"The Time Traveler's Wife" A Review?

The Time Traveler's Wife, a movie which hit the theaters last Friday, is based on the 2003 debut novel of American author Audrey Niffenegger (I don't make up the names folks, I just copy them).

The novel tells the stories of Henry DeTamble (born 1963), a librarian at the Newberry Library in Chicago, and his wife, Clare Abshire (born 1971), an artist who makes paper sculptures. Henry has a rare genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily travel through time.

Henry begins time traveling at the age of five, jumping forward and backward relative to his own timeline. He is unable to control his travels: when he leaves, where he goes, or how long his trip will last. His destinations are tied to his subconscious—he most often travels to places and times related to his own history.

Certain stimuli such as stress can trigger Henry's time traveling. He often goes jogging to keep calm and remain in the present. He also searches out pharmaceuticals in the future that may be able to control his time traveling and seeks the advice of a geneticist, Dr. Kendrick.

Henry cannot take anything with him into the future or the past. He always arrives naked and struggles to find clothing, shelter and food. He amasses a number of survival skills including lock-picking, self defense and pickpocketing. Much of this he learns from older versions of himself.

I have always been fascinated by the idea of time traveling and, in fact, I may have a variation of the same genetic disorder as the fated Mr. DeTamble. On the other hand, I may have also discovered a method of future time travel. In either case, after embarking on journeys in the past and partaken of the spirits of Johnnie Walker Black, I have awakened two days into the future in places that I care not to remember.

Although the story line interests me very much, it seems to me that one of the drawbacks to this type of time travel would be the aspect of arriving anywhere naked. Despite the fact that I'm not particularly shy, the mere thought of arriving naked at a Starbucks coffee shop or into my lady's kitchen unannounced while she was frying bacon would be dangerous to one health.

Another drawback would be the lack of knowledge of the time one would be transported into a different era. Timing being of the utmost importance, I believe that one would be a bit miffed if was one was transported to another time while in the proverbial saddle, or worse, on the proverbial throne. The thought of arriving naked anywhere in time, in either of those conditions, is disturbing to say the least.

Be that as it may, it would be interesting to go back a few hundred years and be able to see such great events as Washington crossing the Delaware, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Barbara Walters getting her first interview and things of that nature.

If there was just a magical spirit that one could drink that would transport one back in time, imagine the revelations and sights one might find. There is one spirit that comes to mind that would allow this possibility....tequila. Unfortunately, it probably would only transport you back to the last time you woke up in a dumpster.

In any case, The Traveler's Wife is an imaginative concept that should be interesting. The movie has been rated an average of three stars (out of five) by critics.

This Date In History: 1561; Mary, Queen of Scots arrives in Leith, Scotland, to assume the Scottish throne after spending 13 years in France. 1745; Charles Edward Stuart, or “Bonnie Prince Charlie”, raises his standard at Glenfinnan in his claim to the English and Scottish thrones, igniting The Forty-Five uprising.

1936; The celebrated Spanish writer Federico García Lorca is executed without trial by the Nationalists at the start of the Spanish Civil War. 1942; An Allied raid on German-occupied France during World War II to temporarily seize the Normandy town of Dieppe ends in disaster for the predominantly Canadian force.

1953; Royalist forces acting on behalf of Reza Shah Pahlavi, with the aid of the US Central Intelligence Agency, overthrow Iranian premier Mohammad Mossadegh. 1991; Communist hard-liners attempt a coup in the Soviet Union, putting Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev under house arrest and declaring a state of emergency, but it ends in failure two days later.

Picture Of The Day: Aside from the obvious featured picture at the top of today's entry, there is, in fact, another celebrity that seems to be appearing everywhere on the net.

Melissa and Jackson Brandts of Watertown, Minnesota were on vacation in Alberta, Canada, last May when a squirrel popped up in their camera shot. The Brandts, were sitting in the background on the shore of Lake Minnewanka with the camera set on a rock. Up close is the squirrel — attracted, the couple thinks, by the sound of the camera focusing.

It was interesting to me as well, not only for the novelty of the accidental shot, but by the fact that I, too, was focusing my attenti....camera on one of my favorite subjects and guess who jumped into the shot. No, not a beaver, but the same little squirrel, who I think was attracted to the aforementioned dam builder (work with me on this one folks, I'm trying to keep this paragraph as clean as I can).

Birthdays: John Flamsteed, first Astronomer Royal 1646, Orville Wright, American pioneer of aeronautics 1871, Georges Enesco, Romanian violinist, pianist, conductor, and composer 1881, Coco Chanel, French fashion designer 1883, Ogden Nash, American humorist 1902, Bill Clinton, 42nd president of the United States 1946.

Printable Things I Never Told You: 1) I spent an hour last night speaking with my oldest daughter Jeannie. We took a nostalgic trip to the past when she was younger and laughed at all of the funny events that happened. 2) My grocery trip yesterday was a good reminder to eat before grocery shopping. 3) Crowded elevators smell different to midgets. 4) On the other hand, you have different fingers. 5) I hate it when you're watching a movie and the sound goes out in one of your ears. You know....when it seems someone just pulled the plug on one of the speaker connections to one ear. The first time it happened, I went to the doctor and he said not to worry and that it happens to everybody. For a while, I thought it was just a casualty of being married....and that's five !

The AREA51 Retirement Home Bar and Grill: Since today's subject is about time travel, I'd like to see what I'll look like when I'm ready to slow down and take it easy. One thing for sure is that I'll probably meet new friends every day.

The Hits Just Keep On Coming:

A man got on a bus and took a seat. At the next stop, a beautiful young woman boarded the bus and took the seat beside him. He smiled at her and said, "Good morning." The woman, forcing a smile, replied, "It hasn't been so good for me."

The man said, "I'm sorry to hear that. What's the matter?' The woman said, "My analyst just can't seem to help me." The man said, "I'm sure that he'll do better next time. What seems to be your problem?"The woman answered, " I can't bother you with my problems. I don't even know you that well."

The man said, "That's exactly why you should tell me. You can be honest with me because you don't know me." The woman responded, "Well, the problem is that I'm a nymphomaniac but I only like having sex with Jewish cowboys."

The woman blushed and said to the man, "I'm sorry, I'm burdening you with my problems and I don't even know you name. My name is Shelly Taylor, what's yours?" The man replied, "Hopalong Goldstein."

A few minutes before the church services started, the congregation was sitting in their pews and talking. Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church. Everyone started screaming and running for the back entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from the evil incarnate.

Soon the church was empty except for one elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his pew without moving, seemingly oblivious to the fact that God's ultimate enemy was in his presence.

Satan walked up to the man and said, "Do you know who I am?" The man replied, "Yep, sure do." Satan said, "Aren't you afraid of me?" The man said, "Nope." Satan said, "Did you know that I can cause you profound, horrifying agony for all eternity?" The man calmly replied, "Yep."

More than a little perturbed, Satan asked, '"Why aren't you afraid of me?" The man calmly replied, "Been married to your sister for 48 years."

That's it for today my little buttercups. Remember that people who eat many prunes usually get a good run for their money. It's Hump Day and I'm going to AREA 51 for Happy Hour. More on Friday

Stay Tuned !