A YouTube comedy classic here, as random Americans on the street are stopped by a fake news reporter who is in fact part of an Australian TV program geared towards making fun of the United States. Yes, these morons  may have been cherry-picked and anyone who gave an intelligent answer to the questions asked were probably  left on the cutting room floor – but its still both funny and revealing to watch such epic levels of ignorance.  As a side note, it also shows how a guy like George W was re-elected for a second term as well as the future base for Tea Baggers.

This is what is wrong with American Politics today. In what you are about to watch, there is no added left wing commentary; nothing but the host, Mr. Glenn Beck, and his introduction to a documentary broadcast by FOX News on January 22nd entitled”The Revolutionary Holocaust: Live Free 0r Die.”  Listen to Beck’s words, then watch the promotional trailer for the documentary. Afterwards, remind yourself that what you just watched is purported to be about Barack Obama, the policies of his administration, and where these policies will take the United States of America.  Such extraordinary irresponsibility, blatant fear-mongering, and outright manipulation of history were once used by only isolated individuals holding cardboard signs at radical rallies – not anymore. This Fox News documentary was watched by millions of Americans and broadcast by one of our planet’s largest media conglomerates, News Corporation, which has not disassociated itself from the film in any way.  The United States would say its powers- that- be believe all men are created equal and only a small lunatic fringe absolutely hate the fact a progressive black man by the name of Barack Hussein Obama, the son of Kenyan Muslim,  is President of the United States. That’s right. There’s only just a few.         

The Kite Runner, based in the international bestseller by Khaled Hosseini,  tells the story of an Afghan refugee turned writer, many years removed from his struggles to arrive in the United States,  who is overcome by an eruption of memory from his days as a child in Afghanistan. At it’s core, the story is about an upper-class 12 year-old Afghan boy named Amir, who horribly betrays his childhood friend Hassan, the son of his father’s house servant. Years later, Amir takes the opportunity to atone for his actions with a tremendous act of courage. Powerful, haunting, and unforgettable, the film takes the audience  inside both a country’s history and culture, placing a very human face on the tragic tale of Afghanistan; a country that most only know from caustic headlines and brief nightly news installments. Even the the most stoic of viewers will have a hard time not being moved by RELATIVITY OnLine’s latest DVD recommendation. Skip the latest formulaic retread the next time you’re looking for a movie to watch and try something a little different. You won’t regret it.   

Do you ever wonder why Americans can’t pass a healthcare reform bill? Do you ever wonder how in the world George W. Bush, after lying about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and showing four years of overall boobery, was actually re-elected for a second term? There are plenty of intelligent people living in the United States of America but unfortunately, they’re are also a lot of uninformed and easily manipulated toy soldiers. This clip shows how debate on healthcare degenerated into religious, racial, xenophobic nonsense that includes the IRS, global warming, the end of America, abortion and more. Groups of people who called themselves “Tea Baggers” passionately united against Obama’s plans in protests across the country - problem is none of them really knew why they were there. They were only told they had to be. If there was ever a downside to democracy, undoubtedly the best form of government ever invented, this is it.

The now  infamous rant about the White House and its handling of Haiti from Rush Limbaugh is perhaps the most vicious and dark form of partisanship of its kind, as is Pat Robertson’s vile and digusting use of religion to explain the Haitian earthquake.  Estimates of over 100,00 dead and 300,00 homeless in the tiny island nation, and Limbaugh chooses to attack Obama for how he is helping  them, even accusing him of doing so to benefit himself. American people as a whole are fuming over Limbaugh’s hate-filled words. Unbelievably, sponsors still stand behind his show and they’re are still a few members of the American in congress who sympathize with his cause. Pat Robertson show rolls on as well.  MSNBC anchor Keith Olberman, however, speaks the truth.  Here he calls Limbaughand Pat Robertson for what they are, pulling no punches in the process. RELATIVITY OnLine gives two big thumbs up and calls on more people to do the same.

This past week an American judge accepted what is called a justification defense from a a man on trial for the murder of Dr. George Tiller, who performed late-term abortions. Scott Roeder has entered a defense that his shooting was justified, because in doing so he was saving the lives of unborn children. Many voiced both sympathy and understanding of his actions. This is yet another example of the radical Evangelical Christianity that exists in America. With Pat Roberston’s gem about the devil in Haiti coming just days after this judges decsion, (see next post) its easy to see fundementalist thinking  is not just an Eastern phenomena, is alive and well in the West.

Debuting in 1982, David Letterman has been doing his Late Show for nearly 30 years. Through it all, this usually funny, sometimes cranky, and always genuine talk show host has never been anything but honest. Not afraid to tell puffy super stars what he thinks and refusing to kiss the rear ends of entertainment’s elite, he has appeared on television as only himself for the better part of three decades. Even in handling the recent extortion attempt made by a man who discovered Letterman was having an affair by announcing both his infidelity and the attempt to extort on his program was found by many to be admirable. Letterman has also displayed charm and an intelligent approach to world events over the years, at times showing in-depth understanding and passion for that which he cares about most. In the clip above, Letterman shuts down conservative simpleton Bill O’Reily. Much to the love of audiences, O’Reily has since been on the show several times – each time the two engaging in a politcal debate tinged with Letterman’s sardonic humor.  This first exchange, however, is now remembered as a Letterman classic.

RELATIVITY OnLine’s latest foreign film recommendation is the Brazilian City of God. Plunging the viewer into the slum gangs of Rio de Janeiro, the film churns with breathtaking energy. The movie depicts the desperation and indifference of Brazil’s disenfranchised youth, which in turn drives them towards crime, drugs and outrageous acts of violence. Told with brutality and humor, the whiz-bang camera work by young director Fernando Meirelles is visually alive with whirling movments and vivid use of color. The story is grounded by it’s true life origins and amazing performances of unknown, non-professional actors. Shocking, funny, terrifying, and exhilarating – City of God is a marvelous shot of film adrenaline that should not be missed.

For most of us, there is no debate anymore. The Human Race is abusing and pillaging Mother Earth to no end. We pollute the air and soil, wipe out plant and animal species altogether, and have put our world on a dangerous path.  The result of our hedonistic planetary lifestyle includes rising water levels and polar melting, destabilizing currents and wind flow, and both decreasing and increasing temperatures, rainfalls, and storm fronts.  There are some out there who still insist on calling it a conspiracy of some sort, most especially over there on the FOX News comedy show, but for the most part the world has been put on notice. With the recent global climate change summit in Denmark, we at RELATIVTY OnLine thought to recall Al Gore’s academy award-winning 2006 documentary,  An Inconvenient Truth. Even if half of what he lays out as being possible comes true, he presents a scary thesis of our future.   

The greatest Christmas movie of all time is usually a toss up between Jimmy Stewart’s It a Wonderful Life or Alastair Sim’s A Christmas Carol.  RELATIVITY OnLine weighs in on the side of good old Ebenezer Scrooge, an international and indelible icon of redemption. Originally written in 1843  by literary immortal Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol reminds us all that it’s never too late to start over and do the right thing. Brought to life in film numerous times, the 1951 version continues to stand far above the rest, most especially due to the endearing, engaging and entirely believable performance of Alastair Sims.  Here is the final three minutes of the movie and Merry Christmas… Everyone.