In "Killing Them Softly" Brad Pitt plays Jackie Cogan, an enforcer hired to restore order after three dumb guys
rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to
collapse.
Set in 2008, much of the movie has audio from the US political and economic news going in the background.
This isn't that great of a movie, and doesn't have much of a reason for having been made.
The first part of the movie is filled with vulgar language, to a gratuitous degree. After that the movie does get a little better, but not a lot.
If I hadn't seen it for free, I would've wanted my money back. Consider yourself warned.
The only redeeming qualities were the soundtrack and the first murder scene. The cinematography used in that scene, is actually pretty amazing.
Set two years before the Civil War, "Django Unchained" is the latest movie by the mastermind of Quentin Tarantino. I had the pleasure of seeing a pre-screening of this movie last night and I was not disappointed.
With an All Star cast with the likes of Jamie Foxx, Leonardo Dicaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Jonah Hill, Kerry Washington and a previous Tarantino great, Christoph Waltz, the movie is already set up for some big buzz.
The storyline is sure to create that buzz too. Django Unchained is the story of a slave (Jamie Foxx) who is befriended and freed by a bounty hunter (Waltz). This unlikely friendship, leads them on several journeys throughout the movie, with the most important being the quest to reunite Django with his wife whom he lost to the slave trade years ago. Manipulation and revenge are some of the main themes set in the movie.
For fans of Tarantino's work, this movie is sure to please. He makes his signature cameo at a great point in the movie, and he does not shy away from gore and violence. This could be his goriest movie to date. Some scenes can be quite disturbing, but they are needed to set the tone of the movie.
All in all, I would give this movie a 9/10. Very great acting and story, but the film does seem to go on and on at some points. One thing is for sure though, you are never left bored!
Anybody with a cursory familiarization in American History and the development of our governmental system known as a Constitutional Republic will, undoubtedly, know of the ideals used in establishing our great nation.
Thomas Jefferson along with Adams' advisement drafted the Declaration of Independence. Within that document, Jefferson addressed several ideals that most Americans today still hold sacred. The Declaration states that each individual person is endowed by his or her creator with certain rights that nobody has a right to take away. Among those are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
However, without doing the due diligence, most people don't even know to what those items refer. To understand them would require a bit more reading. Those who wish understanding should read the source materials Jefferson and Adams drew from, the philosophies of John Locke and Montesquieu. Of note, the term "Pursuit of Happiness" was a euphemism of the times for intellectual and physical property.
When drafting the US Constitution, still leery of government having too much power and turning tyrannical, Madison and his cohorts added the Bill of Rights to enumerate certain things necessary for individuals in order to insure that the government doesn't over step the limitations placed upon them by the base document itself.
The list goes on. However, one can easily see how each of the first ten amendments is set up to secure the blessings of liberty and insure the natural rights of Life, Liberty, and Property are not infringed upon.
The left hates that.
The left really hates that.
Unions are the thugs and extortionists of the left.
The Michigan legislature passed their Right To Work (RTW) law on December 11, 2012. They became the 24th state that sees mandatory union membership as an infringement upon Life (how you wish to spend your time on this Earth), Liberty (what labors or recreations you choose to engage in), or Property (intellectual or physical, what you have created, earned or otherwise lawfully and legally acquired as the fruits of your labors or gifts from that of others). RTW laws and the states that employ them do such as methods to insure those natural rights. Opposing RTW laws necessarily equates to opposing natural rights.
They protested while the bill was voted on and while it awaited signing by Michigan's governor. they had hoped that their loud threats of violence and baseless propaganda would sway the state's government from championing natural rights. They had hoped that the government would join them in enforcing tyranny and depriving those rights. When the RTW law passed, the demonstrations turned violent.
The union goons assaulted a reporter who was attempting to interview them to get their side of the story:
The union goons vandalized Americans For Prosperity's (AFP) tent while children were inside:
The union thugs, acting worse than the mobsters that own them, then cut up the tent to sell as souvenirs to commemorate their turning to violence when their days of oppressing citizens seeking employment ended:
Then they attempt to blame the violence on the victims of their assaults. It is like some coward who beats his wife and children then blames them for "making me do this to you". Yet they run like cowardly bullies when challenged to a fair fight:
Just like the black bloc of the socialists infamous "Occupy Movement" did in Oakland, California, among other locales. Remember when members of the Black Bloc attempted (and failed) to blow up a bridge in Ohio?
Perhaps some may recall when two members of the Black Bloc were arrested for conspiring to firebomb the 2008 RNC convention. Had it not been for the bravery of Brandon Darby in informing the FBI they may have gotten away with it.
See, rational and reasonable people see violence as something necessary when all other recourse have failed and no other viable options remain. The left, on the other hand, sees it as a necessary, daily intimidation and scare tactic required to get their point across. Since their arguments are devoid of logic, reason, or empirical data, they resort to attempting to force people to see things their way. When people don't, they employ violence to set examples of what happens when they aren't given power over you.
Some on the left claim to promote anti-bullying campaigns. However, the hypocrites employ intimidation, extortion, and terrorist tactics on a daily basis. They cowards seeking to steal what others have and are willing to earn. They are bullies and thugs afraid to allow others the right to earn and enjoy the fruits of their labors on their own merits.
This is an excerpt. The full article and additional commentary appears on P-G Matuszak's Mental Aikido.
Glock Model 36 .45cal Designed for Concealed Carry
Socialist gun grabbers are upset at the 7th US Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. In June, 2010, federal courts declared Chicago's ban on handguns (keeping arms) as an unconstitutional violation of the Second Amendment. The State of Illinois remains the only state with an absolute ban the right to bear arms concealed.
The law, a strict ban on carrying arms especially if concealed, was struck down in a two to one decision by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. This is Chicago's second loss against the constitutionally mandated rights to keep and bear arms.
Chicago has stated that they will write a law that is less restrictive yet still infringes upon the rights to keep and bear arms. Meanwhile, the State of Illinois has been given one hundred and eighty days to pass and execute a revised law that does not infringe upon citizens' right to bear (carry) arms. This is indicative on how socialist tyrants utilize Ailinsky tactics to push through their invasive and oppressive agendas. They first attempted an extreme ban so that a follow up that is acceptable to them will get passed as it is seen as less extreme. The more extreme ban is their goal. However, they expect people to get used to the lesser infringements so that they won't protest as much when the greater infringements are attempted again in the future.
The decision comes on the heels of inflamed anti-Constitution rhetoric was spewed by Bob Costas, Piers Morgan, and other leftist demagogues in response to an NFL football player murdering his girlfriend and himself. In their view, the gun killed the player and his girlfriend. Along that line of thought, spoons made Rosie O'Donnell fat and the microphone made Piers Morgan and Keith Olbermann stupid.
Article and full commentary originally appear on P-G Matuszak's Mental Aikido. Reprinted with permission.
ARMY Staff
Sgt. Wesley R. Williams, twenty-five, of New Carlisle, Ohio, died December 10 in
Kandahar, Afghanistan.
taff Sgt. Wesley R.
Williams, 25, of New Carlisle, Ohio, died Dec. 10 in Kandahar,
Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with
an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion,
38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, under control of the 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base
Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Staff Sgt. Wesley R.
Williams, twenty-five, of New Carlisle, Ohio, died December 10 in Kandahar,
Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with
an improvised explosive device.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion,
38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, under control of the 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base
Lewis-McChord, Washington.
According to unit records, Staff Sgt. Williams entered the Army in July
2005 and reported to Fort Benning, Ga., for Army Basic Training and
Advanced Individual Training in Military Occupational Specialty 11B
(Infantryman). He completed Airborne School in 2005, and received the
Special Qualification Identifier of Parachutist. He was assigned to the
3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (SCR), Vilseck, Germany, in
March of 2006.
He deployed with 2nd SCR as a Radio Telephone Operator
from August 2007 until October 2008. In February 2009, Williams was
assigned to 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade
Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. He
deployed to Iraq as a Rifleman from September 2009 to August 2010. He
deployed to Afghanistan as a Squad Leader in November.
Staff Sgt.
Williams’ civilian and military education includes a High
School diploma (2005), Military Occupational Specialty 11B: Infantryman
(2005), Airborne School (2005), and the Warrior Leaders Course (2011).
His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with two
Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with four Bronze Oak
Leaf Clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal (2nd award), National Defense
Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star, Iraq
Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, Global War on Terrorism Service
Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Ribbon (Numeral “3”), NATO Medal,
Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, and Parachutist
Badge.
ARMY Spc.
Tyler J. Orgaard, twenty, of Bismarck, North Dakota, died December 3, in Helmand
province, Afghanistan. The father of slain North Dakota Guardsmen Spc. Tyler J. Orgaard said his son died doing what he loved and what he dreamed of.
Jesse
Orgaard said his son would tell his family not to cry for him but
rather have a beer in his honor. The family planned to honor that wish.
Speaking
to media Thursday morning with his wife, Josie, and twenty-three year old
daughter, Kristy, Orgaard could not stress enough how much his twenty year old son, known for his leadership and desire to help others,
loved being a part of the military.“(Tyler) lived more in twenty years than a lot of people live in eighty years,” Orgaard said, his voice
choking up. “He did what he had wanted to do.”
The
accomplished martial arts fighter and 2011 graduate of Century High
School in Bismarck was looking forward to coming home after a yearlong
deployment with the North Dakota National Guard's 818th Engineer
Company.
He would have been home in just three months, Kristy Orgaard said.The
last time Tyler spoke to his sister, she said he told her, “There’s no
place else in the world or nothing I would rather be doing than what I
am doing right now.”
Orgaard was killed along with
Sgt. 1st Class Darren M. Linde, forty-one, of Devils Lake when an improvised
explosive device struck their vehicle in southern Afghanistan while
conducting route clearance operations.
Although
nearly half Orgaard’s company had served on previous overseas missions,
according to the National Guard, this was Orgaard’s first deployment.
He
joined the National Guard in May 2011, shortly before graduating from
high school. His family had little history of military service. His
father said Tyler had also debated joining the US Marines.“He
very much wanted to be in a combat unit. He wanted to be in the middle
of the action,” he said. “That’s why he chose a combat unit. He wanted
to make a difference.”
When Orgaard left for Afghanistan, his mother asked him if he was scared.His
reply: “Of course I’m scared; anybody that tells you they are not
scared is lying. It’s not about the fear, it’s about going to do what I
want to do,” Josie Orgaard said.
After his military
service, Tyler Orgaard planned to return to martial arts training and
possibly attend business school to one day open his own fitness club,
his family said.
Orgaard also had a special gift for music; he learned to play piano and guitar by ear.
Despite their loss, the Orgaard family was more concerned with their son’s fellow guardsmen Thursday morning.Jesse
Orgaard said he worried about how his son’s “guard family” was coping
with the loss, knowing they had to continue on in service, with little
time to grieve.“Those guys are all very courageous. I
can’t wait to stand at the armory and see the rest of them come home,”
he said. “I pray they all come home.”
ARMY Sgt.
1st Class. Darren M. Linde, forty-one, of Sidney, MT, died December 3, in Helmand
province, Afghanistan.
Darren Michael Linde was born May 12, 1971 at Fort Wainwright,
Fairbanks, Alabama to Dwight Linde and Deborah (Dashner) Buxbaum.
He
attended schools in Sidney, Montana and graduated from Sidney Senior High
School in 1989 where he wrestled for the Sidney Eagles. As a Sidney
Eagle, Darren was a proud member of 1989 State of Montana Wrestling
Champions.
He attended Montana State University, University of North
Dakota-Williston, and the University of Mary.
On December 28, 1990, Darren enlisted in the North Dakota Army National
Guard. On May 25, 1995, Darren went active duty with the Army and was
stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. While in Washington, Darren met and
fell in love with Adrienne and her three daughters, Celina, Kayla, and
Alexis. On August 2, 1997 they were married and shortly thereafter had a
son, Eric Paul Linde.
Darren was so funny. Everyone who knew Darren, knew he was always
smiling and laughing, Darren never had a bad day. He always saw the
glass as half full and always had a great story to share. The family’s
nickname was the “Six Happy Linde’s” and that was how they lived their
lives.
Darren returned to Montana and enlisted into the Montana Army National
Guard from September 1998 to September 2002; and again in July of 2005
through March 2006, where he then transferred back to the North Dakota
Army National Guard.
On June 4, 2007 through May 21, 2008, Darren was
deployed to Iraq with the 164th HQ’s SECFOR.
On April 27, 2012, Darren
was deployed to Laskar Gha, Afghanistan with the 818th Engr Co. On March
11, 2011, Darren earned the rank of Sgt 1st Class. Darren was a Combat
Engineer, Cannon Crewmember, and Bridge Crewmember. He received
numerous awards, including the Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign
Medal, Combat Action Badge, North Dakota Legion of Merit
(Posthumously), Purple Heart (Posthumously), and the Bronze Star
(Posthumously).
Darren is survived by his wife, Adrienne of Devils Lake; his daughters,
Celina of Devils Lake, Kayla (Tom) Propp of Fairview, Mont. and Alexis
of Devils Lake; his son, Eric Paul of Devils Lake; his father, Dwight
(Lana) Linde of Williston, North Dakota; his mother, Debbie (Dashner) Buxbaum of
Sidney; grandparents, Garfield and Madeline Linde of Fairview, Montana;
two sisters, Darcie (Brian) Conquergood of Helena, Montana; and Amanda
(Kevin) Skogen of Sidney, Montana; granddaughter, Ava Propp.
Darren was preceded in death by his brother, Eric Buxbaum.
MARINE
Lance Cpl. Anthony J. Denier, twenty-six, of Mechanicville, New York, died December 2, in
Helmand province, Afghanistan.
The body of Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony Denier arrived at Albany
International Airport just after 11am Monday and was escorted home to
Mechanicville by a procession of fifty motorcycles, the Saratoga County
Sheriff’s Department and Mechanicville Police Department.
The twenty-six year old India Company marine was killed December 2, by enemy fire in the
southern Afghan province of Helmand, the largest and most violent of the thirty-four provinces in the country.
Mary Morgan, Denier’s mother, heard
from her son only a few hours before his death, in the form of a
Facebook message sent Saturday night, December 1. It read: “All is well …
I’ll call you in the morning.”
But Morgan did not hear from her son the next morning; instead, she heard from the Marines, informing her of her son’s death.
Denier, who was born in Troy, joined the Marines almost two years ago.
He was deployed to Afghanistan Oct. 26 as a member of the 3rd Battalion,
9th Marines (Regional Combat Team 7, 1st Marine Division Forward) of
the 2nd Marine Division.
Since US and British forces began
airstrikes on Afghanistan in October 2001, after the Taliban refused to
hand over Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, there have been 3,215 US
and coalition casualties.
According to his family, he always
wanted to be a US Marine and practiced at the shooting range at
Schaghticoke’s Rod and Gun Club with his friends. He was assigned to the
infantry, an assignment of his choosing.
“When he found out he
was being deployed, he was excited. He said he was finally going to do
what he was getting paid to do,” Morgan said. “I think the military made
my son a man and I am extremely proud of him.”
Attended by his
company commander, platoon sergeant and his peers, a memorial service
for Denier was held Sunday at Combat Outpost Hanson in Afghanistan.
The US and Philippines have agreed to new terms that would see an increase of US troop strength, in the Philippines.
Officials agreed to a five year plan, that would see higher levels of US aircraft, ships, and troops come through.
China responded to the news, by ordering it's troops in the South China Sea to a higher level of readiness.
The Philippines, China, and other countries have been arguing over who owns much of the South China Sea.
Lately China has made claims to almost all of the Sea, including islands and resources which are international recognized as belonging to other nations.
Additional US troops are seen as Washington's non verbal statement of what they think on the situation.
On Tuesday, President Obama announced that the US now recognizes the Syrian opposition council as the rightful government of Syria.
By Wednesday, over a hundred other countries followed the US's example, and did the same.
Russia, China, and Iran are the big holdouts, though Russia has discussed that a power change might be necessary.
With much of the world now recognizing them, the council has much greater legitimacy.
Before Obama's announcement, several countries had already been considering sending weapons to the rebel forces.
Some hope that the announcement will help end the war more quickly, but if anything it may make the Assad regime dig in all the more and the fighting to become more intense.
Others fear what the future Syria will look like.
While Assad's regime has been backed by such terrorist groups as Hamas and Hezbollah, the rebels are backed by Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
Both sides have also shown they are ready to use chemical weapons, which the world has warned against, but it is a distinct possibility.
Either way rebel forces have continued to make gains, all around the country, and it does seem to only be a matter of time until the war is over.
Over fifty thousand people have been killed during the twenty-one month civil war.
