I watched The Trials of Henry Kissinger on Sundance's DOCday and was enthralled by the information. It begins in an era of American history that does not get much press. It chronicle's Kissinger's rise to prominence and his role in both the extension of our Vietnam involvment as well as his efforts to overthrow the government of Chile. This overturning of the democratically elected leader of Chile resulted in the rise to power of Pinochet. Pinochet ruled for 17 years in Chile and his death squads and civil rights abuses rank right up there with Hitler, Hussein and many, many other evil despots. The filmmakers make a compelling argument for the inclusion of Kissinger among the ranks of those who feel the ends justify the means - even when those ends are assassination, murder and bombing and torture of innocent non-combatants.

The real disturbing part about the whole scenario is not only the implantation of Pinochet in Chile and the Khmer Rouge in East Timor, but more importantly how it never made any of the mainstream media in America. Those who have an inkling of what happened in Chile as the top general and elected president were assassinated justify it by saying we had to keep Communism off our hemisphere. All that was kept out was a democratically elected government. What is also unknown to even those "in the know" is that the onus for the killings had nothing to do with Communism, but had everything to do with commerce. Yes, it always comes back to Capitalism. ITT and Pepsi-Co both had a stake in the copper mining of Chile and under the new President, this industry was set to be nationalized - thus removing the largest supply of copper in the world from the hands of Corporate America. Check who's campaigns received HUGE financial boosts during and after Pinochet was put in power (Nixon and his buddy Kissinger) and check out which companies paid the largest sums - ITT and Pepsi-Co.

The important lesson in all this is - don't believe me. Don't believe a documentary. More importantly, don't believe the nightly news. Check who funds the news and you will see that it is biased. Find out for yourself. Do the research. We can stick our heads in the sand and pretend that America is a shining beacon of good and truth in the world - we can say it doesn't matter because there is nothing we can do about it - at the very least though, we can be intellectually honest with ourselves and admit we live in an imperfect country run by flawed human beings and keep doing what we can to root out the bad and promote the good. Or we can just say that is the price we pay for our SUVs, smoothies and IMAX theaters.

Don't get me wrong - I love this country. There is more opportunity here than in any place on earth. It is filled to the rafters with honest, kind and good people. I just think that while we can appreciate the great things about this country - we must all do our part to do as our founding fathers intended and keep in check man's tendency for corruption when given power... regardless of whether they come from a third world country - or the world's only superpower.
RATING 9 out of 10

Oh yeah, and I forgot to blog the Cowboys game from Sunday (how's that for a polar opposite subject?)


Parcells intended the game against the Saints to be a confidence builder for Quincy Carter as he makes his first ever playoff run. OOPS! Someone forgot to tell QC that he was supposed to play well. Well, not that anyone is listening to me but for three seasons I have been driving the "Quincy Carter MUST GO" bus. Hopefully, we picked up some passengers from the Cowboys' head office after his horrible performance Sunday.

The Quincy Rating: (with apologies to both of my Grandmothers)
RATING 5 dunce caps
my dead grandmother could have done better
- posted by Chris @ 12:23 AM

 


I watched The Secret of Roan Inish on IFC today before heading out to Victoria for Christmas. It is a great film about an Irish family and the mysterious relationship between them, the sea and seals. It is wonderfully acted and as I am sucker for period pieces, (even those that aren't set way back in time - but just in another culture) I thought it was great. It was a skillful mix of legend and family.
RATING 9 out of 10

- posted by Chris @ 1:08 PM

 
Christmas Eve has started off with a bang.

Just got back from another dog break (We should have all the old slats replaced soon.) After letting them out in the backyard to do their business, I decided to answer some email. After an unusually long 'bathroom break,' I noticed the dogs had not come back in. I went out back to see what the delay was and two slats were broken and the boys were gone. I went out front and there was no sign of them anywhere. I walked down to the end of block and then a couple drove up in a car:

"Hey, you lookin' for the dogs?"
"Yeah"
"A beagle and a... a f*cking horse?"
"Yeah thats them."
"They are two streets over - that way." (pointing)

I went back to get the truck and went up the road. I didn't see anything until a kid that was washing a car pointed to the side of a house. I pulled over there and they were both sniffing around. I opened the passenger doors and Little jumped in followed by Sam - luckily they like to ride in cars more than they like sniffing after a few blocks. Sam is still panting wildly as of this writing from all the exercise and we are back home again.

A harrowing Christmas Eve so far... and I haven't even hit the road to Mom's house.
- posted by Chris @ 9:50 AM

 


The Cowboys have made the playoffs. After consecutive 5-11 seasons, Parcells has turned things around with very inexperienced squad. Heck, we still have an outside chance to win the division.

Here is a little video I put together to mark the occasion:

The Quincy Rating:
RATING 2 dunce caps
some bonehead plays
- posted by Chris @ 12:35 PM

 
Saturday, Pennie, Tony and I went to see the band "Not Just Sunday" perform in Magnolia. The lead singer is Pennie's good friend, Michelle Brown. She was AMAZING! She has such a powerful voice. They started off with some Christian rock and pretty much blew the walls off the coffee house in which they were performing. It was really just a big jam session because you couldn't hear the lead singer or the bass guitar - only the drums and lead. After the break, they came back on with an acoustic set that was riveting. With the ear-bleeding volume of the drums and electric guitar gone, Michelle's voice really shone. I hope the folks around Magnolia realize what a musical treasure they have in Michelle - she has the skills to do anything she wants with her music and she chooses to spread her word there.

If you get a chance to see the band play... take it.
- posted by Chris @ 8:46 AM

 

Blog, Blog, Blog - where to begin.

Okay, I guess I should begin with The Return of the King. The final installment of Peter Jackson's interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic trilogy. In a word - EXCELLENT! The final piece of the LOTR puzzle does not disappoint. Despite some minor whining from purists about a few things left out - this trilogy is the most accurate film adaptation I have seen of a well-known literary work. Okay, Pride and Prejudice was another one that did a great job of sticking to the book, but Peter Jackson can be proud of taking this universally known and loved series of books and faithfully recreating it. The battle scenes were so awesome, I thought I was going to wet myself. (Okay, well it could be the large drink and 3 1/2 hour movie that made me feel that way.)



It is another HUGE GLARING example of the power of the Baby Boomers. I alluded to it in my post about The Hulk, and it just keeps coming. Baby Boomers are controlling the market as they have throughout their years and now is the time to turn Baby Boomer classics into films. Things we loved as we were growing up are turning into their grown-up incarnations. That is why I am so excited about the opportunity that USANA has given me. Every seven seconds another Boomer turns 50 years old and the two most important things on their minds are their health and their wealth. USANA solves both of those issues and that is why it has exploded in the past few years. When the rest of the stock market was plummetting - USANA (Nasdaq USNA) was voted the #3 stock by CBS Marketwatch and has grown from around $5 a share to over $60 before the split.

Anyway, back to the film. My all-time favorite period piece prior to this was Braveheart, this one ranks right there with it - among the best. This not one to be missed. Do yourself a favor though and watch the other two first so you can feel the grand scale of the project. You won't mind all the weepiness at the end if you have the 12 hour investment in the characters. ENJOY!


RATING 10 out of 10

Oh and I have to apologize for the bad rap I gave Tim Allen in The Santa Clause. I watched The Santa Clause 2 and it was actually a cute little movie. I guess after eight years, he made a good Santa movie afterall.

RATING 6 out of 10

- posted by Chris @ 12:08 PM

 


Well, it is once again DOCday on the Sundance Channel. Today was full of documentaries - good and bad.


First up was An Act Of Conscience directed by Robbie Leppzer. It premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival and tells the story of a Massachussetts couple that stopped paying their taxes to protest military spending. After 12 years of not paying their share, the government seized their house and sold it at auction. The film is the story of the hippy group of friends that 'occupied' the house and property for nearly two years while the couple that bought the house attempted to have them removed. It is a story of legal battles and moral battles. As a director, Leppzer does an excellent job of telling the story. While decidedly slanted in the favor of the tax protestors - he does give the other sides to the story. It was interesting, but certainly didn't glue one to the screen.

RATING 6 out of 10

I missed most of the shows today because I was busy - Lifting the Veil was a disturbing one that I did catch later in the evening. It was about the women in Afghanistan. It chronicled the execution of a woman who was shot in front of the public in the now-infamous soccer pitch where the Taliban has carried out numerous executions. The filmmaker set out to find the 7 orphans of the murdered woman who was executed because she covered up for her daughter that killed her abusive husband. Because early in the war, the mother was raped by Taliban soldiers, she was deemed an 'immoral whore' and thus guilty. It goes on to explain that girls that are raped by soldiers are considered worthless and their own families kick them out on their own. Most of the women interviewed like the idea of new rights and education, but admit it was safer under the Taliban - now, they say, there is no law and order and everyone has to fend for themselves.
RATING 7 out of 10

When the War is Over is a film I had seen before so I didn't really watch it too closely. It is the story of anti-apartheid rebels that struggle to find a place in a peaceful society after apartheid. Young soldiers that grew up on violence and death now have to deal with things like warring street gangs and illegal drug wars. It is interesting but overdone in some areas.
RATING 6 out of 10

- posted by Chris @ 1:08 PM

 

In world news today - the 4th Infantry Division based out of Ft. Hood near Dallas, Texas captured Saddam Hussein while the rest of America slept. The soldiers found Saddam hiding in what they called a "spider hole," six-to-eight feet deep, equipped with a rudimentary ventilation system and covered with bricks and dirt. Spider hole is the U.S.A. military term for such a camouflaged tunnel or hole in which an enemy can hide.





It was a day for Texas, the Dallas Cowboys beat the most hated NFL franchise in history in a SHUTOUT!!! 27-0 behind 3 interceptions by Newman and 188 yard rushing by Hambrick. And how did our boy Quincy do? He sucked as usual.

RATING 3 dunce caps
mostly stupid all day



Speaking of despicable characters - Saddam Hussein, Quincy Carter...etc... Pennie and I went to see Bad Santa last night. It was nowhere near as offensive as the publicity suggested. Sure Billy Bob Thornton was a nasty, drunken bum but Nick Nolte played the same character in Down and Out in Beverly Hills. In fact, Nick played the same character in real life. I guess Billy Bob wearing the Santa suit was supposed to be what offended our sensibilities - but anyone who has seen Tim Allen in any of the The Santa Clause movies should be more offended at those. Overall the film had some really good laughs - the trouble was that it was the same one or two gags over and over again. Don't get me wrong, the Three Stooges split my sides still with the same gags... but they at least had a good dozen to choose from. Bad Santa is a funny film and enjoyable to watch - but nothing special.

RATING 6 out of 10

- posted by Chris @ 6:23 PM

 
For the record: Bill Maher is an idiot. He is like Michael Moore with worse publicity. IDIOTS IDIOTS IDIOTS

For more information on the lies and doublespeak of Michael Moore - check these out:

Bowling for Columbine - The Truth

Moorexposed.com
- posted by Chris @ 11:10 PM

 


I watched "MLK Boulevard: The Concrete Dream" on the Discovery Times channel. It was one of the most lopsided - and devisive programs I have ever seen. The premise is that blacks are still not getting respect as is evident by the various Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards, drives and streets. It first starts out complaining that there are not enough of them - despite the fact that it is second ONLY to Main St. in terms of frequently used street names. As the filmmaker discovers there are indeed a ton of them out there, he changes his tack to one that purports the streets are in bad neighborhoods. The fact that most of these streets were so named back in the 70's does not figure into his calculations when stating these parts of town are rundown. The narrator then goes on to complain that some of the streets are not long enough. When he discovers major streets in the middle of downtown or busy areas of town, he downplays that they are not enough. There needs to be more memorials and reminders. These streets should be destination spots according to the filmmaker.

This is irresponsible racism at its worst as this (black) filmmaker shows only racist whites, images from the 60's and one or two current racists. He also only shows eloquent, well-spoken blacks. This filmmaker, Marco Williams, is a racist hate-monger pretending to be an enlightened filmmaker. HE is the plight of the black in America today. It is people like him who preach separatism and entitlement that hurt the cause of the people he pretends to be speaking for. Much like Al Sharpton, Williams is profiting off the division he is helping to create. Shame on you Mr. Williams - you are a traitor to your people and a despicable profiteer.


- posted by Chris @ 12:59 PM

 

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the media has stopped referring to Howard Dean as, “Dean” or “Howard Dean” and now started calling him “Dr. Dean?” Does that mean he has been accepted as the Democrat front runner and now it is time to stop bashing and start spinning America on a Dr. Dean presidency? Maybe it is an attempt to combat (pun intended) the rank of General by Gen. Wesley Clark. I just find it interesting when things like this happen – I expect to see more positive pieces on him in the news now.

And while we are on the subject of politics – lets talk about war. War in Iraq. War in Afghanistan. War in Kosovo. War in Timbuktu. It doesn’t really matter which war. War not only polarizes the combatants, but people on the same team often take drastically different stands on the same war. The party in power rallies supports for its wars and the minority party condemns their countries actions. It is universal. It is not just Democrats and Republicans in America. Why has the politics of war dominated the actual conduct of war? I think the answer lies in the political systems of the world and their inherent corruption.

Take the war in Yugoslavia with Slobodan Milosevic and the ‘ethnic cleansing.’ The UN under now-presidential candidate Gen. Wesley Clark as then-commander of the UN forces, started off applying pressure to Milosevic’s regime by bombing military targets. As the cleansing continued, the bombing spread from military targets to quasi-military targets and the use of cluster bombs. (If you do not have a knowledge of these bombs and their use in urban areas – you need to research them. This is a deplorable weapon in an age when we can hit any target we want within a few feet. The only purpose of these people-killers is terror and mass destruction.) Soon large amounts of innocents were people killed by the US-led UN Troops. All to “put pressure” on this leader.

Is that crazy or what? You know why we kill innocent people to “put pressure” on someone? Because the UN is just as political as your local political party. The UN has a rule that states that heads of state and politicians are officially deemed “non-combatants” and as such CANNOT be the target of military attacks. They could have taken him out at any time and ended the whole mess, but because politicians want to protect politicians tens of thousands of people just trying to live their lives have to die.

Why then was Saddam a target? Because we went around the UN. It is really that simple. The UN is a largely worthless organization – it adds just one more layer of greedy politicos. It remains so that heads of state can take action unpopular in their country and shift the blame to someone else, saying “it was a decision by the leaders of the world.”

This post started as a ramble on politics, but it has sort of morphed into a “get the US out of the UN” post. I think the UN has great potential, but because – no matter how many big shots you put in a room, they are all still small, selfish people - at the end of the day, it is a useless layer of bureaucracy.

- posted by Chris @ 9:19 AM

 


Well, it is once again DOCday on the Sundance Channel. Today I watched several documentaries on such varied subjects as neighborhood communities, the Vietnam War peace movement and the unsanitary condition of the Ganges river.

First, I have to mention Unfinished Symphony. It is an extremely informational and touching piece about the anti-war movement by ex-Vietnam Veterans. It chronicled the march in Massachusets and the controversial decision to camp on the historic Lexington battlefield. It featured now-Senator Kerry from Massachusetts as a then-former Vietnam vet protesting the war. In addition it included commentary by anti-war and often anti-American spokesman Howard Zinn. It was a very good documentary about a not very well publicized era.
RATING 7 out of 10

Another one that I caught was Caesar's Park by Sarah Price. It was very interesting - but it felt more like an episode of COPS without the violence than a documentary. There was not much of a point to the whole thing as the filmmaker originally set out to document a small park in a working-class section of Milwaukee and instead told the story of a small group of neighbors. The feeling of the film was that Price thought of the people as lower class, unambitious dullards as she had spent her entire life travelling the world prior to making the film. It was interesting to watch - much like an accident on the freeway is an interesting gawk. I was left with the feeling that the director was a snob and was making fun of her subjects.
RATING 4 out of 10

The Holier it Gets has been splashed all over the Sundance Channel (pun intended) as the next great documentary. The 1999 film by Jennifer Baichwal tells of the children of Indian and Canadian parents fulfilling their father's wish to disperse his ashes in the Ganges river upon his death. Upon reaching Bombay, they discover that the river is unsanitary because so many people flock to the river to 'cleanse' themselves and leave dead bodies. They decide to journey to the headwaters of the river so that they can place the ashes in a pristine environment. It is a little over-the-top in terms of drama as the filmmaker narrates throughout with countless morose and melancholy thoughts and feelings. The children try too hard to make it a heart-wrenching drama and actually end up (to my thinking) dishonoring their father's wishes by refusing to do things according to Hindu customs. The water is too dirty to do it like the rest of the Hindu's - so they choose a cleaner location. There is no special ceremony required, but for drama's sake they decide they want to make one. They continually whine about the dirt, poor conditions and bugs. They bitch because the place of the ceremony wasn't beautiful. They complain that people walk around indifferent ot their little wanna-be ceremony. They even whine about the rain. It is a sad commentary about the arrogance of this man's children and their ambition to make a film over obeying their father's request. The filmmaker intends to make a moving piece about ancient customs - but ends up making an indictment of herself and her spoiled siblings. Shame on them for dishonoring their father with this self-aggrandizing fluff.
RATING 4 out of 10

Holi-days is an excellent film. This documentary examines the contrast and similarities of three different destination cities – Jerusalem, Florence and Las Vegas. Jerusalem, the religious focal point for much of the world. Florence, the home of the Renaissance, DaVinci, Michelangelo and Galileo. Las Vegas, sin-city. The film shows that in competition for tourism and the almighty dollar, Jerusalem and Florence have turned into theme parks that happen to have old buildings. You find historical reenactments, cotton candy, ice-cream and shopping, shopping, shopping. Las Vegas a city that continually destroys any semblance of history by implosion, gives more history to its attendees through attractions such as The Venetian, Paris, Caesar’s Palace, the Luxor, and New York – New York. You can see the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triumph, Statue of Liberty and the canals of Venice all in one place. Amid all the exchange of money and photo-ops – the only difference between the three cities is that Las Vegas is up front about its intentions. Attendance for each per year: Jerusalem 3 million - Florence 6 million - Las Vegas 36 million
RATING 8 out of 10

- posted by Chris @ 8:17 PM

 

President Franklin D. Roosevelt: December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of American was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

Today is the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor...



Quincy Carter is now being exposed for the sham that he is on a regular basis now... I bet those idiot announcers that were calling him an up and coming superstar a few weeks ago are feeling pretty stupid now. This team will be lucky to finish 8-8.

RATING 4 dunce caps
he is not long for the NFL



Time to play a little catchup on the movie viewing. I watched House of 1000 Corpses, written and directed by none other than Rob Zombie. It was an homage to the old 70's horror flicks and as such it did a good job. The visualizations of Zombie's thoughts were a bit too creepy and the gross factor was in full swing - a little too gross for my tastes. The acting was better than I expected.

RATING 5 out of 10

In personal news - I got some writing done today on my book, "It's Impossible NOT to Make Money!" which I still expect to be finished in January. I also did some advance marketing for the book and am allowing people to pre-order a copy of the book for a discounted price. I also did some marketing for a website that Dave and I are starting up called MLMStop.com. The site will be a portal for people involved with or looking for information on network marketing companies. It will contain a directory of contacts for the major network marketing opportunities in most of the major cities of the US. I am also offering a pre-launch discount on directory listings. For a limited time, network marketers can nab their listing for only $2.95 a month. Pretty darn cheap way to market online!


- posted by Chris @ 9:24 PM

 

Today was a great lesson in the power of networking. After my BNA networking breakfast meeting, I took a drive over to 75% Off Books - a store that I frequent because of the great deals on new books. While there, I got into a conversation with the gentleman behind the desk and discovered that he was the owner of the store. We had a great talk about business as a whole and some specifics about dealing with employees etc. While talking, we also both met for the first time a woman who is the manager of a Tuesday Morning retail store. The three of us talked about everything under the sun and by the end of the conversation I had a consulting appointment to assist the man with accounting and tax issues, and am planning a lunch with the woman. (One of her best friends is Kathleen Kennedy - producer of the Jurrasic Park films, Signs, Seabiscuit and a host of films (60 since her first one - E.T. the Extra Terrestrial) Talk about the power of networking!

Pennie brought up a very good point when I was telling her about how my day went - where you meet people can determine to a great extent, the type of people you meet. The bottom line is that if you want to get ahead and build something - find people who have influence and help them. It is really that simple. Make yourself invaluable to those who can assist you and the results will be amazing. I think it was Zig Ziglar who said, "You can get what you want by helping enough people get what they want."
- posted by Chris @ 2:39 PM

 


The Reagans played on Showtime amid some minor controversy over the historical accuracy. This film was terrible. It is revisionist history at its most blatant. There was no mention of "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." There was no mention of his tax cuts. There was no mention of the arms treaty he signed eliminating an entire class of nuclear weapons. There was no footage of the wall coming down. There was no mention of the funding appropriated for AIDS under Reagan. There was only a left-wing agenda to portray President Reagan as a war hawk who created the AIDS epidemic single-handedly. Oh and it made sure to include Bonzo, his chimp sidekick in Bedtime for Bonzo, but no Berlin Wall. Do they think the public is THAT stupid?

If a filmmaker's agenda is to slant history, let him be intelligent and honest enough to create a fictional satire. To portray these lies as history is not only dishonest, but morally reprehensible.

James Brolin (not worthy of a link) has long had a ultra-left-wing agenda with his wifey, Barbara Streisand and I am sure he couldn't wait to jump into this project. Hell, he probably funded it. The hypocrisy of this loser is apalling. Ronald Reagan ended the freaking Cold War - what has Brolin done? That role as the manager in "Hotel" was certainly earthshattering. Or perhaps the multi-million dollar wedding to Babs while lamenting that the 'rich' Republicans should be more giving like 'us' poor Democrats.

RATING 1 out of 10

- posted by Chris @ 9:07 PM

 


I need to post some updates on a couple of the movies I have seen recently. Tony and I went to see Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World the other night. It was a good film. I am not sure that it is worthy of all the Oscar talk - but that is probably just marketing. I was very impressed with the historical accuracy of the ships and the tactics involved in sea battle. So many films just show a ship in the distance, cut back to the good guy ship, cut to the other ship closer and then cannonballs start firing. This film paid attention to the details like removing rear wheels from the cannons when firing for the mast at close range and the manuevers required to fire on a ship or catch a faster one.

I did find it rather lame that they changed the story from the original one in which the enemy ship was American. I guess it was a much easier to sell the ideas of our (now) allies the British fighting against our (now) enemies the French. In actuality, the French and Americans were allies during this time period and England was the enemy. Oh well, a little revisionist history is expected in film and in our current culture of "you're either with us or you are a supporter of Bin-Laden."

RATING 7 out of 10

Whale Rider is another film that I saw while I was working and I was impressed. It is an indie film about a young Maori girl (a New Zealand tribe) that fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize. It is a male-dominated culture and he refuses to allow her to take part in the tribal rituals. Many obligatory scenes are set up, and we all see the pre-destination, but it is the transformation that the viewer witnesses that is so powerful, and a payoff that is well worth the viewing. You WILL cry along with Keisha Castle-Hughes as Paikea.

Rawiri Parate did a great job as her stubborn grandfather, the tribal chieftain.

RATING 9 out of 10

I also saw the movie Holes the other day. It is classic Disney. The story is the same as many others - a kid has a hard life, has one hardship after another, has harrowing close calls with death and eventually destiny or fate conspires to make all his dreams come true. Jon Voight was funny as all get out as Mr. Sir and Tim Blake Nelson is always a hoot. Shia LaBeouf is a great newcomer as the lead character Stanley Yelnats. It is a fun movie to watch and is suitable for all ages.

RATING 7 out of 10

- posted by Chris @ 3:51 PM