http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Fri, 31 Dec 2004 09:19:43 EST http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/12/31/091943.php Sandra NovakGIVE to tsunami relief.Blogging the Presidents Big Press Conference (Probably the only one for another year)OMG our President speaks! Of course, he still has an awful delivery and can't help insulting his fellow Americans, ("The American people need to understand this..."). He reads rather than delivers. He entertains questions from the press (the purpose of the press conference) and starts his answers with the genius sound, "Uhhh..." From the very first question about Vladimir Putin, he addresses the press with a tone that indicates supreme boredom with his audience, an air of superiority and just the slightest hint of defensiveness, (okay, a huge undercurrent of defensiveness). Still living in la-la land, the President believes his relationship with Putin is "a good one." He believes Donald Rumsfeld is doing a "good job" (Of course, he believes that "in times of war," the government should be allowed to behave any way he wants it to). Tim Russert asks him, "What's going wrong?" Bush's answer? Repeat his strategy against "the thugs." The question? A valid one. The answer? As usual, a non-one. Are you as tired as me of hearing about "the will of the American people"? He thinks if he repeats it enough it will become self-fulfulling.Bush suddenly referring to "The Hill," a new one for him. Now a Kerick question. Was there a nanny? I don't THINK so. The President thinks his vetting process is sound, "Let's continue to vet." (Huh?) Goofing up and referring to a press party as an "interminable press conference," drawing a laugh. Thumping the lectern like Kruschev (what's new?). Refers to the press as "mass medias." Refers to the efforts of Syria in Iraq as "meddling," and they've been warned.....ooooo. Social Security? "Very important...but not the only issue." The budget? "I'll be talking about it....entitlement programs." Education? "No child left behind (will be) strengthened." Denies ducking the Social Security issue even though nobody called him on it (defensive). Talking about the issue of dealing with Congress as though it's a game of "Go Fish" (Got any threes?). Says he's "not going to negotiate with (him)self," then blurts, "Don't bother to ask me."WHAT?! He covers real quick with "that's not in the holiday spirit, You can ask. There is a problem (wow, he knows)." He's talking like the press is 5 years old. Claims, "I understand how this works" then stumbles trying to explain. Reporter askes for a clarifying question. The answer? "No." No escape, though, because another Social Security question. Tells "you people" to go look at some report, that he's not going to "debate with myself." Apparently finds this moronic statement worth using twice. Why is he still banging on the podium? He's trying to explain his plan but claims the reporters are "being clever" to "get (me) to tip my hand." Does a poor job then says "let's get away from the media," yet takes a print reporter's question (apparently someone told him that television newspeople are The Media and forgot to tell Bush that so are print, internet and photog people). Back to Iraq. Why no regime change talk for N. Korea and Iran? (Great, spread us thinner). "I'll tell you where I stand, David," then proceeds not to tell him where he stands (What else do you expect when the President says he's going to tellyou where he stands on anything?). He claims the best way to get "others to disarm is to get others involved." Huh? What about the lack of multilateralism in Iraq? Goes back and tries to cover by reminding of the UN resolutions not observed by Iraq (still debatable). Bush claims "free societies don't fight each other." What about Democrats and Republicans in the US? First woman he recognizes asks about not signing a budget. He talks down to her, repeating himself in different ways ("In other words...in other words..."). "They" have done a superb job. Names several people to whom he is indebted for this (all Republican senators). Back to Social Security (he'll end the conference if he gets another one of these). Banging the podium with his feet, as well. Can't find the phrase "to a certain extent," then loses his train of thought. Why take on Social Security and not Medicare? "We did take on Medicare...Introduced market forces for the first time...Prescription drugs for our seniors." Says the actuaries are wrong, we will save money (he's so smart). Now joking with the press, suddenly remembering he's on television. Welcomes all the new faces, "some prettier than others." Immigration? "It's a tough issue." Thinks "good-hearted people who come here to do jobs Americans won't do" are necessary. Jobs that Americans won't do? LA LA LAND. Keeps repeating this: they are JOBS AMERICANS WON'T DO. Apparently thinks this will make it true. He says he understands the politics of immigration reform because he was Governor of Texas. He says "Family values don't stop at the Rio Grande." Wants us Americans to believe Mexican immigrants (He never says where these people are immigrating from, just the general region. Why is that?) won't pose any problem. Except we all have learned that the incomes are dismal and the use of public resources outstrips the contribution. But maybe, just maybe, they'll vote Republican. Now he's raising his voice about compassion. The country is less secure because of the lack of compassion. Uh huh.Bin Laden? Guantanamo? (From a Brit). "If I had to guess..." Talks about how hard Pakistan is working to find him (they admitted last week they don't know where the hell he is...how much did that cost Osama?), "We'll stay on the hunt." "America is a nation of laws." "I believe I have the right to set up military tribunals," (read: I will hire someone who will reinterpret the laws to my will--Mr. Gonzales). Rummy again. Offensive that he didn't sign condolence letters? "I know Sec. Rumsfeld's heart." "He's a caring fellow." Non-answer.Mideast peace? "I gave a speech on how to achieve a lasting solution." Apparently Palestinians need a democratic state, too, just like Iraq. "The world is wondering if this is empty rhetoric." "Democracies don't fight each other." Empty rhetoric."Thank you all very much. For those of you coming to Crawford, I look forward to not seeing you." Announces the Crawford Pilots as the state 2A high school football champions. At a Presidential press conference marked by serious questions. How homey.That's our man in D.C. Update: Found on bushwatch.org: "Of course, we can't expect our Presidents to speak like poets, but we can expect and demand that they speak with clarity and show some respect for their listeners, the English language, and the truth. Bush fails the test on all counts." --Jerry Politex, 12.12.04 Politics23778@blogcritics.org Fri, 31 Dec 2004 09:19:43 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/03/17/092733.php Sandra NovakI read with dismay today that one of my favorite bands, the Indigo Girls, will be contributing to the pollution of Florida's coastal waters. The Girls will be playing an Olivia Cruise Line ship, The Zuiderdam, while it is docked at Key West this April 4th. According to the San Francisco Business Times archives, which will not allow linkage, Olivia partners with Holland America and Norwegian among other matchups.I'd prefer to believe The Girls aren't aware of the pollution caused in our waters by cruise ships, despite laws limiting same. If they took a minute to check out the website for Oceana or the Surfrider Foundation (among others), they would discover exactly what the industry their appearance will be supporting is doing to our waters, our coastlines and our way of life.Apparently k.d. Lang didn't. Neither did Meg Christian. Ditto Margaret Cho and Kate Clinton. Is supporting a gay-owned business more important than the environmentally responsible causes these women support and propound at their concerts and appearances?Again, I choose to believe these remarkable, politically pro-active women didn't do their homework. Or maybe their managers failed to fully inform them of the massive pollution of our (all of our) air and waters caused by the discharge (legal and otherwise) of grey-water, bilge dumping and diesel exhaust by cruise ships, not to mention other nasty items like dry-cleaning fluids from the shipboard cleaners. I refuse to believe that they don't care.Cruises are fun. I've even seen pictures! I'm bettings there are some who would even say that cruises are enough fun that the damage they cause to the local environments is worth it. But ask the residents of Key West how they feel about it. Or, instead, read about it here. Or just ignore it. There's plenty of water, right? The ocean is self-cleaning, right? It only took me a few minutes to Google pages of links to cruise ship pollution references-Key West and everywhere else cruises sail. Why not take some time to do the same? Or check out Amazon.com.Read. learn. Know. So I can listen to your music without feeling hypocritical. Music13809@blogcritics.org Wed, 17 Mar 2004 09:27:33 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/03/05/185821.php Sandra NovakSo I'm watching gay people run off to San Francisco to get married even though the union likely will never be recognized legally. Rosie did it. Why can't I? Anything at this point to piss off the President and his morality police.Conservative, religious, straight people are in foaming hysteria over the prospect of gay marriage. You'd think The Passion would keep them busy enough. But nooo, there's still plenty of time to turn hater on the queers. After all, it's Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve, right? And, lets face it, with a more than 50% failure rate among straight marriages, they've made a real success of the institution they are trying so dilligently to prop-up...er, I mean protect.Maybe it's about being recognized in The Church for some. May I be a traitor to my orientation when I say, "Wake the heck up, it'll never happen in our lifetimes." Besides, my own "Church" is more famous now for molesting altar boys than being proponents of the New Testament. I cringe at the thought of the Catholic Church holding open it's welcoming arms to me and my partner. What could be more phony? I would rather compete on Fear Factor than marry in the Catholic Church, a blessing which would be as hollow as it's Bishops promises to "do better." I believe in the separation of church and state. Not only for the protection of the state from interference by the church (hell, the NRA has more influence in our politics than any church), but to protect the assorted churches from undue overlordship by politicians. And, what the hey, right now we have a President who is telling EVERYBODY what to do; churches, states, foreign countries, martians-well, maybe not martians but you never know, it's not the sort of thing one discusses in the oval office, you know. So don't worry about ME asking the pope's blessing. I'm a realist, not a masochist.What this really is about, politically speaking, is the denial of rights. Apparently there aren't enough to go around anymore. The only possible objection by the President to civil unions is pressure from the conservative right. You know, the conservative agenda (they have one, you know). Well, let me fill you in, conservative right, you have a President who is willing to guarantee you one in ten (the usual gay-to-straight ratio) taxpayers remains a single filer. Neat, huh? Send jobs overseas, allow corporations to move their main mailboxes offshore and avoid paying their fair share of taxes, keep importing cheap goods made by third-world slaves, keep paving over and polluting from sea to shining sea: we'll still be here paying ALL our taxes and wishing and hoping for a change in the weather. We won't get inheritance rights, we won't have right to hospital visitation, we won't be allowed to adopt, we won't be able to enter into relationships with the assurrance that we'll get even our own back should that partner quit or die, we won't be able to do anything except live in sin (love that phrase). I reckon that's how you want sinners to live, huh?Wanna hear something even more subversive? This is so censor-worthy, apparently, that Dateline doesn't mention it on it's webpages. But they did a story on it Sunday night, about how you can be the same sex and be married legally. First you take one happily married couple, then add the husband who figures out when he's 52 years old that he wants to be a woman. Use that woman, his wife, to support, tend, and care for him as he undergoes his "transformation." Expect that she will stand by him every step of the way until his "transformation" is complete. Then become a lesbian. For him. Er, her. Because he's still madly in love. Uh, she's still madly in love. (This is as screwed up as the "lesbian identified male" on The L Word). Viola. Same sex marriage. Born of straight marriage. Good-bye "traditional family values," hello heebie-jeebies.And you thought this was going to be a review... Culture13440@blogcritics.org Fri, 5 Mar 2004 18:58:21 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/11/19/105738.php Sandra NovakThis just in from Reuters: arrest warrant issued for Michael Jackson.Here we go again with another allegation by a 12-year-old boy. And this time the King of Pop's cash flow reportedly isn't flowing fast enough to keep up with him.So much has been said, written, rumored and speculated about Jackson and his "problem" that one more piece of blog seems superfluous. But that's why we write, right, fellow bloggers? Everyone is entitled to our opinions because, God knows, in the current political environment, we need to keep speaking out (and loudly) because so many are trying to shut us up.But back to Jacko.Seems as though this boy/man/Diana Ross wanna-be has tipped over the edge. Usually pedophiles are organized, purposeful, and, above all, smart enough to cover their tracks for often long periods of time. Here we have a guy who has been tiptoeing through the juvenile tulips apparently so long that he feels pretty invincible. And, unfortunately, like many others (see courttv.com), he is turning out to be just another pathetic, albeit talented, man who can't keep his hands to himself.We've all read about it, the sleepovers at Neverland, the carnival rides and exotic animals, the groups of unfortunates given days at the ranch (reminds me of Mason Verger in Hannibal but with hands that actually work). Anyone else would have already been in court.But Jacko has money and that's what makes the world go 'round. Reports in the press are that MJ paid off the first accuser to the tune of anywhere from $30 to $45 million, making sure to include a coda that the kid can never testify against him in any criminal trial. But do contractual obligations supercede state statutes? Somehow, I don't think so and we'll be hearing from this kid-possibly in a court of law. So he doesn't have as much cash as he used to. He's got Elizabeth Taylor and Liza Minelli and David Gest (ok, also not the best example of humanity) and their ilk to offer assistance.What he does not have and never did possess is anyone in his life to tell him "No." Not one single person has ever admitted to counseling Jacko to stay out of the press, keep a low profile and keep himself in his pants. We don't know and may not ever find out just what Michael does with the boys at his sleepovers. Maybe they play X-box. Maybe they play Twister. Maybe nothing is happening in the minds of these kids except that Michael Jackson invited them over to play. What fun! What the hell was wrong with their parents? They've seen the reports. What could they have been thinking? Ahead to lawsuits? Coaching their kids on how to keep Jackson at arm's length but make some serious mental notes for later? Are there parents who would allow their children to be put in potential harm's way for money? The really, really pitiful answer is, yes, there are. You gotta see all the angles whether they make you sick to your stomach or not.In the meantime, Jackson was in Las Vegas while that new search warrant was being executed. Again. What a coincidence. And now, if there is an arrest warrant, Nevada will have to extradite him back to California. And to gum up the works, MJ can always fight it, causing delay and buying time. Plus, there are some really TALL buildings in Vegas.The demise of Michael Jackson, the man who put out Thriller, invented the dance video and gave me and countless others the music we grew up by, is sad beyond measure. But the time for pity is over. Where there's smoke, there's fire and everybody knows it, no matter what the lawyers try to sell us. Michael needs to come clean, get help, go to jail, jump, whatever. But, first, just stop it, Michael. Just stop it. *More from Sandyland at Bloggerel. Music10263@blogcritics.org Wed, 19 Nov 2003 10:57:38 EST