Flicks and Food

I don't get out to the movies much these days and the ones that I do see are usually of the animated sort. I normally attend these films with my 3 kids and find many of them to be quite good. The latest film of this genre that we had a chance to see is the Alice In Wonderland Film. I thought the special effects were exceptional and Johnny Depp delivers another unique performance. He has mastered the art of being an 'eccentric' and he reminds me of a chameleon when it comes to the multitude of roles that he takes on. I don't think I remember Alice in Wonderland as having such a dark or scary theme, but I still think this film is worth seeing.

I also recently watched 'Up In The Air'' starring George Clooney while I was essentially up in the air on a plane traveling to Finland last month. I share the excitement with Clooney's character for maxing out reward points and trying to circumvent all the hassles of modern airline travel. I have some of my own secrets of the trade like always wearing slip on shoes so I can get through security lines faster as well as never getting behind families when I'm in line. I like to travel light and see just how much I can condense into the ziplock bags I use for packing much of my clothing. I must admit I've always had an affinity for hotels and airports. Let me clarify that! Airports in the days prior to Sept. 11th are what I mean specifically. These days navigating through all the red tape and security checks at the airport can be rather stressful. Plus, airline service on American carriers has gone down the tubes. Most of them now employ the strategy of nickel and diming passengers for everything from snacks, to aisle seats, to luggage charges. Just this past week, one U.S. carrier took the bold move to start charging passengers for carry on luggage as well. How long before most of the others follow suit? In any case, I will always equate airports as the link to fresh horizons and the starting point for new adventures. There is something exciting about staying in a hotel for me as well. I estimate that I've spent about 2 years of my life staying in motels/hotels. There is something electric about walking into a nice facility and checking out all the amenities that await you. The only downside is getting some 30 year old mattress or pancake like pillows that cause back and neck problems for 3 days after your stay. When I was 20, I could sleep on a bed of nails and not complain, but those days are gone. Clooney never complains about bad bedding in the movie, but anyone who travels as much as his character does is sure to have some negative experiences.

Since I'm on the subject of entertainment, let me just say that I am now hooked on Chef Jamie Oliver's new show called America's Food Revolution. Jamie has set out to change the garbage style food that is being served in American schools. His journey begins in America's most obese city... Huntington, West Virginia. This show will absolutely and positively blow your mind. It goes a long way in explaining why American schools are losing ground on the world scene. We are 100% depriving our children's bodies and brains of the nutrition they need to be at their best in the classroom. The school my children attend is no different from the one Jamie is trying to change. The sad part is that most Americans think Jamie is the one with the problem. Here are some brief facts from the show. Kids are being served pizza for breakfast, chicken nuggets for lunch, and then hamburgers for lunch the next day. Many of the younger kids couldn't identify foods like tomatoes, broccoli, potatoes, or cauliflower. Jamie is chastised by the school food supervisor when one of his meals ( a 7 vegetable and meat stir fry) has to be altered because it is missing a bread. Meanwhile, kids are walking through the next line with a burger and fries and this passes the grade. The fries count as a vegetable and the burger is protein. I almost forgot the bread on the hamburger meats the bread requirement for this particular combination. Another enjoyable moment is when Jamie realizes that most young American children cannot properly use a knife and fork in conjunction with one another. In fact, this particular school didn't even have any knives on hand and they rarely seemed to use forks. There isn't much need for these utensils when pizza, burgers, fries, nachos, and chicken nuggets are so often on the menu. I won't spoil any more of this show for you, but you've got to check this program out.
Guess that is all for tonight. Time to watch a movie and get something to eat!

I leave for Finland in 20 days!-- Lights out.