Saturday, January 31, 2015

Negromancer's Fave Poli-Reads - January 2015 Edition - Updated #27


From TheNewYorker:  By Andy Borowitz - 6 weeks leave opposed by people who get 33 weeks paid leave.

From TheVox:  Even FOX News is ripping on the John Beohner plot to invite Benjamin Netanyahu (Throw -A-Net-Over-That Yahoo) to speak before Congress.

From TheDailyDot:  Blogger who outed Congressman Steve Scalise for his connection to Louisiana Klansman and Nazi, David Duke, had his home Internet connections cut.

From TheGuardian:  Eric Garner prosecutor has gall - I'll give him that.  His campaign for Congress should go through hell.  Hopefully, the activists will give him hell.

From Time:  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on what terrorists attacks are about.

From BuzzFlash:  The American Sambo Right (black conservative) manga Dr. King's message.

From YahooNews:  Steve Scalise voted "No" to MLK holiday while in the Louisiana legislature.  We're not surprised.

From TheDailyBeast:  This may be irony when it comes to cops and open-carry activist.

From TheDailyBeast:  Steve Scalise's Louisiana Nazis.

From RollingStone:  They are not exactly Charlie by Matt Taibbi.

From ReaderSupportedNewsSenator Elizabeth Warren announces her support for California Attorney General Kamala Harris in her bid to replace retiring Senator Barbara Boxer.

From WashingtonPost:  The Dept. of Justice curbs civil asset forfeiture.  I think the Washington Post's article last September helped this decision come to be.

From WashingtonPost:  The legacy of Bill Moyers.

From YahooNews:  Republicans can't condemn Klan-boy, Steve Scalise, but they'll compare President Obama to Hitler.

From CenLaMar:  The story that originally busted Steve Scalise as a Duker - a supporter of David Duke.  OK, that's not what the article said...

From TheIntercept:  David Cameron marches in Paris, while at home in the U.K., brown people are prosecuted for speech that offends white people

From HuffingtonPost:  A list of Charlie Hebdo cartoons that made the magazine a target.

From the NYT:  President Obama orders full restoration of relations with Cuba.

From USAToday:  Pope Francis plays role in Obama's Cuba plan.

From YahooNews:  The U.S. Supreme Court rejects a new challenge to the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare), although it is currently hearing one.

From RollingStone:  6 ideas for a cop-free world.

From TheIntercept:  In case you hadn't heard, Cuba is not returning Assata Shakur.

From CounterPunch:  I am a 20th century escaped slave.

From CounterPunch:  Raul Castro speaks.

From YahooAutos:  President Obama warns Americans not to get to comfortable with falling gas prices.

From RSN:  Yeah, this makes sense.

From NYT:  Ask Congressman Steve Scalise if he ever voted for David Duke.  For a lot of white men who were eligible to vote in the late 1980s and early 1990s, that will be their political kryptonite.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of January 25th to 31st, 2015 - Updated #19


NEWS:

From DenofGeek:  The simple reason why there was no "Tangled 2."

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From YahooNews:  First Lady Michelle Obama defends American Sniper at launch of "6 Certified."

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From YahooBeauty:  Disney introduces first Latina Disney Princess.

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From Grantland:  A really fine article about retired actor, Oscar-winner Gene Hackman.

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From Vulture:  Liam Hemsworth reportedly has been offered the lead in the Independence Day follow-up.

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From People:  Alex Gibney, a great director of great documentary films, has a shocking new film about Scientology.

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From Vulture:  Guardians of the Galaxy star, Chris Pratt, is rumored to be the new Indiana Jones.

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From ThePlaylist:  The leads in Paul Feig's Ghostbusters reboot are Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon & Leslie Jones.  Or these are the four who are in contract talks to star in the film.

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From Alternet:  Seven things about Chris Kyle not in American Sniper.

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From YahooMovies:  The winner of the box office for the weekend of 1/23 to 1/25/2015 is American Sniper with an estimated take of $64.4 million.  The film is a repeat winner, and this is one of the best second weekends ever.

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From Variety:  Kaya Scodelario has been named as the female lead in "Pirates of the Caribbean 5."

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From YahooMovies:  Oscar winner Dianne Wiest is struggling to pay her rent.


COMICS BOOKS:

From NerdReactor:  Jason Momoa likes the idea of a brown-skinned Aquaman.

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From YahooGames:  An article about TV shows based on comic books.

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From Variety:  Melissa Benoist is CBS' Supergirl.

From Variety:  Mehcad Brooks is the love interest of CBS' Supergirl.

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From Newsarama:  10 things worth noticing in the Fantastic Four trailer.

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From YahooTV:  The first teaser for the Fantastic Four reboot, and I think it looks great.  Now, will the movie be good...

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From CinemaBlend:  How the costumes in the Fantastic Four reboot film might look.

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From IGN:  Fox wants to develop a live action X-Men television series.


TRAILERS:

From 20th Century Fox:  The first teaser trailer for this year's Fantastic Four reboot.


MISC.:

From YahooSports:  Serena Williams wins her 6th Australian open title.  It is also her 19th major title (Grand Slam tournament) win, which is second all-time behind Stefi Graf's 22 (in the Open era).

Friday, January 30, 2015

Nevada Film Critics Society Name "Gone Girl" as Best Film of 2014

The Nevada Film Critics Society (NFCS) is apparently a society of film critics who reside in Nevada and produce film reviews for print, broadcast, radio, and online.

The Nevada Film Critics Society's 2014 Awards for Achievement in Film:

Best Film - Gone Girl'

Best Actor - Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler'


Best Actress - Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl'


Best Supporting Actor - JK Simmons for Whiplash'

Best Supporting Actress - Tie:
Jessica Chastain for A Most Violent Year'
Patricia Arquette for 'Boyhood' 


Best Youth Performance - Ellar Coltrane for Boyhood'


Best Director - Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler'

Best Screenplay - Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler'


Best Ensemble Cast - 'Guardians of the Galaxy'


Best Documentary - 'Citizenfour'

Best Animated Movie - 'Big Hero 6'

Best Production Design - Adam Stockhausen for The Grand Budapest Hotel'


Best Cinematography - Hoyte van hoytema for Interstellar'


Best Visual Effects - 'Interstellar'

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#SelmaForStudents Expands to Indianapolis and West Palm Beach

INDIANAPOLIS AND WEST PALM BEACH JOIN THE MOVEMENT TO BRING “SELMA” TO STUDENTS

MORE THAN 320,000 STUDENTS IN 34 LOCATIONS ACROSS THE U.S. WILL SEE ACADEMY AWARD® BEST PICTURE NOMINEE “SELMA” FOR FREE

ATLANTA, BOSTON, DETROIT, MIAMI, NEW YORK, NORTHERN NEW JERSEY, RALEIGH, DURHAM AND CHAPEL HILL, ST. LOUIS AND WASHINGTON D.C.ARE SOLD OUT

Indianapolis and West Palm Beach have joined the massive national campaign by African-American business leaders to raise funds for free student admission to the Academy Award®-nominated and Golden Globe-winning film “SELMA,” expanding the unprecedented movement to a total of 34 locations nationwide.

Following the lead of a team of African-American business leaders in New York and across the U.S., funds have been established in these cities that will allow students to see “SELMA” for free at participating theaters while supplies last.

The Selma for Students program has grown steadily since its launch in New York City on January 8th. To date, African-American business leaders across the U.S. have raised funds for free admission for middle and high school students to see “SELMA.” More than 320,000 students nationwide will experience the critically acclaimed film for free.

Due to the program’s popularity and the ongoing efforts of the organizers, student tickets in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Miami, New York, Northern New Jersey, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, St. Louis and Washington D.C. are sold out. Philadelphia expanded its program and added 3,000 more tickets to meet the overwhelming demand, while the business leaders in Northern New Jersey raised additional funds to send 1,000 students in Trenton, NJ to see the film.

The local business leaders who are leading the efforts in the new cities are:

·      Derrick Burks, Indianapolis Office, Managing Partner, E&Y; Lacy Johnson Esq., Partner Ice Miller LLP; Kristin Mays-Corbitt, President, Mays Chemical Company, Inc; Alan Mills, Partner, Barnes & Thornburg; Woodrow A. Myers Jr., M.D., CEO, Corizon Correctional Healthcare; Sam Odle, Senior Policy Advisor, Bose Public Affairs, Retired CEO of Methodist and University Hospitals; Derica Rice, CFO, EVP of Global Services, Eli Lilly & Co; and John T. Thompson, CEO, Thompson Distribution Co. in Indianapolis

“Consistent with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s journey from Selma to Montgomery and across this country for freedom and justice for all, we are pleased to join the journey with so many leaders in the U.S. in providing an opportunity for Indianapolis students to be inspired by ‘Selma.’ This continues the legacy of the late William G. (Bill) Mays as a nationally recognized business leader and philanthropist,” said Thompson.

·      Edrick Barnes, Sire Archon (President) Epsilon Lambda Boule, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, and Euclid Walker, Managing Partner, Parkway Investment Management, in West Palm Beach


“The men of Sigma Pi Phi fraternity are excited to support our local community by providing students in West Palm Beach the opportunity to see ‘Selma.’ The fraternity hopes that viewing the movie will serve as an educational opportunity to foster a greater appreciation of the rights and privileges that were born from the sacrifices of the Civil Rights Movement,” said Barnes.

“The film ‘Selma’ has ignited a national movement of business leaders supporting our youth to see a film which can be used as a teaching tool about the civil rights movement,” said Walker. “We’ve been delighted to work with national leaders and Paramount to ensure that Palm Beach County's youth benefit from this experience!”

These business leaders are following the lead of those in Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Central Florida/Orlando, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Charlotte, Chicago, Connecticut, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Montgomery, Nashville, New Orleans, New York City, Northern New Jersey, Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, San Diego, San Francisco, Sarasota, FL, St. Louis, Stockton, CA, Trenton, NJ, Washington D.C. and Westchester.

Viacom’s Paramount Pictures, which is distributing “SELMA,” is coordinating the programs with participating theaters in the U.S. For a list of participating theaters in select cities offering free admission to students during this program and for information on group sales, visit www.SelmaMovie.com/studenttickets

Middle and high school students who present a current student ID or report card at the box office of any participating theater will receive free admission while tickets last.

The nationwide efforts are inspired by the success of the program in New York City, in which 27 African-American business leaders created a fund for 27,000 of the city’s 7th, 8th and 9th grade students to see the film for free. Due to the overwhelming demand, the New York City effort sold out in the very first weekend and was expanded to 75,000 tickets.

To help get the word out about the program, tweet using the hashtag #SelmaForStudents.

Directed by DuVernay and starring David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr., “SELMA” is nominated for Academy Awards® for Best Picture and Best Original Song for “Glory” by Common & John Legend. The film earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Song for “Glory” and was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director.

Paramount Pictures, Pathé, and Harpo Films present “SELMA.” Produced by Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Oprah Winfrey, the film is executive produced by Brad Pitt, Cameron McCracken, Diarmuid McKeown, Nik Bower, Ava DuVernay, Paul Garnes and Nan Morales. The film is written by Paul Webb. “SELMA” is directed by Ava DuVernay.

“SELMA” is the story of a movement. The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement. Director Ava DuVernay’s “SELMA” tells the story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history. The film also stars Tom Wilkinson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Alessandro Nivola, Giovanni Ribisi, Common, Carmen Ejogo, Lorraine Toussaint, with Tim Roth and Oprah Winfrey as “Annie Lee Cooper.”

“SELMA” is playing in theaters nationwide. To learn more about the film, go to http://www.selmamovie.com

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

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Thursday, January 29, 2015

Webcomics Update: Grumble #1 Page 14


Page 14 is here: http://www.comicbookbin.com/grumbleone014.html

Leroy is on Patreon.


'Project Almanac" in Theatres Tomorrow, Friday, January 30th



IF YOU COULD GO BACK WHAT WOULD YOU REDO

Tell us at ProjectAlmanac.com/Redo and your Redo could be seen on theater screens and billboards across the US!

Synopsis: A brilliant high school student and his friends uncover blueprints for a mysterious device with limitless potential, inadvertently putting lives in danger.

Starring:  Jonny Weston, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Sam Lerner, Allen Evangelista, Ginny Gardner

Executive Producers: Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Vicki Dee Rock
Produced: Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller
Written: Jason Harry Pagan & Andrew Deutschman
Directed: Dean Israelite

Trailer: http://youtu.be/xsgKpmIZWr0
In theaters January 30th

Official Site: http://www.projectalmanac.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProjectAlmanacMovie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/almanacmovie

#ProjectAlmanac


The Killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson - January 2015 Edition - Update #20


From YahooNews:  Brawl erupts at meeting to find peace between black people and St. Louis cops.  White cop antagonizes until brawl erupts.

From DetroitFreePress:  After two hung juries, Joseph Weekley, the white Detroit cop who fatally shot a seven year old black girl during a raid, will not face a third trial.  The shooting happened during a raid that was filmed by the show, "The First 48."

From NYT:  The Justice Department will not bring charges against Darren Wilson, the man who killed Michael Brown.  Mike is dead.  Wilson is now a millionaire because of donations he received for killing a black man and the $500,000 ABC News gave him for exclusive, softball interview.  The victim is dead.  The killer is rich.  Yep, doesn't sound like a civil rights violation.

From NYT:  New Mexico killer cops charged with killing homeless man.

From RSN:  The cops who killed Tamir Rice tackled his sister to the ground when she tried to help her dying baby brother.

From FireDogLake:  Activists move to remove St. Louis County Prosecutor, Robert McCulloch, from office.

From TPM and News9:  White man shoots black police chief and will apparently get away with it.  Chief was not killed because he was wearing a bulletproof vest.

From StLouisDispatch:  A member of the Mike Brown grand jury wants to speak, and is suing district attorney, Bob McCulloch, to do so.

From Esquire:  Mike Brown, Sr. and the agony of the black father.

From YahooNews:  Trayvon Martin's killer ordered to turn in his weapons after this third arrest for domestic violence.

From TheDailyKos:  This Montana police officer specializes in killing unarmed men during routine traffic stops.  He's never been charged.

From RSN:  Over $300 million paid to settle misconduct suits and claims against the NYPD from 2006 to 2012.

From RSN:  The Justice Dept.'s report on the Cleveland Police Department.

From YahooNews:  #EndWhiteSilence - Pittsburgh's new police chief has more balls than the Steelers showed Saturday night.  15 points on offense? Really?

From YahooNews:  The "Black brunch" protests take off in NYC and Oakland.

From BuzzFlash:  Darren Wilson was likely paid for his ABC interview.  To date he may have received $1.5 million is fees and donations.  Consider that a bounty for killing a black man.

From AlJazeeraAmerica:  Decision reversed; "I Can't Breathe" T-shirts can be worn.

From People:  President Obama praises athletes for "I Can't Breathe" stance.

From CrooksandLiars:  Of course, the bastard did, and it is apparently not the first time.

From RSN:  The abuse of Mayor Bill de Blasio by the NYPD and related unions.

From TheGuardian:  Dear Fellow White People...

From TheGuardian:  Another "I Can't Breathe" t-shirt controversy.  The truth hurts, doesn't it.

From YahooNews:  There was hell to pay for the callous comments about the Mike Brown memorial in Ferguson.

From Yahoo News via RSN:  Hundreds of cop killings of civilians not reported to the FBI.

From Reuters via RSN:  Hillary Clinton backs federal probes of Mike Brown and Eric Garner killings.  Already she has more balls then so-called Democratic governors in Missouri and New York.