Ron Silver, a "9/11 conservative" along the lines of Dennis Miller, passed away Sunday.

I was familiar with Silver's work often-intense work here and there — but he really hit my radar upon Bill Clinton's election. He infamously said to his fellow military-hating Hollywood peaceniks who were appalled about a celebratory fly-over at Clinton's election in 1992: "Those are our planes now." He got less shallow, and a lot braver in his politics among the Hollywood crowd.

As Michelle Malkin noted, he came around to see the world differently after Sept. 11, 2001.

I think there are September 10 people and there are September 11 people. I’m one of the latter. Everything changed for me. Since then I see everything through the prism of what happened that day.

That's something he so believed in, he switched from hard lefty to center-right. And did it without apologies. Silver even spoke at the 2004 Republican National Convention:

Responding to attacks on our soil, America has led a coalition of countries against extremists who want to destroy our way of life and our values.

This is a war we did not seek.

This is a war waged against us.

This is a war to which we had to respond.

History shows that we are not imperialists . . .but we are fighters for freedom and democracy.

Even though I am a well-recognized liberal on many issues confronting our society today, I find it ironic that many human rights advocates and outspoken members of my own entertainment community are often on the front lines to protest repression, for which I applaud them but they are usually the first ones to oppose any use of force to take care of these horrors that they
catalogue repeatedly.

Under the unwavering leadership of President Bush, the cause of freedom and democracy is being advanced by the courageous men and women serving in our Armed Services.

The President is doing exactly the right thing.

That is why we need this President at this time!

I am grateful for the chance to speak tonight to express my support for our Commander-in-Chief, for our brave troops, and for the vital cause which they have undertaken.

General Dwight Eisenhower’s statement of 60 years ago is true today . . .

“United in this determination and with unshakable faith in the cause for which we fight, we will, with God’s help, go forward to our greatest victory.”

Thank you.

Well said, and bravely, Mr. Silver. You were a patriot. Rest in Peace.

Dr. Zaius joins us once again, to address questions considered in this podcast:

• Is President Obama to blame for the economy?

• Who knows more about the market: Barack Obama or Jim Cramer?

• Is "Watchmen" any good, or is it pretentious hooey?

• Are comic book movies proof that the medium has matured, or that America is continuing down an infantilized death spiral?

Articles referenced in this podcast:

• "Is it Obama's economy now?" by Ben Boychuk and Joel Mathis, Scripps Howard.
• "Graphic Novel's Edge Is Dulled in Adaptation" by Philip Kennicott, Washington Post.
• "Legendary Comics Writer Alan Moore on Superheroes, The League, and Making Magic," Wired Magazine.

Music heard in this podcast

• "This Tornado Loves You," Neko Case.
• "All Along The Watchtower," Jimi Hendrix.
• "Georgia On My Mind," Willie Nelson and Branford Marsailis.

Conservatives are very good cultural critics. There are whole journals devoted to criticism from a conservative perspective. The New Criterion, the Claremont Review of Books, Arts and Letters Daily, and The American Spectator are all essential reading. And bloggers are a rich source of material as well, with the likes of Terry Teachout, James Bowman, and S.T. Karnick, dispensing their wisdom daily.

And then you have "critics" like the embarrassing Debbie Schlussel stinking up the blogosphere.

Here is how Schlussel begins her "review" of Watchmen:

If you take your kids to see "Watchmen," you're a moron.

If you see it yourself, you're also probably a moron and a vapid, indecent human being.

It goes downhill from there. Debbie is... well, she's a yeller. She makes Ann Coulter look like Clare Booth Luce. I'm not a fan of either lady. I only read Schlussel's "Watchmen" piece because Big Hollywood linked to it and because, obviously, I'm a glutton for punishment. Here's Schlussel's follow-up piece. It's even worse than the review. It's just a string of ad hominem attacks.

And talk about patronizing. Schlussel asserts, without much in the way of evidence, that the filmmakers are marketing "Watchmen" to kids. Well, no, not really.

(Update: The great John Nolte argues that the producers of "Watchmen" are, in fact, marketing to kids and he points to the fact that Toys R Us is selling $17 action figures. I don't want to pick a fight with Nolte, whose work I greatly admire, but I do quibble with him in the comments section of his Big Hollywood post.)

That said, Schlussel is half right. You would have to be a fool to take your children to see it. I'm well acquainted with the source material, but even if I'd never heard of Alan Moore's mid-'80s mini-series-cum-graphic novel, I'd know that "Watchmen" is no ordinary superhero flick. It's rated R, after all. Not that I let the Motion Picture Association of America tell me how to think, but it's a start. The film's director is Zack Snyder, master of the slo-mo decapitation. And the movie's advertising makes clear that the subject matter is not for children, costumes notwithstanding. Schlussel sort of performs a service, detailing many of the graphic scenes in the film as a way to shame people away. She undermines her... well, I hesitate to call it an "argument." Her overwrought screed? Anyway, she does herself no favors with the way she engages her readers.

I don't doubt that some stupid people will take their children to see the movie, not because they think it's remotely appropriate for their kids or because it's "just a movie" but because they don't give a damn. I saw young kids at "Kill Bill, Vol. 1" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (don't ask). Those families are hopeless. Doomed. And Debbie Schlussel is still a shrieking harridan passing herself as a legitimate commentator. And she's successful!

Doomed!

Not that there isn't ample intelligent criticism of Watchmen's graphic violence and stilted dialogue to be found. Contrast Schlussel's ham-fisted, hysterical and insulting way of doing criticism with that of Anthony Lane:

The problem is that Snyder, following Moore, is so insanely aroused by the look of vengeance, and by the stylized application of physical power, that the film ends up twice as fascistic as the forces it wishes to lampoon. The result is perfectly calibrated for its target group: nobody over twenty-five could take any joy from the savagery that is fleshed out onscreen, just as nobody under eighteen should be allowed to witness it.

Not bad. Lane, of course, is a hopelessly decadent left-wing liberal writer for the New Yorker, so I wouldn't blame you for dismissing him out of hand. (Hmm. Perhaps I've been reading too much Schlussel.) Lane certainly doesn't understand the "comic book" as a medium any more than Schlussel does. "Incoherent, overblown, and grimy with misogyny, 'Watchmen' marks the final demolition of the comic strip," Lane writes, "and it leaves you wondering: where did the comedy go?" Where did the comedy go? Oh, brother.

The Washington Post's Philip Kennicott didn't like the movie, either. But he actually knows the graphic novel, and argues that Moore's magnum opus doesn't hold up:

"Watchmen" was fun, but also incredibly pretentious -- a word that hardly applies anymore to high culture, but sure comes in handy when dealing with pop culture's more desperate efforts to be taken seriously. By treating the original text as a sacred document, the movie is laughably pretentious, too. Just as the film version of "Lord of the Rings" reminded everyone of something they had forgotten since reading the book in high school -- Tolkein was a turgid writer -- the "Watchmen" movie can't help but expose the glaring problem with the "Watchmen" graphic novel: The dialogue stinks.

Despite the intellectual name-dropping, the quotes from Nietzsche, Blake and Juvenal ("Who watches the watchmen?"), the level of Moore's writing rarely rises above B-movie fare. It is silly and dated, the faded gibberish of an old-fashioned noire stylist (the kind who now works for newspapers). And it is filled with clichés.

Joe Morgenstern, whose politics are foreign to me but who writes for the culturally conservative Wall Street Journal's Arts and Letters page, is equally dismissive:

Unless you're heavily invested -- as countless fans and fervent fanboys are -- in the novel's flawed superheroes, its jaundiced take on heroism and its alternate vision of American history, watching "Watchmen" is the spiritual equivalent of being whacked on the skull for 163 minutes. The reverence is inert, the violence noxious, the mythology murky, the tone grandiose, the texture glutinous. It's an alternate version of "The Incredibles" minus the delight.

I'd argue that "The Incredibles" was an alternate version of "Watchmen," with much delight and without the nudity. But no matter. Roger Ebert loved "Watchmen." And Hunter Baker heaps praise on the comic book at S.T. Karnick's American Culture blog. Make of that what you will.

Finally, contrast Schlussel's shrill prose with that of two Big Hollywood contributors and comic book insiders, Bill Willingham and James Hudnell. Schlussel is a joke. Willingham and Hudnell are the real deal.

Zaius and I will see "Watchmen" at 10:45 on Friday morning. Reviews will follow here and at the American Culture.

From a long, fascinating interview in Wired: "Looking at the superhero today, it seems to me an awful lot like Watchmen without the irony." There's lots more thoughtful stuff from the creator of Watchmen and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

(Hat tip: John "HEM" Hodgman via Twitter.)

Monkey friend Christian Toto was a guest on The Dennis Miller Show on Monday morning. He reviews Hugh Jackman's performance as host, breaks down the winners and informs the world that Jerry Lewis received an honorary Oscar (I guess all those gay-bashing slips of the tongue are officially forgiven).

It's worth a listen.

You may have heard that Hollywood is remaking "The Taking of Pelham 123" with Denzel Washington as the Walter Matthau character and John Travolta reprising Robert Shaw's role as the lead subway train hijacker. Tony Scott is directing. This is not a positive development.

The original "Pelham 123" is a great film (well maybe not "Maltese Falcon" great, or even "Die Hard" great, but very good), with a terrific cast and possibly the coolest score ever.

Although it's very much a product of its era -- when New York City was just about run into the ground by John Lindsay and Abe Beame, and hitting theaters just a few years before Gerald Ford told the city to "drop dead" -- it's probably shocking to our 21st century PC sensitivities. After all, it was also a time when affirmative action was really just getting under way, when racial and sexual politics were still hot, when government was beginning to lose its veneer as all-beneficent and all-powerful. Maybe that's part of what makes this particular movie a classic.

Below are the trailers for the remake and the original. There is really no comparison. The remake looks like a by-the-numbers caper picture with a by-the-numbers caper picture soundtrack. The original was a crime thriller, and a political satire, and, well, a Walter Matthau-Robert Shaw movie with an original score by David "Night on Disco Mountain" Shire.

I can't begin to imagine how Scott and company will top the original's sly ending. Washington is great -- but only Matthau could pull off the film's final line as he did. (Do I have to give you a spoiler warning with that link? Looks like I just did.)

Questions pondered in this podcast:

• Will the stimulus package save the economy or bring about our doom?

• Is Barack Obama adopting the Bush Administration's anti-terrorism tactics?

• Are the best conservative movies of the last 25 years actually conservative?

Happy day! Spinal Tap is getting back together to record new material. The untitled project, planned for a fall release, will be the first new Tap album since 1992's Break Like The Wind.

"We've never recorded the song we did at Live Earth [at Wembley Stadium in 2007], 'Warmer Than Hell,'" bassist Derek Smalls told the BBC. "We'll do a song called 'Gimme Some More Money,' probably with some dubious results." I wonder if Nigel Tufnel ever finished his musical trilogy in D minor? And I've always wanted to hear more than 41 seconds of Jazz Odyssey.

Smalls played with several other bands after Tap's various break-ups, including the Christian Metal ensemble Lambsblood. Of the new project, he says "I think they [Spinal Tap] are trying to revisit their old success."

No word yet on a drummer.

I wonder if a new Folksmen record can be far behind?

Over at The American Culture, where I also blog, I've written a post about the "also-ran" list of National Review's collection of the Top 25 Conservative Movies of the Last 25 Years.

K-Lo has some legitimate beefs, arguing strongly for the inclusion of Rocky Balboa on the list. I haven't seen that movie (yet) so I'll have to take her word for it. And she makes a compelling case:

Rocky, of course, is a man. And if you watch him from Rocky to Rocky B — you see the ups and downs and hits and misses and the heartaches. And where pop culture so often trivializes men – by making them buffoonish (the doofus dad, the over-testosteroned action hero, or feminized dude) – to have a guy who faces his responsibilities, insecurities, and trials … like a man … is something to celebrate.

I make the case, though, that Joss Whedon's Serenity is the most glaring omission. I post my whole missive at TAC below the fold ...

So this clip of Joaquin Phoenix is all the rage today. Joel has even tweeted that he can't bear to watch it. But Joel has made a mistake. "Painfully awkward" is comedy gold in this case. The only question is whether Phoenix is actively participating in the joke with Letterman — who is never better than when he has a hostile guest.

But that's the thing. Phoenix is not "hostile." He's inert. And that's even funnier.

So what's the deal here? Casey Affleck is working on a documentary about Phoenix — which makes my wife very suspicious that this is all a put-on. Maybe Affleck's (and Phoenix's) idea is to do a documentary about the maddening absurdity of Hollywood and the promotion machine that drives it. One must consider the fact that Phoenix is notoriously uncomfortable with promoting his projects because he has utter contempt for The Machine. See his (hopefully) purposeful bizarre interview on the Red Carpet from 2005.

"Do I have a large frog in my hair? . . . Something's crawling out of my scalp." Despite reassurances from the reporter, the actor replied, "No, but I feel it. I'm not worried about the looks. I'm worried about the sensation of my brain being eaten . . . What did you ask me?"

The alternative — that a very talented but shy man has gone full Andy Kaufman on us — is too depressing to contemplate. I noticed that Phoenix could not help but betray at least one grin for the camera, and played the straight man to Letterman's shtick perfectly. Phoenix is a great actor, and it's certainly within his range to play with the audience, and fans of his, for an extended period of time. And I'll believe Phoenix's hip-hop career when I see something more imepessive than this absurdity in Las Vegas.

The bonus for Phoenix, if this is all an act, is that he's saving tons of money on grooming products.

John J. Miller was kind enough to let me reply to Jonah's criticism of my little write up on Heartbreak Ridge for National Review's list of the greatest 25 conservative movies of the last quarter century.

Go here if you want to see it on The Corner. Or, you can just read it here by clicking "read more" below.

I still can't get enough of this Christian Bale stuff. The lovely Mrs. Zaius hips me to this post at dlisted, a site that is just as vulgar as Christian Bale — but in a funny way, not a humilating-for-all-involved way. In a post titled "Christian Bale is F---ing Sorry," we learn this:

Ummm ... I'm Sorry and Shiz: The rant-backlash on the Disturbingly Dark Knight continues.

Christian Bale phoned in an "I'm so sowwy" to L.A.'s Kevin & Bean show on KROQ this morning and gave a long ass explanation as to why he went on a f--&-filled freak out. Christian said it's been a miserable week ever since the tape hit.

Miserable? Well, it's been a non-stop f--- party for all of us! We danced to the remix! We cheered him when he went f---ing ballistic on Bill O'Reilly. It's been a week full of F---S which means it was a fantastic f---ing week.

So, the idea that this was all a ruse to gin up interest in the new Terminator movie? Um ... no.

The Disturbingly Dark Knight went on to say this:

Christian said he was completely out of line and isn't making any excuses for that [shiz]. Christian went on to say, "I'm embarrassed by it. I ask everybody to sit down and ask themselves, have they ever had a bad day and have they ever lost their temper and really regretted it immensely. Feel free to make fun of me at my expense; I deserve it completely."

Don't worry, Christian. We will. You do. And we're enjoying it.

... as in the February 23, 2009, edition of National Review On Dead Tree, (but it will also be on the great NRO).

John J. Miller last month solicited suggestions from readers of The Corner for the list he was compiling: The Best Conservative Movies, or at least the Top 25 of all time. Taking a flier, I made a few suggestions to JJM — among them, "Heartbreak Ridge." Miller then asked me to write 100 words on the movie to be included in his list. I, of course, jumped at the chance. I'm honored. My movie came in at No. 21.

I tried to do a screen-cap of the page, but couldn't figure it out how to do that. But fiddled around in other programs and made a rough facsimile of the image that looks almost the way it will in the magazine.

The whole list will be in the edition that was just put to bed and is hitting the mail. The brand new edition of NR, as well as an extensive library of back issues, is available now for those of you with National Review Digital accounts.

Anyway, here's my tiny contribution to that great magazine.

Here's a short film primer on the 1977 Keene Act, courtesy of the House Un-American Activities Committee and our right-wing reactionary friends at The New Frontiersman magazine. (Sorry, couldn't get it to embed.) Remember, if you encounter any masked vigilantes, do not confront them and stay in your homes!

(Hat tip: GeekTyrant)

This is not safe for work. This is not safe for home. This is not safe for children. This is not safe for adults. This is not safe.

Enjoy.

(Related: Has Hollywood learned how to game social media? My answer: Probably. And if there's swag involved, I'd be even more happy to oblige.)

(Hat tip: Aaron Barnhart)

So, I read today that the desperately poor people of Patna, India are filth-throwing mad about Danny Boyle's acclaimed film "Slumdog Millionaire."

The protesters said their sensibilities had been offended by the title, which they said was abusive of people who live in slums. The protests continued for the second day, even as Republic Day was being celebrated. ...

'We will burn Danny Boyle in effigy in 56 slums here,' Tapeshwar Vishwakarma, general secretary of the group said.

How inaccurate is Boyle's portrayal of Indian poverty if a single city in the country has 56 slums? That's what he gets, I suppose, for portraying the downtrodden of India in a heroic and accurate light. It's not like Boyle thought up the term "Slumdog" on his own. Oh, well.

'I mean to avenge myself upon you, Admiral.'The great Ricardo Mantalban has passed on to the great "Fantasy Island" in the sky.

Ricardo Montalban, the suave leading man who was one of the first Mexican-born actors to make it big in Hollywood and who was best known for his role as Mr. Roarke on TV's "Fantasy Island," has died. He was 88.

Montalban died Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles home of complications related to old age, said his son-in-law, Gilbert Smith.

Yes. Yes. "Fantasy Island." Even I couldn't resist a reference in the lead. He and Tattoo are finally reunited. But the Montalban role that I think will go down in history is (naturally, from the picture I chose) his turn as Kahn in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn." He chewed up every bit of scenery in every take — not an easy task with William Shatner on the set. And Montalban was given great lines like this one:

To the last, I will grapple with thee... from Hell's heart, I stab at thee! For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee!

He tasks me. He tasks me and I shall have him! I'll chase him 'round the moons of Nibia and 'round the Antares Maelstrom and 'round Perdition's flames before I give him up!

I've done far worse than kill you, Admiral. I've hurt you. And I wish to go on hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me, as you left her; marooned for all eternity in the center of a dead planet... buried alive! Buried alive...!

Classic. That was by far the best of the Star Trek movies, thanks to Montalban's unforgettable performance. There's a reason why Kirk's KAAAAAHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNN!!!!!! resonates in pop culture. Montalban's Kahn was worth the yelling.

All that said, however, three words crossed my lips as soon as Mrs. Zaius informed me that Montalban was gone ... Rich Corinthian Leather. As you see from the clip below, Montalban actually says "soft Corinthian leather — at least in this commercial. That guy ... the "Most Interesting Man in the World" who does those cheeky "don't mess with him" commercials for Dos Equis? Ricardo Montalban picked guys like that out of his stool.

R.I.P. to a Hollywood original.

DAMN!!! He was the coolest dude on the planet. Cool enough to make Chrysler look classy.

Hulu.com has made Howard the Duck -- one of the greatest cinematic disasters of the last 30 years -- available for free viewing online. And it's embeddable:

You're welcome. God, how I love the 21st century.

What a well-named movie! Black holes in the real universe suck in all matter from which no light can escape. The Black Hole is a movie so bad that no appealing elements can escape. Hey, director Gary Nelson. You're not Kubrick. You'll never be Kubrick. You can't pull off the beautiful, confusing movie thing. The Buck Rogers TV show was more enjoyable than this piece of crap.

Backstory: Mrs. Zaius and I awake for a lazy Sunday. We stumble upon Turner Classic Movie channel and The Black Hole has just started. I thought: "How cool! I remember this movie from when I was a kid." I grabbed the remote and started recording it, just so we'd have it for more nostalgic fun later. I couldn't hit "delete" fast enough when it was over.

This movie sucks. SUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKSSS! Even though it has Anthony Perkins, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Forster (a great character-actor who plays Arthur Petrelli in "Heroes" and Max Cherry in "Jackie Brown.") and, of course, the great Austrian-born actor Maximilian Schell.

Oh, and Slim Pickens as the voice of the adorable "country" robot who works in the sanitation department. (No wonder he didn't take a credit for his voice work.)

And Roddy McDowell as "V.I.N.CENT." (Vital Information Necessary CENTralized) Ha! Clever!

Hey, Disney. That robot-buddy shtick was done already. Movie's called "Star Wars." Might have heard of it.

And why does the robot Maximilian kill Anthony Perkins with his "scary" twirling blades?

Why didn't his genius inventor — a man who trumped Einstein, a man who had unlocked the "mystery" of "the most powerful force in the universe", black holes — simply equip Maximilian with an instant death ray? Or something cool, like a piercing sound that makes Anthony Perkins' brain bleed out of his nose and ears? Oh, yeah. I remember now. The movie sucks! Anthony Perkins, by the way, did not have to die when he did — not if the plot was going to make any sense. And did Ernest Borgnine intentionally crash the good guys' escape rocket on purpose three seconds before they could have all jumped on board to help sabotage the evil genius? Or was he just a bad pilot. Won't ever know, thanks to the script-writers.

The music is good. Disney, Mrs. Z informs me, commissioned a symphony from John Barry to accompany the film. Really sets the mood. Unfortunately, the mood is ... "This Movie Sucks ... When Will It End!" So much initial nostalgic excitement, so little payoff.

I now await the wrath of no-life fan-boys. Merry Christmas.

Charlie Don't Surf: Sam Bottoms (left) was Lance B. Johnson, among other roles.
Oh, this is sad news: Sam Bottoms, best known as Lance from Apocalypse Now, had died of brain cancer. He was 53. Dirty Harry remarks: "Maybe there’s some reason, but I could never figure out why Sam Bottoms wasn’t in more films. He brought a warmth and gentle spirit to every frame we were lucky enough to see him in. Whenever you’re casting, no matter how small the part, you want actors able to automatically connect in some way. Sam Bottoms did that just standing there."

Sam Bottoms (left) was Lance B. Johnson, among other roles.

Via Christian Toto comes the trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine. God I hope that doesn't mean that we're in for X-Men Origins: Storm ... but if we are, I wonder if Halle Berry will go back to the ridiculous African accent, or just bag it — like she so hilariously did about a quarter of the way through the first flim.

Good sign: The always interesting Liev Schreiber as Sabertooth, an improvement over the last, more cartoonish one. The new, fleshed-out character is probably beyond the range of the original movie Sabertooth, the appropriately named Tyler Mane.

Bad sign: Brian Cox was not retained as William Stryker. Probably a mistake.

I'm also a little worried about what director Gavin Hood can come up with, considering his thin resume. I'd feel better with Bryan Singer back at the controls.

Regardless, here's the trailer. The movie looks dark, brooding and angry — right up my alley. I'm sure Ben and I will make another "date" to see this in May 2009.

Monkey friend, Christian Toto, had an interesting interview on the Dennis Miller Show. Just thought I'd share. Have a listen.

Heh:

I love the tagline: EIN ... ZWEI ... DIE! Seriously: This might be my favorite movie trailer evar.

Well, I'm 40 years old today, and my super-cool wife thought it would be fun to throw me a "40 hours for 40 years" party that pretty much lasts all weekend. No stress, no hype, just hanging out with my friends, eatin' and drinkin' and watchin' movies all weekend. Here's the movie schedule:

Today:

12:00pm-1:30pm - Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
2:30pm-5:00pm - Brazil
[Dinner - homemade fajitas]
6:30pm-9:00pm - Iron Man
Late night - Pink Floyd at Pompeii

Tomorrow:

12:00pm-5:00pm - Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh complete version)
6:30pm-9:00pm - Blade Runner (Final Cut) [Alternate: Almost Famous (Untitled - Bootleg version)]

Come on over if you get a chance. There's beer (and soda) chilling in the cooler out back and the weather's great.

Thanks in advance for the great weekend, Tig!

Oh, this is very cool. He makes it look so effortless. My sensei calls nunchucks "senseis on a stick," because the weapon is so unforgiving. The beginner's bruises from elbow to wrist are evidence of that. Trust me, I know. (Via John Derbyshire at The Corner.)

The new Star Trek movie trailer is out. It's being shown before the new Bond movie, and someone was kind enough to bootleg it and post it on the Web. It looks pretty damn cool. We can only hope the script is worthy of the visuals, and the Star Trek brand. And let's also hope there's lots and lots of Zachary Quinto as Spock — whom I've always found more interesting than Kirk.

Now, if we can get a sequel with the young KAAAAAHHHHHHNNNNNNN!!!!!! ... then we're on our way.

Thanks to Ed Driscoll, Dirty Harry and Toto for the links. We are honored and welcome those fine readers to our little, poo-stained corner of the blogosphere. Have a look around.

UPDATE 11/18: I've replaced the bootleg version with the official version, which has better picture quality and enjoys the added benefit of not being a take-down target of Paramount Pictures.

The monk-like, yet perpetually angry peacenik Tim Robbins made a big stink about how he was not able to vote in a timely fashion on Election Day. Robbins felt there was something nefarious afoot. If you don't feel like watching the video on the above link, he said, in effect: "This will NOT STAND! I vote here all the time!!! They know me! What do you mean I'm not on the rolls! We'll get to the bottom of this. We're on the verge of CHANNNNNGGEEEE! And The (Republican) Man is still trying to keep us down!!!"

Um, not so much. Via Dirty Harry and the LA Times, the New York Board of Elections responded to Robbins' public tantrum:

“It would appear, based on a review of your voter registration history, that your voting experience was less than positive because you simply went to the wrong poll site,” an election board member wrote, coolly sticking the knife in by adding that if there was confusion over the appropriate voting location, it might be because “you have not voted in an recent election, including the presidential primary in February 2008 and the party primary in September 2008.”

Robbins' response? Not humble. Of course not.

Robbins says he is examining legal options, saying the board’s release of his personal information is “an invasion of privacy and further insult.”

Don't worry, Tim. Your guy won. Recriminations are just a phone call away.