Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi - The Time of My Life

On the 14th September 2009 Patrick Swayze, star of such movies as “Red Dawn”, “Ghost” and of course “Dirty Dancing” sadly lost his long, public battle of pancreatic cancer, taken from us one of Hollywood’s most under-rated yet popular actors. Just a few weeks before he was to lose his battle, Patrick Swayze along with his wife Lisa Niemi completed the biographical “The Time of My Life” and in doing so showed the grit and determination which lead him to be one very special actor.

It was back at the start of 2008 when Patrick Swayze who at the time thought he was suffering from a simple stomach bug was informed that he was in advanced stages on pancreatic cancer and as you would expect “The Time of My Life” goes into some detail on this, that initial shocking diagnosis, treatments and his resolve to beat the cancer by surviving till a cure was found. Unfortunately he never won that battle but it didn’t stop him fighting it all the way as you would expect from someone who had to fight to establish himself as an actor.

But “The Time of My Life” is not just Swayze telling us about his battle with cancer; it’s his memoirs as he goes into detail on his life, his passion, those battles to become a star and also with injury as well as battles with drink and depression and to be honest a lot more.

Born on the 18th August 1952 in Houston, Texas Patrick Swayze would from a young age become interested in dance, attending his mother’s dance school where he would meet his future wife, Lisa. But whilst a keen dancer, Swayze was also a keen sports man, playing American Football until he suffered a major knee injury which would curtail his sporting ambitions not only on the field but also in the gymnasium. This injury would continue to plague him as he focussed on becoming a professional ballet dancer and would eventually lead him to a career in movies.

As you would expect a fair amount of “The Time of My Life” works through Swayze’s career both on the big screen and small screen covering such movies as “Red Dawn” and “Dirty Dancing” as well as TV shows such as “North and South” and “The Beast”. What is so good about “The Time of My Life” is you never get a sense of Swayze being the ‘Big I am’. He is open about what he felt of certain movies he appeared in, performances he gave and the working relationships he had with various stars such as Jennifer Grey. And it’s also nice to see through his words the love he had for his wife Lisa as he reveals the work they did together behind the scenes on various movies.

Something which also comes across is the battle he had to be taken seriously as an actor rather than just a pretty boy dancer who wanted to act. You can see how it got to him when producers and directors didn’t give him a chance but you also get a glimpse at that grit and determination he possessed as he set about proving those doubters wrong and it’s fair to say with such popular movies as “Ghost” and “Dirty Dancing” he did this.

In between all the accounts of his work on movie Swayze is also very open about his relationships with his family and the ups and downs that this marriage went through. As with his openness about various movies Swayze doesn’t shy away from that same openness about his private life and in some revealing moments he allows the readers into various problems in his personal life. One such problem is his battle with drink and depression when his father, a man he clearly loved and idolized, passed away. The fact that Swayze’s appears so willing to share and show that he although a movie star he was human makes it easy to relate to him. As does the fact that whilst he acknowledges we worked hard to get his career he was also fortunate and he appreciated that fact.

As with many movie star’s memoirs there are those revelations, details on other stars which he enjoyed working with and sometimes didn’t as well as those personal problems. But it just feels like Swayze is being honest and open, rather including these revelations to be sensationalist. Although as with any memoir, these moments where he shares something unexpected does add something a little extra to what otherwise could have ended up an honest but dry memoir.

Swayze finishes “The Time of My Life” with a chapter which goes into detail on the TV show “The Beast” which he made whilst receiving treatment and battling the cancer. In this final chapter you really get a sense that he never gave up fighting and loved life to the full which makes it quite hard going in the knowledge that he sadly passed away shortly after finishing the book.

All in all “The Time of My Life” is a very good memoir thanks to Swayze’s openness when it comes to his career and problems. But it is also very touching as well as inspiring as you get a real sense that whilst Swayze did make it as a star he was also a very normal person with the same issues that most people face, except he was a fighter and never gave up fighting right till the end.

Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi - The Time of My Life

Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi - The Time of My Life

On the 14th September 2009 Patrick Swayze, star of such movies as “Red Dawn”, “Ghost” and of course “Dirty Dancing” sadly lost his long, public battle of pancreatic cancer, taken from us one of Hollywood’s most under-rated yet popular actors. Just a few weeks before he was to lose his battle, Patrick Swayze along with his wife Lisa Niemi completed the biographical “The Time of My Life” and in doing so showed the grit and determination which lead him to be one very special actor.

It was back at the start of 2008 when Patrick Swayze who at the time thought he was suffering from a simple stomach bug was informed that he was in advanced stages on pancreatic cancer and as you would expect “The Time of My Life” goes into some detail on this, that initial shocking diagnosis, treatments and his resolve to beat the cancer by surviving till a cure was found. Unfortunately he never won that battle but it didn’t stop him fighting it all the way as you would expect from someone who had to fight to establish himself as an actor.

But “The Time of My Life” is not just Swayze telling us about his battle with cancer; it’s his memoirs as he goes into detail on his life, his passion, those battles to become a star and also with injury as well as battles with drink and depression and to be honest a lot more.

Born on the 18th August 1952 in Houston, Texas Patrick Swayze would from a young age become interested in dance, attending his mother’s dance school where he would meet his future wife, Lisa. But whilst a keen dancer, Swayze was also a keen sports man, playing American Football until he suffered a major knee injury which would curtail his sporting ambitions not only on the field but also in the gymnasium. This injury would continue to plague him as he focussed on becoming a professional ballet dancer and would eventually lead him to a career in movies.

As you would expect a fair amount of “The Time of My Life” works through Swayze’s career both on the big screen and small screen covering such movies as “Red Dawn” and “Dirty Dancing” as well as TV shows such as “North and South” and “The Beast”. What is so good about “The Time of My Life” is you never get a sense of Swayze being the ‘Big I am’. He is open about what he felt of certain movies he appeared in, performances he gave and the working relationships he had with various stars such as Jennifer Grey. And it’s also nice to see through his words the love he had for his wife Lisa as he reveals the work they did together behind the scenes on various movies.

Something which also comes across is the battle he had to be taken seriously as an actor rather than just a pretty boy dancer who wanted to act. You can see how it got to him when producers and directors didn’t give him a chance but you also get a glimpse at that grit and determination he possessed as he set about proving those doubters wrong and it’s fair to say with such popular movies as “Ghost” and “Dirty Dancing” he did this.

In between all the accounts of his work on movie Swayze is also very open about his relationships with his family and the ups and downs that this marriage went through. As with his openness about various movies Swayze doesn’t shy away from that same openness about his private life and in some revealing moments he allows the readers into various problems in his personal life. One such problem is his battle with drink and depression when his father, a man he clearly loved and idolized, passed away. The fact that Swayze’s appears so willing to share and show that he although a movie star he was human makes it easy to relate to him. As does the fact that whilst he acknowledges we worked hard to get his career he was also fortunate and he appreciated that fact.

As with many movie star’s memoirs there are those revelations, details on other stars which he enjoyed working with and sometimes didn’t as well as those personal problems. But it just feels like Swayze is being honest and open, rather including these revelations to be sensationalist. Although as with any memoir, these moments where he shares something unexpected does add something a little extra to what otherwise could have ended up an honest but dry memoir.

Swayze finishes “The Time of My Life” with a chapter which goes into detail on the TV show “The Beast” which he made whilst receiving treatment and battling the cancer. In this final chapter you really get a sense that he never gave up fighting and loved life to the full which makes it quite hard going in the knowledge that he sadly passed away shortly after finishing the book.

All in all “The Time of My Life” is a very good memoir thanks to Swayze’s openness when it comes to his career and problems. But it is also very touching as well as inspiring as you get a real sense that whilst Swayze did make it as a star he was also a very normal person with the same issues that most people face, except he was a fighter and never gave up fighting right till the end.

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Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi - The Time of My Life

The Mystery of "The Peanut Butter Caper"

A great mystery children’s book to read. In it the imaginations soar as Helen VanEck Holub brings this book to life. In the “Peanut Butter Caper”, we see how Helen VanEck Holub brings a true life adventure to life to leave as a legacy for her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. In this beautiful children’s story we see up-close and personal what real animals look like.

In this story we see how Mrs. Robinson leaves a pale of peanut butter on her front porch to see what would happen. Or was this really the motive Mrs. Robinson had in mind? The aroma first caught the nose of Sam Squirrel as he searched for his acorns. But he found out that was not the right nut smell he was sensing.

On his journey to find the source of this smell he knew he had to be on the look out for Scotty and Mike as they played in the yard. The two boys loved to chase the animals into hiding. Then there was Pete Possum and Ricky Raccoon who Sam didn’t want to meet up with either, would Sam allow his curiosity to get the best of him? Was there someone else lurking behind the scenes to get to that aroma too?

Helen pulls her audience into the story with the graphics we see upon each pages. The graphics can stand alone as the children follow the story page by page. You will will wet your lips as the little characters finally find the pail of peanut butter left on the porch. As they ate from the pail they began to see flash after flash, it didn’t look like rain, so where was the flashes coming from? Was it just their imagination? They didn’t hear any thunder, so what could it be?

This story certainly captures the imagination and it is a journey every child needs to embark upon. Helen VanEck Holub has left a legacy for her children and children all around the world. Let’s follow her on this journey to see what happened to the peanut butter.

In this book you will also find beautiful graphic art designs by Helen McManus and the Interior and Exterior Formatting by Daveda Gruber.

I certainly enjoyed this book and my group of preschool children sat and listened with anticipation as I turned the pages of this colorful book. It is a must to have and share with your children and future grandchildren.

The Mystery of "The Peanut Butter Caper"

Photo Frames: Best To Capture Your Precious Moments

Whenever you feel need for photo frames, it is actually seen as one of the best ways to shape your dreams to recollect good moments of your life. It is often said, a photo frame is the best way to bring alive those crucial moments that you constantly want to remember. There are many instances where people do not shy off from taking this step to ensure they aren’t deprived of their nostalgic moments. That is the reason you will find scores of such people happily sporting, for instance, a photo that depicts them collecting a prize which they might have won during one of those debate competition where they had participated in their college days or school days. Generally, people do not hesitate to keep this frame in their living area or guest room so that entire world gets to know of their achievement.

You will also come across some people who say how expensive it was for them to procure one such photo frame. Most of these people must have adhered to those simple steps that many follow before they opt for such a frame. It is always necessary that you strictly abide to those rules that are generally laid down in order to attain success. One such step involves doing some kind of home work to know suitability and applicability of a product to your individual need. This way, you avoid chances of realizing later on that you actually prevented encountering certain uncomfortable situation later in your life.

So, next time you think of opting for photo framing, you can begin your search for further information simply by taking help of those numerous adverts that keep on surfacing on a newspaper. Yes, it is true you have taken a newspaper to quench your thirst for news, events, happenings etc. around the globe. But, if you want success in your endeavor to fetch best possible product, you should always be ready to walk that extra mile. Similar is the case here. When you keep a close tab on these adverts, you will actually come to know they contain some vital information that can actually go a long way to become your major source of information.

For instance, if you want to know more about picture framing, all that you need to do is take help of information like contact telephone number, email address, communication address etc. When you take help, for example, of a contact number and call the number mentioned in the advert, you actually end up gaining a lot. In most cases, these numbers are actually dedicated telephone numbers that are especially designed for customers who want to know more about a product. So, when you call this number, the person who is answering your call will give suitable answers to all your queries. Once you get all your questions answered, your decision making process becomes a lot easier.

Photo Frames: Best To Capture Your Precious Moments

New Book Offers Dad-Style Humor to Benefit TBI Survivors

Mark Elswick, aka “Padman,” has overcome the hurdles of fatherhood and lived to write about them in this humorous collection of short stories based on his own experiences as a man dealing with women, especially his daughter. Whether it’s having to go to the store to buy those…um, feminine hygiene products for his daughter, worrying over the older man his daughter wants to date, or just accepting that he’s reached middle-age and is becoming an old man, readers will smile with familiarity at the incidents, sympathizing with Elswick’s feelings and admiring his pluck to keep going in the face of what often threatens his manhood or at least his masculine self-esteem.

Nor is Elswick above poking fun at himself. While he may be amazed and stunned by the things the women around him do, he ultimately laughs at his own reactions to events and the expectations women have of him. When he tries to outsmart women such as by “multi-tasking” (watching the game while changing his daughter’s diaper), his efforts have a tendency to backfire, ultimately to his and the reader’s amusement.

Just to provide a taste of Elswick’s humor, here is a passage from the story “A Shoestring?”:

“As I started to shut the dryer door, I decided to do something I wish I never would have done. I double-checked the dryer to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

“Sure enough, there was something-a shoestring. Why did she wash a shoestring? I rolled my eyes in typical disbelief. I reached my hand in to pull it out, hoping it hadn’t somehow wound itself inside the machine and broken something. I just knew it had caused damage to my dryer. Thankfully, as I grabbed onto the black string, it wasn’t wound into a mess and pulled right out. Relieved and feeling my anger exhale, I lifted the….

“At that point, I stopped exhaling and even stopped breathing. What I grasped in my right hand was what I had thought was a string. Now, I quickly realized it was no string at all. As I brought what I thought belonged in my daughter’s shoe to eye level, I felt it was nearly the worst Dad Moment in my parenting life. I could have screamed when I realized this “string” in no way resembled what I had originally thought.

“That tiny piece of string made me feel as nauseated as when I had discovered what With Wings meant.

“That shoestring was…one of my fourteen-year-old daughter’s thongs.

“As I had learned in my Padman adventure, there are certain things we men never want to run across in life. This one ranked right up there with catching your parents having sex.”

As if having to deal with a teenage daughter growing up were not enough, Elswick has had to overcome some other very serious hurdles in his life. While the bulk of “Padman” is composed of humorous stories, sprinkled throughout are a few quite serious stories and essays. The most dramatic story is that of Elswick himself, who survived a bizarre car accident that left him with a traumatic brain incident (TBI) injury. The doctors told Elswick’s parents that he was unlikely to live, and if he did, he would be a vegetable for the rest of his life. Against all odds, Elswick not only survived but has gone on to live a relatively normal life, although his TBI continues to affect him.

Elswick does not dwell at great length or with negativity on his trials, but he does want this book to raise awareness of TBI and appreciation for how precious life is. He provides many laughs in these pages with a little education tossed in for good measure. Elswick is currently working on a longer book about TBI to be released in 2012. In the meantime, partial proceeds from the sale of “Padman” are being donated to TBI research.

New Book Offers Dad-Style Humor to Benefit TBI Survivors

Book Review: What to Use Instead - A Handbook of Practical Substitutes

“Many of the alternatives listed in this book were born of a desperate need to find something (anything!) that would work when I was out of something. Moments like that tend to encourage your imagination,” says Carol Ann Rinzler, author of What to Use Instead: A Handbook of Practical Substitutes.

Having had plenty of moments like that, plus others when I was absolutely not going to go out and spend more money, I’ve come up with several alternatives of my own. But this book gets into things even I had never thought of. (It also has blank lines at the end of each chapter where you can write your own ideas.) The chapters cover substitutes for foods, personal care products, cleaners, and more.

“If you’re planning to run away to a desert island and can only haul along one household chemical, take chlorine bleach . . . Tuck a box of baking soda in your backpack and you’ll have it all,” says Ms. Rinzler.

Can’t find your clothes brush? Use masking tape. Need an ice pack? Grab a bag of frozen peas. Do you have paint spattered on the floor, but no paint remover in the house? Try nail polish remover. Out of eggs for the meatloaf? An envelope of unflavored gelatine dissolved in a cup of warm water stands in for two of them. (I haven’t tried this yet, I admit.) There are six possible substitutes for bread crumbs, including grated raw potato (squeeze out as much moisture as you can). Does your recipe call for cake flour? Don’t just “measure out the all-purpose and hope for the best” – take two tablespoons out of the cup of all-purpose flour and you’ve got an adequate substitute.

“Adequate” is the key word here, and Ms. Rinzler is realistic about that. No, drained vanilla yogurt is not going to be just like whipped cream. You can’t replace your deodorant with baking soda permanently, though it’ll do in a pinch.

Although some of the information in this book is now dated, most of it is timeless – and so is the thinking that inspired it.

What to Use Instead: A Handbook of Practical Substitutes, by Carol Ann Rinzler, is published by Pharos books (1987).

Book Review: What to Use Instead - A Handbook of Practical Substitutes

A Review of Endgame by John Mauldin

I was finally able to find some time to read a few books that had been sitting on my Kindle for a while. I made a promise not to buy another book until I finished the ones that I purchased earlier but hadn’t gotten around to reading. Endgame was high on my list and I’m writing a quick review of the book. Overall, I liked the book and think John Mauldin provides a succinct and accurate picture of the outlook for the developed world as the debt supercycle comes to an end.

The book is worth reading because it clearly lays out the fallacies with the Keynesian model of continuous deficit spending by the government. Deficits do matter and as we’ve seen throughout history there comes a time when bond investors will refuse to roll-over existing debt at low yields bringing about the debt endgame. Greece is a prime example of a country that has reached this point. The book is unique in that it not only makes its case using historical examples but also logically describes the likely outcomes for the US, Eurozone, Eastern Europe, Japan, Australia and the UK.

For those of you who don’t have the time to read the entire book, I’ve summarized the authors views for each region/country:

US – The US can’t continue running 10% budget deficits indefinitely. “At some point, the Fed will either have to monetize the debt, or the bond market will simply demand an ever-higher interest rate.” The authors believe that for the US in particular there are 3 main possibilities. 1) The Argentinean method of simply printing money to cover up any deficits. This eventually results in the devaluation of the dollar and possibly hyperinflation. 2) The Austrian solution of slashing government spending and allowing the too big to fail banks to be liquidated and returning to some form of a gold standard. 3) The glide path option which involves a combination of spending cuts and rising taxes. The result would be a very slow growth environment, European levels of unemployment and a weakened dollar. In my view the most likely outcome is the Argentinean method. I don’t think we’ll get hyperinflation because the Fed will eventually stop inflating. The only caveat would be if Congress decided to takeover the Fed. However, I think Bernanke will eventually monetize the debt resulting in increasing inflation and a collapsing dollar but will stop short of total currency debasement. In short, we’ll get inflation first followed by massive deflation.

Eurozone – A default by Greece is inevitable. The remaining PIIGS are not far behind. The most likely outcome will be Greece defaults and the largest banks in Europe will need to be recapitalized. The ECB will then step in and inflate to support the sovereign debt that will need to be issued to recapitalize the banks. Whether the Euro survives will be a political decision and will most likely reside with Northern core.

Japan – Has the highest debt to GDP ratio among the G-7 and its fiscal deficits show no sign of declining. Mauldin accurately describes Japan as a bug in search of a windshield. Essentially as the savings of Japan’s population continue to decline there will eventually come a point when yields on JGB’s begin to rise. This will be the point where the central bank will have to make the decision whether to monetize the large fiscal deficits or hold back. If they choose to monetize, hyperinflation will be the likely outcome. A number of famous macro traders have been waiting for this trade a long time, the most recent is Kyle Bass of Hayman advisors. In my view, the central bank will not monetize the deficit. Japan is unique in that it imports virtually all its energy. If the central bank were to allow hyperinflation and the currency to collapse the economy would be in tatters due to the inability to import energy. I think the central bank will refuse to inflate. Furthermore, the Japanese will bear the burden of austerity forced upon them by rising sovereign debt yields. Japan is a unique society that has borne the brunt of a 20-year deleveraging cycle without resorting to rioting (the Greeks in comparison are the polar opposites). I think the Japanese will ultimately choose deflation over inflation.

UK – A booming property market and large financial sector left the UK highly exposed to the vagaries of the 2008 crash. Mauldin states, “the mammoth QE program undertaken by the Bank of England make the United Kingdom one of the likeliest candidates for a hyperinflation. All hyperinflations in history have been preceded by large budget deficits, the reason being that, faced with enormous expenditures, governments with big financial holes end up printing money to pay for their costs.” Inflation in the UK is already facing the highest inflation levels in the developed world. I think the most likely outcome for the UK is stagflation. The government will essentially attempt to inflate away debt levels while cutting spending. The pound in my view will continue to weaken and the outlook for equities also remains poor given the low growth environment.

Australia – The “lucky” country escaped from the 2008 crisis relatively unscathed. However, the country is facing a massive property bubble that will eventually burst. The only remaining question will be what provides the catalyst. I agree with Mauldin that a slowdown in China will be sufficient. We are already seeing the first signs of a slowing in China based on PMI data. I think a short Aussie dollar trade will work out well in 2012.

The main weakness of the book in my opinion was that the authors provided a limited summary of investment vehicles that would allow investors to profit from the end of the debt supercycle. Mauldin alludes to another book that he’s publishing in 2012 which I assume will go into more detail about how to profit from the trends described in Endgame. I’m also going to provide my own outlook on how to position yourself in future posts. Overall, I would recommend any serious investor read the Endgame. John Mauldin is a well respected analyst and I always look forward to his weekly musings. The book is well worth its price. I think many of his predictions will turn out to be accurate in 2012 and beyond.

A Review of Endgame by John Mauldin