Pajamas Media

Film: Dreamgirls (The Supremes without “Baby Love”)

A continuing series of "out of school" Oscar reviews by Motion Picture Academy Member Roger L. Simon Dreamgirls starts out as if it just might be a "good-baddie," but no such luck. Especially in the second half, it's just plain bad, an interminable affair that keeps you wondering when this will be over - or in my case, since I was watching on an Academy screener, wishing I could channel surf my way out but unable to. Only the voice and appeal of Jennifer Hudson make this movie bearable - and just barely.

This is the way the Mideast ends, not with a whimper….

Two PajamasXpress writers are looking at the top question of 2007, “Oh my, whatever shall we do with Iran?”

Claudia Rosett is looking at a first-strike: “Even if it’s impossible to track down every iota of Iran’s sprawling nuclear program, it ought to be at least feasible to target the known nuclear-related installations, assorted crucial ministries, and enough in the way of Iran’s oil-export and gasoline-import facilities to give Ahmadinejad & Co. a deadly serious message of disapproval, backed by a large repair bill – costing not only money, but the precious element of time.” (The Rosett Report)

Not so fast, says Ron Rosenbaum, who examines the second-strike realities: “In the nuked-Israel scenario, it will likely be in the hands of the commanders of Israeli submarines equipped with nuclear armed missiles. Probably those three Dolphin Class subs the Israelis bought from the Germans.” (RonRosenbaum.com)

Carnivores in Suits

Victor Davis Hanson wraps up the year with reflections on “The Western Veneer,” when clothes do not make the man, the coming condemnation of Ethiopia, and the deep historic roots of anti-Americanism: ” ‘Death to America!’ and “The Great Satan” made their debut during the Iranian hostage crisis when Jimmy Carter was routinely burned in effigy. ” Read it now @ PajamasXpress

Oysters and Foie Gras and, By the Way, Saddam Was Hanged

by Nidra Poller , PJM Paris Editor Saddam Hussein, second from left, and Jacques Chirac, right, confer in Iraq's French-built nuclear power plant in the 1970s. The general tone of French media today is world weary--they hung Saddam, the violence continues, ferry boat accident off the coast of Java, foie gras and oysters...and wise guys. Ho-hum they hung Saddam: subdued reactions in Iraq, severe condemnation in Europe, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Hamastan and, most vehemently, in French think tanks. Europeans do not believe in capital punishment, democratic nations do not practice capital punishment, but then again, it wasn't really the Iraqis who hung Saddam, it was the Americans, it was George Booooosh. And hanging Saddam is a sign of Booooosh's weakness (he should know that democratic countries don't execute criminals). Besides how uncouth to do it on the dawn of this supremely holy day

2006: A World Awash in Fear and Fascism — The Year in Review

And all the news just repeats itself Like some forgotten dream that we've both seen. -- John Prine If you had to keyword 2006, you'd have to choose "Iraq, Bush, Iran, Bush, Israel, Bush, Hezbollah, Bush, Democrats, Bush, Ahmadinejad, Bush, Foley, Bush, Elections, Bush, Nuclear weapons, Bush, Global warming, Bush, Saddam, Bush, Everything Else, Bush." For a "lame duck," the policies and foibles, positions and mannerisms, thoughts and words of George Bush dominated the United States and the world in 2006 like no other leader since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Revealed by his actions if not his words as neither a Republican nor a Democrat, Bush has become the first "Quasi-Freeranger" President in history. "You" may have been Time magazine's choice for "Person of the Year," but like him or hate him, "You" live in a George Bush world. And will for two more years. Whatever will "You" do when he leaves the scene? Pajamas Media reported in on the changing state of our world 24/7 on every day of the past year. Here's some of the more essential or interesting stories that surfaced during that time.

Blog Week in Review: Claudia Rosett on the UN

December 28, 2006

This week’s special guest, Claudia Rosett, and host Austin Bay discuss the “Byzantine” nature of UN accountability at the close of the “stunningly hypocritical” reign of Kofi Annan. Also, a tour of major world issues from Russia, to China and North Korea, and how to strengthen democratic resolve in the face of rising regional threats. Ed Driscoll produces.

Brought to you by Volvo USA.

Claudia Rosett on the UN

The Blogosphere at War:

A paper by PJM’s Sydney editor Richard Fernandez aims “to describe how the blogosphere works; to situate it vis-a-vis the mainstream media and to indicate some of the ways it can be used as a weapon of information warfare.The reader may find many of the ideas half-baked, and the reader would be right. But perhaps this flawed little monograph can contribute in some small way to a discussion of what the blogosphere is and what it’s future might be. I truly believe that ‘it is possible that in the long run the global public will come to rely on fellow Internet users to learn about the world more than it will from professional journalists.’” (Belmont Club)

Why Ethiopia is Winning in Somalia

The keys to a surprising military campaign. by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross for Pajamas Media Edited by Richard Miniter The startlingly rapid retreat of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a Taliban-like group linked to Osama bin Laden, surprised military intelligence officers who less than a week ago were predicting a total route of Somalia's secular transitional federal government. The intensity of air strikes by Ethiopia, which has long been allied with the transitional government, has helped turn the tide. Ethiopia's ground forces, already based in Somalia, have also played a critical role. Ethiopia's success was not inevitable: This past week an American military intelligence officer told Pajamas Media that the ICU "will overrun Baidoa," where the transitional government has been headquartered, and that the only question was when Baidoa would fall. Pajamas Media spoke with the same officer yesterday. He is now optimistic about the Ethiopians' chances, with one caveat: "Unless you kill the ICU, it will come back. My worry is they'll drive the ICU out and it will come back in a couple of months."

Media as Theater of War:

In his latest podcast, Israellycool talks about the Herzliya Conference on Media as Theater of War, which he attended. Included are interviews with bloggers Richard Fernandez (Pajamas Media Sydney editor), Michael Totten, Martin Solomon, Richard Landes, and Joe Hyams, the Managing Director of Honest Reporting.

Film: Babel and The Pursuit of Happyness

A continuing series of "out of school" Oscar reviews by Motion Picture Academy Member Roger L. Simon Two of this year's notable films - Babel and The Pursuit of Happyness - share a theme of concern for children. I don't know whether that constitutes a trend. But it's certainly in the air. And who could deny this theme's importance or its drama? I guess I am a Philistine because I didn't much care for Babel - the third part of a trilogy by highly regarded Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu. The movie has raves from some of our toniest critics, won the best director prize at Cannes and is the recipient of seven Golden Globe nominations, including best drama. But I found it chic and tendentious. Worse, in fact.