Monday, January 5, 2009

Gotta See Milk!

Bravo to the 19th St. Theatre in Allentown for showing the movie "Milk." I have not seen it yet, but plan on seeing it as soon as we can get a babysitter! Sean Penn plays Harvey Milk, who in 1977 became the first openly gay elected official from California. I have read that the movie is more about a movement than a candidate and that Milk fought not just for gay rights but for human rights. He was an outspoken man who had a great love for the city of San Francisco, he had faith in people, he defended gay school teachers, was a community organizer, and an activist. I think this film is important because it deals with the details of politics at a local level, something we don't usually see in a major motion picture.

It is sad that in 2009, 30 years after Milk, we are still dealing with the same issues, and gay rights is still a matter of debate (Proposition 8). But Milk was an agent for change and for hope and I think the fact that this movie is coming out now is very significant. And because of Harvey Milk and how he has inspired others, we are getting a little closer to his vision of equality.

60 comments:

Matt said...

Eh Milk was a lil' overrated..but i still saw it twice...

Looking fwd to seeing Execution of Justice as well

Anonymous said...

I thought Sean Penn was amazing. Oscar time.

Anonymous said...

I actually just saw Milk at the 19 St. Theater on Friday, it was amazing. I was very moved and just sobbed at the end!

Angie Villa said...

Hope it's still playing this weekend, I did not check to see how long it will be at 19th St.

M, I would like to see Execution of Justice too.

Angie Villa said...

Now for my OT comment of the day,

Hooray for Al Franken!

Anonymous said...

Al Franken is good enough, he's smart enough, and doggonit, people like him! Congrats to Al for being the new junior DEMOCRAT Senator from Minnesota, oh you betcha.

petelewnes said...

i saw milk last night...have read alot about him and of course get drinks at harvey milk's in the castro whenever i go to san fran...it still impacted me deeply and sean penn just did an amazing job...everyone did. I got up this morning with a firmer resolve for change and hit the ground running...I am humbled when you think of what this man accomplished and stood for at the time he was alive.

thanks for this post...and hooray for franken!

Anonymous said...

Gotta love the liberals rooting for a crooked election. Take a few minutes from your schedule to look at the facts and you'll see - and I'm just going by what MN Democratic officials are saying about double counting ballots).

Funny, you were outraged in Florida, where's the outrage now?

Bill Villa said...

Okay so we're even. And not really. In Florida, you guys scored a President (and a lousy one, and for 8 years, Jesus), we only get a junior Senator from Minnesota (oh but we have the Presidency back too, I almost forgot :) sorry ...

Anonymous said...

Of course we see now the Liberal view - two wrongs make a right. Didn't that nun that belted you in 1965 teach you anything?

Just because the Rs are crooked (and they are) does not excuse the Ds from being crooked (and they are too). Hold your party accountable.

Bill Villa said...

Nah, I say, let it slide, through 8 years of Obama, 8 years of Hillary Clinton, and 8 years of Michelle Obama as U.S. President(s), hi Bernie (peek-a-boo :)

Anonymous said...

Not Bernie - Bernie voted for Obama, remember?

No argument on Bush being a lousy President - as well as Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, etc. also take the blame for where we are. This disaster is an equal opportunity one.

Bill Villa said...

Yawn.

Yeak okay, let's de-elect everybody, next ...

Angie Villa said...

I guess this is what I get for going OT. I don't know why a conservative would want to read this blog when there are SO many local conservative blogs to choose from in this local political blobosphere.

THe facts are that 8 years of failed conservative policies got us into this mess. And I blame democrats for not doing more to stop it.

Bill Villa said...

Mrs. Dottie, don't let that Republican Troll "spam" and "hijack" our blog (I hate it when that stuff happens) ...

Anonymous said...

Got Milk?

Angie Villa said...

Yes dear, only devastatingly handsome celebrity-type liberal men are allowed to "hijack" this blog. ;D

And RE our date: Oo la la! Let's go to the cinema!

Bill Villa said...

Great! I've "hijacked" your heart again. But listen, let's not publicly reveal if we're going Friday Night or Saturday night (you know, because of the stalking threats) ...

Anonymous said...

Norm Coleman has a Frankenstein head, anybody else notice that? Franken's got a huge melon too but it's at least in proportion with the rest of his body. I'm glad Al won.

Anonymous said...

Hey tool, no one gives a crap where you're going, you're not nearly as important as you think you are. Go come up w/ some big city marketing plans or something. The robot can keep playing w/ popsicle sticks.

Tool.

Anonymous said...

"Not Bernie - Bernie voted for Obama, remember?"

Such a convincing cover! i am thrown totally off the track!

Anonymous said...

One has to wonder, if "Milk" came out (pun intended) before the Prop 8 vote in California, could the vote have gone differently?

Anonymous said...

O'Hare's charming "tool" character (seen commenting at 2:17pm here) is a "troll."

Anybody else see the irony, hypocrisy, and dishonesty here?

Or do we need more substantiation?

Anonymous said...

Bernie O'Hare has declared open warfare on any person he deems "unfit" He has appointed himself as God almighty of the Blogs.

He wants to be the Supreme Blogger, but when you ascribe to tear down all those you see as enemies, not to mention as less worthy than you, it has been my experience that those engaging in such actions do more damage to themselves, and end up lower in the gutter than those they would drag there


I don't expect Bernie O'Hare to get this. Fairness is a non-issue to him. To him it's all about having the power to feel better about himself than the person he attacks. Just ask his most recent victim of character assassination, JC Kelleher.

He has created a nasty little blog that has given him a measure of currency in the media world, and he has reserved the right to smear the people he doesn't like. I'm sure Bernie Kieklak, Sam Bennett, Charles Dertinger, Lamont McClure, Jennifer Mann, Ed Pawlowski... and the list goes on, any one of them, can commiserate woth you about that.
If you had to guess, who is more likely to make the don't-like, Bernie O'Hare -will-search-through-your-trash-read-your-email list? Someone who looks like Bill Villa? Or someone who looks like Ron Angle, the man willing to tell all of us who is and isn't really on the side of the people?
Oh, people of all possible political parties and ideals make the Bernie O'Hare doesn't-like list. But some of us have things we don't care to change — ethics, self respect, and a lack of desire to kiss Bernie O'hare's fat ass rear — that make us more likely candidates to appear on the O'Hare enemies list.
Lehigh Valley Ramblings needs to be seriously scrutinized.

Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli should look closely at Bernie O'Hare's published posts.

Is it just me, or is there some hints on intimidation there? I think so.

Anonymous said...

Really Neat Mural by John Baden of Harvey Milk at 575 Castro Street, the former site of Milk's store, Castro Camera. Love, E.

Bill Villa said...

I was really hoping for an O'Hare-Free day today.

And at the risk of veering even farther "OT," I must give a big, virtual bear hug to the "Wisest Blogger of Them All," whoever you are. It sounds like you know of what you speak and Mrs. D and I can relate, comprehensively.

Thank you for taking the time, and for summoning up the requisite guts, to post the comment you did.

FYI, we intend to vanquish the evil that is Bernie O'Hare, even if the whole world turns away in boredom, or, whatever/wherever apathy comes from.

Thank you for letting us know we're not totally alone.

Please join us in discussing Harvey Milk.

Angie Villa said...

Yes, well said wise blogger, and thanks. I was hoping for a "robot" free day too. Wish more people would see O'Hare for who he really is. He has bamboozled many people, heck I fell for him too, and feel bad about that. But that's enough about him, I wrote this post to call attention to someone who is an inspiration. SOmeone who really cared about human rights.

Thanks E for the link, I will check it out.

Anonymous said...

This is my first comment ever on a blog and maybe my last we will see. Hundreds of people wrote letters to District Attorney Martin and Judge Steinberg in support of the Villa family during the Sheena Villa case. The Morning Call even reported on these letters that the wise and just judge held up for everyone to see before he sentenced the person who killed Sheena Villa. Why does Michael Molovinski write comments at his blog that only two of thge many comments in support of the Villa family entered here at this blog are real? Does Mr. Molovinski think support for the Villa family is not real? Does he think the Villa family forged all those letters? I think he should "get real" and end his wishful thinking that the Villa family doesn't have any support and that he and O'Hare and Najarian are simply free to harass the Villa family and that nobody is going to do anything about it. Don't be so sure, Mr. Molovinski.

Bill Villa said...

Thank you, Anon 10:34. We are hesitant to solicit more support from the "Sheena Squad" for this comparatively trivial matter of O'Hare/Molovinsky/Najarian-- even though we believe their actions to be criminal, which the courts will decide.

But it is nice to know we'd have your support again, if we need it. Thank you for expressing that.

We also know that even our most ardent supporters lead busy lives and want to "move on." We can understand that.

What we don't understand is sabotage, directed at our pursuit of justice.

Here is the most recent example (of many examples) of sabotage attempts we've encountered lately.

I believe my e-mail of this morning to Morning Call Web Producer Ted Williams, cc'd to Managing Editor Dave Erdman, explains it succinctly.

----------------

Hi Ted, someone is impersonating me at The Morning Call Forum.

The first 2 comments at this thread by "Bill Villa, Allentown" were posted by me.

Watchdog Reporter

All others marked "Bill Villa, Lewisburg" are impersonations; I did not post these comments.

Please delete all comments made by "Bill Villa, Lewisburg" at this thread, immediately.

Thank you for your consideration of this potentially damaging legal matter.

Bill Villa

Anonymous said...

Bill, I see The Morning Call is allowing "someone" (wink wink) to impersonate you at their forum even though this "someone" (wink wink) indirectly admits to impersonating you in their comment 38. Are they (Morning Call) asleep at the switch? or purposefully antagonizing you (which after all they've been doiung for over 2 years) do you think? Granted, the forum is like the wild wild and lawless west up there and just about anything goes, but using someone else's REAL NAME definitly seems "over the line" to me. What does your lawyer say?

Bill Villa said...

She's very interested in this. More later.

Anonymous said...

Anon 555, it was not "indirectly admitted" it was directly admitted (oopsie) and very obvious to anyone reading the posts.

Anonymous said...

Also obvious is that the person impersonating Mr. Villa, and the person(s) commenting from "Walnutport," are all the same person.

Anonymous said...

Possibly he wants to get caught and this is a cry for help (?)

Anonymous said...

Who, oh who, could that impersonator Be? It wouldn't be anyone from say, a small borough like maybe, Nazareth, would it?
Nah, impossible, he only comments anonymously on his own blog after cliucking on Blognet to inflate his traffic/influence rating.

Bill Villa said...

"Are they (Morning Call) asleep at the switch?" - Anon 5:55

Hardly.

They appear to be all over this.

They've deleted comments 35, 36, 39, 45, 46, and 52 ...

But they've left standing all 9 comments from "Bill Villa, Lewisburg," i.e., the person who has admitted up there that he is impersonating me.

The Morning Call's deletions appear to be "providing cover" for the impersonator, have a look ...

... and take special note of comment #62. This one really gives you an insight into the cruelty of this "man" and his increasingly desperate and reckless efforts to sabotage and stop me-- all, seemingly, with The Morning Call's blessing.

Bill Villa said...

anons 5:20, 5:31, 7:08, and 11:21, you're all wise bloggers ...

Anonymous said...

How's your legal team doing in getting justice against O'Hare and his wife? When is his trial? Do you really think he could go to prison?

Bill Villa said...

That's the plan. There's also a Plan B. And C. We'll get 'em. I'm blessed with stick-to-it-ive-ness. Don't forget Najarian.

Bill Villa said...

UpDate: Morning Call Web Producer and Mcall.com Manager Ted Williams has so far ignored my polite email #1 of Wednesday and phone message of yesterday and is allowing the 9 admitted impersonations of me to stand at The Morning Call Forum, so far.

I'll inquire politely about this matter again today.

Anonymous said...

Bill, while I know this "impersonator" thing at the forum must be annoying, it's not thgat big of a deal.

And to demonstrate how insignificant it is, over the next few days, I will post 9 equally screwball comments at the forum as "Allentown City Councilor Michael Donovan."

You watch, nobody will care or even notice....

Bill Villa said...

Okay, thank you, this sounds like a good experiment.

Anonymous said...

9 screwball comments


people will just think it's the actual donovan

Anonymous said...

I thought "I Beg To Differ" was an O'Hare alias character, like "The Banker," "Consigliere," "Hayshaker," etc., etc., etc., no?

Bill Villa said...

Excellent question that deserves to be answered.

What say you, "I Beg To Differ?"

Anonymous said...

ever notice how there's almost always a 1am, 2am, comment or two from "anonymous" at o'hare's blog following his midnight posts? those anonymous comments are always fromm o'hare himself who can't wait for people to wake up from sleeping and give him the attention he so maniacally yearns for, be it positive por negative, he doesn't really care which kind it isjust so he gets it from you.

Anonymous said...

Who dat flattened on his back on the canvass: Martin? or Morganelli?

Bill Villa said...

Very excellent (and astute) question, thanks for asking ;)

Anonymous said...

OHares about 2 things

1. getting attention (postive or negative)

2. hurting people

Bill Villa said...

Anon 8:05, I have noticed that. It's billboard-obvious.

Anon 10:29, you, too, know of what you speak/write.

Hey no word back from "I Beg To Differ," surprise surprise.

Anonymous said...

I am looking all over Mcall.com and I can't find any trace of that Paul Muschick "Watchdog" article anywhere. Looks like they POOFED the whole thing to avoid litigation they were sure to lose.

Anonymous said...

What am I? Chopped liver?! That's me in the middle ...

Bill Villa said...

Readers, we don't believe that's the "real" Bernie O'Hare posting at 3:47, it's likely some parody-ist just trying to be funny.

I laughed, how about you?

Anonymous said...

I'm wetting myself laughing, STOP!!!

Anonymous said...

Stop!!!

Anonymous said...

Left to right, Najarian, O'Hare, Molovinsky.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget,
they can dish it out
but they can't take it.

Have a great weekend!

Bill Villa said...

"JT," years of practice with no oversight and no competition. They do anything they want.

Like their best buddy, Jim Martin.

Anonymous said...

hiccup

Anonymous said...

"Left to right,"

all three of them are pathetically pusillanimous.