Hello one and all - this is my New Year's resolution. It's rather involved - mostly for myself so I can lay down some rules and stick to them - but the upshot is that politics and I are done forever on Facebook.
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My family and friends - you may have noticed my radio silence since election day; Facebook has been so full of anger and fear that I figured it was best just to stay out of everything. But now even as folks are cooling off I don't feel compelled to jump back into the fray anytime soon. I am still through and through a political junkie, and read and watch everything I can about what's going on in the world - but this place, which used to be a forum for expressing what I think about current events, has worn out it's usefulness for that as far as I'm concerned. Too much anger, too much bitterness, and it simply isn't worth it.
Furthermore, it has taken me a long time to recognize what many of you knew from the beginning - that people we care about and even love very often have a very different world views, and this is absolutely okay and we really have no business foisting politically charged opinions and news articles on each other for two reasons - 1) Nothing we say or share is going to change each other's opinions or overall political bent. And 2) the golden rule very much applies here. No one wants to hear that the guy or gal they voted for is a bum. I have finally realized it's time to start treating others the way I want to be treated. I don't want to hear about how great Bernie Sanders is, and I know you don't want to hear about how great General Mad Dog Mattis is.
Those of you who do post political stuff, I will never un-friend you, and I will likely not un-follow you (unless you are a crazy 5 political post a day kind of person, and yes I've unfollowed a few of those over the years) but I will hide most political posts I strongly disagree with and then select 'hide all' from whatever source you are sharing. I already have hidden everything from Huffpo, Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, and other various left leaning news sources. I simply don't need my blood pressure tested any more, I hope you'll understand.
If you post something reasonable, either liberal or conservative, I will definitely read and enjoy - but I will not be commenting whatsoever beyond a simple 'like', and even then I will refrain if it is anywhere near a hot button issue (yes, that would be Trump, abortion, guns, etc.)
So Facebook, I bid you farewell and so long forever on posting anything besides family stuff, work stuff and anything that has the same or less meaning than a silly cat video.
If you know anyone who has de-friended me on Facebook, especially any of my good friends or family members (and there are a few of them out there) it would be great if you could let them know about my resolution and also let them know that I bear no ill will to anyone who chose to free themselves from my political rants and would love to reconnect with them on the internets.
And as for the small but hearty bunch of you who have not only endured but actually enjoyed my political posits, I do regret that our rather enjoyable exchanges must end here. I must say I am grateful to all of you who hung with me and gave as good as you got and never let it get personal. Nick and Nick, Eric and others, you guys are a credit to your political stripe and give me hope that voices of reason still exist on the left. (Yes, that was my final passive aggressive parting shot for politics on Facebook!)
If any of you find yourself in need of a Chris-fix you can always come here, and I'm sure this place will become a lot more active now that I have no political outlet on Facebook - Right now just below, there is a particularly tasty post about Trump. Good times for those of you who are into that sort of thing.
ADDENDUM for the blog:
I don't want anyone to mistake my withdrawal from politics on Facebook as an indication of surrender or succumbing to the monstrous double standard that exists regarding discourse in our country. I am well aware that if you are liberal, you can basically say whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want - and there will almost certainly be ZERO repercussions from anyone. Conservatives are generally far too polite and secure in their own opinions that they don't typically go after someone's character when they express a liberal view; whereas if it's a conservative that dares to opine - watch out.
We conservatives have to walk a very narrow path of righteousness and we are held to the strictest standards of decorum whenever we work up the courage to voice our views. If in doing so we ever dare to employ a weapon of the left - an ad hominem attack, a straw man, or any kind of personal jibe no matter how innocuous - swift and severe condemnation will arrive almost instantly from the left and even from the right. Conservatives have to be the grown ups and follow the rules, always. If we don't, we are racist extremists. Liberals can dally with every weapon in the box. Personal insults? Sure, why not. Hypocritical racist and anti-woman statements? Absolutely, if it's in service of the greater good. If you're a liberal - use whatever means necessary to get your point across, because feelings.
I am very well aware of this fundamental truth in America, especially on the internet. But I am at peace with it. I literally guffawed when Hilary Clinton (or was it Michelle Obama) said "When they go low, we go high". Is that right lady? Is that how you are seeing things. Ok.
I am at peace with this double standard, I am okay with liberal hypocrisy - because I know in general, on most political issues, the right is right. Logic typically trumps emotion, facts on the whole outweigh hyperbole and knee-jerk assumptions. The left is at a severe disadvantage on most of their core issues - it seems only fair that they are allotted the gift of free reign to shit all over anyone who emerges as a voice of reason; it's really the only defense they have.
So knowing this will never change, or at least not change as long as liberals think that the government should be our mommy and daddy, I am happy to let go of my sense of justice when it comes to the rules of the game. The left will always be given the edge on tactics, because their big guns shrivel up when compared to the guns on the right. For a long time, I fought the good fight on Facebook because my intuitive perception of fair play, borne out by hundreds of hours as a baseball umpire, prevented me from letting things go.
I now know better. All the logic in the world will never prevent liberals from calling me a bigot. My fight against this has been righteous, but on whole it has been a waste of time. This tiger isn't changing it's stripes and I am best served by understanding and accepting this.
Thursday, December 08, 2016
Monday, November 14, 2016
There you go.
Well, there you go. There it is.
Wish I could say I was happy to be 100% correct about predicting this outcome, but alas, I am not enamored with the Trump and have grave concerns about him being entirely unfit for office. But we will see. Unlike some of my fellow Americans, I have no desire to march in protest against the democratic process. Call me old fashioned I guess.
But I do feel obliged to take a moment to reveal to everyone the reason a reality star beat out a 30 year career politician who seemed as destined for the oval office as anyone who has ever run before. There's actually only one.
People were fed up with being called racist.
And, yep, that's pretty much it.
I don't know when exactly it became a fundamental truth for the left, the idea that if someone disagrees with you - simply attack their character until they are shamed into silence; but it has become so within the last decade. And people everywhere simply have had enough, including large blocks of voters who put Obama into office twice.
But while I was the one who knew with certainty that Hillary could not beat Donald Trump, my dear friend from childhood Daniel, liberal/pragmatist writer extraordinaire, was a clarion call among liberals in pointing out the cause - reapeatedly warning fellow progressives of their ever growing propensity to shoot first and ask questions never. This post should be bronzed as the ultimate ignored warning sign for liberals who were first in line of those responsible for bringing the Donald to Pennsylvania Avenue.
He tried to tell them, tried to warn them - this election would boil down to one issue; and he was absolutely correct. In his blog, and in published articles across the internet, he laid out how the culture of political correctness has grown out of control and taken over what used to be discussion and dialogue and replaced it with shrill character assassination.
Still, in his heart I don't know if he ever really believed that Trump would beat Hillary. This is probably because he hasn't been on the receiving end of multiple personal attacks the way many of us have.
I have been called racist, a bigot, a homophobe and much worse. Mostly by people I don't know, but also by a few that I do. It hurts to be sure, but it also makes me angry. I wasn't angry enough to pull the lever for Trump; but I came damn close, much to my own surprise.
It comes as no shock to me whatsoever, that people far to the left of me who voted for Obama both times, would also feel under attack. Every time one of them dared to mention that maybe Obama wasn't perfect, down would come the ubiquitous hammer of shame.
It's because he's black.
It's because you are privileged.
The mostly white (but also black and latino) rust belt voters who brought Obama to the White House did so with a large hope in their hearts of making real progress against the racial divisions that have plagued our country's recent history. Now they look back over the last 8 years, and that hope has been smashed against the rocks of identity politics, as we are more racially polarized than ever.
So I voted for Obama, my healthcare premiums tripled, I got mad, and I got called stupid and a bigot.
Gee, wonder who that guy's going to vote for?
Right now I have imposed a 2 week moratorium on myself for posting anything political on Facebook, as my fragile liberal friends and their friends are pretty distraught over the election results. I figure they don't need my finger wagging, as I hold them largely responsible for Trump's ascendance I and I could pretty easily cut them down without even resorting to character attacks.
I also am refraining because I am weary of being attacked. Of course they are free to say whatever they want with zero repercussions, but that has been the case for a long time now.
But I am grateful I have this space here to express myself without having to jump into the mud with the angry left. Hopefully they will cool off a bit in the coming weeks, and the final stage of grief will take hold and we can get on with getting on.
Some of my less close liberal friends, I confess, I have had to unfollow.
I can't abide the notion that the electoral college is illegitimate. (It is embedded in the constitution for very good reasons, click here for a great video that sums it up.)
I can't stomach the stupid safety pin, my friend Allen guesses it must be for the cry-babies diapers, I have to say I got a chuckle out of that.
I am dismayed by people's desire to march in protest over the greatest and most open election system that is still the envy of the world. Yo, dingbats - the time to protest was with your votes! A hell of a lot less of you turned out this time, and that's a big part of why your guy (gal) lost.
And most of all, I am heartbroken by the hashtag slogan - #notmypresident.
Donald J. Trump is the president. He is MY president. I will support him best I can out of respect for the office and love for my country. I would have been thrilled to meet shake hands with George W. Bush or Barak Obama and now I would be thrilled to do the same with Donald Trump.
As much as I cannot stand the policies of Obama, and the destruction (albeit superficial and temporary) that his administration wrought on our country - both through policy and the disease of identity politics; I will always hold hope and admiration in my heart for the promise that his tenure could have been. I will also hold on to the good things about him, as a family man and as a man that many will admire for years to come. I see much of that admiration as misguided, but I acknowledge that it isn't really helpful for me to angrily interject my own political opinions into someone else's happiness.
I really hope that some on the left can step back and for once try to find some empathy for their fellow Americans, instead of their modus operandi of attack, attack, attack.
We've got four more years of this guy. That's just the way it is. The sooner folks get on board, the sooner they can start being part of the solution instead of part of the problem.
I had to do it with Obama. You have to do it with this guy, that you are largely responsible for.
Let go of anger, let go of hate - and let's go forward.
Wish I could say I was happy to be 100% correct about predicting this outcome, but alas, I am not enamored with the Trump and have grave concerns about him being entirely unfit for office. But we will see. Unlike some of my fellow Americans, I have no desire to march in protest against the democratic process. Call me old fashioned I guess.
But I do feel obliged to take a moment to reveal to everyone the reason a reality star beat out a 30 year career politician who seemed as destined for the oval office as anyone who has ever run before. There's actually only one.
People were fed up with being called racist.
And, yep, that's pretty much it.
I don't know when exactly it became a fundamental truth for the left, the idea that if someone disagrees with you - simply attack their character until they are shamed into silence; but it has become so within the last decade. And people everywhere simply have had enough, including large blocks of voters who put Obama into office twice.
But while I was the one who knew with certainty that Hillary could not beat Donald Trump, my dear friend from childhood Daniel, liberal/pragmatist writer extraordinaire, was a clarion call among liberals in pointing out the cause - reapeatedly warning fellow progressives of their ever growing propensity to shoot first and ask questions never. This post should be bronzed as the ultimate ignored warning sign for liberals who were first in line of those responsible for bringing the Donald to Pennsylvania Avenue.
He tried to tell them, tried to warn them - this election would boil down to one issue; and he was absolutely correct. In his blog, and in published articles across the internet, he laid out how the culture of political correctness has grown out of control and taken over what used to be discussion and dialogue and replaced it with shrill character assassination.
Still, in his heart I don't know if he ever really believed that Trump would beat Hillary. This is probably because he hasn't been on the receiving end of multiple personal attacks the way many of us have.
I have been called racist, a bigot, a homophobe and much worse. Mostly by people I don't know, but also by a few that I do. It hurts to be sure, but it also makes me angry. I wasn't angry enough to pull the lever for Trump; but I came damn close, much to my own surprise.
It comes as no shock to me whatsoever, that people far to the left of me who voted for Obama both times, would also feel under attack. Every time one of them dared to mention that maybe Obama wasn't perfect, down would come the ubiquitous hammer of shame.
It's because he's black.
It's because you are privileged.
The mostly white (but also black and latino) rust belt voters who brought Obama to the White House did so with a large hope in their hearts of making real progress against the racial divisions that have plagued our country's recent history. Now they look back over the last 8 years, and that hope has been smashed against the rocks of identity politics, as we are more racially polarized than ever.
So I voted for Obama, my healthcare premiums tripled, I got mad, and I got called stupid and a bigot.
Gee, wonder who that guy's going to vote for?
Right now I have imposed a 2 week moratorium on myself for posting anything political on Facebook, as my fragile liberal friends and their friends are pretty distraught over the election results. I figure they don't need my finger wagging, as I hold them largely responsible for Trump's ascendance I and I could pretty easily cut them down without even resorting to character attacks.
I also am refraining because I am weary of being attacked. Of course they are free to say whatever they want with zero repercussions, but that has been the case for a long time now.
But I am grateful I have this space here to express myself without having to jump into the mud with the angry left. Hopefully they will cool off a bit in the coming weeks, and the final stage of grief will take hold and we can get on with getting on.
I can't abide the notion that the electoral college is illegitimate. (It is embedded in the constitution for very good reasons, click here for a great video that sums it up.)
I can't stomach the stupid safety pin, my friend Allen guesses it must be for the cry-babies diapers, I have to say I got a chuckle out of that.
I am dismayed by people's desire to march in protest over the greatest and most open election system that is still the envy of the world. Yo, dingbats - the time to protest was with your votes! A hell of a lot less of you turned out this time, and that's a big part of why your guy (gal) lost.
And most of all, I am heartbroken by the hashtag slogan - #notmypresident.
Donald J. Trump is the president. He is MY president. I will support him best I can out of respect for the office and love for my country. I would have been thrilled to meet shake hands with George W. Bush or Barak Obama and now I would be thrilled to do the same with Donald Trump.
As much as I cannot stand the policies of Obama, and the destruction (albeit superficial and temporary) that his administration wrought on our country - both through policy and the disease of identity politics; I will always hold hope and admiration in my heart for the promise that his tenure could have been. I will also hold on to the good things about him, as a family man and as a man that many will admire for years to come. I see much of that admiration as misguided, but I acknowledge that it isn't really helpful for me to angrily interject my own political opinions into someone else's happiness.
I really hope that some on the left can step back and for once try to find some empathy for their fellow Americans, instead of their modus operandi of attack, attack, attack.
We've got four more years of this guy. That's just the way it is. The sooner folks get on board, the sooner they can start being part of the solution instead of part of the problem.
I had to do it with Obama. You have to do it with this guy, that you are largely responsible for.
Let go of anger, let go of hate - and let's go forward.
Monday, October 24, 2016
Better post it here...
As is often the case, I defer to someone who is beyond help on Facebook and post my response here.
I posted a lovely video that shows kids on a military base stopping in the middle of their play on a playground to stand at attention as they hear 'Taps' being played in the distance. My caption - "Kids get it, the NFL? Not so much."
I got a bunch of likes from liberals and conservatives and then I got this comment -
"To be fair, adults have a mind of their own. And if it is done in protest of something like promoting awareness of the large amount of police shootings or school shootings or just the general way that the government has ruined this country; I'm all for it. This just a video of children doing as they were told. No disrespect to the troops, they are just doing what they are told."
Sigh. Here's my response, it's a bit of a smackdown so I'll spare him the embarrassment of putting it up on Facebook.
******
I posted a lovely video that shows kids on a military base stopping in the middle of their play on a playground to stand at attention as they hear 'Taps' being played in the distance. My caption - "Kids get it, the NFL? Not so much."
I got a bunch of likes from liberals and conservatives and then I got this comment -
"To be fair, adults have a mind of their own. And if it is done in protest of something like promoting awareness of the large amount of police shootings or school shootings or just the general way that the government has ruined this country; I'm all for it. This just a video of children doing as they were told. No disrespect to the troops, they are just doing what they are told."
Sigh. Here's my response, it's a bit of a smackdown so I'll spare him the embarrassment of putting it up on Facebook.
******
That's what makes our country so great, people certainly have the right to protest in the way that they see fit. We also have a choice in what values we impart to our children; it's no surprise that kids whose parents literally risk their lives for our freedom would stop and pay respect to that sacrifice - while other kids who have parents who live under the blanket of freedom and have no idea where it comes from, might choose to take knee and stick it to the man because they saw a story on the news or maybe even had a bad experience with a cop.
I would venture to say it's the latter group that is parroting adult behavior, while the former understands in a very real way that mommy and daddy may not come home from overseas or from their day at work if they are a first responder.
Certainly our country has problems - but if people want to actually attempt to fix them they must go beyond provoking and angering with minimal effort and do the actual work. Taking a knee during the national anthem in front of a Vet who literally has had his legs blown off defending the right to kneel in the first place is a lazy and divisive act that will do very little in the way of making things better. It certainly is an option, ironically of course thanks entirely to the very Vets and soldiers they are disrespecting, but it seems like a strange way to work towards change.
And let's not kid ourselves, those who refuse to stand are in no way shape or form revealing anything new to those who put on a uniform and serve our country. They are not drawing attention to anything except their own sheltered and privileged existence.
Those in the military and our first responders know all too well what they are fighting for, freedom - which includes the freedom to be ignorant and self-centered in the face of people who are willing to give their lives for them. Refusing to stand for the anthem is boring, uncreative and the height of laziness and privilege - a minimal effort which will end with a minimal result. Much more difficult is to pick up the mantle of change with constructive effort and an offering of respect.
It is important for us to remember, that the vast majority of Americans are not disaffected and angry - the vast majority are patriotic to a fault and in awe of our military and first responders. If the ones who are not want to make progress with those who are, they need to check themselves and come correct with measured words and a constructive plan. If they come from a place of ignorance and fear, they will achieve very little other than generating anger from most of their fellow Americans and in the end will be turned off and tuned out - like the NFL has been. Ratings are at a 20 year low and still falling.
A multi-millionaire backup quarterback, who was raised by white parents and had every opportunity in the world handed to him, has chosen to lash out like a petulant child, rather than effect real change; because effecting change is hard and requires (gasp) actual work and sacrifice.
Children on a playground who live every day with the possibility of their mother or father getting killed so that this multi-millionaire asshole can act like a little bitch on national television, get it way more than he ever will. These kids have a real chance at making the world a better place, because they understand hard work and sacrifice. Kapernick and the NFL? Not so much.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
I got nothing.
Good people of Charlotte North Carolina, I've got nothing for you. Really.
A black guy with a gun won't drop it when commanded to do so, a black cop shoots him, and the whole city explodes. Makes absolutely zero sense. How can we still be so divided? Black president and two black Attorney Generals. Black mayors everywhere, the majority of leadership in most big cities - people of color, the majority of police forces in Baltimore, Detroit, Philadelphia, New Orleans, all people of color.
I've got nothing for you guys, really.
Clearly, there's a problem. But what's the problem? Is the problem that rioting is enjoyable? Sure seems like it to me. People in the streets laughing and looting and burning, hurling rocks and spitting at police officers. Who exactly are they trying to convince that their cause is just? Looks like nobody to me, looks like they're having a great time.
I am not voting for Trump, but the basket of deplorables is not the people voting for him. The basket of deplorables lit up my television last night.
Much more understandable if people were to riot, is the people of Tulsa Oklahoma. And yet, they are calm and are staying in their homes. If ever there was a reason for civil unrest and for anger it was this incident. A man, most likely high on PCP which was found in his car, refuses to comply and walks away from the police. The itchy trigger finger of an inexperienced female officer twitches and the man falls, dead.
The officer has been charged, and rightly so it seems, with manslaughter of the first degree. All the
facts are not out yet, but it appears that this shooting was unjustified. But apparently facts don't
matter to the people of Charlotte. Feelings prevail, anger triumphs, America loses.
I am a lover of cold, indifferent math. Numbers simply don't lie, and the numbers say whites are more often killed by police than blacks, by a lot. If you Google this, you will be inundated by a slew of liberal websites that twist the facts and neglect to point out the fact that the numerical majority of crimes in this country are committed by black people despite making up only 16% of the population entire. And yet whites are twice as likely to be killed by cops. If you want some semblance of the truth, click here.
But facts don't matter. Only feelings matter. Only color of skin matters. The great unifying spirit of Lincoln and King, is being tossed aside in favor of identity politics and division. Social justice warriors don't want dialogue, they want utterly unconditional transformation and the destruction of American society.
Not this white boy, sorry. Fuck right off with that shit.
I refuse to give into despair. I refuse to secede any ground to anger and hate. I refuse to see anyone as a race before I see them as a person. I do not discount someone's opinion simply because of the way they look. That is what the left does. Not this conservative, no way no how.
EDIT: ADDENDUM
The bigger issue at play here, is that there's a much bigger issue at play here. The majority of the protestors in Charlotte the other night who were arrested for breaking stuff and acting a fool, were from out of state. Over 70% according to the Charlotte PD.
This pretty much says it all. People aren't marching because they want relations to improve between blacks and cops, they are marching because they hate this country and they want to tear down the system whole cloth.
Of course there are some of them who do want dialogue and change - but I'd wager dollars to cop donuts that most, especially those in the George Soros funded astro-turf group - the ones who literally get paid to be there and then get to burn cop cars for fun as well - do not give a rats ass about making things better within the system we have.
Well verily to thee I say unto that, once more - fuck that shit.
Our country isn't perfect by any means, but it is the best thing going by far. I'm not on board with transforming America into a progressive cesspool of taxing people into poverty and putting people into jobs that they aren't qualified for.
I believe in freedom, and that includes the free market and the freedom to bear arms. I will not concede one inch to bully SJW's who hate America. If you want to deal with the real and challenging issue of cops interacting with people of color, that's fine. In fact that's great. We can always learn more and make changes for the better.
But if you want to fundamentally change our way of life, no. If you want to soak the 'rich' and regulate society into nanny hell oblivion, no. If you want to just watch things burn, hell to the no.
Most Americans were disgusted with shitty backup quarterback Kapernack's disrespect of our military, and most are now disgusted with the rioting in Charlotte. Want to actually affect positive change? Throw away your radical activism and the violence that inevitably goes along with it and get some understanding of God fearing American patriots. There are way more of us than there are of you.
Sit down, discuss and listen. Recognize that getting rid of some things; the 2nd amendment, vigorous law enforcement for all potential criminals, long sentences for repeat offenders, is entirely off the table. Understand that we possess the American values of hard work, honesty, compassion and humbling ourselves before God. And those values are also non-negotiable.
But don't burn cop cars and call it righteous, don't scream to the heavens that a man was unarmed when he damn well was. I am on board with positive change, but to get there radical activists are going to have to let go of their progressive atheism-infused doctrine and grow up.
A black guy with a gun won't drop it when commanded to do so, a black cop shoots him, and the whole city explodes. Makes absolutely zero sense. How can we still be so divided? Black president and two black Attorney Generals. Black mayors everywhere, the majority of leadership in most big cities - people of color, the majority of police forces in Baltimore, Detroit, Philadelphia, New Orleans, all people of color.
I've got nothing for you guys, really.
Clearly, there's a problem. But what's the problem? Is the problem that rioting is enjoyable? Sure seems like it to me. People in the streets laughing and looting and burning, hurling rocks and spitting at police officers. Who exactly are they trying to convince that their cause is just? Looks like nobody to me, looks like they're having a great time.
I am not voting for Trump, but the basket of deplorables is not the people voting for him. The basket of deplorables lit up my television last night.
Much more understandable if people were to riot, is the people of Tulsa Oklahoma. And yet, they are calm and are staying in their homes. If ever there was a reason for civil unrest and for anger it was this incident. A man, most likely high on PCP which was found in his car, refuses to comply and walks away from the police. The itchy trigger finger of an inexperienced female officer twitches and the man falls, dead.
The officer has been charged, and rightly so it seems, with manslaughter of the first degree. All the
facts are not out yet, but it appears that this shooting was unjustified. But apparently facts don't
matter to the people of Charlotte. Feelings prevail, anger triumphs, America loses.
I am a lover of cold, indifferent math. Numbers simply don't lie, and the numbers say whites are more often killed by police than blacks, by a lot. If you Google this, you will be inundated by a slew of liberal websites that twist the facts and neglect to point out the fact that the numerical majority of crimes in this country are committed by black people despite making up only 16% of the population entire. And yet whites are twice as likely to be killed by cops. If you want some semblance of the truth, click here.
But facts don't matter. Only feelings matter. Only color of skin matters. The great unifying spirit of Lincoln and King, is being tossed aside in favor of identity politics and division. Social justice warriors don't want dialogue, they want utterly unconditional transformation and the destruction of American society.
Not this white boy, sorry. Fuck right off with that shit.
I refuse to give into despair. I refuse to secede any ground to anger and hate. I refuse to see anyone as a race before I see them as a person. I do not discount someone's opinion simply because of the way they look. That is what the left does. Not this conservative, no way no how.
EDIT: ADDENDUM
The bigger issue at play here, is that there's a much bigger issue at play here. The majority of the protestors in Charlotte the other night who were arrested for breaking stuff and acting a fool, were from out of state. Over 70% according to the Charlotte PD.
This pretty much says it all. People aren't marching because they want relations to improve between blacks and cops, they are marching because they hate this country and they want to tear down the system whole cloth.
Of course there are some of them who do want dialogue and change - but I'd wager dollars to cop donuts that most, especially those in the George Soros funded astro-turf group - the ones who literally get paid to be there and then get to burn cop cars for fun as well - do not give a rats ass about making things better within the system we have.
Well verily to thee I say unto that, once more - fuck that shit.
Our country isn't perfect by any means, but it is the best thing going by far. I'm not on board with transforming America into a progressive cesspool of taxing people into poverty and putting people into jobs that they aren't qualified for.
I believe in freedom, and that includes the free market and the freedom to bear arms. I will not concede one inch to bully SJW's who hate America. If you want to deal with the real and challenging issue of cops interacting with people of color, that's fine. In fact that's great. We can always learn more and make changes for the better.
But if you want to fundamentally change our way of life, no. If you want to soak the 'rich' and regulate society into nanny hell oblivion, no. If you want to just watch things burn, hell to the no.
Most Americans were disgusted with shitty backup quarterback Kapernack's disrespect of our military, and most are now disgusted with the rioting in Charlotte. Want to actually affect positive change? Throw away your radical activism and the violence that inevitably goes along with it and get some understanding of God fearing American patriots. There are way more of us than there are of you.
Sit down, discuss and listen. Recognize that getting rid of some things; the 2nd amendment, vigorous law enforcement for all potential criminals, long sentences for repeat offenders, is entirely off the table. Understand that we possess the American values of hard work, honesty, compassion and humbling ourselves before God. And those values are also non-negotiable.
But don't burn cop cars and call it righteous, don't scream to the heavens that a man was unarmed when he damn well was. I am on board with positive change, but to get there radical activists are going to have to let go of their progressive atheism-infused doctrine and grow up.
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Perpetual victimhood.
Recently a family friend who is active on Facebook posted an article about a horrible situation.
Click here to read. It's not a very pleasant story but no one gets physically hurt in the end.
This was my response. Apologies for blogger.com making it stupidly difficult to make cut and pasted text look normal.
Jenny, this story really struck a chord with me, as I and most everyone I know has had similar (if not as severe) experiences with homelessness over the last decade. If you'll permit me, I'd like to offer my views on the subject, which as you can probably guess, come from a conservative viewpoint. Please feel free to delete this if you are in sharp disagreement. I plan to put it on my personal blog, but I don't want to impose on your wall if it is too confrontational.
Well this is horrible. And it two big issues to light. First and foremost it calls attention to our collective decision as Americans to allow the mentally ill to live among us. By permitting a "street culture" many people view this as compassion, the reality is that it's just the opposite.
All major cities in this country run by progressives are now overwhelmed by unmedicated and dangerous inviduals like this. San Francisco is right now a toilet. Santa Monica, a place i used to enjoy very much is an absolute no go zone. Westwood in L.A. is an open air asylum. New York city, now under liberal leadership after two decades of conservative mayors has seen it's crime rate skyrocket as homelessness is once again permitted to reign.
There is no excuse for the apathy and the misguided notion that we can give people like this the same rights and freedoms that rational people enjoy.
It seems there is an utter lack of common sense in liberal leadership, fueled by a lethal mixture of political correctness and fear. Fear of being seen as uncaring or cold. The truth is, we need to be grown ups about this issue - tough love is 100% more caring and compassionate than permitting this incredibly obvious danger of homelessness to exist on our streets. This problem will only grow, with more and more violence and mayhem until we decide to wipe it out, by taking the hard step of recognizing that it cannot be tolerated.
Incarceration is not the answer, but humane containment and treatment must be made mandatory. This is going to be very difficult for some people to swallow, but I am not on board with subjecting myself or my family to people like this on a regular basis. To do so is not only the epitome of idiocy but it is also the cruelest thing we can do. Ignoring the mentally ill is absolutely inhumane, as is giving them self-determination. I am not sure what the precise machinations of ending homelessness should be, but it must include humane, mandatory and long lasting, if not permanent, separation of people like this from our communities.
The other issue that this incident brings into sharp relief is the over reliance of people on the state to protect them. Now I confess, I am a bit skeptical of this woman's description of the officer in question. I am familiar with the Portland PD and this is not in any way shape or form their M.O. They have a very tough job dealing with the mentally ill, as city leadership refuses to deal with the homeless in any appreciable way other than soup kitchens and various hand-outs. Basically the cops hands are tied in terms of removing people like this man from the streets.
But if we are to take this woman's word, that this officer indeed acted this way, then she has a ton of resources at her disposal to go after him, and I hope she does. His behavior is atypical and entirely unacceptable.
Beyond this, and getting back to the fairy tale that people have in their heads that the state will always be there for them, I would like to posit that this is Exhibit A as to why most, though not all, communities with open carry laws have substantially lower crime rates. When citizens are allowed to defend themselves as they deem necessary, there are far fewer incidents of this nature. Statistically, this truth is hard to measure, because often the mere revelation of the presence of a firearm will diffuse a situation and nothing is reported to police. But beyond that, I would also posit that the right to carry removes most of the fear from a potential victim, and puts it where it belongs - on the potential perpetrator.
For a period of three years at my job, I worked directly with law enforcement in communities across the country. From Detroit, to Memphis, to Orlando. Different officers had different views on the subject of concealed carry, but they all agreed on one thing - you cannot rely on police to stop a crime, only to help with the aftermath.
If we look to our leadership to provide absolute protection, we are doomed to be disappointed. They are simply human beings with limited time and resources, especially when a problem as large as homelessness is ineffectively placated, and - as this story illustrates, they are also human beings who can be flawed and even occasionally as malicious as the bad guys.
When I see a story like this, it makes me more determined than ever to not be a victim - and it strengthens my belief in the absolutle sacredness of the sovereignty of the individual. We cannot submit our fate to the state, we must be pro-active in our defense of ourselves and our family. All of the manipulated statistics in the world cannot alter the peace of mind that self-determination brings.
I know of two women, one of which is a long time friend, who at different points in their lives were stalked. Both of these women are good, honest liberals, who found themselves confronted with real world evil, and both had to come around to the realization that the only way to fight back was the purchase of a firearm.
My friend never had to bring her gun into use, thank God, but when she was carrying she felt a great weight lifted off her shoulders because she had at least taken some control of the situation and didn't have to rely on help coming that she knew would likely be too late. Her stalker eventually moved on, probably to another target, but she knows that should he return or someone else of evil intent should enter her life, that she has recourse beyond the flimsy hope of police intervention.
The second woman, who was a friend of a friend, but shared her story with the television show I was editing at the time, actually was confronted by her stalker to the point where she had to draw down on him. The revelation of the firearm quickly doused the flames of her potential attackers anger, and she never saw or heard from him again. As is often the case, even though the incident was reported to the police, this is not a statistic which is kept on record in any appreciable way, and it is something that happens far more frequently than the comparatively rare incident of an attacker taking and using a victims gun on the victim - which is 100% always recorded as a statistic and used as loudly as possible by anti-gun groups.
My point here is not to covert you or anyone to my view, which is that the right to bear arms is an essential component of liberty - but illuminate the fundamental truth that there can be recourse to this kind of attack.
Portland of course, like most liberal cities including Los Angeles, makes it incredibly difficult to carry a concealed weapon. So this woman, faced with the two pronged absurdity of living in a city that permits sick people to freely interact with healthy people and then doesn't allow people to defend themselves against this, is put into a place of mandatory victimhood, and has no recourse or exit from this horrible circumstance.
It is a sad and inexcusable situation, and it happens every day in this country, and will continue to happen until we wake up and understand that treating sick people like they are perfectly healthy is not rational. Nor is denying law abiding citizens the right to protect themselves.
Click here to read. It's not a very pleasant story but no one gets physically hurt in the end.
This was my response. Apologies for blogger.com making it stupidly difficult to make cut and pasted text look normal.
Jenny, this story really struck a chord with me, as I and most everyone I know has had similar (if not as severe) experiences with homelessness over the last decade. If you'll permit me, I'd like to offer my views on the subject, which as you can probably guess, come from a conservative viewpoint. Please feel free to delete this if you are in sharp disagreement. I plan to put it on my personal blog, but I don't want to impose on your wall if it is too confrontational.
Well this is horrible. And it two big issues to light. First and foremost it calls attention to our collective decision as Americans to allow the mentally ill to live among us. By permitting a "street culture" many people view this as compassion, the reality is that it's just the opposite.
All major cities in this country run by progressives are now overwhelmed by unmedicated and dangerous inviduals like this. San Francisco is right now a toilet. Santa Monica, a place i used to enjoy very much is an absolute no go zone. Westwood in L.A. is an open air asylum. New York city, now under liberal leadership after two decades of conservative mayors has seen it's crime rate skyrocket as homelessness is once again permitted to reign.
There is no excuse for the apathy and the misguided notion that we can give people like this the same rights and freedoms that rational people enjoy.
It seems there is an utter lack of common sense in liberal leadership, fueled by a lethal mixture of political correctness and fear. Fear of being seen as uncaring or cold. The truth is, we need to be grown ups about this issue - tough love is 100% more caring and compassionate than permitting this incredibly obvious danger of homelessness to exist on our streets. This problem will only grow, with more and more violence and mayhem until we decide to wipe it out, by taking the hard step of recognizing that it cannot be tolerated.
Incarceration is not the answer, but humane containment and treatment must be made mandatory. This is going to be very difficult for some people to swallow, but I am not on board with subjecting myself or my family to people like this on a regular basis. To do so is not only the epitome of idiocy but it is also the cruelest thing we can do. Ignoring the mentally ill is absolutely inhumane, as is giving them self-determination. I am not sure what the precise machinations of ending homelessness should be, but it must include humane, mandatory and long lasting, if not permanent, separation of people like this from our communities.
The other issue that this incident brings into sharp relief is the over reliance of people on the state to protect them. Now I confess, I am a bit skeptical of this woman's description of the officer in question. I am familiar with the Portland PD and this is not in any way shape or form their M.O. They have a very tough job dealing with the mentally ill, as city leadership refuses to deal with the homeless in any appreciable way other than soup kitchens and various hand-outs. Basically the cops hands are tied in terms of removing people like this man from the streets.
But if we are to take this woman's word, that this officer indeed acted this way, then she has a ton of resources at her disposal to go after him, and I hope she does. His behavior is atypical and entirely unacceptable.
Beyond this, and getting back to the fairy tale that people have in their heads that the state will always be there for them, I would like to posit that this is Exhibit A as to why most, though not all, communities with open carry laws have substantially lower crime rates. When citizens are allowed to defend themselves as they deem necessary, there are far fewer incidents of this nature. Statistically, this truth is hard to measure, because often the mere revelation of the presence of a firearm will diffuse a situation and nothing is reported to police. But beyond that, I would also posit that the right to carry removes most of the fear from a potential victim, and puts it where it belongs - on the potential perpetrator.
For a period of three years at my job, I worked directly with law enforcement in communities across the country. From Detroit, to Memphis, to Orlando. Different officers had different views on the subject of concealed carry, but they all agreed on one thing - you cannot rely on police to stop a crime, only to help with the aftermath.
If we look to our leadership to provide absolute protection, we are doomed to be disappointed. They are simply human beings with limited time and resources, especially when a problem as large as homelessness is ineffectively placated, and - as this story illustrates, they are also human beings who can be flawed and even occasionally as malicious as the bad guys.
When I see a story like this, it makes me more determined than ever to not be a victim - and it strengthens my belief in the absolutle sacredness of the sovereignty of the individual. We cannot submit our fate to the state, we must be pro-active in our defense of ourselves and our family. All of the manipulated statistics in the world cannot alter the peace of mind that self-determination brings.
I know of two women, one of which is a long time friend, who at different points in their lives were stalked. Both of these women are good, honest liberals, who found themselves confronted with real world evil, and both had to come around to the realization that the only way to fight back was the purchase of a firearm.
My friend never had to bring her gun into use, thank God, but when she was carrying she felt a great weight lifted off her shoulders because she had at least taken some control of the situation and didn't have to rely on help coming that she knew would likely be too late. Her stalker eventually moved on, probably to another target, but she knows that should he return or someone else of evil intent should enter her life, that she has recourse beyond the flimsy hope of police intervention.
The second woman, who was a friend of a friend, but shared her story with the television show I was editing at the time, actually was confronted by her stalker to the point where she had to draw down on him. The revelation of the firearm quickly doused the flames of her potential attackers anger, and she never saw or heard from him again. As is often the case, even though the incident was reported to the police, this is not a statistic which is kept on record in any appreciable way, and it is something that happens far more frequently than the comparatively rare incident of an attacker taking and using a victims gun on the victim - which is 100% always recorded as a statistic and used as loudly as possible by anti-gun groups.
My point here is not to covert you or anyone to my view, which is that the right to bear arms is an essential component of liberty - but illuminate the fundamental truth that there can be recourse to this kind of attack.
Portland of course, like most liberal cities including Los Angeles, makes it incredibly difficult to carry a concealed weapon. So this woman, faced with the two pronged absurdity of living in a city that permits sick people to freely interact with healthy people and then doesn't allow people to defend themselves against this, is put into a place of mandatory victimhood, and has no recourse or exit from this horrible circumstance.
It is a sad and inexcusable situation, and it happens every day in this country, and will continue to happen until we wake up and understand that treating sick people like they are perfectly healthy is not rational. Nor is denying law abiding citizens the right to protect themselves.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
No go zone.
So my Facebook wall has basically been a disgrace for the past three days.
So much ignorance, so much knee-jerk emotion based hyperbole.
Not going to do it, not going to take the bait. But I am going to let loose a little bit here so I don't have an aneurysm.
----
So against my better judgement, because my Facebook wall has basically been a relentless diatribe against guns from the moment the bodies hit the ground.
So this guy - 29 years old, born and raised here, contract employee of DHS, licensed to concealed carry, trained with US tax dollars to operate firearms, no criminal history, no history of mental illness except for complaints of racist and misogynistic behavior by his work colleagues which were ignored because he was a Muslim.
Florida - background check and waiting period that he went through an passed, because he had nothing on his record, thanks largely in part to political correctness and fear of being labeled racist.
Exactly what new laws are we talking about that would have stopped this? I want specifics.
Oh, and please educate yourself, don't be ignorant. An AR-15 is not an assault rifle, it is a
civilian semi-automatic rifle that functions just like dozens of other rifles that happen to not look militaristic. It is not a weapon of war, not even close. A Glock in trained hands can be just as deadly, deadlier in California where AR-15s are limited to 10 rounds in a magazine that can only be changed with a tool.
And then there is the LGBT community's reaction, which is basically insane.
Gay people are under assault, not just from this jihadist, but from the Muslim community at large in the US and overseas. In Syria gays are flung from rooftops. In Saudi Arabia they are whipped in soccer stadiums. In all but a handful of Muslim countries it is flat out illegal to be gay.
The majority of all Muslims, not just radicalized ones, believe that being gay is immoral and that honor killings can be justified.
Brian Adams protests a bathroom law in North Carolina, after returning from a concert in Egypt - a country where admitting that you are gay will at minimum get you thrown in jail.
How exactly is the issue here guns? Get specific.
So much ignorance, so much knee-jerk emotion based hyperbole.
Not going to do it, not going to take the bait. But I am going to let loose a little bit here so I don't have an aneurysm.
----
So against my better judgement, because my Facebook wall has basically been a relentless diatribe against guns from the moment the bodies hit the ground.
So this guy - 29 years old, born and raised here, contract employee of DHS, licensed to concealed carry, trained with US tax dollars to operate firearms, no criminal history, no history of mental illness except for complaints of racist and misogynistic behavior by his work colleagues which were ignored because he was a Muslim.
Florida - background check and waiting period that he went through an passed, because he had nothing on his record, thanks largely in part to political correctness and fear of being labeled racist.
Exactly what new laws are we talking about that would have stopped this? I want specifics.
Oh, and please educate yourself, don't be ignorant. An AR-15 is not an assault rifle, it is a
civilian semi-automatic rifle that functions just like dozens of other rifles that happen to not look militaristic. It is not a weapon of war, not even close. A Glock in trained hands can be just as deadly, deadlier in California where AR-15s are limited to 10 rounds in a magazine that can only be changed with a tool.
And then there is the LGBT community's reaction, which is basically insane.
Gay people are under assault, not just from this jihadist, but from the Muslim community at large in the US and overseas. In Syria gays are flung from rooftops. In Saudi Arabia they are whipped in soccer stadiums. In all but a handful of Muslim countries it is flat out illegal to be gay.
The majority of all Muslims, not just radicalized ones, believe that being gay is immoral and that honor killings can be justified.
Brian Adams protests a bathroom law in North Carolina, after returning from a concert in Egypt - a country where admitting that you are gay will at minimum get you thrown in jail.
How exactly is the issue here guns? Get specific.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Knock it off.
The biggest terrorism attack since 9/11 went down last night in Orlando, 50 people slaughtered by a radical Muslim with a handgun and a rifle. Those are the facts. Here's what liberals on my Facebook would have you believe -
The biggest mass shooting in American history went down last night in Orlando, 50 gay people slaughtered by a crazy person with an assault weapon that should be illegal.
Honestly, I shouldn't be so aggravated by a simple difference in semantics, 50 human beings who were breathing before now aren't, thanks to a man who was clearly out of his mind - but I tell you, it does bug me. A lot.
Liberals are allowed to post whatever they want, whenever they want. Five minutes after the shooting? Absolutely...
"It's all about gun control and the lack of it in this country."
Yeah, the bodies are still warm, but so what?
"Don't pray. Religion is what started this in the first place"
Yes, that's literally a post. Not radical Islam, religion, as if they are all equal.
"We need to talk about gun control."
No, how about you keep the fuck away from my guns. We need to talk about radical Muslims first.
Honestly, I try not to be angry with my liberal friends, but sometimes they make it very hard.
It's like someone died from cancer and they want to talk about a vaccine for chicken pox. Makes about as much sense.
But I, the conservative, I have to refrain - I have to not be hateful, I have to be (once again) the grown up.
That's why it's nice to have this blog.
Fuck gun control nuts.
Fuck radical Islam.
Fuck atheism.
And seriously, fuck someone who is gay and thinks that this is about gun control or about Americans intolerance of homosexuals. This is about hundreds of millions of Muslims that hate you and they are not Americans. It is illegal to be gay in all but a handful of Muslim countries. In Qatar they hang you, in Yemen they stone you, in Syria they throw you off a roof. Get educated about this sort of thing, the information is out there.
Honestly, I don't know if there is a bigger group of idiots on the planet than gay people who think that Christians are just as bad as Muslims. Maybe Jews who don't support Israel. Same idiocy, same self-loathing disease.
And if you think going after law abiding citizens is going to solve the problem of radical Muslims, you're a fucking moron.
Knock it off.
The biggest mass shooting in American history went down last night in Orlando, 50 gay people slaughtered by a crazy person with an assault weapon that should be illegal.
Honestly, I shouldn't be so aggravated by a simple difference in semantics, 50 human beings who were breathing before now aren't, thanks to a man who was clearly out of his mind - but I tell you, it does bug me. A lot.
Liberals are allowed to post whatever they want, whenever they want. Five minutes after the shooting? Absolutely...
"It's all about gun control and the lack of it in this country."
Yeah, the bodies are still warm, but so what?
"Don't pray. Religion is what started this in the first place"
Yes, that's literally a post. Not radical Islam, religion, as if they are all equal.
"We need to talk about gun control."
No, how about you keep the fuck away from my guns. We need to talk about radical Muslims first.
Honestly, I try not to be angry with my liberal friends, but sometimes they make it very hard.
It's like someone died from cancer and they want to talk about a vaccine for chicken pox. Makes about as much sense.
But I, the conservative, I have to refrain - I have to not be hateful, I have to be (once again) the grown up.
That's why it's nice to have this blog.
Fuck gun control nuts.
Fuck radical Islam.
Fuck atheism.
And seriously, fuck someone who is gay and thinks that this is about gun control or about Americans intolerance of homosexuals. This is about hundreds of millions of Muslims that hate you and they are not Americans. It is illegal to be gay in all but a handful of Muslim countries. In Qatar they hang you, in Yemen they stone you, in Syria they throw you off a roof. Get educated about this sort of thing, the information is out there.
Honestly, I don't know if there is a bigger group of idiots on the planet than gay people who think that Christians are just as bad as Muslims. Maybe Jews who don't support Israel. Same idiocy, same self-loathing disease.
And if you think going after law abiding citizens is going to solve the problem of radical Muslims, you're a fucking moron.
Knock it off.
Wednesday, June 08, 2016
Disgusting.
The only thing I can't stand more than Donald Trump, is the anti-Trump protesters.
Here's 16 minutes of typical anti-Trump behavior, culled from hours and hours of disturbing footage.
This is what the radical left does, and the mainstream left does little to condemn or disown it.
I have aleady made my final decision, I am not voting for Donald Trump. But I will take every opportunity I am given to stand up for free speech and speak out against hate and violence.
What these thugs are doing is wrong. Trump and his supporters must be listened to and treated with respect. We must have a dialogue, not a shouting down, not a melee' of sucker punches.
Here's 16 minutes of typical anti-Trump behavior, culled from hours and hours of disturbing footage.
This is what the radical left does, and the mainstream left does little to condemn or disown it.
I have aleady made my final decision, I am not voting for Donald Trump. But I will take every opportunity I am given to stand up for free speech and speak out against hate and violence.
What these thugs are doing is wrong. Trump and his supporters must be listened to and treated with respect. We must have a dialogue, not a shouting down, not a melee' of sucker punches.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Don't want to hear it? Tough.
My response to an inflammatory Washington Post opinion piece about Trump.
This might be hard to hear, but this is what I think.
Hysteria like this article isn't helpful, it's precisely what Trump wants.
There is a reckoning coming for progressives, and for the more thoughtful conservatives like me who believe Trump is not the right choice - we are going to have to take a deep breath and suck it up and treat him and the office of the presidency with respect. It's the only way to get through the next four years with a hope for beating him in 2020. This is what I have realized, and so have many republican leaders. Screaming and stomping our feet will have the opposite effect of what we want.
The louder we yell, the harder we push, the more we give this man what he wants - anger, fear, hate, the more that is sent his way, the more he will thrive. He is a counter puncher of the highest order, who is seemingly always on the verge of his campaign imploding - only, that will never happen.
Trump is going to win, and it's too late to do anything about it.
And here's why...
Trump is borne and cut from the same cloth as the Obama administration and to some extent George W Bush. The ideas that politics are identity and that policy and ideology are indistinguishable, have been so incredibly damaging to this country; and Trump is the inevitable result.
Trump is not conservative, he's not liberal, he's not even populist really. He is a reaction to more than 8 years of demagoguery filling in for thoughtful discussion, a reaction to the politics of shame and name calling.
Everyone who doesn't want a co-ed bathroom is a homophobe. Everyone who thinks that Michael Brown got what most people get when they grab a cops gun is a racist. Everyone who makes a joke about food allergies should apologize immediately and atone for their sins. Everyone needs to fall in line with the thought police.
Trump is middle class Americans way of saying 'enough'.
Enough complaining about the gap between the rich and the poor and then promptly widening it exponentially.
Enough about praising the "low unemployment rate" as the number of Americans out of work explodes to a 50 year high.
Enough about decrying the pay gap between men and women, and then paying men in your administration far more than women.
Enough with commenting on Treyvon Martin when very few facts were available while ignoring Kathryn Steinle when all the facts were available.
Enough of apologizing for America's greatness.
Enough gutting the military and doing nothing about the disaster that is the VA while exponentially increasing spending on social safety nets that demean and further impoverish.
Enough of blackmailing schools into taking the preposterous common core curriculum.
Enough of releasing terrorists from Gitmo so they can kill again.
And so on and so on and so on.
And an establishment Republican is no better. In fact, any politician is no good now. Cruz wasn't exactly establishment, but he never had a chance. And despite what the breathless pundits are saying, neither does Hillary.
Suck it up. Own it. We asked for it and now we have to live with it.
Tuesday, May 03, 2016
This appears to be happening...
Really guys? Really? I know it's a long way to November, but still... this looks like it's really happening. He's got a bigger lead than Obama had in both 2008 and 2012.
President Trump.
Nope, can't get my head around it.
I know I'm politically opposite a lot (okay most) of you, my family, my friends, but I don't want this for our country. Sadly though, I feel as though after 8 years of wrecking ball progressivism, this is the backlash, this is the inevitable result.
You cannot take millions of jobs from Americans while lying about the unemployment rate and not expect consequences. You cannot exponentially drive up health care premiums for the middle class and not expect backlash. You cannot drown hard working Americans in the dogma of race baiting, politically correct, liberal idiocy and not expect a reaction.
You cannot have a leader who makes the malaise of Jimmy Carter look downright patriotic in comparison, and not expect an outcry of nationalism. You cannot have a president who barely hides disdain for the military, and works to systematically dismantle it, and not expect angry vets and soldiers.
But what's done is done I suppose. Right now we have to deal with it. I want to be hopeful, I want to believe that somehow we can avoid the catastrophe of a buffoon for a president, or a criminal for that matter.
Please convince me that somehow Trump can lose, because right now he's winning - by a lot. And I will be damned if conservatives shoulder the lions share of the blame here. Take that pointy finger and aim it right at yourselves.
I am a conservative. I am NOT Donald Trump. I am the opposite of everything he pushes.
He is not conservative, he is an big government populist, much more aligned with Bernie Sanders supporters in their anger and desire to overthrow the system and inflict totalitarian rule. Trump, like Bernie, started out as a protest campaign, now he finds himself being thrust by a wave of American anger directly towards the White House.
This is real. This is NOT my fault.
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Every excuse in the book.
Just today I couldn't help but respond to this absurd internet factoid/meme/intellectually challenged graphic.
It is, of course, one of a zillion liberal dummy memes that pollute my feed - but again, as I know a lot about this particular issue, I couldn't help but chime in -
"It's on the internet so it must be true. Or you could actually research this issue. The reason most people pass this test is because they know it's a requirement to receive aid and they are given the date of testing well in advance. Only the truly stupid and severely addicted continue to smoke weed in the week leading up to the test."
My response was met with the usual litany of anger, listing every issue under the sun as to why drug testing welfare recipients as a reqiurement for getting free shit is a bad thing. The corporations. Wall Street. Dick hole Republicans. And on and on and on.
It is, of course, one of a zillion liberal dummy memes that pollute my feed - but again, as I know a lot about this particular issue, I couldn't help but chime in -
"It's on the internet so it must be true. Or you could actually research this issue. The reason most people pass this test is because they know it's a requirement to receive aid and they are given the date of testing well in advance. Only the truly stupid and severely addicted continue to smoke weed in the week leading up to the test."
My response was met with the usual litany of anger, listing every issue under the sun as to why drug testing welfare recipients as a reqiurement for getting free shit is a bad thing. The corporations. Wall Street. Dick hole Republicans. And on and on and on.
This was my response, which I didn't post - because arguing with a liberal is kind of like pissing into the wind. Okay, it's a lot like it. Futile and pointless and unlikely to have any different result no matter how often we do it.
I do like my response a lot though.
"If I may share my view from my life experience - I cannot believe that policies like this don't give pause to people who abuse the system.
I have several drug abusers in my family, two of which live in Florida. From 2011 through 2013 I imagine they probably managed to lay off the meth and emerge from a haze of weed long enough to get tested to get their state aid. Now that the policy has been discontinued by an unelected Federal judge, they are likely fucked up 100% of the time rather than 90%. Not much of a difference I will concede, but it does give me some solace that they were, however briefly, held accountable for their choices.
In the mean time I manage to bust my ass, stay sober and continue to fund people who are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves but choose to blow dope instead.
For those that are capable of helping themselves, which is in my opinion in this country the majority of people on public assistance, our indifference to their behavior and choices is not compassion, nor is it in the end helpful to these people who suffer from addiction and as a consequence - mental illness.
We will not affect change by enabling drug addicts, we will not actually help them by pretending that what they do to themselves is not harmful or damaging and has nothing to do with their need for public assistance.
Drug testing as a requirement for welfare may not have been a perfect idea and it may in the end be unworkable - but I submit that the intention and philosophy behind the idea is absolutely correct. I believe that only by holding people accountable - i.e., treating people with dignity and respect, not with condescension and false pity, can we truly start to break down barriers with drug addicts and help unshackle them from the bonds of their personal hell.
I don't know any of you but I do know Mike. As you are all friends with him I in turn respect your views and am open to hearing your thoughts on this topic. But understand it is very hard for me sometimes to hear things that I know would never ever come from someone who has been close to an addict in their life. I could be wrong of course, as I said I don't know you or the battles you face. But if you've had addiction in your life it would take an incredible feat of mental gymnastics to point the finger of blame at the government instead of your addicted loved one, unless of course you have been or are an addict yourself.
All of the addicts I have ever known always have every excuse in the book for their behavior, including I'm sure corporations, fiscal policies, political corruption, Wall Street and on an on and on. Basically everything including the kitchen sink. Well I can tell you, as someone who escaped from a family that has addicts in it, it's all bullshit. An addict will make up every excuse under the sun to justify his or her behavior, and we do nothing but enable them by playing along with their delusions and vilifying any attempt to hold them accountable.
Deep addicts don't care about any of these excuses, they simply want to know when the next check is coming so they can get their fix. Helping them do this is about the worst thing we can do for them. It is the antithesis of compassion.
Furthermore, sober people blaming drug addiction on 'the man' is downright delusional and so is condemning ideas and policies that attempt to hold drug users accountable. I find it very hard to take this litany of tangentially related excuses, corrupt politicians, greedy CEO's, etc. etc., seriously.
Peace.
"If I may share my view from my life experience - I cannot believe that policies like this don't give pause to people who abuse the system.
I have several drug abusers in my family, two of which live in Florida. From 2011 through 2013 I imagine they probably managed to lay off the meth and emerge from a haze of weed long enough to get tested to get their state aid. Now that the policy has been discontinued by an unelected Federal judge, they are likely fucked up 100% of the time rather than 90%. Not much of a difference I will concede, but it does give me some solace that they were, however briefly, held accountable for their choices.
In the mean time I manage to bust my ass, stay sober and continue to fund people who are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves but choose to blow dope instead.
For those that are capable of helping themselves, which is in my opinion in this country the majority of people on public assistance, our indifference to their behavior and choices is not compassion, nor is it in the end helpful to these people who suffer from addiction and as a consequence - mental illness.
We will not affect change by enabling drug addicts, we will not actually help them by pretending that what they do to themselves is not harmful or damaging and has nothing to do with their need for public assistance.
Drug testing as a requirement for welfare may not have been a perfect idea and it may in the end be unworkable - but I submit that the intention and philosophy behind the idea is absolutely correct. I believe that only by holding people accountable - i.e., treating people with dignity and respect, not with condescension and false pity, can we truly start to break down barriers with drug addicts and help unshackle them from the bonds of their personal hell.
I don't know any of you but I do know Mike. As you are all friends with him I in turn respect your views and am open to hearing your thoughts on this topic. But understand it is very hard for me sometimes to hear things that I know would never ever come from someone who has been close to an addict in their life. I could be wrong of course, as I said I don't know you or the battles you face. But if you've had addiction in your life it would take an incredible feat of mental gymnastics to point the finger of blame at the government instead of your addicted loved one, unless of course you have been or are an addict yourself.
All of the addicts I have ever known always have every excuse in the book for their behavior, including I'm sure corporations, fiscal policies, political corruption, Wall Street and on an on and on. Basically everything including the kitchen sink. Well I can tell you, as someone who escaped from a family that has addicts in it, it's all bullshit. An addict will make up every excuse under the sun to justify his or her behavior, and we do nothing but enable them by playing along with their delusions and vilifying any attempt to hold them accountable.
Deep addicts don't care about any of these excuses, they simply want to know when the next check is coming so they can get their fix. Helping them do this is about the worst thing we can do for them. It is the antithesis of compassion.
Furthermore, sober people blaming drug addiction on 'the man' is downright delusional and so is condemning ideas and policies that attempt to hold drug users accountable. I find it very hard to take this litany of tangentially related excuses, corrupt politicians, greedy CEO's, etc. etc., seriously.
Peace.
Thursday, February 04, 2016
No Room for Hyphenated Americans
I really don't think this is a political issue - even though we seem divided that way.
All majority Muslim countries marginalize and often brutalize minorities, gays and women - and this way of life is now being held up by many on the American left as a culture we should embrace.
It makes no sense, but this article lays it all out in a thoughtful and nuanced manner, and helps shed light on this extraordinary paradox of values, and the willful blindness of people who identify themselves as champions of human rights.
I agree that the biggest concern about mass immigration from the middle east should not be terrorism, it should be the vilification of assimilation, both by those coming here and those Americans who have discarded the concept.
Assimilation is not a synonym for racism or xenophobia. Assimilation must be mandatory for all who come here - not because of 'privilege' or some other manufactured conceit by academics and cultural elites - but because American values are the most hopeful and humane on the planet.
We are a culture of kindness, not merely tolerance.
We are a culture of liberty, not merely diversity.
We are a country of freedom, not merely fairness.
And those who would use the weak and limp standards of 'diversity', 'fairnes' and 'tolerance' as an excuse to permit barbarity, in the form of a backwards and misogynistic culture - are on the wrong side of this fight.
Teddy Roosevelt said it best - his words ring true nearly a hundred years later -
All majority Muslim countries marginalize and often brutalize minorities, gays and women - and this way of life is now being held up by many on the American left as a culture we should embrace.
It makes no sense, but this article lays it all out in a thoughtful and nuanced manner, and helps shed light on this extraordinary paradox of values, and the willful blindness of people who identify themselves as champions of human rights.
I agree that the biggest concern about mass immigration from the middle east should not be terrorism, it should be the vilification of assimilation, both by those coming here and those Americans who have discarded the concept.
Assimilation is not a synonym for racism or xenophobia. Assimilation must be mandatory for all who come here - not because of 'privilege' or some other manufactured conceit by academics and cultural elites - but because American values are the most hopeful and humane on the planet.
We are a culture of kindness, not merely tolerance.
We are a culture of liberty, not merely diversity.
We are a country of freedom, not merely fairness.
And those who would use the weak and limp standards of 'diversity', 'fairnes' and 'tolerance' as an excuse to permit barbarity, in the form of a backwards and misogynistic culture - are on the wrong side of this fight.
Teddy Roosevelt said it best - his words ring true nearly a hundred years later -
“There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all.”
“This is just as true of the man who puts “native” before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or English or French before the hyphen. Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance.”
“But if he is heartily and singly loyal to this Republic, then no matter where he was born, he is just as good an American as any one else.”
“The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English- Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian- Americans, or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality than with the other citizens of the American Republic.”
“The men who do not become Americans and nothing else are hyphenated Americans; and there ought to be no room for them in this country. The man who calls himself an American citizen and who yet shows by his actions that he is primarily the citizen of a foreign land, plays a thoroughly mischievous part in the life of our body politic. He has no place here; and the sooner he returns to the land to which he feels his real heart-allegiance, the better it will be for every good American.”
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Movies 2015
Okay, finally getting around to this. (EDIT: UPDATED 02/01/2016)
Remember, I love the movies, I only like films. What's the difference? Movies are fun, flamboyant, and often have little to do with reality. They have explosions, bare breasts for no reason other than prurience, profanity galore and a lot of cool shit. Films delve deep into social issues and are framed in a mirror of our day to day lives. In other words, all the grim despair that you can find on the local news - you can often find in films. Not my favorite thing usually.
As usual, first here's a list of movies that I enjoyed and would recommend, but they didn't make my top ten. In no particular order they are...
Mission Impossible 5
Not as good as parts 3 or 4, but still a hell of a lot of fun.
Furious 7
I've never been a huge fan of this series, but I do always enjoy the gags (stunts) and the frenetic energy. I've especially liked the recent movies, which are more caper flicks than anything. Especially moving in this one is the tribute to Paul Walker at the end - gets me all choked up every time I see it.
Jurassic World
This one is a blast and a hell of a lot of fun. A warm and fuzzy tribute to the original that gets better each time I see it. Yes, we did get it on Blu-Ray. I have to be honest though, I'm a bit mystified that it made SO much money. I mean it's made like, crazy Titanic/Star Wars type money. I think it's because I'm old and this wasn't really made for me. Still, I can appreciate Chris Pratt a lot, he truly elevates the material. The last act is also a superb action/stunt/cg showcase that is very satisfying.
Tomorrow Land
This one got panned by the critics and dismissed by a lot of people who said it was too preachy and sanctimonious. I avoided it for a long time because I despise being lectured by people like Clooney, who deserves every bit of the South Park episode that blasts him for being a smug douche about social issues. So I was very surprised when my kid and I finally saw this on a Disney cruise, at how good it was. So good, that we saw it twice! A good action adventure story that reminded me very much of the old great Disney live action adventures like Witch Mountain and Candleshoe. Looking forward to putting this one on my shelf.
Trainwreck
Shumer is hilarious and oh so wrong and so is this movie, which of course also has heart as do all the raunch-coms these days. Hader is great as well.
Paddington
An unexpected gem, brought to you by the Harry Potter production team. This one will be around for a long time. It's similar in tone and message to the Nanny McPhee movies, which my family and I have enjoyed for years.
Okay, and the two best docs I saw in 2015.
Going Clear
Fascinating indictment of L. Ron Hubbard and his cult. Had no idea all the dark stuff that went on and is likely still going on with this bunch of crazies.
Best of Enemies
A great examination of politics through the two O.G.'s of modern discourse on television. I don't care too much for the docs lazy conclusion that Buckly and Vidal begat Fox News, as if Fox News is some crazy and evil entity - but there's enough meat on the bones here in the rest of the piece that it's easy to forgive this typical conclusion.
Okay, and here's the top ten. Really enjoyed all of these immensely.
11. Avengers 2
Originally this was in the top ten, it got bumped when I saw The Martian. Age of Ultron falls well short of the impossibly high bench mark set by the first Avengers movie. But it's still a great time. The heart of the film is the 'dream' sequences / flashbacks that our leads go through. I always wanted to visit Black Widow's past - and this is just a perfect way to do it. They show us just enough that we can fill in the rest ourselves. I also love the Vision, and he has several movie stealing moments that make the convoluted plot and exposition for future movies well worth it.
10. The Walk
Had very little interest in seeing this after watching the superb doc Man on Wire. Movies based on true stories are almost always inferior to the real people and places shown in documentaries. Two thirds of the way through this film I still believed this. Then we went out on the wire in 3D and in Imax and I suddenly understood why Zemekis wanted to make this movie. He does what no documentary could ever do - he puts us out on the wire with Philipe. Absolutely breath taking, and an experience that can only be found in a movie theater. No point in getting this on Blu Ray, it's a good movie, but only a great one on the big screen.
9. Sicario
This one is the closest thing I have to a "film" on the list. Emily Blunt is a revelation in this grim, gritty and bleak exploration of the drug trade and the soldiers that fight it. Benicio Del Toro is also phenomenal, as an avenger of death who does anything and everything he needs to do to get justice. This movie is both enthralling and repulsive - violent to the extreme in parts and heart wrenching as well. Are the good guys good here? I think for the most part they are. I was certainly rooting for Benicio through most of it. The final scene though, is the heart of the film and truly leaves us wondering if there are any true heroes left. Ambiguous and terrifying, for sure not upbeat or fantastical. Why did I love this so much? What's wrong with me?
8. Hateful Eight
On the opposite end of believability and seriousness - we have Quentin Tarantino's eighth film. This time a parlor mystery, shot in 70 millimeter and taking place mostly in one room. I just love love love the over the top characters and dialogue. It's insane, it's extreme, it's hyper-violent and yet not at all realistic beyond being a fantastic character study and extravagent whodunit mystery. I love love love Jennifer Jason Leigh - her character is truly a horrible person, and yet somehow we feel a bit of sympathy for her plight. Sam Jackson kicks all kinds of ass here, chewing up the scenery as he goes. Kurt Russell is as always, every bit a movie star - but as he's older, he's morphed into a great character actor too. I can't wait to see this again at home, it's just so wonderfully gory, silly and sick at the same time. I also believe, as I do with all of Quintin's work, that it is very righteous and every bit a morality play. Too bad he's such a dip-shit in real life.
7. Ant Man
Best Marvel movie of the two this year and probably top 5 over all. A great caper / heist movie. Funny, smaller, yet somehow still epic. Michael Douglas is a marvel, so to speak. Especially impressive is a young Michael Douglas in the prologue. How did they do that? Rudd's Scott Lang is great and very faithful to the comic. I can't wait to see Hope Van Dyne as the Wasp in the next one. And of course, the highlight of the whole thing is Pena's frenetic story telling via' comical lip synching of various larger than life characters, including Stan Lee of course.
6. Inside Out
Absolutely blown away by this one. The most heart wrenching and powerful Pixar flick since Up. What could have been a contrived and clunky premise, is instead a revelatory examination of the human psyche and ultimately a reassuring journey for the young and the young at heart. The story is about an 11 year old girl, and I of course, have an 11 year old girl. Needless to say I blubbered a bit more than once watching this one.
5. Ex Machina
Best original sci-fi story I've seen in a long time. I just adore all 3 main performances here. Oscar Isaac is just fantastic. Bill Weasely is almost entirely unrecognizable, and the girl robot is out of this world in her deeply compelling but disturbing portrayal of an artificial mind. The story goes exactly where I expected it to go - but I was still enthralled by it. Great great stuff, the best kind of popcorn flick for grown-ups.
4. The Revenant
I really liked Birdman but I absolutely love Alejandro's follow up. One of the most visually stunning movies I've ever seen - shot in what looks to be almost entirely on location in the frozen reaches of Canada. This movie is harsh, it's brutal and it pulls at the heart strings as well. I was more than half way through the movie before I realized that Mad Max was the bad guy. That Hardy fellow is quite the chameleon. And now finally, after Wolf of Wallstreet and now this movie, I finally get what all the fuss is about Leo. He absolutely just owns his character and this story. I have to see this again soon. (Warning: there is a rape in this movie, which is about my least favorite thing ever. I always let people know about this element, as I myself tend to walk out if things get too out of hand. Good news is though, the rape is brief (like 10 seconds) and not graphic - and best of all the female isn't scared, she's pissed and then gets her revenge quickly and in a very brutal fashion.)
3. The Martian
Finally saw this with the wife the other night and have to say I was pleasantly bowled over - not just because of the great FX and suspenseful story line, reminiscent of the best parts of Castaway, but I love this movie so much for it's effervescent optimism. There are no 'bad guys' in this film - there are disagreements, but in the end, everyone pulls together and gets Watney home. Very fun, very upbeat, and most of all hopeful. This movie is true nourishment for the soul, a big heaping portion of uplift and rightfully this movie leaps nearly to the top of my best list.
2. Star Wars VII
Where to begin. I think I will write a separate review for this one soon - but suffice it to say, this one is an absolute home run. I've seen it 4 times now I believe, and will be watching it for the rest of my life. If you love Star Wars, you love this movie. Period.
1. Mad Max Fury Road
If you had told me how good the new Star Wars movie was going to be at the beginning of 2015, I would've never have imagined that a different film could end up at the top of my list. George Miller, that 70 year old mad man from Australia, has done it again and captured lightening in a bottle to present an apocalyptic death race that is every bit as good, and maybe even better, than the seminal film of it's genre, The Road Warrior. Again, I feel compelled to write a separate review for this one, there's just so much to love. It's big and loud and over the top, and mostly dialogue free - but it says so much. If you loved Road Warrior, you love this movie. Period.
So, there it is. I also really want to see these - and most likely will at home on Netflix.
The Martian (can't wait for this one) - EDIT: SAW IT!
Bridge of Spies EDIT: SAW IT! Very, very, VERY good.
Spy EDIT: SAW IT! Pretty darn funny, good not great.
MockingJay 2 EDIT: SAW IT! Excellent conclusion after the mildly disappointing part 1.
Creed
Terminator Genisys EDIT: SAW IT! Shockingly good, easily the best since T2!
Black Mass EDIT: SAW IT! Very by the numbers, but I was never bored.
Joy
Amy (doc)
Steve Jobs (not the Ashton Kutcher version obviously) EDIT: SAW IT! Very good.
Ted 2 EDIT: SAW IT! Hella funny, though not as side splitting as the original.
Finally, we have to end with the disappointments.
Cinderella
Beautifully shot and directed and completely forgettable and unnecessary. I don't understand this compulsion to make a live action remake of an animated classic note for note and beat for beat - except without the music. I mean, I guess I do understand the compulsion - money. Not that there's anything wrong with that per se, but I fear these live action do-overs will tarnish the Disney legacy much the way the straight to DVD sequels did back in the 1990's. Anyone remember Cinderella III? I do, unfortunately.
Pitch Perfect 2
Great singing and choreography, weak story and improvised scenes that go nowhere. Anna Kendrick phones it in and Rebel Wilson is thoroughly not funny. Also, what is my girl Hailee Steinfeld doing here and why is she so terrible?
Cobain: Montage of Heck
An interesting but ultimately unfulfilling look at a very talented dude who was ultimately a selfish asshole. The home movies of Kurt and Courtney do not make them sympathetic whatsoever. I'm glad their kid has grown up and distanced herself from her mom. What a trainwreck.
So that's it - over all another great year for movies. Any I've missed here, be sure to let me know!
Remember, I love the movies, I only like films. What's the difference? Movies are fun, flamboyant, and often have little to do with reality. They have explosions, bare breasts for no reason other than prurience, profanity galore and a lot of cool shit. Films delve deep into social issues and are framed in a mirror of our day to day lives. In other words, all the grim despair that you can find on the local news - you can often find in films. Not my favorite thing usually.
As usual, first here's a list of movies that I enjoyed and would recommend, but they didn't make my top ten. In no particular order they are...
Mission Impossible 5
Not as good as parts 3 or 4, but still a hell of a lot of fun.
Furious 7
I've never been a huge fan of this series, but I do always enjoy the gags (stunts) and the frenetic energy. I've especially liked the recent movies, which are more caper flicks than anything. Especially moving in this one is the tribute to Paul Walker at the end - gets me all choked up every time I see it.
Jurassic World
This one is a blast and a hell of a lot of fun. A warm and fuzzy tribute to the original that gets better each time I see it. Yes, we did get it on Blu-Ray. I have to be honest though, I'm a bit mystified that it made SO much money. I mean it's made like, crazy Titanic/Star Wars type money. I think it's because I'm old and this wasn't really made for me. Still, I can appreciate Chris Pratt a lot, he truly elevates the material. The last act is also a superb action/stunt/cg showcase that is very satisfying.
Tomorrow Land
This one got panned by the critics and dismissed by a lot of people who said it was too preachy and sanctimonious. I avoided it for a long time because I despise being lectured by people like Clooney, who deserves every bit of the South Park episode that blasts him for being a smug douche about social issues. So I was very surprised when my kid and I finally saw this on a Disney cruise, at how good it was. So good, that we saw it twice! A good action adventure story that reminded me very much of the old great Disney live action adventures like Witch Mountain and Candleshoe. Looking forward to putting this one on my shelf.
Trainwreck
Shumer is hilarious and oh so wrong and so is this movie, which of course also has heart as do all the raunch-coms these days. Hader is great as well.
Paddington
An unexpected gem, brought to you by the Harry Potter production team. This one will be around for a long time. It's similar in tone and message to the Nanny McPhee movies, which my family and I have enjoyed for years.
Okay, and the two best docs I saw in 2015.
Going Clear
Fascinating indictment of L. Ron Hubbard and his cult. Had no idea all the dark stuff that went on and is likely still going on with this bunch of crazies.
Best of Enemies
A great examination of politics through the two O.G.'s of modern discourse on television. I don't care too much for the docs lazy conclusion that Buckly and Vidal begat Fox News, as if Fox News is some crazy and evil entity - but there's enough meat on the bones here in the rest of the piece that it's easy to forgive this typical conclusion.
Okay, and here's the top ten. Really enjoyed all of these immensely.
11. Avengers 2
Originally this was in the top ten, it got bumped when I saw The Martian. Age of Ultron falls well short of the impossibly high bench mark set by the first Avengers movie. But it's still a great time. The heart of the film is the 'dream' sequences / flashbacks that our leads go through. I always wanted to visit Black Widow's past - and this is just a perfect way to do it. They show us just enough that we can fill in the rest ourselves. I also love the Vision, and he has several movie stealing moments that make the convoluted plot and exposition for future movies well worth it.
10. The Walk
Had very little interest in seeing this after watching the superb doc Man on Wire. Movies based on true stories are almost always inferior to the real people and places shown in documentaries. Two thirds of the way through this film I still believed this. Then we went out on the wire in 3D and in Imax and I suddenly understood why Zemekis wanted to make this movie. He does what no documentary could ever do - he puts us out on the wire with Philipe. Absolutely breath taking, and an experience that can only be found in a movie theater. No point in getting this on Blu Ray, it's a good movie, but only a great one on the big screen.
9. Sicario
This one is the closest thing I have to a "film" on the list. Emily Blunt is a revelation in this grim, gritty and bleak exploration of the drug trade and the soldiers that fight it. Benicio Del Toro is also phenomenal, as an avenger of death who does anything and everything he needs to do to get justice. This movie is both enthralling and repulsive - violent to the extreme in parts and heart wrenching as well. Are the good guys good here? I think for the most part they are. I was certainly rooting for Benicio through most of it. The final scene though, is the heart of the film and truly leaves us wondering if there are any true heroes left. Ambiguous and terrifying, for sure not upbeat or fantastical. Why did I love this so much? What's wrong with me?
8. Hateful Eight
On the opposite end of believability and seriousness - we have Quentin Tarantino's eighth film. This time a parlor mystery, shot in 70 millimeter and taking place mostly in one room. I just love love love the over the top characters and dialogue. It's insane, it's extreme, it's hyper-violent and yet not at all realistic beyond being a fantastic character study and extravagent whodunit mystery. I love love love Jennifer Jason Leigh - her character is truly a horrible person, and yet somehow we feel a bit of sympathy for her plight. Sam Jackson kicks all kinds of ass here, chewing up the scenery as he goes. Kurt Russell is as always, every bit a movie star - but as he's older, he's morphed into a great character actor too. I can't wait to see this again at home, it's just so wonderfully gory, silly and sick at the same time. I also believe, as I do with all of Quintin's work, that it is very righteous and every bit a morality play. Too bad he's such a dip-shit in real life.
7. Ant Man
Best Marvel movie of the two this year and probably top 5 over all. A great caper / heist movie. Funny, smaller, yet somehow still epic. Michael Douglas is a marvel, so to speak. Especially impressive is a young Michael Douglas in the prologue. How did they do that? Rudd's Scott Lang is great and very faithful to the comic. I can't wait to see Hope Van Dyne as the Wasp in the next one. And of course, the highlight of the whole thing is Pena's frenetic story telling via' comical lip synching of various larger than life characters, including Stan Lee of course.
6. Inside Out
Absolutely blown away by this one. The most heart wrenching and powerful Pixar flick since Up. What could have been a contrived and clunky premise, is instead a revelatory examination of the human psyche and ultimately a reassuring journey for the young and the young at heart. The story is about an 11 year old girl, and I of course, have an 11 year old girl. Needless to say I blubbered a bit more than once watching this one.
5. Ex Machina
Best original sci-fi story I've seen in a long time. I just adore all 3 main performances here. Oscar Isaac is just fantastic. Bill Weasely is almost entirely unrecognizable, and the girl robot is out of this world in her deeply compelling but disturbing portrayal of an artificial mind. The story goes exactly where I expected it to go - but I was still enthralled by it. Great great stuff, the best kind of popcorn flick for grown-ups.
4. The Revenant
I really liked Birdman but I absolutely love Alejandro's follow up. One of the most visually stunning movies I've ever seen - shot in what looks to be almost entirely on location in the frozen reaches of Canada. This movie is harsh, it's brutal and it pulls at the heart strings as well. I was more than half way through the movie before I realized that Mad Max was the bad guy. That Hardy fellow is quite the chameleon. And now finally, after Wolf of Wallstreet and now this movie, I finally get what all the fuss is about Leo. He absolutely just owns his character and this story. I have to see this again soon. (Warning: there is a rape in this movie, which is about my least favorite thing ever. I always let people know about this element, as I myself tend to walk out if things get too out of hand. Good news is though, the rape is brief (like 10 seconds) and not graphic - and best of all the female isn't scared, she's pissed and then gets her revenge quickly and in a very brutal fashion.)
3. The Martian
Finally saw this with the wife the other night and have to say I was pleasantly bowled over - not just because of the great FX and suspenseful story line, reminiscent of the best parts of Castaway, but I love this movie so much for it's effervescent optimism. There are no 'bad guys' in this film - there are disagreements, but in the end, everyone pulls together and gets Watney home. Very fun, very upbeat, and most of all hopeful. This movie is true nourishment for the soul, a big heaping portion of uplift and rightfully this movie leaps nearly to the top of my best list.
2. Star Wars VII
Where to begin. I think I will write a separate review for this one soon - but suffice it to say, this one is an absolute home run. I've seen it 4 times now I believe, and will be watching it for the rest of my life. If you love Star Wars, you love this movie. Period.
1. Mad Max Fury Road
If you had told me how good the new Star Wars movie was going to be at the beginning of 2015, I would've never have imagined that a different film could end up at the top of my list. George Miller, that 70 year old mad man from Australia, has done it again and captured lightening in a bottle to present an apocalyptic death race that is every bit as good, and maybe even better, than the seminal film of it's genre, The Road Warrior. Again, I feel compelled to write a separate review for this one, there's just so much to love. It's big and loud and over the top, and mostly dialogue free - but it says so much. If you loved Road Warrior, you love this movie. Period.
So, there it is. I also really want to see these - and most likely will at home on Netflix.
The Martian (can't wait for this one) - EDIT: SAW IT!
Bridge of Spies EDIT: SAW IT! Very, very, VERY good.
Spy EDIT: SAW IT! Pretty darn funny, good not great.
MockingJay 2 EDIT: SAW IT! Excellent conclusion after the mildly disappointing part 1.
Creed
Terminator Genisys EDIT: SAW IT! Shockingly good, easily the best since T2!
Black Mass EDIT: SAW IT! Very by the numbers, but I was never bored.
Joy
Amy (doc)
Steve Jobs (not the Ashton Kutcher version obviously) EDIT: SAW IT! Very good.
Ted 2 EDIT: SAW IT! Hella funny, though not as side splitting as the original.
Finally, we have to end with the disappointments.
Cinderella
Beautifully shot and directed and completely forgettable and unnecessary. I don't understand this compulsion to make a live action remake of an animated classic note for note and beat for beat - except without the music. I mean, I guess I do understand the compulsion - money. Not that there's anything wrong with that per se, but I fear these live action do-overs will tarnish the Disney legacy much the way the straight to DVD sequels did back in the 1990's. Anyone remember Cinderella III? I do, unfortunately.
Pitch Perfect 2
Great singing and choreography, weak story and improvised scenes that go nowhere. Anna Kendrick phones it in and Rebel Wilson is thoroughly not funny. Also, what is my girl Hailee Steinfeld doing here and why is she so terrible?
Cobain: Montage of Heck
An interesting but ultimately unfulfilling look at a very talented dude who was ultimately a selfish asshole. The home movies of Kurt and Courtney do not make them sympathetic whatsoever. I'm glad their kid has grown up and distanced herself from her mom. What a trainwreck.
So that's it - over all another great year for movies. Any I've missed here, be sure to let me know!
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