Topic: Opinion

‘The Andromeda Strain’ revisted in slick A&E miniseries, now on DVD

By Christine Anne Piesyk | June 27, 2008 |

I’m not usually a fan of remakes, especially for a film I loved in its original form. The 2008 A&E production of Michael Crichton’s The Adromeda Strain overcame the odds to be at least as good as the original, if not better. It’s all a matter of perspective.

Crichton’s best novel of the same name was a taunt, tense, pre-computer age sci-fi thriller with Dustin Hoffman as scientist and protagonist Jeremy Stone, head of the Wildfire Biohazard Response team.

In this upgraded version, Director Mikael Salamon stuck to the story (Wow, what a concept!) and used 40 years of improved and expanded technology to rev up the action and adapt the film to 21st century science. It’s a place where the fiction is less improbable, the fantasy more believable, and, in the age of conspiracy theorists, corruption, terrorist threats and a new thrust toward space exploration are easily interjected into the film. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Arts and Leisure, Opinion | No Comments

Kick crime to the curb

By Christine Anne Piesyk | June 27, 2008 |

I’ve been looking over the two years’ worth of notes I’ve kept for story ideas, all rooted in what I have observed within the Montgomery County boundaries. From a distance, a temporary vantage point in the northeast, and the rest of the time from the porch of my home in Clarksville, I’ve followed the shootings and killings and robberies in Clarksville, the ones that happen in the dead of night, the ones that happen in broad daylight in a Wal-Mart parking lot, and a string of crimes in between. Crimes of inebriation or addiction, crimes of passion or hate, crimes of despair, crimes of rage, crimes rooted in poverty and need, crimes anchored in greed Am I the only one not surprised?

I feel the strongest sympathy and sadness for the families, the residents involved, the innocent bystanders with lives sometimes forever shattered. But I do believe this escalation in violent crime is a tragedy waiting to happen, one that will repeat itself many more times if the city, the schools, the police and all of us — everyday citizens — don’t become involved in our community, if we fail to stand behind a call to get tough and enforce the laws already on the books, and toughen up the sentencing and cut off the “deals” that spew offenders back onto the streets with minimal sentences and penalties too easily shrugged off. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Education, Issues, Opinion, Politics | No Comments

It’s time to extend unemployment benefits

By Chris Lugo | June 24, 2008 |

America is in the midst of a recession largely attributable to the economic policies of the Bush administration and the Republican party. As a result of this recession, millions of hard working Americans have been put out of work. Almost every family in this country has been touched by the current recession. On top of this, consumers are being forced to pay record high gas prices and hundreds of thousands of people have lost their homes due to foreclosure. Now is not the time to cut tax paying American citizens off of their unemployment benefits.

Since the beginning of this year nearly 325,000 people have lost their jobs and the unemployment rate is rising. As of May the unemployment rate stands at 5.5%, up nine percent just since April. With the cost of gas, food and medicine many families are suffering.

As a candidate for federal office I support House Resolution 5749, the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act, which will provide an additional thirteen weeks of extended unemployment benefits in most states. This means that 3.8 million citizens will continue to receive benefits through March of 2009. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Business, Events, Issues, Opinion, Politics, Spirituality, Technology | 1 Comment »

Comedian George Carlin dead at 71

By Christine Anne Piesyk | June 23, 2008 |

It seems that so many people in the celebrity spotlight of my youth are passing away. Designers, singers, actors, activists, even politicians — they’ve crossed that line that marks the last decades of their lives, and then they are gone.

The often irreverent and always funny George Carlin is the latest name on the list. Carlin died Sunday of heart failure at age 71. From the vantage point of youth, 71 was “old,” distant, beyond comprehension. From the vantage point closer to 60, his 71 years now seems pretty young. I remember Carlin first as “the hippy dippy weatherman” — a tamer version of Carlin in those early days.

In the very early 60s, Carlin’s comedy was tame. Then he fell under the spell of controversial Lenny Bruce, whose ribald and often vulgar comedy inspired and led Carlin in a new groundbreaking direction. Combined with the social unrest of the Vietnam era, Carlin quickly broke new ground using comedy to make his message clear. part of that message was simply to make us think. «Read the rest of this article»

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‘Abstinence Only’ is government censorship

By Chris Lugo | June 20, 2008 |

Chris Lugo, author of this position statement, is the Green party Candidate for the Tennessee State Senate.

According to a recent report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, at least one in four teenage girls nationwide have a sexually transmitted disease. Clearly abstinence only school programs do not deter young people from sexual activity, but in fact this direction actually deters young adults from access to information that they need to make responsible and safe choices. We must act immediately to withdraw funding for this program and allow teachers to present sensible sexual education curriculum.

As a candidate for federal office I believe that young people must be presented with all the facts available to them. Instead of relying on religious rhetoric and the value system of a fundamentalist minority, I believe that we must look clearly at human behavior as biological fact. The school system is not an avenue for proselytizing about various belief systems. Sexual activity is a fact of life, much like any other human activity and young people need to know the facts before it is too late. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Education, Issues, Opinion | 2 Comments

Finding an honest, skilled contractor …

By Rev. Charles Moreland | June 18, 2008 |

As a homeowner, one of my stresses is just when a repair is needed and who to call to make that repair. The tornado-like winds we have here regularly remove shingles from roofs, or a wire is damaged. Electrician? Carpenter? Both? Over the last five years I have developed a list of contractors whom I think are honest and skilled. There are companies and individuals who have dome work for me in the past and in whom I have confidence.

Last year I got “burned” by a person who professed to be a capable contractor. He adroitly gained my confidence on a small job before cheating me out of a significant amount of money. To prevent such a pique for Clarksville Online readers, I’ll offer some guidelines for hiring a contractor. Money Advisor [Apr '08, p3] covers the subject comprehensively in a half page. Household repairs are stressful and costly, more so is the contractor is incompetent or unscrupulous. There are guideline to reduce the tension. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Opinion, Spirituality | No Comments

Awkward facts about climatic disruption

June 15, 2008 |

Cautionary words on climate from a May 1 statement by George Woodwell, the founder and Director Emeritus of The Woods Hole Research Center.

I explore below paths that might, if followed, lead out of the chaos of an open-ended climatic disruption. Unfortunately the issues are complicated, the time for action is now late, and effective action is growing more difficult daily. Effective action is possible, however….

The changes in climate are far more serious than they may appear…. These changes, the warming of the higher latitudes, the destruction of forests, the accelerated decay of organic matter in forests and tundra soils, the melting of permafrost, the change from a reflective frozen white to black open water in the Arctic Ocean, and the warming of the surface water of the oceans all point to an acceleration of the warming trend. These are “positive feedbacks” which dominate as the earth warms and accelerate the disruption. Despite their importance, they have not been included in appraisals that suggest that a two degree average change in the temperature of the earth might be acceptable. The fact is that the feedbacks will almost certainly take the disruption beyond human control well before the temperature rise is two degrees C. Stopping at 2 degrees will not be possible. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues, News, Opinion, Technology | No Comments

Pss-s-st! “Sullivan’s!” In Charleston! Pass it on!!

By Turner McCullough Jr. | June 13, 2008 |

Recently I had occasion to travel to Charleston, South Carolina. Going home has always been a special thing for me. Going out to the Atlantic Ocean is my favorite seaside pastime. On this trip a good friend took us to a islanders’ favorite hangout which I can now boast is well worth the trip, all on its own.

Author Turner McCullough Jr. outside Sullivans

Sullivan’s Island is home to Fort Moultrie, one of the fortifications which fired on Fort Sumter in the Charleston harbor, thus initiating the Civil War. The island is a small stretch of land with it’s own lighthouse, historic sea captain homes, fortifications and bunkers of Fort Moultrie, but it enjoys a lively commercial district of eateries, guest houses and taverns. Most of these places open for the evening meal during the week and brunch on Sundays. The best of these is “Sullivan’s,” a seafood paradise at 2019 Middle Street, a family friendly dinning place that has been around for over two decades. «Read the rest of this article»

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