Late one Sunday night...

 This post is a little late in coming but this is Sunday and I had to get out of the house for a little while. If for nothing else than to remind myself that there is an outside world. Also, my husband likes to take me places so he can prove that I AM NOT a figment of his imagination.
 I watched a movie yesterday that I had never heard of, "The Human Stain" with Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman. While I wasn't really impressed by the movie, I was, as always, impressed with Nicole Kidman.
 I wasn't always a fan of hers. In fact, there was a time when I did not even LIKE her. That was back in the days of my youth where the tabloids ruled. I don't remember exactly what I read about her that caused me to dislike her but I know it was something about her personal life. Since then I have learned that nobody in the acting profession, or any profession, should have their TALENT obscured by their shenanigans. 
There are plenty of actors and actresses and singers whose behavior leaves a lot to be desired.
 Still, most of the first movies I was aware of that starred Ms. Kidman were simply too racy for my tastes. My, that woman sure likes to take off her clothes in front of the camera!
 I am mostly a horror movie buff. Both the gory kind and the psychological kind. When I saw Nicole Kidman in "The Others" in 2001, I thought she had done a good job and it was a good movie (very unexpected ending, if you haven't seen it, try it).  But that was as far as my opinion improved.
 It wasn't until I watched "The Stepford Wives" (2004 remake of the 1975 movie) that I realized what a wonderful performer she could be. Check for yourself by watching the scene at the start of the movie when she gets fired. The range of emotion that she portrays without even speaking is amazing. Here is a clip but it doesn't show the whole scene http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi318439705/
 Since that movie, I have gone back and watched some of her earlier movies and readjusted my first evaluation of her and her talents. She still had some films that were too racy for my tastes ("Eyes Wide Shut"), but she shone in them all.
 I guess this was a lesson in keeping an open mind and learning how and when to let the judgements of others determine your own beliefs.
 Until tomorrow...

JOKE OF THE DAY
An old, blind cowboy wanders into an all-girl biker bar by mistake.
He finds his way to a bar stool and orders a shot of Jack Daniels.
After sitting there for a while, he yells to the bartender, "Hey, you wanna hear a blonde joke?"

The bar immediately falls absolutely silent.

In a very deep, husky voice, the woman next to him says,
"Before you tell that joke, Cowboy, I think it is only fair, given that you are blind, that you should know five things:

1. The bartender is a blonde girl with a baseball bat.

2. The bouncer is a blonde girl.

3. I'm a 6-foot tall, 175-pound blonde woman with a black belt in karate.

4. The woman sitting next to me is blonde and a professional weight lifter.

5. The lady to your right is blonde and a professional wrestler.

Now, think about it seriously, Cowboy. Do you still wanna tell that blonde joke?"

The blind cowboy thinks for a second, shakes his head and mutters, "No...not if I'm gonna have to explain it five times."
from an email: thanks, Debbie


QUOTE OF THE DAY
Having a million friends is not a miracle...
a miracle is having a friend who'll stand by you
when millions are against you.

TIP OF THE DAY
The next time you need to paint anything with a paintbrush try this tip. Take a plastic coffee can lid, cut a slot in the center large enough to allow you to slip it down the handle to the bristles of the brush. This will insure that you go no farther than the lid in the paint and will catch any drips when you paint. After you are finished painting, cut a small section of the lid with the paint to use to match colors.


TRIVIA OF THE DAY
On this day in 1867, African American man are granted the right to vote in Washington, D.C.


SITE OF THE DAY
This is my go-to site for all movie and television information (and, yes, they have an app for that)
http://www.imdb.com/