Cracked.com Reviews Glenn Beck's Book

As only they can.

Thoughts About DC Universe Online Trailer

First Off: WOW. Also:

1. Interesting how everyone is in some para-military garb. Yeah, it's an alternate future, but still: Flash in armor?
   
2. The since of "teamwork" from the good guys. Seeing how I didn't really get into the Justice League until the DCAU, I still find it odd that people who are so different (background, personalities, abilities) seem to work with together with little-to-no infighting. I mean the X-Men are made of of mutants and Cyclops and Wolverine are always at each others throats (sometimes literally).
3. I'd really like to know how Lex Luther managed to convince Adam, Joker and the others to work for/with him.
   
4. Angry Superman. It's funny that no matter the medium, an angry Superman will always use his heat vision. He doesn't rip off your limbs or freeze you to death or just toss you into the upper atmosphere; no, he melts you.
5. Angry Superman, Part 2: Did he cry out, "Batman!" or was he saying, "Bad man!" to Lex like he was sharing Bizarro's brain?
6. Wonder Woman had no lines. Is she really part of the Big Three?
7. Whatever city they were in, the place had seen better days. It looked like it had been attacked by a team of Terminators, the Cloverfield Monster and a nuke in the same afternoon.
   

Billy The Kid Still Pissing People Off

Specifically the descendants of Pat Garrett, who are WTFing Gov. Bill Richardson's presumed plan.

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1. "Sanctity of Marriage," indeed.
2. Of course the GOP will make Charley Rangel the Democrat's Mark Foley.
3. Weight loss didn't exactly help current 'Skins malcontent.
4. Depends on your point of View.
5. Close but no cigar for Mystics.
   

Failbook: Better Than An Episode of "COPS"

see more Failbook

Trailer For "Thor" Movie Slips To The Internet

Trailer here. Pics here.

Some notes:

1. It has a "Lion King" feel to it, but if you remember what the studio had said before, that's not surprising.
2. Having Thor explain how Asgard powers work (a mixture of what we would call "magic" and "science") was interesting.
3. Loki doing nothing really evil...makes me think that they're hiding the good stuff.
4. The diversity in casting. Sure there will be some whiners complaining that all of the Norse gods aren't white, but I'm sure they'll die down by the time the movie comes out.
   

And as a bonus, there's a new Avengers cartoon trailer.

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1. "If I were to characterize the mood here, I would say it was a combination of rage and panic."
2. "Glaciers and sea ice are melting, heavy rainfall is intensifying and heat waves are more common."
3. "IceCube was not built to look at cosmic rays. Cosmic rays are considered background. However, we have billions of events of background downward cosmic rays that ended up being very exciting."
4. "Technically (the market) still looks fine here and I don't see why we can't move higher."
5. “There is a substantial likelihood that officers will wrongfully arrest legal resident aliens. “By enforcing this statute, Arizona would impose a 'distinct, unusual and extraordinary' burden on legal resident aliens that only the federal government has the authority to impose.”
6. "As much as you've been saying it's tough for me, the truth is, it's not tough for me. You know I've got pundits on the news who might say things, but what the American people have gone through—losing jobs, seeing their home values go down, their 401ks declining -- those are the people that I draw inspiration from because I get letters every night from them and I read them."
7. "The strength of the yen affected badly on the profit side."

"Smooth Criminal" Via Mario Paint

Nice.

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1. "All I had seen of Dr. Rice was in a political atmosphere. It just seemed foreign that she would be a classical pianist."
2. “Less oil on the surface does not mean that there isn’t oil beneath the surface, however, or that our beaches and marshes are not still at risk. We are extremely concerned about the short-term and long-term impacts to the gulf ecosystem.”
3. "This problem has been festering for so long. It is the kind of environment where we know waste occurs. The question is, was there fraud?"
4. "A typical employee at any large retailer who runs the register could handle hundreds of the contaminated receipts in a single day at work."
5. "There was a peanut butter sandwich in the back seat."
6. “I wish it wasn’t true, but we have some fair-weather friends in Boston. When you are not winning a game, they may be shying away at times and watching a movie instead.’’

T.O. & Ochocinco Will Be On The Same Team

Get your popcorn.

Black People Don't Watch Fox News

Wait, my bad; it's only primetime and actually 1.38% of the viewership is African-American. So it's not that bad.

New Spider-Man Game Brings Back Old Voices

Whether you're old school, new school, a storyline fanatic or just came in through the movies, take heart that all the Peter Parker voice-actors from those previous incarnations of Spider-Man will take part in "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions."

Quote Of The Day

Kids today know so little about history that they probably couldn't even tell you what year Abraham Lincoln defeated Napoleon during the Battle of World War I.

-- Cracked.com's Cezary Jan Strusiewicz, on what Japan has been doing to familiar characters made popular in the West.

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1. It's a shame that the whole "teacher-sex-student" story is starting to become regular fare.
2. Contact lens aren't for everyone.
3. Leaks may sink John Kerry's reputation.
4. Trying to find Kyron Horman.
5. Meet the recipient of the world's first full face transplant.
6. Concussion-prevention for the NFL.
   

Christina Applegate Show Her Baby Bump

Barely noticeable.

Van Jones At NetRoots Nation

After the Howard Dean intro. Good stuff.

Comic-Con News: Avengers Cast Announced

By Samuel L. Jackson, of course.

Comics Alliance has pics.

No Main Topic

1. I guess the solutions is: start writing more of your own work.
2. Death at the Love Parade.
   
3. Not exactly a way to get voters to the polls. How about highlighting the accomplishments instead?
4. Good news for women in regards to HIV.
5. College students are opting to rent textbooks.
6. Rajon Rondo isn't scared.
7. Another Street Fighter? Why not.
8. Another PR move by BP.
   

Around the Internets

(pic via.)

1. Mama said knock you out.
2. Spell-check might not catch that.
   
3. Birther-curious politicos.
4. If you never saw these Dave Chappelle skits, you'll never know why the show was so popular.
5. Secrets of the beverage industry.
   
6. Afghanistan needs all the players for the plan to work. (So far, so good...)
   
7. Basically this poll is saying that managers really just want to hire good-looking people.
8. How to get a good night's sleep.
9. What are the bad people in the Tea Party made up of?
   

X-Men Characters That Can't Quite Make The Leap Out Of The Comics

After three live action movies and at least four animated renditions you would think bringing a X-Men character "to life" would be simple. Sadly with each incarnation some characters end up being shells of their comics book selves. Besides, it's just so much easier (and cooler) to just animate Wolverine popping his claws in someone's face.

Here's one humble man's critique on X-Men characters the shows (and movies) still screw up on:

STORM
I wanted to start with Ororo Munroe because I wanted to set the tone here. I don't think I have to go into Hallie Berry's forgettable, uninspired performance or the fact that I think there are others way more qualified for a live action rendition. But I will say that where the movies screwed up the most was transforming Storm from an objective weather witch into a slightly human-hating mutant who couldn't beat D.C. Comic's Weather Wizard in a Battle of Climates.

(For those thinking, "human-hating?" recall Storm's conversation with but a mutated Sen. Kelly in "X-Men" and a recovering Nightcrawler in "X2." With Kelly, Storm pretty much admitted she hated humanity out of fear, and with Nightcrawler she argue that anger can trump faith any day.)

Thankfully, animated Storm has been more mentally stable. Unfortunately, the writers for the past three shows must have come to the same conclusion: having a person who can control the weather with little difficulty kinda puts a damper on the "X-Men are constantly in danger" theme. So for "X-Men" they simply take her out of some episodes (she's basically a bystander during the Phoenix Saga story), for "X-Men: Evolution" they regulated her to school nanny, and for "Wolverine and the X-Men" she's basically "the black girl who can fly and shoot lighting." The fact that with every show her leadership abilities get more watered down hasn't gone unnoticed either.

The alternative is to just make her a reserve member, someone to call when things get too hot for the core group, but that will never happen for fear of "Marvel's not letting the black people in their little X-club!" protests. But to be honest, it's better than having to watch Wolverine ask Storm to make water for cement.

And yes, I know Storm's actually from Africa.

ICEMAN
In the comics Bobby Drake is the youngest of the Original Five; the class clown with potential to be greater yet hampered by a combination of immaturity and slightly racist parents (OK, a full-blown racist dad and a nonchalant mom; that averages out to "slightly racist"). The movie touches on this a little, which is surprising considering that the movies were all about Wolverine.

In "X-Men" Iceman was a troublesome goof-off that even Prof. X didn't want to be bothered with and only appeared in on episode (way to show a founding member love, guys). In "Evolution" he was just "the kid who froze stuff;" although they did do a nice homage of the Original Five in one of the later season's episodes. In "W&X" he's more of a slacker that occasionally flirts with Shadowcat (Lord knows why), but he did freeze 1/180th of the Atlantic Ocean (before passing out) to stop a human time bomb.

Of course, none of these incarnations has gone too deep into Iceman's full potential. There are stories where the guy's frozen armies, dropped Titanic-sinking Icebergs on human-hating mutants (not Storm), and even used his powers to become virtually unkillable (OK, it was Emma Frost using his body, but it was still his powers). In a way he has Storm's problem: there are too many ways where he could win a fight all by himself, so it's easier to give him crippling personality flaws.

GAMBIT
Here we get into one of the more interesting characters, which basically means an X-Man who wasn't raised under Xavier's tutolege yet for some reason still wants to fight the good fight. In Remy Lebeau's case, he's a thief with a heart of gold (think Sawyer from LOST but with superpowers). In "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" Gambit is not only not portrayed by Josh Holloway, but (in addition to his ability to charge objects with kinetic energy) can apparently climb walls and pilot really crappy airplanes. Oh and even though he's in his late 20's, this is still a prequel movie so he's like 40-something by the time Rogue runs into Logan in "X-Men."

The temptation to put Gambit in fight scenes, draw him in awesome poses and give him cool one-liners was always present in the comics, but in the animated world the creators has the added bonus of making it happen with Gambit really adding anything of significance to the storyline (go back to X-Men and count the times Gambit just does things without saying a damn word). In Evolution he was basically Magneto's lackey and to be honest, I almost forgot he was in this series. In W&X, he's more of an independent contractor, but he's definitely more resourceful.

So what's been missing? Maybe the conflict between being a petty criminal and a hero. Like I said two paragraphs ago, Sawyer is basically a live action Gambit. How much more material do the animators need to go on? Just watch the first two and a half seasons of LOST, copy all of Holloway's lines, hammer in some Cajun slang and there you go!

KITTY PRYDE
I kinda hate putting "Everyone's Girlfriend" on this list because next to Wolverine, she has to be the most overexposed X-character right now (after the God-awful "Kitty Pryde and the X-Men," her character could only be found in the comics until the second X-Men movie). But the problem with a girl who's pretty much been everything from a ballerina to an international spy is that it's hard to find anything definitive about her (hence why in "X-Men Evolution" the writers just basically made her a quasi-Jewish valley girl).

Other than her religion (which was never as big a component of her character as, say Nightcrawler), her attraction to Colossus and the fact every young heterosexual X-fan loved her, who the hell Kitty Pryde? You could say she's smart, but she's no where near Beast or Forge let alone the accredited Marvel geniuses (Tony Stark, Reed Richards, Bruce Banner); hell, she's probably a notch under Peter Parker (if that). You could say she's nice, but Jean Grey's had the "good girl perfect princess" title locked up years before Pryde came on the scene. Storm's a better leader; Psylocke's a better fighter; Jubilee's sassier; Rogue has more depth.

In reality, Kitty's more or less a blank slate character that can reflect whatever generation we're in; which means more often than not someone will screw her up.

FORGE
Jesus; where do I begin? You would think an engineering genius with a Native American background would make for an intriguing character. You would think. As far as I can tell, Forge has yet to make it in the movies (though with all the subtle cameos, who the hell knows?) so there's still hope on that front.

The cartoons? Another story. I mean, talk about taking liberty with a character. In "X-Men" he's a stoic government worker bee-turned high-tech freedom fighter. In "Evolution" he's a cross between a Borg and Fez from "That's 70's Show." As for the newest show, Forge is basically a Tom Green lookalike who moonlights as the team's mechanic.

Keep in mind we're talking about a guy who, in the comics, has fended off ancient demons, supplied the government with weapons that would make Tony Stark jealous and wooed women like Storm and Mystique. Just fucking sad.

PSYLOCKE
I could literally go on forever here, but let's wrap this up with everyone's favorite female X-ninja. Of course, if you've only watched the movie you probably think Elizabeth Braddock's power is to walk around through shadows so she can save money on cab fare. You'd also probably assumed that she was always Asian.

Don't fret; the cartoons did her even less justice. "X-Men" made her a McGuffin (Apocalypse needed telepaths to destroy the time-space continum so he could remake the universe in his image). There was a character that looked a lot like a young Betsy in "Evolution," but it turned out that she was Mystique in disguise. She did have a nice appearance in "W&X," if you exclude the fact that she wasn't a ninja, didn't have her British accent and had about 1/4th of her telepathic gifts (Emma Frost kicked her ass with little effort).

So yeah: Psylocke is a telepathic ninja who was British but became Japanese, but you'll never know that unless you've read the comics. Of course her being a bikini-wearing, sex-starved horn dog (she was mackin' on Cyclops years before the writers decided to have him hook up with Emma, and she totally banged Angel) might explain why there have been some re-writes.

NFL Mini-Camp Preview

Of course Washington is in the middle, partially because of their record last season and partially because very few people outside D.C. care about Washington-based teams.

The "I" Word

Washington Times opinion writers call for the impeachment of President Obama.

I'm actually surprised they didn't write this a week after he was sworn in.

If Christopher Nolan Directed Dora The Explorer

Ed Schultz: White House Is Afraid of Fox News

Schultz's claim is pretty close to my general one about Democrats fearing the GOP's base more than their own, although his is more specific to this president and the recent Sherrod issue.

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1. "She admitted to her role in the burglary. And we found the clothes she wore. This was a really bizarre disguise. I wasn't sure what spanx was. I've never seen a woman with one on; now I've seen one on someone's face."
2. “Some are in high-ranking positions, in positions of trust. There isn’t a profile or stereotype, which makes it even more challenging for law enforcement.’’
3. “The Republicans will make him the face of Washington corruption. It is not good for the party or for New York.”
4. "Yes we are treating five million people today, but there are 10 million people who need treatment, otherwise they will get sick and die. Not treating them amounts to criminal negligence."
5. "It's just a great opportunity. Going to UCLA and having a chance to go back to L.A. is like a dream come true. With that said, when all this started, I said I'd be disappointed if I didn't go back to the Magic, and that still stands true."
6. "This ability to wave the wand and have a sense of all the products that are on the floor or in the back room in seconds is something that we feel can really transform our business."
7. "Even before the Cheonan incident, the US was tracking around 200 North Korean bank accounts in banks in China, Russia and even eastern Europe and Africa that are believed to be involved in the development of weapons of mass destruction and the export of drugs, counterfeit money, fake cigarettes and weapons."
8. "My phone was full, couldn't take any more messages. Finally, I was on the way to the airport in an attempt to get home when I checked my messages and had received one from the White House saying the president was trying to get in touch with me and give them a call. I did that and I had the conversation with him and, you know, I feel good about that."

Willie Nelson Comes To Shirley Sherrod's Defense

Interesting.

Funny Or Die: Cute Idiots

Heh.

Idiots with Zoe Saldana & Kate Bosworth from Zoe Saldana

Rachel Maddow: FoxNews Had a Part To Play In The Sherrod Story, But They Won't Admit It

Of course they won't. So Rachel has to help them:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Because LeBron James Didn't Develop Rivals When He Was Ballin' In High School, That's Why

Add Magic Johnson to the list of former NBA greats who are WTFing James' decision to team-up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami:

"We didn't think about it cause that's not what we were about," said Johnson, whose Michigan State squad beat Bird's Indiana State team in the 1979 National Collegiate Athletic Association championship. "From college, I was trying to figure out how to beat Larry Bird."

I sense a trend with the players making these comments: they all went to college and developed rivalries with other players that transitioned to the NBA. Magic had a rivalry with Larry Bird. Michael Jordan had a rivalry with Patrick Ewing. All the greats had some baggage from a previous basketball life that was enhanced when they went pro.

Well, newsflash: LeBron James did not go to college. He was drafted out of high school, so didn't get the chance to spend 2-to-4 years at some university to create a rivalry with some other college player.

People will argue that Wade and Carmelo Anthony are his rivals, but why? Because they come out of the same draft class? That's funny; I don't recall Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury and Steve Nash acting like they were rivals. To be a rival requires time; you need a history of interactions to build a history on. And while a James/Wade match-up or a James/Anthony match-up was cool and got some ratings, in neither case did these guys consider the other rivals.

As I've said to many people but on and off the Internet: anyone who watched the Summer Games saw that a chemistry was developing between James, Wade and Bosh. Those guys probably thought about teaming up, but I doubt they planned it on working out like it did this summer. I'm sure some suit working for the Cleveland Cavaliers noticed this too, and shame on them for thinking that adding Antawn Jamison and Shaq would be enough to get James to stay.

Now I hear people say "It's a different League," like they said when Iverson's star was on the rise. Back then the phrase essentially meant, "Hip-Hop has taken over the NBA, and if you don't like it, there's the door." Now the phrase seems to mean, "I guess stars don't want to try to win it on their own; what wimps." Excuse me, but the guy took a paycut and he's going to a situation where he feels he has a better chance to win a championship; aren't these addressing one of the biggest gripes about the NBA: that players care more about money than winning?

Look; I'm no James fan. But to think that he should sacrifice winning a ring so he can say he had a good 15-year rivalry with his contemporaries only helps the NBA from a financial standpoint. It doesn't help the sport nor does it help the young people who watch it: who should be taught that sometimes, even good/great players need help from their peers.

New "Batman: The Brave and The Bold" Game Is On The Way

And it's equal parts cheesy and cool:

No Main Topic

1. Hulu, you magnificent bastard.
2. Considering how much they collectively make in a year, it's the least they can do.
3. Man went to company picnic, told co-workers he was going to eat some "Obama fruit" and then went for some watermelon. Oh, and he's shocked that people have called him racist.
4. The Barefoot Bandit Begins.
5. It takes a lot for the IMF to cancel anything, so in a twisted way Haiti is fortunate.

"Bring It On" And "Fired Up" Lied

At least, according to one judge:

HARTFORD, Conn. — Competitive cheerleading is not an official sport that colleges can use to meet gender-equity requirements, a federal judge ruled Wednesday in ordering a Connecticut school to keep its women's volleyball team.

The volleyball players had sued Quinnipiac University after it announced last year that it would eliminate the team for budgetary reasons and replace it with a competitive cheer squad.

The school contended the cheer squad keeps it in compliance with Title IX, the 1972 federal law that mandates equal opportunities for men and women in athletics.

"Competitive cheer may, some time in the future, qualify as a sport under Title IX," U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill wrote in his decision. "Today, however, the activity is still too underdeveloped and disorganized to be treated as offering genuine varsity athletic participation opportunities for students."

The Racial Quid Pro Quo

The (unwarranted) ousting of Shirley Sherrod & the cover-up that's following are both examples of Racial Quid Pro Quo: basically, a small group of people from one race (who claim to be/act like political experts) that use race-based tactics to get their political views across. Usually they (or their mentors/admirers) were accused of being racist in the past. Their ideas tend to be linked to racist concepts, and for whatever reason they separate the racial aspect from the idea.

An example: suppose someone who shares your political point of view wants to say that President Obama isn't really that popular, so they write an article stating that lopsided demographics are skewing the overall picture. But instead of doing this by using less controversial demographics, like income, age or political ideology, they choose race. Naturally, people (mostly left-leaning) will start calling that person's article racist.

Now you catch wind of this and you think: I'll show them; I'll catch someone on their side spouting off about race in an unpleasant light, and then we'll be even. But just catching some random blogger or even a nameless Congressman won't do: you want something big. Something that can be tied to the President, if you can do it.

Granted, in this case the "you" was a person who should have never been trusted in the first place, but politics is like comic book characters: some people always seem to be able to come back, regardless how many time they've got caught doing something bad.

As I've mentioned before, the factions against the Obama Administration tried to avoid race during the 2008 campaign, but ended up embracing it because they couldn't figure out how to rally enough people by just talking issues. Just about every attack that has been in the news cycle -minus the BP spill- has has a hint of race attached to it. The difference between those attacks and this issue is that actual recordings have been far and few between (ironically or not, the last one with a recording was the ACORN story).

But once someone found a tape of someone else saying/doing something questionable, all it took was some creative editing and the faith that Democrats fear their opponent's base more than their own.

And this is just the short game. The long game is to dilute the word "racist" until political commentators can say the "N-word" without worrying about any repercussions.

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1. "It's really important for Oakland to be a vital part of that growth and development for licensed facilities."
2. “It’s definitely an increasing phenomenon. We’ve seen it all: self-inflicted mutilation, surgical efforts to cut out the core of fingers, and having the skin stitched back in strange ways.’’
3. “The treaty worked well in the past, mostly because the Indians weren’t building anything. This is a completely different ballgame. Now there’s a whole battery of these hydroprojects.”
   
4. "People just make these trades. I am not lying to anyone."
5. "Unlike humans, these stars are born heavy and lose weight as they age. R136a1 is already middle-aged and has undergone an intense weight loss program."
6. "I can't tell you how relieved we will be when Congress passes this. We have in Pennsylvania about 200,000 people who have lost their unemployment compensation coverage because of their inaction."
7. "I'm still trying to figure out the game. It's a pro level game. I'm still learning a couple of things. I'm very patient about this. I know people want to see me scoring and going crazy and doing all the things I did at Maryland. My time is going to come, so I'm good."
   
   

If They're Trying To Hide It, They'er Doing A Terrible Job

Via Media Matters: "Newsmax runs ad for book by 'Pro-White' radio host."

Sigh. Someday, soon...they'll just let their inner Uncle Ruckus out.

Dr. McNinja and Axe Cop Team Up to...

...really, who cares? IT'S A TEAMUP OF AXE COP AND MCNINJA.

Tea Party Billboard Equating Obama To Hitler & Marx Covered Up, Wiping Memories Is Next

I guess after claiming that there are no racists in the Tea Party, and than cutting off one of their factions, the next thing to do was to take care of that pesky billboard.

I have to admit that I'm a little surprised; one of the Obama's advantages when running for president (other than that the Right Wing and the GOP had planned to run against Hillary Clinton and had to start from scratch, and the fact that Bush was very unpopular at the time) was that those who wanted Sen. McCain to win had no idea on how to attack Obama without looking like racists. The emergence of the Tea Party gave the GOP and conservatives the ability to do just that: while established politicos could clap and smile at the antics of the Tea Party, this new group was allowed to stumble and bumble through their collective outrage. The media didn't dare criticize the Tea Party early on because they were convinced that these people were just plain frustrated Americans with (at best) a loose affiliation to politics in general and our two major political parties specifically. As such, they could push the envelope.

It also didn't hurt any of these groups that the McCain/Palin campaign introduced us to the new code of "socialism = scary black man in the White House."

Combine these elements with the Jonah Goldberg-inspired "Liberalism = Fascism" bullshit, and that billboard going up was inevitable.

So what the surprising thing, then? That many of these groups tried to avoid using racial language and elements in the 2008 Election only to embrace it like a alcoholic with a bottle of vodka for the 2010 Midterms.

In short: The 2010 Republican Party has no new ideas, operates on a made-up philosophy, couldn't completely derail President Obama's agenda (not for a lack of trying, mind you), and has decided to team-up with race-baiters in order to try and win back Congress.

If only they could actually articulate how they would make the country better, and what sacrifices the American people would need to make to get there, the progressive/liberal side might take them more seriously.

No Main Topic

1. First Catholic priests, now rabbis.
2. Some good news regarding the fight against AIDS in Africa.
3. "Lindsay Lohan Goes to Jail." Now that sounds like a movie.
4. If things like muggings, drug dealing and prostitution go up, the results of this vote may go along way toward explaining it.
5. Albert Haynesworth really didn't want to play the 3-4 defense the way Washington envisioned it.
6. Sniper vs. Cops.
   

John Wall Impresses From The Summer League

via ESPN:

You can usually find scattered seats in Cox Pavilion during the summer league -- but not for Washington's first three games. John Wall not only excited fans; he filled the VIP sections as well. "It's not just that he's the No. 1 pick," said one NBA head coach. "He's also what every coach and general manager wants with the way the game is being played." Wall led the summer league in points (23.5) and assists (7.8) per game, and added four rebounds and 2.5 steals to those averages.

The superlatives and comps were flowing freely: Derrick Rose with defense and charisma. Chris Paul with better size. Rajon Rondo with more upside on his jump shot. One of the privileges of the summer league is the opportunity to observe a top prospect in a meaningful context.

After months of discussion about wingspan, upside, motor and potential, we finally have the chance to watch the player in a game situation. Seeing Wall run the pick-and-roll with JaVale McGee was a revelation for skeptics and reassurance for the true believers.

When compared to the vibe regarding Kwame Brown tenure, it's night and day.

Quote Of The Day

“[The Mel Gibson tapes] are selling like hot cakes in Compton. Calling women bitches and using the n-word. That ain’t nothing but hip-hop! He stole that concept from Lil’ Wayne!”

-- Tracy Morgan, on the Tonight Show. Unless you've either haven't listened to hip-hop or your only point of reference is Fresh Prince and Kid 'n Play, you should see the sad truth in Morgan's comment. Although I would say it more aligned to gangsta rap.

Minorities Beining Shut Out Of BP Cleanup Process

Good enough to be a token talking head for the company in order to boost PR, but not good enough to be paid for actually cleaning up the mess.

No Main Topic

1. “We’re hopeful.”
2. "People with weaker immune systems who come late for treatment require more complex and costly drugs and services than those who start treatment earlier."
3. “I try not to think about it. When you’re illegal, you never know. Any time, they could come.’’
4. "There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry, called up Magic and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team.' But that's ... things are different. I can't say that's a bad thing. It's an opportunity these kids have today. In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys."
5. "We didn't expect that women would be treated differently here with regard to the high-risk insurance pool. This is inexplicable and wrongheaded to us, and it puts women's lives in jeopardy."
6. "We've now demonstrated a technology that can enable painless, self-administered flu vaccination. It appears to vaccinate against influenza at least as well and probably better than a traditional hypodermic needle."
7. "The President will tell the stories of Americans in need of the extension and he will have strong words for Republicans who have previously supported unemployment extensions under Republican Presidents but refuse to offer relief to middle class families today. And he will point out that they are calling for hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while telling working families that we can't afford to help them when they need it most."

Around the Internets

1. Yeah; some superheroes aren't really good at concealing their identity.
2. Jesus people; can't we get razor blades without being screwed over?
3. Five tips for starting a good story.
4. Fooled by Jewel.
5. 30 Strong Black Female Leaders.
6. New Thor pic.
7. Linsay Lohan quotes 50 Cent to attack Joan Rivers. You gotta love the Internet!
8. If you're living in any of these cities, odds are you know some people who don't brush.
   

Quote Of The Day

The problem with the christian right is that they no longer worship Christ, and use conservatism to further their christian beliefs. They worship conservatism and money and use the christian church to further their cause. And they use it very selectively.

-- rhun1220, responding to a comment on a Media Matters post about Glenn Beck's assault on social justice.

Obama To Take a Vacation From All Of Us

About time. He needs to recharge for before the mid-terms, because he'll need all the energy he can spare.

No Main Topic

1. "Pink is in Salem, she's fine and is looking forward to the show."
2. "So this is pretty significant for your area."
3. “I am very pleased that there’s no oil going into the Gulf of Mexico, but we just started the test and I don’t want to create a false sense of excitement.”
4. "LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, guys like that understand what Boston's defense was about. Their defense was built on not letting one player beat them. You either settle for the outside shot or you pass to your teammates. LeBron had one bad game in the playoffs. Other than that, he did what he could do with the defense all watching him."
5. "It was an unfortunate mistake. There was a muddle in the paperwork and the letters we automatically send out. It has been resolved now."
6. “I’m about to sign Wall Street reform into law, to protect consumers and lay the foundation for a stronger and safer financial system, one that is innovative, creative, competitive and far less prone to panic and collapse. Unless your business model depends on cutting corners or bilking your customers, you have nothing to fear.’’

The Face Of Fox News' Diversity On The Immigration Debate

...and by diversity I mean, "they have different Fox News people interviewing the same guy."

Sarah Palin Gets Her Butt Handed To Her On Immigration Reform...

...by Bill O'Reilly. Seriously.

Can't wait to see how she spins this on her Facebook/Twitter news broadcast.

The Da Vinci Probe

Looks like we're still learning new things about his work.

No Main Topic

1. ''Trust me, I get a lot of messages from a lot of different guys that want to be a part of this. 'But it's about putting the right guys in the right situation. Everyone might not have the personality to deal with this. It's got to be the right mix. The locker room has to be right. We've got to be patient to build this team.''
2. “They would not be militias. These would be government-formed, government-paid, government-uniformed local police units who would keep any eye out for bad guys — in their neighborhoods, in their communities — and who would, in turn, work with the Afghan police forces and the Afghan Army, to keep them out of their towns.”
3. "I guess they did a pretty accurate job. Nobody likes to admit they're quite like that, but I guess I was."
4. “It’s really important they’re discussing this, because my guess is that very few doctors would think it’s a reasonable request to take eggs out at that time. On the other hand, they would feel really uncomfortable telling a husband no just because they think it’s wrong.’’
5. ''I'm preparing for a lockout right now, and I haven't seen anything to change that notion. Hopefully, I'll see something over the next several months. As of this moment, it's full speed ahead for me in preparing the players for a worst-case scenario.''
6. “The movement to reverse the epidemic is gathering force but we are not yet seeing measurable improvement. At the national level, it looks like the rise in childhood obesity has leveled off. We’re hopeful that these first signs will be sustained or that we will start to see the numbers turn downwards.”

Movies Need To Be More Truthful

Fortunately, the guys from Cracked.com are on the case.

No Main Topic

1. "A key aspect of text messaging is that it allows a more detached method of communication. This was part of its initial popularity and a likely explanation for the large number of people willing to send out explicit content."
2. “I think there’s been a change in the country as a whole. Unless you’re from an urban area, where gun violence is so intense that there’s a feeling you need to control these weapons, the vast majority across the country do not support gun control.’’
3. "Bristol believes in redemption and forgiveness to a degree most of us struggle to put in practice in our daily lives."
4. "I don't think there's much to say here, except we want the same statues that citizens of other states see when they come to their Capitol."
5. “Our thinking has changed dramatically. We now view dementia as a late stage in the process.”
6. "We just talked about what we're going to be working on the rest of the year — of course jobs is No. 1. There were a lot of discussions about a lot of things, but it was very much focused on jobs."

Getting Closer To Skynet

The Brits have created an unmanned fighter jet.

Now I'm all for the whole "art imitates life/life imitates art" thing, but this is ridiculous. Haven't we seen this story before?




Of course, when your template for designing new-age technology is a box-office bomb, you can't expect people to connect the dots.

No Main Topic

1. People, please: it's only a piano.
2. What happens to a Dream deferred?
3. Let's get dangerous.
4. So much for therapy.
5. For financial reform, Democrats take one step forward and one step back.
6. Drugs, alcohol don't really help with sex.
7. People, please: it's only basketball.
   

I'll Have To Wait Until This Is On eBay

Via Comics Alliance. It's supposed to be $49.99 at the convention, which means on eBay it'll probably start at $69.99. Unless I figure out how to get to San Diego.

The Movie That Tainted Edward Norton

Assuming what Marvel Studios is saying isn't a pack of lies, one has to wonder why Marvel would claim that Norton could not be a part of "players who thrive working as part of an ensemble."

Then you look at his work on The Italian Job, and things start to fall into place:

Edward Norton made it clear that his participation is a result of contractual obligation, not choice. He signed a three movie deal with Paramount, of which Primal Fear (1996), his breakthrough movie, was the first. He kept dismissing scripts for the other two, until Paramount coerced him into accepting a role in The Italian Job.

Norton is known for changing the scripts, especially for his own characters (as he did in The Incredible Hulk). Some directors and studios are flexible with this sort of thing; others aren't. Marvel was clearly the later.

On the other side, it sure sounds like Norton was being a jerk on TIJ set, and if true, well, people talk. However, I've never read anything about Norton being a pain in 25th Hour, in fact the guy used his own money to help finance the flick. And trust me, if someone pisses off Spike Lee, you'll here about it.

Nevertheless, a stigma is a stigma. If I was Norton's rep I'd put a call to Robert Downey, Jr. for some PR help.

No Main Topic

1. R.I.P.s to Walter Hawkins and Mark Niver.
2. Lack of Vitamin D = increased likelihood of Alzheimer's?
3. Greenbelt gas leak mystery revealed.
4. Democratic Governors prove that they fear their opponent's base more than their own.
5. Barefoot Bandit Booked.
6. Roman Polanski's staying put for now.
7. Lose your job, become an entrepreneur.
8. Somebody needs some soap and water.
   

Around the Internets

1. Ladies and Gents: Serena Williams.
2. Michael Steele may be a dolt, but he's a dolt with an excellent survival instincts.
3. Contrary to popular belief, America has an "anti-Robin Hood" problem.
4. Dude looks like a lady.
5. Not exactly first date hotspots.
   

"Feminists" Vs The Daily Show

Apparently some people have used Olivia Munn's hire to attack the comedy show (funny, not a peep when Samantha Bee was hired).

Slate covers the hoopla; the women of the Daily Show had their own response.

No Main Topic

1. The Big Beetle Battle.
2. Along way from burning bras.
3. Well, if her next role deals with a prisoner, she'll be well prepared.
4. That silly Al Gore and his global warming nonsense.
5. What in God's name...?
   

FYI: This May Become a Movie

The next best thing to a comic book movie is a movie about comic book-like characters, which Soon I Will Be Invincible seems to be.

Ah; the 80's...

...30 years later and we're still paying for that decade.

Around The Internets

1. Flowcharts can be awesome.
2. Makes me wish I had invested money in Pixar.
3. Avoid by these things new, if possible.
4. Ladies & Gents: The Boondocks' Uncle Ruckus.
5. Apparently anything can be made into a porn parody.
6. It ain't easy to be plus-sized.
7. Some movies are best left alone.
8. It should go without saying that giving a barely 0ne-year-old baby a bong is a bad idea.
   

"Bueller? Bueller...?"

The principal's in trouble this time.

Harry Potter & The Need For A Bodyguard

Yikes. The actress who played Padma Patil was attacked by her family for not breking up wth her BF.

And people wonder why these guys want to keep these movies going.

Studio Tries To Defend Tom Cruise's Bad Movie

I don't blame the guy either really (like I said before, shame on Hollywood for thinking it's audience is stupid). But to say that not having the guy's pitcure o the poster is the reason for bad sales is just dumb.

HIS NAME IS ON THE DAMN MOVIE POSTER. Why the hell would his fans need to see a picture of him to know he's in the movie? Did they need a picture of him to realise that he played Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder? Noooooooo.

Those "Heroes" Aren't Really Heroes

Thomas Paine, Guy Fawkes, Che Guevara...even some well-known slogans aren't what you thought they were.

No Main Topic

1. “Exceptional longevity is not this vacuous entity that no one can figure out. I think we’ve made quite some inroads here in terms of demonstrating a pretty important genetic component to this wonderful trait.’’
2. “That’s where you’re seeing the pain point. The people that are out of work just don’t match the types of jobs that are here, open and growing.”
3. “Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor’s work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.”
4. "Our community will continue to receive quality services. Maywood's streets will continue to be swept, our summer park programs will continue to operate and our waste will be collected and hauled as scheduled."

History Has Spoken...

...and George W. Bush has been judged.