In order to explain to you why I disliked Jack Reacher: Never Go Back so much, I must first explain why I loved 2012’s Jack Reacher. The original film is based on Lee Child’s series of hardboiled novels about the adventures of an ex-military policeman.* It was adapted for the screen and directed by the great Christopher McQuarrie, and it’s a no-nonsense, meat and potatoes action flick. Fight scenes and car chases are well-shot, as the title character Cruise gives a hilariously surly performance as a guy who is basically an invincible hobo, and the villain of the piece is German... Read More

It’s cold and flu season again!  Because colds and flu share many symptoms, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to tell the difference between them. The flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but they are caused by different viruses. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, while flu can have very serious complications, especially for older adults, those with weakened immune systems or young children. Symptoms of flu include fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue. Cold symptoms... Read More

In the end, it’s all about the buy in. Maybe you can accept a grown man running around in an American flag costume smashing people in the face with an indestructible shield. Perhaps you absolutely can’t accept that, yet you’re okay with a Catholic married couple who are also ghost hunters. You might have a positive or negative reaction to a trailer. You might even hear just the premise of a film, and you make a split-second decision. It’s hard to say what we’ll accept when it comes to movies. My good friend Devila loudly and unapologetically scoffs whenever she... Read More

If you’ve ever worked in a cube farm, you know the difficulty of establishing a temperature that suits everyone.  As someone who was cold natured, I frequently wore a sweater in the office on sweltering August days. Now that I work from home, I have complete control of the environmental temperature in my work space. While there are factors that influence how cold natured you are, such as low body fat, being cold could be a symptom of a health condition.  The most common condition that causes one to feel cold is anemia. Anemia is a blood disorder caused by a shortage of red blood cells,... Read More

Some of them made the crossing to reunite with family. Some wanted a decent job. Some believed in the promise of America, while others wanted to get the hell away from the cartels. But applying for immigration, whether it was because of time or money, simply wasn’t a realistic option. Phone calls and desperate pleas were made to the coyotes, and they began the risky journey from Mexico to the United States. They’re called undocumented immigrants, illegal aliens, and names unfit for print. There’s a lot of talk about them, especially now, in an election year. Most people have... Read More

We’ve all noticed that the sun rises later each day this time of year.  We see the change in the weather and make the accompanying changes in our food and clothing choices.  The autumn season is all about change – the leaves, the weather, our habits. Seasonal mood shifts often include less energy, feeling less social, cravings for carbs and changes in sleep habits, partly due to the change in exposure to daylight.  In the Western world, we talk about our circadian clock. The circadian clock monitors changes in day length and tells us when to feel sleepy and when to wake up and... Read More

God spoke to Nat Turner on May 12, 1828. Turner was a highly intelligent man, deeply religious, and a lifelong slave in Southampton County, Virginia. While toiling in the cotton fields that day, Turner remembered that he, “heard a loud noise in the heavens, and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was loosened, and that Christ had laid down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and that I should take it on and fight against the Serpent, for the time was fast approaching when the first should be last and the last should be first.” Turner had preached the Gospel... Read More

Perhaps you’ve heard that sitting is the new smoking?  Sitting all day is not good for our health.  We’ve actually known this, from a public health perspective, for over 60 years. Back in the 50s, researchers studied men (yes, not much research done with women in those days) who had jobs that required them to sit, compared to those who were standing or walking during the work day. The study showed that the rates of illness and early death were highest among those who were the least active. As we are now a society of desk jockeys, it makes sense that scientists would revisit this... Read More

My wife hates Westerns, which is a pity. Sure, there are a couple of unassailable classics she likes, like Tombstone or Unforgiven. But those are the exception. She made it through just 10 minutes of Open Range, scoffed at the idea of watching Silverado, and physically left the room when High Noon came on. Thing is, she’s not the only one. I know a lot of people that instinctively recoil at Westerns. Of people I know, Westerns seem to be the second most despised movie genre, with superhero movies taking the crown. Why is that? My wife couldn’t quite articulate it, there’s... Read More