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Last night the spouse put the movie Skyfall on the TV. It's playing on Netflix, and I loved it when I saw it in the theaters. Judi Dench is in it, and I like watching her on screen as well. So it seemed natural to go see her newest movie, Philomena. She doesn't play the tough head of a spy agency, but rather a lonely mother who had to give her son away when she gave birth at the age of 14, some 50 years back. Evil, cold, cruel Catholic nuns took her in, took her baby, and then subjected her to years of slave labor to pay their costs. We don't know what those costs were, especially since the nuns sold the babies they took in to US folks needing a baby or two. Philomena has always wanted to find the son she signed away, promising never to do just that. But, as part of a prospective story, a magazine underwrites her trip to the US to find her son, accompanied by a reporter with a back story of his own. After various amusing situations, frustrating situations, and a few closed doors, they finally to learn that the son grew up to be a lawyer, indeed, chief counsel to presidents Reagan and Bush the Elder. He was also gay and died of AIDS. So, we get a double whammy here. Judi retains her faith in the Church despite the sins they exercised on her. And, like mother, like son, as our gay lawyer turned his back on his own community to support Reagan and the Republicans when they themselves tuned their backs on AIDS. Naturally, the son died of AIDS. Did he ever try to find his mother? I'll leave that as my one spoiler left unsaid. The first hour of the movie drags and only comes alive with the discovery of the son. But it does a good job of showing a mother's love for her son and the frustratingly appalling ability of a mother to keep her faith in a Catholic Church that not only abused her, but gays and people with AIDS. Is there any insult a Catholic mother won't endure to keep right with Rome?

I was just reading an article about how to handle various holiday meal problems. I found it amusing but then there are a lot of "cooks" who are inexperienced. Deep frying a turkey is not difficult but it does require some diligence such as cooking it out of doors and not putting in anything other than a completely thawed turkey. Otherwise, very delicious and easy to prepare and not "full of fat" as some think. Usually a smaller turkey is better, such as a 10 pound one. I think we can all handle holiday meal problems with common sense which is not always common. Being friendly and offering plenty of wine is always a good idea. Best regards, RA1

The most overlooked step in frying a turkey -- having the fire department on speed dial.

Before you guys decide to continue this sophomoric thread, take note of the deep decline in postings and new topics recently. If all people see when they come here is TV Guide stuff and juvenile humor, what's the incentive to say and try to contribute something more substantive? There's a list of new topics on the right of the page- it's pretty sparse for grown-up reading. Oh, Happy Thanksgiving. Don't eat too much or you might have to fart!

Slight change of subject but the link description reminds me of a colleague who was suspected of having heart problems was asked to wear a Holter monitor for a week-end. The doc said just do your normal routine to include sex. I have wondered more than once if this was merely scientific or had a slight bit of voyeurism involved. No matter, his heart passed with flying colors. I did not ask his sexual partner how she would rate him. Best regards, RA1

This might better have been reported the the mainstream media as 'Pope Brings Christ Back Into the Christian Church to Walk the Walk.' I do like this Pope and that says something for me. I'm sure the Church's Inner Sanctum is busy hatching a conspiracy worthy of Ludlum to speed his call home, to be at the side of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost, as they view him to be more godly than earthly, thus not made for this Earth. I'm wondering how Paul Ryan is rationalizing the mistaken Pope?

An apology ?

Yesterday morning they took down about 2/3 of a mile of the Perimetral elevated highway that runs by the docks. Most who have visited Rio have probably taken a taxi along this route for the South Zone neighborhoods of Copa and Ipa. Well, next time, ain't gonna happen. http://www.cidadeolimpica.com.br/noticias/conheca-o-passo-a-passo-da-implosao-da-perimetral/

Basically they are only tearing down the Perimetral section by section as they open lanes of the Binario Tunnel and the Via Expresso which runs from the Praca Maua almost to the entrance to the Santos Dumont Airport. Túnel Binário has open sections at the Port Connection between Primeiro de Março Street and Praça Mauá is part of the three-year countdown to the Rio 2016 Games. Tunnel will be 1.480 meters long. This Monday, 5, Rio’s city hall inaugurated the first section of túnel Binário, between Primeiro de Março Street and Praça Mauá, downtown. The implosion was part of the three-year countdown to the opening ceremony of Rio 2016 Games. The tunnel will be 1.480 meters long and will connect Primeiro de Março Street to Antônio Lage Street, next to Moinho Fluminense. The intention is to have it ready by July, 2014. The open section is of 440 meters and will allow more flexibility in the works. To the mayor, although the section is not yet in operation, it is time to celebrate. - We are three years away from the Olympic Games and it represents a recovery of downtown Rio, said the mayor. This photo is taken directly a short block to the east of Meio Mundo. I am only surprise that combined with the fragile nature of the structure and the blasting, along with all of the vibrations TomCal and his groupings provide, that the whole place hasn't CUM tumbling down. The Binário do Porto Road is being built at the same time as Avenida Rodrigues Alves, and is 3.5km long. Each direction has three lanes and several exits towards Downtown. One of the directions connects Novo Rio Bus Station to Avenida Rio Branco. The other goes from Primeiro de Março Street to the entrance of the Gasômetro’s viaduct, which is under construction. Binário do Porto e Via Expressa (modernization of Avenida Rodrigues Alves with the implantation of another tunnel) will replace Elevado da Perimetral and are expected to increase by 27% the capacity of traffic flow in the Port Region. The mayor recalled that they will start bringing down Perimetral in the second semester of the year. To the director-president of Companhia de Desenvolvimento Urbano da Região do Porto do Rio de Janeiro, Alberto Gomes Silva, the opening of the tunnel will speed up the work even more. Symbolically, the opening of túnel Binário shows that we are on schedule. Besides, it will accelerate the construction and improve work conditions, declared the director-president of CDURP. Mayor Eduardo Paes also highlighted that the tunnel is very important to the city, but declared that the city hall’s priority is to provide the center of Rio with LRTs. But the area won’t be revitalized only due to traffic e commercial buildings. The mayor reported that a bill of tax incentives for residential projects in the area of Porto Novo should be sent to the city council - A city without a center is a city without a soul. From the total of new buildings in the port region, I want 40% to 45% to be residential. I want people living here, stated Paes. Share on Facebook Recommend on Google+ Tweet Send through e-mail

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNFbXxqGd_s