Review of "Up In the Air"

Shane and I went to see Up In the Air today at our local multiplex.  Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You for Smoking)  directs this adaptation of Walter Kirn's comic novel.  George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, a businessman on the verge of reaching 10 million frequent flyer miles when his company decides to cut back on travel.  The purpose of his company's business is firing people, not that "firing" is a term they would use.  With the downturn in the economy, business is good.  

I hear that this movie is getting a lot of Oscar hype, but I don't understand what all the excitement is about.  It is a pleasant enough film, but I wouldn't say I loved it.  There is no high drama or high comedy.  There were a few chuckles now and then and the message of the film seemed to be that people and relationships are important.  I agree with that.  I didn't know that there were many people who needed that lesson.  There are certainly other films that I thought were better than this one -- Julie and Julia for instance -- and I haven't seen that many movies made in 2009.

Clooney is charming, as usual, in the lead.  Vera Farminga plays the "like" interest, another business type on the road all the time.  She also is very charming.  Anna Kendrick is a perky upstart that Clooney's character takes under his "wing."  Get it?  They are always on a plane.  Anyway, my favorite scene is Kendrick's breakdown in a hotel lobby after she is gets some bad news. 

I am giving the film three sponges.  Given the subject, there were some laughs and the reactions of the people getting fired were always interesting.  Clooney's character's life examination was so so.  The twist at the end wasn't that much of a surprise.   I was sort of hoping something more interesting would happen.

Virtual Run from DC to Punta Gorda -- Update 3

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to to do a virtual run from my home in DC to our possible new home in Punta Gorda, FL.  It is just a bit more than 1,000 miles and requires that I run an average of 2.75 each day.  I ran every day this week except Saturday.  Here's how it breaks down:

Monday: 3.5 miles
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: 5 miles
Thursday: 3:25 miles
Friday: 6 miles
Saturday: Off
Sunday: 3.5 miles

On my virtual run to Floriday, I am now just past Triangle VA.  The map below shows the start near my house in South East DC and my finish today in Virginia.

Total Distance Run This Week:  25.25 miles

Total Distance Run in 2010: 34.5 miles

Total Run Time: 4 hours 45 minutes 30 seconds

My Virtual Distance to Punta Gorda: 968.5 miles

I am also trying to improve my strength by doing push ups.

Goal for the year: 10,000

Total Push Ups This Week: 135

Push Ups in 2010: 190

Today I did 47 push ups, which is a big increase from just 10 days ago.  I am behind schedule, but expect to be able to do more as the year progresses and I get stronger.  I am hoping I'm not trying to do a thousand push ups on New Year's Eve 2010.

A Review of "District 9"

District 9 is the story of Wikus (Sharlto Copley) a bumbling goof that is put in charge of relocating a large population of visiting other-worldly aliens into another area of South Africa.  I know what you're thinking--not that old plot line again.  The best part of this movie is its plot is anything but predictable. 

I wouldn't say that I'm a big science fiction fan, but I had heard good things about this movie, so I gave it a try, and I'm glad I did.  It did not make for a dull evening.  It began as a mock documentary about Wikus and explained how the alien ship appeared over Johannesburg and the events that led to the contact with the aliens.  The aliens look like human size shrimp--in fact they humans refer to them derogatorily as "Prawn."

Without giving too much of the plot away, the "documentary" follows Wikus and his the troops from the corporation for which they all work as they attempt to evict the aliens from the slum where they have lived for the past 20 years near Johannesburg to an even worse camp farther outside the city. 

Wikus becomes "infected" with alien DNA and begins a metamorphosis that is not pretty to watch.  Wikus eventlually pairs up with one of the aliens (and his "adorable" child) when the alien gives him hope that he can be cured.  It then becomes a bit of a buddy picture, with the two working together (for the most part) to solve both their problems--curing Wikus and repairing the aliens' ship.

The film is not very complimentary about how the humans treat the aliens--exploiting them for their weapons, bribing them with cat food (which seems to be an alien delicacy), and killing them thoughtlessly.  In essence, exactly how aliens would likely be treated if such events actually happened.  Whether its the white man and Native Americans, Nazis and Jews (and gays and Gypsies and the handicapped, etc.) or South Africans and unwanted aliens, it is not good public relations for the human race.

One thing that I didn't quite get in the film was that the the humans seemed to be able to understand what the aliens said, but they did not speak English. We see the subtitles when aliens talk, but the humans in the film seemed to comprehend them. Maybe I missed something. Let me know if you know how this was explained in the film.

I am giving this movie three sponges.  I would have given this movie four sponges for the original plot that was riveting and unpredictable and for very good special effects, but the violence just goes too far.  One particular bad guy just won't die no matter what happens and Wikus's character does a Sigourney Weaver move from Aliens as he becomes enveloped in a robot weapon.  I thought it was too much mayhem and a shoot em' up toward the end.  I don't mind violence, but it became cartoonish at a point, which wasn't necessary.  That being said, I would still recommend this highly as a rental, as it is now available on DVD. 

Cooking with a Little Class

Chef Mark whisks together a vinaigrette. 

Shane and I took a cooking class tonight.  It was a beginners' course that had us cook and eat an entire meal in 3 hours.  It was at "CulinAerie" in Washington DC, near Shane's office.  We made a salad of mixed greens with a Balsamic-Dijon Vinaigrette, Butternut Squash and Apple Puree (soup), Seared Chicken with Mushroom Tarragon Sauce, and Rice Pilaf. 

The highlight of the class was the soup.  I did not think it would be something I liked, but it was really good. Overall, the class was fun, but I thought it was a bit pricey ($85 per person), but they did serve wine throughout the evening.  School sure has changed since I went back in the day. 

Seared Chicken with Mushroom Tarragon Sauce

and Rice Pilaf

The chicken wasn't that great,

but not as bad as I let on here.

Same Sex Marriage Headed Toward DC Vote?

The Washington Post reported today 39 GOP leaders (37 Congressmen and 2 Senators) have joined the crazy haters in their attempt to force DC to vote on same sex marriage rights.  They have filed an amicus brief supporting a public vote on the issue.  A vote has never gone our way thus far, so I hope this doesn't happen. 

The article quotes DC Council member Mary Cheh, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University, as saying she thinks the group could win in court.  Let's hope she is wrong.  

Am I Outside the TV Mainstream?

I was recently reading a copy of Entertainment Weekly and perusing the list of the top-rated television show, and it occurred to me that I may not be "with it" anymore (like I ever was). 

I am quickly heading near 50 after all -- it is just a little less than 19 months away.  I know there was a time that I was familiar with most of the top-rated television programs (like MASH and All in the Family), but I suddenly realized I had not seen any of the top 20 programs listed in EW.  None.  Nada.  Zilch.  In my defense, the listing was for the week of December 14-20, 2009--a slow TV week with lots of shows resorting to reruns. 

The number one show that week was NCIS.  Who watches that?  I have never watched that show and I likely never will.  More than 20 million people did watch it however, but not me.  I know that handsome Mark Harmon is the star, but I have no idea what NCIS even means.  I know it will probably be my final Jeopardy question someday, but I will lose.

Three of the top 12 shows listed were various versions of CSI.  I haven't ever watched any of them.  They must be good shows, because they continue to multiply like the Duggars, but I don't see the appeal. 

Three of the top 15 were related to Survivor.  I never got into Survivor this year.  I watched the first season, and I tried to watch another season once since then, but not this year.  One night, I saw a few minutes of the opening credits in high-definition and the tropic scenery did looked amazing. 

Number 19 on the list was a Saturday Night Live special called SNL Presents:  A Very Gilly Christmas.  I'm not a big Gilly fan, but I probably would have watched that if I happened upon it.  As anyone who saw my 12 Days of Christmas posts can attest, I like SNL.  I know it can be terrible sometimes, but it has always been like that.  There is occasionally a gem (very occasionally this season).

Anyway, I thought it was weird that I didn't see any of the top shows that week.  I'm sure I watched something that week. 
There are some "popular" show I like.  Really!  Here's a list of shows I usually record on the DVR--  Intervention, Hoarders, Modern Family, The Middle, Cougar Town, 30 Rock, Community, The Office, Parks and Recreation, Brothers and Sisters (Shane), Desperate Housewives (me), Nurse Jackie, Curb Your Enthusiasm, True Blood, Big Love, Glee, Saturday Night Live, The Suzi Orman Show, and Judge Judy. 

I had you until Judge Judy.  I had you until Judge Judy.

The Blue Sponge Rating System Explained

Since I've started writing reviews of movies and such, I thought I should explain my rating system.  Archer left a comment on my review of Away We Go  about why I didn't give it four sponges instead of three, since I seemed to like it.  With no apologies to Seinfeld, Blue Sponge Worthiness is not a cakewalk.  Sponges have to be earned!  Here's how it works.

If a movie gets no sponges, it means the movie is horrible and totally unwatchable.  It is the worst.  I probably did not watch the entire film.  A prime example is Pet Sematary from 1989, based on the Stephen King novel.  I found no entertainment value in watching a child get run over by a truck.  I saw this movie in a theater when it first was released, and actually walked out.  I very rarely do that. 
One Sponge means that I do not recommend this film.  While it may have some redeeming value, overall it is just not very good.  An example would be the recent remake of Land of the Lost with Will Ferrell.  Yikes!


Two Sponges is just an average film.  If you can't think of anything better to do and its on TV, you might want to give it a try.  This includes  all the Harry Potter films (Sorry Shane) or anything with Adam Sandler.


Three Sponges mean the film is above average.  I liked it, but don't buy it.  It is a rental.  I don't want want watch it over and over.  Recent examples include Doubt, Away We Go, and Lars and the Real Girl. 

Four Sponges mean I liked the film very much, would buy it on DVD and watch it repeatedly.  Some examples are:  Moulin Rouge, Best in Show, Out of Africa, and October Sky.  Interestingly, some movies get more sponges on repeated viewings.  For example, I didn't like Moulin Rouge when I saw it in the theater, but loved it on successive viewings. 

Five Sponge films are  my favorites:  Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  Fargo, Casablanca, The Deer Hunter, The Wizard of Oz, and Ordinary People to name a few.  Everyone may not agree that they are the best films, but they are my favorites.  

"Away We Go" to the Land of Quirky

Away We Go  directed by Sam Mendes (who directed American Beauty) and starring Maya Rudolph (of Saturday Night Live fame) as Verona and John Krasinski (The Office) as Burt.  The supporting cast includes Catherine O’Hara, Jeff Daniels, Allison Janney, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

The premise is fairly simple -- Verona and Burt are expecting a baby and embark on a journey to figure out where to settle down.  It's a quirky comedy with some touching moments.  Its tone reminded me of Little Miss Sunshine with its oddball characters on a quest.

Rudolph and Krasinski give good performances, but its the supporting cast members that steal the show.  O'Hara and Daniels play Burt's parents with their big surprise announcement that sets the plot in motion.  Allison Janney is awesome, as usual, as a former work friend of Verona's who they visit in Arizona.  Maggie Gyllenhall's character is what you find in the dictionary when you look up quirky.  I wanted more of all these characters.  All their appearances were just too short. 

Another highlight of the movie was the soundtrack.  I loved the music.  I don't usually pay that much attention to the music in films, but the songs here made me take notice.  Nine of the 13 songs on the soundtrack are by Alexi Murdoch.  I was not familiar with his music, but I like him and his music mixes beautifully with the film.  

Overall, I'd give the film three out of five blue sponges. It is definately worth watching and is available on DVD.  Now, I'm going to go order the soundtrack.

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #223

"No Spin Zone" my ass!

The above cartoon is the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #223.  Let me know if you come up with any captions too. Click on the link above to enter.

Run to Florida Update #2

This is an update of my virtual run from my home in DC to our possible new home in Punta Gorda, FL. Today I went to the gym and ran 3 more miles in 24:23 after taking yesterday off. I didn't get much sleep last night. I woke up at 4:30 for some reason and couldn't get back to sleep, so I wasn't feeling my best, but I managed to get my run in and do some push ups.

Goal: Approximately 1,003 miles from DC to Punta Gorda, FL

Required Average Daily Distance: 2.75 miles

Actual Run Distance Completed Today: 3 miles

Total Distance Run in 2010: 9.25 miles (1 mile ahead of schedule)

Today's Run Time: 24 minutes, 23 seconds

Total Run Time: 1 hour, 17 minutes 23 seconds

My Virtual Distance to Punta Gorda: 993.75 miles

Today's Push Up Total: 30

Push Ups in 2010: 55

Year-End Push Up Goal: 10,000

I am going start to update this once a week. Check back next week to view my progress.

Review of A Single Man with Colin Firth

Fashion designer Tom Ford has made a new film called A Single Man, based on the book of the same name by Christopher Isherwood. The story takes place in the early 1960s in LA. It is a day in the life of a college professor named George, played by Colin Firth (aka Mr. Darcy in Michael Caine black plastic glasses). George's partner of 16 years, Jim, was recently killed in a car accident. George is mopey and distracted, and is planning his suicide. We see George's relationship with his dead partner through several flashbacks, which are some of the best moments of the film.

Julianne Moore is Charley, a former girlfriend, current close friend and neighbor. Julianne gets to ham it up with a British accent. Her character also feels sorry for herself because she is also alone and wishing George would get interested in her again.

In Director Tom Ford surreal world, nearly everyone is gorgeous, white and well dressed (he is a fashion a designer after all). There are also lots of artsy touches -- dream scenes of naked bodies floating in dark water, philosophical speeches, owls flying from trees, and the like. It just seems he is trying too hard for artsy.

Poor George has his share of stunning young men propositioning him. Gee... I wish I had that problem. One is a very handsome college student that stalks him and manages to get naked quite a bit, though there is nothing too graphic (i.e. no wee wee shots).

Though it is a beautifully made film, there is not much drama or anything that interesting. The ending seems very flat and unsatisfying. When George brings that sexy student home (soaking wet I might add), I was waiting for someone to offer someone a massage. Instead, they decided on the need for a shower. It started to seem like a beautifully shot, well-lit porn movie with a very depressed main character.

Overall, I give A Single Man two out of five blue sponges for some good visuals.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #222

OK, I get it.  You would rather I had a vagina!

The above cartoon is the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #222.   It has been quite a while since I posted one of these, but I thought I would start again.  Let me know if you come up with any captions too. Click on the link above to enter.

DVD Recommendation: John Adams

One of the best gifts we received this past Christmas was the HBO miniseres, John Adams on Blu-Ray DVD (thanks Mom!) We also gave a copy to Shane's parents and to my Mom. We finished the final two episodes last night and then started watching the special features, including the "Making of John Adams." We originally watched the 2008 miniseries when it was on HBO, We had watched the first five parts of the show with Shane's parents while we were in Florida.

The series, starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book by David McCullough, which I had previously read. This really is a truly amazing series that I highly recommend, especially now that you can get the DVD for under $20 on Amazon. It is really worth it if you have any interest at all in American history. This is a gritty, realistic account of a flawed man who did some great things. I loved it and will watch it over and over. Also, I think if you like the series, this is one of the rare instances where reading the book after the movie would be worthwhile. The book is obviously much more detailed and just as interesting. I am considering reading it again myself.

Virtual Run From DC to Punta Gorda, FL, Day 1

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to to do a virtual run from my home in DC to our possible new home in Punta Gorda, FL. It is just a bit more than 1,000 miles. To run that distance in a year, I have to run an average of 2.75 miles a day. Today was my first segment of that run and I ran 10K (6.25 miles) on the treadmill at my gym. I wanted to get a bit of a cushion in so that if I miss some days down the road, I can still make my goal. If I had started at my house in DC, the distance I traveled would have taken me across the Potomac, into Virginia, past the Pentagon and down Interstate 395 (the Shirley Highway) to Glebe Road. Less than 1,000 miles to go. The map below shows the start near my house in South East DC and my finish today in Virginia.



Goal: Approximately 1,003 miles from DC to Punta Gorda, FL

Required Daily Distance: 2.75 miles

Actual Run Distance Completed Today: 6.25 miles

Total Distance Run in 2010: 6.25 miles

Today's Run Time: 53 minutes

Total Run Time: 53 minutes

My Virtual Distance to Punta Gorda: 996.75 miles

What date will I get to Punta Gorda?

I am also trying to improve my strength by doing push ups. I downloaded an application for my iPhone called 100 Pushups. It is designed to help you work up to doing 100 push ups a session, three to four times a week. I thought it would be fun to keep track of the number I do throughout the year. Goal for the year? 10,000.

Today's Push Up Total: 25

Push Ups in 2010: 25

Another one of my goals for the year was to weigh less than 165. I hopped on the scale today and weighed 178. Only 13 pounds to go, but with Christmas cookies and candies putting temptation in my way, for me, losing weight is not a cake walk (so to speak). Did I mention that Shane got me 5 boxes of Hot Tamales for Christmas? Four boxes remain.

My 10 Predictions for 2010

I thought it would be fun to try to predict what the coming year will bring. Here is what I think will happen.

1. I agree with Newsweek magazine's prediction that President Obama will do "nada" on gay rights. Though he could end the policy of Don't Ask Don't Tell (at least temporarily until permanent legislation is in place), he won't expend any political capital on doing the right thing. I hope I am wrong, but we can see by his first year in office that change is not coming soon. As Kate Clinton noted, he is a thin man with a lot on his plate.

2. The economy will continue to slowly improve with the Dow hitting 12,500 by year's end.

3. The Washington Nationals will have a banner year and not finish in last place of all teams in baseball.

4. I will run a marathon in less than 4 hours -- more than 20 minutes better than my previous personal record. To qualify for the Boston Marathon, I have to run a marathon in 3 hours and 30 minutes at my current age. I know I'm not near that.

5. Academy Awards will go to Mo'nique, George Clooney and Meryl Streep. The Best Picture winner will have the word "up" in the title.

6. Our purchase of a house in Florida will finally occur, but soon after, Al Gore's prediction of sea level rising due to global warming will also come true, making our house a giant aquarium.

7. The 2010 election will result in Democratic net losses in both the Senate (7 seats) and House (22), but will retain majorities.

8. TLC will develop a spin-off channel completely dedicated to reality shows about dwarves with sextuplets. My mom will be in heaven.

9. Celebrity deaths will include Elizabeth Taylor, Don King, John Gosselin, Betty Ford, Jerry Lewis, Bob Barker, Annette Funicello, Alex Trebek, Michael Richards, Sen. Robert Byrd and both remaining Golden Girls. Yes, I went there.

10. Same-sex marriage will become legal in Washington DC, and a certain runner with a blue sponge will tie the knot in May.

Furry Happy Monsters -- Happy New Year!

"Come on Monsters, you don't have to cry. We can be happy!"

We had a great New Year's Eve at Archerr's Boyfriend dinner party. The food was amazing, as usual, with gumbo, black eyed peas, pork loin, dirty rice and lots of wine. We did a champagne toast at midnight. See the video at Archerr's website here.

New Year Resolutions--Another Futile Attempt at Self-Improvement

I've only had so so luck with New Year Resolutions. Who doesn't fall short of all their goals? I know I do, but I think I go further with goals, so I make goals. Here's what I came up with for 2010. With a new year comes new hope.

1. Decide whether to say "Two Thousand Ten" or Twenty Ten." I'm sort of leaning toward Twenty Ten.

2. Read 30 Books. This should be a cinch with my Kindle.

3. Run to Florida -- This is not a actual run to FL, but I want to run a total of the distance to Punta Gorda, FL, from DC (about 1,000 miles). That is an average of 2.75 miles per day or 19.25 miles a week. I need to develop a map that tracks my progress.

4. Weigh less than 165 lbs. This is a perpetual goal for me, but I still hover around 180. It could be worse, I guess. I used to be over 200.

5. Run two marathons. I am planning to run The Delaware Marathon in May and another marathon in the fall. I am also running the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in April, and perhaps the George Washington Parkway 10 miler, also in April.

6. Get more than 100 Followers on my blog. I currently have 10. Please consider following me. To that end, I'll try to think of something interesting to post.

7. Save money. Suzi Orman speaks and I listen. With the pending purchase of our Florida house, I need to build my emergency fund back up. I have a specific goal in mind, but enuff said.

Happy New Year!!!

Happy Birthday Mary!

Mary Tyler Moore turns 73 today. The above is the theme to the first season of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Today is also the birthday of Ted Danson (62), Jon Voight (71), Patricia Clarkson (50), Paula Poundstone (50), Jude Law (37), and Marianne Faithful (63). Who needs Entertainment Tonight when you have Running With Blue Sponge?

Merry Snuggie Christmas!

I just had to try on my mom's Snuggie. Though it makes me look a bit frumpy, it is very comfy. I must have one!

Never Ending Christmas

Christmas is over, right? Not quite. Since we were going to Florida for actual Christmas, Shane and I went to my mom's to celebrate Christmas with her and my sister and her family the weekend before Christmas. It was also the weekend of the blizzard in DC. I had Friday off, so I took the train up Thursday night (a week before Christmas Eve) and Shane drove up Friday night. The storm came later Friday night and all day Saturday. We managed to drive ourselves and my mom over to my sister's house (about 5 miles away). We had a nice snowy evening, exchanged gifts, ate pizza and desserts, and, thanks to our trusty SUV, we managed to get back to my mom's house Saturday night. We got about 20 inches of snow at my mom's so I shoveled her out and we drove back to DC and shoveled our own house out, including our roof. My back was killing me.

Thursday night (Christmas Eve) Shane and I had to work half a day and then drove to Baltimore to fly to his mom's house in Florida. It was a nice break from the cold and snow of DC. It was nice and quiet until about 11:30 Christmas Eve night. We were getting ready for bed and I thought it was a little stuffy in our room, so I thought I would crack the window. I did not know the alarm was set, so when it started blaring (louder than any siren I've ever heard) I didn't know what to do. Both Shane and I were undressed and Shane's parents were already in bed. By the time I got my pants on, Shane's stepfather was already deactivating the siren. The alarm company called and because they weren't sure what the password was, they called the police. So much for Silent Night. Luckily, they convinced the alarm company to not send the police and we all finally got to bed. Actually, Shane and I went back to bed and didn't hear anything about the police drama until the next day.

It was a very nice Christmas after that. Shane got to spend Christmas with his family for the first time in years, and his grandmother, who just moved to Florida from Maine after a long illness. His Nana is starting to feel better and that was the best present we got.

We came back from Florida yesterday and, since I have off from work all this week (I love use or lose), after going to the gym this morning, I drove back up to my mom's. I am driving her back to DC tomorrow to celebrate our final Christmas with my friend Elaine (with whom my Mom exchanges gifts). The photo above is my mom in her brand new Snuggie as she examines the book light that came with it.