We’re behind Belarus, Cuba, South Korea, Chile, Libya for most peaceful country. Iceland’s Number #1 while our grand experiment, Iraq, came in dead last at 140. So we messed up twice.
Saw these guys at Radio City Music Hall last night and they were awesome. Interference opened up for them, which was okay but when Glen Hansard joined them to sing “Gold” (the song Interference sings in the pub sing-along scene in Once) the crowd went nuts. The headliners played for a little over two hours (songs from the movie and new material) with Hansard and Marketa Irglova switching lead vocals. But the best part of the night was when the whole band played a cover of Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic”. Overall it was a great show, with the band sounding crisp and the vocals polished, which usually isn’t the case with touring bands in a venue as big as Radio City. They’re back in NYC on Wednesday, Sept. 17 over in Central Park, so anticipate me in the crowd for that one as well.
With Oliver Stone currently filming a George W. Bush biopic and the 1998 Mike Nichols-helmed Primary Colors, it’s only going to be a matter of time before a a big movie studio develops a film about this year’s election race…. and I’d like to pitch it. But first, we need a dream cast list. Only a handful of actors can best play the candidates, so I’m trying to choose wisely.
LAURA LINNEY as HILLARY CLINTON
As played by Oscar-nominee Linney, Hillary will be a complex character. You will feel for her, thinking she means well until you find out that she’d rather rip the Democratic Party apart before ceasing her pretty obviously doomed Presidential campaign. Plus, Linney already has a “political” background with appearances in Dave and the mini-series John Adams.
WILL SMITH as BARACK OBAMA
The box office clot! The charisma! The ears! Will Smith IS Barack Obama - with a hip-hop song on the soundtrack to boot! (“Barack is Black” rapped to the tune of AC/DC’s “Back in Black”)
NICK NOLTE as JOHN MC CAIN
Nolte is almost the right age to play McCain (just cut and dye is hair) and can pitch the fit almost as better than the Republican nominee.
JAMES MARSDEN as JOHN EDWARDS
Look at these guys. It’s like a battle of teeth with those two.
ANTHONY LA PAGLIA as GEORGE W. BUSH
LaPaglia is a pretty good actor who never really got his due in movies so it’s time for him to play the out-going President. Just powder is hair grey and deprive him of oxygen for ten minutes and it’s instant Bush.
BRAIN COX as DICK CHENEY
No one excels at playing dicks like Brian Cox. (Just check is IMDB profile). And no one’s a bigger dick than Cheney.
JOHN HEARD as AL GORE
As the most powerful Democrat NOT in the race, Al Gore is going to have lots of pivotal moments in the film. But you gotta have someone who sorta looks like guy. So, after lots of IMDB research, I settled on the dad from Home Alone.
DAVID MORSE as BILL CLINTON
David Morse is another fantastic character actor. He’s also good at playing nice guys who turn out to be murderers (Dancer in the Dark, Disturbia). Not that Bill is a murderer but he pretty much killed his wife’s chances with Black voters.
ANIKA NONI ROSE as MICHELLE OBAMA
Rose was pretty good in Dreamgirls. As a matter of fact, the best thing about that overhyped piece of garbage. Plus, she’d be cheaper than Beyonce.
In a recent interview, President Bush explains why he gave up golf: “I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the Commander-in-Chief playing golf…. I feel I owe it to the families to be as — to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.” What a sacrifice. It’s like a fat Catholic giving up Hersey’s Kisses for Lent.
At a recent White House event celebrating The New York Giants as the reigning Super Bowl Champs, President Bush said: “We’re going to send Jessica Simpson to the Democrat National Convention.” I guess he meant that she “jinxed” her boyfriend Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys which led the Giants to their 1st Super Bowl since 2000, and that if she’s at the DNC this year, the Democrats will also be “jinxed”. OH, SNAP!
MIKE GRAVEL + OBAMA GIRL + SOULJA BOY DANCE = THIS VIDEO
Insanity prevails as Mike Gravel tries to get the Obama Girl to support his candidacy. At some point during the video, he starts doing the Soulja Boy Dance. Yes, that’s not a misprint.
Obama wins big in NC and does better than expected in Indiana, coming less than 2% behind Clinton. If he’s not the Democratic nominee for President then logic surely plays no part in politics.
This is Haifa Wehbe. Currently, the most successful and controversial Arabic pop star. On one hand, she’s the epitome of what’s wrong with pop music, around the world in general: image over talent. On the other hand, she’s half-naked and being sexy on Arabic TV, which is unheard of. In Bahrain, right-wing Islamic conservative lawmakers are trying to ban her from performing there. And there have been some calls from Islamic groups on Egypt to do the same.
West Australian Liberal leader Troy Buswell also snapped the back of another staffer’s bra-strap and got on his hands and knees and crawled around pretending to be the husband of a third staffer. These are just a handful of examples of behavior that is, not only without a doubt absolutely sexist, but just downright bonkers.
My name is Mo Fathelbab. I am from - and currently reside in - Brooklyn, New York.
I currently work multiple jobs: Creative Media Assistant at Lifetime (Television for Women - for those who didn't know), house manager at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre NY (and resident curmudgeon), and freelance writer for ToplessRobot.com
I am also a struggling filmmaker - in that I haven't "made it" yet, not poor.
…is a good father. 
