Grandma

As I sit here on this last Sunday of March, a couple of things are going through my mind.  I'm thinking about this terrible Thomas Pynchon essay I wrote (which I don't want to look at anymore), baseball season starting, my friends, but the thing I'm thinking about most is my grandma.

Don't get the wrong idea.  My grandma hasn't passed on or anything, but she's been through a lot the past few months, breaking her hip when she fell down in February. I cried when I heard the news, and feared the worst considering her age (90 years old), but when I received the phone call with the news from my parents, she was alright; she just needed hip surgery, which she successfully got.

When I first visited her after the operation, it was at a rehab clinic in Brookline, MA.  I had no problem with the facility overall since the people there were nice, and very helpful, but I couldn't stand it.  Seeing so many elderly needing help was tough to watch, and I've had my own rough encounters with hospitals and clinics, so I know what it's like.  My grandma was cheerful when I saw her, which brought a smile to my face, but that quickly disappeared when I saw that she was in a wheelchair.  I know many elderly need wheelchairs and walkers to get around (my grandma even has one), but I was not used to seeing her in one, so hurt and so vulnerable.  The worst part was that because I speak limited Chinese, I couldn't say much to her, but she still understood what I was saying, and was glad I came in the first place.

That was the only time I've visited my grandma since I've been busy with school.  Recently though, I just learned that because of my grandma's injury, she will be staying with us at home temporarily (though, who knows how long that could be).  I can see how there are some disadvantages to that, but I'm glad she's staying with us because we can look after her, and I've missed her the past few years. I haven't been able to see my grandma much since she moved out of the house, so I'm glad she'll be close by, and I can be there for her because I love her, and wouldn't want anything bad to ever happen to her.  I've always thought that, but this experience opened my eyes to how real things can be.

The Start Of Baseball Season

MLB's "I Play" commercial getting me fired up for the start of baseball season

In less than 3 hours, Major League Baseball will kick off it's 2013 season with it's first game of the season, which is the the Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros.  It's not the most marquee match-up in the world, considering the Rangers have lost so many players (Josh Hamilton, Mike Napoli), and the Astros basically sold away their entire team, but I'm still excited for it.  The Rangers have Yu Darvish pitching, who is an American League Cy Young favorite, going against an Astros team making their debut in the American League after being in the National League for 50 years.  

This may not be the best game MLB could have picked to start off the season, but who cares?!  The wait is over, and baseball is back!  6 months since the last game of last season may not seem like a long time to people, but for me it is, which is why I am glad my favorite sport is finally about to begin.

A Taxing Day

You ever have one of those days where you don't do anything, yet you still feel taxed, or drained of energy?  That's exactly how I felt today, where all I did was stay inside, eat, and work on my essay.  Staying inside and eating was okay, but working on my essay sucked because it was on The Crying Of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon, which is one of the most confusing novels I've ever read.  I didn't do any actual writing today.  All I did was take notes on a database source I have to use for the essay, but even that took forever, and was almost as confusing as the novel.  I'm pretty worried about the next few days with my enormous workload, but I know I can get through it since I always have.  Here's hoping this essays isn't one of my worst ever though.

Reading Struggles

As an English major, one of the things I spend most of my time doing is reading.  For the most part, I enjoy it since the material is interesting, and it helps my writing, but sometimes, I can't stand it.  That's how I feel currently since I've just finished two novels.  One of them is The Crying Of Lot 49  by Thomas Pynchon, and the other is Democracy by Joan Didion.  Both are called great pieces of work by all, but I just don't get it.  I couldn't stand reading either novel, and constantly felt like giving up on them halfway through, but somehow, I got through them.

In terms of Pynchon, the problem I had with his novel (and all of his work, I might add) is that it didn't make any sense.  The plot alone is ridiculous, and there's so much given about characters, that you don't understand or care for them, if that makes sense.  Since I have to write an essay on the novel, I've reread some of it again; it's still confusing, but not nearly as bad as the first time, which gives me hope for my essay and skill as a reader.  Didion's novel is still boring to me though, so I have no plans to reread that again, which is a shame considering the premise sounded intriguing.

What I'm saying about these novels and writers is nothing new.  It's just something I wanted to get off my chest because reading these novels has made no sense for me.  Sure, it's cool to feel intellectual knowing authors and facts, but not when it's like this.  When reading is like this, it takes all the fun out of it.

Misogyny In Society

Recently, I was made aware of an situation that occurred on sports radio, where Ted Johnson, former New England Patriots linebacker, insulted ex-teammate Vince Wilfork's wife by calling her ugly.  It already looks bad enough as it is on the surface, but digging deeper into it, this situation is a small example of misogyny and it's role in society.

Misogyny, for those of you who don't know, is having an intense hate/dislike for women.  I'm not breaking any new ground by saying it's everywhere, but my question is why that's the case?  Women are human beings just like men, but that doesn't seem to make a difference to people.  No matter where I go, I can't escape someone criticizing them, whether it's on TV, the radio, or whenever I'm around people, and they're saying stuff like "Women suck at driving".  It just isn't right, especially when people are generalizing about things that may not be true.  People don't like it when it happens to them, so I don't think they should be doing it to women specifically, especially when we all have faults. 

I'm not saying misogyny is wrong just because I'm a feminist; I'm saying it's wrong because it causes a lot of negativity, and takes away the importance of women in society.  This isn't the 18th and 19th century when women had no roles.  This is the 21st century, where women can do anything now, and they deserve to be respected for it.

College Basketball

When I was in high school, one of the things that could get me more excited than anything was college basketball.  People back then used to ask me why I found it so interesting, but my reply to them was, what wasn't interesting about it?  The games were exciting, the fans were passionate, and there were so many teams, that you could really choose who to root for, compared to pro sports, where you mostly root for the home team.  I was excited for every game, but the March Madness tournament was the best because anything could happen.  Yes, I used to love college basketball and March Madness, but as I've gotten older, I've realized that's just not the case anymore.

Why do I feel this way?  To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure.  The easy explanation would be that pro sports leagues like the NBA are just that much better, but I don't think that's the case, especially when there are so few teams that compete for a championship.  It could be because so many athletes turn pro earlier, but I don't think that's the cause either since I still found college basketball entertaining back then even without the biggest names in the world.

So why do I really feel this way, in a year when college basketball was/is at it's most exciting?  I think I feel this way because I'm in college, and being in college takes all the fun out of watching college basketball.  When I was in high school, I could choose everything for myself, but now that I'm in college that isn't the case.  Everyone wants you to be supportive of your school, but since I don't believe in "giving" in to the machine, that will never happen, which is a shame since college basketball is still a great product.  School, why does it always have to take the fun out of everything?

Celebrities Going to Social Events

 

The most recent celebrity video

For those who don't know me that well, one thing you may not know about me is that I didn't go to my Senior Prom.  At the time, it was sad for me because I wanted to go, and had a few girls I really wanted to ask, but as I look back now, I wonder what the big deal was?  It's just a dance, not the decider of our lives.  I can see why people think so highly of it though, especially in high school, where social events matter.

This gets me to celebrities.  Within' the past few months to years, I've seen countless of them asked out to social events from Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, to Kate Upton most recently.  And while I think it's sweet that a regular person like you or me has their fantasy date fulfilled, something about it seems wrong.  I don't have anything with asking celebrities overall because who wouldn't want to go out with a celebrity, but I think that there are normal people who are just as deserving.  Like with Kate Upton being asked out recently (I posted the video above because I found it interesting and entertaining).  The guy in it seems nice enough, and obviously went to a lot of effort to ask Kate Upton out, which I commend him for, but are you telling me he couldn't ask someone he knew out to prom?  Why did it have to be her?  I understand Kate Upton is famous and very attractive, but there have to be attractive girls at his school he could ask.  And hypothetically, what if someone he knew actually liked him?  Then she would feel crushed that this guy is using all of his time on a supermodel instead of her.  Prom may of been a long time ago for me, but if I had a choice to go again, I can think of a few regular people I would be fine going with. 

First Day Of Spring

Today or yesterday is the first day of Spring, depending on how you look at it.  Usually, I don't care much for Spring since I can't stand the rain, the forwarding of clocks an hour, the insects, etc, but this year, I can't wait for it, because Winter has sucked.  It's given me three snow days, which has been nice, but it's caused hell for me, so all I can say is, see you next year Winter.  Spring is here, and it'll be here for awhile.

Drug And Alcohol Use For Creative Means?

Drugs and alcohol are everywhere in society.  People use them for social interaction and for fun, but for creative means?  That is the question I'm posing in this blog post.  As an English major, I've read/heard work by authors who claimed that alcohol helped their work, from beat writers to Edgar Allan Poe, but does it work?  There are other authors I know who would dispute the claim, but it's not just limited toward literature.  In music, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and others used drugs when writing music, while film directors like Martin Scorcese made Raging Bull when he was on cocaine.  So does it really work?  I don't know since I've never touched drugs and alcohol in my life, but I wonder what you all think.  Do drugs and alcohol help the mind creatively?

Jeff Green For Kendrick Perkins: The Trade Revisited

The Then

Yesterday, the Boston Celtics failed to end the Miami Heat's 22 game winning streak, falling to them 105-103.  They were up by as much as 17 points, but couldn't stop Lebron James, who had a dominant game with 37 points/7 rebounds/12 assists/2 steals/2 blocks, and a thunderous dunk over Jason Terry.  Not lost from the game though, was Jeff Green, the soft spoken Celtics bench player, who had 43 points/7 rebounds/2 assists/2 steals/4 blocks.  The game was Jeff Green's best game of his career, and something we Celtics fans have been waiting to see since Danny Ainge pulled the Kendrick Perkins for Jeff Green trade three seasons ago.  At the time of the trade, Celtics fans thought it was a huge mistake, but now, they are still beginning to reap the rewards.  Was the trade still bad, even with things the way they are now?  I say no.

The Celtics trade with the Thunder wasn't terrible for various reasons.  First of all, they were building for the future, which is a must in the NBA with young teams and superstars like Lebron James or Carmelo Anthony.  Yes, the Celtics had The Big Three at the time, but their team was old that year.  Jeff Green gave them the scoring and youth they lacked so much.  Secondly, Kendrick Perkins had no value that year.  He got a few rebounds, and gave defensive toughness, but he was injured for most of the year, and he wanted money that he didn't deserve.  The Oklahoma City Thunder benefited with him one year, but they still haven't won a title with him, and he does next to nothing.

I'm not saying that the trade had no ramifications because it did, but in the long run, the Celtics won that trade.  They got Jeff Green, a younger player with much more upside.  Sure, they had to overpay him on his contract extension, and he had open heart surgery, but that just made him stronger/better.  Kendrick Perkins on the other hand is doing nothing for the Thunder now besides taking money.  He was so bad at one point that the Thunder were thinking of amnestying him because he wasn't worth the money he got.  Because of his contract, that made the Thunder unable to keep James Harden, so they traded him.  All the naysayers can say the Celtics made a bad trade, but at the end of the day, they added someone better, while the Thunder lost someone better.  And while Kendrick Perkins can't/won't improve, Jeff Green can and will.

The Now

Spam

I'm in the minority on this, but one food I really enjoy (probably to the surprise of many) is Spam.  Spam is that canned meat that comes in the blue can/tin.  There are many dislikes about it like not knowing all the ingredients, the taste, texture, and high sodium content, but I think those attacks are unfair, and here's why. 

In terms of the not knowing all the ingredients, you don't know lots about the food you eat, so why focus on Spam?  At least they give some ingredients.  You may not like the taste or texture of Spam, but that's the beauty of it.  Spam is so versatile that it can be eaten in so many ways, either fried, boiled, or even in sushi, which they do a lot in Hawaii.  The only legitimate attack of Spam is that it does have a lot of sodium, but newsflash, it's meat.  Like deli meat or any other canned meat, it's going to have a lot of sodium in it, so you just need to use your head to know whether or not to eat it.

As you can see from the picture above, Spam has been around for 75+ years.  It's thought lowly of by most  people now, but it didn't used to be like that during WWII, when all soldiers could eat was Spam when they couldn't get fresh food delivered.  It's funny how the image or thought of a food product can become so negative dramatically.  I'm not saying it's for everyone, because it isn't (especially if you have problems with blood pressure), but don't judge it without trying it yourself.  You might be pleasantly surprised. 

Spring Break

Spring break is usually something I look forward to because it's a break from school, and it gives me a chance to hang out with friends, but this year, my spring break wasn't like that since my friends had a different spring break than me.  This wasn't the first time it's been like that, so I wasn't too down, but I was disappointed that I couldn't see my friends.  To me, a break doesn't feel like a break when I don't see people or do anything.  Instead, it feels like a long weekend, which isn't bad, but it doesn't feel the same.  To make things worst, I wasn't very productive over this break, and the weather was terrible with snow and harsh winds. 

I may not like school that much, but for once, I'm glad to go back just to get my mind straight.  Because I'm going back, and my friends just started break, I just wanted to wish them all a Happy and safe break!  My break may not have been great, but I hope theirs is.

Zoom

As a child, one of the shows I used to watch frequently was Zoom.  I'm not sure why that was since there were other shows on at the time, but I think I was drawn into all the experiments the kids did on that show, and the fact I could relate to them being a child myself.  When I was in elementary school, I had a chance to be on Zoom since they were holding auditions to find the next group of kids, but like an idiot, I didn't try out.  Looking back, I should of though because who knows what would have happened?  Plus, it would have been cool to be on TV.

So why am I posting about Zoom?  Because I was looking up stuff on Youtube and Wikipedia one day and was brought back to memories of my youth.  Zoom may not have been the greatest or best show at the time, but like TV back in the day, it was better than the stuff on now.

Wes Goes West Into The Sunset

Over the years, I've been accustomed to my fair share of athletes leaving being a Boston/New England sports fan from Pedro to Ray Allen.  Now you can add Wes Welker to that list because as of yesterday, he is now a member of the Denver Broncos.  He signed a 2 year/12 million dollar deal, which is a steal when you consider his production the past few seasons, which is more than some elite receivers.

• 2007-2008: 16 games played, 112 catches, 1175 yards, 10.5 yards a catch, 8 touchdowns
• 2008-2009: 16 games played, 111 catches, 1165 yards, 10.5 yards a catch, 3 touchdowns
• 2009-2010: 14 games played, 123 catches, 1348 yards, 11.0 yards a catch, 4 touchdowns
• 2010-2011: 15 games played, 86 catches, 848 yards, 9.9 yards a catch, 7 touchdowns
• 2011-2012: 16 games played, 122 catches, 1569 yards, 12.9 yards a catch, 9 touchdowns
• 2012-2013: 16 games played, 118 catches, 1354 yards, 11.5 yards a catch, 6 touchdowns

I know that some people will go against these stats since Wes Welker played with Tom Brady, or only plays slot receiver, but stats are still stats.  Wes may not be Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald, but he deserved to be paid for everything he's done for the New England Patriots (even if he didn't win). The fans are angry at him for leaving to go the the rival Broncos and Peyton Manning, but the Patriots didn't want him back, disrespecting him with a 2 year/10 million dollar deal, so if you should be angry at anyone, direct your anger toward the Patriots organization.  They've done this with athlete's before like Ty Law, Richard Seymour, and Randy Moss, so this should come as a surprise to no one.

I'm not trying to rip on the Patriots organization because I am a fan of their team, and I like Robert Kraft, but this is a mistake on management (Bill Belichick).  When your star quarterback Tom Brady restructures his contract so you can resign players, you sign his favorite receiver, and offer him a contract he deserves (not the BS deal they offered yesterday).  New England fans, I know you're hurt, but don't be bitter; it just makes everyone look bad.  So, let's just congratulate Wes Welker on his new deal, and thank him for the past 6 seasons in New England because they were spectacular, and something we'll never see again.

Thanks for the memories Wes!

Another Win For The Kings!

We Sacramento Kings fans have had it rough this past season with our team struggling to win games, and the cloud of whether our team is moving to Seattle or not, but for one night, we Kings fans can enjoy a dominating win over one of the top teams in the NBA, the Chicago Bulls.  The Kings beat the Bulls 121-79, and yes, you guys are reading that score right.  The Kings decimated the Bulls from start to finish, and while Bulls fans may defend themselves by saying they didn't have Derrick Rose, the Bulls defense (ranked #1 in the NBA) didn't have it tonight.  Here are some things I highlighted from tonight's game.

• Tyreke Evans had his best game of the season with 26 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block.  He shot efficiently and did everything well overall.  Some people are down on Tyreke because his stats aren't there every night, and he's lackadaisical on defense sometimes, but I think he's having a fine season because his overall game has improved, and he's playing despite personal issues and injuries.
• The Patrick Patterson trade for Thomas Robinson still makes me scratch my head, but I loved his play tonight.  He started for Demarcus Cousins and nearly had a double-double, stretching the floor, and playing good defense.  If he plays this way all the time, then I think this deal in retrospect won't look so bad.
• Isaiah Thomas is slowly making a name for himself as one of the best up and coming point guards in the league, which is great to see considering he was the last pick in the NBA draft a few years ago, and he just seems like a nice, hardworking guy.
• The bench played together tonight, which was a sound sight.  If only they could play like that every night, but I understand everything is a work in progress.  Still, it was nice to see.
• Games for the Kings that include 17 assists to 5 turnovers will lead to wins most of the time.

Yes, I know I'm getting excited over one game for a team that isn't going to the playoffs this year, but I don't care.  The game was entertaining, and displayed the potential of what the Kings could be (and they didn't even have DeMarcus).  Of course, in the NBA, this is just one game.  The Kings played great against the Bulls, but now it's time to look ahead.  Next stop is LA against the Los Angeles Lakers, and I can't wait!       

Bond, James Bond: My 7 Favorite And Worst Theme Songs

I just got my copy of the Best Of Bond...James Bond CD in the mail today from Amazon.  Usually, I never buy CD's since I love movies more, but $9 for all the James Bond theme songs (besides Skyfall) was too good a deal to pass up.  As I was listening through the whole CD, I was amazed at how I remembered all the theme songs, which movies they came from, etc.  There were a lot of theme songs I really liked, but there were also some I also really disliked, so I feel prompted to do another bunch of lists.  In honor of 007 himself, here are my 7 favorite and worst theme songs, which was tough to make with all the criteria I could have used, but I just ranked them based on how they made me feel, so there's no writing this time.  Just enjoy the music.

Now, here are my 7 favorite songs...

7. Live And Let Die by Paul McCartney & Wings from Live And Let Die

6. Thunderball by Tom Jones from Thunderball

 5. The World Is Not Enough by Garbage from The World Is Not Enough

 4. Goldfinger by Shirley Bassey from Goldfinger

  3. For Your Eyes Only by Sheena Easton from For Your Eyes Only

 2B. James Bond Theme by the Monty Norman Orchestra from Dr. No

2A. On Her Majesty's Secret Service Theme by the John Barry Orchestra from On Her Majesty's Secret Service

1. Nobody Does It Better by Carly Simon from The Spy Who Loved Me

I know I cheated and have 8 songs on that list, but I couldn't leave off the definitive theme song of the series, so forgive me.  All these songs sound great, but now, here are the 7 theme songs that I think are the worst...

7.  Tomorrow Never Dies by Sheryl Crow from Tomorrow Never Dies

6. From Russia With Love by Matt Munro from From Russia With Love

5. The Man With The Golden Gun by Lulu from The Man With The Golden Gun

4. Another Day to Die by Jack White & Alicia Keys from Quantum of Solace

  3. Die Another Day by Madonna from Die Another Day

 2. The Living Daylights by a-Ha from The Living Daylights

1. A View To A Kill by Duran Duran from A View To A Kill 

Post On Sundays

One scene I remember from the first Harry Potter film is the scene when Uncle Vernon is happy that they don't deliver mail on Sundays, only then to be bombarded with letters all over the place.  I'm thinking about that scene because I've been waiting for stuff to come from Amazon for the past few days.  I know that in time, the stuff will come, but it would be cool if they delivered on Sunday because then it would make things come quicker, give the post office more work, etc.  I know that will never happen since Sunday is a relaxed day to people, and the post office is suffering so badly, that they are even thinking about stopping mail on Saturdays, but delivering mail on Sundays would give more meaning to the last day of the week. 

The Suckiness Of Snow

Usually, I'm a fan of the snow if it's light, airy, fun, and during the Christmas season, but I cannot stand this f*****g snow a week before spring break!  Yes, I know it's March, and this is New England, so this can happen, but c'mon!  I mean, we just got through a blizzard and now this, 6-10 inches of snow.  They might as well bury me cause I am sick of snow! 

Believing In The Celtics

 

The Celtics pulling off their latest miracle win

Rajon who...?

That's what a lot of Celtics fans, including myself have been thinking or saying since Rajon Rondo went down vs the Heat on January 27.  When he went down with that ACL injury, everyone thought the Celtics chances of winning this year were over because even with him, they were still losing.  But somehow, like always under Doc Rivers, they find a way to win.  Whether it's with Kevin Garnett's defense, Paul Pierce's facilitated role, or Avery Bradley and Jeff Green stepping up, they always find a way to stay strong during rough times.  Even when Jared Sullinger and Leandro Barbosa went down, they didn't panic.  They just got Terrence Williams and Jordan Crawford.  I know, not the sexiest names in the world, but they're both two young, athletic guys, which is something the Celtics have been lacking for awhile.  Now, I'm not saying they're going to beat the Heat or Thunder and win the NBA title, but their chances look much better now than before.  And in a series against them, anything can happen.  I didn't think they were better without Rondo before (I even vouched they keep him), but now through inspired team play and wins, I believe they are.

Mi Examen De Espanol

This morning, I had a Spanish test that was half written and half oral.  I wasn't looking forward to taking it since I suck at languages, but I wasn't entirely worried, since I studied hard the previous nights, and was used to the test format from previous ones.  I just forget things easily sometimes, especially when it comes to speaking languages. Don't believe me, you can ask my mom.

To make a long story short, I took the test and did better than I expected.  The written part stumped me a little since I mixed some things up, but I think I did alright.  The surprising thing was that I did really good at the oral portion.  Now, there's no way for me to verify for sure since break is about to start, but I felt pretty good handing in my test.  Something I couldn't have said after the first one.

I still have one more test and final that will be the same format as these previous tests (barring any major changes).  Despite knowing what they'll possibly be like, I know that when the time comes, I'll be nervous for it like I always am.  Why am I saying this then?  I guess to prove a point not to be nervous for things like this because sometimes you can surprise yourself.  Whenever I take tests, usually I lower my expectations so that I'll feel better if I do better than expected.  Now that this experience has happened though, maybe it's time to raise my expectations because I always expect high expectations from myself, no matter what the language is.

The Weekenders On DVD!

(L-R) Lor, Tino, Tish, and Carver

Today is the day ladies and gentlemen, when one of my favorite shows of all time, The Weekenders, comes out on DVD.  The show, which told the lives of four kids, was great because of it's plot, fluid animation, and humor, like the kids always eating at a new pizza place every episode, or Tino's mom serving him weird food.  Not to mention, the show had a kick ass theme song sung by the Wayne Brady.  When the show first aired, it was so popular, that it was labeled "The Show That Killed Pokemon" because it aired at the same time-slot as it and stole all the ratings.  I have yet to order the volumes of the series yet since I'm having a hard time finding it, and I'm low on funds, but once I have enough, you know how I'll be spending my weekends.

Last Tango In Paris

Last Tango In Paris (NC-17)

Grade: D+

• Directed by: Bernardo Bertolucci
• Produced by: Alberto Grimaldi
• Screenplay by: Bernardo Bertolucci, Franco Arcalli, and Agnes Varda (French Dialogue)
• Starring: Marlon Brando (Paul), Marie Schneider (Jeanne), Jean-Pierre Leaud (Tom), Massimo Girotti (Marcel), Veronica Lazar (Rosa), Maria Michi (Rosa's Mother), Catherine Allegret (Catherine), Darling Legitimus (Concierge), Gitt Magrini (Jeanne's Mother)
• Cinematographer: Vittorio Storaro
• Music by: Gato Barbieri
• Distributed by: United Artists
• Released: December 15, 1972 (US)
• Running Time: 129 minutes/2 hours and 9 minutes
• Language: English, French

I know what you're thinking as you look at this poster with two people being intimate with each other.  What the hell is this film about, am I right?  Well, whether I'm right or not about how you feel, that basically describes how I felt after watching "Last Tango In Paris".  The film, which is described as an art house film, stars one of the greatest actors of all time, Marlon Brando, in a great acting performance, but even he can't save this film.

Brando plays a man named Paul, who mourns the death of his wife after she has committed suicide.  He goes to rent an apartment, where he meets a woman named Jeanne.  They have an instant attraction to each other, causing them to have sexual relations.  It's supposed to be a one time thing, but they like it so much, they want to keep on doing it.  The only catch is that they can't tell each other any personal information about themselves, not even their names.  Because of that, the film explores their relationship, and the difficulty trying to maintain these rules. 

The only positive I saw in this film was Brando's performance, which was enigmatic and polarizing.  We see two sides of Brando in this film, which are very interesting.  There's a positive, sexual, aggressive side that we see whenever he's with Jeanne, and we see a man in true agony when he mourns the death of his wife.  It's no surprise Brando nails it since the man was/is a legend, but it's a shock seeing the extent to which his feelings are magnified.  There's a great scene where Brando gives a soliloquy of sorts to his wife's body.  He pours all his emotion into that speech, and even though he's acting, it feels like everything he's saying is real.

In terms of the negatives, I don't know where to begin.  The pacing is long, which always bothers me for any film, but for this film especially, I could feel it.  I know the film had to give time to develop relationships and to show the past, but it didn't have to be this slow, especially when most of the dialogue is confusing.  The thing that really hurt this film though, and I mean REALLY hurt this, was the Jeanne character.  Marie Schneider did a good job acting and had good chemistry with Brando, but as a feminist, I was appalled at one scene that had sodomy in it.  I won't go into any more detail, but I was really offended by it, so this film took a huge hit because of that.

Bernardo Bertolucci is one of the most intriguing directors I've ever seen.  A film like this is really personal and focuses on relationships and psyche, but I've seen other films by him like "The Last Emperor", which is made on the grand scale.  The latter film is more my type compared to this which is art-house and misogynistic in some ways.  I'm not one to judge though.  Even though I didn't like this movie, and was disappointed in it because of all my expectations doesn't mean I don't think you would enjoy it.  It's just not for everyone as the rating and poster suggest. 

Waxed Dental Floss

As someone who is both Obsessive Compulsive and with germophobia, I'll never complain about anything that helps my body hygienically, but one thing I dislike is waxed dental floss.  Dental floss in general is a good thing, I know, but waxed dental floss is just annoying.  Since it's thought of to be "special", they give less floss, make it smell a certain way, and make it so hard to grab onto.  After you use it for awhile, the floss breaks.  I know this can happen for any dental floss, but waxed ones are worse, especially since they do give less and charge more for it.  I know my teeth are very important to live, but I wish there were better/easier ways of keeping them clean. 

Chris Paul For MVP!

CP3 doing what he has always done, lead a team.  But he never seemed to get enough publicity in New Orleans

Chris Paul has been one of my favorite players in basketball ever since I saw him play college ball at Wake Forest.  When he was entering the draft, I was hoping the Celtics could get him somehow, but I knew it was impossible considering where they were slotted.  History being what it was, he was picked by the New Orleans Hornets and had some great years there.  He won Rookie of the year in 2005-2006, and even had an MVP type season in 2007-2008 when he lost to Kobe Bryant (an award I think he still should of won).  He got injured, and slowed down a bit in 2009-2010, but came back strong the next season almost upsetting the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.  After that season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers and made an impact instantly with Blake Griffin and their young nucleus.  He had a good first season with them, but they lost badly in the playoffs.  This season still has quite a few games left in it, but if you ask me, the MVP of the season isn't LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Tony Parker, it's CP3.

Many of you reading this may think I'm bias picking Chris Paul for MVP, but I don't think I'm wrong in doing so.  Yes, LeBron is having his best season by far numbers wise (One we've never seen before), Kevin Durant is scoring for a top Thunder team, and Tony Parker has the Spurs as the top team in the West, but look at the role Chris Paul plays.  He plays point guard, which is the most vital position in the league, is one of the top assist men, top steals guy, etc.  His numbers aren't up there with LeBron or Kevin Durant, but they play with other superstars on their team, which makes things easier.  LeBron has Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and Ray Allen while Kevin Durant has Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka.  Yes, Chris Paul has Blake Griffin, but he's overrated in my opinion.  He's a scorer, but all he can do is dunk, and he's not even averaging 10 rebounds a game this year.  This is the season when Chris Paul has mattered the most, and it's not just his numbers, it's the team's numbers.

The Clippers play better with Chris Paul leading their offense and defense, and they win more games with him.  Look at the numbers.  When Chris Paul was healthy, the Clippers were leading the NBA in wins, but when he got injured, they plummeted.  Yes, this could happen with any team, but it hasn't with the other teams, and even if it did, they have other superstar's, so that just makes Chris Paul's value larger.  Plus, he is being such a great leader on and off the floor.  I know you could say that for a lot of players, but Chris Paul mentor's all the young players on his team, which is vital for any team's growth.  The knock on Chris Paul may be that he's been too injured for MVP considerations, but the numbers don't lie.  The Clippers are better with him, and are a true threat to any team for that NBA gold as long as he's at the helm.  And in the end, isn't that what MVP is all about?

CP3 has been captain of the Clippers ship this year.  When he's healthy, they're tough for anyone to beat

Viral Videos

Whenever I'm on Youtube and see a video that has lots of views, I wonder how it can go from just a popular video one night to viral video/overnight sensation the next?  It doesn't make much sense to me because sometimes it can be something legitimate like Susan Boyle's "I Dreamed A Dream" to stuff that's bad like Rebecca Black's "Friday", Carly Rae Jepson's "Call Me Maybe", etc.  There's no formula!  You can tell from my writing that I don't find viral videos amusing, but that's only because they're fads and really stupid! 

People have no originality anymore because they never like anything themselves anymore.  They only like what other people like, which is a shame since when they do that, they take away a part of themselves that makes them unique.  Added onto that, they waste a lot of time watching or listening to the same thing over and over again, when they could be doing something productive.  I know viral videos aren't going anywhere anytime soon, but I really wish they would. I love Youtube, but all their recommendations for viral videos like "Harlem Shake" are starting to get on my nerve.  I'm a human being, and I can make my own decisions myself!

Reading Rainbow

Recently, when I visited my friends, one of the topics that came up was books and reading.  My friends were saying how much they disliked books, and how they never read for fun because school has taken all the fun out of reading.  I laughed after hearing what my friends said, but then I thought about it.  I agree with what my friend's said that reading isn't what it used to be when I was a child, but it's something I'll never hate because it's a part of who I am, and part of what I want to be when I'm older.  I can tell most people in society don't agree with me though since they'd rather do other things.  And if they do want to read, it's all electronic now, which can be distracting.  When something like this happens, I think of Reading Rainbow, the show by Levar Burton and wish it was still on.

As a child, Reading Rainbow was influential to me because it was the first thing that introduced me to books.  I watched it long before I was in kindergarten, and because they actually read books on the show, it was like I was reading with them.  Levar Burton, the host and creator of the show made reading fun and interesting for me.  Back then, I liked him because I thought he was cool and knew he was in Star Trek, but looking back, it was much more than coolness that made him appealing.  He had a serious dedication to want to help children, and he was a good human being like Mister Roger's.  His show may of been simple, and all he may of done was read "real books", but that was the appeal of it like.  Someone was introducing reading to us, and letting us discover it as children, which was very exciting. 

This isn't a post to discount e-books or doing other things like playing video games because I think anything that stimulates the mind is good, but I remember when reading used to be widespread, and children read more books than played video games.  Times are obviously different now, but one important difference is that there's no more Reading Rainbow to influence a new generation of children.  Hopefully, as I get older, children will read more because it's starting to become a lost art.