SICKOFITRADLZ: Fat, Ugly and Old Nick Robinson should not have been cast in Love, Simon

So a group of us went to see Love, Simon last night.

Thought most of the cast did a great job.

But why was Nick Robinson cast?

First off, he's fat. Second off, he's ugly with his boxy face. These guys have no careers with the boxy bodies and boxy faces -- not in films. They move over to an NCIS or something if they're lucky. Third, he's too damn old. 22 and playing a high school student in a film?

Most importantly, he's not gay.

I'm sorry they can't find any 18 or 19 year-old gay male actors?

The whole point of the film is that a gay man can find acceptance on the way to finding himself.

This isn't just a character who happens to be gay -- the acceptance and the growth is all part of the movie's story.

So it's undermined when they cast a straight actor in the role.

I didn't have a problem with straight Sean Penn playing Harvey Milk, for example.

But I don't see how we say, "It's okay to be gay!" with a film where the gay character is a straight actor?

And I'm also really bothered by the "It's okay to be gay!"

As a lesbian of a certain age, this film felt like the late 90s.

In other words, hopelessly out of date.

Have we not progressed?

How about, "It's great to be gay!"

Because it is and maybe we should be imparting that message?

Seems like it would do a lot more to help the "It gets better" PSAs.

And what is Love, Simon really except an extended PSA?

Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Friday, March 16, 2018. Seven more US service members dead in Iraq.

The Iraq War hits the 15th year anniversary in a matter of days and the ongoing war was brought to the world by so many -- most of whom have never faced any real accountability. Take US Senator Dianne Feinstein. From the state of California, she voted to support the war. Opposing the war was no problem in California. Barbara Boxer, for instance, was also in the Senate at the time and she voted against the Iraq War.

California US House Reps who voted against it? Susan Davis, Loretta Sanchez, Hilda Solis, Bob Filner, Joe Baca, Lois Caps, Juanita Millender-McDonald, Maxine Waters, Grace Napolitano, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Diane Watson, Xavier Becerra, Gary Condit, Sam Farr, Zoe Lofgren, Mike Honda, Anna Eschoo, Pete Stark, Barbar Lee, Nancy Pelosi, George Miller, Lynn Woolsey, Robert Matsui and Mike Thompson.

Her vote is not forgotten. For example, in October 2017 this letter was published by THE LOS ANGELES TIMES:

To the editor: Feinstein has made a highlight-free Senate career out of the feckless "third way" triangulation that treats bipartisanship as though it were an end in and of itself.

She lost my vote in 2002 when she voted for the Iraq War. Now, she says we should give the race-baiter-in-chief a chance. What brave, bipartisan sentiment.

California has now wasted 25 years of precious Senate representation on someone who thinks the best outcome is the precise midpoint between right and wrong. Feinstein needs to retire, but since she refuses to do what's best for her constituents, I'll be casting a vote to send her packing.

Branden Frankel, Encino

Feinstein has remained in office all this time because she's never had a serious challenger. Now she does: Democrat Kevin de Leon who is currently the leader in the California state senate. The primary is in June and Dianne will likely be on the general ballot in November. But this is California and our state doesn't operate like every other state. The June primary? The top two vote getters -- regardless of party i.d. -- will be on the November ballot. If the primary were held today, the top two would probably be Kevin de Leon and Dianne Feinstein.

Last month, Alexei Koseff (SACRAMENTO BEE) reported:

Then de León launched into a list of policies he would never vote for, obliquely highlighting some of the most controversial moments of Feinstein’s tenure in the Senate: supporting school vouchers in Washington D.C., authorizing the Iraq War, and voting for a law that allows intelligence agencies to sweep up Americans’ communications without a warrant as they are spying on foreign nationals. De León also criticized Feinstein for using young undocumented immigrants as “bargaining chips” with Trump.

“I’m running because California’s greatness comes from acts of human audacity, not congressional seniority,” he said. “Who do you trust to have the courage of your convictions?”

Kevin was on CSPAN's WASHINGTON JOURNAL yesterday.

While he was talking about how we move forward, the state was reminded last night of how Dianne Feinstein is our past and not a pleasant past at all.

Dianne stood for -- and continues to stand for -- the Iraq War.

That would be the ongoing war, that would be the war that cost another 7 US lives yesterday.

Thanks, Dianne.

OIR Spokesman‏Verified account @OIRSpox 20 minutes ago

.@CJTFOIR mourns the loss of @coalition personnel in yesterday's helicopter crash in western Iraq. Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and fellow service members of our fallen troopers. 

10 replies39 retweets38 likes

Stars and Stripes‏Verified account @starsandstripes 12 minutes ago

#BREAKING All 7 troops onboard a U.S. military helicopter died when their helicopter crashed near the Iraq-Syria border on Thursday evening  

4 replies13 retweets7 likes

JUST IN: All 7 US military members on board a helicopter that crashed Thursday in western Iraq near the Syrian border were killed, a US military official says cnn.it/2FE93UU

1:22

6,084 views

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Again, thanks Dianne Feinstein. You made your choices. Your choices came with consequences. Others have paid for their choices, it's time Dianne did as well.

Tomorrow, THE DAYTONA BEACH NEWS-JOURNAL will run their count of the US service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's one of the few US outlets that regularly notes the US dead in these wars. Their count should be 4542. The seven who've died from the helicopter crash will bring the total number of US service members who've died in Iraq since the 2003 invasion to 4542.

Let's do some more figures because the US media ignores those killed in Iraq -- the Iraqi civilians and the US service members.

We are in the third month of 2018. And? Already more US service members have died in Iraq in 2018 than died in 2012 in Iraq, than died in 2013 in Iraq, than died in 2014, than died in 2015, than died in 2017. Of recent years? Only 2016 has had more deaths. That number is 17. We're only in the third month of the year and the number of US service members who have died in Iraq for the year is 9.

Along with the seven from last night's crash, two had already passed in Iraq: Sgt Christina Marie Schoenecker and Spc Javion S. Sullivan.

Melanie's "Till They All Get Home" (first appears on her album CRAZY LOVE):

‏ @Sridharramchan3

Pray that the souls of the 7 U.S. servicemen who passed away in western Iraq RIP and their families and units have the strength to cope.

Jake Tapper‏Verified account @jaketapper 34 minutes ago

7 US service members killed in Iraq helicopter crash 

30 replies127 retweets94 likes

Senator Dianne Feinstein turns 85 this year (June 22nd). She's gotten to live a long life. How sad that her actions have ensured that so many others did not have that same opportunity. She's supported this war -- this ongoing war -- since 2002.

Time should be up for Dianne when it comes to serving in the Senate. She should be sent packing.

The following community sites -- plus Jody Watley, DISSIDENT VOICE and PACIFICA EVENING NEWS -- updated: