MONSANTO LOSES

A DIFFERENT ROCK & SKYSCRAPER TALE -

BSC, CA – Whether its Fate or Zen, this next story really warms the cockles of my heart. In this first ever Roundup defeat in more that 4000 trials against Monsanto, a skyscraper of evil, who suffered a court defeat in a case brought forth by DeWayne Johnson. No, not the same movie star who has a big screen summer blockbuster running now. That would be too on the nose. All I can know is, you can say there is no god; but you can't say there is no God without a sense of humor.

Mr. Johnson was awarded the sum of $289 million dollars on August 11 in a California District Court in San Francisco. In the first of 400 cases alleging that Monsanto's weedkiller Roundup causes cancer and sought to cover this conclusion up, Monsanto sought to seal many papers from the public view. This was denied and so, after the jump as real disclosure from real news [before they shut us down] are the links to all the court docs, case history references, source items, and live blogs.

Now before you make the jump and be dazzled by all the information at your disposal to pick and chose from, remember, we are all in the fight for this country that we live in. we aren't fighting for Canada, we aren't fighting for SJWs, we aren't fighting for the world; we are fighting for ourselves and our neighbors, the ones we know and the ones we don't. Remember what George Carlin said, “We are fighting a club, and you and I aren't in it.” 

And now feel free to wallow in full disclosure, Monsanto looosses. Also feel free to spread this good news via however you want; and smoke one if you got one.

IS PERRIS BURNING?

HOLY FIRE IN RIVCO -

BSC, CA – So far not breaking in the MSM is the Holy Fire now burning in the Cleveland National Forest area of wilderness between southwest Riverside County and Orange County, misidentified as Perris at first based on direction of smoke.

The fire was first spotted Tuesday early afternoon off in the distance away to the southwest from Riverside's northeast side of town. The day had been part of a heatwave hitting southern California for a few days. With all the fires up north I had been wondering when southern California would join in with its yearly fire season, which was late this year as I recalled.

At first when thinking the fire was in the rural Perris area, the blaze seemed smaller but the day's weather was hot, of course, and also windy with low humidity. The wind's direction pushed the smoke toward the northwest and Orange County.

The mid-afternoon brought forth some heavy smoke for MoVal skies facing northwest as winds spread the fire through the underbrush.

By the late afternoon with the sun's arc on a wane, the fire had laid down a thick layer of smoke which held to a low atmospheric altitude with bright light escaping from beneath its hemline. Perhaps this was when the raging wildfire was given the name, 'Holy Fire'.

Or it could have been earlier when the fire had its Thanos moment.

Meanwhile the Holy Fire only 5% contained has been joined by the Cranston Fire, this time southeast of Hemet 96% contained, and the Valley Fire, northeast of Riverside just north of Yucaipa which is 56% contained at press time.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT – NO SPOILERS

TRUE GRIT SHIT -

BSC, CA – Being long in the tooth, I remember the TV series Mission Impossible, which ran from 1966-73 CBS, 1988-90 ABC; and the face of Peter Graves, character Jim Phelps, the IMF leader. The action was fast on a cerebral level with the IMF team always getting away with their objective through clever misdirection and disguises, played out by Lalo Schifrin.

In 1996, star actor Tom Cruise brought the story of the Impossible Missions Force to the big screen as team leader Ethan Hunt, and the title's producer in concert with others. The theme premise of the IMF was also altered from all head games and sleight of hand to action-suspense, actually intense action and intense suspense. This change caused some controversy among OT fans and former cast, but as we see from Star Wars TLJ, that is what Hollywood [LA] does; tear down the old and build new over it.

However, with the move from TV to the big screen, we can accept that change. When Tom Cruise dangled on wires above that pressure sensitive floor and started to sweat, we were sweating with him. Ethan Hunt had won our hearts. This year he may win more than that. Make the jump and find out why.

I've been a Tom Cruise fan since Risky Business, a film that ages as well as Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The movie's character that Cruise plays is so relatable to someone whose family has some renown. You don't push the envelope, you crumple it up and toss it over your shoulder like Luke Skywalker did his light saber, but with a different mindset. And the heat between Tom and Rebecca [De Mornay], his gf at the time, proved to become a Tom Cruise staple, 'he does his own stunts'. Rumor has it, but I digress.

Over the years Cruise has had some very memorable roles including Rain Man and Jerry Maguire, roles that have garnered the Golden Lady for his cast members, but Tom appears window dressing for those occasions perhaps because Top Gun made people [especially women] fall in love with that Tom Cruise smile and profile. Tom Brady is the Tom Cruise of football.

But for those of us who saw past that dazzling smile, Tom Cruise the actor was growing. This new Cruise showed his chops in Collateral, a tense thriller set in LA with Jamie Fox as the unlikely protagonist. Yeah, the protagonist. Cruise looks a guy who would stab you through the heart with a pencil if it was on his 'to do' list.

Again the various roles Cruise has played over the years and the fact that Tom never seems to phone it in or take a dumb movie for the paycheck, shows there is a lot beyond the famous smile. So why does MI Fallout give me those Crash chills when I called out that Oscar winner before anyone else for my 14 readers at the time?

First, this movie is solid and picturesque as it globe hops giving you the intended international flavor. The cast is great, the plot moves along at a quick pace, characters are played out in accordance with their story development, and once again Tom does his own stunts.

Second, the stunts. They are amazing with sequences expertly timed and paced. All are part of moving the plot forward and furthering Hunt's character arc that started in MI 3 and 4. Also as has been stated in other reviews, this is a movie to be seen on the big, big screen, aka IMAX. IMAX gives you the real effort on Cruise's face as he performs these different high-wire action set pieces. In fact, Cruise broke his ankle on set and I don't think it was walking to his trailer.

Third, the overall arc of Ethan Hunt. As slick as Tom Cruise is in playing a down to earth globe-trotting CIA style spy master, the way this adventure also starts, character Ethan Hunt seems as weary as he looks by the end of the film. This extra layer of realism was probably due to the ankle and the added $70M insurance claim for the 8 week movie shutdown while the almost 60 year old star was on the mend, had to be another layer beyond the stunt work to the character's realism.

Four, another factor adding to the depth of Tom's onscreen character arc but as a personal development is camera work that shoots angles showing the villain to be taller than Cruise, a possible nod to Comey, a guy taller than Ike Turner; or blow back from playing Jack Reacher, a book series hero that is at least 6'5”, not 5'7”. Like many Hollywood stars who are shorter than they look on the big screen, under that handsome fly-boy face is a perfectly proportioned body.

I'll admit that I haven't seen every Tom Cruise movie given some movie subjects seemed a bit much for this Mid-westerner's palette but I have always remained a Tom Cruise fan. By all accounts he isn't a louse or an asshole and seems as all-American as some of the roles he plays. He has been a consistent A-Lister, hanging out in the movie company of well known directors and producers who are also A-list. Tom has also maintained a good control of his career as well adding writing and producing gems like Elizabethtown, a film so nuanced that only Roger Ebert picked up on it. Though I wasn't writing at the time, I liked it as well from knowing people in towns of less than 100,000.

So for me, Tom Cruise is the 21^stCentury's John Wayne, except he doesn't play himself every picture. Cruise as an actor can disappear into a character and not take himself too seriously while remaining a total professional and nice guy, unlike Les Grossman. 

It is said, “There are no small parts, only small actors.” Tom Cruise has never been a small actor, ever, and to break your ankle performing a stunt on a kick-ass picture at almost 60, well, that's some True Gritshit.