"IT AIN'T MY BLEEPIN' FAULT! CAMPANIS IS DA BLEEPIN' GUY!!!"

Long time Los Angeles Dodgers' baseball fans remember the quote you see in our headline. It was played over and over by the late Jim Healy on his very popular radio show.

Tommy Lasorda said those words when he was managing the Dodgers and the Dodgers were struggling.

I'm reminded of Lasorda's quote because of the way the Dodgers are ending what looked like (in July) to be a very promising season. The Dodgers were in first place and visions of a possible championship were dancing in a lot of heads.

Then a number of things happened. Injuries, questionable decisions by manager Grady Little, but (perhaps) above all, questionable decisions by general manager Ned Colletti. Decisions that continue to be questionable like the obvious order to play the "younger players" while the Dodgers wrap up a season that could result in them finishing under .500 for what has been (overall) a very disappointing season.

So I offer this suggestion to Grady Little. Grady, say it loud and say it proud; "It ain't my bleepin' fault! Colletti's the bleepin' guy!!!"

SPEAKING OF BASEBALL:

The final games of the regular season will be played this weekend and a look at what's going on in the National League is exciting stuff. 7 teams have a shot at the 4 playoff spots. In the division races, Arizona has a 1-game lead over San Diego and a 2-game lead over Colorado, a team that has won 11 games in a row. Chicago has a 2-game lead over Brewers in the Central Division and the Mets and Phils are tied for the lead in the East Division. In the Wild Card race, the Padres have the lead, but the Mets, Phils and Rockies are only one game back. This weekend, the Rockies play host to Arizona, the Padres are at Milwaukee, the Mets play host to Florida and the Cubs play at Cincinnati.

Wow!!! The possibilities are endless, but this much is certain: All players and coaches on all the contending teams figure to get stiff necks because of all their scoreboard watching. Play ball!!!

THE CONTINUING INCOMPETENCE OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION:

Do you remember all the noise that was made about deplorable conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other military hospitals? The hospitals providing "care" for our wounded troops? Certainly this administration which is quick to shout, "They're not supporting the TROOPS!!!", when legitimate questions are asked would be the administration to see to it that proper medical care was provided for wounded troops. I mean, it's the least that can be done to "support the troops".

Anyway, our attention is brought to remarks made by members of a congressional oversight committee who have been looking into the disgraceful conditions at these military hospitals. Republican Representative from Virginia, Thomas Davis III said, "After so many promises but so little progress, we need to see more concrete results." Democrat Representative from Massachusetts, John Tierney referred to the lack of progess being the result of an "utter lack of urgency."

And what about this highly paid private military we have in Iraq and Afghanistan? A private military that is paid 5 to 10 times as much as our regular military troops and a private military that seems to causing us all kinds of political problems in these countries. And the fact that there are more of them than regular military personnel? What's wrong with that picture?!?

NEW MOVIES:

There are several new films opening today, but the only one I plan to see is, "The Kingdom". Critics are referring to this film as some kind of revenge fantasy that takes place in Saudi Arabia. Sounds good to me! Isn't Saudia Arabia where the vast majority people who hijacked those planes on 9/11 were from? "The Kingdom" has a great cast which includes Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper and Jennifer Garner.

TELEVISION STUFF:

Yesterday, I saw the second episodes of "Back to You" (Wednesday, 8pm, Fox) and "Gossip Girl" (Wednesday, 9pm, CW). "Back to You", with Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton is very funny and it looks like it'll be another big hit for both of those actors.

"Gossip Girl" is a series featuring (mostly) a cast of unknowns in a continuing storyline about some rich New York young people's constant drama in their privileged lives. After Wednesday's episode ended, I wrote down these words: "This show is too cool for words!" I am totally hooked on "Gossip Girl".

I also saw the first episodes of "Private Practice" (Wednesday, 9pm, ABC) and "Dirty Sexy Money" (Wednesday, 10pm, ABC). I thought the first two scenes in "Private Practice" were terrific, but then (to me) the show slowed down and I thought, "Uh, oh!", but then it picked back up. The hands down best actor on this show is 4-time Tony winner Audra McDonald, but once this show got going, all the actors began to shine.

"Dirty Sexy Money" might become the most talked about new show of the year if the first episode is an indication of what we can expect in the future. It is a continuing story about New York's Darling family. No, I'm not saying it's a darling family, that's really the name of this family. The first scene with Peter Krause and Donald Sutherland is off the charts terrific. Zoe McLennan, an actress I'm not familiar plays Krause's very sexy wife! Samaire Armstrong ("The O.C.") plays one of the family's problem children as does her loony twin brother who's played by Seth Gable. Glenn Fitzgerald plays an Episcopal Priest, the likes of which will not make real Episcopal priests feel proud at all.

I could keep going, but you get the idea. The Darling family is a family that ain't whacha call perfect, but man they're gonna be fun to watch! Oh...There's also a murder that the Peter Krause character is determined to get to the bottom of. "Dirty Sexy Money" is sexy fun and I can hardly wait for next Wednesday's episode.

EDITOR'S NOTE: IF YOU READ THIS BEFORE PICTURES HAVE BEEN ADDED, COME BACK! PICTURES WILL BE UP SOON!

A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I do write back.

MONDAY: Some weekend television observations and anything else that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ADD "RECESSION" TO THE LEGACY OF PRESIDENT BUSH!!!

In a recent book about President Bush that included President Bush's cooperation, we learn that President Bush is concerned about his "legacy". Nothing earth shaking about that. One would assume that all Presidents of the United States would have that concern, but now that President Bush has gone public with it...

No reason to regurgitate all the incompetence associated with Iraq. Or the spending of our money like it was all his money. And who can forget Katrina?

You get the idea.

Add recession to President Bush's legacy. It hasn't officially begun because like with "weapons of mass destruction", it'll be quite awhile before truth is acknowledged. But because of a combination of spend, spend, spend and virtually no oversight regarding regulations and a belief in the folly that if entrepreneurs are left alone, the economy will be "wonderful", our eyes have been opened by what's going on in the housing market. And it's just a tip of the iceberg, folks.

Am I being negative just for the sake of being negative? Nope. It's just that I've never been a Kool Aid dispenser and I refuse to wear blinders and allow myself to be led like sheep.

Open your eyes, folks! Our country is too strong for what is happening now to be an irreversible circumstance! But what we must do is remove these amateurs from power and get some people in a new administration whose only concerns are what's best for all of us as opposed to what's happening now. Which is a singular concern about what's best for the most privileged of us!

But for now, fasten your seat belts, because the ride's going to be a little bumpy.

AND SPEAKING OF THE PRIVILEGED:

Did we just witness the ending to another "celebrity justice" trial?

I'm referring to the Phil Spector/Lana Clarkson trial.

Spector was accused of murdering Clarkson. Spector's lawyers claimed that at worst, it was a terrible accident.

Yesterday, a mistrial was declared. In the deliberations, the jury moved from 8-4 in favor of acquittal to 10-2 in favor of conviction. And because there was no movement from that vote, the judge declared it a mistrial and prosecutors say they will retry Spector.

Regarding the "celebrity justice" question I posed? The answer is an unqualified, "No!" The average person had no idea who Spector was until he was charged with murder. The average person certainly didn't know who Lana Clarkson was because her one claim to fame, "Barbarian Queen", was a film she starred in more than 20 years ago.

Full disclosure: When "Barbarian Queen" first came out, I was a nightly Los Angeles sports anchor. I had already agreed to be the Grand Marshal of a big local parade. When I heard about "Barbarian Queen", I contacted Clarkson and asked her sit next to me in the float I was riding in. She agreed and I made a big deal out of not just having a "Queen" sitting next to me, but "The...." You get the idea. I thought she was a real sweetheart. Looks wise and otherwise. After a couple of years, I lost track of her.

I don't know who did what in that mansion that night and the only person who might know is Spector, because except for Clarkson, no one else was in the room that this tragedy occurred. And I say might know because as much as he had to drink, it's possible he really doesn't know what happened. But this much is clear. For years, Spector had a very bad and dangerous habit of waving guns around women who for whatever reason, had displeased him.

In conclusion, one can't help but think that Phil Spector probably should have been locked up a long time ago. If for no other reason than to hope that incarceration would have cured him of his dangerous desire to flash guns to exhibit power that his size didn't give him.

MORE NEW TELEVISION SHOWS:

Some of your old favorites will begin airing new episodes tonight along with shows that will be showing you their first episodes.

Among others, "Ugly Betty", "My Name is Earl", "The Office", "CSI" (the original "CSI"), and "Without a Trace" will all begin new seasons tonight.

"Grey's Anatomy", one my very favorite shows will also air it's first episode of the season on ABC at 9, but it's the show that will be on ABC after "Grey's Anatomy" that is getting some critical attention. That would be "Big Shots", a show that stars Dylan McDermott ("The Practice"), Joshua Malina ("The West Wing"), Christopher Titus ("Titus") and Michael Vartan ("Alias"). In other words, big time television star power. The reviews for this show are bad. The L.A. Times' Mary McNamara seems to be speaking for a lot of critics when she writes (in essence), "Big Shots? It's more like 'Obnoxious Jerks!'"

And then there's a show that all critics seem to like (including me) that will feature what we're told will be a very special episode tonight. I'm referring to "Mad Men" on AMC at 10. "Mad Men" is a very good show!

EDITOR'S NOTE: IF YOU READ THIS BEFORE PICTURES HAVE BEEN ADDED, COME BACK! PICTURES WILL BE UP SOON!

A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I do write back.

TOMORROW: No clue, but know this; I'll always write about something that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"

THE UAW-GM STRIKE IS OVER!!!

GOOD news!!! The United Auto Workers union and General Motors have reached a deal on a new contract that features a brand new idea on health care. It involves a trust fund that I can't explain to you because details won't be provided until this agreement is presented to UAW workers for ratification, something that is expected to happen this weekend.

FUN AT THE OL' BALLPARK:

Barring a tie of some kind, the Major League's baseball (regular) season will end this Sunday. And what a season it's been! In the National League West, Arizona has a 2-game lead over San Diego and the Padres have a 1-game lead over Philadelphia and Colorado in the N.L. Wild Card race. The Cubs have a 2-game lead over Milwaukee's Brewers in the N.L. Central and the Mets have a 2-game lead over the Phils in the N.L. East. All those teams have 5 games to play. The Dodgers, busy pointing fingers at each other, have been eliminated.

The Angels have won the A.L. West, but are now jeopardizing home field advantage opportunities by sitting guys and losing their last two games. Cleveland has won the A.L. Central and the Red Sox have a 3-game lead over the Yankees in the A.L. East, but the Yankees are expected to win the A.L. Wild Card race.

All in all, it's been a great season with some races probably not being decided until Sunday. And when the playoffs begin next week, we are expecting to witness some terrific games. Steroids? We don't care 'bout no stinkin' steroids, let's play ball!!! Which is the way it should be, right?

NICE PICTURE ALERT:

If you like nice pictures, I call your attention to page 4 in the main news section of today's Los Angeles Times where you'll see a picture of President Bush and his Secretary of State.

A BAD PICTURE TAKING EXPERIENCE FOR JACK BAUER:

Jack Bauer, otherwise known as Kiefer Sutherland had his picture taken early yesterday morning. This was after he'd been stopped for making an illegal U-turn and was then booked for driving while intoxicated after failing a Breathalyzer test.

Ordinarily, this would be one of those deals where a high profile person is "embarrassed". That's if this is that person's first driving while intoxicated booking. Since 1989, Kiefer Sutherland has been booked and convicted or pleaded no contest three times for alcohol related charges. And when Sutherland was arrested yesterday morning, he was on probation for a 2004 conviction of driving while intoxicated. Ordinarily in a case like this, if he's convicted, he'll face a double hit. The driving while intoxicated thing and a violation of probation thing. A double edged "thing" that would result in jail time of (perhaps) at least a year if it was you or me.

Now I understand that the sight of Jack Bauer imprisoned by terrorists or by U.S. officials for breaking laws too numerous to count while fighting terrorists is a sight that fans of "24" are used to. But seeing Jack Bauer in a regular jail?

Okay, I'm kidding a little, but here's something I'm not kidding about. You have the star of your big hit television show who has a history of driving while drinking. I'm not making excuses here. Kiefer Sutherland is a grown man and he should be responsible enough to know (by now) that he's not "bulletproof" when it comes to this drinking and driving business and he should see to it that he doesn't drink and drive, buuuut....If I'm the Executive Producer of "24", wouldn't it be in my best interests to see to it that Kiefer Sutherland was assigned a driver during the months that their big TV show is being shot?

SPEAKING OF TELEVISION SHOWS:

More new shows will make their debuts tonight.

Peter Krause and Donald Sutherland (Kiefer's dad) star in "Dirty Sexy Money" on ABC at 10 tonight and the reviews are quite good.

At 9 on ABC, the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff, "Private Practice" will be shown. It has a terrific cast that's headlined by someone I'm not sure deserves the headline/lead position she finds herself in. That would be Kate Walsh who has had praise heaped upon her that I don't believe she's worthy of. The hands down best actor on "Private Practice" is Audra McDonald and the most charismatic actors appear to be Tim Daly, Taye Diggs and Amy Brenneman. "Private Practice is getting mixed reviews, but because it's a show created by the "Grey's Anatomy" folks, there will be nothing private about the coverage of "Private Practice".

One other new show that's getting a lot of attention is "Bionic Woman" which debuts on NBC at 9 tonight. Michelle Ryan is the "Bionic Woman" and the show has gotten mixed to poor reviews.

All in all, I see nothing that will keep me from watching "Back to You" on Fox tonight and "Gossip Girl" on CW. But I do have tape machines.

EDITOR'S NOTE: IF YOU READ THIS BEFORE PICTURES HAVE BEEN ADDED, COME BACK! PICTURES WILL BE UP SOON!

A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I do write back.

TOMORROW: Remember Kato Kaelin? I'm gonna tell you about a forgotten film in which he played two roles in addition to being part of the "crew" annnnd...anything else that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"

THE PRESIDENT AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE! A PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP! NOTHING MORE, RIGHT?

It is the rumor that won't go away. The rumor that mainstream media won't touch.

But it is a rumor (stated as fact) in a number of tabloids. That President Bush and his Secretary of State have a relationship that goes beyond that of what would be described as a basic working relationship.

As we've all learned, we don't know what goes on behind closed doors, but if there's anything to this rumor, this will end up being a "behind closed doors" story for the ages.

A STORY ABOUT GM ISN'T A RUMOR:

The United Automobile Workers union has gone on strike against General Motors. Yi, yi, yi!!! Serious business, folks. And the main issue is?!? HEALTH INSURANCE!!!

We know that almost 50 million Americans don't have health insurance because they can't afford it. Published reports indicate that number sometimes reaches 80 million. Or more! Health insurance is something that Democratic presidential candidates have been talking about. Republican presidential candidates? They've been talking about who's the toughest in the war on terror and gay marriage. And for those of you reading this blog for the first time, let me say/write something again! I'm a lifetime Republican who doesn't "get" this group we now have in the White House. At all! And the only way a Republican will become our next President is if that Republican addresses issues that most of us care about. Like health insurance and economic policies that are (now) designed to benefit (only) the rich.

And what are these Republican candidates proving by deciding to boycott a televised debate at Morgan State University in Baltimore day after tomorrow on minority issues? Here's what it looks like they're proving! That they don't have anything positive to say about minority issues! The Democrats' minority issues debate at Howard University in June was attended by all the major contenders.

Would we all agree that Newt Gingrich is a bona fide Republican? When he was told that invitations to the Republican candidates were sent in February for this debate and that they've all come up with the "scheduling issues" excuse, Gingrich responded to that excuse with one word; "BALONEY!!!"

FROM BALONEY TO MILK:

Have you bought milk lately? Like in the last week or so? To avoid "sticker shock", when you approach the milk area in your supermarket, close your eyes, pick up your milk, put it into your cart and walk away quickly.

NEW AND RETURNING TELEVISION SHOWS:

This is debut week for most of the new and returning television shows airing on stations that aren't cable stations.

Tonight at 10 on CBS, we'll be able to see the new show,"Cane", starring Jimmy Smits. Smits was recently terrific on "The West Wing" and before that, he was terrific on "NYPD Blue". But there's another good reason to check out "Cane". The always very good Hector Elizondo will be a regular on this show. I think it was an outrage that Elizondo wasn't even nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work as the hotel executive in "Pretty Woman".

Two of my favorite shows will begin new seasons on Fox tonight. "Bones" at 8 and "House" at 9. There's a weird deal goin' on regarding that "House" show. Those three other doctors all left the show at the end of last season, but somehow, as this season progresses, they'll supposedly be brought back. Something else happened after last season ended that might result in on the set "awkwardness". The beautiful young woman doctor was (in real life) engaged to the young doctor with the accent. Sometime after last season ended, those two split up.

RADIO PROGRAM REMINDER:

I'll be on KLAC, 570 on your AM dial between a little after 9:30 until a little before 10 on "The Joe McDonnell Experience". Joe has the day off, so I think I'll be on with another Joe. Joe Grande. Tim Cates, as usual, will also be there. We talk mostly about sports, but no topic is taboo.

EDITOR'S NOTE: IF YOU READ THIS BEFORE PICTURES HAVE BEEN ADDED, COME BACK! OUR PICTURE GUY HAS RETURNED AND PICTURES WILL BE UP SOON!

A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I do write back.

TOMORROW: A look at the baseball season as it heads toward the playoffs and anything else that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"

AS ANY MOTORCYCLE RIDER CAN TELL YOU, IT'S NOT "IF", IT'S "WHEN"!!!!

Actor George Clooney has a fractured rib. I've never had one of those, but I'm told that it's a very painful experience. Clooney's girlfriend, Sarah Larson has a broken foot. Trying to walk on (only) one foot is another injury I haven't experienced, but I'm told that it too, is a very painful experience.

The body parts breakage occurred because of a motorcycle accident. Clooney was driving and Larson was a passenger when the driver of a car signaled a left-hand turn, but turned right and hit Clooney's motorcycle in New Jersey. Clooney has a new film coming out soon, but don't look for him to be promoting it much, because we're told that he will be "laid up" for awhile. Clooney and Larson were both wearing helmets, which protects the head, but when you go down, protection for any other part of your body (unless you're wearing head to toe armor) is nonexistent.

And trust me folks, if you're a motorcycle rider, you will go down!

I rode cycles of various sizes that were freeway legal (off and on) for more than 25 years. My most memorable (going down) experience (until my last one) was when while driving in the rain and wearing rain gear, the car in front of me decided stop immediately because of a squirrel that had decided to run across the street. When I hit my brakes, my bike went into a skid and slid sideways until coming to a full stop. My first reaction after stopping, was to say, "Safe!" I was okay. Some rain gear got ripped up, but I was able to get up and drive away.

The second most memorable experience was when I couldn't understand why my bike immediately stopped on Ventura Boulevard and I went over the top of the bike. I got bloodied up a little in that accident, but I got the bike fixed and I continued to drive. I found out that the problem was a bike malfunction involving the brakes when the same thing happened many months later. Early one morning while on my way to work, I was entering a freeway off-ramp, the brakes locked and I woke up in the hospital. When the paramedics and doctors all told me I was lucky I hadn't been killed, I gave up my cycling and haven't ridden since.

Gang, motorcycles of any kind are a lot of fun. I did the freeway thing of going over a hundred miles an hour with no helmet. The feeling of the wind in your hair is indescribable. I was against the mandatory helmet law for a long time and I didn't wear one until law enforcement folks started giving us all tickets. If I hadn't been wearing a helmet the last time I went down, I wouldn't be telling you this story because I'd be dead.

In conclusion, I'll never tell anyone they shouldn't ride a motorcycle. But I will tell them what George Clooney has learned. It's not a matter of if you'll go down. It's only a matter of when! And how often!

BRITNEY SPEARS AND LEE HAZLEWOOD:

The late Lee Hazlewood was a prolific songwriter who became publicly well known because of some duets he sang with Nancy Sinatra. I met and had a very long conversation with Hazlewood one night in the early 80's in what used to be a legendary Hollywood restaurant/watering hole known as "Martoni's". He was a fascinating guy and we stayed in touch for many years until his health problems prevailed.

I find myself being reminded of Hazlewood because of this latest Britney Spears story. Hazlewood wrote a song that was titled, "I've Been Down So Long, It Looks Like Up To Me".

This past Friday, Britney Spears was charged with hit and run and driving without a license. This happened in early August, but for whatever reason, charges weren't filed until Friday. If convicted, Britney Spears is looking at a jail sentence of (possibly) six months.

And this would be on top of everything else that she's done wrong lately.

I get the feeling she's going through the same things that Lee Hazlewood wrote about in his song. Britney, Britney, Britney. The Las Vegas thing, the ex-husband who's....Well we've all figured out who and what he is...Playboy not being interested in taking nude pictures of you except on a cut rate basis, etc., etc.

Britney, oh Britney! How does it look down there? Isn't it time, actually past time to work on behavior that would be an up? Because Britney, if you can't figure this out on your own, I'll say it. Britney Spears, you can't go any lower! Anything else in that direction (for you) would simply be considered as flat line!

"RESIDENT EVIL":

The film "Resident Evil: Extinction" opened this past Friday. It's the third "Resident Evil" film, but this is the first "Resident Evil" film that I've watched.

Wow! There's nothing believable about anything in this film, but I now understand why so many people have been watching these films. Milla Jovovich stars as the baddest woman who's ever been born. I know there's a lot of talk about the new "Bionic Woman" television show that will debut soon, but no way will the "Bionic Woman" be a match for the star of this "Resident Evil" franchise. This is fun stuff, folks. Zombies, a crazy doctor, and a beautiful woman that you'd like to make love with, but you damn sure wouldn't ever want to mess with!

"GOSSIP GIRL" AND "BACK TO YOU":

I finally saw two new television shows that debuted last Wednesday.

Josh Schwartz was the creator of a show called "The O.C" that I saw every episode of. All the young people were unknowns, but this show made them household names.

I think that the same thing will happen to Schwartz's new show, "Gossip Girl", which in on CW, Wednesday nights at 9. Blake Lively plays "Serena" and after about 20 minutes, I was in love with her. Penn Badgley plays Dan,a loner who believes that no one knows who he is or cares who he is. Because of one of those accidental situations that can change a person's life, Dan ends up on a "date" with Serena, something that a mother and father in this show are arching their eyebrows over, a young man who has feelings for Serena is concerned about and a young woman who doesn't like Serena...Well, you get the idea. Another good teenage soap opera and I'm already hooked.

"Back To You" debuted on Fox, Wednesday night at 8. It stars Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton and Fred Willard. It's about a newsroom in Pittsburgh. I think this has the potential of being a huge hit! Yes, as you would expect, Grammer, Heaton and Willard are funny. But what you wouldn't expect is what figures to be an added dimension to this show. The first episode of "Back To You" ended with the Grammer character meeting an off the charts adorable 10-year old girl who the Grammer character has just found out is his daughter and that the Heaton character is her mother. And we see that the adorable 10-year old girl obviously likes the Grammer character, but she doesn't know that he's her daddy!

"Back To You"? Oh, yeah! I'm back to my television set tuned to Fox, Wednesday nights at 8!

EDITOR'S NOTE: A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I do write back.

TOMORROW: The shocking high cost of milk and anything else that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"

ON THIS POINT, CRITICS ARE UNANIMOUS! THE NEW BRAD PITT FILM IS TOO DAMN LONG!!!

Brad Pitt is a superstar actor and one of the reasons people like him so much is because he seems to be "accessible". Being pals and in films with George Clooney doesn't hurt either.

Brad Pitt has given a lot of interviews to people about his new film, "The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford", a film that opens in only 15 theaters today. And yes, during these interviews, Brad Pitt has gotten more than his fair share of questions about the lady in his life and the number of children in his life. He respects the fact that a lot of people are interested in Angelina Jolie and her desire to adopt children. He answers all questions with a smile and doesn't get "testy" when the suggestion is sometimes made that Casey Affleck is the better actor in this new film he's pleasantly promoting. A question like, "Isn't Sam Shepard too old to be playing your brother?" gets a smile from Pitt and the casting decision is defended by Pitt. And when the interview(s) has/have ended, the media folks walk away saying what a great guy he is.

I've never met Brad Pitt, but I believe what people say. I'd be shocked if he wasn't "a great guy".

So when critics say something negative about Pitt's new film, you know they're saying it reluctantly. And what they're saying is, "The film is too damn long!" 2 hours and 40 minutes worth of "too damn long". But couldn't you see this coming because of the title of the film? I mean, who puts a title on a film this damn long?

To me, this is (simply) the "Jesse James" film and I hope to be able to see it in one of the two theaters showing it (here) in L.A. this weekend. In addition to Pitt, Affleck and Shepard, the film also features performances by Sam Rockwell, Mary-Louise Parker and Zooey Deschanel.

"GOOD LUCK CHUCK":

"Good Luck Chuck", starring Jessica Alba, Dane Cook and Dan Fogler opens today. It's advertised as being a comedy, but critics aren't laughing. In fact, the reviews I've read have been brutal.

"INTO THE WILD":

The Sean Penn directed film, "Into The Wild" opens today and the reviews are terrific. This is a true story about a guy named Christopher McCandless who lived a life of privilege, but after graduating from college, he gave everything away, changed his name and ended up going into the Alaska wilderness. By himself. Emile Hirsch plays McCandless. Things didn't end well for McCandless, but critics agree that Hirsch is outstanding in the role. Notable supporting performances being praised are turned in by Jena Malone as McCandless' abandoned sister and major praise is being heaped upon Hal Holbrook, who plays Ron Franz, the last person McCandless met. Overall, critics really like "Into The Wild".

"RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION":

A film opening today that hasn't been reviewed (always a bad sign), is also a film that is projected to do well at the box office. "Resident Evil: Extinction", a film I plan to see this weekend.

HOPE FOR CABLE AND SATELLITE SUBSCRIBERS:

A lawsuit filed here in Los Angeles hopes to force major cable and satellite television system operators to offer subscribers the opportunity to pay only for channels they actually want to watch! I don't know about you, but I'm rooting for that lawsuit to win. How many channels would have to go out of business if this lawsuit is successful? That's not our problem! Hey, if nobody wants 'em, we shouldn't have to pay for 'em!

SPEAKING OF HIGH PRICES:

More than 83 bucks a barrel for crude oil now. Get ready for higher and higher gasoline prices again. More huge profits for American oil barons and more belt tightening for the rest of us.

CELEBRITY LEGAL UPDATES:

Nothing new to report regarding the O.J. Simpson or Phil Spector situations. But Dan Rather wants CBS to have to pay him 70 million dollars for (among other things) hurting his feelings.

EDITOR'S NOTE: OUR PICTURES PROVIDER IS OUT OF TOWN FOR A FEW DAYS. PICTURES WILL RETURN SOON.

A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I do write back.

MONDAY: I'll tell you what I thought about the films I'll see this weekend and anything else that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!

ARE WE "OUTSOURCING" THE WAR IN IRAQ?!?

Outsourcing! The worst thing that's ever happened to the American worker!

Outsourcing! The best thing that's ever happened to the American corporation owner!

And have some greedy geniuses figured out that outsourcing in a war can generate huge profits?!? And have they found the perfect administration to go along with this?

I mean, we've always known that the Bush administration favors the rich folks, because one tends to favor their own. And yes, some of us veterans have been a little suspicious about this administration's constant whining about people (us) "not supporting the troops" when the truth of the matter is, this administration has been the worst supporter of the troops in my lifetime.

Let me count (only) some of the ways.

In no particular order...

Walter Reed and military health care for returning wounded troops in general. Until a whistle was blown.

Bulletproof vests that had to be mailed to troops by their parents. Until a whistle was blown.

So-called armored vehicles that caused multiple deaths and life altering injuries while life and injury saving armored vehicles had been perfected, but weren't ordered. Until a whistle was blown.

I could mention more examples, but let's fast forward to the most recent example.

OUTSOURCING!!!

In addition to other problems this can cause, let's simply address possible morale issues within the U.S. Military. When they see private contractors doing what the troops are capable of doing, but these private contractors are being paid five times what the troops are being paid, if not more. Oh, yeah! This is "supporting our troops"!

Let me put it in civilian terms. While performing the same duties at your job as the person next to you, but that person is making five times the money you're making even though you've both been doing the same job for the same amount of time, please tell me about that warm and fuzzy feeling you have about this situation.

Here are the numbers as reported by Associated Press today. 163,100 U.S. military personnel are in Iraq. The Pentagon disputes that number. They say it's 169,000 with an additional 12,400 coalition forces.

Here's a number that (as of now) isn't in dispute. More than 180,000 Americans, Iraqis and nationals from other countries work under a lot of different federal contracts to do the work that soldiers would usually do, but for much more money!!! Not to mention the amount of money being pocketed by the owners of the businesses these private contractors work for. A situation that has resulted in multiple investigations involving bribery, unaccounted for missing funds, etc., etc.

North Carolina Representative David Price said, "One suspects that contractors are being used to mask the true extent of our involvement in Iraq. How else are you going to interpret it when the number of contractors exceeds the number of troops?"

Congressman Price has proposed a measure that would require all government contractors to be covered by federal criminal codes, a shortcoming revealed by the conflict in Iraq. Or to put that another way, because of what I wrote about two paragraphs ago.

This is all being exposed because of what some private contractors recently did involving the use of firearms that made front page news.

Will the Bush Administration make an effort to correct corruption or indiscriminate use of "security" by these (in reality) free lance soldiers of fortune? If they do, I'll be shocked, but I'll also salute what would be some overdue due diligence.

Oh...A P.S. to this story. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday that the department does not release the number of contract employees because of concerns that their safety could be compromised.

Short Commentary: Uh, huh.

O.J. SIMPSON UPDATE:

O.J. Simpson has been freed on bail. $125,000. He's back in Florida. But now, one of his alleged victims is in jail. While Alfred Beardsley was on the "Today" show, his parole agent saw him. It turns out that Beardsley isn't supposed to leave the state without telling his parole officer. Tom Hession, chief inspector for the marshals said, "I guess he liked the camera too much." In 2005, Beardsley was sent to jail for stalking. First of all, you have to be a serious stalker to go to jail for that charge. I mean, who hasn't had a break-up of some kind that didn't result in a little bit of that kind of activity? Here's another question. Is there anyone in this O.J. case who doesn't have a rap sheet of some kind? And I mean on both sides of this case?

TELEVISION NOTE:

A 2-hour season finale of "Burn Notice" will be on USA beginning at 9 tonight.

Another episode of the very good show "Mad Men" will be on AMC at 10 tonight.

EDITOR'S NOTE: OUR PICTURES PROVIDER IS OUT OF TOWN FOR A FEW DAYS. PICTURES WILL RETURN SOON.

A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I do write back.

TOMORROW: I'll tell you about new films that are opening and anything else that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"

WAS O.J. SETUP?!?

Someone much smarter than me once said (something like), "When you roll around with dogs, you end up with fleas."

The more you look at the guy who got O.J. all riled up in the first place, the more you begin to wonder about Tom Riccio. Riccio's a man who has an extensive rap sheet and he's the one who told Simpson about where O.J. could go to find the men who had items that either belonged or used to belong to Simpson. Who really owns what is something that the police are still trying to sort out, but what ended up happening is something that all of us know. O.J. and (for lack of a better phrase) an "interesting cast of characters" showed up in a Las Vegas hotel room demanding the return of items that O.J. claimed were his.

And this is where we go back to Tom Riccio and the possibility of a setup question. Riccio had a tape recorder with him while all this was going on. And what he recorded, he sold to the celebrity gossip Web site TMZ.com, an outfit that makes their money off the backs of celebrities who are in trouble. In other words, an outfit whose scruples deserve to be examined.

Here's question number ONE for TMZ.com. Was the arrangement to buy the audio from Tom Riccio made before O.J. and his crew (including Riccio) entered the Las Vegas hotel room or after?

If the answer is, "before", then TMZ.com has some "serious 'splainin'" to do.

If the answer is, "after", then TMZ.com reverts back to simply being purveyors of sleaze as opposed to being exposed to a possible conspiracy crime of some kind.

No matter what the responsibility and or motives associated with TMZ.com are, a question that needs to be posed to Mr. Riccio is this; "After getting the information to O.J. about items of his that might be about to be sold in a Las Vegas hotel room, you accompanied Mr. Simpson to the hotel room while secretly carrying a tape recorder. WHY?!?"

"Annnd Mr. Riccio, as someone who was with Mr. Simpson in this hotel room, why haven't YOU been charged with some of the charges other persons who were with Mr. Simpson have been charged with?"

Okay...I'm not a lawyer or prosecutor. I've only played those roles on television, buuut...?!?

And yes, it's possible that the questions I've posed have simple and innocent explanations (answers), but Enquiring Minds want to know; "Was O.J. Simpson setup?!?"

AND THEN THERE'S THE PHIL SPECTOR CASE:

Here's the thing about possible criminal behavior, accidental behavior or a misunderstanding involving behavior. Unless you were there, you don't know what the behavior was.

This Phil Spector/Lana Clarkson case involves the jury having to decide that Spector was responsible for her death (2nd degree murder) or it was an accident or a suicide.

Some irresponsible editorial writing has been done involving this case. I mean, off the charts irresponsible editorial writing. Writing done by folks who thought that once this case went to the jury, a guilty verdict was a "slam dunk".

Yesterday we were told that after 7 days of deliberations, the jury foreman told the judge that the jury was hopelessly deadlocked. No, it wasn't 11-1 or 10-2. It was (is) 7-5. The foreman didn't say if it was 7-5 guilty or not guilty. But he did say that the jurors were in disagreement about the facts in the case, not about the law. The judge is now thinking about letting the jury consider a lesser charge. Manslaughter. If that happens, lawyers on both sides would reargue their case to the jury.

MORE BAD POLL NEWS FOR PRESIDENT BUSH AND CONGRESS:

Because of all these foreclosures, Iraq and overall lack of leadership, a new Reuters/Zogby poll gives President Bush his lowest approval rating ever. 29%. Congress is much worse. Only 11% approve of what Congress is doing and yes, that's also a new low. Most of this polling was done after General Petraeus' testimony to Congress and the recent speech by President Bush.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. AND RON REAGAN JR.:

How about this for an off the wall duo to consider? It's only in the talking stages, but some folks are seriously trying to get these two guys to consider running for the two highest offices in America. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run as a presidential candidate and his running mate would be Ron Reagan Jr.

Short Commentary: Well...There certainly wouldn't be a name recognition problem. Other than that? I guess stranger things have happened, but none at this level that I can think of.

TWO NEW TV SHOWS MAKE THEIR DEBUTS TONIGHT:

The much talked about Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton show, "Back to You" will air their first episode at 8 tonight on Fox. The reviews I've read have been better than bad which is another way of saying, "so-so".

"Gossip Girl" will debut on The CW (channel 5 in L.A.) at 9 tonight. I've never heard of any of the stars on this show, but the Executive Producer, Josh Schwartz, is the same guy who created "The O.C.", a show I loved and saw every episode of. Reviews for "Gossip Girl" are about the same as the reviews for "Back to You" (so-so), but I'll be watching.

EDITOR'S NOTE: OUR PICTURES PROVIDER IS OUT OF TOWN FOR A FEW DAYS, BUT HE'LL POST PICTURES IF HE IS ABLE TO FIND THE TIME TO.

A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I do write back.

TOMORROW: I'll tell you what I thought of "Gossip Girl", anything new factual wise in the O.J. and Phil Spector cases annnd...Anything else that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"

IT'S 1995 ALL OVER AGAIN!!! O.J., O.J. AND MORE O.J.!!!

As someone much smarter than me once said, "It's deja vu all over again!"

O.J., O.J., all the time, O.J.!

We have more than 40 million Americans who don't have health insurance, a presidential administration that makes us search for a better word than "incompetent", but when O.J. Simpson makes news, he becomes THE news!

In 1995, O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murder. It's an acquittal that a lot of Americans have had a hard time letting go of. No, Ron Goldman's father ain't the only one. He's just the most pathetic one. Mr. Goldman seems to love the spotlight more than most actors I know and I know a lot of actors.

To me, people have given O.J. Simpson way too much credit for being smart. I mean, many believe he committed the perfect murders. There wasn't any evidence one could sink their teeth into except circumstantial evidence, evidence that was offset by a cop who had provable racist tendencies, an incompetent prosecutor who imagined herself to be a beauty queen and a judge who fell in love. With the camera in the courtroom!!!

No, I don't think O.J. is smart. I think he was cast perfectly as that dumb cop in those Naked Gun films. That cop was dumber than dumb and so was the guy who charged into that room in Vegas demanding stuff he claimed was stolen from him while accompanied by a "posse" who, if possible, might have all been dumber than O.J.

What was O.J. thinking? Was he thinking that he wanted to get caught doing something that is against the law? I mean, if what we've heard is true, he will spend some (perhaps) serious time in jail this time. Is this one of those deals involving a guy who feels he needs to be punished and (he) didn't have a number for a dominatrix?!? But the bigger question is, why do we care? Is it because we're as dumb as he is? And have we finally discovered the real reason so many of us voted for a president who most everyone agrees ain't the brightest bulb on the tree?

Because when all is said and done, it all comes back to why are we so easily distracted while most of our lives are being negatively affected by a leadership void at the top of our political food chain?

AND THEN THERE'S ALAN GREENSPAN:

Have you been paying attention to the "This ain't my bleepin' fault!" bleatings from a guy that so many people admired until this recent "exposing" of himself in a new book and interviews to promote his new book? In essence, Alan Greenspan is saying that he didn't agree with all the Bush tax cuts, the spending and the economic strategy in general. Why didn't Greenspan say this while he was in the position to possibly make a difference? He says he did, but nobody was listening.

Hmmmm....Well, Greenspan does have this habit of mumbling incoherently while giving testimony to congressional leaders, so an argument can be made that he was trying warn us then, instead of what we were really thinking which was that mumbling was his way of "avoiding the question".

Buuuut...What this looks like is that Alan Greenspan is just another guy who was dead wrong when he was signing off on President Bush's spending, spending, spending and tax cuts for the rich and now that we're facing the possibility of a serious recession because of foreclosures and other things bubbling under the surface, he's trying to cover his ass by saying he isn't responsible for any of this.

Conclusion: If what you're saying is the truth now, Mr. Greenspan, then you're just as dumb as O.J. and rest of us who have done the voting recently. For you see, Mr. Greenspan, what you're coming across now as, is just another one of those "Thou doth protest too much" kind of guys.

OTHER STUFF:

Have you read Hillary Clinton's new health care proposal? If you're like me, you're probably still trying to figure out if it's a good proposal or a proposal we're supposed to think is good.

Did you see David Lazarus' column in Sunday's Los Angeles Times about an idea how to raise money that would be used to help insure people who don't have health insurance? He's suggesting that we "Decriminalize pot and tax the heck out of it."

Is this a healthcare (partial) solution that makes some sense? It does to me! Marijuana? Illegal? Why?!? Yes, I know that the people who keep trying to sell the idea that we're in Iraq because of 9/11 will come up with an argument about pot that makes as much sense as the Iraq argument, but in both cases we need an argument that's believable. People who aren't afraid to think for themselves know that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 and people who aren't afraid to think for themselves know that pot is nowhere near the "boogieman" that tobacco cigarettes are. I think that David Lazarus has a heck of a good idea and I hope it's an idea that progressive thinking legislators will try to push for passage and implementation.

FINAL EMMY OBSERVATIONS:

Low ratings for Sunday's Emmy Awards on Fox. They beat the Sunday night football game (barely) and that tells us that if they hadn't been up against a football game featuring two good teams and a coach who was very much in the news, the Emmy telecast might have done quite well, ratings wise.

People are certainly talking about Sally Field, aren't they? She plays the family matriarch on what I think is the best show on television, "Brothers & Sisters" and my response to all the conversation about what she said that was bleeped is, "You GO, girl!!!".

RADIO PROGRAM REMINDER:

Tonight, I'll (again) be on with Joe McDonnell and Tim Cates on KLAC's, "The Joe McDonnell Experience" from 9:20 or so until close to ten. KLAC is 570 on the AM dial. The conversation is mostly sports, but we've been known to talk about darn near anything.

EDITOR'S NOTE: OUR PICTURES PROVIDER IS OUT OF TOWN FOR A FEW DAYS, BUT HE'LL POST PICTURES IF HE IS ABLE TO FIND THE TIME TO.

A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I do write back.

TOMORROW: A frightening experience for a man who encountered an agitated alligator... Some thoughts about a long shot possible pair of president/vice president running mates... And anything else that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"

JAMES SPADER HAD THE LINE OF THE NIGHT: "I FEEL LIKE I JUST STOLE A PILE OF MONEY FROM THE MOB!"

Overall, I enjoyed Fox's telecast of the Emmys last night. And I'll get one thing out of the way right now. The feeling here is that the choice of James Gandolfini for best actor in a drama series would have been an award for all the years "The Sopranos" were on the air. I think the voters got it right for who deserved the award for last year. Unlike most critics and voters, I saw every episode of both shows and I thought that what Spader brought to the table week in and week out was better than what Gandolfini brought to the table. But like most people, I was surprised when Gandolfini didn't win.

And the voters got it right when Sally Field won for best actress in a drama series. And then Fox went and bleeped her ending in her acceptance speech. On the show "Brothers & Sisters", Field plays a mother whose son has been sent to serve in the Iraq war and she said, "I'm proud to be one of those women, and let's face it, if mothers ruled the world, there would be no goddamned wars in the first place!" The last part of what she said was bleeped as was the ovation Field was given after saying what she said. After the show, Field said (in essence) that being bleeped was okay and that she'll simply say what she said someplace else.

Ray Romano was also bleeped for making a remark about Patricia Heaton sleeping with her new co-star Kelsey Grammer and Katherine Heigl was bleeped for mouthing the word "Shit!" when her name was announced as winner of the best supporting actress in a drama series. When Heigl got on stage, one assumes that the off stage announcer said "Shit!" when Heigl corrected the way Heigl's last name had been pronounced.

Short Commentary: My first reaction to Heigl's public "correction" was to be reminded of what I continually hear about her being a major "piece of work" on the set and thinking this was simply another example of a talented diva throwing her weight around, but on second thought...The announcer on a show like the Emmys has one thing to have burned (in this case) in her brain and that's the correct pronunciation of all the presenters and all the nominees. That's her job and there's no excuse for a mistake like that. If she's invited back to be the announcer on next year's Emmy telecast, she will be given one more chance than anyone else would usually get.

OTHER EMMY OBSERVATIONS:

I loved the singing opening that was done by the cartoon characters Stevie and his dog Brian from the show "Family Guy"! Absolutely loved it!

A nice self deprecating remark was made by host Ryan Seacrest when noting there were 6,000 people seated in the audience, said that all of them had "passed" on doing the hosting that he was doing. And boy was he set up to fail! I didn't read one critic who said before the show that was kind about the selection of Seacrest to host the show. I refer to Seacrest (kindly) as being "Vanilla Deluxe". Just like his idol, Dick Clark. As long as Ryan stayed being a "M.C.", he was okay. When he stepped out of his element like talking to people in the audience, something that Ellen does so very well, or the bit with the blogger that really bombed or the bit with the costume that made one think of Johnny Carson and be reminded that Carson, Seacrest ain't, Ryan was totally exposed as a (pleasant) "fish out of water".

And as long as I'm talking about people who strike me as being "out of their element", what's up with all the praise heaped upon Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert. When they were on stage together, they were (to me) what they usually are. Seldom funny in a stupid bit about (I think) ecology. When they were done with their embarrassing nonsense, the camera captured what most of the audience was feeling when they showed the expression on the faces of Kevin Bacon and his wife Kyra Sedgwick.

Funny was delivered by Elaine Stritch last night!

Funny was delivered by Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher last night!

Really funny was delivered by Lewis Black last night!

Poignant (and funny) was delivered by Glenn Close, Kyra Sedgwick and Mary-Louise Parker!

But if there was one thing that really got my attention, it would be what The Jersey Boys did during their tribute to "The Sopranos". Bravo, bravo, bravo! Especially their opening number!

Again...glitches, bleeps and all, I liked last night's telecast!

ONE MORE THING I LIKED:

Friday, I saw "The Brave One". I thought the scenes with Jodie Foster and Terrence Howard were terrific...Nicky Katt was given most of the funny lines and he delivered them well...I like the way the story developed...And I didn't see the ending coming! That surprised me! What didn't surprise me was hearing what people were saying as they walked out of the theatre. Which was how much they liked "The Brave One".

SPEAKING OF NOT BEING SURPRISED:

It was just a matter of time, wasn't it? When O.J. Simpson figured to do something stupid again? Example, even if it's possible he wasn't guilty of the murders (which pretty much no one believes), riding in the Bronco with Al Cowlings was off the charts stupid! In this Las Vegas deal, even if he didn't go into that room knowing that he was with a person or people who had guns, and or if there was property of his that he wanted back, the way he went about getting it back, was also off the charts stupid. How will all this play out in court?!? No one knows, but know this; We'll be O.J. updated, updated and updated some more which will provide a distraction that the Bush administration should send a "Thank You!" note to O.J. for.

EDITOR'S NOTE: IF YOU READ THIS BEFORE PICTURES HAVE BEEN ADDED, COME BACK! PICTURES WILL BE UP SOON!

A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I do write back.

TOMORROW: Would the decriminalization of pot and then a big tax on it possibly be a big step toward the solution of our uninsured health crisis? Does the possible candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Ron Reagan Jr have a ghost of a chance of resulting in them becoming our next president and vice president? Annnd anything else that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"

OUR LOW EXPECTATIONS PRESIDENT GAVE US WHAT WE EXPECTED!!!

One thing about President Bush. Now that he's been in office long enough to know what we can expect from him, he delivers. Our expectations are low and he never disappoints us.

Sadly, I actually had a glimmer of hope last night. While driving to an acting workshop, I turned on KNX here in Los Angeles so I could hear President Bush's speech. I was disappointed in two ways. KNX felt it necessary to constantly interrupt President Bush with "reminders" of what station I was listening to. Like President Bush's ratings, KNX's ratings have been in a downward freefall and they should be doing all they can to not annoy people who will tune in to find out if they're still on the air. Same deal with President Bush. He had a perfect opportunity last night to let us know that he is capable of being "The Decider" who is capable of deciding to change direction for the betterment of us all.

The speech President Bush gave last night did not address the "What for?!?" question many of us have about this "stay the course" business in Iraq. In fact, the speech President Bush gave last night could have been replaced with a recording of a previous speech, a speech that might not have included KNX's annoying interruptions.

Here's the bottom line, gang. Unless Congress has the stones to vote for something dramatically different, we're going to be stuck in the middle of a civil war for a long time. Why?!? Because that's what our low expectations "Decider" has decided. What for?!? Well, it's a darn shame that "The Decider" doesn't have the stones to tell us the real answer to that!!!

Tell us, Mr. President! Please! Tell us! The real reason we're in Iraq. You're acting like Jack Nicholson when he said (in A Few Good Men), You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!!!"

I've got news for you, Mr. President. We can handle the truth! And here's some truth for you! If you tell us the truth, you have nothing to worry about. Because as long as Dick Cheney is Vice President, your job is safe, Mr. President.

A REPUBLICAN WHO "DECIDES" AND WHO KNOWS HOW TO MAKE US SMILE:

We have a Republican in this country who I think would be a terrific President of the United States! And it's a darn shame he's not legally allowed to run for that office.

Arnold Schwarzenegger. Why can a foreign born legal U.S. citizen be allowed to be Governor of California, the United States' Secretary of State and so many other high positions, but they're not allowed to be President of the United States? By the time a person like that has put him or herself into the position of being considered, we already know all we need to know about that person.

Okay, President Bush is an exception.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Anyway, I wish we'd change the law that keeps people like Arnold Schwarzenegger from being allowed to pursue the ultimate dream! If you disagree or agree, I'd love to hear from you. E-mail me at scottstjames@sbcglobal.net.

What makes me think of Governor Schwarzenegger is this legislation he signed yesterday that will prohibit Californians under age 18 from using cellphones, text message devices and laptop computers while driving. The new law will take effect July 1, 2008. Schwarzenegger has two teenage daughters. Katherine is driving now and Christina will be driving soon. Schwarzenegger said, "I told my daughters: 'I give you the car. I give you the cellphone, but if I see you one time using both at the same time, both of them are gone.'" He also said the girls would then have to go to school on the bus and, "They know that!" The Governor added: "And I sometimes spy on them! They also know that!"

Governor Terminator said all this with a smile, but no one doubts for one minute that his daughters know he's serious! For you see, unlike the "decider" in the White House, Governor Terminator has the capability of deciding something that makes some sense and who also isn't afraid to tell us the truthful answer to the question, "What for?!?"

We gotta change that eligibility law! But if you disagree....

SHOWBIZ STUFF:

The Emmy Awards will be on Fox this Sunday night.

"The Sopranos" are expected to do well. I hope that my favorite show does well. That would be "Brothers & Sisters" which didn't get nominated for best Drama Series (an outrage), but Sally Field is up for Best Lead Actress, Drama. Rachel Griffiths from "Brothers & Sisters" is also up for Best Supporting Actress, Drama.

Will "American Idol" win an Emmy for Best Reality show? It would be their first Emmy. With Ryan Seacrest hosting the Emmy show and the fact the show and "American Idol" are on Fox, you'd think their chances are good, buuut...

Here's the real burning question about what will happen on the Emmy Awards telecast. Will Ryan Seacrest really sing?!? That's the big rumor! And if he does, will Simon critique Ryan's performance?

Several new films are opening today. The interesting ones to me (include) "Eastern Promises", "In The Valley of Elah", "King of California", "Fierce People" (because I'd go to a theatre to watch Diane Lane do anything), but the film I'm going to watch today is, "The Brave One", starring Jodie Foster.

EDITOR'S NOTE: IF YOU READ THIS BEFORE PICTURES HAVE BEEN ADDED, COME BACK! PICTURES WILL BE UP SOON!

A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I do write back.

MONDAY: I'll tell you what I thought about the Emmy winners, Ryan Seacrest's hosting, Jodie Foster's "The Brave One" and anything else that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!

PRESIDENT BUSH SPEAKS TO US AT 6, PACIFIC TIME TONIGHT!!!

Here's what's interesting to me about President Bush's speech tonight. I figured I'd find out what time his speech would be given by checking out my local newspapers. I didn't know that I'd have to look somewhere besides page 1 to get that information. The information is on page 8 of the Los Angeles Times and on page 17 of the Los Angeles Daily News.

This is a speech from our Commander in Chief about the war in Iraq! Yeah, it's only a 15-minute speech, but it's President Bush doing the talking.

For the record, his speech is scheduled to begin at 6 Pacific Time which means 9 for our readers back East.

Right after Bush's speech, presidential candidate John Edwards will speak for two minutes on MSNBC, two minutes that Edwards has paid for. You and I are paying for Bush's 15 minutes. Just like we're paying for his war. In his ad promoting his two minutes tonight, Edwards says, "Unfortunately, the president is pressing on with the only strategy he's ever had...more time, more troops, and more war."

We are told that President Bush will not address the question of why he wants more time. Or at least the question that a lot of us would like the answer to. You want more time for what, Mr. President. We continue to have many of our youngest and brightest killed and maimed while we spend billions and billions of dollars. FOR WHAT?!?"

And with all due respect Mr. President, if you (again) say we're there because of 9/11, I'm going to puke!

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has accused President Bush of effectively signing off on a 10-year "open-ended" commitment there.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Pelosi was "flat wrong" and also said, "Only a crazy person would fail to adjust strategy on a regular basis, based on the realities on the ground."

Short Commentary: Interesting observation, Tony. I've been thinking "incompetent". I hadn't thought about "crazy".

Sudden Thought:

Isn't it time to revisit the idea of a draft? I mean, if this never ending Iraq business is that important to Americans, shouldn't all young Americans be put into the position of being possible participants? Participants in what the Bush administration believes is something that's important to everyone in America? Shoot, Mr. President, you could even make it legal for illegal aliens to get drafted. You're trying to do so many other beneficial things for illegal aliens. If they come back from Iraq alive, they're given citizenship.

OTHER STUFF:

On top of the foreclosure mess, now gasoline prices are going back up!

Did you hear about the 15-year old boy in Palmdale who's been arrested for beating and raping a 14-year old girl on an elementary school campus. What 15 and 14-year olds are doing on an elementary school campus makes one wonder about their educational skills, but one thing appears to be a fact. The 15-year old boy did rape and beat the 14-year old girl into a state of unconsciousness.

A lot of people will say, "He's only 15, etc., etc.", meaning that for some reason, we should cut him some slack. I'm not gonna tell you I'm thinking we should hang him by his thumbs in a public square, but I'd be lying if I said that some unpleasant forms of punishment haven't crossed my mind. And I hope he faces a judge who believes in the "punishment fits the crime" kind of justice.

WE END ON A PLEASANT NOTE:

A few days ago, I wrote a story about a guy with one leg who passed me on his bicycle while I was walking on Laurel Canyon Boulevard. I told you his left leg was missing and so was the left pedal on his bike. While driving at a good rate of speed, he was holding a crutch over the right handlebar.

A lot of you wrote e-mails asking if I knew his name, was he a veteran, etc.? I didn't meet him that day. I just stopped and looked at him in awe as he continued his journey.

I met the one legged bicycle rider yesterday! While (almost) finishing my daily walk, I decided to enter a Jack In The Box to get some breakfast food. While waiting for my sandwiches, a guy with one leg walked in. After I got my sandwich, I walked outside and saw a bicycle. With one pedal.

When he came outside, I introduced myself and asked if he was the same guy who had passed me a few days ago? He smiled and said, "Yes!" He's a soft-spoken guy who as you might imagine, is in terrific shape. I told him that I had written about him and that I would like to write about this conversation we were having now. He told me his name, but he asked that I not print it. Yes, he's a veteran. He lost his leg in Vietnam. And it's not one crutch he carries above the right handlebar. It's two crutches. Which gives me twice the amazement! When I told him how impressed I was with his demeanor, the bike riding, etc., he said, "You gotta keep movin'! Otherwise, you just shrivel up and die!"

Ride on, brother veteran! Ride on!

EDITOR'S NOTE: IF YOU READ THIS BEFORE PICTURES HAVE BEEN ADDED, COME BACK! PICTURES WILL BE UP SOON!

A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I do write back.

TOMORROW: Thoughts about what President Bush says tonight...New films that are opening tomorrow...And anything else that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"