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New Year's Meme

Stirrup-Queens have created this meme which can be done in two different ways. "Either you can do all seven categories and list two answers for every category (get it? It's 2007, so I'm playing on the two numbers: 2 and 7) OR you can choose two of the categories and list seven answers."

The categories:
Things you learned this year
People you met
Things you don't want to take with you into 2007
Things you want to hold close as you pass into 2007
Things you're looking forward to in 2007
Things that were life changing in 2006
Things you hope to accomplish by the end of 2007

(see--those are the seven categories. Now you can either give two answers for each category OR you can choose two from that list and give seven answers) Here is mine:

Things you learned this year-since the only thing I can remember I learned in 2005 was not to use my hand as a hammer, I tried to write some things down.
1. "We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are." (Rachael Naomi Remens, Kitchen Table Wisdom)
2. "Real love doesn't make you suffer" (Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now)
3. Stop and identify the feeling before lashing out.
4. I'd rather go to Madison,WI in March then go on a guilt trip.
5. Life is short, and I must be present to win.
6. Even if I take a lot of pictures, I can't capture NOW.
7. Forgiveness is giving up all hope of a better past. I just have to let go of some things.


Things you're looking forward to in 2007
1. The 3 Ms-Malabrigo, movies and massages
2. Dropping my work schedule to half-time
3. Hanging with the knitting buddies at Mocha Java
4. Learning new things, but please not another craft!
5. Number two sons graduating from college
6. Another trip to the Great American Midwest
7. Using up my Christmas gift cards:)

I am also working on finding a way I feel comfortable contributing to the community beyond just contributing money. It is something that is hard for me. I am not an organizer. I can be judgmental. I don't like to commit. I think it as something to do with the unreasonable idea I identified a while back about my issue with perfection. Oh wait, this is a guilt trip and I'm not going there anymore!


Then of course there is the diet and exericse issues. It's always on my mind...one of these days...

If you read this entry, consider yourself tagged!

Get a Fortune Cookie, Review The Good Shepard

Allen Dulles from the movie (Matt Damon)
The Good Shepard is a fictionalized drama based on the life of Allen Dulles, the first civilian director of the CIA. Let me say first this is a long movie. I went in at 3:15 and got out after 6pm. The beginning is hard to follow and the scenes jump back and forth in time. The story that unfolds is quite interesting and generated a lot of questions in my party about the Bay of Pigs and the Skull and Bones. Diniro directs and has a small part. Matt Damon plays an ice man, secretive all his life who makes great sacrifices for his beliefs, or do we really know why or if it was a sacrifice, he was that secretive. My sister did not like it that much, but I found it very interesting, but sad. I did not recognize Keir Dullea even though I knew ahead of time that he was in the movie. John Turturro who I just watched in Unstrung Heroes (a movie directed by Diane Keaton-yikes I digress!)was great as Dulles' sidekick.
I will give this movie 3/5 acorns and 1/2 of clive for some violence and being sad.

Enchanting Juno led me to this meme and it gave me a hoot. Try it!

My Fortune Cookie told me: Your bathtub is full of brightly colored machine tools. Get a cookie from Miss Fortune

My Fortune Cookie told me: We are not anticipating any emergencies. Get a cookie from Miss Fortune

La Boheme, Review

I watched the Australian version of La Boheme. The DVD has added something really great for me, subtitles. It really helps to know what the story is. Opera has so much angst built into the solos.
It was a little bothersome to me that the love between Mimi and Rodolfo is so quick in much the way that Mulan raced through to the end. I know it has to be as, but still it's a bit bothersome. However, the songs they sing to each other at the end of the first act are some of the most moving sounds to me. I think it is better left in Italian, though.
And guess what? Mimi dies. Well I knew that because it's opera.
It tough not to compare the artists, but Maria Callas and Pavarotti are hard to beat. I love the sets on this production.
I will give it 2.5/5 acorns.

Serenity, Review

I had a coupon for Borders so I got this DVD that was on the specials table. This is a movie made from the failed SciFi Channel series Firefly. I never watched Firefly so I thought, why not? Chance it!
I can't say I gave it a fair shake as I felt the need to work on a new hat while watching it and the mohair in the yarn kept making me sneeze.
There is the Milennium Falcon-like vessel and crew captained by Mal, maverick renegade, who pick up some odd characters and of course their life is never the same again. River Tam has all those quirky, psychic type powers AND she knows kung fu! This can be very handy in a fight against those zombie-like Reavers. David Krumholts of Numbers fame is Mr. Universe and he's very good at facts. Hmmm is he type cast?

IMBD gives both the series and this movie fairly high ratings. I will have to watch the series, although I hear it was cancelled in mid-plot, and while I like clifthangers, I don't like to wait forever. The movie didn't grab me that much. But like I said, blame the mohair.

I will give it 2/5 acorns.

Blood Diamond, Review

Leonardo DiCaprio made an impression on me as Johnny Depp's brother in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. He went on to wow me in Titanic. I still can't get his frozen face out of my brain when I hear that song. He made a few stinkers, too, imo. He does a South African accent in Blood Diamond. I can't really saw how well he really does it, but he does it quite effortlessly. I enjoyed him in this part as well as the one he played in The Departed.
Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin. According to Wikipedia Cotonou means mouth of the River of Death. Benin was once called Dahomey and was once occupied by the French. It may be the home of Voodoo. Just reading up on this has made me realize how provincial I really am. Mr. Hounsou plays a humble fisherman and father in this movie and shows his range of emotions.
Jennifer Connelly was really beautiful in this movie, and did a fine job, but was perhaps a bit too sparkly for the role.
The story is about the Kimberley Process which tries to insure that the people from areas that mine the diamonds benefit from the diamonds. Diamonds from conflict areas are illegally obtained and the proceeds often support war efforts. The conflict in Sierra Leone happened in the 1990s and the sale diamonds bought guns used in this violent confrontation.

I will rate this movie 3.8/5 acorns. It had a fair amount of violence. The scenary was beautiful and the music haunting. Mr. DiCaprio was very convincing and buff I might say, as the mercenary who believes in nothing and will say anything to get what he wants, who is moved toward redemption by the passion of a reporter and the heart of a father.

Hurtling toward 2007

Has anyone else wondered what happened to November? I'm still reeling over that. I have misplaced a month in my life. Not much I can do about that. So here it is December, in fact almost one week into it. It's cookie time.

I make cookies at my friends house every year. She has all the cooking toys. I ate a thousand cookies today and I'm sick of cookies. Well, maybe I have room for some Russian Tea Cookies, Molassas Crinkles or Nurnbergers.

It feels wintry here even though its 76 right now. So much to do, so little time.

I recall surviving a personal viral attack, and the drama of my son rupturing his appendix, and look forward to the descent upon the family compound of sister #1 and 2, with various other relations.

I regret Season 3 of Battlestar Galactica is not yet out on DVD. I really enjoyed Season 1,2 and 2.5. Wonder why they numbered the DVD's that way. I am tempted to watch the portions of Season 3 that pass by out of sequence, but so far have talked myself out of that.


My NHK drama about the lives of Chiyo and Kazutoya as gone through Chiyo's orphaning, throught Oda Nobunaga and Hideyoshi. Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu are building up to the showdown. I know how that one turns out ;)

Biyeolhan geori, Review

Dirty Carnival, just another karaoke-singing, Korean ganster movie. Well not really, I just wanted to say that. There is karaoke, and it is a Korean gangster movie, but it was a cut above the average. The main gangster is quite likeable and seems to have a good heart, but then again he is quite ruthless and not above knocking off those who stand in his way. He says about his right hand man, that he can smile at his victims while killing at them. Is he really much different?

He is still supporting his family, a delinquent brother, smart sister, and ailing mother. He hooks up with his high school friends at a reunion of sorts. He courts the woman as his first true love. Another friend is now a budding film writer/director and he agrees to allow him to interview his gang for his new movie. The movie is a big hit, but is so close to the truth, it causes trouble in the gangster world.

The ending is surprising, so I won't tell. The fight scenes are choreographed looking, but not distractingly so. There is some blood, but hey, gangsters, they have a penchant for guns, knives and beating people to a pulp.

I will rate this one 3/5 acorns. I quite enjoyed it even though the singing was not that good. Some of the tattoos were funny.

Ghost Ships in the Sky, I'm a Skywatcher

I thought this sunset from last night looked like Ghost Ships off on the horizon.

There are at least 6 movies named Ghost Ship or AKA as Ghost Ship That I could find reference to.
1943
1952
1957
1992
1997
2002

Down in the Delta and The Inheritance, Reviews

About all I could yesterday is plant myself in front of the TV. I got stuck on the Women's Channel and watched two movies.

Down in the Delta stars Alfre Woodard who I remember first seeing on Hill Steet Blues. She plays a down and out mom from Chicago who returns to the Delta and finds roots. Wesley Snipes plays her successful cousin from the big city. The corny object in this movie is a family heirloom, a candleabra named Nathan. Her mom always hid Nathan from her since she suspected Nathan would be sold for drug money. Spoiler alert! Nathan was actually the name of here great, great, great, something grandfather. He had been sold for the candleabra right in front of his wife and son, Jesse. As the tale goes, Jesse has an opportunity during the civil war to steal the candlebra, and he roams the country trying to find his father. But, he never does. Instead he talks to candelabra and it has been passes down through the generations. Once Alfre's character has healed, she becomes the keeper of "Nathan". Throw in an autistic child, and a chicken plant going out of business just for good luck.

The Inheritance is based on a Louisa May Alcott story and is a 1997 mad for TV production. It is a Pride and Prejudice sort of tale. Tom Conti plays the dad, level headed and fair. He's always been one of my favorite actors. Meredith Baxtor plays his wife. It was great to see Max Gail who I remember as Det. Stan 'Wojo' Wojciehowicz from Barney Miller, even though he plays and AH. The heroine in this show is an orphan raised by a well to do family. She is loved and cherished. She wins the title for kindest, most honest heroine around. Everyone loves her. This movie just has to have a happy ending. The bitchy houseguest gets hers in end, our heroine has the fairy tale ending she deserves.

It did my hollow head some good to lay back and soak in the good vibes of all these wonderful people. It did me good to see a happy ending. I was entertained!

I will rate these both 2.5/5 acorns. No clives.

Waaah!

Waah, I'm a-wracked with a virus. And I got my flu shot! Waaah, it didn't work.
Waah, waah, my season 2 Battlegalactic DVds aren't here yet.

I finished the miniseries and the first season yesterday, so I can't wait for them to come. Season 1 was an early Christmas present from my awsome sister in Madison. Sisters are the best!!

The Dirk Bogarde character from the original series as been morphed into a woman. It works. Boomer is played by a very beautiful Korean/Canadian actress named Grace Park. Olmos is really great as the head military dude. The actor who played Apollo in the original series is back in this series as a convicted terrorist for interest. The cyclons are new, improved and developing human traits. I don't know that they should be having babies, though. Why is it that every sci-fi drama has to birth babies? I still think that when Keiko had her baby they should have been able to beam it out instead of going through all that breathing and fluid. Man I think I ranted on this before!

I have amassed all the anti-flu remedies and symptomatic treatments I had laying around the house. So far, I'm still sick:(. I put them in my new Magic Bullet, another early Christmas present from by other awsome sister and made Airborne slushy. It helps to keep that feverish feeling down.

Ye Yan, Review

Ziyi Zhang stars in this movie about the intrigue in the Chinese court. Growing up she was in love with the prince, but she ends up marrying his father so he goes far a way and studies dance. When the Emperor dies, supposedly bitten by a scorpion, his brother steps up to take his place and his wife. The prince is summoned back, and survives assassination atempts on his way back.

The film is choreographed almost like a musical. The fight scenes are involved masked soldiers and very red blood. It is a very beautifully done. My main problem with this film is the title. I kept waiting for the Banquet. I was hoping for great food but it was not to be. I also was not sure what to make of the ending. I think the relationships between the the Empress, Emperor and Prince were not developed well and I didn't really like any of them very much.

I will rate this movie 2.5/5 acorns. (No clives).

I made a serious attempt to clean up the house, but alas was waylaid by the computer, the movie and great ramen at Taishoken. I managed to talk my son into changing a lamp for me. I look at all the papers on my desk and realize I have a problem with throwing away receipts. Is it safe to throw them in the trash since only the last four digits appear on most of them now, or do I still have to shred them? If I don't figure that out soon, I'll be buried in an avalance of register receipts. Yikes!

Ansatsu, Review

This black and white samurai picture from 1967 takes place during a period of Japan during the Tokugawa era, when the samurai is falling from his place in society. The emperor will eventually replace the shogun as ruler of Japan and the feudal period which generated so many great pictures about loyalty is crumbling. It has none of the romance of that previous period just the reality of ronin. Some hold to Bushido, but many switch sides at will for survival or other ends.

It does have some great music. Many of the Japanese movies made today use the more modern music been written, but the older scores utilizing a more traditional sound appeal to me much more. I suppose if zombies are jumping out then a heavy metal score really works, but when two highly trained samurai are facing down in a black and white movie, with the dust swirling and eyes glaring, there is nothing like the bleak silence broken by staccato of drums or the hiss of the shakuhachi to enhance the drama.

It is a well made movie, but I am swayed by the period. I like a "hero" to anchor the movie. So there you have it. Much like Raging Bull with it's great film making and acting, I so hated Deniro's character, I have to defer rating the movie to those who can stomach it.

Jeez, there I am true to form, running instead of taking a stand! Yeah, but it's just a movie! I will say, no clives.

Nacho Libre, Lost Season 2 and an oldie

I watched Nacho Libre because after watching all that existentialist stuff at the film festival, I want to laugh. Nacho Libre was silly and fun. I enjoyed the scene where he is in the ring flapping like an eagle. There was not much deep in this movie. Watching Black jump and tumble reminded me of John Belushi, another agile "big" man. I will rate this 3/5 acorns.

While watching Lost, Season 2 I was reminded of the PC games Myst and Riven. The scene change music, the island adventure areas, and the water and mystery all added to this memory. I was very disappointed in Walt shooting Michelle Rodriguez. She needed to be shot as she was difficult to like, but still, I thought better of Walt. I was a little annoyed that food seems to rain down on the lost ones and that they have all the conforts of home in the hatch. I was also annoyed at the unaturally (at least for Hawaii) red mangos that Sawyer was picking from the bamboo forest. I could have sworn mangos grew on mango trees. I wish Sayid would stop torturing people. I mean, I know he is good at it, but hey, shouldn't he be cured by now? All and all I was still amused and intrigued. I will have to wait for Season 3 to come out.

While over at my friend's house I also get to watch oldies with her mom. Sunday we watched Roman Holiday (1953)with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. What beautiful people they both are. Life seemed so much more innocent back then. I also watched Move Over Darling (1963) with James Garner and Doris Day. It was so funny, but the other day I ate at a Vietnamese restaurant run by Japanese people, and heard Que Sera Sera in the background. How Doris Day:)

Invisible Waves, Review. The last of the HIFF

Tadanobu Asano. I don't think I have to say more, but of course I will.

I got a call about this film as the first showing did not go off well. The festival's copy apparently was "hung up" in customs. A copy was located on island and and when it was shown, it had no English subs. Between the first showing and my showing a copy was located on the Mainland and flown in. It was not a good copy. There were a lot artifacts, macroblocking and noise, BUT it had English subs. I ran into one of my friends after and she said it was way too slow. Well, yes, I have to agree, it was slow, but there was Tadanobu Asano, so I can't complain.

He plays Kyoji, a chef in Macau. He is having an affair with his bosses wife, and then his boss has him kill her for him. He has to go by boat to Phuket to lay low, and Lizard is his only contact. It turns out Lizard, the karaoke hitman, has been sent to kill him.

Asano excels in playing these odd, detached characters. I remember him from last year's flick Funky Forest where he played one of the Guitar brothers. They all go on a picnic to meet girls. They are such losers, that no girls show up.

Anyway, Kyoji meets a young woman on the boat who has a baby. She is full of energy and life. When he gets to Phuket, things start to go wrong. I can't really say more without giving it away.

Well I will rate this one 2.5/5 acorns. Of course its because of Mr. Asano. It had some offbeat humor in it and a message that made me think.

Holly, Review

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I considered skipping HOLLY as I was thinking there was no way a movie about child prostitution in Cambodia could be upbeat. I was not wrong. Holly is sold by her parents at age 12 and smuggled from Vietnam to work in a brothel. She commands a high price as she is still a virgin. An American dealer of stolen artifacts ends up at the brothel when his motorcycle breaks down. Of course he is offered the girls and even Holly. He is touched by her plight and learns her story. She want's very much to work so her little sister will not be sold and because he is kind to her, she wants him to be her first "yum yum". Child prostitution is against his morals and he is never swayed. He becomes obsessed with saving her even though he is warned that Holly belongs to the "mafia" and that his life is worth less then $5 dollars on the street. A tough story to think about and hard for me to rate. I wonder how "real" it is. I'm not going to think anymore about and I will not rate it. I'm just going to get LOST! I will say though that Guy Livingston is great as the American and Thuy Nguyen is very pretty.

Heh, when the going gets rough.....RUN!!!

I broke down and got Season 2 of LOST. Now to find some time for the marathon.

Severence, Review

I stayed up to watch this movie which started at 10:15pm. My last film was really crowded so I thought I would go a little early but it wasn't too crowded. This is a comedy/horror movie that gave me a few jolts. Danny Dyer is the male lead. I haven't seen him in any other movies as he is from UK and has done a lot of TV there. The announcer compared this movie to Shaun of the Dead, or The Office meets Evil Dead. I never saw The Office, so I can't comment. It has its campy humor like Shaun of the Dead but no zombies :(

It was more of a spoof. The scenary reminded me of Deliverance. A group of workers go off for a team building retreat to Hungary and get lost taking a short cut. They should have known better! There are a lurkers in the forest with really big knives! I'm not sure what drives them but the company makes military weapons and somehow that is connected to the reason.

I will give this movie clives for sure, and 3/5 acorns. I was yawning when it started but I'm wide awake now!

The Machinist, Review

Christian Bale was the American Psycho. He couldn't fool me as Bruce Wayne. He looks cachectic in this role of Trevor Reznik, a man on the verge of of madness, or perhaps already consumed by it. He hasn't slept for a year. He can barely tell which people in his life are real. Memento is mentioned as a comparison for this movie. Both are very dark, and difficult to follow. I will have to think about this one for awhile, and try to sit through it again one of these days. I will give it a tentative 3/5 acorns and a little clive as well.