What is LOVE?

"Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning." ~Paulo Coelho

At the center of almost every known galaxy lies a Black Hole

 

"The wound is the place where the light enters" ~Rumi

10/28/2018 After the tragic events of Saturday's shooting at a Jewish Synagogue, in Pittsuburg PA (USA), the above quote leaves me pondering, conversely, what then is hate? Perhaps, hate is an evil seed lurking deep within the hearts of all men, stirred into action by misunderstanding? By mistrust? By envy? By those seeking an angle toward regaining power? "... And those deeds you strive to keep hidden shall be borne into the light." This is my ongoing prayer, as always.  May Peace and healing eventually find their way to those who have suffered such great loss in this senseless (soul-less) shooting.  Love and Hate, but a stone's throw away from one another in the duality of our human nature, along the continuum of our existence .. (which I happen to believe is 'circular' in nature, with my profound belief in re-incarnation).

Stranger than fiction?

I have been writing about a hurricane and the Texas Gulf coast over the course of the past three weeks, and I turn on the news yesterday to find Hurricane Harvey is barreling toward the central Texas Gulf coast as we speak, due to make landfall early Saturday morning.  How weird is that?

Makes me wonder if the things I write will actually come to pass? Like the movie by the title name of this post, "Stranger Than Fiction."  Perhaps I can write myself winning the lottery?  ; )

In any event, my heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the people of Texas as they brace for impact.  Be smart, safe and May God Bless and keep you!

8/29/2017  Thoughts and prayers are still with everyone in Texas. Have a friend who has been deployed to help with search and rescue.  Praying especially for him.  The ability of Texans --and those coming in to assist from other states, like Louisiana-- to band together in order to get critical things done, in the absence of the division which seem to be gripping the nation at large --in the aftermath of Donald J. Trump's unexpected win-- is truly remarkable.  This type of responsiveness, working together to help fellow citizens regardless of political affiliation, should serve as the bar for the rest of the nation to strive toward moving forward.  We are stronger together than we can ever be while attempting to function independently as ongoing, isolated splinter- identity groups.
9/3/2017 Saw on the news, Friday, another hurricane, Irma is now headed potentially for Florida.  I also had a storm headed for Florida in my writing, but this storm --in my writing-- gets diverted back out to sea where it eventually dissipates, missing major landfall altogether.  Need to finish that part of the writing up? ... Have written that the hurricane will make an abrupt right turn just prior to making landfall on Florida mainland.  The storm will then head north, into cooler waters, where it will lose momentum and begin to dissipate, such that if it does make landfall further up the coast it will be greatly lessened in severity.
9/11/2017  Praying for ALL impacted by hurricane Irma, and so very thankful the storm did not make a major landfall as a category 5, as initially anticipated.  Anxious to hear news of how those in Cuba are fairing?  Have heard nothing thus far.
9/22/2017 Yet another hurricane strikes in U.S. waters, with Maria devastating Puerto Rico.  Nature heeds no fencing in?  Praying for Puerto Rico and for those who will oversee the complicated logistics of organizing and implementing relief for this U.S. island territory.  God Bless one and all!! 
10/13/2017 My sincere thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by devastating wildfires in the Northern part of California.  May cooler weather bring much needed rain, in aid to firefighting efforts, that lives and homes may be spared.  I had not realized the fires were so bad in that area.
10/28/2017 Had the strangest dream about Nogales on Saturday night???

All The World's But a Stage ...

via Costumer's Guide Library

[Love this photo ... Pretty much sums up my relationship w/Ken. We seem to be out of time with one another spiritually speaking
--w.r.t. soul experience-- but we fell in love with each other long ago, nonetheless.  Time will tell if our love can stand the test of time? ]

"All the world’s a stage" … How often, glancing through the chronicles of time, do we not see the same stories played out again and yet again? The same stories of love, triumphs and losses, played out with different costumes, different actors and the semblance of an accepted set of rules for a given period in time … but the heart knows no rules? I have to wonder does the script choose actor or the actor the script? I’d like to think that if we can hold onto that which we are born into this world with—the only thing we perhaps rightfully own—that the material then becomes immaterial.


“All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”

~William Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act II, Scene VII [All the world's a stage]

Image Source

But oh how this world will try ever so desperately to take this most precious possession from you ….

It would seem, I have a lot writing to do?



P.S. Wrote this early in the morning (early for others ... late at night/not having slept for me)after watching "Anna Karenina" ... Had forgotten that the Oscar's were to be this day.  So my post here fits rather nicely for the day? I have a lot of movies to watch ... I did happen to see the movie "Argo", yesterday, at least.  Great movie!  And "Anna Karenina" won for best costume design, so I guess I chose well : ) 

Escape, Love and Death ...

I needed to escape for a bit tonight. Lucky for me, the movie “Midnight in Paris” happened to be playing. I had heard great things about this movie and it seemed to get high marks from both the critics and the general viewing audience alike.  So I sat down late this evening to see if this movie would actually hold my attention.

Image Source

I’m funny about movies. I wouldn’t call myself a movie critic --I figure we all have different tastes and perspectives-- and in order to be a critic you have to finish all of a movie before you can offer a critique. For me if a movie doesn’t have me within the first 15 to 20 minutes I can’t see wasting my valuable time sitting there to watch the rest of it. This of course drives people I watch movies with nuts sometimes, because I often lose interest and start flipping through a news journal, magazine, or book … or I’ll start scribbling lines for a poem or story, or start sketching some sort of doodle. If the movie is really mind-numbing for me I just have to get up and get out of the room altogether --perhaps one of the few times that doing the dinner dishes actually has appeal to me ; ) ... So it seems to work out rather well for me when I happen to be up alone, late at night, to view a movie for two reasons: 1) I have a better chance of starting with a movie that I’ll be likely to sit through and 2) I don’t have to worry about disappointing anyone because I can’t sit through a movie that they might have selected. 

[End Scene of the movie.  Gil finds someone

who doesn't mind walking in the rain.]

Image Source

Well, I am happy to report that “Midnight in Paris” wound up being a most welcome escape for me.  I was able to escape into a movie about escaping to another, simpler, grander time: Paris in the 1920’s. This movie had a great story-line and it flowed nicely between the here-and-now and the past of the 1920’s Paris. Owen Wilson did a great job in his role as the struggling writer. I could relate. Very cool how Owen's character gets to meet with writers and artists of that “golden era” … especially Hemingway, who was a most interesting character in this movie. I have read a few works by Hemingway, but I don’t recall the quote his character gives to Owen Wilson’s character, Gil, upon their first meeting:

“I believe that love that is true and real, creates a respite from death. All cowardice comes from not loving or not loving well, which is the same thing. And then the man who is brave and true looks death squarely in the face, like some rhino-hunters I know or Belmonte, who is truly brave... It is because they make love with sufficient passion, to push death out of their minds... until it returns, as it does, to all men... and then you must make really good love again.”

~Character of Ernest Hemingway in movie “Midnight In Paris"

Is that not a fabulous way to look at Love? I did some quick searching tonight and could not find this quote among those attributed to Ernest Hemingway, but one source said that there were over 5,000 quotes attributed to Hemingway. So, I guess, I’ll have to keep looking if I want to verify this an authentic Hemingway quote?



This movie has a good ending, but I’ll not say more as I don’t want to give anything away. I can say that I happen to agree with Gil’s assessment as to why so many hold a nostalgia for times past …

“Adriana, if you stay here though, and this becomes your present then pretty soon you'll start imagining another time was really your... You know, was really the golden time. Yeah, that's what the present is. It's a little unsatisfying because life's a little unsatisfying.”

~Character Gil, in the movie “Midnight in Paris”

The present is perhaps unsatisfying because it is intimately interwoven with the mundane?  We tend to edit out the mundane in our recollections and revisiting of the past, do we not?

Image Source

All in all this was a great movie and if you haven’t seen it, you might give it a whirl. I have not made it to Paris, myself. I almost got there once: I was in Belgium and we ventured across the border into Bordeaux. I suppose one of these days a visit to famed city of Paris would be a wonderful adventure. One of my Christmas presents (had been on back-order all these many months) just came a few weeks back.  It is an ART book cataloging all of the over 10,000 pieces of ART on display in the Louvre: “The Louvre, All the Paintings”, By Erich Lessing and Vincent Pomarede. Perhaps after flipping through the pages of this enchanted book and browsing through the accompanying ART CD my desire to visit Paris will be greatly enhanced? If I were ever to visit, Paris at midnight --being the night-owl that I am-- would have infinite appeal to me, and being no stranger to rain up here, in Seattle, I wouldn't mind a stroll in the rain either.  I love to dance in the rain ...

History, ART, culture, and epicurean delights galore … How could one go wrong with Paris? And on that note, I don’t think you’ll go wrong if you take “Midnight in Paris” for a spin on a low-key, rainy night. Might I also suggest a roaring fire and nice bottle of red wine, with some cheese & bread to enhance your viewing experience? Cheers and do enjoy!  = )


Song: "Have You Ever Seen the Rain", By CCR (youtube.com)


P.S. Happened to come across this site while searching for the above Ernest Hemingway quote ... might prove useful to some of you singles out there?  www.thedatingspecialist.com/blog/5-ernest-hemingway-quotes-to-inspire-your-love-life/

Voices Carry ...

Ever heard the famous line from Shakespeare's play …

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."

~Juliet, Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)]

Image Source

My mind wonders next to the thought: “What’s in a voice?”

The artistic side of me --and perhaps a bit of the scientist, the observer, as well-- is very visual, I will admit. Seems I’m always on the lookout for patterns … shapes, colors, numbers … eagerly searching for discontinuities, as often nearby the mysterious lies in wait longing to be found. The latter being said, however, I’ve always loved voices. I’m not sure why? Maybe it’s my love of books and my penchant for making written worlds breathe to life within my vivid imagination? I have as much fun assigning a voice to a character in one of my reads as I do building the physical attributes of a character into an animated being.

On movie night’s, I often drive my friends and family crazy when I hear a voice that I know, but just can’t quite place said voice with the name of an actor or actress. I’ll spend the whole movie recalling clips from previous movies in my mind … playing them over and over until I’ve identified the unknown voice. Yes, I seem to have a memory catalog of voices for actresses, actors, and other famous people –even lesser known parts, I will remember a voice and then hear it in a subsequent movie—even though at times, I would be hard-pressed to identify the same actor by face. Is that odd? Given that actors are constantly changing roles and physical attributes, I suppose identifying these actors by voice --which remains relatively constant— makes sense, right? I wonder, does everyone use this method of voice cataloging as a means of identifying people?

Movie I watched tonight, "Three Musketeers" ...

Voices would carry here, no?

(Image Source)

Then there are other worldly experiences I have had … departed spirits … that ‘speak’ with voice. So I suppose that I come naturally --or supernaturally, as the case may be ; )-- by my pre-disposition for a fascination with voices. I wonder, does one’s voice say more, or at least as much, about a person as their physical appearance? Are voice cues in speech more telling than visual mannerisms to a certain segment of the population like me?

… I stop and think here for a moment, how many times I have had conversations with someone on the phone only to meet them later, in person, to find that they look absolutely nothing like the way I had pictured them in my mind --physical attributes like, hair, height, weight, ethnicity, etc.— an image that I had conjured up based purely upon the hearing of their voice during the short duration of a single, or few, phone call(s). Or the reverse happens, that is to say that I will see a photo of someone before I ever have the opportunity to speak with them on the phone or to meet in person, Skype, etc.… Especially, with all of the on-line interactions in our world today (e.g., Facebook). Often times, you will see a photo of someone long before you ever actually hear their voice, with Facebook and the like. So naturally, in the latter instance, one begins to formulate what voice might go with a friend’s photograph/profile picture, right … or is that just me? Surprisingly, I have found that often my voice imaginings are very close to the real-life voice of the actual person in these cases of visual photograph coupled with longer term written interactions -- as opposed to a non-visual, short term phone call(s) and guessing at what the physical attributes of a person may be based solely upon hearing their voice; maybe this has something to do with the old adage "appearances can be deceiving", but the voice rings true?  The scientist in me would love to know if other people find that they too can get pretty close to target for guessing at the voice to pair with the case of a visual image, with only written interactions. Who knows, this could be a whole new science, eh? ; )

Porthos, Athos, D’Artagnan , Aramis

"Three Musketeers"

(A great movie by the way ... Image Source)

Are you wondering, then, what prompted my pondering of this topic? Well, I just happened to come across another fabulous voice in a movie this evening … The voice of Athos (Matthew MacFadyen), in the new “Musketeer” movie. MacFadyen's voice is just mesmerizing to me … I could get lost in his voice. Whose voices would you classify as “fabulous”?

Oh well, perhaps you've enjoyed the ramblings of my late night, sleep-deprived mind.  Nite ya'll and Happy St. Patrick's Day! May the Luck of the Irish Bless you this day and throughout the upcoming week ahead.  God Bless =)



Song:  "Voices Carry", By Till Tuesday ... Aimee Mann

Angelina Jolie Writes & Directs a Compelling New Movie ...

"In the Land of Blood & Honey" ... a movie written and directed by Angeline Jolie and nominated for a Golden Globe award in the "Foreign Film" category. This movie attempts to present an intimate story of love and betrayal in the midst of the horrific Bosnian War (April 1992 - December 1995).

Image Source

This movie was violent, as one would expect, but as movies go now-a-days --with all of the modern special effects-- it was tastefully done ... well, as tasteful as you can make the violence of war and ethnic cleansing. I often had tears in my eyes while watching ... this movie tugs on your heartstrings and takes you on an emotional ride. You truly become vested in the struggles --both internal as well as external-- of the main characters.

A well written script in this film held my attention ... even though at times reflecting upon the true horrors of war made me extremely nauseous (and I did have to fast forward through a few parts). Perhaps this film is not one to watch for the truly empathetic? The latter aside, this film addresses a topic that maybe many don't like to talk about in our modern day society: war and mans' capacity for inhumanity towards his fellow man.  I think people in our modern world feel connected, safe and thus have a false sense of empowerment and security, that in reality can come crashing down with just the flip of a switch at the hands of a few armed and misguided souls.

"In the Land of Blood of Honey" is a powerful drama that compels reflection upon the true nature of war and the toll that it takes on all parties involved. With her lead characters, Danijel (Goran Kostic)  and Ajla (Zana Marjanovic), Ms. Jolie skillfully leads the viewer on a journey to search within themselves for their own feelings on an unpleasant, but nonetheless clearly possible reality of our modern-day world. This film also raises awareness about the true atrocities committed during the Bosnian war, among them the lack of timely and meaningful response by outside nations.

As far as I am concerned, "information is power"... but with all of the information --and distractions-- available in today's technological world one has to be selective in choosing meaningful information from time to time. To my way of thinking, the movie "In the Land of Blood & Honey" falls into the category of meaningful information --as well as food for thought-- worth your time and effort to watch, process and digest.  Hopefully, Ms. Jolie's artistic take on a tragic war from the intimate perspective of love and betrayal will plant the seeds of thought that will be a future deterrent to any war of ethnic cleansing, such as the Bosnian tragedy, from ever happening again. Perhaps upon reflection after watching this film, the viewer will will awaken to the awareness that times may call in our very own lives where we must find the strength and courage to be the "lone voice of reason --if necessary-- in a world gone mad" and do our part to take a stand against evil in our midst.

After watching this movie, I will keep the people of this region --especially the up to 50,000 women who were repeatedly and violently assaulted during the 3 1/2 year conflict-- in my ongoing thoughts and prayers. May God, our Creator, lay a gentle hand of Peace and Hope upon these souls, filling any remaining fear and emptiness with His infinite and ever-sustaining Love.

"Throughout the war, as many as 20,000 to 50,000 women were raped, many while in captivity. In response, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia would eventually … become the first tribunal to prosecute rape as an independent crime against humanity."

Story-line

History

Movie Trailer

Lady In the Water ...

"Lady in the Water" is a most magical and enchanting tale ... Awakening children, of all ages living in modern day cities and suburbia, to the possibility of other worlds existing within their very own backyards.

"Moving Water", By Gustav Klimt

(Image Courtesy of ArtMagick.com)

[ This painting is a famous work of ART.  The woman, sea nymph, in the movie was not clothed either and the title

of this painting fits so nicely with the theme of the movie ... moving, movement, inspiration.  The human form is beautiful.]

I Love this story. My daughters are all finally old enough to watch the movie version of this story, skillfully crafted by M. Knight Shyamalan. M. Night also wrote the children's book "Lady in the Water" ... originally a bedtime story for his own children ... which was the basis and inspiration for the movie "Lady in the Water".

I watched this movie tonight with my daughters and after tucking them into bed, I felt inspired to visit ArtMagick and create an art album for this magical tale: Album "Lady in the Water". Even if your children are too young for the movie (it can be a bit scary for smaller children): they will still thoroughly enjoy the children's book; I highly recommend it.

Watch the movie or share the book with a child and rekindle your imagination, awakening once again to a belief in a higher purpose for our being.

Taking People Out With Your Car & "Alice in Wonderland" the Movie

We went to see the movie “Alice in Wonderland” last night. On the way home from the theater a couple wearing dark clothing stepped off the street corner (out of nowhere?!@#!!) and into the road right into the path of our moving car. They weren’t even looking for oncoming cars?!  They were busy carrying on a conversation and just stepped off of the curb and kept right on walking?! Fortunately, the standard speed limit up here is 35 m.p.h. on most major roads (tres annoying at times ... especially coming from Texas where its at least 60 mph. almost everywhere and 45 mph. is going slow) … even six lane roads … three lanes each direction with a center turn lane: the speed is 35 mph. (light bulb moment … maybe people stepping off of curbs out of nowhere is the reason for this consistently low speed limit everywhere?).  Luckily, Ken also has fast reflexes: he saw the couple and was able to stop the car in time to avoid hitting them.

Ken’s remark to the above couple’s “blatant display of stupidity”?  “See that kids … that’s Darwinism in action.” Meaning that people totally lacking in common sense probably won’t be around long enough to contribute to the gene pool. Lauren laughs and adds, “Yeah that should be true, but that doesn’t seem to be true … stupid people seem to be everywhere and have a tendency to multiply much faster.” I cringe and think to myself … God help me … Big Ken and Little Ken … how do I compete? How do I instill a sense of love, compassion, and good will in my brilliant little genius of daughter? She’s already so critical and impatient with others at the young age of 12. Is that the price she has to pay for being so smart? Teaching Lauren the wisdom of compassion, I think, will be by far the biggest challenge of my parenting skills to tackle.

Anyway, we seem to see that a lot up here … people just wandering out into the road without even looking ... lost in their own 'wonderlands' perhaps?  It’s a totally different mindset up here … a lot more free form …. which I happen to like, but in some instances … like our near collision tonight: it scares the hell out of me?! It just boggles my mind … people don’t even bother to look before crossing the street … they just assume that they have the right of way up here and go without giving it a second thought … call me a skeptic, but when my life is on the line … I’m NOT going to assume that the cars will stop … I’m going to look both ways and make eye contact before I step off of the curb. I thought that was what we teach our kids, right? Look both ways before you cross the street? Maybe I'm wrong ... is that old school?

But, getting back to the movie … “Alice in Wonderland” was a wonderful movie … very entertaining … but I probably enjoyed it more than most people because I so relate to Alice. She was my very first heroine, at the tender age of 8.  I think Alice, in her return to wonderland, is an excellent heroine for young girls of today. Alice questions … reasons … rises to face her fears and challenges … is resourceful and most important of all she is imaginative … which in my opinion is a key factor to success later in life.

On a scale of 1 to 10 … 10 being the best … I’d give “Alice in Wonderland”, the movie, an 8. Tim Burton did an amazing job bringing Alice's wonderland to life and, of course, Johnny Depp was brilliant as always. 

The movie didn’t follow the classic storyline, because this movie explored a new story … a return to wonderland … or “underworld”. Still the storyline was well written, fast-paced and very entertaining. So much of the story spoke to me on a deeper level … parallels in my own life even today … silly, I know … I also loved the symbolism and underlying themes.

The animation was impressive, the costumes creative, and the characters well developed, portrayed … played.  We didn’t see the 3-D version, but I heard from friends that it was impressive. To my way of thinking, the storyline of “Alice in Wonderland” was actually better than the recycled and predictable story of the blockbuster “Avatar.” The animation in Avatar was truly remarkable … but I was disappointed in the overall story. The movie “Avatar” just didn’t live up to its potential in my humble opinion … but then again, what do I know?

Children of all ages will enjoy “Alice in wonderland” (return to wonderland) the movie.  It’s not too frightening … but 4 and under may not enjoy quite as much, then again ... it just depends on the child ... Lauren would have loved it at the age of 4.  So if you’ve been on the fence about seeing this movie ... I say:  you should go. My only caveat would be: Boys 9 and up may not enjoy the movie quite as much … doesn’t quite compare with “Transformers” or “Avatar” for action and animation.


Song: "White Rabbit", By Jefferson Airplane



Alice to her father after her dream as a child ...
"Have I gone mad?"  ... "The greatest ones usually are ..."

"Wolfman" the movie ... My review

'Wolfman'

Official Movie Site

I find myself writing this 'review' while MUCH in need of coffee! So please, bear with me.

The moon has always held a special place in my heart, especially the full moon.  So, I suppose it's no surprise that I would be drawn to this movie:  "Wolfman."   I happened to view this movie, last night in celebration of "Saint Valentine's Day", and it was awesome!  I absolutely loved this movie!  Once again, I would have to say the critics are dead wrong in their categorical dislike of this film.  Perhaps the critics missed the whole point of the movie? This movie was supposed to be a tribute to the original horror films of old, written and set in that genre. And, personally, I happen to think the producers and directors were spot on in their homage to horror films of days gone by.  "Wolfman" was a great movie not only on the surface, but deep down and in between the dark lines as well.

The scenery in the movie, the sets and costumes, all captured the quintessential air of the late 1800's time period. The off balance slightly disheveled manor home of Sir John made you immediately feel the uneasiness about the place, lending creedence to the notion that something was not quite right. The nighttime forest scenes with hints of lingering fog, splintered moonlight, and crackling tree branches had you right on the edge of your seat. The musical score was intense and riveting as well.  Now, I'm not big on gore, but I guess it would be hard to have a believable wolfman movie without some gore, no? Let's just say, I did a lot of eye-closing during the gorey scene flashes, that coupled with a lot of digging my nails into poor Ken's arm. ; )

[I did NOT take this photo! Got it off the net at ropeofsilicon.com]

I thought the characters in this film "Wolfman"were well cast and well-played; they were very believable. Love Anthony Hopkins; he's so versatile. Benicio Del Toro, as Lawrence, did an amazing job conveying a range of emotions in his character. I don't think I have ever seen  Emily Blunt (who played Gwen, Del Toro's love) before, but Blunt did a wonderful job portraying a woman of those times, with a passionate heart, a woman who wasn't going to let propriety dictate her role in the events unfolding around her.  I was surprised to see Hugo Weaving (Cop from the Matrix) as the Scotland Yard detective investigating the murders, but Weaving did a great job bringing his character to life.

I especially liked the love story between Lawrence and Gwen. That Lawrence and Gwen could be in love after only such a brief meeting, under such dire circumstances, and with just one magical kiss ... that true love could see beyond the beast ... Well, I won't say anymore or I'll ruin the end for you ... But, wow?!  I loved the end on multiple levels.  And yes, I had tears in my eyes in the end. Does that make me a hopeless romantic? No, probably just hopeless ...

Anyway, bottom line: if you like the dark movies of old, do yourself a favor and don't skip this one just because the almighty critics say so; they're dead wrong on this one!



Best Movie Trailer I've Seen ...

More The Wolfman Info

Plot Summary 


"The Wolf Man"   1941 Movie, wasn't the first but it gave us most of the legend we now accept today ...


P.S.  Race car driving before the movie was a BLAST too!  And no, I did not break anything.  I did not wipe out, nor did I run anyone off the track ... least, I don't think I did?  FUN times!  : )  Quirky way to celebrate the always dreaded Valentine's Day.

Not your average violin?!

My middle daughter, who now plays the violin, heard about this unique spin on an electric violin from a visiting artist at her school.  She wanted me to share it with you all ... so without further adieu here it is.  First video is the violin itself and goofing around.  Second is the guy who made the electric baseball bat violin  playing our National Anthem.  Pretty cool!




posted by, Electric Violin Shop, Sept. 3, 2009






posted by GDonnellan, July 1, 2009


This rendition of our National Anthem ROCKS!  Awesome!  Right up there with Hendrix (see my playlist under 'Some of My Tunes').



P.S. I finally saw the movie 'The Invention of Lying' (on DVD).  It was not at all what I expected;  I absolutely LOVED it! ... Best movie I've seen all year :  ).  No seriously, best movie I've seen in ages!  If you haven't seen this movie and you're in need of a 'pick-me  up/feel good' ... warm's your heart (... lots of great laughs too) kind of a movie:  then you need to see this;  It won't disappoint.

Music Tribute to John Hughes

Playlist.com has created a tribute to writer,director, and producer, John Hughes.

Check this playlist out. It has some phenomenal songs! Brings back memories ...


Playlist: Save Ferris and All Hail Long Duck Dong

"John Hughes wrote, produced, and directed some of the most iconic films in American history. From Sixteen Candles to Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club to Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Hughes' films helped define an entire decade. And at the heart of his filmography were some of the most memorable soundtracks in movie history.

We celebrate the life and work of John Hughes with this collection of songs from his legendary films."

Great movies, great music. John Hughes will be missed ... May God bless and comfort his loved ones left behind.

Q: Why do we wait until someone is gone before recognizing their contributions to our lives?

Anyway, funny how music speaks to us. Each person moved by the same song in a different way, as she relates the muse to her own life experiences . . .

I am thankful for the gift of movies and music, but music in particular. Music let's me feel and live life much deeper than I otherwise probably would. Sometimes music helps me find the words that I can't quite find on my own -- my husband too. He doesn't talk to me, often, directly, but he will sing to me. Music let's me cry and experience emotion too ... cleansing me so that I can, renewed, embrace my life once again.

Movies are great too! They can be renewing as well. I watched "50 First Dates", with Adam Sandler and Drew Barymore last night. I laughed and cried, and then laughed and cried at the same time. It was good to escape for awhile.

"Watchmen" The Movie

Life is better today! Finally saw "Watchmen" on DVD last night. Ken had read the graphic novel -- reads all of these. We were too busy to see the movie in the theaters, however, so we've anxiously been awaiting its release on DVD.

If you liked the movie, you should try reading the graphic novel. Ken really enjoyed it, but I have to warn you: it's a long novel! Ken likes the internal conflict of a "hero" having to struggle with his dark side. In truth, I think that having a dark side is just part of human nature. We all have one. Some of us are just better at keeping our dark side at bay than others. But, I digress ...

Ken gave "Watchmen" a 6, on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being highest marks). He said that the end differed slightly from the novel. It was a bit out there for my tastes; I'd give it a 4. But, I thought that the soundtrack rocked: Lots of 70's music!

Here is the soundtrack thanks to the efforts of another blogger:

http://www.musicistheheartofoursoul.com

(Her site supposedly has a link to download the soundtrack?)

Track Listing:01 - My Chemical Romance - Desolation Row 03:0102 - Nat King Cole - Unforgettable 03:2803 - Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin’ 03:1404 - Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound Of Silence 03:0705 - Janis Joplin - Me And Bobby McGee 04:3206 - K.C. & The Sunshine Band - I’m Your Boogie Man 04:0407 - Billie Holiday - You’re My Thrill 03:2508 - The Philip Glass Ensemble - Pruit Igoe & 08:38Prophecies09 - Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah 04:3810 - Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower 04:0211 - Budapest Symphony Orchestra - Ride Of The 05:22Valkyries12 - Nina Simone - Pirate Jenny 06:39

The Jimi Hendrix song is awesome! Check it out on my tunes link or go to http://www.playlist.com/

and type: 'Jimi Hendrix, All Along The Watchtower', in the search pane.

I'll try posting a direct link here to the song here?

Song: Allalongthewatchtower.mp3, By Jimi Hendrix

[To hear songs posted in my blog, click on the streampad bar at the bottom of this window.]

("Experience Music Project" (EMP), in Seattle, Washington, has an awesome Jimi Hendrix exhibit. Did you know that he was left handed? He learned to play a right-handed guitar upside down, in order to hold it left handed. Is that talent or what?! If you're in that part of the country be sure to check out the EMP. My kids had a blast there (me too)! Here's the link for the EMP: http://www.empsfm.org/)

Quote: "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace." ~Jimi Hendrix

Later ...

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Rocks!

Official Movie Site: http://www.transformersmovie.com/

I took the kids, and a groups of friends, to see the new Transformers movie, 'Revenge of the Fallen', the day after it opened. The kids all loved it! And it was pretty good -- from a grown-up's perspective. It was a bit lacking in plot, but the amazing action sequences more than made up for the weak plot. The things that these animators can do with CG nowadays is truly amazing. It was entertaining, to say the least. I like the attempts at humor (i.e., little RC truck destruction and the former sector 7 lead agent) too.

Here's what the critics say -- overall, not impressed, but what do they know. The box office says otherwise.

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.ap.org/transformers39-worstreviewed-400-million-hit-ap

I liked the end too, when the Navy ship shoots an electromagnetic railgun projectile to wipe out the Destroyer off the top of the Big Giza pyramid. I  worked as a research assistant, for a PhD candidate, on a railgun project in college. So it was neat to see that in a movie and tell the kids: "Hey, mommy worked on that in college."


Here are some fun coloring pages for kids: http://www.coloring-book.info/coloring/coloring_page.php?id=138

Here is a site that has 20 new transformers images that were leaked in advance of the movie:

http://www.movie-moron.com/?p=633




Song: Hippie Chick.mp3, By Soho

P.S. Hey, Mark! Saw, through IEEE papers, that you went back to finish up your Ph.D.. That's awesome. Best of luck -- not that you need it! How's Byron doing? Dave? Hi to Dorene and the kids. God Bless!

Insomnia, Late Night Movies, and How Good We Have It ...

Yes, I have it: INSOMNIA. Lately it has been bad. Seems to become worse during times of amplified stress. Anyway, I absolutely could not sleep last night and I just needed to focus on something other than my life. So, I wound up watching a movie that I would not normally watch -- as the movie was pretty graphic and violent.

Anyway, the movie was on HBO -- I think -- and it was called:"Harrison's Flowers"(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0216799/). The title tells you absolutely nothing about the subject the movie. The movie was about the ethnic cleansing, in war-torn Yugoslavia from 1991-1995. The movie is from the perspective of a wife (palyed by Andie MacDowell), who goes into Yugoslavia in search of her photojournalist husband who has disappeared and is presumed dead.

Wow! It was truly an eyeopener for me. I mean, I knew that an ethnic war was going on during this time, but I had no idea the actual scope of the violence and atrocities suffered by so many innocent victims. It is just mind boggling to me that anyone can harbor such a hatred for their fellow men over such simple differences in race, ideology, religion, and over mere ownership of land?

What's more this type of "war" is going on in the world all around us daily. It's not an isolated incident! Just look at the Middle East and countries in Africa, like Darfur. ( You may find these related links interesting: http://worldnews.about.com/od/celebrities/a/clooney_darfur.htm and http://action.one.org/ActionSignup.html?gclid=CKCele7N-IkCFQGPWAod-00mVw).

These realizations really put things into perspective and makes me feel silly for worrying about things like the importance of outrageous kid birthday parties?! It truly makes me grateful that I live in a country that -- for the most part -- values and thrives on diversity. A country where I have choices to believe as I choose, w.r.t. religion and politics, without fear or subject to violent reprisals.

It also makes me glad that I have a strong President who openly recognizes a power greater than himself, who sees a picture bigger than our isolated country and this one moment in time... A leader who is not afraid to do what it takes to safeguard the freedoms that so many Americans take for granted.

... A leader who is not afraid to do what it takes to protect our country from terrorist threats and attacks, who is willing to do what it takes to finish what we started in Iraq, in order promote democracy in an unstable region in the Middle East -- which is critical to maintaining the upper hand against the terrorists.

... A leader who realizes that, as a nation, "we have been given much" and so "in return, much is expected."

...A leader who realizes the need for our great nation to get involved, from time to time, in other parts of the world, in order to protect those who cannot protect themselves (i.e., the people of Darfur region, in Africa).

May God continue to bless and guide our President and his advisers.

May God bless the members of our Congress and help them to work together, with each other and President Bush, for the greater good of our nation and the world at large.

May God bless, protect, provide for and heal all who live in fear as a result of persecution, illness, or poverty. May God protect innocent children everywhere.

May God bless the brave men and women of our armed forces that are currently serving in the middle east. May God bring these soldiers home safely to be reunited with their loved ones. May God bless and provide for the needs of the loved ones of these soldiers in their absence.

Amen and goodnight.

I Saw the Movie & More Holiday Traditions

Okay. I saw the movie "The DaVinci Code" this weekend. It was okay, but I think that the book is better. Somehow Tom Hanks is not quite how I pictured Langdon. But it was mildly entertaining and an excuse to sit down and relax for awhile.

It's still pretty popular I guess because it took us 2 rainchecks and 3 trips to the video store before a copy was available to rent -- and they had about 30 or so available for rent.

Oh well, check that one off my list!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a surprise arrive here on Thanksgiving evening. My sister finally had her baby. A healthy, bouncing, baby boy. What a day to make your entrance into the world: on a day of reflection and thanksgiving. Awesome! Welcome to the world little one.

Well we got our tree up, lights on and decorated. Our stairway banister and fireplace are done too. All this by Dec. 1st! Most amazing! We had our outside lights and decorations up the weekend after Thanksgiving. This is a first all the way around for us! We are usually scrambling the week or two before Christmas. I guess that our kids are getting older and life is getting smoother and a bit easier. Praise God!

I've really enjoyed hearing everyone's inputs on "Holiday Traditions." There have been some really clever and neat ideas. Thanks so much for sharing!

This past weekend I received an email from my godmother telling me about her wonderful family traditions. They have a big family dinner, a weekend or two before Christmas, and everyone brings a dish. Then the kids put on a short play or skit. Sounds like so much fun! I remember doing that as a kid myself.

Her story inspired my oldest daughter and I to write a play for our extended family of kids to put on for the parents and grandparents. The kids are so excited! Thanks for the idea Nancy. Now that the kids are all a bit older I think that it will be a blast.

Our play is a bit of a comedy or sorts, but serious too. It will be titled "A Christmas Story: 2 Dudes and a Wise Woman." We've written the first draft and it looks like it will be fun and funny! Can't wait! Let me know if you would like a copy of the script to do with your family or if you want a DVD of the final "production." Just leave me your name and email or send me an email.

Happy Holidays everyone!