Israel ready to launch attack on Iran?

According to Jason Koutsoukis, the Jerusalem-based correspondent for the Australian The Age (February 14, 2009):

A SENIOR Israeli diplomat has warned that Israel is ready to launch a military offensive against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.

In an interview with The Age, Dan Gillerman, who was Israel's permanent representative at the United Nations from 2003 until last September, said time for diplomatic efforts to stop Iran acquiring a nuclear capability might have already expired. Mr Gillerman said:

The world cannot afford to live with a nuclear Iran, I hope diplomacy will work, but I'm not sure we have the time for diplomacy to work.

Global Research responds to this sabre rattling with this:

The truth is that, after witnessing Israeli war crimes in Lebanon and in the illegally occupied Palestinian territories, the world cannot afford to live with nuclear Israel. As opposed to Iran, Israel has secretly developed hundreds of nuclear warheads and delivery weapons outside of any supervision by international community. Iran continues to run its nuclear program in cooperation with the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

That seems quite reasonable to me. It further seems to me the prudent thing to do would be to label Israel a terrorist state.

Hampshire College divests from companies aiding Israel

In 1977, Hampshire College became the first in the nation to divest its South African holdings.

In 2009, Hampshire College has become the first in the nation to break financial ties with companies specifically because they do business with Israel. Although there is a difference between the college activists and the college itself, they are not really very far apart. Student activists at Hampshire College are hailing the decision to break financial ties with companies specifically because they do business with Israel. But the college denies the move was politically motivated. But, according to the Boston Globe,

[the] trustees [divested because they] concluded that the fund held stocks in more than 200 companies engaged in business practices that violated the college’s policy on 'socially responsible investments.' These violations included unfair labor practices, environmental abuse, military weapons manufacturing, and unsafe workplace settings, trustees said.

That seems to me like a more semantic difference than a real one. Also according to the Globe,

The six companies that formed the basis of the student group's complaints were: Caterpillar, United Technologies, General Electric, ITT Corporation, Motorola, and Terex.

McCain still knows very little about the economy

John McCain admitted to the Wall Street Journal in late November 2007: "I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated," .

Then in December of the same year he said, "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should," the Boston Globe reported on its "Political Intelligence" blog at the time.

It's clear from his recent comments on Obama's stimulation plan that nothing in his economics knowledge has changed. Here are a few of those recent comments;

$50 million in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts — all of us are for the arts, Tell me how that creates any significant number of jobs? After-school snack program is probably a good idea. Do we really want to spend $726 million on it?

I know that McCain is probably as ignorant about the arts as about economics. But Senator arts are created by people. Funding for the NEA employs visual artists, actors and other creative artists. But it also employs people in galleries, stagehands, ushers, box office personnel, and, Senator, sometimes even plumbers. People, Senator, also prepare and serve school lunches. Other people maintain the facilities. And others construct new facilities. But, of course, from some Republican points of view these are just work not jobs.
Here are more McCain words of economic wisdom:

The whole point, Mr. President, is to enact tax cuts and spending measures that truly stimulate the economy. There are billions and tens of billions of dollars in this bill which will have no effect within three, four, five or more years, or ever. Or ever.

Much could be said about this latest McCain economic lecture, but in addition to his ignorance he also obviously doesn't listen to what Obama actually says before he shoots off his mouth.

All this shows the wisdom of the American voters last November. And the lack thereof on the part of the Republicans in choosing their anti-Obama spokesperson.

Check out "Lost Untangled"

If you have any questions about last (Wed) night's Lost. Click here to watch Lost Untangled. It's done with figures who represent the actors. It's also quite funny. Even if you don't have any questions, it's worth watching.

Feb. 12: Frances Fox Piven on the current crisis

"Confronting the Crisis"
with Frances Fox Piven

Join NYC-UFPJ for a Peace and Justice cocktail party!

This party is a fundraiser for NYC-UFPJ. Tickets are $30. It will take place at the home of a supporter in Washington Heights. The address will be sent with a receipt of payment.

Wine and light refreshments will be served.

Purchase tickets here or by calling 212-868-5545.

On Sunday, February 22, 4:00 PM, Frances Fox Piven will analyze the political situation and will address what WE can do to advance the struggle for peace and social justice.

Frances Fox Piven, currently a professor at CUNY Graduate Center, is a noted academic and an activist who has long joined astute analysis of our social conditions with her engagement in the struggles of poor people for their human rights. She is the author of The War at Home - The Domestic Costs of Bush's Militarism and Challenging Authority: How Ordinary People Change America among many other publications.

We are facing a period of heightened opportunity and challenge. Our country is in a profound crisis. But there is also still a sense of hope for change as well as the potential to engage the millions of people who helped get Obama elected. Dr. Piven's keen analysis is certain to stimulate discussion about how we, in the peace movement, can work with others to further our agenda.

Billionaire executive trashes Social security and medicare

According to Roger Hickey:

At a press conference today by Wall Street mogul Peter Peterson, he and his invited speakers informed Americans who are losing their jobs and homes in record numbers that our nation’s biggest problem is the national deficit—and that the solution is to cut Social Security and Medicare.

Who is Peter Peterson? Here's what Wikipedia has to say about him:

Peter George Peterson (born June 5, 1926) is an American businessman, investment banker, fiscal conservative, author, and politician whose most prominent political position was as United States Secretary of Commerce from February 29, 1972 to February 1, 1973. He was Chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations until retiring on June 30, 2007, after being named chairman emeritus. He is the Senior Chairman of the private equity firm, the Blackstone Group. In 2008, he was ranked 149th on the "Forbes 400 Richest Americans" with a net worth of $2.8 Billion. In 2008, he established The Peter G. Peterson Foundation with a $1 billion endowment.

But the most important piece of information (besides his $2.8 billion net worth) is:

In 1951, he received an MBA degree from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, before returning to Market Facts as an executive vice president.

That, of course, was the height of the influence of Milton Friedman's laissez-faire economic theory at the University of Chicago. Laissez-faire is the basis of

monetary policy, taxation, privatization and deregulation [which has] informed the policy of [right-wing] governments around the globe, especially the administrations of Augusto Pinochet in Chile, Margaret Thatcher in Britain, Ronald Reagan in the US, Brian Mulroney in Canada, Roger Douglas in New Zealand, and (after 1989) in many Eastern European countries.

Or as Ronald Reagan more popularly put it: " In this present crisis Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem."

Feb. 12: NYC Labor Chorus: Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Concert

Thursday Feb. 12, 2009, 8 PM
The Nave at Riverside Church
490 Riverside Dr. (at 120 St)

On the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln
Listen to The New York City Labor Chorus, The Riverside Inspirational Choir, The Chorus & Orchestra of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College under the direction of Maestro Maurice Peress as thy perform
Earl Robinson's Cantata, The Lonesome Train .
Followed by Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring and Duke Ellington's Black, Brown and Beige

Ruby Dee will narrate The Lonesome Train
with special guest artist Eric Weissberg on banjo

$15 general admission; $10 seniors and children (12 and under)

Proceeds will benefit the Riverside Food Pantry

For advanced tickets please call (212) 870-6784 or
http://www.theriversidechurchny.org
Ticketswill also be available at the door.

Feb. 9: BOOK PARTY & DISCUSSION: Halliburton's Army

Monday, Feb 9, 7:00 pm

BOOK PARTY & DISCUSSION:

Pratap Chatterjee

Halliburton's Army:
How a Well-Connected Texas Oil Company Revolutionized the Way America Makes War

Brecht Forum
451 West Street
(bt Bank & Bethune Sts)

Sliding scale: $6/$10/$15
Free for Brecht Forum Subscribers

(Co-sponsor: Nation Books)

The New York launch of muckraker Pratap Chatterjee's brilliant expose of Halliburton, the Texas oil company that transformed how America wages war. Chatterjee will discuss the history of Halliburton’s government contracts, Dick Cheney's murky relationship with the company and how he used his Washington connections to orchestrate lucrative contracts in such trouble spots as Angola, Azerbaijan, Iran and Nigeria. As Chatterjee will demonstrate, the company’s fortunes are irrevocably linked to the war in Iraq. And even as it answers its critics and faces government audits, Halliburton continues to be the predominant U.S. government contractor in the Iraq.

Pratap Chatterjee is an award-winning investigative journalist and managing editor/program director of Corpwatch. He is the author of Iraq Inc. He has hosted a weekly radio show on KPFA, was global environment editor for Inter Press Service and has written for the Financial Times, the Guardian and the Independent. Chatterjee has also appeared on the BBC World Service, CNN International, Democracy Now!, Fox and MSNBC. He is a shareholder of both Halliburton and KBR. He is the winner of a Lannan Cultural Freedom Award and lives in Washington,
DC.

Phone: (212) 242-4201 - Email: brechtforum at brechtforum.org

Peoples' Voice Cafe - upcoming schedule

The Peoples' Voice Cafe is an alternative coffeehouse offering quality entertainment.
We provide a space for the artistic expression of a wide variety of humanitarian issues and concerns.
The cafe is run as a not-for-profit collective, and is not affiliated with any political organization.

NOTE NEW LOCATION!!

PEOPLES' VOICE CAFE
The Community Church of New York Unitarian Universalist
40 East 35th St. (between Madison & Park)
Wheelchair-accessible!
For info call 212-787-3903

All performances Saturdays 8 pm to 10:30 pm.

Suggested Donation: $15 or TDF; $10 PVC Members;
More if you choose; Less if you can't; No one turned away
(This sliding scale replaces the senior/student/hardship rate)

ONE MORE IN JANUARY!

JANUARY 31

STEVE SUFFET

(Steve Suffet is best described as an old-fashioned folksinger in the People's Music tradition. His repertoire is a mixture of railroad songs, trucker songs, miner songs, cowboy songs, union songs, old time country music, ballads, blues, ragtime, Gospel, bluegrass, topical-political songs, and whatever else tickles his fancy, including many songs he has written himself in traditional folk styles. Come celebrate the release of Steve's newest CD, "Low Rent District.")


ANNE PRICE

(Anne Price, who has been performing in the New York City area since the 1970s, has often been compared to Joan Baez. She sings songs of labor, peace and other issues, traditional folk songs and songs by such writers as Peggy Seeger, Jean Ritchie, Charlie King and Woody Guthrie. Peggy Seeger said to Anne: "The richness of your voice astounded me."


FEBRUARY 7

BROOKLYN WOMEN'S CHORUS

(In a lively, impassioned and jam-packed program, the Brooklyn Women's Chorus will first perform a multi-media presentation of "We Were There!", a women's labor history celebration, followed by a second set full of old favorites and new soon-to-be favorites, all to celebrate the possibility of a new era. They hope you'll join them.)

Please visit our website!: http://www.peoplesvoicecafe.org

If you'd like to volunteer one (or more) of these nights contact Sally Campbell at 212 787-3903 or scampfriend@earthlink.net

Jan. 28: Rally to STOP THE FARE HIKE!

STOP THE FARE HIKE!
ROCK THE MTA’S BROOKLYN “PUBLIC HEARING”

BAIL OUT RIDERS, NOT THE BANKS!

Wednesday, January 28 – 5 PM
New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge
333 Adams Street between Fulton & Johnson

DEMONSTRATE OUTSIDE
THEN DEMONSTRATE INSIDE

The MTA is bringing its panel of bankers and billionaires
to Brooklyn -- its very own Farehike-apolooza -- next
Wednesday night for another so-called public hearing.

Like last week, the Bail Out the People Movement will be
there to confront the Wall Street executives and rally the
people who come out to the hearing. On January 14, BOPM
turned the sidewalk in front of the Hilton into a
“People’s Public Hearing,” where transit workers, students
and activists rallied 100 people against the MTA. The
entire demonstration then marched en masse into the
hearing (see YouTube coverage below).

On Wednesday, the demonstration will also continue inside
the hearing, with dozens of placards demanding that the
MTA scrap its plans to make workers bear the brunt of its
debt crisis.

2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards - 1/25/2009

I'm going to try to live blog the Screen Actors Guild awards: (I can't promise the awards will be prresented in the order they're listed here - so you may have to search around a little bit):

Screen Actors Guild awards 2009
Continuing our tracking of the awards season, here's the Screen Actors Guild Awards: Remember actors are the largest segment of the Oscar voters.

The 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Will be Simulcast on TNT and TBS

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:

*James Earl Jones






Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: (This is the SAG equivalent of Best Picture)

DOUBT (Miramax)
FROST/NIXON (Universal Pictures)
MILK (Focus Features)
*SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading [film] Role:

RICHARD JENKINS /THE VISITOR
FRANK LANGELLA /FROST/NIXON
*SEAN PENN /MILK
BRAD PITT /THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
MICKEY ROURKE /THE WRESTLER

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading [ film] Role:

ANNE HATHAWAY /RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
ANGELINA JOLIE /CHANGELING
MELISSA LEO /FROZEN RIVER
*MERYL STREEP/ DOUBT
KATE WINSLET /REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting [Film] Role:

AMY ADAMS/DOUBT
PENÉLOPE CRUZ/VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
VIOLA DAVIS/DOUBT
TARAJI P. HENSON/THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
*KATE WINSLET/THE READER

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting [film] Role:

JOSH BROLIN/MILK
ROBERT DOWNEY, JR./TROPIC THUNDER
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN/DOUBT
*HEATH LEDGER/THE DARK KNIGHT
DEV PATEL/SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE


Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE/SAMANTHA WHO?
AMERICA FERRERA/UGLY BETTY
*TINA FEY/30 ROCK
MARY-LOUISE PARKER/WEEDS
TRACEY ULLMAN/TRACEY ULLMAN'S STATE OF THE UNION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series:

*ALEC BALDWIN/30 ROCK
STEVE CARELL/THE OFFICE
DAVID DUCHOVNY/CALIFORNICATION
JEREMY PIVEN/ENTOURAGE
TONY SHALHOUB/MONK

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

*30 ROCK
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
ENTOURAGE
THE OFFICE
WEEDS

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:

MICHAEL C. HALL/DEXTERJ
JON HAMM/MAD MEN
*HUGH LAURIE/HOUSE
WILLIAM SHATNER/BOSTON LEGAL
JAMES SPADER/BOSTON LEGAL

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series:

*SALLY FIELD/BROTHERS & SISTERS
MARISKA HARGITAY/LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT
HOLLY HUNTER/SAVING GRACE
ELISABETH MOSS/MAD MEN
KYRA SEDGWICK/THE CLOSER

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:

BOSTON LEGAL
DEXTER
HOUSE
*MAD MEN
THE CLOSER

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:

LAURA DERN/RECOUNT
*LAURA LINNEY/JOHN ADAMS
SHIRLEY MacLAINE/COCO CHANEL
PHYLICIA RASHAD/A RAISIN IN THE SUN
SUSAN SARANDON/BERNARD AND DORIS

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:

RALPH FIENNES/BERNARD AND DORIS
*PAUL GIAMATTI/JOHN ADAMS
KEVIN SPACEY/RECOUNT
KIEFER SUTHERLAND/24:REDEMPTION
TOM WILKINSON/JOHN ADAMS


SAG HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture:

THE DARK KNIGHT
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
IRON MAN
WANTED

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series:

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
HEROES
PRISON BREAK
THE UNIT
THE CLOSER

2009 Oscar nominations

Well we've had most of the 2009 movie awards (or at least the nominations). Here's the Big Gold One - the Oscar - nominations (announced today - 1/22 - postponed from the 20th, because there was something else going on on Tues.):

Who do you think should win?


From Slumdog Millionaire


BEST PICTURE
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Milk"
"The Reader"
"Slumdog Millionaire"




BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
Meryl Streep, "Doubt"
Kate Winslet, "The Reader"

BEST ACTOR
Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"
Sean Penn, "Milk"
Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, "Doubt"
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Viola Davis, "Doubt"
Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, "Milk"
Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"
Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"
Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road"

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"
Gus Van Sant, "Milk"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
Marttin McDonagh, "In Bruges"
Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, "WALL-E"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire"
David Hare, "The Reader"
Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon"
John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt"
Eric Roth, Robin Swicord, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"The Baader-Meinhof Complex" (Germany)
"The Class" (France)
"Departures" (Japan)
Revanche" (Austria)
"Waltz with Bashir" (Israel)

BEST ANIMATED FILM
"Bolt"
"Kung Fu Panda"
"Wall-E"

BEST ART DIRECTION
"Changeling"
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button"
"Dark Knight"
"The Duchess"
"Revolutionary Road"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Changeling" Tom Stern
"Slumdog Millionaire," Anthony Dod Mantle
"The Reader," Chris Menges
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button," Claudio Miranda
"The Dark Knight," Wally Pfister

BEST FILM EDITING
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall
"The Dark Knight," Lee Smith
"Frost/Nixon," Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
"Milk," Elliot Graham
"Slumdog Millionaire," Chris Dickens

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
"Australia," Catherine Martin
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button," Jacqueline West
"The Duchess," Michael O'Conner
"Milk", Danny Glicker
"Revolutionary Road," Albert Wolsky

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
"Encounters at the End of the World"
"The Garden"
"Man on Wire"
"Trouble the Water"

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Slumdog Millionaire," "Jai Ho," A.R. Rahman
"Slumdog Millionaire," "O Saya," A.R. Rahman & M.I.A.
"Wall-E," "Down To Earth," Peter Gabriel & Thomas Newman

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button," Alexandre Desplat
"Defiance," James Newton Howard
"Milk," Danny Elfman
"Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman
"WALL-E," Thomas Newman

BEST MAKEUP
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Colleen Callaghan, Fionagh Cush
"The Dark Knight," Peter Robb-King, John Caglione Jr.
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army," Mike Elizalde, Thom Floutz

BEST SOUND EDITING
"The Dark Knight," Richard King
"Iron Man," Frank Eulner, Christopher Boyes
"Slumdog Millionaire," Tom Sayers
"Wall-E," Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood
"Wanted," Wylie Stateman

BEST SOUND MIXING
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Mark Weingarten, David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce
"The Dark Knight," Ed Novick, Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo
"Slumdog Millionaire," Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
"Wall-E," Ben Burtt, Tom Myers, Michael Semanick
"Wanted," Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Eric Barba
"The Dark Knight," Chris Corbould, Nick Davis, Paul Franklin, Tim Webber
"Iron Man," John Nelson

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
"Auf der Strecke (On the Line)"
"Manon on the Asphalt"
"New Boy"
"The Pig"
"Spielzeugland (Toyland)"

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
"La Maison en Petits Cubes"
"Lavatory - Lovestory"
"Oktapodi"
"Presto"
"This Way Up"

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
"The Conscience of Nhem En"
"The Final Inch"
"Smile Pinki"
"The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306"

Today is a real break with the past; let's look forward to the future

No matter what one may think about the future and the role the President-elect (for about another 11 hrs and 40 min) will play in it, it seems impossible not to get caught up in the inauguration celebrations going on in Washington and around the nation, The absolute appropriateness of the inauguration of the first president-of-color coming one day after the birthday of Martin Luther king, who must be smiling today, links the present to the past. (In 1964, Dr. King predicted that there would be a Black president "within 40 years".)

Beginning Sunday with the We Are One, the Obama inaugural celebration, and all it meant to see Pete Seeger there emotions have been very close to the surface. This can't be anything but a thrill to people who have been fighting against racism all our adult lives. But I think above all the faces of people of color in Washington, particularly the kids, speak loudly about what today's events mean, not just here, but around the world.

I think that today we will witness the inauguration of the first people's president in my lifetime. As I said at the beginning, no one knows what the future holds, but today (with the exception of the Bigoted Rev. Rick Warren) is all for the good. Let's hope the administration lives up to its first moments.

Power to the people!

John Stewart on the shoah (holocaust) in Gaza

(If you are seeing this on FaceBook, click here to watch video)

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Strip Maul

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

(

Jan 15: Call Congress today support Single Payer Healthcare

NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY
Thursday, January 15

Call Congress today support HR 676 -- Single Payer Healthcare

United For Peace and Justice encourages you to join this nationwide Congressional call-in day. This is the second such call-in day, organized by the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Healthcare-National Single Payer Coalition. The first call-in day on December 22 was a tremendous success, and thousands of calls were made. In fact, by 11:00 AM that morning, Senator Kennedy's office reported to have already received over 1,000 phone calls in support of HR 676 which calls for more than the Massachusetts-style healthcare reform.

Now is the time to expand this effort. Everyone is being asked to make their calls to the Washington, D.C. offices of the House of Representatives.

HR 676 has been reintroduced in the 111th Congress -- there are 86 cosponsors in the House from the 110th Congress who have been sworn into the 111th session. The goal set by the National Single Payer Coalition is to double those sponsors through this massive call-in on Thursday and other efforts.

Openly gay Episcopal bishop to appear at inaugural inauguration event

Although it doesn't in any way balance out or compensate for the utterly stupid selection of homophobic and anti-woman Rev. Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the inauguration, it is worth noting that, according to Politico, openly gay bishop The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson the Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire will deliver the invocation at Sunday's (Jan. 18) first inaugural event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. But we should note that the TV audience for this "inaugural inauguration event" will not even touch the audience at the inauguration itself. But the real problem with the selection of a bigot like Warren is that it diminishes and degrades the inauguration itself.

2009 Golden Globe Awards (live blog)

Tonight we have the Golden Globe awards, The Hollywood Foreign Press awards have always been questionable. But it's fun anyway. I will try to live blog it as it goes along:

It will start in about 10 min

Best Supporting Actress -Film

Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicki Christina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Winner: Kate Winslet - The Reader

Best Original Song - Film

"Down to Earth" (Wall-E)
"Gran Turino" (Gran Turino)
"I Thought I Lost You" (Bolt)
"Once in a Lifetime" (Cadillac Records)
"The Wrestler" (The Wrestler)

Winner: Bruce Springsteen "The Wrestler"

Best Supporting Actor - TV

Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother
Denis Leary - Recount
Jeremy Piven - Entourage
Blair Underwood - In Treatment
Tom Wilkinson - John Adams

Winner: Tom Wilkinson

Best Supporting Actress - TV
Eileen Atkins - Cranford
Laura Dern - Recount
Melissa Geosrge - In Treatment
Rachel Griffiths - Brother & Sisters
Dianne Wiest - In Treatment

Winner: Laura Dern - Recount

8:30PM

Best Actor in a TV Series

Gabriel Byrne - In Treatment
Michael C. Hall - Dexter
Jin Hamm - Mad Men
Hugh Laurie - House
Jonathan Rhys Meyers - The Tudors

Winner: Gabriel Byrne (Dexter)

Best Actress in a TV series:

sally Field - Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay - Law & Order
January Jones - Mad Men
Anna Paquin - True Blood
Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer

Winner: Anna Paquin (True Blood)

Best Animated Film

Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E

Winner: Wall-E

Best Actress in Musical or Comedy Film:

Rebecca Hall - Vicki Christina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins - Happy Go Lucky
Frances McDormand - Burn after Reading
Meryl Streep - Mamma Mia
Emma Thompson - Last Chance Harvey

Winner: Sally Hawkins

8:55 PM

Best Mini-series or TV movie

Bernard and Doris
Cranford
John Adams
A Raisin in the Sun
Recount

Winner: John Adams

Best Supporting Actor - Film

Tom Cruise - Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes - The Duchess
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Winner: Heath Ledger (Dark Knight) [surprise!]

Best Foreign Language Film

The Bader-Meinhoff Complex (Germany)
Everlasting Moments (Sweden)
Gommorah (Italy)
I've Loved You So Long (France)
Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

Winner: Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

Best actress in a TV Miniseries or Movie

Judi Dench (Cranford)
Catherine Keener (An American Crime)
Laura Linney (John Adams)
Shirley Mclaine (Coco Chanel)
Susan Sarandon (Bernard and Doris)

Winner: Laura Linney (John Adams)

Best Screenplay:

Eric Roth (The Curious Case of Benjamine Button)
John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon)
David Hare (The Reader)
Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)

Winner: Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)

Best actor TV miniseries or Comedy:

Alec Baldwin ( 30 Rock)
Steve Carell (The Office)
Kevin Connely (Entourage)
David Duchovny (Californication)
Tony Shalhoub (Monk)

Winner: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)

Best actor in a miniseries or TV movie:

Ralph Fiennes (Bernard and Doris)
Paul Giamatti (John Adamas)
Kevin Spacey (Recount)
Kiefer Sutherland (24)
Tom Wilkinson (Recount)

Winner: Paul Giamatti (John Adams)

Best TV series - Musical or Comedy:

Californication
Entourage
The Office
30 Rock
Weeds

Winner: 30 Rock [another surprise!)

Best Original Score:

Changeling
Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire

Winner: Slumdog Millionaire (A.R. Rahman)ctress

Best Actress in a TV series - musical or comedy:

Christina Applegate (Samantha Who)
America Ferrera (Ugly Betty)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Debra Messing (The Starter Wife)
Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds)

Winner: Tina Fey (30 Rock) [Tina Fey is one of the funniest people around, but any one who votes against Mary-Louise Parker isslightly addled.]

Special award: Steven Spielberg (presented by Martin Scorsese)

10:10PM

Best Director - Film

Danny Boyle (Slumdog Me of Benjamin Button)illionaire)
Stephen Daldry (TheReader)
David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road)

Winner: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionare)

Best Actor - Musical or Cmedy Film:

Javier Barden (Vicki Christina Barcelona)
Colin Farrell (In Bruges)
James Franco Pineapple Express)
Brendan Gleason (In Bruges)
Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey)

Winner: Colin Farrell (In Bruges)

Best Picture - Musical or Comedy:

Burn After Reading
Happy Go Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia
Vicki Christina Barcelona

Winner: Vicki Christina Barcelona



Best Actress Drama - Movie

Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
Angelina Jolie (Changeling)
Meryl Streep (Doubt)
Kristin Scott Thomas (I've Loved Youn So Long)
Kate Winslet (Revolutionsry Road)

Winner: Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)

Best TV Series Drama

House
Dexter
In Treatment
Mad Men
True Blood

Winner: Mad Men

Best Actor - Drama Film:

Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road)
Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
Sean Penn (Milk)
Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

Winner: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

Best Picture - Movie Drama

The Curious case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire: A Review

Imagine a Dickens novel (Oliver Twist, for example) directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) as it might be done by Bollywood. There you have Slumdog Millionaire. At its heart it's a love story. But a very imaginative love story.

Two orphaned brothers, Jamal and Salim Malik, grow up in poverty on the streets of Mumbai and hook up with a girl, Latika, with whom Jamal falls in love. We see how the children of Mumbai are exploited. They are, for example, recruited as street singers. But to make them more pathetic, they are blinded. This is the backdrop in front of which Jamal, Malik, and Latika grow up.

Eventually Jamal and Latika are separated. Jamal and Malik travel different paths. As adults Salim (Madhur Mittal) turns to a life of crime and Jamal (Dev Patel) earns a straight but modest living. But he never forgets Latika (Freida Pinto). He comes up with an ingenious way of letting her know where he is. He applies to be a contestant on the Indian version of So You Want to be a Millionaire. He is accepted and to everyone's surprise this "slumdog" knows most of the answers. The host, a brilliantly sleazy Anil Kapoor, doesn't believe it's possible and has Jamal arrested for cheating. And there in lies the ingenuity of the film. As they watch a tape of the program, the police inspector (Irfan Khan) gives Jamal a chance to explain how he knew the answer to each question. And we learn much of what we know about their early lives through his explanations. Each answer is coincidentally tied to a specific incident in Jamal's life. As he gets close to the million, Jamal becomes a national hero and his plan to use his appearance on the show works. Latika recognizes her old friend.

The determination of these three young people to live full lives against the poverty they experienced in Mumbai which is exposed through the framework of So You Want to be a Millionaire make up the most extraordinary film in recent years. Although every year I have an Oscar favorite, but not since Lord of the Rings have I rooted so enthusiastically for one film. The four Slumdog Golden Globes Sunday night (Best Film-Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Score) should be a real boost.

Jan 14: Candlelight Vigil and Protest

Wed, Jan. 14, 4:30 -- 5:30 pm

Candlelight Vigil and Protest:
To protest Israeli Massacre in Gaza

Brooklyn Borough Hall

Court and Joralemon Street, Downtown Brooklyn

(Train: A/C/F to Jay St/Borough Hall;
M/R to Court St/Borough Hall; 2,3,4,5 to Borough Hall)

Sponsored by Brooklyn For Peace

Questions? Call 718-624-5921 or e-mail bfp@brooklynpeace.org

Jan. 11: Rally: Stop Israeli Massacre in Gaza

Break the Siege on Gaza Coalition - NY

Mass Rally:
Stop Massacres in Gaza & Break the siege

SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 1PM
Times Square, 42nd and 7th ave.

(Trains: N,Q,R,S,W,1,2,3,7 to Times Square (42nd st.)
Followed by a march to the CNN)

Since December 27, Israel, with U.S.-made and paid for weaponry, has been committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. More than 765 have been murdered. These cold-blooded killings come on top of a siege on Gaza that has killed hundreds by depriving them of medical care, deprived Gazans of electricity, power and fuel and attempted to strangle the life of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

2009 Independent Spirit Award nominations

The 2009 Indipendent Spirit nominations were announced. Frozen River and Ballast lead with six nominations each, followed by Rachel Getting Married with five nominations, The Wrestler, Milk, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and The Visitor with three each.

Below is the full list of the nominees: (The awards presentation will take place on Feb. 21, 5pm - the day before the Oscars are handed out - and will be broadcast live and uncut on IFC

Best Feature:
Ballast
Frozen River
Rachel Getting Married
Wendy and Lucy
The Wrestler

Best First Feature:
Afterschool
Medicine for Melancholy
Sangre De Mi Sangre
Sleep Dealer
Synecdoche, New York

Best Director:
Ramin Bahrani - Chop Shop
Jonathan Demme - Rachel Getting Married
Lance Hammer - Ballast
Courtney Hunt - Frozen River
Tom McCarthy - The Visitor

Best Male Lead:
Javier Bardem - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Sean Penn - Milk
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Best Female Lead:
Summer Bishil - Towelhead
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Tarra Riggs - Ballast
Michelle Williams - Wendy and Lucy

Best Supporting Male:
James Franco - Milk
Anthony Mackie - The Hurt Locker
Charlie McDermott - Frozen River
JimMyron Ross - Ballast
Haaz Sleiman - The Visitor

Best Supporting Female:
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Rosemarie DeWitt - Rachel Getting Married
Rosie Perez - The Take
Misty Upham - Frozen River
Debra Winger - Rachel Getting Married

Best Screenplay:
Woody Allen - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck - Sugar
Charlie Kaufman - Synecdoche, New York
Howard A. Rodman - Savage Grace
Christopher Zalla - Sangre De Mi Sangre


Best Cinematography:
Maryse Alberti - The Wrestler
Lol Crawley - Ballast
James Laxton - Medicine for Melancholy
Harris Savides - Milk
Michael Simmonds - Chop Shop

Best Documentary:
The Betrayal
Encounters at the End of the World
Man on Wire
The Order of Myths
Up the Yangtze

Best Foreign Film:
The Class (France)
Gomorra (Italy)
Hunger (U.K./Ireland)
Secret of the Grain (France)
Silent Light (Mexico/France/Netherlands/Germany)

The Spirit Awards Nominating Committee applies the following guidelines in making its selections. Final interpretation of all rules and regulations and eligibility of submissions shall be made by the Spirit Awards Nominating Committee:
1. Uniqueness of vision
2. Original, provocative subject matter
3. Economy of means
4. Percentage of financing from independent sources

Fiesta Bowl: Texas 24, Ohio State 21

Texas 24, Ohio State 21 in the Fiesta Bowl

Quarterback Colt McCoy hit Quan Cosby on a 26-yard pass for a touchdown with 16 seconds to go, giving #3 Texas a Fiesta Bowl win over #10 Ohio State. The Texas drive came after Ohio State scored 15 straight points to take the lead.

This is important for two reasons.

The most important is that Ann graduated from The University of Texas.

The second is that the closeness of the final score and that Texas pulled it out with 16 seconds to go, questions #3 Texas's claim to a piece of the national championship (which will be decided between #1 Florida and #2 Oklahoma Thursday evening). For the record, that did not prevent the Texas fans from holding up the symbolic #1 finger after the game or the coach's claim: "I don't think there's anybody in the country who can beat us at this point."

Colt McCoy in what was not his best game of the season, still demonstrated why he was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.

Bloomberg and the Israeli vote

Well, if there was any doubt that Michael Bloomberg intends to run again (despite the expressed will of the people), we need no longer wonder. If anyone plans to run for office in New York City (or even state-wide) the first thing to do is run as fast as you can to Israel and stick your nose up the Israeli ass. That is what our mayor did yesterday.

Now it's our turn to tell Bloomberg what we think:

Stand with Gaza:
SHOES to Bloomberg

Wednesday, January 7, 4:30-6:30 pm
NYC-City Hall

Bring your old shoes to City Hall.

How dare billionaire Mayor Bloomberg rush to Israel to back crimes against the people of Gaza and to support sending billions of dollars more to fund Israeli war crimes, while cutting city services, slashing school and health programs, and laying off workers right here in New York City!

Bring your old shoes and show the Mayor a message of our outrage and anger.

Stand with Palestine!

Franken defeats Coleman in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (Jan. 4) -- A state election board on Monday will announce Democrat Al Franken has defeated Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race, state officials told CNN Sunday.
The canvassing board on Monday will say a recount determined Franken won by 225 votes, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie told CNN.

All Jews should be ashamed of Israel's genocide in Gaza

If I believed that Israel was a Jewish state, I would be ashamed to be a Jew.

The current holocaust in Gaza is not what Jews would do. But I have always believed that Israel is a Zionist state and there are Jewish Zionists and Christian Zionists - all Zionists are not Jewish. Convincing American Jews that they have a special relationship with Israel was the greatest public relations coup of the 20th Century and it was pulled off by the Israeli public relations aparatus. Israel has used Jews to support its genocide against the Palestinian people - currently it's happening in Gaza.

But ultimately the Zionist state is out to prove its motto, "a land without a people, for a people without a land." The Palestinians are the people of that land.

Every Jew should be out every day protesting this latest holocaust.

Jan 3: Stop Massacre in Gaza & Break the Siege

More than 30 Palestinians were murdered in two days, 1,600 wounded.

Saturday, Jan.3, 1PM

Times Square, 42St. & 7th Ave.

Followed by a march to the Isreali Mission

Act Now before it's too late.

Protest the Israeli genocide of Palestinins

Stop U.S. support of Israel


PROTEST GAZA ASSAULT

Rally & March in Washington, DC

Friday, Jan 2, 3:30 pm

Rally at the Israeli Embassy
3514 International Dr., NW

Followed by march to

Egyptian Embassy
3521 International Ct., NW

Let the Yankees bail them out

I think the next time the automobile companies or anyone else needs a bailout they should go to the New York Yankees not the U.S. government. According to the NYT, the Yankees came to an agreement with

first baseman Mark Teixeira on an eight-year, $180 million contract that pushes the team’s off-season expenditures within shouting distance of half a billion dollars.

Once it becomes official, the Yankees will have the four players — Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and the newly signed C. C. Sabathia — with the largest contracts in the sport, at an overall cost of slightly more than $800 million.

It seems to me that while people are losing jobs all over the place, this could only happen in the U.S. and that no one will bat an eye.

Screen Actors Guild awards 2009 nominations

Continuing our tracking of the awards season, here's the Screen Actors Guild nominations: Remember actors are the largest segment of the Film Academy voters.
on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009
the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Will be Simulcast on TNT and TBS

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:

James Earl Jones

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: (This is the SAG equivalent of Best Picture)

DOUBT (Miramax)
FROST/NIXON (Universal Pictures)
MILK (Focus Features)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:

RICHARD JENKINS /THE VISITOR
FRANK LANGELLA /FROST/NIXON
SEAN PENN /MILK
BRAD PITT /THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
MICKEY ROURKE /THE WRESTLER

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role:

ANNE HATHAWAY /RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
ANGELINA JOLIE /CHANGELING
MELISSA LEO /FROZEN RIVER
MERYL STREEP/ DOUBT
KATE WINSLET /REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:

JOSH BROLIN/MILK
ROBERT DOWNEY, JR./TROPIC THUNDER
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN/DOUBT
HEATH LEDGER/THE DARK KNIGHT
DEV PATEL/SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role:

AMY ADAMS/DOUBT
PENÉLOPE CRUZ/VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
VIOLA DAVIS/DOUBT
TARAJI P. HENSON/THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
KATE WINSLET/THE READER

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:

BOSTON LEGAL
DEXTER
HOUSE
MAD MEN
THE CLOSER

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

30 ROCK
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
ENTOURAGE
THE OFFICE
WEEDS

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:

RALPH FIENNES/BERNARD AND DORIS
PAUL GIAMATTI/JOHN ADAMS
KEVIN SPACEY/RECOUNT
KIEFER SUTHERLAND/24:REDEMPTION
TOM WILKINSON/JOHN ADAMS

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:

LAURA DERN/RECOUNT
LAURA LINNEY/JOHN ADAMS
SHIRLEY MacLAINE/COCO CHANEL
PHYLICIA RASHAD/A RAISIN IN THE SUN
SUSAN SARANDON/BERNARD AND DORIS

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:

MICHAEL C. HALL/DEXTERJ
JON HAMM/MAD MEN
HUGH LAURIE/HOUSE
WILLIAM SHATNER/BOSTON LEGAL
JAMES SPADER/BOSTON LEGAL

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series:

SALLY FIELD/BROTHERS & SISTERS
MARISKA HARGITAY/LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT
HOLLY HUNTER/SAVING GRACE
ELISABETH MOSS/MAD MEN
KYRA SEDGWICK/THE CLOSER

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series:

ALEC BALDWIN/30 ROCK
STEVE CARELL/THE OFFICE
DAVID DUCHOVNY/CALIFORNICATION
JEREMY PIVEN/ENTOURAGE
TONY SHALHOUB/MONK

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE/SAMANTHA WHO?
AMERICA FERRERA/UGLY BETTY
TINA FEY/30 ROCK
MARY-LOUISE PARKER/WEEDS
TRACEY ULLMAN/TRACEY ULLMAN'S STATE OF THE UNION

SAG HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture:

THE DARK KNIGHT
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
IRON MAN
WANTED

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series:

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
HEROES
PRISON BREAK
THE UNIT
THE CLOSER

Doubt: a review

Transforming a play into a film is difficult at best. They are two different venues. Theater is an aural medium. People don't go to a Shakespeare or Shaw play for the action. They go for the poetry, language and ideas. Movies are a visual medium the words just connect the images and scenes. There are exceptions, but the best of film is visual. I can't argue with the people who say Doubt was a better play than it is a film, I never saw the play. I have great respect for Cherry Jones, Bryan F. O'Byrne, Heather Goldenhersch and Adriane Lenox who originally played the roles on stage, but I doubt that their performances compared with Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis in the film.

The story takes place at St. Nicholas [Catholic] Church School in the Bronx. Autumn 1964. Once the setting is established the film steps outside the confines of the school only once, in a scene between Viola Davis and Meryl Streep, which may be the most moving scene in the film.

The play had a "ripped-from-the-headlines" feel about it. It opened at the height of the Catholic church abuse scandals. Another abuse story was in the paper or on TV every day. Not so much any more. The media can't follow a story to the bitter end. They lose focus on it after a while. So I'm not sure that it will attract the same attention as a film. But it is well worth your time and attention. It's truly extraordinary. The performances alone - Streep, Hoffman, Adams and Davis - are all Oscar worthy.They are at a level we rarely have the privilege of seeing. But the story about Sister Aloysius (Streep) who accuses Father Flynn (Hoffman) of giving wine to the only student of color at the school. A young nun, Sister James (Adams) sides with - trusts - Father Flynn. Viola Davis plays the boy's mother. The conversation between Davis and Streep first in Sister Aloysius's office and then on a walk, because the mother has to get to work, in which the mother talks about what harm will come to the boy - both at the school and, particularly, at home - by exposing the relationship with Father Flynn. Particularly, because the boy may have wanted it. This and the scene when the Aloysius and Flynn finally confront each other better acting has rarely been seen.

Who's right and who's wrong is ultimately left up to the viewer. I thought the Father Flynn was probably guilty of the behavior of which he was being accused, Ann thought he wasn't. That, of course, is the core of the film - doubt. If nothing else, it's not a simple film. As the title sugests the question of doubt versus
certainty is at its heart. From the moment the film begins with Father Flynn's sermon on doubt till it ends with doubt entering into the absolute certainty that has here-to-fore shaped Sister Aloysius's world we are confronted by deep questions. If we begin to doubt, then is there any certainty - even about god? That may be ultimately at the heart of the struggle and the film. But what acting.

Rick Warren stains Obama inauguration

The choice of homo-phobic Rev. Rick Warren to pronounce the invocation at the inauguration is truly puzzling. President-elect Barack Obama always calls for bringing people - with different points-of-view - together. But it seems that whenever he opens his arms to embrace someone with "different views," he always reaches out to the right, never to the Left. In other words, the Barack version of inclusiveness is from the Liberal center to the extreme right. He will still not win over the right-wing media (all of whom, for example, have already spread scurrilous rumors accusing him of playing footsie with with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.) That still resolute 25-30% of the U.S. population who believes that George W. Bush is "doing a good job" will not be won over by besmirching the Obama inauguration with the likes of Rick Warren. From America blog here are several choice quotes from Warren's Saddleback Church family.com :

Because membership in a church is an outgrowth of accepting the Lordship and leadership of Jesus in one’s life, someone unwilling to repent of their homosexual lifestyle would not be accepted at a member at Saddleback Church. That does not mean they cannot attend church – we hope they do! God’s Word has the power to change our lives.

In equal desire to follow Jesus, we also would not accept a couple into membership at Saddleback who were not willing to repent of the sexual sin of living together before marriage. That does not mean this couple cannot attend church – we hope they do! God’s Word has the power to change our lives.

I wonder how many members of restricted country clubs will play prominant roles at the Obama inauguration.

So much for Barack Obama's vaunted inclusiveness.

Here's Rachel Madow's comments on Rick warren at the inauguration:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

If you're watching this on FaceBook click here to see Rachel Maddow video)

War Resisters League 2009 calendar: The Path of Most Resistence

Every year the WRL calendar is my favorite. You'll love it too.

The Path of Most Resistance:
A U.S. Radical History Tour
War Resisters League 2009 Peace Calendar

Edited by Judith Mahoney Pasternak
Foreword by Charles E. Cobb Jr., author of On the Road to Freedom: A Guided Tour of the Civil Rights Trail
Cover price: $14.95 + s&h

A desk calendar and state-by-state account of the places where radical history happened, from the civil rights and anti-racist struggles of Alabama and Mississippi to centuries of war tax resistance in Massachusetts, indigenous opposition to oil-drilling in Alaska, and union organizing in Kentucky and California.

Our radical history is everywhere, and The Path of Most Resistance pinpoints 50-plus episodes from it, with exact locations of places where people resisted, along with historic and contemporary photos and graphics of acts of resistance, history-makers and more. Includes directories of U.S. peace and justice organizations and publications, and international contacts.

Hold on to some watchwords for today: freedom, justice and peace. … In especially vivid ways the pages of this calendar help us gain a sense of direction by taking us to some of the … battlefields for these ideas. [It] proves that it is possible to resist war and the causes of war—that great power lodged in weapons or ruthless political ambition [can’t] crush either the belief that something better is possible or the struggle to create something better; and that's a reminder …that we need.
From the Foreword by Charles E. Cobb Jr.

Order online at the warresisters.org
Order by phone. Call toll free (877) 234-8811
CALL for bulk orders!

Season's Greetings: Show the bottom of your shoes to the Pres.

I thought you'd enjoy this Christmas greeting:

The ANSWER Coalition is joining with other coalitions, organizations, and networks in a March 21 National Coalition to bring people from all walks of life and from all cities across the United States to take part in a March on the Pentagon on the sixth anniversary of the Iraq war: Saturday, March 21.

If you want to send this card to a friend or member of your family click here.

AFI's best in theaters and at home in 2008

In case you were wondering here are the American Film Institute (AFI)'s choices for the best films and TV shows of 2008. I don't know if any of these will end up on the AFI's list of 100 best the next time it's updated, but, at least for this year, here they are:



AFI AWARDS 2008

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR-OFFICIAL SELECTIONS:

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

THE DARK KNIGHT

FROST/NIXON

FROZEN RIVER

GRAN TORINO

IRON MAN

MILK

WALL•E

WENDY AND LUCY

THE WRESTLER


AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR-OFFICIAL SELECTIONS:

BREAKING BAD

IN TREATMENT

JOHN ADAMS

LIFE

LOST

MAD MEN

THE OFFICE

RECOUNT

THE SHIELD

THE WIRE

WHAT IS AFI AWARDS?

America's cultural legacy resonates around the world through movies and television. When placed in an historical context, these stories archive a complex, rich, visual record of our modern civilization.
AFI was created to protect and preserve the legacy of the moving image art form so that future generations will have a greater understanding and appreciation for the proud heritage reflected in the realities of a new modern day.

Each year, AFI AWARDS honors excellence in the moving image arts within the context of a Year in Review. This is the next chapter in AFI's national mandate — specifically, the creation of an annual almanac that records and preserves the evolution of the moving image arts in the 21st century.

AFI AWARDS adds a volume to the history of American film and television each year by documenting the collective opinion of the moving image communities, recognizing the year's significant moments and honoring the individuals and creative ensembles who have created the year's outstanding achievements.

HP has created 20 scholarships to the AFI Conservatory for a second consecutive year, one for each of the AFI honorees. The AFI Conservatory is world-renowned for its advanced training of the next generation of storytellers.

Republicans just don't play well with others

On Nov. 9th Robert Parry on Consortiumnews wrote this about the modern Republican Party:

Even if some Republicans did want to shift toward a more bipartisan approach – after more than three decades of successfully using "wedge" tactics and armed with a right-wing media infrastructure built to destroy opponents – such a change might be impossible.

The idea of transforming modern Republicanism into some less partisan form might be like trying to train a boa constrictor which fork to use at the dinner table.

Since Parry wrote these words two things have happened which have not only proven him to be prophetic but have exasperated the situation. The right-wing owned Republican Party seems clearly incapable of hearing the voice of the people in the last two elections. The first thing that the right has jumped on to undermine the forthcoming Obama administration is their utterly partisan response - both politicians and right-wing media - to the absurd Blagojevich situation in Chicago. And the second is the unquestionably partisan obstruction of a House-passed Congressional bailout of the Detroit-based automobile companies.

There is no way in which anyone who is rooted in reality could believe that the President-elect or his staff were in any way implicated in the Blagojevich follies. Talking to someone doesn't mean you were involved. It's just part of doing the job. It is Obama's Senate seat that is at issue after all. If anyone doubts Obama's team's innocence try Blagojevich's own words:

they're [Obama's team] not willing to give me anything except appreciation

for possibly naming Obama's choice to the Senate. Now anyone without a partisan ax to grind would conclude that that settles the matter. But unfortunately it does not satisfy the wildly partisan Republicans. Here is what Republican Party Chairman Robert M. Duncan said after Obama at a press conference promised to provide all the information as soon as he had it:

While it is encouraging that the president-elect has stated his office will disclose contacts with the scandal-ridden governor, it remains disappointing that his actions are in response to political pressure. Americans expect the highest degree of transparency from their elected leaders, rather than promises of openness on the campaign trail.

It's the old campaign catch-22: Republicans try to tie Obama to Blagojevich and then no matter what he says in his defense it's only because of the pressure they've put on him. Neat isn't it? The other night on MSNBC another right-wing media dupe - Pat Buchanan - was complaining about why it was taking so long to get the information to the press. Of course the Obama transition team has nothing more important to do than respond on Buchanan's schedule to the bogus attacks.

The other thing that happened was may in the long run be more serious than Blagojevich. Last week the House passed an auto bailout bill to save the possibly millions of jobs in Detroit and around the country. The Senate failed to pass it because of Republican nays. According to Politico.com:

The GOP strategy, previewed in an 'action alert' sent by a Republican lobbyist and outlined by Republican aides, is based on the idea that the best defense is a good offense -- and the hope that the taint of the Illinois governor will rub off on organized labor.

This is the Democrats’ first opportunity to pay off organized labor after the election . . . a precursor to card check and other items. Republicans should stand firm and take their first shot against organized labor, instead of taking their first blow from it.

In other words, the Republicans are not even making a pretense at having voted against the bailout for principled economic reasons (wrong as that would be). It's all very simple. The right wing blames organized labor for the recent election loss (that kind of dismissal of the voice of the people is quite typically Republican). So they want to destroy the labor movement. It's Reagan redux. Remember PATCO (th air traffic controllers union). I never thought I would utter these words; but William Kristol says it very well in Monday's New York Times:

...Senate Republicans now run the risk of being portrayed as Marie Antoinettes with southern accents.

Kristol also points out, in an extraordinarily "fair and balanced" column, that despite the Republican attack on the UAW, "labor amounts to only about 10 percent of the cost of a car."

Right-wing bumper sticker reveals all

Every once in a while the right-wing Republicans (who are deeply embittered by the last election because they have no ability to understand what the American people were telling them) tell us more about themselves than they could ever imagine. Here's a bumper sticker they're currently peddling:

I'll Keep My Guns... You Can Keep The 'Change'

If that doesn't tell you all you need to know about the right-wing whores (sorry! I didn't mean to besmirch honest whores), I'll have much more to say about the current un-American Republican Party.

Blagojevich: Innocent until proven guilty?

I was watching the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC tonight (Thurs. 12/11) and she interviewed Illinois state Rep. John Fritchey, who is currently the Chair of the Illinois house judiciary committee. You can imagine what the subject of the interview was. (If you have been out of the earth's orbit for the last week, it was the shenanigans of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.) Here's Rachel's interview with Fritchey:

(If you are seeing this on FaceBook, click here to see video)

What troubles me about this interview is not only Fritchey's unseemly haste to get rid of the Governor but Rachel's lack of any skepticism about what Fritchey is saying. For example, when he says:

In Illinois we have allot of latitude in seeking to impeach a governor.... Essentially all we need to show is that he has an inability to perform the duties of his office. The way we would envision an impeachment resolution looking is that he has violated his oath of office, namely to uphold the laws of Illinois and the Constitution of Illinois and he has not been able to fulfill his duties as governor. And that he has rendered (?) official misconduct as a result of the allegations brought forth by the U.S. attorney.

It would seem to me that impeachment is one of the most serious actions that can be taken in a democracy. And until recently people were considered innocent until proven guilty. With all due respect to U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, "allegations" are not proof. I think, that no matter how inconvenient the governor's behavior may appear to be, we still have to protect our democratic values. Essentially I wish Rachel - for whom I have great admiration - had questioned Fritchey's haste to impeach.

Hollywood Foreign Press 2009 Golden Globe nominees in TV

Awards will be presented Jan. 11 on TV (NBC):

BEST TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA:

DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
HOUSE (FOX)
IN TREATMENT (HBO)
MAD MEN (AMC)
TRUE BLOOD (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA:

SALLY FIELD, BROTHERS AND SISTERS
MARISKA HARGITAY, LAW AND ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT
JANUARY JONES, MAD MEN
ANNA PAQUIN, TRUE BLOOD
KYRA SEDGWICK, THE CLOSER

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA:

GABRIEL BYRNE, IN TREATMENT
MICHAEL C. HALL, DEXTER
JON HAMM, MAD MEN
HUGH LAURIE, HOUSE
JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS, THE TUDORS

BEST TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL:

30 ROCK (NBC)
CALIFORNICATION (SHOWTIME)
ENTOURAGE (HBO)
THE OFFICE (NBC)
WEEDS (SHOWTIME)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL:

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE, SAMANTHA WHO?
AMERICA FERRERA, UGLY BETTY
TINA FEY, 30 ROCK
DEBRA MESSING, THE STARTER WIFE
MARY-LOUISE PARKER, WEEDS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL:

ALEC BALDWIN, 30 ROCK
STEVE CARELL, THE OFFICE
KEVIN CONNOLLY, ENTOURAGE
DAVID DUCHOVNY, CALIFORNICATION
TONY SHALHOUB, MONK

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION:

A RAISIN IN THE SUN (ABC)
BERNARD AND DORIS (HBO)
CRANFORD (PBS)
JOHN ADAMS (HBO)
RECOUNT (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION:

JUDI DENCH, CRANFORD
CATHERINE KEENER, AN AMERICAN CRIME
LAURA LINNEY, JOHN ADAMS
SHIRLEY MACLAINE, COCO CHANEL
SUSAN SARANDON, BERNARD AND DORIS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION:

RALPH FIENNES, BERNARD AND DORIS
PAUL GIAMATTI, JOHN ADAMS
KEVIN SPACEY, RECOUNT
KIEFER SUTHERLAND, 24: REDEMPTION
TOM WILKINSON, RECOUNT

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION:

EILEEN ATKINS, CRANFORD
LAURA DERN, RECOUNT
MELISSA GEORGE, IN TREATMENT
RACHEL GRIFFITHS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS
DIANNE WIEST, IN TREATMENT


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION:

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
DENIS LEARY, RECOUNT
JEREMY PIVEN, ENTOURAGE
BLAIR UNDERWOOD, IN TREATMENT
TOM WILKINSON, JOHN ADAMS

Hollywood Foreign Press 2009 Golden Globe nominaees in film

The Golden Globe Award nominations have been announced by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

(Remember that the Globes cover both Film and TV and divide the main awards into drama and music or comedy, so there are more nominees than for any other awards. Many people believe this allows the Foreign Press to kiss the ass of more Hollywood notables. Also remember that - unlike the awards I have already covered - these are just nominations. The awards will be announced on NBC (if there is no actors' strike) on Jan. 11)

Best Picture, Drama:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Picture, Musical or Comedy:
Burn After Reading
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Actor, Drama:
Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Best Actress, Drama:
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Best Actor, Musical or Comedy:
Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Colin Farrell, In Bruges
James Franco, Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman, Last Chance Harvey

Best Actress, Musical or Comedy;
Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!
Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey

Best Supporting Actor:
Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Kate Winslet, The Reader

Best Director:
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road

Best Screenplay:
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
David Hare, The Reader
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley, Doubt

Best Original Song:
"Down To Earth," Wall-E"
"Gran Torino," Gran Torino
"I Thought I Lost You," Bolt
"Once in a Lifetime," Cadillac Records
"The Wrestler," The Wrestler

Best Original Score:
Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Clint Eastwood, Changeling
James Newton Howard, Defiance
A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
Hans Zimmer, Frost/Nixon

Best Animated Film:
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E

Best Foreign Language Film:
The Baader Meinhof Complex
Everlasting Moments
Gomorrah
I've Loved You So Long
Waltz with Bashir

New York Film Critics Circle Film Awards, 2008

The second major critics film awards have been announced.

The New York Film Critics Circle has selected:

Best Picture: Milk

Best Actress: Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)

Best Actor: Sean Penn (Milk)

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)

Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin (Milk)

Best Director: Mike Leigh {Happy-Go-Lucky)

Best Screenplay: Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married)

Best Cinematographer: Anthony Dod Mantle (Slumdog MillionaireO)

Best Foreign Film: (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days)

Best Animated Film: WALL-E

Best First Film: Courtney Hunt (Frozen River)

Best Non-Fiction Film (Documentary): Man on Wire

(The awards will be presented Jan. 5 in New York.)

Blogojavich on film

I know that this tends to minimize the Rod Blagojavich (pron: Blagoyavich) scandal, and I fully understand how deeply this kind of corruption threatens democracy, but I can't help it. Only a screenwriter could have created those phone conversations.
It reminds me more than anything else of a 1930's/40's Warner Bros. film. Just think about it, a 1930's/40's film in real life (reel life) in 2008. What in the world is going on here? Anyway here it is

Blagojavich ---- John Garfield
Patrick Fitzgerald ---- Humphrey Bogart
Chief of Staff, John Harris ---- George Raft
Publisher of the Chicago Tribune ---- Edward G. Robinson
Patti Blagojavich (wife) ---- Audrey Totter
Jesse Jackson, Jr. ---- Canada Lee
Barack Obama ---- Clarence Muse

Quote of the Day

In a democracy
it's your vote that counts;

in feudalism,
it's your count that votes.

--- Mogens Jallberg

Dec. 10: Demonstrate: Support Chicago workers taking over their plant

Support Chicago workers taking over their plant

KEEP THE PLANT OPEN
Jobs at a Living Wage are a Right


Demonstrate
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 12 Noon
Bank of America, 261 Broadway
(subway - R or W train to City Hall; 1, 2, 3, A or C to Chambers Street; or 6 train to Brooklyn Bridge)

Over 250 heroic workers—overwhelmingly immigrants—at the Republic Windows & Doors factory in Chicago are fighting back! These members of Local 1110 of the United Electrical, Radio and MachineWorkers of America (UE) have taken over their plant until they get their jobs back.

Their workplace was suddenly shutdown when Bank of America withdrew a line of credit. No 60 days notice was given to these workers, as required by the WARN (Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification) Act. Their vacation pay was stolen, too.

George Bush gave $25 billion of our money to his pals at the Bank of America. This financial octopus already has over $1.7 trillion in assets. With all this dough, they go ahead and steal the jobs of these Chicago workers.

Join the fight back against layoffs, foreclosures, racism, immigrant bashing, tuition and subway fare hikes!

Sponsored by Bail Out the People Movement and the May 1st Coalition for Worker and Immigrant Rights. (212) 633-6646;
e-mail: bailoutpeople@safewbmail.com;
www.BailOutPeople.org
www.may1.info


(Another important action: Support the Stella D’ Oro workers, who've been on strike for four months. Come to the picket line on Wednesday, Dec. 10 from 3 to 6 pm at 237th St. and Broadway. Take the 1 train to 238th St.)

What's wrong with the college football championship?

Some thoughts on the Bowl Championship series (BCS).

The current BCS makes no sense. This year the BCS championship game will be fought between Oklahoma (#1) and Florida (#2), which means that Texas (#3) will be a bridesmaid instead of a bride. But why is this the case, despite the fact that Texas beat Oklahoma earlier in the season (Truth: Oklahoma beat Texas Tech., who beat Texas in the last second).

There are three components that decide the BCS rankings: The Harris interactive poll, the USA Today coaches poll, and the average of six computer rankings. According to the computer rankings Oklahoma is #1, Texas #2 and Florida #3. Based on this alone, the championship game would be between Oklahoma and Texas, only when you add the much more subjective (and therefore subject to prejudice) polls to the mix do the rankings change. And the contestants in the championship game change. The only way to sort all this out would be to actually have the top eight (as the president-elect suggested) or 12 teams play it off against each other on the football field not in the poll-makers' minds.

One other controversial aspect of all this: Oklahoma's move from #2 to #1 in the rankings is a result of their beating #21 Missouri in Big 12 title game. The only reason that Oklahoma was in that game was because of an "obscure tie breaker." Had Texas been in that game (and won it) they would be in the BCS championship game.



(The college football championship is decided by a single game (Jan.8th) rather than championship series. I should also say that we are fans of Texas, where Ann went to school.)

Communicating with Obama: what can we lose?

I know that the only way to actually influence the incoming administration is to stand up and demand the "change we need." We need to organize and protest when we see violations of what we've been promised. But there are, in fact, many ways to communicate our ideas for change. This administration-in-waiting seems open to thinking outside the box. With this in mind here's a website you might want to know about: click on Change.gov then go to Agenda select an issue on which you want to influence the course of action (for example, Health care) and tell Obama/Biden what you think they should do, what kind of "change we need."

We know that this is not the whole answer. But it is part of the struggle for change. The more progressive voices they hear from the more likely they will act in our interests and not those of the military-industrial complex. Anyway I think it's worth a try. Maybe I'm just a "cockeyed optimist."

(Thanks to PDA-America: Health care not Warfare for directing me to this site)

Who should replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate?

Now that Sen. Hillary Clinton has been formally nominated by the president-elect as Sec'y of State the question arises: who will Gov. Patterson select to replace her? A number hats have been thrown into the ring, either by their wearers or those who support them. The National Organization for Women (NOW) Political Action Committee and the Feminist Majority Political Action Committee announced yesterday that they are endorsing New York City Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney for the seat. Twinmom on My DD suggests upstate Rep Kirsten Gillibrand. According to Reuters, Gov.Paterson told the newspaper he discussed the Senate seat on Wednesday with Caroline Kennedy. Paterson characterized the conversation as "informational." It should be noted that all of these women have one thing in common, they are white. When Obama resigns from his Senate seat, there will be NO Black senators. It seems to me that Gov. Patterson has an opportunity to rectify this situation.

The National Board of Review awards 2008

Well the film award season is upon us, leading up to the 81st Oscars on Feb. 22.

(The Oscar nominations will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 22. Traditionally the nominations are announced on a Tuesday, but due to the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences decided to push back the date.)

Here are the first awards announcement, The National Board of Review awards for 2008:

Best Film:
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Dir. Danny Boyle, based on Q and A by Vikas Swarup)

Top Ten Films:
(In alphabetical order) BURN AFTER READING, CHANGELING, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, THE DARK KNIGHT, DEFIANCE, FROST/NIXON, GRAN TORINO, MILK, WALL-E, THE WRESTLER

Top Ten Independent Films:
(In alphabetical order) FROZEN RIVER, IN BRUGES, IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS, MR. FOE, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, SNOW ANGELS, SON OF RAMBOW, WENDY AND LUCY, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, THE VISITOR

Best Actor:
CLINT EASTWOOD, Gran Torino

Best Actress:
ANNE HATHAWAY, Rachel Getting Married

Best Supporting Actor:
JOSH BROLIN, Milk

Best Supporting Actress:
PENELOPE CRUZ, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Ensemble Cast:
DOUBT

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor:
DEV PATEL, Slumdog Millionaire

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress:
VIOLA DAVIS, Doubt

Best Foreign Language Film:
MONGOL (Dir. Sergei Bodrov Sr., Russia) [Nominated for a 2007 Oscar)

Top Five Foreign Films:
(In alphabetical order) THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (Ger.), LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Sweden), ROMAN DE GARE (French), A SECRET (French), WALTZ WITH BASHIR (Israel)

Best Documentary:
MAN ON WIRE (Dir. James Marsh)

Top Five Documentaries:
(In alphabetical order)AMERICAN TEEN, THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON), DEAR ZACHARY, ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD, ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED

Best Director:
DAVID FINCHER, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Directorial Debut:
COURTNEY HUNT, Frozen River

Best Adapted Screenplay:
SIMON BEAUFOY, Slumdog Millionaire and ERIC ROTH, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Spotlight Award:
MELISSA LEO, Frozen River and RICHARD JENKINS, The Visitor

Best Original Screenplay:
NICK SCHENK, Gran Torino

Best Animated Feature:
WALL-E

William K. Everson Award For Film History:
MOLLY HASKELL and ANDREW SARRIS

The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression:
TRUMBO

Thoughts on Plaxico and his gun

Some thoughts on Plaxico:

My thinking about Plaxico's troubles have gone through a number of transitions since the story first broke.

First I thought, despite his not being the brightest player in the clubhouse, he didn't mean any harm and didn't hurt anyone but himself, so what's all the fuss about? But the more I thought about it, it began to seem more thoughtless and dangerous than at first. First of all, it was only lucky that he didn't shoot anyone other than himself. When he clumsily and stupidly dropped the loaded gun, the bullet could have hit anyone in a crowded club. He may be very good at catching passes in the end zone, but he is obviously not skilled enough to be anywhere near a loaded firearm. That's why people (all people) have to be licenced to carry a gun.

Secondly, he clearly had no hesitation about putting other people in jeopardy. He carried the gun into the club endangering the jobs of the door guards and the club's licence. As the cover up developed he placed the career and freedom of Antonio Pierce in jeopardy. Perhaps the most self-indulgent acts occurred at New York-Cornell Hospital. According to media reports, he lied about who he was (Harris Smith?), what happened (how he got shot), and where it happened (Applebees?). The same reports indicate a long-standing relationship between the Giants and Cornell hospital. It seems a Giant's executive met Buress at the hospital. The most egregious act was to implicate the hospital and a doctor (Dr. Josyann Abisaab) in not reporting the gunshot wound to the police. Dr. Abisaab's privileges have been suspended by the hospital. Plaxico has been suspended by the Giants. Despite the fact that neither has been convicted of anything and two major institutions may be covering their own asses.

So what to conclude from all this? The alleged perpetrator - Burris - because of his stupidity, selfishness and duplicity has placed other people in danger - physical and in terms of their lives and careers. All because he believes he's special. All because he believes he can do whatever he wants to do without consequences.

If he's convicted of all this he should be punished accordingly; but until then he should be given the benefit of the doubt. In other words, considered innocent until proven guilty. No one should be suspended until then.

Oh! one other thing. The mayor should keep his stupid self-indulgent mouth shut. Right now he's only placing any future prosecutions in jeopardy. This whole story is about self-indulgence and its cosequences.

Just for the record, I am a Giant's fan.

Georgia Senatorial run-off

Saxbe Chambliss (R) 1,220,854 57%
Jim Martin (D) 905,637 43%

99% precincts reporting

Dec. 7: Studs Terkel Memorial

Sunday, December 7, 4:00 pm-6:00 pm

A memorial celebration of the life and work of
Studs Terkel,
who died on October 31st at the age of 96,

The Great Hall of Cooper Union
7 East 7th St (3rd Ave)
(6 to Astor Place, N/R to 8st)

The event will be open to the public and free of charge.






Participants will include:

Jimmy Breslin (Pulitzer Prize-winning Newsday columnist and author)
Steve Earle and Allison Moorer (musicians);
Laura Flanders (host of GritTV and RadioNation and New York Times bestselling author)
Sydney Lewis (long-time friend and collaborator);
Walter Mosley (best-selling author)
Victor Navasky (publisher emeritus of The Nation and Director of the George Delacorte Center for Magazine Journalism at Columbia Journalism);
Andre Schiffrin (founding director of The New Press and Studs' editor and publisher);
Dan Terkell (son of the late Ida and Studs Terkel);
Katrina vanden Heuvel (editor and publisher of The Nation);
Gary Younge (columnist and feature writer for The Guardian);
Howard Zinn (historian, activist, and prize-winning author of A People's History of the United States)

Co-sponsored by The New Press, The Nation and The Indypendent.

Palin: continues to exploit troops

Today (Dec.2) is the runoff election in Georgia between Jim Martin(D) and Saxbe Chambliss(R). Today the Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, campaigned for Chambliss. Although it would be better if she would simply stay in Alaska and stop talking, watching the TV coverage of her appearances, I can't help but wonder if she will ever stop exploiting the troops for her own political purposes.

Obama and Clinton's remarks at the introduction of his "National Security Team"

Here are the comments of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on the introduction today of his "National Security Team." I will have more to say about all of them collectively and as individuals and its portent for Obama's presidency. But just for now does it bother anyone else that these appointments (Sec'y of State, Representative to the UN and Attorney General, etc.) are collectively labeled by Obama and the media as his "national security team." Many words got short shrift today, but the one that was very rarely mentioned was "Peace."



(If you are seeing this on FaceBook, please click here to see video)