Thursday, December 15, 2005
Saturday, December 10, 2005
I saw the trailer for Memoirs Of A Geisha on tv the other day. I should say I saw the trailer again. I cannot remember the last time I've been so thrilled about seeing a movie. I have probably seen the trailer between 40 and 50 times and I still haven't tired of it. My excitement over this movie just cannot be suppressed. I read the book back in October during the week my spouse and I went to the National Cathedral and I finished the 448 page book that week and was truly sad when it was over. I already know some things from the book have been cut from the movie but my enthusiasm cannot be dampened. So next time someone says there's no joy in going to the movies, you send them to me!
A little humor for the day. My thanks to Pammy in Florida for this.
The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.
The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.
The New York Times is read by people who think they should run thecountry and who are very good at crossword puzzles.
USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the countrybut don't really understand The New York Times. They do, however, liketheir statistics shown in pie charts.
The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn't mind running thecountry -- if they could find the time and if they didn't have to leaveSouthern California to do it.
The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run thecountry and did a far superior job of it, thank you very much.
The New York Daily News is read by people who aren't too sure who'srunning the country and don't really care as long as they can get a seaton the train.
The New York Post is read by people who don't care who's running thecountry as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably whileintoxicated.
The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another countrybut need the baseball scores.
The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren't sure thereis a country ... or that anyone is running it; but if so, they opposeall that they stand for. There are occasional exceptions if the leadersare handicapped minority feminist atheist dwarfs who also happen to beillegal aliens from any other country or galaxy provided, of course,that they are not Republicans.
The National Enquirer is read by people trapped in line at thegrocery store.
A little humor for the day. My thanks to Pammy in Florida for this.
The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.
The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.
The New York Times is read by people who think they should run thecountry and who are very good at crossword puzzles.
USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the countrybut don't really understand The New York Times. They do, however, liketheir statistics shown in pie charts.
The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn't mind running thecountry -- if they could find the time and if they didn't have to leaveSouthern California to do it.
The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run thecountry and did a far superior job of it, thank you very much.
The New York Daily News is read by people who aren't too sure who'srunning the country and don't really care as long as they can get a seaton the train.
The New York Post is read by people who don't care who's running thecountry as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably whileintoxicated.
The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another countrybut need the baseball scores.
The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren't sure thereis a country ... or that anyone is running it; but if so, they opposeall that they stand for. There are occasional exceptions if the leadersare handicapped minority feminist atheist dwarfs who also happen to beillegal aliens from any other country or galaxy provided, of course,that they are not Republicans.
The National Enquirer is read by people trapped in line at thegrocery store.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Sarah Silverman is a comedienne who has been compared to Lenny Bruce. Bruce was an irreverent and profane comic who was popular in the 50's and 60's. He took hot button issues such as racism, religion, and sexual fantasies and riffed on them. He was banned from certain venues, arrested for obscenity and misunderstood, no doubt. Silverman, a pretty woman, has the same idea. I haven't seen her movie, Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic, yet but I can't help thinking that her comedy is more shock value as opposed to having something serious to say like Lenny Bruce. I will reserve judgment until after I've seen the movie but the incongruity of her beauty and the nastiness that comes out of her mouth is incredible.
Gay news: Four soccer players in Bulgaria have been expelled for having sex in the locker room. Isn't that kind of like having sex at work? Here's the link http://outsports.com/soccer/0512bulgarianplayers.htm
A ruling that would have allowed same sex couples to marry was thrown out by the NY state appeals court. The apparently said it's not the job of the judges to define the terms wife and husband. So what is their job? To sit behind a bench and look spiffy in their black robes? Here's the link http://www.nydailynews.com/front/breaking_news/story/372961p-317163c.html
In Washington, DC, domestic partners will be granted full inheitance rights and required to pay child support and alimony. Woo Hoo!!!! However, it could still be vetoed. Here's the link
http://www.sovo.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=3919
A ruling that would have allowed same sex couples to marry was thrown out by the NY state appeals court. The apparently said it's not the job of the judges to define the terms wife and husband. So what is their job? To sit behind a bench and look spiffy in their black robes? Here's the link http://www.nydailynews.com/front/breaking_news/story/372961p-317163c.html
In Washington, DC, domestic partners will be granted full inheitance rights and required to pay child support and alimony. Woo Hoo!!!! However, it could still be vetoed. Here's the link
http://www.sovo.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=3919
Paul's Day Out
A day at the movies (or my mini film festival)
Seriously, Syriana: I have no idea what this movie was about. That's not entirely true but I did ask myself several times during the movie, "What?!?" I thought I would really like this film because the director is the guy who wrote the screenplay for the film Traffic. I thought Traffic was a terrific film.The film, Syriana, is a nicely directed political thriller with the topical and timely oil world as the backdrop. It's an ensemble movie and tells many stories that span the globe; from Washington, DC to Iran to Maryland to the Persian Gulf. The "star" of the film is George Clooney who plays a CIA operative who learns that he's been sold out and decides to take action. Other stories include Matt Damon as an oil broker who becomes partners with the Gulf Prince and Jeffrey Wright as a lawyer trying to uncover corruption in an oil company. Maybe it was just too cerebral for me but the movie didn't answer all my questions and the first hour is confusing and one can easily become impatient. Or maybe it was just me. The movie wasn't all bad; I'm predicting an Oscar nod for Jeffrey Wright and George Clooney. In fact, as far as Clooney movies go, it's the best thing I've seen him do. And speaking of Clooney he gained 35lbs for the role and also suffered a spinal injury due to one of the fight sequences. By the way, why do mediocre actors suddenly get really good once they've gained weight for a role? Look at Woody Harrelson in The People Vs. Larry Flynt. He even got nominated for an Oscar. And speaking of Woody Harrelson......
Congrats, you've just won: Another movie I saw was The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, a film about a housewife with 10 kids who continuously enters contests and wins. The film is adapted from Terry Ryan's book The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less. Julianne Moore plays Evelyn Ryan, a mother trying to keep food on the table and the bills paid. She wins everything from ice crushers to rain boots to cash. Woody Harrelson plays Kelly Ryan, Evelyn's husband, who struggles with the humiliation of not being the main breadwinner and squanders his money on booze. Throughout the film I couldn't tell if Harrelson's character had some sort mental illness or if he was just a creep. And he must be storing for winter because he had quite a paunch in the movie. I don't remember Harrelson being that chunky. The film is touching and Moore's character Evelyn is perpetually happy. In fact she kept reminding me of Jim, my spouse, in that she always had a positive spin. Terry Ryan, who wrote the book, is actually one of the daughters and a bonus of the movie is that at the end we get to see the real Ryan children and see where they are today. I do have to say though that it got a little creepy during the film when Moore's and Harrelson's characters kept calling each other father and mother. I felt like I was watching some sort of twisted fantasy.
Lions, witches, and wardrobes, OH MY!!!!: This movie is what I like to call "The Lord Of The Rings of 2005." The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe is the adaptation of C.S. Lewis's book which tells the story of four children who discover a magical world inside of a wardrobe. First of all, why don't they just call it a closet? Why do they have to be so hoity toity about it? And second of all, I've never seen anyone so amazed at seeing a sheet draped over a piece of furniture in an otherwise empty room. That's the look that Lucy Pevensie, the youngest sibling gets when she first discovers the wardrobe. One other thing, if I were to discover another world inside of a closet I would be running away from it, not toward it, looking over my shoulder to see if Rod Serling was chasing me. Seriously, though, the film is truly superb. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. This is not the kind of film I usually enjoy and I enjoyed it more than all three Lord Of The Rings films combined. I read the book a couple of years ago, literally right before the movie was announced but I wish I had reread it for the detail. The movie is very very faithful to the book and now that I've enjoyed the movie so much, it's made me want to read the rest of the series. The casting of the kids is impeccable and Tilda Swinton, as the White Witch, is truly evil and gives new meaning to the term ice queen. However, I really really want an ice crown like the one she wears in the movie. In the movie the four siblings must fight the White Witch, with the help of Aslan and his army, to bring peace back to Narnia. The movie also has a line in it that contains a name I can use if and when I ever perform on stage in drag: Dolly Daydream. One other plus of the movie is that it is about an hour less than one Lord Of The Rings movie. I'm certain this film will be Oscar nominated for Best Pic and Best Director.
I think I'll start rating movies in terms of rainbow flags. How appropriate, huh? For Syriana I give 3 flags. For Prize I give 6.5 flags and for Narnia I give 9 flags.
paul
Seriously, Syriana: I have no idea what this movie was about. That's not entirely true but I did ask myself several times during the movie, "What?!?" I thought I would really like this film because the director is the guy who wrote the screenplay for the film Traffic. I thought Traffic was a terrific film.The film, Syriana, is a nicely directed political thriller with the topical and timely oil world as the backdrop. It's an ensemble movie and tells many stories that span the globe; from Washington, DC to Iran to Maryland to the Persian Gulf. The "star" of the film is George Clooney who plays a CIA operative who learns that he's been sold out and decides to take action. Other stories include Matt Damon as an oil broker who becomes partners with the Gulf Prince and Jeffrey Wright as a lawyer trying to uncover corruption in an oil company. Maybe it was just too cerebral for me but the movie didn't answer all my questions and the first hour is confusing and one can easily become impatient. Or maybe it was just me. The movie wasn't all bad; I'm predicting an Oscar nod for Jeffrey Wright and George Clooney. In fact, as far as Clooney movies go, it's the best thing I've seen him do. And speaking of Clooney he gained 35lbs for the role and also suffered a spinal injury due to one of the fight sequences. By the way, why do mediocre actors suddenly get really good once they've gained weight for a role? Look at Woody Harrelson in The People Vs. Larry Flynt. He even got nominated for an Oscar. And speaking of Woody Harrelson......
Congrats, you've just won: Another movie I saw was The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, a film about a housewife with 10 kids who continuously enters contests and wins. The film is adapted from Terry Ryan's book The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less. Julianne Moore plays Evelyn Ryan, a mother trying to keep food on the table and the bills paid. She wins everything from ice crushers to rain boots to cash. Woody Harrelson plays Kelly Ryan, Evelyn's husband, who struggles with the humiliation of not being the main breadwinner and squanders his money on booze. Throughout the film I couldn't tell if Harrelson's character had some sort mental illness or if he was just a creep. And he must be storing for winter because he had quite a paunch in the movie. I don't remember Harrelson being that chunky. The film is touching and Moore's character Evelyn is perpetually happy. In fact she kept reminding me of Jim, my spouse, in that she always had a positive spin. Terry Ryan, who wrote the book, is actually one of the daughters and a bonus of the movie is that at the end we get to see the real Ryan children and see where they are today. I do have to say though that it got a little creepy during the film when Moore's and Harrelson's characters kept calling each other father and mother. I felt like I was watching some sort of twisted fantasy.
Lions, witches, and wardrobes, OH MY!!!!: This movie is what I like to call "The Lord Of The Rings of 2005." The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe is the adaptation of C.S. Lewis's book which tells the story of four children who discover a magical world inside of a wardrobe. First of all, why don't they just call it a closet? Why do they have to be so hoity toity about it? And second of all, I've never seen anyone so amazed at seeing a sheet draped over a piece of furniture in an otherwise empty room. That's the look that Lucy Pevensie, the youngest sibling gets when she first discovers the wardrobe. One other thing, if I were to discover another world inside of a closet I would be running away from it, not toward it, looking over my shoulder to see if Rod Serling was chasing me. Seriously, though, the film is truly superb. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. This is not the kind of film I usually enjoy and I enjoyed it more than all three Lord Of The Rings films combined. I read the book a couple of years ago, literally right before the movie was announced but I wish I had reread it for the detail. The movie is very very faithful to the book and now that I've enjoyed the movie so much, it's made me want to read the rest of the series. The casting of the kids is impeccable and Tilda Swinton, as the White Witch, is truly evil and gives new meaning to the term ice queen. However, I really really want an ice crown like the one she wears in the movie. In the movie the four siblings must fight the White Witch, with the help of Aslan and his army, to bring peace back to Narnia. The movie also has a line in it that contains a name I can use if and when I ever perform on stage in drag: Dolly Daydream. One other plus of the movie is that it is about an hour less than one Lord Of The Rings movie. I'm certain this film will be Oscar nominated for Best Pic and Best Director.
I think I'll start rating movies in terms of rainbow flags. How appropriate, huh? For Syriana I give 3 flags. For Prize I give 6.5 flags and for Narnia I give 9 flags.
paul
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Oscar video pick of the week: The 1973 (my birth year) movie A Touch Of Class is the story of two people who meet and fall in love but their relationship is beset with arguments, disaster, and missed opportunities. Glenda Jackson (who won Best Actress) and George Segal star in the film and the two find that comedy of errors is the least of their worries in their relationship. The film pushes them together (with one disaster after another) and then pulls them apart (as Segal's character tries to hide the affair from his wife). It's got wonderful comedy, sharp writing, quick pacing, and, of course, terrific acting. They really don't make films like this anymore. It doesn't have the typical Hollywood ending either.
Let them eat Crake: My new favorite book (just kidding, I don't really have favorites per se) is Oryx And Crake, the "post apocalyptic" novel by Margaret Atwood. Gated communities/compounds, gene splicing, creating new species, these are just a few of the things that Atwood fills her book with. Animals such as wolvogs (a combo of dogs and wolves; they look so sweet and cute but they'll take your hand off), rakunks (combo of skunks and raccoons), snats (combo of snkes and rats) and of course the Crakers, roam around the countryside. It tells the story of Jimmy (pre-apocalypse) and his best friend Glen, aka Crake, Oryx, the girl they both love, and the quest to build a human race in which people can buy the kind of child they want by manipulation of genes. Many of the things in the book aren't that far-fetched and the world described in the book seems as if it could be a reality. However, like all things that are manipulated unnaturally, nature takes a stand and the world becomes prey to a pandemic outbreak. It's a superbly written book and now I'm going to have to read some other Atwood novels.
paul
Let them eat Crake: My new favorite book (just kidding, I don't really have favorites per se) is Oryx And Crake, the "post apocalyptic" novel by Margaret Atwood. Gated communities/compounds, gene splicing, creating new species, these are just a few of the things that Atwood fills her book with. Animals such as wolvogs (a combo of dogs and wolves; they look so sweet and cute but they'll take your hand off), rakunks (combo of skunks and raccoons), snats (combo of snkes and rats) and of course the Crakers, roam around the countryside. It tells the story of Jimmy (pre-apocalypse) and his best friend Glen, aka Crake, Oryx, the girl they both love, and the quest to build a human race in which people can buy the kind of child they want by manipulation of genes. Many of the things in the book aren't that far-fetched and the world described in the book seems as if it could be a reality. However, like all things that are manipulated unnaturally, nature takes a stand and the world becomes prey to a pandemic outbreak. It's a superbly written book and now I'm going to have to read some other Atwood novels.
paul
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Here's some funnies for your hump day!!
Question: If you could live forever, would you and why?
Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever." Miss America 1995 from Alabama, Heather Whitestone
"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff." Popular Pop Singer, Mariah Carey
"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body,"
University of Kentucky Basketball Forward Winston Bennett,
"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country," Washington DC Mayor Marion Barry
"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it,"
A congressional candidate in Texas
"Half this game is ninety percent mental."
Philadelphia Phillies Manager Danny Ozark
"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur."
Vice President Al Gore
"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix."
Vice President Dan Quayle
"We've got to pause and ask ourselves, How much clean air do we need?"
Chrysler Chairman and CEO Lee Iacocca
"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."
NFL Quarterback and Sports Analyst Joe Theisman
"We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people."
ROTC Instructor Colonel Gerald Wellman
"Traditionally, most of Australia's imports come from overseas."
Keppel Enderbery
"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances." Greenville, South Carolina Department of Social Services
"If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their heart throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there'll be a record."
FCC Chairman Mark S. Fowler
Question: If you could live forever, would you and why?
Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever." Miss America 1995 from Alabama, Heather Whitestone
"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff." Popular Pop Singer, Mariah Carey
"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body,"
University of Kentucky Basketball Forward Winston Bennett,
"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country," Washington DC Mayor Marion Barry
"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it,"
A congressional candidate in Texas
"Half this game is ninety percent mental."
Philadelphia Phillies Manager Danny Ozark
"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur."
Vice President Al Gore
"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix."
Vice President Dan Quayle
"We've got to pause and ask ourselves, How much clean air do we need?"
Chrysler Chairman and CEO Lee Iacocca
"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."
NFL Quarterback and Sports Analyst Joe Theisman
"We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people."
ROTC Instructor Colonel Gerald Wellman
"Traditionally, most of Australia's imports come from overseas."
Keppel Enderbery
"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances." Greenville, South Carolina Department of Social Services
"If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their heart throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there'll be a record."
FCC Chairman Mark S. Fowler
Good morning,
W(h)ine of the week: Whenever the snow starts falling heavy and fast, it never fails, the crazies come out on the roads. They drive too fast for the conditions, hog the lanes and tailgate as if their lives depended on it. I'm no old lady (usually) but when I can barely see the lines on the road, I'm not going to kill myself. The worst ones are the 18 wheeler that whiz by and blow snow everywhere so that one literally cannot see where they are going. Now if you'll excuse me, my bottle is ready.
There's one cafe in Northern Chicago that has the right idea. A Taste Of Heaven cafe owner Dan McCauley has posted a sign in his cafe that states, "Children of all ages have to behave and use their indoor voices." McCauley has received hundreds of letters and phone calls, many of which have been supportive, and not all from the state of Illinois. Of course some parents take the sign to mean that if they have children they aren't welcome. Give me a break!! I like kids, I used to work with kids, and I appreciate children, but I think kids, and more importantly parents, should behave in public places such as restaurants, libraries, banks, etc.... One place they can go wild is a playground. My spouse and I rarely eat in restaurants that may have a lot of kids. It's not that we don't like them but we want to enjoy ourselves when we're out and let's face it, many kids run wild and amok. Of course that's not all their fault......
Another thought: Saddam Hussein stormed out of his trial yesterday,told the judge to go to hell, said it was an act of terrorism that he doesn't have clean underwear (TOO much info) and can't smoke wherever he wants, and didn't show up for his trial today; DRAMA QUEEN!!!!!
paul
W(h)ine of the week: Whenever the snow starts falling heavy and fast, it never fails, the crazies come out on the roads. They drive too fast for the conditions, hog the lanes and tailgate as if their lives depended on it. I'm no old lady (usually) but when I can barely see the lines on the road, I'm not going to kill myself. The worst ones are the 18 wheeler that whiz by and blow snow everywhere so that one literally cannot see where they are going. Now if you'll excuse me, my bottle is ready.
There's one cafe in Northern Chicago that has the right idea. A Taste Of Heaven cafe owner Dan McCauley has posted a sign in his cafe that states, "Children of all ages have to behave and use their indoor voices." McCauley has received hundreds of letters and phone calls, many of which have been supportive, and not all from the state of Illinois. Of course some parents take the sign to mean that if they have children they aren't welcome. Give me a break!! I like kids, I used to work with kids, and I appreciate children, but I think kids, and more importantly parents, should behave in public places such as restaurants, libraries, banks, etc.... One place they can go wild is a playground. My spouse and I rarely eat in restaurants that may have a lot of kids. It's not that we don't like them but we want to enjoy ourselves when we're out and let's face it, many kids run wild and amok. Of course that's not all their fault......
Another thought: Saddam Hussein stormed out of his trial yesterday,told the judge to go to hell, said it was an act of terrorism that he doesn't have clean underwear (TOO much info) and can't smoke wherever he wants, and didn't show up for his trial today; DRAMA QUEEN!!!!!
paul
Monday, December 05, 2005
A little more humor
January - Took new scarf back to store because it was too tight.
February - Fired from pharmacy job for failing to print labels..."duh"... bottles won't fit in typewriter!
March - Got excited.....finished jigsaw puzzle in 6 months.....box said, "2-4 years!"
April - Trapped on escalator for hours...power went out!
May - Tried to make Kool-Aid.....8 cups of water won't fit into those little packets!
June - Tried to go water skiing.....couldn't find a lake with a slope.
July - Lost breast-stroke swimming competition.....learned later, other swimmers cheated, they used their arms!
August - Got locked out of car in rainstorm.....car swamped, because top was down.
September - Lost on a TV quiz show. The capital of California is "C"....isn't it?
October - Hate M&M's.....they are so hard to peel.
November - Baked turkey for 4-1/2 days.....instructions said 1 hour per pound and I weigh 108!
December - Couldn't call 911... "duh"... there's no "eleven" button on the phone!
January - Took new scarf back to store because it was too tight.
February - Fired from pharmacy job for failing to print labels..."duh"... bottles won't fit in typewriter!
March - Got excited.....finished jigsaw puzzle in 6 months.....box said, "2-4 years!"
April - Trapped on escalator for hours...power went out!
May - Tried to make Kool-Aid.....8 cups of water won't fit into those little packets!
June - Tried to go water skiing.....couldn't find a lake with a slope.
July - Lost breast-stroke swimming competition.....learned later, other swimmers cheated, they used their arms!
August - Got locked out of car in rainstorm.....car swamped, because top was down.
September - Lost on a TV quiz show. The capital of California is "C"....isn't it?
October - Hate M&M's.....they are so hard to peel.
November - Baked turkey for 4-1/2 days.....instructions said 1 hour per pound and I weigh 108!
December - Couldn't call 911... "duh"... there's no "eleven" button on the phone!
A little Monday morning humor:
DUI - West Virginian StyleRecently a routine police patrol parked outside a bar in Ripley,West Virginia. After last call the officer noticed a man leaving the bar apparently so intoxicated that he could barely walk. The man stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes with the officer quietly observing. After what seemed an eternity and trying his keys on five different vehicles, the man managed to find his car which he fell into. He sat there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off.Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off (it was a fine, dry summer night) -- flicked the blinkers on, then off a couple of times, honked the horn and then switched on the lights. The policeman's attention was totally focused on the man and his bizarre actions. The bar patron moved the vehicle forward a few inches,reversed a little and then remained still for a few more minutes as several more of the other patron's vehicles left. At last, the parking lot empty, he pulled out of the parking lot and started to slowly drive down the road. The police officer, having patiently waited all this time, started up the patrol car, put on the flashing lights, and promptly pulled the man over and carried out a breathalyzer test. To his amazement the breathalyzer indicated no evidence of the man having consumed any alcohol! Dumbfounded, the officer said, "I'll have to ask you to accompany me to the police station. This breathalyzer equipment must be broken." "I doubt it," said the truly proud West Virginian. "Tonight I'm the designated decoy."
DUI - West Virginian StyleRecently a routine police patrol parked outside a bar in Ripley,West Virginia. After last call the officer noticed a man leaving the bar apparently so intoxicated that he could barely walk. The man stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes with the officer quietly observing. After what seemed an eternity and trying his keys on five different vehicles, the man managed to find his car which he fell into. He sat there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off.Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off (it was a fine, dry summer night) -- flicked the blinkers on, then off a couple of times, honked the horn and then switched on the lights. The policeman's attention was totally focused on the man and his bizarre actions. The bar patron moved the vehicle forward a few inches,reversed a little and then remained still for a few more minutes as several more of the other patron's vehicles left. At last, the parking lot empty, he pulled out of the parking lot and started to slowly drive down the road. The police officer, having patiently waited all this time, started up the patrol car, put on the flashing lights, and promptly pulled the man over and carried out a breathalyzer test. To his amazement the breathalyzer indicated no evidence of the man having consumed any alcohol! Dumbfounded, the officer said, "I'll have to ask you to accompany me to the police station. This breathalyzer equipment must be broken." "I doubt it," said the truly proud West Virginian. "Tonight I'm the designated decoy."
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Oscar video pick of the week: A 1988 film by the name of The Accidental Tourist. Tourist stars William Hurt as Macon Leary, an author of travel guides. Macon and his wife, Sarah, played by Kathleen Turner, are haunted by the death of their small son and Macon has sense insulated himself. He goes through life not touching or being touched. That is until he meets Muriel Pritchett, played with effervescent charm by Geena Davis (in her Oscar winning role). Muriel lives life to the fullest and as played by Davis, Muriel is funny and droll at the same time. She ends up touching Macon so that he has to re-examine his life and basically start from scratch. His wife leaves him and he becomes involved with Muriel but when his wife wants a second chance he has to finally commit to what he really wants. One of the best lines in the film is when Macon says to Sarah, "It's not just about how much you love someone, it's who you are when you're with them." It's an interesting character drama/comedy that should not be missed. I kept saying during the movie, "I can't believe I never saw this."
Chain up the dogs and bring on the wasps: Scientists have been studying wasps, or more specifically a species of non-stinging wasps. The wasps would be used in place of sniffing dogs and can be trained in only 5 minutes. Here's a link to the full story.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051203/ap_on_sc/bomb_sniffing_wasps
Chain up the dogs and bring on the wasps: Scientists have been studying wasps, or more specifically a species of non-stinging wasps. The wasps would be used in place of sniffing dogs and can be trained in only 5 minutes. Here's a link to the full story.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051203/ap_on_sc/bomb_sniffing_wasps
It's barely even December and already the airwaves are saturated with Christmas carols. I do have my favorites but, call me scrooge and yell Bah Humbug at me, I like my Christmas carols the week before Christmas and not a day before. Not only that but we had our first taste of winter this past week. Granted it wasn't as bad as it could have been but we had been lucky not having snow. Usually we get some snow in October but it held off for a while this year. Thank heavens for electric blankets especially with the price of fuel oil this year. Will it be April soon? I think not!!!!
This weekend has been nice as we haven't HAD to do anything or go anywhere except for Jim's memorial service but, really, he could do that in his sleep. We went to the movies today and saw Rent; it's always nice just spending time with Jim and we really don't go to that many movies together. Mostly it's because he's so busy. For dinner we had salmonburgers. It wasn't at bad as it may sound. In fact they were very good. They were wild Alaskan salmon patties and I didn't think they would be very good but I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, we're still on our healthy diet but we are still recovering from all of the rich foods we ate over Thanksgiving weekend. Talk about a shock to the system.
Stranger than Fiction (I can't make this stuff up): A star was stolen and replaced. One of the Hollywood Walk Of Fame stars was stolen: Mr. Gregory Peck's. The star was stolen sometime near the end of November and didn't even cause an eyebrow to raise until someone noticed a few days ago. Whoever took it knew how to use a concrete saw. It's only the fourth star to be stolen since the Walk Of Fame began honoring celebrities back in 1960. At least the thief had good taste. And here's another one. I recently saw the film Good Night, and Good Luck which tells how Joseph McCarthy was "dethroned" and during initial screenings of the film some people didn't know who Joseph McCarthy was. What's more, some people complained that the actor playing Senator McCarthy was a real ham and overacted in the role. Little did they know that the actor playing Joseph McCarthy was THE Joseph McCarthy. The film uses archived footage to show the Sen. Time to hit the history books again.
This weekend has been nice as we haven't HAD to do anything or go anywhere except for Jim's memorial service but, really, he could do that in his sleep. We went to the movies today and saw Rent; it's always nice just spending time with Jim and we really don't go to that many movies together. Mostly it's because he's so busy. For dinner we had salmonburgers. It wasn't at bad as it may sound. In fact they were very good. They were wild Alaskan salmon patties and I didn't think they would be very good but I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, we're still on our healthy diet but we are still recovering from all of the rich foods we ate over Thanksgiving weekend. Talk about a shock to the system.
Stranger than Fiction (I can't make this stuff up): A star was stolen and replaced. One of the Hollywood Walk Of Fame stars was stolen: Mr. Gregory Peck's. The star was stolen sometime near the end of November and didn't even cause an eyebrow to raise until someone noticed a few days ago. Whoever took it knew how to use a concrete saw. It's only the fourth star to be stolen since the Walk Of Fame began honoring celebrities back in 1960. At least the thief had good taste. And here's another one. I recently saw the film Good Night, and Good Luck which tells how Joseph McCarthy was "dethroned" and during initial screenings of the film some people didn't know who Joseph McCarthy was. What's more, some people complained that the actor playing Senator McCarthy was a real ham and overacted in the role. Little did they know that the actor playing Joseph McCarthy was THE Joseph McCarthy. The film uses archived footage to show the Sen. Time to hit the history books again.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Rent this: My spouse and I went to see the movie Rent and I have to say: Kenickie lives!!!! One of the characters bears a resemblance to Jeff Conaway's character in Grease. I did enjoy the movie and despite what others may say, I'm really not a musical snob: not much anyway. Seriously, I enjoyed the movie but the thinks I enjoyed the most were, believe it or not, the songs and the choreography. The songs were, for the most part, fun and uplifting; a couple were a bit too sentimental. At first I thought, 'oh no, a bunch of 20 somethings whining about their lives. If I wanted that I'd watch Friends.' But the movie grew on me. However, during the second song when the characters are asking, "How am I going to pay last year's rent?" I wanted to yell out, "GET A JOB!" Oh, but now I'm just being harsh. Six of the eight characters in the movie were the original actors during its Off-Broadway and Broadway run. The standouts in the movie are Wilson Jermaine Heredia, who plays Angel, and Jesse L. Martin (from Law and Order) who plays the character of Tom. Standout females are Idina Menzel as Maureen and Rosario Dawson (not one of the originals) as Mimi. All of the main characters are really good. The singing, dancing, and choreography are the highlights of the movie; it is a musical after all. I think it probably worked better as a stage production and I would have liked to have seen it when it first opened. I didn't enjoy it as much as the movie version of Chicago but it was fun and it was a movie date with my spouse which is always nice. The song highlights are: Take Me Or Leave Me, Santa Fe, Tango:Maureen, and La Vie Boheme. They're all fun though and much of the movie is still relevant today; especially since the population living with AIDS has surpassed the 40million mark.
One other word: I guess life is imitating art with all of the recent prison breaks. Prisoners from Texas, Washington, and now Vero Beach, Florida, have escaped. Talk about copycats. Yes, the tv show Prison Break has been one of the highlights of the tv season but this is ridiculous. And how are all of these inmates escaping anyway? Discuss amongst yourselves.
paul
One other word: I guess life is imitating art with all of the recent prison breaks. Prisoners from Texas, Washington, and now Vero Beach, Florida, have escaped. Talk about copycats. Yes, the tv show Prison Break has been one of the highlights of the tv season but this is ridiculous. And how are all of these inmates escaping anyway? Discuss amongst yourselves.
paul
Friday, December 02, 2005
I went to see the film The Squid and the Whale, one of those little-known, indie films that I like so much. I have to say it didn't do much for me. I went to see it for two reasons: First, because the film itself has been getting a lot of good reviews and second, because Jeff Daniels has been getting good reviews and has generated some Oscar buzz for his role as a self-absorbed father.
The film did have some nice moments and some unexpected parts. I always admire a movie that I cannot predict the outcome or know what's going to happen next. If I had ever talked to my parents the way the two kids in the film talk to their parents, I wouldn't be sitting here writing this. In one scene the younger kid, Frank, tells his mother, "I think you're ugly." She casually and calmly replies, "What would make you say such a thing?" In another scene the same kid tells his dad, after losing a game of ping pong, to suck one of his body parts. Hello!!! There is such a thing as corporal punishment and my parents would have used it in both of those situations. What's more, the younger kid has a habit of spreading one of his bodily fluids around the school; once in the library on a shelf of books and another time on someone's locker.
The whole family is messed up. The film is based on the childhood experiences of director Noah Baumbach and his brother but, honestly, I had a hard time getting into it. As for Daniels, sure he's good at playing a heel, but I don't see an Oscar nom. And the adult males in the movie look shabby. I kept wishing Jeff Daniels would shave off his feral beard; and I wanted to cut and style William Baldwin's hair. As for the ending, it was very unsatisfying.
paul
The film did have some nice moments and some unexpected parts. I always admire a movie that I cannot predict the outcome or know what's going to happen next. If I had ever talked to my parents the way the two kids in the film talk to their parents, I wouldn't be sitting here writing this. In one scene the younger kid, Frank, tells his mother, "I think you're ugly." She casually and calmly replies, "What would make you say such a thing?" In another scene the same kid tells his dad, after losing a game of ping pong, to suck one of his body parts. Hello!!! There is such a thing as corporal punishment and my parents would have used it in both of those situations. What's more, the younger kid has a habit of spreading one of his bodily fluids around the school; once in the library on a shelf of books and another time on someone's locker.
The whole family is messed up. The film is based on the childhood experiences of director Noah Baumbach and his brother but, honestly, I had a hard time getting into it. As for Daniels, sure he's good at playing a heel, but I don't see an Oscar nom. And the adult males in the movie look shabby. I kept wishing Jeff Daniels would shave off his feral beard; and I wanted to cut and style William Baldwin's hair. As for the ending, it was very unsatisfying.
paul
A Republican San Diego Congressman has left his post in disgrace. Randy Cunningham resigned this week amidst allegations of taking bribes; he pled guilty. Cunningham was so busy trying to bar same sex marriage, he was one of the sponsors of the Federal Marriage Amendment, that he neglected to keep his own affairs in order. Cunningham received over 2 million dollars in bribes including club fees, furniture, use of a yacht, a Rolls Royce, vacations, and antique Persian rugs (sounds like another Dennis Kozlowski). He even used some of the bribe money to pay for his daughter's graduation. And they call Dems morally corrupt.
All of us whine about something at some point in our lives so in celebration of the w(h)ine, I'd like to offer the w(h)ine of the week: Those of you that know me know that I really really enjoy movies. I could talk about movies until the cows come home; and don't even get me started on the Oscars. I've been seeing trailers of upcoming movies on tv and it really annoys me when I see a trailer for a movie I really want to see and I hear, 'in select cities (insert date here).' Then they always show when the film opens wide. It's always two to four weeks after it starts playing in select cities. Why can't Rochester, NY, be a select city? Why can't I see the film with the other special people? Why do I have to wait up to four weeks to see it when everyone else gets to see it? Why? Why? Why? Wah! Wah!!! Wah!!!! Excuse me my cheese is ready now.
paul
paul
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Thanks to my spouse for this. Enjoy
Just in case you ever got the two mixed up. This should make things a bit clearer.
IN PRISON: you spend the majority of your time in an 8X10 cell.
AT WORK: you spend the majority of your time in a 6X8 cubicle.
IN PRISON: you get three meals a day.
AT WORK: you only get a break for one meal and you pay for it.
IN PRISON: you get time off for good behavior.
AT WORK: you get more work for good behavior.
IN PRISON: the guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you.
AT WORK: you must carry around a security card and open allthe doors for yourself.
IN PRISON: you can watch TV and play games.
AT WORK: you get fired for watching TV and playing games.
IN PRISON: you get your own toilet.
AT WORK: you have to share with some idiot who pees on the seat.
IN PRISON: they allow your family and friends to visit.
AT WORK: you can't even speak to your family.
IN PRISON: the taxpayers pay all expenses with no work required.
AT WORK: you get to pay all the expenses to go to work and then they deduct taxes
from your salary to pay for prisoners.
IN PRISON: you spend most of your life inside bars wanting to get out.
AT WORK: you spend most of your time wanting to get out and go inside bars.
IN PRISON: you must deal with sadistic wardens.
AT WORK: they are called managers.
Just in case you ever got the two mixed up. This should make things a bit clearer.
IN PRISON: you spend the majority of your time in an 8X10 cell.
AT WORK: you spend the majority of your time in a 6X8 cubicle.
IN PRISON: you get three meals a day.
AT WORK: you only get a break for one meal and you pay for it.
IN PRISON: you get time off for good behavior.
AT WORK: you get more work for good behavior.
IN PRISON: the guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you.
AT WORK: you must carry around a security card and open allthe doors for yourself.
IN PRISON: you can watch TV and play games.
AT WORK: you get fired for watching TV and playing games.
IN PRISON: you get your own toilet.
AT WORK: you have to share with some idiot who pees on the seat.
IN PRISON: they allow your family and friends to visit.
AT WORK: you can't even speak to your family.
IN PRISON: the taxpayers pay all expenses with no work required.
AT WORK: you get to pay all the expenses to go to work and then they deduct taxes
from your salary to pay for prisoners.
IN PRISON: you spend most of your life inside bars wanting to get out.
AT WORK: you spend most of your time wanting to get out and go inside bars.
IN PRISON: you must deal with sadistic wardens.
AT WORK: they are called managers.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
A photo of a sand sculpture at a beach in Pusan, about 260 miles southeast of Seoul. It was created during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. It signifies traditional Korean culture. Protesters gathered as they readied for the summit of the Pacific Rim leaders. One of those leaders was George W. Bush. Now that's a talented sandman.
Hollywood & Country part 2: Mere months after country star Kenny Chesney and Oscar winner Renee Zellweger had their marriage annuled comes news that Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (who starred with Zellweger in Cold Mountain) and country star Keith Urban have taken their relationship to the next level. The pair and their families spent Thanksgiving together at Urban's home in Tennessee. The Australian duo (although Urban was born in New Zealand; Kidman in Honolulu) have been "dating" (their reps claim they are just friends) since January.
Another one bites the dust: Another celebrity marriage down the drain. Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson are kaput as a married couple. I just have to say though that if I was Jessica Simpson and I had a man that looked like Nick Lachey, I'd go down on him every day. Likewise, if I was Nick Lachey and I had a woman that looked like Jessica Simpson, well, let's just say G spot would be part of my everyday vocabulary. It's almost as bad as when Mariah Carey divorced Tommy Mottola; I mean, HELLO!!!!!!
Goodbye big bear: Stan Berenstain, co-creator of the Berenstain bears books, has died at the age of 82. He wrote the books, more than 200 of them, with his wife. The first book, The Big Honey Hunt, was written in 1962.
Another one bites the dust: Another celebrity marriage down the drain. Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson are kaput as a married couple. I just have to say though that if I was Jessica Simpson and I had a man that looked like Nick Lachey, I'd go down on him every day. Likewise, if I was Nick Lachey and I had a woman that looked like Jessica Simpson, well, let's just say G spot would be part of my everyday vocabulary. It's almost as bad as when Mariah Carey divorced Tommy Mottola; I mean, HELLO!!!!!!
Goodbye big bear: Stan Berenstain, co-creator of the Berenstain bears books, has died at the age of 82. He wrote the books, more than 200 of them, with his wife. The first book, The Big Honey Hunt, was written in 1962.
Today is officially the last day of the hurricane season. However, tropical storm Epsilon has formed to the east of Bermuda and is the 26th storm this season. In an average season there are only 11. In addition, there were 13 hurricanes; only 7 form in an average season. Let's all breathe a sigh of relief. However, some storms can form in December.
A picture of the Virgin Mary at the Vietnamese Catholic Martyrs Church in Sacramento, CA. People have been flocking to the "crying" Virgin since the stains were first noticed. My spouse, who is a minister, and I were watching this story on tv and he almost immediately said, "Rust stains." That sounds like a very plausible explanation. No doubt many others think it signifies the end of the world or the coming of Christ or something like that. I wonder what made her cry. Maybe all of the people who make bad choices.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Well it was only a matter of time before reality shows went another direction; this time looking for preachers. Yes, that's right, there's a new reality show called The Messenger that is auditioning and looking for preachers who have messages of hope and encouragement. One suggestion for a good riddance line in this game is, "To hell with you" and then flames shoot out and the preacher disappears.
Enjoy your evening,
paul
Enjoy your evening,
paul
I really hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving and remembered to truly give thanks for all that is around you; not just the things but, more importantly, the people, your talents, your health, your life. We just returned from Massachusetts where we spent a few days in Williamsburg with our adopted family. It's hard to tell who adopted who and it doesn't really matter. The fact is that everyone is so welcoming and accepting and generous. This family vacations together all the time, sees each other every day, works together at a green house they own, and still enjoys getting together for dinner and holidays. It's hard to believe this is the 6th year I've gone to see them with my spouse (he's been going for 15 years) and they have welcomed me as if I was one of their own. It's always difficult leaving and we always promise to see them again next year and sometimes we are fortunate enough to see them before Thanksgiving. It was a great time with friends, loads of food, drink, and laughter.
Potter Power: My spouse and I took Doug the 14 year old son of the family we stayed with to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Doug calls Jim, my spouse, his uncle Jimmy (even though they technically aren't related, he feels like Uncle Jimmy) and that of course makes me Aunt Paulie. It was fun hearing him laugh during the movie and watching him watch the movie. The movie is by far, in my humble opinion, the best one yet. It was very faithful to the book and though a lot of stuff was cut out because the book was very very long, what was in the movie was almost exactly the way JK Rowling had described it. I thought there were only one or two parts that felt a bit slow but for the most part it was action and excitement the whole way. A lot of reviewers have been saying the movie is so-so or the worst one yet; it just goes to show you that just because they are paid, it doesn't mean they are right. I like reading reviews but I don't put a lot of stock into them. Emma Watson, the girl who plays Hermione, is growing up to be quite a very pretty young lady; she'll be a heartbreaker. The whole cast was terrific and the casting coup was Miranda Richardson as gossip hound Rita Skeeter. This woman needs an Oscar.
That's about it for this week. I really hope you are all well and know I pray for each of you every day. Just because we don't see each other or talk to each other does not mean that we're not in each other's thoughts; but the seeing and talking is nice.
Potter Power: My spouse and I took Doug the 14 year old son of the family we stayed with to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Doug calls Jim, my spouse, his uncle Jimmy (even though they technically aren't related, he feels like Uncle Jimmy) and that of course makes me Aunt Paulie. It was fun hearing him laugh during the movie and watching him watch the movie. The movie is by far, in my humble opinion, the best one yet. It was very faithful to the book and though a lot of stuff was cut out because the book was very very long, what was in the movie was almost exactly the way JK Rowling had described it. I thought there were only one or two parts that felt a bit slow but for the most part it was action and excitement the whole way. A lot of reviewers have been saying the movie is so-so or the worst one yet; it just goes to show you that just because they are paid, it doesn't mean they are right. I like reading reviews but I don't put a lot of stock into them. Emma Watson, the girl who plays Hermione, is growing up to be quite a very pretty young lady; she'll be a heartbreaker. The whole cast was terrific and the casting coup was Miranda Richardson as gossip hound Rita Skeeter. This woman needs an Oscar.
That's about it for this week. I really hope you are all well and know I pray for each of you every day. Just because we don't see each other or talk to each other does not mean that we're not in each other's thoughts; but the seeing and talking is nice.
paul
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Hello,
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and didn't eat too much. We are down in Williamsburg, MA with our adopted family. They are truly a rare bunch as they actually like spending time with each other and even going on vacations with each other. It's really weird because it's the total opposite of what I grew up with.
Today my spouse and I and our "adopted nephew" will go see the 4th Harry Potter movie.
Here's one for you as you sit and consider just how much you did eat (so far): It was evident in the egg eating contest; confirmed in the cheesecake contest; she wasn't bested in the baked bean contest nor was she defeated in the eating contests of crab cakes, meatballs, and fruit cake; now she's claimed top prize in the turkey eating contest. Thirty-seven year old Sonya Thomas, from Virginia, won the roasting pan trophy for eating a ten pound turkey in only 12 minutes. While most of us haven't even finished our vegetable in 12 minutes, Thomas, who only weighs 105 lbs, beat out several men for the $2,500 prize. Surprisingly, she is only ranked #2 in the world behind Takeru Kobayashi from Japan. Personally I think it's a bit gross (ok, it's a lot gross) and no way would I ever want to see it.
And one more just so you know there are crazier people out there than you or me: You may have heard about the woman who tried to step outside for a smoke; at 39,000 feet. Sedrine Helene Sellies was flying from Hong Kong to Brisbane for a vacation and since she was frightened of flying she had taken some sedatives & sleeping pills and then decided to mix those with some whiskey. Then she walked over to the airplane door with a cigarette and lighter in her hand and started trying to open the door. Luckily a quick flight attendant stopped her. She missed out on the 7year prison term with a $1000 fine and must have 12 months of good behavior. I want to know what her reaction would have been if she had actually gotten the door open. Would she have just walked outside as if she was stepping onto a sidewalk? Thankfully no one was hurt in this almost disaster.
Enjoy your day,
paul
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and didn't eat too much. We are down in Williamsburg, MA with our adopted family. They are truly a rare bunch as they actually like spending time with each other and even going on vacations with each other. It's really weird because it's the total opposite of what I grew up with.
Today my spouse and I and our "adopted nephew" will go see the 4th Harry Potter movie.
Here's one for you as you sit and consider just how much you did eat (so far): It was evident in the egg eating contest; confirmed in the cheesecake contest; she wasn't bested in the baked bean contest nor was she defeated in the eating contests of crab cakes, meatballs, and fruit cake; now she's claimed top prize in the turkey eating contest. Thirty-seven year old Sonya Thomas, from Virginia, won the roasting pan trophy for eating a ten pound turkey in only 12 minutes. While most of us haven't even finished our vegetable in 12 minutes, Thomas, who only weighs 105 lbs, beat out several men for the $2,500 prize. Surprisingly, she is only ranked #2 in the world behind Takeru Kobayashi from Japan. Personally I think it's a bit gross (ok, it's a lot gross) and no way would I ever want to see it.
And one more just so you know there are crazier people out there than you or me: You may have heard about the woman who tried to step outside for a smoke; at 39,000 feet. Sedrine Helene Sellies was flying from Hong Kong to Brisbane for a vacation and since she was frightened of flying she had taken some sedatives & sleeping pills and then decided to mix those with some whiskey. Then she walked over to the airplane door with a cigarette and lighter in her hand and started trying to open the door. Luckily a quick flight attendant stopped her. She missed out on the 7year prison term with a $1000 fine and must have 12 months of good behavior. I want to know what her reaction would have been if she had actually gotten the door open. Would she have just walked outside as if she was stepping onto a sidewalk? Thankfully no one was hurt in this almost disaster.
Enjoy your day,
paul
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
A carpenter in Massachusetts got an apology from Home Depot Inc. after being accused of stealing. Michael Panorelli was working with a client in the Mass. store and the client picked up a pencil next to a cash register for Panorelli to use, Panorelli pocketed the pencil and when he left the store he was approached by a worker wanting some identification. Then Panorelli received a letter advising he was banned from Home Depot stores and would be hearing from some lawyers. Panorelli went to the Eagle-Tribune in Lawrence, Mass. and Panorelli subsequently received a written letter of apology from Home Depot. Talk about the pencil police. Yikes!!!!
My Oscar video pick of the week is a 1973 (oooh, the year I was born) film that features Timothy Bottoms, Lindsay Wagner (in a pre-Bionic Woman role) and John Houseman. The film is The Paper Chase and it features a class of guys (and women but the men are front and center) in their quest to pass their first year of law school and Harvard. It's a trying time for these guys as they are grilled and pushed and tortured by Professor Kingsfield (Houseman in his Oscar winning role). Bottoms is the main character, Hart, and he ends up falling in love with Susan, who just happens to be Kingsfield's daughter. He thinks that Kingsfield considers him a protege of sorts until after a year teaching Hart, Kingsfield turns to him in response to a compliment and says, "What was your name?" Houseman deserved the Oscar but didn't deserve to star in the CBS series created in the late 70's.
Monday, November 21, 2005
I think I was too harsh on Reese Witherspoon in one of my previous posts. In terms of her portrayal of June Carter, she did a fine job. It was, in fact, the best thing I've seen her in and I've seen her in a number of movies (no, not only the Legally Blonde) movies.
There is a wonderful article by John McCain in the November 21 issue of Newsweek. It was actually last week's issue. The article talks about the timely topic of torture (McCain was tortured during Vietnam) and what a hottie he was when he was younger. One can tell by looking at him that he was sexy when he was younger; of course some people would think he STILL is sexy.
paul
There is a wonderful article by John McCain in the November 21 issue of Newsweek. It was actually last week's issue. The article talks about the timely topic of torture (McCain was tortured during Vietnam) and what a hottie he was when he was younger. One can tell by looking at him that he was sexy when he was younger; of course some people would think he STILL is sexy.
paul
EXCELLENT NEWS!!!!!! My spouse went to the doctor this past week and, after just one shot of Lupron, his psa level went from 22 to 1.62. Lupron is supposed to kill the testosterone in the body which cancer cells thrive on. It does still need to go down further, however, that's terrific. Thank you for your prayers; don't stop. Prayer always helps and works (just don't think of it as a cosmic ATM).
We had some snow this week, just when we were thinking we might not get any until December (or maybe that was just me thinking that). Ahhhhh, winter is here and there's no fighting it so let's all move to Florida.
Earthy eating: My spouse and I have, for some time now, been talking about eating healthier. Well we've finally put a dent into that idea. First, consider this; I'm just a boy from Texas so it's kind of a prerequisite, as a Texan, for me to like meat and in the past I became downright dour if Jim made a dish that didn't include meat. Now we only eat meat once, possibly twice a week (that includes the weekend). I have to say, and it's very strange, that I don't really miss having meat every night. It's really strange I thought I would be hungering for meat but I'm really not. For example, Jim made vegetarian chili with tofu and I never even noticed that there was no meat in it. That could have been because the pieces of tofu were chewy like meat. The Boca burgers and chicken nuggets (faux meat) are good too and taste just like the real thing. We also eat fresh fruit and vegetables every day and not only that but we've started drinking organic milk which, quite honestly, tastes the same as regular milk but it's healthier.
Track the train: Derailed is the new movie that stars Jennifer Aniston as the sexpot. Ok, first of all, Aniston is not who I think of when I hear the word sexpot and secondly Aniston is not a very good actress. She is adequate in the role mainly because the role is a bit vague, kind of like the look on her face during most of the movie. The movie was pretty good for a thriller/gangster/revenge movie even though I did have the twist figured out not even a quarter of the way into the movie. It also made me really glad that I lead an honest life.
Black is back: Maybe it was the family violence that made me think of my own childhood, maybe it was watching a fellow tortured soul, or maybe it was just that the film had more emotional oomph than last year's dead singer movie, Ray, but I totally enjoyed the film Walk The Line. To prepare for the film I listened to my one Johnny Cash cd. Walk the Line tells the story of Cash's early years; from 1944 as a 12-year-old growing up in Arkansas to 1968 just before he and June Carter got married. It chronicles his brother's death, start up as a musician, first marriage, drug abuse and ultimate engagement to June. Both Reese Witherspoon (June) and Joaquin Phoenix (Johnny) did their own singing and playing. Witherspoon is good as June but I've never thought she was an actress with a lot of depth; Phoenix, however, is the real star. He is superb as Cash and it was interesting to hear how his sound evolved over the years. Phoenix's performance as Cash is revelatory (I sound like such a critic) and extra poignant points for Phoenix because he too had an older brother that died. And, no, Cash did not always wear black. The film is ultimately about two people fighting their demons, fears, and doubts and deciding to love themselves and not care about what others think. Something many of us, myself included, can take a lesson from. It's our life so WE have to live it, not somebody else.
We had some snow this week, just when we were thinking we might not get any until December (or maybe that was just me thinking that). Ahhhhh, winter is here and there's no fighting it so let's all move to Florida.
Earthy eating: My spouse and I have, for some time now, been talking about eating healthier. Well we've finally put a dent into that idea. First, consider this; I'm just a boy from Texas so it's kind of a prerequisite, as a Texan, for me to like meat and in the past I became downright dour if Jim made a dish that didn't include meat. Now we only eat meat once, possibly twice a week (that includes the weekend). I have to say, and it's very strange, that I don't really miss having meat every night. It's really strange I thought I would be hungering for meat but I'm really not. For example, Jim made vegetarian chili with tofu and I never even noticed that there was no meat in it. That could have been because the pieces of tofu were chewy like meat. The Boca burgers and chicken nuggets (faux meat) are good too and taste just like the real thing. We also eat fresh fruit and vegetables every day and not only that but we've started drinking organic milk which, quite honestly, tastes the same as regular milk but it's healthier.
Track the train: Derailed is the new movie that stars Jennifer Aniston as the sexpot. Ok, first of all, Aniston is not who I think of when I hear the word sexpot and secondly Aniston is not a very good actress. She is adequate in the role mainly because the role is a bit vague, kind of like the look on her face during most of the movie. The movie was pretty good for a thriller/gangster/revenge movie even though I did have the twist figured out not even a quarter of the way into the movie. It also made me really glad that I lead an honest life.
Black is back: Maybe it was the family violence that made me think of my own childhood, maybe it was watching a fellow tortured soul, or maybe it was just that the film had more emotional oomph than last year's dead singer movie, Ray, but I totally enjoyed the film Walk The Line. To prepare for the film I listened to my one Johnny Cash cd. Walk the Line tells the story of Cash's early years; from 1944 as a 12-year-old growing up in Arkansas to 1968 just before he and June Carter got married. It chronicles his brother's death, start up as a musician, first marriage, drug abuse and ultimate engagement to June. Both Reese Witherspoon (June) and Joaquin Phoenix (Johnny) did their own singing and playing. Witherspoon is good as June but I've never thought she was an actress with a lot of depth; Phoenix, however, is the real star. He is superb as Cash and it was interesting to hear how his sound evolved over the years. Phoenix's performance as Cash is revelatory (I sound like such a critic) and extra poignant points for Phoenix because he too had an older brother that died. And, no, Cash did not always wear black. The film is ultimately about two people fighting their demons, fears, and doubts and deciding to love themselves and not care about what others think. Something many of us, myself included, can take a lesson from. It's our life so WE have to live it, not somebody else.
Another week has passed and again my spouse has a busy weekend filled with church, funerals, weddings, classwork. He's taking an online course for pastors but thankfully that will be done in December.
We had some nice weather this past week but now it feels like the temps are on the downlow again. Winter is right around the corner; let's just hope Mother Nature is kind to US this winter. She hasn't been very kind to the rest of the country.
R. Vs. R. Journalists slanting the truth, politicians wielding and abusing their power, the cutthroat world of the news; I'm so glad those things don't happen in 2005 (major sarcasm in that sentence). The film Good Night, and Good Luck tells the story of Edward R. Murrow who was instrumental in toppling Joseph R. McCarthy's reign as "witch hunter." It shows the 1954 broadcast of See It Now in which clips of McCarthy were shown and as a result McCarthy's stock dropped. McCarthy eventually went on the show to defend himself but that backfired too. The movie features real clips of McCarthy and some of the hearings. David Strathairn, as Murrow, and the rest of the cast are all good. I really like Patricia Clarkson who plays Shirley Wershba, the real life newswoman who worked with Murrow, but I wish she had had more to do in the film. Incidentally the film is directed by George Clooney. And everyone (or just about everyone) smoked. Even Murrow smoked on the air. Can you imagine if today Brian Williams just decided to light up on NBC Nightly News? As far as Murrow goes, it's too bad we don't have more people around who are like him; ready to take a stand for justice, truth and liberty. As a society we've become too comfortable and complacent and too afraid to venture out of our comfort zones.
Holy homily: I've been training to become a deacon in my church and one of our recent assignments was to write a one page sermon on one of the parables in either the book Mark, Matthew or Luke. I chose the story of the persistent widow which is found in Luke. Instead of slanting the sermon toward the corrupt judge, I focused instead on the woman who wanted justice. I got some nice feedback from the class (yes, the sermon was given during the class of nine, not during Sunday service) and while I wasn't nervous (all those years in theatre have paid off) I didn't memorize the sermon and had to rely on a script. I lost my place a few times and then started making some stuff up, that wasn't on the sheet, while I found my place. Then I was thinking I was going too long so I ended up skipping over some stuff. It was a great experience; one that I would not have even entertained a year ago. Would I like to preach during Sunday service? Absolutely. Am I ready? Not even close. I've published the sermon on my blog
Stranger than fiction: I can't make this stuff up....You may have heard this story. In 2003 Bob Dougherty became the butt of a practical joke. At a home depot store in Louisville, Colorado, Dougherty went to the bathroom and sat on the seat which had been covered with glue. He had recently had heart bypass surgery and thought he was having a heart attack. An employee who heard Dougherty calling for help thought it was a hoax. Finally after about 15 minutes an ambulance was called. The paramedics had to unbolt the toilet and wheel Dougherty out. The lawsuit was filed last Friday.
We had some nice weather this past week but now it feels like the temps are on the downlow again. Winter is right around the corner; let's just hope Mother Nature is kind to US this winter. She hasn't been very kind to the rest of the country.
R. Vs. R. Journalists slanting the truth, politicians wielding and abusing their power, the cutthroat world of the news; I'm so glad those things don't happen in 2005 (major sarcasm in that sentence). The film Good Night, and Good Luck tells the story of Edward R. Murrow who was instrumental in toppling Joseph R. McCarthy's reign as "witch hunter." It shows the 1954 broadcast of See It Now in which clips of McCarthy were shown and as a result McCarthy's stock dropped. McCarthy eventually went on the show to defend himself but that backfired too. The movie features real clips of McCarthy and some of the hearings. David Strathairn, as Murrow, and the rest of the cast are all good. I really like Patricia Clarkson who plays Shirley Wershba, the real life newswoman who worked with Murrow, but I wish she had had more to do in the film. Incidentally the film is directed by George Clooney. And everyone (or just about everyone) smoked. Even Murrow smoked on the air. Can you imagine if today Brian Williams just decided to light up on NBC Nightly News? As far as Murrow goes, it's too bad we don't have more people around who are like him; ready to take a stand for justice, truth and liberty. As a society we've become too comfortable and complacent and too afraid to venture out of our comfort zones.
Holy homily: I've been training to become a deacon in my church and one of our recent assignments was to write a one page sermon on one of the parables in either the book Mark, Matthew or Luke. I chose the story of the persistent widow which is found in Luke. Instead of slanting the sermon toward the corrupt judge, I focused instead on the woman who wanted justice. I got some nice feedback from the class (yes, the sermon was given during the class of nine, not during Sunday service) and while I wasn't nervous (all those years in theatre have paid off) I didn't memorize the sermon and had to rely on a script. I lost my place a few times and then started making some stuff up, that wasn't on the sheet, while I found my place. Then I was thinking I was going too long so I ended up skipping over some stuff. It was a great experience; one that I would not have even entertained a year ago. Would I like to preach during Sunday service? Absolutely. Am I ready? Not even close. I've published the sermon on my blog
Stranger than fiction: I can't make this stuff up....You may have heard this story. In 2003 Bob Dougherty became the butt of a practical joke. At a home depot store in Louisville, Colorado, Dougherty went to the bathroom and sat on the seat which had been covered with glue. He had recently had heart bypass surgery and thought he was having a heart attack. An employee who heard Dougherty calling for help thought it was a hoax. Finally after about 15 minutes an ambulance was called. The paramedics had to unbolt the toilet and wheel Dougherty out. The lawsuit was filed last Friday.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
You may have been seeing the clips of the congressmen/women in the House of Representatives fighting over the war in Iraq; I can't help but think I'm watching a trailer of a movie. Coming soon to a theatre near you: Wages of War or How the House Heats Up. Our personal fav "scene" is the one member saying, "The tombstones do not say Democrat or Republican."
Thursday, November 17, 2005
A picture of a boat, on the Tonle Sap River, with many many electric lights
. This is just one boat that was at the annual Water Festival held in Phnom Penh. Almost 400 boats were featured from countries such as Vietnam, China, and Laos. It reminds me of the Lite Bright toy that I had while growing up. I used to like turning off the lights and making the different pictures.
. This is just one boat that was at the annual Water Festival held in Phnom Penh. Almost 400 boats were featured from countries such as Vietnam, China, and Laos. It reminds me of the Lite Bright toy that I had while growing up. I used to like turning off the lights and making the different pictures.
Madonna's new album Confessions On A Dance Floor does live up to its name; it does make one want to dance. However, the album as a whole is not Madonna's best work, they are not even her best dance tunes. They lack a substance that would warrant a repeat listen. The first single, Hung Up, is THE best track on the album, by far. It samples Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight), the ABBA dance hit. Madonna should have sampled a dance hit for all of the tracks. If she had the album may have been better and worthy of her talents. How disappointing from Madge.
My oscar video pick of the week is a film called True Grit. It's about a young girl, Mattie (Kim Darby), who wants to avenge her father's death and enlists the help of a one-eyed US marshall, Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne); at his curmudgeonly best. A third person is thrown into the mix, a Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf (Glen Campbell), who thinks Mattie should be barefoot in the house and not out gallavanting with the men. Mattie, however, is a tomboy and not afraid to use a gun and will stop at nothing to find the man who murdered her father. The three of them trudge through Indian territory and it's a race to see who is quicker with the comebacks; Rooster or LaBoeuf. Surprisingly, Glen Campbell holds his own against Wayne and Wayne has some really funny lines. The three characters are all so odd together that half the fun is seeing their interactions with each other. It's not the best Wayne role I've seen; that would be his role in The Shootist. It's not a typical western and it was John Wayne's winning role; his only one.
It's time for the traffic jam of winter. The time of year when movie studios roll out their best films in the hope that they will be fresh in Academy voters' minds when they vote on them for the big prize. Starting tomorrow there is at least one movie opening up each week for the next month and a half. Therefore, I'll be taking up residence at the theaters in and around Rochester. My mail and calls will be forwarded. Such films as King Kong, Brokeback Mountain, Transamerica, Narnia, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Rent and Syriana are highly anticipated by me. The piece de resistance of the season is Memoirs Of A Geisha. I have been seeing the trailer for this film for months but I still haven't tired of it. The book was extremely compelling and I was totally absorbed by it. I know I should expect to be disappointed by the film but I'm really really looking forward to it. I don't think I've ever felt this way about a movie before, it's really weird.
Wherever you are today, be happy and peace be with you.
paul
Wherever you are today, be happy and peace be with you.
paul
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Just weeks after an inmate escaped from a Texas prison, now two inmates have escaped from an Iowa prison. Both were convicted of murder and are still on the loose.
The woman who robbed four banks while talking on her cell phone has been captured and let me tell you she is not the sharpest tool in the shed. That's exactly how I would NOT plan on robbing a bank. She didn't even have a mask or have her face covered. Intelligent.
You heard it 'hear' first (yes, I spelled that wrong on purpose). In my Sept 18 entry I predicted that Gabrielle would fall down some stairs and lose her baby and after watching this week's Desperate Housewives, I was right. And George killed Bree's psychiatrist. I thought that it was going to be a dream he was having but then they went to a commercial and I realized he really killed the guy. He's gotta go. This show better get back to the sharpness and compelling stories it had in the first season, and quick.
Enjoy your day,
paul
The woman who robbed four banks while talking on her cell phone has been captured and let me tell you she is not the sharpest tool in the shed. That's exactly how I would NOT plan on robbing a bank. She didn't even have a mask or have her face covered. Intelligent.
You heard it 'hear' first (yes, I spelled that wrong on purpose). In my Sept 18 entry I predicted that Gabrielle would fall down some stairs and lose her baby and after watching this week's Desperate Housewives, I was right. And George killed Bree's psychiatrist. I thought that it was going to be a dream he was having but then they went to a commercial and I realized he really killed the guy. He's gotta go. This show better get back to the sharpness and compelling stories it had in the first season, and quick.
Enjoy your day,
paul
Monday, November 14, 2005
Would you like me to read your chocolate? How would you like some tocolate? It's the new thing, which was evident at the 8th annual Chocolate Show in NYC. Tea inside chocolate. Chocolate truffles filled with Earl Grey or Irish Breakfast tea. Both green tea and chocolate are full of antioxidants so why not combine the two? Sounds simply splendid!!!!
Golly Gee: Tropical storm Gamma has been spotted and while it hasn't been upgraded to hurricane status, it does, no doubt, make many people nervous. After Gamma, the next one would be Delta followed by American Airlines, Southwestern, and then Jet Blue.
Stranger than fiction: An unsuspecting sparrow was shot dead by an air rifle in the Netherlands. The sparrow flew through an open window of an exposition center where employees of a tv company were laying out dominoes in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for falling dominoes. The sparrow knocked over about 23,000 dominoes before it was shot. The group which set the record at 3,992,397 dominoes is now out to beat their own record with over 4 million dominoes.
paul
Golly Gee: Tropical storm Gamma has been spotted and while it hasn't been upgraded to hurricane status, it does, no doubt, make many people nervous. After Gamma, the next one would be Delta followed by American Airlines, Southwestern, and then Jet Blue.
Stranger than fiction: An unsuspecting sparrow was shot dead by an air rifle in the Netherlands. The sparrow flew through an open window of an exposition center where employees of a tv company were laying out dominoes in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for falling dominoes. The sparrow knocked over about 23,000 dominoes before it was shot. The group which set the record at 3,992,397 dominoes is now out to beat their own record with over 4 million dominoes.
paul
Saturday, November 12, 2005
My thanks to my friend David who sent me this. Some equal opportunity offending at the expense of our bovine friends.
DEMOCRATIC
You have two cows.Your neighbor has none.You feel guilty for being successful.Barbara Streisand sings for you.
REPUBLICAN
You have two cows.Your neighbor has none.So?
SOCIALIST
You have two cows.The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.You form a cooperative to tell him how to manage his cow.
COMMUNIST
You have two cows.The government seizes both and provides you with milk.You wait in line for hours to get it.It is expensive and sour.
CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.
BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.Under the new farm program the government pays you to shoot one, milk the other, and then pours the milk down the drain.
AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.You sell one, lease it back to yourself and do an IPO on the 2nd one.You force the two cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses.Your stock goes up.
FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.You go on strike because you want three cows.You go to lunch and drink wine.Life is good.
JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.They learn to travel on unbelievably crowded trains.Most are at the top of their class at cow school.
GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.You engineer them so they are all blond, drink lots of beer, give excellent quality milk, and run a hundred miles an hour.Unfortunately they also demand 13 weeks of vacation per year.
ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows but you don't know where they are.While ambling around, you see a beautiful woman.You break for lunch.Life is good.
RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.You have some vodka.You count them and learn you have five cows.You have some more vodka.You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.The Mafia shows up and takes over however many cows you really have.
TALIBAN CORPORATION
You have all the cows in Afghanistan, which are two.You don't milk them because you cannot touch any creature' s private parts.You get a $40 million grant from the US government to find alternatives to milk production but use the money to buy weapons.
IRAQI CORPORATION
You have two cows.They go into hiding.They send audio tapes of their mooing.
POLISH CORPORATION
You have two bulls.Employees are regularly maimed and killed attempting to milk them.
BELGIAN CORPORATION
You have one cow.The cow is schizophrenic.Sometimes the cow thinks he's French, other times he's Flemish.The Flemish cow won't share with the French cow.The French cow wants control of the Flemish cow's milk.The cow asks permission to be cut in half.The cow dies happy.
FLORIDA CORPORATION
You have a black cow and a brown cow.Everyone votes for the best looking one.Some of the people who actually like the brown one best accidentally vote for the black one.Some people vote for both.Some people vote for neither.Some people can't figure out how to vote at all.Finally, a bunch of guys from out-of-state tell
DEMOCRATIC
You have two cows.Your neighbor has none.You feel guilty for being successful.Barbara Streisand sings for you.
REPUBLICAN
You have two cows.Your neighbor has none.So?
SOCIALIST
You have two cows.The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.You form a cooperative to tell him how to manage his cow.
COMMUNIST
You have two cows.The government seizes both and provides you with milk.You wait in line for hours to get it.It is expensive and sour.
CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.
BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.Under the new farm program the government pays you to shoot one, milk the other, and then pours the milk down the drain.
AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.You sell one, lease it back to yourself and do an IPO on the 2nd one.You force the two cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses.Your stock goes up.
FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.You go on strike because you want three cows.You go to lunch and drink wine.Life is good.
JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.They learn to travel on unbelievably crowded trains.Most are at the top of their class at cow school.
GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.You engineer them so they are all blond, drink lots of beer, give excellent quality milk, and run a hundred miles an hour.Unfortunately they also demand 13 weeks of vacation per year.
ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows but you don't know where they are.While ambling around, you see a beautiful woman.You break for lunch.Life is good.
RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.You have some vodka.You count them and learn you have five cows.You have some more vodka.You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.The Mafia shows up and takes over however many cows you really have.
TALIBAN CORPORATION
You have all the cows in Afghanistan, which are two.You don't milk them because you cannot touch any creature' s private parts.You get a $40 million grant from the US government to find alternatives to milk production but use the money to buy weapons.
IRAQI CORPORATION
You have two cows.They go into hiding.They send audio tapes of their mooing.
POLISH CORPORATION
You have two bulls.Employees are regularly maimed and killed attempting to milk them.
BELGIAN CORPORATION
You have one cow.The cow is schizophrenic.Sometimes the cow thinks he's French, other times he's Flemish.The Flemish cow won't share with the French cow.The French cow wants control of the Flemish cow's milk.The cow asks permission to be cut in half.The cow dies happy.
FLORIDA CORPORATION
You have a black cow and a brown cow.Everyone votes for the best looking one.Some of the people who actually like the brown one best accidentally vote for the black one.Some people vote for both.Some people vote for neither.Some people can't figure out how to vote at all.Finally, a bunch of guys from out-of-state tell
Here's a link to something fun. If you are a Bush fan I would recommend you not go to this page. Everyone else, enjoy.
http://uk.download.yahoo.com/ne/fu/attachments/buildabetterbush.htm
http://uk.download.yahoo.com/ne/fu/attachments/buildabetterbush.htm
The place: The Westchester Cat Show. The service: A eulogy for Ginny, a dog. Ginny was a schnauzer-siberian husky mix who was well known for resucing tabbies who were endangered. She passed away in August of this year. The photo was supplied by www.ginnyfanclub.com Ginny lived in Long Beach, NY, and is seen cuddling with Blondie, the cat.
The service will take place on Nov. 19.
The service will take place on Nov. 19.
In one of my previous posts I wrote that I did not remember dinosaurs in the original King Kong movie. I saw a trailer for the new King Kong and saw some scenes with dinosaurs. I was mistaken; there were dinosaurs in the original King Kong. I recently saw the original again and the dinosaurs show up on the island. I haven't seen it since I was 11 and that was 21 years ago. WOW!!!! I'm getting old!!!!!!! Anyway, my memory didn't serve me well in terms of the movie's content but it's always nice to revisit a classic.
paul
paul
Friday, November 11, 2005
My first sermon as written for my deacon training class. Not everything that is written was said and I said some stuff that is not in this text. It was on the Luke parable about the persistent widow. Luke 18:1-14
Keep It Up
What was wrong with that woman? She obviously didn’t know when to give up or how to take a hint. She might have just as well been hitting her head against a wall. How did she do it? How did she keep it up? How do any of us keep it up? How many of us, while growing up, heard that phrase? Keep it up. Keep it up and I’ll show you my belt, keep it up and I’ll pull this car over, keep it up and Santa Claus won’t be visiting you. It’s a wonder any of us are here; a wonder any of us get up day after day after day. The woman in Luke kept it up. She got up every single day wanting justice, never once ceasing until she got it. Justice. Now there’s a word it’s sometimes hard to imagine seeing. Look at our world: children are abducted, natural disasters take out thousands at a time, riots, cancer, hard workers laid off. And within our own lives: the hurt, the derision, the pain, the loss. Why even bother? Why not give up? What compels us to keep it up? The woman in Luke knows. She wanted justice, however, couldn’t it just as easily have been love, friendship, family or something else that was worth getting a door slammed in her face every day? Many of us are taught growing up that persistence pays off; we are told if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. We are told to never give up. Many of us are taught that from an early age. The woman in Luke was obviously taught that same thing. In the movie Titanic, Jack and Rose are on a sinking ship; literally. Some people hurl themselves into the ocean desperate to get off of the ship; others sit in their rooms quietly accepting their fate; still others push people out of the way to be first on one of the lifeboats. Jack and Rose do none of this; they stick with the ship and each other despite the pandemonium around them. They keep their hope up until the very end, even when the ship plunges into the water, they hold on to anything they can find that will keep them afloat. And when Jack has passed on Rose still promises never to “let go.” Sometimes our lives are like a sinking ship. We flounder and flail and search, sometimes in vain, for something or someone to hold on to. How do we do it? How do we stay afloat and not sink? How do we keep it up? How do we keep knocking on that same door? Almost twelve years ago, a week before my 21st birthday, I had three things happen to me. My married lover moved out without so much as a note, my mom died of cancer, and my sister and brother shunned me when they found out I was gay. Talk about a birthday celebration! I just wanted to crawl under the covers of my bed and never ever come out. Instead I got up every single day, went to work, spent more time with the few friends I had and eventually I realized I was not drowning and flailing; instead I was floating along peacefully. How? How is it possible for any of us to do that? Faith. Faith that things will get better, will get easier, will get done. We may not realize it but we have it inside of us; it’s what keeps us going, keeps us from drowning. So why do some drown while others stay afloat? For the same reason that some people believe in ghosts and others don’t. Many of us think: How can we believe in something we can’t see? How can we believe in something that we can’t look at with our eyes? The answer is that we can. That’s how we have the faith to keep going. The song is called open the eyes of my heart for a reason. We know we can see God; our eyes reveal God to us every day. We see things that prove there is goodness that prove faith is alive that prove there is a God. We see these things every day, everywhere we go. People opening their homes to strangers after a natural disaster; the couple that adopts a newborn with AIDS; people donating brand new clothes to someone who has lost everything; someone in the checkout line at the store who helps a stranger pay for their groceries. People stand up for the weak, the oppressed, the downtrodden. Yes, these things really do happen; every single day. Look at our own church at how so many people have been touched, opened up, and experienced that faith that they thought they had lost. It was never lost, it was always there; it was just a matter of opening our eyes again to see it. So like the woman in Luke it is imperative that we persist in our endeavors. We need to keep searching, keep trying, keep from drowning. We need to use the eyes that God blessed us with. We have to keep knock knock knocking on those doors. We need to persist in our faith so that hope will remain alive. We need to keep it up. If we do then we’ll see that behind those doors God is showing us the things that we are so desperately seeking. Amen.
Keep It Up
What was wrong with that woman? She obviously didn’t know when to give up or how to take a hint. She might have just as well been hitting her head against a wall. How did she do it? How did she keep it up? How do any of us keep it up? How many of us, while growing up, heard that phrase? Keep it up. Keep it up and I’ll show you my belt, keep it up and I’ll pull this car over, keep it up and Santa Claus won’t be visiting you. It’s a wonder any of us are here; a wonder any of us get up day after day after day. The woman in Luke kept it up. She got up every single day wanting justice, never once ceasing until she got it. Justice. Now there’s a word it’s sometimes hard to imagine seeing. Look at our world: children are abducted, natural disasters take out thousands at a time, riots, cancer, hard workers laid off. And within our own lives: the hurt, the derision, the pain, the loss. Why even bother? Why not give up? What compels us to keep it up? The woman in Luke knows. She wanted justice, however, couldn’t it just as easily have been love, friendship, family or something else that was worth getting a door slammed in her face every day? Many of us are taught growing up that persistence pays off; we are told if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. We are told to never give up. Many of us are taught that from an early age. The woman in Luke was obviously taught that same thing. In the movie Titanic, Jack and Rose are on a sinking ship; literally. Some people hurl themselves into the ocean desperate to get off of the ship; others sit in their rooms quietly accepting their fate; still others push people out of the way to be first on one of the lifeboats. Jack and Rose do none of this; they stick with the ship and each other despite the pandemonium around them. They keep their hope up until the very end, even when the ship plunges into the water, they hold on to anything they can find that will keep them afloat. And when Jack has passed on Rose still promises never to “let go.” Sometimes our lives are like a sinking ship. We flounder and flail and search, sometimes in vain, for something or someone to hold on to. How do we do it? How do we stay afloat and not sink? How do we keep it up? How do we keep knocking on that same door? Almost twelve years ago, a week before my 21st birthday, I had three things happen to me. My married lover moved out without so much as a note, my mom died of cancer, and my sister and brother shunned me when they found out I was gay. Talk about a birthday celebration! I just wanted to crawl under the covers of my bed and never ever come out. Instead I got up every single day, went to work, spent more time with the few friends I had and eventually I realized I was not drowning and flailing; instead I was floating along peacefully. How? How is it possible for any of us to do that? Faith. Faith that things will get better, will get easier, will get done. We may not realize it but we have it inside of us; it’s what keeps us going, keeps us from drowning. So why do some drown while others stay afloat? For the same reason that some people believe in ghosts and others don’t. Many of us think: How can we believe in something we can’t see? How can we believe in something that we can’t look at with our eyes? The answer is that we can. That’s how we have the faith to keep going. The song is called open the eyes of my heart for a reason. We know we can see God; our eyes reveal God to us every day. We see things that prove there is goodness that prove faith is alive that prove there is a God. We see these things every day, everywhere we go. People opening their homes to strangers after a natural disaster; the couple that adopts a newborn with AIDS; people donating brand new clothes to someone who has lost everything; someone in the checkout line at the store who helps a stranger pay for their groceries. People stand up for the weak, the oppressed, the downtrodden. Yes, these things really do happen; every single day. Look at our own church at how so many people have been touched, opened up, and experienced that faith that they thought they had lost. It was never lost, it was always there; it was just a matter of opening our eyes again to see it. So like the woman in Luke it is imperative that we persist in our endeavors. We need to keep searching, keep trying, keep from drowning. We need to use the eyes that God blessed us with. We have to keep knock knock knocking on those doors. We need to persist in our faith so that hope will remain alive. We need to keep it up. If we do then we’ll see that behind those doors God is showing us the things that we are so desperately seeking. Amen.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Hello,
What do James Ingram, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Kim Carnes, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and Bob Dylan have in common? They all sang on the same song that I heard on the radio last night on my way to work. It was We Are The World and I had forgotten how cheesy it was. Of course 21 years ago it was quite big and made a huge statement and, yes, I have the album somewhere (well, not the album but the cd anyway).
Oscar video pick of the week: It's Sweet Bird Of Youth, the movie based on the Tennessee Williams play. I've never been a big fan of Williams's plays (even though he was family). He was talented and wrote some powerful plays and I'm even less of a fan of the movies from those plays. I didn't particularly enjoy the film Sweet Bird Of Youth, not for the story anyway. The performances were good but I think what I enjoyed most was seeing a very young Rip Torn (yes, Larry Sanders's boss from The Larry Sanders Show) who I didn't even recognize for the first half of the movie. Once I looked up the character he played I started seeing the resemblance of the older Torn (if that makes any sense). Most shocking is Shirley Knight who plays one of the love interests of Paul Newman. At the ripe age of 26 she was quite glamorous and not bad to look at and she was very svelte just as Shelly Winters was at one time. Ed Begley (yes, Begley Jr's dad) won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and Geraldine Page (who was married to Torn at the time and would not win her own Oscar for another 23 years) plays the aging movie star; still glamorous and svelte but over the hill (in the movie anyway). I kept staring at Shirley Knight though, thinking, "she will be playing Marcia Cross's mother-in-law in 43 years, looking frumpy and bloaty."
Enjoy your day,
paul
What do James Ingram, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Kim Carnes, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and Bob Dylan have in common? They all sang on the same song that I heard on the radio last night on my way to work. It was We Are The World and I had forgotten how cheesy it was. Of course 21 years ago it was quite big and made a huge statement and, yes, I have the album somewhere (well, not the album but the cd anyway).
Oscar video pick of the week: It's Sweet Bird Of Youth, the movie based on the Tennessee Williams play. I've never been a big fan of Williams's plays (even though he was family). He was talented and wrote some powerful plays and I'm even less of a fan of the movies from those plays. I didn't particularly enjoy the film Sweet Bird Of Youth, not for the story anyway. The performances were good but I think what I enjoyed most was seeing a very young Rip Torn (yes, Larry Sanders's boss from The Larry Sanders Show) who I didn't even recognize for the first half of the movie. Once I looked up the character he played I started seeing the resemblance of the older Torn (if that makes any sense). Most shocking is Shirley Knight who plays one of the love interests of Paul Newman. At the ripe age of 26 she was quite glamorous and not bad to look at and she was very svelte just as Shelly Winters was at one time. Ed Begley (yes, Begley Jr's dad) won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and Geraldine Page (who was married to Torn at the time and would not win her own Oscar for another 23 years) plays the aging movie star; still glamorous and svelte but over the hill (in the movie anyway). I kept staring at Shirley Knight though, thinking, "she will be playing Marcia Cross's mother-in-law in 43 years, looking frumpy and bloaty."
Enjoy your day,
paul
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
In at least one school district in Dover, PA, the voters have chosen evolution over intelligent design. 8 school board members who were backing a statement about I.D. to be read in science class were voted out in favor of Dems who want I.D. taken out of the curriculum. Of course 8 families sued saying that that was a violation of separation of church and state. The ruling is expected in January. I agree that I.D. should not be taught in science; one cannot make the argument without the mention of God. That's the whole point behind I.D.
Poor Ah-Nuld, 4 of Schwarzenegger's major reform initiatives were voted down by CA voters. Not only that but when the governor went to vote the computer showed he had already voted. That was just an operator error; during testing to make sure the system was properly connected, one of the elections workers put in the Terminator's name. It was soon cleared up but it seems like the gov has been put in his place.
paul
Poor Ah-Nuld, 4 of Schwarzenegger's major reform initiatives were voted down by CA voters. Not only that but when the governor went to vote the computer showed he had already voted. That was just an operator error; during testing to make sure the system was properly connected, one of the elections workers put in the Terminator's name. It was soon cleared up but it seems like the gov has been put in his place.
paul
Monday, November 07, 2005
I saw the trailer for the new King Kong movie. I will probably go see this movie just because it's Peter Jackson and it will be an EVENT movie. You know the kind; the ones where it's so big that everyone goes to see it and then talks about how disappointing it was. I think the last really good event movie I went to see was Jurassic Park. That's probably not entirely true but it's the only one I can think of right now. War Of The Worlds (the Tom Cruise remake) was sooooooo disappointing. Damn Steven Spielberg. By the way, I don't remember there being dinosaurs in the original King Kong movie. There are dinosaurs in the new movie. Alrighty then!!!!!
Killer "K"aught: The twice convicted felon who escaped from a Houston jail has been recaptured. He was found outside of a liquor store talking on a pay phone and drunk as a skunk. He apparently escaped after meeting with an attorney but not his own attorney and slipping into some civilian clothes. The clothes are believed to be the same ones that Charles Victor Thompson, the convict, wore during his sentencing and smuggled into his cell; somehow. He then showed several prison employees a fake badge and from there he made his way out of the prison. Now he's back in. The key to escaping from prison is NOT being caught and put back in.
Bushism: Another quote in the Bush book. While discussing the policy on detainees held in the war on terror, Bush was quoted as saying, "We do not torture." Um, hello, what about Guantanamo Bay? What about Abu Ghraib? We do torture.
That's all for now.
paul
Killer "K"aught: The twice convicted felon who escaped from a Houston jail has been recaptured. He was found outside of a liquor store talking on a pay phone and drunk as a skunk. He apparently escaped after meeting with an attorney but not his own attorney and slipping into some civilian clothes. The clothes are believed to be the same ones that Charles Victor Thompson, the convict, wore during his sentencing and smuggled into his cell; somehow. He then showed several prison employees a fake badge and from there he made his way out of the prison. Now he's back in. The key to escaping from prison is NOT being caught and put back in.
Bushism: Another quote in the Bush book. While discussing the policy on detainees held in the war on terror, Bush was quoted as saying, "We do not torture." Um, hello, what about Guantanamo Bay? What about Abu Ghraib? We do torture.
That's all for now.
paul
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Oscar video pick of the week: The Country Girl, directed by George Seaton. The film follows a tortured married couple, played by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly. Crosby plays Frank Elgin, a once celebrated stage actor who is offered the chance to be great again; Kelly plays Georgie, his steadfast and loyal wife. The couple suffer a tragic loss and struggle to recover from it. Frank turns to the bottle and Georgie deals with his alcoholism by being the co-dependent and faithful wife. When Frank is offered the chance at the stage again, Georgie is determined to see him succeed; or is she. William Holden plays Bernie Dodd, the director of the new show and Dodd learns, through Frank, that Georgie is manipulative and controlling and she doesn't have Frank's best interest at heart. Bernie becomes convinced that Georgie is potentially harmful to Frank and by extension the show. The scene in which Bernie learns the truth about the marriage is a terrific scene that would make a great audition piece. The acting is top notch and Grace Kelly give a tour de force performance in her Oscar winning role; her only one. The film was also nominated for Best Picture and Seaton was nominated for a director Oscar. Crosby also scored a Best Actor nod but lost out to Marlon Brando. It's a terrific film and truly a classic.
paul
paul
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Another week is behind us and we are another week closer to the sometimes dreaded holiday season. Thanksgiving will soon be here and 2006 looms just around the corner. Hard to believe that we are more than halfway through the 00's of the 2000's.
As the riots in Paris stretch into the two week mark I think it's important to realize that, when it comes right down to it, we really do live in a tenuous world. Let us remember to treat each other with respect and to be honest and true.
What a long week, not for me, but for my spouse. He had a commitment almost every night this past week. Next week, again, he has several night commitments during the week. Not only that but 98% of the time he has more energy than I do and I'm half his age. I could learn a thing or two from him.
From Rochester to Capoteville: Fairport, NY, native Philip Seymour Hoffman is back in the new film Capote. The film follows the story of Truman Capote's initial idea for and the writing of the book that eventually became known as In Cold Blood. It details his friendship with and insinuation into the life of serial killers Richard Hickok and more importantly Perry Smith. Hoffman is almost flawless as the fey Capote. Gone is his baritone voice, sleaziness, and awkwardness that he's shown in other roles. These are not negative things only aspects of his characters. Instead Hoffman is understated, graceful, pensive. It's not an excessively showy role and Hoffman makes it look all too easy; never going over the top (these are the only reasons Hoffman could be denied the Oscar for 2005). Otherwise he is a lock to win for a portrayal of an actual person; Charlize Theron won two years ago for playing an actual serial killer. In Theron's case she had lots of makeup to aid in her performance; for Hoffman he relies solely on his voice, mannerisms, walk, and no obvious makeup.
Next week: Murrow takes on McCarthy and hail my first homily (or as I like to call it, a sermonette).
As the riots in Paris stretch into the two week mark I think it's important to realize that, when it comes right down to it, we really do live in a tenuous world. Let us remember to treat each other with respect and to be honest and true.
What a long week, not for me, but for my spouse. He had a commitment almost every night this past week. Next week, again, he has several night commitments during the week. Not only that but 98% of the time he has more energy than I do and I'm half his age. I could learn a thing or two from him.
From Rochester to Capoteville: Fairport, NY, native Philip Seymour Hoffman is back in the new film Capote. The film follows the story of Truman Capote's initial idea for and the writing of the book that eventually became known as In Cold Blood. It details his friendship with and insinuation into the life of serial killers Richard Hickok and more importantly Perry Smith. Hoffman is almost flawless as the fey Capote. Gone is his baritone voice, sleaziness, and awkwardness that he's shown in other roles. These are not negative things only aspects of his characters. Instead Hoffman is understated, graceful, pensive. It's not an excessively showy role and Hoffman makes it look all too easy; never going over the top (these are the only reasons Hoffman could be denied the Oscar for 2005). Otherwise he is a lock to win for a portrayal of an actual person; Charlize Theron won two years ago for playing an actual serial killer. In Theron's case she had lots of makeup to aid in her performance; for Hoffman he relies solely on his voice, mannerisms, walk, and no obvious makeup.
Next week: Murrow takes on McCarthy and hail my first homily (or as I like to call it, a sermonette).
Suck this: The new movie Jarhead is out and, no, it's not about Jar Jar Binks. It's about a marine corp unit during Operation Desert Storm (the first war in Iraq). The term comes from the look of the marines head after it's shaved high and tight. Adapted from Anthony Swofford's book of the same name, the film answers the question: What do you do when you are a sniper in the corps and want to fight in the war but never even get a chance to fire your rifle? Based on Swofford's own experiences during that time, Jake Gyllenhaal (mean and buff) plays Anthony and Peter Sarsgaard (who should finally get an Oscar nom in the supporting category) plays another sniper who partners with Gyllenhaal's character. It's not a pretty film and Jamie Foxx (who won the Actor Oscar last year for playing Ray Charles, shows up as the staff sergeant with the mouth he wouldn't want to bring home to his mother). Chris Cooper shows up briefly in the film and is without a doubt this year's Jude Law. Jude Law, last year, Law was featured in no fewer than 6 movies within a span of a few months. This year, in addition to Jarhead, Cooper is also in the film Capote, Good Night, and Good Luck, Syriana, and several more movies next year. For those of you who think Gyllenhaal is dreamy, he spends a lot of time with his shirt off and in one scene has nothing but two Santa Claus hats on: one on each head.
paul
paul
Friday, November 04, 2005
I think I'm back in the groove, for now anyway. For a while there I just didn't feel like writing; I didn't feel inspired. I would not want to have to write for a living because I would be very very poor. I have a better appreciation for professional writers who experience writer's block.
I've been seeing the trailer for the movie Memoirs Of A Geisha; actually I've been seeing it for a while. Being the avid reader that I am, I recently read the book. I read it mainly because if a movie is coming out that was originally a book I like to try and read the book first. I had heard the name of the book bandied about from time to time over the years (it was written in 1997) but had never read it; until now. It was a bit difficult at times because the book is about the life and culture of Geisha; not a subject I'm immediately interested in. It follows one of the most popular Geisha in early to mid 20th century and how she deals with the two lives she has always wanted: the life of a Geisha and having the love of her life. It's a fascinating book and I'm really looking forward to the movie. Forget Harry Potter and Narnia, for me the movie event of the fall is Memoirs. It will be really nice if the film is a contender for Best Picture.
Enjoy your day,
paul
I've been seeing the trailer for the movie Memoirs Of A Geisha; actually I've been seeing it for a while. Being the avid reader that I am, I recently read the book. I read it mainly because if a movie is coming out that was originally a book I like to try and read the book first. I had heard the name of the book bandied about from time to time over the years (it was written in 1997) but had never read it; until now. It was a bit difficult at times because the book is about the life and culture of Geisha; not a subject I'm immediately interested in. It follows one of the most popular Geisha in early to mid 20th century and how she deals with the two lives she has always wanted: the life of a Geisha and having the love of her life. It's a fascinating book and I'm really looking forward to the movie. Forget Harry Potter and Narnia, for me the movie event of the fall is Memoirs. It will be really nice if the film is a contender for Best Picture.
Enjoy your day,
paul
Thursday, November 03, 2005
With another hurricane season almost behind us, it's time to write about the inundation of reporters, newscasters, and other pundits that dominated our tv screens while the wicked weather wailed in the background. I'm talking about reporters standing in the middle of the hurricanes (of course this could apply to earthquakes, tornadoes, and also tsunamis) talking about how the wind is blowing rooftops off the houses and the rain is drowning everything in sight; everything except for the reporter and the cameraman. These reporters, or hurricane whores as they are called, are determined to bring the public the story not from the safety of their studio but in the trenches. This raises the question: Why can't they focus on the family stuck in their home, forced to wait out the storm because they don't have a car to get out of town? Why can't they do a piece on people caught in the storm, the human interest piece of it? Just because the reporter stands "in the middle of the storm" does not mean it's newsworthy; it means it's stupid. That's not news, that's just poor judgment. Although I did enjoy a Today show piece that aired earlier this year. The reporter was doing her post-storm piece from a canoe and in the middle of the segment two men walked into the view of the camera. Yes, they actually walked which made the reporters canoe seem unnecessary. Turns out the water was not feet deep but only ankle deep. As the season winds to a close we can look back on this season as the one in which mother nature said to us, "I may decide to take a nap from time to time but I can wake up any time I want."
paul
paul
Another piece of art; this one's at the Grand Palais in Paris. It is part of the Melancholy-Genius and Insanity in the Western World exhibition. The artist is Ron Mueck and the title is "Big Man." The exhibition runs until Jan. 16 of 2006. It's a bit creepy if you ask me. He appears to be looking right at me.
Scrambled or over easy? It's not breakfast, it's art. Made of fiberglass and high gloss epoxy, this fried egg represents the beach dwellers of Sydney, Australia's Tamarama Beach. Called the "Big Chook" this display is part of the ninth annual outdoor sculpture which recognizes art contributed by Australian and international artists.
Not your typical pumpkin carving. Scuba divers in Key Largo held a contest, the first special event since the evacuation due to hurricane Wilma. I'm determined that scuba diving will be my next big adventure. I didn't really have one this year and it's about time I had another one. My tandem skydive was well over a year ago.
It's another glorious fall day here in Western, NY. The leaves continue to fall en masse and I fear I won't have them all raked before the snow flies. Oh well there are worse tragedies.
A judge in Salt Lake City, Utah, is trying to keep his day job. Judge Walter Steed's removal was ordered by the Judicial Conduct Commission after an investigation, which lasted 14 months, determined Steed had violated the bigamy law. The complaint was originally filed by an ex-polygamous group founded by women. It was realized that Steed has three wives, all biological sisters, and that although having three wives has not affected his judgments he should be expected to abide by the law if he is to uphold it. Attorneys declined to proceed with criminal charges . There are around 30,000 polygamists living in Utah. Polygamy used to be sanctioned by the Mormon church but the practice was abandoned in 1890.
A judge in Salt Lake City, Utah, is trying to keep his day job. Judge Walter Steed's removal was ordered by the Judicial Conduct Commission after an investigation, which lasted 14 months, determined Steed had violated the bigamy law. The complaint was originally filed by an ex-polygamous group founded by women. It was realized that Steed has three wives, all biological sisters, and that although having three wives has not affected his judgments he should be expected to abide by the law if he is to uphold it. Attorneys declined to proceed with criminal charges . There are around 30,000 polygamists living in Utah. Polygamy used to be sanctioned by the Mormon church but the practice was abandoned in 1890.
Meryl Streep does her best Jewish mama jive in the new film Prime. Streep plays Lisa Metzger, a therapist, whose patient Rafi (Uma Thurman) divorces her husband and meets David Bloomberg (Bryan Greenberg; most known for playing Jake in the tv show One Tree Hill). David also happens to be Lisa's son. Thurman's Rafi is gentile and once Lisa finds out that David is Rafi's new steady she doesn't take kindly to it. It's not a bad film and it never crosses that line of being ridiculous; in fact it's quite well done. Greenberg looks like a cross between Angel's David Boreanaz and a young Matt Dillon and I thought this was one of the best roles I've seen Thurman in.
Rotten Remake: Alanis Morissette (Ms. Jagged Little Pill herself) has done a cover of Seal's ditty called Crazy. Why? Why? Why? Stop the insanity!!!!! Morissette is so talented and creative that she could have done two original songs that were better than this remake. It doesn't capture the dance floor beat of Seal's original and Morissette doesn't capture the urgency that Seal compelled us to listen to.
Rotten Remake: Alanis Morissette (Ms. Jagged Little Pill herself) has done a cover of Seal's ditty called Crazy. Why? Why? Why? Stop the insanity!!!!! Morissette is so talented and creative that she could have done two original songs that were better than this remake. It doesn't capture the dance floor beat of Seal's original and Morissette doesn't capture the urgency that Seal compelled us to listen to.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
I got out of work this morning and did something I haven't done in a long time; I looked at the stars in the sky. I just stood there (groceries in hand) staring at the millions of them. How great to live in the country where so many of them are visible.
Ok, so Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination for Supreme Court judge and Bush goes and nominates Sam Alito (or as he's being called Scalito). Why? Because he's being called a radical conservative in the same vein as Antonin Scalia. First the Republicans were decrying Miers and her nomination and now, I'm certain, the Dems will pooh-pooh Alito's nom. Here's looking at you Bush for yet another zinger!!!!
Non-Oscar video pick of the week: I finally saw the film House Of Flying Daggers; the artsy fartsy foreign language film starring Zhang Ziyi. The film follows Mei (played by Ziyi) as a blind showgirl who may or may not be the daughter of an honored fighter who was killed. She's also quite a fighter herself. She meets Jin, a member of the corrupt government who thinks he knows who Mei is and lures the government's men to her. Eventually the two fall for each other and instead of being on opposite sides become allies as they fight the evil general's men. Soon, however, Jin's betrayal is discovered and then the fates of Jin and Mei are sealed by another character. The film's colors and cinematography are lush and vibrant and the fight scenes are unbelievably mesmerizing. I don't use the term unbelievably lightly. It's a wonderful film and I'm looking forward to seeing Zhang in this year's Memoirs Of A Geisha.
That's all for now.
paul
Ok, so Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination for Supreme Court judge and Bush goes and nominates Sam Alito (or as he's being called Scalito). Why? Because he's being called a radical conservative in the same vein as Antonin Scalia. First the Republicans were decrying Miers and her nomination and now, I'm certain, the Dems will pooh-pooh Alito's nom. Here's looking at you Bush for yet another zinger!!!!
Non-Oscar video pick of the week: I finally saw the film House Of Flying Daggers; the artsy fartsy foreign language film starring Zhang Ziyi. The film follows Mei (played by Ziyi) as a blind showgirl who may or may not be the daughter of an honored fighter who was killed. She's also quite a fighter herself. She meets Jin, a member of the corrupt government who thinks he knows who Mei is and lures the government's men to her. Eventually the two fall for each other and instead of being on opposite sides become allies as they fight the evil general's men. Soon, however, Jin's betrayal is discovered and then the fates of Jin and Mei are sealed by another character. The film's colors and cinematography are lush and vibrant and the fight scenes are unbelievably mesmerizing. I don't use the term unbelievably lightly. It's a wonderful film and I'm looking forward to seeing Zhang in this year's Memoirs Of A Geisha.
That's all for now.
paul
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