Image thanks to ABC News (and pretty much every other news source too)
It’s the picture seen ’round the world…if by the world, you mean the political blogosphere and U.S. news media.
AZ Governor Janet Brewer, of draconian immigration measures fame, gave Obama a talkin’ to when he got off the plane in Arizona. If you haven’t been following the story, check it out the photographer’s story of how the photo came to be, hear why Brewer called Obama “thin-skinned” after the encounter, and read how the White House declared that the whole thing has been “blown out of proportion.”
In the meantime, this picture has the promise to become the next greatest Internet meme…but only with your help! What would you like to see Gov. Brewer scolding President Obama about? Leave us a comment!
Image Thanks to Feministing!
In the U.S., many people (mistakenly) associate feminism with bra-burning. But in Saudi Arabia, a new development in women’s rights is involving bra-buying.
Last summer, a decree was issued that employees in stores selling products exclusively to women – namely cosmetics and underwear – had to be female. (Apparently being waited on by male sale associates while buying new lingerie was so embarrassing as to force women to shop for new bras and panties abroad.)
This might sound like a common-sense decree – or perhaps one further enforcing gendered isolation. But it’s actually a HUGE step for women in Saudi Arabia, who have previously been banned from working in retail because it might involve interacting with men.
Now the door is being cracked open to the world of retail employment for women, and many women are trying to push through. Over 28,000 women applied for the newly available retail jobs.
Could this development be a sign that more progress for women is to come? Middle East scholar Thomas Lippman thinks so.
While women are still constrained by law, religion and custom, more and more are likely to enter the work force. They will be better educated than their predecessors, will marry later and will have fewer children. The range of jobs and professions open to them will expand…These changes will meet entrenched opposition, but the economic and demographic forces behind them seem irresistible.
And with more and more women working outside the home, perhaps there will be greater pressure to allow Saudi women to drive.
Check out this NYTimes article for more of the history and context behind the decree.
Whoever said super PACs are useless? Say you’re down in the polls, you’re lacking delegates, and no one but a small group of loyal supporters have caught on to your message of economic libertarianism. What’s the solution? Ron Paul action figures.
But maybe… it’s more than just an action figure. Under that meek exterior, and behind that high pitched voice lies – THE GOLD STANDARD CRUSADER!
The GS Crusader has many unique abilities, our favorites are:
- The ability to deny the constitutionality of ANY legislation
- Quote any economic text – ever
- Seek and destroy evil wherever it may be with a lengthy speech filled with obscure references
- Invisibility (when it comes to TSA screenings)
- The ability to never be elected president
This is just a brief list can you think of any more?
For all the film buffs out there, Tuesday was a big day.
It was the day the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their nominations for the 2011 film year.
After surveying the list of nominees it appears most categories went as expected with a few surprises and snubs along the way (see our list below).
This year, the Big award- Best Picture- had 9 nominees. This group of nine was selected in a new and slightly confusing manner.
It started back in 2010, when the category for Best Picture was expanded from 5 to 10.
This lasted only 2 years, with the Academy announcing last summer they have adjusted the rules to fluctuate between 5-10 nominees. The first 5 films with the highest number of votes get a nod, followed by the next highest vote-getters who get a minimum of 5% of the Academy’s votes. In its first year in application 9 films received Best Picture nominations.
In the coming weeks we will be giving you a break down the major categories, culminating with the awards ceremony on Sunday, February 26.
Best Picture
- “The Artist” Thomas Langmann, Producer
- “The Descendants” Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
- “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” Scott Rudin, Producer
- “The Help” Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
- “Hugo” Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
- “Midnight in Paris” Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
- “Moneyball” Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
- “The Tree of Life” Nominees to be determined
- “War Horse“ Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
Directing
- “The Artist” Michel Hazanavicius
- “The Descendants” Alexander Payne
- “Hugo” Martin Scorsese
- “Midnight in Paris” Woody Allen
- “The Tree of Life” Terrence Malick
Actor in a Leading Role
- Demián Bichir in “A Better Life”
- George Clooney in “The Descendants”
- Jean Dujardin in “The Artist”
- Gary Oldman in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
- Brad Pitt in “Moneyball”
Actress in a Leading Role
- Glenn Close in “Albert Nobbs”
- Viola Davis in “The Help”
- Rooney Mara in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
- Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady”
- Michelle Williams in “My Week with Marilyn”
Actor in a Supporting Role
- Kenneth Branagh in “My Week with Marilyn”
- Jonah Hill in “Moneyball”
- Nick Nolte in “Warrior”
- Christopher Plummer in “Beginners”
- Max von Sydow in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
Actress in a Supporting Role
- Bérénice Bejo in “The Artist”
- Jessica Chastain in “The Help”
- Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids”
- Janet McTeer in “Albert Nobbs”
- Octavia Spencer in “The Help”
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
- “The Descendants” Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
- “Hugo” Screenplay by John Logan
- “The Ides of March” Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
- “Moneyball” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin Story by Stan Chervin
- “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan
Writing (Original Screenplay)
- “The Artist” Written by Michel Hazanavicius
- “Bridesmaids” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
- “Margin Call” Written by J.C. Chandor
- “Midnight in Paris” Written by Woody Allen
- “A Separation” Written by Asghar Farhadi
Animated Feature Film
- “A Cat in Paris” Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
- “Chico & Rita” Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
- “Kung Fu Panda 2″ Jennifer Yuh Nelson
- “Puss in Boots” Chris Miller
- “Rango” Gore Verbinski
Art Direction
- “The Artist”
Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould - “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2“
Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan - “Hugo”
Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo - “Midnight in Paris”
Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil - “War Horse”
Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales
Cinematography
- “The Artist” Guillaume Schiffman
- “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Jeff Cronenweth
- “Hugo” Robert Richardson
- “The Tree of Life” Emmanuel Lubezki
- “War Horse” Janusz Kaminski
Costume Design
- “Anonymous” Lisy Christl
- “The Artist” Mark Bridges
- “Hugo” Sandy Powell
- “Jane Eyre” Michael O’Connor
- “W.E.” Arianne Phillips
Documentary (Feature)
- “Hell and Back Again”
Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner - “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front”
Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman - “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”
Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs - “Pina”
Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel - “Undefeated”
TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas
Documentary (Short Subject)
- “The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement”
Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin - “God Is the Bigger Elvis”
Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson - “Incident in New Baghdad”
James Spione - “Saving Face”
Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy - “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom”
Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen
Film Editing
- “The Artist” Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
- “The Descendants” Kevin Tent
- “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
- “Hugo” Thelma Schoonmaker
- “Moneyball” Christopher Tellefsen
Foreign Language Film
- “Bullhead” Belgium
- “Footnote” Israel
- “In Darkness” Poland
- “Monsieur Lazhar” Canada
- “A Separation” Iran
Makeup
- “Albert Nobbs”
Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle - “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng - “The Iron Lady”
Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland
Music (Original Score)
- “The Adventures of Tintin” John Williams
- “The Artist” Ludovic Bource
- “Hugo” Howard Shore
- “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Alberto Iglesias
- “War Horse” John Williams
Music (Original Song)
- “Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets” Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
- “Real in Rio” from “Rio” Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett
Short Film (Animated)
- “Dimanche/Sunday” Patrick Doyon
- “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
- “La Luna” Enrico Casarosa
- “A Morning Stroll” Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
- “Wild Life” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby
Short Film (Live Action)
- “Pentecost” Peter McDonald and Eimear O’Kane
- “Raju” Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
- “The Shore” Terry George and Oorlagh George
- “Time Freak” Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
- “Tuba Atlantic” Hallvar Witzø
Sound Editing
- “Drive” Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
- “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Ren Klyce
- “Hugo” Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
- “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
- “War Horse” Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom
Sound Mixing
- “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson - “Hugo”
Tom Fleischman and John Midgley - “Moneyball”
Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick - “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin - “War Horse”
Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson
Visual Effects
- “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson - “Hugo”
Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning - “Real Steel”
Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg - “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett - “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier
Photo courtesy of the New York Times.
Making the blind see may seem like a miracle.
Some think that miracle has taken place.
The cause for this excitement is some promising results from a new embryonic stem cell treatment for macular degeneration.
Advanced Cell Technology developed the treatment, which was used on two legally blind patients at UCLA. The two women reported encouraging gains in vision, one reporting she had been able to thread a needle, and the other patient reported she was able to navigate a shopping mall by herself.
The news remains controversial for a number of reasons.
As many critics point out, two patients do not make for a statistically significant study. Embryonic stem cells themselves have been controversial, since their creation typically involves the destruction of human embryos.
The first trial of a therapy using human embryonic stem cells, run by Geron, shut down in November mid-trial. (Though Geron cited a lack of funding, rather than controversy, as the cause).
Does embryonic stem cell therapy have a future in the medical field? We’ll wait and see.
Are you confused about the Stop Online Piracy Act ? Join the club.
The issue first caught our eye the last Wednesday when sights like Wikipedia went dark for a day.
The bill seems to have it’s heart in the right place. Piracy and copyright infringement on the web is a legitimate problem.
However, there is more to SOPA that meets the eye. We have found an informational video we think sums up the pros and cons nicely. Check it out and let us know what you think.
Image courtesy of New York Times.
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, wait. It’s definitely a bird. A lot of birds, to be precise.
Bird-watchers across the country are recording an unusually high number of snowy owl sightings. There appears to be both an increase in population as well as an increase in the territory the birds have been seen in.
While they are normally rare in Kansas and Missouri, they have been sighted as far south as Hawaii. The birds, which live in the Arctic for most of the year are traveling south in an infrequent irruption. That’s irruption, not eruption. The owls, colored blinding white with yellow eyes, are the same species as Hedwig, the fictional companion of Harry Potter.
Denver Holt, director of the Owl Research Institute, was not clear on what, exactly, caused the rise in numbers.
“We do know they had a really good breeding year, and there was plenty of food last year. Instead of no chicks, or one or two, a single nest will produce five, six, seven or more fledglings in a good breeding year.”
We’re not sure where all the owls are coming from, but would like to helpfully reiterate that we are still waiting on our Hogwarts letters.
Representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona has announced that she will be stepping down this week to focus on her recovery, stated in the video above that her camp released.
Giffords was the victim of an assassination attempt in January 2011 in her home state, an attack that injured 13 people and killed six.
Suffering a gunshot wound to the head, Giffords spent the months following recovering her ability to speak, read, and write. In August, she returned to the house to vote in favor of raising the debt ceiling.
Giffords says she hope to return to public office.
Newt Gingrich’s triumph in the recent South Carolina Primary has been largely attributed to his sharp performances in two recent televised debates.
The signature highlight of debate #1 was a confrontation Newt had with Fox News correspondent and former-NPR reporter Juan Williams.
Williams asked Newt Gingrich if calling President Obama the “Food Stamps President” could be considered offensive to low-income people and people of color.
Gingrich’s indignant response, showcased in the clip above, largely blew-off the question. Williams followed up the former Speaker of the House’s response with his assertion that Gingrich might be coming across as “belittling people.”
Gingrich dismissed the claim.
Clearly “Food Stamp President” was meant to be a pejorative slam. But it’s not a surprise that the statement carries a racial connotation for many.
It is reminiscent of President Ronald Reagan’s 1976 presidential campaign term “Welfare Queens” that many studies have shown carry a clear racial code. Representative Clyburn and Representative Sheila Jackson Lee condemned the label as racially coded.
“Food stamps” is the now-outdated term for SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that President Bush had a large part in rebranding and de-stigmatizing.
When taking a look at the hard numbers, the President who hailed the largest number of food stamps recipients and who experienced the largest program growth was President George W. Bush, with a 63% jump in recipients and an increase in recipients for 7 out of his 8 years in office.
What was arguably more despicable was Gingrich’s pointed comment about Juan Williams after the debate:
I had a very interesting dialogue Monday night in Myrtle Beach with Juan Williams about the idea of work, which seemed to Juan Williams to be a strange, distant concept.
Hmm, not sure we follow you there, Newt. Especially when considering the way Williams reacted during the debate – oh, and the fact that Williams has been pretty prominently employed as a journalist, author, and commentator for years.
We tend to agree with this quote by senior editor at The Atlantic Ta-Nehisi Coates, which pretty much sums it up:
The notion that Gingrich is somehow unaware of that “food stamp president” has racial connotations, that he is being on the level when he says the black community should not be satisfied with food stamps, requires an extension of supernatural generosity.
South Carolina Primary final numbers, courtesy Current.com
Before any of the numbers were in last night, Newt Gingrich was declared the victor of the first Republican primary in the South by all of the major news networks.
Exit polls showed that Gingrich was double-digits ahead of Mitt Romney, a candidate that has been struggling with media coverage and losing popularity after Gingrich’s attack on Romney, in which he painted the Massachusetts Governor as a moderate and exploitative capitalist for his work at Bain Capital.
Many commentators are predicting a similar outcome in Florida, the next primary stop. Other commentators suspect a Santorum drop-out, with the possibility of a Gingrich endorsement. All in all, the three votes so far do not point to a clear winner, with each of the three showings declaring three unique outcomes.
To see the final numbers from the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, click the image above.
The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Would you vote for Stephen Colbert? Well technically you can’t because he was not on the ballot in South Carolina (or yet elsewhere). But a road block like that is laughable to Colbert.
Last week a South Carolina poll put the comedian’s popularity at 5 percent, ahead of former Governor John Huntsman (some think this humiliation helped to hasten Huntsman’s departure from the Presidential race).
This prompted Colbert to announce his intention to form an exploratory committee to decide if he should make a run for the White House. It seems as though he might test his luck.
Now, South Carolina doesn’t have write-ins, and Colbert is about two months late to file, so he decided to do the next best thing; run using someone who’s name is already on the ballot. So to quote the Colbert “A vote for Herman Cane is a vote for me.” Herman Cain, received over 6000 votes in the South Carolina primary.
USDemocrazy has never endorsed anyone but we are very eager to see how the Colbert campaign develops. Maybe this time next year we will be inaugurating President-Elect Rev. Sir. Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, DFA.
Image from the Daily Kos!
This year could be a big one for supporters of marriage equality across the country. State legislatures in Washington, New Jersey, and Maryland are all engaging the issue this year.
In order for marriage equality to pass, supporters need both Democrats and Republicans to vote for it.
But Republicans who decide to support the measure have to break ranks with their party to do so – and for many that could mean angering conservative constituents and tempting primary challenges.
But the numbers are telling a different story for those Republicans who support marriage equality.
While some supporters are touting the economic benefits of marriage equality for states, the newest round of campaign finance reports tells of a different kind of economic benefit that comes along with supporting same-sex marriage
The New York Times published an article this week reporting that the four Republican senators who split with their party to support gay marriage in New York have seen HUGE jumps in their fundraising.
One senator received 27 times as many donations in this most recent fundraising period compared to the same one in 2009, before his vote. Much of the donations came from people who often identified as both gay and far left. Many had never supported a Republican before, but money started flowing into the four senators for their support.
These four senators aren’t the only ones making some moo-la from marriage. Governor Andrew Cuomo, whose fervent support was credited with the measure’s success, raised over 6 million dollars in the six months after his effort. And three Wall Street Executives donated $350,000 to the NY Senate Republican Campaign Committee – who came out AGAINST the bill – as a thank you for allowing the vote to take place.
A strategist for the Human Rights Campaign, one of the national organizations working on LGBT equality issues, explained that
It was essential to send a clear signal around the country that we will support those who support equality, irrespective of party. We were able to win marriage in New York with a bipartisan coalition of fair-minded elected officials. We need to replicate that if we are to keep winning.
So what do you think – are these political contributions better than a thank you note? Will donors follow suit if Republicans in WA, MD, and NJ also break ranks? And should Republicans making up their minds about marriage equality take these possible benefits into consideration?
Poor Mitt Romney. He tries hard to be just a regular guy and is often mocked for it. Like the time he tried to relate to voters’ uncertainty of the job market,
“I know what it’s like to worry about whether you’re going to get fired. There were a couple of times I wondered if I was going to get a pink slip.”
We didn’t know weather to laugh or cringe at this statement coming from a man who makes as much from one speaking engagements than many Americans will make in a year. (Just to give you an idea of how loaded Romney is… according to him, $374,000 a year for speaking fees is “not very much.” In all fairness $374 thousand is small compared to a net worth of $200 million)
But unfortunately for Romney, he handles his wealth with all the grace you would expect from someone with no social skills.
He has tried to delay the release of his taxes until a time when he will have either secured or lost his party’s nomination. It’s a conversation he just doesn’t want to have.
But most embarrassing of all for the Candidate is the revelation of the tax rate millionaire Mitt pays for his meager income. He enjoys a tax rate of 15%, which is about the same rate you would pay if you made $40-50,000 per year.
So what’s the problem here? Other than the Romney campaign’s inability to control the narrative, there is none.
In fact if Romney were to become president he wouldn’t be the wealthiest man to do so. Adjusted for inflation George Washington was worth over 500 million dollars, and John F. Kennedy was worth nearly a billion dollars.
Washington and Kennedy are outliers but millionaires are not strangers to the White House. All but three presidents of the the 20th century were millionaires, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, and Harry Truman.
The more Romney demurs, fumbles, stone walls, and stutters through questions about his wealth the more it becomes a talking point. What do you think; does it matter how wealthy a candidate is?
Image from MSNBC!
What better way to spend your Saturday than getting ready for the announcement of South Carolina’s primary results tonight? Check out the stories below and get excited for a primary party tonight!
Endorsements Galore!
Rick Perry drops out and endorses Newt. VA Governor Bob McDonnell endorses Mitt. SC Governor Nikki Haley endorses Mitt. Jon Huntsman endorses Jon Huntsman…I mean, Mitt. And Stephen Colbert endorses Herman Cain…or is Herman Cain endorsing Stephen Colbert?
Debate Highlights!
Haven’t had a chance to tune into all of the South Carolina debates? Luckily, we’ve got some highlights for you. John King versus Newt Gingirch and the marriage question. The Sumter Item breaks down the bests and worsts. And oh yeah, and Ron Paul – “He was there, too!”
Poll the Pols!
Public Policy Polling has Gingrich up by 9 points. But that’s okay by Mitt – Romney says he won’t win every primary.
22
Sex Ed Fun with Rick Santorum
by stretch
News
Poor Rick Santorum. After finishing third in South Carolina, he just got glitter-bombed. Again.
Members of the occupy Charleston movement hurled glitter at Rick while screaming “Gay rights!” and “Occupy!” Perhaps not quite the consolation prize he was looking for.
Santorum has a long track record as an opponent of gay rights.
Perhaps the most violent controversy was spurred by a 2003 interview during which some claim he equated gay marriage with bestiality and pedophilia. (An excerpt of the interview transcript is here).
More recently, he was booed by students during an interview in New Hampshire when he repeatedly brought up polygamy during a series of questions about gay marriage.
Even Meghan McCain (daughter of Sen. John McCain) has gone on the record calling Santorum’s views “dated,” and, “gross”.
Santorum may be confused as to what gay marriage actually is. We recommend someone show him this handy diagram, stat.