I do not understand how an instructor for a 'safe driving course' can weigh 250 lbs: Doesn't he know that while in 2003 a total of 42,643 people in the United States died in traffic crashes, it was estimated in 1999 that the number of annual deaths attributable to obesity among US adults is approximately 280,000? [Allison DB et al., JAMA. 1999 Oct 27;282(16):1530-8. Annual deaths attributable to obesity in the United States]. Over six times as many!


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DVD: Sex and Lucia (Lucia y el sexo, 2001). Spanish w/ English subtitles. Directed by Julio Medem. w/ Paz Vega (Lucía), Tristan Ulloa (Lorenzo), Najwa Nimri (Elena). The film is exactly about what the title says: about Lucia, a young woman who tries to find her boy friend, and about sex, occasionally quite explict. First hour is rather sluggish. However, later in the movie, more of a story actually unravels, and the line between fiction and reality disappears. Some great under water shots. Najwa Nimri is remarkable. Overall Rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: Chaos (Kaosu, Japan, 1999). Japanese w/ English subtitles. Directed by Hideo Nakata. w/ Masato Hagiwara, Miki Nakatani, Ken Mitsuishi. Wife fakes her own kidnapping, with unexpected consequences. Film is not chronological. Sometimes confusing, but idea is good. Overall rating 6 out of 10.
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Art: Christo (Javacheff) and his wife Jeanne-Claude opened 'The Gates' in Central Park, NYC, on February 12, 2005. 7500, by releasing the panels of saffron-colored fabric from atop the 7,500 16-foot-tall gates, along 23 miles of footpaths. What a spectacle! Will be on display until February 28, 2005.
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Humor: "We have normality. I repeat, we have normality. Anything you still can't cope with is therefore your own problem." Douglas Adams (British comic writer, 1952-2001)
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History: The Writings of Benjamin Franklin, Vol. I - V (Vol. I, II, III online).
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Video: The Ring (2002). Directed by Gore Verbinski. w/ Naomi Watts. After the novel by Koji Suzuki and the movie Ringu (aka Ring; directed by Hideo Nakata, see above: 'Chaos'). People who watch a certain video tape get a phone call and die within a week. A Seattle journalist (Watts) joins the club, and her time is running out. Neat idea for a horror flick. Gripping. Great special effects. Mysterious. Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
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Life: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Statistics of motorvehicle and traffic related fatalites and injuries.
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