The Scharp Blog

Wow…. what a bad movie. I hadn’t seen any previews for this movie before I knew it was in the theaters. I thought maybe I just hadn’t watched much tv. In truth, it was because the movie was so bad they didn’t want to waste any more money on advertising. In my opinion, its hard to ruin a “King Arthur” movie. There is so much history, myth, legend in the story - so much to draw a good story from - it almost makes itself. This was more about Arthur’s father (as a kid) then Arthur, so maybe i can give it an ounce of grace….but nothing more. For a movie that tried to be good, this was one terrible predictable event after another. Save yourself the money and don’t even rent it. This made King Arthur (Clive Owen, Kiera Knightly) look like an Oscar winning film.

PS - Be prepared for Terrible Movie #2. It left the ending wide open to pick up the story where this one ended… with Arthur as a kid.

So I just watched The Number 23 with Jim Carey and I liked it a lot.  I cant say too much about it in this review less I give anything away, but if you are interested in mind twist movies this will do you well.  Jim Carey is a good comedic actor, but his serious performances are just as strong, if not stronger.  I wouldn’t put this in the same category as Fight Club, but this is the same basic genre, though leaves less of an impact on the viewer.  My only real wish is that the movie would  have gotten a bit grittier - I would like to have seen Jim Carey’s mental breakdown more intense, which would have made the movie more powerful.

Before Shae LeBouf was the hero of the day in Transformers, he played a troubled, peeping-tom kid in Disturbia. Placed under house arrest, he begins to watch his neighbors as he deals with his boredom. Thinking one of his neighbors is a killer, Shae begins to investigate which leads to a series of nail biting events.

Ok enough of the Ebert and Ropert review. It was a good movie and I really like Shae LeBouf. He plays a very good nervous-sarcastic kid.

So I saw the movie Stardust the the other week. It was a really good fantasy-love-adventure story. If you are in the mood for a movie that will take your mind off anything somewhat real and leave you feeling happy, this is the movie for you. Originally a book by Neil Gaiman (advise you to read) it was adapted very well - Neil Gaiman was one of the producers.

A side note - Michelle Pfeiffer is still gorgeous at 49.

So, being a concerned individual at the direction that America is heading, I believe it is my responsibility to finally take part in this circus we call Democracy. Due to personal preference, social influence, or what-have-you I typically side with the Republican party on most issues. However, over the last few years (ok yes I was a supporter of G.W.Bush, and I still think he is better than the other options put forth by the democratic party) I have become more put off by the entire system as a whole. Early this year I made a decision though to actually be a part of the (or a) solution instead of part of the problem - and if you are not active in voicing your beliefs then you most definitely are part of the problem.

I started researching all of the political candidates, even going as far to watch the democratic primary debates. From both sides of the party lines, there are some I think would ruin the county, some who would maintain the status quo, and very few who wouldn’t be “all that bad”. However, there was only one that I actually liked, admired, and instilled a sense of hope, for lack of a better word.

Enter Dr. Congressman Ron Paul. Dubbed a “Constitutionalist” he maintains strict ideas as to what the Federal Government should do and not do. In reality, Dr Paul’s position is that the Federal Government should have very limited powers and return much of the governing rights back to the state and local governments. His campaign is based on the idea of returning Life and Liberty back to the individual, as much of it has been confiscated by the Federal Government. He has one of the most consistent voting records of all congressmen, as everything judge in light of the constitution: “Does the government actually have the authority to do such and such a thing?” Below are just a very few of his positions:

Repeal the 16th ammendment. - Dr Ron Paul’s position is that the government never had the right to enact an income tax. People are entitled to their own money, not the government.

Iraq - Voted against the war. States the war is Illegal as Congress never actually declared war on Iraq. Would bring home the troops as fast as safely possible. Cites Vietnam as a great example of a war that went wrong, but after we left and since that time our relations with them have grown stronger.

Gay Marriage - Personally doesn’t condone same sex marriage, but does not believe the Federal Government has a right to dictate what “contracts” two parties can enter into or not.

Abortion - Would repeal Roe vs Wade. Believes the issue of abortion should be handled at the local and state government level.

These are just a few of the many positions of Dr. Ron Paul.  Any responses for or against I would be interested in hearing.

Some people say the great thing about the internet is the vast amount of information you can find instantaneously.  Maybe its a curse as well.  Everyone is entitled to their opinions (whether they are right or wrong) and the 1st amendment gives all the freedom to rant at will.  Many use it as a personal soap box displaying their intellect - or more often - their idiocy for the world to see.  Well, seems there must be room for another blog since I just created this little one.  Let the world judge what is written here!