Category: TV

U.S. Comptroller General projects Fall of the American Empire

On By Rick McIn bad news, economics, government, TVLeave a comment

180px-david_m_walker1.jpgDavid M. Walker speaks truth to power.

How can he do that in the USA?

He has a 15-year appointment as Comptroller General of the USA and cannot be brought down by the President nor anyone else.

Walker has compared the present-day United States with the Roman Empire in its decline, saying the U.S. government is “on a ‘burning platform’ of unsustainable policies and practices with fiscal deficits, chronic healthcare underfunding, immigration and overseas military commitments threatening a crisis if action is not taken soon.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is a legislative branch agency founded in 1921, whose mission is to help improve the performance and assure the accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people. Over the years, GAO has earned a reputation for professional objective, fact-based, and nonpartisan reviews of government issues and operations. …

David M. Walker (U.S. Comptroller General) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The USA is a great nation. But with no political accountability beyond the next election. Walker’s budget projections are “the dirty little secret that everyone in Washington knows, but no one will talk about”.

Watch an excerpt from the TV show 60 Minutes on YouTube, or click PLAY.

I don’t expect things to change.

Not until full out disaster forces the issue.

Thanks Barbara Anne for circulating this video.

60 Minutes – interview with 7yr-old Afghani

On By Rick McIn audiocasts, government, product endorsements, TVLeave a comment

Yes, the Russians were worse. The Taliban were worse. It will likely be worse when Coalition forces, including Canada, finally leave.

But ask the 7-year-old survivor of an American bomb strike in Afghanistan (not Iraq) what he thinks of the USA after his entire family was killed. Not by accident. They targeted his family home because intelligence said two bad guys were being sheltered there.

This makes me angry. What would I do when I grew up if I was this young boy?

60minutes.jpgThe TV show 60 Minutes is one of the best of American media. I rarely see the show, but can subscribe to the podcast.

A recent episode blew me away. The President of Afghanistan, an ally, asked George Bush privately to reduce the number of air strikes on his country. When that had no effect, he went public on 60 Minutes.

Turns out the American military has a formula for how many civilian casualties are acceptable when trying to blow up one bad guy with a computer guided 2000lb bomb.

This is not new. My hero Gandhi spent many years weighing how many hundreds of thousands would die when the British left India.

Problem for the US military, however, is that they rarely blow up the bad guy. Air strikes are easy. They only cost money, not American soldier’s lives.

Needless to say, there were no bad guys in the 7-year-old’s house. American troops had searched it just the day before.

You should listen to to the audiocast of that show.

President Hamid Karzai tells Scott Pelley that too many civilians are being killed in U.S. bombing raids on Afghanistan.

60 Minutes Archive, – CBS News official website

You can see some of the (slow streaming) video here.

what NIKE does right

On By Rick McIn audiocasts, sport - pro, TVLeave a comment

On the fantastic This American Life audiocast I was reminded of the story of how a local kid, Luis Da Silva, was made a TV superstar by NIKE.

He stole the show on this series of commercials from about 6yrs back featuring basketball professionals.

NIKE products are good — but their advertising has been the secret to making the company #1.

TV commercials like this. Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Joel Lovell visits 19-year-old Luis Da Silva, one of the stars of a popular series of Nike commercials featuring professional and amateur basketball players doing dribbling tricks. Luis didn’t even start for his high school basketball team. (17 minutes)

This American Life

Here’s the solo video featuring only Da Silva.

Jon Stewart through 2010

On By Rick McIn government, humour, TVLeave a comment

Good news:

Comedy Central’s most valuable gem, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” has the most uncanny knack for satire on everything today’s news can dish out, but before Jon Stewart, the show was barely a blip on the radar. (I dare you to recall any significant, memorable episodes when Craig Kilborn hosted; many of you are probably wondering who that even is, if you’re not asking when he ever hosted “The Daily Show.”) …

But if you’re wondering who will mock the next President Elect of the United States after he is elected, never fear! Jon Stewart will still be here! Comedy Central has extended his contract to 2010, according to a report by ComingSoon.net, which quoted Stewart on the good news.

“I love doing this show,” Stewart stated. “I feel like I work with and for the best in the business. I look forward to using this extension to having great fun at President (Stephen) Colbert’s expense.”

Jon Stewart Will Dish It Out Daily Through 2010 – MoviesOnline

rs1013jon-stewart-and-stephen-colbert-rolling-stone-no-1013-november-2006-posters.jpg

I much prefer Colbert, myself. Here’s a thoughtful article from the LA Times:

Colbert vs. Stewart – Has the student surpassed the master?

You can watch clips from both shows whenever you want on-line, commercial free, on a number of legal sites. I use NewsCloud.

America watches the most TV

On By Rick McIn health & fitness, TVLeave a comment

USA. USA. USA.

The Economist notes that TV is as popular as ever, and that America takes the couch-potato crown, with households goggling at the box for an eye-straining average of 8 hours and 11 minutes every day.

tv-graph.jpg

A Picture is Worth…. TV in America (TreeHugger)

TV – Top Chef – Opening Soon

On By Rick McIn food, product endorsements, TVLeave a comment

By complete accident, I awoke from a nap with the Food Channel playing on TV.

Reality show Top Chef was on. Gripping, dramatic. Really fascinating!

It’s a reality TV competition where … (ah, … the usual). I saw the second last episode of Season 2.

It was no Amazing Race, but almost as good.

Reality TV editors must be fantastic at their work. (I suspect they could turn a day in my boring life into an interesting half hour if they tried.)

The audience for Top Chef is passionate. A fan of the show attacked season 2 runner up Marcel Vigneron with a bottle, requiring 30 stitches to close the wound over his eye.

topchef_desktop_thumb1.jpg

Next up after Top Chef … was Opening Soon. I LOVE that show!

Eddie Murphy – best yet to come?

On By Rick McIn movies, TVLeave a comment

For the most part, I feel Eddie is a super talent, wasted.

I’d probably like The Nutty Professor and Norbert. But I couldn’t bear to watch them.

But having seen Eddie interviewed on the excellent TV show Inside the Actor’s Studio, it dawned on me that his best movies are in the future.

I think he’ll be like Bill Murray. Another aging comic genius who has gotten even better in later years.

Certainly Murphy was amazing in Dreamgirls. He should have won the best supporting actor Oscar.

Dream Girls should open doors for him for more serious roles than as a donkey in Shrek.

Looking back at his career. …

Murphy was unbelievably good in the Saturday Night Live TV show. Fantastic in the first Beverly Hills Cop.

That about it, for me, until the painfully excellent acting he did in <a href=”Bowfinger with Steve Martin.

I love the premise of that movie!

Bowfinger