[Sven2]

Just the night watch, Buffy The Vampire Slayer! Her  hands are getting tired though, the zombies procreate like fruit flies here.
Say, Flower, is that even politically correct to kill those leaches, as they are now come to epitomize freedom fighters, defenders of poor and oppressed and in general - are all inclusive bunch, almost like our UU Church.  8) :-X ??? :P

[OceanFlower]

leeches cast as freedom fighters? hmmmm.... sounds like a neo conservative conspiracy to me! and speaking of which, Madame Nhu died... yeah I know most all you youngsters out there are scratching your heads saying, Madame Who? Not who, Nhu!!  to wit:

Madame Nhu, who as the glamorous official hostess in South Vietnam's presidential palace became a politically powerful and often harshly outspoken figure during the Vietnam War, died on Sunday in Rome, where she had been living. She was believed to be 87.

...to American journalists, diplomats and soldiers caught up in the intrigues of Saigon in the early 1960s, she was "the Dragon Lady," a symbol of everything that was wrong with the American effort to save her country from Communism.

...during (president) Diem's early days in power, she heard that the head of the army, Gen. Nguyen Van Hinh, was bragging that he would overthrow the president and make her his mistress, she confronted him at a Saigon party. "You are never going to overthrow this government because you don't have the guts," Time magazine quoted her as telling the startled general. "And if you do overthrow it, you will never have me because I will claw your throat out first."


In the pivotal year of 1963, as the war with the North worsened, discontent among the South's Buddhist majority over official corruption and failed land reform efforts fueled protests that culminated in the public self-immolations of several Buddhist monks. Shocking images of the fiery suicides raised the pressure on Diem, as did Madame Nhu's well-publicized reaction. She referred to the suicides as "barbecues" and told reporters, "Let them burn and we shall clap our hands."

When Diem, who was notoriously prudish, once questioned the modesty of Madame Nhu's low-cut dress, she was said to have snapped back: "It's not your neck that sticks out, it's mine. So shut up."

That fall, (1963) Madame Nhu went on an American speaking tour, criticizing Diem's critics as soft on communism. She was in Los Angeles on Nov. 1 when news flashed that Diem and her husband had been shot to death in a coup. "The deaths were murders," she told reporters, "either with the official or unofficial blessing of the American government."

keep in mind that 21 days later the President of the United States was also assassinated... and then the fun really started... hey just cause I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're really not after me!

Peace and Stay Free!

[skor]

My daughter's been in Vietnam for nearly 4 months now. Her visa got screwed p and she had to leave for a week. She went to Thailand, apparently she appeals to something in the Thai psyche, she had two proposals in a week! Anyhow, now she s back in Bac Can, I asked her what the Vietnamese have to say about Americans and she said, "Oh, America is not even o their radar, they are concerned with eloping their own country, their own way," Of course she is only speaking from a very limited experience, interacting primarily with rural villagers, still, something to think about. We are so wrapped up in our country's dramas, but the rest of the world just goes along, taking it day by day. The population where she is is very young, the war is in memory to many, but not on a daily basis. I asked her what called the Vietnam War. She said, "The American War." Of course.

[OceanFlower]

wow! very cool skor! yes the Vietnamese break down their wars as the Japanese War the French War and the American War and they pretty much won them all... yesterday at work I was giving a lecture LOL! on Madame Nhu and Vietnam in general and likened the Madame as the "Sarah Palin of South Vietnam circa 1960-1963" that got them going alright! didn't I just read that Dylan performed in Vietnam?  I also read where the Madame had been kept prisoner by the Communists for several years as a young woman during the 50s i think it was which i am sure helped form some of her more radical opinions on how the "American war" should've been conducted....

and in more bad news Phoebe Snow has also passed on to the great beyond at age 58 of complications from a brain hemorrhage she suffered in January 2010.

and one more: The mother of boxing champ Micky Ward, age 79, portrayed by Oscar-winner Melissa Leo in "The Fighter," died Wednesday in Boston, The Lowell Sun reported. and by the way this is probably the only film about boxing that could almost be classified as a "chick flick" LOL! but lots of eye candy for the guys in the personage of Amy Adams whew! can those shorts she's wearing while tending bar get any lower, shorter or tighter!??

[skor]

Dylan played in Ho Chi Minh City, my daughter is 4 hours north of Hanoi, in  Bac Kan. It's very different in the north. Somewhat grim and not many visitors. She is the only westerner. Up there the average income is less than a dollar a day. Not may concerts, though she gets into Hanoi , where things are infinitely different. Hanoi sounds like a lovely city, I hope I get there one day. In Bac Kan they just adore Lionel Richie, he's the big winner at the karaoke bars.
Well now it's time to put together a list of books/films for the summer. I know if I scroll through here I cam find plenty, I am just too lazy right now. So if you and Sven and perhaps there are others here- Zen?- have any suggestions, I will write them down now.I'm looking for 5-10 (or more) each, good books and movies. Multiple thanks.

[OceanFlower]

Okay Skor you asked for it:

Films:

1. The Fighter: as i've said before, the only boxing movie i've ever seen that could possibly be classified as a "chick flick"; the ladies will enjoy Marky Mark's muscles while the guys will thoroughly enjoy Amy Adams in her short shorts whew!!
2. King's Speech: even i was surprised at how much i enjoyed this film
3. Monsters: don't let the title mislead you; a really good film and again maybe the only sci-fi film that could be classified as a "chick flick' (with all due respect)
4. Salt: a slam bang action packed spy thriller with Angelina
5. Fair Game: Sean Penn & Naomi Watts: the true story of how the USG pulled the covers on its own spy... a little talky for my taste but well done and Naomi is such a sweetheart!
6. The Tourist: Johnny Depp and Angelina; not bad but couldn't understand what all the excitement was about over this film; Angelina is of course lovely
7. Killer Instinct: a french film based on a true story: it has been called the french Scarface and/or Goodfellas
8. Inspector Bellamy: with Gerard Depardieu a murder mystery of sorts in French
that's it i was going for ten but can't think of anymore! LOL!

Books:

Life by Keith Richards: excellent! a huge book should keep you occupied for awhile should you choose to read this; I honestly thought it was gonna be one drug/sex orgy to the next but its not like that at all... a really good read and love the way Keef doesn't take himself all that seriously... He admits: Yep I was heroin addict and enjoyed every minute of it!  8)

[Sven2]

To be honest, Skor,  I can't remember anything else besides all that we talked about here, on this thread. Lately I read mostly poetry and pulp fiction.

Just bought J.C. Oates "We Were The Mulvaneus", (library book-sale), hadn't opened it yet.  Don't know if I mentioned earlier a book I liked very much, "The Debba", by Avner Mandelman - about myths, old and modern, the land of history and much blood - Israel, and about dear to me theater art.  Tightly woven plot with surprising twists, I hope you'd enjoy it.

Stay around, OK?

[skor]

I'll be here more now. I have not been reading much. Taki bought me an ipad and I thought that would be great, but I'm really not crazy about it. I like my laptop and real books. I might try the Kindle at some point, they are so cheap now. But I like everything about real books and very little about ebooks. Only thing is I can't carry much these days.
I watched a few TV series on Netflix. Yes, I did like "Eli Stone" and I am sorry it was yanked so quickly. I've gotten through most of the Oscar contenders. I really enjoyed "The Kids Are Alright." Not a fan of "Black Swan." I don't remember when I was last here or what I posted and since I am horrendously lazy and am not going back to check,  I run the risk of repeating myself and blathering on.
There are so many things I want to do this summer, but I really don't know what will be practical.We'll see, it all depends on how Taki is feeling and what is possible.
What I really, really want to see is Werner Herzog's film about the caves in France.

[Sven2]

As I recently watched "Black Swan", I was terrified by the supposedly "flawless" choice of our "Academy" - or what are they called, those people that give away Oscars? Why in hell Natalie Portman got an Oscar - for that constant tearful grimace and neurotically quivering lips? Very unpleasant to watch the same  face as a frozen mask of a "hunted prey", she could've effected a smile at least once, but no, siree, she's suffering through the whole 2 hours! (It felt like three hours, really!)
One of the worst performances ever IMHO.

I saw "The Kids Are Alright". Not as much about a lesbian couple, and notably there's no hint of stigmatizing it or treating it with some romantic reverie, "Brokeback Mountain" style. What I saw was quite a mundane marriage, a casual affair, empty nesters and leaving home grown children. Everything is like in a Chekhov play. It makes the right statement, no more exaltation or "gnashing of teeth" over a way of life that was a taboo not so long ago. I thought it was a good movie if a little dispirited at times. Annette Bening wears wrinkles of old age with dignity.

Saw Sam Shepard "Curse of the Starving Class", there was a LIVE sheep on the stage and the leading actor made an omelet with bacon right there on stage! The sheep looked so cuddly. :) No, seriously, even including this "superrealism" the performance was good. There were no more than 20 people in the audience, most of them friends and relatives of the actors. Pity. I admire  the enthusiasm of the thespians, there is love that doesn't seek a reward, pure as it can be.

Skor, I too stay away from e-books for now, besides what Amazon offers for free isn't worth the time. I installed for myself only Kindle for PC, don't use it though. You should make plans for the summer, it is the best time of year, then you'd change those plans, why not! For example, I'm going to Peru! (NOT!) 8)

[OceanFlower]

@ sven re: Black Swan: yeah but the girl on girl scene was pretty hot!  :-*

@skor: didn't care for my suggestions? or is it just me?  ???

[Sven2]

Skor, I started "The Man from Beijing" by Mankell, of Wallander fame, and got stuck on the tenth page. I don't know why reading about  frozen Scandinavia now, in the middle of long awaited and still cold and gloomy spring gives me goose bumps.
Can't the winter be delayed for a year? Or better two.

[OceanFlower]

Mankell has a new book coming out soon if not already... now I have a friend in Norway who posts pix from there and i guess it really is spring/summer there anyway she went hiking up some freaking mountain and posted some pix OMG it looks like one of the scenes from Quest for Fire or something.... absolutely no man's or woman's land....

[Sven2]

Just tore myself off "The Man from Beijing,"  OMG, I got only 4 hrs of sleep!
It gets interesting,  in a cruel way. Learned a strange thing about Beijing, that there are no birds, not at all. Wonder, what had happened to them. Pollution?
Good night, Flower, hope your wound heals quickly and the test result is OK.

[OceanFlower]

thanks darling! it does sting a little  ;)

[skor]

I'm grading. About two thirds of the way through. It will be a relief to slog through the last of them. Spent the last two nights in Belmont. Taki had to go get tests at Mass General. He's lost a huge amount of weight recently and I was very worried. His blood tests were off as well. But thankfully, the cancer has not returned. I just wish he felt better. Food still goes right through him. It makes life rather difficult, but we manage.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I did see most of the the films you suggested, Ocean, though I haven't gotten to "The Fighter" yet. I'm with you about "B;ack Swan", Sven. I did not like it at all. Very melodramatic and cheesy. "Kids are Alright" was much more satisfying, but I do wish they had come up with a more creative ending. I've been watching "The Killing", the American version, I'm all caught up now, waiting or the next episode. I really like it. I bought some green garlic, leeks and potatoes, to make this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/09/health/nutrition/09recipehealth.html?scp=1&sq=green+garlic+potato+and+leek+soup&st=nyt