Dear Obama Voter,

Yes, you know who you are. You are the people that bought into the fancy talk about hope and change. You drank the Kool-Aid the media was selling. You ate up the image of the young outsider coming to Washington to fix that which was broken.

I have a question for you...is this what you voted for? Are you getting what you want?

Did you want the government to spend billions in taxpayer money bailing out GM and Chrylser, just to have them go bankrupt a few short months later?

Did you want Obama and his yes men/women in Congress to ram through legislation at break neck speed, without the public review period promised by Barry during the campaign?

Are you glad your grandchildren and great grandchildren will be paying off the trillions in new debt that Obama is racking up at a record pace?

Did you want our country to look foolish when dealing with International crises, like we did the past few weeks with the Iran situation? Remember when President Bush promised that the United States would stand with any people, anywhere who wanted freedom? That gave me chills. But where has Obama been the past few weeks on Iran? Standing on the sidelines, waiting to see how this plays out. When France is a more adamant supporter of freedom than your country, does that embarrass you as an Obama voter?

And, did you laugh when Obama made fun of John McCain during the campaign for suggesting that Health Care Benefits should be taxed? And, are you laughing now when Obama and Biden are talking about taxing Health Care Benefits?

Did you want a President who circumvents the Congress by appointing special Czars for his initiatives, answerable only to him? The role of Congress in reviewing Presidential appointees is a critical Check and Balance guaranteed by the Constitution. But maybe you weren't electing a man to adhere to the oath of office he took and actually uphold the Constitution of the United States?

Oh, and this one...are you happy that, yet again, they are ramming through sweeping legislation, called Cap and Trade that will mean higher costs for energy, food, clothing, cars...basically anything produced in this country? You know, askheritage.org is saying that this will raise the average family's energy costs by $1,500. Seems like a bad idea during a recession to me. But I'm curious, is that what you wanted? Did you want your life to get worse?

I've got all the questions floating around in my head, and I was hoping that you, the Obama voter, could answer them for me.

Respectfully,
Jake

Movie Review: Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Amanda and I watched "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" last night. We had hoped that it would prove to be a family fun laffer (yup, that's how Netflix spelled it), as advertised by Netflix. And while it was a laffer, and somewhat fun, it is not what I would call a family movie.

There is a lot to like about "Mall Cop", from the always likable Kevin James in the title role, to the quirky humor, all the way to the happy ending. It's a feel good comedy in which the underdog does good.

However, there is a bit too much crude humor sprinkled in to make this movie kid appropriate. I liked the movie, but would not recommend it as a family movie. If you are in the mood for a good laugh though, without your kids, watch this movie.

Two Thoughts on Health Care Reform

Ok, it's not really totally on health care reform, but more the pomp and circumstance building up to health care reform.

Thought #1: Tonight ABC is airing an hour long town hall style meeting in which Obama gets to answer questions about his health care plan (surprise, it's government run...because Obama's solution to everything is more government). But, that's not what this thought is about. Is it just me, or has the drive-by media stopped even trying to pretend that they are unbiased? They aren't allowing opponents to run ads opposing Obama's plan during the hour long special, and there is no opposing voice up there to counter Obama's proposal. It's essentially an hour of free advertising for the Obama plan. And somehow, most of the media is just fine with this...like I said, they aren't even pretending any more.

Thought #2: The President has repeatedly said things like, "If your employer's providing you good health insurance, terrific. We're not going to mess with it." He always follows that up with, if you like your health care you can keep it. I truly hope the man leading the free world isn't that naive. By creating a government run plan, they are messing with everybody who gets their health insurance from an employer. If I were running a business and the government was suddenly offering a plan that allowed me to keep more money for running my business, you bet I would opt out of my private plan and tell my employees to get on the government's plan. That's good business sense, and that's exactly what will happen all over this country if we get a taxpayer funded, government run plan. Obama knows exactly what will happen, and he wants it to happen. This man wants the Federal Government to control as much of our lives as it can...as he can. I'm more convinced of that every time Obama opens his mouth.

Book Review: "The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel"

Book #2 in "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel" series is called, "The Magician", and it's as good as the first book. The action starts minutes after the last book ends and only slows down for a brief chapter or 2 in the middle. It's been nearly non-stop action for 2 books now, with a 3rd one yet to be read...fun but exhausting. In the end there will be 6 books...but books 4-6 are not published yet.

"The Magician" is great. If you read "The Alchemyst" and liked it, then you'll like "The Magician". If not, then you're done.

I picked up the 3rd book tonight..."The Sorceress", and it looks like it's going to be just as good as the first 2.

Movie Review: Yes Man

"Yes Man", starring Jim Carrey is the type of movie Jim Carrey should make. It's funny, it allows him to be goofy, and in the end, it all ends well for him. Carrey needs to stay away from the more dramatic roles...and stick to comedies. Do what you are good at.

"Yes Man" follows Carl Anderson (Carrey), as a divorced man who doesn't do anything. He doesn't take any chances, he doesn't do anything outside his normal routine. He's unhappy in just about everything. Then he attends a conference on the concept of saying Yes to everything. Terrence Stamp is hilarious as the leader of the Yes conference. After the conference, Carl starts saying yes to everything, and his life changes for the better, for a while. Along the way, he meets Allison (played by Zooey Deschanel) and falls in love.

I laughed more during "Yes Man" than I have during any movie lately. There was some typical Carrey humor, and some fairly crude humor, but overall, the humor was well done. If you like Jim Carrey, then I think you'll like this. Nuke said that if you liked "Liar, Liar", you like this, and I agree with that. Though a word of caution...this movie is more adult than "Liar, Liar". I ended up giving this one a 4 star rating, so I think it's definitely a should see movie.

I'm Thinking Arby's

Is there a better fast food place then Arby's?

My answer to that question would be an emphatic NO! For my money, no fast food place can compete with a good Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich and Curly Fries. Sure, Wendy's has its moments, as does KFC. But Arby's brings its A game daily. My current favorite is the French Dip & Swiss Toasted Sub. For some reason, it's better than almost any French Dip you can get at a any of the chain restaurants.

Another reason Arby's is the best is their kids meals. Rather than put a stupid plastic toy in them, they put a game that actually challenges the brain. One time, the kids got a nice glider toy in their kids meal. Another time, David got a small DK book on Arctic Animals...he still likes to look at that book.

Well, now that I'm hungry...I'm thinking Arby's.

Book Review: "The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel"

A couple of weeks ago, we were in Barnes and Noble and I said to my wife..."I need a good adventure book." She went straight to the teen section and pulled 3 books. The one I chose was "The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel", by Michael Scott.

My wife is a genius! "The Alchemyst" is a fast paced adventure, full of magic, warriors, myths and legends. Michael Scott uses just about every legend, from ancient Egyptian Goddesses, to Atlantis, to King Arthur to weave a terrific story set in and around 2007 San Francisco. Being that Scott is Irish, some of the mythological beings are of Irish Lore, and require a little digging if you want to find out more.

"The Alchemyst" follows twin 15 year olds, Sophie and Josh Newman as they discover a world of magic and mystery after they witness their friend Nick Fleming and his wife Perry get into a magical dual with the infamous Dr. John Dee. When Perry is captured, Fleming tells the kids that they are in grave danger because of what they have seen. He tells them he is really Nicholas Flamel, one of the great Alchemysts of all time, born in Paris, France in 1330. From there, the story takes off and doesn't stop, even on the last page. I can't say more without giving too much away.

Every character in this book, with the exceptions of Sophie and Josh, are based on myths and legends from around the world. For example, Nicholas Flamel, did live in Paris in the 1300's, and was rumored, along with his wife Perenelle, to be immortal. This rumor got started because upon their deaths, their tomb was raided and found empty. If you remember, Flamel was also mentioned by J.K. Rowling in the first Harry Potter Book. The use of characters and legends we all know make for a very fun read. It's also fun if you don't know them...you can do research if you are a nerd like me.

"The Alchemyst" is the first in a planned 6 book series. Books 2 and 3 are available now, and I'm already working on Book 2, "The Magician". If you are a fan of books like Harry Potter, then I think you'll really like "The Alchemyst".