The Big C Blog Hop and Anthology

My hugest thanks to Michael Di Gesu, who organized this. You are an amazing friend and I wouldn't know what to do without you.

As many of you know, I am currently locked in battle with the Big C...Cancer. Today I am celebrating the fight with my wonderful fellow bloggers on this Big C Cancer Blog hop. We are telling stories of the humor found in dealing with this disease. Humor helps a lot in this battle, it is a very effective weapon in keeping one's spirits up and at the ready.

Money is also an important part of the fight, so these entries you read are all going to be published in an anthology to help me in my fight. Whatever I do not use of the proceeds will be donated to Gilda's Club Chicago, a very important place for women fighting this terrible disease.

Thanks for reading. You can find all the incredible, wonderful participants here.

So without further ado, here is my entry....

An Unexpected Show

Chemo. Losing my hair. Vomiting. Losing my freakin' hair. I was upset and nervous and angry as we walked into UIC's Out Patient Cancer Center for my first chemo treatment. I had little enough hair as it was thanks to genetics now I was going to lose the rest. Perfect. I was going to be short, fat and now bald. Unless I got a wig. And my experience with wigs was almost non existent, except I knew they could be expensive unless one was talking Halloween costume types. Another expense. Great.

"You're scowling," my sister whispered.

"No."

"Yes you are. Stop it or you'll scare the nurses."

"Okay, fine."

She was right. It wouldn't due to frighten the people who were going to people who were going to take care of me.

After what seemed like hours we were called back to the infusion rooms.  The chairs were exactly like I'd seen in the movies, these uncomfortable looking recliners caught somewhere between spa comfort and dental office chic. I sat and my nurse introduced herself, a really nice, down-to-earth woman she was. She gave me the rundown of everything to expect. There was so much to process I felt like I was about to take a physics test without having learned the chapters.

First came the Benedryl, anti-nausea cocktail that put me to sleep. Just as I was beginning to enjoy a nap, the big chemo drug bag was administered. As I settled in and watched the drip, a little woman came in with a huge cart.

"Hi. I'm here from the American Cancer Society with some wigs for you. As a cancer patient, our program entitles you to one free wig."

Color me stunned.

My sister and I looked at each other, then at the wigs in the cart. The ACS rep left us with the wigs and we started pouring over them. An idea formed in my mind. I had to get into a better mood. After discounting all the ones that surely would not work, we snatched up the short. blonde ones.

"Let's do a wig show," I said.

"What? You mean try all these on and walk around in them?"

I nodded. "And take crazy pictures."

"Cool! Let's do this."

One by one I tried on the wigs, strutting around as much as my dance partner aka the IV machine would let me. The nurses came in clapping as I posed and pranced. A wig did not seem so bad now and neither was my mood. I laughed as my sister showed me the pics. I was determined to rock a wig and no longer afraid of losing my hair.

Chicago from A to Z...K is for Kenwood...L is for Lincoln Park Zoo

Good afternoon!! I know I'm getting a terribly late start, but things got in my way. I hate real life sometimes. Anyway, for the Big A To Z today I'm taking you to the famous Kenwood neighborhood on the near South Side, then up north to one of my favorite places, the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Blackstone Library Wikimedia

K Is For Kenwood

Located on the near South Side, Kenwood lies just north of Hyde Park and the University of Chicago along the Lakefront to the east and Cottage Grove Avenue to the west. It was settled in the 1850's by wealthy Chicagoans looking to escape the congestion of the ever growing city. The area is named after John A. Kennicott, the first resident who named his home Kenwood after his family's ancestral estate in Scotland. Kenwood is the neighborhood that President Barack Obama calls home and it has indeed had many famous residents including actor Mandy Patinkin, Muhammad Ali, Julius Rosenwald of Sears, Roebuck and Company and Bill Veeck, former owner of the Chicago White Sox. There have also been some infamous residents. Murderers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were from Kenwood as well as their unfortunate victim, Bobby Franks.

The neighborhood has many unique features including an area known as the Indian Village. Here all the buildings are named in honor of the local tribes that once populated this area. The Powhatan Apartments have the only 24 hour elevator operator position in the city. Another landmark, the Blackstone Library was opened in 1902, making it one of the oldest branches in the Chicago Public Library system. It is a beautiful neighborhood with some fascinating walks, if you come visit, I'll take you for a stroll, then take you to Medici's for pizza.

Entry to Lincoln Park Zoo Wikimedia (BTW those birds are sculptures)

L Is For Lincoln Park Zoo

Ah the Lincoln Park Zoo...Here is one of my absolute favorite places in the city. It opened in 1868, making it one of the oldest zoos in the United States as well as one of the largest free zoos in the world. The first animals in the zoo were a pair of swans from the Central Park Zoo and a bear from the Philadelphia Zoo. It now houses over 1100 animals, including Keo, the oldest male chimpanzee in North America. There is also a large burr oak tree here that dates from about 1830, seven years before Chicago was incorporated.

Marlin Perkins, of Wild Kingdom fame, served as the zoo's director from 1944 to 1962 and helped create the Lincoln Park Zoological Society, a citizens group that fundraises and supports the zoo's operations. My favorite place inside the zoo are the penguins and polar bears as well as the Nature Walk along the South Pond. It is a stunning place to have fun and enjoy a great summer day. You can also enjoy the place in winter with Zoo Lights and caroling to the animals.

Ready to see Kenwood? Take a stroll at the Lincoln Park Zoo? I hope so. Happy A to Zing and thank you for stopping by. Please visit my fellow challengers by clicking at the top left or here.

Chicago from A to Z...I is for Ida B. Wells...J is for the Jewelers Building

Happy Hump Day!! I can't believe it is Wednesday already. Today I'm here with another Daily Double as I attempt to get myself back on track in the Big A To Z. I'm going to delve a bit more into Chicago history as I give you my selections for I and J. Ida B. Wells is one of my favorite women in history and one of Chicago's finest. The Jewelers Building is a terrific place with an intriguing past.

Ida B. Wells Wikimedia

I Is For Ida B. Wells

Ida is one hell of a woman and a true badass to me. She was a journalist, a suffragette, a sociologist and an early leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Born in Holly Springs, MS to enslaved parents, Ida adored her father James, who after the Emancipation Proclamation, worked tirelessly for the advancement of black people. When her parents and youngest brother died during a yellow fever epidemic, 16 year Ida became a teacher so that she could keep her remaining five siblings with her.

Spurred by the inequality in salary between white and black teachers, Ida moved to Memphis, TN where she attended Fisk College during her summer breaks and became more active politically. She co-owned the anti-segregationist paper Free Speech and Headlight where she wrote articles and edited the paper's content. In 1892, three of Ida's friends were lynched. Their murders prompted her to investigate lynchings across the South and she wrote a pamphlet entitled "Southern Horrors: Lynch Laws In All Its Phases." Threatened, Ida bought a pistol and used her journalistic abilities to encourage blacks to leave Memphis.

Ida moved to Chicago and helped to organize a boycott of the World's Fair. She started working for the Chicago Conservator, the oldest black run paper in the city. During this time she met and married the paper's owner, Ferdinand Barnett. Ida became one of the first women to keep her own name in addition to taking her husband's. Her passion for women's issues led her to found the National Association of Colored women as well as the National Afro-American Council. She also helped to found the NAACP. Her work in Chicago for urban reform, suffrage and civil rights continued until her death.

Jewelers Building Wikimedia

J Is For The Jewelers Building

35 East E. Wacker aka The Jewelers Building is a Chicago historic landmark. Featured in the 2005 film Batman Begins and as the scene of a huge battle between Decepticons and Autobots in 2011's Transformers: Dark of the Moon, this building has seen a lot since its construction in 1927. The first 23 floors featured a car lift  and parking so the jewelers could come and go in safety.

There have been many famous tenants, including Mercury Records, which occupied several floors from 1953 to 1973. The most infamous would be Al Capone, who had a speakeasy in the dome at the very top. This same place then served as the showroom for architect Helmut Jahn. There is a current reconfiguration of the interior going on which sadly has removed many of the cool features like the car lift, but progress will out.

I hope you found Ida as cool I did. We can visit her house if you come to Chitown and we'll also take a spin by the Jeweler's Building. Thank you so much for stopping by. Happy A to Z, please visit my fellow challengers by clicking at the top right or here.

Chicago from A to Z...The Daily Double G is for Garfield Park, H is for Hull House

I'm so sorry I was gone and not doing my part  for the Big A To Z, but real life got in the way. I even had a new lawn ornament forcibly installed when a woman crashed her car in front of my house. Thankfully the little baby in the other car was completely. The woman was clearly under the influence of something. I am soldiering forward and will try to catch up. Today I'm giving you a daily double of two of my fave spots in Chitown, Garfield Park and Hull House.

The Golden Domed Fieldhouse Wikimedia

G Is For Garfield Park

Garfield Park sits on the West Side and first opened in 1874 as Central Park. It was the centerpiece of the west park system, which includes Humboldt Park and Douglas Park,  and renamed in 1881 after slain President James A Garfield. Designed by William LeBaron Jenney, the park is home to the Garfield Park Conservatory, one of the largest and most impressive conservatories in the Untied States. The conservatory encompasses 4.5 acres of the park's 184 and houses thousands of varieties of plants, some nearly 200 years old. 

Gardens with Conservatory in background Wikimedia

The park is famous for its Golden Dome Fieldhouse, its lagoon system, its band shell and its extensive gardens. It is truly one of the most beautiful spots in all of Chicago and a favorite with locals. Not so much tourists as they are more easily ensnared by Lincoln Park because of its easy access from downtown and the zoo. However, Garfield has its very own stop on the Green Line, so ease of access is plentiful. Garfield Park also contains an Olympic sized gymnasium, tennis courts, pool, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, a boxing ring and a theater. So come with me to this wonderful piece of landscape art, we'll have a great time.

H Is For Hull House

Hull House Wikimedia

Hull House was opened by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates in 1889 as a settlement house for newly arrived immigrants. Here they learned English, job skills, received aid in finding housing, schools for their kids and also received free lectures on current events, concerts and art exhibits. It was also a way for women to start seeking independent means of support as they received a full education here from the volunteers who were university students and teachers, all women like themselves at one time. 

The mansion itself was the starting point for a whole movement that eventually grew to encompass some 13 buildings and a summer camp with the addition of the Bowen Country Club in 1912. It became the standard bearer for some 500 settlement houses founded nation wide. When the Nation Historic Preservation Act went into effect in 1966, Hull House was among the the first to be placed on the list. It was built in 1856 by real estate magnate Charles Hull and his niece Helen Culver donated the building to Jane. Hull House and the surrounding complex were purchased in 1963 for the University of Illinois at Chicago. All the buildings, but Hull House were razed. The Hull House Association continued operations in various other Chicago locations until 2012 when it closed its doors forever. Today there is a museum inside Hull House and due to some "woman in white" stories, it does rate a stop on local ghost tours.  

Thinking about taking a stroll through Garfield Park? Want to see the place responsible for helping millions of immigrants and poor people? Come on to Chicago and I'll also buy the beer. Have fun visiting my fellow incredible challengers by clicking on the top left or here. 

Chicago From A To Z...E and F, a Twofer

Sorry about the mini break in posts, I had a busy weekend. But, I'm catching myself up with a twofer today for the Big A To Z.

Ness in Chicago

E Is For Eliot Ness

One of Chitown's most famous is the head honcho Untouchable himself, Eliot Ness. There is a lot known about him, so I'll try and fill in some lesser known details. Ness was born in the Roseland neighborhood here on the South Side to Norwegian immigrants in 1903. After high school he went on to the University of Chicago where he obtained a degree in Economics. He began his career investigating backgrounds for credit checks with the Retail Credit Company of Atlanta known today as Equifax. Spooky how long they've been around.

Eliot's brother-in-law, an FBI agent, got him interested in law enforcement and Ness returned to the U of C to obtain a Masters in criminology. He started with the Department of the Treasury in 1927 as part of the Bureau of Prohibition in Chicago. President Hoover ordered the Department to focus solely on Al Capone and so began Ness' battle with Scarface. During his raids and investigations there were several assassination attempts on Ness resulting in the murder of one of his closest friends. After the events in Chicago, Ness was promoted to Chief Investigator for the Chicago office of the Bureau of Prohibition and later for the Ohio region. Once the Volstead Act was repealed, Ness became part of the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms). He transferred to Cleveland, where he was hired as the City's Safety Director and promptly went after organized crime. His work led to heavy drinking, two divorces and finally being forced into the private sector as his failures mounted. He did various odd jobs to keep afloat, worked at a security company and finally found footing at Guaranty Paper.  He died young at 54 after collaborating on Oscar Fraley's novel, The Untouchables.

F Is For The Hotel Florence

Hotel Florence in winter

Standing proud on the corner of 111th and Forrestville in the far South Side neighborhood of Pullman is the Florence Hotel. Built by the inventor of the Pullman sleeper car, George Pullman, the Florence was his home away from home. Named after his oldest daughter, Florence, the 50 room hotel opened on November 1, 1881. It offered first class luxurious accommodations for the railroad magnates and other robber barons who came to do business with Pullman. It was the crown jewel of Pullman's industrial town along the shores of Lake Calumet. Pullman's workers were banned from the hotel, as was the consumption of alcohol. The Florence had the only bar in town, of course. Business tycoons needed their whiskey,though.

In 1889 Pullman's little kingdom was annexed by the City of Chicago and ol' Georgie saw his rules and regulations all disappear in favor of City ordinances and taxes. Booze for everybody! Pullman's dreams took a further blow in 1894 with the Railroad Strike led by Eugene Debs. The sleeper car inventor died in 1897 and his successor built on to the Florence, making it a hot destination for visitors to Chicago. With the decline of rail travel, the hotel fell into disrepair, but was purchased in 1975 to save it from demolition. In 1991, the hotel was restored by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and now operates tours and holds a champagne brunch on the weekends. I myself, have been there several times and it is beautiful and the food is top notch, including nearly all the same menu items offered in its heyday.

Fun trivia about the hotel. The 2002 film, Road To Perdition was filmed in part at the Florence, as Daniel Craig's character kept a room there. They were allowed unprecedented access to the hotel for filming.

Care for some champagne and brunch at the Hotel Florence? I'd be more than happy to take you. Were you surprised at all by Ness? Have fun visiting the rest of my fellow amazing challengers by clicking on the link at the top right or here.

Chicago from A to Z... D is for Du Sable

Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable

It's D Day for the big A to Z and I'm introducing you all to a Chicago first. Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable, a Haitian born Frenchman is Chicago's very first non Native American resident. Moving from Indiana territory in 1784, Du Sable settled on land at the mouth of the Chicago River on what is today known as Pioneer Court. He left his home in Indiana because he had been imprisoned by British troops there, accused of being an American rebel sympathizer during the Revolution. I'd have moved, too.

Not much is known about DuSable's early life. There are many stories out there, including one that has him being the son of a pirate and a freed slave. Others have him traveling here from Louisiana, some from further east. The only thing agreed upon is that he was of African descent.

There is documented proof that he operated a trading post here and was a successful businessman. Surviving documents such as explorers' journals, bills of lading, etc. all reference dealings with DuSable. He was considered invaluable when dealing with the Pottowattamies here. When he sold his property in 1800 to a man named Jean La Lime, the deed included a house, two barns, a mill, a poultry house, a dairy and smokehouse. He then moved to St. Charles, Missouri where he died in 1818.

For a long time, Chicago's leaders refused to acknowledge DuSable as the first resident, instead preferring to honor white men only like John Kinzie and considered the 1803 Fort Dearborn as the first permanent residency in the city. However, during the 1933-34 Century of Progress World's Fair, a replica of DuSable's homestead was created and acknowledged as "one of the first residents." That same year (1934) DuSable High School opened in the Bronzeville neighborhood. In 1965 Pioneer Court opened on the site of DuSable's homestead and became a National Historic Landmark in 1976. A bronze bust of DuSable was installed in 2009 and the Michigan Avenue Bridge has been renamed the DuSable Bridge. He also has a museum that bears his name as the DuSable Museum of African American History opened in 1968.

What do you think of ol Jean Baptiste? Interesting the number of people in history not often acknowledged because they didn't fit a certain mold or idea.

Happy A To Z and thanks for visiting. Please visit my incredible fellow challengers by clicking the image at the top right or here.

Chicago from A to Z...C is for Columbian Exposition of 1893

Grand Entrance to the White City

We are on the third day of A To Z and things are rolling right along. Today I'm taking a trip back to one of Chicago's defining moments, the great Columbian Exposition of 1893. In order to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus' voyage and to promote Chicago as officially back on track after the Great Fire of 1871, the city vied for the new World's Fair. They had beat out New York, Washington D.C.and St. Louis for this honor.

The fairgrounds were located on 630 acres in Jackson Park, Hyde Park, South Shore and Woodlawn neighborhoods. Famed Central Park designer Frederick Law Olmsted designed the layout of the grounds and the lagoon system while renowned architect Daniel Burnham supervised the overall design of the buildings which were designed to look like a white marble, neo-classical city, hence its nickname, The White City.

Ferris Wheel and Midway

There were many precedents set at this exposition. It was at that time the largest fair event in the world, drawing over 27 million visitors in its 6 month run. An astounding 46 nations sent delegations and cultural exhibits. The Columbian Exposition was the first event of its kind to feature a building designed by a woman and one that was dedicated to women and their accomplishments. The Women's Building was designed by Sophia Hayden, the first female graduate of MIT's architecture program. The fair also featured the very first Ferris Wheel. Located right on the Midway, the ride was some 264 ft. tall and had 36 cars that accommodated 60 riders each. New snacks and candies were also featured. F.W. Reuckheim introduced his popcorn nut confection, Cracker Jack, while Wrigley unveiled its Juicy Fruit gum. Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, a Midwest staple, also made its debut.

The fair also contained many scandalous events. On the Midway,  a popular dancer known as Little Egypt, introduced America to the seductive charms of the belly dance. And serial killer H.H. Holmes began his murder spree. On October 30, 1893 the fair ended its run and many of the beautiful buildings and lagoons were left to ruin. some of the remnants of the White City survive, including the former Liberal Arts Building which is now the Museum of Science and Industry. It's still there in its original location on 57th Street with a reflecting pool and lagoon system behind it that were part of the great exposition. the Japanese garden, a gift from Japan, also remains on the wooded isle that was created for the fair. Statues like the great golden Columbia that greeted guests are found  in various areas throughout the city. Columbia is actually near her original spot on what is now Hayes Drive at the southern edge of Jackson Park.

What do you think? Would like to tour the city to find more cool things from the Columbian Exposition? Surprised by the firsts? Happy A To Z ing and thanks for stopping by. Click on the badge at the top right or here to visit my fellow Challengers.

Museum of Science and Industry frmly Fine Arts Building

A To Z Chicago...B is for Biograph Theater and IWSG

The Biograph today

Day 2 of the Big A to Z and I'm kicking it old school gangster style with a visit to the infamous Biograph Theater on :Lincoln Avenue. It opened in 1914 and remained a movie house until 2001. Now it houses the Victory Gardens Theater Group and is the site of live performances. In May of 1984 it was added to the National Registry of Historic Places and became an official Chicago landmark on March 28, 2001.

The Biograph attained notoriety in gangland history when on July 22, 1934 Public Enemy Number One, bank robber, John Dillinger, attended a performance of Manhattan Melodrama with the Lady in Red, Anna Sage. He was gunned down outside by FBI agents led by Melvin Purvis. In 2008, while filming the movie Public Enemies, the theater and all the immediate surrounding businesses were redressed to look as they did on that night. I was fortunate enough to be able to see movies in the Biograph before it was closed in 2001 and subsequently renovated for live theater. It was a treat and a thrill sitting right near where Dillinger watched his last film. They say his spirit even checks out some of the current productions as the Biograph is on many a Chicago ghost tour.

The Biograph the night Dillinger was shot

Come on to Chitown and I'll take you here as well as some other infamous gangland sites. Happy A to Z ing with my fellow awesome challengers. Click on the image at the top right or here to visit them.

It's also time for the Insecure Writers Support Group. My insecurity this month is boredom. I struggle in the middle of my stories and get really bored with my characters. It's enough to make me scream and dive into a bottle of wine. I get sick of them and really wish they would hurry up and get out of trouble soon so I can move on to another part of the adventure. But it's all my fault that they are stuck!! I also get very bored with edits and rewrites sometimes. I just want to put the story away and never look at it again. Do you all ever get bored with your writing? I feel like a loser here.

 

Friday Fun

Happy Friday, Imaginarians!! We made it through the week and I managed to write a few more paragraphs, which makes two whole pages into my newest creation. My good mood is also due to the fact that I am participating in my first blog hop since my absence. Michael Di Gesu is hosting The Coffee Hop, in which we describe what makes us want/need/desire that cup of amazing goodness each day.







My addiction isn't so much coffee as it is caffeine. Oh my God do I have an addiction. I alone, have a billion dollar habit. It is monstrous. I require gallons throughout the day to keep me functioning until I come alive at night like a vampire. Drink it, chug it, sip it or mainline it through an IV. Before I have my first hit, I very much resemble one of the walkers from my favorite show, The Walking Dead.

I can't think, I can't speak English and if you come near me, I'll likely chomp on you. Be warned before you approach me at anytime before High Noon. Wave a hand first. If I blink and growl, stay away or shove some caffeine into my zombie-esque hands.

Go visit the other participants of this hop. We're having a great time and there's some real Colombian coffee at stake.

So anyone got any big plans for the weekend? I'm hoping to get some writing done and watch some movies I have not seen from last year. Oh before I go, I watched the Oscar nominations yesterday and Bad Grandpa received a nomination for Best Makeup and Hair. This is so unbelievably awesome and the big surprise, no nomination for American Hustle in spite of Bradley Cooper's tremendous perm curlers. Johnny Knoxville can officially and forever say he starred in an Academy Award nominated film. Fucking brilliant! I highly recommend this film, it was the funniest damn movie of last year. It was so much better than The Heat, which I found spectacularly unfunny. Not one chuckle or hint of a smile from me through the entire two hours. Yikes! I also recommend We're The Millers for lots of laughs.

Have a great weekend and a terrific time hanging out at The Coffee Hop.

Get Healthy Blog Hop

Our health is the most important thing and for a voluptuous chica such as myself, who LOVES food period, getting healthy and overcoming the bulge is a constant struggle. Today the awesome and truly caring quartet of Michael Di Gesu, Alex J. Cavanaugh, L. Diane Wolfe and Stephen Tremp are hosting a Get Healthy Blog Hop encouraging all of us to post health tips, recipes, etc. to encourage all of us to get healthy. It's a wonderful way to inspire and I thank them profusely for putting this together.

Yours truly has been fighting weight since birth, really, and when I was at the lowest point in my life, I tipped the scales at 360 pounds. Wow, did I just write that out loud? I've admitted it to friends, but never completely in public before. 360 pounds is 3 people. Three. I used food as a crutch, a comfort. I had been bullied in school and ate alot. Those Twinkies sure made the insults feel better. So did the extra slices of pizza. And  when you spend your 20's and part of your 30's taking care of catastrophically ill family members until they pass, you also need a lot of comfort.

Anyway, over the last 2 and a half years or so, I've managed to lose 110 of that. I did that by forcing myself to move, to change eating habits. At 360 you can't exactly jog, so I would walk. Around my neighborhood, park the car in the back of the Walmart lot and walk, take stairs instead of the escalator or elevator. Anything that made me move. I would eat carrot sticks, blueberries, grape tomatoes instead of chips, pretzels, etc. Small changes that netted some great results. If I can do this by making small diet changes, so can you. Going cold turkey only encourages failure, I think. Big pictures start off small.

Now I need to find something else, dig deeper, as I have hit a plateau. Getting healthy means keeping going and always staying alert. Michael Di Gesu pointed out that I need to push myself no matter how tired, bored, depressed, etc. I may be. And he is right.

Best and Worst Remakes Blogfest

Happy Friday!! It's time for the awesome Best and Worst Remakes Blogfest. Hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, Livia Peterson, Dragon Father Al Diaz and Stephen Tremp, we are here to skewer the worst and praise the best.

I like to start off with bad stuff first. So here are my Worst Remakes Ever:

The Women

What were they thinking? The subject matter really isn't that timely anymore unless you're talking the Ladies Who Lunch Tennis Set. And really no chemistry with Annette Benning, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Meg Ryan and Eva Mendes. YAWWWNNN... Norma Shearer and crew were so much better and wittier.

All The Kings Men

Why take a brilliant actor like Sean Penn and stick him in a play by play remake? Completely unnecessary to remake an already amazing film.

King Kong

Peter Jackson, you dumbass! We did not need a lame silly remake of a perfectly good giant ape film. I don't care how great your fx were ,the story stunk to high heaven and so did the acting. Your cast was more boring than Hayden Christiansen's performance in the Star Wars prequels. Like James Cameron with Avatar, you sought to dazzle us with frosting and hoped we would ignore the lack of substance underneath.

The Karate Kid

Will Smith, I love you, but you really did an injustice by bringing us this cross cultural nightmare. Hello! You can't call the him the Karate Kid if he is learning kung fu.

The Ring

Holy hell! This American remake of a brilliant Japanese horror flick was just pure comedy. I spent the entire time laughing at the ridiculousness of it.  Naomi Watts completely sucked and that creepy kid of hers was the only horror-esque part of this movie.

And now for my Best Remakes

The Thing

Best. Remake. Ever. Now I loved the original The Thing From Another World, but Carpenter's flick was off the chain incredible. it is one of my all time favorite performances by Kurt Russell as well as one of my fave movies of all time.

The Wolfman

Go ahead roll your eyes, call me crazy, but I thought this was creepy, atmospheric, stylish, sexy and had some great wolf attack scenes. It did awesome justice to the old Lon Chaney film and the cast was just brilliant. I love the unrated version and watch it whenever I need a pick me up. :)

Dracula

Second best remake ever. Gary Oldman and Francis Ford Coppola did an outstanding job bringing Stoker's novel to life. Far superior to the old Bela Lugosi film, which really could not delve into the sexuality of the Count. The cast was amazing and the script very well written.

3:10 To Yuma

James Mangold really delivered on this remake of the old Delmer Daves directed Glenn Ford vehicle. Intense from start to finish, this one was a worthy heir to the original. I loved all of the performances, especially Bale as Dan Evans.

Ocean's Eleven

George and Brad were just incredible. I loved this movie from start to finish. It was smart, sexy and oh so witty. I love me a great caper flick and this one delivered in spades.

Dawn of the Dead

Are you sensing a theme here? LOL Yes, I love my monster movies. I really dug George Romero's original, but this one made me love zombie movies forever. I watch it whenever I get a chance, even the spliced up versions on Syfy and AMC.

Go ahead and debate, call me insane, call me brilliant. (LOL well that last one is just a wee hope).

Have a super weekend my friends, my family!!

T Is For Julie Taymor

It's Tuesday and I am already wanting the next weekend. Yikes! Anyway...I wanted to let you all know that I will be spotlighting the awesome E.J. Wesley this coming Sunday. He's graciously consented to visit and let me ask a couple of questions to find out some of his secrets.

It's T day here on the A to Z and I am spotlighting the incredible director Julie Taymor. Brilliant does not even begin to describe this woman who has received numerous prestigious awards in theater, film and academia including a MacArthur Foundation genius grant and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

She got her start in the late 70's when she formed her own theater company Teatr Loh, which toured throughout Indonesia and the Untied States. From there she went to work collaborating with The Theater for a New Audience developing and later directing productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew and Titus Andronicus. Her greatest theater success came in 1997 when she developed, directed and designed the costumes for the international hit musical The Lion King. Her work on this production garnered her two Tony awards, one for directing and one for costume design. She became the first woman to win a Tony for directing a musical. To date The Lion King musical has earned 6 billion in ticket sales and currently has nightly productions in 45 countries.

In the late 90's Julie turned to film where she adapted her production of Titus for the big screen. It starred Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange and Alan Cumming. She went on to direct Frida, the story of artist Frida Kahlo. It received six Academy Award nominations, ultimately winning two for Original Score and Make Up. Oscar would come calling again in 2007 for Taymor's film Across the Universe, a 60's love story set to Beatles music.

As if theater and film weren't enough, Julie has also found success in directing operas. She has directed productions of The Magic Flute for the Metropolitan Opera and The Flying Dutchman for the Los Angeles Opera. She filmed her production of Oedipus Rex and it received an Emmy Award and the International Classical Music Award for Best Opera Production.

My mind is blown by the sheer talent of this woman. And you know what?...She shares my birthday, December 15. We Sagittarians are in a class by ourselves, I must say.

Q Is For Joanna Quinn

It's Friday, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! These last couple of days have been drowning Chitown and the rest of the Midwestern area. I had to take a canoe to work and half expected to see the animals lining up two by two. I can't believe we are nearing the end of week three of the A to Z. High fives my fellow challengers, keep up the amazing work.

My Q entry is for animator, director and producer Joanna Quinn. Her first animated feature was Girls Night Out in 1987. It featured her distinctive style, drawn on paper and animated by hand. This film introduced the world to Beryl, an anti heroine who has many a misadventure while on her way to see a male stripper. Quinn's studio, Beryl Productions is named after her quirky girl.

Joanna has gone on to create 5 more animated features including Body Beautiful, Famous Fred, Elles and Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath. Her studios have produced commercial animated shorts for companies like United Airlines and Charmin. In the US, I'm sure we are all familiar with the red and blue toilet paper bears. 

She has been twice nominated for an Academy Award and has won 4 BAFTAs. Her work has garnered her 2 Emmy awards as well as the Leonardo da Vinci International Art Award. Joanna has also earned jury prizes at every major international animation competition such as Annecy, France. 2008 saw her work compiled into an international exhibit called Drawings That Move.

P Is For Rachel Portman

Yay!! I am back to single letters now, all caught up with my awesome A to Z challengers. To visit these incredible people, please click at the top of my side bar.

I'm still getting caught up with all my visits. It's been a week or so I tell you. Say did any of you out there catch the premiere of Sy Fy's Defiance? I DVR'd it and hope to catch it this weekend. I hope it was as good or better than the hype.

On with the show...

Rachel Portman is an award winning composer. Born in England, she was educated at Oxford and began her career in the early 80's. She has scored over 80 films including Emma, The Cider House Rules, Benny and Joon, The Joy Luck Club, Chocolat, The Manchurian Candidate remake, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, The Duchess and The Vow. She was the first woman to win an Academy Award for her film score, winning in1996 for Emma, but also received nominations for Cider House and Chocolat.

Her other work includes a children's opera, The Little Prince and a musical based on the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. In May 2010 she was honored by BMI with the Richard Kirk Award which is bestowed on composers who have made significant contributions in the realm of film and television music. She is the only woman to ever receive this honor so far. This award came on the heels of being appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her work.

When I was researching this piece, I found that Rachel had done a huge amount of film scores that I really love and actually own. It's great to see women making their way in this still hugely male dominant arena.

F Is For Tina Fey

I can't believe that Week One in the A To Z is over already. Wow, time does fly. I hope all my fellow challengers out there are having as great a time as I am. Thank you for dropping by my little corner of the blogosphere, I appreciate the support from the bottom of my heart. To visit all the other incredible participants, please click on the top of my side bar.I'm really late with this today because well, while I'm not hung over, I did have a lot of fun last night. Hey, a girl has got have to some party time, right?

I also want to extend a HUGE hug and many, many thanks to Michael Di Gesu for his completely brilliant and amazing intro for my story collection Encore Performances. Thank you all so much for visiting.

What can I say about Tina Fey? Ms. Tina is my girl and she has become one of the most powerful women in comedy and television.The first female head writer of Saturday Night Live, creator, writer and producer of her own television show, 30 Rock, she has blazed a bright trail for young women and girls everywhere. She is also an actor, author and works tirelessly for charities like Mercy Corps and Autisim Speaks. Ms. Fey also speaks regularly on women's issues, pushing to see that we keep getting our fair share.

Tina has made some powerful lists that skew predominantly toward the male of the species like the Time 100 (In 2007, 2009), which magazine deems the 100 most influential people in the world. She was also a three time member of the Forbes annual Celebrity 100, a list of the most powerful celebrities.

Fey has numerous accolades for her work including 7 Emmy Awards, 2 Golden Globes, 5 SAG awards and 4 WGA awards. There has not been a woman with this much influence in television and comedy since those two redheads, Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett. Tina is definitely a powerful badass.

D Is For Bette Davis

We're moving right along with the A to Z, and I am loving all the themes this year. To visit more of my amazing fellow challengers, please click on the top right of my side bar.

I'm going back old school today with Miss Bette Davis. We are all very familiar with her filmography, and I know I'm spotlighting women who are lesser known, but I could not resist Ms. D. She was one wicked smart, badass lady. She knew the score with the studios, how actors were signed to these stifling contracts and loaned out to various projects whether they wanted to do the film or not. She tried unsuccessfully in 1936 to free herself from her contract, but her fight inspired other stars to try the same. Bette also continued to stand up for herself, going toe to toe with studio execs whenever they crossed the line with her. No one dared tread on Ms. Bette.

During the war years, she co-founded The Hollywood Canteen with Jules Stein and John Garfield. It was a place where servicemen could relax and enjoy good food, drinks and entertainment free of charge. She devoted a lot of time there and served as its president. She was an equal opportunity entertainer and performed as the only white member of an entertainment troupe formed by Hattie McDaniel and Lena Horne to entertain African American servicemen. For efforts on behalf of the troops, she was given the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, the highest civilian honor from the Department of Defense.

She served as the first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the first woman to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. She was also the first to receive ten Academy Award nominations. Between film, television and Broadway, Bette had more than 100 roles to her credit, always finding a way to succeed just when it appeared her career was at a standstill.  And she did the bulk of this as a single parent of three children.

I've always admired Bette and indeed my favorite performances by her come from Of Human Bondage All About Eve, What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? and Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte. She always stood up for herself and was not afraid to be seen as a bitch. In an era when women were expected to conduct themselves in grace and silence, she roared like a lion.

B Is For Zoe Bell

It's Day 2 of the Big A to Z and things are moving right along. Please check out the other awesome participants by clicking the button on the top right of my side bar.

I know many of you probably thought I would spotlight Katheryn Bigelow, first female winner of the Best Director Oscar and whose film, Zero Dark Thirty, was nominated for Best Picture this year. But I want to shine a light on talented and powerful women in Hollywood you may or may not know. One of these amazing ladies is stunt woman and actress Zoe Bell.

Her career started in 1992 at age 14 when she jumped out of a car for the New Zealand soap Shortland Street. She moved on to do stunts for Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, where she doubled for Lucy Lawless. At one point, she fractured a vertebrae doing wire work and continued to work for a week until a chair smashed across her back during another sequence put her out of commission for a while.

She doubled for Uma Thurman in the Kill Bill films, where she learned to fight wushu style for the job. Zoe  impressed Tarantino so much that he gave her a role in his Grindhouse feature Death Proof. Bell has gone on to do stunt work in other Q projects including Inglorious Basterds and most recently Django Unchained. Her other stunt work includes such films as Ultraviolet, Catwoman (where she performed a 200 foot fall), Poseidon, Penny Dreadful, The Kingdom, The Collector,The Proposal, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters and the new Tom Cruise film, Oblivion, where  she also has a small role.

Bell also has twenty-two acting titles to her credit including Whip It, Gamer, Oblivion, The Baytown Outlaws as well as such television shows as Lost, CSI: Miami, Alias and Hawaii Five-O.

Zoe has won three World Stunt Awards, one for Best Fight and two for Best Overall Stunt by a Woman.
She has been nominated for and won a Maverick Movie Award for Best Stunt. Bell has a reputation for dedication, skill and focus. I think she is one bad ass bitch, making her way to the top in a very masculine environment.

Are you all enjoying yourselves so far? I'm really digging all the posts I've seen so far.

A Is For Dorothy Arzner

Today kicks off the Awesome and Incredible A to Z Challenge. Yay!!! It was started by the most amazing man, Arlee Bird. Thank you, Arlee, for bringing our community together with this wonderful event. A huge, warm welcome to all first timers here and of course, all my friends. I love having you here and it makes me smile that you have chosen to visit my little corner of the blogosphere. You can visit my fellow participants by clicking on the button at the top right of my sidebar. Have fun!

My theme this year is Powerful Women In Hollywood. I am including trailblazers among this crowd and first up is Dorothy Arzner. Her directing career spanned the 1920's to the early 1940's and she was the only woman working as a director at this time.She is also the woman with the greatest number of directorial titles to her name with 21.

Growing  up in L.A. where her father owned a restaurant frequented by celebrities, Dorothy actually first dreamed of being a doctor.To that end she attended the University of Southern California. During her time there, World War I broke out and Dorothy left to be an ambulance driver near the Western Front. After her experiences during the war, she left her pursuit of medicine to concentrate instead on making films.

She joined Paramount Studios in 1922 as a stenographer, then scriptwriter. From there, she moved quickly into film editing where her first assignment was Blood and Sand starring Rudolph Valentino. Impressed by her work on the film, director James Cruze hired her as editor and writer for some of his films. Dorothy directed her first film in 1927, Fashions For Women. It was a financial success for the studio and led to other projects. She directed silent film star Clara Bow in her first talkie, The Wild Party. Set in a woman's college, the film projected strong-willed, independent and free-thinking women. These female character types were a hallmark of Arzner's work. Another theme to her work were the underlying lesbian tones, which were promptly villified after the Hays Code went into effect. In 1932 she left Paramount to pursue her craft as an independent director. During the 30's she worked with such  notable actresses as Katherine Hepburn (Christopher Strong) Joan Crawford (The Bride Wore Red) and Rosalind Russell (Craig's Wife). In 1936 she became the first woman member of the Directors Guild of America.

She retired from directing feature films in 1943 and went on to direct television commercials, produced plays and eventually became a professor at the UCLA film school where she taught until her death in 1979.

Fun Fact: Dorothy is the great aunt of actress Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne, Big Bang Theory) and member of The Steppenwolf Theater company.

SPOILERS AHOY (I MEAN IT, IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED WD, DO NOT READ)

Okay, last night was the season finale of Walking Dead and Oh.My. GOOOODDDD!!!!! So much happened. We said good-bye to Milton, poor little misunderstood geek. I really gave him a hard time and was oh so wrong about him. First, he got his ass beat by the Gov, who figured out it was Milton that BBQ'd the walkers. Then, when he won't kill Andrea, the Gov stabs him to death, told him was going to kill Andrea one way or another. Props to Milty for hanging on as long as he could to give Andrea, handcuffed to the dental chair, a fighting chance. Governor Pyscho Pants wasn't finished, though. Oh no siree Bob he wasn't. He took Team Woodbury to annihilate Team Prison and when they got their asses kicked, Old boy finally drop-kicked what was left of his sanity and killed Team Woodbury. And that little bitch Allen bought it with a head shot by the Gov during the slaughter. Buh and Bye.

Now we come to Carl.  He killed a kid from Woodbury during the fight even though the teen was surrendering to Carl and Hershel. Hershel may have been horrified and I was for about a second. But Carl had to put that kid down. He was defending his baby sister, whom Rick had entrusted to Carl. When it's babies, there is no hesitation. Shoot first, then ask what's going on. I'm pissed at Rick for even trying to take Carl to task over it. I mean, didn't the Ricktator put down two guys, no hesitation, at the bar back in Season 2 when it appeared they were a threat? Hello Pot, it's Kettle. And Carl coldly pointed out that any attempt at mercy or even a hesitation gets you killed. He failed to kill the walker that came back and killed Dale, Rick failed to kill prisoner Andrew and Andrew got Laurie killed. Rick failed to kill the Governor at their meeting and look what happened. Sad and scary, but Carl is right.

Moving on to Andrea. I have never really liked this woman at all. She was showing signs of getting cool, but then she banged the Crazy Train. I wanted her gone, gone, gone. I got my wish, but she went out with dignity and took walker Milton with her. I thought I would be doing the Happy Dance, but it was kind of sad. And we end with the remnants of Woodbury moving into the prison while the Gov and his minions are on the run.  Should be an epic Season 4. I can't wait for October!

SPOILERS OVER (IT'S SAFE TO GO BACK TO READING)

There you have it, my A to Z and my Walking Dead round up. Did everyone have a good weekend?

Last Post Before The Big A To Z

So Monday begins the Big A To Z Challenge and I am no where near ready, hopefully I can get some posts done this weekend. I know I won't be able to schedule them. For some reason Blogger never seems to understand that function for me. I've tried everything, but to no avail. Blogger thinks I need to do all my posts in person. Bastard! To all of my fellow challengers, the best of luck to you and I hope you all make some fantastic new connections and friends. We really are a fantastic community and I am very happy to be a part of this great event with you. 

Never fear, its not all about the challenge. On Monday I will have my usual Walking Dead round up. You know I could not forget about that. I mean, the big season finale is HERE!!! I cannot wait to see how they are going to wind this season up. However, I'm so sad it will begone til October...

I want to wish you all a Happy Easter and hope you have a great time this weekend. My family is going their own way this year and I'll be watching movies and relaxing til Dead time. Ahh  Bliss... ;)

Monday Reveal, Walker Round Up And Other Things

It's Monday again, Imaginarians and this chica does not want to move. I wish I could have remained all snugged up in my bed, but I got to pay my bills. I did have a great weekend, though. I finally caught up on Vikings and finished The Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw. It's about the lobstermen of Maine. What a great, great book. For those of  you who aren't familiar with her, she was one of the first female captains of the Gloucester sword boat fleet and captained the Hannah Boden, sister ship of the ill-fated Andrea Gail from Sebatian Junger's book Perfect Storm. An amazing and strong woman. In fact she is the perfect seque into my next topic, my A to Z theme reveal.

My awesome friend Mina Lobo from Some Dark Romantic and the equally incredible David Macauley from Brits in the USA co-hosted  a blog hop last week in which the participants revealed the themes for the big A to Z Challenge. I am horribly, horribly late, but I wanted to participate any way. Last year my theme was strong women and this year is a further exploration of that theme.  I am posting about Powerful Women Of Hollywood, examining the women who influence film and television through their writing, directing, producing, acting and musical talents and expertise. I hope you enjoy my look at these 26 amazing women.

SPOILERS AHOY (I MEAN IT. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IT AS I CAN"T KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT)

Okay, it is Dead Time. Holy guacamole what  an episode last night. Merle knew deep down that Rick would never have the stomach to turn Michonne over to Governor Psycho Pants, so he played the heavy.  He shouldered the burden by cold-cocking my katana girl and hauling her to the meet and greet site. I really admire her composure and the way she kept her head throughout, especially when Merle's hot-wiring attracted that swarm of walkers. She had the best zombies kills of the night, decapitating one with a wire and smashing the head of another with her boot. All while tied up. Badass to the bone, I tell you.

Merle had me blinking a few times when he let Michonne go before they even made it to Ground Zero. I could see that they had been building up to something like this with Merle ever since he escaped the gladiator games in Circus Woodbury. He was reunited with Daryl and could see how the months they'd been apart changed his little brother, even if at first he reviled those changes. But the way he went out, taking out as many of the Gov's henchmen as he could before finally going down in dirty ass fight with the Gov, who bit off Merle's finger, then spit them out ala Mike Tyson. Ewww!!

Most heartbreaking was seeing Daryl discover his brother. Norman Reedus gave one of the most poignant and wrenching performances of this season. I was almost in tears, then remembered it was Merle and stopped. Still, in spite of his assholishness, Merle took a huge one for Team Prison.

Glenn and Maggie are getting married!! I love how he got the ring too. Those walkers have to be good for something, he cut the finger right off and took that diamond. And Rick, giving that awesome speech about how their group was the greater good, that he was not their governor to tell them how to live, that they made their decisions together. High Fives! Man, I am DYING for the finale. You know, I can't believe its the finale already and Sundays are going to be taken over by the godawful Mad Men. If I had more time, I would enunciate each of the one thousand reasons why I hate this show and wish it would get cancelled.

SPOILERS OVER

Yesterday, I went bowling for my nephew, Cameron's B-Day. what a blast! I bowled a 113 and a 103 respectively. Not bad. How was your weekend? Anything cool? Do you hate Mondays like I do?