2/23

I see a conflicting story about murder.  The Amanda Knox story was on TV last night and I keep thinking about it.  She and two others were found guilty of murdering her roommate and were sentenced to 26 years in an Italian jail.  The prosecution never produced and physical evidence tying her to the murder scene and the DNA evidence was said to be too little and too contaminated to be used.  She was only judged on her nonchalant behavior immediately after the killing, changing her story, accusing an innocent acquaintance, and ambiguous statements in a document she wrote.  I'm just glad I wasn't on the jury.  I'm not sure what to believe.

2/18

I see a film that has 4 Academy Award nominations, but probably won't win any of them.  That's ok though, because just getting recognized is amazing in itself.  "Winter's Bone" is an independent film that cost about $2 million to produce.  This film was not a favorite of mine, probably because it moved so slow and was very depressing.  I agree with the nominations though, except for Best Picture.  I think it's very exciting for small filmmakers to know that their efforts can and do catch the eye of the industry.  It just gives hope that you can compete on an equal playing field with the big movie makers.  

2/16

I went to see"Lend Me a Tenor" at the New Theater Restaurant.  It was one of the best I've seen there.  Everything came together, the script, perfect casting, great performances, and an extraordinary set.  There were a lot of misunderstandings and mix ups in the plot.  At the end the cast reenacted all the actions that had happened as if it were in fast forward.  It was a very funny, well done show.

2/14

I see a huge problem with the way retail stores handle credit card charges.  They rarely ask for any ID and many times not even a signature.  I know there are many fraudulent schemes going on that are next to impossible to monitor.  Ordering online with a stolen card is one.  It just seems that having to show your ID would help eliminate a small portion of identity theft.  Requiring photo credit cards might also help, and some kind of fingerprint confirmation would be even better.  My dad travels a lot and has his card number stolen at least once a year.  He's lucky that the card company covers the bad charges.