Beltmann

Actually, I was just referring to a certain segment of Republicans, the group that, for example, actually has convinced themselves that Michelle Obama is nothing more than a "nasty, bitter, openly racist ingrate," and aren't interested in knowing the Michelle Obama that actually exists in reality. They prefer to believe in the cartoon playing in their head, because they are not interested in policy debate so much as demonization. I think my description was accurate for that particular segment. I don't think I even remotely implied that every person who doesn't support Obama must be an irrat

Emerson: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines."

"Saint Obama" is much like "Bitter Michelle" in that both are cartoon characters that exist nowhere but in the paranoid nightmares of Republicans. These visions have nothing to do with the real Obamas, of course, but when reality stands in the way of demonizing your opponent, it's always been politically convenient to believe the cartoon. When you buy into the myth, it's much easier to work yourself up into a lather and justify your irrational hatred. (The same thing is happening with "Addict Cindy," who I suspect bears zero resemblance to the real-life Cindy McCain.) The irony is that th

Looks like Obama has already dropped the seal. I thought the seal was a tad obnoxious...

Sounds cool to me.

My sentiments exactly.

Sharing movies with my daughter is one of the great pleasures of my life. It's been awesome introducing her to all kinds of stuff, including the silent comedians. It's especially interesting watching her develop tastes and preferences (she's partial to Harold Lloyd, but can't stand Laurel & Hardy) and watching her gravitate towards aspects that she identifies with. For example, she often focuses on the depiction of young girls; for her, Tarzan is a movie about a girl named Jane, who happens to meet a guy in the jungle... Tonight: Showgirls. (Maybe I should bookmark that parenting thr

Maybe, except that even those titles tend to be the usual, best known suspects of the "indie" circle. I'm not complaining--I think it's a fine list for the intended readership, and I wouldn't expect them to include, say, more international fare. Nice to see In the Mood for Love on there (even though I would have gone with Chungking Express).

I never meant to suggest anything other than individuals planning to boycott on their own, which is why I called it "planning" rather than "organizing." (It's also why I qualified my initial post as describing only "some," not all or even most, conservatives.) Sorry you misinterpreted. Silly you, indeed. Point is, some people apparently think a single throwaway line far outweighs the merits of the rest of the movie.

My daughter turns 4 next month. As it turned out, though, we didn't wait for Wall-E to be her first movie theater experience. Horton Hears a Who! was first, followed some time later by Kung Fu Panda. She was a bit talky at the first one, but much better at the second; overall, she did great both times!

Has EW ever pretended to be anything other than an echo of popular taste? This list reads exactly as expected.

Apparently some conservatives are offended by the environmental message and also how, at one point, the buffoonish president character says, "Stay the course." Boycotts are being planned. I'm not making this up. The movie is accused of succumbing to Bush Derangement Syndrome. Irony is awesome.

Such either-or divisions always strike me as artificial. If I feel SBS does not represent Wilco at its finest, does that automatically mean that I'm a listener seeking affirmation rather than challenge? I love having my musical perspectives stretched by any artist--especially Tweedy--but there's room for me to still say that I don't respond to SBS as deeply as YHF, isn't there? I don't want every Wilco album to sound like YHF, but I do want to love every one as much as I love YHF.

Vero Possumus!

That's all fair, UW, but at this point isn't it more true of McCain? I can't believe the press hasn't hammered him, just pummeled him, over his endless flip-flopping and gaffes. I'm not convinced that the corporate media wants Obama more than their safe, old pal McCain. In terms of the smear campaign, the phrases "Reverend Wright" and "proud of my country" have been endlessly looped by the mainstream national press. But how many times have you heard the phrases "Keating Five" or "stole drugs from a nonprofit" on the national news?

Obama's so-called "cult of personality" is a right-wing talking point that is intended to serve as a distraction; if Obama can be reduced to a cartoon, and his supporters marginalized as unthinking, then it's easier to dismiss him and avoid having to answer the substance of his campaign. After all, sheep can't be taken seriously, so why bother engaging them in the first place? It's not much different than how the Bush Administration cartoonishly reduced terrorists to "evildoers" intent on attacking freedom itself, as opposed to thinking creatures angered by American imperialism. That way

Perhaps. But we should not overestimate how much the average voter cares about the subject of election financing.

No, UW is just superhuman and therefore immune to Obama's mind tricks, unlike we mere mortals.

La Jetee is one of my all-time favorite movies. Top 20.

The worst that can be said of Obama is that he didn't "aggressively" pursue an agreement, as he suggested he would. Here's an interesting read: Why Obama Is Right To Reject Public Financing

Thanks for the birthday wishes! Spent the day hanging out with the kids, eating donuts, doing yard work, preparing for summer school, and finishing up the silent flick La Roue. That beast was 273 minutes long. 273. And tonight I have a softball game to win. 34. Man, if I'm ever gonna take my shot at the big leagues, I should do it soon.

I have complete Topps sets from 1983 through at least 1991. I was really into collecting baseball cards back in the day... I even loved those sticker books.

Scene for scene, The Happening is easy to watch--but as a whole it's profoundly silly, badly acted, ineptly directed, and devoid of verisimilitude. What a crock. (Still, it's better than Lady in the Water...)