Category: Blog

It’s great when you see a sequel with your favorite character doing more of what you loved the first time. Due to mediocre writing and an attempt to be flash over story, this film quickly veers away from the first film. All is not lost though, the visuals are indeed amazing and enjoyable.

One reason this film might have appeared out there and disjointed was because there are two directors. I really don’t see that much. It could be like having 2 kings or 2 cooks on one stove. Like they say, “too many cooks spoil the broth.”

The visuals in this film come at you non-stop. I had a feeling about the visuals like I did when I saw “Trolls” for the first time. It was all inventive technology with a human element. In other words, it wasn’t just like a strobe in your face. There are so many amazing visuals but probably my absolute favorite was at the end when all the little Ralphs form on monstrous one. That most have taken tons of code and animation science to pull off.

To close, this sequel is highly visual and very exciting. The story and it’s character dynamics are very flawed in my opinion. I really felt they though the visuals were enough and so they skimped on story. It is rather good though and I would recommend you take your kids to it. It is nowhere near the masterpiece of the original “Wreck it Ralph” and that was a let down. 6/10

Thank God we no longer live in times where the church forced women to stay in bad marriages. If my wife ever told be she felt our marriage was unhealthy for her, I would change myself to be what she needed. I’m still in love with her after 16 years. I suppose after trying a good long while, if she still felt bad, I would talk divorce. I’m hoping it never gets there! 

But this guy in the film “A Separation” seems quite willing to let his wife go. If I can’t respect my wife’s needs for vacations or even for moving out of the country, then maybe a real man lets her go? Just saying. No matter what the church says, there is a time when a couple can get to an “Unavoidable Divorce.” 

When this is decided, the kids come into the conversation and then every thing is likely to get messy. In this movie, at the end they ask the daughter to choose which parent to live with. The girl is only 11! Even though the kids may be a reason to stay together, I feel they should not be the only reason. A couple should be motivated toward one another and finding a possible solution.

I hope nothing happens to me like what happens in this movie. Men sometimes have very tough decisions to make and in this film we see a dad making them. I don’t think we should get too carried away accusing men under the #Metoo umbrella when men have feeling just like women. We need to help women not be victims but we should also think of #Metoo as a group some men can fall into. 

I acted the husband role this past weekend when Sarah and I celebrated our 16th anniversary. She has planned a lot of our trips and this time I tried my hand on it. There was some pressure because a year ago I planned “Ojai” and it was pretty but uneventful for sure. I wanted to do better by her ehis year so I chose Los Angeles.

We saw a play at Cal State Fullerton, ate fondue in Irvine, Ate a Havana in the Irvine Spectrum and it was all awesome. Sarah made the hotel arrangements in LA at the LOEWS hotel. It lets out right onto Hollywood Blvd. I had planned on the Planetarium but it didn’t work out. Read up on that place before attempting! CROWDED.

I’ll close this thought by saying men and women are equal and they should share roles as much as possible. I don’t need to hear about women’s rights, I’m a believer, but the word most definitely does. I’m happy the world is getting that important message. Now, take a look at this husband in this role. 

Neil Armstrong was in a lonely rocket. I can’t comprehend losing a child. I have at least 2 friends that have lost kinds and I do not think I could get through that. I was really arrogant in my early adulthood in that I thought I could always bring myself up from my own bootstraps come what may.

Even that was before I was a parent. I have 3 kids and I really think I would be defeated if I ever lost one. I’m saying that because I have utter respect for those who have suffered this unthinkable loss. What would that be like? I think it would forever change a person. People can move on from this, like Neil Armstrong does in “First Man.” BUT, he is changed, I think that is clear,

Running your OWN race means not comparing yourself to slower racers or faster ones. It means improving the only way you know how and that may be different person to person. It also means setting your standard much higher that everyone’s when you are the only one that can get it done. Neil Armstrong again? Your heroic actions may affect millions, you have only your race to worry about. Set personal goals and get personal rewards.  Setting weekly, even daily goals in a journal can be a great way to measure success. Again, Bill Gates’ measure will be different from a lemonade stand worker. I’m a huge believer in journaling. In my case, later years has produced online diary journaling. It’s a lot of fun and helps me gauge my own opinion of my success.

One small step for man. WE do not see how crucial our steps are for others. Sometimes we never see but faith keeps us going. Recognition isn’t always there. If motivation to do things depends on the recognition of others, it will probably fail. Be your own cheerleader. Reward yourself for achieving a goal. Don’t have any? Set some. I can guarantee you Neil Armstrong had them.

Some photos of my girls from Halloween 2018. Bella is 13 Julie 11. The high quality ones were taken days before Halloween in a photo tradition Sarah does each year called “Dress Rehearsal.” I took the low quality ones on my iphone trick or treating.

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We make such a fuss about them and then never wear them again.

Face makeup, wigs, the smell of rubber latex masks. Don’t wear second hand masks.

Costumes are exciting because they scare us. It’s scary not knowing who’s behind the mask.

Henry the 8th would lop heads off. It seems Victoria didn’t have that power. Should kings have lopping off powers?

Food for thought, except those who have lost their heads. They would lose the food through the neckhole if they could swallow.

Looking for my eye prescription so I can buy cheap glasses. Alas, I think I was down or stressed when I had it last so … it be nowhere 🙁

Disrupts are moments in life when we feel distracted and are forced to stop our regular flow of creativity. It can be a time when we feel like giving up, but we musn’t. I like what Randy Pausch said: “The walla aren’t in our path to stop us but rather to test how much we want it. Huge numbers may want something but you determine how much more you want it than anyone else. A disruption is usually temporary it depends on you. Here’s Randy:

Haul is what they do in Jurassic Park when a T-Rex is chasing them.

Frigid is a word to describe the girl in high school who won’t have sex with you. She always has other plans like her future, college, volunteering, a job. You might use the word to describe a wife that is never interested in sex. I don’t recall ever hearing this word used to describe men. I’m not sure why that is. Plenty of men don’t want to have sex. I’m not sure what you would describe them as.

As a closing thought, isn’t it strange how the frigid girls and wives usually end up the most successful? Maybe we put too much emphasis on sex.