Thursday, July 31, 2008

July 2008 Books and Movies

Deal Breakers: When to Work on a Relationship and When to Walk Away
Dr. Bethany Marshall

Good topic, not dealt with very well. The doctors speaks of 5 personality types (Scriptwriter, Little Boy Lost, Man in Charge, Man Without Fault, Invisible Man), how to recognize them, when to work on a relationship with them, and when to walk away. It seemed to blame the man exclusively, with only one tiny paragraph stating that if you found the book didn't resonate, to re-read it with yourself in one of the roles. Blanket statement much? There were some good ideas there, but deeply submerged in a ton of gobbledygook. I'd give it a pass.

Sybil
Flora Schreiber

Excellent read and very hard to put down. Even with the controversy surrounding the validity of the MPD claim, this book shines as an example of overcoming a demonic childhood. The details of abuse were horrific, but the ending was very uplifting. A great read for anyone interested in psychology or an interesting story.

Born Into Brothels

Amazing documentary! The kids are heartbreakingly beautiful set amist a horrendous backdrop of crime, poverty and prostitution. It was really nice to see the updates at the end, even though not all of the children got out of the brothel. It's too bad that so many people have negative things to say about the filmmaker. I think she has worked tirelessly to help in anyway she can, without judgment or superiority. An excellent film.

The Stepford Wives

This updated version of the 1975 movie was good, but more of a black comedy than a horror flick. I decided to read the book first, so I wouldn't picture the movie while reading the book. They changed a lot of things, some good, some bad, but I'll need to see the original movie before I can make a true comparison. I enjoyed it for what it was, and thought the casting was very apropo.

The Stepford Wives
Ira Levin

Creepy! But what do you expect from the man who wrote Rosemary's Baby? This is an excellently written novel, a deceptively easy read, that packs a literary punch firmly within the time frame in which it was written. A searing commentary on a typical male reaction to the Women's Lib movement in the 1970's, a twisted concept (perfect women robots replacing the freshly killed real wives) and thrilling to the end.


State and Main

Really good movie! Love David Mamet as a playwright, so was pretty sure it would be good with him as director and screenwriter. There were a few weak links, ever since SATC, Sarah Jessica Parker just seems to channel Carrie in everything she does. This movie was filmed in the middle of SATC madness, so I understand why she had a little trouble losing Carrie. I am also not a big Alec Baldwin fan. But I loved so many others in the film, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julia Stiles, Rebecca Pidgeon, just to name a few. This movie was definitely over looked in 2000 and well worth seeing.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Summerlicious

Blink and you will miss it, Summerlicious is almost over! Twice a year 4 and 5 star Toronto restaurants put together a set menu for the "plebs" to enjoy. Today I had lunch at Jump with a couple of friends. It was really good! I would definitely go there again for a proper meal. Their Summerlicious menu had a lot of choice. I had 10 mushroom soup (not cream based) to start, red snapper for the main and lemon creme for dessert. It was delish! Very hard to make up my mind though, there was an interesting avocado and tomato salad, shrimp pasta and chocolate torte as well, among other things. Loved the decor and the skylights, but the bathrooms didn't match the upscale feel of the restaurant. The bar is beautiful, very old school. All in all, a great experience!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Staying +++

I must say, it's been tough these past couple of weeks. My grandmother is still in the hospital recovering from spinal surgery. My mother has had another bout of vasculitis, but is thankfully back on the proper medication. My volleyball has abruptly and extremely rudely been terminated. My course for work is supremely time consuming. My arthritis has acted up on 3 separate occasions, causing me to freak out a little about the validity of my drug related remission. I seem to be either at a standstill or crossroads when it comes to my heart. I'm a touch down in the mouth these days.

Deep yogic breath, in then out, through the nostrils.

Yoga is great, I'm really proud of the small but steady progress I've been making. I am getting stronger in mind and body everyday. My meditation is richer and I feel that I have been seeing clearly through my third eye. I know I am flying in the face of all sound advice from friends, but I feel I am going against my intuition if I ignore what my gut is telling me. Maybe I am just listening to what I want to hear, maybe not. Time will tell. Yoga has definitely increased my patience, something I was horrible at before. I managed to hang my drapes! Yay! I know it doesn't sound like something major, but considering there was a surprise metal sheet in behind the drywall, it really was an accomplishment that took way too long to complete. The drapes really make the place look great. I still have to drill the holes in the bedroom for those curtains, which is going to be the same hassle as the living room, but having done it once, I'm confident that I can do it again. My friends are fantastic, especially after the volleyball fiasco. My family is really pulling together to be there for my grandparents. My sister and her boyfriend are really happy, and have just come back from a wonderful Mediterranean cruise. I'm being asked to do a number of paid gigs, one of which is out of town in upstate New York.

So the bottom line is, the more you think positively, the more positive things come your way. The corners are starting to raise! :D