Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've blogged. Life became busy. For a long time, I wanted to have my own domain name and to upgrade to a better blog. So, I made a huge jump to buying a domain and setting up a new blog over at wordpress.com.

Here is the new address for the blog: www.moxiemocha.com

Go on over and check it out!

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

I bet you didn't think I was going to write about you like I did for Mom. You are just as important to me as Mom is. You have influenced my life in many ways.

Bluegrass Music Appreciation

Yes, I'm deaf, yet you've taught me the love and the powerful rhythm that bluegrass and acoustic country music has. To this day, I love listening to Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe, Jimmy Skaggs, and many others. I remember Sundays that you and I would listen to the music on the National Public Radio from Athens. You showed me the rhythm by tapping your fingers and your toes and putting my hands close to the speakers. You've taught me a little bit of the history of bluegrass music. It was developed in the Appalachians -- which is where our family is strongly rooted. Through music, you've taught me to be proud of my identity, and to remember my heritage.

Value of Hard Work

Dad, you worked very hard to be where you are today. Working as a deputy sheriff and as a farmer was not easy. I still don't know how you did it. Watching you work taught me the importance of working, the joy of working, and the steadiness of working regardless of bad or good times. Also, I've learned that if you want to get what you want, you'll have to do the hard work. Where did I learn that? On the farm. Especially in that huge garden with potato patches, 'punkin' patches, green beans, tomatoes, peas, cabbage, and cucumber patches. If we want the fresh and good vegetables, we have to plow the dirt, plant and cover, water when needed, hoe and plow, dig and harvest the vegetables.

Communication & Learning

Dad, you learned ASL to communicate with me. Not many fathers do this. You're one of the lucky few. Through you using ASL, I've learned so much about the world. I learned a lot about the farm, because you used ASL to tell me how to milk a cow, how to feed a baby calf, how to feed the chickens, how to chase a cow back into the pasture, how to fix a fence, how to plant potatoes, and how to lead Flossie, an old pony. Yes, on the farm, I complained of the heat, the mosquitoes, the sun, the wind, the cold, and the rain... It may have seemed to you that I was never happy; I admit I was and still am a complainer. Yet over the years, I've mellowed.

Oh... you taught me a lot about the Indians who lived in Ohio, and we went searching for Indian arrows in the cornfields. That was fun! I've learned so much from you about police work. I remember us hunting for marijuana plants in the cornfields, and how we found them even in our own cornfields. Did you ever find the people involved? I forget if you did or not.

You also shared the love of geography and geology with me. You love looking at maps, and so do I. We watched geological TV shows together and discuss how the continents changed due to the glaciers from the Ice Age. You explained to me how to identify a hill and a mountain, by looking at the rock layers.

I remember one time you asked me to help communicate with a 'crazy deaf' woman. I was so young, and you figured out that she was pretending to be deaf. That was my first exposure to a person with mental illness. I was shocked to see a person who can do that. Because of that experience, I understand sometimes people can't help themselves and they need help. You were there to see that she got the help.

Presence

Dad - you've always been there when I need you. You supported and encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to do. If you felt I was working or thinking too hard, you used to say, "I can see the steam coming out of your head. You may want to cool that off," with your head cocked a little to the right and your finger pointing to me. You knew that it was important for me to get my education, and you followed through with Mom. I wouldn't be where I am today with you and Mom.

Thanks for being my dad.

Summary:

"The Proof" (2005) was directed by John Maddon. Gywenth Paltrow played Catherine, the daughter of the famous but disturbed mathematics professor in Chicago. The movie began on Catherine's 27th birthday. Her father (Anthony Hopkins) just died of aneurysm a few days before. She lived with him for five years, and took  care of him. In the beginning of the movie, she expressed concerns about her becoming crazy like her dad. In her "dreams," her dad told her that "crazy" people would never admit that they're crazy nor would they question if they're crazy. She dropped out of Northwestern; she was studying mathematics. Meanwhile, her sister, Claire, was living and working in Manhattan. Claire flew in for the funeral and to help take care of the affairs. On Catherine's 27th birthday, a Ph.D. student, Hal, dropped by to look over her dad's notes and books to see if her dad ever developed any proof. After the one night stand between Hal (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Catherine, she gave him a book of proof that she claimed she did it. However, Hal and Claire did not believe her. The truth is revealed at the end of the movie.

Review:

First of all, the scenery in this movie has sentimental value for me. My husband lived in Chicago for four years, and he lived close to the University of Chicago. His seminary graduation was at the Rockefeller Chapel, which was where the funeral scene was filmed. The Point at the Lake was where I was proposed; this is where Catherine and her father sat on the bench at the lake in few scenes. I didn't realize how much I miss Chicago until I saw the movie.

Secondly, I enjoyed the plot -- trying to figure out who wrote the proof, whether if Catherine is crazy, and the interactions between Catherine, Hal, the father, and Claire. Let me warn you: There were a lot of flashbacks, and I had to keep reminding myself which is which - the past and the present. I liked that challenge, and kept me intrigued. Catherine, at times, was not lucid, so you had to decide if she was sane or not. It was almost as if you were a participant rather than a spectator in this movie, without posing any questions.

Thirdly, I really like this movie. I know I sound like a teenager, but I can't think of a better way of saying it at the moment. So please forgive me for the lack of better wording. I didn't fall asleep during this movie like I did with the Pirates. I'm quite impressed with Paltrow's, Hopkins's, and Gyllenhaal's acting in this movie. They delivered the lines well. They were into their characters; they were believable.

Overall, it's a good movie to queue in your Netflix or Blockbuster.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Oh... by the way, I feel little geeky after watching this movie. I forgot to mention -- there's some math in the movie, which I believe raised a few IQ points. (okay, that was a bad joke.)

I've seen all three Pirates movies this week. I planned to watch the third one at the movie theatre, since it was open captioned. My friends and colleagues informed me that I need to watch the first two in order to understand the third movie. Luckily, I was able to watch the first movie on television, and the second one was from my friend's DVD. Thanks to my friend.

Let's see... the first one, "The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" was not too impressive. I found the plot to be "blah" and "flat." Johnny Depp really made Captain Jack look like a rock star of the pirates, which I find interesting. Also, it was hard to figure out if Captain Jack is gay or not. I read that Depp created that character, and I wonder why he did that. It certainly made it interesting and fun to watch. Captain Jack's actions were funny. However, I didn't find the humor in the fighting between Captain Jack and Captain Barbossa -- they were trying to kill each other but they can't. They're the "undead." My friends thought it was funny. Ha, ha, ha. (note the sarcasm) Basically what happens is that Will Turner was searching for his love, Elizabeth Swann, who was kidnapped by Captain Barbossa. Captain Jack Sparrow came to help Will in this search. Captain Barbossa and his crew were cursed as the "undead." That includes Captain Jack. So, there must be a sacrifice and a missing Aztec coin to bring back the "undead" to life. Captain Jack got his ship, "The Black Pearl," while Will and Elizabeth got together.

Then, the second movie... "The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Dead Man's Chest" was a little better and had more action. The plot is a little more complicated than the first. Davy Jones is a really ugly character with an octopus for a head. I love the water wheel scene. That was hilarious. I love how Captain Jack says, "Savvy!"  Read on to find out what happens. Captain Jack owes a debt to Davy Jones, who is a captain of "The Flying Dutchman." It's a ship with a crew from the underworld. Jack needs to find the heart of Davy Jones, which is locked up in a chest. Turner and Elizabeth came to help Captain Jack on this journey. Through a long wild goose chase, the British captain got a hold of the heart and used it to lure Captain Jack. However, Captain Jack becomes stuck in the "Locker of Davy Jones." At the end, we meet Calypso.

The last movie, "The Pirates of the Caribbean: The World's End," was the best of the three. I hate to admit this, but I fell asleep twice during this movie. I guess it was cold and dark, and I was tired before I came to the movie theatre. This movie is the longest of the three: almost three hours! There were long and dragged out fights. There was a little too much action for me to follow and to figure out who is fighting whom. However, I like the plot of this movie, because it gave a little more complicity and more in-depth. You can see the classic good vs evil conflict, and this movie is the darkest of the three. I like how Captain Barbossa married Will and Elizabeth in the middle of the sword fight. That was funny and a little too much at the same time. Of all the characters, Elizabeth Swann has grown over the three movies. Captain Jack and Will Turner's characters were a little flat in all three movies. I wish there were more depth to them; perhaps the audience would like to have a clue to what they're thinking and feeling. Here is what happens: we return to where Captain Jack is -- in Davy Jones' locker. Will and Elizabeth and the crew came to rescue him. They came to fight Davy Jones and Beckett, the British captain of the Eastern Trading Company. Beckett formed an alliance with Davy Jones to control the seas and to get rid of the pirates. Jack, Barbossa, Will, Elizabeth and others called for a meeting with the Council. They have decided to release Calypso, Jones's lover.  At the end, the pirates and Davy Jones/Beckett fought, and ended with some interesting consequences for Will and Elizabeth

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars

Summary:

Julio and his friend, Tenoch, were making plans for the summer. Julio is from the lower class; Tenoch's father has a position with the Mexican government. They were into drugs and booze. At the wedding, they met a woman, Luisa, wife of Tenoch's cousin. She joined them on a road trip to a made up beach on the Oaxacan coast. During the trip, there were tension building up between them. Luisa had relations with both of them, and both of them were "vying for her affection." They argued with each other, which almost destroyed their relationship. Also, the narrator tells you about what happens later on, and about the accidents that occurred on the road that the boys took.

This movie won awards in 2001. Alfonso Cuaron, a Mexican born and New York based filmmaker, was the director.

Review

This movie is hilarious and funny. Surprising events keep you interested and make you laugh. Whatever preconceptions I had, I was wrong. It kept me awake, which is a good thing. Half of the time I am too tired to watch a movie. So it's a good thing if a movie can keep me awake. I'm  fascinated with the commericialization of America in Mexico: Ruffles potato chips, mega stores, the life in Mexico City vs. rural areas, and so forth. The landscape where it was filmed is beautiful. However, swimming with leaves in the pool is not my thing. These boys didn't care. I shiver to think of what kind of bacteria or whatever is in that pool. Yuck! Dialogue between these them and Luisa piqued my attention; they had interesting discussions about life in general.

Deleted scenes are subtitled. Closed captioning is provided during the movie, including off-stage sounds and references to the speakers.

Rating

4 out of 5 stars

I'm really tired tonight. Please forgive my mistakes up there. :)

Let us remember men and women who have died fighting for our freedoms. Without them, we wouldn't be where we are today. These men and women have fought with valiant and honor. They stood up for something that is greater than all of us: the ideal of a country living in freedom and all people having representation in government. Sadly, many countries do not have that liberty. Nor are they aware of their potential of creating something like this in their country.

We should be thankful for being who we are. Americans. We take our freedoms for granted, not fully realizing that these freedoms came with a cost, our soldiers who died.

Let us take a moment of silence to remember those who died in all wars.



Image is from this website: http://www.hattiesburg.org/media/images/uploaded/americanflag.jpg

Update: I didn't know that almost every other blogger already written about this topic. I was working today, and came straight home to write my thoughts. I hadn't even read other blogs until after the fact. Oh well. At least, some people remembered and expressed their feelings about Memorial Day.

I recently received an email from the public relations firm for  Contemporary Museum in Baltimore about the deaf artist's exhibit. I was honored to receive a notification; I'm sure that they have sent it out to several bloggers out there. One blogger, Fookem and Bug, received the same email and has posted the email and the flyer.

Joseph Grigely is a deaf artist who created a video presentation based on the misunderstandings caused by lip-reading. He also collected the notes that he had written with other hearing people and have it displayed as an art.  There are other works he created based on his memory of sound and his experiences as a deaf person. I don't know what kind of media that will be. I'm looking forward to attending this exhibit, and I plan to write my critique of his work. It will be posted here.

When: May 6-August 16
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 pm; Thursdays from noon to 7 pm.
Where: Contemporary Museum, 100 West Centre Street, Baltimore, Maryland

Last weekend, i watched Spiderman 3 with open captions at the local theatre. The movie started after a long 15 minute session of previews, but there weren't any open-captions. So I got up and went to see the movie theatre attendant to see if this particular theatre is supposed to have open-captions. He verified, and he went to turn it on. I was thinking... that's all they have to do? Push a button to turn it on? Hmm... why do they set up weird times to have the movie open-captioned? I know... it's the marketing and the demographics. And that people don't want to "read" the captions. Blah, blah. Whatever!

Summary: I'm not bothering to write up a summary since most people know what it is about. Spiderman saves the city of New York. What else? :)

Review: I didn't know what to expect from Spiderman 3. I haven't seen Spiderman 1 or 2. All I knew about Spiderman was that he likes to climb skyscrapers and fly using his spider web thingy. The movie started with the most boring, no... one of the more boring... beginnings that I've seen. It took 45 minutes to actually get to the "meat" of the story. There was a lot of action. There was that classic fight between good and evil. The plot focuses on what one can do with the evil and how it impacts the character. There was a love story intertwined in the story, which I think attracts the female viewers, i.e. chicks. I think the movie was trying to be an action film for men and a chick flick for women. As you can tell, I was not totally impressed with the movie, and I was bored with the movie.

Rating: Sorry Spiderman fans... I'll have to give it a 2 1/2 stars out of 5.

I was feeling a little down these days... then I found this videoclip,"Just Imagine," through StumbleUpon. Ilana Yahav is an artist who uses sand on a glass table to create images. She also created other videoclips at her website. These videoclips look cool, but I haven't seen them all. I'm quite impressed. Oh yeah, I feel a little better now. :)

In this blog, Deaf in the City, there is a well-written essay about the NCLB law and how it impacts deaf children taking state tests. I am impressed with his research, because he cited several blogs that showed the stress and unfairness of high-stakes testing in both hearing and deaf worlds. The story of the school in California really tears my heart. Unfair! The NCLB law is really a mess, and it needs to be revised. Contact your representative and senator to do something about it.

Tonight, I "stumbled upon" this cool website. One can create a storyboard using the templates for background scenes, characters, and text boxes. One can upload his/her own pictures into the storyboard. It goes up to 10 chapters and 80 pages. Wow... that's a lot. Go and check it out. I'm going to have fun with this one. Once I'm done creating a story, I'll see a way for me to share it with you. :) If you want to share, please do.

Original Sin (2001)

Summary
A man from Havana, Cuba meets his mail-order bride from Wilmington, Delaware. The bride turns out to be an actress pretending to be her. The real bride was murdered. The man doesn't know about it until she runs away with his money. He finds her and brings her back. The private investigator searches for her and investigates the mail-order bride murder. He turns out to be an accomplice of the actress. There's much more to the story, and I don't want to give away too much.

Review
At first, I was not interested in the movie, because I did not have great first impressions of Antonio Banderas and Angelie Jolie. I knew that they were both very good looking people, but can they act? I was doubtful. After watching the first several minutes, I realize that my "original" impressions were wrong. I admit that. They're good looking and good actors.

The plot of the movie was gripping and kept me on my feet. The first conflict was about her stealing the money, and then they came back together. Second was when the private investigator (PI) told the man that she killed the mail-order bride. Lastly, it was about the relationship with the PI, which I'm not going to reveal. Yet... close to the end, I was anxious to get the movie over with. One can see the ending from a mile away. When I saw the ending, I was shocked. It was not what I expected it to be; let's just say, it ended happily.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodbye Lenin (2003)

Summary
The young man grew up in East Germany. His mother had a heart attack just when East Germans were protesting which led to the fall of the Berlin Wall. She then went into coma for eight months. She missed all of the changes during that time. So the son decided to keep everything just like it was before the fall, because the mother was heavily involved in the Communist party. He felt that it would be too much for her, and she would have another heart attack which possibly will kill her.

Review
This movie is fascinating to watch. It brought back memories of what happened in Germany in 1990. I found it interesting about how the son had changed and matured while she was in coma. When she woke up, he fell asleep one time while taking care of her.  She got up and walked out of the apartment. She saw the changes. That's when she had to grow up, too. My favorite comedic part was when his girlfriend, a student nurse, was practicing putting on cast, they had an argument. She got up and left the bathroom. He was stuck in the bathtub, and he tried to get up.

This movie is much better than "Wings of Desire," a German film with Peter Falk. The plot of "Goodbye Lenin" hooks you in, and you would want to know how it ended. "Wings of Desire" was much more complex, and it was not easy for me to sit and relax while watching it. Yes, "Wings of Desire" was a good movie (it won an award at Cannes Film Festival) but it required deep thinking. "Goodbye Lenin" didn't require deep thought, and you can enjoy the plot better.

The ending was good. I'm not going to spoil it. Go and watch it!

Rating
4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

I was on Stumble Upon over the weekend, and I found this web video called "Dance, Monkeys, Dance." It looked really cool, but it had audio. Unfortunately, it was not captioned. So I contacted James Short of harkle.com to see if there is a way to get this captioned. James then emailed Ernie Cline, the person who created the dancing monkeys, and Ernie was willing to provide the transcript to get it captioned. Within two days, it's captioned. Yippie! See what one can do by email! :)

James put it on two websites: www.harkle.com and http://dotsub.com/films/dancemonkeys. It's a feature film on harkle.com; on dotSUB.com, it will be translated into foreign languages.

After viewing "Dance, Monkeys, Dance" with captions, I now understand it's a slam poem about "monkeys," i.e. humans. I love how the writer used the perspective of the monkey and a sense of humor in the poem and combined the photos with the poem.

So if you find something interesting online and it's not captioned, contact James Short at jshort@harkle.com. :) (FYI: He will contact the producer of the online media for permission, and try to get it captioned.)

I don't know if you all know about Rocketboom.com. It's a public service announcement about current events and/or satire about everyday life. This is one of my favorite programs, and I look forward to seeing this video every day when I get a chance.

Check to see what Michael Smolens of dotSUB.com says about captioning their videos. :) dotSUB.com is one of several online companies out there that captions media for the deaf. They also provide captions in other languages for the deaf and for the people who don't speak English.

Isn't this awesome!!! Please support this, and let them know how much you appreciate their efforts to do this.

UPDATE: Thanks to Todos la vie for asking the question. Once you get to dotSUB.com website, click on Latest, and then you'll see "Michael at Rocketboom Session during Podcamp NYC." Click on that.

As for Rocketboom latest episodes, go to Latest, and then you'll see a list of different episodes, which are chronologically dated. Enjoy!