Lions for Lambs

While out of town (again) we took in a movie this past weekend. Lions for Lambs had come out and, though ambivalent about how enjoyable it would be, we spent the money and went to see it. As usual Meryl Streep gives an excellent performance as does Robert Redford and Tom Cruise. Though the movie is not "action packed" it does have one "on the edge of your seat" aspect that does not conclude until the end of the movie.

Though I had heard a few things about it (including that it was only mediocre and/or not very good) this movie was very interesting to me because it gave a different "perspective" on America and the Iraq war. As someone else pointed out "It asks questions that not only deserve to be asked, but heard" and " the film seeks to elevate the national discussion not only on the war in Iraq, but on the Americans at home who have chosen neither to participate nor to protest" That latter quote was the part that intrigued me the most and caused the greatest discussion in my family afterward.

The movie was well done in the sense that I felt it was not Democratic, left leaning, right leaning, conservative, liberal, pro this or pro that. It told some "things" that have and do effect us as a society and pokes it's finger into all our eyes. It leaves no one unscathed---we are all part of the problem and part of the solution of our political situation then, now and in the future.

In the movie the title "Lions for Lambs" is explained as brave soldiers (lions) being led by weak men (lambs). The quote supposedly came from a German soldier/commander during WWI explaining the bravery of the British soldiers even though their commanders were idiots and sent them as fodder for cannons. The title though is a misquote. The original quote is "Lions led by Donkeys". Robert Redford has been accused of not catching the misquote but I think it probably had to do with the connection of donkeys and democrats---so was changed to keep any form of direct "blame" from the film. As we all know---everyone would have been screaming about that, and that only, if it hadn't been changed. He probably felt it better to get knocked on the head for a slight misquote than the connection with a political party aspect.

Anyway---a good political movie, if that type of film is up your road at all. Try it out---you may like it and-- it will definitely leave you with something to think and talk about in your own home.

Nothing much here

So I notice I haven't been posting much recently. That might be because currently our life is Boring (with a capital B). Not in the sense that we are doing nothing---but in the sense that all we are doing is just more of the same ole thing or something everyone else does: mow lawns, trim weeds, and trying to keep up with getting the garden planted, potatoes hilled, feed animals, clean etc etc. We have fallen into the mundane. It's that time of year. The busy time---when everyone is just trying to keep ahead of all the things building up to do. Soon though---I will have my son to help me since school will end within the next few weeks. That will be great---maybe I will be able to get a step ahead in the "must do this" category instead of barely keeping up with it.

Yesterday we had a new lamb---Now I just have one ewe left to go. My goodness---they dragged this out this year. I tell you what! For just 11 ewes we have lambed from March 25th to.....well we don't know yet do we. Here is a picture of the lamb: A solid black ewe lamb. The lamb doesn't look very big right now,especially since some of my other lambs are 5 weeks old now, and maybe she won't be. You just never know though--- her dam is one of my largest ewes. Next year when Bit (this lambs mother) is fully grown she may be my largest. Not large in the sense of tallest or longest etc----but big. Bit looks like a linebacker. So we will see how this little ewe turns out. She has a little "flash" of white on either cheek and the middle of her forehead. Cute. The "flash" says: I am not spotted----but I carry it. She's so black I could barely get a good picture of her---besides the fact that she was in the shade.



We had a boyscout troop come Saturday to see our sheep and cows. It seemed like they had a good time---and we did since we enjoy telling them about our animals. They got to pet Rose our smallest Dexter and then Ike our ram (who was very good and even let them rub his horns which most rams don't like) and they even got to hold and pet some of the lambs. I sent them home with some fleece so they could see if they could make something with it. If nothing else they will have fun trying to felt it since felting is just mashing and rubbing soapy wet fleece to get it to turn it into something. In the end they get to earn a badge for it which is the best part about the whole thing.

Sunday--we tattooed, tagged and gave shots to ewe lambs.
First you take this thing pictured on the right with the little needle looking things (numbers and letters). You put them in the hand held "squeezer" and you squeeze the numbers/letters into their ear ---being careful not to squeeze all the way through which sometimes happens. Then you rub tattoo ink into it. After you put letters in one ear and numbers in the other, you take the other nasty looking plier type things with the single needle on one side--slip the needle in the hole of the green tag (or whatever color you choice) Put the other half of the tag in the slot on the opposite side and ---Poke it through their ear. Bummer huh. Now how much do you think they like us after that! Of course they do forgive us and I try and remember that we humans "tag and tattoo" ourselves too---but I can't say it's the best part of lambs. Glad my sheep don't require castrating or tail docking---Yik.





Now here's a baby that doesn't like her new tag. Eventually she will quit hanging her ear like that. They get bigger/stronger over time. Though I imagine it still hurts a bit today which is probably why she is hanging it so much in this picture---she usually has it up a bit more than that.




Lastly---over the weekend we went to see Spider-Man 3. Did I like it? Well, it was o.k. Had lots of cheesy "moralistic" parts to it. I don't mind moral---but I don't like cheesy. The one thing that bugged me the most is even at the end when Peter Parker/Spider-Man decides he was not doing things "correctly", you never do you hear him tell anyone "sorry". Even if it wasn't completely his fault. When you see the movie you will understand what I mean about that. This was definitely not as good as it could have been. AND (don't read this if you don't want to know more) there really is not happy ending---for ANY of the characters in the movie. Even the side bit characters don't get a sorry---or even something fun/good to look forward to. Blah! I liked my pop corn and drink though :-D

I will try and post more frequently but it may be sporadic for the next month.


http://www.smallmeadowfarm.com Registered Icelandic Sheep and Irish Dexters