Divine Justice

I finished reading "Divine Justice" by David Baldacci.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Known by his alias, “Oliver Stone,” John Carr is the most wanted man in America. With two pulls of the trigger, the men who destroyed Stone’s life and kept him in the shadows were finally silenced. But his freedom comes at a steep price: The assassinations he carried out prompts the highest levels of the U. S. government to unleash a massive manhunt. Behind the scenes, master spy Macklin Hayes is playing a very personal game of cat and mouse. He, more than anyone else, wants Stone dead. With their friend and unofficial leader in hiding, the members of the Camel Club risk everything to save him. Now, as the hunters close in, Stone’s flight from the demons of his past will take him from the power corridors of Washington, D.C., to the small, isolated coal-mining town of Divine, Virginia—and into a world every bit as bloody and lethal as the one he left behind.

Heartbreak Kid

We watched the DVD "The Heartbreak Kid."

Synopsis

Eddie (Ben Stiller) is forty, owns a sporting-goods store, and is still single. After watching his ex-fiancée walk down the aisle, he meets Lila, (Malin Akerman) an environmental researcher, who seems too good to be true. Pressured by his father and best friend, Eddie pops the question and marries Lila after only 6 weeks. However, as he almost instantly discovers, his new bride is a nightmare with more baggage than he can handle. She's immature, foolish, a monster in bed, owes a tremendous amount of money to various sources, and as it turns out, is only a volunteer and doesn't actually have a job. While on their honeymoon in Cabo, Eddie meets Miranda, (Michelle Monaghan) a down-to-earth lacrosse coach who is visiting with her family. Sparks fly, and Eddie falls for her. Now comes the tricky part of breaking off his marriage to crazy Lila, all while keeping the truth from Miranda about why he's in Cabo in the first place.

Across The Universe

We watched the DVD "Across The Universe."

Synopsis

A love story set against the backdrop of the 1960s amid the turbulent years of anti-war protest, mind exploration and rock 'n roll, moving from the dockyards of Liverpool to the creative psychedelia of Greenwich Village, from the riot-torn streets of Detroit to the killing fields of Vietnam. The star-crossed lovers, Jude and Lucy, along with a small group of friends and musicians, are swept up into the emerging anti-war and counterculture movements, with "Dr. Robert" and "Mr. Kite" as their guides. Tumultuous forces outside their control ultimately tear the young lovers apart, forcing Jude and Lucy against all odds to find their own way back to each other.

No Country For Old Men

I watched the DVD "No Country For Old Men."

Synopsis

In rural Texas, welder and hunter Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) discovers the remains of several drug runners who have all killed each other in an exchange gone violently wrong. Rather than report the discovery to the police, Moss decides to simply take the two million dollars present for himself. This puts the psychopathic killer, Anton Chigurh, (Javier Bardem) on his trail as he dispassionately murders nearly every rival, bystander and even employer in his pursuit of his quarry and the money. As Moss desperately attempts to keep one step ahead, the blood from this hunt begins to flow behind him with relentlessly growing intensity as Chigurh closes in. Meanwhile, the laconic Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) blithely oversees the investigation even as he struggles to face the sheer enormity of the crimes he is attempting to thwart.

Trigger City

I finished reading the book "Trigger City" by Sean Chercover, a Chicago crime fiction author.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The job is a loser, but maybe Ray Dudgeon can bring some peace to a grieving father who yearns to learn the truth about the daughter he never really knew. A routine investigation. An open-and-shut case. Closure. But what begins as routine soon spirals out of control. The victim was not simply a quiet, shy, unassuming single woman whose luck ran out. She lived a double life, working in the shadowy realm of covert intelligence. In a world of lies, she fought for truth—and gave her life in the fight. Ray knows too much, and he must discover who's really pulling the strings, before he becomes collateral damage in America's war on terror.

Candy Canes

German settlers are believed to have brought candy canes to the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries. Originally, the candy cane was a plain white stick and it was only 100 years ago that candy manufacturers added the distinctive red “barber shop” stripes. The crook-shaped twist was also added at the top to encourage consumers to display them on Christmas trees. Another tradition associates the shape of the candy canes with the bishop's staff of St. Nicholas.

Numb

We watched the DVD "Numb."

Synopsis

Hudson Milbank (Matthew Perry) is a successful Hollywood screenwriter who suddenly and strangely finds himself without any emotional feelings. He tries doctor after doctor and shrink after shrink, but nothing works. He watches The Golf Channel non-stop, takes lesbian exercise classes and a variety of pills get him through the day, but they don't solve his problem. His writing partner tries everything to get him back to normal, but it's not until Hudson meets Sara (Lynn Collins) that he finds a real motivation to get better and to actually start feeling again.

Celebrity

We wayched the DVD "Celebrity." I didn't realize until I started watching it that it was a Woody Allen movie.

Synopsis

A Woody Allen comedy about fame and obscurity among Manhattan celebs. Journalist Lee Simon (Kenneth Branagh), makes a play for actress Nicole Oliver (Melanie Griffith), subject of his current story. Lee is separated from his wife Robin (Judy Davis), a schoolteacher who's totally lost and insecure until TV producer Tony Gardella (Joe Mantegna) becomes fascinated with her. Concerned about her possible sexual inadequacies, Robin recruits a prostitute (Bebe Neuwirth) to instruct her on oral sex techniques. On the town, Lee becomes transfixed by a blond supermodel (Charlize Theron), who teases him throughout the night, eventually dropping him before they get home. Lee's relationship with book editor Bonnie (Famke Janssen) is solid, and she's due to move into his place. However, he suddenly becomes romantically involved with waitress-actress Nola (Winona Ryder), complicating his agreement with Bonnie. Lee's efforts to sell his screenplay take him to the Stanhope Hotel, where he arrives just as spoiled young movie star Brandon Darrow (Leonardo DiCaprio) is fighting with his girlfriend (Gretchen Mol), trashing his hotel room, and insulting hotel staffers. When Darrow and his entourage head off to Atlantic City, Lee tags along, but as life swirls about him, a dismal dawn awaits. A funny look at people who will do anything to get famous or stay famous.

Laughter

"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face." - Victor Hugo

The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain

We watched the DVD "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain."

Synopsis

Two English cartographers (one is Hugh Grant) visit the small South Wales village of Ffynnon Garw, to measure what is claimed to be the "first mountain inside of Wales". It's 1917, and the war in Europe continues. The villagers are very proud of their "mountain", and are understandably dissapointed and furious to find that it is in fact a "hill". Not to be outwitted by a rule (and the Englishmen who enforce it), the villagers set out to make their hill into a mountain, but to do so they must keep the English from leaving, before the job is done.

Flirting With Disaster

We watched the DVD "Flirting With Disaster."

Synopsis

Mel Coplin (Ben Stiller) departs on a mission of discovery dragging his wife and 4 month old son behind. He and wife, Nancy (Patricia Arquette) won't agree on a name for their son until adopted Mel gets in touch with his roots. He assures her that once he knows who he really is the right name for their boy will be a snap. Enlisting the aid of student-psychologist and part-time adoption agent, Tina Kalb, (Tea Leoni) they embark on a journey across the United States to find Mel's "birth" mother. "The best part," Mel tells Nancy, "is it's all free." Tina is finishing her dissertation and will film the happy reunion of mother and child as part of her research. For this privilege she's footing the bill. His adoptive parents are left behind feeling abandoned by an ungrateful son. Clerical errors, mistaken identities, Nancy's misplaced high school friend and his gay lover, and a super-charged libido here and there are thrown into the mix along the way until at last Mel's real parents, the Schlictings (Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin)(mispronounced as "Shit-kings" by Mrs. Coplin), are discovered in remote New Mexico. Mel begins to wonder if he would have been better off not knowing these people after all.

Maggiano's Little Italy

We took my oldest son to Maggiano's Little Italy In Oak Brook for his birthday dinner. I had a gift certificate that we have never used. The restaurant was packed and the food was great. He had shrimp and pasta. After dinner we walked through Oak Brook Shopping Center. It was not as decorated as it was when we were kids. We ended up at Sears and purchased a Nordic Trac elliptical which is part of their Christmas present. It was a great evening.

National Honor Society Induction

My oldest son was inducted into the National Honor Society as a junior. Four main purposes have guided chapters of National Honor Society from the beginning: "To create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership, and to develop character in the students of secondary schools." (from the NHS Constitution) It was a very nice ceremony in the high school auditorium. Three of his cross country teammates were also inducted along with a bunch of his other friends. They had refreshments in the cafeteria afterwards.

Roses In December

"God gave us memories that we might have roses in December." - James M. Barrie

Company Christmas Party

We went to my company's Christmas party at Ashton Place near work. There was an open bar until dinner was served. We sat right by the disc jockey. They did a "Blues Brothers" routine to kick the night off. After dinner there was an open bar again and dancing. The food was good and we sat with my co-workers from my department. We left about 9:30 p.m. Neither of the big bosses had dinner. The CEO was only there a short time before dinner and then left. It was a nice party.

The Turnaround

I finished reading " The Turnaround" by George Pelacanos.

ABOUT THE BOOK

On a hot summer afternoon in 1972, three teenagers drove into an unfamiliar neighborhood and six lives were altered forever. Thirty five years later, one survivor of that night reaches out to another, opening a door that could lead to salvation. But another survivor is now out of prison, looking for reparation in any form he can find it. It a journey from the rock-and-soul streets of the 1970s to the changing neighborhoods of Washington D.C. today, from the diners and auto garages of the city to the inside of Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital, where wounded men and women have returned to the world in a time of war. It is a novel of fathers and sons, wives and husbands, loss, victory and violent redemption.

Finding Amanda

I watched the DVD "Finding Amanda."

Synopsis

Taylor Peters (Matthew Broderick) is a television writer and producer working on a low-rated, little-respected half-hour sitcom. Taylor was probably destined for better things, but his compulsive gambling, recreational drug use and drinking problem (now under control) all conspired to throw his career off the rails several years back. Now all he does is play the horses, but does his best to keep his wife Lorraine (Maura Tierney) in the dark about it. Unexpectedly, Taylor and Lorraine are called to Lorraine's sister's house to deal with a family emergency: Taylor's twenty-year-old niece Amanda (Brittany Snow) is living in Las Vegas where, it's been recently discovered, she's working as a prostitute. On their way home, Lorraine finds racing stubs in the glove compartment, and decides to leave Taylor. Lorraine decides not to come home. Taylor comes up with a plan: he'll win back his wife's affections and trust by going to Las Vegas, finding Amanda and delivering her to rehab in Malibu. And while he's there, he vows, he won't gamble a cent. Alas, the best laid plans.

Holiday Concert

We went to my oldest son's Holiday Concert in the large gymnasium at Downers Grove South High School. The Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony played "A Christmas Flourish" by James Curnow, "Fantasia in G" by Timothy Mahr, "Bridges" by Sam Hazo with a reading of a poem by Vince Walsh-Rock and finished with "Toccata" by Girolamo Frescobaldi. Then the District 99 Orchestra played "Concerto Grosso, Opus 6, No. 8" by Arcangelo Corelli, "Angel's Dance" by Stephen Amundson and "March of the Toys from Babes in Toyland" by Victor Herbert. The Combined Choirs finished with "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson, "Carol Of The Bells" by Mykola Leontovych, "Let It Snow" by Sammy Cahn & Julie Styne, "And The Glory" by Georg Frederick Handel, "Dancing Day" by John Rutter, "A La Nanita Nana" traditional Spanish lullaby arranged by Belford Hernandez, "Children Go Where I Send Thee" by Paul Caldwell & Sean Ivory. The concert finished with the traditional " Hallelujah Chorus" by Georg Fredrick Handel.
The concert seemed shorter than in the past.

Yes Man

We saw the preview of "Yes Man" at Hollywood Boulevard Theatre in Woodridge. I had free passes and we made it a date. We had dinner while watching the movie and a pitcher of margaritas. We got a free poster on the way out.

Synopsis

A man signs up for a self-help program based on one simple principle: say yes to everything... and anything. At first, unleashing the power of "yes" transforms his life in amazing and unexpected ways, but he soon discovers that opening up his life to endless possibilities can have its drawbacks.

Governor Rod Blagojevich Arrested

Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested today by FBI agents for what U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald called a "staggering" level of corruption involving pay-to-play politics in Illinois' top office. Blagojevich is accused of a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy, including alleged attempts by the governor to try to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama in exchange for financial benefits for the governor and his wife. Blagojevich also is accused of obtaining campaign contributions in exchange for other official actions. Blagojevich was taken into federal custody at his North Side home this morning--one day shy of his 52nd birthday.

Makes me think they should do random wiretaps on all of the politicians just like they can do random drug testing on all the professional athletes.

Passion Fish

I watched the DVD "Passion Fish."

Synopsis

May-Alice Culhane (Mary McDonnell), a soap opera actress, is injured in a Manhattan street accident which leaves her paralyzed from the waist down. Bitter and self-pitying, she returns to her long-empty Louisiana home. There she spends her days and nights lying on a couch, watching TV and drinking wine. She runs through several live-in nurses, none of whom she gets along with. Finally the agency sends a new nurse, sullen and cold Chantelle (Alfre Woodard). Chantelle soon makes it clear she won't put up with May-Alice's drinking and laziness, and they have frequent arguments. Through all this a series of visitors to the house provide insights into May-Alice's life, while May-Alice learns from a vaguely menacing stranger that Chantelle is a recovering cocaine addict. May-Alice and Chantelle finally begin to warm to each other. May-Alice quits drinking, follows Chantelle's physical therapy regime, and takes up photography. Chantelle begins an affair with a local horse trainer, while May-Alice enjoys the increasing attentions of a married handyman she knew as a teenager. Eventually May-Alice finds out that Chantelle has a young daughter, Denita, who lives in Chicago with her legal guardian, Chantelle's father. He brings Denita down for a visit and, happy with Chantelle's progress, says he will send Denita down for the summer if Chantelle shows she can stick with the job. May-Alice, in the meantime, has been offered her New York job back, but the role is an insulting exploitation of her disability, and she turns it down. In the end, Chantelle and May-Alice decide they need each other more than they realized, and agree to continue their living arrangement.

Freedom Writers

I watched the DVD "Freedom Writers."

Synopsis

Freshfaced, idealistic twenty three year old Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) is ready to take on the world as she steps inside Wilson High School for her first day of teaching. Her class, a diverse group of racially charged teenagers from different walks of life - African Americans, Latinos, Asians, juvenile delinquents, gang members, and underprivileged students from poor neighborhoods - hope for nothing more than to make it through the day. On the surface, the only thing they share is their hatred for each other and the understanding that they are simply being warehoused in the educational system until they are old enough to disappear. Despite her students obstinate refusal to participate during class, Erin tries various means to engage them on a daily basis. But then ghetto reality steps in to focus the picture. A racially motivated gang shooting witnessed by a Latina gang member in Erin's class, and an ugly racial cartoon that Erin intercepts during class, become the most unwittingly dynamic teaching aids. They spark a transformation in the classroom, compel them to listen and force her to take off her idealistic blinders and take in the kids survival stories of their undeclared war on the streets. Erin begins to connect with them. She brings in music from the Hood, and literature from another kind of ghetto, The Diary of Anne Frank, and with these simple tools she opens her students eyes to the experiences of those suffering intolerance throughout the world and the struggles of those outside their own communities. Knowing that every one of her students has a story to tell, Erin encourages them to keep a daily journal of their thoughts and experiences. After sharing their stories with one another, the students see their shared experience for the first time and open up to the idea that there are possibilities in life outside of making it to the age of eighteen.

If You Believe Everything You Read

"If you believe everything you read, better not read." - Japanese proverb

Cheap Trick Live At Budokan 1978

We went to see the United States premiere of the movie "Cheap Trick Live At Budokan 1978" at the Showplace 16 Theatres in Naperville. I won the tickets from Jack-FM. The band looked so young compared to when we saw them live at the re-opening of the Hard Rock Cafe in Chicago. The movie was a little over an hour long. We stopped at Oberweis Ice Cream on the way home and we were home before 10:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 4th D&E Entertainment presented the US theatrical premiere of a newly-restored concert film from Cheap Trick that previously has only aired once on Japanese television in 1978. With a running time of just over 60 minutes, Live at Budokan captures the concert that catapulted Cheap Trick to stardom. The history of rock and roll is fraught with more than its share of unforeseen circumstances. But none so unforeseen as those in the life of Cheap Trick – Rick Nielsen (guitar), Robin Zander (vocals and guitar), Bun E. Carlos (drums), and Tom Petersson (bass). Circa 1978-79, they jumped from being the biggest band ever to emerge from Rockford, Illinois, to becoming platinum-selling headliners on the cover of Rolling Stone. Chalk it up to Japan, who held Cheap Trick so close to their hearts that the band’s record company there decided to reward the fans with a live concert album, a souvenir of the band’s incredible two-night stand at the country’s most revered sports stadium in 1978. The album turned into a tsunami whose impact catalyzed America, then engulfed the world – and now is celebrated three decades later, that brings the sight and sound together for the first time. A 15-song, one-hour program shot at the Budokan in 1978. This film features a new stereo mix and 5.1 Surround Sound by original producer Jack Douglas and engineer Jay Messina. Cheap Trick fans can actually see and feel the moment come to life when – for the first time in history – lead singer Robin Zander exhorts the Japanese audience, “I Want You… to Want…Me!” Three decades later, Live At Budokan: 30th Anniversary Edition proves how immortal some albums can be. The LP is ranked on Rolling Stone’s list of “500 Greatest Albums Of All Time,” and “Surrender” appears on the magazine’s “500 Greatest Singles Of All Time” list.

Good People

I finished reading "Good People" by Marcus Sakey. Another excellent book by a Chicago author. Makes me think what would I do in the same situation.

ABOUT THE BOOK


A family, and the security to enjoy it: that’s all Tom and Anna Reed ever wanted. But years of infertility treatments, including four failed attempts at in vitro fertilization, have left them with neither. The emotional and financial costs are straining their marriage and endangering their dreams. Then one night everything changes. Offered a chance at a future they'd almost lost hope in, they seize it. One simple choice. A fairy tale ending. But Tom and Anna soon realize that fairy tales never come cheap. Because their decision puts them square in the path of ruthless men. Men who've been double-crossed, and who won’t stop until they get revenge. No matter where they find it.

Yes

We went to see "Yes" at the Chicago Theatre. Our seats were better then the seats we had for "The Smashing Pumpkins" and we parked right around the corner. The audience was filled with a lot of gray haired and bald guys. The concert was really good. The boys said it was the best concert they've been to. They definitely have their own unique sound and staying power. I saw them at Hawthorne Park in the 1970's and again at Assembly Hall in Champaign when I was in college. The finished with "Roundabout."

In & Out

We watched the DVD "In & Out."

Synopsis

Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline) is a high school teacher in a small town in Indiana with everything going for him; a nice job, an attractive fiancé named Emily (Joan Cusack) and respect from everyone. Everything changes in one night when a former high school student of his, named Cameron Drake (Matt Dillon), now a famous actor living in Hollywood, makes an acceptance speech after receiving an Academy Award for his portrayal of a homosexual army soldier and 'outs' Howard Brackett as his inspiration for his role. The media circus immediately begins as Howard desperately tries keep his life from falling apart by protesting that he is not gay and that the whole thing with Cameron's speech is a simple misunderstanding. While most of the townspeople want to believe Howard, Peter Malloy Tom Selleck), an openly gay TV reporter who arrives in town to cover the story, suspects that the teacher is in denial.