Birthers

Ok, so the more I hear about this ridiculous movement, the more angry I get. For those of you who don't know, the "birther" movement is the belief that President Obama is not legally the President of the United States because he was not a naturally-born citizen. Never mind that a birth certificate has been produced and a House resolution passed declaring Obama the legal 44th President of the United States, these hard working Americans will not rest until a democratically-elected President has been run out of office.

Now, most of the birther arguments just make me chuckle, since about 95% of it is just repeating "there is no birth certificate." However, it seems as though some critics such as Orly Taitz have become so distant from reality that their legal actions may have some very negative consequences for our nation as a whole. Take, for example, the fact that Taitz is now representing army personell who are claiming they do not have to report for duty because President Obama is not their commander in chief. Worse yet? The army apparently agrees.

It's people like Taitz that are really starting to anger me. With quotes like "In Nazi Germany, if soldiers and officers questioned orders from the commander in chief, maybe 65 million people wouldn't have died." Seriously? Ok, I get it, you really don't like Obama's presidency. Still, though, likening his policies to the holocaust is too inflammatory to even be considered humorous. On the other hand, the full source interview of that quote is entertaining by at least showing that this movement's leaders don't have any idea what satire is.

In the end though, I agree with White House Press Secretary Gibbs in saying that there isn't a single thing that will satisfy this movement. It's clear this is just a fringe movement of people who are upset about Obama's election, and are willing to use any cray loophole necessary to overturn a democratically-elected commander in chief.

Movits!

Watching the Colbert Report last night, I got my first exposure to the Swedish hip-hop/jazz/swing fusion band Movits!. If you missed it, these guys have a sound that can best be equated to a mix of Cab Calloway and Run DMC but, you know, in Swedish. I was instantly hooked by this band the moment they started up their one-song set of Fel Del Av Garden; both for the band's sound as well as the visual awesomeness of a turntable/drum machine, saxophone, upright bass and microphone all being played by very well dressed and well coordinated Swedes (giving The Hives a run for their money).

The interview itself wasn't all that memorable, which is understandable considering this is their first US TV interview. The goal wasn't insight, it was just to make them likable to the viewers. Still though, I'd definitely be interested to see a more serious interview with this band at some point to hear them actually talk for more than one minute about their music.

Anyway, here's the video for the song performed last night, Fel Del Av Garden

I can't understand a single word of what they're singing, but I'm sure I'll be listening to these guys for quite a while now.