Latest "Die Hard" Movie is a Miserable Mess.

The fifth installment of the the "Die Hard" movie series, "A Good Day to Die" is mediocre at best, earning a one star rating.

I haven't seen any of the previous four "Die Hard" movies, but if those movies are anything like the Valentines Day release of the futile fifth, I haven't missed a thing.

Supposedly this movie is an action comedy. The comedy is drab and disastrously dry. The action is redundant and over the top with extremely bad camera work. I've seen better film on teeth. I got that line from the movie "Get Shorty."

John McClane (Bruce Willis), a New York cop leaves the Big Apple to find his son Jack (Jai Courtney), who's living in Moscow. His son Jack is a spy working undercover to protect Komarov (Sebastian Koch) who has a hidden file to bring down the ones who covered up the 80s Chernobyl disaster.

The pathetically predicable plot yields one unique twist, but by this point the movie is a perfect sleeping aide for insomniacs. As I stated earlier the action is over the top. A military war head is fired into heavy traffic with no injuries nor fatalities, the two McClanes are both pounded hard in the face with the butt of a rifle and feel no pain. Without ducking the two run threw machine gun fire from a Russian military helicopter. As countless bullets hurl through glass and other debris, the two jump out of a sky scraper falling several floors through scaffolding and surprise, just a few minor cuts a scrapes.

The unavailing sentiment between father and son is as believable as a truthful government.

Astonishingly, the bad guys lose and the good guys win. The best part of this movie is the end credits with the Rolling Stones song "Doom and Gloom" announcing a much needed conclusion to a movie that should have never been made.

The Romantic Novel "Shiver" Delivers Delicous Desires

The novel "Shiver" is a three star first class romantic thriller which thrusts evil upon the wholesome at heart, casting the emotions of love and lust into a theater of tension and joyous wonder.

Author Karen Robards has written more than 40 New York Times best sellers, why "Shiver" released in December is not one of them is a mystery to me. "Shiver" illustrates human natures thirst for success, yearning for love and desire for passionate pleasures.

Samantha Jones is a 23-year-old single mom working the mean streets of her town as a tow-truck driver. Jones is a repo woman who repossesses autos to support herself and her four-year-old son Tyler. While taking back a BMW she finds 32-year-old Daniel Panterro in the trunk with a gun shot wound in the thigh. Within seconds of encountering Panterro, Jones is knocked unconscious by an unsavory thug and thrown in the trunk with Panterro.

Panterro is in the witness protection program and has been found by the nefarious soul he crossed, Army Veith. Veith and his hoodlum crew are taking Jones and Panterro to the outskirts of town to kill them both. Jones was simple in the wrong place at the wrong time. This all happens in the first 18 pages of the book.

Jones and Panterro manage to escape from the killers. Conflict continues to mount when Veith and his men find Jone's house with the intent to kidnap her son Tyler. Jones, her son and Panterro manage to get in the protective custody of the FBI.

Is someone in the FBI tipping off Veith to help kill Panterro? Can Panterro get into a serious relationship with Jones, thus putting her and her sons life is jeopardy? Who and how many innocent people are killed by Veith and his gangsters? What twists are harbored in this story? Read the book if you want to find out.

The middle of the novel tends to be sluggish and boring until the sexual tension of Jones and Panterro kicks in. The simple facts are there. Panterro is an intelligent, suave and buff gentleman. Jones is tough yet sensitive, smart and a natural beauty with hips that sway in the dirty dreams of men. The emotional and physical attraction these two feel for each other is “Romeo and Juliet” style all the way. Panterro knows if he makes Jones his lover, Veith and his depraved crew will kill her and her son given any chance.

To experience cerebral and physical love the two must overcome a sea of obstacles as big as the national debt. "Shiver" is romantic without being hokey and action packed without being ridiculous.

Mark (Izzy) Schurr, Reviews and Opinions...: No End in Sight for the Corruption of Big Oil

Mark (Izzy) Schurr, Reviews and Opinions...: No End in Sight for the Corruption of Big Oil: Big Oil companies soulless practices are as vast as time and the universe itself, dwelling in destruction and deceit. The explosion on De...

No End in Sight for the Corruption of Big Oil

Big Oil companies soulless practices are as vast as time and the universe itself, dwelling in destruction and deceit.

The explosion on Deepwater Horizon that killed 11 BP employees in April 2010 is just a small fraction of the evils of Big Oil.

From its infancy in the late 1800s and early 1900s, oil companies have been driven primarily on immorality, greed, corruption and most likely murder. Gasoline fueled engines have been obsolete since the 1890s, however big business diminished pollution free and economically sagacious motors for the almighty buck.

In my mind Rudolf Diesel was murdered in 1913. In 1893 Diesel invented an engine that ran off peanut oil. His body was found in the ocean in 1913, a death described as a mystery then and now. Apparently he fell off a ship while sailing across the English Channel. Shortly after his death, the oil companies denied his engine ever ran off peanut oil and that diesel fuel was the only thing that would run his engine. Ninety years later, Diesel was publicly proven right. For more detailed information watch the documentary "GasHole" or check out the wed site;

http://mendonews.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/henry-ford-and-rudolf-diesels-vision-of-a-hemp-diesel-revolution/

"GasHole" released in 2008 talked about another potential murder by a major oil company. Tom Ogle a mechanic in the 70s invented a car engine that got 100 mpg according to a 1977 El Paso Times article on the following web site; http://elpasotimes.typepad.com/morgue/2008/04/200-miles-on-tw.html

Ogle had offers from major oil gurus to buy his patent; he declined and sold his patent in 1978 to a small company in Seattle, Advanced Fuel Systems Inc. Six months later the Securities Exchange Commission slapped an injunction on the Seattle firm claiming fraud provisions of federal securities laws, this according the above web page.

Ogle was found dead, news sources claiming suicide by a drug and alcohol over dose while other sources from "GasHole" suggested murder by a well known oil company.

"His (Ogle) invention was sophisticated enough to get him dead," Ernest Pearce a retired mechanic said in "GasHole."

Ogles widow Monica refused to talk to the film makers of "GasHole," because she was freighted to talk about his story with them.

Solar powered vehicles, biodiesel and electric cars are not being used effectively because Big Oil has the power and money to hinder sound ideas from the general public.

In "GasHole" retired shell scientist David Blackmore said that Shell scientist had the technology for automobiles to achieve 1000 mpg in the 70s.

The book "Fuel Economy of the Gasoline Engine" written in the 40s claims Shell had the technology for cars to get a 149 mpg in 1947. "GasHole" claims the book is now out of print and has disappeared from the library of congress. I found some copies of the book on Amazon.com; new ones were going for more than $1700. Used copies were more than $170.

The fatal blunder of BP which killed 11 people could have easily been averted had BP spent less than $60,000 on upgrades for Deepwater Horizon. "Drowning in Oil; BP and the Reckless pursuit of Profit," a book written by Loren C. Steffy illustrates how high rollers at BP spent extremly large amounts of money on cocaine and hookers instead of Deepwater Horizon upgrades which was still using 50s technology.

In the second quarter of 2011 BP profited 5.6 billion dollars according to the article "Big Oil Companies Post Huge Profits on High Gas Prices;" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/29/big-oil-profits_n_913452.html. For those of you who don't know, a quarter is three months in the business world.

There will be a time when gasoline engines become extinct, maybe even in this life time, but dollar signs and insanely large political campaign contributions will continue to rule over solar, electric and biodiesel for decades to come.

"Stand Up Guys" Al Pacino and Christopher Walken's Latest Movie Stands Tall

"Stand Up Guys" is a refreshingly witty gangster comedy that relies on solid acting and screen writing rather than bombastic special effects, over the top violence and explicit sex.

The movie is a dry comedy wetting the soul with laughter. "Stand Up Guys" is sentimental without being sappy and its conflict is sagaciously perplexing. Kill a life long friend in cold blood or have a very dear family member murdered by your foe is quite the conundrum indeed.

Doc portrayed by Christopher Walken picks up his buddy Val; Al Pacino after being in prison for 28-years. Val and Doc catch up on old times with chat, a night on the town complete with hookers, booze and drugs. The two chums then get their friend Hirsch; Alan Arkin out of the old folks home well after 1 a.m. Arkin's arrival in the movie jump starts the plot while adding more flair and comedy to the already funny flick.

Hirsch wants to have a threesome with hooker Nina; Julianna Margulies and the receptionist Wendy; Lucy Punch. When Wendy says she doesn't have sex for money, Val replies, "We won't pay you."

Val, Doc and Hirsch are lovable thugs bent on doing what's right, particularly when they find Sylvia; Vanessa Ferlito naked and in the trunk of a car they have stolen. Turns out Sylvia was gang raped by some serious low lives. Val and his two pals with the aide of Sylvia seek out the guys who raped her for a little pay back visit.

"My favorite ballet was the Nutcracker," Sylvia said to the rapists while yielding a baseball bat.

I can't say much more without giving up the entire story which screen writer Noah Haidle so wonderfully wrote. When the conflict hits its boiling point and the credits roll after the conclusion there is an unlocked window of wonder as to what really went down in the very end.

If you want to see a movie with high-tech special effects, air brushed nude women and gory violence, "Stand Up Guys" is not the movie for you. If you like cunning dialog with adult themes and a smart plot, the movie is a three and a half star gem which is the rating I gave it.

Val, Doc and Hirsch face the uphill battle of time and the dangers of being real gangsters with true heart and humor.

"Andromeda's Fall by William C. Dietz is a Fantastic Read

It became abundantly clear to me why William C. Dietz is a New York Times best selling author of more than 30 novels after reading his latest release "Andromeda's Fall," netting a four star rating.

"Andromeda's Fall," publicized in December is a military science fiction complete with intergalactic travel detailing the realities of governments ruling the world via mass murder and extreme corruption. Ophelia, an empress of evil is very reminiscent of the one percent of the wealthy ruling the world or in her case the universe, who thrives on greed and the destruction of the poor and middle class.

"Andromeda's Fall," is the first of three books in a prequel to "Legion of the Damned" and eight other books continuing where "Legion of the Damned" ended.

"Andromeda's Fall" starts fast and flavorable when androids, sent by Ophelia kill her brother Alfred so she can acquire more power. Ophelia is practically her own government with the money and armies to kill all who oppose her. Ophelia is responsible for the death of Lady Catherine Carletto's parents who had the money and might to combat her.

Carletto also know as Cat has a sole quest to bring down Ophelia and anyone standing in her way. The odds are stacked against Cat, who must dodge and fight military, law enforcement and androids whose single mission in life is to kill Cat via the orders of Ophelia.

"Andromeda’s Fall" takes place 100s of years in the future. There are several planets humans now live on including Earth where Alfred was murdered in Denver. Despite Ophelia riches and enormous armies, there are many individuals and armies with the capabilities and desire to oppose her.

Cat soon joins the Legion, an army unto itself. The Legion is a large and fully functioning military complete with men, women and machines to combat those attacking them. The Legion fights for themselves, not meaningless wars for one percent of the population to get richer.

While in the Legion, Cat is no longer alone in fighting Ophelia and she learns how to use weapons and fight by hand. An intense moment occurs on the planet Drang when some of the Legion members are in ranks, too small to fend off Ophelia's army of androids. A single android is allowed to inspect the ranks looking for Cat. The android has the ability for eye and facial scanning to find a match. It's extremely clever and lucky how Cat avoids captivity and being killed by the android in this moment.

The book has its funny moments as well. Some soldiers were rocketing to another planet and upon arrival puked in their military battle helmets due to the fast motion of space travel, then the orders came; all soldiers put on your head gear.

This book is a four star read, but I do recommend reading Dietz's "Legion of the Damned" and the eight other books following it first. I wish I had done that myself. Despite some things unexplained or vaguely mentioned in Andromeda's Fall," the eloquent writing of Dietz carries this prequel into the richest realms of the imaginations, leaving the reader wanting more.

Local Boxing Program for Youths Is Primarily Aimed at Character Devopment

Character Development is the Number One Priority for the Salvation Army's Youth Boxing Program, Double Punches, yet Still Teaches Professional Boxing Skills to Young Adults.

Double Punches founder Richard Lopez said his goal is to keep kids from gang involvement, drugs and dropping out of school.

"I look at a neighborhood where there tell me it's troubled..."I see workers, leaders and potential," Lopez said. His goal is to filter out the ones with some or all of these three skills and enlighten them about Double Punches. "Any kind of sport builds character in a young student, that's why when they come here they get discipline and structure."

The program is open to all children ages 10-16 years-old. People ages 17-24 years-old may also join. Discounts for enrollment are available for low-income students or ones with good grades. For complete details you can log onto doublepunches.com.

No student is allowed to begin their work-out until they have finished their home work Lopez said. "Education comes first, the work-out is secondary, when the boxing is gone, they still have their education," he said.

While talking to Lopez it became abundantly clear how special Double Punches really is. It was discovered that one of their coaches, 29-year-old Enrique Gutierrez life may have ended when he was 16. When Gutierrez was a Double Punches student at that age, he chose not to miss a training sessions instead of going to a party with a then friend. Gutierrez's friend was shot and killed that same day in his car.

"We can give you story after story, but that one really stands out," Lopez said. "The guy (Gutierrez's friend) dropped off Gutierezz at the gym, the friend ended up getting shot in his car on ninth street that same day...because of the boxing, Gutierrez chose to train."

From possibly being shot dead to being a junior Olympic champion at 16-years-old in the 147 pound weight class is quite a turn of events indeed. In 2001 Gutierrez was on the Olympic boxing team in Puerto Rico and Denmark he said. He has competed both nationally and internationally.

“I attribute a lot of my success to Lopez, he’s my spiritual father,” Gutierrez said. “I have a lot of respect for him.”

Gutierrez lost several fights in his early youth and at the age of 12 he went in the ring against his parent’s wishes and knowledge. His parents where mad at the time, yet proud of his victory and trophy harnessed that day. 

Before this year is over, Double Punches will begin its 25th year of benefiting students and the community. "It ((Double Punches) keeps me off the streets and teaches me discipline and life skills," 12-year-old Jonathan Rubio said.

Judith Garcia, 13-years-old and Katelyn Wilkinson, a 15-years-old both said they like learning how to defend themselves through the program. "I'm learning self confidence and I have a new family," Wilkinson said.

Aside from building character, instilling morals, principles and a priority in life, Double Punches also enables determined boxers with the skills and potential to turn pro. Double Punches is licensed with USA Boxing. Double Punches has two main events every year as well as having regional and national competitions. As long as a student keeps winning, they can go to the next level of competition Lopez said.

"When I'm 18, I might turn pro," Rubio said. "Right now I'm ranked second in northern California with a record of 15-5 in my age and weight class." (85 pounds.)

Rubio's dad, coach Jovanni Rubio said Double Punches will be hosting big matches in May known as the Box Off. Winners at the Box Off have a chance to compete in the nationals and may even qualify for the Olympics.

If you’re a parent concerned about the dangers boxing can impose, i.e., blows to the head, safety is the number one concern for Lopez. No student in the Double Punches program is required to complete, in fact many kids simply enjoy the work-out.

"I'm learning good defensive skills and want to get buff," Wilkinson said.

Everyone who spares must wear all the required protective gear. Aside from the mandatory head gear, females are also required to wear chest protectors when sparing.

"We watch out for hard blows, after a hard blow we might sit a student out for a week," Lopez said. "We separate the guys who want to compete from the ones who don't, so they can be more aggressive in the ring."

Watching the children working out in the gym, talking with them and some of the coaches illustrated the extreme value and importance of Double Punches.

“Double Punches is the greatest program I’ve ever done, it represents something that’s going to give you a future,” Gutierrez said.