Initial Rewrite/ Story Synopsis Ideas For 2022 Reimagined Disney Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Disney's “Woke Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - Prelude To War" Episode 4 - Author & show runner John C.Thomas 10/18/21. Draft Synopsis 13. rewrite #47 Only a small part of this “reboot” deals with the original 1964 antiquated, misogynist Rudolph and introduces the more accurate strong females in the story. It begins with the now suddenly skilled in a gluten free peaceful form of Akido, the little utilized & awesome Clarice. Clarice is featured in a more prominent with more impact in this one. She has a larger role in helping Rudolph transition into a more inclusive society that accepts him. She shows him why he is a victim because of the racist citizens of the American influenced north pole who shunned him because of his shiny red nose- a result of early vaping due to being forced to accept a single gender identity - ANNND uncomfortable weekends with a 'touchy feely' Santa. She always saves the day in this one. The viewer is shown Clarice easily defeating the money hungry, greedy Capitalist Yukon Cornelius freeing the enslaved dog hostages. Meanwhile on the Island of the Misfit toys, the CIS raggedy Ann doll Dolly points out to a reporter that many dolls and creatures are actually gender neutral or gender fluid and won't conform to King Moonracer's MIGA- "Make The Island Great Again" agenda. Grabbing the grape jelly squirt gun and waving it frantically over her head, she/her becomes triggered at teh preception of the reporter's confusion & leads the toys on continent wide marches/protests against inequality at the north pole using 'De-fund the white Santa!" as their rally cry, They occupy, peacefully loot, and burn down much of the north pole, exasperating the already worsening climate change going on there. The frustrated elves aren't making a living wage and are mandated to take vaccinations at the COVID ravaged toy conglomerate or be thrown out of teh village. Forced to squat at the greener parts of the North Pole. The good news is that they use stimulus checks and COVID subsidies to start their own successful CBD/Hemp empire. King Moonracer decides that the citizens of the North Pole want HIM as their ruler instead of Santa. After leading most of the post election polls, Santa wakes up the next day to find out he lost the election and has to leave the north pole capital in a few days, on January 6th. Santa directs the The Elf Foreman, also known as The Head Elf or The Boss Elf, to stop harassing the North Pole's only Trans dentist and concentrate on his final act as leader. He tells him he has an "Ace" up his sleeve and then mutters something about "the enemy of my enemy..."As King Moonracer decides to convince the citizens of his now corrupt island to revamp their priorities and spend trillions of his new currency he calls 'bitcoin" to "Build Back The North Pole Better". Moonracer introduces the North Pole's NEW enforcer, the hero Clarice Pelosi who saved countless lives thwarting that capitalist Yukon Cornelius. As Clarice was about to approach the mic and sing that horrible "There's Always Tomorrow", the new regime's theme and motto, a large group of masked genetically inferior toys appear and begin storming Moonracer's capital building. Startled that his former subjects have turned against him, an overconfident leader directs the bad-ass Clarice to defend him and his building against the growing Army of unmasked, un-vaccinated, misfit toys. Some of the misfit toys make it to and inside Moonracer's capital building where his coronation is to be held. Clarice raises her hoof and addresses the rebelling misfit toys pleading to them to "stand down" and that they have to give King Moonracer's mandates a chance. They have to approve and pass his edicts BEFORE they can know what's in them. Just then, a Bonnie Rait sounding raspy voice is heard shouting "Moonracer's gonna ruin the North Pole with his crazy out of control social spending and his "open border" policy allowing tens of thousands of undocumented elves into the North Pole. Elves with their COVID and vaccination status totally unknown, NO MORE!!" Emerging from the parting gender neutral and/or gender fluid beings is none other than SJW Dolly, with a crying grape jelly squirt gun holstered at her side. This episode ends as Dolly and Clarice stare each other down. Postlude: After the credits roll, the scene shifts back to the confrontation between Clarice & Dolly , except from a viewpoint that's a considerable distance away. We see a shadowed figure from behind being briefed by a disfigured half mechanized fowl."Lieutenant Fritz Huhnmörder reporting. Emissaries have just arrived from King Friday The 13th's kingdom. No word as to when we can take possession of the defecting scientists Wallace & Gromit." Also no further sightings of "Jack" have been reported". We then see the unidentified shadowy figure lean into the nearby form of a skinny, bright green amphibian with bulging eyes and with a garbled voice whispers "Have your Muppet army gather as many of the conquered Fraggles as possible for the next phase of the plan now that we're about to control the north” referencing the Clarice/ Dolly confrontation. The shadowy figure turns and walks away from the group mumbling "Soon, there'll be no place that annoying 'Pumpkin King' can hide...” Cut to black.

Idiot Boy Testing The Waters Again

It’s been a while. Today, it just feels right.. Here's some stuff I'm checking out this morning on the interweb.

 

Loki goes country. And it could be something good. Check out the picture above and go to the story HERE

Just as I feared, THIS has happened. Sometimes it sucks to be right.

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has lost his freaking mind. Click HERE.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is already available online – two weeks before its DVD release.

Kurt Cobain’s little girl is seeking a divorce after 24 months of marriage. Read more.

U2’s Edge gets “geeky” over a new guitar that was custom made especially for him.

AMC’s “The Walking Dead” is threatening to follow suit with Disney/ Marvel movie studios to close up shop and leave the state of Georgia if a religious freedom bill is signed into law.

Google believes it has the answer to Periscope and Facebook Live. Go HERE to read about it.

The internet teaches Microsoft a lesson in the dangers of artificial intelligence and public interaction in THIS story.

So Axl Rose is going to be the lead singer for AC/DC’s last 10 concerts this year? Hmmm.

So what else has been going on? Anybody reading this? Let me know..

Thanks! -- John

Goodbye 2014

WOW, it's been 10 months since I last posted anything on this particular blog. OK..

2014- for John C Thomas, 2014 is the year of LOSS. Tremendous. Just caps off a very, very bad year for me personally. My mom type Edith passed away days before Mother's Day via complications from liver cancer. Devestating. One of my MAIN heroes, Robin Williams passed away via a cowardly act- no matter how dismissed or explained away. Harold Ramis' death affected me nearly as much. As a matter of fact, the Comedy genre as a whole took a tremendous hit. 2014 was no laughing matter for Comedy- along with the Bill Cosby controversy, check out the legends and talent the world of comedy lost just THIS year: Joan Rivers, David Brenner, Sid Ceasar Jan Hooks, Rik Mayall, Mickey Rooney, Ann B Davis.

I worked with, admired, and was influenced by the following broadcasters and announcers who passed away. Russ Cassell, Monty Dupuy, Casey Kasem and Don Pardo. Musically Johnny Ramone, Jimmy Ruffin, Joe Cocker, Bobby Womack and Johnny Winter left us. Steeler coach Chuck Knoll died. Though I didn't agree with her politics, poet Maya Angelou is a loss that didn't go unnoticed by me. What little TV I watch is about to get smaller. Kinda sucked saying goodbye to the The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and The Colbert Report w/ Stephen Colbert on the same day. The HBO series Boardwalk Empire ended in a very rushed and shortened season. Mad Men and The Late Show w/ David Letterman are ending. Colbert will take over for Dave next year.. LEMONADE!!

Other prominent 2014 things I didn’t care for were:

• Obamacare
• The ebola madness
• Death by cop incidents
• Cuba kiss and make up
• Celebrity nude photos leaked
• NFL domestic violence issues an their reaction/action
• The whole Sony Pictures debacle that turned into an international incident
• The Democrat. Republican, Constitution, Libertarian, AND Tea Party political parties
• Tar heel football frustration
• Drones -both private and government/ military
• Isis and their beheadings
• My personal decline physically/ mentally, and spiritually.
• The days and weeks of “Black Friday” madness
• Crashing Spacecraft
• Gay marriage – almost as ridiculous as traditional marriage.
• Merry Friggin Christmas- one of Robin Williams' last movies- what a stinker
• Christmas 2014 madness
• Legal refer madness
• The Stock Market –artifical inflation thereof this pyramid/ ponzi scheme
• TV/internet/ radio ads for lawyers suing pharmaceutical and other corporations
• Ice bucket challenge madness
• 130+ kids among the 141 killed by terror bastards in Pakistan

I do feel fortunate and lucky in many ways. News wise, landing on a comet was pretty cool. The ice bucket challenge, while annoying as crap to me, WAS actually kind of good. CDC oil legalization is a triumph for our state. Still working. Still recovering from my accident 2 years ago. All good.

A couple of months ago, I read a fortune cookie that suggested I tell people how I feel about them. I had mixed results with this one. Probably a mistake as some people don't want to know the seriousness of how someone feels about them; especially unsolicited. Very awkward with negative and positive results. Also made me very sad one case. OK to good in others. Emotional liberation has it's price.

Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family.

The most positive, the most important thing to happen to me this year was my personal resolve to get closer to my family and those I care about. I made it a goal in my life to let those I care and love about KNOW how I feel about them. Especially my wife and close friends. Despite all my personal loss and decline this year in nearly all aspects of my life/faith/financially, I have my family and those I love and care about. Everything I do good or right, all my talent, everything I have achieved, overcame, enjoy, will do, means nothing without my family. Everything is meaningless without them. And my close friends.

I am a very thankful and consider myself lucky. I am a wealthy man in some things. I just hope to stop this downward slide. In 2015, I hope to accept my past without regret, face my future with confidence and without fear. Thanks to everyone out there.#BringIt.

Off My Chest- The Cons Of Humor

It's been a while-- just over a year. Here I go again.


 The subject of this seemingly endless ramble; whiny rant, of this posting is "why don't good, smart people 'get it'? This is mainly about my continued frustration with my immediate , 'in room daily' boss and some of my co-workers. It's kind of my own fault; I've seemingly dug my own grave in this situation. Many of you who know me will reply "REALLY?!?!?! SHOCKER!!"


 My frustration begins with I tend to demonstrate the absurd by being absurd or using absurdity. Simply revealing this verbally as being such hasn't always been successful to me so I use examples and try to demonstrate in elementary levels. I often ask myself "why don't I just stop-- or even better yet, shut the hell up?"  My warped sense of humor gets me into situations at times even I can't get out of. I use obvious, 'over-the-top' antics, phrases, comments, illustrations/pictures, etc to help and if I'm lucky, get a laugh or smile. I don't know why I crave this, I just do, it's a flaw. It diffuses tough situations for me


 In the past 6 to 7 years, to my immediate, 'around me' co-workers, my sense of humor and humorous expressions aren't so obviously 'over-the-top'. I fail in my goal to demonstrate absurdity or someone else's absurdity or what I perceive is nonsense by being blatantly honest and simple. Does that make sense?


 Though this frustrates me, it's not what ticks me off. What ticks me off is that my boss and co-workers horribly and dramatically fail to articulate what they mean in explaining my obnoxious, boisterous humor. When someone new or a new co-worker is introduced to me, my boss and co-workers tell them pretty negative things in a dismissive manner, "Oh, that's John, don't believe a word he says or whatever comes out of his mouth." And I've heard this too- "Don't believe but only half of what comes out of John's mouth, and then question that!" To me this is laughable and I do consider the source. However, what concerns me and worries me is what happens if there is a time I'm giving possibly life saving instruction and it's perceived as not important. Will this person take the necessary instruction or action I request or needed? You may laugh, but I've had this happen to me a few times. The usual response is "Well, I thought he was joking."


 Eventually, these new people stick around overcome the negativity and labels put on me. I'm not smarter than anyone else here and not even funnier or the best at what I do. But I DO know when I'm licked. I give up. I really try hard to break lifetime habits and fail myself at immature actions and comments. MOST people get me and even like me where I work. I've been recognized every year for my willingness and cooperation with co-workers, partners, associates, the general public. It's the 4 or 5 people and my boss, who I truly admire and would like away from work, who seem to be the worse in this department. I'm just as guilty to a degree. I don't get these people and they don't get me. There's nothing wrong with that. We all have a job to do. As a flawed human, it angers me that they do this and they don't see the obvious- even after all these years. I think their response and actions when it comes to the above scenario disturbs me. Their unfairness and lack of things towards me that they expect from me upsets me too. But his is typical in any situation. My co workers are catty- if I do something above and beyond, I get chastised form my boss and co workers. If I compliment someone not liked or treat them nice or many times even talk to them, I'm condoning negative and bad things they do or are. If I say anything complimentary to my boss or immediate co-workers, it's immediately dismissed as "he's just joking, don't believe him".  It's gotten to a point that nothing I say positive or the like is taken as what it is.


 I think what upsets me most is that I let these people and their antics upset me. I've always been flawed and become like the environment and people around me. And to me I've become what I hate- a thinning skin whiny little bitch. I've grown accustomed to these co-workers I'm angry with. I care for them a great deal. Maybe I need a change of scenery. Maybe I'm over reacting. As I tend to do.


WHAT SAY YOU?!?!?! Comment- good or bad, negative or positive.



 FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH

 It's been over a year since I posted anything here. I've been on facebook a lot. For the most part, I don't feel what I have to say is interesting or important enough to be read or heard, really. Facebook is a lot quicker for me to share links, etc.. You can follow me at https://www.facebook.com/johncthomas

 or Twitter,

https://twitter.com/johncthomasii

Disney CEO Confirms Star Wars ‘Stand-Alone Films’ on the Way In 6 Years



from http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/02/standalone-star-wars/

Appearing on CNBC to discuss the company’s latest quarterly earnings — which beat expectations from analysts, in case you’re concerned — Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger offered the first official confirmation of a rumor that’s been making its way around the Internet since the House of Mouse purchased Lucasfilm at the end of 2012: There will be more Star Wars films hitting theaters over the next six years outside of the upcoming movie trilogy.

Speaking live on the cable news channel, Iger said, “There’s been speculation about stand-alone films that are in development, and I can confirm to you today that, in fact, we are working on a few stand-alone films…. Larry Kasdan and Simon Kinberg are both working on films that derive from great Star Wars characters that are not part of the overall saga. So, we still plan to make Star Wars VII, VIII and XI roughly over a six-year period of time starting in 2015, but there are going to be a few other films released in that period of time, too.”



Mention of a Lawrence Kasdan-helmed spin-off may be the most exciting part of the news for some; the screenwriter of both The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi (not to mention Raiders of The Lost Ark) was known to be consulting on the new trilogy, the first movie of which is currently being written by Michael Arndt, but the prospect of him tackling a Star Wars movie by himself – or, co-writing with X-Men: First Class and Jumper writer Kinberg – is potentially a very good thing indeed.



It’s worth noting that these standalone movies — which may or may not include a rumored film focused on Yoda — will mark the first live-action “spin-off” movies from Star Wars‘ main series intended for theater release in Lucasfilm’s entire history. Earlier live-action spin-offs The Ewok Adventure (A.K.A. Caravan of Courage) and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor were made for television, although both were released to movie theaters outside the U.S.



Star Wars: Episode 7 is scheduled for release in the summer of 2015.

New Music 2013

NEW MUSIC!!

I had forgotten that David Bowie shared Elvis Presley’s birthday. I was even more astonished to learn Bowie has released a new video called “Where Are We Now?” for his upcoming album entitled “The Next Day” available in March. AND it’s gonna be a ROCK album! YAY!!!!

(http://youtu.be/FOyDTy9DtHQ)

 Last night while I wrestled the Sandman for sleep, I came across news that Morrissey was ALSO resuming his tour from last year. He performed the single “Action is My Middle Name” on The Late Show with David Letterman. I hadn’t heard the tune before.

(http://www.live4ever.uk.com/2013/01/video-morrissey-performs-for-david-letterman-as-us-tour-restarts/)

I JUST read where Adam Ant is releasing an album next week named “Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter”.  It’s kind of a retro album that features unheard demos from the early part of his career that he has revisited and re-recorded.

And THEN there's a quote from U2 manager Paul McGuinness- ."2012 has been very busy. There's always activity, so certainly expect a new record."

Looks like 2013 is shaping up to be quite a year!!

You Say Goodbye, and I Say Hello...

To use a cliché, “another year has come and gone”.

2012 was thought of a possible ending to life we know. Like ‘Y2k”, many believed that cataclysmic or transformative events would occur this year in December. For me, that date was October 14^th around 7:15 in the evening coming down the mountains of Western NC into SC.

We’ve all had gains and losses this year. Things, people, or circumstances pull us in many directions. I refuse to believe that many things are ordained or destined; not that I don’t believe in destiny. I believe we all can accomplish greater things than we already do and be better than even we ourselves believe we can be.  Looking back into the past can be interesting. I’ve heard that we should learn from the past so we not repeat the same mistakes. How’s THAT working out for us?  I’ve heard that history will teach us nothing. Sting even sang a song about it…

If we seek solace in the prisons of the distant past

Security in human systems we're told will always always last

Emotions are the sail and blind faith is the mast

Without a breath of real freedom we're getting nowhere fast

If God is dead and an actor plays his part

His words of fear will find their way to a place in your heart

Without the voice of reason every faith is its own curse

Without freedom from the past things can only get worse

Do you agree with that?

Here I go dipping my toe into the mire… The below are things I took note of this year.  

It’s by no means complete.

January

January 8 – The great Pittsburgh Steelers were “Tebowed” in overtime 29-23 during the AFC Wildcard game ruining Elvis’ birthday.

January 20- Etta James dies.

January 22  - ‘JoePa’- Penn State football coach Joe Paterno passes away. His legacy , for right or wrong, tarnished by his role or non role in the investigation of former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. (See JUNE)

February

February 1 – At least 79 people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured after a soccer game in Port Said, Egypt.

February 3 Actor Ben Gazzara dies

February 5 – Giants beat the Patriots in Super Bowl 46.

February 6 – The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II marks the 60th anniversary of her accession to the thrones of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and the 60th anniversary of her becoming Head of the Commonwealth.

February 11 – Whitney Houston dies

February 27 – Arab Spring: As a result of ongoing protests, Yemeni President Ali Something or Another is succeeded by Vice President Al-Something or another.

February 29 – Davy Jones of 'The Monkeys' dies

March

March 9 - A judge sentenced former South Carolina Lt. Gov. Ken Ard to five years probation, 300 hours of community service and to pay a $5,000 fine Friday afternoon after Ard admitted campaign ethics violations.

March 13 – After 244 years since its first publication, the Encyclopedia Britannica discontinues its print edition.

March 22 – The Atlanta Braves announced that Chipper Jones would retire following the 2012 season, after 19 Major League seasons with the team

March 23 – Earl Scruggs passes away

April

April 2 – The United States Supreme Court upholds strip searches for new inmates at the country’s jails in a 5-4 vote.

April 7 – newsman Mike Wallace signs off from Earth (dies)

April 8 – The anniversary of my 46^th year breathing AND Easter!

April 18 – Dick Clark will never broadcast another rockin' New Year (deadski)

April 19 – The Band’s Levon Helm  dies

April 26 – The Indianapolis Colts pick Andrew Luck as the 1^st pick of the 2012 NFL Draft. The Steelers chose to shore up the offensive line drafter 2 linemen,

May

May 2 - One of the biggest cycling events in the country, USA Cycling Pro Championships announces it’s leaving Greenville, SC and moving to Chattanooga, Tn. During its stay, Greenville transformed its downtown and surrounding areas to a more “bike friendly” town.

May 8 – Maurice Sendak author of “Where the Wild Things Are” dies.

May 9 – Vidal Sassoon passes away.

May 10 – Auto designer Carroll Shelby is dead

May 17 – Donna Summer passes away.

May 20 – Robin Gibb of the Bee Gee’s continues a dark month for disco fans dying on this date.

June

June 5–6 – The century's second and last solar transit of Venus occurs. The next pair is predicted to occur in 2117 and 2125

June 5 – Author Ray Bradbury assumes room temperature (dies)

June 17 – Rodney King dies (insert your own funny quip here)

June 22 – Former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky is found guilty on 45 of the 48 charges of child rape , molestation, etc after an arrest on the charges in 2011.

June 24  Shenzhou 9, a Chinese spacecraft carrying three Chinese astronauts, including the first-ever female one, docked manually with an orbiting module Tiangong 1, first time as the country, making them as the third country, after the United States and Russia, to successfully perform the mission.

June 26 – “Chick flick” director and screenwriter Nora Ephron dies

June 24 Lonesome George, the last known individual of the Pinta Island Tortoise subspecies, dies at a Galapagos National Park, thus making the subspecies extinct.

June 28 - In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court upheld the core elements of Obama’s much-debated health care overhaul, which even he embraced as “Obamacare.”

July

July 3- a VERY sad day because Andy Griffith dies.

July 4 – Happy Birthday America!!

July 4 – CERN announces the discovery of a new particle with properties consistent with the Higgs boson after experiments at the Large Hadron Collider.

July 8 – Ernest Borgnine dies- arrrgh!                         

July 12 - 250 statewide candidates, who were tossed off primary and general election ballots for failing to file their financial disclosure forms properly,  were told they had until July 20^th to have their petitions in to run, 250 candidates statewide were tossed off primary and general election ballots for failing to file their financial disclosure forms properly

July 16  Author Stephen Covey is dead

July 20 - A gunman, dressed in tactical clothing, set off tear gas grenades and shot into the audience with multiple firearms, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others during a midnight screening of the film The Dark Knight Rises. He was arrested and faces charges.

July 23 – Shuttle Astronaut Sally Ride dies.

July 27 – August 12 – The 2012 Summer Olympics are held in London, England, United Kingdom with a ROCKIN’ concert!!

July 30–31 – In the worst power outage in world history, the 2012 India blackouts leave 620 million people without power. Customer service centers in the US go nuts.

July 31 – Gore Vidal dies.

July 31 - "Gangnam Style" a pop single by the South Korean musician PSY is released. At around 15:50 hrs UTC on December 21, 2012,  "Gangnam Style" will become the first video in the history of the Internet to be viewed more than a billion times, and it is the most watched video on YouTube.

August

August 6 – Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory mission's rover, successfully lands on Mars.

August 6 – Here on Earth  Marvin Hamlisch is dead, dead, dead.

August 15 – ‘stainless Steel Rat’ author Harry Harrison dies

August 19 – Tony Scott inexplicably jumps off a bridge in LA and kills himself.

August 20 – The lovely Phyllis Diller passes away

August 25 – my lovely wife’s birthday.

August 25 – Astronaut Neil Armstrong dies

August 27 - 88-year-old Frances Patterson, known locally as “Hubba Hubba” peacefully passes away

August 31  Researchers successfully perform the first implantation of an early prototype bionic eye with 24 electrodes.

September

September 3 – big man Michael Clarke Duncan passes away.

September 3 – The right reverend Sun Myung Moon meets whatever maker he believed in.

September 7 – Canada officially cuts diplomatic ties with Iran by closing its embassy in Tehran and ordered the expulsion of Iranian diplomats from Ottawa, over support for Syria, nuclear plans and human rights abuses.

September 8 – My 16^th wedding anniversary

September 11 – An assault in Benghazi, widely blamed on a group with suspected links to al-Qaida kills U.S. Ambassador Chris Stephens and three other Americans. Controversy erupts over initial official explanations by those within the US government.

September 25 crooner Andy Williams dies

October

October 14 – Boom

October 14- Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner becomes the first person to break the sound barrier without any machine assistance during a record space dive out of the Red Bull Stratos helium-filled balloon from 24 miles (39 kilometers) over Roswell, New Mexico in the United States.

October 17 – Dutch “actress” and 80’s pubescent film hero Sylvia Kristel dies

October 21 – George McGovern dies.

October 29 – Hurricane Sandy hits the northeast. A great concert to benefit the people will ensue.

November

November 6  – running only on the “I ain’t Obama” platform, Mitt Romney easily loses the US Presidential election.

November 6 - Maine, Maryland and Washington became the first states to legalize gay marriage via popular vote.

November 6  Voters in Colorado, Washington State, and Massachusetts pass “pot” legalization laws

November 14 – 21 – Israel launches Operation Pillar of Defense against the Palestinian-governed Gaza Strip, killing Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari. In the following week 140 Palestinians and five Israelis are killed in an ensuing cycle of violence. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is announced by Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after the week-long escalation in hostilities in Southern Israel and the Gaza Strip.

November 20^th – SC Governor Nikki Haley blames outdated computers and security flaws at the state’s Department of Revenue allowed international hackers to steal 3.8 million tax records, the governor said. She announced that the agency’s director, James Etter, would resign at the end of the year.  It’s revealed on Dec 24^th that another state website was hacked – this time with no information loss.

November 23 – Larry Hagman dies

November 29 – The UN General Assembly approves a motion granting Palestine non-member observer state status.

December

December 3 – John Thomas’ 5 year anniversary with Greenville County EMS quietly passes by

December 3 – Kate Middleton officially announces she’s “knocked up” in Britain.

December 5 – Jazz guru Dave Brubeck passes away

December 5 – I regain full eye sight- call into work to see when I can come back!!

December 6 - founding member of the Senate Tea Party Caucus and SC Senator Jim DeMint announces will resign from office at the end of the year to head the right wing Heritage Foundation. Charleston Rep Tim Scott replaces him.

December 9 – British broadcaster and astronomer Patrick Moore passes away.

December 11 =  Beatles inspiration Ravi Shankar dies

December 14 - 20-year-old Adam Lanza killed 20 first-graders and six educators at the Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14. He also killed his mother in their Newtown home before going on the rampage and then committing suicide

December 24 – Jack Klugman and Charles Durning both die on this day

December 25 Happy (observed) Birthday Jesus!

December 27 – General Norman Schwartzkof dies

December 30 – The mighty Pittsburgh Steelers finish their season 8-8 after beating the lowly Cleveland Browns. They will be sitting at home during this season’s playoffs.

December 30 - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was hospitalized Sunday after doctors discovered a blood clot during a follow-up exam related to a concussion she suffered this month.

December 31 -  Among the host of general manager and head coach firings in the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles officially fire 14 year Head Coach Andy Reid. The Bears fire Lovie Smith after 9 seasons

December 31 – South Carolina AP reporter Jim Davenport succumbs to cancer and passes away just 2 months after receiving the state’s highest honor, the Order of the Palmetto for his years of service and reporting in the state’s capital.

December 31 – Lord of The Rings Oscar winner Michael Hopkins killed in a rafting accident

December 31 -  The Tigers lose the Chik-Fil-A Bowl in Tampa Florida.

What do YOU remember the most about 2012? Post below or email me.

Happy New Year!!
John

I May Have To Watch This tonight...

Apparently, the surviving members of Nirvana are re-uniting tonight (12-12-12) for a benefit concert for victims of Hurricane Sandy...

from http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/paul-mccartney-subbing-kurt-cobain-nirvana-reunites-article-1.1218363

During the 12-12-12 benefit concert, Paul McCartney will sit in for the late Kirk Cobain. For me, this is SO cool!!!! I remember the Live Aid celebration concert a few years ago when Sir Paul sang 'Sgt Pepper' with U2 and Bono -that was freaking amazing.

Back From The Dead/ Big Changes Suggested For the NFL

* A BIG thank you for those who overwhelmed me with their kindness and generosity during the past 2 months after my accident. I am humbled and grateful.

* Feels kinda weird to wish anyone a 'happy' Pearl Harbor day today (12/7).

* Joss Whedon submitted his outline for the sequel to Marvel’s $1.5 billion blockbuster "The Avengers."

* Dan Ackroyd insists Ghostbusters 3 is still in development, but admits those involved should hurry up and decide as soon as possible. Read the interview HERE

Meanwhile while catching up on some reading after no being able to read, I came across this on Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/roger-goodell-talks-chiefs-eliminating-kickoffs-player-safety-164839047--nfl.html). An article in Time magazine features Commissioner Goodell talking about a possible plan to eliminate kickoffs altogether.


TIME sat in on meeting between Goodell and Rich McKay, head of the NFL's powerful competition committee. Goodell brought up a proposal promoted by Greg Schiano, coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: after a touchdown or field goal, instead of kicking off, a team would get the ball on its own 30-yard line, where it's fourth-and-15. The options are either to go for it and try to retain possession, or punt. If you go for it and fall short, the opposing team would take over with good field position. In essence, punts would replace kickoffs, and punts are less susceptible to violent collisions than kickoffs.

"It's a much different end of the play…It's an off-the-wall idea," Goodell said. "It's different and makes you think differently. It did me."

While the new rule moving the ball down so far to eliminate 80% of kick off returns is settling in, I feel this proposal would radically change the game too much. I mean, it would be unlikely, but feasible for a team to have the ball all the time during one of the halves of the game. Though one could argue with the onside kick off rule, that can be done anyway..

What say you?

KATE!

kinda weird

I LOVE This Spot

Undecided Voter

So have you voted in the "Who won last night's debate?" poll yet? Can you guess the predictable results depending where you see the poll? BTW, I actually AGREE with this video form SNL

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/undecided-voter/1418227/

Do This Year's Presidential Debates Matter?

Twas the night before the October 3rd Presidential debate
and all the through the nation
a feeling of deja vu is rampant
and in my opinion, a definite lack of elation...

I know, I could do better...

I'm so tired of the election already.
In my opinion, this debate is merely an exercise
a ghost of what the US used to be.

They USED to matter, I suppose.

Watching video of the Nixon/ Kennedy debates are interesting.
That's back when there were only 3 networks and it was pretty much a litmus test on how we here in the US would observe our potential candidates in a challenge or perceived confrontation.

Now they are horribly predictable: down to the specific phrases and counterpoints. Though ideologically miles apart, seemingly, they both are a caricature of each other. Take the daily appearances they make- they BOTH are dressed and presented similarly. Down to the matching white , rolled up long sleeve shirts and nearly identical suits and ties. Google "Obama Romney" in Google images and see what you find- it's creepy!

In the name of civility, both candidates will smile as they attempt to jab one another and their political party.

Both candidates will cite the same rhetoric and half truths that we have heard all year or even longer.

Nothing new will be revealed.I promise you. Expect both candidates to make a minor gaffe or two and even laugh about it.

Overall, it's going to be quite the non event.

And think, both candidates have spent WEEKS preparing for this. BOTH candidates' spokespeople have repeatedly told the press to expect to be underwhelmed.

We're WAY ahead of ya there, guys...

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises Dec 4 DVD Details

from: http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2012/09/28/warner-bros-offers-details-for-dark-knight-rises-blu-ray-dvd/

Warner Bros. Offers Details For
Dark Knight Rises Blu-ray & DVD

Friday, September 28th, 2012 at 8:45am by Kevin Melrose

One of the most-anticipated releases of the year, the Blu-ray is jam-packed with bonus features, including: a Batmobile documentary (spotlighting all five vehicles); “Ending the Knight,” a look at how Christopher Nolan and his team created the ending to the big-screen trilogy; trailers; and art galleries. The DVD boasts “The Journey of Bruce Wayne” featurette. Notably absent is any director commentary, which probably shouldn’t come as a surprise.

As was the case with The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises offers a limited-edition set, this time featuring a broken cowl (below). Warner Bros. also announced the Dec. 4 release of “The Dark Knight Trilogy Limited Edition Giftset,” which includes all three of Nolan’s films and a collectible book that delves into their production. Another box set, “The Dark Knight Trilogy Ultimate Collector’s Edition” will arrive sometime in 2013.

Suggested retail for the Giftset is set at $52.99. The Dark Knight Rises Blu-ray combo pack is set at $35.99, and $39.99 for the Limited Edition Bat Cowl set. The DVD is $28.98. You can see a breakdown of the bonus features below.
The film, which has grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, stars Christian Bale as Batman, Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, Tom Hardy as Bane, Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tale, Michael Caine as Alfred, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Officer John Blake and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.



Blu-ray Combo Pack:

• “The Batmobile” Documentary: Witness all five Batmobiles together for the first time in history. Dive deep into every aspect of the most awe-inspiring weapon in Batman’s arsenal as you journey through the birth and evolution of this technological marvel and cultural icon. (01:00)
• Ending the Knight: A comprehensive look into how Director Christopher Nolan and his production team made The Dark Knight Rises the epic conclusion to the Dark Knight legend.
• Production
• The Prologue: High-Altitude Hijacking
• Return to the Batcave
• Beneath Gotham
• The Bat
• Batman vs Bane
• Armory Accepted
• Gameday Destruction
• Demolishing a City Street
• The Pit
• The Chant
• The War on Wall Street
• Race to the Reactor
• Characters
• The Journey of Bruce Wayne
• Gotham’s Reckoning
• A Girls Gotta Eat
• Reflections
• Shadows & Light in Large Format
• The End of A Legend
• Trailers
• Art Galleries
• UltraViolet: Instantly stream and download films to compatible devices

DVD:

• The Journey of Bruce Wayne
• UltraViolet: Instantly stream and download films to compatible devices

The Dark Knight Rises -- My Thoughts (Non spoiler version)

picture from http://www.a2-m3.com/2012/07/10/13-minutes-of-the-dark-knight-rises-sneak-peek/

I think this is one of those cases where I expected too much from a movie. It’s staggering that I have been a fan of the character and mythos for 41 years. Regardless of what you’re about the read,  I strongly urge you to go and see the movie. It will be well worth your movie dollar and something to talk about and enjoy despite the unfortunate events at the midnight premiere in Colorado. At the end of the movie, many in the audience with me clapped and cheered. My prediction is this will be a big movie, but come nowhere close to ‘The Avengers” in box office or magnitude. That hurts me a little to write as Batman is my favorite character.

For me, what I took from this movie is that Chris Nolan wanted to have his cake and eat it too; a huge, big, goodie filled multi layered cake with lots of decoration and icing. Especially at the end of the movie. The movie suffers a little in order for him to accomplish this. I expected MUCH better from he and his brother, who with David Goyer, wrote the screenplay. In regards to the previous 2 movies, I found this movie to be sloppy in parts. This installment has much more action than the previous 2. And in my opinion, it kind of needed it. Nolan crammed a lot into this movie. To me, it didn’t seem like a nearly 3 hour movie

The story basically is a continuation of the 2^nd movie 8 years after the events of Dent’s death.  It turns out, there are tremendous consequences as a result of the scheme Gordon and Batman concocted to frame Batman for Dent’s death so the city could have a hero (in Dent) and overcome crime for the most part. Nolan does a good job tying the previous 2 movies into this one not letting you forget what has led up to this tale. A glaring observation to me was The Joker is the only thing from the prior 2 movies that’s not referenced either in dialogue or flashbacks. My opinion is how could they have left him out and included nearly EVERY character and aspect of the first 2 movies? I think I know why, but still, to me it was an obvious omission regardless of the reason.

Anne Hathaway was a much better Catwoman than I thought she’d be. I was wrong about her as the Catwoman character. Her injection into the story felt rushed to me. It could and should have been allowed to develop.  Tom Hardy was believable as Bane. Like Catwoman, I felt rushed to believe he was the bad guy. Michael Caine did an extraordinary job as Alfred. Unfortunately, he’s only in the 1^st quarter of the movie, and appears briefly at the end. Cillian Murphy’s appearance is also very brief and obviously gratuitous to me. He is more wasted and irrelevant than his cameo in the 2^nd one.  All the supporting cast did a great job; Gary Oldham, Mathew Modine, Morgan Freeman, my Pittsburgh Steelers as the Gotham Knights- hahaha!  Despite my negative laden feelings and thoughts about the movie, the acting was spot on.  2 major characters from the Batman mythos appear in this movie. One was kind of expected; one I didn’t think about but SHOULD have known.  

The end of the movie. Well, here’s where I believe Nolan failed – the movie to me had two endings and you’ll understand it when you see it. There’s a predictable scene at the end of the movie involving Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake character that made me groan loudly.

 I’d give this movie 6.5 out of 10. Even though I don’t like cake, I didn’t entirely not enjoy this experience.





Coffee Ad

http://vintage-ads.livejournal.com/3607660.html

1652 coffee advertisement-- yep, 1652!


click on the link to read the ad-
the ad reads...




The Vertue of the COFFEE Drink.

First publiquely made and sold in England, by Pasqua Rosée.
THE Grain or Berry called Coffee, groweth upon little Trees, only in the Deserts of Arabia.

It is brought from thence, and drunk generally throughout all the Grand Seigniors Dominions.

It is a simple innocent thing, composed into a drink, by being dryed in an Oven, and ground to Powder, and boiled up with Spring water, and about half a pint of it to be drunk, fasting an hour before and not Eating an hour after, and to be taken as hot as possibly can be endured; the which will never fetch the skin off the mouth, or raise any Blisters, by reason of that Heat.

The Turks drink at meals and other times, is usually Water, and their Dyet consists much of Fruit, the Crudities whereof are very much corrected by this Drink.

The quality of this Drink is cold and Dry; and though it be a Dryer, yet it neither heats, nor inflames more than hot Posset.

It forcloseth the Orifice of the Stomack, and fortifies the heat with- [missing text] its very good to help digestion, and therefore of great use to be [missing text] bout 3 or 4 a Clock afternoon, as well as in the morning.quickens the Spirits, and makes the Heart Lightsome. It is good against sore Eys, and the better if you hold your Head o'er it, and take in the Steem that way.

It supresseth Fumes exceedingly, and therefore good against the Head-ach, and will very much stop any Defluxion of Rheumas, that distil from the Head upon the Stomach, and so prevent and help Consumptions and the Cough of the Lungs.

It is excellent to prevent and cure the Dropsy, Gout, and Scurvy.

It is known by experience to be better then any other Drying Drink for People in years, or Children that have any running humors upon them, as the Kings Evil. &c.

It is very good to prevent Mis-carryings in Child-bearing Women.

It is a most excellent Remedy against the Spleen, Hypocondriack Winds, or the like.

It will prevent Drowsiness, and make one fit for Busines, if one have occasion to Watch, and therefore you are not to drink of it after Supper, unless you intend to be watchful, for it will hinder sleep for 3 or 4 hours.

It is observed that in Turkey, where this is generally drunk, that they are not troubled with the Stone, Gout, Dropsie, or Scurvy, and that their Skins are exceeding cleer and white.

It is neither Laxative nor Restringent.

Made and Sold in St. Michaels Alley in Cornhill, by Pasqua Rosee, at the Signe of his own Head.