“Qian Li Zou Dan Qi” is a rare collaboration between Japanese and Chinese filmmakers, and the result is a lovely, lyrical tale of family and forgiveness.Takata Gou-ichi lives alone in a little Japanese fishing village; he hasn’t seen or spoken to his only son, Ken-ichi, since Takata’s wife died ten years ago. Rie, Ken-ichi’s wife, tells Takata that Ken-ichi has been hospitalized for what turns
out to be terminal cancer. Despite Rie’s well-intentioned duplicity, he refuses to see his father; Rie sends Takata home with a videotape Ken-ichi produced, a short performance of a Chinese folk opera, followed by an interview with the singer, a man called Li Jiamin. On tape, Ken-ichi promises to return to China to film Li performing a song called “Qian Li Zou Dan Qi”, a tale of an ancient Chinese nobleman who declined various honors and traveled hundreds of miles to aid a friend. Takata doesn’t know the story of the song, but he decides to travel to China and film Li’s performance as a peace offering to his dying son.Takata sets out for the hinterlands of China’s Yunnan province only to find that Li is in prison. This begins the almost farcical quest on Takata’s part to succeed in his original aim. He struggles with bureaucrats, interpreters (he speaks no Chinese at all), villagers, the vastness of China’s undeveloped countryside, Li himself, and last but not least, Li’s fiesty 8-year-old son Yang Yang.Ken-ichi dies, of course, so there’s no happy ending. The movie ends as it begins, with Takata alone in his fishing village. But he’s achieved a connection with his son that wouldn’t have been possible without this journey, and maybe he’s learned something about himself as well.We never see Ken-ichi’s face, a subtle but effective metaphor for the distance between father and son.
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles – Qian Li Zou Dan Qi: A Sweet, Quiet Drama. In Chinese and Japanese with English Subtitles
Debt Consolidation Loan – Is it Right for You?
Brief Introduction to Debt Consolidation LoansAre you considering a debt consolidation loan? You may want to think that decision over carefully and conduct a lot of research before you make that choice.It appears to be an easy way out at first, with combining several payments a month into one larger monthly payment. But that could lead to more trouble in the long run. While this may be a quick fix for your immediate financial situation it may not be a cure for your long term finances.
Debt consolidation loans and home equity loans should be the last considerations before bankruptcy in many cases. There are several types of debt consolidation loans: Home equity loans, zero percent credit cards and consolidated loans. Home equity loans use your home as collateral. If you default on those loans you risk losing your house. Many people want to get out of debt quickly and home equity loans seem to be the answer. In the long term you could be doubling your debt if some unforeseen event happens, like losing your job. You’re then stuck with the same debt or more plus your home is on the line and you risk losing it as well. Zero percent credit cards can be tricky business. You have to be extremely disciplined to use this method because you are essentially getting more credit cards. But if you transfer the balances from high interest cards to one with zero percent interest you should put the old card in a lock box or cut it up. You must pay double or triple the minimum monthly payment during the introductory zero percent periods. This is the only way the system will work. The most popular debt consolidation loan is the one that combines all your payments into one monthly payment instead of 10 to 20 like you may have now. Some times this is a cheaper alternative and some times not. If you are currently paying $900 month to various creditors throughout the month, your consolidated payment may be about the same amount each month, but it would be due in one lump sum on one due date. Chances are you will have to save money from each paycheck to make the consolidated payment each month.
Public Speaking Tips that Actually Work
Overcoming Fears and Winning Your Audience EffectivelyPublic speaking isn’t for everyone. Those who haven’t overcome their high school stage fright probably don’t have plans to do so at the next company orientation meeting where they’ve been selected to talk about the
recent company merger! Public speaking is that fun class that you hated to take, but needed to finish in order to get your English credits in college. After that, well, the rest was up to you to get the skills and experience you might need.Even though you may avoid it, gaining strength in public speaking is an asset that can help in both a career and social setting. Your self-confidence is immediately boosted when you are able to connect with your audience, no matter how large or small. If you’re having trouble with an upcoming speech, don’t know where to start, or just need to fine-tune your skills, try out some of these public speaking tips that actually work!
Dinosaur Movies for Kids
Nothing Keeps a Kid Glued to the Television like Dinosaurs! Three Movies for Your YoungstersThere are only three constants in the world: Death, taxes, and kids love dinosaurs. Dinosaurs have a lot going for them. They’re fanged, meat devouring monsters, but they’re dead so you don’t have to worry about running into one in the park. They’re huge, and we all know the bigger
something is the more interesting it is. They’re somewhat of a mystery, so our imaginations can run wild when think of them. They make kick-ass toys.Oh, if you’re a parent, they can keep your little one quietly glued to the television while you massage your forehead and wonder why you didn’t just get a cat. The following, are three great dinosaur related movies for your kids, starting with the youngest age group and moving up.Land Before TimeThis G rated, animated film is great for the youngest kids, for no other reason then being animated. The story follows Littlefoot, an Apatosaurus fleeing from his drought stricken homeland to the Great Valley where his grandparents await. Along the way he meets several friends: Ducky, a Saurolophus. Spike, a Stegosaurus. Petrie, a Pterodactyl and Petra, a Triceratops.Parents be warned: While not as heart-wrenching as Bambi, the movie does feature the on-screen death of Littlefoot’s mother.This movie spawned a ridiculous amount of sequels, which all kind of stink from a critical perspective. However, little kids could care less what Roger Ebert thinks and will enjoy all of them. The sequels are:Land Before Time 2: The Great Valley AdventureLand Before Time 3: The Time of The Great GivingLand Before Time 4: Journey Through the MistsLand Before Time 5: The Mysterious IslandLand Before Time 6: The Secret of Saurus RockLand Before Time 7: The Stone of Cold FireLand Before Time 8: The Big FreezeLand Before Time 9: Journey to Big WaterLand Before Time 10: The Great Longneck MigrationLand Before Time 11: Invasion of the TinysaurusesGet your check book out. Plenty of mileage can be gotten out of this series, especially since little kids like to watch things over and over and over. And over.Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend
Be a Success at Public Speaking
Tips for a Polished SpeechDoes the thought of public speaking make you weak in the knees? Does speaking at a meeting leave you nervous and anxious? This article will show you how to be prepared for your next public speaking event, and to decrease the nervousness inherent to public speaking. Most importantly, you need to know your subject matter. It is imperative that you research the topic you are speaking on, and that you have as much information as possible. Compile your research and study it, so that you are familiar with all concepts of the topic. This will allow you to
anticipate questions and formulate answers to these questions in advance. After performing thorough research, prepare your presentation. Do NOT write or type out your speech verbatim. If you simply read or memorize a speech, it will sound canned and rehearsed. This will decrease the interest in your presentation, and give a negative reflection on your public speaking skills. Instead of typing out your full presentation, write out an outline of the major topics, with a few bullet points for items that must be covered within the main topics. It is okay to bring this outline with you while performing your presentation. The outline will help to jog your memory, in the event that you lose your place.
Actor Debate – Steve McQueen Vs. Paul Newman – Part One
Big Screen Giants, but There Can Be Only OneAs two of the finest American actors of all-time, Steve McQueen and Paul Newman dominated the often underrated classic films of the 1960’s and eventually starred together in the 1974 disaster picture The Tower Inferno. After the Inferno, McQueen who battled cancer, only made a few
more films, with Tom Horn his final role before his 1980 death. Although Newman is still alive and kicking, his glory days seemed to end when the 1980’s hit and although he has starred in many films none of them have come close to his performances in the prime of his career.So this brings us to our first in a series debates pitting actors versus actors, McQueen versus Newman, with a focus on what we consider the prime of their careers, 1958 (the year Newman broke out in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) to 1974 (when the two shared the screen in The Towering Inferno). Co-writer Pat Harrington will be taking the side of Newman, while I (Guy Stuller) will be defending McQueen on the matter. In the timeframe we are debating, who made the better films and how much influence did each actor have in making those films great? PH – I would argue that Newman made better films in the aforementioned timeframe based on the titles that still stand head and shoulders above most films made in the era. Cat On a Hot Tin Roof was only the beginning of a brilliant 16-year span that included such classic films as “The Long, Hot Summer,” “The Hustler,” “Hud,” “Hombre,” “Cool Hand Luke,” “The Sting” and “The Towering Inferno.”
Ten Blogs About Fun and Nasty Celebrity and Fashion Gossip
An All-American Guilty PleasureMy name is Heather, and I have a shameful addiction. One that makes me tape shows like Entertainment Tonight and Hollywood Insider. That has me reading US and People and OK! when standing in the checkout line. I secretly take sides in
ridiculously contrived events such as Aniston vs. Jolie and Suri vs. Infangelina. I own a FREE KATIE! Tee shirt. But the worst – and the best. And the least reliable – of celebrity gossip isn’t found on TV, in the tabloids, or in games of Telephone from friend to friend, starting in LA and ending here in Almost Canada. It’s the celebrity gossip blog. The Internet has opened up a whole new world of rumor mongering and spiteful, malicious gossip. When else in history have we been able to know all the intimate details of a superstar arrest before the local news station? And with less fact checking? Everything you ever wanted to know about your favorite or least favorite celebrities, and so much more than you ever wanted to know! Before you go surfing, remember: the language and topic matter of these blogs is not meant for those under 18 or anyone with sensitivities to gossip or bad language! Here are the Top Ten Gossip Blogs on the Internet:
Don’t Picture Everyone in Their Underwear & Other Tips on Public Speaking
For most people, public speaking is not something they love to do. It can be downright terrifying to stand in front of a group of people and give a presentation. It’s even worse when you’re a shy, quiet person who would rather go unnoticed. It’s not surprise that the fear of public
fearing has been rated the #1 fear in America.Like it or not, public speaking is something we all have to do eventually, whether it’s giving a speech in high school, college or presenting a project at work. Still, there is hope, even for those shy types who dread public speaking more than anything. I was one of those shy kids in high school who would get extremely nervous when it came to public speaking. I would stress about having to give a presentation for days, sometimes even weeks. On occasion, I would even resort to pretending to be sick that day. This was a hit and miss thing though, since sometimes the teacher would just make me give the presentation in front of the entire class on the day that I came back anyway. And of course, I’d be the only one, so this focused even more attention on me, which was the exact opposite of what I wanted. Over the years, as I grew more accustomed to public speaking, I figured out that there certain things that I could do to calm myself and make the presentation go more smoothly. Had I known in high school what I know now, I probably would not have stressed so much about it and I may have even learned to enjoy it. Since it’s not possible for me to go back to high school, I figure that the next best thing is to pass along the tips that I’ve learned to other high school students. Hopefully, these tips will help some other shy kid who dreads public speaking as much as I did back then. [THE DAYS LEADING UP TO YOUR SPEECH]Be PreparedYou need to know your subject matter forwards and backwards. It should be so ingrained into you that you’re able to give the presentation while you’re standing on your head with your eyes closed. (Hey, you never know what the teacher will ask of you.) So be sure you dedicate sufficient time to research. This is not one of those things you want to leave to the last minute.Create an outline for your presentation
Reasons to Love AOL Broadband DSL
Why America Online Defeats Its Negative StereotypeWhen it comes to email management programs and web browsers, AOL Broadband DSL gets a bad rap. And it’s really a shame because it doesn’t necessarily deserve it. Sure, Time Warner/AOL is a corporate giant who has a major agenda of taking a
portion of your monthly budget for as long as you live, but it also has some really positive attributes and there are many reasons to love AOL Broadband DSL.To begin with, let me state that America Online and I are a very unlikely couple. I tend to not fit in well with your typical “mainstream” and hip products and services, in fact I’m quite the laggard when it comes to adapting to the latest craze of any genre. But I’ve had AOL ever since I caught on to the Internet buzz and I have no plans to change that . There are many great features about America Online and to make it easy I will illustrate each reason to love AOL broadband DSL, or at least some of them, below, numerically. 1) Email Management- The entire email application portion of the convenient AOL broadband DSL is extremely convenient and easy to use. Granted, it is basic and I do agree that people handling large amounts of business correspondences would be better suited with Outlook. But if you do a lot of in and out emailing with friends, it is great. For one, the program allows you to gather 1000 emails in y our box before they start bouncing back to the sender. And the new emails stay in your box for a month before the system deletes them. So if you go out of town let’s say, or maybe, like in my case, your internet gets shut off because you didn’t pay your bill for a little while, you don’t have to worry about your mail getting lost. The never read email is in bold lettering and the read mail that you wish to keep new is in unbolded type. Also you can search through your mail by subject or email to try to find something or organize the entries in order of date, subject or email address. Its’ very easy to read.