Rabu, 05 September 2012
Selasa, 04 September 2012
3 Things I Love Today
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| from https://curlplease.wordpress.com/tag/dnc/ |
"And [Barack] believes that when you've worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity... you do not slam it shut behind you... you reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed."
"Being president doesn't change who you are. It reveals who you are."
"Success isn't about how much money you make. It's about the difference you make in people's lives."
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| from www.realitytea.com/ |
3. Chili week- I have mentioned this before, but man, chili is the best food in the whole world. Especially if it is just all veggies and corn and deliciousness like that. No beef or beans needed!
Top 5 Documentaries about Crime
I can't even try to explain the obsession with these kind of narratives, especially since I don't particularly like this kind of content in fiction films. Yet, Netflix is on to the fact that I obsess about crime documentaries. They run the gamut from really smart with interesting distance from the crime itself to kind of short sighted to totally vague and not particularly interesting.
1. Aileen Wuornos- Life and Death of a Serial Killer- The first time I saw this, I was not a fan, but this film, and its prequel are one of the most interesting accounts of what happens after the indictment I have ever seen. It would be plenty smart if we only saw the economics and publicity that ran rampant around Wuornos, but this is paired with interviews with Wuornos that are so insane that they are actually mesmerizing. Two very strange movies, but I would say they are much more interesting than the film Monster, which is based on Wuornos. Truth is definitely more compelling than the fiction, in this case. They are on Netflix, and I would recommend them for afternoon viewing.
2. Capturing the Friedmans-This film captures the perspectives of the Friedman family, a typical family who was broken up when the father Arnold (and subsequently one of his son's Jesse) were tried and plead guilty for shocking crimes against Friedman's young students. Director Andrew Jarecki lucked out to tap into such a compelling archive of the family's private films as their father and brother awaited trial for pedophilia. Where many of these films suffer from a sort of vague point of view, Jarecki uses the ambiguity of the trial to his narrative advantage. The director was said to have sympathized with the family, believing them innocent, but I think the film can only transcend the original allegations as long the father's insistent silence, non-presence, and undeniable collection of child pornography fade into the background. But the gap (and some level of guilt?( at the center is so loud, and that is what makes the film so compelling, pared with the excessive emotion of the wife and children.
3. Dear Zachary- This film is emotional torture. I can't even recommend it to you, because it comes right in and crushes your soul. I would never watch it again, but I think it was well done and certainly approaches the crime in question with a tender and thoughtful intimacy not often displayed in these kinds of films. It also has a very specific and political point of view which I think is really smart. But seriously, I would not wish this film on my worst enemy.
4. Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired- I never knew much about this crime, beyond that Polanski is a creepy perv. This movie didn't really change my mind, but it's account of the vast differences (and the political stakes) in his treatment in Europe and America is highly compelling. All in all, a very smart, very dry account of what happened from multiple perspectives. Good little documentary.
5. Cropsey- Dealing with murder as collective myth and shared mystery. I loved that aspect of the film, though the research aspects of the film are weak and the actual facts around the murders seem rather loose. They picked a road that it was difficult to finish, and the beginning of the film is much better than the end, but it is still an interesting experiment.
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1. Aileen Wuornos- Life and Death of a Serial Killer- The first time I saw this, I was not a fan, but this film, and its prequel are one of the most interesting accounts of what happens after the indictment I have ever seen. It would be plenty smart if we only saw the economics and publicity that ran rampant around Wuornos, but this is paired with interviews with Wuornos that are so insane that they are actually mesmerizing. Two very strange movies, but I would say they are much more interesting than the film Monster, which is based on Wuornos. Truth is definitely more compelling than the fiction, in this case. They are on Netflix, and I would recommend them for afternoon viewing.
2. Capturing the Friedmans-This film captures the perspectives of the Friedman family, a typical family who was broken up when the father Arnold (and subsequently one of his son's Jesse) were tried and plead guilty for shocking crimes against Friedman's young students. Director Andrew Jarecki lucked out to tap into such a compelling archive of the family's private films as their father and brother awaited trial for pedophilia. Where many of these films suffer from a sort of vague point of view, Jarecki uses the ambiguity of the trial to his narrative advantage. The director was said to have sympathized with the family, believing them innocent, but I think the film can only transcend the original allegations as long the father's insistent silence, non-presence, and undeniable collection of child pornography fade into the background. But the gap (and some level of guilt?( at the center is so loud, and that is what makes the film so compelling, pared with the excessive emotion of the wife and children.
3. Dear Zachary- This film is emotional torture. I can't even recommend it to you, because it comes right in and crushes your soul. I would never watch it again, but I think it was well done and certainly approaches the crime in question with a tender and thoughtful intimacy not often displayed in these kinds of films. It also has a very specific and political point of view which I think is really smart. But seriously, I would not wish this film on my worst enemy.
4. Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired- I never knew much about this crime, beyond that Polanski is a creepy perv. This movie didn't really change my mind, but it's account of the vast differences (and the political stakes) in his treatment in Europe and America is highly compelling. All in all, a very smart, very dry account of what happened from multiple perspectives. Good little documentary.
5. Cropsey- Dealing with murder as collective myth and shared mystery. I loved that aspect of the film, though the research aspects of the film are weak and the actual facts around the murders seem rather loose. They picked a road that it was difficult to finish, and the beginning of the film is much better than the end, but it is still an interesting experiment.
YES
"I think women want to take care of themselves, and I think having a voice in how that is done is very important. And frankly, I don't understand — I mean, I'm obviously a card-carrying Democrat — but I can't understand why any woman would want to vote for Mitt Romney, except maybe Mrs. Romney."
Thank you, Madeline Albright. I have genuinely (not meanly, but very seriously) been wondering this same thing. Why would a woman vote for someone who has openly worked against their own rights?
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Thank you, Madeline Albright. I have genuinely (not meanly, but very seriously) been wondering this same thing. Why would a woman vote for someone who has openly worked against their own rights?
Doing the Walk to End Alzheimers!
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| from act.alz.org/ |
Nick and I are doing this in honor and memory of his Grandpa Shiley, who suffered from Alzheimers for many years . I wrote about his passing in early 2011, but we still think about he and Granny a lot, so I am excited to do something in his memory. Currently, more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease and that number is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050. We have seen and experienced firsthand just how devastating this disease is to the person who has it and to their support system. The thought that it will continue to grow is so scary, and we want to help others facing the disease.
The Alzheimer's Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research, and the funds we raise will go directly toward supporting their efforts. If you want more information on them, check here: http://www.alz.org/about_us_about_us_.asp I am honestly not sure why they are amping up their fundraising and public relations, but it seems to really be putting itself out there. This being said, it seems to me there is a lot of research and work to be done to effectively treat and manage Alzheimers, as well as trying to end it.
I am attaching the link here, so if you feel moved to donate you can. Or you can do the walk wherever you are, because they really have them everywhere! Here is the link:
http://act.alz.org/site/TR?px=6850550&pg=personal&fr_id=1556&et=HZH0PjUpAgjEPAjYqA7lrw&s_tafId=9523
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