Movies--The Great Stress Reliever

Before I start my blog post today, I want to dedicate this post to my uncle "Memo", William Guzman Ramirez. He passed away, August 25, 2012. May he rest in peace with my mom.

With this in mind-- during my time of sadness-- I want to talk about things that have brought me peace. Books and TV have always been important--for stress--but I think movies have always been the great stress reliever-- for me.

But, today--I will not talk about the actual movies I've seen, but instead I want to help promote some of my friends who are making that magic--the movies that have been so important to me. My friends--below-- are the producers of upcoming indie or short films. It is great producers, like my friends, who have brought me such happiness, in the form of movies, and to them and producers of many films--since my love of movies began-- I want to say a BIG thank you!

My friend, Producer, Director Jason C. Bair has a wonderful film about decisions, and just what decisions would one make in life. They're currently raising capital to begin producing their movie at: www.decisionsthefilm.com. Or to donate visit www.Indiegogo.com.

My  friend Producer, Screenwriter Jeremy Wechter  is also in the pre-production/fund raising stage for his micro-budget horror movie, "Evil Alive". You can find out more about this great movie at: https://www.facebook.com/EvilAliveMovie 

And last, today, I want to give a shout out to my friends Producer, Directors David August and Tanner L. Richards. Their short film: Extreme Golf  http://youtu.be/pBTS_95O14o will be in the Flappers Funny Film Festival on October 7, at 9:00 p.m. in Los Angeles, CA. More info can be found at:http://davaug.com/xgolffest  Congratulations, you guys!

So let's give support to those that make great movies. That wonderful form of entertainment that's such a special and important part of our lives.

Modern Conveniences--To Have Or Not To Have

Sometimes, I don't realize how clueless I am about modern technology, until I get that deer stuck in the headlights look, when I first hear about something new. So, with so many new things happening--technology wise--, I got that look again, awhile back, after hearing about cloud/cloud computing, and the first thing that pops into my head is--rain or an overcast sky, or maybe a fluffy cloud in the shape of a bunny-- but, after a little search I learn it's a delivery of computing and storage capacity to a heterogeneous community of end recipients http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing . This, of course, left me even more clueless, but maybe I'd have a stronger urge to learn more about this if I was working in a big office or company where people would have to travel a lot and keep in touch via computer.

But whether I understand modern technology, or not I must admit I'd love to have some of that modern technology, like the new Droid phone and who wouldn't get caught up with all the bells and whistles that come with that, including the cool looking commercials. www.verizonwireless.com/droid.shtml

So with all these modern conveniences, I have to ask myself, why do I still resist things, especially if they can make one's life so much easier?  It's possible, that like Danny Clover in that Lethal Weapon movie where he says," I'm getting too old for this "shit", that maybe I feel I'm getting too old to learn too, as some things can seem so complicated. Especially, when a new gadget comes with a booklet that has 300 or more pages in it, it can be off putting. And if you get the jargon that only Einstein could translate,or if there's not enough direction, if they're skimpy with the instructions, I am truly doomed.

So, do I want to do away with modern technology? Go back to a simpler time? No, for sure, no.  There are so many things that are better for us today, than 20, 30, 50, 100 or heaven forbid, hundreds of years ago. I--for sure-- want cars, conveniences and modern medicine. And I definitely wouldn't want a tooth pulled out, or experience childbirth, again, without the aid of painkillers,but sometimes, if not for a moment, I wish I could go back to an earlier time, when maybe things were learned in a shorter time, or self-explanatory. One can only hope,I guess.

Cartoons, Now and Then

When I was little, I felt lucky to have cartoons like Bugs Bunny, www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugs_Bunny  on TV. The talking animals, the inevitable lines of humor, brought a lot of laughter to this small town girls' life. And, if I was lucky Foghorn Leghorn, www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LCsiWL6gn0 with his Frazier like humor would be on TV too. I still see some of those old cartoons, on Cartoon Network, www.cartoonnetwork.com/, but the cartoons have come a long way, since then.

Time and modern technology have brought so much more to our kids viewing experience. Life like 3D cartoons, with all the colors of the rainbow, and dialogue that both kids and adults can find humorous. But  honestly, it's hard to make a fair comparison between cartoons of the past and present, because,when I was young, all we had were the few cartoons and outdoor playtime. Now, there's nonstop activities to choose from and cartoons options, are endless, with everything from Star Wars, www.cartoonnetwork.com (search-Star Wars) and Chowder-(search-Chowder) to cartoons geared more towards teens and adults, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_cartoons .

 So what chance did I have, that modern technology would not effect me, as well? www.andertoons.com/cartoons/technology Because, sadly, cartoons like--Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, and Foghorn Leghorn, of old--just don't compare to the cartoons of today.  I still watch them, but flat, dimensional cartoons, and bland colors just don't compare to today's modern, visually exciting cartoons, http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=694589

In conclusion, I think it's good that cartoons have come a long way. My daughter too, has a love of cartoons, and spends a lot of time on www.lego.com (on the Ninjago Forum) bonding with kids and creating endless story ideas. So, modern technology and cartoons can connect. They still bring us laughter, but in a more visual, realistic way. So, even though childhood laughter is far behind me, I can laugh again--adult like--, with my daughter as we watch some of televisions newest cartoons. And it's in this way I become a kid again. One who once more loves animation, and the humor that cartoons can bring to our lives.

From Dusk To Dawn

When I was young, my mom and I began a new tradition. We started going to see horror movies--at a now defunct drive in--behind my then, childhood home. They called this night, of horror movies, "From Dusk To Dawn". It began, right at twilight, and ended at 4:00 a.m., in the morning. We'd be sitting there, cringing, but loving every minute of it. And to this day, I still love horror movies. Not so much the gore, but the ones with suspense, that make you hold your breath, and then jump right along with the actors, as they head towards something you know is going to get them. Or maybe, they're spared, just to get it in the end,as something grabs them from behind a wall, in the closet,or in the inevitable spooky forest.

Of course, those days are long gone now. Movie drive ins are rare as hens teeth and my mom is no longer here to enjoy those movies, but I've started a new tradition with my own daughter. Not the Dusk to Dawn--horror watching tradition-- as she's only ten, but a tradition we call, "Movie Night." We have these every time hubby goes out of town, or works late. So, it really helped my budget and "Movie Night", when Walmart started coming out with their 4, 5, or 6 movies on one DVD. These movie packs range anywhere from my favorite, $5.00, to $7.50, and higher.

So now, with these affordable DVDs out, there's no reason not to have more, "Movie Nights." I can sit back, on our "Movie Nights" and watch those suspenseful, horror movies. Of course, earlier horror movies, may not have the graphics of today, and can look sort of fake, but if they are suspenseful, and have a good storyline, it is still worth the $5.00, I paid.  And if the DVD is not good, say all the movies are bad, no problem. I give them to the goodwill or a friend that wants them, and they are used again. Even if all the movies on the DVD weren't good, where else can one get six movies, to watch, for only $5.00?

I really wish that the drive in was still there, so that my daughter and I could watch the"From Dusk to Dawn" movies, someday, but I'm very happy that we have "Movie night". Sometimes, our, "Movie Night", begins with Ninjago and Sci-Fi, but not long after that, she's off to watch things with unicorns, and fantastical worlds,and I'm off to watch a horror movie. So, after a quick preview of my DVDs, tonight's horror movie will come from the: "Deadly Games" DVD collection. And, as the movie progresses, I will jump, as the dark shadows close in, and I'll know the horror has truly begun.

For Genna

She had a cute little under bite, and sometimes I swear she'd smile, when given a dog treat. And I found it endearing when she acted shy--placing her paws on top of her head--as if to say, I'm so ashamed. She could be stubborn though-- for a little terrier-- and it was easy to envision the indifferent flick of a cat's tail, when she ignored a whistle and simply walked away. Yet, she was a constant companion, who followed us around the yard, chasing my daughter on whatever adventure she was on. So, it was with great sorrow, that I learned my dog, Genna, passed on today.

So today's blog is dedicated to my pet Genna, and a big thank you, to her. This is also an acknowledgement to other great dogs out there, for each dog, in whatever way they're there for us, show: unconditional love, loyalty, and an eager need to please, and give companionship that lasts until their dying breath.

I tried to decide what other kind of dogs to talk about, but I had such a hard time deciding, as there are so many great dogs out there. So I narrowed it down to just four types of dogs, that have helped us, in some way, throughout history. First, I think I'll mention the dog that would have helped my mom so much--if we could have afforded it-- as she lost her independence, two years before her death, due to blindness.

This, first dog--so helpful to man-- is a Seeing Eye, or Guide Dog. http://www.seeingeye.org/ .  So often, since moms death, I've observed the guide dogs and have seen their kindness, calmness, and have been comforted by their unending concern for the visually impaired person they're helping. And I know, such a gentle dog would have been so much comfort to my mom.

Second, I want to mention some dogs I saw on  a TV, awhile back. The dogs really touched my heart. They were, Australian Shepherds--or working dogs--who demonstrated great loyalty, patience, and persistence.  www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_dog . I've rarely seen dogs as loyal as these dogs can be. They risk their own lives, to guard and protect the livestock, of their owners.

Next, these wonderful dogs helped during the war: History: The Dogs Of War. www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ccab/war.html . These brave dogs--like the K-9 units of the police--work alongside man, putting their lives on the line, in the call of duty,and as such should be celebrated, and honored for the dedication they give to their jobs.

And this last site-- from it's first paragraph-- showed what was most important about our dogs--before anything else, they are first, and foremost, our friends. In this way, my friend Genna, through her love, showed me how to give unconditional love. This site: What our pets teach us--click link to dogs on left side-- is: www.thepetwiki.com/wiki/What_Pets_Can  shows a history of what dogs have meant to us, and how they've always been by our side, in some way.

But now, it's time to say my final goodbye to Genna. I acknowledge that my life will never be the same. For the loss of Genna, as with my other pets, over the years, is a pain, that's never forgotten. A tiny missing limb, that will never grow back. May Genna know, in some way, how much I loved her. For a little piece of my heart is gone, and will never be replaced.