So, Ferguson, Missouri. What's Up With That?

Is this the new normal in small town USA? Creepy.
Image from source, New York Times.

If you're a regular visitor to this blog, you may have noticed that it's been rather thin around here, of late. Though I do tend to post less in the summer, there's more to it than that. I just can't wrap my hands around some of the horrible news going on in the world. You know? I mean, when it comes to the problems in Ukraine, Israel and Iraq, what can be said? These are long-running, war-prone regions, and I'm not going to pretend I have the answer. And shoot, most of the people who are paid to be experts don't seem to know what they're talking about either, most of the time.

Now, the news out of Ferguson, Missouri is a little closer to home. And my instinct in this case would be to reserve judgment until all the facts are in. I'm not one to immediately jump to the defense of the police or the accused. But I have to say, the cops are coming off badly here. Very, very badly. And I agree with the meme that is ricocheting around the internet: what does a small town police force need with all of this military gear? They look like an army invading a country. Is this what we want American towns to look like, occupied territory?

So, here's a little more on that. I'm going to try to get my brain in the game, but summer's not over yet. I still have that excuse.

[Excerpt]

Amid Protests in Missouri, Officer’s Name Is Still Withheld
 
In the five days since an unarmed young black man was fatally shot by a police officer here, the selective release of information about the shooting, and especially the anonymity granted to the officer, has stoked frustrations in this largely African-American community north of St. Louis, where residents describe increasingly tense relations with the police. . .

Read more at: New York Times

What Happens in Vegas: Celine Dion Cancels. . .Everything

You would think that I'm Celine Dion's target demo. After all, I love powerful, female singers. But I go for rockers like Pat Benatar or Melissa Etheridge, and pop divas like Cyndi Lauper, Janet Jackson, Lady Gaga or Katy Perry. The overwrought power balladeers are just not my thing. But I will concede that she's got an amazing voice, and is an amazing talent. She also has a legion of fans.

Which is why this is rather big news. Dion is one of the biggest draws on the Las Vegas Strip, and has cancelled all of her shows into next year, due to health issues of herself and her husband. Here's hoping for a swift recovery for all concerned.

[Excerpt]

Celine Dion cancels Vegas, showbiz schedule for health, husband

Celine Dion has canceled all Las Vegas shows through March and an Asian tour, and postponed her entire showbiz schedule, to focus on her husband’s cancer fight and her own struggle with an inflammation of her throat muscles. “I want to devote every ounce of my strength and energy to my husband’s healing, and to do so, it’s important for me to dedicate this time to him and to our children,” Dion said in a Caesars Palace news release emailed to the media at 6 a.m. Wednesday. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas Review-Journal

Movie Legend Lauren Bacall Dies at 89

Image from source, CBS News

It's actually hard to believe that actress Lauren Bacall was only 89 years old, when you consider the era in whih she became famous. But for the longest time, I took an odd comfort in the fact that she was still around. I don't know why, I guess it was because she was among the last of her generation of movie stars, and it hasn't been all that long since she last worked. In fact, I remember checking the IMDb credits for an episode of Family Guy, and indeed, it was her!

Beyond her classic movies, she was also a voice artist, voicing countless commercials over the years. Small wonder, with that trademark husky voice of hers. And she was in more than a few "modern" (compared to her classics) films, from Stephen King's Misery to the comedy My Fellow Americans to the Barbra Streisand flick, The Mirror Has Two Faces. But oddly enough, I'll always remember her first and foremost for The Fan, a cheesy 80s horror flick! RIP, Lauren. You were a class act all the way.

[Excerpt]

Legendary actress Lauren Bacall dies at age 89

Known for her husky voice and sultry looks, Lauren Bacall, the model-turned-actress who starred with husband Humphrey Bogart in classic movies such as "Key Largo" and "To Have and Have Not," has died at age 89. Her son told CBS News that she died Tuesday morning in New York City. The Humphrey Bogart estate also confirmed the death. . .

Read more at: CBS News

 

Sarah Palin Channel's Latest Folksy Video

'Cause ya know ya wanna see it, also.

[Excerpt]

Sarah Palin Channel's Latest Video Is Just A Bunch Of Word Salad


 
The latest video on Sarah Palin's eponymous online network was billed as a rebuttal to Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-MA) Netroots Nation speech, but some of Palin's points were just too incoherent to follow. In the video posted Friday, Palin responded point by point to eleven "commandments" that Warren outlined in her speech to the progressive confab last month. Warren's sixth point, that fast food workers deserve a living wage, drew so much scorn from Palin that she stumbled over her words a few times. . .

Read more at: Talking Points Memo

The Gay Thing: Tennessee Stalls Marriage Equality's Winning Streak

Since the Supreme Court ruled part of the (badly named) Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional in 2013, the marriage equality cause has been on an unbroken streak of victory, at least 30 wins, depending on how you count them. Inevitably, that streak was broken by a contrary decision in the State of Tennessee.

Image from source, TPM

There is a very strange wild card in play that has so far been dismissed, but in the Tennessee case was ruled valid. It's called Baker v. Nelson, a Minnesota State Supreme Court case, which ruled against same-sex marriage in 1971. The next year, the Supreme Court of the United States dismissed the appeal, but somehow--I'm not a lawyer, so I'm really not getting this--the Baker decision is precedent. Other courts have decided that times have changed in the past 43 years (imagine that!), and Baker doesn't apply. Tennessee apparently thinks otherwise.

So, it's a wrinkle. It was pretty much bound to happen, and I'm sure the National Organization for Marriage and its allies will undoubtedly be doing cartwheels, and trumpeting that the tide has turned.

[Excerpt]

Judge Ends Marriage Equality's Undefeated Streak Since SCOTUS Ruling

A state judge in Tennessee has upheld a law banning recognition of same-sex marriages, snapping the extraordinary winning streak for marriage equality in several dozen state and federal courts since the Supreme Court ruling U.S. v. Windsor in June 2013. Circuit Court Judge Russell E. Simmons ruled that Tennessee need not recognize the union of Frederick Michael Borman and Larry Kevin Pyles-Borman, who married in August 2010 in Iowa. The judge invoked Tennessee's state laws defining marriage as between one man and one woman. . .

Read more at: Talking Points Memo

Robin Williams, Dead at 63

Image from source, LA Times

Few celebrity deaths hit me with any oomph. Michael Jackson. Gilda Radner. Madeline Kahn. And now, Robin Williams. I heard the news on my drive home from work, and it had apparently just broken. My mouth hung open for close to a minute, as I drove. "Suspected suicide." I just. . .some people aren't supposed to end.

I was the perfect age for the character of Mork, when he was introduced on Happy Days. 12 years old, and--like every other kid in America--a fan of both that show and Laverne & Shirley. Williams' zany character took off instantly, and helped turn the already burgeoning ABC TV schedule into a juggernaut. For a pop culture fan like me, it just put me deeper in. He was so funny and bizarre in the role, it somehow felt both safe and dangerous. I think Williams was often like that. Inconceivably, network meddling killed Mork & Mindy, after its very first season, but it took three years to die. Cast and timeslot changes caused a huge amount of viewer loss. I never left, but the audience eventually did. It's a shame too, because when Williams' hero, Jonathan Winters joined the show as his son, there were some classic moments.

Image from source, LA Times

I continued to be a fan of Williams, though not to the degree I did as a kid. I've always enjoyed his brand of humor, and thought he was a great actor. I just wasn't a fan of some of the roles he picked. Still, whenever he's pop up on Letterman or elsewhere, he was just a hoot to watch. Then, when he returned to television, with The Crazy Ones (a terrible title, unfortunately), I had to watch. To be fair, it had something to do with costars Sarah Michelle Gellar and James Wolk, but Williams' part was part of the draw. I watched every episode. It gelled into a wonderful ensemble, and it's really sad that it didn't make it. I've got to wonder if his spirits wouldn't have been better. . .or better enough. . .had the show been renewed instead of cancelled this spring. RIP, Robin.

[Excerpt]

Robin Williams dies in apparent suicide; actor, comic was 63

Robin Williams, a comic and sitcom star in the 1970s who became an Oscar-winning dramatic actor, died Monday at 63 in Marin County. The Marin County Sheriff's Office said he appears to have committed suicide. The news of the beloved actor’s death rocked the nation. Channels broke into their usual programming to make the announcement, and within minutes, Williams dominated online trending topics. Even President Obama noted his passing. . .

Read more at: Los Angeles Times

 

Blast from the Past: Ugly Cars of the 70s!

Yes, kids, it's a rerun this week. But it's from two and a half years ago, so it's time for a revisit anyway. It's personally topical, because I'm anxiously awaiting the release of the 2015 Jeep Renegade. While I think it's great looking, there is a contingent (mostly Jeep purists) who think it is ugly. Enjoy!

ORIGINAL POST:

I don't think the new Dodge Dart will land on many
"ugly" lists. Image from MSNBC.

I got the idea for this week's Blast from the Past from the news story that Chrysler is bringing back the Dodge Dart. The new one is a much different critter from the old 60s and 70s Dart, which started kind of classic, and became desperately ugly by the mid-1970s. But so many did!

There is no doubt that Detroit made a lot of ugly iron in the 1970s. Whatever brand loyalty and reputation they may have earned in the previous 50 years was all but destroyed by those crappy cars. Some of them became classics anyway, whether ironically or not. But most of these beasties can only be loved with buckets full of nostalgia thrown on them.


1. Chrysler Cordoba - Only remembered for Ricardo Montalban's "rich Corinthian leather!"
2. Chevrolet Chevette (1976) - This ugly duckling debuted with fanfare it didn't deserve. It never, ever turned into a swan.



3. AMC Pacer - Ugly inside and out, even with a Chevy Nova inside.
4. AMC Gremlin - They took a reasonable looking Hornet, chopped off the trunk, then made it as ugly as possible.



5. Ford Pinto (1970) - Much like the Chevette, Ford tried to make this sound like something wonderful and exciting, and "care free." If you don't care about fires. . .
6. Dodge Dart Swinger - Ten kinds of ugly, swinger or not. (Cheating a little, this is a '69 commercial)



7. Plymouth Duster (1972) - This one actually looked uglier to me in its original time. Given how ugly so many other cars of the era look now, this one is growing on me.
8. Oldsmobile Omega Brougham (1976) - I picked this car because almost nobody remembers it. Unlike the others, it doesn't have a legend that goes with it. But it is a great example of how little thought went into making cars attractive in America in the 1970s. (The original ad is missing, I had to substitute an '80)



That will just about do it for me for the week. I know there are many unrepresented ugly 70s cars, so I tagged this as "Part 1."And we've got other decades to hit too! Happy Monday!

President Obama Authorizes Air Strikes, Humanitarian Aid in Iraq

Image from source, TPM

Ugh. I don't like any of this. I don't like the hovering threat of a renewed Iraq war. I don't like that we have to be involved at all. I don't like that the Twitter comments from #TCOTs was overtly negative before the President had finished a sentence. "Thanks Obama, you screwed up Iraq" is a paraphrase of the comments I saw rolling in.

Sure, Iraq was going perfectly when Dubya left office, right? And the end date he settled by treaty, the one that President Obama followed? Mistake! But Obama's mistake. Dubya was just goofin', seeing if the radical Kenyan socialist would fall for it, right? In reality, we should have stayed in Iraq forever. Right?

Listen, I don't pretend to be an expert on Iraq, the Middle East, or much of anything going on over there. Like most Americans, I kind of cringe, and hope it resolves itself before it gets out of hand, but I don't know why it's our problem. Other than that pesky "Pottery Barn Rule." But I sure would like to see conservatives act like Americans when there's a crisis, instead of blaming everything on the President as a reflex.

[Excerpt]

Obama Authorizes Military Air Strikes, Humanitarian Aid In Iraq

President Barack Obama announced Thursday night he had authorized the U.S. military to launch targeted airstrikes if needed to protect Americans from Islamic militants in northern Iraq, threatening to revive U.S. military involvement in the country's long sectarian war.

He also said the U.S. military had carried out airdrops of humanitarian aid to Iraqi religious minorities under siege by the extremists. . .

Read more at: Talking Points Memo

Christian Radio Host Ties Ebola to Atheism, Homosexuality

Christian Radio Host, Rick Wiles. Nice hair.

Ebola is a horrible virus that kills quickly and gruesomely. Most of us know what we know about it from terrifying novels by Robin Cook, and scary medical thriller movies. So, when it rears its real head in the world, it can kind of freak people out. Which is why the CDC immediately came out and said: you can't get this easily, it's only transmitted through body fluids.

The infected doctors who came here are in isolation, and presumably not sharing any body fluids with anyone. If another healthcare provider gets a needle stick or something, they're sure to be popped right into a plastic bubble. This is not a third-world country. Ebola is very unlikely to become a runaway plaque in the States. It's not airborne. But fearmongers know that there is money to be made by scaring the crap out of people. And they've coupled it with other well-known pocketbook opening boogeymen: atheists and homosexuals (oh my)!

Honestly, can anyone make excuses for this guy? And he's not alone either. I heard our local right-wing radio doofus, Kevin Wall, trying to tie Ebola to the border immigration story. I mean, WTF? Ebola, untreated, kills rather quickly. The quarantine time is something like three weeks, because by that time, you either live or die. How likely is it that these kids can traverse all the way across Mexico from Central America with a disease that wipes you out and quickly? And how did it get there from Africa? It's absurd.

[Excerpt]

‘Christian’ Radio Host: Ebola Will ‘Solve America’s Problems Of Atheism And Homosexuality’
 
Some people, when they look at the worst Ebola outbreak in history, hope for its quick end and for the safety of those in the communities affected. But others, like Christian Radio Host Rick Wiles, hope it spreads to the US and wipes out every last atheist and gay person in the country. . .

Read more at: AddictingInfo

EDITED: I got an odd tweet, taking me to task for not knowing what a virus is. It is totally possible I zipped this post out more quickly than I should have, so I've fleshed it out a little more. Funny, the guy was an atheist (and proudly so), so we'd actually probably get along.

Sean Hannity Challenges Stephen Colbert

Image from NewsCorpse

I had trouble with the headline. I kept wanting to type, "Challenged Sean Hannity," because that man is just not quite right. He has a talent for broadcasting, I'll give him that. But he's rather a savant. Dumb as a box of rocks outside of talking points. But he's the kind of guy who believes his own hype.

Why else would he throw down a challenge to a comedian? And not just a comedian, but a comedian who is playing a character. Hannity makes fun of the fact that Stephen Colbert has writers, which comes off like Hannity making Obama teleprompter jokes. Hannity has writers, and a teleprompter. But the point is moot, because Colbert is an improvisational comic. He does live interviews, and adlibs every single show. He also ran The Colbert Report completely without writers during the writers' strike.

It's no contest, brilliant comedian, verses doofus talking head. You've got Hannity taking Donald Trump-worthy mean jabs in one corner, versus a seasoned, smart performer. I'd watch it though!

[Excerpt]

Chickenhawk Sean Hannity Issues Lame Challenge To Stephen Colbert

Among the ranks of pseudo-patriots who lip sync to the “Star Spangled Banner” while recruiting other people’s children for every war that comes along, Sean Hannity stands out for his unparalleled hypocrisy and cowardice. This is the same torture advocate who once promised to be waterboarded for charity to prove that it isn’t torture. That was five years ago and he still hasn’t kept that promise. . .

Read more at: NewsCorpse

Right Wing World: A New Party to Split from the GOP? Great Idea!!!

I thought that the Tea Party was supposed to be "better" and "more conservative" than the establishment Republican Party. But when the establishment cowtows to the Teas, and the Teas all run as Republicans, who can tell them apart? So, someone has gotten the bright idea to start a breakaway party. And, get this. . .with Sarah Palin as its figurehead. Yeah!

I couldn't have scripted it better. This would be so amazing. Do it! Do it now! Don't wait until after the midterms, strike while the iron is hot!

Image from FreakingNews

[Excerpt]

Conservative Activist Proposes Third Party With Sarah Palin As Its Leader
 
Steve Baldwin, a former California lawmaker and onetime executive director of the Council for National Policy, believes that Tea Party and Religious Right activists should form a third party to “do to the GOP what the GOP did to the Whig Party 150 years ago. . .”

Read more at: Right Wing Watch

Hillary Clinton "Surprises" Stephen Colbert

Well, I'm sure Stephen Col-BERT wasn't surprised, but his character was, as was the audience. And me! Hillary came off very well in a scripted bit, I thought, and looks great. I can only see this helping her.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,The Colbert Report on Facebook,Video Archive

The GOP's Latest Money Beg: "I Miss W" Mugs

The only thing these things are good for is as
a substitute for clay pigeons.

If you really can't live without it,
you can get your mug by following this link. But I'm going to assume you're using them for target practice.

GOP

Behind the Blogger: My New Obsession is the Jeep Renegade, But It's Not Out Yet!

Over the seven-plus years of this blog, I've written several times about cars. Specifically, my cars. I've written and rewritten a "Cars I've Owned" post, which began as one of those internet trends. After re-reading it though, it's in desperate need of a complete rewrite. Was I drunk when I wrote it? Wrong years in a couple of places, repeat sentences, I don't know. It's not my best work.

High-end Trailhawk on the left, mid-range Latitude on the right.

But I'm going to hold off rewriting it until I get my next car. That wasn't supposed to be until several years from now. My most recent vehicle, a 2009 Mitsubishi Galant, was bought four and a half years ago, to replace a 1998 Jeep Wrangler I'd had for nine years. I even bought an extended warranty that doesn't run out until 2018. But you know what? I've got new car lust.

My mom is to blame. She gifted my siblings with some car-buying help, and offered the same to me. My first response was, "I don't need a car." And I don't, my car's in good enough shape. Upon reflection, however, I thought "Am I NUTS?" Why would I turn down an offer like that? So, I embarked upon a plan: accept whatever she offers, couple that with the proceeds or trade-in from my car, plus some cash of my own. If all of those puzzle pieces come together correctly, I could actually buy my first brand new car ever! If I stick to a reasonably-priced one, of course.

The super-nifty interior (I think the red is only available on Trailhawk)

And I know, buying new is a gamble. They say it depreciates the moment you drive it off the lot. Which is why I was initially focusing on a Toyota product, namely a Scion xB, just like The Other Half drives. They barely depreciate, and when they do, it's at a much slower rate than most. I thought this was a great idea. Mom thinks the car is ugly (yeah, Mom, but funky ugly!). Mom's got other ideas, and I'll entertain them when her summer of travelling is over.

Meanwhile, I've fallen head-over-heels for a vehicle that hasn't even reached our shores yet. A Jeep Renegade. I know what you're thinking. "Jeeps are made in Toledo, dummy." Yeah, but the Renegade is based on a Fiat, and is built in Italy. "An Italian Jeep? They were part of the Axis!" Sure, but Chrysler is owned by Fiat, and used to be owned by Daimler-Benz, the Germans!

See? Similar, but different. Better different.

Except for the lack of air conditioning (in Las Vegas), and the high cost of maintaining a 12-year-old vehicle, I really miss my old Jeep Wrangler Sport. I'd wanted one since childhood, and I just loved it. This new Jeep has enough flavor of the brand to suit me. It's almost exactly the size of the xB I was also considering, but with a nicer interior, more attractive exterior, available dual sunroof, backup camera/touchscreen stereo, more hauling ability, the possibility of a trailer hitch, and four wheel drive.

All of this has me over-anxious and a little obsessed. I have a Google alert set up for it, and even triggered it myself by writing on the Jeep Renegade Forum! I've dwelled over the spec sheets, trying to figure out what iteration (Sport, Latitude, Limited, or Trailhawk) I want, with which options. Which things are deal breakers (no A/C, no sunroof, no 4-wheel drive), and which I can live without (leather seats, fog lights, tow hooks, rock-crawling package). And this might be a complete waste of time, because I have no idea when it will be coming out, or how much it's going to cost.

There are tons of guesses out there for price and timeline, but little in the way of definitive information. I'm just hoping that Jeep doesn't price this to the stratosphere, and that the dealers don't tack on thousands in "just because you want it so bad" fees.

Rush Limbaugh is Still a Big, Fat Pig, Part MCMLXXXVIII

With apologies to Senator Al Franken for stealing his title, Rush Limbaugh just seems to keep trying to outdo himself in piggishness. He's just disgusting.

[Excerpt]

Rush Limbaugh: Liberals will politicize Ebola like they used AIDS to ‘undermine’ Reagan

Radio host Rush Limbaugh warned his listeners on Monday that liberals would make Ebola into a political issue and use it like they had used AIDS to “undermine” President Ronald Reagan. In an audio clip flagged by Media Matters, the conservative talker explained that he had received some complaints from listeners who said that he should not be spending time talking about the Ebola outbreak in Africa. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Scandal: Can We Finally Put Benghazi to Bed?

Seriously, if this current Trey Gowdy-headed group still doesn't find anything to smear President Obama or Hillary Clinton, can we put it in the vault? After the healthcare reform fight, I didn't think it was possible for me to get more tired of a subject. But the Benghazi thing may be worse.

[Excerpt]

Trey Gowdy’s Benghazi setback: New humiliation for GOP’s scandal hunter
 


Congressman Trey Gowdy

In case you were at all concerned that the relative lack of Benghazi news of late meant that the issue was finally receding after nearly two years of intensive and fruitless investigation, fear not: in just a few short weeks, Benghazi-mania will live and breathe again. Rep. Trey Gowdy, chair of the House select committee tasked with beating whatever Benghazi bushes and dead horses remain, announced on July 30 that his committee’s first hearings will take place in September. If past is prologue, then Gowdy’s people will likely take advantage of the slow August news cycles and leak a few stripped-of-context tidbits to some bored and easily misled reporters. With the midterms bearing down, you’ll have all the necessary ingredients for yet more obsessive Benghazi “scandal” coverage. . .

Read more at: Salon

So, That Happened: A Kids Book on Open Carry

A couple of decades ago, when people would travel to countries that had armed soldiers at airports, carrying large weapons, they'd remark on it. It was odd. Scary. Foreign. Now, gun nuts advocates are trying to make "open carry" of large and/or small weapons a normal thing. To most of us it's still odd, scary and foreign. But when pressed, a lot of open carry advocates will tell you that their showy demonstrations at Chipotle, Home Depot and other ordinary locales, are meant to familiarize the populace with the concept. To normalize it.

I think I speak for a sizable portion of the populace when I say I don't want deadly weapons on random citizens to be normal. And let's be honest, if this is so "normal," why don't they demonstrate in banks? Airports? And what would the reaction be if The New Black Panthers or a Muslim group began holding the same sorts of demonstrations? Frankly, that I'd like to see! Just for the cognitive dissonance meltdown.


Now, I'm about to veer off into a place that you might not see the point of at first, but bear with me. Many of these same people are anti-gay, or at least anti-gay marriage.  One of the big allegations is, that the "Gay Agenda" is to normalize homosexuality, by desensitizing people to it. They will (falsely) tell you that gay people "recruit" children, or at the very least, we wish to "indoctrinate" them into believing that being gay is normal and natural. They see this as something of a sinister infiltration.

How is "Open Carry" different from that (exaggerated) scenario? They're trying to get us to think of openly carried weapons as normal. And, they're indoctrinating children.

[Excerpt]

There’s Now A Book To Teach Your Kids About Why They Should Pack Heat While Shopping

Do you wander around with a Glock on your hip, so you are prepared for the day when you’ll open fire on an armed assailant? Do you worry about how you will explain to your kids why you wander around with a Glock on your hip, so you are prepared for the day when you’ll open fire on an armed assailant? Well, Brian Jeffs and Nathan Nephew, two advocates for openly carrying firearms from Michigan, have a solution for you! The two men have authored “My Parents Open Carry,” a book for children that tells the tale of a young girl and her family as they “turn an otherwise ordinary day into an open carry adventure!”. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Blast from the Past: Class of '84, Girl Groups & Duets!

I'm just about to wrap up my Class of '84 editions of Blast from the Past, and move on to other subjects. But I wanted to get the female-led bands before I quit. Problem is. . .I'm not sure I can scare up enough of that category from that year. But I'm going to give it a shot.

1. Head Over Heels by the Go-Go's - That apostrophe in there always bugged me, but I loved the band. It's hard to believe they really only had about five hit songs. This one is one of my favorites.
2. Cruel Summer by Bananarama - The girl band that refused to harmonize. And Venus was my favorite, but that came later. This was their first all-around hit in the states, though they were much bigger in England.



3. I'm So Excited by The Pointer Sisters - This may not be a band you'd think of when you think of 80s music. But they had a slew of hits around 1984.
4. The Men All Pause by Klymaxx - Never a favorite of mine, and this isn't one of their best anyway. But did I tell you this is a hard list to make?



5. The Warrior by Scandal featuring Patty Smyth - Yes! This was a monster hit, and huge on MTV. It looks silly now, but I guess you had to be there.

And here's where they run out. But I have someplace else to go that I didn't visit: The duets of 1984. And I know I can find five of those!

6. Say, Say, Say by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson - So big, it was the number 3 song of the year (after When Doves Cry by Prince and What's Love Got to Do With it? by Tina Turner. And this one was so much better then Mac & Jack's previous effort, The Girl is Mine.



7. Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer by Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes - I'm really glad I added duets, because this is one of my favorites. I love Kim Carnes for one thing, but the harmonies in this song just make this one great.
8. Yah Mo B There by James Ingram and Michael McDonald - One of the 80s' goofier song titles, enough to make a joke out of it in The 40 Year-Old Virgin.



9. Almost Paradise by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson - Loverboy and Heart meet to create a schmaltz-fest. I always sang, "Fuzzy pair of dice."
10. Islands in the Stream by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton - Kenny was busy in '84! And getting busy with hot blondes, apparently. This one was huge, and if it sounds kind of like a Bee Gees song, that's because they wrote it.



And there you have it, two categories for the price of one. As you can see, there was really some diversity going on in 1984, even if the girl bands aren't well represented. As I said, I'll take a break from this topic for a while, but before the year is out, I may revisit with different categories, and go over some choice acts I missed.

For now, I hope you had a great weekend. Happy Monday!

Lazy Weekend: Mad Movie Roundup

So, over the last three weeks, I've been binging on the J.J. Abrams series, Fringe. Yes,  a Fringe binge.  But, I basically wrapped that up, early on Friday. 100 episodes in three weeks. I loved the show, and I'll seriously miss it, but that's a lot of the same thing in a short period of time, isn't it?

But the funny thing about a binge like that, is once it's done, you don't quite know what to do with yourself. It's summer, so there's mostly crap on actual TV.  So, should I start a new binge? Too soon. No. Need a breather, I think. So, what then? Well, one thing I really ought to do is use all of the crazy amount of media I'm paying for, whether I use it or not. So, I thought I'd go ahead and use some. The Other Half was away for most of the weekend, and I had no particular obligations.

I managed to do my chores, get some errands done, and watch some stuff I don't usually get around to. But just wait to see the bizarre choices I made. . .

1) The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) (2011) - Having seen the intensely bad original, I knew I was what I was in for, or thought I did. This is one of those things you watch just so you can say you did. I didn't expect much. What I got, was a desensitizingly awful film that renders all further horror/gore films moot. It covers just about every awful thing that could happen to a body in every disgusting way, but told in the most grindingly boring way possible.

I should clarify, I grew up in the era of the Mom 'n' Pop video store, where VHS rentals were mostly either bad horror movies, or porn. I saw 'em all (the horror movies, silly), and so I have a soft spot for the odd gore fest. This one though? It goes so far, for so long, that it leaves you with the inability to be further shocked. One thing I liked: our demented killer in this one is not a skilled surgeon, so his methods are decidedly messier than what happened in the first film. It leant a small amount of credence to an otherwise incredible story.

2) Devil (2010) - Another horror film, but one that was a bit more mainstream, Devil almost plays like an extended Twilight Zone or Alfred Hitchcock Presents kind of episode. It feels too small to be a feature film. It was all right, but light weight. I love Chris Messina, and liked seeing Jenny O'Hara. I guess it's an okay Netflix viewing, on a slow weekend, like I had. But don't make it a main event.

3) The Evil Dead (2013) - I suddenly remembered that I had this on a shelf, and thought, "why not?" Well, as it turns out, after The Human Centipede 2, this movie just has no punch. And after The Cabin in the Woods, the tropes are just too obvious. Plus, I kept thinking, "Hey, it's the girl from Suburgatory!" It's a gore-fest, it's not an improvement on the original, and it's just kind of pointless. Plus? Human bodies don't take that kind of punishment, and still allow you to function as these people functioned. At the point the protagonist pulls her hand off to escape, and then manages to wield a chainsaw? I'm just like, "really?"

4) Scary Movie 5 (2013) - This movie series was burning out either on part 3 or 4 (and part 2 sucked), so, I didn't expect much with this one. And I didn't get it either. The first Scary Movie was a Wayons Brothers effort that was way over the top, but hilariously funny. Part 2 had a very different tone, and a creepy Chris Elliott. It wasn't funny. So, Part 3 brought in David Zucker, 1/3 of the Airplane!/Naked Gun team. It was scatter-shot, but--seemingly accidentally, if you watch the outtakes--quite funny. Part 4 barely had a laugh. This one is worse. Don't bother.

5) V/H/S/2 (2013) - This is the second part of a horror anthology series, kind of a modern day Creepshow, with the conceit of "found footage" from video cameras, and still with a linking story around the vignettes. The first part was kind of headache inducing, but it had a couple of standout segments, so I gave this a view. And you know what? It's kind of fun! I mean, it's very low budget, and you won't confuse this with quality film making. But if this is the kind of movie you're looking for? It's not too bad! Most of the gore and scares come off as gags, more humorous than scary.

6) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) - I never read the trilogy of books behind this film, but did watch part 1, so thought I'd give this on a go. It was actually pretty good. It is hamstrung by the same problem as part 1 though, the fact that they expect you to have read the books. There isn't much to let you know where or when this dystopian world is. Is it Earth? Is it the future? A little research via Wikipedia spelled it out a little for me, and filled in some blanks. I've got to think that if you have some of that knowledge going in, that you'll enjoy this film a lot more. But it's clearly a quality production.

And that was my after Fringe binge movie binge! I realize that the last one in particular doesn't really fit, but that's the way I roll. In all I can only recommend the last one, and only if you're into that sort of thing!

Over Time with Bill Maher, August 1, 2014

Overtime: August 1, 2014