Flassssssssssh! Happy B- Day Ken ken

Here's Ken Ken giving some love to Koji, the cat at Wasabi Restaurant, where we endured some Miso Soup for her sake, which at this day and time Lysania doesn't know contains sea weed

The past couple of weeks have been the Monday that never ends, but I must, for love's sake, stop for a bit and give a shout out to the Great Ken Ken in the occasion of her 10th Birthday.

You go Kendra! Let's see in ten years things have changed...

As I recall ten years ago your favorite past time was sleeping, now is sketching

Your favorite food was milk, now is Japanese Cuisine at the Teppan Table

You didn't speak at all, now is motor mouth English, decent Spanish and getting into Japanese... is there a thread in your life I'm not quite noticing?

Things that have not changed, even as a baby you were quite opinionated, congrats we've got a smart ass in our midst.

Love you baby, you have the biggest heart a ten year old can afford :)

Lysanel on the other side is not that happy about Kendra getting all the gifts and the attention today, so I'm publishing the picture in which she seems to be trying to say something...

Sorry about the bad quality, as I said, I tend to forget that I have a camera, so it's cell phone pics people...

Heeeeeeeeey, What about meeeeeeeeeeeeeee?

300 NO SPOILERS

If you have read either this blog or it's previous incarnation, you know I've been looking forward to this movie...

I'm so happy to say that the whole antici...pation was worth it.

OK, it's coming, here it is, before I actually write two coherent thoughts in a row.... FAN GIRL ATTACK!!!!

THERE IS NO SCOTTISH ACTOR BEFORE OF AFTER GERARD BUTLER... Sorry Mr. Connery.

Ok, that out of the way. Let me get to it, NO SPOILERS as always means I loved it.

The characters, the setting, the whole attitude summarizes in one statement for me... THIS IS THE MOVIE ALEXANDER SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

300 captures the idea of Spartan society, in which war is in fact an art. The Athenians had their philosophers and their love of words. The Spartans had their shields, and the best bred soldiers in the ancient world. This movie lingers in carnage,true, but it also succeeds in presenting a culture that is both civil and extremely violent. Although it is an unlikely pairing, out of the marriage of civility and violence, a kind of savage beauty is brought into the light. It is world of fathers and sons, dedicated to duty; a world of mothers and daughters dedicated to defend, if not by sword, by sheer will, the home ground their husbands and brothers left behind.

It is also a world of kings, more than of gods and men. Kingship must survive through force, because if one ruler falls, his country falls along with him. Rulers have their way and the best juxtaposition of politics in this movie is the loyalty derived from fear and the loyalty derived from love. Xerxes is shown as the kind of ruler that would sacrifice half his army to attain victory, Leonidas on the other hand would die for any of his soldiers. It is a world of ideals that derives into action. Blood is spilled (by the gallons) in consequence of it.

Extra notes to the feminist club... you will not find a movie with stronger female characters... even among the Greek states, champions of democracy, no woman would be as opinionated as a Spartan, after all it was a matter of divine right, or so it seemed. Something along the lines of those who give birth to real men, have all the right to meddle in their affairs.

The visuals... if you have seen the coming attractions, you know that this movie promises style. I was honestly concerned that it might have been too much style and little substance. It was not the case. Although I must confess, sometimes the extravagance of the Persian Empire can be distracting, but then, what is the fun about being a god-king if you cannot act the part? The GCI is noticeable when it comes to creatures, but if you have seen the wolf, you have seen the worst of it. The other type of CGI, that golden glow that envelopes it all, certainly serves it's purpose... it elevates Xerxes to godliness and keeps Leonidas holding fast in his ground.

One last note about visuals, shirtless guys, 300 of them... shit, this will not turn into a fan girl attack...

The sound track blends in, and it serves all, literally is a hard clash between east and west, without being just another vulgar rock extravaganza.

Historical accuracy... well , let's not forget that this is an adaptation of a Graphic novel, which in part was inspired by a movie and a novel which were based on the Battle of Thermopylae... of course liberties were taken... Spartans behave like a band of brothers and sometimes they sound a little too contemporary, the Persian Elite Immortals are, more than men, monsters out of the wildest imagination. There was extravagance in the Persian Kingdom, as there was wealth and might, Xerxes looks exotic and almost alien, and I believe that is the director's vision on godliness... I'll take it. They never explained though that once submitted, Persians were quite merciful masters. It doesn't keep them from trading on slavery, but it gives them a chance to spawn a good guy once in a while... King Cyrus, anyone? Perhaps the mos horrific mistake is one of the Spartans mentioning the month is AUGUST... I'll leave it Romans to name the months, thank you very much. I will forgive these concepts because of one little detail... they were true to the heart of a story that had survived for centuries, a story of few who stood against many, knowing their death will be certain, and yet never retreated and never surrendered.

For all of you who love the Little History Corner... here's what happened http://joseph_berrigan.tripod.com/id28.html

And of course I'll leave you all with a quote:

"Remember this day, men, for it will be yours for all time."( from the mouth of a guy who had the guts to fight along his Army)- King Leonidas

PS... I am surprised at the great number of reviews that are branding this movie political. More than political, plain Republican.

First and foremost to me this movie was an achievement in visuals. Tossing aside the shirtless joke, 300 made me feel as if I were discovering human body dynamics for the first time in film. Second to mind, the story line. This is the typical underdog tale that both inspires and sort of rises testosterone levels, even in girly girls.

Politics? I will not paint this movie red, although everyone knows I am openly Republican, and I don't ask to be forgiven for it. I am intelligent enough to know that if you try to brand this movie political, you will be handling, a double edge sword- pun all intended. Sometimes history is written by the winners, sometimes, in this case by those who lost. In some corners of the world, and with the changing political climate Leonidas could be Xerxes and the Persian King, might as well hold the key to freedom...the definite pro GOP message people are so openly supporting or criticizing, is not as definite as they would think.

If people insist in labeling though, I must oblige, like the good movie geek that I am. Let say, what if 300 is the Republican movie? Didn't we ALL got a kick out of V for Vendetta... or was I the only one who liked it?

The weirdest Disney Trip ever

Alright, doing all kinds of recoup.
On March 3, I decided to drag mom and Ken-Ken to Epcot. We made it there fine. It was so good in fact, that if I had the chance to finish it, this entry would have been fun all the way through. It would have been a happy discourse in which my present self would have insisted in writing detailed essay regarding how the idea of global village, Disney style has been modified since 9/11, while my inner child would have thrown in a whole excited account of Mission to Mars.

The thing is though that essay, thrills and life were interrupted, if for some critical hours in March because mom had a heart attack while visiting the Germany Pavilion.

Cannot deny that it was scary boys and girls, but a good trooper that she is, mom did us all the favor of having the most asymptomatic heart attack ever... she actually thought it was heartburn.

She complained of acid reflux while choosing kimonos for Ken-Ken and Lysanel. Sober dragon patterns for Kendra, cherry blossoms for the little bundle. She blamed it on Wheat thins ( of course, she eats lots of fiber... you know to keep cholesterol down). From the first, ignored sign of "acid reflux" until "honey, the Prevacid is not working" two hours went through. She was kind of pale and I will be always grateful of the fact that Kendra didn't put a show when I told her that we needed to cut the trip short. Mom is the kind of person that would never rain on a child's parade, even if she has to die. She told Kendra she could sit down and wait for her to make it to Canada, fortunately Kendra said no.

Of course I didn't think it would be necessary to rush to the nearest ER for acid reflux, so I drove back to Tampa (for about 1 hour). We talked all the way through. I took her to the hospital because an episode of acid reflux lasting more than (keep score people... 3 HOURS!!!) was not reasonable, and besides there was a bit of a chest discomfort that was not there before. When I check her in and they triaged her, as soon as they took her blood pressure, I saw THE LOOK in the nurse face. I am a Medical Assistant. I Know THE LOOK. It's in the grounds of "damn, this lady looks OK for what she is going through" I asked her, in the most sophisticated English (because mom understands it clearly) "Is this a cardiac arrest?" I almost fainted when the nice nurse told me "a critical one."

In fact if we were talking numbers from 1 being your regular bad day to 10 being the day that you bite it, mom had 7 or 8. She pulled through though and after a cardiac stent- fortunately, there was no need of pace maker- she's is home on her way to being better.

Thanks to those who cared to drop a line, I love you all guys.

The Public service announcement for today is sponsored by HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, which mom didn't care much for http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2114#
Of course, Doc gave me the award to the blondest Medical Assistant ever, although commended me for taking mom to the Hospital instead of waiting it out. I'm just glad that the decisions taken were the right ones, even if we didn't know what we were dealing with and, boys and girls, life goes on... mom won't be running the Boston Marathon anytime soon, but at 54, she is not dying either. She scared me off stuffing my mouth with pasta and meatballs when I make it to Italy though... Insalata for me , thank you.

One very bad pic

Today's my birthday and as promised, this is the first picture taken of me in a year, just to prove that I am alive. Of course I had a very nice pose planned, but Kendra, photographer to the stars, thought it would be a ball to step out of the bushes in front of a slightly annoyed aunt who is trying to move a car off the driveway while not killing any of the savage breed of children that are making their way, happily and blindly, towards the school bus.

She held me to the promise that I will post the first picture taken, so here it is. I swore revenge of course, saying that I will catch her in a unflattering pose and post her right here. The smartass answered, I am 9 years old, I HAVE NO SHAME WOMAN!

After the initial shock I must report that is not that bad to be quite into the 30 something, next year though I promise... I'll be at least 32. In the meantime. my inner child is going to Disney tomorrow and I'm going with her :) Yipeeeeeeee!!!!

PS... Peoples of the internet I swear, compared to how I looked one year ago, I have a fucking tan....