Savvy Thinker

Continually with Kenny G, a short blip in Beijing

Karin — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:16:46 +0000

I was interested in this because it was in Beijing, but there isn't really much to identify it as that.

Karin

Originally posted 2007-01-25 08:21:04.

More Kenny G, Sade A modern rendition of it, in concert. If you like...

The fabric of our lives

Karin — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:02:18 +0000

Sherry and I were emailing one day. She shared some difficult things she'd been through with her kids. I liked this and asked her permission to share it.

Karin

But it's a thread in our lives now, not the entire fabric, and sometimes it's almost hidden within the warp and weft of our lives. And laughter adds a little sparkle to that fabric as well.
Sherry B

Originally posted 2007-01-10 23:22:43.

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Parameters of spacing children

Karin — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:49:08 +0000

Having one child is like having one child. Having two children is like having 3. The two children and the relationship between them. Having three kids is like having 6! The three children and the 3 different relationships between them.

My cousin's wife found this out by experience when she really, really wanted a third child. Everyone told her it wasn't going to be like adding one more. She didn't believe it, until she was parenting three. Then she said, it was exponential.

And my mother used to say, no matter how many children you have, you have one more, meaning my then-non-existent husband.

I'm enjoying having a flock of children around this week. College girl is home for spring break and we have college age kids hanging out here...having a blast...at this exact moment they are in the driveway making masks out of paper mache ostentably to be used for the upcoming Harry Potter book and movie. But who knows what they will use it for. I hear lots of laughter. I think they are masking my littlest girl too. I don't think the older little could bear to have her face stilled (me neither) until it dries.

One girl has lived with us at two different times due to her father's work postings and will stay with us frequently for long periods when college girl is back in town. She is my almost-daughter. I love her like one. One boy has been out of the picture for a couple of years and is now back in it.

I even said growing up that I wanted my home to be the hang-out place for my children, rather than having my kids go hang out at other places. That said, it is not the same as having 3 college kids of my own which I raised to this point plus grown son, plus the littles. It would certainly change the relationship I had with each of my kids and would also afford different relationships between the sibs. And each of those parameters would have an effect on the other.

I would have had to run just to catch up with myself.

I was fortunate in some ways as my first three children were all 9 years apart. I had plenty of one-on-one with each of them. And they had friendships of a sort with each other because there were long stretches of time when the littler was too little to really be a companion to the older. But there was next to no sibling rivalry.

Then along came child # 4 who was only about 2 years younger than child # 3...and the fur began to fly big time. Now they are very close friends, but getting to this point was a journey for me. I thought I was gonna die, LOL.

I see the example of Angelina Jolie who is mothering a brood of children, and either she is in for a rude awakening or she is a far, far better woman than I am. Of course, outside the essential differences of the amount of help each of us has (which is truly incomparable), our ages, the degree of how well known we are (or are not), we are completely alike. Not!

I wish her the best in all ways, including her children, who deserve the best.

Seeing celebs adopting is a little surreal. Didn't many of us think we were born to be royal but somehow we were mixed up at the hospital? I can't imagine living in a fishbowl, never having done it.

But the jury is still out as to what a lifetime will bring. And holding up celebs as a reason to do anything or how to do anything is just not living in the real world.

And when it is held up as something to strive for oneself, well, that just borders on the ridiculous.

And when celebs are discussed or joked about or the subject of skits that filter down to the average parent, their story is seen as our story or our children's stories.

When one person is seen as a collector of children does that make the rest of us collectors? At what point is a person a collector -- more than one country? 5 kids? a dozen kids? 20 kids? 25 kids? at what point is a home really another type of orphanage? is a collector always, by definition, someone who has collected more kids than we have? (In other words, if we were a collector, would we even know it or acknowledge it?) (It is totally impossible to catch up with someone who is a collector of children, they will always outpace you in the number of children they gather.)

I'm glad I'm not a social worker, determining what is reasonable or not.

It might be that the TR internationally adopted child raised with many siblings does better than the singleton for a variety of reasons, even the fact that typical close bonding to parents is not a requirement, something s/he might not be capable of. But it wouldn't be a first choice for me anyway.

I met my match when I had only two close in age. I'm not capable of more.

Paul Harvey used to say: And now the rest of the story.

Many of us are living it. Page 2, indeed.

Karin

Originally posted 2007-03-14 15:52:49.

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Fun Tennis Shoe Nails

Karin — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:17:16 +0000

I thought these were really cute. I don't know who did them.

Did you happen to see the cute picture of the two that went to prom and had matching tennis shoes? These nails would have been darling with that.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

Tuxedo nails Nails by Briana. Aren't these darling! Karin www.savvythinker.com...
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Reckless Abandon, by Stuart Woods

Karin — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:41:48 +0000

Stuart Woods has written a lot of books, nearly all of them good. They are peppered with interesting characters, a bit of humor, some cynicism, some romance, some intrigue. And some of them cross characters from one of his series into another.

Reckless Abandon has some of my favorite of his characters: Stone Barrington, ex-NYPD, now lawyer; his friend Dino, still on the force, married to a mafioso's daughter; Holly Barker, ex-military, now police chief in Orchid Beach, FL (crossing over from her own stories -- or bringing her story, because this one is her's and bringing in Stone and Dino, take your pick). Throw in Lance, who is CIA and recruits both Stone and Holly, and Holly's ex-sometime-lover who is FBI, and you have a story with a lot of twists and turns. Factor in Herbie, the audacious photographer, Ham (Holly's dad) and other assorted characters and you get the ridiculous with the sublime.

The setting moves from NYC to Orchid Beach to Santa Fe to NYC, including the dinners at Elaine's and other assorted restaurants, all on a hunt for a killer with mafia roots. Holly, along with her trusty attack dog, Daisy, is determined to bring him to justice, dead or alive. Along the way, she and Stone are nearly killed. But you know they will survive to see another day.

There's not a lot of gore. There's honor among thieves (thankfully for Stone and Holly.) Bad things happen to bad people who did bad things to good people.

Have you read any of his books? I read them as I find them, not always in order, but the books give enough detail to pick up stories that have occurred before. Holly's fiance (in another book) was killed in a bank robbery the day they were to marry. A cult is involved and she has yet to catch the cult leader. There's always another book. That's a good thing!

I like the series, so I give it a 4.

Karin

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Originally posted 2008-06-07 17:59:39.

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Review Vitus (movie)

Karin — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:36:36 +0000

Vitus is a charming movie, full of love, and I highly recommend it, if you have not seen it already. It is a slice of life I'd like to return to more than once. Beautifully filmed and acted.

In 2007 it won the best Swiss Film Prize (Fredi M. Murer who directed and co-wrote the script) as well as the Undine Award for Best Debut, Male for Teo Gheorghiu. It was the 2006 entry for Best Foreign Film for the Academy Awards.

When I see a foreign film like this, it makes me wish I'd kept up with German, though this is in Swiss German. At one point they ask Vitus to speak high German. I could pick up a few words and phrases here and there. The DVD I watched had English subtitles. It would be interesting to see if it also had German or French. After seeing it with English, I could freshen up on the other languages I have some smattering of knowledge in.

There are a few spoken words in English. Vitus' mother is English, so the actress had to be able to speak both English and German.

The DVD extras
Some of the missing scenes are as charming as the movie. Additionally, the interview with Bruno Ganz is excellent. The film about the movie includes some interesting interviews with the director/writer. He had the script for a number of years. One of the first things he needed to do was cast the young man to play Vitus, then find a look alike to play him at a younger age. Fredi said he thought it was a story he wrote, but the young man he cast has essentially the same story in RL.

The Story
Vitus von Holzen is an exceptional child. He takes to the piano as if he were Mozart. To make matters worse, he is a genius with an I.Q. of at least 180. This gets him into trouble at school, where the other kids tease him, and where teachers are jealous, instead of protecting and nurturing his gifts. The latter makes me both sad and angry. Teachers should foster a child like this, not give them more to handle.

His mother contributes to his unhappiness. She wishes to protect him, but in fact, does him harm by pushing him. Her self image is tied up with having an exceptional son, though to do her justice, her love is not tied to this. I suspect it would be difficult to parent a child like this. His father is an inventor, rarely at home, but when he is, he gently teaches his son.

And then Vitus rebels.

Considering that nothing he ever wanted was allowed him, from his first piano teacher to his babysitter, it's no wonder he has to continue to rebel. I found the scene where he locks his mother out of the house for a day (and later his father, that night) delightful. If he would go to such lengths then, why did they not begin to listen to him. You don't win by being self-willed with a child like this. They can be more willful than you are.

The saving grace
His grandfather, played by Bruno Ganz, is his ally in life. He provides a place of refuge, literally and figuratively. It was a joy to watch Ganz.

What to do
He wants to be normal. He pretends he is no longer gifted in either life or the piano, but after a period of time, his grandfather becomes aware and is sworn to secrecy.

But there is need for money
His grandfather only has enough money to last for about 5 years, and the company his father works for is tanking. And instead of the CEO position going to his father, it goes to the owner's son.

Vitus convinces his grandfather to let him invest all the grandfather's money.

The piano playing
The piano playing is all done by Teo himself. He is tremendously gifted and in RL has won awards and played with symphonies. This is his first film. He says he'd rather play the piano. In one of the extras his piano teacher says that Teo had already practiced for 2 hours, by the time he got there, then practiced 3 hours more. I don't doubt it. Teo's mother is interviewed at one point, and if you can believe her, she let him decide about the film.

The ends tied up nicely
There are twists and surprises in the story, with a satisfying ending. Vitus comes into his own, in more ways than one. The relationships in the movie are loving, despite the errors made.

The casting
The casting is excellent.

Julika Jenkins and Urs Jucker are superb as Vitus' mother and father. Kristina Lykowa and Tamara Scarpellini who play Isabel, the babysitter, at different ages are terrific. Fabrizio Borsani plays Vitus at age 6 to perfection. And the movie could not have been made without Teo Gheorghiu who plays Vitus at age 12.

Is it possible to have a normal life and be this talented?

Have you seen this?
Throw your hat into the ring for this one
If you have the least interest in foreign films, don't miss this one.

Buy it here: Vitus

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

Originally posted 2009-11-22 15:32:27.

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Review Ghost of Girlfriends Past

Karin — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:29:48 +0000

Well, this was a totally fun movie!

Matthew McConaughey has superb comic timing, as well as believability when he delivers a changed monologue. And I have to say that he looks a lot like a young Paul Newman here.

Michael Douglas must have had a blast riffing on his own life to a degree, making fun of everything most folks might have believed about him. He looks mighty good in this movie. Either he's had work done; the work has settled; or he might not be quite as thin as he was, which is better on him than the other way. Anyway, he's a hoot delivering lines spoofing himself (and Hugh Hefner) with a straight face.

I'd like to see the outtakes. Both Matthew and Michael have a twinkle in their eye. That in itself is fun to watch.

Jennifer Garner is good always. She has a very expressive face.

I enjoyed seeing Breckin Meyer. I expected him to play a part similar to the one he played in Kate and Leopold, but he played this differently.

Anne Archer looks good in this movie. It was like seeing her in Clear and Present Danger. She brings a lot to the part, just with her facial expressions. She plays a mature woman who doesn't cross a line into sleaze.

We walked out of the movie saying that it was one we wanted to own.

Have you seen it?

Karin

Originally posted 2009-05-01 17:20:49.

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Reasonable illusion

Karin — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:16:49 +0000

I was talking to a friend today, laughing, and I said, I had been moderately motivated to clean my bathtub. You would have had to have been there. It cracked us up. Really, now, who would want to be more motivated than that and still have a life?

The back story was that a grapevine wreath had fallen into it with the attendant dust everywhere. I did what I could to show I was reasonably motivated, but since I knew I wasn't going to use it that day, that was all I did.

Good choice!

As I've said before, I like the illusion of perfection when it comes to my house. If I'm striving for real perfection, it's an exercise in frustration and only makes me nuts. I can't keep up with the rest of the folks who live here. If they don't do their part, well then, I can't do it all for them either.

My friend Cathy, the housekeeper, laughingly (she has the most delicious wicked laugh, very hard not to laugh with her!) says she leaves some of her clients' homes and says: Wow, they really live like that. OKKKKKK....

I don't think my standards have slipped that far yet.

How about you? have you relaxed your standards? do you even have any standards? I wanna know what happened to our standards! And you know, it's OK to relax them. Really. Seriously. Moderately. Reasonably.

Karin

Originally posted 2007-05-31 10:31:56.

LOTD Arbonne Illusion in combos Here was my first lip today: Arbonne Illusion + Legend...

Whatever it takes by Kelly Coffey

Karin — Sun, 13 May 2012 12:04:56 +0000

Basic DEMO storyline with pics and video Brian Joo & Mika Nakshima "Whatever it takes" By Kelly Coffey made by LisaLao enjoy!

Mika Nakashima Description:
Born in Kagoshima Prefecture, on the island of KyÅ«shÅ«, Japan, Mika Nakashima was the youngest of three children. She dreamed of pursuing a singing career from a young age. She decided not to attend high school or college in order to pursue a music career.

She was chosen from among 3000 girls to be the heroine of the 2001 fall Fuji TV drama, Kizudarake no Love Song (Tainted Love Song). In November, she made her debut with Sony Music Associated Records, with the song "Stars", which was also the theme song of the drama. Her second single "Crescent Moon", an 80's themed song, was limited to 100,000 copies. It sold out the first day of its release. In March of 2002 she released her third single "One Survive" and her first video collection, "Film Lotus". This was followed in May by her 4th single "Helpless Rain", and in August, by her 5th single "Will", which went on to rack up sales of over 140,000. Both were top ten hits and sold over or near the key 100k mark, proving Nakashima's rising star appeal.

Originally posted 2007-06-30 09:28:23.

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Review: The Brainiacs by Brook Syers

Karin — Sun, 13 May 2012 00:56:00 +0000

I really enjoyed this book and give it 5 ***** out of 5. It is almost a YA book, but not quite.

It is only available for Kindle (but you can read it with a free app):

I purchased it from Amazon, when I heard about it.

The story involves two different time frames, and the book alternates chapters, pretty much, between the two of them. In the earlier story, we learn of several teens who are bullied at school. Ultimately they band together as super heroes against their tormentors. Each one has a particular expertise, and we learn how each one honed theirs.

Some is improbable, but what the hey! It makes a great story.

In the alternate chapters, the modern time frame, the teens are grown up. Theo Phillips has graduated from Harvard with a journalism degree, which doesn't get him a job. He is back in Houston with heavy college loans. The only job he can get is with a franchised burger place. He is a whiz with numbers and before long, the suggestion box is full of his innovations, which net the company mega bucks, and they begin to court him for bigger things. But he enjoys his co-workers, one of whom is trying to extricate himself from one of the two rival gangs that control the drugs in Houston.

When the gang targets his co-worker (and himself) in a brutal attack, Theo vows to fight back. He gathers his old friends together, and they take on the gangs while protecting themselves and the co-worker (who is hospitalized.)

The book is very well written. Syers self-published it, thinking he could do better than most self-published books. I think he succeeded. He says he has more stories in this series, and I look forward to them. He says he was bullied as a kid until he took up karate and learned to defend himself. He is an accountant in his other life.

He has developed the personalities clearly and well. I liked the relationships between the co-workers and between the Whiz Kids, later known as The Brainiacs.

I think it would make a terrific movie! If he sells it, you heard it here first.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

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