The downfall of two great actors.

Vicious is a new Britcom about dizzy queens for dizzy queens. I am shocked that two respected actors, Derek Jacobi and Ian McKellen would appear in a show that is so polluted with cliches and stereotypes about homosexuals. It is the most vulgar of vaudevilles, a leering lascivious lunacy that will play right into the hands of every homophobic viewer who wants gay characters that he can laugh at and have the satisfaction of saying, "See they're all like that." I assume that both starring actors are themselves gay. I hope that their true personalities are nothing like these pathetic old cartoon characters. It's especially depressing to see Jacobi so demean himself when just an hour and half earlier he plays a wonderful and admirable character on Last Tango in Halifax. Oddly enough PBS aired another series a few years ago about two straight men living together, called The Old Guys. Pity they couldn't have had those talented writers script this tasteless show.

Five very bad apples.

Gee. Americans are losing confidence in the Supreme Court. I wonder why. Could it be because a sexual harasser who hasn't had a valid opinion in years lied his way on to the court and is pussy whipped by his tea-bagger wife. Or is that gluttonous opinionated slob with the neck as big as most peoples' waists who acts more like a mafia thug than a legislator. Or is Smiley Roberts who grins his way through every disastrous decision. Or Wishy Washy Alito. With these clowns sitting on the bench we will soon have no unions, no birth control, no rights for women, no gay marriage, and no freedom from religion. These are not judges, they are puppets for the Republican Party, who are the puppets for wealthy corporations. These are the people who should be impeached. 

The Five Horses Asses of the Apolcalypse.

Guns don't shoot people, vendors do.

It seems a vendor at a gun show in Bloomsburg, PA, accidentally shot a woman in the leg while demonstrating a gun and holster at a gun show. Good. Anybody attending a gun show should be reminded as to just how dangerous guns are. A bullet in the leg is a good reminder. It should only happen more often.  This is one of those so-called "terrible accidents" which isn't terrible at all. It's nearly as nice to hear about as a toreador getting gored.

Huffington's dangerous error.

"3 Signs Your Wife Will Cheat On You"

In recent years HuffingtonPost which I used to love has become mediocre, illiterate, and incredibly naive in its articles. But today it became, what I consider dangerous. Today's article with the above title is sure to inflame the thousands, yes thousands, of jealous, suspicious, paranoid and often violent husbands who are constantly accusing their abused wives of cheating on them. All they need is a poorly researched article like this to give them more ammunition to level accusations and more than likely a beating. I have got to stop reading HuffintonPost. The few amusing articles and half-assed news reports are not worth becoming furious about maddeningly stupid articles like this one.

"Goodnight, Sweet Princess."

The very talented Mary Rodgers died this Thursday at 83. The lazy and ignorant news media of course cited her mainly for her successful book, Freaky Friday, which was made into two popular movies. But Ms. Rodgers, like her world-famous father Richard,  was also a very talented composer.  Her most famous show was Once Upon a Mattress, which helped catapult Carole Burnett to stardom in 1959. Continuing her family's musical legacy, she is also the mother of  composer Adam Guettel, whose successful musicals include Light in the Piazza. Mary's other shows were Hot Spot, The Madwoman of Central Park, and a revue of her songs,  From A to Z. Among her children's books are A Billion for Boris, and Summer Switch.  I don't know much about Mary Rodgers, but I certainly admired her talent and envied her life. She lived in style in Manhattan all her life, had brilliant and famous parents, was thoroughly involved in the musical theater, was successful in all her undertakings, and was fortunate enough, from early youth, to be the close and admired friend of one of America's most brilliant talents: Stephen Sondheim, who, I am guessing, is very heartbroken today.

Putting back the curtain.

I like a lot of things about ABC News. David Muir, for instance. And the fact that they have really pushed buying Made in America products. But ABC is also sleazy and annoying. Diane Sawyer, for instance, charming as she is, has terrible diction and turns hundreds of two syllable words into three syllables. It makes me nuts to hear her talk about sparkelling, dazzeling, and gambelling. No matter. This week the were particularly transparent. As you may know Dr. Oz went to Congress supposedly to testify against frauds and while there was labelled as such himself. It was humiliating for this brilliant, but not always truthful surgeon. Well, what do you know. This week ABC is having a special in which Dr. Oz performs surgery, with all kinds of other ABC staff in admiring attendance. So obviously an attempt to put the wizard back in the good graces of his viewers. As Reverend Al Sharpton would say, "smart move, but we gotcha."

Ye of little faith.

Despite being an atheist, I certainly apprciate the concept of blasphemy. And it seems blasphemous to me to use God to promote your product without his permission. I also question the statistics used in this commercial, so I suspect that lying has been added to the sin of blasphemy. Also if you're a true Christian, why don't you have faith that God will find you your perfect mate without having to go to  a website. That seems to me to be a complete lack of faith. Tsk. Tsk.

Supreme Court screws up again.

What the hell is wrong with our Supreme Court?  They seem hell bent on making America a whole lot more comfortable for conservatives and a whole lot more dangerous for liberals. Makes one wonder if they are as impartial as they claim, or have been in the past. Now that they have allowed zillionaires to spend as much as they want to support candidates (sure to be Republican) we can anticipate very lopsided elections. Their latest madness was ruling on MCCullen vs. Coakley and striking down a Massachusetts law requiring protesters to stay at least 35 feet from an abortion clinic's entrance and walkways. Now, thanks to Roberts and his same-think pals, these screaming accusatory nutcases with their hate-filled signs and boiling anger can storm right up to the front door, within stabbing distance you might say.  I wonder what other dangers this right-favoring court will lead us into. True they recently made inspecting cell phones by police unlawful without a warrant, but probably only because secretive types like Antonin Scalia and Clarence "Coke Can" Thomas know their own phones couldn't take any close inspection if they were ever stopped for anything.

The latest creation from the Santorum collection.

There are many reasons that former Senator Rick Santorum (R.Pa.) could never be president. But here's one of the most important ones: He's a nut! Putting aside all his sexual hangups and prejudices, he's also absurdly paranoid. Recently, during a radio interview, he claimed that anti-gay marriage business owners who refuse to serve gay customers are being sent to "reeducation camps". Of course he doesn't reveal where these camps and just what kind of brainwashing and lessons constitute the reeducation. He also has horror tales of bakers, and florists and photographers who are being forced to provide services for same-sex weddings or lose their business. As you may know, it has long been speculated that Santorum is fighting his own sexual demons who are making a terrible mess of his closet.

Well that explains it.

One of the main reasons Republicans never get anything done is that they are so busy playing games. Fortunately security has asked them to stop playing Hide and Seek after Mitch McConnell knocked over a pregnant tourist while he was trying to hide under the House Appointment Desk. There have been many complaints from Democrats about  Republicans running noisily through the corridors, playing Red Rover in Emancipation Hall, Charades in the Senate Gallery, and Ryan and the Welfare Queens on the Plaza. They even roped Harry Reid into playing one of their favorite games, "We're a Mighty Wall" in which the loser is the first one to "unlock" his hands, a game that has gone on for hours.

Skip's theory of relativity.

Apparently a Republican lawmaker (what else?) is afraid that if we prohibit sexual discrimination, we are opening the door to incest and all kinds of other sexual horrors. North Carolina State House Speaker Pro Tem Paul "Skip" Stam,—who, like most GOP members, spends a lot of time thinking about sex and all its erotic possibilies—is terrified that we are opening the floodgates to all the perversions that he constantly fantasizes. But I don't see the problem with incest, not in the Bible-thumping South. After all, according to Genesis all life was based on incest. Think about it. Adam and Eve are tossed out Eden. They give birth two sons. One gets murdered. There's no mention of other children, but they must have had a daughter or two. Because before you can say "Forbidden fruit" there are all kinds of men and women running around who could only be the incestuous offspring of A & E. Or did Skip skip that part of the Bible?

"I'll get that wascally president yet."

Boehner must be drunk again or suffering delusions from too much ManTan. His latest petulant threat is that he intends to sue the Obama administration "over its use of executive actions, which have been used to push through initiatives without congressional approval." Of course he doesn't mention that in recent years there's no such thing as congressional approval and that when he and his cohorts aren't boozing they are  plotting new ways to sabotage Obama's administration. Boehner is a joke, even more so now that the legs have been cut off his boyfriend, Cantor. True to form Boehner declined to provide details about which executive actions he intends to challenge in court.I'm guessing he hasn't thought up any yet. He said with decisive uncertainty, "When I make that decision, I'll let you know" adding with a grammatically incorrect slur, "when there is conflicts like this between the legislative and administrative branch, it's our responsibility to stand up." An odd comment since standing up is not one of the things he does well.

Satan's wish list.

One of the creepiest things about Dick Cheney, America's creepiest person is that when he makes dire predictions, he actually hopes they will come true. Recently this prophet of profitable doom said of our homeland, "I think there will be another attack and next time I think it's likely to be far deadlier than the last one." Now he doesn't really think this, he wishes this. He wants it to happen so that whoever is  in charge at the time will seem even less watchful than he was. He added, "I imagine what would happen is somebody could smuggle in a nuclear device, put it in a shipping container, and drive it down the beltway outside Washington, D.C." Once again this is his fantasy of what he would like to happen. Not having a heart (figuratively) he doesn't care who suffers or dies, and since he'll probably already be dead he likes the idea that his rivals won't survive him for long, which his why his wish fantasy occurs in Washington, D.C. and not New York or L.A.

"I said, 'HOW'S YOUR STEAK?"

Why is it that so many restaurateurs think that I am eager to spend almost $100 (per person)  to dine in their fine restaurants while I listen to the kind of crappy pop music I hate, played at a volume that makes it impossible to have pleasant conversations with my companions? And if they are right, how is possible that there are so many people willing to spend almost $100 (per person) to dine in fine restaurants where they are forced to listen to crappy pop music played at a volume that makes it impossible to have a pleasant conversation with their companions. Isn't dining out a social event, an exchange of pleasantries over hopefully delicious selections? If so, does that mean that I am alone in welcoming the sweet sound of silence disturbed only by the clinking of wine glasses and the murmuring of guests at other tables. Or if music is demanded, then hopefully something calming and melodious that would be worthy of the word "background"?

So many things you don't need to know.

About and hour ago tonight I was made re-aware of something most of us do, which we probably shouldn't: relay bad news. In this case I had gone to give our outside cat her late-night treat. While she usually bounds up to the stoop, tonight she was busy gnawing on a mouse that she had just killed—always a disturbing sight. When I came back in, I almost said to my partner, "Glynis has killed another mouse." Then it occurred to me, why does he need to know that? As an ardent lover of all animals, including mice, it will only leave him with a gloomy vision at bedtime. So I didn't say anything and began to wonder why we are so quick to convey bad news. How many people have darkened your day with reports of a relative, friend, or spouse who died of cancer? Someone you didn't even know. How often has someone described a disastrous situation completely unrelated to you, or a tragedy that you could do nothing about? "The lady down the street was robbed and they stabbed her fifty times." is not something you need to know. Nor is, "They predict this will be the hottest summer of the century, and we'll probably get three hurricanes." I wonder why we are so eager to impart bad news. Oh, well, it's something to think about.

Instant addiction.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Real Time with Bill Maher are so hysterically funny and politically incisive, it would be hard to imagine any new show belonging in their trenchant company. But Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is right up there and one of the most brilliant shows on television. Pity it's on HBO which not everybody gets, because Oliver is going to make a major impact on exposing the dirtiest political moves this year in the most hilarious possible ways.

Two of my favorites.

As much as I delighted myself with my blog, attacking commercials I hate, praising those I love, and, of course, never praising the scumball Republicans who are vomiting all over the country, even I have to admit (reluctantly) that my blog, while entertaining, is naive and simplistic. Which is why I often encourage my readers to visit http://mycatsaredemocrats.blogspot.com/ which gives you much clearer political comment from a true maven and certainly everyone should visit the most hilarious, trenchant, witty, vulgar and rightfully angry blogger on the Internet The Rude Pundit at http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/ and I am adding these unnecessary words so that I don't have to put a period after com/ and confuse everyone.

Let's build them. But not for oil, for water.

Why do we spend so much time and energy fighting with the oil companies who want to build pipelines across our nation to carry filthy oil that could spill and destroy our land?  Instead why not build a series of pipelines to carry water to those areas of our country that are desperate for it. Unlike oil, it doesn't pollute and instead of profiting greedy oil companies, it will profit our country, or farms, our farmers with richer crops and eventually, we hope, lower prices. Right now lots of areaa of America are flooded with too much water. Wouldn't it be great if we could alleviate the burden on them and transport that water to where it's needed, like California or Texas. Sounds to me like a win-win.

"How do we get off this fucking cliff?"

We've just learned a lot more about South Dakota. Though they are very proud of their Black Hills, they have nothing but hatred for black people, especially our president.  The South Dakota Republican Party passed a resolution on Saturday calling for the impeachment of President Obama. Of course they have no serious grounds for impeachment,but when you're a hardened bigot you don't let anything stop you, much less reason. It seems the delegates to the party's annual convention in Rapid City voted 191-176 calling for impeachment. They wanted to call for lynching, but apparently you can't pass that even in a backwater state like South Dakota. Their basis excuse for their racism is Obama's trading five useless prisoners for an American soldier and offering health care to millions of Americans.  Since bigots aren't inspired by the great men on Mount Rushmore,  a tourism boycott won't have much effect. And word is the Republicans are going to vote to change the name of the Black Hills to The Aryan Hills.

Poor Maureen.

If you ever want to truly appreciate how important costumes, makeup, props, sets and extras are to the success of a film, I suggest you watched the 1952 swashbuckler Against Al Flags. Why? Because this film got everything wrong. The costumes were hideous in style and color and looked like they came from a Halloween sale at a dollar store. Even Maureen O'Hara's gowns were garish and unflattering. Not that good costumes would have helped when the makeup was so amateur. Every women in the film was either over- or under-made up, and a couple had cheeks that wouldn't be that rosy in the Arctic. The props, mostly aboard the ship, looked like they were made out of cardboard the night before and painted that very morning. The matte shots of the harbor were so artificial as to be comical. I would have felt sorry for the actors: Anthony Quinn, Maureen O'Hara, and Erroll Flynn, but their performances in no way surpassed the quality of everything else. The good thing about this film is it reminds you that the quality of most films is very high, if it weren't it would be as glaringly obvious as all of Against All Flags.

Note: Shown here is the usual gorgeous Maureen O'Hare wearing two of the hideous costumes in Against All Flags. I have no fear that someone will say, "I think that gown is pretty."

Briilliant. Hilarious. Disturbingly true.

Once again a comedy show delivers more relevant news than all the major news networks. I just watched John Oliver's new program Last Week Tonight. Oliver is, of course, amazingly funny as well as incredibly intelligent. During a half hour he discussed the death penalty; told me more about the President of France than I ever learned on the evening news; and showed my how hypocritical our government is by feting the Sultan of Brunei who has recently introduced all kinds of repressive laws on blasphemy, adultery and homosexuality which our government chooses to ignore for one very special reason, which anyone should be able to guess—oil! I have come away from this fascinating half hour more convinced than ever than our news programs are lazy, flimsy, and incompetent.

They enjoy all the same things.

There are a lot of dummies in the Republican party, but Michele Bachmann has got to be the leader of the pack. This week she addressed a gathering of social conservatives with an attack against Hillary Clinton who she says "failed to inspire the American people" and has a record that should disqualify her from being considered for the presidency. Obviously Bachmann didn't see this week's Town Hall meeting where Hlllary showed she's far smarter than any other contender. Nor does Michele appreciate how much the American people admire Hillary, and yes, her husband. Apparently the main thorn in Michelle's ass, not that she understands any of it, is that Hlllary failed to protected Benghazi (Michele hasn't a clue where that is). I find it hilarious that Michelle Bachmann expected Secretary of State Clinton to know what was happening at every embassy in the world when Michele has been sleeping with a very effeminate man for 36 years who has divine taste and chooses all her clothes.

Give me a break. But not a jail break.

It's amazing how naive many Americans are. Do they really believe that the mug shot of this felon.  who is supposedly so handsome, went  on the Internet and went viral all by itself?  Like most so-called spontaneous public reponses, it was invented by someone, and strongly promoted.  Then once people were told what their reaction was supposed to be, many, like all good lemmings fell into step. This is only one of the hundreds of photos or videos that supposedly "went" viral when they were inventions promoted into virality. (Don't look it up. I invented it.) So before you tell all you friends about a hilarious cat, or nude nun, or handsome criminal that went viral, ask yourself, "Am I really that gullible?"

"Let them eat cake."  
Marie Antoinette


           
"Let them eat nothing." 
Paul Ryan

The shame of the Sunshine State.

As a resident of Florida, I feel I must apologize for our moon-faced moron of a Senator, Marco Rubio. You must understand that he's not terribly bright, which is why he makes so many asshole remarks. Hes also a mean little prick which explains all of his unfounded attacks on our president.  Recently his gleeful gaffe was that "...the Obama presidency is over." a concept he pulled out of his ass one morning while shaving the puffy globes of his cheeks. He based this "brainstorm" on the fact that a new NBC/WSJ poll found that a record 57 percent of Americans now disapprove of Obama's performance. Apparently he had forgotten another recent poll which predicted Eric Cantor's huge victory in the Virginia primary. Rubio, always eager to accept any negative information, went on to state in referring to Obama, "His administration is seen as less competent than the Bush administration." Those, you will recall, were the years when we were lied into a fake war, more than 4,000 young American lost their lives: many thousands of civilians including young and terrified children were stabbed, shot, exploded and burnt to death for the sake of Bush and Cheney's egos, and our economy was demolished. This man, Obama, whom Rubio is so quick to hate and vilify has worked tirelessly to get us back on track, which he has. Obama's accomplishments are many and outanding. Yes, assholes like Rubio constantly fault him for not creating a utopia out of the ruinous desolation of the Bush administration. These Republicans, like the useless Rubio, spend all their time attacking, lying, carping, whining, and pointing their well-manicured fingers at our excellent president but never actually accomplish anything of value themselves.

Megyn welcomes mass murdererer.

For one wild, insane moment there I thought that the main Fox bimbo Megyn Kelly was going to show signs of intelligence, fairness and integrity. After all she began the interview with Dick Cheney and his harridan daughter by reminding Dickie that he was completely wrong about the Iraq war, the weapons of mass destruction, our being welcomed as liberators, and the brevity of the conflict. Bravo, Megyn. But this burst of honesty didn't last long. She then let him go on and on with his lame excuses and falsehoods, allowing him his own soapbox without interruption with the equally evil Liz by his side.
Interesting to note that he began his speech with a Freudian slip, calling Megyn Reagan. Hmm. Naturally his alibi list including several attacks on President Obama. One always watches Cheney with the hope that his pacemaker will short circuit, or the heart he stole from a worthy younger patient will suddenly fail. But alas no. It is very hard to rid ourselves of Satan and his demon daughter. As for Megyn, she'll apparently go on being as mendacious as ever.

Criminal couples.

There's no accounting for taste.

I just watched the complete film of Camelot, something I was unable to do since sitting through it when it was first released in 1967. I recall rushing to see it in Boston and finding it corny, leaden, pretentious and boring. But today I realized that it is boring, leaden, corny and pretentious. It's hard to fault the film alone since I have never liked the musical play. I remember it opening in Boston to great acclaim, but didn't bother buy a ticket then, thank goodness. Anyway the film has some of the worst direction by Joshua Logan and some of the most laughable romantic scenes with Franco Nero and Vanessa Redgrave. However, many of the solo scenes by Richard Harris are quite moving.  While I have never been bothered by characters suddenly singing their feelings, in this film it seemed awkward and artificial, though most of the songs are excellent if not always believable. The point is I thought this was a rotten and dull film, but when I went to to a website, I was surprised how many people loved it and thought it was superbly produced. These same people damned Paint Your Wagon, which is one of my favorite film musicals (also directed by Joshua Logan). What's the point of even having film critics? You either like a film or you don't, so what do you care about a stranger's opinion. I hated Camelot. You might love it.

Thanks,but no big hand for this ad.

Good for Allstate that they would create this gay-themed ad. Wish I didn't hate the ad, the singer's insipid voice, the song's treacly lyrics, the stereotyped characters, the romantic solution and the cornball big hands. Allow me to point out that Ikea did a gay ad ages ago, long before it was commercially safe.

The clear choice.

I don't see how anyone could have watched the Town Hall with Hillary Clinton and not realize that she should be the next president of the United States. No other politician, and certainly no Republican, has her experience, her authority, her compassion, or her intelligence.  In fact, if she chooses not to run, I think it will be a great loss for our future. Sadly we have an uphill climb even if she does run with the frightened and unpatriotic GOP working so hard to disenfranchise voters across America. So let us hope that even America's Republican citizens begin to see just how deceptive and unfair their party has been in recent years and stand behind the first woman president of the United States.

No explanation needed.

These photos may save your life.

Every home should have in their medicine cabinet Syrup of Ipecac. This old-fashioned formula, which is derived from the dried rhisome and roots of the ipecacuanha is used to induce vomiting by irritating the lining of the stomach and stimulating the part of the brain called the medullary chemoreceptor trigger zone. This syrup can be a lifesaver in the event that you swallow poison or have some other malady that is relieved by emptying your stomach. However in case don't have the syrup during an emergency the above photos may accomplish the same result. 

It's a funny thing about the truth.

Today when the news broadcast media are so bloody lazy, so amazingly incompetent, so shamelessly willing to air every paranoid, vindictive, and psychotic opinion and attack on the President of the United States, American should be more grateful than ever for so called comedians like Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and others. While ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and, of course, Fox are so quick to air totally unproven allegations and devote time to nutcases like Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann and Ann Coulter, and ever-wrong warmongers like John McCain and his adoring echo Lindsey Graham, it's a relief to know we can turn to programs like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report to get some unbiased information. We no longer have Edward R. Murrows, Huntleys and Brinkleys, or Walter Cronkites to help us sort through the complex world of news. Now we have attractive network anchors who seem to be willing to report any story, any rumor and any attack that comes across their glass-topped desks. So if you want the truth about the world's disasters and tragedies, then the sanest place you can turn to are the comedy shows.

What's in a name?

There are lots of very successful actors whose names are pretty much unknown to the general public, even though they have starred on Broadway, been in lots of movies, done endless television shows, etc. I could be wrong about this, but I think one of the most famous unfamous actors is Dennis Boutsikaris. I hadn't seen him for awhile, but he was featured in an episode of Murphy Brown which I saw last night. I  was reminded of just how talented and versatile he is. I particularly remember him starring in a short-lived series called Stat, which ran from April to May in 1991. I thought it was hilarious and felt bad when it was cancelled. Dennis is one of those actors who is successful and admired yet not a household name, which makes me wonder if he wouldn't have been even more successful and more admired if he didn't insist on having such a difficult name..

Laura's obscene comment.

While I was very elated to see Eric Cantor lose his seat in Congress, I was wildly offended to learn about Roman Catholic Laura Ingraham's incredibly anti-Semitic remark. What a shameful comment to say that Eric Cantor should be have been traded to the Taliban, that an American Jew should be traded to such murderous religious zealots. Even as a joke it is completely tasteless and reflects the kind of sick thinking that this heartless harridan is famous for. Like Rush Limbaugh, Ingraham is a venomous talk-show host who unfortunately has a following of equally toxic listeners.

Note: I chose not to include a picture of Laura since I find everything about her so offensive. But I think this visual will give you some idea of who she actually is.

Why do the wimpiest men want to go to war?

These two cowards are sounding the trumpet for war. Kristol because he's basically a sadist, and Graham because he wants his hero, warmonger McCain, to be happy. Can you picture either one of these wimps on the battlefield? Of course not! But they're all for sending young American men and women off to deprivation, fear, potential mental problems, and possible death. What do they care? They'll be having lunch at one of Washington's fancy restaurants and discussing the details of battle as if people were toy soldiers, and between finishing off the lobster bisque and attacking the pear Helene, several Americans would die if they had their way.

A liar to the last.

In an attempt to put on a brave front, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who lost his Republican primary last week in a surprise upset by economics professor Dave Brat, said Sunday he has no regrets about his campaign or time in office. Now, Cantor said, he just wants to move forward. He spewed this and other bullshit to Dana Bash on  CNN's State of the Union. And he added as his ultimate lie that he would vote for Brat in the upcoming general election. Anyone who believes that this angry little troll will vote for the man who demolished him is beyond gullible. 

If only there were such a movie.

"Atheists are the most unwanted future relative, by far. Nearly half (49 percent) of Americans say they would be unhappy if a member of their immediate family picked an unbeliever for a spouse. A new Pew Research survey chiefly focused on political polarization also found Americans divided when someone in the family picks a nonbeliever to marry."

Frankly I am surprised that most people would like their family member to marry someone who is superstitious and believes in magical thinking. I also question this poll at a time when atheism is on the rise and is sure to be the newest admission to come out of American closets. At a time when science is so important to our lives and we are aware of how old the earth is and how vast is the universe, clinging to a god who was only around in recent milllennia and spent all his time with close to primitive people seems a little naive and silly.

Note: Obviously there is no such movie as I Married an Atheist though there should be. This apparently is a corruption of the poster for I Married a Communist. I'd still like to have a copy. 

Is this really what news has come to?

Sonia Sotomayor Goes Shopping, Stumbles Into Hillary Clinton At Costco.

The evil continues.

Hey George and Dick, I don't know whether you heard, but one of the saddest aspects of the new terrorist invasion of Iraq is that many Iraqi soldiers have been taken prisoner. According to the news they interrogate them then execute them by shooting them in the back of the head. Are you aware that both of you are responsible for every single one of these deaths? Your arrogance destroyed the country of Iraq. All the deaths of our soldiers, all the maiming, and crippling and blinding are your fault. All the civilians deaths and maimings are your faults, every man, woman and child. You're responsible for every wasted American dollar, every destroyed Iraqi home, every missing or lost antiquity, every fallen tree and every refugee camp. And I would that you two  have no sense of guilt, nor night terrors, no regrets, no acceptance of what you have done. I guess that's the very definition of a true monsters.

The very definition of an empty suit.

Willard Romney is at it again. Bashing Hillary Clinton. This Friday he harped on the foreign policy she and the Obama administration pursued during her time as Secretary of State, calling it a monumental bust.  Why doesn't he realize that nobody is interested in the slanted opinions of a lying loser especially when directed at such winners at Obama and Clinton?  Hasn't anyone told Willard that he lost the election, he wasn't wanted by the American people, and all his present-day actions reek of sour grapes which only makes him look more pathetic? I think he should just get into one of his many luxury autotomobiles and ride up and down in his auto-elevator until he's ready to accept that he may be stupid but at least he's rich.

The only word for her is Zany.

Poor Michele Bachmann, constantly ridiculed for the inanities that pour out of her mouth. The latest gaffe saying of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), "She is in no way a populist." It must greatly depress her to see someone as intelligent and good-hearted as Ms. Warren, the most powerful advocate for the poor and middle class, enjoying the kind of respect and admiration that Michele will never receive with her historical inaccuracies, exaggerated statistics, lesbophobia, and just plain stupidities. Does she ever wonder in all her religious fervor why God made her so ridiculous?

Danke.Danke. Danke.

It's somewhat satisfying to see that a German newspaper will do what American papers will not: Remind the world that the nightmare that is Iraq was created by George Bush, an amoral asshole and mass murderer who arrogantly proclaimed "Mission Accomplished" when the horror was just beginning. Why is this maniac running free? Why have we not made him pay for his crime?

Die Tageszeitung ran the famous "Mission Accomplished" picture of George W. Bush, but replaced Bush with Shaker Wahib, head of ISIS, the militant group currently running roughshod through Iraq. The message: this is what Bush wrought.

"Your call will never be answered."

I tried to buy a vacuum cleaner on line today. I couldn't. Because I prefer to talk to a person and place my order with a person and ask a person questions about the product. But it seems that vacuum cleaner companies like most retailers today do not want to talk to people. Therefore there are almost  no phone numbers on company's websites. And, if there are, they are poorly manned and rarely actually answered. Could I be wrong in thinking that these companies are losing hundreds of sales because of customers like me who will not order anything over the Internet without talking to a person. Just as well, I've had nothing but losers with every vacuum I've bought in the last twenty years. That goes for Hoover, Eureka, and Bissell. I haven't bought the super-costly machines, but I'm sure they'll disappoint as well. On tv they show demonstrations of their products sucking up dirt, sand, and broken glass, and even holding a bowling ball. I don't need any of those things. I need a vacuum cleaner that is capable of picking up that tiny resistant piece of string or stubborn scrap of paper. I've yet to find one. I haven't had a good vacuum cleaner since the Eureka Elektricboom, which they stopped making ages ago.

A priceless Ruby.

I've enjoyed a lot of memorable moments of theater. One of the greatest and most unforgettable was seeing Ruby Dee as Ruth Younger in the original A Raisin in the Sun 55 years ago. I am sure that all the actresses who have played that role since have been excellent, but I cannot imagine anyone portraying that character more truthfully than Ms. Dee. Fortunately, for a change, the filmmakers were wise enough to put her in the 1961 movie version so that her performance endures. Over a lifetime, I have seen Ms. Dee in countless films and stage productions, often along with her equally brilliant  husband Ossie Davis, who died in 2005. Together they were not only theatrical royalty and celebrated playwrights, but activists who made major contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. Dee won a National Medal for the Arts in 1995, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild in 2000. In 2004 she and Davis received Kennedy Center Honors, and in 2007 their book won a Grammy for best spoken word album. But those were only a few of their many awards and honors. Sadly Ruby Dee has died at 91. A great, great loss.