enemies in the same way,” he said. “If it is true, it casts a shadow on the future relations with such institutions.”
And people wonder why we think they would likely spy on their friends and enemies at home too. It’s what they do.
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Gentlemen Scholars
by digby
Oooh… the next 60 days are going to be really, really fun:
From the September 4 broadcast of ABC Radio Networks’ The Sean Hannity Show:
HANNITY: By the way, I have what has to be — and I have warned you that these attacks are only, only going to get worse, although they’re not going to work and it’s all going to backfire. And this has got to be the most hysterical reaction to Sarah Palin’s home-run speech. Get this. The National Organization of Liberal Women is charging that Sarah Palin — now, you better sit down for this — Sarah Palin is really a man.
I’m — this report in the Politico, spokesman for the National Organization for Women, “noting Palin’s opposition to abortion rights and” her “support of other parts of the social conservative agenda,” told the Politico, quote, “She’s more a conservative man than she is a woman on women’s issues. Very disappointing.”
So that’s the official liberal feminist position. Sarah Palin is not a woman. She’s a man. Now, folks, these people are just — they’re not connecting. You know, Gloria Steinem — well, the only thing she shares with Hillary is a chromosome. You know, folks, fear has now literally taken over the Democratic Party. Someone needs to start — you know what? There’s Happy Housewives, they were quoted in The New York Times, we’re going to have — maybe we’ll have them on tomorrow to counter this nonsense.
But anyway, let’s get to our phones. I see Mark is in Washington, D.C. Uh-oh. Is this him? Is that —
LEVIN: Dr. Hannity?
HANNITY: Dr. Levin. Thank me. How am I?
LEVIN: It’s not the National Organization of Liberal Women. It’s the National Organization of Ugly Women.
So Much For SooperDooperTrooper-Gate
by tristero
Newsweek says that Republicans are applying a full court press and that the investigation may be shut down. And if you believe that “may,” then you didn’t see the white-collar riots in Florida in 2000.
Naganahappen
Simple Answers To Simple Questions
by tristero
The next two months will constitute a test for reporters: If they fall for the idea that they’re treating unfairly a candidate who has long referred to them as his “base,” what won’t they fall for? If they won’t stand up to these attacks, what will they stand up to?
Nothing. Nothing.
This has been another edition of simple answers to simple questions.
With apologies to Duncan.
Read It And Weep
by tristero
They’re gonna win. And I better help ’em.
After reading Biden’s appalling paean to a man who last behaved well a loooooooooooong time ago, I came across this blueprint from Michael Moore on how the Democrats can manage, despite incredible odds, to wrest defeat from the jaws of certain victory. It was written before Biden was chosen as Obama’s running mate:
For years now, nearly every poll has shown that the American people are right in sync with the platform of the Democratic Party. They are pro-environment, pro-women’s rights and pro-choice. They don’t like war. They want the minimum wage raised, and they want a single-payer universal health-care system. The American public agrees with the Republican Party on only one major issue: They support the death penalty.
So you would think the Democrats would be cleaning up, election after election. Obviously not. The Democrats appear to be professional losers. They are so pathetic in their ability to win elections, they even lose when they win! So when you hear Democrats and liberals and supporters of Barack Obama say they are worried that John McCain has a good chance of winning, they ain’t a-kidding. Who would know better than the very people who have handed the Republicans one election after another on a silver platter? Yes, be afraid, be very afraid.
In an effort to help the party doofuses and pundits — and the candidate himself — spare all of us another suicide-inducing election night, as the results giving the election to the Republican pour in, here is the blueprint from the Democrats’ past losing campaigns. Just follow each of these steps and you, the Democratic Party establishment, can help elect John Sidney McCain III to a four-year extension of the Bush Era.
1. Keep saying nice things about McCain.
2. Pick a running mate who is a conservative white guy or a general or a Republican.
3. Keep writing speeches for Obama that make him sound like a hawk.
4. Forget that this was a historic year for women.
5. Show up to a gunfight with a peashooter.
6. Denounce me!
5 out of 6, by my count. And it’s only early September. There’s still time to do ’em all.
UPDATE: And while the following doesn’t hurt, it really doesn’t help things at all. As Moore astutely observes:
You’ve sold them on the idea that McCain isn’t a bad egg, and they do not hear the rest of what you have to say: “But John McCain is four more years of George W. Bush.”