Getting it wrong

This Year in Oklahoma Government

How fortunate for "governments" that the people they administer don't think." Adolf Hitler

This year in Oklahoma Government we passed a groundbreaking achievement:  People can now carry their guns in the open!  Grab your holster and show the world that you are packing.

I'm sure the law was meant to increase tourism and economic development for those like us.

As a matter of fact all our laws are designed for "Those like Us."

We elected a Dentist to run the school system and she successfully made all educators mad.  Her next target is to shut down all schools under 300 students.  It will be at this point that the "other governments" in this state will get louder.

Our Governor believes in "states rights" and that Obamacare should not be forced on Oklahoma.  SO-o-o  when the Feds offered the state several billions to set up health care networks that among other things would offer insurance to many who do not have it. Our Governor said, "NO!"  and invited the FEDs to come in and do it any way thereby giving up "self rule!"

We are RED through and through and like it that way.  Romney is Oklahoma's Red State President, The OU Big Red is the State's team, and Bass pro has all the guns we need.

We do get the government that we deserve.  

All a person has to do to get elected in Oklahoma is to mention that 

1.  Member of the NRA

2.  Will vote against Obama and his socialist ways

3.  Says that he is happy with his current wife (husband)

4.  Won't sell any water to Texas

Who says we can't pick people to takes us into the 21st Century? Or was that the 19th Century?

Life of PI: Eye of the Tiger

Well, I never finished the book before the movie came out BUT I did see the movie. I will begin by saying that the movie has been compared to "Avatar" and it comparison makes sense.  This movie breaks ground in Cinema in cinematography and vision.  We could not make the 3D version, but I assure you that you want to see it in 3D.

This is an outstanding story of survival and coping against all odds.  You will talk and think about this for days. It  (like Lincoln) made me want to see it again.  While there is only one known actor (who plays a cameo), the cast is great!  A young boy is part of a ship wreck that takes his family and most of their zoo animals.  This castaway is lost at sea for over 200 days with a tiger as companion, enemy, and challenge.

We went to see it on the 33rd anniversary of our daughter's funeral. Why this made a difference to me is:  33 years ago we faced our on shipwreck. Coming face to face with death of family and an uncertain future while holding on to God's leading is the essence of this movie.  

There is a very religious aspect to this movie. The boy, PI Patell, has explored Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity.

It is a stout movie that doesn't appeal to the young, but there is no profanity, sex, car chases or rock and roll in the movie.

We are on a roll right now with another great movie.

I give it ****stars.  2012 Movie #41

Lincoln is a Lexus

I have been looking forward to "Lincoln" by Steven Spielberg.  I was not disappointed.  I really can't even right a review, because nothing does it justice.  Daniel Day Lewis IS Lincoln.  There are so many great actors in this and they act at a high level.  This movie will be a timeless classic.  The story is as current as our headlines.

It is for me a *****star movie.  I sat through it with a lump in my throat in many scenes. This could produce Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actor, Director, etc.

2012 Movie # 40   I WILL SEE THIS AGAIN.  YOU SHOULD SEE IT!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - The Movie

At the movies you can see some good movies right now. All the Thanksgiving Movies are arriving. Blockbusters like "Skyfall", "Flight", and soon "Lincoln" and "Life of PI" are here and coming.  Down the hall is a quite little movie that may be a good as any.  AND since you don't see as many movies as me, you will probably miss "the perks of being a wallflower"!  AND when you see the title on Netflix you will say, "That sounds weird! Who's in it?".  AND you will pass it by.  That would be a mistake.

As for stars, besides Emma Watson, most are TV drama stars like Dylan McDermott, Paul Rudd, Kate Walsh and people from others shows you watch.

The STAR is Logan Lerman. He plays Charlie, a freshman starting high school following in the shadow of his just graduated brother who is going to Penn State on a football scholarship.  The movie takes place in the late 60's. Charlie is a wallflower. he has no friends. He is very smart.  He is quite.  He wrestles with his short past.  Charlie eats alone in the cafeteria and is the butt of jokes. he is from a devout Catholic family. He is a wallflower. A freshman who has never been kissed.

Charlie finds himself with a group of school misfits (a version of the Breakfast Club) and things change.  Charlie writes down his thoughts.

I identified with much of his life (my brother was THE high school football star) and I was also awkward  around girls.  But like Charlie, I made my on way too.

Don't think this is a light coming of age story.  It is deep!  The story includes Gays in the closet, Child abuse, Bad Judgment, and exploration. Charlie has secrets that torment him.  It is happy, sad, tragic and triumphant. It's about life!

 This is a very good movie.  I give it ****stars.  2012 Movie 39

I just don't get it and I don't want to!

By now you know most of my prejudices.  There are people who can get under my skin very easy and I am weak enough to let them. 

Example:  Some of my friends and fellow Christians on FACEBOOK keep "Liking" and sharing the idea that people on "Welfare" should be drug tested before they get help.  I see immediately what they don't like (people on drugs), but when I hear them talk they are so derisive in the substance that it appears that the net that they cast as to who gets help is rather large.  I asked, what about their children? How are they being fed, etc. ?   They say, "Let their family take care of them.  Not me?"

Example:  A group to which I belong  buys presents (By angel tree)  for kids in the community at Christmas. In a discussion some stated that they resent buying presents for those kids when their parents "probably smoke and drink" and waste money.  "Let their family take care of them.  Not me?"

I guess only the poor waste money.

I try to tell them that we have a responsibility to help.  Some of these families came from Mexico where there was no work, and are trying to build a new life.   You know what comes next........

I'm trying to remember what a follower of Jesus would do, but then it's said, "Its Obama's fault!."
And they laugh.

I try to run from this but I can't.   Republican Christians and Democratic Christians!  NO SUCH THING.   We either follow Jesus or we don't.   If federal/state assistance vanished and it may.  If food stamps vanish.  

Will Christians pick up the slack?

WILL I PICK UP THE SLACK?

Skyfall

"Skyfall"  is not a word about the Republican Presidential try.  It is the latest "James Bond" movie.  007 has been around for fifty years and I have seen them all at the movies except the first "Dr. NO".  That one snuck up on every one and was not a hit, but started the talk.  "From Russia with Love" was the one that hooked me in high school.  I saw it twice in one week!  When "Goldfinger" appeared me and friends stood in a two block line on a bitterly cold Christmas Night to see it.

In Skyfall homage is paid to the original movies from cars to reinventing old characters.  Us Bond Fans like the new bond and the better stories.  This is a very good movie with a great villain to match Bond.  It is interesting to me though that this Bond story reminded me of the latest Batman Movie!

Anywho I give it ***stars.  2012 Movie #38

We are all not white, part 3

That tells a lot about how far we've come!

We are not all White. Part 2

One of my Christian Gurus, Randy Harris, starts most of his talks by saying,  "18 to 25 year olds are not in church." They don't relate.  THEY are our kids!

We are still living and teaching as if Jesus was a "white guy" and not a Jew.  We act as if the world we live in wants to be white and wants our western values, because WE are THE Christian nation.  But we need to stop every once in a while and say, "When the world sees us do they see CHRIST?"

Our approach to subjects is still a condemnation teaching (couched in our politics!) and not from compassion and care.  The tendency is compassion counts in storms but to in giving to the poor.

WE are not all white in the Kingdom of God.  " Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens but fellow citizens with GOD's people and members of GOD's household........"  Ephesians 2:19

We are not all white men, Part 1

The first tweet I saw after it was determined that Obama had be re-elected was this:  "Obama returns to the White House and Romney returns to 1954!"

Today I listened to a young Republican give this stat:  George H W Bush got 60% of the white male vote and won with 400 electoral votes.  Romney also received 60% of the white male vote and lost!

There are too many people in power that view the USA as a country built by white people and for white people.  The fact that the country was built by all sorts of ethnic groups seems to be lost on the Republicans.  If you look at the "RED" states, they are filled with the 72% of the population that is white.  It is easy to pass off the east and west coast population as the home of radicals and liberals, but it  has always  been the most diverse ethnic groupings:  Irish Catholics, Italians, Jewish, African Americans, Latinos, etc.  As ethnic groups like Latinos move into White America things are changing.  

Everyone wants a seat at the table.  Whether you and I agree with their customs, morals, beliefs or how ever you want to call it, They are here to stay.   They are the workers.

The Mayberry world is gone.   HAVE YOU NOTICED?

RED State:  I live in Oklahoma where the newspapers say with pride: "We are the reddest state!  All 77 counties voted for McCain and now Romney.  Our state never recognized Obama as President.  Most of my acquaintances don't believe he is a real American!  

Because we are the Reddest, the national election passed us by.  We didn't need to vote, we didn't count and neither does most of our delegation.  Romney didn't come except for money and Obama did the same.  But when he came there was no one in state government to meet him.

Our idea is a of a real American is a White Man who owns a lot of land with wheat and cattle on top and oil and gas below.  Every time Obama is mentioned, gun sales explode at Bass Pro!  We now have open carry so that those who don't belong get the message.  We are prosperous because we have natural resources.

We ARE good people and we take care of our on.  That circle keeps getting smaller.

PS:  I probably sound hostile but I'm really sad.

This little piggy

Taking "Flight"

Taking Flight Part 1

Here in Branson there are all sorts of people and many travel in packs (tour groups).

I would always advise people who aren't frequent movie patrons to read up on the movie before going. Yes, it is sometimes a crap shoot, but:

Tonight, we went to see Denzel Washington's new movie "Flight".  I HAD read up on this movie and was still shocked by how it started. But I was not as shocked as the eight older ladies that sat behind us.  Before the previews they were  laughing and talking loudly making me wonder if they would talk throughout. When the previews began, they were still talking some, but as the movie started all I heard was gasps.  You see the opening two scenes to identify two main characters had an abundance of nudity (including full frontal)  and an abundance of F-bombs.  The first nude scene had the ladies grumbling, but the second one sent them for the door in flight!  They were heading to get their money back!

Taking Flight Part 2

Suddenly the theater was quite and ironically free of nudity (except for Denzil's bare bottom at the hospital).  The F-bomb was still present but tame compared with the beginning.

You may ask, "Why that kind of beginning?"  The movie is about people who have lost their way and almost their lives.  It is about a dark journey to the light.  In the beginning religion is taken lightly as is AA, etc.  But this is an honest albeit very direct look at "hitting the wall".  Things that were once made fun of can become important at the wall!  Denzil is a heroic pilot who saves many lives. John Goodman is a Drug pusher.  Don Cheadle is an attorney.  All are great as is the other cast members. The director is Robert Zemeckis (Castaway, Forest Gump).

If you are up for this, Flight will make you think and make you thankful for your place on this planet.

It is a strong movie.

I give it ***1/2 stars. 2012 movie 37