Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
State of the disunion
Despite my considerable disdain for President Barack Obama's on the job performance as well as that of his Democrat cronies in Washington, DC I opted to watch last night's "state of the union" address which was nationally televised on all the major TV and cable networks. Like in the previous state of the union address given by President Obama this time last year, our President touched on a wide variety of subjects without really saying anything that he hasn't already said before. The president called on new government spending to create jobs aimed at repairing the nation's aging infrastructure of roads and bridges, somehow believing that this initiative will help with job creation. It does create jobs, typically those that last 90-120 days and pay about $9-10 per hour. That does nothing to improve the chronically high and persistent unemployment rate in the United States, currently stated as 7.9% by the Department Of Labor. Given that this statistic does NOT count those Americans not working this stat is more likely around 15%. President Obama made no mention last night in his state of the union address about how any of his programs would be paid for...not that he has to. The Democrats want to raise taxes and take more money from working Americans to finance their agenda.
Nearly forty eight(48) million Americans remain on welfare assistance to pay their bills and put food on the table. 30% of African-American adults between the age of 18-25 are unemployed. The United States has accrued a national debt of $16 trillion and that number shows no sign of being reduced given the Democrats(including President Obama) want to spend more money. As it stands now for every dollar the U.S. federal government spends our government only has sixty cents to cover that dollar. The other forty cents is "credit" and gets tacked on to our ever growing national debt.
"Obamacare" has already resulted in hundreds of layoffs in the medical prosthetic manufacturing sector, companies that produce these devices now subject to a burdensome new tax under the "Obamacare" legislation and, rather than risking insolvency, opting to layoff employees to offset this new tax and expense. It's expected that when Obamacare laws become fully implemented in 2014 health insurance premiums for both businesses and individuals will increase which will result in more Americans being unable to afford paying for health insurance.
GDP is projected to remain at 2% for the duration of 2014 and the economy, according to some financial and economic analysts, will likely never recover to pre-recession levels. The same goes for the unemployment rate.
There's plenty of blame to go around in both the Democrat and Republican parties but I blame the Democrats more than anyone else. The Dems, led by our current sitting president, have done next to nothing to help the U.S. recover, really recover. Any gains we make as a country will happen DESPITE President Obama and the liberal Democrats and not because of them.
To those reading this blog post who voted for President Obama in last November's national election, here's what you voted for: higher taxes, a chronically high unemployment rate, a higher general unemployment rate for women and African-Americans, higher heath insurance premiums in 2014, a national debt that may hit $20 trillion by 2016 and economic growth that will remain paltry for the next 18 months - 2 years. My congratulations to all of you.
Nearly forty eight(48) million Americans remain on welfare assistance to pay their bills and put food on the table. 30% of African-American adults between the age of 18-25 are unemployed. The United States has accrued a national debt of $16 trillion and that number shows no sign of being reduced given the Democrats(including President Obama) want to spend more money. As it stands now for every dollar the U.S. federal government spends our government only has sixty cents to cover that dollar. The other forty cents is "credit" and gets tacked on to our ever growing national debt.
"Obamacare" has already resulted in hundreds of layoffs in the medical prosthetic manufacturing sector, companies that produce these devices now subject to a burdensome new tax under the "Obamacare" legislation and, rather than risking insolvency, opting to layoff employees to offset this new tax and expense. It's expected that when Obamacare laws become fully implemented in 2014 health insurance premiums for both businesses and individuals will increase which will result in more Americans being unable to afford paying for health insurance.
GDP is projected to remain at 2% for the duration of 2014 and the economy, according to some financial and economic analysts, will likely never recover to pre-recession levels. The same goes for the unemployment rate.
There's plenty of blame to go around in both the Democrat and Republican parties but I blame the Democrats more than anyone else. The Dems, led by our current sitting president, have done next to nothing to help the U.S. recover, really recover. Any gains we make as a country will happen DESPITE President Obama and the liberal Democrats and not because of them.
To those reading this blog post who voted for President Obama in last November's national election, here's what you voted for: higher taxes, a chronically high unemployment rate, a higher general unemployment rate for women and African-Americans, higher heath insurance premiums in 2014, a national debt that may hit $20 trillion by 2016 and economic growth that will remain paltry for the next 18 months - 2 years. My congratulations to all of you.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Mountains of madness: THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN(1957)
The
"yeti", also known as the "abominable snowman", a large and hairy
humanoid creature alleged to exist in the Himalayas, has been the
subject of countless horror movies and documentaries over the years. I
can honestly say that I haven't come across a yeti documentary thus far
that I didn't like. Sadly I can't say that for horror movies featuring
this mysterious beast: most of the ones I've seen are total stinkers
include one I recently watched on SyFy called "Abominable Snowman".
Apparently the company that produced this film(a word I use loosely
here) decided that poor acting, a largely uninteresting human cast of
characters and CGI renderings of the malevolent creatures that resembled
something out of a video game is a formula for success for SyFy.
They're right about that, if nothing else but their completed work is
still something I regret watching and also a movie which is in my
estimation absolutely atrocious, even by SyFy standards.
To date there are only a handful of films featuring "yeti" or yeti like creatures that I find watchable, even entertaining: 2006's Abominable, a 1977 made for television movie called Snowbeast, the 1955 Toho produced Half Human(Ive only seen the Americanized version) and last but definitely not least, 1957's The Abominable Snowman, an early Hammer films movie that has stood the test of time and remains IMO the best movie presentation of the yeti.
The yeti phenomenom came to the forefront of media headlines in national newspapers in the 1950's in concert with the publicity surrounding the first successful ascent of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth(at over 29,000 feet in height) by Sir Edmund Hillary and his expedition in 1953. Members of the expedition, including Hillary himself, have been quoted as saying they heard strange noises that sounded semi-human.
Hammer Studios decided to make a film about the mysterious creature, based on the 1955 BBC teleplay The Creature. The result: The Abominable Snowman, directed by Val Guest and released theatrically two years later in 1957.
The film's story: world renowned botanist Dr. John Rolason(played by Peter Cushing), despite an ominous warning from the local Buddhist temple priest, reluctantly decides to join an expedition to search for the yeti, aka "the abominable snowman". The expedition, led by Tom Friend(played by Forrest Tucker of F-Troop fame), begins it's ascent into the steep, rugged higher elevations of the Himalayas. After establishing a small base camp the group is indeed visited by the mysterious creatures. One is shot and killed by expedition member and trapper Ed Shelley(played by Robert Brown). The dead creature is ignominiously used as bait, to lure other members of it's kind to the expedition members. This action proves disastrous, the team discovering that the yeti have a mysterious "telepathic" ability, it's effects on the surviving team members unpredictable and dangerous. (no spoilers).
Observations: this film is easily one of my top five favorite Hammer horror films. It's a grim and moody feature with some marvelous visuals of the rugged and awesome mountains of Nepal and a somber, at other times urgent score that nicely compliments the action in the film itself.
Like every Hammer horror film the story is actor driven and Hammer horror film veteran Peter Cushing doesn't disappoint as botanist "John Rolason" whose curiosity about the existence of the yeti is a proverbial itch he finds himself compelled to scratch despite his wife's concern for his safety and Rolason's own disdain at adventurer "Tom Friend"(played by Forrest Tucker). Tucker's character "Friend" contrasts to botanist Rolason in that the adventurer wants to capture a yeti to make a profit with no interest in studying the creature at all. The clash of wills between the characters "Rolason" and "Friend" is an interesting dynamic in this clasic black and white horror film, the two characters maintaining an uneasy tolerance of each other during their hike into the mountains and nearly coming to blows during a lively debate about the merits of their expedition.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of this movie, for me anyway, is the ending. I won't reveal what happens but for me the films' conclusion is thought provoking and not what I expected at all.
The movie itself is available on Region 1 DVD as either a stand alone film, or as part of a double-feature, paired with the 1970's martial arts crime drama Shatter!
The trailer:
Click the link to see the stand alone R1 DVD for sale at Amazon: THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN DVD
To date there are only a handful of films featuring "yeti" or yeti like creatures that I find watchable, even entertaining: 2006's Abominable, a 1977 made for television movie called Snowbeast, the 1955 Toho produced Half Human(Ive only seen the Americanized version) and last but definitely not least, 1957's The Abominable Snowman, an early Hammer films movie that has stood the test of time and remains IMO the best movie presentation of the yeti.
The yeti phenomenom came to the forefront of media headlines in national newspapers in the 1950's in concert with the publicity surrounding the first successful ascent of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth(at over 29,000 feet in height) by Sir Edmund Hillary and his expedition in 1953. Members of the expedition, including Hillary himself, have been quoted as saying they heard strange noises that sounded semi-human.
Hammer Studios decided to make a film about the mysterious creature, based on the 1955 BBC teleplay The Creature. The result: The Abominable Snowman, directed by Val Guest and released theatrically two years later in 1957.
The film's story: world renowned botanist Dr. John Rolason(played by Peter Cushing), despite an ominous warning from the local Buddhist temple priest, reluctantly decides to join an expedition to search for the yeti, aka "the abominable snowman". The expedition, led by Tom Friend(played by Forrest Tucker of F-Troop fame), begins it's ascent into the steep, rugged higher elevations of the Himalayas. After establishing a small base camp the group is indeed visited by the mysterious creatures. One is shot and killed by expedition member and trapper Ed Shelley(played by Robert Brown). The dead creature is ignominiously used as bait, to lure other members of it's kind to the expedition members. This action proves disastrous, the team discovering that the yeti have a mysterious "telepathic" ability, it's effects on the surviving team members unpredictable and dangerous. (no spoilers).
Observations: this film is easily one of my top five favorite Hammer horror films. It's a grim and moody feature with some marvelous visuals of the rugged and awesome mountains of Nepal and a somber, at other times urgent score that nicely compliments the action in the film itself.
Like every Hammer horror film the story is actor driven and Hammer horror film veteran Peter Cushing doesn't disappoint as botanist "John Rolason" whose curiosity about the existence of the yeti is a proverbial itch he finds himself compelled to scratch despite his wife's concern for his safety and Rolason's own disdain at adventurer "Tom Friend"(played by Forrest Tucker). Tucker's character "Friend" contrasts to botanist Rolason in that the adventurer wants to capture a yeti to make a profit with no interest in studying the creature at all. The clash of wills between the characters "Rolason" and "Friend" is an interesting dynamic in this clasic black and white horror film, the two characters maintaining an uneasy tolerance of each other during their hike into the mountains and nearly coming to blows during a lively debate about the merits of their expedition.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of this movie, for me anyway, is the ending. I won't reveal what happens but for me the films' conclusion is thought provoking and not what I expected at all.
The movie itself is available on Region 1 DVD as either a stand alone film, or as part of a double-feature, paired with the 1970's martial arts crime drama Shatter!
The trailer:
Click the link to see the stand alone R1 DVD for sale at Amazon: THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN DVD
Saturday, February 9, 2013
GARDENWURKS - winter landscape maintenance tips
With the leaves down and cold(er) temps in the winter there are a number of things ideally suited to be done on residential properties during the cold winter months here in the United States. I live and work in Atlanta, GA and while my tips below primarily apply to the southeast many of them are applicable for residential properties in other parts of the U.S. as well. Some "to do" items for homeowners this winter:
-prune back roses and fertlize them: I like the Bayer 3-In-1 liquid fertilizer-insecticide blend which is commonly available at Lowes, Home Depot and most retail nurseries. Magnesium sulphate or other granular rose food products also work well. This action will ehance bloom production on roses during the spring and summer months
-prune back crape myrtles. These trees should be completely defoliated by now and for those that are mature and well established they should be pruned back and fertilized. How much pruning? I always prune no more than one third(1/3rd) of the tree's total height. Example: a ten(10) foot crape myrtle would be pruned back no more than 3-3.5 feet off the top. A good fertilizer for use here is any 10-10-10 starter fertilizer(granular) which should be spread evenly around the main trunk of the tree. These actions will enhance bloom production and ensure overall health of the tree(s). Other small(er) and medium sized trees that benefit from a winter fertilizer application: dogwood(Florida), cherry(Akame and Yoshino), magnolia(Little Gem), hemlocks, cryptomeria, willow, arborvitae, birch and maple
-many shrubs benefit from a granular application of fertilizer in the winter months including: boxwoods, cleyera, various hollies(especially Mary Nelle, sky pencil, compacta and helleri), pieris, fatsia, euonymous, camellia, hawthorne, pitosporum, gardenia, azalea, ewe(cephalotaxus), acuba, hydrangea(oak leaf and other varieties) and osmathus(tea olive) -make sure to apply fertilizer around the main trunks of these shrubs as much as possible
-ground covers benefit from a fertilizer(10-10-10) application including ivy, Boston ivy, pachysandra, ferns, vinca(both major and minor), ajuga, liriope aka "monkey grass"(both Big Blue and variegated), mondo grass(including dwarf mondo grass) and creeping fig
-common winter "color" like pansies and violas should be fertilized with any common granular flower or pansy "food" product and pansies should be "dead-headed"(carefully plucking off the declined flower attached to the stem) - performing a handweeding and then refreshing these flower beds with new mulch top dressings is something I do quite a bit this time of year on a customers' property, not just in these flower beds but also in containers as well
-any larg(er) scale pruning to decrease the size of a large shrub should also be done during the cold(er) winter months
-the winter months are a great time to apply pre-emergent herbicides in large(r) natural areas where weeds tend to propagate heavily in the warmer months of spring, summer and early fall. A pre-emergent herbicide, as it's title suggests, kills a weed seed in the soil BEFORE it can germinate and appear above the ground. Pre-emergent herbicides can be pricey but in my experience can also make a huge difference in the amount of weeds that appear in natural areas and other areas where weeds tend to appear in greater quantity. Pre-emergents are typically sold at Lowes/Home Depot in bags and are a fine, granular product which can applied manually or using a standard sized or hand spreader("drop" or "broadcast type" for standard spreaders depending on the size of the natural area)
-many landscape companies will cut back "Big Blue" liriope(the kind that is solid green in color) because it can become blighted and grungy looking in appearance during the winter and this is definitely a good idea. Cutting back the liriope can be done either manually(for smaller beds) or with a string trimmer(weedeater) for larger amounts of liriope. Fertilize the liriope after cutting it back and cleaning out the clippings. You can expect the liriope to flush back out with new growth quickly as the temps warm up in the spring
-the early winter months are also an ideal time to install pine straw in beds and natural areas. Pine straw is an outstanding top dressing, affordable, readily available at retailers and pine straw contractor businesses and when installed properly can really make a residential property stand out. Pine straw also helps to suppress weed propagation.
To access my gardening/maintenance landscaping website click the link below.
Home - Gardenwurks
-prune back roses and fertlize them: I like the Bayer 3-In-1 liquid fertilizer-insecticide blend which is commonly available at Lowes, Home Depot and most retail nurseries. Magnesium sulphate or other granular rose food products also work well. This action will ehance bloom production on roses during the spring and summer months
-prune back crape myrtles. These trees should be completely defoliated by now and for those that are mature and well established they should be pruned back and fertilized. How much pruning? I always prune no more than one third(1/3rd) of the tree's total height. Example: a ten(10) foot crape myrtle would be pruned back no more than 3-3.5 feet off the top. A good fertilizer for use here is any 10-10-10 starter fertilizer(granular) which should be spread evenly around the main trunk of the tree. These actions will enhance bloom production and ensure overall health of the tree(s). Other small(er) and medium sized trees that benefit from a winter fertilizer application: dogwood(Florida), cherry(Akame and Yoshino), magnolia(Little Gem), hemlocks, cryptomeria, willow, arborvitae, birch and maple
-many shrubs benefit from a granular application of fertilizer in the winter months including: boxwoods, cleyera, various hollies(especially Mary Nelle, sky pencil, compacta and helleri), pieris, fatsia, euonymous, camellia, hawthorne, pitosporum, gardenia, azalea, ewe(cephalotaxus), acuba, hydrangea(oak leaf and other varieties) and osmathus(tea olive) -make sure to apply fertilizer around the main trunks of these shrubs as much as possible
-ground covers benefit from a fertilizer(10-10-10) application including ivy, Boston ivy, pachysandra, ferns, vinca(both major and minor), ajuga, liriope aka "monkey grass"(both Big Blue and variegated), mondo grass(including dwarf mondo grass) and creeping fig
-common winter "color" like pansies and violas should be fertilized with any common granular flower or pansy "food" product and pansies should be "dead-headed"(carefully plucking off the declined flower attached to the stem) - performing a handweeding and then refreshing these flower beds with new mulch top dressings is something I do quite a bit this time of year on a customers' property, not just in these flower beds but also in containers as well
-any larg(er) scale pruning to decrease the size of a large shrub should also be done during the cold(er) winter months
-the winter months are a great time to apply pre-emergent herbicides in large(r) natural areas where weeds tend to propagate heavily in the warmer months of spring, summer and early fall. A pre-emergent herbicide, as it's title suggests, kills a weed seed in the soil BEFORE it can germinate and appear above the ground. Pre-emergent herbicides can be pricey but in my experience can also make a huge difference in the amount of weeds that appear in natural areas and other areas where weeds tend to appear in greater quantity. Pre-emergents are typically sold at Lowes/Home Depot in bags and are a fine, granular product which can applied manually or using a standard sized or hand spreader("drop" or "broadcast type" for standard spreaders depending on the size of the natural area)
-many landscape companies will cut back "Big Blue" liriope(the kind that is solid green in color) because it can become blighted and grungy looking in appearance during the winter and this is definitely a good idea. Cutting back the liriope can be done either manually(for smaller beds) or with a string trimmer(weedeater) for larger amounts of liriope. Fertilize the liriope after cutting it back and cleaning out the clippings. You can expect the liriope to flush back out with new growth quickly as the temps warm up in the spring
-the early winter months are also an ideal time to install pine straw in beds and natural areas. Pine straw is an outstanding top dressing, affordable, readily available at retailers and pine straw contractor businesses and when installed properly can really make a residential property stand out. Pine straw also helps to suppress weed propagation.
To access my gardening/maintenance landscaping website click the link below.
Home - Gardenwurks
Woman votes twice(and possibly more) in 2012 election and denies voter fraud
Ever wondered what goes on inside the mind of a liberal Democrat and supporter of President Obama? The woman in the below video references Mr. Obama's "right to sit as President of The United States". I wasn't aware that ANYONE had a right to this particular job but having had conversations with numerous liberals you better believe they feel many of the elected officials in Washington they support do.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Out of the closet: THE BOOGEYMAN(2013)
Another film adaptation of a Stephen King short story has arrived, a movie directed by Stephen Hyams called The Boogeyman, which is also the name of the short story penned by Stephen King and which appears in the 1978 book NIGHT SHIFT, a superlative collection of Stephen King written short stories. I have this book and "The Boogeyman" is one of my favorite stories from this book, a creepy tale in which a tormented man named Lester Billings recounts to a psychiatrist the grisly night time deaths of his three young children. These deaths have two things in common: all these children cried out "boogeyman!" before their demise and a slightly opened closet door was discovered in every room in which the young ones perished. The distraught father, Lester Billings begins to question his own sanity as he talks about his dead kids to "Dr. Harper"... (no other spoilers)
This film will begin showing in film festivals in the UK on February 25th. Check out the trailer below for The Boogeyman(2013):
This film will begin showing in film festivals in the UK on February 25th. Check out the trailer below for The Boogeyman(2013):
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
One tangled web: BIG ASS SPIDER(2013) trailer
What can I say? I'm a huge fan of movies featuring giant spiders. Mike Mendez directs this indie movie called Big Ass Spider which has,... you guessed it, a giant spider on the loose causing all sorts of mayhem and destruction. Not sure when it will be released to official DVD but I'm sure it will be eventually. This movie will make some rounds at film festivals and may end up on SyFy(formerly known as The Sc-Fi Channel). Check out the trailer below!
Long in the tooth: Buckhead Esthetic Dentistry
Beginning last summer I began addressing the long term effects of cigarette smoking, smokeless tobacco and coffee on my teeth. I actually quit smoking and using smokeless tobacco in November, 1999 but the damage had been done. A work injury four years ago, which damaged one of my front teeth, also added to my dental travails.
For those living in or around Atlanta, Georgia consider using Buckhead Esthetic Dentistry for all of your dental needs. Dr. Jolanda Warren is my dentist and I couldn't be happier thus far with her work on my choppers which includes cleaning, fillings, extractions and what will soon be the installation of partial dentures to replace my front teeth which were damaged back in 2008. Without this dental work I would resemble a hyena every time I smile, obviously not something I'd relish as I get older.
I'm posting a link below to Dr Jolanda Warren's dental practice which is located in northeast Atlanta(GA) in the "Buckhead" suburb. Need a dentist? Give Dr. Warren a try!
BUCKHEAD ESTHETIC DENTISTRY
For those living in or around Atlanta, Georgia consider using Buckhead Esthetic Dentistry for all of your dental needs. Dr. Jolanda Warren is my dentist and I couldn't be happier thus far with her work on my choppers which includes cleaning, fillings, extractions and what will soon be the installation of partial dentures to replace my front teeth which were damaged back in 2008. Without this dental work I would resemble a hyena every time I smile, obviously not something I'd relish as I get older.
I'm posting a link below to Dr Jolanda Warren's dental practice which is located in northeast Atlanta(GA) in the "Buckhead" suburb. Need a dentist? Give Dr. Warren a try!
BUCKHEAD ESTHETIC DENTISTRY
It's in the mail: U.S. Postal Service to cut Saturday mail to trim costs
Postal Service to cut Saturday mail to trim costs
I'm always amused(but mostly annoyed) with liberal Democrats I encounter who insist that the U.S. federal government is our friend and will absolutely take care of all Americans if we just give the federal government a chance. Here's the thing: the federal government of the United States is a bloated, corrupt and disorganized mess. Federal government run agencies are rarely(if ever) run efficiently which begs the question: how can our government help anybody if it cannot even keep its own financial house in order?
A great illustration of that is the United States Postal Service, an agency wholly owned and managed(a word I use loosely here) by our federal government. The USPS has been losing money for a long time. In 2012 the USPS lost $25 million a day and the postmaster general came up with every excuse in the book to try and rationalize the ongoing disaster that is the USPS finances. Been in a U.S. post office branch lately? If you live in a large metropiltan city like myself I'm sure you've encountered long lines, postal service employees who amble about behind the counter aimlessly instead of stepping up to the service counter and offering to help customers waiting in line. If you complain to a postal service employee or branch manager their reply typically sounds like something read off a laminated index card.
Saturday mail delivery may save this agency money but I'm betting the postmaster general will be back in front of congress within two to three years with his hand out, asking for money to bail out an agency with too many overpaid and lackadaisical employees who are not held accountable for their on the job performance.
Here's a good article detailing how and why the United States Postal Service is so inept and fraught with financial waste: WHY THE USPS IS SO INEFFICIENT
I'm always amused(but mostly annoyed) with liberal Democrats I encounter who insist that the U.S. federal government is our friend and will absolutely take care of all Americans if we just give the federal government a chance. Here's the thing: the federal government of the United States is a bloated, corrupt and disorganized mess. Federal government run agencies are rarely(if ever) run efficiently which begs the question: how can our government help anybody if it cannot even keep its own financial house in order?
A great illustration of that is the United States Postal Service, an agency wholly owned and managed(a word I use loosely here) by our federal government. The USPS has been losing money for a long time. In 2012 the USPS lost $25 million a day and the postmaster general came up with every excuse in the book to try and rationalize the ongoing disaster that is the USPS finances. Been in a U.S. post office branch lately? If you live in a large metropiltan city like myself I'm sure you've encountered long lines, postal service employees who amble about behind the counter aimlessly instead of stepping up to the service counter and offering to help customers waiting in line. If you complain to a postal service employee or branch manager their reply typically sounds like something read off a laminated index card.
Saturday mail delivery may save this agency money but I'm betting the postmaster general will be back in front of congress within two to three years with his hand out, asking for money to bail out an agency with too many overpaid and lackadaisical employees who are not held accountable for their on the job performance.
Here's a good article detailing how and why the United States Postal Service is so inept and fraught with financial waste: WHY THE USPS IS SO INEFFICIENT
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