StrangeSox

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 28, 2012 -> 04:23 PM) That dog as your avatar could be classified as a magical negro. I'm not arguing any of the above with you. However, the film was entertaining (for a "wife wants to see this, oh what the hell" flick), and her performance was really, really good. The Help obviously didn't win Best Picture, so I don't really see the point. That long review did say that it is a very well-acted film and could be entertaing.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 28, 2012 -> 04:15 PM) Yeah I was going to mention this. The fact that they are celebrating a movie about white people being racist that became popular because those same white people now feel like they solved racism. The issue there is that this movie itself is still pretty terrible with the stereotypes itself. It's like Crash in that regard.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 28, 2012 -> 04:08 PM) You realize it was based on a really popular book and that every single movie doesn't have to tell the entire story of the Civil Rights movement, right? The book was also the same way (apparently, I didn't read it). You can read this long review that details a lot of the problems with the story, if you want! Essentially, the dialect is seriously overdone, the black characters are "Magic Negroes" that are used as plot devices to help white people, the black men are barely portrayed and then only in negative stereotypes. Some excerpts:

The Help is actually another great example of Hollywood patting itself on the back for boldly confronting racism and social injustice while getting the thing completely wrong and relying largely on stereotypes for minority characters and white people saving the day.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Feb 28, 2012 -> 03:47 PM) yes. and re: Christopher Plummer, he got a standing O as well. he was amazing in Beginners. why is it so hard to fathom that Octavia Spencer may have deserved it? They literally had someone doing blackface. I have no idea if Spencer deserved it or not, but there's no doubt that Hollywood loves to pat itself on the back for being so smart and multicutural while really being dumb and bigoted sometimes.

One theory why the arb. ruled the way he did: to keep his job.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 28, 2012 -> 03:35 PM) So by this "interpretation", any positive test MLB ever took on a Saturday would have been ruled out? Presumably he could have still dropped it at FedEx, but the sample would have sat at room temperature for a period of time. CoC wouldn't have been broken, but I don't know if MLB has some specific requirements for how the sample is stored.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 28, 2012 -> 03:32 PM) I thought it was Friday, meaning he had the whole morning Saturday. Saturday, October 1st.

Hopefully you have better results than this: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010...c-concepts.html

QUOTE (Reddy @ Feb 28, 2012 -> 03:29 PM) say a bunch of white guys Yeah, that's the Academy! http://www.npr.org/2012/02/23/147291130/mo...le-out-of-touch

Accept packages vs. actually ship them is the distinction I read in his statement.

Dow closed above 13000 for the first time since 2008.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 28, 2012 -> 03:02 PM) That movie sucked so hard. I still can't believe it was even nominated. Agreed 100%.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 28, 2012 -> 01:31 PM) I see what you're saying and I totally agree. When Octavia Spencer won the Oscar, and the crowd (98% white people) gave her a standing ovation, I just busted out laughing. She may well be completely deserving, I have no idea since I didn't see the movie. But the whole scene had this subtext (read in aristocratic english accent): "Oh! Look at us. We made a film about African Americans, and I dare say she was quite good. Yes, yes. Let's congratulate ourselves her for the work we she did. We're so forward thinking unlike the rest of the uncivilized masses in this country! Bravo!" Maybe if Hollywood stopped the pretentious, arrogant bulls*** every year people wouldn't think that way. But it's hard not to when people like Clooney talk about movies single-handedly starting every minority rights/acceptance movement in the country's history. Or when they beat you over the head with "movies are what make us live from one moment to the next" crap. Crash: HERP DERP DO YOU KNOW THAT RACISM EXISTS?!!!

Giants are at the Mariners that weekend (June 14th-17th). I'll definitely check out the local breweries. Neither of us have ever been there (save for me being in the airport a few months ago) and we don't have anything planned right now. We'll be coming off several days at Yosemite, so a whole bunch of hiking and walking probably isn't going to happen.

Not trying to steal the other thread's thunder, but my wife and I are going on vacation to Cali this summer. We're staying in San Francisco for three nights at the end of our stay and could use the same recommendations in the other thread (food, bars, things to do). We're squared away on our hotel (Nob Hill area) but any other recommendations would be great.

Obama had a pretty fiery speech today: edit: apparently I forgot how to embed youtube videos.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 28, 2012 -> 12:35 PM) Very much true, but you can't tell me that his presence on a national level ticket wouldn't create the same level of circus. ...more than what we have now?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 28, 2012 -> 12:30 PM) What you really mean is a "real" Libertarian, or close to it. The Tea Party as established by its current set of leadership and the people who identify as such, has departed from that significantly. Ron Paul's really more of an anti-Federalist than a libertarian. He's cool with states intruding on your rights.

I think there's something distinct between Ron Paul's eccentric viewpoints and the myriad ways in which they are wrong and the complete lack of knowledge about almost everything expressed by Palin.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 28, 2012 -> 12:18 PM) Could you seriously imagine the grilling Ron Paul would get in the general? It'd make the Sarah Palin CBS interview debacle look tame. Ron Paul has plenty of terrible ideas but he's never struck me as a complete and utter moron.

Whatever it may have started as with that rant on CNBC, the "real" tea party is now movement conservatism. Adding Paul to a Romney ticket won't help with that group.

The movement conservatives that largely comprise the tea party don't really care for Paul. http://www.gallup.com/poll/151325/Republic...e-Nominees.aspx http://www.gallup.com/poll/151355/Gingrich...Nationwide.aspx http://www.redstate.com/mikeymike143/2011/...tea-party-vote/

somebody related to this is still in the running for dick of the year.

There's been some navel-gazing lately that Paul is setting up himself up for the Romney VP spot. He's attacked all of Romney's opponents in the debates but never really Romney himself.