Reviews with TLC

Food Matters by Mark Bittman is a well written examination of the food industry and the way we eat. It looks into all the ways the food industry manipulates people to eat things they shouldn't eat in order to increase profits. Bittman discusses his journey to change his eating habits to improve his health and to make food choices that are a more positive influence on the Earth. Food Matters reminds people of the role of food in life and the importance of understanding the difference in real food and food-like substances. Bittman tries a little too hard to find ways to bring people to make changes in their eating habits in that he seems to offer loopholes to many of the suggestions he makes. Food Matters  offers insights and interesting facts that will surprise some, confirm what others know, and at the very least give readers something to think about.

I watched Helen starring Ashley Judd and Goran Visnjic last night. Judd played the role of a depressive brilliantly, but Visnjic stole the movie in his beautiful portrayal of a man losing his wife to her depression and his pain at her rejection and betrayal. That said, I had to wonder how realistic it is for any person  to be so giving and loving in the face of the cruelty that comes with that kind of suicidal depression. There's a point in the movie where his character, David, refers to Helen as a shadow of herself - paraphrased - that just broke my heart. This is not a happy-go-lucky, depression gets cured now let's all go live happily ever after kind of movie. It portrays the reality that people suffering from clinical depression may go years without going into a depressive state only to have one onset for no discernible reason. Depression is really the central character with Judd and Visnjic serving as the tools to deliver the message. I found the story touching and the ...

Secrets to Die For by L. J. Sellers delves into issues that remind us of our humanity and our human failings. Sellers explores attitudes toward homosexuality and rape through an investigation into a murder than has Detective Jackson questioning biases he didn't realize he held. As the investigation uncovers one suspect and then another, Sellers keeps the reader wondering what will happen next. As Jackson juggles his personal and professional lives, the reader feels his frustration and desire to do right by all those in his life. Sellers creates three dimensional characters that are all too real leaving the reader feeling as if a visit to Eugene might offer the opportunity to meet the characters who inhabit the pages of Secrets to Die For.

Do It Gorgeously by Sophie Uliano is a well written and interesting guide to taking on projects instead of buying more or hiring someone else to do them. She focuses on re-purposing as well as making a variety of self-care products one's self. I'm intrigued by the self-care products and may give a few a try; however, I'm not so sure that some of them are even necessary once one moves away from using all the chemical products. As for some of the other projects, I'm not likely to do them simply because they aren't my thing. While she makes things like sewing sound incredibly simple, I know from past experience, sewing is not something I'm good at. The book is worth the read if for no other reason than to inspire the reader to think about things lying around the house in a different way.

Shadows: A Collection of Poetry by Catherine Al-Meten starts off with an introduction that left me anxious to get to the poems but also set the mood for the poems contained within. Shadows combines lovely photography that will tempt the reader to stop and ruminate on the image for a while and perhaps discover a sensation of poetry in the image. Al-Meten starts off with a poem titled "War" that leaves the reader pondering not only the question of the wars nations fight but the wars we fight with ourselves on a daily basis. Shadows takes the reader through nature and self-awareness in a ride that comforts, provokes, and uplifts. Al-Meten offers the imagination tastes, sounds, smells, images, and touches that keep the senses alert and awaiting more in this delightful collection of poems written to explore life's simple moments as well as life's mysteries. (Please click the image above to purchase on Amazon.com.)

  Corvallis-OSU Piano International's Steinway Piano Series featured a stirring piano performance Jon Kimura Parker on April 7, 2013 at the LaSells Center in Corvallis, Oregon. His performance left me with the same sensation I get when I meditate. Watching Parker was delightful. He plays the piano with his whole body. Yes, his fingers manipulate the keys, but he leans into and out of the performance. He seems to almost lift off the piano bench during the performance. He smiled while he described the two longer pieces he played. I'm not a musical person by nature, in that I can't read scales or sing or play an instrument, and I often struggle to recognize a song by its opening notes. I can feel a beat and dance. And, I did. I felt my toe tapping and my shoulders swaying as he played. He played Sergei Prokofiev's Sonata No. 3 in A minor, op.28 (D'apres de Vieux Cahiers) as his opening number. From there he moved on to an invigorating and amazing performance of his ...

In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) by Sarah Ruhl is delightfully written. The April 6, 2013 performance at The Majestic Theatre in Corvallis, Oregon offered laughs, serious moments, and a totally immersible experience! Directed by Pat Kight and beautifully acted by the cast, In the Next Room is definitely worth the price of admission. Set in the 1880s and exploring the use of the vibrator to treat hysteria, In the Next Room handles the clinical and the sensual with just the right dose of delicacy, seriousness, and humor in this enjoyable play. Andrew Beck plays the "man of science" with such conviction, I wished to shout at him to lighten up and enjoy life's pleasures more. The rest of the cast is also superb in their individual roles. While the entire play is fantastic, the scene that makes me smile every time I remember it is the one where Catherine Givings, played by Kimberly Gifford, and Sabrina Daldry, played by Kelley Marchbanks, are describing their experien...