The other night Private Practice had a character on who was having trouble having sex. She had remained a virgin until marriage, but when it came time to do the deed, she experienced much pain.
I can totally relate to this. I have endometriosis. I waited until marriage. Getting examined "down there" is, well, OUCH! And sometimes sex is too.
The actress who played the character did a great job. It was a very real portrayal of what I have experienced during those oh-so-personal examinations.
Kate Walsh's character, however, was written poorly. I've never had a doctor be surprised at my decision to wait until marriage. Maybe they believed me, maybe they didn't. But still, they would never react the way Addison did.
Anyway, the overall episode was great! I'm so glad this show recovered from its first episode! This is quickly becoming one of the best shows on TV.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Cell Phones and Brain Cancer - Be Careful About The New Study
My dad died of brain cancer. So when I heard about the new study that say cell phones cause brain cancer, I got miffed. The new study suggests that people who use cell phones for more than ten years are at increased risk for brain cancer.
My dad didn't use a cell phone all that often. And he didn't use one for more than ten years.
Another problem is that the study appears to be suggesting that the brain cancers are slow growing. I have a slow growing cancer - follicular thyroid cancer. I've been treated but never cured. The cancer inside of me isn't large enough to treat. It's not detected on scans. It just shows up in blood work. It increases every year. At the rate of growth, I'll be "ready" to have another treatment in about 3 years. If I didn't have the treatment, I could probably live a good 30 more years anyway.
My dad's cancer killed him 18 months after being detected. And when it was detected, it was very very small.
But there's so many other questions:
1. Why not bone cancer, skin cancer, thyroid cancer, or head and neck cancer? You hold your cell phone in your hand and close to your face. You keep your cell phone in your pocket! Where's the increased prostate, testicular, ovarian and cervical cancers?
2. How much cell phone use causes the brain cancer? An hour a day? A few minutes per day?
3. Are the rates of brain cancer overall increasing? If so, why? Is it because medical technology is better at detecting them? Is it because cancer awareness has increased? Or is it cell phone use?
My dad didn't use a cell phone all that often. And he didn't use one for more than ten years.
Another problem is that the study appears to be suggesting that the brain cancers are slow growing. I have a slow growing cancer - follicular thyroid cancer. I've been treated but never cured. The cancer inside of me isn't large enough to treat. It's not detected on scans. It just shows up in blood work. It increases every year. At the rate of growth, I'll be "ready" to have another treatment in about 3 years. If I didn't have the treatment, I could probably live a good 30 more years anyway.
My dad's cancer killed him 18 months after being detected. And when it was detected, it was very very small.
But there's so many other questions:
1. Why not bone cancer, skin cancer, thyroid cancer, or head and neck cancer? You hold your cell phone in your hand and close to your face. You keep your cell phone in your pocket! Where's the increased prostate, testicular, ovarian and cervical cancers?
2. How much cell phone use causes the brain cancer? An hour a day? A few minutes per day?
3. Are the rates of brain cancer overall increasing? If so, why? Is it because medical technology is better at detecting them? Is it because cancer awareness has increased? Or is it cell phone use?
Boston Legal Gets It Wrong About Abstinence
Boston Legal used data from a crappy study to support its statements about abstinence during tonight's episode.
This study made news about a year and a half ago because it claimed that virginity pledgers have the same rate of STD diagnosis as non virginity pledgers.
The problem is that the data is based on 21 people. 21 people were determined to be "high risk" because they engaged in anal sex without vaginal sex. These are 21 people out of a sample of over 14,000!
When you look at the larger sample, virginity pledgers are less likely to engage in sex (anal, oral, or vaginal). And those who do break their promise, engage in sex less frequently. Virginity pledgers are, overall, at lower risk for developing an STD.
They are also at lower risk for:
- Depression
- Attempted Suicide
- Children Out of Wedlock
- Live in Poverty
- Depend on Welfare
- School Expulsion
- Dropping out of School
In the episode, Alan represents a 15 year old girl who sues her school for teaching abstinence-only education, because she had unprotected sex and ended up with HIV.
In the fantasy world that is Boston Legal (and Alan Shore's perfect record), the girl wins and is awarded $750,000.
It's kind of ironic. The school taught Abstinence-Only education in order to receive federal funds (Don't worry, the Democrats will undo that in 2009).
Now they will need to rely on those federal funds even more because they're going to have to cough up $750,000.
And with the pathetic state that government education is in these days, it's a shame that Alan Shore would feel good about such a victory, but he did. And then he had casual sex in an elevator with a colleague. Hope he had a condom. They certainly missed an opportunity to provide the education they so desperately want public schools to provide.
I don't think this case would hold up in court. Why didn't the girl sue her sex partner, her parents, or even certain Hollywood starlets? Why not sue condom companies for figuring out a way to get her to buy their product?
This girl didn't want to take responsibility for her actions. She knew that unprotected sex could lead to HIV. Certainly, her abstinence-only education taught her that. And yet, she made the choice to have sex anyway.
By the way, did you know that a majority of both parents and students believe that abstinence should be taught in high school sex ed?
And call me crazy, but I want to be the one to teach my kids about sex. You want separation of church and state? Then you can't teach my kid that safe sex is ok. Because that imposes on my religion.
This study made news about a year and a half ago because it claimed that virginity pledgers have the same rate of STD diagnosis as non virginity pledgers.
The problem is that the data is based on 21 people. 21 people were determined to be "high risk" because they engaged in anal sex without vaginal sex. These are 21 people out of a sample of over 14,000!
When you look at the larger sample, virginity pledgers are less likely to engage in sex (anal, oral, or vaginal). And those who do break their promise, engage in sex less frequently. Virginity pledgers are, overall, at lower risk for developing an STD.
They are also at lower risk for:
- Depression
- Attempted Suicide
- Children Out of Wedlock
- Live in Poverty
- Depend on Welfare
- School Expulsion
- Dropping out of School
In the episode, Alan represents a 15 year old girl who sues her school for teaching abstinence-only education, because she had unprotected sex and ended up with HIV.
In the fantasy world that is Boston Legal (and Alan Shore's perfect record), the girl wins and is awarded $750,000.
It's kind of ironic. The school taught Abstinence-Only education in order to receive federal funds (Don't worry, the Democrats will undo that in 2009).
Now they will need to rely on those federal funds even more because they're going to have to cough up $750,000.
And with the pathetic state that government education is in these days, it's a shame that Alan Shore would feel good about such a victory, but he did. And then he had casual sex in an elevator with a colleague. Hope he had a condom. They certainly missed an opportunity to provide the education they so desperately want public schools to provide.
I don't think this case would hold up in court. Why didn't the girl sue her sex partner, her parents, or even certain Hollywood starlets? Why not sue condom companies for figuring out a way to get her to buy their product?
This girl didn't want to take responsibility for her actions. She knew that unprotected sex could lead to HIV. Certainly, her abstinence-only education taught her that. And yet, she made the choice to have sex anyway.
By the way, did you know that a majority of both parents and students believe that abstinence should be taught in high school sex ed?
And call me crazy, but I want to be the one to teach my kids about sex. You want separation of church and state? Then you can't teach my kid that safe sex is ok. Because that imposes on my religion.
Practicing Muslimism
Last night, I watched the pilot episode of Aliens in America. It revolves around a Chippewa Falls family who signed up to house a foreign exchange student in order to help their outcast teenage son, Justin. But their beliefs are put to the test when a Pakistani teenager, Raja, arrives at their home.
The mom is determined to send Raja home based on her stereotyped understanding of Arabs. Justin doesn't want this because he's come to like Raja, who befriends him unconditionally.
Eventually, the mom caves when she learns that Raja's parents both died the year prior.
Mixed in with this heartwarming plot was some outrageous humor. The writers pulled no punches. Every stereotype about Arabs was taken to the max.
Aliens in America airs Monday nights at 8:30pm on the CW.
The mom is determined to send Raja home based on her stereotyped understanding of Arabs. Justin doesn't want this because he's come to like Raja, who befriends him unconditionally.
Eventually, the mom caves when she learns that Raja's parents both died the year prior.
Mixed in with this heartwarming plot was some outrageous humor. The writers pulled no punches. Every stereotype about Arabs was taken to the max.
Aliens in America airs Monday nights at 8:30pm on the CW.
'Reaper' Pilot is Thought-Provoking
Ok, so the new CW show 'Reaper' didn't make my list of New TV shows I'm watching this season, but my husband is a big Kevin Smith fan (he's a producer of the show), so naturally he watched it this evening.
The show revolves around a guy whose parents sell his soul to the devil.
The devil, in turn, wants the guy to retrieve souls that have escaped hell and return them.
Ironically, his efforts actually produce good for the community. Tonight's escaped soul was starting fires around town and destroying homes. Once he was retrieved, the fires stopped.
This brings up a bunch of theological questions:
1. How good do you have to be to get into heaven?
2. How bad do you have to be to get into hell?
3. Who decides what is good and what is bad?
4. If you do some really bad stuff, could you ever do enough good stuff to redeem yourself?
5. Why would the devil want to bring evil souls back into hell instead of letting them wreak havoc on the earth?
I'm a Christian, and so I believe that Jesus saves us from hell and leads us to heaven (for those who believe).
But I don't believe it blindly. I've given considerable time to thinking about each of these questions. The thing is, we're not good enough to get into heaven. And that's more a statement of how good God is.
C.S. Lewis compared it to men trying to jump to the moon. Sure, some people will jump higher than others, but when we're talking in terms of the moon - then no one is really jumping all that high.
In the same way, no human can really be good enough to get to heaven. But God didn't leave us hanging. He lets us go to heaven if we believe in him.
Now, it's tempting to think that you just have to believe in God. It could be Judaism or Islam or Buddhism. But that's not so. When you dig deeper into any other religion, you realize that it's all about what humans can do to make humans good. But humans can't achieve the God- level of good.
Christianity is different. It's solely based on faith in Jesus. The church doesn't always paint a clear picture of this. It can seem like Bible studies and prayer meetings and communion and all the rest are rituals that make us good. But no one makes us good but God.
By the way, another interesting aspect of the devil in this show is how nice he can be. It's hard to be deceitful without being attractive first. You have to draw people in. And that's why we have to be careful with what we're told and taught. It could be a wolf cloaked in sheep's clothing.
The show revolves around a guy whose parents sell his soul to the devil.
The devil, in turn, wants the guy to retrieve souls that have escaped hell and return them.
Ironically, his efforts actually produce good for the community. Tonight's escaped soul was starting fires around town and destroying homes. Once he was retrieved, the fires stopped.
This brings up a bunch of theological questions:
1. How good do you have to be to get into heaven?
2. How bad do you have to be to get into hell?
3. Who decides what is good and what is bad?
4. If you do some really bad stuff, could you ever do enough good stuff to redeem yourself?
5. Why would the devil want to bring evil souls back into hell instead of letting them wreak havoc on the earth?
I'm a Christian, and so I believe that Jesus saves us from hell and leads us to heaven (for those who believe).
But I don't believe it blindly. I've given considerable time to thinking about each of these questions. The thing is, we're not good enough to get into heaven. And that's more a statement of how good God is.
C.S. Lewis compared it to men trying to jump to the moon. Sure, some people will jump higher than others, but when we're talking in terms of the moon - then no one is really jumping all that high.
In the same way, no human can really be good enough to get to heaven. But God didn't leave us hanging. He lets us go to heaven if we believe in him.
Now, it's tempting to think that you just have to believe in God. It could be Judaism or Islam or Buddhism. But that's not so. When you dig deeper into any other religion, you realize that it's all about what humans can do to make humans good. But humans can't achieve the God- level of good.
Christianity is different. It's solely based on faith in Jesus. The church doesn't always paint a clear picture of this. It can seem like Bible studies and prayer meetings and communion and all the rest are rituals that make us good. But no one makes us good but God.
By the way, another interesting aspect of the devil in this show is how nice he can be. It's hard to be deceitful without being attractive first. You have to draw people in. And that's why we have to be careful with what we're told and taught. It could be a wolf cloaked in sheep's clothing.
'The Kingdom' is the Most Balanced Terrorism Film to be Released this Fall
UPDATE: I was wrong about some of the thing I said in this post! Yeah, I'm admitting it. Read my updated thoughts here.
A couple weeks ago I caught a sneak preview of 'The Kingdom' directed by Peter Berg. The film revolves around the bombing of a US military base in Saudi Arabia in 2003. A small FBI team travels to the Middle Eastern country to investigate the crime.
In the film, both the Saudis and the Americans learn to cooperate in order to find the terrorists. The Saudis don't want to admit that it might be one of their own citizens and impede the investigation at the beginning. But then they realize that it is in their best interest to cooperate.
The most powerful part of the film is when the orchestrator of the operation is found. This top guy and his family first appear as a peaceful Saudi family. All the terrorists underneath him in his organization were more rogue and easier to detect. It was stellar imagery on just how difficult it is to determine just who is behind terrorist acts.
It reminds me of school aged bullies. In order for bullies to work, they have to put forth a mixture of being nice and being mean. The confusion prevents their victims from recognizing what they're really all about.
Terrorists are bullies to an exponential degree.
Berg does insert his own politics into a couple of places, but nothing terribly overt. He suggests that the American consumption of oil is the reason the terrorists are against us, though history proves that terrorism has been around since before cars and oil were commodities.
Berg also seems to believe that our desire to protect oil in the Middle East is a bad thing. And on the basis of that belief, he tries to demonstrate that the United States is no different and certainly no better than the terrorists themselves. It's really a shame that so many people believe that.
But if you look a little closer, it's easy to see that even these arguments don't hold up well. In the beginning of the film, Berg presents his audience with a limited historical timeline of the relationship between the U.S. and the Middle East. The timeline suggests that we originally went to the Middle East to search for water.
What if cars were powered by water and therefore were environmentally sound? We might still have an interest in the Middle East and the terrorists would still target us.
This only demonstrates that political issues require more depth of thought than typically offered up by mainstream culture. It's easy to say that Bush was a liar or Pelosi isn't accomplishing anything, but the truth is that politics and lawmaking and foreign policy have no easy answers.
Still, The Kingdom will demonstrate how difficult these issues are more than I anticipate upcoming war-related films will. In seeing the trailers and reading reviews about 'Rendition', 'The Valley of Elah', and especially 'Lions for Lambs' (which Berg appears in), it seems Hollywood will once again be exposing its left-leaning politics. I wouldn't have a problem with this except for the lack of films offering up other perspectives. Even if right-leaning films were produced, they would be accused of being propaganda for the administration.
It would just be really nice if we could cool the harsh rhetoric on all sides and dig a little deeper into the issues instead of just assuming the worst about people we disagree with.
On a lighter note, the cast of 'The Kingdom' did a phenomenal job. Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner gave us the performances we've come to expect from them. Jason Bateman brought his funny guy stuff until he was captured by the terrorists - and then WOW - what an incredible performance! Piven was himself and it was funny. It's nice to have a little comic relief in such a dark subject.
I will give Berg credit for a mostly balanced film. I read that he was trying to produce a balanced film with this effort. The scales still tipped a bit left for me, but overall he did a phenomenal job.
A couple weeks ago I caught a sneak preview of 'The Kingdom' directed by Peter Berg. The film revolves around the bombing of a US military base in Saudi Arabia in 2003. A small FBI team travels to the Middle Eastern country to investigate the crime.In the film, both the Saudis and the Americans learn to cooperate in order to find the terrorists. The Saudis don't want to admit that it might be one of their own citizens and impede the investigation at the beginning. But then they realize that it is in their best interest to cooperate.
The most powerful part of the film is when the orchestrator of the operation is found. This top guy and his family first appear as a peaceful Saudi family. All the terrorists underneath him in his organization were more rogue and easier to detect. It was stellar imagery on just how difficult it is to determine just who is behind terrorist acts.
It reminds me of school aged bullies. In order for bullies to work, they have to put forth a mixture of being nice and being mean. The confusion prevents their victims from recognizing what they're really all about.
Terrorists are bullies to an exponential degree.
Berg does insert his own politics into a couple of places, but nothing terribly overt. He suggests that the American consumption of oil is the reason the terrorists are against us, though history proves that terrorism has been around since before cars and oil were commodities.
Berg also seems to believe that our desire to protect oil in the Middle East is a bad thing. And on the basis of that belief, he tries to demonstrate that the United States is no different and certainly no better than the terrorists themselves. It's really a shame that so many people believe that.
But if you look a little closer, it's easy to see that even these arguments don't hold up well. In the beginning of the film, Berg presents his audience with a limited historical timeline of the relationship between the U.S. and the Middle East. The timeline suggests that we originally went to the Middle East to search for water.
What if cars were powered by water and therefore were environmentally sound? We might still have an interest in the Middle East and the terrorists would still target us.
This only demonstrates that political issues require more depth of thought than typically offered up by mainstream culture. It's easy to say that Bush was a liar or Pelosi isn't accomplishing anything, but the truth is that politics and lawmaking and foreign policy have no easy answers.
Still, The Kingdom will demonstrate how difficult these issues are more than I anticipate upcoming war-related films will. In seeing the trailers and reading reviews about 'Rendition', 'The Valley of Elah', and especially 'Lions for Lambs' (which Berg appears in), it seems Hollywood will once again be exposing its left-leaning politics. I wouldn't have a problem with this except for the lack of films offering up other perspectives. Even if right-leaning films were produced, they would be accused of being propaganda for the administration.
It would just be really nice if we could cool the harsh rhetoric on all sides and dig a little deeper into the issues instead of just assuming the worst about people we disagree with.
On a lighter note, the cast of 'The Kingdom' did a phenomenal job. Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner gave us the performances we've come to expect from them. Jason Bateman brought his funny guy stuff until he was captured by the terrorists - and then WOW - what an incredible performance! Piven was himself and it was funny. It's nice to have a little comic relief in such a dark subject.
I will give Berg credit for a mostly balanced film. I read that he was trying to produce a balanced film with this effort. The scales still tipped a bit left for me, but overall he did a phenomenal job.
Peter Berg Speaks Honestly and Intelligently About the Middle East
The other day, I gave my thoughts about the movie The Kingdom. I assumed that Peter Berg was extreme left like the majority of Hollywood. While I still don't know Berg's overall political beliefs, I was very impressed with what he said when interviewed by Chris Matthews. You can read the transcript here. (Full transcript on Matthews site available Mon @ 3pm).
Berg made the following points (and I offer up my response):
1. Not all Saudis hate America.
This makes sense to me. Since Americans are the largest consumers of oil, shouldn't they love all the $$ we send their way? Still, there are Saudis who do hate us, of course. But not for the reason you might think.
2. Arabs hate us for making nice with Israel - not because of oil.
After watching the Kingdom, I was left with the impression that Berg believed that Arabs hated us over oil. But I was mistaken. In fact, I didn't pay close enough attention to the opening timeline of the movie because I assumed it was a bunch of liberal talking points that always come out of Hollywood.
But I went and re-watched the intro online. (Do yourself a favor and go see the entire movie in theaters.)
Berg established that American compounds were built in Saudi Arabia because of the Arab-American relationship formed after oil was discovered. It was a win-win for everyone. Until we formed an alliance in the 70s. Enter the oil embargo.
But the oil embargo lasted less than a year. Eventually, rogue dictators and terrorists would resort to kidnapping, an invasion of Kuwait, and terrorism. But it's because of our relationship with Israel.
3. The Arabs do not like each other.
Berg said that Saudis don't like Iraqis and neither do Kuwaitis. And the UAE, a very safe and wealthy country, doesn't like any of them. Oh - and they all hate Iran.
4. The war in Iraq has helped more than hurt our relations in the Middle East.
What???? I'm not sure Bush would even say that. But again, Berg's opinion is resounding with me. Arabs, even more than Americans, knew what Sadam Hussein was capable of. My guess is that they don't get all wrapped up in the WMD thing. Sadam was a problem and he's gone. This makes me think that if other countries would just get on board, a strong Iraq could emerge. But it's not that easy, is it? There's so much history and a strong dislike for Iraq remains.
Berg may anti-war. He may be a liberal. I don't know. But when he speaks intelligently instead of just blatant, angry accusations, he earns my respect. Suddenly, it doesn't seem necessary to label him. Instead, it seems necessary to listen to him.
Berg made the following points (and I offer up my response):
1. Not all Saudis hate America.
This makes sense to me. Since Americans are the largest consumers of oil, shouldn't they love all the $$ we send their way? Still, there are Saudis who do hate us, of course. But not for the reason you might think.
2. Arabs hate us for making nice with Israel - not because of oil.
After watching the Kingdom, I was left with the impression that Berg believed that Arabs hated us over oil. But I was mistaken. In fact, I didn't pay close enough attention to the opening timeline of the movie because I assumed it was a bunch of liberal talking points that always come out of Hollywood.
But I went and re-watched the intro online. (Do yourself a favor and go see the entire movie in theaters.)
Berg established that American compounds were built in Saudi Arabia because of the Arab-American relationship formed after oil was discovered. It was a win-win for everyone. Until we formed an alliance in the 70s. Enter the oil embargo.
But the oil embargo lasted less than a year. Eventually, rogue dictators and terrorists would resort to kidnapping, an invasion of Kuwait, and terrorism. But it's because of our relationship with Israel.
3. The Arabs do not like each other.
Berg said that Saudis don't like Iraqis and neither do Kuwaitis. And the UAE, a very safe and wealthy country, doesn't like any of them. Oh - and they all hate Iran.
4. The war in Iraq has helped more than hurt our relations in the Middle East.
What???? I'm not sure Bush would even say that. But again, Berg's opinion is resounding with me. Arabs, even more than Americans, knew what Sadam Hussein was capable of. My guess is that they don't get all wrapped up in the WMD thing. Sadam was a problem and he's gone. This makes me think that if other countries would just get on board, a strong Iraq could emerge. But it's not that easy, is it? There's so much history and a strong dislike for Iraq remains.
Berg may anti-war. He may be a liberal. I don't know. But when he speaks intelligently instead of just blatant, angry accusations, he earns my respect. Suddenly, it doesn't seem necessary to label him. Instead, it seems necessary to listen to him.
Lovin the New Foo
The new Foo Fighters album came out this past Tuesday. They're my favorite band, so naturally I pre-ordered it on iTunes. The cd is called Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace.
The music is a bit toned down compared to previous efforts. Perhaps it reflects Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins settling down and becoming dads. There's more acoustic guitar as well as influences of 70s rock, southern rock, and even Ben Folds.
The Foo also gives its loyal fans the type of songs that have drawn us in for years. Great rock songs that build the energy until they resolve in walls of sound. I can't get enough.
My husband and I are going to see the Foo Fighters in concert this Friday. It's my third Foo show (read my review of a Foo Fighters concert here), but the first for my husband. We can't wait.
The music is a bit toned down compared to previous efforts. Perhaps it reflects Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins settling down and becoming dads. There's more acoustic guitar as well as influences of 70s rock, southern rock, and even Ben Folds.
The Foo also gives its loyal fans the type of songs that have drawn us in for years. Great rock songs that build the energy until they resolve in walls of sound. I can't get enough.
My husband and I are going to see the Foo Fighters in concert this Friday. It's my third Foo show (read my review of a Foo Fighters concert here), but the first for my husband. We can't wait.
Pushing Daisies is The Best Thing to Happen to Television in a LONG Time!
Pushing Daisies is without a doubt the best new show on television. I'm not sure I can do this show justice by writing about it. You have to watch it.Writing - INCREDIBLE - the best out there across both film and tv
Cast -STELLAR - great chemistry, strong performances, and solid emotion - oh my!
Set Decoration - WOW - a pure fantasy land where your imagination can run wild
This show is CINEMATIC! It's like watching a movie - except it's a television series. This show makes me feel happy and inspired. And yet the comedy is decidedly dark.
What's it all about? A guy who has the ability to bring dead people back to life simply with his touch. But there's a catch. If he touches them again, they go back to being dead. And if he doesn't touch them again within 60 seconds, someone else dies.
So he uses his power to find out who killed murder victims in order to collect the reward. But don't worry, he's not completely heartless.
By the way, he does bring back to life his childhood sweetheart, but doesn't have the heart to let her go again. So a crooked funeral director dies and she stays alive. But despite their romantic attraction, they can't touch.
Simply whimsical, simply wonderful. If you're not watching, you might want to go searching for your imagination.
If you missed it, don't despair. It's airing again Friday night at 8pm on ABC. Set your Tivo/DVR/VCR (if you're old school)
Welcome Back to Television, Isaiah Washington!
I was glad to see Isaiah Washington guest starring on last night's Bionic Woman. Yes, Isaiah screwed up. News Flash: We all screw up. The difference is Isaiah did it in front of people and the rest of us usually do it behind people's backs. But let's not pretend that the ability to hide our judgements and gossip makes it any better.Moving on, I'm glad that someone had the balls to hire Isaiah Washington. He is a fantastic actor. Very compelling. His performance was so good that I hope he joins the cast, which is currently quite WHITE, I might add.
Seeing Isaiah reminded me of the gaping hole left in the cast of Grey's Anatomy. The departure of both Kate Walsh and Isaiah Washington was painfully obvious last week. And a fresh batch of first year interns certainly didn't make up for it. Just how long does Grey's plan on being a "victim" of Mr. Washington? Kudos to him for moving on. Hopefully, his public gaffes are a thing of the past.
What President Bush REALLY Vetoed Today
Democrats are complaining about President Bush vetoing a bill that would have expanded government healthcare for children. But let's be clear. President Bush didn't veto funding for healthcare for poor kids. The supporters of the bill were trying to expand it for families who make $40,000 to $80,000 a year!
Instead of complaining, lawmakers need to go back to the drawing board and shore up a bill that will truly provide healthcare for those who need it most. Stop pretending the middle class is poor!
Instead of complaining, lawmakers need to go back to the drawing board and shore up a bill that will truly provide healthcare for those who need it most. Stop pretending the middle class is poor!
Friday, August 10, 2007
Cool video from Feist
This music vid looks like one long shot with amazing choreography. Check it out...
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Eric Volz Podcasts from Prison
Recently, Eric Volz recorded a podcast from the payphone in the Nicaraguan prison. Click here to listen.
Also, a newspaper reported on July 31 that a decision on Eric's appeal will be given in two weeks. Let's pray that justice is finally served!
Stay up to date on the case:
Friends of Eric Volz
Free Eric Volz on MySpace
Also, a newspaper reported on July 31 that a decision on Eric's appeal will be given in two weeks. Let's pray that justice is finally served!
Stay up to date on the case:
Friends of Eric Volz
Free Eric Volz on MySpace
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Are you a talent, lifer or mandarin?
I'm a Talent!
You're a risk-taker, and you follow your passions. You're determined to take on the world and succeed on your own terms. Whether in the arts, science, engineering, business, or politics, you fearlessly express your own vision of the world. You're not afraid of a fight, and you're not afraid to bet your future on your own abilities. If you find a job boring or stifling, you're already preparing your resume. You believe in doing what you love, and you're not willing to settle for an ordinary life.
Talent: 62%
Lifer: 46%
Mandarin: 28%
Take the Talent, Lifer, or Mandarin quiz.
Three Things Wrong with Transformers
1. When the mom thought Sam was masturbating in his room. Hello? I brought my nine and ten year olds to see the movie. Yeah, I know it was rated PG-13 - but there are TOYS being sold around this movie. It was funny for adults, but added nothing to the movie. Save those scenes for movies like Superbad.
2. Cleavage. Ah yes, hot girls saving the day. And they have large boobs. I've got news for you. When large robots are attacking the world, you don't want some rail-thin actress who only eats carrots because the studios won't give her the gig unless she does saving your ass. You want women with a little meat on their bones. A little junk in the trunk. And I'm flat out tired of Hollywood perpetuating this message. Would the movie make less without cleavage? No. There's too much action geek adventure going on to keep the dudes away.
3. Sam and Mikaela making out on the hood of Bumblebee at the end of the movie. By this time, Bumblebee was like their friend. I know some of you hornballs out there would think this is cool, but for the rest of us - who goes around making out while laying on their friends?
HOWEVER, This movie rocked even with these flaws. My kids never asked what masterbating is and my husband loves me despite my "imperfect" (according to Hollywood, anyway) figure. It would be nice in the sequel to have better women as the heroes. But I won't hold my breath.
I really did love this movie and have bought my son stickers, tattoos, and the junior novel. Transformers is one of the better toys out there. And I much prefer the good vs. evil concepts (like in Spiderman as well) rather than all that weird crap from Yu Gi Oh and Pokemon.
So, not that you need my recommendation - but go see Transformers. This is a film actually worth the price of admission.
2. Cleavage. Ah yes, hot girls saving the day. And they have large boobs. I've got news for you. When large robots are attacking the world, you don't want some rail-thin actress who only eats carrots because the studios won't give her the gig unless she does saving your ass. You want women with a little meat on their bones. A little junk in the trunk. And I'm flat out tired of Hollywood perpetuating this message. Would the movie make less without cleavage? No. There's too much action geek adventure going on to keep the dudes away.
3. Sam and Mikaela making out on the hood of Bumblebee at the end of the movie. By this time, Bumblebee was like their friend. I know some of you hornballs out there would think this is cool, but for the rest of us - who goes around making out while laying on their friends?
HOWEVER, This movie rocked even with these flaws. My kids never asked what masterbating is and my husband loves me despite my "imperfect" (according to Hollywood, anyway) figure. It would be nice in the sequel to have better women as the heroes. But I won't hold my breath.
I really did love this movie and have bought my son stickers, tattoos, and the junior novel. Transformers is one of the better toys out there. And I much prefer the good vs. evil concepts (like in Spiderman as well) rather than all that weird crap from Yu Gi Oh and Pokemon.
So, not that you need my recommendation - but go see Transformers. This is a film actually worth the price of admission.
I saw Transformers last night!
Last night, my husband, our two kids and myself headed out to the Brier Creek movie theaters for a "sneak preview" of Transformers.
Our experience started off with DRAMA as there was a bomb threat - yes a BOMB THREAT! - at the theater.
I must say, that Raleigh police leave a lot to be desired when it comes to security issues. They wouldn't let anyone through the front door, but you could stand next to the theater on the sides and apparently that was no problem.
Anyway, the movie WAS AWESOME. Easily the best thing Hollywood has produced in years.
There was action/adventure mixed with some incredible comedy. The plot was solid, the writing was excellent, the ensemble cast - John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Bernie Mac - i wasn't a Shia Lebouf fan before but I am now!
There were so many camera shots that I loved. And when the Transformers transform - it is pure and utter AWESOMENESS.
Still there are a few flaws, which I will cover in my next post.
Our experience started off with DRAMA as there was a bomb threat - yes a BOMB THREAT! - at the theater.
I must say, that Raleigh police leave a lot to be desired when it comes to security issues. They wouldn't let anyone through the front door, but you could stand next to the theater on the sides and apparently that was no problem.
Anyway, the movie WAS AWESOME. Easily the best thing Hollywood has produced in years.
There was action/adventure mixed with some incredible comedy. The plot was solid, the writing was excellent, the ensemble cast - John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Bernie Mac - i wasn't a Shia Lebouf fan before but I am now!
There were so many camera shots that I loved. And when the Transformers transform - it is pure and utter AWESOMENESS.
Still there are a few flaws, which I will cover in my next post.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Eric Volz: Appeals Process and News Coverage
Appeals Process
The judge who convicted Eric Volz has turned the court papers over to the appellate court. That court by law has six days to hold a formal hearing. I have not heard whether that hearing took place. After that, the court is allowed five days to issue a verdict.
News Coverage
The case of Eric Volz was featured on Dateline on NBC as well as Andersoon Cooper 360 on CNN.
For more info:
Friends of Eric Volz
Free Eric Volz on MySpace
Technorati:
eric volz, 
nicaragua, 
justice, 
injustice
The judge who convicted Eric Volz has turned the court papers over to the appellate court. That court by law has six days to hold a formal hearing. I have not heard whether that hearing took place. After that, the court is allowed five days to issue a verdict.
News Coverage
The case of Eric Volz was featured on Dateline on NBC as well as Andersoon Cooper 360 on CNN.
For more info:
Friends of Eric Volz
Free Eric Volz on MySpace
Technorati:
eric volz, nicaragua, justice, injustice
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Isaac Heckert, bass player and brother in yet another music video
My brother, Isaac Heckert, an LA-based bass player was recently cast in another music video. This time it was the video for "All She Wrote" by Ross Copperman. Good song. Check it out.
Technorati: ross copperman, isaac heckert, music videos
Technorati: ross copperman, isaac heckert, music videos
Monday, April 02, 2007
Defend the Cinekids
Once upon a time, my kids did a podcast called Cinekids. We've canceled the podcast b/c it gets so much traffic and we really do not want our kids to become cewebrities. Unfortunately, despite it's popularity, some guy named Lou over at 10 Zen Monkeys decided to name Cinekids as the 2nd worst video blog of 2006.
He's using crappy info - such as comments and subscribers on YouTube. Josh only posted a couple of the episodes on YouTube, the rest were posted elsewhere (Google Video, etc).
Traffic continues to grow despite the fact that no Cinekids episodes have been posted in months. Additionally, the kids were excited to do the video blog and still want to do it even though we say no.
Still, it's important to me to defend my family. Click here to defend the Cinekids.
He's using crappy info - such as comments and subscribers on YouTube. Josh only posted a couple of the episodes on YouTube, the rest were posted elsewhere (Google Video, etc).
Traffic continues to grow despite the fact that no Cinekids episodes have been posted in months. Additionally, the kids were excited to do the video blog and still want to do it even though we say no.
Still, it's important to me to defend my family. Click here to defend the Cinekids.
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