Seminole Sentinel (Seminole, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 36, Ed. 1 Sunday, February 15, 2004 Page: 4 of 16
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PAGE 4, Seminole (Texas) Sentinel, Sunday, February 15, 2004
Sunday’s
editorials. Columns &* Letters
TO'Dniwr y_w
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* 'Illhlil: Stlirilkii'i’ilW.Wllh/.lht
Plugged In...Your computer
T/nvit’: (4J-)
Technically Tough, Making
Data Bases Easy... Part II
By brie Spell maim
eric@cricspcllmann.com
Last week, I discussed database lingo.
This week, we dive right into creating a
database in Microsoft Access.
I know this may sound silly, but the
first thing you ought to do is figure out if
you even HAVE Microsoft Access on your
system. The newest version of Microsoft
Office (2003) comes in four flavors
Student Teacher
Standard
Small Business
Professional
The ' Student/Teacher' package is the
smallest (and cheapest) of the four It only
contains Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and
Outlook
When you buy a new system that
claims to have Microsoft Office installed,
you are probably getting either Standard
or Small Business.
They are the same as the Student/
Teacher edition, but "Small Business"
throws in Publisher.
If you purchase Microsoft Office
Professional, you receive everything in the
"Small Business ' edition PLUS Access.
To make matters more complicated,
depending on when you bought your
software, you may have either Office
version 97 or Office version 2000.
, The following tutorial will work with
Office 2000 and XP In any Microsoft’
program, you can click on the “Help"
menu and choose "about" to see what
version you have. To learn more about
the various editions, go to: http;//
www. microsoft. com/office/editions/
So, as you can see, only two ways exist
for you to get Access: Buy Microsoft
Professional or buy Access by itself. If you
don’t know which edition of Office you
have, simply click on the "Start” button,,
choose “Programs" and scroll through the
list until you find the programs that begin
with the word, " Microsoft.If "Microsoft
Access" is one of the choices, click on it.
You’ll see the "Access Splash Screen,"
the Access Window, and finally a pop-up
dialog box with "Create a database using ”
at the top. Basically, you have three
options: You can create a new blank
database (nothing is defined; you are
starting from ground zero); You can use
Microsoft "wizards" to help you create a
database (a wizard walks you through a
process step by step, explaining everything
along the way); or you can open an existing
database.
For the purpose of this example, let’s
choose the option that includes the word
"wizards. ” You should see a new window
offering many choices.
Notice the icons with "magic wands"
on them. Those are wizards.
Double-click on the “Contact
Management" icon.
Access will immediately ask you to
save a COPY of this database somewhere
on your system (usually in the “My
Documents" folder). It will name the
database something like: “Contact
Managementl.mdb."
The “mdb” file name extension
identifies the file as a Microsoft Access
database. All Access databases end in
“.mdb. " In case you’re curious, it’s short
for "Microsoft DataBase." Why it’s not
“ acc" is a mystery to me.
Anyway, hit the “Create" button. After
a little churning and chugging, you’ll see a
“Database Wizard” screen pop up. Hit the
“Next" button.
The next screen that appears has two
windows. The one on the left lists the tables
(created by the wizard). Single Clicking
on each table will display all of the fields
that the wizard is suggesting for that table.
You can check or uncheck the various
fields to include or exclude them in your
tables. After you have gone through each
list and chosen JUST the fields you want,
hit the "Next” button. Put on your Martha
Stewart hat because now you get to choose
a "look” for your data entry screens.
Single click on the various options to
see a sample. You may think me “boring,"
but my favorite is “Standard." Hit "Next. ’’
Now, you get to choose a “theme" for
your printed reports. I usually choose
“Corporate” because I like its readability.
Hit "Next." Choose a title for your
database. You could call it Eric’s Cool P
Contacts (substituting your name for mine,
of course). You can even choose
a’ Picture’’ to appear on all reports. In this
case, think “company logo.” Hit “Next.”
You've reached the end of the wizard,
so hit the “Finish" button to have it create
your database. A "Main Switchboard”
window will appear giving you a basic
menu of options for your new database.
If you look closely at the bottom-left
of the main “Access” window, you will also
see a small, minimized window. Click the
“Restore Up" button on that window (two
stacked boxes). This window is the true
heart of any Microsoft Access database.
Is your brain full? Well, you have a
week to make room, because next time,
we look at the inner basics of tables,
reports, forms, and queries. Until then...
I’ll see you in Cyberspace!
Making a Difference
by Gina Caswell Kelly
Let’s talk about love. Valentine's Day always makes you think about
love. When I was a little girl, 1 loved Valentine's Day at school. 1 loved
making the really cool boxes and then I loved addressing all my cards
for my friends And 1 loved the sugar cookies shaped like hearts with
icing that 1 knew we would have at our parties. Valentine’s Day was
great1 I am assuming that they still make Valentine’s boxes at school. If
they don't, they certainly should. I am not sure on what part of the
TAKS that would count, but 1 still think it is a key part of elementary
education!
Love is such an important part of our lives all year long. Not just on
a certain day. Of course, it is nice to have a day to remind you of those
you love and those who love you. But we should use every day to show
people how much we love them and how much they mean to our lives.
I was thinking about a lady at the nursing home that I love so much. As
I write this, she in the hospital. She is 93 years old and she loves me.
She says. "1 iove you with all my heart. ’’ Do you think that doesn’t make
me feel special? Think of all the people she has had the chance to love
in her long life and now she has chosen to add me to that list. Cool,
huh? Well, 1 love her with all my heart too. Then of course there is my
Paw Paw. At the age of 91, he told me he loved me for the first time.
Now he says, “I love you very much. ” And I know he means it. T love
him too When my daddy hangs up the phone he always says, “Love
you the most. I hat will always be special to me.
Love isn’t just about boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife things.
Love is about how we feel about all those who touch our lives. Think
about those who touch your life everyday. Do they know how you feel
about them? They ought to. Don't think, ‘‘They know it. I don’t have to
say it. Maybe you don’t have to say it but you should. It is very special
when you can tell people love you by the way they act, but it is so nice
to hear those words. It just warms your heart a little to hear someone
say those three little words to you.
God gave us the greatest example of love when He sent His Son to
die for us. It gets no better than that. Can you imagine a love so great?
Use His love as your example and show all those in your life how much
they mean to you. Then go a step further and say the words. It won’t
hurt even you guys to let your neighbors and friends know how you feel
about them. It will make a difference. And by the way, I love you!
The Big Bounce ... Double Dribbles
The Movie Man came within
an inch of catching an
independent release But,
unfortunately, he didn’t.
This is the time of year the
Movie Man usually ventures into
Snobland and heads for a snooty
film. (Now, these indie films - like
Lost in Translation [which just
came out on video] and In
America - can be exceptional
It’s just the -pretentiousness of----
many filmgoers [never the Movie
Ma-n: of course! make having to—
listen to them ta'k just too much
of a chore )
T he Movie Man settled on a
mainstream release even though
this is certainly not a good time of
year for mainstream releases.
And The Big Bounce
absolutely proved that.
About Jhe film
Hollywood just can’t make a
good movie from an Elmore
Leonard book or script. He writes
(mostly) crime novels famed for
their witty dialogue and offbeat
characters and set-ups.
Probably the best movie (and
that’s not saying a whole lot) is
Get Shorty. Or maybe Out of
Sight which movie lovers love to
state is an unseen classic.
But generally, adaptations of
Leonard's works stink.
The Big Bounce was his first
crime book and this version is the
second time it's reached the
screen.
’ The first came in 1969 and is
generally regarded as being
phenomenally bad. It starred
Ryan O’Neal - whom,
moviegoers of today often forget
- was hot at that time (from TV’s
Peyton Place) and was soon to
explode (thanks to Love Story in
1970).
In fact, up until 1975, O’Neal
rivaled Burt Reynolds as the big
male hunk. (Of course, guys dug
the macho Reynolds, but O’Neal
had his devotees of both sexes,
too.) In that span, O’Neal made
(aside from Love Story [which
also has a young Tommy Lee
-Jones in its cast]) What’s Up,
Doc? (1972 and Movie Wife’s
favorite movie at one time), the
great Paper Moon (1973), and
Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon
(1975).
That's a pretty impressive
stretch.
However, he began to fade
away soon after.
_But back to Leonard , even
after the ‘69 version of The Big
Bounce, his books kept getting
adapted
Not all are horrible. In fact,
Hombre,(1967), a western with
Paul Newman, is very good. And
Joe Kidd (1972) with Clint
Eastwood has its moments.
It’s hard to define the freaky
52 Pick-Up (1986). The Movie
Man stumbled across it one
evening on cable and felt
compelled to watch the entire
thing. Very strange.
Hopes were high when
Quentin Tarantino made
Leonard's Rum Punch as Jackie
Brown in 1997. Despite a
phenomenal cast, the film made
less than $40 million - well under
Tarantino's previous picture
(discounting his part of the
dreadful Four Rooms), Pulp
Fiction which tallied almost $108
million.
So, no Leonard book has
been converted to great film yet.
However, two others are being
made this minute - Be Cool, a
sequel to Get Shorty, and
Tishomingo Blues.
The plot
Ritchie (Gary Sinise, barely in
the movie like many others) is
trying to build a structure in
Hawaii. Construction worker Jack
(Owen Wilson) hits a supervisor
with a bat and goes to jail. When
released, Owen takes Judge
Walter’s (Morgan Freeman) offer
to help him run his beach
bungalow operation.
Soon Wilson gets smitten
with Nancy (model Sara Foster)
who also hangs with Bob (Charlie
Sheen), a Sinise flunkie.
Confused yet? It keeps going
on like this. Eventually Wilson
and Foster hatch a plot to steal
$200,000 from Sinise.
Things get tricky when Sinise
arrives with his wife Alison (Bebe
Neuwirth, Lilith from TV’s
Frasier.) _
As expected, everyone has
alternate plans and the double
and triple crosses begin.
Then the movie thankfully
ends.
What works
It's hard not to like Wilson.
He’s a local boy (born in Dallas)
and his happy-go-lucky
demeanor comes across fine
onscreen.
The same affable style oozes
from Freeman who looks like a
guy who would live in Hawaii.
But the best thing about The
Big Bounce is the scenery.
Director George Armitage wisely
pulls his camera back often,
allowing the screen to fill with
beautiful tropical images.
There are two memorable
songs on the soundtrack. One is
“It’s Your Thing” by the great
Isley Brothers.
The other one was a surprise.
Steve Miller had a huge hit with
' “Rock ‘N’ Me. " There’s a breathy
cover version (which are almost
never as good) by a group/person
named Theodore. It fit the scene
perfectly.
Armitage knows about
melding music and images; his
opening shot in the underrated
Miami Blues (with Norman
Greenbaum’s groovy “Spirit in
the Sky” playing underneath) is
perfect.
Best scene
Wilson and Foster are
walking on a lovely beach. A
cellphone rings.
The duo, who have pilfered
goods thanks to a string of petty
robberies, obviously have
someone’s phone. Wilson
answers it and pleasantly tells the
lady that, yes, a man did return
her call and he sounded sincere.
She should call him.
It’s the sort of scene tailor-
made for Wilson’s goofy
cinematic persona and gave the
film its host rhnrklo_
What doesn’t work
Holy cow, Foster is a horrible
actor. A model, she looks terrific
(especially in a bikini on the
beach where her greatest
attribute, a tiny waist, is
highlighted), but she can’t deliver
a line to save her life.
The greatest fault lies with the
inactivity or disappearance of the
secondary characters.
The cast is filled with fun
folks: Willie Nelson, Harry Dean
Stanton, Sinise, and Neuwirth.
(Not to mention football players
Tony Dorsett and Mike Renfro
who are in the opening scene and
never return so don’t blink.)
Too many roles are tiny, and,
unlike some cameos that can
juice a movie, they just exist then
go away.
The plot twists are obvious
and well-worn. Armitage (who
makes films infrequently; this is
his first since 1997’s cult favorite,
Grosse Point Blank) seems to lack
any vitality for the picture. It’s
flat-out boring.
Scenes just go nowhere. The
film bobs along like a beach ball
on the ocean.
Fortunately, it washes ashore
pretty quickly - the film is less
than 90 minutes long.
The rating
The Big Bounce is a tad
racier than your typical PG-13.
Foster is out of her clothes a few
times and is wearing little on
other occasions.
There’s somemolling in the
hay, but it’s covered up
The violence isn’t too great
and the language isn’t horrible,
considering. It’s rated right - it's
just not one of those PG-13’s
you’d take an 8-year-old to.
Summing up
The Big Bounce reminded
the Movie Man of a made-for-TV
movie. With q few judicious edits,
it could easily have been
produced by ABC.
So Leonard fans will have to
continue to complain that the
book is better than the movie.
Once again.
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Seminole Sentinel (Seminole, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 36, Ed. 1 Sunday, February 15, 2004, newspaper, February 15, 2004; Seminole, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth825021/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Gaines County Library.