suible

See you after October 18, the ignorant ghosts screaming they want ipads. They've added annoying comments about how much they deserve an ipad. AND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE. I'm outta here - at least until October 18 - maybe forever.

On the bright side, Blippy has added a whole lot of numbers - for all they contribute.

So long

plums, eggs, peppers, bananas, etc., etc.

I first saw this movie probably close to 40 years ago - and read the book upon which it was based some 30 or so years ago.

The movie takes place in an urban, depressing school where the students are warehoused and the teachers are just trying to make their own way through the bureaucracy. Sylvia shows up for her first day with a great lesson plan and high ideals - the lesson plan is lost amid the detritus that overwhelms her. Her idealism outlasts the first day, but is buffeted by the administration, the other teachers, the students and life in general at the school.

This movie was preceded by Blackboard Jungle - the first of the urban decay school movies with new idealistic teacher. Still, it was an early one of the genre. Back then, the action focused more on the teachers than the students.

The movie is dated . For instance, at the dance, all the young men are dressed in suits. Still, the message is not very different today. Back then, they also waited for Superman - fewer expected him then than now. I'm not sure which is more depressing.

I did take a look at IMDB page about this movie. Many of the actors have either "disappeared" or died. Jean Stapleton is still alive, otherwise . . . sigh. Bel Kaufman, who wrote the book, is still alive.

A Hindi woman is boarding a bus, a man agrees to help her with her infant son. The bus passengers run into a blockade . . . curfew and trouble. A tenuous relationship develops between the two travelers. Will the troubles bring them closer together or pull them apart?

Beautiful scenery, great looking main characters, drama with some comedy. It is fairly formulaic and as to the politics . . . I don't know much about the specific situation. It does ring rather true - lots of revenge and stereotyping, not much sense or compassion.

The movie is pretty good - but Netflix has it categorized as a Romance . . . it is more of a buddies movie - although an unconventional one.

Interesting movie - about faith and relationships. The main character is a priest who hears the confession of a prostitute - she is going to commit suicide and tells a bit of her sad, life story.

The story has some holes - the priest is TOO obsessive and the prostitute is more like the gorgeous girl-next-door who was led astray through no fault of her own. The title is . . . rather misleading - at least the implication that the priest might be led astray - wasn't even really part of the plot. There was a minor subplot about a long ago ex-girlfriend, but that was just a rather stupid distraction to the main plot.

I liked the characters and actors and with better direction, I think this could have been a great movie. As it is, it is pretty good.

I've used this some - maybe half an hour over the last month or so. It is okay

I really haven't used it much - but, coincidentally, I just entered Southwest number, AAA number . . .shrug. Maybe I'll use it some day for something other than just entering a few numbers.

Gas - it makes the van go ZOOM . . . or at least go

Two years of Vanity Fair

Well I didn't waste a whole 91 minutes on this movie - I slept through about 30 minutes of it. The other 61 minutes? pretty much a total waste. Two strangers meet, there is chemistry. She decides to be all new age/quirky and they'll get together again if all the stars realign perfectly and everything works out. Now substitute the word "stupid" for "new age/quirky" and everything will work out if the people involved waste a tremendous amount of time and energy.

I didn't like the movie - a waste of actors, their time and my time.

I'm pretty sure this is airport parking. The van service is good - the price sucks.

I liked this movie. It follows a Chinese family for some 20 years (1940s - 1960s). The family changes and so does China. The movie is full of change, heartache and sorrow, but, also there is, joy and comedy. I understand a tiny bit more about China now.

The director and leading actress (married in real life) were banned from making movies (and speaking about this movie) for two years as a consequence of the regime not being happy with the movie. Doesn't that make all the paparazzi, Lindsay Lohan nonsense, etc. seem even more completely trivial?

Meh. You shouldn't lie about yourself to people you meet over ham radio airwaves. Because you'll get caught and look like a liar and you won't be happy to find out that the other person also lied. Okay. There were a few good minutes . . . out of like 90. So not worth it.

Good movie. A thirteen-year-old girl becomes the substitute teacher in a rural Chinese elementary school. The teacher, as he leaves, emphasizes that the number of students must remain the same for her to get paid. Of course she struggles to teach. Of course the struggles to maintain order, especially with one troublemaker in particular.

Then, one day, the troublemaker disappears from the school. The 11-year-old has gone to the city because his father is dead, his mother is ill and the family has a debt to pay. Somebody has to pay it back.

The teacher is determined that she will not have "one less student", but how will she get to the big city? And once she is there, how will she find her student?

The people in this movie are not actors, but "real" people. (As opposed to actors, who are ummm fake people.) The movie is low-key, yet portrays the difference between rich/urban and poor/rural with a starkness that is difficult. Some of the reviewers found this movie sentimental and parts of it too long . . . I don't know. Yes, there is some sentimentality (which I usually dislike), but it is called for. And the long part . . . sometimes life is difficult and those parts always seem long. Yeah, they could have shortened it, but shrug - I thought it fit.

It is a rather disturbing view of China - how many children leave school to work to pay family debts. Too few never return.

RAM for sister's old Apple Tiger computer. Right now she has 1/2 GB - this will get her to 2 GB. No wonder her husband sees the spinning beachball so often.

ice cream. I go about once a year or so. And then I decide it is too expensive and not worth the nutrition hit.

breakfast at airport - ham and cheese croissant and hot coffee with cup of ice. Why do restaurants only have iced coffee with a bunch of crap in it? Croissant okay - not worth the calories nor price though

Delicious meal with friend - brie/walnut sandwiches (with greens), oyster popovers, spinach salad, shrimp with asparagus and chocolate dessert

Plus $33 gift certificate for niece's 33rd birthday

Shanghai tofu and vegetables

lunch for friend and me - hummus platter, soup and beverage