Sunday, June 26, 2011
Some Thoughts About CARS 2
I haven't seen CARS 2, yet, but I plan on it. It's interesting reading the semi-critical slamming the movie is receiving. Many of the negative reviews slight CARS 2 for having a lack of heart and warmth that the first movie had. I find that hilarious because I remember the reviews some of these same reviewers had about CARS four years ago when they panned it as being the worst Pixar movie ever. There wasn't anything about heart and warmth in those reviews of CARS. Many critics hated CARS because they are based on the coasts and CARS was about everything they are not: small towns, Route 66, and NASCAR. They hate CARS 2 even more because the star of the film isn't Lightening McQueen, but his best friend, Mater, the one character that represents everything they hate. I hope it breaks $100 million before TRANSFORMERS: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON opens because then those critics will really be squirming.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Wooden Heart
A friend of mine introduced me to this video. It's an amazing video. The words are a bit difficult to understand at times, so I've listed them below the video. I hope anyone who sees this will be as touched by it as I am. Take this wooden heart of mine, Lord Jesus, and make it alive.
"Wooden Heart" by Listener
We're all born to broken people on their most honest day of living
And since that first breath... we'll need grace that we've never given
I've been haunted by standard red devils and white ghosts
And it's not only when these eyes are closed
These lies are ropes that i tie down in my stomach
But they hold this ship together tossed like leaves in this weather
And my dreams are sails that i point towards my true north
Stretched thin over my rib bones and pray that it gets better
But it won't won't at least i don't believe it will...
So i've built a wooden heart inside this iron ship
To sail these blood red seas and find your coasts.
Don't let these waves wash away your hopes
This war-ship is sinking and i still believe in anchors
Pulling fist fulls of rotten wood from my heart i still believe in saviors
But i know that we are all made out of shipwrecks every single board
Washed and bound like crooked teeth on these rocky shores
So come on and let's wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
And fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
Come on and sew us together tattered rags stained forever
We only have what we remember
I am the barely living son of a woman and man who barely made it
But we're making it taped together on borrowed crutches and new starts
We all have the same holes in our hearts...
Everything falls apart at the exact same time
That it all comes together perfectly for the next step
But my fear is this prison... that i keep locked below the main deck
I keep a key under my pillow it's quiet and it's hidden
And my hopes are weapons that i'm still learning how to use right
But they're heavy and i'm awkward...always running out of fight
So i've carved a wooden heart put it in this sinking ship
Hoping it would help me float for just a few more weeks
Because i am made out of shipwrecks every twisted beam
Lost and found like you and me scattered out on the sea
So come on let's wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
And fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
Come on and sew us together just some tattered rags stained forever
We only have what we remember
My throat it still tastes like house fire and salt water
I wear this tide like loose skin rock me to sea
If we hold on tight we'll hold each other together
And not just be some fools rushing to die in our sleep
All these machines will rust i promise but we'll still be electric
Shocking each other back to life
Your hand in mine my fingers in your veins connected
Our bones grown together inside
Our hands entwined your fingers in my veins braided
Our spines grown stronger in time
Because our church is made out of shipwrecks
From every hull these rocks have claimed
But we pick ourselves up and try and grow better through the change
So come on ya'll and let's wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
And fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
Come on and sew us together were just tattered rags stained forever
We only have what we remember
"Wooden Heart" by Listener
We're all born to broken people on their most honest day of living
And since that first breath... we'll need grace that we've never given
I've been haunted by standard red devils and white ghosts
And it's not only when these eyes are closed
These lies are ropes that i tie down in my stomach
But they hold this ship together tossed like leaves in this weather
And my dreams are sails that i point towards my true north
Stretched thin over my rib bones and pray that it gets better
But it won't won't at least i don't believe it will...
So i've built a wooden heart inside this iron ship
To sail these blood red seas and find your coasts.
Don't let these waves wash away your hopes
This war-ship is sinking and i still believe in anchors
Pulling fist fulls of rotten wood from my heart i still believe in saviors
But i know that we are all made out of shipwrecks every single board
Washed and bound like crooked teeth on these rocky shores
So come on and let's wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
And fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
Come on and sew us together tattered rags stained forever
We only have what we remember
I am the barely living son of a woman and man who barely made it
But we're making it taped together on borrowed crutches and new starts
We all have the same holes in our hearts...
Everything falls apart at the exact same time
That it all comes together perfectly for the next step
But my fear is this prison... that i keep locked below the main deck
I keep a key under my pillow it's quiet and it's hidden
And my hopes are weapons that i'm still learning how to use right
But they're heavy and i'm awkward...always running out of fight
So i've carved a wooden heart put it in this sinking ship
Hoping it would help me float for just a few more weeks
Because i am made out of shipwrecks every twisted beam
Lost and found like you and me scattered out on the sea
So come on let's wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
And fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
Come on and sew us together just some tattered rags stained forever
We only have what we remember
My throat it still tastes like house fire and salt water
I wear this tide like loose skin rock me to sea
If we hold on tight we'll hold each other together
And not just be some fools rushing to die in our sleep
All these machines will rust i promise but we'll still be electric
Shocking each other back to life
Your hand in mine my fingers in your veins connected
Our bones grown together inside
Our hands entwined your fingers in my veins braided
Our spines grown stronger in time
Because our church is made out of shipwrecks
From every hull these rocks have claimed
But we pick ourselves up and try and grow better through the change
So come on ya'll and let's wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
And fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
Come on and sew us together were just tattered rags stained forever
We only have what we remember
Saturday, June 18, 2011
The Porta-TARDIS
This is hilarious. Can't you see this happening? 
"HijiNKS ENSUE" Tuesday, June 14, 2011
"HijiNKS ENSUE" Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Question About THE HANGOVER 2
I have a question about the movie The Hangover 2: how do you get amnesia and deja vu at the same time? (I have not seen this movie and will not see it in a theatre).
Why SUPER 8 Was This Week's #1 Movie
One of the headlines on Yahoo! says, "Last-ditch push saves 'Super 8'". Yahoo! needs to get some real writers. Super 8 was the #1 movie this week not because of a "last minute" marketing campaign by Paramount. Super 8 was the #1 movie this week because people were intrigued and wanted to see what the film was about. It was directed by the guy who created the tv show Alias, produced Lost, and directed the movies Mission Impossible 3 and Star Trek. The movie also stars that cool actor from Friday Night Lights and is produced by Steven Spielberg. The reviews have been mostly positive as has been word of mouth. The movie appeals to all those 30-40 somethings who grew up watching Spielberg flicks and in doing so became lifelong movie fans. It also appeals to that youthful optimism in most of us that many of Spielberg's pictures touch. Since there's a blockbuster movie being released every weekend from now until the middle of August, Super 8 won't be the #1 movie next week. However, it will continue to do well at the box office and continue to "surprise" insiders.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Disasters are Good for the Economy?!
I was perusing the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from this past Thursday (June 9, 2011). In the middle of the news section I saw an article from AP with this headline:
"Joplin tornado heats up slow housing market".
The gist of the article is that almost all of the homes that were sale before the tornado hit and that are still standing after the tornado have all been sold. Also, the need for new homes has increased drastically.
Really? This counts as news now. Not only that but the underlying message seems to be that disasters are good for the economy. That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Not only is it bad journalism, but it's stupid, too.
"Joplin tornado heats up slow housing market".
The gist of the article is that almost all of the homes that were sale before the tornado hit and that are still standing after the tornado have all been sold. Also, the need for new homes has increased drastically.
Really? This counts as news now. Not only that but the underlying message seems to be that disasters are good for the economy. That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Not only is it bad journalism, but it's stupid, too.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Book Review: THE READING PROMISE
I have been a lifelong reader. I don’t remember a time 
when reading wasn’t a part of my life. My parents read to me every night until I could read on my own. Once I started reading easily on my own, my parents still read to me, though not as often and though I loved to read, the times my parents read to me were a special treat. I took great pleasure in listening to the different voices my Dad would attempt to do for characters and snuggling with my Mom before falling into a peaceful sleep. Therefore, I was quite excited to read Alice Ozma’s (born Kristen Alice Ozma Brozina) book THE READING PROMISE.
THE READING PROMISE is a memoir about Ozma’s childhood which was made particularly special by a promise she and her father made to each other when she was nine years old and in the fourth grade. They agreed that her father would read to her every night for 100 nights. There were rules, for instance they had to read a certain amount of time each night, it had to be done before midnight, and reading over the phone was allowed but only as an exception and not the rule. The 100 night goal was reached and both father and daughter agreed they wanted to continue. Thus, began The Streak: 3,218 consecutive nights of Jim Brozina reading to his youngest daughter for over nine years. They continued on The Streak when Jim’s wife left him and moved out of the house, when Alice’s older sister left home to stay overseas as an exchange student for a year, and when Alice was involved in a car accident. Through countless plays that Alice was in, overnight parties, and even on the night of her senior prom The Streak continued. Somehow they even made it through a particularly difficult night when Jim Brozima lost his voice because of laryngitis and was under doctor’s orders not to speak. The Streak continued until the night Jim had to drop Alice off at college.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading THE READING PROMISE. It’s written in a very easy-to-read, conversational style tinged in wisps of nostalgia with just the right dose of humor. The story is one that could easily be buried in the syrupy saccharin of sentimentalism, but it isn’t. Instead, Ozma takes key points from her life and beautifully explains how The Streak was a part of those moments, without bloating the events with unnecessary emotionalism. Many of the events are funny, such as the author’s confession that she has a fear of the corpse of a particular deceased President coming to hunt and haunt her at night, while others are more serious.
The author makes a point to emphasize the importance of reading and reading to children, yet the core of the story is a love letter from a daughter to her father that displays a profound appreciation and deep love for the man who raised her. I know from my own experiences working with children and students that there is a lot of pain in the girls and young women of our country. Many are abandoned by their fathers at an early age. Others have a physical father present, but one who never makes an effort to connect with his female offspring. THE READING PROMISE illustrates what a positive relationship between a father and his daughter can look like. There are some who might take issue with certain particulars of Brozima’s childrearing techniques. Others might disagree with some of his beliefs and philosophies. However, there is no doubt about the love Brozima has for his children and the sacrifices he made for them. Stories and books can help make us better people and the best stories can have a profound effect upon our lives. THE READING PROMISE can be such a book and I hope many fathers will read this book and take away from it a greater understanding of how to love and raise their daughters.
when reading wasn’t a part of my life. My parents read to me every night until I could read on my own. Once I started reading easily on my own, my parents still read to me, though not as often and though I loved to read, the times my parents read to me were a special treat. I took great pleasure in listening to the different voices my Dad would attempt to do for characters and snuggling with my Mom before falling into a peaceful sleep. Therefore, I was quite excited to read Alice Ozma’s (born Kristen Alice Ozma Brozina) book THE READING PROMISE.THE READING PROMISE is a memoir about Ozma’s childhood which was made particularly special by a promise she and her father made to each other when she was nine years old and in the fourth grade. They agreed that her father would read to her every night for 100 nights. There were rules, for instance they had to read a certain amount of time each night, it had to be done before midnight, and reading over the phone was allowed but only as an exception and not the rule. The 100 night goal was reached and both father and daughter agreed they wanted to continue. Thus, began The Streak: 3,218 consecutive nights of Jim Brozina reading to his youngest daughter for over nine years. They continued on The Streak when Jim’s wife left him and moved out of the house, when Alice’s older sister left home to stay overseas as an exchange student for a year, and when Alice was involved in a car accident. Through countless plays that Alice was in, overnight parties, and even on the night of her senior prom The Streak continued. Somehow they even made it through a particularly difficult night when Jim Brozima lost his voice because of laryngitis and was under doctor’s orders not to speak. The Streak continued until the night Jim had to drop Alice off at college.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading THE READING PROMISE. It’s written in a very easy-to-read, conversational style tinged in wisps of nostalgia with just the right dose of humor. The story is one that could easily be buried in the syrupy saccharin of sentimentalism, but it isn’t. Instead, Ozma takes key points from her life and beautifully explains how The Streak was a part of those moments, without bloating the events with unnecessary emotionalism. Many of the events are funny, such as the author’s confession that she has a fear of the corpse of a particular deceased President coming to hunt and haunt her at night, while others are more serious.
The author makes a point to emphasize the importance of reading and reading to children, yet the core of the story is a love letter from a daughter to her father that displays a profound appreciation and deep love for the man who raised her. I know from my own experiences working with children and students that there is a lot of pain in the girls and young women of our country. Many are abandoned by their fathers at an early age. Others have a physical father present, but one who never makes an effort to connect with his female offspring. THE READING PROMISE illustrates what a positive relationship between a father and his daughter can look like. There are some who might take issue with certain particulars of Brozima’s childrearing techniques. Others might disagree with some of his beliefs and philosophies. However, there is no doubt about the love Brozima has for his children and the sacrifices he made for them. Stories and books can help make us better people and the best stories can have a profound effect upon our lives. THE READING PROMISE can be such a book and I hope many fathers will read this book and take away from it a greater understanding of how to love and raise their daughters.
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