My son really likes dolphins. We took him to a “Dolphin Experience” a few years ago, where we got in the water and were able to pet, hug, and otherwise interact with a dolphin and he’s been pretty hooked since. So, when a movie about a dolphin rescue hit our radar, we knew he’d want to go and we thought it a good family outing. I expected a somewhat sappy saga with a dramatic score and a heartwarming outcome. I didn’t expect a clear example of innovation at work. However, A Dolphin Tale delivers both.

Yes, it’s a comforting, family-friendly movie that pulls at your heartstrings as you empathize with a boy determined to rescue a dolphin (his only real friend), a man struggling to keep his business and mission alive despite a lack of funding and other obstacles, and a correlation (which I expected to be more prominent) between a wounded soldier and a wounded dolphin. What stood out most, however, was the innovation and persistence of a prosthetics specialist who rose to the challenge and managed to repurpose and modify current technology to solve an emerging need and provide a new solution. [continue reading this post...]

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Thirty five years ago, The Muppet Show debuted and kicked things off with a sketch I’m sure made little sense to most viewers. And for years, I’ve just assumed it was a catchy tune with some silly puppets that was designed purely for light-hearted entertainment value. But, the other day (perhaps due to having a high fever or being overtired) a light came on and I realized this silly little video is a perfect illustration of the struggles associated with innovation.

[continue reading this post...]

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today i wore my David Crowder Band shirt… the one with the squirrel i couldn’t resist at a concert long ago… seems like long ago… this shirt prompted someone to ask me… “Is that a squirrel?”… i managed to not offer a kindergarten diploma for superior animal recognition skills long enough for her to continue… “we love David Crowder Band and we call my daughter ‘squirrel’ so we have to buy that shirt”…

i was glad i held my tongue… my son did not… “my dad has met David Crowder”… my son was proud and she looked with disbelief… i confirmed that i had indeed met David Crowder and she quickly replied “well, i’m good friends with all the guys from Hawk Nelson”… not sure what her point was, i simply agreed that the Hawk Nelson guys are pretty nice, too…

peace… love… bdg…

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Please note that i’m simply going for a sexy headline and that i don’t have anyone in particular in mind here. It’s just that, well, maybe i know some people who can use some good advice in this regard. And i’ve been working on some writing ideas that touch on similar themes… so here it is…

What to do when your boss sucks

Let’s be honest. People are the worst part of your job. The people you work with have a tremendous impact on whether or not you enjoy yourself each day. During the interview process, salary is negotiated and you get a general feel for what tasks will be required of you from day to day, but the people… that’s the real wildcard, am I right?

Further complicating this dilemma, studies show that the absolute worst offenders are most likely to get promoted to management positions. (I may have fabricated that study, but it often seems to be case). It may be a power hungry dictator-type personality or someone who simply doesn’t have a clue, but one way or another, they got promoted ahead of you. Now, not only do you have to figure out how to tolerate these coworkers, but you have to appease, respect, and report to them.

If you ever find yourself in this situation – and I think we all have at one point or another – you may wonder what to do about it. Well, most people will say to grin and bear it, or just simply deal with it. You can complain, argue, or stew about it if you really want to, but that will more than likely just make things worse. So below are seven practical steps to dealing with bad management in a productive and helpful way.

1. BREATHE: You are without a doubt in one of the most frustrating positions life has to offer. It’s easy to let that frustration take root and usurp your ability to focus. This only complicates matters and makes you more likely to say things you don’t mean or will quickly regret.

2. BE SLOW TO SPEAK: Words have a certain power to them. When you speak out quickly, chances are, you just said something you will regret (probably because you didn’t breathe first). This will deteriorate what little ground you have to stand on. Choose your words carefully and only speak when necessary. This goes double for any written communication. Don’t send that fiery email on its way. In fact, don’t even type it up. That “send” button is just too, too tempting.

3. FIND THE BIG PICTURE: Ripples always start somewhere and it’s often safe to assume the turbulence you’re currently experiencing has more to do with something beyond your day-to-day line of sight. Look at the forest instead of the trees. What does that mean? Try to understand the root cause of your frustrations. It may be your manager, but it also may be something else. It may also be a fleeting problem that will disappear in time.

4. FIND THE SMALL PICTURE: Make sure you (and others) understand your place in the scenery. Find your boundaries and fill them out. Later, you can worry about extending them, but for now, understand where you belong and what belongs to you. It’s easy to complain, but if you complain enough about other people instead of fulfilling your role on the job, chances are someone else is complaining about you, too.

5. CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL: You may not be able to stop the clouds from forming overhead, but you can grab an umbrella and keep things dry. Do the things you’re supposed to do. Do them well. Do them consistently. If you aren’t handling your business, maybe that’s why your boss treats you like a jerk. Maybe not, but why provide the ammunition that can later be used against you. This also includes your actions, words, and attitudes.

6. CELEBRATE SMALL VICTORIES: Find things to be happy about. Even in the direst of circumstances, even if you don’t get any credit for them, there’s always something to celebrate. Especially when you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing. Your manager might not realize this, but their success depends on your success. Each victory you accomplish make them look good. You’ll slowly get their attention and make them realize that you’re good for business. Eventually, it will all add up. You may need to (subtly) make certain to pass that celebration on up the chain to help gain visibility from the top.

7. BE READY TO MOVE ON: Not usually ideal. And most people actually get sick just thinking about looking for a new job. Change is a pain and, in this job market, you certainly don’t want to tempt fate, right? Well, sometimes you have to pack it up and move on. I certainly don’t recommend jumping to this step without putting forth your best effort at the first six, but I certainly can’t stop you. I will say this though: Chances are, your next boss will suck, too. I’m just saying.

peace… love… bdg…

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Well that sucks… i had this week’s mashed potatoes under control there for a bit, but now it’s disappeared… somehow, even though i saved it, it is now gone and i’ll have to reconstruct that sometime soon… unfortunately, today does not allow me that time… what i will do today, though, is present a list of things on my birthday wishlist since, yes, it is sometime in this general time period, though perhaps not accurately portrayed by social media… here are just a few things i’ve got my eye on…

Wings from the Anchor Bar… yes, this is where Buffalo Wings began and they now ship them to you for a fee. I’m assuming that they’re just as good as i remember them.

Buffalo Bills Draft Day fitted hat… slight pattern here to begin with, but this hat looks sweet and i can use a new, large, fitted cap.

a Sony Blu-ray player… eventually, i’ll have one, but it would be nice to have one sooner rather than later…

two extra Wii controllers w/Motion Plus… (and two “motion plus” attachments for the controllers i already have)… i’d love to be able to play more games with the littles and maybe as a family…

and last, but not least… MONEY, GIFT CARDS, and the like… it’s always good to have some money kicking around so that i can save up and/or spend it as i desire… maybe some new movies to play on my new Blu-ray player (when i get one)… maybe some 4 person games for the Wii… maybe a candy bar… just stuff…

what things are you looking to get on the next present-getting day?

peace… love… bdg…

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on to the next area of interest… movies… now, this may not be the order in which i address these in the future – there may not be an order at all, really – but this is the way i’m going today… i’ve got three movies to talk about and hopefully i’ll be more succinct… i mean, i DO have other things to write about… not to mention a site that needs building… off we go…

Oh, before we begin, i suppose i should mention that i viewed all three of these movies for free because they want me to write about them… “they” being publicists and such… two of them sent me promotional DVDs and one granted me access to an online viewing area… with that taken care of, we shall begin…

BEHIND THE MASK
- now playing: The Imposter – Kevin Max

The Imposter
first up is a movie that i believe has been in the works for at least three years… the film features Kevin Max, Jeff Deyo, and Kerry Livgren all of whom became pretty famous for their roles in widely popular bands with spiritual overtones (dcTalk, SonicFLOOD, and Kansas, respectively) before striking out with solo careers… and by “striking out” i don’t mean in the “Casey at the Bat” sense…

Anyway, the movie revolves around “Johnny C,” the frontman for the widely popular band with spiritual overtones, Grand_design… Johnny C is quite charismatic and, despite his position, marriage, and daughter, has a thing for the traditional spoils of rock and roll (think sex, drugs, rock and roll)… and the film chronicles his downward spiral and attempts at reconciliation…

There are some wonderful tongue-in-cheek moments to the film, such as the narration addressing the formulaic expectations for an emotional altar call scene and a loving father embracing his prodigal son… now, i don’t want to spoil anything, but i will say that i kind of liked the resolution as it transpired… Sure, the acting at times provided some moments of unintentional chuckling and the script has its share of stereotypes and flat characters, but all in all, The Imposter, proved to be a pretty enjoyable movie (if not uncomfortable due to potential parallels to the actors’ own career paths)… it’s the type of movie that might spark some honest dialogue about how we perceive celebrities and pseudo-celebrities… now, if i can only find that Jeff Deyo song from the movie called, “Push Me Over the Edge” or something to that effect…

THE LIFE YOU SAVE…
now playing: How to Save a Life – The Fray

To Save a Life
i feel like i’ve already written about this movie, but apparently not… actually, something pretty interesting happened after i watched it the first time… well, for me, anyway… the movie, as you can easily tell from the trailer deals with the effects of suicide on surviving classmates… now, in the days of my youth, i knew someone who took his own life… unfortunately, i’d guess that most of us know someone who’s done that… i remember going through some peer counseling classes to recognize the warning signs and learn the proper procedures for reporting and talking through issues in an effort to stifle the contagiousness of suicide… most of all, i remember feeling a sense of responsibility of prevention…

i don’t know if that’s a natural response, but as i watched Jake – the main character in the movie – struggle with a similar response, names came into my head… names of those i had “flagged” (for lack of a better word)… and, while that’s not particularly interesting in and of itself, shortly after watching the movie, out of the blue, i came into contact with one of those names and that’s the interesting part… that’s where i’ll leave it…

back on the movie… it’s kind of a teen movie with a conscience… there’s partying, carousing, and a lot of reminders of the high-school caste system we’re all glad to have grown out of (assuming we all did grow out of it, which isn’t necessarily the case)… and the main theme running through it all is Jake, the former best friend of a suicide victim, struggling with faith, responsibility, and life in general… and for the most part, that’s fine… it works well and you’re prett engaged in the story, rooting for who is clearly the hero and subconsciously forming the obvious moral of the tale…

and then, as if trying to hit seven targets with one arrow, it becomes exponentially more complex… Jake takes on a Job-like role and everything that was clear moments ago is buried knee deep in muddy waters… now, here’s the thing… complicated is good… life is complicated – i know this – but, you can almost hear the writers giggling to themselves and saying things like “you can’t make this stuff up” even though they did, indeed, just make it all up…

the bottom line, without spoiling anything, i really enjoyed watching To Save a Life and it was a meaningful experience… i just think that it could have been more impactful if it had stuck to one main important theme instead of stuffing in a bunch of additives that deserve equal time but are relegated to minor roles… still, plenty to talk about afterwards and probably beneficial to a youth group…

CHOOSE WISELY…
now playing: Choose – Christy Nockels

Sarah’s Choice
okay, this blog entry is getting rather long, and it’s probably best that this ends up being the shortest of the reviews… Sarah’s Choice is, unabashedly, a vehicle for the pro-life movement… now, keep in mind that i’m very much pro-life… i think abortion is a choice that’s made when the wrong question is asked… that said, unlike the Tim Tebow Superbowl ad, this movie DOES offend me… more on that in a second…

first, the good points… Brad Stine does a fine job in his role… it was a surprising performance that anchored the “guy-side” of the story… in fact, that aspect of the movie actually worked really well… also worth noting, there’s a scene or two involving balloons that play rather well (trying to remain spoiler-free)… there may be other good points, but they’re escaping me at the moment…

okay… no more delays… overall, the acting was definitely B-movie or worse grade… the last time i saw Rebecca St James in concert, i was amazed at how incredibly awkward she seemed on stage and her performance in the role of Sarah deepened that impression… perhaps the only thing worse was the ridiculous treatment she receives from her boss and coworkers (completely unrealistic)… and the storyline was downright irritating…

if you’re wondering how a pro-life movie could offend a pro-life viewer, here’s how it works (and this may spoil some plot points, but i’ll do my best)… borrowing from A Christmas Carol – haven’t seen that before – Sarah is visited by a ghost of the Christmas that could be… she’s presented with visions of two possible outcomes – one if she chooses abortion and one if she keeps the baby… and it’s basically a choice between a life of roses and champagne, where she gets married, has tons of free time to spend with her daughter, and seems to live the easy life of happiness… and the other life, is one of solitude, pain, and, apparently, terminal illness…

the issue of regret was introduced elsewhere in the movie and (i think) should’ve been the big argument made, but instead we got absolute extremes that make little logical sense and, yes, offend me… if we can’t deal in honesty, then we shouldn’t be dealing in issues… i mean, it’s easy to drop superlatives in order to make a point, but it’s not accurate and it rings so incredibly false that it encourages opposition… i could probably go on and on about this point, but hopefully i’ve made it and now, i’m just moving on…

i have to say that it’s perfectly fine to pass on Sarah’s Choice… it’s an incredibly stereotypical “Christian” movie… and i honestly wish it weren’t…

ROLL CREDITS…

that’s a wrap as far as movies go… stick around for mashed potatoes from books, music, and more… soon… and while you’re waiting, check out the first entry, monday morning mashed potatoes in television…

peace… love… bdg…

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well, i’ve got a bunch of things to write and i think that this could potentially be a very busy couple of days… anyway, for my own benefit, i’m going to list a few of the things that i’m planning on covering… there’s music: new albums from Brenton Brown, NewWorldSon, and Starfield… also, the Dove Award nominations are out, and i’ll have to discuss that at some point… there’s movies: Sarah’s Choice, To Save a Life, The Imposter, and The Princess and the Frog… books: I Am America, Live from Middle America, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Gospel According to Lost… and speaking of Lost, i’ve got some thoughts about that, i’ll a rundown of tonight’s episode, and i’ll breakdown the top 24 performances starting tonight on American Idol…

and i’m sure there’s more… oh, like talking about the redesign and stuff like that… not now though… now, i’m going to just dive into the first of many American Idol rundowns… off we go…

TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES…

okay, top twelve girls… two go home ten will remain… first we start off with silliness… Simon has a thing for Ellen… ha ha… she really IS replacing Paula… they’ve been sent to separate ends of the table and Simon is stuck next to Kara… i’m sure he loves that… so, they’re saying that these contestants are probably known better than in any other year… i disagree, mostly because i have no idea who most of them are… this should be interesting…

now playing: Mercy – Duffy

Paige Miles (and Miles and Miles)… singing “All Right Now“… and she’s literally just all right so far… she’s gonna have to learn how to not scream if she’s gonna stick around and nix the drama… save it fo’ yo’ mama as they say, somewhere i’m sure… not a fan… Simon says he thinks that she has the best voice among the girls, but it was a cheap, wedding singer song… Kara disagrees and is cheered on… brilliant rock, soul song that she slayed… Randy kinda sorta agrees with both Simon and Kara somehow… dawg… great job says he… Ellen agrees and disagrees… four judges is a lot, really… oh, Paige has to pee, stay classy, Hollywood…

Ashley Rodriguez… Kris Allen Fusion commercial (go buy his mediocre album, now)… Glee is coming back… Ashley is from Boston and she’s singing Battlefield, no, “Happy” by Leona Lewis… is that smart knowing that Simon is smitten with Leona? (props to Ryan Tedder for writing this song, i think)… okay… i think that’s about all the good that i can say… wow, she has no idea where the key is… methinks she’s not going to be happy with the comments… Kara says good effort… Leona Lewis is the new Mariah Carey… (i wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy)… Randy says… well, let me summarize… the song is bigger than she is… Ellen says that the song didn’t let her be herself… Simon says it was clumsy and unoriginal and that she’s regressed since the audition…

Janell Wheeler has anyone else ever seen I-Spy on HBO Kids? “Oh, Wheeelerrrr!”… probably just me… anyway, Janell is singing a Heart song right out the gates… that’s some guts, right there… and she’s rushing… but she has a pretty nice tone to her voice…that is, when it’s on key… she’s a bit flat at the moment… and you know, when the song is supposed to explode into the chorus, it’s not exactly igniting… how on earth can you sing this song and not emit any energy… that’s odd… not gonna work out well overall… Randy says he’s glad that it’s over… bad song choice… Ellen liked the song choice and that she tried to get into it and she likes her… Simon said it was about 65%… and she had her moments, but it was not the best song choice… Kara agrees that the song was too big for her…

Lilly Scott… if she sticks around, i do believe i’ll have to go with some form of “Tinker Bell” as her nickname… she’s singing Fixing a Hole, by The Beatles… okay, i kind of remember her… she’s this year’s Adele/AmyWinehouse/Duffy wannabe… hopefully she doesn’t go insane and start “CAW-CAW”-ing like Megan did last year… well, anyway, i kind of liked it… she’s got some good potential and despite some minor slips, she was the best of the first four… Ellen says that’s what they were looking for… Simon says she’s the best of the night so far, but she needs to work on her star power… Kara breaks out the word “busk” and can totally feel Lilly… Randy says that he loves how she really doesn’t seem to care what anyone thinks and that she’s just plain honest…

now playing: No One – Alicia Keys

Katelyn Epperly… so Katelyn’s got a lot of hair… and she’s singing “Oh, Darling”… and she’s got a slight hint of that raspy quality to her vocal that Tink just got praise for… what the heck is in her hair?… you know what though, that was a really solid vocal… nicely done… bad stage presence though… Simon says that she needs a lot of work, but he likes her… Kara says that she knows her voice very well… Kara doesn’t like the thing in her hair… Randy says he liked that she paid attention to the tone of her voice and that she can really go places… Ellen says that she’s got… personality… and a great voice, but perhaps she’s a little pushy…

Haeley Vaughn… aw, she got her nose pierced to honor the fact that she made the top 24… i can already tell that she smiles too much… she’s singing “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”… in the vein of that Over the Rainbow remake… perhaps mixed with Marilyn Manson… why on earth IS SHE SHOUTING???? unfortunately, i think she might have some potential, but that was a complete and utter disaster… she’s got a serious case of the runs… she pretty much did everything that Randy praised Katelyn for NOT doing… Kara says that technically it wasn’t so good, but she looked like she had fun… Randy says that, yeah, dawg, get it together… there’s too much going on… Ellen says taht she was shining on stage… and they’re all pointing out her age… Simon says that she was like a wind-up doll that just wouldn’t ever stop… a complete mess…

Lacey Brown… oh, she was here last year, but now, with the hot redness in her hair, she has a newfound power… nothing can stop us now… oh, that would be great if she sang We Built This City… but no, she’s singing Landslide by Fleetwood Mac… and she is really rough around the edges… somewhat shrill even… she has someone singing BGVs? how’d she manage that?… i think she has some good qualities, but she is really trying way too hard… like she wants to be kind of sensual and mystic but she really lost control… Randy says bad song choice and it wasn’t good… Ellen says that she can do better if she gets a chance… Simon says he couldn’t wait for it to finish and it was indulgent… Kara says that it felt forced… shout out to Sixpence!…

Michelle Delamor… i have really no recollection of her, but i LOVE this song… singing “Falling” by Alicia Keys… not the best arrangement here at the jump off, but she’s got a really smooth voice and she’s holding it together… well, that was a scream, but overall it’s sounding pretty good… well, a few more off notes… she’s definitely got some solid potential… i’ll say now that she’s very likely a lock for the top six… Ellen says that it was fantasatic… Simon says that it sounded very professional, but not original… Kara says that she looks very commercial, but had a few bad moments… Randy says that she did a pretty good job, but she needs to really take some risks…

now playing: Break the Silence – Thousand Foot Krutch

Didi Benami oh, Didi has got some dry humor going on here… “terrified to sing “Terrified“… nice… now she’s singing something else that i wasn’t paying enough attention to… it’s probably by Adele… she’s dressed like she’s about to sing some Janis Joplin or something else from the Woodstock hall of fame… okay, it’s called “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson… i should’ve known that… she’s really playing up that Duffy sound though and even though she’s pretty on point tone wise, there’s no real stage presence or reason to get excited… do something different… Simon says that he would confuse her with 3 other voices from tonight and that it was a little dull… Kara says that she made a few changes that were cool… Randy says, yeah dawg, but where’s the star power?… Ellen says that it was pretty low-key for a first impression…

Siobhan Magnus… i wonder if any of her uncles compete in the World’s Strongest Man competitions… well, that was based on the name, but woah, she’s not so bright, eh? Singing Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Games”… the video for this was like an extended ad for Calvin Klein… i don’t understand why anyone would pick this song… she did alright, but it felt really roped in – that she was really holding back and trying to lay up for a chip shot… Kara says that it was a weird choice, but it was good… Randy says that she has a big voice and should really let them loose… Ellen says that it was great and she liked it a lot… Simon says that she’s a funny little thing… he liked it, but didn’t love it…

Crystal Bowersox… as a Yankees fan, i’m predisposed to disliking her because her name is just too, too close to BoSox, which of course is short for the Boston Red Sawks… anyway, singing “Hand in My Pocket” by Alanis Morrissette… haven’t heard this in a long time, and i’m not sure that i missed it… oh YES! harmonica!… sorry, that’s sarcasm… i’m glad she can play the harmonica and all, but please not here… she’s shouting a lot, too… she doesn’t sound bad, but it’s just very karaoke… i think she’s better than that… and technically, neither of her hands are in her pocket, they’re both playing the guitar… Randy says that he likes her and her honesty… Ellen is a fan of hers, too… Simon says that she sounds like she belongs outside of a subway station… Kara says that she sounds like a coffee shop performer…

Katie Stevens who reminds me of a girl from a show that i can’t remember the name to, but probably wouldn’t admit to watching anyway so it doesn’t really matter… moving on… she’s singing a Buble song… “Feeling Good”… awesome tune… wow, didn’t expect that vocal quality… she’s got a much bigger voice than you would expect… let’s see how it holds up… she bottomed out on the lower register there and she’s slightly off… kind of sharp and sloppy… and now that she’s in the big section of the song, it’s clear that she’s forcing that sound… it’s alright and all, but not what it could be… Ellen says that it was good, but conservative and old… Simon is holding his mouth… but he agrees with Ellen… “it felt like your mom and dad dressed you and chose the song for you”… pagenty… Kara says that they wouldn’t say that if she had killed the song… she was pitchy, but she’s got ridiculous chops… Randy says that she’s only going to be seventeen once and that she needs to enjoy it…

AND NOW IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE…

now playing: Should I Stay Or Should I Go – The Clash

okay, two gals need to pack their bags… and who should it be…? Paige, Ashley, Haeley, Lacey, Siobhan, and Crystal are all in danger, as i see it… let’s see… narrowing it down to four, i’d say that Paige and Siobhan are safe… then, Crystal, then Lacey… that means that Haeley and Ashley are headed home… to the place where they belong…

peace… love… bdg…

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So, the Saints won the Super Bowl and i should never have doubted my initial prediction… i just didn’t realize that Pierre Garcon was going to play for the Saints instead of the Colts… i mean, dude dropped two, what, three? third down receptions off of his hands?… anyway, if i have to be the only one who says it, i’ll say it now… the Colts lost because they laid down against the Jets and the Bills to end the season… the stakes weren’t high enough… they’ve already won a Super Bowl, but perhaps a perfect season would’ve been incentive enough… i know that sounds obnoxiously silly, but i’ll stand by it because you can’t really ever prove it wrong…

anyway, for most people, the real story surrounding the Super Bowl is often the commercials… and this year, the buzz was about one commercial in particular…

CHOICES, CHOICES

– Choose Life – Shachah
Tim Tebow quarterbacked the Florida Gators to two national championships, won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore, and earned numerous accolades as a college football star… he was also the fifth child of a mother who was advised that abortion was the way to go…

Focus on the Family apparently felt this made for a story worth spending $3 million to share during the Super Bowl… and i don’t disagree, but apparently, many others did… and by others, of course, i mean people who don’t believe that NOT having an abortion should be a choice…

i know, i know, they call themselves “pro-choice,” but the more they open their mouths, the more it seems that the only choice they care about is which month of pregnancy to terminate the life of a baby on the way… anyway, these are the folks who were up in arms angered that CBS would even DARE to air a “pro-life” commercial during the Super Bowl… i heard terms like “controversial” and “offensive” tossed around in regards to the commercial – the details of which hadn’t even been fully disclosed…

and as for the commercial… well:

controverial? no… offensive? no, not exactly… to be honest, it’s more like a Hallmark card than a strong statement about anything… cute, kind of funny, and (were it not for the uproar) forgettable… this entire episode is what i would call a complete fail for all parties…

the “pro-choice” reps look like idiots for getting all bent out of shape about such a non-issue… and Focus on the Family has some degree of egg on their face for missing an opportunity to make a bold and compelling statement… (not to mention the fact that they look a bit like uncreative copycats since CBS decided to air a Snickers commercial with the same basic punchline right before it)… to be fair, Focus on the Family has plenty of follow-up materials available on their website to provide a clearer and more complete picture of their position, but we all know the great disconnect between watching something on television and typing in the link, going to a website and engaging in the rest of the content…

PENCILS DOWN!

okay, time to check out for a bit… in the coming days, you can expect a review of a pro-life movie that i actually did find offensive – a review that certainly won’t win me too many friends… i’ve also got a couple of book reviews to put out, television to talk about, music to talk about, general site stuff to talk about, and more, more, more!… first though, i’ll be back to talk about last week’s episode of LOST as we anticipate tonight’s episode together…

peace… love… bdg…

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i’m interrupting this regularly unscheduled laziness to bring you this update… finally… it’s been quite a while since i last wrote something for the old blog… i can’t explain it entirely, but i’ve just been pulled in a number of directions and unfortunately can’t seem to motivate myself to the point of updating… anyway, i’m here to put an end to that… today, i’m going to have some fun, chatting up the latest installment from Veggietales available everywhere…

IT’S RAINING…

now playing: Flood – Jars of Clay

Well, it’s been a long time coming and it’s finally here… the sequel to Minnesota Cuke’s search for Samson’s hairbrush… and perhaps a tip of the fedora to a new branch of the Veggietales franchise?… (I’m thinking that a 2D series of Minnesota Cuke episodes wouldn’t be a bad idea)… this episode also marks the official debut of the new Veggietales logo… both are hits…

Minnesota learns about persistence, patience and most of all, the importance of following directions in this zany tale of Larry’s alter-ego and his quest to find the powerful umbrella used by none other than Noah… of course, there’s plenty of mischief, mayhem, and missteps (not to mention the numerous nods to Indy) that make the show fun for kids and parents alike…

…RUN FOR COVER

And with that, i’ll grab my sippy cup and head on out… i’ve got another new Veggietale movie queued up in the near future… but it’s about Christmas and i’m not sure when i’ll get to that… also, watch for a “political” blog entry, a “Triple-DeKker” entry, and more… many more books and many more other stuff… also, i’m completely redesigning the site… and much, much more is spinning around in my head…

peace… love… bdg…

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i don’t rant much, but i kind of feel like there’s some ranting in me that’s determined to come out… and believe me, i could tear apart all the snakes and crooks inside the insurance industry and COBRA… and regale the conversations that i’ve had with them over the past few months… no stinking wonder that the health care system is broken in America… but i won’t… i’ll simply inhale, exhale and simmer down… and start things off today with a review of a movie that i was really looking forward to, Transformers 2: The Rise of the Fallen…

TRANSFORM…

now playing: Piece of Junk Car – KJ-52

i’m really hard-pressed to think of a time when i walked away from the theater as disappointed as i was leaving the theater the other day… i’m not sure if it was my own expectations, my ideological notion that action movies can be visually and intellectually stimulating, the sheer excitement of seeing the transformers on the big screen or simply that i bought into the hype, but all the wind that filled my sails heading into the theater had long disappeared as i walked out… i had waited for the first installment the hit DVD and clearly i was wrong not to wait for the sequel as well…

i expected that Transformers 2 would build off of the first movie, which, as i remember it, was pretty amazing… i expected a lot of action sequences, a lot of sweet cars, and stunning special effects… and, to that end, the movie delivers, but because those elements were at least equally balanced out by juvenile humor, a script that felt like it was written by fifth graders, a poached plotline and way more suggestion than necessary, i left feeling very short-changed…

Surely “the twins” have been a target for controversy as there have been allegations of racism as there was towards Jar Jar Binks, but to that end, i’ll simply say that those claims are ridiculous – i felt more like they were a couple of hyper-stereotypical rednecks than anything else – but they were indicative of the foolish direction that the movie took overall…

Clearly, the crew wanted to movie to have a humorous bent, but unfortunately they resorted to the basest level of humor available… the air-headed mother getting accidentally high, the number of anatomy jokes, crass language from the transformers, and on and on… and sexual content ranging from dogs being frisky, a little robot taking liberties with Megan Fox’s leg, the “Baywatch” running scenes, and a transformer disguised as a college student that makes several advances on the lead character… (by the way, this character makes absolutely zero sense in the context of the movie since none of the other robots look remotely like humans nor is there any reference to such characters that i remember from Transformers lore)…

The plot also seemed like a big rip-off as it closely resembled that of Johnny Mnemonic and, more recently, Chuck… but even that could’ve been overlooked had the script been written with even the slightest hint of intelligence… and to top it all off, the movie dragged on and on for two and a half hours – also known as about an hour too long…

As i’ve stated before, when the movie played to its strengths – action and special effects – it was nothing short of spectacular… unfortunately it didn’t stay there… it’s also worth noting that John Turturro did a fine job as Agent Simmons… and there were actually some really good moments between Sam and Bumblebee, but other than those highlights, the movie really blew a great opportunity to further establish a franchise that could be great…

The bottom line for me is this… it felt like the producers and directors wanted to make Transformers into something other than an action movie… perhaps they wanted to be taken more seriously than your typical action movie fare… but they forgot that there’s nothing wrong with an action movie simply being an action movie… and if you want to add humor into the mix, that’s fine, but let it happen naturally – don’t force-fit it… as it was, i wanted to see Transformers 2 and i feel like i watched Harold and Kumar: Defeating the Decepticons…

… AND ROLL OUT

and that’s my take… have you seen it? what did you think? am i crazy? let me know and i’ll be back with more things to talk about soon…

peace… love… bdg…

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