Friday, December 29, 2017

Binging on TV Drama Series-This is Us

While millions of Americans went shopping for bargains or returning gifts the day after Christmas, Macrine and I are binging on Season and 1 and 2 of the award-winning TV series, This is US at NBC. It made us laugh, cry, and think at the same time. In case you have not seen this TV dramatic series, here's a brief summary from Wikipedia.

From Wikipedia: This Is Us is an American television series created by Dan Fogelman that premiered on NBC on September 20, 2016. The series stars an ensemble cast featuring Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan, Ron Cephas Jones, Jon Huertas, Alexandra Breckenridge, Niles Fitch, Logan Shroyer, Hannah Zeile, Mackenzie Hancsicsak, Parker Bates, Lonnie Chavis, Eris Baker, and Faithe Herman. It is about the family lives and connections of several people who all share the same birthday and the ways in which they are similar and different.

The series has received positive reviews since its premiere, receiving nominations for Best Television Series – Drama at the 74th Golden Globe Awards and Best Drama Series at the 7th Critics' Choice Awards, as well as being chosen as a Top Television Program by the American Film Institute. The cast has received accolades, with Mandy Moore and Chrissy Metz receiving Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress, and Sterling K. Brown receiving a SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series. In 2017, the series received ten Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, with Brown winning for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

On September 27, 2016, NBC picked up the series for a full season of 18 episodes. In January 2017, NBC renewed the series for two additional seasons of 18 episodes each. The second season premiered on September 26, 2017.

The series follows siblings Kate, Kevin and Randall as their lives intertwine. Kate and Kevin were originally part of a triplet pregnancy, conceived in the bathroom of Froggy's, a bar, during Super Bowl XIV. Their due date was October 12, 1980, but they were born six weeks early on August 31; their biological brother was stillborn. Their parents, Jack and Rebecca, having expected to bring home three babies, decide to adopt another newborn: Randall, a black child born the same day and brought to the same hospital after his biological father abandoned him at a fire station.

Episodes weave through the stories of the past and present of the characters, with most scenes taking place in 1980, 1989–1995, and the present day (2016–2017). Flashback scenes take place in Pittsburgh, while current scenes are typically split between Los Angeles, New Jersey, and New York City.

Reference: www.nbc.com/this-is-us

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Best Anti-Trump Jokes and Funny Photos for 2017


I was just reading a couple of days ago that POTUS approval rating is at its lowest at 32%. If he continues his Tweeting I believe it will still go down to less than 30%. What do you think?

I have been an avid viewer of late night talk Television shows. Majority of the hosts ( comedians) are anti-Trump. Below is a collection of best anti-Trump jokes of 2017 and funny photos in case you have not seen it. Enjoy!

https://www.thoughtco.com/best-donald-trump-jokes-3991720

http://mojly.com/37-funny-photos-of-donald-trumph-6012/

▶ 0:31
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JuzGrm2CRE


Saturday, October 21, 2017

The Japanese-American War in the Philippines, 1941-1945: My Involvement with the United States Pharmacopeia(USP)

The Japanese-American War in the Philippines, 1941-1945: My Involvement with the United States Pharmacopeia(USP)

My Six Most Treasured Videos


The following six videos are my treasures. They are the videos that have touched my life!

Ditas, my youngest daughter, interviewed by Comcast, as California Director of Census, 2010



Carenna singing one of her original songs

Macrine's 80th Birthday

Chateau Du Mer, 2011

Carlos Avila, Macrine's Nephew

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Angora Ranch Movie



ANGORA RANCH is a sweet, heartfelt, movie about love that transcends age, stereotypes and meddlesome family. While driving to a business meeting young and handsome Justin runs off the road to avoid a rabbit. Lucky for him he has ditched as Angora Ranch, a farm owned by hunk Jack, a man almost twice Justin's age. Just and Jack feel the heat between them immediately, while the issue of their difference in age slowly melts away they face another problem: each of their meddling fathers. Jack's dad is nosy, pushy and waiting for Jack to settle down. Justin's father is all business and never thinks his son will amount to anything. Justin and Jack slowly discover that each is what the other has been searching for all their lives, if only they can figure out what to do about their fathers.

Christopher and Its Kind

Friday, February 24, 2017

Have You Heard of James Deen?


For details read the following:

http://lifeinus1960present.blogspot.com/search?q=james+deen

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Top Ten Broadway Musicals of the Decade




How many of the ten top grossing Broadway musicals listed below have you seen? If you are a music lover you probably seen them all. It is also most likely that one or two in the list you have seen twice in Broadway or in a movie. The following is the top ten list as reviewed by www.toptenreviews.com.

1. The Phantom of the Opera has been the longest-running show in the history of Broadway. Running continuously since 1988 – 21 years – it has been a consistent sell-out and favorite for many of those visiting New York City. The show tells the dramatic story of a disfigured man who haunts the Paris Opera House. He falls in love with Christine Daae and trains her to sing like an angel.

2. The Lion King maintains a place at the top of the lists for the 'longest-running musicals' and 'winners of many viewers’ choice awards.' The musical is mostly along the lines of the animated Disney movie and is appealing to young children and families.

3. Cats was the longest running show when it left the stage around 2003. The show has been translated into more than 20 languages and has been shown around the world. It tells the story of the Jellicle Cats’ and their life stories.

4. Les Miserables, based on the 1862 novel of the same title by Victor Hugo, is the longest running play in London. Set in the period of social unrest during the French Revolution, the themes of the book and play are discussed in high school classes the world over.

5. Wicked, though not as long-standing as some of these other productions, this new musical has the audience seeing green. It was selected by viewers as the best musical of 2007. The musical has broken box-office records around the world. It was also named by Time magazine as the “Best Musical of the Year”. Wicked tells the story of what Oz was like, long before Dorothy got there.

6. The Producers
has won the most Tony Awards ever receiving 12 including Best Musical. Written by Mel Brooks the musical tells the story of two producers who try to make big on a scheme to oversell a flop of a show. But when the show becomes successful, it leads to some humorous moments.

7. A Chorus Line is an old classic that has been revived. The story has won several Tony Awards and has been around for a while, one of the longest-running musicals on Broadway. The audience meets 17 dancers that share their personal lives as they audition for a part in a chorus line.

8. Hairspray has taken home the Tony Award’s top six awards, only one of three musicals that have ever done so. The performance tells the story of the racial tensions in the 1960s and one girl’s campaign to racially integrate a famous TV show.

9. Rent is a rock musical that tells the story of poor young artists living in New York. The musical, along with winning a Tony Award for Best Musical has also won a Pulitzer Prize. Rent became famous for its appeal to a younger audience.

10. Chicago is based on the true stories of two celebrities who were on trial for murder and were found “not guilty”. Chicago is one of longest-running current Broadway productions on the stage.

Macrine and I have seen all except #6. Most recent Broadway musical in the news is Hamilton. Others musical shows that we have seen and enjoy that is not in the list are Miss Saigon and Bye Bye Birdie. Finally, here's a video of top ten Broadway Musicals that should be made into movies!


Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Robert and Edward Mapplethorpe

Sample of Robert Mapplethorpe Male Nude Photographs. I know I should rotate it, But I would not for art sake.

Another example of Robert Mapplethorpe Male Nudes in my coffee book

I just finished watching an HBO documentary of the life of reverred and controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe-Looking at the Picture. In this 60 minutes documentary, his younger brother Edward also a photographer worked for him as his assistant. Robert said there should only be one Mapplethorpe, so Edward has to change his name to his mother's name-Maxey.

Edward was born and raised in New York. He began his solo career in 1990 under the pseudonym Edward Maxey and was quickly acclaimed for his luminous nudes, portraits, and still lives that were evocative of his older and controversial brother, Robert Mapplethorpe. However, it was Edward's innovative work beyond the controlled environment of the studio (Undercurrents, 1992-94) that first distinguished him as a unique talent in bridging the gap between photography and abstract painting.
Two of the many of Edward's Mapplethorpe Female and Male Nudes Photos

E. Mapplethorpe continued to incorporate a painterly aesthetic in a number of subsequent thematic projects including: Stars and Stripes (1994), Transmographs (2000), Compositions (2002) and HAIR Transfer (2004). In 2004, Mr. Edward Mapplethorpe collaborated with New York City based orchestra EOS and produced a limited edition portfolio of images capturing musicians in a whirlwind of movement as they performed selected pieces from their repertoire. This adaptation of the cageian concept of integrating chance and time into the creative process became another integral aspect of E. Mapplethorpe's own artistic practice.

His older brother Robert died with Aids in 1989. Edward took care of him. Edward has now reclaimed the Mapplethorpe name.

After viewing the documentary, I remember I have a coffee table book on the famous photographs of Robert. I purchased this book about 25 years ago and It took some time finding it in my more than 80 collection of art books and paintings. Today, I am posting two samples of Robert's male nude photo(see above). Others nude photos of Robert are almost pornographic thus I can not post it in this blog. Here's a short video on Robert Mapplethorpe obsession for beauty.


Is this Art or Pornography? I like to hear of your answer, just write A or P!

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