SPOTD E-mail #122

A lot is changing here at SPOTD headquarters. In conjunction with the impending arrival of the SPOTDaughter I am going to redesign the Spanish Phrase of the Day website. All of my blogging, picture posting, and other internetry will take place at that site. I have already moved the SPOTD blog to this new address: http://blog.spotd.net/, although the old address will still get you to the right place. What does this mean for you? Maybe nothing, but maybe its the most important and exciting news that you've heard all day!

Speaking of important, I've made a new video of Joseph. One day he was playing with markers and by the end of it the mess evoked a certain iconic hero, so I went with that inspiration and made this cheesy salute. Check it out.

Today's phrase:
From Tolstoi

Actual:
Todos quieren cambiar el mundo, pero nadie piensa en cambiarse así mismo.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable:
Toe-dose kyay-rain cahm-bee-arr ell moon-doe, pay-rwo nah-dyay pyain-sah ain cahm-bee-arr-say ah-see mees-moe.

Translation:
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.

I'm changing my website.


It's Miller Time
My old friend Joseph D. Miller is going to contribute to a blog written by some other friends, including SPOTD-reader and fellow conservative Maret Mitchell. His piece is called "Miller Monday," but I encourage you to check the whole thing out. I'm impressed with their rate of posting. Nothing like enthusiasm in the birth of a blog.
http://inrareform.wordpress.com/

Whitlock
The Imus kerfuffle is largely ended, but this is a great piece by Kansas City Star sportswriter Jason Whitlock on what the mess told us, as well as what it didn't.
http://www.kansascity.com/159/story/66339.html

Gators
For the Gator fans, I liked this interview with the wife of Urban Meyer, the football coach.
http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070411/SUNFRONT/704110348

Movie Stuff
Lacy and I watched Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles. It is an interesting story about a man trying to heal the rift between him and his dying son. It is a small story, in the sense that it is the kind of thing that happens every day, all over the world, and largely hidden from view. It has some beautiful images and shows the decency of normal people. I enjoyed it very much. It was directed by the man who made Hero and The House of Flying Daggers.
This is from Eric Snider's film review of Halle Berry's new film. I thought it was funny because it mirrored my first impression of that movie's title:
Why would you call your film "Perfect Stranger" if you didn't want people making jokes about Balki and Cousin Larry? What's next? "Growing Pain"? "Family Tie"? Any of those would probably be better (though not funnier) than the deadly serious thriller "Perfect Stranger," starring Halle Berry as Rowena, an investigative reporter who thinks a philandering advertising tycoon named Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis) may have killed her friend. To get more dirt, she takes a job as a temp at Hill's agency, cozying up to him so her tech-savvy colleague Miles (Giovanni Ribisi) -- who has a secret crush on Rowena -- can pry into Hill's e-mail accounts and look for clues. Directed by James Foley ("Glengarry Glen Ross," "The Chamber"), the film wants to be "Basic Instinct," but it has neither the trashiness nor the boldness to come even close. Most of its thrills are on the order of "Will the JPG get e-mailed in time?" and "Can Rowena juggle several different IM conversations at once?," resulting in a film that's polished and smooth without ever being interesting. And the finale? As Balki would say, don't be ree-dee-culous.

Goonies
I can't think of a place or time where this would not be good news: there is serious activity with the purpose of created a Goonies Broadway musical. It could be awesome.

Trailers:
Oceans 13: It looks promising, and perhaps more focused than the 2nd installment.
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/oceans13/trailer2a/
A few years ago we saw a foreign film entitled Mostly Martha. It was an enjoyable movie, and I was pleased to hear they were making a US version. I hope it portrays the warmth of the original.
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/noreservations/trailer1/
A lot, or all, of this film was shot in Gainesville. I don't know that it appeals to me as a film, but it sure looks like G-ville.
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/thehawkisdying/trailer/

Just Click
It might only matter if you agree with the latest Miller Monday (see above)
http://gethimabodybag.ytmnd.com/

Hook-ups
This article frightens me. I don't think this is a good development culturally, and it makes me wary of the expectations that it places in the minds of men toward women.

Link of the Day
I think Indian cinema and media is very entertaining. It can also be downright weird. This video is no exception to either adjective. I give you...Indian Thriller: