Death and Taxes, Minus Death

I heard a stastic today I found very interesting.

The IRS is showing that 20% of the American population is paying 80% of all taxes.

Think about that:

• The top 1% income brackets are paying almost 50% of all taxes.
• The top 10% are paying almost 65% of all taxes.
• The top 20% are paying almost 80% of all taxes.

Remember that the next time you hear about how tax cuts are going to the rich. Almost all tax cuts HAVE to go to the rich... they're the only ones paying for almost ALL of the taxes.

Does One Raised Voice Silence Another?

You know, I keep reading about how people feel the Bush administration does not put up with opposing views. Movies like V for Vendetta and A Scanner Darkly are coming out that show an overbearing fascist government where those voicing dissenting opinion disappear.

So, what Hollywood is saying is that under Bush's conservative reign, those people who oppose his view of the world feel under attack.

Where does this persecution complex come from? My guess is high standards. Under Bush, the FCC is holding communication companies to higher moral standards of decency, fining companies such as CBS, etc. Such fines have caused Howard Stern to move to the unregulated Sirius satellite service. Also, Bush's White House has certainly been more closed off to the media than previous administrations, but with the bashing they get, can you blame them?

In the end, are dissenters really being suppressed or are they ticked off that conservative Americans are finally pulling their weight and voicing their opinion? For a long time, conservative Americans played the fat, dumb and happy role to a T. They sat quietly by and tried to be open to political correctness and social upheaval, but now they are concerned that some proposed changes are starting to erode away at their core beliefs in our society. Some changes were necessary and positive... the Civil Rights movement for example. However, it is difficult for me to find a social positive to the sexual revolution... divorce is up, sexual transmitted diseases are up, abortions are up, children born out of wedlock are up, single parenthood is up... none of those strengthen our society.

Now, finally, conservative Americans are voicing their opinion, standing up for what they believe, and it appears to me that the liberals are having a hard time dealing with it. They have stirred the sleeping giant of majority moral opinion from their four decade slumber and are now whining because conservatives are following the liberals lead... demanding that society reflect their morals.

I've always found it interesting that liberal opinions are considered open and conservative opinions are considered closed? Have you noticed that?

• If I support gay marriage, I'm open minded.
• If I support traditional marriage, I'm closed minded.
• If I support pre-marital sex, I'm open minded.
• If I support abstinence until marriage, I'm close minded.
• If I support abortion, I'm open minded.
• If I support that life begins at conception, I'm close minded.

The prevailing attitude is that liberals are progressive, conservatives are restrictive. Who the hell made up those frickin' rules?

• Liberals want the government to stay out of their personal lives, conservatives want the government to stay out of their wallets.
• Liberals think the rich should support the poor, conservatives think individuals should support themselves.
• Liberals think personal actions are none of the governments business and anything goes, unless, of course, those personal actions end up making you a lot of money, then the government needs half of it so they can give your money to those who's personal actions have led them to have less than you.
• Liberals want individual standards of behavior. Conservatives want societal standards of behavior.

Conservatives have lived in a progressively liberal world and they've just grown plain sick and tired of it. They're forging policy buy using their votes, their voices and their buying power, just the way liberals have done for years. So, if liberals feel they're being attacked, welcome to the club. Conservatives feel like they've been under attack since the 1960s. Get in line and stop your whining.

In reality, there is enough room in our society for opinions from both sides of the aisle. One raised voice does not silence another. To the contrary, it usually starts a discussion... or an argument.

Either way, embracing the discussion makes us stronger. Silencing either opinion, liberal or conservative, makes us weaker. As the first Republican once said... "a house divided against itself cannot stand."

We should remember that.

A Super Model Virgin

In what must be considered a rarity of rarities, it appears that Victoria Secret Supermodel Adriana Lima is proud of her virginity. She states:

"Sex is for after marriage. [Men] have to respect that this is my choice. If there's no respect, that means they don't want me."

There was a time, long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away, when such a notion was the standard. I'm extremely proud of Lima for so publically standing her moral ground on such an issue. Often, models are shown as something most girls cannot live up to, ultra thin, airbrushed, etc.... unfortunately in today's society, adding virginity until marriage to the model equation probably doesn't make them any more attainable.

Lima should be lauded for living her faith. It'll be interesting to see how the media reports on this... that is, if the even invest the time.

On The Mend

I think I've finally turned the corner on this terrible flu. My wife, however, seems to be feeling the brunt of it now.

I can't wait to get back into life again. I've missed church last week, I've missed two classes on Catholicism, I've had three Netflix flix waiting to be watched... it has sucked.

Titanic (1997)

As much as I’d like to say that Titanic is sappy and overly romantic and a chick-flick, the reality is that it is a truly wonderful film. The film features Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater, the rich, restless woman engaged to the snobbish Caledon 'Cal' Hockley, played by Billy Zane, but instead falls for the penniless artist hunk Jack Dawson, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. This was DiCarprio’s breakout performance and made him a heartthrob and an A-List actor.

The classic love triangle pulls in the female viewers and the action of the impending fate of Titanic and its passengers keeps the men enthralled. Director James Cameron does a great job of interweaving the various plot elements and minor characters to provide a colorful tapestry of the people on the ship and the struggles that await them.

When approaching the way to relay an epic “catastrophe” story, you can usually take one of two paths, both of which try to connect the audience emotionally to the major events that are about to unfold. The first path is to keep the characters in the film small, as Steven Spielberg chose to do in his take of War of the Worlds. In Worlds, the main character, and virtually the only character by which the audience can attempt to identify with emotionally, is Ray Ferrier, played by Tom Cruise. All of the other people impacted by the events of the alien invasion are primarily periphery characters that Cruise happens to interact with during his journey. This path can be very effective, but relies solely on the audience becoming emotionally connected to that main character. If the audience does not make that connection, they become passive observers and not active participants in the journey of the film.

The second path, and usually more successful, is to take an epic event and pepper in multiple characters that offer the audience many ways to emotionally connect. The risk here is that the secondary characters will not be fleshed out sufficiently and can become cardboard caricatures, which undermines the overall effectiveness of the film. However, if you have enough primary and secondary characters that are well written and well acted, then the emotional impact of the catastrophe is greatly enhanced, as the audience will be emotionally invested in these characters. This has worked on films such as Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, Airport and Titanic.

The soundtrack for Titanic, by my personal favorite composer James Horner, is wonderful. Simply listening to the soundtrack without the film in front of you generates an emotional response. Adding that soundtrack to augment the action on the screen ramps up the impact even more.

A special nod goes to Winslet, who is one of the most fearless and talented actresses I’ve seen. Her career is full of such a diverse number of characters and her complete self confidence in her own body and its imperfections is so rare in Hollywood today. God gave her curves and she’s absolutely okay with that. She doesn’t try to look like everyone else, she simply takes what God has given her and uses it to the best of her ability, which makes her and her look unique. Layer on that confidence with boatloads of acting talent and you find one of the great actresses working today in such films as Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, Finding Neverland and Sense and Sensibility.

Despite the impact on my inherent manliness, I must confess that I love the film Titanic. It achieves the impossible… taking an historic event in which the entire audience knows how it ends, and makes it somehow new and enjoyable and emotionally worthwhile. Its one of those films where all of the creative stars aligned and made something special.

A Little Better

I'm getting better, slowly but surely. I actually slept a few hours for the first time in a week. This flu is going around the office, so I am not the only person dealing with its wrath.

I haven't done much of anything for the last week but lay around the house and cough. Missed some work days, missed church, missed just about everything.

I did find out that one of the resources I was going to use on the pro-life commercial has hung up his videographical boots, so to speak, so I'm going to have to look elsewhere. The Lord will provide, I'm sure.

Can't wait to feel better. Have too much to do.

And for those of you who prayed for a friend of the families, the prayers were answered and everything worked out okay, thank God.

I Long For A Good Night's Sleep

This flu has been kicking my buttocks. I haven't slept more than a few hours since Thursday. Ugh.

Still Under The Weather

Woke up this morning feeling worse than the day before. Went to a walk-in clinic and they didn't think it was bacterial, probably a virus since I have not had intense fever, but prescribed a ZPack of antibiotics just in case.