Milk

OMG!! Milk was freaken awesome!

As always, Gus Van Sants kept us at an emotional distance, making it harder to connect to the majority of his characters, except the one that gives the audience access to the entire story. Back in Elephant, the first film I saw of his, Alex is our emotional access point, the person who the audience can really connect to. This puts more pressure on the lead, to act thought the fourth wall, so Sean Penn really had to work for it, and he did, and it showed in the film and the recognition he received. Also, Sean Penn smiled, a lot, truly emulating the late Harvey Milk, with gestures and crooked smiles and general beings.

I missed the first five mintues (Caroline ran late), so I don't know if they said in the begining that Dan White killed him, which might have made the film slightly less potent than just knowing that Milk would die, then the little shock if you didn't previously google before walking into their theater. Whats funny is in Middle School I wiki'ed Dan White in connection with the Twinkie Defense that got him off for the assassination of two government officials, I just didn't remember that it was Harvey Milk.

The death scene was beautifully shot, where Milk is in his office, Dan walks in, makes him go to his knees, and you see Dan standing behind him, gun drawn, then the shot and blood stain Milk, the camera panning as he falls forward, then out the window to the opera house, a poster of a large women sobbing in the way everyone must have felt like doing after news reached.

The use of news real in combination with film worked very well in this film, Anita the Hun Briant shown in brilliant Technicolor as the beautiful devil she is. The whole idea of protecting the children, shown for the idiocy it truly was. This also tied to the idea that in California, now, if your gay you can't adopt children already here, but if your heterosexual, unemployed and living with your parents and on well-fare, you can have a whole litter.

The Speeches given at the Oscars were brilliant. Dustin Lance Black quote was brilliant
"I think he'd want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches, by their government or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally, across this great nation of ours. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you, God, for giving us Harvey Milk."

I loved Sean Penn's speech, why "“you commie, homo-loving sons of guns.” ask, because quite simply it kicked but!

"For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, and, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone. And there are these last two things. I’m very, very proud to live in a country that’s willing to elect an elegant man President."

Coraline

Neil Gaiman is one very creepy and brilliantly talented man. He originally wrote Coraline in 2002, it won numerous awards. Not only was Coraline beautifully captured, a truly amazing stop-motion animation, but it also hits home in the crafting community.

The first scene, gorgeous close ups, the process of sewing the Coraline doll, beautifully archaic tools known to most crafters, construct a Coraline replica. In order to generate more buzz for the film, they actually sent out boxes to 50 blogs including some of the set of the movie!!

Coraline was a creepily beautiful story, captured magnificently, kind of like a preserved swallow-tail butterfly.

Why Foodgawker Looks So Good

They actually critique the photos. If they don't like them, it gets rejected.
The two photos I submitted were sent back with words like 'Blur' and 'Harsh Light'. Also they will publish photos that link to blogs that don't include the recipe!!!!

Wow, the mystery of the magical photographs is uncovered!!!!

Paths of Glory

The saying goes that 10,000 men lost is a statistic while a single death is a tragedy. So in Paths of Glory, a single failed mission, where many died due to enemy and friendly fire, the tragedy is the three executions following. Three men were scarified to the ambition the greed and the pride of their superiors. While the soldiers went that it wasn't death that was to be feared, but the pain of dying, the agony of the slow wound rather then the quick death of gunfire. Ironic, considering the execution by firing squad, a quicker death, a preferred . The irony of the firing squad continues with the idea none of the firing squad got far enough to shoot at the German troops, but they could fire at their own 'solider brothers'!

Irony is a continuing theme, with the dignitary ball held before the executions, where all have a grand time before and during the death of the three men. The press putting on the pressure that the three men needed to die, the idea that the masses truly control the world, that public opinion is what drives the leaders. The flow of blame down the chain of command, where each General's choice was filtered down into the massive casualties on the failed Ant Hill Mission.

But why did the mission fail? In the beginning, Kirk Douglas' character stated he and his troops couldn't take 'The Ant Hill', that it was as impossible as would be found out. Then his commander bribes him with the promotion if they can take "the Hill". Then the statistics are laid out so callously, ironically, because it was stated that 1/3 of the men would be lost due to French friendly fire (ironic because of the number 3 and the death by firing squad). Then the General wanted artillery to fire at their own location, to scare his troops out of the trenches, which would later come back to bite him.

The irony is in the caricatures of intimacy, the brotherly bonds that supposedly are born due to the military, but so easily broken to even the slightest betrayal. The Sargent delivering his solider to the firing squad, the betrayals for power and survival. The impossible choice of the group leaders in the sacrifice of their single solider, each leader picking their sacrifice for unpure reasons.

The tight shots show the claustrophobias of war, the intimacy and betrayal echoed in the shots.

At the end of the film, it is shown the commander will be tried in a similar trial for his ordering of attack on his own men. The singing German women at the end echoing this idea, that all the solider are as far away from home as she is.

Black Bean Burgers

The government of Germany (this is Germany, people, where there is over 100 types of sausage) has asked its citizens to reserve the eating of meat to only on special occasions, due to the fact that 15% of their air pollution is because of agriculture. In Germany!!!!!

So I started new vegetarian recipes.


Black Bean Burgers

2 14 ounce cans of black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1. Pulse 1 can beans in food processor with mayo, bread crumbs, cumin, oregano and cayenne until a coarse puree forms. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cilantro and remaining can bean. Form mixture into 4 patties.

2. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers. Cook burgers until outside are crisp and lightly brown, about 5 minutes total.