It is possible that by now all of you loyal readers have determined that I really enjoy watching movies. I am often asked what my favorite movie is, or what kind of movies I like to watch, and I find it difficult to answer these types of questions. I like movies of most genres, although I have to admit that I am not a big fan of horror movies. Especially modern horror movies. Mostly, I just find them too dark, or they rely on too much gore. I don't need to see all of that gore on the screen, and my imagination is quite vivid so I don't really need a very dark story to push it any further than necessary.
All that being said, rather than trying to tell you my favorite movies, or try to figure out what types of movies I enjoy watching, I will attempt to point out things that make movies interesting to me.
I'm that odd man that enjoys watching so called Chick-Flicks. That does not mean that I like all of them, but as a whole I enjoy the genre. The thing that appeals to me about these movies is that for the most part they have pretty good story lines. Sure they all follow the same basic story line of boy meets girl, or vice versa. There is always some winding path for the two intended to realize that they are to be together. Maybe it's not that the stories are always great, but more that I appreciate the romance of it all. I like the hope that it gives those of us who don't always feel very lucky in love.
I also like movies that take the time to create interesting characters. Screenwriters who manage to make the main characters as well as the minor characters interesting and believable always capture my interest. For example, I love the Ocean's Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen movies. Are they cheesy? Heck yeah. Are they destined to be classics? Heck no. While I like the main people in the story (Danny, Rusty, Linus played by Clooney, Pitt and Damon respectively) the characters that make the movies for me are Virgil and Turk played by Casey Affleck and Scott Caan respectively. I could watch an entire movie based on these guys. Their constant banter with each other is well written, and their scenes are what I look forward to seeing. Ocean's 13 is extremely cheesy, but I love their scenes. They make the movie for me. Whoever wrote the scenes where they lead a labor strike at the factory in Mexico where dice are made is priceless.
I also like movies that don't spoon feed me every little detail. This is one of the reasons I don't love horror movies, especially modern horror. Their is no chance for the viewer to use their imagination. This idea is one of the reasons I love older films. They allow us to think for ourselves. They did not need to show someone getting hacked to pieces for us to know that someone was being killed. Admittedly, film-makers of old were not allowed to show certain things in their films, but I believe it forced them to be more creative; it forced them to find ways to get their point across without showing you everything. That is refreshing as a movie watcher. It says to me that the director trusts that I am smart enough to figure out what they want me to know. I don't want to feel like the director believes I'm not smart enough to figure out their concept without feeding me every little detail. I also think it forced the actors/actresses of those times to be better at their craft.
I'm certain that if I were to win the lottery I would spend a great deal of my time going to the movies. I never tire of sitting in a darkened theater to watch a film. I might even use some of my lottery winnings to purchase a theater so I could show a good mixture of current and old films that I enjoy. I'd even be willing to take requests.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Eat It
What has been on my mind these past few days you may ask? An excellent question. Lately I have been thinking about the problem with obesity that we see in the good ol' US of A. A strange thing to think about for sure, however, a couple of things have sparked this thought process. The first thing to lead to my deliberating the issue is the fact that I struggle with obesity myself. As a teen and 20 something I was in pretty decent shape. As I approached my later 20s and beyond I gained a ridiculous amount of weight. To this day I constantly battle with the desire to get back to a healthy state. The second spark came from listening to NPR this morning. I listen to NPR on my satellite radio as I drive to work. Usually the program "Fresh Air" is on for my morning drive. Today they had author Michael Moss on the show. He has written an article entitled "The Extraordinary Science of Junk Food." In this piece he exposes the efforts made by the big food manufacturers to get consumers to buy more and more of their products. These two ideas collided in my brain and began the thought processes.
When I think about the problem my brain initially goes to the fact that you can almost draw a line in the sands of time and see where it all began. I think specifically about my dad's dad who was not overweight at all, but ate pretty much fried everything his whole life. My grandfather never went to a gym, or worked out to some wild exercise DVD. The man pretty much ate what he wanted, and did what he wanted. This is the place where Michael Moss' expose comes into the scene.
His article discusses the science that the big food manufacturers (Kellogg, General Mills, Coke, and all companies such as these) put into developing products that people would consume over and over. It discusses something called "the bliss point." The bliss point is the perfect combination of salt, fat and sugar that causes people to eat more of a product than they normally would consume. Apparently, there have been conversations within and amongst these companies in regards to how their products have contributed to the obesity epidemic we see today. As is expected none will take full responsibility, but some may admit to some small degree of responsibility. I also found it interesting that some of the leading scientists that developed these bliss points for each company, now have regrets about their work.
There are many groups who have discussed the need for these manufacturers to decrease the amount of salt, fat and sugar their products contain. The general response from these companies is that they have a responsibility to their stockholders to produce a profit. I know for some of you "profit" is a dirty word, but as I'll discuss in a minute there is valid concern here. I will admit that it is easy to simply point our fingers at the big, bad corporations, but maybe we should take some responsibility as well.
As consumers, we do have the right to purchase what we want. However, my observation is that it has become more and more difficult to determine what is good and what is bad to eat. Even as rules are created to force companies to be more open about what their product contains, we have nutritionists who cannot agree on what is good for us. Plus, the research shows that the combination of salt, fat, and sugar found in products today tend to "trick" the brain into eating more of them than we should. I hesitate to use the word "addiction," but the results are similar.
To me the question we need to ask is "how do we solve the problem?" One solution would be for the manufacturers to voluntarily reduce the sugar/fat/salt content of these products, but that brings us back to the discussion of their fiduciary responsibility to their stockholders. They fear that if they make these changes then people will consume less of their product, and thus they will lose profits and could potentially find themselves working in the "red." Being a voluntary situation won't work because there will always be those entities who will not play along, and thus all of them will fall back to the same habits they have now. I admit that I do not have a problem with companies making a profit. To me it is the same as you and me going to work to make money. However, I do believe that profits should be made with a modicum of ethics.
Another solution that comes to mind is to pass legislation that requires these companies to decrease the levels of fat/sugar/salt. The down sides to this solution are that you now involve the government, who will have to create some agency to over-see these companies and ensure they are doing what they should do. Sounds quite expensive to the tax payers. It also makes me question what would happen if in fact all of these companies begin to lose sales, as they predict they would, and end up having to cut costs. The number one cost in a company is usually payroll. Therefore, it could create a situation where many of these companies begin letting workers go. In an economy that is already struggling to get back on its feet, having thousands more people out of work can't be a good thing.
I also would argue that we, the consumers, need to "reprogram" ourselves by being more mindful of what we consume. Maybe we should reach for more fruits and whole foods to eat rather than reaching for chips, and other processed foods. We have not always had this "addiction, " and in my opinion, we can get rid of it. Will it be easy? Heck no, but with small steps we can make the changes necessary to decrease our intake of these foods. I also think that we need to battle the influx of all of this junk food into our schools. We do not need soda machines or vending machines in our schools. Our lunchrooms do not need to offer the kids ice cream, or pre-packaged pastries. When i would go have lunch with my daughter at her school, I was shocked to see what would happen. The students would purchase their lunch, or maybe they brought a lunch, and MOST of them would also buy some sort of sugary, fatty junk food. The lunch would go in the trash, and they would eat the junk food. That would be their entire lunch.
We need to re-educate ourselves about proper nutrition. We need to push for better choices, especially for our children. I take full responsibility for my bad eating habits, and the poor choices my child makes when it comes to eating. Go to a restaurant, and the child's menu is the following: mac and cheese, hamburger, hot dog, chicken fingers, or cheese pizza. That makes no sense.
I do not proclaim to know the answers necessary to solve the issue, but I do think about it with some regularity. I'd like to hear your thoughts on what steps we need to take to solve the issue.
NO song today, but here is a link to the article that began my thinking
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
When I think about the problem my brain initially goes to the fact that you can almost draw a line in the sands of time and see where it all began. I think specifically about my dad's dad who was not overweight at all, but ate pretty much fried everything his whole life. My grandfather never went to a gym, or worked out to some wild exercise DVD. The man pretty much ate what he wanted, and did what he wanted. This is the place where Michael Moss' expose comes into the scene.
His article discusses the science that the big food manufacturers (Kellogg, General Mills, Coke, and all companies such as these) put into developing products that people would consume over and over. It discusses something called "the bliss point." The bliss point is the perfect combination of salt, fat and sugar that causes people to eat more of a product than they normally would consume. Apparently, there have been conversations within and amongst these companies in regards to how their products have contributed to the obesity epidemic we see today. As is expected none will take full responsibility, but some may admit to some small degree of responsibility. I also found it interesting that some of the leading scientists that developed these bliss points for each company, now have regrets about their work.
There are many groups who have discussed the need for these manufacturers to decrease the amount of salt, fat and sugar their products contain. The general response from these companies is that they have a responsibility to their stockholders to produce a profit. I know for some of you "profit" is a dirty word, but as I'll discuss in a minute there is valid concern here. I will admit that it is easy to simply point our fingers at the big, bad corporations, but maybe we should take some responsibility as well.
As consumers, we do have the right to purchase what we want. However, my observation is that it has become more and more difficult to determine what is good and what is bad to eat. Even as rules are created to force companies to be more open about what their product contains, we have nutritionists who cannot agree on what is good for us. Plus, the research shows that the combination of salt, fat, and sugar found in products today tend to "trick" the brain into eating more of them than we should. I hesitate to use the word "addiction," but the results are similar.
To me the question we need to ask is "how do we solve the problem?" One solution would be for the manufacturers to voluntarily reduce the sugar/fat/salt content of these products, but that brings us back to the discussion of their fiduciary responsibility to their stockholders. They fear that if they make these changes then people will consume less of their product, and thus they will lose profits and could potentially find themselves working in the "red." Being a voluntary situation won't work because there will always be those entities who will not play along, and thus all of them will fall back to the same habits they have now. I admit that I do not have a problem with companies making a profit. To me it is the same as you and me going to work to make money. However, I do believe that profits should be made with a modicum of ethics.
Another solution that comes to mind is to pass legislation that requires these companies to decrease the levels of fat/sugar/salt. The down sides to this solution are that you now involve the government, who will have to create some agency to over-see these companies and ensure they are doing what they should do. Sounds quite expensive to the tax payers. It also makes me question what would happen if in fact all of these companies begin to lose sales, as they predict they would, and end up having to cut costs. The number one cost in a company is usually payroll. Therefore, it could create a situation where many of these companies begin letting workers go. In an economy that is already struggling to get back on its feet, having thousands more people out of work can't be a good thing.
I also would argue that we, the consumers, need to "reprogram" ourselves by being more mindful of what we consume. Maybe we should reach for more fruits and whole foods to eat rather than reaching for chips, and other processed foods. We have not always had this "addiction, " and in my opinion, we can get rid of it. Will it be easy? Heck no, but with small steps we can make the changes necessary to decrease our intake of these foods. I also think that we need to battle the influx of all of this junk food into our schools. We do not need soda machines or vending machines in our schools. Our lunchrooms do not need to offer the kids ice cream, or pre-packaged pastries. When i would go have lunch with my daughter at her school, I was shocked to see what would happen. The students would purchase their lunch, or maybe they brought a lunch, and MOST of them would also buy some sort of sugary, fatty junk food. The lunch would go in the trash, and they would eat the junk food. That would be their entire lunch.
We need to re-educate ourselves about proper nutrition. We need to push for better choices, especially for our children. I take full responsibility for my bad eating habits, and the poor choices my child makes when it comes to eating. Go to a restaurant, and the child's menu is the following: mac and cheese, hamburger, hot dog, chicken fingers, or cheese pizza. That makes no sense.
I do not proclaim to know the answers necessary to solve the issue, but I do think about it with some regularity. I'd like to hear your thoughts on what steps we need to take to solve the issue.
NO song today, but here is a link to the article that began my thinking
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
Monday, February 25, 2013
No Time for Awards
Somehow I found myself watching the Oscars last night. I do not quite understand how this happened, but will chalk it up to the fact that I could not find anything else to watch. After about 45 minutes of it, I decided that reading was a better use of my time. There may have been a time in the past when I enjoyed awards shows much more than I do now. However, I really do not perceive my past as being filled with great amounts of joy from watching them. I am not making any bit of judgement on those of you who do enjoy them at all. As I've said in the past it is our differences that make the world an interesting place.
For starters, do we really need hour after hour of pre-awards show coverage? I feel the same about the Super Bowl and other events. I really do not care what the people are wearing, and I do not care to listen to endless analysis of the movies that have been nominated for awards. If I saw the movie, there is a pretty good chance that I figured out the plot, and even caught any twists involved in said plot. I do not need someone from E! television spelling it out for me. I'm certain the script was not written by some super-genius who writes above the average person's level. If I did not see the movie, I definitely do not want someone telling me anything about it.
I also do not need to watch the actors and actresses arrive to the red carpet. I pretty much can deduce that if they are in the audience then they managed to find their way to the auditorium. While I'm sure it is fun to pick apart what the actors/actresses are wearing, I find little joy in that. Although there are moments when you do wonder if they walked by a mirror on the way out of the house, or if their driver gave them a "WTH?" look. I'd probably have a hard time not saying something myself. Probably why I am not linked to the world of celebrity in any way.
I guess one issue I have is that much like College Football Bowl Games there are just way too many awards shows. How many times do we need to award an actor/actress/movie? I'd say once is probably enough. What do I know?
Luckily, they have tried to pare down the time it takes to get through the entire show. However, for me it seems a little rude to have this show congratulating people for doing a good job, and then you begin playing music over their thank you speech and eventually turn the microphone off.
After watching the little bit of the Oscars that I did watch it struck me that the most painful part of it is watching these people. Here are people who get paid millions of dollars to make movies. (my issue is NOT with how much money they make) I find it painful to watch these people struggle to read a telepromter, and struggle to even act like they are interested in what is going on. There seems to be so much dead air, and a lot of standing around as if they aren't sure what to do with themselves.
Honestly, I think it's the difference between stage actors and film actors. In the earlier days of Hollywood, most screen actors had been stage actors and were used to improvisation. They were great at thinking on their feet. It seems to me that maybe today's actors aren't so inclined. At any rate, for me it makes watching these shows unbearable.
I would make a list of the movies that I enjoyed from last year, but I'm having a hard time remembering which movies I did see. LOL I must be getting old. I did see "Cool Hand Luke" last year, and I thought it was awesome.
For starters, do we really need hour after hour of pre-awards show coverage? I feel the same about the Super Bowl and other events. I really do not care what the people are wearing, and I do not care to listen to endless analysis of the movies that have been nominated for awards. If I saw the movie, there is a pretty good chance that I figured out the plot, and even caught any twists involved in said plot. I do not need someone from E! television spelling it out for me. I'm certain the script was not written by some super-genius who writes above the average person's level. If I did not see the movie, I definitely do not want someone telling me anything about it.
I also do not need to watch the actors and actresses arrive to the red carpet. I pretty much can deduce that if they are in the audience then they managed to find their way to the auditorium. While I'm sure it is fun to pick apart what the actors/actresses are wearing, I find little joy in that. Although there are moments when you do wonder if they walked by a mirror on the way out of the house, or if their driver gave them a "WTH?" look. I'd probably have a hard time not saying something myself. Probably why I am not linked to the world of celebrity in any way.
I guess one issue I have is that much like College Football Bowl Games there are just way too many awards shows. How many times do we need to award an actor/actress/movie? I'd say once is probably enough. What do I know?
Luckily, they have tried to pare down the time it takes to get through the entire show. However, for me it seems a little rude to have this show congratulating people for doing a good job, and then you begin playing music over their thank you speech and eventually turn the microphone off.
After watching the little bit of the Oscars that I did watch it struck me that the most painful part of it is watching these people. Here are people who get paid millions of dollars to make movies. (my issue is NOT with how much money they make) I find it painful to watch these people struggle to read a telepromter, and struggle to even act like they are interested in what is going on. There seems to be so much dead air, and a lot of standing around as if they aren't sure what to do with themselves.
Honestly, I think it's the difference between stage actors and film actors. In the earlier days of Hollywood, most screen actors had been stage actors and were used to improvisation. They were great at thinking on their feet. It seems to me that maybe today's actors aren't so inclined. At any rate, for me it makes watching these shows unbearable.
I would make a list of the movies that I enjoyed from last year, but I'm having a hard time remembering which movies I did see. LOL I must be getting old. I did see "Cool Hand Luke" last year, and I thought it was awesome.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
times are a changin'
I have to admit that I often struggle to keep up with a blog. This is probably the third blog that I have started in my lifetime. I suppose that my struggle stems not so much from not having anything to say, but more from wondering if anyone really cares what I have to say. I imagine I should not worry about such things, but alas I do. I also feel a bit of pressure to be "entertaining," whatever that means. Maybe I'm a humorous person, but I'm not so sure about that.
This past week has been a real adventure for me as many different things seemed to take place this past week. First thing to happen was I had to go and "shadow" a doctor for the company I am about to work for. I'm not sure what the purpose of this event was as I've been practicing my profession for 17 years and I'm sure I know what I'm doing. I had to shadow this guy for two days. Super nice guy, and I enjoyed the people in the office, but it took boredom to a new level (and not in a good way.)
Next to appear on the calendar was Lent. For those of you that are not well informed about Lent, welcome to my part of the world. Many people seem to believe that Lent is simply observed by devout Catholics, however that is inaccurate as many people of the Christian belief systems observe this period on the calendar. Lent is basically the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. To observe this time period a person is supposed to give up something that is common to their everyday life. I believe that the intent is to take your focus off of earthly distractions and return our focus onto Jesus Christ and the sacrifice he made for all of us. Do not quote me on this as I am no theologian. Honestly, I have never really observed the time, nor given up anything for it either. I used to joke that I was going to give up heroin for Lent, but few really found the humor in that. (not that I do heroin, thus the joke.) This year I gave up my facebook account for Lent. I spent way too much time on facebook, and could never really explain exactly what i was getting from it. I was a bit concerned that I would really be miserable, but the reality is that I have not missed it too much. You are allowed to take a break from you observation on Sundays, so today I have logged back onto facebook and was a bit surprised to find that out of the over 100 notifications I had, maybe 2 of them interested me. that is in no way a comment on anything other than the fact that decreasing my time on facebook is a good decision.
The third event for this week was Valentine's Day. this is an exceptional day for those of us who are single. Lucky for me I did not have to go to work or anything like that, so I was not surrounded by all of the reminders of being single. I spent the day at home for the most part, went to a matinee movie where I was the only one in the theater, then treated myself to a beautiful Valentine's dinner at What-A-Burger, which is apparently the antithesis of valentine's dining as I was also pretty much the only person here as well. I did send some flowers to a friend of mine, and I believe that those made her day as she said she had never received flowers at work before. I found this to be quite tragic as she should receive flowers more often. I like to believe that they made her day, so that made Valentine's day slightly better for me than usual.
All in all not a bad week, other than I have apparently been magically transported from my apartment to live in a kennel as i am surrounded by the incessant barking of dogs. a bit maddening if I must say so. This coming week I begin a new job, i'm sure it will be as exciting as it can be for my profession. (which is not all that exciting.)
sorry for the neglect, and for the rambling thanks for listening. I have seen several new movies recently, and hope to pass on my much anticipated review for each of these.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uabb3istM3g
I like this version of this song because it is such a shift to see Ritchie Blackmore play this type of music rather than all of the Deep Purple/ Rainbow stuff he did way back when
This past week has been a real adventure for me as many different things seemed to take place this past week. First thing to happen was I had to go and "shadow" a doctor for the company I am about to work for. I'm not sure what the purpose of this event was as I've been practicing my profession for 17 years and I'm sure I know what I'm doing. I had to shadow this guy for two days. Super nice guy, and I enjoyed the people in the office, but it took boredom to a new level (and not in a good way.)
Next to appear on the calendar was Lent. For those of you that are not well informed about Lent, welcome to my part of the world. Many people seem to believe that Lent is simply observed by devout Catholics, however that is inaccurate as many people of the Christian belief systems observe this period on the calendar. Lent is basically the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. To observe this time period a person is supposed to give up something that is common to their everyday life. I believe that the intent is to take your focus off of earthly distractions and return our focus onto Jesus Christ and the sacrifice he made for all of us. Do not quote me on this as I am no theologian. Honestly, I have never really observed the time, nor given up anything for it either. I used to joke that I was going to give up heroin for Lent, but few really found the humor in that. (not that I do heroin, thus the joke.) This year I gave up my facebook account for Lent. I spent way too much time on facebook, and could never really explain exactly what i was getting from it. I was a bit concerned that I would really be miserable, but the reality is that I have not missed it too much. You are allowed to take a break from you observation on Sundays, so today I have logged back onto facebook and was a bit surprised to find that out of the over 100 notifications I had, maybe 2 of them interested me. that is in no way a comment on anything other than the fact that decreasing my time on facebook is a good decision.
The third event for this week was Valentine's Day. this is an exceptional day for those of us who are single. Lucky for me I did not have to go to work or anything like that, so I was not surrounded by all of the reminders of being single. I spent the day at home for the most part, went to a matinee movie where I was the only one in the theater, then treated myself to a beautiful Valentine's dinner at What-A-Burger, which is apparently the antithesis of valentine's dining as I was also pretty much the only person here as well. I did send some flowers to a friend of mine, and I believe that those made her day as she said she had never received flowers at work before. I found this to be quite tragic as she should receive flowers more often. I like to believe that they made her day, so that made Valentine's day slightly better for me than usual.
All in all not a bad week, other than I have apparently been magically transported from my apartment to live in a kennel as i am surrounded by the incessant barking of dogs. a bit maddening if I must say so. This coming week I begin a new job, i'm sure it will be as exciting as it can be for my profession. (which is not all that exciting.)
sorry for the neglect, and for the rambling thanks for listening. I have seen several new movies recently, and hope to pass on my much anticipated review for each of these.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uabb3istM3g
I like this version of this song because it is such a shift to see Ritchie Blackmore play this type of music rather than all of the Deep Purple/ Rainbow stuff he did way back when
Friday, January 25, 2013
What's your favorite?
Throughout the course of life you will be asked endless versions of the question "What's your favorite...?" That question may end with food, movie, book, song, color, place to live, place to visit, relative, the possibilities are endless. Some will hold you to your answer until the end of time, and yet others will understand that as we journey through life, and experience new events, that the answers to these questions are dynamic and subject to change.
Personally, I find it difficult to answer some versions of this question. For instance, I find it difficult to answer the question "what's your favorite movie?" I love movies of all ilk (well not horror), and my favorite movie is generally dependent upon my mood at the time. Some days I may crave a comedy, others drama, or fantasy. However, I can generally narrow down my "favorite" to a handful of movies. These are movies that I will stop all I am doing to watch over and over even though I can probably re-enact them in full.
One of the movies that falls into this list is "Secondhand Lions." I came upon this movie years ago while flipping through channels on a cold, lazy Sunday afternoon. One of those days where going outside makes you cringe as you consider how painful the cold air is going to be. A day that is best spent buried under a blanket watching movies, or reading a book. This particular day it was an endless stream of movies for me.
Initially, the appeal of the movie was simply the comedic moments of Uncle Hub and Uncle Garth shooting at the traveling salesmen that came to try and relieve them of the fortune they were rumored to possess. The pure joy they seemed to receive as each salesman made their attempt to make a sale was pure gold for me.
However, as I continued to watch the movie I grew to appreciate the characters of Hub and Garth. At first, they seem simple, but upon a second look there is much depth to the two. Their ability to see a person's true intentions, and pass them over without a second thought shows that they are not just two simple, country bumpkins. The way that they take Walter in and care for him shows that they are more than the gruff exterior you see.
In many ways, the movie brings about memories of my youth when I would spend part of my summer vacation with my grandfather. No, my grandfather did not sit on his porch with a shotgun waiting for the moment he could ward of salesmen as they came around, and to my knowledge he did not have a secret stash of cash anywhere. But he was a wise man, a man of not so many words, but when he spoke there was wisdom to be had. He allowed me the freedom to explore the treasures that DID exist at his house: boxes of books (some old, some new), a multitude of antiques, various bits of furniture that he was in the process of building, a wood shop with so much sawdust that you wondered if there really was a floor. It was a place where a boys imagination could wander all day.
As an adult I look back and miss those days. I miss the time I was able to spend with a man that I feel like was one of the smartest/wisest people I know. I'm also grateful that I got to spend all that time with him. "Secondhand Lions" reminds me of him each time that I watch it. It makes me wonder what stories did he have to tell that I never got to hear, and thankful for his stories that I did get to hear. Then it makes me wonder what stories will I tell my daughter, what tales will I pass on to her kids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTJAARi8oYg
Personally, I find it difficult to answer some versions of this question. For instance, I find it difficult to answer the question "what's your favorite movie?" I love movies of all ilk (well not horror), and my favorite movie is generally dependent upon my mood at the time. Some days I may crave a comedy, others drama, or fantasy. However, I can generally narrow down my "favorite" to a handful of movies. These are movies that I will stop all I am doing to watch over and over even though I can probably re-enact them in full.
One of the movies that falls into this list is "Secondhand Lions." I came upon this movie years ago while flipping through channels on a cold, lazy Sunday afternoon. One of those days where going outside makes you cringe as you consider how painful the cold air is going to be. A day that is best spent buried under a blanket watching movies, or reading a book. This particular day it was an endless stream of movies for me.
Initially, the appeal of the movie was simply the comedic moments of Uncle Hub and Uncle Garth shooting at the traveling salesmen that came to try and relieve them of the fortune they were rumored to possess. The pure joy they seemed to receive as each salesman made their attempt to make a sale was pure gold for me.
However, as I continued to watch the movie I grew to appreciate the characters of Hub and Garth. At first, they seem simple, but upon a second look there is much depth to the two. Their ability to see a person's true intentions, and pass them over without a second thought shows that they are not just two simple, country bumpkins. The way that they take Walter in and care for him shows that they are more than the gruff exterior you see.
In many ways, the movie brings about memories of my youth when I would spend part of my summer vacation with my grandfather. No, my grandfather did not sit on his porch with a shotgun waiting for the moment he could ward of salesmen as they came around, and to my knowledge he did not have a secret stash of cash anywhere. But he was a wise man, a man of not so many words, but when he spoke there was wisdom to be had. He allowed me the freedom to explore the treasures that DID exist at his house: boxes of books (some old, some new), a multitude of antiques, various bits of furniture that he was in the process of building, a wood shop with so much sawdust that you wondered if there really was a floor. It was a place where a boys imagination could wander all day.
As an adult I look back and miss those days. I miss the time I was able to spend with a man that I feel like was one of the smartest/wisest people I know. I'm also grateful that I got to spend all that time with him. "Secondhand Lions" reminds me of him each time that I watch it. It makes me wonder what stories did he have to tell that I never got to hear, and thankful for his stories that I did get to hear. Then it makes me wonder what stories will I tell my daughter, what tales will I pass on to her kids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTJAARi8oYg
Monday, December 31, 2012
Another year passes
Let me start by getting straight to the song for this post. I believe that I have listened to this song on New Year's Eve every year since about 1984ish., and so I once again shall listen to it in 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kx8wGRNZX4
Here we all are on the edge of another year being in the past, and a new year just ahead of us. It's an interesting time when most of us will make "resolutions" of positive changes for our lives, and most of those resolutions will be long forgotten within a few weeks. I gave up the practice of make New Year's Resolutions years ago. I began to feel like I was simply setting myself up for failure each year. Making promises to myself that I probably had no real intention of keeping.
I do find New Year's Eve a good time for some reflection. A time to take a few moments to look at where I've been; a chance to consider where things went wrong, and what things went right.
New Year's Eve is also a time when people like to celebrate, and why not? We all now have one more year under our belts. And what says "good job on surviving another year" better than going out mingling with a crowd of people you don't know, and getting hammered? That seems to be the prevalent celebratory function. Making New Year's Day filled with the wonder and excitement that is known as a hangover. Yet others will celebrate by sitting at home and watching one of the many New Year's Eve programs that will include some of the year's big musical artists, and then counting down the seconds to the New Year as midnight approaches.
For me, I usually just sit at home and watch movies and pass out on the couch around 10 PM. I don't like to be on the roads as most people are probably intoxicated so why tempt fate. I have experienced New Year's Eve in Times Square, and while I am glad to say I was a part of almost a million people crammed into Times Square I would have to say you are better off watching it on TV. For one, the "ball" that they drop looks like a tiny speck since it is on top of a very tall building. Secondly, they shut down Times Square. Once you are on the Square, you are not getting back off the Square until after midnight, and since it is packed and closed down at around 430 in the afternoon it is quite a long time to stand there (usually in the cold). On another occasion I had the chance to celebrate New Year's Eve on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Once again, it was packed with people and you had to fight your way into the different bars to get a drink. I was especially impressed with the people who thought it would be a good idea to bring their children to Bourbon Street. My favorite quote from this experience came from a boy who appeared to be 8ish "mommy, what is that man doing laying on the street?" Fortunately, he was not referring to me. I was also surprised on New Year's Day as I was up by 8 or 9 am and decided to walk down Bourbon Street to take in the after-math. The surprising part was not having to step over someone that was passed out on the side walk in front of the hotel, but when I passed several bars that were offering 3 for 1 drinks...at 9AM mind you. I probably should not have been surprised to see that in a city with drive thru daquiri shops.
Along with the parties comes some other strange rituals. Supposedly if you eat black eyed peas and greens to bring prosperity. That may be the reason I flounder in a sea of average financial standings. I have never eaten either of these items on New Year's Eve. Another interesting superstition says that whomever you kiss at the stroke of midnight New Year's Eve/Day is the person you'll spend the rest of your life with, or that your relationship with that person will be strengthened. It is this superstition that has led to many Restraining Orders against me taken out by some seriously high profile, A list celebrities. Due to legal reasons I am unable to list any of those celebrities, but believe me our relationships are as good as they can be after said kisses. Well and from 300 yards away from each other.
No matter how you choose to celebrate this glorious event I wish each of my loyal readers a safe and Happy New Year.
now that it is about 2 hours before the New Year arrives (at least in my time zone) I will probably go to sleep and completely miss the dawning of a new year. which is my normal MO. (modus operandus, not Missouri which would make no sense if I meant Missouri.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kx8wGRNZX4
Here we all are on the edge of another year being in the past, and a new year just ahead of us. It's an interesting time when most of us will make "resolutions" of positive changes for our lives, and most of those resolutions will be long forgotten within a few weeks. I gave up the practice of make New Year's Resolutions years ago. I began to feel like I was simply setting myself up for failure each year. Making promises to myself that I probably had no real intention of keeping.
I do find New Year's Eve a good time for some reflection. A time to take a few moments to look at where I've been; a chance to consider where things went wrong, and what things went right.
New Year's Eve is also a time when people like to celebrate, and why not? We all now have one more year under our belts. And what says "good job on surviving another year" better than going out mingling with a crowd of people you don't know, and getting hammered? That seems to be the prevalent celebratory function. Making New Year's Day filled with the wonder and excitement that is known as a hangover. Yet others will celebrate by sitting at home and watching one of the many New Year's Eve programs that will include some of the year's big musical artists, and then counting down the seconds to the New Year as midnight approaches.
For me, I usually just sit at home and watch movies and pass out on the couch around 10 PM. I don't like to be on the roads as most people are probably intoxicated so why tempt fate. I have experienced New Year's Eve in Times Square, and while I am glad to say I was a part of almost a million people crammed into Times Square I would have to say you are better off watching it on TV. For one, the "ball" that they drop looks like a tiny speck since it is on top of a very tall building. Secondly, they shut down Times Square. Once you are on the Square, you are not getting back off the Square until after midnight, and since it is packed and closed down at around 430 in the afternoon it is quite a long time to stand there (usually in the cold). On another occasion I had the chance to celebrate New Year's Eve on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Once again, it was packed with people and you had to fight your way into the different bars to get a drink. I was especially impressed with the people who thought it would be a good idea to bring their children to Bourbon Street. My favorite quote from this experience came from a boy who appeared to be 8ish "mommy, what is that man doing laying on the street?" Fortunately, he was not referring to me. I was also surprised on New Year's Day as I was up by 8 or 9 am and decided to walk down Bourbon Street to take in the after-math. The surprising part was not having to step over someone that was passed out on the side walk in front of the hotel, but when I passed several bars that were offering 3 for 1 drinks...at 9AM mind you. I probably should not have been surprised to see that in a city with drive thru daquiri shops.
Along with the parties comes some other strange rituals. Supposedly if you eat black eyed peas and greens to bring prosperity. That may be the reason I flounder in a sea of average financial standings. I have never eaten either of these items on New Year's Eve. Another interesting superstition says that whomever you kiss at the stroke of midnight New Year's Eve/Day is the person you'll spend the rest of your life with, or that your relationship with that person will be strengthened. It is this superstition that has led to many Restraining Orders against me taken out by some seriously high profile, A list celebrities. Due to legal reasons I am unable to list any of those celebrities, but believe me our relationships are as good as they can be after said kisses. Well and from 300 yards away from each other.
No matter how you choose to celebrate this glorious event I wish each of my loyal readers a safe and Happy New Year.
now that it is about 2 hours before the New Year arrives (at least in my time zone) I will probably go to sleep and completely miss the dawning of a new year. which is my normal MO. (modus operandus, not Missouri which would make no sense if I meant Missouri.)
Friday, December 14, 2012
it's the end of the world
WOW! Has it really been two weeks since I last graced all of my loyal followers with my witty presence? My apologies to all 3 of you for putting up with such neglect. I suppose as long as that check keeps coming in the mail you all will continue to demonstrate such undying loyalty. I am so undeserving.
Yes, I do realize that I'm a week early for the end of the world, but I consider myself to be a planner. I like to be the first to arrive; I want to get the good seats to what I can only assume to be a General Admission event as I have been unable to locate end of the world tickets at either Ticketmaster, or StubHub. Seems to me that if one of those two sites are not selling, then they are not to be found.
The good news regarding the end of the world is that we will find out who wins this season of X-Factor prior to the world coming to what can only be a glorious end, I'll at least get to see the first installment of "The Hobbit," and my sister will be able to celebrate one more year of aging prior to the sudden demise of the world as we know it. The bad news is that the winner of X-Factor probably won't even get that 5 million dollar check before the end, and thus will have put up with all of the stress of the competition for naught.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0GFRcFm-aY
I must admit that I have a few questions about how this whole end of the world will take place:
Where does it begin? Will it be like New Year's Eve where you can watch the end of the world happen in each time zone? (I'm certain that ABC has already bought the rights to show that live.) Or will it be an all out global demise where it all ends at once? What does one wear for the end of the world?
These are questions that I need answers to before the event takes place. I may need to go shopping for an outfit that is appropriate, and stock up on snacks if it is to be televised. If it is to happen all at once, then I need to take the week off so that I can go and do all those things that I have not had time to do by now. It will be a challenge to squeeze it all in to one week, but I figure some good coke (the powdered variety that smells good) will keep me going for my "End of the World Blow Out. You're all invited. BYOBlow
As for snacks, I have stocked up on Twinkies and Ding Dongs. (the originals, not some crazy knock off). I'll be selling those for about 20 bucks a Twinkie or Ding Dong. Although what the money will be used for is hard to say as the world will be ending. I also plan to have some sausage balls, and pigs in a blanket near in order to balance the sweet with some savory. And bacon, must have bacon on the last day of existence. I"m thinking I'll just wrap bacon around the Twinkies.
I find myself in long bouts of deep contemplation as to how the world will end. Personally, I'd like for some Mayan uprising of a long hidden society that after centuries of obscurity have decided that it is time to say "up yours you Eurocentric visigoths." (only said in their language, and not in English, or spanish.) That would be a sight to see, especially as I am in the middle of a shamanistic mind-altering spiritual awakening. And it satisfies my need for the underdog to ultimately come out on top. And, it's more entertaining than just a simple explosion of the planet. How passe.
Now if this "end of the world" turns out to be some sort of hoax, or just does not come true, I am going to be in a bit of a pickle come the week after said event. I'm sure the recovery time from all that 'snow' and mescaline is longer than I may imagine. Maybe I should just go ahead and plan to watch the event from the Betty Ford Center, or get Dr. Drew on speed dial just in case. But surely those Mayans aren't wrong. I do have reservations about our interpretation of the Mayan calendar so maybe I should just go to work as usual. What a way to go out...at work.
How do you intend to enjoy the final week of the world?
Yes, I do realize that I'm a week early for the end of the world, but I consider myself to be a planner. I like to be the first to arrive; I want to get the good seats to what I can only assume to be a General Admission event as I have been unable to locate end of the world tickets at either Ticketmaster, or StubHub. Seems to me that if one of those two sites are not selling, then they are not to be found.
The good news regarding the end of the world is that we will find out who wins this season of X-Factor prior to the world coming to what can only be a glorious end, I'll at least get to see the first installment of "The Hobbit," and my sister will be able to celebrate one more year of aging prior to the sudden demise of the world as we know it. The bad news is that the winner of X-Factor probably won't even get that 5 million dollar check before the end, and thus will have put up with all of the stress of the competition for naught.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0GFRcFm-aY
I must admit that I have a few questions about how this whole end of the world will take place:
Where does it begin? Will it be like New Year's Eve where you can watch the end of the world happen in each time zone? (I'm certain that ABC has already bought the rights to show that live.) Or will it be an all out global demise where it all ends at once? What does one wear for the end of the world?
These are questions that I need answers to before the event takes place. I may need to go shopping for an outfit that is appropriate, and stock up on snacks if it is to be televised. If it is to happen all at once, then I need to take the week off so that I can go and do all those things that I have not had time to do by now. It will be a challenge to squeeze it all in to one week, but I figure some good coke (the powdered variety that smells good) will keep me going for my "End of the World Blow Out. You're all invited. BYOBlow
As for snacks, I have stocked up on Twinkies and Ding Dongs. (the originals, not some crazy knock off). I'll be selling those for about 20 bucks a Twinkie or Ding Dong. Although what the money will be used for is hard to say as the world will be ending. I also plan to have some sausage balls, and pigs in a blanket near in order to balance the sweet with some savory. And bacon, must have bacon on the last day of existence. I"m thinking I'll just wrap bacon around the Twinkies.
I find myself in long bouts of deep contemplation as to how the world will end. Personally, I'd like for some Mayan uprising of a long hidden society that after centuries of obscurity have decided that it is time to say "up yours you Eurocentric visigoths." (only said in their language, and not in English, or spanish.) That would be a sight to see, especially as I am in the middle of a shamanistic mind-altering spiritual awakening. And it satisfies my need for the underdog to ultimately come out on top. And, it's more entertaining than just a simple explosion of the planet. How passe.
Now if this "end of the world" turns out to be some sort of hoax, or just does not come true, I am going to be in a bit of a pickle come the week after said event. I'm sure the recovery time from all that 'snow' and mescaline is longer than I may imagine. Maybe I should just go ahead and plan to watch the event from the Betty Ford Center, or get Dr. Drew on speed dial just in case. But surely those Mayans aren't wrong. I do have reservations about our interpretation of the Mayan calendar so maybe I should just go to work as usual. What a way to go out...at work.
How do you intend to enjoy the final week of the world?
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