Movie Review: The Ultimate Gift (2007)

The Ultimate Gift (2007)

3 out of 5 stars

I added this DVD to my Netflix Queue back in late July.  Terry and I found nothing worthy of watching on DirecTV (live or via DVR) last night so I slipped in this DVD for a Sunday evening viewing.

I thought of giving this movie higher marks, because it succeeded in making me care about Emily, Alexia and even Jason.  But it failed on its message.  I applaud and approve of the Twelve Gifts, but found at least two vital ones missing and a third implied one that galled me.

Death underlay the entire plot, starting with the death of Red Stevens, followed by the knowledge that his son died when Jason (his grandson) was about seven or eight.  Emily is dying and we meet her at Red’s funeral, although no explanation is given why an unrelated little girl with a pink umbrella is attending the funeral of one of the wealthiest men in America.  Security must have been preoccupied by a Westboro protest.   With all this death, the Gift of Life should have been an obvious addition to the list.

In the midst of Jason’s Gift of Learning month, he seeks his father’s plane crash site in the Central American jungle, despite warnings of lethal drug lord patrols and occupation.  Predictably, Jason and his reluctant guide are kidnapped and held captive, presumably for ransom, with a threat of execution if the money is too long in arriving.  In a cruel twist, the captors remove the prisoners from their cells for Christmas Day and invite them to join in their drunken celebrations.  Afterwards, they are returned to their cells with the gift of knowing they will die the next day.  Again, death looms, but the Gift of Freedom seems most precious when it is taken from you.

But what disappointed me most about the entire message boiled down to Jason receiving his reward in a textbook happy ending.  Yes, he learned his lesson(s).  I just don’t agree that any earthly reward should be expected.  My BFF died for me, and may/would have gone to Hell for me.  I should strive to do no less than Him.  That doesn’t mean I will succeed, and I am most assuredly doomed to failure, but I need no material motivation to do what is good and true and right.

Despite the film’s shortcomings, the acting by the main players was above par.  Especially, Abigail Breslin, whom I recognized from Signs fame.  Drew Fuller sported the worst haircut or hairstyle of any supposedly rich brat I’ve ever seen in a movie, but his performance overcame that handicap and then some.   I enjoyed seeing Brian Dennehy and James Garner as well.

A family friendly film that you’ll need a Kleenex or two for (unless you’re completely oblivious to children dying of leukemia).

Book Review: Cat’s Cradle by Vonnegut

Cat's CradleCat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One of the first books I remember being ‘required’ to read in school (Middle School to be exact) happened to be Slaughterhouse-Five. Looking back, even though I had been reading at a college level since I reached double-digit age, I probably wasn’t ready for the subject matter. Come to think of it, I should probably re-read Vonnegut’s most famous novel again, from the other end of three decades of my life gone by. The same could be said for Cat’s Cradle, if I had read it back then, but I’m reading it for the first time on the downhill side of my life.

Published a year before I took my first breath, I get all the cultural references. I am still pondering the ramifications of the ‘Truth’ of all religions, according to Vonnegut’s character (who remained nameless throughout the entire novel). Satire? Irony? Poetic justice? Nihilism? Or some chaotic cohesion of all of them?

I found a few gems among the exceptionally short chapters (some less than a page in length): The ambassador’s speech before tossing the wreath in honor of the Hundred Martyrs to Democracy: ‘Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.’; Newt: ‘No damn cat, and no damn cradle.’; and Mona: ‘I love everyone.’

I actually heard Kurt Vonnegut speak during my college years. He came to Wichita State University in the early 80s to give a lecture. I learned about his appearance late (on the same day in fact), so I arrived almost too late to get a seat. For some reason, the facility decided to open up seating on the stage, so I sat cross-legged within ten or twenty feet of him to his right. As memorable as my seating arrangements were, I cannot remember anything he said during that lecture, nor even what his topic was. My book collection remained at home in Leavenworth County, so I had nothing to ask him to sign. I sincerely regret that now.

I gave Cat’s Cradle three stars. I liked it, and it definitely made me think deeply and ponder many questions, but I can’t say I really liked it. An interesting read, and it has aged remarkably well.

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This is the first ebook I read using the OverDrive Media Nook application.  I checked it out smoothly and easily from the Kansas City Public Library.  After fiddling with the Reading Options, I found a happy medium for speed of page turns (but not transitions between chapters) and font shape and size.  The dictionary feature only works if you have your wifi on and connected to the Internet because it uses Dictionary.com.  This differs from the default ereading application provided by Barnes & Noble, which uses a pre-installed copy of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary (11th Edition).  I definitely missed the highlighting and annotating features that come standard with most ereading software.   Strangely, I’ve checked out ebooks from the KC Public Library before, but used the Adobe Digital Editions software and a USB cable to transfer the ebook from my computer to my Nook Color.  In that instance, I used the default ereader to read the ebook, so I had all my normal functionality.  I can only hope the OverDrive Media Console application will improve with time and feedback.

Just a Thousand More Steps … Per Day

I decided to increase my daily step goal by one thousand steps starting October 1st.  When I hooked up my pedometer to my laptop last Monday morning, I reconfigured my daily goal through the TrakNote software, which is much easier than trying to remember what buttons to press (or not press) on the pedometer.  I worried a bit that I wouldn’t be able to meet the new goal of 8,000 steps per day, but looking back on the last week, I’m pleasantly pleased and proud to report I succeeded on six out of seven days.  And the only day I didn’t reach my goal happened to be my birthday, so I gave myself a break.

The fall weather motivates me to get out of the house more with Apollo.  I even took Lexy on one very short walk.  She is still very skittish around vehicles and other people and dogs, so I have to be extra vigilant and patient when I walk her.  Most week days I end up walking Apollo after dark, so I don’t get an opportunity to take any photos.  With that in mind, I took a later afternoon walk with him on Saturday and snapped these pictures:

The base of this pole . . .At the corner of Fawn Valley and First Terrace, Apollo almost always stops to smell the fire hydrant and the stop sign but he wisely ignores the base of the utility pole shown at right.  When I took a look at the gaping hole forming around the base and the state of the rotting pole below ground, I took a few steps back.  I should probably send the photographs to my city councilman or at least the public works director before someone is injured  by a toppling pole.  I don’t believe it’s an electric utility pole, because it supports a streetlight, and no other wires beyond the power for the light attach to it.

. . . Is scary!

Here’s a few flowers and fruits we stumbled upon on our afternoon walk:

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Pine cones

Yellow mum

Oh So Close

Regulus and Venus
Regulus and Venus

I almost forgot to check the eastern horizon this morning. I hit the off button instead of the snooze button so I started awake around 5:30 a.m. in a near panic for oversleeping. As I rushed around the house getting ready for work, my brain finally dislodged this tidbit I had read via Astronomy.com sometime over the past weekend:

Wednesday, October 3

Venus dominates the morning sky all week after it rises around 3:30 a.m. local daylight time. It shines at magnitude –4.1, which makes it the brightest point of light in the sky, and climbs more than 25° above the eastern horizon an hour before sunrise. Be sure to watch for it this morning, however, because it passes just 7′ (one-quarter of the Full Moon’s diameter) south of Leo the Lion’s brightest star, Regulus. This is the closest any planet approaches a 1st-magnitude star during 2012. A telescope will show both objects in the same field of view. Look closely and you’ll see Venus’ 16″-diameter disk, which appears about 70 percent lit.

The Sky this Week: September 28–October 7, 2012

I had to re-attach the tripod mount to the bottom of the Pentax camera because I had used it the night before to try my new binoculars with the tripod mount attachment.  The waning moon hung just over the roof of my house as I stood in the driveway setting up the tripod and camera.  I could see bright Venus with my naked eye (of course, it’s the brightest thing in the sky besides the moon) but I wasn’t sure I could see Regulus without some optical aid.

I peered through the tiny viewfinder in the camera and could clearly see Regulus above Venus.  I took several photos, only one of which I liked well enough to label, upload and use in this post (see above).  Not many other stars are visible in the photo above, but here’s the sky chart for the eastern horizon from my location as of the date/time the photo was taken:

I did not drag either telescope out of the house and into the driveway. I didn’t have time to re-assembly Dob and the ETX-90 just takes too long to setup, align, configure, etc. I did use my new binoculars, without a tripod, and looked at Venus and Regulus, Sirius, Orion’s Sword, the Pleiades, Jupiter and its moons and our own satellite (although I saved it for last as I became blinded by its light with just a quick look).

With rain forecast for Friday and possibly Saturday, I doubt I’ll be stargazing much this weekend.  I may take advantage of the KC Renaissance Festival’s discount on tickets for an inclement weather forecast and the pirate themed weekend events.

Four Dozen or Four Dragons

Four dozen years ago, in my first Year of the Dragon, I began a journey.  I breathed my first breath.  I probably cried, maybe even hollered.  I saw light, or probably just blobs of colors and contrasting brightness.  I heard sounds.  I felt someone hold me.  My parents gave me a simple three letter label: Jon.  Simple, yet complex, and either ahead of the times or a sign of the times (hey, it was the sixties, man).

I began my seventeen thousand five hundred thirty-third day about like every other day in recent memory.  My cell phone alarm woke me with the rock organ chords to “I’m Okay” by Styx from the Pieces of Eight album.  I snoozed once, just because it was my birthday.  The second time I heard the rock organ, I cancelled the alarm and took a peak outside.  Clear skies!  The best birthday present ever!  I could finally try out my new binoculars.  Wow!  I could see at least three of Jupiter’s moons and several of the nebulae in Orion’s Sword.  Oh, and the Pleiades looked might fine as well.  I avoided the waning but still very bright Harvest Moon so I would not blind myself before the sun came up.

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Birthday Card from Vanpool Riders

The riders of my vanpool got together behind my back (literally) and all signed the card at right.  I’m not quite sure how they managed to do this without me knowing, since as far as I can tell, they don’t get together outside the confines of the van, and I’m usually driving said van.  Just another one of life’s little mysteries, I suppose.

But that’s beside the point.  I wish to give a shout out to my riders here and say “Thank You!” for thinking of me.  You all make the beginnings and endings of my workdays more enjoyable.  I look forward to each and every commute with you and the traffic adventure that is I-70.

Birthday colors for a drab gray cubicle
Birthday colors for a drab gray cubicle

I also received cards early, from my father and my daughter recently, but forgot to take photos of them to share here.  I woke up to several posts wishing me happy birthday via Facebook and email.  My dad also called to wish me well.  I called my husband to remind him to wake up for a doctor’s appointment and the very first thing he said to me when he answered his cell phone as an enthusiastic “Happy Birthday!”

I received a touching email note from my Aunt Melody that included her recollections of that long cold night in early October, 1964.  She stayed up all night with my mother (her older sister), waiting for me to be born.  She remembered how cold it was in the nursery and how they forgot to warm up the incubator before placing me in it.   Good thing I developed my own internal heat source, which my husband shamelessly takes advantage of during the long winter nights.

I will miss having lunch with my retired co-worker and friend, Marge, today.  She traveled late last week for a funeral and won’t return for a few more days.  That makes two years in a row when journey’s end encroached on celebrating the journey’s start.  I know that will become increasingly common in the years ahead.

I am reasonably confident I will see a fifth Year of the Dragon in 2024, and probably my sixth in 2036.  I am more health conscious than ever, thanks to my employer’s Health & Wellness programs and benefits.  I even signed up for one of their free exercise classes this month.  I joined the strength training class available over the lunch hour on Mondays and Thursdays.  Since I don’t want to invest (or store) weights, bands, balls, rings, etc. at home, I thought I should take advantage of this class to help keep my bones healthy and strong.  I want to stave off osteoporosis.  I continue other exercising (Yoga, aerobic, balance) with Wii Fit Plus and Apollo takes me for moonlit evening walks most days.

If I can keep this up, and make progress to a better, healthier version of me, then perhaps I might even see my seventh Year of the Dragon,  in 2048, at the ripe old age of eighty-four.  Both of my grandmothers made it past that mark.  Here’s hoping I will too!