The Purple Pinup Guru Platform

When purple things are pulsating on your mind, I'm the one whose clock you want to clean. Aiding is Sparky, the Astral Plane Zen Pup Dog from his mountain stronghold on the Northernmost Island of the Happy Ninja Island chain, this blog will also act as a journal to my wacky antics at an entertainment company and the progress of my self published comic book, The Deposit Man which only appears when I damn well feel like it. Real Soon Now.

Friday, October 27, 2006

Sparky's Big Guns Want You To Vote The GOP Bums out!



Sparks,


11 days to the majority
Al Gore Waving from podium
Contribute
We have only 11 days left to win 15 seats. Your support now could make the difference between us falling short by winning only a few seats... or a long-awaited upheaval with as many as 40 seats.

Next Tuesday's election is no longer just an opportunity to win control of Congress, it is an opportunity for sweeping, historic change -- a chance to dramatically repudiate a Republican Congress that hasn't listened, hasn't admitted a single mistake, and hasn't been willing to change course in the face of failure.

We only have 11 days left to turn our momentum and opportunity into a victory.

Please make a secure 3-to-1 matched online contribution to the DCCC now and be a part of history by helping to take back the House.

You've seen the national polls and heard the political pundits -- victory is within reach. But an amazing thing has happened in the last couple of weeks: more Republican scandals combined with a clear, consistent Democratic message of change have led to even more Americans looking for a new direction. As a result, the number of seats we could potentially win has increased fourfold.

Four times the number of winnable seats -- that's an incredible opportunity, but it's also an incredible responsibility.

Right now, leaders at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) are making the final, tough decisions of where to invest limited resources and where to deploy additional field organizers in our last all-out push to ensure victory next Tuesday.

Please make a secure 3-to-1 matched online contribution to the DCCC now and be a part of history by helping to take back the House.

With four times more winnable races than we expected, those decisions can mean the difference between a close victory or a narrow loss in dozens of districts. We can make those decisions easier by ensuring the DCCC has enough resources.

If you and every committed Democrat make as generous a gift as you possibly can to the DCCC, we can be sure that not one of our candidates loses for a lack of resources.

Please make a secure 3-to-1 matched online contribution to the DCCC now and be a part of history by helping to take back the House.

The outcome of these elections will have profound effects on the lives of all Americans. Whether it is the threat to the global environment or the erosion of America's leadership in the world, whether it is the challenge to our economy from new competitors or the challenge to our security from new enemies, we need new leadership that is both strong and wise.

The beauty and genius of our system of government is that when policies are clearly not working, we can change them. If our leaders fail to meet their obligations, we can hold them accountable. If our nation is on the wrong path, we can set it in a new direction.

Americans know this, and that is why the tide has shifted in our favor. Now Democratic House candidates must maintain their momentum to win.

If you haven't taken the time to make a contribution, volunteer for a campaign or made sure your friends and neighbors are registered to vote -- now is your time to do it.

Please make a secure 3-to-1 matched online contribution to the DCCC now and be a part of history by helping to take back the House.

I won't have time to write you again before Election Day. And you won't have a better opportunity to influence a historic election for a long time.

Don't wake up on November 8th, pick up the paper or turn on the TV, and say, "I wish I did just a little bit more."

Don't let good poll numbers lull you into a false sense of complacency. You don't need me to tell you that national polls do not determine the outcome, voters do. And there's no better way to move voters than to support the DCCC's final push.

Please make a secure 3-to-1 matched online contribution to the DCCC now and be a part of history by helping to take back the House.

The need for new leadership could not be clearer. The opportunity for change could not be greater. And what we do right now can make all the difference.

I hope I can count on your support.

Sincerely,


Al Gore




FORWARD OUR MESSAGE TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY


HELP DEMOCRATS WIN THE HOUSE

Forward To A Friend Contribute

If you are having trouble with any of the links, cut and paste the following into your browser:

http://www.dccc.org/r/39362/183179


John Murtha

11 Days Left
We Are Counting On You

Contribute

Soldier,

Those guys in the White House and their Republican buddies in Congress are telling us to sit down, shut up and 'stay the course' - well, I'm not going to. And I don't think you will either.

We've only got 11 days to go until Election Day. If you're as disgusted as I am, then you need to get involved in this election today. You can and will make a difference.

Everyone wants a stable Iraq, but victory is a goal not a strategy. Democrats are united behind the fight against terrorism. Democrats are united behind our troops. Democrats are united behind a strong America. Now, let's show them that Democrats are united behind winning this election.

I am doing everything I can to support the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's (DCCC) efforts to win a Democratic majority. Today, I'm asking you to do the same. The DCCC is dedicated to working day and night to elect a Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives this November. We only have 22 days left and are running out of time. I know you have been following this election closely and that you know just how high the stakes are. Today, one of the best actions you can take to help win in November is to make a secure online contribution to the DCCC. Can I count on you to help our Democratic candidates by giving to the DCCC?

Make a secure online contribution of $35, $50 or more to the DCCC now.

The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion, when what America wants and deserves is accountability and a real plan. It has become increasingly clear that the only thing we're going to get out of the White House and the Republicans in Congress are rosy scenarios and political slogans. Our troops deserve answers, not spin.

'Stay the course' is not a plan and it is not a solution to the quagmire the Bush administration has created in Iraq. Even as the British Army Chief is calling for their troops to leave Iraq because their presence is making things worse, our Army is drawing up blueprints to keep ours there through 2010. Crying "cut and run" and calling Democrats "defeatist" will not silence the critics of Bush's failed foreign policy. Democrats recognize that we're headed for a far greater disaster in Iraq if we don't change course - and soon. That is something the Bush ideologues know very little about -- realism!

In these last few weeks there is one thing we can count on and that is that the GOP attacks are only going to get more malicious. Republicans have said in recent days that they are preparing to lose seats, and indeed the results could fall anywhere between seven and thirty seats. Whether the DCCC has the resources to put our candidates across the finish line, or they fall just short, will depend on whether they can compete financially. And that depends on YOU and the thousands of other people who are committed to win this November.

Make a secure online contribution of $35, $50 or more to the DCCC now.

Despite objections from a majority of Americans, Iraqis and most world public opinion, and in the face of a deteriorating situation, this administration's insistence on a "go-it-alone, stay-the-course" policy defies logic. Karl Rove may have another name for it, but can anyone living in the real world deny that we are heading in the wrong direction?

I have served in Congress for 17 terms and I have many friends on the other side of the aisle. But my Republican Rubber Stamp friends who are insisting to 'stay the course' -- have it all wrong, and so my dear friends, we are forced to fight this war on two fronts. One is to combat the spin and intimidation that defines this administration and the Republican Congress. The other is to fight to change course, to do things better and demand answers and accountability. We will stay in this fight until the end, and we will win. But we need your help.

We must begin the new Congress with a clarion call to substitute slogans with strategy in Iraq. Democrats will put policy before politics and will provide the new direction we desperately need.

We must stop Bush's irresponsible policies now. We need a new direction. Today, I am asking you to make the additional action of giving a gift to help our candidates win in November. I would not ask if it were not so critical. Please give to the DCCC today. We are counting on your support!

Make a secure online contribution of $35, $50 or more to the DCCC now.

Sincerely,

Jack Murtha
Member of Congress, Pennsylvania's 12th District

P.S. -- The Bush policy in Iraq has been one plagued with surprises, errors and inaction - resulting in the quagmire we are faced with today. Bush and his policy makers are to blame for the situation in Iraq being a quagmire yet he refuses to hold those responsible accountable. With all the money and loss of lives we are expending in Iraq today, we can no longer afford surprises. We need to take control of our destiny in Iraq, and a Democratic majority is the only hope for that.

Make a secure online contribution of $35, $50 or more to the DCCC now.




FORWARD OUR MESSAGE TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY


HELP DEMOCRATS WIN THE HOUSE

Contribute Contribute

If you are having trouble with any of the links, cut and paste the following into your browser:

http://www.dccc.org/r/34542/183179



Fellow InterNet Pioneer,


Al Gore Waving from podium

Just 11 days left to win a
Democratic Majority.
Act now and your contribution will be triple matched


Contribute

If there's one thing I know for certain it's this: if the election were held today, Democrats would have the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

If you are like me, you have struggled with your outrage as the Bush administration has repeatedly and brazenly broken the law, politicized independent federal agencies, and treated with utter contempt the American people looking for leadership. What is worse, George W. Bush's Rubber Stamp Republican Congress doesn't dare to challenge any policy or even take the time to ask the tough questions to which all of us deserve the answers.

We don't have to wait much longer but we need to act now. In less than 11 days, voters nationwide will cast their ballots for a new direction for America. The actions we take -- or do not take -- will determine whether we win or lose in November. We simply cannot afford not to act. Please act today.

Make a secure triple matched contribution of $35, $50 or more today and help Democratic House candidates win in November.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is leading the effort to win a Democratic majority in the House and has set a goal to raise $2.5 million by Monday, October 16th in order to execute the next phase of their strategy. With only days remaining in the campaign, it is more critical than ever that each one of us do what we can to ensure victory in November. I told my good friends at the DCCC that they have my support and I am hoping that they now have yours.

This goal is so important that the Democratic House Leadership have pledged to extend their September 30th matching campaign and match every dollar contributed online through October 16th with three of their own, effectively giving you four times the impact. I know you have been following this election closely and that you know how high the stakes are in this election. Today, the best action you can take to help Democrats win in November is to help the DCCC reach their goal. Will you help by making a matched contribution?

Make a secure triple matched contribution of $35, $50 or more today and help Democratic House candidates win in November.

For all these years, Democratic attempts to change the direction of this nation have met unyielding Republican opposition. Democrats have been dismissed, attacked, even had our patriotism questioned. We simply cannot afford two more years of a Bush administration unchecked by Congress. If Democrats take the majority in the House, we will put families first and shift the direction of our nation.

The good news is that we have the candidates to make that majority a reality. In fact, the campaign strategists at the DCCC tell me that the number of competitive races is almost twice what was anticipated just a few short months ago. But, Democratic Party leaders are getting ready to face the tough decisions about which races to invest stretched resources in, and in which races to pull back, if necessary.

The DCCC needs your help to make those choices easier at this point in the campaign -- the tide is shifting in our favor and our candidates must maintain their momentum to win. If you and every committed Democrat make as generous a gift as you possibly can to the DCCC, we can be sure that not one of our candidates loses for a lack of resources. Please take advantage of this extended matching opportunity.

Make a secure triple matched contribution of $35, $50 or more today and help Democratic House candidates win in November.

These "new direction Democrats" are going to need all the help they can get to go toe-to-toe with Karl Rove, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and their ruthless Republican operatives. We've already begun to see the malicious, misleading and distortion-filled attack ads that are filling the air waves in these closing weeks of the campaign.

Winning a Democratic House majority is my top priority in 2006 and we can only do it if we make sure that we can counter their massive smear campaign. Can I count on you to stand with me in this critical battle for America's future?

Make a secure triple matched contribution of $35, $50 or more today and help Democratic House candidates win in November.

Capturing the majority in the House, where I served for eight years, is America's best hope for changing course and setting a new direction for our country.

A Democratic majority in Congress means a progressive energy policy that works to dramatically reduce greenhouse gases that cause global warming and lower prescription drug costs. A Democratic majority means raising the minimum wage for millions of Americans; it means oversight and checks and balances on a foreign policy that has spun completely out of control. And it means an economy that works for all Americans, not just a privileged few.

Today, I am asking you to make the additional action of giving a gift to help our Democratic candidates win in November. I would not ask if it were not so critical. I know I can count on your help in this historic fight.

Join me, the DCCC and Democrats nationwide as we take America in a new direction.

Sincerely,


Al Gore

P.S. - All the hard work we've put into winning the House will mean nothing if we can't fully fund our candidates in the closing weeks of the campaign.

Make a secure triple matched contribution of $35, $50 or more today and help Democratic House candidates win in November.




FORWARD OUR MESSAGE TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY


HELP DEMOCRATS WIN THE HOUSE

Forward To A Friend Contribute

If you are having trouble with any of the links, cut and paste the following into your browser:

http://www.dccc.org/r/32080/183179


President Bill Clinton

Contribute

Contribute NOW

Contribute

Sparky,

The stakes have never been higher.

The opportunity has never been greater.

In fewer than 15 days, we have the opportunity to send America in a new direction and elect leaders who will bring the change this nation desperately needs.

The governing philosophy of the Republicans leading America today could be described as divide and conquer. Time after time, when faced with critical opportunities to bring Americans together in common purpose, Republicans in Congress chose instead to exploit wedge issues that divide America, foster fear, and promote insecurity.

We can put an end to this cynical governing philosophy. But doing that requires electing a Democratic Congress and requires supporting the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). You have been an important activist this year in helping to elect a Democratic majority. Today, I am asking you to take that activism a step further and contribute. House Democratic leaders are committed to winning the majority. Democratic House members are willing to match any contribution you make by midnight, September 30th, three-to-one. Please take advantage of this opportunity and give a gift today.

Make a secure contribution right now and your gift will have three times more the impact. Give $35, $50 or more.

No single group of people has a monopoly on morality. No one party has the best ideas on how to keep us safe. Yet, a small group of people does have a monopoly on power in our government. And they've used that monopoly to prevent a true debate on how to grow the economy, to clean up and reform the political process and to protect our nation.

Each day brings greater evidence that America is ready for a new day.

Democrats have fresh ideas, progressive solutions, and a new direction for America. Expanding health care, making college education an opportunity for everybody, energy independence, and a raise in the minimum wage - when you hear talk of a "new direction," this is what we're talking about. But none of those things will become reality without a Democratic majority.

Make a secure contribution right now and your gift will have three times more the impact. Give $35, $50 or more.

I have been campaigning non-stop with Democratic candidates all across America and will continue to do so through Election Day. The new direction we are offering is resonating with the American people. They are tired of hearing leaders sing the praises of an economic recovery that doesn't feel like one. They are tired of a government that gives more to those who already have the most. They are disheartened by leaders who have put personal gain before the public good.

They know that America can be better. And they are looking for Democrats to lead the way.

We have the dynamic candidates. I've met them. We have the ideas. I know them. What we need are the resources to make sure people meet the candidates and hear the ideas.

Make a secure contribution right now and your gift will have three times more the impact. Give $35, $50 or more.

I was proud to serve as President of the United States. But there is no title I wear more proudly than that of American citizen. And so, as a citizen, I ask you to get involved. I ask you to shake off the feelings of cynicism and disappointment you've felt these past six years and commit to building a new and renewed majority. I ask you to give of yourself - your time, your money, your energy - to make that happen. I ask you again to support the candidates who best express your hopes and dreams. Because if you do those things, I know that come Election Day, we will usher in a better day for this nation.

Today, I am asking you to make the additional action of giving a gift to impact the results of the election. I would not ask if it were not so critical.

We can win in November. We must win in November. I'm counting on you.

Sincerely,


Bill Clinton

PS: Please send your matching contribution ASAP. The right-wing will be coming after our candidates a lot harder than they've been coming after me, and Democrats will need all the help they can get. Please be as generous as you can. Thank you. Make a secure contribution right now and your gift will have three times more the impact. Give $35, $50 or more.




FORWARD OUR MESSAGE TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY


HELP DEMOCRATS WIN THE HOUSE

Forward our Message Contribute


John Kerry

Thanks to a special matching fund, your response to Republican "Swiftboat-style" attacks can have triple the impact.
MAKE A MATCHING GIFT NOW!

Contribute

Dear Sparky:

Like clockwork, here they come again. According to news reports, Bob Perry, the Texas millionaire who bankrolled the so-called "Swiftboat Veterans for Truth" is up to his old tricks. He's spending $5 million dollars under the radar screen to launch a new GOP attack group called the "Economic Freedom Fund."

Their first attack ads against Democratic House candidates are already on the air. They hope they've caught you sleeping. We have to respond quickly and in force. Help the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) stand behind Democratic candidates under attack.

Contribute $35, $50 or more right now and your gift goes three times further with the DCCC's Matching Fund.

The Republicans think their attack ads can make America forget their disastrous policy in Iraq. They think their tough-guy posturing can make us forget that their "cut and run" policies in Afghanistan have left Osama bin Laden at large. But, the American people know, deep down in their guts, that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and the rest have failed our nation with their stunning incompetence and their willingness to act in ways that undermine our values.

All the political attacks in the world can't save them. Not if we're willing to stand firmly behind our candidates. I know you are following this election closely, and you know how important what we do now is to November. This is the time to act. If you take that extra step today and contribute to the DCCC now, your gift will be matched three-to-one, tripling the impact of your determination to win.

Contribute $35, $50 or more right now and your gift goes three times further with the DCCC's Matching Fund.

Thanks to the commitment of Democratic leaders in the House, your contribution will be matched three-to-one, tripling the impact of your response to Republican attempts to overwhelm our candidates with vicious attacks in the final weeks of this campaign.

I've been campaigning with Democratic candidates all across the country. Believe me, the American people are hearing our message. They want an end to the Bush Administration's failed policies in Iraq. They want to fire the incompetents, end the corruption, and stop the alarming abuses of power.

It's time - way past time - to move America in a new, more promising direction. And you and I have to refuse to let the desperate, deceitful campaign tactics of the Republican front groups get in our way.

Contribute $35, $50 or more right now and your gift goes three times further with the DCCC's Matching Fund.

Believe me, I know what our candidates are going through. And I know how much it will mean to them to know that we're absolutely determined to pull them through to victory. Please consider taking that extra step today with a financial contribution. It can make a big difference.

Sincerely,

John Kerry

P.S. Knowing that your gift will be tripled in value thanks to the DCCC's Matching Fund, I hope you will be especially generous. Thanks so much.

Contribute $35, $50 or more right now and your gift goes three times further with the DCCC's Matching Fund.




FORWARD OUR MESSAGE TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY


HELP DEMOCRATS WIN THE HOUSE

Contribute Contribute

Thursday, October 26, 2006


Sparky: If any of you aren't convinced the GOP swells with the haters or warmongers - Post a comment please ...

HuffPo: Limbaugh's Assault On Michael J. Fox…



“A CARNIVAL OF UGLY, ESPECIALLY ON THE GOP SIDE”…

Crooks and Liars' John Amato: Michael J Fox makes a fool out of Limbaugh

MichaelJFox.jpg
Will Rush apologize to Michael J. Fox after he told Katie Couric that he was on his medication while filming an ad promoting embryonic stem cell research? Watching Fox's condition up close and personal is so sad to see and for Rush to mock him for a political agenda is tragic. Limbaugh will never apologize or honestly regret what he's done because it's part of a long term strategy to once again attack the messenger. Unfortunately for the country– conservatives can say anything they want and never pay a price for their outlandish remarks so Limbaugh will escape unscathed.

Video-WMP

By now everyone has heard Limbaugh's little commentary about Michael J. Fox's appearance in the ad for Claire McCaskill. Well tonight Keith Olbermann supplied us with the visual to accompany Rush's latest show of idiocy.

After showing the clip of Limbaugh's sad reenactment of Fox's appearance, Keith was joined by Sam Seder to discuss it, along with other ways the Republicans turn to attacks instead of addressing the issues. Seder nails the main talking point surrounding this whole discussion - How the right attacks those who are actually affected by these issues and posses the bravery to bring them into the political arena. Just ask the Congressional pages about that one.

CBS: His body visibly wracked by tremors, Fox appears in a political ad touting Missouri Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill's stance in favor of embryonic stem cell research. That prompted Limbaugh to speculate that Fox was "either off his medication or acting."

Fox told Couric, "At this point now, if I didn't take medication I wouldn't be able to speak."

He said he appeared in the ad only to advance his cause, and that "disease is a non-partisan problem that requires a bipartisan solution."

"I don't really care about politics," Fox added. "We want to appeal to voters to elect the people that are going to give us a margin, so we can't be vetoed again."

The irony is that I was too medicated. I was dyskinesic," Fox told Couric. "Because the thing about … being symptomatic is that it's not comfortable. No one wants to be symptomatic; it's like being hit with a hammer."

Jame Hamsher sums it up nicely:

Rush has done his job well. The goalposts are suddenly moved, this is considered a legitimate line of inquiry, it is reasonable to ask if someone suffering from Parkinson's disease is either a fake or a dupe for backing those who want to pursue a cure and a few more votes might be squeezed out of Missouri.

It's quite remarkable to see the incredulity with which the traditional media are greeting Rush Limbaugh's comments about Michael J. Fox, as if nothing like this has ever happened before. They seem completely unable to come to grips either with what is happening, or why it's happening, or the role they are expected to play in this sordid, repetitious little drama…read on

The right constantly attacks science now in the same fashion that they've assaulted the press for so many years and if our media doesn't step up soon—then the same fate awaits them and they'll end up genuflecting to conservatives too.


Michael J. Fox


Michael J. Fox and his wife Tracy Pollan, 1989

Michael J. Fox (born June 9, 1961) is a Canadian-born American, with dual citizenship. [1]. An Emmy award-winning actor, he is famous for his roles as Marty McFly (Back to the Future trilogy), Alex P. Keaton (Family Ties), and Mike Flaherty (Spin City). He suffers from Parkinson's disease (PD) and is an advocate for stem cell research.

Early life

Michael J. Fox was born Michael Andrew Fox in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to Sgt. William Fox and Phyllis Fox.

Since his father was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, Michael and his family lived in various cities and towns across Canada, including North Bay, Ontario. The family finally settled in the Vancouver, British Columbia suburb of Burnaby when William retired in 1971.

Fox moved to Los Angeles, at the age of 18 to pursue an acting career. He made his American television debut in the television movie Letters from Frank. He was credited under the name of "Michael Fox", which he intended to keep using. However, when he registered with the Screen Actors Guild, which does not allow duplicate registration names due to crediting procedure, he discovered that Michael Fox (1921-1996), a veteran character actor, was already registered under the name. In trying to decide how to differentiate his name, the younger Fox decided to add a middle initial. However, he forewent the seemingly obvious choice of his birth-name, Michael A. Fox, and registered as Michael J. Fox instead. Fox has given several reasons for the choice, with varying degrees of seriousness, over the years. He has stated that the "J" was an homage to character actor Michael J. Pollard, while joking at other times that it stands for 'Jenius' or 'Jenuine'. He has also claimed that he didn't want his name to become a cheesy catch-phrase, as in the possibility of magazines like Tiger Beat using the headline "Michael, a Fox!"[citation needed]

Stardom in his chosen career did not come easily for Fox. Although he landed a series of parts in rapid succession after Letters from Frank (in the films Midnight Madness and Class of 1984, as well as guest roles on Lou Grant, and Trapper John M.D.), he then hit a dry spell. At one point, the young actor was actually forced by necessity to sell off pieces of his sectional couch, which went to actor Lance Guest. Fox has called this period his "macaroni days," jokingly referring to the fact that he ate so many cheap macaroni and cheese dinners.

Acting success

He then auditioned for the role of Alex P. Keaton, the arrogant, wise-cracking Republican teenager on the television series Family Ties. The first audition did not go very well, as creator Gary David Goldberg did not think he was right for the part. But casting director Judith Weiner convinced Goldberg to give Fox another shot. Goldberg was convinced on the next audition, but now there was opposition from NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff. Goldberg was now fighting for Fox, and Tartikoff eventually relented, famously commenting, "Go ahead if you insist. But I'm telling you, this is not the kind of face you'll ever see on a lunch box". A few years later, after Back to the Future opened to big success, Tartikoff received a lunch box in the mail that had Fox's picture on it. There was a note inside that read, "To Brandon: This is for you to put your crow in. Love and Kisses, Michael J. Fox." Tartikoff kept the lunch box in his office for the rest of his career.

Family Ties struggled out of the gate, barely getting renewed in its first season. But in 1984, it was paired up with The Cosby Show on Thursday nights, and the two shows ranked in the top two for the Nielsen ratings until 1987, when Family Ties was moved to Sunday nights. Fox won three Emmy Awards and one Golden Globe for his portrayal of Alex P. Keaton. A famous episode in 1987, called "A-A--My Name is Alex" was directed like a theatrical play, with Alex seeing a psychiatrist to cope with the death of his best friend. This episode was picked as the 68th best in television history in a 1997 issue of TV Guide. In a 1999 issue, Alex Keaton was ranked #27 on their list of the 50 Greatest TV Characters Ever. Fox also met his future wife Tracy Pollan, when she portrayed Alex's girlfriend Ellen Reed in the 1985–1986 season. He would later re-meet her on the set of his 1988 movie, Bright Lights, Big City.

Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox)
from the movie Back to the Future.

Notable roles since then include the Back to the Future movies, Mars Attacks!, Teen Wolf, For Love or Money, and The Secret of My Success. He is the voice of Stuart Little in the movies based on the popular book by E. B. White, Chance in the Homeward Bound series, and Milo Thatch in Atlantis: The Lost Empire. He also guest starred in the comedy Scrubs as a doctor suffering from an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

In 2003, he wrote a pilot episode for a sitcom entitled Hench at Home, but it was not picked up.

In 2006, he guest starred in four episodes of Boston Legal as a lung cancer patient who used his influence in an experimental drug test to ensure he received the real drug instead of a placebo. The show plans on bringing him back in a recurring role for season 3 this fall, beginning with the season premiere September 24. He has been nominated for an Emmy Award for best guest appearance in this role.

Private life, illness and advocacy

Fox married actress Tracy Pollan on July 16, 1988. The couple have four children: Sam Michael (born May 30, 1989), twins Aquinnah Kathleen and Schuyler Frances (born February 15, 1995), and Esmé Annabelle (born November 3, 2001).

In 1991 he was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's disease, but didn't go public until 1998. Since then he has been a strong advocate of Parkinson's disease research, especially stem cell research, which he believes may one day help sufferers of Parkinson's and other debilitating illnesses. His foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, was created to help advance this research.

In 2000, he announced that he would be retiring from the lead role of Spin City due to his illness. (A new lead character was created for Fox's replacement, played by Charlie Sheen.)

In 2005, he opened the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, United States as a tribute to boxer Muhammad Ali, fellow Parkinson's sufferer.

Stem Cell Research Advocacy and Campaign Commercials

Fox appeared in a television commercial for Republican Arlen Specter's 2004 Senate campaign.[1] In the commercial, sponsored by Arlen's relection campaign, Fox says Arlen "gets it" and Arlen's voice is heard saying "there is hope."

On July 18, 2006, Fox appeared in a taped interview on ABC's Good Morning America, defending a Senate bill that would have expanded federal funding for stem cell research.

In late October 2006, he appeared in a television campaign commercial for Claire McCaskill, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Missouri. Her opponent, incumbent Republican Senator Jim Talent, is against embryonic stem cell research. Fox states in the ad that Talent wants to criminalize stem cell research. Talent has just recently changed his stance on the criminalization of stem cell research. [2] Fox has been filmed in similar ads in Wisconsin, supporting Jim Doyle and in Maryland, endorsing Ben Cardin. Fox has also appeared at events for Robert Menendez and Tammy Duckworth. Furthermore, Fox has supported candidates of both political parties, including Republicans. In 2004, Fox taped campaign endorsement ads supporting Republican U.S. Senator Arlen Spector of Pennsylvania, who is a strong supporter of embryonic stem cell research.

Comments on Fox's political ads

Rush Limbaugh, conservative radio talk show host, commented on the TV commercial, saying that Fox was "really shameless" (CNN [2]) and that he was "either off his medication or acting." [3] Limbaugh was speculating that Fox may have intentionally not taken his medication. Fox has admitted in his memoir, Lucky Man, that he did not take his medication prior to his testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee in 1998. "I had made a deliberate choice to appear before the subcommittee without medication. It seemed to me that this occasion demanded that my testimony about the effects of the disease, and the urgency we as a community were feeling, be seen as well as heard. For people who had never observed me in this kind of shape, the transformation must have been startling." [4]

According to the Washington Post, Limbaugh also has told his listeners that Fox was "exaggerating the effects of the disease... He's moving all around and shaking, and it's purely an act." [5][6]

Elaine Richman, a neuroscientist, has stated her opinion, "Anyone who knows the disease well would regard his movement as classic severe Parkinson's disease. Any other interpretation is misinformed." [7]

Limbaugh followed up on October 25, 2006 saying "When you wade into political life you have every right to say what you want, but you cannot in turn argue that no one has the right to take you on."

Contrary to reports Limbaugh has not apologized for attacking Fox. [8]

Parkinson's disease symptoms and treatment

Parkinson's disease is a chronic disorder. At present, there is no cure, but medications can provide relief from the symptoms. In a National Public Radio Fresh Air interview (April 2002), Fox states that he manages his symptoms using Sinemet, a commercial form of Levodopa (L-dopa). L-dopa treatment decreases in effectiveness as it is used over a long period of time, so Fox like many PD sufferers, extends the life of its effectiveness by using it as little as possible. When on the medication, the symptoms shown (dyskinesia) are different than that of PD. On Fresh Air, Michael J. Fox explains how his medication management affects his public appearences:

Terry Gross (host): The intensity of Fox's symptoms varies. . .I asked him what he does when he gets symptomatic during an interview.

FOX: Well, actually, I've been erring on the side of caution--I think 'erring' is actually the right word--in that I've been medicating perhaps too much, in the sense that a lot of times the symptoms that people see in some of these interviews that have been on are actually dyskinesia, which is a reaction to the medication. Because if I were purely symptomatic with Parkinson's symptoms, a lot of times speaking is difficult. There's a kind of a cluttering of speech and it's very difficult to sit still, to sit in one place. You know, the symptoms are different, so I'd rather kind of suffer the symptoms of dyskinesia. . .this kind of weaving and this kind of continuous thing is much preferable, actually, than pure Parkinson's symptoms. So that's what I generally do. . . . . .So I haven't had any, you know, problems with pure Parkinson's symptoms in any of these interviews, because I'll tend to just make sure that I have enough Sinemet in my system and, in some cases, too much. But to me, it's preferable. It's not representative of what I'm like in my everyday life. I get a lot of people with Parkinson's coming up to me saying, 'You take too much medication.' I say, 'Well, you sit across from Larry King and see if you want to tempt it.'

GROSS: So I know you have comparatively good and comparatively bad days. Is today a good day or a bad day?

FOX: I have good and bad days 10 times a day. . .So, you know, right now this is a good moment in a fairly good day. I feel pretty good today. And this is pretty mellow and comfortable, so I'm pretty good. And I'm flopping around a little bit like a fish in a boat today, but there's nobody here to see me. I'm just in a little sound studio, so it's great.

GROSS: That's the nice thing about radio.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation and Team Fox

The MJFF logo.

The MJFF logo.
The Team Fox logo.

The Team Fox logo.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research was established in 2000 by Fox to fund the development of a cure for Parkinson's disease by 2010 through an aggressively funded research agenda.

Team Fox for Parkinson's Research is the grassroots community project of The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Team Fox allows people to turn their next special event, with an emphasis on athletic events, into an opportunity to support The Michael J. Fox Foundation

Filmography


The cover of Michael J. Fox's first book, Lucky Man.

The cover of Michael J. Fox's first book, Lucky Man.

Bibliography

  • Saving Milly: Love, Politics, and Parkinson's Disease (2001) (foreword only, book by Morton Kondracke)
  • Lucky Man: A Memoir (2002) (autobiography)
  • Always Looking Up (2008)

See also

References

External links



More HuffPo: Brent Budowsky: Ken Mehlman Demeans Gays, Rush Limbaugh Ridicules Parkinsons, RNC Goes Racist and Ann Coulter Calls 9-11 Widows Harpies

“If you are fed up with this garbage, go to actblue and do something about it.

The sick thing about George W. Bush is that unlike like any President who has ever come before him he has injected vomit, hate, and slander into the heart of our democracy and has put under attack the very character of the American People.

What George W. Bush has done, is nothing less than a direct attack on the very notion that America is a melting pot, he strikes at the core of who we are as a country, and he demeans the soul of what we stand for as a people.

Now the Republican National Committee he runs has used the money he raised to buy ads that are openly racist and bigoted in the state of Tennessee.

George W. Bush wants more hate in the state of Tennessee and he wants people to vote on their hate. ...”


Campaign Tactics Veer Toward Smear
spacer
On the brink of what could be a power-shifting election, desperate candidates have resorted to alleging moral bankruptcy and sexual perversion.
Michael Grunwald

Washington Post: Michael Grunwald: The Year Of Playing Dirtier:Negative Ads Get Positively Surreal

Rep. Ron Kind pays for sex!

Well, that's what the Republican challenger for his Wisconsin congressional seat, Paul R. Nelson, claims in new ads, the ones with "XXX" stamped across Kind's face.

It turns out that Kind -- along with more than 200 of his fellow hedonists in the House -- opposed an unsuccessful effort to stop the National Institutes of Health from pursuing peer-reviewed sex studies. According to Nelson's ads, the Democrat also wants to "let illegal aliens burn the American flag" and "allow convicted child molesters to enter this country." ...”


G.O.P. Moves Fast to Reignite Issue of Gay Marriage

“The divisive debate over gay marriage, which played a prominent role in 2004 campaigns but this year largely faded from view, erupted anew on Thursday as President Bush and Republicans across the country tried to use a court ruling in New Jersey to rally dispirited conservatives to the polls.

Wednesday’s ruling, in which the New Jersey Supreme Court decided that gay couples are entitled to the same legal rights and financial benefits as heterosexual couples, had immediate ripple effects, especially in Senate races in some of the eight states where voters are considering constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage.

President Bush put a spotlight on the issue while campaigning in Iowa, which does not have a proposal on the ballot. With the Republican House candidate, Jeff Lamberti, by his side, Mr. Bush — who has not been talking about gay marriage in recent weeks — took pains to insert a reference into his stump speech warning that Democrats would raise taxes and make America less safe. ...”


Since Cheney confirms use of waterboarding - this should frighten us all.

Covert CIA flights said to be going through Japan


The image “http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0312360231.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V53795134_.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

LONDON — British journalist Stephen Grey — author of Ghost Plane: The True Story of the CIA Torture Program , launched Thursday — revealed Thursday that an informal probe into Japan's involvement in the covert flights was likely. Grey said that while the most direct air route from Washington to the Middle East is via Europe, the Far East has not escaped being caught up in the controversial rendition program.

"There are flights that we know about going through Japan from the U.S.," the author said. He has compiled his information against the U.S. government by comparing prisoners' accounts with CIA flight log books. "There have been secret detention facilities used in Thailand and the renditions to those places would make use of airports such as Japan's," Grey said.



Christian Science Monitor: Cheney confirms use of waterboarding


The image “http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2006/10/25/2003323270.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

In a radio interview Tuesday, US Vice President Dick Cheney confirmed that US interrogators have used a controversial technique know as waterboarding to interrogate senior Al Qaeda suspects. McClatchy's Washington bureau reports that Mr. Cheney said the White House does not see the practice as torture, and allows the CIA to use it. Cheney said use of waterboarding was a "no-brainer for him."

In the interview on Tuesday, Scott Hennen of WDAY Radio in Fargo, N.D., told Cheney that listeners had asked him to "let the vice president know that if it takes dunking a terrorist in water, we're all for it, if it saves American lives."

"Again, this debate seems a little silly given the threat we face, would you agree?" Hennen said.

"I do agree," Cheney replied, according to a transcript of the interview released Wednesday. "And I think the terrorist threat, for example, with respect to our ability to interrogate high-value detainees like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, that's been a very important tool that we've had to be able to secure the nation."

Cheney added that Mohammed had provided "enormously valuable information about how many (al-Qaeda members) there are, about how they plan, what their training processes are and so forth. We've learned a lot. We need to be able to continue that."

"Would you agree that a dunk in water is a no-brainer if it can save lives?" asked Hennen.

"It's a no-brainer for me, but for a while there, I was criticized as being the vice president 'for torture.' We don't torture. That's not what we're involved in," Cheney replied. "We live up to our obligations in international treaties that we're party to and so forth. But the fact is, you can have a fairly robust interrogation program without torture, and we need to be able to do that."

McClatchy also reports, however, that the US Army, senior Republican lawmakers, human rights experts, and many experts on the laws of war consider the technique to be "cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment that's banned by US law and by international treaties that prohibit torture." Some intelligence experts also say that it is an ineffective technique that often produces false information because people subjected to waterboarding will tell their interrogators anything to stop it.
The image “http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d5/Waterboard3-small.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

Waterboarding involves holding "a person's head under water or pouring water on cloth or cellophane placed over the nose and mouth to simulate drowning until the subject agrees to talk or confess. ABCNews reported last year that it began as a practice in the 1500s during the Italian Inquisition. Soldiers who had used it during US conflicts in the 20th century have been court-martialed. It was declared illegal by US generals during the Vietnam War.

A spokeswoman for Cheney denied that he confirmed, or endorsed, the use of the tactic by US interrogators.

"What the vice president was referring to was an interrogation program without torture," she said. "The vice president never goes into what may or may not be techniques or methods of questioning."

The White House also posted the transcript of the interview on its website. The interview transcript, however, includes the section where the Vice President endorses the use of waterboarding as an interrogation technique.

Last year, in an interview with the BBC, Lawrence Wilkerson, who served as chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell from 2002 to 2005, said that in an internal Bush administration debate about the use of the Geneva Conventions in the treatment of detainees, Cheney led the argument to "do away with all restrictions."

In an opinion piece for Hearst newspapers last week, Helen Thomas wrote that the Military Commissions Act of 2006, which sets up a system for trying detainees in military tribunals, also gives the President the right to decide what constitutes torture. White House spokesman Tony Snow later declined to say if waterboarding would be permissible under the new law. Three senior GOP senators who led the fight to enact the law believe that it does outlaw the technique, despite what the administration may feel.

In a piece for the Washington Post, Stephen Richard, director of the Washington office of the Open Society Institute, writes that both those in the administration who argue that the new Military Commissions law gives them "clear authorization" for "enhanced techniques" and those critics who say it "legalizes torture" are both wrong. Richard writes that if CIA interrogators, who stopped using waterboarding and other controversial techniques last year after Congress passed the McCain amendment banning cruel treatment, allow the administration to convince them the new law gives them "carte blanche" to use whatever technique they want, "they will be at greater risk than they were last fall." He points out that in the past, the US has prosecuted every one of these techniques as a war crime.

ABCNews reported last year that CIA agents who subjected themselves to waterboarding lasted an average of 14 seconds before they "give in." Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the so-called mastermind of 9/11, is rumored to have won the "admiration" of his interrogators when he lasted almost two-and-a-half minutes before "begging to confess."



What has happened to America when the brutish and stupid are in power? - Sparky

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

YOUR PP GURU NOT SO IN LOVE ANYMORE continues with yet another chapter.

Chapter 5

You're Never Truly Alone With A Schizophrenic!!

Current mood: sympathetic
Originally presented on myspace.com/purplepinupguru June 29, 2006


Last night's California Super Lotto reached $90 million. No winners yet. I picked up my usual matching tab of three numbers on one ticket $9.00, another one with a number and a mega number, $2.00, and one more with just the mega number $1.00. Total chump change came out to: $12.00. Total play: 30 tickets for $ 29.00. This coming Saturday's jackpot is $98 million and I will be getting 30 tickets minus my winnings for $ 18.00.

It just doesn't pay to get out of bed and wrack your mind with math word problems.

Thanks so much for the new adds this week - of course, you all know you who are. I've been on here for less than a month and already I have close to 100 friends and some have complimented me on the hat (which was a loan by Lixi by the way) - I have to get Santos Sparky to download a couple more revealing photos ( not as revealing as some of my new European friends photo gallery, that is.) of me doing other sorts of fun stuff. There's some good photos of me playing the violin while I was visiting my aunt's house in New Mexico last Christmas. And maybe if you're all good little boy and girl blog readers - I'll get Santos Sparky to download some of my Deposit Man pages.

The Deposit Man is a name of a comic book I write, produce, and publish- in case some of you didn't know. I've written and published 5 books so far. I have another 4 waiting in the can. Just need that $98 million as a campaign contribution.

I really dig the Frost material. I'm going to be lining up to pick that one up when it comes out from Insideout Music next month on July 18th.

This past weekend was a another interesting weekend for Lixi and I. I left off last week with the breakdown story - since then Lixi has had a sit down with me explaining the situation. She had taken a Valium that day - and totally spaced out, not realizing that she had called me and had to taken another to come down (hence the big blow out). She has been depressed lately- probably due to the concept of not handling forty too well. I think she's beginning to realize that she can't keep doing what she's been doing for the best five or six years - which is escorting . Don't get me wrong - she looks spectacular for her age - but if you get within a few feet of her - you'll begin to notice nasty wrinkles forming on all areas of her body - that not even pond's skin creme could magically wipe away.

Other than playing $30 dollar lotto shots - I took a different kind of gamble with Lixi last weekend. I don't know if I purposily meant to manipulate her into seeing a different side of me - to show what kind of past I've come from before moving into this condo from hell (if you read my real blog - The Purple Pinup Guru Platform on Blogger- I jokingly refer to my current place of residence as Peyote Place and tell many tall tales of my wacked out neighbors there- Lixi included) not knowing if it was going to come to a satisifying payoff.

Two years ago - I used to live in this expensive house in Sherman Oaks with a old couple who were insurance agents. The husband used to own a comic book shop as a side business that I was associated with. Their house was at one time owned by Jack Haley - the guy who played the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz movie. I lived in this house close of up to eight years and their children sort of became of my adoptive brothers and sisters. So I'm really close to one of the daughters named Rebecca- I've sort of became her surrogate brother after her real adoptive brother passed away about 5 years ago of a heart attack - and I had happened to be the last person he had talked to before he died. but that's a another story for another time. Since the eight years, I known Rebecca, I've seen her go through two husbands. She has two wonderful kids, one from each husband. Both girls are now considered to be my nieces. So in order to condense history..this past weekend I invited both ex-husbands (who get along famously with each other. as do I ) to come up to my pool and to bring their daughters with them without knowing if Lixi would come out of her shell or not. But I had my fingers crossed that she would

As soon as they arrived, I took Jojo, the youngest being 2, up into my arms and carried her to the pool. Lixi finally came out and she was preparing to sunbathe. Once Lixi saw me with the baby in my arms hugging me back- you should have seen the look of awe creep up on her face. It was as she was seeing me in a variant light

She had never seen my 'uncle' side before nor interact with children The funny thing was: I've never seen her interact with children before either. So Olivia, the oldest who will be turning 9 after July 4th, got instant admiration from Lixi. Lixi was generous enough to allow Olivia borrow her swim fins and googles.

It was quite a moment to behold. I got to see a whole total different side of her that day. I would assume that she had once wished that she had raised a daughter.

Well, it somehow must have made an impression on her, because just a few days ago: Lixi called me on the cell asking if Olivia could come over and use her slip and slide that she's constructing. I told her, I'd have to get Becky's permission.

So I was thinking - was this the wrong thing for me to do? I mean, all I was trying to accomplish was to show her that I came from a place where I wasn't neglected and perhaps pass on the tradition of showing her that she too, can achieve a sense of belongness or be initiated into a family, that she doesn't have to be alone all the time. I'm not usually the type to orchestrate - but I had to show her that I'm made up of several different layers - and there's one that has a parental instinct built in - not that I'm implying that I would ever want to have a kid with her (she already has a twenty year old son from her first marriage) - but using Olivia and Jojo as a contrivance that I'm just as much as a giver to them as I am to her will maybe woo her in showing her that my love for her is pure and genuine and that I'm not just some guy who wants to stick his penis in her all the time just get his rocks off her (of which she really doesn't have much use for anyway - but she once did used to dig the way I used to go down... uh, never mind - yet another story for another time) . I'm just a guy who genuinely wants to be number one in her heart, and for the foreseeable future, I realize that's the safest place for me to be..for right now.

(Editor's note: Wait in months to come, you'll learn that the PP Guru has had to eat his words! )


Currently listening : Paradox Hotel By The Flower Kings Release date: By 04 April, 2006
5:13 PM - 2 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove