Nonpopulist TV Update: Violence and Saget

TV and Nonpopulism would seem at first glance to be mutually exclusive, but I would contend that your viewing habits are what would dictate a Nonpopulist television viewer from the rest. My working definition of Nonpopulism is not hating everything that is popular, but rather not liking anything just because everyone else does. Some things that are good are actually very popular. How much sense would it make to ignore such a thing? None.
Here are the TV programs on my radar right now.
1. I only have two WWII in HD episodes left. The series has been great. The new footage was amazing and the stories of the people they chose to focus on have been breathtaking. I really enjoy learning more about history (how is that for Nonpopulist?) and teaching history. I watched a few episodes with someone (who will remain nameless) who queried as the first one was starting, "World War II was the Hitler one, right?" *hangs head in disbelief*
2. Sons of Anarchy: This show is so bad ass. This season was good in the first season, but has taken off in awesomeness in season two. The season finale is tomorrow on FX. Watch it.
3. Bob Saget is doing a reality/documentary show for A&E about subcultures in America. I have to say this is one of the best ideas for a show I have heard in a while. Some of the possible episodes are "Bob rushes a fraternity on a college campus," "Bob travels the road on the back of a Harley with a biker gang," "Bob preps for the end of civilization with a survivalist group," "Bob submerges himself in the world of mail order brides," and let's not forget "Bob with partying Amish teenagers as they decide which life to lead."

Pelosi Is Akin to School on Saturday

This is an awesome idea. This website, http://www.droppelosi.com/, claims that somehow all of these messages get to Speaker Pelosi herself so put something mean, yet informed to really make it sting.

Politicians Forgetting How Politics Works

If the above video is not a wake up call, I do not know what is.
Well, the 2010 Congressional races are two-thirds of the way done. If the Senate passes the health care reform bill [CNN]and sends it to President Obama to sign into law I will call the race in favor of every challenger facing an incumbent who voted for HR 3200 and the Senate equivalent. These politicians are amateurs at their profession. Forcing this bill down America's throat even though you have seen the greatest grass roots opposition since the American Revolution in 1776 or maybe the Vietnam war is committing career suicide. Attention Democrats who have been assured jobs in the Obama white house or DNC. There are not that many jobs to go around. And after you guys all lose your upcoming elections the volume of work the DNC does will go down significantly. You guys will be lucky to get a job at McDonald's. Actually, I hear Walmart is now accepting only undesirables as associates. You can put me down as a reference as to you being undesirable. I hope everyone who votes in favor of the health care reform bill passing has that vote cling to their feet like cement shoes for the rest of their lives.
Now, for the first order of business in the 2010 Congress, immediate repeal of HR 3200...

Nonpopulist's Browsings of the Day/Week

Miller High Life, the Nonpopulist's beer of choice

The top thirty TV Series of the 2000's as listed by the A.V. Club. Lists are hard to make, and I guess they are sort of easy to make at that same time. I like this list better than the one that follows. The Shield and The Wire are in the top ten which is correct. Breaking Bad should be lower. One thing I notice is the number of HBO shows in the list which is correct, including two of my personal favorites Eastbound and Down and Flight of the Conchords. Good list overall. [The AV Club]

A list of the best music of the 2000's. I like about 7 of the 50 on the list. [The AV Club]

Quailty wins out? Really, Zucker? On NBC? Here's the list of things I watch on your network: 1. The Tonight Show with CONAN O'BRIEN (get bent Leno) 2. Sunday Night Football and Football Night in America 3. The four SCRIPTED comedies on Thursday night. [The Live Feed]

The push by Ron Paul and many others in Congress still has legs. It is at least moving past this one committee. Notice to the Federal Reserve: Begin shredding all documents now. Do not procrastinate.[MSNBC]

Oprah is going off the air in 2011. What am I, a middle-aged white woman? Why do I care? I haven't watched Oprah since I turned on the TV after school one day and that was the channel it happen to be on. In my opinion she is a transcendental nincompoop. [The Live Feed]
More after the break, bitches.

Newsweek Editor, You Cad!

The latest Sarah Palin Newsweek cover is causing a stir- IN MY PANTS! Zing... First off, I do not understand how the photo in question made its way from a Runner's World photo shoot to the November 23rd issue of Newsweek. Did industry buzz in the form of, "Hey, Palin's legs are hot and slick looking in this photo- who wants it" make its way around the circuit? Did a bidding war ensue because, wow (see: above pants zing?) Honestly the photo is a little trashy for Newsweek. Are we not supposed to take them seriously anymore? For Runner's World it is about right, contrary to what some may think. She looks like she could be going on a run with those clothes on. What is with the Blackberries, though?
The heat from the photo is apparently so intense that Newsweek editor Jon Meacham has been prompted to respond to critics with an ignorant, paint-yourself-in-a-corner comeback of, "We chose the most interesting image available to us to illustrate the theme of the cover, which is what we always try to do..." I read that as, 'She is certainly hot, and that is about all she has going for her. I am sexist.' My limited knowledge of how magazines are run leads me to the guess that editors have the final say on important things such as what goes on the cover. In this case the editor, Mr. Meacham messed up. He needs to own the decision or go to Us Weekly. Is not one of the accusations most frequently quoted against Palin that she does not take responsibility for her actions? Lastly, when President Obama is on the cover they do not have a photo of him smoking a cigarette or his image superimposed on a questionable birth certificate, do they? Has there been one of Michael Moore eating a cheeseburger? Hillary Clinton stepping on a scrotum with heels on? Rush Limbaugh with pills falling out of his mouth? I feel a twitter #hashtag# frenzy coming on.

New Moon Reflects Our Sad Lives

New Moon comes out on Friday *mouth-made fart noise* and the kiddies are all abuzz with giddy anticipation at watching effeminate guys and attractive girls run around the screen and posture like they intend to do some acting. As a society we are so ready to be obsessed with something. To me it reflects our overall dissatisfaction at being alive. Maslow would laugh at Western civilizations per capita self-actualization. How many of us can look at ourselves approvingly? No one is looking at you on the internet right now. You can be honest. I am as much at fault on this point as the next person. The difference with me is I can recognize crap better (e.g. New Moon/Twilight.)

Fundamental Assumption Review: Constitution

Tea party this, real American that, knowing where we all come out on every single issue facing our country right now is impossible. Besides that, I heard a very wise man say, "Consensus is a synonym for mediocrity." This article, written by Chuck Baldwin on prisonplanet.com, lists several sentiments he feels a Constitutionalist should echo. I'm not sure I agree with every single one of the sentiments although I do fancy myself a Constitutionalist (as well an asshole that sticks his pinky out when he sips hot tea.) I, with naive idealism, believe that if we can truly back peddle, rediscover, and reapply our founding document we can keep this thing afloat for a few more decades.
I am not sure number fourteen on the list is viable considering how long the U.N. has been around. We need to have our hands in there still.
Here are a few that stuck out to me with which I agree:
Number seven, "You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that the federal government has no authority to be involved in education or law enforcement, or in any other issue that the Tenth Amendment reserves to the States, or to the People," interested me greatly. Ever since reading the Constitution (link to full text) the whole way through I have wondered how law enforcement agencies have proliferated at the federal level over the past 200+ years.
keep reading...

Terrell Owens' Future

I was thinking about Terrell Owens, or T.O. to you, the other day. I was thinking about his numbers He currently has 14,488 yards receiving for his career which is currently 3rd, but he will probably end up 2nd on the all-time list. He has 129 career receiving touchdowns which is good for 3rd all time, but with 2 more touchdowns he will surpass Cris Carter for 2nd.  He caught the historic "Catch II" against the Packers in the playoffs and had an incredibly gutsy performance in the Eagles Super Bowl against the Patriots on a hobbled leg.  The man has had a big impact on the game. After he retires his name will come up for Hall of Fame voting. I think he should get in, and he probably will. What perplexes me is what hat he will choose to wear or which team he will pick to enter the hall of fame under. He's been a superstar journeyman, alienating and burning bridges as he has traveled his NFL road. I am a T.O. fan. His personality and soundbites provide me endless entertainment even though the popular opinion has been loathing of Owens ever since he left the way he did in Philadelphia.
How can you not enjoy Owens as a player? Follow the link below to see some entertainment.

Fox News Un-American?

Newsweek writer Jacob Weisberg asserts in this piece that Fox News is Un-American. If you look at the content of this blog you may notice a conservative slant more often than not, but I pride myself on judging everything on an individual basis on its own merit. That tenet is the main basis of this blog, and no matter what the assertion I will do that. And shutup, I know I took an extended break recently without explanation. As if anyone really missed this crap...
My first comment/question in not in any way an attack on Mr. Weisberg. In reading the title to his article I was spurred to think first we must determine what is American so that we may determine what is truly American. You have to actually think about that for a second. There is no cut and dry answer  except to say American as an ideology can not be pinned down. It has changed over the 200+ years this country has been trucking, and it is more convoluted now than before the telegraph even though we have "advanced" communications-wise so much from that time. Just an observation.
The author is right that Fox News is blatantly right-wing. There is no arguing that, although I do take exception with this portion of his piece. "Any news organization that took its responsibilities seriously would take pains to cover presidential criticism fairly. It would regard doing so as itself a test of integrity." So since Mr. Weisberg is singling out Fox News and not MSNBC or CNN I take that to mean that to at least some extent he is exonerating every network that is not Fox News. I find fault with that assertion. Number one neither CNN nor MSNBC are very balanced, making the odds stacked against Fox News 2-1. Number two, was presidential criticism handled fairly by either of those two networks when President Bush was still in office? They basically called him stupid stubborn with regularity. There was no integrity in that criticism. None.
Follow along after the jump if I have not bored you enough yet. 

Church Not Allowed to Do Good

Churches and Christians get a lot of bad press these days, and much of it deserved. Crossroads United Methodist Church in Phoenix, AZ, however, was actually trying to do some good so of course the city should look on with delight and a little envy that a church is pitching in to try to take care of the city's undesirables. *record scratch* Actually a city ordinance has been passed that allows the banning of feeding the homeless at places of worship. Reading further down in the story some dude was stabbed with an icepick so I guess I can kind of see why the people in that suburban neighborhood who are not members of that church would not want their kids playing outside while homeless people are getting shivved. I am disappointed that a church is being prevented from serving the community, though.