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OPINION

Mar. 31, 1997

OBSERVATIONS


By Mac McKinnon

Academy Awards promote

movies with a cause


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Did you watch the Academy Awards show last Monday night?

I only got to see part of it, but a line from the movie "Butch Cassidy
and the Sundance Kid" comes to mind.

"Who are those guys," as Butch or Sundance said about what turned out
to be Pinkerton's chasing them.

The point is that most of the people nominated and the ones who
received Oscars were little known and came from movies that haven't been
widely viewed.

Several of the movies I haven't even heard of and I don't believe I
care to see them.

It seems that Hollywood likes to take up and promote certain causes.
Don't get me wrong here. I don't really have a problem with these
causes; I just don't want them pushed off on me while I'm trying to be
entertained.

I guess that's one reason I like action thrillers so much as well as
animated shows as they usually don't have a "message" although there are
allegations by the religious right of such goings on in children's
movies.

I believe if there were such messages, I would have figured them out by
now.

However, there are some lifestyles that Hollywood would have you
believe is very common such as homosexuality and drug use. I know there
is some of both and more of the latter than I'd like to admit but we
don't need to glorify it or make it seem bigger than it really is.

I don't have a problem with people being homosexuals; just don't flaunt
it in my face. It's a private thing. I do have a problem with drug and
alcohol abuse and it should not be tolerated nor made to sound like
something people should try.

I've never tried it and don't intend to and don't believe I've missed
anything.

Some movies want to make a message about certain people being abused,
people who have certain maladies - I don't want to call them deformities
or handicaps - as many people turn what people call handicaps into
talents and now a days, people are more open minded about accepting
those who are "special."

I believe this acceptance is due to the news media, not Hollywood,
although those in film would have you believe otherwise.

I'm not a big fan of most people in Hollywood, although there is some
real talent there. We often are made to deal with families who keep
insiders in the business rather than going out to find all the talent
that does exist in the world. I addressed that issue not too long ago.

But, for all its shortcomings, the film industry does make life
interesting and gives us something to talk about.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mac McKinnon is editor and publisher of the Pecos
Enterprise. His column appears on Friday.

OTHER VIEWS

Effort to cut sales signal to smokers


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The Liggett Group, maker of Chesterfield and Lark cigarettes, has come
clean and made damning admissions and agreed to fines. ...

Liggett also admitted it marketed smokes to kids as young as 14 to get
them hooked on its brands.

Maybe the effort to cut sales to youngsters can help some here and
there; at least the effort carries a steady message, even if kids have
ways of getting cigarettes anyway. ...

-- Dayton (Ohio) Daily News

ZIG ZIGLAR

Opporunity is where you find it


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In America, one of the most priceless commodities is a seat at the
Final Four of the NCAA basketball championships. Those seats sell for
literally hundreds of dollars, and it's every coach's and every team's
dream to make it to the "Final Four."

In the championship game in 1991, a group of investors came up with a
novel idea that would be the envy of every entrepreneur or speculator in
America. After the title game was played in Indianapolis on April 1,
they invested $65,000 in buying the floor on which the Final Four games
were played.

Most people would think of salvaging that floor, but these investors
did just the opposite. They cut this brand new basketball court into
22,000 little pieces. There are those who would have considered that
approach a foolish and wasteful thing to do. After all, only three
basketball games had been played on it, and using it for basketball
games was the original purpose of the floor. However, these investors
sold those little 6-inch by 5-inch pieces of floor to 22,000 fans as
souvenirs for $24.95 each. This creativity turned their $65,000
investment into $548,900 in less than a week.

Chances are good this particular opportunity will never come up again -
at least, not at such a bargain price! However, all over America there
are countless opportunities for creative minds to produce bonanzas.
Those opportunities are everywhere, and we need to recognize them and
take action. So, keep your eyes open, let your imagination work, and be
open to new concepts. If you do, I'll see you at the top!

"Vision - it is essential for survival. It is spawned by faith,
sustained by hope, sparked by imagination and strengthened by
enthusiasm. It is greater than sight, deeper than a dream, broader than
an idea. Vision encompasses vast vistas outside the realm of the
predictable, the safe, the expected. No wonder we perish without it. Ask
God to stretch your vision today." - Chuck Swindoll
Zig Ziglar is a motivational speaker whose column is
copyrighted and distributed by Creators Syndicate Inc.

YOUR VIEWS


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Letters on this page will be edited for libel and may be cut to fit the
allotted space. To be considered for publication, letters must be signed
and a telephone number given for confirmation. Names may be withheld at
the discretion of the editor. Comments on any subject are welcome. Mail
to P.O. Box 2057, Pecos TX 79772, FAX to 915-445-4321 or e-mail to:
news@bitstreet.com.

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Copyright 1997 by Pecos Enterprise
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