Two Things
Two things this morning, the first of which is this Drudge Story about NBC refusing to air the promos for the Dixie Chicks movie, Shut up and Sing. The reason?
Say huh? I'm confused. Pleased. Yet confused. There's got to be something in that video that NBC didn't like.
Low and behold! I've found it.
Ms. Maines uses the F word. It's bleeped out, but she calls the President a Dumb F___. Yeah, two weeks before an election NBC is not going to throw that out there. That could be a catalyst to move the conservative mommies that were disheartened by Natalie and her choice words.
I just want to say one more thing on this. Radio stations chose not to air Dixie Chicks songs because people like me called, emailed, and wrote letters expressing our opinions. The biggest issue? They had lied to their fans before hand. I know it may not seem like much, but they had said they were conservatives that shared the values of their fans. Like it or not, their fans (at the time) largely supported to war and President Bush and their remarks in London shocked their base. It seems stupid, but people that bought their CDs and buy other country CDs believe that the music they listen to speaks to them, that the people singing it believe the same things they do. And it was really true of the Dixie Chicks who just a few months before the war released a song called "Travelin' Soldier" about a soldier in Vietnam. It was a great, sad song. I loved that song. I was inches from buying the album when the controversy started, and afterwards all the words in that song seemed hollow to me. Because not only did she say what she said in London, but she said bad things about Toby's song, about the American flag, about Lubbock (where I was living at the time) and she just seemed really not very patriotic. To me. Now to some, her remarks are the standard for patriotism, speaking out against the President.
To me, if she were really going to be patriotic in that sense, she'd have spoken to Americans who can change things in America, not to people in London.
Either way, my decision to stop listening to Dixie Chicks music was at first motivated by a boycott of my own choice. Her new movie claims that some Republic group started it and ordered us all to do it but that's just stupid. Does she really think that her actions have no effect? Does she really think that what she said didn't change the minds of her fans? People were affected, right or wrong, and especially those of us in Texas, whom she'd greatly offended. We weren't ashamed the President was from our state. We were ashamed Natalie was from our state. Because like a child airing family dirty laundry in front strangers, she went to a foreign country to talk about our national problems.
That is her right. I will not stop her from doing that I never would. She's an American with a mind and a voice and she has every right under God's green earth to voice her opinion and make herself heard.
But that having been said, I can use mine (without fear of being called a facist who uses censorship) and not buy her albums or her concert tickets. Hit 'em where it hurts: their pocket book.
All these girls have tons of money and great families and really wonderful lives, I'd bet. They need to just realize that their country fan base is never coming back. But truth is, like I said yesterday, I don't think they care. I think they are doing this to court the anti-Bush crowd and this movie is definitely coming out near election time for a reason.
If she hadn't used the F word and President Bush in the same sentence, her commercial would probably be on the television. She really should just learn to shut up.
Or the editor should have picked a different segment to use.
Second thing: Michael J. Fox. I don't really care that he's stumping for stem cell research. There are many, many others who would have in his place but he is by far the most effective. He is well liked by everyone. Who wouldn't want to help Marty McFly? I love Michael J. Fox. He is suffering cruelly and something should be done to help him.
But does the answer always have to be government funding? Last I checked the government had placed no ban on stem cell research, they just weren't going to fund it. So if he took his pitch to Merck, they could spend their millions on research (instead of lobbyists and commercials) and maybe we'd get some where.
But I really don't care if he was medicated, acting, or otherwise. The man can say what he wants for who he wants. The people that are offended ... don't listen. Besides, it's too late anyway. Like I said, who wouldn't want to help Marty McFly? The image of him being ill is hard on all of us, and that image will stay with voters.
And I actually want to say one more thing. I'm convinced that if Congress goes to the Democrats after November 7th a few things will happen: one, Nancy Pelosi will take the gavel and we'll all be sorry, none more so than the conservatives remaining in the House. Two, that impeachment proceedings will be talked about at least once a day until they occur. Donald Rumsfeld being the first to be attempted out (if they can do that) next in line being Bush and Cheney. They may go for all three at once, we'll see. Three, that the tax cut will be repealed. Four, that taxes will go up. Five, that a timetable for Iraq will be set with an arbitrary date that we will get out. Violence will go down as the insurgency will sit back on their haunches and plan events for the day after our departure. And six, that nothing will be trimmed from the budget because instead they will raise our taxes to increase revenue to cover the expenses. Republicans borrow and pay when the economy is better, Democrats tax and pay now. Just a different approach.
That having been said, we can not be afraid of change. Otherwise Democracy is a failed system. If our entire way of life crumbles every time the other side has the power, than this is just an experiment in torture. Differences are what makes this country what it is, and in order to keep things fresh and new and changing, you have to have new people that are willing to make those adjustments. And that means kicking out incumbents.
You know what I want? Compromise. I want two parties that are willing to look at what both sides want and meet in the middle. I want the support of the American spirit. I want support of American idealism and individualism. I want people like Ted Kennedy, Senator Byrd, Arlen Specter, Rick Santorum, Olympia Snowe, and Joe Biden (Delaware) gone. Biden's not really so bad. He's running for President in 08. But he got out of law school, ran for Congress, and has been there ever since. Talk about establishment. He's been there 38 years. Kennedy's been there 43 years. Byrd's been there 48 years and in politics for 60.
With people 2+ generations deep still sitting in the Senate, is it any wonder that they aren't relating to my generation?
Either way -- please vote. It's your voice in an increasingly silent world.
NBC responded to a clearance report submitted by the Weinstein Company’s media agency saying that the network “cannot accept these spots as they are disparaging to President Bush.”
Say huh? I'm confused. Pleased. Yet confused. There's got to be something in that video that NBC didn't like.
Low and behold! I've found it.
Ms. Maines uses the F word. It's bleeped out, but she calls the President a Dumb F___. Yeah, two weeks before an election NBC is not going to throw that out there. That could be a catalyst to move the conservative mommies that were disheartened by Natalie and her choice words.
I just want to say one more thing on this. Radio stations chose not to air Dixie Chicks songs because people like me called, emailed, and wrote letters expressing our opinions. The biggest issue? They had lied to their fans before hand. I know it may not seem like much, but they had said they were conservatives that shared the values of their fans. Like it or not, their fans (at the time) largely supported to war and President Bush and their remarks in London shocked their base. It seems stupid, but people that bought their CDs and buy other country CDs believe that the music they listen to speaks to them, that the people singing it believe the same things they do. And it was really true of the Dixie Chicks who just a few months before the war released a song called "Travelin' Soldier" about a soldier in Vietnam. It was a great, sad song. I loved that song. I was inches from buying the album when the controversy started, and afterwards all the words in that song seemed hollow to me. Because not only did she say what she said in London, but she said bad things about Toby's song, about the American flag, about Lubbock (where I was living at the time) and she just seemed really not very patriotic. To me. Now to some, her remarks are the standard for patriotism, speaking out against the President.
To me, if she were really going to be patriotic in that sense, she'd have spoken to Americans who can change things in America, not to people in London.
Either way, my decision to stop listening to Dixie Chicks music was at first motivated by a boycott of my own choice. Her new movie claims that some Republic group started it and ordered us all to do it but that's just stupid. Does she really think that her actions have no effect? Does she really think that what she said didn't change the minds of her fans? People were affected, right or wrong, and especially those of us in Texas, whom she'd greatly offended. We weren't ashamed the President was from our state. We were ashamed Natalie was from our state. Because like a child airing family dirty laundry in front strangers, she went to a foreign country to talk about our national problems.
That is her right. I will not stop her from doing that I never would. She's an American with a mind and a voice and she has every right under God's green earth to voice her opinion and make herself heard.
But that having been said, I can use mine (without fear of being called a facist who uses censorship) and not buy her albums or her concert tickets. Hit 'em where it hurts: their pocket book.
All these girls have tons of money and great families and really wonderful lives, I'd bet. They need to just realize that their country fan base is never coming back. But truth is, like I said yesterday, I don't think they care. I think they are doing this to court the anti-Bush crowd and this movie is definitely coming out near election time for a reason.
If she hadn't used the F word and President Bush in the same sentence, her commercial would probably be on the television. She really should just learn to shut up.
Or the editor should have picked a different segment to use.
Second thing: Michael J. Fox. I don't really care that he's stumping for stem cell research. There are many, many others who would have in his place but he is by far the most effective. He is well liked by everyone. Who wouldn't want to help Marty McFly? I love Michael J. Fox. He is suffering cruelly and something should be done to help him.
But does the answer always have to be government funding? Last I checked the government had placed no ban on stem cell research, they just weren't going to fund it. So if he took his pitch to Merck, they could spend their millions on research (instead of lobbyists and commercials) and maybe we'd get some where.
But I really don't care if he was medicated, acting, or otherwise. The man can say what he wants for who he wants. The people that are offended ... don't listen. Besides, it's too late anyway. Like I said, who wouldn't want to help Marty McFly? The image of him being ill is hard on all of us, and that image will stay with voters.
And I actually want to say one more thing. I'm convinced that if Congress goes to the Democrats after November 7th a few things will happen: one, Nancy Pelosi will take the gavel and we'll all be sorry, none more so than the conservatives remaining in the House. Two, that impeachment proceedings will be talked about at least once a day until they occur. Donald Rumsfeld being the first to be attempted out (if they can do that) next in line being Bush and Cheney. They may go for all three at once, we'll see. Three, that the tax cut will be repealed. Four, that taxes will go up. Five, that a timetable for Iraq will be set with an arbitrary date that we will get out. Violence will go down as the insurgency will sit back on their haunches and plan events for the day after our departure. And six, that nothing will be trimmed from the budget because instead they will raise our taxes to increase revenue to cover the expenses. Republicans borrow and pay when the economy is better, Democrats tax and pay now. Just a different approach.
That having been said, we can not be afraid of change. Otherwise Democracy is a failed system. If our entire way of life crumbles every time the other side has the power, than this is just an experiment in torture. Differences are what makes this country what it is, and in order to keep things fresh and new and changing, you have to have new people that are willing to make those adjustments. And that means kicking out incumbents.
You know what I want? Compromise. I want two parties that are willing to look at what both sides want and meet in the middle. I want the support of the American spirit. I want support of American idealism and individualism. I want people like Ted Kennedy, Senator Byrd, Arlen Specter, Rick Santorum, Olympia Snowe, and Joe Biden (Delaware) gone. Biden's not really so bad. He's running for President in 08. But he got out of law school, ran for Congress, and has been there ever since. Talk about establishment. He's been there 38 years. Kennedy's been there 43 years. Byrd's been there 48 years and in politics for 60.
With people 2+ generations deep still sitting in the Senate, is it any wonder that they aren't relating to my generation?
Either way -- please vote. It's your voice in an increasingly silent world.
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