My favorite movies from 2017

This is a list (with IMDB links) to my top 10 favorite movies of 2017. It should be noted that I excluded all Marvel/DC Comics/Star Wars films from this list and there are no spoilers.

10) The Lego Batman Movie – I really enjoyed this movie. It is a must watch if you are a fan of the Batman franchise.

9) T2 Trainspotting – The first Trainspotting film was fantastic. The soundtrack is still one of my favorites. Im glad the cast was able to return for the follow up, but it can never capture the magic of the original.

8) Valerian – This one was visually stunning, but lacked talent for the two leads. Its a shame this movie didnt do better at the box office because I would have loved to have seen more from this series.

7) Mother! – I put this one on my list because it is so interesting how different everyones interpretation is, even on subsequent viewings. Im not a fan of Jennifer Lawrence, but she did an excellent job in this one.

6) I, Tonya – Who even knew this would be so entertaining? I was in my 20s when the Tonya Harding / Nancy Kerrigan incident occurred and I can remember the media frenzy. Margot Robbie did an excellent job portraying Tonya Harding.

5) Get Out – I did not expect a film like this to be written and directed by Jordan Peele. This is an incredible experience of a film.

4) Blade Runner 2049 – This was such an enjoyable sequel to the original. I keep describing films as visually stunning, but Ive never watched a movie and been so affected by the cinematography in the way this one did.

3) The Disaster Artist – I dont think you would like this if you havent experienced The Room. Tommy is such an interesting person and this movie was a joy in theaters.

2) Lady Bird – This movie should be something all mothers and daughters see together. Even tho I didnt see it until the last part of December, I almost picked it for my number 1 movie of the year.

1) Good Time – Easily my favorite movie of the year. This has to be one of the most original films Ive ever seen. This was an experience.

I have not seen a number of films that from their descriptions, probably would have made this list. Those films are: Ingrid Goes West, Brigsby, 3 Billboards Outside Ebbing, Killing of a Sacred Deer.

Do you agree with my list? Have you see these movies? What are your thoughts?

 

 

Complaining about gay people is bigotry

Im pretty sure that by now, most people reading this post, has been the victim of some sort of discrimination and/or bigotry. Whether youve been discriminated against for your age, sex, race, religious views, political views, or just because you look different. But today, I am going to address hatred of gay people.

Earlier this week I heard about this group called One Million Moms. They were attempting to get Ellen Degeneres fired from her job as spokesperson of JC Penney because Ellen is gay. Its funny that they call themselves One Million Moms when, at the time of this writing, is just a little more than 43,000. (And no, I am not going to link to their facebook page)

I came across this video of Ellen addressing this bigotry:

You will see that supporters of Ellen went to their facebook page and posted their support for her in droves. In addition to that, another facebook page was started called ‘One Million Human Beings Against One Million Moms’ (https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-Million-Human-Beings-Against-One-Million-Moms/283203235026830)

On February 6th, think progress posted the following: (http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/02/06/419905/mother-of-gay-son-responds-to-one-million-moms-against-ellen-your-hate-speech-is-hurting-your-children/)

This mother is quoted as saying: ‘We have a huge generation of our children destroyed, hurting, bullied, tormented and committed suicide because of non-accepting organizations such as yours; your group message portrays non-acceptance and hate. Being a mother myself my maternal instinct inside me would never risk the welfare of our children by the non-acceptance and public outcry for the termination of a gay person, what type of message are you sending? A message of HATE!’

I have to say that I agree with this mom. No, my children arent gay that Im aware of….but I do know gay people who suffer because despite the fact that they are loving, caring people, theres always gonna be people who look at them and hate them just because they are gay. They will be discriminated against at their jobs and amongst their own family members for this single fact. These bigots will not see them as a great teacher, cook, parent, etc.

On February 9th, JC Penney came out and announced that Ellen represents the value of their company: (see embedded interview) http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/02/09/422100/jc-penney-ceo-ellen-represents-the-values-of-our-company)

In this link, JC Penney CEO, Ron Johnson again speaks to his support for Ellen (http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/ellen-degeneres-only-choice-jc-penney-ceo-says-221440378.html)

Quite honestly, Im perplexed at why Martha Stewart isnt the one they chose to target with their boycotting. At least in the case of Stewart, she was found guilty of something and went to jail.

And this morning, I came across a video in which even Bill OReilly understands what this group was attempting to say and do. Be forewarned Sandy Rios might make you want to strangle your computer.

Bill OReilly needs to be commended for his comments. He is absolutely correct. No one should be fired because they are gay. This type of witch hunt IS equal to McCarthyism.

And while Ms Rios thinks that Ellen CHOSE her lifestyle (make no mistake about her choice of words here) and believes that Ellen marrying her long time partner is wrong….I have to point out that committing to marriage (no matter what the sexual preference may be) should be commended. Contrary to belief, most gay people I know are in long term relationships.

I also find it hard to believe that ‘middle America’ wouldnt know of any gay people. She also goes on to state that children shouldnt be exposed to or ‘propagrandized’ by the gay culture. Uh…..has she even looked around?

Does Ms Rios even know the gay/straight ratio of employees in any of the stores she patronizes? It seems me that perhaps she should look into that. She may find out that she has no where to shop.

How did she say it? We are seeing gay culture embedded in our society in an alarming way? Im guessing thats because many gay people have come out publicly despite the bigotry of people like her. Every person brings something into society. Maybe….just maybe our society LIKES what gay people bring to the table?

No, your disdain regarding gay people is NOT a legitimate complaint. A legitimate complaint would be that if while eating dinner in a restaurant, your food came to you half cooked.

Complaining about gay people is bigotry.

You know how you can tell? Substitute the word gay for another word – like Jews or blacks…..Can you see it now?

 

 

Next week there will be nothing to do in Eldersburg

Its a shame that there really isnt anything to do down in Eldersburg.

Shortly after I moved to Eldersburg (and saw the XFiles 2 movie) the Flagship Cinema movie theater behind the KMart closed due to various concerns. (http://www.eldersburg.net/news/business/290-carrolltowne-movie-theater-closes-not-set-to-re-open)

The closest theater is in Westminster (inside the mall). Or, if youre able to travel, you could go to Columbia or Owings Mills.

Then, we heard that the bowling alley down at Liberty Rd and Rt 32 closed. (http://eldersburg.patch.com/articles/cross-roads-bowling-center-closed-up-for-sale)

Granted, I dont bowl (and yea, Im from Dundalk-so much for stereotypes, huh?) but I dont even believe that there is another bowling alley in Carroll County. And because I dont bowl, I dont even know where the next closest alley would be. So, if you enjoyed that past time, so much for your enjoyment.

Last night, I heard that the Buffalo Wings and Beer in Eldersburg was closing February 6th. (http://votenomalley.blogspot.com/2012/01/closing-in-eldersburg-buffalo-wings.html)

Other than Bellisimos on Liberty and Klee Mill, I dont even know where theres another place with pool tables. And Bellisimos only has one pool table and an air hockey table. So I guess its down to Ellicott City to the VIP if we wanna go out and shoot some pool.

I understand the economy is bad. Really, I do. But without anything of entertainment in Eldersburg, what would a teenager do in Eldersburg? I guess hanging out in half vacant shopping center parking lots would be the alternative.

Development-Schmeveloment!

There are several problems that I can see occurring in Eldersburg. We have the half vacated shopping center where KMart is. When I first moved to Eldersburg, I heard all the stories regarding Black Oak and that assorted mess.

We have some Main Street Project behind the Walmart, that I STILL dont see anything built.

We have this Liberty Exchange project that still doesnt seem to have anything happening in despite articles in local papers saying otherwise. (http://eldersburg.patch.com/articles/liberty-exchange-business-community-signs-first-tenant)

And Peebles is closed (http://eldersburg.patch.com/articles/eldersburg-peebles-to-close-its-doors-in-january)

And not that Im against Starbucks or anything, but the K Bank is going to become one. (and there is a Starbucks inside Safeway) (http://eldersburg.patch.com/articles/starbucks-to-replace-k-bank)

Are our teenagers supposed to just hang out there? Some alternative huh?

I guess everyone can hang at the gas stations that are rumoured to be built. I have to wonder where the planners get their ideas from. Just how many gas stations does Eldersburg need?

Alternatives?

Im guessing that teens and the parents of teens that dont drive yet, will be forced to take their money into other areas in order to be entertained. This is bad news for Eldersburg.

No matter which way you to attempt to spin it, having residents travel out of the area to spend their money will kill the area. When and if another business opens in the area, people will already have been used to going out of the area, and more than likely wont give new establishments a chance.

Someone, please tell me just how Eldersburg can survive?

Someone, please tell us what our kids (as well as adults) are supposed to do for entertainment?

 

Today’s Thought – The world is neither fair nor unfair

I woke up with this song in my head. I know theres a reason for everything. (Sorry for the ‘cheat’ of a post – but my mind and heart feel a little down today)

The world is neither fair nor unfair
The idea is just a way for us to understand
But the world is neither fair nor unfair
So one survives
The others die
And you always want a reason why

But the world is neither just nor unjust
It’s just us trying to feel that there’s some sense in it
No, the world is neither just nor unjust
And though going young
So much undone
Is a tragedy for everyone

It doesn’t speak a plan or any secret thing
No unseen sign or untold truth in anything…
But living on in others, in memories and dreams
Is not enough
You want everything
Another world where the sun always shines
And the birds always sing
Always sing…

The world is neither fair nor unfair
The idea is just a way for us to understand
No the world is neither fair nor unfair
So some survive
And others die
And you always want a reason why

But the world is neither just nor unjust
It’s just us trying to feel that there’s some sense in it
No, the world is neither just nor unjust
And though going young
So much undone
Is a tragedy for everyone

It doesn’t mean there has to be a way of things
No special sense that hidden hands are pulling strings
But living on in others, in memories and dreams
Is not enough
And it never is
You always want so much more than this…

An endless sense of soul and an eternity of love
A sweet mother down below and a just father above
For living on in others, in memories and dreams
Is not enough
You want everything
Another world
Where the birds always sing
Another world
Where the sun always shines
Another world
Where nothing ever dies…

 

PETA makes no sense

Why does PETA act like such idiots?

They are ‘enraged’ that a video game character gains special abilities from a tanooki suit. A suit that made its first appearance (to my knowledge) on November 21, 1990 in the game Super Mario World.

Not that I dont find what theyre saying as absolutely ludicrous…..but where was their outrage then?

Where was their outrage when Mario Brothers was released on June 1, 1983? I mean, Mario started jumping on turtles then….Where was their outrage when Mario put on a frog suit so he could swim?

PETA needs to get a grip. A video game character cannot be pro-fur. You know why? Because its a game!

Heres the article:  http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/249812/20111115/mario-enrages-peta-raccoon-tanooki-suit-tanuki.htm

 

Controversial prayer? Not in Nascar land.

I have four thoughts regarding Pastor Joe Nelms and his ‘controversial’ prayer this past Sunday….but first – watch the video (if you havent already seen it)

Lets get my first thought out of the way. I know that most of the comments are completely from those who have NEVER seen a Nascar race. Do you want to know why? They are up in arms about the public prayer thing…..Dont get me wrong, I completely understand the whole separation of church and state thing, but why are you just now getting upset? As long as I can remember (and Im currently 40 years old and Ive watched ALOT of races) there has ALWAYS been a televised prayer before the National Anthem prior to any Nascar sanctioned race. ALWAYS. So, your argument is moot. Unless you can prove to me that youve been fighting this since Nascar began…..there is no argument to be made.

Secondly, Pastor Nelms prayer is NOT disrespectful. He didnt say this prayer in church. He said it at a racetrack. Again, those who are pointing out his call-outs to sponsors, manufacturers and other various race related things, it is blatantly obvious you know NOTHING about racing. Without sponsors, there would be no racing, which is why the first thing drivers do when they win, is call out every sponsor they have – as well as their manufacturer.

Thirdly, his ‘in the name of Jesus-boogity, boogity, boogity-amen is NOT disrespectful either. You see, when the green flag drops and racing begins, Darrell Waltrip says this. It is a way to say….woohoo its on! Its basically the equivalent of shouting ‘hallelujah’ in church.

Lastly, Ive seen alot of comments regarding his ‘for my smoking hot wife’ quote. Quite honestly, its refreshing that this man loves his wife this much. And in case you were wondering, his wife aint no supermodel. Below is a picture of them together.

And before I close out this blog post, Im disappointed in those who have judged this Pastor, as well as Nascar and their fans based on an Invocation that they didnt even realize occurred in the first place. As Ive mentioned to many of my friends and acquaintances this past week, Nascar is the ONLY sport to televise their Invocations WITHOUT the big mouth announcers talking over them.

 

Uh oh! Jesse Ventura is exaggerating again!

I stumbled upon this interview this afternoon. It is titled “Jesse Ventura abused by TSA will no longer fly”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVKmMD-_QuA&feature=youtu.be

Now, with all the stories that have been brought to light regarding the TSA, I thought I was in for a doozy of an interview. Oh, how wrong was I?

Well, first of all…..Jesse was not abused by the TSA. He explains his hip replacement surgery (re-surfacing) and why he sets off metal detectors. He goes on to state (in his own words) that it is his PERSONAL CHOICE to not fly any longer.

Honestly, I dont care if Jesse Ventura flies on commercial airlines or not. Hes capable of flying private, so his opinion isnt formulated enough to identify with those who arent former governors, wrestlers, or tv show hosts. Does he really think his statement means anything?

While Alex and Jesse do speak about how the TSA is invading our personal spaces, I feel that I was misled to click on this interview due to its poorly constructed title. I would think that the Alex Jones Channel would do a better job…..guess they just care about the clicks <sigh>

 

 

I can see Russia from here!

So after all the hype, I finally was able to watch a couple clips of Sarah Palin’s new show on TLC. (Clips here in case youre interested:  http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/sarah-palin-alaska/ )

So…..political pundits, what do you have to say? Nevermind, Im sorry I asked…..

I have no idea how this woman thinks that basically being the head of tourism for the cold state of Alaska (probably not a real position) can be turned into a presidential run in the future. Since when do our politicians turn into Travel Network reporters?

How can ANYONE who is serious about politics be a fan of THIS?

How can any self-respecting woman watch this and STILL take this Palin chick seriously? (yea, there are people who take her seriously)

Unfortunately, the former VP candidate, who claims to ‘leave her family out of it’, appears to be using this exact family to promote herself in this show. She is the EXACT example of hypocrisy! You cannot bring your family to the forefront like this and then expect no one to talk about them.

One last thing…..ya know that line that Tina Fey made famous? Ya know….the one about seeing Russia from her house? I think (dont quote me on it tho) Tina Fey made that line up without Palin actually saying it. Until now. Yep, Palin does say this idiotic line that -(wait for it)- made her a complete joke in the first place!

I know that laughing at yourself can be fun…..but really?

Please America – Spare us from Sarah Palin.

Real conservatives are asking for your help 🙂

 

Whats punk got to do with it?

This technically begins in 1979 when I was 8 years old. My father heard about the Clash (this was before Rock the Casbah) and that sound completely hooked me. Since this was the 70s, there was no internet, so I had to find those VERY special record shops that had people who worked there who REALLY knew their music. From that moment on, I was completely hooked on punk music.

Punk rock music always had a bad ‘rap’. It didn’t matter who you talked to, they all had opinions on what THEY heard. Most people complained about the lyrics or the noise.  However, how can you sing about the issues without screaming? That is the point of it. If you think about it, most conversations concerning any issues, usually escalate into a ‘whos louder’ argument. If you need to….go look at some DK lyrics and tell me how YOU would present them. I will guarantee that you will not be singing them like you would a love ballad.

Their lyrics single handedly gave me the level of interest in I would have about world. Their lyrics always led me to search further into what I was seeing on my television. If you have any of the old DK concerts, you’ve heard them speak about many issues. Those quick quips taught me alot and those lessons continue even to this current day. Alot of people do not know the lyrics and insist that song titles alone reflect a viewpoint and this has led several not giving them a listen.

So for me, the Dead Kennedys was about looking at some of what was going on in the world and realizing that everything was wrong. Yes….EVERYTHING

By the time I got to my teenage years, we came what most people now call the ‘goth’ or ’emo’ look. This is where we change our outward appearance in order to show how different we are. As someone who participated in this style, I can only say, I choose to look like a freak and I knew how most people would react. I didn’t want to look like everyone else. Its pretty much that simple. No one else liked the music I did, so why should I have to look like them? I will not apologize for how other people reacted to me OR what they said to me. That was and still is THEIR problem. And you know what? I’m 39 years old now and if I could, I would dye my hair orange IN A HEARTBEAT!

Now, 20+ years later……I have grown children and consider myself a conservative by most standards. But I still also consider myself a ‘punk rocker gal’.  So, of course when I heard late this past summer, that the Dead Kennedys would be in DC. I immediately purchased the tickets. There was NO hesitation. NONE.

I was hopeful that despite the drama that had occurred within the band, it would have been gone and we would see our 4 familiar DKers…..but that was not to be. However, the Dead Kennedys wasn’t just Jello. There were other members of that band who made it great. Imagine any of the DK songs without East Bay Ray….DH…..or Klaus.

Skip? The frontman for the Winona Ryders (sp) did the vocals for the Dead Kennedys. I am not entirely sure how long he’s been with them, since I have varying reports, but that’s not really important.  The important thing was that he TOTALLY ROCKED! Jellos shoes are hard to fill, as was the missed Klaus. But this guy totally nailed the performance. During some of my favorite DK songs, it seemed like everyone was front and center giving it back to him (as was I). This concert is definitely one of the best I’ve been to.

After all the years I’ve listened and screamed along with the Dead Kennedys, I managed to meet DH and East Bay Ray. This made this night so special to me. I was able to have Ray sign my cd booklet inserts and grab a pic with him J  The pic below is the second one taken since we weren’t sure that the first one turned out. This pic is most awesome because he plopped his head on top of mine…..I thought it was endearing and cute, but that’s me!

I met the mayhem that is East Bay Ray!

 

Why Nascar (Napcar) is losing its base

Once upon a time there was a sport that had ravenous fans. Back in those days, drivers had personalities and the stands were packed. But that was then…..this is now.

About 10 years ago, Nascar decided that it wanted to be like other sports and institute a ‘play-off’ system. This created a change in their points system and a created the ‘chase’ out of the last 10 races of the season.

Now, Nascar claims that this change in points would not change who won the championship….and while that may be true, there are many things that this did affect within the points system. One being that usually drivers who finish in the top 10 positions would have better sponsorship opportunities. With this ‘new’ system whoever finished in the top 12 positions would be ‘locked in’ and couldnt finish worse than 12th in points, no matter how they ran in those last 10 races. Prior to this change, anyone could have finished in the top 10 and have additional opportunities.

Another change that is affected by the chase playoff, is the fact that a driver who is first in the points by the time the chase is on (for lack of a better way to put it) can be thrusted out of that spot because another driver has more wins. (i.e. Jeff Gordon/Jimmie Johnson a few years back)

Now, cut to the present…..

Nascar has claimed this ‘have at it boys’ attitude and well, that sounds good on the surface, but apparently they are all talk and no action.

Lets be honest….in Nascar drivers arent allowed to have personality. Drivers have no say. A driver isnt even allowed to be honest after being asked to do so.

When Nascar brought out the ‘car of tomorrow’ they asked the drivers their opinions. One of them gave his opinion and was fined according to all the blogs Ive read today. I dont even like the driver that this involved, but come on!!!! Dont ask a question you dont want answered Nascar.

And not that anyone affiliated with Nascar will ever read this blog post, but to keep the drivers who you fined a secret? How lame is that? Are you afraid that the fans will turn on you more because of your stupidity?

Now, Ive been a race fan for a very long time, but when you change the sport in the way that you have, you lose the fans who grew the sport….Whats more important Nascar? Bringing in new people who dont know the history or keeping the fans who have attempted to keep watching despite your idiocy? Some people may disagree with me, but I know at least 50 people who wont even watch a Nascar race any longer…..including myself.

You wanna know why your seats are empty? Call it the economy….and there isnt much worth $100 admission, let alone a sport thats so hands off for the fans….How about talking about more than 5 drivers for once? You cant bring a cooler of food and drinks in with you….and food and drinks at the track are expensive. Nascar wants a cut of everything, including drivers merchandise – which leads me to another point…

Im a dirt track kinda gal and I know alot of sprint car drivers, and those drivers and their families design their own merchandise. Alot of those drivers use the money raised from tshirt sales to pay for their health insurance. Now thats something I can and will continue to support….I wont be spending my hard earned money on a sport that could care less about the fans.