Is Michael Phelps the greatest Olympian of All Time?

The Answer is – Probably. In his last two Olympics he has won 14 Gold medals, five more than the closest competition. At the age of 23 he has 16 medals combined, just three shy of the Olympic record for medals won. If hardware is the criteria for greatness than Phelps can easily be considered the top of the mountain, pick of the litter or (more appropriately) the crème de la crème.

 

Michael Phelps is the greatest Olympian ever!

 

Wait one minute, let me be the devil’s advocate here.

 

Michael Phelps is the greatest Olympic Swimmer ever!

 

How can one compare what someone does in the swimming pool to what another does on the tennis table or court, or the basketball court, the gymnasium or above water as opposed to in water. To swim in the Olympics allows multiple opportunities to win medals of any kind, as well as gymnastics and track and field. A basketball player or futbol player, fencer, sailor, weight lifter, etc and etc. does not have the gold medal chances that an elite swimmer has.

 

Aladar Gerevich was a member of the Hungarian sabre team that won gold in six straight Olympics. (1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956 and 1960) A feat that could have been much more astonishing if the Second World War had not put the Olympics on pause in 1940 and 1944. Gerevich had also won an individual gold in 1948 for sabre. With the six Olympics that Gerevich participated, despite winning 10 medals had only the opportunity to win 18 medals. It is very possible to think that he was denied two if not three and maybe even four gold medals. Something also must be said for consistency. 28 years, Gerevich served as a member of a team that dominated the sport of fencing. In 1960, at the age of 50 he was considered by his own team too old to compete in the Rome Olympics but he challenged each member of the Hungarian squad to individual matches and defeated all of them. In 1960 he was defeated by one single touch, keeping him away from his second individual gold.

 

Birgit Fischer-Scmidt won 8 gold medals spanning from 1980 to 2004. First as representative for East Germany in the 1980 and 1988 Olympics then as a representative for a united Germany in 1992 thru 2004. Fischer won her 8 gold medals in 6 different canoeing events. It is possible to suggest that if the East Germans had not boycotted the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles Birgit might have won three more gold medals. She is the youngest canoeing champion at 18 as well as the oldest at the young age of 42.

 

Alfred Oerter won 4 straight gold medals in this discus throw. He along with Carl Lewis and Paul Elvstrom are the only athletes to compete in an event and win in four consecutive Olympics. Lewis won in the long jump and Elvstrom in sailing. Oerter, consistently plagued by injuries was never a favorite to win any of his medals. He competed in an Olympics shortly after an involvement in a car crash that nearly killed him.  In 1968, at the top of his sport he stepped away only to return 12 years later just shy of qualifying for the Olympics. Oerter once said of the Olympics that, “The Olympics are unique. There is no job, no amount of power, no money to approach the meaning of the Olympic experience.”

 

There are 28 people that have won more than 10 medals at the Olympics. Some athletes like Jesse Owens were robbed of winning more medals than they were capable of earning because of politics or other circumstances beyond their individual power.

 

Michael Phelps is still young and might go down as the greatest Olympian ever but before such a mark is set, it might be important to acknowledge the splendor of the hundreds and thousands of athletes that have done there their part to make Olympic history.

 

Needles to say, I am very happy for Michael Phelps and look forward to the London Olympics in 2012. 

I use a lot of oil... you use a lot of oil... america uses a lot of oil... i am not stopping, are you?

according to the USA Today of a few days ago America, meaning the United States of America (founded in 1776) has only 5% of the world's population but is using about 25% of the world's oil, daily. 

Yes, we are number 1! 

so with this fact in mind I became bold and overconfident and I will continue to use oil. Yes, i carpool when the opportunity allows. Yes, i am thinking about purchasing a scooter, vespa or moped with the hopes that 60+ mpg will not only help the environment but my wallet. 

I use oil and I use a lot of it. I believe in central air and heating, as well as other forms of accommodation. As an american, a member of the great superpower (or evil) am I not bestowed with the right to purchase oil thus using as much oil for my benefit. Yes, i do! I pay for gasoline to fuel my car and heat my house. I buy products made by oil and similar fuel resources. If I pay for it, should I feel guilty that I only leave 95% of the world with only 75% of the oil available? Am I being selfish? maybe. Am I being heartless? possibly. Am I wrong? megh. 

I don't mind how much oil I use or how much OIL the United States of America (founded in 1776) uses, what I do mind is that we don't read about alternative fuels used. Maybe if Americans discovered that we only use 2% of the wind power available compared to (let's say) Egypt which uses 14% of the world's wind then maybe we would try harder at developing wind power. After all, America can not come third, second or fourth best to Egypt or any other country. Random thought - I want a statistic stating how much wind power exists if at all possible. 

I don't know about you but I love statistics. I once read that 66% of statistics are made up and that could be true but when I read any statistic about oil consumption, baseball batting averages or Cosmo sex survey, I feel miles smarter. 

I want to read a statistic stating how much of the energy used is provided by nuclear, wind, solar or pure sweat. (sweat = manual labor) Reading a statistic about how greedy we are doesn't do anything for my guilt reflex. USA Today should put a picture of poor children without shelter, without warm water on a broken bicycle next to the statistic if they want real guilt. 

Maybe if people stopped reading about the amounts of oil used and start reading about the benefits of alternative fuel sources then the hesitation to use wind, solar, nuclear or manual labor might dissipate. I want more statistics. I want to read that of all the energy used in this country 2% of it is powered by wind, 8% by nuclear, 9% by coal and .5% by solar. 

the United States is a greedy country that consumes more and more and more with no stop in sight. Tell me something I don't know. I do know is that the fair amount of comfort I have is brought on by the consumption of fuel and as much as I can do to conserve or promote green living is not going to change what I read in the papers or how many mpg my car allows. 

I am not suggesting that green living is bad but there is a bias. People are resistant to change, naturally and we all must do our part to convince one another that the world must behave more properly and green is more proper. But how? I think once we start to focus on what we should be doing and what we aren't doing instead of all the bad that goes unnoticed then we can start making some changes. You aren't going to convince people to conserve or learn more about alternative fuel by telling them how much oil they use.  It is like telling a hunter to stop hunting because he/she has killed too many animals when all you have done is state how much of an accomplished hunter he/she is.

but heck what do i know, i could be wrong but i might be right. 

 

Extinction - I am not talking dinosaurs but more important things like Honeybees... and yellow pages.

I was online checking my email (on AOL) and I was caught by one of their headlines, which was 25 Things That Won’t Exist.

 

In the near future there are 25 things (at least) that will no longer be part of the American imagination. Some of these things don’t really matter like pit toilets and the yellow pages. I think as a nation we would want people to have indoor plumbing and have little problems with the amount of trees and recycled paper used to make phone books. These days you can easily look up phone numbers online or use a magic three-digit number, 411. Along with phone books other forms of paper materials are vanishing such as want ads, news magazines, checks and hand written letters. I think the best thing to do is blame the Internet. The Internet is killing the use of paper and killing social interaction. Yes, I can pay my bills electronically. Yes, I can read the want adds online or use Monster.com. Yes, I can read CNN, ESPN and the countless blogs without having to pay 50 cents per day or yell at the delivery kid that cannot throw the paper on my front porch. Yes, I can write an email or a facebook message and not worry about stamps, mail delays and incompetent mail employees. Yes, I can live my whole life and never leave my house because of the Internet.

 

Sure I could care less about losing dial up Internet connections or Analog TV. Losing the VCR means nothing to me as long as the DVD transfer is of high quality. Blockbuster and other video rental places are fading as well. Sure that means the loss of thousands of jobs but you can rent as many movies as you want for just 5 bucks using Netflix – hot dam! Sure you might not have a job but maybe you can spare 5 bucks a month for some awesome entertainment and if that doesn’t make you feel better about losing the minimum wage job helping you stay afloat or so you can save to buy your first car then I don’t know what will.

 

A lot of things on this list (kind of) don’t matter. Sure some of them have a tremendous amount of nostalgia such as drive-in movie theaters and hand written letters. The drive-in lost a lot of appeal after cars switch to individual seats over bench seats and when huge multiplexes with air conditioning and heating were created. I blame the lack of bench seats in automobiles because the best part of a drive-in isn’t the just the movie but the blanket and the company you share underneath it. And a hand written letter, stamped and delivered is more personal, romantic and/or unique than an email will ever be.

 

Who needs landline phones when everyone on the planet has a cell phone? I am concerned about the loss of the HAM radio. I am concerned because what will the world do when aliens attack and we lose all control of satellite and digital communication or when zombies walk the earth and vampires appear in daylight? Soon there will be no more answering machines, cameras that use film or incandescent light bulbs. The loss of much of these things could be seen miles and miles away by any reasonably intelligent person. 

 

When reading this list I actually become concerned about five things. First, the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs. The sustainable population is about 200 million and the existing population falls short by 40%. Who is to blame for the vanishing population of this delicious treat? We are, not me, but I mean society. Over fishing, global warming and invasive species is killing this industry. Good eats, fisherman and restaurant owners should fear this downfall.

 

Second is the Ash tree. In the late 1990’s a species of beetle, known as the emerald ash borer snuck into North America via ash wood products imported from eastern Asia. Since its larvae has killed millions of trees in the Midwest and nothing seems to be stopping the ecological destruction. The loss of a native species like the Ash tree can be seen as nothing short of an environmental disaster with far-reaching effects on the entire ecosystem. The emerald ash borer is not just causing havoc in parks and forests but it is also having a significant economic and industrial effect. In the U.S. Ash is a strong and highly resilient hardwood. It is used for guitars, tool handles, sports equipment and office furniture.

 

Third, wild horses are vanishing from the American plains. I may not have grown up in during the wild, wild west or when the western was one of the dominant art forms on the silver screen but the cowboy on his trusty steed roaming the country proud and free is an image that should never be removed from the American picture book. In the early 20^th century it was estimated that around two million horses roamed the United States but as of 2001 the National Geographic News suggested about 50,000 horses remain.

 

The numbers according to the National Horse and Burro Advisory are much worse estimating that there are only 32,000 wild horses remaining. So yes, the wild horses are vanishing. Isn’t it sad? Yes of course it is sad? But the United States government is not sad, as the Bureau of Land Management is seeking to limit the number of wild horses roaming the country to 27,000. The government, using euthanasia to control the wild horse population is afraid of the overpopulation of wild horses on public lands. Believe it or not, millions of dollars is spent on controlling the population of wild horses by keeping them in holding facilities. Doesn’t reading all of this make the story much sadder? Yes, of course it sadder. The U.S. government can claim this dark victory over Mother Nature. If any of this makes sense to you then feel free to explain it to me because I cannot see the harm of wild horses running free except for the occasional driver not being careful on a dark highway road. I don’t know, hopefully horses are smarter than deer. 

 

But what can be worse than ash trees, crabs and wild horses? The honeybee! In the past few years 50 - 90 percent of honeybee colonies have collapsed. Why? It is called CCD or as bee people like myself refer to it as Colony Collapse Disorder. If you have seen the ecological thriller/comedy starring Jerry Seinfeld, Bee Movie, you would have learned that bees are not only essential to making honey but are also essential to fruit and flower pollination. Plus, what else is going to roast my Cheerios?

 

Last but not least and in all actuality the most problematic one is the loss of the Family Farm. Since the 1930’s family farms have been on the decline. The USDA estimates that in the 50’s, 5.3 million farms dotted the American landscape but according to numbers published in 2003 that number has been reduced by over 3 million. Much has been written about the plight of the American family farmer. Best selling novels and even a music festival create opportunities to spread the word about the deprivation of a truly noble profession. With some stories reporting that 330 farm workers along with their families are put on the street weekly and that can be seem as nothing but tragic and problematic. 

 

How do we solve these problems, I don’t know but I wish I did and could solve them. Oh well so goes life and so goes any amount of humanity. 

a personal note - marriage and my best wishes.

This weekend a child hood friend is getting married, for the first and hopefully the only time. My friend, who I have known for over 20 years, is about to take the great step of devotion. It is also a great step of love and maturity but for some reason I choose to put devotion first instead of love.

 

As time passes I wonder if marriage is in the cards for me. Something I rarely thought about at the age of 20 but now at the age of 25 I find myself for some reason thinking about marriage and a family life more often. At 20 years old I was not ready for marriage and much could be said about me at my current age.

Am I thinking about marriage because many of my childhood, high school and college friends are making the big step towards a life I so desire? There is also a growing population of friends who are married and have been married for quite some time. Yes, I am single and I have single friends and enjoy my life but I have never let go of the illusion and the possible reality that marriage, a happy marriage is true bliss. To find someone that believes in you, pushes you, wants you, needs and cares for you is a gift unlike any other. I have my own ideas of what a true and wonderful wife would be like and some might share these sentiments while others not. I simply long for a good friend, the best of friends.  I have been accused of being a romantic but failing to live up to the title and I still believe in many if not all of the romantic ideals of marriage.

A year ago, I thought I would be taking steps towards marriage and a life I so desperately wanted. I had, who I thought was the right girl. I had my life in order, more so than it had ever been and did I mention I had the right girl? In the end it is who you marry that truly matters and why you choose to marry. Things were lining up for ol’ Alejo Ramirez. But time passes and the right girl was not the right girl at all and marriage hopes and proposals became nothing more than a fantasy and the realities of other friends, enemies, and former lovers. I even wrote a rough draft of wedding vows before the notion of marriage had even been muttered. Sad - yeah, kind of. 

It is amazing how life changes. Those unexpected turns down the road of life and the jabs life throws at you. I am man that is willing to wait till the time is right, the girl is right and until I am ready for marriage but that doesn’t mean that my heart isn’t filled with a small dose of jealousy or a gigantic ocean of it.                                                

In a day and age when many marriages end in divorce, something like 57% I can do nothing but admire anyone who decides that one person is the person for the rest of their life. They do not make that decision once or twice, as in the day of the proposal or the day of their vows but they will make that decision (hopefully) every day for the rest of their lives.

 

I cannot give advice about what makes a good marriage because I am not married and as clichéd as this might sound, maybe each marriage is like an individual snowflake or the drops of rain that fall on your bare skin. Marriage is quite simply, unique.

I wish my friend the best. My buddy Dave is a truly good person. I think we tend to throw out too many different adjectives at the people we know and like… funny, sweet, ridiculous, intelligent, sexy, whatever. I simply want to say that my friend is a good man. Dave is a good man in a day and age when good, truly good people are hard to find. I don’t know if I need to say anything else except truly emphasize good in a day and age when any positive comes at a premium.

 

Goodluck Dave and Jennifer. 

Someone wants to kill jesus... it isn't me.

If you feel that religion should not be taught in public schools because it might alienate children that do not share similar practices and beliefs then you might be on to something. Religion of any kind should not be taught in public schools, nor should school prayer be endorsed by the public educational system. Mandatory teachings of religion as well as mandatory prayer can alienate children and teenagers with a different set of believes and principles. Children and teens already feel the pressures of youth, coming of age, sexuality, growth and development among other things, so why should schools or the government create a law that forces young people to display their differences front and center. Not everyone in this country believes in a Christian faith and by demanding a public display by those that believe or do not believe is simply wrong and oppressive. For some faith is personal and for others faith is very public but by no means should anyone decide for someone else how one should practice their faith or lack of faith.

But… I may have an argument for teaching religion in schools. Teach religion as a voluntary course, for the purpose of teaching tolerance and the understanding of different ideas and beliefs practiced by people across the globe. Or teach religion so a young teenager does not plot to blow up his high school in an attempt to enter heaven and kill Jesus. Oh yes, this is true.

In a story revealed to me by USA Today and CBS News, a young teenager in South Carolina is being brought up on charges for attempting to blow up his high school by using a weapon of mass destruction. The straight A student somehow ordered 20 pounds of ammonium nitrate for the purpose of building a bomb. His journal notes contain blueprints a bomb and have been seized by authorities. Scary? I think so. How does a young man order 20 pounds of ammonium nitrate in a day and age of tightened alerts and security? Another revelation that does not make me feel secure at all about terrorism from without or from within the borders of the consistently orange alert terrorism watch.

To return to my point, religion should be taught (as an elective) in schools. Religion should be taught just so certain young teens that want to blow up their high school and commit suicide to enter heaven to kill Jesus might have a better understanding of how faith/religion/heaven works. I am not a theologian or even someone that practices any type of religion or faith but I do have some common knowledge about Christianity that might damper the young man’s plan. First, I believe that murder is a sin and thus committing one runs the risk of damnation. Second, I believe suicide is a sin as well and according to most Christian beliefs it is a sin that sends you straight to hell. I might be wrong about this but Jesus is in heaven not in hell so meeting up with him and killing him seems a bit difficult. This brings to my next problem, how do you kill Jesus in heaven? The son of God on his own turf somehow murdered. I don’t think you have to be brilliant or even a straight A student to recognize some flaw in your plan. He is undead. If you killed him, if it were at all possible wouldn’t you fear his resurrection three days later? If killing Jesus was at all possible then would you not feel the wrath of god afterward?

I don’t have to believe in Jesus to think that this might be the dumbest thing that I have heard. It is not the idea alone that is stupid but the purpose is pretty pathetic as well. Why kill Jesus? What would anyone gain? If it happened, how would anyone know? Would he suddenly stop hearing our prayers? Would the world be filled with hate, murder, disaster, disease and heartache? Hmm… I don’t know.

I am sure this is the act of a kid that has problems beyond my understanding and sometimes there is a time for jokes and time for medical attention. I can only do jokes.

vote experience ?

If you think experience is the most important thing when deciding the President please think of these Presidents before making experience the prime reason for your vote. 

 

John Adams – Representative to Massachusetts General Court; Delegate to first and Second Continental Congress; Member of Provincial Congress of Massachusetts; Delegate to Massachusetts Constitutional Convention; Commissioner to France; Minister to Netherlands and Britain; U.S. Vice President

 

Martin Van Buren – Surrogate of Columbia County, New York; New York State Senator; Attorney General of New York; Delegate to Third New York State Constitutional Convention; U.S. Senator; Governor of New York; Secretary of State; U.S. Vice President

 

James Buchanan – Member of Pennsylvania legislature; Member of U.S. House of Representatives; Minister to Russia; Member of U.S. Senate; Minister to Great Britain

 

John Calvin Coolidge – Member of House of Representatives, Massachusetts; Mayor of Northampton, Massachusetts; Member and President of Massachusetts Senate, Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, Governor of Massachusetts; U.S. Vice President

 

Richard Nixon – Member of House of Representatives, California; Member of the Senate; U.S. Vice President

 

George Herbert Walker Bush – Member, United States House of Representatives, Ambassador to the United Nations; Chairman Republican National Committee; United States Envoy to China; Director, Central Intelligence Agency; U.S. Vice President

 

 

            I don’t know what you think about these individuals or their place in history but 43 men have been President of the United States and only few have been great, a few more have been remembered and many if not most were average or even forgettable.

 

            Experience certainly cannot be overlooked but it is also important to not just look at how much experience one person has but what kind of experience they have. There have been some Presidents with endless amounts of knowledge in the realm of politics and others with very little. It is impossible to predict what makes a good President. The people have even elected Presidents that never held a public office as in the case of Zachary Taylor, Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight David Eisenhower and each of these three men held office with very different results. Governor of New Jersey was the only office Woodrow Wilson held before becoming President and he led the country to victory during the First World War. According to a poll/survey on AOL.com taken (about) two weeks ago, Ronald Reagan was ranked #2 on a list of the greatest Presidents in U.S. history and the only elected office he held was as Governor of California.

 

            I am by no means suggesting that a great or even successful President cannot have a lot of experience because that is absurd but maybe when you vote in future elections you should not base your entire decision on experience. 

Juno - A review and a criticism.

Juno – A review and a criticism.

 

 

The recent release of Juno on DVD has many critics and fans bursting into an uproar. Some think the film is a revelation in it’s handling of teen pregnancy and romance but such high praise of the film is nothing but foolish. Juno is not a great movie. At best the film has moments of insight but often tries to cover too much and fails to completely shade the ground beneath it. If you think Juno is a wonderful film than you join Roger Ebert in the corner of bad taste. After all Roger Ebert thought Juno was one best films of the year and in case you did not know Ebert lost his mind years ago. Once, he was a great critic but now is nothing more than a Hollywood sap and kiss ass.

 

            The film is about a Juno MacGuff, a teenager that discovers she is pregnant with a child fathered by her best friend and longtime admirer, Paulie Bleeker. Although she initially opts for an abortion, after a tense moment in the waiting room Juno decides that having the baby and giving it up for adoption is the best course of action.  She makes this decision without any real explanation.  With the help of her best friend, Juno discovers an advertisement in the newspaper for hopeful parents and finds a couple she feels will provide a suitable home for the child. Along with her father, Juno meets the couple, Mark and Vanessa at their home where they finalize the arrangements for a closed adoption.

Over the next few months, Juno forms a friendship with Mark, with whom she shares similar interests in rock music, horror flicks, and pop culture. Mark connects with Juno as well as rediscovers his past, a part of him buried in boxes in the basement of his middle/upper class lifestyle. Vanessa feels that his rock and roll past and ambition is nothing but a childish fantasy. Vanessa also has a great urge to become a parent, a sentiment not shared by her husband.

As her pregnancy progress, Juno struggles with the emotions she feels for Paulie, her new friendship with Mark and her pregnancy. Her relationship with Paulie is like most Hollywood teenage love stories in which the two are awkwardly distant, confused over the other’s intent and all the right things are generally left unsaid. There cannot be a doubt in the viewer’s mind that these two are made for one another.

Just before the baby is due, Juno visits Mark and learns of his intentions to leave Vanessa, make a life in rock music as well as start a relationship with Juno. When Vanessa comes home an argument ensues with Mark about how inappropriate it is for him to denounce his adult responsibilities and leave her before their adoption had been finalized. Juno witnesses their argument in part and becomes saddened by what seems like the destruction of the model family.  This leads to an endearing father and daughter moment in which the two discuss the longevity of love and how we should want to be loved, openly and without prejudice.

 

In the end, Juno expresses her love for Paulie. She has the baby and keeps her promise by giving it to Vanessa. Juno regains her youth and some might argue her innocence.

 

Roger Ebert says that the film is smart and funny. He praises first time screenwriter Diablo Cody for creating a story of depth with underlying themes that are rich and subtle. Ebert states that the Juno “has no wrong scenes and no extra scenes.” I am going to disagree with this heavily. I don’t dislike the film nor do I think it is a bad picture by any means. I think the film has clever dialogue but I don’t think it is a smart film. I think the film fails to achieve much of the depth it seeks and many of the underlying themes are subtle only because they are not fully developed. The film at 96 minutes running tries to encompass, teenage romance, sexuality, pregnancy, adoption, love and parenting all in one film. At the same time it attempts to tackle and/or avoid a pro-choice and pro-life debate. I think all of that is a bit much for a film that runs a shade over an hour and a half.  I also have a bit of a problem with a film that debates teen sexuality and unwanted pregnancy without ever discussing whether or not the sexually active teens used a condom. If the film is as smart as many claim it to be then how does it skirt a topic like condoms use and education when discussing teen sexuality and pregnancy? It is a not just a hot debate for teenagers but for parents, schoolteachers and even government officials. Teen pregnancy is not alien to Juno or her friends as they discuss how friends or classmates have gotten pregnant and kept or aborted the pregnancy, but the only time a condom is mentioned in the film is when Juno goes to an abortion clinic and is offered a condom and politely declines on the basis of its fruit flavoring not because of a personal decision.

 

There was an article in the New York Times not long ago about the films take on teen pregnancy and the differences that occur for men and women. Unfortunately I cannot recall the article or the writer but I do recall a compliment or complaint about the film. In the scene when Juno tells her parents about her pregnancy there is a moment when her father rather than being upset is simply disappointed in the action of his daughter. He thought that Juno is a person that, “just knows when to say when.” Apparently the disappointment in his daughter is in her lack of ability to control her body and what she does with it. As if she had made a choice to get pregnant. The writer of the article had commented on how this is a pressure, family and societal that a man will never understand. Even if men do know when to say when they do not face the fear of pregnancy, the emotional turmoil of abortion or the ordeal being pregnant on their own. After this moment, dad is as supportive as can be except for the occasional smart comment but with a film ripe with sarcasm any deviance from this formula might be awkward. For a brief moment Juno’s sexuality is under speculation but Paulie’s sexuality is enhanced by the circumstances. When Mac, Juno’s father discovers that Paulie is the father, he gives the teen props as Mac proclaims, “never knew the kid had it in him.” Paulie’s reputation is never in question as his role in the pregnancy is nothing but rumors hearsay. He is not really a part of the adoption and labor process and the reasons why could be debated because simply the story escapes explanation.  Another thing that makes this film incomplete is how underdeveloped the commentary is on how society treats pregnant teenagers. Juno takes on the pressure of being a pregnant teen but I am sure there must be more pressure on pregnant teens than the disapproving sonogram nurse and awkward stares from fellow classmates. 

 

At times I wish the film would cover one subject completely instead of covering six at unclear levels. The film is clever but not smart at least not smart enough to discuss the main themes of the film entirely. The dialogue is snappy but even that becomes a bit of a pattern. Instead of enjoying each punch line, half way through the film one should expect the punch line coming when the drama begins to dominate. What is enjoyable about the film is that the parents are not typical parents in teen comedies about sexuality. The parents are not angry, drunk or hypocrites, nor is it the parents that learn a valuable lesson but more importantly their children. The music is enjoyable and the performances are of high quality. Ellen Page shines, Michael Cera does teenage awkward better than anyone and even Jennifer Garner stretched herself beyond her mediocre talent. J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney are solid as the parents. Even Jason Bateman at his most subdued actually displays some acting ability. There are plenty of things that I could say about this film but I feel that these two simple complaints knock this film from the golden mountain where it resides. I could complain about the inconsistency of Juno’s character or it’s lack of any real drama. There is no drama involving the pregnancy or the adoption and there is never really any doubt that Juno and Paulie won’t get together, thus equaling a lack of drama.

 

 A good friend of mine shared her opinion about Juno as she declared it a “cute” movie and agree completely. There is some nice romantic idealism and sincere family moments but I cannot see how this film is currently ranked in the top 250 films of all time on IMDB but attacking IMDB is another topic for another blog. Juno is not the revolutionary film about teenage pregnancy that some might think and believe me, there are people out there who think this.