Message 512

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies. Maureen was able to join Vanessa and me this morning. We took Annie to her daycare place so we could eat in peace. Vanessa had to leave early so she could help at Beech's school with an art program.

In the evening yesterday I watched a DVD of the movie A Handful of Dust. It was made in 1988 based on an Evelyn Waugh novel. It was beautifully filmed in color, mostly in England but some in Brazil. It portray upper class British life and manners in the 1930s. The actions of the people are so absurd that it is hard for me to imagine that the people were really like that, but I expect that they were.They make such a mess of their lives that you have to pity them, but it is also disgusting that when they have it all they do not make anything of themselves. It had a great cast, including Kristin Scott Thomas and Alec Guinness and Judy Dench in small roles. I give it 3.4 stars.

Message 511

Yesterday I decided not to watch a movie and instead watched Nova, Warplane, and Frontline shows on PBS. I am especially glad I watched Frontline because I had never heard of Brooksley Born. She graduated first in her class from Stanford Law School in the 60s and was later a successful lawyer and a friend of Hilary Clinton. She was appointed by Bill to be the head of the commodities trading regulatory commission where she foresaw the economic problems we are now going through. She tried to regulate derivatives but was attacked by Greenspan, Summers, and the head of the SEC (whoever he was at the time), and eventually resigned because she was prevented from doing her job.

Message 510

Yesterday I worked some more on my memoirs. In the late afternoon I watched the Sharks beat the New York Rangers 7-3. After spotting the Rangers a 0-2 lead, the Sharks came alive and dominated the game. It is strange how they keep doing this. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie That Hamilton Woman. It is an old black and white film that is essentially used as propaganda in World War 2. It is the true story of the relationship of Lady Hamilton (played by Vivien Leigh) with the British Naval hero Lord Nelson (played by Lawrence Olivier). I give it 3.5 stars.

This morning I took Amelia to see Larry Morrill for her braces. Melanie had some oral surgery done to free up one of her teeth so it can grow into its proper place as being pulled by a new golden chain. I also had an estimate this morning to replace my awning over my big balcony.

Message 509

Yesterday the 49ers had a bye week and the Raiders were blacked out because their tickets were not sold, so I had to watch whatever NFL games were on. Julian came up in the afternoon and watched with me. As it turned out, the Raiders finally got their act together and beat the much favored Eagles, so it was a shame we were not able to watch. Julian and I watched Arizona beat Seattle, and it was good to see Kurt Warner look good. Vanessa was busy with a project, so we did not have our usual Sunday family dinner. Instead, Maureen and I went to Gombei with Larry and Judi for dinner. I always get the same thing when I go to Gombei, namely the pork cutlet dinner, and it is one of my favorite restaurants, but I usually go only about once a month when Larry and Judi invite me to join them. In the evening I watched another episode of In sector Lewis on PBS.

Message 508

Yesterday I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks. In the late afternoon Joshua came by to watch the Sharks game with me. They beat the New York Islanders 4-1, so we were glad about that, although again, the Sharks did not come alive until they were down 0-1 in the second period. After the game we went to El Cerrito for dinner.

In yesterday's e-mail a typo gave a rating for The Unknown Woman of 2.8 when it should have been 3.8 stars, in other words it was a pretty good movie in spite of being hard to understand. I corrected this typo in the version posted on my blog, but I could not correct the e-mail. Last night I watched a DVD of the Movie Anne of the Thousand Days. Even though it is a true story that I was very familiar with, I thought this was an outstanding movie. It was made in 1969 and Richard Burton was at his best as Henry the Eighth. I give it five stars.

Message 507

Yesterday I got a new refrigerator. My old one had been making a big clunking noise every time the compressor shut off. I had been told that this happens in old units when one of the compressor mounts gives way, and that it is not worth fixing it because everything else is old and near the end of its life too. I have been thinking about this for a few months, and yesterday I called a local store and had them deliver and install a new one and haul the old one away. Thus, I now have one less thing to think about, and all for a little less than $900.

In the evening, after the Friday night PBS shows were over, I watched a DVD of the movie The Unknown Woman. This is the translation of the title from Italian. It is a complex story that is revealed in a mixture of flashbacks mixed in with the present day in Italy where a woman from Ukraine tries to start a new life. It is hard to make out what the story is until it is all over, but it is worth the wait. There is a lot of sex and violence, but it is mostly about tender feelings. I give it 3.8 stars.

Message 506

Yesterday afternoon I picked Beech up at school and took him to his Kung Fu class. Afterward we went next door to the Round Table Pizza and he ate three slices, which is a new record for him. He also pulled another animal from the crane machine, but he forgot to bring it home with him. I told him we can ask if they kept it for him when we go back next week. I then picked up Eddy Solomon at his house and took him to Sultana's for dinner. Mary is out of town and had asked me to do this. He had the lamb chops that were on special, and he ate most of them. His Parkinson's disease has advanced so far that he has to mostly lie down when he eats, but he manages. His mind is still good, but his body is in pretty bad shape.

When I got home I watched a DVD of the movie Watchmen. It is another one of those movies based on what they call a graphic novel, or I would call a comic book. As a result, the plot was absurd, the action was stylized, and the characters were costumed heroes. I almost did not even finish watching it, but I managed finally to stick it out until the end. I give it 2 stars. The best thing about the movie was the music that was all from the 1980s.