onegoodmove

they're awesome. nuff said

I've never actually seen them, but I would love to. I liked this little excerpt.

for me, that never lived in the US, but suffered its influences (grow up in a US supported military regime in Argentina, and live in New Zealand, that does not get a free trade agreement because it nuclear free policy!), Is always amazing to see the dichotomy of excellence (as with the blue man) and stupidity (as with your president) that the USA can offer. Hopefully the blue men message reach your next election!

Francisco - you really think New Zealand isn't getting a free trade agreement because it has a nuclear free policy? I think the real reason is that from an economic perspective, the USA can't risk having its markets flooded with efficiently produced, subsidy-free meat and other produce, in exchange for New Zealand purchasing tax-free Boeing 747s every 30 years. So much for the free trade the US government preaches.

i've met one of the blue men they have a running show in las vegas

ps-whitehouse.org??? georgie georgie georgie

hey norm

can u put steve martin's on?

Somehow the "Everybody Loves Raymond" ad at the end is the best part...Blue Man Group is a lot of fun live, but it's sort of weird to see them trying to actually 'talk' about something, maybe especially given that they, well, never talk.

I am indeed fortunate. I have seen Blue Man Group live. I saw the Complex Rock tour and it's with out question the finest performance I have ever seen.

As to Blue Man and global warming, I believe these little things will help.

To the rest of the world. Many of us here in America DO care, and we're working hard to stop the waste our government seems to justify. We realize we all in the same lifeboat called "Earth!"

Do what you can do as individuals to mitigate global warming. And in the mean time, if you enjoy Blue man, go to their web site, blueman.com There you will find other short and awesome Blueman vids.

Why? Because even though our handbasket is going to a warm place, we still need a smile once in a while.

Peace!

Thanks, Norm, you rock.

I thought that was bloody brilliant. The whole thing about equating trying to do something with beating your head against a wall, and trying to use television heads as a medium to get through to America... I'm finding it hard to express in words. Very Adbusters-like I guess. If this is a piece of art meant to be interpreted as such, I find it a pretty scathing remark on our society, as well as an attempt to reach out, and cleverly done at that.

Norm, please do not put Steve Martin's up! That was a total embarrassment. What the hell was Tom Hanks doing up there pretending to play guitar and yapping over everyone's lines?

What a surprise. The hippies love the Blue Man Group. Let's all go to Burning Man! I'll bring the patchouli oil.

"So much for the free trade the US government preaches."

Yeah. Bitch about it online. But you know in real life you're thankful for it. If that 'free trade' went through you'd end up living in a grass hut and sucking pebbles for nourishment - believe me, whatever you do there are at least 10,000 Chinese and Indians who'll do it for less.

The only reason Americans enjoy the lifestyle they do is because we aren't fair. Fair means everybody has the same, and everyone is always for that - until they lose their advantage.

Yet NZ, a MUCH smaller country enjoys a first world standard of living with little economic protectionism. Surely the great America could manage it.

BTW thx, it is refreshing to see someone not pretending that the US is in favour of free trade

"Yeah. Bitch about it online."

What are you doing? You really are a hypocritical dick.

"What are you doing? You really are a hypocritical dick."

Not at all. I'm upfront with my position: we have to be unfair. It's an unfair world. The best you can hope for is to be unfair in a humane manner.

And, by the way, spotting hypocrisy doesn't take any great intellect. Everything is hypocritical and/or self-serving if you look at it hard enough. Michael Moore owned stock in Halliburton and lives in a multi-million-dollar penthouse in New York. All you people bitching about unfair trade are benefiting from that unfair trade. At least have the balls to admit what you believe, rather than pretending to care about 'fair trade' while you benefit from unfair trade.

omg, this clip rules. heres a link to a downloadable mpg version.

http://www.bluemanlibrary.com/files/bmgearth2americatbs.zip?PHPSESSID=109fae8f15c74c33c7c4e56108fc29ca

i took this clip to work today and showed it to like 20 peeps, they all dug it.

"Michael Moore owned stock in Halliburton and lives in a multi-million-dollar penthouse in New York." If this is true, then Moore is a repulsive, hypocritical, dick-bag. No argument there!

Can you back this up with any proof? Not any of the many right wing blogs and right wing "news" sites parroting the WorldNet Daily story. A reputable news source, even FOX news, you know Hannity would love to have that. Please share, Joe!

I am totally sincere

And yes, Joe - you are very upfront and at least you speak your mind openly, even though you are in the minority. Hats off to you :)

At least he admits he's hypocritical and unfair. The humility he displays is admirable. ; )

Yes, and he is always so thoughtful and considerate with what he posts and is always careful to make sure that he gets his facts straight. ;)

:-)

hei Joe! Funnily enough, I work setting up fisheries management systems, (after having work as a commercial fisherman for 20 years) in a open and competitive markets, such as the one the US preaches... people and organizations (US AID inclusive) contract me based on my skills and price competitiveness... I don’t mind having competition of 50000 Chinese, Indians, Americans, Britons, French, whatever... because they make me better at the end... so I really don’t believe that I will finish living on a grass hut and sucking stones.

As said before, in NZ we don’t have subsidies, we don’t invade countries, we don’t discriminate immigrants, we don’t have school shootings, we trade with pretty much ALL countries, we have a parliament with indigenous people, conservatives, farmers, rugby players, gays, transsexuals, and Rastafarians... and we live VERY well... while we do have problems, they are tackled in a consultative manner.

Joe... you are very straight forwards on your believes, good’n’you... I disagree with them, but I will fight for your right to express them...

Is such as shame that your government is so hypocritical and preaches the “free trade” while being the most protectionist economy worldwide, and “freedom and democracy” while being the most bellicose nation in the world (163 interventions in foreign nations 1801 to 2005!)

On the Michael Moore thing:

"I don't own a single share of stock!" filmmaker Michael Moore proudly proclaimed. He's right. He doesn't own a single share. He owns tens of thousands of shares – including nearly 2,000 shares of Boeing, nearly 1,000 of Sonoco, more than 4,000 of Best Foods, more than 3,000 of Eli Lilly, more than 8,000 of Bank One and more than 2,000 of Halliburton, the company most vilified by Moore in "Fahrenheit 9/11." This is proven by Moore's own signed Schedule D declaring his capital gains and losses, where his stock ownership is listed. And before someone offers this, no it wasn't blind stock in a mutual fund. He actually signed forms which mention these stocks, and took the profit.

Moore also owned (and possibly still owns, the point is still the same) a penthouse in New York City. That was his official residence until 2003 when he switched to Michigan. That coincided with the success of "Bowling for Columbine," which brought him millions in profits – profits that would have been taxed at a rate of 7.7 percent in New York, as opposed to 3.9 percent in Michigan, saving him hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Moore's duplicity is quite deep - he never actually lived in Flint either! But he's a whole story to himself.

As far as free trade goes: everybody knows that 'free trade' means US takes your cheap labor and gives you little in return. That's why Chavez was so pissed off about the new Free Trade Agreement. I'm actually not for writing hypocritical and false agreements that promise free trade and then screw people. I'm for not having the fake free trade agreements at all and doing business honestly. My point was that if we actually had free trade, we'd be just as screwed as everybody else. So if you're for free trade you're either for its duplicitous 'real' meaning, or you're just naive. Since we foolishly allowed these agreements to exist, and seem to want to expand them, I have to be sensible and fight for my job.

I remember some episode of the West Wing where Toby went on this grandiose speech about how we need to 'lift the whole world up' to the same standard. That's a great, lofty ideal - but it takes many, many years. I'll be honest: I don't want to starve now so that maybe in 100 years someone in China can earn what I earn.

Joe,

How about some proof for the claims you make. A link to a copy of the Schedule D would be a good start. You may be right and you may be wrong but accusations are not proof.

You know, you can't expect me to do all the research for you. The Schedule D is available in a current book - something like 'Do As I Say, Not As I Do'. I haven't seen it online as of yet. The book was discussed on CNN recently and has been a national bestseller.

Moore is actually quite brazen about being rich. He has a quote where he says "I'm a millionaire! I'm a multi-millionaire!" or something like that. He's a fat, greedy, capitalist, opportunist peddler of propaganda. That his fans accept everything he says at face value and never question his motives just cements my certainty that 'liberals' and 'conservatives' are the same people with different t-shirts.

Joe said, "He's right. He doesn't own a single share. He owns tens of thousands of shares – including nearly 2,000 shares of Boeing, nearly 1,000 of Sonoco, more than 4,000 of Best Foods, more than 3,000 of Eli Lilly, more than 8,000 of Bank One and more than 2,000 of Halliburton, the company most vilified by Moore in "Fahrenheit 9/11."

I found this same post, verbatim here

Great Joe,

We know he is millionaire and in his book Stupid White Men he even said something along the lines that "you will never be rich unless you hit the lottery - I'm rich, I got lucky." He has never claimed not to be rich.

You asserted that Moore owned Halliburton stock which was something you did not research very well before throwing that nugget out.

I wasn't asking you to do the research - I simply laid the burden of proof on you, the very place it should be when you make such a statement. You have to be able to back up such things with facts or "proof" as it's known in reality.

Show at least some evidence of your statement and cite your sources.

This info about Moore is from the book "Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy" by Peter Schweizer.

Here is a link to an article by Schwiezer to give you an idea what kind of agenda he has. (yup, an ad hominem attack ;))

The only references that I could find to this book were from ultra right-wing blog sites, and from sources such as rushlimbaugh.com, Bill O'Reilly's site, Hannity and others of their ilk. (Yep, another ad hominem attack)

The only other mention of this book was at at http://michaelamour.blogspot.com/

The stock was owned by Michael Moore's foundation, Center for Alternative Media and Culture.

I found the following comment on http://michaelamour.blogspot.com/ If you go to the link which the blogger lists, just type in Center for Alternative and Media Culture; you do not have to fill in the rest of the information. Click both forms and then search. That will take you to a table where you can see the 990s from back to fiscal year 2000.

It is clear to me that Joe did not read this book but is just quoting verbatim what he has read from right-wing blog spots. He did not do his homework, so I did it for him.

FROM http://michaelamour.blogspot.com/ You need to google until you find the magic site : http://tfcny.fdncenter.org/990s/990search/esearch.php Enter “Center for Alternative Media and Culture” and you can read the 990 forms yourselves, for 2001-2004. The foundation bought Halliburton stock in May 1999 and sold them in May 2000 making a profit of 377 dollars, same with Boeing and Honeywell (lost around the time of the 'energy crisis'). They also haven’t had any stock listed on the 990s for the past two years, Right, and Halliburton was awarded the no bid contract on March 8, 2003. Mike told the truth. Mike is innocent. END QUOTE

Hey Joe,

That kind of cursory fact checking can get you onto Ann Coulter's book staff for her next book :)

Couldn't help it...sorry

Hey Joe - you and I have had our diagreements but on the Michael Moore issue, we agree. He uses false "facts" and contorted information to make a point - that is why there was a VERY strong movement to have his Oscar for a "Documentary" recalled becasue there were so many blatant lies in Bowling for Columbine.

In regards to "free trade" it is neither - whomever thinks otherwise needs to read the doscuments - NAFTA means Not Another Fucking Trade Agreement. The only winners in any trade agreement with the USofA is the USofA. Eveyone else looses - just ask the timber traders in Canada, aye.

Since I was a little boy - back when Ike was the Pres., I figured out that the US forces its agenda on the world and the one's who stand up to it are either boycotted, made out to be enemies, or castigtated in some way.

And however "it" is done in America is by far the best way. Fill in the blank on that one. It is one of the reasons so many do not like Americans - becasue they think "their way" is the only way.

I considered immigrating to New Zealand years ago - had a great job offer there. In 1985, no one locked their doors - many didn't even have door locks just latches, people actually kept thier word and your personal opinion counted. The crime rate was the lowest in 1st or 2nd world countries. Amazing place. And a great standard of living. But I had an opportunity to live in Europe, so I went. (Another long story).

I really don't have an objection to people being rich - in money, property, stocks, etc. I have more in my life than 99% of the world's population - so by global standards I am pretty well off. BY US standards, I am in the top 1% - so I am Ok. But to me it is what you do to help others and serve your community - quietly - without fanfare that impresses me about the wealth of a person. The wealth of compassion is evident in many who have no money and totally absent in those who have very full bank accounts. I choose to be a compassionate giver of what I have had the opportunity to gain in my life.

So, Joe, albeit I do not always agree with you - I do on this ocassion. Just one question, why is it so worng to you for someone to enjoy the fruits of their labour, to be wealthy? Would it make it easier if they gave some of it to you?

Hey joe Dont you ate it when right wing news sources lie to you?