February 27, 2006

• First Post of Monday

  Boy, that quiz was fun! My own mother got a 50%, and I’m wondering who the “certain neologist” is–Dan? Renee? Someone else?  Also, Steve Green, a student of mine, does not know me 90%.  He just knows how to cheat!

  Yesterday after church, I chained myself to the computer desk and worked for almost seven hours.  I got my inbox cleaned out (no small feat), and all the remaining AP essays graded. So, I will not have to grade another “real” essay for over a year!  Of course, timed essays are different.  I’ve got snowdrifts of them.  I also fiddled with the style of my new php board for the literature discussion for the Literature Alive e-loop to which I belong.  A gazillion kudos, props, and “not worthys” to Josh Jackson for installing it for me, since I couldn’t figure it out on my own.  I still have to get rid of the little cheeses, but if you want to look at it, go HERE.

  Another thing which just has me tickled to death is that the same Mr. Jackson has programmed the AP class board to eliminate letters just like in the book Ella Minnow Pea which we are reading for class.  In the story, letters begin to fall off a statue of Nevin Nollop, the man for whom the island country was named who was also the inventor of the sentence, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”  The island rulers determine that the letter falling from the statue is a sign from Nollop that the letter should be stricken from the alphabet.  They pass a ruling stating that if anyone uses the letter in writing or speaking, they will first be warned, next offense flogged, and finally killed!  Then, more letters begin to fall off the statue… I’m expecting anarchy and riots. 

  To answer Thile’s question, how do I find my books, I have friends who recommend them to me, I browse Amazon, homeschool catalogs, and book newsletters, I have a calendar which suggests a book a day, and I roam the library shelves. I don’t review everything I read, just the things I think people might be interested in hearing about. 

  James and I had the misfortune to watch the new movie Elizabethtown with Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst.  It has to be one of the dullest, poorly-written films I’ve seen in a long time.  Now, if you are a Bloom fan and want to just stare at him for several hours, then I’d suggest the movie to you.  If you are anyone else, well, I’d suggest something else.

  The movie begins with Bloom, a low-level, “I only have a cubicle” shoe designer being told that he personally lost the company $970 million dollars with his new shoe design.  Oh, please.   Just as he’s about to kill himself (in a slightly amusing manner), the phone rings. It’s his sister informing him that his father has died, and Bloom must go to Elizabethtown, KY, to retrieve the body and bring it back in “the blue suit.” On the flight, he meets Dunst, an overly-happy flight attendant. 

  Now, what made this movie so inane was the way that things would be mentioned and not really tied in. Or, things mentioned wouldn’t be relevant.  He’s not to bring back his father. He’s supposed to cremate him!  What about that big job loss? How about that shady deal by Billy which bilked his father out of money?

  The other things that made the movie so deplorable were the lame lines and scenes.  Oh, there are so many to pick from. How about Bloom looking at his father’s body and saying, “He looks whimsical.”  Or, perhaps the widow telling off-color stories on stage in front of all 300 people at the memorial service and then tap dancing to Moon River (and the whole audience thinking this is a great idea?).  Or, perhaps it is the hellion child Samson who is instantly cured of his horribleness by watching a two-minute video, “Rusty’s Guide to Communication–Part 8″ where he must promise to obey his parents before Rusty will blow up a house.  Oooh. But, I think I liked best the large paper mache bird which was let loose on a wire over the memorial service while the cousin’s band played Free Bird. Of course, this bird sets the hotel room on fire and gives Bloom and Dunst the opportunity to stare at each other meaningfully from across the room while they are drenched by the sprinklers.

  Lest you think this movie is a comedy, it is NOT!  It is told in a dull, dry way which leaves you saying, “Huh. That was dumb.”  Save your money and rent something else.
  

  • 9:47 am
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