If you haven't already seen Star Wars, The Revenge of the Sith, Don't waste your money. If you must see it, wait until it comes out on TV and you can watch it for free on the Saturday morning cartoons.
My advice: take the money you would spend on the ticket and donate it to your favorite charity. By now you can learn how Anakin morphed into Darth Vader by just asking.
This film has no heart. It is all effects and no story. It could have been done so much better. The acting was wooden. It is more like one of the hot computer games that all the young men play these days. How it has gotten any good reviews puzzles me. Frankly, I was so bored, I found myself continually looking at my watch.
Such a shame to end this saga so badly.
We saw two movies last weekend. One on Saturday and one on Sunday. Here is my review:
Kingdom of Heaven gets two big Thumbs Up from Mom.
The reviewers are all over the place with one. I wasn't expecting to like this film. and went along reluctantly. The trailers I'd seen seemed to concentrate on the blood and gore, and though interested in the historical period, I was afraid that the violence would be too much for me.
It was violent, of course. The film was about the Crusades! But the story was really about the ideal, but flawed, true Knight. Orlando Bloom did a good job. You can come out of this movie and have something to talk about. Roger Ebert liked this movie and so did I. I'd like to know what you thought.
PETE WAS RIGHT! I'm glad I went.
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The next day, it was my turn to choose. When I chose MONSTER-IN-LAW Pete said something like "Ah, do we have to?" I reminded him that he had chosen the last one. He reluctanly went along, as marriage is a series of compromises.
Monster-in- Law is fun and funny. I don't care what the reviewers say. Everyone in the movie was laughing heartedly, even the guys.
Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda are good together. Jane Fonda isn't afraid to show that she is getting older and did not work at covering up her aging skin. I think you will enjoy watching this one if you let yourself. After the movie, Pete told me he did like it after all, but then I knew that because he was laughing as hard as me.
No politically based Fonda bashing comments please.
Out of the darkness, comes light.
In truth, the light was always there.
Somehow this made me feel better.
Pete and I have a running argument about politics. It is about the reasons for the failure of the Democrats to make their case against this awful administration. I say the points are being made, but there is little media coverage to inform the people.
Most people here do not get their news from Face the Nation, Meet the Press or PBS radio and television. Most Americans do not read the editorial pages of newspapers or do in-depth research anywhere. Most people get their news from for-profit media, at 30 second blips. I didn't hear about the testimony of George Galloway anywhere here. Did you?
Check out Dieter's Post, My New Hero, George Galloway.
Where was the coverage in our country? Take the time to listen to the testimony of George Galloway in front of the Senate. Check out Dieter's Post and take the time to play and listen to the video. You can find the text of Galloway's testimony here:
The big lies are being made every day in this country and the majority is buying it. The powers that be don’t like this man at all. British press is attacking him as well. Jeremy Paxton is a shock jock in Great Britain ... essentially calling him a racist for winning an election against an incumbent who supported PM Blair move into the Iraq war along with the US.
Once again, I can thank Dieter for informing me. It was my lucky day when I tried to learn something about Movable Type and happened upon his blog.
The liars that are in charge will attack anyone who is trying to stand firm against the Bush and Company's New World Order. I am so afraid about what is happening in the US. I am so afraid that our democracy will not survive. This administration is dangerous and even those I voted for are failing us.
I don't think we can wait for the next presidental election. This grandmother is very afraid.
Can someone please tell me why the compromise in the Senate is a good thing?
I don't get it. :-/
"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
-Lord Acton
If you value your freedom, act now to prevent the complete take over of all parts of our government by Mr. Bush and Company. There is no guarantee that our democracy will survive if we do not maintain an independent court.
The courts were not intended to reflect the changeable will of the people. The Constitution guarantees a separation of powers. That is why an independent court was established.
Please contact your representatives and urge them to protect the Constitution of The United States of America! That is what each one of them pledged to do when they took office. Keeping an independent judiciary is essential.
We may never have another chance.
Don't let this chance slip away.
Very Cool.
I love this.
I think you both must have been involved.
Thanks guys.
What a neat way to end a day. :-)
I think he did it.
I don't even know when it happened,
but I think he did it.
I like it better!
GOOD
SON VISITS MOM:
Matt and Yvette were here last weekend.
They really lifted my spirits.
Lots of positive energy in the house. I miss them.
A LITTLE CHANGE:
Matt is going to make a change to my website.
Nothing big. Each entry will stand alone again.
A GIFT FROM AFAR:
There are kind, talented and generous people who will befriend a stranger. A package that I feared was lost finally arrived from Germany. Can't wait to get it framed and on the wall.
Check out Dieter's Orange Chaos Poster.
FIGHTING THE RADICAL RIGHT:
MoveOnPac has come out with a great new ad to stop the Judicial Power Grab.
Watch Save the Republic.
BAD:
IS IT ALL OVER BUT THE SHOUTING?
Most people in the US don't seem to care that we are handing complete power to the Radical Right. Maybe it is all over already. Bush and Company now seem to own America. And, we citizens have simply become the organic consuming machines which feeds their greed.
WIND AND FIRE
An Oil fire is burning in Whittier.
Our LA Air is bound to be affected.
SCARY:
Tomorrow I have an appointment to see my orthopedic doctor. My knee and ankle have been giving me fits. Today, I brought some new X-rays of my knees and ankles to his office for review.
While in the building, I stopped in at my allergist and asked her to take a look a what I think is an insect or spider bite that I got last week. It does not seem to be healing and is itching unmercifully.
She game me some cortisone cream to try to control the itching. But, she told me to watch it carefully and to make sure it doesn’t grow any bigger, as it may be something much worse than a spider bite. Apparently a dreaded new infection is spreading in the area. EEK!
I knew it!
For years I have had a color theory about sports.
It now looks like I have been right all along.
The New York Times agrees.
Look here for “The Color For Victory Is Red, Scientists Say”
Much to the chagrin of my family, I would take a quick look at any game they were watching and say something to the effect of; “That team is going to win. They have the best colors!” Or, “Those boys have nicest faces. I think their team is going to win.”
More often than not, I was right.
My predictions are correct lots more times than they are wrong. Matt noticed this fact a long time ago. There were times when he would tell me not to even look at the television in which someone was watching a crucial game. He didn’t want me to jinks the outcome. I tried to comply.
I’m not much interested in watching sports on TV. In fact, I don’t even like to hear the sound of the game in the background. And, it has been a long time since I cared anything about who wins, with few exceptions.
I always want the LA Lakers to win. One, because they are our LA team, and two because Matt is one of their biggest fans. I always want UCLA always to beat our cross town rivals, USC. But, I always envied the fact that the Trojans got the best color.
Now, I know that neither UCLA teams nor The Lakers’ have Red as a team color. When they are winning, it is despite the fact that they are saddled with blue and purple uniforms.
The following statements are also true:
1. Fans of Red teams are the most loyal.
2. Bright colors beat dull colors. And, green is next.
3. The Democrats would do better if we adopted red as our team color.
We are in some kind of structure. Maybe a cave.
Three women.
Me, and two ladies I worked with on the Kerry campaign.
We are next to a wall.
It is dusty and covered with debris.
The wall has many crevices and niches containing what looks to be statuary.
Everything is hard to discern in the darkness.
There is a tremenous amount of dirt covering everything.
We are uncomfortable. We fight against the overwhelming desire to flee. We stay. We are all intensely interested in what lies behind and beneath the clutter.
We start to brush some of the dirt and debris aside with our hands, all the while, forcing away our discomfort and desire to get out into the open air.
Our work disturbs something.
A change is occuring.
Part of the wall begins to collapse.
There is an opening.
I struggle to understand what I am seeing, but am hampered by my failing vision and the lack of light. The secret is revealed. It is important. I understand.
We come to know that one or more of us are required to become the caretakers of this sacred place. It is decided that the two other women will jointly shoulder this responsibility. I will be the one to leave.
I look closer at the highly guarded secret in an effort to memorize the details. The phone rings. I answer, and am pulled away from the intriging mystery.
What was the secret I helped to uncover?
What was revealed to me?
Is there any meaning to this dream?
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Today is Mother's Day.
Wierd.
We were newlyweds when the Star Trek Television series first came on the air. Every week we met with another couple to watch it together, trading off on who cooked dinner.
Later, when we had our families, we would all meet downtown to see the Star Wars movies. We would usually go on the first or second weekend of the release, and stand in long lines to get in. Sometimes we would wait for hours. But we were young and it was fun sitting on the sidewalk and waiting, eating the snacks we had packed at home.
I don't remember anyone dressing like 'Trekies' or Star War Charactors at the time. Most of us were pretty ordinary, just Science Fiction enthusiasts.
At that time we were pretty optimistic about the future. There was feel that we were on the brink of a wonderful new world, with all the problems of war, poverty and bigotry left behind. That we would overcome all our problems. Simpler times.
It could be that my hindsight is simply affected by the rosy colored glasses I wear when looking backward.
Things just feel scarier and darker now. Less hopeful….
That is why it is so good consider that what we think is reality, is truly only an illusion.