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Tag Archives: Blaze.com

Anti-war elements of “American Sniper”

31 Saturday Jan 2015

Posted by essaybee2012 in American Sniper, anti-war, cinema, Clint Eastwood

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

American Sniper, anti-war, Billy Hallowell, Blaze.com, Bradley Cooper, Chris Kyle, Clint Eastwood, George W. Bush, Iraq War, Jason Hall, Mediaite, Michael Moore, Navy SEALS, politicians, PopPolitics, Producers Guild Awards (PGA), SiriusXM, Ted Johnson, Variety.com, veterans, war, Yahoo! News

The following are two articles elaborating on the anti-war elements of “American Sniper.”  –SB

1.)

Blaze.com

Entertainment
Clint Eastwood Reveals ‘Biggest Anti-War Statement’ That Can Be Found in ‘American Sniper’
Jan. 26, 2015 10:23am Billy Hallowell

Some critics have lambasted Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper” for purportedly glorifying war, but the famed movie director recently revealed what he believes to be the “biggest anti-war statement” that can be found embedded in the record-breaking film.

“The biggest anti-war statement is what [war] does to the families left behind,” Eastwood said at Saturday’s Producers Guild Awards nominees breakfast, according to Variety.

Similarly, Yahoo! News quoted the “American Sniper” director as saying that the “biggest anti-war statement any film” can offer up is the “fact of what [war] does to the family and the people who have to go back into civilian life like Chris Kyle did.”

In making the film, which tells the story of famed Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, Eastwood said that meeting the late military hero’s family members was important to the process for both him and actor Bradley Cooper, who portrayed Kyle on screen.  [ For movie trailer, see: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/01/26/clint-eastwood-reveals-biggest-anti-war-statement-that-can-be-found-in-american-sniper/ ]

So, the two went to Texas to meet Kyle’s wife, children and extended family members before filming “American Sniper.”

“I thought I’d better meet the rest of the family and see what they looked like and that would probably dictate the casting and to see what Mrs. Kyle was like,” Eastwood said.  “I went down there and met the mother and father and their grandkids.  It was of great value to [Bradley] because he could get into the history of the family and their feelings about the whole situation.  It was a very pleasant experience from beginning to end.”

Screenwriter Jason Hall made similar comments earlier this month when he told Variety’s “PopPolitics” that the lives of Kyle and his fellow soldiers, as depicted in the film, counter any images that might be seen as glorifying war.

“The cost is man, the toll is man, and it’s this man and every other soldier that fights,” Hall told the outlet.  “If we understand that, maybe we won’t be so hasty into jumping into war, and if we understand that, maybe we’ll find a way of welcoming [veterans] home better.”

Hall added that he personally didn’t entirely understand the Iraq War, but that he believes in supporting the troops once battle begins.  The screen writer added that “soldiers don’t choose their war; war chooses them or their politicians choose the war.”

Listen to Hall make these comments below:  [ For audio recording, see:  http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/01/26/clint-eastwood-reveals-biggest-anti-war-statement-that-can-be-found-in-american-sniper/ ]

Emotions surrounding “American Sniper” — from support for the film to claims that it inaccurately portrays Kyle and the Iraq War — are complex and diverse, with some like filmmaker Michael Moore responding by issuing attacks.

“Instead of being a sniper to protect our troops, I tried to save their lives by stopping Bush from sending them to their deaths in Iraq,” Moore tweeted over the weekend.

(H/T: Mediaite)

2.)

Variety.com

PopPolitics: Screenwriter Jason Hall on Why ‘American Sniper’ Is Anti-War (Listen)

American Sniper

January 10, 2015 | 01:44PM PT

Ted Johnson

Senior Editor @tedstew

Jason Hall, the screenwriter of “American Sniper,” says that while the movie features harrowing scenes of combat, he also set out to convey the toll of the Iraq War on its central figure, Chris Kyle, the Navy SEAL considered to be the most lethal sniper of the modern American military.

While there has been some criticism that the movie glorifies some of the deadly battles as the U.S. fought insurgents during its occupation of Iraq, Hall, in an interview with Variety‘s “PopPolitics” on SiriusXM this week, says that it’s countered by the movie’s focus on the personal life of Kyle and other fellow soldiers.

“The cost is man, the toll is man, and it’s this man and every other soldier that fights,” Hall says.  “If we understand that, maybe we won’t be so hasty into jumping into war, and if we understand that, maybe we’ll find a way of welcoming [veterans] home better.”

Hall said that he initially “didn’t totally understand” the war in Iraq, but coming from a family with a military background, he understood that, once U.S. military action began there, it was important to support the soldiers.  “I’m very aware those soldiers don’t choose their war; war chooses them,” he said.

Listen below:  [  For full article, see: http://variety.com/2015/biz/news/poppolitics-jason-hall-why-american-sniper-is-anti-war-1201399776/ ]

Director Clint Eastwood has said that he was opposed to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which may be a surprise given his history of support for Republican candidates (and appearance at the 2012 GOP convention).

Hall, meanwhile, says that “American Sniper” may generate different reactions from different moviegoers, as well as provoke debate over the American experience in Iraq.  He says the movie is “a new perspective of a war we are still trying to understand,” because of its focus on the soldiers.

In developing the script, the first challenge Hall had was gaining Kyle’s trust.  Their first meeting wasn’t going so well until Hall took an unusual action:  He put one of Kyle’s friends in a headlock.

Listen below:  [  For full article, see: http://variety.com/2015/biz/news/poppolitics-jason-hall-why-american-sniper-is-anti-war-1201399776/ ]

Hall describes his final contact with Kyle in 2013, just as he was turning in the first draft of the screenplay.  The next day, Kyle was murdered at a Texas shooting range by a veteran he was trying to help.

Listen below:  [  For full article, see: http://variety.com/2015/biz/news/poppolitics-jason-hall-why-american-sniper-is-anti-war-1201399776/ ]

“PopPolitics,” hosted by Ted Johnson, airs on SiriusXM’s POTUS Channel on Thursdays at 11 a.m. PT and Fridays at 3 p.m. PT, as well as on demand.

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Top ten annoying marital habits

02 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by essaybee2012 in communication, habits, marriage

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

annoyances, bathroom habits, Blaze.com, choosing movies, compromising, cooking, couples, drunk sexting, eating habits, eccentricities, families, habits, irritations, Mike Opelka, nose-picking, Pringles, sloppiness, smartphones, social media, text messaging, The Daily Mail, toilet seats

Blaze.com
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/11/28/how-many-of-these-10-annoying-things-are-you-inflicting-on-your-other-half/
World

How Many of These 10 Annoying Things Are You Inflicting on Your Other Half?

Nov. 28, 2014 1:31pm Mike Opelka
 ~

Long holiday weekends often translate into a lot of “together time” for couples and families.  This closeness can serve to magnify some of the habits and eccentricities of our partners or family members.  Unfortunately, some of these habits can be annoying.

"Broken Heart Syndrome" is an actual medical condition that can apparently lead to death in serious cases. (Image source: Shutterstock)

Pringles, the stackable potato and wheat chip company, reportedly surveyed 2,000 people, collecting a list of the things we do that annoy the people closest to us.

Scanning the list, social media miscues like looking at the Facebook page of an ex (No. 10) or always being on your smartphone at the dinner table or in bed (No. 4), are among the most frequently mentioned annoyances.

At No. 9, “drunk sexting” (sending sexually-focused text messages while intoxicated) apparently happens often enough to earn a spot in the top ten.

The eighth most annoying action is a classic — picking your nose.

nose

Nos. 6 and 7 are food related.  Evidently, deciding who will be cooking a meal (No. 7) is almost as irritating at “messy eating habits” (No. 6).

No. 5 exposes an imbalance in the compromising done by couples.  Figuring out which movie to watch is a hot enough topic to be the fifth most irritating thing mentioned.

The Pringles survey showed that men compromise 80 percent of the time, typically enduring romantic comedies when they would prefer something more action-packed.

According to The Daily Mail, the survey shows over the course of a year, men tolerate almost ten hours of movies that they would normally not watch.

Coming in at No. 3, bad bathroom habits can likely be eliminated by doing simple things like capping the toothpaste tube, checking the shower drain for hair and (this one is for the men) putting the toilet seat back down.

Image: Wikimedia

Sloppiness can be particularly irritating.  Rating high on the Pringles survey are dropping wet towels anywhere but the bathroom (No. 2) and leaving clothes spread out on the floor (No. 1).

Top 10 Ways Couples Annoy Each Other

  1. Leaving clothes on the floor
  2. Leaving wet towels around the house
  3. Bad bathroom habits
  4. Always using phone
  5. Disagreeing about what film to watch
  6. Messy eating habits
  7. Deciding who is cooking
  8. Picking your nose
  9. Drunk sexting
  10. Looking at your ex’s Facebook page

How many of these reflect the irritations and annoyances in your life?

If there is anything the list is lacking, we invite you post your annoyances in the comments section below.

H/T:  Daily Mail

__

Follow Mike Opelka (@Stuntbrain) on Twitter.

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Obama to America: No “credible evidence” that Muslim Brotherhood is committed to violence

01 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by essaybee2012 in America, Barack Obama, Muslim Brotherhood, politics

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Amman Jordan, anti-Israel, Blaze.com, Fred Lucas, Gama'a al-Islamiyya, Hamas, Mohammed Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood, non-violence, Obama administration, political process, terrorism, terrorist groups, U.S. State Department, United States, We the People, White House

BLAZE.COM

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/12/01/after-more-than-a-year-this-is-the-white-houses-response-to-a-petition-to-declare-the-muslim-brotherhood-a-terrorist-group/

GOVERNMENT

After More Than a Year, This Is the White House’s Response to a Petition to Declare the Muslim Brotherhood a Terrorist Group

Dec. 1, 2014 11:15am Fred Lucas

~

After more than a year, the White House finally responded to an online petition asking that the Muslim Brotherhood be declared a terrorist organization, and the answer is no.

“We have not seen credible evidence that the Muslim Brotherhood has renounced its decades-long commitment to non-violence,” the White House said in response to a “We the People” petition that garnered 213,146 signatures — more than twice the 100,000-signature threshold to trigger a response.

Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan shout slogans during a demonstration in the capital Amman on November 28, 2014, against Israeli 'violations' regarding the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem. The tensions soared earlier this month when Israeli police entered the Al-Aqsa mosque compound during clashes triggered by a vow by far-right Jewish groups to pray at the holy site. AFP PHOTO / KHALIL MAZRAAWI

Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood shout slogans during an anti-Israel demonstration in the Jordan capital of Amman, Nov. 28, 2014.  (AFP/Khalil Mazraawi)

The petition, which called for declaring the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group, was first posted July 7, 2013 and reached 100,000 signatures within 30 days.

The administration’s response, in line with current U.S. policy on the Muslim Brotherhood, is now listed as the top item under “Recent Responses” on the White House petitions page.

“The United States does not condone political violence of any kind and we continue to press actors of all viewpoints to peacefully engage in the political process,” the response said.  “The United States is committed to thwarting terrorist groups that pose a threat to U.S. interests and those of our partners.”

Earlier this year, several Republican members of Congress co-sponsored legislation for the Muslim Brotherhood to be declared a terrorist organization.

The original petition stated that the Brotherhood “has a long history of violent killings & terrorizing opponents.  Also MB has direct ties with most terrorist groups like Hamas.”

Referring to the time in July 2013 when Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated President Mohammed Morsi was removed from power, it said:  “The Muslim Brotherhood has shown in the past few days that it is willing to engage in violence and killing of innocent civilians in order to invoke fear in the hearts of its opponents.  This is terrorism.”

“We ask the US government to declare MB as a terrorist group for a safer future for all of us,” the petition said.

Both Hamas and Egypt’s Gama’a al-Islamiyya, which have had relationships with the Muslim Brotherhood, are on the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations.

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Islamic State’s “grave sin against God”

01 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by essaybee2012 in Catholicism, Islamic State, Orthodox Christianity, religion

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Blaze.com, Catholicism, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, God, Islamic State, Istanbul Turkey, jihadists, justice, Middle East, Muslims, Orthodox Christianity, peace, Pope Francis, Zach Noble

Blaze.Com

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/11/30/orthodoxy-and-catholicism-drawn-together-as-leaders-plead-with-islam-for-peace/

Faith
Orthodox and Catholic Churches Unite to Send Islamic State a Message About Jihad’s ‘Profoundly Grave Sin Against God’
Nov. 30, 2014 7:05am Zach Noble

ISTANBUL (TheBlaze/AP) — With 1.5 billion followers behind them, two Christian leaders made a powerful show of on unity Sunday — and pleaded with the Islamic State to seek peace.

The heads of the Catholic and Orthodox churches have demanded an end to the violent persecution of Christians in the Middle East and called for dialogue with Muslims to work together to promote peace and justice in the region.

Pope Francis, left, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I hug each other after a holy liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014. Pope Francis and the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians demanded an end to the violent persecution of Christians in Syria and Iraq on Sunday and called for dialogue with Muslims, capping Francis' three-day visit to Turkey with a show of unity. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Pope Francis and the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, issued a joint declaration Sunday at the end of Francis’ visit to Turkey during which the pope prayed in one of Istanbul’s most important mosques.

They wrote:  “Inspired by common values and strengthened by genuine fraternal sentiments, Muslims and Christians are called to work together for the sake of justice, peace and respect for the dignity and rights of every person.”

Condemning the violence of the Islamic State, Francis said the jihadist group was committing a “profoundly grave sin against God” as its militants force millions to flee their homes in Syria — some 2 million of whom, including thousands of Christians, have taken temporary refuge in Turkey.

Pope Francis, left, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I bless the faithful gathered in the courtyard of the Patriarchal Church of St. George, in Istanbul, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014. Pope Francis appealed for unity between the Catholic and Orthodox churches on Sunday as he wrapped up his visit to Turkey with a liturgy alongside the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians and a meeting with young refugees from Syria and Iraq. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

The Catholic Church which Francis leads has roughly 1.2 billion adherents worldwide, while some 300 million Christians belong to Orthodox Christianity.

Pope Francis, left, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I arrive for a joint declaration, in Istanbul, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014. Pope Francis and the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, issued a joint declaration Sunday at the end of Francis' visit to Turkey during which the pope prayed in one of Istanbul's most important mosques. They wrote: "Inspired by common values and strengthened by genuine fraternal sentiments, Muslims and Christians are called to work together for the sake of justice, peace and respect for the dignity and rights of every person." (AP Photo/Filippo Monteforte, Pool)

Pope Francis, left, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I arrive for a joint declaration, in Istanbul, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014.  Pope Francis and the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, issued a joint declaration Sunday at the end of Francis’ visit to Turkey during which the pope prayed in one of Istanbul’s most important mosques.  They wrote: “Inspired by common values and strengthened by genuine fraternal sentiments, Muslims and Christians are called to work together for the sake of justice, peace and respect for the dignity and rights of every person.”  (AP Photo/Filippo Monteforte, Pool)

The Catholic and Orthodox churches split in 1054 over differences on the primacy of the papacy, and there was a time when patriarchs had to kiss popes’ feet.  At the end of a joint prayer service Saturday, Francis bowed to Bartholomew and asked for his blessing, a remarkable display of papal deference to an Orthodox patriarch that underscored Francis’ hope to end the schism.

—

Follow Zach Noble (@thezachnoble) on Twitter

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