So very Beck-ish, don't you think? From the terrific film "Things To Come", 1936. Story and screenplay by H.G. Wells. The whole thing is at YouTube now.

Fahrenheit 451 is this fall's "The Big Read" offering at libraries around the country. US readers can enter their zipcode here to find a participating group in their area. And yes, some libraries are also offering viewings (see a clip above) of Francois Truffaut's fantastic film adaptation from 1966, as well.

Open thread below.

The Evangelical Panderfest: The Political Carnival, Corrente, Romenesko

TBogg: Easily the top Christianist pander. This is film script material a la those old Victor Mature, Chuck Heston sandal and shield flicks.

Prometheus 6: Krugman joins the chorus

gin and tacos: We're Number One!

Scott Horton: Military judge finds political manipulation in Gitmo - again

OK, see if you can wrap your head around the concept of this blog! In the linked post, he's still upset with those cheese-eating surrender monkeys. As J.C. Watts' father famously remarked, "a black person voting Republican is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders."

Continuing his fantastic coverage of issues the rest of the media dare not touch, Dan Abrams last night went through John McCain's lengthy list of television and film credits to argue that McCain -- not Barack Obama -- is the real political celebrity in the race. It seems the only one on the panel who rejects this is Republican shill Brad Blakeman. What a shocker.

"In reality, isn‘t John McCain actually a bigger celebrity than Barack Obama? The John McCain who‘s made cameo appearances in “Wedding Crashers” and “24.” We‘ve got the tape."

Full transcript here.

A film by Sassy Media, who by the way, are looking for input on a new film project at ICrew here. [Full disclosure: I'm friends and colleagues with the ICrew team, but do not know these filmmakers. - BG]

Also, Happy Birthday to Barack Obama!

Open thread below.

The trailer to Oliver Stone's upcoming film about President George W. Bush, draws on his "heavy partygoer" days.

CBS:

The movie appears to portray the young Mr. Bush as a beer-drinking, hard-partying screw up who looks chastened during a lecture from his father, George H.W. Bush.

"If I remember correctly, you didn't like the sporting goods job," the elder Bush says in the trailer. "Working in the investment firm wasn't for you either, or the oil rig job. You didn't exactly finish up with flying colors in the Air National Guard, junior."

Though Stone's depiction seems sure to draw some criticism, Bush has "openly admitted to past drinking problems" and to having done "things as a youth that he was not proud of." Despite a few appearances that could plausibly suggest otherwise, Bush has long claimed to have gone "cold turkey in July 1986" and not had a drink since.

Also, you may recall a couple of weeks back when two members of the cast of Stone's movie, including Josh Brolin, the actor playing "W," were arrested following a bar fight in Shreveport, Louisiana that apparently began after "a couple of good 'ol boys" taunted Brolin and co. with a "few profanity-laced barbs about Stone, his politics and the reported anti-Bush tone" of the film.

Prometheus 6: This is pure evil and McCain will love it!

FP Passport: Europe is Obama country

The Cunning Realist: Growing Gills

Threat Level: Anti-Robocall crusader pushes for a crackdown on political phone droids

Each week until the election the producers of Uncounted - The New Math of American Elections, will release a clip from the film because now, more than ever, people need to see stories that will motivate them to stand up and help save our democracy.

ANNALS OF JOURNALISM: The Hacktacular Mickey Kaus...The History Commons - an online tool for journalists...Austin paper pulls, apologizes for, article on Netroots...Obama (and Big Media) turn a blind eye to Israeli apartheid...Pre-programmed ideological idiots continue to be welcomed on WaPo op-ed page...Usury is quaint...He's exotic, dammit...MSNBC prez on Fox "You can't trust a word they say"...McCain's bid should've ended last week...The decline of newspapers is about the rise of the corporate state, the loss of civic reponsibility to inform the public...Stephanopoulos also hacktacular...Nas delivers...He wants journalism, but journalism doesn't want him...The year the L.A. Times died...What traditional media can learn from blogs...Israelis accused of abusing journalist...

The War Prayer: A film of Mark Twain's scathing indictment of war, and particularly of blind patriotic and religious fervor as motivations for war.

PERRspectives Blog: High stakes for McCain in Grassley's televangelist probe.

Chris Floyd: Jimmy Carter will continue to catch hell from everybody because he keeps telling the truth.

The Daily Banter: Podcast with Sub Saharan African analyst Nana Ampofo of Global Insight on the presidential elections in Zimbabwe.

The Largest Minority: Jewish-American professor, Norman Finklestein, is deported and banned for criticizing Israel.

The Satirical Political Report: Supreme Court stops reruns of HBO's "Recount."

I spend about an hour or two every night working on those little clips for the Music Club. John finally made it worth my while. He brought me along to a private screening of the best film I've seen all year, War, Inc," an incredibly original way of looking at an issue raised both my George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower: the dangers of great wealth and militarism ganging up on democracy. Monday afternoon John and I want to introduce you to John Cusack, who co-wrote, co-produced and co-starred in this thought-provoking (and hilarious) film. Just show up right here at 3pm (PT, 6 back on the East Coast) and help John Amato and I ask John Cusack some questions about his latest project.

image at Tales of the Freewayblogger.

The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression has issued their annual "Muzzle" awards, including a lifetime achievement award to the Federal Communications Commission.

Daily Progress.com:

...the Federal Communications Commission, will receive a “Lifetime Muzzle” for decades of what the Jefferson Center considers to be inconsistent regulation of “indecency” on the nation’s airwaves, which has led to a “profound chilling effect” on broadcasters.
For example, more than 150 TV stations declined to air the World War II film “Saving Private Ryan” out of fear that the FCC would levy heavy fines for the movie’s violent imagery and battlefield swear words. Though the FCC did not hit any stations with fines in that case, it did condemn an “NYPD Blue” episode about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that featured swear words. A call to the FCC for comment was not returned.