Matt the Bruins

Oh, sadly, I think I can explain that one. Some of them, the attitude is fetus = baby. Baby = Innocent. Criminal however, has done something wrong, not only can criminals be punished, they deserve to be. These same folks avoid nuance much like unclevlad said.  So the 'let the punishment fit the crime' is a forgotten aspect of it. Just punish. Babies though? Innocent of crime, so even if a danger to the mother, well, too bad. The mother had sex, and that, like crime, has consequences by golly. It's an easy attitude to take if you have no personal skin in the game as it has the benefit of not requiring too much thought, AND you get to feel morally superior at the same time.   Sadly this attitude often skips the virtues of empathy, thoughtfulness, and humility.
 

We've been on there for a while now. 

I really, really hope Fox News gets crucified in this trial.  IMO this is a watershed event.  The verdict should have a major impact on media practices moving forward.

The previous generation also seems to always forget that they were responsible for raising the generation they're complaining about....
 
If your kids turn out to be lazy a$$holes, you might want to start looking in the mirror.

"Why can't they be like we were/perfect in every way..."
 
Every generation looks at the world a little differently from their parents. With today's constantly mutating technology, those differences are accelerating exponentially. While with the passage of time the parents' perspective also changes, but they often forget that they used to think and feel differently when they were their children's age.

That is becoming a familiar pattern to all of us, isn't it.

It isn't worth the risk.  Even with all the damage he's already done, both while in office and with the theft of classified information on the way out of office, even ifhis information is two years out of date, you cannot have a former POTUS under the total control of a hostile foreign government.  He simply had access to too much sensitive information.

Yeah, blew my mind when I heard that because its one of my favorite scenes, and to a large degree where she BECOMES Wonder Woman. I'm very glad Patty fought for it

Oh, the studio definitely did not leave Patty Jenkins alone. Among other things, the suits wanted to cut the entire Diana crossing No Man's Land scene, and Jenkins had to fight to keep it in.

Probably most of it, I mean Natalie Portman has demonstrated that she can act quite well, in other stuff.  In the prequels she was a block of wood.

This needs to be better targeted.
 
Infinity War and Endgame didn't care.  They knew they were gonna blow through those numbers, the audience was a lock.  It'd been cultured and built over multiple movies.  DC has none of that.  They've never had box office momentum last, and their entire franchise has little to no connectivity.  So each movie is a separate crapshoot...from a studio with a poor track record.  In situations like that, then, yes, expecting major box office returns is wishful thinking.
 
But there are multiple places to trim.  Some are smart, others aren't.  Actors...again, for kick-off type movies, not the later ones.  Michael B. Jordan got $2M for Black Panther.  Pretty sure Downey didn't get a lot for the first Iron Man.  Did anyone know who Hemsworth was before Thor?  Or for that matter, Cavill before Superman?  I can actually see NOT retaining him now...because he's getting too expensive for an effort to start a franchise from scratch.  You want to find the next Hamill, Ford, Reeve, Craig, and ride them.  The risk?  You might get the next Hayden Christiansen, altho I wonder how much of *that* was just really bad direction.
 
You can also cut back on SFX, and use them when you need to, instead of overloading the movie with them.
 
DC's bigger problem is just plain tone, tho.  You can't create ongoing, building momentum from gritty, grimdark stories.

Henry Cavill is being more gracious than Warner, Gunn, and Safran deserve. He announced his return to the role in October because the studio told him to. This was before Safran and Gunn were hired.
 
If those two want to clean house and start fresh, I'm betting Gal Gadot is next on the chopping block.

Henry Cavill officially done as Superman
 
 

I don't remember seeing Beau THAT ANGRY in a video before.
 
And yeah, someone pointed it out not long ago.  Trump could've done this a WHOLE lot easier.
 
Oh, and who is Paul Whelan?  Yeah, he served in Iraq.  AND got booted out of the Marines.  From Snopes.com:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/paul-whelan-discharge/
 
 
So those trumpeting "oh we're abandoning one of our heroes!!!"...you be the judge whether that term applies.

The instantaneous rebuttal to any republican sniping at Biden over failing to release Paul Whelan is to ask why 45 failed to arrange his release, especially given how much of Putin's ass he was willing to kiss.

Elizabeth Whelan, sister of detainee Marine Paul Whelan, on the criticism that her brother's release could not also be arranged, from CNN:
 
 

I know there has been a contingent on the Far Left that believes the CIA and the oil companies conspire to cause every evil thing in the world, but I could not venture a guess how large a contingent it is. I prefer not to guess; I want data.
 
I would agree that the exaggerated view of American influence is subtly narcissistic, in that it presents the rest of the world as helpless and clueless to resist America's malignant power.
 
I presume the US tries to influence policy in other countries, whether allied, hostile, or neutral, through both regular diplomatic channels and covertly. I presume other governments do the same, from Israel lobbying Congress to Russian troll farms. And I don't see anything wrong with that, in the same way that I don't see anything wrong with the danger of infections or falling heavy objects: They are facts of existence, one should take reasonable precautions to avoid being harmed by them, but being upset by them is pointless.
 
I could wish the US government were better at such meddling, as the well known cases tend to be train-wreck failures or have been ultimately disastrous for the countries involved and, in the longer term, for the US itself. "Better" both in terms of competence and choice of goals. Of course, the most successful intervention would never be known to the public.
 
I would rarely if ever say I am "proud" of the US, but I do quite like that it is doing so much to help Ukraine against Russia, and so effectively. I am also pleased that it does not act alone in this. I approve the purpose; I approve the methods (to the extent that I know them); and I think it will benefit the US, its democratic allies, and -- in the long run -- humanity as a whole.
 
Dean Shomshak

We gave the last of the turkey tamales to the hubby's folks yesterday.  His father loved them...
 
...and his mother is pissed that he ate them all and didn't save any for her.
 
So, we'll be making more tamales next month.

I think 45 has a solid business model moving forward. All he has to do is demand that any GOP candidate send him money or he will endorse them.

He'll flee the country, or attempt to, before taking his own life. He's a coward.
 
 
 

Beauty and the Beast: 1991 Disney animated version, looks great in 4K. (UHD Blu-ray)
 
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story: At last, the true* story of the meteoric rise and tragic fall of a music legend. Worth a watch for fans, but have your remote handy to mute the VERY LOUD commercials** (Roku Channel)
 
 
*Well, not really. 
 
**It didn't help that most of them were political ads. 

I'm reminded of the promo for the Macron interview on 60 Minutes.
Q:  "so you think attacking civilian infrastructure constitutes a war crime?"
A:  "yes."
 
IF they can find the <insert 5 minute long expletive string here> whackjobs that did this...I honestly don't know what charges could be filed, but far as I'm concerned, a life sentence would be Just Fine.  
 
Hmm...
https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title18/part1/chapter65&edition=prelim
 
Go down to section 1366, which is energy facilities.  
 
Blackout of 40,000 people is significant to me.  Also, there's a separate provision:  if anyone died as a result of the power outage, the max sentence is life.

"So good, it oughtta be illegal!"