As a kinda artsy guy, I have always been fascinated by Soviet imagery (and other communist propaganda including Chinese). It's perhaps the only good thing to come out of so much death and suffering. However, I am an avowed free market capitalist pig. Although I am a history aficionado, Russian history doesn't particularly interest me unless it relates to foreign relations or German immigrants, some of whom were (or are) distant relatives.

More on Germans in Russia in a bit.

AJH

The imitating (im)poster has the theme “Hope” with a likeness of Bob Hope. It is, in my view, ingenious — witty and charming and challenging. Satire is one of the best results of that handy bunch o' words known as the First Amendment. Now, I am looking for a print of the Bob Hope version.

I am working on a piece about the Obama campaign logo designed by Sol Sender. The Right is so out of its element when it comes to design and being “hip” but a new generation of cool cats is working to change that, including Andrew Breitbart, Greg Gutfeld and Dennis Miller.

AJH

Today Rush Limbaugh mentioned on his radio program a little effort from some group to record what various personalities think about the coming Obama presidency, focusing on what everyone's “hope” would be in 400 words or less. Rush said he didn't 400 words and could sum up in four words: “I hope he fails.” What no one else will way, he argued.

Why, he explained, should folks who have fought against leftist, big government activism for years now acquiesce? Obama has proven he is the most liberal person ever elected, Rush said. And, of course, despite his clever campaign rhetoric, Obama truly is to the left of Ted Kennedy, which is way out there. How he will govern is still open to debate, but on key issues to many conservatives such as abortion and same-sex marriage, Obama will be in lockstep with his base.

The last thing we need in America is more liberalism. As usual, while so many have been co-opted by his recent charm offensive, Rush is spot on. We needn't be nasty or crass about it, but conservatives need to stand against the leftist wave.

I, too, hope Obama and his cronies fail.

AJH

(P.S. This is 198 words.)

Among my podcast list on iTunes is The Lionel Show. Lionel is a great radio personality and usually puts on an entertaining show, especially when he belittles his crew or makes an incredible amount of sense, which is rare among most of the Dems I know. He is one of the few hosts, if not the only, on Air America who actually has some brains and isn't a knee jerk liberal.

Ever since the holiday break, I have been waiting for my regular downloads of fresh shows. However, Lionel has been absent from these updates and I was beginning to wonder what happened. Were Derm and Juice and the boys just being lazy? This was my first assumption given the verbal lashing Lionel dishes out from time to time, mostly to goad them I think.

After a short perusal, reading it would appear to be a huge waste of time. Just review the Table of Contents and you will get a sense of what I mean.

Two gentlemen, unknown names to me, have written a foreward for this underwhelming “memo” and I use the word gentlemen very loosely. They begin by writing how amazing the American sinners are in turning from their wicked ways and how Obama's ascension showed "our country's amazing capacities for self-correction and reinvention."

It is ironic how conservatives are so partisan and the lefties just never are. Their sermon continues with the hypocrisy stating that "hyperpartisan grandstanding is a luxury [we] can no longer afford." Perhaps the boys should send this along to Pelosi and Reid.

Sadly the "Memo" is merely a rehash of stale liberal ideas, repackaged to look brand new, like the candy and treats I bought at a train station in Beijing. I threw most of that sorry waste of sugars in the garbage where it belonged.

Bob Woodward of Watergate fame has written a short piece giving advice to the next president. I don't read The Washington Post much. Tucker Carlson says it's a must read, so this is reason enough to not read it. Though I do marvel at the fact that Tucker has jettisoned the damn bow ties. Why it took him so long to come to his senses I will never know. His dorkiness remains, however. He will forever be a nerd in the worst sense of the word. But I digress in my disdain for Mr. Carlson.

AJH

Often cast as the villain, but sometimes as the hero, McGoohan was one of my personal favorites. He had an intensity and passion rarely matched. You could tell he just had a zest for life.

His work was prolific. Braveheart and Silver Streak come to mind. I love him in Secret Agent (Danger Man). Although there was a time when I was fascinated by The Prisoner, it is so surreal and confusing that it just wears me out. I have looked for his Columbo appearances on YouTube, but with little success.

AJH

I just learned that one wonderful actor and perhaps the best Star Trek villain of all-time, Ricardo Montalbán, has died. John Nolte at Big Hollywood has a nice little vignette of his career. One of my favorite films is Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Captain Kirk yelling “Khan! Khan!” may be over-the-top acting by Shatner, but it works. It is so primal. Montalbán's Khan is a grandiose performance and a delight. Of course, partial credit has to go to director and writer Nicholas Meyer, who was definitely in his element with Star Trek. He also directed another great Trek pic, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, which was the original title of The Wrath of Khan. The Undiscovered Country is one of the best send-offs for a cast and crew. It is a tribute to them, including Montalbán and everyone in the Star Trek universe, or should I say family? Montalbán was a class act. Bones and Scotty were two other class acts who preceded him.

P.S. Beware Romulans bearing gifts, and Romans, too.

AJH

I made my way to State Capitol to find a proctor for my exams of online classes. It is such an inefficient system that some teachers use. Too many of these professor-types are just punks when it comes down to it. A lot of them, librarians included, would have made good SS officers. One cannot go into the State Library and use a computer without showing some government identification. I don't know what the think I may do or what others have done, but when I enquired a few months back I was told it was private and could not be disclosed to the common man such as myself. Gestapo librarians really get me going, claiming the support the First Amendment and all. A bunch of major-class hypocrites.

At any rate, I completed four of the five “quizzes” I set to blast out of the water. All went well except one, the stubborn no. 2, which is about some reading in a book on composition and graphic design. This means I will have to return again next week by Jan. 20^th to complete the second one on time. Not a big deal, but I was hoping to have them all out of the way, so there would be no need to worry until a few weeks from now.

AJH

The Times was just inferior looking and also in reporting in my opinion, although recently I discovered that The Times has a greater readership, at least in subscribers, and by a significant margin, which I found surprising. The P-I website has a brief “biography” of the paper. I have always preferred it's hard-edged, more serious design and layout than its competitor. The Times seemed to want to please people too much. On the other hand, the P-I was the one to do investigations and real, important journalism, at least this was my perception.

One of the great landmarks of the city is the gleaming P-I globe sitting atop the offices of reporters and editors just west of the Space Needle. It reminds me of Superman and Lois Lane's beloved Daily Planet. I would be wandering about the city and inevitably run across it from time to time, tucked away so newcomers and tourists would stumble upon it, often overshadowed by its towering, domineering downtown neighbors. Yet, it was always shining brightly in its neon glory. (Apparently a local company, wristbandfactory.com, has already inquired about it and wants to place a bid. Personally I would like to see it featured publicly as it is, perhaps at Pacific Science Center or the Experience Museum.)

P-I cartoonist David Horsey discusses the history of the Northwest institution and his views of its probable demise on his blog.

AJH

Al Jazeera International also announced the appointment of world journalist Rob Reynolds as Senior Washington Correspondent at their Washington DC broadcast centre.

"I am truly hopeful that Al Jazeera International can provide a very badly needed new voice in global journalism, and will help people in the Americas to know more about the world," says Reynolds. "I am excited about introducing a global audience to America and the American people in a way that they have never seen them before. Hopefully together we can challenge misconceptions and cause people to re-assess some negative stereotypes"

Prior to joining Al Jazeera International, Reynolds was Washington correspondent for CNBC, where he covered events including the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, the disputed election of 2000, and the 2004 race between President George Bush and Senator John Kerry. Reynolds also travelled for the network on newsgathering trips to Europe, Russia China and Brazil. In 2002, during the run-up to the US-led invasion of Iraq, Reynolds reported a multi-part series on "The Price of War" for CNBC which included stories filed from Cairo, Amman, Damascus and Aleppo, Syria. Following the invasion and overthrow of Saddam Hussein, Reynolds reported from Kuwait and the southern oilfields of Iraq.

"Rob Reynolds is a seasoned correspondent, with that unique mix of both national and international experience, which makes him the ideal candidate for Al Jazeera International. We are overjoyed to have him on board" remarked Will Stebbins.

From 1996 to 1998, Reynolds was Moscow correspondent for NBC News, reporting for NBC Nightly News, the Today Show, MSNBC and a variety of other NBC news programs.  From 1990 to 1996, Reynolds was a London-based correspondent for CNN. Among his first assignments in that capacity was coverage of the run-up to and fighting during the first Persian Gulf War. Reynolds was also instrumental in arranging for the installation of CNN's communications link from Baghdad, which enabled the network to scoop the world with its live coverage of the night the war began.