News and Opinions - Blog Chow

The Senate passed the Amnesty of Illegal Aliens bill by a vote of 62-36. The measure title is: ‘A bill to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes.’ I think my title explains some of what is meant by “other purposes.” As usual, the devil is in the details. This is another slap in the face to America courtesy of pandering politicians. I think it’s especially a slap in the face to those who played by the rules and are still waiting to get in this country.

We need reform. That is a good thing. We don’t need to make a complete mockery of the system. Passing more laws after not enforcing the old laws is not a recipe for success. It usually leaves a pile of laws that become selectively enforced. So many laws are hastily passed that even the lawyers and judges don’t know what many of them really mean. Let’s face it, there isn’t enough law enforcement or prisons to begin to enforce most of the laws on the books as it is. It often becomes a case of corrupt people singling out certain individuals.

Immigrants are welcome here. That is what we are. It is one of the basic things that made America great. People storming over the borders and waving a foreign flag demanding their rights from real citizens (and getting them) is not the kind of thing that made America great. It is the kind of thing that has brought the pride of this country into the sewer. Showing so clearly how the leaders in this country do not have their act together is the kind of thing that emboldens terrorists and all enemies of the United States.

Below is the list of Senators who voted in favor of Universal Welfare for Illegal Invaders. The two media appointed front runners for the 2008 Presidential election, John McCain and Hillary Clinton voted yes for amnesty for illegals. Some notables are listed in bold print. Nearly all the Presidential hopefuls voted for amnesty. George Allen is the most prominent potential candidate who voted against the bill.

It’s all about the money. That’s all it ever was with the ‘Da Vinci Code.’ There are no ancient secrets, unless it’s the one about separating a fool and his money. You would think if you were going to make a blasphemous movie, it would at least be entertaining. This movie has gotten some of the worst reviews you will ever see for such an anticipated flick. With the enormous success of the book, a mega budget and Hollywood A-Team, it was believed that the movie would be an all summer smash and dominate like a ‘Titanic.’ When all is said and done, will it turn out to be more like the ship Titanic? When you consider a zillion dollar production, two zillion dollar promotion and expectations through the roof, it might be more like the latter.

I think Ronnie Howard probably got overly intellectual with the movie. Seems Hollywood people these days have to convince you how smart they are. That’s seems more important to some of them than entertaining people or even showing a profit. I think you can only be so profound with a fictional story. It’s like wrestling. It has to be entertaining. You can’t fool all the people all the time. You don’t have to as long as they get their money’s worth. The wrestling people are more willing to admit that it’s only entertainment than those associated with the Da Vinci Code. They call it sports entertainment. Maybe the Da Vinci people should be up front and call it Biblical entertainment. I guess they can’t do that. It would be an admission of two of their biggest secrets: blasphemy and their favorite god, the “all mighty” dollar.

I suppose the secret could be a cure for insomnia. Here’s some of the (yawn) reviews coming out about the movie:

“A jumbled, joyless affair that neither entertains nor enlightens.”
– Shawn Adler, IGN FILMFORCE

“The movie is woefully plotted and just flat-out, eye-crossingly dull.”
– Phoebe Flowers, SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL

“Nothing really works. It’s not suspenseful. It’s not romantic. It’s certainly not fun. It seems like you’re in there forever.”
–Stephen Schaefer, BOSTON HERALD

“A jumble of historical myth, religious symbology and international thriller-action makes for an unwieldy, bloated melodrama.”
– Kirk Honeycutt, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

“The film is faithful enough, but it’s hard to imagine it making many converts.”
– Owen Gleiberman, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

“Ron Howard’s adaptation of Dan Brown’s bestseller is punishingly long, dramatically overwrought and fatally short on the thrills we demand from summertime blockbusters.”
– Colin Covert, MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

“You know a movie’s a dud when even its self-flagellating albino killer monk isn’t any fun. ”
– John Beifuss, COMMERCIAL APPEAL (MEMPHIS, TN)

“For people who insist that the movie is never as good as the book, your case just got stronger.”
– Matt Pais, METROMIX.COM

“As for the film’s entertainment virtues, forget it. This is one of the most talky and pretentious major films in memory.”
– Steve Crum, VIDEO-REVIEWMASTER.COM

“It’s not often that this thought comes to mind while watching a Tom Hanks movie. But in The Da Vinci Code, the actor is solidly miscast.”
– Richard Horgan, FILMSTEW.COM

“Retarded, ridiculous and crushingly dull.”
– Devin Faraci, CHUD

Other Quotes:

“If such lies and errors had been directed at the Koran and Holocaust they would have justly provoked a world uprising. Instead, if they are directed against the church and Christians, they remain unpunished… stridently anti-Christian… full of calumnies, offences and historical and theological errors regarding Jesus, the Gospels and the Church… I hope you will boycott the film.”
– Archbishop Angelo Amato, the number two official in the Vatican doctrinal office

“Christians must not just sit back and say it is enough for us to forgive and forget. Sometimes it is our duty to do something practical.”
– Cardinal Francis Arinze

“Let the biblical scholars and historians battle it out,”
– Davince Code author Dan Brown

Food For Thought: I think the Dan Brown quote comes from the Dan Rather school of journalism. It’s the truth unless you can prove it’s a lie. Even then, as long as their conclusions are possible, then lies and forgeries are acceptable ways of getting their agendas out.

Somebody needs to help this poor bastard. It’s now being reported that George Michael was caught in a daze sleeping at a traffic light. He slept through four light changes before a motorist woke him up by tapping on his window. He drove off erratically like a drunk or stoned person might. In February he was caught sleeping at the wheel in posession of pot. Only about a month ago he ‘whammed’ into three cars trying to park his own vehicle.

It was nearly a year ago I wrote the blog entry ‘George Michael in Crisis’ on this site. Now he has become a bona fide public menace. Hopefully he doesn’t come over here. What’s wrong with this guy’s squash that he can’t take a cab or a limo or just have some schmoe drive him around when he’s drunk/stoned? Bad enough what he’s doing to himself, but it won’t be funny when some innocent person’s life get’s ruined because of drugs. He should be locked up or put in rehab for his own good, not to mention the safety of others. It’s really sad to see. This would make a good ‘just say no’ public service announcement. Maybe he would see it himself and turn it around before it’s too late.