Of course my husband tuned into "Hemingway & Gellhorn."
I know few people who are more literate than he is.
Sigh, it's tough to keep up with sometimes. He makes references to "The Great Gatsby" that swoop right over my head. He knows a lot about pretty much any great novel, in fact.
So the Hemingway story, lauded as exploring "his great love" according to NBC 4 actually was no surprise in my house. (Heck, I love HBO and loved "Hills Like White Elephants" since I was a kid despite its weighty subject)
So what was the surprise?
How disappointing the movie was. And I think it was Nicole Kidman.
Don't get me wrong, I think she's great and gorgeous.
But I also think she was not right for this part - or was encouraged to play it too wide-eyed. (See photo)
What bad-ass war correspondent would have that look for even a second?
I seriously doubt any would. And the movie so far seemed full of such moments.
I'll give it another chance though just as a nod to passion, romance and great writers. (Plus, as I noted, I love HBO. I very rarely watch anything other than it and news)

Clip Tease

I learned at a young age that we must respect those who serve us by serving in the military.
The same, of course, can be said for the millions of Americans who turn out each year to honor Memorial Day. Here are some images of people doing so in Greater New Haven over the years.
My family was hit by loss when I was so young that there is not a lot else I recall from that time other than that my uncle, Daniel Morris Bennett, was killed while serving in Vietnam.
He was much beloved by many and while a dim memory for me, a strong presence throughout my life.
The pain of his loss reverberated through several generations.
But so does the pride in his service to the United States Marine Corps.
My dad also was (is?) a Marine. He is in the photo. (The really good looking one on the left! My older brother says the other good looking one on the right is my Uncle Bob)
The only two songs I can honestly recall my dad ever singing are the Marines' Anthem (yes, I can sing some of it too) and ""Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" the refrain being the important part: "what a wonderful day."
The two are somehow connected in my mind to a dad who made a wonderful life for his family.
On Monday,  Americans again will honor those who gave their lives for us. 
This, I believe, should be done outside any political considerations, past or present.
The Department of Defense will honor Vietnam veterans in a commemoration Monday. 
I will think of my dad and my Uncle Danny on Monday and all the other men and women who have served.
 

Is that possible? Looks that way.
An AP story in the San Jose Mercury News says: "Over the past four decades, the amount of broken-down plastic has grown significantly in a region dubbed the 'Great Pacific Garbage Patch.' Most of the plastic pieces are the size of a fingernail."
Gross.
The Christian Science Monitor reports that it is: "a large patch of mulched up plastic and other garbage, often said to be the size of Texas.
Wow, even grosser: Many news outlets are reporting that the giant pile of trash is letting certain marine bugs get a little out of hand.
What a world and why aren't we doing more to preserve it's wonder?

I am ashamed to say I think I let out a shout when I looked up at the newsroom TV screen and saw some large shapes floating in the shallows of a beach.
I knew right away that is probably was not a good idea for such a large creature - whatever it was - to be floating so close to land - and even worse possibly - to people who might do them harm.
The whatever it was turned out to be manatees, ABC news reports.
And according to that site: "Home video shows group of sea cows splashing around in the shallow surf."
Phew.
The HuffPo also reports that the lifeguards worked to clear the area,to protect the sweet "sea cows." Go lifeguards!
And for your viewing delight, here's the video of what it looked like at the beach -for some lucky folks who got up close and personal.

But do I dare be honest about my feelings about the Andy Griffith show? Especially given the news that 'Goober' has died.
Probably not.
But I know my dad got a kick out of it. So did my Uncle Jack. I recall them talking about it once, and at least they agreed on one thing: Don Knotts was the really funny one.
It may well have been the only thing they ever agreed on.
But Goober?
That was a character I do not recall them discussing.
And I had to look up a photo of George Lindsey to recall who he was. I am just barely young enough that I largely would have missed the first incarnation of Andy et al.
But when I did see it, honestly, I found it irritating. Shame on me, my son told me last night that I find most TV irritating.
But rest in peace Goober. You clearly brought many people a lot of joy over the years. Heck, I just read that the character lasted until 1993.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yWd22mjaw50" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>iframe>

P.S. On Don Knotts, I think one of earliest memories I have as a very little kid is seeing 'The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.' (Thanks dad) Maybe, thanks to the magic of Netflix, I can revisit that one soon!