July Movie Reviews

***** Excellent

****   Great

***     OK

**       So So

*         Blah

American Sniper is about Chris Kyle, Navy Seal Sniper. I've avoided this movie for a while due to the violence. There is no way I could ever be in a war. Granted, the people he had to shoot were trying to kill American soldiers, but I know I'd be a basket case in such a situation. So sad he survived four tours to be killed by a veteran right on American soil. The injustice is mind boggling. Excellent story, excellent performances. Initially I gave it four stars until I had nightmares all night. ***

Concussion is based on a true story about the medical studies on the effects of repeated head trauma from playing football. I've never liked football. It's violent and mindless. Schools spend mega amounts of money and energy on what is no longer an extra-curricular activity. It takes priority over learning and people wonder why our education system has gone downhill. It's less a game or past time as it is an obsession. With these new medical understandings and publicity on the very real health risks of the game, why there hasn't been a mass exodus? Other than the mass exodus of football players killing themselves. The NFL corporate sleazes have known about the risks and have covered it up for years.  After reading about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the movie looked interesting and I added it to my list. Then Jada Pinkett Smith threw a tantrum about how husband Will deserved to be Oscar nominated for his performance just because he's black.  I crossed the movie off my list. The DVD was sitting all alone on the library shelf looking neglected waiting patiently to be checked out. I wonder how many people were turned away from the movie because of Jada's rant of entitlement. Will did a great job. Great accent. Without the accent I don't think his performance was special in anyway, but it was good. Valuable story. Too bad no one cares as they are all too busy watching football. ***

Diana When I first saw this on the shelf, I thought it was a general biographical documentary. Instead it was a Hollywood movie about the last three years of Princess Diana's life and her love affair with a Pakistani heart surgeon. It stars Naomi Watts. Was she really the best they could get to play the part? Not that she's a bad actress and I think she really tried, but I couldn't quite associate her with Diana at all. I'm racking my brain trying to think of an actress who would be better but I'm at a loss so maybe she was the best choice? Her dried, fried, over bleach blonde hair with black roots drove me nuts. It was more like Marilyn Monroe than Diana and Diana had a shyness that Naomi failed at capturing. Not to say she didn't try. I can't imagine having that lifestyle though...zipping around in convertibles, lounging on yachts, living in castles, and never worrying about money. Kind of hard to feel sorry for her. It made her complaints about loneliness seem immature. **

Divine Access is about a man (Billy Burke) who after his father left, his mother became religiously experimental dragging her son along with her from commune to commune. His friend runs a cable network with a religious show that airs at 2am called Divine Access. He asks him to be a part of a panel, then host his own show, then go on the road for a lecture tour. He ends up with a following camped out on his front lawn. I love Billy Burke. The soundtrack is great and the religious perspective is excellent. ****

Eye in the Sky was about the British target of a Somalian-Kenyan terrorist group that had alluded the military for six years. They are found using all kinds of really cool spy gadgets, their identities confirmed, and they are watched as they are placing suicide vests on two of their recruits. Just as the order is given to alienate them with a bomb from the above drone, a little girl brings a basket of bread to sell at the corner of the building. Do they accept the collateral damage of one sweet, innocent little girl (they show her throughout the movie so we become very attached to her sweetness) in payment for the estimated 80 or so men, women and children they will save from the suicide bomb? It takes about 30 minutes of checking with every politician in Britain and the USA to find out if it legally complies, how it affects propaganda, and military/political protocols, all the while everyone is hoping she'll sell all her bread and leave before the missile is engaged. Shit it was nerve wracking. ****

5 to 7 is about a young writer in New York who meets an older, married French woman and they began an affair. Extra marital affairs are an expectation in French culture. However, there are rules to the game. It was interesting and the ending very bittersweet and touching. ***

Footloose (2011) with Julianne Hough is the updated version. Same script with just a few story modifications. Same soundtrack except they countrified the songs and added some country-western dancing along with contemporary dance. It was good. I don't know if it had the original excitement of the first one with Kevin Bacon since it was a remake, but it was good. ***

Fourth Man Out is about four macho, bearded friends who have known each other all their lives. One comes out as gay while the other three guys try to figure out how to deal with it. For instance, after years of forcing their friend to go to strip clubs, they decide to take him to a gay dance club. It was contrived and often immature, but at times cute and sweet with some funny moments. ***

Goodbye World is a post-cyber-apocalyptic movie about a computer virus that wipes out technology via cell phones. There is a survivalist-type, 20-something family living up in the mountains of Northern California, off-grid and self-sustaining. All their friends come stay with them while motorcycle gangs and army thugs are terrorizing the countryside. The human relations aspect was somewhat entertaining when all their licentious secrets are revealed and the performances were good, but I kept waiting for them to actually do something to protect themselves and they never did. Their implied compliance was irritating. "Sure, take all our supplies! We don't like it but there is nothing we can do about it." That bothered me. Maybe I was expecting a typical Hollywood plot, but it just felt flat and left me with a feeling of incompletion. ***

The Heart of the Sea  Why didn't they just call it Moby Dick?? Excellent sets and special effects, great performances, loved the whale. Very scary. Whaling is not for the weak at heart.  Yet there was something very sad about those heartless men killing mommy whales with their babies swimming by their sides. I doubt if the 19th century book had any kind of an ecological theme, but it was obvious here. Or maybe that's just my modern day environmental leanings? And perhaps that's why they didn't call it Moby Dick. Yep, the title makes perfect sense now.  Such magnificent creatures. It made one want to root for the whale. ****

Hugo was a charming, whimsical, artsy, surreal, beautiful film about a little boy who's clock-maker father dies and he goes to live in the clock at the train station in Paris. This takes place after WWI. The sets, costumes, music and cast of characters are delightful. Asa Butterfield with the beautiful blue eyes plays the kid. It was sweet and magical, although it felt a little slow and I wanted more of a heart-felt connection between the characters. I realize that would have been the typical expectation, but the real reason behind the weirdness was really boring and unrealistic. It didn't make for much of a climax. Poor choice for a title. You'd think someone would have thought of something more clever and fitting which might have helped ticket sales. ***

The Judge was about a city-slicker attorney (Robert Downey, Jr.) who goes home for his mother's funeral which requires facing a ill-tempered, ex-alcoholic father he has never really liked and hasn't seen in twenty years.  His father (Robert Duvall), is the town judge, and after the funeral runs over and kills one of the white trailer trash ex-cons he helped put away. Excellent human relations and plot entanglements. Billy Bob Thornton plays the prosecuting attorney. I've seen him in a number of movies lately and with each movie he gets better and better. And Robert Downey, Jr was superb....he used to be such a loser. So glad he pulled himself out of the gutter and is doing so well. Excellent movie. ****

Just Peck is coming-of-age story about a sophomore boy who's exceptionally geeky and awkward. He is kicked out of band and is forced, by his MIT employed, contract-signing, parenting theory-driven parents, to join the science club and become a "science fairy" much to his horror. He has a crush on a tall, beautiful blonde girl and she inspires his science project. The anticipation of the science project presentation is delightful. Unusually smart for a coming-of-age type plot with serious themes that were surprising. Great cast and great performances. ****

A Little Bit of Heaven I saw this on the movie list starring Kate Hudson and it looked like a typical mushy love story with a cliché plot. Blah.  I whizzed past it on the list for a while before I decided to read the plot. Nope. It was an awesome film about life and relationships and, my favorite, death. Girl who has everything finds out she's dying from colon cancer. I loved her visits with God and the very end was excellent leaving one uplifted. It was perfect when she asked the doctor what causes colon cancer and he says no one knows - she replies with, "Of course you don't. Why would you figure it out and put yourself out of a job?" LOL !!!!! All star cast of great actors. It was everything that other best friend movie I watched a couple months ago was not...****

Match is about a ballet teacher who is visited by a couple on the pretext the woman is writing her dissertation on the history of dance. It's all bogus and later during the interview he finds out why they are really there. I bet this was a play at one time. With only three characters the simplicity was refreshing and the plot beautifully developed. It would do well on a stage. Patrick Stewart was exceptional and the ending was delightful emotional in an unexpected way. ****

Mockingjay, Part 2 is the second part of the third part of the Hunger Games trilogy with our hero Katniss Everdeen taking down the Capitol dictatorship. If you haven't read the books, I highly recommend them. It took so long to get this last movie I nearly forgot every detail of the story. Great ending. Excellent everything. ****

Moneyball is with Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Jonah Hill. It's about baseball which is a game I tolerate a little more than football, and about bringing computer analysis into the selection of players using statistics and numbers. It was good. For people who are baseball fans, especially Oakland Athletics fans, they would LOVE it. ***

Newland is a story about a very strange, damaged little Jewish girl and her brother in a refugee camp in Israel after World War II. It has an interesting cast of characters and addresses the horrors of various wartime experiences including the corruption and sleaze of the refugee camp. It's a bit strange and a little lacking in emotion considering the subject matter, but that could be due to the performances. **

One More Time is a story about a has-been crooner (Christopher Walken) feeling old, poor, and washed up. He is constantly planning his comeback, although claims he never left. It's very sad. In the meantime he's having an extra marital affair behind the back of his sixth (?) wife. His dysfunctional family rallies around him as his support, but it all seems to focus on his youngest daughter (Amber Heard) who is directionless, but not screwed up enough to be interesting. I kept waiting for the story to get past the background and take a twist so the plot would begin, but nothing ever transpired. His singing was cringe-worthy. So was her's, although everyone kept saying how much talent she had and if she'd just apply herself she'd be as famous. I wasn't seeing it.  I kept asking myself Who is Amber Heard??? I didn't recognize her, but yet her name sounded familiar. Ah ha! She's the soon-to-be-ex of Johnny Depp currently headlining the tabloids. So weird to make your mark on the film industry as someone's ex-wife. **

Philadelphia with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington about a lawyer who is wrongfully fired because he has AIDS. What an outstanding film. Is it any wonder why Tom Hanks won the Academy Award for Best Actor? *****

Pitch Perfect 2 was really horrible with stupid humor fit for prepubescent teenagers and unrealistic characters with dialogue that was written for children. I didn't even like the music.  I lasted 15 minutes. *

Race is the story of Jesse Owens and his Olympic Game wins that slapped the Nazis in the face. Great story, great acting, excellent everything. ****

The Rapture was horrible. Bad acting, bad script, , bad cheap sets, really, really bad religion shoved down the viewer's throat. We are all going to hell in a hand basket and it's too late to convert! <zero stars>

Risen is about the Resurrection of Christ as seen through the eyes of a Roman centurion (Joseph Fiennes). Jesus is crucified, he rises, and the centurion is sent to find the body as the powers-that-be (Jewish priests and Roman magistrates) are sure it was stolen so Jesus' followers could fabricate a miracle and create another social disturbance.  The problem is the centurion finds the body very much alive. This is another aspect of the Jesus tale that is rarely used as a movie or book theme. (See also below The Young Messiah...It's a Jesus-themed movie month!) It was very well done, great sets, great costumes, great performances, good script and an interesting take on a well-known biblical story. Loved the apostles especially Bartholomew. ****

St. Vincent is about a mean, alcoholic man (Bill Murray) who babysits the new kid next door after school. He takes him to the race track where he can learn commerce, to the local bar to learn social studies and teaches him how to defend himself against bullies. It has some great LOL moments and Naomi Watts is a superb pregnant Russian stripper-prostitute. ****

Summer Magic the 1960s Disney movie with Hayley Mills about a family who loses money and moves to the country to live in a big yellow house. Dorothy McGuire plays the mother. She must have been a smoker with those yellow teeth and sallow looking skin. Hayley Mills is adorable. The costumes are beautiful. Good ole fashioned Disney. I used to LOVE these movies as a kid. ****

This is Where I Leave You is about a man who has done everything possible in his life to avoid mistakes so he can live a perfect, predictable, rational life. Then he catches his wife sleeping with his boss, loses the wife and his job, his father dies and his world unravels. The whole family gets together with all their strange dysfunction. All-star cast of characters, great performances, interesting relationships. Jane Fonda looks great. I'm envious. Crappy title.***

The 33 is a true story about the thirty-three miners who were trapped in a Chilean mine for 69 days. It stars Antonio Banderas and Lou Diamond Phillips. Very good, suspenseful, human interest drama with outstanding performances. ****

Twice Born is a very complex story about two young lovers, one Italian and one American who meet in Bosnia and fall in love. She can't have children and they devise an elaborate surrogate plan but the Bosnia War intervenes. Twenty years later the woman brings her son back to Bosnia to show him where she met his father. By the end we find out it's not as it seems...***

Valley of the Dolls I can't believe I have never seen this movie. I've always heard a lot about it. I think it must have been scandalous back in the sixties when it came out with all that subversive behavior. OUTSTANDING theme song. I've always loved the song. It's so haunting. And to have Dionne Warwick sing it throughout the movie was awesome. I used to have my mother's old Dionne Warwick album with this song on it. The whole album was superb. I miss it, but long gone are the days of turn tables. The clothes were fantastic - matching coats, hats, purses and shoes. I loved it. Sharon Tate's clothes especially. In one scene she wears this hot pink pant suit ensemble with white shoes. Nothing special (except the color) until she removes the coat (she's out by the pool) and the hot pink hip hugger bell bottoms have a wide white belt and she's wearing a lime green bikini top. WOW. I've never known Sharon Tate other than as the woman the Manson Family murdered. She was really beautiful. Many have wondered throughout the years how far she would have gone in the entertainment industry and now I see why. And the HAIR STYLES! Long tresses ratted up high and sprayed with a whole can of toxic lacquer to hold it all in place. Of course, the story is a melodramatic Hollywood-themed soap opera - everyone is drinking, popping pills, and having premarital sex. Scandalous! They called people "fags" and "queers" a lot just to enhance the subversion theme. The acting was not so good although Susan Hayward and Patty Duke weren't too bad. Well, OK, they were better than the others, but still bad by today's standards. It was fun. And long. Very long. A wonderful example of classic 1960s culture. I can't stop humming the theme song. ***

The Walk is the Hollywood version of the true story of Philippe Petit (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the wire walker who walked a tight rope (wire) between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. It's hard to believe someone actually did it or even wanted to do that. The theme is not only "follow your dreams" but emphasizes the people it takes to make dreams come true as individual feats are rarely individual. It was a beautiful memorial to the Twin Towers. ***

Whiplash is the Academy Award winner I tried watching months ago and couldn't stomach the abuse. I tried watching it again and powered through the disrespectful screaming of the instructor, temper tantrums, throwing cymbals at his students and still hated it. I'm not sure if it's more about the student's obsession at perfection or the teacher's idea that abuse makes musical genius. Great performances, but I still didn't care for it. Too much confrontation. ***

The Young Messiah is the story of Jesus as a seven year old who is raising the dead, curing the sick, and healing the blind, but he doesn't quite understand what it all means. I found this idiotic. He might have been only seven years old, but HE IS GOD. There is very little about Jesus as a child in the Bible and I can't think of any movie that features this time period. Christopher Moore's hilarious book Lamb does, but this is a rare portrayal. I get the impression the writers had to decide how to handle it: historical realism or supernatural surrealism. They picked realism with a touch of oddness just to remind us the kid is GOD. Hmmm...not a good choice, I think. There is a weakness of plot, dialogue and performance (well, everything except the sets) that makes the movie boring. I would have liked to have seen a little more emotion and conflict. For instance when he brought the dead bird back to life instead of his cousins just looking at the bird as if that was perfectly natural, I would have liked some facial expression and dialogue of surprise and awe...or fear..or what the hell?? Maybe his mother could have swooped down, grabbed him by the arm, drug him to the wood shed and whooped his ass. When he is being questioned by the rabbi on his knowledge of the scriptures, instead of mindless recitation, little Jesus should have recited and then added his I AM GOD special knowledge in some way that made them all take a step back as if to say, "Holy shit, HE IS GOD.". There are some scenes of divine cloud formation (Girl Alive would have liked this...) and holy sun rays, but their usage was inappropriately melodramatic and didn't fit with the story as if they just stuck the scenic photographs in as a post-production afterthought. It was like looking at illustrations on a Jehovah's Witness pamphlet. I think every time little Jesus prayed is when they should have shot sun rays down on him and every time he cured someone is when the clouds should have opened up. Granted, the bonus features do admit it's was low budget film, but little inexpensive additions would have added some pizzazz and interest. The little boy they found to play Jesus is stunning, the perfect choice, but if he had acting skills, they didn't show. I would have liked the character to show more divine wisdom and understanding of the world. After all, HE IS GOD. I would have liked him to have had blue, sparkling eyes to beat in the idea he was holier than thou, too. It was OK, but it could have been great.***

"The [Smelliest] Place on Earth"

Recently there was an article featured on Disney World written by an ex-employee entitled, "Fired Disney Employee Reveals What It's Really Like To Work In "The Happiest Place on Earth". Read HERE. Check out number eleven:

11. The Secret Of Smells

There’s a reason why Disney parks smell so God damn good (toilets aside). This is because the parks pump pleasant smells around them using things known by Cast Members as “SMELLITIZERS“. Not only do they help mask they smell of the all the trash, but they also pump out certain smells to fit in with the atmosphere of each “land” – such as a salty sea breeze near the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Poisons are so NOT Disney-like, but there is so much in the news lately that is Disney, but shouldn't be, so are we really surprised? No matter what they claim, it's all about MONEY not people. 

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

Open Letter to the Snowflakers, or How to Avoid Looking Crazy

Last week there was a website article called "Allergic to Life" posted for The Guardian about the MCS/EMF community in Snowflake, Arizona. As you may recall, I visited this community a few years ago and although I enjoyed the company of the people, the area was a little barren, too depressing  and filled with too many car-eating rats for me to want to uproot my pet bunny and subject him to the horrors of giant snakes and roaming packs of dogs. The bunny is gone. Lately I have been revisiting this idea. How nice it would be to live in a community of like-minded people. Too bad they live in hell.

The more I thought about the article, watched the video, and perused the comments, the angrier I became. Unfortunately due to the overwhelming response, the comment section closed only a week after publication. Half the comments were from individuals with first hand MCS/EMF experience either because they are sufferers themselves or have direct contact with family or friends who are chemically sensitive. The other half were who I like to call "The Unenlightened" - people who have no experience nor have any knowledge on the subject yet due to their ignorance and inability to empathize feel the need to berate and blame the victim. For lack of cognitive understanding because of their incredibly low functioning brains, they blame it all on mental illness. They just can't wrap their heads around the fact someone might be different. I think even if I had left a comment it would have been deleted for being inappropriate for all the hollering, name calling and swearing I would have done.

This post is my response to the article.

The article and short video present a very interesting glimpse into the lives of these societal exiles including health history, illness remediation, architectural design requirements and various lifestyle allowances and restrictions. I found the suicide rate to be the most enlightening if not disturbing. The video has some very nice photographic elements, although the interview techniques and editing are substandard.

My main critique is the author is mentally ill and off her medication. Now, you probably think I'm being sarcastic, but she says as much in the article. Why? This is an article about MCS/EMF lifestyles so why is she front and center? She has even included two photos of herself. I surmise they appear only for posterity. She loves her mentally-ill self and she needs a self-esteem boost. Her mental illness has influenced her outlook greatly and perhaps she has sought out this community to validate her own illness.  Clearly she arrived in Snowflake with an agenda. Who farts in front of their interviewees and celebrates it in their own article? Bodily functions have been perceived as subversive entertainment since the beginning of time. It's too tempting. Only the crazy lack social skills. But she's on a mission.

The article and video fail miserably at qualified research. There is little medical research history cited and even it points to mental illness. There is nothing on the government agencies that recognize MCS as a disease and disability. There are no interviews from medical professionals, whether supportive or not. The author was invited into the community on the condition she would not contact psychiatrists who would debunk MCS/EMF diagnoses. I know these verbal agreements were an attempt by the interviewees to focus the article as a vehicle for public education rather than spreading narrow-minded untruths about the condition. Unfortunately, what is left is an expose on mental illness.

The message is clear: MCS/EMF is a psychological condition rather than a physiological health problem.  The author complied with their requests as she didn't call in the so-called medical naysayers, but worse, she states in the article that the interviewees tried to make her promise to not to even write about it implying they are paranoid and unnaturally fearful. She highlights behaviors that are strange which calls into question the rationality of her hostesses. She talks at length about her mental illness and makes comparisons while allowing the kind and empathetic MCS/EMF community members to offer advice and assistance. After all, they know the signs. The author also writes with the flare of insanity: disorganized, off-point, babbling without cognitive control. The whole article, including the writing style, screams mental illness. This strikes me as a back-stabbing. A betrayal twisted just so to appear as if they complied with requests and respected their subjects. Kathleen Hale...you should be ashamed of yourself for taking advantage of these people.

So who's at fault here? A mentally ill journalist with an agenda? I think not. Reckless, thoughtless, self-serving journalists always have agendas. That's the point of their job. It doesn't make it right. It just is what it is. The Snowflake community members are experienced with journalists and filmmakers as they seem to get their fair share of them visiting. So why aren't they better prepared? Perhaps they need some constructive criticism...

Dear Snowflake Community Members:

I have met many of you and I didn't get an impression of mental illness. I also know chemical and radiation poisoning does affect cognitive function, energy levels, and overall well-being making us less likely able to defend ourselves. Forced exile and isolation beg for company. This puts you at a disadvantage when dealing with celebrity-seeking journalists with agendas. Still, your current method of presentation is less than helpful to the MCS community at large. Here are some tips for handling journalists:

First, journalists are not your friends. You shouldn't be inviting them into your house for personal experience. Some are honestly searching for truth and knowledge, but most have an agenda that inspires them to desperately seek subversion and/or entertainment. Twenty-four/seven access invites too much scrutiny. Keep them at a distance. They are usually not trustworthy. Besides, if you can't offer basic hospitality, don't offer them bare bed springs and no blankets. Don't add dirty mats as if that rectifies the situation and provides comfort. Forcing people to walk naked from your car to your house over gravel is anything but typical. (If they were so toxic, why were they allowed in the car?) Expecting them to wear your underwear and feeding them cabbage soup is not socially acceptable. This style of hospitality screams MENTAL INSTITUTION complete with a violation of human dignity. If the author has ever been committed, I'm sure she was feeling right at home. Regardless, such an adventure will make for a really, really good story.

You can't impose censorship on a journalist. It defies the notion of our American patriotic freedom of speech. This freedom is the blood which runs through a journalist's veins. By attempting to control what they write and how they think, you challenge them do exactly the opposite. The more sleazy and underhanded they can play, the more satisfaction they will feel. They are constantly looking for a publishing edge. That's how they make their living. If you can't be honest with information and accept whatever they may write, don't extend invitations. Trying to control them with conditions and promises only makes you look paranoid [mentally ill].

Interview the journalist before he/she/they arrive. Have them send sample writings or online links to their publications. Research their positions on health care, politics, etc. Do they know anything about MCS/EMF and what are their current opinions? Ask for references. Find out if they have stabbed anyone in the back before. Can they actually write well without babbling incoherently? Find out if they have health issues. Find out if they are mentally ill. Any indication or instinct that feels wrong, decline their request. Be on the alert for sociopathic liars.

Assume journalists will seek and find the opposition. That is their job. Instead of attempting to control what they will write which only tempts them with the forbidden, guide them in their endeavors. Offer it to them on a platter. Give them information you want them to have including facts on how and why incompetent medical professionals view MCS/EMF negatively including prepared rebuttals. Give them names of doctors to interview. Heck, set up the appointment for them and point them in the right direction. Make their jobs easier. If you wear them out with information, the lazy journalists might stop there. I find being open and honest about the opposition is more helpful than trying to subvert it.

Be prepared. Instead of trying to control the journalist, control yourselves. You are the expert on your condition. You've heard all the questions and know all the answers. Present your facts with precision and clarity. When the journalist asks, "What would you say to the people who say you are mentally ill?" have a response ready that is clear and concise rather than, "Get your head out of your ass." Now I totally understand this response and the video editing that made it a sound bite, but to the general public aggression can be perceived as a symptom of mental illness. Don't talk about wrapping shit in tin foil, or putting a gun to your head, or implied child abuse. Do not let your guard down or babble thoughtlessly.

Practice good thespian skills. In addition to being prepared, be aware of how you present yourself. Be an actor. Control and plan your responses. Maintain a professional stance in order to relay quality information and purposeful education. For instance, if someone asks you what you do in your free time, don't say "...including things I don't want to go into." What does that mean? Are you a masturbation addict? It is not advantageous to sound like a psycho, a pedophile or a unabomber. Instead, respond with, "Oh, I do all kinds of things. I read, write, listen to music, go for walks." Don't give them sound bites that prove to the public you are strangely subversive. Assume anything you say and do will be held against you, or presented for public consumption permanently online...forever. Prepare your lines and present them like a sane person starring in your own movie.

Avoid contradictions. Anytime one challenges the status quo and tries to educate the public by telling them their everyday habits are toxic and health threatening, the Unenlightened will search for contradictions to discredit your information in order to legitimize their own lifestyle. Don't give them ammunition that supports their notion it's all in your head. If you tell them you are sensitive to plastics, don't pull out the plastic containers for photographic opportunities. If you tell them car exhaust makes you deathly ill, don't discuss driving or living in cars. If the journalist persists in her use of the word "allergy" and even plans to use it in the article's title, don't feature your barking dog in photos. Being "ALLERGIC to life" would imply pets are a problem as well. It's bad enough you have a barking dog around people who have hearing sensitivities. Contradictions discredit your information. You become unbelievable adding to the myth we are all just confused [psychologically impaired] or lying in order to get disability. Granted, a journalist with discrediting agendas will be looking for the contradictions. Again, don't invite them into your home.

Create your own articles and videos for public education. If you truly want to control what is written and seen, then produce your own public relations materials. Yes, I realize this takes energy and capital, but it's the only true method of control. Even so, what you write will be met with criticism and scrutiny.

Again, inviting journalists into your homes is risky as well as exhausting to anyone who is chronically ill. If you don't have the energy to maintain a controlled, professional demeanor, I highly suggest to avoid extending invitations. Think of them as vampires - once invited, the terror begins. I hope this list of suggestions is helpful the next time someone wants to invade your space and share their experiences with the world. It's advantageous to not promote the notion it's all in our heads.

Thank you,
Multiple Chemical Survivor

Hydrangeas

My Kind of Exercise...

This is brilliant and hilarious:

I love it when he steps "off stage" and all the women crane their necks as if there really was a stage. LOL!

Laughter is good.