January 2008

Did NBC-Universal Use Dateline To Protect a Movie’s Bottom Line?

How many times have you gone to a movie that promotes itself as being “Based on a true story.” Somewhere in your brain it likely registers that you are about to see a movie about something that really happened. Oh, maybe a name is changed or a location or some minor few facts are a bit out of whack – but you figure the storyline is basically true. Right?

Wrong. It’s really an insipid motto: “Based on a true story”. What filmmakers are really telling you is that the story is false. They use the ‘true story’ hook line to get you into the theater seats and to remove any possible liability from their backs.

In the case of the movie ‘American Gangster’ Universal Studios appears to have taken this to an extreme. They bill it as, “The true juggernaut success story of a cult figure from the streets.” Not only were major truths withheld from the story line but if what I’m hearing behind the scenes from the very law enforcement officers depicted in the film, the directors and producers may have deliberately decided to twist the truth to show the bad guy was good and the good guys were really corrupt. And, these sources contend the deception may not have stopped at the studio doors – it may have involved a major television news department as well. [click to continue...]

The answer, apparently, is yes.

Most of my interest in Michael Jackson has centered on what he may or may not have done with young children – specifically, young boys, some of whom have claimed he sexually molested them.

But sometimes information comes to me that is just too interesting to keep to myself!

Seems the brain trust at Sony-BMG is pulling out all the stops to help its one time mega-star re-enter the pop music scene. The occasion is the 25th anniversary of Jackson’s biggest album ever – one of the music world’s most lucrative successes ever – THRILLER. [click to continue...]

Crime buffs all over America were riveted to the story of the missing pregnant Marine Lance Corporal and the fellow Marine she accused of raping her.

Maria Lauterbach, 8 months pregnant, had been missing for three weeks and her rapist/lover/colleague, Corporal Cesar Laurea, was on the lam after having left a note explaining that Maria had come to his house (the one he shared with his wife) and committed suicide.

The cable news channels went wall to wall with the story and with North Carolina law enforcement’s news conferences on all the latest developments.

When police in Onslow County, North Carolina finally dug up the backyard fire pit at Cpl. Laurean’s home they found the burnt remains of both Lauterbach and her unborn child. They said she had been dead “for quite a while.” [click to continue...]

Look, I know we are in the all important season run-up to a very important presidential election …maybe the most important of my lifetime.

I understand that this is a watershed moment in the history of world harmony.

I totally get the idea that the next leader of the last remaining superpower will face challenges we can’t even imagine – perhaps including more internationally spawned terrorism, economic recession and a continued, confounding lack of bi-partisan cooperation from Congress.

However, I can’t help but shake my head and make that tsk-tsk sound your Mother used to make when you did something stupid.

This political season has turned stupid.

Democrat vs. Republicans

Neo-Cons vs. Liberals

Evangelicals vs. Mormons vs. agnostics vs. atheists vs. all the others in between

Now, female vs. male ??? [click to continue...]

I don’t want Iowa deciding for me. Although I grew up in the middle of America I don’t have a lot in common with Iowans.

I don’t want New Hampshire deciding for me. As nice as they are I don’t have much in common with those folks either.

Nor do I want South Carolina voters or those in Michigan or anywhere else deciding who the final two Presidential candidates are that I get to vote for.

I want more of a voice in the final choices!

I want to decide which candidates I will be able to vote for in the upcoming Presidential election. I don’t want a pre-selected pair of homogenized candidates ~ I want a whole platter of choices just like the people in IowaNewHampshireSouthCarolinaMichigan get! But, the way the system is set up now I don’t get a chance to have my voice heard. [click to continue...]