Outside the Beltway

Mitt Romney’s speech last night was the best he’s ever given, but it’s impact may have been undercut but several odd production decisions that preceded it.

After three days of buildup to a “mystery speaker,” the closing night of the Republican convention featured a rambling performance by Clint Eastwood and an empty chair.

A new book by one of the Navy SEALs involved in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden differs significantly from the official version put forward by the government.

I was more amused than I should have been by the YahooNews headline “Obama Says George Clooney Friendship Born in Sudan, Not Hollywood.”

The new Red Dawn promises to be even sillier than the first.

The novelist, playwright, and social critic Gore Vidal has died, aged 86.

Restaurant chain Chick-fil-A is facing criticism after its President’s comments on same-sex marriage.

Rush Limbaugh made perhaps one of the dumber comments I’ve seen from the right about the entire Bain Capital story, and managed to display an apparent inability to use Google to look things up.

Sage Stallone, who appeared with his father Sylevester is several films, has died aged 36 of an apparent prescription drug overdose.

Insult comic Don Rickles told a joke about President Obama being a janitor. Like most of Rickles’ material over the last several decades, it wasn’t funny.

As societal attitudes change, what counts as an insult so bad you can sue someone over it also changes.

Thirty-Five years ago, an adventure began.

Mitt Romney called Russia our “number one geopolitical foe.” Is he right?

Movie theater snacks are expensive. This is not cause for a lawsuit.

The DC government’s incompetence knows no bounds.

Ronald Reagan wasn’t really much a of a “Christian Conservative.”

Members of Congress are responding to the protests against SOPA and PIPA by withdrawing their support for the bills.

Wikipedia’s English language site will be offline for 24 hours tomorrow to protest two controversial online piracy bills.

If there’s anyone out there, why haven’t we heard from them yet?

Big news from North Korea.

Yesterday’s encounter between Jon Huntsman and Newt Gingrich was less than it could have been.

Breaking news: There’s a gay man in Hollywood.

Robert Downey, Jr. goes out on a limb for Mel Gibson, returning a favor.

A meme is emerging that the Occupy Wall Street protests are America’s version of the Arab Awakening. That meme must die.

Some pundits on the right can’t seem to quit Chris Christie.

The decision to split Netflix into two companies makes no sense. Unless you look behind the scenes.

In a truly bizarre move, Netflix is spinning off the DVD-by-mail business that built them into an international brand and going stream-only. Those wishing to keep getting movies will have to sign on to something called Qwikster.

Is the GOP race really down to just two men at this point?

While Sarah Palin continues to tease her supporters about a possible Presidential run, the damage she could do to the GOP becomes even more apparent.

The Obama campaign is stressing that 98 percent of its donations were from little guys contributing $250 or less. But 40 percent of the money came from a handful of major donors.

More people are chasing careers in film than there are careers in film. And not just in front of the camera.

British professor Julian Lindley-French offers a tongue-in-cheek essay for the 4th of July: “American Independence: Time to End the Experiment.”

It’s often said that 1950s sex symbol Marilyn Monroe was a size 12. It just isn’t so.

Daily Show host Jon Stewart spent 15 minutes on yesterday’s Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace trying to explain why he thinks Fox is a propaganda machine.

Where’s the line when a public figure interacts with a teenage fan?