Good-bye to all the TURKEYS

GOOD-BYE GOOD-BYE GOOD-BYE





















Jiva

THE ONE AND ONLY ... BRAD PITT

IRRESISTIBLE BRAD...


















I have been following Brad Pitt's life ever since he romanced Juliette Lewis way back in 1990, almost twenty years ago. Juliette had caught my attention by emancipating herself at the age of 14, so she could work longer hours at the studios.
That was my introduction to Brad. I once had a standee of Brad, six feet high, in my bedroom from Legends of The Fall. Waking up every morning with Brad watching me was no unpleasant task, I assure you! Legends of The Fall is a dynamite film, no doubt about it, but my favorite is Meet Joe Black, and I don't even know why, it simply captures my attention from beginning to end, and I can watch it over and over and never tire of it. Troy was great, an epic film, and of course the sex scene in Thelma and Louise is classic! Wow.

Now Brad is in his prime, his relationship with Angelina seems to be the joy of his life. Their children bring laughter and surprises every day, filling their moments with happiness and love. I believe they must be Capitalists at heart, because they are both Ayn Rand fans, and Angelina has been signed to star in the film epic, Atlas Shrugged, which is presently languishing as it moves from one studio to another... but Lions Gate has it now, so maybe, 2010? Angelina will play the lead role of Dagny Taggert, heroine of the novel. The theme of the story is "The Mind on Strike," 1200 pages of suspense and action, yet loaded with philosophical insights that startled the intellectual community when it was first published way back in 1957. Ayn's novel The Fountainhead is probably my favorite book, and her film version with Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal is a classic Ayn Rand presentation. (See previous blog for more info and film clip).

Well, I just watched Legends of the Fall last night, I completely forgot how great it is, how much I love it, how fabulous is the plot, the characters, Anthony Hopkins is superb, Brad is unbelievably sexy, god almighty, that strength of character combined with his vulnerability, blended with his fierce tenacious penetrating eyes that tell you everything! MMMmmmm I LOVE BRAD !!! And Julia Ormond and Karina Lombard are delicious. What a romantic film. Makes me sorry I sold that standee. (I actually had a boyfriend who was jealous of dear Brad).
I'm always doing that... changing everything for some guy. Guys, ya gotta luv 'em.


Jiva

ISN'T THIS AMUSING...

And the beat goes on...

CALIFORNIA BURNING

It's Fall in California, the season of The Flames...
























Seems to be an Annual Event now, every year... I lived there in 1978, which was another big fire season... I stood on top of the Santa Monica Mountains and watched the flames roll up the hills, two hundred feet high, washing over the houses like surf, the people scurrying away like little ants, running, looking over their shoulders, hoping to outrun the fire, which they usually did. A girl at the Pacific Palisades Bank told me that in the middle of the night, there was a pounding on her door, and someone shouting "Get out! Get out!" and they ran down the street, all of them, on bicycles, dogs, people in sleepwear, even a horse. She looked back and saw the wall of flame coming right behind them. Miracles. No one was hurt. Stories from Los Angeles.


Jiva

SHUTTLE LAUNCH NOV 14, 2008 7:55 PM

Space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 mission began Nov. 14, 2008 with an on-time liftoff at 7:55 p.m. EST.












I live in Land O'Lakes, Florida, and this is the second time I've been able to see the shuttle when it launched. There is something so exciting about watching the shuttle fly through the sky when you are not looking at it on TV, but seeing it with your own eyes. Certainly makes a commentary of personal experience rather than simulated visualization. There were a group of us, waiting with our cocktails, standing outside in the warm night air, waiting, waiting, and then, there it was, this huge red glow and everyone shouted, "Look, look, there it is!" It flew through the sky, climbing right toward the full moon that brilliantly lit up the sky. When it reached the area where the moon was gleaming, it disappeared into the light.

There is something within the hearts of human beings that makes them so proud, so excited, so amazed at their own abilities and accomplishments. How is it possible that we, meager humans that we are, could have possibly lit up the night sky with this red glow of flames bursting into the darkness, setting aglow all the hopes and dreams of our hearts.


Jiva

AYN RAND

Ayn with her two sisters in Russia




Ayn on the roof of her apartment building, with RKO behind her, where she worked



Ayn with her husband, Frank O'Connor, in New York City




Photo of King Vidor, Ayn Rand and Gary Cooper commiserating on the set of THE FOUNTAINHEAD, starring Cooper and Patricia Neal, based on Rand's best selling novel published in 1943.

Every book by Ayn Rand published in her lifetime is still in print, and hundreds of thousands of copies are sold each year, so far totaling more than 25 million. Several new volumes have been published posthumously. Her vision of man and her philosophy for living on earth have changed the lives of thousands of readers and launched a philosophic movement with a growing impact on American culture.

Here is a list of her published works:

HER FAMOUS NOVELS

We the Living (1936)
Anthem (1938)
The Fountainhead (1943)
Atlas Shrugged (1957)

Night of January 16th - A Play
Originally titled "Penthouse Legend"
(originally produced in 1936, published in 1968)

NON FICTION

For the New Intellectual (1961)
The Virtue of Selfishness (1964)
Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal (1966)
The Romantic Manifesto (1969)
The New Left: The Anti-Industrial Revolution (1971)
Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology (1979)

The following were published posthumously:

Philosophy: Who Needs It, edited by Leonard Peikoff (1982)
The Voice of Reason, edited by Leonard Peikoff (1989)
The Ayn Rand Column, edited by Peter Schwartz (1991)
Letters of Ayn Rand, edited by Michael S. Berliner (1995)
Ayn Rand's Marginalia, edited by Robert Mayhew (1995)
Journals of Ayn Rand, edited by David Harriman (1997)
The Ayn Rand Reader, edited by Gary Hull and Leonard Peikoff (1999)
Return of the Primitive, edited by Peter Schwartz (1999)
Russian Writings on Hollywood, edited by Michael S. Berliner, translated by Dina Garmong (1999)
The Art of Fiction, edited by Tore Boeckmann (2000)
The Art of Nonfiction, edited by Robert Mayhew (2001)
The Ayn Rand Sampler (2002)
Ayn Rand Answers, edited by Robert Mayhew (2005)




Scenes from The Fountainhead


Jiva

PRESIDENT ELECT BARACK OBAMA

....











HERE IS THE INTERNET RESULT FOR SEARCHES ON THE NAME "BARACK OBAMA"

Results 1 - 10 of about 83,600,000 for Barack Obama





THIS IS DEMOCRACY - PROTECT IT.


Jiva

LAUREN BACALL TURNS 84

FromThe Women on The Web, we have this great photo of Lauren Bacall at 84.
Doesn't she look great?! You have to love her, she is witty, wise, and gorgeous.



























The fellow who posted the above video, thought that Bacall's lines from the film To Have and Have Not, should be used by women everywhere as the way to get a man. But that's not why I posted it. His selection of her lines is right on the money, for simply reminding ourselves of just how great she was at twenty years of age.


She met Bogie in that film, married him, and they lived together until his death in 1957. Known to her friends as Betty, she has endured throughout the decades as one of our most talented entertainers.


Jiva

MOSCOW 2008 MUSICAL THEATER WORKSHOP

JUSTIN LEE MILLER PRESENTS US WITH PHOTOS FROM THE MOSCOW 2008 MUSICAL THEATER WORKSHOP, ALONG WITH LYNNE FORMATO IN THIS WONDERFUL VIDEO.





Seeing the work being done in Moscow this year, is a tribute to theater people everywhere. What better way to spread Broadway around the globe. I love it.

Jiva

FROM MY TRIP TO CHEYENNE, WYOMING

Interesting architectural design, is it Victorian?




Eight foot high cowboy boot on the first floor of The Laramie County Library in Cheyenne. Big boots like this are found all over Cheyenne.




From the Capitol Building all the way down to The Union Pacific Depot. Note the empty streets. People seem to love walking or riding their bicycles.




The State Capitol Building in Cheyenne. Capitol of Wyoming.




Pioneer Woman with Children.

Wyoming went into the union in 1890 with women's suffrage at the fore. The union did not want Wyoming with its women's suffrage, but Wyoming said that "We will remain out of the union a hundred years, rather than come in without the women." Now that's something.






A glimpse of The Outlaw Saloon, popular dance spot and pool hall in Cheyenne. I spent many nights there, and had a blast. Just LOVE those COWBOYS !!


Jiva

THE NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK RUNS OUT

National Debt Clock runs out of digits The figure above is not accurate, it's increasing by over three billion dollars a day, and the above clock isn't running. To see the actual figure, either click on the link in this paragraph, or scroll down the right side of my blog to see an updated clock.

NEW YORK (AP) — In a sign of the times, the National Debt Clock in New York City has run out of digits to record the growing figure. As a short-term fix, the digital dollar sign on the billboard-style clock near Times Square has been switched to a figure — the “1” in $10 trillion. It’s marking the fed­eral government’s current debt at about $10.2 trillion. The Durst Organization says it plans to update the sign next year by adding two digits. That will make it capable of tracking debt up to a quadrillion dollars.


Looks like that Paulson guy wants to nationalize our banks. The Secretary of our treasury, former CEO of Goldman Sachs, wants the government to own the banks. Since we are the government, that means we will own the banks. That means that we will all own each others' money. Isn't that cute?


What a thrill to have my money mingle with the money of people who love to go into debt way beyond their means. But then, you will all be able to share in my debt! To me, this sounds like Socialism at its finest, bordering on Communism. Hey, what do I know? Capitalism, the best economic system ever known to man, the system that made this country wealthy and strong, is apparently on its way out. I do wish people would study history, then they would realize what a truly serious mess we are in. It is the beginning of globalization, the end of our freedoms as we know them. If you don't believe me, check back in about five years. If you still can afford to have a computer.

Jiva

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES

SUE MONK KIDD wrote the book, The Secret Life of Bees. I read it about four years ago, and thought it was wonderful reading, very emotional and inspiring.

The film is coming out mid October, and I think it will be a smash hit, due to the fine cast and great story. Today Oprah has the cast on her show, and I'm sure they'll have plenty to say about their experiences making this film.

Jiva

The Houdini Dog

OUT WESTCHEYENNE, WYOMING

I've been researching Wyoming for a trip I'm taking soon, and I found these interesting photos from the city of Cheyenne. I thought they were very cool, and wanted to share them with you!

The Botanic Gardens and The State Capitol are two places worth seeing.

Now here is a surprise, one of Cheyenne's Sister Cities is ~

Waimea, Hawaii !! That really amazed me. Who would think that a humid place on the ocean would be a sister city to this arid Wyoming town?

Here's the answer: Waimea, Hawaii, became sister city as of May 2007.

In recognition of the Wyoming/Hawaiian ranching kinship, and the 2008 "Great Waiomina (Wyoming) Centennial Celebration" of Paniolo (Hawaiian Cowboy) Ikua Purdy at Cheyenne Frontier Days.

In 1908, Purdy (and three others) came to Cheyenne's great rodeo by steamship and train, competed, and WON. It was a complete surprise to the audience.

Here is an excerpt from a Hawaiian song:

Up walked a strange cowboy, paniolo to some
From Hawaii he came, a cowboy he had become
They asked from where he hailed, his voice had a ring
He spoke of fair islands and roundups in the spring

He said the cattle are grazing in Waianae this morn
At the ranch of the Parker's, kepa pele bell spurs busy at dawn
At Hanalei on Kauai the kaula ili lariats they swing
And the paniolos of Hawaii are at the roundups in the spring

They all got quiet and asked this strange cowboy his name
Ikua Purdy I am but I'm not here for the fame

I love Hawaii, been there many times, but this sheds an entirely different light on both Cheyenne and Waimea! Ranching. Cowboys. Paniolos! Life IS a trip!

Can't wait for MY trip, mid October.




Jiva

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

FALL 2008 ~ SCHOLASTIC LIFE ON LAKE MICHIGAN

Northwestern University is a private institution with its main campus of 240 acres on the shore of Lake Michigan in Evanston, about 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, and a 25-acre campus in Chicago. It has about 7,800 undergraduate and 6,200 graduate and professional program students. A member of the Big Ten conference, its athletic teams are called the Wildcats.

Evanston Campus

North Avenue Beach

Chicago at night

Serene campus view

Chicago campus

My nephew and his wife both graduated from Northwestern University, and now their daughter begins her first year there, starting what may be a tradition. As I write this, she sits at JFK, waiting for her plane to Chicago.
It's quite an adventure, leaving home in Maine, and traveling across the country.

She is a beautiful young lady, with long blonde hair, and a sparkling personality.
In high school, she excelled at just about everything, as did her parents before her.
I was born and raised in Chicago, as was my nephew, his wife being from New Jersey. Their daughter is the first of the children to leave home and start her new life in a world of academia. I wish her well.



Campus Tour

Jiva