Liberal Democrat

Liberal Democrat
Individual Freedom For Everyone

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

CSI Las Vegas: Featuring Elisabeth Shue

Source:CBS- Ted Danson & Lis Shue, on CSI Las Vegas.
Source:The Action Blog 

"A música tema do CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Foto: 13ª temporada Ted Danson (DB. Russell) e Elisabeth Shue (Julie Finn)
Beijos da Juh CSI *--*" 


I first came across Elisabeth Shue in in 1987 or 88 when I was 11-12 years old and I saw her in Adventures in Babysitting. Which I think was her first major role, but I'm sure others know that better than me. Saw her in Cocktail with Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown which came out a year after in 1988. Leaving Las Vegas from 1995 with Nicholas Cage. And then she sort of had a drought after that, or at least I wasn't seeing her in anything or seeing any of her roles. And sort of has a comeback role with CSI Las Vegas in late 2011 where she replaces Marg Helgenberger as the deputy director of that CSI office on in Las Vegas.

Source: CSI Files- Ted Danson & Lis Shue, on CSI Las Vegas 
CSI is a great fictional law enforcement show and I believe the best cop show since the original Law & Order show from the 1990s. And that even includes Law & Order SVU and is a great network show that is actually worth watching. They deal with very serious issues and crimes with most of those crimes being murder and yet have a real lighter side and streak with their cast and writing. With very funny people on that show and not just Ted Danson, but Elisabeth Shue, Wallace Langham and others. And the team on that show gives the impression that the like each other, like working with each other, and like joking around with each other. The Ted Danson and Lis Shue characters, have a long history with each other pre-Las Vegas and have great chemistry together.

Source: Getty Images- Lis Shue & Jorja Fox, on CSI Las Vegas
I wasn't a major viewer of CSI before Liz Shue came to the show in late 2011 and started catching it on reruns on USA a year later or so and noticed she was not only on the show, but Marg Helgenberger  was gone who was obviously one of the best people and characters on that show, but with her leaving and Lis Shue coming on, the show definitely changed. Not saying it became better or worst, but certainly different. I believe Ted Danson and Lis Shue, give CSI a comedic touch that it perhaps didn't have before. People who not only work hard, are dedicated to their jobs, and are very good at their jobs, but also know how to have a good time, notice the stupid and ridiculous and are able to make fun of it in an intelligent way. And with them together the show is just more entertaining.

Source: Getty Images- Lis Shue & Chris Evert, on CSI Las Vegas 
Not to take anything away from Bill Peterson and Marg Helgenberger, who were both major parts of the early success of CSI and big part why this franchise is so successful and why CBS has been so dominant as a network the last 15-20 years, but Ted Danson and Lis Shue, both have strong comedic and dramatic backgrounds. I mean Ted Danson, was the star of two of the most popular sitcoms ever with Cheers and Becker and was very funny and great in both roles. As well as several successful movie comedies. And a lot of Lis Shue's background in movies have been in comedy. And they both have strong dramatic backgrounds as well and combine both genres very well into one role.

Source: Cuatro- Elisabeth Shue & Elisabeth Hornois, on CSI Las Vegas 
I just love watching and listening to Elisabeth Shue on CSI. She has that great voice, face, and personality, sense of humor, that almost makes her seem like a kid and immature, because she's so adorable physically and personally and yet she's also a hell of an actress, very funny and great to look at. Gorgeous, very tight body, generally wearing tight outfits of the show. Tight blouse or short tight t-shirt, short jackets, and tight denim jeans and boots. Who even with her adorable presence and persona, is not someone you want to mess with, because she can kick your ass.

Source: CBS- Elisabeth Shue, as Julie Finlay on CSI Las Vegas
Ted Danson and Lis Shue, aren't CSI Las Vegas all by themselves, they're just the two main stars of that show. Perhaps what the show is built around. George Eads, Jorja Fox, Elisabeth Harnois, and others are important as well. I already mentioned Wallace Langham, but Jaclyn Smith ( from Charlie's Angels ) is a great guest star as Langham's mother. I just believe the show is better with Danson and Shue, than it was with Peterson and Helgenberger. Even though you could have a great debate about with woman is better looking, Marg Helgenberger a gorgeous sexy redhead, or Lis Shue, a gorgeous sexy blonde, but that's for a different debate.

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Chomsky's Philosophy: Professor Noam Chomsky- The Nanny State

Source: Chomsky's Philosophy- Uncle Sam's Big Government-
Source: The New Democrat

Noam Chomsky's definition of a nanny state, is what almost every else including people who favor the nanny state on both wings of the American political spectrum call corporate welfare. Where government at taxpayers expense subsidizes wealthy successful corporations and individuals. That is not a nanny state, but corporate welfare. A nanny state is big government that tires to do to much for the people themselves. Make decisions for individuals that they ( meaning big government ) believe should be left to big government and not individuals. Like how much and what people should and can eat, or what and how much they can drink to use as examples. Big government telling people who they can sleep with and marry, when romantic couples can start living together, would be other examples of a nanny state.

Source: Campaign For Liberty- Big Government, standing on individual freedom 
There are two ideological forms of the nanny state both in America and in the rest of the world. One coming from the Far-Left which seems to get more publicity than anything else when it comes to big government as it relates to personal issues, is very secular to the point that Far-Leftists would even outlaw religion if they could and have in most communist countries. Far-Leftists both democratic in a socialist sense and authoritarian in a communist sense, who believe they're the only smart moral people and have all the answers to the point that even questioning them is somehow immoral and should be punished by government force. The Communist Republic of Korea ( which is what North Korea really is ) is a perfect example of that.

Source: Joe Blow Report- Good example of the nanny state 
The other form of the nanny state in America and in other places in the world, tends to have Far-Right fundamentalist, theocratic religious tones, as well as nationalist, tribalist, fascist tones. That they ( the supporters of this fascism ) are the real Americans or whatever nationality you want to use, that they're the only real Patriots ( not from New England, necessarily ) and everyone who disagrees with then are immoral and hate their country. We saw this with Senator Joe McCarthy and his McCarthyism movement in the 1950s and backers of the so-called Un-American Activities movement in the late 1940s and early 1950s. And their religious and moral values are so superior to everyone and everything else, that their values and religion should be the law of the land. And that anyone who violates these values should be in prison or even worst. You see this in the Islamic Republic of Iran, to use as an example.

Corporate welfare and the nanny state, even though they're both related to big government and backed by big government, are two different things. One is about subsidizing wealthy individuals and corporations at the expense of everyone else. The other is about telling people what they can't and can't do and trying to use big government to manage people's lives for them. Because they believe that personal freedom is dangerous and just the freedom to make mistakes and commit immoral acts, as they would see it. Corporate welfare and the nanny state, both come from big government, but aren't the same things.

Chomsky's Philosophy: Professor Noam Chomsky- The Nanny State

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Matthew Lee: Electric Horseman 1979- Starring Jane Fonda & Robert Redford

Source: Roger Ebert- Robert Redford & Jane Fonda, are electric-
Source: Action

The Electric Horseman is not a great film. It's a very entertaining movie, a very funny movie especially Robert Redford where you really see his quick, underrated, comedic wit, timing, and improvisation in this movie. Not saying Redford is Cary Grant, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, or Paul Newman, when it comes to comedy, but he's a very skilled comedic actor who doesn't need direction or a script to be funny and you see that in this movie. You also see a lot of his comedic skills in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid ( one of my favorite movies ) and what you also see in Butch and Sundance and The Electric Horseman is Redford with a mustache. I actually think he looks good with a stache and perhaps others do as well.

Source: Colorado Springs Gazette- Jane Fonda & Robert Redford or Bob & Jane 
To me at least Electric Horseman is a typical Sidney Pollack movie where he mixes in drama and comedy. He has a movie that is about a serious issue and in this case a movie about a horse literally being stolen or horse napped ( if that's a real term ) but he puts funny people in the movie who are also great actors. Tootsie from 1982 I believe is another example of a typical great Pollack film. By the way, Jane Fonda also has an important role in this movie where she plays a reporter who is covering this story about essentially a washed-up cowboy in Redford who steals this horse, because he doesn't want to see this horse being doped anymore and just used as a show horse. Sonny ( played by Robert Redford ) career as a cowboy as fallen so far that he's now been reduced to doing cereal commercials on this horse.

Source: Alamy Stock Photo- Jane Fonda & Robert Redford- damn, these boots are tight 
Sonny steals the horse in the dead of night and takes him out to the Nevada desert with the plan of releasing the horse so no one else can find him and bring him back. And similar to Smokey and the Bandit he how has the local state police in Nevada chasing him to bring back the horse and arrest Sonny. Alice ( played by Jane Fonda ) is a local Las Vegas reporter who has been tapped to cover this horse show with Sonny and gets the scoop that Sonny has stolen the horse and manages to catch up with them in the Nevada desert with no one else following her out there. And tells Sonny that she's not working with the police and simply wants to cover the story and show the people what he's up to and present Sonny's story to the public. She eventually gains his trust and he allows her to follow them.

Source: Alamy Stock Photo- Robert Redford & Jane Fonda or Bob & Jane 
This is not a great movie and sort of has this Hollywood idealist vibe to it with a famous cowboy, who somehow believes that animals in this case's a show horse, perhaps has the same rights as humans. When he knows for a fact that horses are raised to race and be used for transportation and serve at the pleasure for humans and in some cases even be used for food. With Jane Fonda not playing an overly idealistic hippie radical Socialist in the movie, but simply as an objective reporter ( or that's how she starts out ) looking for a big story and to advance her career in TV news. So the plot is a little unbelievable, sounds like complete fiction, but the story is very entertaining and funny with a great cast.

Source: IMDB- Hollywood Goddess Jane Fonda, no ordinary Jane 
What you also see in this movie is that it relates very well to the world of fashion, especially women's fashion. The movie comes out in late 1979 and perhaps made in 79 or 78 at the start of the designer jeans revolution. Pre-1978 or perhaps even 1977, you rarely saw American women in tight jeans and boots at all in Hollywood or on TV, even in westerns or action movies. In The Electric Horseman, Jane Fonda is wearing skin-tight designer denim jeans in boots, for about a hour of the movie. You also briefly see her in black leather jeans and boots when she meets Sonny for the first time in the desert. She's also wearing a short and tight suede jacket and if you're familiar with Jane Fonda, you know that she's obviously a beautiful, sexy woman, adorable as well. ( Whatever you think of her politics ) And this movie and style just fit her perfectly in the movie.
Source: Matthew Lee: Electric Horseman 1979- "When Was The Last Time You Were Surprised"- Jane Fonda & Robert Redford 

Sunday, June 10, 2018

AlterNet: Will Doig- Tampa: Screwed Up Tampa- Is Home To The GOP Convention: Let's Welcome The Christian-Right GOP To The 21st Century

Source: AlterNet- Tampa Florida, the home of the GOP, Christian-Right, and porn-
Source: FRS Daily Journal

The adult entertainment capital of the United States, is hosting the Christian-Nationalist political party that is the Republican Party in name only, ( or RINOS ) since a lot of them don't even believe in the concept of the republic at all and would prefer a Christian-Theocracy for the United States.

Source: Good Ole Woody's Blog- Mitt Romney's, new girlfriend?
I make the old joke you would have a better shot at seeing prostitutes at a Southern Baptist Convention, than fill in the blank. Whatever fill in the blank is at the time, like you would have a better shot at seeing prostitutes at a Southern Baptist Convention, than the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series, the Cleveland Browns even playing in a Super Bowl. Or a hurricane in the Arizona. ( If you want to be more age appropriate )

But since Southern Baptists dominate the so-called Republican Party now and with Mitt Romney having to pretend he's actually not a Yankee ( New York or otherwise ) and trying to convince people he's really just from down South and has never had the progressive or liberal views that he's had in the past about American culture and social issues in general, the so-called Republican Party or Southern Baptists at a porn convention, no longer sounds like an Onion story.

It still sounds like a joke and something that you would read from The Onion, but they're actually going to be in the porn capital of the United States, if not the world for their summer national convention. Which sounds as ridiculous as seeing Kanye West perform at a Ku Klux Klan rally country music singer Kenny Rogers performing in Compton, California. Something just seems off about that story and looks like who ever prepared this convention didn't do their homework. And didn't stop to realize that probably most if not a majority of Republicans would like to outlaw pornography altogether ( not just Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum ) And yet the GOP is going to the biggest city in America if not the world where pornography is not just legal, but performed all over town and in multiple ways.

Source: Christians For Donald Trump- The Christian-Right, all aboard the Trump Train 
It would be like a gamblers anonymous group, having their convention or meeting in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Or an alcoholics anonymous group having their convention or meeting in Boston or New Orleans. A gay therapy conversion group having their convention or meeting in San Francisco. Something just seems really off about this and it's like you need a punch in the face to make sure you're not dreaming about this when you see this news and story.

Source: FRS Daily Journal Plus

We knew ( we, meaning anyone who follows American politics objectively ) that there was serious hypocrisy amongst the so-called Christian-Conservative movement in America as early as 2005-06. With Christian Pastors who claimed that homosexuality is a sin and would then be caught cheating on their wives with men and sometimes even boys. U.S Representative Republican Mark Foley, having to resign from the House in 2006, because he had an affair with a Congressional male intern. That these so-called Christian-Conservatives would have one view in public that was against what they saw as threats to American culture like homosexuality, adultery, and pornography, but then in private would engage in the activities that publicly they would put down and even call for the government to outlaw them.

Source: The Critical Mind- Donald Trump, in bed with the Christian-Right 
But now take it up ten years and we have a Republican that is still in bed with the Christian-Right and in the House has seats drawn up for them so they can’t get reelected without the support of the Christian-Right, but who ignore or are completely unbothered when a Republican is caught doing the acts that they claim to hate. Republicans running on draining the swamp in Washington in 2016, throw all their political support around a man who has built his own personal swamp for himself and his allies just as long as they don’t question anything that he does and deliver on the polices that he ran on. Of course I’m thinking of President Donald Trump and his EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. Using taxpayer dollars who further their own business’s in President Trump’s case and on Administrator Pruitt’s case, flying first class on taxpayer’s dime, when coach is always available for him and giving his staff extra financial bonuses that aren’t deserved on taxpayer dime and there’s whole other list of Pruitt corruption that I’ll save you from, for now.

Source: Bilgrimage- The Christian-Right for Donald Trump 
We have a Republican Party that claims to be a Christian-Conservative party, who twenty years ago believed that President Bill Clinton, should not only be impeached for lying about sex, but should’ve been impeached for adultery alone. Who now twenty years laters have no issues with adultery and lying, just as long as the serial liar and adulterer is a Republican they approve of. And of course I’m talking about President Trump once again and his multiple affairs and bad behaviors that he always gets caught lying about. And then attempting to cover it up with either made up conspiracy theories, or trying to deflect and blame someone else.

Source: Salon Magazine- Stormy Daniels, President Donald Trump & FRC President Tony Perkins 
The modern Republican Party, is now Donald Trump’s latest reality show. That from looking at it you would think it’s filmed in either Manhattan, Atlantic City, Las Vegas, or Hollywood, but instead from my hometown of Washington coming to you at taxpayers expense. Publicly the Republican Party might still be the a Christian-Conservative party, but privately when no one else is looking is where it still counts. People tend to be their most honest for good and bad when they believe no one else is looking or listening. And in private the Republican Party has no issues with the issues that they saw as threats to American culture and molality just ten years ago, just as long as the people engaging in those activities aren’t loyal to Donald Trump and come from his Tea Party Nationalist wing of the party.
Source: The Young Turks: Cenk Uygur, Alex Taylor & Carla Santa Maria- Strip Club Hires Sarah Palin Lookalike For Tampa RNC Convention- Not the real Sarah Palin, sorry! 

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Michael Jenson: Aerosmith- Love Me Two Times: Cover For Jim Morrison & The Doors

Source:Michael Jenson- Aerosmith, playing Love Me Two Times, from Jim Morrison & The Doors.
Source:The Action Blog

"Aerosmith - love me two times (unplugged)" 

From Michael Jenson

Just another example of why Aerosmith, is the best classic rock band ever, if not rock & roll band ( including The Doors ) with their cover for Love Me Two Times. Jim Morrison and The Doors, were a blues rock band, similar to Eric Clapton today, Dave Matthews, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley from back in the day. Aerosmith is almost purely a classic rock band. Not a punk band, sure as hell not a metal band, but a pure rock & roll band the way the music is played in it's classic form. And yet they're playing Love Me Two Times here from The Doors, which is a great blues rock song. Along with Roadhouse Blues, perhaps the best Doors song.

But all great rock bands not only have their own sound down, but they can improvise and be really creative and play other people's songs as well. You see singers performing other artists music all the time and even showing up at other artists concerts and they'll play the music together. Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi, have played Bon Jovi's It's My Life together live and in concert. Something you should check out on YouTube if you're a fan, with Bruce both on guitar and singing along with Jon, Bon Jovi's It's My Life. One of the reasons why Aerosmith is the best classic rock band, ever is because they got their sound down and can play other's people's music as well very well.

Source: FRS FreeState via Flickr- Jim Morrison & John Densmore
If you listen to this performance from Aerosmith, I believe the drummer especially has sound of Love Me Two Times down. It sounds just like John Densmore's ( from The Doors ) version of Love Me Two Times. Not to take anything away from Jo Perry ( my personal favorite guitarist ) who does a great job here as well. Steven Tyler, is Steven Tyler and would never get mistaken for Jim Morrison and sings Love Me Two Times the way Tyler sings anything where he's almost yelling, but doesn't go quite that far. What really impresses me most about this performance is the music, not so much the vocals where they sound just like The Doors here and do a great job.

Source: FRS FreeStae via Flickr- Jim Morrison & John Densmore
As great as covers can be, they generally don't beat the original if the original is great. Jim Morrison and The Doors, own this song and video. Where a lot it was shot in 1968 when I believe they were performing at The Roadhouse in London. It's a great video where you have The Lizard King ( Jim Morrison, who else ) on a stool the entire video at least the footage from London and yet he seems to be struggling to sit still and is moving around the whole time and practically dancing while he's on his stool and he's completely leathered up in his full skin-tight black leather suit and concho belt. He was a true performer was born to always be entertaining.

Source: The Doors- Jim Morrison & John Densmore
Aerosmith is still a great classic rock band and if they're not the best rock & roll band ever, they're certainly the best blues rock band who has ever played. But The Doors were a great blues rock band even though they're were only together with Morrison at least for about four years. And they still own this song and are the best at playing it. Jim Morrison is still the best at delivering the song. Aerosmith does a great job here, but there is only one band called The Doors and they'll always own Love Me Two Times.