Bill O'Reilly strikes again

Today on the segment of the O'Reilly Factor where Bill discuses legal cases with his "experts" Liz Wiehl and the brunette bint, they were discussing a case out of Idaho where a man was arrested for shooting a Grizzly Bear on his property.

The consensus was that the case would be thrown out because you can shoot an endangered species when it is a threat to your family. The law specifically allows for that.

Bill O'Reilly then concluded the bit with something that went like this :-

"The people of Idaho are sensible people. The case will be thrown out. Can you imagine what would have happened if he'd done this is California?

"Luckily there are no Grizzly Bears in California that we know".

My immediate thought? "Ever heard of Yellowstone National Park Bill?"

To make take a cheap shot at wacky California, he just made himself look like a complete moron.

But that's O'Reilly for you. Bombast in a very large bag of Irish wind.

Addressing Excessive Folksiness

The time has come to finally address a topic that has been weighing on my mind for the last few months. And that topic is the cloying folksiness of people on Religious Radio.

Now, I'm not going to go for the easy low hanging fruit like Joyce "C'mon I'm preaching good up here" Meyer or the decidedly unbiblical cacklings of Charles "Stay with me here, it will all work out" Capps. No, I want to talk about the people pictured above.

Now, even if like me, you are an avid listener to Focus On The Family, Family Talk and just about anything on Moody Radio, you probably won't recognize either of these people. I'm thinking that you have probably heard them though.

The woman is Carol Barnier and the man is Ron Hutchcraft. The latter is actually a real pastor, but Carol is that most ridiculous of things, she is a "much sought after" Conference Speaker. And to that I have to say "Aren't they all?" Perhaps at first you might think they could not have a whit in common, but actually they share more than first glances might yield.

Let's go with Ron first as he has perhaps a real job. Everyday on Moody Radio after the Janet Parshall comedy show ( "In The Market with Janet Parshall" ), he has a little five minute bit. I don't know what to call it other than a bit. It's not a sermon, it's not a devotional, it's not anything to do with the Bible - it's simply a bit. And should be completely inconsequential, but....

The problem I have is Ron's delivery - always chucklingly folksy, down home and creepy. Like that uncle on who's knee you did not want to sit as a child. It's just skin crawlingly false. And what makes it worse is that, he does it every time. So he's consciously wrapping that clammy arm around your shoulder every day. Why? It is so false feeling, so manipulative, so urgh! This bit makes me feel unclean every weekday at 06:50 PM EST. This man could be the reason why pastors are all portrayed so badly in the movies.

Yes, THAT level of folksy and creepy.

Now Carol is a whole different bag of surprising sameness.

She's frequently to be found on the "Focus On The Family Weekend" radio program, usually dispensing some sound advice to Jim Daly's sheeple on subjects as diverse as kids with ADHD are a "gift", shy children, teaching special needs, and home school leadership. Whatever the frack that last thing is. She is a "Conference Speaker" - so she doesn't have a real job and I guess she lives of the fruits of her husband's labors.

Carol suffers from the excessive folksiness of creepy Uncle Ron to be sure, but she doubles down with a speaking style that cannot decide if she's conversing with a audience of ADHD sufferers or whether she's sharing something slightly risque with her wimmin's Bible study group. "Rest assured I was not always this way". Or "this will produce a perfect outcome for your family. Alas it took me five years to realize this".

The little folksy asides are just patronizing and full of self deprecating faux witticisms - truly you have to hear her to appreciate the level of just sheer godawfulness she brings to the microphone. I guess she's always simply aiming for bonhomie, but she's so far from hitting it all she makes me want to say is "Bon Voyage. And don't come back." Which alas she always does.

Both Ron and Carol are regularly on the radio, patronizing their listeners and doing their schtick and every time I hear them one question comes racing into my mind....

"Why?"

Three Trips to the Movie Theater

This week I had another birthday and took three trips to the movie theater, twice to see movies and once to watch a play from London.

And guess what? As I get older, I find my tastes in entertainment are really changing. I guess I'm finally growing up at the age of 54. Hollywood, is really trying its best to tell me that I am not in the demographic of their idea of a "regular moviegoer".

So what did I see?

The play was "Henry IV Part 1" recorded with a live audience at the Globe Theater in London. And it was simply glorious - funny as all heck, stirring, heroic and wonderful. Roger Allam who played Falstaff was a standout. All bombast and cowardice in equal measure. The comedy was masterfully juxtaposed with the scenes about kingship and honor - Harry Hotspur was all fire and rashness plunging headlong for honor at all costs, while Prince Hal at all times was musing on what it meant to be a king and you could see right into his mind in his response to the pleadings of "Banish not Jack Falstaff" as he visibly took on his royal mantle.

And did I mention it was funny? Gosh, I don't think I will see anything as good on a big screen this year in the laughs department.

I loved this, Loved it.

Alas, then for my next trip to the theater, the movie train crashed into the buffers of mediocrity. I went to see "Cowboys & Aliens".

The best I can say about this movie is that it was OK for a standard American Summer Movie where a lot of stuff blows up. But, alas all the excitement had been marketed right out of it. I think ALL the action scenes had been showing in trailers and TV talk shows. The aliens were goofy. And by the way, what evolutionary purpose is there in having a an anatomy that actually exposes a creature's heart for ease of stabbing? Out hearts are in our chests for a reason people.

The movie was exceptionally linear, with a very poor story. It seemed very formulaic as if the screenplay had been written by committee. James Bond? Check? Indiana Jones? Check? That Hot Chick from House who does girls? Check.

Sorry that's not enough to hold my interest. But one good thing we can say is that, thank goodness this movie wasn't set up for a sequel.

I guess at 54, I am now officially too old for Summer Blockbuster Season.

And then we came to perhaps the Best Movie of 2011, Wayne Wang's "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan".

This movie renewed my faith that there are directors out there making films for someone without acne and raging hormones.

The twin stories are told slowly and with great thoughtfulness. One story is about Nina a hot shot financial executive in Shanghai and her relationship from childhood with her best friend, the more free spirited Sophia. The girls take an oath to be "laotong" which makes them pledged best friends for life after Sophia's snobbish mother banishes Lily from Sophia's side after letting her listen to decadent music.

The two actresses Li Bingbing ( Nina ) and Ji-hyeon ( Sophia ) also play another pair of laotong ( Lily and Snow Flower ) who become fast friends in 19th century China at the time their feet are bound in the hope of making them good wedding matches.

As with the modern women, their fortunes in life over time become reversed because of the financial ruin of one girl's family.

The intertwining of the two stories is handled just wonderfully. Li Bingbing is so good as the laotong who will not let go of her sister even when rejected and pushed away. The final reconciliation of Snow Flower and Lily actually made we cry.

Such a marvellous movie.

Go and see it.