My long time followers dating back to my days running my own investigative weekly newspaper in Amarillo know not only that I predicted what we’re seeing with the Trump “presidency” and the Republican-controlled Congress. In short, my views of the Republican Party evolved from seeing it as an…
Latest Blogs
Typically about this time of year, the gaming industry is bustling with news of what's coming and what we can anticipate for the fall season.
J.R. Ortega
Copy Desk Chief
top story
When someone begins hacking into the phones of prominent figures in a small town, their private lives are exposed for mass consumption in Sam Levinson’s “Assassination Nation.”
top story
Nicolas Cage is once again in his element as the eccentric actor plays a lumberjack who takes on a sect of religious fanatics in the new film by Panos Cosmatos.
The Texas State Board of Education has, once again, made a mockery of itself by when it cast preliminary votes to eliminate the contributions to our nation by Helen Keller and Hillary Clinton. The claim was these changes were to "streamline" the curricula. That, of course, is bogus — an inst…
ReviewDON’T LEAVE HOME (2018)Anna Margaret Hollyman, Lalor Roddy, Helena Bereen, David McSavage, Karrie Cox, Mark Lawrence. Directed by Michael TullyAustin filmmaker Michael Tully (“Ping Pong Summer”) heads to Ireland for this gothic tale that reminds me of Rod Serling’s early 70s horror se…
top story
I’m growing nostalgic as I sit here watching “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” download onto our PlayStation 4.
J.R. Ortega
Copy Desk Chief
top story
I’m growing nostalgic as I sit here watching “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” download onto our PlayStation 4.
J.R. Ortega
Copy Desk Chief
top story
She made her debut in 1982’s “The World According to Garp,” which was followed by “The Big Chill” and standout performances in “The Natural” and “Jagged Edge,” but it was 1987’s “Fatal Attraction” that made Glenn Close a household name. Six Oscar nominations later, the luminous actress leave…
Fall has arrived. It doesn’t seem like it with our rather warm weather, but trust me, it’s definitely on its way. I’m so excited because Fall is my absolute FAVORITE season. I love the cooler weather (when it in fact does finally arrive) and love putting out my fall decor.
It takes a filmmaker like Spike Lee to continually remind us how little we’ve progressed in 242 years when it was declared that “all men are created equal.” Based on a true story, "BlacKkKlansman" is the ultimate form of entertainment, funny, emotional, and timely.
Sign me up in the Rose Byrne fan club. The charming actress who we’ve come to love in comedies “Bridesmaids” and “Neighbors” adds the right amount of pizzazz to elevate the new comedy from director Jesse Peretz (“Our Idiot Brother”) based on Nick Hornby’s 2009 novel.
Marian apparitions investigated by the Catholic Church can be traced back to 1531 when Juan Diego encountered the Virgin Mary in the hills of Mexico. French director Xavier Giannoli (“Marguerite”) delves into the supernatural phenomena with the story of a war journalist played by the husky-…
This is not the first time that a film has used computer screens and apps to tell a story nor will it be the last. What sets Aneesh Chaganty’s “Searching” apart from its predecessors is the way the first-time director skillful executes today’s communicating technology to create genuine tens…
The New York Times has dropped an unprecedented bomb on the United States public with its publication of an anonymous Op-Ed piece attributed to a senior official in the Trump administration. The rationale for the anonymity is to protect the official’s position in the administration while inf…
I see people, who are not necessarily my friends, are now shouting left-wing bias at the top of their lungs. Even more so. I see this at the national and local level. Why is this?
ReviewSKATE KITCHEN (2018)Rachelle Vinberg, Dede Lovelace, Nina Moran, Jaden Smith, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Kabrina Adams, Ajani Russell, Jules Lorenzo, Brenn Lorenzo, Hisham Tawfiq, Alex Cooper, Tashiana Washington. Directed by Crystal MoselleWhich came first, the NYC female skaters known as …
Improvisation is pushed to the extreme in writer-director Josephine Decker’s “Madeline’s Madeline,” featuring a breakthrough performance by 20-year-old Helena Howard.
top story
Life has been so busy, that unfortunately my Gamer’s Thumb column has taken a back seat.
J.R. Ortega
Copy Desk Chief
Sen. John McCain’s death from brain cancer last week will, as others pointed out, change the nature of the United States Senate. His was one of the few voices in the Republican Party to openly oppose and criticize the illegitimate president, Donald Trump. After all, what the late senator end…
What is most valuable to you?
Chris Cobler
Editor and Publisher
A few of my buddies were trying to guess how much time President Trump has in office. One said his health would make him resign, another said he would resign to save his family members from being indicted and we all agreed (although not tested) that a sitting president cannot be indicted.
top story
It was Danny Boyle’s 1996 film “Trainspotting” that introduced audiences to then 20-year-old Kelly Macdonald who played Ewan McGregor’s underage girlfriend, Diane. After appearing in films that include Robert Altman’s “Gosford Park,” the Coen Brothers’ “No Country for Old Men,” and HBO’s “Bo…
Most Moms are breathing a sigh of relief with the children back in school. As with anything though, the kiddos may be back in school but the “busy days” are just in front of you.
Remember when Hillary Clinton asserted her political career and 2016 campaign was undercut by “a vast right-wing conspiracy?” Of course, people on the right scoffed and those on the left agreed. But, was there any evidence that Clinton was right? And if evidence existed, was it credible?
The recent online discussion in the thread about 200 newspapers retaliating over being dubbed the “enemy of the people” proved that we are still talking past each other.
So you’ve never heard of Texas country singer Blaze “Deputy Dog” Foley? Well, don’t sweat it. Ethan Hawke, the actor-turned-director, brings the life of the underrated musician to the big screen with Arkansas native Benjamin Dickey making his film debut in the lead role.
Thursday’s Beto O’Rourke town hall meeting was well worth the two hours I spent in that hall. Before Beto’s 35-minute speech, I enjoyed District 27 Congressional candidate Eric Holguin’s opening remarks and Omar Rashid’s introductory remarks. Many thanks to the volunteers who put in the hard…
It didn’t take long for Michael Cloud to show his true colors. Like almost every Republican, he was sworn in and immediately went to the United States House of Representatives Republican Cloakroom to have his spine removed. And, what little is left of his intellectual honesty cratered when h…
So you’ve never heard of the band Magic Music. Unless you’re from Boulder, Colo., and my age or older, that’s understandable. I couldn’t even find them on Wikipedia.
The results are in: Nintendo Switch has sold 19.67 million consoles as of June 30.
J.R. Ortega
Copy Desk Chief
The end of July marks the actual “one year anniversary date” of my official retirement. As you can see, I’ve managed to finish at least 24 blogs and get them posted. Not exactly one per week but I’ve given my best and feel OK about the job I’ve done.
There are many challenges to writing a blog about places to visit and things to do in a small city. It is a challenge I am more than happy to endure, because of the perspective I had from living in Victoria the past couple of years. There is a hope inside me that wishes others could potentia…
Yeah, it’s been a while. I know my two devoted followers have missed me. Right?
Close your eyes and picture someone in your life affected by a stroke or heart disease.
As I was cleaning my office, I ran across this article written by Matt Sedensky and published by Newsmax on March 5, 2017, titled “Divided Americans Worry Country Losing Identity.”
Returning to fine form, director Gus Van Sant’s new film is right on par with some of his best work including “Drugstore Cowboy,” and “Good Will Hunting.”
