The Reader

Stephen Daldry and David Hare team up again, to direct and write another methodically moving film. These two, brought film goers the 2002 film “The Hours”. In the event you don’t recall that title, it was a very well done story about three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives. Nicole Kidman won the best acting Oscar, for her long nosed depiction of the real Virginia Woolf. Both of these movies align with the analogous pace, and exact what I believe should have been drawn from screenwriter’s adaptation of the original material. The pairing of the two veterans, created an unmistakable familiarity in overall pace, carefully constructed shot selection, and desired solemn texture as was accomplished in “The Hours”.

The acting is great; the cast assignment was flawlessly placed in this motion picture.
As I viewed the movie in the cramped and ancient La Jolla Landmark Theater, I pondered the lava-moving pace that the film was setting for the audience. It then came to me, that it was as if we were all watching an old withered fence being restored. You may not beautify it with one coat that it was an exacting process of sanding and painting that was unfolding on the screen. No ability to rush this process, as it takes time to soak in and dry and then have that method repeated over and over again to get the job finished, as it should be. I was also made to believe this was a white fence, and on a straight line without color or creativity.

I feel the filmmakers derived exactly what they sought from this celluloid contribution. I generally object to telling plot content or story details as it makes me feel like a reporter not a reviewer of the type, style and effectiveness of the films quality and content. I will reveal that the films central story line is life long love story of a simple, yet loving, relationship that only the film can unmistakably reveal.

If you are among the many that watch cinema for escape and pure entertainment, this may be not be for your viewing. However, if you enjoy a slow developing novel where one chapter sets up the next discovery, this could be a valuable two-hour investment. A must inform you that the Professional film critics only gave a 60% approval rating of this movie.

Kate Winslet may win her coveted Oscar for this performance, as it certainly one that took some talent to play to the changing demands placed on this character. I was also admired the small but strong performance of Bruno Ganz, an excellent German actor for his portrayal of Professor Rohl.

The Reader contains nudity, moral conflicts and the cruel handling of the Jewish population during WWII. I will comment that the Holocaust issue is done in a more complicated manner than I have viewed in other films.

Three stars out of five ∗∗∗

Sarah Rubin Crystal 1921-2008

I attended Marsha's mothers' service today, I plan to write more later, and in greater detail, when I have time.

Nicolle, my daughter, and I have been in a fight over something that now seems silly, stupid and pointless. Needless to say, Marsha and her family gave me all the reasons in the world to why God placed me today in this setting. After the service, as I drove off to my hurried life and a Christmas Eve business meeting, I called Nicolle and repaired the rift between us through my tear choking words. What a great gift to me, from God and to use the people who spoke at the service, to clear my head and fill my heart.

It was simple, yet a meaningful tribute, to a woman who loved her family, challenged the world, overcame adversity and was a teacher and example to
her faith, friends, community, and most of all, her family.

Since 9/11, God has given me many opportunities to be involved in death, I have been placed in spots no one could expect, the gift of death, if you might, and I have come out the better for it all, and this day, from this family, that service, has only added to my life.

May Sarah Rubin Crystal rest in peace, I would, should I some day having earned that much respect, love, and admiration from the people who matter the most.

Definitely, Maybe out on DVD

I am like a romantic film viewing boxer waiting to get punched to the canvas with heart touching humor. I am the past victim of Love Actually, As good as it Gets, My big fat Greek wedding, Bridget Jones Diary and Wedding Singer.

So it will be of little surprise that I am gushing all over this title. Having low expectations going in of any film certainly sets the stage for the knock out punch. Another sign of how much I liked the movie was that I could not wait to see it again with someone else to enjoy them enjoying this title. I did that last night, and she was as thrilled as I was with the film.

Ryan Reynolds, “Van Wilder” and a trio of formidable actresses star in this smart and touching romantic comedy about a little girl trying to understand her father's complicated history with women. Will Hayes (Reynolds) is in the midst of a divorce, and his 11-year-old daughter Maya (Abigail Brisling) wants to understand what went wrong with her parents' relationship. She prods her father to share the historical tale of how he met her mother. Will accepts this assignment but changes the names of everyone involved, leaving it up to Maya to decipher who in the story is her mother. Will begins his comedic, yet cathartic, history lesson, weaving a romantic and amusing maze of missed connections and bad timing of three lovely ladies, Summer (Rachel Weisz), April (Isla Fisher), and Emily (Elizabeth Banks).

Abigail Bresling is her warm and believable self, her part is smaller, but is the backdrop of the entire film as it explores past relationships and future hope.


The writer/director does a masterful job of keeping us all guessing who Maya’s mom truly could be. I am generally disappointed with a resurrected romantic formula film; yet definitely, certainly, this DVD separates itself from the standard bowl of film cereal that the producers place on the table.

I was immediately drawn in with the first meeting of April and Will. The on screen chemistry was something Luis Pasture might be jealous of. The writing is brilliant and even the side characters are well positioned, none better than the role of Kevin Klein. The dialogue works on almost all levels, and generally a two-hour comedy struggles to fill the time, not the case here, the story lends itself to full exploration and it doesn’t disappoint.

No great film misses an opportunity to enhance its chosen words by failing to deliver a special musical backdrop. The entire Music bed is worthy of purchase

I cannot shake the fact that I have my mom’s incredible romantic heart, as I gravitate to films like this like a young discovery seeking Isaac Newton.
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This is a very sweet film, added to my list of great love stories that use comedy to enjoy the tale.

Film of the year

Why was anyone surprised?

I thought it might be interesting to reflect on what happened with this year’s best picture vote and what it might say about the Academy voter block.

My most vivid memory of the 2006 broadcast wasn’t who won or lost. I was bothered by the horrific decision to play a music bed under the accepting winners. I found it to be as annoying as it was rude. Quite frankly it seems that about 15 minutes of rather boring filler could have been lifted to allow the winners to have their 90 seconds in the spotlight. That was memorable to me; however, it was “Jack’s” reaction after reading the Best Motion Picture winner that was most telling. After he read what was printed inside the envelope he turned his head and said “WOW”. Wow indeed, with all the critical pundits having already bestowed the best film award to “Brokeback Mountain”.

I too felt the same, despite the fact that, to me, “Brokeback” was a slow- moving predictable art fest film. It had great acting and good direction; however, it wasn’t a great film.

Hollywood got it right and everyone gasped at the winner. This should not have been a horse race. “Crash” was a magnificent film, both complex and deep, one with the rare combination of incredible acting, insightful direction, brilliant writing, multifarious cinematography, perfectly paced and placed music, and heart pounding emotions.

It examined the complexity of how we view race relations and interact with each other in today’s society, and accomplished this in a manner that may have never been done so well.
The cast was brilliantly constructed, and their casting is flawless. I found the interaction of the characters well strewn together and the film’s message to be one of hope balanced with a background of sadness. Don Cheadle is simply brilliant in his portrayal of this lawman.
The intersection of these characters is well-timed and does not seem contrived. The subject of race is dealt with straight up truth. There is heartbreak, tragedy, levity, compassion, hope, and frustration. I believe that one cannot help but to evaluate one’s own perspective on the issues brought to the forefront in this grand film.

No one should have been surprised that this film won because it should have won. In the final analysis the Academy voters picked the best film on its merit and not the hype. It certainly doesn’t have any other meaning.

This is a film of value, done just right with the proper balance and pace to keep the viewer interested and challenged. If you have not seen this wonderful movie please put it on your list of MUST SEE films.

Nicolle and I

heading to the Rolls Royce limo on the way to the wedding.

Recollections

When it comes to recollections of events it is generally adversity that gives us the strongest memory retention. We spent a week in La Paz in a beautiful Penthouse but my strongest memory might be getting locked out that penthouse on the heels of thinking that Justin and Nickolus might be injured when we lost sight up them on the rocks down the beach. The girls ran out of the house, and I ran after them as the door shut behind me. We finally got back in after waiting for the locksmith, 90 pesos or $6. I have him forty and my gratitude.

I spent three weeks in Hawaii and remember best getting caught in the rain in Kauai and falling down the embankment.
As a child we didn’t take many vacations but certainly remember the time it rained on us at Oak Creek Canyon near the Grand Canyon. None of the flashlights worked and we could not get the lanterns lit. Denny’s beef stew tastes pretty good when you are cold and hungry.

I guess it sounds like I get caught in the rain quite a bit. That truly isn’t the case as I went for nearly a month to Europe and only saw twenty minutes or rain.

Life altering changes

My guess is that most of us have had a life changing experience. It might amount to darn near anything from getting arrested, escaping certain death in a car crash to losing a friend or family member to an early death.

Recently I wrote about a life-altering incidence that no on should have to face, being the death of your child.

I reflect from time to time that the death of Tom Skiles. We were both 22 when he died which was my life-shifting occurrence. Tom died of cancer nearly three decades ago, at a time when anyone my age rarely heard of cancer. We did not know that the chances of survival were next to none. My friends and I all denied his health issues and thought he would survive. Tom didn’t survive, I never told him how I felt about him. How I enjoyed our times together and that he made me smile and that he had a great heart. Regret is a bitter pill, however to learn from regret is valuable. I started from that time to today to keep in touch and to tell people how much they mean to you. Tom’s tragic death radically affected me to change my behavior due to the pain and regret. To tell those you love that they are loved and those who are your friends that they are a valuable asset to your life. Not just by saying thanks but also to give someone actually instances about their value.
This lesson has become of great value to me, as I didn’t miss that moment to thank my Grandfather Lloyd for all his wisdom and kindness in my life. When he passed in 1979 at the age of 81 I was only sad for those who never knew him and that Grandma lost her companion of over sixty years.

It is on the ledger of things we regret not doing versus those we did regret doing. Most people I talk to agree we generally don’t regret doing it, but rather being paralyzed with the fear of failure or rejection. I never played high school football (were most of all my friends did). I allowed my hair length to stand in the way of going for it. Maybe I am better off as I still have good knees and my mobility. However, after coaching Justin in Pop Warner I truly understood what I missed not being part of a team dependent on all of the parts to make the whole. Ok, I said it and stand by that regret. It has led me to think we should “Never settle for less”.

Now that I have covered being grateful, and regret it leads me back to life changing events. Most of us have heard stories about people who didn’t get on the plane and then that plane crashed. One of the more famous stories was the death of Stevie Ray Vaughn.

After a Wisconsin show with fellow guitar greats Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray and Stevie's brother, Jimmie on 26 August 1990, Stevie hopped on a helicopter with Eric Clapton's band on the way to Chicago. Clapton declined the ride at the last moment. Tragically, the helicopter crashed not long after midnight on the 27th and Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed at the age of 35.

Jack Morse, my Dad’s oldest brother was NOT ON the Pan Am flight that crashed in the Canary Islands because he made a phone call to the office and retrieved a message not to go as he was more needed at his workplace. Jack would have certainly been killed, as he would have been in first class cabin, which was the point of impact.

7 March 1977;Pan Am 747-100; Tenerife, Canary Islands: The aircraft had been scheduled to arrive at the Las Palmas airport after a non-scheduled flight from New York's JFK airport, but was diverted to Tenerife after a bomb explosion at the Las Palmas airport. Because of limited visibility and communications difficulties between air traffic control and a KLM 747 aircraft, the KLM 747 started its takeoff and collided with the Pan Am 747 that was taxiing on the same runway. Nine of the 16 crew and 321 of the 380 passengers on the Pan Am flight were killed. All 234 passengers and 14 crew on the KLM 747 were killed.

Jack never really spoke to me of how it changed his life. If any of you discussed this event with him it would be meaningful to know his thoughts.

Before I get to my most recent encounter I have to share that as I was sharing this with Karyn Wilson, she shared another life changing experience of dodging deaths call.

Judie Lewis was in Northern California on Sunday September 24th of 1975 getting talked out of taking PSA Flight 182 from San Francisco to San Diego. Judie changed her mind a drove back with her sister Patti and their friend Neil. On Monday, September 25th, San Diego was the scene of the worst air disaster, to date, in the United States. A mid-air collision between a Cessna 172 and a Pacific Southwest Airlines Boeing 727 caused both planes to crash into the neighborhood below. A total of 144 lives were lost including 7 people on the ground as well as the two people the Cessna light aircraft. More than 20 residences were damaged or destroyed. The fire went to Fourth Alarm status, committing 60% of the on-duty force of the Department as well as several outside agencies who also responded.

I don’t know if Judie did anything any different but I know her pretty well and she couldn’t be any more grateful for the smallest gift or act. One of my greatest challenges was being at Judie’s side the day her son unexpectedly died at the age of 40. God provides us untold strength at times of crisis and I was blessed to be able to provide the very best comfort that I could to her time in that time of unspoken tragic loss.

I talked to one more flight survivor yesterday; Ime Soto-Locatelli who shared with me that she had a seat reservation of flight 77 flying out of Dulles Intl to Los Angeles. She shared with me that she had a last minute decision to stay back and speak with her client. She felt uncomfortable about the results of their meeting on that Monday. She decided to stay back and do better. Wow, how amazing to be saved from one of the most infamous flights in World History, due to her own heart and head to do better in her job. She shared with me how it changed her life and that she is more thankful and grateful and has made it her mission to travel more and enjoy life to its fullest.


American Flight 77 took off from Dulles headed northwest towards Indianapolis turned back towards the Pentagon where is slammed into the building. The Internet is full of conspiracy theories about that fact there was no plane that crashed into the Pentagon.
ttp://911review.org/
Seeing that the people are missing along with their plane this seems pretty far-fetched. There is also substantial eyewitness statements to the contrary.

I included the passenger list as it makes this tragedy more real when viewed in names.

PASSENGERS
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Paul Ambrose, 32, of Washington, was a physician who worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the surgeon general to address racial and ethnic disparities in health. A 1995 graduate of Marshall University School of Medicine, Ambrose last year was named the Luther Terry Fellow of the Association of Teachers of Preventative Medicine.
Yeneneh Betru, 35, was from Burbank, California.
M.J. Booth
Bernard Brown, 11, was a student at Leckie Elementary School in Washington. He was embarking on an educational trip to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary near Santa Barbara, California, as part of a program funded by the National Geographic Society.
Suzanne Calley, 42, of San Martin, California, was an employee of Cisco Systems Inc.
William Caswell
Sarah Clark, 65, of Columbia, Maryland, was a sixth-grade teacher at Backus Middle School in Washington. She was accompanying a student on an educational trip to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary near Santa Barbara, California, as part of a program funded by the National Geographic Society.
Asia Cottom, 11, was a student at Backus Middle School in Washington. Asia was embarking on an educational trip to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary near Santa Barbara, California, as part of a program funded by the National Geographic Society.
James Debeuneure, 58, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was a fifth-grade teacher at Ketcham Elementary School in Washington. He was accompanying a student on an educational trip to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary near Santa Barbara, California, as part of a program funded by the National Geographic Society.
Rodney Dickens, 11, was a student at Leckie Elementary School in Washington. He was embarking on an educational trip to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary near Santa Barbara, California, as part of a program funded by the National Geographic Society.
Eddie Dillard
Charles Droz
Barbara Edwards, 58, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was a teacher at Palo Verde High School in Las Vegas.
Charles S. Falkenberg, 45, of University Park, Maryland, was the director of research at ECOlogic Corp., a software engineering firm. He worked on data systems for NASA and also developed data systems for the study of global and regional environmental issues. Falkenburg was traveling with his wife, Leslie Whittingham, and their two daughters, Zoe, 8, and Dana, 3.
Zoe Falkenberg, 8, of University Park, Maryland, was the daughter of Charles Falkenberg and Leslie Whittingham.
Dana Falkenberg, 3, of University Park, Maryland, was the daughter of Charles Falkenberg and Leslie Whittingham.
Joe Ferguson was the director of the National Geographic Society's geography education outreach program in Washington. He was accompanying a group of students and teachers on an educational trip to the Channel Islands in California. A Mississippi native, he joined the society in 1987. "Joe Feguson's final hours at the Geographic reveal the depth of his commitment to one of the things he really loved," said John Fahey Jr., the society's president. "Joe was here at the office until late Monday evening preparing for this trip. It was his goal to make this trip perfect in every way."
Wilson "Bud" Flagg of Millwood, Virginia, was a retired Navy admiral and retired American Airlines pilot.
Dee Flagg
Richard Gabriel
Ian Gray, 55, of Washington was the president of a health-care consulting firm.
Stanley Hall, 68, was from Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
Bryan Jack, 48, of Alexandria, Virginia, was a senior executive at the Defense Department.
Steven D. "Jake" Jacoby, 43, of Alexandria, Virginia, was the chief operating officer of Metrocall Inc., a wireless data and messaging company.
Ann Judge, 49, of Virginia was the travel office manager for the National Geographic Society. She was accompanying a group of students and teachers on an educational trip to the Channel Islands in California. Society President John Fahey Jr. said one of his fondest memories of Judge is a voice mail she and a colleague once left him while they were rafting the Monkey River in Belize. "This was quintessential Ann -- living life to the fullest and wanting to share it with others," he said.
Chandler Keller, 29, was a Boeing propulsion engineer from El Segundo, California.
Yvonne Kennedy
Norma Khan, 45, from Reston, Virginia was a nonprofit organization manager.
Karen A. Kincaid, 40, was a lawyer with the Washington firm of Wiley Rein & Fielding. She joined the firm in 1993 and was part of the its telecommunications practice. She was married to Peter Batacan.
Norma Langsteuerle
Dong Lee
Dora Menchaca, 45, of Santa Monica, California, was the associate director of clinical research for a biotech firm.
Christopher Newton, 38, of Anaheim, California, was president and chief executive officer of Work-Life Benefits, a consultation and referral service. He was married and had two children. Newton was on his way back to Orange County to retrieve his family's yellow Labrador, who had been left behind until they could settle into their new home in Arlington, Virginia.
Barbara Olson, 45, was a conservative commentator who often appeared on CNN and was married to U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson. She twice called her husband as the plane was being hijacked and described some details, including that the attackers were armed with knives. She had planned to take a different flight, but she changed it at the last minute so that she could be with her husband on his birthday. She worked as an investigator for the House Government Reform Committee in the mid-1990s and later worked on the staff of Senate Minority Whip Don Nickles.
Ruben Ornedo, 39, of Los Angeles, California, was a Boeing propulsion engineer.
Robert Penniger, 63, of Poway, California, was an electrical engineer with BAE Systems.
Lisa Raines, 42, was senior vice president for government relations at the Washington office of Genzyme, a biotechnology firm. She was from Great Falls, Virginia, and was married to Stephen Push. She worked with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on developing a new policy governing cellular therapies, announced in 1997. She also worked on other major health-care legislation.
Todd Reuben, 40, of Potomac, Maryland, was a tax and business lawyer.
John Sammartino
Diane Simmons
George Simmons
Mari-Rae Sopper of Santa Barbara, California, was a women's gymnastics coach at the University of California at Santa Barbara. She had just gotten the post August 31 and was making the trip to California to start work.
Bob Speisman, 47, was from Irvington, New York.
Hilda Taylor was a sixth-grade teacher at Leckie Elementary School in Washington. She was accompanying a student on an educational trip to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary near Santa Barbara, California, as part of a program funded by the National Geographic Society.
Leonard Taylor was from Reston, Virginia.
Leslie A. Whittington, 45, was from University Park, Maryland. The professor of public policy at Georgetown University in Washington was traveling with her husband, Charles Falkenberg, 45, and their two daughters, Zoe, 8, and Dana, 3. They were traveling to Los Angeles to catch a connection to Australia. Whittington had been named a visiting fellow at Australian National University in Canberra.
John Yamnicky, 71, was from Waldorf, Maryland.
Vicki Yancey
Shuyin Yang
Yuguag Zheng

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I also want to mention the death of Tim Ward a passenger on Flight 175 from Boston, the second plane to hit the Towers. He is a person I knew from working for Ralph Rubio, always a wide white teeth grin. Never married, no children.
Timothy Ward, 38, of San Diego, California, worked at the Carlsbad, California-based Rubio's Restaurants Inc. A 14-year veteran of the company, he opened its second restaurant in San Diego and most recently worked in the information technology department.

Why does it take tragedy to makes us live our life to its fullest? I really can’t say but maybe the realization of losing something is more valuable to us than the appreciation of what we have. I tried to find anything on this subject on the Internet. What I discovered was quite a bit of how to handle tragic loss (mostly group support and drugs). Article after article talked about how to deal with tragedy though getting your feelings out and dealing with them. I am not saying that feelings should summarily be dismissed, but do the five stages of grief really deal with any part of resolution?

DENIAL
ANGER
BARGAINING
DEPRESSION
ACCEPTANCE

The TLC group out of Dallas seems to have more reasonable approach.

T = To accept the reality of the loss
E = Experience the pain of the loss
A = Adjust to the new environment without the lost object
R = Reinvest in the new reality

It would appear to me that the second model have a more positive outcome. Acceptance to me is sort of a deal with it approach that does not do anything with moving on in a constructive manner. For someone to choose to reinvest in the new reality leads to better and more life affirming conclusions.

Now having said all that there has been much written about how to handle tragedy but not that much when people turn Lemons into Lemonade. Which brings me to a long held belief that the quality of our life is determined on the quality of the questions you ask yourself. Therefore when tragedy strikes and you ask yourself “Why does this happen to me” a long linty of negative answers might follow. However, when tragedy strikes and you ask, “What can I learn from this to make this situation have the most positive outcome” will get you a whole other group of more positive outcomes that could follow.

I have enjoyed learning about more positive approaches to living and sharing. Please email me your thoughts to Daily_Quote@cox.net