Mayor Booker Responds to Question about NJ Marriage Equality Referendum

So. Right. ON! Everyone must see this.

"Wolverine" Trailer Filled With Surprises

In case you missed it in the theaters this weekend, here is the trailer for the upcoming "Wolverine" movie. I am looking forward to this film, and the trailer is better than I expected. There are a few surprises, like the appearance of what looks to be a young Storm. Any guesses who the blond mutant is?

Via Trailer Addict:

Hugh Jackman reprises the role that made him a superstar – as the fierce fighting machine who possesses amazing healing powers, retractable claws and a primal fury. Leading up to the events of X-Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the story of Wolverine’s epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe...

Obama to Use "Hussein" on Inauguration Day

President-Elect Barack Obama will be using his full name during inauguration. That means including "Hussein," his middle name that during the Presidential campaign was used by some right-wing factions to instill fear in their base. Says Obama: "I will follow the tradition. I'm not trying to make a statement one way or another."

I read Obama referred to as "our New Hot Chocolate Overlord" on another blog, and I love it!

CNN Takes A Look At The Campaign That Was

I'm thrilled that Barack Obama won last night.

I'm also mindful that there were setbacks for gay rights in several states: California, Arizona, Florida and Arkansas, which makes it a somewhat Pyrrhic victory for us. Let's take that fight to the national level and win it there. That's the change I'm believing in now!

Barack Obama Interview with Rachel Maddow

Here's Rachel Maddow interviewing Barack Obama. She is intelligent and insightful. And he is just terrific. (In two parts.)

The Electoral College: Two Weeks to Go

Obama '08 - "Vote For Hope" Video by MC Yogi

Hip-hop artist MC Yogi gives us the latest pro-Obama music video.

From MC Yogi's Vimeo Page:

“Vote For Hope” was written to encourage and inspire the hip hop generation—and everyone—to get involved, and contribute their time, energy, creativity, and other resources to be the change they want to see in the world. We have been inspired by the artistic and musical contributions that have been pouring out accross the nation in support of Barack Obama's campaign. Vote for Hope is our offering to this creative movement. It is our way of adding our small voice to the collective voice of millions of Americans calling for a change.

Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorses Democrat Barack Obama for President, describing the Illinois senator as a "transformational figure." I'm really moved by Powell's love for America, our people and our soldiers. He is definitely and inspirational figure:

Retired 4-Star General Powell, has served as National Security Advisor to Ronald Reagan, Chairman of the Joint Chief's of Staff to George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and Secretary of State under George W. Bush.

You can see the portrait Powell refers to in his statement in the next post.

New Star Trek Movie Images & Stills

Stills and images from the upcoming Star Trek movie hit the web today. I think they are awesome. My favorite images are these ones of the bridge, Eric Bana as Nero, and the crew:

I would have loved to see the bridge look closer to the original, but I'm not disappointed with the upgrade. Though I do wish Uhura had a beehive!

Maddow on Palin: Calling a Liar a Liar

Hi America! Sarah Palin is looking you straight in the eye and enthusiastically lying to you! The other alternatives are that she's in denial or living in some alternate universe. Or perhaps she never got over the kindergarten strategy of "saying something over and over again makes it true!" Rachel Maddow does a brilliant job of simply showing and telling it like it is.

Obama Doesn't Understand!

One of Obama's best rebuttals: "Sen. McCain, in the last debate and today, again, suggested that I don't understand. It's true. There are some things I don't understand. I don't understand how we ended up invading a country that had nothing to do with 9/11, while Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda are setting up base camps and safe havens to train terrorists to attack us. That was Sen. McCain's judgment and it was the wrong judgment. When Sen. McCain was cheerleading the president to go into Iraq, he suggested it was going to be quick and easy, we'd be greeted as liberators. That was the wrong judgment, and it's been costly to us."

Matthew Shepard Beating: 10th Anniversary

Today is the tenth anniversary of the torture and battery of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming. He died days later on October 12. His mother, Judy Shepard, appeared on The Early Show this morning, speaking on the progress or lack thereof on hate crime legislation. Matthew Shepard would have been 35 years old if he were alive today. Wyoming along with 18 other states still has no laws addressing hate crimes based on sexual orientation.

Joe Biden: Leadership, Knowledge & Passion During VP Debate

Joe Biden does an awesome job inspiring confidence in the leadership, knowledge and passion he brings to the table as a future Vice President. My favorite parts of the "Veepstakes" debate are when he talks about being a single father, slams the "Maverick" label being thrown around, and takes apart McCain's health-care plan.

SNL's Palin/Couric Parody by Fey/Poehler

SNL does it once again. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler give us a spot-on re-creation of Sarah Palin's disastrous interview with Katie Couric. My one suggestion would have been to give Poehler more eye make-up as Couric seems to have really glammed it up lately. I love the "belabor the point" moment at the end. Watch:

Bush Repeats pre-Iraq War Speech from 2003 (or 1984...?)

Read George Orwell's 1984 (or even Gregory Maguire's Wicked) and the structure of George W. Bush's speech about "The Bailout" should sound chillingly familiar... even if it were not for the fact that we heard the same speech 5 years ago.

The books illustrate it in much greater depth, but Jon Stewart demonstrates it a bit more humorously:


It's as if our administration has used Orwell's classic about using war and the economy to control the populace as it's grand strategy:

"The problem was how to keep the wheels of industry turning without increasing the real wealth of the world... In principle the war effort is always so planned as to eat up any surplus that might exist after meeting the bare needs of the population...

"The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives but of the products of human labor. War is a way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses to comfortable, and hence, in the long run too intelligent...

"War, it will be seen, not only accomplishes the necessary destruction, but accomplishes it in a psychologically acceptable way... All that is needed is that a state of war should exist. Meanwhile no Inner Party member wavers for an instant in his mystical belief that the war is real, and that it is bound to end victoriously... All members of the Inner Party believe in this coming conquest as an article of faith.

"The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake... Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness: only power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently... We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power."

The Debate: Obama says to McCain "You were wrong" on Iraq

The first Presidential debate in the 2008 campaign got underway as scheduled on Friday night despite McCain's attempts to stall and postpone it. You can catch all the details on CNN. Here's a clip of Obama telling McCain, "You were wrong," about Iraq:

Funny: "Obama Mama" by Katreese Barnes and Greg Scarnici

SNL musical director Katreese Barnes and comedian Greg Scarnici give us "Obama Mama."

Barack Obama!
Now I don't mean to cause no drama.
But you're the only man for me.
It's just so plain to see, that

She's an Obama Mama!
O-Obama mama!

Everything, including the dancing is so deliciously 1990s. I can't believe the Lycra shorts, but he makes them work!

Head of Skate: The Palin Hockey Mom Disney Movie!

When Matt Damon said the Sarah Palin candidacy sounded like a really bad Disney movie, College Humor listened and put together this hilarious short!

Palin Tanks on Couric: "I'll try to find ya some, and I'll bring 'em to ya!"

Governor Sarah Palin was unable to back up her statement that "John McCain will reform the way Wall Street does business," with concrete examples, resorting to her usual snarkiness.

COURIC: I’m just going to ask you one more time - not to belabor the point. Specific examples in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation.

PALIN: I’ll try to find you some and I’ll bring them to you.

Perhaps this is one reason why McCain is not only suspending the Presidential debate but by proposing that it be moved to October 2, also effectively postponing the Vice-Presidential debate. Until when? No one knows.

Just get present to the impact of this mentality, evasiveness and lack of awareness. Ask yourself if you want that running the country for the next four to eight years. We can't just sit back and watch this happen. Are you willing to take a stand in the face of it?

Stephen Colbert Suspends Show in Response to Financial Crisis

Stephen Colbert suspends his show until the financial crisis is averted. He calls for Jon Stewart to do the same! What will you be suspending?