I watched this film last night and was yet again
amazed at the story that was presented in it. Those
men-soldiers-who were prisoners of war in a Nazi POW
camp, were able to work undetected-for the most
part-and dig several tunnels under and out of the camp
over the course of many months. The movie presents
nothing but a positive outlook by the allied
prisoners. This seems somewhat unlikely-that after
being stuck in a prison-many of them for years-that
they did not harbor any disgust, ill will or dislike
towards the German soldiers, and the movie did not
show disrespect for the German soldiers to their
faces.
The movie I must remember is partly that-a movie. It’s
meant to entertain and it also educates and pays
tribute to the men who fought and died in that camp,
in all the POW camps and in the Second World War. The
allied soldiers also needed help from the outside-the
red cross or other aid groups sent tools and radio
parts to help the POWs in their attempt to keep in
contact with the outside world and to know what was
going on with the war.
The bigger picture in respect to the escape was that
these men who were able to escape wanted to take
troops away from the frontline. That is said in the
film, but what is not explicitly stated is that they
did this around the time of D-day. So that when the
invasion of France occurred many thousands of troops
were scattered across Germany looking for POWs instead
of defending the coastal area of France.
The film shows several individuals and their part in
the planning and implementation of the escape. It does
have drama built in to it. The scene where “the 50”
are shot and killed is really very depressing. Much
like what war must really be like-the killing of
others and depressing to all involved. The movie ends
on an amusing note-perhaps to avoid being so
depressing from the previous scene with the 50 being
killed. Steve McQueen-who is called “the cooler king”
is sent back to the cooler-for the 4th time in the
film-and receives his trusty baseball mitt and ball to
pass the time while he sits in the cooler, waiting to
be released and presumably for his chance to escape.
This may represent the non-conformist and undeterred
spirit of the US soldier, or it may represent what is
good in all of us-that we will not put up with
tyranny, oppression and dictators-and that we will
continue to work against all those the work against
freedom.
The Great Escape (1963)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057115/
History Channel Classroom:
http://www.history.com/classroom/admin/study_guide/archives/thc_guide.0491.html
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
Friday, December 30, 2011
PBS Documentary, Sputnik
Sputnik
I watched the PBS documentary presentation last night
on sputnik-the First satellite launched into space by
the former Soviet Union. It had a considerable amount
of information presented that was news to me. To be
fair I did not grow up in the era and the space race
had long since finished with the US the apparent
winners-having reached the moon before anyone else
back in 1969. But the big picture was presented in the
program-who was working on what rocket program? What
was then US President Eisenhower doing about the
situation? Was the US really that far behind the
Soviets and if so why?
The reality of the situation was that the US was not
really behind the Soviets in rocket technology. The US
may have been ahead of the Soviets, or at the very
least at the same pace, but then President Eisenhower
had other concerns on his agenda-other than being the
first to send a satellite into orbit. Apparently
President Eisenhower wanted to use satellite
technology to observe-aka spy-on the Soviets to know
what they were doing in reference to missile
technology, where theirs was located, how many they
had and the type. Eisenhower apparently had to deal
with legal issues at the time-legal as in who owns
space? Is there space jurisdiction for each country?
Did the country have the right to deny a fly over by
satellites? Eisenhower was dealing with these issues
when sputnik went up and then solved a part of his
problem. If the Soviets could send a satellite into
orbit, and no one objected to the fly-over then the US
could do the same.
An additional problem at the time was which of two
teams would have their rocket be launched as the first
US rocket/satellite in to space? The US Navy had a
rocket and satellite project called Vangaurd and it
had nothing to do with missiles, bombs or former
German scientists from the Nazi era. There was a US
Army team that was lead by Wernher Von Braun.
Speculation is that Eisenhower did not wish to go with
Von Braun’s team as the rocket that they had developed
was a predecessor to the V2 Rocket that was used by
Germany during the Second World War to bomb Europe.
Allegedly if Eisenhower had gone with von Braun’s team
they could have launched a satellite over a year ahead
of sputnik.
Eisenhower’s main concern was intelligence for the US
to keep tract of and know if they were keeping pace
with the Soviet advances in military technology. Spy
satellites allowed the US to gather information on
their then enemies to know what they were doing and if
they were following peace treaties-such as SALT I and
SALT II treaties.
The question of who got to space first will always be
answered with the reply of sputnik. But stepping back
and looking at the bigger picture is sometimes more
important a question.
NOVA | Sputnik Declassified | PBS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sputnik/?campaign=pbshomefeatures_2_novabrsputnikdeclassified_2007-11-06
Sputnik Biographies--Wernher von Braun (1912-1977)
http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/braun.html
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
I watched the PBS documentary presentation last night
on sputnik-the First satellite launched into space by
the former Soviet Union. It had a considerable amount
of information presented that was news to me. To be
fair I did not grow up in the era and the space race
had long since finished with the US the apparent
winners-having reached the moon before anyone else
back in 1969. But the big picture was presented in the
program-who was working on what rocket program? What
was then US President Eisenhower doing about the
situation? Was the US really that far behind the
Soviets and if so why?
The reality of the situation was that the US was not
really behind the Soviets in rocket technology. The US
may have been ahead of the Soviets, or at the very
least at the same pace, but then President Eisenhower
had other concerns on his agenda-other than being the
first to send a satellite into orbit. Apparently
President Eisenhower wanted to use satellite
technology to observe-aka spy-on the Soviets to know
what they were doing in reference to missile
technology, where theirs was located, how many they
had and the type. Eisenhower apparently had to deal
with legal issues at the time-legal as in who owns
space? Is there space jurisdiction for each country?
Did the country have the right to deny a fly over by
satellites? Eisenhower was dealing with these issues
when sputnik went up and then solved a part of his
problem. If the Soviets could send a satellite into
orbit, and no one objected to the fly-over then the US
could do the same.
An additional problem at the time was which of two
teams would have their rocket be launched as the first
US rocket/satellite in to space? The US Navy had a
rocket and satellite project called Vangaurd and it
had nothing to do with missiles, bombs or former
German scientists from the Nazi era. There was a US
Army team that was lead by Wernher Von Braun.
Speculation is that Eisenhower did not wish to go with
Von Braun’s team as the rocket that they had developed
was a predecessor to the V2 Rocket that was used by
Germany during the Second World War to bomb Europe.
Allegedly if Eisenhower had gone with von Braun’s team
they could have launched a satellite over a year ahead
of sputnik.
Eisenhower’s main concern was intelligence for the US
to keep tract of and know if they were keeping pace
with the Soviet advances in military technology. Spy
satellites allowed the US to gather information on
their then enemies to know what they were doing and if
they were following peace treaties-such as SALT I and
SALT II treaties.
The question of who got to space first will always be
answered with the reply of sputnik. But stepping back
and looking at the bigger picture is sometimes more
important a question.
NOVA | Sputnik Declassified | PBS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sputnik/?campaign=pbshomefeatures_2_novabrsputnikdeclassified_2007-11-06
Sputnik Biographies--Wernher von Braun (1912-1977)
http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/braun.html
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
Clerks
“I’m not even supposed to be here today!”
I revisited this film last night and once again found
myself laughing at some of the incredibly stupid
things that Dante and Randall did when they were at
work-and this reminded me of some of the stupid things
I had done when I worked during college. Closing the
store to play a hockey game-until you loose the
ball-on top of the roof of the store where you work?
Going to the wake of a former high school classmate
because it’s playing one-night-only and closing the
store? Having the worst day at work in your life and
complaining every minute of it? Is any of this sounds
funny, or familiar then you have to see Clerks.
Dante is just your average Jersey guy. He’s not going
to school. Works at a dead end job and his best friend
works at the video store adjacent to the convenience
store where you work. He graduated from high school a
few years back and feels like his life is in a
complete funk-not going anywhere. Even worse-he comes
across as if it’s the world’s fault that he’s in a
complete shit job and his life sucks. He’s not doing
anything to better himself and despite the fact that
he has a best friend who’d support his decision to
leave-let alone probably follow him to the end of the
earth-and a girlfriend who loves him so much she not
only moved from Seaton Hall, SC where she was going to
college back up to Jersey to be closer to her
boyfriend, she also brings him homemade lasagna for
lunch because he’s stuck at work on his day off.
This movie is amusing, funny, gross and at times
really disgusting. It’s not for everyone, but there
are aspects of everyone in this film and I think we
could all recognize parts of our personality in some
of the characters in this film. I saw myself in Dante
near the end when it’s pointed out to him by his best
friend Randall that all he ever does is bitch, bitch,
bitch-especially after Dante says for the 50th time
that, “I’m not even supposed to be here today!” I saw
my best friend from high-school in Randall when he
says to Dante that if you’re not happy with your
situation then you need to do something about it and
stop complaining.
To be honest-if I had a day like Dante did I’d be
complaining about it too. The guy comes in to work
when begged to do so by his boss-the owner of the
store. His boss promises to be at the store by 12 noon
to relieve him, but conveniently forgets to tell him
that he’s leaving for Vermont later that morning and
won’t be there to relieve him. Later Dante gets hit
with a 500 fine for selling cigarettes to a minor-and
not just any minor but a four-year old! Then when they
close the store to play hockey a customer comes up on
the roof to bitch Dante out about how crappy he’s
playing and then the customer gets to play for 20
seconds and hits the ball off the roof and into a
sewer. When they close the store to attend a
high-school friend’s wake Randall somehow accidentally
pushes the casket over and the body comes out! To top
this all off-his former girlfriend is in the paper and
getting married-who he seems to be still secretly in
love with-and his current GF is secretly jealous.
Later Caitlin-his ex-comes to visit because she’s
worried over how Dante will take the news and she
tells him she doesn’t want to get married but wants to
get back with him. An unscheduled rendezvous in the
store bathroom leads Caitlin to need therapy and
Dante’s night is nearly complete. But not until
Randall decides to tell Veronica-Dante’s current [for
the moment] GF-that Dante wants to get back together
with Caitlin. Veronica’s furious and vows to suck more
dicks than she’s ever sucked-and you thought 37 was A
LOT!!
Kevin Smith took a huge chance in making this film and
he put out a part of his heart and soul-not to mention
all his credit! Many people may be put off by the
language, or that one set of supportive characters are
drug dealers. This didn’t bother me. It reminded me of
my high-school class. There were geeks, complainers,
reconcilers, jocks, dopers and probably dealers-among
others. It represents a part of who many of us are as
well as a time in out lives that we can look back and
reflect on when we view this film. It’s home to me in
many ways-as it reminded me of where I grew up, some
of the people I knew and jobs I had. Overall Clerks is
a must see movie-for those who don’t fit now or didn’t
fit at some point into the norms of society. And for
all those who have seen this movie and remember it
fondly you’ll get my joke when I say that as I sit
here and write this-at work mind you, “I’m not even
supposed to be here today!”
Clerks
http://viewaskew.com/clerks/
Clerks. (1994)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109445/
Clerks 2
http://www.clerks2.com/main.html
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA
[pronounced “mer-sa”] has been receiving a
considerable amount of press of late. Many schools
have indicated they had found the bacteria and were
closing for a day or two so that the school could be
cleaned thoroughly. People hear the word and they
allow themselves to get into a frenzy. What many
people are not aware of is that while it can be a
dangerous infection it is also something that many
people have on their bodies. It may be part of the
normal flora of their skin. So long as people wash
their hands thoroughly after they are dirtied or after
they touch someone of something, and they do not touch
their mucous membranes-eyes, mouth, nose-then they
most likely will not get the bacteria into their
bodies and thus will not get sick.
Additionally, there are different forms of MRSA. Some
strains are more virulent and resistant to antibiotics
and others are not as problematic to get rid of if you
were to get sick.
The frenzy that many people may get into when they
hear the word MRSA may lead them to panic. Illness is
like anything else in life-you need to keep a level
head and be calm. Then you can make better choices for
yourself and your loved ones. Lastly-Wash Your Hands!
UMHS Press Release: MRSA
http://med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2007/mrsa.htm
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Market Garden-A Bridge Too Far
When I was a young boy I can remember a movie coming
out entitled A Bridge Too Far. It had many big name
actors in it-none of whom I knew of-and it was set in
Europe during the Second World War. I didn’t’ know the
significance of the battle that it was portraying at
the time. I was young and only knew that it was a war
movie. So I wanted to see it and experience all the
noise, explosions and glory that went along with
battle-the glory thought of by a 7 year old. I’ve
watched that movie a few times since I’ve reached
adulthood. It has a much different meaning to me now
than it did some 30 years ago. I’ve lived through a
few less than fun events in my own life. Things that
many people go through-car accidents, being sick and
hospitalized and seeing family or friends die-these
events make what all the men and women who suffered
and fought for during the Second World War mean much
more to me.
I had the chance to view part of a PBS
documentary-currently being broadcast- that presented
the overall plans and effects of operation Market
Garden. This is the battle that was presented in the
movie A Bridge Too Far. The documentary was less
entertaining to watch, but presented much the same
information as the three hour movie. The Allied forces
wanted to capture six bridges on the north western
coast of Europe-in Belgium and the Netherlands. The
idea was to drop thousands of troops behind enemy
lines to take and secure the bridges. Then the ground
forces would come through the front line and support
and secure the troops that took the bridges.
In theory it sounds great even now. A problem was that
the Allied forces didn’t expect the Germans to offer
any resistance. They apparently didn’t listen to their
own underground reports from Belgium/Netherlands about
the strength of the German forces that were in the
towns that they were about to attack. It made for a
difficult operation as it took much longer for the
ground forces to reach the bridges-if they reached
them at all.
The over all thought was to gain control of the
territory north of the German’s defensive wall that
was built on the German border but stopped in the far
north-near Arnhem, Netherlands. Then the Allies could
turn east into Germany and take Berlin and stop the
war by Christmas of 1944. The battle was not 100%
successful and as most of us are aware the war lasted
until the following summer in Europe.
Operation Market Garden
http://www.pbs.org/thewar/detail_5222.htm
PBS documentary-The War
http://www.pbs.org/thewar/
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0075784/
Political map of the Netherlands
http://www.sitesatlas.com/Maps/Maps/510.htm
Monday, November 05, 2007
out entitled A Bridge Too Far. It had many big name
actors in it-none of whom I knew of-and it was set in
Europe during the Second World War. I didn’t’ know the
significance of the battle that it was portraying at
the time. I was young and only knew that it was a war
movie. So I wanted to see it and experience all the
noise, explosions and glory that went along with
battle-the glory thought of by a 7 year old. I’ve
watched that movie a few times since I’ve reached
adulthood. It has a much different meaning to me now
than it did some 30 years ago. I’ve lived through a
few less than fun events in my own life. Things that
many people go through-car accidents, being sick and
hospitalized and seeing family or friends die-these
events make what all the men and women who suffered
and fought for during the Second World War mean much
more to me.
I had the chance to view part of a PBS
documentary-currently being broadcast- that presented
the overall plans and effects of operation Market
Garden. This is the battle that was presented in the
movie A Bridge Too Far. The documentary was less
entertaining to watch, but presented much the same
information as the three hour movie. The Allied forces
wanted to capture six bridges on the north western
coast of Europe-in Belgium and the Netherlands. The
idea was to drop thousands of troops behind enemy
lines to take and secure the bridges. Then the ground
forces would come through the front line and support
and secure the troops that took the bridges.
In theory it sounds great even now. A problem was that
the Allied forces didn’t expect the Germans to offer
any resistance. They apparently didn’t listen to their
own underground reports from Belgium/Netherlands about
the strength of the German forces that were in the
towns that they were about to attack. It made for a
difficult operation as it took much longer for the
ground forces to reach the bridges-if they reached
them at all.
The over all thought was to gain control of the
territory north of the German’s defensive wall that
was built on the German border but stopped in the far
north-near Arnhem, Netherlands. Then the Allies could
turn east into Germany and take Berlin and stop the
war by Christmas of 1944. The battle was not 100%
successful and as most of us are aware the war lasted
until the following summer in Europe.
Operation Market Garden
http://www.pbs.org/thewar/detail_5222.htm
PBS documentary-The War
http://www.pbs.org/thewar/
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0075784/
Political map of the Netherlands
http://www.sitesatlas.com/Maps/Maps/510.htm
Monday, November 05, 2007
Canadian PBS-TVO!
I live in an area where I can get various local
broadcasts-Detroit, Lansing, Toledo and also Canadian
TV. I had the chance to watch a pbs program on the
environment. It is originally broadcast from Toronto
but must be rebroadcast from a local south-eastern
Ontario TV station. It was very interesting to watch
and listen to the program which presented different
ideas now being implemented on designs of buildings,
suburbs and businesses. Ideas were presented to reduce
heat absorbed into the surrounding areas. Instead of
large amounts of concrete in the entry ways of large
buildings, or on the roof they had large foyers that
were open to the air at the top to allow air/wind and
rain to enter. Trees were in the foyer to provide
fresh air and shade to reduce the temperature. Parks
open to the outside were designed on different levels
on the building that would also be open to air to
allow the rain to be absorbed and grass was planted on
the roof to absorb rain water to reduce run off in to
the sewer system, but also to reduce the amount of
heat absorbed by the building to reduce heating and
cooling costs. The grass would absorb the sunlight in
the summer but use it to grow and provide oxygen in
the city, which in turn helps to reduce the over all
amount of pollution. The grass also insulates in the
winter and absorbs the rain water.
Overall I thought the program I viewed was very
interesting and insightful. Their stations website
provides a TV guide for its viewers but also presents
interesting information. It’s television that makes
you think. But the stations slogan is “Television that
matters”.
TVO-Ontario Public TV
http://www.answers.com/topic/tvontario?cat=technology
TVO-Toronto Public TV
http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/about/index.cfm?page_id=886
tvo.org
http://www.tvo.org/
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Beetlejuice
I had the chance to watch this wonderful farce of an
undead movie the other night. It actually was played
on October 31st but was rather late in the evening…or
early in the morning depending on your point of view!
Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin and Winona
Ryder make a very fluid cast working together to make
the movie funny is not totally unbelievable. The foils
include Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara as Ryder’s
parents in the film. The family has recently moved
from the city-NYC of course-to the rural countryside
of Connecticut. I think my parents took a page from
this movie after they retired and moved out of the
city! Baldwin and Davis are married with a hardware
store in town and are on a two week vacation-spending
it at home alone. Early in the film they suffer from a
car accident. A dog walks in front of their car and
they drive off a bridge. I think the dog needed to
learn how to move faster in my opinion, but as a
result of the dog’s life being spared the car slides
off the bridge and the Maitlins die-presumably a
horrible death drowning in the creek.
The movie’s odd events continue from there. We’re
introduced to “Life for the recently deceased” through
the eyes of Davis and Baldwin who are not the sharpest
tools in the hardware store. They don’t understand
they’re dead and when they do they seem to think that
modern day living rules apply to them. They soon
enlist Michael Keaton’s help. He’s the headliner of
the movie here! He’s Beetlejuice and he wastes no time
in causing a few problems for the Dietz’s-Jones,
O’Hara and Ryder. He starts by impersonating a snake
and snaps, bites and drops each of them in some way.
Next he’s causing problems for Davis and Baldwin as
well because he won’t leave Ryder alone and has his
eyes and hands on every woman in the film-whether
they’re available or not! Who thought that being dead
could be such a hassle?
The story moves along quite quickly and does seem to
follow its own rules very well-even if you’re not sure
where those rules are going to lead you or anyone else
who’s watching! If you enjoy odd films, don’t mind
some weak characters-Baldwin’s portrayal is not the
strongest-and are looking for a Halloween movie that
is not a stereotypical Hollywood blood and guts,
screaming slasher movie, then this may be for you. It
has spooky parts, several laughs and even has a pseudo
happy ending.
Beetle Juice (1988)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094721/
Thursday, November 1st, 2007
undead movie the other night. It actually was played
on October 31st but was rather late in the evening…or
early in the morning depending on your point of view!
Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin and Winona
Ryder make a very fluid cast working together to make
the movie funny is not totally unbelievable. The foils
include Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara as Ryder’s
parents in the film. The family has recently moved
from the city-NYC of course-to the rural countryside
of Connecticut. I think my parents took a page from
this movie after they retired and moved out of the
city! Baldwin and Davis are married with a hardware
store in town and are on a two week vacation-spending
it at home alone. Early in the film they suffer from a
car accident. A dog walks in front of their car and
they drive off a bridge. I think the dog needed to
learn how to move faster in my opinion, but as a
result of the dog’s life being spared the car slides
off the bridge and the Maitlins die-presumably a
horrible death drowning in the creek.
The movie’s odd events continue from there. We’re
introduced to “Life for the recently deceased” through
the eyes of Davis and Baldwin who are not the sharpest
tools in the hardware store. They don’t understand
they’re dead and when they do they seem to think that
modern day living rules apply to them. They soon
enlist Michael Keaton’s help. He’s the headliner of
the movie here! He’s Beetlejuice and he wastes no time
in causing a few problems for the Dietz’s-Jones,
O’Hara and Ryder. He starts by impersonating a snake
and snaps, bites and drops each of them in some way.
Next he’s causing problems for Davis and Baldwin as
well because he won’t leave Ryder alone and has his
eyes and hands on every woman in the film-whether
they’re available or not! Who thought that being dead
could be such a hassle?
The story moves along quite quickly and does seem to
follow its own rules very well-even if you’re not sure
where those rules are going to lead you or anyone else
who’s watching! If you enjoy odd films, don’t mind
some weak characters-Baldwin’s portrayal is not the
strongest-and are looking for a Halloween movie that
is not a stereotypical Hollywood blood and guts,
screaming slasher movie, then this may be for you. It
has spooky parts, several laughs and even has a pseudo
happy ending.
Beetle Juice (1988)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094721/
Thursday, November 1st, 2007
Taco Bell Comercials of the Past
Yo Quiero Taco Bell?
I’m not a huge fan of some of the cable shows, and
I’ve not seen The Daily Show with Jon Stewart very
often, but I had to pass this link along. I watched
this short story by Stewart online and I found the
idea as well as some of the commentary very funny.
Apparently Taco Bell has recently opened its first
restaurant in Mexico. Thus begs the question of
whether or not Mexicans will visit an American
franchise for food? Whether the Taco Bell Chihuahua
will make an appearance there and if he’ll speak
Spanish or English? And last but by no means least
will Taco Bell keep its ever popular slogan-“Run for
the Border!”??
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=111482&title=taco-bell
http://www.thedailyshow.com/index.jhtml
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
I’m not a huge fan of some of the cable shows, and
I’ve not seen The Daily Show with Jon Stewart very
often, but I had to pass this link along. I watched
this short story by Stewart online and I found the
idea as well as some of the commentary very funny.
Apparently Taco Bell has recently opened its first
restaurant in Mexico. Thus begs the question of
whether or not Mexicans will visit an American
franchise for food? Whether the Taco Bell Chihuahua
will make an appearance there and if he’ll speak
Spanish or English? And last but by no means least
will Taco Bell keep its ever popular slogan-“Run for
the Border!”??
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=111482&title=taco-bell
http://www.thedailyshow.com/index.jhtml
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
2007 MLB World Series
World Series-Boston Sweeps the Rockies!
Well I’m not a Red Sox fan but I do congratulate them
on winning the series this year as well as for the
second time in four years. Nice job to all the players
and fans in Boston and throughout the country.
They had very good pitching and hitting and kept up
the pressure on the Rockies through the series. I was
hoping that the Rockies would win last night so that
the series would go longer, but it was obvious that
Boston simply had things going in their favor. After
the pinch hit home-run in the top of the 8th it looked
like they’d be celebrating soon. But the rally the
Rockies had in the bottom of the 8th made that
home-run much more important and meaningful by Kielty
in the top of the 8th.
There were certainly things that happened during this
series that took away from my enjoyment, and I imagine
other’s enjoyment of the playoffs. Like Joe Bucks less
than subtle statements favoring Boston and putting
down the Rockies, or the Indians. I stopped counting
the number of times that Buck would comment about “how
lucky” the Indians were over a call, or that a called
strike for a Rockies pitcher was “obviously a ball
well outside the stroke zone.” I enjoy watching and
listening to baseball-especially the playoffs-even if
it’s not a team I’m rooting for, but having color
announcers make statements that favor one team over
the other is not acceptable. I did enjoy listening to
the play-by-play on ESPN radio with Jon Miller and Joe
Morgan. The two of them seemed to have a good repore
and had positive things to say about both teams. In
the future I may simply turn off the sound on my TV
and have the radio on so I can listen with less
favoritism which will allow me to make up my own mind
about how the game is going and whether calls are fair
or not!
Boston Wins Series
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Ag0rQjHTX5D9Em0t57CQansRvLYF?slug=jp-soxcess102907&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Lowell wins World Series MVP
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AjUM8KXP_Ajuw9q6F4B394QRvLYF?slug=ap-worldseries-mvp&prov=ap&type=lgns
ESPN - Universe belongs to Red Sox Nation
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3084772&sportCat=mlb
MLB Playoffs - 2007 World Series
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2007/series?series=colbos
Monday, October 29, 2007
Well I’m not a Red Sox fan but I do congratulate them
on winning the series this year as well as for the
second time in four years. Nice job to all the players
and fans in Boston and throughout the country.
They had very good pitching and hitting and kept up
the pressure on the Rockies through the series. I was
hoping that the Rockies would win last night so that
the series would go longer, but it was obvious that
Boston simply had things going in their favor. After
the pinch hit home-run in the top of the 8th it looked
like they’d be celebrating soon. But the rally the
Rockies had in the bottom of the 8th made that
home-run much more important and meaningful by Kielty
in the top of the 8th.
There were certainly things that happened during this
series that took away from my enjoyment, and I imagine
other’s enjoyment of the playoffs. Like Joe Bucks less
than subtle statements favoring Boston and putting
down the Rockies, or the Indians. I stopped counting
the number of times that Buck would comment about “how
lucky” the Indians were over a call, or that a called
strike for a Rockies pitcher was “obviously a ball
well outside the stroke zone.” I enjoy watching and
listening to baseball-especially the playoffs-even if
it’s not a team I’m rooting for, but having color
announcers make statements that favor one team over
the other is not acceptable. I did enjoy listening to
the play-by-play on ESPN radio with Jon Miller and Joe
Morgan. The two of them seemed to have a good repore
and had positive things to say about both teams. In
the future I may simply turn off the sound on my TV
and have the radio on so I can listen with less
favoritism which will allow me to make up my own mind
about how the game is going and whether calls are fair
or not!
Boston Wins Series
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Ag0rQjHTX5D9Em0t57CQansRvLYF?slug=jp-soxcess102907&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Lowell wins World Series MVP
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AjUM8KXP_Ajuw9q6F4B394QRvLYF?slug=ap-worldseries-mvp&prov=ap&type=lgns
ESPN - Universe belongs to Red Sox Nation
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3084772&sportCat=mlb
MLB Playoffs - 2007 World Series
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2007/series?series=colbos
Monday, October 29, 2007
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion
I had the pleasure of watching Romy and Michelle’s
High School Reunion over the weekend. It reminded me
of so many things-high school, reunions, not wanting
to remember high school! And as the two of them were
sitting looking through their year book it made me
think of when I saw this movie. In 1997 I was in grad
school in Chicago and my best friend wanted to see
this movie. I thought he’d gone crazy or was high on
some pizza that had bad mushrooms! But we went and it
was a hilarious movie.
Romy and Michelle are from Tucson, Arizona-played by
Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow. They felt that living in
Tucson was the height of boredom and that in high
school they were surrounded by low-lifes, geeks and
complete dorks. Isn’t that the definition of high
school though? They’ve moved to LA and are living the
party life they always wanted. They’re young and hot,
single and available-only problem is that no one wants
them! They find out about their ten year high school
reunion and decide to go so they can through their
Living-in-LA life in everyone’s faces. Thus presents
their next problem-they don’t have a life anyone wants
either. They decide to find great jobs and even better
boyfriends so they can wow ‘em at the reunion.
Here’s the next problem-seeing a pattern here? They
can’t find great jobs or any boyfriends. Romy is a
cashier and Michelle has no job what-so-ever. So they
decide to make up their own great life to impress
everyone. Think there could be a problem with this
idea? They get to the reunion dressed for success and
their big story gets blown by one of their
classmates-Heather Mooney played by Janeane Garofalo.
Garofalo plays an excellent role as an over achieving
intellect who never got the attention she craved from
the boy she was in love with during high school-and
ten years later she’s still repressing her anger-sort
of-and displacing a lot more of her anger!
Over all the movie is very funny and it has some great
music in it from the 1980’s. It’s fun to see what type
of fashion that Romy and Michelle will come up with as
well as amusing to see how they looked down on others
just as others looked down on them. Though that
doesn’t’ come to realization until the end of the
movie for Michelle where she says to any who will
listen, “I bet that everyone made someone’s life hell
in high school.”
This of course made me wonder who I impacted when I
was in high school, and I can’t imagine anyone caring
about what I did in high school. I don’t keep in touch
with any of my high school classmates and have never
gone to a reunion-my ten year reunion was a few years
ago now. But if you went to school anytime in the 80’s
and want a good movie to reminisce and laugh at, then
by all means go rent Romy and Michelle’s High School
Reunion.
Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120032/
Monday, October 29, 2007
High School Reunion over the weekend. It reminded me
of so many things-high school, reunions, not wanting
to remember high school! And as the two of them were
sitting looking through their year book it made me
think of when I saw this movie. In 1997 I was in grad
school in Chicago and my best friend wanted to see
this movie. I thought he’d gone crazy or was high on
some pizza that had bad mushrooms! But we went and it
was a hilarious movie.
Romy and Michelle are from Tucson, Arizona-played by
Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow. They felt that living in
Tucson was the height of boredom and that in high
school they were surrounded by low-lifes, geeks and
complete dorks. Isn’t that the definition of high
school though? They’ve moved to LA and are living the
party life they always wanted. They’re young and hot,
single and available-only problem is that no one wants
them! They find out about their ten year high school
reunion and decide to go so they can through their
Living-in-LA life in everyone’s faces. Thus presents
their next problem-they don’t have a life anyone wants
either. They decide to find great jobs and even better
boyfriends so they can wow ‘em at the reunion.
Here’s the next problem-seeing a pattern here? They
can’t find great jobs or any boyfriends. Romy is a
cashier and Michelle has no job what-so-ever. So they
decide to make up their own great life to impress
everyone. Think there could be a problem with this
idea? They get to the reunion dressed for success and
their big story gets blown by one of their
classmates-Heather Mooney played by Janeane Garofalo.
Garofalo plays an excellent role as an over achieving
intellect who never got the attention she craved from
the boy she was in love with during high school-and
ten years later she’s still repressing her anger-sort
of-and displacing a lot more of her anger!
Over all the movie is very funny and it has some great
music in it from the 1980’s. It’s fun to see what type
of fashion that Romy and Michelle will come up with as
well as amusing to see how they looked down on others
just as others looked down on them. Though that
doesn’t’ come to realization until the end of the
movie for Michelle where she says to any who will
listen, “I bet that everyone made someone’s life hell
in high school.”
This of course made me wonder who I impacted when I
was in high school, and I can’t imagine anyone caring
about what I did in high school. I don’t keep in touch
with any of my high school classmates and have never
gone to a reunion-my ten year reunion was a few years
ago now. But if you went to school anytime in the 80’s
and want a good movie to reminisce and laugh at, then
by all means go rent Romy and Michelle’s High School
Reunion.
Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120032/
Monday, October 29, 2007
Michael Clayton
I went and saw the newest George Clooney movie last
week. I was semi-skeptical. The plot was presents a
depressed, divorced lawyer whose job it is to fix
problems that the firm’s clients have. It’s a
demanding job and it’s a thankless one too. After all
who’s going to be overly grateful to you when they’re
scared for their life? Scared of ending up in jail?
Scared of loosing everything they’ve worked for and
built in their life?
But the movie is good and Clooney does present a
believable character and it’s a strong performance on
his part. It didn’t take long for me to forget about
his Doug Ross character from ER and see him as the
lawyer/fixer here in this movie.
The movie starts with Clooney gambling in a poker
game, it moves quickly to him working to take care of
a client’s problem-a rather rich man who lives out on
some huge estate on Long Island apparently has hit a a
pedestrian/runner in the late evening. Clooney is
trying to convince the client that the best thing is
for him to let a criminal defense lawyer come now and
represent him when he turns himself in to the police.
The movie moves quickly as Clooney takes a short break
in the country-stopping on the side of the road-after
he’s talked with this client and he’s seen walking up
to some horses and his car then explodes. I’m sitting
there wondering if it’s because of some gambling
debts, but the movie is more complicated than that,
and it has a subplot or two included. The movie
doesn’t end the way I was expecting-sort of a
disappointment, but it is a Hollywood movie! The
ending does go back to the beginning of the movie so
that we see the entire context of what was going on
and who’s doing what to whom. This I enjoy and also
found very helpful in this movie.
Tom Wilkinson plays a very believable role as a burned
out, bi-polar attorney who’s fed up with the case he’s
been working on for six years and is actually working
to thwart his own efforts in the case by helping the
plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit. The subplot with
the large corporation’s legal chief counsel going
outside the law to try and stop the company’s loosing
millions of dollars is shocking and scary. What she is
willing to do to protect herself and the company made
me wonder whether anything like this could be
happening in our country today.
Michael Clayton (2007)
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0465538/
Trailers - Michael Clayton
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/michaelclayton/
Michael Clayton Official Site
http://michaelclayton.warnerbros.com/
Clooney Studio | George Clooney
http://www.clooneystudio.com/michaelclayton.html
Monday, October 29, 2007
week. I was semi-skeptical. The plot was presents a
depressed, divorced lawyer whose job it is to fix
problems that the firm’s clients have. It’s a
demanding job and it’s a thankless one too. After all
who’s going to be overly grateful to you when they’re
scared for their life? Scared of ending up in jail?
Scared of loosing everything they’ve worked for and
built in their life?
But the movie is good and Clooney does present a
believable character and it’s a strong performance on
his part. It didn’t take long for me to forget about
his Doug Ross character from ER and see him as the
lawyer/fixer here in this movie.
The movie starts with Clooney gambling in a poker
game, it moves quickly to him working to take care of
a client’s problem-a rather rich man who lives out on
some huge estate on Long Island apparently has hit a a
pedestrian/runner in the late evening. Clooney is
trying to convince the client that the best thing is
for him to let a criminal defense lawyer come now and
represent him when he turns himself in to the police.
The movie moves quickly as Clooney takes a short break
in the country-stopping on the side of the road-after
he’s talked with this client and he’s seen walking up
to some horses and his car then explodes. I’m sitting
there wondering if it’s because of some gambling
debts, but the movie is more complicated than that,
and it has a subplot or two included. The movie
doesn’t end the way I was expecting-sort of a
disappointment, but it is a Hollywood movie! The
ending does go back to the beginning of the movie so
that we see the entire context of what was going on
and who’s doing what to whom. This I enjoy and also
found very helpful in this movie.
Tom Wilkinson plays a very believable role as a burned
out, bi-polar attorney who’s fed up with the case he’s
been working on for six years and is actually working
to thwart his own efforts in the case by helping the
plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit. The subplot with
the large corporation’s legal chief counsel going
outside the law to try and stop the company’s loosing
millions of dollars is shocking and scary. What she is
willing to do to protect herself and the company made
me wonder whether anything like this could be
happening in our country today.
Michael Clayton (2007)
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0465538/
Trailers - Michael Clayton
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/michaelclayton/
Michael Clayton Official Site
http://michaelclayton.warnerbros.com/
Clooney Studio | George Clooney
http://www.clooneystudio.com/michaelclayton.html
Monday, October 29, 2007
“A Man”
I have become what I thought I would not.
What I never expected has come to be.
What I never wanted is what I’ve become.
Cold, distant, quiet, unfeeling, alone.
That is what I appear to be on the outside.
Like my father and his before him.
A man.
Growing up I would say to myself that I would not become him.
I would not be like him.
I would be different.
But my years have flown bye.
And whether it has been the experience, the difficulties.
The failures or the solitude.
I have become him.
The exterior appears calm, even cold.
I appear unfeeling and uncaring.
Oblivious or uninterested in others and in the world.
My interior is alive!
Coursing with energy.
My brain is active.
Thinking of all the possibilities.
My heart wanting to be hopeful.
Open to what could be.
But when we meet.
When my interior meets the exterior.
It is speechless.
It looks as it as if it were just a shell.
That’s not who I am.
That’s not what I want others to see or to think of me.
But it is too late.
I have become him.
A man.
Tuesday October 23rd, 2007
“The Stone”
I have no where that I am accepted.
Even alone with only my thoughts there is nothing but self-doubt and loneliness.
My heart is heavy within my chest.
Before it was if it never existed.
Merely a mechanism.
Pushing blood through my body.
I ignored it.
Now my heart is heavy.
It aches for what it lost.
For what it does not have.
For what it wants and what it needs.
It lies in the middle of my chest just as a stone on the bottom of a lake.
Holding me down in the cold and wet darkness of the winter water.
That water surrounds me.
And the darkness overwhelms me.
I no longer know where I end and it begins.
I look out on to the bottom of the lake.
The dirt floor goes on past where I can see.
Despair-like the floor-surrounds me.
It encompasses me to the point where I have no hope.
The water around and above me is as my depression, my despair.
It pushes down upon me with such force that I cannot move.
I sit on the bottom hoping the water will crush me.
That I will dissolve into the water.
And it will sweep me away, as if I’ve never been.
Tuesday October 23rd, 2007
America and Iran-Really so different?
I watched a PBS Frontline documentary last night [10/23/2007] on the political and military atmosphere of Iran and the US. It was very informative. I hadn’t realized that in 2003 just after President Bush had declared victory in Iraq that there was an attempt at a political resolution and political peace that was initiated by reformist politicians in Iran. The reformers in Iran had apparently received approval by the hard-line leaders to attempt a peaceful accord between the US and Iran. At the time President Bush apparently felt so confident in the US position in Iraq that he ignored the offer and never spoke with Iran.
I wonder if history will look back and say-how foolish you were Mr. President.
I know that I’m saying it. The US is stuck in the middle of a political and military civil war in Iraq and unable to extricate itself. Many young soldiers are dying on the other side of the world each month-each day-and I wonder how this is keeping the US safer? Isn’t peace with other countries, a working political accord-a dialogue-something that will keep this country safe? Isn’t ignoring that to go your own way and do as you want, regardless of how it affects others, reckless and ignorant of the ways of the world-as well as simply childish? Like pushing all the other kids out of the sand-box because you want to play alone? I can imagine that eventually you will either have no friends, or the kids on the play ground will band together to beat up the bully. In this scenario I’m envisioning the US as the bully. Unfortunately I think that many people and nations are viewing the US as the bully. Instead of being the world’s police officer and
peace keeper-even moral leader-we are becoming the world’s bully. President Bush has said it in press conferences before-either you’re with us, or against us! I find that to be a short sighted statement.
Many people in the Middle-East have been to the US to study and learn about the west-earning college and university degrees and then going home to better their own country. They are the leaders of today, and they no longer appear to be interested in learning or talking with the west. Yet what I find sad is that they are similar to all of us in the west. They grow up, go to school, work, have a family and worry about how to pay their bills and take care of themselves and their loved ones. From those I’ve talked with who are from the Middle-East as well as reading books that have been written by those from Iran and Iraq about their life their I believe that their lives are very different, and much the same as ours.
History has its moments-both good and bad. September 3rd, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. June 6th, 1945 the Allied forces invasion of Normandy. September 11th, 2001 the destruction of the twin towers in NYC. I wonder if may 2003 will go down as a date that could have prevented a more disastrous date in the future.
FRONTLINE: showdown with Iran
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/showdown/
FRONTLINE: home | PBS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/
frontline: History of US/Iran relations
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/tehran/
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I wonder if history will look back and say-how foolish you were Mr. President.
I know that I’m saying it. The US is stuck in the middle of a political and military civil war in Iraq and unable to extricate itself. Many young soldiers are dying on the other side of the world each month-each day-and I wonder how this is keeping the US safer? Isn’t peace with other countries, a working political accord-a dialogue-something that will keep this country safe? Isn’t ignoring that to go your own way and do as you want, regardless of how it affects others, reckless and ignorant of the ways of the world-as well as simply childish? Like pushing all the other kids out of the sand-box because you want to play alone? I can imagine that eventually you will either have no friends, or the kids on the play ground will band together to beat up the bully. In this scenario I’m envisioning the US as the bully. Unfortunately I think that many people and nations are viewing the US as the bully. Instead of being the world’s police officer and
peace keeper-even moral leader-we are becoming the world’s bully. President Bush has said it in press conferences before-either you’re with us, or against us! I find that to be a short sighted statement.
Many people in the Middle-East have been to the US to study and learn about the west-earning college and university degrees and then going home to better their own country. They are the leaders of today, and they no longer appear to be interested in learning or talking with the west. Yet what I find sad is that they are similar to all of us in the west. They grow up, go to school, work, have a family and worry about how to pay their bills and take care of themselves and their loved ones. From those I’ve talked with who are from the Middle-East as well as reading books that have been written by those from Iran and Iraq about their life their I believe that their lives are very different, and much the same as ours.
History has its moments-both good and bad. September 3rd, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. June 6th, 1945 the Allied forces invasion of Normandy. September 11th, 2001 the destruction of the twin towers in NYC. I wonder if may 2003 will go down as a date that could have prevented a more disastrous date in the future.
FRONTLINE: showdown with Iran
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/showdown/
FRONTLINE: home | PBS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/
frontline: History of US/Iran relations
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/tehran/
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Be True to Your School...
Donating Yourself For Your School!
The University of Michigan and OSU have had some interesting battles before, both on the field and off. When I was a student at the U there was always a battle between the campuses as to which could donate more pints of blood between October and the game day in November. It may seem like it didn’t matter who won-since the Red Cross was able to get thousands of pints of blood that could be used to save countless lives with Packed Red Blood cells, Plasma and Platelets-but it did matter to the students as it was our way of showing not only our school pride but who could organize better and who was tougher. After all not everyone was happy to get stuck! I can recall my first time donating blood-I nearly passed out afterward because I was down a pint and not used to the lower blood volume.
Today the challenge is still here but it has changed to an organ and tissue donation registry challenge. Getting people to register to be organ and tissue donors is not an easy thing. Many people still think that if you sign the back of your license or sign a form volunteering your tissue or organs after you die that it somehow will negate the best treatment when you are in the hospital. Or even worse that the hospital staff will let you die because they want your organs. This is silly and unfortunately it’s still something that many people believe.
When I was in nursing school I can recall most of my classmates seemingly not having a clue as to how the organ donation process occurred. I was surprised but even more so I was shocked because many said they would not donate their organs after they died and that they didn’t’ feel comfortable asking someone to donate their family members organs.
I’m a transplant recipient myself. I received a double organ transplant nearly 4 years ago and I’m alive today only because someone had the strength, courage and generosity to say yes to a physician, a nurse or gift-of-life staff member when they were asked if they’d like to save the lives of others by donating tissue and organs from their lived one.
I do not imagine it is an easy thing to do. I cannot imagine what it must be like to loose someone whom you love-perhaps your spouse, parent or child. Someone who you thought would live a long, happy and healthy life and be asked if you’d like to let physicians and nurses take their organs and give them to someone else. To the outside community-those that do not work with transplant donors or recipients-it must seem like an awful thing to take their tissue and organs. But it is an incredible act of charity, compassion and strength to say yes to this question-will you donate your tissue and organs so that others can live?
As a recipient I’ve never met nor talked with the family that donated the organs so I could live. But for all those reading this that may have donated a family members organs and for those who want to donate I want to say thank-you. You have made my life livable and better than I could have ever imagined.
And for anyone who would not consider donating I’d ask you why not?
Once we’re gone, why do you need to take your organs with you?
UMHS Press Release: Buckeye vs. Wolverine organ donor registry drive
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2007/sod.htm
Gift of Life Michigan
http://www.giftoflifemichigan.org/
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The University of Michigan and OSU have had some interesting battles before, both on the field and off. When I was a student at the U there was always a battle between the campuses as to which could donate more pints of blood between October and the game day in November. It may seem like it didn’t matter who won-since the Red Cross was able to get thousands of pints of blood that could be used to save countless lives with Packed Red Blood cells, Plasma and Platelets-but it did matter to the students as it was our way of showing not only our school pride but who could organize better and who was tougher. After all not everyone was happy to get stuck! I can recall my first time donating blood-I nearly passed out afterward because I was down a pint and not used to the lower blood volume.
Today the challenge is still here but it has changed to an organ and tissue donation registry challenge. Getting people to register to be organ and tissue donors is not an easy thing. Many people still think that if you sign the back of your license or sign a form volunteering your tissue or organs after you die that it somehow will negate the best treatment when you are in the hospital. Or even worse that the hospital staff will let you die because they want your organs. This is silly and unfortunately it’s still something that many people believe.
When I was in nursing school I can recall most of my classmates seemingly not having a clue as to how the organ donation process occurred. I was surprised but even more so I was shocked because many said they would not donate their organs after they died and that they didn’t’ feel comfortable asking someone to donate their family members organs.
I’m a transplant recipient myself. I received a double organ transplant nearly 4 years ago and I’m alive today only because someone had the strength, courage and generosity to say yes to a physician, a nurse or gift-of-life staff member when they were asked if they’d like to save the lives of others by donating tissue and organs from their lived one.
I do not imagine it is an easy thing to do. I cannot imagine what it must be like to loose someone whom you love-perhaps your spouse, parent or child. Someone who you thought would live a long, happy and healthy life and be asked if you’d like to let physicians and nurses take their organs and give them to someone else. To the outside community-those that do not work with transplant donors or recipients-it must seem like an awful thing to take their tissue and organs. But it is an incredible act of charity, compassion and strength to say yes to this question-will you donate your tissue and organs so that others can live?
As a recipient I’ve never met nor talked with the family that donated the organs so I could live. But for all those reading this that may have donated a family members organs and for those who want to donate I want to say thank-you. You have made my life livable and better than I could have ever imagined.
And for anyone who would not consider donating I’d ask you why not?
Once we’re gone, why do you need to take your organs with you?
UMHS Press Release: Buckeye vs. Wolverine organ donor registry drive
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2007/sod.htm
Gift of Life Michigan
http://www.giftoflifemichigan.org/
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
“The Feather Revisited”
As the sun sets on the warm fall day, so to does the darkness fall.
As the darkness falls on the earth, so does the darkness fall on my heart.
I had not felt alive in the sun, nor warmed by its rays today.
But numb with shock over the loss of my love.
As the darkness now fell upon me, I felt colder.
The prospect of night with out my love made me weep.
She was gone forever.
Never would I bask in her beauty again.
The bright glow of her smile that warmed me from within.
The happiness that she displayed at seeing me.
And that I received when I saw her.
The most beautiful woman I ever saw when she smiled.
She was frequently beautiful when we first met.
Alas, in the recent past she hardly ever smiled.
I took away her smile, and caused my own heart to mourn.
I could not allow her to not be beautiful.
She belonged with someone who would make her smile.
As we said good-bye I prayed she would find her smile.
Monday, October 22, 2007
As the darkness falls on the earth, so does the darkness fall on my heart.
I had not felt alive in the sun, nor warmed by its rays today.
But numb with shock over the loss of my love.
As the darkness now fell upon me, I felt colder.
The prospect of night with out my love made me weep.
She was gone forever.
Never would I bask in her beauty again.
The bright glow of her smile that warmed me from within.
The happiness that she displayed at seeing me.
And that I received when I saw her.
The most beautiful woman I ever saw when she smiled.
She was frequently beautiful when we first met.
Alas, in the recent past she hardly ever smiled.
I took away her smile, and caused my own heart to mourn.
I could not allow her to not be beautiful.
She belonged with someone who would make her smile.
As we said good-bye I prayed she would find her smile.
Monday, October 22, 2007
“The Feather”
As the sun sets and the darkness falls,
So do the hopes and dreams of the earnest and tender hearted.
Awaiting a thought, a call, a note from their beloved!
But as the morning dawns a new day is born.
A new chance to find love or to renew what has been lost.
Or to throw oneself into the wind, the world of torment.
Love once given away…is it lost?
Like a feather floated on to the breeze of a windy Fall day?
For what hopes, what chance does my love have of ever finding that feather?
What chance do I have of ever finding her again?
She is warm, kind and protective.
With her love I was strong.
I was able to persevere against the wind.
Without her I have become like the new born child.
Unable to protect myself.
Thinking only of of my heart which is broken.
Not wanting to go on.
Even in my dreams she is as elusive as she is beautiful.
Like catching the rays of the new born sun in the morning..
I can hold her no longer.
She slips through my hands…
To warm another’s heart.
October 21, 2007
So do the hopes and dreams of the earnest and tender hearted.
Awaiting a thought, a call, a note from their beloved!
But as the morning dawns a new day is born.
A new chance to find love or to renew what has been lost.
Or to throw oneself into the wind, the world of torment.
Love once given away…is it lost?
Like a feather floated on to the breeze of a windy Fall day?
For what hopes, what chance does my love have of ever finding that feather?
What chance do I have of ever finding her again?
She is warm, kind and protective.
With her love I was strong.
I was able to persevere against the wind.
Without her I have become like the new born child.
Unable to protect myself.
Thinking only of of my heart which is broken.
Not wanting to go on.
Even in my dreams she is as elusive as she is beautiful.
Like catching the rays of the new born sun in the morning..
I can hold her no longer.
She slips through my hands…
To warm another’s heart.
October 21, 2007
Clerks 2
Clerks 2 came out last summer and it was a great movie. A few people I knew wanted to see it but had never seen the first Clerks installment and I recall telling them that it didn’t matter. After all the movie really is very good and why not spread the word that another Clerks movie was out there to be seen, discussed, laughed and enjoyed! Plus I had already seen it and while the two main characters returned-Dante and Randall- too continue their roles as best friends, debaters of the mundane and apparently lacking in ambition-having seen the first film didn’t appear to be a necessity for someone to enjoy the second.
There is conflict in the film from the very start-as the Quick-Stop is burning down. If the presentation of the store having been burned down requiring our heros to locate new jobs-that continue to be ever so lucrative in their financial as well as mental pay off-wasn’t enough of a conflict, Dante is planning on leaving the store, his best friend and the state [ok it is Jersey so I can’t blame him there] for a new life. He is planning on getting married, moving to Florida and becoming the manager of a car wash-compliments of his soon to be father-in-law. Smith’s movies, like life, never work out to anyone’s advantage so you can bet that Dante’s not leaving jersey any time soon.
There are so many good scenes in this film that it’s difficult to think of where to start-let alone what not to include. Randal’s debate with a customer over Star Wars versus LOTR is absolutely hilarious! I’m fortunate I went in the middle of the week and there were few people in the audience that I may have bothered with my laughing that day. The conversations that Dante and Randall have are what you remember having with your best friend when you were in high school. The scene with Becky and Dante on the roof of Mooby’s dancing while Jay is doing his dancing/kung fu fighting routine on the street below is funny as well as romantic. The scene with Jay-Jason Mewes-dancing his androgynous metro sexual dance was somewhat unnerving, but then later in the film we have a cameo by a donkey and his trainer and they are not rehearsing their state fair show! There are also cameo appearances by Jason Lee, and Ben Affleck.
Over all this is another fine film created by Kevin Smith. You might have expected him to let his creative juices run dry for this updated version of Clerks with his past success of Clerks and Chasing Amy but he does not disappoint. If you enjoyed any of Kevin Smith’s previous films then this is a must see movie!
Clerks II (2006)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424345/
Clerks
http://viewaskew.com/clerks/
Thursday October 18th, 2007
There is conflict in the film from the very start-as the Quick-Stop is burning down. If the presentation of the store having been burned down requiring our heros to locate new jobs-that continue to be ever so lucrative in their financial as well as mental pay off-wasn’t enough of a conflict, Dante is planning on leaving the store, his best friend and the state [ok it is Jersey so I can’t blame him there] for a new life. He is planning on getting married, moving to Florida and becoming the manager of a car wash-compliments of his soon to be father-in-law. Smith’s movies, like life, never work out to anyone’s advantage so you can bet that Dante’s not leaving jersey any time soon.
There are so many good scenes in this film that it’s difficult to think of where to start-let alone what not to include. Randal’s debate with a customer over Star Wars versus LOTR is absolutely hilarious! I’m fortunate I went in the middle of the week and there were few people in the audience that I may have bothered with my laughing that day. The conversations that Dante and Randall have are what you remember having with your best friend when you were in high school. The scene with Becky and Dante on the roof of Mooby’s dancing while Jay is doing his dancing/kung fu fighting routine on the street below is funny as well as romantic. The scene with Jay-Jason Mewes-dancing his androgynous metro sexual dance was somewhat unnerving, but then later in the film we have a cameo by a donkey and his trainer and they are not rehearsing their state fair show! There are also cameo appearances by Jason Lee, and Ben Affleck.
Over all this is another fine film created by Kevin Smith. You might have expected him to let his creative juices run dry for this updated version of Clerks with his past success of Clerks and Chasing Amy but he does not disappoint. If you enjoyed any of Kevin Smith’s previous films then this is a must see movie!
Clerks II (2006)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424345/
Clerks
http://viewaskew.com/clerks/
Thursday October 18th, 2007
Chasing Amy
I’ve been reflecting on many of the films I’ve seen over the years. I’ve written about movies I’ve seen in the theater, cable and television. I was considering that I’ve seen a few Kevin Smith films and Chasing Amy is one of those films that Smith seems to have gotten right-along with Clerks and Clerks II.
I saw this film when it came out in 1997. I was in graduate school and living half-way-across the country from the home that I knew well. The difference between the Brooklyn and the five burroughs-where I grew up-and Chicago-where I went to grad school is vast. The difference between someone who watches The Sound of Music and Chasing Amy would be on par with that vastness! To be blunt-this film is not for the faint of heart or anyone who can’t stand to ask tough questions or listen to the answers given-regardless of whether those answers are correct or not. To be honest I don’t believe the questions being asked have correct answers. I believe they are questions that we all must ask and answer for ourselves and as such the only right answer is the one that is true and right for yourself.
Smith deals with the question of gender roles as well as gender stereo-typing.
The lead female actor-played by Joey Lauren Adams-states in the film, “why should I limit myself to just men? Why eliminate half of the possibilities out there from the start when I’m looking for that right person?”
The film also stars Ben Affleck, Jason Lee [better known for his reoccurring role as Earl on My Name is Earl-and Jason Mewes-along with a small role for Matt Damon.
It is not the Hollywood version of “let’s ask questions about appropriate gender roles!” It does not have a happy ending. But it does have a realistic ending based on the characters that we get to know.
Life is not an easy think to endure and experience, why should a relationship be any easier? And this movie portrays life and relationships with an accuracy that many people would like to ignore. It’s a good movie to see and reflect on as it asks questions that most of us wouldn’t think to ask-let alone want the answers too. Kevin Smith wrote and directed a fine film with Chasing Amy.
Chasing Amy
http://viewaskew.com/chasingamy/
Chasing Amy (1997)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118842/
Wednesday October 17th, 2007
I saw this film when it came out in 1997. I was in graduate school and living half-way-across the country from the home that I knew well. The difference between the Brooklyn and the five burroughs-where I grew up-and Chicago-where I went to grad school is vast. The difference between someone who watches The Sound of Music and Chasing Amy would be on par with that vastness! To be blunt-this film is not for the faint of heart or anyone who can’t stand to ask tough questions or listen to the answers given-regardless of whether those answers are correct or not. To be honest I don’t believe the questions being asked have correct answers. I believe they are questions that we all must ask and answer for ourselves and as such the only right answer is the one that is true and right for yourself.
Smith deals with the question of gender roles as well as gender stereo-typing.
The lead female actor-played by Joey Lauren Adams-states in the film, “why should I limit myself to just men? Why eliminate half of the possibilities out there from the start when I’m looking for that right person?”
The film also stars Ben Affleck, Jason Lee [better known for his reoccurring role as Earl on My Name is Earl-and Jason Mewes-along with a small role for Matt Damon.
It is not the Hollywood version of “let’s ask questions about appropriate gender roles!” It does not have a happy ending. But it does have a realistic ending based on the characters that we get to know.
Life is not an easy think to endure and experience, why should a relationship be any easier? And this movie portrays life and relationships with an accuracy that many people would like to ignore. It’s a good movie to see and reflect on as it asks questions that most of us wouldn’t think to ask-let alone want the answers too. Kevin Smith wrote and directed a fine film with Chasing Amy.
Chasing Amy
http://viewaskew.com/chasingamy/
Chasing Amy (1997)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118842/
Wednesday October 17th, 2007
Fat, Weight, Pounds....
Who's Over-Weight??
America-“We’re not as fat as you think we are!”
Britain's getting obese too! Yes Britain, and the US and Canada...
After listening to the US President Bush’s press conference for 45 minutes I decided to watch some news from across the border. I listened to the CBC noon news from Toronto and was interested to hear that a recent study indicated that Britain is getting fat as well. To be blunt it appears that the entire industrialized world is running the risk of becoming overweight and obese.
Studies indicate that Americans, Brits as well as Canadians all are gaining too much weight from eating too much and exercising too little.
Apparently many of us over estimate how much exercise we get each day and under-estimate how much we eat.
Sounds like we all need to take a nutrition and exercise class! Maybe we need to do it together? We could get a nutrition book on tape while we run, bike, or walk.
Does this study make me look fat?
http://www.cbc.ca/health/fitness-blog/2006/08/does_this_study_make_me_look_f_1.html
www.cbc.ca/
Wednesday October 17th, 2007
America-“We’re not as fat as you think we are!”
Britain's getting obese too! Yes Britain, and the US and Canada...
After listening to the US President Bush’s press conference for 45 minutes I decided to watch some news from across the border. I listened to the CBC noon news from Toronto and was interested to hear that a recent study indicated that Britain is getting fat as well. To be blunt it appears that the entire industrialized world is running the risk of becoming overweight and obese.
Studies indicate that Americans, Brits as well as Canadians all are gaining too much weight from eating too much and exercising too little.
Apparently many of us over estimate how much exercise we get each day and under-estimate how much we eat.
Sounds like we all need to take a nutrition and exercise class! Maybe we need to do it together? We could get a nutrition book on tape while we run, bike, or walk.
Does this study make me look fat?
http://www.cbc.ca/health/fitness-blog/2006/08/does_this_study_make_me_look_f_1.html
www.cbc.ca/
Wednesday October 17th, 2007
The Sting~!!!
Let’s transition to another movie that stars Redford and Newman! I saw this one back when cable didn’t quite exist yet. It was a Sunday night and ABC used to have movies on in the winter time. I can recall taking in everything they did on the screen-the small TV screen that is-the excitement of Chicago and this group of con artists trying to pull one over on a rich man. A million dollars they were going to try and steal. That seemed like a lot to me back then, it seems like a lot to me now! And yet it was set in the 30’s so for those characters it must have been an enormous amount of money.
Redford has been playing cons for years and his partner gets killed. Mostly because they stole from the wrong guy- Doyle Lonnegan played by Robert Shaw, who also played in Jaws. Redford looks up an old pal of his former partner-Henry Gondorf, played by Newman-and the con is on. They decide to go after the big fish with a fake off track gambling site. It looks real enough to me, but is vastly lacking in security-and later in the film we think they may have needed more security.
The movie has all the things you want in a big film-fights, trains, women [Newman runs a brothel on the side] and money, gambling, a carousel, the police and feds after you and most importantly several different plots and a few twists to keep you guessing even at the end!
I enjoyed this movie and even though it wouldn’t match up to today’s special effects and million dollar price tags it is still a classic movie with a fun ending. I recommend this movie to anyone who’s enjoyed Newman and Redford in previous films and likes to have some laughs and an enjoyable ending to boot.
The Sting (1973)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070735/
Tuesday October 16th, 2007
Redford has been playing cons for years and his partner gets killed. Mostly because they stole from the wrong guy- Doyle Lonnegan played by Robert Shaw, who also played in Jaws. Redford looks up an old pal of his former partner-Henry Gondorf, played by Newman-and the con is on. They decide to go after the big fish with a fake off track gambling site. It looks real enough to me, but is vastly lacking in security-and later in the film we think they may have needed more security.
The movie has all the things you want in a big film-fights, trains, women [Newman runs a brothel on the side] and money, gambling, a carousel, the police and feds after you and most importantly several different plots and a few twists to keep you guessing even at the end!
I enjoyed this movie and even though it wouldn’t match up to today’s special effects and million dollar price tags it is still a classic movie with a fun ending. I recommend this movie to anyone who’s enjoyed Newman and Redford in previous films and likes to have some laughs and an enjoyable ending to boot.
The Sting (1973)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070735/
Tuesday October 16th, 2007
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Butch and Sundance~!!
Having just written about a movie set in the west 150 years ago that was not overly happy and funny I thought I’d write about a western that came out in 1969 that was mostly fun to watch and set the tone for buddy films for several years to come. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid came out well before I was born, but it’s as fun to watch today as it was the first time I saw it. I was young and in school and I saw it for the first time on cable. The writing was very good and had memorable lines; such as, Redford asking Newman, “think you used enough dynamite there Butch?” after Newman literally exploded the train car that they were trying to rob. As well as Newman singing some song I’d never heard before or since that included the line, “Don't ever hit your mother with a shovel. It will leave a dull impression on her mind”
The movie had an interesting plot. Newman and Redford are robbing from the same train over and over, until the owner wants them caught. The owner of the rail-road them hires two of the most well known and tireless lawmen that are alive and in the United States. They are tracked across the state and apparently across the country as well, until the finally end up living in Bolivia.
Bolivia? Who ever heard of Bolivia? And the language and cultural differences between two Gringo Banditos and the natives are not an easy thing for them to necessarily adjust too.
The movie ends with you presuming they have died-at the hands and guns of the Bolivian National Army. It’s a sad ending to their story, but thankfully they made more films together!
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064115/
Tuesday October 16th, 2007
Having just written about a movie set in the west 150 years ago that was not overly happy and funny I thought I’d write about a western that came out in 1969 that was mostly fun to watch and set the tone for buddy films for several years to come. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid came out well before I was born, but it’s as fun to watch today as it was the first time I saw it. I was young and in school and I saw it for the first time on cable. The writing was very good and had memorable lines; such as, Redford asking Newman, “think you used enough dynamite there Butch?” after Newman literally exploded the train car that they were trying to rob. As well as Newman singing some song I’d never heard before or since that included the line, “Don't ever hit your mother with a shovel. It will leave a dull impression on her mind”
The movie had an interesting plot. Newman and Redford are robbing from the same train over and over, until the owner wants them caught. The owner of the rail-road them hires two of the most well known and tireless lawmen that are alive and in the United States. They are tracked across the state and apparently across the country as well, until the finally end up living in Bolivia.
Bolivia? Who ever heard of Bolivia? And the language and cultural differences between two Gringo Banditos and the natives are not an easy thing for them to necessarily adjust too.
The movie ends with you presuming they have died-at the hands and guns of the Bolivian National Army. It’s a sad ending to their story, but thankfully they made more films together!
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064115/
Tuesday October 16th, 2007
3:10 to Yuma
I saw this movie yesterday evening. It was not quite what I was expecting, but in a good way. Russell Crowe is not my favorite but he portrays a believable character-up until the very end. Christian Bale comes across as a man who is hurt, scared and running from his past. We find Bale trying to provide for his family on what appears to be a falling apart and unkempt ranch in Arizona. Crowe is the regional thief and gunslinger who steals and does as he pleases with his group of outlaws.
The film reminded me of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid but not for very long! It is much more graphic and has very little comedy in it. Besides being set in the west and centering upon on outlaw there is no comparing the plot of the two movies.
Bale volunteers to help in transporting Crowe to the local town that has a train station. Upon arriving he has to get Crowe on the 3:10 train to Yuma-thus the title. We learn this later in the film. We also learn some very pertinent information about Bale’s character as the film progresses; that he lost part of his leg while fighting in the Civil War. That he was part of the Massachusetts militia and was called up to defend Washington DC. That he lost his leg not in fighting but while retreating, and one of his fellow soldiers shot him. Because of how he lost his leg he sees distain and disgust in his boys eyes and feels he has to do the right thing-take Crowe in-to regain his self worth and the respect of his boys.
All this is learned near the end, and it is very compelling. Crowe after learning all this seems to have changed his mind about going to the train and going to prison, even to the point of helping Bale out to get him on to the train. The ending of the film takes a large leap of faith to believe. Crowe goes from being a lying, despicable killer, to one with a heart.
If you can make the leap to the very end I would recommend this film. If you enjoy Russell Crowe or Christian Bale films then you most likely will enjoy this film. If you enjoy westerns, you may still enjoy it. It presents the American West in less than idyllic light. It shows a dirty, cold and bloody living where the law may have been difficult to enforce and not everyone cared if it was followed. Along with those that did may have done so for a price. Overall it is a good movie.
Apple - Trailers - 3:10 to Yuma
http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/310toyuma/
310 To Yuma
http://www.310toyumathefilm.com/
Tuesday October 16th, 2007
The film reminded me of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid but not for very long! It is much more graphic and has very little comedy in it. Besides being set in the west and centering upon on outlaw there is no comparing the plot of the two movies.
Bale volunteers to help in transporting Crowe to the local town that has a train station. Upon arriving he has to get Crowe on the 3:10 train to Yuma-thus the title. We learn this later in the film. We also learn some very pertinent information about Bale’s character as the film progresses; that he lost part of his leg while fighting in the Civil War. That he was part of the Massachusetts militia and was called up to defend Washington DC. That he lost his leg not in fighting but while retreating, and one of his fellow soldiers shot him. Because of how he lost his leg he sees distain and disgust in his boys eyes and feels he has to do the right thing-take Crowe in-to regain his self worth and the respect of his boys.
All this is learned near the end, and it is very compelling. Crowe after learning all this seems to have changed his mind about going to the train and going to prison, even to the point of helping Bale out to get him on to the train. The ending of the film takes a large leap of faith to believe. Crowe goes from being a lying, despicable killer, to one with a heart.
If you can make the leap to the very end I would recommend this film. If you enjoy Russell Crowe or Christian Bale films then you most likely will enjoy this film. If you enjoy westerns, you may still enjoy it. It presents the American West in less than idyllic light. It shows a dirty, cold and bloody living where the law may have been difficult to enforce and not everyone cared if it was followed. Along with those that did may have done so for a price. Overall it is a good movie.
Apple - Trailers - 3:10 to Yuma
http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/310toyuma/
310 To Yuma
http://www.310toyumathefilm.com/
Tuesday October 16th, 2007
Who's Ur Doctor..??
Do You Have A UM Doctor?
Living in the south-eastern portion of Michigan you may hear the radio or TV commercial for Beaumont Hospitals that asks, “Do you have a Beaumont doctor?”
I have nothing against Beaumont or any other hospital. I’m not writing this to “dis” Beaumont. But there is a joke at the hospital I work at that goes something like-“We train Beaumont Doctors!”
To continue that tangent there is a recent publication that lists many of the University of Michigan Health System physicians as America’s Top Doctors.
So I guess I’ll ask …Do you have a UM doctor?
UMHS Press Release: Best Doctors lists include hundreds from U-M
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2007/bestdocs.htm
Monday October 15th, 2007
Living in the south-eastern portion of Michigan you may hear the radio or TV commercial for Beaumont Hospitals that asks, “Do you have a Beaumont doctor?”
I have nothing against Beaumont or any other hospital. I’m not writing this to “dis” Beaumont. But there is a joke at the hospital I work at that goes something like-“We train Beaumont Doctors!”
To continue that tangent there is a recent publication that lists many of the University of Michigan Health System physicians as America’s Top Doctors.
So I guess I’ll ask …Do you have a UM doctor?
UMHS Press Release: Best Doctors lists include hundreds from U-M
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2007/bestdocs.htm
Monday October 15th, 2007
What's Your Age..??
How old are you?
Many of us are preoccupied with our age, how we look and how old we might live to be. This web site was forwarded to me and I was asked to take the questions on it to determine how old I’d actually be.
It asks a series of general questions about your lifestyle-exercise, health history, medications taken-and then calculates how long you may live-based on??? Well who knows what it’s actually based on, but it’s an interesting and fun few minutes. If you don’t agree with the results then I’d say prove it wrong!
My results turned out to be 6 years younger than my biological age!
Woo Hoo!
http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/032007/03252007/255062
Wednesday October 10, 2007
Many of us are preoccupied with our age, how we look and how old we might live to be. This web site was forwarded to me and I was asked to take the questions on it to determine how old I’d actually be.
It asks a series of general questions about your lifestyle-exercise, health history, medications taken-and then calculates how long you may live-based on??? Well who knows what it’s actually based on, but it’s an interesting and fun few minutes. If you don’t agree with the results then I’d say prove it wrong!
My results turned out to be 6 years younger than my biological age!
Woo Hoo!
http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/032007/03252007/255062
Wednesday October 10, 2007
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Nature Thoughts/Poem, Oct 22, 2008
I walked in the glenn and saw three little trees growing.
I imagined being on a lake. and having a boat for rowing.
The October wind brings me back to reality as it's cold wind is blowing.
But I console myself with the knowledge that at least it's not snowing!
Not yet anyway
Thursday October 23, 2008
I imagined being on a lake. and having a boat for rowing.
The October wind brings me back to reality as it's cold wind is blowing.
But I console myself with the knowledge that at least it's not snowing!
Not yet anyway
Thursday October 23, 2008
Galaxy Quest~!! [1999]
If there was ever a funnier and yet serious spoof of Star Trek and Sci-Fi then I’ve not yet seen it! I had the chance to re-watch this movie over the weekend and it made me laugh and smile with the over-the-top performances of the characters and actors!
From Time Allen’s portrayal of Commander Taggart to Sigourney Weaver’s emotional portrayal of Lt. Tawny Madison-with her gorgeous body center stage! Alan Rickman’s interesting and yet controlled performance of the alien Dr.Lazarus. Tony Shaloub as the tech sergeant responsible for fixing the ship under any circumstances! Reminds me of Mr. Scott on Star Trek, and he falls in love with an alien-who is really very attractive with her pale, white skin and the dark straight hair! Missy Pile plays Laliari the alien emissary to Tim Allen’s character-after her translator is fixed-and the soon to be love interest and first assistant to tech sergeant played by the actor Fred Kwan and in real life Tony Shaloub. There are supporting roles by Enrico Colantoni who plays Mathesar the alien leader and commander who puts all his people’s hopes and dreams into one basket. The one carried by goofball Tim Allen!
From the convention where the cast is upset and angry over their co-stars apparent lack of respect for their craft, or for punctuality, to Tim Allen’s astonished look when he’s about to be transported like some over-sized pneumatic tube across the universe back to earth this film has some very good special effects, decent writing and good acting by all. It presents us with the question of what do you do when you find what you do for a living really does matter to someone-even if you never thought it did and it hadn’t mattered to you before? Even more is what do you do when you find that others are relying on you to help them? Do you turn away from them, run and let them down? Or do you accept the challenge and work hard, get the help of your friends and accomplish your goal?
Maybe this movie is simply meant to be funny, but many people may think of their jobs as not having much impact in the larger picture. Yet if we all didn’t do whatever it is we do for a living wouldn’t there be a large hole? Wouldn’t things end up not getting done? And then perhaps we’d see just how important our role really is both at work, and with those we care about-friends and family.
Galaxy Quest on imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0177789/
Monday, December 01, 2008
From Time Allen’s portrayal of Commander Taggart to Sigourney Weaver’s emotional portrayal of Lt. Tawny Madison-with her gorgeous body center stage! Alan Rickman’s interesting and yet controlled performance of the alien Dr.Lazarus. Tony Shaloub as the tech sergeant responsible for fixing the ship under any circumstances! Reminds me of Mr. Scott on Star Trek, and he falls in love with an alien-who is really very attractive with her pale, white skin and the dark straight hair! Missy Pile plays Laliari the alien emissary to Tim Allen’s character-after her translator is fixed-and the soon to be love interest and first assistant to tech sergeant played by the actor Fred Kwan and in real life Tony Shaloub. There are supporting roles by Enrico Colantoni who plays Mathesar the alien leader and commander who puts all his people’s hopes and dreams into one basket. The one carried by goofball Tim Allen!
From the convention where the cast is upset and angry over their co-stars apparent lack of respect for their craft, or for punctuality, to Tim Allen’s astonished look when he’s about to be transported like some over-sized pneumatic tube across the universe back to earth this film has some very good special effects, decent writing and good acting by all. It presents us with the question of what do you do when you find what you do for a living really does matter to someone-even if you never thought it did and it hadn’t mattered to you before? Even more is what do you do when you find that others are relying on you to help them? Do you turn away from them, run and let them down? Or do you accept the challenge and work hard, get the help of your friends and accomplish your goal?
Maybe this movie is simply meant to be funny, but many people may think of their jobs as not having much impact in the larger picture. Yet if we all didn’t do whatever it is we do for a living wouldn’t there be a large hole? Wouldn’t things end up not getting done? And then perhaps we’d see just how important our role really is both at work, and with those we care about-friends and family.
Galaxy Quest on imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0177789/
Monday, December 01, 2008
Thoughts On Life
Personal Thoughts on life….. [From an RN]
1-Things never turn out the way you expect!
2-Things always take longer than you plan!
3-Things always happen in three’s!
Like this list!
It’s definitely been my experience that no matter what you do in life that your job, your relationships, your food at the local restaurant is never the way you expected it to be.
Going to school is never as much fun, nor as bad as you think it’s going to be then after you graduate and get your first job, work is not as interesting, as exciting and it doesn’t pay as much as you thought it would. You don’t have as much fun on your days off as you expected because by then it seems like college was a blast and wasn’t as hard because flunking a test wasn’t nearly as bad as the possibility of getting fired!
But then you experience your first real illness-maybe you get the flu, maybe you get hospitalized-and you realize that your health is more important than any job you could have, so getting fired doesn’t seem so bad, until you realize that you have no health insurance without your job, that you can’t afford to pay the hospital and clinic bills and can’t pay for the prescriptions to get you healthy!
So you go back to work on a Monday morning and for those of you who are RN’s like me you realize you’re going to have 4 new patients you’ve never seen before and they all have a med list longer than War and Peace, so completing the morning meds will take you to 11am and then they want to order a new lunch tray because what they brought looks like a cardboard version of a tuna sandwich and smells rather like it’s been underneath someone’s car floor mat for a month-and for those who have a cold and can’t smell-it would amount to feeling like you’ve been out in the rain with your dog at the end of October for a week and you’ve just finished running 10 miles and then had a pile of old leaves placed on top of you to keep you warm and dry-after you were already wet!
So you decide to order a new lunch for your patient and instead of getting the dietary number you end up on a voice mail queue for the low-fat recipe of the month club! By 1pm you’ve ordered the lunch for the patient but it comes up as jello and a banana and the patient’s now hungry, tired and thinks you’re a moron who can’t even get a tuna sandwich right. Mild curse words are heard coming from under your breath, and the other nurses who understand your pain and suffering would offer to help if they weren’t already in their own hell!
So by 6pm you’re ready to quit, and leave the floor but you realize that it’s only 90 minutes until the Governor will release you from jail! And you can spread out giving report for 20 minutes and take a 30 second break in between to pee, drink your juice, take your own AM meds that you never had time for and eat your lunch/dinner before all your call lights go off and each patient wants you to personally give them their pain meds before shift change because they don’t want to have to wait until the next shift comes out of report. So by 8pm your meds are passed, charting is done, report is given and your people are breathing!
It’s time to go home and enjoy the 45 seconds of your evening before you collapse!
And after you wake up from you nap-semi rested-you shower, eat your dinner and go to bed. Realizing that you’re going back to your unit in the AM with the hope that all your work for your patients somehow made a difference in their life-whether you ever know of it or not.
Monday, November 17, 2008
1-Things never turn out the way you expect!
2-Things always take longer than you plan!
3-Things always happen in three’s!
Like this list!
It’s definitely been my experience that no matter what you do in life that your job, your relationships, your food at the local restaurant is never the way you expected it to be.
Going to school is never as much fun, nor as bad as you think it’s going to be then after you graduate and get your first job, work is not as interesting, as exciting and it doesn’t pay as much as you thought it would. You don’t have as much fun on your days off as you expected because by then it seems like college was a blast and wasn’t as hard because flunking a test wasn’t nearly as bad as the possibility of getting fired!
But then you experience your first real illness-maybe you get the flu, maybe you get hospitalized-and you realize that your health is more important than any job you could have, so getting fired doesn’t seem so bad, until you realize that you have no health insurance without your job, that you can’t afford to pay the hospital and clinic bills and can’t pay for the prescriptions to get you healthy!
So you go back to work on a Monday morning and for those of you who are RN’s like me you realize you’re going to have 4 new patients you’ve never seen before and they all have a med list longer than War and Peace, so completing the morning meds will take you to 11am and then they want to order a new lunch tray because what they brought looks like a cardboard version of a tuna sandwich and smells rather like it’s been underneath someone’s car floor mat for a month-and for those who have a cold and can’t smell-it would amount to feeling like you’ve been out in the rain with your dog at the end of October for a week and you’ve just finished running 10 miles and then had a pile of old leaves placed on top of you to keep you warm and dry-after you were already wet!
So you decide to order a new lunch for your patient and instead of getting the dietary number you end up on a voice mail queue for the low-fat recipe of the month club! By 1pm you’ve ordered the lunch for the patient but it comes up as jello and a banana and the patient’s now hungry, tired and thinks you’re a moron who can’t even get a tuna sandwich right. Mild curse words are heard coming from under your breath, and the other nurses who understand your pain and suffering would offer to help if they weren’t already in their own hell!
So by 6pm you’re ready to quit, and leave the floor but you realize that it’s only 90 minutes until the Governor will release you from jail! And you can spread out giving report for 20 minutes and take a 30 second break in between to pee, drink your juice, take your own AM meds that you never had time for and eat your lunch/dinner before all your call lights go off and each patient wants you to personally give them their pain meds before shift change because they don’t want to have to wait until the next shift comes out of report. So by 8pm your meds are passed, charting is done, report is given and your people are breathing!
It’s time to go home and enjoy the 45 seconds of your evening before you collapse!
And after you wake up from you nap-semi rested-you shower, eat your dinner and go to bed. Realizing that you’re going back to your unit in the AM with the hope that all your work for your patients somehow made a difference in their life-whether you ever know of it or not.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Robot Chicken Parody~!
OK-I slept through it to be completely honest! I missed the Robot Chicken Parody that was on last night, but I’ll still have fun watching the trailers with our fave bad guy, who still really wants to be good!
Take a look at the star wars web site if you haven’t seen any of the previews/promos yet!
They’re a must see for fans!
Vader Does PR! [November 2008]
http://www.starwars.com/video/view/000721.html
Monday, November 17, 2008
Take a look at the star wars web site if you haven’t seen any of the previews/promos yet!
They’re a must see for fans!
Vader Does PR! [November 2008]
http://www.starwars.com/video/view/000721.html
Monday, November 17, 2008
Choke [2008]
This movie was a bit odd in my opinion-which would lead you to believe that Id enjoy it immensely as I tend to prefer movies with odd endings and twists. But I think it was more my feeling uncertain as to how the movie actually ended as opposed to all the simulated sex that was portrayed in it that left me feeling uneasy at the ending of the movie.
The main characters are Victor [played by Sam Rockwell] Ida-Victor's mom played by Anjelica Huston. Dr.Paige Marshall-played by Kelly McDonald.
The flashes to the sex scenes are confusing to me as I wasn't 100% sure if it was Victor remembering his previous experiences or that he was dreaming and desiring these people. I'd like to think it was the former as then the ending has a much nicer and more romantic ending in my opinion.
But the movie also had such a devastating way of dealing with the mother/son relationship/question. Through the movie we see flash backs of Victor remembering his youth and time spent with his mother, Near the end of the movie we learn that Victor is actually not her real son. That he was stolen from a mall. Angelica Huston kidnapped him when he was little and he never knew it until the very end of her life. She tells him on her deathbed. He appears devastated. He lost his mother that he knew growing up, both in an emotional and physical sense. And he looses the woman he's fallen in love with as she runs away.
The film seems depressing and makes me think about how so many of us are looking for that parental relationship that makes us feel loved, or that special other person who will love and accept us.
Overall this is a good movie with plenty to laugh at and be amused by and to think about, but it's very explicit-both verbally and visually-so don't view it if you're faint of heart. It has an R rating for a reason!
Choke [2008]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024715/
Tuesday 28 October 2008
The main characters are Victor [played by Sam Rockwell] Ida-Victor's mom played by Anjelica Huston. Dr.Paige Marshall-played by Kelly McDonald.
The flashes to the sex scenes are confusing to me as I wasn't 100% sure if it was Victor remembering his previous experiences or that he was dreaming and desiring these people. I'd like to think it was the former as then the ending has a much nicer and more romantic ending in my opinion.
But the movie also had such a devastating way of dealing with the mother/son relationship/question. Through the movie we see flash backs of Victor remembering his youth and time spent with his mother, Near the end of the movie we learn that Victor is actually not her real son. That he was stolen from a mall. Angelica Huston kidnapped him when he was little and he never knew it until the very end of her life. She tells him on her deathbed. He appears devastated. He lost his mother that he knew growing up, both in an emotional and physical sense. And he looses the woman he's fallen in love with as she runs away.
The film seems depressing and makes me think about how so many of us are looking for that parental relationship that makes us feel loved, or that special other person who will love and accept us.
Overall this is a good movie with plenty to laugh at and be amused by and to think about, but it's very explicit-both verbally and visually-so don't view it if you're faint of heart. It has an R rating for a reason!
Choke [2008]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024715/
Tuesday 28 October 2008
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Sleater-Kinney and Freedom of Speech
Sleater-Kinney-the band which not many people outside of the North-West or indie group circles are aware of has taken a leave of absence-aka are on hiatus. This band is one of my favorite groups and their music is not only creative and stirring but the lyrics are insightful and purposeful as well. Many of the group’s songs have meaning beyond the music-such as Combat Rock from their cd One Beat. This song in particular is an example of artists using their talent to highlight problems in our country. The song asks whether dissent is indeed treason. And of course it is not. Our country’s founders spoke their minds and if they disagreed then they spoke out. The USA is a country that should not require complacency from its citizens. It is not a country that must require the people toting the party line-that sounds rather like the former Soviet Union. If you’re not with us you’re against us-that too is something that is not true in the US-but has been
made popular by many a politician in the last several years. This country felt civil liberties to be so important that it’s written down in law! The 1st Amendment allows for freedom of speech-of the press-of assembly and religion. How can dissent of another’s opinion be anything other than American?
Overall their vocals have an in-your-face style. The lyrics are poignant and the music flows with the lyrics to the point where I wonder which flows from which-the music–lyrics or the lyrics-music.
Their last cd-The Woods-was released in May of 2005 and it may very well be their last. This is a definite disappointment to me as they are one of the few bands that I not only enjoy listening to but admire as well. They have used their talent not only to entertain others but to question as well. Art is here not simply to please us, but to question and push us. Art must ask the difficult questions and force others to confront those questions.
I do not have the talent for composing music, but I’ve always been able to write, to journal and now blog. S-K has been a positive influence on my writing-it’s not a musical composition but a composition of words-and while I have the opportunity to do so I will continue to write and publish here. Perhaps others will read and find questions that they had not considered before.
SLEATER-KINNEY.NET
http://www.sleater-kinney.net/
The Official Website of Sleater-Kinney
http://sleater-kinney.com/
The Bill of Rights
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html
Wednesday October 10th, 2007
made popular by many a politician in the last several years. This country felt civil liberties to be so important that it’s written down in law! The 1st Amendment allows for freedom of speech-of the press-of assembly and religion. How can dissent of another’s opinion be anything other than American?
Overall their vocals have an in-your-face style. The lyrics are poignant and the music flows with the lyrics to the point where I wonder which flows from which-the music–lyrics or the lyrics-music.
Their last cd-The Woods-was released in May of 2005 and it may very well be their last. This is a definite disappointment to me as they are one of the few bands that I not only enjoy listening to but admire as well. They have used their talent not only to entertain others but to question as well. Art is here not simply to please us, but to question and push us. Art must ask the difficult questions and force others to confront those questions.
I do not have the talent for composing music, but I’ve always been able to write, to journal and now blog. S-K has been a positive influence on my writing-it’s not a musical composition but a composition of words-and while I have the opportunity to do so I will continue to write and publish here. Perhaps others will read and find questions that they had not considered before.
SLEATER-KINNEY.NET
http://www.sleater-kinney.net/
The Official Website of Sleater-Kinney
http://sleater-kinney.com/
The Bill of Rights
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html
Wednesday October 10th, 2007
War v. Health-Care
War versus health care! I’m not so old that I can recall FDR or LBJ speaking to about how the government is here to help the people that live in this country, but I’ve read enough to recall that the government of the USA should be here to provide the opportunity for life and liberty for each of its citizens. To that end our current President seems to be forgetting that the littlest citizens need to be protected not only from the alleged terrorists that live over-seas but also from the not-so-alleged viruses and bacteria that cause infections and get people sick.
I usually prefer not to get involved in politics-no more than saying to anyone that you should be informed and be involved in the decisions of our country as much as you are able-but the most recent bill that our President has vetoed makes me realize that I too have a voice and need to stand up and say this is wrong. The President’s veto makes a mockery of his education doctrine of “No Child Left Behind”. While you may find it odd for me to make reference to this I think it’s very appropriate to invoke the President’s own words-and make him eat them in this blog. President Bush does not want to leave any child behind when it comes to education-so that our newest generation will be able to compete intellectually and educationally on the global market, but when it comes to caring for the youngest members of this country when they get sick? Well they’re on their own!
Last week the President vetoed a bill that would have provided monies for the poorest and some not so poor families to have health care. Instead of spending some 35 Billion dollars on this bill, he did spend nearly One-Trillion dollars on the next years Iraq occupation budget.
One trillion for Iraq and nothing for children’s health-care.
That seems fair doesn’t it?
After all I’m sure the rest of the world won’t think anything of our being a spend thrift country ready to go to war and support that over-seas effort for years while seeming to ignore the needs of children who cannot provide for themselves.
The President blames congress for this mess. He’s saying that they were not willing to compromise and that they sent the bill to him too late. Congress is trying to mount an over ride of the veto and is working to get the necessary votes.
Why not simply eliminate the necessity of choosing between the war effort and everything else that the country appears to need-education, health care, homes, jobs-by spending the money for Iraq here in the US.
I do not suggest that we leave the troops high and dry. I do propose that our taxes could be spent in a better way-for our own country and for our own future. Not the future that President Bush apparently sees-where we are sending all the young men and women over to the Middle-East for years to come, but one where they don’t’ have to join the Armed services to receive health care.
Democrats begin push to override veto
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/03/bush.veto/index.html
Bush Vetoes Health Measure - washingtonpost.com-10/04/07
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/03/AR2007100300116.html
BBC NEWS-Bush veto for child health bill
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7026454.stm
Press Conference by the President-09/20/07
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/09/20070920-2.html
Tuesday October 9th, 2007
I usually prefer not to get involved in politics-no more than saying to anyone that you should be informed and be involved in the decisions of our country as much as you are able-but the most recent bill that our President has vetoed makes me realize that I too have a voice and need to stand up and say this is wrong. The President’s veto makes a mockery of his education doctrine of “No Child Left Behind”. While you may find it odd for me to make reference to this I think it’s very appropriate to invoke the President’s own words-and make him eat them in this blog. President Bush does not want to leave any child behind when it comes to education-so that our newest generation will be able to compete intellectually and educationally on the global market, but when it comes to caring for the youngest members of this country when they get sick? Well they’re on their own!
Last week the President vetoed a bill that would have provided monies for the poorest and some not so poor families to have health care. Instead of spending some 35 Billion dollars on this bill, he did spend nearly One-Trillion dollars on the next years Iraq occupation budget.
One trillion for Iraq and nothing for children’s health-care.
That seems fair doesn’t it?
After all I’m sure the rest of the world won’t think anything of our being a spend thrift country ready to go to war and support that over-seas effort for years while seeming to ignore the needs of children who cannot provide for themselves.
The President blames congress for this mess. He’s saying that they were not willing to compromise and that they sent the bill to him too late. Congress is trying to mount an over ride of the veto and is working to get the necessary votes.
Why not simply eliminate the necessity of choosing between the war effort and everything else that the country appears to need-education, health care, homes, jobs-by spending the money for Iraq here in the US.
I do not suggest that we leave the troops high and dry. I do propose that our taxes could be spent in a better way-for our own country and for our own future. Not the future that President Bush apparently sees-where we are sending all the young men and women over to the Middle-East for years to come, but one where they don’t’ have to join the Armed services to receive health care.
Democrats begin push to override veto
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/03/bush.veto/index.html
Bush Vetoes Health Measure - washingtonpost.com-10/04/07
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/03/AR2007100300116.html
BBC NEWS-Bush veto for child health bill
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7026454.stm
Press Conference by the President-09/20/07
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/09/20070920-2.html
Tuesday October 9th, 2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I’ve wanted to see the latest Harry Potter film since it came out his past summer. I finally accomplished this task this afternoon. While I’d read reviews online from the big named critics-the ones we see on TV-I wanted to make up my own mind about the film. What I had previously heard was that it was much darker than previous films and that it didn’t have enough magic-enough special effects- because it was centering on how Harry had to deal with the dark forces not only rising against the world but that might be in himself.
These critics were correct in that it has a darker tone than previous films. It does have less magic and special effects than previous films. None of this takes away from the film itself. The time is used in character development and drama versus simple special effects that may wow us.
It reminded me in some ways of the last Star Wars film Revenge of the Sith. It has our main character trying to defeat evil-the darkness that threatens to overcome and destroy the society that we know.-as well as the threat to destroy our main character-our hero-who we’ve come to know.
There are many good scenes but one of my favorites is when Gary Oldman-who plays Sirius-tells Harry that there is usually not so clear-cut a thing as black or white, good and bad, as each of us has some of both in us, and it’s how we choose to act that defines us. We all may have dark, bad or even evil thoughts at times in our lives, but “who we are” is defined not simply from our thoughts but also from our actions. Additionally-there is a scene with Evanna Lynch-who plays Luna Lovegood-where she tells Harry that most people tend to stay away from things-or people-that they find strange. I think this is a great scene because even though it generalizes people it also points towards our desire to maintain the status quo.
Hogwarts School also faces a slight governmental challenge in this movie. Much like our present day government in the USA Harry and his piers are asked to just tote the party line and do as they are told! Don’t ask any questions. Don’t dissent.
I couldn’t help thinking that the new professor of the dark arts could have been previously been working for the Bush Administration.
There are several good cameo performances by actors Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes.-along with the previously seen actors; such as, Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman.
The film is nearly two and one-half hours in length but moves very quickly and doesn’t seem to be that long. If you’ve not seen this yet I definitely suggest viewing it before it goes off screen, but seeing it on DVD would also be a good choice.
Harry Potter - The Official Site
http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/
J.K.Rowling Official Site
http://www.jkrowling.com/
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373889/
Tuesday October 9th, 2007
These critics were correct in that it has a darker tone than previous films. It does have less magic and special effects than previous films. None of this takes away from the film itself. The time is used in character development and drama versus simple special effects that may wow us.
It reminded me in some ways of the last Star Wars film Revenge of the Sith. It has our main character trying to defeat evil-the darkness that threatens to overcome and destroy the society that we know.-as well as the threat to destroy our main character-our hero-who we’ve come to know.
There are many good scenes but one of my favorites is when Gary Oldman-who plays Sirius-tells Harry that there is usually not so clear-cut a thing as black or white, good and bad, as each of us has some of both in us, and it’s how we choose to act that defines us. We all may have dark, bad or even evil thoughts at times in our lives, but “who we are” is defined not simply from our thoughts but also from our actions. Additionally-there is a scene with Evanna Lynch-who plays Luna Lovegood-where she tells Harry that most people tend to stay away from things-or people-that they find strange. I think this is a great scene because even though it generalizes people it also points towards our desire to maintain the status quo.
Hogwarts School also faces a slight governmental challenge in this movie. Much like our present day government in the USA Harry and his piers are asked to just tote the party line and do as they are told! Don’t ask any questions. Don’t dissent.
I couldn’t help thinking that the new professor of the dark arts could have been previously been working for the Bush Administration.
There are several good cameo performances by actors Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes.-along with the previously seen actors; such as, Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman.
The film is nearly two and one-half hours in length but moves very quickly and doesn’t seem to be that long. If you’ve not seen this yet I definitely suggest viewing it before it goes off screen, but seeing it on DVD would also be a good choice.
Harry Potter - The Official Site
http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/
J.K.Rowling Official Site
http://www.jkrowling.com/
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373889/
Tuesday October 9th, 2007
Prevent the Flu
Keep yourself healthy and get yourself and your children vaccinated this fall!
It’s now October and as the fall weather becomes more prevalent her in the Upper Midwest states, so too will the cool days and cooler nights. A recent study completed by the CS Mott Children’s Hospital poll on children’s health indicates that 65% of parents plan on having their children [5 years or younger] vaccinated this fall against the flu. The numbers are apparently higher for those parents who are planning on getting the vaccination themselves.
It may be a long and cold winter-with plenty of opportunities for us to interact with sick people! Respiratory issues may play an important role for many of us that work in the health care field, especially if you work in the pulmonary or respiratory specialty. Receiving the flu vaccine is a very prudent and intelligent choice to lessen the chance of becoming sick as well as to prevent those around you from becoming sick-when you may infect them.
Do yourself and all those around you a favor. Get yourself and your family members-no matter how small and young or older-vaccinated for the flu this fall!
UMHS Press Release: flu vaccine
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2007/hmpoll.htm
Tuesday October 2nd, 2007
It’s now October and as the fall weather becomes more prevalent her in the Upper Midwest states, so too will the cool days and cooler nights. A recent study completed by the CS Mott Children’s Hospital poll on children’s health indicates that 65% of parents plan on having their children [5 years or younger] vaccinated this fall against the flu. The numbers are apparently higher for those parents who are planning on getting the vaccination themselves.
It may be a long and cold winter-with plenty of opportunities for us to interact with sick people! Respiratory issues may play an important role for many of us that work in the health care field, especially if you work in the pulmonary or respiratory specialty. Receiving the flu vaccine is a very prudent and intelligent choice to lessen the chance of becoming sick as well as to prevent those around you from becoming sick-when you may infect them.
Do yourself and all those around you a favor. Get yourself and your family members-no matter how small and young or older-vaccinated for the flu this fall!
UMHS Press Release: flu vaccine
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2007/hmpoll.htm
Tuesday October 2nd, 2007
Eastern Promises [2007]
I went to the movies last evening and saw the new movie entitled Eastern Promises. It definitely earned its R rating. It does not have a large number of graphic scenes, but it does pepper the film with obscene language from certainly characters, nudity, and very graphic depictions of characters being killed, maimed or injured. This movie is not for the faint of heart! If you cannot stand blood, foul language or nudity then I’d suggest not seeing this film-ever!
The film does have very griping performances by Viggo Mortensen and Armin Mueller-Stahl, along with a satisfactory performance by Naomi Watts. The film is set in London and the story begins with a young woman who has died during childbirth. She is apparently an immigrant from Russia searching for a better life in London. The story sounds much like those that come to the US. Watts is a midwife who is at the hospital when the young woman comes in and dies. Watts then goes through the woman’s personal belongings and finds a diary-written in Russian-which she asks her uncle to translate. Her family is conveniently Russian, so her uncle can translate, but before he does Watts becomes entwined with the group of people who are responsible for the young woman’s death.
It is a story that has some tense moments, and it does have some twists in it. But I couldn’t help asking myself through much of the movie-“why didn’t Watts go to the police and hand the diary over to them when she found out what was in it?” I suppose it would cause too much complication in the story.
This is not a badly written story and does have some drama in it. I hadn’t expected the ending and so would recommend this to anyone interested in seeing a darker film this fall.
Eastern Promises Official Site [2007]
http://www.focusfeatures.com/easternpromises/
Eastern Promises by imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765443/
Tuesday October 2nd, 2007
The film does have very griping performances by Viggo Mortensen and Armin Mueller-Stahl, along with a satisfactory performance by Naomi Watts. The film is set in London and the story begins with a young woman who has died during childbirth. She is apparently an immigrant from Russia searching for a better life in London. The story sounds much like those that come to the US. Watts is a midwife who is at the hospital when the young woman comes in and dies. Watts then goes through the woman’s personal belongings and finds a diary-written in Russian-which she asks her uncle to translate. Her family is conveniently Russian, so her uncle can translate, but before he does Watts becomes entwined with the group of people who are responsible for the young woman’s death.
It is a story that has some tense moments, and it does have some twists in it. But I couldn’t help asking myself through much of the movie-“why didn’t Watts go to the police and hand the diary over to them when she found out what was in it?” I suppose it would cause too much complication in the story.
This is not a badly written story and does have some drama in it. I hadn’t expected the ending and so would recommend this to anyone interested in seeing a darker film this fall.
Eastern Promises Official Site [2007]
http://www.focusfeatures.com/easternpromises/
Eastern Promises by imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765443/
Tuesday October 2nd, 2007
Sleepless in Seattle
I was watching Sleepless in Seattle last night, or perhaps re-watching is a better term for what I was doing. The movie was released in the mid-1990’s and it was considered to be a very successful romantic movie of the time. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan star in it was the second movie they had done together that decade-the previous was Joe Versus the Volcano. I’d ordered the DVD last year as a Christmas gift for myself and finally watched it! It had all the scenes that I recall seeing so many times before that made me laugh and smile. It’s not a great dramatic film and has the happy ending in it, but sometimes you just want to watch a film that has a happy ending and will make you laugh and smile!
I also enjoy the parody-that is so obviously stated to the viewer-between this movie and An Affair to Remember. I’ve seen Affair with Cary Grant and Debra Kerr but once, and that was so many years ago that I barely recall it. But the scenes in Sleepless that refer to Affair are directly quoted and are also quite funny. Tom Hanks saying he just wants to have dinner and conversation with someone without it breaking down into “weepy-tears” while his real life wife is describing the movie and crying over it!
Then Meg Ryan and Rosie O’Donnell talking about Ryan’s meeting Hanks in Seattle and all she could say was “Hello” just like in the movie Affair. The ending has the characters meeting on the top of the Empire State Building-just as Grant and Kerr were supposed to do.
The movie is really quite humorous and will make you laugh and smile and may make some people cry as well-especially at the end when Annie and Sam finally meet. It’s a movie that pays homage to the film An Affair to Remember and shows many of us will act impulsively and seemingly foolish for love because we are romantics at heart.
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108160/
An Affair to Remember (1957)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050105/
Tuesday October 2nd, 2007
I also enjoy the parody-that is so obviously stated to the viewer-between this movie and An Affair to Remember. I’ve seen Affair with Cary Grant and Debra Kerr but once, and that was so many years ago that I barely recall it. But the scenes in Sleepless that refer to Affair are directly quoted and are also quite funny. Tom Hanks saying he just wants to have dinner and conversation with someone without it breaking down into “weepy-tears” while his real life wife is describing the movie and crying over it!
Then Meg Ryan and Rosie O’Donnell talking about Ryan’s meeting Hanks in Seattle and all she could say was “Hello” just like in the movie Affair. The ending has the characters meeting on the top of the Empire State Building-just as Grant and Kerr were supposed to do.
The movie is really quite humorous and will make you laugh and smile and may make some people cry as well-especially at the end when Annie and Sam finally meet. It’s a movie that pays homage to the film An Affair to Remember and shows many of us will act impulsively and seemingly foolish for love because we are romantics at heart.
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108160/
An Affair to Remember (1957)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050105/
Tuesday October 2nd, 2007
Fruit Juice Saves Lives
Can fruit juice save your life? probably not, but a recent health/news release by the UMHS-University of Michigan Health System-indicates that fruit juice that was previously linked to obesity in children may not have anything to do with making kids get fat after all. The studied reported that there was no link between children drinking 100% fruit juice with no sugar added and obesity. In addition there are some added benefits to drinking certain juices depending on what you may be looking to avoid-such as, orange juice may help to avoid recurrences of kidney stones, and cranberry and blueberry juices may help to prevent UTI’s. [Urinary Tract Infections]
For more information or to read the news release click on the link below!
Power of Fruit Juice
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2007/hmjuice.htm
Sunday September 30th, 2007
For more information or to read the news release click on the link below!
Power of Fruit Juice
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2007/hmjuice.htm
Sunday September 30th, 2007
Good Eating
In our present day lives we all have to be aware of what we eat and drink and make conscious decisions on what to include in our diet. The four basic food groups that I grew up hearing and learning-fruits/vegetables, meat, milk/cheese, and breads-have been replaced with the newly updated pyramid. It’s a pyramid that includes the previous four categories, but has been updated with a new modern look. It has eight categories. The fruits and vegetables have been separated so that we now have-dairy, meat, fruits, vegetables and grains from the old pyramid along with a few new ones-oils, exercise and “discretionary calories”. The discretionary calories are simply extra calories that we eat throughout the day. These might be extra bread or juice we may have when we’re hungry, or sweets like candy when we’re snacking.
This is all designed to help us choose better foods in our daily lives. The web site is very informative and useful in determining the types of foods that are currently thought to be healthy and provide a good diet for us.
I’ve seen the pyramid morph from the basic four boxed pyramid with the fruits and vegetables across from the breads and cereals, and then the meats paired up with the dairy on the top. Many years later I studied nutrition in college and say the new pyramid with the grains located on the bottom with fruits and vegetables next up and then meat and dairy farther up and fats on top. The idea with that pyramid was to have the grains be the basis of your day’s meals. The higher up you went the fewer servings you were to have of that group. Now we have a newer pyramid yet. Each updated generation of the food pyramid is designed to make it easy for us in our daily lives to pick and choose healthy foods to help us stay healthy longer.
I encourage you to read through the web sites I have below.
Bon Appetite!
MyPyramid.Gov
http://www.mypyramid.gov/
Food Pyramids: Nutrition Source, Harvard School of Public Health
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/pyramids.html
Sunday September 30th, 2007
This is all designed to help us choose better foods in our daily lives. The web site is very informative and useful in determining the types of foods that are currently thought to be healthy and provide a good diet for us.
I’ve seen the pyramid morph from the basic four boxed pyramid with the fruits and vegetables across from the breads and cereals, and then the meats paired up with the dairy on the top. Many years later I studied nutrition in college and say the new pyramid with the grains located on the bottom with fruits and vegetables next up and then meat and dairy farther up and fats on top. The idea with that pyramid was to have the grains be the basis of your day’s meals. The higher up you went the fewer servings you were to have of that group. Now we have a newer pyramid yet. Each updated generation of the food pyramid is designed to make it easy for us in our daily lives to pick and choose healthy foods to help us stay healthy longer.
I encourage you to read through the web sites I have below.
Bon Appetite!
MyPyramid.Gov
http://www.mypyramid.gov/
Food Pyramids: Nutrition Source, Harvard School of Public Health
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/pyramids.html
Sunday September 30th, 2007
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Tongass National Forest-Alaska
My father has been reading National Geographic magazine for years now, and I’ve always had an interest in it. After all they have spectacular photos in it from places that most of us will never be able to visit and some places we’ve probably never heard of before.
I barrowed one copy from July 2007 that had an article in it that made me think and also surprised me. I don’t consider myself to be uninformed, but I did not know that the Tongass National Forest in south-eastern Alaska has logging rites that are sold off each year so that the trees may be cut, ground down for pulp and then sold off-typically exported. Besides this news I was unhappy to learn that some of the areas that are sold have some of the oldest trees in the forest and perhaps in North America. Some of the Spruce trees in the forest may live to be a thousand years old.
“Both yellow cedars and western red cedars live at least a thousand years… Their trunks were so stout the three of us joining hands couldn't have encircled one.” Tongass National Forest - National Geographic Magazine
This article is not simply a “tree-hugger” who is upset over the cutting of old-growth trees in the forest, but someone who is presenting the larger picture. By cutting the old growth trees-which is only about 4% of the entire forest-the entire ecosystem is being changed and not necessarily for the good. The new growth forest that takes it’s place amounts to thick shrubs and bush that after a few years no one get through-human or animal. The habitat that was previously home for bears, dear, eagles and other animals are now gone. The wildlife must move and the resources that we thought we renewable are not, as the new growth will never in our lifetime come close to providing what the old growth does now.
There are organizations that are fighting to save at least some of the old-growth forest in Tongass. I would love to visit Alaska one day to see not only the grandeur of it’s mountains, but the exceptional beauty of what amounts to a rain forest in the northern part of North America.
Tongass National Forest - National Geographic Magazine
http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0707/feature4/index.html
National Geographic Magazine
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/ngm.html
National Geographic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
Wednesday September 26th, 2007
I barrowed one copy from July 2007 that had an article in it that made me think and also surprised me. I don’t consider myself to be uninformed, but I did not know that the Tongass National Forest in south-eastern Alaska has logging rites that are sold off each year so that the trees may be cut, ground down for pulp and then sold off-typically exported. Besides this news I was unhappy to learn that some of the areas that are sold have some of the oldest trees in the forest and perhaps in North America. Some of the Spruce trees in the forest may live to be a thousand years old.
“Both yellow cedars and western red cedars live at least a thousand years… Their trunks were so stout the three of us joining hands couldn't have encircled one.” Tongass National Forest - National Geographic Magazine
This article is not simply a “tree-hugger” who is upset over the cutting of old-growth trees in the forest, but someone who is presenting the larger picture. By cutting the old growth trees-which is only about 4% of the entire forest-the entire ecosystem is being changed and not necessarily for the good. The new growth forest that takes it’s place amounts to thick shrubs and bush that after a few years no one get through-human or animal. The habitat that was previously home for bears, dear, eagles and other animals are now gone. The wildlife must move and the resources that we thought we renewable are not, as the new growth will never in our lifetime come close to providing what the old growth does now.
There are organizations that are fighting to save at least some of the old-growth forest in Tongass. I would love to visit Alaska one day to see not only the grandeur of it’s mountains, but the exceptional beauty of what amounts to a rain forest in the northern part of North America.
Tongass National Forest - National Geographic Magazine
http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0707/feature4/index.html
National Geographic Magazine
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/ngm.html
National Geographic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
Wednesday September 26th, 2007
The Bourne Ultimatum
It’s the end of September and while I went and saw the new [newer?] Matt Damon movie The Bourne Ultimatum back in August when it first came out I hadn’t had time to write about it. This evening I lost power at home due to a localized storm and so I traveled to my local college library to read and write my email and blog for the day!
Jason Bourne is once again thrust into the spotlight of this movie action, adventure and thriller! His girlfriend was killed in the last movie, and this one starts up just after the last one finished. He doesn’t want to simply be left alone. He wants answers this time. He travels throughout Europe and to the US in this film and again he receives help from some unlikely sources-like from Julia Stiles who shows up in Spain.
Bourne is searching for what he doesn’t have-his own identity. He doesn’t’ know who is really is, nor why he has been doing the killing and running over the last several years. The movie is nearly non-stop from beginning to end, and the few times it does slow down it delivers tense moments, as well as some humor.
I think the movie will appeal mostly to those that want an action thriller with little blood shed. Despite the use of firearms in the film Bourne does not kill that many people-sort of like the bear doesn’t kill unless it needs too!
The movie also seems to be a parody of the larger picture we all have to search for-who are we? And what are we doing in this world with our life?
The Bourne Ultimatum - Official Website
http://www.thebourneultimatum.com/
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0440963/
The Bourne Supremacy DVD & Video
http://www.thebournesupremacy.com/
The Bourne Identity (2002
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258463/
Wednesday September 26th, 2007
Jason Bourne is once again thrust into the spotlight of this movie action, adventure and thriller! His girlfriend was killed in the last movie, and this one starts up just after the last one finished. He doesn’t want to simply be left alone. He wants answers this time. He travels throughout Europe and to the US in this film and again he receives help from some unlikely sources-like from Julia Stiles who shows up in Spain.
Bourne is searching for what he doesn’t have-his own identity. He doesn’t’ know who is really is, nor why he has been doing the killing and running over the last several years. The movie is nearly non-stop from beginning to end, and the few times it does slow down it delivers tense moments, as well as some humor.
I think the movie will appeal mostly to those that want an action thriller with little blood shed. Despite the use of firearms in the film Bourne does not kill that many people-sort of like the bear doesn’t kill unless it needs too!
The movie also seems to be a parody of the larger picture we all have to search for-who are we? And what are we doing in this world with our life?
The Bourne Ultimatum - Official Website
http://www.thebourneultimatum.com/
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0440963/
The Bourne Supremacy DVD & Video
http://www.thebournesupremacy.com/
The Bourne Identity (2002
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258463/
Wednesday September 26th, 2007
Family Guy v. Star Wars
Anyone who watched the season premier of Family Guy this past Sunday night will know that they did a parody of Star Wars-with the main characters of the tc show playing the film characters.
It was an amusing parody and there were certainly many instances that made me laugh. Brian-playing Chewbacca-gargling prior to talking, then doing what seemed to be a Fozzie Bear imitation with “Wacca Wacca!” afterward. Peter/Han picking up a “gently-used” couch in t he garbage chute was funny as well, and then his trying to get it through the various doors in the station and then on his ship leads to wondering HOW he managed to get back to the ship in one piece.
But my thoughts turned to Stewie who played Darth Vader and how he appeared to be the right choice-after all Stewie has thoughts and desires of power and overwhelming the world until he finally rules it. Vader appeared to have the same desires-acquire and accumulate power until he rules the galaxy.
But after the show was over it made me ponder how Darth Vader came to be from Anakin Skywalker. Anakin was not a bad person; he did not choose to jump ship and just become the evil that we’d seen in the first three films instantaneously. He was in fact a good and decent person-someone who was in love and would do anything for the woman he loved. For anyone who has seen the trilogies you know the sequence of events-Anakin was led to the dark side on a promise that he could save his beloved Padme. He risked all for her. He did what is present in so many epic stories-he gave his own life and sacrificed who he was for her. It was not to be though as the then Chancellor Palpatine was a lying and manipulative person. Anakin had no one to turn to for help, and he lost his love and his spirit to the dark side, the dark forces that most of us never contemplate.
While I enjoyed the parody by Family Guy I still feel that in the trilogies Anakin Skywalker receives less support and understanding that he deserves. An emotional young man-in love and scared to loose her-makes a decision that was based on emotion and lies. He made a poor decision and lived that out for twenty years. In the end he made the choice to save his son and his family-so despite what he may have appeared to be-wasn’t he really a good person in the end?
Tuesday September 25th, 2007
It was an amusing parody and there were certainly many instances that made me laugh. Brian-playing Chewbacca-gargling prior to talking, then doing what seemed to be a Fozzie Bear imitation with “Wacca Wacca!” afterward. Peter/Han picking up a “gently-used” couch in t he garbage chute was funny as well, and then his trying to get it through the various doors in the station and then on his ship leads to wondering HOW he managed to get back to the ship in one piece.
But my thoughts turned to Stewie who played Darth Vader and how he appeared to be the right choice-after all Stewie has thoughts and desires of power and overwhelming the world until he finally rules it. Vader appeared to have the same desires-acquire and accumulate power until he rules the galaxy.
But after the show was over it made me ponder how Darth Vader came to be from Anakin Skywalker. Anakin was not a bad person; he did not choose to jump ship and just become the evil that we’d seen in the first three films instantaneously. He was in fact a good and decent person-someone who was in love and would do anything for the woman he loved. For anyone who has seen the trilogies you know the sequence of events-Anakin was led to the dark side on a promise that he could save his beloved Padme. He risked all for her. He did what is present in so many epic stories-he gave his own life and sacrificed who he was for her. It was not to be though as the then Chancellor Palpatine was a lying and manipulative person. Anakin had no one to turn to for help, and he lost his love and his spirit to the dark side, the dark forces that most of us never contemplate.
While I enjoyed the parody by Family Guy I still feel that in the trilogies Anakin Skywalker receives less support and understanding that he deserves. An emotional young man-in love and scared to loose her-makes a decision that was based on emotion and lies. He made a poor decision and lived that out for twenty years. In the end he made the choice to save his son and his family-so despite what he may have appeared to be-wasn’t he really a good person in the end?
Tuesday September 25th, 2007
Credit History
I had one of my credit cards stolen recently-about a month ago, and I was very fortunate that my credit card company knew about it-they actually contacted me about the possibility of fraud-and they were very quick to rectify the problem and professional in the entire matter. I could very easily have had weeks if not months of headaches attempting to correct the error and subsequent problems that would have incurred.
I mention this because I’ve had problems with a different credit card company in the past-one who has not taken my side in previous disputes on my account and has made me pay for other’s charges in the past.
Having said this-I realize that I’ve not ever checked my credit history. I’m well educated and have what I would consider common sense, but I’ve not ever wanted to check my credit score or credit history for fear of finding out it was not a nice clean well kept area-much like I attempt to keep my home, but was in fact a horrible mess. A place that might be more akin to an outhouse-It might look ok from a distance, but get up close and boy does it smell!
So I took the plunge recently and checked my credit score/history, and I’m relieved to say that all was as I expected it to be.
I did have an easy time as well locating a web site that was helpful and secure so that I could view my personal information. For anyone interested feel free to click on the site below or copy and paste it into your browser.
Happy viewing!
www.annualcreditreport.com/
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
Sunday September 23rd, 2007
I mention this because I’ve had problems with a different credit card company in the past-one who has not taken my side in previous disputes on my account and has made me pay for other’s charges in the past.
Having said this-I realize that I’ve not ever checked my credit history. I’m well educated and have what I would consider common sense, but I’ve not ever wanted to check my credit score or credit history for fear of finding out it was not a nice clean well kept area-much like I attempt to keep my home, but was in fact a horrible mess. A place that might be more akin to an outhouse-It might look ok from a distance, but get up close and boy does it smell!
So I took the plunge recently and checked my credit score/history, and I’m relieved to say that all was as I expected it to be.
I did have an easy time as well locating a web site that was helpful and secure so that I could view my personal information. For anyone interested feel free to click on the site below or copy and paste it into your browser.
Happy viewing!
www.annualcreditreport.com/
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
Sunday September 23rd, 2007
The Piano
I went and saw a movie this evening at the Michigan Theater, and on the walk over I thought of the last time I was there-which was last Labor Day and I saw Casablanca for the first time-and I thought of the first time I was there...
It was the winter of 1994. It was a dark and cold night. The middle of February in Michigan is usually dark and cold! I remember sitting in my apartment-bored and not wanting to sit alone watching tv-so I looked in the newspaper that Sunday evening and found the movie The Piano was playing in the Michigan Theater. It gave the address and I knew the location. So despite not having been there before, but having driven around it many times I bundled up and went out into the cold night. The Michigan Theater was not so much warmer inside as the outside that night. I sat near the front on a side aisle, and watched the previews and anxiously waited for the film to start.
The Piano was an excellent film. It starred Holly Hunter, Anna Paquin, Sam Neill and Harvey Keitel. It presents a story where the heroine has lost her husband-and the daughter has a very interesting story on how her father died, as well as why he mother does not speak! Hunter moves to the other side of the world to marry and brings her daughter with her. The film was interesting and the ending was very symbolic-depending on which one you saw. Apparently there were two endings-one where Hunter dies and one where she does not. I was fortunate to see the revised version where she did not die, and it made the movie much more symbolic, rather than depressing.
I don’t know if this movie will ever be released again, but it’s worth seeing if you enjoy drama and aren’t looking for a Hollywood movie with a lot of guns, drugs and violence.
The Piano
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107822/
Amazon.com-the Piano [1993]
http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Holly-Hunter/dp/0784011176/ref=sr_1_5/103-3049609-4562242?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1190263305&sr=1-5
Thursday September 20th, 2007
It was the winter of 1994. It was a dark and cold night. The middle of February in Michigan is usually dark and cold! I remember sitting in my apartment-bored and not wanting to sit alone watching tv-so I looked in the newspaper that Sunday evening and found the movie The Piano was playing in the Michigan Theater. It gave the address and I knew the location. So despite not having been there before, but having driven around it many times I bundled up and went out into the cold night. The Michigan Theater was not so much warmer inside as the outside that night. I sat near the front on a side aisle, and watched the previews and anxiously waited for the film to start.
The Piano was an excellent film. It starred Holly Hunter, Anna Paquin, Sam Neill and Harvey Keitel. It presents a story where the heroine has lost her husband-and the daughter has a very interesting story on how her father died, as well as why he mother does not speak! Hunter moves to the other side of the world to marry and brings her daughter with her. The film was interesting and the ending was very symbolic-depending on which one you saw. Apparently there were two endings-one where Hunter dies and one where she does not. I was fortunate to see the revised version where she did not die, and it made the movie much more symbolic, rather than depressing.
I don’t know if this movie will ever be released again, but it’s worth seeing if you enjoy drama and aren’t looking for a Hollywood movie with a lot of guns, drugs and violence.
The Piano
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107822/
Amazon.com-the Piano [1993]
http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Holly-Hunter/dp/0784011176/ref=sr_1_5/103-3049609-4562242?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1190263305&sr=1-5
Thursday September 20th, 2007
Casablanca
Last Labor Day [2006] I went to the Michigan Theater to watch Casablanca for the very first time. I’d seen parts of it-very short parts mind you-referenced in other films-like in When Harry Met Sally [one of my favorite movies too] There is no other way to really view this film, especially for the first time, other than on the big screen in a packed movie theater. It was also my fist time sitting in the balcony at the Michigan Theater. It was a very enjoyable event. While I had gone alone the people around me obviously enjoyed the movie as much as I did. The balcony in the Michigan Theater is renovated and the seats are much more comfortable as well as provide more leg room than the seats on the main floor.
The movie itself was very enjoyable, and gives some twists and turns that you’d expect from today’s writers. It’s a story set during the Second World War, and it has two people who loved each other once-and probably still do-randomly coming in to each other’s lives again-though for a short time. Rick [played by Humphrey Bogart] and Ilse [played by Ingrid Bergman] haven’t seen each other in several years, but you’d never know it by the way they seem to look at each other. Rick is the owner of a nightclub in Casablanca and seems to do well for himself. Isle turns out to be the wife of one of the leaders of the underground working against the Germans in Europe.
The back drop for the film is exotic, the story line is as old as man and time itself-two people in love, but the right thing to do is not what they want to do. Do they follow their hearts or follow their conscience?
It’s an enjoyable film and I’ve enjoyed seeing it when it’s been broadcast on TV, but it cannot be beat seeing it on the big screen in a movie theater. If you have the chance, go and see it, and take someone you care about with you if you can!
Casablanca
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/
Thursday September 20th, 2007
The movie itself was very enjoyable, and gives some twists and turns that you’d expect from today’s writers. It’s a story set during the Second World War, and it has two people who loved each other once-and probably still do-randomly coming in to each other’s lives again-though for a short time. Rick [played by Humphrey Bogart] and Ilse [played by Ingrid Bergman] haven’t seen each other in several years, but you’d never know it by the way they seem to look at each other. Rick is the owner of a nightclub in Casablanca and seems to do well for himself. Isle turns out to be the wife of one of the leaders of the underground working against the Germans in Europe.
The back drop for the film is exotic, the story line is as old as man and time itself-two people in love, but the right thing to do is not what they want to do. Do they follow their hearts or follow their conscience?
It’s an enjoyable film and I’ve enjoyed seeing it when it’s been broadcast on TV, but it cannot be beat seeing it on the big screen in a movie theater. If you have the chance, go and see it, and take someone you care about with you if you can!
Casablanca
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/
Thursday September 20th, 2007
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