Free Republic

Two men have been arrested after a doctor was conned out of £72,000 for an Aladdin’s lamp. It was alleged that they conjured up a fake genie to trick their victim, Laeek Khan, into handing over the cash in Uttar Pradesh, India. Khan said one of the men pretended to be an occultist and made a ‘jinn’ – a supernatural figure – appear from the lamp, local media reported. But when Khan asked if he could touch the genie or take the lamp home, they refused, saying it might cause him harm, the complaint stated. Eventually they sold the lamp...

In the original Aladdin cartoon it is quite clear that Jafar is gay but this is portrayed in a negative way. His mannerisms and flamboyance used to characterize him as Other. I think it would be wonderful if his Homosexuality was embraced and acknowledged as something to be proud of and not despised or reviled as villainous. It would do so much to encourage young gay and trans kids whom have watched the original and will watch the live action film, and were/are made to feel like they have more in common with the bad ones( evil villain) because of...

So the family takes a vacation this week to Disney (no escaping it for me) and one of the highlights is the "Alladin" stage production. really pretty cool. At one point, just after Jafar (the bad guy) captures the magic lamp, Genie says: "Hey, Jafar, why are you so angry looking? Why the long face? I mean, I just made you Sultan, and you didn't even earn it!... What do you want next, a NOBEL PEACE PRIZE?"The place erupted. The crowd definitely "got it" and we were laughing so hard (this is what, 2000 people?) that they delayed the next...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 20) – Here in D.C.’s summer doldrums, midway between the conventions, with Congress out for the August recess, and political pundits having little to do except fulminate about the impending “sunset” of the so-called “Assault Weapons” ban Sept. 13, it’s good to enjoy a belly laugh. My laugh began over a month ago, when Linda Ronstadt, singing at the Aladdin Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, dedicated a song to “crockumentary” filmmaker Michael Moore, extolling his presumed virtues and his Bush-whacking film Fahrenheit 9/11. The audience divided between cheers and boos. And many walked out. Bill Timmins,...