Filmmakers and Legislators Unite for Social

On Wednesday, January 28, 2009, the Northwest Alabama Film Commission in association with the University of North Alabama sponsored a social networking meeting with film industry professionals. There were more than 125 professionals and film students in attendence.

Senator Bobby Denton, Rep. Mike Curtis and Rep. Tammy Irons were there to discuss the upcoming proposed film incentive legislation. All legislatures were very positive about the future of the proposed bills. The film incentive bill is currently in committee as Alabama HB65. One key item to be notated about this current legislation is that it has 55 co-sponsors which virtually unheard of in such a bill. There has never been a time in previous Alabama film legislation that it received so many co-sponsors.

Tommy Fell from the Alabama Film Office was in attendance and discussed the vast resources that are available in Alabama for the film industry. During a private conversation with Mr. Fell, he stated that what the film office needed was more contacts in the north Alabama area. Fell gave high praise to the number of people in attendence and was really impressed that there were so many talented film people in this region of the state.

The University of North Alabama Communications department was well represented with the attendance of Dean Vagn Hansen, Dr. McMullen, Dr. Sanders and the new film instructor, Jason Flynn. Dean Hansen and Professor Flynn discussed the future of the film major at the university. UNA is hoping to make Film and New Media Arts a major within itself dividing it from the Communications Department. Flynn's knowledge and experience in the film industry is a outstanding addition to the program.

Joann Maxwell, the director of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce and director of the Northwest Alabama Film Commission, hosted an outstanding event. She expressed the wishes for similar networking meetings to be planned two or three times a year in the Shoals.

The Alabama Film Development Project was well represented at the meeting with the attendence of Director Thomas Beane, Media Relations Director Nathan Strickland, Technical Director Chuck Terry and Operations Coordinator Amber Privett.

Other notables in attendence at the event was Steve Richerson of Concrete Productions; Steve and Sherri Wiggins of Whippoorwill Productions; Jim Torres, director of "Like Rats, Like Moles"; and Tonya Holly and Tom Rogers of Cypress Moon Productions. There were several UNA students who establish the base for the future of the film industry in our state.

A big thanks is extended to the Northwest Alabama Film Commission member. Several of them including myself have been mentioned already. Other commission members attending the meeting were Bill Mathews, David Anderson and Giles McDaniel - Ex. Dir. of the Shoals Entreprenuerial Center.The meeting was a great social event and an excellent opportunity to network with those who love the film industry. We can all look forward to future meetings like this one to keep us connected with each other.

Oscar Gold Reduced to Brass

The Oscars nominees normally represents the very best that the film industry has to offer over the past year. Well 2009 may be the year that represents the mark in history when the Oscars downgraded the quality of the films to a lower standard. There were several really great films and quality performances from the past year that were Oscar worthy, but these were over-looked for a more popular and political choice. Case and point is the absence of Clint Eastwood being among the nominees. The film, Gran Torino, written and directed by as well as starring Eastwood has been revered as the greatest project of his lifetime. Now that is high praise considering he has been nominated numerous times and won 5 Oscars. This is not to mention the dozens of other awards that he has received. Eastwood has been acting since the 1960s and has been in nearly 60 movies. Many of these films are part of the American Film Institutes's Greatest Films of All Time list. Eastwood also was director of last year's paranormal thriller, The Changeling. But Eastwood won't bring home Oscar gold this year because he wasn't nominated for his acting performance. Leonardo DiCaprio's critically raved performance in Revolutionary Road was also passed up as a nominee. What performances are greater than the legendary Eastwood and very talented DiCaprio that are worthy of an Oscar nomination? Well none other than the superstar performance of Robert Downey Jr. in the Oscar "worthy" film, Tropic Thunder. What the ....?!? A slapstick parody about a group of actors who believe they are making a film, but are actually caught up in a war. Oscars were usually reserved for the greatest films of the year. Who knows what the standards for selection are from now on! If Tropic Thunder is worthy of an Oscar nom, then maybe they should take a look at Delta Farce with Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall and D.J. Qualls. It is in the same genre as Tropic Thunder, but the acting and plot was much more realistic and had more social value. Another question on the standards of the Oscar celebration is the blatant double standard that will be present at this year's ceremony. The performance of the late Heath Ledger as the Joker in the Dark Knight has been honored with an Oscar nomination. The critics seem to think that he has a guaranteed win although it is rare in Oscar history for an actor to win posthumously. Maybe Ledger's last performance deserves an Oscar. He was a very talented actor with a Oscar win for Brokeback Mountain. But Hollywood's standards are double for dealing with actors who die from drug overdoses. The same week that Ledger died, there was another very talented actor who passed away from the same cause. Brad Renfro who starred in The Client and Telling Lies in America died from an overdose without any recognition during the 2008 Oscar ceremony. The message that the Oscars send to the society is that if you are popular and die of an "accidental" overdose then it is ok. Instead of honoring the life that an actor had, they celebrate the way that they died. A drug overdose whether it is legal or illegal drugs should not be revered. Hollywood will do what it does best again this year and that is to ignore the elephant in the room. With the death of so many talented actors through the years, Hollywood could start a very real conversation for all of America about the hazards of drug use, depression and stress. Hollywood will once again ignore the social values for the box-office receipts and popularity. The quality of the golden statues that have been won by a wealth of extraordinary artists has now reduced to itself to nothing more than a brass statue with little significance. TJB

Hauntings: Human or Not

There are a lot of reasons that a place, person or thing can be haunted. The haunting can be as varied as the types of spirits or entities that can haunt. As a paranormal investigator, I have experienced many different kinds of hauntings, spirits and entities in the field. To understand how hauntings work, you first have to know what kind of spirits are out there.

A residual spirit is one who just repeats actions from its previous life on Earth. There is no intelligence associated with this type of spirit. It is like an image of a photograph. It captures a moment in time where the moment is replayed like the loop of a videotape. These type spirits can haunt a place, but are of no threat to the humans at the location.

A spirit with intelligence commonly called a ghost is one of someone who is aware of the humans that now are associated with the location. These spirits can communicate with people, manipulate objects and potentially cause harm. They can appear or create auditory evidence in an attempt to communicate. These spirits can be harmful. It really depends on the nature of the spirit. A good way of explaining this is to understand that a spirit cares its personality with it. If they were mean in life, they carry that tendency with them to the other side.

A demon or evil entity is different than a spirit with a bad attitude. Demons are created in evil and carry a negative energy with them with the intentions of upsetting, possessing or disturbing a human's life and soul. They are very predatory and should not be challenged except by those who have knowledge and experience in dealing with such entities. Demons can attach themselves to people, things or locations. They can also roam freely and may follow someone that they want. They create confusion and chaos. There are defined signs of how to identify the presence of a demon including anxiety, feelings of fear, bad odors and the infestation of vermin. Never ever confront a demonic entity with protection.

Amateur paranormal investigators should always take the time to research the activity associated with a haunting to first determine the type of presence before starting an investigation. If you feel there is something that may be harmful to you or others, leave it to the professionals. Don't believe the idea that spirits or entities can not harm you. There is plenty of documented evidence to the contrary. Knowledge is power and knowledge can keep you safe in the darkness of the night. TJB

Scientists Admit Unexplained Phenomena Exists

A scientific-based website admits there are some phenomena that scientists can not explain how it happens. These phenomena are often studied by paranormal investigators looking for explanations.

The website, LiveScience.com, wrote a top 10 unexplained phenomena list which includes items that occur although they can not be proven by scientific methods. The lack of scientific proof has been the key factor that skeptics and scientists use as a reason for debunking paranormal investigations.

LiveScience.com included three areas of psychic arts on their list. Psychic powers and ESP according to the website are extremely popular in these times. They conclude that lab tests of psychic powers have been “negative or ambiguous”. The website does not include any documentation of the successful tests that have been proven in labs or the fact that government agencies including Homeland Security uses persons with psychic abilities.

Intuition is one of the areas of psychic arts included in the article. The article admits that all persons have experienced some sort of intuitive event. They refer to as “gut feeling” and incorrectly included incidents where fear and not intuition are controlling emotions. The example that was used in the article was the feeling that your plane was going down in turbulence. This is a fear-based emotion and has little to do with actual intuition. Intuition would be feeling that your plane was going to go down before you boarded it and then it did. One who truly listens to their intuition would not board the plane.

Déjà Vu was the third area of psychic arts or ESP that was included in the article. The mysterious feeling of “having seen” something before actually experiencing it is a feeling that is felt by people who do not even claim to have psychic abilities. The article suggests “that human psychology can offer more naturalistic explanations” although they list none. They conclude with an admission that the “cause and nature of the phenomenon itself remains a mystery”. Scientists agree that does occur, but can not explain why it happens.

Another area of humans that remain a mystery to science according to LiveScience.com is the mind’s influence on the body. They refer to it as the “mind/body connection”. There have been thousands of documented cases where a person has been able to “believe” that they will get better and do. The article refers this ability as the “placebo effect”. This is also called ‘faith healing’ by people who believe their religion and prayers can have a great influence on their physical health. There have been cases of terminally-ill patients fully recovering from their belief in their ability to beat the disease. Although the article on LiveScience.com does not include it, the reverse is also true. People can actually make themselves sick by believing they are suffering from an illness. Medical doctors call this phenomenon, “Hypochondria”.

LiveScience.com includes two areas of spirit world phenomena on the list. Near-Death Experiences (NDE) is the phenomenon of a person who has nearly died making contact with the spirit world. The article verifies that there have been stories of NDE’s, but states that “no one has returned with proof or verifiable information”. The writer is not clear about what would be considered as “proof or verifiable information” or how a person in spirit form would return with such evidence. The article states that skeptics explain such phenomenon as “predictable hallucinations of a traumatized brain”.

The writer does not dismiss one area of spirit phenomenon and that is ghosts. Spirits returning to the Earth plane has been documented since the ancient times of civilization. The article states that “sincere eyewitnesses continue to report seeing, photographing and even communicating ghosts”. Although it reports evidence of ghosts as being “elusive”, the article concludes the topic with the hint that paranormal investigators may provide the “final answer” in this area.

UFOs have to be on any list of paranormal phenomena and LiveScience.com does include them. The article states that most reports are not UFOs because they are identified by authorities. The writer questions the possibility that any alien spacecraft can make it from great distances in the universe to Earth. It does say that some UFO incidents “will always remain unexplained”. Many credible people have sighted UFOs which authorities have not been able to explain or identify.

Bigfoot is the only paranormal creature to make it on the list although the article makes a slight reference to the Loch Ness Monster. The writer questions how the remains of a Bigfoot creature has never been found, one has not died of natural causes or has not been “struck dead by a speeding car”. The article concludes that science can never prove the existence of Bigfoot or Loch Ness Monster and it is possible that they “lurk far from prying eyes”. The writer appears by the words chosen to be skeptical of the existence of such creatures. The theories of scientific proof in the article are flawed at best and can be easily discredited. There are several hundred new species found every year that was never known to have existed. Some species including a prehistoric fish are creatures that were believed to be extinct. The absence of bones does not provide scientific proof that a Bigfoot or lake monster has not died of “natural causes”.

One questionable inclusion on the list is entitled “mysterious disappearances”. The article states that people disappear for a variety of different reasons. Some of them remain a mystery to this day including Amelia Earhart, Jimmy Hoffa and Natalee Holloway. The writer states that “when missing persons are found, it is always through police work, confessions or accident and never by psychic detectives”. The comment made by the writer is false and even makes one question the writer’s credibility. Such conclusions and generalizations should never be made. There are many reports on television and that have been documented where authorities stated for the record that psychic investigators gave them information or actually located missing persons through paranormal means.

The final subject on the list is a strange phenomenon that is located in Taos, New Mexico. Residents and visitors to the small desert town have reported hearing a low-frequency hum known as the Taos Hum. The article states that only about two percent of the population can hear the noise. It states that the reasons could be an acoustical phenomenon, mass hysteria or even a “secret, sinister purpose”. No one has ever been able to locate the source of the hum and apparently seems to be located only in Taos. Whether the sound is the ancestors singing from the spirit world or something of this world, the hum is an interesting phenomenon.

The mysteries of the world will always be a topic of interest to groups on different ends of the spectrum. There will always be the investigators who believe that the world is more than it seems. These investigators believe that psychic events occur and paranormal creatures exist in our world or beyond. There will also always be the skeptics and some scientists who believe that they don’t. Everything in the world can not be explained by scientific proof. Some things have to be based in belief and theory.

Legend of the Mothman

The Story of the Mothman

There is a paranormal creature that exists in the world that is known
as the “Mothman”. One story about this creature was featured in the
2002 film, “Mothman Prophecies” starring Richard Gere. The event that
the movie is based on took place in Point Pleasant, West Virginia.
The movie is based on material found in the book by the same name
written in 1975 by John Keel. Keel did a complete investigation of
the Mothman and wrote the book based on his investigation. There will
be more about John Keel’s book later in this article. Point Pleasant is
believed to be the home of the legendary Mothman. No one knows for
certain what this creature is. There are a lot of theories on how it came
to exist as well as its purpose on Earth. These of course are theories.
But the one thing that is true is the fact that dozens of people have
had experiences with the Mothman and all believe that it exists.

The earliest modern account of the Mothman legacy started on
November 15, 1967. David and Linda Scarberry along with friends,
Steve and Mary Mallette, were traveling the back roads of
Point Pleasant on the way home from a night on the town.
They passed the West Virginia Ordnance Works which is an
abandoned WWII dynamite plant located on the outside of town.
They spotted something that looked like two red lights near
the generator of the plant. They were curious and went to examine
it closer. They reported that the red lights were the eyes of a creature
that was nearly seven feet tall and had huge wings folded on its
back. The couple supposedly tried to outdrive the creature,
but it kept up with them at speeds of nearly 100 mph. They reported
the sightings to Deputy Sheriff Millard Halstead who would
later give testimony to the two couples’ character.

The story of the incident spread through the quiet town and
the townspeople started their own investigation into the mysterious
creature seen the night before. Over the next month, there were dozens
of reports of the creature being seen throughout the Point Pleasant area.
There have been reports of the creature being seen in front of people’s
homes and some say that it made contact with them. Many of these
witnesses said that they felt almost hypnotized by the creature.
They also reported seeing images of tragedy in their minds.
Some even report that the creature communicated with them.

One of the people associated with the Mothman is a man named
Indrid Cold. The mysterious man reportedly called John Keel repeatedly
as he was conducting his investigation. Cold told Keel about
future disasters and made references to knowing what the Mothman
really was. There were also reports by Keel that during his
investigation he was followed by unidentified men who was
tracking his evidence chain. Who these men were is as big a
mystery as Mothman.

Many people believe that the Mothman appeared as a warning
of a disaster. In December 1946, the Silver Bridge which connects
West Virginia to Ohio collapsed into the Ohio River below.
Forty-six people were killed during this disaster. The sightings
of the Mothman in Point Pleasant ended mysteriously after the
collapse of the bridge. Some people claim that the Mothman
caused the collapse. But most believe he was warning
them that it would occur.

Another interesting point about the Mothman that needs
to be added is the discovery of numerous animal mutilations in
the area at the time of the sightings. The Mothman is not the only
paranormal activity reported in the Point Pleasant area. There have
numerous reports of UFOs and other paranormal activity in this
part of West Virginia. Is the various paranormal activities related?
No one really knows the answer to that question.

Did the Mothman disappear completely after the Silver Bridge disaster?
Some people don’t think so. There have been reports of creatures
like the Mothman that were spotted in other areas of the world right
before a tragic event happens. Could this mythical Mothman be a
creature whose life journey is to warn us of disasters?
Or is it just a coincidence? What exactly is Indrid Cold’s
Connection to the legendary Mothman?
These are all questions that remain a mystery.

The Stories Not Told

We tune in to nightly and twenty-four hour news programs to get caught up on the events and political agendas of the day. We hear stories about politics and predominantly the events that threaten us as a nation and as individuals. But do we hear the true stories? The answer to that is we hear what they want us to hear. The news is aimed at us, scripted if you will, to influence our opinions and feelings on topics. There is a lot on the news about homeland security and terrorism. Everyday we hear stories about how certain countries and groups are a threat to our way of life. But are these cultures that usually are half way around the world with little resources really a threat to us? If you listen to the government authorities and the news media, then the answer is yes. If you listen to logic, then the answer is no. How many terrorists attacks did Iraq before the American occupation launch on America? None. There have been cases where American military bases on foreign soil have been attacked by terrorist organizations. As a former member of the military, I do not condone such actions. But I think we need to use our resources for the best interest of the American people, not American corporations. We have spent over $800 billion in the occupation of Iraq. There are approximately 320 million Americans. If we redistributed that money to causes within our own country, that would be a total of $2.5 billion dollars for each citizen in America. Imagine the great things that could do for our country and our lives if that money was kept at home. If the government was serious about homeland security, we would stop the flow of illegal immigrants into our country. I am not necessarily for closing the border to all individuals. We are a country of opportunity. But if the government can not stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the country, then how can they say that they are honestly fighting the battle of terrorism on our own land. We hear about the things that the media want us to hear, but we don't hear about the important things. They talk about the corporations being in financial trouble, but very little on the actual people who are suffering. They talk of the kids living in poverty in foreign countries. What about the kids in America in every state who go to bed without food and no home for a bed? Will there ever be a time when our news providers start to focus on the real truth and the real issues? The only way this will happen is if the people who report the news changes their philosophy on what is important. This will not happen as long as major corporations own and control our news sources. They will only continue to write stories that promotes their agenda. The only way to find the truth is for us as individuals and future communication students to establish independent and alternative news sources where the truth can be told without an agenda of money and power. The stories not told will remain hidden until someone takes the risk and tells them. TJB

My Life in Pro Wrestling

I have always been a wrestling fan every since I was a kid when you could only watch it on Saturday. There was one show that came on at noon and then another one late night on the same day. It was not a two or three times a week thing and the national show was not yet national. You watched shows that featured local superstars. The great thing about it being local was you could go to the National Guard armory or the coliseum and actually see the superstars from Saturday's show. Now you have to wait on the national stars to come to your area which is only once or twice a year if you don't have to drive a couple of hours to an arena where they are running a show. I got involved professionally in wrestling in 1989 as an announcer for a regional promotion that ran television in four states. This show only lasted for less than a year. When that promotion closed down, I stepped out of the shadows and launched a new wrestling show with a lot of the same performers. In 1989, I started New South Wrestling Alliance. I was the producer, owner, announcer and usually the one who set up the ring as well as the chairs. We were a big show on a little budget with a lot of self-promotion. I tried to put on the biggest show possible. I was only twenty-two years old and didn't know what I couldn't do. I didn't know that there were so-called alliances and rules in professional wrestling. No one really helped me with finances or connections in the beginning, so I didn't owe anybody any allegiance. What I did do was go out to arenas where wrestling shows were happening and passed out business cards. I had friends in the broadcasting business, so I was able to get tapes on television. After about six months, I landed a contract at the coliseum in Florence, Alabama which was a mecca for professional wrestling for more than two decades. Then I ran some other coliseums in a three hundred mile radius. I also ran every recreational center, school and public building that was big enough to house our show. Soon I had name wrestlers coming to me and wanting to do shows. I made friends quick in the business and contacts too. I had names like Bill 'Superstar' Dundee, Sting, Buff Bagwell, Tommy 'Wildfire' Rich, Wildcat Wendell Cooley, Koko B. Ware, The Rock (wrestled as Flex Kavana), Stone Cold Steve Austin (before his days at the WWF), Junkyard Dog and others that were featured on my cards. Everybody including the press thought that we had major financing. The truth was that we had enough money to do the promotion for the show. I owned the ring and borrowed everything else that I needed. I was in a situation where every show that I had to sell enough advanced tickets to cover the costs of the wrestlers before the show started. But with names like those, it turned out to be an easy task to do. I did have a partner who was a veteran of the wrestling business, but his only duties were to make contacts. He ended up helping me land local wrestlers, but was short on the big names. Bill 'Superstar' Dundee turned out to be my best ally and helped me land the majority of the big names. Dundee was a former World Tag Team Champion with partner, Jerry 'the King' Lawyer. Dundee was one of the main forces behind Mid-South Wrestling in Memphis, Tennessee where hundreds of name wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage and Lawyer have launched careers. New South Wrestling Alliance was recognized as one of the top Southern region wrestling shows behind WCW and Mid-South and ranked in the top ten by pro-wrestling magazines for three years in the early 90s. Our show turned out more than two dozen local wrestlers that went on to become WCW and WWF stars. With the rise of the big national shows, the local and regional shows took a hit in popularity. The expectations of a wrestling show became too expensive to maintain. This was the reason behind the collapse of many shows like New South and Mid-South as well as more than two dozen others. Wrestling's popularity runs in cycles. For a approximately a decade, its popularity and success is great. Then it will take a downturn for nearly a decade. This has been the case ever since the 1800s when pro wrestling was setting its roots in American culture. The national shows that can be seen on television four or five days a week provide for a consistent schedule of entertainment, but it also has had its flaws. The quality of the wrestling on these shows is second to the drama and gimmicks that they use. The popularity of massive men has promoted the use of steroids and diminished the talents of smaller, more natural athletes from days past. The national shows have also contributed to the destruction of so many regional shows that there is now a limited number of pro wrestlers available to move to the big shows. The regional and local shows were like the minor league baseball camps. They trained fresh talent and allowed them to season before moving up to the big league. In an attempt to collect the most money possible, these national shows have really clipped their own legs with a metal chair. New South Wrestling ran its last show in the Fall of 2000 and I exited the world of professional wrestling. I won't say that it is forever. Once the squared circle is in your blood and a part of your life, it is always there like a spotlight following you and calling you back. TJB

Ghost Hunting Tips

Ghost Hunting Tips

It seems the latest trend of television shows is to follow people exploring cemeteries "hunting" for ghost. The majority of the shows feature a group of people who have never been trained in any kind of investigations roaming around in the dark with night vision cameras and jumping at every sound. I guess this makes entertaining television. That is unless you are a serious paranormal investigator. Then it comes across as an insult and a joke. I have been involved in paranormal investigations for more than twenty-five years. I did investigations way before it was the cool thing to do. We were just the strange freaks that went into the haunted houses that most people avoided and sat on the river bank for hours looking for paranormal creatures and UFOs. No, we were drunk or high. Well not all the time. But we were considered to be odd by most folk's standards. I created the Flickering Lights Paranormal Investigations and Research Society in 1991. Our team has investigated more than a hundred different locations and cases. The problem now days is the definition of what exactly it takes to be qualified to be a paranormal investigator. First, you must have a honest curiosity of all things paranormal. There are different kinds of spirits in places. You need to know what kind they are to be able to communicate with them or catch them in their world. You can't communicate with residual. You also need to know that there are other entities that will prey on those less informed. Ever heard of a demon? Trust me, they exist. You don't want to confront one with your frat buddies or people under the influence of anything. There are also a such thing as a poltergeist. These are spirits that will wreck havoc on things around them. Another helpful tip if you want to be a paranormal investigator is don't look for ghosts or spirits in a cemetery. Spirits return to places that are familiar to them on Earth. Nobody lives in a cemetery. So why would a ghost? There are some rare exceptions where cemeteries are haunted. These are usually because of an event that occurred there. Another reason may be the land where it was built. Ghosts don't always recognize the building where they once lived is gone. Trespassing is a crime and you will go to jail if you do not have permission to go on someone else's property. There are a lot of things that you need to know about paranormal activity before you jump in the field and start searching for it. Go to the library and read as much on the paranormal as you can. Also study myths and legends of the area. These myths and legends are often based in fact to those who believe. Don't scream at the spirits and try to antagonize them. Remember that these are energies who can manipulate various worlds of existence. Do you really want to piss off something that has more abilities than you do? One last thing before you head off into the field and call yourself a "ghost hunter", true paranormal investigators hate the title of ghost hunter. It is a phrase that originated by skeptics as a slur toward those investigating paranormal activity. You don't have to hunt ghosts. If they want to communicate or make themselves visible, they will. And wishing won't make it so. I encourage everyone to explore the realm of the paranormal. When you think about it, there are more paranormal forces in the world than normal forces. Ponder the unexplained and you will see what I mean. Investigate and learn. Paranormal IS Truth!

Stop Hating the Pepsi

Stop Hating the Pepsi

I was in the grocery store today and was reading the signs posted on a bulletin board. These are the signs that advertise things like 'Goats for Sale', somebody missing a lawn mower, somebody else with a lawn mower just like the one stolen, how you can get rich from home and the usual signs for church bizarres. But one sign caught my attention. It said in big bold letters "Boycott Pepsi". Well I wanted to see why we should boycott a perfectly good soft drink. It stated that we should stop supporting Pepsi because they contributed to gay and lesbian causes. They listed on the flyer that Pepsi gave money to various organizations and also to teen helpline. I got to thinking who would oppose giving money to a teen helpline. Doesn't everybody need help every now and then? The teenage years can be brutal. So its good to have a place they can call and talk without being ridiculed. So I looked down at the bottom and it said that the message was sponsored by a national family organization. Now I wonder whose family could hate people that they obviously don't socialize with in their homes and don't know anything. It has to be a family organization with a leader like Charles Manson. It stated that Pepsi was taking sides in a culture war. Really? A culture war? They made it sound like gay and lesbian people don't have families. Of course, they may not claim they do if they come from families like the ones in the organization. The people of this organization are probably the same ones who buy products from companies that uses child labor. I guess their opinion is as long as it is not a gay seven-year old Chinese boy making it then it is all good. They probably also support companies who finance terrorists. I guess that is OK too as long as they only target the "Don't ask, don't tell" kind of soldiers. The truth about the message that they are sending is: It is OK to hate and teach your family to hate if it supports your cause. Whatever happened to love and let love? Is the motto for the 21st Century going to be "hate and let hate"? That sounds like a sucky place! I have some advice for these so-called family organization people.. Stop worrying about boycotting the soda manufacturers. Go home and take care of your family. You may be surprised to find that you have one of these"evil" gay people in your own ranks. One of their kids may be the next Richard Simmons. That's all I have to blog about that.

Joe The War Correspondent?

Joe The War Correspondent?

The 2008 Presidential election started in 2006 and it seems it just won't end. President-Elect Barack Obama hasn't even taken office yet and Sarah Palin is already gathering press for the 2012 election. Qualified or not, she still doesn't know where the continent of Africa is. But the one character that just won't go away is the man who stole his fifteen minutes of fame by confronting Obama on the streets and asking what his tax plan would do for person like him. We all know him....the man who looks like Mr. Clean. He is the almost famous, Joe the Plumber.

The story of Joe the Plumber was one that hounded the news everyday for a month or so. McCain's advisers and even Palin herself tooted the horn of Joe the Plumber. There was a problem though. Joe wasn't a plumber. He was a plumber's helper. In layman's terms, Joe was hired labor with a not-so-fancy title. Then they discover Joe owed back taxes. Of course, Joe the Tax Delinquent didn't sound as well. Some claimed Joe to be the all-American guy. Of course, he was the only all-American nobody on the campaign trail. The election ended, but Joe won't go away.

Joe the Plumber is now Joe the War Correspondent! Joe working for a conservative website is covering the war in Israel and the Gaza strip. Of course, more cameras are pointed at Joe than they are the actual war. Joe was followed by the press as he examined rockets that were collected by the Israeli military. He examined the rocket fragments as if he were sled dog looking at a palm tree for the first time. It was clear he had no idea what part of the toilet they came from. The press followed intently as if he was going to say something newsworthy. I guess there is always a first time for everything.

Joe the War Correspondent was not to fulfill the media's Oz fantasy. He stood in front of the cameras and looked very serious. He said "I don't think the press should be allowed to cover wars. The troops don't need reporters following them and giving away their positions". What?!? He went on to say that it should be like it was back during the days of World War I and II where you go to the movie theaters and see the airborne parachuting in after they have already accomplished their mission. Another...What?!?

Joe wake up and smell the....well....the joe. This is the 21st Century. Times are different. I find it ironic that as a war correspondent in the war zone of Gaza that he says reporters shouldn't be there. Wouldn't that be a better argument if he were say...I don't know...in the United States? He also needs to do a little search in current events and see that the idea for embedding the reporters with the troops was President G. W. Bush's idea. Joe, the viewers don't want to wait two or three months to see what happened. We are a society that wants to see things when they are still current. If it is two or three months later like the Great Wars before we get news, somebody else will be the story like Paul the Dog Walker or Tony the Beachcomber.

I got an idea. Joe, let the reporters cover the war and tell us about the victims of two warring factions. There are more important things in America that Joe could do. He could come back and report on something like the economy. That is a subject he shouldn't be able to mess up. Nobody else seems to know what is going on. So Joe won't look so bad reporting on it. The current situation with the economy is Joe's expertise. After all, it is going right down the crapper! TJB