According to Bill O’Reilly the Nazis were rude, and shouted at people.

Some students at the University of Connecticut were rude, and heckled Ann Coulter. O’Reilly’s response:

if you go on the Internet and you look at the right-wing websites and compare them to the left-wing websites, that the far left in this country, the zealots — I mean, these are zealots — are Nazis, and this is exactly what the Nazis did. They disrupted rallies. They came in and shouted people down. They intimidated. They smeared.

So that’s O’Reilly’s definition of Nazi atrocities. Some might argue that the Nazis were rude and obnoxious, in addition to gassing millions of Jews, Gypsies, and other non-Aryans. Of course, I’m sure the British felt Colonials were rather rude for dumping all that tea in Boston harbor. Rudeness and obnoxious behavior doesn’t earn the description of “Nazi”. And to label it as such, diminishes the term for when it is really appropriate. And one really does need to ask why Bill OReilly associates rudeness with Naziism.

According to Bill O’Reilly the Nazis were rude, and shouted at people.

Some students at the University of Connecticut were rude, and heckled Ann Coulter. O’Reilly’s response:

if you go on the Internet and you look at the right-wing websites and compare them to the left-wing websites, that the far left in this country, the zealots — I mean, these are zealots — are Nazis, and this is exactly what the Nazis did. They disrupted rallies. They came in and shouted people down. They intimidated. They smeared.

So that’s O’Reilly’s definition of Nazi atrocities. Some might argue that the Nazis were rude and obnoxious, in addition to gassing millions of Jews, Gypsies, and other non-Aryans. Of course, I’m sure the British felt Colonials were rather rude for dumping all that tea in Boston harbor. Rudeness and obnoxious behavior doesn’t earn the description of “Nazi”. And to label it as such, diminishes the term for when it is really appropriate. And one really does need to ask why Bill OReilly associates rudeness with Naziism.

In an all-out brawl between

Team 1) Harry Potter, King Kong, Gandalf, Luke Skywalker, and Aslan

Team 2) Voldemort, Godzilla, Sauron, Darth Vader, and The White Witch

Who would win?
Thoughts?

And while we’re asking questions, who would win the basketball game?

AFA’s Don Wildmon says, If ADL’s Foxman criticizes religious right, some of them “won’t support Israel anymore”.

During the broadcast, Wildmon stated that Anti-Defamation League (ADL) President Abraham H. Foxman “got himself kind of in a bind” by criticizing the religious right. “[T]he strongest supporters Israel has are members of the religious right — the people he’s fighting,” Wildmon said. “[T]he more he says that ‘you people are destroying this country,’ you know, some people are going to begin to get fed up with this and say, ‘Well, all right then. If that’s the way you feel, then we just won’t support Israel anymore.’ “

Because, you know, the only reason the Religious Right supports Israel is they think that’s all America’s Jewish population cares about, so they can use it as leverage. If we look the other way as they return Jesus to public schools, etc, they will support Israel. If we don’t, well then, they’ll stop.

Thanks, Don, for making it clear to everyone who might possibly have thought otherwise.

AFA’s Don Wildmon says, If ADL’s Foxman criticizes religious right, some of them “won’t support Israel anymore”.

During the broadcast, Wildmon stated that Anti-Defamation League (ADL) President Abraham H. Foxman “got himself kind of in a bind” by criticizing the religious right. “[T]he strongest supporters Israel has are members of the religious right — the people he’s fighting,” Wildmon said. “[T]he more he says that ‘you people are destroying this country,’ you know, some people are going to begin to get fed up with this and say, ‘Well, all right then. If that’s the way you feel, then we just won’t support Israel anymore.’ “

Because, you know, the only reason the Religious Right supports Israel is they think that’s all America’s Jewish population cares about, so they can use it as leverage. If we look the other way as they return Jesus to public schools, etc, they will support Israel. If we don’t, well then, they’ll stop.

Thanks, Don, for making it clear to everyone who might possibly have thought otherwise.

Others, such as Scalzi and Wil have commented on Disney’s decision to leave Christopher Robin wandering alone in the woods, and bring in a new character to play with Pooh, Eyeore, Piglet and Roo. A girl. (No rumors that the girl will be called Robin or Christine…though they could easily do that.)

Neither are very happy with it. And I don’t have high hopes for it either. I enjoyed Scalzi’s short story of C.R. lost in the woods, and agree completely with Wil on how Disney should allow their ‘timeless characters’ to be updated by others. However, neither point out where I think Disney has failed in their logic.

“We got raised eyebrows even in-house at first, but the feeling was these timeless characters really needed a breath of fresh air that only the introduction of someone new could provide,” says Nancy Kanter of the Disney Channel.

Disney’s Kanter says the new cartoon represents not an abandonment of an old, familiar world, but rather an alternate universe for Pooh and his crew.

There’s nothing wrong with adding something new…but the mistake Disney has made is: despite the fact that AA Milne gave Winnie the Pooh star billing in “House at Pooh Corner” Winnie the Pooh is NOT the star of the series. Pooh, Eyeore, Piglet, Roo, and Tigger are all on equal footing. Christopher Robin was the star. Sometimes he was the star even though he wasn’t on screen. But this was his imaginary world which we were witnessing through his eyes.

I have no problem with bringing a tomboyish girl into the mix, and asking the question of what happens when Christopher grows up…but that wouldn’t be a Disney film/tv show. (Especially if I wrote it.) Nor do I have an issue with introducing a new imaginary character. But removing Christopher is so jarring because he, not any of his stuffed-animals-come-to-life, is the protagonist.

With a new child we are either in a new imaginary universe, not the hundred acre woods, and all of Christopher’s pals have been kidnapped by this girl. Or if we are in the hundred acre woods we have a case of demonic possession, where Christopher has been possessed by this girl, and his personality suppressed, while she gets to play with the characters in his mind. Either scenario is very disturbing.

Mel Gibson’s production company wants to produce a miniseries on the Holocaust.

Gibson’s personal role is unknown, but it is clear that the decision to go with his production company was based on the controversy they knew would arise. Gibson’s father is on record as saying the Holocaust never happened, and Gibson has never directly refuted it, and has even gone as far as saying his religious beliefs were taught to him by his father, and his father never lied to him. Of course, it’s easy to see how it could be difficult for someone to admit that their father’s beliefs aren’t just unpopular, but factually wrong.

Gibson has stated that “atrocities happened,’ and this is enough for some to brand all those who attack him as hypocrites. But they don’t provide Gibson’s full quote:

Yes, of course. Atrocities happened. War is horrible. The Second World War killed tens of millions of people. Some of them were Jews in concentration camps. Many people lost their lives. In the Ukraine, several million starved to death between 1932 and 1933

This quote is troubling because it seems Gibson doesn’t understand that the significance of the Holocaust was not that millions died…but millions died because of a deliberate plot to exterminate a group of people based on the religious beliefs of their grandparents. He seems to equate those who died in concentration camp ovens with those who died on the battlefield. Equating the death of the Nazi soldiers at the hand of the Allies to the deaths of those in the concentration camps.

I miss the old Mel. He should never have grown a beard. I’m sure that’s his problem.

A lot of people make a big deal about the 27 club. Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, and Kurt Cobain are the most commonly named members. Some argue whether Cobain belongs, as there is evidence he committed suicide at age 27 partially so his name would be connected with the others. If we include him, we may be encouraging others to commit suicide at this age so they too can be members. The blues singer Robert Johnson isn’t named as often, but he too died at 27, and if you’re willing to accept non-musiciains, one could also include Columbian football player, Andres Escobar, American Football player, Pat Tillman, and actor Jonathan Brandis.

But are there any other clubs worth mentioning? Sure there are. The 27 club probably came about primarily because Brian, Janis, Jimi and Jim were all superstars, all born within two years of each other, all died within two years of each other, all at 27. Robert Johnson died back in 1938, which is one reason he is often forgotten.

However, one could argue the “30 club” is compelling:

Emily Bronte, English novelist, 1848
Patsy Cline, American singer, 1963
Sylvia Plath, American poet, 1963
Andy Gibb, British Singer, 1988
Jeff Buckley, American singer, 1994

There are some interesting members in the “32 Club”

Alexander the Great Macedonian King 323 BC
Brian Epstein, British businessman and manager of the Beatles, 1967
Bruce Lee, Chinese martial arts actor, 1973
Cass Elliot, American singer, 1974 (Mamas and the Papas)
Keith Moon, British drummer, 1978 (The Who)
John Bonham, British drummer, 1980 (Led Zeppelin)
Karen Carpenter, American singer, 1980 (The Carpenters)
Bill Hicks, American comedian, 1994

The “35 club” can even claim singers Phil Ochs (1976), Stevie Ray Vaughan (1990) and Ol’ Dirty Bastard (2004)….not to mention Mozart (1791)

So statistically, there really isn’t anything special about the number 27. You can find a group of famous people who died at any age. But this logic isn’t going to have an effect on the emotions of fans. So “The 27 Club” will live on.

Jim Morrison would be 62 today. He was born on December 8, 1943.
It should also be noted, that John Lennon was assassinated in 1980 on this date, at the age of 40. Which means Morrison would have been 37 when Lennon died, and I turn 37 in a month.

David Brooks says the dollar figures are grossly exaggerated, so let’s cut them in half. Let’s say he spent only 5 million dollars on his daughter, getting Tom Petty, 50 Cents, Aerosmith, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Stevie Nicks, Ciara, and Kenny G to peform for her. (or only 4 of those 8). And lets say instead of Video Ipods for all the guests, they were just Ipod Nanos.

What’s he going to do in 10 years to top it, when the kid’s 23, and she gets married?

And to think I thought British mogul Phillip Green was a little extravagant when he hired only Justin Timberlake for his son’s Bar Mitzvah. Pshaw.

David Brooks says the dollar figures are grossly exaggerated, so let’s cut them in half. Let’s say he spent only 5 million dollars on his daughter, getting Tom Petty, 50 Cents, Aerosmith, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Stevie Nicks, Ciara, and Kenny G to peform for her. (or only 4 of those 8). And lets say instead of Video Ipods for all the guests, they were just Ipod Nanos.

What’s he going to do in 10 years to top it, when the kid’s 23, and she gets married?

And to think I thought British mogul Phillip Green was a little extravagant when he hired only Justin Timberlake for his son’s Bar Mitzvah. Pshaw.