The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

1) Social Security Trumped at 200: The main reason Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race was because of his ubiquitously panned debate performance against Donald Trump. What stood out to most viewers was not the contrast in policy proposals; it was the contrast in energy. Joe Biden looked and sounded old. Donald Trump, while old, possessed a much greater level of energy. That was one of his calling cards throughout the campaign - "Look and listen to Biden; he's old. He falls down. He has dementia. Look how much younger I appear than him." The first thing I noticed on Tuesday night was how old Trump looked and sounded. Gone was the enthusiasm. Gone was the energy. He sounded weak, tired, ill. There's been much speculation regarding his health throughout his first month and a half in office. From hand bruises, to trouble walking, to a significant decrease in spoken pace, rumors have circulated - anything from heart problems to syphilis. I can't confir...

Let's be honest; critics have consistently, historically been all over the place with Muse. Some have long branded them as Spinal Tap come to life; others have claimed they're one of the best bands of this generation, if not the very best; and of course, there are many who have placed themselves between these extremes. Why has there been so much disagreement? Because while every critic has the right to voice his or her opinion, that's all they are - opinions. Musical taste is subjective. One person may love Metallica; the next individual may have a thing for Kenny G; and yet another may have a fantasy of Metallica collaborating with Kenny G. That doesn't make any of the three right or wrong (although I am now kind of curious to hear this hypothetical collaboration). Once again, they're just expressing their own personal viewpoints. Given that, why is it that some have the seeming need for a critic to see eye-to-eye with their opinion on a song or album...

I admit I have a soft spot for comedians, especially in the social media age. Maybe it's partially due to me being a satirist, but even if I were to remove that fact from the equation, I think I'd still contend comedians are often times treated unfairly in this country. Laughter really is one of the best medicines. Seriously. What helps when you're stressed out? Laughter. What can reduce blood pressure? Laughter. What reduces heart problems? Laughter. What can help elongate a person's life? Laughter. We may not realize all this at the time, but just think about it - how do we feel after cracking up at something? A sense of relief; like a weight's been removed from our shoulders; lighter; warmer; happy. Laughter is healthy. This is why we go to comedy clubs, watch goofy sitcoms, check out "Airplane!" for the umpteenth time, or invite that silly friend to a get-together.  Having said all that, I'd be remiss if I didn't also acknowledge the fact jokes...

On January 31st of last year, I published a blog which shared the story of my battles with sexual abuse and epilepsy growing up; the depression and suicidal thoughts which sprung from them; and how artist Marilyn Manson's interviews and music essentially saved me. Within hours of releasing that extremely personal story, actress Evan Rachel Wood published an Instagram post, which alleged Manson of multiple forms of abuse, including sexual. While it was an incredibly surreal moment for me, I refused to comment on it until both parties made their case and evidence was gathered one way or the other. Yes, call me crazy, but even as an abuse-survivor myself, while I feel every abuse allegation should be taken seriously, I'm also a staunch believer in due-process. For the most part, Manson (real name Brian Warner) stayed mum following the allegations. Not long after Ms. Wood posted her Instagram message, he shared one of his own, where he vehemently denied all allegations. After that,...

I've always been fascinated by controversial art. I think it's because I've found it intriguing to witness what constitutes as "controversial" throughout history; how the definitions have differed/evolved over the years; and just how wrong people often are when it comes to the genuine message and intent behind such works.  The latest such hoopla has centered around the French film "Cuties," which was released on Netflix over the past month. The film's release prompted a nationwide cyber-protest/boycott of the film-streaming giant, which resulted in roughly 8 times the number of cancelled accounts as was typical. So, how did the controversy come to be? Honestly, not until Netflix grabbed hold of it. "Cuties" was praised by critics upon its international release, so much so that it resulted in an award at Sundance. When Netflix picked it up, however, they decided to release an unseemly poster of the 11-year-old girls, at the center of the fil...

When I saw the name Scarlett Johansson trending on Twitter the other day, I knew it couldn't be good. She was being taken down by the cyber-mob due to something she said in a recent interview with artist David Salle of As If  magazine. Here's the back-and-forth which got her into trouble. Salle: "Are we seeing an acting trend today?" Johansson: "Hmm... We live in such a weird time that is sort of identity-less in a lot of ways. I don't know if there's a trend in performance, but there's certainly trends in casting right now. Today there's a lot of emphasis and conversation about what acting is and who we want to see represent ourselves on screen. The question now is, what is acting any way?" Salle: "Right. Who gets to play what roles..." Johansson: "You know, as an actor I should be allowed to play any person, or any tree, or any animal because that is my job and the requirements of my job." Salle: "Yes. Mus...

Former respected attorney and current Trump ass-kisser, Alan Dershowitz, recently made his thoughts known on Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann and his family's $250 million lawsuit against  The Washington Post  for libel. Speaking on Hill.TV's  Rising , Dershowitz said the following: "I think they have a reasonable case, I mean the world was guilty of libel. These poor kids seemed to be doing exactly the right thing, and then suddenly because they are thought to be white, privileged kids, suddenly everyone's ganging up on them. I'd be interested to see how the case unfolds. I mean they're asking for a lot of money, I don't think that's going to be taken too seriously. But I do think that they have a significant case and it will be interesting to see how the Post defends against their reporting in the case. It's important to air this issue out in the public, and one of the functions that a suit like this has is to lay it all out ...

On December 10th, 2018 at 9 am EST, we were presented with the worst article of the year. Via The Hill , right-wing shill Sharyl Attkisson released an op-ed entitled, "Mueller's findings don't matter." It only got worse from there. Let's dissect it now, shall we? Attkisson started her piece (of garbage) with this: "In part, it's the length of time that it's taken that has rendered special counsel Robert Mueller's probe functionally irrelevant." Tell that to the 33 individuals who have been charged thus far... "I submit that the die was largely cast prior to Mueller's appointment on May 17, 2017. Perhaps if there had been a quick investigation with prompt findings inside of a couple of months, things might be different. But nearly 19 months of speculation, breathless leaks and innuendo - true and false - have taken on lives of their own, providing time for each side to dig in." Apparently Ms. Attkisson believes federal ...

As long-time readers should know by now, I love the band Muse. Even though they're huge everywhere in the world except the country I reside, and due to them releasing a song for a Twilight movie soundtrack ("Neutron Star Collision") they've been branded as "uncool" amongst some in the U.S. (psst, they'd been around 14 years prior to that song's release, releasing 5 studio albums in that timeframe, but I digress), they're far and away my favorite all-time group. There are several reasons for this: 1) They're technically brilliant musicians; 2) No album sounds alike; 3) The band transcends genre; 4) They're unafraid of exposing their innermost nerd to the world; 5) Similarly, they're unafraid of tackling controversial subjects, including politics; 6) They always appear to be having fun, never taking themselves too seriously; and 7) You've never seen a concert until you've witnessed a Muse concert. Having said that, here's my...