home

Wednesday Night Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 08:08:51 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Who's going home on American Idol? I'll guess Didi or Tim. So long as it's not Crystal, Casey or Lee, I'm okay with it. I'd like to see Andrew Garcia stay a little longer too. (No spoilers please.)

L.L. Cool J isn't the only one complaining about Fox's use of canned interviews for Sarah Palin's special show. Toby Keith isn't happy either. I bet Levi won't pull those kind of stunts on his new reality show, which he describes as Jersey Shore on Ice.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

< Swiss Put Polanski Extradition on Hold Pending CA Ruling | Triangulation >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Wednesday Night Open Thread | 30 comments (30 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

    Estranged bed fellows (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by MO Blue on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 10:00:50 PM EST
    JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- An eastern Missouri lawmaker is facing an election challenge from her own husband, whom she accuses him of physical violence. He denies the allegations.

    Democratic Rep. Linda Fischer obtained a protection order against John Fischer last week. Three days later, he filed as a Republican candidate for his wife's state House seat, becoming her only challenger in the November election a day before the filing deadline passed. link
    Watching Tavis Smiley's PBS special on (5.00 / 3) (#8)
    by caseyOR on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 10:01:46 PM EST
    Dr. Martin Luther KIng's 1967 speech on Vietnam. King gave the speech, entitled Beyond VietNam: A Time to Break Silence, at the Riverside Church on April 4, 1967, a year to the day before he was assassinated.

    This was considered to be a very controversial speech. King was criticized to venturing beyond civil rights, and condemned for speaking out against that war. The tide of public opinion had not yet shifted from support to opposition of the Vietnam War. That would come in early 1968, with the Tet offensive and Walter Cronkite's subsequent comments.

    One of things I admire about Dr. King was his willingness to step out ahead of public opinion on so many of the major issues confronting the country. His politics was never driven by public opinion polls. Wish we had more political leaders today who were willing to lead on the critical issues, polls be d@mned.

    Incredible, incredible man (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by gyrfalcon on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 11:46:05 PM EST
    And if ever there was a living example of a great leader with terrible personal moral failings, it was King.  Even more than JFK or even Bill Clinton, King's life proves to me that a messy personal life, while sad, need have zippo relevance to the quality and strength of public moral leadership.

    King tapped into something that bypasses the rest of us ordinary human beings.  He was simply transcendent.

    Parent

    Good points. (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by brodie on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 11:19:10 AM EST
    And you're right to note that he was a courageous man but flawed as we all are and not a saint.

    Sometimes in the easy superficial mainstream coverage of the two major King anniversaries, we get too much of the saintly portrait, which of course is false.

    Parent

    On a withered tree (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by jondee on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 11:52:56 AM EST
    the flower blooms..

    Is there a person anywhere on earth whose entire life remains pristine under even the most intense scrutiny?

    And dont anyone say "my mother's"

    Parent

    I prefer polls who have a big libido (none / 0) (#22)
    by Salo on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 08:38:43 AM EST
    At least they know what life is for.

    Parent
    It was a worthwhile (none / 0) (#25)
    by brodie on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 11:14:50 AM EST
    program from Tavis, and he covered an aspect of MLK, his antiwar activism, that usually goes unmentioned in the MSM.  One thing I wasn't aware of, mentioned in the special, is that MLK initially questioned the Johnson admin's war policy as early as 1965.  But King got in some hot water with LBJ, who wasn't pleased at all, and also with his own SCLC board, and so kept mostly quiet about it for the next two yrs.

    As for Riverside and the response at the WH, here's an interesting snippet from a former top Johnson aide and press sec'y who sent a note to his former boss with these comments:

    I believe a clear majority are behind you on the basic issues of Vietnam and on the question of bombing, too.  But for a long time they have been hearing from Martin Luther King and Stokely Carmichael and men like Walter Lippmann and others, and I sense an erosion of their certainty.... The dissenters will not retreat, but the great majority of the middle will be reassured that the dark road ahead can be safely traversed.

    May 1, 1967 letter from Bill Moyers (quoted in Dallek, Flawed Giant)

    Another top Johnson adviser, John Roche, told the prez that King was a "loser", and someone who "in desperation has thrown in with the commies.... The communist-oriented 'peace' types have played him."  

    Who was John Roche?  A political scientist and head of the then-influential liberal-left Americans for Democratic Action.

    Here we have the reactions to King's speech of two solid insider liberals, who appear to be taking a defiant position more in tune with ultraconservahawks Walt Rostow and Dean Rusk.  Amazing, especially if these liberals actually believed what they were advising as opposed to just telling LBJ what he wanted to hear.  

    Parent

    Administration choices (5.00 / 3) (#9)
    by MO Blue on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 10:20:51 PM EST
    ProPublica reports today that the Department of Health and Human Services has hired the massive PR firm Ketchum to help win consumer trust about electronic medial records with funds from the stimulus. But, as ProPublica's Sebastian Jones and Michael Grabell note, Ketchum has a controversial history of pushing propaganda during the Bush administration:

    The irony? The firm chosen for the job -- Ketchum Inc. -- was hip-deep in controversy a few years ago for producing a series of fake TV news stories that violated a federal ban on propaganda. The company also drew fire for channeling taxpayer funds to a conservative pundit to promote the Bush administration's education policies.
    link


    Wednesday night laughs (none / 0) (#1)
    by Inspector Gadget on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 08:18:34 PM EST
    Modern Family and Cougar Town!!

    Two our our faves. The Middle is good too. (none / 0) (#30)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 12:01:12 PM EST


    Parent
    I really hope this link (none / 0) (#2)
    by ZtoA on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 08:42:41 PM EST
    does not get me banned here. Seriously.

    But maybe I'm getting punchy after working all day I have to work all evening too and will there be a day off anytime soon? Noooo.

    Anyhow, Captain Howdy's really offensive bad taste video from an earlier open thread (morning?) reminded me of this comedy team. Occasionally they are  really funny. Always raunchy and in poor taste. This bit has something that will truly offend pretty much everyone. A new meaning of "golden mean".

    Red State Update on the Edwards Sex Tape

    Not going to click on the link (none / 0) (#3)
    by Inspector Gadget on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 08:50:09 PM EST
    -- thanks for the warning. Learned long ago never to click on any links from CH. If he didn't get banned, you won't.

    Parent
    well, I don't blame you (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by ZtoA on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 09:27:30 PM EST
    And you are not missing much that is uplifting in the Red State Update link (unless you are a 12 year old - and that is only for the raunchy language), but it IS funny. My favorite part of the video is where they talk about the "poor people who are really hard to disappoint".

    And I wanted to apologize for completely missing a joke you made to me in another thread about Jimmy Choos. I had NO idea what a Jimmy Choo was. Sad but true. I actually asked my daughter and she said in a patient, exasperated and amused voice "shoes! remember watching sex and the city?". So someday I am going out to actually find, and then try on some Jimmy Choos and I'll think fondly of you Inspector, for that cultural nudge.

    Parent

    :) I love shoes....great shoes (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Inspector Gadget on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 09:52:06 PM EST
    n/t

    Parent
    untll a certain age... (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by ZtoA on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 11:02:51 PM EST
    a way too old age I suppose, I never spent more than $15 on a pair of shoes. I felt like Alice (in Wonderland) - my feet were just so far away so who cared? But at that certain age (which rhymes with 'torty' - since this is a legal blog) I decided I needed to get real values and as an emblem of that I would get shoes. It was a big ritual for me. I went out  to Nordstroms and bought a pair of 'Name' (Thomas Cole? I think it was) shoes and really loved them. (and, NO, I was never anything like a hippy - just did not get shoes).

    Then my mother visited from 2000 miles away and as she pulled up to my house and I went out to warmly and lovingly greet her the FIRST thing she said was "you got new shoes!!".

    If I actually buy a pair of Jimmy Choos (which is doubtful unless he makes some really cheap shoes - I've regressed that way) I may get that from my daughter too.

     

    Parent

    There are some things (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by gyrfalcon on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 11:38:14 PM EST
    where paying a lot more money gets you a vastly better product, and good shoes are one of them.  The one or two times in my life I had the bucks for good shoes rather than el cheapo ones, I was kinda staggered by the difference in workmanship on them.

    I still have one elegant pair in great shape, but now that I live in the country, I'll probably never get a chance to wear them again.  I was aiming for the wedding of some friends this fall, but it was outdoors and the weather turned out about as bad as it could be, rainy and cold and blowing wind like crazy.  So although it was under a big solid tent, everybody (including the groom and groom) was in country courduroys and sweaters and parkas and boots.   Sigh.

    Parent

    Ha! The country has (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by ZtoA on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 12:23:48 AM EST
    its draw backs.

    I work in my bare feet, - or now that I'm older than the word that rhymes with "nifty" I work in socks. But my sister who is an actual amazing financial professional, and is on her feet all day long, is a real great shoe advocate.

    I had to be in 'nice looking' shoes for an event recently... walk to the event, around 5 city blocks considering parking at the convention center, and then stand around for 4-5 hours talking like I had no feet, then walk back those same 5 city blocks and I was IN BAD SHOE HELL.

    Parent

    The irony (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 10:21:04 AM EST
    for me is that these past five years living in the country have involved so much more actual physical labor on a day-to-day basis that my metabolism has revved back up to its pre-you-know-what stage and I'm nearly as slim as I was then and a lot fitter.  But nobody ever "dresses up" for anything here, so there's virtually no opportunity at all to get out of jeans and sweaters.  Sigh.

    Parent
    ever gone to a contra dance? (none / 0) (#24)
    by CST on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 10:26:32 AM EST
    from what I remember - it's the VT version of going out.  Dresses and people of all ages welcome.  You don't even have to know what you're doing because they shout out all the instructions.

    It's pretty fun too.

    Parent

    Don't have 'em (none / 0) (#31)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 12:52:45 PM EST
    in my neck of the woods that I've ever seen.  Plus I utterly lack appropriate clothes for that kind of affair!  Don't think my spike heels and form-fitting little black dress would be quite right...

    I'm in actual farm country, so community social events tend towards the all you can eat pancake breakfast at the church to raise money for the library addition or the elementary school production of the Sound of Music, or the annual Jamaican seasonal workers' hymn sing at the end of the apple-picking season.

    Parent

    Not all that into shoes (none / 0) (#14)
    by TomStewart on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 11:50:24 PM EST
    but I do splurge on Beatle boots from England.

    Parent
    People, both genders (none / 0) (#15)
    by ZtoA on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 12:03:56 AM EST
    seem to love their feet. My nephew loves his shoes as does pretty much everyone I know.

    The only pair of shoes I truly loved, and continue to love to this day is a pair of boots. Real cowboy boots.

    OK the story was that I found myself early 2000s in Odessa Texas. Yup. for work. And my co-worker and boss/co-worker were there too. The whole thing was truly, and I mean, truly, strange. I had many 'activities' right next to the George Bush Museum. No kidding. It was the Bush "little house on the prairie" museum. I didn't visit. But I was thinking "if I, like any good liberal, has a god given sense of humor then.....why, why this??? is this fair??) Anyhow, these friends/co-workers of mine were from Texas and one was gay and the other was great and nuts and wonderful too. They decided I needed to get boots and accompanied me so that I would not get "citified" boots - somehow very humorous and important to them. We went to a veritable Wall Mart of boots, and I did get a pair. They actually steamed one of the boots bigger since my feet are not both the same size.

    I truly love to wear them. They 'go' with simply everything!

    Parent

    try skipping the Jimmy Choos and (none / 0) (#16)
    by Jeralyn on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 12:06:19 AM EST
    going right to Christian Laboutin or Manolo Blahnik. Or my personal favorites, Lucchese cowboy boots.

    Parent
    make that (none / 0) (#17)
    by Jeralyn on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 12:07:14 AM EST
    Chritian Louboutin

    Parent
    Guiseppe Zanotti (none / 0) (#18)
    by Inspector Gadget on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 12:19:49 AM EST
    :) my personal favorite.

    There's a brand of cowboy boots that is considered the greatest for those who want the best in boots, but I forget the name. I think they are made in Texas.


    Parent

    Now the flats just strike me as - well, (none / 0) (#20)
    by ZtoA on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 12:36:20 AM EST
    that could be Target fare..... but the  boots.... now, that I could really and I mean really get into. These boots on the Lucchese site are - I admit - beautiful.

    Parent
    Bali (none / 0) (#5)
    by Tony on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 09:37:09 PM EST
    I was looking for an update today on Schapelle Corby when I found out that another Australian, 48-year-old Robert McJannett, is facing up to 15 years in prison in Bali for having under two ounces of marijuana.  This just seems insane to me.

    Total betrayal of humanity? (none / 0) (#10)
    by observed on Wed Mar 31, 2010 at 10:21:58 PM EST
    (comparable to the language Krugman uses for Republicans who oppose global warming action)
    Salazar

    Just read the weasel words of Salazar that accompanied today's announcement of offshore drilling and give up hope.

    Originally I was most worried that Obama would be the President to cut Social Security.
    I still think that is in the works, but seeing his complete cravenness in HCR, I have to say that the prospect of Obamacare meeting global warming is too grim for words.

    this is pretty cool (none / 0) (#27)
    by CST on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 11:19:27 AM EST
    "Young Saudis bypass social lockdown with Facebook"  Link

    The best thing about the internet is that it makes it a lot harder to control people, and control thought.

    Now if only China would remove their firewall...

    At least most countries aren't that sophisticated.

    Republicans are funny (none / 0) (#28)
    by waldenpond on Thu Apr 01, 2010 at 11:35:19 AM EST
    The first half of this is actually funny.

    April Fool video of unicorns and rainbows (a little like Jib-Jab)

    Wednesday Night Open Thread | 30 comments (30 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment