No More Ironing

In 1935, Parker Brothers introduced the game Monopoly, based on the streets of Atlantic City, NJ. The player tokens were the iron, race car, shoe, thimble, top hat, wheelbarrow, battleship, and Scottie dog.

Now in 2013, the iron is OUT, and a cat token clawed its way to victory. In a Facebook vote, fans chose the cat over a robot, diamond ring, helicopter, and guitar. Neck and neck in elimination were the wheelbarrow, shoe, and iron. I think I would have voted for the guitar or robot. Apparently a social media war broke out with Zappos pushing shoes, and a garden toolmaker, Ames True Temper Inc, created on-line videos for the wheelbarrow. Sadly, in these days of wash and wear and permanent press, no one came to the iron's defense.

R.I.P.

On a completely different note, Sherry Ellis at Gone Garden  http://gonegarden.blogspot.com gave me a cute award. I met Sherry during the April A-Z Blog challenge and have enjoyed her posts since then. Thanks Sherry for this award. 

Queued Up in February

I contribute What's in Your Queue?  to the Little Paper of San Saba. Here's some of my latest blurbs based on my Netflix views.

Homeland the series - I mentionned this show before and it is superb. Claire Danes (Carrie) is not stable, but she's intense when it comes to seeking terrorists and she's convinced that Brody, a decorated war hero and POW for eight years, is now a turned spy. We watch the stories unfold and worry with her and for her. Damien Lewis is excellent in his role, and Mandy Patinkin, as Saul - Carrie's mentor and friend, sacrifices his marriage for the cause. These are flawed people and the system is flawed, and yet piece by piece, the puzzle is being assembled. Can we win or will the terrorists succeed? Stay tuned.

Ten Years - Even Channing Tatum couldn't save this snoozer. It's ten year reunion time and tons of cliches to watch in this film. The premise is fine, but there's nothing original. Ten years out of high school, folks are hitting their stride in jobs, family, etc. Channing's thinking of popping the question to his girlfriend. But of course, at the reunion he meets his old flame. Will sparks fly? Then there's the guy who was the bully in school. He's still obnoxious, drinks too much, and tries to make amends with his past. Kareoke anyone? Ugh. Then there are the guys who hope to score, who still think they are cool and playing it like they are huge successes. Reality bites and truths are shared. Thumbs down, even with Channing Tatum as the star.

Pitch Perfect - Glee in a college atmosphere and the competition is fierce. This movie is fun and fluff with some great numbers. Anna Kendricks is humorous as a girl who doesn't want to be at the college her dad teaches. She wants to be in LA to make music and create. But she joins a music group and is drawn into the competition and tries to get the group current. Rebel Wilson, as Fat Amy, is a huge talent. Any scene with her is hysterical. You'll root for the girls and want to sing and dance along.

Brave - Another gem from Pixar. The animation is breathtaking in this tale of a Scottish princess who doesn't want a suitor. She wants to ride her horse, shoot arrows, and make her own decisions. However, the queen wants to maintain tradition, and the King is caught in the middle. Mirada, our red-headed lass, is a typical headstrong teen with plenty of angst. There are a lot of laugh out loud lines as she fights with her mother. However, when she runs away and gets a spell from a witch... well lessons are learned as our heroine has to break the spell and make amends with her mother and traditions. This film is suitable for family viewing and will amuse everyone.

I just started watching Netlix's production of House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey. The BBC version was excellent. So far, the American version is full of political intrigue, back-stabbing, and Spacey is appropriately sleazy and conniving.

So, What's in Your Queue??

February 2, 2013

Six-Week Countdown

heater groans

wallow in winter remnants

pilled sweatshirts

sinus sniffles

cough



curse

mythic groundhog



Actually - this poem is a myth. Today in Texas it was sunny and fairly warm. I wore my Ugg boots just because...in theory it's "winter".  I do have sniffles but it's due to early allergies. The mountain cedar has gone berserk and there's far too much junk in the air. I've avoided flu and did have the flu shot, so I anticipate being healthy. However, I grew up in PA and we (when students) revered the official pronouncement - six more weeks of winter - it incited groans and yet the hope for more snow days. Now, as an adult, I do not want ice days in Texas. 

We'll see what happens, but February somehow is the turning point. It gets a tad lighter each morning as we head to work and head home. In Texas, we rake a bit in the yard, trim dead branches, and think about pansies or even "When will the daffodils and tulips start budding?" Yes, it will be too early, and yet as we sorta wish our lives away, we do keep looking to tomorrow and tomorrow and the end of winter days.

Cheers! Let's toast winter with a cup of cocoa...um, add some Bailey's?? Sure.

Book Review: The 500

The 500, by Matthew Quick, was a nifty find. Combine political intrigue with heart-pumping action and money, lots of money, and you've got an entertaining read. Like Grisham's The Firm and Turrow's Presumed Innocent, The 500 has smart people doing bad things and twisting laws to make it happen.

Mike Ford, fresh out of Harvard Law School, lands a dream job at the Davies Group - powerful Washington consultants. Mike grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and knows cons when he sees them. At the Davies Group, he's witnessed the biggest power grab of all and must stop it.

He's in and now trying to get out. This could involve things he vowed to never do again - lie, cheat, steal - and this time, maybe even kill. (cover blurb)

The higher the climb, the harder - and deadlier - the fall. Get in on the secrets and root for Mike in The 500. He never had to work more in his life to live.

Just Kidding Around

 If you've read my book, My Zoo World, then you know I'm rather afraid of animals. So we visit son, Kevin and his wife Maria's ranch about an hour away. Three of the five dogs were ready to greet us.

 cousins, Makyla and Abby, ruled the road in the John Deere 4-wheeler.

 Yep, they have pigs, too.

 Yes, I chose to have a photo taken with the cutest kid. He could scamper like crazy and was adorable. No, I didn't accept kisses.

But baby goats turn into big goats - not so cute or pretty. It was quite a day in the country - mid-70s for January is unusual weather. Ray grilled burgers and we had a good family visit.  Oooh, maybe next time, there will be a pony ride.

Book Review - Junot Diaz' Latest

I'm not a bad guy. I know how that sounds - defensive, unscrupulous - but it's true. I'm like everybody else; weak, full of mistakes, but basically good. Magdalena disagrees though. She considers me a typical Dominican man: a sucio, an asshole.

Those are the opening lines from This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz. He won a Pulitzer for his previous work The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I really enjoyed this second book - a loose collection of stories involving Yunior, our young flawed hero who cheats on his women, and feels remorse afterwards.

Diaz has a strong voice and his humor shines through. You can tell he loves his characters but won't sugarcoat their intentions. From the cover blurb - the haunting, impossible power of love - obsessive love, illicit love, fading love, maternal love. Diaz covers it all with energetic, inventive prose. There's a hint of salsa as his words flow musically to expose the inevitable weakness of the human heart.

This is How You Lose Her is a joy to read. And yes, you'll forgive Yunior over and over again. Diaz knows how to tug at our heart.

Movie Review: The Impossible

The Impossible is freakin' unbelievable. Try to live through a tsunami. Way too much water just pounding every single thing until it dies.

Well, the Belon family manages to live - all four of them. Naomi Watts is up for an Oscar as Maria - the mother who manages to live through very life threatening surgeries. Her son, Lucas, played by Tom Holland sticks with her and manages to help others. Meanwhile Ewan McGregor (always excellent) survives with the other younger sons and ultimately is able to find his wife, son, and get them out of Thailand.

Even though you know it is a happy ending, you find yourself holding your breath, crying, and very fearful for this family. This is angst times twenty. Holy cow. It all looks good when they land at Christmas time. Then 12/26 the tsunami strikes and it becomes a crazy world. The force of water plus debris causes so much damage. The hospitals can't keep up with the trauma. You truly fear for Maria's life at so many points. Again, Lucas, the elder son, is such a good actor. You feel his fear and yet embrace his hope. When the family manages to all meet, you'll be using a pile of tissues.

The Impossible is exhilarating film making, with great acting, supeb water effects, and an amazing true story. I left waterlogged, in a good way. Happy ending, but to get there you must endure a tsunami..............whoa times a zillion. I truly can't imagine that Thailand is back to "normal". Wow!