Archive for November 20th, 2006

What are you thankful for?

Published
by
seanb
on November 20, 2006
in Personal
. 0 Comments

The next major holiday in the United States is Thanksgiving Day, celebrated this year on Thursday, 23 November 2006.  It is, in my opinion, the absolute best holiday we celebrate.  My reasoning is simple: it is a holiday that can be celebrated by all, regardless of nationality or religious beliefs, for the holiday itself calls to mind the question with which this post was entitled. I got to thinking about Thanksgiving, and what I'm thankful for, after taking a look at Toledo Lefty's blog, and reading this post. I think her suggestion is one great way to physically embody that for which we're thankful.

I am thankful for my wife, , who also happens to be my best friend and confidante. With her, I feel I am able to accomplish anything. With her, I have been graced with two beautiful, if sometimes slightly annoying, children - Donovan and Logan - without whom my life would be incomplete (lets face it, it would be incomplete, also, if they weren't annoying ;-) ). Simply put, I treasure my family more than anything else in this world, even if I do have a predilection toward material goods such as my MacBook Pro and my new Canon Digital Rebel XT camera.

I am thankful for my children, Donovan and Logan, who are growing up so fast as to give the appearance of traveling warp speed, even if they are just pushing one another on top of a plastic box toward the threshold between the kitchen and dining rooms they use as a “finish line” in their race of life.

I am thankful for my parents, Helen Jean and Lawrence, who have been instrumental in embodying in me the feeling that I can accomplish anything to which I put my mind, even at the ripe “old” age of 36. Without their gentle prodding and pushing, I may never have finished my first degree in college, something which while on its face seems like it wouldn't have helped me, has truly helped in enormous fashion. Thanks, mom and dad… you're the best!

I am thankful for my parents-in-law, Cathy and Tom, who have, over the last couple years especially, helped us out of some binds by enabling us to make better choices. While I've fallen back on some of the teachings, I'm taking steps to harden what I've learned from my experiences, and am working to change the way I live to put the family first. Thanks also for the great trips (past and upcoming) to The Mouse - the smiles on the faces of the kids are well worth the exhaustion we suffer each evening there.

I am thankful for my sister, Jennifer, and the sense of humor we're able to share. I miss the fact that she doesn't live closer, and that we're not able to get together as much as we used to, but the times that we do get to spend together are awesome. She's a great aunt to the kids. Jon, her husband, is a great influence on her life. From him through her, I've been able to learn even more about who I am as a person, and what it takes to continue to innovate.

I am thankful for my brother, Evan, and the freewheeling spirit that he is. He didn't take the road most traveled, and I think he, personally, is better off for it. He's an intensely creative person… a free spirit. Someone who I think will make his own way, and will enrich the life of Stephanie, his wife, as well as be enriched by her. He's a great guy, who has spent some time learning from the school of hard knocks.

I am thankful for my friends, from whom I'm always learning how to live a better life. Not so numerous to mention completely here, rest assured that the only reason I'm not doing so is so that I don't unintentionally alienate one of you by leaving you off a list.

Casino Royale - My Review

Published
by
seanb
on November 20, 2006
in Personal
. 0 Comments

Two months ago, told me to set aside November 17th for a night on the town. Her parents graciously accepted our invitation to watch the boys, and we went to see Casino Royale at the Regal South Beach 18 Theaters, after dinner at the Van Dyke Cafe on beautiful, if not quirky, Lincoln Road.

Bond fans galore should know that this film is a prequel to the heretofore played Bond films. Aside from a comedic interpretation of the Ian Fleming novel in 1967, Fleming's first Bond novel had never been made into a feature length film. This production marks the attempt for Eon Productions, Albert R. Broccoli's production house (now lead by wife Barbara), to continue the Bond tradition by successfully producing Casino Royale. The fact that Casino Royale actually predates the other previously produced Bond films while coming so late in the series raises minor issues in some of the interactions between Dame Judi Dench, who plays “M,” and Daniel Craig, who plays James Bond. The problems, however, are not apparent during Casino Royale; rather, it is dialogue during Casino Royale that renders problematic some of the interactions between Mr. Craig's predecessor, Pierce Brosnan and Dame Dench, in previous films.

For the most part, Mr. Craig, the sixth man to appear in the role, plays Bond extremely successfully. Qualitatively, he appears to be a superior mix of Timothy Dalton's seriousness, and Sean Connery's relaxedness; all of this while having the body of someone befitting the needs of a double-”O” operative. I am able to judge this because there are scenes in this film where you're quite able to get a good look at Mr. Craig's body. In fact, advised me that he does, in fact, have a great body, my eye obviously not being the best judge of such things.

The film is appropriately action-packed, and while action has always been the strong suit of the Bond syndicate, much thought-provoking dialogue occurs between Bond and the other characters (especially Dame Dench), which leads to a thorough understanding of why Bond earned his double-”O” status. Without spoiling the plot, suffice it to say that “M” does a good deal of successful mentoring after promoting Bond to his rank which he has held throughout the series' previous productions. Despite the exceptional dialogue, action, and intrigue, Bond does still provide the requisite one-liners, Mr. Craig delivering same in such form befitting the two Bonds who were famous for delivering the quips, Roger Moore and Sean Connery.

This Bond also sees the return to a historical method of starting the film: the opening scene, while integral to the overall theme of the story, does not include plot directly related to the film itself. Additionally, the choice to film this sequence in black and white adds to the overall feel of the film's darkness in the development of Bond as a double-”O” operative.

The choice of the casting department to use actors who aren't already well-known allows, I think, the audience to focus on what they need to be focused on, namely the development of the relationship between 007 and “M”. I believe that it will also give these actors and actresses access to much more on-screen time for future films. Performances for all of the characters were on par with what is to be expected from the fine productions that have come from the Broccolis in the past.

If you are a Bond fan, I highly recommend that you see this one on the big screen. It is well worth the cost of admission.