Late Night Cartoon Show: The Bickersons

It's back! Here's a fascinating piece of business - an animation test of a proposed Paramount TV series which was attempted in 1967. As you can tell by the title, it's based upon the highly popular comedy album series The Bickersons from the 40s and 50s. They created a pilot by animating one of the album tracks, which actually gives it something The Flintstones never had - the feel of an actual studio audience.

But of course the main attraction of this is the guy who did it. Five years later, he became an underground hero by animating R. Crumb's Fritz The Cat for the big screen. Here's Ralph Bakshi's The Bickersons.

Another Sign America is Getting Smarter

Tourism to Florida dropped 3.2% during the dead of summer this year. The intelligence which finally concluded that going to a broiling swampland during hurricane season was probably responsible for the November election results.

Putting Ideology Above Humanity

Focus On The Family spent over a half a mil to kill gay marriage in California. Now they're going to lay off over 200 employees. We guess they found it worth destroying 200 of their "families" to destroy a state's-worth of potential families. James Dobson took one more step toward hell.

More Real America

I seriously hope that McCain now realizes that his campaign thugs and his delightful running mate stoked the flames of hatred toward Obama ("Palling around with terrorists" sure didn't do anything to stop it) when the jeers, the booing and the screaming of epithets at their rallies gave the green light to at least some of this abhorrent behavior.

If you let your animal snarl without correction, that animal will go to the next level. That's what's happened with the anti-Obama animals.

More Clinton Drama

Why does all this seem to be headed for disaster (of the annoying kind, not the End-Of-Days kind)? Conditioning.

President-elect Barack Obama’s advisers have begun reviewing former President Bill Clinton’s finances and activities to see whether they would preclude the appointment of his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, as secretary of state, Democrats close to the situation said Sunday.

A team of lawyers trying to facilitate the potential nomination spent the weekend looking into Mr. Clinton’s philanthropic organization, interactions with foreign governments and ties to pharmaceutical companies, a Democrat close to both camps said. While Mr. Clinton has used his foundation to champion efforts to fight AIDS, poverty and climate change around the world, he has also taken millions in speaking fees and contributions from foreign officials and businesses with interests in American governmental policies.

Obama advisers are discussing what Mr. Clinton would need to do to avoid a conflict of interest with the duties of his wife, who is said to be interested in the post.

Republicans: Let 'Em Die

While I have little pity on a company that kept pushing Hummers when we needed something less dicky, the few American workers they do have deserve a better fate.

Kyl and Shelby are declaring the U.S. auto industry dead. That will come as great news to the UAW and all the employees these companies hire. The incoming administration has made it clear that corporations will get their tax breaks when they hire American workers. To not let American auto companies and their employees get that chance is suicide.

Jon Kyl and Richard Shelby. They're about as anti-American as they get.

Sens. Richard Shelby of Alabama and Jon Kyl of Arizona said it would be a mistake to use any of the Wall Street rescue money to prop up the automakers because a bailout would only postpone the industry's demise.

"Companies fail everyday and others take their place. I think this is a road we should not go down," said Shelby, the senior Republican on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. "They're not building the right products," he said. "They've got good workers but I don't believe they've got good management. They don't innovate. They're a dinosaur in a sense."

Added Kyl, the Senate's second-ranking Republican: "Just giving them $25 billion doesn't change anything. It just puts off for six months or so the day of reckoning."

Yeah, they're right. Kill them all. Don't give them a chance to get their affairs in order. Just kill 'em. Make it Obama's fault, and you'll be the first to declare it so.

They wonder why America's turning on them. Look in the goddamn mirror.

But Larry David Can Still Love Her Ass

Wanda Sykes declares.

Comedian Wanda Sykes says the passage of a same-sex marriage ban in California has led to her be more outspoken about being gay.

"You know, I don't really talk about my sexual orientation. I didn't feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life," Sykes told a crowd at a gay rights rally in Las Vegas on Saturday.

"Everybody that knows me personally they know I'm gay. But that's the way people should be able to live their lives," she said.

Sykes, who is known for her feisty and blunt style, said the passage of California's Proposition 8 made her feel like she was "attacked."

"Now, I gotta get in their face," she said. "I'm proud to be a woman. I'm proud to be a black woman, and I'm proud to be gay."

The First Feyless SNL of the Season

The Pluses:

• Paul Rudd didn't come on the plug a movie (Currently Role Models) at all - he was just good and funny.
• Lead Weekend Update story: "It's official. For the next four years it'll be pronounced 'nuclear.'"
• The wonderful "This Song Reminds Me Of..." bit which normally suffers from having no ending - finally had an ending. (I always marvel at the timing of this whenever they do it. The cadence of the writing always matches the song JUST in time for them to sing the hook. It's really pretty amazing.)
• Beyonce. Damn. And her all-female band which killed. Double damn.
• Hey! Wall-E drops Tuesday!
• Justin Timberlake's 2-1/2 minute version of a complete SNL episode. How scary is this guy?*

*Bah. The prohibition of musical performances in SNL's web videos means the final part of this bit isn't here. Too bad. It was a fun exclamation point.

The minuses:

• Must've been gay week in the writers' room. The kissing family. The digital short. Snagglepuss. Parts of the "This Song Reminds Me Of..." sketch. The closing bit on the Prop 8 rally. The Beyonce video shoot (which in all fairness had the audience falling out of their seats). The suicide sketch. Really. Gayest episode ever. Not that there's...y'know.
• They introduced two new featured cast members in the opening credits. Where were they?
• Kristen Wiig must have had a plane to catch. She disappeared 20 minutes into the show.
• Wiig's disappearance made us realize how much Amy Poehler is missed. And Wiig. And Tina.
• The fact that I'm writing about SNL. After 30+ years, I'm still rooting for it. What can I tell ya.

Obama's First Weekly Radio Address

Presidential. Nice change after eight years.

The Southland Ablaze

We went out of town yesterday but on the drive out we saw the beginnings of a couple of the mountain fires from a distance. When we returned, the entire L.A. area was under a cloud of smoke. This morning, our area which was pretty clear last night, is awakening to a brown sky and a dusting of ash on the entire community. Your mind really tries to wrap itself around all this - wondering what forest or whose home is contained in those ashes which traveled maybe dozens of miles.

The ongoing dry hot weather and Santa Ana winds - in late November, mind you - are going to make this a sad ongoing story which is definitely impacting thousands of lives and likely the climate.

Rich: The Moose Has Left the Building

Frank Rich reminds us all why (a) the GOP needs to finally reign in their horribly outdated Southern Strategy and (b) why their new shiny icons don't move the stakes in their lame attempt to make their tent bigger.

In defeat, the party’s thinking remains unchanged. Its leaders once again believe they can bamboozle the public into thinking they’re the “party of Lincoln” by pushing forward a few minority front men or women. The reason why they are promoting Palin and the recently elected Indian-American governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, as the party’s “future” is not just that they are hard-line social conservatives; they are also the only prominent Republican officeholders under 50 who are not white men. The G.O.P. will have to dip down to a former one-term lieutenant governor of Maryland, Michael Steele, to put a black public face on its national committee.

Such window dressing aside, there remains only one Republican idea for reaching out to minority voters: Richard Land, of the Southern Baptist Convention, recommends pandering to socially conservative blacks and Hispanics with yet more hyperventilation about same-sex marriage. Weird though it may be, gays were the sole minority group that actually voted slightly more Republican this year (though still going Democratic by 70 to 27 percent). Pitting blacks and Latinos against them could open up a whole new bloody front in the G.O.P. civil war.

The only other widespread post-election conservative ideas are Bush 2000 retreads (market-based health care and education reform). Jindal offers generic gab about how the party must offer Americans “real solutions” and “substance,” but he has yet to offer a real solution to his own state’s gaping $1 billion budget shortfall. Indeed, the only two “new” ideas that the G.O.P. is pushing in defeat are those they condemn when practiced by Democrats: celebrity and identity politics. Palin’s manic post-election publicity tour, which may yet propel her and “the first dude” to “Dancing With the Stars,” is almost a parody of the McCain ad likening Obama to Paris and Britney. Anyone who says so is promptly called out for sexism by the P.C. police of the newly “feminist” G.O.P.

At the risk of being so reviled, let me point out that in the marathon of Palin interviews last week, the single most revealing exchange had nothing to do with her wardrobe or the “jerks” (as she called them) around McCain. It came instead when Wolf Blitzer of CNN asked for some substance by inviting her to suggest “one or two ideas” that Republicans might have to offer. “Well, a lot of Republican governors have really good ideas for our nation,” she responded, without specifying anything except that “it’s all about free enterprise and respecting equality.” Well, yes, but surely there’s some actual new initiative worth mentioning, Blitzer followed up. “Gah!” replied the G.O.P.’s future. “Nothing specific right now!”

Villified for Being Right

Peter Schiff told us the sky was falling. The the sky fell. Until it did, the media and other "experts" trashed the poor guy. Sullivan has 10 minutes of video proof.

The derisive laughter from those he faced for over two solid years makes you want to go back in time and kick their teeth in. Okay...to hell with going back in time.

If It Didn't Come from Obama's Camp, It's Not a Leak

Al Giordano clarifies where the Hillary for SecState talk originated, while simultaneously nailing Andrea Mitchell for her so-called "scoop." Again, someone's not doing their job, Andrea. Or more precisely, she let someone else do it for her. That's what happens, kids.

The speculation over Senator Hillary Clinton as a possible Secretary of State in the Obama administration did not begin - as many are reporting - with Andrea Mitchell's report yesterday on NBC, based, she said, on "two Obama advisors."

(Obama has more than 700 titled advisors on foreign policy alone. There's good reason why they received a memo that instructed "do not under any circumstances speak to the press." You can't shoot a cannon ball up Pennsylvania Avenue these days without hitting two or three of them, but that doesn't put them in the loop, and the ones that are in the loop aren't talking to Andrea Mitchell or anybody in the press about inside information.)

No, it was not Mitchell that first floated this Hindenburg balloon. It was former Clinton White House aide (and reliable media spinner for all agendas Clinton) George Stephanopoulos on who first dropped HRC's name for Foggy Bottom last week. ABC's Jake Tapper reminds:

George Stephanopoulos reported Clinton's name being in the mix last week on Good Morning America

The whole thing is a media freak show being served up by members of the Clinton factions in the Democratic party and obliged by a national media (some of them also Clinton noisemakers) in search of a story.

I'll Never Understand This Mindset

I mean I'm Jewish and all, and I'm all for the survival of Israel just as all nations have a right - right or wrong - to exist without encroaching on the existence of others. That's a very simplistic description, but I hope you get my drift.

When I'm asked about my priorities or my life mission, I'll generally say that I hope I'm enriching the lives of others, helping when I can, reaching back when needed, and being an asset to my family and community. And I do indeed love my country, my countrymen and my friends (and the friends I haven't made yet) worldwide. Sorry, but Israel isn't one of the first things I blurt out. So when Roger Ailes says,

"I stand up for what I believe. I don’t back off. I’ve been that way for 40 years. That’s the secret to my success. I have thick skin. I don’t care what people say about me.

"I defend the United States, Israel and the Constitution."

...I worry that this egotistical lack of compassion is running a major news organization. It ain't strength. It's arrogance. And thankfully it's no longer a recipe for success as we're now seeing. Ailes will find out soon enough.

And I still don't understand Israel being a higher priority than one's own family or Ailes using his influence to stoke the flames of intolerance instead of making the world - including Israel - a better more peaceful place.

I'm crazy that way.

From the Pen of: Steve Benson

From the Pen of: John Sherffius

Giving Religion a Bad Name

The Catholic church really seems to have a behavior problem with its clergy. A religious leader in America labeling another American's vote "intrinsic evil" - and suggesting they stay away from their house of worship? Yeah. That'll send a good message about religion to kids nationwide.

An anti-American jerk is an anti-American jerk, no matter how holy they think they are.

The pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Greenville, SC, is urging parishioners who voted for Barack Obama not to present themselves for Communion unless they go to confession first because they have cooperated with "intrinsic evil'' by voting for a candidate who supports abortion rights over a candidate who does not. The Rev. Jay Scott Newman told the Greenville News that he doesn't intend to deny anyone Communion, but made it clear that his view is that Obama voters should not present themselves without seeking penance first "lest they eat and drink their own condemnation.''

Newman is the only priest in the U.S. known to have taken this position -- the Catholic bishops met this week in Baltimore and this idea was not even discussed, at least in public session.

Thanks, Mark...

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton?

There's been worse (AHEM, lasteightyears). I was kind of pulling for Bill Richardson who has already established a relationship with the likes of North Korea by negotiating the release of American prisoners - twice. He has displayed and developed a keen sense of diplomacy and since Joe Biden (who is also well-liked by the international community) is going to be a tad busy with his new gig, Richardson seemed like a natural choice.

That said, few are more diplomatic on international life-or-death matters than the Clintons. I'm not sure Hillary likes the two-for-one idea and I'm guessing she would rather stand on her own in whatever she does on a large scale. She's a good choice, but I thought with her law background, she'd have been a terrific SCOTUS nominee. Of course, there's that whole partisan thing by the party who's screaming for being bipartisan because they lost the partisan presidential battle. I don't know if I can handle more crying from the GOP. What I'm hearing now is ear-splitting enough.

Obama's got this. I'm going to chill the f*** out.

SHUT UP!! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!

The psychopath today:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Thursday argued that she and her fellow Republican governors were ready to put aside "extreme partisanship" and act if Washington fails to provide the leadership America needs.

Speaking at her first formal news conference before the national media since the GOP presidential ticket lost last week, the former vice presidential nominee argued that her fellow Republican governors "don't let obsessive, extreme partisanship ... get in the way of doing what's right."

The psychopath ten days ago:

“So what do they think?,” Palin mused, referring to Democrats. “Do they think that terrorists have all of a sudden become the good guys? And changed their minds? No, the terrorists still seek to destroy America and her allies and all that it is that we stand for: freedom, tolerance, equality. The terrorists have not changed their minds.”

Shut. Up. You're a crazy person. Seek the help you need, go home and keep an eye on Russia with that dysfunctional family of yours.

Real America

It comes from the parents. Period.

Students chant 'Assassinate Obama' on school bus

Controversial words spoken by kids on a school bus have some Madison County [Idaho] parents concerned.

Matthew Whoolery and his wife aren't blaming the school district for what happened on the bus but they do think all parents need to be careful about what they say and teach their children.

Whoolery and his wife couldn't believe it when their second and third graders got off the bus last week and told them what other students were saying.

"They just hadn't heard anything like this before," said Whoolery. "They were chanting on the bus, 'Assassinate Obama. Assassinate Obama.' Then adding in a name sometimes of a classmate on the bus, 'Assassinate Obama and Kate.'"

OCD

She really needs therapy.

Shepard Smith Scores Another Point with Us

This time, Shep slams perpetual comedian-in-training Nick DiPaolo after he spews out the unfounded "media's in the tank for Obama" line...which is as original as any of his standup material. DiPaolo seems almost dumbfounded to see a Fox News host take him on so aggressively. Smith continues to be the voice of reason over there.

Why is it so hard for the Nick DiPaolos of the world to grasp the notion that Republican rule ruined this country and Americans - not the meeeedia, the AMERICANS - decided their time was up? It always shocks them when they're confronted with the possibility that the public isn't as stupid as they thought, and that speaks volumes about how they regard my country. Sickening. And in DiPaolo's case, as usual, not funny.

This Just Keeps Getting Better and Better

War crimes are war crimes, and Obama knows it.

With growing talk in Washington that President Bush may be considering an unprecedented "blanket pardon" for people involved in his administration's brutal interrogation policies, advisors to Barack Obama are pressing ahead with plans for a nonpartisan commission to investigate alleged abuses under Bush.

The Obama plan, first revealed by Salon in August, would emphasize fact-finding investigation over prosecution. It is gaining currency in Washington as Obama advisors begin to coordinate with Democrats in Congress on the proposal. The plan would not rule out future prosecutions, but would delay a decision on that matter until all essential facts can be unearthed. Between the time necessary for the investigative process and the daunting array of policy problems Obama will face upon taking office, any decision on prosecutions probably would not come until a second Obama presidential term, should there be one.

It Still Stands

I know the wingnuts are screaming and offering suggestions to the incoming president and stonewalling before anything even happens and in general acting like the asses they are. A lot of people on our side are scared of this kind of talk as if they have that much power.

Let us remind you...

This always keeps us grounded.

They Better Stay Away from Jamaica

Good. They will. The GOP is having a pity cruise to the Caribbean. Just to prove they're in touch with the real America.