POLITISMARTS 

MARCH 26TH, 2013 

Today, Atlas Productions, LLC officially announced that “Atlas Shrugged Part 3”, the third and final installment of the Atlas Shrugged movie trilogy, has been officially greenlit with principal photography to begin later this year. 

The movie trilogy follows the three-part structure of Ayn Rand’s epic 1957 novel, ATLAS SHRUGGED.  Atlas Shrugged Part 3 takes place in a near future dystopian United States with the nation's economy quickly approaching collapse.  While overreaching government regulations persist in strangling the country's few remaining entrepreneurs, society’s most productive continue to mysteriously disappear.  One man has the answer. Some will stop at nothing to control him.  Others will stop at nothing to save him.  Who is John Galt?

The producers have tapped four time Emmy® award-winner, Duncan Scott as the film’s screenwriter along with Brian O’Toole. Long before working on Atlas Shrugged Part 2, Scott worked extensively with Ayn Rand on the restoration and editing of the classic motion picture “We the Living”, based on Rand’s novel of the same title.

“We’re thrilled to have Duncan and Brian back.  Having sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Rand, no one else could do what Duncan can when it comes to adapting Atlas.  His unmatched experience and his incredible depth of knowledge regarding Atlas are absolutely invaluable,” stated Producer John Aglialoro.

Aglialoro’s company produced and distributed Parts 1 and 2, and has set a USA theatrical release for Part 3 in the Summer of 2014.  Parts 1 and 2 are now available on DVD, BluRay and are available for internet download.

Producer Harmon Kaslow said, “Our number one goal with Part 3 is to pull the prescient message of Atlas off of the page and project it clearly onto the screen.  Ayn Rand drew incredibly sharp archetypes with stark backdrops.  Our goal with Part 3 is to bring these characters to life as accurately as possible and celebrate Rand’s message.”

Official Trilogy Web Site: http://www.AtlasShruggedMovie.com

Official Atlas Shrugged Community Forum: http://www.GaltsGulchOnline.com

About Atlas Productions, LLC

Atlas Productions, LLC. was formed by John Aglialoro as a motion picture studio to produce and distribute movies including the trilogy of Ayn Rand’s epic novel, Atlas Shrugged. For more information, visit http://www.AtlasShruggedMovie.com.

CONTACT:

David Fouse

fouse@pinkstongroup.com

(703) 260-1076

The Pinkston Group

4115 Annandale Road, Suite 305

Annandale, VA  22003

 *

FREEDOM IS THE ONLY ANSWER

SMARTS REVISITED - 2011

To decide what will guide America out of the current recession, it is important to differentiate free market-capitalism from socialism.  Capitalism is a system in which the means of production (business, manufacturing, etc.) are owned and operated by private companies for profit.  In contrast, socialism is a system in which the means of production are owned and operated by the state for the common good of the people (theoretically).  Taking this philosophy to the next step; communism is when socialism evolves into the absence of government and people work solely to support the system.  

While socialism sounds nice in theory, in practice it ignores basic human instincts.  People are not motivated to work simply for the goodwill of a faceless neighbor in a faraway city.  In America, socialism means turning over spending the fruits of one’s labor to a bureaucracy in Washington.  Yes, people are able to elect politicians via popular vote, but there is a real disconnect between a local community and government spending in Washington at this moment in history.  While socialism may work on a familial or small community level when all parties agree; it is immoral to force people into a system of shared responsibility if they do not want to participate. 

We live in a world of excess created by the inability of people, businesses and government to deal with the consequences of failure.  America’s national debt is fast approaching $15 trillion. With a $1.267 trillion deficit for FY 2011, our country is not digging itself out of this hole in the near future.  It is also not going to solve the problem by pouring on more spending, redistributing wealth, or through the use of quantitative easing (printing of money).  Obama’s latest $450 billion jobs bill will only perpetuate the fundamental problems within this country.  

Many of the problems leading up to the economic disaster were due to federal intervention in tinkering with the free market or overspending on socialist policies.  For example, a big piece of the housing bubble was due to the Clinton Administration pushing Freddie and Fannie to lend to low income and minority populations. These loans mostly turned out to be failed investments and the housing market has suffered since. Furthermore, America is on the brink of bankruptcy due to socialist type entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid, social security, excessive pension plans for public employees, and Cadillac health care policies all run and controlled by the government.    

Our country was founded by a group of rugged individualists that rebelled against a tyrant king who was taxing without representation of the colonists.  Americans, by nature, have an inherent mistrust of government.  The feds have lost their credibility and it is unthinkable to turn over more responsibility, in the form of socialism, to guide us out of this mess.  A trillion dollar bailout here, bank bailouts there; none of these massive Keynesian tactics have helped right the ship of the economy.

Our country is drowning in a sea of debt thanks to both parties getting away from the principles upon which America was founded.  Lending has frozen for small business, the economic driver of our economy. Corporations have moved overseas because the tax burden and cost of labor in America are much too high thanks to government intervention in the free market.  Even increasing the minimum wage is directly correlated to higher unemployment numbers. The only way out of this financial mess is to stick to American capitalist fundamentals because people are incentivized by financial rewards.  Less government regulation will free up jobs.  America cannot spend its way to prosperity in the form of socialism.  Capitalism is our only hope. 

SMARTS - 2010

UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION EXPOSED FEDERAL POLICY

Santa Barbara prides itself as being a leader in the Green Revolution. Unfortunately, when America’s most influential chief executives and policymakers on the subject took over Bacara Resort & Spa for last week’s ECO:nomics summit hosted by The Wall Street Journal, the general public was left out in the cold.

This was a gathering of big shots in the Green movement exploring how to create environmental capital from their own perspectives. This was not Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider and Councilman Das Williams congregating to explore a plastic bag tax. These were internationally renowned movers and shakers who lobby, sponsor bills and have real influence over federal laws that affect average folks across the nation.

Coincidentally, Bacara is built over one of my favorite environmental capitals, Haskell’s Beach. Some may remember when gaining access to the secluded surf spot required hiking across natural terrain, one of the pristine gems of Santa Barbara County. Now sits a monstrosity of a resort where our country’s elites gather for a conference on how to save the environment. The irony is profound.

The goal of this swank conference was to seek new solutions for a green marketplace when “prospects for a global carbon-emissions regime are in flux,” as stated on the conference Web site. In flux indicates a struggle for power. These special-interest groups were all lobbying for position in the uncertain future of mandated emissions standards. The entire Bacara Resort reportedly was bought out for this event and closed to the public. Some of the big-name players in attendance included Energy Secretary Steven Chu, proponent of a cap-and-trade carbon emissions tax; Robert Iger, president and CEO of Walt Disney Co.; Peter Voser, chief executive of Royal Dutch/Shell; and Michael Morris, president and CEO of American Electric Power.

I was one of the fortunate attendees and not because I paid the lofty $3,800 entrance fee or received an invititation from Dr. Chu himself. Sometimes all you need for VIP access is a sport coat, a Batman shirt, and a tough-as-nails woman from Bakersfield at your side. I had all three. We stumbled upon keynote speaker T. Boone Pickens, an oil-industry billionaire and personal friend of Sens. Harry Reid, John Kerry and Joe Lieberman.

Pickens made the argument against foreign oil dependence and high-emission energy production. He talked about his vision for wind turbine farms extending from the Texas Panhandle to the Canadian border. However, his plan is currently at a standstill because of problems with capital and credit markets. In other words, these turbine wind farms are not financially feasible in the free market. Pickens was also advocating natural gas for transportation, another industry in which he has a vested interest. He tried to paint a rosy picture of the natural gas industry, citing bipartisan support for HR 1835, the “Nat Gas Act.” The two prongs of this Pickens Plan are:

1. $1 trillion worth of wind facilities to be installed across the “Wind Belt,” plus another $200 billion for transmission infrastructure, to provide 20 percent of our annual electricity needs. Hey, when you can’t get it done in the free market, lobby Congress for $1.2 trillion worth of help. That’s the new America, right?

2. Transfer natural gas from fire power plants to be used for transportation fuel instead.

The problem with Picken’s second prong was highlighted by Ford Motor Co.’s representative at the conference, Susan Cischke, vice president for sustainability, environment and safety engineering. Ford had just released a favorable fourth-quarter earnings statement in a very unfavorable car market. Ford has its thumb on the pulse of car consumers. Cischke touched a bit on the challenges of compressed natural gas, or CNG, in vehicles. She noted that entry-level CNG cars cost more than $50,000 and require much larger tanks for fuel storage. Also, converting to CNG guzzling in cars will cost at least $10,000 on average. I thought to myself, “How many people can afford a $50,000 car in this economy or fork out $10,000 for a converter kit?” This is what people want to impose upon us? I guess Americans can demand federal subsidies to pay for the cost. Or they can simply charge the credit card, default on payments, and ask Big Brother Obama for a bailout. After all, this is about saving the world, America. What’s another trillion dollars of national debt at this point? Principles are now a remnant of the past.

Furthermore, natural gas refueling stations cost upward of $800,000 to build. Again, if this was a cost-effective model, these would be popping up in the free marketplace. Quite simply, they are not. Pickens did offer some hope on the matter. He said compressed natural gas for transportation will be competitive in pricing when regular gasoline hits $7 a gallon. Unfortunately, that change in cost of living is not appealing to the average citizen. I guess that’s just what hope and change is about: hope that people will buy into some obscure world vision, even if it requires change that will alter one’s economic well-being. It’s all about sacrifice for the collective good of society. Someone quote that. Oh, wait, Karl Marx already did.

While Santa Barbara remains animated on the environmental cause, real power players congregate behind closed doors at Bacara, exploring real policy actions and laws that will affect our everyday lives. There are so many vying for a piece of the pie: politicians, business opportunists and activists alike. Ultimately, average citizens suffer the consequences of these new laws. Elitists may be able to afford natural gas-consuming vehicles at $50,000, converter kits for $10,000 and $7 per gallon gasoline, but most of us cannot. Economically viable solutions like domestic drilling are practical and drive down the cost of living for all Americans.

Unfortunately, the only people with a real say in the debate are those with a $3,800 VIP pass to Bacara Resort & Spa. For one day I was a part of that elite inner circle and found solutions that do not resonate in the real world. Their ideas would drive up our cost of living, pile on to our country’s ballooning national debt, and allow special-interest groups to impose their vision of America on our society despite grave consequences.

SMARTS - March 2012

 A good friend of mine likes to say that Facebook is cool, until it isn't.  It seems you can't login to the damn website without having some political cause popup in your face.  I scroll down my news feed and there is always a picture of an abused child or battered woman.  If you don't "like" it, then you maybe you are an abuser of some sort.  Or does "liking" it mean that you like to abuse women?  Hell, I can't even make a decision on what to do, but I know it annoys me seeing these grotesque pictures for no reason.  I can't help but suspect that Zuckerburglar has a political agenda and plants these photos to get people to act like sheep and mindlessly march in order.  I'm over it.   I guess when people started flocking to Instagram, little Zuckerburglar's feelings got hurt and he had to go out and blow a cool $bill to get his control back (no, not market share).  The feds and Facebook want it all, but you can't coral Americans. We are rugged individualists.  Take that totalitarian shit to China.  

*

GOOGLE'S SERGEY CALLS FACEBOOK AND APPLE THREAT TO INTERNET FREEDOM

*

FACEBOOK BUYS INSTAGRAM FOR $1 BILL. MOTIVES QUESTIONED.

*

OBAMA'S INTERNET POLICE

*

HOMELAND SECURITY, "ICE", SHUTTING DOWN WEBSITES

*

FACEBOOK'S DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP GRANTS AWARD $200K FOR RESEARCH TO SPY ON BULLIES

*

OBAMA AND ZUCKERBERG LOVE FEST

*

FACEBOOK FOLDS TO GREEN PEACE

*

SMARTS - APRIL 2012

Shrewd observers understand there is a clear and present mainstream media bias. None is a bigger perpetrator of this bias than Yahoo news.  Even the Communist News Network (CNN) looks fair and balanced next to Yahoo’s pinko agenda.  Sadly, Yahoo is one of the oldest search engine and email providers out there.  Back when the internet was raw and pre-Google, Yahoo was there.  Now, Yahoo is elbow deep in Obama’s cookie jar, throwing out treats along his campaign trail.  Yahoo reporters follow Obama on St. Patrick’s Day, display images of him being cool at local pubs, and even tout Michelle Obama for POTUS as a headline story.  All we can do is sit back, enjoy the show, and laugh at Yahoo for so obviously being a cheerleader for the Obama agenda. 

The most convincing way Yahoo is able to manipulate visitors of their homepage is with news headlines and images that shout “Obama is cool”, “collectivism is great”, “Romney is mean”, and "being liberal is hip".  Sorry Yahoo, but we aren't drinking the Jim Jones Kool-Aid!

As individuals with free minds, we don’t like kissing anyone’s rump as much as Yahoo, even if partial to them politically.  Hats off to Yahoo for being winner of the Politismarts official Obama Promoter Award.  Food stamps are in the mail stapled to that unemployment check. See analysis below of Yahoo headline above:

HEADLINE:

Michelle Obama for President?

IMAGE:

A flattering picture of Michelle looking poised, finger pointed, as if giving a powerful speech.

WHAT SHEEPLE THINK:

“Wow, she looks presidential!”

WHAT POLITISMARTS THINKS:

Man, could they blatantly blowjob the Obama family any harder?

WHAT TO DO?

Sit back, crack a beer and smile knowing you are included in a small percentile of intelligent life that will not march to the beat of someone else’s drum.  Then if you feel so inclined, post a witty comment in the Politismarts Forums about how Yahoo is carrying Obama’s policy stick or something of that sort. 

 *

SMARTS - APRIL 2012

Okay, so it is Easter weekend and nobody wants to be a spoiler.  This is a weekend about resurrection, forgiveness, family, and spirituality.  For the atheists, maybe this weekend is simply about hiding eggs and talking about how weird the Teavangelicals are with their religious dogma.   Either way, one sanctuary for a man has always been his world of sports.  Sports were one of the last pure things in this world.  Men could be men and compete with a clear winner and loser.  Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.  Not only has the NFL turned into the “Pink League” (thanks Roger Goodell for pussifying a gladiator’s sport by making everyone wear pink for a full month), but we now have the “Green League”.  Yes, David Stern has emasculated the NBA and turned them into a bunch of tree huggers complete with propaganda t-shirts.  I wonder what the MLB will become.  Pretty soon will your favorite baseball team be donning rainbow gloves, helmets and stirrups?  We can only hope to get another professional sports league to jump on the cause bandwagon.  She-ee-eeple

*

DAVID STERN MIXES POLITICS & SPORT BY LAUNCHING NBA GREEN

*

NBA.COM/GREEN

*

DON'T FORGET ABOUT YOUR PINK LEAGUE