DEPRESSION, SUICIDAL THOUGHTS OVER A FREAKING MOVIE

Apparently, people are so enamored with the magical world of Pandora depicted in the movie AVATAR that they are experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts because they can't live there. All this crazy hubbub over a movie that is a nothing more than a weak mishmash of ideas stolen from other scripts covered in an admittedly well done CGI gravy. 

Oh yeah. Fans are reporting experiencing depression and considering suicide according to CNN. I can't stand it. The only thing that movie did well, and does deserve an Oscar for, is the CGI. And I simply can't explain AVATAR inducing depression except to say that people must walk in with profound sense of malaise and depression to begin with. 

I can see how it's ripping of other scripts might make one angry. I'm depressed that it's up for so many Oscars. I might self-mutilate by slamming my head against the wall or gauging my eyes out with a hot poker if AVATAR wins. But killing myself over its cinematography or story? Judas Priest!

WATCHING THE OSCARS

 

We are hosting an Oscar party this year, thanks to both of us being employed. (I was still getting my master's this time last year.) Skinny Kitty is out of town all weekend for a scrapbook retreat and that leaves the daughter and I to get everything ready. I'm not dirtying up a kitchen to cook for 15 adults and 5 kids, just to clean it up all by myself. No thank you. Skinny Kitty will come home on Sunday to several gourmet pies from Arris' Pizza.

In celebration of the Oscars sometimes ridiculous winners, I offer 5 Reasons the Oscars Matter Even Less Than You Thought from Cracked.com. Those bastards are going to choose AVATAR to win all kinds of nonsense. I just know it. I will spew like that girl in THE EXORCIST. Therefore, we are changing our rules of engagement. No longer will attendees mark down their best guesses for who will win at the Oscars. This year, we are recording who we would choose if we were the judge and jury. 

If you need more Hollywood laughs, try out these stories from the same comedic crew at Cracked.

5 Careers Destroyed by the Post Oscar Curse

5 Things Hollywood Reuses More Than Plots

MUST SEE INTERNET TV

Remember these guys dancing on treadmills in their music video? How cool was that? Well, the band known as OK Go has a new video featuring an elaborate Rube Goldberg machine. These guys are so much fun to watch. They are a group who has really merged music and video, making them a band that must be viewed and not just listened to.

A WEEKEND AWAY

The child of mine was spirited away with the cousins toward Oklahoma, giving the wife and I a weekend to ourselves. It's been a long while since we had time together as a couple and I didn't know how much I missed and needed that time. 

We have enjoyed long romantic dinners, movies, some shopping and much needed talk. I hope we don't neglect ourselves for so long as I don't think that makes for good relationships. Although our relationship is strong, it is much more connected now that we had some time alone. 

THE HANGOVER and SEVERANCE were much required R-rated escapes. THE HANGOVER, in my opinion, is a true date movie, but then again I am a bit strange. SEVERANCE was a whoop and holler comedic slasher.

Not to neglect our artsy fartsy side, we also watched INSIDE DEEP THROAT – a documentary film about the pornographic movie from the 70s that profoundly changed the sexual attitudes.  I had no idea any X-rated movie had such an impact on society. Thousands of regular folks, who would never watch porn otherwise, flocked to movie theaters to see DEEP THROAT. The documentary is rated NC-17 and is certified fresh (82%) by Rotten Tomatoes.

MO SCHOOLS TO SEE CUTS SOONER AND LATER

Speaking of educational issues, KY3 reports budget problems for Missouri's K-12 institutions to the tune of $43 million (2 percent shortfall). Rep. Maynard Wallace (R-Thornfield) wants to change the law to allow school districts to reduce teacher pay (the story does not say how much of a reduction) and eliminate professional development in order to keep their jobs. 

Personally, I'd rather get paid less and still have the opportunity to do the job I love so much, rather than become unemployed. That's just me. I'd rather not see cuts to my salary at all.

TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS FIRED

CNN carries the second installment to a story I mentioned earlier today. All the teachers and administrators at Rhode Island's lowest performing high school were fired by the school board. (How exactly do you put that on your resume? As if there were any teaching jobs out there.)

FIRE ALL THE TEACHERS!

CNN has the story of a Rhode Island school district superintendent whose desire it is to fire all the 74 teachers in the lowest performing school in the state. The problem with stories like this is that it is  presented very few specific facts (except overall scores of the students). The story does not help the population govern itself as we cannot make educated decisions because we are not really educated. 

• What is the culture of the school? Is it a positive and encouraging atmosphere or a toxic one?
• What is the culture of the families in the school community? Do they support making their children better or disdain all things educational?
• What is the overall attitude of the teachers?
• What is the overall attitude of the administrators?
• What kind of district support (money) does the school receive compared to other schools?
• What kind of district support (not money) does the school receive compared to other schools?
• How is the district responding to the specialized needs of persons in poverty?
• What pedagogy are the teachers using to educate the students?
• How do the teachers design learning environments specific to persons in poverty?
• What amounts of tutoring are already going on in the school?
• What are teachers doing to reach students and establish strong relationships?
• Why is there such a turnover rate with principals in this school?

In order to determine the causes of the problem and make strides to repair the damage and educate students, harder questions must be asked beyond graduation rates and math proficiencies (both important questions in identifying there is a problem, but superficial questions in regards to addressing the problem.) 

To even take a side with this lack of real questioning is to succumb to certain political and world views rather than addressing the individual school's issues. I have my own world views and could make sweeping statements based on those world views, but it would be just as uneducated as both of the persons interviewed. In order to properly govern ourselves, we need deep questions and further exploration.

I DON'T NEED NO EDUCATION

Why don't you limit enrollment?

That's what Missouri House Appropriations members asked of university presidents this week in response to the crisis facing higher education budgets in 2012. The AP quoted Rep. Rick Stream, R-Kirwood, (through the Springfield News-Leader), "As bad as 2011 looks for us, in 2012 we're going over a cliff." Elementary and secondary schools are also facing serious cuts in the coming years.

It seems to me that limiting enrollment is counter productive to boosting an economy. If people are out of work, then new skills and education are the keys to getting into a more robust field. If we limit access to higher education, then even when jobs open up, there won't be enough qualified people to fill them. I don't understand the logic when it comes to contempt for education.

FIVE RINGS AND A TORCH

I give a big fat Pfff to all things figure skating and ice dancing. I recognize those are the most popular events at the winter olympics (and requires a lot of athletic prowess), but it's like sitting through a romantic comedy where everyone is dressed in Mardi Gras costumes. The enjoyment of which just proves that people don't have very good taste. Downhill skiing, super g, snowboarding, snowboard cross, curling, and luge, are much more interesting and exciting. Yes, even curling. I find it so strategic and interesting. 

My friend Jason Rohrblogger has some suggestions for new winter Olympic sports. I only find one failing in his list: His number 10 is my number one.

Is it wrong to find that most of the events I enjoy involve the possibility of bodily harm?  Not very civilized, I know, but I can't help it. The impending doom jacks the whole thing up to an acceptable level of engagement for me.  Curling being the exception. It's so cerebral and strange that I am fascinated with it. I suppose that might be because the sport is more accepting of those with less-than-athletic physiques. What is the deal with those little brooms? Do they really make a significant difference? 

For those who need more comedic Olympic nonsense, you are directed to read the 5 Ways to Enjoy Terrible Winter Olympic Events.

I'LL VOTE NO BUT TAKE THE CREDIT ANYWAY

The Bus is plunging deep into political discourse today, and for good reason. It is coming to light that hundreds of conservative legislators who voted against the Stimulus package are now cutting ribbons and taking credit for the good the Stimulus has produced. The head of the hypocrisy campaign is Missouri's own Roy Blunt. 

111 Lawmakers Block Recovery While Taking Credit for It's Success

Blunt to Tour Brownfield Program Made Possible by Obama's Stimulus Package

Blunt: "No Comment"

It seems the Stimulus did much more than opponents claimed. It put legislators in a quite a quandary to vote against a thing that ultimately saved jobs and created good things in their communites. So they simply take credit for the good things even though the Stimulus really paid for it. 

Saving jobs during a Depression-close recession is the same thing as creating jobs. The longer it goes, the more evidence that no stimulus likely would have left us with a full fledged, all-out Depression. A depression is not good on any society. Thank goodness we don't have one.

Thanks Bus-Man. Please keep driving; I need the ride.

BURY THAT SUCKER!

The other night my wife gave our puppy a dingo treat. He loves those things and chewed on it for quite a while. Instinctual preservation being what it is, he only ate part and sought to save the rest. As I worked at the computer Barkley came in and jumped on the futon in my office with slimy dingo in tow.

I mainly use the futon as a closet, a fact that drives the wife nuts – not nuts enough to put the laundry up for me (which she shouldn't and I don't expect). So I tend to the let the laundry accumulate and just get my undershirts, underwear and socks from the futon. I'd ask you to guess how far away my chest of drawers is, but it wouldn't make me look good.

So the dog perches atop the laundry and proudly assesses the scene. He then turns and paws at the clothes until he makes a hold of sorts. The dingo gets dropped between the clothes and the back of the futon. He then uses his paws and nose to hid his treausre with my laundry.

 

GOOD GREEK MYTH TAKES A BACK SEAT TO ACTION SEQUENCES

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTING THIEF is book one of a very popular  series among tweens and teens. It's been on the NY Times Best Seller list for 130 weeks. Last summer I read it to my daughter and we both enjoyed it thoroughly. 

Percy, a 12-year-old discovers he is a demi-god, a child produced from the union between human and Greek god. Percy spends his time in trouble, battling dyslexia and ADHD, until he finds himself in a camp for demi-god kids. Eventually, he discovers he is the son of one of the big three, Poseidon. As the story unfolds, we discover Zeus' power – his lightning bolt – has been stolen and he believes Percy is responsible. The young protagonist, with two friends in tow, must find the bolt and return it to Zeus before the summer solstice. 

Percy runs into many mythological Greek creatures – Medusa, Ares (god of war), Hades, Persephone, the furies, and others. The connections to the 3,000 year old myths are exciting and adventurous, increasing a kid's interest in mythology and the heroes journey. 

Now the book has been dubbed a Harry Potter knock-off and the fact the movie was made by Chris Columbus only proliferates that stereotype. The characters have similarities:

• Both young boys
• Both go on an adventure with another boy and girl
• Both go to a place to be trained with others like them
• Both battle creatures
• Both go on heroic journeys

The truth is, our heroic journey stories, called the monomyth, is grounded in Greek literature. In fact our modern super hero stories are rooted in those 3,000 year old myths. What author Rick Riordan does is revamp the Greek myth for a contemporary audience, giving kids a reason to read and study the cradle of Western literature.

Choosing Columbus to direct the PERCY movie was a ghastly decision. It did nothing but draw more connections between HARRY and PERCY. On top of that, he took a solid story and hacked the character development out of it, aged the characters by 5 years, melted away the mystery of the narrative by revealing all the secrets in the first few minutes, and changed significant plot elements for no significant reason.

He left us with a movie that cared about nothing but action sequences, utilized shabbily-designed CGI, and washackneyed. It won't please the audience much (unless they are nothing but shallow trolls, or young and forgiving tweens) and it will anger fans. What's the point?

The theft was not of Zeus' bolt, but of Columbus' treachery of dissolving all the interesting and important details from the story. Do yourself a favor: read the books and skip the movie. If you must see the movie, accept what it is before going in. Just enjoy the action and leave it at that. It doesn't completely suck. It's just that ... it could have been great with a little bit of planning and love of the source material. It's obvious Columbus doesn't care a thing about PERCY. 

THE BELL TOLLS FOR YOU, ZOMBIE

While the daughter was playing at a friend's house, no doubt gaming, Skinny Kitty and I watched ZOMBIELAND on Blu-Ray. This is one that I've been anticipating for months now. It was on very long wait on my Netflix queue. 

It did not disappoint, which is consistent with Rotten Tomatoes' certification: 89% Fresh. It was juicy with gore-a-plenty and heaps of humor to boot. I've been a fan of Woody Harrelson ever since NATURAL BORN KILLERS a movie that was heavy with political and social commentary – one that was beyond its time. 

ZOMBIELAND is nothing like NBK. Not at all. It's more in line with SHAUN OF THE DEAD (91% Fresh) or SLITHER (85% Fresh), both movies that I highly recommend for those who love hysterical monster/zombie flicks.

RAPE AND ROMANCE: A VALENTINE'S DAY DITTY

As Valentine's Day approaches, I have to write something about love and romance, but the truth is I'm not so much the romantic. Mushy gushy, schmoopy slop ain't my way. I do buy Skinny Kitty plenty of jewelry to keep her happy and I have sent flowers, and I tell my sweetie I loves her – cause I do. 

But don't be expecting any romantic love songs from this writer. I will, however, provide you some twisted looks at romance with Cracked.com's comedic love song tribute entitled "8 Romantic Songs You Didn't Know Were About Rape". 

You can bet your sweet candy heart that Chris Hansen will get a woody over these love ballads.

WE NEED MORE DEATH

… in the TV show, HEROES. 

Last night Noah, otherwise known as "Horn Rimed Glasses" (HRB), was trapped with Claire inside a trailer house 50 feet underground. Claire could live because of her special abilities, but Noah could not. At the last minute, good old Tracy-the-Water-Girl trickled in and saved them both. Ho Hum. (Caution: boring old plot device in use.)

The story would have been so much better had Noah died. It would have been poetic (the literary term being "foreshadowing") for Claire's next move to out herself as a special. He was, after all, the figurative locked door of her closet. Once dead, she could come out of said closet and be her true self: a person with abilities, which is really just a metaphor for oppressed peoples (be they ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, women, or homosexuals).

Instead, they chose the easy way out by letting Noah live. She still came out, but it didn't really make sense for her to do that. What was the real impetus for her to change? If she wanted to protect her father, she would not have come out as her actions will cause him all kinds of grief. 

It's all so sad because NBC missed a real opportunity for good storytelling. 

I did enjoy the 5-year/5-hour time-space dream sequence with Sylar and Peter. I've never said it aloud, but I don't care for the actor who portrays Matt Parkman. The execution of his powers always comes off trite and poorly acted to me. Always the same side glance. 

I am excited to see how Claire's outing affects all the specials. I am particularly interested in the avenue NBC takes it. How will it compare to the stories in X-Men or Civil War? Let's hope that NBC does a better job with the storytelling than Marvel did with the ending of Civil War. Humans versus Special always makes for interesting narratives and metaphors to other civil rights movements. Who would be the Professor X (Martin Luther King Jr) and the Magneto (Malcolm X) characters in HEROES? 

From my perspective, HEROES can stand as an analogy for any civil rights movement, but I think it is particularly apropos to the gay civil rights movement. You don't declare yourself as a person of color. It's apparent. However, you have to tell folks you have special powers or are gay. 

Anyone else follow HEROES, or am I the lone blogger round these parts?

A METAL LULLABY

I'd never heard of such a thing until a friend introduced me to Michael Armstrong who takes rock and metal songs (mostly Metallica, but Led Zepplin and other, too) and turns them into lullabies. It's the most discombobulating thing to experience ... but I like it. It's strangely quaint and calming, if you can imagine. 

WHAT IS ALL THIS NONSENSE ABOUT TELEPROMPTERS, ANYWAY?

Skinny Kitty called it before any of the news people even noticed. She saw right away, right after Sarah Palin made the crack about Obama being a "charismatic guy with a teleprompter" that she had notes written on her hand. Right on her hand. 

We laughed like crazy about it all night and into the next morning when the media finally noticed it. I told Skinny Kitty that it would have been nice to have TiVo so we could go back and confirm it was notes on her hand.

I don't get it. Good speakers use notes and high level politicians use teleprompters. They've done it for years. I don't get the big deal. Personally, I don't care if one has notes on the hand or a screen, but I just find it hysterically hypocritical to make fun of one while you do the other. 

Not terribly authentic or honest. 

I AM NINJA; NOW YOU DIE!

What prepubescent boy doesn't dream of someday being trained as a ninja? Come on. How cool would that be to run around in the dead of night blowing poisoned darts in the necks of the nefarious, lodging ninjas stars in their craniums, cutting enemies in half, and scaling walls with climbing spikes? And the disappearing smoke bombs. Sweet Judas Iscariot those puffs of smoke are some kind of bad ass.

Unfortunately, not all who wish to attain primo ninja status make it past the outfit stage. Once you grow your short hairs, your dreams of becoming a real life, katana-carrying assassin fade away, replaced by the vicarious living of said fantasy through the art of watching old martial arts films on DVD. Only the truly poo-bah-tic actually think their are freaking ninja. 

Makes for funny reading.

TOO TIRED

My reading interest has taken over lately, leaving little time to blog. I love writing and having my own personal online magazine, but the desire to read The Mice Templar and other titles have just hit me solid. Hell, I'm not even interested in writing this post. 

Were I not too tired to get out of this chair, I would not bother and just go read. Today was a rough one, kids. I tried answering email and checking on blogs but I couldn't. I just sit, click, daydream, and click some more – forget actually reading anything. 

I have nothing pithy, clever or even offensive to say. I'm just blathering on for no good reason. Are you still reading? I'm going to read, now, that is if I can get off my duff long enough to traipse through the kitchen and pick up a comic.

A WHOLE BUNCH OF OSCAR

The Oscars were announced I am jazzed that Quentin Tarantino is up for Best Picture and Best Director. He is the filmmaker that speaks for my generation or to my generation. I swear I am going to eat my pinky toe if Avatar wins in either category (and I think it will win at least one if not both).  We don't need reconstituted stories to win the top accolades. Besides, it's the last film I would pick to win. (I did like it, just not enough to win anything.)

Anyone else notice how many films were up for Best Picture? Ten. Ten films. I don't recall that before. 

• Avartar
• The Blind Side
• District 9
• An Education
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Precious
• A Serious Man
• Up
• Up in the Air

The House of Jack is once again having an Oscar party. Now that I graduated and have a job we can relish in the pomp of Oscar. This year we will change the rules of our contest. Each member picks the movie he or she would vote for if s/he had a vote. 

I'm surprised that District 9 is up for Best Picture. Sci-Fi being considered for a statue? I'm assuming Up will win for Animated Feature, as it was also nominated for Best Picture, but Coraline was really good, and I've heard wonderful things about The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Can't wait for that one on Blu-Ray.

Click here for the entire list of nominations.

CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATION ADVOCATES FOR PROSECUTION OF GAYS FOR BEING GAY

Peter Sprig a Senior Fellow for Policy at the Family Research Council is opposed to gays in the military and he made known three significant opinions of his and his organization (thanks to his interview on Hardball with Chris Matthews): 

• Gays should not legally be allowed to serve in the military.
• Example: A 22-year-old gay person should only serve in civilian capacities.
• The U.S. should outlaw gay behavior.

"I think there would be a place for criminal sanctions against homosexual behavior."

– Peter Sprig

I hear over and over again that Christians do not hate gays, they simply hate their behaviors. Furthermore, I hear constantly that homosexuals are not being denied any rights. Sprig is advocating for the rights of gays to serve be denied and that we bring back sodomy laws and prosecute homosexuals for their bedroom behaviors. How does that "love the sinner, hate the sin" thing go again?

Two top military leaders  testified on Capital Hill today that gays should be able to serve openly in the military. Apparently, he's not afraid that soldiers will leave the military en mass if they are forced to serve next to gay soldiers, as Sprig seems to think. Haven't gays always served in the military (and other soldiers aware of it)? Didn't people make the same arguments when women entered the military?

Watch the Hardball interview. Sprig was blunt about his beliefs.

I CAN'T FLY, BUT I CAN KICK YOUR ASS

I was jetting through Apple's movie trailer page when I saw the poster above. What the …? I had to click. It just looked like fun. What I found was a fun teen comic fanboy movie. The title alone, KICK-ASS, is enough to make me want to see it, just like SNAKES ON A PLANE. The trailer sealed the deal. 

From the website:

A twisted, funny, high-octane adventure, director Matthew Vaughn brings KICK-ASS to the big screen. KICK-ASS tells the story of average teenager Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a comic-book fanboy who decides to take his obsession as inspiration to become a real-life superhero. As any good superhero would, he chooses a new name — Kick-Ass — assembles a suit and mask to wear, and gets to work fighting crime. There’s only one problem standing in his way: Kick-Ass has absolutely no superpowers. His life is forever changed as he inspires a subculture of copy cats, meets up with a pair of crazed vigilantes — including an 11-year-old sword-wielding dynamo, Hit Girl (Chloë Moretz) and her father, Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) — and forges a friendship with another fledgling superhero, Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). But thanks to the scheming of a local mob boss Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong), that new alliance will be put to the test.

I'm thinking this one requires a trip to the theaters with friends. You really must watch the trailers.

QUIT YER BARKING

I sure wish the Congressional Democrats could have done more over the last year to make significant changes. Unfortunately, they used their super majority to do nothing more but bark and flutter about. They should have voted for significant health care change, IMHO. I hope the Dems get it together and make changes (even if it's it to issues other than health care).

POLITICS OR PLATFORM?

I was baffled the other night when Obama stated if bank's can give big bonuses then they can repay taxpayer bailout money. Dems jumped to their feet and applauded while Republicans sat. If conservatives are so opposed to the stimulus, then shouldn't they want that money paid back?

I think they should pay the money back if and when they can. If they are in good enough shape to award bonuses then they can pay their money back so we can bring the deficit down. Doesn't that make good economic sense? 

A GREAT SPEECH

I really don't care who calls me an Obamabot or a follower of Obama. I heard the president's speech tonight and was inspired by his vision. I agree with many (not all) of his policies. He was eloquent, humorous, specific and firm. A good leader must be firm and fair and I liked what he had to say.

That's all I'm going to say about that.

I'M HAVING A HANKERING FOR APPLES

The new Apple tablet – iPad – was announced today and it is an amazing piece of technological innovation.

• robust Internet
  
• email
• ebook reader (in color)
• 144,000 apps redesigned just for the iPad
• SDK for third party apps
• Photo sharing
• Video
• high quality screen
• iPod
• 10-hour battery life (even running video)
  

The features go on and on and it is amazingly affordable. There is an onscreen keyboard (any orientation) which should make blogging and email and word processing (yep) easy. At 1.5 pounds and .5-inches wide, there is not much to dislike about the iPad.

I cannot imagine it would be long for comics to come to the iPad easily. If so, it will have the opportunity to change the industry. I would buy many of my comics on the iPad. Not all of them, mind you, but many of them. 

I've been waiting for this for months. The biggest appeal being the book reader, but I can see so many other uses for it. By the way, one can purchase a 3G data plan for it for constant connection although it has built-in Wi-Fi.

(Update: Did I mention the accessibility features and the eco-friendliness of the construction? Accessibility: Support for playback of closed-captioned content, VoiceOver screen reader, full-screen zoom, white on black (a big deal for persons with low vision), and mono audio. Green: Arsenic-free screen, BFR-free, Mercury-free LCD display, PVC-free, and a recyclable aluminum and glass enclosure.)

A CHOICE WAS MADE FOR ME

Today was a rough day, and that means a fight to keep from inhaling all the greasy goodness within reach. Imo's. I thought about Imo's all meat pizza all the way home and even tried to convince the wife that it would make life better. She wasn't buying and now that I've had my supper, I am glad for it. Although I'm still thinking about Imo's or I wouldn't have blogged about it.

I'm the cook, but because I was struggling so much tonight, the wife tied on her feminist apron and cooked Mediterranean tilapia with a vegetable-potato blend. It was great, really great and I'm feeling good for not eating Imo's. Although I do have to admit that if the pizza were in the house I would tear into it like a down-low Baptist minister on a cracked-out gay hooker.

Instead of eating 1,500 worth of calories in one meal, I had something like 300. I'm sure the fat doctor would be pleased. The day was still hard but I plan to treat it with an hour long spell of good, old fashioned television watching – Heroes. After that I may go straight to bed.

The truth is, I should be strong enough to resist that food myself and make healthy choices on my own. That is often the case, but there some days that I cannot do it. I do not expect my wife to police my food. That would place the responsibility with someone else when it should be mind. However, it's good to have someone around to help from time to time.

LUNAR-ACY IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

While the kid was outside playing, Skinny Kitty and I watched a film, a real film with acting, a strong story, and new ideas. MOON is the story of Sam who is the only workman on a lunar outpost. He oversees the harvesting of Helium 3, which is used as an alternative fuel on Earth.

The job requires a three-year stint and considering his only companion is a computer and his only connection is through videos swapped back and forth, the job is quite lonely. As Sam's contract draws nigh the long journey takes its toll. And things, well, they just get a bit nuts.

"I can't say much more," said my comic book guy who recommended the film to me. I pass that same advice on to you. I will say that they experience – if you enjoy great acting and a solid story – is worth every second.

This guy only gave the movie a B+, but I think he's off. He's off in more ways than one. I can say that because we've known one another for years. He could say the same of me. It's better than a B+. simply because of the acting let alone the script. Don't expect a laser gun fights, aliens, or big explosions. This is a low budget, high quality film that is suspenseful, slower paced, sad and unique.

I'd really like to see it nominated for an Oscar for acting and script. Not that it necessarily deserves to win best actor, but I think the performance is worth the nod.

Highly Recommended

HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT ME TO WORK OUT?

They are just looking out for me, my plethora of fat doctors (general practicioner, exercise physiologist, nutritionist), but they have lost their ever-loving mind if they expect this fat feller to burn 400-500 calories a day.

Already, I get up at the crack-of-God (5:30 am) and work out on my birthday present (recumbent bicycle). It's work folks, I tell you what, for this rotund writer to turn the pedals for 25 minutes. I am huffing, puffing and sweating like a dancing mule by the time it's done and my heart rate is only 120-130. I aim for 80-88 rpms, use program 2, set the level at 4 and I average 6.5 miles.

It only burns 200 calories, but it's all I can manage. The other day the nutritionist told me to work out enough to burn 400-500 calories per day. I'll meet the sweet baby Jesus sooner rather than later if I try to meet that goal. Right now I am doing great to keep my heart rate up and still be able to walk afterwards. So I've decided to forgo his recommendation right now. I'll just do my best and work out – once – five days a week and take a leisurely bike ride on the weekends.

I'm already restricting my caloric consumption to 1,200-1,500 calories a day. Believe you me, that's work. (Truth is, I don't always hit that goal, but I try like the dickens and I am successful most days.) The good news is that my sweet tooth has all but disappeared. I have had only two cookies since September 21, 2009 and I've not had any cake, pie, cobbler, muffin or donut since that time. I've cut out most caffeine and am limiting fat.

I prefer the bicycle over the treadmill as the impact is less and I can watch TV or read (the latter being my preference as I get in my comic reading everyday during my workout).

AND NOW A RANT ABOUT THE GOLDEN GLOBES

It is a travesty of monumental proportions when a recycled storyline (DANCES WITH WOLVES and FERN GULLY) is infused with CGI (righteous, incredible, eye-popping CGI though it was), then given the best picture of the year over more original scripts with rich acting. 

Make no mistake. I liked AVATAR. I thought it was cool and you can read my review here.  Best Special Effects I can see. Best Picture? Judas Priest! If that happens at the Oscars I'm going to eat my pinky toe.

I'm also a tad errped that Robert Downey Jr. won Best Performance in a Comedy or Musical for SHERLOCK HOLMES. The whole Holmes thing bugs me because of the pumped up, washboard stomach of Sherlock. That ain't the character, people. He ain't no kung fu stud. He's a brain.

Don't get me started on the fact that a romantic comedy won best screen play.

However ... GLEE absolutely should have won Best Television Series–Comedy or Musical. That is a clever show.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY ARE GOOD THINGS

Our schools and communities need to do a better job and I think we just might find some consensus with that statement. Of course, where that consensus breaks down is in how we define "need to do a better job." As someone who supports social justice and equality for all persons (including gays and Muslims – the favorite victims for contemporary bullies) I got my hands on an equity and diversity quiz today. (Thanks to a Jack operative.) I thought I would share some of the stats. The quiz and the answers come from EdChange.org.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the percentage of U.S. schools with NO teachers of color on staff is 40%.

According to a study by the American Association of Physicians for Human Rights, 52% of physicians report witnessing a colleague giving reduced care or refusing care to lesbian, gay or bisexual patients.

Power cocain (largely used by wealthy people) and crack cocaine (largely used by economically disadvantaged people) contain roughly the same amount of drug per gram. Under federal law, an individual must possess 500 grams of powder or only 5 grams of crack to be sentenced to a mandatory minimum of five years in prison.

84.5% of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered high school students report that their teachers "never" or "rarel" respond to homophobic remarks made by other students, according to a national study by GLSEN.

Less than 1% of U.S. government budget goes to welfare while 20% goes to Social Security.

I do believe we need more teachers representing minority populations. We should not ever condone the bullying of a student, any student. We should never condone the compromise of health care based on someone's sexual orientation. When physicians report seeing this (not patients but physicians) then we have a real problem on our hands. Don't let anyone ever fool you. The rights of the people in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community are violated, usurped and stomped upon every day.

These individuals have a right to the same opportunities and advantages just like we straight, married, parentified, White, Christian folks do.

(Bold and uppercase emphasis is mine all mine.)

(In the interests of transparent reporting, the quiz states the stats were taken from the following entities: Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality; American Association of Physicians for Human Rights; American Civil Liberties Union; Economic Policy Institute; Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network; The Immigrtion Policy Center; National Center for Education Statistics; UNICEF; and U.S. Census Bureau.)

IT IS AN OUTRAGE

Skinny Kitty and I just finished watching OUTRAGE, the documentary about closeted gay politicians who actively and aggressively vote against the rights of homosexuals. Certified Fresh by Rotten Tomatoes, the documentarian delves into the reasons and causes behind the anti-gay movement and the closeting of gay politicans and the self-hatred that invariably comes with the territory ... until the politician comes out, that is.

I had no idea that Barney Frank was gay. I was glad to see one openly gay Republican. Who knew that so many Washington staffers (Republican and Democrat) were gay? It upsets me a great deal when Americans fight to impede the rights of others: gays, people of color, women, religious groups, nonreligious groups, persons with disabilities, etc. I especially despise it when we use God to prevent their equal access. I simply do not have the words to describe my indignation when persons in those minority groups are the perpetrators.

Highly Recommended

FLAT TIRE ON ICE-COVERED ROADS: LESSONS LEARNED

1. In extreme cold tires can lose their bead and run flat; check them often.
2. The ice is a hard, hurty, and downright slippery substance.
3. Tiny little scissor jacks don't do well on ice. (See number 2)
4. Unused donut spare tires lose air over time.
5. If all else fails, call AAA. (That's why you paid for it)
6. Tennis shoes are not the same as snow boots.

I am a big feller – plenty of Thicksulate to keep me warm – and I am manly enough to change my own tire. I noticed our car was not working well on the ice this morning (after we headed to church) so I pulled over and checked things over. The front passenger tire was flat and the left driver was low. Like the dad in A Christmas Story, I popped out and thought myself a NASCAR pit crew of one. I pulled out the rinky-dink scissor jack, donut tire then assessed the situation. It went something like this:

• Contemplated the slope (to the right) of the road
• Considered the solid sheet of ice
• Looked at the right passenger tire
• Remembered the freezing temperatures and the fact my car sits outside
• Daydreamed about bloody knuckles trying to pry loose frozen lugnuts, kicking the tire to get it off the mount, watching the scissor jack slip out and come crashing toward me.
  
• Called AAA roadside assistance

It's a good thing. The guy tried his lug wrench then switched to the pneumatic. I was right; the lug nuts were frozen. He had to use a rubber mallet to knock the tire loose. I was right about that, too. He tried to air up my flat spare, but it was so cold that his air nipple fell plumb off. So he jumped in his rig and took the donut to Git-In-Go to air it up.

I called the shop where I bought my tires and they held a spot open for me. I drove in and they got right to it, remounting both front tires. I did noticed that my feet were a bit – shall we say – cold. I was wearing my sneakers rather than snow boots. While they worked on the car the wife brought me dry socks and shoes and we headed straight to Pro Bass for these boots. They are warm, warm, warm and easy to put on. There's just no sense going without proper footwear (hats or gloves) when it is this cold. Had it happened on my way to work or to Branson I might have had frostbite.

THE TWO GEEKS

I am raising a good girl. She is a nice mix of girl and geek: girlygeekchic. She loves pink and blue and sports and The Lord of the Rings. That last one required a bit of coaxing, but once we sat down she was hooked.

It all started earlier this week as she and I were home because of the snow. We watched the Rankin/Bass classic, The Hobbit animated film – one of my childhood favorites. Then I convinced her to try The Fellowship of the Ring. It was a hard sell as her mother uses that film to tease me so the kid was skeptical. Once I turned it on, she got into it. She's a geek at heart and loves those fantasy stories. I paused often to make sure she understood (she did most of the time) and to fill in gaps.

I nearly hit the floor when she asked – repeatedly – to watch The Two Towers. They are long movies for an elementary aged student, but she kept in there. We watched the first half of the extended version then took a break. I can't wait to give her the rest as it really kicks into gear.

She is raised well and will go far in this world where geeks are taking over.

WALMART AND H&M CAUGHT DESTROYING UNSOLD CLOTHES RATHER THAN DONATING THEM

Walmart and a chain I've never head of, H&M, were caught by a university student destroying brand new, tagged clothing to make room for the new stock. The story hit the Times and The Huffington Post. The issue is that the clothing has been intentionally destroyed rather than donating to the homeless.

"'Gloves with the fingers cut off,' Ms. Magnus said, reciting the inventory of ruined items. 'Warm socks. Cute patent leather Mary Jane school shoes, maybe for fourth graders, with the instep cut up with a scissor. Men’s jackets, slashed across the body and the arms. The puffy fiber fill was coming out in big white cotton balls.' The jackets were tagged $59, $79 and $129." (Times)

H&M has vowed to stop the destruction and donate the items to charity. A Walmart spokesperson stated items are usually donated and planned to investigate. It seems the most responsible thing to do with unsold clothing would be to donate them rather than send them to a landfill. They do no one any good in the dirt.

Skinny Kitty and I are not a multi-national corporation but even we practice responsible citizenship by donating. We hold a garage sale every year; it is our attempt to recoup money for items we no longer need. The items that do not sell are given to The Salvation Army or Goodwill. The only thing thrown away is trash. To me, it seems the most responsible behavior. Sure, I have to take time out to stack the items in the car and drive them to the charitable location, but it is the right thing to do.

COLD WEATHER COOKING

I made a mad dash to the grocery store yesterday to pick up some items in order to make some warm dishes for the family. No, it was not a run for French Toast supplies (milk, bread, eggs). I came home and made chili and vegetable beef soup. It's the vegetable beef soup recipe that I will share.

FAT JACK'S VEGGIE-BEEF SOUP – SLOW COOKER STYLE

1 small lean beef roast (I used eye of round roast)

1 large onion quartered

2 large potatoes peeled and chopped

2 packets Lipton onion soup mix

2 cups red wine

1 64 ounce jug V-8

1-2 packages of frozen veggies

3 garlic cloves chopped

1-2 cartons beef broth

Put the roast in a big crock pot. Add Lipton onion soup mix, onions and potatoes. Pour in red wine and then add some beef broth until 3/4 of the roast is submerged. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (or high for 4 hours).

When done, take out the roast and shred and chop it. My girls like the beef pretty small. Take out the onions and potatoes and cut them into smaller pieces if necessary. Add it all back to the crock pot. If your crock pot isn't big enough, then transfer to a stock pot. Throw all items in the pot and bring to a boil. Then simmer for an hour or so.

I use V-8 instead of tomato juice because I want the veggies and it increases the flavor. I don't measure out the V-8 or the beef broth. I just add both until it looks right.

We are going to serve it with grilled cheese, but crackers or french bread would be good.

RONALD REAGAN IN COMICS

My issue of POLITICAL POWER: RONALD REAGAN came in yesterday (preview here). But ainchya a liberal? Yeah, but I love comics and think comic biographies are cool. I also bought the one about that Alaskan governor that up and quit. Bluewater Productions has put out all kinds of political comics including one about BO OBAMA, the president's dog.

I will not, however, come close to the LIMBAUGH one. First of all, if he really cared about his political views, he would quit the entertainment industry and run for office so he could practice what he preaches. That would be work. Enough of that.

I read a biography of Reagan once. It was for a history class and was required (reading and a paper). I actually found it quite interesting.

WOMAN WITH BI-POLAR DENIED ACCESS TO CHURCH OF HER CHOICE

I'm offering the following stories without much comment. Mostly because we have little information, not enough to make an educated and informed decision. Cases involving mental illness are very complicated. I know this first hand as I have been connected to three persons with bi-polar disorder. None of them were family members, but they were friends or family of friends.

First, the woman in question, Barbara Gingrich, was found incompetent by a judge and was appointed a legal guardian. According to the story, Gingrich was not taking her diabetes or other medications, lived in filth including mold and dog feces. She has also had involuntary holds in a mental health facility. Typically, that means someone was a danger to themselves or others, but I cannot speculate if that was the case here because there is not enough information.

Gingrich was thenmoved into a nursing home by her public administrator. The PA then denied Gingrich access to her home church. The PA stated the nursing home had a church.

There are three stories from the St. Joe News. It makes for interesting reading and subsequent discussion.

Before advocacy

During advocacy

After advocacy

(By the way, it was an evil government agency that fought for this woman's rights and obtained hfor her the right to go back to church.)

FIX VS FILL

I've had my fix of sci-fi over the holidays. Skinny Kitty, on the other hand, has had her fill of the genre. She's quite pleased that our Netflix queue has no more aliens, robots, space ships, or electrical doohickeys.

I think she might have liked 9 (not the new musical, but the Tim Burton flick) a lot more if we had not already watched TERMINATOR: SALVATION, DISTRICT 9 and AVATAR. We also watched HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE. You and I know POTTER isn't sci-fi, but Skinny Kitty lumps science fiction and fantasy into the same boat. She doesn't care for either one too much and she certainly does not like a marathon gizmos and gadgets.

In my defense, we have also watched a documentary (which I also enjoy), two kid-friendly romantic comedies (17 AGAIN and FOUR CHRISTMASES), and a kid's movie (HANNAH MONTANA). We have another comedy sitting on the shelf. I think it was a fair trade, thankee sai.

PRAWN TEMPURA

I highly recommend DISTRICT 9 if you 1) enjoy sci-fi, 2) like a documentary-style movie, 3) are looking for something different than the traditional alien fare. It has a 90% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoe. Perhaps the ending could have been better, as suggested by more than one critic, but for me DISTRICT 9 worked well and entertained. My wife found the ending sad, which I think says something when she connects to the outwardly disgusting child prawn.

We will see what happens when DISTRICT 10 hits screens, and I am assuming it will. One things for sure, oftentimes our humanitarian acts do nothing but make things worse. That was the point, right?

MOVIES TO RENT BEFORE THE OSCARS

CNN offers a list of the best and worst in filmaking in 2009. How Ninja Assassin did not make the list astounds me (not really even though I loved it).

Movies on the list that I've either seen or were already on my Netflix queue are (in no particular order):

• Inglorious Basterds
• Ponyo
• Coraline
• The Headless Woman
• The Hurt Locker
• Fantastic Mr. Fox

I agreed with the writer that the Star Trek reboot and Where The Wild Things Are were wicked-cool. I really don't care about the worst of 2009. If you do (and it's fine if you do) then you can click over to the story and read for yourself.

WE ARE ALL FARTING RAINBOWS HERE

Judas Priest! If I read any more sappy, sentimental, well-wishing New Years blog posts I'm going to hurl. Somewhere Emmeline Grangerford is shoving her finger down her own throat.

I'm all for happy, jolly joy and plenty of introspection – although I think we should constantly evaluate ourselves and our beliefs – but do all these blog posts have to be Hallmark cards? It's like Strawberry Shortcake's funeral at the Precious Moments chapel with the Care Bears singing Amazing Grace.

IRON MAN AND WAR MACHINE

Comics books, technology, blowin' stuff up, crazy laser whips, AC/DC soundtrack in the trailer: How much cooler can IRON MAN 2 get?  And the movie has that guy from SNAKES ON A PLANE and PULP FICTION.

Looks like someone is out for revenge and we should see plenty of crap get blown sky high, and smart alack remarks. Hopefully, our star won't get too cool for his own iron skin.

Iron Man 2 Trailer

STOP JUMPING ON ME!

The new Super Mario Bros. Wii is a big old B. Yes indeedy, it is a hard game, at least for us. The wife, daughter and I have been playing it since we got for Christmas. Well, "playing" is a bit of a soft word. A choicer way to describe our interaction is more kin to inspirational hollering.

• "Go! Go! Go!" (sometimes you have to hurry)
  
• "Don't jump on me!" (it's so irritating when you are trying to beat the level)
  
• "Wait! Don't go so fast!" (you die if you get left behind)

When the level is over we are all high five-ing and saying how we knew we could do it. But in the middle of the jumping, you'd think we didn't like one another very much. A podcast would be a great idea if it weren't so embarrassing.

We finally beat the level we were on, usurping the monster in the castle. He, of course, flew away to occupy another castle and we must now make our way across the land to fight him again. It's hard but quite satisfying.

The biggest (and nicest) change made over the old school game is that four people can play simultaneously. This is both a boon and a curse as there are times the other players hold you back. Still, it's more of a family affair that way, even if you do yell your inspirations. Santa brought us the wii the first year they came out and I can say that our family plays it together often. It's simply a lot of fun.

And don't get me started on Wii Sports Resort. That game kicks butt. My three favs are frisby golf, archery and table tennis.

Keep in mind that you are required to have a Wii motion adapter for every remote in order to play Sports Resort. That also works on Super Mario Bros. and I am assuming that all the new games will require it.

MESSED UP POOH-BAAS

Everyone likes a good New Year's Eve party. Personally, I think mixing Christmas and New Years is a wonderful idea. This is easy to do by drinking several bottles of Evan Williams Egg Nog the last night of the year and then hurling into your date's lap. If you are really dope, then you'll French kiss her afterward. Yeah, I know a story.

Before you do, you might want to check out the 5 Drinking Myths Than Can Kill You from your friends at Cracked.com. Just in case you wondered you absolutely, positively, without-a-doubt cannot eat your underbritches in a dillweeded attempted to beat a breathalyzer.

In case that was not enough comedy to soak your socks, you might try click over to the blogger that rohrs and read his Top Ten Predictions for 2010. Want to know my personal favs? No? Well you can suck it. I'm going to list them anyway. That's how I roll.

• Jesse Jackson's love child will ghostwrite John Edwards' love child's tell-all memoir
• Sarah Palin will become the first victim of Barack Obama's first death panel
• Dick Cheney will preemptively invade a 4:30 buffet
• George W. Bush-era nostalgia will reign as folks remember the Good Times when you used to could mortgage your house to put gas in your Hummer. Now we are all just living in our cars.

Happy New Year and be sure to take a cab so you don't kill my baby. Jerk.

ON THE RENTAL SHELF

I have every intention of watching a boatload of movies this week. I am managing a movie a day and hope that trend continues.

ALREADY WATCHED

Four Christmases

This didn't get great reviews, but I liked it. Typical Christmas comedy with some drama and character change at the end. It was fun nonetheless and some of the quotes were hysterical.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I've been looking forward to this one since it came out. So much praise for this installment of the series. I was surprised at the pace of the story. It was unusually slow going for a Potter film. It took it's time developing the characters and the plot, not rushing things. I liked that. I was surprised the daughter stuck with it. I stopped often and explained things to her like back story and horcruxes. That helped her a lot. It's been a long time since I read the book, and my memory may be faulty, but I remember a huge battle scene in the end between the students and the Death Eaters at Hogwarts. Am I mistaken or did the movie leave that out? Didn't kids die in that battle? Anyway, I enjoyed it a good deal.

CURRENTLY AT HOME (THANKS TO NETFLIX)

9

I love Tim Burton and cannot wait for this gem to hit the mailbox. I should get it tomorrow.

Terminator: Salvation

Big fan of sci-fi. The wife ... not so much. I'm going to watch this one while the wife and daughter are out shopping and doing girly things. The second in the series was the best for me, followed closely by the first one. I wasn't too impressed with the third one. Who knows what this one will turn out like.

District 9

This is the big dog for me. I wanted so badly to see this in the theaters but never got the chance. I have heard so many good things about this sci-fi flick.

WISH IT WOULD COME

Inglorious Basterds

I've had Quentin Tarantino's WWII film on my Netflix queue since the movie hit screens, but it has a very long wait on it. Dang. Double dang. I am salivating at this one as I am a huge fan of Tarantino. I consider him to be the greatest filmmaker of my generation.

Cloudy with a Change of Meatballs

Oh why not? The kid will love it. I want to see what they are going to do with it. So interesting, this one is.

A THOUGHT ABOUT AVATAR

The wife, 'rents, kids, cousins and siblings all traversed the Branson strip on Christmas day to see James Cameron's AVATAR in 3D. I'm not a fan of 3D and really wanted to see it in 2D, but everyone else was jazzed about the glasses. So I did it anyway, thinking it would give me the headache of a lifetime.

Skinny Kitty gave me three ibuprofen before going in. She's good like that, always carrying the right things in that suitcase-like purse of hers. Here are a few thoughts:

• Obvious Oscar winner for best special effects, hands down. Dang!
• 3D was the most righteous 3D I've ever witnessed. Didn't bother me at all. Nadda. 
• The 2:45 run time went by like greased lightning. 
• Cross between FERN GULLY and DANCING WITH WOLVES

It's a habit of ours to see a movie after ripping into presents. We look forward to it, planning the best move, time and screen to see it. Sometimes we take kids and sometimes we do not. We've seen all three LORD OF THE RINGS movies on the Imax, which was wicked cool.

Avatar was worth it, and despite my general disgust for 3D, I recommend the glasses. The kind we had were wide so as to fit over my glasses. Much appreci-o for that one. Made the experience much better.

CIVIC TOXICITY

Andy Cline, a journalism professor at Missouri State and the head dude at Rhetorica dropped his Springfield News-Leader subscription calling the local daily "toxic". He cites the opinions page as a significant factor.

It's one thing when a local yokel like myself chooses not to take the paper. It's another thing when a journalism professor stops his subscription. I don't think it will make any difference to the paper, but I find it all very interesting.

FAT JACK'S FRENCH ONION SOUP – HILLBILLY STYLE

Being the non-traditionalists we are, my wife and I are serving French Onion Soup for Christmas rather than turkey and trimmings that the world expects. The reasoning is two-fold: 1) We are non-conformists and like to do things differently, and 2) it is much healthier.

The fancy way is to make the soup served with toasted French bread in the soup and then broiled with cheese on the top. We are opting for the more hillbilly style of grilled cheese sandwiches that one may just dunk in the soup. The whole idea makes me laugh, but it is great.

Here is my recipe, which is really just an amalgam of two recipes totally ripped off from The Food Network's Paula Dean and Ina Garten:

FAT JACK'S FRENCH ONION SOUP – HILLBILLY STYLE

6 yellow onions, halved and sliced

1/3 cup olive oil

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup brandy

1 1/4 cup white wine

9 cups of beef stock

1/2 teaspoon thyme

Saute onions and bay leaf in olive oil for 20 minutes on medium-high heat until golden brown. Add flour and continue to brown for another 10 minutes or so. Deglaze the pan with brandy. Add white wine and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add beef stock and thyme and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

I make mine ahead of time and refrigerate over night. I think it tastes better after it chills and is reheated. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches on the side. We choose hearty whole grain bread and shredded cheese, but one could use any bread/cheese combo.

ONE DOWN

Today I managed to hold my ground against a beastly buffet of holiday foods. I ate my grocery store sushi and lightly salted almonds while amidst a mouth-watering and crisco-covered holiday delicacies. I rarely have that kind of will power. Rarely. I must admit that my inner fatty was hollering quite loudly that "one little bit of that egg quiche would not hurt anybody."

It would and I refrained. I finally left and went back to my business in another room. Catastrophe avoided ... for now. I do not promise to have such wherewithal to do it again, but I celebrate today.

THE FAT TRACK

I'm back on the track again. The fat doctor continues to insist that exercise is some kind of important detail in the weight loss journey.

Ooooh, I hate that guy so much.

I pass by a treadmill every day. I finally got tired of looking at it and hid it behind a decorative tri-fold screen. That way I don't hear its taunts so often. Bastard machine.

This week I started getting up a 5:30 a.m. and walking the confounded beast before getting ready for work. Lo and behold it has worked pretty well. I either listen to the iPod or read a book with fairly large print. I even did it on Saturday although I did sleep until 6:30 before I got busy.

Yes, yes. I do feel better. It's still hard to do. Bad habits and all that.

CHRISTIANS,MUSLIMS HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON: HATRED OF GAYS

Uganda is considering a new law that not only makes the practice of homosexuality illegal (it's already illegal in Uganda anyway) but they are considering a law that will put gays in jail for life or execute them.

Christian and Muslim religious leaders have strongly supported the measure. Check out this bill of sale from CNN:

• Gays and lesbians convicted of having gay sex would be sentenced, at minimum, to life in prison
• People who test positive for HIV may be executed
• Homosexuals who have sex with a minor, or engage in homosexual sex more than once, may also receive the death penalty
• The bill forbids the "promotion of homosexuality," which in effect bans organizations working in HIV and AIDS prevention
• Anyone who knows of homosexual activity taking place but does not report it would risk up to three years in prison

"Love the person; hate the sin" say many Christians. I'm not sure what that means and none but one have ever attempted to site specific examples of this mantra being used appropriately. Maybe someday. Until then, the persecution of gays will continue, and all in the name of Jesus and apparently Mohammad.

HAVING LOW EXPECTATIONS CAN WORK OUT

G.I. JOE did not suck. For me, that's a glorious statement for several reasons: 1) Tthis was one of my favorite cartoons as a kid. I had the toys (still have some of them) and I played the wheels off them. I relished the war element of the soldiers defending our country. 2) I like mindless action flicks. 3) Snake Eyes was so cool.

The trailers killed any interest in seeing the movie in the theaters. I knew better than to waste good money on it. The review simply secured my belief that the movie was flotsam. As it turned out, that low expectation worked out well for me. Knowing full well it had a 30-some percent rating at Rotten Tomatoes I was prepared for a horrible script and worthless action. What I got was a bad script with decent action. Some of the action was too long and pointless, the characters cardboard cutouts, stupid disability stereotypes (i.e. people with facial scaring always turn out evil and hate the world), and a poorly thought-out script. The good side was that it exceeded my tanking expectation enough that the movie did not suck ... too much.

So I enjoyed it, even if it was a goofy movie. It did occur to me that the current generation might see this movie as I saw PREDATOR. I look back and see quite a bit of stupidity there, but it is a movie that appeals to my childhood fantasies. It had that cool rotary 50 caliber Gatling gun. Perhaps G.I. JOE is the same?

So I watched it. Don't hold that against me. I didn't spend much money on it (thank you Netflix) and I didn't drag my wife and daughter to it. I waited until they had something to do before watching it. I might be inclined to give it 3 stars for entertaining me throughout most of the movie; the ending was too long. Script might get 1 star – maybe 2. It could have been worse. I could have watched  TWILIGHT or some damn romance movie with Hugh Grant. 

SIX MENTAL ILLNESSES MYTHS THAT HOLLYWOOD LOVES

Hollywood is not known for its accurate portrayals of historical, scientific, religious or psychological events or conditions. Can I get an amen? The movie machine can sure butcher a good book. Cracked.com has noticed this revelation as it applies to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM IV-R) which deals with mental disorders.

For you psychie types out there, you might enjoy reading about the load of BS that Hollywood continues to propagate all for its convenient plot lines.