ROGER AILES

Republican candidates hire this guy and eagerly seek his advice. Fox network’s founder, 71-year-old Roger Eugene Ailes, was a media consultant for Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Rudy Giuliani.

He brags about promoting his clients the way American Idols have been promoted, the way X factor is currently promoting itself as the latest, super best talent show.

Ailes is currently advising republican candidate Rick Perry.

His tactics for handling the easily impressed, already somewhat brain washed American public, include mixing Tea Party and Republican ideas into snappy sounding slogans, "hot" cliches about debt, big government, leaving taxes alone, the failed Obama, the poor confused Democrats, the importantance of not supporting unemployment insurance, unions, and wasteful spending on pork -- like Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare.

Yes, he has a great list that includes just about everything that I think is desperately important.

I'm appalled that we are daily, hearing Repubs telling us how wonderfully well they'll run the government that Obama isn't capable of running. What we're already hearing are untruths, logic that isn't logical, and the media is busily, happily, constantly helping the Republs sell all this to us.

Is he a Dick Cheney? No, but sort of a Karl Rove. Both of them established themselves and made sure we know who they are. We don't know much about Ailes, though one can research him and read about he's done, and whom he's supported, and what Ailes says he believes in.

I usually want to know more about the person behind the public person, but looking at Ailes, his picture, resume, and bio, I can't find anything to like about him, anything in his history or personal story that makes him more than another self-made man, who's risen in today's world where being a bit of a crook is a plus -- where being even more than a "bit" crooked, is respected, and highly paid.

A can of Drano has a skull and cross bones on the back. It's a deadly poison. It can kill you.

I'm putting a skull and cross bones on Ailes. What he's doing, selling with all his might and mane, can kill more than what the Republicans have been killing.

Killing? Yes. When you stop growth, destroy hope, bury possible solutions, you are killing what millions and millions of Americans need to survive.

You know the name now. Put him with villains and enemies on your personal XXX list. If you don't have one, make an XXX list now with A for Ailes at the top.

WILL ANTONIO BANDERAS "MAKE IT?"

He has an indefinable something---intensity, animality, and a focus that reaches you, in the audience, as if he were right there in front of you.

He's gotten awards, rave reviews and star billing. You'd recognize him if you saw him on the street, though it might take a moment to remember his name. I didn't realize Banderas played Tom Hank's lover in "Philadelphia," an Oscar-winning film about a lawyer who was fired when his bosses realized he had AIDS. I was very moved by the tender-loving relationship of the two men. It's an Em Oscar for Banderas, that during those scenes, I didn't think "Oh that's Antonio Banderas." I didn't realize till the credits rolled, that macho Antonio was playing the homosexual lover.

He can play almost any kind of male role -- heroes, villains, and madmen. He's always fascinating, though sometimes, the smoldering sensual- sexual element in his eyes and bearing is almost too much, as if he's been directed to send out a stronger, hotter message. Occasionally I've found myself thinking he's over-acting, but mostly his choices as an actor -- jumping out window, leaping across roofs,, singing, dancing, dueling, fighting -- are brilliant, unpredictable, amazing.

I think that most people, watching one of the very famous star actors in a film have the star's persona, the star-actor's name in their minds, not the name of the character. Can you imagine seeing a movie with Cary Grant, not thinking it's "Cary." Even when Charlton Heston did those TV sitcoms, he was always Charlton Heston, "Moses," or Ben Hur."

So why hasn't Banderas become one of those top stars? Is it the scripts, the producers, the breaks?

In the most recent photos of him, like this one with his wife, Melanie Griffith, Banderas seems to have a different cheek bone structure. Was his face "fixed?" Or is it his short-cropped hair, or the fact that he's 51-years-old? (Aging is tough for everyone, but for an actor it can be devastating, especially an actor like Banderas, who's forte has been playing the leading man/lover.)

Will Antonio Banderas become a major star name? Has the time passed for him? Was he hurt by his marriage to Melanie Griffith? Maybe her determination to remain head-to-toe young/sexy/gorgeous is influencing him.

I don't know. I know actor John Cullum, who is not a major movie star, is never aware of how he looks, and doesn't rev up emotion, never over-acts. Cullum figures out who the character is in terms of the story,. and searches for the positive elements in the role -- who and what the character loves and what he 'wants to achieve.

What can I say to the handsome Antonio Banderas? Based on my experience as director/wife, I'm saying Antonio B, be YOU less, be the person you are playing in the show much more. The time hasn't passed. You have already "made it."

IS MOTHER NATURE AN EMEMY? (video)

Big question -- are we into an age of Nature's fury -- rains, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, fires, floods?

Em wonders if there is solution, and can't help thinking about Al Gore -- how he's been warning us for more than a decade, that many things we are doing on a daily basis, are causing weather woes.

The Cullums don't disagree, but Em worries, John, who isn't a worrier, takes things. handles things specifically as they happen.

ANITA HILL

What Anita Hill did 20 years ago is burned in my mind. We remember moments like O.J. sweating, holding up his hands to show that the leather gloves didn't fit. I remember how embarrassed Anita Hill was, sweating, determinedly truthful, describing Thomas quizzing her about pubic hair on a coke can.

She gained national attention in 1991 when she alleged, at Clarence Thomas' Senate confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court post, that Thomas had made provocative and harassing sexual statements, when he was her supervisor.

Grilled by 14 white Senators on national TV, Hill testified that while they worked together, Thomas made sexual overtures, described pornographic films, and bragged repeatedly and graphically, about his sexual prowess.

Watching her on television, I was impressed and amazed at her poise and the courage it took to testify at the hearing. I couldn't help thinking what I would have done had I been in her situation as an employee -- what will happen to her -- will this blight her life, embitter her -- how will she be able to pursue a career as a lawyer?

What happened -- well, she took a polygraph test that found that her statements were true. He declined the test, calling it a "high tech lynching."

Nevertheless, the Senate confirmed Clarence Thomas by a 52 to 48 vote.

Today, Justice Thomas is in history books. He has a great life and great job. He's been married to Virginia Lamp since 1987. Professor Anita Hill, age 56, has never married. She writes, lectures, is teaching law at Brandeis University's prestigious law school.

Off and on, over the years, liberals and conservatives have attacked Justice Thomas, claiming his decisions are based on his personal needs and political beliefs. Last year, Virginia, founder of a Tea Party activist group that's funded by a personal friend of her husband's, got lots of media attention for her group after she phoned Anita Hill and left a voice mail message asking Anita for an apology.

It was ugly, and inappropriate. Anita handled it briefly, didn't let it become a an important issue. She brushed it off.

I admire her and like her. I met her at a celebrity dinner party where she was one of the guests of honor. She was friendly, easily accessible, and fun to talk to -- a very educated professional who's going on with her work stronger than ever. She loves teaching, and appears quite often on TV. Her articles are published in the NY Times, Newsweek, and in scholarly publications.

What happened to her on television in 1991 has affected many working women. Though Hill didn't specifically claim legal "Sexual Harassment," the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission logged a record 9,920 harassment complaints in the past year, 50% more than the previous year, despite the fact victims know it's difficult to get their cases resolved. A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, said 44% of voters think Hill was telling the truth, while support for Thomas' version of events has declined from 40% to 34%.

Anita Hill's autobiography "Speaking Truth to Power" was published in 1998. Her second book, "Reimagining Equality" was published a few weeks ago.

Boston Globe.com reporter summarizes what happened 20 years ago. As you listen to what Anita says about it today, you get a sense of a strong, down-to-earth, womanly woman.

Here's the link http://youtu.be/1DBte0lxfLc