Meme Scholar with Madness (PhD)

[EndtheMadnessNow]

While this movie released August 21, 1964 was cited by the Hollywood Reporter as being the "first" to feature a woman president, however, Project Moon Base (1953) actually preceded it. AFAIK this is the first.


Ernestine Barrier is noted for playing the first female president in an American film: Project Moon Base. Barrier’s appearance seems to be written as more of a device to shock audiences; her gender is only revealed at the very end of the movie. A relatively obscure actress with no leading roles, ever.



Storyline: In the not-too-distant future of 1970, the United States is considering building bases on the Moon, and send a female colonel and two men to investigate. One of the men turns out to be a foreign spy, and the entire operation--and the future of the free world--is in danger.

The film is unusual for its time in both attempting to portray space travel in a "realistic" manner, and for depicting a future in which women hold positions of authority and responsibility equal to men; in the script Martell's character, Briteis (pronounced "bright-eyes"), is a colonel who has made the first orbital flight around the Earth four years earlier and outranks her fellow male astronaut, a major. Colonel Briteis' given name is never stated.



This was initially intended as a pilot film for a TV series to be called "Ring Around the Moon." When science-fiction movies suddenly became popular, producer Jack Seaman added enough footage to the film to bring it up to feature length. This was done without the knowledge of writer Robert A. Heinlein, and he disowned the result. Also, this film predicted the creation of a United States Space Force military branch by about 65 years.

Fiery, dark-haired, exotic-looking Donna Kay Martell was born December 24, 1927 in Los Angeles of Italian ancestry Irene Palma de Maria, the daughter of a master tailor for a major clothing manufacturing company. She attended L.A. City College where she excelled at athletics, especially baseball. [Ok now, sounds like my kind of girl] During this time, Donna was persuaded by a classmate to audition for a theatrical agent from the Donaldson-Middleton Agency.

An Interview With DONNA MARTELL

From 1953, she was married to the baseball player Gene Corso (of the Pittsburgh Pirates) who died in 1996. She is a lifelong conservative Republican and at age 96 she is still with us.

Copies of the 63 minute film are scattered all over the web. 
Here's one on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDWeD8uFq8Y


In perhaps one of her greatest performances, Meryl Streep reenacts Duck and Cover.


From a April 15, 1982 20/20 report on continuity of government. At approximately the 3 min. 20 sec. mark:

Life After Doomsday - Tom Jarriel, Reporting - 1982



August 21, 1996: Democrats discover a new tool. At the Democratic National Convention, a demonstration of how the Internet will improve political communications. DNC General Chairman Don Fowler and Debra DeLee, CEO of the Democratic Convention, demonstrated the communications services available to delegates at the convention to reporters. They also took some questions from them.



"Every one of our speakers all of our activities from this podium. Will be accessible on the Internet with live video and also live audio. We believe that this is a first for any convention. Would you like to begin your demonstration. Certainly we're going to do now is talk to some state chairs around the country in this chair. I don't know exactly how many are own but there we have quite a few in the chat room I think I did this Monday with the general audience around the country for an hour and it doesn't really work well we have some video people as well as just citizens it's a it's a new way to communicate with literally tens of thousands of people instantaneously without any guidelines or filters you just sit there and do it it's a fairly stimulating you get some interesting questions."
Democratic Convention Internet Services (CSPAN)


RFK Jr. and Donald Trump...it all comes together on Friday, a political Earthquake...

Robert Kennedy Jr. is planning to drop out of the presidential race by the end of this week. Kennedy campaign manager Amaryllis Fox Kennedy asks staff to “hold tight” until Friday speech. “What I can tell you is this. Bobby has been in a period of deep discernment,” she wrote. “I ask you to keep an open mind. Do not believe everything you hear. There are several paths forward — not only two. And I can bear witness to the care and examination that Bobby is investing in consideration of each.” (WaPo)


Robert F. Kennedy Jr. moves closer to Trump endorsement (WaPo) or RFK Jr. to address his candidacy on Friday in Arizona, where Trump is set to hold a rally (NY Post)


Coincidence? Both movies open on August 30th...




Quietly. Until now...


Florida quietly removes LGBTQ+ travel info from state website


The incident took place on Day 2 of the DNC (August 27, 1968). From the Secret Service report the next day.

“The security people put me on the deck. I didn’t do very well.”

”I think we’ve got a bunch of thugs here, Dan.”

— Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite at Democratic National Convention, Chicago, August 27, 1968.


The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History

The whole world is watching

In Part 1 of this 1988 documentary, CBS 2's Bill Kurtis has a look back at the tension and unrest that boiled over during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, along with a montage of video from that time.

Part 1: 'The Whole World's Watching: 20 Years Later,' A 1988 CBS 2 Documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DC4KCff4zQ


Movie dates August 21st...Dr. Alec Lentz was murdered. Dr. Richard Kimble and Lentz had been researching a potential new drug, that was discovered to cause liver damage. 1932 - Tom Robinson, a black man, was accused of attacking a young white girl, Mayella Ewell. Aug 21st 1969 - The date of birth on one of Jason Bourne's many passports.




Are you feelin' hyphy? Need a smack upside the head? Wednesday is for W...ords


Aside from many, many who desperately need it hard, whisterpoop sounds like what Obama figuratively gave Trump last night.

The last time Obama did that, the Donald went on and won the presidency! Just sayin is all.

Ossify your status beyond a doubt
Roots planted deep in the ground
So sure of yourself; there’s no turning around.
No second guesses, we’re just doubling down.

By the Three Lochans

I sit, trying to look like a heather bush -

hoping to see

a mewing buzzard or a vole or a dragonfly.

How quickly the days slide away

into where they came from.

It's hard to change anything. I look into my hand to see

if there's an idea there

giving birth to a strenuous baby.

Only a life-line that's not long enough.

An obstinate old rowan tree

stands on a tiny island.

So many storms, yet there it is

with only a few berries, each determined

to be the last one to drop into the water.

And the light floods down

revealing mountains and flowers

and so many shadows. If only

a merlin would hurtle past, that atom

of speed, that molecule of life.

— Norman MacCaig

The Three Lochs Way is one of Scotland's Great Trails