My thoughts for today

What Do You Want?

noreply@blogger.com (Donald M) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:32:00 +0000

Take a look around this Blog. What would you like to see on it? Please send comments.

The Top 10 Movies You Forgot About

noreply@blogger.com (Donald M) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:20:00 +0000

Sure, everybody remembers movies like Jaws, Star Wars and Raiders of The Lost Ark. But what about the movies that don't get much discussion time anymore? Here are the Top Ten Movies you probably Forgot About.

10. Good Night and Good Luck

An Academy Award-nominated 2005 film directed by George Clooney and written by Clooney and Grant Heslov that portrays the conflict between veteran radio and television journalist Edward R. Murrow and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of W isconsin, especially relating to the anti-Communist Senator's actions with the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. The movie was nominated for the Best Picture award of 2005. It is a thought provoking film that is rarely spoken of.

9. Basic

A mind-bending mystery thriller starring John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson. A squad of soldiers are all killed (except two) during a training mission, along with their superior officer. Army Ranger, Tom Hardy (Travolta) must piece together the broken pieces of what seems to have been a conspiracy that started before the mission. This film is full of so many twists and turns, you might need to take a break mid way through to pull yourself together.

8.Changing Lanes

An attorney (Ben Affleck) in a rush to make a court appointment to file legal papers involving a multi-million dollar trust accidentally collides with an alcoholic insurance salesman (Samuel Jackson), who also is a rush for a court appointment involving the custody of his children. The attorney leaves the scene of the accident and strands the salesman, causing him to miss his custody hearing. During the process of the post-crash discussion, the attorney accidentally drops the papers he needs to present in court. The judge gives him until the end of the day to present the papers and thus begins a cat and mouse game between the proponents. The movie was a box office success.

7. Kingdom of Heaven

This Epic film starring Orlando Bloom and Ridley Scott can be categorized almost like a sequel to Gladiator, set during the crusades. Its full of rousing action and epic inspiring, manly monologues, that make you want to pick up a sword and join the action!

6. Antwone Fisher

A sailor prone to violent outbursts is sent to a naval psychiatrist for help. Refusing at first to open up, the young man eventually breaks down and reveals a horrific childhood. Through the guidance of his doctor, he confronts his painful past and begins a quest to find the family he never knew. This was Denzel Washington's directorial debut, and was given two thumbs up by Ebert and Roeper. Roger Ebert says "I have seen this movie twice and it has made me cry twice."

5. Glory

This wonderful film starring Denzel Wahington and Matthew Broderick is a classic which has stood the test of time. This was the film that got Denzel Washington his first Oscar! That alone should be enough to give you an excuse to rent it.

4. The Passion of The Christ

Mel Gibson's powerful drama is rarely talked about. Maybe because it is such a harrowing and difficult film to watch. However it's one of the best film's of all time, if not the best.

3. Gone Baby Gone

Although this movie came out last year, It is arguably the most underrated of Film of 2007. When 4 year old Amanda McCready disappears from her home and the police make little headway in solving the case, the girl's aunt Beatrice McCready hires two private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro. The detective freely admit that they have little experience with this type of case, but the family wants them for two reasons - they're not cops and they know the tough neighborhood in which they all live. As the case progresses, Kenzie and Gennaro face drug dealers, gangs and pedophiles. When they finally solve the case, they are faced with a moral dilemma that tears them apart.

2. The Pianist.

This is arguably one of the most underrated films of all time. A brilliant pianist, a Polish Jew, witnesses the restrictions Nazis place on Jews in the Polish capital, from restricted access to the building of the Warsaw ghetto. As his family is rounded up to be shipped off to the Nazi labor camps, he escapes deportation and eludes capture by living in the ruins of Warsaw. Now faced with death and despair, he finds his only true escape from deprivation-- music.

1. The Hurricane.

This film is one of Denzel's greatest performances and is rarely ever spoken of. This film tells the story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, an African-American man who rose above his troubled youth to become a top contender for the middle-weight boxing title. However, his dreams are shattered when he is accused of a triple murder, and is convicted to three natural-life terms. Despite becoming a cause celeb re and his dogged efforts to prove his innocence through his autobiography, the years of fruitless efforts have left him discouraged. This changes when an African-American boy and his Canadian mentors read his book and are convinced of his innocence enough to work for his exoneration. However, what Hurricane and his friends learn is that this fight puts them against a racist establishment that profited from this travesty and have no intention of seeing it reversed.

So, there are your Top Ten movies! I hope you decide to watch at least one of them, very soon!

What Would Jesus Say About This?

noreply@blogger.com (Donald M) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:46:00 +0000

Abortion,

It is legal in the United States of America and in many areas abroad. Every year, approximately 46 Million unborn babies are slaughtered. That means that approx. 126,000 are killed every day. So that means approx. 5250 are killed in an hour, 88 in a min and 1 every second. Yet many people in the world would say that it is justifiable. They say that a mother should have the right to do what she wants with her unborn baby. They say it isn't technically a life yet. Will you please enlighten me as to why they are not considered a legitimate life? Is it because it just makes it more convenient for the mother? So she could just put it out of sight and not feel guilty?

Are you trying to tell me, that the heartbeats being read on the ultrasound, and the kicks and the turns in the womb are not coming from a living human being? Where is it coming from then?

52% of women obtaining abortions in the U.S. are younger than 25: Women aged 20-24 obtain 32% of all abortions; Teenagers obtain 20% and girls under 15 account for 1.2%.

So pregnant women of all ages are at risk of commiting this act.

So what would Jesus say about this? You might say, who cares? I don't even believe in God. But apparently, many of the mothers who abort their babies do.

In the United States, "Women identifying themselves as Protestants obtain 37.4% of all abortions in the U.S.; Catholic women account for 31.3%...18% of all abortions are performed on women who identify themselves as "Born-again/Evangelical"."

I have a feeling that it suddenly does matter what God thinks of Abortion. Does God really care about abortion?

In Jeremiah 1:5 God tells Jeremiah "I knew you before you were in your mother's womb. Before you were born, I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world."

God is saying that he knew this prophet Jeremiah, before he even entered the womb of his mother. Not only did he know Jeremiah, but he already had set forth a plan for his life, and predestined him to do great things.

Psalms 139:13 says, "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mothers womb."

Exodus 21:22-25 says "If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

This passage says it all! God is saying that the life of an unborn and premature baby is just as valuable as that of an adult human being. Now it would be wise that you do not argue what you have just read, because you know, that way deep down in your conscience. You know that what you have read is right. The child within a mother's womb is not merely a "fetus" it is a baby, a living human baby.

"We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life--the unborn--without diminishing the value of all human life."
--Ronald Reagan

It is clear and simple, abortion is wrong, wether you like it or not! So many of you may ask, what about in the cases of rape or incest? I believe that two wrongs do not make a right, and if raising that child may be too much for the mother, I suggest that she put that child up for adoption instead of killing her. "Or what if the baby must be aborted to save the mother's life? Well, I can't give an answer for that one, because in that case, two lives are at risk of death and it is up to the responsible party to make the best judgement he/she can make.

But those, difficult scenarios are not very common.

1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient).

We as people cannot be reduced to this. We do not have the right to take a life because it is "unwanted or inconvenient." If we accept this as a way of life

In Conclusion, it seems rather obvious the Jesus would not approve abortion. How do I know that? Well, because God does not approve abortion as noted in the above scripture. In John 10:30, Jesus stated that "I and the Father are one." They therefore have the same views and Ideas. Jesus does not tolerate this kind of action.

Now, I am not condemning the mothers who have committed the act of abortion, but neither am I condoning what they have done. If you have committed the act of abortion and you are born again in Christ, then he has already forgiven you. If you wish to be forgiven and have not been Born again, all you need to do is to call upon The Lord Jesus Christ and repent of your sins, ask him to forgive you, and you must believe that he was crucified, died and rose on the third day. If you have done that, then welcome to the family. However we should never excuse the legal crime of abortion.

Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull

noreply@blogger.com (Donald M) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 21:54:00 +0000

Love

noreply@blogger.com (Donald M) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:27:00 +0000

Love brings happiness, joy and elation
Yet many shun it?
It brings forth complexity, vulnerability and is susceptible to anguish
Yet all seek it?
This magnificent thing called Love,
I will never fully understand.

Animated Short with Political Undertones

noreply@blogger.com (Donald M) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:51:00 +0000

This is an Animated short I made a while back, with subtle political undertones. If anybody likes the style of it, please let me know and I will make more. This is more like a test episode to see if anyone likes it.

If The Unborn Could Speak

noreply@blogger.com (Donald M) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:13:00 +0000

If The Unborn could speak, what would they say?

Would they say that they could dream?

Would they say that they could pray?

Or what if they could only live; wouldn't that suffice?

Shouldn't that cause us, to spare them the knife?

Who are we to say, that these little ones have no right?

That we should just destroy them, and put them out of sight.

Is a soul reduced to thriving within the insides of the mature?

Or can it reside within those that are truly minute in stature?

A six year old soul passes into eternity and many shed a tear.

But one who never sees the light of day is killed and the sadness is not sincere.

Where is the Justice?

Where is the shame?

What gives us the right to kill and to walk away?

It may be legal, but is it right?

When many kill innocents not in the dark but in broad daylight?

Those who were destined to be leaders, teachers, mothers and fathers,

They were all slaughtered at the hands of doctors, yet those doctors were not bothered.

Their oath forbid the very act they performed.

And yet they continue to do it without any desire to reform.

Where have we gone, my dear America?

If the Unborn could speak, what would they say?

I can tell what they would say.

"How could you kill me before I saw the light of day."

---- DONALD M

"Story of the day" Clinton Steps Up Attacks on Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Donald M) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 03:51:00 +0000

Clinton Steps Up Attacks on Obama
Plagiarism, Financing Accusations Come on Eve of Wisconsin Primary

By Matthew Mosk and Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, February 19, 2008; A01

Aides to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) accused Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) yesterday of plagiarizing portions of a recent speech and continued to question his vows to reform the campaign finance system as Clinton sought to drive home the idea that her Democratic rival's presidential bid is built on style more than substance.

The two-pronged attack came as Clinton attempts to slow Obama's momentum in today's contests in Wisconsin, which neighbors his home state of Illinois, and in Hawaii, where he was born.

The race in Wisconsin, where Clinton dug in over the weekend in an effort to break a string of eight straight primary and caucus defeats, has turned increasingly negative. Just days ago, Clinton aides accused Obama of breaking his pledge to accept public financing in place of private donations during the general election. Obama's aides say he did not make a firm commitment to accept public financing if he won the nomination.

Yesterday, key Clinton supporters accused Obama of "lifting" a passage of the rousing speech he delivered to a party gathering in Milwaukee on Saturday night from Massachusetts Gov. Deval L. Patrick, a longtime friend and supporter. Side-by-side YouTube videos distributed to reporters by the Clinton campaign show Obama repeating, almost verbatim, lines from a speech Patrick gave two years earlier.

"The point we're making overall is that Senator Obama's record as a senator and as a public official is thin," said Howard Wolfson, a senior Clinton adviser. "If you're asking an electorate to judge you on your promises and you break them, and on your rhetoric and you lift it, there are fundamental problems with your campaign."

Answering a reporter's question in Niles, Ohio, Obama said he does not think using Patrick's words was "too big a deal."

"Well, look, I was on the stump. He had suggested we use these lines. I thought they were good lines," Obama said when asked why he did not credit Patrick. "I'm sure I should have. Didn't this time."

Obama returned to Wolfson's assertion while speaking with reporters on his campaign plane: "The notion that using a line from one of my national campaign co-chairs . . . is somehow objectionable, somehow doesn't make sense."

Obama's aides also called Clinton's criticism of his public financing plans "curious." They noted that she was the first candidate in the 2008 field to announce plans to reject the public financing system, saying more than a year ago that she would attempt to use private contributions to finance a general election bid were she to become the party's nominee.

"We're just not going to be lectured on this," said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe.

Obama first raised the notion of accepting public funds in the general election a year ago, when he sought a ruling from the Federal Election Commission that would preserve that option for him. He said at the time that if the eventual Republican nominee entered the system -- in which the candidate accepts $85 million to fund a general election campaign and agrees to raise no additional money -- he would enter it as well.

Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), who is moving ever closer to accumulating the delegates he need for the GOP nomination, reaffirmed last week that he would be willing to accept that deal and urged Obama to "keep his word" on the issue.

Longtime advocates of campaign finance reform sent Obama a letter last week expressing "deep concern" that he would back away from the financing system. At the same time, several left-wing blogs urged Obama to "break the pledge," arguing that he should do nothing to cede the fundraising advantage that Democrats appear to have gained heading into the general election.

The candidate's advisers said yesterday that his pledge came before anyone realized how explosive his fundraising effort would become. Reports due to the FEC this week will show that Obama raised $32 million in January, almost triple what Clinton raised. Nearly all of Obama's total came via the Internet.

"The outpouring from small donors has been unprecedented and perhaps unexpected, and I would not want to do anything to deny those donors the chance to participate [in the general election], regardless of who the Democratic nominee is," said Alan D. Solomont, a longtime Democratic fundraiser who is a member of Obama's national finance team. "To be blunt, the ability of Democrats to raise money from both small donors and others is a significant competitive advantage."

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said yesterday that he considers the entire discussion premature, given the tough, unresolved battle for the party's nomination.

To both campaigns, the race in Wisconsin has emerged as a critical steppingstone to the March 4 primaries in Ohio and Texas, as well as a fight for the state's 74 pledged delegates.

As Clinton crisscrossed Wisconsin yesterday, she returned to what has become a central theme of her retooled, sharper-edged campaign. She told a standing-room-only crowd of more than 1,000 at the Wausau Labor Temple in central Wisconsin yesterday afternoon: "There's a difference between speeches and solutions, between talk and action. I was raised to believe that actions speak louder than words."

It was that very notion that Obama had tried to address when borrowing Patrick's turn of phrase during the Saturday night speech in Milwaukee. "Don't tell me words don't matter," he said. " 'I have a dream.' Just words? 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' Just words? 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself.' Just words? Just speeches?"

Patrick used a nearly identical formulation during his 2006 campaign for governor, when he was drawing fire from his Republican opponent, who said his stylish speechmaking disguised a lack of substance.

At a titanium plant in Niles, Obama also noted that Clinton seemed to borrow lines from him, including his signature rallying cry "Fired up! Ready to go!"

That does not mean her seriousness should be questioned, Obama said.

"When Senator Clinton says, 'it's time to turn the page' in one of her stump speeches or says she's 'fired up and ready to go,' " Obama said, "I don't think that suggests that she's not focused on the issues she's focused on."

Obama beat Clinton to Wisconsin, arriving last Tuesday to celebrate his victories in the Potomac Primary in front of more than 16,000 cheering supporters in Madison. He devoted more staff members to Wisconsin -- opening 11 offices in the state, to Clinton's four -- and had television ads in circulation six days before she did. But Clinton made a late play for a state that offers her some advantages.

Although repeatedly detoured by winter weather, Clinton paid attention to rural and working-class voters in areas far from Madison and Milwaukee, which are considered Obama's prime territory. She ran television ads in markets including Green Bay, Eau Claire and La Crosse, challenging Obama's proposals on health care and energy policy and accusing him of refusing to debate her.

Before departing for an election-eve rally in Beloit, Wis., Obama rallied thousands of cheering supporters in Youngstown, Ohio, where he defended the power of words.

He did not, however, use any of Patrick's lines.

"So, just to be clear, speeches don't put food on the table," Obama said, referring to one of Clinton's recent criticisms. "But the only way that we're going to bring about change is if all of you get excited about change.

"So I make no apologies," he said with a laugh, "for being able to talk good."

Slevin is traveling with the Obama campaign. Staff writers Jose Antonio Vargas and Alec MacGillis contributed to this report

Obama’s “Desperate” Ad Airs in Wisconsin

noreply@blogger.com (Donald M) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:30:00 +0000

by Bonney Kapp

Barack Obama released a new ad called “Desperate” today to dispel Hillary Clinton’s latest effort to show Wisconsin voters that Barack Obama has something to hide by refusing to debate her before Tuesday’s primary.
Something Wisconsin Governor (and Obama backer) Jim Doyle described as dirty politics. “For her to do this - claiming that Senator Obama somehow isn’t making himself available when he has been all over the state, and as we speak today, she has yet to even be in the state during the week leading up to this primary,” he said on a conference call yesterday**. “Fact is, he’s out here in the state having a one-sided debate right now and the only campaign she has going on in Wisconsin is negative TV ads,” he added later.
“Desperate” is Obama’s second ad set to air in the Badger State to respond to Clinton’s own second ad questioning Obama’s reasons for refusing a debate. The announcer starts by saying there have already been 18 debates with two more scheduled next week.
“Here’s the truth. Obama has a plan to protect Social Security benefits and the current retirement age. Hillary doesn’t. On health care, even Bill Clinton’s Labor Secretary says Obama covers more people than Hillary. And Obama sponsored a bill to end tax breaks for oil companies,” the announcer reads, responding to claims from the previous Clinton ad. “Tired of the same old politics? Vote for change we can believe in,” the ad ends.
In a media availability yesterday, Obama called debates an “exercise” that has become “predicatable.” He explained, “I could make the arguments on behalf of senator Clinton that she would make against me in a debate. We all know them. You guys could too. And I’m sure the same applies to the other side, on the other hand, when we have a chance to talk to voters directly, when we have a chance to give them a sense of where we want to take the country and that’s my priority in these closing weeks.”

**Senator Clinton will make her first trip to Wisconsin this week when she arrives later today to speak at the state Democratic Party’s Founders Day Dinner in Milwaukee, where Senator Obama will also be speaking.

If anyone has any comments or questions, please don't be afraid to state your opinion.

How to Write A "Winning" Screenplay

noreply@blogger.com (Donald M) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:05:00 +0000

So you want to write a screenplay huh? Anyone can write a screenplay, yes anyone! But not everyone can write a good screenplay. So, you think you've got it, huh? You think that you have the next Good Will Hunting, or Mystic River in your arms? We'll see. Have you got the ten steps covered?

1. Format

Your screenplay must be formatted according to certain guidlines. If the spacing and formatting ain't right, the studio execs. are not going to even bother with your screenplay. Great software such as Final Draft can format your screenplay for you, as it is basically the screenwriter's Microsoft Word. There is also a free screenwriting software called Celtx which can format your script as well, just not as perfectly as something like Final Draft can. If you are in need of more info, see how to format a screenplay. Now on to the next step.

2. Story

Hey, it's gotta have one right? Your story must be original. Read that over and over again about 10 times. It has to be original. Now by original, I don't meant that it has to be some totally alien story that nobody has heard of before. However, there must be something in that screenplay that makes it stand out and look different from all other screenplays. For example, don't be so quick to write a story with a cop as the main character, and make him an alcoholic whose suffering from some unknown past, and has to "find himself" through battling his inner demons as he goes on some epic and heroic journey(like I haven't heard that one before). It can't be that straightforward, right? But the basic story isn't what makes it original or not, it's the execution of that story. So how do we make it original.

3. Three-Dimensional Characters.

Unless you are writing some naive kiddie flick, or brainless action movie (none of which have "winning" stories) you need to have some 3D characters, otherwise, your film will be pretty "flat" (yes, the pun was intended). Your characters need to have real depth to them. Look at the people you know. There is more to the mailman than meets the eye right? Maybe he loathes his job, or maybe he is the passionate type who does his job because his father was a mailman and his grandfather and his- (you get the point)! In other words, don't be typical! People are as different from each other as snowflakes are on Christmas Day.

4. Avoid Cliche

Avoid cliche at all costs! AT ALL COSTS! Cliche remarks, dialogue, and even locations (i.e. THE LOCAL BAR) make your screenplay sound cheesy. For example, lets say that two cops are talking to each other and one asks the other "Why, do you do this job?" Then the other guy thinks and says something like "Because I want to 'protect and serve'." That is the corniest and most overused line you could think of. Don't do that, instead have him say something like "I do this job because... because it feels right; to walk to the beat of the city, and breath it's air, to protect it at all costs. It just feels right."

Now that sure isn't cliche, it sounds fancy, but it's not over done either. Remember to always try to avoid cliche.

5. Write Vividly

When you write, use vivid words that capture the imagination but don't overdo it either. For example don't just write, "we are at a bar, and our main character finds a decent chair to sit in." Now, the only reason why I can sort of visualize the scene, is because I know what a bar looks like, but it doesn't explain enough, Lets see if we can do better. "We are at a bar, a musty, ugly, smoke filled bar, full of low down drunks that smell as bad as they look. We see the typical dartboard on the wall and the usual run down pool table that has seen years of abuse. The floors are messy with peanut shells crunching underfoot." Now that is a much better description, but it is a little over done. We want to write vividly, but don't overdo it. This paragraph is better off being cut short at the first sentence.

6. Write Simply

You must write vividly, but be vivid and simple at the same time. Don't get Shakespearean-like unless your writing something related to that kind of topic. Just be concise, vivid, simple, and get your point across.

7. Conflict

There must be some sort of conflict in your screenplay, whether the character is on the run from the mob, or a family is in debt up to their eyeballs, have a conflict.

8. Study, Study, Study

Study all of the great Oscar winning films, particularly the ones that won Best Original Screenplay or Best Adapted Screenplay. You can learn a lot by listening to the dialogue of the film. You can also view scripts and transcripts of actual feature films and TV shows at imsdb.com

9. Don't Be Preachy

Whatever your agenda is four your film, don't preach. Life isn't always full of straightforward lessons in morality or social issues. So don't be so straightforward. Be subtle and let the lives of the characters teach the lessons to the audience by example.

10. Rewrite

You're probably thinking "What?" Yes, you need to rewrite your script, and check for anything you can improve upon. Make your screenplay as "perfect" as you possibly can, but at the same time, do not compromise your passion or your message.

So, have you got these ten steps down pat? If you do, you are well on your way to developing a winning screenplay. I hope that this information was truly helpful to all of you writers.

18 Students Shot Today, So Why Do We Have Guns?

noreply@blogger.com (Donald M) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:32:00 +0000

In a Northern Illinois University this afternoon, 18 students were shot by a crazed gunman. They say that the man said nothing before 20 shots rang out, injuring 14 and killing 4. This makes many wonder; why do we have guns? I am a supporter of the second amendment, but I want to know your opinions. Please feel free to debate or give any kind of comments on this matter.

"Hezbollah Commander Killed In Syria Bombing"

noreply@blogger.com (Donald M) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:18:00 +0000

A top Hezbollah Commander was killed last night in Damascus when a bomb that was planted under his car went off. No one claimed credit for the killing of this man (heck! I wouldn't either, the last thing I would want is Hezbollah to come after me!)
The man's name was Imad Mugniyah,45,was one of the most wanted and elusive terrorists in the world. This man went so far as to have plastic surgery in order to hide his identity. Well obviously it didn't work because somebody killed him!
However, this man was accused of planning the horrible 1983 bombings of the United States Embassy and a Marine barracks in Beirut; the hijacking of a T.W.A. jetliner in 1985; and a series of high-profile kidnappings in the 1980s, among other crimes.

American Officials called this man the “'A team' of international terrorism because of his cold professionalism and success at evading capture." Before 2001, this man had been involved in more terrorist attacks Americans than any other individual. Add a $25 million bounty on this guys head and you have got the makings of a wanted man.

“The world is a better place without this man in it,” said the State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, on Wednesday.

You can read the full story here at

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/world/middleeast/14syria.html?bl&ex=1203051600&en=bf8812ecc5524a95&ei=5087%0A

"A Woman President!?"

noreply@blogger.com (Donald M) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 02:07:00 +0000

"I think America's ready for a woman president... just not that woman." Those are the words of comedian Chris Rock during his New Year's Eve performance at Madison Square Garden. I, as an individual, totally agree with his statement. It would be great to see a woman sitting in the oval office, nobly leading her county with honor and grace, but is Hilary the one we want?

Do we really want Hilary Clinton to be the first woman president? The one that everyone will look back to when we think of a woman in the oval office? Is Hilary the best candidate? Or is America so desparate for a female president that they will settle for whoever comes their way? Just because she is a Clinton doesn't make her a good candidate either. Chris Rock stated " Being married to somebody doesn't make you good at their job." Now, Chris Rock may not be an expert on politics, but I must say that those words are very sound. So, do you as the reader agree that Hilary just might not be the best woman to lead our country, especially in this turbulent time? That is something for you to chew on.

Old Men or Pregnant Teen?

noreply@blogger.com (Donald M) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:51:00 +0000

The Oscars are soon to be here. Yes, on February 24, the little gold men will be handed out to the best men or women for their outstanding achievement in motion pictures this year. However, many of you who will tune in to watch it that night, may only decide to watch when the really important award is given; The one we all bite our nails for: the Best Picture of the Year award. Now, films like No Country for Old Men and the riveting Michael Clayton are very strong candidates for this year's award, as many will agree, but what about the soft spoken Juno? What about that touching story about a pregnant teen who, after finding out that she is 9 weeks pregnant, decides to put up her child for adoption rather than abort her.

Just the synopsis alone seems to tug at the heartstrings of any compassionate individual, but will it be a winner? No Country for Old Men with its whopping 8 nominations surely seems as if it will come out on top and take away the little gold man, but that's all it is, a little gold man. What is important is that the message of the film stays in the hearts and minds of those who watch it. Even though a director may have a little statuette on his mantle, it doesn't mean that his film has stood the test of time.Maybe "No Country" will get the Oscar; but Juno may have a greater cultural impact. Only time will tell.

All I can say is that I have seen films come and go, from Oscar "titans" such as Titanic to Oscar underdogs like Crash. It isn't over till it's over and I believe that that motto will ring true this Oscar season. It would be a very sweet moment however to hear someone open that envelope and say "And the Oscar goes to... Juno." Then, America will see that it isn't always about the epic stories that blow our minds away, but sometimes its about the sweet and tender stories that resonate within our souls.