Corbett Thinks Aloud...

TrekMovie: Seth MacFarlane Wants To Do ST2 Family Guy Parody

Read story in link above.

I hope Paramount would go along with it... especially with the new JJ Abrams Star Trek movie set for release next May - how could they think it's a good idea to say no?

Also of note, Family Guy is doing Empire Strikes Back like they did the original Star Wars (which was brilliantly executed).

w00t

I'm not sure if this is going to make huge headlines today - because there is a lot of other stuff going on.... you know, like our collapsing economy - but I wanted to post a link to the speech Obama gave today:

Obama's National Security Speech (NY Times)

This is really worth a read. The newsies will call it an Iraq speech. It isn't; it's so much more than that - a national security speech. Yes, it's about Iraq, but it also speaks to the other threats to our country: the resurgence of AQ and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, loose nuclear materials, Iran, our dependence on (not just foreign) oil, and climate change.

With Iraq, Obama has recognized that once we launched the war, it was going to become an integral part of our foreign policy for years, if not decades. The point: Whatever else we do internationally, Iraq distorts our priorities and the best way to fix those priorities is to bring this thing to an end.

Here's an important smack down of the Bush/McCain position I wish more people would take a moment to think about this than probably will:

George Bush and John McCain don't have a strategy for success in Iraq – they have a strategy for staying in Iraq. They said we couldn't leave when violence was up, they say we can't leave when violence is down. They refuse to press the Iraqis to make tough choices, and they label any timetable to redeploy our troops "surrender," even though we would be turning Iraq over to a sovereign Iraqi government – not to a terrorist enemy. Theirs is an endless focus on tactics inside Iraq, with no consideration of our strategy to face threats beyond Iraq's borders.

At some point, a judgment must be made. Iraq is not going to be a perfect place, and we don't have unlimited resources to try to make it one. We are not going to kill every al Qaeda sympathizer, eliminate every trace of Iranian influence, or stand up a flawless democracy before we leave – General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker acknowledged this to me when they testified last April. That is why the accusation of surrender is false rhetoric used to justify a failed policy. In fact, true success in Iraq – victory in Iraq – will not take place in a surrender ceremony where an enemy lays down their arms. True success will take place when we leave Iraq to a government that is taking responsibility for its future – a government that prevents sectarian conflict, and ensures that the al Qaeda threat which has been beaten back by our troops does not reemerge. That is an achievable goal if we pursue a comprehensive plan to press the Iraqis to stand up.

Montgomery Mall... they say 2 hours to get in the door

Here's what Will has to say: George Will: Survival of the Sudsiest

So yeah, what he said.

Also, for a conservative - sure he's not the religious wingnut kind, but nonetheless - he seems to have bought into that how natural selection and evolution thing.

So, I suppose, that means George Will and I agree on two things - the awesomeness of beer and, you know, the reality of the natural world.

update #2: HBO Tribute (on HBO2) to George Carlin

Fire up the DVR because HBO is remembering George Carlin by stringing together many of his shows. These are on HBO2. Here's the schedule for Wednesday and Thursday nights:

Wednesday, June 25

It's 12:40 PM, Thursday, June 19, 2008 and...

MSNBC is dedicating another hour to reminding us that Tim Russert is still dead.

Knowing several people who live in Burke, I'm not surprised by this little Letter to the Editor that appeared in today's Express...

Current Mood: amused

We got up early Saturday - well, I got up early; Earl's always up at that time - to make our way down town to witness a historic event: Senator Clinton's concession and overwhelming endorsement of Barack Obama.

The crowd, a moment before Senator Clinton enters

We cannot let this moment slip away. We have come too far and accomplished too much.

Now the journey ahead will not be easy. Some will say we can't do it. That it's too hard. That we're just not up to the task. But for as long as America has existed, it has been the American way to reject "can't do" claims, and to choose instead to stretch the boundaries of the possible through hard work, determination, and a pioneering spirit.

It is this belief, this optimism, that Senator Obama and I share, and that has inspired so many millions of our supporters to make their voices heard.

So today, I am standing with Senator Obama to say: Yes we can.

At the speech, from the 3rd floor

Senator Clinton endorses Senator Obama

Current Mood: optimistic

More than anything, we as a nation largely pay lip-service to the dreams, the fights, and the accomplishments of the Civil Rights movement. In last night's speech, to a crowd 20,000 strong, Barack Obama attained the latest - and perhaps one of the few remaining - milestones: He, an African-American, won the nomination of a major political party to be President of the United States. (Can there be any doubt it will take the Republicants another century before they nominate anyone but an old white man?)

The speech was historic in its tone; inspirational and gracious, it laid plain the reasons why we cannot afford John McCain, and why he - Obama - represents more than the past. There are great challenges facing us, Obama said. Challenges we can overcome if we remember how important the power to inspire was to greats like FDR, Truman, and Kennedy.

It was a night that made me proud to be a Democrat.

There's really only 3 words missing...

Obama for President.

Headlines tonight declare that "Senator Obama Resigns from His Church". - Really? I know its been decades since I've attended a church with any conviction, and at that they were Catholic - the most arcane and by-the-book of any organized religion - and yet I had no idea that the average perishioner was required to "resign". I always figured it was pretty easy: just stop going. Hell, that's easier than quitting the gym, where you at least have to call and tell someone that your fat ass doesn't wanna pay anymore. But, I guess, it makes a good headline, so there you have it: presidential candidates don't just switch churches, they have to "resign" from one first. (What if the church doesn't accept your reisgnation? Do you still have to keep going?)

On another note about resignation - another definition of the word this time, yet convenient for this post - the Clinton campaign must - MUST, ABSOLUTELY MUST - resign itself to defeat after today's votes by the DNC rules committee that reinstated 1/2 votes for the full delegations of Florida and Michigan. They must come out and in no uncertain terms say the fight over the two disputed states is over. On Monday I will be calling the campaign headquarters to say enough is enough, to take the loss like an adult. If they feel the need to press on further, I will have no choice but to ask that every dollar I've donated be returned, and at a minimum, they must remove me from their donor rolls as I will never give another penny. It's simply time for all of this to end. The decisions today by the DNC were more than reasonable and represent the best possible, pragmatic outcome. It's time to begin the process of bringing all angered - justified or not - Democrats to Senator Obama. A united party is more important than the squabble over who the nominee actually is because the absolute last thing this country needs is four more years of George W Bush, which is precisely what a McCain (McBush? McSame?) presidency would be.

It was 1997, I was taking a class on Woody Allen films, and one of the required viewings was a heart-wrenching, difficult-to-watch film about doomed relationships entitled "Husbands and Wives." The 1992 film had a decidedly negative effect on my relationship at the time, and at the same time turned Pollack into one of my favorite on-screen performers. He didn't take on many larger roles than that in "Husbands and Wives", but he guest starred here and there on shows ranging from "Frasier" to "The Sopranos." Most recently he played Marty Bach, the smart-ass no-nonsense partner at the firm in the Oscar-nominated, George Clooney thriller "Michael Clayton." For me, it was another great matter-of-fact performance from Pollack.

Sydney will undoubtedly be remembered most for his time in the director's chair. Two of his films from the 80s defined his career, one became one of the best comedies of the decade ("Tootsie"), the other earned seven Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director ("Out of Africa").

Pollack had been good friends with many top film-makers, having appeared in Stanley Kubrick's final film "Eyes Wide Shut" (a movie much maligned that is far better than it is given credit for) and many uncredited or small parts in Robert Reford's productions. It's hard to find a week that goes by that Sydney Pollack doesn't turn up in one way or another on TCM (Turner Classic Movies, one of my favorite cable channels) or AMC. He recently served as a producer on (the recently deceased) Anthony Minghella's Civil War period piece "Cold Mountain" and the already mentioned "Michael Clayton." This past Sunday, the Pollack-produced "Recount" aired on HBO (haven't seen it yet).

Legendary director, producer, and actor Sydney Pollack passed away yesterday of cancer at age 73. We'll never know the projects he didn't film and that's a sad loss for anyone who appreciates film and great film-makers.

Current Mood: sympathetic

The AP just reported that the cause of Senator Kennedy's seizure on Saturday is a malignant brain tumor. With few tests completed yet, there aren't many details.

Something of a mountain of a man, I met Senator Kennedy just after he gave a rousing, angry speech on the steps of the Capitol during the Matthew Shepherd vigil. He came over to those of us on the steps and shook hands and apologized for the injustices still carried out in this country. His sincerity has always stuck with me.

When you talk about liberals - liberals like Kennedy - you never need to add "compassionate" to it, to soften it. Compassion is part of the very nature of what it is to be a liberal; and it's what has made and continues to make Senator Kennedy a hero of mine.

I just want to wish Senator Kennedy well and with any luck and the power of modern medicine, a few more years sticking it to conservatives in the Senate.

Current Mood: sympathetic

Short of a tragic accident, it is impossible for Senator Clinton to win the nomination for president. She won West Virginia by a substantial margin yesterday, and it would have been decisive if the primary had been held earlier. But at this point it and the remaining contests are there to give voters in those states a half-hearted sense of participation in the selection process.

There was a different election yesterday that was far more important than any primary: the special election in Mississippi to replace a Republican congressman (Wicker), who is now the stand-in for Trent Lott. The dictrict (Mississippi's 11th) is heavily Republican, Bush having won there in 2004 by nearly 15 points, and Wicker having held the seat since the mid-80s without ever a serious challenge.

Yesterday a Democrat (Childers) won the seat, marking the third time this year that a Democrat has taken a decidedly Republican-leaning district away from the Republicans. Is it a harbinger of things to come in November? Well, consider it fits historical trends, especially in '93 when Republicans routed Dems in special elections before being swept into the majority in both Houses.

Personally, I like where things are headed. The Republicans should be scared, they have every right to be as this loss may lead to further swing district reirements.

I'm tingly just imagining the permanent Republican minority returning for another 40 years.

This is a killer story: Local Bar Comes Out As Gay

Dana, thanks for the link!

Current Mood: amused

I believe, as I have since the day she announced, that Hillary Clinton was the best we were going to get as the 44th president. But a confluence of events - from her husband's uncharacteristically bad moves to people buying into "hope" as some kind of policy initiative; from a media that sold its own story and hype on the notion of "inevitability" to a tragically flawed nominating process - all have made today the right time to hang it up.

I could not, and would not, ever say she was the perfect candidate. In fact, this latest idea - also proposed by the republicant John "100 year in Iraq" McCain - to suspend the gas tax is just plain idiotic. But, on the whole, no other candidate has put forward policy initiatives as detailed and in-depth as Clinton's. Does that make her wonkish? Absolutely. And that's what I love. Because that's governing; that's policy-making. Yes the gas tax thing is pandering; and that's political. But all-in-all, I could more easily live with a toss off pandering here and there if it means, at the end of the day, that we have a president that by-and-large knows what the hell is going on and how to make the system work.

That said, we are where we are. Senator Obama is going to be the nominee and if the American people can turn away from the story the media is going to want to tell in the general election (that is, that McCain is the "straight-talker" "maverick" who seems to always "come back from the dead") then Obama will be the next President.

As for Senator Clinton, I've had a few thoughts about what should be next... Unity ticket? No. I don't think that's going to work. Where she needs to be is in the Senate. As I said, she's a wonk and wonks make great lawmakers. In fact, I think she should push to replace Harry Reid as Senate Majority Leader. Because if there is a single feckless pussy that's ever been leader, it's Harry Reid. Without a doubt, Senator Clinton is the person to take over and push for a true Democratic agenda in the Senate.

Lastly, I'll be volunteering for the Obama campaign come general election time even though he wasn't my candidate of choice. But that's politics. You have to suck it up and stick with the team that will do the most good. And that means attaching to Obama to ensure we control the White House and Congress and, with any luck at all, relegate the republicants to permanent minority.

From USA Today:

In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday, 28% of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing; 69% disapprove. The approval rating matches the low point of his presidency, and the disapproval sets a new high for any president. . . .

The previous record of 67% was reached by Harry Truman in January 1952, when the United States was enmeshed in the Korean War. . . .

In another record, the percentage of Americans who say the invasion of Iraq was a mistake reached a new high, 63%, in the latest poll. . . .

By 69%-27%, those polled say Bush's tenure in general has been a failure, not a success.

Yesterday when i posted, i felt great. By 9AM, not so much. By 11, I was heading home. At noon, I had a fever of 102, was incredibly achy all over - that is, when the cold chills didnt overwhelm me, causing spasms. By the evening, i was coughing up stuff not far removed from that greenish kriptonite tar from Superman III. NyQuil road to a coma-inducing reprieve.

By the middle of the night, it was clear this was the real-deal.

I called in sick at 7AM, and a few hours later got in to see the doc. Only problem was, once I arrived in MD at the doc, I was quicly overtaken by this incredible feeling I was going to pass out and collapse. They took my bp in the lobby - it was 80/45, a bit low - before having several nurses and aides assist me back.

After an EKG, they tested for flu... and sure enough, it came back as Inf B. With as much fluid in my lungs as there is, the doctor warned of phenomia without Tamilflu and bedrest through the week.

As bad as I feel, it blows that this means I won't be picking up my new glasses (called this morning, saying they are in) AND, I'm 99% sure, it meas no BSG season-premiere at Mr. K and rcdl's on Friday.

All of which says nothing about the things that need to get done at work, preparing for next week's shift in the methodology for "open enrollment". I hope to be able to get some done at home... sorry Dana.

Last night the National's stunned the Braves with a walk-off, bottom of the ninth homerun to win their first official game at the new $600 million Nationals Park. After some a shaky start, the Braves settled down and game quickly became a pitcher's duel.

It was the perfect situation for a nationally-televised event like this season and stadium opening. With little action taking place on the field, ESPN's team of John Miller (a favorite of mine since his days in Baltimore more than a decade ago) and Joe Morgan were able to spend time showcasing the newest taxpayer-funded addition to MLB. As bad as RFK was for pro ball, Nationals Park looks - at least in HD - as though it is now the premier park, perhaps setting a new standard in non-Camden Yards, non-retro rip-offs. And since Dana and I did a test walk from the office to the park two weeks ago (less than 20 minutes), the biggest potential problem (transportation and parking) wont't be an issue at all.

Me being me, it should be obvious I couldn't write about the opener without mentioning the President - he did throw out the first pitch after all. (A tradition that, Miller reminded everyone of half a dozen times or more, that dates back to William Howard Taft in 1910.)

At a ratio easily calculated by Corbett Statistical Corporation to be 3-to-1 boos to cheers, Bush walked out to the mound and tossed a softy high (very high) and inside (if a righty had been batting). He then exited, waving to fans who largely continued to boo him, though the boos were fewer (possibly because some fans chose to cheer his departure).

But Bush wasn't done. In the third inning, he visited the ESPN broadcast both to shoot the breeze with Miller and Morgan. For an inning and a half, the nation's commander-in-chief provided some of the most awkward booth banter anyone is likely to hear; that is, when he said anything at all. When the camera cut to the booth, Bush sat uncomfortable between M&M looking not unlike a dying fish gasping for air - his mouth open, closed, open as he fumbled for answers to their questions, his eyes wide like dinner plates, appearing to stare off into oblivion.

Try as they might to get lengthier answers out of the president, they failed... though I give both Miller and Morgan credit for doing a better job at questioning him than the white house press.

Once Bush was gone, the play-by-play returned to normal and the banter picked back, but the game remained in the hands of effective pitching... until Ryan Zimmerman, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, sent a rocket over the left field wall, breaking the 2-2 tie and giving the Nat's the honor of winning the first game at their new home.

Let's hope this was a sign of the season to come.

I'll write more about this tomorrow, but just wanted to say a quick word about one of the most inventive and inspirational minds of the last 100 years.

Arthur C Clarke didnt just write crazy science fiction. He wasnt only the author of 2001, a story that would go on to be - technically - the most compelling and accurate vision of space on celluloid; no, this man, in the 1940s, envisioned man-made artificial moons positioned in geo-stationary orbits that could relay communications across the globe. He was, in effect, the father of the communications satellite; the visionary who dreamt of a seamless whole for humanity.

At age 90, he has passed away.

Tomorrow I'll look back at some of what I think are his crowning literary achievements. Tonight, however, I wish my greatest condolences to the family of one of my favorite futurists.