A rant. A rant-rant-rant-itty rant, Ranty McRants A Lot.

I am calling for an anti-boycott.

If you liked the book "Ender's Game", you should see the movie in theaters this weekend. And you should spend as much money as possible on the movie (IMAX, late-night, 3-D combo). Actually, if you haven't read the book, (1) shame on you, and (2) see the movie anyway, because the entire story will be new to you.

Why should you spend your hard-earned cash on expensive movie add-ons?

Because Orson Scott Card, the author of "Ender's Game," has come under fire for his personal views, none of which are reflected in either his book or this movie. There have been calls to boycott the movie. Boycotts because of the personal views of an artist. Outrageous. It is especially galling because the book is about an outsider who rises to his own potential in his own way.

In response to the issue over Card's views on traditional marriage, the studio has been distancing itself from the author of what I believe is one of the best books ever written. The author of the movie they're producing. Ugh.

I understand about not agreeing with others' personal views and ideas.

• Angelina Jolie is a homewrecker (yup, still an issue), but I watch her movies because she's generally a phenomenal actress.
• James Cameron has environmental views with which I don't agree and find quite kooky. But I still sometimes watch his movies.
• I don't share Joss Whedon's religious views (though I support his right to have those views), but I admire, enjoy, and support his shows and movies because his work is great and because he specifically creates strong female characters. 
• Tom Cruise questioned the merits of depression meds for post-partum women(!!!!!!!!)! But he's still allowed to make movies, and "Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol" was quite good.
• Giselle Bundchen makes some of the most indulged, out-of-touch, high-society, rich-know-it-all-celebrity, douchey comments of any woman in the news, but she's still a great model who should continue to receive jobs.
• I strongly disagree with the political views of the CEO of Amazon, but Amazon is the best online retailer and I enjoy the level and quality of service I receive from them. Also, it is the right of the Amazon CEO, just as it is the right of all citizens of the USA, to use his private funds in whatever way he sees fit.

Just as it is the right of Orson Scott Card to express his personal views and not be lambasted for it. I am especially upset because he is being lambasted by groups that always, always, always call for "tolerance" of their lifestyles. Apparently that is not a two-way street for them; you only receive tolerance if you share their views. Which is despicable.

When a boycott* of Chick-fil-A was planned (which, again, was called because of the PERSONAL views of its President, not because of how the company treated individuals), I began frequenting the restaurant to show support.

Along those lines, we are going to see Ender's Game opening weekend and we're going to spend as much money as possible to give the movie a boost in the box office. An anti-boycott, if you will.

We are doing this to show we support the right of free speech, no matter the views of the speaker. Which I believe was espoused somewhere important by some fairly influential people.

I think my rant is over. In conclusion, if you support free speech and despise hypocrisy, see "Ender's Game" this weekend. And tell others!


* I was quite pleased to read in the July 26, 2013, issue of Entertainment Weekly that after the boycott of Chick-fil-A, "(s)ales for the chain climbed 14 percent in 2012." Hooray for the anti-boycott!

Presidential welcome

I just saw this video and had to share. I have much respect for members of the armed forces, people who put their lives on the line to ensure our freedom and a better life for others.

I believe troops know who will make a good commander in chief; the kind of person who will respect the deserving troops, and receives their respect in return. This video shows the difference between the strong commander in chief we had before and the placating commander in chief we have now.

Irony: An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning

You know, the crap that was the last 4 months of 2008, and the crap that has happened since January 20, is definitely less depressing when accompanied by Christmas carols.

I got this from my sister-in-law's blog, and it's hilarious.



p.s. Yes, I'm not sure "irony" fits here either, at least perfectly, but that's all I could think of for the post title.

For my conservative readers

I like this quote and think I will use it as my mantra for the next four years.

"We've had awful leaders before. New York's atrocious affirmative action mayor, David Dinkins, gave way to Rudy Giuliani. Jimmy Carter gave way to the only great president of our lifetimes, Ronald Reagan. America will turn toward greatness again, once it realizes it has been tricked into temporarily embracing disgrace and decline."

-Van Helsing at www.rightwingnews.com/

Maybe this will be the reality check that returns conservative politicians to their roots.

You know it's sad but true

Some of you may have seen this already, but I think it's great, appropriate, and fairly insightful.

Remember to vote tomorrow.

In all seriousness, when voting you should evaluate which candidates will take from the haves and give to those who won't work hard enough to be haves. I enjoy having a reason to work hard, benefit from that work, and spread my "wealth" as I see fit.

Join me in flagging a blog, will you?

I don't care what you think about a candidate's views--personal attacks on a candidate's children, especially a baby with down syndrome, are out of line, inappropriate, and despicable. This blog is dedicated to the youngest child of Governor Sarah Palin, and I hope enough of us can flag this blog or contact Blogger to convince them to remove it. (I realize there are probably plenty of nasty sites around, but it irks me this is a Blogger entry.)

Why do people think it's ok to attack someone's sweet baby in such a way? Horrible. It wasn't ok when the press hounded the teenage Chelsea Clinton, and it's not ok to do it now.

Cheap shots.

(I got this story from Right Wing News, but partisanship aside, that blog is indeed real and nasty.)

Pandering, or a good political move?

I just heard about McCain's choice for VP. At first I was dismayed, because it seemed like he was just trying to pander to women voters. But the more I've heard about Sarah Palin, the more she seems like a good choice (considering that she is the choice; I won't argue about who should or shouldn't be his pick now that the decision has been made). I read this article, and she seems very conservative. Which is good, because McCain is not conservative enough to be the GOP's candidate.

Also, she has five kids. I'm always impressed by women, especially political women, who will have more than one or two children. Any amount of mothering is good, but in this day and age I am impressed by women who are busy mothers and don't apologize about a large household. It speaks volumes about her values and commitment, and I do believe a person's personal life is reflective of the type of civil servant she will be.

So, I'll still vote against Obama instead of for McCain, but at least I won't cringe when I do it.

¿Por qué no te callas?

I plan to do a longer post about my trip to Europe. Which was fantastic and fun. And cold. But that post will have to wait until I have pictures to accompany it. I took 19 pictures of Big Ben and Parliament. I really enjoyed that group of buildings. They're stunning.

Until I post about my vacation, I am going to tide you over with this video about the king of Spain, who is my new favorite foreign leader. I love politicians who actually speak their minds and react the way normal human beings should. My sister, who spent three months in Spain, told me about the incident.

Hugo Chavez is the leader of Venezuela and a fairly crazy dictator. We don't like him. In this meeting he was attacking the previous prime minister of Spain and rudely interruping the current prime minister. Juan Carlos, the king of Spain, tells Chavez to shut up. Which is awesome. After this incident the king's popularity rose even more. And this clip became a national hit and Spaniards used the king's reprimand as their ringtones and printed it on shirts. I love that! Coolest story of 2007.