THE CALL OF THE WILD

Genre: Adventure

Rating: PG

Running Time: 100 mins.

Where Can You See It?: In theaters now 

Premise: Buck is a large, energetic house dog  (mix of St. Bernard and Scotch shepherd) who can’t really be contained. After being kidnapped and sold away from his owners, he finds work as a sled dog and eventually partners up with a cantankerous old man (Harrison Ford, who else?) to look for gold, during the turn of the century.

Behind-the-Scenes: This is the first film since Disney acquired Fox to use the new studio logo: 20th Century Studios (the Fox name has too many negative political connotations these days). Based on the classic Jack London novel from 1903. Budgeted at over $120 million because the filmmakers decided to make Buck (and all the other animals who appear) an all CGI-creation. The motion capture work for Buck was performed by actor Terry Notary (The Square). Janusz Kaminski serves as cinematographer, in a rare departure from his regular Spielberg collaborations.

The Good: The Call of the Wild does its source material proud, and serves as fine family entertainment for a Saturday matinee. The mix of CGI and natural locations is certainly pretty, and Kaminski is incapable of making a bad-looking movie. Despite acting opposite a motion capture actor for much of it, Harrison Ford doesn’t seem to be phoning it in here, as he so often does. Always glad to see Dan Stevens on screen, even when he’s hamming it up in a mustache-twirling villain role.

The Bad: I understand why they needed to use CGI to make Buck and all the animals, and imagine it gave them a lot more filmmaking freedom (not having to deal with the time and patience required of working with real dogs), but it just didn’t ever work for me. Buck is obviously CGI the whole time – I never once believed he was real, and it constantly took me out of the movie, trying to find all the seams. The effects work reaches the same level of distraction as, say, young Robert DeNiro in The Irishman. The story stalls and never regains the same momentum after Buck stops being a sled dog midway through.

Should You See It?: No, you can skip this one in theaters. Wait for the Disney+ arrival in a few months. It’s a weird flick – neither fish nor fowl. All that wonky CGI puts in a state of purgatory. But, it would make for a passable family movie night at home.

Star Rating: **1/2 out of 5 stars

Better Than: The Art of Racing in the Rain, Snow Dogs

Worse Than: A Dog’s Purpose, Isle of Dogs

* * *

For more movie/TV commentary and other mischief, follow me on Twitter: @Hammervision and on Letterboxd: @Hammervision

Chicago, IL, March 1, 2020–At just one-year old, style influencers Columbia Skye and Meadow Reign made their television debut taking the world by storm. They were featured on Chicago’s Windy City Live showcasing their highly sought-after line of shoes by Fancy Like Mommy, a children’s personal styling boutique founded by their mother. Over the past two years, they have continued to model fashions and accessories from both local and national brands on social media, television, and at events. Most recently, the mini influencers received national exposure and praise from thousands of social media viewers for their appearance at the all-star celebrity kids Rookie USA Fashion show by Haddad brands. Later this month the duo plans to head to LA to partake in the 2020 Nickelodeon Kids Choice awards. They’ll be covering all things fashion of course and flaunting their style on the orange carpet. If that wasn’t enough, the now three year old’s are taking on two more exciting opportunities to prove to the world that it’s never too early to own your personal style.

Every month, you will be able to get a double dose of style advice from the two fashionistas in a monthly editorial called “Styling with The Heath Dolls”. The spread can be found in the historic Family Time Magazine and will showcase the girls modeling trendy looks from local and national brands. Later this spring, they will launch their YouTube series where they will take you along for a ride into several department stores and boutiques to review the latest merch while also showing kids fun style ideas from the brands they love. The series will be led by their mother Nellisa Heath who has been styling the duo in what some may say are over the top fashions since they were born. While you will see the girls have fun showcasing looks for all occasions, you’ll also learn just how spunky and opinionated they are about what they wear and their love for fashion. Mom plans to use the series to help kids embrace their personal style and teach parents how shop smarter and save money.

“The Heath Dolls are so excited to announce their new You Tube style series entitled Styling with The Dolls coming this Spring” We know you guys are going to love it!” said mom of The Heath Dolls Nellisa Ragland-Heath.

The Launch of” Styling with the Dolls” was recently announced via social media. Nearly seconds after, there was an out pouring of comments expressing excitement about the project. The support truly goes to show how successful we predict this project to be. We know that kids love fashion and want to keep up with the latest trends worn by celebrities, but we also know that resources, environment, and self-esteem can sometimes play a huge part in the way kids view themselves. Our goal is to teach kids all over the world that self-expression through personal style can help them maintain a positive image of themselves, and to always embrace their personal style. “Style is your playground; the only rule is to have fun” The Heath Dolls

If you would like more information about this topic, would like to become a sponsor, or book The Heath Dolls please contact Nellisa Heath at 630 770-3241 or email at [email protected]

Today is March 1st and it’s such a beautiful day. I know it’s a teaser with Chicago weather so get out and enjoy the day if you can. For some reason though, I woke up feeling sort of irritated. Not on the wrong side of the bed but a little miffed. It’s Sunday and every now and then I’ll catch Jimmy Swaggart’s Crusade Classics and Kameron and I will watch that in the wee hours in the morning. Kameron loves music, any kind of music and Swaggart can sing. I just love to see him cry at the end which is the highlight of his program. Classic.

Today’s message was filmed in 1984. I forgot the title but Swaggart charismatically touched on how systematically the media, entertainment and the political industry affects us, especially our children. He also mentioned how secularism in the United States plays a big part on how America is ruined, without the help of terrorism and other evil plots brought on by other countries.

As Swaggart spoke, my mind went back to 1984. I was in high school and was definitely a product of what he was saying, as far as being sucked into idolizing certain actors and musicians. I truly did not hear the voice of God at all and was not interested in going to church. In fact, my mother is a Christian and was trying her best to get me to convert in those days. I rebelled and she took away all the fun a teenager is supposed to have. If it wasn’t for my father (who wasn’t a Christian), I wouldn’t have worn pants or been able to go to prom.

Anyhoo, as they say, “Everything old is new again.” I’m a Christian now but my way of talking to people or running my household is totally different from the mean and aggressive Christians whose every words are “You can’t do this” or “You can’t do that”. I made sure that my older son Kevin had a great childhood and an even better teenage life, all while I am a Christian. Of course there were some dos and don’ts but it’s a way to express it. Most of the time Kevin wasn’t interested in some of the things his peers were doing which was God’s gift to me being obedient and doing things in the right spirit.

Key words: Being obedient and Doing things in the right spirit. Classic.

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As a mom, I am thrilled to plan amazing birthday parties for my daughters. When I stopped by Duff’s Cakemix one Saturday afternoon, I was intrigued by their process and the organized fun that was happening inside.

Just a few years out of culinary school, Duff quit his day job and launched a custom cake business out of his one bedroom apartment in Baltimore, Maryland. Duff and his team at Charm City Cakes pushed the limits of cake decorating, sculpting a dazzling array of awe-inspiring works from life-sized elephants to race car replicas. The wild creations and off-beat company culture soon became the subject of the hit Food Network show, Ace of Cakes, inspiring an entire generation to roll up their sleeves and decorate.

“Pursuing his passion for inspiring creativity in others, Duff founded the first ever do-it-yourself cake and cupcake decorating studio in Los Angeles. At Duff’s Cakemix, we believe there are artists in all of us and that cake decorating is an act of love, especially when done with or for others. The world wants to create, the world needs to create, and more than anything, the world needs cake. We’re here to help.” Duff’s Cakemix Team

This year we decided to celebrate my daughter Ella’s 6th birthday at Duff’s Cakemix. She and her sisters and friends enjoyed the opportunity to create a design for their cake, participate in decorating it, and tasting the frosting. The Duff’s Cakemix team in El Segundo was very helpful for our small group. They demonstrated the process and gave us step by step instructions via a handout of our cake model. I strongly recommend this party for families and small birthday parties.

Last year Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law a bill that allowed for six more casino licenses in the state and to make horse racing venues able to provide casino games. This year’s horse racing season starts in March, but there’s another, and much bigger, sports wagering event coming up this month.

The NCAA Tournament, colloquially known as “March Madness,” generates billions of dollars in wagering, according to the AGA (American Gaming Association). It’s easy to see why Gov. Pritzker wants to get legal sports betting up and running in the Land of Lincoln in time for the tournament, which begins in earnest on March 19. If Illinois doesn’t get going, they are likely to fall behind other Midwestern states.

Take Kansas, and why not since we’re on the topic of college basketball, and it’s the state that is home to the sport’s founding father, Dr. James Naismith. Legal sports betting is one step closer to coming towards fruition in the Sunflower State after their Senate passed a retail and mobile bill on Wednesday.

The bill, SB 283, just beat the chamber crossover deadline on Thursday. If Kansas Governor Laura Kelly agrees to the terms and signs the bill within 10 days, SB 283 will become law. Income from sports betting in Kansas is expected to bring in anywhere from $360 million to $600 million annually. However, even if the bill is not approved, residents of Kansas can still wager legally online at operators such as Chumba Social Casino or Monkey Knife Fight. Either way, a lot of money will be wagered, both legally and under the table, in a totally basketball crazy state like Kansas this upcoming month.

Another state in the region, one that actually borders Illinois, Iowa, legalized sports wagering last summer. Since they went live last August, the state has seen $270 million in sports wagers, which have have added an additional $1.5 million in tax revenue.

So as Iowa moves full speed ahead and Kansas gets their ducks in a row, how are we coming along? The most ambitious goal, originally, for getting legal sports wagering in full effect in Illinois was the Super Bowl, but obviously that didn’t happen. Coincidentally, the beginning of discussions on legalizing sports betting in Illinois coincided with the start of last year’s March Madness, according to Illinois House Revenue and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Zalewksi.

To go from that stage to in the words of Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars “fully operational,” would convey a decently streamlined legislative process, but to make a painfully obvious pun, don’t bet on it.

Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No,  I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation. 

You can follow Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com on Twitter here and his cat on Instagram at this link.

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It’s the shortest month of the year, I’ve turned up the heat to get things done! And had lots of progress.

296. How is the mast standing? Why didn’t it fall over while sailing?  I don’t know!  A clevis pin on one shroud is over length and at quick glance one might think it is falling out, not just long. I get a new one of the right length, loosen the shroud, remove the old, put in the new and???? The pin in the shroud was 3/8″ in a 1/2″ hole. That means we had about one-half the strength pin in the hole as required. Starting all over, I order a new 1/2″ pin and go check all other pins on the shrouds which are fine.  When the new pin comes in, I install it and re-tighten the shroud. Gulp.

297. We have been without a usable tachometer on the engine. I order a new one and install it.

298. It’s closing in on three years since the boat was purchased and new batteries installed then. I make it a habit to clean the battery terminals on my car annually, and figure its time to do the same to the boat. One battery is for engine starting. Then we have two other batteries in parallel deep cycle batteries called the “House” batteries that run everything else on the boat underway. Not one to leave anything alone, I do not like the way the battery boxes for the House batteries are installed. One of the battery boxes is hanging off the edge of the shelf by about 1/3. Also, the strap that holds them in place goes under the boxes and the slide latch on the strap is really really hard to open.  I install a larger plywood platform, move the battery boxes having to trim and cut things to fit. Then cut slots in the shelf so the new strap with metal latch goes under the shelf for extra security to hold the batteries regardless of the heel and pounding the boat goes through in waves. Also I use the hole saw to run wires and cables under the shelf to make it look clean. And cleaned all terminals applying a light coat of lithium grease to them.

299. In a storm on the mooring in the fall, the cover for the LED display of the autopilot blew off and overboard. I ordered a new one and installed it.

300. An utter oddity, the throttle for the engine has to be pulled backwards to speed up, and pushed forwards to slow down. I contact the Edson who built the wheel and pedestal where the throttle is located to see what they could offer. Their answer was, “None.”  I contact the engine maker, he said that on engines that have been returned for rebuild, he notices a few of them have an extension on the throttle bar on the side of the carburetor sticking out the opposite direction with the throttle cable attached to that. I have some 1/8″ stainless sheet, cut out a long bar, drill holes and install it on the existing throttle bar. Then the throttle cable has to be moved after, the bracket that holds the throttle cable re-adjusted with final testing of this once the boat is launched. Lastly, the labels on the wheel pedestal replaced showing the new direction of faster and slower.

300!  Time to party?  Nope, things just go on and on when restoring an old boat.

301. Before the boat cover was put on for the winter, the hoses in the shipyard were still running, so I washed the deck and topsides. My neighbor thought it odd, but I said I want less work to do in the spring! The shrink wrap specialist shows up on what must have been the rainiest day, and tromped sand and dirt all over the deck (the ground is gravel/dirt). I couldn’t wash it again, because the shipyard removed the hoses and blew out their water lines so they wouldn’t freeze. This hampers the prep work of sanding, stripping some varnish, and getting the remaining 1/4 of the deck ready for painting come warm weather. So I take a dry scrub brush and the vacuum to clean as much would come off, so I can proceed with the prep work.

302. When I made the new main hatch last summer, it was on a tight deadline. There was excessive caulk that needed to be removed, but there just wasn’t time for it. The easiest way to remove the caulk is to remove the hatch and flip it upside down, remove the caulk, flip the hatch right side up and reinstall.  Done.  Added bonus – the gasket material sticks heavily to the hatch opening making it really hard to open the hatch each time. Since it’s upside down, I put black electrical tape onto the gasket material so the non-sticky side of the tape now rests on the hatch opening. We’ll see how that works this summer.

303. The engine and bilge pump exhausts out the back end are bronze. They are heavily patina’d, so I tried Barkeepers Friend to polish them.  Didn’t put a dent on them. Then the internet suggested lemon juice and baking soda.  Each application made them one shade lighter. Could not get them back to original mustard/yellow.  Done.

304. Greased the head of the rudder post turning wheel from side to side while filling it with a grease gun.

305. The front hatch had seen better days. The plastic dried out, crazed and not clear anymore. The wood has its varnish coming off and black in some spots. Time for an overhaul. First remove the plastic lens and the fittings from it. The varnish is stripped off the wood, and the wood cleaned with Teka. Some joints are falling apart and re-epoxied. A good sanding, then five coats of Cetol (4 coats applied 4 days in a row, dry for 3 days, sand, then re-coat). Buy a new sheet of plastic, the new lens requires 29 holes drilled including the large hole for the solar vent and is assembled with Sikaflex caulk mating it to the wood. The hardware is cleaned to remove dirt, tarnish, paint or varnish, then remounted with Lifecaulk. New gasket installed and the “magic” electrical tape applied to it so it doesn’t stick to the deck.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

306. When I built the new battery shelf and hooked all of the wires back to the batteries, I knew all of the wires I attached, except one. It’s been bothering me wondering what it goes to? I traced it and found it goes to the voltmeter on the panel.

307. Sailboat racing requires extra safety gear above and beyond the USCG required safety gear boats must have. Hanging on the back end of the boat is a yellow horseshoe lifering with a drogue, strobe light and pole with a flag. Theory being, if someone went overboard, this would be deployed as a meet up spot for the boat and the victim. It’s a lot of stuff. A company called Switlik makes a Man Overboard Module (MOM) that includes all that stuff in a small plastic box. Pull the pin, the stuff pops out overboard and self-inflates. We decide to declutter, bought one, had it re-certified, bought the brackets that hold it to the pushpit and mount them. Ready for summer!

308. Found a little loose tabbing under the starboard berth. Re-epoxied it.

The work list is now at 29 items (a few small ones got added this month), 8 items are “wishes.”  7 items can be done in cold weather, 14 items require warm weather. Wish me luck in March to get all of the cold weather projects complete!

The next owner is really going to enjoy this boat.

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