July 23rd, 2004

 Welcome to my brand new website. Today is the inaugural issue. Lets start off with a nice story from the New York Times. As I get more into this I will begin to explain more about me and what this site will be all about. Let me just say right here that all praise must go to my Good Friend Bart from www.bartcop.com. who is not only my inspiration for this website, but also my Poker playing buddy. (I am the Bartcop Chicago Pokerfest Champion, you can read about my stunning victory at the poker table here scroll about a quarter of the way down the page to Pokerfest update. (although I suggest you read his entire page everyday.) I am going to try to make this site unique, and different, but Bart has such a great and complete site, and we think so much alike, that similarities are bound to occur, especially at the beginning. I found this story this morning on Bart's page because its the first thing I look at in the morning while I'm sipping my coffee. 

Basic Training Doesn't Guard Against Insurance Pitch to G.I.'s

New York Times

Here's a little story that will warm your heart. Its all about how the Military screws its members (one of the many ways) by letting them think they are starting a savings/money market account. In reality they are buying Life Insurance, that is vastly inferior to the policy that they already have as members of the military. The Army allows fast talking insurance salesman to come in and hoodwink these guys into buying bogus life insurance policies. The Military knows its soldiers are getting ripped off but does nothing. Could it be that they get a cut of the money that these guys are getting taken off for???

The Hollywood Liberal lives in a state where a cartoon character has been installed as Governor. He is going to say Hasta la vista to the deficit, and get rid of all the Girlie men in California. Here's how a writer from the L.A.Times views the situation.

On Girlie Men and Our Manly Governor

California used to be a great place to live. Arnold, is making sure it stays that way.

July 24, 2004

I wrote up my report about my weekend trip to Chicago, for the Bartcop Pokerfest. It's a grisly little story about what happens when you drink and gamble a lot. check it out

Chicago Pokerfest Report

July 25, 2004.

I read somewhere earlier today that Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and a bunch of other bands were getting together in November to tour against Bush. they said they might even get Bob Dylan to show up and play some shows. They would be playing mostly in swing states. I've never seen Bruce, Neil, or Dylan. I might have to take a trip to Vegas to check that show out. We all know Nevada is a swing state (And I'm not talking wife swapping here.) after what happened to Linda Ronstadt.

Fahrenheit 9/11 hangs in there at number 7.

After 5 weeks on the charts F9/ll is still coming in 7th place for most watched movie of the week. It has taken in over $103 Million since it was released If you have not seen it yet, get your ass out to the theatre. (Although the video release in October could prove the final kick in the ass for the Worst President of All time.) way to go Mike

Weekend Box Office totals

The Republican Convention in NYC

The Village Voice.

No Matter What, We Will Protest.

The Hollywood Liberal is from New York like a lot of the cool people out here. I still have my contacts back there and may make a last minute trip to report directly from the mayhem that will be the Repulican National Convention. I was outside the Democrats Convention in L.A. in 2000, and nearly missed a riot after Rage against the Machine played in the protest pit.

Analyzing where are leaders were on 9/11

Mother Jones

Who's in Charge here

After reading this story I can only come to one conclusion. They knew the attack was coming, and let it happen. How else can you explain the monumental screwups. Nobody is that stupid.

July 26, 2004

New Home Page

Our first email

Well I guess I got my first email from a teacher, but your right Himbi, I did spell that wrong, thanks for the heads up. And I know how you feel, if I didn't live here I wouldn't want to come here on vacation right now. Thanks for the best wishes, regime change is what were all about. If Bush somehow manages to swindle this election like he did the last one, I may be coming to join you.

Ignore The Media

Well boys and girls today is the first day of the Democratic National Convention. I remember when I was a kid I used to hate the conventions because it meant that all my favorite TV shows would be cancelled that week. Well I still don't watch the convention on TV, but for a different reason. That being that I don't watch Televison at all, (Except of course for NFL football, but even then I have season tickets) because it is filled with lies, garbage, and the kind of mindless entertainment that will make your brain soft. Not to mention the commercials. I thought about naming this site "Ignore the media.com" because TV, & radio, have only one mission, to turn your brain to mush, so you are so comatose, that you cant get up to turn off the endless commercials to make you spend your money on things you don't want or need. I know what I am talking about here because I worked in the Television industry for 12 years. I actually got paid to watch TV for a living. This is one of the reasons I no longer watch, because when you get paid to do something for a long time, you usually don't want to do it for free. (Actually it was mostly movies, and some TV shows, but without the commercials, which made it not so bad. Some of the shows were OK, but I don't care how good a show is, if it has commercials, I'm not interested.) Now I love watching a good movie, but even the damn movie theatres are force feeding you commercials after you paid $9.00 to get in. I try to show up a few minutes late, but they already have that figured out. They constantly change the duration of the opening commercials/previews, so if you get there late you may miss the beginning of the movie, or if you show up on time you might sit through 15 minutes of commercials/previews. Also maybe its just me, but doesn't it seem like most of the new movies lately just totally suck ass. Maybe after 12 years of watching movies for a living I just have a very low tolerance for crap. Ok I seem to be rambling here a bit, but my point was that I will not be able to report on the Demo convention. I am thinking of going to NYC though to be right in the middle of the protests/riots, at the Republican Convention, like I did in 2000, for the Dems in L.A. That will be cool, live web reporting from the scene. Its all a matter of scraping up some money. I am currently unemployed (big surprise right) Ok lets get to some stories.

Clintons Vow to Make Kerry Next President

July 27, 2004.

I found out something today that I did not know, The Convention is broadcast on PBS, (and you know what that means: no commercials, and since I am now a political commentator I decided to break my no TV rule) So I watched a little of it tonight. I saw part of Barack Obama's speech. He seemed calm, and in control, his message was a positive one for the Democrats. He talked of making a better world for everyone, both rich, and poor, Democrat, and Republican. He seems to have the "values" that the Repubs claim to have, but most of them are so utterly full of shit its laughable. Next up was Ron Reagan Jr., who was there to talk about stem cell research. He told the crowd without actually saying it that he will be voting for Kerry in the upcoming election. I don't think its only for the stem cell research which Kerry is for and Bush, is against. Ron is a progressive non republican all the way, so is his sister Patti. Of course Ronald Reagan Sr. was a liberal himself before he decided to turn whore, and sell out to the Republicans. Reagan was President of The Screen Actors Guild at one time. This is a position which has also been held by one of the most liberal anti war demonstrators around, Ed Asner. Reagan decided that he could become Governor of California, and eventually President by selling his soul to the other side.  In the process he set in motion with his election in 1980, (which happened only because the Republicans made a deal with the Iranians to hold on to the American hostages until after the election. they were released about an hour after Reagan took the oath of office.) the torrent of idiot conservatism that has swept this country in the ensuing 24 years and forced the left toward the center in an effort to appear to be not to "out there." In the process they have made liberal a bad word despite the fact that Liberals are responsible for most of the reforms that help the little guy that this country. I called this website "The Hollywood Liberal" because I am proud to be one. Anyone got a problem with that? The last speaker of the evening was Theresa Heinz Kerry. Her speech didn't excite me too much. I had to turn her off. But who cares, she's not going to be the President, her husband is.

They pen up the protesters out of site

Free Speech Zones Getting Crowded

July 28, 2004.

Saw this on Bloggerheads: The Tomato Observer  Check out this cool site.

ANOTHER bike crash! 

 
This guy should try out for the special olympics. He's not only an idiot, he's a klutz
Here's the report:

Bush offered a glimpse of his new pastime to an Associated Press reporter Monday, roaming the dirt roads and far-flung pastures of his 1,600-acre ranch. About halfway through, he sailed over the handlebars during a dangerous descent, but dusted himself off, picked up his $3,100 bicycle and kept riding.

Here's the media ho part:

Crashing is a routine part of mountain biking, a sport in which riders roll over loose dirt, rocks and other obstacles.

(Edited for clarity) Here's the thing: there is a difference between mountain biking and riding a mountain bike. El Prez is traveling dirt roads and pastures, not riding over roots and logs up and down Mount Waco. I'll bet that dangerous descent was down a steep driveway. Just don't kill yerself before the election Georgie. We can't take a minute of Big Time Dick.

The Hollywood Liberal comments: 

You know I told him before his first bike crash that he was not ready to take off the training wheels yet. I mean its only been what? about 50 years since he started riding his bike. I figure in about another 20 years he might be ready to take them off. Everyone learns at a different speed some kids take a few weeks. Some take 70 years.

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Movie Review:

As I have previously stated here "Most of the new movies that come out nowadays seem to totally suck ass" My solution to this problem is to watch old movies that I rent, or borrow from the library. Well I watched an old, (and I mean really old) Movie last night. It is called All Quiet on The Western Front. This Movie came out way back in 1930. Its based on a book by Erich Maria Remarque that I read back in 10th grade, but it didn't seem as hard hitting to my 16 year old brain as the movie does now. It takes place in World War l, and is the story of a German student who is coerced into joining the war along with the rest of his classmates by a propaganda spouting teacher at the school they go to. The story follows his platoon into the trenches for probably the most hard hitting truth telling about war ever put on film. This film is a masterpiece. It shows the green young recruits coming in thinking about how glorious it all is. (based on the lies they were told) They are soon brought to reality during there first battle. They quickly start to realize how things really are. During another extended battle scene where the battalion is trapped in a bunker while bombs are going off all around them they start to go crazy with fear and exhaustion. One of them can't take it and finally bolts from the trench. He is quickly brought back dead. In one particularly poignant scene the guys are sitting around talking about why there is war, and who would ever want one. One of the boys says "The manufacturers [of the guns, grenades, bombs etc.] they get rich." That really slapped me upside the  head. I mean I know that now, thanks to the internet, and people like Michael Moore, but that was in one sentence the complete and only truth. All wars are fought so the rich, can get richer, at the expense of the lives of the poor bastards who believe the bullshit, or who get drafted. Way back in 1930 the truth of war was laid bare. It seems that no one learns the lesson

They didn't learn it in WW2. (Where Bush's grandfather and the Harrimans, were Hitlers bankers.) 

They didn't learn it in Korea

They didn't learn it in Vietnam

They still haven't learned it in Iraq.

This movie should be required viewing for anyone who is ever thinking of joining the military.

July 29, 2004

Kerry's Speech Review:

    John Kerry just finished giving his speech to the convention.  He started out with a subtle dig at Jr. He said ?My name is John Kerry, and I am reporting for duty.? Kerry used subtlety very effectively attacking Bush without actually saying anything as to appear negative.

    Kerry came across strong, and confident. I can only wonder what Bush?s convention speech will look like to someone who watches both speeches and is on the fence over the election. (although I don?t see how that is possible.) Kerry came off intelligent, passionate, and one could even say ?Presidential?.

   Some of his other subtle comments (a little paraphrasing here:) ?I will appoint an Attorney General who will uphold the law, I will appoint a Secretary of Defense who will consider the military commanders points of view before making decisions on war.? Nice, making Bush look incompetent, while still staying on a positive America first tone. More points for Kerry (and I?m not talking talking points here if you know what I mean) ?Just because you say there are Weapons of Mass Destruction doesn?t make it so.? Ouch. And then another kicker: ?Just because you say Mission Accomplished does not make it so.? Since I am having so much fun right now here?s some more. ?I will not take cops off the street so Enron can have another tax cut,? Filleting old Jr. with a razor sharp knife. (Now the taking the cops off the street part I don?t necessarily agree with because they?ve never done a damn thing for me except harass me, and cost me money, but hey that?s just me.)  Kerry spoke of developing alternative sources of energy. (something we should have done 30 years ago, but then some people in the oil business might lose some money so we can?t have that.) He said (here comes another zinger:) ?We need to rely on the innovation, and ingenuity of the American people, not the Saudi Royal family.?

    Kerry told the crowd ?This is something FDR could never say: If you want to know more about my plans for the country, go to www.johnkerry.com ?He then had a personal message for Jr. He asked him to make the campaign about optimism, and respect, not about petty attacks. He finished off by saying ?Our best day is still to come.?

    Ok now lets look at the other side for a moment. Although obvious to anyone with half a brain that Kerry would be a 100 times better president then Bush, I would say that as Kerry repeated many times ?We can do better.? I caught the interview with Howard Dean on PBS last night, now I?m biased here because I voted for Dean in the primary, but in my opinion this guy is the real deal. My problem with Kerry, and Edwards too for that matter, is that they both come off as being in the same clubs as the Republicans. Sure they are different, but not different enough. It seems to me that most of the high ranking members of our Government, (particularly in The Senate) care more about themselves then they do about the people. Looking at some of the things the democrats went along with for Bush shows how it is. Like approving Ashcroft for example, or how not one of the 100 members would stand by the congressional black caucus, and dispute the 2000 Florida results. With Kerry he is literally in the same club as Bush. Most of you know its Skull and Bones. Briefly they are a secret society that originated in Germany. They refuse to talk about anything that they do, but their primary goal is to do everything to advance their members in terms of wealth and power. To learn about secret societies and the power they wield go to www.4rie.com 

    The real power in America, and the world, (I?m talking the top 1%) could not deal with Dean because he really would be for us, and against useless war and other things they want. Kerry never once spoke of how the war was wrong, or how we will get out.

Michael Moore is going to Florida to keep an eye on the election thieves.

Thanks once again to Smirking Chimp. This is a great site.

Michael Moore to tackle voting rights issues in Florida

Once again, thank you Mike. You are single handedly helping to dump the monkey. Truly a great American. I was thinking that we might as well concede Florida, due to the fact that there is nothing that Jeb Bush and his criminal cronies will let stop them from stealing Fl. once again. Kerry needs to win the other 49 states by more then 27 electoral votes to be on the safe side. (hopefully it will be more like a landslide) Mike we need you over there bro.

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