IT'S COMPLICATED, R ( 1 hr & 54 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
show: 7:45 p.m.
costs: $9.50 Ticket + $4.00 Hot Dog + $3.75 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke = $17.25
auditorium: 11
seat: 4th row, 8ht column

synopsis: Fun with Jake and Jane in a love rectangle.

After being divorced for 10 years, an ex-couple, Jake ( Alec Baldwin ) and Jane ( Meryl Streep ), get together to help celebrate their son's college graduation. After a few drinks, they find themselves having an affair with each other, what with Jake being married to ( a much younger ) Agness ( Lake Bell ) while at the same time Jane is considering a relationship with her architect, Adam ( Steve Martin ). Will things work out for all parties concerned or will it all end up being just one big mess? One thing's for certain: It is so complicated!

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Anniversary party; 2.) Empty house; 3.) Bakery; 4.) Architectural plans; 5.) Plastic surgeon; 6.) Elevator; 7.) Female get-together; 8.) Hotel bar; 9.) Hotel bed; 10.) "Gone native"; 11.) Toast; 12.) Audio-taped instruction guide for the newly divorced; 13.) It's official; 14.) Confession; 15.) The other woman; 16.) More caliente; 17.) Upstairs view; 18.) Little Pedro; 19.) Spying on ex-wife; 20.) Downward-facing dog "yoga"; 21.) Baby; 22.) Marijuana; 23.) 'Phone call; 24.) Psychologist; 25.) Fertility clinic; 26.) Hotel tryst; 27.) Flomax; 28.) Nervous Harley ( John Krasinski ); 29.) "Jakey"; 30.) Ovulating; 31.) No show; 32,) Dad's favorite meal; 33.) Harley's secret; 34.) Appointment book; 35.) High, Jane; 36.) Reefer; 37.) Guest bathroom; 38.) The dance; 39.) Bakery; 40.) "Jammie" pants; 41.) Breakfast; 42.) Web cam; 43.) Jane and her children; 44.) Relationship's not done; 45.) The swing; and 46.) The rain.

audience reaction: The audience enjoyed this Rom-Com.

recommendation: Go see this movie.

spoiler alert! At her age, shouldn't Jane be considering downsizing her domicile, instead? Jane didn't need a brow-lift. There is very little need for pain killers after a brow-lift surgery so long as you keep to your daily intake and topical application of antibiotic medications as prescribed by your surgeon, and getting plenty of rest. What she needed was blepharoplasty ( eyelid plastic surgery ). In later scenes, Jane's eyelids were no longer droopy.

fyi: I remember taking Wood Shop as a high school freshman. One of my classmates told me that his parents were divorced. I was already familiar with this word because of my intensive schooling in the English language back in the Philippines. But to hear someone, in person, actually use it as a statement of fact caught me off-guard. I never thought that I would ever come across someone whose parents were divorced.

After seven years of living here in the United States with my mother and my siblings, I found out one day that my mother had filed for divorce from my father, who was in the Philippines all that time. My long-time friend, Hector, told me that in this country a couple is considered divorced if they have been separated for at least seven years. It came as a shock! After all, there was no such thing as Divorce back in the old country. And only Americans get divorced, I thought. Granted, my father was a very abusive husband and father. But so were a good majority of the husbands and fathers in the land of my birth where "red", "grey" and "black" shades of Machismo were culturally dominant. And the law had no provisions for the mitigation or prevention of spousal abuse and child abuse. The wives and children just had to learn in a painfully difficult way to avoid incurring the husband's/father's wrath, and to lessen the severity of said wrath should it become unavoidable by not defending one's self. I was my father's "punching bag" but, then again, so were every one else in my family, including one or two of our maids. It was just a matter of time before all of our relatives, friends, neighbors, and classmates in the Philippines found out about the divorce; and I became ashamed of being a child of such a scandal. Then I swore never to become like my father, ever!

Many years ago, back in Oakland, CA, I had to see an E.E.N.T. ( Ears, Eyes, Nose and Throat ) specialist about an ear infection. As the doctor sat me down for the diagnosis, I couldn't help but notice that he was a dead-ringer for Steve Martin--I guess you could say that they were identical twins separated at birth! I had to contain myself to keep from laughing because of his face. But I never broached the "look-alike" subject to him because it would have been a redundant statement of the so-obvious. Wouldn't it have been funny, though, had it actually been Steve Martin, himself, doing a "Candid Camera" prank on me?

word of advice: Consider for a moment if an extra-marital affair is worth the trouble that you are about to get yourself into.

tidbits: This morning, before going to work, I checked the more popular web browsers to see if they can find my blog site easily. Google Chrome, Opera, Ask.com and Mozilla Firefox can find it easily. Internet Explorer and Safari have a hard time finding it. And Yahoo always digs-up a Brazilian blog site instead of mine!

A welcome news which I just happened upon is that BlogPulse.com has my current movie review, the one on SHERLOCK HOLMES, listed in it twice ( BlogPulse Analysis/Key Phrases, # 18 & # 25 on the BlogBites column, for December 26th, 2009 ). Maybe it does a weekly update on my entries. I'll have to check it out next week to see if I'm right about this. I offer a BIG Heart-Felt "Thank You!" to whoever submitted my blog for posting--keep it up! Thank You, Thank you and thank you.

WHAT CHRISTMAS?

The caption for this photo which I googled for this post reads: "Dog looks towards Bethlehem, in Gush Etzion, by Ezra Halevi." A photo which was taken recently. ( Gush Etzion is approximately 8 - 10 miles SW of Bethlehem. )

The Roman Catholic Church designated December 25th as the day of Jesus Christ's birth to replace the pagan practice of worshipping the farm god, Saturn, which falls on that particular day. But as evidenced by the above photo, Bethlehem ( which is approximately five miles south of Jerusalem ) does get snow in winter time. So, it would have been a bad idea to put Jesus Christ out in a manger when all the shepherds and their sheep were all sleeping under the same roof because of the bitter cold of winter. They weren't out in the field tending to their flock in late December!

If you have access to a Roman Catholic calendar, this is what you will notice: December 8ht is celebrated as the day of The Immaculate Conception; and September 29th is celebrated as the day of the Feast of the Archangels.

The first question that should come to mind is this: If Jesus Christ was conceived on December 8ht, was he born 17 days later on December 25th or was he born one year and 17 days later? We all know that the time from its conception to the birth of an infant takes approximately nine months. If you count nine months from December, you arrive at the month of September! The next question that should come to mind is this: Why did the Archangels feast on September 29th? The Bible only has five references in it wherein the angels rejoiced. One of which is in the New Testament's Luke 2: 8 - 16, when Jesus Christ was born! Even the Ancient Egyptians who built the Great Pyramid knew of this day and its location, according to author John Zajac in his book, THE DELICATE BALANCE ( 1990 ). JESUS CHRIST WAS BORN ON SEPTEMBER 29TH! And, yet, even though the Roman Catholic Church knows of these particular days of the year, its priests are certainly quiet about it all and blindly lead the ignorant sheep on a fools' procession into the gaping Pit of Ignorance.

And, Yes! I made a solemn celebration on that day, as I have for a number of years now. So, when I say that I don't celebrate Christmas, I mean that I don't do it on the day that lazy, ignorant, irresponsible, foolish and faithless hypocrites do. Remember that Jesus Christ, Himself, said to walk in the Ways of God, not in the ways of the world, i.e. don't participate in pagan celebrations and practices if you're a believer in Christ ( John 15: 18 & 19 ). And, nope, I'm not a Jehovah's Witness. I am a Jewish Christian by faith and by birth ( my Jewish Christian lineage on my mother's side goes as far back as the time of The Lord, Himself ), I'm a direct descendant of the Jewish Christian Royal Priesthood.

Every September 29th, I don't exchange gifts with others; rather, I offer Jesus Christ the symbolic gifts of "Gold" ( my Faith in His Divine Power and Authority ), "Frankincense" ( my Love for Him through my daily meditation, contemplation and devotional hymns ) and "Myrrh" ( my sincere gratitude for His sacrificial offering ).

While we are still on the subject of Christian Holy Days, the one other day--in fact, the only day that should be celebrated--is the day of The Last Supper. If Jesus Christ is God, and God is All-Knowing and able to see well into the future, then why did He tell His Apostles to commemorate only that one particular day of the year ( Luke 22: 19 )? He didn't say anything about celebrating Easter or even His birthday, for that matter.

Now that you all know about Christmas and Easter, I shall task you with the responsibility of doing what is right in the eyes of God if you truly believe in Him for I have now just taken away your ignorance. From now on, you will be held spiritually responsible for what you do regarding these two days.

So, in the spirit of the season, I wish you all "VERY X MES" ( X = Wrong; Mes = Spanish for month ) and an ENLIGHTENED NEW YEAR! Happy Holidays ( i.e., Hanukkah and New Year ) to one and all.

SHERLOCK HOLMES, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 14 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, December 25th, 2009
show: 10:00 a.m. Extra Dollar Off First Show Matinee
costs: $6.25 Ticket + $3.75 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke + $2.12 bulk Chocolate Candy + $13.38 lunch at Empire Chinese Buffet ( + $2.62 Tip ) = $28.12
auditorium: 13
seat: 3rd row, 6th column

synopsis: A string of female sacrifices and murders lead Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr. ) and Dr. Watson ( Jude Law ) on the trail of an evil man, Lord Blackwood ( Mark Strong ), who's Hell-bent on creating a trans-Atlantic Evil Empire after his resurrection from the dead.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Aborted sacrifice; 2.) Recluse; 3.) Character study; 4.) Fight; 5.) Blackwood's last request; 6.) Death is only a beginning; 7.) Miss Irene Adler ( Rachel McAdams ); 8.) Mugging attempt; 9.) Exhumation; 10.) Alchemy lab; 11.) Ship yard; 12.) Secret Order; 13.) Grand Hotel; 14.) Secret chamber; 15.) Secret meeting; 16.) Slaughter house; 17.) Train; 18.) Royal Veterans Hospital; 19.) Pentagram; 20.) Wanted; 21.) Parliament; 22.) Cyanide pellets; 23.) The Thames' Tower Bridge; 24.) Professor Moriarty; 25.) Hanging around; and 26.) Rhododendron.

audience reaction: The audience enjoyed this movie but it didn't get a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: This is a "thinking man" type of action movie for those who are tired of seeing "all brawn, no brain" action movies.

spoiler alert! I didn't care at all for the explain-the-fight-moves-before-using-them-on-the-opponent scenes; they were just a waste of time. The setting for this movie is circa late 1880's ( judging from the unfinished construction of the Thames' Tower Bridge ), approximately 30 years before the word, Discombobulate, was presumably coined. Yet, Sherlock used it to describe a fight move. I would be tearing and coughing if I were to find myself in a smoke-filled room! Why can't they speak in English in such a way that we, Americans, can easily understand? After all, they lose their English accent whenever they sing and sound just like us, Americans.

fyi: "Elementary, my dear Watson," is not yet Sherlock Holmes' famous line in this movie.

You will notice that the sewers looked clean in this movie. That's because "The Great Stink" of 1858 forced Londoners to do a massive clean-up, which lasted about 100 years, of the badly polluted and highly toxic Thames River. But, still, it looked too clean, if you ask me. And I wouldn't be swimming in it like Holmes did way back when.

word of advice: Don't render invaluable services for free.

tidbits: On my way to the theatre, as soon as I got on the freeway from Fairgrounds Drive, some idiotic over-speeding, aggressive driver tried to intimidate me into moving out of his way by coming up very close to my Metro's rear end. I should have slammed on my brakes--and I would have if I didn't need to go see this movie first thing, Christmas Day. I stayed in my lane. So he switched to the left lane, where he should have been in the first place, and took off. What an asshole!

I called my brother to wish him and his "Happy Holidays." He's in Las Vegas with his wife and kids.

To my disappointment, Stara, the Indian Buffet here in Vallejo, went out of business, which was why I went to the Chinese buffet, instead, after first checking to see if Selecta Filipino Buffet was open, which it wasn't.

And the Chinese buffet's owner's daughter was there, looking hot as always. Too bad I don't celebrate Christmas anymore or else I'd have Santa put her on my lap! Ho, ho, ho.

3 IDIOTS, NR ( 2 hr & 50 min )

where: BRENDEN CONCORD 14 in Concord, CA
when: Thursday, December 24th, 2009
show: 4:30 p.m.
costs: $7.50 Ticket + $8.00 Kids Pack ( w/ Diet Pepsi ) + $13.65 dinner at Buffet City in Concord ( + $2.35 Tip ) + $4.00 Bridge Toll = $35.00 ( Boy! am I glad I didn't take anyone with me. )
auditorium: 3
seat: 4th row, 10th column

synopsis: Two friends, along with a rival, embark on an emergency road trip to find a long-lost third friend, ten years after they left college.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Airport medical emergency; 2.) Imperial College of Engineering ( ICE ); 3.) Rancho ( Aamir Khan ); 4.) The bet; 5.) Fate sealed; 6.) Underwear initiation; 7.) Life begins with murder; 8.) The pen; 9.) Definition of machine; 10.) Aal iz well; 11.) Joy; 12.) Mental pressure; 13.) The letter; 14.) Desperate for free food; 15.) Power nap; 16.) Exam trick; 17.) The speech; 18.) The challenge; 19.) The watch demonstration; 20.) Emergency; 21.) Zoobi Doobi; 22.) Late papers; 23.) Exceeding expectations; 24.) Rancho?; 25.) The urn; 26.) Chhote; 27.) Ladakh; 28.) Humiliation; 29.) Fear & pretense; 30.) Pia's ( Kareena Kapoor ) room; 31.) Induction motor; 32.) Rusticated; 33.) Father & son talk; 34.) No yes, man; 35.) Feel naked; 36.) Refusal; 37.) U-turn; 38.) Wedding elopement; 39.) Red seal envelope; 40.) Suicide note; 41.) Downpour; 42.) Emergency delivery; 43.) Grandson; 44.) Extraordinary student; 45.) The school; 46.) Declaration of defeat; and 47.) Wangdu.

audience reaction: The audience loved this Hindi ( w/ English subtitle ) comedy movie.

recommendation: Go see this movie if you're into comedy films. You won't be disappointed.

spoiler alert! I missed some of the jokes and funny scenes because I was busy scribbling down notes. Rancho never taught his two friends how to prepare for exams; instead, he filled their heads with doubts and made them the laughing-stock of the whole school.

fyi: I haven't been to this particular theatre in over a year. I came here on opening day years ago because they had a Spice Girls tribute band as an opening act to draw-in the crowd. But I arrived too late and missed the act. Had I been there in time to see the show, I think that I would have drooled. Down, boy! Behave ( pant, pant, pant ). And I cannot even remember what movie I went to see that day, for the life of me.

If I were a music agent, I'd form a female band of Real Spice Girls from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. I don't know if you've seen beautiful girls from the Indian subcontinent, but I have. And they've got some really hot ones! And with all that Yoga that they do, you know they're very flexible! Kama Sutra Nirvana, mama--Hey! this is a good name for a female band, come to think of it.

This movie is not reviewed on Fandango.com or Hollywood.com so, on a hunch, I googled Bollywood.com. And there it is! Talk about resourceful.

I thought that this movie is an Hindi remake of The Three Stooges. But it isn't. It's about two college students befriending a free-spirited, iconoclastic genius, so much so that their academic resolve suffers for it ( hence, the moniker ) as they rediscover who they actually are and what they are meant to be in life.

I didn't know that someone came up with the same electrocution method which I was certain that I was the only one bedeviled enough to concoct back in 1980, but never actually executed ( it's a long story in two parts ).

I didn't know, too, that India ranks number one in suicides. I always thought that Japan was the suicide capital of the world.

I fell in love with the setting for the ending scene--such a beautiful scenery. Postcard perfect!

word of advice: "Chase excellence; success will follow you, pants down." ( Rancho )

tidbits: I decided on the Kid's Pack ( Popcorn, M&M Candy and drink ) because the theatre was promoting the chipmunks movie with collector cups: One had an Alvin figure on the lid while another one had a Brittany figure on it. I opted for the "Alvin" one--for now.

I asked the concessions clerk, Boris, if he knew what the movie was about. He told me that he didn't. I said that I was curious about it because I review movies on line; and I gave him one of my movie review cards. He told me to let him know what I thought about the movie. After the movie, I went up to him and told him that I liked it.

On my way home, I had a craving for Indian food so I swung by the Indian buffet restaurant, Namaste. But they don't have buffet dinner from Monday through Thursday. I decided to pig-out at Buffet City, instead ( where a young patroness complemented me on my Santa hat--I must be getting really fat [ she's getting a lump of coal tonight ] ). Maybe tomorrow, after watching the Sherlock Holmes movie, I'll swing by the Indian buffet restaurant, Stara, here in Vallejo to satisfy my craving.

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: SQUEAKQUEL, PG ( 1 hr & 28 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
show: 7:20 p.m.
costs: $9.50 + $8.56 all-you-can-eat pizza & salad dinner buffet at Mountain Mike's Pizzeria = $18.06
auditorium: 7
seat: 2nd row, 12 column

synopsis: High school squeak-sical with cute kids on the block.

When Dave Seville ( Jason Lee ) ends up in an hospital with a full-body cast, he entrusts the chipmunks in the care of his lazy loser, irresponsible cousin, Toby ( Zachary Levi ), and has them sent to school. Meanwhile, their former evil agent, Ian ( David Cross ), has come up with a way to dethrone and defame the famous chipmunks.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Concert; 2.) Hospital; 3.) Airport; 4.) Nightmare; 5.) West Eastman High School; 6.) Jett Records basement; 7.) Bullies; 8.) Striking a deal with the school principal; 9.) Penthouse suite; 10.) Tobey's high school days; 11.) Dodge ball; 12.) The chipettes; 13.) Tobey's old crush; 14.) The debut; 15.) Theodore in Tobey's bed; 16.) Litter monitor; 17.) Clogs; 18.) Football; 19.) Singing duel; 20.) The zoo; 21.) Barbecue; 22.) Pocket rocket; 23.) Helicopter; 24.) High school music competition; 25.) Staples arena; 26.) Goodnight; 27.) Clean-up duty; and 28.) Bonus scene after the ending credits.

audience reaction: They liked this movie.

recommendation: This is a silly and juvenile comedy aimed at little kids who think little fur balls who can sing are cute and funny. This is definitely a kids' movie.

spoiler alert! How did the chipmunks go from living in a tree to going to high school? Don't they need transcripts? Wouldn't it have made more sense to put them in a pet boarding house? Since the Chipmunks are professional singers, the school would have to pay them to perform. And they wouldn't even be allowed to compete in the first place because of their professional status. Why would the P. E. coach have them take part in a dodge ball game? They could get killed! Lawsuit, anyone? For such a financially-strapped school, its faculty sure loves to flirt with potential legal disasters. Do you know why Alvin wasn't sleepy yet? Because he was horny as heck and there were three female chipmunks behind closed doors with him and his brothers in the dark and--for obvious reason-- none of them wore underwear, skirt and/or pants, that's why!

fyi: When my family used to live in an apartment in Matina, Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines, we had a backyard neighbor who lived in a duplex. Between the apartment and the duplex, that family was the only one with a television set ( black and white--back in the day ). So we befriended the bratty only-child and would go play with him in their yard in the afternoon just before cartoon shows would air. If we were nice to him, he'd let us in the house to watch the cartoons along with him; but if we upset him in anyway, then we would have to watch the shows from outside their living room window where mosquitoes were more than happy to keep us company. And we used to love watching "Alvin and the Chipmunks," among other shows. That family even had the Christmas Chipmunks record album.

word of advice: Don't pick on the little guy.

Don't put your family down in front of your friends just so you could "fit in."

tidbits: I decided to have dinner first before the show. And since I had a Burger King Double Deluxe Hamburger, Onion Rings and Fries for dinner last night, I decided to "super-size me" at Mountain Mike's Wednesday Night Pizza & Salad Dinner Buffet instead of having a "Micky D's" meal.

On my way home, when I got to the corner of Sereno from Tuolumne, three cop cars with lights on and sirens blaring crossed the intersection. Then an unmarked one made a left on a red as a few drivers and I waited for the green. Then a second unmarked one came to a stop across the intersection from us and used its spotlight to scan my car's cabin as well as those of the other cars' cabins in search of a suspect.

When I came to a stop at the remote-controlled gate of my condominium's entry way, it opened for me as I was still fumbling in the dark for my remote. This happened at around 9:40 p.m.

Then, before going to bed, I made a big batch of turkey gravy since I was picked to cook it for the following day's pot luck at work.

ME AND ORSON WELLES, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 54 min )

where: UA EMERY BAY STADIUM 10 in Emeryville, CA
when: Sunday, December 20th, 2009
show: 10:10 p.m.
costs: $10.75 Ticket + $0.00 small Diet ( w/ Cherry flavor ) Coke + $6.00 small Popcorn ( w/ Butter ) + $1.50 Jalapeno-flavored Kernel Season's Popcorn Seasoning + $4.00 Bridge Toll = $22.25
auditorium: 5
seat: 5th row, 11th column

synopsis: Nazi Caesar at the Mercury.

Through a chance encounter, a 17-year old aspiring actor, Richard Samuels ( Zac Efron ), is thrust into the limelight when a then 22-year old Orson Welles ( Christian McKay ) picks him to play a bit part in his theatre's 1937 production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. And Richard comes of age in Orson's imposing shadow.

prediction: Christian McKay's job of channeling Orson Welles might just give him an Oscar nod.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Music store; 2.) Wheaties; 3.) Flyers; 4.) Stafford wife; 5.) Quadruple space; 6.) Catalogue of faults; 7.) Ambulance; 8.) Radio show; 9.) Sprinkler; 10.) Bad luck thing; 11.) Truant; 12.) The museum; 13.) Lute; 14.) Picking partners; 15.) Preview; 16.) The wait; 17.) Advice from an old pro; 18.) A week; 19.) The deal; 20.) Stage fright; 21.) Opening night; 22.) Replacement; 23.) No such thing as luck; 24.) Class act; 25.) Shoe box; 26.) Hungry generation; and 27.) All ahead of us.

audience reaction: None. I was the only one in the auditorium.

recommendation: Go see this movie to know what great acting is all about.

spoiler alert! Sonja ( Claire Danes ) and Greta ( Zoe Kazan ) are not beautiful enough--they're both of the plain vanilla variety-- to play Richard's love interests. But, then again, I was also once 17 years of age and know that guys at that age don't necessarily think with their cranial neurons but are more or less manipulated by their raging testicular hormones!

If Hollywood ever decides to make a movie about former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton, Zoe Kazan would fit the bill just fine!

A self-centered, eccentric, overly confident, extemporaneous, arrogant, manipulative, irresponsible, inconsiderate, brilliant, creative, abusive, opportunistic, unfaithful, cowardly, attention-grabbing and megalomaniacally-insecure consummate perfectionist artiste son-of-a-bitch habitual liar is how this movie portrays the one and only theatrical genius, Orson Welles, is my honest impression of it all. ( Can you say all of that in one breath? I can! And I had better, since I personally wrote it all. ) Was Orson really all these or was his character simply "embellished" upon?

And since this movie is focused more on Orson, himself, the title should have been: ORSON WELLES AND I.

fyi: I didn't know that Converse sneakers were already around back then! I always thought that these sneakers originated in the '50's.

This movie is set about a year before Mercury Theatre on the Air aired "War of the Worlds." And about four years before Orson Welles' movie, CITIZEN KANE, was first shown.

Attention, all of you college student blog readers of mine out there ... if you are taking a Sociology class or Cultural Anthropology class, ask your respective professors if they know of "Shakespeare In The Bush." If they do, and have ready access to it, ask them to make copies for everyone in class. This is a great essay by Laura Bohannan which was first published in 1966. I totally enjoyed reading this essay back in college.

word of advice: You do not sell wine before its time. ( To paraphrase Orson Welles, himself. )

tidbits: I was at my friend Hector's place in Oakland, CA earlier in the day. At one point, I went in the backyard to give their dog two jumbo hot dogs. As I was about to re-enter the house, I noticed that their citrus tree by the back porch was laden with ripe fruit. I picked one. As I stepped into the kitchen, I said, Hey, don't touch this orange 'cause its mine.

He and his wife just laughed. "That's not an orange, you idiot!" Hector said. "That's a lemon."

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that it was a Meyer lemon which I held in my hand. I didn't know that they could get that big!

Later, my friend printed-out my blog on 2012. His printer was acting up. I told him that I still have my printer, which I bought almost two years ago, in its unopened box and doing nothing but taking-up lots of space in my hallway. He told me that he wants my printer as a Christmas present. Sure, when Hell freezes over!

Here's another New Year's Resolution for me: Take the printer out of its box and use it.

At 6:58 p.m. we decided to watch AVATAR online for free via LimeWire 5's website. So we started downloading the total of 700.17 MB. There was no way for us to preview the download so, to pass the time away, we watched their recorded Pacquiao vs. Coto fight. All that time, we were hoping that it wasn't downloading the BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD movie or some other idiotic one. The download ended at 9:51 p.m. So my friend and I, along with his wife and son, gathered around the computer to watch the movie. What came on was a bar-graphed audio only--and, if this was not bad enough, it was in Russian! Ha! What a waste of time that was! And, to think, I could have taken them to the cinema earlier in the day to see the movie, itself, but they said, No.

Upset by the waste of time, I left for home but decided to swing by UA Emery Bay Stadium 10 to see the Orson Welles movie.

On my way home at around 12:41 a.m., just about half a mile before the Highway 4 connector ramp, I saw three highway patrol cars at the shoulder as the officer in the lead car was giving a sports car driver a ticket. But I was surprised that none of the patrol officers chased down the white SUV that was going at least 80 mph on the diamond lane! And I really was hoping that the SUV's idiotic lead-foot driver would get pulled over.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS? PG-13 ( 1 hr & 43 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Friday, December 18th, 2009
show: 2:20 p.m.
costs: $0.00 Ticket ( free movie pass ) + $3.75 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke + $7.56 all-you-can-eat Pizza and Salad Lunch at Mountain Mike's Pizzeria = $11.31
auditorium: 1
seat: 4th row, 7th column

synopsis: A New York couple, Paul and Meryl ( Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker ), is experiencing marital problems. But this is nothing compared to the problem that quite literally falls at their feet. If they survive this problem, will it just serve to pull them apart or will it bring them back closer together?

noteworthy scenes: 1.) The texting assistants; 2.) Witnessing the crime; 3.) US Marshals; 4.) Magazine cover; 5.) Emergency; 6.) Witness relocation program; 7.) Bargain Barn; 8.) PETA; 9.) Goodnight; 10.) The "client"; 11.) Breakfast; 12.) Bear; 13.) Pediatrician's office; 14.) Arguing couple; 15.) Target shooting; 16.) The dinner date; 17.) Return policy's fuzzy; 18.) Bingo; 19.) Pizza parlor; 20.) Kiss the bride; 21.) Googling Ray; 22.) Men from Mars, women from Venus; 23.) The dance; 24.) Stranger in town; 25.) Chopping wood; 26.) Mistake/revenge; 27.) Unwelcome guest; 28.) At the rodeo; 29.) Rae; and 30.) 'Phone message after the ending credits.

audience reaction: The audience seemed to enjoy this Rom-Com.

recommendation: I found some scenes funny. I guess couples will like this movie.

spoiler alert! With feminine make-up on, I think Hugh Grant would be more eye-pleasing to look at than Sarah Jessica Parker because Hugh has a refined nose while Sarah's nose looks manly. But Hugh Grant has a limited acting ability, though. The US Marshal who was shot twice in the chest was wearing a bullet-proof vest and would have been able to return fire when the hitman was pre-occupied with looking for his target especially since the silencer would have slowed-down the velocity of the bullets and, hence, rendered them less incapacitating. For a couple who is into the "Cowboy Lifestyle", the Wheelers sure don't know better than to hang a horseshoe pointing down. Didn't anybody tell them that this is bad luck? 'Must be why their place got shot-up! The second Bear Spray in the eyes didn't have a long-lasting effect, I guess because the movie was about to end! This movie gave me the false impression that the couple would eventually relocate to Wyoming! And to think that I thought I had the ending all figured out.

fyi: I have a niece who named her first daughter, Sarah, and her second daughter, Jessica. When she told me this, I told her that if she and her husband were to have another baby and it's a boy to name it, Parker. And my niece, Anna, said, "That's exactly what Auntie D. ( my eldest sister ) told me."
It's hard to be creative and original if there are others ( i.e. brothers and sisters ) who have your genes.

word of advice: "Take the time to stop and smell the roses."

tidbits: When I got back to Vallejo, I went to the Chevron's gas station across from Marine World to get some gas and to buy a newspaper so I could check on the local cinema's listing for DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS? because I needed to know when I could eat and go to the bank.

I went to Mountain Mike's Pizzeria, before the show , because I didn't feel like eating at a Chinese buffet today--not enough time. And because Chase Bank is right around the corner and I needed to deposit some money into my checking account.

As I walked to my car after the movie, my left heel started hurting a bit. I have some prescription strength Naproxen but I'm worried that it might have a bad side effect on me if I take it along with the Cold medicine that I've been taking. I'll have to check with a pharmacist tomorrow just to be on the safe side.

AVATAR, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 41 min )

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Friday, December 18th, 2009
show: 9:00 a.m.
costs: $15.50 Ticket + $4.50 small Diet ( w/ Cherry flavor ) Coke + $0.00 free small Popcorn ( w/ Butter ) + $0.00 free 2-piece Reese's Peanut Butter Cups ( that Sean, a co-worker, gave me ) = $20.00
auditorium: 12, with the I-Max 3-D screen
seat: 4th row, 9th column

2nd time:
where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Saturday, December 19th, 2009
show: 11:30 a.m. Extra Dollar Off First Show Matinee
costs: $9.25 Ticket + $4.25 junior Popcorn ( w/ Butter ) + $3.75 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke + $1.00 Dark Chocolate Cookie Dough ( bought at a Dollar Tree Store and smuggled-in ) = $18.25
auditorium: 7, with the Real-D 3-D screen
seat: 3rd row, 10th column

synopsis: A paraplegic former Marine, Jake Sully ( Sam Worthington ) is sent to Pandora to replace his dead identical twin brother in a field research and experiment to know and eventually exploit ( read: abuse ) the four-fingered and four-toed Na'vis, the planet's indigenous giant humanoids.

prediction: This movie will win an Oscar for Visual Effects.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Awakening from cryogenic sleep; 2.) Dead twin; 3.) "Meals on Wheels"; 4.) Safety brief; 5.) Hybrid Avatars; 6.) First video log; 7.) Unobtainium; 8.) Link; 9.) Run; 10.) Intel-recon; 11.) Stand-off; 12.) Chase; 13.) Lost and alone; 14.) Night life; 15.) "Jellyfish"; 16.) Na'vis; 17.) Native ways; 18.) Village location; 19.) The bond; 20.) Floating mountains; 21.) Spinners; 22.) Borrowed energy; 23.) First flight; 24.) Last shadow; 25.) Final stage ceremony; 26.) Mated for life; 27.) Bulldozers; 28.) Demon in false body; 29.) Ikran birds; 30.) Global network; 31.) Military decision; 32.) Failed diplomacy; 33.) Dereliction of duty; 34.) Hometree; 35.) The prisoners; 36.) Prison break; 37.) Mobile link-up; 38.) Turuk; 39.) Need some samples; 40.) Pre-emptive strike; 41.) Home advantage; 42.) Flux vortex; 43.) Stampede; 44.) One on one; 45.) Last video log; and 46.) New life.

audience reaction: The audience liked it although, surprisingly, this movie didn't get a "Hands Clapper" ending.

2nd audience reaction: This Vallejo crowd was more appreciative and gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation: This is by far the best C.G.I. "Eye Candy" movie that I've seen. The motion-capture technology used in this one is "top-of-the-line"! You know how when you look down the edge of a cliff your knees weaken and you get a tingly feeling in your testicles ( if you're a guy, that is! )? Well, the 3-D effect in this one is THAT good! And the facial expressions are mostly human-like. Go see this movie.

spoiler alert! Can't they come up with a better name than, "Unobtainium"? I have my own suggestions: "Elusivebium" or "Covetedium"; or the simply mundane, "Factor X". How about just calling it, "Pandorium" since it's found on the planet Pandora? They still wear eyeglasses? Mr. Scarface, Col. Quaritch ( Steven Lang ), probably didn't know that cortisone shots can drastically reduce the size of his scars--don't they have plastic surgeons in the future? This movie is set in the future approximately 145 years from now but the humans' war weaponry, machinery and technology are reminiscent of those in common use during the Vietnam War era. Any war historian will tell you that advancements in war weaponry, machinery and technology will always supercede military strategy and size. And, yet, you have the indigenous primitive Na'vis pitting themselves, with their bows and arrows, against an advanced human force in what would only be a decidedly one-sided battle. In real life, the humans would return with an all-out force! Remember what happened after General Custer's Last Stand or Magellan's Massacre? And the humans in this movie are desperate for a new world to conquer and inhabit. Today's US armed forces have these as part of their arsenal: radar, sonar, sonic canons, heat cannons, napalm, infra-red, night vision, enemy-spotting triangulators, satellite imaging, mobile communications, precision bombs, carpet bombs, cluster bombs, thermo-nuclear weapons, drones, robots, heat seekers, biological weapons, chemical weapons, grenade launchers, artillery cannons, missiles, battle tanks, fully-automatic weapons with high-capacity rounds, etc. The US armed forces 145 years from now would be even deadlier and be far more superior forces to contend with! So, the "hired guns" on Pandora would also have this kind of arsenal at their ready disposal. And if all else fails, the humans can always give the unsuspecting Na'vi Small Pox-contaminated blankets--hey, it worked on the Native Americans, so don't laugh. There's also the Make Love in War option, i.e. give them the Flu, AIDS, Syphilis, Crabs ( l.o.l. ) and a bunch more from the "dirty laundry" weapons stockpile! And what's with the obsolete wheelchair? Scientists right now are already working on ways to make paraplegics walk again, and they're getting closer to their goal. And there's already a "mobility-assist, mechanical exoskeleton" ( M.A.M.E., for short. Ironic, isn't it? ) right now that scientists are fine-tuning which looks similar to the "forklift" that Sigourney Weaver's character used to fight an alien in one of the ALIENS Trilogy--she's in this movie, as Grace-- and it never crossed anyone's mind to have Mr. Wheelchair Guy strapped into one! Ha, ha, ha. The Na'vis charged into battle with a leader who was narcoleptic! How stupid was that? I'd have reservations about this, Turuk rider or not, if I were a Na'vi warrior. Those floating mountains must have weighed a gazillion pounds each, so what was there to keep the Na'vis from floating in space, too? It actually takes thousands of years for rainwater to percolate through the soil and rock bed before enough quantity is stored in an aquifer of considerable size to create springs and waterfalls; the floating mountains don't have enough cubic area to substantiate such a natural effect ( another thing I learned in Geology class ). The creatures that spin around as they fly--only to get dizzy-- are an evolutionary aberration doomed to extinction! Why don't the Na'vis "plug-in" their tails when mating for a more heightened sexual experience? Cine-Man should teach them Sex-Ed! I see jungle, I see fern ( as well as other earth flora ) ...? W.T.F.?! Why don't they have armor-piercing rounds to take care of the "hammer-head rhinos" and big "cats"? The female pilot, Trudy Chacon ( Michelle Rodriguez ), didn't use the element of surprise to fire rockets at her huge target but, instead, just used her machine guns even though her gunship was neither grounded nor disarmed. And why wasn't Trudy, herself, jailed, in the first place, for not following orders? Why do the female hybrid Avatars wear shirts? ( After all, if they REALLY want to blend in .... ) In some scenes, it seemed like the female Na'vis have pasties on. Bummer! Last, but certainly not least, the female Na'vis all have nice, firm breasts even though all field studies of aborigines in which the females are topless show conclusively that the older the females get, the saggier their breasts become ( Even though I studied Cultural Anthropology in college, I don't have to be a field anthropologist to know this fact. After all, I can always peruse the pages of National Geographic magazines--strictly for purely academic reasons, of course! [ Ahem ] ).

Update: Monday, December 21st, 2009 btwn 10:12 p.m. & 10:44 p.m. I purposely didn't mention anything about cigarettes and the use of words ( bitch, crap, etc. ) and terms ( punk-ass, etc. ) which are in common use in our present day and age because people have been smoking tobacco for hundreds of years ( maybe longer ) and we have been using derogatory words and expletives for Lord-only-knows-how-long! As for the climactic battle, I was biased in giving it a one-sided assessment based on the humans' level of technology. But the Na'vis could have easily established aerial superiority without even resorting to the use of bows and arrows, and could have kept the Na'vis' and Ikrans' casualty rates low, simply by raining down rocks, boulders, and branches on the gunships' vulnerable and exposed propeller blades and jet intakes. ( The Talibans used the same simple yet effective tactic against Russian military vehicle convoys. )

fyi: The word, Bitch, as used in a denigrating sense, has been around for hundreds of years; and the acronym, F.U.C.K., as used in an expletive sense, has been in used since before WW I.

The meaning of the word, Sully is: To make dirty; to damage someone's reputation. Was Jake, the protagonist, given this surname intentionally? I couldn't help but wonder.

Someone named David Ison, who was paralyzed from the waist down in a bad car accident, used meditation and sound technology to enable himself to walk again. Go to www.nightingale.com and look-up the meditation CD set called, The Musical Body.

In Sanskrit, an Avatar is a physical manifestation of a Deity but not exactly in the Christian sense. And there are video games in which you use an "avatar."

In the world of meditation, you can also use an "avatar" in a simulated encounter with evil entities--not for the faint of heart--this is about as close to reality as you can ever hope to get! When you use a certain kind of Sound Meditation, it searches your mind for your innermost fears and after a period of meditation ( 30 to 45 days, on average ), it puts you up for battle with that which you fear the most. The idea is to mentally overcome your fears, unfounded or otherwise. I had my simulated encounter in less than three weeks! I will not go into the specifics, if only so that I can tell whether or not somebody telling me of his/her encounter is actually telling me the truth. And if you're as smart as I, you'll discover that this simulation actually comes with a "back door" so that you can slip out of a simulated encounter and have a real one, instead. If you want to try this simulated adventure, Google this website: Higher Balance Institute and call their 1-800 number to ask about "Dreamscape." I noticed that they have two "Dreamscape" CDs now ( I had mine a few years ago when there was only one "Dreamscape" meditation CD ) so my guess would be that it's the one called "Dreamscape: The Leap". It's not gonna hurt to ask them which is which. But don't tell them that I found a "back door" because no one is suppose to find it. When you grow tired of the simulations, try finding the "back door" for some real "fun"--just be careful what you wish for because encounters can get very fast, multi-directional and intense!

word of advice: "History repeats itself."

"Might is not always right."

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

tidbits: I met this beautiful girl once who was so tall that whenever I would look straight at her, her nipples would look straight back at me! I can just imagine what would be staring back at me if I were to stare at a beautiful 10-foot tall Na'vi girl--and heaven forbid that I have a close encounter with a Na'vi male for fear that we won't exactly be seeing "eye"-to-eyes. Ha, ha, ha.

I half-expected Disney's Pocahontas to jump out of the jungle bush, in the thick of battle, and start singing, "Colors Of The Wind."

I decided to see this at the Solano Mall in Fairfield because I had to go to the Macy's a few doors down to buy someone a present--some hot chick cornered me and "twisted my arm" into buying her a Christmas present! Who does she think I am, Santa Claus? Well ... if I don't stop eating at all-you-can-eat buffets all the time, I just might end up looking like Santa! I guess I've already decided on a resolution for the New Year.

I walked around the mall on both levels to test my left heel again. This time, it didn't hurt as much.

P.S. I took home the I-Max 3-D glasses as a souvenir.

2nd tidbits: After the movie, I went to the Rite Aid Drugstore off on Springs Road here in Vallejo to see if they sell replacement straps for watches since the ones I saw at the mall yesterday were more expensive than my old watch's original at-cost price. They have an in-store watch repair shop and, thankfully, had cheap watch straps on display. So I bought one and the clerk replaced it for me, free of charge, although I asked to borrow his tool set so that I could do it myself. The straps are not exactly what I had in mind--I needed the "Iron-Man Triathlon" straps which are now hard to find--but they will have to do until I can find the ones that I always get as replacement straps for my "bang-around" everyday watch.

And then I went up to the pharmacy counter and asked the pharmacist if it is safe to take prescription-strength Naproxen along with my Cold medicine. He said it should be okay as long as my Cold medicine doesn't contain any NSAID. Good! Maybe, now, I can finally get rid of my heel pain.

Finally, I went to Selecta Filipino Buffet Restaurant to have some Filipino food. It ain't Chinese Buffet this time so it's a start. And the radio was turned off this time. Thank God. Please refer back to my blog on THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG to know what I'm talking about.

UP IN THE AIR, R ( 1 hr & 49 min )

where: CENTURY 16 DOWNTOWN PLEASANT HILL in Pleasant Hill, CA
when: Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
show: 4:20 p.m.
costs: $7.50 Ticket + $4.25 medium Zero Coke + $9.33 lunch at Great Wall Chinese Buffet ( + $1.67 Tip ) + $4.00 Bridge Toll = $26.75
auditorium: 4 ( I think--I had to surrender my ticket in order to get a free movie pass--see note below in Tidbits )
seat: 5th row, 10th column

synopsis: A corporate down-sizing expert, Ryan Bingham ( George Clooney ), who loves racking-up "frequent flyer miles" and hooking-up, whenever possible, with a sexy fellow frequent flyer, Alex ( Vera Farmiga ) feels his job is threatened when a young new-hire, Natalie ( Anna Kendrick ) comes up with a streamlined and efficient plan to fire people.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Firing people; 2.) Cancer?; 3.) Motivational speech; 4.) Concierge key; 5.) Coordinating schedules; 6.) Our moment; 7.) Glocal; 8.) Luggage; 9.) Asians; 10.) Rebirth; 11.) The "flyer miles" goal; 12.) The cut-out picture; 13. ) Suicidal lady; 14.) Near-empty office; 15.) Heaviest components in life; 16.) Selling marriage; 17.) The break-up; 18.) "Ideal man"; 19.) Party crashers; 20.) Saving the cut-out picture; 21.) Natalie's first video conference; 22.) The chalet; 23.) Pictures on the map; 24.) Ryan's old school; 25.) Cold feet; 26.) Wedding dance; 27.) Job training; 28.) Change of plans; 29.) Surprise!; 30.) A parenthesis; 31.) 10,000,000 miles; 32.) The bad news; 33.) Video conferencing nixed; 33.) The interview; and 34.) The "Up in the Air" song during the ending credits.

audience reaction: The audience enjoyed this even with the two black-outs.

recommendation: I liked this, too, although the claim that this is George Clooney's best performance yet is but a stretch in my own opinion. Go see this movie, anyway, especially since it reflects on the reality of today's economic downturn.

spoiler alert! When Ryan and Natalie walked into one of the downsizing companies, a yellow ( ? ) Union sticker was prominently displayed in the background, suggesting that that company in particular is a Union company so they had no business being there in the first place--lawsuit, anyone? If Ryan only did a "White Directory" search on Alex with his computer, then he would have been spared the surprise.

fyi: Supposedly, most of the people in this movie who were shown being fired are plain ordinary folks who actually were let-go by the companies that they worked for.

I had a dream once in which I was at an altar about to get married. As the veiled bride walked toward me, I asked myself, Is this it. Is she the right one for me. How can I be sure that she's the right one. So I did the smart thing: I woke up! That has got to be one of THE MOST Scariest Nightmares that I've ever had in my whole life! Had I not awakened, I probably would've died in my sleep. ( True story. )

word of advice: To your employer, you're just a number.

tidbits: Since I still had about two hours before the movie started, I decided to have lunch first at China Wall Chinese Buffet at the Willows Park and Shop in Concord, CA. As I entered the place, an SUV dropped off an Hispanic guy who then proceeded to follow me into the restaurant holding a cute little brown puppy against his right cheek. I looked at him with just one question in mind: Did somebody order a special dish? And the hostess looked at him as if to say, "This has got to be an SPCA sting operation!" She talked to a male co-worker in Chinese and went to get a box from a service nook. The Hispanic guy left. She came back to give me the box. She thought that I was with the guy just because I look Hispanic--the nerve of her! I told her that I wasn't with him and, relieved, she ushered me to my table. Tip for the day: If you see Hot Dogs--or Hush Puppies, especially--at this place, go have a vegetarian meal at Namaste, the Indian Buffet, next door, instead!

On my way to the cinema, I drove by Harvest House Health Food Store. It's still open.

The movie blacked-out twice! Can you believe this? Two days in a row! The same theatre chain. I got another unrestricted movie pass, so I shouldn't complain. As I walked out of the auditorium, I told an elderly lady that the same thing happened in Vallejo yesterday when I went to see INVICTUS.

The movie blacked-out at 6:03 p.m. ( The picture came back on four minutes later. )

It blacked-out for a second time at 6:20 p.m. ( The picture came back on about one minute later. )

( Did I do that ...? )

After the movie, I called my eldest sister in Michigan to wish her and her family a happy and safe trip since they're leaving tomorrow to spend the Holidays in the Philippines.

Then I went to the Borders bookstore across the street to buy a raw food cookbook for $17.43, EVERYTHING RAW FOOD Recipe Book. I waited in line a long time before I finally paid for it at 8:33 p.m. Boy! was it too warm in there. When I stepped out, I took my jacket off right away.

As I walked to the parking garage, I decided to ride the elevator instead of walking up the staircase to get to my car since my left heel started to hurt again. My car was parked on the 2nd level so I pressed "2". When I stepped off, I looked at the far left where I had parked my car, only to notice that the dimly-lit spot was empty! Sh-t! somebody stole my car, I said to myself. What kind of idiot would want to steal an Hyundai Accent, I asked. I bought the Accent knowing that no self-respecting carnapper would want to steal it. I've got to tell security, I said, as I started walking down the stairs. When I got to the lower level, I thought it odd that I was not on the ground floor. So I looked up and---Yup! there was my car ... in the far left corner ... where I had parked it! Whatever idiot who planned this parking garage and decided that the level immediately above the ground floor level is the first floor level must either be a dumb-ass or a lousy practical joker! ( Speaking of practical jokes, you guys should pull this stunt on some of your friends. You didn't hear this from me, though. )

INVICTUS, PG-13 ( 2 hr & 12 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
show: 1:00 p.m. ( extra dollar off First Show Matinee )
costs: $6.25 Ticket + $5.25 small Popcorn ( w/ butter ) + $4.25 medium Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke = $15.75
auditorium: 14
seat: 4th row, 8ht column

synopsis: Rugby politics.

After the fall of apartheid in South Africa, the newly-elected president, Nelson Mandela, uses the national sport of Rugby as the means to unite all of his countrymen.

prediction: This propaganda may become a shoe-in for an Oscar nomination.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Shanty town; 2.) Presidential staff meeting; 3.) Rainbow nation; 4.) Mandela's clan name; 5.) Rugby game; 6.) The unwanted jersey; 7.) National Sports Council; 8.) Unity; 9.) Human calculation; 10.) Bad beer; 11.) Family; 12.) Invitation to tea; 13.) Inspirational song; 14.) One Team, One Country promotional tour; 15.) The poem, Invictus; 16.) Conspicuous Chester; 17.) God bless Africa; 18.) Television interview; 19.) The dance; 20.) The penitentiary; 21.) Over-exhaustion; 22.) The All Blacks rugby team; 23.) The plane; 24.) Maori battle song; 25.) Street urchin; and 26.) The support of a whole nation.

audience reaction: The audience liked this movie.

recommendation: Read up on South Africa's recent history first before seeing this movie.

spoiler alert! Why were all the presidential bodyguards always clustered in one room of the presidential building with none of them on guard duty outside of the presidential office? When the Springbok team went jogging before their game against New Zealand's All Blacks, they passed by a white car ( on the left side ) that looked too modern to be in that era, the car looked like a Chevrolet Aveo.

fyi: Invictus is a Latin word meaning: unconquered, unconquerable or undefeated.

The poem that Mandela and the Springboks drew inspiration from was first published in 1875. Here, now, is the poem in its entirety:

INVICTUS, by William Ernest Henley

>Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

>In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

>Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

>It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll.

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

********************************************************

And now, for the very sobering facts: South Africa, after the fall of apartheid, became the Crime Capital of the world. The whites are the intended victims of racial hate crimes, specifically kidnappings, sex-slaveries, rapes and murders! And the South African government, dominated by the ANC ( African National Congress, of which Mandela was a leader )/Communist party condones such acts. The media saint, Nelson Mandela, was a convicted terrorist who wasn't allowed to come to the United States before 2008 because of his criminal status. If you want to know more about what Clint Eastwood is hiding away from his propaganda movie, do a Google search on: The Killing Of Whites In South Africa ... And America's Silence ( Although this article was written in September of 2002, the crimes against Africa's whites continue unabated--I just received an article two weeks ago reporting the rape/torture/execution of two Boer women [ A government spokesman said, "Anybody who doesn't like it in South Africa is free to leave." SCOOPIFIED, Winter 2009 ]). And for all of Mandela's talk about unity and non-violence, I'm not aware of him condemning his ANC's encouragement and silent support of such crimes. Why does the media not report on these atrocities? Are they so naive as to think that they are the only source for REAL news? Or are they afraid to be rightfully blamed for the monsters that they constantly help to create?

word of advice: You may be the only one who stands in your way to success.

"Two wrongs don't make a right."

tidbits: I may have to see this movie again because I missed the first ten minutes and because the screen went black twice:

At 2:04 p.m. ( the picture was restored four minutes later ).
And at 2:54 p.m. ( the picture was restored two minutes later ).

The management gave everyone a free movie pass. I may use mine to see this movie again.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, G ( 1 hr & 35 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Monday, December 14th, 2009
show: 3:00 p.m.
costs: $7.25 Ticket + $3.75 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke + $8.14 lunch at Selecta Filipino Buffet ( before the movie ) = $19.14
auditorium: 13
seat: 5th row, 8ht column

synopsis: A fresh take on a fairy tale classic.

A hard-working waitress, Tiana, wishing to have her own restaurant and a disowned prince, Naveen, hoping to marry rich both fall under a magical voodoo spell. And if they don't right the wrong, they will spend the remainder of their lives as frogs.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Charlotte and Tiana; 2.) Gumbo get-together; 3.) Wish upon a star; 4.) Restaurant fund; 5.) The prince; 6.) Dr. Facelier; 7.) Masquerade ball; 8.) The kiss; 9.) The alligator; 10.) The lovelorn firefly; 11.) The evil spirits; 12.) The rescue; 13.) Evangeline; 14.) Mama Odie; 15.) Mardi Gras parade; 16.) The cemetery; 17.) Late kiss; 18.) Twin stars; 19.) The wedding; and 20.) The restaurant.

audience reaction: The parents and their children enjoyed this movie.

recommendation: Go see this with young children.

spoiler alert! One scene frightened one of the kids in the audience--must have been the same kid in A CHRISTMAS CAROL show. Big Lou, the alligator, looks more like a crocodile with its narrow snout. How come the other alligators couldn't walk on their hind legs, and why did they disappear as soon as Big Lou showed up? In the presence of Big Lou, all the other bayou/swamp creatures lost their predatory instincts, why? Is this to suggest that music does, indeed, soothe the savage beasts? Or is Big Lou simply in possession of a powerful mojo? Why did Mama Odie cook-up a bath-tub full of Gumbo in the middle of nowhere in the first place? For such a squashed bug, Ray sure didn't look like one, but Naveen did a better turn as a squashed frog twice! In most species of fireflies, the males are the only ones flying around and signaling females on the ground as part of their courtship ritual.

fyi: I read an article a few years ago on bioluminescence. Apparently, for whatever quasi-practical reason, scientists want to produce glow-in-the-dark humans.

If you meditate long enough ( i.e. decades ), you may just glow in the dark--it's a given!

In Canada, the Geo Metro is called, the Firefly. I should use luminescent paint on mine.

I remember when one of our cousins, Jeannie, would drop-off her daughter, Michelle, for my sisters to babysit. Michelle was one hyper-active little girl. As soon as she stepped in the house, she would always asked, "Where's Reggie?" And Reggie, our deaf white cat with one yellow eye and one blue eye, would growl and hiss whenever he would see Michelle because he wouldn't want her playing with him at all. And at the end of each day, Michelle would be turned over to her mom with fresh scratches all over her arms!

word of advice: Some wishes have a funny way of coming true.

tidbits: Before going to the cinema, as I was eating lunch at the Filipino buffet of which I was the only customer, I couldn't help but notice that the proprietor was playing Hanukkah songs on the radio. And there I was, enjoying some delicious pork! Talk about guilty pleasure! What are my Jewish Ancestors on my mother's side going to think about me? It sure ruined the ambiance for me. As I was paying for my meal, I asked him if he knew that the songs his radio was playing were Jewish holiday music. "I didn't know," he answered. I hope that I got the message across: He needs to play "kosher pork music" for the Holidays to draw in the right clientele.

After the movie, I went to Chase Bank to deposit some money into my checking account. Then I went to CVS Drugs to buy some cold medicine, evaporated milk ( for my coffee ), and a mini digital camera.

THE ROAD, R ( 1 hr & 59 min )

where: CINE ARTS @ PLEASANT HILL in Pleasant Hill, CA
when: Friday, December 11th, 2009
show: 10:10 p.m.
costs: $10.00 Ticket + $4.25 medium Diet/Zero Coke + $2.12 bulk Chocolate Candies + $4.00 Bridge Toll = $20.37
auditorium: 5
seat: 4th row, 11th column

synopsis: A very slow road trip, with lots of rest stops, of the bleakest kind.

In a post-apocalyptic barren American wasteland, a father ( Viggo Mortensen ) and son ( Kodi Smit-McPhee ) head south to escape winter and to avoid cannibals, ever hopeful of a better life.

prediction: Viggo Mortensen is a strong contender for an Oscar.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) The landscape; 2.) Wildfire; 3.) In the barn; 4.) How to use the gun; 5.) Cannibal gang; 6.) The talk of suicide with the wife ( Charlize Theron ); 7.) Coke; 8.) The ring; 9.) Cannibals' mansion; 10.) Boyhood home; 11.) The box; 12.) Bomb shelter; 13.) Bath; 14.) The old man ( Robert Duvall ); 15.) Skulls on stakes; 16.) Falling trees; 17.) The church; 18.) The thief; 19.) The beetle; 20.) The arrow; and 21.) The stranger ( Guy Pearce ).

audience reaction: This movie got the audience's attention.

recommendation: I liked this movie which delves into the human soul and is not dependent on CGI effects to convey its message. Go see this movie.

spoiler alert! I do not know the cause of this movie's apocalypse since it was never shown. Why didn't they head south sooner before things went from bad to worse, especially since the apocalypse struck in the fall season? Why did one of the cannibals become modest and urinated away from every one else? Was he afraid that the other cannibals would ogle at and drool all over what looked like a vienna sausage to them? A head wound like that would cause much bleeding and would make the side of the face swell-up for about three days--trust me on this! Why didn't the dog bark when it sniffed-out the father and son? The father looked like he was suffering from Tuberculosis which is very contagious. So every one that the son will come into contact with will run a high risk of infection--whoops! there goes humanity ....

fyi: The scenes with the burned trees were filmed at Mt. Saint Helens Volcanic Monument in the state of Washington.

My nutrition professor told the class that people ate people in Europe's Dark Ages. But they called meat from such prey as, "two-legged mutton."

Cannibal tribes in New Guinea described humans as, "long pork." Also, it is rumored that as part of their burial custom, some cannibal tribes have taken to canning human meat and selling it as, "The OTHER White Meat." Of course, this got the white people all worried--must be why the white folks in that area love to get a tan! Boy! am I glad that I was born with an all-over tan.

Vegetarians taste like beef, according to cannibals.

When I studied Anatomy and Physiology, I couldn't help but notice how human skeletal muscles look like beef. I couldn't eat beef for two weeks after that!

word of advice: "It is darkest just before dawn."

Invest in a mountain bike with puncture or flat-proof tires.

tidbits: I was gonna drive by Harvest House Health Food Store to see if they are still in business because months ago I noticed a "For Lease" sign in front of their window. But it was already past midnight and it had been raining on and off all night. So I just decided to go home, instead. Maybe sometime later I'll swing by this place again so I can check out bone meal and glandular protein powders.

In a post-apocalypse, I don't think the Mexicans will appreciate Taco Bell's ad slogan: "Run for the Border."

BAD LIEUTENANT: Port of Call, New Orleans, R ( 2 hr & 1 min )

where: CINE ARTS @ PLEASANT HILL in Pleasant Hill, CA
when: Friday, December 11th, 2009
show: 7:35 p.m.
costs: $10.00 Ticket + $14.74 Chinese Buffet dinner ( + $2.26 Tip ) at Buffet City = $27.00
auditorium: 4
seat: 4th row, 10th column

synopsis: A police lieutenant, Terence McDonaugh ( Nicolas Cage ), investigates the execution of an illegal alien family of five from Senegal as his drug habit worsens and his gambling debts pile up.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Flooded jail; 2.) Snorting cocaine; 3.) Executed family; 4.) Pharmacy; 5.) Gator's Retreat stakeout; 6.) Davereaux Hotel; 7.) Retirement home; 8.) Grandson; 9.) Bookie; 10.) Alligators; 11.) Toke; 12.) Dog; 13.) Back at the retirement home; 14.) Investigating police abuse; 15.) Loan shark; 16.) Deal with drug lord ( Xzibit ); 17.) The waterfront drop-off; 18.) Game fixing; 19.) Reformed Frankie ( Eva Mendes ); 20.) Drug lord versus loan shark; 21.) The football game; 22.) Lucky three; 23.) The round-up; 24.) Another stake-out a Gator's Retreat; 25.) Room service; and 26.) The aquarium.

audience reaction: The audience liked this movie.

recommendation: I liked this movie, too. Go see it.

spoiler alert! When McDonaugh walked into the Davereaux Hotel and to the retirement home, and when he sat down at the aquarium, his shoulders were level with each other. How can somebody high on drugs not be noticeable when out on patrol and when out performing routine investigation? And the scene with the break-dancing soul, I don't know about that!

fyi: Is it just me, or does Nicolas Cage's lower lip droop lower with each passing year? He should avoid using side shots of his face as much as possible.

word of advice: If you don't have an upper lip ( like Nicolas Cage ), put on a mustache to add a better symmetry to your face.

tidbits: While I was eating at the buffet, I had a minor nose bleed--it would have been a major one had I not swabbed my nostrils with petroleum jelly before leaving my condo earlier in the day. I had a major nosebleed seven years ago while having lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Terra Linda in San Rafael, CA--not a pretty sight!

Just before the movie, at 7:30 p.m., I went to the men's room to wash my hands and rinse my mouth. I used the lavatory on the far right to clear my throat. As I did so, I noticed that somebody before me had already "deposited" a piece of "lung oyster" ( phlegm ) in the sink. With the motion activated faucet, I had my hands try to direct water to the dried-up "oyster" and my fresh one to have them both go down the sink. But the dried-up one was stubborn, so I just went to the paper towel dispenser to crank out a piece to dry my hands with. As I did so, I heard a faucet turning on and off. When I turned around to look, it was the far right hand side faucet ( there are three of them ) which was turning itself on and off repeatedly with nobody near enough to physically activate it. I was about six feet away from it at the other end of the lavatory counter while another man was in a toilet stall and two other men were at the urinals. I mentally thanked "whatever it was" for finishing the job for me.

EVERYBODY'S FINE, PG-13 ( 1 hr & 35 min )

where: CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when: Tuesday, December 8ht, 2009
show: 4:55 p.m.
costs: $7.25 Ticket + $3.75 small Diet/Zero ( w/ Barq's & Cherry flavors ) Coke + $1.00 Jack Link's Jackpack ( [ cheddar, pretzel and beef sticks ] which I bought at a Dollar Tree Store and smuggled-in ) + $6.26 Double Steak Grande Quesadilla extra large Meal Deal with a side dish of Cheese Fiesta Potatoes at Taco Bell = $18.26
auditorium: 13
seat: 5th row, 8ht column

synopsis: A widower, Frank Goode ( Robert De Niro ), arranges for a family get-together at his place. But none of his children, inexplicably, can make it. Desperate to reconnect with his grown children, he embarks on an impromptu road trip to surprise each and every one of them, against his doctor's advice, and finds that all is not well with any one of his children.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) House chores; 2.) Grocery store; 3.) Barbecue grill; 4.) 'Phone messages; 5.) Doctor's office; 6.) Train; 7.) Diner; 8.) David's apartment building; 9.) The rolling luggage; 10.) Golf game; 11.) Chinese take-out dinner; 12.) Family photo; 13.) Ad pitch; 14.) Train station; 15.) Symphony rehearsal; 16.) Lady trucker; 17.) Mugging; 18.) The baby; 19.) The 'phone message; 20.) "Good team"; 21.) At the airport; 22.) The waitress; 23.) The airplane; 23.) The lies; 24.) Hospital; 25.) David's mail; 26.) At the grave site; 27.) Art gallery; and 28.) Christmas get-together.

audience reaction: There was only one other person in the audience, an old lady seated way in the back row. There was no way for me to gauge her reaction.

recommendation: I liked this family drama which is neither too sweet nor too sad. If you're into sentimental family get-togethers then this movie is for you.

spoiler alert! If you look at the movie poster, Robert De Niro is holding a digital camera even though he used a cheap 35mm camera throughout the movie. How did Frank move the big wooden outdoor table all by himself? The store shelves at the grocery store didn't have shelf tags. The wine department clerk didn't know what he was selling. In this day and age, why didn't Frank carry a cell phone, even if only for emergency use? A certain camera manufacturer could have easily capitalized on the many "Kodak Moments" shown throughout this movie.

fyi: One time, I was in the wine department of a store when a lady approached me and asked if I knew much about wines. I apologized and told her that I don't drink. But I added that I knew the assistant manager was rumored to be a recovering alcoholic and that I would go and ask him. She just laughed even though I meant it in all seriousness! So ... I'm funny now without even working at it? I'll be darned!

If you hold a pair of chopsticks close to the bottom, it is considered bad table manners.

I have this Chinese friend who brings his lunch to work. He would always eat his lunch with a fork and/or spoon. Out of curiosity, I asked him if he uses a fork and a spoon when he's eating at home. He told me that he only uses chopsticks at home. I find this too weird to comprehend.

The Christmas after 911 was an especially sad one. And the song, "I'll Be Home For Christmas," was the saddest of them all, according to a newspaper article.

When I was 16 years old, I won second place in a poster drawing contest and was subsequently offered an art scholarship by a New York art academy. When I told my family about it, no one showed any sign of interest as my good news just fell on deaf ears. Since I couldn't get anybody in my family to be interested in it, I just turned down the offer. I taught myself to do charcoal portraits as a way for me to kick my own self in the butt for turning down the scholarship. If I could have it to do all over again, I would take that offer in a heartbeat whether or not it would meet with my family's approval!

word of advice: What you want for your children and what they want for themselves are not always one and the same.

tidbits: After the movie, I decided to go to Taco Bell for dinner because I haven't been to one in about two years. Then, after getting some gas at Chevron's, I went looking for a Fargo-style Santa hat and an ear-flapped winter hat since it is getting wintry cold, but I found neither one.

TRANSYLMANIA, R ( 1 hr & 32 min )

where: EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when: Tuesday, December 8ht, 2009
show: 12:00 p.m.
costs: $7.50 Ticket + $7.58 Great Wall Chinese Buffet lunch ( + $1.25 tip ) + $1.07 Note Pad = $17.40
auditorium: 15
seat: 5th row, 10th column

synopsis: A group of unwitting American students go to Transylvania for a semester of academics and cultural immersion at Razvan University where a stalker/killer and vampires await them.

noteworthy scenes: 1.) Laptop; 2.) History; 3.) Music box; 4.) The shuttle ride; 5.) Ural side-car motorcycle; 6.) Are we there yet?; 7.) Combat & Self-Defense class; 8.) Codex Eroticon; 9.) The internet girlfriend; 10.) The pin prick; 11.) Illegal hunt; 12.) Necklace; 13.) Frankenstein-type lab; 14.) The "vampire slayer"; 15.) Morning after; 16.) The surgery; 17.) The costume ball; 18.) Showdown; 19.) The "doctor"; 20.) Jeans pool; and 21.) The werewolf huntress.

audience reaction: None. I was the only one in the audience.

recommendation: I found this neither funny nor erotic in anyway. It's strictly a rental.

spoiler alert! This is a very sophomoric stab at humor. The trinkets lady on the train spoke to every passenger in English even though local Romanians were on board as well, and dem white people all be lookin' da same to me. The victim in the coffin twitched his eye. Vampires are suppose to be eternally youthful, but the topless vampiresses showed noticeable "mileage" on their faces already--and one of them had a boob job! How in heck did she find the time to have implants put in when plastic surgeons only work in the DAYTIME? This reminds me of the movie THIR13EN GHOSTS ( 2001 ) in which a topless ghost with a boob job haunted the place--apparently there are some things that you can take with you! Since when did vampires learn to do Oriental martial arts? In an early scene, the vampire count's right hand got burned when it was exposed to sunlight; but later on in the movie, when the count ran in broad daylight covered by his own cape, his left hand didn't get burned even though it was exposed to sunlight. The couple which was making-out didn't hear the door slam. A re-capitated and re-sewn multiple amputee can never live, let alone ambulate. At the party, the sutures were absent with no surgical wounds evident. Why cut the body up into pieces in the first place when all that was needed was a head job ( i.e. head transplant )?

fyi: The salesman who sold me my blue 2001 Hyundai Accent at a Ford dealership in San Leandro, CA is from Romania. And he told me that the Romanian language has its roots in Latin which is why it is called Romanian, named after the Romans who settled the region.

The Ural Sidecar Motorcycle is the most enduring and most mass-produced vehicle model in the world, in production since before World War II. This is BMW's most successful model ever! I hope to get one for myself someday.

word of advice: Save your money for a better movie.

tidbits: I have a total of eighteen mini note books, but I brought none with me for this movie review! How stupid is that? I had to swing by a CVS store to buy one. Then, I had a buffet lunch before the show instead of having my usual movie fare of soda and popcorn.

I didn't eat that much at the buffet. Next time, I'll have to remember to unbutton my pants and loosen my belt by a notch before I step into a buffet, if only to get my money's worth!