"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

  Philippians 4-8.… Read full post »

Anybody have one?  Any familiarity with the breed in general?  My spouse wants one really bad.  At first, we mistook them for English Bulldogs, which are significantly more expensive.  Now, we're interested in the "breed" itself, espescially since they are supposed to be much less… Read full post »

          Tonight, my wife and I began re-watching Foyle’s War.  What a great series.  Easily worth a second and perhaps even a third viewing.  There’s a particular aspect of Foyle’s character I’d like to keep in mind… Read full post »

          I liked the new Speed Racer movie.  The performances were good all around, and Emile Hirsch and Susan Sarandon were especially good.  Sure, it got a little long in the tooth, but overall it was fun.  The primary col… Read full post »

Jeremy Brett owns the role; there's no denying that.  Still, if anyone can pull off a reinterpretation worthy of standing alongside his, it's Robert Downey, Jr.  Can't wait to see it.  Read full post »

          A great character study with wonderful performances, Happy Go Lucky presents a simple theme: "You can't make everyone happy," says Zoe, best friend of the lead character, Poppy, to which Poppy responds, "there's no harm in trying that, Zoe, is th… Read full post »

http://www.salon.com/env/atoms_eden/2009/03/25/alva_noe/

            The article is actually an interview by Gordy Slack of Alva Noe, a philosopher who wrote Out of Our Heads: Why You Are Not Your Brain, and Other Lessons From the Biolog… Read full post »

My list of simple pleasures  in response to Sharon Who's post on the subject:

 1. Cats.  I'm not sure whether "cats" as a whole qualify as a "simple pleasure" or not.  After all, cats are anything but simple, but they have brought and continue to bring me a lot of… Read full post »

The Accelerated Reader program, which is mandatory in my son's school, worries me.  It worries my because it makes my son very excited--about meeting his goal so he to can attend the pizza party, not about reading itself.  He doesn't tell me about the content of the book he's currently read… Read full post »

Gene Siskel was spot on in describing the strength of this movie as having emanated from all the “non-narrative powers of film.”  It is absolutely mesmerizing.  There’s no other word for it.  And with any examination of plot leading to dead end, it’s le… Read full post »

How about a random button for OS?  Might be a nice way for folks to discover hidden gems.  It could simply be a link at the top of the page next to "topics" or something that would take one to a random posting.  Just an idea.

A lso, StumbleUpon has a… Read full post »

Distinguishing what's real from what is illusion--that to me seems the hardest lesson in life, the one upon which all tasks are predicated.  The lesson that, if it is accomplished well, renders all others so much easier.  The thought just popped into my head, so I thought I'd blog it to… Read full post »

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/etc/view.html

The videos at the above link present an exercise created by Jane Elliot, an Iowa school teacher, for the purpose of demonstrating how prejudices work and affect people.  No doubt, it would be considered unethical by today… Read full post »

I caught about the last 45 minutes of The Story of Philomath, Oregon, a documentary that examines a culture war that occurred in this particular community.  The substance of the dispute is not what I’m interested in at the moment.  Rather, I’m interested in the way political and… Read full post »

           Forrest Gump belongs on anyone’s list of great American films.  It won a total of thirty-eight awards, including six Oscars, was nominated for an additional thirty-eight more (according to its IMDB entry), and made AFI’s li… Read full post »

            American Splendor is an odd, quirky little movie about an odd, quirky little man: Harvey Pekar, a file clerk who works at the VA hospital in Cleveland.  His existence is not very satisfying.  He's lonely.  He's unfulfil… Read full post »

Wow.  What can I say?  DeNiro.  Pacino.  And that's the best they could come up with?  This movie pissed me off the same way Star Wars: Episode I did.   Both of them made me think the folks responsible for them must have been sitting around thinking, "Hey, this one'… Read full post »

Hawley's post, "Marriage for All or None," made me think of another topic a tinsy bit nearer and dearer to my heart: the widespread legalization of cannabis.  The topics seem related in that they stem from an urge on the part of one group of people to control essentially harmless behavior… Read full post »

Building relationships, even ones a person would think could be taken for granted, is the most difficult, demanding, and worthwhile task in life.  It's never easy.  We hide things from one another.  Moreover, we become self-absorbed and simply don't notice what's going on in the lives/… Read full post »

            One idea implicit in watching a movie based upon someone's life, especially an "ordinary" someone's life, is that the person upon whom the story is based has or had a life somehow more worthy of study than the vast majority of us.&nbs… Read full post »