6 million

As my long time readers know I am big into CG effects. I have even done some work in 3D computer graphics and modeling, so it should come as no shock that I had to go see Transformers 2 when it came out. I really liked the first one, so anxiously awaited the sequel. Heading into the theater I was preparing myself for disappointment. The reviews on the big dollar sequel were horrible.

Despite the bad reviews I hit the theater at opening and saw the movie and must say that I was highly impressed. Critics be dammed, but this movie had not only great effects, but also tons of action and awesome comedy. It appears that I am not the only one disagreeing with the critics:

After just five days, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is halfway to $400 million domestically, a box-office milestone only eight other movies have reached. If it climbs that high, the "Transformers" sequel will be by far the worst-reviewed movie ever to make the $400 million club.

Critics and mainstream crowds often disagree, but "Revenge of the Fallen" sets a new standard for the gulf between what reviewers and mass audiences like.

The movie pulled in $201.2 million since opening Wednesday, the second-best result for a movie in its first five days, just behind "The Dark Knight" with $203.8 million. Even after its whopping $60.6 million opening day, "Revenge of the Fallen" was packing theaters, a sign that unlike critics, who mostly hated the movie, audiences felt they were getting their money's worth and were giving the flick good word of mouth.

Critics be damn, the money and people have spoken. This movie is raking in the big bucks and the people love it. I know leaving my little local theater, people were in aww. One guy even said he was going to see it again. That’s movie magic and a magic the critics seem to be left out in the cold on.

Claire McCaskill has come up with a novel idea – cap the bonuses companies that are receiving federal aide can pay out:

Under the bill by McCaskill, an early endorser of Obama's presidential candidacy, employees would not be able to make more money than the U.S. president -- $400,000 a year -- until their companies no longer relied on government aid, such as the Troubled Asset Relief Program that bails out banks.

In an angry speech on the Senate floor, McCaskill said an average of $2.6 million dollars had been paid in bonuses to executives from the first 116 banks that got money from the rescue plan.

"I am mad," she said. "We have bunch of idiots on Wall Street that are kicking sand in the face of the American taxpayer ... They don't get it!"

This is awesome and should have actually been part of the original TARP bill. But I am also a little miffed here. I keep wondering how much these companies will spend to lobby against this bill.

Cenk brings up an interesting point (via Cesca):

The oil that comes from that drilling will not be United States property (Republicans aren't suggesting we nationalize the oil companies, are they?). It will be the property of whichever oil company got the rights to that contract. They can then sell it to whoever they like -- and they will. They will sell it on the world market, so the Chinese will have just as much access to the oil that comes out of the coast of Florida as we will.

We don't here the Republicans ever talk about this fact. Once the oil is extracted (if it is), where will it go? People think that they will automatically put it back into the U.S.'s supply, but evidence shows that isn't the case:

While the U.S. oil industry want access to more federal lands to help reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, American-based companies are shipping record amounts of gasoline and diesel fuel to other countries.

A record 1.6 million barrels a day in U.S. refined petroleum products were exported during the first four months of this year, up 33 percent from 1.2 million barrels a day over the same period in 2007. Shipments this February topped 1.8 million barrels a day for the first time during any month, according to final numbers from the Energy Department.

George Bush yesterday:

President Bush predicted Monday that voters will replace him with a Republican president who will "keep up the fight" in Iraq. "I'm confident we'll hold the White House in 2008," Bush told donors at the Republican Governors Association annual dinner, which raised a record $10.6 million for GOP gubernatorial candidates.

"And I don't want the next Republican president to be lonely," Bush said. "And that is why we got to take the House, retake the Senate, and make sure our states are governed by Republican governors."

This is great news for Democrats. We know have Bush's other predictions have gone in the past.

Sure - we can fork out all this money:

The U.S. government already has a courthouse at Guantanamo Bay, but the Pentagon isn't satisfied, CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports. It plans to spend $100 million of your tax dollars to build a huge new facility just down the hill.

"This is very expensive for the number of cases, 60, which they anticipate trying," says Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

That's right, a $100 million courthouse to try about 60 cases. That's $1.6 million per defendant ... just for the building. The trials will cost many millions more.

So let me guess - Halliburton is tapped for the contract, so Dick Cheney become even richer at the expense of America. Why can't they just use a tent, with some armed soldiers to make sure the defendants don't run? This is just another sign of pure government waste and taxpayer fraud at the behest of George W. Bush and company. Congress must hold serious oversights as soon as the Democrats take control and put an end to this. Furthermore, the companies who have become rich from this crap need to repay the money to the taxpayers. I want mine back - don't you?