Ernest Borgnine, Betty White Stars Of SAG Awards 2011 #SAGAwards

The 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards is history and while The King's Speech, Modern Family, and Boardwalk Empire took top honors in several categories, the SAG social media buzz is about two octogenarian acting and comedy legends, Ernest Borgnine and Betty White.

Mr. Borgnine, at 94 years young, was on hand to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from his SAG colleagues. What was so neat for this blogger, watching the telecast in Georgia with Mom, was to hear her say "He called United Airlines and I made his reservations for him."

That happened, as she recalled, in 1976, and she remembers that Ernest Borgnine was "so nice." "He thanked me for helping him," she said.

That made watching this legendary actor get his award through a standing ovation, so much fun. Moreover, it brought spiritual meaning to the moment: nice people finish first.

The same is true for Betty White, last year's Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award Winner at 89 years old, who won for Outstanding Female In A Comedy Series and for her work in Hot in Cleveland. Upon setting her eyes on the statue of a naked buffed man, she rubbed it and said "OHHHH..."

That was funny.

(Makes you wonder what some would do if it was a statue of an athletics naked woman with big breasts, but I digress.)

Biden tells Jobless: Hang in there

Last week a totally out of touch Joe Biden told American jobless to "Hang in there" - and included other moronic comments and pearls of wisdom such as: "Don't smoke, eat healthy, do not consume junk foods," he said. "I know that sounds silly, but it's very practical in terms of your own health and well-being, and also on the impact of the cost of maintaining the health care system in the United States."

Well Mr. Vice President I have a reality check for you, since you are seemingly clueless to the plight of real hurting Americans.

• Millions of American UI exhaustees have been hanging on for far too long and have nothing left to hang on to period.
• The term you used is most insensitive "Hang in there" as most are hanging by a thread and many have chosen the noose - as in suicide, sir.
• It is damn difficult to eat healthy when you must rely on insufficient food stamps monthly allotment when the $1 fast food menu will fill up your stomach for less money. WE ARE HUNGRY!

Obama had the opportunity to alleviate the suffering some last December, but chose instead to cater to the wealthy and forgo helping to ease the suffering within the 99er Nation. Then he easily could have given hope to millions living in abject poverty in the USA today (not just the 99ers) but he chose to ignore the 52 million in America living below the poverty line, leaving them out of the SOTU speech - but he sure as hell did not forget to mention the illegal immigrants now did he?

This administration has had it's head in the sand (or up somewhere which prevents clear vision) for too long and your feigned internet explanations on what is happening in America and why are too weak and so lacking in knowledge, understanding or information concerning current events and developments it is just appalling!

I do not wish to appear disrespectful to either the President or the Vice President, but I for one am tired of being disrespected and ignored by the lot of the Washington elitists. You all make me sick. In fact, Joe, I wish you'd take that thumbs up thing and put it where your head has been hiding for so long.

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DGA Nod Means The King's Speech In Line For Oscar Best Picture Win

The King's Speech (where Colin Firth is pictured) will win Best Picture at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards over The Social Network.

Last night, The DGA shocked a number of observers when it gave the director of the movie about overcoming personal handicaps, Tom Hooper, the prize over the favored David Fincher, who's movie made Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg even more famous.   That sealed the deal for the Oscars.  

Here's why.

UPDATE: Here's my video on The Social Network vs. The Kings Speech at The Oscars:



If you're predicting which films the 5,744 voting members of the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Science (AMPAS) will pick for the 24 nominating categories in the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, here's a tip: the winner of the Director's Guild of America (DGA) Best Director Award has won the same prize at The Oscars all but six times in history going back to 1948.

Plus, the film of the winner of Oscar Best Director generally wins Oscars Best Picture. On only 21 times in Oscars history has the Best Picture winner not snagged the Best Director Prize, going all the way back to 1927.

Last year, Kathryn Bigelow won DGA Best Director for The Hurt Locker, and went on to get both Best Director and Best Picture for the war movie at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.

If The Social Network, which to date has won more awards than any other movie, wins Best Director and Best Picture, or at least manages a split here, it will be a rare achievement, but don't bet the ranch.

Now, to make it clear, the Academy voting members already made their choices and turned their ballots in on or before January 19th.  Someone, somewhere in the World knows who won in all of the Oscars categories.

Academy Website Database

If you're interested in Oscars Awards stats, there's no better place to go online than the database at the AMPAS website, here.

Also, Peter Knegt of INDIEwire has put together a great article tracking movie awards to date.

Stay tuned!

Civil Unrest Riots In Egypt: 99ers - Is USA Next?

After watching days of civil unrest riots In Egypt, the 99er Nation asks: Is USA Next?

Clashes erupted as Egyptian authorities tried to prevent demonstrations in Cairo where protesters chanting “liberty” and “change” assembled to demand the end of President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule. Rallies began yesterday at points across the city of 17 million but violent protests throughout Egypt have continued for days.

Authorities restricted internet and cellphone access and detained senior leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, the main opposition group, before nationwide demonstrations were scheduled to begin. Four French journalists were arrested on Friday in Cairo, France’s Foreign Ministry said.

Among the Egyptians on the streets of central Cairo was Mona Abdelaziz, 30, who holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and earns a living by selling tissues by the roadside.

“The country has gone to ruin,” Abdelaziz said. “Everything is expensive. How will my son marry, get an education, set up a household? There are no jobs, only for a select few. We have no hope.”

We have no hope. Sound familiar? Those millions in the 99er Nation have no hope these days. No jobs, no income, nowhere to turn and no hope of things getting any better anytime soon.
In fact a recent YouTube video By a certain Congress woman in Texas echoes the lack of urgency among members of Congress when it comes to saving the 99ers.

NOTE TO CONGRESS: We cannot wait until March for you to begin to debate what you will do to save our lives. WAKE UP as what is happening in Egypt can happen here.

Quote of the Day - by Bud Meyers: "They're rioting in Egypt because a vast majority of the people are living on $2 a day. Yet the 99ers are living on less, so why aren't they rioting?"

Well Bud, I can’t tell you why it has not happened here yet or what it is finally going to take for the 99er Nation to get out of their homes and take to the streets to fight for their right to live, but I feel strongly it is just a matter of time before they do.

I hope Mr. Obama is paying attention. However in his speech on Friday on the violence in Egypt, though Obama di say: “Govt MUST be responsive to their citizens” it is clear he just does not get it that our government is NOT being responsive to America's own citizenry.

Friday’s speech prompted me to Tweet the President and many members of the media as well as Congress the following - @barackobama YES American Govt MUST be responsive to their citizens SO WHY do you ignore the #99ers??????????

NOTE to the PRESIDENT - pay very close attention to what is happening in Cairo and Alexandria Egypt today Sir - it is about to erupt right here in America.... and YOU & CONGRESS have no one but yourselves to blame.

When times are bleak and the news is full of sorrow, I simply must unplug and find something to laugh about. The video below is a hoot and hopefully it will bring a smile to your face.

[The donation button below is for Paladinette. If you like what I write please donate so I can keep on fighting for the 99ers! Thank You!]

Squirrel Funeral For The World's Greatest Squirrel - Be Kind To Animals

A squirrel managed to get into our indoor - outdoor den while we were away. A few days after we returned, the poor lost thing turned up dead in a corner of the room. Since it's more outdoor than in, and has a screen door, it must have entered in hybrid way that I didn't anticipate. At any rate, it seems to have electrocuted itself in our house, then froze during the great Georgia freeze of two weeks ago.

So, I thought it appropriate to give it a burial and funeral, and make a vlog of it.

The reason is simple: all too often we are exposed to images of people shooting animals. The latest example being Sarah Palin shooting moose in Alaska, then rubbing America's nose in it. It's helping to producing hard attitude among us, where we don't care about life. It's a horrible message to send to our kids.

So I made a place in a remote part of our yard, named the squirrel "World's Greatest Squirrel," buried it while it was in the double-wrapped plastic bags and with an air chamber in the smaller one, and had a ceremony.

What's a wee bit bothersome are some of the video comments on YouTube. Without sharing them, I'll just say this modern habit of coming up with a stupid argument to justify heartless acts - from the use of guns to racial discrimination - is getting beyond the pale.

I'm sick of it.

Life, in all forms, is to be celebrated. Just because we hunt for food doesn't mean the animal being hunted wants to be in that position. Moreover, we're conditioned to think that animals don't "think," but really how the hell do we know, anyway?

Some of us don't seem to think either.

So, this is my bid to right things. Yes, I'm a meat eater. I'll admit that. But also use meat alternatives when they're available. And just because I eat meat doesn't mean I have to want to hunt or not feel sad if an animal is killed, especially on my property.

And that's not supposed to happen.

We can draw the line. We should draw the line.

It's the civilized thing to do.  

Mark Zuckerberg, Jesse Eisenberg and Andy Samberg On SNL (Video)

NBC just released and posted the video from the Saturday Night Live (SNL) opening monologue featuring Jesse Eisenberg, Andy Samberg, and Facebook Founder, President and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

As you may know, Jesse Eisenberg plays Zuckerberg in the six-Oscar-nominated movie The Social Network. Andy Samberg is an SNL cast member who commonly plays Mark Zuckerberg. There was much speculation that Mark would not show up on tonight's SNL episode, but he did.

Kudos to NBC for getting the video compressed and uploaded so fast. The show's not even over!

As a note, the Oscar voting period closed on January 19th, so it's far too late for this show to have an impact on Academy Awards voting.  The Oscar best picture has already been selected by the 5,744 voting members of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), it's just a matter of counting the votes before the ABC telecast on February 27th.

Mark Zuckerberg And Jesse Eisenberg On Saturday Night Live

Mark Zuckerberg did it. He appeared on Saturday Night Live just about five minutes ago. After much media speculation today, the founder, President and CEO of Facebook appeared alongside the actor who portrayed him in The Social Network, Jesse Eisenberg.

The segment started off innocently enough, with Eisenberg coming out to a good audience ovation and explaining that he's really not who he appears to be - he's actually confident. And much different than the person he plays in The Social Network. That would be Zuckerberg.

Then SNL Actor Andy Samberg comes on stage saying that he's Mark Zuckerberg. As that's happening, the real Mark Zuckerberg is back stage with SNL's legendary producer Lorne Michaels. Mark explains that he should be out there because "I'm the real guy."

Cutting to the next scene, Eisenberg and Hader continue talking about which one played Zuck better, when Mark comes out on stage. Hader leaves almost immediately after explaining that the pairing of the two of them, Mark and Jesse, is "awkward."

So it's just Zuckerberg and Eisenberg. After some conversational dancing, Mark says he was "impressed" with Jesse's interpretation of him in The Social Network.

For a guy who's not an actor, Mark did an OK job of saying his lines. Look, he was stilted , OK. A bit robotic, to say the least. But give him credit - major props - for coming on the show and making it a memorable classic.

Stay tuned for the Twitter report!