LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE SERIES #7: film The Judge (2014)

LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE

Do you take delight in watching films, listening to pop music, or reading books? For English learners, movies, songs, and books are one of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You can indulge in your favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of wisdom, and oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.

 

# 7. The Judge (2014)

 

“This family is a (fuxxing) Picasso painting.” : 

-        This is a line said by the main character Hank Palmer, who is a successful and high-priced defense attorney in the big city, when he came back to his small home town for his mother’s funeral. He said it to his older brother, referring to the messy, complicated, and irreconcilable relationships among the family members. Just like the abstract style of Picasso painting, Hank feels that his family was not looking normal but rather maladjusted and morbidly distorted inside.

 

“I loved you then and I love you now. I do. I love how you are simultaneously the most selfish and the most generous person I know. I love how you hate a bully while being one. But your constant second-guessing of others, that crystal-ball bullshit? That hyperverbal vocabulary-vomit thing that you do? I disappeared around you, Hank.”: 

-        This is a line said by Hank’s high school sweetheart, Samantha who is still living and running a tavern in their hometown. She was into Hank head over hills, but she was exhausted and overwhelmed by his strong ego and ‘difficult-to-please’ personality. She felt that Hank was always acting like he was way above everyone else when it comes to interpreting circumstances and predicting the future through his fast-paced talking. It explains that while she trusts and loves Hank, his arrogant, controlling, and fast-talking nature forced her to lose her own identity and confidence in the relationship.

 

“Everyone wants Atticus Finch until there's a dead hooker in a bathtub.”:

-        Hank is cynically pointing out the absurdity of harsh reality where people pretend to uphold moral justice and truth like the ideal lawyer Atticus Finch in the novel “To Kill a Mocking Bird”, whereas they tend to lean on flexible lawyers, expecting them to cover up the inconvenient or dirty truth. Hank makes big money by defending guilty people because he knows "innocent people can't afford him," contrasting his pragmatic approach to the idealist, moralistic view.

 

·   **   Jean’s small thoughts:

While watching the 2014 film The Judge, I was struck by parallels with my home country, South Korea. The former First Lady, Kim Keun-hee, was involved in numerous controversies related to market manipulation and bribery cases, yet received a sentence of only one year and eight months in prison. This case has highlighted concerns regarding the effectiveness and integrity of Korea's law enforcement and justice system.

Also, this movie powerfully reminded me that forgiveness can blossom in life’s most unexpected moments, bridging gaps between long-lost family, lovers, and friends.

CHAPTER IV: WORKSHEET #93 of Dr. Jedidiah's Diary

WORKSHEET #93

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #93 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary! 

 

1.   Obviously, he is a heartless dictator who sees people of his own nation as purg________.  (*meaning “something that is able to be purged/ eliminated/ removed”)

 

2.   I was totally bem______ by the critics’ abstruse arguments about the newly released movie. (*meaning “confused/ puzzled”)

 

3.   Hank can __________ off any styles. He looks dapper and snatched in any clothing. (*meaning “to succeed in achieving or winning something difficult”)

 

4.   What’s the weather like in your neck of the _________s? (*meaning “a particular area or locality”)

 

5.   Trump is putting this country in crisis with his weapon called “tariffs” as his one and only way of retal_________ing against foreign countries. (*meaning “to repay or to make an attack or assault in return for a similar attack”)

 

6.   The politician is notorious for pre________ ing whenever reporters ask him difficult questions. (*meaning “to speak or act in an evasive way, delaying, or avoiding telling the direct truth, often to mislead”)

 

7.   It took a while for the medical team from the U.S. to get adjusted to the caci___________ period in Congo. (*meaning “dry season, heavy mist, or cold drizzle that occurs in parts of Africa (specifically the Congo basin/Angola region”)

 

8.   While he was locked up in the penitentiary, Frank worked in the kitchen, cooking three meals a day for thousands of in________s. (*meaning “a person confined to an institution such as a prison or hospital”)

CHAPTER IV: WORKSHEET #92 of Dr. Jedidiah's Diary

WORKSHEET #92

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #92 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary! 

 

1.   Senator Bernie Sanders has always been a respectable statesman who tries his best to educate and help people to stay woke and step up as a dou______ citizen of this nation against all odds. (*meaning “brave, determined, and resilient, often used to depict fighters, defenders, or persistent individuals”)

 

2.   Everyone in the studio went ber___ (*meaning “to go crazy or mad/ to act violently or uncontrollably) when the South Korean court had sentenced former first lady Kim, Keon-Hee to only 20 months in prison for the indisputable corruption.

 

3.   Larry stood out in the group of gorgeous socialites. He looked da_____ in the navy blue suit. (*meaning “neat and trim in dress and appearance – typically used of a man”)

 

4.   Henry had to st_________ himself (*meaning “to restrict, limit, or skimp on something (often food, money, or resources) to save”) in buying necessities in life to save money for his children’s future.

 

5.   Laura used to be a talkative girl who loves rambunctious parties with her friends every Saturday night, but I don’t see a jolly blabber mouth in her anymore. She became taci_______ (*meaning “(of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech, saying little”) and painfully _______drawn (*meaning “not wanting to communicate with other people”) today.

 

6.   They may cheer for a single report they agree with, but will turn and ________bast (*meaning “to criticize someone/something harshly”) the same reporter or publication when they do not.

 

7.   Anne baked a rich dark chocolate cake for her boyfriend on Valentine’s day because she had no idea about his xoco_________, (*meaning “an irrational or disproportionate fear of chocolate, can cause severe anxiety around Valentine's Day or Easter, causing sufferers to avoid the taste, smell, or even the touch of it”)

 

8.   Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassinator of President JFK, shouted that he was just a p__________, claiming that he was a decoy set up to take the blame for a larger conspiracy. (*a person who is easily taken advantage of, manipulated, or framed to take the blame for others. It implies someone gullible or used as a scapegoat”)

 

9.   I’m not a party person, but I have to bite the ________ to throw one for the year-end event at my shop. (*meaning “to decide to do something difficult or unpleasant that one has been putting off or hesitating over”)

 

10.       Gardeners often ra__________ roses to promote blooming. (*meaning “ (used as a noun/ intransitive verb/ transitive verb) an ancient method of propagation in sugarcane in which subterranean buds on the stubble give rise to a new crop stand/ to sprout or spring up from the root/ to grow or produce (a crop) from or on ratoons )

 

11.       He has a native abho__________ of violence and injustice. (*meaning “a deep, intense, or passionate hatred, disgust, or aversion toward a specific subject, action, or idea”)

TIME to PLAY the Sunday Puzzle from NPR!

Today's puzzle is called "All In." I'm going to give you clues for two words. Insert the letters A-L-L inside the answer to the first clue to get the answer to the second.

 

Ex. Opposite of good / Romantic song  -->  B(ALL)AD

 

1. Exam / Having the greatest height

2. Bathe standing up / Not as deep

3. Something that's unexpected and beneficial / Air-filled rubber sac attached to a string

4. What bees do / Playing for time

5. Descendant / Green onion

6. Attempt in basketball / Onion used in cooking

7. Sweeper's tool / Locale in the game Clue

8. Overhead structure supporting a crane / Courage displayed in battle

9. Vast wooded areas / Prevents from happening

 

Answer Keys

1.  TEST => T(ALL)EST

2.  SHOWER => SH(ALL)OWER

3.  BOON => B(ALL)OON

4.  STING => ST(ALL)ING

5.  SCION => SC(ALL)ION

6.  SHOT => SH(ALL)OT

7.  BROOM => B(ALL)ROOM

8.  GANTRY => G(ALL)ANTRY

9.  FOREST => FOREST(ALL)

CHAPTER IV: WORKSHEET #91 of Dr. Jedidiah's Diary

WORKSHEET #91

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #91 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary!

 

    1.   The film critic has an international reputation among film cog_________ti. (*meaning “persons who have superior knowledge and understanding of a particular field, especially in the fine arts, literature, and world of fashion”)

 

    2.   The director has been in search of a young actor who will play the role of an innocent sw_________ in the Shakespearean period. (*meaning “Often used in literature (e.g., Shakespeare) to describe a country lad or shepherd, a young man or boy who worked as a knight's servant;  Modern Usage: Occasionally used as an old-fashioned or poetic synonym for a boyfriend, beau, or suitor”)

 

    3.   Jenn was taking a stroll in the quiet trail str__________ with fallen leaves and twigs, thinking about her ex-boyfriend. (*meaning “spread or scattered here and there”)

 

    4.   __________ it not been for your help, I couldn’t have survived the deep wound inside my heart. (*meaning “without or in the absence of something/ someone”)

 

    5.   Reading this book, I was imagining a scene where the wind-__________ sand is gradually dislimning the silhouette of an explorer on camel’s back in the middle of the desert. (*meaning “sand moved and blown by the wind”)

 

    6.   Mr. Heston’s ins_____________ passion for learning makes him sleep-deprived at night, because he doesn’t put a book down until he finishes it. (*meaning “impossible to satisfy”)

 

    7.   R_____ rebels were notorious for terrorizing the civilian population through forced amputations, burning houses, and widespread sexual violence. (meaning “Revolutionary United Front that is a rebel group that fought a failed eleven-year awar in Sierra Leone, beginning in 1991 and ending in 2002”)

LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE SERIES #6: The Craving Mind - authored by Psychiatrist Judson Brewer

LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE

Do you take delight in watching films or listening to pop music? For English learners, movies, songs, and books are one of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You can indulge in your favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of wisdom, and oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.

 

# 9. “The Craving Mind” (authored by psychiatrist Judson Brewer, M.D. Ph.D.)

“When my patients told me their stories of getting addicted, there was a common theme. It was as if they had been one of the lab rats in Skinner’s experiments and were describing the reward-based learning process that they had gone though:

 

I would have a flashback (to some traumatic event) (TRIGGER) => get drunk (BEHAVIOR) =>  this was better than reliving the experience (REWARD)”

 

-        Dr. Judson Brewer found out that most of his patients (who are suffering from all different kinds of addiction) described their reward-based leaning as a way to avoid situations, help numb their pain, and even mask unpleasant emotions. However, in the end, they hit the bottom of using illegal substances and drugs, which would outweigh the rewards of using.

 

“We found that when we tested patients’ reactions to stress after treatment, those who received mindfulness training seemed to help them cope with their cues both in the lab and in real life.”

-        Mindfulness training is based on the state of awareness when things – mostly negative – arise in one’s mind. Patients who are practicing ‘mindfulness’ can reach the point of stepping back from the triggers of their addiction and gradually wean themselves from their cravings.

 

“There is nothing wrong with romantic love. In modern times, just like thinking and planning, it helps humans survive. It is when we get completely caught up in it, when things get out of control, that we crash and burn. It is perhaps another example of not knowing how to read our stress compass – dopamine leading us into danger instead of away from it.”

-        Romantic love is one of the most addictive substances on Earth. However, Dr. Brewer points out that it can become destructive when it turns into an addictive, compulsive, or uncontrolled state.

·      Jean’s Small Thoughts:

Do you have any chronic addiction in life? Do you have constant crave for sweets, cigarettes, or a caffeine fix? Are you constantly planning or thinking about the future? Have you ever been addicted to love? I think we all might have developed big or small addictions or obsessions at some point in life.

 

As for me, I have been running for almost 30 years, which has become a huge part of my own identity. It seems like a healthy addiction that doesn’t need a therapy, but I am currently in the process of changing my perspectives towards my favorite thing to do: Running. As I age, I get more twinges or jolts here and there in my decreasing muscles, while my passion for running is becoming a painful obsession that makes me too harsh on myself as a heartless judge.

 

Reading this book, I am about to practice “mindfulness” through which I know craving is arising and driving my behavior. I won’t get caught up in my own illusions, even it they are the things that sound beautiful, such as love or running.

CHAPTER IV: WORKSHEET #90 of Dr. Jedidiah's Diary

WORKSHEET #90

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #90 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary! 

   

    1.  Her wi_______d face was telling me about her harsh past. (*meaning “(transitive/ intransitive verb) to become wrinkled, shrunken, or dry often as a result of aging or of failing vitality”)

 

    2.  I think her hypochondria was one of the iatro__________ symptoms or disorder. (*meaning “relating to illness caused by medical examination or treatment”)

 

    3.  The sniper confessed that the botched murder of the presidential candidate had been thoroughly planned with the opposite party candidate’s m__________ aforethought. (*meaning “the evil intention to kill/ harm, which is held to distinguish unlawful killing from murder”)

 

    4.  Somebody must have t________ off the intruder that houses in this gated community would be empty during the holiday season. (*meaning “to give someone information in a discreet or confidential way”)

 

    5.  Jake’s grandpa was always holding _________ (*meaning “creating a non-judgmental, supportive presence where another person feels safe to express emotions, be heard, and process their experience without fixing or advising, often seen in contexts like therapy, coaching, or deep friendship”) for him so that he won’t need to white________ (*meaning “to deliberately attempt to conceal unpleasant or incriminating facts about something”) his own mistakes or secrets. He never lam________ “to criticize someone harshly”) Jake for anything. That is why Jake can be vera____________ (*meaning “speaking or representing the truth”) with his grandpa all the time.

 

    6.  Beware of Mrs. Jankins. She is nobody to sn____________ at (*meaning “to make light of/ to ignore…”) among the gens du ___________. (*meaning “leaders in society/ fashionable socialites”)

 

    7.  The local gym that I belong to is holding the annual ice cream so________ (*meaning “a planned social gathering – serving ice cream - used for community building, fundraisers, or simple summer fun, often featuring a nostalgic, informal atmosphere with neighbors, church groups, or families connecting over sweet treats and shared toppings”) this Saturday. They will serve keto ice cram at the event for their members.

 

    8.  Janine’s per____ blue dress looked elegant and classic. (*meaning “dark-greyish blue resembling indigo”)

 

    9.  My boyfriend loves vacations at a small lodge built with  cottage_______ (*meaning “living a simple, rural lifestyle”) aesthetic, whereas I love to stay at a posh hotel in the middle of the city.

 

   10. Tom has been into mountain climbing lately. He showed me a lot of pictures taken while he was abs__________ down steep slopes. (*meaning “to descend a rock face or other near-vertical surface by using a doubled rope coiled round the body and fixed at a higher point; rappel”)

 

   11.  The Smith couple, who are dedicated ailu_____s (*meaning “cat lover”), decided to adot two rescue cats.

 

   12. In the past, ba__________ates were common sleeping pills, but they've largely been replaced by safer alternatives like benzodiazepines. (*meaning “any of a class of sedative and sleep-inducing drugs derived from barbituric acid”)

 

    13. When she heard the great news of her friend’s resounding success as an actor, she was be_________ herself with joy and pride. (*meaning “to be with a particular feeling or emotion that is so strong it makes one almost out of control”)