Here’s another “Popcorn in Bed” video hosted by a young Canadian-American woman named Cassie, watching and commenting on a classic movie for the first time. She watches this one alone. And I’m posting it because this is one of my all-time favorite movies – “12 Angry Men.” Since it’s full of so many twists and turns, I figured it would be a fun one to get her (always involved) reactions. And she doesn’t disappoint. It’s such a great movie, and she gets sucked into it early on and is carried away by all that’s going on. So, her reaction to it is wonderful.
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Sep 4
Just to clarify, I'm not referring to the word in its literary sense but its physical one. Profile -- as in standing sideways so can't see a person fully, looking at you squarely in the face, but turned away and only able to see half an individual. That brings us to Thom Tillis.
Earlier this week, he boldly released an extremely strong, withering statement lambasting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying how he's undermined the military and should be fired. Tillis even made two comments that were most likely intended references to Hegseth's drinking problems, noting that the Secretary "retreats to ginning up culture wars instead of soberly attending to the vital work of our national defense. There's nothing that Thom Tillis said that I can disagree with. And it was impressive coming from a MAGOP senator of Trump and Hegseth's own party.
Far less impressive and the direct opposite of courage is that he waited until after Trump helped push him out of office, and when he was a lame duck with only four months left in his term and pretty much had no authority. Add to that how Mr. Tillis most surely knew all this that he said this week at the time when he voted to confirm Pete Hegseth as Secretary of War. And knew it all as he enabled Hegseth's actions every day of the Secretary's tenure.
Cool. Well-done. Kudos, sir.
To be fair, this was not without meaning. Even as a lame duck, it's good to see a Senate MAGOP speak out, critical of a major Trump appointee, since it has the potential (tiny though that might be) to make it easier for another MAGOP to say something similar. And it's important to keep putting out in the zeitgeist the concept that Pete Hegseth is incompetent and hurting the country. It just would have meant significantly more, of course, had he done this at any time before being defeated for re-election, and especially instead of voting to confirm someone who, as he knew at the time and, says now, "I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country. He is intimidated by competence..."
Courage, indeed.
This, of course, isn't news. Just the other week, Sen. Bill Cassidy, a doctor who was also defeated for re-election when Trump promoted his opponent and is now a lame duck without authority, made a critical statement about the incompetent and destructive Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr. Coming long after he well-know Kennedy's deeply problematic views on health and yet voted to confirm him anyway. There have been others, as well, notably Marjorie Taylor-Greene, who was one of Trump's top water carriers until (to her credit) she dared go against him on one issue, and he pushed her so far she resigned. After which she's been a fairly outspoken critic, at least by MAGOP standards. So, yes, it's great to see this and see the half-Thom Tillis be as blistering as he was towards the "inept" Pete Hegseth. Not as great or courageous as it would have been, of course, when it actually mattered significantly more.. Before Trump and Hegseth drove the bus off the cliff and into the Strait of Hormuz.
Sep 3
Let’s go out and about with Jiminy Glick again – this time when hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live, and with his guest Melissa McCarthy. This is longer than a usual Jiminy interview, 11 minutes. It’s gets more “personal” between them that they continue throughout, and is filled with extended attacks from both sides. The extra time allows Jiminy to throw in a range of odd questions, and McCarthy the opportunity to come up with an wonderful replies -- and is an overall hoot.
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Author
Robert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting.
Elisberg is a two-time recipient of the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. He's written for film, TV, the stage, has two sort-of best-selling novels, and was a regular columnist for the Writers Guild of America and Huffington Post. Among his other writing, he's had a long-time column on technology (which he sometimes understands), and co-wrote a book on world travel. As a lyricist, he is a member of ASCAP, and has contributed to numerous publications.
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