Movie Reviews

There must be some movies in which the actors just do them to pay the mortgage because that is how I feel about "The Ice Harvest."
This is supposedly a dark humor movie, but when 6 people are killed and one an innocent wife for no apparent reason the concept of humor is lost.
The running joke written in various places throughout the movie-When Wichita Falls, so Falls Wichita Falls is odd not funny.
Harold Ramis missed the mark on this film!
Having just read the book-"The Ice Man:Confessions of a Mafia Hit Man." I decided to view the HBO documentary done in '91 & '99 interviewing Richard Kuklinski-The Ice Man.
There were so major issues that the book dispels that the documentary doesn't.
Richard beat his wife. He ran hot and cold having a bi-polar personality. He also suffered with serious Road Rage and often got out of his car and punched out the drivers windshield with his bare fist!
His wife and 2 daughters kept Dwayne the son away from Richard for fear Richard would harm him.
Richard did drink and gamble, having drank and gambled most of his evil fortune away and thus having to go deeper into the mob contract killing to make more money to keep up the lifestyle he had.
Also both the '91 and '99 documentaries conflict with the book on the subject of Richard freezing bodies to make it difficult to tell when the person was killed.
I the documentaries they explain two types of freezers being used, yet the book explains in detail of an old well near his garage he rented for doing some of his killings and how he put the body down the well in the winter and laid wood atop cemented it in and dropped an old tire on it and then went back a couple years later to remove the body.
Very chilling none-the-less.
I also watched Curious George and having been a young reader of those books I found myself turned back into the little girl I once was and was delighted by the movie!
You don't have to have kids to enjoy this movie because it'll bring the kid out in you! A truly fun enjoyable film!

My Friend's Leah's Blog

Some of you folks read many Blogs,
for those who do & like hearing about other places my dear friend Leah has her own Blog!
A little about her & my friendship,
we met through her older sister Tracy who was Assistant Rabbi at my synagogue.
Leah & I became friends through the trips she took from Santa Barbara to San Bernardino, CA to visit her sister Tracy.
None-the-less when Desert Storm began Leah asked me to go with her to Israel.
I would have loved to as she put it-"some one has to milk the cows while the soldiers are off to war!" Yet I was torn yet felt too tied to the US. As it worked out I joined the Navy.
I served 12 yrs until my disability retirement.
Leah & her husband Gil had come to visit me,
a couple of times, while I was stationed in Italy-
(Because of my TS-SCI clearance I wasn't allowed to go to Israel)
Leah is still there is Israel, has married a Sabra named Gil & enjoys hiking, music, folk dancing etc...
So enjoy a friends Blog!

I Am Beginning To Feel Old

I recall some one once saying that "You know you're getting old when you start losing a lot of friends."
We just lost a great buddy!
He was active is so many Veterans services and seemed to have it all together.
Come to find out he had esophogial and liver cancer that had gone undiagnosed for quite a time!
We'll miss you Ron!
I know many of us will keep Bonnie in our thoughts and prayers and you will have a warm place in our hearts.

Lost the Case

My Dear Buddy & Mentor lost his case.
It appears, the Judge said, that as a public figure-Dept. of Oregon VFW Commander-it is difficult to take action on another person with slander!
Wow!

Mid Week Movie Review

Annapolis is a dud of a movie.
That is if you actually want to see a perspective of Navy Midshipmen and their instruction.
The majority of this movie takes place in a boxing ring, where the Midshipman 4th class has a vendetta against a midshipman 1st class and he does everything he can to be able to fight him and then does.
Not my kind of movie since something about Navy tradition and honor should show team work and not how to seek vengeance because of a personality conflict!

Witness

Today I participated as Witness in the court case of my Mentor who has been wrongfully disrespected and his character blemished.
This all through a great Veterans organization.
I was witness because, as a District Commander, at the time, I had been privy to information regarding the Post my Mentor belonged to and its Commander.
The short of it is that I was sent a plethora of accusing, non-factual rhetoric that I then wrote a letter to this Commander for having sent me said information.
The information could/should be seen as slander against my Mentor and I hope I played a part as a Key Witness and all goes right with this case!
It is in the Jury's hands now!

I Can't Win For Losing!

So when I bought my new Lawn Mower, in the Spring of '05, I went ahead and paid the extra for extended warranty.
Needless to say I had a mechanical issue with my Troy-Bilt mower purchased from LOWE'S.
So I got out the warranty paper work and called them and they said to bring it into LOWE'S & if I had any questions to call the warranty people I was talking to and now LOWE'S.
OK!
The mower took some time to repair as that some parts were backordered.
I just picked it up today only to find out that I STILL had to PAY!
So what it a warranty for!!!
All I can say is sometimes I cannot win for losing! UGH!

Poor Folk & Passersby

One of my neighbors is having a yard sale this weekend.
With 3-4 kids in a rental home with more cars not running than do in the driveway; it doesn't take a physicist to know they are in need of every buck they can get their hands on!
We live in a Cul De Sac and I have been watching, a bit, from my window how many folks ramble into it to have a look see at the yard sale but don't stop.
It makes me sad, because I know these folks don't have much.

Friday Night Movie Night

I have been familiarizing myself with the full gamut of work many of the LOTR-Lord of The Rings actors have done, before and after LOTR.
Well I have just added PJ to that list! Peter Jackson has been a Director in New Zealand for some time and for some reason I hadn’t seen any of his films.
That ended last night when I saw a remarkable film. 1994 "Heavenly Creatures" which also introduces Kate Winslet for the first time on screen!
Yes! He has a bit of his famous blood & gore at the end, but it WAS Necessary!
WETA & The Great Miniatures Guru work their magic on this movie as well.
The story is interesting and I cannot think of anyone who would like it.
It is a bit odd, but is based on a 1950's true story and thus I wouldn't want to give any of it away, plus it is worth seeing!

Farewell Aunt Sharon

My family lost a loving, caring, giving member today!
Aunt Sharon was the sister God forgot to give my mother.
She and her family have been a part of our extended family for more than 43 years.
She will be missed here, as she is now with Uncle Bud, Grandma Sandy, Aunt Bea and others.
We will always Love you Aunt Sharon!

NONSENSE!

I just about screamed when I saw the front page of today's newspaper, as I was picking it up in my driveway!
It reads: "AFGHAN MISSION FEELS LIKE WAR!" - DUH!
As of October 24th 2001 the Dept. of Defense has issued, for OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM-the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
Which means all these 'citizen soldiers' are eligible for the Veterans of Foreign Wars!
The fact that NATO has been the heavy in it, like Former Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzigovina & Kosovo, the public hasn't thought heavily about it. Now that there is a crumbling mission and our 'citizen soldiers' are coming home in body bags some one finally fesses up to the fact that it's a war!
When are these damned Republicans going to open their eyes to the truth!
All I can say is "I CAN'T WAIT TILL 2008!"

Vivid Dreams of a Disabled Vet

No this isn't going to be one of those combat stories.
It is about these vivid dreams, where I can remember almost all of it afterwards, of running or riding a motorcycle.
I had one last night of deciding to buy another motorcycle although all the Doctors and specialists recommended I stay clear of any type of sport where I could easily get a bop on the head; Which would leave me as a vegetable or dead.
In this dream I remember telling a friend "Damn the doctors! I want to LIVE and Ride! So I am getting another bike." I recall that in this dream I had one in mind and yet my friend was attempting to get me to buy her old bike so she could get a new one.
This dream made me think.
How important is my quality of life and not biking and if I did chose to ride again what bike would manifest the RIGHT bike!
I realized from this dream that there is no bike out there worthy of my life and the quality I at least have now.
I love riding and miss is so, but like running, it is past tense in this girls life and I still have many lovely memories to put a smile on my face.

A Pet Peeve

We all have them and this one is spreading across the country.
My Pet peeve is the $4.8 Billion we spend to have various gov't documents written in other languages.
If we went to their country we wouldn't be given the same privilege!
The cost of having all our teachers spend 30 or more hours to be educated with English as a second language-like HUH!
We're in the US! English IS THE ONLY LANGUAGE!
If you are a NATO member or UN member or an international business or law person, you know English! So what's the problem!
Why is it that I go to my social security office it is filled with non-speaking immigrants applying for social security! IMMAGRANTS!
It took me 3.5yrs and a lawyer to appeal and win my disability from the social security and yet I see non-English speaking non-Americans receiving it at a whim!
This country is under attack and we are losing the grip of it and within a decade or so the country will be overrun
WITH NOT A SINGLE SHOT FIRED!

Fall TV Season Line-Up

I am getting ready for the TV Fall Season, although I am saddened that Commander-In-Chief didn't make the cut.
Why is it that all the intelligent shows fail!!!
The Top 3 for me are:
Beginning October 2nd: 9PM Lost on ABC
November 2nd: 9PM The O.C.
December 15th:9-11PM The Apprentice
I see all the shows as just Bubble gum for the eye-balls and not anything but entertainment.
Let's hope some of the new shows are much more than bubble-gum for the eyes!

United 93

I watched "United 93" last night and I have to say that the entire time I felt like an uncomfortable fly on the wall.
My mind kept forming an understanding that it was watching fiction then my memory reminded me that this horrid event actually happened.
I already knew the story and to see it played out is not what I believe these True American HEROES wanted.
I think the money to rent this film would be better spent going to one of the many charities.

VFW Recruiting at the State Fair

We had a Great turnout at the VFW Recruiting booth! Even with the VFW National Convention going on in Reno, NV; we recruited many new members & were able to transfer a few that just moved into the state or from on city to another.
We also have a good handful of people to return calls to to recruit.
All in all it was a nice and eventful time & we certainly thank the Oregon Dept. of Veteran Affairs for inviting us & allowing us room in their booth!

Little Fish

Here is a 2005-Academy Award Sleeper movie.
I had not heard of it and it comes from a small production/film company First Look.
An Australian film sets Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving & Sam Neil into a disfunctional family & friends with the net of drugs.
The cast is magnificent, with actors we have seen in other great films, but now they are pulling some great dramatical performances.
This film's story opens the door to many issues, but doesn't quite let you cross the threshold, making you want even more!
It shows true desperation & yet the compelling dream of comfort & ease that we all wish for.
This is a MUST SEE movie!

Movie Review

I had the chance to see two movies this week:
"V for vendetta" & the 2002 movie "Close your Eyes."
V for vendetta has some of the quick action & blood that follows suit with movies like Matrix; Funny that Hugo Weaving was in V.. as well as Matrix!
Though you never see V because he wears a Mardi Gras type artistic mask throughout the film.
Natalie Portman pulls off her character in following Joseph Campbell's Mythic Hero, by beginning the story unwillingly & yet being captured into the mix & gaining a prize by the end.
There is a heavy dialogue which makes the movie a must see repeat.
The art direction, sets & costumes create this dynamic production into an almost, but not quite, believable film.
Worth seeing in my book at least once!
Close your Eyes - 2002 film opens with a couple that recently moved to London via the US because of insomnia the husband suffered & later in the movie the reasoning adds the husband's profession of Hypnotherapist with telepathic abilities, had suffered at the hands of the media over the death of a patient.
The husband gets pulled into a hunt for a serial killer, by Scotland yard.
The story delves rather heavily on a special occult theme, but never explains itself sufficiently...only dabbling around the edges, with name dropping, to tantilize the viewer & frustrate them.
A fare film to watch, my only reason was to see more work by LOTR's Actor Miranda Otto who plays the pregnant wife of the therapist.