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12 February 2019 — Caitlin Johnson
Well, now we all know what happens when a public official criticizes AIPAC. And of course, that was the whole idea.
Listening and learning, but standing strong pic.twitter.com/7TSroSf8h1— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 11, 2019
Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has published an apology for making self-evident observations about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), an immensely influential lobbying firm which, like all lobbying firms, works to influence government policy toward a specific agenda, in this case the interests of the Israeli government. She issued the apology after hours upon hours of shrill, hysterical shrieking accusations of antisemitism from the entire establishment political-media class.
If you're lucky enough to have been away from Jack Dorsey's insufferable hellsite for the last 24 hours I'll type out a very quick recap of the shit show which you are free to scroll past, or read about more in-depth by clicking this hyperlink.
It all started when journalist Glenn Greenwald criticized GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy for threatening Omar and fellow first-term Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib if they didn't stop speaking out about the behaviors of the Israeli government, in which Greenwald said "It's stunning how much time US political leaders spend defending a foreign nation even if it means attacking free speech rights of Americans." Omar retweeted Greenwald's post with the comment "It's all about the Benjamins baby," meaning $100 bills. Everyone lost their shit over a topic that is associated with Jewishness being mentioned in the same breath as a comment about money, despite the self-evident fact that using money to influence policy is precisely the thing that lobby groups do.
Some blue-checkmarked whatever person named Batya Ungar-Sargon tweeted "Would love to know who @IlhanMN thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel, though I think I can guess. Bad form, Congresswoman. That's the second anti-Semitic trope you've tweeted." Omar tweeted back "AIPAC!" in response to the question, because duh, to which Ungar-Sarson responded, "Please learn how to talk about Jews in a non-anti-Semitic way. Sincerely, American Jews." Chelsea Clinton joined in the antisemitism smears, everything blew up way worse, and Democratic Party leaders condemned Omarin unison. Omar's name trended on Twitter for hours, and this baseless antisemitism smear is now the primary thing that she is known for by rank-and-file Americans.
Where would anyone get the idea that AIPAC has undue influence in DC? pic.twitter.com/gYuPhZ4Txr
— Walker Bragman (@WalkerBragman) February 11, 2019
Which, again, was the entire point. There is a dim, primitive intelligence which guides these Twitter outrage groupthink orgies to advance the interests of the people who participate in them, kind of like the way lynch mobs of the American south were not random acts of mob violence but deliberate acts of terrorism directed to keep Black southerners afraid of demanding equal rights. This wasn't a random outburst, it was a political means toward political ends. This fact-free smear will be used to try and kill Omar's re-election bid, and the damage that has been done to her reputation will serve as a head on a spike to deter any other would-be AIPAC critics on Capitol Hill in the future.
An example has been made. Who among those with access to mainstream consciousness will be brave enough to criticize AIPAC now? Will anybody? If anyone is, they'll now be facing ten times more incentive to stay quiet than Omar was facing yesterday.
For the last two years the mainstream liberal establishment has been endlessly bleating about the need to elevate women of color to positions of leadership; then the first Black Muslim and first Somali American ever to get elected to Congress begins taking the leadership for which she was elected, and it turns out they actually meant they just wanted women with dark skin who will advance the status quo of the white imperialist patriarchy. James Clapper, the primary architect of the establishment Russia narrative, has said on multiple occasions that Russians are genetically predisposed towards nefarious behavior, and he hasn't so much as lost his cushy CNN slot. Such displays of pro-establishment bigotry are deemed perfectly acceptable by the political-media class, but yeah, pointing to the influence of an influence firm makes you a Nazi in need of international humiliation.
The gameplan now is to discipline Omar such that she never dares to speak truthfully about Israel again. (They've already permanently tarnished her career.) Truly: nothing exposes the sick, demented pathologies of the US political class like a fake "anti-semitism" controversy
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) February 11, 2019
Israel is a western imperialist military operation that was dropped in the heart of the most strategically crucial location on earth a few decades ago. It should surprise no one that there is a transnational political-media campaign to keep that operation going, especially as pertains to the United States, the nation with the most powerful military force in history. Lobbying, campaign donations, military and intelligence alliances are all just glue which keeps ostensibly different nations moving in the same direction in a world where separate nations don't actually exist. In reality our world is dominated not by sovereign nations and governments, but by a nationless alliance of influential plutocrats who have no loyalty to any government or religion. Many of those plutocrats call themselves Christian, Muslim and Jewish, but really they worship nothing but the amassment of more power.
If the unipolar world order operated honestly, the nations currently labeled "United States", "Israel", "United Kingdom", "Australia", "South Korea", "Japan" etc would all be painted the same color on the globe, and they'd all be labeled simply, "The Unipolar Empire". There'd be the unabsorbed nations labeled "China", "Russia", "Iran" and so forth with their own individual colors, but the majority of the globe would be one giant smear of empire. Shoring up ever-increasing dominance over this hegemonic world order is the highest ambition that anyone can have in terms of real power, far greater than president or king, and controlling the narratives that the general populace believes about what's going on in their world is an indispensable aspect of that power.
If you can understand this, you'll understand why Ilhan Omar was so ferociously attacked by the political-media class today. She disrupted a crucial imperial narrative.
And really that's all it takes to have a working big-picture understanding of large-scale power dynamics in our world. Understand that real power doesn't acknowledge the existence of separate nations within the unipolar empire, and that narrative control is the key to wielding real power, and you'll understand everything from wars to establishment politics to the otherwise incomprehensible behaviors of the mass media. May we all wake up from the narrative matrix and free our world from our malignant dominators.


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Given little to no notice of the six-year increase to their state pension age, a generation of women are fighting back against inequality, ageism and institutional mismanagement.
"The abrupt and poorly implemented change in the state pension age for women from 60 to 66 has severely and unconscionably penalised those who were on the cusp of retirement and who had well-founded expectations of entering the next phase of their lives".
The words of Philip Alston, the United Nations rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, whose damning report on the state of poverty in Britain laid bare the shocking impact austerity has had on women in the UK.
In the report, published in November, Alston discusses how recent government policies have "perpetuated rather than tackled the gendered aspects of poverty", acknowledging that women in the UK "earn less than men, shoulder a greater amount of unpaid labour and are more likely to experience poverty".
The UN rapporteur points out that even in 2018 women were paid 17.9% less per hour on average than men, made up 60% of low pay workers and were disproportionately engaged in part-time work with little wage progression.
"Given the structural disadvantages faced by women, it is particularly disturbing that so many policy changes since 2010 have taken a greater toll on them," Alston states, in a report where he suggests women, particularly poor women, have been "intentionally targeted" by the government.
His recommendation? To review and remedy the "systematic disadvantage" inflicted on women by current policies.
This view is endorsed by WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality), a nationwide movement established in 2015 to fight for justice for the generation of women penalised by the "poorly implemented" rise in their state pension age from 60 to 66.
Today a judicial review begins, brought on the basis of sex discrimination by separate campaign group Back to 60. The landmark review in the High Court will examine the government's handling of the rise in the pension age for women born in the 1950s, who were the first to see their pension age fall in line with men.
The Pensions Act 1995 stated that the state pension age for women would increase from 60 to 65 from April 2010 to 2020, however the coalition government accelerated the timetable with the Pensions Act 2011. Under the new act the state pension age would reach 65 by November 2018 and 66 by April 2020, to reflect life expectancy.
While the government claims to have paid for articles in newspapers and TV advertising to communicate the changes, WASPI research suggests that these were mostly in the financial sections of broadsheet newspapers and not aimed directly at the generation impacted.
"The government knew that it would be unpopular and nobody voluntarily chooses to draw attention to something that they know is going to be very unpopular," states Debbie de Spon, WASPI communications director.
"As a campaign we also suspect that successive governments thought we were an easy target and that we wouldn't make a fuss about it."
They were wrong. Some women did notice and in 2011 complained about the changes, which resulted in the coalition government agreeing to push the rise to 66 back from April 2020 to October 2020.
"As a result the 2011 Act didn't increase the state pension age as much as it was intended to do, which meant the government didn't save as much money off the backs of WASPI women as they had hoped," says de Spon.
"It's also a question less about equalising the state pension age, which is what it's been dressed up as, but rather it was about the government saving money that it very badly needed to save."
Some four years later in March 2015 the Work and Pensions Select Committee concluded that "more could and should have been done" in communicating to these women.
The decision not to inform the 1950s generation goes right to the heart of government. Writing in the I newspaper in October 2018 Baroness Ros Altman, who served as pensions minister between 2015 and 2016, claimed that the then Secretary of State Iain Duncan Smith refused to engage with the women adversely affected and that she was "instructed not to speak to them". The feeling at the time was that the women would go away sooner or later.
Altman goes on to state: "The Department for Work and Pensions had failed to properly inform those affected by the huge 1995 changes. Indeed, the DWP inadvertently led these women to believe their state pension age was 60.
"It wrote to millions of them between 2003 and 2005 about their state pension, without bothering to mention that they would not be getting it at age 60. Even in 2015, when women's pension age had already risen to 62, some pages on the Government's website said women would start their state pension at age 60."
Achieving financial security
The far-ranging impact the change in pension age has had on the generation of 1950s women cannot be overstated. Finding themselves with a six-year gap in their savings has, in many cases, taken financial independence away from women who expected that when they reached 60 there would be money put aside.
For those women who have partners and husbands the changes have often meant relying on them to make ends meet, while de Spon explains that others feel like they are on the brink of disaster.
"I speak to women who often say 'I'm frightened that tomorrow I'll be too ill or my condition will be too bad for me to actually go to work and I have to munch on painkillers in order to get me through'," she recalls.
"Even if you put to one side the financial situation of people who are most struggling which obviously we consider all the time, we also consider the women who did plan, who did make arrangements."
De Spon cites one of her oldest friends who carefully planned for her retirement, only to find out a few years prior that a huge chunk of her expected state pension – up to £45,000 – would disappear.
While WASPI celebrates flexible working, enhanced parental leave and auto-enrolment being offered to younger generations as they are passionate about women achieving financial security, such opportunities were not open to them. In fact, the government's decision to equalise the state pension age fails to take into account the significant societal factors affecting this generation.
Not only did they have to contend with the persistent gender pay gap, but these women did not have the ability to access enhanced maternity leave packages, nor were the majority offered flexible working, which invariably meant that having a baby or taking time off to care for a family member would see their career effectively stop.
"We're also more of a generation where the woman was expected to stay at home and look after the children and husbands went out to work. That was much more normal and it certainly couldn't be called normal today," de Spon points out.
"That was the way it was so therefore, if women did work, they probably only worked part time and if you work part time you couldn't join a company pension scheme which meant that women of our generation had less opportunity to have a private pension and are therefore more dependent on their state pension."
The upshot is that women, sometimes after years out of work, are being forced to get back into the workforce in their early 60s or sign on for Universal Credit. In other cases these women are being pushed into unstable zero hours contract work to pay the bills.
"The government claims that [zero-hours contracts] offers greater flexibility, but my only experience is that they offer a complete lack of flexibility and security, and a lot of anxiety with people not knowing until the morning or the evening before if they are going to work. What kind of life is that for anybody?" de Spon questions.
While there is far more information available now and the Department for Work and Pensions has been consistently promoting its workplace pensions scheme, she believes far more emphasis needs to be put on how people are going to support themselves financially in later life.
"We suspect that successive governments thought we were an easy target and that we wouldn't make a fuss about it."
Debbie de Spon, WASPI
Such an approach will be crucial going forward as life expectancy rises. By 2028, for example, the state pension age is expected to reach 67. This means that as a society – and particularly employers – we will need to find new ways for people work into older age.
De Spon believes fundamental change is needed to help people make adaptions through their working life. "Will HR sit you down and say well, how is it for you, how are you managing, how can we consider what your working life is going to look like for the next five to 10 years?," she questions.
"I don't think in most circumstances that happens yet and is that going to happen in the future? Are we going to really look at the needs of the workforce if we're all going to have to work into our 70s?"
Bridging the gap
WAPSI does not oppose equalising the pension age, but it is asking for compensation for a generation of women who were given little to no warning of the changes and therefore were unable to make up the six-year financial shortfall.
The group is calling for a 'bridging' pension to provide an income until the women reach state pension age – non-means-tested and with recompense for losses for those who have already reached retirement.
To date WASPI has taken a two pronged attack. The first was a political campaign, lobbying MPs to gain support for the bridging pension. However, while the group has received genuine cross-party support, de Spon argues that the government has no will to give the group any money as it needs to save – not spend more.
Simultaneously WAPSI lodged a complaint of maladministration with the Department for Work and Pensions, which is now with an independent case examiner. The goal is to push the complaint all the way through to the parliamentary ombudsman who could, in theory, decide this generation of women should be put back in the position they would have been had the "maladministration" of their pensions not occurred.
The judicial review brought by Back to 60 has, however, put the WASPI maladministration complaint temporarily on hold.
"Even at the end of the judicial review we probably won't know immediately because DWP and the ombudsman will want to consider what the ruling was and how that affects the way forward for our complaints process, so it's a real wait and see at the moment," says de Spon.
"We're all marking the days on our calendar until we get an idea of how we move forward."
The experience of the WASPI women is an example of what if feels like to realise the safety net you always thought would be there to catch you has disappeared and time has run out to do anything about it. A generation of women have been – in the words of the UN rapporteur – "severely and unconscionably penalised" in a bid to recoup money to the public purse.
Alston clearly points to the way women, particularly the WASPI generation, have been put at a "systematic disadvantage" by the state, suggesting not only a right to compensation, but also the need for the government to address how it treats the most vulnerable in society. Furthermore, this should be a wake up call for future generations to redefine our career trajectories as we prepare to work well into our 70s.

subset: commoncrawl


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Police Lieutenant: Well, Denham, the airplanes got him.
Carl Denham: Oh no, it wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast.
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVEEE King Kong!!!
I grew up watching this film and owned a VHS that had a King Kong on it that growled when you pushed on it.
The film all started with Merian C. Cooper's idea of a giant ape on top of the world's tallest building, fighting airplanes. He worked backward from there, to develop the rest of the story.
The name comes from producer, David O. Selznick, who decided King Kong was better than just Kong.
I know a lot of people hate the effects and such-but I don't care. It was amazing in 1933 and it is amazing now!!
So without further ado-here we go!
So we open our film on 1930s New York City. There is a ship heading out to go on location to film, Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) is in charge of it. Everyone is talking about it as the ship has three times the crew needed to sail.
Denham has explosives and gas bombs-he doesn't care about legal issues, morality-he cares about money and his film. Its in his blood.
He needs an actress and no agent will help him hire one-as Denham has a reputation for being recklessness and he's so private about where they are going. Everyone is afraid of what might happen. Go who knows where, to do who knows what, and stuck on a boat full of men. Yeah, I'd pass too.
The first mate is John "Jack" Driscoll (Bruce Cabot) and he doesn't think they should bring a woman on board. They are bad luck. I think Mrs. Croft would not agree.
They can't see why Denham needs a girl, as none of his other pictures has them. He says that he's tired of people going on that if it had a love interest it would make twice as much money-so he is giving them what they want. But he need girl to do it!
"Skipper: What are you doing?
Carl Denham: I'm gonna go out and find a girl for my picture – even if I hafta' marry one."
He heads to a woman's shelter as he needs someone young, hungry, and desperate. But none look right.
He heads to a fruit stand and spies a woman, Ann Darrow (Fay Wray), looking at the fruit, she gets caught by the fruit stand owner for stealing, but Mr. Denham comes to her aid. He takes her to a nearby diner to eat. There Mr. Denham questions her-no job, no family, used to act, etc. He tells her he has a job, but Ann is no fool. She needs more info. She's not walking into a sex slavery or whatever.
Denham slows down and introduces himself and tells her about his new picture and how he needs an actress ASAP. She agrees as she has heard of him, so knows he's legit, needs a job-and this provides food, clothes, money, etc!
On the ship Ann and Jack meet. Jack is gruff and his interactions with Ann have always made me laugh. I think it is because he's trying to be so macho and tough, but just becomes a big teddy bear around Ann.
Ann loves being on the ship and befriends everybody. The one she gets closest to is Jack who's compliments just sound like facts. He cracks me up. He is trying to be romantic and failing.
Jack says she is trouble, just being around. He's trying not to like her and keep her away, bit he does. He's just a marshmallow.
Jack doesn't really like Denham, and hates that he hasn't told him where they are going. It wouldn't bother him so much, but he's worried about Ann. Denham points it out that he likes her, but Jack deies it. Sure…
Carl Denham: [warning Jack about women] Some big, hardboiled egg gets a look at a pretty face and bang, he cracks up and goes sappy!
Which if you are paying close attention-that basically reveals the rest of the film.
So Denham finally reveals to Jack and Captain where he wants to go next. They are confused as there is nothing known out in that direction but ocean-but Denham has a secret island, that he got from a skipper who's boat was destroyed. The place is called Skull Island. There is a giant wall that was built centuries ago, and no one knows what is on the other side but they police it and make sure it stays strong. That sounds kind of familiar…
Did you ever hear of
white walkers Kong? Denham asks. He wants to go and create a picture with this Kong, whatever it is. He doesn't care about anything or ayone other than money and this picture.
Denham does some screen tests with Ann, with all the sailors watching. Ann practices with the famous scream scene.
Sidenote her dress kinda looks like the one in White Zombie.
Anyways, back to the film-this screaming pierces Jack as he loves Ann, but it also makes him wonder-what is Denham planning on them seeing?
They come into a fog and look for the island, but can hardly see anything…As they get closer they hear drums, but the fog burns off and they see the island.
Carl Denham: [seeing the island for the first time] Well, Skipper, there she is… Skull Mountain, the wall… everything just like on my funny little map.
Denham and the group plan to go ashore. The skipper comes as he knows languages, they have a guy who does the gas bombs (just in case), etc. Jack wants Ann to stay behind until they have assessed the situation, but Denham won't listen. He wants his camera and cast by his side so that at any moment a picture can be filmed.
They look at the Wall and Denham goes ape over it, wanting to film it immediately. As they go Ann holds Jack's hand, she's excited and slightly fearful. But Jack is very afraid, he thinks having Ann come along was an awful idea.
The group stumble on a ceremony. The people are dressed up in ape skins, beating drums, and preparing a girl for something-some special ceremony is going on. The poor girl, she looks so sad and upset, but doing her duty.
Denham films them, and Ann peaks out trying to see what is going on. But they are spotted by the native's leader. He walks over to them and the Skipper speaks to him in the hopes of keeping any fighting from happening.
The leader asks them to leave and says that the girl is the bride of Kong. One guy is upset-he says the ceremony has been ruined as it was viewed by outsiders. The chieftain asks to purchase Ann because of her yellow hair, and they think she would make a better gift for Kong. He wants to buy her, six of women for her.
They leave as the situation is hot, and say they will be back tomorrow to make friendship.
This want of her blonde hair as they had ever seen one before reminds me of my friend Margery. Margery had beautiful red hair and traveled all over, and people in other countries where red hair was scare were always in awe of it and wanting to touch her curls.
Jack and Ann talk, and he admits that he cares for her. He scared for her and a little of her.
Jack Driscoll: [to Ann] Hey… I guess I love you.
I guess I love you?
He makes me laugh. Jack has zero clues on how to be romantic.
Ann likes him too and they kiss. Jack gets called away by the Skipper, while Ann waits for him. But little does she know the people are intent on gettig her. They want her for their god and sneak aboard the boat and snatch her.
Denham notices torches going throughout the village, and Jack finished his duties and searches for Ann. But Ann is gone.
He goes to her room-no Ann, no one has seen her. But Charlie finds a native bracelet and calls all hands on deck as he has a bad feeling about it.
So the ceremony has begin, but unlike the previous girl-Ann doesn't want to do the duty so they have to hold her.
They pull the bar from the door back and open to reveal…..a stage, they drag her through the giant walls, looking like little dolls next to them and pull her up the steps, chaining her t it. And seal her on it.
I remember the first time I saw this and I was just on the edge of my seat, what will it be? What is it going to look like??!!!
And then you hear the noises
And then he crashes through and we see his giant scary face!!!!!!!!! Those teeth!!!!! I LOVE it! They did such a great job, and I think it still looks 100% aMAZING!
Kong is just like what is this and grabs her carrying her off.
Meanwhile, Jack leads the band to save her. The crew goes storming in, all willing to save her as all loved her. A chunk stay behind to guard the gate and make sure that it stays open for their return.
The chieftain sees them storm in and sends his own men after. You guys never should have taken their women, it ruined your whole way of life.
As they march Denham still is thinking about the picture-money, filming.
They spot a stegosaurs, but they knock him out, temporarily and shoot him.
It's funny but like all the creatures are giant on this island, bit the humans are still human-sized. I wonder why?
They make a raft and drift dow the river, I would be very, very, very afraid to be on that river safer seeing a stegosaurus. Who knows what else is in the water.
As they drift along we see some loch ness monster type thing
I still think it looks cool. It looked cool as a kid and still does. And I don't care about what anyone else says.
NOOOOOO it eats some of the crew!!!
Things just get worse as they are followed by a Brontosaurs. This would be the worst island of all time to be stuck on. Basically everything is giant and trying to kill you!
Meanwhile Kong has Anne and Jack and the rest are not too far behind. The chase is on!
They are crossing a tree branch above a ravine, except Jack who gets on a vine nearby, but Kong picks it up and shakes them off-some falling to their death only two managing to hold on, opps..make that one. Kong then throws the branch and they all are dead.
All but Jack.
Kong spots him and tries to grab him from his hiding spot, but Jack stabs his hand. But Jack has more serious problems when a snake like creature also goes to attack him.
Meanwhile, Ann is waiting in the tree that Kong placed her in for safekeeping, when a T-Rex comes out and tries to get her. We then have the epic Kong and T-Rex fight, YEAH!
I like T-Rexs, but..oh no, they bumped into Ann's branch and it fell. She is almost crushed and finds herself trapped under the log.
Poor Anne, I bet she's thinking I should have never agreed to this job. I should have just walked away from Denham and never looked back.
Oooh King Kong rips the T-Rex's jaw apart and then plays with it not going back together. His creepy ape face with all the teeth!
Kong picks her up and caries her away screaming. Jack comes up and sends Denham (they guy has nine lives, I swear) off to get some more smoke bombs to knock Kong out.
Jack is prepared to go alone and fight the giant ape monster.
Carl Denham: [talking to Jack across the ravine] Why, you wouldn't follow that beast alone?
Jack Driscoll: Someone's got to stay on his trail while it's hot!
Ladies, find yourself a Jack. Like this is the kind of bravery and love you want in a person. Can you imagine this-a giant freaking ape that could squash you like a bug-anyone could have been out but he decides to face it on his own because he loves Ann. How sweet.
Denham heads back to shore tells them the story, and Skipper is sure all they are all dead men. Everyone else is after all. Denham plans to leave at dawn with the bombs and go after them.
Meanwhile, Kong goes to his lair where he sets Ann down for a minute and another creature comes after her out o the water.
Man today is not anybody's day!
We get another fight scene!! Yeah!! Of course after winning Kong must do a victory roar.
So now it is Ann and the monster alone she faints. And Kong picks her up looking and her. He rips her clothes off trying to figure out what they are-the other girl was in a skirt and flowers, the one that was supposed to be the bride.
Jack tries to sneak up on them, but knocks a boulder over. Real smooth.
Kong looks for him, and as he does Ann inches away and is attacked by a pterodactyl. Geez-it has really not been her day.
While Kong fights it, Jack sneaks in and leads her away on a vine. Kong eats the pterodactyl and Ann is grateful to be away.
See this is what bugged me in the remake, how they tried to make Ann and Kong friends. She doesn't want to leave the giant ape monster which makes no sense to me. Like I LOVE cats, but being stranded on a desert island with a ginormous one that has bee known to devour the previous women-I don't think that I would ever want to do that.
And let's be serious-if I want a giant friendly ape-I'm watching Mighty Joe Young-If I want a killer monster ape, I'm watching King Kong. I don't watch King Kong to have a girl beast love affair and ice-skating and Jack jealous of a gorilla and all that dumb stuff.
Speaking of giant cats, did anybody ever read the picture book Kat Kong as a kid? I used to check that out over and over again.
They all want to leave but Denham of course is all about the money. He wants to take Kong with them.
Carl Denham: Wait a minute, what about Kong?
Jack Driscoll: Well, what about him?
Carl Denham: We can here to get a moving picture, and we've found something worth more than all the movies in the world!
Captain Englehorn: [incredulous] What?
Carl Denham: We've got those gas bombs. If we can capture him alive…
Jack Driscoll: Why, you're crazy. Besides that, he's on a cliff where a whole army couldn't get at him.
Carl Denham: Yeah, if he stays there…[looks at Ann] but we've got something he wants.
Jack Driscoll: [holds Ann] Yeah. Something he won't get again.
Jack is not interested and wants to get gone. They all hurry when they hear Kong is coming. Seal the doors, run for the ship, the natives try to keep him out too-all joining together but, Kong comes and boy is he mad.
He breaks the doors down (FYI whoever built that wall you din't build it strong enough). Everyone flees in terror! If I was the chieftain I would fire whoever come up with the idea to get the blonde woman.
RUN, the men try to protect their people and women but Kong is too strong!!!! He eats them and kills them.
Kong eventually makes it to the beaches and they throw the bombs at him trying to knock him out and accomplishing it.
Denham makes a big speech and they take him to New York.
[Kong has been knocked out by gas bombs]
Carl Denham: Why, the whole world will pay to see this.
Captain Englehorn: No chains will ever hold that.
Carl Denham: We'll give him more than chains. He's always been king of his world, but we'll teach him fear. We're millionaires, boys. I'll share it with all of you. Why, in a few months, it'll be up in lights on Broadway: Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World.
One thing that has always bothered me-and they never explain in the new one either-how did they get that giant creature from the island to New York? Like he is ginormous! He's bigger than the boat. How did they feed him?
Anyways, I don't know how, but they do it and bring Kong to New York City.
They all come to the opening night and Ann is excited and Jack is not happy. He doesn't care for being there and hates the suit. Jack is very humble when Denham tries to paint him as the hero and Ann the star!
The house is packed out and all are eager to see Kong. Denham gives a great speech, but like Ian Malcolm says-chaos you cant control everything. He reveals Kong-now chained to a platform-oohh the irony. Ann and Jack are engaged! Aw! Denham has the press come foward and they take pictures. Bad idea!
All the light bothers Kong and then Jack holding Ann-it gets to be to much and Kong breaks free.
Everyone goes screaming and running as Kong chases after them, Grabbing people, throwing them while searching for his girl.
Even as a kid I was always conscious of money and always wondered who's going to pay for all the damage? Denham? Does he get arrested for the carnage and wreckage? Can you imagine if this was made today? Lawsuit after lawsuit would come running in.
Ann is upset and discussing her PTSD over the event, while Jack tries to console her-but too late. Kong has found them. Jack gets knocked unconscious and Kong takes Ann.
Jack wake up and runs off to rescue her again.
Meanwhile the police and fire department gets called in. Can you imagine the luck of being one of the people who pulled that shift this night. Getting a calls about giant apes!
Kong causes destruction and mayhem and gets caught in a train, breaking it and you just gotta love it. He's destroying everything!
So the story says Merian C. Cooper didn't like that the film was at thirteen reels, too unlucky! He insisted they add another shot, one he's been wanting all along that was the train scene.
He heads for the tallest building in the world (at least in 1933) to the Empire State Building.
They don't know what to do or how to stop him, but Jack comes up with the idea of airplanes, so the military is called in. While everyone is watching the planes. Jack sneaks into the elevator and heads to the roof.
We see Kong at the top with the planes. I LOVE this scene.
The planes shoot him and he falls, down down to his death! Jack makes it to the top and he and Ann are reunited!
Down below Denham makes it to the ape and says the famous line.
Police Lieutenant: Well, Denham, the airplanes got him.
Carl Denham: Oh no, it wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast.
You know this film made $90,000 its opening weekend, the biggest opening ever at the time. When the film opened in London, 12,000 people had to be turned away.
You know its funny, I planed to review this movie way back when I first started Horrorfest, but I just ran out of days. I had always planed on reviewing it, but never imagined it would take seven ears Oh well!
To start Horrorfest VIII from the beginning go to, Count Dracula the Propagator of This Unspeakable Evil Has Disappeared. He Must Be Found and Destroyed!: Horror of Dracula (1958)
For more monster movies, go to Once, There Was Even a Man Who Had Scissors for Hands: Edward Scissorhands (1990)


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Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
(John 1:5 (NIV))
Do you believe these words?
With all that is going on in the world, do you believe these words?
With all of the evil that is rampant and when the good is vilified, do you believe these words?
It is so hard to look at the things that are happening in the world, and in our own country. It is as if the whole world has gone mad. It is as if the whole world is upside down. Darkness is spreading and it seems as if it can't be stopped. To be completely honest with you, it cannot be stopped in the natural. It is a spiritual war and it has spilled over into the physical reality that we call the world. Because it is a spiritual war, we have hope. Because it is a spiritual war, we know the final outcome.
Darkness will not prevail!
Have you ever been in a room so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face? What happens when you are able to light a small candle? The light from the candle prevails over the darkness. No matter how dark something may seem, it only takes a little light to bring hope. It only takes a little light to bring clarity and vision.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
(John 8:12 (NIV))
Perhaps this is why the powers that be want to remove any and all reference to Jesus. They are trying to remove the light. Perhaps this is why the powers that be want to push other beliefs. These beliefs are contrary to Jesus and are darkness. Contrary to what the enemy may think, darkness cannot drive out light. It can make it grow dim, but it cannot engulf the light. Light will prevail.
There are many books and passages in the Bible that speak of terrible times when the darkness will try to overcome the light, but we, as the Body of Christ, know what happens in the end. We know that the light of Jesus will defeat the darkness. The darkness will not be able to overcome what God has planned.
Do you feel that you are overcome with the darkness that is all around?
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
(Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV))
As a member of the Body of Christ, it is time to let your light shine!
Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Grand-Am Makes Their First Visit To The World Famous Road Atlanta
While qualifying was unfortunately rained out Friday, perfect weather and excellent racing prevailed for Saturday's Grand-Am series Visual Studio Ultimate Grand Prix of Atlanta, hosted at the beautiful and world renowned Road Atlanta motorsports facility in the hills of Braselton, Georgia just north of Atlanta.
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Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas put their experience to work Saturday, scoring a dominant victory in the Visual Studio Ultimate Grand Prix of Atlanta, the first Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race at Road Atlanta.
Pruett recorded one of the first victories of his storied career at the circuit in 1986 – winning an IMSA Camel GTO race – in addition to winning in SCCA Trans-Am.
The pair combined to lead 94 of the 120 circuits on the 2.54-mile circuit in the No. 01 TELMEX BMW Riley. It was their second victory of the season and extended their lead in the Daytona Prototype standings to seven points over Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty.
"We were hooked up from the start," said Pruett, winner for the 40th time in DP. "We were fastest in the opening test on Thursday, and fastest in Friday's practice. I'm glad I was out front. I heard it was pretty crazy behind me near the end, and glad I wasn't part of it."
Ryan Dalziel finished second in the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Ford Riley started by Alex Popow, 17.781 seconds back, followed by Gurney and Fogarty in the No. 99 Gainsco Auto Insurance Corvette DP. Gustavo Yacaman and Antonio Pizzonia finished third in the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford/Riley, followed by Richard Westbrook and Ricky Taylor in the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP, and Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor in the No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP.
Pizzonia passed Angelelli with contact to take fourth with three laps remaining in what was deemed a racing incident. The two drivers also traded paint on the cooldown lap.
John Edwards and Stevenson Motorsports were winners for the second time on Saturday, with Edwards and Robin Liddell scoring their second consecutive GT victory in the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro. Earlier in the day, Edwards and Matt Bell won for the team in the PricewaterhouseCoopers 250 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race. Edwards became the fourth Grand-Am driver to win two races in the same day.
Liddell took the checkered flag 2.506 seconds ahead of Patrick Long, who joined Patrick Lindsey in the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche GT3. It was the best finish for the second-year team, with Long taking second from Alessandro Balzan in the closing minutes after a strong run for the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 started by Jeff Westphal.
Joel Miller and Andrew Carbonell had a day of firsts in the GX class in the No. 00 Visit Florida/SpeedSource Mazda 6. In addition to scoring their first Rolex Series victories, the pair brought Mazda and the Skyactiv Diesel to victory for the first time in the new class. David Donohue finished second in the No. 38 BGB Motorsports Porsche, narrowly missing a fourth consecutive victory for co-driver Dr. Jim Norman.
The next Rolex Series race will be the Chevrolet Grand-Am Detroit 200 at Belle Isle Park in Michigan on Saturday, June 1st.


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AMG GT Edition 1 Carbon Fiber Side Skirts
AMG GT Edition 1 Carbon Fiber Side Skirts
Our AMG GT Edition 1 carbon fiber side skirts are digitally modeled and handcrafted for the C190 and R190. The kit fits GT, GT-S, and GT-C models. Our two piece kit consists of a set of OEM carbon fiber side skirts.
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Players Club carbon fiber parts are guaranteed with a 1 year structural warranty and 1 year finish warranty. Please read our customer satisfaction guarantee on our About Us page.
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AMG GT Edition 1 Carbon Fiber Side Skirts
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