I.O.U.S.A.

I've been wanting to watch the documentary film, I.O.U.S.A for a while now, and thankfully the movie makers have produced a 30-minute version you can watch for free on their website. This is a must-watch movie on how much of a debt crisis the US faces, with some nifty graphics and historical perspective. Watch it ... trust me, you'd be glad you did!

Did You Know: "Magic Bullet" theory of JFK assassination

I'm watching PBS as I work, watching a show called Oswald's Ghost, and I was surprised to learn that the person who first proposed the theory that was later derided as the "magic bullet" theory was the Ranking Member of the US Senate, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA). If you don't know what the "magic bullet" theory, you have to watch Oliver Stone's brilliant movie, JFK, starring Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones.

Movie of the Day

The Boys of Baraka, an incredible story of a group of boys who were taken from their crime-ridden school in Baltimore to an experimental school in Kenya, and the dramatic turnaround in their lives. Without giving anything away, it's a damning indictment of the opportunities we afford our kids from the ghetto, and I think really makes a case for the voucher system.

While on the topic, here's a related quote of the day:

One of the most reliable predictors of whether a boy will succeed or fail in high school rests on a single question: does he have a man in his life to look up to? Too often, the answer is no. High rates of divorce and single motherhood have created a generation of fatherless boys. In every kind of neighborhood, rich or poor, an increasing number of boys—now a startling 40 percent—are being raised without their biological dads.

Be a mentor! You can't replace a dad, but if you can make a tiny bit of a difference in someone's life, then yours is a life worth living!

The Motorcycle Diaries

This last weekend, I saw the wonderful movie, The Motorcycle Diaries, a dramatization by Che Guevara of the roadtrip that changed his life. While I don't agree with all that Che did in his life, the movie is very moving, and gives pause even to a rabid capitalist like me. It helps to put in perspective the significance of electoral wins by Evo Morales, the indigenous cocoa-grower who won the presidency of Bolivia. Don't get me wrong - I think am a strong believer in free markets ... I have seen even modest reforms alleviate poverty in India, a poverty sustained by a bureaucracy for half a decase. In fact, governments in some cases can be far more ruthless than any corporation.

Anyway, this thoughtstream has just motivated me to add yet another book to my "wishlist" of books I intend to read in the next few weeks/months - Hernando De Soto's The Mystery of Capital. I had heard de Soto a long time back being interviewed by Bill Moyers, and found myself riveted.

Born Into Brothels

This weekend, I saw the wonderful documentary, Born Into Brothels, a moving story of children born in the world's oldest brothel, Sonagachi in Kolkotta, India. I often found myself tearing up, and was swept off my feet by the kids featured. It's essentially a tale of Zana Briski, a NY-based photographer who teaches the kids of the brothel photography and tries to use their art to get them out of the brothels and into a decent school. It was truly a wake-up call for me for the needs of so many children, for school, for a decent life, for love ... the children we forget while focussing on meaningless crap from movies to sports. This movie moved me, but I only hope I can keep it in mind rather than allowing myself to drift into the same old habits.

You can learn more about the movie and the kids at the Kids with Cameras website

Adversity

I saw the movie 'Marvin's Room' on CBS today. It was quite a good movie, especially since I had found myself recently contemplating adversity. Why do people have to have such struggles in life - from health issues to financial to emotional? This movie, staring Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep and Leo de Caprio among others, was perfect viewing at this time. I had heard 'adversity builds character', but I also realized it so deeply shapes the lives we lead. It forces us out of our complacency, out of our self-obsessed lives of indulgence, to look outside and within.

I recently spoke to an aunt I haven't spoken to in at least 15 years because of concerns with her health. I had thought of calling her before, but it was always, well frankly uncomfortable to do so after all these years. And yet, when hard times are on us, we leave our cushy lives and do things we think we are not ready for. And we always feel empowered when we leave our comfort zones, the freedom from entrapment!

The movie also made me contemplate growing old, growing dependent, death ... all these events we try to block out of our lives. So I'm forcing myself to contemplate these, even though I hope to have a half century or so left in me. Because I feel when we can accept death, we can accept life as it is.

I'd love to hear from my small pool of readers on their thoughts on such matters. Please use the comment form if you feel you have anything to say or share.

Truman Show

I watched 'The Truman Show' the other day. Very nice movie starring Jim Carrey. I enjoyed the deep underlying message and was wondering if others caught it too. If you watched the movie, please comment on the movie and the hidden message.

In the Bedroom

I watched the movie 'In the Bedroom' last night. Don't let the name fool you - this isn't a soft porn movie or the like ... it's actually a wonderful movie, which earned 5 Academy Award nominations. I won't let you in on the story (I liked watching it cold) but I will say it was very interesting. However, be warned: this isn't one of those big studio productions, and lacks the "momentum" that those movies do. The focus is not just on a story, but adequately (and may I add brilliantly) conveying the emotions of the characters. I give it two thumbs up!!