Don't Seek Out 'Seeking A Friend'

A 70-mile-wide asteroid is en route to earth, and the last best attempt to counter it has failed. Also failing is the marriage of soft-spoken insurance salesman Dodge; the breaking news that the world will end in an estimated 21 days cues his wife to leave him on the spot.
And so begins the new film Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World.
The lead role of Dodge is played by the ever-likable Steve Carrell and he's teamed with the equally appealing Keira Knightley.
But they don't seem to work well together in this film. Yes, they do spend a lot of time cuddling as the days till the end of the world drift by but there's no real chemistry between them -- no heat, no passion.
Carrell's character is depressed' morose, listless. Knightley's character is wispy, flighty, capricious.
And of course the title already tells you how things turn out in this flick. Indeed, the world really does end and mercifully so does the movie.
I suppose you could call this a "dark comedy" or maybe even a dramedy but there isn't much here to laugh at and the drama suffers from continuity and logic problems.
Once upon a time directors like Blake Edwards or even Stanley Kubrick elicited guffaws as they depicted the most dire developments imaginable. But that doesn't seem to happen very much anymore -- not here, not now, not in this film.
Steve Carrell is one of my favorite actors so it pains me to have to tell you that 'Seeking' simply doesn't work.
But it doesn't, and it probably wouldn't have worked no matter the stars. It's just a bad idea that meanders sluggishly and winds up going nowhere.
Skip it.

For The Fourth: 100 Reasons To Love America!

In no particular order, this is our own rather subjective list of 100 reasons to love America.
You can feel free to add or subtract from this list or create your own list. America gives you the freedom to do that -- and a lot more.
God bless America!
1) Our constitution. The thread that holds us together and the bulwark of democracy.
2) Our federal system of 50 states, each distinctive, each free and independent but united as well.
3) The Liberty Bell. Forever flawed though nonetheless inspiring and eternal.
4) The Founding Fathers and what they wrought. They risked their lives, property, fortunes and sacred honor.
5) American summers, for summer is surely America's season.
6) Old glory, our flag -- proud, bright, brash and always flying high.
7) In God We Trust. Our ensuing faith in Him and His destiny for us.
8) Baseball. While football may be America's sport, baseball remains its pastime. There is a difference.
9) The 4th of July. Our birthday and our touchstone.
10) Free elections. The right to choose the leaders that we want.
11) Jazz. America's unique musical art form.
12) Those who served. Our veterans, protectors of our freedom.
13) The American Red Cross. There when we need them.
14) Our free enterprise system. A model for the entire world.
15) Country music. The hip-slapping spirit of America.
16) Hollywood. Tinseltown and its gift to the world -- movies.
17) The Statue of Liberty. May her torch always be held high.
18) Walt Disney. The gift of imagination and wholesome entertainment from an American genius.
19) Our military --every branch and every one who serves.
20) The Grand Canyon. In a word, breathtaking.
21) The legacy of Ronald Reagan -- the leader who showed us the way and opened the door to the 21st Century.
22) Freedom to worship, Our many houses of faith all across the land.
23) The Interstate Highway System. Thank you, President Eisenhower.
24) Our first responders, brave and steadfast.
25) Small towns. Where America's heart beats true.
26) Television. For better or worse, it reflects us and epitomizes the popular culture.
27) Our farmers. Keeping the agrarian spirit alive and the horn of plenty full.
28) Broadway. The Great White Way, and all that it represents and all the hustle and bustle that surrounds it.
29) American cars (and our love affair with the car). The US auto industry has seen better days but don't ever count it out.
30) Coca-Cola. The drink that IS America.
31) Las Vegas. Vegas, baby, Vegas!
32) Thanksgiving. A uniquely American holiday and the kickoff to our buying season.
33) The Rocky Mountains. America's sturdy backbone.
34) Neighbors and neighborhoods. Our real time, real people link in a high-tech age.
35) Our national park system. Even with those pesky rangers, it's a joy.
36) The Grand Old Party. The Party that saved the union -- keeping faith in America through good times and bad and the best part of our two-party system.
37) Apple pie. Yummy, yummy!
38) Gospel music. Expressing faith, love, joy and anguish.
39) The Gateway Arch. A soaring, inspiring welcome to America's frontier.
40) Cowboys. The soul of our wanderlust.
41) Elvis Presley. The King is on the premises.
42) McDonald's -- every one of them and every diner and roadside eatery in between.
43) Horticulture. Roses and marigolds and azaleas and magnolias and all those other beautiful flowers and all the people who help make them bloom.
44) Our volunteer spirit -- from Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys right up to the present day.
45) Those who gave their all. All those who died protecting our freedoms, many buried on foreign soil. And all POWs and MIAs. We shall never forget.
46) A free press. We love them. We hate them. We curse them. We praise them. But where would we be without them?
47) The blues. Sad, sultry, soulful.
48) Andy Warhol. He made the ordinary extraordinary.
49) Starbucks. Keeping us alert and ready.
50) Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey. Still the greatest show on earth!
51) Big Sur and the entire California coast, from top to bottom.
52) Free public libraries. Learn, baby, learn!
53) Our system of higher education -- especially our great public universities.
54) The legacy of Norman Rockwell. The man who showed us the best in ourselves.
55) Texas. Big. Bold. Proud. American.
56) Ferris wheels. From the 1893 Chicago World's Fair till now, still enchanting.
57) The Kentucky Derby. The legendary run for the roses.
58) Mount Rushmore. Our history wrought mammoth.
59) The Smithsonian. Endlessly fascinating and free.
60) NASA. To the moon and beyond.
61) Rush Limbaugh. Love him or hate him, the inimitable, indestructible Maharushie.
62) The South. Lush land of tall tales, spirited music, colorful characters and firey history.
63) Hot dogs. Plump, juicy and smothered with your choice of dressings, garnishes, condiments, whatever . .
64) Home sweet home. The house you live it; your land, your property, your domicile.
65) The Great Lakes. Can you name all five of them?
66) Grandma Moses. The modern-day mother or primitive American art.
67) Marilyn Monroe. Defying convention, she made America sexy once and for all.
68) The Mississippi. Mighty from top to bottom and everywhere in between.
69) The Indy 500. Vrrroooomm, vrrrrroooomm!
70) The great wits. From Mark Twain to Will Rogers to Dorothy Parker to Art Buchwald to Erma Bombeck to P. J. O'Rourke.
71) The heartland. From Ohio to Iowa, where ordinary, everyday America thrives.
72) Blue jeans. On the farm, in the city and everywhere else.
73) "God Bless America." The people's anthem that Irving Berlin wrote just for us.
74) Independence Hall. Where it all began.
75) The Lincoln Memorial and the man it celebrates. The ultimate monument to the single most compelling figure in American history.
76) Rock 'n roll (aka rock). Rhythm 'n blues, jazz, honkey talk, soul, gospel -- all rolled into one.
77) The West. Where our restless spirit was born.
78) Sneakers. from PF Flyers, Keds and Chuck Taylor Converse to a $13 billion a year industry, we love 'em.
79) The Drudge Report. Because we need to know.
80) Barbecue. Beef or pork, wet or dry, hot or sweet, it's America.
81) The Washington Monument. The highest point in the capital and a fitting tribute to the father of our country.
82) Alaska and Hawaii. Our exotic and adventurous extremes.
83) Uncle Sam. When he calls, be sure to answer.
84) The Stars and Stripes Forever, and all of those great Sousa marches and their Sousa bands.
85) Native Americans. This land is their land.
86) Chicago architecture. Art that we live in, work in, play in; a living lesson in soaring beauty; a skyline to emulate.
87) Walt Whitman. "I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear . . . "
88) U. S. Olympic athletes. "USA! USA! USA!"
89) Our storytelling tradition and the Great American Novel.
90) New Orleans. A sassy, saucy, scintillating survivor.
91) Rugged individualists, gadflies, iconoclasts, muckrakers and all those who afflict the powerful. Charge onward!
92) Harley Davidson. Still the king of the road.
93) Geeks. Zuckerberg, Jobs, Wozniak, Gates and the whole damned Silicon Valley.
94) Comics and comic books. From zany dimwits and lovable losers to iconic super heroes.
95) Truckers and truck stops. Keep on Rollin!
96) New England. Lobster, chowder, rugged seacoasts and cherished traditions.
97) Scientific pioneers. The searchers, the discoverers, the trailblazers and all those who make the breakthroughs that enrich and lengthen our lives.
98) American fashion. From Ralph and Tommy and Donna and Vera. From Seventh Avenue to the world.
99) Willie Nelson. Is there any one he hasn't sung with or any genre of music he hasn't yet recorded?
100) The American Dream. A better life for our children and our children's children. Always, our best days lie ahead.
Copyright 2012 by Daniel A. Cirucci

Video: Christie Pleads For Middle Class Tax Cut

Today (July 2) Is America's REAL Birthday!

The 4th of July isn't really America's birthday.
Instead, today is.
That's right: The 2nd of July is America's actual birthday.
So, America is really two days older than she says she is.
How could this be?
During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia.
That's when America actually declared itself separate and apart from Great Britain.
The day was thought to be very momentous. Thus, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

Of course, two days later the formal Declaration of Independence was finalized and promulgated and it contained the date, "July 4, 1776" and so that's the date that came to be celebrated.
But today is, technically, America's birthday.
And it all happened in Philadelphia -- the city that came to be known as the Cradle of Liberty.
And that reminds me that this also happens to be a very special birthday for Philadelphia Bar Association executive director Ken Shear. Happy Birthday, Ken!
May all Philadelphia -- and all of America -- celebrate!

Museum's 'Art After 5' Makes Summer Come Alive

This season, Art After 5 celebrates summer with a sizzle every Friday night in the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Great Stair Hall, bringing together great art and music each week. The Museum’s culinary team of STARR Events prepares specialty cocktails, appetizers, and small plates that complement the flavor of each evening. And every Friday throughout the summer months, the popular “Martinis on the Portico” on the Museum’s east terrace offers delectable cocktails and a spectacular view of the city.

Vive la France with Art After 5’s Bastille Day Party featuring The Bearded Ladies, an experimental cabaret group who performs French favorites. In celebration of Gauguin, Cézanne, Matisse: Visions of Arcadia the all-female chamber ensemble Siren Baroque presents classical works about earthly dreams of paradise. The Swinging Foxes draw inspiration from the 1930s and 40s Swing era of jazz and burgeoning jazz great, Kat Edmundson has been called “the most promising American jazz singer…since Cassandra Wilson.” Round out the summer season and head back to school dancing the night—the entire night—away when Art After 5 hosts the Philadelphia DJ Dance Party in celebration of the exhibition Full Spectrum: Prints from the Brandywine Workshop with DJ Phoenix, DJ Be Free, and special guest DJ Rich Medina.

Click here for the full details.

Christie Vetoes Tax Hike; Calls For Tax Cuts

Continuing his commitment to put in place an immediate tax relief plan for New Jersey families, Governor Chris Christie today conditionally vetoed A-3201, preventing a tax increase and sending a responsible, middle-class tax relief plan back to the Legislature to be acted on immediately. With his veto, the Governor again affirmed that the days of endless tax increases on New Jerseyans are over and urged members of both parties to support tax relief through a compromise proposal that is in line with bipartisan efforts and that makes relief a reality today.

"Once again, we have an opportunity to show the rest of the nation that New Jersey is the model for effective governance in America. Now is the time to stop the posturing and gamesmanship and instead deliver tax relief to the people who need and deserve it – the middle-class families of our state," said Governor Christie. "This requires putting people before party and accepting that the days of tax increases that killed our economy are over.  Lowering taxes on the most overtaxed people in the nation is the new reality and our obligation after years of sacrifice. I urge the Legislature to join me in this effort by acting immediately on this bill that provides the path forward to meaningful, middle-class tax relief, economic growth and competitiveness."

Governor Christie returned the bill to the legislature with amendments to deliver tax relief for New Jersey families, rather than another tax increase. The amended legislation will provide New Jersey residents with household incomes up to $400,000 an income tax credit equal to 10 percent of their annual property tax bill for the prior year, up to $1,000 when fully phased in after four years. Net-profits from a trade or business (derived from federal Schedule C income) will not be counted against the household income threshold.

At the same time, the Governor’s proposal includes a full restoration of the Earned Income Tax Credit proposed in his January State of the State Address. At 25 percent of the federal tax credit, the state EITC will be fully implemented in taxable year 2013, providing a $550 benefit to the average eligible beneficiary - struggling working families who most need the help.

After decades of consistently high taxes and the highest tax burden in the country, this proposal sets the table for real, meaningful tax relief to be made a reality - with bipartisan support. The Governor’s proposal will appropriately and responsibly stimulate New Jersey's economy, deliver real relief to families, improve our tax climate and build upon the momentum of the New Jersey Comeback.

In vetoing the $800 million tax included in the legislation, Governor Christie said, “As I vowed during my candidacy, reaffirmed after my election, and said in vetoing this tax the first two times, I will not allow a job-killing tax increase to be levied on our families and small businesses. Those policies ended with my election and they certainly will not be returning again while I am Governor. This is a moment to put money back in the pockets of the people of our state who need it most – our working and middle-class families – not to take more away from them. I hope the Legislature will delay no further in joining me in this effort."

In addition to his Conditional Veto of Assembly Bill No. 3201, Governor Christie also vetoed Assembly Bill No. 3202. PDF copies of each veto message can be found attached to this release.


Under Governor Christie’s Plan, New Jersey Taxpayers Will Be Able To Claim An Income Tax Credit Of Up To 10 Percent Of Their Property Tax Bill.

·         This Will Mean Savings Of $775 For The Average Family.

·         The 10 Percent Credit Is Capped At $10,000 Of Property Taxes Paid.

·         All New Jersey Homeowners With Up To $400,000 In Income Will Be Eligible For Relief.

o    To Ensure Additional Relief To New Jersey Job Creators, Net-Profits From A Trade Or Business – Derived From Federal Schedule C Income – Will Not Be Counted Against The Income Tax Cap.

o    These Changes Will Deliver Tax Relief To Nearly 80,000 Additional New Jersey Families.

·         Once Fully Phased In, Renters Will Receive A $200 Year In Property Tax Deduction, Up From $50 Under Current Law.

Governor Christie’s Bipartisan Tax Relief Also Increases The Earned Income Tax Credit To 25 Percent Of The Federal Tax Credit.

·         The EITC Increase Will Be Fully Implemented For Taxable Year 2013 To Provide Immediate Relief To Struggling New Jersey Families.

·         This Means The Average Eligible Family Will Receive A $550 Annual Benefit.

·         It Will Also Make New Jersey One Of The Most Generous Programs In The Country.

NOT A Commercial: This Stuff Simply Works!

With summer at its peak and backyard cookouts and good eatin at every turn, you know you're gonna get messy.
And you know you're gonna spill stuff on those fresh, bright summer colors that adorn your lithe, seductive frame.
Well, not to worry.
Because I've finally found the secret to removing spots and stains from clothing.

It's Grandma's Secret Spot Remover. It works every time.

Grandma's removes spaghetti sauce stains, coffee, mustard, gravy, grass, dirt, grape juice, cola, even tar spots.

It will save your garments and allow you to wear them again and again.

And it's easy to use, environmentally safe, non-toxic and biodegradable. 

Plus, it contains no chlorine or phosphates.

Grandma should pay me for this testimonial but she doesn't.

This is based purely on my own experience - Grandma's works! 

Go to this website to buy some Grandma's Secret Spot Remover. It comes in a small bottle (perfect for travelling) complete with simple directions and is easy to use.

I'm tellin ya - this stuff works!

Extra special tip: Use an old toothbrush to gently rub Grandma's into the spot while applying. 

BTW: I hear this stuff may also now be available at Bed, Bath & Beyond and some other outlets.

The True Meaning Of America's Birthday

If the Fourth of July is about anything it's about children.
For America is still a relatively young nation. We are young both in terms of the age of our nation and the age of our people.
And we are a nation that has always looked forward - forward to that shining city on a hill that Ronald Reagan envisioned.
This is a day to look ahead to greater aspirations.
This is not a day for policy and politics. That's why it's unfortunate that President Obama used his radio address today to push his policy agenda ad his own political positions.
So, on the Fourth of July I look at our large, rich national family and I like to spend the day with children. The children give me hope for the future.
I like to watch them t parades and Fourth of July ceremonies. I like to see them with their decorated bicycles and watch hem waving flags along the parade routes.
I like to watch the fireworks with the kids.
This is their day.
It's their future to dream.
It's their country to mold.
After Obama is long gone and after his collectivist ideas are but a faint memory, these children and their children will determine what America's really all about.
May they be inspired by and guiding by America's great boundless spirit -- a spirit of adventure and discovery; a spirit of innovation and triumph; a spirit of free enterprise and unencumbered rugged individualism.
Onward!

Fireworks, The Fourth And All That Boom, Boom!

Quick: Tell me what you think of when I say “Fourth of July.”
Fireworks, right?
But in Pennsylvania and New Jersey if you want to enjoy fireworks you have to attend an officially sanctioned community fireworks display. Because when it comes to fireworks in these parts you can look but you can’t touch.
The sale of fireworks is banned in New Jersey and in Pennsylvania. But now a loophole has popped up. A 2004 revision to Pennsylvania’s fireworks law allows Pennsylvania fireworks distributors to sell to customers from out of state. So, if you can prove that you are not from Pennsylvania you can buy fireworks in Pennsylvania.
This has prompted Pennsylvania fireworks distributors to send out mailings pitching Fourth of July fireworks to New Jersey residents. I received a mailing from a Bucks County distributor near Trenton. The glossy, four-color brochure advertised fireworks with names like Mother of All Bombs and Whole Lot of Fire Power. And it included a full list of prices and told me where and how to buy the fireworks.
All of this has alarmed some local and state officials on both sides of the river.
But let’s face it: People who want to set off fireworks on the Fourth will usually find a way to do it.
A quick trip down I-95 takes you to firework country in the nation’s capital. There, you can find roadside stands at nearly every corner laden with all types of fireworks. Big colorful signs and jumbo firework assortment packs welcome you. And nobody asks where you’re from. Fireworks are legal in the District of Columbia and throughout much of the South.
When I was a kid my dad always had fireworks on the Fourth of July and he wasn’t shy about setting them off. My mother hated it. But despite her protestations my father’s reversion to the role of patriotic prankster continued unabated. For many years holiday picnics were interrupted by the unexpected crackle of cherry bombs. Fortunately, no one got hurt. But that’s not always the case. Fireworks injure more than 8,000 people a year in the U. S. Even a simple sparkler can reach a temperature of 1,800 degrees.
But we can’t ban everything that’s dangerous.
And we can’t rely on government to protect us from every danger. Which simply means that each of us must exercise common sense and responsibility along with those rights our founders promulgated more than 235 years ago.

'Magic Mike' And The Angst Of Male Objectification

On the surface the new movie Magic Mike would seem to be nothing more than a showcase for the mostly athletic talents of buff 'n ready Channing Tatum and his hunky, gyrating fellow cast members.
But at its core this is really a film about the objectification of handsome, virile young men.
Yes, we've all heard about women being turned into sex objects and we've experienced the outcry against it as well.
But men? Guys? Really?
And even if they were/are sex objects would young guys really resent that? Wouldn't they look on it as an opportunity?
Well, listen to Rob Lowe in his recent memoir Stories I Only Tell My Friends as he explains the curious angst attendant to his emergence as a sex symbol:

I began to feel a counterintuitive, melancholy loneliness and even low-grade anger . . . I didn't like the way it made me feel when a passing car full of teenage girls screeched to a halt, emptying the crazed occupants who bull-rushed me, pointing, screaming, laughing. Years later someone would call this phenomenon 'objectification.' Then I didn't really know that I was being treated like an object. I did however begin to treat some people the way they treated me.

Rudolf Valentino. Cary Grant. Clark Gable. Elvis Presley. Brad Pitt. All of them -- and many others -- have been objectified. They were are are male objects of desire.
And so now we have Channing Tatum as a male stripper (Mike) in a role torn right from the pages of Tatum's own life. And it's all up-front, foul-mouthed, gritty and relentlessly raunchy with Alex Pettyfer as the kid stripper (Adam) who Tatum takes under his wing and aging hunk Matthew McConaughey as the guru (Dallas) who runs the male strip joint that rocks Tampa.
You'll find lots of exposed skin (both male and female) on display in Magic Mike as the principals alternately shed their clothes, gyrate and then jump in and out of bed with their many female fans. But lots of smooth, hard muscle and jiggling bare breasts cannot solely sustain a major Hollywood flick.
And so it's Tatum's fine acting and the story of Mike himself that drive this movie.
Mike is already past 30. He knows he cannot be a male stripper forever and he's beginning to feel, well -- empty. Mike wants more from his relationships and from life itself. But when he tries to talk things through with one of the beauties he's sleeping with, she simply answers: "You don't need to talk. Just look pretty." Duhh!
This guy has dreams. He's creative and enterprising and not afraid of hard work. And he wants to go into business for himself and maybe even share his life with someone. He aspires to something more.
And then Mike begins to realize that the only gal who seems capable of resisting his hunky charms (and the only one who may be willing to listen and help) turns out to be the somewhat ordinary looking dame who's also Adam's sister, Joanna (Olivia Munn).
Which proves what we should already know: 1) Guys are more complicated than they seem; 2) They like gals who give them a contest and 3) They can be mentally and romantically engaged after all if and when they begin to grow up.
It's true that women say they want men to be kind and thoughtful and mature and tender and understanding and sentimental and on and on . . . 
But now Magic Mike seems to demonstrate that woman just may be able to have it all -- seeking out men as objects of desire and even having flings with them (while telling them to shut up and be pretty) and then nurturing them as three-dimensional soul mates in the end.
At least that's the way it is in the movies.
And I'm here to tell you that this is one movie that's worth seeing. Congrats to director Steven Soderbergh, writer Reid Carolin, the entire cast and everyone responsible for Magic Mike. This movie is every bit as relevant now as Dirty Dancing and Saturday Night Fever were then. See it!