Oh, Hell to the No!!!!

There are times when people just need to be tucked in a cave and that cave covered with a huge boulder so that they are never heard from again. Sarah Palin is one such person! In this instance, I would love for it to be a coal mine.

I recently came across an article that she was on Sean Hannity last week talking her usual smack and bringing up old stuff that she’s comfortable talking about. When she’s asked about budget cuts she says: “NPR, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, all those kind of frivolous things that government shouldn’t be in the business of funding with tax dollars — those should all be on the chopping block as we talk about the $14 trillion debt that we’re going to hand to our kids and our grandkids. Yes, those are the type of things that for more than one reason need to be cut.”

And what really gets me is that there wasn’t any sort of news coverage about something this big. And the link for the clip doesn’t have any mention of the economy, just her, mindless monotone blabbing that really offered no real insight on Hannity’s questions. There was a link for the transcript, so I figured I would read it. Then, I saw that the clip was from March as was the transcript thanks to it’s posting date. When you do click on the proper date, there’s no Palin interview. Instead it’s Tim Pawlenty. WTFrack? So I did some digging and even lowered my standards and went to the Hannity site and Fox news There is no mention of it there either. I love how Fox is so quick to protect their own.

Thankfully the LA Times took the time to say something.

‘Debt reduction would barely be affected by penciling out the small federal arts agency, which currently operates on a $161-million annual budget. Palin’s support of a federal subsidy for the notorious “bridge to nowhere” in her state became a campaign issue when she ran for vice president on the 2008 Republican ticket. That local project carried a price tag of $223 million.

“Reality is we have 15 million Americans who are out of work,” said Palin. Nationally, the nonprofit arts and culture industry supports 5.7 million jobs and generates $166.2 billion in annual economic activity, according to Americans for the Arts. The NEA is one linchpin in that sizable economy.

In the interview Palin made no statement advocating similar budget cuts to her home state as she recommended for the NEA, which is also in the cross hairs of Washington’s Republican leadership. Palin’s Alaska gets $1.84 in federal spending for every dollar its citizens pay in federal taxes.’ – LA Times

Charles Segars, television CEO, remarked, “This kind of knee-jerk, uninformed rhetoric is the stuff of cheap-shot campaign commercials” and pointed out that calls for “cuts to the NEA don’t take into account the substantial return on investment those funds generate in tax revenue to local, state and federal treasuries.”

According to the National Endowment of the Arts, this year’s budget is a mere $154,690,000. This program actually makes money for the economy 1074 times more than it costs. Even at its highest budgeted year in 1992, $175,954,680 would still bring in 945 times its cost.

Hey Palin, if you really want to make a difference in the economic costs stop the war you moron! Many groups place the war at different costs per day but the majority of them agree that it’s over $1 million dollars a day. $365 million dollars in a year. If we stopped fighting when Dubya said the war was over back in 2003 $2.5 billion would’ve been saved. Not to mention the cost of its consequences on those involved and the interest that’s accrued on that debt.

So saying that these programs need to be cut because they’re frivolous fundings is an ignorant statement on your behalf you half term Bridge To Nowhere dingbat.

Want to hear something that’s scary? The scary thing is that there are people out there in our country that actually take her seriously. Does that mean they are even less informed than she is? Now that’s a horrible thought.

Does this make a chill run up your spine? Do you agree that Arts Funding is ‘frivolous’, please let me know why. Leave a comment. Let’s chat…

Super 8 is a big fat…

I am always filled with amazement when things in the world are actually kept secret! It’s like a trust that doesn’t seem to exist anymore. Whoever J.J. Abrams collaborates with are a very rare breed. I finally got myself to the theaters to see Super 8 today with the Bestie and the Munster.

I have heard nothing but vague good things about this film, so I went in with my own preconceived ideas about what I was about to witness. So many people said it was good, but they mentioned that they couldn’t describe why.

I had the expectations that the acting in this film would be so so. I haven’t seen too many kids that excel at making me believe wholeheartedly in what they are going through. Call me a harsh critic, if you want. I mean the first Harry Potter flicks were only about the story and the effects, not so big on the acting was Mr. Radcliffe. Although, he has certainly come into his own. I do respect him especially now after seeing his performances on the Tonys and Jay Leno. So I was expecting the adults to handle most of the heavy acting and the kids to do most of the running and screaming. I was happily proven wrong when the movie began to take off after the opening scene of the movie.

Elle Fanning is incredible in the scene with Joel Courtney when they watch the film featuring his mother and she tells her confession. That entire scene was so heartfelt and honest that you have to have a heart of coal to not be moved by it. I don’t mean you have to cry like a baby, but to feel something. All the younger cast in the film were incredible. They really held their own against film veterans Kyle Chandler and Ron Eldard. I loved the scene with the kids in the restaurant and the back and forth that ensues.

But the acting wasn’t the only thing that made Super 8 super. Abrams is a master storyteller. There were so many unexpected moments that got a reaction from me that I felt like I’d been on a very long roller coaster ride when I left the theater. The story had such a powerful message about how our government would go through great lengths to cover up anything they deem classified. Not that we didn’t know this already, but it’s always nice to be reminded every once in a while. The other theme that I loved was how our species always tries to destroy things that it fears.

The misunderstood “creature” is a big confusing mass, though. I still can’t figure out what all of it’s parts were exactly. It had tentacles, and I think 8 legs, but I thought I saw claws when it first gets out of the train.

I did find one thing that was weird though. At the end, when Deputy Lamb and Joe were brought back together, Joe’s necklace is a focal point. While I can clearly see that Joe is looking at it, I thought that the Deputy would be looking at it also. But he is obviously looking at something else completely. I wonder if it’s the monster or what, but it’s not the necklace.

All in all, Super 8 is a big fat 10!! Now, I know what my friends meant when they say it’s hard to explain why it’s so good. Just know that on every level, Abrams and team have crafted a solid story that is nearly perfect in all facets of movie making magic.

Don’t be a Weiner!

On the 16th of this month, Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner resigned from office thanks to his own political party. As I was finishing up my run at the gym, the breaking news bulletin was just beginning. It made me a little sad that it ended up like this. It’s not that I condone his actions, but what about Republicans like The Governator, who now has a “new” kid; John Ensign, who carried on a two year adulterous affair with one of his staffers; Paul Stanley, an evangelican who cheated on his family with a 22 year old intern and nude photos were involved in that little brouhaha as well? Oh, and my personal favorite my favorite toilet toe tappin’ Senator Larry Craig!!

In comparison, a few pics vs. actual sneaky sex pale immensely in my opinion. People are arguing that the guy lied about the pictures and that’s why it’s such a big deal. My answer to that: He’s a politician!! They all lie!! That’s what we pay them for. At least that’s what it seems like that’s what we are paying them for. All we ever get is political theater. There is never any true action that happens. Take for example, the deficit. The tax payers are going to be paying a shit-ton more in interest on that debt (even though we can’t afford to) while Congress pretends to be concerned with cuts that aren’t even going to make a scratch on the overall amount AT ALL!! But the politicians pretend that it was going to make such a difference. And we buy it. Why? Because we pay them to lie to us. To make it feel like things are under control. If the deficit was America the amount that they wanted to cut would be the equivalent of a city block. If you look at a map of the states in it’s entirety, would you miss a single city block? I bet you wouldn’t even be able to notice.

So back to Weiner…With Fox News, the “unbiased” (excuse me while I crap my pants laughing at that!!) “news” network owns the majority of the news media, I feel like the weiner was grilled a little longer than usual in an attempt to begin swaying the public for the 2012 elections. What I have a problem with was that Weiner should have fought more. He could easily have said “Hey, I’m human, and I made a mistake.” Then use that tenacity and knack for words to rebuild your career. I mean it worked for Chris Brown, right?

What does this have to do with theatre or the site, you may ask.

Two things that strike me: First, I say fight my fellow dream seekers!! Don’t get pressured into doing what the mass thinks you should. If your dream is all that you are, then fight.

Secondly, Politicians, after years and years and YEARS of lying and cheating, still haven’t realized that even though they have the opportunity to do something forbidden it doesn’t mean they should. You are always being watched. Just like when you go in for an audition, the moment you walk in and interact with the people around you, you are creating an impression.

I love to listen to everything that the staffers say. I want to learn and not make the same mistake that someone else made, or make the same choices that the previous actor has made. Being mindful of the little things that people say to others, when it’s not private, is a good skill to obtain. Often times, it’ll only help you become better at your craft if you let it.

This Green Lantern’s light, I’m gonna let it shine

So some people have said that X-Men: First Class and Thor are incredible movies. They’ve even gone so far to say that they are the best comic book movies out there. I don’t know if I can agree with that.

I like to read some comics because it’s fun. I like the imagery. I like the idea that some people are made to be something more that just a mere mortal. Someone who can help to make the world a better place. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished for that. If I had to venture a guess it would be a least twice every single day. Every. Single. Day.

For the same reason I read comics, I enthusiastically watch movies based on those funny little books.

It seems like the two previously named movies were made in the attempt to make the movie “deep” or taken seriously. Now, I know someone is going to say that maybe I don’t have the attention span for this. Not true. I love good dramatic films, but I don’t want my comic films to try and be something else.

If I wanted to see a deep movie or a serious movie, I’d frackin’ go and see the “Kings Speech” which by the way is an AMAZING film.

For this reason, I didn’t enjoy X-Men or Thor nearly as much as I would have liked to. I had high hopes for both. I wanted them to be insanely good. I wanted to see more super power vs. super power action in both and felt let down, when the action was so brief.

While Green Lantern’s major battle with Paralax was short lived, the rest of the movie fulfilled very nearly all of my expectations. The romantic story line was a bit long, but the movie which runs just over an hour and a half, gets in nearly everything you need to know about the history of Hal Jordan and the creation of the GL Corps, Hal’s training as GL, and the Peter Sarsgaard’s villainous story line.

The story pushed forward steadily with action and dashes of comedy. Yeah, sometimes it was cheesy, but so what?

A lot of people take issue that Ryan Reynolds is too “comedy” for this role. Maybe, but if Nathan Fillion, who I am a HUGE fan of, got the role, it still would have been a comedic actor playing the role. I think by having Reynolds or Fillion playing Hal Jordan, the audience gets charmed right off the bat. Hal Jordan is a selfish jerk so it would take some time to make the audience want to root for him. In a comic book movie, studios just don’t have the time for it.

We got to watch the movie in 3D and I have to admit that I am not really a 3D kind of person. I have to say, however, that the graphics were excellent. I really enjoyed the opening and closing credits. The mask on his face is still a bit of a disappointment. I hate the fact that it looks painted on. Mark Strong as Sinestro was spot on. I cannot wait to see him shine in the sequel.

If you are going to see this movie hoping to find some deep meaning or prolonged “acting” sequences (The acting in X-Men was meh when Fassbender and McAvoy weren’t on screen.) then prepare to be a little let down. However if you are going to see a fun comic book movie that has great imagery and pretty dang good action then you’ll more than likely enjoy this film.

Have you seen Green Lantern yet? Are you going to see it? Let me know what you thought of the movie.

♭♪♫ Papa- Paparazzi ♩♩♫

Flowers never looked so good! Calling all you non-professional photogs out there!!

Could you use a little cash? Of course you could. I mean, who couldn’t nowadays, right? Then I think I may have a fun way to earn it! And it’s kinda easy…

Yamagami’s Nursery is having a contest for the best picture of flowers.

The contest is basically three stages.

Stage 1: You have until June 26th to upload your best image to the Yamagami’s Photo Contest Page by submitting them to: Flowers@YNurseryNews.com. You may upload only three submissions. It could be close-ups of the flower or a wide angle shot of a display of them, just as long as they are the focal point of the image. Keep in mind, there may be a brief delay getting you pictures to the proper page, so get them in at least three days before the deadline.

Stage 2: Beginning June 27th and thru July 23rd, the public will begin to vote on which images they like the best. You can find the competing images HERE. There are some amazing images. However, don’t let that discourage you from putting your best foot into the contest. Just as nature’s created millions and millions of beautiful images, your creativity and uniqueness can capture something that most people have never seen. Challenge yourself to see beyond the stunning colors and the brilliance in the patterns. The top ten images will then be submitted to a panel of judges who will then award the cash prizes.

Step 3: Beginning August 18th, you can view the images when you stop on by the nursery as they will be on display. On August 27, Yamagami’s will host an awards show and the prizes for the Top 3 will be given to the photographers with the best images. All of the Top Ten finalists will receive a small Yamagami’s Nursery gift certificate.

Please read the complete detailed rules before entering and best of luck to all you picture snapping photogs out there.

Sadly, employees of Yamagami’s and their families are not eligible to enter.

Here are a couple of my fave nature shots that I’ve taken. What do you love to capture with the lens? Share where do you like to go for that inspiration?