In our house there are two things we spend a lot of time doing; reading and watching movies. On the reading front, I read 5-7 books a week while the hubby reads 2-3. We also tend to watch 4-6 movies a week – mostly on weekends. Good movies are jello for the mind. They go down easy, taste good, and most can be quickly forgotten.

Ever since my dad rented a VCR and brought home The Neverending Story when I was a little sprout in the mid 80’s I’ve been in love with the stories and the escape. I never grew out of my love for movies. Occasionally I’ll be in the mood to watch the same movie over and over again. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen the original Star Wars trilogy (pre re-editing and enhancement). Then there was that phase in university where I watched Platoon at least once a day for months on end… I’m amazed my roomies didn’t throw my butt to the curb!

There are movies that you choose to watch because they’re important – but once watched, no matter how well acted and directed they were – you will never watch a second time. For me, Bastard out of Carolina is such a movie. It’s burned into my mind and I’ll never forget it.

Like comfort foods people eat when they’re upset, I have comfort movies. Depending on the mood I’m in – or want to be in – I’ll choose specific movies to watch from our collection.

When I want a good action movie, I’ll throw on Pitch Black or Chronicles of Riddick. Boondock Saints is our “shoot-em-up” of choice. When I want a good cry, I choose Leon. My classic movie fave is Breakfast at Tiffany’s and for Disney movies I’ve always had a soft spot for Old Yeller. I love Bollywood but it’s a Hindi drama, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, that makes the top of my list for best Indian productions. I could easily list a dozen more…

This past weekend I had a chance to watch Mrs. Henderson Presents once again. I suspect that this movie will be added to my favourites and spend a lot of time in my DVD player in the next few years. Dame Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins always light up the screen.

The first time I saw this movie was at my parents house shortly before my dad died. Mom and I spent an evening watching it after visiting dad. Because of this I didn’t expect to be able to watch it again this soon. I thought the memory of the situation associated with it would be too raw. Surprisingly I found watching it again soft and comforting. If you’ve got a few hours to burn, Mrs. Henderson Presents is well worth the cost of the rental.

Technorati Tags: movies, dvd

For those who have served and fallen – both during their service or after retirement – take a moment to remember their sacrifice.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.– excerpt from For The Fallen, Laurence Binyon

In recent years there have been some discussions surrounding whether or not war is ever justified and if Canada should be shifting it’s focus away from combat missions and moving towards revamping our military to solely support peacekeeping and humanitarian aid roles.

Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica: Whether it is always sinful to wage war? says:

Those who wage war justly aim at peace, and so they are not opposed to peace, except to the evil peace…We do not seek peace in order to be at war, but we go to war that we may have peace.

I don’t believe in war for the sake of war, dominance or economics. I do believe that true evil exists and must be fought when encountered. I’d like to think I judge each mission the Canadian Forces are involved in on their own merit.

Many wars have been fought during the course of human history. Many have faded to memory. A few, such as the first and second world wars will likely do the same as the few remaining survivors of war’s horror slowly fade to dust. If we are to learn from history and move forward, we must never forget our past. I worry many days that we are heading in that direction – forgetting the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom from tyranny.

Each year, fewer and fewer of those who fought during WWI and WWII remain alive. Fewer people attend Remembrance Day ceremonies and sport poppies.

Tomorrow, please take a moment to attend Remembrance Day ceremonies in your local area. Visit a local Legion and spend time with our veterans. If you’re unable to attend ceremonies at a local cenotaph please observe two minutes silence at 11:00am.

You can also spend some time visiting the following sites:

• Canoe.ca – Remembrance Day: Why The Poppy?
• Terry Kelly – Pittance of Time
• Shawn Hlookoff – Soldier
• Dr. Sam – Before you go
• Judy Small – Mothers, Daughters, Wives
• Eric Bogle – Green Fields of France
• John McCrae – In Flander’s Fields
• Army.ca – Dealing with being home from Afghanistan

Update: Modified posting time stamp to keep this post in the forefront.

Technorati Tags: Remembrance Day, lest we forget, poppy, Legion, war, poetry

Take a moment to pause and reflect:

Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes. He (or she) stays up for days on end.You take a shower to wake up. He goes weeks without running water.

You call in sick with a headache. He could be splattered with bullets or shrapnel, but keeps moving forward.

You put on your anti-Afghanistan shirt, go meet your friends. He fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You talk “trash” with your buddies that aren’t with you. He may not see some of his buddies ever again.

You walk the street, staring at the pretty girls. He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

You complain about 30C in summer. He wears his heavy gear in 40C heat, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You change your clothes every day. He’ll wear the same army issue for months, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

You’re angry because your class ran five minutes late. He gets told he’s staying in Afghanistan another two months.

You hug your girlfriend every day. He holds the letter close and tries to think of his love’s perfume.

You criticize the government – war never solves anything.

He sees the innocent, tortured and killed by their own, and remembers why he’s fighting.

You see only what the media thinks you can handle seeing. He sees the bodies and blood, lying around him.

You sit and judge him, saying the world is a worse place because of men (and women) like them.

If only there were more like them.

– Author Unknown

h/t to Graham Hicks of the Edmonton Sun.

CBC purports to be Canada’s news network. I get a lot of my news on-line and through newspapers. When I do watch the news I tend to stick to local news programs. Tonight I caught a pre-news ad for Rex Murphy‘s rant.

I quite enjoy both reading and hearing Rex Murphy’s Point of View. Tonight was no exception. His topic was the disgraceful display in the Canadian House of Commons where members of parliament boo’d Don Cherry. Grapes was acknowledged by the Speaker of the house as a distinguished visitor and jeered by members of the Block Quebecios and some Quebec Liberals.

Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Grapes has an undying love for his country. He’s politically incorrect, grumpy, and occasionally says things that make me do a double take and scream “what?” at my TV. He’s he’s also patriotic, charitable, kind hearted, open, honest, straight forward, friendly, a long time supporter of the Canadian Forces, and someone who is not afraid to say that they love Canada (and why).

We often joke that our politicians behave no better than a bunch of elementary school bullies in the playground. Yesterday our members of parliament displayed once again how they’ve earned this reputation.

Full text of Rex’s reaction to yesterday’s events in Commons will be available here once posted.

Technorati Tags: Rex Murphy, Don Cherry, Grapes, CBC, cbc.ca