Posted by barb on Jun 19, 2005 in
Movies 2.5/5 stars
Woody Allen plays a has-been director whose last hit was ten years ago. He’s now almost unemployable, being known for unreasonable demands. He gets a chance when his ex-wife (Tea Leoni) pushes her producer boyfriend to hire Allen. Allen becomes blind before the first day of shooting, but can’t give up the job, or he’ll never get a job in Hollywood again. Ostensibly, hilarity ensues.
This film is typical of recent Woody Allen films — lackluster and with a large “thud” at the end. The characters weren’t much more than 1-dimensional. The story lacked much push toward the “climax” and ending, and frankly, I wasn’t sure when the climax happened. There was some entertaining dialog, but all-in-all this is not a film I’d go out of my way to see.
[IMDB link for Hollywood Ending]
Tags: reviews
Posted by barb on Jun 17, 2005 in
Books by Madeleine L’Engle
This is another book that I read in my childhood that I’ve revisisted to see how it held up.
Meg’s father is a scientist who has been missing for quite some time. Her mother knows that something has gone wrong with his last assignment (top secret, with the government), but doesn’t know what to do to help him. Then, Meg meets Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which through her brother, Charles Wallace. These three unusual women know where Meg’s father is, and use a tesseract (a wrinkle in space and time) to help the children find him.
A great story, and it holds up as a good read for my adult-self as well as it did for my child-self.
Note: This book is on the list of 100 most challenged books from 1990-2000. Why? According to Forbidden Libaray, this book was:
Challenged at the Polk City, Fla. Elementary School (1985) by a parent who believed that the story promotes witchcraft, crystal balls, and demons. Challenged in the Anniston Ala. schools (1990). The complainant objected to the book’s listing the name of Jesus Christ together with the names of great artists, philosophers, scientists, and religious leaders when referring to those who defend earth against evil. Got it. Let’s cross Jesus off that list, shall we?
Tags: reviews
Posted by barb on Jun 15, 2005 in
Movies 4/5 stars
For nearly a decade, ballroom dance has been taught in New York City public schools. At the end of the year, there is a citywide competition for the best of the schools. This documentary follows students from three of the schools as they learn the dances, choose competitors and finally compete for the gold.
This film was a bit reminiscent of Spellbound, the documentary on kids competing in the national spelling bee. However, I felt that this one didn’t give us as intimate a look at the kids as Spellbound did. There was much more emphasis on the dancing and dance classes than on getting to know the kids. Don’t get me wrong — we do get to know a few of the kids, and I felt very invested in the final outcome of the competition, but there was a lot more dancing footage than getting-to-know-the-kids footage.
[IMDB link for Mad Hot Ballroom]
Tags: reviews
Posted by barb on Jun 14, 2005 in
Cute Pets,
Random Thoughts 
Artemis was at the vet again today — her second day in a row of X-rays. Yesterday we took all three of the kids in for their annual check-ups, and we mentioned that Artemis had been breathing heavily occasionally for no apparent reason, and the vet wanted to look into that more. So we left her there for the afternoon to get X-rays of her chest.
When I picked her up, I found out that there wasn’t anything obvious on the X-rays. There was one interesting thing, but it wasn’t causing her heavy breathing. Apparently when she was little — likely when she was in the womb — something happened that caused her chest to get dented inward, and so her rib cage has a noticeable divet. Her abnormality, though, makes reading her X-rays a bit of a challenge, because much of her anatomy is moved around from where it should be.
They had also looked for fluid around her lungs, and found nothing. In addition they gave her a diuretic, but I can’t remember what that was suposed to do. Before we left, she got a shot of steroids, which would to help the vet determine if the cause of her heavy breathing was asthma or allergies.
I took her back this morning for another X-ray. When I went to pick her up, the vet said that they saw a mass in her chest cavity, up near her heart (which is further up than it should be, due to her developmental abnormality). He said that it could be one of three things: (1) nothing at all, but it looks weird due to her odd anatomy; (2) thymoma, a cancer of the thymus; (3) lymphoma.
The next step is to figure out which of the three things it is. To do this, we’re giving her prednisone for a week, and then she’ll have another X-ray next Tuesday. If it’s (1), then nothing will have changed, she won’t have cancer (at least thymoma or lymphoma), and we won’t know what’s causing her heavy breathing yet. If it’s (2), then the prednisone should reduce the mass, and, with further prednisone treatment, may put the cancer into remission (if not, thymoma is frequently operable). If it’s (3), then the prednisone should also reduce it; however, it may also cause chemo-resistant cells to form. So, if it’s not (1), we’ll need to figure out with of (2) or (3) it is; and if it is (1), then we still need to find the cause of her heavy breathing.
I’m not sure which cause to hope for, though. With (2) or (3), we would at least know the cause, but it would be cancer; and with (3), even on chemotherapy (which the vet assures me is not as bad for cats as it is for humans), best case is that she’ll be around another year and a half. With (2), though, they can frequently get it into remission. With (1), she won’t have cancer, but breathing problems can also arise from cardiac problems…though I don’t know if he’s ruled out allergies or asthma…
Artemis needs all the mojo you can send her.
Tags: pets, suckitude
Posted by barb on Jun 14, 2005 in
Memes, Etc. Book-a-minute, SF/F — all the sci-fi and fantasy classics boiled down to their essence.
The Collected Work of Stephen King
Ultra-Condensed by Mike Martinez
It was a nice day………………………AND THEN EVIL CAME!
THE END
They also have Classics and Bedtime Stories.
Tags: dumb fun
Posted by barb on Jun 13, 2005 in
Pictures There are four baby bunnies in our neighbor’s front yard:
Tags: comfort
Posted by barb on Jun 13, 2005 in
Books by Richard Lederer
More bad grammar, gaffes, and funnyu mistakes collected together. A fun, funny read, but quickly forgotten.
Tags: reviews
Posted by barb on Jun 13, 2005 in
Memes, Etc. JD tagged me for this one.
A typical day for Barb
On a typical day I wake up, wash the boogers from my big toe and put on my sock. I say goodbye to Orlando Bloom and I hopped on my scooter to a vet office where I am a Support Scientist. I feel itchy about what I do, sure I’d rather be a Head Asshole in Charge in Egypt, but this pays the bills and buys me lots of batteries that I can rebuke.
My morning is pretty sunny. Aside from my π/4 trips to the game room to apply deoderant and my angry encounter with Mushi it’s just the same every day.
I break for lunch and draw with Donna over a angry plate of magic mushrooms. A quick jaunt to Hartford to smooch with Sweetie, who’s a total genie, and it’s back to the grind, until 3 PM when I jump in my crunchy pink bus and head for home.
My evening is spent exercise and listening to Barenaked Ladies while hopping on one foot around laundry room wishing I was Einstein and drinking all sorts of chai. Then its off to bed where I dream of cats and Wil Wheaton in a teddy.
Passed to:
- Sweetie
- Mushi (though Mushi is really busy with work, so it might be a while until she can get to it)
The Instructions:
Take the following and fill in your own blanks, try not to read as you fill. Post this, let everyone know who sent it to you and send it on to three more people. Have fun.
The Madlib:
A typical day for (your name).
On a typical day I wake up, wash the (sticky substance) from my (body part) and put on my (piece of clothing). I say goodbye to (celebrity) and I (method of travel) to a (place) where I am a (your job title). I feel (adjective) about what I do, sure I’d rather be a (any job title) in (city, state or country), but this pays the bills and buys me lots of (plural noun) that I can (verb).
My morning is pretty (adjective). Aside from my (number) trips to the (room in home or building) to (something you do in the bathroom) and my (adjective) encounter with (a blogger you kow well) it’s just the same every day.
I break for lunch and draw with (someone with a Web site who’s not really a blogger) over a (adjective) plate of magic mushrooms. A quick jaunt to (place) to (some kind of personal interaction) with (blogger who you consider a friend), who’s a total (something you dress up as for Halloween), and it’s back to the grind, until (time in the afternoon) when I jump in my (adjective) (color) (vehicle or mode of transportation) and head for home.
My evening is spent (something you do at home) and listening to (band or musical artist) while (activity) around (room in house) wishing I was (someone you admire) and drinking all sorts of (beverage). Then it’s off to bed where I dream of (plural noun) and (a Web celebrity) in a (clothing item).
Tags: dumb fun
Posted by barb on Jun 12, 2005 in
Books by Sheri S. Tepper
As is typical of the Tepper books I’ve read, she paints a rather depressing picture of Earth’s future, with a decimated environment and overcrowding that taxes the few remaining natural resources. A group (IGI-HFO, or In God’s Image – Humans First and Only) has called for all animal life to be eradicated to leave more resources for humans.
But in this desolation, Tepper remains optimistic on human nature — at least the human nature in a few strong people who can affect change in the world. As with most Tepper novels, the main character is a multi-faceted, interesting, strong female. Jewel Delis has worked with domestic animals since before the IGI-HFO people banished all except laboratory animals. Her brother works as a linguist, and often brings her along as an assistant on his travels to other worlds, not knowing that she really works for arkists, the group secretly trying preserve animal life on other planets.
Excellent read.
Tags: reviews
Posted by barb on Jun 12, 2005 in
Cute Pets,
Pictures Ares in the tunnel:
Tags: pets