During the past week we have seen what at first glance seem to be the first signs of sanity creeping into the Teapublican wing of the Congress. But then again…….Meanwhile, Comcast is acquiring Time Warner Cable, which would result in a mammoth communications empire. And the operative word may be “empire”. And finally, of all people, Samuel L. Jackson is concerned about the imagery of black people as portrayed in “Twelve Years a Slave”. Really?

The False Rays of Dawn

The Teapublican majority in the House of Representatives along with their comrades in nullification, the Teapublicans in the Senate, actually voted to send a “clean” debt ceiling bill to the White House. By “clean”, it is meant that for the first time during the Obama Administration the Teapublicans have not tried to hold the full faith and credit of the country hostage in exchange for what used to be the routine raising of the debt ceiling.

Some people are acting like the Teapublicans deserve a medal for doing their job. A job that has been done scores of times in the past without anywhere near the controversy that has been created by these same Teapublicans.

Some commentators have opined that we may be seeing a more pragmatic and realistic Teapublican Party in the days to come.

While that may be true, recent history has shown that the Teapublicans rarely miss an opportunity to be on the wrong side of logic, history and the American people.

There’s a Giant among Us

Comcast offer to purchase Time Warner Cable has been accepted by the Board of Directors of Time Warner. Now all that stands between the American people and a new and powerful communications empire is the Federal Communications Commission.

There is something troubling about the size and scope of the proposed new entity that will control the broadcast signals that will go into the homes of untold millions of American homes. The potential for abuse should be obvious and it can only be hoped, indeed expected, that if the FCC were to approve this transaction that there will be a set of built in checks and balances that will prevent that abuse.

Otherwise, choice in television viewing may be one of those things that the next generation will consider to be in the same category as this generation thinks of rotary dial telephones.

No He Didn’t!

Incredibly and unbelievably, and in an act of stunning self-promotion, actor and TV pitchman Samuel L. Jackson injected himself into the Academy Awards discussion by contending that the film “Fruitvale Station” should have received consideration by the Academy. No problem there as Mr. Jackson is entitled to his opinion.

But then Mr. Jackson opined that “Fruitvale” should have received nominations instead of “Twelve Years a Slave” because the latter movie did not portray black people in a positive light. Somehow, the black actor who has literally made a career of portraying pseudo badass trash talking brothers in a variety of galaxies, eras and situations is now concerned about the image of black people in the movies.

And what law or rule states that only one movie that centers on black people should get Academy consideration in a single year?

Or is that another Badass Samuel L. Jackson Rule that we didn’t know about?

Have a great weekend – stay strong and be great!