Movies and more movies

The past couple of days my wife and I have been watching many classic movies. It has been really fun, and while our count maybe only close to 8 now, who knows how many that would be in a year? I plan on reviewing some of the ones that really affected me somehow.

For instance, there's Strangers on a Train and Rear Window, both by Alfred Hitchcock. If you ever misplace your nail clipper, just rent any of these two movies and you'll bite your fingernails! Those two movies really kept me at the edge of my seat, or my bed to be exact.

The George Kaplan Film Society may end up giving my wife and I an encyclopedic knowledge of American cinema, and perhaps a few foreign ones here and there. So, forget IMDB, just check out the George Kaplam Film Society! Well, maybe not, but you'll certainly get more personal reviews from us, that's for sure.

I will soon be posting some movie reviews, so keep on reading!

Charade

As part of the George Kaplan Fim Society, my wife and I get to watch classic American movies from the 1920s to the 1980s. We selected this time frame because movies back then were more classy. For the most part, there was no nudity and no crass language. Sure, they were innuendos and things of that nature, but they were generally cleaner.

One of those great movies is "Charade" with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.

Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) is being chased around Paris by three men seeking a fortune her murdered husband stole. Confused, she turns to the help of a mysterious stranger (Cary Grant). But in the City of Lights, nothing is usually what it seems.

So, that was my attempt at writing a movie description. Not too bad, eh? There's drama, comedy and romance in this fantastic 1963 film. Cary Grant plays a mysterious character with his usual smooth and suave style. Audrey Hepburn's character is very witty and pretty adventurous. Pairing them both is cinematic genius. The script is really well written, plus the many twists and turns make any mystery fan a very happy person.

I really enjoyed the movie. It's definitely one that I can see myself watching again, despite the fact that I know how it ends. There are many great quotes, but I'll leave you with this exchange:
Reggie Lampert: Well, wasn't it Shakespeare that said, "When strangers do meet in far off lands, they should e'er long see each other again"?
Peter Joshua: Shakespeare never said that!
Reggie Lampert: How do you know?
Peter Joshua: It's terrible. You just made it up.
Reggie Lampert: Well, it sounds right...

'Jappy San Givi'

Hi everyone! For a more serious post on Thanksgiving, you can check out my other blog. The thing about having two different blogs, with two different themes and tones, is that when it comes to holidays, I feel like I'm supposed to write on both.

I must keep both audiences up to date! (That's assuming that anyone else except for my wife and a few of her good friends read this blog)

I'm thankful for many things this year. For once, I'm married to a wonderful woman. She's so beautiful and awesome. And she's a great woman of God too. Plus, she makes really amazing pies. Seriously, her pies are definitely a piece of the divine. If it wasn't because we go grocery shopping together, I would say that her ingredients fall down like manna from heaven.

The cool thing about this Thanksgiving is that my wife is going to experience a Cuban Thanksgiving. Or as we Cubans pronounce it, 'San Givi.' She will have turkey with rice and black beans. It will be pretty great. Of course, there will be salsa dancing, loud family members (99 percent of Cubans are loud) and my grandfather's old school Mexican songs. It really will be an unforgettable night.

So, from my family to yours, Jappy San Givi!!

Facebook infidels

Rev. Cedric Miller, pastor of the Living Word Christian Fellowship Church in Neptune, has instructed his church officials to delete their Facebook profiles. The reason? According to him, the social networking site leads to infidelity.

He has counseled over 20 couples in his church, after a spouse connected with a former flame over Facebook. "The temptation is just too great," Miller stated. He said he will also strongly encourage his flock to do the same.

I disagree with the Reverend's approach. A cheating spouse will cheat whether on Facebook, or with someone at his or her job. Infidelity is not a matter of binary numbers, but a matter of the heart. If a person is not committed to their significant other, if a person takes their vows before God to mean nothing, then that's not a problem that is solved by going offline.

I would suggest that those spouses involved in adultery, or even flirting with the idea, should really examine their hearts. If they use Facebook for that purpose only, then yes, perhaps going offline would be a good first step. However, the most important step is getting your heart right with God. That's the most important thing any person can do.

Sarah Palin's Alaska

Last Sunday, my wife and I decided to watch Sarah Palin's Alaska. The outcome was as I hoped; the greatest sitcom in America. Seriously though, I had no idea what was going on. The show focused on Palin going out and about with her family. She went fishing and even mountain climbing.

Why not call it, Sarah Palin's Family Video?

The real question is, why is America so fascinated by her? Love her or hate her, but you can't stop watching. Whether you see her show out of admiration, or as a ridiculous comedy (like my wife and I do). For me, Tina Fey and Saturday Night Live really helped. And of course, Sarah Palin's way of speaking is pretty hilarious too. Once, she went to Charlotte and encouraged the state's "mountain mamas to keep Manchin the mansion." Now, that's pretty great.

Recently, she was asked if she was considering running for president. She said, "I am. I’m engaged in the internal deliberations candidly, and having that discussion with my family, because my family is the most important consideration here.*" If she runs in 2012, the Mayans may have been right about the world coming to an end.

In the show, Sarah Palin has a neighbor who allegedly is writing a book about her and her family. He sits outside his home and just watches them as they go out into the wild of Alaska. Sarah really dislikes him. They never show his face though. It'd be a real twist if it turned out to be Joe Biden in disguise. Now that would be some good television!

So there you have it, whether you think she's the solution to America's problem, or whether she's evil personified, Palin and her show are here to stay.

Am I going to keep watching? You betcha!


*New York Times Magazine - The Palin Network by Robert Draper

God and George Kaplan

My wife and I started a film society. Yes we are the only two members, for now at least. After watching North by Northwest by Alfred Hitchcock, we came up with the name, The George Kaplan Film Society. Pretty fancy, eh?

After much celebration for our clever name, I went to work the next morning. Now, if you didn't know, I work in a library. Translation: a place where people use computers and check out DVDs. Sure, we have books, but those are seen as exotic bones in museums. You look, but you don't touch. I know, very sad.

Anyhow, the following morning, while I was thinking  of other Hitchcock movies to order, someone came in and returned two of his movies. It happened just as I was thinking about it! Now, you hippies may think the Universe was at work here. Unfortunately for you, the "Universe" does not think, it is just matter, energy, planets, etc.

So I started thinking. Does God want me to watch these movies? Well, I'm not sure if God is fond of Alfred Hitchcock, but I am sure that God is very fond of marriages. The film society is another way for my wife and I to enjoy our time together. It brings us closer as we laugh, ponder and even make little comments about the movies (Yes, I plugged in my own blog).

I believe that God can and will use anything to makes marriages flourish and grow. He is the creator of love and marriage. And God, not the universe, is in control of everything that happens. I mean, He created the universe. What's impossible for Him?

If you're observant, you will spot all these little "coincidences" that bring you closer to the will of God for your life. Just open your eyes.

I used to rap, and it wasn't all bad

When I was a teenager I spent a lot of time online.

Many of you know that I love writing. But what none of you know (except my wife) is that I used to.....well, I used to be an online rapper. Yes, you read that correctly. After you stop laughing, let me explain to you how that came about.


I was fascinated by the online world. I loved how anyone could express themselves and just put it out there for anyone to see. Back then, I wasn't really into blogs. However, I was really into poetry and also into hip hop. Hip hop, not to be confused "gangsta rap" or anything like that. I really liked intelligent lyrics that made you think. And if those lyrics had a catchy beat, then that was a plus.


So, after searching for a online communities of that kind, I found one. I began to write lyrics. Let me make clear that I never rapped, as in with my voice. I can't do that, but I did write a lot of lyrics. I also got into battles with other "rappers." I was so recognized in that community, that I became a "Living Legend." A Living Legend was a status assigned to the most popular and skilled rappers. Everyone thought I was older than I was. And I'm pretty sure everyone thought I was African-American. As a "Living Legend," I had a special password to a special forum that only other legends had access too. It was pretty fantastic.

So what was my rapper name? It was "Prince."

 

Okay, okay, you can laugh some more. Why was it Prince? First, let me make it clear that I had no idea there was someone who wore skin-tight clothes, and questionable apparel for a man, named Prince. I was raised in Cuba until I was 11, so I wasn't very familiar with American pop culture (my wife would say I still need catching up). I chose the name "Prince" because in my early teens I was a huge fan of the Fresh Prince of Belair. It was my favorite show growing up, although at the time I understood half the things being said.

 

Even with a rapper name like Prince, I still managed to earn "respect" in the online rapping world. So much so, that an actual underground record company mailed me a contract. Yes, if I had signed, I would have probably been known in the rapping world by now. I was a 16-year-old boy from Cuba with an offer to sign a record deal. The executives of the companies all knew me from the website and wanted to meet me in person. I was scared, so I turned the offer down and disappeared from the web. It was time to move on.

 

It was a "freestyle" web site. In the hip hop community that means improvisation. The actual Web site, which is not in service anymore, was www.freestyling.com

 

I don't seem to find any of my old rap battles. But thanks to some research, I did find some of my comments on other posts. This is how I wrote back then, just fitting in with the community.

 

"No doubt, the vocab and wordplay waz dope. If I'm not mistaken this is directed to hip hop, not only to hip hop but to words, to art." - Prince (1296 posts by then)

 

Who would have though, right?