Missouri

The economy is in the tank; two wars rage on; and jobs are about as scarce as hope these days. In other words, not a great time for Hollywood to unleash a plethora of downer films built to bait Oscar more than audiences. That’s why I’m here to implore you to give art a chance this holiday season. Sure, stories about aging, death, failed marriages and disgraced presidencies are the last thing you want to see when you’re struggling to keep food on the table. But they can be deeply cathartic, especially when they’re as well made as “The Wrestler,” “Frost/Nixon,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Revolutionary Road.”

Each carries a basic truth about human nature we all can identify with and learn from in these troubled times.

(Read the full post about ‘Holidays turn serious in Hollywood’s hands’…)

LOS ANGELES -

Most of us first came across James Franco in the offbeat and short-lived TV show “Freaks and Geeks,” in which he played the non-geeky “cool guy” Daniel, and managed to find plenty of opportunities to show off his big smile. But his film career has been made up of far more serious roles: an army ranger in “The Great Raid,” an American pilot in the French military in “Flyboys,” Peter Parker’s angry best friend in the “Spider-Man” series and now Scott Smith, the partner of gay activist Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) in Gus Van Sant’s new film “Milk.”

In person, Franco is relaxed and easygoing.

(Read the full post about ‘James Franco shows off his talent with his ‘Milk’ man’…)

For Sean Penn, acting is all about execution – literally. In three of his last four movies – “All the King’s Men,” “21 Grams,” “The Assassination of Richard Nixon” – his characters have failed to make it to the final credits. And in the one movie he did survive, “The Interpreter,” he was murdered by the critics.

You could say he’s No. 1 with a bullet.

(Read the full post about ‘Penn revives the voice of a gay icon in ‘Milk’’…)

It’s a Western, a war picture, a romantic comedy, a family drama, a history lesson. Yes, “Australia” is all those things and more – too much more. In fact, I don’t think you could fit any “more” into it, even with a nearly three-hour running time. It’s cinematic schizophrenia of the highest order, hopped up higher than a kangaroo on energy and ambition. But, crikies, it’s a mess.

It even had me reaching for the Dramamine.

(Read the full post about ‘‘Australia’ is cinematic schizophrenia’…)

Business Wire:  Alan Colmes to Depart Top Rated Hannity & Colmes

FNC putting out a wanted ad, for a liberal named Colmes, in lieu of the network ordering new nameplates that read “Hannity & Huffington.”

KSDK:  GM ends 9-year endorsement deal with Tiger Woods

The multimillion dollar contract with a 30-year old did not work in selling cars mostly purchased by 60-year olds to 45-year olds.

NPI:  FALLBROOK: Crime-fighters’ push for gang injunction worries town’s Latinos

Because laws against murder and other things have worked so well, an injunction will cure everything.

KSDK:  Stiller, Rock say Israel’s better than Hollywood

I don’t think so, they’re both filled with angry, hateful minorities who think that the pale-skinned occupiers took what was theirs all along.

Rocky Mountain News:  Noise violators in Fort Lupton sentenced to listen to Barry Manilow

If I were the judge, I would have picked Michael Bolton.

Politico:  Obama skips church, heads to gym

He would have done well to skip church over the last nineteen years.

CNS:  ‘Narcissistic Sovereignty’ Has Kept U.S.

(Read the full post about ‘Fun With a Narcissistic Blogger Writing in a Narcissistic Country’…)

Victor Davis Hanson has an op-ed in Real Clear Politics today.  It’s mostly a good read, at least all but point number nine.  I’ll summarize them for you

(1)  More Latin, less liberalism, in public schools

(2)  Hollywood = Detroit

(3)  The MSM have gone way downhill since the 1950s

(4)  Corporate greed is bad

(5)  California is our canary in the coal mine

(6)  American young men have become metrosexualized

(7)  “Classy eccentricity” among political figures has been panned and largely replaced by moonbats

(8)  Something about farming

(10)  Repeat (1)

But he strikes out in Number Nine, flubbing his whole point:

Maybe it is that the Right already had its Reformation when Buckley and others purged the extremists–the Birchers, the neo-Confederates, racialists, the fluoride-in-the-water conspiracists, anti-Semites, and assorted nuts.–from the conservative ranks in a way the Left has never done with the 1960s radicals that now reappear in the form of Michael Moore, Bill Ayers, Cindy Sheehan, Moveon.org, the Daily Kos, etc.

So, for nine out of ten bullet points, Hansen bitches about the consequences of liberal ideology.  In number nine, he turns right around and celebrates neo-liberal (a.k.a.

(Read the full post about ‘Nine Random, Politically Incorrect Thoughs (and One PC Thought)’…)

CofCC.org:

Police torture BNP member, tell protestors they can’t fly British flags because they are offensive.

CofCC.org News Team

The Mercyside Police Department in England is totally out of control. First they fired a police officer for being a BNP member, using illegally obtained information.

(Read the full post about ‘Robert Spencer, Where Are You?’…)

P-D:

New Orleans to top crime rankings; St. Louis comes in at No. 4

New Orleans officials weren’t aware of it yet last week, but their city could soon inherit a public-relations nightmare that has plagued the likes of St. Louis, Detroit and Camden, N.J.

On Monday, the publishing firm CQ Press is set to release its 15th annual ranking of U.S. cities by crime. The rankings have attracted increasing attention from media outlets and civic organizations across the country.

Late last week, the publisher said it would not discuss its results before Monday, but confirmed that it made no changes to the methodology used to arrive at past years’ rankings.

If that’s true, the Big Easy would be tops out of 397 U.S.

(Read the full post about ‘We’re Number Four’…)

NYDN:  Toy Industry Hall-of-Famer Betty James, ran Slinky company, dead at 90 I have an idea on how to get her casket down a difficult flight of stairs if need be. KSDK:  Minority enrollment up 27% at University of Missouri It used to be a good school. KSDK:  St. Louis creates virtual city to attract real tourists Trouble is, a virtual city only attracts virtual tourists. NYP:  KING BLOOMBERG - MIKE IS A MAYOR RUN AMOK Unlike previous mayors, who were self-restrained and were careful not to abuse their power. AP:  Astronauts try to work out kinks in urine machine Just like many Earthlings are trying to do. Reuters:  Obama picks point men for crisis fight back Feminists promptly sue. (Read the full post about ‘But the Slinky Lives On’…)

Click below to listen to Britney Spears’ newest album, "Circus," a week before its Jive Records release, courtesy of Imeem.com! Click here for a GateHouse News Service review of "Circus."

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