Amazon Originals Bosch Pilot

When I found out there is currently a pilot titled Bosch available at Amazon Studios, based on Micheal Connelly's Harry Bosch, I was already excited. When I also learned that Titus Welliver had been hand picked by Connelly to play Bosch, I was even more excited. I already knew and loved Titus from Lost and his many other roles. I then learned that I could  make it happen. Anyone that watches the pilot and rates and reviews it can help to make it happen, because it is viewer feedback that will determine whether Amazon decides to give the go-ahead for a full season. My excitement scale was teetering precariously up there to giddy. How often does a person get to have any control over programming and what gets produced?  The pilot is still available to watch for free viewing at Amazon.com where it can also be rated and reviewed.   It can be viewed and rated at IMBD as well.

I watched the first time and was instantly hooked. I watched it again (something like the fifth time) to attempt to understand what it is that has me so taken with it.  I came away understanding that it isn't just one thing. I can't pin it down to acting, though it is superb.  It isn't just the setting, the music, or the story alone. It is a perfect blend of all of that and then some.  Harry Bosch is a familiar character to anyone who has read Michael Connelly's books, since Harry was introduced in the Black Echo in 1992. Die-hard fans are not easy to impress when a movie or television actor tries to bring a beloved character to life from the pages of a book.

In the pilot, Bosch is standing trial in federal court for the shooting death of a suspected serial killer, while investigating the murder of a child. While he seems to feel no remorse for the killing of the first, he refuses to let go of the murder of the child, whose bones were discovered in the hills.  As it becomes clear just how horrific this child's life and death was, Harry must deal with the memories that surface from his own childhood as well.

Titus Welliver flat out nails it. He is Harry. He delivers the lines and owns him, and yet, he doesn't have to say a word. A clenched jaw while sitting in the courtroom,  the look on his face while gazing down into the ground where small bones had lain for many years, a shaking hand brushed across his face,  or when looking down on the city of  Los Angeles while at his home, in the dark, listening to the haunting and beautiful Lullaby, by jazz musician Frank Morgan.

To me, Bosch has a definite noir feel to it, and I am reminded of characters such as Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe created by Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. From the dark, rain drenched shooting scene, to Harry leaving the bones of a child on a coroner's table and trying desperately to hold it together, hands shaking with the effort.

I hope that Amazon sees how good Bosch is and makes this happen. If you watch the pilot, you will, too. If you have already seen it, tell me what you think.

       

My Review of Solving the Paleo Equation

I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Solving the Paleo Equation by Matt Stone and Dr. Garrett Smith, and really enjoyed this book. Like many people, I have been frustrated and grown tired of all the health and diet so-called gurus out there that all seem to do nothing more than contradict each other. Honestly, one day one super food is the end-all be-all of glowing health and ideal weight and then boom, we read elsewhere that that same super food is bad stuff. The average reader wants to throw a book across the room and go down a dozen doughnuts.

Solving the Paleo Equation is for folks like me, who don’t want to follow the latest craze; we just want down to earth, simple solutions that are easy to follow. Well, this book is it. I came away understanding that we really know more about what our body needs than we realize. It’s broken down into four parts: Stress, Nutrition, Exercise and Sleep.

From the book, we see that stress can wreak havoc on the body, and learn here that there are 12 major stressors, from diet and exercise stress, to irregularity and sleep stress. Nutrition has been a stressor in itself with so much conflicting information out there, but for Paleo followers, Matt addresses some myths that most take on faith in the Paleo way. Such as natural is always better, that we have not adapted to eating grains and dairy, that modern Paleo is the way our ancestors ate. Exercise should not produce vomiting or pain, and that we should listen to our body, which makes perfect, simple sense. Sleep is the topic that was very important to me, and I learned a lot. We all need to get outside every single day, away from our electronic devises with their Electro Magnetic Fields, and get grounded. This chapter has a lot of great and simple steps to take to get a better night’s sleep.

I’ve read lots of books not only about health and nutrition, but insomnia, too. This one is a keeper.

    

Super Bowl, Puppies, and Clydesdales

So far, there have been more than 39, 898, 336 views of the Budweiser Super Bowl XLVIII Commercial, "Puppy Love".   When you put puppies and Clydesdales together, with the innocence and cuteness factor alone, our collective hearts melt.  We have seen Clydesdales proudly lead ornate wagons, star in commercials, steal our hearts, and become a part of our history.

According to Our Heritage at Anheuser-Busch,  Clydesdales, gentle giants that they are, have been part of  Anheuser-Busch since 1933, when a six-horse hitch was sent to New York City on April 7 of that year to commemorate the end of Prohibition. The hitch made its way toward the Empire State Building, where a case of Budweiser was presented to former Governor Alfred E. Smith. The six-horse hitch was increased to eight, and in March of 1950, a Dalmatian was added as mascot. Dalmatians have traveled with each hitch since that time.  To make the cut and be part of the traveling hitches, a Budweiser Clydesdale must be a gelding that is at least four years old, stands 72 inches tall at the shoulder, weighs between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds, has a bay coat, four white legs, white blaze, black mane and tail.  

Based in St. Louis, the home of Clydesdale Operations is a historic stable that was built in 1885 and is one of three buildings on the grounds that are registered as historic landmarks. These beautiful horses are adorned in the best, with each harness crafted with solid brass, patent leather and linen thread. 

So, a little history about these majestic, gentle, beautiful horses---but really, you just want to see it again, huh?  Here you go:

Sweet Slumber: How to Get Some Sleep

One of the worst and most heinous things that happen as we become golden is that sleep can sometimes elude us. Adding insult to injury, our bodies have begun to revolt and we discover some aches and pains that totally ruin a night of sound sleep. I know, it seems men don't have this problem getting off to sleep as much as women do, but I know of some men that do. So guys, this is for you too.

We have all seen the daytime television shows that offer advice on the subject of sleep. We watch and think, "Ok that sounds easy enough."   We try some of the solutions mentioned and what happens?  We end up staring at the dark walls for hours, sometimes until daylight comes creeping through the window. Unless you have blackout curtains and can't tell whether it's night or day anyway.

Without sleep, the most even-keeled among us can become hell on wheels the next day, sniping at everyone that  has the misfortune of crossing our paths.  So, for the sake of our families and friends, we need to sleep. I've searched for common sense information on the subject for a while now, and some of what I have read does make sense.

An article from CNN Tech suggests that the light from our devices such as our readers and tablets can mess with our sleep cycles and affect our internal clocks. It is suggested that we turn off these devices at night, keep them out of the bedroom, and switch to a good, old fashioned book (can you believe a book can seriously be considered as old fashioned now?) a few hours before bedtime.

There are certain foods and supplements that are best for getting a good nights sleep, too. According to an article at Health, some foods are great for getting off to sleep while some are not so great. Among the good guys are cherries, sweet potatoes, milk, and turkey. Bananas especially so, because they contain two muscle relaxants, magnesium and potassium. A couple of the worst are chocolate and wine, which really is a downer to think about. Wine and chocolate and a good book? Who doesn't think that is a great combination? Not so much, if you want a good night's sleep.

Lack of enough sleep can also be bad for your heart, according to this video from Huffpost Healthy Living. Not getting enough sleep can lead to developing not only heart disease, but diabetes and obesity as well.

Most of us are busy with family, friends, work, living our lives. We want to be healthy, yet we can become overwhelmed with too much information to sift through.  If we follow a few easy and common sense solutions, maybe they will lead to that sweet slumber we all need and crave.

Let's all get a good night's sleep, and be well.

Welcome

When we reach a time in our lives that is beyond the age of fifty, the things that matter to us change. We are no longer in school, establishing careers, buying starter homes and raising children. We have older children to get through college or launched into adulthood, parents that are aging and perhaps need help. We are concerned about our future, financial security and have our health to consider. 

Feisty Over Fifty is about us and the issues that we care about. Health, fitness, diet, long term vitality, finances, the issues and events in our country and our world that impact us, that matter to us, that will effect us.

In her book, Inventing the Rest of Our Lives, Suzanne Braun Levine talks about our changing roles and navigating our second adulthood. Her book addressed women, but can apply to all of us entering the uncharted territory that is ahead of those of us entering the age of 50 and beyond.  

Welcome to Feisty Over Fifty