Gusto

Dites-Moi
Cock-Eyed Optimist
Some Enchanted Evening
Bloody Mary
My Girl Back Home
There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame
Bali Ha’i
I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair
I’m In Love With A Wonderful Guy
Younger Than Springtime
Happy Talk
Honey Bun
Carefully Taught
This Nearly Was Mine

I can and have sung every one of these with great gusto, though wildly off key. After 60 years, South Pacific is back on Broadway. We’ll all have an excuse to sing again, songs about love, war, race. Songs that are not only timeless but timely. I’m talkin’ bout happy talk!

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Crack a Smile

Okay, so the Coen brothers are famous for being eccentrically different. But if I walked to the stage three times in a row to pick up an Oscar, I’d crack a smile in pleasure. Or, if I were actually one of the Coen brothers, maybe not. I’d know why I didn’t smile and whether or not I liked lima beans and sleeping in on Sunday.

Have you read  Cormac McCarthy’s original novel No Country for Old Men? I haven’t, but it’s on my list. I want to know why the ending . . .

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Bucket List

I’m  sure you’ve seen the movie ad and know what The Bucket List is all about. Here’s the start of my bucket list:

• See my children achieve financial independence
• Watch my grandchildren graduate from college
• Go to Alaska for at least two weeks, maybe longer
• Take an art class in France
• Hike in New Zealand a whole lot more
• Write something worth reading
• Stay healthy

A tip of the hat to Granny Su for this topic: “bucket list.”

I’m no expert

I’m no expert on the topic of money, but I did answer some questions about money for money blogger Nina Smith. Here’s the interview. Yikes, that photo is scary.

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Voices

I hear voices. Voices that I think are Alan Alda. I hear Alan Alda everywhere. One of the football announcers sounds just like Alan Alda. My son told me which one of the announcers it is, but I forget who he actually is. Now I hear a guy on public radio named Anthony Kune (no idea if that’s spelled right) who sounds just like Alan Alda. Is Alan Alda the most ubquitous male voice on earth, or is it his accent, or what? Henry Higgins would understand this, but I do not.

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Reviews

I’m often lured into movies by good reviews. Sometimes this disappoints. On the other hand, I often like movies that earn bad reviews. Are you this contrary, too?

Case in point: Bella. This movie had great reviews. I found it confusing. The plot is advanced by people whispering in each other’s ears with secret thoughts that we never learn about until too late. It  is a strange mix of flashbacks and odd time changes that make you wonder if you  have any idea what is actually happening. The tear-jerker ending is . . .

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August Rush

August Rush is a feel-good movie that will bring a smile to your face. If watching the evening news is bad for your mental health, August Rush is the antidote. Determined little boy overcomes all odds, wonderfully evil bad guy (Robin Williams), great music and a fairy tale happy ending.

Everything in life doesn’t have to be grim, everything doesn’t have to be Tommy Lee Jones or George Clooney facing down Tilda Swinton.

So relax. Maybe you can even go see Enchanted this weekend too. Get the full treatment.

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Foreign Films

 Rayanne stood before the foreign films section at Blockbuster. She scanned the titles for something new in French. She’d been brushing up on her French for the past few months, preparing for a trip in the spring.

A tall, thin woman paused next to her. She picked up “Amelie,” which Rayanne had watched three times. Rayanne looked at her, trying not to be obvious. The woman was older, as thin and desiccated as straw. But vital somehow, almost electric. Rayanne ventured a comment, “That’s . . .

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Tawanda

I wrote a post at BlogHer today that invokes the word “Tawanda” in support of Mona Shaw’s spree with a claw hammer in her local Comcast office. When Kathy Bates said, “Tawanda,” in Fried Green Tomatoes it was an iconic moment for a lot of women who were mad as hell and weren’t going to take it any more.

Mona Shaw, as outlaw, is a symbol of what a lot of us feel about the supposed “service” we get from service companies like Comcast. Outlaws and rebels carry the banner for . . .

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The Holiday

Saw a flick called The Holiday this weekend. I expected the usual chick flick with a happy ending. I got that. But I also got a bit of a surprise. The movie actually had a bit of depth, a bit of character, a few interesting moves. A nice bonus when you get something beyond your expectations.

And because she did some narration at the beginning of the film, I actually paid attention to Kate Winslet’s voice. I’ve seen her in a number of films, but somehow the quality of her voice got lost in the general flow. The woman has pipes to . . .

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