Author Archives: Bob Evans

A Choice Election

I’ve heard from side of the political table that this particular election is stark choice election. I agree with that, there’s a clear and distinct difference between the two major parties and what they are offering up for the future of America.

Where this tend to go wrong is the idea I hear that when the choice is made it will reveal something about what the population wants and what they have rejected.

I contend that no losing side in the election will admit in any way that they might have lost because of their message.

Should Romney/Ryan win, the Democratic side will claim that it was because of Citizen United and the unlimited cash that flowed from the Koch Brothers, but not because American wanted the Republican Policies, never!

And If Obama/Biden win, then the Republicans will insist that it was because the Democrats ran a very dirty campaign, the media piled unfairly onto the conservatives, and it was close, voter fraud. Just like the Democrats they will never admit that the American populace wanted the Democratic policies.

So while this is a choice election, it won’t change one whit our cold civil war.

 

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Movie Review: Iron Sky

Odds are very much against anyone reading my blog will get a chance to see this film projected in a theater. This was a small independent production from filmmakers in Finland and the US release is very limited. (So far just one single showing in San Diego. One evening one time.) Go to Tugg.com to find were it is showing in the U.S.
Some of you may have heard your humble author and host praise a fan film “Star Wreck: In The Pirkenning.” This is the first professional feature film from the people behind that spectacular parody of Star Trek vs Babylon 5. Last night my lovely sweetie-wife and I drove about twenty miles to catch the single San Diego presentation of Iron Sky and it was worth every stop light and the long night it made for us both. Continue reading →

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Sunday Night Movie: Jaws

I have a confession to make. Back in 1975, when I was just 14 years old, it took me two attempts to sit all the way through Jaws. I left early the first time, the shock of that first attack having thoroughly unnerved me. Nothing in my horror film experience had prepared me for such a superbly crafted thriller. On the second attempt I stayed in my seat the entire film and thoroughly loved the experience by the film’s exciting conclusion. Continue reading →

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Sunday Night Movie: Red Tails

This was another film that I had a vague interest in seeing when it played in theaters earlier this year, but procrastination prevented me from actually going out to the cinema. Red Tails is loosely based upon the real life WWII 332nd fighter group, better known as the Tuskegee Airmen. It was a fighter squadron comprised of African-American pilots at a time when the U.S. Armed services still suffered from racist segregation of black and white personnel. Continue reading →

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Sunday Night Movie: Chronicle

I had seen the trailers for this film and it peaked a mild interest, but the knowledge that this was yet another found footage film kept me out of the theaters. Staying out of the theaters proved most wise, it is film is crap.

What follows will be a spoiler heavy review of the stinking pile of poo, so don’t follow if you have any care at all about the plot and think you might want to see the movie. Continue reading →

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Thoughts on Gun Control

The horrid events a few weeks ago in Aurora Co have revived discussions on gun control, both nationally and among family and friends. Since I have never been shy about sharing my opinions I see no reason to be a wall flower on this subject.
There are numerous and serious problems in trying to solve this problem by some implementation of gun control. First off the focus is all wrong way around, looking at the tool and not the user. In an unproduced screenplay I authored quite a few years ago I had a line that I think is applicable.
“You mortals always fear the wrong things. You fear the bomb but not the soul that would use it.” Continue reading →

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This is amusing

So some fan remained if you were making a trailer for 20012 today what would it look like?

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The ‘You Didn’t Build That’ moment

Here is a clip of the President’s speech in which he made the unforced error of saying ‘You didn’t build that,’ and grammarically the sentence reads to say you did not build your own business. However I accept that if you look at the speech before and after then sentence it seems the president had a brain cloud moment using the antecedent ‘that’ when he meant the antecedent ‘those.’
The text before the sentence in question is about infrastructure and support systems, the conclusion statement that follow immediately are about infrastucture and support, so I think it is perfectly reasonable and not spin to accept that he was referring to the roads and bridges.

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The Chick-fil-a Kerfuffle

So let me issue forth a few words on the Chick-fil-a situation that has exploded over the last few weeks.

Chick-fil-a is a privately held company that runs a chain of fast food chicken themed restaurants across the country.  The Cathy family that owns the business is well know for their social conservative stands, so it was really of little surprise when the President of Chick-Fil-a Dan Cathy announced his opposition to marriage equality. The Henson Company, founded by Jim Henson, who supplied Muppet toys for the Chick-fil-a equivalent of Happy Meals, announced that while not trying to break their contract with Chick-fil-a they stood with marriage equality and were donating the proceeds from their business arrangement to organizations that promoted sexuality equality.

So far all we have here are private companies and individuals exercising their first amendment rights.  (For the record I stand with the Henson Company, but for regular readers I suspect that this is hardly surprising.)

Supports on both side of the argument have announced plans to mobilize with their money by either refusing to do business with Chick-fil-a franchises or promising to do increased business at the stores. That is all well and good too. That is a perfectly valid form of expression that carries a powerful impact.

I have very serious problem with the two liberal mayors who have waded into the scrum, not as private citizen, but as representatives of government. The mayors ofBostonandChicagohave announced that they are seeking to prevent the expansion of the Chick-fil-a brand into their cities. They have announced that they will use the machinery of government to try to achieve the ends, and this is flatly wrong.

I have already stated that I stand with the proponents of marriage equality, but I must denounce the actions of these two mayors,

Think about what they have actually proposed. That the government should punish private individuals, in a direct and harmful manner, for expressing opinions that the is unpopular with these particular politicians. This is an abuse of their position as public servants.

I think that the position held by the Cathy family is wrong, hurtful, and are in general demeaning, but they have a right to those opinions. I believe in equality for all, that why I stand with marriage equality, but that also means I stand for all people to have their voices free from government intimidation. All supports of freedom should denounce these mayors, while supporting equality in all its forms.

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