Precious...? Not So Much...

Yesterday I had the opportunity to see the movie "Precious", and apart from being the most disturbing movie I have ever seen, it also opened a window to a world I did not know even existed. In fact, the movie was so disturbing, I had to turn it off a few times before I could continue watching it. And please note, if you decide to watch it, make sure any family members under the age of 18 are out of the house. I don't think anyone should be subject to that sort of language or visual content until they are mature enough not be traumatized. I'm only slightly younger than Methuselah, and it traumatized me. I had definite mixed feelings about the film, and about Gabourey Sidibe's performance. She was perfectly cast in the role, but it was obvious she had not had much acting experience. In most of her scenes, I had difficulty hearing what she was saying. She seemed to do what most new actors do -- she spoke a little too quickly and she mumbled. Only in her voice-overs was I able to clearly hear her. I wanted to love her performance, but I didn't. I loved her character, though, and Precious is a true hero overcoming almost insurmountable odds.

The film was produced by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, and directed by Lee Daniels. A reviewer by the name of Armond White who writes for the New York Press had this to say: "Winfrey, Perry and Daniels make an unholy triumvirate. They come together at some intersection of race exploitation and opportunism."

Another reviewer called the movie "Social pornography at its worst, festering in racial self-loathing and oblivious to a system that ignores its neediest." I felt that way too, but I think the movie touched a chord with Oprah because it must have felt slightly autobiographical for her.

Mariah Carey was amazing as Precious's social worker, and she stole every scene she was in. The nuances of emotions that ran across her face and through her eyes was wonderful. Who knew Mariah Carey was such a good actress. Did she know she was such a good actress? Do we see an Oscar in her future? Well, I hope we see more roles with Mariah Carey. And of course Mo'Nique's performance was in a whole other stratosphere. She should have won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

I didn't like the movie "Precious", but then, I didn't like "The Hurt Locker" either and it won Best Picture. Maybe I need to put my rose colored glasses back on. Too often I am able to see exploitation and propaganda where other people are not. My emotions are not easily manipulated, and it kind of ruins the fun. As one reviewer said about the movie "Precious", "There is a thin line between compassion and voyeurism; soul-searing drama and overwrought melodrama; opera and Oprah. This film tramples all over it."

I'm afraid I agree... I wanted to like this movie, but I didn't care for it.

Baghdad

I work with several Iraqi and Iranian doctors, as well as doctors from Saudia Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. They enjoy telling me stories of growing up in their countries, what their family lives were like and what is was like going to school in their home countries. Talking with them has been a real education for me so, I thought perhaps I would share some of what I have learned with folks who perhaps don't know a great deal about those mysterious places in the Middle East. Before I go any further, let me say this is not about politics, so please don't misunderstand me. I don't completely comprehend the complex politics of the Middle East, and for the purposes of this post, they are not relevant.

Until 1920, the country of Iraq did not exist. It was created out of the spoils of the First World War. The Ottoman Empire was carved up and France was given mandate over Syria and Lebanon, while Great Britain was given mandate over Jordan, Palestine and Iraq, of which Baghdad is the largest city. The roots of Baghdad go back to 1200 years B.C., but in the 8th Century A.D., it became an important centre of commerce and education. One university, Bayt al-Hikmah, attracted scholars from all over the world, where students translated Greek manuscripts, preserving them for all time. It was home to great philosophers, scientists, astronomers, mathematicians, doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, scientists and religious leaders. They studied the works of Aristotle, Plato and Hippocrates. While Europe was still in the Dark Ages, Baghdad was the centre of a rich, intellectual civilization. Today the museums in Baghdad house thousands of priceless ancient artifacts, but the museums have been closed to the public since the invasion in 2003 in order to protect the treasures.

Baghdad is built on the banks of the Tigris River -- one of the four rivers from the Garden of Eden -- and it has a population of approximately 7,000,000, almost the size of New York City. Baghdad has existed through dozens of sieges over the centuries, and it will survive the current one as well. Iraq is a country with a very different culture from ours. We in North America do not fully understand it, nor are we expected to understand it. The doctors with whom I work tell me of their religious traditions, their family traditions and their cultural traditions. Their customs seem so foreign to me, as my customs are foreign to them. They bring to the office wonderful things to eat -- kebbabs, bamia, falafel, dolma, and delicious pastries made with phyllo dough, pistachio nuts and honey. There are special dishes for special feasts, and some of the recipes go back 10,000 years. I find the Iraqis to be very warm, generous people and they love to hug. All I can think is how unfortunate it is when we all have so much to share, that we should spend so much time in unecessary hostilities. We here in North America can be somewhat naïve at times, and often we don't know as much about the rest of the world and the people who inhabit it as we think we do.

An Open Letter To The Academy

Dear Sirs and Madams:

Okay, what did you do this year, hold a competition to see who could produce the most boring Academy Awards -- ever? Hollywood is the movie capital of the world, and Oscar night is the biggest award night of the year. Can't do you even just slightly better than you have in the past few years? Never mind that you keep churning out movies that no one wants to see anymore, couldn't you at least make your award show entertaining? We're sitting out here in the dark, waiting to be entertained, so please entertain us. And while you're at it, could you please start making movies that we actually want to see?

How many folks have seen "The Hurt Locker"? Well, I've seen it. Yes, I paid my money, and I have seen "The Hurt Locker". "The Hurt Locker" played to all the stereotypes. It's a piece of war propaganda, trying to sell the idea that American soldiers are in Iraq for good reason -- which they are not. Between "The Hurt Locker", "Avatar", "District 9" and "Inglorious Basterds", I am beginning to wonder if war and violence are drugs, and folks in Hollywood can't get enough of them, and they need a higher and higher fix until they are completely stupefied, as witnessed by last night's astonishingly boring Academy Awards show.

Phinnaeus and Mac phoned me after the show, and they both said, "Well that was the dullest thing I have ever seen." I agreed. And the movies aren't much better. Smarten up, Hollywood, or no one is going to pay attention anymore. I'm a movie buff; I love movies. Please make some movies I want to see.

Cheers,

Splish, Splash, I Was Taking A Bath...

Telus, one of our local telephone and internet companies, has an ad that is so popular, it has gone viral on YouTube. The only problem is, people love it so much they're going out and buying toy hippopotamuses, and not telephones. Everyone here in Canada is in love with this hippopotamus. Enjoy!

Sunday Stew And Mulligatawny Monday...

I saw this cartoon in the New Yorker Magazine, and I laughed. It's true, isn't it? It seems everyone has a blog nowadays. All you have to do is sign up with Google Blogger, et voila! you can get started. And there are so many types of blogs -- crafting blogs, photography blogs, family blogs, funny blogs, slice-of-life blogs, political blogs ... the list goes on. Someone once asked me what I thought constituted a good blog. Well, gosh, I have no idea. I prefer current affair blogs where people talk about ideas and recent events, either in the world or in their own lives. Other folks prefer photography blogs, and yet others blog with folks who like to do crafts. I do know that the number of comments a blog receives is not an accurate indication of whether that blog is good or not. It just means that particular blogger has reached more people; the more people you visit, the more people will visit you back. And I have noticed a trend lately of people finding ways to link the whole internet back to their blogs -- awards, badges, Mr. Linky, Mute Monday, Tongue-tied Tuesday ... what-have-you. What will happen when folks run out of days of the week? I personally prefer blogs that are organic, and stand on their own merits, but that's just my opinion. Everyone has a different idea.

And that brings me to my question: Is blogging a social network? What do you think? Should blogging be a reciprocal activity? Do you feel disappointed if you comment on someone's blog, and they don't comment back on yours right away? I often wonder about that, because I get so many new, wonderful visitors, and I don't always have time to reciprocate. I am always thrilled to bits when people comment on my boring-little blog, but often I am not able to return for a couple of weeks or so. Is it like inviting someone for dinner, and expecting to be invited back to their home for dinner? Well, tell you what -- this afternoon I am trying out a recipe in my new crock pot for Mulligatawny stew with lamb and rice, so you're all invited. Gosh, does that make today Sunday Stew? If I have leftovers, would that make tomorrow Mulligatawny Monday? ... Okay, I'll stop now.

Have a fabulous Sunday, everyone.

Cheers,

Our Obsession With Food

Why is it that, whenever people are on a "diet", all they talk about is food? One of my co-workers decided to go on a weight loss program a couple of weeks ago, and ever since then he has brought to work doughnuts, cakes, cookies, chocolate... The sole topic of conversation with everyone at work is food, how many calories are in this, how many calories are in that, how much protein is in this, how much fat is in that... They are all obsessed with food. This morning I got up, had breakfast, and switched on the TV to watch the morning news. What were they doing? Cooking. I flipped around the channels -- everyone was cooking ... and more cooking ... and more eating.

I once had a friend whose mother spent her whole day cooking and baking for her family. She was famous for her home made cinnamon buns, but she was a skinny little thing. I asked her how she could spend so much time cooking and baking, and she never gained weight. She laughed, "Me? Oh, I never eat this stuff. Eating bores me." I thought how wonderful it must be to be bored by eating. But that seems to be the trick -- if you don't eat, you don't gain weight. There are so many weight loss programs out there -- low carb, high protein, low fat, low calorie, don't eat anything white, don't eat anything with sugar in it, eat only organic food, eat only raw food, don't eat meat, don't eat starch ... it starts to get very confusing after a while. We see food advertised on television and in magazines and newspapers -- right next to the weight loss programs. We watch TV shows with Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, et al, cooking food. We are obsessed with food. We lose weight, only to put it all back -- and more. But the secret to losing weight and keeping it off is just to eat less and exercise -- walk -- more.

I think the next time one of my co-workers brings in a box of Tim Horton's timbits, I'm just going to say, "No, thanks, that stuff bores me..." *sigh*

Welcome To The World, Cameron

My Goddaughter gave birth to a little boy today, and I have a feeling the little fellow is going to have an eventful life. Stephanie was a week overdue, but had not gone into labor yet. This afternoon she had to pay a visit to the **cough** Throne Room, and out popped Cameron, right into the toilet. Thank goodness his dad was there to rescue everyone. Way to go, Cameron...! Talk about making your entrance into the world a ...


After much discussion, his parents had decided to name him Isaac. Now, for all you folks out there who are named Isaac, it is a lovely, noble name.

However...

The little fellow's Uncle Trevor -- also known as "Big Foot" -- gently persuaded the parents that perhaps Isaac may not necessarily be one of the best names for a little Scottish boy born in the 21st Century, and that there just might possibly be another one they have considered?

"Well..." they said, "We have always liked the name Cameron..."

Cameron it is.

The first Isaac in the Bible lived to be 180 years old, so I wish a long, happy life to Isaac Cameron, who was born on a Throne.

Cheers,

S-H-R-I-E-K...!

Did you ever have one of those day where you felt just like the person in Edvard Munch's painting "The Scream"? Edvard Munch said the painting almost drove him mad. Of his famous painting, he said, “I was walking down the road with two friends when the sun set; suddenly, the sky turned as red as blood. I stopped and leaned against the fence, feeling unspeakably tired. Tongues of fire and blood stretched over the bluish black fjord. My friends went on walking, while I lagged behind, shivering with fear. Then I heard the enormous, infinite scream of nature.” That pretty much describes the day I just had, so if everyone will excuse me, I'm going to put on my fuzzy slippers, have a big, hot cup of cocoa, and relax with my New Yorker Magazine. And then, lucky me, I get to do the whole thing all over again tomorrow.

Oh, goodness, ya gotta laugh.

Best Actress -- The Five Nights of Oscar

It's that time of the year again, the Olympics are over, and folks are gearing up for the Oscars. Yes, the 82nd Annual Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 7th, and I can hardly wait. For me, the Oscars are an exciting night. I make a big bowl of popcorn, curl up in my big cozy chair and watch every minute, from the red carpet to the final curtain. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a movie star. I wanted to walk down the red carpet, my ermine stole wrapped around my shoulders, my diamonds sparkling in the popping flashbulbs. Oh, yessiree, that was glamor. And then, of course, my name would be announced as one of the five nominees for best actress, and finally when I am called... "And the winner is...!" I would walk onto the stage to sound of thunderous applause. Would I fumble my speech? Would I cry? Would I embarrass my mother and father? Oh, no, not me -- I would be too elegant.

*sigh*

The first Oscar ever awarded for best actress was given to Janet Gaynor in 1929 for her roles in three movies, "Seventh Heaven", "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans", and "Street Angel". Meryl Streep had not yet been born. The statue is a knight holding a sword and standing on a reel of film. It was designed by a Los Angeles sculptor named George Stanley, and was almost identical to the ones used today. The first Oscars were solid bronze, but today they are made of pewter and are gold-plated.

This year the nominations for Academy Award for Actress in a Leading Role are:

• Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side"
• Helen Mirren in "The Last Station"
• Carey Mulligan in "An Education"
• Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious"
• Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia"

I have seen only one of these five movies, "Julie & Julia", but my prediction is the Oscar will go to Gabourney Sidibe in "Precious". I have nothing to base it on except gut instinct. Have you seen any of these performances? I would be interested to hear who you predict will win the Oscar for best actress this year.

"And the Oscar goes to..."

On The Wheels Of A Dilemma

Canadians are known for being very polite. We always say please and thank you, and we hold the door for people, and we smile at clerks who are waiting on us -- at least that is the reputation we have. It's not always true, of course. We can be just as snarky as the next person, when push comes to shove. Or at least, let's put it this way -- we can be assertive if we have to be. Today I was put into the unfortunate position of having to assert myself, and I have felt guilty as h*ll all day long. I mean, you know that knot in the pit of your stomach feeling? I can't shake it. What on earth happened, you ask? Well, let me tell you. I think I was rude. I didn't mean to be -- at the time I just thought I was being assertive, but in hindsight, I think I was rude, and I feel very bad about it.

On Monday morning I was taking too much time getting ready for work. I read some e-mails, played around on the internet, had a second cup of coffee and soon I realized I was going to be late -- very late. I called a taxi rather than take my chances with transit. I asked the dispatcher if the taxis were busy, and he said they were busier than usual, but there would really be no delay. He asked me for name and address, and said to go outside right away. I put on my coat, juggled my purse, my keys and a bag of trash to be put into the garbage bin outside my building. As I got outside, my cab was there, and another couple was getting into it.

"Hey...! That's my cab...!"

"No it isn't," they said. "We called for a taxi at 9:00 last night."

They were loading their luggage into the taxi, and I asked the taxi driver to confirm the address to which he had been dispatched. He gave my name and address, however the couple getting into the taxi were not only from across the street, they had called a different taxi company.

"The driver just confirmed this taxi is the one I called."

Who was to know when their taxi would arrive, and if I didn't take the one dispatched for me, I would be late for work and in big trouble with the Black Knight my boss. I stood my ground. The couple unloaded their luggage, I got into "my" taxi and left. I made it to work on time without a minute to spare.

I know what you're thinking. I should have been gracious and let them take the taxi, and waited for theirs. And you're right -- I should have. I was rude and discourteous, perhaps even selfish. It certainly wasn't the Canadian thing to do. When I came home today, I almost expected to see them still standing on the curb, looking lost and forlorn, with their luggage piled beside them. That would have served me right. It has bothered me all day, and perhaps that's a good sign.