Best Picture Award - Ordinary People

This movie was the 1980 Best Picture Academy Award winning movie.  I did not like this movie.  It was about a dysfunctional family and ended nowhere.

The origin of the title, I guess, is supposed to indicate that the dysfunctional family in normal and ordinary.  I don’t agree but maybe my non-weird family is not ordinary?

29 Best Picture movies seen.  Only 51 left to see.

Muddy Puddle

I’m going to start posting recipes using beer once I have tried them.

Here is a drink recipe that I got out of Men’s Health Magazine.  My initial take on this one – the first sip – was “Boy this one is going to be hard to finish!”.  However, about ½ way through the first small glass it grew on me.  Ended up drinking four of ‘em before the day was done.  Only thing that stopped us from having more was the fact that we ran out of espresso!

1 oz simple syrup

3 oz iced espresso (went to Starbucks, bought espresso, came home and put it in freezer to cool it off)

1.5 oz bourbon or whiskey (I used Seagram’s)

4 oz stout beer

Make simple syrup by bringing one cup of water to a boil.  Turn off the heat and add 1.5 cups of sugar.  Stir until dissolved and then chill.

Shake together the simple syrup, iced espresso, and bourbon or whiskey with a bit of ice.  Add beer and stir or shake lightly.  Pour into glass with a few ice cubes.  Enjoy.

Best Picture Award - Gladiator

This movie was the 2000 Best Picture Academy Award winning movie.  I really enjoyed this movie.  It held my attention from beginning to finish.  Kind of a love story but more of a story about honor and revenge.  It does have several graphic and gory fight scenes.

The origin of the title is easy to discern as the movie centers around the leading mans (Russell Crowe) journey from being a general in the Roman army to being a slave and gladiator, where he wins the hearts of the citizens of Rome.

29 Best Picture movies seen.  Only 51 left to see.

Finished JA

Today I completed the fifth of five Junior Achievement lessons at Janseen Elementary School in Kimberly WI where my daughter teaches third grade.  I was in her class teaching the program entitled “Our City”.  It is always an awesome experience and this year was no exception.

Junior Achievement provides all of the materials that are laid out nicely with easy to follow instructions.  The kids love all of the exercises and respond enthusiastically when I asked questions.

All in all a great experience that everyone should consider doing at least once.

Best Picture Award - Rebecca

This movie was the 1940 Best Picture Academy Award winning movie.  Somewhat of a love story with an interesting twist at the end of the movie.  The film was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starred Lawrence Olivier and Loan Fontaine.  Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the film and if this was the best of 1940 – I don’t want to see the other ones!

The origin of the title is easy to discern as the movie centers around the leading man (Lawrence Olivier) and his wife that drowned.  Her name was Rebecca.

28 Best Picture movies seen.  Only 52 left to see.

Best Picture Award - Driving Miss Daisy

This movie was the 1989 Best Picture Academy Award winning movie.  My daughter, Megan, and wife, Lori, watched the movie with me.  The movie centers around a wealthy Jewish lady in her seventies that should no longer drive and the 20 plus year relationship that she develops with her African American driver.  In the end the relationship with her driver is stronger and better than that with her son (Dan Aykroyd).

I enjoyed watching the film but my wife and I had the same exclamation when the movie ended.  “That’s it!”

The origin of the title is easy to discern as the movie centers around the relationship of the driver (Morgan Freeman) and Miss Daisy (Jessica Tandy).

27 Best Picture movies seen.  Only 53 left to see.

Best Picture Award - Chariots Of Fire

This movie was the 1981 Best Picture Academy Award winning movie.  I did not enjoy the movie so I won’t even do a review.  There is probably some deep meaning that I’m missing.

I’m a runner and the movie centers around running.  There is one good quote.  After one of the main characters loses a race his girlfriend attempts to console him.  He responds “I don’t run to take beatings.  I run to win and if I can’t win I don’t want to run.”  Her response was “If you don’t run you can’t win.”  How very true this statement is.

I also was unable to determine where the title comes from.  Guess I’ll have to do some internet research.

26 Best Picture movies seen.  Only 54 left to see.

Best Picture Award - All Quiet on the Western Front

This movie was the 1929-1930 Best Picture Academy Award winning movie.  The version I watched was remade in 1973 starring Ernest Borgnine and Richard Thomas (John Boy from Little House on the Prairie).

The setting for the movie was World War One and the trench warfare between the French and German nations.  The story is told from the viewpoint of several German recruits.  The movie shows not only the horrors of war but the effect it has upon the soldiers.  The story is very well told and held my attention through out.

The title of the movie is the command that the German high command gave to end the fighting.

25 Best Picture movies seen.  55 remain.

Best Picture Award - Gentleman's Agreement

In 1947 the movie Gentleman’s Agreement won best picture starring Gregory Peck and Dorothy McGuire.

I found the movie interesting and somewhat applicable today.  The movie was about anti-Semitism and how when one stands aside and doesn’t say anything to stop the behavior they are, in fact, encouraging the behavior.  Remember this movie won in 1947 – just two short years after the end of World War Two when anti-Semitism was the rule in Europe.  This movie “exposed” the less blatant behavior occurring in the United States.

Fast forward to today and the same sort of thing may be happening to homosexual couples.

One noticeable change in the way movies are filmed (other than being in color today) is the amount of on-screen cigarette smoking.  Almost none today but in almost every scene in 1947.

The title of the movie refers to the method used to keep Jews out of clubs, etc.  It was a "Gentleman's Agreement" to discriminate.

24 Best Picture movies seen.  56 more to watch.

Academy Award Winners - Best Picture

A good friend of mine who recently sold a business and is going back to school (meaning he has a lot of time on his hands during the day) decided to watch all of the Academy Award winning movies for Best Picture.  I mentioned that I might want to do the same thing so we agreed to watch them together.

The starting point is to determine what are the movies and which ones I’ve already seen.  There are 80 movies in total and I’ve seen 23 so far.  I figure it will take a year or two to see all of them.

I’m having trouble locating the very first movie “Wings”.  It is a silent film (the only one that ever won).  Anyone have any idea where I can rent or get a free, legal copy of the film?

Investment Club-Nov 2009

My investment club, Club YenoM, decided to sell all of our Oracle (ORCL) stock.  Factors that led us to this decision are:

1.      We had more stock in the Technology sector than we wanted (32% vs 25% desired)

2.      We already own Microsoft and the group felt better about the future of Microsoft and, at a minimum, we understand how they make money better

3.      We are attempting to lessen our exposure to large cap stocks

4.      The projected annual return (PAR) is 12.6% while the overall porfolio’s is 15% so selling ORCL and replacing it with higher PAR stocks will improve the expected return of the portfolio

We decided to hold on to $200 of the proceeds from the sale to invest next month.  The remaining money from the sale will be equally divided between FTI Consulting (FCN) and NVE Corp (NVEC).  Here’s the reasoning.

1.      FCN is a mid cap and NVE is a small cap thus improving our position in those sectors

2.      Both companies had PAR’s in excess of 16% which is better than ORCL’s

3.      FCN is in the financial sector

4.      NVEC is in the technology sector so we didn’t reduce tech as much as the sale of ORCL might indicate.  Our desire to improve PAR overrode the technology sector diversification needs

Next month we will be on the hunt to add an additional stock to the portfolio with almost $2000 in cash.  We decided that the stock should be a small or mid cap and NOT technology.

Taking Inventory

I decided today to inventory the fruits and vegetables that I canned this year, my most productive ever. Here is what I canned.

Spaghetti Sauce - 22.5 quarts - I've made and canned spaghetti sauce for the last several years and it is always excellent.

Strawberry Jam - 8 pints - The second year that I've made jam. It is so easy and good.

Cherry Jam - 4 pints - Used Door County tart cherries. Just as easy as the strawberry jam.

Peach Syrup - 4 pints - Just as easy as strawberry jam but learned that you must follow the instructions. That's why it is syrup and not jam.

Salsa - 11 quarts - Made two batches - the best ever.

Still to can this year.

Chili - going to try it for the first time - will have to use my new pressure cooker.
Apple Pie Filling - I've already bought the apples and will be going to a class next week.

Time to Plant Tulips

Each summer after the tulips have finished blooming and are starting to die back I dig up the bulbs that I planted 3 years prior so they can be divided. I started doing this 20 years ago with a total of 30 red and yellow tulips. I now have over 600 bulbs planted and I can't count the number I've shared with friends.

The picture is of the tulips ready to be covered. The yellow stuff that looks like grass seed is really rice hulls that is a great addition to help loosen the soil.

I also like tulips in a line vs planted in clumps. Almost all of the planting beds in the yard are lined with tulips and they make an awesome display in May.

Rosemary for the Winter

Each year I grow the herb rosemary in my garden. I just love fresh rosemary with potatoes. The plant produces so much rosemary that I also dry the limbs so I can use them throughout the winter. Each year around this time I dig up the plant, pot it, and bring it inside. I've had pretty good luck with the plant making it through the winter but I have lost some as well. I generally don't get any fresh rosemary during the winter - the plant goes dormant - and like me is just trying to make it until spring. That's when I'll put it out in the garden again.

My favorite potato recipe using rosemary. The ingredients are approximate since I've never measured the amounts - I just throw in what looks right.

2 TBS Olive Oil
2-3 Potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 onion, diced or sliced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 tsp garlic powder (you can use fresh as well)
1-2 tsp dried rosemary (or 1-2 TBS fresh)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the oil. Put the potatoes in oil making sure you don't burn yourself. Add the onions and green peppers and spices. Cook on medium heat until the potatoes are soft, turning frequently so they don't burn. Serve hot with ketchup.

Planted Garlic

I planted garlic that will be harvested late in July 2010. The garlic cloves that I used were some of the cloves that I harvested this year in July. I planted the variety of "Siberian Red". The cloves were big so I'm hopeful that they will produce big cloves again next year.

I use the garlic for homemade salsa and spaghetti sauce and, of course, any other dish that calls for garlic.

I love garlic.

Drumstick Torte

If you remember having "drumstick" ice cream cones as a kid - you'll love this recipe. It is simple to make and oh so yummy. I've been asked many times to bring this dish to pot luck dinners and it has never failed to please.

2 cup Vanilla Wafer, crushed
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup Spanish Peanuts, crushed
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup peanut butter
4 cup Cool Whip
2 small packages chocolate instant pudding mix
3 cups milk
Chocolate for garnish on top

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees. Mix Vanilla Wafers, melted butter, and 2/3 cup crushed peanuts. Press the mixture into a 9 x 13 pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

While the crust is baking and cooling, beat together powdered sugar, cream cheese, peanut butter, and 2 cup Cool Whip. Set aside. Mix the chocolate pudding with milk and set aside to firm up slightly.

When the crust is cool spread the peanut butter mixture evenly over the crust and then the slightly firmed up chocolate pudding as the next layer. Finally, frost with 2 additional cups of Cool Whip. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup crushed peanuts and garnish with chocolate curls. Keep refrigerated.

Servings: 16

Canning

I learned a valuable lesson in canning. First, let's start by letting you know that I'm a novice at canning but I'm learning. The plan was to make peach jam and cherry jam. I got the peaches and cherries from the local farmer's market and went to the store to get "Sure Gel" to make the jam. The only other ingredient is sugar and lots of it.

I decided to do the peach jam first and this is when I learned the lesson. I thought I was following the directions but I put the sugar in with the fruit, heating, and then the "Sure Gel" and heating. The directions had me doing it the opposite way. I thought to myself how big of a deal could that be. Well the peach jam looks good but it did not set. So I have four pints of peach "slurry". It is excellent on vanilla ice cream however.

The finished product

By following the directions I successfully made cherry jam for the first time.

Garden Pictures 2

My tomatoes are growing slower and smaller than in years past. I think the cold spring, minimal water in June and July are the main reasons. I'm starting to get some off them the plants now but I'll probably have to buy tomatoes to make all of the spaghetti sauce that I plan on making.

Tomatoes - finally starting to bear fruit

I grew green peppers somewhat successfully but I've never been satisfied with the size, quantify or taste of the green peppers that I grow. Anyone have any tips?

My harvest today

Flowers

There are still flowers blooming in the garden

Harvested Garlic

I harvested over 30 heads of garlic today. I've got them in the dark drying out so I can use them to make spaghetti sauce once my tomatoes ripen.


Below is a view of my onions. They will be ready to harvest soon and will also go into my spaghetti sauce.