This extremely well-written Star Trek: The Next Generation first-season episode really made me pause and think about so much. Lonely Among Us starts out in one direction as the Enterprise is transporting two warring alien species to mediate their dispute at a place known as Parliament. The trip is eventful enough trying to keep the representatives apart when the Enterprise encounters an energy cloud. After making a close sensor sweep of the energy cloud, a strange force seems to travel though various members of the crew. Strange occurrences also begin to take place, such as the warp drive deciding to stop working for no apparent reason. Once the alien force takes hold of Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), he orders theEnterprise to return to the coordinates of the energy cloud. The crew helplessly stands by and watches as they know their Captain is not behaving normally, but by regulation he has done nothing that would put the ship in danger. What makes the episode so intriguing is the alien/Picard's desire to live as a pure energy being. What he describes essentially sounds like taking one's soul out of the body and living in the universe outside of that. Is this death? The body is gone, but the soul in the form of pure energy lives on? What a thought-provoking concept. It intrigued me enough that I thought about this story for days after watching it again. Could our soul just be this sort of energy with the ability to inhabit our bodies for a period of time? Is "death" an existence like this pure energy? We are told heaven is just so different from what we know that it cannot be described to us. Could it be living as an energy being - a form we cannot relate to living as humans? In the end, Picard's energy returns to the ship and the body is re-created using the pattern logged in the transporter. Conveniently, of course, this also renders him unable to recall anything that happened to him once he transported off the ship. The profoundness of the writing in this episode is extraordinary for the first season episodes. The depth with which the spiritual question is asked is tremendous. Unfortunately, what makes this episode not work to its potential is the schizophrenic nature of the episode itself. The warring aliens attempt to provide comedy, yet it seems more like it is an entirely different episode going on within the other one. Even Picard's description - while under the influence of the alien - of what life is like as an energy being must be cut short for the timing of the episode. I would've liked to have heard more of that and less about the aliens. The crew's seeming impotence in the face of their Captain's possession by the alien also seemed ridiculous. We can see that the Captain is not rational - he continuously talks about being "too busy" to respond to the crew's requests that he go for medical and psychiatric evaluations. All he seemed to do during this time he was "too busy" was stare out the ship's porthole in his ready room and sit at his desk with his feet up. One time when he declares himself "too busy" he then stretches back in his chair and puts his feet up. It seemed as if he was daring the crew to challenge him. Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) as his First Officer and Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) should have removed him from command before he had the chance to put the ship in danger. Instead, they chose a wait-and-see attitude. If I were Picard once I returned to the Enterprise, I'd send every last one of them back to Starfleet Academy to take their Officers' Training over again.
Let me acknowledge right off the bat that I have a long-standing crush on Kiefer Sutherland. So anything that he's in automatically attracts me to it. This version of The Three Musketeers was released by Disney Studios in 1993. It should come as no surprise to anyone that this was marketed as a family movie, and strayed quite a bit from both the original novel and earlier screen adaptations. The violence and graphicness of some of the fighting in the story was toned down so the movie would receive a PG rating. That said, this movie is a good one to develop enough curiosity to read the original Alexandre Dumas novel - I know I did after viewing it. The story begins with D'Artagnan (Chris O'Donell) on the run from the brothers of a girl he was involved with. D'Artagnan is on his way to Paris to join the Musketeers, which his father used to be a member of. Before he gets there, the evil Cardinal Richelieu disbands the Musketeers, choosing to have his own guards in charge of protecting the King instead. This is, of course, all a ruse for him to put himself into power. There are three Musketeers who don't fall for Richelieu's charade: Athos (Kiefer Sutherland), Aramis (Charlie Sheen), and Porthos (Oliver Platt). D'Artagnan manages to get on the bad side of all three of them in short order after reaching Paris, not realizing he has picked a fight with Musketeers. As he prepares to duel with them, the Cardinal's guards try to arrest the errant Musketeers and D'Artagnan proves his worth by fighting with them. Unfortunately, he is later captured by a second band of guards and taken prisoner. When D'Artagnan is in prison, he learns of Richelieu's treachery to the King. When D'Artagnan refuses to divulge where the wayward Musketeers are, he is sentenced to death. Athos, Aramis, and Porthos stage a spectacular escape for D'Artagnan just as he is about to be beheaded. He tells them what he knows of Richelieu's plan. They set off to stop the unknown courier from delivering the message of betrayal to the King's enemies in England.The movie strays far from the original novelization, which after reading it, I found to be so much better. However, this is a movie aimed at pre-teens and early teens. If it grabs their interest enough that they end up picking up the novel, it has succeeded. I totally enjoyed this movie. Oliver Platt as Porthos seems to be having the most fun of anyone throughout the film. He hardly seems to be taking himself seriously throughout the film. This is a direct contrast to Charlie Sheen, who I found tedious as the former divinity student turned Musketeer Aramis. Kiefer Sutherland does a decent job as Athos. I thought his scenes with Rebecca DeMornay (who portrays Lady DeWinter) were the best scenes of the movie. The rest of the time he mostly seems to be moping around and getting drunk. Chris O'Donnell does a decent job as the young D'Artagnan. I thought that casting Tim Curry as Richelieu was a masterpiece! He, along with Michael Wincott as Rockefort do a marvelous job as the villains. Practically every scene Curry is in is played for a laugh and I thoroughly enjoyed this performance. The script could've been written better, but again, I felt this was not aimed at an adult market. The action scenes are decent and it's a coherent story. The soundtrack to this movie is one thing that is absolutely superb! Watch this with your kids and together maybe you'll generate enough interest for them to pick up the book!
I am a fanatic on my garden. I even drive my landscaper nuts. It's just one of those hobbies that I latched onto that I really enjoy (too bad I can't do that with housecleaning, huh?). Every year I am looking for new and improved ways to enhance my garden - especially where the vegetables are. I want to be extra careful there because we are talking about stuff we are going to be eating. My biggest problems seem to come from aphids. Already this year they are chewing the h-e-double-hockey-sticks out of my cucumber plants. The Safer product line has always been my first choice for pest control, mainly because I have never come away with surprises from them. Their labels are clear about use, misuse, and effects, both positive and negative. As pest control goes in general, insecticidal soaps are one of the mildest forms of chemical pest control there is. The active ingredient isPotassium Salts of Fatty Acids and only makes up 2% of the product. The remainder is inert ingredients. I love Safer Insecticidal Soap. It is gentle on plants, yet gets rid of those pesky aphids. I tried using regular dish detergent and water in the past, as suggested by a friend, but while it may have reduced the number of pests, it didn't get rid of them. Safer Insecticidal Soapkills aphids, earwigs (another big problem around here), grasshoppers, harlequin bug, leafhoppers, mealybugs, mites, plant bugs, psyllids, sawfly larvae, soft scales, spider mites, squash bug, blossom thirps and whiteflies. This means it is safe for "good" garden insects such as the ladybug and praying mantis. After spraying the Safer Insecticidal Soap to a soaking level, it leaves a coating on plant's leaves that keeps the insects at bay. It stopped the bugs on my cucumber plants this year and they are making their comeback. Safer Insecticidal Soap can be used up until the day of harvest, so there is no need to worry about it's effects on your vegetables. There is no scent associated with Safer Insecticidal Soap, so your garden won't stink. Safer Insecticidal Soap is safe for use on roses, flowers, fruits, vegetables, houseplants, trees, shrubs, and ornamentals. It should not be used on euphorbias, gardenias, or delicate ferns. The label advises testing sensitivity on azaleas, begonias, camellias, fuschias, impatiens, jade plants, and palms. I would advise a test spray on just about any plant. I nearly killed my walnut tree once using a spray that didn't have a warning on it not to use on nut trees. Only after contacting the manufacturer did I find out that it shouldn't be used on a walnut tree. Safer Insecticidal Soap must be reapplied every 5-7 days to stay effective. Depending on the size of your garden, this can end up being a lot of work, as well as costing plenty. If you accidentally get some on your skin, Safer Insecticidal Soap should just be washed off. In general, you will not see a reaction since the formula is so very mild. However, if you do notice a rash or irritation on the skin area, you should contact your doctor.
There's a joke going around that the warning label on the Vicks Nyquil Liquid bottle should say to take while in bed, because you'll never make it from the bathroom back to your bed and you'll find yourself sleeping on the floor the next morning ;-) That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but when I have a cold and need my sleep, I most certainly head to the drugstore for my Vicks Nyquil Liquid. While it advertises that it relieves minor aches & pains, headaches, muscle aches, sore throat, fever, runny nose, sneezing, congestion and cough, what it is most well-known for is it's ability to put you to sleep. There has never been a time when the Vicks Nyquil Liquiddidn't put me to sleep even during the worst colds. Usually the relief will last all night, though there have been times when I've had to get up and take a second dose in the middle of the night. Doses should be taken more than 6 hours apart. The clear, green liquid tastes like licorice to me, and is not a horrible taste. Sometimes I can even feel relief from the scent just after I swallow it. This product should not be used by anyone under the age of 12. As with any medication, if you are nursing, pregnant, or taking other medications you should always check with your doctor before using this product. Active Ingredients: acetaminophen (pain reliever/fever reducer), dextromethorphan HBr (cough suppressant), doxylamine succinate (antihistamine), pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (nasal decongestant) Inactive Ingredients: alcohol, citric acid, D&C Yellow No. 10, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Yellow No. 6, flavor, high fructose corn syrup, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, purified water, saccharin sodium, sodium citrate
My one kid was graduating Basic Training down in Fort Jackson, SC. It would be a pretty quick trip down to the area and back, with three of us driving down being cheaper than flying and renting a car. That meant hotels. The first night I wasn’t sure how far we’d be able to drive. I’d just worked the night before so I planned to stop at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Wilkes-Barre PA. LOCATION Definitely a plus here is the location. Not only is it fairly easy off & on exit 168 of I81, but it’s also located in an area with a lot of shops and restaurants. There is an arena nearby and I imagine traffic can sometimes be a nightmare when there’s an event going on, but we didn’t have to deal with any of that. The only issue I had was there didn’t seem to be any gas stations at this exit that I could find the next morning when we went to leave. CHECK-IN & ROOM The hotel is a fairly new one. I can tell that by looking at it, as I work for another hotel in the chain. There are certain things I picked up on that indicated this, not the least of which is the newer lobby design. All of the Hampton Inns are supposed to have a similar design by this summer, but it’s pretty easy to tell which hotels were built with that design in mind versus which ones were remodeled to alter the original design. The front desk is on the left as I walked in with an expansive breakfast and seating area on the right. It’s quite comfortable with lots of couches and soft chairs as well as the “bar” with plugs for people who want to sit with their electronic devices. I had no issues checking in. The staff was pleasant to deal with. I have a standing request in my profile for the top floor if it’s available and here we got that. The room keys are still the electronic locks where you slide the card into the slot. The room was quite nice and roomy. Everything was immaculate, which also helps with the impression of it being a newer hotel. (A conversation in the morning indicated this was 2-3 years old, which did sort of surprise me. The hotel is obviously well maintained.) Two queen-size beds took up most of the room but there was still plenty of room to move around. The flat-screen television received plenty of stations. There was a desk for working at as well as a chair between the bed and the far wall, so plenty of places to sit beside the bed. The bathroom was also immaculate with plenty of towels for the three of us and enough counter-space for two females to spread out. There was the usual shampoo, conditioner, moisturizing lotion, etc. here as well as the coffee maker for in-room coffee. Water pressure was good when I took my shower in the morning. AMENITIES The first thing we headed to was the indoor pool area. This has a pool and Jacuzzi. The Jacuzzi was huge! It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. If every hotel we stayed at had a Jacuzzi like this, I would have been a happy camper. It was nice and hot too. My son swam in the pool while we soaked in the Jacuzzi. There were plenty of lounge chairs to relax in as well when I was done with my soak and he wanted to swim a bit longer. Next to this was the exercise room. This is another thing Hampton has recently updated and it had a good selection of equipment and weights. Breakfast in the morning was typical of hotel breakfast bars and fine by Hampton standards. I get the hot items all the time, so I tend to stick with just the cereal and fruit. My son tried a waffle here in the waffle-maker but couldn’t finish it. There were also bagels, pastry, toast, yogurt, and the hot items which are usually a meat selection and an egg-based protein. Contrary to popular belief, these are not powdered eggs but eggs that come frozen in a bag and are re-thermed in the bag in a convection oven. Still not the same as fresh, but I like it for a little something to have in the morning before getting on the road. FINAL THOUGHTS My bill was under the door and all was right with the world as we left. I would definitely choose this hotel again, especially when we head in this direction. The location is great and the hotel itself is cleaned and well-maintained. All of the staff I encountered were pleasant to deal with and we got a good night’s sleep with no noise issues or other disturbances.
The most wonderful thing about the Star Trek: The Next Generation episodeThe Last Outpost is that it introduces us to a race which will be featured not only later on in this series, but very prominently in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. All that is known of the Ferengi at this point are rumors and conjecture. During this episode we learn of their profit above all else philosophy: caveat emptor. The Enterprise is pursuing the Ferengis after they snatched an energy converter. The ship is stopped in its pursuit and the power is being drained. At first, Picard believes the Ferengi are behind the situation and that the Federation has greatly underestimated the depth of Ferengi technology. I felt at this point that Picard was written too weak. Too quickly, it seemed that he was willing to discuss terms for surrender with the Ferengi. To compare it to the original Star Trek series, I don't believe Kirk would have thought of surrendering as quickly. This also does not seem to be the Captain Picard we know later in the series who will battle the Borg and mediate in a Klingon Civil War. The crew of the Enterprise soon learn that the Ferengi are in the same predicament. Picard negotiates an agreement to work together to solve the problem of the power drain. The two ships were so caught up in the situation between the two of them that they failed to notice what was happening on the planet around which they are orbiting. The planet is believed to be the last outpost of an ancient civilization - the Tkon Empire - which once numbered in the trillions. Riker, Worf, Tasha, and Geordi beam down to the planet surface. It is at this time they learn of the actual size of the Ferengi - they are quite a bit shorter than humans. This makes for a somewhat humorous bit when the two landing parties begin to scuffle with each other. A guardian of the portal appears and challenges the two landing parties. The Ferengi try to deceive the guardian, but Riker approaches him honestly and manages to get power restored to the Enterprisejust in time to prevent the crew from losing life support completely. There was one well-written subtle analogy in this episode of Data playing with the Chinese yo-yo (or finger toy as it's called here). With both fingers in as he pulled, neither of his hands would become free. However, when he gave with one side, both managed to free-up. This was a great analogy to the situation. The writers never directly refer to it; there is no time when Picard says, "Hey, this is just like Data's finger toy!" Rather, it's just put out there for people to pick up on their own. The one main inconsistency I found was the value that is placed on gold here. In the Star Trek universe, the emphasis is placed on gold-presses latinum, and not the gold itself. It is said that gold is "worthless" and that the latinum is tremendously valuable. As far as first-season episodes go, this one was pretty good. The writing is good, even though we know the Enterprise will ultimately escape. Only Picard seems to be out-of-character for a Captain. The rest of the crew seem to be consistently written. There is a hint at a deeper relationship between Picard and Dr. Crusher, but little information other than the continued hints are given here. This was a great introduction to the Ferengi race, and the writers of Star Trekreally made the most of it here and in the future!
After reading the title, some of you might be scratching your head. Many people make the mistake of equating Disney Animation with Pixar. They are actually two separate companies. Though Disney has distribution rights and will likely make a nice chunk of change on this film, their relationship with Pixar is not quite cozy. Rumors have it that rethemeing the Imagination Pavilion at EPCOT in aMonsters, Inc. theme was nixed because of the high licensing costs Pixar is now in a position to charge. Witness the last animation outputs by Pixar vs. Disney Animation. Pixar has given us Monsters, Inc., Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, and the original Toy Story. Disney Animation has given us Atlantis, The Emperor's New Groove,Dinosaur (which showed such promise visually, but fell flat with a storyline that made me feel like I'd seen the movie before), and a whole host of direct-to-video sequels of what are classic animated films. (Snow White 2, Little Mermaid 2, even a trailer for Peter Pan 2 as a preview to Monsters, Inc.) Unfortunately, Disney seems to have lost it's in-house creative and innovative edge and is instead "outsourcing" it to the wonderful animation company that is Pixar. Monsters, Inc. is that good - that creative and that innovative. This is essentially the story of two monsters, Sully and Mike. To power the city of Monstropolis, the monsters use the energy from children's screams after they come out of their closets and frighten them. Sully has an incredible record of achievement in this area. This may sound frightening to some parents, but the movie really is not. Most of the "monsters" are actually sweethearts, especially Sully who's soft heart is exposed after a child manages to wander into the Monsters, Inc. complex, and eventually out into the city. (Anyone else notice that the Monsters, Inc. building looks eerily like the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World?) My three children - ages 11, 6 and 18 months were not scared in the least and came out of the theater smiling, eagerly looking forward to figuring out which Monsters, Inc.toys they could ask Santa to bring them for Christmas. Sully is a lovable, huge, blue-furred monster. John Goodman gives voice to the character and has the inflection down perfect. Sully jumps between scary and cuddly with ease. Mike Wazowski is Sully's side-kick, as well as being the paperwork and man-behind-the-scenes in Sully's wonderful record of scaring kids. He is rather short next to Sully, and consists of one giant eyeball in a body that resembles a green peach. The diminutive stature is never a problem, as Mike stands up to Sully and voices his opinion - rather strongly - on a regular basis. There's a good little lesson in there. The little girls who ventures into the world of the monsters is nicknamed "Boo" and we never learn her real name. Sully is nothing buy a giant "kitty" to her and he does not scare her in the least. She is cute beyond belief, without being too saccharin. Throughout the movie, she only utters a few words coherently, thereby adding to her cuteness, as well as making her body language all the more important. The animators who handles her character on CGI had a tough job, but did it extremely well. I loved the scene with the Abominable Snowman. I thought it was a great tribute to the Snowman we know from the Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Christmas story with Burl Ives. The story was entertaining for kids as well as parents. I have to admit that the scene where the evil Randall is getting beaten up made me laugh out loud in the theater. Violence should never be funny, but Pixar manages to make even that seem hysterical - similar to the Roadrunner & Wile E. Coyote cartoons we all grew up on. Be sure to watch for cameos from a few "old Pixar favorites". As always, the Pixar CGI animation is so detailed it is a true joy to view. Watching the movement of the furry monsters, we can see the details of the hair in the fur rippling, or the scales on others moving as if we are watching Animal Planet rather than an animated movie. The attention to detail that Pixar gives it's animation is one of the things that makes its movies such a treasure to watch. I would love to see Steve Jobs (Pixar's Chairman) and John Lasseter (Executive Vice-President, Creative) take over the helm of Disney. They seem to have the right mix of creativity to capture the imaginations of this next generation - a generation that "doesn't scare as easily" to take a quote from Monsters, Inc. - as well as good business management. I fear that a change in leadership will be the only thing to bring Disney's Animation division back to the quality that is exemplified in this movie.
... a gigantic battle centered near a place called Shiloh Meeting House had resulted in casualties almost beyond the mind's capacity to comprehend. Over ten thousand were killed or lost on the Southern side; over thirteen thousand on the other... A bit of perspective. Americans have slain more of their own in one day than anyone outside of this country has ever managed to. In his novel The Titans, John Jakes continues the story of the Kent family. The main focus of the novel is Jephtha Kent, a former Methodist preacher turned reporter for the family newspaper in Washington DC just prior to the start of the Civil War. His three sons are now lost to him after standing up against slavery in the Virginia town where he resided, and this has led to his disenchantment with life in general, and a drifting from his own faith. He remains rich beyond his imagination, yet touches none of it. His former wife's new husband, Edward Lamont is very aware of the riches that will be inherited by his stepsons. The struggle that ensues throughout the novel is very well-done. We see not only the struggle between either side of the country, but there is also Jephtha's struggles with discovering his own true self. No longer the fanatic that preached against slavery and helped slaves escape, Jephtha is struggling to find his place in the world as it crumbles around him. His concern for his sons on the Confederate side of the war is genuine. The possibility of returning to their lives at some point is the only thing that keeps him going on a daily basis. At the same time he wants to reject God and all faith, he is drawn to it; both on his own and through the woman who shares his bed, Molly Emerson. She truly loves Jephtha and is so torn by what she sees happening to him. She urges him to turn to the scriptures that were so important and meaningful in his younger life, but feels like a failure when Jephtha's attempts to reenter his son's lives falls apart. Soon, he is not just struggling to find his faith and do his job, but also struggling to stay alive as well. His oldest son, Gideon has enlisted on the Confederate side in the calvary. In Richmond, he has met a young lady who greatly challenges him and everything he believes in. To him, war is glorious; simply a game to be played. We'll beat the Yankees and be home in ninety days... is largely what the Confederate forces completely believe. Margaret Marble has seen what the war does to a man through her own father. He fought in Mexico and though he still raves about the gloriousness of it, she sees the truth to it all and tries to impress this onto the man she loves. Gideon cannot bring himself to desert after he has enlisted, nor does he quite believe that Margaret is correct. As he rides off to join his unit at the battle of Manassas, the part since Margaret is so terrified of his dying. Her words and the impression her father made remain with Gideon as he realizes just how gruesome war really is. We actually see only a little bit of Louis Kent and Michael Boyle, who we were introduced to at the end of the last novel, The Furies. Louis has become a businessman without morals, who sees only improvement to his bottom line as being good, no matter who suffers in the process. Michael tries time after time to reign him in, but ends up quitting and enlisting in the Union army after Louis figures out a way to make a profit by trading with both sides during the war. Along with Joshua Rothman, the family banker, and Jephtha, they plan to expose Louis' scheme in public. The book comes off very well since Jakes doesn't try to cram too many years into one novel. The characters are well-honed and show that none of the people involved in the Civil War on either side are completely good. Some of the villains seem to have no redeeming qualities, but most of the characters are people struggling to piece together their actual feelings and values during this time. There is still mention of the so-called "bad blood" of the family which runs into Jephtha's line. However, it would seem that Louis is really the black sheep of the family. I found that there was nothing that Jephtha or his three sons did that did not really remind me of Philip Kent in The Bastard and his own reactions to the wealth and power of his father. Gideon is said to have a bad temper, but Philip showed the same temper when he attacked his half-brother in the first novel. This is where I really felt that the whole background that we were given was dropped. Louis Kent, the man without "the Fletcher blood" has truly been developed into an evil character. The interaction with historical figures does not seem as contrived or forced as it did in other novels in the series. Jakes manages to use Jephtha's career as a reporter to have him interact believably with great historical figures, as well as having him be in certain places at just the right time to be involved in events. I can see with what Jakes has written in the novels of the Kent family that cover the period of the Civil War how much more he wanted to do with that time. I would venture a guess that this is what led him to write the trilogy of North and Southnovels which go into the events of this time period with more depth. Still, in the line of Kent family novels, The Titans is a very strong entry.
