De-clutter part 1

The Bedroom



The Coat Closet

The Given Day by Dennis Lehane

The Given Day
By Dennis Lehane

Synopsis
The Given Day tells the story of two families--one black, one white--swept up in a maelstrom of revolutionaries and anarchists, immigrants and ward bosses, Brahmins and ordinary citizens, all engaged in a battle for survival and power.

This was a long book, but it had a lot of action. There was not much of a lull anywhere. It went from family to family and event to event. Riots, strikes, disasters, deaths, killings…you name it, this book had it.

Set in 1919 Boston, it mixes fact with fiction. This is a great historical novel that will bring you right into the heart of the story. There are happy endings and bitter sweet ones that will stick in your memory for a long time. I learned a lot about this era that I hadn’t known.

The only other story I am familiar with by Dennis Lehane is “Shutter Island” which I saw in the movies. I loved that movie, and probably would have loved the book. He has several novels out and I would like to read another. However, I will go on to read other stuff now, but will keep him in mind for the future.

This book: 4 out of 5 stars.

Who would I recommend this book to:
1. Anyone who likes historical fiction especially from the 1918 – 1919.
2. Anyone who likes a sweeping saga with a lot of rich characters and a great story line.
3. Anyone from Boston, USA

2011 E-book Challenge

2011 E-Book Challenge

Challenge Guidelines:
1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

--Non-bloggers: Include your information in the comment section.

2. There are four levels:

-- Curious – Read 3 e-books.

-- Fascinated – Read 6 e-books.

-- Addicted – Read 12 e-books.

-- Obsessed – Read 20 e-books.

-- Possessed – Read 50 e-books.

-- Fanatical – Read 75 e-books.

-- Monomaniacal – Read 100 e-books.

3. Any genre counts.

4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.

5. Challenge begins January 1, 2011 and lasts until December 31, 2011.

I've decided to join in after I saw it posted on Wendy's page. I had planned to read from my Kindle more this year anyway, so why not. I will probably do -- Obsessed – Read 20 e-books. If down the line I do more, then I'll revamp the post.

No book list yet, I don't like to do that, but here is a list of the completed books so far:

1. The Given Day - Dennis Lehane
2. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - Benjamin Franklin
3. Heaven is for Real - Todd Burpo
4. Macrobiotics for Dummies - Verne Verona
5. The Shunning ( (Heritage of Lancaster County #1)-Beverly Lewis
6. Poke The Box - Seth Godin
7. Imaginary Jesus - Matt Mikalatos

UPDATE

It is January 20th and I have so far managed to keep my New Year’s Resolution of de-cluttering and staying that way. It is a long journey, my house is very cluttered. I am almost done with my bedroom, only a few more areas to attack such as my closet and drawers. The next room I plan to tackle is the Living-room. This room needs an overhaul, so that will take a month at least.

I did manage to clean the coat closet in my foyer. That was serving as a ‘junk’ closet. The ‘junk’ that was in there was old electronic devices (mostly). TVs, VCRs…etc. I don’t know why I was holding on to them, I suppose I was hoping I could fix them one day, but much of that stuff is over 5 years old.

I also am planning to thin out my book shelf. Yes guys, I will be giving away my books. I was thinking of sending the paperbacks that are in good condition to the prison libraries, and the hardcovers I’ll send to Catholic Charities, maybe they can sell them.

I will soon post pictures of my newly de-cluttered spaces.

I am behind on my reading, I’m only on my 2nd book of the month. “The Given Day” by Dennis Lehane, which I’ve been reading since December. I’m over the ½ way mark, and hope to finish it by next week, because I have another book waiting. “The Warmth of Many Suns”, is a non-fiction book about the African-American migration from the South to the North during the early part of the 20th century. I’m interested in this subject because my grandmother migrated. This book highlights 3 different people and their experiences. After that, I’ll probably read “The Help” as a movie is due out in August, and I also want to read “The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” by Amy Chua. I got a lot of high hopes. I am concentrating on reading many of my shelved books. During my cleaning I found some books that I forgot I bought. Other than stuff on my Kindle (that I might purchase) I will not buy any more physical books until I read some that I have. How am I supposed to de-clutter?

Movie watching as only slowed a bit. This week and next I’m working long hours, but I’ve caught some stuff prior to this week. I saw “The Green Hornet” what a great film. I loved Jay Chuo, who played Kato. I have to say, he blew Seth Rogen out of the water. It was campy, funny, action packed. I highly recommend it. Even if you are not familiar with “The Green Hornet” you will love this movie. There is no pre-existing knowledge required.

I also saw “Season of the Witch”. The critics panned it, but I thought it was OK. I’ll give it 3 out of 5 stars. It took an interesting turn, and I like period pieces. The acting was pretty good.

On DVD I got to see:

The Town – What is all the hype about? It was an OK movie, nothing to spectacular or extraordinary. Acting was good, but it was kind of slow for a movie about bank robbers. 3 out of 5.

Winter’s Bone – This one was up for a Globe as well. OMG…boring! It is labeled as a film noir, but it was a film snore. 2 out of 5

Toy Story 3 – I was going to pass this one up, but my son was home for Christmas break and he said he’d like to see the 3rd installment, as he remembers 1 and 2 and really liked them. So for my 19 year old son, I rented it. It was pretty good as far as sequels go. I can see why this one was up for an award. 4.5 out of 5

Case 39 – My friend Patrick said the little girl in this movie reminded him of my daughter. He said she looked like her, I didn’t see the resemblance. However, I did like this movie. This is what a Thriller should be; enough suspense to keep you interested, but not cheesy or gory. 4 out of 5.

The Kids are All Right – Another Globe nominated movie. I think Annette Bening won for Best Actress. It also stared Julianne More and Mark Ruffalo (yum). Good drama, good pace, good story, good nude shots of Mark…ahem. 4 out of 5.

City Island - Since I'm from The Bronx, this was a must watch, and it was up for a Globe as well. Starring Andy Garcia as a married working man who lives with his wife and kids in City Island in the Bronx. Typical dysfunctional family but with funny and touching moments. Andy works in at a prison and he discovers his son is an inmate. The son does not know that this guard is his father. Vince (Andy's character) takes his son home on a month trial probabtion. It all takes off from there. 4 out of 5.

You Don’t Know Jack – One of the TV movies up for a Globe. About Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s activities during the 80s. If you don’t remember him, he was also known as Dr. Death. Al Paccino played him exceptionally well. 4 out of 5.

Temple Grandin – Another bio-pic that was a TV movie and it was also up for a Globe. About autistic woman Temple Grandin who single handedly created a humane system that would allow cattle ranchers to safely process the cattle without loss of cows and money. The first part of the movie dealt with how Temple grew up and went to college. The second half deals with the way she was treated as an autistic adult. Inspirational movie. 4 out of 5.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

January 2011 has finally arrived. This year has not been that great. I lost my job, still haven't found another. I lost 3 childhood friends, the last one died on December 29th and one of my favorite singers died on December 26th (Teena Marie).

I have managed to only read 55 books this year. A slow down as I did not have travel time to read. You would think that being home would give me oodles of time to read, but no such luck, I seemed to have found other things to do.

I've watched 345 movies this year. I watched 349 last year, you would think I would have watched more since I've been home for months and months, but no such luck there either. I don't know why my consumption was lower, but I suppose my movie watching is average for me. That is almost 1 movie a day.

My first movie of 2011 will probably be TRON, as I am planning to see it in 3D today.

My New Years resolutions this year will be:

1) to lose weight (as usual)
2) to declutter my home and keep it that way. I am starting with my room. It is small, it is cluttered and it needs to be cleaned. I am home, so I might as well.

I hope everyone has a very Happy New Year.

2010 Necrology - The Best of the Rest (Celebrities and other Notable Characters) PART 3 of 3

Elizabeth Edwards
Born: July 3, 1949, Jacksonville, FL
Died: Dec. 7, 2010, Chapel Hill, NC
Age: 51

Author, Attorney, Activist. Born Mary Elizabeth Anania she was the daughter of Vincent J. and Elizabeth Thweatt Anania. Author of "Saving Graces" and "Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life's Adversities" Elizabeth Anania Edwards, became a national figure in her fight against cancer. She was also an accomplished lawyer and the mother of four children. A graduate of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her goal was to obtain a doctorate in English literature and become a teacher. Job prospects for English graduates being limited she entered UNC's law school where she met her future husband John Edwards. The couple married after graduation and upon completion of the bar exam in 1977. She helped change the way political wives are viewed. She was the self-proclaimed "anti-Barbie". Estranged from her husband in early 2010, the one-time presidential hopeful Senator John Edwards, they remained close. She was preceded in death by one son Lucius "Wade" Edwards in 1996. Elizabeth's breast cancer was first diagnosed in 2004.


Leslie Nielsen
Born: Feb. 11, 1926, Regina Saskatchewan, Canada
Died: Nov. 28, 2010, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Age: 84

Actor. Born Leslie William Nielsen, he was a World War II-era Royal Canadian Air Force veteran. He attended the Lorne Greene Academy of Radio Arts and Neighborhood Playhouse (New York City actor's training school) before beginning steady television work in the late 1940s.









Steve Landesberg
Born: Nov. 23, 1936, NYC
Died: Dec. 20, 2010, Los Angeles, CA

Actor, Comedian. Best remembered as Arthur P. Dietrich, the intellectual, unflappably deadpan detective from the long-running 1970s television series "Barney Miller". Born and raised in New York City, Landesberg began his career in the late 1960s as a stand-up comedian, alongside comics such as David Brenner and Jimmie Walker. He died of Cancer.
Age: 74


John Crawford
Born: September 13, 1920
Died: September 21, 2010
Age: 90

Crawford appeared in bit parts for many years before playing leads in several films in the UK in the late 1950s and early 1960s. When he returned to the US, he played supporting roles in several films but was more prolific on TV in character roles, in scores of series such as The Fugitive, The Dukes of Hazzard, Mission: Impossible, Hogans Heroes, and most notably as Sheriff Ep Bridges on The Waltons. He died from a stroke.

Janet MacLachlan
Born: Aug. 8, 1933 (New York City, NY)
Died: Oct. 11, 2010 (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 77

She was an American character actress who had roles in such television series as "The Rockford Files", "Alias" and "The Golden Girls".






Belva Plain
Born: Oct. 9, 1915 (New York City, NY)
Died: Oct. 12, 2010 (Essex County, NJ)
Age: 95

She published more than 20 successful Jewish-themed novels, releasing the first at age 59. In 1978 she saw her debut novel "Evergreen", which centered-on a Polish immigrant girl in early 20th century New York, spend over a year on the "New York Times" best-seller list (in hardcover and paperback versions).


Denise Borino-Quinn
Born: Jan. 6, 1964 (Essex County, NJ)
Died: Oct. 27, 2010 (Morris County, NJ)
Age: 46

She portrayed overweight mob wife Ginny Sacramone in the hit HBO series "The Sopranos" from 2001 until its conclusion in 2007. She later lost 175 pounds via stomach stapling. She married Luke Quinn, Jr., in 2005 and they lived in Bordentown, New Jersey. He died in March 2010. They had no children. She died following an extended battle with liver cancer.

Charlie O'Donnell
Born: Aug. 12, 1932 (Philadelphia, PA)
Died: Oct. 31, 2010 (Los Angeles, CA)
Age 78

He was best known as the longtime announcer for the popular TV game show "Wheel of Fortune" (1975 to 1980, 1988 until his death). He was also the announcer for numerous game shows including "The Gong Show", "The Joker's Wild", "The Newlywed Game" and "To Tell The Truth".



Johnny Sheffield
Born: Apr. 11, 1931 (Los Angeles, CA)
Died: Oct. 15, 2010 (San Diego, CA)
Age: 79

He will be best remembered for his role as Boy in eight pictures of the "Tarzan" film series from the late 1930s and 1940s. He also played the title role in the "Bomba" film series. He died of a heart attack.



Art Gilmore
Born: Mar. 18, 1912
Died: Sep. 25, 2010
Age: 98

Best remembered as the 'voice' for such hit television shows as "The Red Skelton Show " and "Highway Patrol", he had a career that spanned over 60 years. He passed away from natural causes in Irvine, California.





Iva Ibbotson
Born: Jan. 21, 1925 (Vienna, Austria)
Died: Oct. 20, 2010 (Newcastle, England)
Age: 85

Begining at age 50 she published a number of ghost and witch themed children's fantasy novels which were always marked by a happy ending. Born Maria Charlotte Michelle Wiesner, she was initially raised in a Vienna orphanage after her parents broke-up in 1928, but joined her father when he moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, to escape the Nazis. Three of her books are being prepared for the silver screen.



Lisa Blount
Born: Jul. 1, 1957 (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
Died: Oct. 25, 2010 (Pulaski, Arkansas)
Age: 53

She is best known for her role of Lynette Pomeroy in the hit 1982 picture "An Officer and a Gentleman", for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. She died after a 17-year battle with a rare blood disorder.





Alexander Anderson
Born: 1920 (Berkeley, CA)
Died: Oct. 22, 2010 (Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA)
Age 90

Best remembered as the creator of the cartoon characters "Rocky and Bullwinkle".


James MacAurthur
Born: Dec. 8, 1937 (Los Angeles, CA)
Died: Oct. 28, 2010 (Florida)
Age 72

Adopted as an infant by playwright Charles MacArthur and his wife, actress Helen Hayes, he grew up in Nyack, New York, and was educated at Allen Stevenson School in New York, and later at Solebury School in New Hope, Pennsylvania. He is most identified with the role of Detective Danny "Danno" Williams in the long-running police drama "Hawaii Five-O"

2010 Necrology - The Best of the Rest (Celebrities and other Notable Characters) PART 2 of 3

Johnny Maestro
Born: May 7, 1939 (Brooklyn, NY)
Died: Mar. 24, 2010
Age: 70

He was the lead singer of the music groups The Crests and Brooklyn Bridge. Born, John Mastrangelo, and raised on Manhattan's lower east side on Mulberry Street, he helped form The Crests in 1956, which became one of the most successful integrated doo-wop groups of all-time. After signing with the Coed Record label, they scored their most memorable hit with "16 Candles", which reached number 2 on the pop charts in December 1958. During the early 1960s he left The Crests to pursue a solo career, also becoming a member of the group The Del-Satins. In 1967, Maestro formed the pop group Brooklyn Bridge, and under the Buddah Record label, scored a gold record with the hit "Worst That Could Happen", peaking at number 3 on the pop charts in January 1969. Maestro remained an active performer as a member of Brooklyn Bridge into the 2000s. He died of Cancer at the age of 70.

Billie Richards
Born: Nov. 21, 1921 (Toronto, Canada)
Died: Sep. 10, 2010 (Burlington, Canada)
Age: 88

Known primarily for voice characterizations, she shall be remembered as the title lead in the 1964 television special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". She had roles in several radio series where her ability to sound like a young boy proved valuable (she was even sometimes billed as "Billy Richards"), the most noted being the Kid in "Jake and the Kid" which was broadcast thru the 1950s. Later she was to be Tenderheart Bear in the early Care Bears films, and to have parts in "The Smokey Bear Show", "The King Kong Show", "Spider Man", and other series. Richards was seen on camera a few times, her credits including "Pennies from Heaven" (1981) and 1998's "Bram Stoker's Shadow Builder". She was to reprise Rudolph twice, in "Rudolph's Shiny New Year (1976) and the 1979 "Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July". In later years, Richards retired to Totonto. She died of a stroke. Of her signature role, she said: "What better legacy can you leave than a show that everybody loves?"

James Gammon
Born: Apr. 20, 1940 (Newman, IL)
Died: Jul. 16, 2010 (Cosa Mesa, CA)
Age: 70

A well known character performer, best recognized for his rugged features and gravelly voice. He is best remembered for his role as Cleveland Indians manager Lou Brown in the motion pictures "Major League" (1989), "Major League II" (1994), and for his recurring role in the television series "Nash Bridges" from 1996 to 2001. Gammon began his television career in the early 1960s, appearing in the western classics "Gunsmoke", "Bonanza", "The Wild Wild West", and "The Virginian", and made his film debut in "Cool Hand Luke" (1967). He died of Cancer at the age of 70.



Gloria Winters
Born: Nov. 28, 1931 (Los Angeles, CA)
Died: Aug. 14, 2010 (San Diego, CA)
Age: 78

She shall be remembered as Penny King from the 1950s television series "Sky King". Thru the 1950s, she was seen on a number of small screen shows, among them "The Lone Ranger", "The Gene Autry Show" (on which she got a chance to sing), "The Jack Benny Show", "Richard Diamond Private Detective". Winters received a 2002 Golden Boot Award as a "Sweetheart of the West"; she died of pneumonia complicated by Alzheimer's Disease.

Lorene Yarnell
Born: Mar. 21, 1944 (Inglewood, CA)
Died: Jul. 29, 2010 (Sandefjord,Vestfold County, Norway)
Age: 66

She was half of the comic team of Shields and Yarnell, who won popularity on US television during the 1970s. Shields and Yarnell continued their professional partnership until 2009. She was married to her fourth husband, Bjorn Jansson, and was living in Norway. Her sudden death was due to a brain anuerysm.


Carl Smith
Born: Mar. 15, 1927 (Maynardville, TN)
Died: Jan. 16, 2010 (Franklin, TN)
Age: 82

Country Musician Carl Smith was raised listening to music of the Grand Ole Opry, influenced by Roy Acuff and Bill Monroe. While a teenager, he gained recognition as a guitarist, bass player and singer at WROL Radio in Knoxville before graduation from high school. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2003.


Dorothy Janis
Born: Feb. 19, 1910 (Dallas, TX)
Died: Mar. 10, 2010 (Paradise VAlley, AZ)
Age: 100

Typecast in "exotic beauty" parts, she had a brief career in the late 1920s, and was one of the last performers to have had a starring turn in silent films. Born Dorothy Penelope Jones, she was discovered by Hollywood talent scouts while still in high school and signed by MGM to a five-year contract. She made her screen debut in "Kit Carson" (1928), and after two more westerns, "The Overland Express" and "Fleetwing", had her best remembered role as Ramon Novarro's leading lady in the smash hit "The Pagan" (1929). Dorothy's only "talkie" was the 1930 "Lummox", in which she took the part of "Chita". She did make one more movie with sound; "White Captive" was filmed in Southeast Asia late in 1930, but was never released, probably due to the print being damaged. At her death, a couple of controversies remained; stories from her acting days that she was really a Cherokee Indian may, or may not, have been true. Further, while most sources credit her 1910 birth year, some say that she was actually born in 1912, the earlier date allegedly invented to hide her underage status.

Dorothy Provine
Born: Jan. 20, 1935 (Lawrence County, SD)
Died: Apr. 25, 2010 (Bremerton, WA)
Age: 75

After co-hosting a TV quiz show in Seattle, she launched her Hollywood career during the late-1950s, appearing in guest roles on many popular programs including "Lawman", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "Wagon Train". During that period, she made her big screen debut in the B-movie "The Bonnie Parker Story" (1958), and appeared in the film "The 30-Foot Bride of Candy Rock" (1959), most noted for being Lou Costello's last movie. She will perhaps be best remembered by movie audiences for her part as Milton Berle's wife in the star-studded 1963 picture "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". She died from complications of emphysema.


Jefferson Thomas
Born: Sep. 1, 1942 (Little Rock, AK)
Died: Sep. 5, 2010 (Columbus, OH)
Age: 68

One of the "Little Rock Nine", a group of African-American students who in 1957 were chosen to integrate the all-White Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Thomas was a 15 year-old sophomore when he volunteered to participate. When Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus called in the National Guard to prevent Thomas and his eight fellow students from entering the school, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent in the 101st Airborne Division to ensure their enrollment. Despite this the youths endured bullying and threats on campus, and Thomas was one of only three of the group to graduate there, in 1960. President Bill Clinton presented the Congressional Gold Medal to Thomas and the other members of the "Little Rock Nine".


James Mitchell
Born: Feb. 29, 1920 (Sacramento, CA)
Death: Jan. 22, 2010
Age: 89

Although he is best-known to television audiences as Palmer Cortlandt on the soap opera All My Children (1979–2009), theatre and dance historians remember him as one of Agnes de Mille's leading dancers. Mitchell's skill at combining dance and acting was considered something of a novelty; in 1959, the critic Olga Maynard singled him out as "an important example of the new dancer-actor-singer in American ballet", pointing to his interpretive abilities and "masculine" technique.


Ron Banks
Born: May 10, 1951 (Redford, Michigan)
Died: Mar. 4, 2010 (Detroit, Michigan)
Age: 58

He was a founding member of the Detroit-based music group The Dramatics. With several appearances on the music program "Soul Train", their popularity was assured throughout the 1970s. In 1983 Banks left the group to pursue a solo career, but would later reunite with them continuing to record and perform as a member until his death from a heart attack.


Cammie King
Born: Aug. 5, 1934 (Los Angeles, CA)
Died: Sep. 1, 2010 (Fort Bragg, CA)
Age: 76

She played Bonnie Blue Butler, the daughter of Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler, in the 1939 classic "Gone With the Wind". Born Eleanore Camarack King, she was raised in Los Angeles and was cast as Bonnie Blue for her resemblence to her on-screen parents. She later remembered developing a father figure attachment to Clark Gable. In later years she was to appear frequently at autograph and movie nostalgia shows, and was to say of her brief film career: "I peaked in show business at age five". She died of lung cancer.

Helen Wagner
Born: Sep. 3, 1918 (Lubbock, TX)
Died: May 1, 2010
Age: 91

She will be remembered as 'Nancy Hughes' from the long-running CBS daytime soap "As The World Turns". Last seen on "As The World Turns" on April 5, 2010, she is in the "Guinness Book of World Records" for the longest-playing of a single role. Start of role: April 2, 1956, she had that role for 54 years.


Frances Reid
Born: Dec. 9, 1914 (Wichita Falls, TX)
Died: Feb. 3, 2010 (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 95

She is fondly remembered for her role of Alice Horton in the daytime TV serial "The Days of Our Lives", from the show's debut in 1965 until 2007. She earned two Daytime Emmy Award nomination, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. She was married to stage and TV actor Philip Bourneuf.


Meinhardt Raabe
Born: Sep. 2, 1915
Died: Apr. 9, 2010
Age: 94

One of the last surviving Munchkin-actors in The Wizard of Oz, he was also the last surviving cast member with any dialogue in the film. At 4'7", he played the coroner in The Wizard of Oz in 1939,