tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81865935048692188942024-03-14T01:07:22.444-06:00My Side of the Desk by Mitch TravisThoughts, Rants, Raves, and ReviewsMitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.comBlogger426125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-45320188251981032582022-03-12T14:41:00.001-07:002022-03-12T14:41:06.447-07:00Cyrano Sings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg19cZGizKwOM1R6t_asU6p1DG1TXsN1_IJhbb3pP_A3S6VZz-Io1ZxkJo4JjBsGzDPf6KfydwImSHyPk98v_nN8dMaZxj0AmkU-qaocnXq79dxPffGGMZsBByPqngkSznBoIF43rI8V6fXDktpA6t1iFOtXv1MoehMvT2ivp732HiitD8D8YfR1esLJw=s780" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="780" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg19cZGizKwOM1R6t_asU6p1DG1TXsN1_IJhbb3pP_A3S6VZz-Io1ZxkJo4JjBsGzDPf6KfydwImSHyPk98v_nN8dMaZxj0AmkU-qaocnXq79dxPffGGMZsBByPqngkSznBoIF43rI8V6fXDktpA6t1iFOtXv1MoehMvT2ivp732HiitD8D8YfR1esLJw=w640-h374" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">**********************There be spoilers here***********************************<span style="font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4siGDxNXWfvUtmZdKgekCmqXuJlm7pBYbVZ76qboaGxuV7l_XHFF82szfukG-kD9eDs9qTVxxvd5-RQNv65CQ54j2ZWQPpprhRV-y_HXgVPExKgSzi1xZ_UGeu5cZycBekTsDk8NK1SFKWO-oJ-9G1F4BAOLKwxc6Aa-Bg93BsqosLIlDwiEfOsSfDA=s600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="600" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4siGDxNXWfvUtmZdKgekCmqXuJlm7pBYbVZ76qboaGxuV7l_XHFF82szfukG-kD9eDs9qTVxxvd5-RQNv65CQ54j2ZWQPpprhRV-y_HXgVPExKgSzi1xZ_UGeu5cZycBekTsDk8NK1SFKWO-oJ-9G1F4BAOLKwxc6Aa-Bg93BsqosLIlDwiEfOsSfDA=w200-h163" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The play, <i>Cyrano de Bergerac</i> by
Edmund Rostand was written in 1897. I've seen a number of versions of the play with different
actors playing the role. </span><span style="background: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">José Ferre, Steve Martin, Kevin
Kline, and probably the best of them Gérard Depardieu have all tackled
versions of the great wit Cyrano. I even took my own stab at the Cyrano makeup
when I was studying makeup in college.</span></div><p></p><p><span style="background: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiphwaSLyXNo_fWL4stN_xtfx8QkycLIruH4jzclCRUuUoNivoDU4pfVumliTW3Mzpe7g6ug3AxUJaeM75BwTfx6ryS_Q2fld3doKuIh3s_vmBSOlDMkJ_Spf8U1S_67oOooo6Y60yju58AEnG5lFofTTTvuhcd4Yt0L2iuZa5tztkzXqdeo0x0JB8xdg=s400" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiphwaSLyXNo_fWL4stN_xtfx8QkycLIruH4jzclCRUuUoNivoDU4pfVumliTW3Mzpe7g6ug3AxUJaeM75BwTfx6ryS_Q2fld3doKuIh3s_vmBSOlDMkJ_Spf8U1S_67oOooo6Y60yju58AEnG5lFofTTTvuhcd4Yt0L2iuZa5tztkzXqdeo0x0JB8xdg=w200-h150" width="200" /></a>If you don't know the play, what follows here is a fairly
simplified version of the play. So, if you already
know the play, skip to the review. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEUtCwTaq8JIWBGQ9SvRTPkxHnxaZLSVYl_yWjEN_czNjTriXVEi0YuylBTCkPZed22nhO4vErIUwjbn_7xfRJq8Nc65PeY_CzxSmzbauWULpYEdD8eZ5w5i5Mhz2-_tNqOyEAc6bMqEwWpeExKcEHp3Sbi-Q0XNoHlowOKx27NhSKq5n3otMniYj1FQ=s1390" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1390" data-original-width="1018" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEUtCwTaq8JIWBGQ9SvRTPkxHnxaZLSVYl_yWjEN_czNjTriXVEi0YuylBTCkPZed22nhO4vErIUwjbn_7xfRJq8Nc65PeY_CzxSmzbauWULpYEdD8eZ5w5i5Mhz2-_tNqOyEAc6bMqEwWpeExKcEHp3Sbi-Q0XNoHlowOKx27NhSKq5n3otMniYj1FQ=w146-h200" width="146" /></a><span style="background: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Cyrano who is usually portrayed with an incredibly large nose
is one of the greatest wits, poets, musicians, and swordsmen in all of
Seventeenth-Century France. It is the age of powdered wigs and fopp</span><span style="background: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">ish men.
Cyrano de Bergerac is a member of the Paris guard called the </span><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Gascon Company of Cadets </span><span style="background: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">who are the first
line of defense for the city. Having grown up with a little prospect, a career
in the military seemed like one of the few ways the romantic artist could
survive. He loves the arts so much that he even chases an actor who he finds
offensive to the theater from the stage. He also is madly and deeply in love
with Roxane who is his long-time friend. The problem is he believes that
because of his malformed nose, Roxane could never love him. So, Cyrano believes
that he must love Roxane from afar. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2hpq3JNIqrfHPyBE5jen36zFDOO-jWfujms51w0nKgsqZv2IGLrFTvzgQ2Z7exuy6UUJQZaUQeK2QBPXfZ0jFfJ97zz2n_XmYU4946XWmOqct_8j9iqEdgIb14lXfAk7eQfxtQU9sEiFv3qegWr60W8aRko_g0s5sSpzMwffbBLt5HWJjCMyv8Fd3iQ=s600" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="600" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2hpq3JNIqrfHPyBE5jen36zFDOO-jWfujms51w0nKgsqZv2IGLrFTvzgQ2Z7exuy6UUJQZaUQeK2QBPXfZ0jFfJ97zz2n_XmYU4946XWmOqct_8j9iqEdgIb14lXfAk7eQfxtQU9sEiFv3qegWr60W8aRko_g0s5sSpzMwffbBLt5HWJjCMyv8Fd3iQ=w200-h151" width="200" /></a></span></p><p><span style="background: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Add to this that the </span><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Count de Guiche,
one of the most powerful men in Paris, has decided that Roxane must be his, and
he will take her as his wife. Meanwhile, Roxane has seen a new recruit to the
Paris Guard, Christian de Neuvillette, and fallen in love at first sight
with the handsome guard. They are all, in short, a product of their society.
Guiche sees the world in terms of his own power, Roxane the brilliant,
manipulative, and yet, vain girl who is supposed to marry for the position,
Christian a shallow youth, and Cyrano the poet warrior who has few options and
outlets for his gifts. They are fascinating and complex characters. </span></p><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxLNj8T0oOafdWiA_pdFvy04Tt_NB7TvTSULY0pO3Dv4Rwiidc8icFlhQRw8pX8_jc6tKROEdp-VJjCTCsdHlh80bOpqm3ss566UUDkaw0mhXfChgawu1GNxEJRqQqNEF_2eNH2N6lP4UPUvCwKgQUtXxBfiNOu3j4LIxLkuinLL1m_XE_gMZET7C-Rg=s1200" style="background-color: transparent; clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxLNj8T0oOafdWiA_pdFvy04Tt_NB7TvTSULY0pO3Dv4Rwiidc8icFlhQRw8pX8_jc6tKROEdp-VJjCTCsdHlh80bOpqm3ss566UUDkaw0mhXfChgawu1GNxEJRqQqNEF_2eNH2N6lP4UPUvCwKgQUtXxBfiNOu3j4LIxLkuinLL1m_XE_gMZET7C-Rg=w200-h200" width="200" /></a>Roxane enlists Cyrano to help her with her newfound love to have Christian write her and woo her. The problem is that Christian, while a pretty
good fighter, is not particularly adept in matters of the heart and is also not
the brightest person. She also asks Cyrano to help her with de Guiche. De Guiche
has also become Cyrano's enemy because one of the fops in his entourage had
forced Cyrano to kill him in a duel. To meet and fulfill Roxane's desire,
Cyrano uses his skills to woo Roxane for Christian by writing letters and
signing them in Christian's name. All the while, Cyrano helps to fight off de
Guiche's advances to Roxanne while defending his own life from the attempts by
assassins sent by de Guiche. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuyW85YQY0V9emq8tTxKJCCDT1sUKE0jeH3WKZbgonhdEHlLeZ_J3IKon_ru8RGjqb_GXBHcrl8JfuRuIsJDs4hDnklLPOZIOoKfTsAvZdYTkwP9uTMGT9rMgyxGNg598s2u9YLiPttTUuHgWhiMdJJI-CKNxCEC7nn6Rql3F_Yrf4-NnZqnVgk7DFKQ=s1024" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="759" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuyW85YQY0V9emq8tTxKJCCDT1sUKE0jeH3WKZbgonhdEHlLeZ_J3IKon_ru8RGjqb_GXBHcrl8JfuRuIsJDs4hDnklLPOZIOoKfTsAvZdYTkwP9uTMGT9rMgyxGNg598s2u9YLiPttTUuHgWhiMdJJI-CKNxCEC7nn6Rql3F_Yrf4-NnZqnVgk7DFKQ=w148-h200" width="148" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Finally, in perhaps one of the more unique scenes in theatre
history, Roxane is wooed by Christian who stands just visible in the shadows as
Cyrano hiding next to him speaks the romantic words that proves Roxane has
loved the right man, even though she has no idea that the man is Cyrano. These
words cause Roxane to call Christian to her balcony. Through trickery, a priest
who has been sent by de Guiche is used to marry Roxane and Christian. De Guiche
discovers the marriage and arranges to send that night the Paris guard to the
front of a war between France and Spain. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXDAITKb7_kyJMXUyYPwFw8pDRIjzG0OdS6Cw3V0B34hvZm660QyBdZrjZgzkamvJ6GLEVuFqcweUlU3oJDgUOr3q5OBDbaaoPdVqG0xt8_eib8vNtSFQlutiACriYNJNUHLj8aK2ErAQK7HkDlgTYbpn6F-lNPIvAKQvvTIRLEHMsPIUPXHe5wYhJTw=s500" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="500" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXDAITKb7_kyJMXUyYPwFw8pDRIjzG0OdS6Cw3V0B34hvZm660QyBdZrjZgzkamvJ6GLEVuFqcweUlU3oJDgUOr3q5OBDbaaoPdVqG0xt8_eib8vNtSFQlutiACriYNJNUHLj8aK2ErAQK7HkDlgTYbpn6F-lNPIvAKQvvTIRLEHMsPIUPXHe5wYhJTw=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the front, the Gascon Company of Cadets is cut off
from supplies and is freezing and starving. Staying true to Roxane, Cyrano
sends letters every day to Roxane at great personal risk. Christian finally
discovers this and demands that Cyrano tell Roxane the truth of his love and
let the chips fall where they may. Alas in a final push ordered by the King
through de Guiche the guard are sent into what is essentially a suicide attack.
Christian is mortally wounded and Cyrano, who is also wounded in the battle, places his last letter on Christian's body so Roxane will find it when her
husband's body is returned to Paris.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4GduzC_djgNqGEuy7XVil4EgUFFJctM-lYpY92ubktvwOMfKQOKKbZdpizi2fQa_mrERl7_A5wbohZVABMmx4w0rHv74u9uH8Vr_lGwJkMbS_cwH0ZbDxWQ-QkWOvo1Y7ynx72A3h3R-styRW-HDKTnwwUvqT9sgc6PRGlJ6May3zsPqwiRkmQWLqbw=s1280" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4GduzC_djgNqGEuy7XVil4EgUFFJctM-lYpY92ubktvwOMfKQOKKbZdpizi2fQa_mrERl7_A5wbohZVABMmx4w0rHv74u9uH8Vr_lGwJkMbS_cwH0ZbDxWQ-QkWOvo1Y7ynx72A3h3R-styRW-HDKTnwwUvqT9sgc6PRGlJ6May3zsPqwiRkmQWLqbw=w200-h160" width="200" /></a><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Fifteen years pass and Roxane in mourning has gone to live in
a nunnery. She is v</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">isited every week by her constant friend Cyrano who tells
her all the latest Paris gossip using humor to cheer her up. She has never shown Cyrano the final letter
from Christian. On his final trip, one of de Guiche's assassins finally
succeeds in wounding Cyrano by dropping a brick or log depending on the
translation from a building on Cyrano's head. Even though he is mortally
wounded, Cyrano refuses to not see Roxane. Sitting with his hat on and hiding
the head wound from Roxane, Cyrano gives Roxane the gossip of Paris and then
requests to read the final letter. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">She relents and allows Cyrano to read the
letter that he pretends to have never seen before. He reads the letter aloud,
but it soon becomes obvious that Cyrano is reciting the letter from memory and
not as a first reading. It is at this moment that Roxane realizes the
truth and realizes that the man she has loved for so many years is Cyrano de
Bergerac. It is too late, with this final admission, Cyrano continues to
deny that he wrote the letters wanting to keep Roxane's vision of Christian
alive for her. Cyrano soon dies from his wound surrounded by Roxane and a few
friends who tell her of how Cyrano was wounded. The romantic comedy has
suddenly turned tragic. The play ends with Cyrano dying in the arms of his
love.</span></p><p><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjyixa0PeMyvA6SkwCCShDc-z-RnOhdyXAzqqMgRq9rDADQ4mLRLwbPP7s9U-0oRzJgCcoeaoKxLUD10G9KnlEeVBRu3ieKCmfTyZwE4SvlNRxUonVSzJ2W9TKE9QTP6sf8DCwwtNCJ3HblFOYmzHes0xRq_8ZcM2zccmXy703sj46s9QC1kK3gZZMFg=s600" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="600" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjyixa0PeMyvA6SkwCCShDc-z-RnOhdyXAzqqMgRq9rDADQ4mLRLwbPP7s9U-0oRzJgCcoeaoKxLUD10G9KnlEeVBRu3ieKCmfTyZwE4SvlNRxUonVSzJ2W9TKE9QTP6sf8DCwwtNCJ3HblFOYmzHes0xRq_8ZcM2zccmXy703sj46s9QC1kK3gZZMFg=w200-h151" width="200" /></a>The play, which is classified as a romantic comedy is a
condemnation of the class system and the shallowness of a society that worships power
and outer beauty rather than intelligence, art, and internal beauty,
particularly in the upper class. It is built around the themes of art, love,
and vanity especially when love is confused with infatuation because of mere
physical beauty. It is a heart-rending love story.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The review of the movie:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwqsXmYB84Dt439uIImmR6_qvLLTOTTwei9OUa53zYXZFxT1ieRqjUQcWPYuFPY1OuQQl7dE5xmF2WYYXGWpPDId5fjtZoF0qrhGRwvrRf_rbzlojG3ZBoMZZEQ6m8I0Jtdcnb95xHk-VYTmo8QqIf5pCFs3Tn4wiOd9wnRZsbgJYbhpqC0eITbeHJYw=s976" style="background-color: transparent; clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="976" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwqsXmYB84Dt439uIImmR6_qvLLTOTTwei9OUa53zYXZFxT1ieRqjUQcWPYuFPY1OuQQl7dE5xmF2WYYXGWpPDId5fjtZoF0qrhGRwvrRf_rbzlojG3ZBoMZZEQ6m8I0Jtdcnb95xHk-VYTmo8QqIf5pCFs3Tn4wiOd9wnRZsbgJYbhpqC0eITbeHJYw=w200-h113" width="200" /></a><i>Cyrano</i> stars Peter Dinklage as Cyrano, Haley Bennett as
Roxane, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Christian, and Ben Mendelson as de Guiche. It
is a simplified adaptation of the play and it does change some of the original
play. It was inspired by musical versions of the play. It does remain true to
the main plotline and themes of the original play. It is beautifully shot with
accurate period costumes. I did enjoy the movie and was properly moved by its
portrayal of the tragic love Cyrano.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwKr5kuRkaE-omuaaKAo8kZn1bfuXe6NOkt6_s-1LNYQHzxcTLph87XAt7GJo8c_vwr0_j5pBdt_1qmzqwJ6rdMDKHg2ExkyUeCGE89fzXL1XDeK1jbZPngloIoFjWqnk9g0rpWDS_paeI3mEOyNlyoMbBTHAgBx3pVt1zx5oHQ2-f6bhjsLgaL5f7xA=s540" style="background-color: transparent; clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="540" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwKr5kuRkaE-omuaaKAo8kZn1bfuXe6NOkt6_s-1LNYQHzxcTLph87XAt7GJo8c_vwr0_j5pBdt_1qmzqwJ6rdMDKHg2ExkyUeCGE89fzXL1XDeK1jbZPngloIoFjWqnk9g0rpWDS_paeI3mEOyNlyoMbBTHAgBx3pVt1zx5oHQ2-f6bhjsLgaL5f7xA=w200-h148" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;">The dance numbers are artistic and a little odd but somehow,
they work for the movie. The music is one of its weakest points. While the
lyrics of the songs are often powerful and moving, the score lacks variety
often being a variation on the same tune over and over. Still, it works but
there aren't really any songs you will find yourself humming later. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"></span></span></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgL6t9r-sjuMrI0Wi8tK6sUswiQ-MDp3zRZ2WEKnodz-S3XbsdGfH0Wp2KkotJfGCgOgivaDVBBBCI7F4eMnmPDsgDZruNiQwFVZVpRO1u5cgHDYvp10zo0XhDv4LbfVD7ivxK7MsYin08pvY7_i6cPi59kjiKgBE-fbvA_ftDVspUJUH3Q8FDVUHywgg=s840" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="840" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgL6t9r-sjuMrI0Wi8tK6sUswiQ-MDp3zRZ2WEKnodz-S3XbsdGfH0Wp2KkotJfGCgOgivaDVBBBCI7F4eMnmPDsgDZruNiQwFVZVpRO1u5cgHDYvp10zo0XhDv4LbfVD7ivxK7MsYin08pvY7_i6cPi59kjiKgBE-fbvA_ftDVspUJUH3Q8FDVUHywgg=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I really don't know much about many of the actors in the
movie. Harrison does an okay in his portrayal of Christian. Mendelson, who I
know from his time as the alien Talos from Marvel movies, Rogue One and Ready
Player One actually manages to make de Guiche a more multidimensional character
than the two-dimensional villain that the character is usually played as in
most adaptations. With the growth of de Guiche as a person in the war, a change
is made to the way in which Cyrano dies since his death by assassin really no
longer makes sense. The time between Christian's death and Cyrano's death is also shortened.</span></span></div><p></p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMCbBj9Vlz7qFuSrf8ILlhxqsl2z4qhO_IaOcoU53Osic2z-HnS32Vs1LrqOIswoCND49JNPgMPdDPsR5M_jtd_HXqWa2Z5u8NXzG_pDNTDrF9UhjD2PlyqtoV3p0GCG7NxfhfTVve4R1FDoJ7wPy-zddwKpI1BnEl5ZAQaFgJ2ItMpWR52dwBTR8FjA=s2000" style="background-color: transparent; clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1270" data-original-width="2000" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMCbBj9Vlz7qFuSrf8ILlhxqsl2z4qhO_IaOcoU53Osic2z-HnS32Vs1LrqOIswoCND49JNPgMPdDPsR5M_jtd_HXqWa2Z5u8NXzG_pDNTDrF9UhjD2PlyqtoV3p0GCG7NxfhfTVve4R1FDoJ7wPy-zddwKpI1BnEl5ZAQaFgJ2ItMpWR52dwBTR8FjA=w200-h127" width="200" /></span></a><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I do wish Bennett was a stronger Roxane. It's not that
she doesn't do well in the role, it is just that she just doesn't have anywhere
near the presence that Dinklage's Cyrano has. She is overpowered by Dinklage's
skill. On the plus side, the balcony scene where Cyrano speaks for Christian is quite
moving. Roxane is also played in such a way that her love of physical beauty
rather than inner becomes much clearer. </span></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz8Sh37AJ0Kr1MjSzPAMu5btM3ZgEk4N5zpp5E7T4rVLIwcuMF84S53OPDfhGeu62FspdxBy5JmyWVZ7B2KbDSsplzCrx1oYlAK2Syg8VjLire9S7IaulEXkpffmiIJMYr1O2WKMrnuHIsWrju4FA_bDXKIieZEwdltZ1R3pNMUVI5dIw77ye4cLKKjA=s540" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="540" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz8Sh37AJ0Kr1MjSzPAMu5btM3ZgEk4N5zpp5E7T4rVLIwcuMF84S53OPDfhGeu62FspdxBy5JmyWVZ7B2KbDSsplzCrx1oYlAK2Syg8VjLire9S7IaulEXkpffmiIJMYr1O2WKMrnuHIsWrju4FA_bDXKIieZEwdltZ1R3pNMUVI5dIw77ye4cLKKjA=w200-h135" width="200" /></a></div>Peter Dinklage was a force to be reckoned with long before he
became a household name in <i>Game of Thrones.</i> If you haven't seen <i>The Station
Agent,</i> you will get an idea of the breadth of talent he has. Eliminating the
nose and instead relying on Dinklage's stature really works for Cyrano.
Dinklage uses his size masterfully in fight scenes and his soulful eyes brim
with his love of Roxane. Peter Dinklage has an amazing film presence. Few
actors have his presence on film. His skills are such that his acting makes you
almost ache for Cyrano's forlorn love of Roxane. It is this skill that carries
the movie. <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Despite its flaws, Cyrano remains true, albeit simplified, to
Rostand's play and is well worth the watch. Cyrano is currently available for
on-demand streaming. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVHtyocvNTuFPRQrzhWm7mVb2ecOeSAIa6bwm75L9VWU0_Pc9GOw7VhIO7qIKq-1ezMo5uQGwpyI5-7tS52SABjjaDGpXs20SB_v7XIHGL06UQxjH-ZnA4givBVY9jTVO4WAyR79SuHLooJEEPRdQOqV6_aYfIWhzXoc69t8-tD5aTIkMZ-kytQzlN6g=s540" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVHtyocvNTuFPRQrzhWm7mVb2ecOeSAIa6bwm75L9VWU0_Pc9GOw7VhIO7qIKq-1ezMo5uQGwpyI5-7tS52SABjjaDGpXs20SB_v7XIHGL06UQxjH-ZnA4givBVY9jTVO4WAyR79SuHLooJEEPRdQOqV6_aYfIWhzXoc69t8-tD5aTIkMZ-kytQzlN6g=s540" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-18275337963285270132022-03-08T21:27:00.002-07:002022-03-08T21:27:50.565-07:00The Batman Returns to Roots<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjd0b552e4i7uujr23V0NnF9QTMpn7ZBulfC-9JnWybl1R2bTNdaCHE8pod4vQsivJ_LTEgT6C5qJjHUjsSyCezQLEnaQyOtKVaqiTaG7kvLf_qRudNYXKtwlppPaPfa1BxRD2LA2By5HMxIBPaUvY6S06arp8g2Yx2Cb6LyClGkcl8p_wvLYcrmRUtaA=s480" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjd0b552e4i7uujr23V0NnF9QTMpn7ZBulfC-9JnWybl1R2bTNdaCHE8pod4vQsivJ_LTEgT6C5qJjHUjsSyCezQLEnaQyOtKVaqiTaG7kvLf_qRudNYXKtwlppPaPfa1BxRD2LA2By5HMxIBPaUvY6S06arp8g2Yx2Cb6LyClGkcl8p_wvLYcrmRUtaA=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><p><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></p>**************What follows contains only minor spoilers.*************</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyByjoT_dgzPMSGG2CdB7UV9VLnvuNOji4vwSdDvcsDoo9NSWh02SMB-JU5UDtGA0yEUoYH3eyKYMBpfyXdEItEzILhzf6kkEAxEQJYoq7ZjjtJejw8ezlzjCnn5CmaZ9ym-TwlLe7W_F2e8Mm_QcRdw0FULTBbS4kPF1faRPqgzXWfxRWF8S1u9RrAQ=s498" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="498" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyByjoT_dgzPMSGG2CdB7UV9VLnvuNOji4vwSdDvcsDoo9NSWh02SMB-JU5UDtGA0yEUoYH3eyKYMBpfyXdEItEzILhzf6kkEAxEQJYoq7ZjjtJejw8ezlzjCnn5CmaZ9ym-TwlLe7W_F2e8Mm_QcRdw0FULTBbS4kPF1faRPqgzXWfxRWF8S1u9RrAQ=w136-h135" width="136" /></a></div><i>The Batman</i> is a different
kind of Batman movie. If Ben Affleck is the older Batman, then Robert Pattinson
is the younger Batman who is still finding himself. As the movie opens, we
learn that Batman has been around for two years. He is trying to make a difference
in Gotham City but it seems that he has had little more impact than to strike
fear into the criminal element of the city. He is, in fact, called not Batman
but The Vengeance. This is not particularly a spoiler because it is discovered
in the first few moments of the movie. <div><br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJPJW731tm1y54EecRXs5a8bQpiZXtuRFUjlYy8vDxSY61FFoxZDr32HdHJIod6R51B8J96Q7i1vbeJdM7xjyCa_OWrQZyn3SAt2CmzS6B02OZcbQHed7S5wjR4zx_rIjzSIlHmOXbeMZ6Jgu3x7r87XNMLfJXmDp1ATV_N0M4GZiRIfpf1BKAj6w88w=s480" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="480" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJPJW731tm1y54EecRXs5a8bQpiZXtuRFUjlYy8vDxSY61FFoxZDr32HdHJIod6R51B8J96Q7i1vbeJdM7xjyCa_OWrQZyn3SAt2CmzS6B02OZcbQHed7S5wjR4zx_rIjzSIlHmOXbeMZ6Jgu3x7r87XNMLfJXmDp1ATV_N0M4GZiRIfpf1BKAj6w88w=w200-h111" width="200" /></a></div>The Batman</i> harkens back to the
original idea behind the masked vigilante. He is one of the world's greatest
detectives. It reminds us that Batman started out in Detective Comics in 1939 which is
where DC Comics actually takes its name. This version of Batman still
carries the idea that he will not use a gun. Although it is true that Batman
originally used guns because he was basically a rip-off of <i>The Shadow,</i> by the
time Batman #1 appeared on the shelves in 1940, he was developing his own
mythos which included the fact that he didn't use guns. <o:p></o:p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRBJRJgcRx1c-49SH1sr7DLWAbccuYSZRDyY88mTTEvZDLVztq3qZz04POIBllallTDtPDtja9hGoW3SxPAc3DaajM8fWYX7q_BRPcVOBrUDd6AcaL-5A9Q9thU_UNybt3mVVQy5MWjGU8ZwGX8_hIYyflLpQ9Y6faHrX-5UFXw32RWkGclrftkuVW5w=s620" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="620" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRBJRJgcRx1c-49SH1sr7DLWAbccuYSZRDyY88mTTEvZDLVztq3qZz04POIBllallTDtPDtja9hGoW3SxPAc3DaajM8fWYX7q_BRPcVOBrUDd6AcaL-5A9Q9thU_UNybt3mVVQy5MWjGU8ZwGX8_hIYyflLpQ9Y6faHrX-5UFXw32RWkGclrftkuVW5w=w200-h118" width="200" /></a></div>In short, <i>The Batman </i>returns to
his roots, not as a superhero, but as a detective in a noir story. He is
dealing with political corruption and crime bosses and his villains are from there.
He must solve a dark and horrible series of murders that will uproot the very
world he believed to exist. His villains are not the comic book, over-the-top
prancing characters like the Penguin who wears a top hat, smokes a cigarette in
an overly long filter, and carries an umbrella. The Penguin (Colin Farrell) is
a member of the criminal underworld and former righthand of a now convicted and
jailed crime boss. He must also deal with a crime boss and drug lord, Carmine
Falcone (John Turturro).</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifhaNCARflCvSPhbDU3GxCs0Sf03629KkxA9QuOh4PzKoSHFEYxZRcwPyIpHbMrBn6ST4wW3zp4z0ZjHzgJgo-Gw924J0tt1Vrq7xtDkXQ2lhereLuYyuafDocElQsmQT6wEhcoXXiLMa3_Ia0VEMqD4uryx5fBO9QlEAcMvhGnG7yidDgUbT_T08-8g=s540" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="540" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifhaNCARflCvSPhbDU3GxCs0Sf03629KkxA9QuOh4PzKoSHFEYxZRcwPyIpHbMrBn6ST4wW3zp4z0ZjHzgJgo-Gw924J0tt1Vrq7xtDkXQ2lhereLuYyuafDocElQsmQT6wEhcoXXiLMa3_Ia0VEMqD4uryx5fBO9QlEAcMvhGnG7yidDgUbT_T08-8g=w150-h97" width="150" /></a></div>Into this mix is thrown a
psychopath calling himself Riddler (Paul Dano). This version of the Riddler is
not some antic-driven, prancing Jim Carrey but a died-in-the-wool serial
killer. He is not a derby-wearing, dressed in green question mark-covered
suits, but a complex and brilliant killer. <o:p></o:p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFiITiADnyE90UBNCeABpZCPZvofhczecf93wFgATNEgbQA6GAL2yXKgZ2Exr3tck4z6_Vlg8mKXGvHwv7OIRhXf1y4i80kLx8KWsVxMWxWPbaer-hvW1Y1sx3EOdEJRViotZ4EUHdW6axu1pt1WCX2DPsZRuHpi0dNK3uKQD5NZ0n70ppxyPjDb7bqw=s540" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="540" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFiITiADnyE90UBNCeABpZCPZvofhczecf93wFgATNEgbQA6GAL2yXKgZ2Exr3tck4z6_Vlg8mKXGvHwv7OIRhXf1y4i80kLx8KWsVxMWxWPbaer-hvW1Y1sx3EOdEJRViotZ4EUHdW6axu1pt1WCX2DPsZRuHpi0dNK3uKQD5NZ0n70ppxyPjDb7bqw=w200-h150" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Added to </span><span style="font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">this is Selena
Kyle, Cat Woman (</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Zoë Kravitz). Selena is a more complicated
character than in previous versions. She, too, has come from the criminal
underworld. But she, like Batman, is a broken human who is seeking her place in
the world. She is played by Kravitz in such a way that we understand why she is
drawn to a character like Batman. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p></p><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWyK4wI1aFhS5vylywaNpSorCFNlHQSu13ZVnvFmDHcB5sZFYoduwa6P0dRB0BlNjdC850w3VYdLHyyrPv0CTQ_ctSb01zndHhzWLZpBrK1-cSL9s2Xct9bYxr7QhJWZfRUjLih_ODfwaLDRalHhLtUJfDX_SGVBNzwatrt640bG9rJtx4lUSZzqCE1Q=s540" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="540" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWyK4wI1aFhS5vylywaNpSorCFNlHQSu13ZVnvFmDHcB5sZFYoduwa6P0dRB0BlNjdC850w3VYdLHyyrPv0CTQ_ctSb01zndHhzWLZpBrK1-cSL9s2Xct9bYxr7QhJWZfRUjLih_ODfwaLDRalHhLtUJfDX_SGVBNzwatrt640bG9rJtx4lUSZzqCE1Q=w200-h128" width="200" /></a></div>Finally, is one of the main and often most under-utilized
characters in Batman movie lore, Alfred (Andy Serkis). Only the series <i>Gotham</i>
tried to use this version of Alfred. Since Bruce Wayne has lost his parents,
Alfred trains him to protect himself. He is the reason Batman exists to a
certain degree. He is more than the kindly tall and skinny butler. There is also the plus that in <i>The Batman</i> there is no scene depicting the iconic death of the Waynes. It seems the director/writer, Matt Reeves, finally gets that almost everyone knows how Thomas and Martha Wayne died. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjq_VBcSL8UrrQve2UkNtS_HGnFUjITRvWsSrzNczMt-9wmvK_ilZLoVAJzO76GeqgqOn-4Am-NLo2b3WPZJJd-BapkzcSEE_3pqo2GotAYccCfnoGzO5Rb3LYKVOp3TYnO5YI-jJrvKsmCVXZW-jkEjsOT-Eru3yY_9UR4AU1j6Q4jbgQcYwoBsjOq_Q=s480" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjq_VBcSL8UrrQve2UkNtS_HGnFUjITRvWsSrzNczMt-9wmvK_ilZLoVAJzO76GeqgqOn-4Am-NLo2b3WPZJJd-BapkzcSEE_3pqo2GotAYccCfnoGzO5Rb3LYKVOp3TYnO5YI-jJrvKsmCVXZW-jkEjsOT-Eru3yY_9UR4AU1j6Q4jbgQcYwoBsjOq_Q=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></div>The more I think about The
Batman, the better I like it. It is a complex and character-driven movie. It
harkens back to the 1970s film noir mysteries. It is so much more than the
shows where a crime happens and Batman shows up and beats up all the criminals.
He investigates, he thinks, he interacts with the only cop he trusts, Lt. James
Gordon (Jeffrey Wright), who is not yes Commissioner Gordon but a policeman who
wants to stop the corruption too. Batman gets things wrong and the solution is
not some neatly wrapped solution. The Batman is a dark and gritty film about a
great detective who must become more. <o:p></o:p><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div>Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-11820975296669456012021-11-10T00:03:00.002-07:002021-11-10T00:03:55.741-07:00The Eternals: A Wee Bit Slow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS2MnvUK-99n4paNCvaDbBC6hOFuVcAawSeBriW0UTx9RMnW2MDI0c39dyz9_DpdSUpwbER1gnY-iIIc_uN50rYmfPqwHAHKzX9Pkmn-84ChH-CxyJmd-3inwFNTqY3x82JEk6rchjhYM1VJDoKyS5JaOApVrV9A0kuHg9UhES9bMD-Urw5tL7XlQJAw=s540" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="540" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS2MnvUK-99n4paNCvaDbBC6hOFuVcAawSeBriW0UTx9RMnW2MDI0c39dyz9_DpdSUpwbER1gnY-iIIc_uN50rYmfPqwHAHKzX9Pkmn-84ChH-CxyJmd-3inwFNTqY3x82JEk6rchjhYM1VJDoKyS5JaOApVrV9A0kuHg9UhES9bMD-Urw5tL7XlQJAw=w640-h238" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihCPkFkQ1qOXvgW1f2YVrBypR8092T-WDcErfQ3VxlbEPRJ9scgnRydnA470ZRfeUKoCUpIwpqQHshrWl1nPMabwwPFuwio0RKDKofVhVW2XmAA6-wzL8YnB7kIVzisDnr0zxbOdM4kS4Y5pn_xWz541-REy1BRzKoA0Lvfhl_uHzESedc5pyLUaUuog=s498" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="498" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihCPkFkQ1qOXvgW1f2YVrBypR8092T-WDcErfQ3VxlbEPRJ9scgnRydnA470ZRfeUKoCUpIwpqQHshrWl1nPMabwwPFuwio0RKDKofVhVW2XmAA6-wzL8YnB7kIVzisDnr0zxbOdM4kS4Y5pn_xWz541-REy1BRzKoA0Lvfhl_uHzESedc5pyLUaUuog=w640-h272" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">********* There be spoilers here. You have been warned. ************</div><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">*******************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiH0kWpvxqPRE4ylq17a2e2IT5E1gdlWmva8ODBEkZVYkEn1SAN8NqyokwqADElvJsNL2mseVkI3VuDVjQTfVdOI2THkIPC__qwhQeAeIPh8An-ZKO-1XaA05mkagqE2hS621W_1mbuub0uM4HKjhkkte1knYZTDJLz3RN87TbO4XWUsBUvMGe9uRJzDQ=s498" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="498" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiH0kWpvxqPRE4ylq17a2e2IT5E1gdlWmva8ODBEkZVYkEn1SAN8NqyokwqADElvJsNL2mseVkI3VuDVjQTfVdOI2THkIPC__qwhQeAeIPh8An-ZKO-1XaA05mkagqE2hS621W_1mbuub0uM4HKjhkkte1knYZTDJLz3RN87TbO4XWUsBUvMGe9uRJzDQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><i>The Eternals</i> has a lot to set up. It is the
movie that introduces the next level or Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic
Universe. It also introduces a boatload of characters. There are ten Earth
Eternals to start. Ready? Too Bad. They are Thena, weapons warrior (Angelina
Jolie); Ikarus, all-powerful (Richard Madden); Sersi, matter shifter (Gemma
Chan); Ajak, leader and healer (Salma Hayek); Gilgamesh, physical fighter and
strongest (Don Lee); Druig, mind control (Barry Keoghan); Kingo, projectiles
(Kumail Nanjiani); Sprite, trickster (Lia McHugh); Makkari, speedster (Lauren
Ridloff); and Phastos, engineer and weapons specialist (Brian Tyree Henry). Now
you know.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjajxDf8nuPsIB3yx4Aj99hNSFcMYIS5uUd7JIQKa9p-s-YMWrqzVCnZ2FIX4wtixcl1d2DAdUdB2HpwYtblmznA6Ol8bcS0cEpzm4peCQynJxDqxcriNwBkNvff9Va76O3MTYnu-5LiPXH895tDxreD9ZM5aKrxYzqYO_SoJ_0Dq-XKyKIwdjRcvrf2Q=s498" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="498" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjajxDf8nuPsIB3yx4Aj99hNSFcMYIS5uUd7JIQKa9p-s-YMWrqzVCnZ2FIX4wtixcl1d2DAdUdB2HpwYtblmznA6Ol8bcS0cEpzm4peCQynJxDqxcriNwBkNvff9Va76O3MTYnu-5LiPXH895tDxreD9ZM5aKrxYzqYO_SoJ_0Dq-XKyKIwdjRcvrf2Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In addition to these 10, there are the Celestials
and Sersi’s boyfriend </span><span style="background: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Dane Whitman</span> (Kit Harington)<span style="background: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">who is destined to become the Black Knight. There
is</span><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> the comic relief and Kingo's human sidekick, Karun (Harish
Patel).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> There are also two characters
Pip the Troll (Patton Oswald) and Eros of Titan or Starfox (Harry Styles) who
is Thanos younger brother introduced in the mid-credits, and the voice of the
new B</span><span style="font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">lade (Mahershala Ali) in the final after-credits scene</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> There, now you know and have a handy reference
guide.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I hate lists, but it had to be done.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTlFpgsDInzCqbNFwB2VFPd_YkGpPgtZGo8SbInli2may8BDQzp4XteYNTom2tyyj2KVaC9TLErkp_L8xzISElGPdHspBQxTL_No4p6SU9PGOEP5k3EV-fTJp9W7egSiGXa0kKQnqBGT0kHn5y3HhPX8NMKjuz423ba3BVkuOqJzwy0Znzu1XmKcFqCg=s498" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="498" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTlFpgsDInzCqbNFwB2VFPd_YkGpPgtZGo8SbInli2may8BDQzp4XteYNTom2tyyj2KVaC9TLErkp_L8xzISElGPdHspBQxTL_No4p6SU9PGOEP5k3EV-fTJp9W7egSiGXa0kKQnqBGT0kHn5y3HhPX8NMKjuz423ba3BVkuOqJzwy0Znzu1XmKcFqCg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I don't know much about the Eternals in the comics. I do know,
from my brief research on the web, is that three of the male characters from
the comics have been gender-swapped, the comics were created by Jack Kirby who
along with Stan Lee created the Fantastic Four, X-Men, Thor, the Hulk, and
Ironman. He then moved over to DC and while most of his creations there were
largely unsuccessful, one of the villains he created became a mainstay of DC,
Darkseid. There is actually little known about the Kingo character except in
the comics he is a master swordsman. Now you know what I know of the comics.</span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">On to the Plot…</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPWljbwM5q3-hG6I1H6eDSBPWF7kYAhTFWCgHwk1YrS35xjAdPA9AYUCs9SYwN6_ChnarvYUef-RsvEuLvcKV_Ptlc2Vz_fyF9lGaRACl4n9zHaEIZnWbAiCZePIx0GQl7TDoHbmC3hXvEVvJwtzYYxXR-qtR4TWb5arptmzTjLqHwiQtxngs7f_3Nog=s498" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="498" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPWljbwM5q3-hG6I1H6eDSBPWF7kYAhTFWCgHwk1YrS35xjAdPA9AYUCs9SYwN6_ChnarvYUef-RsvEuLvcKV_Ptlc2Vz_fyF9lGaRACl4n9zHaEIZnWbAiCZePIx0GQl7TDoHbmC3hXvEVvJwtzYYxXR-qtR4TWb5arptmzTjLqHwiQtxngs7f_3Nog=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Celestials, god-like beings that created and continue to
create worlds and civilizations, have sent the Eternals to a number of worlds
to battle the evil enemies of life, the Deviants. Having defeated these
creatures, the Eternals continue to live on the planet to protect it from further
attacks of the Deviants. Other than that, Eternals are forbidden to interfere
in all other conflicts which is a handy way to explain why they didn’t
interfere when Thanos wiped out half the universe. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Earth’s Eternals have been here for thousands of
years. Even though they can die in battle or of unnatural causes, they are
still called Eternals probably since Sorta Eternals just doesn’t have the same
ring to it.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgh_CxYdTalut_MeIgrjIEqlizPtEalVOqJmkXL7NlPto2F-DQqjRmt6mQvt8HwadfnuxD9rhNaq2DEFQ6zm9JI7GLqMC-hYozAvbHJWnM_Rm7mwU9kxu2vexskyWDXsFYnI7Ar0i7yJCKt5FDIZXpzlfQwlRBgjhjH3lbNDKBiJiUL7ZVBjQCWfSP3Ew=s720" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="720" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgh_CxYdTalut_MeIgrjIEqlizPtEalVOqJmkXL7NlPto2F-DQqjRmt6mQvt8HwadfnuxD9rhNaq2DEFQ6zm9JI7GLqMC-hYozAvbHJWnM_Rm7mwU9kxu2vexskyWDXsFYnI7Ar0i7yJCKt5FDIZXpzlfQwlRBgjhjH3lbNDKBiJiUL7ZVBjQCWfSP3Ew=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">On modern-day Earth, the Deviants have returned
and one of them kills the Eternals’ leader Ajak. The Eternals must reunite to
fight these new Deviants. Ajak has chosen Sersi as her successor by sending the
orb that allows her to communicate with her Celestial, Arishem. What Ajak has
kept a secret is that Earth is the home to one of the Celestial seeds which will
eventually, once Earth reaches enough thinking humans to power it, emerge as a
new Celestial. This will, of course, destroy the Earth and kill everyone. So,
the Eternals, because they love the uniqueness of Earth, decide they must stop
this emergence of a new Celestial, while they continue to fight the Deviants. There
are some other twists, turns, and deaths along the way. It also marks the
appearance of two special superheroes. One is a member of the LGBQ+ community,
and the other has a physical handicap.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUk-VmjTkiUwT2Ur4JJfQ4XAl-zP0rALIxYRA3tLPLM2SnfhpTNnRGooQQA0Gv3rDsQslwt-rml6kdoO-T0ltpwdVNpeniJJ4zWLQ5LwtgVoCLuslah6cZxBmZro5cxFhI6NvckJyu9Y7KDrjtNBH-I6eHGJq_t8t5B5G5I3jqc5yfhjtqHn4L5TyUEg=s500" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="500" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUk-VmjTkiUwT2Ur4JJfQ4XAl-zP0rALIxYRA3tLPLM2SnfhpTNnRGooQQA0Gv3rDsQslwt-rml6kdoO-T0ltpwdVNpeniJJ4zWLQ5LwtgVoCLuslah6cZxBmZro5cxFhI6NvckJyu9Y7KDrjtNBH-I6eHGJq_t8t5B5G5I3jqc5yfhjtqHn4L5TyUEg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">And now the review…</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The problem with the movie is pacing. While the
movie has some great action sequences and some really funny gags like Karun’s ever-smaller cameras and the hint that twinkies have been stored on the ship for
perhaps centuries, it tends to plod. It just doesn’t have the bounce that most Marvel
films have.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjik19-E1_qlEVTCtpEHeMFpn_YhHzVWDMmpG15tr17yFnUDhuCEijY3mOOKlhFKIzEe3d-qJycpqJMa44y8nyTsY2NGfcsTzviN82n2D8QkqTCmjjuoHU0FWj8-8ExzXEzuhn6JwHo7GM8OirG_NfGleMUApbC37a9r553au0Cu3zao8hB0FTg9HNHOA=s340" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="340" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjik19-E1_qlEVTCtpEHeMFpn_YhHzVWDMmpG15tr17yFnUDhuCEijY3mOOKlhFKIzEe3d-qJycpqJMa44y8nyTsY2NGfcsTzviN82n2D8QkqTCmjjuoHU0FWj8-8ExzXEzuhn6JwHo7GM8OirG_NfGleMUApbC37a9r553au0Cu3zao8hB0FTg9HNHOA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I am pretty willing to forgive the movie an
excuse for the slower pace. They do have a great deal for the audience to
understand. Unlike the first phase of the Marvel movies, they could take their
time to build individuals of the Avengers. The Eternals are not individual
superheroes. All exist as a single group so the approach to this introduction
to phase 2 had to deal with having all these characters at once. This makes it
very difficult for the audience to connect to individual characters like they
had with Ironman or Thor. Audience members though may still find connections
with characters whose tender protection of others like Gilgamesh or Phastos, or
they may enjoy the humor of Kingo and his alter ego Bollywood lifestyle. Still,
the movie needs better pacing to hold the audience’s attention.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-lwFiZ4JHU8uS5oaYcPh8lHAYQU4wUSykxzcOhu7OyzT-svFrizI3lwAFdWeGE8I42lpb8xkRMcPjo6y-ocDI8fnHdGRRJh1knKmcDFm3AaAzM5S1T-xtVu81d6hGG5HCgplmFMzmeLhph9h8bmzeWgmuNUIiS-swLeN3qdtNvMXaEPADGFtIUNYoEw=s480" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-lwFiZ4JHU8uS5oaYcPh8lHAYQU4wUSykxzcOhu7OyzT-svFrizI3lwAFdWeGE8I42lpb8xkRMcPjo6y-ocDI8fnHdGRRJh1knKmcDFm3AaAzM5S1T-xtVu81d6hGG5HCgplmFMzmeLhph9h8bmzeWgmuNUIiS-swLeN3qdtNvMXaEPADGFtIUNYoEw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I liked <i>The Eternals</i> well enough. While it does
not have the strength of other Marvel films, it does set up the next phase
which will probably include a more “space” oriented theme. Even the credit
scenes add direct connections to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise with the appearance of characters like Pip the Troll and Starfox both of whom have been
known to hang in the Guardians’ universe in the comics as well as the
introduction of the Black Knight and Blade who are also being added to the MCU in
Phase 2. The next three scheduled Marvel films should be solid enough since
they are all relying on established characters like Doctor Strange, Antman, and
Guardians, as well as Spiderman. Hopefully, Eternals II if there is one, will
be able to fix the problems now that the audience is set up for it. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-72609181877854976042021-10-22T11:28:00.002-06:002021-10-22T12:24:27.532-06:00Hey! It's Bond...James Bond<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Okay, I have not blogged in quite some time, but a few... very few... okay, one has asked for the occasional blog and my occasional opinion of various things esp. movies, and tv. So, I will do a modicum of blogs, and the first in quite a while, as requested by a few... very few...okay one, is <i>No Time to Die</i> the latest addition to the James Bond, 007 franchise. </span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">***What follows will have a few spoilers or maybe several spoilers. You have been warned.***</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrYsq2oB554k7fgtdw92O9GEdpzdvf4HEn1NXcxZ87v-MQTnkpML6vRciACOZ7cMwNFSHAwv3rdk0VG_7HVuMPzusMQHekPGLHOeapTYSTmC_umJ6Jzp6Vt9pNX7nTfNIHVrloxu9gpz9DoJjBMZgwguv3af1D4QHZcJqiYyca7Hv2g3oY4zxJ7_Fzrg=w640-h320" width="640"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoW4Fk4pmo0EjIjDziyyPOONgej7Yg-0ZsOfaM4eKKBjSXlOqeDW1dkwHps46vPHbFHLgxLVVJmhe_4Hxns3k_LxOtlLtxNiBBSX2z7j2hAwaFt5172E--ItwwOrUtboJvBOR0yd0zA0e85sl-BVHMvzMzGwpG-y1mU0oAaVzo2AJVLVLfyUIn2_HnYA=s480" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoW4Fk4pmo0EjIjDziyyPOONgej7Yg-0ZsOfaM4eKKBjSXlOqeDW1dkwHps46vPHbFHLgxLVVJmhe_4Hxns3k_LxOtlLtxNiBBSX2z7j2hAwaFt5172E--ItwwOrUtboJvBOR0yd0zA0e85sl-BVHMvzMzGwpG-y1mU0oAaVzo2AJVLVLfyUIn2_HnYA=w200-h113" width="200"></a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The plot of <i>No Time to Die </i>is a typical Bond movie plot. An evil madman <span class="StyledComponents__CharacterNameWithAs-y9ygcu-4 gyGbpY" data-testid="cast-item-characters-with-as" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lyutsifer Safin</span>, played by Rami Malek, has stolen what was supposed to be the perfect assassin nanobot virus. The virus was created by the short-sighted off-the-books orders of M (Ralph Fiennes). Bond is brought back from his retirement by CIA buddy Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) to recapture the scientist <span class="StyledComponents__CharacterNameWithAs-y9ygcu-4 gyGbpY" data-testid="cast-item-characters-with-as" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Valdo Obruchev (David Dencik). On his quest to stop the now corrupted nanobot virus, Bond fights Safin's henchman Primo "Cyclops" (</span>Dali Benssalah) aided by the lovely and deadly Paloma (Ana de Armas) and his replacement 007 Nomi (Lashana Lynch). Bond must do all this while protecting the love of his life Madeline (Léa Seydoux) and her daughter, Mathilda.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcjRjaFFIr3XxGhqyJCEGZLRpR0UJYuMWJuH_jMaVk6DRVuJ1x0IB35C2xEyuBkYtQrbBmmdjuQckJW0z2w7d4OGnl3gkIU3J9_LQAd60ze14kUnoWXGG77hVkExM3xRYOS6Ew91X-IAmfK6knOmeiUxAHQjWi8b0W-3DVPZ1dwyPzrVTbew-OzqosZA=s640" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcjRjaFFIr3XxGhqyJCEGZLRpR0UJYuMWJuH_jMaVk6DRVuJ1x0IB35C2xEyuBkYtQrbBmmdjuQckJW0z2w7d4OGnl3gkIU3J9_LQAd60ze14kUnoWXGG77hVkExM3xRYOS6Ew91X-IAmfK6knOmeiUxAHQjWi8b0W-3DVPZ1dwyPzrVTbew-OzqosZA=w200-h113" width="200"></a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <i>No Time to Die </i>is Daniel Craig's last outing as Ian Fleming's James Bond, 007. I for one will be sad to see him go. Description-wise, Craig is actually pretty far from Ian Fleming's original description of the British super spy. According to Wikipedia, Flemming described Bond: "<span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px;">slim build</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px;"></span>; a 3 in (76 mm) long, thin vertical scar on his right cheek; blue-grey eyes; a "cruel" mouth; short, black hair, a comma of which rests on his forehead. Bond frequently dressed as Fleming would've in such as short sleeve shirts and suit coats. Bond was a hard drinker and seemed "cold" and cruel. These traits were, however, traits that Craig incorporated into his Bond. So despite his physical difference from Bond, his character's behavior seems to be accurate. We also know that Fleming was influenced by the actors who played Bond. After Sean Connery became Bond, Flemming introduced a Scottish father for Bond in <i>Doctor No, </i>which was the first novel written after Connery's introduction. I must also admit that I would be hard-pressed to choose whether Connery or Craig was my favorite portrayal of the spy. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirL17eVS62QDn61lM8vbOOHLDrgY2WINJaIahoEUDWwS8pOYyprSe8PZHNDRqdbUP5pOrlAvK-Ry8mdmep8t2EphT_Vi8qeLLhIGSCS_oyznSFWIr6IhfMykONaWsGTT2T6Ng0t_SpliS3FLtrKGUf1iK9Y9fXOv9fyZ-EtdAEVYSaCrFxbqsCi8ZUuA=s500" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="500" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirL17eVS62QDn61lM8vbOOHLDrgY2WINJaIahoEUDWwS8pOYyprSe8PZHNDRqdbUP5pOrlAvK-Ry8mdmep8t2EphT_Vi8qeLLhIGSCS_oyznSFWIr6IhfMykONaWsGTT2T6Ng0t_SpliS3FLtrKGUf1iK9Y9fXOv9fyZ-EtdAEVYSaCrFxbqsCi8ZUuA=w200-h113" width="200"></a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 16px;">So we come</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"> to the last time Daniel Craig will play Bond, <i>No Time to Die.</i> I wish I could say that this was the best of the Craig Bonds, but it isn't. It's still a Bond movie with all the usual tropes of every Bond film. Pretty and deadly women, a strange and mysterious villain, Q's wondrous gadgets, Bond's cars, shaken martinis not stirred, a henchman with a unique feature (this time it's a bionic eye), a traitorous member within his own ranks, and the chases.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvmixkG99KLa7YzUKtfaBXdNXkDYZk3a8TEQamRFokqYixo1VJskSHGLzi96aVAV6Z0vG2FFFJ2xGFRSIY5WFKVQWZJF-zUy0chG3FzilMzDciMSmVq9kI5L-ZthDAZsaX_6liqHsrkjUKHav6Be8jrV2YaXP3GQO5GCXgWVgHG6dTsGoqSjJziAUoFQ=s510" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="510" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvmixkG99KLa7YzUKtfaBXdNXkDYZk3a8TEQamRFokqYixo1VJskSHGLzi96aVAV6Z0vG2FFFJ2xGFRSIY5WFKVQWZJF-zUy0chG3FzilMzDciMSmVq9kI5L-ZthDAZsaX_6liqHsrkjUKHav6Be8jrV2YaXP3GQO5GCXgWVgHG6dTsGoqSjJziAUoFQ=w200-h83" width="200"></a>While there was no shortage of chases in the movie, the best one comes at the beginning of the movie with Bond taking a wild motorcycle ride and ending with Bond's Gatling-stile guns shooting from his car. Later chase scenes really weren't as creative as the opening and tended to use the same stunt over and over. The chases were still exciting though, just not steadily more creative. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1U8HiDmQP4R1J7091yFOdtsmdGnzay0TC3-xZnrVlrRMtBiJ0Tk4bpsT_Pb5xnJiqG-lU7PmeRqxyZYLb0ox3DCPivBuCgliMZfOSpXYBxUFe7eZjYcu3jjl8Uca8N6qG_-lKNdudkUuyzs7Xq3_un0MNwlwVFC97YBnJJ_P1YX28nK6YUSmgzmlM-w=s540" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="540" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1U8HiDmQP4R1J7091yFOdtsmdGnzay0TC3-xZnrVlrRMtBiJ0Tk4bpsT_Pb5xnJiqG-lU7PmeRqxyZYLb0ox3DCPivBuCgliMZfOSpXYBxUFe7eZjYcu3jjl8Uca8N6qG_-lKNdudkUuyzs7Xq3_un0MNwlwVFC97YBnJJ_P1YX28nK6YUSmgzmlM-w=w200-h113" width="200"></a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The premise too was not particularly new. Bond has retired, again. Bond has fallen in love, again. Bond believes he has been betrayed by his new love. Bond is forced back into the life he left behind, again. Most of Bond's former colleagues thought he was dead, again. The twist to all this is that Bond's new love had not betrayed him and still loved him, so after 5 years, Bond must face his greatest foe, a mysterious villain who in one fell swoop arranges the complete destruction of the evil nemesis Spectre, even killing the locked away leader, Blofeld (Christoph Waltz). </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The problems with this movie I have are not just it's lack of originality. After 27 Bond movies, the tropes and formula are pretty well established. When I go to a Bond movie, I know exactly what I will get. My problem is two fold with <i>No Time To Die. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFX_zmwQxA7xaZrowBMmheD9iZO8q6e6GOFKt_l07v9KQdKjf7P1-mejP7T1yl6d52zadnhROJ10VCDBi9E3MuNx2Ylowey3zR7IW1PSL3hFzoVIBqZPCXZWon3CM8WSx0a0iRA3ulF9uUWDisvUFMCoKHps4xK4copcDji_u-OIZ-mgFKRTb0vsvoGw=s400" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="400" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFX_zmwQxA7xaZrowBMmheD9iZO8q6e6GOFKt_l07v9KQdKjf7P1-mejP7T1yl6d52zadnhROJ10VCDBi9E3MuNx2Ylowey3zR7IW1PSL3hFzoVIBqZPCXZWon3CM8WSx0a0iRA3ulF9uUWDisvUFMCoKHps4xK4copcDji_u-OIZ-mgFKRTb0vsvoGw=w200-h137" width="200"></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">My first is the Rami Malek villain, Safin. Safin is a very creepy bad guy. Bond villains are almost always driven by two things, greed and/or world domination. Safin is driven by revenge, except the revenge doesn't really make sense beyond a certain point. His entire family was killed by Spectre. By stealing the assassin, Safin uses the technology to kill all of Spectre. This makes does make sense. What doesn't and isn't really explained in the movie is Safin's obsession with with Madeline, who was the daughter of the Spectre agent that killed his family and Safin's deciding to use his technology by corrupting it to wipe out entire groups of people and their families that had nothing to do with the death of his family. The deaths if he succeeds would result in the deaths of millions. There is no motivation for this other than Safin is a psychopath who views the deaths as making him a god and a hero. He then almost escapes only to release Madeline and her daughter Mathilda to return and try to kill Bond who he seems to admire. If that makes sense to you, I'm glad you figured it out. I didn't get it.</span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRaBqO0XhnXHil0RHcqnD8xxbX-DY1LX-dQswHcOdAl57lQNPzJBqX9MjX0RTzLKDHvGe3Xql9HKLA0EmOJpTOqv0ev0fbrz0jNyF5sUyuAcTx3LlFAU4PO293a7qVq9gqHbCnSWVz2CRj2daozuzOUIkNtd4OZMEnvztzWkDEnybQdTc9JUhp_83P9w=s540" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="540" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRaBqO0XhnXHil0RHcqnD8xxbX-DY1LX-dQswHcOdAl57lQNPzJBqX9MjX0RTzLKDHvGe3Xql9HKLA0EmOJpTOqv0ev0fbrz0jNyF5sUyuAcTx3LlFAU4PO293a7qVq9gqHbCnSWVz2CRj2daozuzOUIkNtd4OZMEnvztzWkDEnybQdTc9JUhp_83P9w=w200-h111" width="200"></a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">My second - and here comes major spoilers - is the death of Bond. It was bad enough to kill off the first M and then Felix. My concern actually has to do more with the rumors floating around the franchise than the death of an icon that should have NEVER BEEN PERMITED! Bond is Bond. The reason people keep coming to see the movies is James Bond 007 and his adventures. The death is moving and well done a, but it is so very wrong. There is the rumor that the series will be rebooted by making 007 in the next movie a woman and so, Bond had to die as did a number of other staples of the franchise like Felix. I am not saying that a woman cannot play a super spy. I am saying that 007 and James Bond are one and the same thing and killing off an icon so the movies can get a new paint job is wrong. I hope the rumor on this is wrong, but if it does prove to be true, I would be surprised if the franchise would survive such an event. I live in hope that the death of Daniel Craig's Bond is to make room and reboot for a new James Bond.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Did I like the move? Yes. Does it have problems? High points of the movie include Bond having a daughter and a love that isn't killed off. Honestly, I am surprised there aren't a bunch more little Bonds roaming the world. Bond's CIA partner Paloma is an incredibly fun character that I would like to have seen more of her. I don't think <i>No Time to Die</i> will go down as the best of the Bond movies, but Craig most likely will go down as one of the great Bonds. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br></p>Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-31423025880938506662020-06-15T21:45:00.001-06:002020-06-15T21:45:33.201-06:00Choose Your Battles<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCYuw-ymjcqhibVE2yVirvm9vyPleLdz2kf_O7AGSdnWgCi3nQ5-LCudacWGo_lxx-rO0ulrfqcfM_1X30vzcj9Ot-Df9DuFpwXd2jS8Vj_SMfCWKDABqWV2D5YRynA9rRPNaify2Ojx6/s1600/44tvtu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="577" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCYuw-ymjcqhibVE2yVirvm9vyPleLdz2kf_O7AGSdnWgCi3nQ5-LCudacWGo_lxx-rO0ulrfqcfM_1X30vzcj9Ot-Df9DuFpwXd2jS8Vj_SMfCWKDABqWV2D5YRynA9rRPNaify2Ojx6/s200/44tvtu.jpg" width="200" /></a>Warner Animation announced that new iterations of Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam would no longer carry guns on the reboot of Looney Toons on HBO Max. This effectively adds the cartoons to the culture war.<br />
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My first thought is that this is political correctness gone awry.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6JWablokHdwV1MXfHOus2vsXTID9k5j7qNB8cLJwmKbxmVKuFvmO5JLbECWGxY07KwP-ryp9e-EpamglbF94qMgO14q4nvlMAdCDuoOMPCJk07M2Jo4bsqCzlNqgY2_L2p1KotYgLNEz/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6JWablokHdwV1MXfHOus2vsXTID9k5j7qNB8cLJwmKbxmVKuFvmO5JLbECWGxY07KwP-ryp9e-EpamglbF94qMgO14q4nvlMAdCDuoOMPCJk07M2Jo4bsqCzlNqgY2_L2p1KotYgLNEz/s200/download.jpg" width="200" /></a>And then I saw the outrage on social media. Really? Elmer Fudd's right to bear arms? With all that is going on from coronavirus to BLM to voter suppression to unemployment to...<br />
And this is what you're outraged about?<br />
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1. Cartoons are not real.<br />
2. Cartoons do not have Constitutional rights because cartoons are not REAL!<br />
3. See # 1 and #2 and repeat until you understand because CARTOONS ARE <u>NOT</u> <i>REAL</i>.<br />
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Choose your battles carefully.Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-30397800145064522042020-06-13T12:42:00.004-06:002020-06-13T12:46:17.875-06:00Adding the But...<div class="separator">
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If you start a sentence to defend someone with, "I know he's a liar but...", you are defending a liar.<br />
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If you start a sentence to defend your vote with, "I know he's a bad man but...", you are defending a bad man. </div>
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If you start a sentence to defend a flag with, "You can unfriend me if you want, but...", you are defending something that you know is wrong.</div>
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If you start a sentence to defend a point of view with, "I am not a racist, but...", you are at the least about to defend racism or at most a racist.</div>
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If a politician starts a sentence with, "I've known him/her to be a good friend, but...", he/she is about to trash his/her "good friend."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32QAxnOOdJ_zIpGONg8XEgFzTvaU0Tha5Azqu1iFn_pQkJkY81v0yxtFYxhg-zrfgx-BW7t-M-G_oUQaM92WOQma5xRpAQDim97QJpWLkKYufcYlrVsGjnl5c51yRS-HuL7UJVmWCChbO/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="316" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32QAxnOOdJ_zIpGONg8XEgFzTvaU0Tha5Azqu1iFn_pQkJkY81v0yxtFYxhg-zrfgx-BW7t-M-G_oUQaM92WOQma5xRpAQDim97QJpWLkKYufcYlrVsGjnl5c51yRS-HuL7UJVmWCChbO/" width="200" /></a>Using "but" may make you feel safer in a terrible belief, "but" it does not alter the fact that it is still a terrible belief. You are defending, attacking, protecting something that is clearly indefensible. </div>
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There is simply no buts about it.</div>
Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-46537536573653680752020-05-24T21:51:00.000-06:002020-05-24T21:51:01.745-06:00No Names Needed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "dejavu sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">I will just leave this here. </span></div>
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A while back there was a discussion on TV about how social sites have added to our own narcissism, which is not the same as the personality disorder listed below. But it is true, to a degree, that social sites and their anonymity offers many the opportunity to believe their expertise is actually more than it is. There are also many folks who post divisive memes and statements that they would never do in person. I know a few folks who seemingly have completely different personalities online than they do in the real world. So while you may have one or two of these symptoms, you probably don't qualify as a full-blown narcissist. Sadly, if you do, you probably won't realize it.<br />
<br />
I will let you draw your own conclusions if this reminds you of anyone. I remind you, I have listed no names of any specific person. </div>
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From the Mayo Clinic (you can also find these same or similarly stated symptoms listed on any number of web sites.) </div>
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<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20366662">https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20366662</a></div>
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Like</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, "DejaVu Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder">https://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "dejavu sans" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9741.php">https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9741.php</a></div>
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"Narcissistic personality disorder is <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;"><u>indicated by five</u> </span></i></b>or more of the following symptoms:</div>
<ul style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, "DejaVu Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px 38px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
Exaggerates own importance</div>
</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
Is preoccupied with fantasies of success, power, beauty, intelligence or ideal romance</div>
</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
Believes he or she is special and can only be understood by other special people or institutions</div>
</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
Requires constant attention and admiration from others</div>
</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
Has unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment</div>
</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
Takes advantage of others to reach his or her own goals</div>
</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
Disregards the feelings of others, lacks empathy</div>
</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 12px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 24px;">
Is often envious of others or believes other people are envious of him or her</div>
</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 12px;">Shows arrogant behaviors and attitudes</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "dejavu sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">At the same time, people with narcissistic personality disorder have trouble handling anything they perceive as criticism, and they can:</span><br />
<div>
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<br />
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 36px; padding: 0px 0px 24px;">
<li style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 12px;">Become impatient or angry when they don't receive special treatment</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 12px;">Have significant interpersonal problems and easily feel slighted</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 12px;">React with rage or contempt and try to belittle the other person to make themselves appear superior</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 12px;">Have difficulty regulating emotions and behavior</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 12px;">Experience major problems dealing with stress and adapting to change</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 12px;">Feel depressed and moody because they fall short of perfection</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px;">Have secret feelings of insecurity, shame, vulnerability, and humiliation</li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">*******************************************</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I am not a doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, or mental health counselor...and yet...I get the feeling I've seen<b><i> all</i></b> of these symptoms and behaviors in someone...if I could just remember who...</span></div>
Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-15535386582222354242020-05-07T21:05:00.001-06:002020-05-07T21:08:41.120-06:00Remaining Sane During an Insane Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEN8JDY-IN3eH-EJhxJXSIz3ZfGVzxIzxoZhuXuVwRnUX2c4hWjjxawz0UGih_e69Nn3drVvzIpsVJc6fouc3NUbngsvh6Lvc774FJT4EEKMJibU_Oa9IU01fxNUzrsN61ClrAjZJAKPxA/s1600/source.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="700" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEN8JDY-IN3eH-EJhxJXSIz3ZfGVzxIzxoZhuXuVwRnUX2c4hWjjxawz0UGih_e69Nn3drVvzIpsVJc6fouc3NUbngsvh6Lvc774FJT4EEKMJibU_Oa9IU01fxNUzrsN61ClrAjZJAKPxA/s400/source.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
How to Not Lose Your Sanity while being at home and spending your time online and remaining safe. These are in no particular order. I am also not an expert but I’ve been at home for several years and the days still fly by.<br />
<br />
1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Turn off the news if it’s on all day. How do you stay informed?<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeACGFUUybT4mAS_5oCi7pJVSS9UmPsu-WPnsHFyD9fALZAUfODu-yCFoY9wlHbHBmdzOA3mTpS_VSGl3owxmZNyjKW32Ny83AFYQCB6wS3tYHnZEkB_Z0sKcnDqfZR3kivUzmUPdKihXM/s1600/95120293_2969602136419576_7107905703599144960_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="465" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeACGFUUybT4mAS_5oCi7pJVSS9UmPsu-WPnsHFyD9fALZAUfODu-yCFoY9wlHbHBmdzOA3mTpS_VSGl3owxmZNyjKW32Ny83AFYQCB6wS3tYHnZEkB_Z0sKcnDqfZR3kivUzmUPdKihXM/s200/95120293_2969602136419576_7107905703599144960_n.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
a.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Choose a single morning show on a major network such as NBC, CBS, of ABC. Watch that show.<br />
<br />
b.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Watch your local news in the evening and then if you want, national news on a major network.<br />
Having the news esp. MSNBC, or Fox on all day every day, will drive you crazy and turn you into a fringe lunatic. Turn it off. This is actually a good idea even if you're not stuck at home, except I would also add, turn off Talk Radio too.<br />
<br />
If you watch a lot of TV – and I do – watch Amazon Prime, DVR program, Netflix, HBO, Stars. For older TV Programs like Red Skelton, Matlock, Murder She Wrote and Diagnosis Murder I also watch Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, COZI, LAFF, Comet, FETV, TUBI. What can I say? I love older TV shows. I also try and discover shows. Lately, I’ve become fascinated by the dubbed foreign language shows on Netflix like The Protector (Turkey), Ragnarök (Norway), Diablero (Mexico), Kingdom (South Korea), Luna Nera (Italy), and Better Than Us (Russia). These are just the tip of the iceberg.<br />
<br />
Remember all those DVD’s you bought. Watch those.<br />
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What I am saying, is on TV leave the news especially the pundits behind and discover something new or something old.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSU2D3DHRzTiPvJE0D6m4OkAwXXt2rChF1b8mCJgtb5QmXiivSa6YVunCafjjFIeiserQmFBHRhfTgAKUxfMXG81ZkJsXZC4RiKSBhr9i51Y-NDlXsMuQ2MDf6TkLk0I223PxHb9lvM9T/s1600/tenor+%25281%2529.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="480" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSU2D3DHRzTiPvJE0D6m4OkAwXXt2rChF1b8mCJgtb5QmXiivSa6YVunCafjjFIeiserQmFBHRhfTgAKUxfMXG81ZkJsXZC4RiKSBhr9i51Y-NDlXsMuQ2MDf6TkLk0I223PxHb9lvM9T/s200/tenor+%25281%2529.gif" width="200" /></a><br />
2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Try to go outside every day if weather and health permits, even for just a little bit.<br />
3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Read a book or write a journal or blog or have a project to do.<br />
<br />
4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Go on Facebook and entertain your friends.<br />
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a.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>While you’re on Facebook, do me a favor. Unfollow every, single political - be they left or right - news site and every single organization that has a political agenda. I’ve unfollowed a bunch of them that I started out with. When they put up an agenda, and I don’t care if they are the NRA or Green Peace, they do not have your best interests at heart. This recommendation also includes MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, The Daily Wire, Mother Jones, The Western Journal, One America just to mention a few. If you really must follow a news site, follow REUTERS, the AP, BBC, NPR, The Wall Street Journal and New York Times. On the last two though, just don’t follow their opinion pages. If you want a little on-line opinion in your life, subscribe to The Flip Side which publishes both Left and Right Opinions on a topic every day and sends them to your inbox. Besides, they have a great little feature called “the Bright Side” which will lighten your day. As soon as I dumped the agenda-driven sites, I felt better.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw40b9Elk0vcwNeHv54JkJMPcMJJbmrxVa_86NiUGFobrXcMg_5VMSnrhqnro-UtTEHJI6GY1MSBEOfcatYtGgXqUaOtiNTPc1zUJbE3EZ6KiAPqknpn65x8Mydi_9JksVRh2Pn24Qc8vX/s1600/Abe-Lincoln.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw40b9Elk0vcwNeHv54JkJMPcMJJbmrxVa_86NiUGFobrXcMg_5VMSnrhqnro-UtTEHJI6GY1MSBEOfcatYtGgXqUaOtiNTPc1zUJbE3EZ6KiAPqknpn65x8Mydi_9JksVRh2Pn24Qc8vX/s200/Abe-Lincoln.jpg" width="200" /></a>b.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Too many people are unduly influenced because they get their information from one source. This makes you uninformed. Even if it sounds good, it does not make it true.<br />
<br />
c.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When you are on Facebook or Twitter or YouTube and you see something that interests you, look it up. Social sites are a horrible place to get information, and you have the entire sum of human knowledge at your fingertips. By the way, when you search use neutral terms. And don’t tell me you haven’t the time. You are stuck at home!<br />
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d.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If you become so engrained by one group, I guarantee folks are wondering things like, “What happened to so and so?” and “They used to be smarter.”<br />
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5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Clear the clutter online and in your house.<br />
<br />
6.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Exercise at least three times a week. Yes, I do. I actually do an elliptical trainer for at least 45 minutes 6 days a week.<br />
<br />
7.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Eat healthily. Your body is as important as your mind.<br />
<br />
8.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Take a nap.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKAZSOOnSaVqeOTFG3fWg-3zLmaH_oX-fOUepCKv6SIEtcnFla1To7hzx4UW095PaNdhnNCgfdCGFF0ZnY90qLyHcUkN0OqIhH8tLXzmHhc6F2FXla52fDM6j9y7p8OM-DxFLbbhHxbVn/s1600/hughjackmanhackinginswordfish.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="360" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKAZSOOnSaVqeOTFG3fWg-3zLmaH_oX-fOUepCKv6SIEtcnFla1To7hzx4UW095PaNdhnNCgfdCGFF0ZnY90qLyHcUkN0OqIhH8tLXzmHhc6F2FXla52fDM6j9y7p8OM-DxFLbbhHxbVn/s200/hughjackmanhackinginswordfish.gif" width="200" /></a>9.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Get something that challenges your mind. I do puzzles and am addicted to a coloring app on my phone.<br />
<br />
10.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t do quizzes on Facebook. Since I stopped doing them, the number of spoofs to my accounts have virtually disappeared. Even the most innocuous quiz is a way for someone to find out things about you that may lead them to your passwords and other valuable information. Also never click on a link in an email or Facebook if you do not know for sure that it is from who it says it is. Invest in a separate virus program and firewall and keep it updated.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2q01O7xgwWiJgpUN5r2-L30GHoN1OW4Rr2ii54Yyan_LI_WGq7ke9ozivKQZyRSJol8pt1-1VOAjbaoc4Pv8fJB4TDM6a0rYH8yXtgWFD1C8pA6GbYd_mM8dIIcyR_O8EJTBuST3qz9w/s1600/82165317_3422114201196263_2926717266705776640_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="234" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2q01O7xgwWiJgpUN5r2-L30GHoN1OW4Rr2ii54Yyan_LI_WGq7ke9ozivKQZyRSJol8pt1-1VOAjbaoc4Pv8fJB4TDM6a0rYH8yXtgWFD1C8pA6GbYd_mM8dIIcyR_O8EJTBuST3qz9w/s200/82165317_3422114201196263_2926717266705776640_n.jpg" width="165" /></a>11.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Enjoy a good snack. Sugar is not a good snack.<br />
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12.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Stop and ask, “Does this make me happy?” If it doesn’t, stop doing it. I know that sounds like a statement of the obvious, but if something is making you mad be it a news site or a tv show, then you probably don’t need that in your life. I’m not saying you need to roam around wearing rose-colored lenses. I am saying doing that to yourself regularly will make you miserable.<br />
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Time will fly by and you don’t need to share your every thought and meal with everyone.<br />
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<br />
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“It is best to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”<br />
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<br /></div>
Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-40125018581752603712020-05-06T21:08:00.002-06:002020-05-07T23:32:56.447-06:00I'm Not Asking These Questions, But I Have Answers<br />
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<span style="color: #1c1e21;">This is tinfoil hat stuff and is clearly politically motivated by far-right conspiracy theories. Below is the equivalent of a
stupid meme that is created on Facebook by cut, paste, and reposts. It makes it
no less stupid.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NlPIFD4KyO_PGIVLA7l-frtrqnV0-_GQVTTe3XrWAsEbqJ3sGR5QTO1LSi3begQODQ-kCT7ja525UPUH55ZcbxM9JeEuirFQ3jTGlsqSyVAUsNsW_N-MVId6ETxnQ9Aq2oPdvxD641Ke/s1600/tin_foil_hat.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NlPIFD4KyO_PGIVLA7l-frtrqnV0-_GQVTTe3XrWAsEbqJ3sGR5QTO1LSi3begQODQ-kCT7ja525UPUH55ZcbxM9JeEuirFQ3jTGlsqSyVAUsNsW_N-MVId6ETxnQ9Aq2oPdvxD641Ke/s400/tin_foil_hat.gif" width="290" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<span style="color: #1c1e21;">I don't care if you're
Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or vote for unicorns, if you're not asking
these questions you should be....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: -.25in; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why can you go to Walmart but not Kohl's?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Walmart sells essentials
such as food and medicine. Kohl’s does not.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why the Dollar store
and not a mom-and-pop shop?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">As near as I can find out, Dollar
Store and similar stores sell essentials. Any mom and pop that also sell items
considered essential are also allowed to remain open if they meet proper
procedures for disinfecting and protecting people.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why can't you have elective surgery, but you can have an abortion which is elective?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Abortion is time-sensitive
and also not necessarily elective. In fact, several major medical associations
have asked that abortion be made essential.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why should you stay
inside but yet heat and sunlight kill the virus?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">This is a myth. The virus
can live on surfaces for up to 72 hours and in the air for up tt two or three hours. It
does degrade faster in sunlight and heat.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why can't kids (who
are not at risk) play on an outdoor playground, where sun kills this virus?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Kids are at risk, do
carry the virus and some have had been hospitalized with symptoms similar to </span><span style="background: white; color: #4d5156;">Kawasaki disease</span>. Also, see the above.<span style="color: #1c1e21;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why don't people
know that these are "recommendations" not laws because they have not
gone through due process?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">The Supreme court has, in
fact, ruled that during national emergencies local and Federal agencies have
much broader powers to protect the citizens.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why is it okay for
government officials to get a haircut, but not common citizens?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">This question is simply ridiculous.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why the fear, when
this virus has a less than 1% death rate?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">The current death rate in
the US is 5.8 percent and higher world-wide. All other math percentages are
speculative.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why have coroners
questioned death certificates listed as CV-19?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">What is the source for
this question? In fact, one death that was ruled heart-failure has since been
rechecked after the deceased’s wife tested positive. The death certificate was
altered so that Covid 19 was a contributing factor. It also indicates that
Covid was in the US early than originally thought. The only question that has
arisen is whether it is a contributing factor. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why are areas like
Chicago and NY gearing up for mass vaccination?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Everyone is hoping for
this and a few places are starting to run trials. Preparation is important</span></i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">. <i>Again, this is clearly a divisive and politically motivated question.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">What makes one
person essential and another not?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">It all goes back to
essential service. People who work for essential services are currently essential.
Those who don’t aren’t. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Doesn't shelter at
home; mean there is a whole population of people, not staying home so we can?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Honestly, this question
is nonsense and deserves no thought or response.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why are they
dividing us?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Who is they? Gotta love
the mythical “they.” If the poster really doesn’t care “if you’re a democrat or
a republican” ask what is clearly a political question.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">How do people not
know that we are a Republic, not a democracy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">What does this question
have to do with anything? For the record we are a constitutional republic where
some decisions are made through representatives and others by democratic vote.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Where has the flu
gone?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Texas. Dumb question. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why do the homeless
consistently demonstrate the lowest infection rates?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Another myth. In some
homeless shelters over half the staff and half the residents tested positive.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why are they telling
us to mask up after 2 months of lockdown?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Protection. Good lord, do
some simple research.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why is the CDC
saying kids need to be masked when they return to school or attend church, when
they know cloth masks restrict oxygen?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">See above.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">What is this
oppression and loss of liberty doing to the mental health of our kids...to us?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">I cannot answer the
stupidity involved in this question.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why have most other
death rates dropped since the virus?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Source? At a guess, it’s
probably because the majority of us get it and have not been out doing things
that are stupid, and we are driving less.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why did world
leaders meet in China in October 2019?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Tin-foil hats are in the
closet on the left.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why are the common
people being controlled by the government and no one is controlling the
government?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Didn’t the poster just
announce we are a republic?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">23.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why are hospitals
paid more for Covid 19 deaths?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">This is true. Congress
added 20 percent in the Medicare Care Act for covid diagnosis. There is no
evidence, however, that hospitals are purposely misdiagnosing to pad the bill.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">24.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why are some doctors
speaking out and then getting silenced?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">The only doctors I’ve
seen are generally not qualified to speak on the subject and are not basing their
observations on anything but anecdotes and not scientific studies. Some have
been publicly condemned by their own organizations for their statements.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">25.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why did Obama give
the Wuhan lab $334 million dollars?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">The original statement
was actually 3.7 million, but in any case, the simple truth is Obama didn’t.
What did happen was a grant was given by the National Institute of Health, a
government organization, to an organization working with </span><span style="background: white; color: #303030;">Wuhan Institute of Virology to study
coronaviruses which also includes SARS in bats and the risk of potential
transfer to humans. </span>A grant that was renewed by the NIH again
during the Trump administration. NIH has been giving out these grants since
2002<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">26.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">What does a computer
geek have to do with a pandemic and why does he want 7 billion coronavirus vaccines?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">I think the poster is
referring to </span><span style="background: white; color: #231f1e;">The Institute
for Health Metrics</span> which develops models to track the virus. There is
some debate, but they have identified other issues in the past using unusual
metrics to track medical problems. The requested money to develop their modeling computer programs to track the
spread, something that every epidemiologist says needs to be done. To date,
they have not received any more funding. I don't think anyone asked for 7 billion vaccines since there isn't a Covid-19 vaccine that exists. </i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">27.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why ID 2020, Agenda
21 and 2030?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Rated a false claim by Snopes.
Again, do some research.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">28.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why did the CDC have
a job posting for pandemic relief workers in November 2019?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">I don’t know, maybe they
needed people, after all, Trump fired the entire pandemic team.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">29.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why did Dr. Fauci say
in 2017 that the Trump administration would be faced with a " SUPRISE
PANDEMIC " and then runs the pandemic team?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">He was warning that we
were not prepared. He runs the team because that has been his job. He has
worked as a director in the health organization in the government since 1984
when he led the work on the AIDS epidemic.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">30.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why are they
infringing on Christians religious freedoms?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Again, who are they? No
one is infringing on freedom, what is being done is preventing large
congregations of people from spreading the disease. A number of hotspots have been directly tied to church
services in several states. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">31.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Why can 500 people
shop at Menards or Home Depot, but we are not allowed to go into a church
building?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Again, it’s called social
distancing or has the poster not seen the spacing and entrance control at
essential service stores. Social distancing would be near impossible to do in a
church building. Church services are simply being held in new ways. Belief is
not in a building if you think it is, well, you get the idea of how shallow you
sound.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<span style="color: #1c1e21;">I have, by the way, verified
each of my answers. It took me less than 30 minutes to find the answers and a
little more time to type them. So if you want the sources, you can Google them
since if you’re posting this stuff, you aren’t verifying anything anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-46741876563243360422020-03-18T20:47:00.000-06:002020-03-19T08:22:59.316-06:00Divisive Much?Along the lines of stupid memes that I occasionally discuss, during this time of great problems like panic buying, economic turmoil and a possible rising death toll, posting political memes that deepen the divide are, quite honestly, unforgivable. It's the age-old problem that we've discussed before. Too many people have settled on getting their information from the political channels like Fox or MSNBC or from social media and never go out beyond their small bubbled comfort zone. They have, in effect, become brainwashed. (I will save that particular discussion for another day.)<br>
<br>
What I find particularly sad is that these posters of the divisive don't even recognize the trap they've fallen into. They don't realize that they are not funny, just divisive and destructive.<br>
<br>
Here is a couple such memes, I've seen today.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvggWsByz88txX0XH2PA0UqoMuEDmYpwkwIIODMrloEiOuZrc95gX9saGJ6o5QPD1oaU4yEsj9KkgLhtQdQgpWvHH3dIz1FdRvu3zEzEAsCBd2qaBVZxQOXFdsJ9TBQlhwQxLnRZ4-S1w/s1600/89950820_2634027013390227_6374393686796533760_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="720" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvggWsByz88txX0XH2PA0UqoMuEDmYpwkwIIODMrloEiOuZrc95gX9saGJ6o5QPD1oaU4yEsj9KkgLhtQdQgpWvHH3dIz1FdRvu3zEzEAsCBd2qaBVZxQOXFdsJ9TBQlhwQxLnRZ4-S1w/s320/89950820_2634027013390227_6374393686796533760_n.jpg" width="320"></a>The goal is to help people not prop up extreme beliefs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7ZV6g62iUgXSI8O7UE4h0TGsII1qia5APkN75nug5-dHB04pudUXMcDNhS4lR-ZvFMRzGkGBF92LZKDWT71R4jnV5txbc5YiDXp_tE44CvUGuc14F60NUSBfsBl47_HPR6JQfdtT7DSS/s1600/89265422_10158181755606940_678379351279927296_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="745" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7ZV6g62iUgXSI8O7UE4h0TGsII1qia5APkN75nug5-dHB04pudUXMcDNhS4lR-ZvFMRzGkGBF92LZKDWT71R4jnV5txbc5YiDXp_tE44CvUGuc14F60NUSBfsBl47_HPR6JQfdtT7DSS/s320/89265422_10158181755606940_678379351279927296_o.jpg" width="248"></a>Adding a laughing face does not change that this meme is based not only on a disproven lie created possibly by Russian bots but also equates real deaths from a pandemic to this myth. And in case the poster didn't notice, there isn't a Clinton in an office right now.<br><br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfvb3Fm7JMEpamNPNd0vXZFUlUplasd6bY6SRfeI2QHg-RsVQ4jCkqFJMUqyyKD3fW_p-SvUEN32zpUa17aku_CICqvBCpXps6HgQhefsE4RFeW2HY1sFLku1E0Jqf9e3Um2c4BU9cBuK/s1600/income.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1254" data-original-width="1254" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfvb3Fm7JMEpamNPNd0vXZFUlUplasd6bY6SRfeI2QHg-RsVQ4jCkqFJMUqyyKD3fW_p-SvUEN32zpUa17aku_CICqvBCpXps6HgQhefsE4RFeW2HY1sFLku1E0Jqf9e3Um2c4BU9cBuK/s320/income.jpg" width="320"></a><br>
Finally, I just wanted to add this one. It's not particularly divisive but as I would tell my literature students years ago, "There is always irony!"<br>
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Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-51571904883106952302020-03-12T10:13:00.000-06:002020-03-12T10:19:56.186-06:00Why TP?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsuZ_HgPptzqXM3HUvY3PLuNTzUdJrtfAabMVKGSzyrEEuAQzhPDLdp-BM0gXrIdBhzvDYonmRFL2_U20rqUUhkk9fvmvgNUatVZ_-6YMJMZzcjBEuWhocAFEUT1CX8v6wIXt7jUrDg00/s1600/20804378_web1_M-Toilet-Paper-EDH-200310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsuZ_HgPptzqXM3HUvY3PLuNTzUdJrtfAabMVKGSzyrEEuAQzhPDLdp-BM0gXrIdBhzvDYonmRFL2_U20rqUUhkk9fvmvgNUatVZ_-6YMJMZzcjBEuWhocAFEUT1CX8v6wIXt7jUrDg00/s400/20804378_web1_M-Toilet-Paper-EDH-200310.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am not even going to try to explain COVID-19 problems and panic. News media has stoked it well enough and governments trying to underplay it rather than being truthful have also made sure that the panic continues. Coronavirus is serious.<br />
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No, I want to talk about toilet paper hoarding. It is a worldwide phenomenon. Why?<br />
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I've read this statement on Facebook a number of times: It's because TP comes from China and because of this people are worried we will run out. </div>
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If you type into Google, "Where does toilet paper come from?" You will get a response from Wikipedia, "China." This is true. TP was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet_paper" target="_blank">invented in China in the 6th century.</a> We don't, however, import the majority of our TP from China. We actually import from a number of countries 9.4 percent of our TP according to <a href="https://oec.world/en/profile/hs92/4818/" target="_blank">Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC).</a> The fact is toilet paper tends to produced where lumber is processed so TP comes from far away lands like Washington and Oregon and Vancouver. In other words where the growth forests are. Most of our imports actually <a href="http://theconversation.com/theres-plenty-of-toilet-paper-in-the-us-so-why-are-people-hoarding-it-133300" target="_blank">come from Canada and Mexico.</a></div>
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Panic buying is not new and it is not reasonable. The current one for TP is worldwide. It may have actually started in Japan where because of an inaccurate Facebook post, the public was informed that germ masks were made from the same material as TP, and Japan does import TP and their masks from China. TP and the mask are actually two different materials. From there, like the virus, it spread to Australia and around the world. What happens is people see others suddenly start buying large quantities of a product and then start thinking, "What do they know that I don't?" Chances are they have heard that toilet paper comes from China or they saw what you are just now seeing. The fact is they don't know anything you don't know. <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-the-psychology-behind-panic-buying/a-52721736" target="_blank">They feel the situation is out of their control</a>, so by panic buying things like masks, hand sanitizers, water, toilet paper, etc., they feel they have some control. It is really a "monkey see; monkey do" sort of thing or sometimes referred to as the herd mentality. </div>
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So now you know. You really don't need all that TP or water, you need to calm down and take sensible precautions. </div>
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Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-39345422804825469542020-03-05T20:56:00.000-07:002020-03-05T20:56:29.248-07:00Fascinated by Bernie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNH2CYyreJOSw9T5jFsmTRDGBw3kaWFtXosCH3yjsflzFusxyQFQh0CqSWozn_-BwQyI5RK635v0o30I62PPTGaYmWf5jheLY51E24BFmWiKc_BmccRrKivjWJk_-wW2v7oAyyuqJWzDP/s1600/bernie-sanders-ny-gt-img.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="907" data-original-width="1440" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNH2CYyreJOSw9T5jFsmTRDGBw3kaWFtXosCH3yjsflzFusxyQFQh0CqSWozn_-BwQyI5RK635v0o30I62PPTGaYmWf5jheLY51E24BFmWiKc_BmccRrKivjWJk_-wW2v7oAyyuqJWzDP/s400/bernie-sanders-ny-gt-img.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiviu3XZEIm_OFyB8GmAj6hYMrTHJsT9VRJQhPtq4tWWSUPn-1D9VEDDtEOmIjID95BJ5W7RzNOmLnFnp73fBQZp-zclTvvlwv-snKii0P7m6CLmybFuPW5iH3-tRI_nbyAifTBa9oH-We/s1600/bernie_sanders_20201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="955" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiviu3XZEIm_OFyB8GmAj6hYMrTHJsT9VRJQhPtq4tWWSUPn-1D9VEDDtEOmIjID95BJ5W7RzNOmLnFnp73fBQZp-zclTvvlwv-snKii0P7m6CLmybFuPW5iH3-tRI_nbyAifTBa9oH-We/s200/bernie_sanders_20201.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I am fascinated by Bernie Sanders' run for the presidency. Don't get me wrong, I am not particularly a supporter, but fascinated by his rise and primary run. He, truly, does have a solid base of followers which I find as fascinating as those of Trump. You see, Sander's base doesn't seem to grow or show up when it comes time to vote, and yes, I have the stats to support this. Trump's avid, dare I say rabid, supporters are solid too but also don't seem to grow in number. The difference is they do tend to show up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFVf_avZTICjI49L6j3C2iisKUrZxxeLBXbkQcdc6hyphenhyphenCt9J0EnH0jg4J3h3Wkw8U-ZfBJQ6tEa0upFZb83OWf8lVpVzUWX7k0JFgcLKhMraaFR9QCOoQ9rFqFDFQ4O12x7n87i1jtBDpG/s1600/gettyimages-1151697893.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1092" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFVf_avZTICjI49L6j3C2iisKUrZxxeLBXbkQcdc6hyphenhyphenCt9J0EnH0jg4J3h3Wkw8U-ZfBJQ6tEa0upFZb83OWf8lVpVzUWX7k0JFgcLKhMraaFR9QCOoQ9rFqFDFQ4O12x7n87i1jtBDpG/s200/gettyimages-1151697893.webp" width="200" /></a>Rivals of Sanders point to his inflexibility and how little he has accomplished in his 29 years in the House and Senate. Supporters point to him as a voice for the downtrodden and democratic socialism. It is true that of the <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/what-bernie-sanders-really-got-done-in-his-29-years-in-congress" target="_blank">422 bills he has been the lead sponsor on, he has had only three become laws and two of those were to name post offices</a> which is from congress.gov. This, however, is not truly reflective of his impact. For example, he pushed for and added funding for community health care centers in the Affordable Care Act. In fact, Bernie's real success is in amendments. He has offered over 500 amendments, esp. while he was in the House. About one in five of his amendments ended up being added to laws, but many of those were stripped from the final product. His power, especially in the past number of years, has been that he is an unflinching ideologue. He creates public spectacles and grassroots pressure to get his ideas across. In other words, while his legislative accomplishments are pretty thin, his cause for change is as much about changing the conversation as it is about pushing congress for legislation. The question is though as President, will this same inflexible, single-mindedness serve him without compromise? The answer is probably going to be "yes" if he can get his base to show up and "no" if he is only yelling to the choir and no one else.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55a8eq6IF6EI9NrgN6YczD3SvWP_xZCWyGS8jebJYVSsIL0UeSe_QFSJvMxLQ35dQJ6G2c9VockGgCaAKDh0sWWd2KgakayQ7TbqtRr8pOwYvyN2pgi_REWaMDGGuls-YLAj91jOxJDZt/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="310" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55a8eq6IF6EI9NrgN6YczD3SvWP_xZCWyGS8jebJYVSsIL0UeSe_QFSJvMxLQ35dQJ6G2c9VockGgCaAKDh0sWWd2KgakayQ7TbqtRr8pOwYvyN2pgi_REWaMDGGuls-YLAj91jOxJDZt/s200/images.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
This brings me to the statement in the first paragraph. At a rally just before Super Tuesday, he had <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/02/29/bernie-sanders-boston-crowd-rally-elizabeth-warren/4914884002/" target="_blank">13,000 supporters show up in Massachusetts. </a> Yet, he lost the state in the primary to Joe Biden who not only had no rallies in the state but had no offices and hadn't <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/live-blog/2020-super-tuesday-live-updates-14-states-hold-primaries-n1146871/ncrd1149076#liveBlogHeader" target="_blank">spent one dollar on advertising in the state.</a> Sanders frequently points to the number of new voters he brings to the party, but the fact is the statistics just don't bear that out. The percentage of votes he had in 2016 was significantly lower in the recent primaries. He lost Oklahoma to Biden which he won in 2016. His claim of bringing in younger voters just isn't accurate. The youth vote on Super Tuesday was <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/03/04/super-tuesday-bernie-sanders-youth-votes-fell-short-compared-2016/4947795002/" target="_blank">down in comparison to his 2016 bid.</a> Again, his argument that he will bring in new voters only rings true if they show up, but so far in the primaries and caucuses, he hasn't turned out the numbers he did in 2016.<br />
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Despite Biden's claims on the debate stage, Bernie does have a list of how he plans on paying for his democratic socialist dreams. I am not going to say I disagree. I, too, believe that health care should be a right. The tuition loan programs are a nightmare, and I know more than a few people who make the required payments, and the loans only get bigger. There is nothing wrong with making sure that people can find shelter and food. Do, however, Bernie's plans cover the cost. The simple answer to a complex problem <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-sanders-bill-for-democracy-50-trillion/2020/02/26/c6963114-58dc-11ea-9b35-def5a027d470_story.html" target="_blank">according to a number of nonpartisan experts is "no."</a> To do all that he wants to do, it will cost roughly fifty trillion dollars. This figure includes the 13.3 trillion deficit that is courtesy of things like the economic downturn in 2007 which was just starting to come down when the Trump Tax Cut was passed with no funding.<br />
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Here's a list and cost according to the Washington Post:<br />
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Sanders’s Spending, 2021-2030:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvi-bKwXGvIb8KyageOLE0KI6cUGEZnrYp0647RiS0P2_SkK2YsH0A2xB5rN729NagoRlHuOJNTqWGQkiZPjWSylkqdcyN3tL0i7KxfmOa8i_5pYyE5Qjz43oh2bEaK5A8yGQV04R8OEs/s1600/Funko-Pop-The-Vote-Bernie-Sanders-2178556_1024x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvi-bKwXGvIb8KyageOLE0KI6cUGEZnrYp0647RiS0P2_SkK2YsH0A2xB5rN729NagoRlHuOJNTqWGQkiZPjWSylkqdcyN3tL0i7KxfmOa8i_5pYyE5Qjz43oh2bEaK5A8yGQV04R8OEs/s200/Funko-Pop-The-Vote-Bernie-Sanders-2178556_1024x1024.jpg" width="140" /></a>1. Deficits under existing policies: $13.1 trillion<br />
2. “Free” college for all and the cancellation of existing student debt: $2.2 trillion<br />
3. Expand Social Security and other retirement benefits: $1.4 trillion (<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/benritz/2020/02/25/even-with-new-pay-fors-bernies-agenda-still-has-a-25-trillion-hole/#6af8a04a66c1">estimated </a>by the Progressive Policy Institute)<br />
4. Housing for all: $2.5 trillion<br />
5. Eliminating household medical debt: $81 billion<br />
6. Green New Deal (programs to stop global warming): $16.3 trillion<br />
7. Universal child care and preschool: $1.5 trillion<br />
8. Medicare-for-all: $17.5 trillion<br />
Total: $54.6 trillion<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqColsiQXQiHLlzPubuZo8_OqlAdIjpdR0uUzL3nm0mf2jvNAhkaQKV1_IWFiv6hyDL1J0ssdIT0GAsJOSkVPWqA4JQJDpCBTiOPx4XuX2W_MV3tap-5n0uDjMr5mm3gy-dO4J-WjRbbBC/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="226" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqColsiQXQiHLlzPubuZo8_OqlAdIjpdR0uUzL3nm0mf2jvNAhkaQKV1_IWFiv6hyDL1J0ssdIT0GAsJOSkVPWqA4JQJDpCBTiOPx4XuX2W_MV3tap-5n0uDjMr5mm3gy-dO4J-WjRbbBC/s200/images+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a>So, if the government maintains its current spending over the next decade, then that means with the Sanders' plan added, the size of the government will be about 80% larger. If we do indeed pattern these plans on the democratic socialist states in Europe, we have to remember a few things. The USA is a huge, unruly landmass with a population of about 327 million people. Norway who has a number of these ideals on the books has a population of 5.3 million. That's a huge difference. If we raise taxes on the billionaires, we can expect some very high-priced lawyers and accountants who will make sure that the new tax does as little damage as possible. According to the nonpartisan <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-sanders-bill-for-democracy-50-trillion/2020/02/26/c6963114-58dc-11ea-9b35-def5a027d470_story.html" target="_blank">Congressional Budget Office, if all spending were covered by deficit spending, we can expect the national deficit to grow to 66.8 trillion by 2030.</a> The tax burden would have to nearly double to cover this. Now add the 50 trillion that Sanders' plan would add. The wealth tax would actually raise about only 4.3 trillion. You have to remember that the billionaires of the world don't just have their wealth in money it also in things that income tax doesn't include. Sorry, the math just doesn't bear fruit. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYhlomno1vneNyZW98LyZwxmYA0A6k1JrrDJsTRi_B7CTUv8ehObiN1y6g889PTyWSmg1BodiZ2ghcYp9SSRC1nQT58hCV3uCgwHWGTQTNNVJNUEHCdTudZ9hfhWzyLuEmY4mryo7K6FE/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="480" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYhlomno1vneNyZW98LyZwxmYA0A6k1JrrDJsTRi_B7CTUv8ehObiN1y6g889PTyWSmg1BodiZ2ghcYp9SSRC1nQT58hCV3uCgwHWGTQTNNVJNUEHCdTudZ9hfhWzyLuEmY4mryo7K6FE/s200/giphy.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
And yet, Sanders' clear-eyed vision for a better world is what drives him, his followers, and my fascination for a 78-year old man who has captured the imagination of the young. He really does want to make things better and this brings me to another thing that fascinates me by this most unusual candidate. Bernie Sanders is not a Democrat and yet he runs in Democratic Primaries and Caucuses by registering as one in the states when he runs. He has, however, already filed for his Senate run in 2022 as an Independent. He actually did the same thing in 2016. There also is an actual party named The Democratic Socialists of America. Yet, Sanders will be the second person in what is now a two-man race for the nomination following Super Tuesday's results. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBNjndGz5YfZRBzvE6HZ29Jw6xTKDXGg13PybDzALW0t99k-ZIFu2vbVaf2l511bITB6wsJI3qu1dTahj_OzuBvvMu83Ac3paLFoJlbzOyc3wfv9129y3HtwXxwAceggsiahgz-pT5Dlc/s1600/89118318_10157964502761838_7465635058691342336_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBNjndGz5YfZRBzvE6HZ29Jw6xTKDXGg13PybDzALW0t99k-ZIFu2vbVaf2l511bITB6wsJI3qu1dTahj_OzuBvvMu83Ac3paLFoJlbzOyc3wfv9129y3HtwXxwAceggsiahgz-pT5Dlc/s320/89118318_10157964502761838_7465635058691342336_o.jpg" width="320" /></a>I know many of his believers want to think of Bernie as the new center-left of the political spectrum. If you listen and read a lot of the Democratic base's statement, you might believe that the progressive movement is the only driving force in the party. But just as Trump's true believers think that their extreme position is representative of the Republican party, it isn't.<a href="https://www.politico.com/2020-election/results/" target="_blank"> If one actually looks at the main candidates that caught on from the original 20 plus running for the nomination, the math is very different.</a> Biden, Klobuchar, Buttigieg, Bloomberg and even Steyer all who are recognized as center-left to center-right generally split 55 to 65 percent of the vote while Sanders and Warren, the far-left progressive of 30 to 45 percent. In the Iowa caucus Warren and Sanders took 44.1 percent and the middle of Biden, Buttigieg and Klobuchar took 54.3 percent. The outlier for Sanders has been Nevada where he took home 46.8 percent of the vote. Really, the support for Sanders doesn't really seem to grow. Even in California, his biggest win for delegates, he currently sits at about 33.8 percent. Admittedly, his vote totals would probably grow if Warren had dropped out sooner, but then again, so would've Biden, who currently sits at 25.1, if Bloomberg had dropped out and if Buttigieg and Klobuchar had also dropped out before early voting had started.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2GE7lvzdOznL4Sznl6lvfxd6EbknAjWnFvLa5UWyhjsfL0Fo_WxfOi-Ek36dMPIFXYUm0ICb9J-LE-FIKtxrQnBQaHQ_Dvh1faIr8a9OmyUejA7cbZWT-JBsCyz0Un6z1OFH4H-mmmcC/s1600/article-5689-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1392" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2GE7lvzdOznL4Sznl6lvfxd6EbknAjWnFvLa5UWyhjsfL0Fo_WxfOi-Ek36dMPIFXYUm0ICb9J-LE-FIKtxrQnBQaHQ_Dvh1faIr8a9OmyUejA7cbZWT-JBsCyz0Un6z1OFH4H-mmmcC/s320/article-5689-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Perhaps the biggest problem that gets in Bernie's way, besides the socialist label and not really being a Democrat, is he actually is running against the party whose nomination he hopes to get. He runs an insurgent campaign that is fueled by idealism, perception and occasionally by</div>
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extreme supporters. He rails against the system often giving him the appearance of that stereotypical old guy yelling at kids to get off his lawn. Attacking the establishment of the party you want to endorse you is probably not a good idea. What's the old adage about biting the hand?<br />
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I don't know where you stand on Bernie Sanders, but I remain fascinated by him. </div>
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Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-83061059507016050662020-03-02T21:39:00.000-07:002020-03-02T21:39:16.951-07:00Your Friends on Facebook Have the Electoral College Wrong<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnfwf3xvC3Hl-jRMbfNOHTPoqPls7bZIh8-cE8yQ0140XSCamNYs3nS8fRwb_-IjN2yv7PinOV_mr-bz5H2MkaLln1jeH4Fos0IJtgMBzRg1n1d0vSLJpAmBeL4rA6QVir8AwvCs0P1mB/s1600/WHO-CARES-ABOUT-THE-FRAMERS-OF-THE-CONSTITUTION.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="1600" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnfwf3xvC3Hl-jRMbfNOHTPoqPls7bZIh8-cE8yQ0140XSCamNYs3nS8fRwb_-IjN2yv7PinOV_mr-bz5H2MkaLln1jeH4Fos0IJtgMBzRg1n1d0vSLJpAmBeL4rA6QVir8AwvCs0P1mB/s640/WHO-CARES-ABOUT-THE-FRAMERS-OF-THE-CONSTITUTION.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXzhnvqixT3LGKfTa9T9MZrW9U3QdihcufeIxrIk54XQsWMJ__41QxdYLkeEz87VCO37tPM0jjTg-UqOeYfrmgQ_8ZmFXYv4P2L7VV7nnh-IOEMlGcGcYG0l1EWqCJrE9cY4lemAJOwh9B/s1600/overview-Founding-Fathers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXzhnvqixT3LGKfTa9T9MZrW9U3QdihcufeIxrIk54XQsWMJ__41QxdYLkeEz87VCO37tPM0jjTg-UqOeYfrmgQ_8ZmFXYv4P2L7VV7nnh-IOEMlGcGcYG0l1EWqCJrE9cY4lemAJOwh9B/s320/overview-Founding-Fathers.jpg" width="320" /></a>Odds are you've heard the arguments and depending on your political bent. Those on the<br />
right tend to believe that the founding fathers created the Electoral College as a means to prevent the tyranny of the majority and protect the voting outside of the smaller rural numbers. Those on the left tend to believe that the founding fathers intended the Electoral College to prevent slaveholders from using their slave to create absolute control over the presidency by using slaves as votes they controlled for the president and also because the founding fathers thought the average citizen was not politically savvy enough to vote for the best candidate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1RalN41WDoedkFAQcKKXZUn-QDDVxZE2QhVmefm0Q9mZ24kGixpqEWhX8iiIjh0gQ-54g2cO7P_J1hD7nkSZo4629qECXshSJlAa636d1GWK4HCSe7ew1r6eZRvYIL2n68F7W1ujfr-k/s1600/image-asset.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="827" data-original-width="818" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1RalN41WDoedkFAQcKKXZUn-QDDVxZE2QhVmefm0Q9mZ24kGixpqEWhX8iiIjh0gQ-54g2cO7P_J1hD7nkSZo4629qECXshSJlAa636d1GWK4HCSe7ew1r6eZRvYIL2n68F7W1ujfr-k/s200/image-asset.jpeg" width="197" /></a>The latter is actually only somewhat true, while the whole tyranny of the majority is pure myth. According to historians which include <a href="https://www.history.com/news/electoral-college-founding-fathers-constitutional-convention" target="_blank">Professor George Edwards III</a> the actual case of the Electoral College was created by the founding fathers as a compromise and because they were tired. In short, it was a plan the was pieced together because the founding fathers were frustrated and ready to be done.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7W2Es_uT49G4q_zyk-6jrdUe3xMB1djikSQ2dKNUXwqp49fPhSvRYw-zhSmpofGDdizHdeyY2G2I30heyn-9_pteHCSH6zO3PWMySKYcjRZLTnqGmq_2BXz0KRwsA6D3jTScG120Uq_V/s1600/deliveryService.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1035" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7W2Es_uT49G4q_zyk-6jrdUe3xMB1djikSQ2dKNUXwqp49fPhSvRYw-zhSmpofGDdizHdeyY2G2I30heyn-9_pteHCSH6zO3PWMySKYcjRZLTnqGmq_2BXz0KRwsA6D3jTScG120Uq_V/s200/deliveryService.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
So, you need to understand a number of things. First, the Electoral College was never considered a great idea. The framers did have a strong mistrust of powerful executive branches because they had after all just fought the tyrannical control of a king and his appointed all-powerful governors. The newly formed United States was the first country on the planet to ever actually elect their leader.<br />
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One group of representatives felt that the House of Representatives should elect the President because they really did worry that most of the citizens of the country were not politically aware enough to make an informed vote especially those in the rural areas. They also feared a "democratic mob" which would steer the country astray. Another group of framers felt that Congress should have nothing to do with the election since they felt that having such a small group elect the President made it rife for corruption and nepotism.<br />
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You also need to understand that at the time, there were no political parties. George Washington who would later be elected by unanimous vote did not belong to any political party. In fact, the framers believed that because of the lack of parties that the Electoral College would vote their conscience from among several candidates who ran for president. Boy, were they wrong.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyZK33PpMawD-57JYDEODMOIiJyCC0CJ5i_Fzqjr4_d3D9dadoYFcI10GccHKp56CHnAM9224EBMTMxaVVwQKmcrXWutfx-PrWvSlaDVLxd_y9S8KK3-PmprNxLhBv18lk-f5q_JO0biq/s1600/adams_jefferson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="387" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyZK33PpMawD-57JYDEODMOIiJyCC0CJ5i_Fzqjr4_d3D9dadoYFcI10GccHKp56CHnAM9224EBMTMxaVVwQKmcrXWutfx-PrWvSlaDVLxd_y9S8KK3-PmprNxLhBv18lk-f5q_JO0biq/s200/adams_jefferson.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The framers cobbled together a compromise that they could sort of live with. It has never worked. Next in this compromise came the problem of what to do with slaves. There actually was never an issue that slaveholders would use slaves to control the popular vote, but there was the problem of how to count slaves for the population of a state. Thus, was born the hideous three-fifths rule which counted a slave as only a three-fifths of a human being for purposes of calculating Federal taxes and electors for the Electoral College. It was by today's standards a shameful inclusion in the noble Constitution. It was a problem that would plague the US for decades to come.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdntWYGJ13jOWkeedLxsnoQ6unwJzhY83nBhrrrNLG_Y35i9zLvJK5vNvljDeNUgue5r33mAsWShsdsH3VA5GlsRVN6LpPiB5-OlYxSV2jLfYt9hU_k9gZ4YubD5kmJPuDbRi2kTd_Mfj/s1600/the-presidency-and-green-technology-18-728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="728" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdntWYGJ13jOWkeedLxsnoQ6unwJzhY83nBhrrrNLG_Y35i9zLvJK5vNvljDeNUgue5r33mAsWShsdsH3VA5GlsRVN6LpPiB5-OlYxSV2jLfYt9hU_k9gZ4YubD5kmJPuDbRi2kTd_Mfj/s200/the-presidency-and-green-technology-18-728.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
So, the Electoral College which would allow states to appoint and control their own electors separate from the congress was born. None of the assumptions by the founding fathers proved to be true. They assumed that electors would vote their conscience despite the failure to instruct states how they would appoint their electors or divide them up in an election. The founders actually assumed that most presidents would be elected by the House of Representatives, which has only happened twice because the expected number of people to run for President didn't occur. The Electoral College was to elect by the majority. Following Washington as President, there ended up two parties emerging and states instructed electors exactly how to vote. The Electoral College became far more powerful than it was intended to be. This was added to by the <a href="https://time.com/4558510/electoral-college-history-slavery/" target="_blank">12th amendment of 1803</a> which allowed the political parties to designate one candidate to run for President.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7ACuAYg10VOiPTtiWqngx3iF6cwBMYyypxAo9NdNCdXhjv36FTCPUeYKIRDsRv_QFcmyDzOafRL0FoD8qP61znjrw1KxmMZFzKGrK2de7ES4MbOIXS-Yf4dnC6xZQPLYJn-35iV4A5Fr/s1600/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7ACuAYg10VOiPTtiWqngx3iF6cwBMYyypxAo9NdNCdXhjv36FTCPUeYKIRDsRv_QFcmyDzOafRL0FoD8qP61znjrw1KxmMZFzKGrK2de7ES4MbOIXS-Yf4dnC6xZQPLYJn-35iV4A5Fr/s200/hqdefault.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
This brings us to the new attempt to work around the Electoral College. The state law which allows states to instruct its electors to vote for the national popular vote is very Constitutional. The National Popular Vote law is not new. It has been around <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/national-popular-vote-interstate-compact" target="_blank">since at least 2001.</a> Where it could run afoul of the Constitution will depend on how it is worded and how the Supreme Court interprets that wording. In the Constitution in Article I, Section 10 is the "Compact Clause." This clause states that one state may not make a compact with another without congressional approval.<br />
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This seems pretty straight forward, but there is a problem. The Supreme Court has already ruled that states do not need congressional approval if the compact involves internal state matters. Since the Constitution gives states internal control of the Electoral College, the question arises is the Interstate Popular Vote Law a compact that violates the Constitution's "Compact Clause" or does it meet the internal agreement outlined by the Supreme Court? You can also add the other rulings by the Supreme Court which also ruled twice, <a href="https://www.jurist.org/commentary/2012/02/william-ross-vote-compact/" target="_blank">1892 and 1969,</a> the state legislators have all but absolute control over their ability to instruct electors. But then there are also statements from the Court which says the compact clause comes into play when states <a href="https://www.jurist.org/commentary/2012/02/william-ross-vote-compact/" target="_blank">“would enhance the political power of the member States in a way that encroaches upon the supremacy of the United States,” or “impairs the sovereign rights of non-member states.”</a> It is truly a "sticky wicket."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2aqsk4QJ6jLsX84XwO7N6kwMiyT5PSTOxWCnbdkYTi0UF1F8xi7wH3gAHwqWuQDlUt6KLMkqfaOgzl3NdUJBFGCw5sLcVVOOz00CQYou1bQjHyiImNVa9ZKLCyAh1NvpuapnZuI5ALiUW/s1600/mrz111916-color_orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1100" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2aqsk4QJ6jLsX84XwO7N6kwMiyT5PSTOxWCnbdkYTi0UF1F8xi7wH3gAHwqWuQDlUt6KLMkqfaOgzl3NdUJBFGCw5sLcVVOOz00CQYou1bQjHyiImNVa9ZKLCyAh1NvpuapnZuI5ALiUW/s320/mrz111916-color_orig.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Look, I know that many of us have seen the maps which shows how if the Electoral College goes away how the popular vote would then be controlled by California, New York, Florida, and Texas. The Problem with that map is it assumes that everyone in California or Texas or another state will vote the same way. This is untrue. California has had a number of Republican governors which includes Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Texas has had Democrat governors such as Sam Houston and Ann Richards. Many states have been at one time or another red and then blue or blue then red, no matter what you think you've heard.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTK1XjEs8HZnXvzHHyW2GUebgHC2nT9Wf0MTZ7ouEBZYClFwQBGP21eBalx5uPzNbcgwkUWxSiFd2rNXVWoR6nfrn35xsgIIlMIrgku6nX0gg0n1wFDCOxZSLSpQOFfPPXJyxLTq5M9yPb/s1600/unnamed.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="512" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTK1XjEs8HZnXvzHHyW2GUebgHC2nT9Wf0MTZ7ouEBZYClFwQBGP21eBalx5uPzNbcgwkUWxSiFd2rNXVWoR6nfrn35xsgIIlMIrgku6nX0gg0n1wFDCOxZSLSpQOFfPPXJyxLTq5M9yPb/s320/unnamed.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthOdPv1UGJg9gjZZYkfl2iMcpCO_AjBOqyWbaQ1BRRFWE9ieu3BEN_R01JaYjliZEPUql0ETCkcUUpxwsE5lDhzYyRiJEiFeRtP2-IBA4EVIF7Y1RZ6ijFxSoUE_HbqS1eXpEa3phOBf6/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthOdPv1UGJg9gjZZYkfl2iMcpCO_AjBOqyWbaQ1BRRFWE9ieu3BEN_R01JaYjliZEPUql0ETCkcUUpxwsE5lDhzYyRiJEiFeRtP2-IBA4EVIF7Y1RZ6ijFxSoUE_HbqS1eXpEa3phOBf6/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>Or maybe you've seen the red state vs the blue state map or the red vs blue voting map. This shows voting by states but these too are misleading. What you may have not seen is the actual map by the population. You see, land doesn't vote. People do. The red map suddenly becomes much less<br />
red when we remove land from the equation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthOdPv1UGJg9gjZZYkfl2iMcpCO_AjBOqyWbaQ1BRRFWE9ieu3BEN_R01JaYjliZEPUql0ETCkcUUpxwsE5lDhzYyRiJEiFeRtP2-IBA4EVIF7Y1RZ6ijFxSoUE_HbqS1eXpEa3phOBf6/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthOdPv1UGJg9gjZZYkfl2iMcpCO_AjBOqyWbaQ1BRRFWE9ieu3BEN_R01JaYjliZEPUql0ETCkcUUpxwsE5lDhzYyRiJEiFeRtP2-IBA4EVIF7Y1RZ6ijFxSoUE_HbqS1eXpEa3phOBf6/s320/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AUobuk-IuKbKoVdH18EqzIGbwT-6UQz_RsZIV9rGk9etIH28ymuWTOYjm5Od5ZRt6wCWMyQ-RbEKAF05zW97mTZhnc_BL0KVDCMdT5kg0JvKwuELuIr0ct6amPM-fb_3ejvnSyRys6Dp/s1600/58a211578b987d2d06d981ea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="819" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AUobuk-IuKbKoVdH18EqzIGbwT-6UQz_RsZIV9rGk9etIH28ymuWTOYjm5Od5ZRt6wCWMyQ-RbEKAF05zW97mTZhnc_BL0KVDCMdT5kg0JvKwuELuIr0ct6amPM-fb_3ejvnSyRys6Dp/s200/58a211578b987d2d06d981ea.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_elections_in_which_the_winner_lost_the_popular_vote" target="_blank">We have had five presidents </a>who became president but did not win the popular vote. The first was John Quincy Adams who became President despite losing by 10.5 percent of the popular vote to Andrew Jackson. Adams actually failed to secure a majority in the Electoral College. There were four candidates in the electoral college that year. Jackson only received a plurality of electoral votes and so in that case, Adams was elected by the House of Representatives. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIX6eAweBtTzh9qTBguLCaGIvKfdTFzm464wiaUCkhQ9jWfTFCU_ltqBJdEC0tqF0bHDZdybPbupLHmCLejFRn4eB5ynxBABNm9zMSw5Z4GiMNeDMbklDRTFj0yRK7Xw-Y6t4a7WRo7pb/s1600/1200px-President_Rutherford_Hayes_1870_-_1880_Restored.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1460" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIX6eAweBtTzh9qTBguLCaGIvKfdTFzm464wiaUCkhQ9jWfTFCU_ltqBJdEC0tqF0bHDZdybPbupLHmCLejFRn4eB5ynxBABNm9zMSw5Z4GiMNeDMbklDRTFj0yRK7Xw-Y6t4a7WRo7pb/s200/1200px-President_Rutherford_Hayes_1870_-_1880_Restored.jpg" width="164" /></a>Then there was Republican Rutherford B. Hayes who was elected by the Electoral College despite losing by .8% of the popular vote to Samuel J. Tilden. This one was a wild one. Hayes actually lost the Electoral College except for the fact that 20 of the Electoral Votes were disputed which would put Hayes one vote ahead of Tilden. A commission was formed to study the problem. Finally, it was <br />
determined that Hayes should receive the 20 disputed votes and the Democrats agreed they would accept this only if Hayes would agree to just run for one term. This was called the Compromise of 1877.<br />
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Next was when Republican Benjamin Harrison lost to incumbent President Grover Cleveland by .8% of the popular vote. Harrison won handily in the Electoral College to become President.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-o9pxga3FksBz69JyaeFEEiX8sbdM_OYOGae70M0S6LxPSNyKYU1hFAe-JT3sLZvkK45pNSAzFO1IyzBk5sgpwhaUWusDN-ra-bWlunk0iO9HXMIwankxWrkHwibzze06IP3wUDVVSiRZ/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="242" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-o9pxga3FksBz69JyaeFEEiX8sbdM_OYOGae70M0S6LxPSNyKYU1hFAe-JT3sLZvkK45pNSAzFO1IyzBk5sgpwhaUWusDN-ra-bWlunk0iO9HXMIwankxWrkHwibzze06IP3wUDVVSiRZ/s200/download.jpg" width="200" /></a>Following this, it would be over a hundred years before it would happen again when Republican George W. Bush lost by .5% to Vice-President Al Gore. Gore lost in the Electoral College by just five votes following the infamous hanging chad votes in Florida where Gore lost by just 537 votes. In a controversial decision, the Supreme Court ended the recount effectively awarding the 29 electoral votes to Bush. Studies of the recount and its outcome are conflicted on who actually would have won Florida had the recount continued.<br />
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Finally, was when Republican Donald Trump lost the popular vote by 2.1% to Hilary Clinton. Trump's campaign use of the Electoral College caused one of the biggest upsets in election history. It was also very clear that the compromise of the Electoral College in 1787 could clearly be used for political gain.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwq4kb4WsmIYb5aAgzfF0zhpv4pYdjDYaRgToXtjTeyywM1F3XJ4_Em_wsDUbRD8xRicqo-a7VGWYC0b4_IHKVbJXfNIxb5CxIgKFQxY-J4j6uiwKerFr3-natK0MFhZUGqXXR9S6Kaayc/s1600/20tue1-superJumbo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwq4kb4WsmIYb5aAgzfF0zhpv4pYdjDYaRgToXtjTeyywM1F3XJ4_Em_wsDUbRD8xRicqo-a7VGWYC0b4_IHKVbJXfNIxb5CxIgKFQxY-J4j6uiwKerFr3-natK0MFhZUGqXXR9S6Kaayc/s200/20tue1-superJumbo.jpg" width="200" /></a>The problem then is a simple one, quite honestly. It would appear that the four times the Electoral College has come into play it has favored one party. The Republican Party did not exist in the 1824 election. The Electoral College is not what it is portrayed on the Left or the Right. It was a compromise created not by some never wrong saints but a group of very human and tired and frustrated representatives. It has never worked as intended. The question is, do you support the Electoral College, or do you truly believe in "one person one vote"? You cannot have it both ways.<br />
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Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-4721178007580312832019-12-26T22:39:00.000-07:002019-12-26T22:39:17.219-07:00The Magic of the Holidays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FC6UYUhnxRvsPA2E6w5xHq66UctnAYYud_M91bprWpuqgzPvTAKHPjtqxGQsDMfc1bZ9tqLrfHIBvmNJnFcFsPagqt1ogW6SWcJNdsPyHNdcH7lIWm7zkGo1UPsuiSTZaan4VMCi5sEq/s1600/christmas-trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FC6UYUhnxRvsPA2E6w5xHq66UctnAYYud_M91bprWpuqgzPvTAKHPjtqxGQsDMfc1bZ9tqLrfHIBvmNJnFcFsPagqt1ogW6SWcJNdsPyHNdcH7lIWm7zkGo1UPsuiSTZaan4VMCi5sEq/s400/christmas-trees.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBv-MabSKuxjlf_pAzzS3OoHylB9kLiFngoml8QPIFML2x6DMHDgytE5kqL_z8xAbP0BqrMGEp6Jp30HtzGfPaR96EQFZF-CQnwQ3hnf5yITjIkbEbPrBcwlNZJas8jSDxjpo0IOfD_9E/s1600/9cd95a3a58a403fd2c83c4f14dc05ea7.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBv-MabSKuxjlf_pAzzS3OoHylB9kLiFngoml8QPIFML2x6DMHDgytE5kqL_z8xAbP0BqrMGEp6Jp30HtzGfPaR96EQFZF-CQnwQ3hnf5yITjIkbEbPrBcwlNZJas8jSDxjpo0IOfD_9E/s320/9cd95a3a58a403fd2c83c4f14dc05ea7.gif" width="168" /></a>Since I was a child, I have always looked forward to Christmas time. It was more than just presents and the arrival of Santa. It was the feeling that happens starting with the holidays. I try to hold on that inexpressible feeling as long as I can. For me, it doesn't end on December the 25th. I don't know that it ever really ends but it does subside a bit as the new year begins to progress especially after all the decorations come down. Still, there is magic in the decorations, and mall Santa and the lights.<br />
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From my point of view, the most ridiculous thing you can tell me about is the "war on Christmas," which is something that was entirely fabricated to divide us. Why on earth would a business want to say "Happy holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"? I don't suppose that it is because there might be other holiday events. The spirit of this time of year is one of acceptance and caring. It has little - or should have - little to do with whether we say, "Merry Christmas," or "Happy holidays," or "Happy Hanukkah," or "Happy solstice," or "Happy Boxing Day," or "Happy Kwanzaa," or one of the other <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_multinational_festivals_and_holidays" target="_blank">20 plus holidays that occur in December</a>, some Christian and some not. In all honesty, no matter what has been said to me when I leave a store, no one has ever seemed offended by my wishing them a merry Christmas, and I've never been offended by them wishing me happy holidays.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauu0tdeEWjjbo4ac1OWKei77GDw-imRlKBg3HxBT8Gm36w6wkbg9iCcs2P14td1HsikhL4T3F6ECENr2lClUrKWoNwairgE1SsuXQC9hxZb6vv8MJXxMB4TspN-LTju1Bg6e_0oZ7wLmj/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="257" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauu0tdeEWjjbo4ac1OWKei77GDw-imRlKBg3HxBT8Gm36w6wkbg9iCcs2P14td1HsikhL4T3F6ECENr2lClUrKWoNwairgE1SsuXQC9hxZb6vv8MJXxMB4TspN-LTju1Bg6e_0oZ7wLmj/s200/images.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
There was a time that many businesses avoided involving their politics in their business. I know the last thing I want to do is go into a restaurant and hear how wonderful or how evil some politician or political party is. There are, in fact, several businesses that I don't go to because of this. I'm not talking about businesses that take a moral stance but ones that involve themselves in unadulterated politics. And there is a difference between the two. Standing on principles takes courage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDoeYooG77eFPgyCG4YpfM7uBia91kRaNttUmNuHX46u5CMOsR4r7ShFL1JIlk-CVYT8aQ2XpAyov8kAADLiUaTQg-vBUSyGdkLZl7AES2inOi6xZRrKmplPuhc0EsZeI1TcGLSs3LUJs/s1600/21-happy-holidays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="600" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDoeYooG77eFPgyCG4YpfM7uBia91kRaNttUmNuHX46u5CMOsR4r7ShFL1JIlk-CVYT8aQ2XpAyov8kAADLiUaTQg-vBUSyGdkLZl7AES2inOi6xZRrKmplPuhc0EsZeI1TcGLSs3LUJs/s200/21-happy-holidays.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
A while ago, I read an editorial. A good editorial is designed to make us think. Unfortunately, too often we confuse the editorials with the news. They aren't. The opinion of this particular editorial was that parents who tell children that there is a Santa Claus are creating a lie that ultimately will harm the child. The writer has missed the point. There is a magic to the holidays that I wish we could hold onto. That magic, that feeling, that is embodied by Saint Nick is the point. It is the gift, that is given to all of us at this time of year, and I don't mean toys. There is a magic in believing in someone who gives us so much just for being good. I believe. So I want to give you that gift or at least remind you of it. I hope your holidays, no matter which one you celebrate, are blessed and your life is filled with a little magic. It's not a lie to believe in the spirit of the holidays. Happy holidays.Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-88557213062281936472019-02-25T20:07:00.003-07:002019-02-25T20:16:19.510-07:00Sorry, Cussing Does not Show Intelligence. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpz2EHdjfdOTFGqcjharo75Xv78YHQId3YjvjgBLwHykU-ZkHOp0-tVS6xbkFbksnObgMw3hmIU28-3je_E-voOErA0V5sKjeCO5Cw-l3db78kocVlG_spU9Hc1NAEno92KMPpAUG_8RAc/s1600/Curse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1501" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpz2EHdjfdOTFGqcjharo75Xv78YHQId3YjvjgBLwHykU-ZkHOp0-tVS6xbkFbksnObgMw3hmIU28-3je_E-voOErA0V5sKjeCO5Cw-l3db78kocVlG_spU9Hc1NAEno92KMPpAUG_8RAc/s400/Curse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpY_P2adwWeHHM83WSAt90SZFFxR-e1rmBPy068tqNepi_agXgXr7yIxe-eAtfpnmBPaJ7ooiQGKTgM1z619cHfERATJytEux57VdjFbIfN7iIlmpPRiY5QZLI78LqImzOfQevnZssJutE/s1600/turns-out-swearing-a-lot-is-a-sign-of-fking-intelligence-5-photos-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpY_P2adwWeHHM83WSAt90SZFFxR-e1rmBPy068tqNepi_agXgXr7yIxe-eAtfpnmBPaJ7ooiQGKTgM1z619cHfERATJytEux57VdjFbIfN7iIlmpPRiY5QZLI78LqImzOfQevnZssJutE/s200/turns-out-swearing-a-lot-is-a-sign-of-fking-intelligence-5-photos-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I've seen this on posts galore on Facebook and Twitter from friends and famous people. It seems a few news sites posted the results of a study that using swear words is a sign of intelligence. We've been through this before. A study does not mean it's true. A study must be replicated and independently verified. The research was done by Marist College and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts which across three studies they did, actually indicated that people who know taboo w<br />
ords may have a stronger vocabulary. Saying this knowledge shows intelligence is a bit of a stretch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwMeBTel4EWDjevVdtgu66q23ZR3Ve7623MI6IYmMw0yoN1Yiu2elgZaFtloRGpKAmSPATxbyRgDg8cQof9m0H8l6A5AwjjqZ7AD6yS7R9tRasv6f0FqYNDD30QVkbQsbzgnOhHCJVe1O/s1600/Untitled-design-1-mini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwMeBTel4EWDjevVdtgu66q23ZR3Ve7623MI6IYmMw0yoN1Yiu2elgZaFtloRGpKAmSPATxbyRgDg8cQof9m0H8l6A5AwjjqZ7AD6yS7R9tRasv6f0FqYNDD30QVkbQsbzgnOhHCJVe1O/s200/Untitled-design-1-mini.jpg" width="200" /></a> Intelligence actually had nothing to do with the studies, and the studies also did not discuss using cuss words. What they studied was the relationship between vocabulary and swearing It seems that if someone can produce in one minute more swear words than average which was 9, then that person seemed to also have a larger vocabulary.<br />
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In other words, just because someone knows the words, it does not mean they use them. Also if that person only knows the average, s/he probably has an average vocabulary. In fact, it may mean that the vocabulary allows the person to avoid the use of swear words. The study did not study the actual verbal and written use. It looked at just how many taboo words vs. the number of animal words and non-swear words the subject could produce in a minute.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvtooxZV8uujQW0p0B3FD9EranGZEzYOadjRTQ9SPvqctI_4W2riuvnnPPOhayojt7rjijgJxX18zFFvQAEcUai2UdZwxBtTUgJH9ohoP2HXO6x94XheTSafAFnflhV9wzTaFaRLxjxFq/s1600/5c17cfad3224ed457c1c19b2-1536-768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1536" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvtooxZV8uujQW0p0B3FD9EranGZEzYOadjRTQ9SPvqctI_4W2riuvnnPPOhayojt7rjijgJxX18zFFvQAEcUai2UdZwxBtTUgJH9ohoP2HXO6x94XheTSafAFnflhV9wzTaFaRLxjxFq/s200/5c17cfad3224ed457c1c19b2-1536-768.jpg" width="200" /></a>This, however, is something that should be approached with caution. There is a difference between knowledge of taboo words and daily use of the words. Another problem for the research is all three studies were conducted by the same researchers. So, it has not yet been independently verified. The person may be able to cuss with the best of them, s/he doesn't need to.<br />
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It is a far leap from vocabulary to intelligence.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1503032255"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-swearing-a-sign-of-a-limited-vocabulary/">https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-swearing-a-sign-of-a-limited-vocabulary/</a><br />
<a href="https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/campuspress.yale.edu/dist/a/1215/files/2016/05/Giordano-rg5y5r.pdf">https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/campuspress.yale.edu/dist/a/1215/files/2016/05/Giordano-rg5y5r.pdf</a>Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-54382924900921171252019-02-21T21:55:00.001-07:002019-02-21T21:55:42.296-07:00End the Electoral College<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaexrDtAzAwA7XNJRpNfm9SHbGUl6XA_YzFtrl3UJnkuw0Ll9ThCev0ZE5v2UvqtC_KEGA-4u4Z1026WjQ9rATHqIQaNPKxb67Yjelt1T1tTL51VezgqjhsuFqaqoqUOMDxQ2fckpWzWc/s1600/20tue1-articleLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaexrDtAzAwA7XNJRpNfm9SHbGUl6XA_YzFtrl3UJnkuw0Ll9ThCev0ZE5v2UvqtC_KEGA-4u4Z1026WjQ9rATHqIQaNPKxb67Yjelt1T1tTL51VezgqjhsuFqaqoqUOMDxQ2fckpWzWc/s320/20tue1-articleLarge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today, Colorado passed joining of the Popular Vote Act. The idea is for states to eliminate the Electoral College by making the state's electoral votes go to the popular vote winner. In effect, if enough states do this, the Electoral College will be effectively removed from the U.S. Constitution without an amendment. Colorado is not alone in this move. <a href="https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/state-status" target="_blank">The National Popular Vote </a>bill will take effect when enacted into law by states possessing 270 electoral votes. It has been enacted into law in 12 states possessing 172 electoral votes. It has been introduced in all 50 states and has been passed by at least one chamber in several more states. Colorado's passage will add 9 more votes. This means that after 89 more electoral votes are added, the bill will take effect.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3j0p_eWqaxcBNem3H8UzG6IKvUC1wWd5VqvqSBl1cSV27bVcRk5sIu5aD1Xr7uiZYuZm13ZK4pSEGrdoccFqFVxhFUxE3bDgGpZKpZwVpctyNjJ_BsyCdDUddQqNQld_yMaeTv1LL-H93/s1600/tocqueville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="437" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3j0p_eWqaxcBNem3H8UzG6IKvUC1wWd5VqvqSBl1cSV27bVcRk5sIu5aD1Xr7uiZYuZm13ZK4pSEGrdoccFqFVxhFUxE3bDgGpZKpZwVpctyNjJ_BsyCdDUddQqNQld_yMaeTv1LL-H93/s200/tocqueville.jpg" width="172" /></a>The Electoral College does not exist for the reason that many of you think it does. It was originally intended as an over-ride to the national vote. It was not intended for states to control how the electors voted but for the electors to be able to weigh the outcome of an election. You see, it was created because the Founding Fathers did not trust direct democracy, so they struck up with the idea of a republic. They worried that in a direct democracy a faction could become such a majority and that the rest would fall to what <a href="http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/detoc/1_ch15.htm" target="_blank">Alexis de Tocqueville</a> referred to as "the tyranny of the majority."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ93MlMxVDkYGsK4DN800yNbThih1uhFuEV95lV2uRmvOwLaUeB-1CHGF419ffx2TSucUMSuAehD7tfTjlZo3hURmkUcv3dLjBTg9CjNl2olC4hQI1LrhYVpkP5BAF2Fm93vVmn8jvlgYN/s1600/the-electoral-college1-5-638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="638" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ93MlMxVDkYGsK4DN800yNbThih1uhFuEV95lV2uRmvOwLaUeB-1CHGF419ffx2TSucUMSuAehD7tfTjlZo3hURmkUcv3dLjBTg9CjNl2olC4hQI1LrhYVpkP5BAF2Fm93vVmn8jvlgYN/s200/the-electoral-college1-5-638.jpg" width="200" /></a>What occurred though was the electoral college became something of a formality instead of protecting the democracy from a majority faction who "<span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px;">sacrifice to its ruling passion or interest both the public good and the rights of other citizens.” <a href="https://www.congress.gov/resources/display/content/The+Federalist+Papers#TheFederalistPapers-68" target="_blank">Alexander Hamilton </a>believed that by having the electoral college </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px;">“that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px;"> and that the electoral college would be controlled "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px;">by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice” (The Federalist Papers). </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZVkR_u7PXBVc6mXBIJ5Dfqo7G0H1yR61C9bfZoVdOcCADPv4Ycas2t5M6LYX5cYdVP1n24IEFtOqtbcyQ-EiYVbPlJE4uYHZ9v7T0s1knG-t-PP100Q0YqhKQmoNFW5pe7gTS4Gn_Z5B/s1600/color-elect-col-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="600" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZVkR_u7PXBVc6mXBIJ5Dfqo7G0H1yR61C9bfZoVdOcCADPv4Ycas2t5M6LYX5cYdVP1n24IEFtOqtbcyQ-EiYVbPlJE4uYHZ9v7T0s1knG-t-PP100Q0YqhKQmoNFW5pe7gTS4Gn_Z5B/s200/color-elect-col-web.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px;">Instead, the Electoral College is governed by political parties, and in 26 states the college does not reflect the popular vote of the state but instead is a winner take all proposition. This occurred because the Constitution does not stipulate how states are to use their electoral votes only that they have them and who cannot be members of the Electoral College. If you accept what was written by Hamilton, Madison and de Tocqueville, then electors were supposed to be what we now call faithless electors. They should be men and women who deliberate the qualifications of the candidate. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdmprMaMtnecXXB9D30CH6-R4jnq_Rb0MOu5PU7pzU01505t5rcZ9Efe4sBEns3svcfahyU_Z3mgBPqhlAhB62BVd_Xt7hRTmUmr745IM1LONf6G3trJ8_ZrMGTolAGxLUH6dtI-igX2i/s1600/brHGJPb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="600" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdmprMaMtnecXXB9D30CH6-R4jnq_Rb0MOu5PU7pzU01505t5rcZ9Efe4sBEns3svcfahyU_Z3mgBPqhlAhB62BVd_Xt7hRTmUmr745IM1LONf6G3trJ8_ZrMGTolAGxLUH6dtI-igX2i/s320/brHGJPb.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px;">I seem to recall reading this someplace. The Founding Fathers were worried about the understanding of the population at the time. They felt having an elected official voted in by a population who at the time probably had little in the way of understanding of the complexities of governing the original states. Many of the white males who voted were probably more concerned about daily survival than reading about governing needs. It may also be that the Founding Fathers were a bit arrogant in this regard especially since it is believed that by the time the Constitution was written the voting population was near <a href="https://www.history.org/foundation/journal/winter11/literacy.cfm" target="_blank">90 </a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://www.history.org/foundation/journal/winter11/literacy.cfm" target="_blank">percent in literacy.</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px;"> Nevertheless, information was probably much more slowly delivered then than it is now and counting all those votes by hand was hard.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAczCEzYEDb_d-ybKSAuH49fUQA4-RgZNNtNEwTPLfVJk1yh6yHvPwqr3Bnd636O-bcYFTUrvyulKfWy0Va7SDpNjsvG6-ETyI9L-LkM0c9WXNn30icPBQX21GZ96qbuyEK8i4EC7HqXFd/s1600/os-ed-letters-120616-20161206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1163" data-original-width="1600" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAczCEzYEDb_d-ybKSAuH49fUQA4-RgZNNtNEwTPLfVJk1yh6yHvPwqr3Bnd636O-bcYFTUrvyulKfWy0Va7SDpNjsvG6-ETyI9L-LkM0c9WXNn30icPBQX21GZ96qbuyEK8i4EC7HqXFd/s200/os-ed-letters-120616-20161206.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px;">Yes, I've seen this cartoon floating around about what would happen if it weren't for the Electoral College protecting us from those evil people in California, Texas and New York. Put aside that the cartoon is satirical in nature and has no real basis in fact. I have as much problem fathoming how these folks </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px;">are evil because they live in a more populace area as I do thinking that the people in Denver or Boulder are tyrannical because they live in the most populated areas in Colorado. In propaganda terms, this is known as "the other" argument. It is a technique used to divide us. Making someone an enemy because they hold a different viewpoint or live somewhere else is wrong. IT IS WRONG! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqYTKO94qKVmTL8iZPRZuQLH_iTgqS6m9FbLSu0sObcbKdRu-f3hBQvlJfCylDDDi7Q1leub19UD5x4X2HJxG3neJe0i2xbpdZJ4iJcmBR0kNHIx2FYRhOxoiXEkosDBLe8JArJc5oeQD/s1600/2a31f89f172f5553fbcac816aa8b339a_XL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="870" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqYTKO94qKVmTL8iZPRZuQLH_iTgqS6m9FbLSu0sObcbKdRu-f3hBQvlJfCylDDDi7Q1leub19UD5x4X2HJxG3neJe0i2xbpdZJ4iJcmBR0kNHIx2FYRhOxoiXEkosDBLe8JArJc5oeQD/s200/2a31f89f172f5553fbcac816aa8b339a_XL.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px;">From a certain point of view, either we believe in one person one vote or we don't. As it stands, the Electoral College actually is the opposite of the above cartoon map, especially in the last election. It made the vote of less populated states more important than the vote of those in the more populated. The case is not whether we suffer from the "tyranny of the majority" but are being abused by the minority. The electoral college has over-ridden the<a href="https://www.1728.org/page11.htm" target="_blank"> popular vote five times.</a> </span>John Quincy Adams (lost by 45,000) in 1824, Rutherford B. Hayes (lost by 250, 000) in 1876, Benjamin Harrison (lost by 90,000) in 1888, George W. Bush (lost by 540,000) in 2000, and Donald J. Trump (lost by 2.87 million) in 2016. <br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px;">The Electoral College was never intended as a rubber stamp nor was it intended to be used, abused or manipulated by political parties to over-ride the will of the people and for the majority to fall prey to the tyranny of the minority. It was never intended to protect us from "the others" who are also United States Citizens. Like other limitations placed on direct democracy such as not allowing women to vote, counting humans as 3/5ths of human to keep slaveholders from dominating the House, or having states appoint senators, it is time for this abused constitutional doctrine to be eliminated. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-44473466336332082952018-12-31T17:42:00.000-07:002018-12-31T18:41:06.592-07:00What's a Little Hoax?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1S5b4HlrJvKnF1ZfXBDkxzoW7weIC4aZoA_SaeFfbQrc2k05F5hpGfsdw_tT3V0cEo4Jy9HJ1mIl-o5wq3Idle3t9ZXor1UdN2Gwdc9IkGLRxnEfhGeTgBkcHuRCb0h4Slu-zfPJujGV/s1600/fake-news-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="620" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1S5b4HlrJvKnF1ZfXBDkxzoW7weIC4aZoA_SaeFfbQrc2k05F5hpGfsdw_tT3V0cEo4Jy9HJ1mIl-o5wq3Idle3t9ZXor1UdN2Gwdc9IkGLRxnEfhGeTgBkcHuRCb0h4Slu-zfPJujGV/s400/fake-news-logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVUMzU_L6sUcTmYTkJe-X-vo_howmdBYlSwwzrTZ9LiqruXUzS9QoQ4amtQuaMq3F4hqtrajOa-Vhwlm-foP8bZgUqv3hM9LOiIjm-yS_Tnz1G3nkAB-20b9vo29whSIdLWY578SXXUwF/s1600/lies6.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVUMzU_L6sUcTmYTkJe-X-vo_howmdBYlSwwzrTZ9LiqruXUzS9QoQ4amtQuaMq3F4hqtrajOa-Vhwlm-foP8bZgUqv3hM9LOiIjm-yS_Tnz1G3nkAB-20b9vo29whSIdLWY578SXXUwF/s200/lies6.gif" width="200" /></a>Spreading an untrue hoax is not harmless. It perpetuates the idea that lies do not harm. It allows conspiracy theories to thrive. It allows people to justify supporting someone who constantly lies. Shading the truth is a lie. Look, we all tell lies to protect someone we love or ourselves. We don't really want our auntie to know that her new dress looks like she is wearing part of a circus tent. So, we tell her something to spare her feelings.<br />
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But spreading a hoax on a social medium is not the same thing. If you accept one lie and offer it to others as harmless, you make the next one and the next one and on and on easier. This is how propaganda works. It starts with something innocuous and before it is all said and done, you are believing that entire groups of people are evil. Accepting a lie to justify the next leads you and what you may believe to accept that facts are capricious. Suddenly, alternative facts and fake news are acceptable.<br />
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Alternative facts are better known as lies, and fake news is both propaganda and a lie. Sadly, we have too many people who accept these terms as shadings of reality. They use these lies to confirm their bias. They accept lies to justify a moral choice. A moral choice using a lie to justify is immoral. If you get something born from this lie, is it not the tainted?<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5UW-mQbhF_waA3ljuGOC9LbCiRVqna8QvlPLj0tEKCRR2Cwr6-h1ke-Fb1fEH89-7yxZXnmr02mGHDyHqEwVdQGizbMXpUXlIulPsm3HTNiQQh9-0HQV0ROEh9e9ZXt7L82G2GE_4_A-/s1600/no-harm-done-think-again.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="800" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5UW-mQbhF_waA3ljuGOC9LbCiRVqna8QvlPLj0tEKCRR2Cwr6-h1ke-Fb1fEH89-7yxZXnmr02mGHDyHqEwVdQGizbMXpUXlIulPsm3HTNiQQh9-0HQV0ROEh9e9ZXt7L82G2GE_4_A-/s200/no-harm-done-think-again.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
Acceptance of such then is the basis of power. There is then a moral consequence if you fail -- we fail to speak truth to power. Spreading of a simple, seemingly harmless hoax is but a beginning. Check that Facebook hoax before you post. It will just take a moment. As we start a new time and examine and reflect, ask, "Have I spoke the truth or accepted a lie?"Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-62943752487912282752018-12-11T18:49:00.002-07:002018-12-11T18:49:34.810-07:00Grandma's Popcorn Balls<div class="MsoNormal">
These are, in my opinion, the best popcorn balls on the planet. This is not a kid-friendly activity. Like many of my candy recipes, this one comes from my grandmother, which means it’s from the South. I’ve only run across this recipe one other place and that was in a Christmas book which published mostly classic English Christmas stories and English recipes. What makes these unique is that a part of the recipe of sweet treat uses vinegar. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5xlFSVLK2H1VCTsTaNyWuDisr4H-9Vu1BLLa7QFh4SKll-RRBnbf08zE1wYBhkDk5wIdBWrc6kzWrusJ-xYm94yAw9ZHDDDGWl9l642IRSJapR0D8L0dWXPwX95_cCkVjav0vFsmJjac/s1600/20181210_183858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1527" data-original-width="1600" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5xlFSVLK2H1VCTsTaNyWuDisr4H-9Vu1BLLa7QFh4SKll-RRBnbf08zE1wYBhkDk5wIdBWrc6kzWrusJ-xYm94yAw9ZHDDDGWl9l642IRSJapR0D8L0dWXPwX95_cCkVjav0vFsmJjac/s320/20181210_183858.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Ingredients:</b> 2 cups of sugar, ½ cup of water, 4 tablespoons of vinegar, I tablespoon of butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 5 quarts (approximate) of unseasoned popcorn, food coloring of your choice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Instructions:</b> Over low medium heat, put water, sugar, and vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Once the syrup begins to boil, let the syrup heat up without stirring. The syrup will need to reach hard-crack stage (<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">295°F</span>-300° F)<o:p></o:p></div>
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While the syrup is reaching temperature, get the popcorn ready. You will need to put it in a large bowl or if you have it, on one side of a double sink. Line the basin of the sink with parchment paper at the bottom and then foil along the bottom and sides. You will want the popcorn close to cool water so you can keep your hands wet while forming the popcorn balls.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When the syrup reaches hard-crack stage, remove from heat and add vanilla and butter stirring until the butter is dissolved. Add several drops of food coloring to the syrup to color. We usually color it red or green for the season. We did try yellow color once and discovered that for popcorn balls, yellow is not an appealing color. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Making the popcorn balls: </b>My grandmother made these by herself. I have no idea how. It takes both my wife and me to make the balls. <i>Be careful while pouring syrup and stirring. This syrup will blister as soon as it hits skin.</i><br />
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Slowly pour the syrup over the popcorn while stirring it into the popcorn. Be sure you pour evenly as you stir covering the popcorn to the edges. It works best for us to have one person do the slow pour while the other person stirs. As soon as all the syrup is poured, start balling the popcorn into baseball to softball sized balls. We keep a small stream of water running on the other side of the sink to keep our hands wet and cool as we from the popcorn balls. We wet our hands after every ball. You can also use the stirring spoon to mix more syrup up from the bottom if needed. You must work very quickly to make the balls. Press the popcorn tight into the ball shape. And place into a bowl or bowls. The popcorn balls will set almost immediately.</div>
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Allow to cool and you’ll have a great sweet treat. Surprisingly, if done right, they are not sticky but sweet with a slight buttery and vanilla taste. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If you don’t want to risk making them into balls, you could probably just let the syrup cool on the popcorn and then break up the popcorn into a bowl of sweet popcorn. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 1.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "" "times new roman" "" , serif; font-size: 7.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Soft-Ball Stage. 235° F–240° F.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 2.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "" "times new roman" "" , serif; font-size: 7.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Firm-Ball Stage. 245° F–250° F.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 3.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "" "times new roman" "" , serif; font-size: 7.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Hard-Ball Stage. 250° F–265° F.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 4.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "" "times new roman" "" , serif; font-size: 7.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Soft-Crack Stage. 270° F–290° F.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 5.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "" "times new roman" "" , serif; font-size: 7.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Hard-Crack Stage. 300° F–310°<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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If you don’t have a candy thermometer, here’s a link for how to tell hard-crack stage using the water method: <a href="https://www.thespruceeats.com/making-candy-without-a-candy-thermometer-520309"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">https://www.thespruceeats.com/making-candy-without-a-candy-thermometer-520309</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-51501462707044010282018-12-10T10:01:00.000-07:002018-12-10T19:08:01.420-07:00Divinity: It Takes Luck<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Divinity is a meringue-style candy from the South. It is a Christmas treat that does take a little bit of time to make and is a cantankerous candy since even humidity can affect it. I have made it for many a year, and even though I follow the same recipe it comes out a little different every time. I also discovered that having a good mixer to fluff the egg whites makes divinity much easier to make as will having a decent candy thermometer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, this really is my Divinity</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, this is the recipe given to me by my grandmother with one little twist that I added which seemed to help. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ingredients:</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> 2 cups of sugar, ½ cup corn syrup, ½ cup of water, 2 egg whites, 1 ½ teaspoon of vanilla, ¾ cup of chopped nuts (I use walnuts or pecans) Optional ¾ cup of candied cherries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Instructions:</b> In a saucepan mix the following: sugar, corn syrup, and water. Bring to a slow boil over low medium heat, stirring until dissolved. Once the syrup begins to boil, do not stir. If you bring the syrup to a boil too quickly, it will burn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While the syrup reaches temperature, in mixing bowl, whip egg whites until stiff (egg whites will form peaks). Coat a pie pan with butter. I prefer to use a ceramic or Pyrex pie pan. It will make the release easier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Now for the twist that grandma didn’t tell me, dividing the syrup:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Once the syrup reaches between soft-ball (<span style="color: #222222;">235° F</span>) and hard-ball (<span style="color: #222222;">250° F</span>) stage pour approximately ½ of the syrup into the stiffly beaten egg whites and continue to mix. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Return the remaining syrup to the stove and continue heating until it reaches soft-crack stage (265-<span style="color: #222222;">270° F).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pour the remaining syrup into the mixer. Mix until smooth. Last, add vanilla and the chopped nuts or optional candied cherries (maraschino cherries will cause the divinity to turn pink and may add to drying time).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>Let it dry:</b> Pour/scrape the divinity into the pie pan and allow to cool at room temperature. Once the divinity sets usually several hours, you can cut into squares and place on wax paper to dry. To store, put into a sealed container in the fridge separating layers with wax paper. Keeping the divinity sealed and cool will help prevent it from becoming too hard. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">You can also put the divinity in mini-baking cups instead of the pie pan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Something I have not tried is the drop method which I might try next time I make divinity. According to one recipe I found is in the final stage mix the candy until it reaches the point that it can be dropped by the spoonful to create small divinity pieces. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">To determine when to do this, the recipe recommends two tests to tell when the divinity is done. “<span style="color: #333333;">The first test is by just turning off your mixer and lifting the beaters. If the candy falls back into the bowl in ribbons that immediately merge back into themselves, the divinity is not done and you need to keep beating. Eventually, the divinity will lose its glossiness and sheen and stop being so sticky, which means it’s ready.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“The second test is even easier, I think, because all you do, if you are having a hard time telling whether the divinity is still glossy in the first test, is to go ahead and stop the mixer, drop a teaspoonful of candy onto wax paper, and check whether the candy will hold its shape. If it puddles, the divinity isn’t ready, but if it holds a peak and stays in a nice mound, you are good to go.” (</span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://houseofnasheats.com/old-fashioned-divinity-candy-recipe/">https://houseofnasheats.com/old-fashioned-divinity-candy-recipe/</a></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can use the cold water method. My grandmother and mom used it for years. Here's a link to a site on how to do it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.thespruceeats.com/making-candy-without-a-candy-thermometer-520309">https://www.thespruceeats.com/making-candy-without-a-candy-thermometer-520309</a></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Soft-Ball Stage. 235° F–240° F. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Hard-Ball Stage. 250° F–265° F. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-5198080008851812342018-09-02T23:11:00.000-06:002019-12-26T20:02:41.799-07:00Labor Day: Means More than Firing Up the Grill<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="9o4e1" data-offset-key="4553r-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="4553r-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">The first Labor Day Parade was held in lower Manhattan in 1882. The first state to recognize Labor Day as a holiday was Oregon in February 1887. During that same year, the holiday was recognized by four more states: Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="7vlqi-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">There is some debate as to whom first proposed the holiday, but it is agreed that it was the result of early leaders of Unions. They were Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and/or Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, NJ. It is not clear who first suggested the celebration. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NTSBmd0iggHOnNT_bx5yNwvBfyOng52S_zEwkCJUH2HMlb2lCBtFCw5lls6WOtmmX9tC6A7KaLsBPJXeLE9YqUZDRjM4xdLFfochU2r5SjzARbP1ZHgZKZ5NNJczpEbs9Sw5VQbfCPss/s1600/SKVB3GJTCU4PPK66UGPSFMYGZU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="237" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NTSBmd0iggHOnNT_bx5yNwvBfyOng52S_zEwkCJUH2HMlb2lCBtFCw5lls6WOtmmX9tC6A7KaLsBPJXeLE9YqUZDRjM4xdLFfochU2r5SjzARbP1ZHgZKZ5NNJczpEbs9Sw5VQbfCPss/s200/SKVB3GJTCU4PPK66UGPSFMYGZU.jpg" width="158" /></a><span data-offset-key="79umn-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">It was the hard-fought protection of laborers which culminated in a bloody, almost "a revolution" of railroad workers who went on strike in sympathy when the Pullman Car Company cut wages by 25%. Nearly 125,000 railroad workers quit rather than handle Pullman cars. The strike culminated in a violent and deadly end on July 7th, when the National Guard shot into a crowd of 6000, killing as many as 30 people. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9kui6-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">A short time later in 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed the Labor Day Law making the first Monday of September a Federal holiday, possibly in hopes of trying to make peace following his ordering of the National Guard into Chicago. The law is just 83 words long and was rushed through Congress following the end of the strike on July 20th. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9f4cm-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">So just to remind you, Labor Day has not always been the official end of summer vacation or a day just to barbeque on. Labor Day was created through the labor movement to recognize the importance and accomplishments of labor and the American worker. </span></div>
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Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-14503750775255088502018-07-05T20:08:00.003-06:002018-07-05T20:08:48.368-06:00Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom...Try not to Think About It <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvCS7Ja78AREqyaOxIbBY9MtoE9YUCc04kpYYiRFJeQBnERKEwpwrSvqVoUAUHfHZMueEkAFAqHPvIyX0rVtVShBghMi9MMjQhZDt8fWMHQ10FIrYfRfA6mYKmBrVCAII9n53MC8xcDXJ/s1600/landscape-1523632403-new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="980" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvCS7Ja78AREqyaOxIbBY9MtoE9YUCc04kpYYiRFJeQBnERKEwpwrSvqVoUAUHfHZMueEkAFAqHPvIyX0rVtVShBghMi9MMjQhZDt8fWMHQ10FIrYfRfA6mYKmBrVCAII9n53MC8xcDXJ/s200/landscape-1523632403-new.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><i>Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom </i>is the second in the reboot of the Jurassic Park movies. It is a predictable thrill ride. Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt are back as is a brief two-scene appearance by Jeff Goldblum as the original <i>Jurassic Park's</i> Dr. Malcolm at the beginning and end of the movie.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrkyFeuTVtbbTAOXGI6LGUEk3M1QvHmSzRiqqcm7UzWpq8TmtpcA4NyLxLzRe8tEMSSu_wMGuXQ6N3DIBD7u2mxtXHfRvFQ-Z5nmR4CSpY537tEXyeN1x5EQa2MPKmf-dGtOHAdaLgmh0/s1600/800px-autopx-scale-to-width-down.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrkyFeuTVtbbTAOXGI6LGUEk3M1QvHmSzRiqqcm7UzWpq8TmtpcA4NyLxLzRe8tEMSSu_wMGuXQ6N3DIBD7u2mxtXHfRvFQ-Z5nmR4CSpY537tEXyeN1x5EQa2MPKmf-dGtOHAdaLgmh0/s200/800px-autopx-scale-to-width-down.jpg" width="200" /></a>There is nothing surprising in the movie. It's a fun and exciting with some nice moments of humor. It also has a few moments of CGI that come across as pretty obvious CGI. Bad guys are immediately identifiable and so you know exactly who will get eaten by the end of the movie. Let me tell you that the dinosaurs are extremely well-fed. There is also the appearance of the true/accidental bad guy in the Jurassic Movies which has been, Dr. Henry Wu. It is Wu who is creating these creatures. He is clearly driven by his obsession and not the chaos theory of life will always find away. BD Wong who plays Wu, and has since the 1993, will most likely be back for <i>Jurassic World 3. </i><br />
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As you watch the movie, just let it wash over you. You'll have a much better time than trying to figure out things like:<br />
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SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMmjJj2S6CQ99DiWOp8Hw-B_jJg9O5Jt7UM1PUiqNH9h1dsT5VUAsNT3h-Tf-fg8LPELdScG_pBxFezppELo9b7s-4eTPtkhYkcwOavVVgN5nqOcyJNkBVBpxTzGY7jd9Oj7lugASMFG-/s1600/MelodicGlumGrouse-size_restricted.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="500" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMmjJj2S6CQ99DiWOp8Hw-B_jJg9O5Jt7UM1PUiqNH9h1dsT5VUAsNT3h-Tf-fg8LPELdScG_pBxFezppELo9b7s-4eTPtkhYkcwOavVVgN5nqOcyJNkBVBpxTzGY7jd9Oj7lugASMFG-/s400/MelodicGlumGrouse-size_restricted.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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the time line of having the partner and long-time friend of John Hammond from the original movie being basically the same age of Hammond but now twenty plus years later and having a ten-year-old granddaughter who is actually not his granddaughter being the cause of their "falling out" so many years before her creation;<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjURR9FWcRIDAqCWBSeJizf8ujJM9ad8-fNpFgNxk__n3fcyfgWRgyopgTqJ_TS0W_batgkdHSoBwgOR4GjTvjAAqgnxD0FDA1vrYBD_f28xj-mlSznTfPjQUwV__pQzNkk2IX6Nf1fXYU/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="480" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjURR9FWcRIDAqCWBSeJizf8ujJM9ad8-fNpFgNxk__n3fcyfgWRgyopgTqJ_TS0W_batgkdHSoBwgOR4GjTvjAAqgnxD0FDA1vrYBD_f28xj-mlSznTfPjQUwV__pQzNkk2IX6Nf1fXYU/s200/giphy.gif" width="200" /></a><br />
trying to understand how anyone could think that a dinosaur, even a highly trained one, that can be killed by poisonous gas, tranquilizer darts, or bullets would make a good weapon;<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6zf0mcE7T7_WFErKrLeWIPZy12bs2MjUs_1aqikRcr27BX7iXQ5L3Ar275pdJMrLsEWRqRhmruWz2YId7Kg7VNSBScTqskpIQ2I-NGghflWBGfMVWRNuw1kqmBvdtjfPlZ49hFLEHv5U/s1600/giphy+%25281%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="480" height="82" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6zf0mcE7T7_WFErKrLeWIPZy12bs2MjUs_1aqikRcr27BX7iXQ5L3Ar275pdJMrLsEWRqRhmruWz2YId7Kg7VNSBScTqskpIQ2I-NGghflWBGfMVWRNuw1kqmBvdtjfPlZ49hFLEHv5U/s200/giphy+%25281%2529.gif" width="200" /></a>that no one seems to get the idea that dinosaurs are not an endangered species but a created one;<br />
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that messing with the natural order is never a good idea;<br />
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why a T-Rex mus stand above it's prey and roar in the same exact stance after every kill;<br />
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making your own species of dinosaur is also not a good idea;<br />
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and neither is opening an amusement park on an active volcano...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JopMlVXM_l8j-OCLK38tw5flWL7dBM6_l7ferAXUeeZofoc-naOqmoNijF_AOmkLsT5OZt9nZbZUBELEFeShDPr0y934nRu7_53bv-l06oaOy5Vl8I-JCNQAuz330hyphenhyphencOOshZJro1vXr/s1600/tumblr_p0mxtjVCYb1wv0ws2o9_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="240" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JopMlVXM_l8j-OCLK38tw5flWL7dBM6_l7ferAXUeeZofoc-naOqmoNijF_AOmkLsT5OZt9nZbZUBELEFeShDPr0y934nRu7_53bv-l06oaOy5Vl8I-JCNQAuz330hyphenhyphencOOshZJro1vXr/s200/tumblr_p0mxtjVCYb1wv0ws2o9_250.gif" width="200" /></a><br />
You get the idea. If you think about anything other than the thrill that is <i>Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom, </i>you will find yourself questioning your judgement. Of course that is pretty true of most of the Jurassic movies.<br />
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Just sit back and enjoy. I will likely not buy the Blu-ray.Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-26421835647260270442018-06-09T23:05:00.001-06:002018-06-09T23:05:10.428-06:00Solo Is a Bit Hollow<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwZn1o_8Pz6r_5UVqDiAxd72RsmR0U-1jnKPCdIghmW6xSSgKR0nZfbsKKXEoJq6H13bYePKFIueRwhEizEqFuZMmWsmQTcHY3mNZu2418rQ3EfiAGAG5lrrcpgZOVVROwoSnFTZv5jYR/s1600/HAN-SOLO-UNA-HISTORIA-DE-STAR-WARS.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwZn1o_8Pz6r_5UVqDiAxd72RsmR0U-1jnKPCdIghmW6xSSgKR0nZfbsKKXEoJq6H13bYePKFIueRwhEizEqFuZMmWsmQTcHY3mNZu2418rQ3EfiAGAG5lrrcpgZOVVROwoSnFTZv5jYR/s400/HAN-SOLO-UNA-HISTORIA-DE-STAR-WARS.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">I really wanted <i>Solo: A Star Wars Story</i> to be a
great add-on to the <i>Star Wars</i> saga. It's not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEZoI4CE0B1VBVyMr0gIcyG3RjG7U6poeX7lxIpGxMvTHXRn2ialxCwtp7ZRttF59oVG8F-_gumsFFfha8SHiFVjMJp_Jz55lJoAV2FZWm7DGF4hTIsvld_nW-9ApIFT-NSyEji4ye7DT/s1600/thumbnail_27681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEZoI4CE0B1VBVyMr0gIcyG3RjG7U6poeX7lxIpGxMvTHXRn2ialxCwtp7ZRttF59oVG8F-_gumsFFfha8SHiFVjMJp_Jz55lJoAV2FZWm7DGF4hTIsvld_nW-9ApIFT-NSyEji4ye7DT/s200/thumbnail_27681.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Forget the number of problems
the production had with director Ron Howard being brought on board to direct in
2017 after the project's original directors parted ways with Lucas Film. Howard
shot (or re-shot depending on who you read) at least 70 percent of the movie.
The movie had problems and it shows despite Howard's effort.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillGX_F4ftfmt5LG7gY6-CI_zn88ZxctmAU1NayONJtCFTXN8cV5K6WcTRrYb8LKB-DBtRKwCwQMxKpPCwCYVfd3507G_4bdnVBadFQ-afEoCxMfz_EcY0IfLNRGxayH2qGdWpP3liy6lV/s1600/rs_600x600-180205043548-600.solo-a-star-wars-story-3.2518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="450" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillGX_F4ftfmt5LG7gY6-CI_zn88ZxctmAU1NayONJtCFTXN8cV5K6WcTRrYb8LKB-DBtRKwCwQMxKpPCwCYVfd3507G_4bdnVBadFQ-afEoCxMfz_EcY0IfLNRGxayH2qGdWpP3liy6lV/s200/rs_600x600-180205043548-600.solo-a-star-wars-story-3.2518.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Forget that <i>Solo</i> was
a movie which really no one asked for. Most fans felt that between books and
movies they had enough info on the backstory of Han Solo and his partner
Chewbacca. <i>Solo</i> is really a "fanboy" movie. It's one
that fans didn't demand but should want to see. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOBn1aSbLkWzhnFClYL0fTixAkgiydoDqlh8MdDYeVNVX4SSPHGx4OkaZle-oOLtxWDM9FoExeUFrwubdZYcB75hizjSj3t2nOFrqTcMNQvF5ashADEU9ZN8FHbx2wJabxM1DZdX0MElb/s1600/AcceptableJubilantAfricancivet-max-1mb.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="520" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOBn1aSbLkWzhnFClYL0fTixAkgiydoDqlh8MdDYeVNVX4SSPHGx4OkaZle-oOLtxWDM9FoExeUFrwubdZYcB75hizjSj3t2nOFrqTcMNQvF5ashADEU9ZN8FHbx2wJabxM1DZdX0MElb/s200/AcceptableJubilantAfricancivet-max-1mb.gif" width="200" /></a><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Solo: A Star Wars Story</span></i><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> is an okay movie. Generally, it is
enjoyable, and it is largely forgettable. The problem is that it often seems
disjointed. Enjoyable scenes are shoehorned together in order to fit all of
Han's backstory that we know from the Saga into one movie. How did he meet
Chewbacca? Check. What was the game like when he won the Millennium Falcon?
Check. What is the story between the somewhat strained relationship between Han
and Lando? Check. How did Han become the good guy rogue that we all know and
love? Check. How many cliché type scenes can we stick in one movie? Check. Can
we have a robot with an attitude like we had in Rogue One? Check. Can we fit in
yet another bar scene with strange aliens? Check and Check again. Do we have a
love story in the movie? Check.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">SPOILERS SPOILERS
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEO9LYYV779t8ykOcVpOOmRr6omxnXba5A2cOOCLmyQnft64-A8bqeb2_MsYGYcU8n82LL0Q1fou7paUGmoQ-vgxeFyJVJ2VZNh1icjIiHQOm9OAgmIZTXzsLhgMzcwSpstWaXjUhjm_A_/s1600/donald-glover-lando-solo-main-lucas-810x610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWo9amUXEnrdlaNx_iVFB2ojWyYnf2GCa0buWIlz5lMMBfM2TWg8kJip88wHUfi-YoEi-SFSmmdKvRP2rrPrL36y5T7XtM38w74eLFf8YF0OjpBMqp5-kZDGFiUM5PYJ0Dm7-LDOnrSY4/s1600/101d8d8b9ae2ce81a8ab01719e62d689a84714fe_00.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="268" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWo9amUXEnrdlaNx_iVFB2ojWyYnf2GCa0buWIlz5lMMBfM2TWg8kJip88wHUfi-YoEi-SFSmmdKvRP2rrPrL36y5T7XtM38w74eLFf8YF0OjpBMqp5-kZDGFiUM5PYJ0Dm7-LDOnrSY4/s200/101d8d8b9ae2ce81a8ab01719e62d689a84714fe_00.gif" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Problem is as the checklist
scrolls through some of them fail. Take, for example, the love story element of
Solo. Han (Alden Ehrenreich) in escaping his horrid past must leave the
girl he loves behind. She is Kira (Emilia Clarke). He must find his way
back to save her. While on his quest to save her, he meets the rogue
Beckett (Woody Harrelson). It is his adventure with Beckett that more or
less brings all the other elements of Solo's back story into existence. Instead
of the quest though for Solo to save Kira, he and Beckett go to a party (cue
bar scene) and voila there's Kira. Kira has become the lieutenant and property
of the main bad guy, Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany). Solo, Beckett and Kira go off
to do his bidding meeting Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) along the way in
another bar scene. After all this, the true love of Solo and Kira seems to be uhm
not so much. Kira chooses power. It fails. The true love we see in other movies
just not there for us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUn8SvE306qR44bMfW4SeDGe5Umcbply_RgP1xIydgjYR1MOzAPnbyWX13Pe4FK8TIitJ5W7ptHlIb6nFoKzykmDdZO1GtWpuoZ_230n1K6cwVAa_2_mW05obGoQvpIYTUp3sAx8-jm96n/s1600/solo-a-star-wars-story-tobias-beckett_disney-brightened.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="650" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUn8SvE306qR44bMfW4SeDGe5Umcbply_RgP1xIydgjYR1MOzAPnbyWX13Pe4FK8TIitJ5W7ptHlIb6nFoKzykmDdZO1GtWpuoZ_230n1K6cwVAa_2_mW05obGoQvpIYTUp3sAx8-jm96n/s200/solo-a-star-wars-story-tobias-beckett_disney-brightened.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOBn1aSbLkWzhnFClYL0fTixAkgiydoDqlh8MdDYeVNVX4SSPHGx4OkaZle-oOLtxWDM9FoExeUFrwubdZYcB75hizjSj3t2nOFrqTcMNQvF5ashADEU9ZN8FHbx2wJabxM1DZdX0MElb/s1600/AcceptableJubilantAfricancivet-max-1mb.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">The problem is that there are
so many opportunities to tell us an original story. Solo announces that he
wants to become a great pilot. Two scenes late, he is. There is a story there.
One we do not know. Beckett's team is fun and amazing and gone. There is a
story there too. Even the fact that Solo speaks the Wookie language is a story
we don't get. Even the robot L3-37 wants to be the robot we come to care about,
but it is in the movie for so little time that we cannot really get an
attachment for Lando's copilot. In fact, the only character that we get to know
is Beckett. His character is not particularly original and what happens to him
in the movie isn't really original or unpredictable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN49GI7uu9rPWy2MGamo48mxGU0koMD44o_XA7sJqpsNdHrcKEZDdrSwE7mF_tsucu9sb_92qgMvjD1R3STvC-M4-bwCacFfrEOvQqau95MqU3lYM72kWx6YK3X4LWeh_SK1EcwPqpQR8W/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="480" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN49GI7uu9rPWy2MGamo48mxGU0koMD44o_XA7sJqpsNdHrcKEZDdrSwE7mF_tsucu9sb_92qgMvjD1R3STvC-M4-bwCacFfrEOvQqau95MqU3lYM72kWx6YK3X4LWeh_SK1EcwPqpQR8W/s200/giphy.gif" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><i>Solo: A Star Wars Story</i> has its
moments especially aboard the Falcon. It is fun enough but its weak plotting
and not particularly strong character development keeps the movie from really
being anything more. It is not the next great addition to an icon of American
pop culture. It is really just a "fanboy" movie. I am undecided
if I will buy the Blu-ray. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-55139630976920424522018-05-14T20:49:00.000-06:002018-05-14T20:49:30.550-06:00Thou Shalt Not Cliffhang and then Cancel<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-NJOu8nrLCN5C_0KSeIvUYmLb6Y16oRZrhZ41pcw6hCR-w04muLUztxWxtZVOnHmn27KTa32WKfaVFa7DvoQl7LKtcIBKz3hscIYMTTrdzyRd7okbX628jq-u81CyjpWB2OlKQ0x70VC/s1600/images.jpg"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-NJOu8nrLCN5C_0KSeIvUYmLb6Y16oRZrhZ41pcw6hCR-w04muLUztxWxtZVOnHmn27KTa32WKfaVFa7DvoQl7LKtcIBKz3hscIYMTTrdzyRd7okbX628jq-u81CyjpWB2OlKQ0x70VC/s640/images.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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With the ending of another year in TV, cancellations are about to occur. And there should be a few rules about cliffhanging and storylines that serve no real purpose. I know. The writers of TV land are really concerned about what I think. Still, one can try.<br />
<br />
Rule 1: Any television series in its first three seasons should not have a season ending cliffhanger.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbf5_RlJwrEeBIN4b7zVKmv7tuYmFcf7yDyAoRFyzUe4s15Gp_5QcOHihjvqfXhWmLdOL_d1WgZNBOu_-3Nf2og4zq9lJY64fjkcOo1OOxCH9c2VPg4fo9kcunk2uuyDWv2HhPMcjI_oTj/s1600/hqdefault.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbf5_RlJwrEeBIN4b7zVKmv7tuYmFcf7yDyAoRFyzUe4s15Gp_5QcOHihjvqfXhWmLdOL_d1WgZNBOu_-3Nf2og4zq9lJY64fjkcOo1OOxCH9c2VPg4fo9kcunk2uuyDWv2HhPMcjI_oTj/s200/hqdefault.jpg" width="200" /></a>Let's face it any television series is a gamble at the beginning. It doesn't really reach any real security until it passes that magical third year when a series finally has enough episodes to be syndicated on a regular basis. Any series can be cancelled, but we know that most will have it happen especially in the first three years. Cliffhangers in that time is unfair to the few fans a series may garner, and a cliffhanger does not guarantee a next season. People are roaming around wondering what happened the next season in <i>Alphas.</i> It was serious enough, <i>The Big Bang Theory</i> actually included it <a href="http://bigbangtheory.wikia.com/wiki/Alphas">in an episode</a>.<br />
<br />
Rule 2.: Any television series that has a cliffhanger and is cancelled, must be given one episode after its cancellation to resolve the cliffhanger.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyj9875ZWSc4p21pHf4Mj1q-8p1Yv5NkOeejoR5UgU55k20_3V_19X9LU8W4KJlNDmPYMYTih8CaBAmgjX6xrRf7Efl-M3sHdGNj1QVtHZJPaF_0YwIoWrXM0OZjKEJnJURTbc0Pz0io31/s1600/castle-series-finale-review.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyj9875ZWSc4p21pHf4Mj1q-8p1Yv5NkOeejoR5UgU55k20_3V_19X9LU8W4KJlNDmPYMYTih8CaBAmgjX6xrRf7Efl-M3sHdGNj1QVtHZJPaF_0YwIoWrXM0OZjKEJnJURTbc0Pz0io31/s200/castle-series-finale-review.jpg" /></a>If you are going to allow a cheap trick like cliffhangers, you should at least give the fans the opportunity to see it settled. If the studio wants to make money, I suppose they could include a final episode on the digital or DVD release. It is only fair to those people who sit through all the advertisements and other crappy shows that should have been cancelled after episode 2. Take for example the last episode of<i> Castle. </i>When the show received its notice that there would not be a next season, the writers had an end scene ready to shoot to solve the obvious cliffhanger they'd planned. Was it a good conclusion? Not really, but the fans got closure albeit a bit trite. <br />
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Rule 3: Cliffhangers are cheap and lazy writing and should be avoided.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIlnLv2wp961ijw3bMG2fki3lQNNct0j-bVGu05buygvZNTRyokInaJwguTqBUiRzPBkqeZPpdZDfWRjNOw7C9llOqEtVl3yYAwMpkhYkbyxlTfoQ5-7xQlXCCrti3k5w8Cm0QY2lwaCh/s1600/download+%25281%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIlnLv2wp961ijw3bMG2fki3lQNNct0j-bVGu05buygvZNTRyokInaJwguTqBUiRzPBkqeZPpdZDfWRjNOw7C9llOqEtVl3yYAwMpkhYkbyxlTfoQ5-7xQlXCCrti3k5w8Cm0QY2lwaCh/s200/download+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a>I hate the cliffhanger as a season end grabber. It's cheap. If a show is so bad or melodramatic that it has to get its viewers to watch by cliffhanging episodes, especially to try and get to the next season, the writers of the show need to rethink their life choices. Cliffhangers in TV, movies, and books is quite simply poor writing and a gimmick to sell more. In writing, if every chapter of the book is a cliffhanger, then the book is plot driven and just dragging the reader along. I've had this problem with cliffhangers in books and shows for a long time. Climactic writing at the end of a chapter should make the reader want to go to the next chapter. It differs from cliffhangers which more or less forces the reader to the next chapter. It's one of the reasons I still despise <i>The Stand</i>. It uses a cheap and lazy plotting technique. The same is true with cliffhangers at the end of a season. It's cheap and lazy. It means you don't care enough about the characters to stay with the series. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpp-oz9tfWP4hRxsqYKS63Lk9-09Tbg66yLG71juUaY_giCs68lADoI-lY4w-w6OllGVLSiduDiVflh15fOSc8IqBcbzGhc2kpnHsUHb0w8wtDYGh2gCm-e29mOyPnYC22fK5sBEO79bBp/s1600/startrek_main.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpp-oz9tfWP4hRxsqYKS63Lk9-09Tbg66yLG71juUaY_giCs68lADoI-lY4w-w6OllGVLSiduDiVflh15fOSc8IqBcbzGhc2kpnHsUHb0w8wtDYGh2gCm-e29mOyPnYC22fK5sBEO79bBp/s200/startrek_main.jpg" /></a>The best example of true climatic writing on TV was the <i>Star Trek Next Generation</i> episode called "Best of Both Worlds." That's the episode where Picard is turned into a Borg. It works because fans care and are invested in the characters of the show. The other reason is that the season ender wasn't a gimmick that was used every single season up to that point. True all seasons following used the technique and unfortunately, it was an occasional gimmick used even by one of my favorite shows that I could've lived without. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbUqtqCnZ5ob_ROfsD_eQhVwULM6gLm7hYoSECIX3bO5dfoUTR3WXsjjkGD2XCy8eD-k1NgLokpWel0xKJQUHIqmYUZbMKSmNL_PRNGgQWsfIKnY2bZCPYkKsEF39W0h24yfGqRm2F7qb/s1600/DoNothingOption.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbUqtqCnZ5ob_ROfsD_eQhVwULM6gLm7hYoSECIX3bO5dfoUTR3WXsjjkGD2XCy8eD-k1NgLokpWel0xKJQUHIqmYUZbMKSmNL_PRNGgQWsfIKnY2bZCPYkKsEF39W0h24yfGqRm2F7qb/s200/DoNothingOption.png" /></a>Rule 4: If a series is a crime solving series, it should solve crimes. If it is a law series, it should have a trial with an outcome. If it is a super hero series, it should have a battle between the hero and the villain. <br />
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Not staying with the series premise is known as "jumping the shark." When I watch <i>Elementary</i> or <i>Monk,</i> I want them to solve a mystery. That's the premise. Any series that doesn't stay in its premise or genre, is jumping the shark. I really don't care what so and so's home life is like. It's time filler. Backstory is an important part of developing character, but only as it relates to the premise. If writing never ties that backstory, then it's poor writing. <br />
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Rule 5: Additional scenes which give other characters depth (and actors something to do in the episode) but have nothing to do with the plot or central premise of the show is cheap and lazy writing and should be avoided. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmpaUdxBjl2yhH6Ms4Av8qIeKNiM0zUaWAGU5K-afU_m79_QwmSigGHo3zz3Ep-9tRWEPNhQ5UCtOZ12nLBxzMsgjnoHqeI824Q8qSL8hgk6wG1uNRXf2vZQoYdm0V_-W25KQW5SN68gO/s1600/best-sci-fi-tv-ever-20110127104557415.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmpaUdxBjl2yhH6Ms4Av8qIeKNiM0zUaWAGU5K-afU_m79_QwmSigGHo3zz3Ep-9tRWEPNhQ5UCtOZ12nLBxzMsgjnoHqeI824Q8qSL8hgk6wG1uNRXf2vZQoYdm0V_-W25KQW5SN68gO/s200/best-sci-fi-tv-ever-20110127104557415.jpg" /></a>Along the same line as Rule 4, we don't really need to add to supporting characters extraneous storylines. I really don't care about Supergirl's human sister’s love life unless that love life has direct bearing on a storyline which is related to the premise or genre of the show. I get that actors have been hired and they want to work. Adding stories that have nothing to do with the central story is wasted film. If a show doesn't have enough plot to support an hour (actually 42 minutes) of story, then maybe the show be thirty minutes long. I don't know how many times shows like <i>Criminal Minds</i> have five minutes of show following the resolution that has nothing to do with premise. "Oh look, they've run out of plot again."<br />
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And I still want to know the resolution to season 2 of <i>Alphas</i>.<br />
<br />Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-49025488156786344952018-05-02T23:51:00.000-06:002018-05-03T07:19:43.527-06:00Avengers: Infinity War Is Darker<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYCNjdAro0srlxi_PBLyaC3beI6AizNjbimAL-Njsmm9dBzGBTBPV2mJ3QnMLsZldjQgrcIXbWwmPRtGHi2k3qopjQAhbTgN6L8JFCOek1jnY5ukJxnxmq-MG7sSPlF6h31BDvsZDsfJU/s1600/https_%25252F%25252Fblogs-images.forbes.com%25252Fcurtissilver%25252Ffiles%25252F2018%25252F04%25252Favengers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="960" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYCNjdAro0srlxi_PBLyaC3beI6AizNjbimAL-Njsmm9dBzGBTBPV2mJ3QnMLsZldjQgrcIXbWwmPRtGHi2k3qopjQAhbTgN6L8JFCOek1jnY5ukJxnxmq-MG7sSPlF6h31BDvsZDsfJU/s400/https_%25252F%25252Fblogs-images.forbes.com%25252Fcurtissilver%25252Ffiles%25252F2018%25252F04%25252Favengers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZN3WfBppYPt_xxLTZaZAjk1o1wt7dW6CtBPy7neaA0icxs800fiwVELut3mSRuu1cm1_GbLZslI1vvqDwOEwfIG4VTusJ9Dm3G6nkCipxGLAV5AAWxl-w0P60c8zre-pD5EX5gT0w1rQc/s1600/avengers-infinity-war-final-trailer-takeaways-ebony-maw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="618" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZN3WfBppYPt_xxLTZaZAjk1o1wt7dW6CtBPy7neaA0icxs800fiwVELut3mSRuu1cm1_GbLZslI1vvqDwOEwfIG4VTusJ9Dm3G6nkCipxGLAV5AAWxl-w0P60c8zre-pD5EX5gT0w1rQc/s200/avengers-infinity-war-final-trailer-takeaways-ebony-maw.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">After seeing <i>Avengers: Infinity War</i>, I thought about running home
and tapping out my review, but I must pause because trying to do this with as
few of spoilers as possible requires thought. So, I am going to not list who died, who lived,
and great lines. I am also not going to spend a lot of time listing actors and
roles. If you are going in to this movie not ever having seen any of the Super
Hero movies from the past 10 years, it's would simply take too much time to
explain it. I do, however, want to react to the end of the movie so for those
who have not seen <i>Infinity War</i>, I will warn you at that point. The rest of the
review should be pretty much spoiler free. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinByvgAeMqGrJ7aPZ3e8Gf-keVxL3ub68semImi0qUWC3zFJxQSYVgVN42L8ndmC_PrElUDdRHUObd7dcVE6SzORy5tXyViyDg6dUioz_yND-kMIo4tWGMsspTddQ767yMlnoQ1rvodaJs/s1600/giphy+%25284%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="480" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinByvgAeMqGrJ7aPZ3e8Gf-keVxL3ub68semImi0qUWC3zFJxQSYVgVN42L8ndmC_PrElUDdRHUObd7dcVE6SzORy5tXyViyDg6dUioz_yND-kMIo4tWGMsspTddQ767yMlnoQ1rvodaJs/s200/giphy+%25284%2529.gif" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><i>Infinity War</i> is the third
installment of the Avenger movies. If the Avengers were a true trilogy, this
would be the second movie. It is dark, and dangerous in tone but unlike the DC
movie world, it still manages to work in the gags, quick one-liners and funny
visuals that are a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie opens
aboard one of the ships from Asgard that were at the end of <i>Thor: Ragnarok</i>.
While other movies have had cameos by the Mad Titan, Thanos. This is the first
time we get to see why galaxies live in fear of him. We also get to meet his
henchmen who he sends out on his bidding which is his search for the Infinity
Stones. The stones were originally called Infinity gems in the comics, but the
movies changed their names. We have in the previous movies seen five of the six
stones. Each of the stones controls one aspect important to the survival of the
known universe. The stones are: Time (The Eye of Agamotto in <i>Doctor Strange</i>),
Space (The Tesseract, <i>Captain America, the First Avenger</i>) Power (The Orb,
<i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i>), Reality (Aether, T<i>hor: The Dark Worl</i>d), Mind
(Chitauri Scepter, <i>The Avengers </i>giving life to Vision in that movie), and last
but not least the missing Soul Stone which is revealed in this movie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh755EyNsu0Q06XEMV82xuQESCtE6mDtDebPT-wQIlKiqns_SG0lWC_01T-nbiT6K-h4kEKS7s3v4RMoBv9vaq-EI5cH6Vy3nPIbumipEoloThk8iUFmeQucA5WhDia0CflrkIKgTA_TUQw/s1600/giphy+%25283%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh755EyNsu0Q06XEMV82xuQESCtE6mDtDebPT-wQIlKiqns_SG0lWC_01T-nbiT6K-h4kEKS7s3v4RMoBv9vaq-EI5cH6Vy3nPIbumipEoloThk8iUFmeQucA5WhDia0CflrkIKgTA_TUQw/s200/giphy+%25283%2529.gif" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">If Thanos can take control of
all six stones, he can destroy the universe or reshape it in his image. Thanos
is a megalomaniac who believes that in order for the universe to be in balance
at least half of the universe must die so that finite resources can support
life longer. The Avengers must try and stop him. And so, we see the full
Avenger team which includes Earth Avengers absent Hawkeye and Ant-Man, Doctor
Strange, Black Panther, The Winter Soldier, Spider Man, and The Guardian of the
Galaxies join forces. The original comic book series actually had a few more that Marvel
has not yet introduced. The movie is wide ranging with battles in space involving
Iron Man, Spider Man, Strange and the Guardians. On a side note, we do get to see
teen Groot which is pretty entertaining. On Earth, the war rages with Earth's
Avengers plus Black Panther and the Winter Soldier. Yep, the MCU has gotten
pretty big in characters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5kd7XWCJN2DW26vhamh568Bn3CPTfyGexFJcUkYLEcjwd17v5uLlqkk91_6q0LJ0SsPnFFMgJHmMBUc2w5IiykHDltoJMEsD8-1k9BbYyYZ9MwRMJWNCeVVcySNr769zXznHgczgWy3u/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="480" height="82" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5kd7XWCJN2DW26vhamh568Bn3CPTfyGexFJcUkYLEcjwd17v5uLlqkk91_6q0LJ0SsPnFFMgJHmMBUc2w5IiykHDltoJMEsD8-1k9BbYyYZ9MwRMJWNCeVVcySNr769zXznHgczgWy3u/s200/giphy.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">The movie is vast in scope and
effects. It still relies on plotting that you really shouldn't think too hard
about. But given the scope of the movie. like its predecessors, the underlying
themes are about loyalty, power and belonging. I really liked <i>Infinity War.</i> Is
it the best of the movies? No. But the sheer magnitude of the movie, I am
willing to forgive the thinner character driven plot that has appeared in other
movies. The movie has some great moments both emotional and funny. I will buy
the DVD.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">And now....the ending and a few
other problems .....SPOILERS.....SPOILERS.....SPOILERS....SPOILERS<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffghadgeG76y72_z1LJEDzt4KiBhjd_gPTC5ma2w1622Il3UOKuuzvvie16ksuP7WBtt_qZ_5kvy-fsTim9hSCM3U3QqFLA-iEPsBJJNlkDACFeSwVTwfVeRQ4jsVcVjgvNKHgIHsaPqP/s1600/giphy+%25282%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="480" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffghadgeG76y72_z1LJEDzt4KiBhjd_gPTC5ma2w1622Il3UOKuuzvvie16ksuP7WBtt_qZ_5kvy-fsTim9hSCM3U3QqFLA-iEPsBJJNlkDACFeSwVTwfVeRQ4jsVcVjgvNKHgIHsaPqP/s400/giphy+%25282%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">I wanted to take a moment to
talk about all the deaths at the end. I know a few folks seem to be greatly
upset about losing half the Avengers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3yGvESGEFxhnjmcnW90yj_ok7iyu0SbZ-lybMlP7Qox5VI4gaEFyKUA-bKoRcgV-6ovlUqeamMcgJPu7MDD_nYo-Al70hd_VG5ls9VEfwjn63f7d4hDwDPJQA2UsQSkT_T6E_fgnCiKM/s1600/Guardians-Galaxy-2-Post-Credit-Scene-Infinity-War.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="600" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3yGvESGEFxhnjmcnW90yj_ok7iyu0SbZ-lybMlP7Qox5VI4gaEFyKUA-bKoRcgV-6ovlUqeamMcgJPu7MDD_nYo-Al70hd_VG5ls9VEfwjn63f7d4hDwDPJQA2UsQSkT_T6E_fgnCiKM/s200/Guardians-Galaxy-2-Post-Credit-Scene-Infinity-War.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">1. It is a comic book movie.
super heroes are resurrected more than <i>Star Trek</i> characters and have more
iterations of existence than <i>Star Wars</i> has Jedi ghosts. Spider Man has died at
least fifteen times in the comics. As for the deaths at the end of the movie. I
have two words: Infinity Stones. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">2. It is and has been clear
that just because the Avengers movie in 2019 is untitled that it was obviously
set for the continuation of the War. Even the comic books version of <i>Infinity
War</i> is printed in five volumes: <i>Thanos Rising</i>, <i>The Infinity Gauntlet</i>, <i>The
Infinity War,</i> and two volumes of <i>Infinity Crusade</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFXjFIGRbWZt2kAKD6NZbXRNQX8SgDaqffWHR8saKZN0hOOm9RyUqVpS1fboVWCBJEtNyGxyTji3Uy8bijkZbKPJidy0AhhZhhRaxwX6faO-eg9MMd0I_Jn1J-OSAkeBZpGgwer_raOWd3/s1600/kostum-baru-captain-marvel-terungkap-pmxqYNhpJF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFXjFIGRbWZt2kAKD6NZbXRNQX8SgDaqffWHR8saKZN0hOOm9RyUqVpS1fboVWCBJEtNyGxyTji3Uy8bijkZbKPJidy0AhhZhhRaxwX6faO-eg9MMd0I_Jn1J-OSAkeBZpGgwer_raOWd3/s200/kostum-baru-captain-marvel-terungkap-pmxqYNhpJF.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">3. The after credits scene has
a very clear Easter egg for the upcoming <i>Captain Marvel </i>plus we have Adam
(Warlock?) who has yet to make appearance from the end of the second Guardians
movie. And yes, both were involved in the original comics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">4. Josh Brolin was contracted
for another movie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChj53mEQpzPxeuJXDRZ2FLtiLSliFr_EfdxJQVn3ipD9Hyg2We2C6T8MBrrP98oMdXrmOefKqyVYI8Da5ymnWcPNgvfnElPhYqQIVukk18Iaj6SGVxC16fJ-dkJcffCFkBjG8OhlNEqRx/s1600/giphy+%25281%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="480" height="82" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChj53mEQpzPxeuJXDRZ2FLtiLSliFr_EfdxJQVn3ipD9Hyg2We2C6T8MBrrP98oMdXrmOefKqyVYI8Da5ymnWcPNgvfnElPhYqQIVukk18Iaj6SGVxC16fJ-dkJcffCFkBjG8OhlNEqRx/s200/giphy+%25281%2529.gif" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">So, while the carnage at the
end is a lot, going in we knew that something was up. If you should be upset
about anything was the advertising campaign asking where you will be when it
all ends. The answer, at least another year older.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHMen8WBBZI4jXmfLchX2ftQOxTbZ7CDDPCD-op9GIgbsr2fhM41-WOVMR1apNJd6EMMZ8YNlDGuCxuxmtzgi-x9eF9qQWJ1SE6diwWh6jpWSJFovSJwxFgeV5aj_yZy7dBHTk47XEJyB/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHMen8WBBZI4jXmfLchX2ftQOxTbZ7CDDPCD-op9GIgbsr2fhM41-WOVMR1apNJd6EMMZ8YNlDGuCxuxmtzgi-x9eF9qQWJ1SE6diwWh6jpWSJFovSJwxFgeV5aj_yZy7dBHTk47XEJyB/s200/images+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">The two things that bothered me
most was Star Lord going off on Thanos as they are about to get the Gauntlet.
As my wife put it, Star Lord is a bit unpredictable, but even he would not
destroy the plan that would prevent the death of billions. It was completely
out of character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">And<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Will the MCU really kill off
one of its most popular characters in Loki?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2V7_tyKMPmXn7DcHRN-CQpjVKzpFV4bjvFW4XVTW_xn4_q0tiOAEkyXgzu5qhQeE0BeCYzinoWSnmksZgXgp3X5sRvLtVUVZ_oeMRCpOPwKFACxhotqAC5l980AyKckRZR9bI1RoFk_PH/s1600/mx01zesouupgikg3a5uh.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="800" height="81" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2V7_tyKMPmXn7DcHRN-CQpjVKzpFV4bjvFW4XVTW_xn4_q0tiOAEkyXgzu5qhQeE0BeCYzinoWSnmksZgXgp3X5sRvLtVUVZ_oeMRCpOPwKFACxhotqAC5l980AyKckRZR9bI1RoFk_PH/s200/mx01zesouupgikg3a5uh.gif" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Really fun stuff includes Peter
Dinklage as the master weapons maker, Drax moving so slowly he thinks he's invisible, teen Groot and his video game, and <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">the
stellar performance of Tom Holland as Spider Man. </span></div>
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<br />Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8186593504869218894.post-22216305321335784082018-04-12T22:46:00.001-06:002018-04-12T22:46:50.018-06:00Attacking the Messenger Means You Lose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUUQUh0FxULsj2PynX3uu2Vu_sMA7Zzc_SbsuRu-kDYC9xie7iUN1S3SaTUAATtg8aDhrnAfzDLcw7WaaQ83jKwo8PDrRl0XE4KGntv0wpDvxZ4tW3kmCFjJyJPAwC9oRz-6A4ZrtyJ_b/s1600/adhominemattacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="533" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUUQUh0FxULsj2PynX3uu2Vu_sMA7Zzc_SbsuRu-kDYC9xie7iUN1S3SaTUAATtg8aDhrnAfzDLcw7WaaQ83jKwo8PDrRl0XE4KGntv0wpDvxZ4tW3kmCFjJyJPAwC9oRz-6A4ZrtyJ_b/s400/adhominemattacks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVylql5QOT7KB5FXdChrkuyxpDWA6ZyMQ9VWB8LSyoYirazCxo_ehpNOR5yxJ97lHH_4eyR73vbfw6iOh5FQmdf_Ge9r5Ck7hHcq8smZL3ugSHYVjLs3IFjQGamvZ_SPFzSDoP5YIbKXq/s1600/B55fG1BCIAAnbxb_LI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVylql5QOT7KB5FXdChrkuyxpDWA6ZyMQ9VWB8LSyoYirazCxo_ehpNOR5yxJ97lHH_4eyR73vbfw6iOh5FQmdf_Ge9r5Ck7hHcq8smZL3ugSHYVjLs3IFjQGamvZ_SPFzSDoP5YIbKXq/s200/B55fG1BCIAAnbxb_LI.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">I've watched on social media as people attack people like the young activists
for gun control from Parkland. I am not talking about the countless lies and
Photoshop jobs that were created. I am talking about the blatant personal attacks on
these folks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">I am not going to lie and say
something like, "I don't care where you are on the gun control debate." I do care. But
that is not what this blog is about. It is, putting it simply, that personal attacks speaks volumes about the
potency of their message and the horrible propaganda that has been created by the anti-gun control industry. It
also tells us that those who post these attacks have been either taken in by
the propaganda or truly have already lost the battle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWw90GwFPCad752cFsAsEvyOIxeDjKkM4PysyLjEsGjAS-gYeqKNrRMmRXug4mFkemDK2iLJe2NPydUr6sDsJoYcbW34TRciUI54eWwoTnI1FDigFE3OqX-gn-7EspQ8oJpxWJDNBh8Zfo/s1600/97fc4e16f235332220d3cf10cf400e41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="800" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWw90GwFPCad752cFsAsEvyOIxeDjKkM4PysyLjEsGjAS-gYeqKNrRMmRXug4mFkemDK2iLJe2NPydUr6sDsJoYcbW34TRciUI54eWwoTnI1FDigFE3OqX-gn-7EspQ8oJpxWJDNBh8Zfo/s200/97fc4e16f235332220d3cf10cf400e41.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">According to several sites,
Addison Whithecomb* said the debater's maxim of if you attack the
messenger and not the message, you've already lost the debate. In other words,
if you have nothing to counter the message of these activists and attack them
instead, you've got nothin'.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Whether you like David Hogg or
Emma Gonzalez or any of the other activist is irrelevant. Either you counter
their arguments about loving guns more than loving the lives of children or you
don't. Attacking them, or for that matter how awful all kids have become, or whining about being tired about hearing about them
simply means you've lost the argument, and you do indeed care more about your
guns than school kids' lives, or it means you have fallen for one of the oldest
propaganda tools in the book. When you are losing, make them the enemy. It's called "the other" or <i>ad hominem </i>argument. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4mtrsN80R5dU4ySZce5thVMuf-_87IGRI6As1dqqGZpkbRkFgk9IQo3SMZC7nuzaYQuNFr25JeaWVgYrC-gmC1_OtAa8qH1GXiTBNR1TDd8adh3Z_5RoXZdJSJdgHKMGKVGQI0rN7tBf/s1600/noamchomsky1-2x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="1200" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4mtrsN80R5dU4ySZce5thVMuf-_87IGRI6As1dqqGZpkbRkFgk9IQo3SMZC7nuzaYQuNFr25JeaWVgYrC-gmC1_OtAa8qH1GXiTBNR1TDd8adh3Z_5RoXZdJSJdgHKMGKVGQI0rN7tBf/s200/noamchomsky1-2x.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">You cannot argue that you stand
for the Constitution and the bill of rights and then demand these young people
quit talking and demanding their rights of equal protection. There was great
outrage when retired Supreme Court Justice and conservative, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/opinion/john-paul-stevens-repeal-second-amendment.html" target="_blank">John PaulStevens, suggested the second amendment be repealed.</a> If it angered you, then turning
around and announcing that since these young people are suggesting raising the
age limit we should repeal the twenty-sixth amendment is the height of
hypocrisy.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4luBhWT5liDvLes67i0cNxnFmrSlD5bc4ZjSBWUTERDjQsx5iW0TumlsNdgjiSSxm4mCsbgR7PWxsDRPCtCkM_luYEf4I9-L_zTl28cY2Jij186AcKYQnAOuZrFLRqD5fZ0HPyHthmBR/s1600/404060_458304424210150_1779725530_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4luBhWT5liDvLes67i0cNxnFmrSlD5bc4ZjSBWUTERDjQsx5iW0TumlsNdgjiSSxm4mCsbgR7PWxsDRPCtCkM_luYEf4I9-L_zTl28cY2Jij186AcKYQnAOuZrFLRqD5fZ0HPyHthmBR/s1600/404060_458304424210150_1779725530_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="338" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4luBhWT5liDvLes67i0cNxnFmrSlD5bc4ZjSBWUTERDjQsx5iW0TumlsNdgjiSSxm4mCsbgR7PWxsDRPCtCkM_luYEf4I9-L_zTl28cY2Jij186AcKYQnAOuZrFLRqD5fZ0HPyHthmBR/s200/404060_458304424210150_1779725530_n.jpg" width="140" /></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Attacking folks only creates
greater division. Your platitudes about loving your neighbors are hollow. If
you are attacking the messenger...you are a divisive part of the problem. You can announce how bad kids are these day and how little they care, but I think there was about a million or so of them who marched for their rights one Saturday in March and who would beg to differ with you. Just because a few did something stupid like eat a tide pod, it doesn't mean they all did. There are a few adults that have done some pretty dumb things too. If all you have is a personal attack on a person because of his or her age, generation, or if they are Republican, Democrat, or any other trait that has nothing to do with the message, then y</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">ou've got nothin'. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">In other words, if that's all you have about the message of any activist, then perhaps you just need to go yell at kids,"GET OFF MY LAWN!" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">*Other than the quote and
appearing in debate text, there is apparently no information on Addison
Whithecomb. I, personally, wonder if he actually existed. Even <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?search=addison+whithecomb&title=Special:Search&go=Go&searchToken=9chglwo7jyfw08khhuc5lp1ts" target="_blank">Wikipedia entry has nothing</a> on
the man.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Mitch Travishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14806981978337818900noreply@blogger.com0