For Your Viewing Pleasure

We've actually been watching movies around here lately. Not in the theater (but one can dream....), but on TV or rentals. So by way of filling space on the interwebs with useless blather, I'm going to tell you about two of our recent viewings.

1) Blood Diamond - This movie was full of swearing and violence, but it was really good. Ordinarily, I cannot stand movies that are only thinly disguised publiic service announcements or even more thinly veiled political statements (ARGH!), but this was a good one. Around about the time Blood Diamond first came out, you'll recall, there was a huge increase in pleas from celebrities to boycott the purchase of so-called blood- or conflict-diamonds; and if you weren't going to boycott The Evil Diamond Conglomerates, could you at least attempt to purchase other humanely harvested gems (at eight times the price)? Maybe that's why we waited so long to see the movie: I was getting really sick of hearing public service announcements.

Then we started watching the movie and we began to understand what all the hype was about. However our initial understanding quickly turned to disgust as the movie progressed. Yes, we can understand how a boycott of conflict-diamonds might be useful, but did all those celebrities stumping for Blood Diamond not actually SEE the movie? Didn't they see the kids? Daughters ripped from their mothers arms and forced into sexual slavery? Sons torn from their parents and forced to submit to brainwashing and the heinous act of transforming wee boys into wee murderers?

To us, THAT is the real problem. It isn't just happening in Sierra Leone where diamonds are concerned either. For years now in Uganda and Sudan, the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) has been kidnapping children and forcing them to commit unspeakable atrocities. Since it's inception, the LRA has kidnapped over 44,000 children! Now go back and read that again. 44,000 CHILDREN. (Check out what Far Reaching Ministries is doing in Africa! You can even help evangelize soldiers by purchasing camels for chaplains to use as transportation! CAMELS!!)

Yes, it would be great if something could be done to lower the demand for diamonds and improve the conditions in which European companies acquire them, but shouldn't we be focusing on saving those kids?

At any rate, we did like the movie. I'm not looking to start a debate and I'm not going to trade in my engagement ring, I just needed to make sure I got in a little soapbox-style rant today.

2) The Queen - We just watched this one last night. It's been on our list to see for a while and since it was the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana's death, it seemed somehow apropos. I had heard beforehand that the movie was as much a character study of the Queen as anything and it did not disappoint. It was full of real stock footage from the days following Diana's death, but not so full that you felt like you'd seen the movie before. And who knew the Queen could be quite so cold?! This movie is a must-see if you're at all interested in the royal family and you don't mind a slower-paced story. Oh, and true to form, Philip even makes some bizarre comment about Zulus. Oh that Philip, he must have skipped a few too many lessons in tact.

So watch those two movies and tell me what you think.

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In other news....we made this crock pot steel-cut oatmeal recipe the other day. It turned out...GROSS (sorry, Beck). Maybe we're just weird over here, but this oatmeal had the consistency of what we imagine Emma's father's gruel (that's 'grew-L') would be like; I followed the recipe exactly, but man, was it runny! We'll stick with our baked recipe.

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This morning we actually got up at a decent hour. I finished yesterday's laundry and the Husband cuddled up with the Little Goat. Is there anything cuter than a Dad curled up with his wee Goat? I think not. Then we gobbled down an egg and headed out to the farmer's market. This time, there were actually people there. Lots of farmers, purveyors of tasty gardeny produce. We bought a tomato, some zucchini, a cucumber, some purple and green peppers, some brussel sprouts (wish us luck, we're brussel sprout virgins), and the most important acquisitions, a GIGANTIC apple fritter and a cinnamon bun (yes, that's a BUN, not a ROLL) from the Mennonite bakery (yes! Mennos! We really ARE everywhere!) in a town a little ways from here.

Now we are home where the Husband is working diligently in his yard and I am working diligently at my computer (while tending the 'herd' of course). It's cool and crispy outside, it's September 1st; Fall has arrived. Here's to a fulfilling Labour Day Weekend!