The Precious Effect

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard about the movie "Precious." Or, to use the full contractual title, "Precious: based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire."

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll tell you that I have not seen the movie, and I have no intent of ever seeing the movie. I've gleaned enough from commercials, interviews, and reviews to know that my life will be rich and full without a dose of Precious.

To borrow some words from Joe Morgenstern, the Wall Street Journal's film critic (whose opinions are usually quite reliable), Precious is about a "black, illiterate, obese, sexually abused, implacably hostile and all-but-mute girl growing up in Harlem."

Well. Enough of my tax dollars subsidize that sort of pathology in real life, I don't feel the need to plunk down $10 and immerse myself in it for two hours. But I've been pondering two questions: why was this movie made, and why do people go to see it?

If you detect a whiff of Oprah, you're right; if you're looking for a payday, pitch Oprah a story about a Brave Black Woman Beating the Odds. A revolting novel by an angry Black lesbian (a threefer!) named Sapphire will do quite nicely.

But that only explains the act of bringing source material to screen; how to explain the ticket sales? The usually-reliable but alas now clay-footed Joe Morgenstern inadvertently answered that question in his December 18, 2009 column The Year in Film, in which he named Precious one of the best films of 2009. He observes that Precious has become a crossover hit, which is:

"clearly a tribute to the film, but also to the audience that has embraced it."

A tribute to the audience that has embraced it. Aha! People who embrace this movie deserve to feel good about themselves, seeing Precious places you among The Elect. Yeah, now I get it. Precious is the cinematic equivalent of a Prius, conspicuously holier-than-thou consumption. And I'll betcha that no one sees this movie without proclaiming that fact to others; a Prius you can see, but movie selections have to be dropped into conversation or else they are worthless.

Woe to you, Joe. You drank the koolaid.

Pantybomber

Pantybomber.

Fruit of the Boom.

Is that a bomb in your pocket, or are you just happy you're flying Northwest?

The possibilities are endless.

Here's my question: if, because of Religion of Peace member Richard Reid's incendiary shoe, we all have to take our shoes off at the airport, what are we going to have to take off now? And what insipid, reactionary, ineffective screening processes will be implemented instead of the only thing that works, profiling? We should learn from El Al.

Protests in Sirjan, Iran

The video will be greatly disturbing to our current President and his Administration, because it shows people standing up to tyranny and taking their destiny into their hands. It was filmed in Sirjan, Iran, and shows protesters cutting down two men who were being hanged by the Iranian regime.

Iranians have been rioting for days, but our President hasn't had a word to say.

Oppressed people struggling for freedom can't trust in America as long as Obama is in power, but they seem to be making do with the internet. Thank God for Youtube.

Obama advisors consider how terror list used

That's right, that's the Associated Press headline. In the aftermath of the failed attempt to bring down a Northwest airliner, advisors are in Hawaii briefing the President on national security threats during his non-religious Christmas vacation, and AP reports that "Obama advisors consider how terror list used."

Raise your hand if you think he's been using it as a fundraising list thus far.

Flying Dutchman

As part of a multicultural and inclusive Christmas celebration, one of those wacky kids in the Religion of Peace tried and failed to bring down a Northwest jet on Christmas Day.

Apparently Mr. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (gee, who saw that coming?) hasn't heard the news: America elected a youthful, transformative President, and the world loves us again. Any minute now, Obama will travel to Yemen, bow deeply to their leader, cross his fingers behind his back and click his heels together in the desperate hope for his first foreign policy success.

In the meantime, the passengers on Flight 253 owe their survival to Dutch passenger Jasper Schuringa, who, while the rest of the passengers were screaming "fire, fire!" recognized the situation for what it was: an act of Islamic Terrorism in progress. He sprang into action, leapt across seats and extinguished the fire with his hands while the rest of the adjacent passengers, presumably Obama voters, sat idly and waited for someone else to fix the problem.

It's no surprise that Schuringa was quick to act, the Dutch have had their problems with a restive and violent Muslim population (see photo above). Just ask Theo Van Gogh, stabbed to death on the street for making a film about the plight of women under Islam, or Ayaan Hirsi Ali, an associate of Van Gogh, who fled to America when the Dutch authorities were too cowardly to protect her.

If it's been a while since you've seen Dutch politician Geert Winders' film, Fitna, it's time for a refresher.

A sad lesson in body language

Here we see Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Obama chatting during the Copenhagen climate conference. You don't have to stare at the photo very long to identify the alpha dog at this meeting.

How does it benefit America to have a President who travels the world as a groveling mendicant? Does Wen Jiabao look like he gives a flying fig about anything Obama is saying, or is he thinking to himself "the empty suit is trying to do sex to me!?"

Maybe he's just waiting for his kowtow, like the ones Obama gave to the leaders of Japan and Saudi Arabia.

Amateur hour at the White House

The chart above (squint, damn you) was developed by J.P. Morgan, and comes to us courtesy of Nick Schultz at the American Enterprise Institute, who notes the following:

A friend sends along the following chart from a J.P. Morgan research report. It examines the prior private sector experience of the cabinet officials since 1900 that one might expect a president to turn to in seeking advice about helping the economy. It includes secretaries of State, Commerce, Treasury, Agriculture, Interior, Labor, Transportation, Energy, and Housing & Urban Development, and excludes Postmaster General, Navy, War, Health, Education & Welfare, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security—432 cabinet members in all.

When one considers that public sector employment has ranged since the 1950s at between 15 percent and 19 percent of the population, the makeup of the current cabinet—over 90 percent of its prior experience was in the public sector—is remarkable.

And you've been wondering why it seems like Amateur Hour at the White House?

Konrad Bunde for President

Notice anything different about the cadet with the book, besides the book?

The ribbons on his chest. This young man (since identified as Konrad Bunde) has seen combat, and acquitted himself admirably. In a manner more immediate and personal than many of his fellow cadets, and certainly more than his Commander in Chief, he understands the practical realities of war.

The fact that America can continue to turn out brave young men and women like those at West Point makes me proud. The succinct, no-nonsense title of the book he is reading gives me hope. That he has a Mona Lisa smile while reading a book entitled "Kill Bin Laden" makes me grin.

Victory. The word was missing from Obama's address at West Point, but don't doubt for a moment that the goal is present in the hearts of everyone in that audience.

My deepest appreciation, gratitude, and love for every member of America's armed forces, who protect the American Ideal and her People from those who wish to do us harm.

Kill Bin Laden, by Dalton Fury. Makes a great stocking stuffer.

Kudos on the timely cover

The January 2010 cover of Golf Digest.

Two world-famous men, neither of whom you can trust. I wonder who is more embarrassed to have been portrayed with the other...

Blogger Buzz: Coming up Next...

Blogger Buzz: Coming up Next...

This is how Blogger explains the botch they've made of the Next Blog feature. It used to be interesting, visiting completely random blogs about different subjects from all over the world.

Now, however, Blogger has decided that I want to visit blogs dealing with wedding photography and strangers' babies. WTF?

I recommend that Blogger restore the randomness to the Next Blog feature until they get their algorithm straightened out. The blogs it selects for me (the aforementioned wedding photography and strangers' babies) are bewildering and disappointing. Not because of any defect in the blogs, but because of my complete lack of interest and the utter lack of connection between wedding photography, babies, and this blog.

Obama votes present

During the 2008 Presidential campaign, the Democrats began uttering a mantra in front of every live camera: Iraq was a war of choice, Afghanistan is a war of necessity. War of choice, war of necessity. They kept repeating it over and over in the hopes that it would drill itself into the brains of the more soft-headed segments of the electorate, and it worked.

Unfortunately, when it came time for Obama to end his dithering and announce his plans for the war of necessity, he discounted his General's request by 25% and focused more of ensuring a speedy exit than ensuring victory. Victory, a word he did not use once.

But the bloom is off the rose. Finally, the world is beginning to shake free of the personality cult, even if the American Left is not. From Der Spiegel, in a corner of the world where, recently, tens of thousands filled a Nuremburg stadium* to swoon, faint, and cheer:

Never before has a speech by President Barack Obama felt as false as his Tuesday address announcing America's new strategy for Afghanistan. It seemed like a campaign speech combined with Bush rhetoric -- and left both dreamers and realists feeling distraught.

*********

But in this case, the public was more disturbed than entertained. Indeed, one could see the phenomenon in a number of places in recent weeks: Obama's magic no longer works. The allure of his words has grown weaker.

It is not he himself who has changed, but rather the benchmark used to evaluate him. For a president, the unit of measurement is real life. A leader is seen by citizens through the prism of their lives -- their job, their household budget, where they live and suffer. And, in the case of the war on terror, where they sometimes die.

Political dreams and yearnings for the future belong elsewhere. That was where the political charmer Obama was able to successfully capture the imaginations of millions of voters. It is a place where campaigners -- particularly those with a talent for oration -- are fond of taking refuge. It is also where Obama set up his campaign headquarters, in an enormous tent called "Hope."

In his speech on America's new Afghanistan strategy, Obama tried to speak to both places. It was two speeches in one. That is why it felt so false. Both dreamers and realists were left feeling distraught.

The American president doesn't need any opponents at the moment. He's already got himself.

* Crowds gathering in Nuremburg in 2009 to cheer a charismatic politician who promises to change the world; gee, when's the last time that happened?

Tigerwhipped

From now on, Accenture's "We know what it takes to be a Tiger" ads are going to make us recall how little blonde Elin Woods put the cat out, chased Tiger Woods out of the house at 2:30 a.m. and set about his Caddy with a 7 iron.

Probably not the brand association Accenture is looking for.