Monday, April 18, 2011

One Mans Opinion 4/18/2011
By Dewaine Shoulders

Who is John Galt?

Well, if you have ever read Ayn Rand's 1957 novel 'Atlas Shrugged' then you'd know. And if you have yet to see the new movie, then I suggest you do so.

I went to see the film on Sunday afternoon. There were only a few people in the theater but they, like I, were ready to see the movie.

Atlas Shrugged, starring Taylor Schilling as Dagny Taggart and Grant Bowler as Henry Rearden, was made for around $10 million dollars. Even though that's a small amount of money compared to other Hollywood mega-budget movies, Atlas Shrugged is actually visually stylish, and the cast is a perfect blend of capable actors that brings the story to life. There was no need to throw millions into special effects. It's a very interesting story of business economics and political backdoor wheeling and dealing, with a dose of philosophical debate thrown in for good measure. The pace of the movie is fast enough to keep you interested and at the same time it moves slow enough to keep you up with the changes going on.

I'll not give too much away, but Part 1 of the Trilogy (Atlas Shrugged is an 1,183 page book, thus it's being told in three parts) centers around 2016 America. The nation is having an economic crisis (sound familiar?) with the Dow around 4,000 points and gas around $37.50 a gallon.

Enter plotting and planning by politicians, union thugs and other self-centered businessmen, creating an environment in which doing normal business is next to impossible, then you throw in some interesting notions of metaphysics, sex and  the mystery of John Galt, and you have the perfect storm in which Taggart and Rearden must travel through in order to achieve the impossible.

Now, since most of the critics (all liberals mind you) have panned this movie, that means it hits the mark dead-on! The liberals and the elites will call this movie anything but good, but I can tell you that it is. Watching this movie, I could see stark contrasts to today's American business climate and political theater, and the real-world events that are currently taking place. I could imagine this movie actually taking place in the not-so-distant future. And I believe you would see it as well.

I am encouraging everyone who has yet to see it to do so. It will make you think and it will make you understand what uncontrolled big-government can and will do if left unchecked. And what we are currently seeing from our government, this movie is not that far from being truth instead of fiction.

But that's just my opinion, I could be right!

One Mans Opinion can be heard Monday thru Thursday nights at 9:30 p.m. / 8:30 p.m. Central on TalkShoe. http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/95816

Monday, April 4, 2011

One Mans Opinion 4/4/2011
By Dewaine Shoulders

I didn't post a blog last week. I don't think anyone noticed, but that's okay.

Life sometimes is about choices, and I chose to skip posting a blog last week because I was in a funk. Sometimes it's easier to sit back and wait for inspiration to hit you than to try to force that inspiration to just show up.

Between working on a new book and doing two blogs (not to mention a four night a week, half hour Internet radio show), my life has been somewhat rushed. Finding the time to do everything and working a regular job in the process has also been daunting (to say the very least), so I choose to take a week off and look for inspiration. It was a good choice to make.

Choices are sometimes difficult to make, especially when you have to consider all of the things that could happen if you make a certain choice.

Or, in the immortal words of Rush (the Band, not the Commentator):
'If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.'

So, I think I understand what Sarah Palin must be going through right now.

To run for President of the United States is a daunting choice to make. How it will affect your family is something to consider, as you will be putting your life in the spotlight for all to see. Any skeletons that happen to be in your closet will be brought out and displayed, and the pundits will pick your choices in life apart.

So, having considered what choices Sarah Palin must be making gives me hope that she will choose to run for president. Having been vetted as much as she has been already, I doubt that there is much left the lamestream media's talking heads could come up, but I'm sure they will continue to try.

Compared to Sarah Palin, the choices I have to make in my life seem small in comparison. The big question is: Will she choose to make a run for the presidency? I think we'll know before too long. Until then, I'll choose to wait patiently and continue writing.

Choices are sometimes difficult to make, but when you do make them, you must live with those choices. We're already living with a bad choice that was made by many Americans back in 2008... Let's hope sanity returns to America in 2012 and a better choice is made.

But that's just my opinion, I could be right!

One Mans Opinion can be heard Monday through Thursday nights at 9:30 p.m. EST / 8:30 p.m. Central on TalkShoe Internet Radio. http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/95816