And the Lies just keep rolling...

Wow, what a shock. The Child King has appointed a Fox News minion to tell the press whats going on. And the media is reporting, not that Tony Snow is a member of the most dishonest media outlet in the world, but that he criticized the President on several occations.

What they are refering to is the truth, not criticism. And no one has mentioned that his problem with the 6 year old was that he wasn't concervative enough!

At first I thought this might be the media being kind to it's own, but then I remembered that Snow was part of the Elder's kingdom, and that's how he got his media job. This guy was never a journalist, he's a wonk. He is better looking than Scott, but I imagine that his time at the podium will be even less enlightening.

I know, Iknow, what appointment could possiblely be satifactory? None. These people want to destroy government (drown it in the bath tub, I believe is what they say) so how about not appointing anyone. Let the kid do his own press; what? is that too much "hard work?" Really, since they want to tear it all down, why not just let it fall apart. We will pick up the pieces in a few years, and then back to economic prosperity, healthy citizens, clean water, and international respect. Until people get to rich and elect another fascist out of blind greed.

Can't Stay off the Blog today

I am waiting on voice over for my current project at work so I don't seem to be able to stay off the blaog. Anywho, over to teh right in the links you will see a name, Gomez. If you don't know them, click the link and get to know the best rock band in the world right now. Seriously, if you like rock music you will like Gomez.

For the rest who already are fans of "the Gomez," they have the video for "How We Operate" up now. This alone does not warrent a post, but in viewing it I was struck by how similar it was to the the stlye I used for the film content in Bright Room. No quick cuts, but they obviouly shot in color and then passed it to Black and White. They camera is swinging back and forth to cover the whole band, giving the viewer the illusion that they are present - which was what I did with the German Lessons and From the Book sections of Bright Room. Both of those sequences have had most of the swing cut out of them for time (though not enough time according to some people) but the original takes are similar in a kind of creepy way. At least they didn't slowley convert to color over the corse of the song - so I still have one original idea.

Apparently Tom shot the whole thing in one take, which means Ben is very quick on his switch from banjo to the Les Paul (impressive.) I was wondering where Tom was in the video, getting kind of scared - but all is well apparently. Can't wait for the album release next week.

Later Scott

Well, I've been sort of out of the tirade loop for the past week or so but now that the show is open I can get back on my high horse. A lot has "happened" in the past couple weeks regarding dear leader and his gang of regressives.

Scott McClellan, what can I say. He never made much of an impression. Ari at least had some style, Scott looked and acted like some kind of middle manager for a auto parts supply company. I though he was a liar the first time I saw him, so I wan't really shoked that he got up on stage and lied to the country over and over and over and over and over again. Am I happy he's gone? Sure. Does it make a difference? No. There isn't anything that will make a difference until November. So all the liberals can probably stop rejoicing that the administration is completely falling apart.

I mean, whopptey do. They screwed up so badly that they had to resort to hiring actual government types rather than tunnel visoned ideologues. Really does anyone think Karl Rove being "stripped" of his policy duties is a good thing? Personally I like the round mound of rhetoric to be as distracted as possible. Bu t now he is "free" to go off and plant bugs in the offices of "in danger" republican candidates and smear war veterans.

He never really did anything with his policy position anyway. I mean, what kind of policy has this administration had? It's all tax cuts (which means getting rid of policy,) and war. There was that little Social Security thing in 2005, but who do you think they were kidding (apart from themselves.) It's the third rail of American Politics for a reason.

I was watching Bill Maher last night and he said something that I've been trying to articulate for about two years now. Bush likes to compare himself to FDR (excuse me while I vomit and Frank spins freely in his grave) but really he's the antithesis. FDR inherited a divided country with the worst economy in history and united the country and built the strongest middle class the world has ever seen. Bush (after 911) inherited a unified country with the strongest economic growth the world had ever seen, and proceeded to sharply divide the country and spiral the deficit so out of control that the recovery could take 15 to 20 years(this is all paraphrased.)

Roosevelt knew that he was going to have to take extreme measures to fix a failing country; he said so in his first inaugural address. He talked about sacrifice, dignity, and the need to rethink old interpretations of the constitution in order to achieve progress or be swallowed by an economic system that favored only the haves. I think more and more that we are on the verge of being right back in that situation. The circumstances are different, and instead of bread lines they will probably be gas lines (and not the semi civil lines of the 1970's, no way Americans are way to greedy now, people are going to get shot over this.) Our only hope is to get some power back to the Democratic Party. Oversight, policy initiative, real government, it's the only way to neutralize the child we have at the helm of our country right now (re: "I'm the decider," have you ever heard a grown man sound more like a 6 year old boy?)

On another note: Heather Higgins from the Independent Women's Forum was on Real Time with Bill Maher as well, and the lady wouldn't let anyone answer. I saw three men trying their damnedest to be polite and respectful to someone who consistently would not let more experienced panelists speak. I'm mean, who the hell do you think you are (male or female) to lecture Ret. General Anthony Zinni about the situation in Iraq? I actually though she would try and interrupt the Satellite guests, and those are pre-taped. It's not a male\female thing, it's actually been going on all season. The panels on that show used to be great, intelligent, entertaining, and thoughtful discussion - now every week I either see four people yelling at each other (even when they agree) or some moron taking advantage of civil discourse to try and sound intelligent (and maybe get a talking head gig on a 24 news out let in the process.) I know one answer will be "read abook," but damnit I just have to say something before the show just becomes a more expensive version of Cross-Fire.

This just in

I'm not sure how this is going to pan out, but the below mentioned director has come begging to a much wronged actor from our fair city. Thats right, begging. The sadness to me me is that he probably will end up getting what he wants without any consequences - and I imagine - no lessons learned.

I have a bit more access to the wronged actor, since I'm his manager at his day job, and I think he is going to go the the Big Apple. Best Wishes to him, I hope it is good to him. He will be missed around the office for sure. But the decision isn't final...yet.

The Big Yawn

Helen Hayes has come and gone without a speck of "drama." I commend Jim for beating his previous run time by nearly two hours, but the rest of the show was...um...conventional.

I don't want be one of the Helen Hayes nay sayers, in fact what I like about them is the feeling of legitimacy that they bring to the DC theatre community. I just wish it were more exciting.

Four ties, in significant categories. I can't decide if it's good or bad. On the one hand it seems like there is a parity that should be good, so much good work that no consensus can be reached. But on the other hand, if we're gonna try and make the judgment shouldn't we make it - otherwise they should just give everyone a statuette when they walk in the door, sing a song and start the party.

My other issue was the slide show for Ming Cho Lee and Jane Greenwood. Their work is stunning, and worthy of a presentation that at least understands positive and negative space, layering, and has a rudimentary understanding of the cross dissolve. I'm an editor, it makes me a snob.

I did see a bright shining light in the results though; a certain morally bankrupt former assistant to the "great teacher" was rightfully shafted. Karma is a bitch.

First Preview for "An Inconvenient Truth"

I've heard a lot about this new film. Particurly the latest issue of The American Prospect. I had a conversation this weekend with a Democratic Party Offical and he didn't even know about it. Anyway, check it out. My personal hope is that it propells Al Gore to run in 2008. Hears the sloagn - You Already Elected Me Once.

The Silver Bullet

First off, sorry I've been delinquent in posting. Acting and Designing a show right now and tech starts Tuesday.

The last post started a disscussion so I'll keep riding that pony till it bucks. We're all human so "point of view" is something we will never escape. But education opens you up to seeing a bigger picture. I myself went through a startling transfermation during high school (ha, ha.) At the age of 14 I was what we would call a neo-con (yep, thats all the education you need.) Probably since it was the Reagan era and as a young boy I like guns and war - hey in the woods behind your house it's all fun and games.

But the more that I learned (math, science, literature, and history) the more of a "liberal" I became. My teachers all had different points of view and I think that helped me to discover mine. I didn't even know I was a liberal until my AP Government teacher called on me in class as "the Liberals Liberal." Really, I thought I was an independant (and yes I voted for Perot in '92.) I din't find out for years later (when my brother was taking his class) that he was a liberatarian. But he was one of my favorite teachers (the subject helped.)

I guess the point is, doesn't the media have a reponcibility to inform? If that is what they are doing then they are part of the teaching process, on a larger scale. Media has given up it's responcibilities in that respect and started to just entertain. That is what needs to stop, and when it does we will see the kind of objective journalism that helped strengthen the country during the Twentith Century.

As for access to media. It does sadden me to see vast parts of our country saddled with one soource media - newspapers or airwave (we haven't even hit on radio yet.) But think about this, Ruport Murdock controls 80% of the asian market - now that is being isolated.

No one wants to talk about it, but reinstituting the regualtions on corprate media ownership is the only way I see to fix this problem, and increase competion (if not profits.) But I think we're gonna need a Progressive Revolution in not only the politicians of this country, but the people themselves. Education always polls well, but it rarely wins anyone an election.

Real Actual News

I don't do news. I am not a journalist, as many bloggers think they are. But today I went to the Media Matters forum on (of course) "why media matters" at the George Washington University. I don't have pictures, since my phone camera sucks, but intend to report what I witnessed as accurately as possible.

The panel was Eleanor Clift, Helen Thomas, David Brock, and Al Franken (hell yeah!) And as a panel that was fantastic. I think that I listen to too much Franken though, because like his last book, I felt like I was hearing a lot of the same stuff. Same with David Brock, I read The Republican Noise Machine in 2004 (and it is still the only book since 1992 that I have had to look words up in order to understand, and I mean that as a complement,) and he repeated a lot of back story that I have heard before.

Anywho, the topic was the media and specifically progressive voices in the media - the problem was that no one wanted to talk about that. It was a lot of talk about the war and Bush, which relates to the media, but isn't the real issue. Helen Thomas was very engaging and on topic, specifically saying that we were at war "and I want to know why?" Which garnered the first applause since the panel took the stage (she gave her opening statement last, so like 35 minutes in.)Mrs. Clift spoke about being attacked from the left in response to her editorial criticizing Russ Feingold for bringing up censure. And she repeated something that has been getting to me lately.

She quoted Newt Gingritch. Some time in the last month he said that the democrats should run with the slogan "Had Enough?" I've heard this quote a bunch of times in the last few weeks, and it bugs me. This is why. I got to ask a question, and though I stammered in trying to form it as a question I hope the point wasn't lost (Al wrote it down, so I hope he uses it.) I referenced Mrs. Clift's quote of Newt, then explained that I have a bumper sticker on my car (which I put on 3 months ago) from the DNC that says "Enough is Enough - Vote Democrat." OK? It's the same damn slogan, and everyone in the media is touting it as a Newt idea. The worst was that Mrs. Clifts response was that she didn't know about the DNC slogan - which tells me the thing we already know, the media refuses to do their homework. Which Helen Thomas echoed in her earlier statements.

On the happy side, Al used the opportunity to say that it concerned him, because it gave the impression that Newt was smart. I now am the proud owner of a comedy assist to Al Franken. Sadly the young guy ahead of me in the question line was not so lucky, he tried to be funny, but was met with the Al retort "I'll do the jokes." It was all in good fun though.

Side note - Al's Cheney impersonation is better on the radio that in person.

Another interesting thing, is that Al looked at me a lot. And when I introduced myself as "an actor in D.C." he moved his glasses and squinted trying to see if he could place me. Good luck man, unless you watch "Toy Soldiers" a lot, or are a fan of Union training films it's not too likely, but I thank him for the attention.

Over all, the final question, "where do we go from hear?" which was a very poorly planted question - went unanswered for the most part. Mrs. Clift thinks the media will right itself - like a free marketeer would, Helen Thomas thinks we have to start over (I know what she means, but that would require some kind of universal journalistic control group to beat the bias out of all these pseudo-journalists crapping on the airwaves these days, and the draw and quartering of Chris Matthews,) and Al says he's going to do his radio show tomorrow - funny, but not an answer.That’s the problem; no one wants to fix what is wrong. One side wants to talk about the consequences and the other will just ignore it. We have to stop watching news entertainment (cable news) or none of this will change. The corporate media only responds to money, so watch Oberman and John Steward, but not Lou Dobbs or Wolf Blitzer - until they get with the program and start dealing with fact.

Out Foxed, again.

Most of the people I know are starting to treat today like a minor Democratic holiday. Tom Delay, evil dark lord of the House, has decieded to pack it in and resign from Congress. On the face, it looks like something great; the ouster of the, once, most powerful man in Washington, architect of the "K-Street Project," and patron saint of regresseve public policy.

The harsh reality is that the republicans have, once again, out foxed the democrats. With Delay out of the picture for the fall, democrats will be forced to run on their message - which if you are me is great, but if you live in Texas, may not be as effective. More than that, democrats have lost the very symbol of corruption that would, more than likely, have ussured in a demoratic majority. It's a real dog fight now.

With a "clean" republican running for Delay's seat, Nick Lampson will have to run a real campaign. Face it, with Delay in the race, Lampson really just needed to show up on the ballot. Now he's got to beat somebody, who is another question.

Deomcrats have lost their best friend today. Delay has become for the democrats, what Clinton was for republicans-someone that gets us to rally together to put down.

The ball in in the democrats court. The necessisty for a clear strong message has increased ten fold over night. I do not sugest that the should start running to the center, not at all. Clear concise, effective statements about fiscal reponcibility, common scense Homeland Security, a 21st Century education system, Health Care solutions, and a Military reajusted to fight the enemy's of today (all positives) should (in my view) be the democratic party's main focus now. The democrats had more sucess letting the republicans eat their own anyway, so lets hope that after digesting Mr. Delay they end up with a big old stomache ache, and don't show up in November. These are very tenious days, and it is important not to relax or over celebrate others misfortune - schadenfreude anyone?