Clint Eastwood Retires from Acting

Clint Eastwood has always been one of my favorite actors and directors. I think because he always reminded me of my Dad. Anyway, I saw that he has another new movie coming out called "Gran Tourino" and went to look it up on IMDB to see what it was about and saw this article attached.

From IMDB.com:

23 November 2008 6:16 AM, PST | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news

Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood is retiring from acting, after a career spanning more than 50 years.

The 78-year-old had limited acting success in the 1950s, before shooting to fame in the 1960s with roles in hit Western movies such as For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

He went on to star in 1971 classic Dirty Harry and four sequels as hard-edged police inspector Harry Callahan.

Eastwood extended his career in movies to directing - and has received Academy Awards for his work on Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby.

The director's appeal spanned generations and he is still enjoying success today - with this year's movie Changeling, starring Angelina Jolie, receiving praise from critics and fans alike.

Eastwood has just finished starring in and directing Gran Torino, a drama about a racist veteran of the Korean War - but now that is over, he is hanging up his acting hat for good.

He tells Britain's Sunday Express, "That will probably do it for me as far as acting is concerned.

"You always want to quit while you are ahead. You don't want to be like a fighter who stays too long in the ring until you're not performing at your best."

But the star is adamant he will keep sitting in the director's chair: "I've got no plans to stop making films."

And so it begins....

From Yahoo news:

Jonathan Martin – Thu Nov 20

President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team is asking potential appointees detailed questions about gun ownership, and firearms advocates aren’t happy about it.

The National Rifle Association has denounced the move, which has already led one Republican senator to consider legislation aimed at ensuring a president can’t use an applicant’s gun ownership status to deny employment.

It’s just one question on a lengthy personnel form — No. 59 on a 63-question list — but the furor over the query is a vivid reminder of the intensity of support for Second Amendment rights and signals the scrutiny Obama is likely to receive from the ever-vigilant gun lobby.

Obama’s transition team declined to go into detail on why they included the question, suggesting only that it was done to ensure potential appointees were in line with gun laws.

“The intent of the gun question is to determine legal permitting,” said one transition aide.

But even some Democrats and transition experts are baffled by the inclusion of the question.

Tucked in at the end of the questionnaire and listed under “Miscellaneous,” it reads: “Do you or any members of your immediate family own a gun? If so, provide complete ownership and registration information. Has the registration ever lapsed? Please also describe how and by whom it is used and whether it has been the cause of any personal injuries or property damage.”

Paul Light, professor of public service at New York University, said there was no such question for potential appointees when President George W. Bush took office in 2000.

“It kind of sticks out there like a sore thumb,” Light said.

He expressed uncertainty over why it was included but surmised it was out of an abundance of caution, a desire to avoid the spectacle of a Cabinet-level or other high-ranking appointee who is discovered to have an unregistered handgun at home.

“It’s the kind of thing that, if dug out, could be an embarrassment to the president-elect,” Light said.

Clay Johnson, deputy director of management at the Office of Management and Budget and the head of Bush’s 2000 transition, also didn’t quite understand the purpose of the question.

“It could be their way to say to prospects that they will have to answer all these questions sooner or later, so be prepared,” Johnson observed.

Matt Bennett, a veteran campaign operative who did a stint at Americans for Gun Safety and who now works for the moderate Democratic think tank Third Way, was equally befuddled.

“It strikes me as overly lawyerly,” he said, noting that only a small percentage of guns owned by adults are ever used improperly.

Only half-joking, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) alluded to the shooting accident involving Vice President Dick Cheney, suggesting the query could be a better-safe-than-sorry measure.

“Given the behavior of the vice president under the last administration, you may want to know these things,” Ryan said.

On a more serious note, Ryan suggested that the new president was being “very, very thorough” in his approach.

An Obama ally and pro-gun Democrat from a blue-collar region of Ohio, Ryan dismissed the notion that the inclusion of such a question would do any political harm to the incoming president.

But other gun rights supporters want Obama to know the question has raised their antennae.

“It’s very odd and very concerning to put out a question like that,” said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), adding that it may also be “unprecedented.”

The freshman senator, who is up for reelection in 2010, had his campaign organization send an e-mail to supporters this week, pledging to enact legislation to bar federal hiring discrimination on the basis of gun ownership.

“Barack Obama promised change, and this is proof positive that we are going to see some of the most liberal change in our nation’s history,” wrote DeMint’s campaign in the e-mail.

DeMint conceded it was unrealistic to try to get a bill on the matter through during the lame duck session this week.

Still, it’s the sort of symbolic issue that may provide a political opening for Republican members of Congress from conservative-leaning states to contrast themselves with the new Democratic administration.

“I want him to know that we’re looking for areas we can work with him but also looking for areas of concern that we want to let him know we’re going to fight on,” DeMint said.

The NRA, the gun-rights group that spent millions to defeat Obama, only to see him easily carry sportsmen-heavy states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania, is signaling that it intends to keep up the fight.

“Barack Obama and his administration are showing their true colors and true philosophy with regard to the Second Amendment,” said Chris Cox, the NRA’s top political official. “It shows what we’ve been saying all along — this guy doesn’t view the Second Amendment as a fundamental constitutional right.”

Cox said the group had put the word out to their members on the question.

Bennett, though, argued that approach would have little resonance.

“The real question is whether he’s doing harm to the broader image of Democrats on guns, and the answer is probably no,” he said. “It may gin up 350,000 hard-core NRA types, but it won’t really bother 65 million other gun owners.”

Recipes

So my Mom gave me a cookbook that she got from my Grandma the other day and my Wife and I kinda browsed through it to see if we would like anything from it. About an hour later, we finally stopped laughing. I thought I would share some of the more tantalizing treats and funny names they had;

Rum Tum Ditty -tomato soup, milk & cheddar cheese over toast

Golden Rabbit - cheddar cheese soup, tomato soup and milk over toast (sound familiar?)

Creamy Tuna Mold - mmmmmmm! (too many ingreds. to mention)

Creamy Peanut Butter Soup - tomato soup, peanut butter and milk.....WTF?!

For the very advanced cook... Pronto Chili - 1 can condensed chili beef soup, 1/2 can water.

BBQ hamburgers... not one, but two recipes for BBQ Hamburgers...

shape 2 lbs of seasoned ground beef into 8 patties. Brown in butter, add BBQ sauce, simmer

Or, for the outdoor cook, Make patties as in skillet method, place on grill, cook 15 minutes. Wow... I hadn't thought of that!

Thirsty? How about a nice Friskey Sour? beef broth, water and lemon juice serve over ice.

or some Chickety Chick? cream of chicken soup, water and poultry seasoning served warm in mugs.

oooh, how about  a nice glass of Sunbather's Special? condensed beef broth, 1/2 can apple juice and a dash of cinnamon. Served over ice...yummy!

And the winner in the "best name" category.....

Cock-A-Leekie! leeks, butter, chicken vegetable soup, water, 4 to 6 cooked prunes, salt & pepper. Penicillin shot extra.

And now, the most sports talk you'll ever hear from me.

The year, 1998. NFL draft. The top pick came down to two QBs. Peyton Manning, and Ryan Leaf. Anyone who follows football knows who Peyton Manning is, but many may not know who Ryan Leaf is. He is from Great Falls, MT where he led his high school to the state title in '92. He went on to play at Washington state and was a finalist for the Heisman his junior year. It was widely believed that he would do very well in the NFL.

I was living in Great Falls in '98 and the draft was a pretty big deal. The funny thing is, that he was also widely believed to be the world's biggest ASSHOLE. Great Falls is a very small town... pop about 40,000 when I was there, scuttlebut was rampant. So we watched as he was picked up by San Diego. Huge signing bonus and salary. I was not impressed. I hate it when an asshole gets ahead in  life.

Well, we all watched as he failed miserably his first season. Yay! Karma is finally sneaking up on him! Well, his career swirled around and eventually went the way of the turd... down the drain. Conversely, Peyton Manning not only had an exceptional first year... and beyond, but he is also well known for his approachability, enthusiasm and sportsmanship. Hee heeeee... see, good guys do win eventually.

Anyway, what is all this about you ask? I didn't know it because I don't follow football anymore, but it would seem Ryan got himself a job coaching QBs for West Texas A&M. And... lol... got himself suspended for asking a member of the team for painkillers.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/NFL-bust-Ryan-Leaf-placed-on-leave-from-college-?urn=nfl,119970

Got an email today about the job I just interviewed for... no luck.

Let's check out totals shall we?

• applications made: 71
• interviews: 5
• "no thanks" responses besides interview: 18

that's 48 applications that have gone unanswered (+/- 3 or 4, I may be off on my count). I do have 3 recent apps out now that I may get a response on, let's hope.

It's disturbingly frustrating to say the least. Above it all, I am trying so hard to stay positive, but it is becomming difficult. I never thought in a million years I would have to go through this. I had heard of people that had been in a career for 20 years suddenly finding themselves jobless and it lasting for a long time, but always thought I was safe. I guess it was just wishful thinking. It is definately a bad time to be without a job. The economy is spiraling the drain in the shithole so less and less companies are hiring. Unemployment is way up so I have a lot more competition for any job out there. Maybe I should start turning tricks? Do rich women still hire male escorts? I wonder if my wife would mind? Hell, at this point, she may even pimp my ass out!