I hope all of my faithful co-tangenteers, readers, lurkers, and (maybe even) spammers had a blessed Thanksgiving Day spent with loved ones celebrating all the wonders and gifts that He has bestowed upon us.  As has been the tradition at the home of Jamiahsh and family for the past 29 years (I believe) we had the noon meal with the parents, siblings, and their children.  Alex offered up a prayer of Thanksgiving before we dug in.  Noah offered up his own take as he lifted up his forkful of food.

After lunch, SOME of us took naps.  I dunno how anyone managed this as 8 children do tend to create a lot of (at times) happy noise.  At other times (when the three oldest went upstairs to get away from it all and the other 5 wanted to go), we encountered the cries of the littlest who got her fingers caught in the door.  Later, I tried to organize a game of UNO… thinking that this would alleviate a bit of the rambunction. It kind of worked… especially when a 5 year old kept winning.

For the evening meal, we had another crew join the rest of us.  Since my mother’s mom passed away nearly 30 years ago, we have served leftovers for my maternal aunt and uncle and their families as well.  Every year it seems to get more crowded.  Maybe that community center idea is getting better.  Of course, it would be kind of had to gather around the television to watch the Cowboys get beaten… poor Chad!  Finally, after the game and the annual feast of popcorn, buttered toast, pretzel sticks, and jelly beans of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, the festivities came to a close for another year… well for a month, anyway… wonder who gets the honor of hosting the big Christmas bash?  I guess Uncle Bob and Aunt Lu.

I did forget my part in the day’s festivities.  I was asked to go to my oldest brother’s house at 8:30AM to pick up his crock pot.  I figured that everyone would be up and about so I did not grab the spare set of house keys.  When I arrived, I found the house locked up.  I went back home to discover that Jeff had decided to hit the stores early.  I grabbed the keys and went back and grabbed the pot.

Now let the fun, hustle and bustle, and celebrating take us to 2011.

I found out that I did not know what the letters “NO” mean when put together. I really thought I could put those letters to good use. I really thought I was able to grasp the meaning. I thought I would be able to fine some time for this or that. I’m afraid I haven’t. Available time? poof! Not showing up at a theater 3 or more nights a week. Sure!. What were those letters again? I need to look the up in my Funk and Wagnalls. OF Course I will help out a friend or two….

But on to the good news. I’m only in the light booth. Only 3 or so short weeks. No lines to memorize. And I have my youngest daughter there to help me out. Not a bad deal. On top of that, I get to see every show for free and that is in some of the best seats in the house. Ok, maybe not the best seats, but they will always be there. Cute show, so I shouldn’t get tired of it too quickly. On top of that, it really changes every night.

But I’m not sure of all these Christmas Carols before Thanksgiving…

My little parakeet JJ passed away some time during the night last night.  Not much of a surprise there; he has been sick for a while, and even though he began looking well again a few weeks ago, he took a turn for the worse in the last few days.  He looked so awful yesterday that I knew he wouldn’t make it through the night.  But there was always hope that I was wrong.  He had been on what I called “death watch” before and made it through the night, so the hope was there.

I don’t really know what happened – he was only about a year old, and I had had him since January, not even a year.  He started showing signs of illness about 2 months ago.  I gave him medicine and TLC, and he began to do better, but like I said, I guess it just wasn’t enough.

He was “just a parakeet”, but I loved his company.  I was so excited to see what kind of bird he would become; how he would look and act as an adult and who he would be when he felt healthy, but now I won’t know.  Honestly, taking care of animals is one of my favorite things in the whole world, so why do I have to be so bad at it?  A few months ago, JJ was so happy when we moved his cage into  the living room so he had company all day rather than living in the solitude (or was it protection?) of our bedroom upstairs.  We kept him right near the Halogen lamp, could there have been a smell or the heat or something that made him sick?  On the rare occasion that a bug would fly into the Halogen, yuck, what a smell that made.  We tried to get rid of Teflon pans and things like that, but JJ’s new home in the living room wasn’t too far from the kitchen – maybe cooking smells did him in?  He was a fraidy-bird, so I couldn’t really take apart his cage to clean it out; maybe it got too dirty?  A dozen why’s and what-if’s, but no more parakeet.  At least he is not suffering anymore – it was getting really difficult to see him in his cage looking so miserable and worse for the wear.  Poor JJ.  Even if he was just a caged bird, I miss him already.  Ugh, and the cold weather is back today…  fitting somehow, just feels like a miserable day all around – time to make the best of it.

Yes, I can review this movie and give anything away.

The first point on this movie is that I feel it is the closest to the written material of any of the movies. I just started reading the book again and some of the lines said in the book were even use in the movies. I was very impressed that the screen writers could do that well.

I also thought it was great that the same actors from the very first show were still in their roles. From the time they were young children until they became young adults these actors have been the center of the movies. Now they can carry it. These shows have always had an all star cast of fine actors. From Richard Harris as the first Dumbledore, to Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort. These stars are now in more supporting roles as the younger actors found their roles and made them their own.

I was worried that splitting this story into two movies. While I knew it would be necessary if the complete story would be told. The other books have bits and pieces that can be skipped. The last book has very little of that. It is far more than a 2 to 3 hour movie can handle. Let me just say the split was in the best possible spot.

So what else can I say without giving anything away? The Harry Potter movie was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. 2 and 1/2 hours of movie enjoyment. A good story, wonderful acting and good ending. Now when does next one come out?

What a Super day!  It began after game night with just a few of us late comers Friday night… more intimate but great fun as always.  But today was a GREAT day.  Went to see Harry Potter with my brother, nephew, niece, and new little friend.  I must say I have a new favorite in the cinematic adventures and it was only the first half.  It is definitely the most emotionally impactful entry as well as the most thrilling yet.  Absolutely NOTHING was taken away from the absence of 3D (I even think that like Dan, himself it would have hindered it).  The film crew made a marvelous decision on where to divide the two chapters… definitely the moment of highest dramatic tension.

After returning and hearing the the Buckeyes won their game against Iowa, I went to mass and then over for another gathering where some of us got to meet Alex Trebek, himself.  I do enjoy Jeopardy!  just not sure I enjoy it THAT much.  Courtesy of Miss Mare, we celebrated the betrothal of Prince William and his Kate.  We offered up any number of “proper English toasts” to not only the happy couple but also to the Queen, Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens, and several other British celebrities.  Quite an entertaining evening if only one of us was not under the weather but the jukebox full of Beatles, the Who, Culture Club, Monty Python, and other Invaders made for quite the event.  All while SOME of us insisted upon playing text tag (unfortunately, I could not as for some reason my signal keeps being lost in the gathering place).

Thanks everyone for a fun weekend!

Because my family and friends know that I’m an animal lover, they’re always sending me emails with pictures and articles about cute animal-related topics.  All of them are adorable, but this one stands out as something to share – a man built an entire feline-sized village for homeless cats!  Kind of sounds like something I’d like to do with some extra free time, money, and if only I didn’t have the darn cat allergy that’s always getting in the way…

Below are some pictures of his creation.  For the entire story, click here.  And to visit the cat village online, The Caboodle Ranch, click here.

I heard some bad news today. My first inclination was to see it as unbelievable. I’ve had this feeling many times in the past when I’ve heard similar news, I guess it is a natural reaction. At least it is for me.

I know that this time of year I tend to think about death a little more often. My parents died in early fall, and my wife died at the end of the year. Her cancer was found just before Thanksgiving. Today I heard that a friend lost his daughter. The thoughts went flying back in time. Was it back to 2000, 2001 or 2003? Yes those years and many other years past.

Last Saturday at the Weekenders’ presentation of Mark Twain, Denver said something about loss being part of life. Mark Twains words about loss in his life. Very fitting to almost everyone. In this time coming up for family, joy and celebration, some families feel loss. One less plate at the table, one less person to visit. I hope my friend can find peace in this season, but I know it will never be the same.

Last Easter prior to watching the first 3D movie I have seen since Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (but of course it wasn’t), I saw the trailer for part the first of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  As the summer swept by, I kept seeing television and movie ads proclaiming the same.  About a month ago whenever a promo came on the air, I noticed something missing… no mention of the 3D concept.  Finally, this morning, I did a bit of research.  As I had feared, the penultimate chapter in the cinematic adventures of the wizarding world would only be shown in two dimension.  I look at it this way: if the movie is going to suffer from a lackluster 3D experience, sacrifice the gimmick for quality of the overall experience.  I have been for the most part, quite pleased with the transfer of the tale from the printed page to the big screen and cannot wait until Saturday afternoon to see the newest extravaganza.  However, the article I came across promised that the climax would indeed be shown with the added dimension on July 15, 2011 (a few short days after someones celebrates their birthdays)



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October 10th, 2010 by Castina

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Harry Potter and his pals won’t be using magic to combat evil in 3D after all.

On Friday, Warner Bros. Studios announced that the first part of the film in the blockbusterHarry Pottter film franchise will only be released to standard and IMAX theaters in 2D — not the eye-popping 3D technology as was originally planned.

Hollywood bosses say they simply don’t have enough time to convert the film to 3D before its Nov. 19 release date. Warner Bros. had hoped to be able to transform the film into 3D format, but trashed the idea after taking inventory of their timetable.

“We will not have a completed 3D version of the film within our release date
window,” read a press release issued by The WB last week. “Despite everyone’s best efforts, we were unable to convert the film in its entirety and meet the highest standards of quality. We do not want to disappoint fans who have long-anticipated the conclusion of this extraordinary journey.”

“This decision, which we completely support, underscores the fact that Warner Bros. has always put quality first,” says director David Yates.

At least there’s one bright spot: The studio says Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 will still be released in both 2D and 3D on July 15, 2011.

Interestingly, the announcement was made a month ago.  I am surprised that it has not been better publicized.  Perhaps in order to not detract viewers who would rather see the 3D even if it is done in less than spectacular fashion.  Wonder if the PTB will continue to perfect it in time for a re-release next summer.

I’m at a bit of a quandary. On one hand I could put this post in my personal blog. On the other hand I could put it in the theater blog. I guess I will write it up and see where it goes.

I just saw the WCCT’s very own Denver Henderson give his performance as Samuel Clemens or as he is more commonly know as Mark Twain. Denver has performed a Mark Twain monologue many times, but this was my first chance to see it. I’m kicking myself for not having the drive to see it at the earlier performances. I missed out on a truly enjoyable time.

I’ve seen the Hal Holbrook version of Mark Twain on TV once or twice, and I’ve seen a PBS special on the life of Mark Twain. Denver has the mannerisms and timing of his subject down cold. Since I am a fan of Mark Twain’s work, I have been exposed to most if not all of the material from tonights performance. There was nothing new. The wonderful thing about that is this. This was 100+ year old stuff. It was as fresh, timely and as humorous this evening as it must have been during Twain’s life time.

My only complaint is that the show just wasn’t long enough. I could have spent hours on end listening to the stories and watching an actor I know become Mark Twain. Until the question and answer period after the show, I wasn’t watching my friend Denver on stage, I was watching Mark Twain. This show took me back to the time of river boats and crooked politicians (Oh wait, the politicians never left). I really want to go back.

I’ve been told that there will be another performance in the spring. I would strongly recommend that if you see it advertised, clear the date. This is one performance you should not miss. To paraphrase Mr Twain and Mr. Henderson, I just like to hear him speak.

No play on words necessary  for this blog post – there really was a Psychic Octopus named Paul who lived in Germany, and he recently passed away at the ripe old age (for an octopus) of 2½ years.

In his lifetime, however short is seems to us humans, Paul made himself famous with his uncanny ability to predict World Cup game winners correctly!  Before games, Paul would receive 2 boxes of mussels, one each with a flag of the countries of the two teams who would be facing off in the World Cup.  The country whose box was eaten out of by Paul first was declared Paul’s pick as the winner of that match, and he predicted correctly an astounding 100% of the time (8/8) for his World Cup predictions, and 86% (12/14) overall.

RIP • Paul the Octopus • 2008-2010