The Most Amazing Ballet Clip You Have Ever Seen!

 

No time for blogging today! Germaine Gregarious and I are busy filling our Happy Underpants with Rich, Creamy Goodness™! (Jeepers! this goodness is much richer and creamier than I thought!) In the meantime you can watch this swell video of the acrobats of the Great Chinese State Circus performing Swan Lake. Princess Odette does a pirouette right on Prince Siegfried's head! (Ouch! I've seen Ms. Gregarious do a pirouette on a guy's head before, but when she did it there was lot more blood.)

 

Alfred Hitchcock's "Notorious"

 

[ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 ]

Last night on Turner Classic Movies played the Hitchcock film, "Notorious", a WWII spy thriller set in Rio de Janeiro. I had seen it once before, many years ago.

In the film, I thought that Cary Grant's character, T. R. Devlin, was a total dickhead. As a mater of fact, all of the Americans in the film were sanctimonious, holier-than-thou dickheads. From the very beginning of the film Grant's character is looking down his nose at the "loose" morals and carefree lifestyle of Ingrid Bergman's character. He says that he loves her in the beginning of the story, but treats her like dirt throughout the rest of the film.

On the other hand, It was difficult not to fall in love with Ingrid Bergman's character: fun-loving, German-born, daughter-of-a-convicted-Nazi Alicia Huberman. Her provocative romantic scenes were naughty fräulein, double-agent delicious!

And you had to love the Nazis. The Nazis were great! My favorite scene (part 6) was after one of the mousier Nazis, Emil Hupka, accidentally tips off Alicia Huberman to an important clue as to their nefarious plans at a dinner party. The other Nazis plot his demise behind his back over coffee and cigars in a wonderfully cold and calculated fashion. (Nazi Eric Mathis has a special road trip for Emil all worked out... "Nonsense! I'd love to go. Come on, Emil...")

Later in the film Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) marries the head Nazi (Claude Rains as Alexander Sebastian) to get information that will help the Americans. Devlin (Cary Grant) gets all weepy and pouty with jealousy. The ensuing Ménage à trois left me wanting to rescue Ingrid Bergman from both the evil Nazi Claude Rains and the sanctimonious Cary Grant.

Once Claude Rains figures out that Ingrid Bergman is an American spy, he goes to pieces. He is not afraid of the Americans, but his fellow Nazis! He fears that he will share the same fate as poor Emil Hupka did at the hands of Eric Mathis.

And who helps the evil mastermind out of this jam? His dear old mother! She gets the idea to slowly poison Ingrid Bergman so that no one will suspect the reason for her demise. (It's so deliciously Morticia Addams!)

Hitchcock is often accused of being misogynistic towards women in his films, but in "Notorious" the women are not only the strongest characters - they are also the most likable. (How can you not love a mother that helps you poison your wife so that your Nazi henchmen won't kill you?)

Claude Rains was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film, but I don't think he was a very believable evil mastermind - and he just looked kind of short and old as Ingrid Bergman's husband. I think he was far better as Vichy Police Captain Louis Renault in the film "Casablanca".

In the beginning of the film, Bergman's character prophetically says this about Grant's characters patriotism: "Waving the flag with one hand and picking pockets with the other, that's your 'patriotism'". (good line! Gotta make a note...)

You can read more about the film at these links: Wikipedia, Turner Classic Movies, IMDB and hitchcockwiki.com.

(I loved the type face they used for the title graphics.)

 

Most Sports Are a Form of Disorderly Conduct With a Scoreboard

 

Amazing rallies at the Seoul Olympics (1988) Serbia - Romania Olympic qualifications British Eurosport Beach Volleyball Olympics: Misty May and Kerri Walsh	Olympics Womens' Beach Volleyball Women's Volleyball/Manhattan Beach Japanese Women's Volleyball WCSN Beach Volleyball
US Women's Footvolley (Not Vollyball)

This post is in response to the many sports related posts that I see cropping up on the blogosphere from bloggers such as Randal Graves [ 1, 2, 3 ] and Dr. Monkerstein. (Randal has even made sports part of his blog template.)

I find that I am lacking a certain something when it comes to reading or commenting on these sports related posts. It was not a lack knowledge of these sports on my part that poses a problem, as my ignorance on any issue has never stopped me from making very opinionated statements on an entire range of subjects in the past. No, what was lacking on my part was... Interest.

I find that most sports that I read about on the blogosphere leave me quite disinterested. I am not saying that watching grunting, sweaty men playing with their balls is not of interest to some - clearly there is an audience for that sort of thing. I am just attempting to point out that there is a sport that is far more interesting and exciting than this standard media fare. I am speaking of course of women's volleyball!

Even with only a rudimentary knowledge of the rules of the game, I find that I am still captivated by the vigorous serves, lively rallying and brightly colored costumes. I believe that the game far superior to any of the sports I commonly see discussed on the internet. The game is so captivating, I don't even bother to keep score!

 

Tweed

 

Tweed

In response to Splotchy, Samurai Frog, Dr. Monkerstein, Jess Wundrun and Devilham.

 

A Fool and His Money Are Soon Elected!

 

No time for blogging today! Germaine Gregarious is helping me do some 45 caliber "persuasion" on some of Dr. Monkerstein's surrogates who are trying to strong arm pledge delegates into voting against the wishes of their state caucuses. Then we're off to the convention! In the meantime you can watch this swell cartoon of William Shatner singing "Lucy in the sky with diamonds!" (This is one of my favorite videos ever!)

 

Summer Funtime Activity Page With Senator Lindsey Graham

 

In a recent interview, Senator Lindsey Graham called Senator Joe Lieberman a "national treasure!" (A national treasure? I say let's bury him!)

GRAHAM: Senator Lieberman, I think, is a national treasure, because no matter how you feel about his politics, he was willing to risk everything, politically, for a cause he believed in. But to see the interaction between these two guys and world leaders was something special. [...]

I think John McCain will be a reassuring presence to the world. … It really was a smile on people's faces, knowing that if this guy got to be president, I think we could do business with him. … I think he's a reassuring presence. Doesn't mean that they prefer John over Obama or Senator Clinton, but there's a level of comfort there. [...]

Q: But some probably do prefer him, don't they?

GRAHAM: Oh, I would think, but no one told us. No one had a McCain sticker on their desk. Think Progress

 

Buchanan: "Blacks Are Lucky We Let Them Be Slaves!"

 

In a recent column, right-wing pundit Pat Buchanan attempted to argue that blacks benefited from slavery in the United States:

Pat Buchanan: First, America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was here that 600,000 black people, brought from Africa in slave ships, grew into a community of 40 million, were introduced to Christian salvation, and reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever known.

(Rev. Jeremiah) Wright ought to go down on his knees and thank God he is an American.

Second, no people anywhere has done more to lift up blacks than white Americans. Untold trillions have been spent since the '60s on welfare, food stamps, rent supplements, Section 8 housing, Pell grants, student loans, legal services, Medicaid, Earned Income Tax Credits and poverty programs designed to bring the African-American community into the mainstream. Think Progress via Pam's House Blend

 

The Invisible Hand of the Marketplace Robs the Taxpayer's Cradle

 

They grow up so fast, don't they? It seems like only yesterday they were stealing lunch money from their classmates, and the next thing you know they are supplying outdated, substandard munitions to our allies in Afghanistan, with a $300 million contract from the Pentagon!

last January the Pentagon awarded a federal contract worth as much as nearly $300 million to AEY Inc., a company that operates out of an unmarked office in Miami Beach. AEY Inc. became the main supplier of munitions to Afghanistan's army and police forces.

The company's president was 22-year-old Efraim E. Diveroli, a 22-year-old man. Get to know him on MySpace!

After the Times began asking questions about the suspicious contract, the Army suspended the company from future contract efforts. The Associated Press confirms that the company's contracts have been suspended because it shipped Chinese-made ammunition "in violation of its contract and US law." Raw Story, via Crooks and Liars.

Top level jobs are still available at AEY Inc.! They are presently looking for an administrative assistant!

 

There Should Be No Debate - Nancy Pelosi Looks Great In '08!

 

I know of one woman that is qualified to act as president from day one...

 

Amy Walter, Where Are You?

 

HTV 03/20/08: Virgins & Republicans: Dropping Like Flies
HTV 03/19/08: McCain's Senior Moment: & Other Tales from Spring Break
HTV 03/18/08: The Big Speech: Obama on Race, Religion & Rev. Wright
HTV 03/17/08: The Homer Simpson Vote: Will White Guys Decide the Election?
HTV 03/12/08: Obama/Ferraro: Ms. Progress '84 = Ms. Soft Racism '08

I'm very upset with Hotline TV. In four of the last nine episodes, Amy Walter was not even on the show! Instead they had some clown named Jon Mercurio and some young whippersnapper called 'blog boy'! What a twit! Mercurio says that Ms. Walter is "Touring Europe, promting her memoir about working with Charlie Cook (Of cookpolitical.com.) Those were the days..." Ack! Come back, Amy Walter! We miss you!

 

That is Still Really My Middle Name!

 

Ack! Wyldth1ng has inflicted the Middle Name Meme on me, even though I have already done it! (I thought that I would have developed a natural immunity to this meme or something.) The rules are as follows:

1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.
2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name or your mother's maiden name).
3. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person (or blogger of another species) for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged.)

I submit the following:

C is for Cantankerous, one of my many virtues.
H is for Hijinks, as in madcap hilarity,
O is for Orangutan, the noblest of beasts.
C is for Cemetery, where the dead people live.
O is for Obstinate, my favorite flavor.
L is for Laocoon, who doesn't like snakes.
A is for Adder, who subtracts from the living.
T is for Trichinosis, the other white white meat.
E is for Evangelist, whose own salvation depends on your damnation.
C is for Curse, a gift from my shaman.
A is for Achievement, the first step towards regret.
K is for Kindness, which ends with someone's hand being bitten.
E is for Eulogy, the punch line of medical practitioners.

I inflict this meme on the following victims bloggers: BAC, Cap'n Dyke, MWB's World, Becca, Evil Spock (Who has disapeared), Dave The Angry Rhode Islander, and GETkristiLOVE.

Might I suggest that you do not use your actual middle name or mother's maiden name but instead make up an imaginary one, because either piece of information can be used as yet another way for identity thieves, hackers, flim-flamners, scam artists and stalkers to glean further information about you. (My apologies to all of my Nigerian spammer readers.)

 

Just a Quick Note...

 

Yay! Cap'n Dyke has brought back my favorite ursine character, Muffin, International Cross-Dressing Bear! (He scares the crap out of Stephen Colbert!) See him in "L'ville Blues' or 'Th'House o'Pain'" and "Aye, Ye May Well Wonder..." In case you missed it, Muffin, Cross-Dressing Bear o'Mystery first appeared in this episode, "A House in Ohio".

Becca has dome a fantastic drawing of The Addams Family. The Addams Family is one of my favorite shows ever! I wanted to live at their house when I was a kid. (Who am I kidding? I still want to live at their house!)

Becca also drew some great hula dancers in a drawing of a Tiki Luau. (Excuse me, I am going to go get the lawn mower...)

Jess Wundrun has a delightful kitchen nightmare story. (What?!?? No more chocolate cake? That is a nightmare!) Also, she has a tale about the food at her favorite truck stop.

DCup has to come to a fork in the road, and explains why she has started a new blog, Unglued. [ 2 ]

Madam Z is in the middle of a homegrown crisis as well. [ 2, 3 ]

Freida Bee blogs to avoid homework in the format of a confession, and does a great injustice to the good name of chocolate. **hrumph**

I'm-a-day-late-and-a-dollar-short department: MWB had a great post yesterday about the significance of the date March 25 has had to American workers through American history. He also has a few interesting posts about Jimmy Olsen. [ 2, 3 ]

Sleestak has some great stuff! He's got Little Orphan Annie and the Democratic process, urchin gacking, a robot woman, and his cute little pet gerbil.

Sleestak also has posted an excellent metaphor for the war in Iraq. Jess Wundrun has something to say on the subject as well.

Skippy explains why Eliot Spitzer had to be destroyed by the current administration. It was because he was a vocal critic of the Republican's part in in the mortgage meltdown. (he found a post that waxes Peepish, also.)

Dean Wormer went to a Barack Obama rally in Portland! (Great pictures.)

Channeling a previous MWB post, CNN elevates the dialogue with a "Queen Kong vs. Barack-zilla" Analogy. (Crooks and Liars has the video.)

Pidomon's has a heartwarming story about his late grandmother who died recently, at the age of 102.

Jon the Intergalactic Gladiator has a great iDoodle of Commander Riker getting the boot. (The "i" is for "intergalactic", natch.)

Dave The Angry Rhode Islander has several posts about Hillary's Bosnia-sniper fantasy. [ 2, 3 ]

Sandy Underpants has pointed out something hilarious in the news that I missed.

I have no idea what Übermilf is talking about, but at least she has nice manners.

Tengrain has written another installment in his scary comic book.

Dguzman earns some "cool" points from Germaine Gregarious.

Dr, Monkerstein takes it to the streets. (Yay!)

John J. explains how the Media Got Wright Wrong.

Aunt Dahlia's husband cracks himself up.

Kelly the Little Black Dog channels Dilbert and Jesus.

FranIam might be swayed.

Pissed Off Patrica discusses the nature of truth.

Take a Peep at some Easter goodness from BAC, Dr. Monkerstein, Becca, Swinebread, Dean Wormer, Germaine Gregarious, Freida Bee, Tengrain Darwin's Dagger, Liberality, Samurai Frog, FranIam, Dave the Angry Rhode Islander, Pidomon, and Pissed Off Patrica. And speaking of Easter goodness, did you get a chance to read all of the entries at Blue Gal's fabulous Blog Against Theocracy 2008?

And there are lots more, but I have to go to go take a nap now.

I got this cool graphic over at needlenose.com, via Cuddlefish.
(They come in 3 delicious sizes!)

 

Clinton: "It Was All a Dream..."

 


Washington - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her staff said she misspoke when describing sniper fire during a March 1996 trip to Bosnia as first lady.

"It's just shameful that the press say anything negative about a Democratic candidate," Said political consultant and Clinton spokesperson James Carville. "When we are trying so hard to run a positive campaign."

The Republican Party were quick to seize up these latest revalations not only as a way to attack the Democratic Party, but also as a way to explain the Bush administration.

 

"Hillary! Stop the attacks!" Love, Obama Girl

 

03/25/08: "Hillary! Stop the attacks!" [ 2 ] 03/06/08: Li'l Bush Girl... 03/08/08: E! Names OG #1 Hottest! 03/03/08: Obama Girl on SNL 03/03/08: Obama Girl on Geraldo on FOX

02/17/08: Crush on Obama (with lyrics) 02/02/08: Barely Political Ad 01/31/08: Super Obama Girl! 01/13/08: Obama Girl at the NH Primary 01/09/08: NH: Obama Girl responds

Obama has put out her latest video, "'Hillary! Stop the attacks!' Love, Obama Girl". (If YouTube is down, you can watch it from this dailymotion.com link. I think that of her newest videos, my personal favorite is "Super Obama Girl!" (A pretty girl in a cape, miniskirt and go-go boots is like a melody!) All of this stuff is from barelypolitical.com.

01/09/08: NH: Obama Girl responds 01/04/08: Obama Wins! Obama Girl Reacts! 01/03/08: Obama Girl Returns for Iowa! 12/28/07: Ob. Girl Nightmare (Ron Paul Girl) 12/20/07: Obama Girls: "You're So Lame" 11/28/07: Obama Girl: Dancing With Obama

11/28/07: Obama Girl meets Chad Vader 09/18/07: "I Like a Boy" Featuring Obama Girl 08/07/07: Romney Girls Attack Obama Girl! 07/16/07: Debate '08: Obama Girl vs Giuliani Girl 07/12/07: Obama Girl vs. Giuliani Girl: The Trailer 06/13/07: "I Got a Crush...On Obama" By O.G.

Clearly the media has lost sight of the real story this election season. They are all but ignoring the most important pundit - Obama Girl! You can read about Obama Girl on her Blog, her MySpace page, or read about her on Wikipedia [ 2 ].

01/05/08: Return Of Obama Girl 01/03/08: Obama Girl on Fox News Today 08/09/07: John Gibson/Romney Girls 10/28/07: Obama Girl in the News 08/09/07: Fox and Friends/Romney Girls 08/01/07: Obama Girl/Youtube Debate 07/12/07: Obama Girl vs. Joy Behar

06/29/07: Obama Girl/McCain Mama? (Glenn Beck) 06/28/07: Obama Girl on Wallstrip 01/07/08: Obama Vs Hillary - Mortal Kombat 01/04/08: Leave Hillary Alone! 10/04/07: Ron Paul Girl (New Video) 07/02/07: Hott 4 Hill (Taryn Southern) ??/??/??: Barack OBollywood

 

"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" Revisited

 

The Bankers Panic of 2008 - New Regulation

In late 1999, the bulwark bank regulation of 1933, the Glass-Steagall Act -- the wall between investment banks and commercial banks -- was torn down. This was a great victory for creative bankers, who had found the wall irksome and restrictive.

However, this teardown reduced the stability of the financial system and opened the way for the Bankers Panic of 2008. Senator Carter Glass, who led in the creation of the Federal Reserve System in 1913, saw how the deposits of correspondent banks flowed to New York City where the big banks were tempted to speculate with the funds. He was determined to keep the investment-banking foxes out of the commercial-banking chicken coop. A wall was created around the banking system to separate investment banks and their assets from commercial banks.

When this wall came down in 1999 with the Financial Modernization (Gramm-Leach-Bliley) Act, it allowed banks and investment banks to join up through the bank holding company mechanism that had been created in 1956 with a cautious requirement that the Federal Reserve approve creation of a bank holding company. No bank holding company headquartered in one state could acquire a bank in another state. It generally prohibited a bank holding company from engaging in non-banking activities or acquiring voting securities of certain companies that are not banks. [...] (Read the rest at Huffington Post)

The US is undergoing a financial earthquake. Its commercial banks and mortgage companies have lent heavily to borrowers -- something that prudent banks with proper risk management systems are not supposed to do. Its “efficient” investment banks readily securitized the loans and sold them to investors, keeping a significant chunk on their balance sheets. Its investors along with European investors and banks willingly invested in these securities.

How could the bank supervision system in one of the world’s most developed countries mess it up so badly?

Part of the answer lies in the fragmented American supervision system of banks and bank-like intermediaries (credit unions, saving associations, etc.) between agencies like the Fed, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Office of Thrift Supervision. Further is the schism between state and federal supervision -- the difference between state-chartered banks versus federal banks, etc. All this is an inheritance from the peculiarities of US history (still currently evolving), and I believe that it is quite relevant. But that is not the whole story.

More important than this fragmentation are three other important external factors that drove the failure of US bank supervision system... [...] (Read the rest at Today's Zaman)

 

Jesus Convention

 

No time for blogging today! I am busy getting ready for Easter by coloring hard boiled eggs, biting the ears off of chocolate bunnies and nuking Peeps! (Jeepers! Who knew that celebrating the reanimation of the dead involved so many delicious treats!) In the meantime you can read this swell Easter comic book that I made last year, Jesus Convention.

 

The New Obama Girl

 

The child actress that played one the sleeping children in Sen. Clinton's famous "3 A.M." commercial has cut another campaign ad - this one for Sen. Obama, who she is supporting. Click here to watch "Hillary Clinton's '3 A.M. Ad' Girl Doesn't Approve of that Message".

 

Kilmeade and Wallace Say No to Fox & Friends' Obama Kool-Aid

 

Although neither Brian Kilmeade [ 1, 2, 3 ] nor Chris Wallace [ 1, 2, 3 ] are strangers to the ongoing orgy of FOX News hate mongering, both of them were remarkably fair, one might even say balanced in their reaction to Fox & Friends hosts ex-weatherman Steve Doocy and former Miss America Gretchen Carlson's false representation of a quote by Barack Obama. This story is fascinating.

Crooks and Liars: FOX anchor walks off set over Obama-bashing

Crooks and Liars: Chris Wallace on FOX and Friends: "I heard enough Obama bashing"

TV Newser: Wallace to F&F Hosts: "Two Hours of Obama Bashing Is Enough"

Huffington Post: Fox's Chris Wallace Criticizes Own Network For "Two Hours Of Obama Bashing"

mac.com: Wallace & Kilmeade continue the debate on radio

Think Progress: Fox's Chris Wallace Takes Fox And Friends 'To Task' For 'Two Hours Of Obama Bashing'

Huffington Post: "Yoo-hoo!" Fox Anchor Weirdly Chipper About First Day Of Spring, Massive Floods That Killed 13 People

 

He Who Stands On Tiptoe is Not Steady

 

He who stands on tiptoe is not steady.
He who strides forward does not go.
He who shows himself is not harmonious.
He who justifies himself is not prominent.
He who boasts of himself is not given credit.
He who brags does not endure for long.

Lao Tzu, Tao-Te Ching

The Sermon on the Mount teaches us that the exalted shall be humbled, but the humble shall be exalted.

Modesty teaches us that what is low shall be raised, and what is high shall be lowered.

Jesus teaches us love, Buddha teaches us compassion, Mohammed teaches us mercy, and all of them teach us tolerance.

Modern religion teaches us how their words can be twisted to suit just about any ridiculous human agenda.

Blog Against Theocracy

 

A Safe Attack

 

No time for blogging today! Germaine Gregarious and I are busy spreading our message of sweetness and light from the rooftops. (Hee hee! Good shot, Ms. Gregarious! Now to beat a hasty retreat...) In the meantime you can watch these swell Spy vs. Spy Mountain Dew Commercials! [ 2 ] I gotta get those guys on the payroll...

 

Senator Barack Obama's 'A More Perfect Union' Speech

 

Senator Barack Obama's 'A More Perfect Union' Speech