HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF GOING TO A CONVENTION?

In September my wife and I went on our first real on our own vacation in the 33 years we've been married. So where did we go? To a horror fan convention of course. Now, you might think that this was something I pushed for but in fact this was her choice. Why? Because Grant Wilson, one of the founding members of T.A.P.S. and one of the original members of the TV series GHOST HUNTERS was going to be there. He'd always been her favorite on the show which she continues to watch even though he left.

So what was it like? Well first off it was BIG. Too big for me I think. I've gotten too old and too rickety to enjoy shows like this one. It was also geared far more towards paranormal things than horror films too (unless you're a big TRUE BLOOD fan) which for me made it not as thrilling. It was still fun but as far as conventions go, not my thing. The best part of the trip wasn't who we met but actually being able to spend the time on the road there with my wife and having some fun together somewhere other than here at home.

If you've never been to a horror convention then you need to go. Forget the fact that you're not the biggest horror movie lover of all time, its fun just to go and see the actors as well as those in attendance. But there are good conventions and bad ones. So let me tell you about this one first, one that was probably good for some but not my cup of tea.

We went all out, staying at the Hyatt that connected to the convention center there in Lexington, KY. This made things easy as we never had to leave the complex for anything. Walking from the hotel to the convention area we went through a three story galleria that had a number of pricey shops and then on the lower level a number of fast food places like Subway, Arbys, etc. Moving on from there you went to the main entrance area of the convention center, stood in line for your tickets, then shuffled over to another area where we got our goody bag (we went gold ticket status which got us each a T-Shirt, program, lanyard, mini-poster and admittance to the main hall an hour ahead of anyone else). Travel a short distance down a hallway and there was the main hall.

Now this one was different from the other conventions I attended due to the interests of the vendors there. It became apparent that it was geared towards the paranormal when you saw vendors for things like haunted hotels, ghost hunting vacations, crystals, jewelry, tattoos, helping your aura with a foot massage and more. I think I saw one or two poster dealers and only one DVD dealer, a mainstay of horror conventions. To get to the celebrities in attendance you had to go to the back end of the main hall. I would say that the hall here was at least 100 yards deep if not larger.

The celebs in attendance were nice but the lines were huge. That's one thing that happens at the bigger shows. More mainstream stars equals more fad in passing fans, people that jump on the bandwagon because whatever movies or shows these people are connected to are the hot item right now. Like I said there were maybe 5 cast members from TRUE BLOOD there. If I was a fan I'd have been tickled. Other stars included Nancy Loomis Kyes (the original HALLOWEEN), Charles Cyphers (same movie as well as other John Carpenter films), Danielle Harris, Ken Foree (DAWN OF THE DEAD), Bruce Davison (the original WILLARD, X-MEN, etc.), Malcolm McDowell, Sean Cunningham, Kane Hodder and more.

The celebs on the ghost hunting paranormal side were what we came for though. Among those we met Paul Bradford (GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL), Josh Gates (DESTINATION TRUTH), John Zaffis (HAUNTED COLLECTOR), Aaron Goodwin (GHOST ADVENTURES), and from GHOST HUNTERS there were Adam Berry, Steve Gonsalves, Dave Tango and of course Grant Wilson. I heard and read that Zak Bagans was there but each time I walked by his booth he was no where to be found (though my wife did see him there one time). Word is that he has a prima donna attitude and from what I saw and heard from others at the show its a reputation he deserves.

All of the GHOST HUNTER team was tremendous to meet. They were exceptionally friendly, made as much time as possible to talk to people in line and get pics taken and treated fans like each one was the first person they'd talked to that day. I'm sure it was hell standing there all day like that but they were quite personable. Later on we saw their question and answer panel and not only were they informative they were hilarious as well. When we left we were bigger fans than ever.

On a side note when we headed home from this trip we stopped (since we were in Kentucky) to visit with my wife Cathy's cousins, Connie and Joni, that she hadn't seen in like 10 years. It was a nice time and we spent over 2 hours just enjoying the sun sitting on a patio area of the restaurant we met at. The only bad thing about the trip was getting home to find the air conditioner in the car broke down while we were heading home. Bummer.

So that's one convention. Big, little personal contact, good celebs and bad, not so interesting vendors and no sense of community. This is not to say it was bad but it wasn't my thing.

There is a better convention I've been to that I spent some time explaining to my father about the other day. My son goes to this convention twice a year, in the spring and fall, and I don't think has missed one in 9 years. This is Cinema Wasteland and it is nothing like Scarefest. I mean that in a good way.

Wasteland is a celebration of movies. Not big overblown budget type films but exploitation, drive in, B-movie, horror and science fiction films. Some of these movies qualify for so bad they're good reputations. Some are just bad. All are just plain old fun. And that's what going to this convention is all about.

To begin with this convention has chosen to remain the same year after year, bypassing the mega-complex locations that most of the new kids on the block have chosen and instead staying in the smaller more personal Holiday Inn there in Strongsville, OH. Here you enter the hotel lobby to find the main hall to your near immediate right. The hall itself is more like a meeting place than convention hall. In trying to describe it I would say that it wasn't even as big as half a football field and maybe more like the size of a basketball court, in the lines.

Vendors here run into the weird and normal both but are almost always geared towards movie fans. Booths are set up to sell T-shirts (go Joel Robinson!), books, posters, DVDs (bootleg and standard), comics, deady bears and more. There are people who have shot their own films and market them via their own company. There are movie companies that have specialty categories in horror like Synapse and Troma. And then there are the celebrities.

The celebs at Wasteland are just as different as those attending the various conventions. Many of those in attendance here are on their way up, forgotten stars of the past that deserve more respect or new stars getting their foot in the door. While Wasteland doesn't always have a theme show more often then not they do. This last time around they had the cast of the original THE HILLS HAVE EYES there. The first time I went they had almost the entire cast of the original THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. The celebs here don't act all high and mighty either. They realize that the fans at this show are there because they love the movies, they love the movies these people made and they just want to thank them for giving them fond memories all these years. Not only do the celebs at this convention seem more like family, they act it as well joining the fans to sit out on the front stoop to smoke a cigarette or just walking into the bar where everyone is sitting and having fun. There is no tight knit security teams here and there's no need. These fans treat the stars with respect and adulation without being creepy.

There's a different attitude towards how the celebs here treat the fans when it comes to autographs as well. While the big shows will demand anywhere from $30-40 per autograph Wasteland rarely goes over the $20 mark and is usually less. Like I said, these celebs are here because they know the fans love and respect them as opposed to fans that will pay $30 for an autograph only to go home and pop in onto ebay for $50.

During this show there are the usual Q & A panels but they're different from the big ones because rather than just have an hour long panel, they start with that and then often screen the big movie that the show's theme is all about while the stars comment on what's going on. It's sort of like a live commentary track. There are two rooms showing films, one 16mm prints and one on DVD. Wasteland also celebrates independent film makers by offering a special event on Friday night where they screen short films that have been made and sent to host Ken Kisch (please Ken, don't hate me if I spelled the name wrong).

Wasteland also has been the first convention to celebrate the horror host by bringing them in from around the country. I know one of the big conventions has done this as well but they're copping that idea from this one. The Saturday night late show is always hosted by A.Ghastlee Ghoul, Dayton's long time horror host, and can be anything from a talent show featuring different acts like belly dancers to a banjo player strumming punk rock music or it could be a rock and roll preacher revival meeting. You never know for sure what to expect.

So what makes this convention so much different than the other (and in my view a better convention)? I've hinted at it throughout this piece: it's more like family. In actuality this convention IS about family. Your extended family. The folks coming to this show have been doing so for years and during that time have developed long standing friendships that continue via email and social media. But its the actual events held twice a year that these folks look forward to. For those people its not just a convention that starts at 9 when the doors open, its a three day party where sleep is an option that many bypass or limit to just a few hours. Its a family get together where you find your favorite aunt, your always seeming to pass out inebriated uncle, your bad brother, your little sister you have to protect, and on occasion even a mom and dad might be there (yours truly was one of those when I went). These folks are having a blast, celebrating life and family and friends just as much as they're celebrating the movies and starts they've come to meet.

The smaller atmosphere makes this convention a much more personal experience. You're not overwhelmed by the sheer size of it or the grandiose treatment that stars get. Here you'll see Bill Mosley, an actor whose portrayed some seriously messed up murdering bastards, smiling and signing autographs while eating pecan sandies. You'll see Ken Foree thrilled to meet you because you're a fellow Hoosier (he's from Indianapolis). You'll get to know the vendors and they'll make some great deals (many of which get better by day three). You'll pick things up that you'll treasure instead of just picking something up to sell to someone at a profit.

Like I said, this show is about family plain and simple. Sure the more straight folks among you will see some unusual sights, tons of tatts, plenty of piercings day glo hair dyes, lots of leather and some of the most amusingly intoxicated individuals still able to walk. But isn't that what life is all about? Isn't the fun of going places to see things you don't normally see and to experience things you don't normally do? This convention is one where you can leave your comfort zone without fear of anything bad happening to you because while these folks may not look like the guy who works in the cubicle next to you come Monday, each of them would jump at the chance to help someone in trouble attending the show. I would hate to be a thief at one of these shows knowing that if I were called out on it there would be several thousand people ready to pounce on me to change my evil ways.

Like I said at the start, I think everyone should attend at least one of these conventions. And while I may not want to ruin Cinema Wasteland by having too many people begin to show, this is the one I highly recommend. Not only is it the most fun, its less expensive in everything from ticket costs to autograph costs to room costs.

I'll finish with two things, a list of who's coming to the next show and a link to their web site. Thank goodness for copy and paste because here's who will be at their next show so far April 4-6, 2013:

"JOHN AMPLAS - The star of George Romero’s Martin and Day of the Dead also appeared in Knightriders, Dawn of the Dead, and Creepshow. You can also find John in Bloodeaters (aka Toxic Zombies), John Russo’s Midnight, and more.

TOM ATKINS - With so many cool films under his belt, where do you even start when it comes to Tom Atkins? The Fog, Escape From New York, Halloween 3: Season of the Witch, Night of the Creeps, Maniac Cop, Lethal Weapon, The Ninth Configuration, Two Evil Eyes… The list goes on and on.

LARRY COHEN - Writer and Director Larry Cohen is responsible for some great drive-in memories for us here at CW. With movies like Black Caesar, Hell Up in Harlem, It’s Alive 1, 2, and 3, God Told Me To, The Stuff, Q: The Winged Serpent, Special Effects, Maniac Cop 1, 2, and 3, Full Moon High, and The Ambulance under his belt, Larry Cohen has bounced around every genre and type of movie he could make during his career.

GERRIT GRAHAM - With films like Phantom of the Paradise, Cannonball, Demon Seed, Used Cars, Tunnel Vision, Chopping Mall, C.H.U.D. 2: Bub the Chud, It’s Alive 3: Island of the Alive, Bobbi Jo and the Outlaw, and Child’s Play 2 under his belt, character actor Gerrit Graham has always been a fan favorite.

LAURENE LANDON - Long and leggy Laurene Landon was a favorite turn to actress for Larry Cohen, and made her mark in films like Maniac Cop, It’s Alive 3: Island of the Alive, The Ambulance, Armed Response, Full Moon High, The Stuff, Airplane 2, and Wicked Stepmother to name but a few.

SERENA - What would a CW Show be without a classic adult film star? To us here, incomplete is the word that comes to mind. The gorgeous redhead worked in the adult film industry in the 1970s and 80s, where she made her mark in films like Dracula Sucks, Ultra Flesh, and The Seduction of Cindy (with this past shows guest Seka), Insatiable (with one of our favorite CW guests, Marilyn Chambers), Bound and Aunt Peg (with past CW guest Jamie Gillis), along with Ecstasy Girls, Deep Rub, New York Babes, and a whole lot more.

KEVIN TENNEY - Writer and Director Kevin Tenney made a few movies all CW attendees will know, including Witchboard, Night of the Demons, Witchtrap, The Cellar, Pinocchio’s Revenge, and Endangered Species. He’s also a fan of what CW is all about, so if he acts more like a fan than a guest all weekend you’ll know why.

DANIEL BOYD hung out at the Troma tables all weekend and had himself a great time introducing his film, Chillers, on Friday night. He had so much fun over the weekend that he’ll be back chillin’ with Troma again next April when we’ll screen his movie, Invasion of the Space Preachers, on Friday or Saturday.

And of course our old friend and fellow CW family member, Tom Sullivan, will be back to help us celebrate our 25th show with new artwork and merchandise."

Here's the link: http://cinemawasteland.com/show.html

Who knows, maybe I'll show up at this next one. I know folks I met at the last one I attended nearly 7 years ago continue to ask my son where I am. That won't happen at the one Scarefest I attended.

BURGER KING...THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

So yesterday I posted about my trip to Burger King and the terrible representation of what they call food there. I'm sorry but this truly is NOT brain surgery or rocket science. If it were then we'd still be doing lobotomies and would never have made it to the moon.

With all that went on you would have thought I had learned my lesson. In actuality I did. But today my wife woke up hungry for a Whopper. You see being Wednesday it was Whopper Wednesday and she had a craving. Since she worked a 12 hour shift last night, had been up 24 hours including those 12 and had only had 5 hours of sleep I knew what to do. Make sure she got her Whopper! Who says you can't learn something after 33 years of marriage?

I went and placed my order. I got her Whopper with cheese, no pickle, extra ketchup. I also ordered 2 hamburgers for my dogs (yes it's human food they shouldn't have but occasionally I treat my babies). Lastly In ordered a BK Big Fish for myself with cheese and ketchup only. The screen showed my order correctly. My receipt shows my order correctly. Did it arrive correct? Do I really need to ask?

Instead of just cheese and ketchup, two of the simplest things to put on a sandwich, they got it half right. The cheese part. But rather than ketchup I got tartar sauce, mayonnaise and lettuce. To make my sandwich took them more time with the additions they put on the thing. Not only that but it wasn't cost effective since the squirts of mayo and tartar sauce could have been saved for someone who wanted them. As far as the lettuce goes I'm thinking there is a method to their madness. Keep in mind yesterday my wife's whopper tasted like a lettuce sandwich with meat garnish. I'm thinking someone higher up at Burger King has invested in a lettuce farm. The more lettuce they use the more they have to buy. Whoever he/she is they must be making a killing.

After posting my complaint to Burger King yesterday they were kind enough to reply. Here is the email I got back from them:

" Dear Mark Turner,

Thank you for taking the time to contact BURGER KING® restaurants. As a
valued guest, your comments and observations are very important to us.

We strive to exceed expectations for all of our Guests and your feedback
is valuable in helping us to continuously work towards providing the best
possible Guest experience.

As your patronage is important to us we hope that you will continue to
dine with us, we are sending you a WHOPPER® coupon that may be used at any
of our participating restaurants. Please allow 2 to 3 weeks to receive
your coupon by mail.

Thank you again for bringing this matter to our attention and rest assured
that your comments have been forwarded to the appropriate management team
so that they may be aware of your concerns. We value your opinion and look
forward to serving you again in the near future.

Kind regards,

BURGER KING® Restaurants Guest Relations"


I'm so glad when places do this. You tell them your food was crappy so they send you a coupon for more food. It's a nice way of saying yeah you lost your money on the lousy meal you had but we're not giving you the money back...it's cheaper and easier to send you coupons for a sandwich that won't be near as expensive for us to give you.

I've already received a response from today's visit. Yes I did send them another complaint. Today's response was similar but didn't include free food coupons which I honestly didn't want.

"Dear Mark Turner,

Thank you for taking the time to contact BURGER KING® restaurants. As a
valued guest, your comments and observations are very important to us.

Your feedback is valuable in helping us to continuously work towards
providing the best possible guest experience.

Thank you again for bringing this matter to our attention and rest assured
that your comments have been forwarded to the appropriate management team
so that they may be aware of your concerns. We value your opinion and look
forward to serving you again in the near future.
Kind Regards,

BURGER KING® restaurants Guest Relations"

Honestly my goal is not to get the person who runs the place in trouble. I've been a manager before and you end up getting the brunt of all complaints from the top to the bottom. Yes, the person who screwed up the sandwich should be told he screwed it up. Yes, they should work to improve the problems that I've encountered. But I've always felt that things like this start at the top and work their way down. You can't hold someone accountable if you don't give them the tools that they need (like more than 2-3 people running the place at any given moment).

And if my complaint is sent on to the local store why would I want to go back? If that kid who screwed up my last order got his butt reamed and he suddenly sees my order coming through because of the coupon or my credit card being used, what are the odds that a big ole ball of something nasty isn't going to end up on that sandwich?

I think I'll reply to the email I received. Lord know that fill in the blank complaint at their web site doesn't offer a place to make a suggestion. How about keep your coupons and reimburse me what it cost me to eat nearly inedible food? While I think that's fair my guess is I'll end up with two coupons for a Whopper instead.

FAST FOOD FARCE

If you know me at all you know I try to be fair on most things. But if you really know me you also know that I am not a person who is fond of bad service or bad food at fast food restaurants. We've become a society where it's so much easier to just pull into the drive thru to pick up dinner rather than slave over a stove or make multiple visits to the grocery store to prepare for meals. The problem is that when we do this we often find ourselves disappointed and outraged by the things we end up getting.

I think a major part of this is because of the promises made before we even place the order. We're shown gorgeous shots of mouth watering delights that start the saliva glands flowing. We see pictures of fresh products with swollen portions seemingly pouring out of every conceivable nook and cranny, burgers that are overflowing with meat, fish sandwiches that are unable to be contained by a bun and other delights like mine tonight, pulled BBQ pork sandwiches that make you wonder if your mouth is even big enough to take a bit. Unfortunately reality and what they tell us we're going to get are two different items.

Tonight's attempt to avoid the kitchen and get dinner was a trip to Burger King. Before we discuss tonight, let me go back. I've had good visits to Burger King but I've also had some of the most horrendous ever there. One time I had an entire order screwed up only to discover it when I got home. A phone call to the manager had him offer to send the whole order fresh and correct. Thirty minutes later I called to ask if he had forgotten me. He informed me they'd had a bus stop in and they were swamped but assured me it was going to head out the door momentarily. I'm a reasonable person so I said fine. Thirty minutes after that my reasonable demeanor kind of vanished as I called back once more. This time he told me that the person he sent couldn't find my house. Let me explain how difficult it would be to find my house: leave the back exit of BK by turning left, go to the stop sign and turn right, go 6 small blocks to where the road T's out, turn right (you can only turn right since it's a one way street), take the first left, go a block and turn left once more. They're located on 13th and I'm on 4th. Shouldn't be difficult, right? Apparently for whoever was driving it was.

A year or so ago I had another problem with Burger King. It was so terrible I decided to contact their home office via email. Unfortunately I discovered that Burger King had yet to join the 21st century and the only way to contact them was via phone and only during 9-5 hours on weekdays. I imagine this is to they don't have to bother with complaints and the attention I received on that phone call proved me right. The person who answered seemed uninterested and only too willing to send out a few passes to get me off the phone ASAP. To say that I was surprised that in 2012 this was the only way you could contact them would be an understatement. This brings us to tonight.

Let's start with the items I ordered. I always order something extra on the chance that the first thing I ordered will truly suck. It's a good idea to do this and if both items come out fine then you have something for lunch the next day. If both are bad then it's a good day for the dogs here. Their tastes are less picky than mine. Keep in mind they also eat from the littler box if not stopped so that should explain how picky they are. So here was the order I placed.

            2 Whopper Jr.

            1 BBQ Pulled pork sandwich - no onion, no sauce

            1 Double stacker - no sauce

            1 Large Sweet potato fry

            2 Orders of Cinnabons

            1 Large Diet Coke

            1 Medium Diet Coke

The drinks were fine. No problem. Then again it's kind of difficult to screw up a drink (though some places have been known to do so substituting regular for diet, not a good thing for those diabetics out there). The double stacker was fine too though not very tasty. That about sums up the good things.

The whopper juniors were for my wife. Her description says it best: they seemed like lettuce sandwiches with a meat garnish. The ratio of burger to toppings left much to be desired. To make it clearer for the folks at Burger King, if the name of your restaurant is "burger" then your burger should be outstanding. It shouldn't be hidden behind a leaf of lettuce or half slice of tomato.

The sweet potato fries. I love sweet potatoes. I didn't as a kid but do now. And with the new interest in turning them into fries I consider it a good thing. As long as they have flavor. These did not. There wasn't that sweet flavor that accompanies the usual sweet potato. The only flavor here was salt and it was so overpowering that it made me wonder what salt lick these fries were dragged over.

The Cinnabons. I placed an order for 2 orders, I got one box with 2 Cinnabons in it. This could be a simple mistake so it's one I'm willing to give them a pass on. With the "high tech" speaker systems most Burger Kings use I was just glad she heard the order at all.

Which leaves us with my most cherished memory of this visit, the pulled pork BBQ sandwich. That mouth watering delight that is pictured like this on Burger King's web site:

I posted this so that you could see exactly what I'm talking about when I say promises are rarely filled. To illustrate, here is the actual sandwich that I got. Forgive the photography I don't get paid thousands per hour to make food look good. I just used a cell phone.

So there is the sandwich when unwrapped. Sure there was no onion and no sauce, but I just don't see the meat there slathered in BBQ sauce just oozing out of the sides because the bun could just not contain all that mouth watering goodness! Sorry I got carried away. Just what was inside that bun? I mean because if you look at it you'd never know there was anything inside of it. Here it is, with and without flash, so you can see what gorgeous hunks of meat Burger King uses for these sandwiches!

Okay...this reminded me of an old commercial from when I was a kid. I think the fast food place was The Red Barn, a chain that is now gone. It showed someone open up a sandwich, look at a tiny piece of meat they were calling a burger and ask "What's this? A monocle?"

I can say this about my visit. For once it didn't take the usual 10-15 minutes to wait once my order was placed. This location is notorious for this. They usually only have 1-2 people on hand to deal with ordering and cooking and the last time I complained the one in front spent more time on his cell phone than on my order. McDonalds is within viewing distance of this location and I swear, you could watch their line and see 10 people go through and receive their orders in the time it takes you to get yours at Burger King. Oddly enough they're still in business.

The other good thing this time was the people working there. I know they are hard workers (except for that kid with the cell phone). They do their best and the girl who took my order tonight gave me a smile, did all she could to help me and even gave me an extra bad I asked for to hold some things I'd just picked up at the veterinarian's office. Their good people. They can't help it if this is the product they have to carry. They can't help it if the items pictures in magazines and web sites and in commercials looks absolutely nothing like what they're sending out. This is a home office problem.

So I did what I normally do when I'm not happy with my order or service somewhere, I went online to see if I could let them know. Low and behold after a year Burger King now has a way to let you know about your trip! Maybe not in too much detail but at least its there. The most difficult thing there was that I only had 500 characters to let them know how bad their stuff was. Sure it sounds easy but not when you have so much wrong to talk about!

So there you have it. I'm guessing I'm not alone with the problems folks have at fast food joints across the country. Then again maybe it's a conspiracy against me and they wait with charts and graphs and walkie talkies waiting to see where I am going and deciding just what to make a mistake on this visit. Okay I'm not really that paranoid as to believe that. But it sure would be nice for someone else to say you know what, they totally screwed my order up too! If you thought you were the only one, know that the rest of us are out here.

THE REALITY OF "STAND YOUR GROUND" LAW: FLORIDA ISN'T ALONE, 31 STATES HAVE IT

So with all the talk about "stand your ground" laws being so bad I thought I'd find out more. First off, for those who seem not to be aware, the "stand your ground" law had nothing to do with the Zimmerman/Martin case. I know, the people that keep acting as if the jury never delivered a verdict continue to try and connect the two, including President Obama, but it was never a part of this trial just as racial prejudice wasn't a part of it.

So in looking I found out that the "stand your ground law" basically states that it gives you the right to defend yourself without a requirement to evade or retreat from a dangerous situation. Note that it doesn't say attack but it does say defend. Again, this was not a part of the Zimmerman/Martin trial so always keep that in mind. Had it affected crime rates since it was imposed?

It depends on which source you look at. Almost all places I looked said it did lower crime rates. One site claimed that it increased the homicide rate but they didn't mention that the FBI crime statistics included justifiable homicides, never separating the two types of homicides. So this law could have been implemented in an attack resulting in a justifiable homicide. Something to consider is that if this law does have an effect of lowering crime then why is it people want to see it repealed?

What was really interesting to me was the number of states that have "stand your ground" laws.  I keep hearing all the protestors and trouble stirrers saying they need to boycott Florida because they have the "stand your ground" law. Stevie Wonder said he refuses to perform there until they repeal it. If he is truly offended by the law and not just the uproar over the Zimmerman/Martin case then he'll have a hard time working if he stops playing in states where they have this same law or a form of it. They include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California (!), Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire (!), North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. This leaves 21 states without a form of this law (19 when you learn Virginia and Washington are looking into adapting this type of law) that Wonder will be able to perform in. He's rich enough that he won't suffer much by limiting where he plays. The question is how serious he is about it. Is he saying this simply because of the Zimmerman/Martin case or because he truly feels this law is unjust? If so then he needs to refuse to perform in all 31 states until they all repeal the law.

And what about all those protesting and saying they should boycott Florida simply over the "stand your ground" law there? If they truly feel this is a law that's a problem then why single out Florida? Why not boycott EVERY state that has this law in effect? I mean boycott salmon from Alaska, boycott movies from California, boycott peaches from Georgia, don't watch any Penn State games, no IU basketball, no more Wisconsin cheese, and no more country music from Nashville TN! The list could go on and on.

I suggest people honestly look into those who want to get people angry over the "stand your ground" law. Look at their real motivations. Do they want what they call justice for Trayvon or are they just using his memory to line their own pockets, to justify their own existence? His memory is disserved when it is used as a platform for someone's personal gain rather than to move the discussion forward in an attempt to prevent something like this from happening again.

The fact is that this boycott Florida thing isn't about "stand your ground" laws. It's about getting people riled up. It's about stirring the pot and making everyone get excited. If you don't like the law, work to get it changed. But be honest about it and don't single out one state when 31 have it on their books. Don't dishonestly portray a case like the Zimmerman/Martin case as being a part of this when it actually had nothing to do with it. What happened was a tragedy. It IS terrible that a life was lost. But it had nothing to do with this law. The jury made their decision based on the laws on the books, which didn't include the "stand your ground" law. If you don't like the self defense laws on the books why not work to change them because if the "stand your ground" law weren't on the books it wouldn't have made a difference in the Zimmerman/Martin trial. Deal with reality, with the real laws that were used in making the decision in that trial rather than simply attacking a law that had nothing to do with it.

MOVIE PRESS = DEBBIE DOWNER

Am I the only one to notice that the press, when talking about movies coming out to theaters, are a bunch of Debbie Downers? I mean there have been a ton of blockbuster films coming out this summer, so many that I would think it would be difficult for any movie to reach the mega-number dollar mark to be called successful. With each new movie coming out the press pops up headlines "THIS MOVIE WON'T BE SUCCESSFUL! IT WON'T MAKE BACK WHAT IT COSTS TO CREATE!"

The latest film to garner these headlines is PACIFIC RIM. The movie doesn't open until July 12 (with some sneak previews the night before hitting screens) and what is the headline on Variety? "PACIFIC RIM Looking Grim With $25 Million to $35 Million Opening". The article then goes on to talk about how much money it costs to make and how there is no way it will recoup what it cost to make. All of this...BEFORE the movie even opens.

Last week it was the same. THE LONE RANGER opened up but not to the amount they wanted it to. So the press began to talk about what a terrible flop the movie was. I saw it and liked it much more than MAN OF STEEL. It did have a few flaws (mostly making the Lone Ranger appear to be a bumbler and focusing more on Tonto) but it was a fun popcorn movie. But before it came out the press focused on how it would flop and how DESPICABLE ME 2 would do better. It did do better but that's because cartoon/family films usually do. (Side note: the next time Hollywood tries to tell folks that the viewing public WANTS more R rated movies point out the fact that the highest grossing films are either PG or G. Of course they'll ignore you but hey, they do that most of the time anyway).

So what are we, the viewing public, supposed to do when it comes to movies? I say we just go see what we like, what we want to see and screw the press. It doesn't matter if the movie doesn't make it's money back on the first weekend. Most movies never do. They make their money back on the sale of merchandise rights, overseas rights, DVD rights and more. If they make it back at the box office then good for them. But never expect that to be the norm. 

The press always seems to think that being as negative as possible is the best way to be. Why have something good to say when they can attempt to topple anyone attempting to make something creative or entertaining? They want to force their opinions more so than any critic who ever wrote. It seems as if their main objective is to bring down movies.

Unless a movie is controversial and not one people want to see. While I can enjoy a movie that has artistic merits, I think the press tends to overdo in that category as well. If it's controversial they love it. If it's something most people will go see, they hate it. Take the movie that won the top prize at Cannes this year (I forget the name and don't even want to bother looking it up). When discussed in the press they noted that it was long (I think around 3 hours) and that it had one of the most revealing lesbian love scenes ever filmed that lasted something like 20 minutes on screen. And then they heaped praise on the film and talked about how wonderful it was and how it was breaking boundaries. Ever notice how a movie that forwards a political idea that Hollywood always agrees with is "breaking boundaries". And yet those movies never play anywhere but either coast, sell poorly on DVD and only get praise and attention from folks in the movie business or snooty critics. Whose minds are enlightened and changed? No ones. 

So why bother listening to the press when it comes to their rants and raves about movies? I'm not talking about critics because at least most of them (myself included) watch the movies they're writing about and offer their own personal opinions of the film. That's what critics do, tell you what the movie is about and what THEY think of the film. Find a critic you most often agree with and stick with them if you want help choosing a movie. As for the press and their doomsayer mentality when it comes to movies I think I'll continue to do what I've always done. I'll ignore them. 

That being said, I'm off to see PACIFIC RIM this Friday and expect to enjoy the film start to finish. Love it or hate it, I'll update this piece to let you know if they were right to proclaim the film's demise or if they were full of hot air once again.

WHEN WERE THE BEST MOVIES MADE?

After watching so many of the movies coming out this summer I realized something. While I've enjoyed them quite a bit I'm not quite enjoying them as much as movies I've watched in the past. Couple that with the number of great movies now becoming available on Netflix (yes I have it and yes I love it) and I began to think about one question: when were the best movies made?

I suppose it's easy to say that the movies you remember from your young adult life would be the movies you remember most. But as a movie buff I was raised on the classic films of the 30s and 40s like THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, CAPTAIN BLOOD, FRANKENSTEIN, THE WOLF MAN, PUBLIC ENEMY, CASABLANCA and THE AFRICAN QUEEN. I spent many a late night or Saturday afternoon enveloped in these movies. But as much as I love them and know how wonderful they were the best movies for me were those made while I was in high school back in the seventies.

So I began to look deeper into it. No not so deep as to take up days worth of digging. But enough that I did searches for the top 100 films of each decade. In looking through those searches for each decade I noticed something. I was right when I started. The best movies that I can remember WERE made in the 70s. If you don't believe me then check out this list. Here are a large number of titles made during the 70s. After reading this list, tell me if you can think of a time when better movies were made.

AIRPORT (the first through the CONCORDE).... PATTON.... LITTLE BIG MAN.... THE OUT OF TOWNERS.... BILLY JACK.... THE FRENCH CONNECTION.... DIRTY HARRY.... A CLOCKWORK ORANGE.... THE LAST PICTURE SHOW.... WILLARD.... THE HOSPITAL.... KLUTE.... THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN.... SHAFT.... BIG JAKE.... THE GODFATHER 1 & 2.... THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE.... WHAT'S UP DOC?.... DELIVERANCE.... JEREMIAH JOHNSON.... THE GETAWAY.... THE VALACHI PAPERS.... THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN.... THE COWBOYS.... SUPER FLY.... THE EXORCIST.... THE STING.... AMERICAN GRAFITTI.... PAPILLON.... THE WAY WE WERE.... MAGNUM FORCE.... PAPER MOON.... LIVE AND LET DIE.... SERPICO.... ENTER THE DRAGON....WALKING TALL.... SLEEPER.... THE TOWERING INFERNO.... BLAZING SADDLES.... YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.... EARTHQUAKE.... THE LONGEST YARD.... DIRTY MARY AND CRAZY LARRY.... TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.... FREEBIE AND THE BEAN.... CHINATOWN.... THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT.... ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST.... JAWS.... DOG DAY AFTERNOON.... RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER.... THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN.... THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR.... FUNNY LADY.... THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.... TOMMY.... ROCKY.... SILVER STREAK.... ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN.... THE OMEN.... THE BAD NEWS BEARS.... THE ENFORCER.... SILENT RUNNING.... SILENT MOVIE.... MURDER BY DEATH.... MARATHON MAN.... CARRIE.... NETWORK.... THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES.... TAXI DRIVER.... STAR WARS.... CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND.... SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER.... SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT.... THE GOODBYE GIRL.... OH GOD!.... THE DEEP.... THE SPY WHO LOVED ME.... THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.... HIGH ANXIETY.... ANNIE HALL.... THE GAUNTLET.... GREASE.... SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE.... ANIMAL HOUSE.... EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE.... ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN.... HEAVEN CAN WAIT.... HOOPER.... WHITE LIGHTENING.... GATOR.... FOUL PLAY.... THE DEER HUNTER.... THE END.... THE CHEAP DETECTIVE.... HALLOWEEN.... MIDNIGHT EXPRESS.... COMA.... STAR TREK.... THE JERK.... ALIEN.... APOCALYPSE NOW.... 10.... MOONRAKER.... THE ELECTRIC HORSEMAN.... MEATBALLS....

About now I know what many of you who were there to see these movies are saying to yourselves. "Oh my God I hadn't thought of that movie in ages! I LOVED that movie!" Tell me I'm wrong. You saw the title and thought back to how much fun a movie was or how much it kept you in suspense. You started saying lines in your head from these movies like "Toga! Toga! Toga!"...."I'm gonna put this foot against that side of your face...and there's not a damn thing you can do about it".... "That Shaft is a bad...Shut yo mouth!"...."Squeal like a piggie!"...."I know what you're thinking punk...did he fire 5 shots or 6?"...."Boards...don't hit back"...."Is it safe?"...."Bond...James Bond"...."FOOD FIGHT!" and "...and scream I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it any more!" Admit it, reading one or all of these phrases brought back memories.

You also saw images in your head. The big Indian cradling Jack Nicholson at the end of CUKOO'S NEST.  Newman and Redford pulling off the big con and giving the signal of brushing their noses with a finger in THE STING. John Belushi falling back on a ladder in ANIMAL HOUSE.  Joe Don Baker tearing open his shirt to show the scars on his body in WALKING TALL. The mother ship coming up over the top of Devil's Mountain in CLOSE ENCOUNTERS. Yes indeed, your mind's eye saw all these images just from seeing the title of the movie. That's how deep an impression they made. And those memories will tell you that this decade was the best for movies.

Anyone care to disagree? Feel free to post comments. I've allowed them for anyone to see. If this wasn't the best decade for movies then what was? Your turn.

By the way, Netflix fans? A lot of these movies are showing up there so if you want to relive a favorite movie or two or three check for these titles there.

WHY "MAN OF STEEL" IS A DISAPPOINMENT

                              Oh gee, look at all the decimated buildings. I hope no one was hurt.

The other day I came home from seeing one of the many summer blockbusters this year, MAN OF STEEL. My son and I disagreed on the movie. He thought it was fantastic. I didn't think I'd probably watch it ever again. Oh sure, I'll probably watch it one more time to write about it, but it's not a movie that I'll want to add to my collection. This being said I should also note that while I wasn't a huge fan of the first SUPERMAN movies with Christopher Reeve I liked it better. So far my favorite Superman film has been SUPERMAN RETURNS.

*SPOILER ALERT*

So let me say why I didn't like it. To begin with it was a dark film. Being a comic fan I can tell you that there was a yin yang set up between Batman and Superman. Batman was a dark character whose past evolved from darkness. Superman was the lighter of the two, a symbol of hope. That is not displayed here. Instead the film seems to have little or no color to it relying on darkness throughout. Even his costume is more dark blue and burgundy than the blue and red we've all know for years.

Hand held shaky camera. I HATE shaky cameras. It feels like ever since the steadi-cam was invented directors have revolted against it and insisted that to make a more "artistic" film they need hand held. Dude, there's a reason we like a steadier picture. It means we can actually see it!

The fight between Superman and two of Zod's henchmen. Well one's a man the other a woman. This felt almost like a shot for shot remake of the battle between Thor and the giant robot from the THOR film. Speaking of fight sequences, those who like this movie all like the fact that Superman finally has a fist fight in a film. Fine and dandy but at the same time he's fist fighting he's obliterating Metropolis. Building collapse filled with people, people on the streets are crushed and the damage to property is astronomical. One online site paid a damage estimate company to come up with a figure and it was to the tune of several billion dollars worth of damage and over 250,000 people dead from this one fight alone. And yet when Zod threatens 3 people and says he'll keep doing so only then does Superman decide to snap his neck and kill him. Had he done so earlier then the damage might have stayed in the low hundred millions.

That neck snap? Something Superman would never do. He's a good guy. He doesn't kill. He finds another way out. Period.

Superman's father telling him that maybe it would have been better to let a busload of kids drown rather than reveal himself by saving them. Two things here. First off the fact that he would advocate the deaths of innocent children is not who Jonathan Kent was. Secondly Superboy/man would have found a way to save the kids and the bus without revealing himself. Toss this in with papa Kent allowing himself to be sucked into a tornado and killed rather than let his son reveal himself and again it wouldn't have happened. Superman would have found a way to save him without revealing himself.

There were a number of other things that just didn't feel right about this movie but the biggest problem with this movie was that there was no joy in it. There didn't seem to be any happiness or reason to smile in this film and that's not at all what Superman is all about. The only time this was captured was when he first learns to fly. There is great joy in that sequence. But it last a few minutes out of the total time of this film.

I won't say that you shouldn't see this movie. If you're a fan of Superman then by all means go. See if you enjoy it. And if you do more power to you. But for me it ruined the Superman I've known and loved for years.

This movie displays the difference between films based on DC Comics characters and Marvel Comics characters. The folks at Marvel get it. They realize up front that their movie is based on a comic book. Those at DC seem to want to dissociate themselves from that fact. They want to make their movies grittier and more realistic. That might work for Batman but not for other characters. I felt the failure of GREEN LANTERN wasn't the costume which so many talked about but the fact that there were multiple bad guys and the main one was some giant monstrosity. No, I didn't want GL to stop bank robberies. But if he had done a few things like that leading up to the giant creature it might have changed things.

There is talk they may to a Justice League movie. If the same people involved are the ones behind this one I don't know if I'll go see it or if I'll save my money and wait for it as a rental. As it stands MAN OF STEEL will not be a movie that will grace the shelves of my collection.

RECENT HISTORY

I remember talking with my dad one day about the amazing changes and influence of what this world has to offer these days. This was several years ago but since that time things have changed even more than then.

One of the things in our conversation was the cell phone. As he said, imagine having been put into a prison say 20 years ago and then look at the changes that have happened since then with just technology. A cell phone at that time looked more like a walkie talkie. Now, they're so small that the days of Dick Tracy's wrist watch phone are here. 

So why bring this up? Because I was thinking about kids going off to college these days who complain about what they do or don't have and letting them know what life was really like. Complaints about the newest Iphone or laptop would fall on deaf ears at my place. When they complain remind them of some of the things that have changed.

For instance (putting on old farts hat) when i was in college here is what we had. We didn't have a color TV or laptop we could watch something on, we had a black and white tiny portable TV. We didn't have cable access in the dorms so we watched what the antenna would pick up. We didn't have disc players and at the time video was only beginning with 2 inch tape cartridges the only thing there was with no one renting anything. No VHS or betamax (explain what those are now). If you wanted to see a movie you either saw it at the theater, on campus when movies were shown there or you waited till it came on TV and had to actually be home there to watch it. We didn't have a microwave. We had a hot plate (which we weren't supposed to have) or a tiny coffee pot that warmed water and held with luck 3 cups worth of water. If you cooked, you shared a two burner stove with the rest of the floor at the end of the hall. If you were hungry, the only places that delivered were either pizza places (this is how Dominos really got busy) or maybe a local sub shop if you were lucky. As for a phone, we shared a phone with the dorm room next door, a in the wall phone that was in a box between the two rooms. There were no cell phones then. Yes, I went to school in the dark ages. For music we had a fairly large stereo with huge speakers. We listened to either the radio or to albums that took up quite a bit of space and you had to be careful of not to melt or scratch. 

These are just the entertainment areas of college then. Contrast that to now. I don't think black and white TVs exist any longer so they have to be all color. I'm not sure but I think dorm rooms come with cable now and if not they do have internet capability which means kids can watch shows online if need be. Disc players have come along with tons of movies available for rent at any time to watch. Even that has recently changed and kids can download their movies to the cloud now and watch without having to have the disc actually there in their hands, just an internet connection. Forget the hotplate, microwaves are small enough to fit in a dorm room now or be hidden in a closet if not allowed. There's no need for a shared phone now as almost everyone owns a cell phone. And as for music, you have choices like Pandora which offers a streaming mix of music categories you enjoy for free or you can have several thousand of you favorite songs in mp3 versions on a single disc or thumb drive. Plug those into your laptop along with a set of small but dynamic speakers and you have a full blown sound system in less space than a cassette deck would have taken years ago. 

I'm not saying that these things are bad or that I begrudge that kids today have these items. I'm sure the things we had were far and above those of our parents when they went to college. Honestly for them I would think they didn't have any spare time and spent those hours either studying or working to pay for school. 

What I am saying is that times change and items we are accustomed to change as well. And kids today need to realize how fortunate they are with what they have rather than be upset because they don't have the best of the best there is. I could be wrong but if they ever had a chance to realize what came before them maybe they might appreciate the things they have today a little bit more. That's not just dorm rooms but everywhere from that CD player in your car to just the internet at home. What would once have required several book cases in a room now can be found online with a few keystrokes and clicks. 

It's an amazing world that we live in. It's amazing for the leaps we've taken over the past few decades. What would be even more amazing is if people would step back every now and then and take notice of the way things have changed and appreciate them each and every one.

ANTI-GUN = PRO CAPITAL PUNISHMENT?

There are some thing in this world that just don't seem to make any sense. The top of the list for me is politicians. They claim one thing and then do another or do one thing and then claim another. It's as if they can't help themselves.

Let's take this whole issue of gun control. Yeah I know I've said a lot about it before but this just said a lot to me when I read it. These politicians are all talking about how many deaths occur because of guns in this country, especially with assault rifles. I guess they're getting their facts from Piers Morgan rather than from their own FBI. 

According to the FBI "More People Killed with Hammers, Clubs Each Year than Rifles According to the FBI annual crime statistics, the number of murders committed annually with hammers and clubs far outnumbers the number of murders committed with a rifle." And yet we don't have new laws going into effect saying that we should outlaw hammers and clubs. 

So maybe it's not just guns, maybe its assault weapons that we have to worry about. Yeah, that's the ticket. It's assault weapons that need to be removed! We need to make sure criminals don't have the tons of assault weapons that are owned in this country and use them to kill people! But here again the FBI facts don't match the fiction tossed out by these politicians. Once more according to the FBI "Citing a survey of 203,300 state and federal prisoners who were armed during the crime for which they were incarcerated, “fewer than 1 in 50, or less than 2 percent, used, carried, or possessed a semiautomatic assault weapon,” said the report."

Hmm. So criminals aren't using assault weapons to kill people. Then why the furor to ban assault weapons? Maybe it's because of the huge number of killings that are caused by assault weapons! That's surely the reason, right? Well there are only 158 ‘assault’ weapon homicides a year. That must be a lot of deaths because of assault weapons and thus we need to get rid of them all! 

Well not exactly. According to the article that much of this info came from "Statistically, you have a 0.00005% of being killed with one of these weapons. That’s a 1 in over 2 million chance".  Hmm. That doesn't seem like a killing a day now does it.

As a matter of fact the National Safety Council says that you have a greater chance of being killed by these items than by an assault weapon:

"Suicide, falling, being a pedestrian, drowning, riding a bicycle, plane crash, electrocution, exposure to heat, cataclysmic storm, stung by bees, wasps, and hornets, earthquake, lightning, fireworks discharge or bitten by dog."

The thing is it isn't popular for a politician to come out in a news brief to say he/she wants to ban ladders, walking down a sidewalk, lakes and swimming pools, planes, electricity (even green produced electricity), insects, seismic shifts of the planet (yeah try and enforce that one), fireworks or dogs. 


But here's the big one, the goody if you will. According to these papers "
You are more likely to be tried, convicted, sentenced to death, and legally executed in the US by the penal system than to be shot with so called ‘assault’ weapons." Yes the same government who wants to outlaw guns so you can't be killed with them is more likely to kill you than the same gun they want to outlaw. See what I mean about making sense?

Come on, there are ways to solve this problem. I have no problem with them making people wait for a background check to be able to purchase guns. I have no problem with eliminating gun shows where you can purchase a gun without that same background check. But to say you want to outlaw the sale of a particular gun or clip because you want to save lives is nothing more than a bold faced lie. So why not cut the crap and actually do your job for once there in Washington. Stop play acting for the cameras, stop saying feel good things just to get elected year after year after year and try and do some good for the people who sent you there. It would be nice after the decades of BS politicians to find at least one who would actually be honest.

Here is a link to the article that burned my biscuits and got me started on this rant. LOL.

Surprising Ways You Are More Likely To Die Than By Being Shot By ‘Assault’ Weapons

A CELEBRATION OF ABORTION

Have you ever looked at the folks who are pro-abortion? I mean have you watched them when they speak or talk about it? If they're talking about people who are pro-life they have this mean, angry look to them. But when they talk about having the right to kill unborn children they're all smiles. 

The other thing that's gotten to me lately is the fact that when it comes to talking about abortion they seem to always find a reason to celebrate their cause. It's always one big party when it comes time to anniversary time of the all important Roe v. Wade. Among those that seem to think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread are those involved in the media. I know I've said before that they have their own agenda. The fact is if you pay attention you'll learn that they do and what it is.

Let's take Roe v. Wade for instance. With the 40th anniversary of this controversial ruling that is still being discussed today we keep hearing women's rights speakers and politicians and news people talk about how wonderful that decision was. But what about those whose names were mentioned in that lawsuit? What about Roe or the lesser known Mary Doe of Doe v. Bolton? One would think that these two women in whose name abortion rights activists rallied would have something to say about that famous case.

Well the fact is that they do indeed have something to say. The problem is that it isn't about being for abortion but AGAINST it. Amazingly enough while one would think that to project the appearance of impartiality the media might want to present these women for all to see, we hear nothing from them. The truth is that both have become outspoken critics of abortion and the lawsuits that bear their names. They've both even tried to have those lawsuits reversed with no success. 

Want to hear their stories? Check it out here:

 

Two women are behind legalized abortion in America: now both of them want it reversed

 

Wouldn't it be nice if the press were just a tad impartial?

SHORT TERM MEMORY

I can't quite understand why politicians have such short term memory problems. It's like the only thing they can think about is what's right there in front of them. Unless it's finding a way to take Federal funds back to their home state, they only remember the most immediate of things. I sometimes wonder if they turn on the TV each night so they can no what to talk about the next day rather than have opinions of their own. Then again what they are supposed to be doing is what their constituents back home want, not what they personally want. Doesn't happen that way though does it?

Politicians always seem to forget just what has happened in the past. They always look at the present. And they all just seem to think that whatever happened in the past has nothing to do with today. It's aggravating to think about how THEY think! Remember the day after 9/11? They all stood on the steps of the Capitol and swore that they were unified. Before the end of the week they were looking for someone to blame. 

The worst offenders are those that think we don't need to protect our country. They seem to think that if they go to the United Nations and ask everyone to sing a round of "Khumbaya" that everything will be hunky dory. Nuclear weapons? Why sure anyone who stood against us didn't dare shoot anything off because they knew that retaliation would come their way. That's what kept everyone from going into a nuclear war (with the exception of perhaps Kruschev at one time). Lets dismantle the military because Heaven knows once we do that everything will be fine right? I mean the only reason anyone has any hostile ideas in their heads is because we keep picking on them, right?

What idiocy! They don't mess with us for one reason. To do so would result in making sure that we made sure they didn't do so again. Again think back to 9/11. We didn't turn planes into bombs in their country, they did it here. And the fact of the matter is that terrorists continue to attempt to do so to this day. Haven't these politicians who want to dismantle the military realized this yet? Are they that stupid? 

Does it need to be fixed and wasteful spending cut? Absolutely. But the same can be said of everything done in Washington. Why start with the military, something that is what the government is actually supposed to be in charge of and making sure stays intact as opposed to entitlements which aren't there.

After seeing SKYFALL this summer I've gone back and started reading the actual James Bond books written by Ian Fleming. One needs to keep in mind that these books were written some 60 years ago now. The latest I've read is MOONRAKER and no, it's nothing like the movie. Toss the movies aside when your read the books. In it Fleming had a line that stunned me. This book was written in 1955, two years before I was born, and Fleming knew then how ridiculous politicians were. The line is:

"These politicians can't see that the atomic age has created the most deadly saboteur in the history of the world - the little man with the heavy suitcase"

In essence he was talking about a dirty bomb back in 1955! So how do politicians think we should protect ourselves? Dismantle the military to start with. Secondly we should make sure the TSA is responsible for not allowing a bomb into this country. How do they accomplish this? By making sure they don't offend anyone with some sort of profiling and searching grannies bloomers for a bomb. 

I'd say a screening process for IQs should be required to be a Congressman or Senator but those can worthless too. Instead why not a test for common sense? Then again how many currently in office would be allowed to stay?

COMMON SENSE

There are times when I think that people have forgotten what the term common sense means. There are so many things that we take for granted in life and so many things that have such simple solutions if we would only use common sense. 

Gun control has been a good example. There are plenty of variations of these signs out there but the easiest one for me was this one:

I know the detractors of this sentiment will just start yelling about how these two items have nothing in common. But the fact of the matter is that they are nearly identical. Its not about which item is or is not illegal, its about the fact that by simply making an item illegal doesn't mean that people that abuse that item will not have access to it. This includes anything. Make drugs illegal and what happens? Drug abusers find drugs. Not only that they commit crimes to feed their drug dependency. Make guns illegal what happens? Call me crazy but while the law abiding citizens turn in their guns I would bet my life that criminals will be sitting at those collection sites laughing their butts off and getting license plate numbers from those folks so they know whose house to rip off. The bottom line is if you try and take something from people like this then they'll find a way to get it. 

The biggest problem of them all is the fact that there are too many do-gooders who think that they know what's best for people. The problem is what one person thinks is best may not necessarily be the same thing someone else thinks is best. One group loves guns, another hates them. Think back to the last elections and talk about grass. Several states legalized marijuana while many didn't. Some think it's beneficial while others think it leads to stronger drug dependency. Here again, one side thinks one way while the other thinks the opposite. The problem comes when one side forces its beliefs on the other.

So lets talk gun control. i don't own a gun and don't intend to. I do know that my right to own a gun is guaranteed by the Constitution. Its not about me forcing that into the Constitution, its already there. So why would anyone want to take that right away from me? Lets look at why they claim they want to. Many claim that they want to do so because of the recent shooting where children were killed. A great sentiment I'll agree. The problem is that the solution being given has absolutely nothing to do with the problem itself. The executive orders passed through by the President would have done nothing to prevent this shooting. The press has even admitted this though its one of those things where they kind of say it out of the side of their mouth while they yell and holler about how wonderful it is that these executive actions have taken place. Its the difference between front page news and page 5 news.

There's also some little shared facts that the news keeps forgetting to mention but they've gotten good at that. They always talk about the shootings but only those with a high body count. They forget to mention that those that have a high body count more often than not take place in gun restricted areas, that is areas where concealed weapons aren't allowed and no one has a gun on hand there to prevent someone from say shooting everyone there in the gun free zone. How about these stories that the press seems to find no reason to tell you:  
• A 1997 high school shooting in Pearl, Miss., was halted by the school's vice principal after he retrieved the Colt .45 he kept in his truck.
• A 1998 middle school shooting ended when a man living next door heard gunfire and apprehended the shooter with his shotgun.
• A 2002 terrorist attack at an Israeli school was quickly stopped by an armed teacher and a school guard.
• A 2002 law school shooting in Grundy, Va., came to an abrupt conclusion when students carrying firearms confronted the shooter.
• A 2007 mall shooting in Ogden, Utah, ended when an armed off-duty police officer intervened.
• A 2009 workplace shooting in Houston, Texas, was halted by two coworkers who carried concealed handguns.
• A 2012 church shooting in Aurora, Colo., was stopped by a member of the congregation carrying a gun.
• At the recent mall shooting in Portland, Ore., the gunman took his own life minutes after being confronted by a shopper carrying a concealed weapon.
2500 times last year alone legal gun owners stopped violent crime when confronted with it long before any police assistance ...


Notice the one thing these have in common. All of these shootings had low body counts. All of these shootings had someone there carrying a weapon that stopped the shooter. Unfortunately the press has decided not to let you know about that. 

They're too busy twisting and turning facts and figures to support their cause. It's not about the right thing to do, it's about a cause, an agenda. Piers Morgan talks about the figures for deaths by guns in Great Britain. To listen to him speak you'd think it was almost like Heaven. What he fails to mention is that GB has one of the highest rates of violent crime in the world, far above that of the US. Oops I'm sure it was a simple mistake. He also doesn't discuss how the majority of those being killed with guns here in the US are mostly being killed by criminals who have guns, not by legally lawful gun owners. To add insult to injury, many of those criminals who have guns and are killing people with them are career criminals that the same people who want to get rid of guns thinks they can rehabilitate and then turn lose not once but time and time again. 



So consider this from a common sense state of mind okay? 
You have a career criminal that you think you can rehabilitate. You give him an education, you feed and clothe him, you shelter him and you give him enough rights that the accessibility to illegal drugs and communications with those outside are enough he can make money while in prison. This criminal was in jail for robbery, assault, rape and maybe more. Perhaps he's not done them at the same time but over a period of time adding a new charge each time he gets sent back. But it feels good to try and help someone like this, to think that you can make them into something better with just a few years to do so even though they've had a life of doing violent crime. 

Now we have a law abiding citizen. He pays his taxes, he does what he's supposed to and he does everything he's told to do. He also owns a gun. Its registered and there's nothing illegal about it. So those in charge think that this man is a high risk to use that same gun to injure or kill someone not committing a crime and they decide he can't keep the gun. They want to take it away from him. Keep in mind he's never done anything threatening with that gun and it's always kept in his house except for target practice. 

Our friend the criminal gets out of jail and immediately hooks  back up with his gang of friends, many of which are ex-cons as well. Yes, he's not supposed to hang around with them but hey, these have always been his pals! He's been rehabilitated but at the same time when a friend needs you to back them up on a job you just want to be a buddy. So he gets a gun, mind you an unregistered and illegal gun, and goes along. 

So what if the job he goes along on is to burglarize the home of Mr. Legal-law-abiding-citizen? What if while burglarizing that home he shoots the man who now has no way of defending himself because he obeys the law and turned in his gun while the criminal who isn't even supposed to be associating with these other criminals has an illegal gun and uses it to kill Mr. Legal? 

Common sense will tell you that gun owners are not the problem. Automatic weapons aren't the problem either. The people with the problems, these mentally ill folks that the media wants to turn into celebrities by talking about them non-stop are the problem. Why don't those in power do something to weed out these people? Why not spend the money and effort to do something about those with mental health issues rather than to harrass people who obey the law and don't have those problems?

One simple answer: It's not about common sense. It's about looking good in front of a camera. It's about appearing to be doing something about the problem rather than actually doing something. It's about making yourself feel good rather than actually doing something good. It's all about sound bites and doing what makes you feel good rather than accomplishing something with any meaning friends. Consider that the next time you vote.