The film adaptation of Ayn Rand’s novel, Atlas Shrugged: Part 1, was a jam packed theater experience. Our Cliff Notes review of the movie is: let go of your expectations, open your mind, and go see it! Now! What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for the theater to open? Go now! Okay, okay, please go see this movie at your earliest convenience.
Back to the short-attention-span review, you could read a poncy, pretentious movie critique, or you can take our word. Atlas Shrugged is a good, dramatic movie, with a message based on your choosing. If you’ve read all 1,350 plus pages of the book, you will no doubt notice some deviation from the original story. There’s a bit of a love interest that should keep a slightly vapid date absorbed. There are numerous political themes playing out that should keep your armchair political quarterback friends riveted. Subtle, but important, details are revealed constantly to keep your thinking friends engaged. Finally, there is some great imagery to keep your visually amused friends hanging on for the next camera shot. Make no mistake, this is a sentient person’s movie, unlike Spider-Man 3.
Here’s a clue, take a look at this video of Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. trashing the Apple iPad . Unfortunately, you can only understand the gravity of the vilification of Steve Jobs and Apple if you see Atlas Shrugged.
Whether you think Big Business is evil and we should be protected from greed, or you think that phony conservatives in D.C. will protect you from socialism, you need to see this movie to grasp the consequences of the fashionable merging of Crony Capitalism with the warm hugs of business regulation, done for the Greater Good™.
Very few movies can motivate an entire theater to applaud, but Atlas Shrugged: Part 1 managed to do just that.
Finally, the phony threat of a government shutdown has been avoided.
Congratulations, you lose!
The news media and politicians droned monotonously about how severe the impact of a government shutdown would be. Children would die, women would lose their rights, the elderly would go hungry, and our soldiers would go unpaid while they risked their lives. Even after the deal, the Associated Press (AP) said that we were, “perilously close to a government shutdown”.
Not to worry, your government professionals are still on the job, well, not on weekends, holidays, after 5:00 PM or during vacations…
You may have heard the President’s speech tonight about an historic deal to avoid a government shutdown! He even went so far as to proclaim the budget deal as “the biggest annual spending cut in history.” Sounds great doesn’t it? Or, does it sound like Bravo Sierra?
Who wins?
House Republicans – They made it sound like the country would spend less this year due to their tireless efforts
Senate Democrats – Senator Reid wants you to know he stood up to those mean Republicans, and the Cherry Blossom Festival will go on.
President Obama – He wants you to think his bold leadership led to this historic reduction in proposed spending.
China – China will probably continue to finance our debt, growing rich from the interest payments.
Who Loses?
The American people – While you were sleeping, eating, working, or looking for work, a big pony show went on in D.C. to fool you into thinking they were “doing something” about spending. You might think they reduced spending (the news told you so), but they will still have a budget bigger than they’ve ever had before!
Democrats were tricked into believing their sacred institutions were threatened, when they’ll get more money than ever before. Republican politicians make it sound like they took a stand, when they made a deal to spend more than ever before. President Obama wants you to think he kept his promise from his State of the Union address to reduce spending. Your tax bill will continue to grow, as will the record deficit, and the gargantuan National Debt.
Yes, you have been swindled! A “historic budget cut” is a $228 billion dollar increase over last year’s budget.
Ah-ha-ha. Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated? Good night!*
* Jonny Rotten, lead singer of the Sex Pistols, after playing one song at a San Francisco concert, then walking off stage, ending the show prematurely.
PETA is demanding that San Francisco change the name of the slummy Tenderloin District to some kind of cruelty-free food product. This is a shocking request, mostly because I didn’t know there was a far leftist group trying to hijack the acronym of the well-known People Eating Tasty Animals group. This trademark thieving group would like everyone to eat Tofu and other synthetic foods, like Soylent Green.
In an effort to help make this ghetto area of San Francisco more appealing to tourists, I’ve assembled a list of suitable alternative names, in no particular order:
The Bacon District – Vegans can claim it’s named after Kevin Bacon, the rest of us can appreciate the cured pork goodness of an area named after America’s favorite meat.
Foie Gras District – Renaming the area the Foie Gras District will lend an air of French sophistication and appeal to those who wish to remake America using Europe’s failings.
The Veal District – This name would create a vibrant image for a younger crowd.
Tuna Safe Dolphin District – This could become the hub of great sushi in the San Fran area, while making a statement against dolphin fisherman who don’t care about how many tuna die in the cove. Think of the tourist dollars this would bring to the area!
Can’t Lift Heavy Objects District – A name accurately reflecting the fruitopian reality they seek.
Youthanasia – A name that reaches the core of PETA’s mission to eliminate pet ownership, while feigning care.
Kobe Beef District – Named for a pampered breed of cattle that is fed lots of beer and receives daily massages. It doesn’t get anymore ethical than that!
TurBaconEpic District – Words cannot describe the beauty of TurBaconEpic, just watch the video at the link (Rated ER – viewer discretion advised, watching may cause a coronary) .
Feel free to leave your best suggestion in the comments below!
One of the most amazing outdoor events is happening at the beautiful and award winning Ben Avery Shooting Range in Phoenix this weekend, the AZ Game and Fish Outdoor Expo. Two years ago, I discovered my passion for all things shooty at the Expo, and if you’re curious about hunting, fishing, archery or competitive shooting, there is no better (or cheaper) place on earth to get a taste of these challenging and rewarding sports.
So what does the FREE Outdoor Expo have to offer? Here’s a list of just some of the great things to do there, courtesy of the AZ Game and Fish Outdoor Expo Website:
This crowd-pleasing event offers dozens of exciting, hands-on outdoor recreational activities:
* Test your skill at archery;
* Take your kids to the huge catch-and-release fishing tank;
* See live wildlife demonstrations (hawks, owls, snakes, more);
* Hike a nature trail/field course;
* Try target shooting with different firearms on the range;
* Learn about outdoor skills, firearm safety and more;
* View exciting shooting demonstrations by the cowboy mounted shooters, cowboy action shooters and more;
* Attend informative workshops on fishing, hunting, wildlife conservation;
* See off-highway vehicle and boating exhibits;
* Visit with more than 100 exhibitors— sportsmen’s organizations, conservation groups, shooting clubs, wildlife agencies, and commercial vendors and exhibitors of outdoor products and services.
The event and parking are free, as well as almost all of the demos. A few of the local shooting clubs do charge a small fee (a few bucks) to cover ammo costs, but it’s still a fantastic value for anyone looking at trying out the shooting sports.
History Channel’s Top Shot put out a slick video that answers the question that hundred of thousands of competitors around the world and myself already know. If for some odd reason, you’re still on the fence regarding this question, watch and learn:
h/t to one of the most amazing competitive shooters in the world, Julie G for sharing this video on Facebook
On Friday, Congressman Raul “Boycott Arizona” Grijalva sent a letter to the director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding Arizona’s efforts to balance the budget by proposing cuts to AHCCS, the state’s Medicaid program. In his letter, Grijalva states
This will devastate our economy in several ways, and the public deserves a chance to make its voice heard before any action is taken by the state of Arizona.
This is rich coming from the man that led the charge against Arizona and used his political clout to ask the country to refrain from spending their dollars in Arizona. There is still plenty of time for the public to comment on these proposals as they move through the legislature, but Mr. Grijalva doesn’t let facts get in the way of a possible political score.
Today, Speaker Adams responded to Mr. Grijalva’s letter with a letter of his own. And it’s good. In addition to Speaker Adams, 35 members of the House Republican Caucus also signed the letter.
Below is the text of the letter from Speaker Adams (I know, it looks long. Don’t be scared, it’s worth the read):
Congressman Grijalva:
We have read your letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding the proposed reductions in Arizona to our Medicaid program as well as your comments in the Arizona Daily Star. At the least, your statements demonstrate limited comprehension of the magnitude of the economic crisis facing your home state. Either you do not understand the issues surrounding Arizona’s Medicaid program – or you just chose to ignore the facts. Whatever the case, your efforts to delay and sideline our important progress of balancing the state’s budget will continue to leave many Arizonans with the false impression that we can provide services for which, in reality, there is no revenue source. To date, you have failed to provide any solution to that mathematical problem.
You apparently are not aware that Arizona faces a $543 million shortfall in the current year and a $1.15 billion shortfall in fiscal year 2012. Already, we have cut $2.2 billion from Arizona’s budget since 2008 due to plummeting revenues. Over the same period of time, you and your colleagues have increased spending by more than 30 percent on the federal level. Unlike Congress, we do not have the ability to spend money we do not have – nor do we believe that is a responsible way of conducting business.
Meanwhile, over the past decade, our Medicaid program has expanded at a record and alarming rate. In 2002, membership was just under 800,000 people. Today, it has spiked to nearly 1.4 million. That’s 1.4 million people on government subsidized health care in Arizona. Our general fund obligation over that time has increased from $675 million to $1.5 billion per year. That means that today, Arizona provides more generous Medicaid coverage than 44 other states in the country. More than 20 percent of Arizonans are covered by government subsidized care – a growing and unsustainable weight of responsibility given our current budget crisis.
Faced with this crisis, Governor Brewer had the courage and leadership to put forward a bold proposal in January that seeks to reduce our Medicaid rolls by approximately 250,000 people. Given the massive expansions in the system over the last decade, even with these significant cuts, more than 1 in every 6 Arizonans will still be covered by Medicaid. This remains a responsible and generous level of care.
In your letter to Medicaid and State Operations Director Cindy Mann, you allege that Arizona has “considered using cuts to Medicaid eligibility to pay for tax cuts.” That is flat out false. We are considering reductions to our Medicaid program in order to balance our budget – an exercise you have demonstrated no experience with given the aforementioned information.
You also state in your letter to Ms. Mann that the “recession has taken a heavy toll on our society.” That is very much true, especially here in Arizona. That’s why we as legislators have taken steps in Arizona that Congress has been unwilling to take, including rightsizing state spending to align with revenues. We also passed an historic and significant Jobs Bill, which you appear to criticize in your letter even though you do not have your facts right. As far as we can tell, your only contributions to impacting Arizona’s economy have been calling for a dangerous national boycott of our state and voting for Obamacare, which will further obligate our state to spend money we don’t have on Medicaid requirements. We believe our pro-growth measures are more productive than your inflammatory and destructive approach.
Despite your grandstanding attempt to jump into this process at the 11th hour, this issue has received extensive vetting and debate and will continue to receive hearings and opportunities for public input and discussion in the appropriate venue. It’s unfortunate that you did not participate in this discussion earlier. It’s also unfortunate that you have decided to criticize our governor’s proposed solution to our budget crisis, but failed to offer any alternative solutions. Arizonans deserve more from their elected officials.
Sincerely,
Kirk D. Adams
Speaker of the House
District 19
Like many other states, Arizona is broke. The cuts to our state health care system are an unfortunate necessity, and contrary to what the left would have you believe, these cuts will not kick granny out of her wheelchair and on to the street. For the real story on the ACCHS budget cuts, check out Papa Todd’s interesting facts about Arizona’s AHCCS budget cuts.
