Considering the mass of people out and about during the day, I can’t help but wonder if this is what the commute it like …

*Picture Copyrighted © 2009 Joshua D. Brueggemann.  Used with permission. 

Spring’s on the way – a little less than a month my friends!  Less than a month!!

As the final days of winter trudge on, we might as well do something useful – like dream of warmer days ahead.  Days filled with hikes, and picnics, and BBQs, and an endless supply of pink wine. 

Now, if that last bit made you GASP! – aloud – you may want to take a look at my guest post over at The Complete Woman blog.  There I will extol the virtues of this underappreciated wine. 

Go ahead – read on.  I’m tellin’ ya, I know what I’m talking about!     

Love and money … you have mixed them both.

Rating: R

Genre: Drama

The Lowdown:  Don’t miss this one

The gist:  Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), an 18 year-old from the slums of Mumbai, is one question away from winning India’s “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?”  But what can a slumdog possibly know?  Arrested for cheating, Jamal must prove his innocence.  He does so by telling the story of his life in the slums, the escapades of his brother (Madhur Mittal), their adventures at home and on the run, and his never-ending love of Latika (Prem Kumar).  Each experience – each snapshot of his life – holds an answer to the questions.  And the reason the show is so important.

My take:  Slumdog Millionaire is loud, vivid, and edgy.  Danny Boyle (director) and Loveleen Tandan (co-director, India) not only tell us a story, they skillfully transport us to the moment.  They direct the sounds, the pace – practically the smells – in such a way that viewers are offered a rare opportunity to experience it all, without leaving the theatre.  Simon Beaufoy (screenplay; adopted from novel by Vikas Swarup) masterfully weaves the intricacies of life in a way that entertains.  And the actors are superb.  All of them.  From the main, adult actors – to the child actors (including Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail as youngest Salim; Ayush Mahesh Khedekar as youngest Jamal; and Rubiana Ali as youngest Latika).  It is one of those rare films where all involved deserve recognition.  No film is perfect; no doubt this one is no different.  However, it possesses such a hold, it’s difficult to notice what might be wrong.  All you can see is the life.  The story.  It’s a story of love and of destiny – a story of humanity.  And it should not be missed.   

An aside:  In case you’ve been in a hole for the last couple days, Slumdog Millionaire won 8 Oscars – including Best Motion Picture of the Year.

Watched the Academy Awards.  Yeah, okay, I didn’t really.  I use to be a faithful viewer, but it got to where it stressed me completely out!  Especially when a group is awarded the little guy.  Never fails …. one always grabs for the mic first and rambles on and on … the other fellows are back there with their notes … before anyone else has a chance the music comes on … while another might grab the mic as he’s being ushered out and yell, “Thanks mom,”  it’s just not the same. And what do you want to bet?  9 times out of 10 the spotlight hog probably did the least amount of work.  Not that we would ever be bitter mind you. 

See.  It’s more than I can bare. 

So now I content myself with looking up the red carpet pics.  And I’ve to say Kate Winslet is a winner all the way around.  Did you see that dress?!  Now THAT is the Hollywood glamour we know and love … sigh.   

My baby brother turns 30 today.  That’s right, baby brother.  According to our much-younger selves, we are now officially old.   

So without further ado …

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Josh!  Here’s to you – and all you might accomplish in the next ten!

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-- Robert Frost

I had a minor breakdown yesterday.  My USB cable is not working, so I cannot upload new pics.  My scanner is also on the fritz.  My dad called to say he was reviewing the formulas and has a few issues.  Received two lovely pieces of paraphernalia in the mail:  1) a letter informing me that my unemployment eligibility review was not enough – now I need to schedule an in-person interview.  Do not EVEN get me started; and 2) a DELL statement with an extra $277.95 of miscellaneous charges (including a late fee –which, WHATEVER!  There is no way it could have been late!) tacked on.  After ranting and raving for a good few hours, I decided that being ugly would do no good … so I thought popping in a DVD would help matters.  And another bites the dust.  That’s right. My DVD player is in the morgue, even as we speak.  Oh!  And I came home from from running errands to a message from my grandma – a friend has a guy she wants to set me up with.  My grandma could not have been a worse messenger.  There’s no way I’ll get out of this one.  She already thinks I’m some kind of freaky for still being single.   Sigh.   

And speaking of grandmothers – the only bit of brightness came in the form of a card from my other grandmother:  “From one classy woman to another … “ just a note to tell me she was thinking of me.  My grandmother whom I haven’t visited in months.  MONTHS!  Since this is only February, that means I didn’t even visit for Christmas or her birthday.  AND WE LIVE IN THE SAME TOWN!  I’m evil.  Yet she still writes … just to say hello … 

So yes – trivial or not – I did cry myself to sleep on my large pillow.  Thank you for asking.  But today is a new day!  May it be blessed … please, oh please …

Since I decided to socialize and do taxes yesterday – rather than slaving away on my manual – I have no time to write a blog post of any substance today.  Therefore, I’m sending you on your way.  You’ll still be able to hear me ramble about – just at a different address.  So head on over to The Complete Woman blog, and I’ll tell you a thing or two about white wines.  Ooooh – aaahhhh!

Until next time …

It’s funny the way some couples mesh so well, it’s hard to imagine them ever being single.  Take the Bumsteads, for instance.  I’d always imagined Blondie and Dagwood together.  Never crossed my mind that when Blondie was introduced in 1930 she was a foot-loose-and-fancy-free flapper and Dagwood was a good-for-nothing-playboy-son of a billionaire.  I never imagined that their whirlwind romance took place during the great depression; or that Dagwood’s family disowned him for marrying a bimbo.  February 13, 1933 the Bumsteads joined the rest of us – surviving on little more than love and tenacity.  Proving love does indeed conquer all …  

You see, those were meager years. People were tired of Blondie and Dagwood’s flighty ways.  So they stopped reading.  For all intents and purposes, The Blondie comic strip was doomed to failure.  But Chic Young refused to give in.  He thought outside the box.  He looked to see what people were looking for – what they could relate to.  He blazed a trail – and his comic strip not only survived, it rose to be translated into 35 languages in 55 countries, being read by an estimated 280 million people each day. 

So in honor Blondie and Dagwood’s 76th wedding anniversary, let us toast to love – and to an unswerving determination to rise from the ashes!

If you are reading this blog no doubt you survived the Valentine’s Day weekend without lasting trauma. 

Despite the fact that I currently have no sweetheart-to-call-my-own, I was terribly spoiled.  I received cards and ecards and tulips and roses and chocolate.   And I had a Valentine gathering to attend for lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. The only downside to such festivity, is I dreamed – the whole night through – that I was rushing about.  It was exhausting. 

I also had the opportunity – via the wonder that is Skype - to chat with my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew.   We had such a great view; they were not so lucky.  I’m having arrangement issues.  Mainly, my computer faces a southern window.  Even with the blinds closed, light reflects.   According to my brother, it looks as if they are speaking to someone in the witness protection program.  Sigh. 

And speaking of my brother – the user manual has become a family affair.  While I’m getting started on the edits/formatting, my brother works away on illustrations.  He sent the first round over the weekend and I have but two words:  He Rocks!  Seriously.  They are gorgeous. 

My brother is also working on a little side-project for me.  I cannot divulge what exactly it entails – but it will be debuted in the coming months.  The Intrigue!  I know.  So do stay tuned …

And now, a few words … 

Loving is not just looking at each other, it's looking in the same direction.  ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand, and Stars, 1939

I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day.  When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon.  ~Author Unknown

For you see, each day I love you more
Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.
~Rosemonde Gerard

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.  ~Author Unknown

kisses are a better fate
than wisdom.
~e.e. cummings

Who, being loved, is poor?  ~Oscar Wilde

True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights.  If you hear bells, get your ears checked.  ~Erich Segal

Are we not like two volumes of one book?  ~Marceline Desbordes-Valmore

Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly.  ~Rose Franken

Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.  ~Author Unknown

Paraskevidekatriaphobia:  a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th.  Term coined by Dr. Donald Dossey, who would tell his patients, “when you can learn to pronounce it, you’re cured!”  If you do suffer from such a condition – perhaps today’s a good day to work on that pronunciation…

Two days.  Two days and it’s Valentine’s Day.  For some, the mere thought is enough to induce light headedness, cold sweats, dry heaves, and unexplained double vision.  If you happen to be one such person, brew yourself some java, have yourself a sit, and read on.  Who knows?  Who you may feel better when it’s all said and done.  If not, at least you can take comfort in the fact that you suspended your misery for a few minutes.     

Sacrifice anyone?

Think Valentine’s Day is bad, we could still be celebrating Lupercalia – a fertility festival that included animal sacrifice, the slapping of women and fields with bloody strips of goat hide, and a lottery.  Now, lest you get all excited about free money, let me explain.  The “lottery” consisted of single women putting their names in a pot, single men pulling a name from said pot, and the two becoming one.  Something tells me “No thank you” would not suffice.  Eeh.   

Thankfully,Valentine’s Day took over sometime around 498 A.D. – when the whole lottery business was declared un-Christian (and they say nothing good ever came of Christianity). 

What’s so great about Saint Valentine?

Hard to say really.  He’s a man of mystery.  At least there’s not a whole lot we know for certain of Saint Valentine – though legends do abound.  Some say he went against the decree of Emperor Claudius II stating no single male should marry, performing marriages in secret.  Others say he helped Christians escape Roman prisons where they were frequently beaten and tortured.  Still others contend that the last words penned from his prison cell were to the young jailer’s daughter, who kept him company during his confinement.       

Chances are, if he were alive today he would leave the toilet seat up, make an inappropriate comment or two, and maybe even forget his own holiday now and then.  In other words, he was human.  What matters most is he tried.  And his attempts were impressive enough to be the stuff of legend.  Not bad for a little effort.   

Who do you love?

True, the date coincides with the bird mating season, but it’s oh-so-much more.  Just look at the legends surrounding St. Valentine – they are the story of lovers, but also of friends.  So this Valentine’s Day take a good hard look at all those you love.  And then find a way to make them smile.  It’s that simple.  

The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games are now in full swing.  This year over 2,000 athletes from nearly 100 countries have convened in Boise, Idaho to compete in Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiiing, Figure Skating, Floor Hockey, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing and Speed Skating.    

I spent the afternoon at Qwest arena, cheering on the figure skaters in the singles division.  You know, athletes amaze me – figure skaters especially.   When I was five years old my mom relented to my endless pleas for ice skating lessons.  The first day I was so deathly afraid of falling and injuring myself, I spent the entire hour inching my way across rink.  I never went back.

Needless to say, I’m enthralled to watch those who aren’t afraid.  Those who persevere and give their all to their sport.  The athletes watched today were even more of a joy – for they are truly dedicated.  They were not competing for the fame or money associated with major endorsements.

Of course, there isn’t the money or opportunity for endorsement, now is there?  Probably the best for the athletes; the worse for us.  For without the hype, we miss out on a lot. 

While media correspondents from all over the world have arrived in Idaho to cover the games, the United States as the smallest presence.  Pity.  For all involved.  Americans could use a little inspiration.  We could use an example.      

Imagine how much better the world would be if we all joined with Special Olympic athletes – in sport, in business, in life – and proudly proclaimed, Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt …

My dad and I have taken to mini phone conferences each day – just to touch bases on the project deadline that looms ahead.  Yesterdays conversation went something like this:

Dad:  So, how are the formulas coming along?

Me: They’re coming along.

Dad:  How many more do you have?

Me: I’m getting close to the end.  Pretty sure. 

Dad:  Okay.  Just send them my way when you’re finished.  I’ll need to add some examples – and refresh my memory on how to figure them with a calculator. It’s just so much easier for me to do it longhand, know what I mean? 

Me:  [long pause] Yeah, you lost me. 

Seriously.  I cannot even begin to comprehend calculating the formulas involved in Photovoltaics – longhand or otherwise.  I guess it’s safe to say I won’t be taking up the family business any time soon…  

Announcer:  “The Adventures of Superman – faster than a speeding bullet!
More powerful than a locomotive!
Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound!”

Voices: "Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane!
It's Superman!"

Announcer: “Yes, it's Superman, strange visitor from another
planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities
far beyond those of mortal men…”

The “Adventures of Superman” was first viewed by television audiences in LA, February 9th, 1953.  In honor of this particular date in history, a few interesting tid-bits:

• Superman and the Mole-Men was a 58-minute, black and white short that premiered in 1951, to gauge the reaction of the audience.  It made instant stars of the cast, including George Reeves (Superman/Clark Kent) and Phyllis Coates (Lois Lane).
• With the success of Superman and the Mole-Men, the entire first season was filmed in 1951; a year later, Kelloggs agreed to sponsor the show. 
• The first 52 episodes were filmed in black and white; to give the allusion of the red, blue, and yellow of Superman’s suit, the costume was actually made of brown, grey, and white.
• To adhere to budgetary constraints, the main characters wore the same costumes in similar sets throughout the show – and were filmed accordingly.  For example, all scenes that took place on the set of the "Perry White Office" were filmed back to back, to be placed in future episodes as needed.  This, of course, could be a little tricky for the actors/actresses. 
• In the first season, the establishing shot of the "Daily Planet Building" was a single piece of footage of the E. Clem Wilson Building (5225 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California); the Daily Planet staff entering or exiting the building was actually filmed two blocks east, at the Carnation Milk Company Building.
• Various techniques were employed to give the allusion of flying.  Some of his takeoffs, for example, were accomplished by suspending George Reeves midair via a cable.  However, after the wires suddenly broke – nearly causing a concussion – Mr. Reeves refused that particular mode of air travel.  From that moment on, a springboard was used - Reeves would run into frame, hit the springboard, catapult into the air, out of frame, and onto padding.  Much more safe and, let’s be serious, a whole lot more fun.
• The first 26 episodes are the most serious, many tackling social issues.  Superman and the Mole-Men, for instance, deals with a town intent on lynching the mole-men because they look different. 
• Many consider the first 26 episodes to be the best.  And you can catch ‘em all on Adventures of Superman: The Complete First Season – including “The Unknown People I & II” (the Mole Men series) – seldom seen after its initial release.    

Just so you know: Superman and all related items are copyright © by Warner Bros. and DC Comics. The information contained in this blog is not authorized by Warner Bros. or DC Comics.

Six more weeks of this.  We can only hope the poor fellow just needs glasses. 

My mom had to get a new passport.  She showed it to me yesterday and I’m so jealous.  Seriously.  It’s like a wee picture book.  Each page has a different picture from the US – Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, Golden Eagle … amber waves of grain. 

And that’s not all.  It has quotations.    Quotations like, “ We have a great dream.  It started way back in 1776, and God grant that America will be true to her dream.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. 

It’s lovely.  Sigh. 

Of course, I had to pull my passport out to compare.  Nary a hint of inspiration.  If it weren’t for the stamps, I’m afraid there would need to be a most unfortunate shredding mishap…

A tight deadline looms yet again.  Sadly, I have no one to blame but myself.  I hate it when that happens.  It’s so much better when you can bad-mouth the stupid boss who always leaves things ‘til the last minute.  Sigh. 

So, I’m writing this manual … 

Wait, weren’t you suppose to have that completed by the end of December? 

Yes, yes I was.  But the training was pushed to February, so I took most of December off.  Holidays, you know.  Then – glory be! – it was looking as if the initial training would be cancelled, so I procrastinated yet some more.  It was glorious … until I was notified that the training was back on.  Now I have this week and part of next to make edits, add appendixes, formulas, index, bookmark, cross-reference, and format.   

In a vain attempt to cram it all in, I’ve taken a creative approach to finding more time.  Take yesterday.  Yesterday I decided to forgo makeup … and I didn’t-really-do-a-lot-with-the-hair.  Why bother?  I would only be home, frantically typing away on my computer.  Who would know? 

Who would know indeed. 

I ended up taking my grama to the doctor.  We’re sitting there in a PACKED waiting room when she says, “I look horrible.”  I look at her and see nothing of the sort.  She’s wearing her cute red leather jacket, yellow earrings, funky hair style, lipstick – long eyelashes. 

Then there was me.  I looked like … well … an unemployed writer. 

Yeah, it’s a bad sign when your grandmother – who may be having an allergic reaction, I might add – looks ten times better than you.   

Needless to say, I took the time for the makeup and hair today. 

The time for revenge has come

Rating:  PG-13

Genre: Action - drama

Verdict: Don’t miss the action

The gist: As a CIA “Preventer” Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) spent his life saving the world from catastrophe.  Now he’s trying to mend the one tragedy that slipped through – a broken relationship with his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace).  After years of estrangement, it’s the toughest assignment he’s encountered.  Just when it seems there may be hope, Kim asks his permission to travel to Paris with a friend.  As an act of good will, he reluctantly agrees.  But his worst fears are soon realized when Kim and her friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy) are taken to be sold as sex slaves.  Now Bryan has no other choice but to take revenge.       

My take:  This movie is Liam Neeson. He carries the film.  His character is flawed, but immensely likeable.  When it comes to revenge you do not want to be on his bad side.  Just waiting to see what he will do next is a thrill in itself.  The action sequence is where Pierre Morel (Director) and the writers (Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen) appear strongest.  They keep the action flowing at a neck breaking pace.  A couple of surprises help maintain suspense – one of which actually produced audible gasps from the audience.  And let’s be serious.  That’s always some good times.  My only real complaint is the portrayal of Kim.  She’s gangly and spastic in the beginning – which might be expected for a teenager – but she never changes.  There’s one moment of raw emotion.  Then it’s over.  No, action flicks are not known for their realistic qualities – however, portraying situations with an air of realism helps suspend disbelief, making the movie all the stronger.  Still, despite flaws, Taken is one exhilarating ride.  See for yourself.