"It Only Takes A Moment..."

Well,  finally watched WALL*E and loved it.  Missed it at the cineplex, so saw it on the intimacy of a TV.  From the opening until the end, I was mesmerized by this little robot.  If robots were human, he definitely would be innocent, naive, and a great friend to be with.  His curiosity about his environment and his little pet made him a lovable, likable new addition to the Disney/Pixar pantheon of animated heroes. He is a child in a candy store; aside from the critters who also inhabit Earth.  He is happy with his music, from an "obscure" musical.  I wonder why Hello, Dolly! was the film to represent humanity or the beings that WallE is curious to learn about?  Nonetheless, the scenes chosen from that film were fine.  Choreographer Michael Kidd would love WALL*E's attempt at "Put On Your Sunday Clothes." And to think this little robot is the caretaker for a deserted, ravaged Earth.  And when his future sweetheart arrives, she could care less about our little hero.  She was on a mission; without Wall*E's help, though, it would not have been a success.  Which brings us to what happened to humankind.  Not a pretty picture, but it is scary to see corpulent beings doing nothing but eating, sleeping and electronically entertained.  Hmm, time for a reality check?  But the human spirit is strong, as seen in the final scenes.  You set your mind to something, and you will achieve it.  I must admit I got teary eyed when our hero and his girl unite.  And to hear the song, "It Only Takes A Moment" sung by a young Michael Crawford and a beautiful Marianne McAndrew, only made the heart strings get tugged a tad harder. It is a sentimental love song from the somewhat golden age of Broadway show tunes.   Sure, it was a sappy moment, but it's fun to get sappy and teary eyed, no?  People will either love this film or hate it.   Loved it for its innocence and daring depiction of humanity in an artificial gravity environment that makes humans into Jabbas.  OK, watch it and enjoy it, for gosh sake's.  The animation is incredible, particularly the views of the ravaged Earth.  And the robots looked really real.  Walt Disney would be proud of this accomplishment.

"Out there, there's a world outside of Yonkers,

Way out there beyond this hicktown Barnaby

There's a slick town, Barnaby..."

Who'da Thunk?

Mild, meek, trusting Felix Gaeta...starting a civil war amongst the crew and citizens of the Colonial Fleet?  Wow!  What a great episode!  And did Adama even have an inkling?  No...I think he was caught by surprise as were many on the command deck.  Frustration?  Mad at Starbuck for her shooting his leg that he eventually lost part of?  Who knows where this is leading to?  How exciting to see how far this series has evolved.  Earth was just a teaser...the real story is survival out in space, looking for that elusive home.  So Gaeta took matters into his own hands and thus the revolution commenced.  And how about Vice President Zerick?  Richard Hatch probably is enjoying this darker Galactica without the campiness of the original.  When you think about it, it seems that only humans and Cylons are the only civilizations out there in the universe.  Nobody else.  How many will survive this uprising?  Too bad this series did not go to a 5th year, but maybe it's for the best.  Felix Gaeta...who'da thunk?

Betty La Fea

Last night's episode of Lost was wonderful.  As Alice said, "curiouser and curiouser."  I can understand why some people stopped watching the series due to all the flashbacks and introduction of new characters, but in a sci-fi/fantasy/adventure realm, isn't that part of the drama?  Speaking of drama, tonight is Ugly Betty.  Have not watched it since December, and being a "Betty Buddy" one has to watch.  The American incarnation of the popular Columbian soap is hilarious and has a great message to a lot of us...you may be "ugly" on the outside, but if people really look, beauty from the inside can transform into anything.  And dreams can come true.  The ensemble cast is fantastic and funny.  Watch it, if you have not done so, and you can escape and laugh about poor Betty's problems with familia, trabajo, and Amor!

"La la, la la!

You'll be popular, 

Just not quite as popular as ME!"

Perdidos

So, it is back to reality.  And tonight, it's back to that wonderful world of escapism.  The beginning of the new/mid season of LOST.   It's back, and after Battlestar Galactica this is one series that tackles the imagination.  Nothing major to write about it...just that it's one of my faves on the airwaves.  Sure hope that the mid-season is as riveting as the first half.  Few of my friends were fans, but lost interest due to the many plot entanglements.  But it is definitely a thought provoker.  Enjoy!

A New Beginning ...

It is the 20th of January.  An ordinary day on the calendar.  But to our Nation, and the world, it is a new beginning for not only citizens of the United States, but a day of hope for the citizens of the world.  It is Inauguration Day for the 44th President of the United States, Barack H. Obama.  Never in our wildest dreams would we have thought to have seen a man of color elected to become leader of a mighty nation.  Dreams do come through, through hard work, persistence, hope and faith!  Who knows, someday we may be celebrating the inauguration of a Latina or Asian woman!!

The well being of our nation is what we all desire.  It is going to take a lot of work and patience.  I believe the Obama administration will come through and our ills will slowly disappear.  It's that first step into getting things done that is the most difficult, but that first step will allow us to take that journey, bumpy as it may get, but we will reach our next destination.

So, here is to the future of our nation...the children, who now have a role model that proudly states anyone can make it to the top!  Work hard!  Persevere!

"What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial, national.  Love that casts a widening pool of light.  Love with need to preempt

 grievance."

Elizabeth Alexander / Inaugural Poem

If One Person...

One person can beat a drum

And make enough noise for ten

One person can blow a horn

And that little boom!

And that little blare!

Can make a hundred others care

If one person can hold a torch

And light up the sky again

And one little voice

That's squeaking a song

Can make a million voices strong

If one person can beat a drum

And one person can blow a horn

If one person can hold a torch

The one person can change the world

There may be an army of them

And only and handful of us

How can a poor little band

Try to fight a regime?

There may be a legion of them

And only a parcel of us

But it isn't the size of the fist

It's the size of the dream!

"One Person" from the musical Dear World

Music and lyrics by Jerry Herman

The 5th Cylon Was Not Dee

And the colonial fleet did make it to Earth.  But shocker of shockers...Earth was colonized by Cylons!   The 13th Tribe traveled across the universe and landed on Earth. Apparently a nuclear holocaust, similar to the conflagration that destroyed the 12 Colonies, occurred on Earth, presumably by the "toasters" developed on Earth. 

An archaeological dig discovered a different style of Centurion.  (What would Dr. Zachary Smith think of his homeworld now?...uh...sorry, wrong series!)  It's a pity we're down to the last 9 (as of now) episodes of this award winning and imagination capturing series. And who is the 5th Cylon?  Someone no one would have suspected.  So, do they leave Earth or remain?  We shall see...

 

Just who is the 5th Cylon?

Did the Colonial surivors reach Earth?  Hmmmm...or another planet that was ravaged by a nuclear or galactic catastrophe.  As the ads state, the truth will be known.  10 final episodes...the anticipation grows!  Long live Battlestar Galactica!

Why am I the darling of the BIM elite?

I first read about The Apple in Starlog, a science fiction magazine that began in the late 70s.  There was a brief paragraph describing a new film that would hopefully gain the cult status of another great rock musical, The Rocky Horror Picture Show."  Then, at Tower Records (Colombus and Bay store) I saw the soundtrack and purchased it.  Upon first hearing it, I was actually impressed.   Loved the music...a wonderful eclectic mix of rock, disco, ballads, showtunes.  A great film, I thought.  Of course, it did not have a theatrical release in the San Francisco Bay Area until I saw it on a Friday at night on CBS...a late, late, late movie!  Truth be known, I was enthralled, entranced and would now enjoy the songs knowing how they were placed in the film.  "BIM" is still a hard driving pop rock anthem that could have made its mark. (pardon the pun, if you saw it you'll know)

The actors, the majority of them, were brand new to me.  The only ones I recognized were Vladek Sheybal and Joss Ackland...the former a character actor in British films and Joss Ackland, "Juan Peron" opposite Elaine Paige's "Evita."  The others?  Newcomers, I supposed.  Never heard of them, but their performances were rather enjoyable.  George Gilmour, Alan Love, Grace Kennedy and Ray Shell.  Great to watch stars in the making.  Ray Shell did go on to become "Rusty" in the roller skating extravaganza, Starlight Express. 

 Which brings me to the character of "Bibi" portrayed innocently by Catherine Mary Stewart.  Hmmm, the name sounds so familiar.  Aha!  Night of the Comet!  Never could I connect her with The Apple.  Her character went from somewhat innocent to totally vulgar.  (She did know the name of the fashion designer Mr. Boogaloo had contracted.)  But, a graceful performance.  No matter how much she was tempted by Shake and Mr. Boogaloo, Bibi remained faithful to Alphie and to herself!!  

 The Apple is a fun film that has apparently become a cult-status flick.  It's so wonderfully bad that you're gonna love it or hate it!  I include it in my "love it!" category.  

Check it out.  Be tolerant of certain scenes.  Try to enjoy the music.  And as a child who colors outside the lines, enjoy the colorful visuals.  BIM's the only way!!

"Love, the universal melody...la la la la la la"

 

Planet X?

What can you say about this prophetic (?) film about two celestial bodies that will collide with our planet?  Of course, it is based on a novel written in the 30s.  But in light of the entire 2012 Mayan calendar/end of the world/new age of enlightenment/return to the home planet controversy, this film hits home.  How can humanity survive, but build spaceships that will accommodate 40 or so humans and some animals in a modern Noah's Ark.  And, microfilming the best of humanity's literature and science.   For a disastrous situation set in the 50s, humanity sure could construct a rocket that would survive the collision of the worlds.

For a 50s film, the SFX were pretty good for its day.  George Pal was a genius for his day.  But, I digress.  Two bodies are going to come into our solar system.  One body,  the star Bellus, will pass by the earth and cause cataclysms "beyond our mind's dimensions."  Earthquake, tsunamis, volcanos, etc.  Few surivors, probably.  Of course, the military around the world planet conducts a very orderly evacuation.  What's scary is that there are rescue missions or errands of mercy to help the survivors.  Why?  Earth is going to be eventually destroyed!  A few weeks later, Zyra, the new planet comes and collides with Earth and Ka Plowie!!!  Our heroes have left Earth on a rocket ship to land on Zyra.  What do they find there?  Well, there was no movie sequel, but there was a written one.  (alien civilization)

So, with the plot of this film in mind, consider the following...why are the Norwegians building vaults to save all the species of plants?  Supposedly the remake The Day the Earth Stood Still is a modern day warning that was OKed by our government...perchance Hollywood is performing a service to humanity by getting us ready for the big close encounter.  

It's fun to speculate and imagine what could happen.  Of course, Earth will sail on.  There might be changes on the surface, but humanity has a strong will to survive.  And we will.

"If our calculations prove to be correct, this will be the most frightening discovery ever made."

The Party's Over

Birthday #53 is offically

History!

The festivities began

Friday at work

With such a sumptuous luncheon

Enchiladas!  Fajitas!  Arroz y frijoles!

(together, in unison, "Oi veys")

Co-workers, nay, friends, made the day

A very special one...  

A heartful thank you to each and every one

The actual day was just as exciting

The weather sunny- not so biting

Had a great brunch with a dear, dear friend

Who is more like a brother

Who'll be there 

The rest of the day on the road

Just wandering like a troubader

In search of a song

Alone...yes, but accompanied by thought

What have I seen in 53 years?

Quite a lot already

And that's without beers!

It all started in 1956...don't remember that year clearly

But, not in any random order- people, events, times...

the Beatles, the Stones, and even Supremes

KYA-1260 *  KEWB 910 *  KFRC 610

The latter with the best DJ ever

Doctor Don Rose!

Huntley and Brinkly on nbc news

Walter Cronkite on cbs...that's the way it was

One Million Years B.C.  with Raquel Welch

SHE  with Urusla Andres

The 5 Planet of the Apes flix

the music, the passion

Not always in fashion

And it ain't the Copa...it was the 70s

Polyester bell bottoms and flares

Shirts to show off chest hairs

No bling...just a disco bunny

Eeee-gads...back then twas'nt so funny

1977- Star Wars and Close Encounters

Sci-fi no longer for geeks

The 80s and the aerobic craze...90 lbs lost

But slowly again gained

New job and new charges

More new friends who would become family

V with Jane Badler...what a gorgeous villain!

And what about Indy?

And 9ers going to the Super Bowls!!

The 90s...more reflective

Matriarchs of family slowing down

Family members getting married and moving away

Life's sunny days are becoming somewhat grey

97- we lost Tia

amazing lady- strict, bossy, but deep down a lovely lady

Who else but Tia could amaze my friends with her knowledge of

"Yimmy Taylor, los Beatos, la tina loca (Turner) y la Diana Roz"

Not quite "Lorens Welk" but tolerant of music

the 21st century

Somethings have not changed

World turmoil and economic panics

05- the loss of Mama at 101 + 9 months

A truly gentle woman

Taught me patience, love and faith

I miss her rice and beans and homemade tortillas

that's all for now...again, this blogging thing

For random thoughts, right?

If you've come this far, thank you for reading

I trust you've been inspired

Go and enjoy the world!!

Al tocarme sabras lo que es la felicidad

Un dia nuevo comenza ya

(If you touch me you'll understand what happiness is

 Look! A new day has begun)

An Amazing Journey Indeed

Have been watching this film a lot lately.  Is it the music with its driving rock and synthesizer rhythms?  Is it the outrageous and spectacular visuals that only Ken Russell could come up with?  Is it the stunning Ann-Margret in her Academy Award nominated performance as Nora Walker?

Is it Tina Turner's mesmerizing turn as the Acid Queen?  Whatever it is, it's a film that is no doubt in the "cult status" category.  Having heard the original concept album, I wondered how it could ever translate into film.  Well, when you're in high school, you think it can be done, but it is not a major concern until you are in college and want to be cool because you know all about the making of this film.

Visually it is a delight for the sense of sight.  The colors, the movement of the camera, the visual effects...definitely a product of Ken Russell's imagination.  I believe Ken Russell is a highly-charged reincarnation of Busby Berkley!  For the ears, the music when seen at the Northpoint Theatre, was loud due to the then high tech "Quintaphonic" sound.  4 speakers in the theatre and one more behind the screen...surround sound in the making.  

Perhaps the best sequence, IMHO, is the "Acid Queen" with Tina Turner.  Urban legend has it that Roger Daltry was scared during the filming of the scene.  It lasts 14 minutes and depicts a red, red acid trip.  Tina Turner is the Acid Queen.  She needed no prepping, as I am sure her concerts displayed the same rabid, intense energy she showed in the film.  

"Champagne" was written for the movie and is a very bizarre scene indeed.  Tommy's mother realizes that all the money Tommy has earned for his family is not worth anything.  (What's it all worth when my son is blind, He can't hear the music nor enjoy what I'm buying...)  The climax of the scene was worth the price of admission...the hurling of the champagne bottle into a big screen TV, and the frothing forth of detergent suds, chocolate and baked beans into a messy puddle of guilt.   And Ann-Margret writhing, swimming, cavorting in this tempestuous mess...what a visual treat!!!

But wait!  There's more.  Elton John in ginormous logger's boots; Eric Clapton as a Priest of the Order of Marilyn Monroe; Jack Nicholson as a doctor, and The Who themselves, Roger Daltry, Keith Moon, John Entwistle and Pete Townsend.  You have to see TOMMY.  It was a great midnight movie.  

"Today it rained champagne

A son was born again

A genius unchained

A life of wealth and fame

Wealth and fame!"

Inspirational At Best!

What a truly inspirational film! How can failure come from within? The educational system seems to be the failure. There are teachers who really do make a difference, and Erin Gruwell did make a difference to the teens she motivated to succeed. Sometimes it is necessary to go beyond the simple text books...to get the kids to think and reason and come up with their own solutions to life's problems. But sometimes new ways of teaching are frowned upon; stick to the traditional methods from the 20th Century. Kids need role models, aside from sports and entertainment figures. A teacher may not be the glamorous, bling-bling adorned person society treats respectfully. But dare to disagree with a student of any teacher and you will find the most daring adversaries to cross paths with. Whatever a teacher says is law and Lord knows how many dinner conversations are enthralling thanks to the new things a child has learned in a classroom.

I had great teachers...Sister Theresa Carmel in 1st grade who assured my mother that I would speak fluent English by mid-year. No need for ESL. Miss Hansen, my first "crush"- tall blonde from the perspective of a 3rd grader. Miss Weaver, who made history so exciting and even more exciting when she shared her photos of her trip to Europe in the summer of 1967. Sister Andrew Marie, who was my inspiration to enter the education field.

Br. Schmitz, who made English classes interesting, especially when he did his Paul Lynde impressions. Br. Loughran, who would treat Spanish classes with stories of bullfights in Madrid and Mexico; Mr. Barbieri, drama teacher extraordinaire. My love of theatre is due to the talents and genius of this man. Oh, the plays he directed while I was in high school: The Italian Straw Hat; Mame; The Madwoman of Chaillot; Oliver!; The Doctor In Spite of Himself; West Side Story.

In college: Dr. Bede and his charming tales of India during Western Civ; Dr. Tracy Kuhn, art history teacher who forever engraved the "Venus of Willendorf" into my mind; and lovely, dear Dr. Vogric and her teaching of Italian. She was the best Italian teacher ever...patient and humorous.

I could go on with this litany of educators, but think of the educators in your life? Who really impressed you? Who made you think? Who brought out the creativity in you and did not consider you weird or different?

Check out Freedom Writers and the story it tells about people who do make a difference to our young. Check out Conrack, Stand and Deliver, and other films about teachers. Be inspired...again.

"Open a new window, open a new door; Travel a new highway, that's never been tried before..."

PS: I'm still in Cathedral City thanks to my friends convincing me to stay one day more; going home tomorrow, the 3rd of January.

What's New, Cathedral City!

Today is my final day of vacation and visiting with my friends. This is my home away from home in December and the first week of June and hopefully during Easter break this year. A good friend once asked if there was life beyond Palm Springs. Showed her pics of malls and the homes, she was happy there was civilization beyond PS. Cathedral City may not be widely recognized as its neighbor, but it is definitely a hidden gem in the Coachella Valley. The weather today was a pleasant 70 degrees. For the uninitiated, the picture shoes Hiway 111, the main drag that starts in Palm Springs and ends in Indio. It is also known as the Sonny Bono Memorial Hiway. There are great eateries down here, too. One of my faves is "Manhattan in the Desert"... a great deli with sandwiches that may rival its namesake or Max's in San Francisco. The only thing about the Mexican cuisine, such as the burrito...it is quite different from its NorCal counterpart. When I order a burrito back home, it is loaded with everything from the salsa, to sour cream, guacamole...you get the idea. Here, it is basically the meat, beans and rice and salsa. Don't get me wrong, but it isn't quite the burrito one is used to!

New Year's Eve was very quiet. I love the night down here because you can actually see stars...I mean literally and universe full. The whole Palm Springs area has city light ordinances for the neighborhoods closer to the mountains. Trust me, the first time down here was kind of treacherous driving at night trying to find my friends's home. But the stars are amazing! Makes you think about your place in the universe...and what stars have habitable planets! I am hoping to see a UFO down here someday.

Well, mis querido readers, that's it for the first post of 2009. Everyone out there, have a splendid new year.

"And if ever I go to far, It's because of the things you are,

Beautiful town, I love you

And if I need a moment's rest, give your lover the very best

Really eiderdown...and silence"