tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70072705774784747242024-03-14T02:12:27.695-07:00Voice of the MountainShawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-43835739428939276192018-08-14T07:10:00.000-07:002018-08-14T07:10:09.572-07:00Long Overdue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAef1wyv5MjcnmzsgAuJVm_dSC0kGE7V32zIg1WaBK60iQNPgDFD16sLt2UIiAuqpSdT4oeHTJlLMxdV9xHS0P0PaEU1krnlG2BMoTwUxFmXC9_OXQw0UX22pi5I4bKkN4K_o5G3TygsI/s1600/desert+sky.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="714" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAef1wyv5MjcnmzsgAuJVm_dSC0kGE7V32zIg1WaBK60iQNPgDFD16sLt2UIiAuqpSdT4oeHTJlLMxdV9xHS0P0PaEU1krnlG2BMoTwUxFmXC9_OXQw0UX22pi5I4bKkN4K_o5G3TygsI/s640/desert+sky.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Long Overdue</h2>
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by Shawn K. Inlow</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>A starving man was given a feast</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>And sent out into the world</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>But given only dry crackers</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>These will sustain you, they said,</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>But only so you can dream of the feast</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>A man dying of thirst </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Crawled to the edge of an oasis</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>And he swam</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>And the sweet water ran over his tongue</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>And made him alive</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>His journey was from somewhere to oblivion</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>And here his soul did rest</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>But the desert extended in every direction</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>He filled a bottle and hoped it would last</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>And he went into the hot sun</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Dreaming of the shade </i></b></span></div>
Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-78416028388815170012018-04-09T12:05:00.000-07:002018-04-09T16:33:54.156-07:00Paragon Ragtime Orchestra Performs "The Kid" Saturday at The Rowland<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQzQucIg2SncKLWtb0IBXfJBQc7LJwP40aIxwWdBoSOnlZbQBLjBfRaquXB-vFI8Npj0uzub1l9vaWBMxPrv8hl8U9lWZiaM4VWim4xY07VdTz6kRBoPcry4Sbf1_9-iGGwdzm1uOXoee/s1600/Paragon+at+Rowland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="960" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQzQucIg2SncKLWtb0IBXfJBQc7LJwP40aIxwWdBoSOnlZbQBLjBfRaquXB-vFI8Npj0uzub1l9vaWBMxPrv8hl8U9lWZiaM4VWim4xY07VdTz6kRBoPcry4Sbf1_9-iGGwdzm1uOXoee/s400/Paragon+at+Rowland.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paragon Orchestra last year performing at The Rowland. (credit CDT)</td></tr>
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<b>There are few cinematic events </b>that you can attend that have more worldly class than the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, playing this Saturday at the Rowland Theater in Philipsburg.<br />
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If you think you like the silent greats like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, but you've never experienced those masters the way they were meant to be seen, with live musicians actually playing the scores that Chaplin himself wrote, well, then, you've never really seen Chaplin.<br />
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Let me explain. Watch your favorite film but turn off the sound. How long would it hold your attention? Which is precisely what The Mountain is telling you. If you admire Chaplin's "The Kid," which is the feature playing at the Rowland Saturday at 7 p.m. and have only seen it as a "silent movie," then you've never experienced one of the singular joys The Rowland Theater and the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra can offer.<br />
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Think of "Jaws" without the murky deep score that sets you on the edge of your seat. Or, perhaps more apropos, a Bugs Bunny cartoon without Carl Stalling's madcap genius orchestra behind it.<br />
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I've been in the balcony of the Rowland watching this performance in years past... marveling as the percussionist matches every kick in the seat of the pants with some odd rim shot, as the orchestra swells into a love sequence, or thrills into some death defying stunt. The effect is true cinematic magic. And you, dear reader, have the chance to witness it for yourself.<br />
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Just <a href="http://www.rowlandtheatre.com/" target="_blank">click HERE</a> and click on the ticket link and you can reserve your seat ahead of time. Just $25 and you will see something you can't get anywhere else. Many like to sit as close to the orchestra pit (see picture above) as possible. For myself, I like the long balcony view, just below.<br />
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The front row balcony seats at the largest movie screen in Pennsylvania are a treat to for soaking it all in and watching a great film be brought to vivid life.<br />
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The Mountain assumes you know what "The Kid" is about, but for the unwashed.... The story begins when a destitute woman leaves a baby with a note in a limousine and then goes off to commit suicide. Hilarious right? But the limo is stolen by thieves who deposit the baby by a trash can. Enter Chaplin's beloved "Tramp" who finds the child and provides a loving home. I will leave it there so you can enjoy it fully, friends. Suffice to say we'll share a laugh and a tear.<br />
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Chaplin was once described as the most well known person on earth, so great was his fame and his art at the telling of a simple and pathetic story. Even today, your heart will get stolen. Trust me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFtLxLeu60sAnRmi5CDfV34s8ly1LxeRHH3Je30uKlVPuCcP9AQPqgEPjuFcujppK3HpeyDbliYS8ti7inSBbRh-PMnR-GgxNpfFhkzRFqXaQjmgO7aeYx-kFnqoRper4pjhvu_bGwUszD/s1600/The+Tramp+and+The+Kid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="742" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFtLxLeu60sAnRmi5CDfV34s8ly1LxeRHH3Je30uKlVPuCcP9AQPqgEPjuFcujppK3HpeyDbliYS8ti7inSBbRh-PMnR-GgxNpfFhkzRFqXaQjmgO7aeYx-kFnqoRper4pjhvu_bGwUszD/s320/The+Tramp+and+The+Kid.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
Just over there, to the right, is a still from the movie. That's the kid, little Jackie Coogan, way back in 1921 with The Tramp himself. What's not to love.<br />
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The Mountain makes no idle promises. That $25 ticket you just clicked on will be one of the more pleasant evenings you'll have spent in a year. Try not to miss it.<br />
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The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra is a world-class orchestra, who've performed the Kennedy Center and the Lincoln Center, National Public Radio and the BBC, and world-wide. If you've been to Disneyland or Disneyworld, you've heard PRO's music as the outdoor theme music at Main Street USA.<br />
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You're in for a treat, friends. Try not to miss this Saturday's splendid concert/film. You can come back to this tiny corner of the web and thank me later. <br />
<br />Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-50574783890166115152018-01-25T11:05:00.002-08:002018-01-25T12:03:07.288-08:00Why Red-Map Is Bad for America<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pennsylvania's Congressional District boundaries have been ruled unconstitutional. Republicans have been rigging the game since 2010 with a strategy called "Redmap." Here's why the strategy is bad for America and even bad for republicans.</td></tr>
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By Shawn K. Inlow <br />
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IN A DEMOCRACY, you want a fair election. You NEED a fair election.<br />
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Anyone who agrees you need fair elections in a representative democracy would then agree that undermining the one-person-one-vote paradigm is antithetical to the democracy.<br />
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In Pennsylvania, 37% of voters are republican. How, then, do republicans control 61% and 80% of the state house and senate respectively? How, then, does the republican 37% of the voters hold a 12-5 edge (one is currently vacant from a republican retirement) in the U.S. House of Representatives?<br />
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Republicans would have you believe that they are winning the political war of ideas. The Mountain says their success has nothing to do with their political ideas. <br />
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It has everything to do with changing the rules of the game.<br />
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Republicans have always represented the business class, and that's okay, because rich businessmen need love too. Because, you know, it's so soul-sucking when your only friends are in it because you're buying. But, like their friends in business, they play politics in the way that a business might lay out a business plan. They form committees to lay out strategies and then get billionaires to fund implementation.<br />
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Repubs (The Mountain is gonna call them "repubs" until conservatives quit using the pejorative "democrat" as a modifier of "democratic" policies.) have decided to undermine electoral fairness in two key ways: 1) change the boundary lines of districts state by state across the country and 2) suppress likely "democratic" voters.<br />
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Here is the official website of <a href="http://www.redistrictingmajorityproject.com/" target="_blank">REDMAP</a>. When you hear repubs on teevee talking about massive voter fraud, you might want to hold the mirror of their own words up to their faces and see if the creature moving his lips casts a reflection. By repubs' own admission, they are using pretzel logic to pen as many democratic voters into as few districts as possible, leaving repubs unopposed in much of the rest of the districts. It tilts the playing field radically to the repub right.<br />
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I've heard it described this way. Suppose the Steelers are playing the Ravens and come out of Baltimore with a 13 point loss. But in the second game in Pittsburgh, the Steelers impose new rules for the game and the Ravens have to go 150 yards for a touchdown and the Steelers only have to go 50 yards to hit paydirt. Second game, The Steelers walk all over the Ravens. You would say that's unfair. Unfair, but EFFECTIVE. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07d6vNp5_MCyyMs0XhuTiqDWoYwIEG8qFe2WgHI7wDE8fZAtfhQtWtuROA0fpENk1xCAaH6s3vdC6qVDo5Siu58UoNLD0-5kgRWZtvGNzYpf96lDTXud-x1efQLKCRxSJKF1Nh_jACa8T/s1600/Pa+7th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="750" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07d6vNp5_MCyyMs0XhuTiqDWoYwIEG8qFe2WgHI7wDE8fZAtfhQtWtuROA0fpENk1xCAaH6s3vdC6qVDo5Siu58UoNLD0-5kgRWZtvGNzYpf96lDTXud-x1efQLKCRxSJKF1Nh_jACa8T/s320/Pa+7th.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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On the left is a great example. This is Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, or as it is colloquially known, "Donald Duck Kicking Goofy." You can see it on the large map in the masthead down around Philadelphia and Delaware. Repubs drew this district when they took control of the legislature back in 2010 after the last census. Now, you can drive in and out of three districts in one minute. Crazy.<br />
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Further, look at the state map above. Glenn Thompson represents The Mountain. (The Mountain, itself, is roughly located on the "r" in Clearfield County.) Good ol' GT is from Howard, out on the way east toward the point of Centre County. What in the world does Glenn Thompson have to do with ERIE County?<br />
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The repub redistricting map <a href="https://whyy.org/articles/pennsylvania-supreme-court-strikes-congressional-district-map/" target="_blank">HAS BEEN RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL.</a> And the legislature has until February 15th to redraw the districts with the governor's approval and file it with the state supreme court. Failing this, the court will draw the map. And this is happening in battleground states across America. It's unfair and it basically means that democratic voters can pour out into the election with a two thirds majority and get one third of the representation. In North Carolina, the U.S. Supreme Court has <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article154384454.html" target="_blank">RULED</a> that the redistricting is racist and disenfranchises black (read: "democratic") voters.<br />
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This is going on all over the place and, in a second arm of the repub plan, they have devised a strategy to stop likely democratic voters from even casting votes in the first place with a broad plan to initiate voter I.D. laws that The Mountain finds just as racist as the Redmap plan. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/02/15/do-voter-identification-laws-suppress-minority-voting-yes-we-did-the-research/?utm_term=.e513319fa79f" target="_blank">HERE IS A GREAT ARTICLE</a> showing how big of an impact voter repression has on our elections. When The Mountain considers Redmap in conjunction with vast voter suppression efforts, you can see the repubs' fear. They fear a brown America.<br />
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So, my friends, when you hear a repub on teevee talking about voter fraud, THEY are the ones perpetrating the fraud. Even Donald Trump, who famously called for an investigation into how he lost the popular vote by over 3 million "illegal" votes, recently disbanded the commission without any proof of his claim. BECAUSE IT'S FALSE, PEOPLE. When my republican friends are sitting there watching Fox, and they're eating up stories about voter fraud, they are being LIED to. Look around. The ONLY "news" source pushing this line of propaganda is FOX. Fox IS the fake news media, folks. But 37% of Pennsylvanian republican's just don't get it.<br />
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Worse than all of that, it's a racist agenda pushed by a racist party who is embracing racist ideology. (Hail Trump!) And for those republican friends who can still think objectively, it's just unfair. It's undemocratic.<br />
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The reason this is bad for America and democracy writ large is obvious. But it is also bad for the repub party. Ronald Reagan could not get elected by today's conservatives. Old time public servants like John Heinz, who The Mountain voted for couldn't hang today. What Redmap has done is make the republican party MORE strident. Even well heeled republicans like the Bush family can't believe the racist and hate-filled bent they're seeing here. <br />
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<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/11/why-republican-women-arent-galvanized-by-the-trump-era/546533/" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a story about how women in general are being repelled by republican politics. Oh, don't get me started on how repubs have embraced the radical pro-life agenda nationwide. How repubs everywhere are damaging women's health care, family planning and reproductive rights. It's as if they've unleashed every nosy church lady all judging and gossiping onto the political landscape. Pick-a-little-talk-a-little. No matter how you slice it, the evangelical disconnect is insane in Trump-land. I think it can be shown he's a self-entitled serial sex offender with three wives who <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-lawyer-used-private-company-pseudonyms-to-pay-porn-star-stormy-daniels-1516315731" target="_blank">PAYS HUSH MONEY TO PORN STARS!</a> Oh, my LAND! They were all in a tizzy back in those quaint Clinton years when a married man lied under oath about a consensual blow job. My how things change. In the church-lady caucus, Bill Clinton=Bad; Donald Trump=Okay!<br />
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You get the feeling that the women's movement is chasing a lot of pervy repubs out of office before shit goes public. You know, better to be retire than be blackmailed, right? <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/10/politics/house-retirement-tracker/index.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a story about the wave of Trumpist repubs who are gittin' while the gittin's good. The Mountain wonders about Bill Shuster. But just look at the way Redmap is producing hard-right crazies! Roy Jones is breathtaking.<br />
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<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/11/25/could-the-battle-for-the-gops-soul-leave-republicans-unelectable/?utm_term=.0eb8f00a5f2b" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a story about how the reddening of repub districts is resulting in a degradation of their party.<br />
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If there was a home for moderate republicans or even old fashioned people like myself who often voted republican, there isn't now. Right now, unless you are a corporate capitalist, fascist, neo-nazi or self-righteous evangelical, you have no business being a republican.<br />
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The Mountain will leave you with that to think about. But one more thing. While we're straightening out the partisan, racist, unfair repub electoral map, why don't we do something about Pennsylvania's state government?<br />
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The Pa. General Assembly has 253 members, consisting of a Senate with 50 members and a House of Representatives with 203 members, making it the second-largest state legislature in America and the largest full-time legislature. As of 2014, members' base pay was $85,356 and <a href="http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/11/it_pays_more_to_be_a_pa_state.html" target="_blank">THAT'S NOT EVEN THE HALF OF IT.</a><br />
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I ask you. With the condition of central Pennsylvania and the rampant poverty that has existed all my life around these mountains, who needs that much representation? There are 67 counties in Pennsylvania. It can't be that difficult to get a representative government that is fair and doesn't bankrupt everyone else.<br />
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Of course, for that to happen, you'd have to get a large repub majority to vote against themselves. Good luck with that.<br />
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Thanks for stopping in, dear reader, and feel free to comment in the space below. Please know that your comments gain weight when you sign your name. I do. You should too.<br />
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Also, please feel free to share the link as you like. And until next time, Enjoy!Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-53361797112599871712018-01-06T13:23:00.002-08:002018-01-06T13:23:13.708-08:00How to Get the Most Out of YOUR Tax Break<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvje19u5JV7aIP3_Kc-ZugC5CEr2EaPUmUwnT4rdp2gmvnaTWRQByHYO-7LE00L6Yf-ujJSyOfCdQPHlNv5Wo7k_uD5x-ZovNH3PypYhNbqwvt66L7qrzmjJN9lISzsh_jsxEuZFke2S3T/s1600/Money.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvje19u5JV7aIP3_Kc-ZugC5CEr2EaPUmUwnT4rdp2gmvnaTWRQByHYO-7LE00L6Yf-ujJSyOfCdQPHlNv5Wo7k_uD5x-ZovNH3PypYhNbqwvt66L7qrzmjJN9lISzsh_jsxEuZFke2S3T/s640/Money.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a lot of money. Odds are you'll get about $60 or less from the republican tax reform legislation.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">How much is a trillion dollars? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Mountain was asking itself that question. It's not as simple as you might think. In the context of the recent republican effort to pay their donors back in the form of a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/01/us/politics/senate-tax-bill.html" target="_blank">$1.5 Trillion tax cut</a> , I was trying to figure out how much we might get in tax relief.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Experts have said that 85% of this $1.5 trillion (or $1.275 trillion) goes to the richest 1% of Americans. There are 122 million "tax paying units" in this country. And I was thinking how nice it would be to divide $1.275 trillion among "regular" Americans. If our government is going to blow a <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/12/the-7-myths-of-the-gop-tax-bill/547322/" target="_blank">$1.5 trillion hole in the deficit</a> , wouldn't it be nice if "the forgotten men" of America got the gravy instead of the crumbs? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">To understand this impact and what our government is doing, let's start out small.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">One thousand thousands equals one Million. One thousand Millions equals one Billion. And one thousand Billions equals one Trillion. A Trillion can also be thought of as a Million Millions. So if you divide $1.275 trillion evenly among all tax paying units in America, every one of us would be getting a $1 million tax break. The Mountain says very little work would get done around here if that was going to happen. But that's not what's going to happen.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Under this plan, President Donald Trump is going to make an estimated $1 Billion (one thousand millions). So all this republican bluster I've heard about the national debt and deficit is plainly shown for what it is: pure 100% American Bullshit. We (us, U.S. all of us) are not bailing out big banks this time. We're being bilked up front. The debt plane is being crashed again to benefit the very same people who destroyed the world economy under George W. Bush and handed us the bill.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">And you know, I'm getting tired of republicans ripping us off at every turn. According to Gary Dorrien in his book <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=zqgq4hyjlewC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Obama+Question:+A+Progressive+Perspective&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiHhYa6mMTYAhXLTCYKHaKlDdcQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=The%20Obama%20Question%3A%20A%20Progressive%20Perspective&f=false" target="_blank">"The Obama Question: A Progressive Perspective,"</a> it's the republicans who wipe out the economy over and over again and it's the democrats who get stuck cleaning up the mess. Read along with Gary for a few paragraphs...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Reagan led the Republican Party into temptation by persuading it that deficits don't matter because tax cuts pay for themselves, especially at the upper end. When Reagan took office in 1981, the national debt was $907 billion, approximately 26 percent of gross domestic product. Eight years later the debt stood at $2.7 trillion, representing 40% of GDP. In eight years Reagan tripled the country's accumulated debt by cutting the marginal tax rate from 70% to 28% and cutting the top rate on capital gains from 49 to 20% -- social engineering on a staggering scale that fueled a huge inequality surge. George H.W. Bush, vowing to maintain Reagan's winning approach, let the debt escalate to $3.9 trillion, which scared him enough to break his vow, raise the marginal rate to 35%, demoralize his party and lose a second term."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">"The only break in America's post-1980 record of escalating the debt was the Clinton administration. The national debt crossed the $4 trillion mark during Clinton's first year in office, 1993. Clinton raised the marginal rate to 39.6%, which republicans warned would destroy the economy. At the end of Clinton's presidency, the debt was $5,674,000,000 and heading downward as Clinton rang up budget surpluses of $70 billion in 1998, $124 billion in 1999 and $237 billion in 2000. According to the Congressional Budget Office, had the United States stuck with Clinton's fiscal policy, the cumulative budget surplus would have reached $5.6 trillion by 2011, wiping out the national debt."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">"All of that was quickly squandered by George W. Bush's tax cuts and ramped up military expenditures, plus a prescription benefit lacking a pay-for. Bush's tax cuts blew a $2 trillion hole in the deficit. He was the first president in American history not to raise taxes to pay for an expensive war. Official expenses for the two wars that Bush charged exceeded $1 trillion with long term costs that will triple that figure. He added a $1 trillion Medicare prescription drug benefit without paying for it either, a windfall for the pharmaceutical industry, creating the first entitlement in American history lacking a revenue source. Then the casino economy that Bush deregulated crashed. In eight years the Bush administration piled up new debt and new accrued obligations of $10.35 trillion and it doubled the national debt from $5.7 trillion to $11.3 trillion, not counting the $5.4 trillion of debt inherited from the federal takeovers of Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac. Bush amassed more debt in eight years than America's previous 42 presidents combined, breaking the record of the previous debt champion, Ronald Reagan, and the record keeps growing as three quarters of the debt amassed on Obama's watch is the outgrowth of Bush's unpaid tax cuts, unpaid wars, and unpaid drug benefit, and much of the rest is cleanup for the financial crash."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Obama inherited a deflating economy teetering on an outright depression, a skyrocketing debt, the structural legacy of thirty years of politically engineered inequality, and two wars. When he took office in January of 2009 the U.S. economy was losing 741,000 jobs per month and the Congressional Budget Office projected a $1.2 trillion deficit for 2009. The economy had lost $13 trillion of net worth over the past 18 months and 2.6 million jobs over the past 12 months. The government had pledged $9 trillion in loans, investments and guarantees to fill the chasm. And the economy was shrinking by nearly 6% annually. Had these losses continued the United States would have been in a depression by September. Instead, by January 2010 the job loss figure had been cut to 20,000 and the economy was growing at nearly 6% annually."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Remember: THIS time, the tax cut is good for us. It's not good for Donald Trump. Take his word for it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Enjoy your chump change (or should we call it "Trump change"?) because in a couple years your tax bill, Joe Average, is going to go UP while the rich retain their benefits FOREVER. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">So I wanted to get to the bottom of how you can get the biggest bang for your tax cut dollar. I'm not sure my tax plan is particularly well laid out, but here goes. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'd say invest in makeup and disguise items first. Then look around and see if you can locate someone who owns a politician. Owning a politician takes disgusting amounts of wealth. Disguise yourself as that person and go to that person's house and, in a flattering way, ask for an autograph. While having the person sign your autograph book, gently take him hostage and bind him, gently now, in the closet and wait for his tax return to come. Use the autograph to forge the check and sign it over to yourself.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Because that's the only way regular people are going to get dick out of this deal. Because while Donald Trump is getting a billion dollars, you can maybe afford to buy some hot dogs down at Sheetz while you wait for the republicans to come after your Social Security and Medicare when suddenly - Surprise! - there's not enough money left to go around. Enjoy your lunch.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">By Shawn K. Inlow</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">1.6.18 </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks for stopping by, dear reader. You can comment below, just remember that your comments mean a lot more when you actually sign your name to them. In the meantime, I'll see you down at Sheetz where you can get two death-dogs with everything for under $1! Until next time, Enjoy!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-17747598395402265092017-12-28T11:19:00.001-08:002017-12-28T20:24:40.440-08:009 Of Note<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCxSdkEcCmPF_iVoJJ-fxvBDJ6cwIHmRYrzfSgfOGcRXED5qzt-rUfzJt5ePR6Lu0zdl-qVu9vwKYQdqNEo6c_bqGcFn-MMsluucOwqGVQodORbPfQtGzPBqS8aDk9WhjX7gfMbkxWBOe/s1600/Video+Vault.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="540" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCxSdkEcCmPF_iVoJJ-fxvBDJ6cwIHmRYrzfSgfOGcRXED5qzt-rUfzJt5ePR6Lu0zdl-qVu9vwKYQdqNEo6c_bqGcFn-MMsluucOwqGVQodORbPfQtGzPBqS8aDk9WhjX7gfMbkxWBOe/s640/Video+Vault.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's Vault explores films from classics to current films worth your while. Remember: Life is too short for bad movies.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7fWXQV2RxKRetjbc6aG01V88ZdefouhS7guhRHgdmBKqCmaB1enz3DW9_e7OUZ6pFKR4BaH7pSFi8Wd3z5Nc5lvOywpxJC1hJZz-4OArVKP84O82a9F5dgOpWNMENQedLI__nf07iZBg/s1600/Christopher+Plummer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="600" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7fWXQV2RxKRetjbc6aG01V88ZdefouhS7guhRHgdmBKqCmaB1enz3DW9_e7OUZ6pFKR4BaH7pSFi8Wd3z5Nc5lvOywpxJC1hJZz-4OArVKP84O82a9F5dgOpWNMENQedLI__nf07iZBg/s320/Christopher+Plummer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christopher Plummer as J.Paul Getty in All the Money in the World</td></tr>
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<b> All The Money In The World</b><br />
<b> 2017 - Ridley Scott</b><br />
<b> Rated R: 2hrs 22min</b><br />
<b> Vault Rating: 6</b><br />
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J. Paul Getty was the guy who first figured out how to get oil out of Saudi Arabia. In doing so, he became the richest man in the history of the world. He is an odd subject, then, for Director Ridley Scott, who's made some of the great science fiction films in cinema history.<br />
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"All the Money in the World" is a dark portrait based on the 1973 abduction in Rome of Getty's grandson and his ensuing reluctance to pay a ransom for the boy's release. You could be forgiven for not missing Kevin Spacey in the lead role. Scott fired Spacey after sexual harassment allegations surfaced and re-shot his scenes with Christopher Plummer in a lead performance that is Oscar-worthy.<br />
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The portrayal of a man who would make Ebenezer Scrooge seem generous is unkind at best and, for this writer, calls into question either the man's mental health or, more broadly, the potential disastrous effects of wealth on the wealthy. The man is unlikable. There are few people in the film who are likeable. Thus, having played the story more or less straight, you get an unlikable film. That said, Scott presents it expertly. Just don't go and expect to see the typical ransom story pay-off, okay?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFSxW2XrjqyZ_LYsuN9hcqnAK3akTR-fbmErF-TdkG3MuCfriKyJeeLowfEf9k3LQPNUYF1sbc8i4uL6QwcBkk-eFI6ksJPAgTwjY8raZxr2pNRcYVgJyNqOsxWM_HRDieyia8toeY0SE/s1600/Lady+Bird+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFSxW2XrjqyZ_LYsuN9hcqnAK3akTR-fbmErF-TdkG3MuCfriKyJeeLowfEf9k3LQPNUYF1sbc8i4uL6QwcBkk-eFI6ksJPAgTwjY8raZxr2pNRcYVgJyNqOsxWM_HRDieyia8toeY0SE/s320/Lady+Bird+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf in "Lady Bird"</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b> Lady Bird</b></div>
<b> 2017 - Greta Gerwig</b><br />
<b> Rated R : 1 hr 34 mins</b><br />
<b> Vault Rating: 9</b><br />
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"Lady Bird" has to be hands down the best picture of 2017. If you don't wanna take Vault's word for it, ask the Golden Globes or stroll on down to Rotten Tomatoes where this little gem is the top rated film in the web site's history.<br />
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It is the story of a headstrong girl (Saoirse Ronan) coming of age in a catholic school in Sacremento, California. She's got a passive-aggressive mother (Laurie Metcalf) and challenges every convention in her world which leads to a humorous, poignant and heart rending film. I think I wept at least twice and was happy when the audience combusted into warm applause at the film's end.<br />
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It is refreshing to have a feminine story told from a feminine perspective. With female directors asserting themselves more broadly these days, stories like "Lady Bird" will seem less and less like they come from some foreign country. The winner is the film-going public.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/i5fo65mFKOA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i5fo65mFKOA?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="320"></iframe><b>Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri</b></div>
<b>2017 - Martin McDonagh</b><br />
<b>Rater R : 1 hr 55 mins</b><br />
<b>Vault Rating: 9</b><br />
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Three Billboards plays like a Cohen Brothers' movie and not just because it stars Cohen favorite Frances McDormand as a mother grieving the unsolved murder of her daughter. The film takes wild Cohen-esque turns that at first surprise the viewer and then seem downright plausible when you think about it.<br />
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It all begins when Mildred (McDormand), frustrated at the lack of arrests in her daughter's unsolved murder, pays for three billboards that question local authorities. What follows are very natural, often shocking and in some cases predictable consequences.<br />
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What you don't get are one-dimensional characters. Each role in this film is complex, dynamic and lively and it makes for a real crowd-pleaser. Nominated for 6 Golden Globes including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgC9NKwu2IGiNPe7Of1ImsQwvZvJ8gnMh-tq7Qn9FJRRQFQAupuIjW8UA_RNF5AIwMsEn1wBWDhmgxrFNyv7gw-ZFtIIr_AZPA-aFJbDLPWYoIp7-UNTqjjG-xdtYv12JCy1t2eAXKVa-/s1600/Moira+Shearer+The+Red+Shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1222" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgC9NKwu2IGiNPe7Of1ImsQwvZvJ8gnMh-tq7Qn9FJRRQFQAupuIjW8UA_RNF5AIwMsEn1wBWDhmgxrFNyv7gw-ZFtIIr_AZPA-aFJbDLPWYoIp7-UNTqjjG-xdtYv12JCy1t2eAXKVa-/s320/Moira+Shearer+The+Red+Shoes.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
<b>The Red Shoes</b><br />
<b>1948 - Michael Powell / Emeric Pressburger</b><br />
<b>Britain : 2 hrs 14 mins</b><br />
<b>Vault Rating: 8</b><br />
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Drama musical about a young ballerina (Moira Shearer) who is torn between her love, composer Julian Craster (Marius Goring ) and the iron willed manager of the ballet (Anton Walbrook).<br />
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Regarded as the most beautiful in cinema about the ballet, it is a phantasm for the eyes and rightly won Best Art Design-Set Decoration and Color Oscar and best Music and Scoring Oscar on top of that.<br />
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Shearer is a top flight dancer and should be hallowed among the screen's most radiant beauties for this stunning performance. <br />
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The story is adapted from the Hans Christian-Anderson story of the girl who puts on the red shoes and dances until she dies. Here, however, she portrays a rising dancer torn between her two loves.<br />
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The performance numbers are masterpieces and would reward many, many viewings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEive6cRqU8REiXPTtkcgp65gD2sCjza-70eAIyTZQe7j1nyfSUnDKqLX8lYie6kfQx-l4omI34KCHpKYuM1Zyzt316c1xZO0YL2iNu7LGOihFpaZD41FM3_fNRYi1Yf9G3AWcbD-O80c-Aj/s1600/Late+Spring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="672" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEive6cRqU8REiXPTtkcgp65gD2sCjza-70eAIyTZQe7j1nyfSUnDKqLX8lYie6kfQx-l4omI34KCHpKYuM1Zyzt316c1xZO0YL2iNu7LGOihFpaZD41FM3_fNRYi1Yf9G3AWcbD-O80c-Aj/s320/Late+Spring.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setsuko Hara as Noriko in Yasujiro Ozu's "Late Spring."</td></tr>
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<b> Late Spring</b><br />
<b> Japan - 1949</b><br />
<b> D: Yasujiro Ozu</b><br />
<b> Drama - 108 minutes</b><br />
<b> VR: 8</b><br />
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A classic of Japanese cinema observes life, love and loss between a widowed man and his daughter in post-war Tokyo.<br />
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It is late spring, thematically when flowers and forests burst with life, and we find Noriko, at age 27, rather old for a single woman in the culture, lovingly taking care of her father, Shukichi, who, at age 56, is in the autumn of life.<br />
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The cultural imperative toward marriage is heavy, yet there are divorcees (gasp!), working women (shocking!), women pregnant out of wedlock (terrible!) and men who’ve remarried (filthy!). You know: Life.<br />
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Noriko is the classic devoted daughter who wouldn’t think of leaving father to fend for himself. But Ozu shows us subtle longing when she takes a platonic bike ride to the beach with a male friend of the family who, happily or not, is engaged to marry a younger woman. Indeed, the prospects of arranged marriage run throughout and Noriko’s auntie has found her a nice 37 year old man who rather “looks like Gary Cooper.”</div>
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Through it all, we observe the very real feelings of familial and cultural drift in a world that is also changing. There is honor. There is duty. There is doing the right thing. But there is also moving on.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidE3_hweKnxnw7wDhkArqk6G2dR73QEhYoCenyHABR6iXjmGXrXlv1T84BwHuPoo7apAheVyGfX2BYOXe0XXyBBmdG_OCNX482r70dZndA4lMzPZ3C-vALQrBiGaLd5hSiCq4jlrhDF033/s1600/MyHappyFamilyPoster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="509" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidE3_hweKnxnw7wDhkArqk6G2dR73QEhYoCenyHABR6iXjmGXrXlv1T84BwHuPoo7apAheVyGfX2BYOXe0XXyBBmdG_OCNX482r70dZndA4lMzPZ3C-vALQrBiGaLd5hSiCq4jlrhDF033/s320/MyHappyFamilyPoster.jpg" width="224" /></a><b> My Happy Family </b><br />
<b> 2017 Republic of Georgia</b><br />
<b> D: Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon Groß </b><br />
<b> Run time : 2 hours</b><br />
<b> Vault Rating: 8</b><br />
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A middle aged school teacher, Manana ( Ia Shugliashvili), <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4311293/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" itemprop="url"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name"></span></a>leaves her family to live on her own in 1992 Tiblisi. This thoughtful drama examines the thick bonds of a Georgian patriarchal family and women's issues of the time that are still relevant today. <br />
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The story finds the ever suffering Manana living under the same roof as her parents, her husband, their children and even their fiances. Every day she endures the nagging of her mother and the demands casually placed on the shoulders of a good wife. She is not even allowed to enjoy her birthday in peace without her family inviting over the entire neighborhood, forcing her to entertain deep into the morning hours. </div>
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It is another feminine story written and (co) directed from a woman's point of view, something that is coming more and more into vogue and its about high time. This one can be found on Netflix and kudos to them for bringing such original voices to the screen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kAlRwWiQfjs1LDJuxr2D1aSFErrrMCtiar-Is765tqT9cHvan2wX5ibLkHMcAbCMEl40STM5rUiuYgDJaU6LBhMLyxd8FYajsqhpsXOOqbM-11agoPtdU9bJpmpOMFjOki2ues50c1XB/s1600/Burt+Lancaster+Susan+Sarandon+Atlantic+City.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kAlRwWiQfjs1LDJuxr2D1aSFErrrMCtiar-Is765tqT9cHvan2wX5ibLkHMcAbCMEl40STM5rUiuYgDJaU6LBhMLyxd8FYajsqhpsXOOqbM-11agoPtdU9bJpmpOMFjOki2ues50c1XB/s320/Burt+Lancaster+Susan+Sarandon+Atlantic+City.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon in "Atlantic City"</td></tr>
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<b> Atlantic City<br />
1980 - Louis Malle<br />
Rated R - 104 mins<br />
Vault Rating 8.5</b></div>
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Here is a film that captures Atlantic City in all of its colors at the beginning of its casino development. There are old style thugs, racketeers and number runners competing in the same space as corrupt politicians and developers intent on building gambling shrines. There are loners and losers and lucky ones all packed into the land adjacent to the famous boardwalk. <br />
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The story follows Sally (Susan Sarandon), a sexy casino employee, whose no-good husband, Dave (Robert Joy) turns up with her knocked-up, hippy-dippy sister, Chrissie (Hollis McLaren). These audacious grifters turn to Sally for a foothold in the city. But Dave runs into real trouble when he starts dealing drugs and drags his estranged wife back into his seedy world. <br />
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Enter longtime low-level mobster Lou (Burt Lancaster, in a masterful role), who is fading and past his prime. Much like the decaying city in which he lives, he has his charms. He helps people along if he can and seeks only to have real gangster credibility, if he ever had any to begin with. He meets and falls for Sally, decides to protect her, and surprises himself by rising to the occasion.<br />
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Director Louis Malle's richly textured, atmospheric drama was nominated for multiple Oscars and earned numerous critics' awards.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibp0uvyVfJ78yXuseo9nSjSDlVkjwj_SEi0LWd3nv4OTXUWrV60FbVS0agMCee0Ogj1NPeu2l-FrST5D256CTut3G1aEqO27_fjLZEEGvSmEvhY7dgXxUnjXwpJQTLAe_m8LsAktON0ubB/s1600/Magnolia-Movie-Wallpaper-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibp0uvyVfJ78yXuseo9nSjSDlVkjwj_SEi0LWd3nv4OTXUWrV60FbVS0agMCee0Ogj1NPeu2l-FrST5D256CTut3G1aEqO27_fjLZEEGvSmEvhY7dgXxUnjXwpJQTLAe_m8LsAktON0ubB/s320/Magnolia-Movie-Wallpaper-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magnolia features perhaps the best ensemble cast in film history.</td></tr>
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<b> Magnolia</b><br />
<b> 1999 - Paul Thomas Anderson</b><br />
<b> Rated R : 3 hrs 8 mins</b><br />
<b> Vault Rating: 10</b><br />
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Just a perfect film and still this writer's favorite of all time, Magnolia is a mosaic piece dealing with the interconnected lives of 10 lost souls in and around Los Angeles during the space of one fateful day.<br />
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Each individual in a top notch cast (Tom Cruise, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Robards, Julianne Moore and John C. Reilly to name just a few) locks themselves in their own personal cages of guilt and then suffer their painful longing to be set free.<br />
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There are themes of suffering and forgiveness, pain and healing, sin and redemption, all magnified by amazing actors all going at the top of their powers and by the most perfect original soundtrack written by Aimee Mann.<br />
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There are layers and layers and layers to this breathtaking film which rewards this viewer time and time again. There is, of course, the single most unexpected scene for me in movie history too, which you can either shake your head in disbelief over or think it through and uncover the many hidden metaphors that all point tightly to the core of the film.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdE5xLGUmn4pM9w4OY1nzZVkJDjx6Z0j0CqhPEtWLk_qdreCvv-WNyoFHqZiOq-Hpm83eNj8uNUDd2YBplLZPi2Vt9E_bcGKzxFZhhduPZGe0hKw8R7SToNhLoeYmU0tidvH88JJby0_3/s1600/Justice+League.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1600" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdE5xLGUmn4pM9w4OY1nzZVkJDjx6Z0j0CqhPEtWLk_qdreCvv-WNyoFHqZiOq-Hpm83eNj8uNUDd2YBplLZPi2Vt9E_bcGKzxFZhhduPZGe0hKw8R7SToNhLoeYmU0tidvH88JJby0_3/s320/Justice+League.jpg" width="320" /></a><b> Justice League</b></div>
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<b> 2017 - Zack Snyder</b></div>
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<b> PG-13: 2 hours</b></div>
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<b> Vault Rating: 6</b></div>
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You don't get away without a comic book based superhero mashup. You just don't. So here's a decent one.<br />
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Justice League is a better than average comic book romp. Superman (Henry Cavill) is dead and the world grieves, opening a chance for Steppenwolf to come to earth and wreak havoc. Batman (Ben Affleck), with all his gravity, forms a team that "won't be enough" consisting of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), the hipster cool Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and the comic Flash (Ezra Miller) along with a cyborg (Ray Fisher) named, appropriately, Cyborg. </div>
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The first half of the film sets up the plot and introduces in turn its principals. The second half is mostly gee whiz comic book fights. In a small wonder, the thing hangs together probably way better than a script with ten credited writers ought to, but that's probably because of Chris Terrio, Joss Wheadon and director Zack Snyder doing a nice job of knitting. </div>
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Probably the best part of the film is that it keeps its sense of humor and balances that against the gravitas of the sometimes too heavy Batman to good effect.</div>
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So there. We're all caught up. Please feel free to share the link to the blog and if you'd like to comment just below, please remember that your comments gain in stature when your actual name is associated with what you say. Thanks for reading today, dear reader, and until next time, Enjoy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uxLyQ-YhW8RzP7B2Ha20hOiMs_YStVuGq5Hwv7hgVcypEJ1DpBj1uXzJ6BJBeby7NiUCM8f84rfSp9Ka4n2A7E1b4Lsi-M8IMOeqcFYNYoIqHncA1FD4seBQT5-NiX7ydtOrDlhLsrpe/s1600/MyHappyFamilyPoster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a>Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-6428552854473309722017-12-25T05:59:00.000-08:002017-12-25T13:25:58.644-08:00Democracy In The Balance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfc60aepZ8zbcixyZF2zhyphenhyphenPE_HgOeo1SerFtyXW3LLRiCSAtRB6PeDJ4kkCeXakzn165pNvXph714nfX1iOpceJp6vvuHrMo4QBdxaB9o3oK2iNBC0u4dpqvnPvAHU30yfTjkjL1eHDgn/s1600/Democracy+in+the+Balance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="1024" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfc60aepZ8zbcixyZF2zhyphenhyphenPE_HgOeo1SerFtyXW3LLRiCSAtRB6PeDJ4kkCeXakzn165pNvXph714nfX1iOpceJp6vvuHrMo4QBdxaB9o3oK2iNBC0u4dpqvnPvAHU30yfTjkjL1eHDgn/s640/Democracy+in+the+Balance.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">THE MOUNTAIN SAYS </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Donald Trump is at best a vulgar man and at worst a criminal. The Mountain suspects the President of the United States is a money-laundering stooge, as are a great number of his team, for Russian mobsters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You might think with <a href="http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a13122012/robert-mueller-russia-investigation-charges/" target="_blank">criminal charges lodged against four of Trump's political team</a>, that many questions remain. But the talking heads on Fox and craven republicans in Congress - who are still howling about Hillary Clinton - seem to have no curiosity about what the president did despite four of his team being arrested. In fact, Fox and the republicans who consume it are now turning on the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation - literally the only agencies in this democracy capable of investigating the president.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because, you know, you wouldn't want to find out anything that might undermine your business model, now would you?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fox helped create Trump. They fostered the monster. Many of their top talents helped Trump build his 33% bedrock of the misinformed and I hope, dear reader, that you are not among them. Think about it: Everyone except Fox is lying. All of the thousands of climate scientists who've spent their lives studying one little corner of this massive problem... All of them... have devoted their lives' work to .... lying. All except the one or two who Exxon Mobil bought and paid for. THOSE two guys... they're the only truth tellers in the world and Fox is the only content provider that found them?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is dangerous for democracy. Fox has single-handedly, along with talented a.m. talk blowhards like Rush Limbaugh, undermined the simple fact that there IS, indeed, observable truth. When the truth is sufficiently crippled, anything can happen. Kelly Ann Conway, on practically day one of the administration, wasted no time going to the Orwellian max when she claimed the insane mantle of "Alternative Facts." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If that's what you're selling.</span><br />
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I have personally taken innocent people into custody for
questioning.
You know what innocent people do? They try to tell you everything
because they know the truth will save them. They want a polygraph
test. They'll bring forth corroborating witnesses. They'll do anything to make sure their integrity is intact.
Donald Trump and Fox and Fox's crony republicans do just the opposite.
They cast aspersions or blame on someone else. It is common for the
guilty to blame the police. I've seen it many times and any police officer will tell you the same.<br />
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These people are putting themselves, not even their party, above the country. <br />
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An accused does not have to
prove his innocence, but any Hitchcock aficionado can tell you it's possible and even thrilling. The prosecution must prove guilt. Trump is not
accused yet, but he could - if he was without guilt - prove his innocence. Every
journalistic and criminal investigative bone in my body tells me Trump
has problems. For the good of the country, the Mueller investigation
has to proceed until we can understand the nature and depth of these
problems. Anyone who thinks otherwise is literally un-American.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> And yes, I shiver to say that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So how does Trump prove it? How does he, if you will, show us <i><b>his birth certificate?</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If Trump would just show his tax records to the public (Be assured that Mueller's team already has them.) it would be no time at all until Americans understood what Mueller already knows and I suspect full impeachment would proceed. We would be privy to who Trump's business partners are and have always been. </span>There is already much reporting on the record that shows a strong likelihood of international money laundering by the president on a scale that ingratiates him to Vladimir Putin.<br />
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What if those facts came out? What would happen if Trump himself was arrested?<br />
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First off, you, dear reader, would be able to read the Affidavit of Probable Cause. You would be able to read the bill of goods that shows a crime or crimes were likely committed and that this president likely committed them.<br />
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Who would be the biggest loser? Not Donald Trump. Fox would lose everything. That's why Fox is screaming the loudest.<br />
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Where would Fox be then? Would they apologize? Would they retract anything they've "reported." Would they fire their talking heads or just the executives who put words in their mouths? What would Sean Hannity's show look like then? But, more importantly, friend, where would <i><b>you</b></i> be when the "fair and balanced" (sic) network was shown to be blowing corporate sunshine up your ass? Where would <i><b>you</b></i> be when it was shown that the "lamestream" media wasn't nearly as bad as you've been led to believe and that <i><b>only</b></i> Fox was lying? Would you ever watch Fox again after all this deception? I'm asking. Would you?<br />
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Would you then begin to question the information you've been ingesting? Would you then <i><b>try</b></i> to read a newspaper? Or is it too late for you? Are you too lazy to do that work? This government represents how a large portion of America <i><b>thinks</b></i>! Bad information causes bad decisions. You have a responsibility to the republic.<br />
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Fox has a lot to lose here if what the Mountain suspects comes into full view. Fox loses all credibility in this scenario. So what is Fox's programming now? Vitriolic weirdos like Judge Jeanine Pirro (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanine_Pirro#Federal_indictment,_trial,_and_imprisonment_of_husband" target="_blank">(Read about her personal problems here.)</a> shrieking that the Mueller investigation is corrupt. You oughtta know, Jeanine. <i><b>You used to be a judge.</b></i><br />
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A <i><b>"cleansing?"</b></i> Wow. I could tear this argument apart in many ways. Let's call it a post for another day. For now, let's try to find such a hateful screed in any other respectable outlet. Good luck with that. <br />
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Look, folks. The <i><b>truth</b></i> has got to come out. I remember a time when republicans wanted the whole truth about a blow job. <i><b>This</b></i> is about knocking the underpinnings out from under our democracy. The truth is the only thing that can save this country from real damage. Oh, republicans are all about defending the constitution until it is their guy under investigation. <i><b>Then</b></i> the process of justice and the rule of law have to be abridged because... what?... They scream loudest and have their own channel on teevee?<br />
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Fox has to protect itself. Fox is the McDonalds of your media diet. Shit is bad for you. <br />
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Face facts. If Donald Trump fires Robert Mueller, he is admitting guilt. And if he does, there will be war to correct the situation. If Trump had nothing to fear, he wouldn't need a pledge of loyalty from James Comey. If Trump had nothing to hide, he wouldn't be the first presidential candidate in modern times <i><b>not</b></i> to release his tax returns. If Trump had nothing but integrity, he would be cooperating with the Mueller investigation. It is clear whose side Donald Trump is on, we just don't know how bad it is. The Mountain thinks it's bad. Really bad. We cannot have the President of the United States in the pocket of a hostile foreign dictator. It is highly dangerous to democracy and to the world in general. <br />
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Look. Hillary Clinton told you all what it was long before the election. You might not have liked her, but she was right. Is that why you didn't hear this?<br />
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Who's the puppet?<br />
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I guess we're all puppets here. And I hold all republicans responsible for this. I hold every local republican. Every republican sitting on the bar stool down on the corner. Every township supervisor, school board member and county commissioner. Every registered republican. I ask you: How can you continue to affiliate with <i><b>this</b></i>? You wanna do something about it? Call your republican representation and tell them you're changing your party affiliation. Then go down to the county election office and register independent. Because supporting a team that protects a Russian puppet is a bridge too far for any decent republican. Maybe then you will supply the cowardly lions on capitol hill with enough courage to stop cowering in the face of the rich, corporate fascists that have taken a once honorable party and sold it straight to hell.<br />
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The only republicans I see standing up to the strong man... the only republicans I can see with the guts to do what's right... are Robert Mueller and his team.<br />
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Feel free to comment below and, as I've always said, your opinions matter more when you sign your name to them. Feel free to share this link with your friends and thanks for taking a walk on the Mountain with me today. Merry Christmas!</div>
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si 12.25.17</div>
Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-9678480505548075212017-12-13T21:21:00.000-08:002017-12-13T21:21:48.097-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgls5QsGxwzzgl4inocsjS1ET2VeheEYgqJmsGYfgje1JWGXU3Rxg5nJ4AFTZQuOLyHaDUM4UiGCcohmdxkADwbQqRoIKu5FOkv39MBk8M9KIfctCBJ9_r0qK8cDfLrNnzg0-yH78B-j7lm/s1600/The+Mountain+Awakes+Mast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1600" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgls5QsGxwzzgl4inocsjS1ET2VeheEYgqJmsGYfgje1JWGXU3Rxg5nJ4AFTZQuOLyHaDUM4UiGCcohmdxkADwbQqRoIKu5FOkv39MBk8M9KIfctCBJ9_r0qK8cDfLrNnzg0-yH78B-j7lm/s640/The+Mountain+Awakes+Mast.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Barring the Door Against Fascism</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZesxOPVBlqgjbTGAU0CoZAJyj6jJqqhdugSOzNWe01zibB16Mg1cRn5mj0uIlJWJHfrT3F0Ew4vfPf6oRTPhGBbBJ1peq4TgvwUPsBCl1fZgzIf-TYaRIgs1F5wA8N_Ub-MfFtdocOf0/s1600/Putin+Fascist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="858" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZesxOPVBlqgjbTGAU0CoZAJyj6jJqqhdugSOzNWe01zibB16Mg1cRn5mj0uIlJWJHfrT3F0Ew4vfPf6oRTPhGBbBJ1peq4TgvwUPsBCl1fZgzIf-TYaRIgs1F5wA8N_Ub-MfFtdocOf0/s200/Putin+Fascist.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vladimir Putin - Fascist</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">fascism - (<b>fash</b>-is-<i>uhm) </i>noun (sometimes initial capital letter) - A governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism. See photo at right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">There has been an inordinate amount of admiration for the likes of Vladimir Putin coming from the American right. When the President of the United States and his sycophants fawn over a man who kills anyone who opposes him, if you are standing on Ronald Reagan's grave, you can be forgiven for getting the willies as he rotates under the sod. There are <a href="https://swalwell.house.gov/issues/russia-trump-his-administration-s-ties" target="_blank">innumerable ties</a> between the Trump team and Russian mobsters, oligarchs and Vlad himself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Mountain suspects Putin is balls-deep in the Trump administration and that when Putin coughs, Trump tweets. And since no part of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump%E2%80%93Russia_dossier" target="_blank">Steele Dossier</a> has been disproved - In fact, many parts of the dossier have been proven independently - it is easy to see why Trump refuses to release his tax returns to the American public. Trump, The Mountain believes, is a willing dupe involved with big business money laundering - large scale international financial crimes - for the mob bosses who control Russia. As an investigative reporter and a former criminal investigator, The Mountain feels sure that Trump's IRS files were the first information Special Counsel Robert Mueller subpoenaed. Once you know who the billionaire owes, then you know who is the organ grinder and who is the monkey. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">All of this is just one part of a grave assault on American democracy. The republican party has embarked on a corporate plan to take over the democracy. In effect, capitalism is buying out the democracy so that the government serves corporate interests rather than the electorate's interests. And damn it, when Verizon wants net neutrality revoked then, by God, net neutrality will be revoked. And when Exxon wants climate change denied then, by God, climate change will be denied. And when Monsanto doesn't want their genetically engineered food labeled, by God, it will not be labeled.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">When corporate donors buy up all the stooges in congress, which has just about completely happened, at least on the republican side, then we are dangerously close to becoming a thinly disguised fascist state.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Trump has managed a dandy of a stretch. Utilizing the disinformation of <a href="https://vimeo.com/24935369" target="_blank">Fox News</a> and Breitbart, the Trump campaign has somehow cobbled together a coalition of evangelicals, tea party activists, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o6-bi3jlxk" target="_blank">Alt-Right Neo-Nazis</a> and Wall Street Ayn Rand worshipers into a bedrock 33% of the American electorate. Together with the <a href="http://www.redistrictingmajorityproject.com/" target="_blank">Redmap</a> gerrymandering process, a minority of republican voters ensures corporate control through mostly republican lackeys.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The U.S. House of Representatives looks to the future with Redmap-colored glasses. The U.S. Senate is also controlled by republican corporate interests. If you doubt the corpo-republican axis you need look only as far as the republican legislative agenda. They can hardly govern even given the keys to all the power except to do ONE thing: pass "tax reform." The DONORS want some payback like a Wall Street dividend check on their investments. And the republicans are lining up <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/11/02/gop-tax-plan-business-wins/" target="_blank">to do as they're told</a>. That the GOP is selling this as a "middle-class tax cut" is preposterous. That they are ignoring the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/08/house-tax-reform-plan-would-raise-deficit-by-1-point-7-trillion-cbo.html" target="_blank">$1.7 Trillion</a> hole the plan will likely blow in the national deficit seems to fly in the face of everything conservatives have ever stood for. But look at them scurry to get it done so that those campaign donations will keep coming.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">But there is a glimmer of hope. You've seen that the republicans just cannot govern.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">They bitched about Obamacare for seven years and voted 50 times to overturn or amend it. But when they got into power they had never done the work to repeal and replace it. Trump bragged it would be fabulous heath-care. They had SEVEN YEARS to come up with a plan, but when they pulled back the curtain having taken control they had no plan and couldn't even come close to agreeing among themselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And lately, it seems that the pure vulgarity of the GOP candidates is finally starting to catch up with them. Trump appears to be a serial harasser of women if not a complete mysogynist. But when the gerrymandered Alabama electorate chose Roy Moore, a pro-life, evangelical pedophile (go figure out what HIS belief structure must look like) to run for the U.S. Senate, <i>finally</i> the people there, by the slimmest of margins, said no.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And with the republican margin in the senate now being 51-47 with 2 independents, good gravy, their precious tax giveaway to the super rich could be in jeopardy. Donald Trump, himself, stands to profit by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/09/28/us/politics/trump-tax-benefit.html" target="_blank">$1 Billion</a> under this plan. So much for helping out the "forgotten men" of this economy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">If recent elections in New Jersey, Virginia and now the redest of red states Alabama are suggestive of anything, it might be that the electorate has finally gotten wise to the vulgar, fascist loving republicans and are calling shenanigans on their ultimate power grab.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Maybe by the time the next presidential election comes around, Mueller will have shown Trump for the criminal The Mountain suspects he is. Maybe then the corporate citizens bent on controlling government and edging us toward a fascist state will realize their money is far better spent doing good for Americans rather than just trying to OWN America for themselves.</span></div>
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Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-87856442310631974012015-02-03T07:22:00.000-08:002015-02-03T08:53:54.892-08:00Rowland Reels to Begin on Valentine's Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3c6nJ952aOGB2j7MCFc0JgF0-p4WkMHcm35HymJrVJSgPzDGPUC11A8RK-unyzZbUWne4olbwHngOjlZ_a8RwVQnqkLCxIeGqSMZUj7sUxJpt1M7uUfm-NxhML01yUYjm2AfoFnb7LGqN/s1600/Rowland+Reelz+Masthead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3c6nJ952aOGB2j7MCFc0JgF0-p4WkMHcm35HymJrVJSgPzDGPUC11A8RK-unyzZbUWne4olbwHngOjlZ_a8RwVQnqkLCxIeGqSMZUj7sUxJpt1M7uUfm-NxhML01yUYjm2AfoFnb7LGqN/s1600/Rowland+Reelz+Masthead.jpg" height="204" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rowland Theater in Philipsburg, Pa. is a beautiful old-world theater. (Photo by the Altoona Mirror)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b> <i>by Shawn K. Inlow</i></b></div>
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PHILIPSBURG, Pa. - The good folks at the Rowland Theater, one of the most lovely movie houses you will ever find (pictured above), have hit upon a new film series - <b>Rowland Reels</b> - to begin Valentine's day at 9:15 p.m.<br />
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"The idea," explains Rowland Theater Director of Daily Operations, Kevin Conklin, "Arose because a lot of people ask us about classic movies, so the board of directors talked about it after the installation of our digital equipment."<br />
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The schedule of films is being roughed out now and Conklin hopes to continue Rowland Reels on the second Saturday of every month. Start times will vary between 9 and 9:30 p.m. depending on the run-time of the 7 o'clock feature. And depending on how the program is received, Conklin says that Rowland Reels could grow to include the 4th Saturday of the month and expand it's calendar of films. <br />
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Currently, such chillers as <i>"Carnival of Souls," "Nosferatu"</i> or great film comedians like Charlie Chaplain, Buster Keaton and the Three Stooges among many others including multiple Oscar winners are being considered for the series.<br />
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The Mountain had gone down to the Rowland last Halloween and checked out <i>"Night of the Living Dead." </i> It was long a favorite of mine and I had realized I had never seen this game-changer of horror cinema on the big screen. And what a delight it was. When your zombies are on a little box, even if it is a fifty inch screen, they are not nearly as jarring as when they are projected to the size of a house and are coming right for you as you squish down behind your popcorn.<br />
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"The patrons were excited to see <i>'Night of the Living Dead'</i>, " said Conklin. "Last Halloween's twin-bill of the Romero film and <i>'Rocky Horror Picture Show' </i>was a bit of an experiment to see what people would say. And people loved the movie." <br />
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It is, I suppose, about projecting stars in the orders of magnitude that they deserve. And they've chosen one of the great film romances to magnify this Valentine's Day, starting out with the 1940 comedy / romance <i>"His Girl Friday," </i>a raucous war of the roses between Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) and Walter Burns (Carey Grant).<br />
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Here's a clip with one of my favorite exchanges.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/loqDhn3mtW4" width="420"></iframe><br />
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The film makes amazing use of its mega-watt stars with Charles Lederer's machine-gun script that has Grant and Russell tossing barbs at one another so fast you can barely keep up, let alone tell which of the two estranged lovers is coming out on top. In fact, the screenplay is considered one of the longer ones in film history, yet the pacing is so fast that the movie comes in at only 92 minutes.<br />
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Director Howard Hawks filmed the rat-a-tat-tat dialogue to mimic the way people really speak. Nobody having a discussion waits until the other person is done talking. You talk over one another all the time, so Hawks was trying to get a natural feel to the dialogue. Boy howdy, what a screaming success.<br />
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The verbal boxing match between the leads is like a heavy-weight title fight. Something that had never been seen before or since in cinema history. So treasured has<i> "His Girl Friday"</i> become, that it was selected by the National Film Preservation Board to its National Film Registry in 1993.<br />
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The plot of the film revolves around Hildy Johnson, who returns to the offices of her old newspaper to tell her ex-husband she's getting married in the morning. This doesn't sit well with Walter Burns, who seizes upon the story of an innocent death row inmate, doomed to the gallows in the morning, to lure Hildy back into the news reporting game. Burns bets that Hildy's love of a good scoop might derail the pending nuptials and give him another chance to wheedle his way back into Hildy's heart.<br />
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So if you're going to remember Valentine's Day this year, mark down the date (gentlemen, that would be Saturday, February 14) and plan to get out to the Rowland Theater in Philipsburg for the 9:15 p.m. premier of Rowland Reels. Cost of a ticket is only $5 and, trust me, you'll be doing yourself, your date and the local movie house a favor. <br />
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And if you are so inclined, Valentine's Day is also the opening day for the wickedly popular <i>"50 Shades of Gray"</i> which the Rowland will be screening at 7 p.m. So no matter what your romantic bent, be it the hot-n-steamy or the classy-n-sassy, The Rowland Theater has you covered.<br />
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You can find more information about Rowland Reels by checking The Philipsburg Journal. You can click over to the Journal's Facebook Page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Philipsburg-Journal/103911176341126" target="_blank">HERE</a>. You can like and follow the Rowland Theater <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rowland-Theatre/100228633354746" target="_blank">HERE</a> and you can always see what's playing <a href="http://telcott.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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Thanks for visiting The Voice of the Mountain. Please feel free to comment below and please remember your comments matter more when you sign them with your own name. And feel free to share the link with your friends.<br />
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Until next time, Enjoy! <br />
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<b><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1704029765" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ"></span></span></b><b><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1704029766" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ"></span></span></b><b><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1704029767" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ"></span></span></b><br />Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-36499634310689449232014-12-10T21:07:00.001-08:002014-12-10T21:07:37.273-08:00Video Vault: The Babadook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGudEQ00mWjU_hKIh2mnyi9TwV7PhtMizz58pcU_LULCIS8N4A9DsSlI8SouFp1GOwrdYib2Z5Syr6VGd_pPr_kY6M6ga8C1vjzA5N2z6NVAQmu_t0oxQHr61-aReRsEY8FDIunlYJqvj6/s1600/Video+Vault.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGudEQ00mWjU_hKIh2mnyi9TwV7PhtMizz58pcU_LULCIS8N4A9DsSlI8SouFp1GOwrdYib2Z5Syr6VGd_pPr_kY6M6ga8C1vjzA5N2z6NVAQmu_t0oxQHr61-aReRsEY8FDIunlYJqvj6/s1600/Video+Vault.png" height="242" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By Shawn K. Inlow</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Babadook</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">2014 - Jennifer Kent</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">93 minutes - Unrated</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Vault Rating: 8</span></b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pOtHQFMLRVEONbanLg8GK8M7bb0QuGfarchsvi-f3-GnaQm0PljBgj1T3bpfH-ioxznTit2YvP_MUFmcjR8fCzDOUWUIHdHOH0QnX8nWxsx5Xdmq4N7p2-LiDOmYwIrlyfqh6uILIklX/s1600/Babadook2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pOtHQFMLRVEONbanLg8GK8M7bb0QuGfarchsvi-f3-GnaQm0PljBgj1T3bpfH-ioxznTit2YvP_MUFmcjR8fCzDOUWUIHdHOH0QnX8nWxsx5Xdmq4N7p2-LiDOmYwIrlyfqh6uILIklX/s1600/Babadook2.jpg" height="320" width="221" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is a charming, chilling littl<span style="font-family: inherit;">e first feature by writer / director Jennifer Kent that does honor to a genre<span style="font-family: inherit;"> that has gone to the dogs of torture<span style="font-family: inherit;">-porn for nearly a g<span style="font-family: inherit;">eneration.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh, the horror genre has had gasps of life. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The found footage approach of <span style="font-family: inherit;">"The Blair Witch Project" was interesting <span style="font-family: inherit;">and the way "Paranormal Activ<span style="font-family: inherit;">ity" <span style="font-family: inherit;">allowed</span> the audience ramp up their own tension was nice. But, by and large, the "Hostels" and the "Saw<span style="font-family: inherit;">s" and the "Friday the Cent<span style="font-family: inherit;">ipede Umpteenth" have cut the soul out of genuine<span style="font-family: inherit;"> hor<span style="font-family: inherit;">ror <span style="font-family: inherit;">and removed the thrill from thrillers.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Until now.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is a genuinely good story about a single mo<span style="font-family: inherit;">ther (Essie Davis as Amelia) dealing <span style="font-family: inherit;">with her </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>grade-school aged <span style="font-family: inherit;">son</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> (the wonderfully goggle-eyed Noah Wiseman as Samuel) whose obsession with the classic monster-under-the-bed theme takes on alarming proportions. There is something very wrong with her son, and what, to any parent, is more unsettling than that?</div>
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The boy's compulsion takes off from the cleverly constructed children's pop-up book of the title that introduces a shadowy, top-hatted figure. Page by page, however, the book turns more and more alarming until Amelia attempts to destroy it. When the book re-appears we begin to get that feeling that we have slipped into that uneasy place between the supernatural and lunatic.</div>
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The boy's disturbed fear makes us queasy and his mother's anxiety over it doesn't help a bit. While a palpable fear begins to clot and manifest itself we know this: Amelia better not let the Babadook in.</div>
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But you should. How nice it is to see a satisfying horror film with a quality story behind it that naturally drives the outcome! I got chills, I tell you. Three times. And by the film's end, my mood was surprisingly lifted. How many times have you watched one of the modern blood-spattered gross-outs only to be left sitting there feeling cheated? </div>
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Oh, I remember a time when horror movies were fun! "House on Haunted Hill" and "The Last Man on Earth" with Vincent Price come to mind, not that these films have anything in common, or "The Birds." "The Babadook" transported me back to a time when the genre really had something to offer.</div>
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And the ending? At first, I thought it was kind of a cop out, but then, when I thought about it, I realized how perfect it was. How mischievously right it was. Because we all have our monsters under the bed, don't we? And if you dare... You should have a look.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/k5WQZzDRVtw" width="560"></iframe><br />Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-44634269672001948212014-12-09T10:13:00.001-08:002014-12-09T10:13:52.140-08:00Torture Report: Better Than Useless<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="216" 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" 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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A torture victim pictured covered in excrement at Abu Ghraib. We are in an unwinnable war of modern martyrdom.</td></tr>
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by Shawn K. Inlow</div>
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Today I'm watching all the wailing on television about the release of a report, many years too late and well after anything will be done about it.</div>
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This is not politics. This is war. And the United States is the most warlike nation on earth. We have always been at war. Almost always. I defy you to name one U.S. president in your lifetime that has not fired a single shot in war. There is one. But you might not like the answer.</div>
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The Mountain wants to address torture in general before we discuss this report. When 9/11 happened, Osama bin Laden won. The terrorist resorts to the tactic when he has no other weapon. And the tactic worked masterfully on a nation that has, instead of asking why the attacks happened, simply been turned into a quivering, fearful population that will sell out our core freedoms cheaply and cling to the uniforms of the military for protection.</div>
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It's a protection racket. </div>
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Terrorism begets terrorism. We, and many other nations right now, are in an unwinnable war of modern martyrdom and we become more and more enraged with every beheading, don't we? WAR, my friends, is SAVAGE, no matter who wages it. No matter what methods you employ. WAR is the sum FAILURE of civilization. It is destructive in everything it touches. Dehumanizing. Debilitating.</div>
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But. There's always a but. In the United States war is insanely profitable. It is the only growth industry left to us. The only thing made in America any more is ordinance. The jobs are in the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction. Nobody does it like Uncle Sam.</div>
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The Mountain maintains that when the United States went Medieval after 9/11 - which I lay squarely on the shoulders of men like Dick Cheney, George Bush, the Pentagon and the CIA in no particular order - this country crossed a line from the savagery of constant war to the blackest abyss.</div>
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Raytheon thanks you. GE thanks you. Exxon thanks you. Because now the war state has been merged with the corporate state and the surveillance state and now it's Orwell shot clean through. All we need now is our daily <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Minutes_Hate" target="_blank">"Two Minutes Hate."</a> But who are we kidding. We get far more than our two minutes daily. The ONLY thing we see on television is hate. The ONLY thing that manages our politics is hate and fear.</div>
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Step away from the television. Go walking on the Mountain.</div>
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When you are in a fight, the only way it ends is if someone stops swinging. The Mountain suggests America be the one to stop throwing punches. We need to stand for peace. We need to stand for kindness. We need to stand for love. Americans should be withdrawn from the middle east entirely. We need to stop.</div>
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America was drawn back into war against ISIS - our new Eastasia - only when they threatened the Iraqi oil fields, right? Just so. BP thanks you. Chevron thanks you. But our country is now trapped in the same endless cycle of violence that Israel and Palestine find themselves in, locked in each other's death grip, neither being able to let go.</div>
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So I ask you. At the end of the 9/11 logic, who is stronger? Somehow, bin Laden was on the same side of the banks, the military. At the end of the day, the banks are stronger. The military has swelled like a bloated demon-pig. And the government no longer answers your calls. You are ostensibly free as long as you don't ask the wrong questions.</div>
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Wikileaks asked the wrong questions.</div>
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Bradley Manning asked the wrong questions.</div>
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Edward Snowden asked the wrong questions.</div>
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People like this go to Room 101. For real. And our government will try to make them vanish down the memory hole. Because, my friends, they are right. They are just telling the truth.</div>
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Now this report comes from a congress that has been spied upon by the CIA - an organization that Congress should control. And all the toadies who authored the American response to 9/11 are being called the liars they are. Oh, but they still get to go on teevee and lie some more on their own behalves while the truth tellers have to hide out in Russia. Or an embassy in England. Or in solitary confinement.</div>
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And all these worms come crawling forth to shout with straight faces this magnificent irony: This report will endanger Americans! This is irresponsible!</div>
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Really.</div>
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I would say, wouldn't you, that Americans have been endangered in the Middle-East for a very long time. Maybe sometime Americans will get the idea that being in the Middle-East is a bad idea. As if this report will endanger that status quo. "They" said the same thing about the Iraq War Journals published by Wikileaks and other major newspapers. Still waiting for the other shoe to drop there.</div>
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Maybe the report will have some truth in it. And there are criminals and villains and warmongers who sense that maybe - just maybe - they could be hauled up in front of a new Nuremberg Tribunal to answer questions.</div>
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If wishes were hand grenades, the Masters of War would die. </div>
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Maybe the report will have some truth in it. The Mountain hopes so. But don't delude yourself into thinking that those who authored and carried out torture in our name will be held responsible. NOBODY takes responsibility for ANYTHING anymore. Another product no longer made in America (trademark). The only people taking responsibility anymore are terrorists.</div>
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Maybe men like Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney will be cast out of the public sphere for the cowards and liars they are. Maybe those who lied to congress will be held accountable. Yeah, right. Because congress just doesn't want to know.</div>
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Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-3462890394848189792014-04-17T08:32:00.001-07:002014-04-18T06:30:41.444-07:00The Million Dollar Work-Up<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6s8d-BLgxgqmfpKVYuqPv3p2Qj15RW3I9AQUgJPbgHFcQaI6rb7J3RhjQC_Voy1Uj4uLOGH2jcpKMR_adUPnE37f4T5-TO7Vqwo0gWUYPMm9m_yg1UFJ_-hFpBjNGl3lXnL8ncBjEs82/s1600/Curious+Doctors+Mast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6s8d-BLgxgqmfpKVYuqPv3p2Qj15RW3I9AQUgJPbgHFcQaI6rb7J3RhjQC_Voy1Uj4uLOGH2jcpKMR_adUPnE37f4T5-TO7Vqwo0gWUYPMm9m_yg1UFJ_-hFpBjNGl3lXnL8ncBjEs82/s1600/Curious+Doctors+Mast.jpg" height="257" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After a year of testing, the curious doctors at UPMC probably have more of my DNA than I do.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>by Shawn K. Inlow</i></div>
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<br />
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Part 2 of a series on living kidney donation.</div>
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Most people get a check-up when they turn 50. Usually this includes a cursory visit to your regular doctor and they tell you to cut down on salt and get some exercise. If you have a health care plan, you probably go and get a colonoscopy, that pleasant rite of passage into your golden years.<br />
<br />
For me, it was different. My brother, Chuck, who you may have met in the last post, was getting to the point in his life where he would need dialysis. A medication he'd relied on most of his adult life was known to damage his kidneys over time. So a little over a year ago, my siblings (I'm number 6 of 7.) began getting blood tests to see who among us might be a suitable match to donate a kidney.<br />
<br />
So my check-up, then at the age of 51, was possibly going to be a little more extensive.<br />
<br />
When you first get the idea that you might have to become what they call a "living donor," you have a little trepidation. It's the part of the movie where everyone is drawing straws and you kind of hope you don't draw the short straw but you have to man up and pick.<br />
<br />
I had to go and get a preliminary blood draw on the same day that my brother did and the samples were to be sent off to the lab at UPMC Montifiore in Pittsburgh. My preliminary match was good and this began a process that I and others in my family would begin together, but that only I would complete.<br />
<br />
I was in contact with a living donor coordinator by the name of Mary Gorinski and she was to be my tether to the whole process. We'll talk about Mary more later, but your donor coordinator becomes a pretty important person when you are thinking about donating an organ. And I began to learn from her that just being a match wasn't necessarily good enough to become a donor.<br />
<br />
I received in the mail a medical card so I wouldn't have to pay for the kinds of lab work that would follow. I was to present this card to providers wherever I sought to get testing done, etc. This was, ostensibly, to make the testing more convenient for me.<br />
<br />
A letter accompanying all the scripts I'd receive tried to explain to the rural Pennsylvania providers that I was not to pay for any of these tests, but the billing was to be through the account on the medical card. Well. Billing is apparently complicated and I'd gotten more than a few oddball looks at the inpatient desks while staff tried to figure out what numbers to punch into what computer.<br />
<br />
Suffice to say, it did not go well. Some of the stuff, like a blood draw (there were many of those), were pretty straight forward and the staff at the local health care facilities genuinely wanted to be of help...<br />
<br />
... When you are donating a kidney, people think you are an ok guy and it is humbling to be looked at in that way or to be told you are doing something wonderful...<br />
<br />
But when it comes to collecting jugs of your own urine and storing them in the fridge? That really slowed me down. First off, I went and got the proper containers - big orange things - from Geisinger in Philipsburg. But when I got home and read the instructions I found out I couldn't just take a leak into the container. I had to get ANOTHER container and pee in it first and then pour it all ("every drop") into the big orange container and then I had to put that in the fridge. Gross.<br />
<br />
So I'm lookin' around my house for a piece of expendable Tupperware or something that I can piss in without spilling any and I finally had to go and buy a Tupperware that seemed to suit. And I collected every drop of my urine for a day or two.<br />
<br />
I guess this was all to test my "flow." Not my badass rhymes, oh-no. This was all about the total volume of urine I produced in an exactly measured amount of time. I had an awesome flow. I was a beer drinker at the time (more on that later) and I had some heavy orange jugs at the end of two days that I turned in at the local lab.<br />
<br />
But the pure prospect of keeping jugs of piss in the fridge really slowed me down. This was not because I was hoping my oldest sister, Punky, would hurry up and match first. This was because putting piss in the fridge is weird. But I did it.<br />
<br />
In April of 2013 I went and got my own colonoscopy because I didn't want this hassle of going through getting one "for free" with my new medical card. And I have to say, despite the "prep work," I rather enjoyed the colonoscopy. It was probably the best day of rest I've had over the remainder of the intervening year and I woke up refreshed, if a little squishy in the boot. <br />
<br />
The nice thing about this process is they really, really wanna make sure you don't have any form of cancer. So. Y'know. Whoo!<br />
<br />
After a few back and forths with Mary where I asked if I could just come down to Pittsburgh for a day or two and do all the tests they wanted, UPMC actually changed their protocol to try to do just that. So after months of farting around, I was scheduled in September of 2013 to spend two days in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh for testing.<br />
<br />
I didn't stay at the hospital. I stayed at this charming thing called "Family House." More on that later.<br />
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In this process, you begin to really evaluate yourself. The doctors are looking at you right side up, up side down, inside out and every which way. These facts. These scans. These measurements. They make you feel like you aren't good enough. And you begin to wonder. You begin to hope that you are indeed good enough. At first, I wasn't good enough.<br />
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Walking into these tests, I weighed about 215 pounds and stood just a little taller than 5' 7". I was fat. Oh, I still am, but I've lost 23 pounds in the four weeks since the operation... More on THAT later. In my defense, I AM big boned. For real. My chiropractor once took a look at my x-rays and told me my bones were about 10% bigger than normal. It makes me kind of thick for as short as I am.<br />
<br />
When I was 30, I was called into the doctor's office at Fort Indiantown Gap during my cadet days in the Pennsylvania State Police because my weight, 174, was too heavy for my height on the chart. Back then, if you were a fatty, they'd just boot you out of the six month training program. The doc there took one look at the chart and one look at me and told me to go back to training. There wasn't an ounce of fat on me. Like I said... I'm big boned. <br />
<br />
But the discovery of alcohol in college, beering myself through the hair-band 80's, and two decades of heavy self-medication as a State Trooper had done it's best to destroy what was left of a once supremely fit college soccer player.<br />
<br />
The two-day testing process checked everything. I walked back and forth from Family House to UPMC and was taken in and glided from test to test.<br />
<br />
First it was height and weight and vitals. Then the first of crazy amounts of blood draws all put into tubes with different colored caps. Then it was off to a stress test where they made my fat ass run uphill at full-tilt-boogie with wires hanging offa me and my right arm extended straight out to the side with a blood pressure cuff. It sucked, but I used to run a lot so, I guess it was okay.<br />
<br />
Then there were ultrasounds of my torso. Then they stuck me in a donut that imaged my torso completely. I so wanted the pictures. Then more blood draws.<br />
<br />
Then there was this battery of interviews. Met the guy, Doctor Tevar, who might do the cutting. He told me that, you know, with any surgery you can die. He told me that if I needed a reason to be rejected as a donor, he'd give me one. Said I could stop the process the whole way up to the moment of the operation. Met an "advocate" who wanted to make sure I was not being coerced into donation or that I was not getting paid (More on THAT later. It is illegal to sell your organs.) Someone else told me I could no longer play ice hockey and stuff. Someone told me I had gallstones but they weren't getting in the way of anything so they'd just leave 'em be.<br />
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My favorite was probably the psychologist. No, really. They wanna know what's in the head of people donating organs.<br />
<br />
"Why do you want to donate your kidney," she asked me.<br />
<br />
"I don't want to donate my kidney," I said. "Who <i><b>wants</b></i> to donate their kidney?" I explained to her that any good person who could help another person <b><i>should</i></b> help that person. It was more a moral compulsion. I had to ask myself, what kind of person would leave his brother hanging? I didn't <i><b>want</b></i> to donate my kidney, I <i><b>had </b></i>to. There was no choice in the matter.<br />
<br />
I was pronounced the pillar of mental health. And let me tell ya, that was a load off my mind.<br />
<br />
And they presented me to the transplant team to donate my kidney and this team went over my entire medical record line by line. I flunked.<br />
<br />
They had concerns. They told me that there were two things.<br />
<br />
One was that I was a fatty. One of the things that raises a red flag is that you can't have a person with one kidney becoming pre-diabetic as diabetes really can hurt your kidneys. So it wouldn't do anyone any good for me to donate a kidney and then need to receive a kidney myself. Plus, my organs had fat deposits in them. I had a fatty kidney.<br />
<br />
The other thing was that they detected an abnormal amount of iron pooling in my liver. When you're talking about donating a part of the organs that filter your blood (Think of a car's air and oil filters. When they clog up, things go wrong with the car.) you need all of your filters working well. And this unusual pooling of iron - They described it as the opposite of anemia. My blood was <i><b>really rich.</b></i> - could be genetic or something else and they needed to know what.<br />
<br />
It was explained that this pooling of iron would have otherwise never been detected until it killed me. A treatment for the condition is to simply donate blood regularly, so my body would have to use up the iron to make more blood.<br />
<br />
The cause, sometimes, is alcoholism. They tried to be nice about it and say some north-western European cultures (read: Irish, which I am) tended to have this genetic predisposition. But they wanted to get to the bottom of this condition.<br />
<br />
This made me feel lousy. I felt like I'd failed. I wasn't good enough. And, worse, that the bad decisions I'd made my whole life, drinking too much and overeating, had robbed me of the chance to help my brother.<br />
<br />
So in November of 2013 I underwent a liver biopsy to get to the bottom of this condition. It turns out I did not have this genetic predisposition. So it was something else. They said, despite my other "numbers" (you know, cholesterol, blood pressure, all that) being good, this was a worry and I was denied a second time to be a donor.<br />
<br />
So they put me on the wagon. No alcohol for three months. A prick's trick, to be sure just before Thanksgiving and covering both Christmas and New Years. And if I came back in three months with no alcohol and I was improved, maybe then I could donate.<br />
<br />
This past winter was a hard one. It wasn't that I'd given up drinking. Somehow over time the television commercials convince you that you love beer. I found giving it up was easy. The hard thing was the walking.<br />
<br />
I decided I'd walk three to six miles every day all winter long until this next test. Weirdly, I didn't lose any weight. And it got <i><b>cold </b></i>this winter. And every day I'd look at the thermometer and look outside and ask myself the same question: "Do you love your brother?" And I would leave my house wrapped in infinite layers regardless of the conditions because the answer to the question was easy.<br />
<br />
And man, I was strong on my pegs by the end of it. Even at 215 pounds, I felt like a new person. I could run with the indoor soccer kids for the first time in years. And I went back for more testing.<br />
<br />
On February 18th of 2014 - three months to the day from my last refusal by the transplant committee - I went back and my numbers were spectacular. I was pitched to the committee a third time and was accepted. All that remained was a final (blood) cross-match, which came back good.<br />
<br />
From the date I was told the final match was good to the time of the transplant was three weeks. It could have been sooner, but it was a matter of personal schedules. And on March 13, 2014, my big brother and I went down to UPMC Montefiore and shared an operating theater.</div>
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We are about a month or more post-op now, and I want to tell you that Chuck and I are doing pretty well. He came home only two days after I did and he has not been to the dialysis center since. But there was so much more to this experience I want to share with you.</div>
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Next time, we'll talk about the wonderful "Family House" set-up they have at UPMC and I'll want to introduce you to the amazaing community of people there; people whose stories make mine pale in comparison.</div>
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I'm also planning posts on the procedure itself and the recovery. But for now, I want to leave you with this: This Million Dollar Work-Up has been the most comprehensive 50 year old checkup anyone could possibly imagine. I have discovered health issues that could have killed me, but that now I can do something about before it's too late.</div>
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So, while I did not "sell" my kidney, I did get paid. I have never received such royal treatment in any healthcare scenario nor have I ever learned more about myself.</div>
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And I think back to my visit with Chuck at the dialysis clinic on Turnpike Avenue in Clearfield, Pa. And I think of all those other people who were there and I wonder how they are. Have they been as lucky as me and my brother?</div>
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And I think to myself: shouldn't everyone of that certain age around 50, when you're going to get that checkup... Shouldn't everyone consider contacting a donation coordinator and beginning the evaluation process? Your road will probably be less complicated than mine. And you will get the most thorough checkup of your life. Maybe you donate your kidney to a stranger and become what they call an "altruistic donor," but how lovely is that? You can save someone. At the very minimum, you are doing at least one truly good thing with your life. In the final accounting, you will have helped someone else.</div>
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You do get paid. In ways that are far richer than you might think.<br />
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So if you're one of those people of a certain age whose reckless days are maybe behind you; if you need to go and get that 50 year old check-up and don't have the kind of health care plan that will do you much good; if you know someone who needs help, be it liver or kidney donation perhaps, or better still even if you don't... I can tell you there are a lot of souls waiting for help... then I offer you this phone number: 1-412-647-5800.<br />
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When you call the Thomas E. Starzl Transplant Clinic, you get one of those messages about pressing 1 or pressing 2, but all you have to do is wait it out. They don't have an option for "Person who wants to donate a kidney." So you wait it out and a real person answers and you tell 'em you'd like to become a living donor.<br />
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When you meet Mary Gorinski or one of the other donor coordinators, you will be better for the experience and, likely, so will someone else.</div>
Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-17535254254936718272014-03-09T00:06:00.000-08:002014-03-09T14:01:07.646-07:00Turnpike Avenue<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZzojVNQ_RTVyyEXhyphenhyphenSpV-E17XaagCSO21a4pwKf1iKe3wfSG-CQUw5ThB1EabN61Ito16Dl5RW720VfWkJsOoRE0-nXgRxKQKEitcRDPFdAyY1BhjhJqTzylxSUtIZS04phXqASw6v-_/s1600/Pop+Bottle+Mast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZzojVNQ_RTVyyEXhyphenhyphenSpV-E17XaagCSO21a4pwKf1iKe3wfSG-CQUw5ThB1EabN61Ito16Dl5RW720VfWkJsOoRE0-nXgRxKQKEitcRDPFdAyY1BhjhJqTzylxSUtIZS04phXqASw6v-_/s1600/Pop+Bottle+Mast.jpg" height="228" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Literacy: Pop bottles found along my brother's paper route paid for my early comic book collection.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>by Shawn K. Inlow</i></div>
<br />
Turnpike Avenue runs through my life like connective tissue.<br />
<br />
Turnpike is a long, narrow, straight road that runs from the downtown at one end, where the junior high school was, the whole way out to a place called Paradise, where my father was born and raised and went to a one-room schoolhouse. It connects the entirety of Clearfield, Pennsylvania's west side like one long yard stick.<br />
<br />
Here is Robbie Spingola's house, where we'd stop on the walk to school and play bumper pool and watch Robbie and his sisters Deanna and Valerie fight over God knows what until they'd wake their father from his third trick slumber and he'd come down in his underwear and threaten them all.<br />
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There was Tim and Bobby Cline's house up a pair of steep steps by the Clearfield Taxidermy where we played "Green Growth" as kids.<br />
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Here, at the corner of Turnpike and McBride was "The Wall." The Wall was our street-corner hangout, probably much to the chagrin of the Rowles family who lived there and somehow tolerated us. McBride Street was simply called, "The Street," and we were its punk kid inhabitants. When you were going "Up the Street," you were heading roughly to the 700 block of McBride, where I lived. For some natural reason the older boys who my big brother, Chuck, hung out with: Boyd & Dave McKenrick, Scotty Duckett, Barry Angstadt, Dave Beauseignor, Dave Potter, Spiff, Frog Moore - also hung out there. Those guys were awesome. Frog had a "Super Bee" muscle car. Spiff was a nice dresser and a handsome guy and he had a hot girlfriend. Dave had a dirt bike that we'd hot-wire and take for rides in the strippins.<br />
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Further up Turnpike was Ed Billotte's Star Grocery and the Clearfield Hospital, where I was born and where most of my family at one time or another worked. Further out was my Dad's homestead. In Paradise, where he has returned, God rest his soul.<br />
<br />
I want to tell you today two stories about my big brother that took place on Turnpike Avenue.<br />
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Story 1. 1967. A scrawny 6 year-old in jeans and a raggedy t-shirt is walking in the roadside grass along Turnpike, just past the hospital. I'd spied the old bottle of Mountain Dew glittering green in the sunlight and I liked the cartoon logo of the hillbilly with the hole in his hat and his rifle raised.<br />
<br />
I galloped up alongside Chuck and traded him the bottle for a newspaper that he drew out of a large white canvas bag he had slung over his shoulder. The bottle disappeared in the bag and rattled against several others we'd found. He handed me the paper, folded just so.<br />
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"The green house over there. Put it in the mailbox," he said, and off I raced across the road, helping my big brother do his job.<br />
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I don't remember who lived there in 1967. In the mid 1980s a pretty good drummer name of Tommy Rowles lived there. We walked out Turnpike together, two blonde-haired boys cut from the same cloth ten years apart.<br />
<br />
On the return trip, with a bag empty of The Progress and full of pop bottles we stopped into Ed's, a kind of neighborhood store that no longer exists anywhere. We'd cash in the bottles at something like 10 cents each. A small fortune.<br />
<br />
On the way back up The Street I'd carry the comic books we'd got from the rack. Chuck would share his bottle of pop with me after the day's work and would hand down the comics too once he'd read them. My love of literature came from these comics.<br />
<br />
Chuck was a DC guy. He said he didn't like that the Marvel comics were
serialized and you had to always buy the next issue to finish the
story. I, however, had my eye on the very cool looking issues of "The Incredible Hulk."<br />
<br />
My brother would never go to Vietnam. His shin had been broken completely in half in a Babe Ruth game between Dufton's and McGregor's. Chuck was playing second and the throw down from the catcher made him leap high over the bag and when he came down, the would be thief's spikes literally cleaned his leg out from under him.<br />
<br />
I guess the steel plate by which my brother's shin was put back together kept him out of the war. A fortuitous play at second. I don't remember Chuck's baseball accident. He can still tell you the name of the base stealer, but I think you have to thank the catcher too for a lousy throw. I don't remember much about the 1960s. I did not know about Vietnam. I missed The Beatles. The Big Things, to me, were my big brothers, Chuck and John, who loomed large in my world, a paper route, pop bottles, comic books.<br />
<br />
And the world turned on its axis.<br />
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Story 2. 2013. I parked my car in the parking lot where that green house along Turnpike had once stood. There are medical offices there. I was passing by and I knew it was Chuck's dialysis day and I thought to go in there to sit with him. Chuck has to go on the machine every other day or so.<br />
<br />
Over the years, my brother had come to depend on a medication that slowly destroyed his kidneys. And the time had come and members of my family began to get tested to become donors. A preliminary test showed I was a match. A possible donor. And I'd thrown myself deeper into the testing procedure - which I'll tell you about another time - so as to hurry and help my brother.<br />
<br />
But this visit is my second story.<br />
<br />
The dialysis room, once they let you in and give you things to wear so you don't cause a mess, is really clean. And quiet. And square. And cold. Almost refrigerated. Around this room were eight or twelve comfortable chairs, with a square white machine beside each. Most of the chairs were full of people, most of whom were dozing.<br />
<br />
I sat down beside my sleeping brother not bothering to wake him up. He was snuggled under a useful if unadorned blanket. A tube red with his blood ran out of his right arm and into the machine and back again into his body. It was a chilling, austere and sad thing. And I looked around at all the others. Never had I thought that there were "other" people like my brother, who needed dialysis to survive. And I wondered what Chuck's chances were. I wondered who would be there for all these others. What were their chances?<br />
<br />
The healthy don't think about the sick unless somehow the sickness intrudes on their world. Being in the dialysis room was a sharp awakening for me.<br />
<br />
My big brother stirred and awakened too.<br />
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"Hey, Shawn, how you doin'?" He sounded weak and tired but glad to see me.<br />
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"Doin' okay, Chuck. Gonna try to get you offa this machine."<br />
<br />
He had had a book open but he didn't get far before the cold and quiet conspired to make sleep. And we passed some time. I couldn't stay for the rest of the two-hour session.<br />
<br />
When I pulled out of the parking lot and turned toward town on Turnpike Avenue, I accelerated, passing between the hospital and the upper parking lot that used to be a field where we played football. Where I'd found a green pop bottle once. I drove past where Ed's Star Grocery used to be. In it's place is now a hideous looking square, brown doctor's office. Across from The Wall is another parking lot where Duckett's Field used to be, where we played wiffle ball. Another hideous looking doctor's office stands where Scotty Duckett's house once was.<br />
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Everything is turning into lousy doctors' offices and parking lots.<br />
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The world turns on its axis.<br />
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But everything isn't shitty. Here's the thing. Chuck and I are going to the hospital in Pittsburgh this week and we're going to share an operating theater. After almost a year and a million dollar work-up and a great deal of learning about myself and the donation process, we're going to share an operation.<br />
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And to my brother, who handed me down everything from clothes to comic books, who taught me how to box and how to wrestle, well, finally, I'm going to give him something back.Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-87164961996771447262014-02-16T04:14:00.001-08:002014-02-16T04:14:11.168-08:00Sleepless Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH89QMVdp4RJMvVnGPyStH3fVSCnmtmPsEDOPvCAfsBzRpDB6LAdCzTA1xd-Umv1pnUqozsK5fVCBzeFNmMFa7a8J2JKqAGhJBo3aaJSdNoeoZhZZokN0rFWAoFiq3VEjp9hfBV-ZxZtYI/s1600/Blue+Tree+Mast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH89QMVdp4RJMvVnGPyStH3fVSCnmtmPsEDOPvCAfsBzRpDB6LAdCzTA1xd-Umv1pnUqozsK5fVCBzeFNmMFa7a8J2JKqAGhJBo3aaJSdNoeoZhZZokN0rFWAoFiq3VEjp9hfBV-ZxZtYI/s1600/Blue+Tree+Mast.jpg" height="242" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Shawn K. Inlow</div>
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I was first to bed last night.</div>
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It was almost midnight and my family was quiet. Mrs. had drifted off in front of the teevee. Boy was under headphones and thinking about music and art.</div>
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The stories I did not write today gnaw at me every night. They visit me when I lay down and I think of where I left them every night before I drift off to sleep. Someone is trying to tell me something.</div>
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I awoke at 4 a.m. Sometimes the fear of life grips me and to settle myself down I open a book and read until I can no longer keep my eyes open. Lately, though, I have felt fine. Right. Good with things. But still I lie awake.</div>
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I open a book and read a few chapters under a tiny light and transport myself into someone else's story. I put the book down. Turn off the light. And lie awake looking at the dark window.</div>
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And everything comes back. My stories return to say, "Hello, and you've been given another day." I think of my father. Gone. My mother. Gone. I notice the woman beside me who came to bed while I slept. I think of the love story between us. How I sang at her doorstep.</div>
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The ribbons of memory and startling, breathless tendrils of joy curl out from my body as the window frame hints a shade lighter. The world between the sleeping and the waking, you can breathe in it. You can feel in it. You can remember who you are. And be glad. And be grateful. And so deeply, deeply in love.</div>
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I sit on the side of the bed and put on my Sunday clothes. Impossible sleep, I am the first out of bed today. I quietly make some coffee and I can see the dim white of snow outside.</div>
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I have been given another day.</div>
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The dawn breaks and I walk into it fully alive. Not knowing what's next or how this story turns today. But something woke me and whispered in my ear.</div>
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You have another day.</div>
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You have another day. </div>
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Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-35731004968496541932014-02-06T08:41:00.000-08:002014-02-06T08:41:26.273-08:00Video Vault: Carnival of Souls<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUmSW0aE1zzwVELNKxsbu63jSHEXRQzZ0qjZafQ03uvagJxGOpkR7mhq5RacB18Njo9I6U1Z15UYy_bth9GDUqieWv3HciWoJ5bw1eKtkjz1P5Z1KoiIMFA25FmlNWBjTk0GC51xuL_Zq/s1600/Carnival+Mast+3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUmSW0aE1zzwVELNKxsbu63jSHEXRQzZ0qjZafQ03uvagJxGOpkR7mhq5RacB18Njo9I6U1Z15UYy_bth9GDUqieWv3HciWoJ5bw1eKtkjz1P5Z1KoiIMFA25FmlNWBjTk0GC51xuL_Zq/s1600/Carnival+Mast+3a.jpg" height="248" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carnival of Souls: Evocative low budget film may have helped shape the zombie genre.</td></tr>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<i>by Shawn K. Inlow</i></h4>
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<i><br /></i>Anyone who's seen a lot of cinema can quickly note the antecedents of and precedents set by today's tidy little horror masterpiece. Perhaps the little film has never got its due, but it reminds of a very good Twilight Zone episode and foreshadows films like "Night of the Living Dead."</div>
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What sets this small budget 1962 indie apart, though, is its thoroughly eerie atmosphere. Even scenes of very normal every day life seem uncomfortable to the viewer. And the movie isn't a shocker. It's ... idunno... ominous? </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMTMhAPFnlgH1iKW2ELfK6cAZVpCWuGyritOIq8l89xg7LBEgrx0BSKFO1gQaE7-d_yOl5Z1tdu6eNHBR1gFVCKTtkzmTCdfKXYaHxcn6ArRsYu1AQe_1fAujCj2Isjo6QB8i9C3XkiL8/s1600/carnival+woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMTMhAPFnlgH1iKW2ELfK6cAZVpCWuGyritOIq8l89xg7LBEgrx0BSKFO1gQaE7-d_yOl5Z1tdu6eNHBR1gFVCKTtkzmTCdfKXYaHxcn6ArRsYu1AQe_1fAujCj2Isjo6QB8i9C3XkiL8/s1600/carnival+woman.jpg" height="200" width="113" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Henry</td></tr>
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Let's start at the beginning, shall we?<br />
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<b>Candace Hilligoss</b> is a poor man's Janet Leigh, a pretty-ish blonde who manages to crawl out of a river (at right) after a terrible car crash. She doesn't remember anything about the crash or others who might have disappeared in the water, but she decides to continue to a small Utah town where she will take up employment as a church organist.</div>
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Mary Henry is a woman on a very strange journey.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuN4VKa4HYjAUVQYbpd_LA6ofdcR5C-5qRH2IH7TimxB6oYkZ-D55Z7d7emzrzaDMR2g1JcMZ7TQIOQaqkK2hcV4CiAt8CNXJGRodewMPtgACAtg3McDR8FrwDOhU2ZQ0p3WR-Gxvatahq/s1600/lothario2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuN4VKa4HYjAUVQYbpd_LA6ofdcR5C-5qRH2IH7TimxB6oYkZ-D55Z7d7emzrzaDMR2g1JcMZ7TQIOQaqkK2hcV4CiAt8CNXJGRodewMPtgACAtg3McDR8FrwDOhU2ZQ0p3WR-Gxvatahq/s1600/lothario2.jpg" height="200" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Date! Yeah! That's the ticket!"</td></tr>
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She distances herself from people and seems not to know how to mix in. She doesn't know what to do with the lothario, John Linden (played by <b>Sidney Berger</b>, he's the spitting image of a young <b>John Lovitz' "Liar Guy"</b> who's taken a step right to the edge of creepy.) who boards at the same house. Despite working in a church setting, she does not take religion seriously. (On the cusp of the moralist 1950s, I can see this being a glaring road-sign more then than now.)<br />
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Completing the picture of isolation are these unnerving sequences when the film goes utterly quiet in an otherwise mundane setting and Mary feels like nobody can see her. A psychologist explains her fright by noting she's had a recent shock.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVa5mOweBdQDYSfTCqOeYrc_OY9ZTtm6qZbIdSYhPaZvn7DveJKdfFPKN9Gz5ZDWssDHNPnSWFJ_ZgPtPmr-JRfHIumK3F3OwlSLydnYdCRMEowcQplPlw_NnR9Dv69LyJuTL8ainoy6Ep/s1600/Nattily+Dressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVa5mOweBdQDYSfTCqOeYrc_OY9ZTtm6qZbIdSYhPaZvn7DveJKdfFPKN9Gz5ZDWssDHNPnSWFJ_ZgPtPmr-JRfHIumK3F3OwlSLydnYdCRMEowcQplPlw_NnR9Dv69LyJuTL8ainoy6Ep/s1600/Nattily+Dressed.jpg" height="200" width="103" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zombie #1?</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BNz8we9me7mmpiwis3JQspMmHgUrbqOzbdV2A4X52hng-rwL2tly4quaPlC5P9Ps1Nv3H1qWxj7W3rNlWtwOP9Pfzfa739E-ak8OtvzMuPAJB8CJOvhBiCRiRRitWWYei-oy529jmWf0/s1600/night-of-the-living-dead1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BNz8we9me7mmpiwis3JQspMmHgUrbqOzbdV2A4X52hng-rwL2tly4quaPlC5P9Ps1Nv3H1qWxj7W3rNlWtwOP9Pfzfa739E-ak8OtvzMuPAJB8CJOvhBiCRiRRitWWYei-oy529jmWf0/s1600/night-of-the-living-dead1.jpg" height="200" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zombie #1a by Romero?</td></tr>
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<br />
And then there's this guy. <b>Herk Harvey</b>, until then a director of industrial educational films, used egg white on his face to transform himself into the quintessential pallid phantasm who seems to pursue Mary. The use of this image, through a car window, or submerged in shallow water puts a cherry on top of this film's atmosphere. Harvey's phantasm (left) perfectly imagines the nattily dressed, freshly buried zombie (right) from the opening scenes of 1969's zombie classic by <b>George Romero</b>, "Night of the Living Dead."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgg34xNhZVJ9czyzSLoSARtgHCWYXelS-Q_Ai29Ue-J8Avx2tra1MBJfdkLuXapUOOr5jw0ko6e3SC0_ux-LlF6VWSfivEZ6BHqxHXycJkVa8ibFbnv6Ypi9F3SwuAp6JGrvVxDVCrEvC/s1600/Carnival+Mast2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgg34xNhZVJ9czyzSLoSARtgHCWYXelS-Q_Ai29Ue-J8Avx2tra1MBJfdkLuXapUOOr5jw0ko6e3SC0_ux-LlF6VWSfivEZ6BHqxHXycJkVa8ibFbnv6Ypi9F3SwuAp6JGrvVxDVCrEvC/s1600/Carnival+Mast2.jpg" height="192" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An abandoned music pier seems to call out to Mary Henry. Drawing her toward her uncertain fate.</td></tr>
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One of the principle locations used in the film is an abandoned amusement park, set shadowy and broken down on a music pier. The place looks byzantine in its affect, with domed spires and Arabian arches. Like some broken down Coney Island, it echos a past liveliness gone to seed. This location seems to call out to Mary and peak her curiosity. In the way a clown can look laughable or lurid, this setting was a nightmare come true for Herk Harvey when he was able to use it at no cost.<br />
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And "Carnival of Souls" makes gorgeous use of its black and white. The lighting and the use of shadow in this film propel the film like a broken wheel-chair careening downhill toward spooky-town. There are countless still frames here that bear pausing the grinder and pouring over the image. Add this to a soundtrack that can soothe or jar the senses. The use of heavy doses of organ music makes obvious sense in the plot and the way it darts between sacred and hellish adds nicely to the film's themes.<br />
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I run the risk of giving this little late night gem too much credit. But I cannot escape the thought that it is one of those little movies, like <b>"Targets" (1968)</b> or <b>"Last House on the Left" (1972)</b>, that helped change the genre, bridging the gap from classic Universal monster mashes and Hammer horror to the nascent stages of what we have today. The fright went from being external (a monster) to being internal (fear and uncertainty). Or worse, the horror of the perfectly normal.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBNLCkVuy1xWXRI2dn3neEUY_3PRnx_IWLpCTt2jC3S27oJgHWOmkv6-XgtvEVEoI52cocyZxXogp0CRKSPd_dvRgKv64C2_YGMndLtR14WFrb-Z3cE1JjzoLgCqU1pLaHecY1EvgpgGR/s1600/Carnival+Mast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBNLCkVuy1xWXRI2dn3neEUY_3PRnx_IWLpCTt2jC3S27oJgHWOmkv6-XgtvEVEoI52cocyZxXogp0CRKSPd_dvRgKv64C2_YGMndLtR14WFrb-Z3cE1JjzoLgCqU1pLaHecY1EvgpgGR/s1600/Carnival+Mast.jpg" height="180" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candace Hilligoss portrays Mary Henry - A woman on a most unusual journey - in today's feature, "Carnival of Souls."</td></tr>
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THANKS & DEDICATION: This post was the result, albeit a late responding one, to a reader somewhere in the northeast. She'd dropped me an email and I don't have it anymore asking for a treatment of this film, so I got right on it. Within the week I'd gotten the Criterion disc from Netflix and studied the film for about three days, doing a shot by shot viewing and producing dozens of pages of notes.<br />
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So my apologies to that reader for taking so long and I hope this post reaches you somehow. I doubly apologize for letting your note slip such that I couldn't remember your name. My bad. But your taste in film is good, at least by this example. And this was a fun film to study. <br />
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So if anyone else wants to put a delicious film on the Voice of the Mountain list, please fire away in the comments below and I'll be happy to oblige. I especially love finding the little films that people may have missed. And to the nice lady who suggested "Carnival of Souls," please drop me a line again and let me know your reaction to the post. For now, accept this review as my thanks.<br />
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Until next time, Enjoy!</div>
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Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-68066979599159919172014-02-03T22:21:00.000-08:002014-02-03T22:21:30.034-08:00State of the Mountain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnu_ixy0Xk2Wbxeh-PhzMahgDBJM-4KKpLmGA1kJe4xcNiQZA3NBB6f2cmqWIFEcQIEbwxKvslGxOPsP-rQkXZmnAfQBstY0LPeH12o5lsCZhUkBJ4zgum_0xpdb67kGC019wHk32isLp/s1600/Blue+Tree+Mast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnu_ixy0Xk2Wbxeh-PhzMahgDBJM-4KKpLmGA1kJe4xcNiQZA3NBB6f2cmqWIFEcQIEbwxKvslGxOPsP-rQkXZmnAfQBstY0LPeH12o5lsCZhUkBJ4zgum_0xpdb67kGC019wHk32isLp/s1600/Blue+Tree+Mast.jpg" height="241" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>by Shawn K. Inlow</i> </b></div>
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I worry too much. Or do I?<br />
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To say that one worries too much implies that maybe there's nothing to worry about. I care a lot. I love a lot. I laugh a lot. And I worry a lot. How's that sound?<br />
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The Artist, I was telling someone in church this weekend, feels the weight of the world more keenly than most. Do you ever feel that tidal wave of melancholy? All the beauty and sadness of this life just wailing on you? It is, if you are well balanced, a wave that knocks you topsy-turvy and then, when it ebbs, it has by contrast the effect of making all the good things even brighter.<br />
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It is, my friend Julie would say, the Libra in me; constantly out of balance and constantly seeking it.<br />
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I am opening to you today, dear reader, a larger window on things that has been brought on by my recent thinking on politics, expressly the president's recent state of the union address. Everybody and their brother had a "response" to the Obama speech. And they generally all missed the boat. This is my response: The State of the Mountain Address.<br />
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The Mountain abides. As my old friend Lao Tzu might say, those things that are not born do not die. The life on or about The Mountain, though, is in constant turmoil. Constant change. We, dear reader, are the little things clinging to life. The Mountain owns you. You don't own it. You may think you do, but one day you return to it. Your waking life, though, is one of precarity. Mr. Obama was talking about the ten-thousand things, all of which are reflections, I think, of two basic things: Economic Problems and Moral Problems. The two, on a real level, are the same thing.<br />
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The sickness lies in an economic paradigm that prizes profit over sustainability. Profit even over common decency. Continual growth and increasingly complex energy throughput and waste over simplicity and health. This world of human affairs is sick. It is out of balance. We need to strike a balance.<br />
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Continual growth is impossible. The Mountain is, after all, finite. There is only so much coal you can dig and so much natural gas you can frack. Meanwhile the waste heap grows higher and higher, poisoning the air we breathe and the water we drink. More energy. More power. More things. More pollution.<br />
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There are too many people for everyone to live like Americans without us toppling off the Malthusian cliff. Thus Americans, rich and in the driver's seat of the best of warplanes, can and should lead the world. But how? We must decide if we're going to be heroes or villains (the moral question) in the equation.<br />
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The words are scary: Communism, Socialism, Terrorism. Show me a new "ism" and I'll show you a new war. The words are scary because you've been propagandized to have negative feelings about these when all they are is ideas. Capitalism and Imperialism have probably caused more death and destruction in the world. Communism, Socialism and Capitalism, after all, are just methods of accounting; ways of counting what we have and determining who gets most of it.<br />
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We need to think about Idealism. Altruism. We need to think about ways that we can share our wealth in ways that improve the world around us. For instance, I would, with all my money, figure out a way to start an electric cooperative and build a solar or wind farm to help supply my town's needs and use the overage to do the same for other towns. I could still make some money for my trouble, but is there a need to make a killing? How much do I need to live well? <br />
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We need to shift from a purely capitalist system which demands unsustainable growth to one that includes slow growth or possibly zero growth models for the common good rather than the individual massing of wealth. <br />
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Capitalism has done very well, thank you, at creating wealth. Since the founding of the USA and through the industrial revolution, the capitalist paradigm magnificently lifted the masses to a quality life. This wealth has been built on a seemingly endless supply of natural resources. But the wars are now raging for possession of those dwindling resources that are left. All over Africa and the Middle East the last fateful gold rush is on in the selfish death spiral that is capitalist, imperialist perpetual growth.<br />
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There are big businesses rushing to establish electrical grids in tribal regions of Africa not to enlighten the people but to gain access to their resources. Soon a tribal person in Africa won't be able to see the stars at night for all the blinding light. The people will begin to have abnormal rhythms as their days become longer and more "productive." Then they will get sick and seek medicine. Can we not just leave them in peace?<br />
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I think Cargill and Monsanto and other giant agri-businesses have already changed our DNA with their genetically modified foods and they spend millions of dollars to prevent you, the consumer, from knowing what Faustian bargains they've made to engineer food. These kinds of companies are <i>destroying farms, destroying soil, and poisoning habitat. </i>The fossil fuel industry, though it has been hugely beneficial, needs to be grandfathered out because with global warming we're now paying the piper. And don't get me started on the bankers.<br />
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NAFTA unleashed a tidal wave of cheap corn on Mexico and drove whole generations of farmers from their fields, where their labor no longer turned a profit, to the cities, where there was nothing for them, and then, finally, to cross in wave upon wave across the American border to find some way to survive. This is how an economic decision has caused, not only an immoral disruption of a way of life, but the shattered families of illegal immigration as well.<br />
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NAFTA was touted as being great for everyone but it turns out it was a shitty deal for almost everyone. NAFTA, the North-American Free Trade Agreement, 20 years since it was instituted has been hellish on decent American jobs but very, very nice for corporate profit margins. <br />
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And now President Obama wants "fast track" authority to execute another, far worse, "free" trade deal in the Pacific Rim, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP. We are waging global economic capitalist warfare, a destructive brand of economics that will negatively affect much of the population, be a bonanza for corporate ledgers and simply stab the working man in the heart and wreak havoc on the world's climate.<br />
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Unless. Go and read the Dr. Seuss book "The Lorax." Unless.<br />
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We must pull back on the reigns of the runaway engine that is unbridled capitalism. Capitalism, I heard someone say, must serve democracy rather than impede it. And given the price of a congressman nowadays and the ways in which corruption and bribery have become the rules of the road, the United States is in no position to lead.<br />
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Men like Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch spread disinformation and sew the seeds of scientific illiteracy. Men like Charles and David Koch are seeking to buy out the government to free themselves to continue their wanton exploitation and ruination of the environment. There are so many corporate interests lobbying Washington that it is clear that capitalism is hurting democracy. The government no longer serves the voters. The government serves the wealthy. For the love of God, the only people claiming responsibility today are terrorists.<br />
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The world's answers cannot be had without American action. And the villains in this game have have tipped the balance in their greedy self interest. In fact, they may well have broken the scales entirely, making the societal choices that are needed impossible to come by via common governance.<br />
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Time is short and America is unable to move. Its emperors are fat and lolling on beds padded by legal bribery. The lock on the doors of power must be broken and the scurrilous bastards who have put us here must be confronted. They must change or be removed. Otherwise, these greedy fools will take us all down with them.<br />
<br />Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-25866259521970264512014-01-30T15:46:00.001-08:002014-01-30T15:48:16.432-08:00State of the Union Rebuff<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Congress at SOTU: Answers? They Don't Even Know the Questions.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>by Shawn K. Inlow </i></span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCovSt7veRSXWxc0oQbUa3R1SsksBg6kq6QjObeVP5Eo8fx_ado5PedL3hFp8jnxJSFK2P9r3eakroEJ7DO4L43qf79zWPyy7nPFN9MMYUhAFP6KSd71QbIlAcXXEi9Yh1SW8q2jYkaGA/s1600/Barak+Obama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCovSt7veRSXWxc0oQbUa3R1SsksBg6kq6QjObeVP5Eo8fx_ado5PedL3hFp8jnxJSFK2P9r3eakroEJ7DO4L43qf79zWPyy7nPFN9MMYUhAFP6KSd71QbIlAcXXEi9Yh1SW8q2jYkaGA/s1600/Barak+Obama.jpg" height="172" width="320" /></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">So I'm watching the President give his state of the union address. I wasn't going to watch it, but, there I was and it was on and so I watched it. The funny thing is that immediately after you watch a speech like that, commentators come on and begin to explain to you what you just saw. That's well enough, I guess, while you're waiting for the republicans to come on and explain to you what you just saw.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">In the Obama years, the republican response has been a bit of an adventure. This has been a great deal of fun for non-republicans. I mean, you had Bobby Jindal the one year and then you had the water break moment last year of Marco Rubio. They had Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels a couple years ago and rather than continue in politics after that he took the cushy job of being president (of Purdue University). And then there was the rising star that was Virginia's "Governor Ultrasound" (Virginia, apparently, is NOT for lovers anymore.) Bob McDonnell, who the feds were good enough to allow to leave office before they indicted him on corruption charges.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">I love this stuff because A) the republicans keep trotting out whatever short list of people of color they can find in hopes of looking like anything but what they are (a party full of rich, old white guys) and B) you're taking someone your party ostensibly has high hopes for and your tossing him out there to follow perhaps the greatest natural orator in presidential history.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Well the other night, they sent out this nice church lady from Washington state. She was pretty and nice and had absolutely nothing of substance to say. And, of course, she had the worst case of cotton mouth on record since I woke up from that woods kegger back in 1978. God lover her, she kept dry gulping in the middle of every sentence but you just know she wasn't gonna pull a Rubio and dive for the water bottle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Though she wasn't a person of color, she was that Stepford Wife of the republican party. She was a woman and, unless you haven't heard, the republicans are waging a "war on women." So they trot out Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers to prove how pro-woman they are.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Then the republican rebuttal machine doubled down by rolling out Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen because she's a Cuban Woman. And she talked in SPANISH. Republicans love women, you see, and sometimes they let them talk. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">And then it got weirder. In recent years, it just hasn't been good enough just getting a republican out there to fall on their face after the president hits another clean winner. Nope. Not good enough. Lately, we've been treated to the endless pleasure of the "Tea-Party Response." Because, you know, it's important we let Rupert Murdoch and the Koch Brothers have THEIR say too. And boy-howdy do THEY know how to pick 'em! Michelle Bachman a couple years ago. (Superstar!!!) and Herman Cain, who culled passages of his presidential stump speech from one of the Pokemon theme songs (no joke). At least Herman Cain was entertaining.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Senator Mike Lee (Rhymes with "Tea") of Utah took to the interwebs and talked about how the tea-party marched from Boston to Philadelphia over the space of 14 years a couple hundred years ago and wrote the Constitution. To be fair to Lee, though, he's probably the only one, President Obama included, who managed to touch the actual third rail of the truth about what's really eating Gilbert Grape.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">"This inequality crisis presents itself in three principal forms," said Lee. "Immobility among the poor, who are trapped in poverty by big-government programs. </span>Insecurity in the middle class, where families are struggling just to get by and can't seem to get ahead. And cronyist privilege at the top, where political and economic insiders twist the immense power of the federal government to profit at the expense of everyone else."</div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Lee, in The Mountain's view, is wrong about the first of his three assertions. Anti-poverty programs like food stamps and public assistance don't trap people from rising up the economic ladder: They prevent people from plummeting down through the cracks and becoming destitute. The rich should consider these programs as insurance. Take them away and watch the crime rate soar as more and more people get more and more desperate. There ARE no jobs out there and taking away someone's SSI or welfare check is not going to create them. Some of these people need to put down "Atlas Shrugged" and pick up a copy of "The Grapes of Wrath."</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">But Lee rings true in his second and third assertions. It IS hard to get ahead anymore and the power structure at the top is there there like a vampire to suck the marrow out of the dry husk of the American dream. Lee, though, wants you to distrust the government but trust the big money. The Mountain says you have to dismantle the mechanisms that allow big money to OWN the government.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">And then came Rand Paul, the half-sensible / half-baked-potato who, let's face it, can't carry his daddy's jock, who trots out on social media to give a rebuttal to the rebuttal to the rebuttal to the state of the union speech. </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Dumb ass starts out invoking the petrified Ghost of Reagan before segueing into a glorification of the story of the virulent anti-gay far right darling, Star Parker. The upshot: More money for rich people is good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Christ, Almighty. If these chumps can take a whack at it so can I. The Mountain will post its first-ever (and hopefully last-ever) state of the union address tomorrow. The Mountain senses a need for clarity. People are running around shouting arguments at each other that do not address the real problems. The Mountain is not a candidate and so has nothing to lose or gain. Maybe you, dear reader, will begin to think about what the serious questions are instead of the superficial political ones being posited by those with ulterior motives.</span></div>
Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-42762392328513766882013-11-20T09:18:00.000-08:002013-11-20T09:18:18.255-08:00Video Vault: French Cancan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwLXl5elHZM6DzAsTcWC04MlbbuY2rPl0nsMmrIR-sEbln5GtFRL8Asq842nwGNbTps2ApUZDVmLQbluks4rJbyoZ2eswr4xIgzFLQVoh_RevErtQtsVvNE-T95C8QXE2Bwdwdo1To0Tf/s1600/Video+Vault.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwLXl5elHZM6DzAsTcWC04MlbbuY2rPl0nsMmrIR-sEbln5GtFRL8Asq842nwGNbTps2ApUZDVmLQbluks4rJbyoZ2eswr4xIgzFLQVoh_RevErtQtsVvNE-T95C8QXE2Bwdwdo1To0Tf/s1600/Video+Vault.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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French Cancan</div>
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1956 - Jean Renoir</div>
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NR - 105 minutes</div>
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Vault Rating: 6</div>
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CAST:</div>
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Jean Gabin - Henri Danglard</div>
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Francoise Arnoul - Nini</div>
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Maria Felix - Lola</div>
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Anna Amendola - Esther Georges</div>
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Jean-Roger Caussimon - Baron Walter</div>
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<i>Netflix Summary: Nineteenth century Paris comes vibrantly alive in director Jean Renoir's exhilarating tale of the opening of the world-renowned Moulin Rouge. Jean Gabin plays the wily impresario Danglard, who makes the cancan all the rage while juggling the love of two beautiful women - an Egyptian belly-dancer and a naive working girl turned cancan star. This celebration of life, art and the City of Light includes a rare cameo by Edith Piaf.</i></div>
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Well. The Netflix summary above should be blushing. While the film and its auteur are considered among the cinema greats, the "exhilarating" film, to me, only managed to climb into the range of pleasantly affecting. So why bother? Read on.</div>
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Perhaps I was asking too much of myself. For example, this was a musical comedy. Not something Vault generally prizes to begin with. But in French with subtitles I found it difficult to enjoy the humor while absorbing the actors while they gave their pleasantly affecting performances.</div>
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One of the few times subtitles have affected my enjoyment of a film. Part of this difficulty also arises from some of the film's strengths. The sets were interesting to look at and my eye was constantly wandering to one pleasantly affecting detail or another which Renoir cleverly litters about his frames. So. Grain of salt.</div>
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And the way of the film takes a while to fall into. It's a bit of a slapstick almost quasi-musical-comedy, so getting into the vibe (in French) takes some patience. I'm sure, at the time in France, this picture was the shizzle. That it holds its own nearly six decades hence is a testament to its quality.</div>
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More interesting is that this is a film less about the famed Paris nightclub and more about those who made it tick. This film studies its show-people in a way that is very realistic. Very straightforward. Vault is not much for show-people films either. But the two principles, Danglard and Nini, have two story arcs that are surprisingly unsentimental.</div>
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Danglard is the man behind the Moulin Rouge and, as a finder of talent, and a weaver of dreams, as a lover of women and a showman, he draws beautiful people into his sphere and uses them to create. They play in his world.</div>
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And this struck me as honest. Having a good deal of experience in theater and having performed, written and directed plays for decades, I could identify strongly with Danglard in the film's climactic sequence. Nothing gets him off like the audience's joy and approval.</div>
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Nini's character arc is also strong and honest, tracing a path from ingenue to showgirl in a way that most musical comedies can't grasp.</div>
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The rest of the film is about various trysts and relationships that hit and miss. Couples don't just wind up together to give us the obligatory happily ever after. In fact, the speed with which its subjects fall in and out of love is almost cartoonishly reminiscent of, say, a Shakespeare farce. Like the cancan, it is a weird dance to pull off gracefully.</div>
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And legit cancan, pulled off recklessly with a cheeky amount of fishnets and bloomers, high kicks and flying splits (Oooh! Doesn't that HURT???), certainly can can bring a smile to your face. Keep those hemlines high, girls!</div>
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In all, the film is worth your while. As I reflect back over "French Cancan," I'm thinking a second look would find me notching my Vault Rating a tad higher.</div>
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<i>by Shawn Inlow</i></div>
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<i>Osceola Mills, Pa. </i></div>
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Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-42677219708549899962013-10-09T09:15:00.000-07:002013-10-09T09:15:32.433-07:00"And If It Was A Secret Vote..." <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOiQZ7oVbk3xaDPwu6sk7Ah6U_lvG-FFAMoyLGS61z4YU7zYyPXPgVZc8S_JkdbdLz0eLFziCYVS3K9Cp7qFLu3x-PmcizJLHYiKME1xb39xIkJK_qmB6CORJSQ8eOHwGWf2-Z7S7u6YX/s1600/Peter+King.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOiQZ7oVbk3xaDPwu6sk7Ah6U_lvG-FFAMoyLGS61z4YU7zYyPXPgVZc8S_JkdbdLz0eLFziCYVS3K9Cp7qFLu3x-PmcizJLHYiKME1xb39xIkJK_qmB6CORJSQ8eOHwGWf2-Z7S7u6YX/s1600/Peter+King.jpg" height="243" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter King (R) of New York says 150 house republicans would vote for a clean CR "If it was a secret vote."</td></tr>
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Voice of the Mountain</h2>
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<b><i>by Shawn K. Inlow</i></b></div>
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<b><i>The Mountain doesn't often agree </i></b>with U.S. Representative Peter King (R) of New York. But in recent comments, King has reiterated something that you, dear reader, need to appreciate.</div>
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<b><i> </i></b></div>
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In the October 6 New York Times article, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/07/us/politics/obama-aide-urges-lawmakers-to-raise-debt-ceiling.html" target="_blank">Boehner Hews to Hard Line in Demanding Concessions from Obama</a>, Rep. King said this:</div>
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<i>“I’m positive
that a clean C.R. would pass ... If it went on the floor tomorrow, I could see anywhere from 50 to 75
Republicans voting for it,” he added. “And if it were a secret ballot,
150.” </i></div>
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Let's think about this for a moment, shall we? King is saying that 50 to 70 republicans are brave enough to openly support a "clean" continuing resolution to end the government shutdown. "Clean" meaning a resolution that didn't come with any Tea Party demands about defunding the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as "Obamacare."</div>
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With 200 democrats ready to vote for a clean CR, the vote would pass with only 18 republicans standing up for common sense. Yet Speaker John Boehner (R) of Ohio says those votes don't exist and will not bring such a vote to the floor.</div>
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But here's the good stuff, and it's the thing The Mountain has been pointing to for the last two days: King continues to say that 150 republicans would vote for a clean CR to fund the government <i><b>"If it were a secret ballot."</b></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIC_ZOFh8jEEdE2gbHcPkrbFpY0oQzvH8avH_79Ve1ce2A6CDUxEClhyphenhyphenbvcVO-PDdtZFvSwnw9UilTyrTEidkTrl6EUwnC3DMVoUvnDtAZm06JmbgFsV9oJuI3tNxOlhm1bYYvMFQb7ugx/s1600/poy_charles_david_koch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIC_ZOFh8jEEdE2gbHcPkrbFpY0oQzvH8avH_79Ve1ce2A6CDUxEClhyphenhyphenbvcVO-PDdtZFvSwnw9UilTyrTEidkTrl6EUwnC3DMVoUvnDtAZm06JmbgFsV9oJuI3tNxOlhm1bYYvMFQb7ugx/s1600/poy_charles_david_koch.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snorting Koch: Douche-Bags Trying to Purchase Government</td></tr>
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King is admitting the obvious. House republicans, including John Boehner, are afraid of these guys: Charles and David Koch. The Super Koch Bros. The billionaire funders of all things Tea-Party and the emissaries of the downfall of respectable conservatism.</div>
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Any republican caught off the Tea Party farm can expect a wholly owned Koch Bros subsidiary with unlimited funding in his next primary. This IS happening. This is not your dad's republican party anymore.</div>
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What we are dealing with here, and what we've been talking about this week... I promise tomorrow we're going to talk about something else... is that Charles and David Koch are literally overthrowing the government with unlimited money. And the fight that has to happen is inside the republican party. Either the Kochs win or the dying breed of republican moderates who used to be able to WIN elections without rigging them will out. Someone needs to grow some balls and have that fight.</div>
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So let's go ball-hunting by looking at the U.S. House of Representatives from the area around The Mountain.</div>
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I saw Glenn Thompson from Pennsylvania's 5th district on CSPAN this morning. Maybe Glenn would show some balls. But looking at his campaign funding over at <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cycle=2014&cid=N00029736&type=I" target="_blank">Open Secrets.org</a> one quickly notes that Glenn lives in the fossil fuel sector and lookie there, Koch Industries is among his top ten donors.</div>
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Glenn got up on the floor of the House this morning and spewed some shit about being a good scout and leaving the world better for those who come later. Then he read two letters, one from Jefferson County and one from DuBois about the evils of Obamacare.</div>
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Super.</div>
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I was looking at <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?type=C&cid=N00013770&newMem=N&cycle=2014" target="_blank">Bill Shuster's page</a> and see that the leaf doesn't fall too far from the tree. He's setting himself up nicely as the chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and he's raking in contributions from the transportation sector. He's got it too good and I don't think we're gonna see Congressman Shuster pick a fight with the Super Koch Bros.</div>
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You just can't get good help these days.</div>
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I wonder if Mr. Thompson or Mr. Shuster would vote in secret for a clean continuing resolution to fund the government. What would their position be if they knew the Koch Bros wouldn't find out? I wonder if they'd care about the damage to my savings and pension as the market tanks because of the Koch Bros greedy aims. I wonder, is Pennsylvania's republican delegation a pack of men or cowards?</div>
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I'm betting on cowards. Or henchmen. Each and every one of them.</div>
Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-12878083454103876192013-10-08T10:15:00.001-07:002013-10-08T10:15:54.366-07:00Blame the Republicans (But Mostly the Koch Bros)<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJmH8DLUjN6sKp3hBmK0vYtKYEGwcfwiNM8ZELTELO5GAC3xOGhWeIxPu3Hiu74vTWHhXRC97XXMfDbZY0T4A1gQHHg92vFKdk-7Lk-krRyzCsM69WI6XlXyuYiEpyADUiYqkChTtUAdg/s1600/Super+Koch+Bros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJmH8DLUjN6sKp3hBmK0vYtKYEGwcfwiNM8ZELTELO5GAC3xOGhWeIxPu3Hiu74vTWHhXRC97XXMfDbZY0T4A1gQHHg92vFKdk-7Lk-krRyzCsM69WI6XlXyuYiEpyADUiYqkChTtUAdg/s1600/Super+Koch+Bros.jpg" height="260" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Men Behind the Curtain: Charles and David Koch<br />
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Voice of the Mountain<b><i> </i></b></h2>
<b><i>by Shawn K. Inlow</i></b> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">The Mountain wants you to look at the two men pictured above. You should know them. They are Charles and David Koch, two billionaire brothers who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps by inheriting their companies from their dad and who are, according to reportage this weekend, almost entirely behind the republican funding and planning for a government shutdown and possible default.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Blame the republicans. When the market goes tits-up and my pension goes flat and my savings disappear... Blame the republicans and their billionaire paymasters. It's all right there in black and attributed white.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">First, you need to read <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/us/a-federal-budget-crisis-months-in-the-planning.html?pagewanted=all" target="_blank">THIS EYE OPENING PIECE</a> from the weekend New York Times. It features republicans, in their own words, gunning for this manufactured crisis for months and finally getting what they want. Read that and then come back and we'll talk, okay?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Mountain posted yesterday in an uncharacteristic rant where I smelled the rat that is modern republicanism and heard the insipid whack-job Tea Partyism. I smelled the reek of oil billionaires, but I just couldn't see them until that NYT story pulled back the curtain. Now there can be no doubt as to who is to blame for the latest crazy republican political gambit.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">These people are so desperate to deny President Obama his signature legislative accomplishment (and millions of Americans a shot for once at affordable health insurance) that they would do anything - hurt anyone - spend hundreds of millions of dollars "educating" the public and coercing republican congressmen and running Tea-Party Crazies against that odd, beloved endangered species, the "moderate republican."</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">There was a day where I could walk a mile with a republican, but those days are coming to an end, largely because the republican party has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Koch Industries. Let's call it what it is, because it is the most compelling case for what is wrong with government: Pure Corruption. Vulgar capitalist takeover of the democracy all dressed up in red-white-and-blue bunting. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Freedom indeed. This is about owning the government. And the two men pictured above are the worms at the heart of the apple. They need to be hunted down and tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail. Charles and David Koch: Public Enemies #1. Can we get a CIA deck of cards with that pair of aces on the front? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Man. The Mountain is feeling all militant. I gotta go take a sedative. But seriously, someone oughtta go to one of their big parties and get 'em with a cream pie.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">What's worse is that The Mountain feels like we all are being used as dupes here. The issue isn't really the debt. Obamacare is just a foil for something bigger. These are just foils so that you and I, decent people, set against each other's throats.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxU8bqCQktu4iVGsht3PUfn40hkeY_3-enke7NjC2jIrQy-GLfj4a5cGZ3hWVnIxsck2xMvdZ_SktYBfsvAbh280rx7d6gbIBnio4aGJNjnP-ldglHLou6BMNkI3s24Eef9rManjMF97g/s1600/sneetches4-2bxxd4z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxU8bqCQktu4iVGsht3PUfn40hkeY_3-enke7NjC2jIrQy-GLfj4a5cGZ3hWVnIxsck2xMvdZ_SktYBfsvAbh280rx7d6gbIBnio4aGJNjnP-ldglHLou6BMNkI3s24Eef9rManjMF97g/s1600/sneetches4-2bxxd4z.jpg" height="320" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sneetches: Stars Upon Thars</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqo3_D8lLS0z_dgSDqIdUoKd23jiECq0TWhN5dYD-QL_viJ_iq3_p_TT0FS68XnCZm0CYOzYmPsVyQeNeWDUpZL5z0IEC9vXi0kP1DJgir0HCnNk8NWP7rr57o7mmAXE_DhHvIYQDiLyi/s1600/Sylvester_mcmonkey_mcbean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqo3_D8lLS0z_dgSDqIdUoKd23jiECq0TWhN5dYD-QL_viJ_iq3_p_TT0FS68XnCZm0CYOzYmPsVyQeNeWDUpZL5z0IEC9vXi0kP1DJgir0HCnNk8NWP7rr57o7mmAXE_DhHvIYQDiLyi/s1600/Sylvester_mcmonkey_mcbean.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McBean: "You can't teach a Sneetch!"</td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is the Dr. Seuss story of "The Sneetches" and the Koch Bros are Sylvester McMonkey McBean, who emerges at the end of the day with all the money while leaving his bewildered victims changed forever. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dr. Seuss had this covered. And in his loveable way he drew us this picture.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">No, there is something much bigger going on and that is the corporate ownership, or freedom <b><i>from</i></b> the democracy.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Freedom to do as the Koch Bros please.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Freedom for the Koch Bros to keep all the money.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Freedom for the Koch Bros to do anything they want because they are powerful enough to do it. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is not about you and me except by the way the vitriolic argument frees the Koch Bros. THEY are the shit stirrers. We are just the stick they use to stir the pot.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">And I'm not down with this old canard I hear from my friends: "A pox on both democratic and republican houses!"</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bullshit. I'm calling bullshit. Because generally speaking the democrats, even with their problems which I and regular walking around republicans can point to with fervor, want to be helpful. The republicans want to destroy, deny, negate. And if republicans won't say it themselves (which many do in the NY Times article above) I do not believe for a moment that the Koch Bros could be that coy.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">To my conservative friends. You have to know that the Koch Bros are sewing the seeds of your discontent. And by destabilizing that which we've come to depend upon, by corrupting the America we grew up in with their ferocious capitalism, our lives become more precarious.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm worried about my savings. I'm worried about the savages of Wall Street and the wolves of Big Money being left to run wild on my state pension plan.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Listen. The debt is an issue. Health care and foreign policy and everything else are legitimate issues that affect our lives. They do. But what is going on here, The Mountain feels down to its foothills, is something much bigger. Much darker. I invite you to pull back the curtain.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">I leave the last word with a good man. A good journalist. Have a listen. </span></span></span></div>
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Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-60458074471704668112013-10-07T07:56:00.000-07:002013-11-20T09:06:10.777-08:00Politicians At Play with MY Savings<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 Miles High Over Central Pennsylvania</td></tr>
</tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: center;">Voice of the Mountain</h2><h4 style="text-align: center;">by Shawn K. Inlow </h4><div style="text-align: left;">Politics. You know, life was going along just fine and I'd managed to turn off the teevee and noted a markedly happier mood came over my spirit. I actually quit watching the news for - maybe a month - and had relied solely on what I'd overheard or what managed to seep in. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">But there is a new crisis in our nation's capital and the echo and rumor and hearsay got my attention enough to think about this here government shutdown and what it all means... and what it's going to mean.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">What it's going to mean is that my life savings is in jeopardy. I don't know about you, but here's why The Mountain is awake today. Politicians are now screwing with <b>MY</b> savings. Probably yours too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">To explain. Over the years, I did the responsible thing by saving as much money as I could for as long as I could. One of the first rules of wealth is that you put back a portion of your income. While I am not wealthy, I have enough to get by on. I was able to retire early - at the age of 49 - in part because I'd saved a decent portion of my earnings and invested it in a very conservative market index fund.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I remember the last time that Congress - no, let's put the blame where it strongly belongs, shall we? - Republicans and particularly those of the <b>Idiot Tea Party </b>variety whose breathtaking combination of stupidity and selfish ambition can ruin anything - I remember the last time they decided they would not raise the debt ceiling. This is something that never had been controversial before. The debt ceiling under Reagan, for instance, was raised 11 times. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The result was that the market - you know, that market where I have put my life's savings - jittered like a teenager at a sock hop until the American debt rating was reduced... COSTING US BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. In effect, the <b>idiot republicans</b> (and I don't see many right now that don't qualify) raised the American mortgage rate. And the market did it's dance and I lost a pile of dough.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Nice going, jerks. That's MY money you're dicking with. We have already SEEN the result of this kind of (lack of) governing. So why, why, why are there douche-bags like Ted Cruz, republican senator from WHERE? TEXAS! of course, who get to run riot on issues that matter.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">What we're dealing with now is a government shutdown, which is one thing, but what's coming right up is the debt ceiling again. These <b>idiot republicans</b> are going to crash this car again and it's going to cost me my savings. Maybe all of it this time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">You know, I'd heard a couple days ago that there were reports of gun-shots on capital hill. And you wanna know what my reaction was? I was surprised by it myself because it was a vile thought. Seriously, the first thing that popped into my mind was, "Serves 'em right." And you wonder why they have to have their political conventions behind heavily guarded barricades.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I found myself thinking about all these mass-shootings and thinking the real tragedy was that, at least, if you're gonna go off the edge, why kill innocent victims? Why not go after the cause of the disease. Why not go after Lloyd Blankfein? A Koch Brother? Rupert Murdoch or any of his pack of dogs? Jamie Dimon? How about a Walton? There are any number of Grey Men who are doing harm the world over and we haven't even started on Big Oil executives yet. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">See, these crazy bastards don't think about the people they are hurting. They are thinking about themselves. Which places most republicans (Sorry, can't capitalize it any more.) in the same boat.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Listen. I really never thought I'd be in this space telling republicans not to screw with the market. But here I am. There are LOTS of things wrong with the markets. The biggest criminals on Earth live on Wall Street and nothing's being done about it. But it is the only game in town where it comes to savings that work well enough to get by on. And believe you me, there are fat cats on Wall Street who lust after those federal, state and local pension plans right now and they want to rape them just the way the did the housing market in the last economic collapse, so our savings are at risk to begin with.</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">About Debt </h4><div style="text-align: left;">So you and I and the taxi driver, by virtue of our savings, our pension plans, etcetera, OWN the U.S. debt that these Tea Party Idiots keep blathering on about. IN FACT, the largest holder of American debt is ... Wait for it... Americans. <a href="http://useconomy.about.com/od/monetarypolicy/f/Who-Owns-US-National-Debt.htm" target="_blank">You can read and learn about that simple fact HERE.</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">China is the largest single foreign owner of U.S. debt, but I - we - Americans - have put more money on the barrel head betting on the full faith and credit of the United States of America than the Chinese have by a long shot.<br />
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So why, why, WHY have the <b>idiot republicans</b> set themselves so desperately at wrecking our bets? I have to think it's because they're stupid because any other way of explaining it would be deeply shady at best or nefarious at worst. I'd rather be dealing with the stupid than the evil. You can remediate stupid, but Evil...<br />
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If it turns out we're dealing with the evil? Then I have no qualms about setting all those broke homeowners whose savings have been pissed away in this political fight loose on these assholes. Then they can finally meet Jesus in the twisted 2nd Amendment Polish firing squad of their own making.<br />
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The Mountain does not espouse violence. But I have the feeling that these fools, given a choice between a sensible solution and doing harm to prove a point, are incapable of doing right by us. Rob me of my pension and savings that I worked all my life for and you will have a wildcat - maybe thousands of wildcats - on your hands.<br />
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Then you pricks won't be able to pass gun control legislation fast enough.<br />
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</div></textarea></div>Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-30375182234681762592013-03-27T18:01:00.000-07:002013-03-27T18:01:43.315-07:00Video Vault: Samsara & Sugar Man<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Voice of the Mountain</h2>
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by Shawn K. Inlow</div>
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Here on <b>The Mountain</b>, we've got this imperative to see every film in the world which matters. Today's Video Vault installment has ten features that range from things you really need to see to curios and oddities, from action to animation, from true stories to partly true stories, to ghost stories, from sci-fi to James Bond and one film that defies classification.</div>
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Let's start there.</div>
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<b>Samsara</b></div>
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<b>2011 /Ron Fricke</b></div>
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<b>PG-13 / 102 minutes</b></div>
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"Samsara" is unlike any film I've seen, taking the viewer on a global journey of image and sound as if you are an alien who has landed on Earth and begun to look around. The sights are strange and beautiful, disturbing and eloquent. And all presented without a single word of dialogue.<br />
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I will wager that some will turn away. Audiences need - they have been trained to need - a narrative; someone telling them the story. "Samsara" simply shows you things and lets your imagination provide the narrative.<br />
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At first, I thought, "These are beautiful images, but this is going to be a long movie." But after about ten minutes I found myself engrossed. I was providing my own subtext to the film, bringing my own wonder, incredulity and meaning to the stunning displays of this world's beauty.<br />
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The word, "samsara," exists in the Buddhist culture: "Coming into existence as a mortal creature." And in the Hindu culture: "<span class="labset"><span class="ital-inline"><span id="hotword"> </span></span> </span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">endless</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">series</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">births,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">deaths,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">rebirths</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">to</span> which </span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">all</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">beings</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">are</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">subject." But you don't need those definitions in order to set your mind adrift in this tsunami of image. The film acts like a poem that jars emotional responses from you.</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">I found myself in turns mumbling things like, "Where is <b><i>that?</i></b>" or a quizzical laugh, "huh!" or gasping in surprise or even shock. It is a film for film lovers. Please try to see this film. I watched it by myself and found it rather meditative. I began to watch the film again with my wife and she got pulled in. Just don't expect to be handed your entertainment, expect to participate in it.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>Searching for Sugar Man</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>2012 - Malik Bendjelloul</b></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>PG-13 / 86 minutes</b></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">"Searching for Sugar Man" is the story of an obscure record, "Cold Fact," and how the mysterious artist behind it, known only as "Rodriguez," vanished.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">It is a story of how his music, never noticed in America and long forgotten since it's monumental flop in 1970, somehow caught on elsewhere and became the soundtrack to white kids' opposition to apartheid in South Africa. </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">It is the story of how fans of the record decided to find out what happened to the artist rumored to have died by his own hand in concert. It is also the story of the redemptive power of music and a bit of a meditation on what constitutes failure and success.</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">The story begins with record store owner Stephen "Sugar" Segerman who begins to wonder about the record that helped shape his life growing up in South Africa and why nothing was known about its maker. With only the gritty, urban lyrics of protest to go on, he brings the viewer along on his journey of discovery.</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Segerman paints for the viewer how the music traveled and was shared clandestinely, how it was eventually banned and, thus, grew in importance and then, years later, how he traced the music to its American roots.</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">And what a cool musical soundtrack it is. The songs have a Dylanesque lyrical vibe matched with a kind of studio production that is dated enough that it resonates today. Songs like "I Wonder," "Inner City Blues" and "Sugar Man," happily, are all available for you on iTunes today. Check the movie and I bet you wind up with the record yourself. </span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>Kwaidan</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>1965 - Masaki Kobayashi</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>NR / 182 minutes</b></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Here is a curio that Mountain Junior discovered because of his fascination with 19th century horror stories. The book, "Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things," was published in 1904 by Lafcadio Hearn and recounts 17 spooktacular stories from the Asian culture.</span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"> </span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">The film, which won a Special Jury Prize at Cannes in 1965, uses four of the best tales: "Black Hair," about a poor samurai who divorces his true love in order to marry for money; "The Woman in the Snow," about a wood-cutter whose life is spared by an icy spirit; "Hoichi the Earless," about a blind musician who sings for the dead and "In a Cup of Tea," about a man haunted by a vision in a tea-cup.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">The film is a bit stagey looking, but the color and set design are very good. The stories, being drawn from another culture, offer something new for an American audience running thin on horror ideas.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>Wreck-It Ralph</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>2012 - Rich Moore</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>PG / 108 minutes</b></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">The animated film that <i>should have won</i> the Oscar this year in a weak year for feature length animation, "Wreck-It Ralph" takes place inside certain video games within an old-school video arcade. (God, I miss old school video arcades.)</span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"> </span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">The set-up is pretty standard stuff. Ralph is a ham-fisted "bad guy" who wrecks things in his game only to have the hero, "Fix-It Felix," come on to save the day. Ralph wishes he could win just once, but that's impossible in his game.</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Ralph runs away from his game to find a chance at glory in another game, leading to the complications that could threaten the entire arcade. Neatly, the film goes from relying on a pixilated 80's type nostalgia which begins to wear thin to a better than average payoff.</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>Brave</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>2012 - Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>PG / 93 minutes</b></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">The animated film that <i>did win the </i>Oscar this year is okay if you like the standard Disney princess who's fed up with her lot in life. This one takes place in Scotland, so there's a lot of quarrelsome Scots in kilts. There's a witch and a wish and a curse that needs undone, but it's pretty standard fare.</span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"> </span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Now, the LOOK of the film is just eye-popping. There was so much detail (There's an awesomely done horse in this pic but with nowhere near the humor of the horse from "Tangled.") that the animated movie almost looked too real sometimes... Which is an achievement, but an achievement that had me stepping back from the world of the story to look at the pretty details. It did not <i>feel right</i> to me.</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b></b><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">When you get animation that is too "good" you have to stop and appreciate the <i>old</i> Disney films or the films of Studio Ghibli. Still, the movie's decent for the kids.</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>Argo</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>2012 - Ben Affleck</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>R / 120 minutes</b></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Based on the strange but true story of a U.S. / Canadian plan to get six American diplomats out of Tehran during the Iranian uprising in 1980, this triple-Oscar-winner is an engrossing action picture. Best Picture? Not on my watch, but it is a fine film nonetheless. </span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">The film gained Oscar steam, I surmise, because it made Hollywood look so good. The plot was that a CIA "Moses" would go into Tehran under a Canadian passport and come out - right through the airport and right under the noses of the Iranian authorities - with the Americans who would pose as his production crew for "Argo," a fictitious sci-fi movie.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">In order for it to work, the CIA actually had to secretly enlist Hollywood's aid to actually launch the production of the film. They had to have a script and a cast. They had to begin production design and they had to create buzz about the movie in industry publications. The production company had to have offices that could receive calls all so the cover story would hold up under a foreign government's scrutiny.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">It was a hair-brained idea, for sure. That they actually pulled it off is just ridiculous. I would rather point you in the direction of smaller films that escaped your notice, but sometimes - and today's a good example - half my basket is full of A-Titles that really are worth your while.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>Skyfall</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>2012 - Sam Mendes</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>PG-13 / 143 minutes</b></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">I got ready for the latest (possibly best) of the James Bond films by going back to the beginning, with 1962's "Dr. No." While this film is a modern day bang-up job of an action picture, today's bond girls cannot compare to Ursula Andress as Honey Rider. Neither can today's iteration match the camp of some of the early efforts. But "Skyfall" does inject new life into the Bond cannon and I recommend it especially if you are not a fan of Bond films.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">The film opens with a breathless chase where Bond is trying to stop the theft of information that would expose MI6 agents world-wide. But the aging Bond (Daniel Craig) fails and operatives around the world are imperiled while the agency comes under attack at home.<b> </b></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">A mysterious villain (Silva, played by Javier Bardem) has got the agency on the run and only Bond, working in the shadows, can rectify the situation. To me, it is the best Bond film to date.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>Promethius</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>2012 - Ridley Scott</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>R / 124 minutes</b></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">A team of archaeologists discover a clue to the origins of human life on Earth, leading to an expedition into deep space where the big questions are supposed to get answered.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">The crew of the Promethius encounters the race of giants who may have begun life on Earth but they also encounter an "Alien" life form<b> </b>on that distant moon that could destroy both races.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">An exciting and well done prequel to the Alien trilogy that director Ridley Scott began in 1979, it bodes well for at least one more quality sci-fi adventure to come.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>Hubris: Selling the Iraq War</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>2013 - TV Documentary</b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b>44 minutes</b></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Commemorating the tenth anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War, it has been of particular interest to <b>The Mountain</b> that the neo-conservative progenitors of said deception have been blathering all over the teevee touting their "War of Liberation."</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Rachel Maddow hosts this important TV-doc to set the record straight. The war introduced the idea of "pre-emtive war," a horrible Bush II doctrine that has now been exposed as a thin cover for war-mongers. Cheney, Wolfowitz, Perle, Condi and Dubya can go on the talk shows all they want, but "Hubris" - based on the book by Michael Isikoff and David Corn - reminds that these villains lied our country into war.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">From the whole weapons of mass destruction to the shocking and deceitful "mushroom cloud"<b> </b>comment to the sorry pimping of Colin Powell on the world stage at the U.N., "Hubris" reminds us that animals like Dick Cheney never leave power. People like that always stay around, always scheming, always looking for profit at the levers of power.</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b> </b></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Their kind are the worst kind of criminals in our world. "Hubris" reminds us<b> </b>to beware when dealing with that kind of concentrated evil. You can watch the whole documentary right here.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">HOUSEKEEPING: In my next post I'll be featuring a story on a brilliant young artist who lives here on the mountain named Joshua Wilson. He's got a new website up and will be putting some pieces on display at a gallery over in DuBois, Pa. soon. We'll have all those details coming right up.</span></span></div>
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">FUNDRAISER: Over here in Philipsburg, I want to let you all know we're holding a Wisecrackers Comedy Club at the Philipsburg VFW on Front Street on Friday, April 19 and you can contact the mountain in person if you'd like to buy tickets in advance. We aim to sell the thing out to support our local soccer community here. The show will feature two full sets by two great comedians and a dance will follow.</span></span></div>
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Now, I've tried to get a number of my good friends, "Serious Jones" and "Brand New Wings," to play the dance which follows, but they've got conflicts. So, in case I can't find a band, I'll be DJing the thing. You should know that I'll probably be setting up a blue-tooth system where I'll be picking music right out of the cell-phones in your pocket (if you've got your stuff set to share) but I've also got a mammoth collection of music. ALSO also, you should know that I have long been associated with very good original theater productions and I'll be lighting this dance floor like nobody's business with my personal lighting equipment. I just hope the VFW has heavy enough breakers to handle the light I'll be throwing. We shall see. </span></span></div>
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">In any case, have a look at the benefit flyer and please come out to see us on April 19. The tickets are by advance sale only, so follow the directions on the flyer, okay? Thanks.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim62xPXgsGUPoNCYa-xgySvpaO5HRIzQSbX-IRPwtFk6nAIDjnhyPpAcfMcv8sV9VPOvWi_WPIe0HZ2JDGpf4_Mm99TNMz3hIL0E2CK8mFrvUY3KR4RGK_0U8TyzzLHC8nknqqYOXEnLcC/s1600/Wisecrackers+Flyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim62xPXgsGUPoNCYa-xgySvpaO5HRIzQSbX-IRPwtFk6nAIDjnhyPpAcfMcv8sV9VPOvWi_WPIe0HZ2JDGpf4_Mm99TNMz3hIL0E2CK8mFrvUY3KR4RGK_0U8TyzzLHC8nknqqYOXEnLcC/s1600/Wisecrackers+Flyer.jpg" height="640" width="494" /></a></div>
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Shawn Inlow</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Osceola Mills, Pa.</span></span>
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b> </b> </span></span>Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-43700736903818747302013-03-22T11:20:00.000-07:002013-03-22T11:20:17.684-07:00Dark Waters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Voice of the Mountain</h2>
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by Shawn K. Inlow</div>
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The water was black. Well, not black, but the color of tea. The lake was full of tannins from the acid loving plant life and it made the water dark and serene and reflective even in the broad daylight of a warm off-season day.</div>
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The surface was placid, reflecting like an impenetrable eye the world around it, a perfect beautiful dark looking glass.</div>
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The Trooper had driven his patrol car there on a serene, deserted patrol, seeking quiet. Needing to sleep. Mind wandering and numb.</div>
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The internal investigations just kept coming one after another. It had gotten to the place where the Trooper had posted his most recent notice on the patrol room bulletin board so that the guys could read it without clandestinely poking through his mailbox.</div>
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It didn't matter that the Trooper was blameless in any of it. It only mattered that he was an officer who needed to be hammered down like a stubborn nail poking its head above the flush of a wooden deck. He was an officer who needed to conform. An officer who needed to know that filing a grievance was not what team players did.</div>
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The officer nosed the cruiser up to the water's edge and cracked the window, letting in the meditative sounds of wind and calming black waves. The water was a reflection. It was an abyss. He pushed the driver's seat forward and reclined it the few inches it would go before it ran up against the cage for back-seat passengers.</div>
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His uniform didn't fit very well. He was getting overweight, a far cry from the boot that came out of the academy in the best shape of his life, and his gun-belt was on its last notch and spent its shifts digging into his gut and his woolen gray uniform was stuffy and uncomfortable.</div>
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He turned down the radio so it could barely be heard and fell into a troubled sleep sitting upright. The Trooper could not dream. He had not dreamt in years.</div>
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Back at the barracks, his corporals in the patrol unit and crime unit were conspiring on ways to stick it to him. One of them kept a file on the Trooper. The other kept downgrading his evaluations. Every report that came across their desks bounced like a rubber ball back into the Trooper's box. Do it over. Review OM 7-2 regarding statements on domestic violence. Familiarize yourself with blocks 7-15 regarding initial crime reporting. Submit correspondence STD-501 explaining the lateness of this report. One time, his report bounced because his signature was wrong. The Trooper couldn't lick a postage stamp and get it past these guys and, after a while, even a sensible Trooper began to doubt whether or not he was capable of doing anything right. After a while, even a sensible Trooper began to make unforced errors, failing at easy tasks.</div>
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And when the Bureau of Professional Responsibility came calling because one of his supervisors kept filing paper on him for whatever they could think of, the report always came back clearing the Trooper. The Trooper had always acted with best intents. It was the six months of not knowing where the complaint originated or whether the misstated and bent reasoning of the complaint would be discovered in the investigation or not. It was six months of not knowing what the department was going to do to you.</div>
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And then another investigation would begin. And another. There was, for a sensible Trooper, no recourse.</div>
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There comes a time for a Trooper when he can no longer function. When he can no longer manage the Chinese Water Torture of stress. When you are driving but you don't know where and you wind up somewhere but you realize suddenly you have no idea how you got there.</div>
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The Trooper's mind thought in still frames. In pictures. And the thought crept up on him in the middle of a tripple-header - three eight hour shifts out of five - like shadow not wanting to be seen and insinuated itself. The Trooper was not safe.</div>
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He saw in his mind's eye the picture of the bloody roof of the patrol car. But in the picture he could not see his face. Either he had become no one or his mind would not allow him to be in the picture. But he could not see his face there. He had disappeared.</div>
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His hand caressed the Beretta's grip in its holster. The Beretta with the interminably long trigger pull. The Beretta whose grip was too big for his hand. And his thumb unsnapped his holster as his hands caressed the grip and his black leather holster.</div>
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In the picture, he could not see his face.</div>
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He had been fond of reasoning with people in his work that one should never make a decision while angry. But this was not anger. This was sorrow. This was despair. There is no one more unpredictable than the desperate.</div>
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It wasn't a moment of hatred for his co-workers that mattered so much, although the Trooper somehow was determined to not let them win out. Somehow, the picture in his mind changed to the picture of his son.</div>
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What kind of a man would do that to his son? What kind of a coward could leave his family a legacy like that? This way was the way of the hopeless. But it was the beautiful face of his son; he could see it clearly in the picture, it was love that was stronger than all of it.</div>
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The Trooper shook his head and began to weep. And his hands went to his shaking head to deliver comfort instead of release.</div>
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He had to get out of there. Terror and sorrow and love swirled like madness in him and he unsteadily backed his patrol car up from the boat launch and drove the winding, twisting road toward town needing someplace safe. </div>
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Up ahead on the right was the home of someone who would have to do. It was a place he was always welcome to pull in and park his car around the back of the house on the spacious forest lot and he did so on this day. Most days he'd pull in and, even in the middle of a work day, one or both of the parents or some of the boys would be around if they were in town. He was usually offered something to eat but he mostly declined except for coffee or tea.</div>
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He parked out of sight of the road and shut off the car. He turned off his police radio and opened his cell phone and dialed.</div>
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"State Police, can I help you." A female police communications officer.</div>
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The Trooper introduced himself. He didn't sound good.</div>
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"I'm going to be off air on this number for a while."</div>
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"Are you okay?"</div>
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"I need to be left alone today, alright? Call me if you really need me."</div>
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"Alright. Let me know when you go back in service."</div>
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"Thanks."</div>
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He put his phone in his pocket and straightened himself up. He took his clip-on tie off and tossed it aside, opening up his collar to breathe a bit. He locked up the car and walked up the back steps to the kitchen. He knocked lightly and walked in.</div>
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"Anyone home?" he called as he sat down at the big table. The lady of the house was home. She was a kindly type, kind of full of new age philosophy, a good person. This was a healing place.</div>
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She came around the corner. "Hi! How ya doin'?"</div>
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"Good. Just thought I'd come and spend some time."</div>
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"Great. Can I get you some lunch? I've got some tomato soup and some ham sandwiches." She was used to feeding an army.</div>
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"You have no idea how good that sounds."</div>
Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-79266642641566269152013-03-21T10:35:00.000-07:002013-03-21T10:35:45.948-07:00A Socialist Solution<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Voice of the Mountain</h2>
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by Shawn K. Inlow</div>
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A few months ago, I was operating in my own little world when I got a call from my friend Mario. Mario lives in Boston. He calls me sometimes on his commute. Mario started me on this path, writing for you. He chose the name of this blog from some ideas I had. Mario wants me to write. He's a friend.</div>
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The next day, a madman got loose in the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.</div>
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<b>The Mountain</b> has been quiet for a time. I need to explain. As you, dear reader, have seen, I embarked on a prolonged creative outburst. The fact of my retirement from the work world has coincided with a good friend telling me to write something and I have begun to think, to explode, to cry out, talk, share and be honest as much as I can from the top of this mountain howling down into the valleys below.</div>
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I have become very busy. I have been doing a lot of research and reporting on a local landfill issue where I live and I have held the stories I've written. More on this below, although not quite the final stories I intend to write on the issue. </div>
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<b>I have warned you that I'd try to do some music for you.</b> For the past month or so, I've been working with a few musicians toward that end. The songs we are producing may or may not be very good, but they are taking shape and it is a time consuming process writing music. I'll be posting those songs here on <b>The Voice of the Mountain</b> for you and you can inform as to whether I should stop singing.</div>
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I write songs. Lots and lots of them. But I haven't the training to single handedly produce them. I love music but am a musical illiterate. I'm a blind person leading you down a path. I am deaf and shouting. Some of the best musicians in the world didn't know how to write music, I'm told. So I'm testing that assertion.</div>
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There is courage and fear and trust in making music, a language anyone can speak and have access to. To make music, one must be able to be defenseless. You have to open your heart and open your mouth and dream aloud. One needs to destroy the barriers we so carefully construct in our lives and come down from the parapets into the open. Most people are too careful or too risk averse to let go in such a way, to be free.</div>
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So, over the last month, I've been working on music. Someone more accomplished would have something to show for his efforts by now. I am not accomplished. Yet. </div>
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So I've been busy doing other creative things besides blogging. </div>
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By way of another excuse, I will mention that <b>March is the worst of all months for me because planning for the upcoming soccer seasons </b>takes all my time. I am a registrar for a local football club and I'm busy helping to arrange for the spring seasons for hundreds of young association footballers. The one thing I know I am is a soccer coach. My game, the game I love, I spread like a happy Johnny Appleseed, planting sprouts and watching them grow.</div>
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And March sucks because I can't just have a game with our friends down the road. We must get permission from someone in Pittsburgh to do that. Or someone in California. So tied has our society become to the idea of liability that I find myself collecting photographs and birth certificates of children to prove to someone in Pittsburgh who answers to an actuary somewhere that we are working within the requirements of the insurance industry so that we can play a game with our friends from a few miles down the road.</div>
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I call this the liability problem. Back in the 1970s, all the parks around my home town of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, closed. Someone came up with the brilliant idea that when a child falls off a swing, then somebody is liable.</div>
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I challenge the core assertion. A child is<i><b> liable</b></i> to fling himself off the swing at the apex of its glorious arc. But the insurance industry has imposed itself in the form of the invisible profit making straw-man that is liability. It is a giant squid on the face of society deep throating us with its tentacle of fear. </div>
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In our local soccer association, nobody can ever remember filing a claim against our liability. This goes back decades. Yet it is the primary cost of our local soccer associations and it is something WE DON"T NEED or use. And it is the primary complicator and regulator of our lives. If your child wants to play a sport, we have to know just how old your child is and you better not lie about it, so cough up your goddam birth certificate and pay the insurance premium.</div>
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Really.</div>
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Pa. West Soccer, I'm talkin' to you. All you are is an insurance racket.</div>
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<b>ON THE LANDFILL</b></div>
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I want to talk about this land use issue once more. I have been examining this local political issue and what I've learned is you don't wanna stand between a rich man and a pot of gold. That's what it comes down to.</div>
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I would rather be a Christian on the floor of the Roman Coliseum.</div>
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I went to a local meeting where everyone there was talking to the State Department of Environmental Protection board about whether they were for or against it. Hundreds were against it. A few guys who probably stand to gain money from it were for it. There was an engineer who was paid to be for it. Yeah, that counts. Everyone else was just a neighbor who was watching the value of their homes and life savings evaporate.</div>
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The post I made after that was honest and frank. I posited that the people who had the most to do with advancing this landfill that nobody wants consisted of some local money and a very few local politicians who are the stooges for the big money project. You know who you are and you have to decide honestly if you are really serving the people who voted for you. Who IS your boss anyway?</div>
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But I posted my very honest feelings of how I saw the problem. I'm sure some facets of my budding understanding of the issue showed through. I'm sure some of my guesswork was inaccurate. But, on the whole, I think I was as close to being honest as I could. But I was stunned that nobody would call a spade a spade on this issue when everyone knows the truth. Everyone knows who Voldemort is.</div>
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Got some attention. Made me very unhappy. Saying true things is great for polishing your integrity but it will make you unhappy in this world. Far better to be a coward and go along to get along and be quiet and sit in the corner and don't make waves and just eat your shit sandwich. After I posted that little bit of opinion, people quietly approached me and said things like, "You'd better be careful."</div>
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So money can do that. Money can make everyone cower down and be afraid.</div>
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But you know what? It's these few people who are pursuing their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness at the expense of everyone else's. In America, you are free to pursue whatever game you want as long as you're not hurting anyone else. And those people who are supporting this landfill are stepping on the freedoms of others. You are hurting others, and we've not been put on this planet for that purpose.</div>
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But if that's who you wanna be, then I think you suck and you are a lousy, lousy neighbor.</div>
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If those people who think building a landfill in the heart of the commonwealth so that people from New York and Philadelphia can take a shit and dump it on our heads is a good idea, I suggest they can tip this project in one of a couple ways.</div>
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One way is they can just stop doing harm to the environment here. Just quit damaging things. Stop your project. </div>
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The second way is to make it worth <i><b>everyone's</b></i> while. See, I keep hearing how this landfill is going to be this glorious bonanza of financial benefit. Yeah. For a few people it will be. Whoever winds up actually developing and owning the project is going to be in for, idunno, half a billion dollars or more? But everyone else is going to suffer. </div>
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People will get sick. The environment will degrade. Homes will devalue. I don't know about anyone else, but everything I've ever made in my life is wrapped up in my little house here in Osceola Mills getting less valuable by the day. Since we already have nothing here in Osceola Mills, I'd at least like it to be nothing minus the environmental hazards left from the ruined skeletons of mining and gas extraction and sewage sludge dumping and the burning of fossil fuels.</div>
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Yeah, Shawville is gonna close. Well boo-hoo. Because it was one of the filthiest polluters east of the Mississippi and the energy sector doesn't have to think about how many people have gotten sick and died of exposure to the burning of coal.</div>
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Yeah. Let's have a war on coal. It's about high goddam time. Because The Mountain we all live on here is just one giant bony pile and everything is poisonous. The kids all have cancer and asthma and neurological disorders and it ain't from the clean environment. The fish are full of mercury from coal.</div>
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Sorry.</div>
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We were talking about making the landfill into a<b> </b><i><b>good</b> </i>idea. Let's really make the landfill something that really does benefit our communities. I propose a socialist solution.</div>
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Turn it over to the county. Clearfield County should own and run the dump and all the profits from it should go toward making life better in Clearfield County communities. If we're gonna have a landfill, how about <b><i>everyone's</i> </b>taxes going down. AND, as a good faith gesture, those folks who are living next to the dump should be offered fair market value for their land and the dump should subsidize their moving to a new location not affected by the associated truck traffic, airborn pathogens, traffic accidents, stink and environmental degradation.</div>
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That way everybody wins, right? All you gotta do is buy off everybody.</div>
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If I had that much money, I'd do it. I'd set it up as a county run program that truly would benefit everyone in a real way. And all those people who currently oppose the project would think well of me for it. And instead of being afraid of me they might build a nice statue of me in front of the beautiful new Shawn K. Inlow Elementary School.</div>
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So what's it gonna be, Voldemort? One could arguably do <i><b>some</b></i> good in the community with this project. But you could also do an <i><b>immense amount of good </b></i>in this community with this project. The only thing that stands in the way is avarice.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Shawn K. Inlow</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Osceola Mills, Pa.</div>
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Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-31919439142250533542013-02-28T08:41:00.000-08:002013-02-28T09:17:45.640-08:00Cancer Treatment for Opus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lpr0ZRfkY3aC0wkSNwkIady_Nmku678dYtK8nW-30YPQXTSDLZyydyO40dALe8k0hXRgFV-PZJ97KrSKhYy_IcbBevg88DgEGfg5QxHBG5XwvE-emPNJ-LqZ5Qz52GpT5jmJDJ750q8x/s1600/Sicko+Mast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lpr0ZRfkY3aC0wkSNwkIady_Nmku678dYtK8nW-30YPQXTSDLZyydyO40dALe8k0hXRgFV-PZJ97KrSKhYy_IcbBevg88DgEGfg5QxHBG5XwvE-emPNJ-LqZ5Qz52GpT5jmJDJ750q8x/s1600/Sicko+Mast.jpg" height="164" width="640" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Voice of the Mountain</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Shawn K. Inlow</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YkqL9NtNnjd8EtAiJwbliIL8Mcwxhb3PUvzEvw7wtPgrVaZKMTWCZBJ7u3CclFoV_XgaL9RiS1e3SWtQSMDqAjwARes4EpT4_-p69S2kAGOHbo9j6ZYdjzAwab6nnxNfXYANI-i93YGs/s1600/Opus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YkqL9NtNnjd8EtAiJwbliIL8Mcwxhb3PUvzEvw7wtPgrVaZKMTWCZBJ7u3CclFoV_XgaL9RiS1e3SWtQSMDqAjwARes4EpT4_-p69S2kAGOHbo9j6ZYdjzAwab6nnxNfXYANI-i93YGs/s1600/Opus.jpg" height="320" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opus: Has Prostate Cancer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A friend of mine has cancer. Odds are someone you know has cancer too. People who know me well will quickly identify the person I'm talking about, but I'm going to call him Opus, after my favorite cartoon character, just over there to the left.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So Opus caught prostate cancer in September 2012 when a test called a PSA test detected elevated levels of some indicator.</div>
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"I talked to the surgeon on the day I got my diagnosis," says Opus. "I didn't realize I was talking to the top surgeon in Canada at the time. My other option was radiation and I investigated that, but when the radiologist heard the name of my doctor, he recommended the surgery."</div>
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Today from the mountaintop, we're surveying the land for decent healthcare. I put in the mast-head (that's the picture at the top) a cut-out of a Michael Moore film, "Sicko," that itself causes medical conditions in some people. Before we move on with Opus's journey through Canadian health-care, I want to point out to you that Moore's film is accurate. It's assertions hold up under careful scrutiny. The man is trying to help. Opus is proof.</div>
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In fact, let's stop playing this idiot game of calling the Canadian system "socialized medicine." Because it is a slur used by the conservative noise machine to denigrate a system that works better than the corporate model employed here in the U.S. Let's just call it "Canadian health care," shall we?</div>
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Opus is a U.S. citizen who has lived in Ottawa since 1995. He's got a family and holds down three jobs and makes $30,000 a year. His wife makes more, but the point is these are not rich folks or, as Opus says to me, "I'm not important."</div>
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<br /></div>
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From diagnosis to surgery was four months and my friends' prognosis is good. He had what's called a <a href="http://www.davincisurgery.com/da-vinci-surgery/da-vinci-surgical-system/?utm_source=0&utm_medium=0&utm_campaign=Brand_dVS_daVinci%2BKWs_GGL&gclid=CK_Pzr-g2bUCFUXf4AodIjUADw">daVinci radical robotic prostatectomy</a>. If ya wanna see some messed up video, click the link. I promise, though, you will not see Opus's junk. His journey through Canadian health care from diagnosis to surgical cure at the hands of the best team in the nation was four months and it cost him... </div>
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Wait for it...</div>
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Nothing. </div>
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Really.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoJq07lk75WZvpCKXcSKoZMFA9dAanDddcSJf4iRUYejbcExLcx9gazghhyphenhyphenFMkvs6my_7AFvyeHSKJb0bPNH_cU_URGE4x5BDPY1_CiIeHjKchQCXkHCkFneRs0hizg05FB4W2Kl-DXy9/s1600/Junk+Still+Works.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoJq07lk75WZvpCKXcSKoZMFA9dAanDddcSJf4iRUYejbcExLcx9gazghhyphenhyphenFMkvs6my_7AFvyeHSKJb0bPNH_cU_URGE4x5BDPY1_CiIeHjKchQCXkHCkFneRs0hizg05FB4W2Kl-DXy9/s1600/Junk+Still+Works.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opus: Junk Still Works</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
"This surgery in the U.S. can cost anywhere from $30,000 to $70,000 and that doesn't even touch follow up care," says Opus. Imagine along with me if you're holding down three part time jobs in the U.S. how good the health care system might work for you. It could eat up your house and your life savings and leave you flat.</div>
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But. That's America.</div>
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Opus says he's walking around now and you wouldn't be able to tell there's anything wrong with him. He says the surgery was so successful, the doctors are confident his junk will heal and he'll be able to ... um ... you know ... again. Has something to do with damaging a key nerve in there.</div>
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There are drawbacks to the Canadian system, according to Opus. He says you can wait for some things if they're not life threatening. You might wait a couple months to get an MRI.</div>
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"When I called the surgeon back on November 25 having decided to book the surgery, I didn't hear back from him until January. But once I booked the surgery, I went in on February 13th. So it was pretty quick, altogether. I was only in the hospital one day. I went in at 6, the surgery - a six hour proceedure - at 8:30,
I was out the following day in the evening. On Thursday, after six
hours of surgery, I walked for an hour."</div>
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Opus says his medical journey wasn't exactly free of charge. It cost his wife up to $13 per day to park at the hospital if she was staying longer than three hours. </div>
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"The hospital uses that money to buy wheelchairs and stuff," says Opus. </div>
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And his PSA test, which saved his life, cost him $35. </div>
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And you don't get private rooms in Canada. You can, but they cost more.</div>
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"I had a semi-private room," says Opus, "And they cost more. $180 per day I would have had to pay if I didn't have some work health care to pay for it."</div>
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So you're telling me you get some form of health care plan that goes with part-time jobs in Canada too? Jesus. How DO they DO it?</div>
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"We do pay 13% sales tax in Ontario. But not on groceries," says Opus. So the poorest of people don't get hit hard for the necessities. Cool thing though, Opus says for a chocolate bar: 13% sales tax. But for bread and milk and other necessary groceries, the sales tax does not apply. Jeez. It could drive a man from drinkin'. It could make you eat healthy. My GOD.<br />
<br />
"The amount
of income tax is not exorbitant here," he says. "There are some write offs but
not like in the US. For instance, you can't write off the interest on a
home loan here."<br />
<br />
Of course, that write off helped me with taxes when I was paying for my home, but the thing here in the U.S. is that the other end of that deal is that's a big way for the very, very rich to hide their wealth. You sink it into real estate and don't pay off your house and, voi'la! Instant tax shelter. It is how someone like Mitt Romney has umpteen bajillion mansions around the country. <br />
<br />
And Opus says his taxes are manageable in Canada.<br />
<br />
"My income tax is really low. I'm a
substitute teacher. I work three jobs and my total income is $30,000
per year. My wife's income is a lot higher. My income tax is probably
only 15% or not quite that."<br />
<br />
Opus also points out that you might have a shorter wait in the U.S. but that the system, the way I read his statement, seems to discourage hypochondria. I know how often I've gone to the hospital just because I was having a panic attack when nothing was wrong with me except that I was enduring a lot of stress. Apparently, in Canada, I'd have got there, waited around a while, felt better and then gone home. No charge for that.<br />
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"You might have a shorter wait in the US. If you are waiting for
something that isn't major, or isn't life threatening, you can wait a
while. You can wait months for an MRI. If you need something addressed
quickly, though, you get the treatment. They brought out two great surgeons.
Other surgeons observing. Quite the team in the OR. And I'm nobody
particularly important. So for me, it's been an absolutely incredible
experience."<br />
<br />
Getting CANCER has been an ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE??!!!<br />
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"Well," Opus qualifies. "The biopsy was the most painful two minutes of my entire life."<br />
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Yeah. Catheters up yer ying-yang can have that effect. <br />
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Goddam Canadians anyway. Well, Opus is an American <i>mooching</i> off the Canadians. <br />
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"Yeah, I have to get around to applying for citizenship, I guess," says Opus. "I'm considered a landed immigrant. It's like having a green card."<br />
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And I'm wondering if you have to sneak across the border. Or if there are walls being built to keep Americans out.<br />
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"I drove a car," says Opus, who launches into how he was downsized at a huge Canadian telecom but that came with a year's wages, which he used to go back to school and retrain as a teacher, which he loves.<br />
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And so now a non-Frech speaking American is living happily in Ottawa holding down three jobs and having earned three degrees.<br />
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"The educational system here is wonderful. I've got a B.A. in History and English and a B.A. in Education and another bachelorate I got while working at the big telecom that they paid for," says Opus.<br />
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"School is very cheap here."<br />
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Oh, Christ. Here we go again.<br />
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"It amounts to about $5,000 a year."<br />
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Sonofa...<br />
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"And while I was retraining, I stayed home with the kids and went to school at night and..."<br />
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We leave our dear friend, Opus, as he expounds on the wonderful, low-cost, educational opportunities he found in the Great White North. While we, in the U.S., deride the quality of care he got in many realms of his life as "socialist."<br />
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Somebody needs to go throw a brick through the window at Blue Cross / Blue Shield. 'Cause congress sure isn't listening.<br />
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Wouldn't it be nice if our country provided for its citizens the way Canada does for an immigrant? How about we provide universal single-payer health care for all Americans and stop having wars all the time? Probably be able to balance the damn budget at the same time.<br />
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Goddam Canadians.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canadian Commuters Ice Skate to Work on Rideau Canal.</td></tr>
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Housekeeping: I know my friend, Opus, enjoys The Voice of the Mountain. So he's reading me from way up north where the chief export is cold air. (No. Really. They export that shit. And, weirdly, they don't seem to feel it. I mean, dudes put on ice skates and they skate to work down the frozen over Rideau Canal wearing business suits and carrying briefcases. Weirdest thing I ever saw. And they have festivals where they celebrate ice.)</div>
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But Opus is looking on and I bet he'd be willing to discuss with you his experience of the Canadian health care system. He lived here in the states most of his life. Worked here. Went to the hospital here. So Opus has a wider view on the issue than some do here stateside.</div>
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If you choose to ask your questions, leave them in the comments below and I'll try to get Opus to chat back with you. I think we could use his "absolutely incredible experience" to evolve our conversation in the U.S.</div>
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Until next time.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Shawn Inlow</div>
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Osceola Mills, Pa.</div>
Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7007270577478474724.post-9486561861220800102013-02-22T10:25:00.000-08:002013-02-22T10:25:57.555-08:00Book Club Noir<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Voice of the Mountain</h2>
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by Shawn K. Inlow</div>
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It's six o'clock of a Thursday evening and the Osceola Mills Community Library is about to close. Some are putting on their winter coats and getting outta Dodge while other more suspicious types drift in.</div>
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I'm middle aged and a bit flabby and I've taken refuge from the 18 degree temperatures outside in a ratty old brown winter coat and hood. I've got holes in both knees of my unwashed jeans and a Uni-Ball vision pen clipped like a concealed weapon inside the collar of a t-shirt that is beginning to smell a bit too much like me. A banged up pair of reading glasses clings there too by one of its stems as if my chest might be far-sighted.</div>
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Under one arm is a hard-bound edition big enough to require a wagon to carry it around. Under the other is a green leather bound Kindle. I roll in both worlds.</div>
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Another shifty character is over there in a brown parka trying to trade the cold for as much of the dry, musty heat of the dowdy little library as she can. Underneath the massive coat she looks years younger than she might be. She's carrying two volumes and tucked into a pocket are blank note cards and a cheap ball point. She looks trustworthy.</div>
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A shorter, wise looking woman moves over to the entrance and locks us in. She turns to us and looks at us through scheming, bespectacled eyes that hint of a liking of trouble. Like she might be an informer or a double agent of some kind. And she cracks a half-smile and marches past me toward the reference room.</div>
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It's a dimly lit place but the walls are covered in this section by nicely bound books about and by the various Presidents of the United States. We take up seats at a round table and take the measure of one another.</div>
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The woman across the table from me on the right is a tall drink of water of Polish descent and perfectly placed yellow hair framing bright red lipstick. You wanna watch this one. She's got a homespun looking bag that looks harmless as she pulls it onto her lap. A hand drifts inside the lip and emerges with a bottle of Choco Vina.</div>
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"Its a good wine. Flavored with chocolate," she says as her eyes dart around the table. Some small plastic cups follow and the mood of the table warms.</div>
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The woman on my left claims to have been a school teacher. I doubted her cover because she didn't have the crows' feet around the eyes or the worn down enamel of teeth grinding hard against each other like most teachers do. I change my mind, though when she pulls a can of mace out of her bag and places it on the table to the left, a mystery novel which she places squarely before her atop three other paperbacks and a snub nose .38 which she places in easy reach on her right. Obviously a teacher.</div>
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These are the dangerous types and thugs that you hang around with when you reach a certain dead end in life. There are, to my knowledge, at least five book lovers in Osceola Mills, Pennsylvania.</div>
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A glass of the black wine is placed before me and I wave it off. I'd been drinking Black & Tans earlier and a chocolate flavored wine would crash that party like a gorilla in a banana factory. I couldn't risk it. Too dangerous.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnbMCApVJTanAMqnLsjFcoQvIpxjNz3sOPnOkqP0eSWhnWdFn7EhxXrM7sGFx6z9oy7-W7mQY4iUEHDFTfwS24VU2AR8kPcbVxGE_xtZH-34EDluUea_4OCF4f_KKKqfYEEFA-inT064g/s1600/Twain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnbMCApVJTanAMqnLsjFcoQvIpxjNz3sOPnOkqP0eSWhnWdFn7EhxXrM7sGFx6z9oy7-W7mQY4iUEHDFTfwS24VU2AR8kPcbVxGE_xtZH-34EDluUea_4OCF4f_KKKqfYEEFA-inT064g/s1600/Twain.jpg" height="320" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Autobiography of Mark Twain</td></tr>
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I screwed up my nerve and went first. The thousand page tome I'd carried in was the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Mark-Twain-Complete-Authoritative/dp/0520267192/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361551475&sr=8-1&keywords=the+autobiography+of+mark+twain+volume+1">Autobiography of Mark Twain.</a> The American humorist and author of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" dictated his autobiography extemporaneously in his waning years and had finally gotten the thing off his chest by the time he died in 1910 with the proviso that his story should not see the light of day until 100 years after his death.</div>
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Thus to save the feelings of friends and churls alike, I think. What an odd and prescient thing to do, to free oneself and one's story from beyond the grave to better serve the truth. The long view. So to read the tome, which meanders around like the Mississippi of Twain's childhood, is akin to hearing the man, himself, talk. First person. About the world he was in just then from the time of the old south, through the odd newspaper coverage of western duels, through the civil war to the turn of the last century, it is as if the great talker transports you there to see for yourself what it is to step back 100 years and look around.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yORXWj2wEBJlKzvLOdZoITKbeRgmy64zke5XvDakXqZndBPnZqjDEpZhQwfO1WRKn6vAjHZIIjglgSuic3h7rTzoKwFOibzxMXSBgAu-t76pGeD7AfDNQFBSu3XfpTpyNiymq9jOueR_/s1600/BasilEFrankweiler3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yORXWj2wEBJlKzvLOdZoITKbeRgmy64zke5XvDakXqZndBPnZqjDEpZhQwfO1WRKn6vAjHZIIjglgSuic3h7rTzoKwFOibzxMXSBgAu-t76pGeD7AfDNQFBSu3XfpTpyNiymq9jOueR_/s1600/BasilEFrankweiler3.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a>Next up was the trustworthy woman, who'd sat down to my right. It was hard to pay strict attention to the books she brought to the table because I felt a need, probably rising from my many years as a G-Man, to keep an eye on the .38 to my left.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/mixed-up-files-mrs-basil-frankweiler/dp/B000J6ZSMA/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1361552912&sr=8-12&keywords=from+the+mixed+up+files+of+mrs.+basil+e.+frankweiler">From the Mixed Up Files of Basil E. Frankweiler</a> is a Newberry winning story by E.L. Konigsburg for young readers about a girl, Claudia, who feels she isn't appreciated at home. In order to give her parents a dose of "Claudia appreciation" she runs away with her younger brother to the Metropolitan Museum of Art; a wholly interesting place to live.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQ2Oeu8fjTjoJw7Om0WxqJroJ8ot_xFIIQVyDYzMxRvEvjlKqUuWTLnkRSD9RhxyIU7Vxlu6VvzIQBMi_n6ZrAqfxjqnvkAPrCeWEkpkBBUfl4v9zueuMBbaYWOjWq1ZJUvN_gJSV_nF1/s1600/every+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQ2Oeu8fjTjoJw7Om0WxqJroJ8ot_xFIIQVyDYzMxRvEvjlKqUuWTLnkRSD9RhxyIU7Vxlu6VvzIQBMi_n6ZrAqfxjqnvkAPrCeWEkpkBBUfl4v9zueuMBbaYWOjWq1ZJUvN_gJSV_nF1/s1600/every+day.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
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She also brought a book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Every-Day-David-Levithan/dp/0307931889/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361553370&sr=1-1&keywords=Every+Day">Every Day by David Levithan</a>, which has a tremendous premise. The N.Y. Times bestseller follows the love story of "A," who wakes up every day in the body of a different person living a different life.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoROhOvyDdSimE2YquO64ENFoo7XEp-mLqGbOYsOW-N474-_2xfkX6vaMn_GmVFtC_iwLJCmoizZSX7lO4ueHEiKfbF36pFx54OCGwkOV759U7iouGppbrqaX2Rd7rG4jq515jAVK7-HWF/s1600/Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoROhOvyDdSimE2YquO64ENFoo7XEp-mLqGbOYsOW-N474-_2xfkX6vaMn_GmVFtC_iwLJCmoizZSX7lO4ueHEiKfbF36pFx54OCGwkOV759U7iouGppbrqaX2Rd7rG4jq515jAVK7-HWF/s1600/Cover.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a>Things were getting going now, and the tall Polish woman who'd proffered the black wine unleashed on us a powerful true story about the lives of 250 women who fought in the French Resistance during World War II and who were transported to Auschwitz.</div>
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Our presenter noted her personal roots in that area as her father's hometown was the place where the infamous concentration camp had been built. She noted that she'd even visited the places in the book.</div>
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The book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Train-Winter-Extraordinary-Friendship-Resistance/dp/0061650714/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361554136&sr=1-1&keywords=A+Train+in+Winter">A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead</a> and it reminded me of recent books of immense power on the subject of prisoners of war during WWII like "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand and "First Into Nagasaki: The Censored Eyewitness Dispatches on Post-Atomic Japan and Its Prisoners of War" by George and Anthony Weller.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqELbd0YagqHOPTm0MnSmwoYEPBmGvlYiow43QqmB72pRlRkBVS3BDEK3naUm-DwadyAvPYCFd5D-xF_bpp0uQ46U_cX98Bn5xXZBEpvDz2aGTo_43a7-uV1e3_qrI1ustVZytFasGD7P/s1600/luna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqELbd0YagqHOPTm0MnSmwoYEPBmGvlYiow43QqmB72pRlRkBVS3BDEK3naUm-DwadyAvPYCFd5D-xF_bpp0uQ46U_cX98Bn5xXZBEpvDz2aGTo_43a7-uV1e3_qrI1ustVZytFasGD7P/s1600/luna.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></a></div>
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The double agent was next with a National Book Award Nominee, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Luna-Julie-Anne-Peters/dp/0316011274/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361555030&sr=1-1&keywords=luna+by+julie+anne+peters">"Luna," by Julie Anne Peters.</a> This is the fictional story of a transgender teen, named Liam, who longs to be a girl. And, with the help of his sister, he struggles for self-identity and acceptance.</div>
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The "school teacher" was next. She fittingly presented us with a mystery in the Hitchcock vein. "A kind of psychological thriller," she said without emotion.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NLhWdm7J2RZQ8IeslXXaA5irI8K71-P0Sgehqxo10cZOjaQYibxd4wEYb5R3XLOgEXl8nGgLUPg_ag-WOQ3-meM7kK_iCrWOM5eeKfXAXrCbB3gKlFe38NL8jmNI5QfGplTMuNnWqykJ/s1600/sister+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NLhWdm7J2RZQ8IeslXXaA5irI8K71-P0Sgehqxo10cZOjaQYibxd4wEYb5R3XLOgEXl8nGgLUPg_ag-WOQ3-meM7kK_iCrWOM5eeKfXAXrCbB3gKlFe38NL8jmNI5QfGplTMuNnWqykJ/s1600/sister+1.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a>"I'm an avid mystery reader," she said. "And it irritates me when I know part way through." She looked at the .38.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sister-Novel-Rosamund-Lupton/dp/030771652X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361555689&sr=1-1&keywords=sister+by+rosamund+lupton">Sister</a> is the first novel by Rosamund Lupton. "I'm fond of debut novels," she deadpanned. "The story is about a protective older sister who travels to London upon the disappearance of her younger sister and finds her dead, apparently by suicide."</div>
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"It kept me guessing right up 'till the end," said the teacher with the handgun. I swear, I almost saw the corner of her mouth turn up ever so slightly into the hint of a precursor of a smile.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRh_qdQe5WEB0s_6Qa6qwY0N2BliX-B4HBnq5ieo88428iqoijSaG-Ou3gvD9dY4Prmmd6yVEIjc2xjD52MmI8WGysjBAeWPQIxlmSX1ANhzK8DZYCgrOfts3NDeXdiERPeI6hxw0gSPtJ/s1600/IMG_1648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRh_qdQe5WEB0s_6Qa6qwY0N2BliX-B4HBnq5ieo88428iqoijSaG-Ou3gvD9dY4Prmmd6yVEIjc2xjD52MmI8WGysjBAeWPQIxlmSX1ANhzK8DZYCgrOfts3NDeXdiERPeI6hxw0gSPtJ/s1600/IMG_1648.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Osceola Mills Community Library</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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It had been a good night. Spirits and stories had been shared and the chill of the long winter nights had been replaced by humor, mystery, tragedy and love.</div>
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We gathered our things. Some books were left as donations so the library could lend these stories and more to a public hungry for danger or murder. I'm told that at closing of the third Thursday of the month, these grim story-tellers convene at the library, which looks and feels haunted after sundown. Bring your own protection. Bring your own spirits. And you'd better bring a tale worth telling.</div>
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I didn't see the teacher quietly pick up the gun and I got a chill. One doesn't like to lose track of who's packing in tense situations like these. In such close quarters. We went up front and unlocked the front door and drifted off into the night. Thinking. Wondering. About the stories we'd just shared. About the dangerous types who'd shared them. And who had wound up with the gun.</div>
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Shawn Inlow</div>
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Osceola Mills, Pa.</div>
Shawn Inlowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14394081528177227841noreply@blogger.com0