Tag: 2012

2012 Youth Filmmakers Competition

smackyjackjackLeave a comment

This is it folks!

All of the entries for the 2012 Youth Filmmakers Competition in Ojai have been judged and the winners have been decided.

The films range from from zombie-thrillers to real life documentaries about citizens in Ojai.

For the last several months students from junior-high and up have been working on films to be submitted to the competition, all hoping to win one of the three cash prizes ($500, $400 and $300).

The films are being shown on the 9th of December at the Ojai Playhouse. All of the films submitted will be screened, and the winners will be announced on the same day. Along with the three cash prizes, an audience choice award will also be given.

This is a great opportunity to see the works of the young people of Ojai. I suggest everyone comes down and checks it out!

Democalypse!

smackyjackjack1 Comment

I’m calling it.

332-206.

That’s what the electoral college will read at the end of the presidential election, with Obama taking the win.

To me, this is the better of two outcomes. The term “lesser of two evils” comes to mind, but hey, that’s just the consequences of a two party system and an indirect democracy.

The two party system that America has into place is a way to funnel your choices down to two people you almost certainly disagree with. It is almost impossible for someone to agree entirely with Obama, or entirely with Romney. Even if you did agree with them 100%, it is then their work ethic that comes into play.

For example, I agree with Obama that Guantanamo Bay needs to be closed ASAP. In fact, I agree with him that it should have been done 4 years ago…Anyways, to me, the US needs to stop its weird romance with torture prisons and secret “interrogation techniques”, but that’s for another blog. My point is that while you may agree with a candidate, you may not agree with the way they get things done (or don’t get things done).

Another thing that I don’t like about the election system is how much it all depends on character. Many voters decide who to vote for just based of who they relate to more. Well hell, I don’t know about any of you, but I don’t want a president like me. If he was anything like me, we’d be taken over by Canada in a matter of days. I’d want someone smarter, stronger, and just all out better than me.

Now that I’ve gotten way off topic, I’d like to ask you who you believe is going to win, and by how much? What’s your count for the college?

Getting Older

therightliberalLeave a comment

Today was my 18th birthday and I had a spectacular time. It ushered in a new time of life for me, one that I look forward to and yet dread at the same time.

I find it odd that today, the US government considers me an adult. Now when I drive way to fast I get much harsher penalties, if I get caught with drugs I go to real jail, I have now become “responsible”.

I understand there has to be a cut off at some point but it still is a lot to comprehend. It really started to settle in when I got my draft card and realized the easy and fun part was kind of over.

I am not intimidated by having stricter punishments and more responsibility. Maybe a little bummed but I also look forward to it.

We in this country still treat turning 18 as a big deal although I don’t see it that way. All I am looking forward to is voting for Obama, not buying cigarettes (which I find disgusting along with cigars) like some of my peers.

I still don’t understand how I can vote, serve in the military and purchase pornography yet I cannot drink alcohol for another three years. It seems absolutely ridiculous to me but what’s new?

As I get older, I see more and more oddities in our society. But I also accept them more easily and find ways of getting around them in a quicker and more efficient manner.

So here is to being an “adult”!

Insurance War

therightliberalLeave a comment

Oh America, how blinded you can be.

My families insurance is about to run out so we have started the battle to find a new one. This is no small task.

First there is the fact that there are thousands to look at. My mom spent hours upon hours searching and narrowing down the field.

She has been worried though because the last time we tried to apply, all three (me, my mom and my dad) all got turned down. It is not at though we have dangerous conditions; no history of heart problems, no history of cancer, etc, etc. But we do have some pre-existing conditions, especially me and my dad.

So my mom finally found some insurance that has a low rate of people they turn away, is a PPO and doesn’t have a deducible so high we have to mortgage the house.

So then she gets to fill out about 8 hours of paper work just to apply for it with a chance we get turned down. And our current Cobra insurance runs out at the end of the month so we really need to get on it.

The moral of the story: we should have a “socialist” health care system.

It makes it so much easier and so much more affordable. I am not commenting on the mandate, that is irrelevant. What is relevant is that people in the US deserve health care, and it’s not free health care either.

We all pay a little and in the long run create a much better society to live in. Sounds like a deal to me.

Integrity

therightliberalLeave a comment

The word integrity is defined by my Google search as “The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.”

This, as it would seem, is a key factor in a person. There is a reason that the word so often gets tossed around and applied in so many ways.

I have heard it said on multiple occasions that the generation of today lacks this quality when compared to those before us, and that statement makes me really look around and judge for myself.

Surprisingly, I would tend to agree with the above stated remark. I feel that my generation has less of a regard for integrity, it just simply is not a value that we seem to hold as dear.

As with most things, the blame can not be placed on one specific person or thing for the occurrence. But I do feel that there are some very key factors in this trend.

Money makes the world go round more than ever before. My generation has been taught that money is in fact the key to happiness and all satisfaction in life.

To achieve success through money, many feel as though cheating and lying is the way to get ahead, and in many cases they are right. The world of business can be a cutthroat place and in some situations a lack of integrity can really help you.

This sends a message of acceptability when it comes to lacking integrity. As stated in a previous blog, I believe that morals and ethics are unique to each person so this is not a judgement of people’s integrity, simply and observation.

Obviously business ties in with the world of pop culture, another area which I feel has diminished the importance of integrity.

It used to be that the people portrayed in movies were honest characters who would rather die than compromise their integrity.

I am not stating that these characters do not exist in the movies today for they are still prevelant, yet not in such an obvious manner. Added to that there is also the counter of many characters who derive their likability from their overall lack of integrity.

Again, I am not saying that this culture change is a horrible thing or that it is a positive. I simply find it interesting that our values have changed in this way.

From a personal standpoint I can see both sides. I have seen when being honest can bite you in the ass as well as the other way around. So it comes down to each person thinking for themselves on how much they value integrity.

Rah Rah Romney!

therightliberalLeave a comment

All the politicos are talking about the GOP so why shouldn’t I join in? I can think of some reasons but reasons be damned. I digress.

As the Great Divide among Republican questioning the validity of Mitt Romney as a candidate continues, people are running wild in wonderment of what the GOP will do.

The issue is simply that many members of the GOP feel that Mitt Romney does not hold true to their ideals and that is a valid concern. But they then look down the list and cringe, realizing that there is not a soul on there that is electable.

In this three horse race to the glue factory there is only one candidate that would have a chance against Obama and that is Romney. Granted, I don’t think it’s much of a shot but with American voters you just never know.

Santorum is seemingly gaining momentum but at this point it is borderline irrelevant. Gingrich can’t even see the other two, but in true nature of his sheer evilness, Gingrich is staying in the race in an attempt to spoil it for the other two.

I have no idea how many times I have written this but the GOP are a mess. I am on edge that there will be a sudden surge of conservatism and the GOP will regain their lost strength but I have not seen a hint of that happening.

It seems as though Republicans have packed up their guns and beer and decided that 2012 was meant for hunting anyways. Cheney will be delighted.

It is not as though the GOP doesn’t have the funds or the populous to draw from, they just don’t have a candidate. And in my eyes, its not as though they missed someone that should have run. Palin would have added to the hilarity but nothing more and Christie would have just made an ass out of himself.

Who knows, maybe I am completely underestimating the GOP and will be in for a shock come November. But for now I remain confident of the GOP and their mistakes.

What Tim Tebow and the GOP Candidates Have in Common

therightliberal6 Comments

The reason I first made this connection is because I hate both of them. Let me start out explaining why I hate Tebow because I think people know why I hate the GOP Candidates.

Tim Tebow is a great athlete, there is no hiding from that. And like many athletes, Tim Tebow is religious. But what makes Tebow stand out is his proselytizing that he constantly does.

From his Super Bowl anti-abortion commercial to his constant kneeling, Tebow makes it his goal for everyone to know that he loves God.  It is so obnoxious for him to constantly thank God and Jesus for his successes. He can thank them in his head, he doesn’t need to say it out loud.

Yes, I am both an atheist and a liberal so I am predisposed to dislike these characters. But there are many Christians who hate Tebow and just as many republicans that can’t stand their candidates.

So what do these two have in common besides me hating them? They both are putting on a show.

I’m sure Tebow loves god but he wants the attention for his devotion. The GOP candidates (mainly Romney) are making it seem like they have beliefs far more radical than in actuality, just to gain votes.

Now I realize that in our society we have a tendency to act differently to impress others, it’s part of our nature.

But it is stupid that so many people fall for the obvious ploys of these actors. I guess the reason I hate both of them is because they make me realize how ignorant many of my fellow Americans are.

It disgusts me that so many people listen to words without thinking about the meaning behind them. TIM TEBOW WANTS TO CONVERT YOU! THAT IS HIS GOAL! THE GOP WANTS YOUR VOTES!

Do not believe they are good and righteous people just because they tell you they are. Listen to me, I am the Pope. See what I did there? (I’m not the Pope).

Stop being gullible and ignorant. Stop living up to the stereotypes that the rest of the world make about us. Be smart.

Joy of Joys

therightliberalLeave a comment

I find there to be nothing making my week slightly positive besides the fact that the Republican party is a mess. Some may shame me for finding joy in others misery, but to them I would respond with words not suitable for this site.

For those of you who prefer to not follow the Republican race, here is some news. Mitt Romney, the only feasible candidate now that Huntsman dropped out, just made a little confession. He admitted that he only pays about 15% on his taxes.

Mitt Romney is not one of those poor candidates either. This guy is loaded, so rich that he should just start wearing suits made out of money to the debates. So why then, Mr. Romney, are you paying only 15% while Americans that make about one millionth of what you make pay twice that rate?

His answer: because I am not making much income. He babbled about his only job being speaker positions (which he gets about $40k and hour for) and how he hasn’t been fully working for a while now. But he is still making enough to buy a small country each year.

Mitt Romney is a scumbag for a variety of reasons but this just adds on to it. Obviously our system is partially to blame for this rat to be able to sneak his way around tax codes, but being a public servant (if he was my servant he would be whipped daily) he should know better.

And if you thought that is not a big deal, one of Romney’s huge corporations (who are people too) seems to be keeping their funds (which are linked very closely with Romney) in the Cayman Islands to avoid taxes. Damn, isn’t he just an outstanding citizen?

But while many people are up in arms about all of this, I feel no need to be. As much as I would love to see Romney be publicly humiliated by a variety of public displays, I am content with the chances of him being elected president going down. At this point all I want to see is Obama being sworn in so that we can decline more slowly into our final years as a great nation instead of being thrown into a third world plutocracy by good ol’ Mitt.

RIP Reason

therightliberalLeave a comment

I knew Jon Huntsman was not going to win the Republican nomination. But I still could not help but be a little sad when he dropped out of the race.

My friends and family know me as the Republican basher, that guy who always says the obnoxious and inflammatory comments about the Good Ol’ Party.

But Jon Huntsman was different, he actually was intelligent and reasonable. Now the GOP has members who are very intelligent, take Dick Cheney for example. But Dick makes Stalin look like a teddy bear. I’m sure the GOP has had reasonable members who were unintelligent too, I just can’t think of any.

But Huntsman checked both boxes. In an interview with Stephen Colbert, Huntsman explained that his reason for being part of the Republican party was just because he though the people of Utah (his state) would be the most open to it.

I’m not trying to claim him as a Democrat because he is not. There is probably some obscure party in Australia that his ideals fit perfectly in to, but because of our system, he has an R next to his name.

But he did not let that get in the way of trying to make sense. He was not like Romney, trying to make himself look like a crazy teabagger who just wants to get rid of every single government program and become an isolationist nation that is at war with every single Islamic state.

No, he supported socialized programs and tax hikes. He thought we should stop fighting people for no apparent reason and we should protect the environment. He also thought we should work to cut some redundant government programs and reduce big government and that Boehner is at least some what competent.

It says a lot that a man who just stuck by his beliefs seemed to be such an oddity. Our system has come to the point that someone in the middle, who works to bridge the two parties, is looked at as being ineffective and plain wrong.

It is sad that Huntsman could not gain more ground in the primaries but I hope that he changed a few peoples mind in the process. I hope that he made some people see that there is room for the middle, that reason can conquer our stupid polarization. Jon Huntsman gave me hope, and that is more than can be said for most candidates.

So I’m now switching to endorsing this man for the Republican nomination, and yes, that is a boot on his head. Free Ponies for All!

New Years Resolutions

r3t5nomLeave a comment

happy new years

On New Year‘s night I took a moment to come up with some good resolutions that I believe will improve my life. For once I want to live up to the resolutions that I decide to make.

For the year of 2012 the first thing I would like to do is develop a more effective way of saving money. I feel that this is a very important element to growing up as well as a good skill to possess as I head into college.

Secondly I would like to start to improve my health. The main things to improve it would definitely be eating healthier foods as well as exercising more often and at a higher rate.health and fitness

For my third and final resolution, I would like to enjoy the rest of my senior year at OVS with the girl who matters the most to me as well as with some of the greatest friends anyone could ever ask for or hope for, cough cough** Evan Cooper! then I would like to enjoy my upcoming summer, and take advantage of every opportunity presented to me for the rest of the year.

Happy 2012 everyone!
2012
LETS MAKE IT A GREAT YEAR!!!