You Say Potato, I Say ‘tater

March 6, 2010 by chrisfiore5

To read first or not to read first, that is the question…

My beautiful girl is the most magnificent creature!  We agree on most everything.  She stimulates my thinking, astounds me with her logic and thrills me with her reasoning.  Her mind is as infinite as the cosmos.  Even our conversations on mundane, everyday routines are an exploration into the vast majesty that is her graceful intelligence.  To ask, “How was your day?” and hear her expound is a re-awakening of sorts,  helping to further advance the feeling that I have found my own true companion. 

She reads.  And to say she reads is the utmost form of flattery because she reads just about anything.  BB should start her own book club.  She would have her own book store.  My love could be a literary critic or an editor.  She will absorb a good book in a matter of hours but stay with a so-so book with a dedicated commitment and/or loyalty to the bitter end. 

My fair one is also a movie buff.  Big on movies.  Huge.  And not just movies but films.  Artsy fartsy stuff that I have a hard time getting my head around because I am too shallow and view movies more as escapism than an art form.  I just more or less want to be entertained.  I was raised on movies.  I want a happy ending.  I live in a fairy tale. 

When I was a kid my older sister and I would go to movies all the time.  In those days it was not uncommon for us to sit through them two or three times.  My poor sister would end up carrying me home because I was too tired to walk.  As I grew up, a movies value was based on how many times I had seen it.  Once meant it was good enough to pique my interest, like Clint Eastwood singing ala Honkytonk Man*   twice meant that there were some points I had missed and wanted to clarify ala The Sixth Sense  three or more meant that it was great ala Casablanca  So imagine now how the following conversation developed.

We had gone to see the movie Shutter Island  (which I would like to see again) a few weeks ago and my lovely wife came home from Chapters last week with a copy of the book, which I began reading right away.  She had gone to the library earlier and checked out a copy of The English Patient and was on the verge of finishing it.  All was well.  As I began reading I would occasionally remark on the similarities of the book in comparison to the movie.  All was well.  BB finished The English Patient and decided to check out the movie, a winner of 9 Academy Awards, which we watched together.  All was, well…  

Imagine my surprise when in retrospect my BB did not enjoy the movie as well as the book.  I injected that I preferred to see the movie first and then read the book, she inferred she would rather read the book then see the movie.

I said, “Why would you want to see a movie when you already know how it ends?”  She replied, “Why would you want to read a book when you already know how it ends?”  I said, “I like to envision the characters as I have seen them on the screen.”  She replies, “I like to imagine them as they are described by the writer.”  I said, “If I read the book first, I usually do not like the actors who play the parts because they are not as I imagined them.”  She responds, “If I see the movie first, I usually don’t like it because it doesn’t follow the book.”  I said, ” I like to see the movie first because the book fills in what the movie leaves out.”

In the movie, The English Patient, the emphasis of characters shifted to Ralph Fiennes and Kristen Scott Thomas.  My BB was disappointed in all the information left out from the book’s main characters and explained as we watched that, “you don’t know what happened here or why that happened there because you hadn’t read the book.”  I said, “THAT is why you see the movie first!  So by reading the book all that information is filled in!”  She thought for a moment.  “You are right.”  I hugged her and smiled.  

“It’s not about my being right, it’s about you’re being wrong!”   

Droll, yes, but to understand that comment you’d have to see our movie… over and over again. 

From   to   and  then  until finally,   

Here’s to you, my brilliant and beautiful counterpart.

peace.

*All images appear courtesy of the Internet Movie Database.

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Olympic Green

February 27, 2010 by chrisfiore5

I was perusing the Internet today, searching for the answer to a burning question… what ever happened to amateur athletes in the Olympic games?  www.olympics30.com  I bring this up today because tomorrow will be the showdown between the Canadian and the U.S.A. hockey teams for Olympic gold.newsid=449331.html?__source=msnhomepage&cid=  I don’t mean to pick on hockey as a game because up here in the North it is an obsession.  Hockey IS Canada.  I jokingly said to a person at work while the Canadian and U.S. women hockey teams were playing for gold that if I didn’t want to sleep on the couch I had better cheer for the Canadians.newsid=447401.html?chrcontext=teamusa#canada+women+shut+u+s+hockey+gold  But under closer scrutiny, here’s the rub. 

The women’s teams are all amateurs while the men’s teams are all professionals.  I scoured the rosters of both the Canadian and American men’s teams and could not find one amateur.  Oh, I know… the women played in college and university teams (possibly on scholarship) but the men are paid to do a job whether they win or lose… and their job is hockey.  It is more an all-star game than an Olympics and I had to find out why this happened.  Not just in hockey, but in other categories such as basketball. 

But first, a little Olympic history.

  Jim Thorpe, All-American.  Here is a young man plucked out of obscurity and made an Olympic hero by none other than “Pop” Warner himself.  Jim Thorpe was possibly the greatest Olympian in modern history and was an amateur.

 Jesse Owens was an Olympian who not only won  gold but also defeated Hitler’s Aryan race philosophy on Germany’s own turf.  Jesse Owens was an amateur.

 Alice Coachman was the first black woman to win Olympic gold.  Setting a world record in the high jump, Alice Coachman was an amateur.

 Fanny Blankers Koen, “The Flying Housewife” is considered to be the best woman athlete ever.  Recognized as the greatest female athlete of the 20th century,  Fanny Koen was an amateur.

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I guess it comes down to the money,  aka:  Olympic green.newsid=452090.html?__source=msnhomepage&cid=  If the Olympics was going to survive it had to enable professional athletes to compete otherwise viewership would continue to decline.  Every other society in existence knew that the best teams were the professional ones so why not allow the professionals to compete, each representing his native country?  But in doing this, they form a core of elite participants.  Gone are the days when a Nebraska farm boy who can hurl a bale of hay one-handed further than anyone in the county gets a chance to pitch the discus or shot putt…  and that’s too bad. 

I wonder, what’s wrong with an amateur reaching the pinnacle of his chosen sport and then turning professional?  Again, it is about the money.  Olympic committees wrestled with the fairness of sponsorship, endorsements and compensation for decades.  Competing countries found creative ways to train their athletes under the guise of military enrollment, thus enabling the State to pick up the tab.

It is interesting to note that as television became more popular so did professional sports.  We expect professional athletes to perform well because they are getting paid to do so.  But then when they do poorly, we feel robbed.  Famous sports figures are overpaid, they are prima donnas and not worth the price of admission.  Olympians, on the other hand being amateurs, have the advantages of heart;  i.e. the love of the game and pride of nationality without monetary gain.  If they fail it is understandable because (though they excel in their chosen field) at the end of the day they are like the rest of us mere mortals.

I have enjoyed what I have seen of the Olympics and look forward to the men’s final in hockey.  But wouldn’t it be interesting to see Sidney Crosby in the figure skating competition or Ryan Miller as a speed skater?  To be slightly out of their element might make the sport a little less calculated and a little more… amateurish FUN.  It would put the professionals down to our level and make for a more interesting participant enjoying sport as a sport, not as just another job.

Oh, by the way… I will not be sleeping on the couch Sunday night.

peace.

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Have a little cake with your Tea Party?*

February 20, 2010 by chrisfiore5

The citizens of the United States are pissed.

I mean really freakin’ pissed. 

I think it takes an angry society to bring about change in government and right now I do not doubt that most people feel that the federal government needs to change.  Not like the empty Barack Obama “change” slogan because change for the sake of change doesn’t really change anything.  It is a continuous loop playing the same tune over and over again.  Nope, Americans need more than just empty rhetoric.  They want and will demand more than just promises.  The American people are going to insist on results and accountability.    There is a rumbling across the nation that discontented voters have had enough. 

But what does it take to produce results?  And more importantly, how will they go about it?

There is a movement out there called the Tea Party. 21410   This movement harkens back to the Boston Tea Party of colonial days.ny-times-goes-idaho-explore-paranoid-tea-party-movement#ixzz0fncij2zz You remember history, right?  Taxation without representation?   Well, if history does repeat itself there is going to be a lot of product pitched into Boston Harbor, figuratively speaking.  All it takes is for people to get organized and they are doing it.  This is Democracy at work. 0,2933,586407,00.html

And because there is such a swell of interest, a growing concern and an increase of distrust in both  political parties two things are happening.  First; discredit the followers of the Tea Party as malcontents and rabble rousers.  This has come from the ranks of the Democratic party.  Second; claim allegiance as closet Tea Partiers in order to gain votes against the prevailing party, this from the Republicans. 35486037  As this growing mass of dis-satisfied Americans gains ground and becomes more visible it is a force that has to be reckoned with.  Now organizations that are not a part of the mainstream are banding together under this one banner, the Tea Party, and that has some people worried.  I imagine the powers that be were concerned over that little band of colonies back in 1776, too.  Some viewed them with disdain, some with alarm while others carried on with business as usual.

It is interesting to note that while I paid a visit to Ottawa last year I had the pleasure of visiting the Canadian Museum of Civilization. civilization.html  Amongst other fine exhibits there was a series of displays depicting the American Revolution, only it wasn’t referred to as the American Revolution.  It was called simply, the rebellion.  The folks that sided with King George were dignified with the term Loyalists.  They were forced off their land and fled to Canada because of relying on the status quo of tyranny.  The American patriots were called rebels.  They saw English rule as a yoke they could no longer bear but were deemed enemies of the crown.  So, one man’s rebellion is another man’s call to freedom.

 

Politicians seem out of touch today.  Monies are being spent, bail-outs being given and millions of dollars worth of bonuses ?GT1=43001 are still doled out idUSTRE6122ZH20100203 while unemployment has reached epidemic proportions.  You see, Americans are an educated lot.  They know that a $185 billion dollar AIG bail-out amounts to 18.5 million unemployed workers receiving $10,000 each.  That would be a nice little nest egg to help tide things over while the economy “recovers.” business-the_new_york_times Many view the health care reform package as a huge welfare system that would be a financial burden to the working class.  There are those that feel the global warming and green energy proposals are a sham to enrich the political elite.  Others feel the government seeks to control the Internet and thus,  information that condemns and exposes it.

There is a story that follows historical views that Marie Antoinette  Let_them_eat_cake and the French hierarchy were so out of touch with their citizens that when she was informed that “there was no bread for the people” she replied, Let them eat brioche!  Of course, now it stands to reason that if peasants couldn’t afford bread the dainty dish referred to was well out of their reach, but the point is:  Who was looking out for them then and more importantly… Who is looking out for us?

America needs a strong third-party.  When elections come down to selecting one over the other because he/she is the lessor of two evils, things are pretty darn gloomy.  Politicians will tell you that a vote for the likes of a Ross Perot is a vote for the guy you don’t want BUT…  a party has to form sometime.  Tea Partiers need to start with local offices and expand from there.  When this happens, organization and recognition will follow.

Every generation needs a new revolution.   So said Thomas Jefferson,  one of America’s founding fathers and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.  What he was advocating was not an over throw of government, but a forging ahead with new ideas and principles to guide us and keep us free.  If Americans are dis-satisfied with their government it is within their fundamental right to change it. 

We should not fear the status quo when it is in every American’s DNA to continually challenge it. 

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peace.

*Author’s note:  All images were acquired from the galloping sea of free and open Internet sites… long may it wave!

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A Walk With Ernest

February 13, 2010 by chrisfiore5

Two Cents Worth in the Nickel City*
A Walk With Ernest

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Saturday, May 2nd, my beautiful girl and I went walking downtown.  It was in support of Promenade de Jane, Jane’s Walk.  When we heard of the exercise, we heartily agreed that it would not only be interesting and educational, but a good excuse to take in some fresh, Spring air.

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From the website, janeswalk.com: “Jane’s Walk honours the legacy and ideas of urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs who championed the interests of local residents and pedestrians over a car-centered approach to planning. Jane’s Walk helps knit people together into a strong and resourceful community, instilling belonging and encouraging civic leadership.”

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We enthusiastically showed up early and met our guide, Oryst Sawchuk, who occupies the Chair of the City of Greater Sudbury Municipal Heritage Committee.  There was one particular piece of history I was interested in, the Nickel Range Hotel.  Mr. Sawchuk pointed out the hotel’s one time location, just across the street from where we were meeting at the Market Square.  It is a parking lot now.

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Ernest Hemingway, the American author, had visited Sudbury back in 1923 as a reporter for the Toronto Star, covering a newly discovered coal mine. While doing his research, Hemingway had stayed at the Nickel Range Hotel.  Oryst Sawchuk pointed out that at the time, the Nickel Range’s six stories were considered to be skyscraper height and the Nickel Range Hotel included the area’s first elevator.  The second floor of the hotel had an elegant ballroom and it was at this very site that King George VI and Queen Elizabeth stayed during their visit in 1939.

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I strained my brain trying to imagine what it must have been like for Hemingway, who described the “red bricked buildings of Sudbury” after his visit. He had to have noticed the Sterling Standard Bank positioned next door to the hotel and might have even done business there.  The Grand Theatre was just down the street, perhaps he strolled by one evening, killing time as writers often do.  No doubt he passed the Balmoral Hotel on his way to the post office at the corner of Elm and Durham Street.  Maybe just before entering the huge structure, he noticed the Ste-Anne-des-Pins rectory.  I imagined Hemingway as impressed with the post office’s clock tower and architectural magnificence as I was Saturday looking at its picture on a dedication plaque, the site of yet another parking lot.  I found myself wondering why we allow those pieces of history to vanish while suffering the future’s progressive  regression.  Are we really better off without them?

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Ernest Hemingway went back  to Toronto without a story, the coal mine turning out to be a scam.  Eventually, Ernest and Hadley Hemingway took their newborn son, John, and returned to Paris, France.  There, young Ernest became a published writer of short stories and poetry, struggling to find himself as the innovating author he eventually became.

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I think Hemingway would be surprised at downtown Sudbury today.  Some of the red brick buildings are still standing, but their collective soul has departed.

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Sadly for them, the bell tolled long ago…

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*Author’s note:  This is the last article written for Two Cents Worth in the Nickel City, my unceremoniously rejected series suggested to the local newspaper from 2009.  For more information on Jane’s Walk visit www.janeswalk.net

peace.

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Introducing George Clooney as Ernest Hemingway

January 23, 2010 by chrisfiore5

I was once asked if as I wrote my Shades of Hemingway series had I a mental picture the actors I would want to have play the characters therein.  I half way joked that I’d like to have Leonardo DiCaprio play me but I hadn’t really thought about who would play the others.  That is until now…

Last night I watched the Help For Haiti NowDefault.asp broadcast and as soon as I saw George Clooney begin his introduction I thought, “He’s the one!  He is the one I’d select to play “Hem” in the stories I have written about encountering Ernest Hemingway’s ghost and the adventure that followed.”  So while I admit it isn’t like Margaret Mitchell picturing Clark Gable as Rhett Butler while writing Gone With The Wind, it intrigued me to make up a list of actors to play the parts of the major characters in all four books, i.e.:  Shades of Hemingway, Medium Exposure, Deja’ Voodoo and the latest; Bone Island Abattoir (which hasn’t been published here yet, but it’s coming!)  To read any of the afore mentioned stories, search the AMRFP archives under “Hemingway”.

So, as I said earlier…  Leonardo DiCaprio nm0000138   would be cast as “Christian Fiore”, a.k.a. “Chris”.  Leo has an incredible range as an actor.  He could carry the emotional uncertainty of the hero plunged into an adventure he had not been ready for. 

George Clooney nm0000123   would play “Hem”, Ernest Hemingway’s 40-year-old apparition.  Hemingway’s creativity and popularity was at its peak when he reached this age.  Ernest Hemingway was as celebrated as any American author, but was also an avid outdoorsman and ladies man.  George Clooney personifies the Ernest Hemingway mystic; masculine, complex and intriguing.  George could portray the impish, good-humored “Hem” with authentic relish.

I think that Harrison Ford nm0000148   would make a remarkable “Papa” Hemingway.  Cast against type would put Harrison’s full range as an actor to the greatest test.  Could he be the 60-year-old reflective ghost that struggles against the machinations of “Hem”, the strongest of the three Hemingway personalities?  I think so.  Harrison Ford’s presence would lend an inner strength and melancholy to the great man who aides “Christian” on his quest.

“Ring Lardner, Jr.” is the spirit of a 20-year-old Hemingway jolted by the grim realities of war.  Though he is the weakest of the shades, he plays a vital part in encouraging “Christian” to face the dangers that lie in store for him.  Robert Pattinson nm1500155    could easily sink his teeth into this role.

For the character of “Keith” I had to think of a guy that could be both likable, warm and charming to begin with but beneath the surface hides a cold, calculated killer.  For this atypical bad guy I thought of Jeremy Piven nm0005315    He has the ability to be the best buddy and yet smoulder as someone sinister.

Megan Fox nm1083271   would be my choice to play “Brett Jordan”.  She could be a strong police detective that is sexually assertive but also vulnerable to the influences of the kyklos tod mene.  It would be a cinch to have “Christian Fiore” become enthralled with her.

Joshua Jackson nm0005045   would be perfect for “Robert Jordan”, the rookie cop and “Brett Jordan’s” kid brother.  He has the quiet fortitude that embodies this lost soul.

For Key West Detective “Jake Barnes” I had to look no further than the morning show, Canada AM and Jeff Hutcheson. 20090828?s_name=AM  Seen every day as Canada’s top weatherman, Jeff is the perfect character to play ”Christian Fiore’s” gregarious on again, off again side kick.  I don’t know of any acting credentials for Jeff, but his clever delivery and robust personality would be a natural fit.  Jeff reminds me of the big brother everybody imagines they’d like to have.

I think I’d like to see Jennifer Lopez nm0000182   as “Naty Revuelta”.  I realize that the character is of a mixed Cuban/American descent, but I think Jen could pull it off.  She could play the part of a heroine that not only inspires but rescues ”Chris”.  Ultimately “Chris” falls in love with this latino beauty and I don’t think that is too far-fetched.   Jennifer is looking for a role to lead her back as a credible actress and I think this one could do it for her.  It doesn’t hurt that Lopez co-starred with George Clooney in the movie, Out of Sight.  If not Jennifer, I’d like Eva Mendez nm0578949   for sure.  It may be possible to place both in there because of Naty’s sister, Rosetta.  Though not a big part, either actress could make it memorable.

 Next comes “Manolo a.k.a. Sgt. Garcia.”  I enjoyed Michael Pena nm0671567   as “Daniel” in the movie, Crash.  I think he could easily come off as the good guy Cuban police officer who is secretly in cahoots with the villain(s) of The Shades of Hemingway.  Also Andy Garcia nm0000412  would be a good choice, he might even double as director.

Last but not least of my casting call would be Benicio Del Toro nm0001125   as “Lord Cristobal”.  I could see him as the manipulator having been out maneuvered by a conniving former ally.  He has a strong though restrained persona that would play well as a man lost in his own evil practices.

Of course, I realize this is just a dream cast that would no doubt cost a jillion dollars and I wish there was a way I could squeeze Tom Hanks nm0000158   into a cameo, but the next best thing would be to call on Ron Howard nm0000165   to direct.  After all, The Shades of Hemingway series does have a happy ending… or does it?  If it doesn’t, maybe we should use Martin Scorsese nm0000217 .   Clint Eastwood nm0000142  might be a good choice, too.  What do you think?

Look for Shades of Hemingway, Bone Island Abattoir to appear here soon.

P.S.  All images appeared in the Internet Movie Database except for Jeff Hutcheson who came courtesy of the Canada AM home page.

peace.

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Does God Hate Haiti?

January 17, 2010 by chrisfiore5

Of course, by now the world is aware of one of the worst natural disasters in history affecting the island nation of Haiti.  Less than a week later estimates  list the death toll at between 45-50,000 people.  Photos of anguish and suffering abound in newspapers, television and the Internet.  Cries for help have been heard and a worldwide outpouring of support has responded.  It always seems that at a time of natural disaster we set up a united front no matter our politics to come to the aid of those who suffer such tragedy.  And that is a good thing.  Compassion is what sets us apart from the cold, cruel and calloused world of indifference.

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So I wonder at some reasoning out there.  There are those that have said that Haitians some how deserved to suffer calamity.   A natural disaster such as the earthquake at Port-au-Prince is none other than the hand of God exacting punishment on the heathenish, devil worshiping inhabitants according to Pat Robertson. 

watch?v=f5TE99sAbwM

So I did a little research… (you knew I would, didn’t you?) 

Does Pat Robertson know that 80% of Haitians profess a Catholic faith and another 16% Protestant?  This is confusing to me because if their religion is similar to ours, why would God punish them for the “sins” of 200 years ago?  Pat seems to think that God causes this poor country to suffer from a history of corrupt government, mis-managed social programs and poverty because of a “pact with the Devil.”   What kind of godly man makes such a claim?  And do such sayings draw people closer to God or push them further away?

Another bully pulpit is under the watchful eye of Rush Limbaugh.  He says that we pay enough taxes that go towards foreign aid and because our country is in such sorry shape now a more concentrated effort at relieving Haiti is not necessary.  Do we put a price tag on our sense of humanity?  When Rush was suffering from those chest pains a short time ago and was uncertain as to whether  his time had come… did he say a prayer to the God of Pat Robertson?  I’m not a big fan of Keith Olbermann, but his comments here are interesting…

watch?v=X-PEaWUduCM&feature=PlayList&p=1A43E1976A8D2DFE&index=12&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL 

I like to think of God as a god of compassion, one that doesn’t hold past sins against us if we are truly sorry for them and try to do better.  Isn’t that what the Bible teaches?  If the Haitian people of old did such a despicable thing as make a “pact with the Devil”, how long will passing generations since have to pay for that abomination?    Would it go on indefinitely?  Are innocent people forever cursed as Pat Robertson has indicated the Haitians are?  And in our time of need; do we gather unto ourselves, turn our backs to the downtrodden and say,” We have given enough in the past and cannot help you now” as Rush Limbaugh has indicated?  

We claim to be a Christian nation.  Our charity should not come as a matter of convenience but as a matter of pride, because now and always…  it is the right thing to do.

peace.

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Dark Matter of a Light Nudge Theory

January 16, 2010 by chrisfiore5

Two Cents Worth in the Nickel City
The Dark Matter of a Light Nudge  Theory
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My first visit to the Science North Inco Cavern was most satisfying.  Not only because of the theatre setting carved out of solid rock and the friendly staff, but for the subject matter being presented by our guest speaker, Professor Stephane Courteau of Queen’s University in Kingston..  Or should I say, because of the Dark Matter…
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Professor Courteau is an energetic astrophysicist that quickly warmed up to his subject by reminding us of the great men of science past, Galileo and Sir Isaac Newton among others and how their contributions lead us to where we are today in our quest for knowledge about the universe.  Professor Courteau entertains us with the current thinking of the beginnings of the universe.  Where time and space beginnings the size of a pin head started, not with a haphazard “big bang” but more like a benevolent, light nudge.
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With the measurements concocted using Einstein’s theory of relativity, Newton’s discovery of gravity and Galileo’s realization of objectivity, we gained further evidence of mass and substance in our universe.  Planets were theorized to exist though they could not be seen based on the “wobble” of their neighboring planets or the stars set in their orbits.  Mathematical calculations based on the patterns of movement and the precise expansion of the universe gave evidence of black holes, black stars, black energy and the perplexing dilemma of dark matter.

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Dark matter in space has all the characteristics of mass but cannot be seen, though its presence is theorized because of its gravitational effects on visible matter.  There are rotation curves of spiral galaxies and other signs of missing mass that appears to be more dense than its visible counterpart, which comprises less than 10% of the known universe.  The movement of galaxies adds to the strength in the belief of dark matter as other star clusters wink off and on while the density of other solar systems pass by.
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Interestingly, here in our area is the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory which Professor Courteau predicts will be receiving the Nobel prize within the next 10 years because of its research coinciding with the existence of dark matter.  Neutrinos are elementary particles that travel through mass near the speed of light and are not diminished by distance.  Because they are very hard to detect, Professor Courteau estimated perhaps one or two a year may be found at SNO.  Will neutrinos unlock the secrets of dark matter?  Is dark matter comprised of neutrinos or does it emit neutrinos, somehow affect neutrinos or simply eat neutrinos for breakfast?
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All of this discussion of the origins of the universe started giving me a colossal headache until I recalled what I had read recently about dark matter discovered in the human brain.  Pictures of the brain’s “dark matter” had direct correlation with the universe’s “dark matter” when their photographs were placed next to each other; in fact, their characteristics were identical.
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Could this “light nudge” theory of the origins of the universe just be the sparking synapse of some cosmic brain’s creative thought, “Let there be light”?
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Dark matter, it’s not just for astrophysicists anymore.

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Is the film “Avatar” racist?

January 12, 2010 by chrisfiore5

Okay, we interrupt our normally scheduled program to comment on the latest phenomenon…

I took my beautiful girl out last Saturday night to see the much ballyhooed movie “Avatar”.  I am probably what you would call a typical movie lover.  Seeing the rave reviews and the revenue mount, I thought I’d stop and see what all the hubbub was about.  My BB is also a great film buff, though our tastes can vary slightly depending on context and themes, but we try to stay open-minded enough to be a willing participant to the other’s choices.  “Avatar” was my choice.  She was a bit reluctant to feed the James Cameron machine, but joined in with good spirits.

Surprised at how good “Avatar” was, we both agreed it was an enjoyable adventure.  Not just because of the special effects, which were astonishing, but the storyline itself was excellent.  The fact that we enjoyed it in 3-D only enhanced an already mind-blowing experience.

But today I read on the Internet people are complaining that “Avatar” has racist overtones?  Pah-leez! 

I for one did not think of it as anything but a good story with an excellent moral, but I guess if you look for it you can see something racist in just about anything, even the Bible. 

Why do we have to put labels on things that may actually do some good?  I think it is a shame that there are those who constantly stir up prejudices and find that they do no great service towards anyone.  Instead of moving us closer to a harmonious society we are continually being pushed apart by choices singled out by some as being “racist”. 

If you want to see a movie where the good guy is white or black or red or yellow, choose that movie.  But don’t call me racist because I happen to enjoy a flick that has a person of one race saving a particular group of people of another race.  Why is that bad?

And folks… we are all different.  Regardless of skin or origin or language or beliefs,  differences are what makes us unique.

“Avatar” is a worthwhile film.  The message is inspiring.  There is more to right and wrong then race, plain and simple. 

Viva la difference!

peace.

watch?v=EqP3wT5lpa4

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Posted in advantages of mutual respect and fair play, humor, life, musings, peace, politics, rants, soap box, truth, undercurrent with my big toe, understanding, what is a category and why do we care? | 4 Comments »

Saying Goodbye and Kudos to the Y2KO’s

December 31, 2009 by chrisfiore5

Well, it’s that time.  Time to say goodbye to a lousy year and a fizzled decade all in one big sigh.  At least that is what some people will tell you.  As I sit here thinking about the past 10 years, I remember the trepidation the general public was feeling about the new millenium.  The world was going to come to a stop because technology hadn’t prepared for the changing of 1999 to 2000.  I remember all those headstone manufacturers that were lamenting the fact that not enough people had died to deplete their stock of tombstones that had been pre-inscribed 199_  and they were set to lose a fortune… like no one really thought the new decade would arrive.

But arrive it did and now we are about to say adios to the y2ko’s to make way for the double digits.  I choose not to look back in despair and criticize but to meander fondly through some incidents that you may have forgotten.  So as we ring in the New Year and decade, think positive about the past… after all, it’s too late to change it now!

First, in 2009.  It is hard for me to take seriously the fact that many people are pointing to 12-21-12 as the end of the world because of the Mayan calendar.   This may not have been too hard to swallow except for the fact that they released a movie depicting the end of the world called 2012!   Perhaps what the Mayans were predicting wasn’t the end of the world but the end of credibility from movie producers.   I predict the end of the world in 2112.  December 21, 2112 to be precise.  Then the digits would be 12-21-2112.  Much tidier and numerically friendly, don’t you think?

A lot of people have been complaining about the past decade, like this person…

These Terrible Aughts

  • Posted: December 29, 2009 at 12:37 PM
  • By Lauren Bans

As the curtains close on what Pew is calling the worst decade in half a century, the Internet is aflutter with uncharacteristic positivity, offering up bushels of best of the decade lists. The Village Voice recently ran a piece on the Best Dining and Drinking Trends of the Decade that included nods to the Slow Food movement and the mainstream emergence of local brews. The Hollywood Reporter issued a best films of the decade list with United 93 and No Country For Old Men making the cut (though feminist blog Women & Hollywood quickly pointed out that HR failed to elect even one female-directed movie to their list.) And Paste Magazine put together an all-encompassing series of Best of lists ranging from Best Video Games of the decade to the more self-indulgent Best Paste Magazine Covers of the Decade.

But what about the worst of the decade lists? From the attacks of 9-11, to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, there’s a reason 50 percent of Americans view the ‘00s with negative feelings. Lucky for us neggos, Engine Industries has put together an exhaustive compilation of the Best of The Worst of the Decade Lists. Feast your eyes, and breathe a sigh of relief that the ‘00s are nearly over.

 But do we have to call them the aughts?  yikes!  like we ought to know better!

Nope, I prefer the y2ko’s.  But aside from the obvious, was the past decade really all that bad?  I mean, shucks, with the new millenium came a much enlarged and speedier Internet.  We have blogs like Advantages of Mutual Respect and Fair Play along with Facebook and Twitter.  There are phones that allow us to text message that include cameras with pixels enabling us to make videos, take pictures and surf the web as well as make a phone call.  How can that possibly be bad? MP3 players and digital downloads are cool.  We didn’t have those a decade ago.  YouTube.  Kijiji.  Wii. X-Box.  All innovations of the y2ko’s.  Who ever thought that e-mail would become quaint?  And yet, technology advances with alarming speed while we seem to accept it with a less than enthusiastic yawn.  This past decade has been marvelous as far as technological advancements are concerned.  We take too much for granted.

Oh I know, there are things that have been shitty, too.  911. Iraq.  Iran.  Afghanistan.  North Korea.  Katrina.  The economy.  Bail-outs.  AIG.  The Big Three.  Foreclosures.  Job losses.  The decline of the American dollar.  Protectionism.  But you don’t need me to list them here.  There are all kinds of people out there telling us how bad it was or still is.  But try this one on for size…

Highlights From the Happiness Project

Posted Tuesday, December 29, 2009 6:07 PM | By Gretchen Rubin Gretchen Rubin is the author of the new book, The Happiness Project, an account of the year she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, the current scientific studies, and the lessons from popular culture about how to be happy. On her popular blog she recounts her adventures and insights as she grapples with the challenge of being happier. Aristotle, Samuel Johnson, Oprah, Benjamin Franklin, the Dalai Lama, Martin Seligman … she considers it all.

She’s also the author of the best-selling Forty Ways To Look at Winston Churchill, Forty Ways To Look at JFK, Power Money Fame Sex: A User’s Guide, and Profane Waste (with artist Dana Hoey). Rubin began her career in law and was clerking for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor when she realized she really wanted to be a writer.

Here are some highlights from her blog, the Happiness Project:

A Secret to Happiness? Don’t Get Organized.
When facing a bursting closet or a cluttered office, don’t make the mistake of saying to yourself, “I need to get organized.”

Eight Ways To Tell If You’re Being Boring
Watch for the warning signs that show that you’re being a bore.

The Movie Twilight Inspires Me to Do A Better Job With Some of My Resolutions
Inspired by watching the romance in Twilight, Gretchen reflects on memories of falling in love with her husband-and redoubles her efforts to keep her resolutions related to love.

Bad Habits: Swear Off Them Altogether? Or Indulge Occasionally?
If you’re trying to resist temptation, take this test to determine whether you do better when you go cold-turkey, or when you indulge moderately.

Exercise Tips from a Recovering Couch Potato
Try some of these nine strategies if you have trouble sticking to an exercise regimen.

Can You Curse During a Gratitude Meditation?
Comedian Louis CK’s hilarious rant that “Everything’s amazing, nobody’s happy” is a (slightly unconventional) gratitude meditation.

Quiz: Are You Drifting?
When you “drift,” you make a decision by not deciding, or you make a decision that unleashes consequences for which you don’t take responsibility. We often deny that we’re drifting, so take this quiz to see if you’re at risk.

Happiness Myth: It’s Selfish To Try To Be Happier
Contrary to popular belief, happy people aren’t self-centered and complacent; in fact, they’re more concerned with helping others than are less-happy people.

How To Respond to Your Happiness Emergency-Stat!
Having a really lousy day? These nine strategies will help you boost your mood right now.

Can You Predict If Someone Will Be Happy in the Future?
Sizing up the temperament of a potential boss, roommate, or spouse? The best way to predict whether a person will be happy is to know whether that person has been happy in the past.

Happiness Myth: Money Can’t Buy Happiness
Money, spent wisely, can buy a lot of things that contribute mightily to happiness. Some of the best things in life aren’t free.

Embrace the Paradoxes of a Happiness Project
Niels Bohr wrote, “The opposite of a trivial truth is plainly false. The opposite of a great truth is also true.” Here, Gretchen outlines some of the paradoxes of a happiness project.

Quiz-Are You an Overbuyer or an Underbuyer?
Do you fit the description of an “overbuyer” or an “underbuyer”? These categories will help you identify strategies to be happier with your spending.

Life’s Cruel Truth: You Get More of What You Already Have
We all contribute to the atmosphere in which we live, so we get more of what we have. Friendly people meet with friendliness; irritable people find themselves surrounded by irritable people.

Practice a NON-Random Act of Kindness
Practicing non-random acts of kindness, it turns out, brings more happiness than random acts of kindness-especially for recipients.

Eleven Myths of De-Cluttering
For most people, outer order contributes to inner calm. Don’t let these de-cluttering myths get in the way of keeping your surroundings clutter-free.

Five Mistakes I Make in My Marriage
Gretchen confesses to five mistakes she makes in her marriage-and explains how she tries to do better.

Why Might Small, Comfortable Changes Work Better than Radical Steps?
To bring about change in your life, it’s often more effective to focus on small, manageable steps rather than setting ambitious goals.

Bob Dylan Helps Me Recognize a Paradox of Happiness
Bob Dylan’s observation about his wife, “she’s always had her own built-in happiness,” highlights one of the paradoxes of happiness.

Is it really possible to be happy after one of the most difficult decades of the last century?

I mean, where would we all be without Reality T.V.?  and American Idol? or Dancing With the Stars?   This past decade has brought some innovative sources of entertainment.  Lest we forget, it was only a few short years ago that a very small and select group were telling us what to watch.  Now the selections seem endless.  With the advancement of the Internet, we have choices and information at our fingertips that used to take hours if not days to reach us.  I’ve read articles in newspapers that are at least three days old.  No wonder the printed page as a news source is dying. 

I could not imagine a time I would rather be living in than right now.  It is because of our ability to grow, change and adapt that we have made some of the advancements we have made.  Not that losing a job and going bankrupt is progress, it certainly is not.  But the way we viewed credit and buying more than we could afford had to be curtailed.  We had to re-think our priorities and the long-term effects of our purchase.  People are far more frugal towards the end of this decade than in the 90’s and that’s a good thing.

My wife predicts Oprah will run for President in 2012, that’s why O.W.  has announced the end of her talk show.  Or perhaps Obama will choose Oprah as his running mate for his second term, I’m not sure which.  But the politics of the y2ko’s has made this possible.  We would not have thought about electing someone with absolutely zero qualifications before.  Now just the thought of somebody inspiring somebody else without actually accomplishing anything other than the possibility of said accomplishment garnishes praise and awards.  That was unthinkable just a short decade ago.

The thing with the y2ko’s is that we are more uncertain of the future than ever before.  Fear plays a lot into that uncertainty and it has been played up to a level that is worse than any time in recent memory.  Fear makes us ill.  Our society is heading towards a nervous breakdown if we don’t get our heads out of our asses and do something about it.  We need to demand more of our politicians but more than that… we need to demand more of ourselves. 

So I am looking forward to the future and the double digits, the teen years.  I have no doubt that politics are going to change and change appreciatively for the better.  People are fed up with government and paper champions right now.  We will scrutinize more.  We will want substance and not rhetoric, details and not empty promises.  When we hear the word “change” we will want to make sure that that word is accompanied with “change… for the better” and find out exactly how this is proposed to be accomplished.  Technology will continue to advance at an amazing rate, medical breakthroughs will astound and cause us to cheer.  And the world will be a better place because if the y2ko’s accomplished anything, it is this…

You are responsible for your own happiness, nothing is free and nobody is going to do anything for you that you could not have done better yourself.

Have a safe and happy New Year.

Like George said… it’s all in the mind, you know.

peace.

.

watch?v=51Qbzc1Xn7Q

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Posted in A Holiday Wish, If I were the President of these United States, Why Obama?, advantages of mutual respect and fair play, humor, life, politics, pursuit of happiness, rants, truth, undercurrent with my big toe, understanding, what is a category and why do we care?, why are we here? | 3 Comments »

True Colors

December 26, 2009 by chrisfiore5

Two Cents Worth in the Nickel City
True Colors
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I went job searching recently.  I know what you’re thinking.  I’m supposed to have a job BEFORE I take up a writing career.  How can I be told after someone reads my column, “Don’t quit your day job ” if I do not have a day job?  In the States we call it having something “bass ackwards,” quite likely you have a similar phrase in Canada.
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I am an electrician by trade.  We are supposed to be one of the professions that needs recruits.  Our numbers are dwindling, there will not be enough electricians in the next few years to meet demand.  When the power fails and your lights go out, who ya gonna call?  Imagine trying to watch television by candle light.  But that was before the Great Recession of 2008-_____?
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I decided to use the local assistance organizations at my disposal, one of them being the Sudbury Vocational Resource Centre.  The nice folks at the SVRC help you with making a resume`and preparing for job interviews.  They provide resources like newspapers and computers to aid you with finding that perfect place for employment.  There are programs that direct you into different related fields you may be qualified for and help you adjust to the working environment.  One such program is called, “True Colors.”
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True Colors helps to identify your personality traits and how you will mesh with co-workers.  There are four colors; Blue, Orange, Green and Gold, sort of like the four basic food groups or even…  the name of a rock’n’roll band, B.O.G.G. (Get bogged down, boggles the mind, all you need is bogg, the possibilities are endless! )
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To help determine what your color is, first you are asked what color you THINK you are; Blue being romantic, Orange adventurous, Green cerebral and Gold conservative.  I picked blue because I feel that I am one of those thoughtful, warm, tender, passionate, kind, selfless, and affectionate guys.  Then came the questionnaire.  It had five rows, each row had four boxes, each box had three traits.  You had to decide which of the boxes in each of the rows best described you.  Naturally, I wanted to get as many right as I could, so I picked all the ones that fit my romantic, creative and unique side.  Turns out, I AM blue!  Now comes the part about getting along with others. So I did some mental calculations on blue screen.
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If we compare employment to an artist, his palette will contain the primary colors; blue, red, yellow, but you have to blend primaries to get orange, green and gold.  If I am blue, I am a primary example of my trait.  If the oranges, greens and golds are secondary, they are subservient to the primary, which is me.  All Oranges, Greens and Golds are therefore inferior to Blues.  In the rainbow of the workforce, Blues are the predominant color of the arc.  Planet Earth is blue and there’s SOMETHING I can do!   I’m livin’ on blues power!    I shouldn’t be applying for a job, I should be running the friggin’  company!
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Shucks,  I’ll fit in anywhere.

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watch?v=NbS8JK4TS8Q

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Posted in advantages of mutual respect and fair play, ameriCanadian, blues, humor, life, musings, phil collins, pursuit of happiness, two cents' worth in the Nickel City, undercurrent with my big toe, understanding, what is a category and why do we care? | 8 Comments »

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