Godzilla 2014 Review - Monster with Testicular Fortitude

If you were that Saturday night ‘B’ movie watcher, or Sunday afternoon waiting on Godzilla to play on television, then you may be a little surprised if you go to see the newest version of the ageless monster, Godzilla.

This review may contain SPOILERS, but really how much of a spoiler can it be. It’s Godzilla.

I wasn’t really a big Godzilla buff, back in the day, I thought the Matthew Broderick one was decent, but the best one I saw was the Japanese Godzilla 2000.  But when I saw the destruction, the look and feel of a dystopian world, all in this new preview, I knew I had to see this one.

I went to the premiere showing with my niece and friend. My friend and for anonymity, we call him Tom. Which is not his name, it sounds like ‘Tom’ but it’s not.

Tom is a consummate movie lover. A good one to have around, although I will wager that he won’t go see another movie with me. Especially my niece, who by genetics, talks as loud as I do.

We sat in the very last row in a pretty empty theater watching the 3D version. I took my Tums for motion sickness and Advil for that 3D headache. I was ready to go.

SPOILER – The story is about a monster, a big monster., But there is a twist about it. Not about the creation of the monster, just the monster storyline.

As far as a story goes, hands down this was the most original of all. Pay attention to the opening credits and the opening scene. Don’t blink, you’ll be asking the person next to you what the time line is. To me, Godzilla doesn’t really look different, just less cheesy.

The acting is good, really good and nothing is overdone. Except the Japanese Doctor, who when asked what it was, turned with drama and seriousness, twitched his upper lip, and while looking at his peers, said in a deep heavily lazed Dialect, “Gah-zheeela”

I laughed. No one else did. Tom nudged me to stop. I’m still not convinced that it wasn’t an inside joke on set.

Visually, the movie is stunning. For those who like destruction … it’s there. For those who want a glimpse into a post apocalypse world, it has it (SPOILER) they show a quarantined city, fifteen years later.

If you hate 3D because it makes you sick and the cinematographer goes overboard, than this is the 3D movie for you. Nothing overdone or bad camera movements that will make you sick. I know, I am sensitive to it. At one point I was tricked. First time sitting in the back row, the heads of the guys in front kept bobbing into the picture and for a split second I thought the 3D was super realistic.

The movie is nonstop action and fun, and it pulls at the heartstrings. And SPOILER, you find yourself cheering for Godzilla. And yes, I'll admit it. I teared up. Then again, I tear up when I watch The Voice.

The thing that I liked best was the trailers didn’t give it away. It didn’t give you the whole movie in 2 minutes. They gave nothing away. In fact they were misleading in a good way.

At one point, SPOILER I was watching them battle on the West Coast and I leaned to Tom and said, “How the heck are they gonna make it all the way to the East then  Paris.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

“The trailer showed a destroyed Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower.”

“Uh, Jack, that was the Vegas scene.”

Ahhhhh. The editors were very crafty.

Anyhow, I highly recommend this move, it’s a fun summer one. And just one final note: I won't say where or when, but I will say, let me know if I am the only one that saw a Giant, swinging, Yellow Testicle.

Living in the 'Spectrum'

I always said, ‘Forty means freedom’. Being a young mother, by the time I reached forty, my kids would all be fifteen and older no need for a babysitter and I could enjoy my life.  If twenty years ago, someone told me that at nearly fifty years old, this would be my life, I would have said, “No way, no how. I am much too selfish for that. When my kids are old, it’s me time.”

Little did I know that in my forties a bright little blonde haired blue eye boy would change my world. Everything about my world. Everything about me.

God is pretty cool. His has this keen foresight, thing.  Like giving me not only the passion and love for writing, but the gift to do so and the ability to make a living at it at just the right time. I am truly blessed in every capacity. But I honestly believe there is a master plan, There’s a reason I am able to be a full time writer. God was like, “She’s got to be home, be available and ready.  Eh.. let’s let her have this writing thing. Her world is about to go insane.”

That’s what happens when you have a child in the home on the spectrum. It’s insane. I searched you know. High and low on the web for answers, for people like me and my daughter. But either they won’t step forward or her and I are the only ones that feel this way.

My grandson is my life. He came into my life at my lowest point, raised me up, restored my faith, made me feel and I promised that I would do everything for him that I could and try to do more for him than I could for my own kids. He has lived with me since day one.

I support him financially and emotionally. My daughter, I want her to be the best mother she can be and she is awesome. I had to work when she was a baby, so since I am blessed, I tell her stay home, be a mom, be here, I got this.

We kinda knew when my grandson wasn’t speaking .. something was up. He would say words then a week later not say them. He babbled like a rush hour traffic driver listening to the radio and singing a song he didn’t know the lyrics to. Noise and sounds no words. He was diagnosed with Apraxia and hence, began speech therapy.

I live by the clock, I sleep very little, have my writing times laid out. What I do, every day is a must to make a living.

Speech fit in, but even though his speech progressed, something was off. He wasn’t progressing cognitively or socially. As bright and funny and smart as he is … He was different, but then so am I.

Okay, so what, he watched Japanese youtube toy review videos for hours on end. I listen to the same song for hours. Recently he was officially diagnosed with PDD-NOS. Pervasive Developmental Disorder. It’s a form of autism.  With that official diagnosis, when you are on Medicaid, in comes the state.

Suddenly, following  the diagnosis comes the throes of people the state says has to help you. TSS Worker, BHC worker, DART. IEP. Ug! Someone take me off of this merry go round.

Not including the speech pathology which I take him to, all of these people are now in my home, every day, several hours a day. And they don’t just work with my grandson, one adult, me or my daughter must be present. Since I have two other granddaughters. Veronica wins baby duty and I sit with the workers. It is draining. I not only watch them work with him, I have to be instructed on how to be a parent and good guardian. God help me if I look at my phone to do emails.

There was so much going on, every day, so many hours a day, that I removed him from preschool. Not so much for him, but for me. I can only do so much. Work all night, get up after two hours, take him to school,, take him to speech, bring him home for four hours of therapy.

I don’t know how parents who work 9 – 5 jobs do this. If I wasn’t a writer, I don’t know how we’d handle this.

Don’t get me wrong, the workers are great, they are sweet, caring and love their jobs. But there’s no instruction booklet with this. No one tells you what it’s going to be like. Suddenly people are in your home, all the time. The bright side is, the house has never been more tidy.

I have one worker telling me , any routine is a good routine. The other telling me, ‘Yes, you have a routine, but it’s not normal.”

Under whose standards?  It’s normal to me. I want to scream at times, “I know how important a schedule is. I HAD one, now I don’t.”

They told me to stop putting the cookies out on the counter and to regulate them. “Kids can only have a snack when you say so, not when they want.”

Help!

Kindergarten is in the fall, and he may or may not get in. Tomorrow is five places for paperwork, a dentist visit with, none the less a dentist who specializes with working with autistic children. All for the K Eval on Monday. Which he may or may not pass  IF he passes, then we now have summer school to get him ready, with therapy, for regular school.

I know it’s all for the best, it’s all to get him where he needs to be. But no one told us what this all entailed. Why isn't there a single support website that tells you how life is going to be AFTER the workers step in.

I want to pull out my hair. My poor daughter is so stressed. My grandson, well, he just talks about what he wants to talk about, Legos and Heroes and tells the therapist, “I’m done, go away.”

I wished that worked for us. I am still looking for answers, someone to say, it gets easier.

As of now, living with an autistic child seemed a heck of a lot easier before we got help.

Why Ebola Shouldn't scare you ... too badly

It cracks me up when someone sends me an email, posts on my wall, asking if I heard the news of an outbreak. Me, really? I don’t open up to the morning news, I open up to disaster and biohazard news. I’m watching diligently. If I see something I’ll let you know if you should worry. The latest Ebola outbreak … nah.

Ebola is deadly. Yeah, that’s a fact. It starts out like a really bad head and chest cold, you get fever, chills and then suddenly with all that mucus, you’re now getting hit with the stomach bug. Only, your organs pretty much melt and ooze out your body orifices. Ebola has a kill rate of 90%+.  Yeah, it’s deadly. You’re a goner in under a week. In undeveloped and rural area Ebola can spread like wildfire. In industrial areas they stand a chance to contain it. The most recent case, while it hasn’t surpassed its historical worst, has actually breeched more boundaries. It’s now suspected in Malawi, and now one suspected case in Paris. Which, ok, I’m blaming Paris officials. Knowing damn well, that the incubation period can surpass three weeks (Meaning a person is contagious without symptoms) Why did they only quarantine that plane for twenty-four hours? Seems to me they could have sprinkled a little death around. How many of those people on that plane moved on to other countries?

Ok, even if it hits industrial areas, with quarantine measures above and beyond those in rural villages, the chances of nipping it in the butt are good. It’s not airborne, not yet. Meaning you have to come in contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. If it starts to rise, it’s as easy as stay indoors, stay safe.

But Ebola doesn’t scare me. Every few years it does this. On average about 7 people die each year of it, outbreaks average from 75-500. To date Ebola has killed 3,000 total. That is all. Your chances of catching Ebola are slim. 

Odds of catching Ebola 1 in 94.6 million.

So deadly as it may be, swipe that fear away, there are other things more scary for you to worry about and you have a better chance of experiencing it. These should ease your mind about Ebola.

The Plague – there are so many variation of this pesky world killer, you gotta love it. While plague, if caught early can be treated, it still has a good 35% fatality rate and is still alive an kicking. Did you know 12 million people died of the plague in China in 1855?  That’s cary considering it wiped out 12 million not that long ago. 75% of the middle age population. Still plague is most prevalent every year between March and June and carried by the Y Pestis and those hideous rodents called rats. Every year the CDC estimates 2000 deaths of plague are reported a year. Without calling it an outbreak.

35 deaths in the US alone.

 Odds of getting and dying from the plague  1 in 3 million

Yellowstone Supervolcano – While some say this won’t happen, increased seismic activity around the park, coupled with fleeing animals … I don’t know. I think we have more chance of it blowing its top than Ebola wiping us out. 

Odds of it Erupting – 1 in 647,000

The Flu – World Health Organization says 10-15% of the population contracts the flu every year. Every

year on average 20,000 people die of the Flu. While that’s less than 1% fatality rate (Unless of course it’s like superflu or Swine) your chances of getting better are great. However you still stand more of a chance of catching a deadly case of the flu than Ebola.

Odd of catching the Flu – 1 in 67

Odds of catching a deadly Flu - 1 in 22,000

Tuberculosis – Although it is treatable and not always deadly it is still deadly. We always seem to forget about this one,. Easily transmitted. People with ‘active’ TB, can sign, cough, sneeze and spread it. It’s that easy. The scariest part is a person  not being treated regularly for TB or who doesn’t know they have it will infect 10 people a year.

It is estimated by CDC and WHO that there are 8.45 million new cases every year and 1.5 deaths. That’s a biggie that people forget about good old TB.

Odds of catching TB – 1 in 840

Odds of dying after getting TB – 1 in 6

Now, see? Ebola doesn’t see that bad, after all, does it.

Yellowstone, Ebola which will hit harder first?

So while half the world is focusing on the deadly Ebola outbreak, the other half of the world seems to be debating and dismissing what could very well sweep the death toll of the deadly disease under the rug and burying it in news of ash and debris. Not saying the Ebola outbreak isn't something to watch. It is. Thankfully, once a person shows symptoms it moves fast and can be contained. Unfortunately, it can lurk inside an infected person for up to three weeks. While it lurks, the asymptomatic person is contagious. How far can one person take it and spread it?

Frightening enough, we are one airline ticket away from the end of the world.

Or .... a boom away.

If you recall, months back, I blogged about reasons that FEMA was moving all sorts of supplies to District 3. While some speculated that something was going to happen in District 3, I held firm that common sense says, why stock a place that is going to be a disaster area.

I believe District 3 is a prep zone. Possibly a relief area for the mass exodus of people that will be headed east following the eruption of the Yellow Stone Park Supervocalno and other disasters.

I gave Yellowstone as one of my reasons months ago, and supplied the following map to show areas affected by the blast and ash of the volcano. Notice District 3 is fine.

 So what gives lately? Yellowstone is no stranger to seismic activity, yet it recently experienced the biggest quake in over thirty years. While that alone isn’t much add that to the odd springtime exodus of animals leaving the park, just a few days later and people are wondering. Do these animals sense immediate danger and are fleeing for their lives? Or are they merely looking for food. Really, can animals predict disaster? PBS says yes.

I don’t know, if you watch any videos, they seem to be running. And if this was such a normal occurrence, why hasn’t such an exodus of Bison and other animals been documented. It I such a huge and unusual exodus, that Wyoming and Montana are at odds on what to do with the animals that left the park. Surely if this was normal, those two states would be butting heads.

We need to be diligent in watching the signs. This Disaster Websiteis BOMB. Visit this website Daily to be up to date on all world disasters. Bet ya didn’t know Ohio had a nuclear incident this week.

 Sadly, if Yellowstone blows, I don’t think we’ll get much more warning than we have already seen. Start adding that extra stuff to your shopping cart, all those on the east.  If it explodes, there will be a rush at the stores. Start now. And the west … have you prepped your bug out bag?

With the recent Yellowstone activity, Earthquake in LA, increase in Nevada and California quakes, Mudslides in Washington – I’m beginning to wonder if future generations won’t be reading ‘How the West was won’ but rather ‘How the West was Done.”

Falling through the Cracks of Affordable Healthcare: Yes, it happens.

Now that enrollment has ended we can all sit back and enjoy our affordable healthcare. Wrong. For millions upon millions of Americans, the Affordable Healthcare Act is misleading and an impossible, unaffordable joke.

I am not one to disrespect a sitting president, nor will I do that now. I fully believe that President Obama had all best intentions at heart, and a nation’s health in mind, when creating the Affordable Healthcare Act. In his enthusiasm to pass this bill, his passion and belief in it, he signed Executive Order 13535. Because he couldn’t get the support. Basically, he took it upon himself to make this law.

He made some pledges and promised, which again, I truly believe he believed, that Americans could keep their coverage, would not lose it.

Yet, factcheck states 4.7 million Americans lost their current insurance or would lose it in one year under the AHCA. Millions more will see premiums rise.

That’s really not my issue of this blog though. I’m talking about the millions of us, and I know I’m not the only one, who have fallen through the cracks and guess what, according to the law, it’s fine that we run around without insurance and Bonus … no fine.

I am self employed as a writer and far from rich. I have three dependants on my taxes. Yet, believe it on or not, that doesn’t matter when applying for AHC. Trust me, it doesn’t matter because I was only applying for myself. Even though I listed them as dependants.

Basically my letter states.

Good news: You’re poor and qualify under federal guidelines for FREE medical coverage.

Oh, my goodness, really, yeah!

Bad news: Your state didn’t expand their guidelines to meet the federal limits so your state won’t cover you.

Huh, wait. So, I don’t get insurance now?

Good News: You can pick a plan from the market place.

Ok, but the lowest one is so high … wait, tax credit, I heard about that, help to pay the premium …

Bad News: Because you qualify for free healthcare, you do NOT qualify for a tax credit there for you don’t get a break or instant tax credits to help pay premium prices.

Are you shitting me? What do I do now?

So you can pay the bargain monthly minimum Basic caveman premium price of 346.00 a month with 6,900 out of pocket expenses or … don’t. Because Bonus …you are exempt from paying a fine if you choose to go uninsured.

Ok, so back to square one. No health insurance. Ok, got it.

Where in the Government's mind is this right? Really? Think about it. The federal government believes I deserve free healthcare, but won’t give me a tax credit so I can pay for a premium since my state won’t cover me.

Like millions of Americans I am opting out. I just can’t afford it, even basic, a 300.00 a month premium. I don’t know what my income is from one month to the next. My taxes are high because I am self employed.

Somewhere, somehow, this could have all worked out, had it been thought about a little better.

But what about those who don’t qualify for a tax credit, can’t afford the premiums and aren’t exempt from the fine. Oh, yeah, there are people too poor for the tax credit, and fall in the small margin that have to pay a fine. What do they do?

I have good news. Don’t pay your gas bill, get a shut off notice and file for a hardship exemption.

States right on the website …

If you have any of the circumstances below that affect your ability to purchase health insurance coverage, you may qualify for a “hardship” exemption:

1.     You were homeless.

2.     You were evicted in the past 6 months or were facing eviction or foreclosure.

3.     You received a shut-off notice from a utility company.

There’s an entire list, go check it out.

For now, I’m irritated that this thing has let me down and I have a headache. Good thing it’s nothing worse, because I don’t have healthcare to see a doctor. I’ll stick to our local ‘Doctor is In’ at 29.99 a pop located in the corner of our local grocery store pharmacy.

Season 4 Walking Dead Finale - Prediction. Who will die?

I can safely say for at least a while, this will be my last Walking Dead blog, then I will resume normal, erratic blogging.

I thought for my final Walking Dead blog of the season, I’d go out on a limb, make a fool of myself and try to predict the Season finale. Chances are I am going to be so far off. But what the heck, right?

I’m basing my predictions on articles I have read, and promo spots that are shown.

Breaking it down.

The latest promo spot plays eerie sounding voices talking about Terminus. It shows screenshots of  bloody hands, a bloody Rick and a beat of Daryl. Also, Michonne wielding that mighty sword.

The promo is leading us all to believe that Terminus is this evil place where all meet up and all hell breaks loose and contains, as Walking Dead comic fans have been shouting .. the hunters. For those of you who don’t read the comics, the hunters are a group of cannibals. That Mary, as we met in Episode 15 is cooking up a human on the grill.

I am going to have to disagree with this and say the editors of the promo are deliberately misleading us. Fans have been screaming about the hunters arriving since the beginning of the season, the writers aren’t going to deliver what the fans expect.

Terminus was introduced in the back half, it would be lame and a waste to have it appear in one episode, have everyone conveniently get there, discover Beth’s half eaten body and end the season on that. It could go that way. I mean they could all get there, find Beth without a leg and realize they weren’t eating leg of lamb and end there.

Is something weird going on there? Yes, but we’ll only get a hint in the finale.

Glenn, Abe and Gang …

I think, Terminus will be relatively calm for our crew there will they will encounter the man that actually has Beth, but our group doesn’t know it until they see her journal or something.

Carol, Tyrese and Judith

Their appearance will be sporadic, and we’ll only see them walking and inane conversation like we witness in episode 15 with Rick and Carl. . When last we left off they were walking and we didn’t know their direction.

Rick and Company …

I think Rick won’t get to Terminus. Early in the episode look for Rick, Michonne and Carl to stumble upon a building that has a candle lit room (I say this is early because promo pics show Rick beaten and bloody). The candles are a shrine to those who have died, it is there, Rick finds his watch that he gave to that hippy stoner boy early in the season. The one that disappeared. Realizing it is unsafe, they move on.

THAT is our hint of the Hunters that come in Season 5. Not 4.

While en route to Terminus, Rick and Company will face off against walkers and while battling they will run into Daryl and his new friends.

Daryl is ecstatic to see Rick, but that is short lived when Joe and the boys turn on them, discovering Rick is the one they have been searching. A battle will ensure and it is there, and my prediction, that Carl gets killed.

Rick totally destroyed by this, goes crazy and brutalizes Joe and the others like  no one has seen. Animal like, tearing them apart in his grief. Just as Rick is about to give up, end it all, say I quit .. he hears a baby crying.

This is where Carol Judith and Tyrese arrive.

That’s my prediction, how far off am I? We will find out shortly.

The Death of Daryl Dixon – Why Daryl WILL die this season

***Spoilers***

If you are not all caught up on The Walking Dead, you may want to stop here.

The Walking Dead truly needs to get professional screenwriters. What looks good on paper or sounds good in talks, doesn’t necessarily translate onto screen in an exciting manner. Too many characters, too many stories, divided episodes, with anti climatic endings. They have lost focus. Who drags stories on for six months to barely touch upon them? Not to mention trite dialogue that is also nothing but forced foreshadowing and a way to mention off screen happenings. (IE: Lilly’s death, passing the bus). Daryl Dixon is supposed to be this amazing tracker, right? Yet how does he miss a dirty diaper? Even I could sniff out a fresh shit diaper and I don’t track.

Speaking of cool characters, hate me for saying it, but Daryl Dixon is gonna die. One of the last episodes this season. And I present the eight reasons why I THINK he is going to die.

8.  He was not meant to be in the show. Norman Reedus auditioned for the part of Merle and they created his character. They have shaped him, molded him, gave him his due last season but what now?

7.  What has he done for us lately? Nothing. A few lines, arrow shots. His bestie, Carol was kicked out and we never really got to see him to react. That storyline seems buried. It seems to me that the writers, who look at the comic books and figure a way to change them, keep forgetting about Daryl because he’s not in there. So they are like, “Shit, we forgot Daryl. Oh, yeah, just have him shoot an arrow, fans will like that.”

6.  They have taken him out of character. How much have we seen Daryl this season? His recent 15 minutes with Beth were stupid. Lame tracker missing those rabbits and diaper. Is this the same Daryl that went to look for his brother in Atlanta, for Sophia half of season two? Yet we are to believe Daryl wouldn’t go back to the prison for Judith or Carl and choose to run with an annoying teenage girl. Yeah, right. Again, they don’t know what to do with him. Merle is gone.

5.  He’s getting his own episode. Yeah, an entire episode, like the Governor. Sound familiar. Granted Beth is in the episode and it’s the bait and switch. Make us think they are killing her, but they aren’t. Does anyone really care about Beth? We’re rooting for her to die, and we all know WD never kills the ones we want.

4.  Daryl has already been replaced. In the comics, after Tyrese dies, Ford becomes Rick’s right hand man. Tyrese never became the right hand man on tv, Daryl did. So … out he goes. Plus, we will soon forget about him because Morgan returns (IMDB) episode 15 this season.

3.  They already played their high card this season. Walking Dead can’t survive by simply killing red shirts (A term for characters brought in to die). They survive by shocking us and killing people we love. When killing Hershel, they crushed us. Sorry to say, they now must top that. Who is left? Who will the fans really clamor about? Who is that high ended that people would riot over … Daryl.  He is the only one that can top Hershel’s death.

2.  They won’t kill him. That is almost my top argument as to why they will. People are so convinced the show won’t kill Daryl, that I think they will. The show can and will survive without him. Again, I refer you to Number “What has he done lately?’

And finally, Number one … the guilt move. I can see it. Ring. Ring.

Norman Reedus: Hello.

Robert Kirkman: Uh, hey, yeah, Norm, I’m like really sorry I killed you off this season.

Norma: Sucks, dude.

Kirkman: Yeah, I know, anyhow … to make it up to you. How about... uh a starring role in my new sci fi dystopia movie? (Winks to Gail Hurd with a look that says, we got him)

The movie is all true. Read Here. Robert Kirkman called Reedus to co produce and star in the new thriller AIR. Production has been kept secret. Probably to hide the fact that production on the movie coincides with production of WD. Confirming that Daryl Dixon won’t be back for season 5.