Sunday, October 26, 2008

Oliver Stone - bomb maker extraordinaire

When I first saw the trailer for 'W', the new Oliver Stone film, I thought, oh great another political hatchet job by the left's second favorite movie director. I happened to watch this week's episode of 'At the movies' with the two knuckle heads who took over for Siskel and Ebert. Both were fawning over 'W' saying what an important film it was and how everyone should see it.

Maybe Stone should stick to what he does best, remaking the 60s until he gets it right. So how you may ask did 'W' do in its opening weekend?

El floppo
.

Here are the movies that make more money that 'W' this weekend, even with the sponge bath given to it by the press.

1. High School Musical 3: Senior Year
It looks as though I was on it. This confirms my theory that there are only so many tween girls in the world. You can't scale up on a finite number.
Result: 42.0 million

2. Saw 5
They'll be very happy with the fourth straight $30m opening for the Saw franchise. And with the weak competition next weekend it won't drop off too badly.
Result: 30.5 million

3. Max Payne
Hey, where is Edward Norton? As it turns out my Max Payne prediction wasn't severe enough - it dropped 57% as every poor bastard who was hoping for the best saw it... and then told a friend not to. On the Max Payne commercials they don't even have a quote. Not from Hammond or Edwards or Lyons. They couldn't get one schill to help them out! Sad.
Result: 7.6 million

4. Beverly Hills Chihuahua
This film is going to hit $100m worldwide. That means we're getting a sequel. Just so we're all prepared for the horror.
Result: 6.9 million

5. Pride and Glory
The only real disaster of the weekend involves Edward Norton... but you have to hand it to the general public. Fool them once with We Own the Night, shame on them. Fool them twice with Pride and Glory? Nope.
Result: 6.3 million

6. The Secret Life of Bees
Will The Oracle begin going five for the bottom five? Yes we can!
Result: 5.9 million

7. W.
The budget was $25m, and it's only made around $19m. Not good news for anyone else trying to get financing for a "sitting president balanced satire" film.
Result: 5.3 million
Dude, you were beaten by talking Chihuahuas.
Nice.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Attention Esparto, Madison and the Capay Valley

When was the last time you went to church?

Easter? Christmas? A few years ago at a wedding or funeral service?

If you live around the Esparto area and you have been wanting to go to church but something always comes up, or you forgot, or you don't think you will know anyone there, or you think someone will hand you a live snake, or you think the roof will fall in when you step inside, or if you are just curious and want to know more about this Jesus people talk about, this Sunday is the perfect day for you.

'Fill the pews' weekend is here. Countryside Community Church in Esparto is trying to reach out to it's neighbors and invite friends, family, co-workers, and anyone else who may need a spiritual lift, to attend this Sunday's service.

Our traveling worship team will be there with guitars tuned up, ready to sing contemporary upbeat worship music for the service. The kids will have a great time, the music will be rockin' and the message will hit home.



See you there.
10:00 AM
Sunday the 26th of October
26479 Grafton St, Esparto

Saturday, October 18, 2008

My name is Walt, and I am Joe.



Iowahawk has a great idea.

Everyone in the media seems to be wetting their pants about an average Joe who dared to ask the chosen one why he wants to raise taxes on small business owners. The East coast media elites are giving a Joe Wurzelbacher a high definition proctorial exam of the first order. He's isn't a real plumber, he doesn't have a license, he owes back taxes, his name isn't even Joe.

I was talking to my friends at work and they were even jumping on Joe. He doesn't have license, he isn't even a real plumber. So I asked them, if you worked five to ten years for a plumbing firm and you were a foreman or a lead man, would you call yourself a plumber? If you worked for an electrical contractor for five to ten years, would you call yourself an electrician? No answer.

I work in the telecommunications field as a field technician. I have ten years experience and while I have recently let my State Contractor's license become inactive, I have held a C-7 for almost five years. A license hanging on my wall did not make me a 'real technician' or a better technician, it just said I could work for myself.

The New York, Washington DC Metroliner crowd does not know how to handle a real person, so they attack what they don't understand. However, they better be careful, people know real when they see it and they know a partisan media attack when they see it. An army of Joes may just show up at the polls come November 4th if the media keeps piling on Joes like me.

Don't blame me, I voted for McCain

( Thanks for stopping by, a thousand hits on this post today, so what do we do now? Read this )

I am ordering my bumper stickers today. Why? I have seen this movie before; it doesn't have a happy ending.

Folks in their twenties and thirties, who get their news from the Daily Show, only see Republicans as war mongering buffoons. To them, Democrats are all warm and fuzzy. They need to experience the pain of a Congress and executive branch controlled by liberal Democrats. Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barack Obama will have total control and no one to say; are you sure this will work. As much as I hate to see the country go through it, the best lessons are learned first hand.

For all you college kids supporting Obama because he 'gets it', best of luck trying to find a good job when you graduate. Oh sure, the media will go along with Obama the first two years or so, explaining the reason Obama's economy isn't living up to his promises are the lingering affects of George W Bush. In the third year, young Americans will start saying, this is not what I signed up for.

For all the Boomers who had forgotten Jimmy Carter's disastrous economic policies, the lessons of why you don't raise taxes during an economic slowdown will become painfully obvious. In the third year, older Americans will start saying, this is not what I signed up for.

For everyone in their prime earning ages of 40-55, guess who will have to 'pay their fair share' to 'spread the wealth around’. You guessed it. I remember President Clinton promising a middle-class tax cut when he ran, once in office, he was 'shocked' how bad the economy was and those middle class tax cuts were abandoned. In the third year, middle-class Americans will start saying, this is not what I signed up for.

Take a peek at Europe if you want to see where Pelosi, Reid and Obama want to lead us. After a few decades of ‘spreading the wealth around’ through feel-good socialism, France, and Germany have elected conservative leadership, with Great Brittan soon to follow. These new conservatives have an almost impossible task in front of them, to wean the public off their total reliance on government to function.

Americans seem to be enamored with the power and promise of government to fix everything. Every time you hear Obama say, “we have to invest” (in education, health care, whatever) just substitute “we are going to hire a bunch more government employees who are not very effective at anything to try and fix this.” Not very inspiring when you think of it in those terms is it?

I admit openly the current crop calling themselves Republicans have forgotten why the people sent them to Washington in the first place, stop spending money like Democrats and stand up for the little guy. However, the Democrats who have been control of Congress for past two years are an unmitigated disaster.

Well folks, I am not signing up for four year of Pelosi, Reid and Obama.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

I am Shocked, Shocked that Obama gave $800,000 to ACORN

The best voter fraud money can buy. I would like to know the ratio of Democrat to Republican voter registrations ACORN turned in with the federal money it receives? 25 to 1, 50 to 1?

From CNN no less, I wonder if the Daily Show will run this story into the ground?
C'mon Jon, you are an objective journalist, right?

Monday, October 13, 2008

The Daily Democrat endorses Obama; a rebuttal

Seize the moment: Elect Obama as our next president.

Let us breakdown the reasoning given for the Democrat's endorsement of the junior Senator from Illinois shall we?

Point one; " Through blind faith in deregulated markets, our leaders have undermined the nation's economic stability while recklessly creating a national debt of $10 trillion.....Economics is not McCain's strong suit, as he has acknowledged and lately proven. The nation needs a president willing to curb derivatives (and a vice president who knows what they are). Given a voting record supporting deregulation, McCain would not change course. "

Look folks, this is not hard to figure out. As I made the case in a piece I wrote a few weeks ago, the root cause of the economic trouble is the collapse of the housing market. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were the major players in the rise of 'sub prime' loans leading to the crash. Who were the cheerleaders of Fannie and Freddie? The Democratic party was the driving force behind the expansion of these entities and Democrats worked hard to kill regulation co-sponsored by McCain to regulate Fannie and Freddie. Its a fact, look it up. These Democrats were paid back nicely for their support. Chris Dodd, and the chosen one, Barack Obama were the top two recipients of Fannie and Freddie's campaign money, you do the math.

Point two; "In the Senate, he has served on the Foreign Relations Committee.

How nice, he has served on the Foreign Relations Committee. The Democrat left out the part about Obama being the chairman of the sub committee for European affairs. They have oversight of NATO, whose forces are fighting in Afghanistan, he has not held any meetings in his own committee. He has been busy running for President ever since he came to Washington, no time for committees.

Point three; "Obama grew up in a multiracial household and came of age in a different generation from McCain. He has an intuitive understanding of a rapidly changing, interconnected world. McCain's world view was shaped by the Cold War and Vietnam. That is why Obama has been right, and McCain wrong, on national security issues such as opposing the Iraq war and now advocating a timed withdrawal.

So let me get this straight, if you are over 50, you are wrong and out of touch? If you grew up in a traditional family, you are wrong and out of touch? Maybe if Obama were a little older he would remember the Jimmy Carter years as many Baby Boomers do. They do not remember them fondly. Obama shares the same economic philosophy as Carter. Take from the rich, give to the poor, and grow the government, with disastrous results.

As for the war, Obama is against the war. Not surprising the most liberal Senator is anti war, right? I notice The Democrat neglects to mention Obama opposed 'The Surge' at every step and only begrudgingly has admitted its success. Obama did not care about victory in Iraq, he wanted US troops out as soon as possible regardless of the outcome. He can talk about his 16-month time line all he wants, he was talking about it two years ago. Bringing the troops home in defeat is what the Obama's time line would have produced.

I will end with this; "Obama will rebuild the economy by investing in the right priorities: green technology, scientific research, education and health care."

Green technology, scientific research and health care? Where is Obama going to find the money to implement all his new programs? When Democrats talk about 'investing' they are talking about taxing you and giving it to someone else. Just wait until Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have a like-minded friend in the White House, you will see spending that makes the last 8 years look like fiscal conservatism.

The government does not grow the economy, Carter tried it back in the seventies, anyone remember double digit unemployment and 19% interest rates on mortgages? Obama is not going to rebuild anything, he is going to redistribute wealth, that's who he is.

Here is the kicker, I am not wild about John McCain either, but I just can't live through the next four years without telling you what the Democrat wont.

Seize the moment? You had better seize your wallet before Obama does.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Fleet Week




Have you ever been to Fleet Week in San Francisco? If you have not, get you behind down to the City this weekend.

A few years ago, my son and I stood on the Golden Gate Bridge and watched the USS Abraham Lincoln sail right under us. In the middle of the bay she launched two F-18 Hornets off the deck. It was impressive to say the least. The Blue Angels put on a free air show and yes, the water does come up behind them when they make a low level pass.



Two words for you; totally cool.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

I am not a Heavy Metal Farmer, but I couldn't find a Heavy Metal Rancher on YouTube

I am not sure if I am setting a bad example to my son, or if its just I am a sad, pathetic old geezer who still likes to crank up the music to 11, but I am taking my son and his friend to see Metallica in December.



If I had a video camera I could make the Heavy Metal rancher version of this......

On second thought it would be better to everyone involved if I don't.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

This is going to hurt.

One of the things I have learned in my life is the term 'fair' has no real meaning. I have tried to remove the word fair from my vocabulary because of its arbitrary nature. What seems fair to me, may not seem fair to you and so on. You may have great case that a situation is not fair, but that does not change reality, and reality is what we must deal with.

Every time I speak with people about the current financial crisis the issue of fairness always comes up. It's not fair that the people on Wall Street receive a bail out while I lost my house. It's not fair that my credit rating will suffer for years because of one mistake. It's not fair that CEOs made millions in bonuses when their companies were going belly up. It's not fair, it's just not fair.

I hear you, and I agree with you that these things are not fair, however that does not change the factual situation that you and I, along with the rest of the nation, are going to have to deal with.

For some in the tech industry, myself included, we have already been through a crisis in the late 90's. When the DotCom bubble burst ten years ago, people who were making millions in stock options as well as those of us who were making a good living in the tech infrastructure business went from the penthouse to the outhouse in less than two years. One day I walked into my office and found my position had been eliminated with no warning. I had just closed escrow on our new house that week and had just purchased a new car the day before. That was a bad day.

Many people in the tech industry had to scramble to find a job, any job, at any pay, just to keep the lights on. It took three years for me to find a stable job and I am still making about half of what I earned during the DotCom boom. Fair? Not really, but it's my reality and one that I have tried my best to work through.

My point is this, as the economy struggles to get its legs back under it, you may have to struggle right along with it for a time. Take a hard look at your personal economic situation and you may find by making a few adjustments you can ride this out with little sacrifice. If you are in a industry that has been severely impacted by the housing bubble bursting, you may have to do something else to make a living for a while. No, it's not fair, but the sooner you decide to act, the better.

Most people in Yolo County will feel the impact of this economic downturn in some way. Most will get through it by adjusting their spending and saving habits, but there will be many families whose lives will be turned upside down in the near future. If you are one of those families, I am, and I will be praying for you.

I hope you will reach out to your friends, your family and your church when you need support. This is a great community filled with caring people, I hope you reach out to them as I did, when my world fell apart.

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Obama, our dear leader.

The first time I saw this I thought, okay its just a bunch liberal parents setting their children up for a lifetime of disappointment. The people who make their kids sing songs about how the junior Senator from Illinois is going to change the world are doing their children harm. Please spare me the argument that these small children really understand what they are singing about, they don't. I would make the same argument if I saw a video production of third graders singing the praises of John McCain.



If you want to raise up the next generation of bitterly cynical people, you are off to a great start. I have a question to all you Obama supporters, especially those who have been 'inspired to change the world'. How will you feel if Barack Obama wins and he doesn't change the world, or my fear, that his policies change things for the worse? Will you believe the media and the Obama apologists when they say Republicans and the rich kept Obama from implementing his great visions of change? Will you become disillusioned by politics like many of the liberals who came of age in the late sixties?

If you are honest with yourself, in the end you will finally acknowledge that you were naive and were swept up in emotion and didn't really do any homework on Obama's astounding lack of accomplishments or executive experience? How has Barack Obama changed Chicago? Is Chicago a much better place to live and raise a family thanks to Barack Obama? If not, than why would you believe he is going to make the world better? Seriously, why?

I hear from young people all the time that they want to 'change the world'. I would like to point out that Hitler and Pol Pot changed the world in a real and meaningful way. Changing the world is something your social studies or history teacher tells you to do, not a job description. So for all of you out there who want to 'change the world' or 'make the world a better place' or some other bumper sticker slogan, here is a nickel's worth of free advice. Change your world first.

Starting with the person in the mirror. Make yourself the best person you can be. Give freely. Give of your time, your effort and your money, even if its just your allowance, a servant's heart is crucial to becoming a better you. Learn. Turn off Dancing with the Stars and start reading. History and the classics first and then learn about what inspires you.

Once you find a volunteer organization, charity or ministry at your church you believe in, get involved. I don't mean joining the Sierra Club or World Wildlife Fund and stop there, these groups have no affect on your day to day life, even if they tell you otherwise. If you are not overwhelmed at that point and want to so more, change you community. PTA, after-school programs, help wherever your time and talent do the most good.

Still not tired? Great, lead and teach others. Become a mentor, find someone who has the character, drive and mindset to do what you have done and train them to replace you. That will free you up so you can make a greater impact on your community. This process can go on until your last breath. If you find at the end of all that effort, that you only changed your local after school program, congratulations you did great. I mean it. If the only thing you really changed was yourself, as a person and as a citizen of this great nation, congratulations you did great also.

Very few people change the word for the better. Scientists, and medical researchers can unlock keys to curing disease or finding the next fuel to replace oil, but don't overlook people like Mother Teresa or Billy Graham. The people who start out to change one person's life can affect millions of others in the end. People who start out to change the world are almost certain to fail.

OJ Simpson gets a second chance.

A second chance to look for the 'real killers'. This time, he may have a bit more luck.

What are the odds of finding the real killers on golf courses in Florida? Orenthal James Simpson will have a far better chance of finding the killer of his ex wife in prison, and that is where he is headed.

OJ, here is a hint, whenever you walk past a mirror, take a long look in there, you may be surprised where the real killers could be hiding.