Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Ho hum. I don't usually knit during movies because I can't knit without looking and movies are a visual medium, but this movie bored me to the point I either had to turn it off or do something else that required sitting still.

Are Johnny Depp and Christine Baranski related? Because he looked just like her in this film, and appeared to be mimicking her character from "Cybill". It was uncanny. And creepy.

I am a big Johnny Depp fan, but I don't get Tim Burton. I was hoping the Depp factor would outweigh the Burtonesque stuff, but alas, it was not to be. None of the characters stirred a modicum of interest, and neither did the "story". Definitely a big waste of time.

A Good Dog

I seem to be reading a lot of animal-related memoirs lately (with more in the queue). A Good Dog is a sequel to A Dog Year and The Dogs of Bedlam Farm. I read A Dog Year, but not The Dogs of Bedlam Farm, which is probably just as well, because A Good Dog recaps much of the former and I presume at least part of the latter. Jon Katz is not that compelling a writer to begin with, leaving tantalizing hints about his childhood and psyche but never delivering the juicy details, so the repetition becomes, well, repetitious. Perhaps he delivers the personal goods in one of his other books, but I'm not going to read them all to find out.

That said, A Good Dog is a decent read, one that should convince you not to get a border collie unless you plan to provide the dog with a farm and some sheep, which is what Katz does. I love my pets and some would say I go overboard when it comes to their care and comfort (I recently donated four dog beds to the local SPCA; I can't for the life of me explain how I came to have four extra dog beds when I have never owned more than one dog at a time), but I draw the line at real estate. Katz might have bought a farm anyway, but Orson provided the impetus for his move to the country.

Sometimes the right animal comes along at the right time.

Reds

I know, I'm a little behind in my movie-watching.

This release of "Reds" is the 25th anniversary edition, on DVD. I missed it the first time around, although I vaguely recall it received some negative press (and yet won two Oscars out of 12 nominations). And I vaguely recall some of my Socialist friends commenting on it, probably because they did not appreciate Reed's disillusionment with the Revolution. So I was prepared to be somewhat disappointed.

But I liked the movie! A lot! I liked Warren Beatty as John Reed and Diane Keaton as Louise Bryant. I loved the wrinkles of the "witnesses" and I liked their commentary and I liked the juxtaposition of their commentary with the story. The story itself is engrossing and well-paced. Despite the length, I never grew restless.

There were quite a few "name" actors - Jack Nicholson as Eugene O'Neill, Maureen Stapleton as Emma Goldman, Gene Hackman, Edward Herrmann, Paul Sorvino, Max Wright, George Plimpton, etc. - and they looked so young! But check out some of the hairpieces.

I have to admit I am impressed with what Beatty wrought. So, what has he been up to lately?

Mrs. Henderson Presents... Bare Naked Ladies

"Mrs. Henderson Presents" is a pleasant movie, with lots of breasts and asses, but little "foliage". The characters and their stories were not all that compelling, but no worse than most movies. The acting is superb and the dialog intelligent, so one definitely could do worse.

One Good Horse

I almost did not read One Good Horse, by Tom Groneberg. I read The Secret Life of Cowboys, which I enjoyed, but I found Groneberg's writing voice to be kinda whiny. And his writing voice is still kinda whiny. But he pulled me into the story anyway, especially after the twins were born, one with Down Syndrome. A horse came into Groneberg's life at this point, and not just any horse, but the horse he needed. The same thing happened to Susan Richards in Chosen by a Horse. And I'm sure similar things happen to the rest of us - the universe supplies us with the lessons we need to learn - if we are open to the opportunities.

I just hope Groneberg realizes his wife is a saint.

Charity Extortion

My daughter and I saw "Mama Mia" last night (which, BTW, was fun; I discovered I am not as familiar with ABBA's music as I thought, but the man next to me was - he kept singing along almost under his breath) but it turns out I paid $60 a seat to be hit up for a donation. At the end of the show, the actors pitched their AIDS charity from the stage, then collected money in the lobby as we exited.

A similar incident occurred at work, during Breast Cancer Awareness Week. For a $5 donation, an individual could wear denim to work the following Monday. If you wore denim, you were also to wear a pink ribbon, I guess so the Charity Police could identify those who cheated and wore denim without making the designated donation.

Now, I believe that those of us with more should share with those less fortunate, and I support several (of what I deem) worthy causes, but this latest fad of what I call charity extortion is putting me off. Instead of feeling generous, I feel manipulated. Instead of feeling good, I feel obligated. Instead of feeling special, I feel trendy. I still give money, but I'm not comfortable about it.

And there seems to be a social stigma if one is not particularly interested in the current Hot Charity. AIDS and breast cancer are popular right now, and yes, it is important to develop treatments and cures. However, I would rather fund research in the prevention of AIDS and the prevention of breast cancer. Prevention usually involves personal responsibility, though, which is not hot.

Once again, I am out of step with the rest of society.

P.S. Here are some of the organizations I send money:

• Heifer International
  
• FINCA
  
• Acres Land Trust
  
• Manchester College
  
• Friends Service Committee
  
• Fort Wayne Women's Bureau
  
• Friends of Metea
  
• Fox Island Alliance
  
• Little River Wetlands Project
  

P.P.S. More info:
Think Before You Pink
AIDS Task Force

Rapture

IMHO, the Rapture has already occurred. Those taken to their heavenly reward were all Third World people of color; consequently, the rest of the world did not notice. We've been left behind.

Smug about Physical Therapy

I'm a great believer in physical therapy (PT) because it worked for me.

Several years ago, scoliosis and a sedentary job caught up with me. Standing at the stove long enough to scramble an egg was excruciating. Sitting all day at work became a contest to find a position that was least uncomfortable. I was still able to follow my Personal Pace Toro around the yard, but just barely. I either had to do something about my back or give up my yard and move into a condo.

Previous doctor visits for my back had yielded nothing more than prescription-strength Motrin and sometimes a muscle relaxer, neither very helpful in the long run. But after an exam, my current physician surprised me by asking, "Well, what do you want to do?" He ordered x-rays and wrote me a script for PT.

The secret to PT is S&S: Stretch and Strengthen. The first week, my PTist started me on the stretching, which ironically made my back feel worse. I had to clenched my butt muscles when I walked to keep my sacroiliac together. When I reported this phenomenon to Mark, he said, "Good! The stretches are working. Now we'll strengthen."

The S&S exercises were not difficult, were performed mostly on the floor, and being yoga-like, generated a sense of well-being. After four weeks of semi-weekly treatments, I was on my own, trusted to continue the regimen, initially twice daily, then once daily, and eventually as needed.

I received PT in October. In November I was able to turn my compost pile, albeit very carefully. By Christmas I could shovel snow. And in January I took up cross-country skiing.

PT saved my life style, if not my life. When I contemplate where I would be without it, I cringe. I still perform the exercises several times a week, and probably will for as long as I am able.

Brick

My daughter and I watched "Brick" yesterday. What can I say? I was able to follow the storyline, but the dialog was full of unfamiliar terminology (which, disconcertingly, was not unfamiliar to my daugher). I liked the style and the acting was good, but I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone I know.

Bible Study

Did you ever play "Telephone" when you were a kid? You sit in a circle and one person whispers a message to the next, then at the end you compare the original message to the final message. Usually they are completely unrelated. The Bible was written in the same way, one generation whispering to the next the word of God. The result is contradictory and subject to wide interpretation. Treat the Bible like a work of fiction. It will save you.

Elizabeth I (disk 1)

My SO and I watched the first disk of "Elizabeth I" the other night (not to be confused with "The Queen" although both star Helen Mirren). Scene one consisted of the queen undergoing a gynocological exam to determine whether she was too old to conceive an heir to the throne. (I did not know they had speculums in the 1500's. Apparently, they were invented by the Romans around 300 BC.) The costumes were sumptuous and the acting exquisite, plus I liked that they let Helen and Jeremy look their ages, but the storyline was rather soap opera-ish. In fact, during the Jeremy Irons death bed scene, I wondered how the actors kept straight faces. It was also very gory - I turned away and watched SO's face to gauge when I could look again. The previews for disk 2 were not compelling - it looks like the aging queen takes up with the Duke of Leicester's stepson who doesn't look old enough to shave.

(Most of my knowledge of history comes from movies, but now we have the Internet. See Elizabeth I.)

Welcome

Here is where I keep my thoughts, but not to myself. There will be reviews of books, movies, restaurants, politics, religion, and whatever else brushes up against me.