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Recurring Columns

ON THE SILVER SCREEN: "JONAH HEX" A WESTERN THAT SHOOTS BLANKS

By Brian Lafferty

 

June 19, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- Jonah Hex is one of those movies that had me sitting in the dark both literally and figuratively. I had barely any idea what was going on except Jonah Hex’s (Josh Brolin) family being torched by Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich), Jonah seeking revenge, and Turnbull’s attempted terrorist plot on Washington D.C.

 


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ON THE SILVER SCREEN: "TOY STORY 3" IS A RARE SECOND SEQUEL THAT DELIVERS

By Brian Lafferty

 

June 18, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- I remember the day I saw Toy Story in the theater way back in 1995. Back then I was used to the traditional animated fare. Nothing could prepare me for it. That movie was unlike anything I had ever seen. I sat in the theater simply mesmerized. Fifteen years later Pixar has released the third installment in this series. It is a rarity: a third movie in a trilogy that is as successful as its prequels.

 


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MARKETING MATTERS: TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS AND GROWTH

 

Direct Mail vs. Internet Marketing Part 2: Defining Internet Marketing

By Rama Beerfas

 

June 18, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Last column, we defined “direct mail.” This time, we will touch on the various avenues available for marketing through the internet, both paid and free.


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DOLLAR-WISE DIVAS: DOES A PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENT MAKE SENSE FOR YOU?

 

 

 

Share creative ideas to assist people of all ages with tips to save money and improve their lifestyle!



 

By Nancy and Dawn Clement

 

June 16, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) –Love and marriage can be beautiful for all concerned, but there are some things to consider when thinking about getting married . We consulted an attorney, Jennifer Hughes, to share some ideas on the subject of prenuptial agreements.


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REVIEW: HIMALAYAN CUISINE—FROM THE LAND OF THE GODS TO EAST COUNTY


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ON THE SILVER SCREEN: "THE A-TEAM" BRINGS ITS A-GAME

 

By Brian Lafferty

June 11, 2010 (San Diego) -- I strongly believe in approaching every movie I review with as neutral an attitude as possible, with no preconceived notions as to whether or not I will like it. The A-Team made it simultaneously difficult and easy. It was difficult in the sense that I’m a huge fan of the original series and easy in that the show was not a work of art. The episodes followed a strict formula and contained mindless action, yet it worked because it was entertaining, energetic, and fun. This movie works because it follows in that same spirit that made the show fun to watch.

 


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MARKETING MATTERS: TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS AND GROWTH

 

Direct Mail vs. Internet Marketing Part 1: Defining Internet Marketing

By Rama Beerfas
 


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ON THE SILVER SCREEN: "GET HIM TO THE GREEK" WORTH GETTING TO THE THEATER TO SEE

By Brian Lafferty

June 4, 2010 (San Diego) -- Maybe Hollywood should focus on making comedies instead of romantic comedies. After enduring such sludge as When in Rome and The Bounty Hunter earlier this year, it has, in the past few months, been a welcome relief to see laugh out loud films like Death at a Funeral and Get Him to the Greek, which opens today.

 


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WILL POWER REPORT: PROPOSITIONING CALIFORNIA

 

Nothing but the Truth!

 

By Will Power

 

June 7, 2010 (San Diego’s East County)--If California were a woman, she'd be arrested for illicit propositions. But the propositions are of the political not romantic kind. Ever since the Initiative, Referendum and Recall were put into the California Constitution to counter the power of the railroads, the Initiative has been abused.

 

Now corporations are using the Initiative process to bypass the legislature, Two of the Propositions Proposition 16 and 17, are wholly financed by Corporate Power. These are written in doublespeak legalese and purport to be pro-consumer, but are really pro-monopoly gifts to corporate wealth.


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POLITICAL WRANGLING – A SHOE-IN RALLY, THROWING STONES, & LAST-MINUTE ENDORSEMENTS

By Buck Shott

June 7, 2010 – With Election Day tomorrow, last-minute endorsements and attacks are rolling out. Here’s a wrap-up on the latest political wrangling on the campaign trail:

 


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DOLLAR-WISE DIVAS: JUNE’’S BEST BUYS

 

Share creative ideas to assist people of all ages with tips to save money and improve their lifestyle!

 

By Nancy and Dawn Clement

June 4, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Summer has unofficially begun--and the best food buys are perfect for summer entertaining. So plan to purchase now to be prepared to take advantage of savings and be ready for summer visitors. Plus check for deals on items for school, home and office.

 


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LEFT HOOK: FORGETTING LESSONS LEARNED

By Walter Davis

May 31, 2010 (San Diego) -- Heidi looks over the green grass at the United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, North Dakota. She remembers how her parents were shipped here with her from California and put into an internment camp with other German American citizens. Italian Americans and Japanese Americans were held as well. German American citizens who played German music during World War II could be turned in by their neighbors, arrested and shipped away from their families to internment camps. They could be charged with being dangerous aliens. Some have never been seen again.

Arab Americans and Latin Americans are facing this same kind of injustice today.


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WILL POWER REPORT: IN MEMORIAM

Nothing but the Truth!

By Will Power

 

 May 31, 2010 (San Diego) -- On Memorial Day we pay tribute to those brave souls who risk life and limb that we may live in a free, democratic society. But those who serve often sacrifice more than life and limb.


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ADVICE FROM THE PURPLE MOUNTAIN SAGE: UNSTUFFING

 

by: Sharon Courmousis, Sacred Rocks Reserve

Increase your enjoyment of living

 “We are not cisterns made for hoarding, we are channels made for sharing.” -- Billy Graham
 

Unstuffing

 

Cooler weather and wild storms have caused spring to come later this year. Signs of spring for me are seen in the plants and animals around Sacred Rocks. The Yucca plants, like huge asparagus, are popping up all over the mountains. I photographed peachy blossoms, pinkish with deep purple at the outside edges -- one I saw was a brilliant eggplant color. Astonishing beauty without human intervention, a gift.


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THE WILL POWER REPORT: WHY USE OF CHEMICAL DISPERSANTS IS A BAD IDEA


Nothing but the Truth!

 

By Will Power

 

May 28, 2010 (San Diego) -- The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was a tragedy, but the British Petroleum response could be Armageddon for the Gulf of Mexico. Oil is toxic enough, but the tons of chemical dispersants can be five times worse.


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THE WILL POWER REPORT: HIGH FREQUENCY TRADING

 

Nothing but the Truth!

By Will Power

 

May 25, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Earlier this month, the U.S. Stock Market burped big-time, sending blue-chips down to pennies a share for several minutes, while computers throughout the world strained to keep up. Within hours, millions of paper losses and gains were recorded, and then the market stabilized. Nobody knows what caused the sudden shock. But the profits and losses were substantial, and in fact many of the trades are now being nullified by the SEC. The trades are being voided because they were outside parameters set up by the SEC. You can hear the howls of pain from brokers in Tierra Del Fuego.


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ON THE SILVER SCREEN: "SHREK FOREVER AFTER" AN UNHAPPY ENDING TO ILLUSTRIOUS FRANCHISE

 

By Brian Lafferty

May 22, 2010 (San Diego)--In 2001 Dreamworks released Shrek. Based on a children’s book, the movie was an inventive, clever, and witty satire of fairy tales. It was a huge hit and spawned three sequels, the last of which being Shrek Forever After.

 


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WILL POWER REPORT: LIAR'S POKER


Nothing but the Truth!

May 20, 2010 (San Diego) -- The Annual California Budget Mess has started -again! Arnold "Terminator" Swartzenegger has proposed a budget which guts welfare, healthcare. and schools, and aid to the mentally ill. Swartzenegger refuses to tax Big Oil, while California Republicans continue to block a Democratic budget reform which might actually tax businesses. A 10% oil severance tax, which California refuses (unlike all other US states), would easily pay for many of these cuts in state service.

 

California has been unable to pass a budget for years, thanks to a "Minority Rules" quirk in the State Constitution. Under current rules, a small minority of Republicans is able to block a budget which needs a 2/3 vote to pass new taxes or reform the Governor's Budget.


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PEARLS: NINETY-THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS

 

By Charlavan Baker Hart

May 20, 2010 (El Cajon) -- It looks like this $93,000. That is a nine, a three and three zeros!

 

It is also the cost of a drug just approved by the FDA for terminal prostate cancer patients.


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WILL POWER REPORT: ROCK & HARD PLACE--MINERALS MANAGEMENT AGENCY


Nothing but the truth!

By Will Power

May 14, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- In the alphabet soup that makes up the Federal Government, few people have ever heard of the Minerals Management Service. But the MMS is well known to oil company executives, because for years it has operated as a sleeping watchdog while billions of dollars in taxpayer's money was pumped out the back door.


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ON THE SILVER SCREEN: "ROBIN HOOD" LESS THAN MERRY

 

By Brian Lafferty

May 14, 2010 (San Diego) -- Robin Hood is the year’s first big disappointment, considering the people involved in making it. Directed by Ridley Scott, it stars Russell Crowe as the title character and fine actress Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian. As always, Scott demonstrates his ability as one of the most visual directors out there today, teeming with expertly crafted shots that nearly give the film an epic feel. Crowe and Blanchett do not disappoint in the acting department. It is not a bad movie by any means but rather aggressively unsatisfying; to paraphrase Sean Connery from the 1976 film Robin and Marian, (a better film than this incarnation) instead of getting red meat I wound up settling for only bread and cheese.

 


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DOLLAR-WISE DIVAS: SAVE MONEY! MAY’S BARGAINS AND BEST BUYS


Share creative ideas to assist people of all ages with tips to save money and improve their lifestyle!

 

By Nancy and Dawn Clement


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POLITICAL WRANGLING: VULTURES, SHEEP & PORK BARREL POLITICS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

 

By Buck Shott

May11, 2010 – This week, we bring you a ringside seat for the latest political knock-down, drag-out fights in state and local races.

 

MISSING IN ACTION: Ballot statements have been published for the June primary—but one local candidate’s statement is conspicuously absent.


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ON THE SILVER SCREEN: "IRON MAN 2" A MOVIE OF STEEL DESPITE SCRIPT FLAWS

By Brian Lafferty

May 6, 2010 (San Diego)--When I saw Iron Man two years ago, I left the theater feeling it was a great movie but functioned more like a set-up for a better and bigger story. It raised my expectations for the sequel, which is out in theaters today. Iron Man 2 is bigger and better but not by much; it suffers from two major story flaws. Yet, I walked out of the theater feeling much more satisfied because everything that did work more than made up for what didn't.

 


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LEFT HOOK: DEADLOCKED GOVERNMENT

 

As the Country Suffers, Leadership Fails
 

 

By Walter Davis

 


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ON THE SILVER SCREEN: "ELM STREET" WORKS AS RE-IMAGINING, NOT REMAKE

 

By Brian Lafferty

April 30, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- Re-imagining a classic movie like A Nightmare on Elm Street is very risky, primarily because there will be constant comparisons to the original. Wes Craven’s 1984 masterpiece has garnered a spot in the pantheon of horror films and spawned numerous sequels with varying degrees of quality. I happily report, however, that the reboot, directed by music video director Samuel Bayer, is a solid piece of filmmaking.

 


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ON THE SILVER SCREEN: "THE LOSERS" ANYTHING BUT A WINNER

 

By Brian Lafferty

April 23, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- The Losers is an action movie that had no effect on me except for making my eyes glaze over. It stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Watchmen, TV’s Supernatural) and Zoe Saldana. There are moments of great inventiveness, which include grabbing an armored car using a magnet attached to a chopper…taking place in broad daylight in front of downtown commuter traffic. The problem? This film is nothing special. I just didn’t care.

 


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DOLLAR-WISE DIVAS: SAVE MONEY! APRIL’S BARGAINS AND BEST BUYS

 

Share creative ideas to assist people of all ages with tips to save money and improve their lifestyle!

By Nancy and Dawn Clement


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ON THE SILVER SCREEN: "KICK-ASS" A UNIQUE TAKE ON THE SUPERHERO GENRE

 

By Brian Lafferty

April 16, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- Kick-Ass is not your typical superhero. He doesn’t have any special powers and he lacks strength. His costume is a garish green wet suit with yellow stripes. He is deathly afraid of heights. This movie is one of the more interesting of its kind: an existential portrait of a tortured superhero.

 


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ON THE SILVER SCREEN: ALL-STAR CAST PROVIDES HEARTY LAUGHS IN "DEATH AT A FUNERAL"

 

By Brian Lafferty

April 16, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- As I walked out of the theater after watching Death at a Funeral, I was reminded of something the great director Howard Hawks once said about what makes a good movie: three great scenes, no bad ones. There are three hilarious, uproarious scenes which had me literally gasping for air from laughing so hard. At the same time, there was not a single scene that didn't work.

 


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