Month: April 2013

Adrastos, Television3 Comments

Mad Men Thread: Hair and Death

The season premiere was calledThe Doorway and there were a shitload of them since Matthew Weiner and company are deep into symbolism in a rather unsubtle way. The doors had a lot to do with death and very little to do with hair, which may be just a harebrained idea on my part… On to random and discursive comments that may be even randomer and discursive than usual. Dang, that was repetitive: Hair and Harry: It’s finally the late ’60’s at SCDP and the men’s hair reflected that. It is no longer difficult to spot the difference between the creative … Continue reading Mad Men Thread: Hair and Death

Adrastos, Political Crack7 Comments

Thatcher

David Cameron was elected party leader to be the Tory’s pre-Iraq War Tony Blair: non-ideological, pleasant and moderate. As his government went south and seemed increasingly headed to the electoral rocks, they have become more belligerent and Thatcherite by the day.Their muse, Margaret Thatcher, has died at the age of 87. Mrs. Thatcher was a querulous and cranky right winger who was exquisitely packaged by her handlers as detailed byGermaine Greer in this 4 year old piece. When success went to her head, she became increasingly strident and nasty to her own colleagues as well and was ousted by the … Continue reading Thatcher

Stupid Republican Tricks, Tommy T3 Comments

Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – Amusing Grace edition

Good morning, gentle people! Thanks for helping me wade through the oldest drums of Freeper toxic waste last week – now we can get to some more current hazerdous material. I have a pack-O-CPAC pallet in the back still, but that’s for next Monday.

Let’s suit up and take a look, shall we?

Hazmat-4
.

First up – Birther Boogaloo!

Even Tea Party favorite Allen West wouldn’t support investigation of Obama’s eligibility

Coach is Right ^

| 4/5/13
| George Spelvin

Posted on Friday, April 05, 2013 10:39:13 AM byOldpuppymax

Tea Party favorite former US Congressman Allen West admitted to
investigator Lt. Mike Zullo that political expediency was more important
to him than supporting the investigation of Barack Obama’s eligibility
for office. “I would really have to think about this, but I don’t think
so,” West said in response to Zullo’s question: “Would you support an
individual that steps forward to bring this (document fraud) to the
forefront?”

The officer heading up Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Cold Case
Posse investigation went to the Conservative C-PAC enclave with radio
talk host Carl Gallups to tell any and all listeners about the criminal
law enforcement probe of birth certificate document fraud. (1) Zullo
described his conversation with West as a face to face, direct on
conversation with the Tea Party favorite to whose political campaign so
many trusting Americans gave their hard earned dollars.

The retired Lieutenant Army Colonel said to Zullo that spending his political capital…

1
posted on Friday, April 05, 2013 10:39:13 AM
byOldpuppymax
DeadHorse
OK, Freepers – this isAllen Fucking West!
You know – theother black guy you like.
Maybe now you’ll drop this stupidity and slowly back away from it.

To: Oldpuppymax

This is great news to all the trolls and haters at FR!

2
posted on Friday, April 05, 2013 10:41:34 AM
bytreetopsandroofs
(Had FDR been GOP, there would have been no World Wars, just “The Great War” and “Roosevelt’s Wars”.)

Um –

To: Oldpuppymax
Zullo told West, “I can’t tell you who Barack Obama is,” to which West replied, “You get the tin foil hat label.”West feared the ridicule of being called a Birther.

Then, don’t bother calling me for donations. Don’t bother calling me for any reason.

I’ve learned that how people handle the little things in life is a good
predictor of how they’ll handle the big things. I thought West might be
one of the good ones, but now?

I wish I could believe him and his concern for justice for Benghazi victims and casualties, but I guess I don’t now.

What have you done for me lately, Mr. Politician?

5
posted on Friday, April 05, 2013 10:52:05 AM
byGBA
(Here in the Matrix, life is but a dream.)

Distracted you and kept you from staring up at the rain with your mouth open until you drowned?

To: Oldpuppymax

Well, spending one’s political capital on something that is going
to go nowhere, even though it should go somewhere, is probably not a
very wise way to spend one’s political capital.

What is more worrisome than his fraudulent identity is the fact that
America has elected this bum twice, and is likely to replace him with a
psychotic bag lady.

7
posted on Friday, April 05, 2013 10:58:25 AM
bychris37
(Heartless.)

TextHillaryObama
.

To: Oldpuppymax

Political capital or personal ambition? Just another joker wrapping himself in the mantel of conservatism for personal gain.

9
posted on Friday, April 05, 2013 11:02:03 AM
byHotlanta Mike
(“Governing a great natiorn is like cooking a small fish – too much handling will spoil it.” Lao Tzu)

Well, at least they’re consistent.

To: Oldpuppymax

West can go to hell!!

12
posted on Friday, April 05, 2013 11:03:36 AM
bydalereed

I told you guys – we’re doing CPACnext week.

To: Oldpuppymax

The rhinocerous is crapping in the punch bowl. And yet, the band plays on. (Kiss America good-bye.)

24
posted on Friday, April 05, 2013 11:19:42 AM
byfaithhopecharity
(()

MixedMetaphorBingo
.

To: Responsibility2nd
>>>So What? I’m a die-hard birther and I agree with Col.
West. Obama’s eligibility has been investigated for the last 7 years.

Me too. Want to make him look even more sympathetic? Unfortunately
nobody cares and that lack of caring will backfire into sympathy. That
is the sad, cold truth.

Those here who think it will achieve
anything are the same ones that thought Obama would lose by 20. They are
not living in the [sad] real world…but on an island.

41
posted on Friday, April 05, 2013 12:32:12 PM
byNELSON111

And thus endeth the lesson.
More after the jump to Keynya..

Continue reading “Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – Amusing Grace edition”

Athenae, Big Damn Heroes, Happy Democrat Photo

My Favorite Version of the Star Spangled Banner

Allison Hantschel

Is this one, sung by a bunch of Americans outside the White House on the night Obama won the election in 2008: It’s such a fierce sound. And I know it’s tempting to focus on all the failures of the past six years, on all the ways we haven’t lived up to that moment. Those failures are real, and some of them are on issues that are very important to me. But in that time, DOMA’s been ditched, we have at least the beginnings of a national health care system, the Republican party on the national level at least has … Continue reading My Favorite Version of the Star Spangled Banner

Uncategorized4 Comments

Poor People, Will They Ever Stop Ruining Everything?

This argument worked SO WELL for the Romney campaign!Let’s keep it going: “Today, more people than ever before — 69.5 million Americans, from college students to retirees to welfare beneficiaries — depend on the federal government for housing, food, income, student aid, or other assistance once considered to be the responsibility of individuals, families, neighborhoods, churches, and other civil society institutions,” Demint wrote in the letter. “The United States must reverse the direction of these trends or face economic and social collapse.” A. Continue reading Poor People, Will They Ever Stop Ruining Everything?

Adrastos, Current Affairs, Political Crack

The last refuge of a scoundrel

Peter Adrastos Athas

Samuel Johnson said that it was patriotism and by, jingo, he’s still right but I have another contender: the R WORD. Reform. If you have something unpalatable, you sell it as a “reform.” Bobby Jindal, David Vitter and Scott Walker are just a few wingnuts who use the word “reform” to roll back the clock with their retrograde ideas. I think it tests well but it really should not. The reason I’m trotting this out is the latest news out of school “reform” land. The entire “reform” movement seems to be imploding with even “reformers” like Paul Vallas backtracking.Diane Ravitchcame … Continue reading The last refuge of a scoundrel

Adrastos, Mad Men Recaps, Music, Television3 Comments

Mad Men Thread: Joan Goes Rogue

Peter Adrastos Athas

Episode 10 is titled, A Tale Of Two Cities, but I would have added Chicago to New York and LA and made it a troika. See, I can be as pretentious as Matthew Weiner when I try. Actually, I think it was a very good episode but the Dickensian borrowing was a bit heavy handed for my taste. LA used to be Don’s happy place but this trip was different. Nothing much went right. Don got wasted on hash and did a Joe Gillis into a pool at a Hollywood shebang. Things weren’t so great for Roger either. He ran … Continue reading Mad Men Thread: Joan Goes Rogue

Athenae, Geek Cred, Television9 Comments

Made to be Broken: Game of Thrones Thread

Allison Hantschel

GOT-game-of-thrones-32826617-1280-850

Spoilers within. And let’s keep book spoilers out of the comments as much as possible, so that those who don’t know what’s going to happen beyond tonight can have the experience I did, of yelling “WHAT THE SHIT GEORGE RR MARTIN WHAT THE GAH HELP NO GAH NO SERIOUSLY GOD” and chucking the book across the room.

Continue reading “Made to be Broken: Game of Thrones Thread”

Current Affairs, Fuck The Mommy Wars, Propaganda, Television2 Comments

Blind Fox News Squirrel Finds Nut

southernbeale2014

God, can we please stop treating Fox News’ Megyn Kelly like she’s some kind of goddamned hero or something? So this is where we are? A female Fox News anchor calls her misogynist colleagues’ views about gender roles a bunch of sexist bullshit — which they are — and we’re supposed to cheer for her? Give me a fucking break. Megyn Kelly is your typical Fox News hack. Like every other conservative out there, she only manages to find her spine (and voice) when something personally affects her. Jon Stewart called her out on this BS the last time she … Continue reading Blind Fox News Squirrel Finds Nut

Athenae, Economy6 Comments

First They Came for the Bootstraps

Allison Hantschel

You can’t work your way through school anymore: Working one’s way through a public university in four years with a minimum-wage summer job and part-time campus work study — with little to no family assistance or need-based financial aid — is an outdated ideal of previous generations. It’s virtually impossible today, if you do the math, and consider that tuition at four-year UW campuses has steadily risen above the rate of inflation since 1987, while state support has lagged below inflation since 1980. The diverging curves reflect a national trend of a dramatic shift in who covers the majority of … Continue reading First They Came for the Bootstraps

Adrastos, Current Affairs, Malakatude, Music, Political Crack, Stupid Republican Tricks4 Comments

Malaka Of The Week: Jim Porter

Peter Adrastos Athas

The GOP, I mean NRA, is having a convention in Houston, which is named for the great Texan Sam Houston who refused to secede with the Lone Star state in 1861. The NRA’s new President (a figurehead since Crazy Wayne LaPierre rules the roost) is a Confederate irredentist from Alabama named Jim Porter. I’d never hear of this bozo until today but he’s a lulu, y’all: In a June speech, Porter noted the NRA was “started by some Yankee generals who didn’t like the way my Southern boys had the ability to shoot in what we call the ‘War of … Continue reading Malaka Of The Week: Jim Porter

Athenae, Congress, Stupid Blue Dog Tricks6 Comments

There Is No Bargaining

Josh: This isn’t only about President Obama’s negotiating acumen. In conversations with the president’s key advisors and the President himself over the last three years one point that has always come out to me very clearly is that the President really believes in the importance of the Grand Bargain. He thinks it’s an important goal purely on its own terms. That’s something I don’t think a lot of his diehard supporters fully grasp. He thinks it’s important in longrange fiscal terms (and there’s some reality to that). But he always believes it’s important for the country and even for the … Continue reading There Is No Bargaining

Current Affairs, Diary, Doc6 Comments

The Longest Night (Abby, Part II)

(In case you missed part one, here you go.) The first night with Abby was a long one. She was in a new place for the third time in less than six months. She was in another enclosure, but without other bunnies around her. Before we turned off the lights for the night, I remember looking at her. She was perfectly still except for her nose, which was twitching at about a million miles a minute. She was scared. The Missus and I went to bed, but I was restless. “I wonder how she’s doing,” I mused aloud after rolling … Continue reading The Longest Night (Abby, Part II)

Athenae, Stupid Republican Tricks, Terrorism8 Comments

An Armed Revolution Led by Somebody Else

Allison Hantschel

Oh please. This isn’t going to be scary. You know why not? Because Idol is on, that’s why. If all these people really were capable of being roused to action any one of a hundred things would have roused them by now. We heard this about Obama’s election and heard it again about health care and I’m sure at the headquarters of the post-apocalyptic wishf-fulfillment society that is the RNC these days they’re muttering it under their breath all day long, but absolutely nothing is going to get people out of their recliners. (I have lots of thoughts about fanboy … Continue reading An Armed Revolution Led by Somebody Else

Athenae, Immoral Values7 Comments

‘Stop Hitting Them, Maybe’

These people aren’t ideological right-wingers so much as they’re ideological bullies, and their only real loyalty is to whoever iskicking the kid who’s already down: “He’s very intense,” Hannity said in a segment with conservative commentator Michelle Malkin. “And I’m watching this, and I’m thinking, alright, I don’t like it. He kicked one player there. But on the other hand, you now what, I kind of like old-fashioned discipline, on the other hand. I mean, have we become that politically incorrect? These are adults. They don’t want to play for that team, they can leave.” Malkin seemed to agree, saying … Continue reading ‘Stop Hitting Them, Maybe’

Adrastos, Film, Television7 Comments

Roger Ebert, R.I.P.

I’m the de facto obituary guy here at First Draft. I usually post when someone I admire passes away and sometimes I’m genuinely upset. Writing aboutRoger Ebert’s death today at the age of 70 fits into the latter category. I first heard of Roger when his PBS film review show with the late Gene Siskel launched in the 1970’s. I don’t think I missed many episodes through its different permutations and names over the years. I enjoyed watching the sweater boys duke it out, and I usually agreed with Roger, If I had a dollar for every time I watched … Continue reading Roger Ebert, R.I.P.

Adrastos, Marriage Equality, Political Crack1 Comment

Hooray for Hollywood

Peter Adrastos Athas

Photo via the Rock Hudson project. I just watched an interesting interview with Patty Davis on the YouTube about her father and what he*might* think about gay marriage if he were alive and sentient. The best bit is when she described watching a Rock Hudson movie with Reagan and his explanation as to why Rock didn’t seem to enjoy kissing a chick.This quote comes from the NYT via TPM but it’s the same basic tale: Once when she and her father were watching a Rock Hudson movie, Ms. Davis said, she remarked that the actor “looked weird” kissing his female … Continue reading Hooray for Hollywood

Adrastos, Marriage Equality, Political Crack1 Comment

Hooray for Hollywood

Photo via the Rock Hudson project. I just watched an interesting interview with Patty Davis on the YouTube about her father and what he*might* think about gay marriage if he were alive and sentient. The best bit is when she described watching a Rock Hudson movie with Reagan and his explanation as to why Rock didn’t seem to enjoy kissing a chick.This quote comes from the NYT via TPM but it’s the same basic tale: Once when she and her father were watching a Rock Hudson movie, Ms. Davis said, she remarked that the actor “looked weird” kissing his female … Continue reading Hooray for Hollywood

Adrastos, Art, Film, Pulp Fiction1 Comment

Pulp Fiction Thursday: I Married A Communist

Peter Adrastos Athas

Since Ted Cuz seems bound and determined (he should be bound and gagged instead) to single-handedly revive McCarthyism, it strikes me as a good time to to bring the red scare to PFT. I’ve posted a lot of trashy covers of crappy books but most of the films I’ve talked about are good ‘uns. There is an exception to every rule and I Married A Communist is one of them. Despite featuring the always awesome Robert Ryan, it’s a real stinker that has nothing to do with the fine Philip Roth novelof the same title. Check out the lobby card … Continue reading Pulp Fiction Thursday: I Married A Communist

Michael F3 Comments

Adding Insult to Injury

FromAlbum4 Oh sure, Exxon claims they’ll “cover all costs” resulting from their turning Mayflower, Arkansas into Muck City…but c’mon. At a certain point, they’re going to take advantage ofone of the most insane loopholes imaginable and probably cite something like “fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders” for walking away from this black eye…just like they walked away from Alaska after permanently fouling Prince William Sound. The central Arkansas spill caused by Exxon’s aging Pegasus pipeline has reportedly unleashed 10,000 barrels of Canadian heavy crude – but a technicality says it’s not oil, letting the energy giant off the hook from paying … Continue reading Adding Insult to Injury

Adrastos, Current Affairs, Political Crack, Sports

Wormplomacy?

Peter Adrastos Athas

Photo via USA Today. There are some things so weird that even I cannot make up. One of them is Dennis Rodman’s trip to North Korea and his hanging out with its 3rd generation dictator with a bad haircut, Kim Jong Un. It turns out that the tiny tyrant and President Obama have one thing in common: basketball. The Rodman trip and his surreal appearance on ABC’s This Week With My Diminutive Countryman have given the term March Madness a whole new meaning. It does, however, conjure up images of the “ping pong diplomacy” that preceded Tricky Dick’s re-election campaign … Continue reading Wormplomacy?

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media1 Comment

Power Protects Itself, Always

Allison Hantschel

We devote untold amounts of print to trying to figure out why powerful people are fuckups, and this is the heart of it all: The real rap on Woodward isn’t that he makes things up. It’s that he takes what powerful people tell him at face value; that his accounts are shaped by who coöperates with him and who doesn’t; and that they lack context, critical awareness, and, ultimately, historic meaning. I used to have an editor who made us all change beats every three to six months. It was a pain in the ass, as it didn’t let anybody … Continue reading Power Protects Itself, Always