The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Actor Bryan Cranston plays a quadriplegic in the new film The Upside  and some are not happy about it, claiming that it's wrong for an "able-bodied" (I hate that term) actor to play the part over a disabled one. While I can empathize with disabled actors and feel they should receive more opportunities than they do, I feel the critiques leveled toward Cranston are misguided. It may sound overly simplistic, but actors act. That's what they do. Those who receive the most acclaim are the actors who can master starkly different characters in an array of genres. Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, and Daniel Day-Lewis are all prime examples of this. Actors who consistently attempt to expand their horizons by going out of their comfort zones for parts tend to be the most widely respected. Those who are typecast for a single character or part, while they may be successful at the box office, they're often parodied by comics and shut out at awards ceremonies. What will impress audie...

I'm amazed by what Vanderbilt head basketball coach Kevin Stallings yelled at one of his players following the team's 73-65 victory over Tennessee on Thursday night, but am even more amazed by the majority of people's reactions to the situation (commentators on websites anyhow). As Stallings was shaking hands with his opponent after the game, a Tennessee staff member informed the Vanderbilt head coach about one of his players, Wade Baldwin IV, clapping in the face of Tennessee forward Armani Moore after the Commodores sealed their victory. Kevin Stallings then went up to his player and angrily yelled, "I'm going to f**king kill you!" This occurred in front of most everybody holding a camera, so after the inevitable backlash, Stallings told ESPN the following: "I handled it completely inappropriately and I apologized to Wade -- and I need to apologize to our fans and the Vanderbilt administration. Having said that, and it may seem as though I'm...

So, apparently, the GOP-controlled House has declared that they likely won't vote on immigration reform because of the deal President Obama made to get Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl home. Am I surprised? No. Do I find it kind of funny? In a sad sort of way, yes. This is nothing new for Congressional Republicans since Obama stepped into office. They've continually declared that they can't do their jobs because of a decision the president made which they don't agree with. There was "Obamacare," Benghazi, the IRS, the healthcare website, Fast and Furious, the NSA, drones, Solyndra, and now Bergdahl (among others). Here's a basic rundown of how these discussions go: Reporter: "So, do you think there will be enough Republicans whom vote for this bill to aid our veterans in order for it to pass?" GOP Congressperson: "It's unlikely we'll be voting on the bill at this time." Reporter: "Why is that?" GOP Congressperson:...

Earlier today, I read an article entitled, "Want To Kill A Conversation? Ask Someone What They Do," written by Carolyn Gregoire of The Huffington Post  and I found it to be quite interesting. While I think "kill" might be a bit strong in most cases, I think the writer does have a point. In the article, Ms. Gregoire lays down the reality that while some people may be happy with and proud of their jobs, many are not, and in our country especially, there seems to be a tendency to judge one based on his or her profession and see the person as their profession. Ms. Gregoire closes her article with this: "Some people love what they do and find deep meaning in their careers, while others are happy to have jobs that pay the bills so that they can pursue their passions outside work. And still others have not had the freedom and financial means to pursue meaningful careers. In any case, who we are is a far more complex and wonderful thing than what we do." S...

Sometimes I'm embarrassed of being a man. No, I'm not thinking about having an operation and changing my name to Justine Beaver. However, between many men seeing women as nothing more than mere sex objects and fighting with all their might to away women's rights, I have to shake my head and do my best girlfriend or wife impersonation by giving these men the evil eye (any straight guy who says he doesn't know about this "look" doesn't know his left ear from his right testicle). As men continue to try and take away women's reproductive rights, prevent them from getting contraception included in their employer-based healthcare coverage, as well as prevent them from receiving equal pay, the Iowa Supreme Court decided to continue this lovely trend on Friday. A male dentist (James Knight) fired his female assistant (Melissa Nelson) because she was viewed as too physically attractive and threatened he and his wife's obviously wonderful marriage. A cou...

A big story is being made about a new Gallup poll which shows that more people now have a favorable view (49%) than an unfavorable view (46%) of former President George W. Bush. It's the first time since 2005 that this has occurred. In my opinion, this is about as big of a story as the fact I wrote with a pen at one point today. First thing's first, Gallup has about as solid a reputation over the past year as Mitt Romney does of smooth-talking women. Secondly, toward the end of his presidency, Gallup had then President Bush at 32% approval. Other polls had him even lower than that. Lastly, Bush has been out of office now for 4.5 years. Given the fact less than one-third of the people in this country approved of the job he was doing as president toward the very end of his tenure, I'm sure there are a great number of people, myself included, whom have a much more favorable view of him out of the Oval Office than in it. How much easier is it to compliment a person who ...

So, like last summer, President Obama is trying to work with Congress on a way to prevent student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1st of this year (from 3.4 to 6.8%). The president is trying to be, you know, presidential. What did Indiana Republican Representative Luke Messer have to say about this? Just the following: "It's not only a distraction from issues like Benghazi and the IRS and Department of Justice, but it's a distraction from the fact that the real threat to college-age students in America today is not a few more dollars on their student loan, it's the fact that the explosive growth of debt, the fact that the jobs in this economy for young people entering the marketplace have been the people probably most hurt by the Obama policies." Minnesota Republican Representative John Kline added: "It's time for the president to stop politicizing the student loan issue. The president and House Republicans agree on the need for a long-t...

Main character: Buster Magnum, who just got out of jail for committing gun- and meth-related crimes Setting: Pharmacy Buster Magnum: "Hey, I'd like to get some Sudafed please." Pharmacist Cindy Chu: "I'll need to see some ID." Magnum: "ID? I don't have any ID. I just got out of jail and have really bad, um, allergies." Chu: "I'm sorry, sir, but I won't be able to provide you with any Sudafed until you show me some ID." Setting: Job interview to become a greeter at Wal-Mart Interviewer Chip Filet: "Good afternoon, Mr. Magnum. So, tell me, what interested you in this position?" Magnum: "I just got out of jail. I need a job. I thought even with my history, I could get this job." Filet: "I see... So, if I may ask, what were you in jail for?" Magnum: "I had a meth lab in my grandma's garage. I did a lot of that stuff, and sold it too. When I was high on it one time, I just...