Great performances, great costumes, great effects, 3D that doesn't seem intrusive, an excellent adaptation of a classic story, and the foxiest Martian princess you are ever likely to encounter... on screen or otherwise!
I cannot stress this enough: GO SEE "JOHN CARTER." You will not be disappointed.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Peyton Manning: What's The Big Deal?
The following is my opinion, formed over many years of having Peyton Manning shoved down my throat by my fellow Tennesseans.
Can anyone explain to me why anyone should give a rat's hairy hindquarters about Peyton Manning? I mean, this is the guy who is deified by fans and alumni of the University of Tennessee, yet couldn't deliver a National Championship to them. Yet, he gets a major thoroughfare in Knoxville named for him. His successor, Tee Martin, won UT a National Championship, yet is treated as an afterthought. Another one of those "things that make you go 'hmm'..."
The fact of the matter is that since the death of Steve McNair, Peyton Manning has assumed the mantle of most overrated and most irrelevant quarterback in the NFL.
The fact of the matter is that, no matter how much unwarranted and misguided praise is heaped upon him by sycophantic fans and journalists, he will never be able to surpass the level of mediocrity achieved by his footnote-in-football-history father.
The fact of the matter is that, when everything is said and done, it doesn't matter what Peyton Manning has ever done or will ever do. He will still have to go to his grave knowing in his heart that his little brother is demonstrably better than he will ever be.
Cue the pitchforks and torches...
Can anyone explain to me why anyone should give a rat's hairy hindquarters about Peyton Manning? I mean, this is the guy who is deified by fans and alumni of the University of Tennessee, yet couldn't deliver a National Championship to them. Yet, he gets a major thoroughfare in Knoxville named for him. His successor, Tee Martin, won UT a National Championship, yet is treated as an afterthought. Another one of those "things that make you go 'hmm'..."
The fact of the matter is that since the death of Steve McNair, Peyton Manning has assumed the mantle of most overrated and most irrelevant quarterback in the NFL.
The fact of the matter is that, no matter how much unwarranted and misguided praise is heaped upon him by sycophantic fans and journalists, he will never be able to surpass the level of mediocrity achieved by his footnote-in-football-history father.
The fact of the matter is that, when everything is said and done, it doesn't matter what Peyton Manning has ever done or will ever do. He will still have to go to his grave knowing in his heart that his little brother is demonstrably better than he will ever be.
Cue the pitchforks and torches...
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Random Thoughts: March 7, 2012
The Mitt Romney campaign is now saying that it would take an "act of God" for their candidate to not get the Republican Presidential Nomination.
"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name..."
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My heartfelt condolences go out to Mrs. Louise Cantrell, wife of the late Chief Warrant Officer (and Green Beret) Edward Cantrell, who died recently while unsuccessfully trying to save his two daughters (ages 6 & 4) from their burning home. CWO Cantrell is the very definition of the word "hero."
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Since withdrawing its advertising from Rush Limbaugh's radio program in the wake of "Flukegate," Carbonite's stock has dropped almost 12% from Monday's market opening. And it serves them right.
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Apparently, it's now racist to chant "USA" at sporting events in Texas, as it might offend teams with minority players. Just think about that for a bit...
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Former governor Sarah Palin says that she voted for Newt Gingrich in her home state of Alaska's Republican Presidential Primary, which means that she still has larger testicles than at least 90% of men in the Republican party.
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Twenty-four-year-old Amanda Clayton from Lincoln Park, Michigan won $1M from the Michigan State Lottery this past fall, yet still collects and uses approximately $200 per month in food stamps. She says it's OK because she took her winnings as a lump-sum payment, which halved the prize, and that "I feel it's OK because, I mean, I have no income and I have bills to pay. I have two houses."
TWO HOUSES? With "NO INCOME?!"
In my opinion, it appears as though Sandra Fluke has a new buddy in the "liberal-"progressive" prostitute" pool.
"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name..."
---------------------------------------------
My heartfelt condolences go out to Mrs. Louise Cantrell, wife of the late Chief Warrant Officer (and Green Beret) Edward Cantrell, who died recently while unsuccessfully trying to save his two daughters (ages 6 & 4) from their burning home. CWO Cantrell is the very definition of the word "hero."
---------------------------------------------
Since withdrawing its advertising from Rush Limbaugh's radio program in the wake of "Flukegate," Carbonite's stock has dropped almost 12% from Monday's market opening. And it serves them right.
---------------------------------------------
Apparently, it's now racist to chant "USA" at sporting events in Texas, as it might offend teams with minority players. Just think about that for a bit...
---------------------------------------------
Former governor Sarah Palin says that she voted for Newt Gingrich in her home state of Alaska's Republican Presidential Primary, which means that she still has larger testicles than at least 90% of men in the Republican party.
---------------------------------------------
Twenty-four-year-old Amanda Clayton from Lincoln Park, Michigan won $1M from the Michigan State Lottery this past fall, yet still collects and uses approximately $200 per month in food stamps. She says it's OK because she took her winnings as a lump-sum payment, which halved the prize, and that "I feel it's OK because, I mean, I have no income and I have bills to pay. I have two houses."
TWO HOUSES? With "NO INCOME?!"
In my opinion, it appears as though Sandra Fluke has a new buddy in the "liberal-"progressive" prostitute" pool.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
War Of Words: My Opinion
Much hay has been made of Rush Limbaugh's labeling of one Sandra Fluke a "slut" last week. Well, let's take a closer look at poor little Sandra Fluke:
1) First, she was referred to as "Susan Fluke." Then, all of a sudden, her name was "Sandra."
2) First, she was a 20-something law school student. Later on in the week, it was revealed that she was, in fact, 30 years old and that it wasn't clear if she was actually still attending law school or not.
3) It was also revealed that she is a hardcore feminist/activist who, allegedly, was specifically invited to the hearings by failed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
4) She claimed she would have to spend about $3,000 on contraception over a three year law school stint... which would average out to her engaging in sexual intercourse three times daily over the course of each year.
5) She received a personal call of support from no less than Dear Leader. That's odd... I don't remember Barry doing the same for conservative radio talk show host Laura Ingraham when she was called a slut by liberal talk show hack Ed Schultz a while back...
Now, notwithstanding the fact that the issue here is not contraception, but whether or not the federal government has the authority to force religious institutions to violate their basic tenets and beliefs (they don't), the fundamental question is this: what are we supposed to call a woman who fits the above five criteria?
Slut? Maybe. Liar? Quite possibly. Prostitute for a phony liberal/"progressive" agenda?
Most definitely.
1) First, she was referred to as "Susan Fluke." Then, all of a sudden, her name was "Sandra."
2) First, she was a 20-something law school student. Later on in the week, it was revealed that she was, in fact, 30 years old and that it wasn't clear if she was actually still attending law school or not.
3) It was also revealed that she is a hardcore feminist/activist who, allegedly, was specifically invited to the hearings by failed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
4) She claimed she would have to spend about $3,000 on contraception over a three year law school stint... which would average out to her engaging in sexual intercourse three times daily over the course of each year.
5) She received a personal call of support from no less than Dear Leader. That's odd... I don't remember Barry doing the same for conservative radio talk show host Laura Ingraham when she was called a slut by liberal talk show hack Ed Schultz a while back...
Now, notwithstanding the fact that the issue here is not contraception, but whether or not the federal government has the authority to force religious institutions to violate their basic tenets and beliefs (they don't), the fundamental question is this: what are we supposed to call a woman who fits the above five criteria?
Slut? Maybe. Liar? Quite possibly. Prostitute for a phony liberal/"progressive" agenda?
Most definitely.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Ronnie Montrose 1947-2012
The Rock genre has lost another legend. Ronnie Montrose, guitarist extraordinaire, died on March 3rd, 2012 at the age of 64. The cause was prostate cancer which he had battled for several years.
Montrose was born on November 29, 1947 and grew up in San Fransisco, California before running away to Colorado at age 16. In 1969, he started a band called Sawbuck with bassist Bill Church. During the recording of what was to be the first Sawbuck album, producer David Rubinson arranged for Ronnie to audition for the legendary Van Morrison. Ronnie then played on Morrison's album "Tupelo Honey."
Following this, Ronnie would briefly play with Boz Scaggs before joining the Edgar Winter Group in 1972. He featured on the EWG album "They Only Come Out At Night," which featured the hits "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride." Ronnie would then leave EWG to form his own band, the appropriately-monikered Montrose, in 1973. The classic Montrose line-up featured the aforementioned Bill Church on bass, Denny Carmassi on drums, and the then-unknown Sammy Hagar on vocals. The first Montrose album featured such classics as "Rock Candy," "Bad Motor Scooter," and "Space Station #5." A second album, 1974s "Paper Money," would follow before Hagar would leave the band in pursuit of a solo career. Ronnie would record under the Montrose and Ronnie Montrose banners until also forming the band Gamma in 1979, which would record three albums throughout the 80s and 90s, and a fourth in 2005.
The original Montrose line-up (Ronnie, Church and Carmassi) would reunite to appear on Sammy Hagar's solo album "Marching To Mars," on the song entitled "Leaving The Warmth Of The Womb." They also played as special guests at several Sammy Hagar concerts in 2004 and 2005. Ronnie also performed regularly from 2002 to the present under the Montrose banner with rotating bassists and drummers, and with Keith St. John on lead vocals. Also, over the years, he did session work with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Gary Wright, and the Neville Brothers, among others.
While on tour in late 2009, he revealed that he had been fighting prostate cancer, but that he had, apparently, beaten it. It seems now that that was wishful thinking.
Ronnie Montrose was one of those musicians who was well-known to the Rock community, but not as well known among the general public. I've always thought that was a shame, as this master of the Gibson Les Paul was every bit as talented as, if not more talented than, his more famous contemporaries. He wasn't a particularly flashy player, but he was always solid- delivering exactly what each song needed. Rock-n-Roll is going to be much worse off without him.
R.I.P. Ronnie Montrose. Rock on in the Great Beyond.
(Biographical information from Wikipedia)
Montrose was born on November 29, 1947 and grew up in San Fransisco, California before running away to Colorado at age 16. In 1969, he started a band called Sawbuck with bassist Bill Church. During the recording of what was to be the first Sawbuck album, producer David Rubinson arranged for Ronnie to audition for the legendary Van Morrison. Ronnie then played on Morrison's album "Tupelo Honey."
Following this, Ronnie would briefly play with Boz Scaggs before joining the Edgar Winter Group in 1972. He featured on the EWG album "They Only Come Out At Night," which featured the hits "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride." Ronnie would then leave EWG to form his own band, the appropriately-monikered Montrose, in 1973. The classic Montrose line-up featured the aforementioned Bill Church on bass, Denny Carmassi on drums, and the then-unknown Sammy Hagar on vocals. The first Montrose album featured such classics as "Rock Candy," "Bad Motor Scooter," and "Space Station #5." A second album, 1974s "Paper Money," would follow before Hagar would leave the band in pursuit of a solo career. Ronnie would record under the Montrose and Ronnie Montrose banners until also forming the band Gamma in 1979, which would record three albums throughout the 80s and 90s, and a fourth in 2005.
The original Montrose line-up (Ronnie, Church and Carmassi) would reunite to appear on Sammy Hagar's solo album "Marching To Mars," on the song entitled "Leaving The Warmth Of The Womb." They also played as special guests at several Sammy Hagar concerts in 2004 and 2005. Ronnie also performed regularly from 2002 to the present under the Montrose banner with rotating bassists and drummers, and with Keith St. John on lead vocals. Also, over the years, he did session work with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Gary Wright, and the Neville Brothers, among others.
While on tour in late 2009, he revealed that he had been fighting prostate cancer, but that he had, apparently, beaten it. It seems now that that was wishful thinking.
Ronnie Montrose was one of those musicians who was well-known to the Rock community, but not as well known among the general public. I've always thought that was a shame, as this master of the Gibson Les Paul was every bit as talented as, if not more talented than, his more famous contemporaries. He wasn't a particularly flashy player, but he was always solid- delivering exactly what each song needed. Rock-n-Roll is going to be much worse off without him.
R.I.P. Ronnie Montrose. Rock on in the Great Beyond.
(Biographical information from Wikipedia)
Friday, March 2, 2012
Ride Into Glory
Dark clouds fill the sky
No worse could things for me be
I kneel and ask the Gods why
Why have thou forsaken me
But strength is intrinsically mine
I know not the meaning of quit
I will break the shackles that bind
In despair I refuse to sit
I will arise from out of the mire
Those who oppress me will soon feel the fire
I will bring all of my hatred to bear
And my cries of vengeance will ring thru the air
As I ride into glory
Under the hot midday sun
I strike my transgressors down one by one
My sword, mace, and axe on a bloodthirsty binge
As I travel on unleashing revenge
So many assumed that they had me beat
But now they all choke on bitter defeat
It's been said ev'ry dog has its day
But 'tis only you who can show you the way
I will arise from out of the mire
Those who oppress me will now feel the fire
I will bring all of my power to bear
And my cries of vengeance will ring thru the air
As I ride into glory
No worse could things for me be
I kneel and ask the Gods why
Why have thou forsaken me
But strength is intrinsically mine
I know not the meaning of quit
I will break the shackles that bind
In despair I refuse to sit
I will arise from out of the mire
Those who oppress me will soon feel the fire
I will bring all of my hatred to bear
And my cries of vengeance will ring thru the air
As I ride into glory
Under the hot midday sun
I strike my transgressors down one by one
My sword, mace, and axe on a bloodthirsty binge
As I travel on unleashing revenge
So many assumed that they had me beat
But now they all choke on bitter defeat
It's been said ev'ry dog has its day
But 'tis only you who can show you the way
I will arise from out of the mire
Those who oppress me will now feel the fire
I will bring all of my power to bear
And my cries of vengeance will ring thru the air
As I ride into glory
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Andrew Breitbart 1969-2012
News of Breitbart's death came as a total shock to me, as I'm sure it did to most who were aware of him. He was one of the very few people these days who seemed willing to help lead the Conservative movement. His vision of utilizing pop culture, social media, and the internet in general to aid in the movement's appeal to young people was pioneering and sorely needed. I remember watching his many appearances on various television shows. His disheveled appearance and almost manic-depressive delivery, while entertaining, belied just how smart and on top of things he really was. He was one of those people, of which there are few, who seemed to genuinely not give a damn about what others thought of him. His priority was getting to the truth as best he could, and ensuring the continuance of the Conservative movement. He wasn't, as most establishment Republicans are, afraid of going after the other side the way they go after us. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to meet the man, but in his media appearances he always seemed to be someone I had known all my life...
Yesterday, I stated that one should enjoy life, and everything in it, as much as possible, as you never know when your number may be up. By most accounts I have read, Breitbart did just that. That should be the biggest lesson we take from the life and death of this Conservative warrior.
R.I.P. Andrew Breitbart.
Yesterday, I stated that one should enjoy life, and everything in it, as much as possible, as you never know when your number may be up. By most accounts I have read, Breitbart did just that. That should be the biggest lesson we take from the life and death of this Conservative warrior.
R.I.P. Andrew Breitbart.
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