Tag Archives: 2021

Book, Book Report 2021, Rant and Rave

“South Toward Home”

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A book by author Alice Joyner Irby

  • DougInNC book report
  • “More than a Review”
  • First book report in nearly a year!

Full book title: South Toward Home:
– Tales from an Unlikely Journey

I’ve much to say about this book:
->DescriptIVE, reflectIVE, informatIVE, illustratIVE, defensIVE at times though without invectIVE. SubstantIVE without trying to be persuasIVE or argumentatIVE.

Those are aspects “I’VE” appreciated about this work.

“South Toward Home” is an interesting and well-composed memoir from the life of North Carolinian Alice Irby, born in the town of Weldon. The reader is welcomed into an enjoyable tour through these pages by this early passage: “People in that eastern corner of the state know what the dirt feels like under their feet. They know what the Roanoke River yields other than turbulence. They know the meaning of loyalty, the depths of sorrow, and the transcendent power of faith.” (p. 4)

You’ll find this review/report using book quotes, because Alice the writer tells her story so marvelously that I shall not likely improve upon her well-chosen words by using only my own.

Continue reading “South Toward Home” →
Movie, Movie Comments 2021, Rant and Rave

9*; Their Finest (2016)

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Particulars:
1. Storytelling with all the fixings.
2. Skillful movie making I sometimes think might be lost ……

Commentary: I stumbled onto this film and was very impressed. This is a drama with comedic interludes, historical without the historic figures, storytelling rather than theatrics, a determined young woman, a dramatic kiss, love, loss, and, yes, even little canines. All are directed to produce what a movie should: entertainment.

The setting is 1940, during the bombardments of England that were occurring well before America joined the war. Memories of World War I linger as the difficulties of World War II are upon the populace, each with their own wounds, attitudes, and ways of dealing with wartime.

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Movie, Movie Comments 2021, Rant and Rave

8*; Miss Sloane (2016)

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Particulars:
-Jessica Chastain’s hair!
-Very good acting by a young cast

My ratings on movies watched in 2021 are trending higher than usual. I’ll chalk that up to getting good suggestions, and “Miss Sloane” measured up.

Does Jessica Chastain always play the in-control-on-the-surface wonder woman (lower case ‘W’s’)? She commanded the story here as she did in “Molly’s Game” (2017).

There were staid actors in this film you knew and probably liked, e.g. Sam Waterson. Mark Strong played Sloane’s boss, coming across as the most realistic, un-acted, spot-on character in the starring roles. What really shown brightly was the cast of 20-something actors in roles as Sloane’s coworkers. They were nearly as striking as Miss Sloane’s red, Red, RED hair. Chastain was very good as the star, carrying the spotlight through every scene.

I could have wished better pacing in the story-telling, meaning it would suit me to have more ebb and flow. Yet I think most people would like the constant intensity and drive that fit the title character. I’m even more confident that viewers would enjoy the drama, scheming, and stick-it-to-the-man aspects of the production. The ending is good, too!

*(star) rating in the title is mine; e.g. 8*=Eight Stars (maximum 10)

Life and Locale, More-L-and-L

Decades of My Life

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I sought to depict the calendar decades that have encompassed my life, and do so using six or fewer words. The goal was to capture the essential aspects of the decades that surrounded me, not particular episodes of my personal life.

1960s: Peace and Love amidst great unrest
1970s: Environmental Movement, Gas Shortages, Inflation Incline
1980s: Berlin Wall, Tiananmen Square; no '1984'
1990s: Globalization flourishes; Dotcom Bubble
2000s: Crashes! Nine-Eleven, Financial Markets
2010s: Polarization, 24/7 Political Press; Obama to Trump
2020s: Coronavirus Pandemic

Has the centripetal force of the 2020s already weighed upon us with nearly nine years remaining? So it seems to me.

Pick one decade and provide your six-word description in the comments, or critique mine. Characterize more if you wish, or simply ‘like’ my post and I’ll know you dropped by. Thanks for the visit.

P.S. I didn’t exceed the six-word goal in the 2010s, I simply used numbers that I didn’t count as ‘words’. 🙂

Movie, Movie Comments 2021, Rant and Rave

9*; Ford v Ferrari (2019)

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Particulars:
-Really about people, not cars
-Well-acted from the youngest to the oldest

It took a while to see this movie. I know there was a lot of attention given to it, but it did not have my attention. I would watch it again someday.

Matt Damon was good enough. Christian Bale and his little Ken Miles family were all terrific. “The Deuce,” aka Henry Ford II made the right impacts at the right time. I could easily have rooted for Enzo as the oldest in the cast of characters showed dedication, drive, and yet humility when warranted.

The key to enjoyment was telling a story with tension, suspense, humor, drama, and drive (couldn’t resist the pun) without resorting to silly chase scenes that would have taken the tale off track. (Two puns; I’m out!)

*(star) rating in the title is mine; e.g. 7*=Seven Stars (maximum 10)

Commentary, Humor, Rant and Rave

Comms policy for 2020’s

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I had some fun creating a “Policy” for my communications.

My communicative creations needed a Policy. After all, movies and books have their disclaimers regarding “coincidence” with “actual persons, living or dead.” And broadcasts set limits on their use or reuse. My position is more social than legal; hints of humor may be discerned. The Policy is intended for 21st-century perils of language.

Policy, Part 1: The words in my communications are defined as known to the source AT THE TIME of their use. Any resemblance to the same or similar words with OLDER or NEWER definitions have been and will be purely coincidental and not pervert the meaning from the time of origination therein.

Policy, Part 2: Any activity involving language has inherent risk. The receiver takes full responsibility for their protection by knowing the limits of words, heretofore acknowledged as the “sticks and stones” position that is expected to have been learnt from another source and is implicitly imbedded within this Policy.

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Movie, Movie Comments 2021, Rant and Rave

7*; A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)

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Particulars:
-Slow paced
-Tom Hanks draws out some hankies
-It’s really about the other guy (but this commentary is not)

It isn’t whether Tom Hanks is a great Mr. Rogers (you’re welcome to think so). It’s that the protagonist Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) reminds me of Hanks in terms of career. The former is depicted as a type-cast writer of scathing personal attacks, given this opportunity to change public perception. The latter had a similar challenge after the “Big” splash (1998) locked in the mental image of Mr. Hanks as the funny guy.

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