Archive for November, 2014

Book Review – Stephen Baxter’s “Flood”

What if one day the Earth’s oceans all began to rise?

Not because of man-made global warming or climate change melting the polar ice caps, but from an entirely different source, something completely out of our hands.

What if this rise in ocean level continued over the years, slowly flooding the planet and making high ground the most precious type of land?

What would you do?  How would you survive?  Could you find a way to keep living knowing that unless the flooding stops, eventually every piece of land will eventually disappear under the water?

That’s basically the premise for Stephen Baxter‘s Flood, a 2008 science-fiction novel dealing with the slow flooding of planet Earth.  As the sea level continues to rise and flood the continents, humanity struggles to find a way to survive.  The balance of power shifts as people fight for high ground and deal with the reality of their situation.  Billions of people eventually die over the years as the sea level continues to rise, dry land slowly vanishes, food becomes more scarce, wars are waged between organizations and countries, and survivors are forced to build ships and rafts as a final way to survive . . . for at least a little while longer.

Stephen Baxter — Flood

Flood begins in 2016 as a small group of people are being held hostage in Europe by an organization of extremists.  The hostages are former US Air Force helicopter pilot Lily Brooke, British military officer Piers Michaelmas, English tourist Helen Gray, and NASA scientist Gary Boyle.  All of them were in Europe at one point or another when they were each captured and taken hostage.  The experience was particularly tough on Helen Gray as she was the youngest female in the group and had gained unwanted attention from the guards.  She was abused and eventually gave birth to a daughter, Grace, by one of the guards.

After being held hostage for five years and eventually transported to Barcelona, Spain the group is suddenly liberated by a private megacorporation called AxysCorp.  A fifth hostage, John Foreshaw, was executed by the terrorists moments before the rest of them were rescued.

Immediately after being rescued, the gang notices that their world is a little bit different than when they last saw it.  Now England and the rest of Europe are plagued by a nearly endless number of rainy days which have been sparking localized flooding.  When Lily reconnects with her sister Amanda, and her two children Benji and Kristie, she learns that the sea level itself has actually risen about a meter.  It may not seem like much, but low-lying areas are being threatened by the rise and a small island nation in the Pacific Ocean has been reclaimed by the sea.  Naturally, the constant rainfall and the slow rise in sea level is being blamed on man-made global warming. Read more…

Black Friday Fights 2014 – Are People *Really* This Stupid?

These days the arrival of Thanksgiving means only one thing to way too many people — shopping deals on Black Friday.

Of course, shopping deals are only deals if you believe that you’re really saving money on a product that you desire.  The smart shoppers will actually research the exact models that are being sold, and then determine A) If it’s a good deal, and B) If it’s worth losing the tradition of Thanksgiving and standing in lines to fight with crowds over said product.  Everybody else will flock to the stores and just blindly purchase whatever is on sale, whether it’s a true deal or not.

It’s that secondary group of shoppers that has given Black Friday shopping such a negative experience these days.  It’s a shopping experience full of aggressive people pushing their way through stores, vulgarity, poor attitudes, and the occasional fight and involvement by the police department.

Let’s take a look at some Black Friday 2014 highlight videos of these jackasses in action.  Of course, all of these videos are technically from Thanksgiving / Gray Thursday and *not* on Black Friday.  Most of the stores were having their main sales around 6 pm on Thanksgiving.

This first video was allegedly shot in a Wal-Mart parking lot.  The poster claimed that two people were fighting over a parking spot and then things escalated until the police arrived.

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This next video was allegedly at an Urban Outfitters store in a shopping mall.  When the gate opens the mob of people rushes into the store.

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No Justice, No Peace Riots and Protests

Last night it was announced that the Grand Jury had decided not to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown.

What promptly followed was a state of unrest in Ferguson, Missouri as the more violent and troublesome of the protesters decided to go into action, destroying private property, looting stores, heavily damaging police cars, firing handguns and other firearms at the police officers, and starting numerous fires.

In short, Ferguson became a war zone, a place where law and order became a piece of ancient history.

It was anarchy.  The rioters had a field day breaking into businesses and stealing whatever they called, all with NO THREAT of being stopped or arrested.

Where was the National Guard during all of that rioting in Ferguson?

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon made a point of mobilizing some of them a few days ago.  He knew what was going to happen should the Grand Jury not indict Officer Wilson.  The writing was clearly on the wall in this case.  It was not going to be a night of quiet protesting.

Why didn’t Governor Nixon send in the National Guard to protect businesses and private property?  According to some sources, the mayor of Ferguson repeatedly asked the governor to send in the troops last night, but those calls for action were denied.  Was it Governor Nixon’s decision to not send in the troops, or did that order come from some place higher like the Department of Justice or even the White House?

Sadly, the story was a dream come true for the media and for the civil rights leaders that had been pushing for just this type of action should the outcome of the Grand Jury go against their wishes.

But that’s just it.  The Grand Jury fully listened to all of the witnesses, examined all of the evidence, and the team of people decided that Officer Wilson would not be brought to trial on ANY of the criminal charges ranging from homicide to manslaughter.  Those people determined that Officer Wilson was acting in self-defense when Michael Brown approached him, refusing to listen to the officer’s instructions to stop in his tracks.

Nearly all of the *witnesses* were proven to be LIARS.  When the evidence was carefully examined, it was determined that Officer Wilson’s account of the incident was the most accurate one.  He was forced to shoot and kill Michael Brown, otherwise it was highly probably that the so-called “gentle giant” was going to viciously attack and possibly kill the police officer.  Remember that Michael Brown had already attacked Officer Wilson while he was still sitting inside of his police car.  There was no telling as to how far Brown was most likely going to take his next attack.

None of that matters to the Ferguson protesters.  They want the blood of Darren Wilson.  Their anger has reached extreme levels, and we saw that action in last night’s riots.

THE TRUTH —- It’s all about RACISM.

We’re talking about black-on-white racism, something very much real but rarely, if ever, discussed by the media, talking heads, and political leaders. Read more…

How Much *Violence* Is Expected In Ferguson, Missouri?

Today it was announced that the Jennings School District in Clayton County Missouri has cancelled classes for Monday and Tuesday of next week.  An article by the St. Louis Online-Dispatch outlines the recent announcement.

No, the schools aren’t being closed because of any inclement weather.

Nor are the schools closing early just to extend the Thanksgiving break, though this is a popular conspiracy theory right now.

Instead, the decision was made the close the schools because it’s *believed* that the Grand Jury is going to finally make its announcement about whether or not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown.  And, should Officer Wilson *not* be indicted, then it’s widely speculated that there will be significantly more rioting.  Therefore, because it’s expected that people are going to riot even though technically it has yet to be announced *when* the Grand Jury is going to make its announcement, the Jennings School District is going to play it safe and close the schools for Monday and Tuesday of next week.

Either the school district has received advanced warning of the upcoming Grand Jury’s announcement, complete with the verdict, or the school district is being lazy and cancelling classes to give the teachers a longer break.  It has been widely rumored that the school district was going to be given a warning about 48 hours before the announcement of the decision by the Grand Jury so the parents and students could hunker down in case of rioting.

The announcement of the schools being closed goes along with two other announcements in that area:

1) The partial mobilization of the Missouri National Guard and their deployment to Ferguson in anticipation of the Grand Jury’s decision.

2) The deployment of 100 FBI agents to Ferguson in anticipation of the Grand Jury’s decision.

Considering the closing of the schools, the deployment of the National Guard, and the addition of 100 FBI agents to the town, just how much violence is the government expecting to take place in Ferguson should the Grand Jury *not* indict Officer Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown?

The article by the St. Louis Online-Dispatch mentioned that although the classes were cancelled, the school buildings would still be open to serve meals to children in need.  The classes were cancelled in order to help keep children off the street should there be violent rioting, yet, in a district that has many kids that walk to and from school, the “children in need” are still allowed to walk to and from the schools to receive their free (or heavily discounted, whichever way they do it these days) breakfasts and lunches for Monday and Tuesday.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.  Keep the kids off the streets because there might be rioting and chaos, but still allow them to visit the schools and receive their meals for two days.  Right.

Of course, these kids would be better off staying in school, attending classes, and actually receiving a decent education rather than paying any attention to the psychopaths and anarchists in the streets calling for the death of Officer Wilson.  The DEATH of the police officer?  Really? Read more…

Movie Review – When Worlds Collide (1951)

Try to imagine, just for a moment, that a star is racing across the galaxy and heading straight for Earth.

You only have eight months until the star arrives and destroys the planet.  If any part of humanity is to survive, then it’s going to require building rockets and trying to find a new home somewhere in space.

That’s basically the premise for When Worlds Collide, a classic 1950s science-fiction film depicting the end of the Earth and the struggle to try to save a small group of humans, plants and animals.  As the engineers build a rocket, they have to compete against not only the imminent destruction of Earth, but the catastrophic disasters caused by the arrival of the star as well as the anarchy and breakdown of civilization.

When Worlds Collide (1951) – movie poster

Directed by Rudolph Mate and produced by George Pal, When Worlds Collide stars Richard Derr as David Randall, a pilot caught in the middle of the chaos.  Co-starring in the film are Larry Keating as Dr. Cole Hendron, Barbara Rush as Joyce Hendron, the professor’s daughter, John Hoyt as Sydney Stanton, and Peter Hansen as Dr. Tony Drake, a physician in love with Joyce.

When Worlds Collide (1951) – (c) Paramount Pictures

When Worlds Collide begins in South Africa as pilot David Randall (Richard Derr) arrives at an observatory.  Astronomer Dr. Emery Bronson (Hayden Rorke) has made a horrifying discovery, something that he simply doesn’t want to believe.  Dr. Bronson assigns Randall the task of carrying the information to Dr. Cole Hendron, his colleague and fellow astronomer living in the United States.  Randall doesn’t care about the task or the secret information, just how much he’s going to be paid to be a courier.  When talking about Randall’s pay for the task, Dr. Bronson hints that money really isn’t a concern any longer.

A briefcase containing the information is secured to Randall’s wrist, and he’s off on a series of connecting flights from South Africa to the United States.  A reporter has gotten word of Randall carrying secret information, and he tries several times to bribe Randall so that he can learn the information.  Randall refuses and he faithfully keeps the information locked in the briefcase. Read more…

Movie Review – NetForce (1999)

Back in 1999, the movie NetForce was released as a direct-to-video movie.

The movie was based on Tom Clancy‘s NetForce series of books.  It’s believed that if the made-for-TV was successful, then it would have spawned a television miniseries based on further stories in the books.

NetForce is about a division of the FBI that specializes in high-profile computer crimes.  In the movie, the director of NetForce is assassinated, and it’s up to the Deputy Director and his fellow agents to not only find the assassin, but to also stop a brilliant software engineer from launching further attacks on the Internet and the world.

NetForce (1999) – movie poster

Directed by Robert Lieberman, NetForce stars Scott Bakula as Alex Michaels, the Deputy Director / new Director of the FBI’s NetForce.  Supporting him are Joanna Going as Toni Fiorelli, Kris Kristofferson as Steve Day, Judge Reinhold as Will Stiles, Brian Dennehy as Lowell Davidson, Paul Hewitt as Jay Gridley, and Frank Vincent as Mafia boss Johnny Stompato.

NetForce (1999) – (c) ABC

Set in 2005, NetForce begins with a raid by the FBI’s NetForce against a compound of a known computer hacker.  NetForce Deputy Director Alex Michaels (Scott Bakula) and Colonel John Howard (Sterling Macer) lead the agents into a shootout, but the raid itself is unsuccessful.  The enemies destroy the computers before NetForce Agent Jay Gridley (Paul Hewitt) can extract the files.  Later, the FBI takes serious heat from the White House for the unsuccessful raid. Read more…

Testing Yourself For HIV Is A Christmas Event, Right?

At least, that’s how it appears to be presented in a recent television commercial for the product OraQuick.

OraQuick website — www.OraQuick.com

In a recent TV commercial for OraQuick, an in-home oral HIV test kit, the slogan says, “Let’s make this the Season of Knowing with OraQuick In-Home HIV Test.”  Although this particular commercial is not available on YouTube (I didn’t find it on YouTube, but it may have been listed differently), this same holiday slogan is used on the product’s website.  Near the top of the website it states, “This holiday season, the makers of the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test invite you to join us in making this the Season of Knowing . . . your HIV status.”

Is it just me, or is it odd that the advertisers are making this into a *Christmas* event rather than, let’s say, something that’s extremely beneficial to know year-round?  Last time I checked, knowing if you’re infected with HIV is a life-changing event, something that will change the way that you live for the rest of your life.  What difference does this make if you learn that you do or do not have HIV in November/December rather than February or May or July?

I can picture it now.  Somebody with a troubled lifestyle thinks that he may have been exposed to HIV, but for some reason or another he doesn’t want to get himself tested.  Perhaps he’s just going to stay in a state of denial, convincing himself that he really wasn’t exposed to HIV.  If he’s never tested, then he’ll never have to tell anybody about his behavior.  Whatever.  But along comes this advertisement and suddenly he’s motived to finally get himself tested, not necessarily for the sake of knowing right now, but because it’s the Christmas season!  It’s “the Season of Knowing!”  Yeah!

The fine print near the bottom of the website warns that, “A negative result with this test does not mean that you are definitely not infected with HIV, particularly when exposure may have been within the previous 3 months.” Read more…

Using A Car Title Loan To Purchase . . . Christmas Gifts?

Just the other day I saw a television commercial for Atlanta Title Loans, a company that provides cash loans for a car title.

Instead of the usual sales pitch, the commercial used an angle of acquiring a car title loan and some “extra cash” to help make a more joyous “holiday season.”  Oddly enough, despite featuring snowfall, a large Christmas tree, and even an elf, the commercial never specifies just which “holiday” it’s talking about.  I’ll go on a ledge and say that it’s CHRISTMAS even though the advertisers don’t have the guts to specifically say it.  Sadly, that’s the trend of today’s overly politically correct advertising, but that’s another topic entirely.

Anyway, the Atlanta Title Loans advertisement wants us to believe that people are willing to use a car title loan service so that they can basically afford to spend extra money on Christmas gifts.  A few years ago a different car title loan company advertised that people could use the service to pay for vacations.  The bottom line though is still the same — people needing to borrow money in order for luxury items, whether it’s for a vacation or for gifts.  Of course, we’re talking about borrowing money through organizations that normally charge steep monthly rates.

We’re talking about using not a regular bank loan or a special loan promotion through a financial lender, but rather using a CAR TITLE LOAN company to acquire the extra money.  Many car title loan companies are notorious for charging steep monthly rates when the people repay their loan.  When dealing with a car title loan company, there’s also the threat of the company repossessing the vehicle should the customer fail to repay the loan exactly as it’s stated in the loan agreement.

Normally companies such as car title loaners deal with people who need some quick cash for a variety of reasons, whether it’s for a medical bill, a car repair bill (for a different vehicle), a funeral service, or any other unexpected situation.  Those are legitimate situations as nearly all of them are unexpected.  Nearly all of us have been in a bind like that at one point in time, especially in our younger years of adulthood.  As they say, sh*t happens.  The difference though is how you handle it and prepare yourself should a similar situation occur again in the future. Read more…

Book Review – Tom Clancy’s “The Cardinal of the Kremlin”

Today we’re taking a look at Tom Clancy‘s The Cardinal of the Kremlin, the fifth chronological book in the Jack Ryan series of novels.  The Cardinal of the Kremlin is a direct sequel to the events in The Hunt for Red October.

Set in the late 1980s, The Cardinal of the Kremlin tells a story of how a top secret CIA informant, “CARDINAL,” leaks information about a secret Soviet program that’s designed to use lasers to destroy satellites orbiting the Earth.  The U.S. is working on its own version of the weapon, and both countries are racing (and spying on one another) to stay out in front.  When the Soviets discover the chain of people passing information out of the country, the CIA races to rescue “CARDINAL” before it’s too late.

One of the side stories in this novel involves guerrilla forces in Afghanistan waging war against the Soviet army.

Tom Clancy — The Cardinal of the Kremlin

The Cardinal of the Kremlin begins in Moscow, Russia, as CIA analyst Jack Ryan attends a diplomatic conference as part of an American delegation to the Soviet Union.  With him in the room is experienced CIA field agent Mary Pat Foley.  The main purpose of the meeting in Moscow is to get the Russians and Americans to agree to a nuclear arms reduction treaty, but, of course, other goals include gathering intelligence on their KGB counterparts.  One of the Russian officers that Mary Pat meets is Colonel Mikhail Semyonovich Filitov.  The colonel is a Hero of the Soviet Union after his achievements as a tank commander in the Red Army during World War 2 (a.k.a. the Great Patriotic War).

Colonel Filitov also happens to be a highly placed spy for the CIA.  His code name is “CARDINAL.”  He has his own personal reasons for being a traitor to the Soviet Union.

Meanwhile, both the U.S. and Soviet Union are working on anti-ballistic missile weapons using lasers.  The American version uses lasers that reflect off a series of mirrors in orbit to strike their targets, and the Soviet version uses a series of lasers that fire upwards and strike low-orbit passing satellites.  One day after a reconnaissance plane is finished recording the testing of the American laser, it accidentally records a testing of the Soviet laser.  It was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.  The news sends the CIA and U.S. Army scrambling for answers as it was believed that the Soviet laser project, codenamed “Bright Star,” was still several years away from being operational. Read more…

Every Person In The Military Is Important, But Not Everybody Should Be Called A Hero

How do you define a hero?

Normally the title of a “hero” would belong to an individual who goes above and beyond the call of duty, somebody who risks his or her own life for the lives of others.  This person is a role model, somebody who inspires others to use bravery when facing danger or certain death.

A hero could be found in many professions, from a fireman who runs into a burning building to a police officer who risks his life against a dangerous criminal to a soldier who shows bravery and valor while under fire on the battlefield.  Of course, these aren’t the only places where you could find heroes today.

• A hero could also be a rodeo clown who distracts a charging bull or bucking bronco so that a fallen cowboy can be saved.
• A hero could be a lifeguard who saves a distressed swimmer from drowning.
• A hero could be a parent who places his or her body over their child, shielding them from imminent danger and/or certain death.
• A hero can be anybody who shows determination and courage when it comes to saving another person’s life.

But why is it that in today’s society, the moment a person in the armed forces simply puts on a uniform, that people bend over backwards treating that person like a hero?  Why are virtually all service members hailed as “heroes” even though such a small percentage of them today have A) Actually been in combat on the battlefield, and B) Shown exceptional bravery while in combat (or in an emergency situation such as an aircraft crash)?

Don’t get me wrong here.  It’s honorable to serve the country in the armed forces no matter your profession.  All jobs are important in the military, from the recruiters to the office clerks to the cooks to the mechanics to the aviators and soldiers themselves.  Every job helps support the national cause of supporting and defending the United States of America.  It’s just that in today’s age, a smaller and smaller percentage of soldiers and sailors are actually out there with their life on the line with the global fight for freedom and democracy.

The title of hero should just be reserved for those people who have shown bravery and valor when placed in dangerous situations.  Just because you chose to serve in the military doesn’t automatically make you a “hero.”  You have to go above and beyond to prove that you have earned that title.

Simply calling everybody who served in the military a hero is like giving out participation trophies to each kid who plays on a sport team.  When everybody receives the same award it reduces the meaning of it for those who worked harder and gave more of an effort.

My father enlisted in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, but his job had him working on computers at the Strategic Air Command headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska.  Since he served honorably in the Air Force but never saw combat or danger at his job, does that still classify him as a hero?  My father-in-law was also in the military at that time period, but he a was special forces officer in the Army.  He fought in southeast Asia (not just South Vietnam) and led his men on missions still classified to this day.  Since he fought in combat many times and served his country honorably, does that make him a hero?

Or are both of them simply honorable and righteous men who answered the call to serve their country?

Not everybody can be called a hero.  Lots of people can be brave, strong fighters, and effective leaders, but it takes more than that to be a true hero.

In the military, I would reserve the title of “hero” for those few who have earned the top award, the Congressional Medal of Honor.  Those are your true heroes, people who so much bravery that it has to be carried in a wheelbarrow.  These are the people who you would carry on your shoulders and parade them around town.  These people would inspire the masses.  Their actions would be studied for future generations as sources of inspiration, self-sacrifice and bravery.

On this Veterans Day, remember to thank all of those who honorably served their country.  Just don’t go around calling them *all* heroes.  Save that ultimate title for those few who have truly earned it.

Movie Review – Big Hero 6 (2014)

This past weekend saw the release of Big Hero 6, the 54th feature film released by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Set in an alternate version of San Francisco (called San Fransokyo in the film), Big Hero 6 tells a story of a gifted young robot engineer named Hiro who is persuaded by his older brother to apply for an advanced engineering school.  When Hiro’s brother is suddenly killed in a terrible accident (or so it seems), Hiro befriends Baymax, an inflatable nurse robot that was his brother’s last invention.  Hiro soon learns that it was no accident that killed his brother.  With the help of Baymax and his late brother’s friends at the engineering school, the group of them form a super hero team and they track down the killer.

Big Hero 6 (2014) – movie poster

Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, Big Hero 6 stars Ryan Potter as the voice of Hiro Hamada and Scott Adsit as the voice of Baymax.  This movie also features the voices of James Cromwell and Alan Tudyk, and a cameo by Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee.  Otherwise, nearly all of the voice actors/actresses are from obscure talents in Hollywood.

Big Hero 6 is set in the near future in San Fransokyo, a blending of San Francisco and Tokyo.  The movie begins with 14-year-old robot engineer Hiro Hamada (voiced by Ryan Potter) participating in a back alley robot fight.  He hustles his way to an easy victory and collects a large amount of money for winning the fight.  This doesn’t go too well with the other contestant, and Hiro has to make a quick getaway.  He’s rescued by his older brother, Tadashi (voiced by Daniel Henney), but they’re both caught by the police along with everybody else at the robot fight.  The robot fighting technically wasn’t illegal, but betting on it was.

The two brothers are soon bailed out of jail by Aunt Cass (voiced by Maya Rudolph), the boys’ aunt and legal guardian.  It’s briefly mentioned that the brothers’ parents died about ten years ago.  Aunt Cass owns a popular bakery and coffee shop, and she and the boys live in an apartment above the cafe.  Tadashi tries to sit down and talk some sense into Hiro, but Hiro is more interested in hustling for money at robot fights instead of going to college and getting an education. Read more…

Movie Review – Interstellar (2014)

Imagine a world in the not-too-distant future where mankind itself was faced with its own extinction.

We’re not talking about a killer asteroid, a global nuclear holocaust, or a massive attack by extraterrestrial aliens, but from a different threat instead.  In this case it’s a world where a giant dust storm is threatening to destroy the last of the farmland, eliminating a major source of food for the human race.  On top of that, other plants are also dying, and the oxygen in the atmosphere is going to be depleted.

In order for humans to survive, they’re going to have to find a new home in outer space.  Of course, none of the planets in our solar system are capable of handling human civilization.  In order to survive, mankind is going to have to reach new worlds in distant galaxies.

That’s the premise for Interstellar, a science-fiction adventure film created by Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan Nolan.  In Interstellar, a small team of astronaut explorers uses a wormhole to reach another galaxy and determine if any of the planets are suitable for human life.  It’s a race against time as the astronauts make the incredible journey and try to find a new home for humanity.  While they’re away on their mission, scientists back on Earth try to research a way to transport the masses off the dying planet and into outer space.

Interstellar (2014) – movie poster

Directed by Christopher Nolan, written by Jonathan and Christopher Nolan, and with music by Hans Zimmer, Interstellar stars Matthew McConaughey as Cooper, a former NASA pilot and a widowed father of two children.  Supporting him are Anne Hathaway as astronaut / scientist Amelia Brand, Michael Caine as Professor Brand, Amelia’s father, Casey Affleck as Tom, Cooper’s grown son, John Lithgow as Donald, Cooper’s father-in-law, and Matt Damon as astronaut / scientist Dr. Mann.

Interstellar (2014) – (c) Paramount Pictures

Interstellar begins on Earth in the near future.  The planet is dying.  Crops have slowly been failing, reducing the diversity of crops available for human consumption, and dust storms continue to plague the farmland.  It’s implied that the Earth’s population has been greatly reduced as part of the aftermath involving a world war, but those details aren’t discussed.  What we do know is that the future is looking extremely bleak for humanity as a whole.

One such farmer is Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former NASA test pilot and engineer.  At night he’s haunted by nightmares of a failed test flight.  Living with him on the farm are his two children, teenager Tom (Timothee Chalamet) and 10-year-old daughter, Murphy (Mackenzie Foy), better known as “Murph“.  Although Cooper’s wife has died, his father-in-law, Donald (John Lithgow), lives with the family and helps keep an eye on the kids.  Donald also watches over Cooper’s farm vehicles, most of which have been enhanced through Cooper’s engineering skills. Read more…

Election Day 2014

Or as I like to call it, another day to avoid being distracted by shiny objects while trying to cast your vote.

Today marks the official day on the calendar when voters are supposed to go to their local polling station and cast their vote for whichever candidates and/or issue(s) are on the ballot.  It’s a symbolic time in which we like to believe that our opinion counts as an American citizen.  It’s a way of having political power with our representative form of government that was established “by the people” so many years ago.

Although one person’s vote makes no difference in the long run, it’s the voting power of the masses that have true control over our country, from your local town to your state to the national level itself.

But what happens when the masses are ignorant and have no real clue about the candidates?  What happens when the voters themselves are more focused on pop culture and social media rather than a candidate’s background or motives?  What happens when your source of information is based on TV commercials and by what your equally ignorant, uninformed, and probably heavily biased “friends” on Facebook and Twitter are saying?

Sadly, that’s been the trend for the past few election cycles, and it’s only growing worse.  When the uneducated / ignorant / clueless show up in masses to vote (thanks in part to today’s asinine system of early voting a month in advance), the end result is trouble.  The product becomes an inverted world, a place where radicals gain political power and those against them are endlessly ridiculed and tormented.  If you want to see true hatred, have an opposing view with a modern liberal, activist and/or feminist.  Been there, done that.

If you’re against President Obama’s radical beliefs then it’s because *you* are a RACIST.  It doesn’t matter whatever facts you have to support your opinion.  If you stand opposite this current president, many, many people believe that you are doing so because you don’t like the color of his skin.

If you’re against gay marriage then it’s because *you* are a HATER.  It doesn’t matter if you have a religious or moral belief and do not want gay people to have the same marriage title as a man and a woman.  According to today’s society, if you’re against gay marriage then it’s because *you* do not want gay people to be happy.  Of course, pedophiles, rapists, fraudsters, embezzlers and robbers just want to be happy, too, but they’re locked away in prison.  Cheaters also want to be happy as well, but when they’re caught their actions tend to destroy relationships.  Apparently not *everybody* is allowed to be “happy” in our society. Read more…