Ebert Gives A Thumbs Down To McCain

We all know Roger Ebert for his famous movie reviews, but he recently reviewed John McCain's debate performance and found him lacking. Man--Ebert must have his own riot corner.... Well said Ebert! Two Thumbs Up!

Guess who's not coming to dinner - by Roger Ebert

I do not like you, John McCain. My feeling has nothing to do with issues. It has to do with common courtesy. During the debate, you refused to look Barack Obama in the eye. Indeed, you refused to look at him at all. Even when the two of you shook hands at the start, you used your eyes only to locate his hand, and then gazed past him as you shook it.

Obama is my guy. If you are rude to him, you are rude to me. If you came to dinner at my house and refused to look at or speak with one of my guests, that would be bad manners and I would be offended. Same thing if I went to your house. During the debate, you were America's guest.
What was your problem? Do you hold this man in such contempt that you cannot bear to gaze upon him? Will you not even speak to him directly?

Do you think he doesn't have the right to be running for President? Were you angry because after you said you wouldn't attend the debate, he said a President should be able to concern himself with two things at the same time? He was right. The proof is, you were there. Were you angry with him because he called your bluff?

During the debate, Jim Lehrer repeatedly called upon both candidates to speak directly to each other. Obama looked at you. He addressed you as "John," which as a fellow senator is his privilege. His body language was open. You stared straight ahead, or at Lehrer, or into space. Your jaw was clinched. You had a tight little smile, or a grimace, or a little shake of your head.
I had to do two things at once while watching the debate. I had to listen to what was being said. And I had to process your rigid and contemptuous behavior. If you were at a wedding and the father of the groom refused to look at or speak to the bride, how would that make you feel? Especially if you were the father of the bride?

You made a TV commercial showing the moments Obama agreed with you. Everybody knows he did. Did his agreement show honesty, or weakness?

It is significant that you said it proved he was not ready to lead.
What is the better leadership quality: (1) Willingness to listen to your opponent, and keep an open mind? (2) Rigidly ignoring him? Which of the two of you better demonstrated the bipartisan spirit you say you represent? Was there anything he said that you agreed with? Could you have brought yourself to say so?

I'm not the only one who noticed your odd, hostile behavior. Just about everybody did. I'm sure many of your supporters must have sensed the tension. Before the debate, pundits were wondering if you might explode in a display of your famous temper. I think we saw that happen, all right, but it was an implosion. I have instructed my wife to exclude you from any future dinner parties.

The Riot Corner

We're starting a new segment on CITC. I was having lunch with a friend and we were discussing the election; and my friend said he didn't know what he would do if Barack Obama lost in November. After some thought, I said jokingly, "I would riot in the streets." That lone silly comment gave me the idea to start a segment where we can just rant on about whatever issue is plaguing us on a given day. It's called The Riot Corner. Take a seat.

My first rant is on GOP Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. As a thinking, educated woman, I find her nomination to be an insult to the American people. She clearly lacks substantive knowledge of the domestic and foreign issues facing us today. First Lady Laura Bush said that Palin did not have any foreign policy experience, but she is a "quick study." Campbell Brown called on the McCain campaign to free Sarah Palin--since it is shielding her completely from questions from reporters and not allowing her to do press conferences. And in a recent Palin interview with Katie Couric, the following exchange was had:

Couric: “But [McCain's] been in Congress for 26 years. He's been chairman of the powerful Commerce Committee. And he has almost always sided with less regulation -- not more.”

Palin: “He's also known as a maverick though. Taking shots from his own party, and certainly taking shots from the other party. …”

Couric: “I'm just going to ask one more time, not to belabor the point -- specific example in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation.”

Palin: “I'll try to find you some, and I'll bring them to you (she actually said "bring 'em to ya").”

Are you friggin' kidding me? I don't want someone leading me who is a "quick study." I want someone who knows what the h*ll she is doing! Reading the transcript cannot even show how inept she was at answering the question. She can't name one example of her running mate's deregulation efforts? She can't give one example of John McCain taking it to Wall Street?! Now we know for certain why the campaign has been shielding Palin from the press--she is a female George Bush! I'm HORRIFIED that she is a serious contender and I pray that the polls are right and the economic downturn is pushing people towards a change in Washington--because frankly, this beauty pageant runner up, mooseburger eating, weather girl reporting, 5 college attending, gun-toting nitwit cannot lead me out of a paperbag.

I am TravelDiva and I approved this message.

Feel free to riot on this or any other topic that strikes your fancy. LOL.

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The Bailout

So, Congress is trying to decide whether we should pay a trillion dollars to bail out Wall Street and Main Street. I am not an economics scholar by any stretch of the imagination. But I am seriously conflicted. If this is absolutely necessary, then okay, let's do it. But I am really not happy about bailing out greedy companies, investors, and people who made poor choices and bought houses they can't afford. I'm all for "it takes a village," but this is ri-damn-diculous if you ask me. Why should I be on the hook for the rest of my natural life? I've got my own debt to contend with. Why should I be burdened with the rest of America's debt? And must action be taken now? I'm all for a real solution, but something that has just been kicked around for a few days seems hasty to me.





What say you?

P.S. Don't get me started on a certain Fox news analyst who says that giving loans to minorities and other risky persons was the root of the downfall. Joker.

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Joker of the Week Nods

OH MY. Congrats to Sarah Palin for a first in CITC history. She was named the Joker of the Week two weeks in a row! Not only that, but she has garnered more votes than any other nominee in CITC history. Let's put that in perspective--former nominees include George Bush, Bill O'Reilly, Larry Craig, Naomi Campbell, Kanye West, Diddy, murderers, rapists, racists, sexists, a rapper who tried to sneak a cake file into Rikers' Island to visit his girl--some real losers. But Sarah "moose-huntin' hockey mom" Palin beat them all. This is clearly one contest that she will not come in second. I'm tempted to nominate her again because when pitched a softball question to outline her foreign policy credentials at a recent town hall meeting--she couldn't name one!! She just said she'd be ready by January. (insert blank stare).

I won't nominate her, but I've got some other whoppers this week for you to choose from. Happy voting!

• Sen. John McCain - For saying that the "fundamentals" of the American economy are strong on a day when the stock market dropped five million points, and then having the audacity to say that the "fundamentals" of the economy are the American people. Yeah, right John; For having a surrogate spokesman for his campaign say that neither McCain or Sarah Palin have the skill set to run a company (LOL); AND for not knowing who the prime minister of Spain is, saying Spain (A NATO ALLY) is an adversary, and he won't meet with Spain basically if they don't agree with us. His attitude and ignorance are making headlines across the world--as Spain is shocked to find out that it is an enemy of the U.S. Spain is now an adversary??! Who knew? Why because Zapatero pulled Spanish troops out of Iraq when he took office? This is truly unbelievable. McCain's ignorance/belligerence is ridiculous given that foreign policy is supposed to be his area of expertise...Even the White House issued a statement saying that Spain is our friend.

• Kanye West - I could not let his revenge of the nerd style attack on the paparazzi at the airport go unnoticed. Easy Yeezy.

• Dr. Phil (courtesy of Lily Lily) - Apparently, Dr. Phil was on Larry King live and was asked to discuss the psyche of the female voter during this election. During that interview, Dr. Phil said he was undecided. First--who the heck cares what he thinks? Shouldn't he be off stalking Britney Spears or some other troubled starlet? Second, he's undecided? WHAT? Umm, unless you have been under a rock, don't know the issues, and don't know your own views--what the heck is there to be undecided about? There could not be a clearer choice between Obama and McCain as they are polar opposites and anyone who is trying to figure out which way the wind is blowing is actually baffling to me--particularly someone in the "media" who by trade should have been following this from the beginning.

• Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild - This insanely rich former Hilary Clinton backer publicly endorsed John McCain this week. Why? Lady Rothschild said, "Frankly I don't like him. I feel like he is an elitist. I feel like he has not given me reason to trust him." She then went on to say that Obama offended "rednecks" by calling them bitter. Umm--Rothschild is married to a billionaire, lives on a massive spread in Buckinghamshire and jet sets between London and New York. And the very people she says Obama is out of touch with--she called "rednecks." Wow. Hypocrisy at its finest. She's just salty because her candidate lost and she's letting her bitterness and likely racism drive her to a candidate that presumably is diametrically opposed to her views. Loser.

• Wall Street insiders, greedy corporation, Republican de-regulators, the Bush administration, etc. - Whoever is to blame for the Wall Street woes...

Honorable Mention - The Blacks Against Obama who interrupted Senator Obama's speech today. It is fine for people to disagree with his views on abortion and rights for homosexuals. African Americans are not a monolithic group or blind followers of candidates based on race. But I believe one sign said that Jesse Jackson hates Obama--so basically Obama is not for African Americans. I'm all for free speech, but I hate stupidity.

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NEW ITEM! Every week we acknowledge the jokers--but we need to start acknowledging those we're proud of too. So, every nomination will now include a shout out to someone who did something we liked. This week's winner:

Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, who said of Sarah Palin:

"I think it's a stretch to -- in any way -- say that she's got the experience to be president of the United States. She doesn't have any foreign policy credentials. You get a passport for the first time in your life last year? I mean, I don't know what you can say. You can't say anything...

I think they ought to be just honest about it and stop the nonsense about, 'I look out my window and I see Russia and so therefore I know something about Russia. That kind of thing is insulting to the American people."

I couldn't have said it better myself Chuck!

Pic Source - Hagel

Pic Source - Kanye

Pic Source - McCain

Pic Source - Rothschild

On the Grind

Hey bloggers! Unfortunately, I'm tied up at work and don't have time to blog today. I hardly can complain since Sassy has been up for basically four weeks straight doing an Erin Brocovich style investigation in Africa. LOL.

But CITC will return with a Joker of the Week post manana. I think.....

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Yes We Can

Okay, so unless you have never been to this site, or are living under a rock, you know we are huge supporters of Senator Barack Obama for President. Since February, I have been donating every month to his campaign. But this week, I decided to try to be a little more proactive and start my own Obama fundraising page. The monies raised will help him combat the string of lies being hurled from the Republican side and maintain a ground game in every state to get out the vote.

I don't know about you, but I am truly horrified and I do mean horrified at the prospect of continued Republican economic, domestic and foreign policies being imposed on the American people. It shocks the conscience that people can actually look at gas prices, look at the stock market collapse, look at the hundreds of thousands of lives lost in Iraq and Afghanistan, look at health care costs, etc. and honestly say we should have four more years of a Republican administration. It boggles the mind that Senator John McCain admittedly does not know much about the economy, and still believes the economy is fundamentally strong. He's going to lead us out of this mess? What? And don't even get me started on "I only have a bachelor's degree from the University of Idaho after going to five other colleges first--mayor of 5 people-only travelled outside of the United States once in my life" Governor Sarah Palin. I'm supposed to trust her with my future? Seriously?

But as part of my proactive support for a new administration and a change in direction, I will be working election protection, and I have started a fundraising page:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/MBsObamaPage

Feel free, if you are inspired, to go and donate whatever you can. Thinking Americans cannot allow Bush 44! Also, you can set up your own fundraising page if you go to the site.

P.S. I've been awarded a blogger award by Smarty Jones. YAAAY!. I'm going to do that post manana chica.

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Boutique Mix Update

Hello Fashionistas!!! I'm still in South Africa, but wanted to post some pix from my recent sojourns. I've been in South Africa and Namibia this past month for my day job. As most of you know, I'm a trial lawyer, and I am working on a case here in South Africa for a while. Don't know when I'll be back - probably a few more weeks, but I'm definitely stocking up on Africana goodies for Boutique Mix.In the meantime, don't forget to stop by Boutique Mix and take advantage of the latest sales.

Update from Johannesburg!!!

Hello Fashionistas!!! I'm still in South Africa, but wanted to post some pix from my recent sojourns. I've been in South Africa and Namibia this past month for my day job. As most of you know, I'm a trial lawyer, and I am working on a case here in South Africa for a while. Don't know when I'll be back - probably a few more weeks, but I'm definitely stocking up on Africana goodies for Boutique Mix.In the meantime, don't forget to stop by Boutique Mix and take advantage of the latest sales.

Update from Johannesburg!!!

Hello Fashionistas!!! I'm still in South Africa, but wanted to post some pix from my recent sojourns. I've been in South Africa and Namibia this past month for my day job. As most of you know, I'm a trial lawyer, and I am working on a case here in South Africa for a while. Don't know when I'll be back - probably a few more weeks, but I'm definitely stocking up on Africana goodies for Boutique Mix.In the meantime, don't forget to stop by Boutique Mix and take advantage of the latest sales.