Happy Halloween

All of the following drawings are by Nadin Semenets from the Ukraine. These are for fun, but she does extraordinary portraits on her Facebook page.  You will enjoy the visit.

5 On Friday - Happy Halloween

A Halloween Special version of Five on Friday for the meme invented by Travis of Travs Thoughts.  To join in simply click on the link, sign in and go forth and share your musical selections for the week.

This week, I'm getting a bit spooky:

Paying Forward

Sean Holton is a wonderful man. The above video is about what he did with a gift of much needed 1000 cranes. You can read his blog at Same Time Tomorrow or visit his Facebook page. Don't miss the chance to get acquainted.

5 On Friday - Blogging Under Protest

Travis of Trav's Thoughts invented the 5 On Friday Meme.  To join in, visit his page for instructions, sign in and go forth to share your selections for the week.


On this date in 1967, 100,000 took to the street to protest the war in Viet Nam by marching on the Pentagon.  One of the biggest weapons the peace marchers had was the protest song. In this time when people are once more hitting the streets to let their government know that things are seriously wrong, here is a musical reminder of the power people acting together can have.

U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday - On the surface, this is a song about Bloody Sunday, an infamous incident where British soldiers shot at peaceful Irish protestors. At a deeper level, it's about the stupidity of warfare, the pointlessness of harbouring hatred and how important it is to seek peace and reconciliation.

Joan Baez - Joe Hill - The classic song about unions supporting the working man

John Hurt with "I Shall Not Be Moved" - Old spiritual that has now become an anthem for any group protesting for better treatment here sung by Pete Seeger for Union protestors.  It was also used for the Civil Rights protest era both as spiritual and with additional lyrics.

Peter Paul and Mary - El Salvador protesting The Disappeared political prisoners

This Bot Is One To Watch - Real Steel Review

THIS BOT IS ONE TO WATCH

We were fortunate to see an early premiere.  I'm the Merchant Ivory, art house, history buff in the house and I want a good script and actors who know what to do with one when they get it.  My son is the "long week at work Adventure and comedy don't make me think" aficionado, and my grandson is fine as long as it is loud, has crashes and someone speaks in Japanese.  We ALL loved Real Steel.  Look for your cynical film buff button and press “OFF!”.  Gather up everyone in the house whatever their age or gender and cart them all to the theater.  Real Steel is your family feel good about being together, movie of the year.  The rogue learns to be a good guy.  The dejected but sharp kid gets a dad.  The right robot comes out on top and while all of that is happening, you get to cheer, punch the air, and whoop or well up tears in all the appropriate places.

Hugh Jackman gets to act up a storm in a movie that for once he doesn’t have to haul up by its boot straps to make better just because he is in it.  Shawn Levy has given him a vehicle he can ride all the way to the end showing what the actor you knew was there can do with a decent script and cast.  Dakota Goyo is that young talent you keep hoping sticks around for the long haul who is now at the beginning of his career, and the supporting cast (special nod to Anthony Mackie) does what it is supposed to do:  Provide the tension and get out of the way.  

Real Steel may not be a movie for the ages, but in an era of too much over the top noise, empty characters saddled with poor writing, worse acting, and explosions instead of emotions, it is definitely the one movie you want to see this year, the one you will want to add to video collection, and the one that will make you stop for a few pleasurable moments to remember when flicking through the channels in years to come.

Anthony Mackie and Evangeline Lily

Dakota Goyo

Steve Jobs RIP 1955 -2011

The colors of my life
Are bountiful and bold,
The purple glow of indigo,
The gleam of green and gold.
The splendor of the sunrise,
The dazzle of a flame,
The glory of a rainbow,
I'd put 'em all to shame.
No quiet browns and grays,
I'll take my days instead
And fill them till they overflow
With rose and cherry red!
And should this sunlit world
Grow dark one day,
The colors of my life
Will leave a shining light
To show the way...

This entry sent to the world courtesy of my Apple.  Steve Jobs, thank you for your life.

Making A Scene

We all have movies that imprint themselves on our brains.  A simple line and all the pictures are there right in front of your eyes.   Listed below are just a few of my imprinted scenes.  What are yours?


To Kill A mockingbird


Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch has finished defending Tom Robinson and exits the courtroom.  "Miss Jean Louise, Stand Up!  Your father is passing.




Ken Burns  Civil War.  What do you see when you hear "Ashoken Farewell"





My Best Friend's Wedding:


Rupert Everett as George Downes:  "Maybe there won't be marriage... maybe there won't be sex... but, by God, there will be dancing."





Virtually every single scene in "Same Time Next Year" for a whole lot of reasons.  Here are the absolutely perfect  Ellen Burstyn and Alan Alda with I'm not as wonderful as you think I am.







Please add your favorites ....