Will Smith needs a franchise to open a movie.
Will Smith is now a “regular” movie star. Like almost other movie star today, save for Leonardo DiCaprio and (at a price) Kevin Hart, he is a high-level added value element for an already viable IP/franchise/brand pitch. Cast him as Deadshot in Suicide Squad or as Genie in Aladdin, and he’s worth his weight in gold. Ditto a “don’t need to leave the couch to watch it” Netflix movie like Bright. But the “star+concept” packages that once defined Hollywood are now (unless the budget is low enough) bad business. Gemini Man joins Focus (which earned $150 million global on a $50 million budget), Collateral Beauty, After Earth and Concussion as wholly original star vehicles that couldn’t pull their weight in a branded/IP theatrical world.
That's one of the four. I'll add another reason that I've been thinking of since last night: Ang Lee. Great with drama. Who thinks he can do action? His THE INCREDIBLE HULK failed. Now GEMINI MAN. The only one that worked was CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. He should probably go back to making movies like THE ICE STORM.
Two Wills don't make the movie any more interesting.
And Joe Biden's just a liar. If you're watching the debate, you know what I'm talking about.
Why did Biden say "I'm proud of the judgment that [Hunter] made"? Does he mean during the Ukraine situation, or today? #DemDebate
"Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):
Tuesday, October 15, 2019. As the debate approaches, Tulsi Gabbard
sends her RSVP and Hunter Biden -- active in his addiction -- refuses to
take accountability for his actions.
Tonight, in the United States, several candidates face off for the Democratic Party's presidential debate. Several?
She kept everyone waiting but made her decision 24 hours ago . . .
Tonight, in the United States, several candidates face off for the Democratic Party's presidential debate. Several?
She kept everyone waiting but made her decision 24 hours ago . . .
I will be attending the debate.
We are so very lucky the Drama Queen will be attending. She complained, she accused, she threatened not to show and in the end? It was all just more fake assery from Tulsi. She really is an idiot. Doubt it?
Pinned Tweet
I love our country. It’s why I decided to enlist after 9/11, why I serve in Congress, and why I’m offering to serve as your commander in chief — to protect you, our Constitution, our freedom. Tulsi.to/CatchTheWave #TULSI2020 #TulsiGabbard #ServiceBeforeSelf
The stupid fool still has that as her pinned Tweet. A 3rd grader should know better but let's break it down for the dumb ass. "I'm offering to serve as your commander in chief"? Who's that directed at? The President of the United States is the commander in chief over . . . the military. Not over the citizenry. Did she not pay attention growing up or is she just stupid? The president is over the military because the Founders believed in civilian control over the military. There is no commander in chief over We The People. She really is an idiot or maybe she's just so addicted to military madness that she can't grasp reality.
She's not the only one struggling.
Joe Biden will be on the stage tonight. The War Hawk is also seeking the nomination. And this is confusing to Hanna Trudo (DAILY BEAST). All the campaigns, she insists, are talking about the fact that Hunter Biden -- Joe's corrupt son -- will be on GOOD MORNING AMERICA today (taped interview) as well as ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT talking about his 'lapse.' They can't, Hanna insists, understand why he's allowed this to happen. Now the issue of Hunter will be front and center at the debate.
It's all so confusing for Hanna. But for the campaigns?
I spoke to friends with the campaigns of six candidates who will be on stage tonight. Were they surprised?
Not at all.
Joe knows this is a serious issue and hopes to bury it tonight and claim, "I've addressed this."
Everyone knows that except Hanna -- maybe she knows it but just feels the need to create drama?
Here's Hanna playing the reader for an idiot:
Biden’s son has been uncredibly accused, largely by the president and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, over unsubstantiated claims of misconduct tied to business dealings in Ukraine and China. Hunter Biden stepped down from the board of a private gas firm before his father launched his presidential bid over the spring, but that didn’t stop the president from relentlessly unleashing attacks on his work. And over recent days, the narrative shifted to China. On Oct. 13, when Hunter Biden announced he would also step down from the board of the Chinese private equity company he served on, some outside observers saw the arrangement as ethically dubious.
Hunter is "uncredibly accused" of a crime. He is rightly accused of misconduct. Corruption is misconduct. A lack of ethics is misconduct. While his father was the second most powerful person in the United States for eight years, Hunter used his father's name and the promise of access to his father to profit. That is unethical.
Corruption.
And it's so typical of the press to let this slide. They play favorites, they lie outright, anything to defend Joe Biden.
Constitutional expert Jonathan Turley (at THE HILL) notes:
Hunter Biden: The mere mention of his name seemingly triggers the vapors among cable TV hosts and their guests.
When President Trump turned to the Bidens and Ukraine in a speech, MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace cut off the coverage, declaring she had to protect the listeners: “We hate to do this, really, but the president isn't telling the truth.” When Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) tried to answer a question about the Ukraine scandal by referencing the Bidens, “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd angrily told him not to “gaslight” the nation.
The Bidens, simply, are not what well-bred people discuss in polite company, apparently. Indeed, many journalists seem to be channeling not Edward R. Murrow, the fabled CBS newscaster, but Florence Hartley, the author of “The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness” in 1872. Hartley warned her readers to “avoid, at all times, mentioning subjects or incidents that can in any way disgust your hearers.”
For news shows on MSNBC, CNN and other cable networks, nothing is more disgusting than the mention of what Hunter Biden actually was doing in Ukraine.
For those brave enough to read on, I wish to dispense with one threshold issue: I was critical of claims over the last three years of “proven” crimes and impeachable offenses in the Russia investigation. However, the first day that Trump’s Ukraine call was disclosed, I stated that — if a quid pro quo were proved — the alleged self-dealing with military aid would be an impeachable offense. My point: Raising concerns over Hunter Biden does not mean you are excusing Trump’s actions.
What is most remarkable about the paucity of coverage of Hunter Biden’s dealings is the conclusory mantra that “this has all been investigated.” Many TV hosts prefer to focus on President Trump’s dubious claim that former Vice President Joe Biden forced the firing of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor to protect his son. I, too, fail to see compelling evidence to support Trump’s charge.
There is, however, that other problem of Hunter Biden landing a windfall contract with one of Ukraine’s most corrupt figures after his father took charge of potentially billions in U.S. loans and aid for Ukraine. That is what no one seems to want to discuss.
Indeed, the Biden campaign has been remarkably open in demanding that news organizations stop airing interviews or publishing articles about the allegations. Instead of calling it “fake news” (which is virtually copyrighted by Trump), the Biden campaign calls such coverage “conspiracy theories.”
That's the reality and the press wants to look the other way. And then they wonder why the viewers don't trust them.
So we're all supposed to pretend that the second Hunter's brother Beau died, Hunter didn't move in on the widow? Didn't leave his family? Didn't have his then-wife note in court documents that Hunter spent great sums of money on hookers and drugs?
We're all supposed to pretend otherwise? Pretend that he wasn't kicked out of the Reserves in 2014 for cocaine use?
This is not ancient history.
Hunter is an addict and no one's helping an addict by covering up for him.
What he did was corrupt, what he did was unethical.
Let's listen to the drug addict for a moment.
EXCLUSIVE: Hunter Biden says he doesn't regret serving on board of Ukrainian gas company.
"What I regret is not taking into account that there would be a Rudy Giuliani and a president...that would be listening to this—this ridiculous conspiracy idea." abcn.ws/2Bc20yd
What he regrets are not his actions but that he didn't anticipate that Rudy G would show up on down the line.
The term for that "stinking thinking." It's the same b.s. nonsense that got him into this mess. He hasn't learned a damn thing. He's still active in his addiction and still not getting honest.
He is an addict. America recognizes the 12 steps as a way of treating addiction. Hunter can't even pull off the first step.
Shame on any news outlet that refuses to address this and instead covers up for him.
His lack of ethics and his corruption are part of his drug addiction.
And shame on Joe for allowing this nonsense to happen -- the original corruption and this nonsense that Hunter is offering today.
He misses Beau, Joe does. I know that, I don't doubt it. But he doesn't miss Beau enough to get real with his only living son Hunter. Joe's enabling Hunter and if Hunter dies of his drug addiction, Joe better be prepared to take part of the blame because Hunter's interview makes clear that Hunter is active in his disease and Joe's just going to let that happen.
Hunter Biden contrasting his Dad to Trump: "My dad doesn't go after other people's kids. He just doesn't. Never has." Dude. You are 49 years old! 
abcnews.go.com/Politics/exclu… cc @esaagar
abcnews.go.com/Politics/exclu… cc @esaagar
Breaking News: Joe Biden's son Hunter told ABC News he made no "ethical lapse" working in Ukraine and China and blamed President Trump for inciting controversy nyti.ms/32haLTH
Hunter's entire life is an ethical lapse -- from screwing his brother's widow to leaving a crack pipe in a rental car. He is a soon to be 50-year-old man who has never taken accountability for his actions and clearly is not going to start now unless prompted to do so.
And the press is going to enable addiction?
No one is doing him any favors.
That both Joe & Hunter Biden think they did nothing wrong whatsoever is, in itself, the problem:
And, to be clear, Hunter Biden basically admitted this morning he was paid absurd amounts of money because of his political connections, even if it was legally above board
While a few tell the truth, old whores like Andrea Mitchell continue to try to mislead.
On Hunter Biden @rickwtyler: "It was claimed (Hunter) made $50,000 serving on board of natural gas company in Ukraine. There's been many allegations about China, but doesn't seem he benefitted-Ivanka/Jared would be $6.8 million/month last year. Compare that to $50,000." #AMRstaff
Andrea's own nepotism and corruption is well known. She spent yesterday serving up crap like that. She should be removed from NBC NIGHTLY NEWS broadcasts and confined to her trashy talk show on MSNBC because she's made clear for one and all that she is not about journalism. (She actually made that clear in 2015 and 2016 but most weren't paying attention.) She sold the Iraq War and she just keeps selling lies.
The following sites updated:
War: Ruinations and Ruminations
1 hour ago
Rose McGowan
10 hours ago
Adam Schiff's the real leaker
10 hours ago
NETFLIX, Hunter Biden
10 hours ago
Batwoman
10 hours ago
Ray McGovern and Jeffrey Epstein
10 hours ago
Talking Barack
10 hours ago
Alyssa Loves Donald
12 hours ago
Monday Reads
15 hours ago
