Has anyone been following the criminal case with VP Cheney and AG Gonzales as defendants, down in south Texas? There are other defendants (such as other judges and prosecutors) in this case, which accuses the defendants of prisoner abuse, but we all know why this keeps popping up in my "Top Headlines" section when I log into Yahoo.
Anyway, the prosecutor in the case is a guy named Guerra. He lost the last election, partly (mostly?) because of the (now dismissed) indictments against him of extortion and misuse of public office. Most of the people he has indicted in this case worked to get *his* indictment. He said he would only stay during a hearing if the judge asked him 'respectfully', telling the press that he would otherwise ignore the order to appear. During the hearing this morning, he stood, pounded the table with his fist and yelled at the judge for favoring the defendants and demanded the judge recuse himself from the case.
This is like something you see on bad legal-type shows. Like that new-ish one with Mark Paul Gosselaar, which is apparently about a surfer dude that must step up to the plate when his twin, lawyer brother is desperately needed, but tragically is in a coma, along with all common sense, decency and legal knowledge that should be in a courtroom. (I don't know. I haven't seen it, but that's what the commercials make me think of.)
So the question is - how much does Guerra want to become an actor? Was this his audition? I'd have started out slower - maybe gone for a governor or two before the vice president, but I suppose he's short on time since his term ends in January. Good luck, Mr. Guerra. I hope to see you with your own show as the abrasive, take-no-prisoners, unethical, volatile character you're perfecting.
It's much better than having you in a courtroom.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
This Post Has Almost Become Obligatory...
(Apparently, it's hilarious that I was in this situation. So here it is. Part eleventy-billion of 'people who need to think before they speak'. And for once that person wasn't me.)
So on Saturday, several of us went to celebrate ALV's birthday at the zoo. If you haven't been there (or have only been there for Immunity Day parties), it's a really cute little zoo that you can cover in an hour and cover *well* in two hours. Personally, I adore the otters or - as we have dubbed them - water puppies.
Anyway, as we're preparing to leave, I mention that we should go to see "Quantum of Solace" the following weekend and how it's disgraceful that "Twilight", coming out the weekend after that, is a real threat to the new Bond film's numbers. We begin discussing "Twilight"... by which I mean, I began berating what is sure to be a god-awful movie because it's based on the only books for which I've ever advocated book-burning.
Which is around the time that we hear this woman - complete with tattoos and one of those nose rings better suited for a bull - behind us asking if I'm talking about "Twilight" and if I am, that I need to realize they're the best books ever or she'll throw something at me. Um, what? Lady, let me count the ways you just annoyed me. First, you're eavesdropping. Second, assuming that you're holding drinks, that will be your arsenal of choice. NOT COOL. Third, and this might be a shock, but you should allow people to disagree with you - I didn't hear your threats of physical violence and then think, "Surely, I must be wrong about 'Twilight'!"
And fourth... this is a big one... you're an adult! Find a real freaking book to read. The ONLY possible exception I have for "Twilight" is that it gets kids to read - but that exception is for *kids*. You should have moved beyond this! Look elsewhere for your literary needs. Perhaps... fiction? Without the "young adult" in front of that word? Just a thought.
So yes, I was almost in a throw-down... in the zoo... surrounded by (her?) children... about children's books. It's not "Twilight" - it's the freaking Twilight Zone when that has become a reason for picking a fight with a complete stranger.
*sigh*
And, just because I know one of you out there is sputtering about how "Twilight" IS the best series ever, here's my list of why you're completely wrong:
1. It's called a Mary Sue - you know, the perfect, beautiful, smart, jeopardy-friendly girl that has charming faults like loving someone *too much* and being a klutz. Look it up. It's next to "bad writing" in the dictionary.
2. Speaking of bad writing - bad writing ahoy! You might charge me with the fact that I've never read the books. Which is true... in their entirety. But I have read the excerpts on Amazon. And I wanted to gouge my eyes out with a spork. And then cut my own hands off to make sure I would never return to Amazon again, which would only happen to make sure I wasn't hallucinating the awful. Apparently, compound sentences are a bit beyond this author.
3. The vampires sparkle. SPARKLE. Remember when vampires were evil and soulless? You know, when they were... vampire-like? That's the way I like my vampires. In the words of Buffy (when she was the amnesiac Joan) - "A vampire with a soul? How lame is that?"
4. Congratulations to the author for taking unhealthy relationships to the next level. I know Disney probably screwed up my image of romance as a child, but I don't remember the Beast ever saying to Belle, "Seriously, I love you so much that if you don't love me back, I'm going to go and get myself killed. Because that is the totally sane thing to do when you're experiencing heartache and something totally appropriate for my already emo viewers to identify with. So, I hope that's cool. Love me back if you don't desire my death!" And Belle didn't try to throw herself off a cliff when she was separated from the Beast either. Just saying.
5. Aren't the first four reasons enough???
"What do you mean, 'I'm not sparkly enough'?"
So on Saturday, several of us went to celebrate ALV's birthday at the zoo. If you haven't been there (or have only been there for Immunity Day parties), it's a really cute little zoo that you can cover in an hour and cover *well* in two hours. Personally, I adore the otters or - as we have dubbed them - water puppies.
Anyway, as we're preparing to leave, I mention that we should go to see "Quantum of Solace" the following weekend and how it's disgraceful that "Twilight", coming out the weekend after that, is a real threat to the new Bond film's numbers. We begin discussing "Twilight"... by which I mean, I began berating what is sure to be a god-awful movie because it's based on the only books for which I've ever advocated book-burning.
Which is around the time that we hear this woman - complete with tattoos and one of those nose rings better suited for a bull - behind us asking if I'm talking about "Twilight" and if I am, that I need to realize they're the best books ever or she'll throw something at me. Um, what? Lady, let me count the ways you just annoyed me. First, you're eavesdropping. Second, assuming that you're holding drinks, that will be your arsenal of choice. NOT COOL. Third, and this might be a shock, but you should allow people to disagree with you - I didn't hear your threats of physical violence and then think, "Surely, I must be wrong about 'Twilight'!"
And fourth... this is a big one... you're an adult! Find a real freaking book to read. The ONLY possible exception I have for "Twilight" is that it gets kids to read - but that exception is for *kids*. You should have moved beyond this! Look elsewhere for your literary needs. Perhaps... fiction? Without the "young adult" in front of that word? Just a thought.
So yes, I was almost in a throw-down... in the zoo... surrounded by (her?) children... about children's books. It's not "Twilight" - it's the freaking Twilight Zone when that has become a reason for picking a fight with a complete stranger.
*sigh*
And, just because I know one of you out there is sputtering about how "Twilight" IS the best series ever, here's my list of why you're completely wrong:
1. It's called a Mary Sue - you know, the perfect, beautiful, smart, jeopardy-friendly girl that has charming faults like loving someone *too much* and being a klutz. Look it up. It's next to "bad writing" in the dictionary.
2. Speaking of bad writing - bad writing ahoy! You might charge me with the fact that I've never read the books. Which is true... in their entirety. But I have read the excerpts on Amazon. And I wanted to gouge my eyes out with a spork. And then cut my own hands off to make sure I would never return to Amazon again, which would only happen to make sure I wasn't hallucinating the awful. Apparently, compound sentences are a bit beyond this author.
3. The vampires sparkle. SPARKLE. Remember when vampires were evil and soulless? You know, when they were... vampire-like? That's the way I like my vampires. In the words of Buffy (when she was the amnesiac Joan) - "A vampire with a soul? How lame is that?"
4. Congratulations to the author for taking unhealthy relationships to the next level. I know Disney probably screwed up my image of romance as a child, but I don't remember the Beast ever saying to Belle, "Seriously, I love you so much that if you don't love me back, I'm going to go and get myself killed. Because that is the totally sane thing to do when you're experiencing heartache and something totally appropriate for my already emo viewers to identify with. So, I hope that's cool. Love me back if you don't desire my death!" And Belle didn't try to throw herself off a cliff when she was separated from the Beast either. Just saying.
5. Aren't the first four reasons enough???
"What do you mean, 'I'm not sparkly enough'?"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
