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Religulous: Finally, a Movie for Atheists Like Me
Posted by DJK, Brave New Films on October 11, 2008 at 12:39 PM.
(Religulous – documentary – 101 min – directed by Larry Charles – starring Bill Maher)
Finally, a movie for my people! That's right, I'm an atheist. In fact, I'm so much of an atheist that I don't even like the term. I think the default setting for humans is to not be religious — I might as well call myself a non-snake handler, non-scientologist, or a non-branch Davidian.
But enough about me. Religulous, directed by Borat director Larry Charles, follows Bill Maher as he travels the world questioning religious "experts" and believers about the inherent contradictions and accepted silliness that makes up the bulk of the world's "organized" religions. Maher is not an atheist — he just accepts that he does not know the answers to life's big spiritual questions, and that anyone who claims to know with absolute certainty what God or Allah wants or what happens when we die must be doubted to the utmost. Pretty hard to argue with that.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
McCain-Palin Rally Attendees Say Incredible, Ridiculous Things
Posted by Seth Colter Walls, Huffington Post on October 10, 2008 at 12:42 PM.
File this one under the "give 'em enough rope" column. A pro-Obama blogger in Ohio caught McCain-Palin supporters as they streamed into a rally and asked some of the most salient questions of the day. Like, "is Obama a terrorist?" Check out the responses.
UPDATE: Another video filmed outside a McCain event in Pennsylvania:
AlterNet is a nonprofit organization and does not make political endorsements. The opinions expressed by its writers are their own.
Donna Brazile: "I'm Not Going to the Back of the Bus!"
Posted by ZP Heller, Brave New Films on October 10, 2008 at 11:28 AM.
At last weekend's New Yorker festival, Donna Brazile delivered an impassioned speech about how the McCain-Palin campaign has been using deplorable racial politics and ugly attacks to smear Obama recently. The panel, entitled "If I Were Running This Campaign," also featured New Yorker staff writer/moderator Jeffrey Toobin, as well as CNN's Ed Rollins and Alex Castellanos.
John Cusack Tackles War Profiteers Today on Meet the Bloggers
Posted by ZP Heller, Meet the Bloggers on October 10, 2008 at 7:13 AM.
Celebrated Actor and filmmaker John Cusack will be our special guest this Friday to discuss an issue neither presidential candidate is talking about: war profiteering. War, Inc., Cusack's latest film which he starred in and co-wrote with Jeremy Pikser and Mark Leyner, satirized the outsourcing of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Cusack will discuss his thoughts on the war and his influences for the film, including the works of Naomi Klein and Jeremy Scahill.
Joining Cusack will be bloggers Marcy Wheeler (Empty Wheel) and Liliana Segura (AlterNet), and this week, we have a special announcement. Since Meet the Bloggers has been pre-recorded, these bloggers will take part in the live blog discussion.
So check out some of the material below, and join us for a live conversation with bloggers Wheeler and Segura today at 1pm ET/10 am PT on Meet the Bloggers.
Colbert Report: Joe Scarborough on Why McCain Won't Win
Posted by Staff, The Colbert Report on October 9, 2008 at 4:00 PM.
Joe Scarborough gives reasons why John McCain won't win this election.
AlterNet is a nonprofit organization and does not make political endorsements. The opinions expressed by its writers are their own.
Sarah Palin's Presidential Acceptance Speech (Part One)
Posted by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, Brave New Films on October 9, 2008 at 3:50 PM.
Well, hello there! As many of you know, my name is Sarah Palin, and just so excited to be here in Washington City t’day, because it’s all about job-creation and health care and stuff and also, as you know, and so many good things. Just real good, real American things.
But the real reason I’m here t’day, as the American people know, is that something wonderful happened last night -- now hold on there, you guys, just wait a minute, I’m gettin’ to it, I’m getting’ to it, hold yer little horses. Something wonderful happened last night that was God’s will and that’s why it’s wonderful and yes I know it’s kinda sad at the same time so don’t you start believin’ what those liberals are sayin’ when they say I’m, oh I don’t know what they’re sayin’, whatever it is, that I’m not compassionate because also you know what, America? There are feelings here. I am.
When President McCain passed away because of that thing in his jaw, you know that goiter kinda thing that made him look like a hamster storin’ food for the winter? Well, as you know his doctors said it popped inside his head like a big inside pimple, and it was sad for all of us who loved the little rascal even if he was kinda liberal about some stuff but we don’t have to talk about that now, but you know what? God works in mysterious ways, my friends. (Laughs.)
Oh, it’s the craziest thing, but I just like to tease him. Or I did, before he and I, you know I was meanin’ to tell you guys, me and John we talked for a while right before he died and he was just standin’ there eatin’ the homemade Tollhouse cookies I made for ‘im, and I was sittin’ in the President’s chair because that’s what he said, he said “Sarah,” -- and you know I always wanted him to call me that -- “Sarah,” he said, “God came to me in a dream and he said Sarah she’d look real good in that chair, Johnny.” Let’s all take a moment of silence for John because even though he was real short he was a really good man who believed in God and God rewarded him for it by tellin’ him I’d look really awesome in the round office over there in that chair.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
FOX's Ugly Sexism Toward Hillary Clinton
Posted by ZP Heller, Brave New Films on October 9, 2008 at 11:56 AM.
Quick, somebody get this clip to McCain campaign adviser Carly Fiorina, who just last month claimed that John "How do we beat the bitch?" McCain and his conservative cronies never subjected Hillary Clinton to sexism.
As you can see, the Fox and Friends crew is more than happy to air controversial Reuters photos of Sarah Palin's legs, while debating whether or not the images are inappropriate. (News flash: FOX's Michelle Malkin says they're more "cliched" than inappropriate -- big surprise, given FOX's low low low standards of decency.) But then, FOX stooge Greg Gutfeld uses this opportunity to attack Hillary Clinton: "Now if this was Hillary Clinton, you wouldn’t be able to see the guy’s face...I couldn’t resist it!”
Gutfeld puts the "ass" back in "classy."
(h/t Think Progress)
McCain's Dirty Domestic Terrorism Associations
Posted by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly on October 9, 2008 at 8:34 AM.
The Politico's Jonathan Martin noted last night that the McCain campaign planned on "making news" this morning, but wouldn't say what it was. We learned this morning it was a new, detailed economic plan, explaining in depth how McCain believes the U.S. should respond to the ongoing financial crisis over the next 12 months.
No, no, I'm just kidding. The "news" is that the McCain campaign has released a 90-second web ad attacking Obama for knowing Bill Ayers. As Martin noted this morning, "The idea here is to keep Ayers in the mix without spending precious dollars to put real points behind it on TV. Republicans know that cable TV stations will play the spot for free, regardless of it being a web ad."
The web ad comes about 24 hours after top McCain campaign aides seemingly took the Ayers "issue" (I use the word loosely) off the table.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
Meet the Texas Senator Who Couldn't Care Less About Our Vets
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films on October 9, 2008 at 7:43 AM.
Health care. Mental health benefits. Adequate body armor and armored vehicles. A college education. These are just some of the necessities all of our service members deserve. But clearly, Senator John Cornyn doesn't think so.
Cornyn's rhetoric belies his appalling record in the Senate. The fact that Cornyn has stood with President Bush 95 percent of the time and has opposed our service members on more than 20 key issues proves he doesn't support our troops or veterans. It's a fact every Texan needs to know, now.
Every Texan must see this video. Send this to ten friends and get them to pass it along to ten more. Post this video on your blogs and spread it on sites like Digg -- some of the most effective ways to reach those outside the choir.
Let's make sure everyone knows John Cornyn is not giving our veterans and troops the respect they deserve.
People in the film:
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
Gender Auditors: Will California Ban Same-Sex Marriage?
Posted by ZP Heller, Brave New Films on October 8, 2008 at 2:38 PM.
The Governator giveth, the Governator taketh away? Possibly, if Californians vote no on Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that would "eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry."
I've been impressed with California's progressive leadership on issues like same-sex marriage. It would be a major step in the wrong direction if Prop 8 passes, which is why Rick Jacobs and the Courage Campaign have put together this satirical piece, "Gender Auditors."
Take action on this issue at the Courage Campaign's site.
AlterNet is a nonprofit organization and does not make political endorsements. The opinions expressed by its writers are their own.
McCain Loses It: Calls Americans 'My Fellow Prisoners'
Posted by Jed Lewison, Huffington Post on October 8, 2008 at 1:40 PM.
This is the kind of mental mix-up that really makes you wonder what is truly going on inside of John McCain's mind. Here he is, campaigning in Pennsylvania, accidentally calling Americans "my fellow prisoners."
McCain was talking about his domestic policies, and clearly meant to say "Americans" or "countrymen" or somesuch.
AIG Execs Receive a Flogging from Congress
Posted by Lagan Sebert, American News Project on October 8, 2008 at 12:41 PM.
In the wake of the $700 billion bailout, the public is finally getting a look at the faces behind the financial crisis. On October 7, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform grilled former AIG CEOs Robert Willumstad and Martin Sullivan. During the five-hour hearing the executives tried to dodge blame as congress members harshly criticized their management of AIG and questioned their compensation.
Sarah Palin: The Rape Kit Controversy
Posted by Staff, Wasilla Project on October 8, 2008 at 9:49 AM.
This is the first of 4 videos to be produced by Wasilla Project.
We are a group of independent filmmakers who came together to put this together and get this important information out. We look forward to your comments.
AlterNet is a nonprofit organization and does not make political endorsements. The opinions expressed by its writers are their own.
John McCain's Rage Is a National Security Issue
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New PAC on October 8, 2008 at 8:00 AM.
"I have a temper, to state the obvious, which I have tried to control with varying degrees of success because it does not always serve my interest or the public's." - John McCain
During last night's debate, John McCain said we need "a cool hand at the tiller," but McCain has proven to be a loose cannon. He has accosted his Congressional colleagues on both sides of the aisle on everything from the federal budget to diplomatic relations. He is known for hurling profanities rather than settling disagreements calmly. His belligerence is legendary. Even conservative Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi has said, "He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."
When someone earns the nickname "Senator Hothead," the public ought to call his character into question. McCain's propensity to explode undermines his abilities as a rational decision maker, particularly on national security issues -- which could prove disastrous considering our country is already involved in two wars.
With the election less than four weeks away, here's a chance for you to take concrete action:
McCain's temper is critical to his decision-making abilities, and his character must be discussed. As Drew Westen writes, "The political brain is an emotional brain. It is not a dispassionate calculating machine, objectively searching for the right facts, figures and policies to make a reasoned decision." That why it's so crucial people know the real Senator Hothead.
AlterNet is a nonprofit organization and does not make political endorsements. The opinions expressed by its writers are their own.
Fox, CNN, CBS Reaction Groups: Obama Won
Posted by Sam Stein, Huffington Post on October 7, 2008 at 9:02 PM.
The insta-polls, which provide viewers with a somewhat skewed but important insight into how each candidate fared say, by and large, that Obama scored a victory in the second debate.
NBC's focus group of undecided Pennsylvania voters had the Illinois Democrat winning by roughly a 60-40 split. Frank Luntz's focus group, over at Fox, showed undecided voters leaning towards Obama because of his position on health care. CBS's focus group of independents had the Democratic nominee winning the debate at 39 percent to McCain's 27 percent, with 35 percent of the respondents saying it was a tie. Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, a Democratic polling firm, had a focus group of undecideds leaning to Obama by a margin of 42 percent to 24 percent.
Meanwhile, SurveyUSA interviewed 741 debate watchers in the state of Washington, 54 percent of whom thought Obama was the "clear winner" compared with McCain's 29 percent. That same polling firm had the first debate as a tie. In tonight's survey: 42 percent of respondents said McCain was too forceful.
And the CNN focus group of undecided voters in Ohio had the margin at an even wider spread: Obama 54 percent to McCain's 30.
A look at some of the specific issues that these Ohio voters valued suggest that they prefer the candidate who, at least on the surface, appears less on the attack. When Obama discussed health care as a right for all Americans, his numbers were through the roof. At one point, female respondents were dialing in at 100 percent approval. When he talked about using diplomacy in Darfur and pursuing Bin Laden in Pakistan, he again enjoyed strongly enthusiastic responses.
Read the rest of the post on the flip side »
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