Meek Monday

Date:                                         Monday, November 22nd, 2010
Word of the Day:                      archaic(ahr\KEY\ik); marked by the characteristics of an earlier period; antiquated

Weight:                                     206 pounds
Goal:                                         lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:                         74 pounds
Waist Size:                                44 inches
Rowing Duration:                     117 minutes, forty-three (43) seconds

Okay, I didn't do two hours on CC, but I was just shy of that mark by three minutes, so I feel that I am accomplishing the two-hour mark quite regularly now.

Here we go:  there are only thirty-five (35) day untils ho-ho-ho!  Yes, Christmas is fast approaching and retailers all over America are getting excited and ready for this upcoming Black Friday.  I know I will be one of the millions that goes out to find that special bargain this Friday, so don't be too disappointed that on this Friday my post will be brief!

Gosh, every news channel these days is always reporting the latest moves by Prince William and Kate Middleton, I know that their upcoming wedding is big news, but I'm sure there must be others news that is noteworthy of the press time.  (I'm also sick of hearing about that Sarah Palin every three minutes; what is wrong with America?, can't people plainly see that Sarah Palin is an idiot!!!)

 Yesterday was so beautiful that Zac, Winter and I took a drive around the city of Gainesville, going to open houses in the afternoon.  We looked at four houses that were in our price range and there was only one house out of the four that was okay, for us. 

The house that we liked had a courtyard which had a small swimming pool, the pool really wasn't very big, it was probably a bathtub incognito, just average-size bedrooms, a really good kitchen with plenty of room to eat-in and really interesting bathrooms!

The real estate agents at each of the four houses were anxious for us to sign with them, but we told a small white lie and said that we already had an agent representing us, which is sort of the truth.  Let me explain.

During the summer, I was looking at homes in Gainesville, Florida on the website.  Anyway, an agent with one of the real estate websites that I checked out started sending me ads for homes, the real estate name of the lady is Corinne.  Since Corinne showed such initiative, we are going to let her try to find us a home, which won't be easy because we want everything, and we want it for nothing!

I also talked to my dear friend Lily yesterday afternoon and this really picked me up, especially when Lily put her beautiful daughter Goldie on the phone.  Lily has sent me pictures of Goldie and this girl really is stunning, I hope Goldie is choosy when she picks out a mate, I know her mother is somewhat picky.

Remember how I told you that I was going to be more thoughtful about the food I put in my mouth, well, I'm off to a good start, I did not snack at all yesterday.  It's true, I only ate my three meals yesterday and nothing in between the meals.  Eating in between meals has always been my downfall.  I'm very proud of myself for not snacking because Zac constantly snacks, and when Zac snacks, we're not talking about eating one apple, no, were talking about digesting bowls of ice cream, handfuls of brownies and tons of cookies.  I think Zac's diet is atrocious but as Zac likes to point out, he is not overweight, but I still feel that as a doctor Zac should set a better example, don't you think so?

Did you hear?  In Aruba they have found a human jawbone and they are now conducting tests to see if the remains belong to that of Natalee Holloway, wouldn't it be nice for Beth Twitty to finally get some closure, I hope that that Joran Van Der Sloot never gets out of that South American jail/prison.

For those that like the following, this is the sort of thing they like:  tonight starts the finale of "Dancing with the Stars!" and I, for one, am hoping that Bristol Palin does not get the prize, if she does, many people will think it is just the beginning of the rise of Sarah Palin, I don't even like to imagine the thought of Ms. Palin as the next President of the United States, what a frightening thought that is, are you with me?

Did you know that fhe most common punctuation marks in English are probably the period and the comma.   However, good writing (such as mine/NOT)  in English will usually make use of the colon and the semi-colon.   Although these look similar and have similar names, their functions are completely different.   So what is the use of the colon you ask, well, a colon consists of two dots, one above the other and is used to introduce a list of items.  For example:  You will need to bring three things to the party: some food, something to drink, and a small gift for the hostess.

You can also use a colon to introduce an explanation or a definition of something. For instance:  I'll tell you what I'm going to do: I'm going to quit! Here's another example:  "Elephant: a large grey mammal found in Africa and India."  Okay, got it?, we move on.

The dreaded (just joking, I use that word because I love it,) semi-colon consists of a comma with a dot above it, how do you love that for a description, sorry folks but its hard to spruce up a semi-colon!  The semi-colon is often used to join together two independent clauses,  in other words, it joins two clauses that could be sentences.   For example:  Mary drives a Mercedes; Joanne drives a Chevrolet.

These two clauses could be separate sentences: "Mary drives a Mercedes. Joanne drives a Chevrolet." However, when we use a semi-colon, we are usually suggesting that there is a relationship between the sentences, but we are not making that relationship clear.   Usually, you can tell from the context what the relationship is.  In the example that I gave, the relationship is probably CONTRAST; we could also use "but" to make this clear: "Mary drives a Mercedes, but Joanne drives a Chevrolet."

When we use a semi-colon, it is often because we want to make the reader think about the relationship for herself/himself.  This is useful in many situations, such as when writing cautiously, ironically, or humorously.   One more very common use of the semi-colon is to join two clauses using a transition such as however, therefore, on the other hand, etc.  Here are some examples: 

In addition she works all day in a store; in addition, she takes classes in the evenings,
however John is Canadian; however, he lives in the United States
Otherwise you should get your brakes fixed; otherwise, you might have an accident.
Therefore hundreds of people cross the border from the US to Canada every day; therefore, it is not possible to search all of them carefully

Okay, above I have tried to give you examples that are varied and meaningful, if you are still unclear as to the proper usage of the colon,  and the sem-colon, please get in touch personally with me.

I just got back from my morning constitutional (walk) with Zac and Winter.  It really is a glorious morning for a walk, and today's walk was really interesting as we happened to come across a flock of wild turkeys.  You should have seen them.  We were just walking down the street and all of a sudden, Winter's ears perked up and she crouched down into attacking position so Zac and I took notice of all around us and there they were, I would say somewhere between fifteen and twenty turkeys.  When the turkeys noticed us, they started to run quickly in the opposite direction, no doubt they are aware of the upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving, I would run too if there was the possibility of someone cutting off my head!!!!

Okay, folks, it is time for my breakfast and probably time for you to get to work.  Have a great day, if you get a chance, and the inclination, send me an email, I would love to hear from you.

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Supposed Sunday

Date:                                        Sunday, November 21st, 2010 Word of the Day:                    bamboozle(bam\BOO\zuhl); to deceive or get the better of someone, by trickery, flattery or the like

Weight:                                   206 pounds
Goal:                                       lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:                       74 pounds
Waist Size:                             44 inches
Rowing Duration:                   98 minutes, eight (8) seconds

It is Sunday again, and I am unable to weigh myself because there is no scale in the house to do it, I guess I'll buy one at Walmart today.

I've decided to try harder than ever to watch what I eat, I work so hard at the exercise, and I do it at the start of the day, making a good beginning.  I then blow it by eating something silly or by not considering the fat content or the calories in it, well no longer, today is the first day of the rest of my life, isn't that how the saying goes?

I had a great day yesterday with my nephew Raphael.  I took Raphael to see Walt Disney' s,movie of "Secretariat" which is based on a true story.  Both Raphael and I really enjoyed the movie, but I was a little disturbed by the previews before the movie.  Please remember that the audience was seeing a Disney flick and is comprised of mostly children 18 years and younger.  Anyway, the previews for the movie were on a restricted level and contained swearing, violence and brief nudity.  I made the decision to say something to the manager of the cinema because I thought they should consider changing their preview selection.  Well, it didn't go well,  the manager said I was being ridiculous and that children did not pay attention to previews, but I beg to differ.  Later, when Raphael met his mother Louise, he made a comment about the preview being not suitable for kids his age, and Raphael didn't say this because of me, I had spoken to the manager in private, so take that in your face Mr. Manager,  and how about it if you stop being ridiculous!

I think the cost of going to the movies is cheaper in America than it is back home.  My admission was only eight (8) dollars and I think that if I was back home, it would have cost me at least fifteen (15) bucks, so, you guessed it, I'm going to go to as many movies as I can whilst I'm down here.  I, and my two nieces and one nephew are going to go see the Walt Disney movie "Tangled" on this Thanksgiving Thursday, which reminds me, I better make a reservation today.  It has been a while since I've seen a movie in 3D so I'm quite looking forward to seeing it.

Once again, it looks like its going to be another fabulous day, did I tell you that we've had nothing but sunny weather in the eighties, oh, well, consider yourself told!

My brother Biff had taken his two beautiful daughters to a swim meet (the girls did very well, by-the-way,) so we inivited Raphael's mother, Louise, over for dinner where we indulged in chinese food.  I have never been a big fan of chinese food but I did enjoy the boneless spare ribs, rice, and Kung Po chicken, not to mention the fortune cookies which I think were delicious.

Are you ready?, there are now only thirty-three (33) days left until Christmas, I can't wait!

Today would have been the birthday of Robert Francis Kennedy, whom I greatly admired.  Following his successful management of his brother's campaign for the Presidency, Robert F. Kennedy served as the United States Attorney General and was John F.Kennedy's closest adviser, exerting considerable influence on the nation's domesic and foreign affairs.  Robert F. Kennedy later won election to the United States Senate and, in 1968, announced his intention to run for president.  After winning the California Democratic primary in his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, he was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan.  I thought you might enjoy a little more information on Mr. Kennedy:

Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968), also called RFK, was the United States Attorney General from 1961 to 1964 and a United States  Senator from New York from 1965 until his assassination in 1968.   He was one of US President John F. Kennedy's younger brothers, and also one of his most trusted advisors and worked closely with the president during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  RFK also made a significant contribution to the African-American Civil Rights Movement.

After his brother's assassination in late 1963, Kennedy continued as Attorney General under President Johnson for nine months. He resigned in September 1964 and was elected to the United States Senate from New York that November.  RFK broke with Johnson over the Vietnam War, among other issues.

President Kennedy once remarked on his brother that, "If I want something done and done immediately I rely on the Attorney General.  He is very much the doer in this administration, and has an organizational gift I have rarely if ever seen surpassed."

Yet Robert Kennedy believed strongly in the separation of powers and thus often chose not to comment on matters of policy not relating to his remit or to forward the enquiry of the President to an officer of the administration better suited to offer counsel.

As Attorney General, Kennedy pursued a relentless crusade against organized crime and the mafia, sometimes disagreeing on strategy with FBI head J. Edgar Hoover.  Convictions against notorious organized crime figures rose by 800% during his term.

Kennedy was relentless in his pursuit of Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa, resulting from widespread knowledge of Hoffa's corruption in financial and electoral actions, both personally and organizationally.  The enmity between the two men was something of a cause célèbre during the period, with accusations of personal vendetta being exchanged between Kennedy and Hoffa. Hoffa was eventually to face open, televised hearings before the Attorney General, which became iconic moments in Kennedy's political career and which gained him equal praise and criticism from the press.


Robert Kennedy expressed the Administration's commitment to civil rights during a 1961 speech at the University of Georgia Law School: "We will not stand by or be aloof.   We will move.  I happen to believe that the 1954 Supreme Court school desegregation decision was right.  But my belief does not matter.  It is the law.  Some of you may believe the decision was wrong.  That does not matter. It is the law."  I think RFK was such an eloquent speaker, I wish I had a similar tongue, no funny comments there Lily!

Although it has become commonplace to assert the phrase "The Kennedy Administration" or even, "President Kennedy" when discussing the legislative and executive support of the civil rights movement, between 1960 and 1963, a great many of the initiatives that occurred during President Kennedy's tenure were as a result of the passion and determination of an emboldened Robert Kennedy, who through his rapid education in the realities of Southern racism, underwent a thorough conversion of purpose as Attorney General.  Asked in an interview in May 1962,  "What do you see as the big problem ahead for you, is it Crime or Internal Security?" Robert Kennedy replied, "Civil Rights."  The President came to share his brother's sense of urgency on the matters at hand to such an extent that it was at the Attorney General's insistence that he made his famous address to the nation.


RFK was to maintain his commitment to racial equality into his own presidential campaign, extending his firm sense of social justice to all areas of national life and into matters of foreign and economic policy.  At Ball State University, Kennedy was to question the student body as to what kind of life America wished for herself; whether privileged Americans had earned the great luxury they enjoyed and whether such Americans had an obligation to those, in U.S. society and across the world, who had so little by comparison.

After the assassination of President Kennedy, Robert Kennedy undertook a 1966 tour of South Africa in which he championed the cause of the anti-Apartheid movement.  The tour was greeted with international praise at a time when few politicians dared to entangle themselves in the politics of South Africa.  Kennedy spoke out against the oppression of the native population and was welcomed by the black population as though a visiting head of state.  In an interview with Look Magazine he had this to say:  "At the University of Natal in Durban, I was told the church to which most of the white population belongs teaches apartheid as a moral necessity. A questioner declared that few churches allow black Africans to pray with the white because the Bible says that is the way it should be, because God created Negroes to serve. 'But suppose God is black', I replied. 'What if we go to Heaven and we, all our lives, have treated the Negro as an inferior, and God is there, and we look up and He is not white? What then is our response?' There was no answer. Only silence."

On June 4, 1968, Kennedy scored a major victory when he won the California primary.  He addressed his supporters in the early morning hours of June 5, 1968 in a ballroom at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. RFK left the ballroom through a service area to greet supporters working in the hotel's kitchen.  In a crowded kitchen passageway, Sirhan Sirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian - Christian Arab, opened fire with a .22 caliber revolver and shot Kennedy in the head at close range. (Questions persist about whether Sirhan acted alone.) Following the shooting, Kennedy was rushed to The Good Samaritan Hospital where he died early the next morning.

RFK's body was returned to New York City, where he lay in state at St. Patrick's Cathedral for several days before the funeral mass held there.  His brother, Senator Ted Kennedy, eulogized him with the words, "My brother need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it."

Senator Kennedy concluded his eulogy, paraphrasing his deceased brother Robert by quoting George Bernard Shaw: "Some men see things as they are and say 'Why?' I dream things that never were and say, 'Why not?"

Immediately following the mass, Kennedy's body was transported by special train to Washington, D.C. Thousands of mourners lined the tracks and stations, paying their respects as the train passed by.

Kennedy was buried near his brother, John, in Arlington National Cemetery. He had always maintained that he wished to be buried in Massachusetts, but his family believed that, since the brothers had been so close in life, they should be near each other in death.  In accordance with his wishes, Kennedy was buried with the bare minimum military escort and ceremony. Robert Kennedy's burial at Arlington National Cemetery was the only one to ever take place at night.
Poltical commentators have written about what may have happened if Kennedy became president. Newsweek comments that "he might have found it difficult to get out of Vietnam", "would have tried to create massive jobs programs" and "willing to at least condone, if not order, CIA dirty tricks as his brother's surrogate chief of the spy agency's botched Get Castro operation in the early '60s." "He also had the ability to inspire."   I know I was inspired greatly by him.

Enjoy this beautiful day!

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Saturday Special

Date:                                        Saturday, November 20th, 2010
Word of the Day:                      weal (WEEL); well-being, prosperity, or happiness
Weight:                                    206 pounds
Goal:                                        lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:                        74 pounds
Waist Size:                               44 inches
Rowing Duration:                    two hours (yes, again,) two minutes

Yes sports fans I managed to row for over two hours again today, its not easy but somehow or other, maybe its the Florida air, I'm giving CC an extra long, and hard workout.

Cover of Patti LuPoneFor most of this week, I've listened to  the score of "South Pacific" whilst I was on CC, but today I switched my music appreciation to listen to Patti Lupone's "Gypsy" which was nice for a change, I also love Patti because she has one heck of a voice,( in case you didn't know that.)  Also, because I was up so early today, I watched the movie "Mahogany" remember that dog of a movie starring Diana Ross, wuff wuff!

Yesterday, I had some old friends drop by for a visit (actually, they're here for an overnight visit) and all of us, Zac, Winter, John,  Helen and I are having a really good visit.  It was good to catch up on old times during the afternoon, and all of us took Winter out for her afternoon walk.  John and Helen really took to Winter and had quite alot of fun playing with her in the afternoon.

 At nighttime,  all of us met my brother Biff and his family, which includes, Biff's beautiful wife, Louise,  their three gorgeous and oh so smart children, Sally, Jessie and Raphael at Perkins Restaurant for dinner.  Our waitresse's name was Rebecca and I must say that Becky did okay, considering that she had her hands full with ten people, fortunately because four of us qualified for the over 55 years discount dinner, the bill wasn't too much.

 It was also so very nice to have all of the children together for dinner, this doesn't happen alot because all of the children are involved in so many activities, for example, today, my beautiful nieces, Sally and Jessie are competing in a swim meet in Jacksonville, Florida.

 As for Raphael, well today is my lucky day because I get to take care of him all day, I am thinking of taking him first to the "Target" store so he can point out to me what he wants Santa to bring him for Christmas, it will be difficult not to shower him with presents, well, there is nothing stopping me from buying them, I'll just have to wait thirty-four (34) days to give it to him. 

Did you catch that people?, there are now only 34 days left to the birthday of our Saviour, otherwise known as Christmas.   Actually, there are many indcations that Jesus Christ was not born on December 25th, but that is the day that we all celebrate and it is also another topic for another day. Back to my nephew, Raphael, after Raphael and I have visited some retail stores,  I think I am going to take him to see the Walt Disney movie "Secretariat" its Walt Disney!, what's wrong with that?

Zac will probably go along with us to"Target" (he loves that store,) but I don't think he'll go to the movie so it will just be a buddy buddy flick with Raphael and I, just as well, as nobody will be around to criticise me for spoiling my wonderful nephew, which I don't get to do very often, certainly not as much as I would like to spoil him.

I do so much yammering about drinking and driving, and just drinking in particular, I thought I would give some positive news on alcohol at least how it relates to bypass surgery.  The health benefits of light alcohol consumption hav been documented in healthy indivfiduals, but researchers now say that light alcohol intake can also benefit patients recovering from coronary bypass operations.  How about that people?  Having that operation not only saved your life, but now go ahead, have a drink.  Men who consumed about two drinks a day following bypass surgery had 25 percent fewer subsequent cardiovascular procedures, heart attacks, and strokes than those who abstained.  The study also found no adverse correlation between medications and moderate alcohol consumption.

Well per my usual habit on the weekend, I am cutting this post short, not because I don't have anything to say, because, well, actually today I have alot to say but I'm going to postpone it for awhile, as you know from reading above, I am going to be taking care of my nephew Raphael, and I also have houseguests whose needs I must attend, so please forgive me for the brevity of this post, but to quote someone famous "I'll be back!"

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Fullest on Friday

Date:                                        Friday, November 19th, 2010
Word of the Day:                     de rigueur(duh\ri\GUR); strictly required as by etiquette, usage, or fashion

Weight:                                    206 pounds
Goal:                                        lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:                        74 pounds
Waist Size:                               44 inches
Rowing Duration:                     two hours, eighteen (18) minutes

How about my rowing session?, I was really into it this morning and gave myself the longest and hardest workout of my life, gosh, I'm something else!  

Did I tell you that I am rereading Jonathan Franzen's book "Freedom," the first time I read it rather quickly, so now I am rereading it and savouring all of those parts that I especially enjoyed, I can't wait for it to come out on audio, wouldn't it be great if the audio was released before I leave to return to Canada, I could then listen to it whilst driving back home!  

I heard a rumour that my family, friends, and neighbours may be experiencing snow soon, so perhaps you better dig out those boots from storage, naturally, I have no need. 

Now, there are only 35 days left for Christmas and the shopping networks are eager for you to spend your hard-earned dollars on all the crap they're trying to unload, come on, get serious folks, most of that stuff is junk, the jewelry is crap, I don't care how nice Joan Rivers makes it look, and that Capadimonte stuff should be outlawed, I absolutely cringe whenever I see it in someone's home.  I know I'm being awfully critical, but this is my blog.

Yes, Christmas is a coming.  I love this holiday, I know it is a time that many people go into debt, but smart-shopping, creativity, and thoughtfullness can help make Christmas a holiday to enjoy and not be a time of misery.  For me, Christmas always evokes a time of happiness, of family getting together, of children being especially good, of presents beautifully wrapped in all colours, red, gold, blue, green and white.   I love looking at all of the presents underneath the Christmas Tree.   I enjoy getting a real tree for Christmas, not that there is anything wrong with fake trees, as they have some pretty good looking artificial Christmas trees.

 

 I also love the Christmas meal, we always have turkey with all the fixings.  I don't like stuffing, but I do love gravy, especially poured thick on mashed potatoes.  Alot of people also serve ham to go with the Christmas turkey.  And then the desserts are especially good on Christmas, we usually have pie, lots of pie, and not just one type.  When do you put up your Christmas decorations?


The weather has been perfect, each day has been in the eighties and is sunny, bright, and blue, just the way I like it.  It must be the warm air, but of late, I am falling asleep early into the night.  Around 7:30 at night, my eyes start to get heavy, and the next think I know, it is the wee hours of the morning, I wake up somewhere between two and three o'clock am.  This morning I didn't feel like getting up to exercise right away, so I watched the "Joy Behar Show" wherein Larry King and Dick Cavett were guests.  I really admire Dick Cavett and wish he were still on the air, regularly,  and I'm very sorry to see Mr. Larry King retire, I'm even more sorrier that they got Piers Morgan to replace Mr.King, I bet the viewership drops drastically when Mr. Morgan takes over, as you can tell, I don't like him, I think he is a cheap ripoff of Simon Cowell.

Next week, Zac and I are going to start looking at houses to find that perfect one to be our permanent winter getaway.  I really don't mind not owning right now, as renting a home doesn't lock you into that location, we don't have to go there simply because we own it, we have the freedom to experience other places that offer a variety of things that our current house doesn't have, then again, if we find the right house at the right price, well....

When I do look at houses, I prefer that the current owner of the house is not home, I know its silly but I feel a sense of guilt coming from the owner, (and you can't open up closets and cupboards with people staring at you,) especially if the house has been on the market for a long time and if the owners have drastically reduced their price.  It is not my fault that the economy is in such rough shape but sometimes I feel that I'm taking advantage of somebody else's misfortune but then,  other people have been lucky due to my own bad luck so I guess it all works out there in the cosmos!

I read something interesting yesterday, something I didn't know but I am now glad to know, I think its important and that is why I'm letting you in on the fact that in the months following the death of a close relative, the bereaved can be at increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.  Researchers monitoring the hearts of bereaved spouses and parents found that the death of a spouse or child can trigger rapid increases in heart rate and changes in heart-rhythm regularity.  While the changes observed would not cause serious heart problems on their own, and heart rates and rhythm returned to normal within six months, they could trigger a heart attack in someone with preexising heart disease.  The findings stress the importance of monitoring the health and welfare of bereaved survivors, so make sure you go to your doctor regularly for checkups, I know I do, I actually think I've made Dr. Alladin a millionaire from my business alone!  I really feel bad for people who have lost their spouse, I think it must be akin to losing a limb!

Did you know that in 1928 Walt Disney created cartoon icon Mickey Mouse, who made his debut in the silent film "Plane Crazy," a title that I just love.  Anway, in 1928,  Mickey also appeared in "Steamboat Willie," written and directed by Disney and animator Ub Iwerks (I'll never complain about my Christian name again.)    An immediate hit,  "Steamboat Willie" was Disney's first attempt to use sound and the first fully synchronized sound cartoon. 

One of the striking things about "Steamboat Willie" is how violent and cruel to animals Mickey is originally, in contrast to his later benevolence, kindness, and family-friendly appeal.  Mickey's character closely followed the violent and sneaky character traits of other contemporary cartoons (namely Oswald the Lucky Rabbit), and was only softened later when Disney moved towards a family-friendly animation empire.   I must confess I do have a softness for all Disney movies, especially those that starred Hayley Mills.  Anyway, back to "Steamboat Willie," because of the jarring contrast in characterization, the short is rarely shown in its entirety today when evoked by Disney for nostalgic or historical purposes.  A full 30 seconds of scenes have been deleted from the original cartoon.  A few of the cut scenes include Mickey pulling a cat's tail (how dare he???) and then swinging the cat by the tail above his head, picking up a nursing sow and "playing" its babies like an accordion keyboard, and using a goose as bagpipes.  I always thought Mickey was just too-good to be true!

Well folks, it is time to get on with the weekend, today is going to be very special to me as an exceptionally close friend of mine is coming here for an overnight visit. I haven't seen this friend in about five years, so I am really looking forward to it, I bet the time flies by like a blink of the eye.  I also have to start shopping around to find that perfect hat to wear to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding, what?, you don't think I'll be invited, think again, I happen to know quite alot of queens!, hehe!


All the best and be safe while you're out there having a good time.


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Tiny Talent Thursday

Date:                                       Thursday, November 18th, 2010
Word of the Day:                     aoristic(eh\uh\RIS\tik); indefinite, indeterminate
Weight:                                    206 pounds
Goal:                                        lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:                        74 pounds
Waist Size:                               44 inches
Rowing Duration:                    100 minutes, 37 seconds

I always feel great when I've finished my workout session, accomplishing one and one half hours on CC makes me want to go out and do more exercise, so after my streches I'll take Winter out for a nice long morning walk, the walk may also help me to coof off as I am bugged about an issue that I won't bother you with, at least for the time being.

I must still be suffering from sleep deprivation as I fell asleep much earlier than I had intended to do last night and I was so looking forward to seeing "Modern Family," oh well, I guess I'll have to catch last night's episode when they rerun it.

I would like to acknowledge the owner of the house we are renting in Gainesville, Florida.  Yesterday morning I contacted her to see if it would be alright if I contacted the cable centre to update the television package to include home box office.  To my surprise, and delight, Lee, (that's her name,) upgraded the package for me, she said it would be her Christmas gift to us, wasn't that nice?

Speaking of Christmas, there are now only 36 days left to do your shopping, make that special something and bake those Christmas yummies that everyone loves.  I love Christmas, it is my favourite holiday, and I can't wait to watch my kids open up all of their presents, its all over with in less than an hour and the kids seem to get even more skilled at opening presents faster than last year, but I bet I was just as fast at opening presents fast, if not faster.

Yesterday, Zac, Winter and I picked up my niece Sally from her school as a favour for my sister-in-law, Louise, we looked at it as if we were the ones asking the favour, we just love spending any time at all with the kids, heck we would pick up the kids every day, if we were allowed, that's just the kind of hairpins that we are!

Today, is the birthday of one of my favourite filmmakers, Mr. Martin Scorsese who was born in 1942, which makes him 68 years of age, yup, you're getting up there Marty, at least it beats the alternative!

Martin Scorsese is an American film director whose movies often deal with violent and obsessive aspects of modern America and the themes of sin and redemption.  Martin Scorsese won critical attention for his film "Mean Streets" which I loathed all through 1973, but at least this movie propelled Marty on and he went on to make a number of other acclaimed films, including "Taxi Driver," which I love  "Raging Bull", which I donèt love because I feel it is way too violent,  ÈGoodfellas", which I love and "The Departed" for which I have mixed feelings about, but at least "The Departed" stands out as it is this one that Martin Scorsese finally received the Academy Award for best director.

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Scorsese's body of work addresses such themes as Italian American identity, Roman Catholic concepts of guilt and redemption, machismo, and the violence endemic to American society.   Scorsese is widely considered to be one of the most significant and influential American filmmakers of his era, directing landmark films such as "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull" and "Goodfellas"; all of which he collaborated on with actor Robert De Niro.  Martin Scorsese earned an MFA in film directing from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.  I would like to comment on some of Scorsese's work, his body of work is too large to cover all of it, but I will comment on my favourites, its my blog!


In 1974, actress Ellen Burstyn chose Martin Scorsese to direct her in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress.  Although well regarded, the film remains an anomaly in the director's early career, as it focuses on a central female character.  I love this movie, it has some really nice bits, especially by a very young "Jodie Foster," for whom I am a great admirer.

In 1976, Scorsese sent shockwaves through the cinema world when he directed the iconic "Taxi Driver," an unrelentingly grim and violent portrayal of one man's slow descent into insanity in a hellishly conceived Manhattan.   I first saw this movie at the Odeon York, (for the record) and I remember that I hated it on first viewing, I thought it was much too violent and I didn't like the character that Jodie Foster played, Iris, who was a teenage prostitute.

"Taxi Driver" also marked the start of a series of collaborations with writer Paul Schrader. The film bears strong thematic links to (and makes several allusions to) the work of French director Robert Bresson, most explicitly "Pickpocket" (in essence the "diary" of a loner/obsessive who finds redemption).  Writer/director Schrader often returns to Bresson's work in films such as American Gigolo, Light Sleeper, and Scorsese's later "Bringing Out the Dead."

Already controversial upon its release, "Taxi Driver" hit the headlines again five years later, when John Hinckley, Jr., (remember that kook.) made an assassination attempt on then-President Ronald Reagan.  He subsequently blamed his act on his obsession with Jodie Foster's "Taxi Driver" character (in the film, De Niro's character, Travis Bickle, makes an assassination attempt on a senator.)
The critical success of "Taxi Driver" encouraged Scorsese to move ahead with his first big-budget project: the highly stylized musical "New York, New York."  This tribute to Scorsese's home town and the classic Hollywood musical was a box-office and critical failure.

"New York, New York" was the director's third collaboration with Robert De Niro, co-starring with Liza Minnelli (a tribute and allusion to her father, legendary musical director Vincente Minnelli). The film is best remembered today for the title theme song, which was popularized by Frank Sinatra and Miss Liza, who people complained was playing her mother, Miss Judy Garland.  Although possessing Scorsese's usual visual panache and stylistic bravura, many critics felt its enclosed studio-bound atmosphere left it leaden in comparison to his earlier work.   Often overlooked, it remains one of the director's early key studies in male paranoia and insecurity (and hence is in direct thematic lineage with "Mean Streets," "Taxi Driver," as well as the later "Raging Bull" and "The Departed)."

The disappointing reception "New York, New York" received drove Scorsese into depression, anyone whose anyone has had one!   By this stage the director had also developed a serious cocaine addiction. However, Martin Scorsese did find the creative drive to make the highly regarded "The Last Waltz", documenting the final concert by The Band.   It was held at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, and featured one of the most extensive lineups of prominent guest performers at a single concert, including Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Neil Diamond, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Paul Butterfield, Ronnie Wood and Van Morrison. However, Scorsese's commitments to other projects delayed the release of the film until 1978.  Another Scorsese-directed documentary entitled "American Boy" also appeared in 1978 focusing on Steve Prince, the cocky gun salesman who appeared in "Taxi Driver."  A period of wild partying followed, damaging the director's already fragile health.

By several accounts (Scorsese's included), Robert De Niro practically saved Scorsese's life when he persuaded Scorsese to kick his cocaine addiction to make what many consider his greatest film, "Raging Bull" (1980).   Convinced that he would never make another movie, he poured his energies into making this violent biopic of middleweight boxing champion Jake La Motta, calling it a Kamikaze method of film-making.   The film is widely viewed as a masterpiece and was voted the greatest film of the 1980s by Britain's Sight & Camp; Sound magazine.   It received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Robert De Niro, and Scorsese's first for Best Director. De Niro won, as did Thelma Schoonmaker for editing, but best director went to Robert Redford for "Ordinary People."

"Raging Bull," filmed in high contrast black and white, is where the director's style reached its zenith: "Taxi Driver" and "New York, New York" had used elements of expressionism to replicate psychological point of view, but here the style was taken to new extremes, employing extensive slow-motion, complex tracking shots, and extravagant distortion of perspective (for example, the size of boxing rings would change from fight to fight).  Thematically too, the concerns carried on from Mean Streets and Taxi Driver: insecure males, violence, guilt, and redemption.


Although the screenplay for "Raging Bull" was credited to Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin (who earlier co-wrote "Mean Streets"), the finished script differed extensively from Schrader's original draft.  It was re-written several times by various writers including Jay Cocks (who went on to co-script later Scorsese films "The Age of Innocence" and "Gangs of New York").  The final draft was largely written by Scorsese and Robert De Niro.

After the collapse of "The Last Temptation of Christ," Scorsese again saw his career at a critical point, as he described in the recent documentary "Filming for Your Life": Making "After Hours" (2004). Martin Scorsese saw that in the increasingly commercial world of 1980s Hollywood the highly stylized and personal 1970s films he and others had built their careers on would not continue to enjoy the same status, and decided on an almost totally new approach to his work. With "After Hours" Scorsese made an aesthetic shift back to a pared-down, almost "underground" film-making style, his way of staying viable.   Filmed on an extremely low budget, on location, and at night in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, the film is a black comedy about one increasingly misfortunate night for a mild New York word processor (Griffin Dunne) and featured cameos by such disparate actors as Teri Garr and Cheech and Chong.  I love this movie and it is a bit of a stylistic anomaly for Scorsese, "After Hours" fits in well with popular low-budget "cult" films of the 1980s, e.g. Jonathan Demme's "Something Wild" and Alex Cox's "Repo Man."

Along with the iconic 1987 Michael Jackson music video "Bad", in 1986 Scorsese made "The Color of Money", a sequel to the much admired Paul Newman film "The Hustler" (1960). ("The Hustler" was directed by Robert Rossen, whose 1940s boxing film "Body and Soul" was a major influence on "Raging Bull".) Although typically visually assured, "The Color of Money" was the director's first foray into mainstream commercial film-making.  The movie finally won actor Paul Newman a belated Oscar and gave Scorsese the clout to finally secure backing for a project that had been a long time goal for him: "The Last Temptation of Christ."   Martin Scorsese also made a brief venture into television, directing an episode of Steven Spielberg's "Amazing Stories."

The opulent and handsomely mounted "The Age of Innocence" (1993) is one of my very favourite Martin Scorsese films (I thought it was very pretty to watch,) and was on the surface a huge departure for Scorsese, a period adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel about the constrictive high society of late-19th Century New York.   It was highly lauded by critics upon original release, but was a box office bomb.  As noted in Scorsese on Scorsese by editor/interviewer Ian Christie, the news that Scorsese wanted to make a film about a 19th Century failed romance raised many eyebrows among the film fraternity all the more when Scorsese made it clear that it was a personal project and not a studio for-hire job.
Recently, "The Age of Innocense"has started to come back into the public eye, especially in countries such as the UK and France, but still is largely neglected in North America.   The film earned five Academy Award nominations (including for Scorsese for Best Adapted Screenplay), winning the Costume Design Oscar.  "The Age of Innocense" also made a significant impact on directors such as Chinese auteur Tian Zhuangzhuang and British film-maker Terence Davies both of whom ranked it among their ten favourite films.

Whew!, I'm tired now.

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Whew! Wednesday

Date:                                           Wednesday, November 17th, 2010
Word of the Day:                       idioglossia(id\ee\uh\GLOS\ee\uh); a private form of speech invented by children who are in close contact, such as twins

Weight:                                       206 pounds
Goal:                                           lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:                           74 pounds                 
Rowing Duration:                      
 90 minutes, exactly one hour and one half hours on CC (the first time)

Well, I just christened CC, (Cruella's Child,) it is curious to realize how painful rowing can be if you don't do it for a couple of days, anyway, I just got off Cruella's Child, for the first time granted, and I'm happy to report that I am back on track.


It's always something!, while I was packing, I dropped a bag of my toiletries on my left foot, the bag of toiletries just happened to include a large bottle of baby powder, and subsequently my left foot is now a horrendous shade of purple, it even has some crimson highlights.   Zac says I must have broken a blood vessel, but add that colour to my already swollen foot, and you can imagine how unsightly my left foot has become, but I expect it will heal.


Don't you just love the word of the day?, I can't wait to use it in a sentence when I converse with someone, I expect I'll get a look or two,  I just love learning new words and todays is a dilly.


Just in case you were wondering, I am wearing shorts today, as I did yesterday, pants are just too hot for down here in the glorious South, don't you wish you were here?

Can you believe how fast November is going by, why there are only 37 days left unti Christmas, my kids are so excited and have given me their shopping lists, I am also very excited as I saw Zac ordering me the Barbra Streisand doll that is available to buy on Ebay, I think that one day the doll may be a collector's item, back to the kids,  if it was up to me, I would get them everythng on their shopping lists, but that is not allowed, I say why not?, they're only children once.

Speaking of my kids, I have something special I want to share with you.  First off, let me say that I love all three of them equally but every now and then, one of them will distinguish themself by doing  something that is new.  And this time, it concerns my nephew Raphael.  A couple of years ago, for a Christmas gift, my nephew Raphael gave me one of his army tanks.  You have to understand that Raphael loves all things
related to the military and in giving me this tank he was showing me how much he loves me. 

When we arrived at my brother Biff's house on Monday afternoon, Raphael ran out the door of his house to hug me as soon as I stepped out of our Lexus.  Later, after we had conversed for a bit, Raphael asked me to come to his bedroom where he gave me two of his soldiers.  Raphael then told me that the two soldiers were already named and that their names were Raphael and Efrem.  He then said, and this is where I got misty-eyed, now we'll always be together!  I swear I almost lost it!

What's new you ask?, well beside Pink being Preggers, Alex Cross is back in James Patterson's new book "Cross Fire" (I love this series,) Prince William is finally engaged to Kate Middleton, with a Royal Wedding planned for next Spring or next Summer, and Brandy got the boot from "Dancing with the Stars," my goodness alot can happen in one day!  How are things at your end?

Excuse me, but I'm going back to the Royals for a moment.  Isn't that engagement ring of Kate's spectacuar.!   The 18 carat sapphire ring, surrounded by a garden of diamonds once belonged to Princess Diana, (who I'm sure is smiling down from Heaven,)  is so stunning, if I don't get one, I'm going to be absolutely miserable.  I don't want an exact match, I want a man's version of that ring!

This is a sad day in history, it was on this date, that the entire Clutter family were murdered, Mr. Truman Capote wrote about this in his book "In Cold Blood," which I always thought was a rather frightening title.  Yes, way back in 1959 parolees Richard Hickcock and Perry Smith murdered Herbert and Bonnie Clutter and their two children while attempting to rob their Kansas farmhouse.  Yup, the very same Kansas that whisked Dorothy and Toto to the land of Oz.  (Sorry, I shouldn't make light of the situation.)  Truman Capote did not and he spent five years of his life researching the crime and interviewing those involved, including Hickcock and Smith, who were hanged (and rightly so,) for the murders in 1965.  Capote's "In Cold Blood" was published shortly thereafter and launched the nonfiction novel genre.  Nell Harper Lee, who wrote "To Kill A Mockingbird," travelled with Truman Capote while he researched the crime.


Yesterday, was rather busy for me.  I went to PetSmart to buy Winter some toys and dogfood.  I bought Winter a rubber chicken, one for her to savage now, and I put one away for the big day on December 25th.  I also bought Winter a very special outfit to wear on Christmas Day and I just know she is going to have her picture taken in this outfit many times, I can't wait to see her in it, I can't tell you what it is because that is a surprise.

I watched Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford on the "Oprah" show yesterday.  I guess I had alot of expectation because I was slightly disappointed with the show, however, it was fun to see some of Barbra's male co-stars report on what they liked when they worked with her.  Anyway, Barbra is pushing a new book on design and it is out now.

I am so excited, my computer just announced that I am today's lucky winner and I may have won a free MAC computer, aren't I lucky.  This is about the fifth computer I have won over this last month, and I don't want to overexcite you, but I may have also won a rather large cash prize from the "Publisher's Clearing House," some people are just born lucky, hehe.


I watched "Glee" last night, which I just loved.  Gwyneth Paltrow was on it and she played a substitute teacher.  It was no surprise to me when I heard Gwyneth sing,  as you may remember, Gwyneth sang her heart out  at the Country Music Awards just last week, I wonder when Gwyneth will record an album, don't laugh, I bet it happens.

Last night for dinner, we had pork chops, which is one of my favourites, but I rationed my portion, along with just one small potato and two tablespoons of cream of corn.  And yes, I had a raspberry yogurt for dessert, that wasn't alot of food, was it?

I heard something interesting this morning from "The Today Show," evidently if you kiss someone and if they have eaten something that you're allergic to, well you can have a reaction, so that's just another reason to not spread your kisses around too much, I never thought about this before but it does make absolute sense.

My sister Judy phoned me last night to say that she had gone to see the movie "Conviction" which stars Hilary Swank.  Judy said that Hilary could get another Oscar for this performance, but I don't think the Academy will give Ms. Swank a third oscar, not before Meryl Streep gets a third Oscar, I mean, come on, Hilary Swank is no Meryl Streerp!

I know there are some of you out there who are hoping that I forgot the grammar lesson, well think again, because I have remembered and here it comes (its a simple one and you should thank me for telling you.)  I have been really bugged about people who say IRREGARDLESS!   THERE IS NO SUCH WORD, simply say REGARDLESS, and while were on the subject for heaven's sake, the t is silent in the word often, it rhymes with coffin, so please check your pronunciation, you do not need to advertise the fact that you're white trash, or black trash, whatever the case may be.  ( I would hate to offend my African/American/Canadian readers.)

Well people it is time I relocate myself outside, I mean, the warm temperature is one of the reasons why I'm here, have a great day, and be kind to a total stranger, it will give you good karma.

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Tough it out on Tuesday

Date:                                         Tuesday, November 17th. 2010
Word of the Day:                       gest (JEST); a notable deed or exploit
Weight:                                      206 pounds
Goal:                                         lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:                         74 pounds
Waist Size:                               45 inches
Rowing Duration:                     CC not put together yet


Finally got to Florida, and you're right, it is a long drive, and tough to do in one sitting, but oh so worth it, just before we  left the state of Georgia, it got bright, sunny, and eighty degrees.  We got to our house (the rented one,) about four o'clock pm. and as soon as we all got unpacked, it was off to my brother Biff's house, where we all were greeted with open arms, and yes, I did get a little misty-eyed.

One thing about the drive, we had quite a slowdown in Kentucky as the fog over the mountains, lasted for two hours, it really is disturbing to note all of the cars that do not slow down with this road condition, maybe those drivers are on that highway all of the time, but I think one should always exercise caution when one can't see.  And then in Georgia, it was raining quite a thunderstorm, once again, cars were not affected, they just sped along as if it was a regular day, but the rain did delay  us somewhat, and we arrived in Gainesville, Florida, safe and sound.

It really is astonishing to note that all three of my kids, Sally, Jessie, and Raphael have had growth spurts and the eldest of the three, that would be Sally, well, Sally is no longer a little girl, one can easily see that Sally is turning into a young woman, and while I'm happy for her, this must be quite exciting for her, I'm not sure I'm ready to give up the little girl, I guess I have no choice about this happening.

Winter had a heck of a reunion and was talking to the kids, who gave Winter quite a welcome, that really was touching to see, those children love Winter so very much.

The Way We Were people, remember that huge box-office hit, well, they're together again, yup, Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand will be interviewed today by the one and pnly Oprah, it looks like it is going to be a great show, so make sure you tune in. 

People, I'm still a little discombobulated from the trip yesterday, so I'm cutting the post short today.

I should have lots to say tomorrow, oh one thing, I did meet Cruella's Child yesterday and CC looks like she is going to give me quite a
workout.

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