Tag: life

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The Art of Racing in the Rain

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein available at Amazon.com

Book Review by Sister Lorie

artracingrainI’m not sure how this book came to my attention, it’s not my usual read.  It’s told from the point of view of , Enzo, an aging dog as he recounts his doggie life.  He is a dog philosopher and expounds on his view of humanity and our views.  He is frustrated with his lack of anatomical ability to communicate to his humans and is left with doggie drool and gestures. 

I don’t want this to be a spoiler, so let me just say this.  Anyone who has been emotionally attached to a dog or thought that the dog has understood a conversation will love this book.  I found myself laughing out loud at Enzo’s take on the owners in-laws and his way of letting them know he didn’t care for them.  The end is touching and puts in words what I have long suspected.  Great read if you have or have had a dog.  If you don’t have a dog, this book may give you the desire to spend time with one of creation’s best creatures.

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Michelangelo’s David

david_statue_webI have always enjoyed the statue of David by Michelangelo.  There are a number of reasons for this. First, it is a wonderful expression of human achievement by a master at the top of his game.  The detail is phenomenal and exquisite.  The statue looks like with just slightest of breathes he could come alive and jump down from the pedestal to begin a full human life. 

Besides being a beautiful piece of art, it depicts a beautiful human.  It appears that the granite “DNA” has co-mingled to form the ideal male.  While not gay it is certainly a male body that I appreciate and enjoy observing.

There is also a more mundane reason I like the statue.  The male sexual organ as usually depicted and photographed would make Man-O-War blush with feelings of inadequacies.  As a young man this wonderful statue made me feel “normal”.  Well at least in that one regard.

There is a Jamaican man that works where I do. For the most part he is very understandable, but occasionally his accent and my mish mash of accents makes communication a little less than optimal.  He came around one day asking if I knew the artist Dávid.  Not being entirely sure what he had just said, I asked him if he was talking about Michelangelo’s statute of David.  He looked at me funny for a minute then said, “You mean the one with the small penis?” 

Make room in your stall , Man-O-War,  I’m coming in blushing from head to toe.

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Red Heads and Lime Green VWs

When I think of  my Aunt Gayle I think of a big, lop-sided smile and red hair.  Her hair had been many colors through her life, but mostly it was red.  Folks who knew her called her a lady.  She always presented herself perfectly coiffed and perfectly dressed.  Her manners were in the same mode, but she was as earthy as my father was prudish.  I say earthy, but more in a matter of fact Mother Nature sort of way.  It was a refreshing combination.

Her online handle was Sewing Mama.   She had always sewn, but in the later part of her life she discovered quilting.   She was very good at it, and was widely acknowledged as being so.  She obviously enjoyed the process and the recognition. Continue reading “Red Heads and Lime Green VWs”

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Ted Said…

This is the cause of my life. It is a key reason that I defied my illness last summer to speak at the Democratic convention in Denver—to support Barack Obama, but also to make sure, as I said, “that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American…will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not just a privilege.” For four decades I have carried this cause—from the floor of the United States Senate to every part of this country. It has never been merely a question of policy; it goes to the heart of my belief in a just society. Now the issue has more meaning for me—and more urgency—than ever before. But it’s always been deeply personal, because the importance of health care has been a recurrent lesson throughout most of my 77 years.>
— Ted Kennedy

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The Soloist

Movie Review by Sister Lorie 

thesoloistThe Soloist.

 Available on DVD, staring Jamie Foxx (Mr. Ayers) and Robert Downey Jr. (Mr. Lopez)

 The movie tells the tale, based on a true story, of a Los Angeles columnist looking for a story that finds a life lesson in his own back yard.  Stopping by a statue of Beethoven, he finds a homeless man playing beautiful violin music on a instrument with two strings.  The reporter is curious and tries to strike up a conversation with the musician.  He soon realizes that the angelic music has been produced by a man with many demons.  The strangely fluid, mind bending  information bursts forth from Nathaniel Anthony Ayers.  Mr. Lopez is amazed to hear that Mr. Ayers attended Julliard. 

 Thinking that the journey from Julliard to the mean streets of L.A. would be a great piece, he called Julliard to confirm Mr. Ayers status as an alumni.  I don’t wish to spoil the story and tell all, so I will cut to the end.  Mr. Lopez learns and astounding life lesson from his homeless mentally ill friend that gives him a joy and enjoyment of life.

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Movie Review: 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama

Movie Review by Sister Lorie

10 Questions for the Dalai Lama.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0819354/

dalailamaLet’s just say I am somewhat fascinated by the Dalai Lama as a person and as a religious leader. To those of us that know little about Buddhism, he seems strange and somewhat exotic. From the prayer flags waving in the breeze to the remote barren moon-scape of a land that he once ruled, every thing about this man is foreign. This film is a tale of two journeys. The journey of a documentary film maker with a life long dream to interview his personal hero and the hero. The hero is at once a simple monk who lives on $10/day and only travels economy and the political and spiritual leader of a country and an age old people. Continue reading “Movie Review: 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama”

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What is up with that?

 Here is my premise:

Mankind is busy destroying the ecosystem to a point that it may drastically affect our quality of life. It will probably also cause untold suffering and deaths in the next 30, 40 or 50 years if we do not change our course of action.

I think we can agree that there are numerous societies and countries across the world that are pretty screwed up. I am not going to except the USA as I believe that we are a society based on capitalism. The heart of capitalism is greed, one of the worse human traits.

The well being of individuals are based on environmental and societal conditions.

My question:

To me the above implies that any God does not care for the world or societies at large. Continue reading “What is up with that?”

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Slumdog Millionaire

slumdogAs a movie critic I might not be your first choice. I venture to the cinema on average about once every two years at this point in my life. And I do not rent a lot of films, maybe a couple a year. I do watch the occasional movie on TV.

I just came back from seeing Slumdog Millionaire, and if you are any sort of movie fan I would put this movie in the “must see” category.   It was rightly nomimated for Best Picture for the 2009 Academy Awards.

First, it is an excellent story. It intertwines episodes of the India version of Who wants to be a Millionaire with the story of 3 Mumbai (Bombay was the colonial name of this city) street orphans. Both story lines kept me on the edge of my seat. Continue reading “Slumdog Millionaire”

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Memes, is there a self?

memeI just finished reading a book by Susan Blackmore, The Meme Machine. 

Meme may be an unfamiliar term to you so I will attempt to explain to the best of my limited ability.  All of us are familiar with DNA and genes; these can also be termed replicators.  It is how the blueprint of a species is passed down the generations.  Modifications/mutations of DNA are the backbone of evolution.

Memes were not first proposed by Ms. Blackmore, but she explores the concept deeply.  It is her contention that what separates Homo sapiens from other species is our ability to imitate.  Continue reading “Memes, is there a self?”

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One kickass weekend

Occasionally we have those days that are so exceedingly memorable that they become milestones or at least touchstones in our lives.

I had one such day in November of 2000. I was at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium to watch OU defeat their hated rival Nebraska. They went on to win the National Championship that year. Immediately after that game I jumped in my vehicle and high-tailed it to Dallas to see Tina Turner and Joe Cocker in concert. It was Tina’s farewell concert tour and the lady still absolutely killed them.

I introduced my girlfriend to one of my all time favorite artists,  Jimmy LaFave, Continue reading “One kickass weekend”