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Vol. 10, No. 5 – December 7 – December 20, 2016 – Movie Review

Arrival – Poignant on the spot instant sci-fi classic  (4 trees)
by Richard Lieberman

Director Denis Villeneuve combines hard sci-fi and deep seeded emotion in one of the best sci-fi movies of the year. A thoughtful grown up piece of science fiction not the usual alien invasion doomsday setup that we have become familiar with.

Arrival’s premise begins with twelve mysterious alien space craft landing, or rather hovering over remote locations all over the globe. A linguistics expert Dr. Louise Banks played by Amy Adams is struggling with the death of her teenaged daughter, trying find peace in her daily routine. Her path is interrupted when the twelve alien vessels appear on earth, and the U.S. military comes to her for her help. The military has made minimal contact with the aliens, but their language is unlike anything known to man. She partners with a theoretical physicist Ian Donnelly, played by Jeremy Renner.

Banks and Donnelly enter the alien ship and begin to painstakingly learn their language and teaching them ours. She is convinced the aliens are peaceful and with good intention, but with twelve ships around the world, other countries are having their own interactions with the aliens, and Banks is tasked with finding out why they are here. Arrival doesn’t cringe when it comes to taking on a serious discussion of linguistics, physics or math or the complex language the aliens use. It never leaves us lost at presenting complex and interesting concepts that usually end up on the cutting floor in Hollywood’s sci-fi universe.

Symmetrical, stunning compositions and an early scene where the two characters enter the alien ship for the first time remind us of the sci-fi classic 2001. Arrival though is not as sterile as 2001 and has an almost gritty character that plies us with a sense of reality.  The movie makes its characters from our hero and heroine to the Chinese General seem alone and unable to effectively communicate with each other. That inability to communicate with others, not just aliens is a central theme that permeates the film.

Arrivals success is ambitious in its telling of a complex hard science fiction story through the emotionally compelling and heartbreaking story of its main character Amy Adams. Watching Adams struggle with attempting to decipher the alien’s language constantly driven by memories of her daughter is heart wrenching establishing empathy with the audience.

Adams character  moves the film forward to a climax that is both satisfying and emotional, quietly triumphant and emotionally satisfying.

Playing time 1hr.58min.  PG13

 

 

Filmmakers, act fast!

Film submissions are being accepted through Dec. 16 for the 5th Annual Water: Take 1 Online Short Film Festival, which will celebrate winners at an Awards Celebration in March of 2017 at the Channel Islands National Park Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center located in the Ventura Harbor.

Water: Take 1 aims to create a greater awareness of water as a valuable resource by inviting filmmakers locally and worldwide to submit short films of five minutes or less in any genre – drama, documentary, comedy, animation, sci-fi or experimental – that address the topic of water. Awards include the Audience Choice Award, voted on by the general public with the winner receiving an iPad; the award for Best Student Short Film, chosen by a jury of entertainment and water industry experts with a GoPro camera for a prize; the Grand Prize of $1,500 presented by Ventura Water; and the Ventura Vision Award, which recognizes local films and offers a $500 cash prize.

This year’s new partner, the Palmdale Water District, is sponsoring the Palmdale Vision Award, recognizing films that best represent its mission and objectives, also for a $500 cash prize.

If you’re not sure what your short film should look like, get inspired by watching the Palmdale Water District’s hilarious minute-long film, The Conservation Enforcer, which won the 2015 grand prize.

Filmmakers of all ages, around the world, are encouraged to submit their work (up to 5 minutes in length) via direct upload at the contest site – www.watertake1.com – and must address the topic of water in any genre including animation, comedy, documentary, drama, experimental or sci-fi.

Mixing alcohol with medicines

senior-mixing-alcoholYou’ve probably seen this warning on medicines you’ve taken. The danger is real. Mixing alcohol with certain medications can cause nausea and vomiting, headaches, drowsiness, fainting, or loss of coordination. It also can put you at risk for internal bleeding, heart problems, and difficulties in breathing. In addition to these dangers, alcohol can make a medication less effective or even useless, or it may make the medication harmful or toxic to your body.

Some medicines that you might never have suspected can react with alcohol, including many medications which can be purchased “over-the-counter”—that is, without a prescription. Even some herbal remedies can have harmful effects when combined with alcohol.

Medications typically are safe and effective when used appropriately. Your pharmacist or other health care provider can help you determine which medications interact harmfully with alcohol.

Some medications—including many popular painkillers and cough, cold, and allergy remedies—contain more than one ingredient that can react with alcohol. Read the label on the medication bottle to find out exactly what ingredients a medicine contains.

Certain medicines contain up to 10 percent alcohol. Cough syrup and laxatives may have some of the highest alcohol concentrations.

Women, in general, have a higher risk for problems than men. When a woman drinks, the alcohol in her bloodstream typically reaches a higher level than a man’s even if both are drinking the same amount. This is because women’s bodies generally have less water than men’s bodies. Because alcohol mixes with body water, a given amount of alcohol is more concentrated in a woman’s body than in a man’s. As a result, women are more susceptible to alcohol-related damage to organs such as the liver. Older people face greater risk

Older people are at particularly high risk for harmful alcohol–medication interactions. Aging slows the body’s ability to break down alcohol, so alcohol remains in a person’s system longer. Older people also are more likely to take a medication that interacts with alcohol—in fact, they often need to take more than one of these medications.

Timing is important

 

 

Ventucky?

by Dr. Randal “Randy” Beeman

“You do know that outsiders call this ‘Ventucky,’” said the branch manager as my wife and I opened a new bank account here in town. We began to realize that Ventura has an image problem ever since we arrived for our semi-retirement last month. I shrugged off the comments until the low blow came: “We are also known as ‘Bakersfield by the Sea.’”

Excuse me, “Bakersfield by the Sea?” I just spent twenty years – the prime of my life – teaching history to college students in Bakersfield and I am here to testify that though both cities are in California, and both have a common history as working class agriculture and petroleum towns, Ventura is a million miles from Bakersfield in many respects.

Let’s look at home values. For what I paid for a 2 bedroom 3 bath condominium in Ventura I could have purchased a 6 bedroom 4 bath house with a pool on the golf course in Bakersfield. Sure, the proximity to the ocean and the corresponding climate adds a lot of value,  but from my perspective Ventura is superior for other reasons related to quality of life.

Over the years Ventura was the quickest route to the beach from Bakersfield. We would cajole my sleepy children into the can van and within two hours we would be unpacking at Emma Wood State Beach, usually after breakfast in downtown Ventura. My kids would sometimes wonder why there were still farms in the Santa Clarita Valley along Highway 126 when the rest of Southern California’s coastal areas are packed with housing developments.

I explained,  probably more than they cared to hear, that Ventura County has been a national leader in farmland preservation and smart growth policies. Unlike Bakersfield,  where precious farmland is paved over daily and leapfrog development ensures an endless urban sprawl. While Venturans seem to realize that “less is more” when it comes to population growth, Bakersfield’s Chamber of Commerce proudly holds a press conference every time the population inches the city up the list as one of California’s largest.

Culturally, Ventura, though it is much smaller than Bakersfield, has far more to offer in terms of dining, museums, music venues, farmer’s markets, shopping, hiking, and access to nature. Where Bakersfield voted for Trump and aligns with Oklahoma and South Carolina politically,  Ventura has shed its conservative image and votes for progressive candidates and causes.

In my brief time here I have also noted a significant difference that many locals might not appreciate. Last year Bakersfield was not only the most polluted city in the nation, the most illiterate city, and the most alcoholic city, it also led the nation in police shootings.

Law enforcement officers are asked to do tough jobs and they have to deal with vagrants, addicts, and the mentally ill. We live in downtown and we have noticed the Ventura Police seem to be highly educated, sympathetic, and they appear to have high morale. I’m sure problems exist between the community and the police, but the professionalism of the police in Ventura is tangible and refreshing to a newcomer.

If it seems I am being too hard on Bakersfield I will say in its defense that people there are incredibly friendly. I expected Ventura to be more cosmopolitan, transient, and cold like much of Southern California. Pleasantly,  we have experienced welcoming, friendly, and generous people in our first month here.

Perhaps locals need a reminder every once and awhile that you are living in one of the most ideal places on in the planet. It’s not crowded like Santa Cruz not is it pretentious like Santa Barbara. And. emphatically,  Ventura is not Bakersfield by the Sea!

Dr. Randal “Randy” Beeman is an Emeritus Professor of History at Bakersfield College and a recent transplant to downtown Ventura. 

Young women introduced as 2017 Debutantes

Debutantes in front row Sidney Shinsky, Audrey Shinsky, Madison Jaffe, Tatiana Anderson, Carissa Christianson. Back row Sydney Clevenger, Grace Resnik, Samantha Walsh, Julia Cote, Margaret Morris, Gianna LoPresti, Rebecca Belleville. Not shown Elizabeth Fedde.
Debutantes in front row Sidney Shinsky, Audrey Shinsky, Madison Jaffe, Tatiana Anderson, Carissa Christianson. Back row Sydney Clevenger, Grace Resnik, Samantha Walsh, Julia Cote, Margaret Morris, Gianna LoPresti, Rebecca Belleville. Not shown Elizabeth Fedde.

Thirteen local young women were introduced at the 60th Annual Las Patronas Tea.  The Tea was held November 19 at the home of Mrs. Jeffrey Douglas in Camarillo.

The girls were presented to the members of Las Patronas, an auxiliary of Assistance League of Ventura County and their guests.

The Tea is a first in a series of events that will culminate in the Las Patronas Debutante Ball on March 11, 2017 at the Ventura Beach Marriott.

Proceeds from the Ball are used to benefit Assistance League philanthropies, including Assistance League School, Girls Club/Teen Club, B.U.F.F.Y. Bear Program and Operation School Bell®.

The Vision for Assistance League is: “A Brighter Tomorrow for Today’s Children”

All young women are high school seniors, the debutantes represent eight high schools in Ventura County.  In their high school careers, they have distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, leadership, the arts, and philanthropic service.

The 2017 Debutantes:

  • Miss Tatiana Stephanie Anderson, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Todd Michael Anderson.  Camarillo High School.
  • Miss Rebecca Nicole Belleville, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Jon P Belleville.  Thousand Oaks High School.
  • Miss Carissa Nicole Christianson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brian Lee Christianson.  Camarillo High School.
  • Miss Sydney Grace Clevenger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Dean Clevenger.  St. Bonaventure High School.
  • Miss Julia Victoria Cote, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mark Cote.  Rio Mesa High School.
  • Miss Elizabeth Juliet Fedde, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Scott Fedde.  Ventura High School.
  • Miss Madison West Jaffe, daughter of Mrs. Lisa West and Mr. David Charles Jaffe.  Ventura High School.
  • Miss Gianna Angela LoPresti, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Salvatore LoPresti. Oaks Christian School.
  • Miss Margaret Rose Morris, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Chapman Morris, Jr.  Oaks Christian School.
  • Miss Grace Marie Resnik, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy David Resnik.  La Reina High School.
  • Miss Audrey Louise Shinsky, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Neale Shinsky.  Ventura High School.
  • Miss Sidney Lillian Shinsky, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Neale Shinsky. Foothill Technology High School.
  • Miss Samantha Rogner Walsh, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dean Raymond Walsh.  La Reina High School.

 

 

 

National Family Volunteer Day

stuff-seaward
Photo by George Robertson

On National Family Volunteer Day (Nov. 19) the South Seaward Merchants Association and neighbors spent a morning sprucing up our gateway to the beach.

They met  the Social Tap parking lot and were provided the supplies and refreshments!

The merchants provided volunteers with gift certificates for their appreciation.