Movies: Gran Torino

Like many Hollywood products, there is not a great deal of substance to this movie beyond what you see in the preview. But there is some. It is a redemption story of a man who is tortured inside and finds a way to make it right. And it toys with important issues, like gang violence, racism, aging, war, patriotism and religion. Eastwood's acting brings humor to all this hard stuff. Clint Eastwood growls and snarls better than just about anybody. The snarl shown above is the face he made when his son wanted to talk about putting him in an old folk's home--on his birthday. I don't plan to go see it again, but I do think it's worth seeing once. Four stars.

( pictures from the flick and a review of the etiologies of hemoptysis )

3/18/09 Underwater Volcano Erupts off Tongo

Geology is a slow subject, until something like this happens.

( assorted slow-loading photos behind cut )