Number 9 , Number 9 , Number 9....

'You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair.'  -Chinese Proverb

Before The Devil Knows Your Dead

Before The Devil Knows Your Dead is an incredible film by an incredible director, Sydney Lumet. Of course making an outstanding picture is easy when you have all the components in place. Kelly Masterson wrote the amazing book about a pair of brothers on the edge of oblivion, and the leap that takes them both into the abyss. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke are the fate crossed siblings and Albert Finney plays their father. Hoffman is so mesmorizing in this movie that it's extremely hard to take your eyes off him. Ethan Hawke, however, gives an incredible tour de force performance as Hoffman's younger brother. Melissa Tomei is surprisingly good as Hoffman's wife in this unique drama. I don't believe in giving away too much. So I'll conclude that this is a must see movie. 

27 Years Ago.....

John Lennon was killed 27 years ago. Yoko has a website honoring the memory of her husband at www.imaginepeace.com. If you have a story or remembrance of  John or that December day 27 years ago, send it to: stories@imaginepeace.com 

Contemplative Thought # 8

Eighty percent of success is showing up.  -Woody Allen

                                                                          

Let's Pick A President That Looks Presidential!

It's really hard to try and concentrate on what each presidential candidate says. I mean, we have a current Prez with obvious signs of being learning disabled and possessing a low IQ. I mean look, he couldn't even get it together enough to pronounce the names of the head of state of Israel, and the head of the Palestinian Authority correctly. I guess what I'm saying is, that if we can't expect to elect an Adlai Stevenson or Harry Truman type of leader, let's at least elect a leader who LOOKS good. Do any of you remember when President John F. Kennedy stood up there to field questions from the press how good he looked? He was so smooth and charming. It mattered not what he said, he had the press corp eating out of his hand.  None of the current candidates have any of Kennedy's charm and elan. Kuccinich is a pretty smart guy, but he looks like his suit is too big for him and he's standing on  a milk crate because he's so short. Mitt Romney could be a perfect game show host. But who'd want a game show host as our country's leader? Sure, it would be pretty cool to have a woman president, but Hillary's hips are too wide and besides, she looks like an elementary school principal or a superintendent of a small suburban school district at best. I do like Barack OBama but, did you notice his head? His head is way to small for such a tall guy, and I kinda feel that a guy with a small head has a small brain inside to boot! I'm glad Giuliani did away with his comb-over. But have you ever checked out that creepy, toothy smile of his? How does a guy who is so ugly, have women chasing after him, and he has the audacity to have affairs? McCain looks like a guy who was imprisoned and tortured which in fact he was. This is his only toe-hold on some realistic integrity he has as an individual. Notice the left side of his head. It looks like some bastard beat him with a bat which they probably did. Fred Thompson is just plain scary looking. He kinda looks like a monster, or modern interpretation of old Frankenstein. John Edwards has a perfect head of hair with no hair out of place. He's kind of a pretty boy who's obsessed with his hair. It's no wonder he paid $400 to have it cut. That dude, Mike Huckabee, looks like he sells insurance for Mutual of Omaha and anyway, who wants to have the leader of a country named Huckabee? It sounds like the name of a jam or fruit preserve. I know what you're thinking right now. You're thinking, "Hey Miles, by the look of your picture, you've got some helluva nerve to criticize how somebody else looks" and you know something? You're right! But then, I'm not running for President!