The odd title of this blog comes from my favorite movie, The Shawshank Redemption. Recently, a friend asked me why that particular movie. I thought for a second and said, "because it is about hope". I have thought about it many times...for some reason...since I was asked. Why in the world is my favorite movie about a man wrongfully accused of a crime and sent to prison? A movie that includes horrible abuse of the prisoners by the guards, corruption, prison rape, murders and suicides. WOW...when I put it like that, it does seem like a downer of a movie to pick. BUT...the story is really about two people who, despite where they came from, end up as friends in a very unlikely place. It is a story of how we react to our circumstances and choices we make in those circumstances. Do we have hope when all seems lost or do we drop our head and think hopeless thoughts? So, yeah, I like it because it is about hope.
I hope you have seen the movie. If you haven't, you are really missing out. It is based on a short story by Stephen King and starts with the murder of a rich bankers wife and her mistress. The banker is wrongly convicted of the crime and sent to Shawshank prison. The banker, Andy, is played by Tim Robbins. The entire story is narrated by Red, the man that will become Andy's closest friend in Shawshank. Red is played beautifully by Morgan Freeman. The Shawshank Redemption did poorly at the box office and, even though it was nominated for multiple Oscars, it won no awards. It is unfortunate that it shared an Oscar season with Forrest Gump!
Anyway, humor me and watch a few of my favorite scenes. Also, PLEASE know before you watch that this movie is rated R and does contain harsh language.
This is a scene where Andy, who has access to certain things because the warden is using him to run his illegal business, plays Mozart to the prison.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azWVPWGUE1M
Andy telling Red where he wants to go if he gets out of prison. This scene is where the name of my blog comes from...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp22Q866-O8
After Andy takes his leave, he sends Red a message...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWi1fgJ5Wl8
Red then comes up for parole...again. Morgan Freeman does a wonderful job in this scene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtwXlIwozog
Before Andy takes his leave of the prison, he tells Red to go to a certain field if he ever gets out. There will be something buried there for him. I wish I could find the scene where he tells him but I can only find the scene of Red going to the field after he gets out of prison. Also, this person's clip ties together two scenes on hope. The first is right after the Mozart scene above and then it jumps to Red in the field Andy tells him to go to. It is a bit confusing but it has that hope message loud and clear...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWUfFwoe8ko&NR=1
There you go, a few scenes from my favorite movie. There's a lot more to it...Andy building a library at the prison, doing taxes for the guards, cooking the books for the warden, his escape and many others. I suggest you rent the movie.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
A Pirate's Life For Me...
I made the cut for
Pirates Fans First!
With this great honor, (which was probably also awarded to a few other pirates fans) I get some cool behind the scenes stuff! Check out this bit of fun from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides which opens May 20th!
Behind the Scenes on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 
This time around, the good Captain will go up against the pirate that all pirates fear...Blackbeard! Blackbeard seems to have taken The Black Pearl and is off making trouble. Poor Jack! His ship is stolen...again...by Barbossa and then stolen by Blackbeard! It's hard to catch a break when you are a pirate but Jack always seems to come out on top. Apparently, Jack has also had some type of relationship with Blackbeard's daughter, Angelica. Honestly, what woman hasn't he had some type of relationship with if given the opportunity?!
It is almost time for Captain Jack to be back! I'm excited! Are you? You'd better be. You're either with the Captain or against him and things don't go well for those who choose the other side...remember Davy Jones?
So, mark your calendars because the good Captain is back May 20th! Thursday, April 21, 2011
He's Back...
Can't you just smell the popcorn? I sure can! It is almost that time of year again. NO...not the time when I whine about stuff again. Geez!Summer blockbuster movies...and this year brings back my favorite Captain! Johnny, I can't say I LOVED The Tourist but I have HIGH hopes for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides! You are rid of those dead weights, Will and Elizabeth, so now you can have some real fun!
OK, so those first three movies were suppose to be Elizabeth's story according to the writers. How can that be when you are the star? Without Captain Jack, there isn't a Pirates of the Caribbean! Let's be honest, did they choose to put Captain Jack (in all his Johnny Depp glory) in the famed ride or Will and Elizabeth? Yep...Captain Jack! (OK, Barbossa made it too but Will and Lizzy aren't there.)
What will the new Pirates bring? I can only hope the fun and fresh comedy and adventure that Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl brought to the screen in 2003! Want to see the trailer? Here it is...http://disney.go.com/pirates/
Who knows, perhaps I will dig out my pirate costume for opening night!
Yo Ho!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
God Thing
Yesterday was a Debbie Downer kinda day. This morning, at church, God had several messages for me about what I wrote yesterday. The biggest was...I AM God and I will never leave you! Trials come and sometimes for reasons that I, God, will use to bring myself glory!
Lord, forgive me for throwing my "fits" about current circumstances and not looking at eternal goals. Forgive me for allowing a root of bitterness to grow in my spirit. Forgive me for taking my eyes off you for even a second to look at the storm around me. Like Peter, I started to sink.
This isn't to say that I will not be down again or totally mess something up. It is to say that, in every moment, God is faithful and loves me so much! He sent His perfect son to earth and that perfect son put himself at the will of the Father to die for my sins...and your sins that we may be called Children of God! That's good stuff. I don't care who you are!
So, as I can still hear the fans drying my carpet and my husband still has no job and lots of other stressful things surround me, I just need to remember who is in charge and the ETERNAL goal which is hard to see when you take your eyes off Him.
Can I get an Amen?! I think so...
Lord, forgive me for throwing my "fits" about current circumstances and not looking at eternal goals. Forgive me for allowing a root of bitterness to grow in my spirit. Forgive me for taking my eyes off you for even a second to look at the storm around me. Like Peter, I started to sink.
This isn't to say that I will not be down again or totally mess something up. It is to say that, in every moment, God is faithful and loves me so much! He sent His perfect son to earth and that perfect son put himself at the will of the Father to die for my sins...and your sins that we may be called Children of God! That's good stuff. I don't care who you are!
So, as I can still hear the fans drying my carpet and my husband still has no job and lots of other stressful things surround me, I just need to remember who is in charge and the ETERNAL goal which is hard to see when you take your eyes off Him.
Can I get an Amen?! I think so...
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Winning!
Amazing how one little word has come to mean so much in pop culture. Thank you, Charlie Sheen! Now winning is almost the code word for LOSER! Yep, sorry to burst that bubble for ya, Chuck!
Anyway, some days I feel like I am winning about a much as Charlie. Of course, I know how bad the situation is and Charlie doesn't have a clue. But...good old Chuck is making a ton of money. Is it as much as he was making before? I doubt it. Did you know he was the highest paid actor on the planet? He was making 1.8 million per episode of his half hour sitcom where he played himself! Seems like a REALLY good gig to me. Unfortunately for Charlie, he didn't think so.
In my world, where winning is a lot less profitable, it has been a tough 6 months. This next Friday marks the 6 month mark that hubby lost his job. After that, he had major surgery and we spent 7 days at a hospital hours from home. That was in the days leading up to Christmas. Always a cheery way to spend the holidays. This time also saw his car break down, our water heater leaked all over the garage, I got the flu at a very inopportune time, I also got two UTIs (never had had one before), the kids got sick, oldest son's math teacher and I are having an ongoing disagreement over a book, hubby had another surgery, I had a girl's weekend that let's just say was a bit disappointing and, most recently, a pipe sprung a leak that caused damage to my bedroom, bathroom and garage! Seriously?! Yep...seriously!
I am becoming that person that you don't want to be. Even someone that you can look to and feel better about yourself because you are not me. For that, I say you are welcome. Feel better about yourself!
Just in the last week or so...and this could be due to the small flood in the bedroom from the pipe leak...I have started to feel like there really isn't going to be a light at the end of this tunnel. Please don't get me wrong, I KNOW that God is always in control. Just because God is in control, it doesn't mean He will always hold back the rain. It seems to have been raining for a long time. Longer than these last six months...more like 12 years. Have there been good times? Of course! But, the overarching theme has been that I am not going to win. I'm in the rain and there is no umbrella or bright sky in sight. Am I just writing this because I am OVER my present circumstances? Most likely. I sometimes just need to put it all down in writing and walk away. Writing can be a very cathartic exercise.
Gotta get back to all that winning! Maybe I should give Charlie a ring and see if he would like to do a new sitcom about a cursed woman and a washed up loser...
Anyway, some days I feel like I am winning about a much as Charlie. Of course, I know how bad the situation is and Charlie doesn't have a clue. But...good old Chuck is making a ton of money. Is it as much as he was making before? I doubt it. Did you know he was the highest paid actor on the planet? He was making 1.8 million per episode of his half hour sitcom where he played himself! Seems like a REALLY good gig to me. Unfortunately for Charlie, he didn't think so.
In my world, where winning is a lot less profitable, it has been a tough 6 months. This next Friday marks the 6 month mark that hubby lost his job. After that, he had major surgery and we spent 7 days at a hospital hours from home. That was in the days leading up to Christmas. Always a cheery way to spend the holidays. This time also saw his car break down, our water heater leaked all over the garage, I got the flu at a very inopportune time, I also got two UTIs (never had had one before), the kids got sick, oldest son's math teacher and I are having an ongoing disagreement over a book, hubby had another surgery, I had a girl's weekend that let's just say was a bit disappointing and, most recently, a pipe sprung a leak that caused damage to my bedroom, bathroom and garage! Seriously?! Yep...seriously!
I am becoming that person that you don't want to be. Even someone that you can look to and feel better about yourself because you are not me. For that, I say you are welcome. Feel better about yourself!
Just in the last week or so...and this could be due to the small flood in the bedroom from the pipe leak...I have started to feel like there really isn't going to be a light at the end of this tunnel. Please don't get me wrong, I KNOW that God is always in control. Just because God is in control, it doesn't mean He will always hold back the rain. It seems to have been raining for a long time. Longer than these last six months...more like 12 years. Have there been good times? Of course! But, the overarching theme has been that I am not going to win. I'm in the rain and there is no umbrella or bright sky in sight. Am I just writing this because I am OVER my present circumstances? Most likely. I sometimes just need to put it all down in writing and walk away. Writing can be a very cathartic exercise.
Gotta get back to all that winning! Maybe I should give Charlie a ring and see if he would like to do a new sitcom about a cursed woman and a washed up loser...
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
15 Lousy Posts...
Yep...just 15 posts in ALL of 2010! I most certainly have let this blog go downhill. Oh well. I would tell you guys about 2010 but I am trying to put it behind me and move on. Not a good year...not a good year at all!
So, here we are in the second month of 2011. Valentine's Day is right around the corner. It's really not a great holiday but us shameless marketing types have done a great job of making people think they need to buy $80 roses! So, I guess that is a win for the shameless marketers...and Hallmark...but they make up holidays right and left. I am sure February 15 is "Grandparent Pet Day" or something equally dumb. BUT...they rake in the money because people think that to say they care, they need to send a card. In the movie "500 Days of Summer", the main character (not Summer) works for a greeting card company. While he is in love with Summer, he can write all kinds of good stuff. When he and Summer aren't together, they end up putting him on sympathy cards because he is such a "Debbie Downer"! All that aside, he has some great lines about greeting cards that I totally second. Here they are..."This is lies. We are liars. Think about it. Why do people buy cards? It's not because they want to say how they feel. People buy cards because they can't say how they feel or are afraid to. And we provide the service that let's them off the hook. You know what? I say to he*& with it. Let's level with America. Or at least let them speak for themselves. Right?" RIGHT! So, don't any of you expect a card from me! Take that Hallmark!
Speaking of "500 Days of Summer", it is actually a really good movie. It is clever and that is a hard thing to find in the movies today. The story is told in this all over the place manner as we learn about different parts of the main character's relationship with a girl named Summer. This is how it starts...and it's narrated which is cool..."This is a story of boy meets girl. The boy, Tom Hansen of Margate, New Jersey, grew up believing that he'd never truly be happy until the day he met the one. This belief stemmed from early exposure to sad British pop music and a total mis-reading of the movie 'The Graduate'. The girl, Summer Finn of Shinnecock, Michigan, did not share this belief. Since the disintegration of her parent's marriage she'd only love two things. The first was her long dark hair. The second was how easily she could cut it off and not feel a thing. Tom meets Summer on January 8th. He knows almost immediately she is who he has been searching for. This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story."
OK...not a love story. It seems like one at times but it really isn't. Well, not really. I would suggest it. It has a couple of good performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Remember him from "Third Rock From the Sun"?) and Zooey Deschanel (She was the girl in Elf and also the sister to Emily who plays Bones on Bones!).
Also, I think the writer has a twisted sense of humor that I love. The title card reads..."Author's Note: The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Especially you Jenny Beckman. B#%ch." I probably shouldn't think that is funny but it is SO funny!
Anyway, what should you take away from this blog post? First, I ramble. Second, I don't care that I ramble. Third, Hallmark is most likely run by aliens send to invade Earth or perhaps, even worse, accountants. Fourth, 500 Days of Summer is worth a couple of hours of your time. Fifth, Valentine's Day is an overrated holiday where most people probably end up disappointed if they didn't get what those aliens with Hallmark or, worse, those people at Kay's told them on a commercial they should have gotten! (FYI - Kay's...totally ran by some terrorist organization bent on world domination! Oh...and Kay's is just the underlings to those folks at Jared's!) Sixth, there is a chance this will be my only blog post of 2011. Seventh, I am completely aware that some of you hope it will be my only blog post of 2011. And, finally, if you do decide to throw your hat in the Valentine's Day ring, go for spa gift cards and not roses.
Until next time...
So, here we are in the second month of 2011. Valentine's Day is right around the corner. It's really not a great holiday but us shameless marketing types have done a great job of making people think they need to buy $80 roses! So, I guess that is a win for the shameless marketers...and Hallmark...but they make up holidays right and left. I am sure February 15 is "Grandparent Pet Day" or something equally dumb. BUT...they rake in the money because people think that to say they care, they need to send a card. In the movie "500 Days of Summer", the main character (not Summer) works for a greeting card company. While he is in love with Summer, he can write all kinds of good stuff. When he and Summer aren't together, they end up putting him on sympathy cards because he is such a "Debbie Downer"! All that aside, he has some great lines about greeting cards that I totally second. Here they are..."This is lies. We are liars. Think about it. Why do people buy cards? It's not because they want to say how they feel. People buy cards because they can't say how they feel or are afraid to. And we provide the service that let's them off the hook. You know what? I say to he*& with it. Let's level with America. Or at least let them speak for themselves. Right?" RIGHT! So, don't any of you expect a card from me! Take that Hallmark!
Speaking of "500 Days of Summer", it is actually a really good movie. It is clever and that is a hard thing to find in the movies today. The story is told in this all over the place manner as we learn about different parts of the main character's relationship with a girl named Summer. This is how it starts...and it's narrated which is cool..."This is a story of boy meets girl. The boy, Tom Hansen of Margate, New Jersey, grew up believing that he'd never truly be happy until the day he met the one. This belief stemmed from early exposure to sad British pop music and a total mis-reading of the movie 'The Graduate'. The girl, Summer Finn of Shinnecock, Michigan, did not share this belief. Since the disintegration of her parent's marriage she'd only love two things. The first was her long dark hair. The second was how easily she could cut it off and not feel a thing. Tom meets Summer on January 8th. He knows almost immediately she is who he has been searching for. This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story."
OK...not a love story. It seems like one at times but it really isn't. Well, not really. I would suggest it. It has a couple of good performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Remember him from "Third Rock From the Sun"?) and Zooey Deschanel (She was the girl in Elf and also the sister to Emily who plays Bones on Bones!).
Also, I think the writer has a twisted sense of humor that I love. The title card reads..."Author's Note: The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Especially you Jenny Beckman. B#%ch." I probably shouldn't think that is funny but it is SO funny!
Anyway, what should you take away from this blog post? First, I ramble. Second, I don't care that I ramble. Third, Hallmark is most likely run by aliens send to invade Earth or perhaps, even worse, accountants. Fourth, 500 Days of Summer is worth a couple of hours of your time. Fifth, Valentine's Day is an overrated holiday where most people probably end up disappointed if they didn't get what those aliens with Hallmark or, worse, those people at Kay's told them on a commercial they should have gotten! (FYI - Kay's...totally ran by some terrorist organization bent on world domination! Oh...and Kay's is just the underlings to those folks at Jared's!) Sixth, there is a chance this will be my only blog post of 2011. Seventh, I am completely aware that some of you hope it will be my only blog post of 2011. And, finally, if you do decide to throw your hat in the Valentine's Day ring, go for spa gift cards and not roses.
Until next time...
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Bones
So, a couple of months ago I was channel surfing (which I almost never do) and found an episode of the TV show Bones. It was just coming on and, as I had exactly one hour until Castle started, I decided to give it a whirl. The episode was from the first season and, at the end of that hour, I was hooked! Then I discovered that the show was in its sixth season! WOW...just think of all those episodes I could watch! A couple of days ago, I finally caught up. Yep...I have watched five and a half seasons of the show in rapid succession! It was great and now I am a bit sad that I am out of episodes until 2011. (I will also now have to watch them with commercials and wait a week between episodes! What ever will I do?!)
Never seen the show? Well, sit back and let me tell you about it. SPOILERS WILL FOLLOW!! It follows the partnership of forensic anthropologist extraordinaire Temperance Brennan (nicknamed Bones by Booth) and Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI. They work together to solve murders. Both have some serious baggage in their background and that baggage rears its ugly head from time to time. Along with our super duo is a fabulous cast of characters that work with Bones and Booth. We have Angela who is an artist and helps with everything from facial reconstruction to recovery of data from CDs/DVDs/SD cards/etc. She is a free spirit who happens to be Bones' best friend even though they are an unlikely pair. Oh...her dad is also a member of ZZ Top! Next up we have Dr. Jack Hodgins. He is the "bug and slime" guy. He can track down almost anything from the dirt and other gunk near a body. It is worth mentioning that Hodgins is very, very wealthy and hates it when people find that fact out. We also have Dr. Camille Saroyan. She is the "boss" but is really more like one of the team. She joined the show in the second season. Her job is to deal with bodies that still have flesh. Dr. Lance Sweets is a young psychologist that came along in the second or third season to decide if Bones and Booth should continue their partnership. He has stayed for the fun and to study the interaction of Bones and Booth for a book. Then there is Dr. Zack Addy. Dr. Addy is no longer on the show but was a great assistant to Bones in the first couple of seasons. After the exit of Dr. Addy, a rotating group of interns took his place. They add more spice with their very different personalities. All of the "science" folks work at a fictional museum (think Smithsonian) called the Jeffersonian. They have a really cool lab and seem to be extremely well funded.
OK...I know what you are thinking. This is just CSI, Criminal Minds, NCIS, etc. in a little different setting. You are partially correct. They do solve crimes and they are a team. That is where it ends. This show layers the characters so nicely that you really believe the people to be real and working away at the Jeffersonian! I also like to imagine Special Agent Seely Booth is real but that is for an entirely different reason! (Oh...did I mention that Booth use to be a vampire named Angel? Well, he was in a past life.)
As so many of these shows go, there is sexual tension between our two lead characters. However, Bones is extremely literal and logical and doesn't believe in love or matters of the heart. Booth, on the other hand, is more of a "go with his gut and heart" kinda guy. He is very much a knight in shining armor type guy who has saved Bones on more than one occasion. (Don't you just love that? OK...I was talking to the women out there.) Their tension grows and they do have to face it on certain occasions with, usually, terrible results. BUT...it is great to watch those moments when they almost make the connection!
I have favorite episodes but, I have to say, that I really like most of them. The reason for that is all about the characters and that goes well beyond Bones and Booth. The relationships formed by the cast gives the Jeffersonian lab a family feel and I love watching that family grow and face life.
My thought was to post in some YouTube links of the show. Frankly, I can't decide what to post in that wraps up my thoughts on the show. So, I would suggest you pick up Season One if you aren't a fan and start watching! Warning...it can be addictive!
With a husband out of work, two wild boys, difficulties with my grandparents (and the other side of the family who have decided to be absolute losers) and the recent surgery at Vanderbilt for Richard, I really needed something. Thanks to the cast and crew of Bones for letting me step into the lab at the Jeffersonian for a few hours. You may well have saved my sanity. OK...what I had left! SPOILER - NOW...let's have Hannah get killed early in 2011 so Bones can have Booth!
Never seen the show? Well, sit back and let me tell you about it. SPOILERS WILL FOLLOW!! It follows the partnership of forensic anthropologist extraordinaire Temperance Brennan (nicknamed Bones by Booth) and Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI. They work together to solve murders. Both have some serious baggage in their background and that baggage rears its ugly head from time to time. Along with our super duo is a fabulous cast of characters that work with Bones and Booth. We have Angela who is an artist and helps with everything from facial reconstruction to recovery of data from CDs/DVDs/SD cards/etc. She is a free spirit who happens to be Bones' best friend even though they are an unlikely pair. Oh...her dad is also a member of ZZ Top! Next up we have Dr. Jack Hodgins. He is the "bug and slime" guy. He can track down almost anything from the dirt and other gunk near a body. It is worth mentioning that Hodgins is very, very wealthy and hates it when people find that fact out. We also have Dr. Camille Saroyan. She is the "boss" but is really more like one of the team. She joined the show in the second season. Her job is to deal with bodies that still have flesh. Dr. Lance Sweets is a young psychologist that came along in the second or third season to decide if Bones and Booth should continue their partnership. He has stayed for the fun and to study the interaction of Bones and Booth for a book. Then there is Dr. Zack Addy. Dr. Addy is no longer on the show but was a great assistant to Bones in the first couple of seasons. After the exit of Dr. Addy, a rotating group of interns took his place. They add more spice with their very different personalities. All of the "science" folks work at a fictional museum (think Smithsonian) called the Jeffersonian. They have a really cool lab and seem to be extremely well funded.
OK...I know what you are thinking. This is just CSI, Criminal Minds, NCIS, etc. in a little different setting. You are partially correct. They do solve crimes and they are a team. That is where it ends. This show layers the characters so nicely that you really believe the people to be real and working away at the Jeffersonian! I also like to imagine Special Agent Seely Booth is real but that is for an entirely different reason! (Oh...did I mention that Booth use to be a vampire named Angel? Well, he was in a past life.)
As so many of these shows go, there is sexual tension between our two lead characters. However, Bones is extremely literal and logical and doesn't believe in love or matters of the heart. Booth, on the other hand, is more of a "go with his gut and heart" kinda guy. He is very much a knight in shining armor type guy who has saved Bones on more than one occasion. (Don't you just love that? OK...I was talking to the women out there.) Their tension grows and they do have to face it on certain occasions with, usually, terrible results. BUT...it is great to watch those moments when they almost make the connection!
I have favorite episodes but, I have to say, that I really like most of them. The reason for that is all about the characters and that goes well beyond Bones and Booth. The relationships formed by the cast gives the Jeffersonian lab a family feel and I love watching that family grow and face life.
My thought was to post in some YouTube links of the show. Frankly, I can't decide what to post in that wraps up my thoughts on the show. So, I would suggest you pick up Season One if you aren't a fan and start watching! Warning...it can be addictive!
With a husband out of work, two wild boys, difficulties with my grandparents (and the other side of the family who have decided to be absolute losers) and the recent surgery at Vanderbilt for Richard, I really needed something. Thanks to the cast and crew of Bones for letting me step into the lab at the Jeffersonian for a few hours. You may well have saved my sanity. OK...what I had left! SPOILER - NOW...let's have Hannah get killed early in 2011 so Bones can have Booth!
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