March Madness is right! What a year for Cinderella stories. If you would have told me Duke was not going to be in the final four, I would have laughed at you.
First, I was so proud of BYU making it to the Sweet Sixteen. Even though they did not go on, I had fun watching them this season. I will miss watching Jimmer and Emery, but I’m glad that Hartsock will be back next year. I had a friend ask what would be my dream matchup with BYU and I said, to play against Butler and Duke and this year there was that possibility to see that happen but we lost to the stupid Gators.
Second, I have been a Duke fan for about 20 years, always cheering for them during the NCAA Championships. To have them lose the same day as BYU made for a very sad day at my house. Between the stress of the games and to be consoled afterwards I almost went through an entire bag of Cheetos.
Luckily Butler is still in otherwise I would have stopped caring what was going on in the tournament.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Jane Russell (1921-2011)
It’s always sad to report that another Hollywood legend has passed away. Yesterday we lost Jane Russell to a respiratory-related illness. Russell, known for her roles in Gentleman Prefer Blondes and The Outlaw, brought to the screen a presence of strong beauty. One who could play against men like Robert Mitchum and hold her own. Too bad Howard Hughes controlled her early film contract and limited her opportunities to become a bigger star than she was.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Let There Be Music!
Back in June my car stereo system decided to start acting up without my permission. It would decide when it wanted to work and when it wanted to take a break. By November my CD player completely gave up on me and retired. For someone who is in their car a lot, I grew dependent on listening to books on my commute to work. The problem was I just did not want to dish out hundreds of dollars to get it fix. But luckily I have connections. AJ’s brother was so kind to do all the research on what new system I needed to purchase and install it for me for free (though I had to give him a small thank you, I would have felt guilty otherwise). All this week I have had a smile on face as I once again started listening to a book my car (It really does make the commute go faster). So thank you AJ and her brother for helping me out because I am one really happy camper!
Oh, plus AJ gave me some other great news this week, Airborne Toxic Event is coming to town!
Oh, plus AJ gave me some other great news this week, Airborne Toxic Event is coming to town!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Primary
I have been called to teach Primary. I will admit it is not my first choice in the calling category, but it is defiantly not the worst on my list. I will be teaching the 9 year olds. As I have mentioned before I have only substituted in Primary on occasion so this is new territory for me. I will have to get a Primary Songbook because (I’m dating myself here) the “new” songbook came out the last year I was in Primary so the majority of the songs are new to me.
Today I got a quick crash course in teaching. I was in Sunday School when the Primary secretary came in and got me and asked me to substitute in Primary today for the 8 year old class since the teacher went home with a sick child. So I was handed the manual, pointed to the classroom, and had 40 minutes of class time to fill. Luckily the lesson was on Jesus’ baptism so I could wing it. I think today was to show me gratitude for the class I will be teaching in two weeks and be glad I will not be teaching this class of very rambunctious boys.
Today I got a quick crash course in teaching. I was in Sunday School when the Primary secretary came in and got me and asked me to substitute in Primary today for the 8 year old class since the teacher went home with a sick child. So I was handed the manual, pointed to the classroom, and had 40 minutes of class time to fill. Luckily the lesson was on Jesus’ baptism so I could wing it. I think today was to show me gratitude for the class I will be teaching in two weeks and be glad I will not be teaching this class of very rambunctious boys.
Monday, January 31, 2011
John Barry
Today we lost one of the great film composers, John Barry to a heart attack; he was 77 years old. The five-time Oscar winner worked on eleven Bond scores, Born Free, Out of Africa, and Dances with Wolves.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sundance 2011 Be Here.
Oh, I was there and I was glad that I went. One of the reasons you go to Sundance is to expose yourself to films that you might never would have seen otherwise. Below are the two films I saw this year.
Family Portrait in Black and White
In a Ukrainian village, big-hearted, formidable Olga Nenya single-handedly raises 23 foster children. Sixteen are the biracial offspring of visiting African students and Ukrainian women, who, living in a country of blue-eyed blondes that’s racked with endemic racism, often see no choice but to abandon their babies. And that’s where Olga comes in.
Family Portrait in Black and White charts the rhythms of Olga’s hectic household, rife with rambunctious kids and goats. As diverse dramas unfold among the brood—a high-schooler struggling to transcend his plight through education, a boy longing to reunite with his Ugandan father, and a child courted for Italian adoption—Olga reveals herself to be loving and protective, but also narrow-minded and controlling. A product of communist ideology, she favors collective duty over individual freedom. It’s this philosophy that gives the orphans the rich sense of belonging they ache for, as well as cause for rebellion and distrust, in this lyrical, sometimes gut-wrenching tale about the meaning of “Mama,” “family,” and “nation.”
This film made me very grateful to be born and raised in America to a loving family and to have such luxuries like indoor plumbing. It broke my heart that Olga would not let her children be adopted to the loving host families that wanted them or let her children pursue their college education even though the government would pay for it. You wanted to reach out and help these children. The thought then brings me back to what am I doing to help those in my community? I can help here even though I might not be able to help there.
These Amazing Shadows
From Dorothy’s entrance into Oz to the pizza delivery at Ridgemont High, cinematic moments take on iconic levels of meaning in a film lover’s life. As the government-appointed protector of our cinematic legacy, the National Film Registry selects culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant works for preservation in the Library of Congress.
Guided by a true cinephile’s love of the medium and a treasure trove of archival footage, These Amazing Shadows molds a cultural history from pieces of film, offering a microcosm of the work of the National Film Registry and making a powerful case for film preservation.
I am so glad that AJ found this film at the last minute for us to watch. If I had my dream job, I would become a film historian so I really enjoyed this film. I knew the majority of the films they talked about (minus the unknown documentaries and some of the silent films) and it was interesting to hear why they chose these films to be preserved. I could talk about this film for hours because it is a subject that I am passionate about. One thing I do want to share is that did you know that anyone can submit a nomination for a film to be preserved? I’ve been contemplating which film not already preserved should be on that list. Which one would you preserve?
Family Portrait in Black and White
In a Ukrainian village, big-hearted, formidable Olga Nenya single-handedly raises 23 foster children. Sixteen are the biracial offspring of visiting African students and Ukrainian women, who, living in a country of blue-eyed blondes that’s racked with endemic racism, often see no choice but to abandon their babies. And that’s where Olga comes in.
Family Portrait in Black and White charts the rhythms of Olga’s hectic household, rife with rambunctious kids and goats. As diverse dramas unfold among the brood—a high-schooler struggling to transcend his plight through education, a boy longing to reunite with his Ugandan father, and a child courted for Italian adoption—Olga reveals herself to be loving and protective, but also narrow-minded and controlling. A product of communist ideology, she favors collective duty over individual freedom. It’s this philosophy that gives the orphans the rich sense of belonging they ache for, as well as cause for rebellion and distrust, in this lyrical, sometimes gut-wrenching tale about the meaning of “Mama,” “family,” and “nation.”
This film made me very grateful to be born and raised in America to a loving family and to have such luxuries like indoor plumbing. It broke my heart that Olga would not let her children be adopted to the loving host families that wanted them or let her children pursue their college education even though the government would pay for it. You wanted to reach out and help these children. The thought then brings me back to what am I doing to help those in my community? I can help here even though I might not be able to help there.
These Amazing Shadows
From Dorothy’s entrance into Oz to the pizza delivery at Ridgemont High, cinematic moments take on iconic levels of meaning in a film lover’s life. As the government-appointed protector of our cinematic legacy, the National Film Registry selects culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant works for preservation in the Library of Congress.
Guided by a true cinephile’s love of the medium and a treasure trove of archival footage, These Amazing Shadows molds a cultural history from pieces of film, offering a microcosm of the work of the National Film Registry and making a powerful case for film preservation.
I am so glad that AJ found this film at the last minute for us to watch. If I had my dream job, I would become a film historian so I really enjoyed this film. I knew the majority of the films they talked about (minus the unknown documentaries and some of the silent films) and it was interesting to hear why they chose these films to be preserved. I could talk about this film for hours because it is a subject that I am passionate about. One thing I do want to share is that did you know that anyone can submit a nomination for a film to be preserved? I’ve been contemplating which film not already preserved should be on that list. Which one would you preserve?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Ice Ice Baby
I’ve been in the mood for hockey for awhile so when I saw that the Stockton, CA Thunder was taking on the Utah Grizzles that sealed the deal. So this past weekend, AJ, AMM, JR and I went. I’ve been to two other hockey games but it has been years so I still don’t get all the rules. But one thing I knew for sure, it was going to be a good game when a fight broke out in the first 2 seconds of the game and about half the team on both sides end up in the penalty box. Just an FYI, the refs do not break up the fight until the players fall down on the ice and no one wants to look a wimp and fall down first so they can go on for awhile.
Our seats ended up being right behind the Stockton Thunders team and all that separated us was a piece of plexiglass. You missed part of the game with the coaches walking back and forth but it was very entertaining to see the players up close. We got to see the skates being sharpened, a hanging tooth pulled out, the same sweating/snot filled towel passed around from player to player (that grossed me out more than the blood), and we are still trying to figure out why there was double bubble gum evenly spaced out along the back ledge. One thing to note, the equipment manger did an excellent job, and yeah, he wasn’t too bad to look as well. Then again, he actually had all of his teeth unlike the players.
In the end Stockton won and I was glad because I felt they were my home team after watching them so intently.
Our seats ended up being right behind the Stockton Thunders team and all that separated us was a piece of plexiglass. You missed part of the game with the coaches walking back and forth but it was very entertaining to see the players up close. We got to see the skates being sharpened, a hanging tooth pulled out, the same sweating/snot filled towel passed around from player to player (that grossed me out more than the blood), and we are still trying to figure out why there was double bubble gum evenly spaced out along the back ledge. One thing to note, the equipment manger did an excellent job, and yeah, he wasn’t too bad to look as well. Then again, he actually had all of his teeth unlike the players.
In the end Stockton won and I was glad because I felt they were my home team after watching them so intently.
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