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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Movie Meme Day 30

Your Favorite Movie (or in this case, MovieS) of All Time




Was there really any question?

Trapped

Why yes, he DOES sleep with his eyes open a lot. Why do you ask?

This little guy has been having a tough time lately. Sleep is not something that's going very well for him. Last week, there were a couple of nights that he wouldn't sleep for more than a half hour unless he was in my arms. Surfer Pirate works FAR too many hours to have his sleep interrupted, so off to the guest room this tiny person and I went.

Thankfully, there were only a couple nights of that, but the nap issue has been a problem for a while now. His naps are so sporadic lately. Some days, he'll nap for HOURS, and nothing will bother him. But most days lately, I'm lucky if he'll be out for 5 minutes. It's frustrating, and it means that some days I get nothing done.

Today has been one of those days. So here it is, early afternoon, and he's FINALLY asleep. He's been fussy for a couple of hours. He had just eaten, so I know that wasn't the problem. He just refused to settle down, and everything made him mad. So I finally just laid him on his stomach on my lap with a spit-rag under him (I've been burned before, I've learned my lesson). I had the fan pointed at us so it's much cooler where we're sitting. Then I started rubbing his back gently. Eventually, his cries turned to whimpers, the whimpers to soft sighs, then quiet. And then he was out.

Whew!

But now I'm afraid if I move him off my lap and try to get something done, he'll wake up.

So here I sit.

Good thing I already got my house really clean yesterday because we had guests. It may be a while before I'm able to get anything else done today. There's laundry and some dishes to do, but they'll wait.

My baby is sleeping.

Peaceful

One of my favorite memories from my childhood involved my dad, crickets and stars.

It was a nice cool summer night. I couldn't have been more than 5 years old. My dad was laying on one of those lounge chairs made out of woven plastic tubing (Hello 70's!) on our back patio. He put me on his lap, and I leaned back against him. It was dark, the crickets were chirping, and the sky was full of stars. I remember feeling so special, having that little moment with my dad, being outside late at night when I should have been in bed. It was one of those moments when you just feel like everything is right in the world.

As cities grow and more people move in, all the lights from all the houses and all the streetlights and all the yard lights block out so many of the stars. Through the years, I watched the stars fade over my house. It was sad. Whenever I would get the chance to be in a more rural area late at night, I would take advantage of the opportunity to see more stars.

(Here's a little bit of good information: if you want to really see stars, go to the mountains in Montana. They're so close you feel like you could almost touch them. While I really do love our new home here in North Dakota, I miss mountains.)

I've developed a new little habit around here. Late at night, when everyone is asleep and the house is quiet, I make a point of stepping outside for a minute to look at the north sky. I'm waiting for the Northern Lights. One day my patience will pay off and I'll see them.

Tonight, when I stood on my porch, I noticed something very pleasant. It was silent outside. All I could hear was the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and my neighbor's air conditioner. Not a car, not a single person's voice, nothing. Just peace and quiet. Before we moved, there was always sound. We lived next to an apartment building, and it seemed like someone always had a TV on. There were always cars within hearing distance. People would be talking or even yelling somewhere in the neighborhood. And let's not even get into the antics of my drug-dealing neighbor down the street and his customers. (Wow, listing all that now, it sounds like I lived in a ghetto! I promise, my neighborhood was generally very safe and calm. Just a busy street only blocks away from an even busier street. And the drug dealer didn't live in the neighborhood for long.) But here tonight, there was absolutely nothing - not even a truck on the highway.



Quiet


Peaceful


Calm



So then I looked up at the sky. Stunning. Stars everywhere! But there's a really bright street light on the corner, and it was messing with my view. So I went out to the lawn to lie down in the grass in the shadow of my lilac bush. The stars were beautiful! Just the way I remember them being that night I was on that lounge chair with my dad all those years ago. (I even think I may have been able to see the Milky Way, but all the bright street lights on my block made it hard to tell.) I felt like everything was right with the world all over again.

It was so perfect tonight. If it weren't for the mosquitoes, I would have just grabbed a blanket and a pillow and slept out there all night under the stars.

Is it too much to ask for a power outage in the neighborhood? Just for a couple of minutes so I could see if that really was the Milky Way I saw.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Movie Meme Day 29

A Movie From Your Childhood

I have an odd attachment to the Dark Crystal. First off, it's a Jim Hensen movie, and as far as I'm concerned the man could do no wrong. Love him, love him, love him. No matter how long it's been since I've last seen it, I can always hear the low drone of the Mystics as they trudge along, and the high-pitched screeching of the Skeksis in all their vulture-like glory.

One day, I even want to get a little dog and name it after a character in the movie. It has to be a little dog, ferocious, with poofy hair. I'm thinking something like a Yorkie, but I'll keep the hair longer than people usually do with Yorkies. And I'm going to name it Fizzgig.

And if I find out anyone has stolen my dog idea, I'll have to hurt you.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Movie Meme Day 28


Favorite Movie From Your Favorite Director

John Hughes was amazing. I think he's more well known for being a director, but he contributed much more as a writer. His movies were so real and so funny and even thought-provoking at times. Of the movies he's directed, Breakfast Club is definitely my favorite.

Having to pick from the long list of ones he wrote, now that's a tougher decision.

Movie Meme Day 27


Oops. I missed another day.


A Movie That You Wish You'd Seen in Theaters

This is one of several classic movies I wish I could watch on the big screen. Can you imagine how beautiful all those colors would be in a theater? And think about how creepy the flying monkeys would be! (Although I have to admit, I always found the witches guards to be scarier.)

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Movie Meme Day 26

A Movie You Love That Everyone Else Hates

Napoleon Dynamite is one of those movies that basically people either love or hate. I'm in the first category. This movie is just plain silly and absurd, and that's what I love the most about it.

I think it helps that it was filmed in Preston, Idaho. I've actually been there. Let me tell ya. It's a hoppin' place!

Movie Meme Day 25


I'm back! I obviously need to get back in my groove of blogging every day because I missed yesterday. So here is yesterday's post a day late:


The Most Hilarious Movie You've Ever Seen

This is one of those questions like the word "favorite". It's tough to have to decide on one. So I went with a movie that makes me giggle all the way through. Role Models. I will warn you that it's a little raunchy - in case you don't like that kind of humor. But if you don't mind that, I highly recommend watching this one.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Movie Meme Day 24


That One Awesome Movie Idea That Hasn't Been Done Yet

I would like to see this movie done right.

You know, actually BASED on the book.

I really loved the book. I thought it was well-written, and the author worked really hard at making it mesh with Gone With the Wind. I enjoyed where she took it and how she made Scarlett mature.

This movie? The acting wasn't great, but what do you expect from a made-for-tv movie? The problem is out of nowhere, they have Scarlett framed for murder.

Uhhhhhhh... WHAT?????

Yeah, no. That never happened in the book.

So I would like to see this movie made with really good acting and actually following the book. It would be a really good movie.

Movie Meme Day 23

Favorite Animation

It's tough having to decide which is my favorite - Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella. I love them both so dearly. This was sort of a coin toss.

Movie Meme Day 22


Favorite Documentary

This movie is not for the weak of heart. You WILL sob your heart out. I can't describe why a lot of people might not want to watch without spoiling the story.

If you feel brave, this is completely worth the watch. But make sure you have a whole box of Kleenex with you.

Movie Meme Day 21


Favorite Action Movie

Fast and Furious

The Fast and the Furious was great. I loved it. Then there were sequels. I liked them as well. But they were missing my favorite character - Dom.

So in this one, Dom is back. I think that's my favorite part - just that he's back. :)

Movie Meme Day 20


Favorite Movie From Your Favorite Actor/Actress

Again, we're on that "favorite" thing. So I chose the actress I've loved for the longest time - Marilyn Monroe.

How to choose a favorite Marilyn movie?

I went with the one that was the most fun. Plus, my sister's favorite actress is in this one as well - Lauren Bacall.

Movie Meme Day 19

Favorite Movie Based On a Book

I had seen this movie long before I even knew it was a book. It's a really interesting movie. Good acting, good storyline. I really liked it.

Then one day, I was roaming around the classics section of a bookstore, I discovered the book. I bought it, and was happy to see that the movie follows the book really well.

Movie Meme Day 18

A Movie You Wish More People Would Have Seen

I love Nia Vardalos. She's just too funny.

Toni Collette is also really funny.

Here we have the two of them dressed like drag queens. Singing show tunes. While hiding from the mob.

How can this NOT be a great movie?

Seriously, you need to see this one.

Movie Meme Day 17


A Movie That Disappointed You the Most

I love this book.

This movie was a depressing, horrible representation of a nightmare based on this book.

And I'll quit there before I rant too much.

Movie Meme Day 16


A Movie That You Used to Love But Now Hate

When I was a kid, my dad used to record movies for us all the time off HBO. He recorded this one for us around the time that I was really into unicorns. I watched this movie over and over and over.

I can't say for sure that I hate this movie now - I haven't seen it since I was maybe 12 or so. But I seriously hate anime, so I'm assuming that it would drive me crazy now.

Changes Are In Order


My cable box is annoying. It resets itself on a regular basis, the guide doesn't work right, and the dvr randomly deletes things or just records what it wants to.

We're tired of fighting with it. We had an issue this week that got us thinking that maybe it's just time to go with a different company now.

So we made the phone calls to make the changes, and the new company won't be out until next Friday to hook us up.

Which puts us in a tricky spot. We're not willing to pay both companies right now, so we will be without internet for about a week.

I may go through withdrawals.

So I'm going to do my movie posts through next Friday. Read one a day if you would like to pretend that I'm still here.

Try not to miss me too much. :)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Movie Meme Day 15


A Character Who You Can Relate to the Most

After the ex left, I would swear my life had just walked straight out of this movie. I went through so many of the same things that Birdee did in the movie - except I didn't have to get in the car and drive halfway across the country to get home. I already WAS home - living in the house I'd grown up in. I just didn't have my mom there with me (wish I had). I even ended up dating a guy who I'd known since childhood - although I didn't end up with him.

I haven't found a movie role that really fits where my life is now. But I can definitely say there was a time in my life when I WAS Birdee Pruitt from Hope Floats.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Movie Meme Day 14

A Movie That No One Would Expect You to Love

I'm not a very big fan of horror movies. There are some that I like, but for the most part, they're just not my thing.

The Saw movies are where I make an exception. While they are VERY gory and graphic, I appreciate the concept behind them. The victims are bad people. Their destruction is based on their own choices. It's all very psychological, and I like that.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Movie Meme Day 13


A Movie That Is a Guilty Pleasure

FLASH!!! Ahh-ahhhhhh!!

Flash Gordon from 1980. It's totally cheesey and dated, but I've loved it since I was a little kid. I will ALWAYS love it.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

The One Where I Ramble

Surfer Pirate has requested that his picture not appear on this blog. This is a really cute picture of both of my guys, but all you get to see of Surfer Pirate is his thumb (with lots of black gunk on it - that's what mechanic thumbs look like) and his shoulder. Feel privileged.

It wasn't until I took this batch of pictures yesterday that I realized that Pirate Baby's eyes really are a combination of both of our eyes. Surfer Pirate's eyes are light blue. They're gorgeous. My eyes were light brown when I was little, and they slowly changed to green. Depending on my mood and the outfits I wear, they're either green or brown. Pirate Baby's eyes are a darker blue with flecks of brown in them.

First of all, Pirate Baby has outgrown his cradle (little tear), which means he's had to move into his own room so he can sleep in his crib. The little rockstar has transitioned beautifully, and even slept all the way through the first night! And now, he's even content to hang out in his crib and take naps in there during the day.

Second, I feel the need to announce that Spring Seeding is done on the farm!!! Yay!! That means I get to actually see my husband for more than five minutes at a time!

That's good because we've got some fun things planned for this summer.

Part of our surrogate family has reserved a campsite at a beautiful lake every weekend this summer, and we'll go out there with them at least one of those weekends. With our new (to us) boat. Yep. We have a boat. How do we have a boat? We traded for it. Surfer Pirate traded his dirtbike so we could have a boat. He rocks. But we already knew that. We need to make a trip to Montana so both of our dads can meet their new grandson. And we were just talking about taking a trip to Minneapolis for the sole purpose of eating at White Castle. 'Cause we're cool like that. But you knew that too.

Surfer Pirate and I had a conversation tonight that was a type we haven't had in a while. Finances. It's still stressful, but much better than we were dealing with a year ago. Based on how things are going, we should be all caught up on the major things by the end of August! And once harvest is here, we'll be able to start chipping away at the other things so we can build our credit back up. We still have a way to go, but this move has made a huge difference.

Pirate Munchkin has neighborhood playmates! Our neighbor across the street has a granddaughter who will be 7 in September and a grandson who is 4. They're staying with her for the next week, and we've already had some playtime. I'm sure there will be lots more during the rest of the week. When I was little, we had friends in my grandparent's neighborhood who we played with every summer. I'm glad Pirate Munchkin is going to get summer playmates as well. She also has swimming lessons starting on Monday.

I have flowers in my yard! I walked through the yard with the previous owner last week, and she was able to tell me what many of the plants are. I need to get out and take pictures to post here. I'll try to do that in the next day or two.

Movie Meme Day 12

A Movie That You Hate

I generally can't stand Will Ferrell, but John C. Reilly is funny sometimes. I had heard this movie was hysterical, so I watched it with an open mind.

yeah

That's 98 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

According to imdb.com, this movie cost around $65 million to make. Seriously??? It takes that much money to make a movie about two idiot 40-something guys acting like 12 year olds??

Not funny.

Just stupid.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Movie Meme Day 11


A Movie that Changed Your Mind About Something

This topic bugged me for days. I couldn't think of anything. I was trying to think of a movie that made me realize that some kind of social or moral belief of mine was wrong. I know there have been movies that made me change my mind about something poignant, but I couldn't think of any.

So I'm just going with a movie that changed my mind about an actor.

I used to hate Edward Norton. With a passion. Couldn't stand him - even when he dated Salma Hayek (who I ADORE). I didn't respect him as a person, so I couldn't respect him as an actor.

And then Surfer Pirate talked me into watching American History X.

And you know what?

Edward Norton is a REALLY good actor. And now I respect him (or, at least his acting).

Movie Meme Day 10


Oops. I missed a day. Yesterday got away from me.

Day 10: Favorite Classic Movie

This one is a no-brainer. Gone With the Wind. No question. There are lots of classic movies that I adore, but none even come close to this one. I probably watched this movie 20 times when I was about 11. I pretty much have it memorized. I even have a Southern Belle gown that I made - complete with hoop skirt. It's a very Melanie Hamilton kind of dress, and I love it.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Movie Meme Day 9

A Movie With the Best Soundtrack

Today, I am going to take the opportunity to vent about one of my major pet peeves. When I'm watching a movie and every stinkin' song in the movie makes me want to get up and dance in the aisles of the theater, I had better be able to march myself to my favorite music-buying-place-of-choice and pick up the soundtrack. How great is it to find the soundtrack on the shelves! Then, you turn the cd over and look at the song list. And instead of seeing the actual songs in the movie, you see nothing but original musical score.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

THAT DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!

In the case of The Ugly Truth, songs like Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold", "Everybody Got Their Something" by Nikka Costa, Flo Rida's "Right Round" and all the amazing Latin music that's in this movie are NOT on the soundtrack. Instead, the titles on the soundtrack are things like "Abby & Mike in L.A." and "Earpiece".

Okay, I understand that there are people who really appreciate musical scores. And that's great for them. But I think if they're going to release a soundtrack with just score on it, they should also release a separate soundtrack with all the actual songs featured in the movie.

So unless you want to build your own soundtrack from internet downloads (something I actually did with the movie Fools Rush In because it never had ANY soundtrack released), you'll just have to watch The Ugly Truth to get the fun stuff.

Be sure to wear your dancing shoes.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Movie Meme Day 8

A Movie You've Seen Countless Times

XXX

...'cause... yeah...

Have you SEEN Vin Diesel in this movie???

And there's a gorgeous car.

(And yes, this movie is the reason why my dream car is a 1967 GTO.)

And it's a great action flick.

And Vin Diesel...


So... um... yeah... I've seen this movie A LOT.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Movie Meme Day 7


The Most Surprising Plot Twist or Ending

Pretty much the whole time watching Seven Pounds, I was completely confused with what was going on. I could not for the life of me figure out what he was doing. And then the end came and HOLY CRAP!!! I sobbed. I blubbered. Then, I was haunted by it for weeks.

My library has this one. I considered picking it up today, but I just couldn't handle it right now. But I think I'll watch it again soon. It will be interesting to see what different things I see in it when I actually know how it's going to end.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Movie Meme Day 6

Favorite Made for TV Movie

This one is EASY!! Hands down The Phantom of the Opera from 1990 with Teri Polo (Pam in the Meet the Parents movies). I LOVED this movie. My sister and I recorded it and watched it over and over and over. It's not the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber version, totally different music, and the opera they are performing in the movie is Faust. And thanks to this meme, it's now on my Amazon Wish List - imported from Korea. Thank you Koreans for putting it on DVD for me since my home-recorded VHS has long-since died.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Cheap Entertainment


I'd swear I've already talked about this a little, but I can't find where. Forgive me if part of this sounds familiar.

There's been something funny floating around the internet the last few days. My facebook friends have possibly already seen it because I linked to it yesterday. First, pop over to this blog to see what I'm talking about.

I'll give you a minute.

{Jeopardy music plays in the background.}

Okay, are you back?

That's my kind of parent right there! Gotta love a man who goes through that much trouble just to embarrass the snot out of his teenager.

When I was in junior high, my dad was always willing to walk around the mall with us. I didn't understand until I found myself the step-mom to teenage boys during my first marriage.

Guess what?

Embarrassing your children is insanely FUN!!

Picture two teen boys, 15 and 17, stuck riding around in the boringly tan family minivan. It was the color of dirt. (For the record, I HATED that car. I got talked into buying it by the ex.) For once, I had given in and let them listen to their favorite radio station. Much to my surprise, the station started playing Sr Mix-a-Lot's song Baby Got Back. I will never forget the looks of horror on their faces when I proceeded to sing along. I knew Every. Single. Word. to that song, and even knew when the whip sounds happen. It still goes down in history as my favorite Child Embarrassment moments. (So far, I'm sure I'll find many more ways to scar my own children for life as the years go by.)

But the prize still goes to my best friend's mom for one extra memorable day in 8th grade. My mom was a teacher, and had to leave the house much sooner than I did in the mornings. Since my house was on the way to the junior high from B's house, her mom would pick me up on the way. At the time, she was driving what can only be described as The World's Ugliest Station Wagon. Not only was it a station wagon in a time when that was the uncoolest thing ever, but it had an exceptionally horrible body design. And it was the color of split pea soup. Keep in mind that 8th grade is one of the most uncomfortable age groups on the planet (my mom always referred to 8th grade students as "pukes"). B and I would do our best to hide so that we wouldn't be subject to the ridicule of having to arrive in that horrifying beast. On top of all that, one lovely morning, B and her mom picked me up and I discovered three additional terrifying details. #1, the entire back, plus all but enough room on the back seat for me was full of black garbage bags full of cans. #2, B's mom was wearing curlers. #3, she was also wearing pink plaid bell-bottom pants. Why oh why couldn't I be sick that day??? But then B would have had to deal with that nightmare by herself and I was not about to put her through that.

So yeah.

B's mom wins the prize for that one.

I'm still scarred.

Excuse me while I go hide in a dark corner with the shakes.

Movie Meme Day 5


Favorite Love Story in a Movie

First of all, "favorite" is a word I don't care for much. When it comes to movies, books, foods, etc. I can't choose a favorite. There are just too many good ones. But I love that my movie collection is big enough I can just stand in front of my dvd shelf for inspiration for these daily topics.

So for a love story in a movie that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, I choose Lettie and Orlando from Tortilla Soup. It's such a sweet story. He's the new baseball coach, she's a teacher. Her classroom window looks out over where he coaches. They've seen each other around, but they're both a little unsure how to get something going. So her students step in and make the move for them - leaving romantic poetry in her classroom, making it look like they're from him. Eventually the truth comes out, feelings are hurt, and it all works out in the end.

I also have another favorite romance in that movie, but you'll have to just watch the movie to figure out which one it is.

And just a little warning, this movie will make you VERY hungry!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Yay for Saturday!!

Thanks to this website for the awesome gator pic.

This one is courtesy of my mom. She sent me this article and I had to save it to post today. :) The article came from here.


Cops in Independence shoot gator, find out it's lawn ornament


INDEPENDENCE, Mo. • Police responding to an alligator sighting in a suburban Kansas City pond took quick action to dispatch the big reptile.

It wasn't until after the second rifle shot bounced off the beast Sunday that the three Independence officers realized it was a concrete lawn ornament.

Independence police spokesman Tom Gentry says the department received a call from a man who said a gator had been spotted in the woods.

Gentry says the alligator was in the weeds near a tree by a pond and it looked real. An officer shot the gator twice in the head - per instructions from a conservation officer - before realizing it wasn't moving.

Gentry says the landowner told officers he put the fake gator there to keep children off his property.


Some crotchety old men sit on their front porch with rifles. Some apparently put fake alligators on their lawns. OK.

Movie Meme Day 4


A Movie That Makes You Sad

The Pianist definitely fits that category. I have always been fascinated by World War II. I'm amazed by the way people mistreat each other. Here was an entire war based on the hatred that a few people in positions of power managed to heap on the heads of entire countries. It's a complete travesty, and I'm stunned that it managed to happen. In this movie, on top of all the horrible things he watches happening around him, he then ends up completely alone. He's hiding, afraid of death at every turn, and starving to death. At one point, he finds food, but it's in a can and there is no can opener. The desperation as he tries to figure out how to get the can open takes my breath away. The whole movie makes me very sad.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Movie Meme Day 3

A Movie That Makes You Really Happy

Italian Job. I watch this movie every few months. Not only do we get the lovely eye-candy of Mark Wahlberg and Jason Statham, but there are fast cars, lots of action, and revenge on a particularly nasty villain. It's just plain fun.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Movie Meme Day 2

Today's topic is: the most underrated movie.

When I was a kid, I really got into old, classic, black-and-white movies. I used to watch the classic movie channels all the time. One day, I stumbled on The Enchanted Cottage. Made in 1945, starring Robert Young and Dorothy McGuire. It's a wonderful movie about how love can make what is unattractive beautiful.

About Stinkin' Time!


When the Octo-Mom fiasco hit the news, I had just had a miscarriage. The insanity of the whole situation was especially upsetting to me at the time. I saw her as being extremely selfish. I had already gone through a stage in my years of infertility where I felt like anyone having more than two kids had "filled their quota" and needed to give the rest of us a chance. (What can I say? I was a little insane during part of my infertility.)

Anyway, the point of my rambling is that I took the whole Octo-Mom thing VERY personally.

Not only was I mad at her, but I was mad at the crazy doctor who allowed her to even get into that situation.

Looks like he's finally gotten himself in trouble for it. (The article is really long, so I'll edit it down a little, and include my own comments throughout. The bold highlights were added by me. You can read the whole article here.)


LOS ANGELES — California medical officials revoked the license of the fertility doctor who helped "Octomom" Nadya Suleman become the mother of 14 children through repeated in vitro treatments, according to a decision made public Wednesday.

The Medical Board of California said it was necessary to revoke Dr. Michael Kamrava's license to protect the public. The revocation takes effect July 1.

The Beverly Hills fertility doctor has acknowledged implanting 12 embryos into Suleman prior to the pregnancy that produced her octuplets. It was six times the norm for a woman her age.

That was a mistake, according to the board.

Uhhhhh.... REALLY??

In practice, fertility doctors avoid mega-births, as high number multiple births are sometimes called, because the process can put the mother at risk for serious complications and death. Crowding in a mother's uterus could also result in premature birth, cerebral palsy, developmental delays or other health problems for the babies.

Did you catch that? Too many babies in the womb at a time can kill, or seriously injure mother and babies.

With a tearful apology, Kamrava testified at his hearing last year that he implanted Suleman with 12 embryos because she consented to undergoing fetal reduction if too many of the babies became viable.

Kamrava said that months passed after the treatment, and he never heard from her, despite efforts to contact her. He says he only heard from Suleman again after the babies were born.

The "tearful apology" really gets me here.

I've known quite a few women who've been through in-vitro, and I believe the standard is 2 embryos at a time, MAYBE three under special circumstances. He saw nothing wrong with implanting TWELVE embryos in a woman?? Let alone a single mom who already had six kids at home! How many did he think were going to work???

The state also found that Kamrava was negligent in the care of two other patients — a major factor in the decision to revoke his license.

Oh dear. Brace yourselves.

Kamrava was found to have implanted seven embryos in a 48-year-old patient, resulting in quadruplets. One fetus died before birth.

Kamrava said at his hearing that he recommended four embryos be implanted, but he implanted seven because the patient insisted.

So, what we're seeing here is either a guy who doesn't like to accept responsibility for his actions, or a big weenie who gets bullied into unethical behavior by his patients. Which do YOU think is more likely?

In another case, Kamrava went ahead with in vitro fertilization after tests detected atypical cells, which can indicate the presence of a tumor. The patient was later diagnosed with stage-three cancer and had to have her uterus and ovaries removed before undergoing chemotherapy.

I've had a pap smear come back with atypical cells before. It was taken VERY seriously because that can be a sign of cancer. While in my case, it was fine, in her case, it was severe! Instead of taking it as seriously as he should have, sending her to a specialist for further testing, he went ahead with the procedure anyway. And WHY didn't he send her to that specialist?

Kamrava said he should have referred her to a gynecological oncologist but simultaneous to her treatment, news broke about Suleman's octuplets and he became too distracted to follow up the patient's care.

Excuse me???

Okay, when my sister died and I was distracted by all of that, I forgot to pay some bills. But this guy, in the media spotlight over another of his stupid decisions, NEGLECTED to check on a patient over a life or death situation!! That's just a teeny tiny bit more important than forgetting to pay the electric bill, you know what I mean?

In February, a judge recommended the board put Kamrava on five years of probation, but the ultimate licensing decision belonged to the board. Citing negative publicity surrounding Suleman's case, the judge had said it was unlikely Kamrava would make similar mistakes again.

Seriously? I could see putting him on probation for having an unfortunate situation from implanting maybe 4 embryos. But we're talking about multiple times, with excessive numbers and complete lack of ethical behavior.

The board "adamantly" disagreed with that assessment, saying the doctor had already used bad press as an excuse for failing to care properly for the fertility patient who should have been referred to a cancer specialist.

"Accordingly, the board is not persuaded that relying on the public or the media to fulfill or supplement the board's public protection role is sound policy," the decision reads.

Good for them! Thank goodness they had the sense to revoke his license. It's just too bad it took them so long. How many women could he have harmed in the last couple years?

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

A Month of Movies

In looking for different ideas for my Movie Monday posts, I came across a 30 Day Movie Meme that looked like fun. I've wanted to do a 30 day post project for a while. Since I love movies so much, I decided this was a good choice for me.


So Here's Day One:

The Best Movie You Saw During the Last Year

While I don't get to the theater very often anymore, I do watch a LOT of movies. So, there are a lot of really good choices for this answer. I had to ask myself what movie I REALLY enjoyed. I could think of some good dramas, some good romance movies, but none of those seemed to be the right fit. But then I thought of comedies. By far, the best comedy I saw in the last year was this one:
If you haven't seen it yet, you need to. It's hysterical.