February Movie Reviews

*****  Outstanding, will watch again
****    Good
***      OK
**        Eh
*          Vomit

Amy was about Amy Winehouse. What an amazing talent. Seems like all the celebrity pushed her over the edge, but she grew up with all kinds of mental issues. Too bad she wasn't able to tell people no and walk away before it was too late. The movie was a little long and the dialogue often difficult to understand. I liked it her lyrics were displayed on the screen when they showed performance or recording footage. Awesome song writer and singer. She sure had some BIG HAIR! ***

The Boy Next Door  I don't like Jennifer Lopez at all. For any reason. She travels on a public airplane with an attack dog and then blames the flight attendant for getting bit. I think the perfume she wears and promotes need to be renamed ENTITLED. The previews of this movie looked good. It wasn't boring, just frustrating. It's about a woman who sleeps with the neighbor kid. Once. Once is more than enough, and she can't help it because she's weak and brainless. I know he's one hunk of a kid, but adults should have some self-control. Once, twice, a hundred times - HOW can any teacher be that stupid? It's not totally far fetched since there are so many high school teachers who sleep with their students. Unfortunately, this student is a psychopath in every sense of the word. And Jennifer is stupid in every sense of the word. One thing I never understand...and I know this is just a Hollywood gimmick designed to add more suspense, but why is it when the woman attacks the bad guy and hits him over the head, why does she leave him there to regain consciousness a few seconds later so he can try to kill her again? If you are going to defend yourself, ladies, hit him repeatedly until his skull is crushed completely and he is absolutely, undeniably DEAD so there is no way he can get back up.  Jennifer was just too wimpy and whiny in this movie. **

Brothers has an all-star cast with Tobey MaGuire, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Natalie Portman, among others, about a solider who's helicopter goes down in Afghanistan, is captured by renegade terrorists, tortured for months, has to do some very bad stuff to survive, and is presumed dead. First, if there is no body, no one should assume anyone is dead. He returns to his family with some serious PTSD and his reentry into civilized society doesn't go well. It was OK, sometimes a little slow, and a little depressing, but the performances were very good. ***

Deliverance with Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox about city slickers canoeing down a river before it's destroyed by a dam. I recently read Burt Reynold's autobiography and he spends a chapter talking about the making of this movie, the stunts, the dangers, and his memories. It was his breakout movie, his first critically acclaimed role. I saw the movie years ago and the only part I remember is the "squeal like a pig" scene. Hardly a forgettable moment. Interesting story. Definitely a man's movie: macho mountaineers conquering nature, surviving the wilderness against all odds. Made in the 1970s, there were times the dialogue and performances were a little melodramatic, but I forgot how stunningly gorgeous Burt Reynolds was in his heyday! ***

Far From the Madding Crowd is a Thomas Hardy romance set in 1800s about an independent, single woman who has dashing men throwing themselves at her. Of course she falls for the roguish young officer who treats her like garbage. The romantic novel plot was irritating, but the English countryside scenery was gorgeous. Predictable, as well. I've never liked romances. ***

Fifty Shades of Grey I tried reading the book. It was ghastly. I think I lasted through two chapters before I threw it across the room. The movie wasn't any better. It had promise at the start when they filmed it in black and white (grays) - all of Grey's employees were wearing shades of gray, the Seattle rain was pouring gray, Grey selects a tie from a checkerboard display of gray ties. It was a really nice visual and they should have stuck with that. Filming parts of the movie or the whole thing in tones of gray would have made it visually interesting. The main character was brain dead just like in the book. How can anyone be that socially inept? And sorry to say, Ian Sommerhalder would have been the perfect Christian Grey. He has the arrogance, smart-ass attitude, and stunning good looks that would have made me not even notice the horrible dialogue. Ian's eyes are tantalizing unlike the beady, insane looking eyes of the actor who got the part. I did, however, watch it through to the end although with moments of fast forward. It was difficult, but I wanted to find out if she comes to any sense whatsoever, gives up on him because he's a mess, or if they do the romantic cliche and fall into each other's arms and ride off in the sunset for some serious counseling. It was a weird movie that did nothing but irritate me. **

Flashdance    Maybe I should call it Flashback? 1980s classic with Jennifer Beals in her ripped sweatshirts, army jackets, and work boots. I saw the DVD in the library and couldn't resist. I used to LOVE this movie. I must have seen it about ten times in the theaters.  I played the soundtrack so much I warped the record (remember vinyl records...HA!). It was an addiction. It would always motivate me to exercise so it was a good addiction. I wanted to dress like Jennifer Beals, dance like Cynthia Rhodes, live in a loft, and ride my bike in the city to work. My adult dreams with girl power because girls CAN be welders. So...the movie still has great dancing and outstanding photography, but not-so-good acting. Beals wasn't hired for her acting experience. Oh well. I probably shouldn't give it a five but I have seen it way too many times in my life to not be honored in some way. *****

Kill Me Three Times is a strange Australian movie about a lot of people who want each other dead. It stars Simon Pegg as a hitman. That alone makes it a comedy worth watching. He's been hired to kill a cheating wife although that isn't apparent right away. Someone else gets to her first, then the grieving boyfriend jumps into the mix, along with the crooked cop, then the sleazy husband, then the cheating wife drags herself up from over the cliff. The twists are delightful as is Pegg's dry sense of humor. There is a Quentin Tarantino flair for satirical violence complete with gushing waterfalls of slow motion blood splatter every time someone gets shot. The 1960s spy movie soundtrack sets the tone. It was strangely fun. **** 

The Loft was a really interesting who-done-it about a murder that takes place in a bachelor pad owned by five married men. It twists, it turns and I had no idea who done it. And then when I think I knew who done it, they didn't do it! It was good, although I wasn't sure I liked all the jumping around. I prefer linear plots that start and end. I do really like Karl Urban who is a newbie actor and Rachael Taylor, one of my favorite actresses who is great in everything she does. ****

Maps to the Stars was about strange, mentally ill entitled yet homicidal people in Hollywood all intertwined in craziness with tormented visions of dead mothers and dead children. Totally bizarre but with an all-star cast. **

Princess Ka'iulani was about an Hawaiian princess in the 1800s. It didn't take long before the excruciatingly, embarrassing performances and sappy, poorly-written dialogue made me puke with disgust. I turned it off at around 15 minutes. *

San Andreas It's been a long time since I've seen a disaster film. It had really awesome special effects with buildings disintegrating before your eyes. California was finally breaking off and dropping into the ocean as predicted. Fun, but a little unrealistic. The first scene where the car goes over the embankment, flips over a few times, slams into a couple rocks, and the driver lives? I expected her to squeal, "Just kidding!" Not only does she live but she can even climb out of the car when the Rock shows up with his helicopter to save her. Or the Rock driving a high speed boat (that he conveniently found waiting to be used) at full speed through water littered with pieces of buildings. I definitely would have slowed down but I am not a superhero. Oh well. Fun doesn't require realism. ***

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel with an all-star cast of old people and a sequel to the first The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel made me want to go to India and wear cool, cotton clothing in bright colors. This sequel was a little too commercial compared to the last movie. I liked the first a lot with it's commentary on growing old and themes of dying/living, but this one was a little too flashy with loud music, too many relationships with old people hooking up (weird), and the dialogue was staged and unnatural. Richard Gere looked like he was uncomfortable in every scene. ***

Self/Less is a sci-fi thriller about an incredibly wealthy old man (Ben Kingsley) who is dying and buys another body. He buys Ryan Reynolds's body. Nice. If he doesn't take the anti-rejection medication, he has vivid flashbacks of the body's former life. He eventually he figures out contrary to what the scientists told him, they didn't grow Ryan Reynolds's body in a lab, but killed a military guy with a wife and a kid in order to harvest the body. It was very interesting, great acting and never a dull moment. ****

The Stoning of Soraya M. is a story about the disgusting patriarchal practices of stoning women in Muslim cultures. How fucking barbaric! I get so sick of hearing about these archaic religious beliefs that allow men to do whatever they damn well please. It's so hard to believe this still goes on today! And I don't understand why Muslim women are so compliant. In the movie they obediently walk to the execution site. Don't they put up a fight?  I would have gone berserk and the armed guards would have had to shoot me. I think that would be a much less painful way to die. I would have at least tried to poke out the conniving husband's eyes or ripped his balls off with my bare hands. The woman just waited obediently and then walked obediently. It just infuriates me. Good movie although a difficult subject. I had a difficult enough time with the male dominant sleazy, backstabbing, plotting storyline, but I couldn't stomach much of the actual stoning. I fast-forwarded through that scene. ****

The Visit was about two teenage kids visiting the grandparents they never met. The constant theme was old people are different. And because they are old, we need to be patient with their strange behaviors and forgiving of unusual idiosyncrasies. It's written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan who tends to make beautiful films although bordering on horror. The previews made it look really interesting, but when I received the DVD it looked too much like a B-rated horror movie. I almost didn't watch it. I don't do horror movies, but I figured there must have been a reason I thought it looked good. It was brilliant. The scenery and photography were beautiful. All the actors were outstanding, but the two kids were really amazing. There are some thriller moments designed to make one jump out of their skin, but also some laugh out loud scenes as well usually involving the thirteen year old boy. The tagline reads What Jaws did for sharks and Psycho did for showers, The Visit will do for grandparents. LOL. ****

The Woman in Gold is about the restitution of the famous Gustave Klimt painting stolen by the Nazis from a Jewish family in Austria. Helen Mirren plays the lead role of Maria Altmann and she is spectacular, as usual. Ryan Reynolds is the lawyer and the movie is filled with celebrities. Wonderfully filmed with flashbacks that look like real footage from the 1930s. Excellent story, exceptional cast, perfectly performed. It's so difficult finding good movies these days, let alone outstanding movies. This was a pleasure. *****

The Perfect Diet (For Me)

I've been asked about my diet and what I eat. After perusing the too many posts I've written on what I eat, how I eat, how it's changed and what does/doesn't work, I realized I really don't have a clear list of foods and practices. Granted, this is because with all the dietary experimenting I do in hopes of discovering the secret to perfect health, the list gets tweaked all the time. (I'm tweaking it as I speak....) However, this is my basic diet followed by the "rules."

Meat:  Cod, salmon, beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, chicken liver, oysters, tuna

Fruits:  Apples, oranges, avocados, lemons, pears, grapefruit, limes, coconut, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, plums, prunes, cherries

Vegetables:   Lettuce, spinach, arugula, dandelion greens, onions, garlic, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, celery, squash, peas, green beans

Herbs and Spices: Oregano, basil, cilantro, thyme, black pepper, Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

Nuts: Almonds

Oils and fats: Olive oil, coconut oil, butter, avocados

Other:  Coconut milk, peppermint tea

Notes:

Do not overeat. It creates inflammation and stress on your body triggering autoimmune responses. Eat every two hours to avoid blood sugar fluctuations.

Eat 80% fresh produce (if possible), 20% meat and everything else. Must have a little protein with every meal to stabilize blood sugar.

All food must be organic and fresh. No canned, packaged or processed food.

All meat must be grass-fed, organic or wild-caught. I stay away from canned meats but on occasion I eat tuna. I buy only gluten free, wild caught tuna. Don't trust big-box grocery stores even if they claim it's healthy. Find a food co-op or source you can trust.

Stay away from pork and shellfish because they are toxic. I cheat with oysters but only because I've been told they are the cleanest shellfish and I live in the oyster capital of the world. I don't eat them often, and I don't have problems when I do.

No grains of any kind.

No gluten. Watch for hidden gluten in makeup, body products/lotions, chap stick, hamburger, spices, canned anything including tuna, supplements and thyroid medications.

No dairy.

No sweeteners of any kind including high glycemic fruits: dried fruit, mangoes, bananas, papayas, etc. as they are just as bad.

No high starch vegetables: potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes

Avoid or rotate goitrogens like broccoli, kale, cauliflower, or Brussel sprouts as they decrease your thyroid function. I rotate these things and cook them as cooking decreases the goitrogenic effect.

No mushrooms or fungi.

No legumes like peanuts, beans, lentils. (Fresh green peas and green beans are fine.)

Avoid lectins like tomatoes, cashews, beans, peanuts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, bananas. Remove peels from fresh fruit (apples) and if I cheat with potatoes or sweet potatoes, remove the peels. This decreases the amount of lectins.

Drink as much water as possible with the goal of reaching the required number of ounces (your weight x .67 = number of ounces per day). Preferably clean water with natural minerals like artesian water. This is important for detoxification and hydration. 

Yes, now and then I cheat. And I pay for it. Sometimes.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: A Survival Guide

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: A Survival Guide is a manual for MCS by Pamela Reed Gibson. I remember many years ago when I first became chemically sensitive participating in surveys for this author's research. The copy I finally found is the second edition and was published in 2006.

It's incredibly complete covering everything from statistics, causes, food toxins, medical treatments, alternative therapies, identity loss, support options, and disability among other subjects detailing every aspect of one's affected life. The chapter on therapy is entitled, "If You Weren't Crazy Before You Got MCS, You Are Now." LOL!

The appendix, which is about as thick as the book, cites all her research statistics, This is fascinating and very detailed. Other parts of the appendix list helpful references including healthy options for products.

It's a must-have reference especially for newbies trying to figure out how to live with chemical sensitivity.

You're NOT Crazy and You're NOT Alone

The title of this post should be the mantra of everyone with MCS, however, it just happens to be the title of the latest book on Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Unlike most other Hashimoto's books that explain in detail what is happening, how it is happening and why it is happening, this one refreshingly addresses the emotional and mental challenges faced by those diagnosed with this debilitating condition.

Naturally I was skeptical. I was anticipating another dry, scientific consumer health book. Yeah, I know about the TSH labs and the T3/T4 conversion and the adrenal connection and the five hundred supplements I should be taking. I even know about the miracle diet. When one has years of first-hand experience with Hashimoto's and has read nearly every book on the subject, finding new information is rare. Most books say the same thing over and over again boring me to tears. I'm very happy to say I actually learned something new with this book and it was surprisingly entertaining! Thank you Stacey Robbins!

Author Stacey Robbins is writing from her own personal experience and right away claims she's not a doctor nor a scientist. She doesn't even pretend she has any authority on the subject other than her years of suffering. She is sharing and that's all. I love people who share! Her writing style is conversational and at times hilarious. The text is broken into short digestible paragraphs and more often single sentences with double-spaced lines for conversational emphasis. It's rather creative and makes the book really easy to read. It feels fun and her stories are often charming, but I have to admit I felt irritated by the style at times. She often babbles and constantly says, "But I digress..."  I also didn't care for the constant references to religion and often found myself skipping over anything that looked like God talk. I skipped over most of the chapter on supplements. Still, overall I liked it anyway. She confesses dietary challenges, weight gain, bathroom traumas, child abuse, crippling exhaustion, and bad doctor experiences. Commiseration is easy and more times than not I was overwhelmed with the feeling finally someone who understands me! Hence the title, You're Not Crazy and You're Not Alone. It doesn't matter if I know thousands of people out there have MCS or Hashimoto's, I always think I am alone with my experiences. I'm really not!

Here are the highlights I found especially enlightening:

She calls bad doctors "Orange Cones". You know, the construction cones that are put out to warn and protect you from dangerous situations. LOL Her advice on how to handle bad doctors...go around them! They are only obstacles on our paths to finding quality information. "Orange Cones don't do the work. They simply point to you, in their bright orange color to 'Go around.'" She suggests as a path to forgiveness to take them "out of the "The Asshole Who Didn't Help Me" category and put them in the "Orange Cone" category". She's heavy on forgiveness which I also found a bit irritating.

Fettuccine Alfredo is a "formula for weapons of mass destruction."

"If you eat that way with Hashimoto's and it's not your last meal, you'll kinda wish it were."

Most people with Hashimoto's have been abused as children and experienced love patterns of rejection.

Perfectionism is a side effect of child abuse, but it is a form of self-rejection.

Most people with Hashimoto's were in a car accident or experienced whiplash just before they were diagnosed. Hmmm...now that is interesting.

People with Hashimoto's don't like water. Sometimes it makes them sick. Consequently, dehydration is a common problem and contributes to EMF sensitivities. Anxiety is a symptom of dehydration.

People with Hashimoto's have severe mitochondrial dysfunction. Our cells aren't working optimally and that makes exercise difficult. Mild exercise is good; strenuous exercise is a trigger for an autoimmune response and it weakens the immune system.

She talks about walking as the perfect exercise for Hashi's people, but she says resist the urge to run. "Let go of romantic notions of what looks good." (Too bad I didn't read this book before I got the bright idea to jog last year! It might have saved me a whole lot of misery.)

Synthroid (thyroid medication) has gluten in it! WHOA!

Flappy, wiggly underarms are a symptom of hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue! She calls them "lunch lady arms". HA! That's probably not a nice thing to say, but I thought it was funny.

Soy pulls iodine from your thyroid.

People come into your life to give you gifts of information.

She uses bentonite clay for cleansing especially if you eat something bad and need it expelled quickly.

Jin Shin Jyutsu is a Japanese modality of healing, or energy work. It sounds fascinating and I already believe our bodies are total health systems. I need to do some research into this...

She's big into gratitudes. I like people who focus on being grateful.

A lot of her information is directly related to MCS and at times thought I was reading a book on chemical sensitivity. I believe it's all related anyway.

HOORAY!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Hibernation

SPRING IS HERE! I write this post every year at the same time when the weather stops freezing and the garden springs to life. Hibernation is over. HOORAY!

Snowdrops

Daffodils sprouting

Primroses - although a little ragged, still cheerful

Mixed green pallet garden is STILL growing!

Does anyone know what this plant is? It's in the mixed green garden, tastes hot, maybe a type of mustard?

I need a whole packet of seeds for this one...I love it!

HAPPY SPRING!

Life is Short

Kelly McGarry, famous competitive mountain bike rider, died. He was only 33 years old. Life is short. For many, REALLY short. Too short.

Although this has very little to do with chemical sensitivity, it reminded me we need to appreciate each day as it comes even if we are not feeling up to speed or downright miserable. It reminded me to be cognitive of each moment. No matter how our life presents itself, it'll go by fast regardless.

In my former life I used to ride a mountain bike. I was never really very good at it. My first experience was with people who promised they would take us on a beginner trail. I say "us" because I was with two other beginners, my good friend and his adult daughter. The trail was anything but beginning...or maybe it was, but it was absolutely frightening with sand pits, cliffs, ledges, and poisonous snakes. For snake encounters - big, fat rattlesnakes lying in the sun across the trail - we were instructed to ride very fast so the snake wouldn't know what hit him and by the time the snake figured it out, we'd be gone. Hmmm... 

After a least an hour of horrifying torture and physical exhaustion, my friend's daughter ended up crashing in the middle of the desert. Miles away from civilization. She was so pissed off with our "trainers" and the experience she refused to get back on the bike and started walking. Or rather hobbling defiantly. Someone had to wheel her bike behind her. I survived, but not without too many bruises and a whole lot of pain that took a long time to heal. After that experience, I became far more selective of mountain biker companions. With time I got better at it, but I found it more fun to go to the competitions and watch the professionals sail effortlessly over the trails that nearly killed me. 

Anyway, just reminiscing about year's past and my former life. For those of you with energy, mountain biking would be a fairly non-toxic outdoor activity, but it's not without risks. Death being one of them.

Here is video footage of Kelly McGarry. The camera is on his helmet and he does a few flips at the Red Bull Rampage. And he won SECOND place (you can see where he misses the trail at one point). Whoa! It's totally frightening.