Now with people actually looking forward to it Trump pushes back date for his "fake news awards."

The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday. The interest in, and importance of, these awards is far greater than anyone could have anticipated!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018

Courtesy of The Hill: 

Trump announced last week that he would present “The Most Dishonest & Corrupt Media Awards” on Monday to highlight reporters who run with what he calls "fake news." 

Celebrity chef Jose Andres offered a free lunch at any of his popular restaurants to winners, and the watchdog group American Oversight planned to hand out “Most Dishonest and Corrupt” awards to Trump administration officials on Monday as a response to Trump's plans.

Some folks got themselves a little excited about the possibility of being singled out for one of these "honors."

For instance The Daily Show took out a full page ad in the New York Times.
.@realdonaldtrump, prove you're not semiliterate by reading our full-page ad in the Failing @nytimes! #InItToWinIt #TheFakies #Fakies2018 pic.twitter.com/sSVqah4rlx

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) January 5, 2018

While Stephen Colbert bought advertising space in Times Square.

Tonight! My desperate bid to get Trump’s disapproval! #TheFakies pic.twitter.com/7exZSesI8m

— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) January 4, 2018

Now I am a little torn over all of this.

On the one hand these comedians have given Donald Trump positive attention, and clearly he is excited about stringing them along now. 

But on the other hand if he focuses on putting together another reality show like this, he will be too distracted to keep tearing down the country.

Yep, that's a conundrum alright.

Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon big winners for SNL at last night's Emmy Awards.

Courtesy of Slate:  

Given his obsession with ratings and his television fixation, there’s a good chance Donald Trump spent his Sunday night seething in front of the TV as he watched the Emmy Awards turn him into a punching bag. (Well, mostly.) Alec Baldwin, whose much-lauded impression of Trump on Saturday Night Live earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, couldn’t resist getting in his own dig at the president, beginning his acceptance speech by saying, “I suppose I should say: At long last, Mr. President, here is your Emmy.” 

Baldwin was referencing Trump’s long-running complaint that the Emmys were somehow rigged against The Apprentice—a claim he repeated during a presidential debate with Hillary Clinton, footage of which was shown during Sunday’s ceremony. Baldwin continued his speech with another Trump burn: “I want to thank my wife. My wife and I had three children in three years, and we didn't have a child last year during the SNL season. I wonder if there's a correlation there. All you men out there, you put that orange wig on, it's birth control. Trust me.” Kudos to whoever’s job it was to keep Trump off of Twitter for the duration of the evening.

Baldwin was not the only SNL cast member to win an Emmy for their amazing portrayal of a candidate last night.

So did this incredibly talented performer.

(You will notice that Kate actually thanked Hillary whereas Alec merely mocked Trump. I think that says a lot.)

Alec Baldwin is great, don't get me wrong, but in my opinion Kate McKinnon may be one of the most talented cast members that SNL has every had in its stable.

I swear literally every time I see her onscreen she is killing it.

And her portrayal of Hillary Clinton was amazing.

Ray "Banana Man" Comfort wins award for best science film. Wait, what happened?

So this is apparently an award given to Comfort for his ridiculous attempt to attack Atheism in a film which uses clips of Banana Man confronting scientists and college students with poorly presented "facts" and then carefully editing their responses to make them seem incapable of responding rationally.

Comfort claims to attack Atheism with science, but in fact the simply misrepresents science, refuses to accept correction, and calls that a win.

Here is how The Friendly Atheist responded to news of this "award.":  

The only time “science” appears in the movie is when Comfort asks random people how DNA could have possibly evolved on its own, a rhetorical question that he believes points to the truth of Intelligent Design. It’s not like he explains DNA. He doesn’t add to our scientific understanding of anything, unless you count ignorance as a virtue. 

The Friendly Atheist also points out that "Int'l Christian Film Festival" seems like a fly by night organization, and that there appears to have been no other films competing against "The Atheist Delusion." 

I think it is quite telling that a Christian film festival only gives a "Best Science Film" award to a movie that does nothing but attack scientific knowledge.

Pretty much says it all, don't you think?

The movie, "Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas," wins multiple awards. Not sure these are the ones they wanted to win however.

Courtesy of Vulture:  

The Razzies, the annual awards for the worst of film, found a fitting target for their derision Saturday night. The committee bestowed Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas with four dubious honors, including Worst Picture, Worst Actor, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Screen Combo for Kirk Cameron and his ego. 

Here are the categories that this pile of merry pile of crap managed to sweep:  

WORST PICTURE 
Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas 
Left Behind 
The Legend of Hercules 
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 
Transformers: Age of Extinction 

WINNER: Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas.

WORST ACTOR 
Nicolas Cage – Left Behind 
Kirk Cameron – Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas 
Kellan Lutz – The Legend of Hercules 
Seth MacFarlane – A Million Ways To Die in the West 
Adam Sandler – Blended 

WINNER: Kirk Cameron.

WORST SCREEN COMBO 

Any Two Robots, Actors (or Robotic Actors) – Transformers: Age of Extinction 
Kirk Cameron & His Ego – Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas 
Cameron Diaz & Jason Segel – Sex Tape 
Kellan Lutz & Either His Abs, His Pecs or His Glutes – The Legend of Hercules 
Seth MacFarlane & Charlize Theron – A Million Ways To Die in the West 

WINNER: Kirk Cameron and his Ego.

WORST SCREENPLAY 

Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas, Written by Darren Doane and Cheston Hervey 
Left Behind, Screenplay by Paul LaLonde and John Patus, based on the Novel by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins 
Sex Tape, Screenplay by Kate Angelo and Jason Segel & Nicholas Stoller 
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Written by Evan Daugherty and Andre Nemec & Josh Applebaum, based on Characters Created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman 
Transformers: Age of Extinction, Written by Ehren Kruger, based on Hasbro’s Transformers Action Figures

And the WINNER is: Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas, Written by Darren Doane and Cheston Hervey.


It is also worth noting that on Rotten Tomatoes this flop rated a 0%, which is pretty damn difficult to accomplish. 

Gee, do you think that NOW Cameron will finally stop trying to make these movies?

Yeah, me either.

My favorite moment from last night's Golden Globes.

I laughed way too long and hard at this.

In my defense the audience that was there did the same.

(P.S. Here is the opening.)

Teabaggers apoplectic as Jeb Bush prepares to honor Hillary Clinton.

Courtesy of the National Memo: 

Jeb Bush is set to present Hillary Clinton with the National Constitution Center Liberty Medal on September 10. 

“Former Secretary Clinton has dedicated her life to serving and engaging people across the world in democracy,” Bush said, in statement released in June. “These efforts as a citizen, an activist, and a leader have earned Secretary Clinton this year’s Liberty Medal.” 

As the date of the presentation nears, Tea Partiers — unsurprisingly — are apoplectic that the former secretary of state, senator and First Lady of the United States and Arkansas is receiving an honor previously awarded to Sandra Day O’Connor, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. 

“It is extremely distressing to learn that on the eve of the First Anniversary of the Benghazi attack (9/11/12), in which an American Ambassador and three American soldiers were killed–the National Constitution Center–led by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, will present former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with the 2013 Philadelphia Liberty Medal,” reads Independence Hall Tea Party Association’s website. 

The group is planning a press conference in protest, during which they will name the winner of their “2013 Defender of Liberty Medal” — which I’m guessing will not be Mrs. Clinton. 

Republicans are intent on holding Clinton accountable for the tragedy at a CIA outpost in Benghazi. Strangely, they didn’t apply the same standard to George W. Bush, who was president when there was a terrorist attack on another 9/11.

The "2013 Defender of Liberty Medal?" Does that come with a super secret decoder ring as well?

You know I can almost hear the cries of "RINO" directed at Jeb Bush over this from here.

Let's face for these Teabaggers the Benghazi incident is simply their Whitewater controversy from the 90's. However it is very unlikely that there was a semen stained blue dress still waiting to be uncovered in that outpost.

What the Teabaggers fear, and deservedly so, is that if Clinton becomes the candidate for the Democrats that a LOT of their party members, especially women, will vote for her over whoever they dig up to oppose her on the other side. And every award she wins, or accolade she is given, only makes her seem that much more credible. And that much more electable. 

The "Singing Science Teacher" Beth Vernon, and good friend of the IM community, among finalists to be inducted into the "National Teacher Hall of Fame."

Courtesy of The Examiner:

When Beth Vernon pulled back the blue cloth draped on a large sign in the center of the Brittany Hill Middle School gymnasium, she was expecting to see something connected to the recently passed bond issue. 

Instead, she saw a picture of herself with the words “National Teacher Hall of Fame” in big letters. 

“I am shocked and amazed,” said the Brittany Hill science teacher. “I am blown away by all the praise that has landed on me.” 

Vernon found out during a surprise assembly Tuesday that she is among the five nominees to be inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. One of the other nominees is also from the Kansas City area - Darryl Johnson, a language arts teacher at Smithville High School. Only three teachers, including Vernon and Johnson, from Missouri have gained membership into the National teachers Hall of Fame. 

“I was ecstatic when I found out she was a finalist,” said Dallas Truex, principal at Brittany Hill. “It is her creativity that makes her stand out. She understands how the brain works and understands adolescents. She uses that information in her classroom.”

Some of my long time visitors may remember when I first wrote about Beth back in January of last year. If that does not jog your memory perhaps this video of her singing will do the trick.

Since then she has been a frequent visitor to this blog and we have kept in email contact intermittently.

This is what she wrote to me about her nomination: 

We are five representing five million teachers. I want to speak up for my fellow teachers and students around the country…and use this moment to shine a light for our profession. I would ask you what you want me to tell "Arne" next month when I meet him and his circle--but I think I already know….and it is what I wrote about in my essay #5: What are the two biggest problems in education and what are you doing about them? 

I identified the problems as "Standardized Testing has unintended consequences" and "At a time when teachers need the most time and space to learn how to be better, they have the least time and the most burdens". My whole essay was based on the brand new neuroscience of learning. 

Beth Vernon is EXACTLY the kind of articulate, engaged, and creative teacher that we need more of in our public school classrooms.  And I am proud to number her among my friends.

Way to go Beth!

Michelle Obama steals the show at last night's Academy Awards celebration. Conservatives pissy as usual.

I am sorry about showing you a video that comes from Glenn Beck's lunatic Right Wing website The Blaze, but sadly that was the best video I could find of the event.

Here is the text of her speech:

“Welcome to the White House, everyone. I am so honored to help introduce this year’s nominees for best picture, and to help celebrate the movies that lift our spirits, broaden our minds, and transport us to places we have never imagined… “These 9 movies took us back in time and all around the world. They made us laugh, they made us weep, and they made us grip our arm rests just a little tighter. They taught us that love can endure against all odds, and transform our lives in the most surprising ways. And they reminded us that we can overcome any obstacle if we dig deep enough and fight hard enough and find the courage to believe in ourselves. These lessons apply to all of us no matter who we are, or what we look like, or who we love…”

Of course the First Lady's appearance did not sit too well with the conservatives who have already started to bitch about it.

First this from the same website from which I got this video:

Oh My God: The Academy actually drafts First Lady Michelle Obama to help present Best Picture from presumably the White House? So unnecessary and inappropriate to inject politics into the Oscars yet again. Hollywood will get pilloried by conservative pundits tomorrow. I don’t understand this very obvious attempt to turn off right-leaning audiences. Clearly the studios only want to sell their movies to half of America.

Yes because as we know the Obama's are only the President and First Lady for half of the American people, right?

But wait, there's more:  

Has a First Lady ever intruded on Oscar night in such fashion? My memory says no, but it's possible this isn't the first time. It is, however, typical of a White House operation that excels in glamour over substance, that feels compelled to enter every public space from sporting events to late night shows to even the biggest night of the year for Hollywood. 

Yes, the Obamas owe Tinsel Town plenty for all their support - financial and promotional - during the 2012 election. But there's simply no reason for Michelle Obama to be given the biggest assignment on Oscar night. 

Conservative viewers, if there were any left by the time the show wrapped, will not soon forget this.

And of course the Washington Post weighed in as well:

It is not enough that President Obama pops up at every sporting event in the nation. Now the first lady feels entitled, with military personnel as props, to intrude on other forms of entertaining (this time for the benefit of the Hollywood glitterati who so lavishly paid for her husband’s election). I’m sure the left will holler that once again conservatives are being grouchy and have it in for the Obamas. Seriously, if they really had their president’s interests at heart, they’d steer away from encouraging these celebrity appearances. It makes both the president and the first lady seem small and grasping. In this case, it was just downright weird.

You know considering the fact that three of the nine nominees for Best Picture had overtly political themes (Lincoln, Argo, and Zero Dark Thirty) it seemed to me oddly fitting that the First Lady be the one to hand out the award. And like, am sure, most Americans I really enjoyed seeing Michelle Obama participate.

However with that being said, the fact that it ticks the Righties off so much just makes her appearance at the awards even more awesome.

Let's face it, both this President and his First Lady are going to be a hard act to follow. Especially for any uptight, repressed conservatives that might want to hold those positions in the future.

Update: By the way it looks like Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence has a message for those Right Wing critics of the First Lady's presentation.

 You know I am liking this young woman more and more every day.

After winning an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her performance in "Game Change" now Jullianne Moore can also add a SAG award to her collection.

Courtesy of the Examiner:

Actress Julianne Moore has won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries for her role in "Game Change" on Jan. 27 at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, Calif. The Screen Actors Guild Awards are presented by SAG-AFTRA and honor the best performances in film and television. Tonight’s show broadcast around the world from the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium. 

This is the first Screen Actors Guild Award win and tenth nomination for Julianne Moore. The actress has also won a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy for her performance in "Game Change." 

Wow Moore was up against some pretty impressive actresses in competition for this award including Nicole Kidman, Alfre Woodard, Sigourney Weaver, Charlotte Rampling. None of these can be considered lightweights, yet after ten nomination it was this performance that inspired her fellow actors to give it Julianne Moore.

So much for the oft repeated claim that this move was a bunch of lies, and that it was ill received by audiences or critics. Sounds like it, and Moore's performance. more than impressed just about everybody.

You know I wonder I there is a place that sells insurance policies on Wasilla refrigerators?

P.S. You can see the video of Julianne Moore accepting this award by clicking here.

"Game Change" walks away with three Golden Globe awards. Including one for Julianne Moore as "Best Actress in a TV movie."

"Game Change" won three of the five Golden Globes it was nominated for, including "Best TV Movie" and "Best Actress in a TV Movie."

In his acceptance speech, while contemplating Moore's performance, director Hal Roach sent a little zinger Sarah Palin's way:  

“Now with you and Tina Fey, we have three of the most incredible impersonations of Sarah Palin,” Roach said, “counting Sarah Palin.”

(You can see his acceptance of the best picture award here)

During HER acceptance speech, Julianne Moore could not resist giving a shout out to Katie Couric and Tina Fey for making a "significant difference in the 2008 elections."

(Oh you just know there was a fresh ding in that Wasilla refrigerator after THAT comment!)

Here is Julianne Moore's acceptance speech in its entirety.

Authors of "Game Change" prepare for sequel, as actors in HBO movie based on their book receive awards.

Courtesy of TV Newser:

 The authors of the book Game Change are working on a follow-up to their 2010 best-seller called Double Down: Game Change 2012. HBO, which aired a made-for-TV movie based on the first book, has already optioned the sequel for a movie. 

John Heileman and Mark Halperin will release Double Down: Game Change 2012 in Fall 2013. It will, not surprisingly, focus on the 2012 Presidential campaign between President Obama and Mitt Romney.

Okay I don't know about all of you, but I am going to watch the HELL out of this!

Even though we JUST finished celebrating Obama's victory and are now focusing on the life outside of politics, I am still quite fascinated with the behind the scenes stories of what happened in this last election cycle.

After all I thought there would not be much that I would find surprising about Sarah Palin in the original Game Change and boy was I wrong!

Speaking of the original book and the HBO movie based on it, there are apparently some more accolades coming to the actors that gave those riveting performances.

Courtesy of Politico:

Just one day after news of their next “Game Change” book, more good news for the book’s authors: The HBO movie based on their book, “Game Change,” picked up three nominations from the Screen Actor’s Guild, which were announced Wednesday in Los Angeles. 

Woody Harrelson was nominated for “Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries” (he portrayed McCain strategist Steve Schmidt). Ed Harris was nominated in the same category for his portrayal of Sen. John McCain. Julianne Moore was nominated for “Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries” (she portrayed Palin). 

(Insert obligatory Wasilla refrigerator reference here.)

Is today a great day to be covering politics and the Palin family or what?

Sarah Palin nominated for a Razzie award for playing HERSELF in a documentary. Ouch, that's gotta hurt!

Courtesy of Politico:

The former vice presidential candidate was nominated Saturday for a Golden Raspberry Award as worst actress for her “performance” in the documentary “The Undefeated,” a film about her political career. 

The tongue-in-cheek Razzies, which purport to salute the worst in the world of movies each year, typically are presented the day before the Academy Awards but their schedule was shifted this year - the nominees were released Saturday and the winners (or losers, depending on how you look at it) are to be announced April 1.

I have still refused to sit through the Undefeated, but from what I understand Sarah Palin does the WORST version of Governor Palin that anybody has ever seen.

The funny thing is that Tina Fey won an Emmy for her portrayal of the Grizzled Mama on SNL, and, if early buzz is any indication, Julianne Moore appears to be a lock on at least getting nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of Palin in the HBO movie "Game Change."

So it seems that, at least in front of the camera, that EVERYBODY else is a more believable Sarah Palin than Sarah Palin is.

By the way my understanding of the problem is that Palin comes off as too ignorant and psychotic to be taken seriously in the role.