The Watering Hole February 28th 2011 The Oscar

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Another Mainbleat Media morning after.

Best acting by a politician not living up to campaign promises goes to President Obama for his role in The Wisconsin Affair.

Best example of a US supported dictator being hung out to dry goes to Hosni Mubarak for his whiney exit from power as The Ghoul of the Nile.

Best portrayal of a victim goes to Japan in their cry for international action against Sea Shepherd; after being routed from the Antarctic in Killing Willy.

British Petroleum produced  the best film with Islands in the Sheen.

This our Daily Open Thread. Your comments on topics other than who wore what are welcome!

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205 thoughts on “The Watering Hole February 28th 2011 The Oscar”

  4. In the category of fomenting hate and paranoia and then having a crazy headcase act out the script thinking that it is real advice, the award unaminously goes to Sarah Palin in :

    “Don’t retreat. Instead _ reload!”

  5. Best award for cognitive dissonance goes to Nancy Pelosi for being Clueless in Washington D.C. with her memorable line.

    “We have to pass the (health care) bill so you can find out what is in it.”

  6. Best courage award goes to Private Bradley Manning for his work in:

    “The Wikileaks Witch Hunt Project”.

  7. The runner up behind Tony Hayard for being a smug asshole goes to BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg with his arrogant bullshit comment:

    ”I hear comments sometimes that large oil companies are greedy companies or don’t care, but that is not the case with BP. We care about the small people.”

  8. Best foreign legal motion goes to Switzerland and it’s move to prosecute George Bush should he arrive on their soil when he cancelled a vist to their country in:

    “Cut and Run”

  11. I don’t believe that Obama should go to Wisconsin and join in the protest. As President, he would be bringing the Secret Service with him and it would take the focus away from the protesters. He could use the bully pulpit to make strong statements in support of the Americans. Presidents should protest using their pen.

  12. synopsis of the Fox news reporter whining: “The demonstrators don’t want to hear any different point of view. I see hate in their eyes.”

    I wonder what he thinks of the Tea Party movement? Is it an inclusionary movement? Do they embrace other points of view? During the health care debate, did the pro-health care folks get a chance to talk or were they shouted down? Did Fox report how these people weren’t allow others to speak?

  13. I don’t believe that Obama should go to Wisconsin and join in the protest. As President, he would be bringing the Secret Service with him and it would take the focus away from the protesters.

    I agree. It would be a distraction from the cause.

  14. On the plus side Best Documentary Oscar went to “Inside Job” which detailed corruption and greed which caused the financial collapse. And when the director/producer accepted the award his thank you speech started with the fact that nobody had been charged with a crime YET.

  15. Great posts all, good to read you again…So much snow..It is lovely here…Thanks for posting… Peace, Blessings & Joy to you all..

  17. Protesters chant Fox News lies and Fox calls that vitriol and profanity. They want to be able to lie and never have anybody talk about them lying. Thanks for sharing the video frugal. What a bunch of assholes.

  19. I never cared much for Geraldo Rivera, never saw much ‘journalism’ going on. When he joined Fox, I figured they deserved each other. This morning, when I watched that video of his Wisconsin coverage I finally realized just how much he and Fox deserve each other. Let’s just say that the words “journalist assassins” don’t refer to assassins going after journalists, the apply to faux “journalists” who make their bones by assassinating genuine journalism.

    See Fox News, see Geraldo Rivera et al.

  21. The winner in the category ‘Washed up dictator who will do anything to retain his reign of terror’ goes to:……Mohamar Ghadafi…

  22. How about the audio from that FUX(U) video, but with scenes of the tea partiers at the town hall meetings. Then it’d be accurate.

    And I don’t see FUX(U) news offering the protesters viewpoint at all, and neither any “differing viewpoint”. In fact, the poor FUX(U) news guy, weathering all that vicious hate that is sent his way via those mean, mean words, is not offering a viewpoint: he’s just babbling on all by himself.

    And if those mean people saying mean things to you hurt your sensitive little feeling so much, why don’t you walk farther away and do your broadcast. Is there a law that syas that you HAVE to stand right there next to them? You can’t go away? 20-30 yards to the side (unless they’re following you….) would b sufficient, AND you could still get your shot of them. But, oh, wait, you WANT to appear to be a poor little victim. How lame. I’ve seen better professional journalism in high school news papers, run by students. And better reporting.

    Also noted we see, again, a longstanding conservative tactic — define the ‘opponent’ in your own terms (e.g. “All liberals are pacifist”, or “all liberals are terrorist”, etc.), and act like that is an accurate and true deifnition, and then use your own definition of the ‘opponent’ to point out how they are “not living up to their own standards”. Well, sure, ya’ idjit — If I get to state those “standards” and I get to choose how and when they apply to you, then you will be “wrong” whenever I decide you are wrong.

    Is that Machiavellian? (well, actually that is a question)

    And, yes, I do babble on a bit. Apologies, but it won’t stop. :)

    Gotta get to work. Bye.

  23. “That guy just hit me” says the fox news (lower case intentional) reporter in the Rivera clip as he talks about how his first amendment rights are being violated, about the hatred. Poor wittle feller. Life can be so hard and so tricky and so unfair, especially to liars, to faux “journalists.” It’s really dangerous out there.

    Ask Gabby Giffords.

  24. I can see the hate in their eyes… That’s some serious journalism.

    The most telling thing, to me, is the two “reporters” claiming that the people on the ground are shouting down Faux because “they don’t want to hear another point of view.” What point of view is being offered by a “reporter”, who is there to observe? Your job, dumbass, is to film and to inquire, not to argue with the demonstrators.

  25. Oh, gummitch, you’re assuming that the Faux ‘reporter’ is playing the role of ‘journalist’.

  26. Once upon a time journalists held a somewhat protected status when they took to the streets to report. What this bozo and Geraldo are missing is the anger is directed at them for being blatant propagandists. Anyone who could be in that huge crowd and sense hatred is seriously deluded. They have placed themselves in an adversarial position and are whining because the people are tired of being lied to. They are tired of being lied about. They are tired of being ignored.

    Faux is in this with an agenda to promote and they have no desire to actually report on what is happening. They are getting more respect than they deserve because if they were correct about the ‘hatred’, that clown wouldn’t have had the nerve to be in the crowd.

  33. It’s a way for him to blame those 14 Democrats for EVERYTHING that might go wrong (or can be made to go wrong by Walker and his cronies) for at least the next year, maybe two or three — whether the Dems come back or not, same forced conclusion.

    In other words, it must be a shitty feeling to realize that the frog you put into the warm water with instructions to slowly bring it to a boil has turned out to be yourself.

  34. Walker is, slowly, learning his bravado holds no clout.
    Yesterday (on MtP) he was telling the Dems to just show up – they didn’t have to vote.
    He obviously had forgotten they were Democrats (free-thinkers) and not his minions.

    Hold steady Dems – few things can be worse than being bullied into harmful legislation.

    Walker is weakening. It appears he truly thought most would be on ‘his side’ and is learning that isn’t happening.

  35. Well I spent the last ten minutes determining the tornado sirens were for a cell 15 miles north of me. I’m under a tornado watch until 7pm. It’s going to be one of those days…

  36. Walker is sweating because some of the Republicans are flipping and before long the Democrats can come back and win the vote.

    Somebody said that on Andrea Mitchell and then 5 minutes later she asks questions of a former union guy like she didn’t hear it. Would she have a job if she wasn’t married to Alan Greenspan?

  37. House, that’s some scary weather that visits you. Isn’t it about a month or so early for ‘tornado season’?
    Stay safe!

  38. Ebb, we’re in the low 70s right now with an overnight low of 37 expected. That’s enough of a sudden drop to create the needed instability.

  39. Shayne: Answer is no. Far as I’m concerned at least. How I long for the days of true JOURNALISM! Probably explains why I seldom miss watching Rachel Maddow.

  42. ebb, not too much yet. Just some random stuff around the house (nothing post-worthy). The weather has been decidedly uncooperative ever since I brought it home. I don’t need it to be a stunningly clear day, or warm, but I need it to not be snowing, above zero degrees and not a lot of wind (chill). I think I’m asking too much. lol

  44. ebb, you’re right. I have a friend who lives in Portland, and very tentatively I’m starting to explore a move there. (Something more of a 5-year plan than anything imminent.)

  46. In his own little world Mommar is king! (absolute power can have that affect.

    [Walker, on the Gaddafi scale, is about an 8 at this point]

      • It would be so cool to have more Critters and Zoosters in Oregon.

        By the time Shayne is finished collecting her pets, we’ll have to claim the whole state for the Zoo commune. ;)

  48. I’d still like to Jon Stewart put Walker in Gaddafi garb and run out a side-by-side of their ‘I’m a teapot! I’m a teapot!’ pronouncements.

  51. gummitch

    Which area of Portland sucks the most? Just so I’ll know where not to visit if the winds blow west.

  52. Begin to think about the harvest the moment you plant the seed zxbe, sometimes the crop grows really quickly.
    I’m scrambling to keep up at the moment, parts of my dreams are unfolding fast…

  59. Now we all have to move right next door to gummitch. He practically dared us to. What a curmudgeon.

  62. Maybe we should start a progressive think tank in Portland, The Zoo Institute. Do you think Soros would fund it?

  63. pachy, I’ve always hated SE Portland the most–and lived here the most.

    Damn hippies ran out the old-school donut shops and now we have are over-priced hipster donut shops. Seriously. All the Dunkins and Winchells are gone and a decent cruller is impossible to find, especially in my neighborhood. When I lived here in the early 70s, we had to hide in the basement to utter the word “meat” and now there are hipster restaurants and butcher shops and they sell PORK!! All sort of pork bits. And bacon!

  64. And, oh yeah, one neighborhood I lived in did not even have a Republican on the ballot for the State legislature. They hate Americans! Green Party, Socialists, but not one GOPer. Terrible.

  65. Hmmm, I go from contemplating a move out west to living in a Soros-funded commune.

    That’s a very interesting turn of events. :D

  70. Like wise Walt, for the recipe. I was just being snarky about the elk nuggets, I don’t any experience with them either. Yet.

  71. Lawrence O’Donnell just ended his show with 12 minutes of a Today Show interview with Charlie Sheen, as a promo to ‘Part 2′ of the interview on tomorrow’s Today Show.

    I guess the ‘Place For Politics’ is becoming the ‘Place For Paparazzi’. No wonder Keith left.

    • O’Donnell likes to make sure people know about his Hollywood connections.

      My son posted this quote on his facebook status:

      I’m sorry, man, but I’ve got magic. I’ve got poetry in my fingertips. Most of the time, and this includes naps, you know, I’m an F-18, bro. And I will destroy you in the air. I will deploy my ordinance to the ground.

      My money’s on the bi-polar.

  73. Zooey, I started to let it go, then I just ‘rewound’ the DVR to see how long it did last. It wasn’t even him doing the interview. It had no place on his show at all.

  75. All things run their course don’t they Gary?
    They said roll and roll will never die, but I haven’t heard a peep in a long time.

  76. Must be a physics major. He’s counting on the friction of the spinning tires to generate enough heat to melt the snow, which will then give him traction.

  81. The rap was filmed at the Maryland faire, which I’ve never been to. But for the autumnal leaves, I could believe it was at any of a number of the places I have been.

  82. zxbe, your photo of an unseasonably warm and foggy winter night, and Zooey’s tale of a car spinning it’s wheels took me back to the winter of 1972 and 5 guys in a Ford Pinto stuck on the ice of a small pond. Nobody wanted to get out and push because we were afraid we would go through the ice. One by one 5 guys sprinted to shore, 4 guys walked home and the driver walked to Dunkin Donuts to call a wrecker. Hey, we shouted at him not to go out on the ice, what are friends for?

  84. Hey, we shouted at him not to go out on the ice, what are friends for?

    uh huh – 16 and 17 year olds are so cautious =;>

  86. Previously that night we all witnessed the visual phenomenon of big fluffy snowflakes actually coming through the windshield, passing through the interior, and going right back out the rear window.

    • If the Pinto with the five guys in it didn’t go through the ice, why would the same guys pushing a lightened Pinto fall through the ice?

      I have no experience with frozen ponds/lakes and cars. Never will. :D

    • Imperial Walker patronizes the President (from MaddowBlog):

      “I’m sure the President knows that most federal employees do not have collective bargaining for wages and benefits while our plan allows it for base pay. And I’m sure the President knows that the average federal worker pays twice as much for health insurance as what we are asking for in Wisconsin. At least I would hope he knows these facts.

      “Furthermore, I’m sure the President knows that we have repeatedly praised the more than 300,000 government workers who come to work every day in Wisconsin.

      “I’m sure that President Obama simply misunderstands the issues in Wisconsin, and isn’t acting like the union bosses in saying one thing and doing another.”

      I would hazard a guess that all the friends of the Walker family belong to the wife. What an ass.

  90. Snow – a four letter word I never grew up with and don’t even know how to act around the stuff.
    (a snow virgin).

  92. Speaking of snowmobiling, I heard Todd Palin lost the Iron Dog because his skiis went bad. Sarah was there at the start of the race to see him off, but conspicuously absent at the finish line. I guess she didn’t want to be seen with a loser.
    Hey, at least Todd didn’t quit!

  93. “I’m sure that President Obama simply misunderstands the issues in Wisconsin, and isn’t acting like the union bosses in saying one thing and doing another.”

    That’s correct: the Kenyan born Muslim doesn’t understand U.S. politics/s
    Please take Walker out to the woods and let him practice survival skills!

  94. The blessed silence of a screaming stinking 750cc snowmachine for 1000 miles versus staying at home with Sarah?
    You nailed it Zooey.

  96. All these memories of snow are starting to stress me out, I’m going to go contemplate the cactus…
    ‘night all…

  98. Where does he think a majority of those guns (in Juarez) come from?
    That would be their neighbor to the North – TX & AZ more specifically.

  99. March 1st, geeze. It never seems like winter in L.A.

    Hey kids, have a good tomorrow. I’m outta here, night.

  101. 5TH – I WAS JUST LISTENING TO AZTEC CAMERA’S ‘JUMP’ AND ALWAYS WONDER AND THINK ON HOW LIFE IS TREATING YOU. (you played it on one of the Friday music nights)

  103. oh, how wonderful to see 5th
    and
    pachy has made an appearance.

    Our dear witch1 has touched base.

    Life is good – life is good when we know our friends check-in.

    (we’ll need to speed up the commune so all can have a place to stay)

  104. hey hey, calm down you lovely people—Zooey I sent you and e-mail explaining myself (somewhat)

    Hey ebby, how lovely of you to remember Aztec Camera!

  105. FYI- short version, still unemployed, still very broke, but incredibly this Sunday a free Wifi access point appeared in the neighborhood, so voila!

  106. I have to pop out in about ten minutes to see if my Cash Assistance has been continued, or not , so I’ll be gone at midnight ( my time) and back in 30 minutes or less. Will anyone still be around in half an hour? .

  108. I’m dealing with 71 degree weather here at 11:45 PM while wondering how a zebra would look slipping and sliding on a frozen pond.

    • Pachy, bragging about your weather is just wrong! We have 6 new inches of snow on the ground, in addition to whatever was there already. Thank goodness the temps will be hovering around 40 for the next few days, and it will all drain away to the unfortunates who live downhill.

      Ugh, how republican of me…

  109. Apologies for being so forward – seeing that newsman’s face is so great – to know you are ok.

  110. Ah dear Zooey! The wifi sport seems to have been set up specifically for public access, as even an AP/Router right out of the box typically comes with WEP security (which is the weakest) as a default setting, so it would appear to have been purposely disabled.

    Therefore I presume it will be persistently available–I sure hope so!

  115. It’s nice to hear the Blue Dasher buzzing about ~!~
    Pachy – was FL on the same tornado watch House had in AL?

    • Snow is a giant pain in the ass. :)

      Ebb, will you keep our guests company? I’ve just hit a wall, and need to let my eyes slam shut until morning.

  117. Here, many farmers’ fields are green with cabbage and cauliflower. My neighbor’s pear tree is in bloom and his orange tree shows signs of a bumper crop coming. We’re still behind on rain and if we don’t have some this spring I won’t plant tomatoes this year.

    Maybe I need to find a nice indoor crop!

  118. hmm, grow lights – what does that invoke? oh, yes African Violets. ;>

    Pachy does it rain year round in FL?

  120. So in this commune we’re building, will we all have to interact in person, or will we still have our own rooms with internet, so we can still interact this way? :D

  121. Speaking of weather, all the news bobble heads in my area have been remarking what a terrible winter it has been, whereas in my experience it’s been what I would expect from a normal winter—a couple or three of snow storms and some damn cold weather.

    What irks me about the TV meteorologists is that they are so damn cheery about the volatility of the weather—ooh! a record for this or that, how fun and interesting—but not one damn word about WHY there might be unusual weather events.

  124. I don’t recall if zxbe was part of the family when last you were able to visit 5th.

    5th – meet zxbe. zxbe – meet 5th!

  125. I should say hello to pachydiplax.

    Hello pahcydiplax, I’ve been away for almost a year, but haven’t I seen your name at Think Progress too? Or am I imagining?

  127. Ebb, spring and summer are supposedly the wet times with fall and winter being the dry season. But its been a couple years since a hurricane or two brought lots of rain. Last year was crazy for St. Augustine with little rain while surrounding areas 30 miles away had much more rain, I mean like we would have a sprinkle here while Jacksonville and Daytona had storms.

  129. pachy pops-in and out.

    5th – we are building a (virtual at the moment) Zoo commune. Perhaps in BC, Canada – on a very remote island (so’s we can grow herb and not be disturbed) most of the year.
    Thinking of wintering in Belize.

  132. This is like Christmas or a family wedding when all the kids show up at home. So nice to see you 5th. I feel celebratory. Yippee.

  133. 5th, back when the critters were adding insect names to their TP handles you may have seen Pachydiplax with St. Augustine. When a butterfly lured me here to the Zoo I was unable to register the Saint so now here and at other sites using disqus I’m Pachysiplax, a saintly dragonfly.

  134. 5th, hope you found your C.A. was continued.

    It is so damn good to see Clark Kent at the typewriter! Is your brother still with you?

  135. Shayne, isn’t it just the best – staying up late to catch-up!
    5th – Shayne is in charge of the menagerie as she keeps collecting every damn animal she ever meets!

  136. I bet if we started a fund called the Zooros Fund with the purpose to establish the Zoo Institute, a think tank and petting zoo to be located in Portland we could get some rightwing whackos to believe it was real and funded by Soros.

  137. oops, sorry for the lag..

    HI SHAYNE! Good to see you!

    Yes CA renewed, thank goodness! It will last about 1 week probably.
    I had $1,59 this morning, and my brother came home tonight from work with $7 from the $20 he wheedled out of his boss who owes him two weeks wages.

  139. I owe my local Indian grocer $5 for the coffee and milk he let me take without paying tonight (before the CA showed up this morning). .

  141. Good to hear you have a local ‘mom & pop’ that’ll be kind in that way, 5th.

    Hope you’re able to use the WiFi during the day – it’d be great to hear your thoughts on the latest happenings (no matter what they may be) in the world!

  142. pachy,

    given the right wing’s hysterics over non-existent death panels and the fictional establishment of Sharia Law in the US, I doubt you;d need to actually build anything anywhere to get them to freak out.

  143. ebb—I think the connections a bit erratic during the day, but that may also have been because I of course kept accumulating 9 months of automatic updates being pushed down to me at once.

  144. 5th didn’t you hear, today the governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels is talking about how we can’t keep all kinds of people alive forever, meaning only the rich deserve decent end of life care. So now the Republicans are espousing death panels. Of course they used to be about jobs but now all they care about it cutting deficits and jobs be damned. Who can keep up people who lie about everything.

    Nice that you had somebody to help you get things. Glad you got some money today. What city did you land in?

  145. Ebb–yup, most of the local store owners in my ‘hood are Indian and none of them appear to have any grudges vis-a-vis British imperialism. I score points for always being polite and respectful and because my middle name is Indian—”Dilip”.

  146. Now ebb I don’t keep collecting them because my husband won’t let me. But when we’re all living off the land well then woohoo.

  147. Shayne–yes, of course, Republican ‘death panels’ are fiscally responsible and a reduction of federal power, and interestingly ostensibly REAL ( in that Mitch Daniels basically wants to convene a GOP death panel and deliver one single ruling by way of a Bill) whereas the completely FICTIONAL ‘death panels’ of the HCR Bill were government overreach and fiscally irresponsible!

  149. That’s what I meant Shayne – in your mind you keep collecting them for the menagerie!

    You realize we are going to need, at least, 50 acres just for the animals.
    Then perhaps 20 for crops.

  153. 5th, it’s a hippie commune – dig?! Uncertain where we’d obtain enough gold to defend but hey, it’s a fantasy world and if you deem it necessary – you’ll be in charge of that!

  155. I wonder if the Zoo Institute can help me apply for a grant to study raising animals hydroponically. I’ll need enough for a hot tub big enough for a Zebra, at least!

  156. I say, who here is still commenting at TP and what kind of ‘ID’ option are you using there, ‘cos the old login process appears to have changed

  159. Goodnight 5th – grand to be reading you again.

    Sleep well!

    TP now uses blog comments powered by DISQUS

  160. 5th,

    Most from this blog are still commenting at TP. During the week it tends to be OK, but on weekends it occasionally collapses – username pirating and the like. The Zoo is still going for 7 days per week and there is no current plan for expansion.

    I am only up to take a pain pill for two cracked ribs and a separation along the sternum – accident.

    It is good to seen you are still kicking.

    I am back to the sack.

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