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Reeling With the Feeling, Don't Stop, Continue
OK, now this is exploiting the economic crisis.
In an act that promises to upend New York City’s political world, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg plans to announce Thursday that he will seek a third term as mayor, according to four people who have been told of his intentions.
...
In his appearance on Thursday, they said, Mr. Bloomberg, a former Wall Street trader and the founder of a billion-dollar financial data firm, will argue that the worldwide financial crisis—with its potentially severe impact on New York City—demands his steady hand and business experience.
As the Times points out, Bloomberg used to be a supporter of term limits. He had real life experience with the law when, in 2001, Rudy Giuliani mused about entering the election between Bloomberg and Mark Green to win a third caretaker term. No one believes that some political novice billionaire could guide the city through the wreckage of 9/11. And then he, you know, did. So why not just talk former Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons into re-entering the race, if the times call for business experience?
Is Bloomberg regretting that he didn't jump into the presidential race? Maybe the popularity of Obama and McCain made the prospect less likely, but on Earth-2, where Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul took the D, R, and L nominations...
My 2007 skeptic's take on Bloombergmania is here.
|10.1.08 @ 9:56AM|#
but on Earth-2
Actually, Bloomberg does look like a Grendler. But I have a feeling
that's not the Earth 2 you're talking about.
|10.1.08 @ 9:58AM|#
Now is not the time for skeptics to cling blindly to their
ideology of the rule of law. This time of crisis calls for strong
leadership, one not bound by the quaint conventions of term limits,
which were drafted way back when economic stagnation was
inconceivable.
For the love of God, people, something has to be done.
Something!
Alan Vanneman|10.1.08 @ 9:59AM|#
To paraphrase Rochefoucauld, something I've been doing a lot lately, it is easier to find a politician who has never run for President than one who has run only once. But Bloomberg is edging into Mario Cuomo territory: he wants to hang around so that he can think about running for President again.
Guy Montag|10.1.08 @ 9:59AM|#
I hope his announcement alone will save the people and Polar Bears being tossed into the streets due to the greatest financial crisis since Jesus kicked the bankers out of the Temple.
Elemenope|10.1.08 @ 10:01AM|#
Actually, Bloomberg does look like a Grendler. But I have a
feeling that's not the Earth 2 you're talking about.
The first episode of that show was really good, but it was down
hill from there. And fast. At least it had Clancy Brown. The Kurgan
rocks the house, always.
But this other Earth-2 y'all speak of. Is there a portal there,
where an interesting race is occurring. I can pay for fare...
Guy Montag|10.1.08 @ 10:07AM|#
I hear that Mayor Bloomberg is an active user of DHMO as a performance enhanser . . .
|10.1.08 @ 10:08AM|#
The first episode of that show was really good, but it was
down hill from there. And fast. At least it had Clancy Brown. The
Kurgan rocks the house, always.
Yes, Clancy Brown kicked it up a notch. It was mediocre, but the
good kind of mediocre.
Guy Montag\'s Medulla Oblongat|10.1.08 @ 10:14AM|#
I am so glad that my forebrain has recaptured its sense of humor. I had given it up for lost, and just gone on pumping my heart and filling my lungs, not knowing to what end. It is tragic when an autonomous system has an existential crisis, you know!
|10.1.08 @ 10:23AM|#
Really, though, could a third Bloomberg term be worse than whoever the Democrats will put up as a candidate for mayor?
|10.1.08 @ 10:28AM|#
Really, though, could a third Bloomberg term be worse than
whoever the Democrats will put up as a candidate for
mayor?
I voted for Bloomberg over Mark Green, thinking the same. I was
wrong. And I stopped voting even locally.
Guy Montag\'s Spicy Regurgitat|10.1.08 @ 10:41AM|#
Who the heck was that?
The guy who blocks people out of hand loses the right to know who
is behind a name.
rhywun|10.1.08 @ 10:46AM|#
Really, though, could a third Bloomberg term be worse than whoever the Democrats will put up as a candidate for mayor?
Now that Bloomberg's an independent, I wonder if the Republicans
are going to bother fielding a candidate.
|10.1.08 @ 10:49AM|#
Y'all just hate short people, that's all. If some tall mofo was running for a third, you'd all line up in his long afternoon shadow!
|10.1.08 @ 10:58AM|#
I'd vote for the Kurgan.
Yeah, but think of how many terms he'd want to run for. He's
immortal; he might end up in office as long as Daley.
rhywun|10.1.08 @ 11:01AM|#
you're missing a hell of a beatdown in the Sarahcuda thread.
I skipped that one. Now it appears to be off the rails? 'Sup over
there?
|10.1.08 @ 11:03AM|#
rhywun,
Oh, the usual... all gay men are pedophiles and the Catholic Church
was perfect until gays were invented in the 1960s... that sort of
tripe.
|10.1.08 @ 11:05AM|#
SugarFree,
How astute of you to point that out. I said much the same thing
yesterday:
I would assume that Bloomberg will attempt to repeal the term limits, then run for office. He'll lobby for the former by saying that New York can't play second fiddle to Chicago in the perpetual rule department. Once the term limits are thrown out, he will take the sandtrout as his skin and rule New York for the next 3,500 years as its God Mayor.
Elemenope|10.1.08 @ 11:09AM|#
Yeah, but think of how many terms he'd want to run for. He's
immortal; he might end up in office as long as Daley.
Yeah, but if you wanted to term limit him, you just need to lop off
his head. Compared to most methods, that one is pretty simple.
|10.1.08 @ 11:10AM|#
PL,
I'm pretty sure Bloomy already has blue within blue eyes.
By the way, who didn't catch the reference?
|10.1.08 @ 11:15AM|#
SugarFree,
If you mean who didn't understand it yesterday, that would be Naga.
Sith lords are notorious for confusing Ghostbusters and
Dune. It's their idiom.
|10.1.08 @ 11:15AM|#
Yeah, but if you wanted to term limit him, you just need to
lop off his head. Compared to most methods, that one is pretty
simple.
Maybe we can do that with Bloomberg.
By the way, who didn't catch the reference?
Mr. Sadow.
rhywun|10.1.08 @ 11:16AM|#
Oh, the usual... all gay men are pedophiles and the Catholic Church was perfect until gays were invented in the 1960s... that sort of tripe.
Ugh, fags *and* God?? I'm staying out of that one. Arguments about
shit you learned as a toddler are a waste of time.
|10.1.08 @ 11:17AM|#
Yeah, but if you wanted to term limit him, you just need to
lop off his head.
Just don't half-ass it like Ramirez.
Top Five Favorite Bad Movies: Action Fantasy
Division
Conan The Barbarian
Highlander
The One
Big Trouble In Little China
Dragonslayer
Guy Montag|10.1.08 @ 11:18AM|#
Really, though, could a third Bloomberg term be worse than
whoever the Democrats will put up as a candidate for
mayor?
A RINO is still a Democrat, no matter what animal he uses as a
logo.
|10.1.08 @ 11:27AM|#
Dragonslayer
I will confess to having a place in my heart for that movie, more
for the romance than the dragon.
|10.1.08 @ 11:29AM|#
SugarFree,
Following your liberal interpretation of "bad", I still must object
to the inclusion of Conan and especially Big Trouble
in Little China. Highlander has some badishness, but
it definitely works. Its sequels are abominations, of course.
Elemenope|10.1.08 @ 11:35AM|#
Just don't half-ass it like Ramirez.
Fucking LOL.
By the way, who didn't catch the reference?
Mr. Sadow.
Naga? That's sad, dude.
Whoa now, since when has intimate knowledge of the *latter*
Dune books been a make-or-break geek card rejection
offense? God Emperor of Dune? I fucking quit after
Dune Messiah as it was my sense it was better to quit
while I was ahead rather than be horrifically disappointed. I get
the reference only because Wikipedia exists and has *copious*
entries on the Dune universe.
And nobody can take my fucking geek card. You'd have to pry it from
my cold, dead hands, etc. etc..
|10.1.08 @ 11:39AM|#
Elemenope,
While the later books aren't as good as Dune, I actually
rather like them. Of course, you clearly would fail the gom
jabbar, so I shouldn't hold you to the same standards as I
hold myself, the Kwisatz Haderach.
Go, and read the rest of the books. Twice!
|10.1.08 @ 11:42AM|#
And nobody can take my fucking geek card.
(hits LMNOP in nuts with volleyball, grabs geek card)
GREENMAN
Highlander has some badishness, but it definitely works. Its
sequels are abominations, of course.
Highlander is one of those movies that is terribly written
yet still contains exactly the right elements to thrill teenage
boys. Kind of like...Star Wars episodes 4, 6, and 6.
Russell Mulcahy proved how shitty of a writer and director he was;
he just got lucky with the first one.
robc|10.1.08 @ 11:44AM|#
lmnop,
The first episode of that show was really good, but it was down
hill from there. And fast.
I so wanted that show to succeed. I didnt make it to episode
3.
I want a good colonization TV show. Someone needs to buy the rights
to Legacy of Heorot and make it into a show. I recommend
Avalon for a title if it hasnt already been used.
Lot of potential for sexy soap-opera side plots. Lots of characters
to work with.
Here is my thoughts:
Season 1 - starts on earth, develop the characters. Cover the trip
including the emergency on the way.
Spend a number of episodes on the intial landing/colonization crew
before everyone was thawed out.
Rest of first season is the colonization/exploration/relationships
of the people.
Late in the season we get to the grendel, season 1 ends with
Cadmann heading into the mountains.
If they wanted, it could be spread out with only initial hints of
the grendel at end of season 1 and Cadmann leaving at end of season
2.
This obviously depends on good writers being able to develop enough
other subplots outside the novel.
At that point, season 3 and 4 right themselves for those who have
read the novel and then you end the show.
|10.1.08 @ 11:47AM|#
OK, OK... Bad movies in the sense that they are not generally
considered good movies by the cretinous public at large.
No, you don't have to know God Emperor to be a geek, but I
thought Naga aspired to more...
robc|10.1.08 @ 11:48AM|#
Here is my thoughts
Article A on why Im not in Hollywood writing the TV shows I want to
see.
robc|10.1.08 @ 11:49AM|#
lmnop,
I quit Dune after God Emperor. I enjoyed it but decided I didnt
care about that universe any more.
|10.1.08 @ 11:49AM|#
robc,
I always though that a degenerate generation ship tv series could
make a go of it.
Even though, I am generally bored with societal de-evolution SF, i
think it could work.
robc|10.1.08 @ 11:50AM|#
Oh, and I think its sad that Naga didnt get the reference. I think you can figure that one out from the first book and knowing the titles of the rest.
robc|10.1.08 @ 11:51AM|#
degenerate generation ship tv series
Is that basically the original Battlestar Galactica? :)
|10.1.08 @ 11:53AM|#
More like the new one. One more season and everyone with have slept with everyone else. I guess they cured STDs on Caprica.
robc|10.1.08 @ 11:54AM|#
I sadly havent watched the new one, I missed out on the first few episodes and figured I would catch up some time with a marathon or something and it never happened.
|10.1.08 @ 11:55AM|#
I think you can figure that one out from the first book and
knowing the titles of the rest
And knowing ProL's...proclivities.
|10.1.08 @ 11:56AM|#
I guess they cured STDs on Caprica
"That's pretty irresponsible. But, thanks to Penicillin, there's no
need to act responsible. Penicillin is nature's condom!"
robc|10.1.08 @ 12:00PM|#
Speaking of TV shows that I would like to see based on novels, I
would like to see The Baroque Cycle spread across 8
seasons on HBO.
And before you ask, I would confuse seasons 4 and 5 together into 1
mega season.
Would probably be a miserable failure. I need an infinite supply of
money so I can buy a cable TV network and hire good
directors/writers to make what I want to see. If I owned the Sci-Fi
network, it would be watchable all the time.
|10.1.08 @ 12:03PM|#
robc,
On my 2nd trip through that monster. Jeremy Northam for Daniel
Waterhouse!
Guy Montag|10.1.08 @ 12:04PM|#
robc,
Just write your Congressman. They are trying to give away money
Left and Left as we type.
robc|10.1.08 @ 12:06PM|#
SugarFree,
Im rereading it right now too. Just started System of the
World last night.
I havent even thought about casting. What British actor looks like
he is missing his penis?
Elemenope|10.1.08 @ 12:06PM|#
Even though, I am generally bored with societal de-evolution
SF, i think it could work.
I just watched Jericho all the way through (thank you,
Netflix.) I have to say, it was a great deal better (esp. 2nd
season) than I expected, as Jeremiah (thank you, Netflix)
was my gold standard for post-apocalyptic social convalescence up
till then.
(This post brought to you by Netflix.)
|10.1.08 @ 12:07PM|#
What British actor looks like he is missing his
penis?
The vast majority of them.
|10.1.08 @ 12:07PM|#
I want to see Elric as an HBO series. Today's CGI (which I generally dislike) is perfectly suited to Moorcock's worlds. Watching Stormbringer suck the soul out of Xiombarg while dispelling a black radiance and screaming would fucking rule.
|10.1.08 @ 12:09PM|#
The people of NYC have twice voted against ending the Mayorial
term limits. Bloomberg is trying to get city council to do a run
around NYC's citizens by changing the law themselves.
Not only is he flip-flopping on his term limit position, he's
giving a big FU to the citizen.
Of course the people that want Bloomberg to run again will have no
problem giving him a pass on the above.
Elemenope|10.1.08 @ 12:10PM|#
Speaking of TV shows that I would like to see based on
novels, I would like to see The Baroque Cycle spread across 8
seasons on HBO.
I think a decent movie could be done of Snow Crash. Put it
in good hands, like Christopher Nolan, and then beat with a bamboo
rod any movie exec that opens his or her fucking mouth during
production, and you have a fighting chance.
The poster for the film would be easy. I think a big fucking Aleut
with "poor impulse control" tattooed across his forehead, with the
image blended into static, would do. See, it advertises itself!
|10.1.08 @ 12:10PM|#
I just watched Jericho all the way through (thank you,
Netflix.) I have to say, it was a great deal better (esp. 2nd
season) than I expected, as Jeremiah (thank you, Netflix) was my
gold standard for post-apocalyptic social convalescence up till
then.
I was going to do Jericho but I was missing a few episodes
on the DVR and gave up. I liked the first ones I watched, but I
wasn't enthralled.
I watched Jereemiah when it was on Showtime (along with
Odyssey 5) and liked it, but found it to be a little low
key. I like my post-apoc to be more A Boy and His Dog.
robc|10.1.08 @ 12:12PM|#
lmnop,
beat with a bamboo rod any movie exec that opens his or her
fucking mouth during production
When I have that infinite amount of money, this will be posted on
the wall of the production company. As a general rule.
|10.1.08 @ 12:16PM|#
I always thought a really thoughtful film could be made from Z for Zachariah. Super small cast, even cheap to make. Or The Long, Loud Silence by Wilson Tucker; anti-heroes are all the rage. Or Earth Abides.
|10.1.08 @ 12:17PM|#
You know what would be cheap and was structured like a stage play anyway? The Big Time.
robc|10.1.08 @ 12:21PM|#
SugarFree,
Z for Zachariah
Its been a long time since I read that. I remember really liking
it.
I dont know why this popped into my head, but I wonder if I can
convince Pixar to do The Book of the Dun Cow?
robc|10.1.08 @ 12:22PM|#
The Book of the Dun Cow
From wiki:
It was later remade into a musical by Mark St. Germain and Randy
Courts, and produced as an Off-Broadway show in 2006 by The
Prospect Theater Company.
Cool! I think.
rhywun|10.1.08 @ 12:23PM|#
If I owned the Sci-Fi network, it would be watchable all the time.
That would be a bit of an improvement over the current zero point
five percent of the time.
alan|10.1.08 @ 12:23PM|#
Earth-2, where Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul
took the D, R, and L nominations...
or Earth-Hell where Huckabee is president.
Before you ask, Earth-Heaven, Dennis Kucinich . . .
robc|10.1.08 @ 12:25PM|#
That would be a bit of an improvement over the current zero
point five percent of the time.
I dont even hit it now when Im randomly channel flipping.
|10.1.08 @ 12:27PM|#
A really good update of The Big Time premise is John
Barnes' Timeline War series. It takes more from Richard C.
Meredith's Timeliner trilogy than Lieber, but the same basic
plot.
Barnes even works in everyone favorite alt-verse cliche: Nazis
win!
|10.1.08 @ 12:29PM|#
robc,
If you can't appreciate the sublime pleasures of
Mansquito! then you might just be dead inside.
robc|10.1.08 @ 12:30PM|#
Sugarfree,
More from wiki:
A television adaptation of Z for Zachariah was shown as part of the
BBC's Play for Today season in 1984 starring Anthony Andrews and
Pippa Hinchley. This version was set in a Welsh valley. Many people
hold this sole adaptation of the story in very high regard, which
may be the reason it has not yet been adapted for a feature
film.
|10.1.08 @ 12:34PM|#
SciFi produces one good movie for every 99 horrible ones.
Deathlands was
actually pretty good. Also, casting Jenya Lano in it was a very,
very good move.
A really good update of The Big Time premise is John Barnes'
Timeline War series
I read Lieber for Lieber, not the plot.
|10.1.08 @ 12:46PM|#
My proclivities? You mean, me being the Kwisatz Haderach and
all?
I'd like to see Asimov on the small screen. The movie versions of
his works have all sucked, so let's try TV. Caves of Steel
and Foundation would be lovely, thank you very much.
Elemenope|10.1.08 @ 1:13PM|#
When I have that infinite amount of money, this will be
posted on the wall of the production company. As a general
rule.
At that moment you would become my new hero.
robc|10.1.08 @ 1:31PM|#
lmnop,
I have been suggesting for years that almost every action movie
could be made better by cutting out one car chase scene and using
that money to hire a writer.
|10.1.08 @ 1:32PM|#
made better by cutting out one car chase scene and using
that money to hire a writer.
And lose the Ritalin base? You crazy!
|10.1.08 @ 2:04PM|#
I think a decent movie could be done of Snow
Crash.
Oh, yeah.
Damn near anything by David Gemmell would be some good watchin',
too.
But the movie I really want to see, although the well has been
poisoned for it by 300 is Gates of Fire.
|10.1.08 @ 2:07PM|#
R C Dean,
I just read that. The counter-argument is that the success of
300 opens the door for a more, well, sane interpretation
of the story.
Speaking of historical novels, Gore's Julian or
Creation might work, too. Strange that he was once a good
novelist.
economist|10.1.08 @ 7:21PM|#
@"Top Five Favorite Bad Movies"
My son, what is best in life?
The feeling of wind blowing through one's hair while riding a
horse.
Wrong!What is best in life, Conan?
To kill your enemies, to see them driven before you, and hear the
lamentations of their women.
economist|10.1.08 @ 7:23PM|#
lmnop,
Don't worry, you didn't miss much by not reading God Emperor of
Dune. It sucked balls.
Still, Dune's pretty good.
economist|10.1.08 @ 7:26PM|#
"He will take the sandtrout as his skin and rule New York as God
Mayor for 3500 years"
Well, thinking about his gruesome death in that eventuality makes
me feel better.
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