John F. Kennedy & Marilyn Monroe: 45th Birthday Party (1962)

Source:Biography- Hollywood Babydoll Marilyn Monroe, singing Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy, in 1962.

Source:The New Democrat 

"Heading into 1962, Marilyn Monroe was trying to revive her sputtering personal and professional lives. She was still very much a movie star, but her previous year's feature, The Misfits, was a disappointment. She was also coming off a divorce to Arthur Miller, gallbladder surgery and a stay at a Manhattan psychiatric hospital, all of which combined to leave her in a fragile state.

By the spring, things were looking up – Monroe was settling into a new home in the quiet Brentwood section of Los Angeles, and she had been offered a leading role in Something's Got to Give, a remake of the 1940 screwball comedy My Favorite Wife. Furthermore, she was looking forward to performing at a major Democratic fundraiser to honor President John F. Kennedy at New York City's Madison Square Garden on May 19." 

From Biography

"Marilyn Monroe and John F Kennedy - The Night of The Tight Dress"

Source:Marilyn Monroe Archive- Richard Reeves, working for ABC News on this story.

From Marilyn Monroe Video Archives

Source:The Chive- President John F. Kennedy and Hollywood Babydoll Marilyn Monroe, at JFK's 45th birthday party in 1962.

Marilyn Monroe, obviously this hot baby-face adorable goddess, who I at least believe never grew up personally and emotionally. Who’s personalty inside matched her baby-face on the outside, she wore her baby-face inside. And I’m not saying she had the intelligence of a teenage girl and that she was dumb and intelligent, which are some of stereotypes about her. What I’m saying is that she had not just the face of a teenage girl, or a young woman in her early twenties, but she also had the maturity and emotional level of a woman that young. So to hear stories about her thinking she’s going to be President of the United States girl, a man who is already married, doesn’t surprise me at all.

Marilyn was again this hot baby-face goddess. Arguably at least the prettiest and sexiest woman of all-time and certainly one of the cutest and sweetest, physically and emotionally as well. When you are someone like that and you also have the emotional level of a sixteen or seventeen year old girl, why wouldn’t you think you could have any man you want, including the President of the United States. Including President John F. Kennedy, who was known to having affairs even as President and even in the White House with other women. Why wouldn’t you think you could at least have the same thing with Jack Kennedy.

As reckless and irresponsible as Jack Kennedy was as an adult, he was smart and responsible enough to know that Marilyn would never happen with him. That having at best a casual friendship and the rumors about both of them together, were fun, but that getting involved in any real way with her, would be a nuclear disaster in downtown Washington waiting to happen for him. Because of all of her immaturity and personal baggage that came with her. I mean this is a woman who committed suicide the same year of his famous birthday party. He didn’t want any real affair with her.

Portland Basketball Classics: Video: Turner Sports: NBA 1991-Portland Blazers @ Detroit Pistons: Highlights

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

A good early test for the 1991 Portland Blazers to see where they were in their season. Already off to a great start at 30-6 and in first place not only the Pacific, but in the West as a whole. But the Detroit Pistons are the reason why the Blazers weren’t the defending NBA champions going into the 1991 NBA season. And the Pistons were looking for their third straight NBA championship and seeing if they were good enough to pull that off. This was a matchup of the two NBA conference champions, the two NBA Finals teams from 1990. Not quite a rematch of the 1990 NBA Finals, this being a regular season game. But certainly and import game for both clubs to see where they were at this point in the 1991 season.

ABC Sports: NFL 1976-MNF-Pittsburgh Steelers @ Minnesota Vikings

Source: ABC Sports- Alex Karras-

Source: This piece was originally posted at The New Democrat Plus

1976 was the Vikings last Super Bowl season, meaning their last trip to the Super Bowl. An aging team that was no longer dominant on defense, at least as dominant as they were in the past. And became more of an offensive oriented team, especially in the passing game, with a great all around running back in Chuck Foreman. That also had a very good, but veteran and aging defense. The Steelers in 1976, had the best all around defense at least pre-1978 rule changes in during a fourteen game schedule. And they had to be, with all the injuries that they had on offense. Their whole backfield including quarterback Terry Bradshaw was beat up in 1976. So they had to be dominant on defense, because their offense wasn’t much help for them in 76.

The Lip TV: Byliner With Walter Kirn- JFK According to James Ellroy

Source: The Lip TV- MM & JFK 

Source: The New Democrat Plus

It’s no secret that John F. Kennedy loved woman, at least in the physical sense and how they sounded. But it’s not clear if he was really ever actually in love with any woman, including his wife Jackie Kennedy. Or was marrying her in I believe 1956 or so, was simply a political play on his part, because he wanted to be President of the United States. He already been in Congress for ten years, both the House and Senate and was looking for his next big move. Even though he wasn’t a very good Representative certainly and didn’t get interested in being a Senator at all, until he decided he wanted to be President.

And I say all of this, because James Ellroy made a very good point about Jack Kennedy in this video. That JFK didn’t want to get very close to any woman and start anything real with them emotionally. That he wanted to be with them, hang out with them, especially Hollywood entertainers and of course he wanted to bang them even in the White House. Which are completely different from starting a serious relationship that builds into a long-term successful romance and even later marriage. JFK knew all of these things and knew that he also wanted to be President of the United States. Not sure Jackie knew that when they got married in the 1950s.

JFK also knew that there might have been a better chance of a gay man who was completely out of the closet, even in the 1960s getting elected President of the United States, than a bachelor. So getting married and looking like he was in love with his wife, at least in public, was critical for him to achieve his ultimate goal. Which was being President of the United States. So what I think he calculated is that he could have everything. A wife in public, women on the side and even in the White House and become a great President. His presidency died way too soon for us to know if he would’ve pulled it off.
The Lip TV: Marilyn Monroe & JFK According To James Ellroy

Falcon Crest Blog: Entertainment Tonight- Kim Novak (1985)

Source:Falcon Crest Blog- Hollywood Goddess Kim Novak in 1985.

Source:The New Democrat

“Falcon Crest: Themes From The Television Series – available on July 15, 2013 as a Download Edition on amazon and iTunes:Amazon, Apple. 

In this 1985 Interview with Entertainment Tonight’s Scott Osborne, Hollywood screen legend Kim Novak talks about leaving Hollywood, her life in Carmel in Northern California and her guest appearance in “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”.

One year later, Novak had a comeback in 1986 with a one year guest stint on CBS’ Prime Time Soap Falcon Crest.

Find more recent information about the FC Cast at the Falcon Crest Blog. Join us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter." 

From the Falcon Crest Blog

The Falcon Crest Blog originally had a video about this Kim Novak ET 1985 interview,  but that photo and video is not available there right now. 

Source:Falcon Crest Blog- Hollywood Goddess Kim Novak, on ET  Phone Home in 1985, LOL!

There were a lot of Hollywood bombshells produced by the Silent Generation. (People born in the 1930s and even mid to late 1920s) Actress’s like Marilyn Monroe, Angie Dickinson, Diana Dors, Jayne Mansfield, and yes Kim Novak and several others. But only two of them are still alive today and only two of them even made it to their sixties. Angie Dickinson and Kim Novak.

Why, because these women weren’t just Hollywood goddess’ and bombshells. They weren’t just gorgeous, baby-face, sexy women, who by the way can also act a little. Angie and Kim are good actress’s who are also gorgeous, baby-face adorable and sexy. And they were also mature and intelligent, they knew how to take care of themselves and make careers for themselves. And not just live off of their stardom from early on. But use their stardom to make big careers for themselves.

Kim Novak actually left Hollywood voluntarily and then came back briefly in the 1980s. Because she didn’t need it to feel successful and important in life.

Mysteries & Scandals: Jayne Mansfield

Source:E Entertainment - Jayne Mansfield & The Mystery Man.

Source:The New Democrat

I don’t want to compare Jayne Mansfield with actual genius’, because I don’t believe she qualifies as a genius in any way, whatever her official IQ was. But she did have similar characteristics as certified genius’. Someone with many talents and ability, but at the same time lacked basic qualities that lets say normal people have. People who are also intelligent and with good skills, but with nothing that makes them great in any way. Jayne Mansfield was someone who could act, sing, dance and make people laugh. And those were just her professional talents and she did all of those things very well.

But Jayne lacked basic talents that again normal, not to put down normal people, but things that normal people have in life that make them successful. Things like maturity and common sense, the ability to say no to things and turn things down that aren’t good for us, especially if they are over consumed. Alcohol and perhaps other harder narcotics were probably one of those things she had a hard time turning down. And as a result, Jayne made many bad decisions in life, like men she got involved with. And didn’t do a very good job of taking advantage of the success that she had in the 1950s and take that with her to the 1960s.

Unless you are murdered or are involved in some horrible traffic or plane accident, especially if you are in Hollywood, you don’t tend to die early in life, especially when you’re still young by making a lot of good decisions and taking care of yourself. Jayne Mansfield is one of the best looking woman who has ever lived, in the top one-percent, in and out of Hollywood. A hot baby-face adorable goddess with an incredible body. Who was also very funny, could sing and act. But never grew up mentally and lacked the maturity to live a long successful great life. That a lot of other talented performers in Hollywood have.
Source:E Entertainment

The Dick Cavett Show: Bob Hope- Talks About Stage Shows, Radio & Censorship (1972)

Source:The New Democrat

Bob Hope deciding to leave England at four years old because he didn’t think he would ever be King. I find that interesting that a little boy could make a decision like that so early on life. Talk about your boy genius’, perhaps he graduated high school when he was ten years old and even order his families plane tickets from lets say London to Cleveland or wherever the Hope Family decided to settle down in America. The problem that Bob has now, is that not only he would’ve never been King of England, but he’ll never be President of America, since he wasn’t born inside of the United States. And didn’t have at least one parent born inside of the United States either. So he was sort of out of luck as far ruling one country or the other.

I think it would be tough to be a comedian back in the thirties and forties, pre-TV for the most part and with the censorship era. Where entertainment and media executives were a lot more, lets say conservative, perhaps authoritarian, if that offends any Conservatives who might be reading this, but they were a lot more restrictive back then as far as what they would allow performers comedians or otherwise say and express on the air. Something the late great comedian Lenny Bruce found out the real hard way, the first comedian perhaps who used swearing in his routine. And he started doing that in the 1950s. The gee, that’s swell era of American culture.

Cavett Biter: Video: The Dick Cavett Show: Bob Hope Talks About Golf and Politicians, From 1972

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

As far as aging, again just a number and I know that sounds as clever as the glass is only half-empty or something, but that’s exactly what it is, a number. So do with those numbers and you get a new one once a year anyway, the best that you can, if you want to live a long time and you’ll have a very good if not great life. Just look at Bob Hope who was, what seventy-years old at this point in 1972. And he lived an additional thirty-years and worked for most of that time as well. If you think of yourself as old, that is exactly what you’ll be, because that is how you’ll treat yourself. But if you want to stay young and at least energetic, strong and healthy, you’ll do what you need to make those things happen for yourself.

Golf if one of things that I may still never do, even if there’s nothing else to do. “Golf or staring at the wall all day? Hum, looks like this wall has been painted recently. What kind of paint did you use? Did it take a lot of time to paint this wall?” Of course I would choose staring at a wall over golf! Because that would be about just as exciting for me as playing golf. Me on a golf course would like, “come one take your shot already, I’m tired of just standing here. It is hot and I’m sweating my balls off. Its my turn to swing and miss at the ball, or hit it to another golf course”.

As far as president’s playing golf, no wonder nothing gets done in Congress. They are all at the golf course including Senators and Representatives and a lot of times together. To take President Obama’s and Speaker Boehner’s example. Because when the President is not playing golf, he’s doing boring things like managing the latest crisis in the Middle East, or negotiating for the release for some American hostage. And when members of Congress aren’t playing golf, they’re raising money, or trying to convince their lobbyists, that nothing will get done in this Congress. Or banging their mistress. Come to think of it, maybe golf would be a good game for me.

Cavett Biter: Video: The Dick Cavett Show: Bob Hope Talks About Money in 1972

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

I have no problem with people making a lot of money, especially if they’ve earned all of it. Being successful and wealthy is a big part of the liberal democratic American dream of individualism and success. And in Bob Hope’s case, he is one of the most successful comedians of all-time and also one of the most popular. And as a result has made a lot of money. Just as long as they pay their taxes, the cost of living in America and taking advantages off all the advantages of living in great huge developed free country.

I’m not a huge Bob Hope fan, perhaps that is just the fact is he’s way before my time. I mean the man is older than all four of my grandparents. And my parents had kids real late, so by the time I started watching and following any comedy in the mid-1980s or so, Bob Hope was in his eighties and at the end of his career and even life. Thanks to information technology and the social network revolution and the fact I love all sorts of history, including entertainment, I’m able to follow his career a little bit.

I could see why I guy named Leslie, especially in America would want to change their first name. But why Bob, why don’t you go for something a lot more common, like Ahmad, or Antonio, or DeAndre. You know, so you’re not simply known for your first name. I’m kidding of course, but if you’re looking for a boring American first name, you can’t do much better than Bob. “Back to you Bob, good job Bob.” Also a very easy name to make fun of, sort of like Dick.

Archilochus Lgn: Video: The Dick Cavett Show, Jack Benny and Bill Cosby in 1973

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

Speaking as a non-drinker, meaning someone who doesn’t drink at all, otherwise I wouldn’t be a non-drinker, strike that. I drink water, milk, soda, coffee from time to time, ice tea, but I don’t drink alcohol, but you get the idea. If your head is not spinning from reading that, mine is from just writing it. But as a non-drinker, non-alcoholic drinker that is, this might sound shocking, but I don’t know what it is like to be drunk. So I can’t relate to someone who has been drunk just a few times in their lives like Jack Benny, who occasionally drinks alcohol.

Now I know what it is like to be around drunks and I’ve seen drunks. And I gotta tell you, they are very lucky I didn’t have a camcorder on me or record them or record them with my cell phone. Because they are in a completely different world, perhaps their real one and the way they are sober, is just a cover for how they are in real life. People who are really down to earth and stiff as a mummy personally when sober, become comedians when they are drunk. Intentionally and unintentionally.

I like Jack Benny’s joke about sex and an apple, because it reminded me of hysterical scene from the first American Pie movie from 1998 or 99, with the male high school senior is still a virgin. And he and his buddies are always talking about sex, because they have girlfriends or at least possibilities.

And their prom is coming up and they are talking about different ways of having sex. And I masturbation comes up at some point and someone mentions deserts or something. And one of them sees an apple pie in the kitchen, that I guess his mother just made. And he goes to work, lets say and father walks in and catches him. Perhaps you know the rest yourself.

Bill Cosby was his usual crazy and hysterical self, but he didn’t give me any material that I could work with this time. Other than maybe big guys who are still scared of their mothers. I’m a foot taller than my own mother now and probably outweigh her my seventy pounds or more now. But she is still one of the last people who I want to piss off. I would still piss her off before my father, but the mother is still pretty high up there. They have a way of scaring the hell out of their kids without much effort and show their displeasure of you.

Archilochus Lgn: Video: The Dick Cavett Show: Jack Benny in 1973

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

I can speak freely about Jack Benny’s famous “I’m always 39″ joke, because I’m actually 39 right now. I have a birth certificate to prove it, that says I was actually born in 1975. Exactly when in 1975, I was born, you have to know me well enough and I have to trust you in order for you to find out. But I would hate to be 39 the rest of my life. Why, because that would mean I would die sometime between now and I next birthday. Imagine having less than a year to live, with still so much you want to do and simply not enough time to accomplish those things before you die.

And as far as aging and this might sound corny. (Gee I hope not) But age is really just a number, seriously, it really is. We now have Americans who are healthy and working and their seventies and eighties. And not all of them are still working because they forgot to save for their retirement, (Gee, it just slipped my mind) or their 401K’s were flushed down the toilet, hopefully accidentally, but because they don’t want to play golf everyday. And even though they love their grandkids, they are glad their kids are already grown up and have moved out. Ao they don’t have to spend so much time with their kids.

We have older Americans in age, who still want to work and are still damn good at their jobs and still very productive. And why are they, because they bothered to take the time to take care of the one person they have the most control over, which is themselves. If you live well, you’ll live well, because you take care of yourself, which allows for you to enjoy life for a very long time. And it gives you a lot more choices as far as what you can do in your senior years. Just relax and enjoy yourself, or do those things as well, but do something else you also enjoy which is working and producing.

Cavett Biter: The Dick Cavett Show- Raquel Welch: Talks About Publicity People and Myra Breckinridge- in 1970

Source: Cavett Biter- Hollywood Goddess Raquel Welch, talking to Dick Cavett about Myra Breckinridge in 1970 

Source:The New Democrat Plus

I take it Raquel Welch wasn’t a fan of publicity people. Which is to me at least is ironic, since she’s a public person. I mean, what do you expect is going to happen when you are a famous actress who has done some famous movies and have made some famous appearances? I mean what you think being famous is about, being able to live in hiding and seclusion? And then you throw in the fact that Raquel is a Hollywood goddess, in the top one-percent and far as attractive women to ever come out of Hollywood. A hot gorgeous baby-face adorable sexy woman who has been in a bunch of famous movies.

Every time I hear a famous person, especially an actress or actor complain about publicity and publicity people especially in the media, I just have to smirk at that. And think to myself, seriously that is what you are worried about. Because for one, they are actors and actress’s and for people like that publicity is their best asset. The more you get of that short of doing time in prison and being involved in illegal activity and being sued, the more attention you’ll receive. And the better the actor or actress you are, the better the work you’ll get in return.

Plus, celebrities complaining about the media, the media is the number one target for all celebrities. They put it down, while at the same time they’re using it to get their message out and promote what they are up to. So just keep that in mind when you are hearing real or fake celebrities going off on the media. Because the more they do that, the more attention that they get and their better their career will be as a result. Because the more people will want to talk to them. And the more interesting they’ll come off and people will want to see them. Depending on how well they play and use their attention.
Cavet Biter: The Dick Cavett Show- Raquel Welch Talks About Publicity People- in 1970

Marilyn Monroe Video Archives: Monkey Business (1952) Starring Cary Grant & Ginger Rogers

Source:Marilyn Monroe Video Archives- Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers showing the public what can happen to you, when you drink too much coffee. Listen up, Millennial's. LOL

Source:The New Democrat

“Marilyn Monroe – Monkey Business Theatrical Trailer” 

From Marilyn Monroe Video Archives

I’ve actually seen three Marilyn Monroe movies in the last week where Marilyn wasn’t the cutest, gorgeous, sexy woman in the movie. I’m still somewhat in shocked by that, but after seeing I Married a Woman last week and The Unholy Wife a couple nights ago, both with Diana Dors, I now know that Marilyn wasn’t the cutest sexy baby of all-time, at least back then.

Pre-Monkey Business formula that makes these people in the movie turn into children as far as maturity level, Ginger Rogers was as cute as a little girl in this movie and absolutely adorable and hysterical in this movie, the whole movie. And the formula makes her act like a little girl who breaks down and cries over nothing.

Marilyn Monroe never needed some special formula or medicine to act immature and like a little girl. With that face and personality, she always sort of seemed like one anyway. So good thing her character was never on that formula in this movie, because she was very funny and also a pretty good actress and then throw in her natural personality and physical appearance, she probably could’ve played the role of a four-year old girl in the movie, with the body of sex sexy twenty-five year old woman, which she was at this time. Cary Grant is at his funniest in this movie, at least from what I’ve seen of him, which is saying a lot. Perhaps the best comedic actor of all-time.

Ginger Rogers was incredible and not just incredibly adorable, essentially acting like a little girl in this movie. But she was very funny and this movie is essentially about a brilliant scientist played by Cary Grant as Doctor Barnaby Fulton, who creates this new formula that reverses the aging process of people and makes them much younger.

Barnaby decides to try the formula on himself and becomes a nineteen-year old guy as far as personality, energy and maturity level instantly and no longer needs his glasses to use as an example. His wife played by Ginger Rogers finds out about that and decides that the experiment should be used on her. And goes nuts as a result.

This is one of the funniest movies you’ll ever see with Ginger Rogers absolutely adorable and hysterical the whole movie. With an excellent cast around her with Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn and others. And one of the funniest and cutest movies you’ll ever see with perfectly normal middle-age adults becoming like little children instantly and making this an hysterical movie.

Pink Fairy Girl: The Unholy Wife 1957- Starring Diana Dors & Rod Steiger

Source: Pink Fairy Girl- English Muffin Diana Dors in Unholy Wife 

Source:The New Democrat Plus

I believe Diana Dors, or someone like her would be perhaps the last person you I could imagine being a killer, especially a murderer and a woman who murdered multiple people. But that is exactly what she plays in this movie as someone who likes being married to a wealthy man and the money and lifestyle that comes with that. But doesn’t want the responsibility that comes with being a wife or a mother. And finds another man that she is interested in, but not sure she wants to leave her husband and even son for this new man.

Diana Dors plays someone with a checkered past to say the least, she was already in prison at one point. Settles down with a another man pre-Paul (played by Rod Steiger) and doesn’t like her first husband at all, even hates him and takes their son with her and meets Paul and they eventually get married. Paul not being fully aware of his new gorgeous baby-face wife’s past history, falls in love with her fairly quickly and integrates her with his Northern California lifestyle. He owns a vineyard and ranch in Napa Valley.

Paul has an elderly mother who is pretty sick that he is responsible for taking care of. Phyllis as Paul’s wife and his mother’s daughter in law, has similar responsibilities and she finds her new mother in law to be a pain, to say the least. The question in this movie, is does Phyllis kill her mother in law intentionally or not by poisoning her and giving her too much medication that is very strong. But she’s already killed two people including I believe a man from her past.

The Unholy Wife is the best Diana Dors movie I’ve seen before. It is a very entertaining murder mystery that never slows down and Diana looks great in it and as adorable as possible. And because she looks so cute and sweet, she plays the perfect murder suspect, because she would be one of the last people you would expect to murder anyone. But her physical baby adorability is just a cover for the plotting murderer inside of her.
Pink Fairy Girl: The Unholy Wife Trailer Diana Dors

Civil Nuts: Video: Rick Mercer Report: Canada Explained

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat

Take hockey out of Canada, which is what Gary Bettman and the NHL have tried to do for about twenty-years now and would Canadians have any interest in sports? Would there be any point of having indoor sports arenas in Canada at all? I mean they would be down to the CFL and what skiing and perhaps ice skating for their sports entertainment. Canada a small, but charming country right, but with a tone of land that people don’t seem to know what to do with up there on the frozen tundra, where you can hie to the North Pole, from Toronto.

If you look at the Canadian Parliament and the American Congress, they aren’t that much different. Canada has a House and Senate, so does America, we both have bicameral national legislatures, for any of you not keeping score at home. The Senate is the upper chamber in Congress. We don’t just tell people who, but that is the actual truth. But in Canada even though their Senate is their upper chamber in Parliament, they lie to their people, because really most of the power in Parliament resides in the House of Commons. The Canadian Senate is basically a debating society of people either appointed by the Prime Minister, or related to rich Canadian men.

Rick Mercer talking about dumb Canadians. Hey welcome to America! We have more dumb people, than Canada has snow and have a surplus of dumb people like the Middle East has a surplus of sand and dirt. So Canada if you’re looking for anymore dumb people, feel free to come to America or just call us and we’ll give away boat loads of idiots for free. We have idiot conventions we are looking to unload. And since Canada is only a country thirty-six-million people and a continent of land, have plenty of room for a lot more people. And have the room for our idiots.

As far as the no-confidence vote. Again liberal democracy with a federalist system with checks and balances in America’s case. Versus a social democracy with a parliamentary form of government where the chief executive is also a member of the House of Commons. Seems to me at least that one of the requirements of being Prime Minster of Canada is that you also have to be a workaholic, perhaps also a caffeine junky. Because you have to be able to hold two jobs at the same time and perhaps both jobs like in Steve Harper’s case is thousands of miles away. Representing Calgary, Alberta in the House and being Prime Minister in Ottawa.

That wouldn’t work in America and besides over our previous history the last ten-years or so, even though it has been about as rare as the New York Jets playing in the Super Bowl that our President has been popular, the President in this same time period has always been roughly twice as popular as Congress and sometimes even more than that. So before Congress tries to throw the Chief Executive out who was probably elected with fifty-million votes and perhaps reelected with even more than that, they should look out their own jobs and perhaps fire themselves first. Put their lobbyist money where their mouths are.

Canada a country of thirty-six million people and yet it is still interesting to talk about and pay attention to. Perhaps because they sound so much like Americans and have similar interests and lifestyles. Hell, even though they enjoy making fun of America so much to the point it is becoming their second national sport, right behind hockey. And yet they watch all of our news, all our entertainment, all of our sports, perhaps because they have so little of their own in all three areas and get bored. That this tells Americans that there are people just to the North that cares about us.

Strombo: Video: CBC's Stromboulopoulos Tonight: Rick Mercer on Annoying Canadian Stereotypes

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

I think Canada by in large is a great beautiful country and if for some reason lets say I was deported from America, perhaps on suspicion of being a German spy or something, I would live in Canada. Canada would be my second choice, even though I’m an Ethnic-German. But like America, there’s good and bad in Canada and perhaps not so much bad, but things that even Canadians make fun of about their own country, that other countries can make fun of as well. Similar to Britain, which by in large is a great country as well, but it is a fairly easy country to make fun.

I love watching Canadian TV and listening to Canadians speak. Why, because they sound so funny to me. Similar to how people talk in the upper Midwest in America and great plains. There’s very little if anything I actually like about Representative Michelle Bachmann. One thing I do like about her is that she’s leaving the House of Representatives at the end of this Congress. But another thing I like about her is how she talks. She has a thick Minnesota accent and is originally born in Iowa, but I believe raised in Minnesota. I guess after Iowa deported the Bachmann Family and they settled in Minnesota.

But I love listening to Canadians and upper Midwesterners talk. They sound like Canadians the way they say certain things. Like out is oot in Canadian, about is aboot in Canadian and put them together Canadians say oot and aboot quite often. I know this from personal experience and against is agenst in Canadian. When I’m watching Canadian TV, I’m always mimicking them and doing my own Canadian accent. Which is a little deeper than my Mid-Atlantic-American accent. I actually sound more like I’m from the Northeast, but that is a different story.

As far as Canadian stereotypes, Canadians are as crazy about hockey, as Americans are crazy about football lets say. But even more so, hockey is like what Jesus would be to a Christian-Fundamentalist, where Americans love football the most when it comes to sports, but we have so many other sports we love as well. And we have so many other things to do as well and aren’t so distracted by one sport. Tim Horton’s, obviously, that is like official national restaurant in Canada and perhaps the only national restaurant in Canada.

As far as being polite, I’m probably too big of an asshole to live in Canada and would probably get deported. They are annoyingly nice and friendly, at least to Americans. I couldn’t imagine a Canadian wanting to live in New York, Philadelphia or Washington, Detroit would be another great example, simply for that reason. Yes they are very passive and neutral, perhaps to a fault and don’t really want much if anything to do with other countries, at least as far as being involved in foreign and military operations. Which is how they qualified for NATO, because most of Europe is the same way.

I’ve always seen Canada as the biggest small country in the world. The second largest country in the world physically, but with only thirty-six-million people. Compared with America which is almost as big as Canada physically and the third largest country in the world physically and has three-hundred and fifteen-million people. I don’t know, maybe sex is not that popular in Canada. Maybe Canadians are required to take boat loads of birth control, or are only allowed to have one child per couple. Maybe because it is so damn cold up in Canada, that Canadians just aren’t the mood most of the year. And are more interested in simply avoiding freezing to death.

Canada is a great big country, but like America there’s plenty to make fun of like all great countries have. Americans are perhaps are more easy to make fun of because there are so many of us and we have it so good in most cases and hate big government and don’t like being told what to do and are so individualistic as a people, that people who are more socialist and collectivist in nature, like Canadians to use as an example, like to make fun of us. But Canada has similar cultural stereotypes that look funny to other countries as well, including America. And part of being friends is making fun of each other, because you the other wouldn’t deliberately hurt you.

Joel Sanderson: Video: James Gunn Interviews Rod Serling in 1970 on TV Writing

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

I should admit, I’m not a big science fiction fan, especially science fiction of the last 10-15 years. I can watch The Twilight Zone and even Thriller that is now on Me-TV, perhaps the best classic TV network in the business right now. But I can watch Rod Serling and I’m willing to watch just about anything, or anything that he produces and writes. Because science fiction and fantasy are not just those things with him. His shows take you to a different place that you are simply not familiar with and leaves you there for the entire half-hour. Well I guess he gives you a break in between commercials.

Modern science fiction are in many cases horror movies and in too many cases horrible movies. (Pun intended) That the sci-fi channel shows and involve people in their late teens early twenties, about college age people. A group of friends getting together in the middle of nowhere for the weekend and running into something awful or evil. And that generally is the second half of the movie. The first half of the movie looks like a soap opera and even a tabloid soap opera. And then they get to the scary stuff, which in some cases is fairly entertaining.

Rod Serling was so much more than that and if was around today, young people especially young adults wouldn’t get him. Because they are so into tabloid and soap opera related programming, that is all they know and are familiar with. With Serling is pure fiction and science fiction for the entire show. He gives his audiences a chance to escape their reality and see a world they are not familiar with. And learn about things they are simply not familiar with. And he is the master of this genre.

Cineview: Video: The Mike Wallace Interview: Rod Serling From The Twilight Zone, From 1959

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

Rod Serling is obviously famous for The Twilight Zone and that he created it and he created Thriller as well and several other shows. But what I believe is his mark on Hollywood is that he gave millions of Americans the ability and freedom to look at a world that is completely different from their reality. To escape their reality and to see a world that did not exist, to sort of paraphrase The Twilight Zone and even Knight Rider from the 1980s. To stretch people’s imagination and give people the chance to dream.

To me at least watching The Twilight Zone is like having a crazy dream that even adults can remember weeks later if not even longer than that. And in many cases a bad dream if not worst than that and when that half-hour is over, you wake up from the dream. The person or subject in that show comes back down to Earth to see that they are back to where they belong. And the viewers of that episode come back to Earth as well and return to the reality. The Twilight Zone was the ultimate break or escape from realty for millions of Americans.

Captain Bijou: I Married a Woman 1958- Diana Dors & George Gobel Star

Source: Captain Bijou-

Source: This piece was originally posted at The New Democrat 

I'm going to try to write this post without sounding sexist as a man, but I think especially with this day and age that will be difficult and at the very least it come off as politically incorrect, at least the political correctness Left in America. But this movie you have a women at home who thinks her husband doesn't pay enough attention to her. Played by the hot, sexy baby-face adorable Diana Dors and her idea of marriage seems to be what she sees from John Wayne in his last movie where he's spoiling his wife and giving her all sorts of gifts.

She's married to a man named Micky played by the tiny, but very funny George Gobel. They make a really adorable couple, because Diana is taller than George, but has a baby's face and her husband almost looks like a little boy next to her. Shorter and smaller than his wife. Mickey is a very busy New York advertising executive with a very big account he's working on a a tight deadline to get it done and works for a boss who only sees the green picture. The money and doesn't want to hear about what his top adman by being going through at home.

Mickey loves Janice and Janice loves Mickey, but Janice believes that Mickey doesn't pay her enough attention. And sees marriage based on what she sees from Hollywood. So Mickey is left with a wife at home who already believes she doesn't give her enough attention. And an overbearing boss at work who is putting the future of the company in the lap of Mickey. Telling him "if you don't come through, all of these people who work here are going to be out of jobs and everything else". And Mickey has to figure out how to balance these new pressure together. A wife who thinks he doesn't love her enough and an overbearing boss who is putting the future of the company in his hands.
Captain Bijou: I Married A Woman 1958 Trailer- George Gobel & Diana Dors

HBO: Real Time With Bill Maher- Bernie Sanders Standing Up For Socialist Values

Source: This piece was originally posted at The New Democrat

At risk of sounding simplistic, there's a reason why we live on a planet with somewhere around a hundred-eighty countries or so and not live on a planet with no countries, but with one huge central authority in charge. Because we have different populations, people's, cultures, values and everything else all over the planet. And what works in one country or even in a block of countries, might not work somewhere else with a completely different economy, with different resources, responsibilities, threats, populations and everything else.

My point is that U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and his supporters, the social democratic-left in America lets say, have a tendency to say, "this is how it's done in Europe with government doing so much for their people and everything else. It seems to work there and their people love it. Which is why should adopt that economic system here and do it the European way". Apparently unaware, or ignoring the obvious facts that Europe and the states there are completely different societies. That for one thing don't even have to worry about their own national defense, because America is responsible for it.

Americans tend to be rugged, individualist, free, wanting to be able to make their own decisions and live their own lives. And in a lot of cases hate to have to take any public or even private charity. And when they do, they tend to see that as some type of failure and have let themselves and their families down. Europe is the complete opposite of that and if anything love taking public assistance from their government and would riot if the government were to cut their public assistance. And freak out about having to to pay for their own childcare out of their pocket and not taxes and actually have to take responsibility for themselves. And this is just an example of the culture differences.

Americans figured out a long time ago, well most of us did, our Socialists are still late to this dance, or still at the door, or not even there yet, perhaps sitting out the dance that there's a limit to what we want government to do for us. That instead we want to be free as possible to take care of us as much as possible. And then if we run into financial trouble, like being out of a job and just lost our savings as part of that result, then we would want to be able to take public assistance in the short-term until we can get ourselves back on our feet. With a good job that gives us the freedom to do those things.

That's the main difference from a liberal democracy, a liberal society the free society that the American Founding Fathers, the Founding Liberals wanted to create for America. And in the last two-hundred plus years we've worked as a country to improve our society so as many Americans as possible have that freedom to manage their own lives and Europe. Which is the opposite of that where they want to be taxed to the point where no one is completely free to take care of themselves. Because they believe when they move as a national unit, they move better with no one being too rich or poor and moving together.

So when Bernie Sanders Social Democrats say that, "Europe does it this way, so should we", they are comparing Massachusetts with Texas. What is done in Massachusetts, is not wanted in Texas and vice-versa. Both states have figured out an economic system and government that works for them. But that doesn't mean it will work for everyone in the country. Americans like being able to have the freedom to make their own decisions and you need your money in order to do that. Europeans at least in a lot of cases see that as selfish or materialistic and would freak out and even riot if their government's forced them to take responsibility over their own lives. Just some of the differences between America and Europe.

HBO: Real Time With Bill Maher- Bernie Sanders

Monty Clift Online: The Misfits 1961- Marilyn Monroe's Last Film

Source: Marilyn Monroe- Marilyn & Clark Gable-

Source: This piece was originally posted at The New Democrat

Similar to River of No Return, The Misfits is a very entertaining and good movie, but certainly not a great movie. The writing is pretty cheesy even for the 1950s and early 1960s and especially for a movie that is an action/western movie. But is has a good plot and a great cast. With two women that are essentially drifters, at least in Marilyn Monroe's case who is just recently divorced and not knowing where she is going from there. And they meet two cowboys in a diner played by Clark Gable and Eli Wallach and find that they have things in common and decide to get together.

Marilyn Monroe's character doesn't have a place to stay and the Clark Gable character invites her to stay with him as a guest at her ranch and she more than keeps herself busy there and does a lot of work on the cabin really, a small cabin on a decent size lot of property. And Clarks's partner in the movie played by Eli Wallach tells him that there are available horses up to be rounded up, brought back and sold, but they need another man to do the job. And they take the girls played by Marilyn and Thelma Ritter to a rodeo to find their man and that is where they get Montgomery Clift character to help them out.

Marilyn as usual is as sweet and adorable as can be and plays someone who wouldn't step on nat if if you gave her a thousand-dollars to do so. Clark Gable plays a veteran cowboy who is exactly that living the cowboy lifestyle and making his living rounding up horses and cattle. Eli Wallach plays a very similar character as Clark and Montgomery Clift plays a drifting cowboy along for the ride just looking for work. Thelma Ritter plays Marilyn's friend and tries to worn her about cowboys and how they live. Marilyn being somewhat lost, just looking to find her way and to be useful.
Monty Clift Online: The Misfits 1961 Trailer

Marilyn Monroe Archives: River of No Return 1954- Marilyn Monroe & Robert Mitchum Star

Source: This piece was originally posted at The New Democrat

The River of No Return is certainly not a great movie. It is a good movie, an entertaining movie, a fairly well-written movie with a good cast and Marilyn Monroe looks great in the movie. This movie was also ahead of it's time at least when it comes to women's fashion. This movie takes place in the late 19th Century or early 20th Century and yet Marilyn is wearing tight Lee denim jeans in boots for about half of the movie. In an era where that was almost never seen from women. Back then women wore long dresses for the most part and nothing that showed a lot of their physical body.

Marilyn looked great in this movie, her usual hot sexy baby-face adorable sweet self. And this movie was very real to me in the sense that it wasn't about angels and devils. Robert Mitchum plays a single father in the movie who helps out a couple on the water having trouble with their boat. The man in this couple is a criminal or crook on the run. His wife is Marilyn a sweetheart, but not someone without faults. But Mitchum is simply trying to help these people out and the guy screws them and takes his lone horse away from Mitchum and his son and his girlfriend stays behind with the man and his son. And now they are together trying to survive on the River of No Return with outlaws shooting at them.
Marilyn Monroe Archives: River of No Return 1954 Trailer

Brookings Institution: Opinion: Thomas Mann: The New Normal in Politics: Response to Gridlock and Gloom: How Voters Get the Government They Vote For

Brookings Institution: Opinion: Thomas Mann: The New Normal in Politics: Response to Gridlock and Gloom: How Voters Get the Government They Vote For

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

I don’t feel any sympathy for anyone for Americans who claim to hate the dysfunction in Washington, especially in Congress, but at the same time vote for people who are responsible for that dysfunction. Its like hearing from a football player who played in the NFL for 10-15 years and now suffers from serious knee pain and always complaining about knee pain. Or the driver involved in a car accident who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and now suffers from serious back or neck pain. I mean, what do they have to complain about? They knew the consequences for the decisions they made that lived up to their injuries. And if they didn’t, they are too stupid, drunk or high a combination of all of those factors for me to give a damn about.

American voters all the time in poll after poll say they disapprove of Congress and yet they reelect the same representatives and senators to represent them. So maybe it is that American voters actually like gridlock, but if you look at poll after poll there’s clearly a feeling in the country that Congress needs to act on a series of issues for the country. Like the economy, infrastructure, immigration just to use as examples, but they elect and reelect people who don’t seem to have any interest in addressing those issues. If you want someone to do something for you and you’re talking about politics, you vote for people who are actually interested in those concerns.

If you want Gridlock, vote for Joe and Marry Gridlock running for U.S. House or Senate or reelection to one of those chambers. Because they’ll be more than happy to keep their election promises. I mean seriously how hard is it to do nothing. Even someone in Congress can figure how to do that. You don’t get action on issues by voting for inaction. I know that sounds as obvious as the Earth is round or concrete is hard or the Chicago Cubs won’t win the World Series. But apparently we have millions if not tens of millions of voters who don’t seem to understand that.

We have a lot of people in Congress, especially in the Tea Party Republican Party who are really only there for one reason. To stop President Obama from doing anything, at least anything constructive. If they actually want to do anything, it is to repeal and sit on their ass’s, another way of saying repeal in replace. So if that is what you want, you might have a hundred people on Capitol Hill who’ll do exactly that for you, which again is nothing. Again, how hard is it to do that and if you are still thinking about that, you are too dumb to follow along even for the ride. And then non wonder why what ninety-percent of the members of Congress get reelected.

But if you want people to actually do things in Congress and address your issues, whatever the issues and if you’re a Democrat or Republican, then you need to vote for the people who’ll address those issues. I know, this sounds like basic common sense, but that is a big problem with America and Congress in particular. It is not the budget deficit that is such a huge problem right now, but the common sense deficit up there. Which is why not a lot gets done up there, but why are they there in the first place? Because the voters sent them there to represent them.