Traveling Through Time and Space

Envy Makes Me Do Crazy Things

2011-04-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

I suppose it began when my friend Peggy announced she was going to a lovely Pacific island for a couple of weeks. She started posting these gorgeous pictures of palm trees and sand and water - warm, swimmable water. And there was blue sky and sunlight. We don't have much of any of those things here right now.

Then my friend Patricia bid me farewell as she prepared to jet off to Paris and Positano with her family for spring break. She was uncharacteristically cruel when she told me excitedly that "it's about 75 degrees in Paris right now, can you believe it?" I had consoled myself with the thought that although Paris is absolutely fabulous, it would be grey and chilly. A few days ago, I glanced at the temperature when I got up, and it was 38. Gah!

My lovely neighbor Jenn and a gaggle of choir kids and chaperones have spent the past week in New York City, continuously posting photo after photo of themselves in iconic spots: atop the Empire State Building, in Times Square, at the Natural History Museum.

I grew quite out of sorts. I told my family how jealous I felt.

Yet my son could not understand my discontent. "You've been to all those places, Mom. What's the big deal?"

Those of you who know me understand that I suffer from CTD (Compulsive Travel Disorder). If I am not somewhere else, I am sad. I love to plan trips, and to go on trips. When I am on trips, I think about new trips.

I snapped. If I could not actually travel, I could virtually travel. So I have been posting photos of places on my Facebook, pretending I am on spring break. I use clever language to provide hints that all is not real: "This spring break is simply unbelievable! Love Neuschwanstein" "Our fantastic spring break trip continues at the Tower of Pisa!" "It is incredible to think we are here at the pyramids." The only problem is that people are taking me seriously. They are commenting sincerely, wishing me a great trip, expressing envy at my good fortune. I am a fraud, but I cannot stop.

Today, I posted this.
I wrote this caption: Last day of our unbelievable spring break has been a little disappointing. As my husband pointed out, the place just has no atmosphere.

My New Second Husband

2011-03-08T15:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, I still love all my other second husbands. But this guy won my heart big time:

Richard Nixon, Musical Censor

2011-02-23T20:24:00.000-08:00

John Adams (William Daniels) is displeased with the words of Dickinson (Donald Madden) of Pennsylvania in 1776.

Hello, my darlings! I've been preparing material to share with my current crop of students in Religion and Race in Revolutionary America. It's a course dreamt up by a historian who teaches at the same community college I do; he is off gallivanting out of state the final two sessions, so I get to do those.

One of my favorite tricks to avoid having to actually learn things so I can teach is to have guest speakers. It's a little tough when the course is set in Revolutionary times. I'm going to skype in some re-enactors from the east coast for some of the time, which should be very fun. And I'm going to play some film clips and some music that addresses the theme. I'll share my playlist with you over at Holly Forrest Teaches, my other blog. If you have any ideas, comment here.

But I digress. When I was researching the films, I thought of 1776, a great musical we'd seen years ago in Cedar City, Utah. I just previewed the film version and was delighted with it. Then I started looking into fact vs. fiction. Lots of the plot points were added for dramatic tension, some of the noble intent and conflict was fictionalized, but the most surprising thing was that an entire musical number was cut out of the film release, only restored after it was put on DVD.

Apparently, back in 1972, President Nixon asked his friend Jack Warner, studio head, to pull one of the numbers because he felt it was critical of the Republicans. Take a look. I think it's a pretty accurate portrayal of the right. The line that Dickinson from Pennsylvania says before they break into song rings true today. It's something that bothers me a great deal about those who criticize President Obama and his work to help the poor and middle class by taxing the wealthy; the critics are those who would be helped! He says "Don't forget that most men with nothing would rather protect the possibility of becoming rich than face the reality of being poor."

A Lesson on Proverbs 29:7 for Junior Teabaggers

2011-02-03T09:51:00.001-08:00

Proverbs 29:7
The righteous considereth the cause of the poor:
but the wicked regardeth not to know it.

My beloved son came home yesterday extremely upset. He is in a World History class, and the teacher posed the question "Do the rich have an obligation to help the poor?" The overwhelming consensus of his classmates was NO.

What made it particularly disturbing to him was that so many of his classmates proclaim themselves devout Christians. They are all about the Jesus. In my immediate family, we believe Jesus was a great guy, but we are not churchgoers. We do not seek to convert anyone, and we sure as hell don't hold with the notion that if you don't believe certain things, you don't get into heaven. I know this bothers my mom, who has the view that if you simply believe Jesus died for your sins, you will be saved. We've gone round on this, because I think that if you're a Jesus follower, you also should at least try to live a good life and follow his teachings in order to get through the pearly gates. It seems way too easy to me that just being a believer lets you make the cut. She has a convoluted reasoning that if you believe, you will live such a life, as though it's inherently connected. Yet I know so many people who loudly proclaim themselves Christians whilst practicing extremely selfish, un-Jesus-like behaviors.

Let me quickly interject here that many Christians I know are extremely generous, loving people, who work their butts off to help others and do not begrudge (okay, they might prefer to decide how their money is allocated, but they don't complain very much) paying taxes. They contribute to causes which help the poor. Some, like our friend Isabel Jones, take it up a notch or two with ambitious endeavors to really make a difference.

My son's previously been informed by some of his more judgmental peers that he is going to hell because he's not a Christian. I am certain that many of the others privately think it, too, but at least they are classy enough not to say it to his face. Yet I'd wager that his heart is a whole lot bigger and kinder than theirs. He believes that individuals don't need enormous wealth, that they should share with the poor. After all, how many millions does one man require while others go hungry?

I found the approach he used to argue his point fascinating. He quoted scripture. I'm not familiar with the passage myself, but his father (raised in Catholic schools) knew it well.

Luke 3:11 And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” 12And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.”

Actually, my son may have just used the tunic and food line. I'm not 100% sure. But I think it's worth including the tax collector lines here because the class was talking about taxation, whether the government should tax the rich to help the poor. Count me and my son on the yes side. We've read Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed; we don't believe the extreme differences of sumptuous quality of life for a relative few while others go without is acceptable.

I tried to cheer my son up and told him maybe some of the people who didn't speak up in his class felt the same way he did. He asked why they didn't speak up too. I told him I thought maybe they were intimated by the eloquence of his speech and didn't feel they had anything to add. He called bullshit on that. He was cheered that one girl did say similar things to what he had expressed. But he was really depressed about the rest of them, especially one of his friends, who twisted what he had said and spoke against it, claiming my son was extolling religious virtues and that he (the friend, a regular church-goer, BTW) was in favor of the separation of church and state. Geez, Louise. Talk about a fallacious argument. I can't decide if it's a straw man or a red herring, but either way, it stinks.

Of course, many of these schoolmates who are against the principle that the rich should help the poor also believe Obama is a Muslim. Oh, and a socialist/communist to boot. Stupid feckers. Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they say.

A Most Troublesome Servant

2011-01-10T11:20:00.000-08:00

CLARIFICATION: As I confess at the end of this post, it is not my finest, clearest writing. I wish to clarify that two things I refer to, the program "Rachel's Challenge" and the book The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership by James C. Hunter are not directly connected. The book is not part of the group's presentation.

I am spluttering right now. Somehow a discussion with my mother about my concern regarding an upcoming school presentation by a group called Rachel's Challenge has degenerated into her blaming an Arizona community college for not doing something about the gunman who shot Congresswoman Giffords, her bemoaning the loss of US jobs to foreign countries, implying strongly that it is the fault of the current administration, and her saying the ACLU gives her a pain in the ass.

WTF. Just.....WTF.

I love my mother. But Fox News has alienated me from her. Do you think I have a case? I know that most states have eliminated alienation of affection lawsuits, but geez.

I think Fox News has eliminated her ability to think coherently. I am not joking. She skips around from topic to topic, complaining about stuff or expressing fear.

Thankfully, the one thing she did agree with me on is that simply praying is not going to prevent tragedies like the one in Nebraska or the one in Arizona. Rachel's Challenge is a program aimed at preventing incidents like the Columbine shooting. Presenters came to my son's high school today. I was not impressed with the reports I read of it. You can read a discussion here.

And I was unenthused that the organization founded by the man who wrote and recited this simplistic poem when he testified before Congress was being paid by public school student funds to come talk to my community's students:

Your laws ignore our deepest needs, Your words are empty air. You've stripped away our heritage, You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms, And precious children die. You seek for answers everywhere, And ask the question "Why?"

You regulate restrictive laws, Through legislative creed. And yet you fail to understand, That God is what we need!

Darrell Scott, father of Columbine shooting victim Rachel Scott, son of a preacher, is entitled to his opinion.

I get that we have free speech. Yay, free speech!

I get that we have Second Amendment rights.
Though I would prefer that mentally ill people weren't packing heat.

But we also have a little thing I like to call the Establishment clause of the First Amendment.
I hoped the presenter wouldn't try to push his religious beliefs on our kids.

I went to the session this afternoon, and it was a cheery message that focused on inspiring kids to be kind to each other. I didn't see any overt religious message. So my concerns were abated, at least, about that. But then a friend told me that she'd learned the presentation likely cost a few thousand dollars, based on the estimates she'd seen when her own school was considering (but declined) to host the program. I question whether this is the best use of student activity fees. Surely our own teachers could have conveyed a similar message for a lot less.

Still, that's not the thing that's bugging me the most. In the course of my research about Rachel's Challenge, I learned that the local school is using a book for a leadership course that I believe is.....hmm. What do I believe it is? That it's violating the Constitution's prohibition of establishment of religion? I dunno. That it's inappropriate? Yes.

It's entitled The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership by James C. Hunter.

I have only been able to read excerpts so far; I'm hoping to borrow the book in the next day or so and read the whole thing. It's pretty clear from all I've seen that it is rooted in evangelical Christian thought. There are multiple references to Christ as a servant leader. There is one review that particularly piques my interest. Or perhaps a better way to phrase it is to say it causes me concern.

Here's an excerpt of the review written by Jonathan at Goodreads:

PG 120
Throw-away society

No doubt we are a throw-away society and perhaps I am the worst offender in this regard. But I find the use of abortion to support this point to be problematic.

There is a comment here suggests that the decision to have an abortion is as simple and easy as tossing away something unwanted. There are so many points to be made against this that I am not sure where to begin. But I will end here, this is a difficult decision for any person or couple to make. If they are pro-life (that's right folks pro-life people have abortions) or if they are pro-choice, it is a emotional, serious, and tough choice to make. It is even tougher to follow through with. I would be naive if I did not say that there are people who are flipant about this decision but that is extremely rare. The vast majority of people make such a significant decision carefully and thoughtfully.

Perhaps a better example, one that is never touched on very strongly, is the amount of resources that we use compared to our population. Not sure the exact percentages here but in the USA we consume a large portion of the available resources relative to our population. How about those gianormous SUVs we see crusing around the burbs? You know the ones that get about 10 miles to the gallon? I could be wrong here but their sole purpose seems to be to prop up the ego. Is that not wasting resources? The take more material to manufacture, utilize, and maintian than cars 1/2 to 1/3 their size. If the purpose of a vehicle is to get us and our gear from point A to point B AND a smaller vehicle will do the job, then isn't any vehicle larger than that in effect a waste? Is that not simply throwing away resources that could be better used elsewhere? Wouldn't our world be better served by a more wise use of our resources? How about applying servanthood in this context?

PG 153
Smokers blame cigarette companies to their addiction.

For the most part, I have to agree with the book on this one but fact is the cigarette companies deliberately manipulated nicotine levels so as to maxmize the chances for the smokers addiction. Yes, everyone who put that first cigarette in their mouth made that choice freely AND there are plenty of people who struggled with the difficulty of quitting to shake the habit. So we know it can be done. But the fact is, the cigarette companies stacked the deck...or pack...in their favor to intentionally addict users and ensure a continued market for their product. They even went so far to create cartoon characters to market their product so as to get young people to smoke. Here again, coupled with nicotine levels intended to produce addiction, they ensure a stable and reliable market for their products and profits. All this while internal documents clearly and directly link their product to cancer and heart diesease. Were it not for these actions, the books point would have been stronger.

If we are talking about being servants here then where is the service in the cigarette companies actions? Where is their responsiblity? There is a subtle message here that corporations are not to blame for the impact of their actions. Why isn't the notion of responsibilty that is applied to individuals also leveled at corporations?

Let me be clear. I like Jesus. He seems like a good person. I like many the things he is reported to have said and done. I'm sure that most of this book gives good examples and principles of leadership. But I wonder if it wouldn't have been better to leave Jesus out of it when teaching in a public school, and to have picked a book that didn't have some of these other issues.

I apologize for the length and rambling nature of this post. It's been written in stops and starts throughout the day. I'm eager to read your comments about all of this! Please share your thoughts, particularly about what you would do or what you think I could do to constructively express concern about this book.

Lord, Hear My Prayer

2011-01-05T18:58:00.000-08:00

Just read this article:

http://www.newser.com/story/109057/guess-whos-flirting-with-a-presidential-run.html

Dear Jeebus, no. No, no, a thousand times no. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, NO!

Please, deliver us from the crazy.

Wall of Separation or Good Neighbor Fence?

2010-12-19T23:39:00.000-08:00

Whilst looking for the perfect illustration, I found this at http://garlicgingerturtles.blogspot.com/

Hello Internets!

I need to get to bed, but I wanted to check in with you to see what you think about the concept of the wall of separation between church and state. It seems to be a hot button topic these days, but usually comes up pretty regularly at this time of year because of Christmas displays in public places and celebrations in schools.

I have my own stories and thoughts to share, but I thought I'd ask you for yours first. Please comment! I'm going to be teaching a Mature Learning college course on the Wall of Separation in January, so I'm eager to mooch off your experiences and mighty brains.

Bonus points if you also share your favorite holiday memory/film/song!
Note that I say "also" - be sure to answer the main question first!!

Heartbreakers

2010-12-09T07:25:00.000-08:00

Just a quickie for you darlings this afternoon, I'm afraid. I've been more than a little busy with this life thing. But I'm just bursting to share something, and I know that you are a sympathetic ear.

This morning, I read a blog post from a friend who has three girls. She entitled it Fathers, Daughters and Boys, and began with the words:

Our girls are precious cargo, treasures, like fragile crystal.

HANDLE WITH CARE.
My husband is protective, cautious, wise and strong, and he will go out of his way to make sure our daughters are treated like beautiful creations of God. My husband used to joke with the girls about the day they brought home a boy. “I will be cleaning my guns.” He would say, and they believed him.

For some reason, this Facebook page title popped into my head:

If you hurt my son I will make your death look like an accident.

Yeah, that pretty much sums up what's in my heart. Boys are quite possibly even more fragile. And girls can be unbelievably brutal.

I think that many parents of just girls think that boys are the enemies.
And that many parents of just boys think that girls are the enemies.

But many parents of at least one boy and one girl realize that all other children, regardless of gender have the potential to hurt their kids equally.

Right now, with only my teen son out in society, I tend to think of girls as cruel, capricious and generally all the spawn of Satan.

Some day, when my little girl enters the wild world of dating, I will undoubtedly hate and fear boys as well.

I'm glad I have a boy and a girl because I see their strengths and weaknesses, and cherish both. And I hereby send a fervent request out to the divinity that shapes our ends that no one hurts either one of them.

We are all God's creatures.

Laurence Olivier, Eat Your Heart Out

2010-12-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

Andrew Forrest as Mr. Darcy, December 2010

Imagine this image enlarged to 20 x30, framed, hung above a fireplace, lit by gleaming brass chandeliers. A shy young woman acting as the housekeeper at Pemberley inquires of a more confident young actress portraying Elizabeth Bennet whether she has met Mr. Darcy, the character who is depicted. Another confident young woman in the role of Elizabeth's aunt, Mrs. Gardiner, asks her if the painting is a good likeness.

And my heart is full.

It has been a busy couple of months preparing for the local high school production of Pride and Prejudice. I have worked harder than usual and performed a number of new tasks to support the students and their wonderful directors. And, honestly, even if everyone had missed their cues and forgotten all their lines, it would have been totally worth it.

But of course they didn't. The students and their teachers are incredibly talented, and put on a fabulous show. I have loved every minute working with them, assisting whatever way I could in order to be part of this magical process of transformation.

I have also made some fantastic friends in the form of my fellow drama mamas. They are women I might never have met were it not for the fact that our children are in a production together. And what a loss that would have been. Kim, Robyn, Tracie, Rachael....four busy women who have shared anxieties, hopes, triumphs and a lot of laughs and hugs.

There is also the experience of watching my son. My firstborn, my pride and joy. He interprets Darcy in his own unique way, with his beautiful deep voice reciting the classic lines of Jane Austen. I confess I am probably quite prejudiced, but I think his English accent is gorgeous. I am so thankful for all the hard work the directors and so many students have put into this production. They capture their characters so very well, and have so much enthusiasm. We've all seen shows where one or two people are super, but the rest are mediocre. That's not the case here. While I might tell myself that my son is the best thing evah, I also honestly feel that his peers are great. And I am so happy he has some very good friends in the group.

Like I told you, my heart is full.

Adventures in Speech and Debate and Englishmen

2010-11-07T11:50:00.000-08:00

I found this at http://www.zazzle.co.uk

I feel a bit like Michael Palin's character in Monty Python's Flying Circus' "Gumby Brain Surgery" sketch.

My brain hurts.

It was a long weekend for la Famille de Forrest. Super Son competed in a Congress Debate event whilst Professor X and I scurried about doing Speech and Debate Booster Club support activities, including judging some events. We heard some great stuff from a lot of wonderful young people. I especially love judging events like impromptu, where they're given a choice of three topics and have to choose one, then make up and deliver a speech on the spot. It takes guts to do this type of activity. It's been over a quarter of a century since I participated in speech and debate, and I can still remember how nervous I felt before each round, how my heart pounded and my stomach churned.

I had lots of good stuff I wanted to tell you about regarding the speech and debate topic, but I got distracted with hanging out with the kids and my man, going to the local fitness center to get more sleek, eating a great steak dinner grilled by the man, watching The Simpsons featuring Hugh Laurie and Daniel Radcliffe, and enjoying my new secret boyfriend, Benedict Cumberbatch, in his brilliant portrayal of Sherlock.

I was first introduced to him when I watched Fortysomething, a funny television series starring Hugh Laurie. Have a peek at some of the scenes with Cumberbatch. Hearing all those lovely British accents gets me very excited about our upcoming visit to the UK this summer. I do love me some Englishmen. You're just going to have to wait for my Speech and Debate recollections and observations, I'm afraid.

WTF Has Obama Done So Far?

2010-11-03T08:57:00.001-07:00

http://tomwatson.typepad.com/

I had prepared myself for bad news yesterday, so I wasn't shocked when the tide of red began to sweep the map. Still it was a blow when my own congressional district chose a woman who does not represent my values.

I've heard a lot of people say that the election of all these conservative candidates is a backlash against the President and the Democratic-controlled Congress.

I just don't get it. A backlash against what, precisely?

Significantly expanding Pell grants, which help low-income students pay for college?

Signing financial reform law establishing a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to look out for the interests of everyday Americans?

Signing financial reform law prohibiting banks from engaging in proprietary trading (trading the bank's own money to turn a profit, often in conflict with their customers' interests)?

Cutting prescription drug cost for medicare recipients by 50%?

Signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, restoring basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers?

Providing travel expenses to families of fallen soldiers to be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB?

Provided the Department of Veterans Affairs with more than $1.4 billion to improve services to America's Veterans?

Signing the Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, which provides health care to 11 million kids -- 4 million of whom were previously uninsured?

Or maybe it's something else?* God knows they've accomplished a lot in just two short years, after 8 years of an administration that screwed our environment, turned a surplus into a deficit, and sent our troops into wars that shouldn't have been started in the first place.

I am angry today. But unlike Sharron Angle, I don't intend to "resort to Second Amendment remedies." Instead, I take comfort in the fact that at least she and some of the other more obvious wackos didn't win. Still, Michele Bachmann is reelected. And that woman scares the shit out of me. You probably saw the footage of her interview with Chris Matthews. Here Matthews reflects on the interview. Shades of Joe McCarthy! I want to know WTF Minnesota voters are thinking. Seriously?

*Check this out for more examples:
http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com

Second Chances

2010-11-01T17:57:00.001-07:00

Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and
Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict

I have to tell you the sad news: I didn't win any of the Austen books in the giveaway I mentioned in my last post. But the good news is that the author is offering another giveaway! Check it out and watch a funny clip about chamber pots vs. toilets: http://janeaustenaddict.com

Laurie Viera Rigler is the author. She just visited Portland, but sadly, I didn't get to meet her. Though I volunteered to help at the JASNA AGM event, and worked at the registration table, our paths didn't cross. I wish now that I had coughed up the money for the event, but it was spendy and I'm saving for a trip to visit Jane Austen's home in England this summer. Life is all about choices.

Speaking of choices, I hope Laurie chooses me to win her books!

Fun Jane Austen Goodies

2010-10-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

I'm excited about the prospect of winning a pair of novels by Laurie Viera Rigler:

"Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict" and "Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict." I just learned of the contest at http://janeaustenaddict.com.

Go check out the website for details, and to watch a very clever video clip.

This has been a busy weekend for me - I helped with a great Halloween theatre event/fundraiser, and volunteered at the Annual Meeting of the Jane Austen Society of North America. When I'm less exhausted, I'll post some observations about it all.

For now, I've got my fingers crossed about winning these fun-sounding novels!

Don't Believe Everything You Read

2010-10-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

I am just going to say it:

A literal interpretation of this writing leads to absolute abominations.
Am I talking about Hustler? The Marquis de Sade's libertine novel Juliette? Joseph Goebbels' anti-Semitic ravings?

Nope.

It's the book that John Muir's father deemed “the only book human beings could possibly require,” the book that both Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama used to swear to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, the book that is so often quoted to justify hatred and violence.

I'm not just talking about loons like the Westboro Baptist Church, Rev. Donald Spitz or James Dobson. I'm thinking of people like a very nice lady who was my mom's friend, who took us out on her boat when the kids were little. Somehow we got into a discussion where she espoused the view that AIDS was God's punishment for homosexuality. I was as stunned as if she had mooned me and crapped on the deck. I disagreed with her politely (after all, we were on a boat, and I needed to get back on dry land eventually) and we moved on to other topics. But it was an epiphany for me. It's not just whack jobs like Dr. Laura who think this way.

I've been working on my upcoming Freedom of Religion class, reviewing popular culture films and television shows to serve as discussion starters. Here's a doozie on this theme.

I LOVE this clip. I love the writing. I love the delivery. And I have adored Martin Sheen since sixth grade, when a teacher screened The Missiles of October, in which he played Bobby Kennedy.

Just in case you can't get the clip to play, here's the script excerpt.

Bartlet: "Good. I like your show. I like how you call homosexuality ‘an abomination.'"

Jacobs: "I don't say homosexuality is an abomination Mr. President. The Bible does."

Bartlet: "Yes it does. Leviticus-"

Jacobs: "18:22."

Bartlet launches into an impassioned diatribe interspersed with shots of an uncomfortable Jacobs fidgeting: "Chapter and verse. I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? [silence in the room] While thinking about that can I ask another? My chief-of-staff, Leo McGarry, insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police?

"Here's one that's really important, 'cause we've got a lot of sports fans in this town. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean, Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side-by-side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you.

"One last thing. While you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the ignorant tight-ass club, in this building when the President stands, nobody sits."

This is not to say that I don't acknowledge there are lots of great lessons in the Bible. Many of my friends do wonderful things, helping others in amazing ways. They choose to focus on the aspect of love rather than be judgemental.

As a teacher and parent, I've been encouraged to foster critical thinking in learners and my own children. To comprehend, analyze and evaluate rather than simply swallowing whole everything I hear or read.

I find it troubling that some folks who rationalize their prejudices do so by contending they believe everything in the Bible, yet ignore many, many parts of it. If you're going to be a fundamentalist, I don't think you get to pick and choose.

Fangirl for a Redheaded Hamlet

2010-10-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

I have seen a LOT of plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival over the past 22 years.

I have NEVER seen the same one twice.

Until now.

I've endeavored to see every play with Dan Donohue since he joined the gang in 1994.

I've really enjoyed his comedic turns in roles like
Dvornichek in Tom Stoppard's ROUGH CROSSING
Andrew Aguecheek in TWELFTH NIGHT

Not to mention his incredible work in

the three year cycle playing Hal in HENRY IV, PARTS 1 & 2 and Henry in HENRY V.

This year, the man has outdone himself. He is totally hilarious as

Waiter in She Loves Me.

And he is amazingly masterful as

Hamlet in Hamlet.

So amazingly masterful, in fact, that I paid for tickets not just once, but TWICE.

And the family adored him just as much, so they did the same.

He is the most physical, funny, clever Hamlet ever. His intonations and expressions as he performs are so unique. They illuminate this character in a completely fresh, wonderful way. For the first time, I really gave a damn that SPOILER ALERT! Hamlet dies at the end.
We loved every minute of the play in August. And again a week ago.

We drove five hours down and five hours back in order to see him again.

And in between those five hour drives, we were thrilled to be rewarded for our wait by the stage door by him coming out and visiting with us. Even though he was clearly exhausted, he signed our programme and shook our hands, and permitted us to love on him for a few minutes.

I confess it. I am a fool for this actor.

Quick! Talk to Me About Free Speech

2010-09-19T01:30:00.000-07:00

I am putting the finishing touches on my course notes for the first class of
The Right to Offend: Freedom of Speech in America.

And I am just a wee bit panicky.

I feel like I'm overlooking something.

I'd love to hear from you, dear readers. If you were attending a community education course for mature learners (aged 55+) over the span of five weeks, meeting once a week for two hours, (ie we have ten hours to cover everything) what would you want to learn?

What topics would you find most interesting?

What specific examples of free speech issues in action would you enjoy discussing?

Use those free speech rights! Comment now!

I am all ears.

http://wrir.org/index.php?/blog/entry/1078/

Admittedly, this is not really a picture of me. But I thought it would make you laugh, and then maybe be more inclined to share your brain. Well, not your actual brain....just your ideas.

PS Bonus points for cool things I can share with the class. I found one neat clip tonight:

In Which I Confess My Prejudice

2010-09-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

Jane Austen is celebrating to learn that her most famous male character will be played by the best actor evah!

I am bursting at the seams to share some outstanding news with you. My brilliant son has been chosen by a pair of incredibly insightful directors to play (drumroll, please)

MR. DARCY

in Pride and Prejudice.

My stage mother instincts are in full gear. I am seriously thinking about buying a full page ad in Variety to announce this. I think the child is going to be absolutely incredible. But I am honest enough to admit that I am totally prejudiced.

Get it? Prejudiced? Ha ha ha. I am so hilarious.

I am also super proud.

Lord, Protect Me From Your Followers

2010-09-06T23:43:00.000-07:00

Photo found at parody site Landover Baptist Church. Sadly, the article link below is true.

I read this exciting newsflash tonight.

I try really hard to remember that many Christians I know are fantastic people. But when this kind of shit happens, I get sick to my stomach.

When we moved to the Pacific Northwest years ago, Professor X and I joined a church. We attended services, participated in the parents with young children group, helped with Vacation Bible School. One of the things I really loved about the whole deal was that the pastor who led the new member class spoke to us about his view that there are many paths which lead to heaven, that our denomination wasn't the only way. He was accepting of other religions and embraced learning about others' beliefs.

It seems like so many Christians now adopt the "my way or the highway" attitude when it comes to faith. And when I see behaviors ranging from a teen's thoughtless post attacking non-Christians to this sort of organized, pastor-led libricide, I wonder if we are headed for a real cataclysm.

I talked to a man tonight who clearly enjoys saying provocative things about politics and negative things about our current administration to elicit responses from others. One of my friends witnessed our exchange, and I think he was surprised I didn't bother to respond to the man, voicing my own opinion. Why bother? I have had experiences with such folks in the past, and it's a waste of my time.

We engaged in some further chitchat, and he said that politics was like armpits. "Both sides stink," he chortled, obviously considering himself a great wit. I was moved to comment that I liked the Irish system of government, with more than two parties, so that leaders were compelled to negotiate and form coalitions to create policy. I think that would be a good system to adopt here. He had no response. Apparently a serious discussion of alternatives wasn't fun.

My mom used to say that politics was a dirty business, and that our governmental system wasn't any good, but it was still better than any other nations'. Mind you, she hadn't studied any of the other countries' governments, but she was a proud American. We don't talk politics much these days, but I am betting her opinion hasn't changed much. I always thought it was kind of cool that other countries had different systems, and found some good in many of them that would be worthwhile for us to consider.

After reading tonight's disturbing news story, I can't help thinking that having multiple religions is a good thing too. With our current system of Democrat vs. Republicans, all too often people fall into a sort of sports fan mentality, cheering on "their team" rather than considering whether a policy is good or not. And when leaders of Dove World Outreach Center think it's okay to burn the holy books of another religion in a kind of fucked-up rally demonstration for their team, I am angry on behalf of the religion they're attacking.

Wickedness

2010-09-01T20:36:00.001-07:00

Photo by Jenny Graham, OSF
The Merchant of Venice, Anthony Heald and Jonathan Haugen

Can I share something with you? Today I read something that really ticked me off. It was posted as a high school girl's status update.

Corinthians 6:14~Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?

Give me a friggin' break.

I am so tired of some Christians' attitudes that they are better than anyone who is not a Christian. (Not to mention those who think they are better Christians than other Christians.) This particular phrasing the young woman employed has been used in many other places; a google search yielded over 600 hits.

We recently spent a glorious week down in Ashland (insert genuflection here) at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, seeing plays and attending discussions with actors and dramaturgs. I'll share more about the details in future posts, but I want to mention something specific here: my family's response to The Merchant of Venice. It was a brilliant production of a troubling play. Spoiler alert: Shylock, a Jewish moneylender in Venice, is forced to convert to Christianity in order to retain his property. Both kids were outraged at this turn of events. And they found it totally believable, given the intolerant, holier-than-thou attitudes of so many of their Christian peers.

I read a great piece about Anthony Heald, the actor who portrays Shylock. The first Jewish actor in the 75 year history of OSF to perform the role, Heald wrestled with many issues. I love his analysis:

"I think the biggest mistake is to present all the Christians as bigots and Shylock as noble. What that does is leave the suggestion that even noble Jews are capable of vicious acts. No -- Jewish people with psychological flaws, like Christians with psychological flaws, are capable of vicious acts."
Photo by Jamie Francis/The Oregonian
Oregon Shakespeare Festival actor Anthony Heald has found a rewarding home in Ashland, where he's become a key member of the talented company. Director Bill Rauch describes him as "a brilliant craftsperson" and a "seeker of the truth" through his art. ~caption from Marty Hughley's Oregonian article

I'd encourage Christians to really consider these words:

Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs,
dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with
the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject
to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means,
warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer
as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed?
If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us,
do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?
If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.
If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility?
Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his
sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge.
The villainy you teach me, I will execute,
and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.
(Act III, scene I)

Right on, Will.

I am sick of sanctimonious schmucks.

Departing Friends

2010-08-20T00:25:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling melancholy this evening, as I contemplate the upcoming move of a very good friend. Mama Milton is leaving our town, headed to a place a few hours away. I know that I will miss her very much, and Daring Daughter will miss her wonderful girl. But I've tried hard not to think about it since she broke the news. Like Scarlett O'Hara, I told myself I'd think about it tomorrow.

Very soon, there won't be any more tomorrows. She will be down the road, and I'll no longer be able to just call her up on the spur of the moment to get together.

This sucks.

But she will still be close enough that we can, with a bit of planning, rendezvous someplace between our homes. Or we can travel down a few hours to see her. Still, it is a loss, and I'm mourning.

There's another friend I met through blogging that I won't be able to visit. His name was Barry Fraser. He lived in Canada with his wife, and they had many adventures together. I discovered his wonderful storytelling and commented at his blog, An Explorer's View of Life. Soon, he was reciprocating. I always looked forward to his observations on my posts. We shared a love of nature, a willingness to protect it through environmental activism, and a progressive view of politics. Then he discovered he had cancer. And though he battled it with determination and grace, he passed away on July 20th.

His blog has a wonderful quote that gives me comfort. But I still miss him very much.

Obsessing

2010-08-11T02:31:00.000-07:00

Slightly pensive but still scrumptious

My heart goes pitty pat. He really is not that much younger than me.

When I was in college, I was quite disapproving of the behavior of my various roommates who played the same song over and over incessantly.

When I became a parent, I quickly grew resigned to the fact that my spawn would play the same video again and again nonstop.

But now that I am a (mostly) mature, well-rounded woman, I recognize there is nothing strange about watching a DVD eleven times in a three day period.

Not when it features Jason Bourne.

What took me so long to discover these films?!

Put that paper down and come to bed, honey.

One Fine Day aka Magic Bus

2010-08-05T00:02:00.000-07:00

photo from http://www.foodcartsportland.com/2010/08/01/creme-de-la-creme/

Because I am feeling ~~slightly pooped~~ très fatigué this evening - whoops, this morning (it is now 12:05 am) - I am going to rely on my exceptionally talented writer friend Bad Mom to share the deets of the early part of our day together.

Please go over here to enjoy her wonderful text and photos.

More later. Because she left out a ton of good stuff. She must be très fatigué aussi.

XOXO

Where Would You Go?

2010-07-17T03:36:00.001-07:00

Picture from http://www.perfectplaces.com/vacation-rentals/10871.htm

Professor X and I were talking today about the prospect of a sabbatical in a few years. We definitely want to go back to Europe; the entire family loved being there. Rather than renting a house for 9 months and then roaming around from place to place for two months as we did previously, we thought it might be better to rent houses in different places for 3 months at a time and roam for a couple.

For some reason right now, I am obsessed with the idea of France. I blame Facebook. The advertising gnomes put an ad for a vacation home in Domme into my sidebar. That area is my idea of heaven. I also loved the buildings of nearby Sarlat and the countryside. So I am lobbying for a French locale as one of our three.

Where would you stay if you could spend 3 or more months? It's time to share your travel fantasies.

Rejection Sucks

2010-07-11T15:46:00.000-07:00

Someone I love has just been rejected.
It makes my own heart ache; it gives me cause to reflect.
How hard it is to put yourself out there, to be hopeful, to make an offer of oneself.
How brutal it is to receive a "no, thanks," no matter how kindly given.
So now there is the licking of wounds, the questioning of one's self worth, the pain.

I think about my own hopes and dreams,
and resolve to do more to expose myself to rejection
because taking the safe path and not trying
might not be so dangerous
but it also yields no rewards.

Whether we are disappointed in love
or in our creative endeavors
it's a punch in the gut.

But if we keep trying like Dr. Seuss did,
remain as upbeat as Dante was about Beatrice
our hearts will heal and we'll be happy.

Still, there will be gloom despite the sunshine today.
As Charlie Brown so aptly observed,
when musing on the the lack of reciprocity from the red-haired girl:
"Nothing quite takes the taste out of peanut butter like unrequited love."

This song's for all of us who've had our hopes dashed. May it help the peanut butter taste better.

Say WHAT?

2010-07-11T02:25:00.000-07:00

So there we are in Ikea, after a satisfying dinner of 100 meatballs, mashed taters and lingonberries, when we decide to buy some stuff in the food department. And what does my husband get but a bag of this coffee. Our son read the name and could not stop laughing. Our daughter read it and cracked up. My husband was aghast that she found it amusing at her tender young age.

I asked her "Sweetie, why is that so funny?"

She said, "Mom! It's like that alien guy Robin Williams played! You know, Mork from Ork? Only it's Morkrost, like he's been ground into coffee beans and roasted!"

I am very confident that is NOT why our son was laughing.

I am also not entirely sure that she wasn't laughing for another reason too.

Embarrassment

2010-07-10T00:24:00.000-07:00

Fabulous graphic from http://blog.dogsounds.com/2010/02/01/judge-pwns-idiot-proves-dog-more-intelligent/

Have you ever really wanted to do something, but then decided that you didn't want to do it after all? And then you worry that your friends will think you are a complete and total flake and idiot and they won't want to be your friends anymore?

Of course, I'm totally just speaking hypothetically here.

See, I have a friend - we'll call her Spamtastic Sorryass - who saw a really nice desk and file cabinet that her friend's late father had owned, and thought "Wow, that would be great in my home!" So when she learned it would be part of the estate sale, she said "Oh, I definitely want that!" And she even wrote out a check for it. But then she realized that she didn't NEED the desk, she just WANTED the desk. She needed a bunch of other things instead. And she didn't even really have room for the desk. So she felt totally foolish. And she quickly called the estate sales person and asked that the desk be put back into the sale. And then she prayed that someone else would buy the desk. And now she is awake at half past midnight, freaking out that her friend will think she is a total spaz because she kept saying how much she wanted the desk previously.

What a pitiful person. Ha ha ha! Good thing this is just a hypothetical situation, right? It would totally suck to be stupid like that.

Yeah, it sure would.

On Unexpectedly Finding The Perfect Sentiments in a Hallmark© card

2010-06-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I agonize a bit when I need to purchase a birthday card. And not just because they have become obscenely expensive (I saw one for $7.99 at Walgreens yesterday) but because I want to make sure that it is THE PERFECT CARD.

The card that will make everyone laugh.
or
The card that will express everything that is in my heart.

The card that will let the recipient know that I am THE BEST FRIEND EVER/BEST DAUGHTER EVER/BEST SISTER EVER....
or
The card that will let the recipient know that he is THE BEST SON EVER.

I looked at a lot of cards that were very nice. I almost bought one; the message was nearly right, along the lines of how proud of him his Dad and I are.

But I kept scanning the rack for something better.

I almost didn't find it.

And then, tucked behind some envelopes, I spotted it:

FOR OUR SON
ON HIS BIRTHDAY

You know you're blessed
when you have a son
you really believe in -
when you look at him and see,
above all else,
the talent and the determination
to accomplish whatever
he puts his heart and his mind to.

That's the kind of son we have in you,
and if we could wish just one thing
for you on your birthday,
it would be this:

May you always believe in yourself
the way we believe in you.

Happy Birthday, Andrew. We know you will do great things, because you have already begun to do so.

Student Politics are not for Sissies

2010-05-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

http://laughingsquid.com/san-franciscos-answer-to-westboro-baptist-church/

Each time someone sends me a friend request on Facebook, I spend some time first thinking about whether I'm comfortable opening up myself to that person. It's not that I hide my political beliefs or my propensity to use bad language from those I know, but some of the requests I get are from people who may have just met me, and I might not have had a chance to exercise all of my colourful vocabulary in person.

It's a particular concern when I get friend requests from young people. Some of Super Son's friends have sent me requests. I like to think it is because they admire me as a brilliant conversationalist and potential mentor, a trendsetter whose style they want to emulate. Yeah....sure. It does make me wonder sometimes who else is reading my scintillating status updates and snarky comments to friends. Do groups of students gather around the computer of one who has friended me, eager to see what I've written? Not bloody likely. Are parents of some of these impressionable young persons reading my blathering, aghast at my wild liberal viewpoints on issues like health care reform, social justice and gay rights?

Possibly.

But I just can't lose a lot of sleep over what they think. Because although some of what I write and say is pure silliness, sometimes a tad racy (truthfully, not much worse than the level of a "that's what she said" joke), some of my posts and comments relate to my core beliefs and values. And if I'm not willing to state those positions and take action every once in a while, I'd be a pretty poor role model.

There are some evildoers from Westboro Baptist Church coming to my town, determined to picket at a local high school. You can read the details here. I posted the article on my Facebook page, and noticed that many of the local high schoolers were already doing the same thing. Word spreads pretty fast on the interwebs. Young people are organizing to take action to counter protest these haters and spread a message of acceptance and tolerance and love. Super Son is one of them. And I've volunteered to drive him and others - who have their parents' written permission (I am not stupid, after all) to the counter protest. I am proud of and impressed by these young people. They are standing up for what they believe. That takes guts. And I want to support them.

I believe there are bad guys and injustice in the world, and it's up to people like me to stand up to that to make things better. Now all I need to do is decide what to put on my counter protest sign. Leave your suggestions in the comments. The photo at the top of this post shows some examples of signs from another counter protest. They make me laugh. Laughing is good. I think God likes laughter, don't you?

Here's my theme song. What's yours?

What Would YOU Do?

2010-05-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

My second husband takes Stephen Hawking to task for his comments about time travel. Consider this my Cinco de Mayo gift to you. Enjoy with a nice glass of sangria. Then leave me a comment on this topic: What would you do if you could time travel?

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Stephen Hawking Is Such an A-Hole - Time Travel

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Fox News

Civic Courage

2010-05-02T00:45:00.000-07:00

As Super Son stays late after school each day, in rehearsals for The Wizard of Oz, (the story of a young girl's desperate struggle to return home to her beloved Uncle Henry), I am watching the news with great interest. Recently, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said something I thought was pretty darned smart:

Running a democracy takes a certain amount of civic courage.

The Oregonian editors wrote a great piece about the case involved. You can read it here. The case, Doe v. Reed, is from my home state of Washington. As the editors explain:

The court was wrestling with the nature of democracy vs. secrecy. At issue: whether people who sign ballot petitions should have a new right to add their names to ballot petitions -- anonymously.

I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, a place with some very interesting politics. It wasn't until I moved out west, first to Oregon and, later, to Washington, that I learned about the initative process. Professor X and I did quite a bit of research in the 1990's on Ballot Measure 9, a precursor to the recent Proposition Hate in California. Like those two measures, the one involved in this recent court case concerns gay rights. This little gem, which I'm happy to say was resoundingly rejected by the voters, sought to overturn domestic partnership protections for gay and lesbian couples. Petition signers didn't want the public to know about their bigotry and sought to have the names remain secret. The Oregonian observed that

But by signing their names on initiative or referendum petitions, people act as citizen legislators. Yes, in the age of the Internet, it may take some special courage to let your name hang out in the public square, but that is a minimal requirement of petitioning for a change in the law. ... Signers' names should be public in the same way that lawmakers' names, are public.

Years ago, I ~~had a mad crush on~~ ~~was crazy in love with~~ deeply admired one of my political science professors. Something he said has always stuck with me. Just a pithy little truism, I suppose. But that doesn't make it any less valid.

If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.

I believe firmly in the sentiments expressed by this quote of Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle:

Conviction is worthless unless it is converted into conduct.

A military man, my professor undoubtedly knew of the speech of General Douglas MacArthur, in which he stated:

Last, but by no means least, courage--moral courage, the courage of one's convictions, the courage to see things through. The world is in a constant conspiracy against the brave. It's the age-old struggle--the roar of the crowd on one side and the voice of your conscience on the other.

Maybe if people know that they can't anonymously seek to prevent others from having equal rights, they'll think again. They might ponder how their friends and neighbors would feel if their intolerance was public knowledge.

I've testified at many hearings and written many letters to the editor expressing my opinion about all sorts of issues. It's not always safe; sometimes those who disagree have confronted me and asked to take it outside. Once, I testified at a Forest Service hearing about wilderness areas and the need to protect some places from motorized vehicles. A motorcycle enthusiast got in my face when I was done speaking, and walked into the hallway with me so that he could explain that God created those wild places so that he could ride his noisy, stinky bike there. He phrased it a little differently, but he definitely mentioned that it was God's will. A friend I know testified at a hearing in Idaho on another environmental issue, only to find that his small car had been flipped upside down by angry opponents.

But we keep standing up and speaking out for what we believe.

Here's a lovely little clip from The Wizard of Oz. Just click your heels together, say "There's no place like an open democracy" and then click on the pic below.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, Super Son is playing the role of Uncle Henry. He's going to be awesome.

Sounds of Silence

2010-04-15T16:05:00.000-07:00

Image from SodaHead

Warning: Some of this may be offensive to some readers. For example, the incredible misspellings in a quoted Facebook status. Or maybe even the notion that someone can be so young and so bigoted. Read at your discretion.

So...here goes.

I have been extremely unsettled since I read a young man's status post on Facebook the other day. He wrote - no, wait. Let me share an interesting post (yes, it is related; I am not going off on a tangent) I read at Militant Ginger: Why do Christians hate Gay People?

Don't feel like clicking the link and reading the whole piece? Okay, slacker, I'll give you a good quote from it:

While certain Christians were instrumental in securing Civil Rights for African-Americans, the core support for racial segregation across the United States came from the majority of 'decent,' normal, Church-going Americans. The same people who are now protesting against gay marriage.
In fact, the scriptural arguments were quite similar, too - with the 'mark of Cain' often being interpreted as dark skin, thereby offering scriptural evidence to support the assumption that black people were spiritually inferior to whites.
Such scriptural interpretations were clearly just cynical attempts to hide racism and bigotry behind the legitimacy of religion. I honestly don't see how the Christian position on homosexuality is any different today.

The recent case of Constance McKinnen's prom (Don't know what I'm talking about? Have you been living in a cave?) illustrated a depressing demonstration of hateful homophobia by Christian churchgoers. Go over to Wisenheimer for a funny take on this story. No, really, go over there now and read it. I will wait.

That Courtenay has a way with words, doesn't she? Yes, this is related to what I began telling you about. It's not a tangent, I swear.

Okay, now back to the Facebook kid. He was writing in response to the Day of Silence on April 16th. Don't know what that's about? Don't feel bad; I didn't either. Here's how the group sponsoring it describes their mission:

The Day of Silence, a project of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), is a student-led day of action when concerned students take some form of a vow of silence to bring attention to the name-calling, bullying and harassment -- in effect, the silencing -- experienced by LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) students and their allies.

Sounds like a pretty damned good idea to me. I thought of my friend Mrs. Chili, and the posts she's done about the young men who were driven to suicide by such bullying. This is a worthy effort on behalf of a group who deserve better treatment. In the tradition of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., it was a good old fashioned non-violent protest. It was greeted by these compassionate words in this child's Facebook status:

Not participating in the Day Of Silence tomorrow. Honestly, there are bigger problems to rally for. 4,000 Children die every hour from starvation and I see no Day of Silence for THEM. Thousands of Christians and their families are tourtured, imprissoned, and killed every year and nobody says a word. But if gay couples aren't allowed to marry? OH NO!!! Lobby!!! Boycott!!! Rally!!!

I told you were were some serious misspellings. There is also a depressing lack of tolerance for his fellow man. What made it even more depressing to me was seeing that ten of his peers, including a girl I know, had clicked the "like" button. It shook me up to think that this girl agreed with such a bigoted view.

Kids, we need to respect each other. We can rally for more than one thing. We can help feed children and protect Christians from the lions and let gay folks get married. Of course, I'd argue that we should probably have fewer children so that there are not so many hungry mouths in the first place. But that's sort of a tangent. The point is that Christians should stop hating on gay people.

For some reason, I'm reminded of the poem "First they came" by Pastor Martin Niemoller. Often quoted, it describes the dangers of political apathy in response to fear and hatred which soon escalates out of control.

"THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

THEN THEY CAME for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant.

THEN THEY CAME for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up."

My son heightened my sense of anxiety about this current of hatred in our country when he talked this evening at dinner. He mentioned things he'd read in the news about the rise of militia groups and the threat of civil unrest in this country.

But that's all fodder for another post. I'm worn out right now (as you've probably already surmised by the rambling incoherency of this post) by the thought of young people I have met who are bullying those who are unlike them. From the things I've read about Jesus, I don't think he'd cotton much to their actions. I'm headed to bed now, with visions of a Ricky Ricardo-like Jesus greeting them some day beside St. Peter at the pearly gates "Kids, you got a lotta 'splaining to do! What part of " but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" did you not understand?

UPDATED!! Carry-on Douchebaggery is Afoot

2010-04-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kvatch found at The Travel Pirates: insiders giving you the coolest news,

tips and tricks about travel and the crazy business of travel
orig. from Blognonymous, which then switched to Ragebot - check them all out!

We rode Southwest Airlines to LAX on our recent trip to Disneyland. The fare was the cheapest and they don't charge for checked bags. I booked another trip elsewhere coming up and chose American because their fare was the same as Southwest's; I plan to only use carry-ons because they charge for checked bags.

But now my heart is filled with fear. I just read this story about an airline charging for carry-ons.

Bastards.

This part really kills me:

Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza said having fewer carry-on bags will help empty the plane faster. He said the idea is to get customers to pay for individual things they want, while keeping the base fare low.

"The beauty of it is they will do what they think is best for them and will now have the choice," he said.

The choice? How about the choice to not fly your feckin' airline, buddy? That's one choice this traveler will be exercising.

When we lived in Europe, Ryan Air was reknowned for super cheap fares. We flew them from Eire to the UK, and were amused at the attendants' antics hawking water for a euro, even selling lottery tickets and perfume to passengers. But this proposed policy goes beyond the pale. It's enough to make me say "Piss off!"

UPDATE! My second husband has a lot to say about this issue. Check him out at Colbert Nation.

Altering the Course of My Generation

2010-04-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

Funnel cakes. It's what's for dinner.

I haven't stepped on the scale since we returned from Disneyland, but I am officially ready to make some BIG changes around here. Sure, we walked our butts off for six days all over the Magic Kingdom, but we also ate Monte Cristo sandwiches, funnel cakes, ice cream sundaes and other treats. So our butts didn't actually get walked off. Nor did our guts. And I won't begin to tell you about my despair regarding my upper arms because some things should just remain private shames.

I'm not talking about Professor X (aka the Human Stringbean) or Super Son (who wants to tone up but is basically quite healthy). I am talking about beloved little daughter and me.

Today is the day I go to the grocery store and revolutionize how I shop. Veggies, lean meats, whole grains. And the day we go to the fitness center and begin healthy moves. My friends have been doing it for some time - running, shredding, working out and eating healthy. It's high time I jumped on the bandwagon. Or maybe it would be better to walk briskly alongside it. Heh! I might lose weight, but I will never lose my fabulous sense of humour.

I saw this today and wanted to share. I think it's inspiring!

Adventuring

2010-04-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

Kindly pardon my recent lack of posts;
we've been off gallivanting.

Five points if you can identify this location.

Change

2010-03-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

Back in the last millenia, when I was a debater, my coach told me that people favour the status quo. The presumption is always with the current system.

Even if things suck, we are creatures of habit. I used to joke that the reason Professor X and I had been married so long was that we were too lazy to go after something better. Don't get me wrong - I do love him and we have more fun than a barrel of monkeys most of the time - but we've also had a few moments of lifewouldbebetterapartitis, and there is an smidgen of truth to the notion that one reason we have endured is simply because we're afraid that being with a new person might be worse. I read an interview with Valerie Bertinelli about her breakup with Eddie Van Halen. She decided to leave him in 2001, yet didn't actually divorce him in 2005. She explained the time lag by saying "I'm a procrastinator."

People can recognize things aren't good, but they procrastinate on making changes. They worry that they'll rue their actions. Let us draw inspiration from brilliant songwriter Kevin Cronin, whose classic single from the You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish album reminds us

So if you're tired of the
Same old story
Turn some pages
I'll be here when you are ready
To roll with the changes

Let's watch the lads in R.E.O. Speedwagon sing this toe-tapping tune.

Man, that brings back some memories of my wild youth. I remember seeing these guys when I was in high school. Let me propose that this song be an anthem for all progressives who yearn to feel a sweet sun shower.

Yes, my fellow Americans, it is time to be brave and embrace the change that is upon us. The House of Representatives voted today to take some baby steps toward health care reform in our country, and I say Bravo!

I will have more thoughts on this tomorrow. I must nap now. Change is great, but a mite exhausting.

Céad Míle Fáilte!

2010-03-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

Chapel atop Croagh Patrick

St. Augustine's National School, Murrisk, County Mayo

Today is a special day for me and my family. Although we're not Catholic, our spirits are uplifted at the thought of this special saint's day. Many of you know that the Fabulous Forrest Family took a year-long sabbatical in Ireland. We lived in a magical place in the northwest corner of the Republic, in County Mayo, called Murrisk. The village was little more than a collection of homes strung out along Clew Bay, anchored by a small community center, an abbey and cemetery, and a couple of taverns.

And a school. There were two classrooms - one for pre K-2nd grade, the other for 3rd-6th grades. Our children were instantly welcomed there by the wonderful teachers and students, and Professor X and I made friends with their schoolmates' parents and the teachers.

We lived in a beautiful home at the foot of Croagh Patrick, a high mountain with a tiny chapel atop it. Legend had it that St. Patrick had climbed up, built a church there, and after fasting for 40 days, he threw a silver bell down the side of the mountain, knocking the she-demon Corra from the sky and banishing all the snakes from Ireland.

Our fireplace was often ablaze, filled with the loveliest smelling peat, as a wild wind raged outside. I miss the smells and sights of Ireland as much as the sounds. Such music they have! 'Tis fine, indeed.

Here's a clip of one of my favorite movies, Hear My Song. Here's some fun background information about it. It's got a brilliant soundtrack. Ned Beatty plays real Irish tenor Joseph Locke in a VERY loosely based version of Locke's last concert. Very cute Irish guy Adrian Dunbar plays a concert promoter who persuades Locke to come out of forced retirement (he was wanted by the Brits for tax evasion) and perform at a benefit for a London concert hall. This clip shows Locke (Beatty's voice is dubbed by Vernon Midgely) singing on the way over to England.

Another marvelous film related to Ireland is Waking Ned Devine. Some youtuber combined the last song in the film, a classic tune entitled The Parting Glass, with some photos of Ireland with a special emphasis on County Mayo. It's sung by Shaun Davey.

Oh, geez. I'm starting to get teary-eyed.

If you're wondering about my post title, it's Gaelic for A Hundred Thousand Welcomes. Which is what we received when we went to Eire. I remember so well one of my son's friends opening the door to his home when we came for supper one night. Young Matthew proclaimed to the four of us "Come in! You're very welcome!"

Now I'm REALLY getting all teary. We absolutely must go back and spend more time in that place. A piece of my heart is there.

Blogging and Porn - Addictive Behaviours 101

2010-03-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

from http://roflrazzi.com/2008/10/29/celebrity-pictures-hugh-laurie-robert-sean-leonard-trapeze-nice-touch/

I'm starting to prepare for my late spring teaching gig, and I'm beginning to wonder if I'm doing the right thing.

I'll be leading a course entitled Share Your Brilliance: Blogwriting for Beginners, and I'm worried it will create a classroom of addicts.

Last night, I tuned into House, MD with great interest; previews had revealed that the POTW (patient of the week) was a woman blogger. There were another subplot that intrigued me even more: House and Wilson were going speed dating. I couldn't wait for the funny to begin. Ultimately, I was a little disappointed because the speed dating bit was pretty short and most of the best parts were in the preview. Of course, when it comes to any opportunity to watch Hugh Laurie being clever, I am totally insatiable, so perhaps my expectations are unrealistic.

There was also SPOILER ALERT! a fabulous subplot about House discovering that Wilson had been in a porno movie when he was younger. House, being House, tormented poor Wilson mercilessly about this. It started when House rented three films from a local shop, Wilson returned them before House watched them, providing a flimsy excuse for doing so, piquing House's curiosity. House then re-rented and viewed them and spotted his colleague wearing a most fetching bear skin. There are more twists and turns, but you get the idea.

It was only later, after watching the addictive behavior of the blogger patient who felt she had to constantly post about every aspect of her life that I began to think about House and his actions related to porn. Sure, he jokes about it a lot, but renting the films shows he follows through. And three films? I mean, aren't they all basically the same thing? As Ronald Reagan observed about trees, you've seen one, you've seen 'em all. Aren't there better things to do with one's time? Better films to watch? Maybe even spend time with actual women?

My class has nothing to do with that type of addiction - unless my students intend to create racier content than I think they will. But it raises the same sorts of questions if students wind up falling down the rabbit hole of blogging addiction. The blogger character in last night's program talked about the sense of community and interaction with people through her blog. She was constantly grabbing her laptop to share new developments in her life, even as doctors struggled to figure out what was wrong with her. Her loving husband stood by, trying to talk with her and make decisions about the future as she turned away to communicate with Bloggyland. It was annoying. And I recognized some of the behaviors as my own.

This Sunday marked my second totally awesome Oscar Party at Bad Mom's house. A gang of super fun women gathered to watch the festivities, eat scrumptious food and drink amazing cocktails concocted by Bad Mom's wonderful husband. We dressed in our best red carpet finery (I chose black velvet, red lipstick and sparkling rhinestones) or incognito celebrity airport outfit. We laughed and gabbed in the classic tradition of what Professor X lovingly dubs a hen party. Except two of us were high tech hens. We hunted and pecked our keyboards, live blogging (on Facebook, don't look for it here) the Oscar action. We also multi-tasked, chatting to each other from our laptops although we sat a mere foot apart.

We had ginormous fun. But are we losing that personal connection? Are we becoming so dependent on our little silver devices that we're not able to interact properly? Am I going to spread this type of aberrant behavior by teaching the class? Is this the downfall of society?

Stay tuned for more thoughts on this troubling topic.

Some brilliant youtube producer combined clips from House with the stirring song "The Internet is For Porn" from Avenue Q - Enjoy!

Just Get Through the Goddamned Day

2010-03-06T08:31:00.000-08:00

A few times in my life I've had moments of absolute clarity, when for a few brief seconds the silence drowns out the noise and I can feel rather than think, and things seem so sharp and the world seems so fresh. I can never make these moments last. I cling to them, but like everything, they fade. I have lived my life on these moments. They pull me back to the present, and I realize that everything is exactly the way it was meant to be.

~ George Falconer in A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood

Orchestral music reminiscent of Hitchcock's very best soundtracks plays throughout the trailer for one of the best dramatic movies ever. I love everything about this film - the superb acting, the cinematography, the art direction.... If his role in A Single Man is not recognized with an Oscar for Colin Firth, I will be extremely displeased.

You catch yourself holding your breath while you watch this movie, knowing that something terrible is going to happen; with the knowledge that something terrible has already happened. In the same way that filmmakers captured Robert Downey Jr's Sherlock Holmes' viewpoint in the restaurant scene - the sharp focus on details that were almost unbearably overwhelming to a character in a heightened state of awareness - A Single Man achieves this continuously. It is quite a feat to behold.

The soundtrack is so hauntingly lovely. It's a travesty this didn't receive a nomination. Composers Abel Korzeniowski & Shigeru Umebayashi are brilliant. You really should immediately buy the entire score - check it out beginning with the first track here. The taut piece underlying the trailer is A Clock Tick. Others, like Stillness of the Mind, are achingly sad.

The writing is beautiful, so well crafted. It doesn't hurt that it's delivered by such a ~~drop-dead gorgeous Brit~~ ~~total babe~~ fine actor.

55 Seconds of Fame

2010-03-03T15:30:00.001-08:00

Thanks to the miracle of modern technology, I can share my boy's moment of glory as he opened Monday's session of the Washington State Senate. I won't tell you how many times I have played this. Let's just say it was a few. Quite a few.

A New Chapter - Or At Least a New Page

2010-03-01T00:02:00.000-08:00

Super Son has left the building...at least, temporarily. He's gone off for a week to serve as a Page in the Washington State Senate. It's going to be a great experience.

Daring Daughter, Professor X and I are missing him. This is the first time he's been away for that long. The four of us do so much together - go to movies, plays, concerts, play board games, cook, laugh - that it feels very weird not to have him here. It's like the comfy chair of our family has lost one leg. Pretty soon we'll figure out how to be a three-legged stool, and we'll have a good time for the next few days. But this gives me a hint of what things will be like in three years when he goes away to college. And I don't like it, not one little bit.

Limits To My Bossiness

2010-02-25T07:57:00.000-08:00

I opened my email this morning and was greeted by an action alert from CREDO. The subject line read

Tell Chevron: Clean up your toxic mess in Ecuador.

I am sure this is an important problem, that there are many people whose health is affected by the dirty deeds of this corporation. But I just don't have the energy to click on yet another link and sign yet another petition to chastise yet another evildoer for their evil deeds.

As it is, I am losing the will to tell my daughter to clean up the toxic mess in her room. And that impacts me a whole lot more than Ecuadorian messes.

I have to confess that I question whether the petitions that I'm constantly urged to sign -

Tell Starbucks: Offer espresso shots, not gunshot!

Stop the corporate takeover of our government!

Tell the Obama Administration to Protect America's Wetlands!

really make a difference.

I'm still idealistic enough to think that submitting a public comment at a government hearing can have an impact. And an issue like Monsanto's dangerous genetic engineering of crops moves me to take action:

Stop Monsanto's GMO Contamination

But there is a tiny voice inside that says I can be as activist as I want and it won't matter. That the moneyed interests will always win. I know that's not true; I've worked on enough political campaigns to know that it makes a difference who is leading us because they can prevent some of the bad things from happening. If the bad guys get their candidates into office, it will be so much easier for them to perpetrate their nefariousness.

So I'll remain involved in the electoral process to support good candidates, and endeavor to communicate with them and their staffs when an issue comes to my attention. But I can't split myself in two, and right now, I need to tell my daughter to clean her room.

Hmm....do you think a petition would help?

Please add your comments and sign my petition below to call on Daring Daughter to clean her room.

I am writing in regard to the room at the top of the stairs, and I demand that Daring Daughter reject a life of messiness. DD may not believe it matters if her room is a pigsty, but I certainly do.

Homes must be free of the threat of contamination and DD must not put her fellow family members lives at risk. This is unacceptable.

Please do everything in your power to restore the strength of the home's cleanliness - and please do so quickly.

Yeah, I don't think petitions are effective. And I can't just elect a new candidate for daughter...

I'm really screwed.

Love Train

2010-02-19T09:54:00.000-08:00

Photo by Box of Badgers - click link for a fabulous set of pics!

I've been visiting some bloggy friends lately. I went over to Miss Healthypants' place and read a funny post about her husband, Iwanski, and his obsession with a television program about trains. They are both wonderful writers and have a most lovely relationship.

Then I went over to The Jason Show and read a great post entitled Love Yourself. He makes the point that - well, let's let him tell you himself:

I fully subscribe the the notion that you must make your own happiness, one way or another. You're in charge. If you're not happy, then get happy. Happiness takes work. If you're not willing to do the work to get happy, then don't complain about your misery!

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you have to love yourself. My mom often observes that ultimately, you have to be able to look yourself in the mirror and like what you see. She also claims that the most satisfying way to find a mate is not to look for one. Instead, she believes that pursuing the things you enjoy and finding fun leads to meeting someone special to love.

So, oddly enough, my final romantic movie couple isn't really a couple. It's a woman who comes into her own, who thinks she needs a man, but learns to relax and enjoy life and love others without worrying about pairing up.

Diane Lane is outstanding as writer Frances Mayes, whose book Under the Tuscan Sun was made into a movie. There were several liberties taken with the truth of Mayes' memoir in developing the screenplay, but who cares? The message is lovely.

Warning: This clip includes plot revelations at the end of the movie, so if you haven't seen it and want to be surprised, don't watch it. Just go out and rent it. Immediately!

Don't you just love the words in this? And aren't they unbelievably true?

They say they built the train tracks over the Alps between Vienna and Venice before there was a train that could make the trip. They built it anyway; they knew one day the train would come.

Any arbitrary turning along the way, and I would be elsewhere, I would be different.

Unthinkably good things can happen, even late in the game; it's such a surprise.

The Heights of Passion

2010-02-17T07:01:00.000-08:00

Julia and Paul Child

Until she fell in love after my dad died, my 5'6" mom had never seriously considered any man who was shorter than her. A woman who was even a little taller than a romantic partner didn't match her image of an ideal couple.

Julia Child was 6'2". Her husband Paul was shorter. But by all accounts, including their own personal letters, they had one smokin' hot marriage.

I LOVE this picture of the Childs from goddessofpurple's journal: Comforting The Disturbed And Disturbing The Comfortable

I'd never really thought about Julia Child until the recent Meryl Streep film came out, and I certainly didn't wonder about her husband; in fact, I'd assumed she was unmarried, a woman devoted to her career.

Streep perfectly captures Julia's unselfconscious joie de vivre. I have long adored Stanley Tucci, the actor who plays her husband. He assumes a refined, urbane manner, but you can tell that there is something very physical simmering just under the surface. I loved Kim Linekin's review on MSN entertainment entitled Memorable movie make-outs of 2009:

They may be middle-aged and married for a long time, but that doesn't mean that Julia Child and her hubbie can't get it on in the middle of the day. The sight of Streep and Tucci kissing - first giggly, then passionately, then falling onto the bed together and stripping down - is refreshing in its naturalness. It's also bracing in its rarity.

There are a few wonderful bedroom scenes in this movie, but I really loved the everyday moments - in a park, a restaurant, the kitchen - that showed their deep commitment to each other.

Tucci's performance in this clip chokes me up a little bit. It's so sincere. Wouldn't you love to have a man declare his feelings for you this way? Tucci talks about the Childs' relationship here. Ooh, I love this guy!

It's idealized, of course, being a movie. Perhaps he fooled around. Or they had periods of estrangement and fights. I don't really care. The fact is that they stayed together and had fun. The film recreates some of the more memorable photographs they sent to friends:

I found this at a post entitled The Saucy Sex Life of Julia Child, at the wonderful blog Go Retro! whose motto is
"Preserving the people, places, and things from the pop culture past...because some of us still believe in yesterday."

Here are some fun facts about the film from the fine people at IMDB for my fellow movie buffs:

Because of Meryl Streep's height (5'6") several camera/set/costume tricks had to be employed to mimic Julia Child's height (6'2"). Countertops were lowered, Streep wore extra high heels, and forced perspective camera angles were used. Stanley Tucci is actually taller than Streep at 5'8"
Eric Powell's quote ("I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by") was originally made by Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005). Eric explains this himself, immediately after delivering the line.
Julia Prud'homme, who plays the bridge teacher in the film, is Julia Child's grand-niece.
Paul Child was 10 years older than Julia, however in reality Meryl Streep is 11 years older than Stanley Tucci.

Finally, a tasty treat for you - John Lopez at Vanity Fair made a clever recut trailer for Julie and Julia that makes me giggle every time I watch it.

People who love each other can reach great heights, regardless of their individual heights.

Chemical Attraction

2010-02-15T17:54:00.000-08:00

It's an odd thing, chemistry. Some movie couples have it; some don't. What fascinates me is when real life couples appear together as romantic leads, some simply don't have it. I've previously posted about how marvelous William Powell and Myrna Loy were as Nick and Nora Charles in The Thin Man series and how, in comparison, his real-life wife Carole Lombard and he didn't click nearly as well in My Man Godfrey.

Of course, even if real life couples are able to make the screen sizzle, sometimes their marriages falter. Consider these examples:

I loved the Taylor-Burton pairing in Zeffirelli's Taming of the Shrew (although the storyline is slightly problematic for me in comparison to some of the Bard's other plays, they made it work).

One of my very favorite couples, Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh, had fantastic chemistry in the aforementioned Much Ado as well as the superb version of Henry V.

They also starred together in one of my all time favorite little-known mysteries, Dead Again, loaded with twists and turns:

Chemistry is tricky. I'm reminded of Justice Potter Stewart's attempt to explain "hard-core" pornography, or what is obscene, by saying, "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced . . . [b]ut I know it when I see it . . . "

These three couples had chemistry. Sometimes it was like adding vinegar to baking soda, bubbling merrily along; sometimes it was more like adding Mentos ® to Diet Coke ® - explosive. But it was always a blast to watch.

Prolonging the Pleasure

2010-02-15T12:31:00.000-08:00

I know I promised you the second five of my favorite romantic cinematic couples, but after the wonderful comments I received yesterday, I've decided to dole them out slowly so that you can savour the sweetness.

The Big Easy is one of my all-time favorite crime thrillers. It's stylish, sexy and smart. Again, the stars are from the same generation - hell, they were born only 7 days apart! Dennis Quaid is a human aphrodisiac. Ellen Barkin is smokin' hot. The film features one of the most scorching clothed sex scenes in the history of mankind.

In this clip, Ann Osborne, an attorney in the DA's office, has been brought by some New Orleans policemen to a party celebrating officer Remy McSwain's acquittal on corruption charges. I love the way they move together as they dance. And I love the way she inspires him to become a better person by the end of the film.

Fuggedabout Romeo and Juliet

2010-02-14T14:47:00.000-08:00

Screw tragic young love; the sadder but wiser pairing for me. In honour of St. Valentines Day, I offer my top ten favorite romantic couples.

1. Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. Thompson and Branagh were a gorgeous couple. Here's a fun fan vid with some clips from the film.

2. Will Shakespeare and Viola De Lesseps in Shakespeare in Love. Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow are sublime. Here's the wonderful trailer.

3. Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn as divorced couple Dexter and Tracy in Philadelphia Story. Check out this lovely clip of the two of them discussing their failed marriage.

4. Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal as Judy and Howard in the madcap comedy What's Up Doc? I love this scene so much! She is incredible. So high energy and funny.

5. Hugh Laurie and Joely Richardson as Sam and Lucy in Maybe Baby. In this clip, he recites Shakespeare's Sonnet 116. Don't worry; he doesn't look like that throughout the whole movie. But his voice certainly is delightful no matter what.

I think I'll wait until tomorrow to share the other five. Now some ruminations:

When I was younger, I adored many different films for their romantic couplings, usually featuring much older men with a young actress. Christopher Plummer's Captain in Sound of Music, Rex Harrison's Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, Cary Grant as cat burglar John Robie in To Catch a Thief, and so forth. But as I've gotten older, it's less my ideal. Sure, I'm still nuts about 60-somethings Alan Rickman and Richard Thompson, but I think a maximum ten year difference is optimal.

What do you think? Who are your favorite film couples? More importantly, why?

Describing Yourself

2010-02-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

We continue with our series on The Practice of Pigeonholing People: Normal Human Behavior or Evil Plot to Drive Us Crazy?

But first, an update:

Today's Facebook offerings on Super Son included a new moniker by a classmate; he is characterized as "Someone who will always make you LOL."

This struck a nerve, because I was recently given a mug which read LOL.

Let me explain.

I am a member of a ~~secret cabal~~ ~~select few~~ small gang of sassy women who have dubbed ourselves "The Smart Girls Club." (Our unofficial name is too rude to post on my blog.) At Christmas, we had a small gift exchange, and one of the women gave us each cute coffee mugs with text messages imprinted on the sides. One had XOX, another had BFF. I can't remember what the others had. I received LOL. Presumably, she chose them based on our personalities. For one brief moment, I was envious of the other women. Were they more lovable than me?

Then I got over it.

It's not so bad to be known as the one who makes people laugh. It beats the hell out of being the one that makes people depressed or disgusted.

Sure, it's nice to be recognized as multi-talented, gorgeous, brilliant...but I'll settle for being funny. Especially since my friends also let me know that they think I am kind and smart.

High school kids are not typically as good as my buddies at satisfying their friends' need for recognition of more than one attribute. And maybe the need isn't as great in some of them. Some might be very content to be acknowledged in any way, for anything.

I told Super Son that he should be grateful he's considered the funny one. It shows that people admire his wit, and share his sense of humour. There are a lot of professional actors who would kill for his ability to improvise and his clever mind. There are many actors and actresses who agonize about not being taken seriously because they are primarily admired for their looks. Many who are considered sex symbols deliberately choose parts that cast them as plain or even downright strange or ugly characters to shed the stereotype.

Consider, for example, this:
Well, maybe it's not the very best example, since Johnny Depp's Edward still attracts a girl. But surely this one shows the actor's willingness to be utterly unattractive.

His Willy Wonka was just creepy.

I love Johnny Depp, especially in his Jack Sparrow persona, but I'd pick the funny guy who preceded him in the first film version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory any day of the week.

How about you? How important is it to you that someone has the ability to make you laugh?

The Funny Guy's Fear

2010-01-28T10:12:00.000-08:00

My children are dramatic.

And talented.

Daring Daughter accepts plaudits in stride, acknowledging them as her due. But Super Son is suspicious of anyone who compliments him. When someone says he's done a great job, he thinks they're saying it out of pity. When, at a recent theatre showcase, schoolmates loudly applauded the announcement of his status as "Most Inspirational Actor," he later asked me "Do you think they did it to mock me?"

This wears me out.

His latest ~~psychosis~~ ~~bizarre behavior~~ concern is that people only view him as "The Funny Guy." This is exacerbated by the fact that various friends - horrors! - comment that he is so funny. Others pile on when they post compilations of cartoon characters on their Facebook pages and then label the pictures with friends' names to attribute a given trait they believe the friend shares with the character. Super Son has been named "clown," "someone who makes you laugh till you hurt," "a boy that makes you laugh," "your wildest friend", "the sarcastic one," and "the funny friend."

I was going to share some marvelous quote about stereotyping with you, but none of them really addressed this sort of thing. So I looked for "pigeonholed" and found a nice one from director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road):

Actors get pigeonholed very quickly, particularly movie actors. In the theater, one is more used to casting people against type and trusting that their talent and skill will get them through.

The more I thought about it, "typecasting" really describes the problem my son is encountering (or thinks he's encountering - more on that later). So I dutifully searched for "typecasting" and found an absolute beaut by Bert Lahr:

After The Wizard Of Oz I was typecast as a lion, and there aren't all that many parts for lions.

This is particularly appropriate because Super Son is auditioning for The Wizard of Oz. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him, but since he had such a big role in the fall play, he may not receive a similarly juicy part this time.

I've got a lot more to say about this, but I'm going to feed it to you in bite-size pieces. Consider this your first piece of a multi-part rumination on my teen's angst.
You may wish to invest in a bottle of Tums to assist in its digestion.

Speechifying in Not-So-Secret Society

2010-01-24T14:04:00.000-08:00

I've been neglecting you. I'm sorry. But I've been pretty busy. Super Son has decided to expand his repertoire of accomplishments by engaging in speech and debate, and I've gotten involved as a judge.

My Mom and I were on the phone tonight, and she was all excited about some sort of game with a guy named Favre. She mentioned the NFL. For me, the only NFL is the National Forensic League.

Back in the time of the dinosaurs, I was a high school debater. Some time I will dig out my old high school yearbooks to find the picture of a cocky teenaged me, leaning on a podium with one eyebrow raised in my best "why, yes, I DO know it all" expression.

Meanwhile, you'll have to just use your imagination and believe me when I say I was a debater.

A master debater.

Heh. That is a debate joke. Get it? We debaters are so risqué.

Anyhoo, Super Son attended a tournament last weekend to see what speech and debate events were all about, and the coach accepted my offer to serve as a judge. It's been a few decades since I've done it - I debated in college and often was hired as high school judge - but I felt very much at home in the setting of smart, well spoken, nervous, excited and opinionated young people. They do a slightly different type of debate than I did in the midwest. I was taught to do extensive research and debate a specific policy by examining a particular plan that served as an example of the policy area. We relied heavily upon quotes of experts and talked a mile a minute.

This area generally uses a less intense format. Lincoln-Douglas Debate is one on one and has shorter speeches and is more value-oriented. Instead of one topic for the year, they change topics every two months. Public Forum Debate topics change monthly, (characterized by National Forensic League as "ripped from newspaper headlines) and the format uses two person teams. The local high schools also offer Congress Debate - students serve as senators and speechify for or against proposed legislation.

Super Son chose the last type as his debut into this strange new world this Friday.

Meanwhile, I was once again busy judging a gazillion different events. I was impressed with how much effort the students put into their presentations. Every once in a while, there was someone who clearly stood out, or someone who choked. By and large, though, they were grouped closely in skill.

Which made it damned hard to judge.

Judges have to rank order competitors and assign speaker points to them. I tried to be as careful as possible, but it really is a subjective thing in many cases. Criterion such as "Persuasive" is an awfully personal measurement. You can easily assess someone's height as it relates to another person's with a ruler. But where is the persuasiveness tool?

Each of those young people wanted to be the best. Or maybe they were just enjoying the opportunity to participate. That was certainly the case for my boy. He didn't expect to win anything. After all, it was his first time.

He had an opportunity to compose and give a speech about a piece of legislation related to third term abortions. Heavy stuff. It's only been about a year since he even knew what an abortion is; we'd talked about it when he heard a reference on the news. He'd hoped to deliver a speech he'd written about gun control, but the Senate got bogged down in something else and they ran out of time. It was a good lesson; heavens knows the real legislatures sometimes endlessly talk about issues and don't make progress.

He's going back for more in two weeks, this time as a Public Forum debater. The topic is
Resolved: In the United States, organized political lobbying does more harm than good.

I'm eager to hear what he thinks.

The circle is now complete.

Formula For Success?

2010-01-11T12:15:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Kathy Amen of Hometown Tourist, winner of twenty points in the competition to identify the man in the photograph in my previous post.

Although she didn't reveal the secret of her methods in making a spot on "random guess," I have my suspicions. You see, Kathy is a government information librarian, and I believe her brain is extra well developed to take a simple hint (a logical subject to explore for my upcoming American Dream class) and rifle through her mental card catalog of people who might relate to this topic. Though we've never met, I imagine Kathy is a match for the wonderful Katherine Hepburn character in Desk Set. A researcher extraordinaire, with a vast range of knowledge, able to make connections and understand how things relate.

The subject in the photo was Horatio Alger, Jr. His connection with the concept of the American Dream is found by examining the dominant theme of the novel series he wrote in the late 1800's. Columbia University Encyclopedia defines his work thusly: By leading exemplary lives, struggling valiantly against poverty and adversity, Alger's heroes gain wealth and honor. Wikipedia elaborates:

Many of Alger's works have been described as rags to riches stories, illustrating how down-and-out boys might be able to achieve the American Dream of wealth and success through hard work, courage, determination, and concern for others. This widely held view involves Alger's characters achieving extreme wealth and the subsequent remediation of their "old ghosts." Alger is noted as a significant figure in the history of American cultural and social ideals.

His first popular novel, Ragged Dick, was serialized in 1867. In the intervening 143 years, Alger's work has become synonymous with the concept of someone who achieves the American Dream. The term "He's a real Horatio Alger story" is frequently applied to anyone who makes it big from modest beginnings.

Numerous sources on the internet and in print repeat a few basic phrases in defining a formulaic Horatio Alger story: rags to riches, a rise from poverty to wealth through sheer determination and good works. But the truth is that there's a key element that's left out of these definitions. Stephan Kanfer notes in Horatio Alger: The Moral of the Story:

Virtually all the narratives followed the template of his earlier efforts: a youth is beset by destitution and the temptations of the wicked city. Soon he is betrayed by a trusted associate. But with the help of a wise mentor he picks himself up, dusts himself off, and, with honesty and diligence, ultimately triumphs over circumstance. That was what Alger's public demanded, and he saw no reason to disappoint them.

Wikipedia explains the "mentor" factor:

In fact, the theme became synonymous with Alger, whose formula for success was based on luck, pluck, and virtue.
Essentially, all of Alger's early novels are the same: a young boy struggles to escape poverty through hard work and clean living. However, it is not the hard work and clean living that rescue the boy from his situation, but rather a wealthy older gentleman, who admires the boy as a result of some extraordinary act of bravery or honesty that the boy has performed. For example, the boy might rescue a child from an overturned carriage or find and return the man's stolen watch. Often the older man takes the boy into his home as a ward or companion.

Why is this "helping hand" usually ignored? It's a critical factor, and should help to guide public policy. Instead, the dominant perspective is that if you are honest and hardworking, you'll get ahead.

I was, naturally, curious to know if this mirrored Alger's own life. Was his life a rags to riches story?

What I read surprised the heck out of me. I'd never heard it before. Professor X, who often seems to know everything, was totally ignorant. Even my Mom, who was well familiar with the term Horatio Alger story, didn't know this explosive tidbit.

Have I built up suspense enough? Are you dying of curiosity? Never fear; I am here to ~~titillate~~ enlighten and ~~astound~~ educate you.

Horatio Alger Jr. was the son of a Unitarian minister. He graduated from Harvard and had mediocre success as a book and magazine writer, so he went back to school - Harvard Divinity School - and was hired as a minister on Cape Cod for a Unitarian Church. Then some of his young (13 year old) male parishioners accused him of molestation. An investigation yielded charges of "the abominable and revolting crime of gross familiarity with boys," and Alger was permitted to resign, with the stipulation that he leave town and never serve as a minister again.

Wow.

Kind of makes you wonder about the title of his first novel. Admit it, you snickered when you read the title on the illustration above.

This sure puts a sinister spin on the whole wealthy older man mentor thing, don't you think?

Alger moved to NYC and spent a great deal of time with impoverished young men (hmmm) and began writing for journals of moral literature for children. Although his work was wildly successful (think Stephen King's sales of his day), Alger never became rich. He died in 1899 at the age of 67. Upon his death, his sister destroyed all his personal papers. (hmmm)

I'll bet you that 99% of the journalists and writers who employ the term "Horatio Alger story" have no clue about these aspects of his life.

Wow. Just....WOW.

2010-01-08T22:16:00.000-08:00

Twenty points if you can name this man. I was researching my course materials for the upcoming American Dream class and he was a logical subject to explore. He's obviously from a period before my time, so I used the Google machine and read a bit.

Wow.

I discovered that he was accused of acts that shed a totally different light on his work. The common popular culture references to him that I've seen never mentioned this behavior. Maybe I lead a sheltered life. But I'd be curious to know if any of you knew about his background.

Mystified? I'll give you a few days to see if you can figure it out. Then I'll post the details. I can't wait to find out if my students are aware of this.

Defining the American Dream

2010-01-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

Image from http://blog.timesunion.com/brownskinlady/real-talk-the-new-american-dream/653/

I am excited to announce that I've succeeded in my quest to get a course proposal accepted! It will be offered this February, and I'm busy collecting all kinds of good things to share and discuss.

Here's a peek at the basic idea, subject to minor alterations.
As always, I welcome your suggestions.

The American Dream: How Has It Changed?

We'll engage in a bit of "dream analysis" as we examine this question. David Kamp's essay, Rethinking the American Dream, suggests there's been a shift in our national aspirations from “a set of deeply held ideals rather than a checklist of goals or entitlements.” Kamp, an editor at Vanity Fair, noted in April:

As a people, we Americans are unique in having such a thing, a more or less Official National Dream. (There is no correspondingly stirring Canadian Dream or Slovakian Dream.) It is part of our charter—as articulated in the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence, in the famous bit about “certain unalienable Rights” that include “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”—and it is what makes our country and our way of life attractive and magnetic to people in other lands.

We'll use several short readings to stimulate discussion about The American Dream, including passages from John Kenneth Galbraith's 1958 book The Affluent Society and Henry Luce's 1941 essay “The American Century” in Life. The class will also watch the Academy Award-winning documentary American Dream, and some popular culture films which depict the issue such as the classic Depression tale Grapes of Wrath, to The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and The Honeymooners to Hollywood documentary Frank Capra's American Dream to the contemporary The Namesake about immigrants from India seeking a better life in the US.

Resolution Inspiration

2010-01-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

I've got a new role model.

This guy has a ton of talent.

He's a great storyteller.

His work is phenomenally popular.

Don't recognize him? That would be because he's been successful at dropping 70 pounds.

I'd like to do that, too.

I know I can do it. My friend Mama Milton has offered to share her Zumba magic with me, and I am ready to make food changes.

Even the ~~smallest~~ heaviest person can change the course of the future.

This post is prompted by my membership in Club HASAY. Go check it out!

Peter Jackson is a great inspiration to me on another count as well; he has achieved great creative things. Yes, I know King Kong was not the best movie ever, but Lord of the Rings was wonderful. If I can write something 1/1,000,000th as good, I'll be happy even if I then write a flop. So today, I am waving goodbye to the family and going off to write for several hours. Tomorrow, I'll do it again. And the next day, and the next..... One bit at a time, right?

2010 is going to be big, I tell you, BIG! And I'll be getting smaller.

Auld Lang Syne

2009-12-31T18:30:00.000-08:00

So long, 2009. You had some stellar moments and some sad times, but I'm glad I knew you. I'm looking forward to meeting your replacement, and have high hopes for amazing things.

To commemorate the personnel change, I'd like to offer a few clips. The first is just silly, as only Bill Crystal can do it:

The next is great rockin' out music, New Years Day by U2 performed live at Slane Castle. My friend Patricia has tickets to see the lads here in Washington soon; I am trying hard not to be insanely jealous. So far, no luck with that. But it won't harm our friendship, so it's okay.

Finally, I offer a genuine Scottish singer, Dougie MacLean, to sing Robert Burns' classic. Wonder if Burns realized we'd be singing (and grossly mispronouncing) his poem two hundred and twenty one years after he penned it.

May 2010 be a wonderful year for all of you. XO

Bondage Through The Ages

2009-12-30T19:39:00.000-08:00

Nice, and not too expensive.

Growing up, I was infrequently subjected to the bizarre ritual of boys reciting Monty Python lines to each other. One would break out with a declaration that

Strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.

Another would respond, with a gleam in his eye

We are the Knights who say "Ni"!

To which the retort rang out

No! Not the Knights who say "Ni"! Those who see them seldom live to tell the tale!

Then the query

Oh Knights of Ni, we are simple travelers who seek the land beyond this forest. May we pass?

Retort:

Ni! Ni! Ni! Ni! We shall say "Ni" to you if you do not appease us.

Query:

But... what is it you want?

Answer:

We want..... A SHRUBBERY!!!!

Gales of laughter would greet this pronouncement. Then one particularly adept boy would proclaim boldly:

What sad times are these when passing ruffians can say Ni at will to old ladies. There is a pestilence upon this land, nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history.

To which his friend would inevitably reply

Did you say shrubberies?

This was guaranteed to elicit the response

Yes, shrubberies are my trade. I am a shrubber. My name is Roger the Shrubber. I arrange, design, and sell shrubberies.

My experience clearly was not an isolated phenomenon. Google reveals 2,060,000 search results for boys who recite monty python lines. Madness, I tell you, madness. At least, I thought so until I got older and began quoting favorite lines from movies to friends.

These shared little bits of cultural literacy are the golden chains of friendship. I was reminded of that recently when we went out to dinner with a friend and her husband. He seemed like a nice person, but was somewhat detached from the conversation until I made a chance remark. One of us had mentioned all the Russian immigrant students who go to our kids' schools. Then someone made a joke that they were taking over the Pacific Northwest, so we'd better all learn Russian. Without even really thinking about it, I blurted out "Wolverines!" This man's face lit up like he'd just received the best present ever. He laughed and became more engaged in the discussion.

After 25 years together, Professor X and I have lots of private jokes that we've shared. All sorts of crazy experiences can be summed up in a word or a phrase - e.g. Sidney, Nebraska (we can laugh about it now), or "there's an egg on my food!" - to recall events from previous decades. Someday I may even reveal the details on those to you, dear readers.

Movies, plays, songs, literature and other cultural pastimes can tie us to one another. I've even heard that recounting details of feats of prowess at athletic events can serve this function, although how that might work eludes me.

Consider the phrase "But why is the rum gone?" Did you hear the plaintive voice of Johnny Depp as Cap'n Jack Sparrow? Did it make you grin? You and I are soulmates.

When law student John Manningham departed Middle Temple Hall the night of February 2, 1601 he wrote in his diary

"Feb 2 at our feast (Candlemas) we had a play called Twelfth Night or What you will, much like the Comedy of Errors or Menechmi in Plautus... A good practise is it to make the steward beleeve his Lady widdowe was in Love with him by couterfayting a lettre, as from his Lady, in general termes, telling him what shee liked best in him and prescribing his gesture in smiling his apparraile etc. And then when he came to practise, making him beleeve they took him to be mad."

I like to think of John and his fellow playgoers making passing reference to the play over subsequent months and years, commenting that "some are born great" only to have another reply with a wink that "some have greatness thrust upon 'em." That seems plausible, doesn't it?

My son's Facebook page quote reads:

"We are the knights who say... Ni!" "The knights who say Ni?" "THE same!"

And so it continues.

What are some of your favorite lines? Share them, so we can bond!
Also, five points to the first person to identify the source of the Wolverines line.

More Delicious Than Any Christmas Cookie

2009-12-26T00:54:00.000-08:00

Just returned from the cinema, where I and two BFF's watched the new Sherlock Holmes.

Exciting plot.
Beautifully photographed film.

Scrumptious lead actor.

It's a whole new view of Holmes and Watson that incorporates the best of Arthur Conan Doyle's writing with an edge-of-your-seat filmmaking style. I loved every second, including the beautiful artwork of the closing credits.

I'll be going back tomorrow for another look.

And probably several more times before it leaves the cinema.

For a couple of hours, I was able to imagine myself in Victorian England.

RD Jr. can serenade me any time.

Ghosts of Christmas Past, Kindly Move Aside

2009-12-23T23:52:00.000-08:00

The lovely Sir Michael Caine as Scrooge

This was going to be a thoughtful post about previous years' Christmases, and those loved ones who are no longer with us, but I just don't feel like being gloomy tonight. So I'll save that idea for another time when I want to wallow a bit, and instead share this thought with you:

I feel truly blessed to have so many dear friends with whom to celebrate Christmas. Unlike Ebeneezer Scrooge, I haven't had to face regrets about putting profit over relationships. I still have a ways to go in matching the goodness of my friends in contributing to the wellbeing of those in need, but I'm trying. I have such good role models for generosity and kindness.

I hope that you, dear readers, are living lives filled with the spirit of Christmas.

The spirit embodied in the Dickens tale.

I wish you joy.

The kind of joy that's taken hold of my friend Bee, who wrote a wonderful piece about Christmas and Dickens here, although she was a bit melancholy, and subsequently got her winter holiday groove back here.

To help get you in the spirit, I'd like to share this clip from one of my favorite movies ever.

Politics of the Heart

2009-12-20T00:14:00.000-08:00

The Judgement of Solomon, Raphael

E. M. Forster famously wrote in Two Cheers for Democracy, “If I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country.”

E. M. Forster sounds like a loyal friend.

I've been struggling with the question of two friends running for the same office. I've previously supported each of them in their successful campaigns for state legislative seats. My congressman recently announced he would not be running for reelection, and several people have thrown their hat in the ring. Two of those hats belong to my friends.

My really good friends.

Ralph Waldo Emerson noted "We talk of choosing our friends, but friends are self-elected."

That may be so, but I was looking for guidance on the question of choosing between friends.

I've been extremely active in electoral politics at all levels, and my children have been very willing participants in campaign rallies, signwaving and literature dropping efforts. So I knew they would understand the dilemma - and that they'd be watching to see how I handled it.

I felt like King Solomon, forced to settle a dispute about which woman who claimed a child was truly the mother.

No, I felt like the mother, watching in horror as Solomon threatened to cut the child in two.

And that gave me an answer. The true mother relinquished her claim rather than see her child destroyed.

I want to make a choice. I've spent years evaluating and weighing and judging and choosing and acting to support my choices.

But I respect and admire both of these people. I don't want to do anything to harm either one, and a political contest inherently involves attacks on one's opponents. It hurts my heart to think of supporting one at the expense of the other. In addition to their fine minds and leadership qualities, they have each been there to share joys and comforted me at tough times in my life.

I cannot choose. And I told them so. And - miracle of miracles - they were okay with that. Not thrilled, but okay. Each spoke to me about our friendship as something they valued, transcending the political arena.

I am damned lucky to have these two people in my life.

"If two friends ask you to judge a dispute,
don't accept, because you will lose one
friend; on the other hand, if two strangers
come with the same request, accept
because you will gain one friend."

~ St. Augustin

Vision of St. Augustin by Vittore Carpaccio

Is it just me, or does that funky chair thing on the left look like
the Time Machine from the cheesy Rod Taylor movie?

Be Not Afraid of Anachronisms

2009-12-14T09:10:00.000-08:00

Literary Dictionary defines anachronism thusly:

The misplacing of any person, thing, custom, or event outside its proper historical time. Performances of Shakespeare's plays in modern dress use deliberate anachronism, but many fictional works based on history include unintentional examples, the most famous being the clock in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

I've allowed fear to stop me from moving forward. Fear of being guilty of less than perfection. Professor X often quotes Voltaire to encourage me to get off my duff on something: "The perfect is the enemy of the good." But I am a sensitive little flower, fearful of being criticized for making a mistake in my writing. Any writing set in the past risks inaccuracy, and worse - anachronisms.

The pace of technology is so rapid, and we become so accustomed to new devices so quickly, that we lose sight of the fact that there was a time when they didn't exist. Still, I can roughly date some things by pegging them to my personal history. I first became aware of fax machines in college, when I was interning for a US Senator (no thongs were involved) and marveled at the magic of a phoneline photo transmission. When Super Son was an infant, one of the moms in play group introduced me to the miracle of the internet. Those aren't precise birthdates for the technology, but it's reasonable to believe my introductory experience timeline parallels that of most people.

Writing about a period before my birth, though, presents the need for some research. What were things like in 1880 in Vancouver? How about Washington, DC in 1921? Perhaps the trickiest is Vancouver in 1999. I've been afraid of readers pointing out minor anachronisms of a year or so.

But I find the cure for my literary paralysis lies in the oft-cited example of anachronism. If Shakespeare could do it and still inspire so many, why can't I? Those who don't like Shakespeare rarely cite his failure to avoid anachronism as the cause of their dislike.

And those who don't like Shakespeare aren't worthy of my regard anyway.

So, onward ho!

How can anyone resist Shakespeare with such delightful creatures performing his work?

Travel to Another Dimension

2009-12-11T08:42:00.000-08:00

I discovered this BRILLIANT mock floorplan over at SomaCow.
Check it out! Funny stuff!

I was in Ikea yesterday, looking for large picture frames to display some enlargements of photographs from Super Son's play in the lobby of the high school theatre.

The pictures were 16"x20".

I wanted to get 20" x 24" frames, so that there was a nice even border around them.

This was not rocket science.

Instead, I found several frames with bizarre fractional measurements and uneven matting. When I finally found a clerk trying to hide behind some boxes, he told me in a very superior sort of voice "Ikea is an international company. We use the metric system, which the rest of the world, except the United States, uses." Then he looked at me pityingly, like I was super lucky to be allowed into such a fabulous place, but so mentally deficient that I was unable to appreciate its fabulosity.

What I thought: Um...okay. But you're selling your stuff in the US, where we print enlargements in these nonmetric standard sizes, numbnuts.

What I said:

"So, doesn't Ikea think of compensating for the fact that they're doing business in an alternate dimension?"

I thought I was very clever.

He didn't get it. He just looked at me like I was being unbelievably dense.

What a numbnuts.

I know you are concerned about how I solved this problem. I went over to Michael's and discovered they were having a 50% off sale on the frames I needed (which were in precisely the right dimensions, Ikea dude!)

From now on, I'm only going to Ikea when I have a craving for their meatballs and lingonberry sauce. It's like going to Sweden without having to endure a multi-hour flight.

Ruminations on Walking and Timeless Love

2009-12-06T17:47:00.001-08:00

So enticing...don't you just want to go for a walk?

Admit it, you have this fantasy too.
Darcy strides toward you through a misty morning...

He draws closer as your heart is beating madly...Walking is excellent cardiovascular exercise.

For some reason, I was thinking today about all the wonderful public access trails in England. When we lived in Ireland, we really enjoyed walking around villages and in the countryside. Shops were close together and it was easy to park and go from place to place on foot. We could get from one end of Westport to the other with no trouble. I really miss those places. Really, as in my heart hurts a little thinking about not being there.

Jane Austen wrote of heroines who liked to walk; she purportedly shared that characteristic. There's a great little Austen blog that gives a glimpse of her writing on the behavior here. Austen continues to gather fans almost 200 years after her death. I have one lucky friend - an enthusiastic hiker - who recently went on an Austen-themed tour in England, and another, Bee Drunken, who is a steward of Jane's house in Chawton. Though we three have different parents, our shared fanhood of Jane makes us sisters. Jane gave us terrific strong heroines who weren't afraid of a little mud on their shoes, and who "dearly love a laugh." Indeed, Jane's Elizabeth Bennett goes on to explain, "I hope I never ridicule what is wise or good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can."

True dat.

I love the walking scenes in Pride and Prejudice with Matthew MacFadyen and Keira Knightley. Thanks to the miracle of the internets, I can share a wonderful video with you all. A young woman who's as crazy about MacFadyen as me and far more talented with technical production created a wonderful piece that merges clips of P&P with Vanessa Carlton's great song "A Thousand Miles." Zeynep, the 26 year old who produced the video, is from a place much further away than a thousand miles. She lives in Turkey. Cool, huh?

Pop it out to full screen and savour the goodness.

Update: I contacted Zeynep to let her know I was mentioning her in my blog, and she wrote back, sharing the link to her own blog. It's called isfendan; the tagline is suffering is my bread and butter! Much of it's in Turkish, but thanks to my handy translator, I can read it.

The title is appropriate for a Forrest to read; isfendan is Turkish for a maple.

Keeping to My Own Schedule

2009-12-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

So...you're probably wondering about the NaNoWriMo thing, right?
Did I finish my novel? Did I come close?
Thanks to my efforts, I have earned this badge created by The Deep Friar.

We will not speak of this again, okay?

I think I'll create my own NaNoWriMo time frame. I'll let you know how that goes. First, I have to do a bunch of stuff as treasurer of the high school theatre booster club, and chauffeur my children to their fun educational activities, and clean this house.

On my Christmas list: a Time-Turner

2009-12-04T00:31:00.000-08:00

I found this image posted by You-Know-Who at the Harry Potter wiki.
I hope he doesn't curse me for using it.

I've told my family what they can get me for Christmas this year: A Time-Turner. I love the idea of a small device to allow one to easily travel through time. The inscription on Hermione Granger's Time-Turner reads:

I mark the hours every one nor have I yet outrun the sun. (outer ring)
My use and value unto you are gauged by what you have to do. (middle ring)

I think I'd have this inscribed on mine:

Tempus fugit.* Ovid (outer ring)
Time flies like the wind. Fruit flies like bananas. G. Marx (middle ring)

* Translates as "Time flies."


There are so many wonderful stories which involve travel through time. What are your favorites?

If you were able to travel back to any time in history, when/where would you go? If you could meet any person in history, who would you choose, and what would you ask them or say to them? Do you think you'd prefer to live in another time permanently, or perhaps just visit every once in a while?

I have a hypothesis: that men are more likely than women to want to go back in time and change things. Based on my statistical analysis of one (me) I think women would prefer to just travel and immerse themselves in the period. I'm willing enough to change things in my own time, but I worry that changing one small detail about the past could damage the nature of the present. What do you think?

Then there's the school of thought that says endeavoring to change events through time travel can actually cause them; things are predetermined and fate is inevitable. I read an interesting novel, From Time to Time by Jack Finney, in which the main character attempts to change the course of the Titanic to prevent its collision with the iceberg. The change actually leads to the collision.

So I am determined not to meddle. I'll just use my Time-Turner for recreational travel.

Some Are Born Great

2009-12-02T23:06:00.001-08:00

I witnessed the birth of a star this afternoon. It was the first time I'd been allowed to see my son perform in Twelfth Night. The theatre was virtually empty; just a handful of parents were able to come to the dress rehearsal. But the student actors were as professional as if it was a regular show. I was so impressed with the way everyone in the cast handled themselves on stage. The young men and women got into their roles and delivered their lines so well.

Then it was intermission. I spoke with a few of the parents, gathering names and contact information so that we could exchange photographs and work together on the parent booster club.

Some asked which child was mine.
"Malvolio," I said.
"Oh, he's very good!" they said.
"This is his first play," I said.
They were surprised.
One mother asked "Is it true that he's a freshman?"
"Yes," I said.
They were even more surprised.

Some time in the past year and a half, my little boy's height had shot up - to almost 6 feet.
And his high little boy voice had dropped down - to a low, manly voice.

I have seen a helluvalotta theatre in my two score and some years. This child has, too. We've taken him to Shakespeare plays and other theatre productions since he was 4. I've heard him mimic actors for years, nailing their intonations and accents. It is no surprise to me that he can deliver Malvolio's lines with such tremendous ability.

And yet.

This is my tiny baby, my little smiling rowdy boy, my shy middle schooler. I am astounded that he is willing to cast off all inhibitions and let his light shine in front of his peers.

He is brilliant.

I still have a recording of his little boy voice as a message on my cell phone. Every once in a while, Verizon makes me confirm that I want to keep saving my old messages. Yeah, I'll be saving that one forever.

Marking a Milestone: 200 Posts

2009-12-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

I missed saying anything about my 100th post, so I've been watching to make sure I didn't miss commemorating my 200th. Here it is, and I feel compelled to share something profound with you.

I'm thinking.

I'm still thinking.

While you're waiting to read something profound, know this: I'm glad you're here, reading my blog and sometimes commenting. And I'm glad you're there, at your blog, sharing your observations and making me laugh. Of course, sometimes you make me cry. Because friends can share sad things, too.

Ah! I just got a flash of inspiration. I will write about this two hundredth post in terms of how long it took me to get here.

It's been 87,177,600 seconds since I posted my first little contribution to the interwebs.

I started off crawling, with very simple posts. There were just two in 2007.

Two thousand and eight witnessed a staggering 300% jump in post numbers. Yes, that's right; there were 6.

Since the beginning of this year, I've written 192 bits of crunchy goodness. Quick, do the math: that's a 3,200% increase in output from the previous year.

I don't think I can top that. So I'll have to focus on increasing quality rather than quantity.

I wasn't sure what I was doing when I began blogging. But I did it because it seemed fun. I've honed my mad writing skillz a bit and thought a little more deeply about certain things thanks to the blog. And I've made some terrific friends. Who knew that could happen?

Thoreau once observed Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.

I began Traveling Through Time and Space tentatively believing I had something to contribute to the universe. I've discovered that the universe, through you, has much to contribute to me.

Thanks. Let's stay in touch. There's more to share.

Stupidest Final Lines Ever

2009-11-30T03:02:00.000-08:00

So, this pic is actually from 1408, not 2012.
I haven't seen 1408, but there's a good review at The Stone of Tear.
It does make me wonder if John is going to just be in movies with titles
consisting of four digits from now on. But I digress.
I picked this pic because it sums up how I feel about the stupidity of the final line in 2012,
as well as how I feel about my daughter's bedroom.

You know I love John Cusack, right? I'm not a huge fan of "it's the end of the world!" disaster movies, but 2012 stars my man John, so it didn't take much for the family to persuade me to go to the cinema.

The special effects were incredible. The storyline had promise. John was as cute as ever. But the script bit the big one. I knew it pretty early on.

SPOILER ALERT! You have been warned, so don't whine if you don't want to know the ending.
He plays Jackson, the father of two children, separated from their mother. An idealistic author, he spent too much time wrapped up in his writing and researching, and she felt neglected and left him. He picks the kids up for a camping trip, and expresses surprise when his estranged wife hands him a bag of Pull-Ups for their 7 year old daughter, Lily. She tells him that it's obvious he isn't very aware of what is going on with his kids....blah, blah, blah.

Okay, you just know that the Pull-Ups are going to make another appearance. You pray that they will not be a continuous presence in the film. Your prayer is answered. Other than a brief mention when Lily is going to sleep in her tent, we don't hear about the Pull-Ups again. But then, at the very end, when they've survived every kind of extreme experience you can think of - earthquakes, car crashes, explosions in the earth's crust, plane crashes, freezing in the remote mountains of China, near drowning - and they're looking out at a kinder, gentler planet that's gotten all that misbehavior out of its system, Cusack/Jackson talks to his daughter. She explains how she feels and how this has changed her.

Lily: I'm not scared. No more Pull-Ups.
Jackson: Nice.

Mother of God. Really? So what is the takeaway message here? Struggling to find a solution to night time bedwetting? Just subject your child to a cataclysmic series of events and all will be well.

The final line I'm fantasizing about these days for my own personal disaster film is:

Daring Daughter: I'm not defiant. No more disgustingly messy room.
Me: Nice.

I am at my wits' end to find a way to get Daring Daughter to clean up her act. This is not a joke, people. I have tried incentives and disincentives. I have promised her a bunch of things she would absolutely love to have if she will just clean up her stuff. I have taken away a bunch of things she loves. Nothing works. I am praying for an earthquake.

If you have any suggestions on this, I am all ears. But I'll be listening from over there, rather than here.

Because?

I am beside myself with frustration!!!

Time Spent Giggling with my Girl

2009-11-23T22:36:00.000-08:00

I've been working my way through some classic films with the kids, expanding my cultural literacy as well as theirs. You'll recall that we recently watched Metropolis and were struck by the image of workers dehumanized by industrialists putting them in mindless, mechanical jobs.

That film was a lot more grim than our most recent one. We watched Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times. If you haven't seen it, you should rent it. My daughter was constantly laughing. Deep belly laughs interspersed with silly giggles. I was struck by how spot on Robert Downey Jr.'s depiction of Chaplin was. Chaplin had a fantastic gracefulness. He moved like a dancer. And he got caught in some pretty funny situations, as the gears scene pictured above illustrates.

The theme of poverty and a system that met efforts to organize labour with violence was an interesting companion to the funny physical comedy. J. Edgar Hoover hated Chaplin with a passion and helped get him deported. I've said before I'd love to do a film course on blacklisting and the movies. I'm beginning to think it should be a much longer course than one of my simple 5 week ones. Maybe something broader, such as the treatment of capitalism in film. We saw Michael Moore's Capitalism, a Love Story recently, and it sure had some interesting food for thought.

I'll confess I saw New Moon with my girl this weekend (Team Edward!) and enjoyed it just as much as I did Modern Times. New Moon was devoid of political content. But it had some pretty hilarious moments, especially when the young men took off their shirts. The whole movie theatre was laughing each time it happened, because it was so gratuitous. I'm glad my girl likes to watch movies with me. It's fun laughing with her.

Daring Daughter and I agree: He's very pretty.

Exposing Children to Fearful Things

2009-11-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

It started innocently enough. A friend and I decided to ~~cope with~~ take advantage of the school's early dismissal ~~what are those teachers doing with a half day, anyway?~~ by taking our girls to the local science museum for educational fun.
The current special exhibit at OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) is SCREAM! featuring Goosebumps, the Science of Fear. Most of the exhibit focused on traditional fears - snakes, spiders and creepy stuff. There's a lot of analysis about how your body responds to fear - hair standing on end, flight response, etc.

The most intriguing part for me was a section entitled Fear and Society. Here's how they describe it:

Microwaves, witch-hunts, Elvis Presley, and the year 2000 have all incited moral panics—what sociologists call the collective anxieties about what direction society is going. Fear and Society shows how collective fears are represented and transmitted through media and popular culture.

There was a letter from a concerned parent about the "obscene" lyrics of a rock song on a record his daughter brought home. The letter, pictured at the top of this post, is addressed to Attorney General Robert Kennedy. The song was Louie, Louie. I'd known there was controversy over the largely unintelligible lyrics, but did you know there was an FBI investigation?! After two years (yes, TWO YEARS) they found no evidence of obscenity. That was in the mid 1960s.
In 2005, a school superintendent in Benton Harbor, Michigan refused to let a school marching band play the song in a parade. She later relented. But, still. ~~Fear~~ Stupidity is alive and well in America.

My eye was drawn to the part of the display that addressed McCarthyism and "Red Scares." I've long wanted to teach a class on Red Scares and Blacklisting on the Silver Screen. Catchy, huh? So far, the college hasn't accepted that proposal. But I have hope. Once I'm done teaching the blogging course in the spring, I'm going to pursue that big time. When we got home, after supper, Professor X, Daring Daughter and I watched a classic film that relates to this theme. But that's a post of its own, coming soon.

Sharing Your Brilliance With the World

2009-11-16T09:45:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited because the local college has accepted my proposal to teach a class on blogging for senior citizens. I've entitled it:

Sharing Your Brilliance With the World:
Blogwriting for Beginners

Many of my bloggy buddies come from far away, even overseas, so it seemed like an apt title.

I was curious about where visitors to my blog were from, so I installed a widget to show that info. Clearly, some of them are stopping by without commenting; it seems a shame, given how far they've traveled. Here's a sample just from the last half day or so:

Czestochowa, Poland
Eden Prairie, MN
Taverne, Switzerland
Antwerp, Belgium
Columbia, SC
Madras Tamil, Nadu, India
San Diego, California
Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia

Wow, huh? I worry these people have come seeking knowledge and I have somehow let them all down. People really should not read without commenting.

Totally superfluous aside:

Thanks to the lijit widget, I also know the top search terms that bring people over here. I'm sure many things cause folks to look at my blog, but the top one is - drumroll, please -

"Mike Rowe naked"

End of totally superfluous aside.

My class will start in April and run for five weeks, once a week for 2 hours. So I need to pack a whole lot of information into a relatively short time. But I think it will get people started down the path of blog enlightenment. I can hardly wait!

If you have any thoughts about what I might include in such a course, I'm all ears. Anything you wish you'd known when you began? Anything you've found particularly fun? Any cautions?

Heading for No. 221B Baker Street

2009-11-13T22:41:00.000-08:00

This weekend, Professor X and I will be attending a meeting of The Noble and Most Singular Order of the Blue Carbuncle, the Portland chapter of an international society of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts.

I've always loved Arthur Conan Doyle's stories of the eccentric, brilliant detective and his companion Dr. Watson. My first introduction to the tales was through the movies from the late 1930's to mid 1940's. Sunday afternoon at our house in the late 1960's/early 1970's found me glued to the black and white television, fascinated by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. I was back in time, watching a skilled detective solve mysteries. Bliss.

It was only several years later that I realized the films had moved Holmes forward in time. He was battling Nazis instead of living during Victorian times. But it didn't matter. I still loved him.

It took me a long time to warm up to the next Holmes I saw, Jeremy Brett. Finally, I caved. He was really good. I became aware of how many literary references Holmes made, including adapting Shakespeare lines to his own circumstances. A sure way to my heart.

The newest Holmes, due out December 25, warms a different body part. He's physical, he's sexual, he's Robert Downey, Jr. I'm sure I will adore this iteration.

If you've read my blog for any time at all, you know that I'm a big House fan.

No, not like this:

Like this:

I'm always amazed when I find people who haven't made the connections between Hugh Laurie's character and Sherlock Holmes. It's one of the most fun things about the show.

Now we have a chance to join a group of Holmes' fans. We'll have to bone up on the stories and pass a test to be inducted. I wonder what they think about the new movie. Check out this article to see the sorts of wild and fun things these people do.

Vicarious Travels

2009-11-09T21:44:00.001-08:00

Patricia and her husband Stephen (not in El Salvador, obviously)

My dear friend Patricia arrived safely in El Salvador today. She's a member of a group of bloggers on a journey to raise awareness for Compassion International. The organization describes itself thusly:

CI exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.

Patricia is not one of those Christian conservatives who give religion a bad name. She's a funny, loving, openminded woman who is motivated to do this - and many other caring acts - by her faith. God knows the children can use all the help they can get, especially now, as El Salvador's people are struggling with a state of emergency in the aftermath of a hurricane.

I confess that my particular choice these days is more focused on education without a religious component, like the work of Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea. But Compassion seems to be a worthwhile organization whose work truly helps people.

I invite you to check out this link to Jonesbones5, Patricia's blog. She and her family inspire me and crack me up in equal parts. You should definitely watch their youtube video of travel tips if you're planning a trip.

The Importance of Being Honest

2009-11-06T06:01:00.000-08:00

There are few things more important to me than honesty, so I am delighted to announce that my lovely friend and brilliant blogger Bad Mom has awarded my blog the Honest Scrap Award. Thanks, Stephanie! I've wanted this one for a really long time.

Here are the rules:
*Say thank you and give a link to the presenter of the award
*Share “10 Honest Things” about yourself
*Present the award to 10 other bloggers whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design or to those who have encouraged you
*Be sure to tell the 10 bloggers chosen that you are giving them the Honest Scrap award and provide the guidelines for them

My parents always stressed the value of being truthful, and I believe they were honest with my brother and me. I well remember how touched my father was when one of his business associates described him as "an honorable man." My mother impressed upon me how essential honesty was when she explained that she left her first husband because he was dishonest in business dealings. In my adult relationships as a friend, a wife, and a parent, I practice and value honesty. I am sometimes disappointed regarding the honesty of other people.

It's the critical ingredient in building trust. That said, I don't believe in spilling my guts and volunteering certain things, especially if those things involve others who might not want them known. So you won't be reading any titillating revelations here. No offense, internets, but some things are just not yo bidness.

Still, you know I love to make you laugh. So I will share some tasty bits of truthiness about me in hopes it will make you giggle.

Here, for your consideration, are 10 honest things about me.

1. I was not the most popular girl in school. But I wasn't a slut. And I wasn't a mean girl.
The verb tense of those statements should not be interpreted as a confession that my status has changed, although I DO think I'm more popular now. I'm certainly more confident about letting my light shine than I was three decades ago.

2. I love quotations. Reading quotes that people like FDR or PG Wodehouse have said or written gives me the sort of joy that I imagine some people derive from reading the Bible. No disrespect intended, but I do not derive the same pleasure from the Bible, except for a few passages delivered like this or this. And those two are so beautiful they bring tears to my eyes.

3. Several years ago, I'd begun to think of myself as middle aged until I read that Johnny Depp and I were born within a few days of each other. I instantly became young and sexy, at least in my mind.

4. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was over 30. My folks had always regarded it as a slightly suspicious, bohemian thing to do, and I was a good girl. Then my father died, my mother met a very nice man who wanted to give her some pierced earrings, and she got her ears pierced. So I figured it was safe for me to do it too. I still feel slightly wild every time I insert a post through my earlobe.

5. When I was a young girl, I wanted to be an airline pilot or a police officer. Before I got married, I thought I would be a lawyer, though I didn't actually envision working in that profession. I loved The Paper Chase, and thought it would be awesome to be in law school.

6. I really wish I could time travel. I sometimes nag Professor X to get to work on a TARDIS.

7. I adore the language of Jane Austen's characters. Consider Elizabeth Bennet's rejoinder to Lady Catherine when she is confronted about her relationship with Mr. Darcy:

"I do not pretend to possess equal frankness with your ladyship. You may ask questions which I shall not choose to answer."

8. I believe in ghosts. And an afterlife. I don't know exactly what it looks like, and I don't believe that there is only one path to Heaven. I think Jesus was awesome, but people invoke him shamelessly to advance their own agendas. I believe that we are all children of God, whether we know it or not. But I don't think God looks like the Gary Larson cartoon version, or even that God is exclusively one gender or the other. I am attracted to the Disney Hercules animated depictions of the Gods, but I don't believe that God's voice is like Rip Torn's. I think it's like Alan Rickman's. And I believe in Hades. And his voice is precisely like James Woods'.

9. I wish I could sing and dance, but I am very self conscious. I should have taken my Mom up on her repeated offers of lessons when I was young. Stupid me. I tell myself it's never too late. Maybe I'll be like Susan Sarandon in Elizabethtown. Only I would like to dance like this. With that partner.

10. I am a strong person with a very tender heart. And I am easily moved to tears by movies, literature, plays, music, art, architecture, the warmth of friends... I balled like a baby once at a classical vocal concert because the singer's voice was so pure and beautiful.

And now, for the chosen ten. Each of these blogs enrich my life in a different way.

Drumroll, please....

1. From the Desk of Bee Drunken
2. Just A Plane Ride Away
3. Suburban Matron
4. An Explorer's View of Life
5. Coffeeyougurt
6. Miss Healthypants
7. Hometown Tourist
8. Box Elder
9. A Few Clowns Short
10. Thoughts from a Liberal Mom

Here's a song to commemorate this post: Honesty by Mister Billy Joel.

Dirty Deeds

2009-11-04T08:56:00.000-08:00

Mayor Royce Pollard revitalized downtown Vancouver.
Formerly a hangout for transients and dangerous activity,
Esther Short Park is now a wonderful place for families. Photo by Jes.

I'm saddened today by the results of my city's mayoral race. You can read about it here.

For a thorough recounting of the lies and dirty campaign tactics that have unfolded in my community, you can search the name "Leavitt" at Politics is a Blood Sport. It's a complicated, tangled mess, and I haven't the heart to explain it all.

It's disheartening to see great public servants defeated by those who fling mud and misrepresent their opponents. When Professor X and I moved to the Pacific Northwest 13 years ago, we were impressed with the leadership of our new city's mayor, Royce Pollard. His efforts transformed Vancouver, Washington. He's made a big difference and deserved another term.

One thing that haunts me is that I believe so much of the outcome of elections is decided on looks. I wish I could do a study of voters to see how many of them actually heard the two candidates speak. The men appeared at numerous debates and forums and were on local cable TV. They were quoted extensively in the newspaper. But we all know that attendance at such functions is a tiny fraction of the actual voting population. And many folks no longer even subscribe to the newspaper, let alone read it. Even those who do often don't read local political articles. There are many mailings that hit voters' recycling boxes without more than a cursory glance at the photograph of the candidate. We do not have an informed electorate.

Royce Pollard, Mayor of America's Vancouver, is a smart man. A good man. And, surprisingly, given his age (70), a more lively and engaged man than his opponent (38). Think I'm prejudiced because I am an old person? First of all, I'm much nearer 38 than 70, so up yours. Second, it isn't just me who thinks so. When the candidates debated at the local college, Professor X and I overheard a number of them expressing preference for Pollard because he was so energetic. He's worked really hard to make our community a vibrant, healthy place to live and work. And I don't believe his opponent will contribute a fraction of the value we received from Mayor Pollard.

Unfortunately, many voters' exposure was probably limited to simply looking at the candidates' photographs. I believe that ageism reared its ugly head. For so many voters, which box they tick often boils down to a beauty contest. Few people take the time to research what's on the ballot. They go with an impression based on appearance. It's why I remain afraid of Sarah Palin. A good leader? Nope. Smart? Oh, please! Good looking? Reluctantly, I must confess she has a certain appeal. And if she were running against Hillary Clinton, I would be extremely concerned. Winston Churchill once noted

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.

I don't think his opinion would change if he saw voters today.

The thing that makes me angry about this election is that the challenger accused the Pollard camp of running a dirty campaign. Maybe he caught a glimpse of himself and his supporters in the mirror and sought to point the finger elsewhere. Nothing like accusing your opposition of that of which you are guilty. I'm reminded of a quote from a much earlier campaign:

I offer my opponents a bargain: if they will stop telling lies about us, I will stop telling the truth about them. ~Adlai Stevenson, campaign speech, 1952

The truth about this race is that a good man was defeated. I only hope that the newcomer will not undo his legacy.

Thank you, Mayor Royce Pollard.

Moment of Truth: Timeline for Making HS Reunion Fantasies a Reality

2009-11-01T23:00:00.000-08:00

I ~~am totally turned on by~~ envy Martin in Grosse Pointe Blank.
He's gone to his high school reunion.

One of my dear friends, Mama Milton, went to her high school reunion a few months ago. It sounded like so much fun that I began to wish I'd gone to mine. With all the reconnections I've made thanks to Facebook, I thought it might be ~~not as horrible~~ ~~marginally bearable~~ a real blast to get together with my former classmates.

Then some of the women began posting about meeting to plan a reunion. Our 30th reunion. Lawsy, that seems like ginormous number of years. And I haven't seen these people since I graduated. The momentous event will take place in the fall of 2011, so there's plenty of time to accomplish everything I've been meaning to.

Like dropping a hundred pounds.

Rather than trying to do it all the final week before the reunion, I've decided to spread the loss out over these next two years. Actually, it will be a little less than 2 years - I suspect they'll set the date for some time in September or October. So, it'll be roughly 100 weeks, which means I need to drop a pound a week. Easy as pie!

Pie. That sounds really good, don't you think?

Pumpkin Pie by Toni Dunlap - click on image for her blog

Let's redirect, shall we?

This gradual approach to weight loss will be so simple; truly a piece of cake. Which reminds me of my buddy Shana's post, WTF Wedding Cakes at So Not Zen.

Here's a lovely piece from Tattered Edges at Engaged: A Blog on the Bog.
She's doing NaNoWriMo too! - click on image for her blog

This is not going to help me in my endeavor, is it? My fellow HASAY Club members won't appreciate me putting all these yummy treats in today's post. So let's move on to the next goal I have for my reunion:

To be a famous author with my novel on the NYT bestseller list.

Or at least to have a book published.

Or at least to have a book written, being considered by an agent for representation.

I am hereby participating in NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month. The NaNoWriMo website describes it as "a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30."

This is a much more short term project. It requires me to write 1612.9 words per day.

So you won't be seeing much of me this month. But hopefully I'll be back on December 1st to share news of my great accomplishment with you.

Meanwhile, I hope you'll share your thoughts on all of this. I'm especially eager to know who else is doing NaNoWriMo. And hear your wild tales of high school reunions. I have such limited experience; I anticipate something like this.

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T00:23:00.000-07:00

The first family welcomed more than 2,600 children and their families
for Halloween trick or treating at the North Portico of the White House.
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

I liked this story about the Halloween celebrations at the White House. Actually, thanks to special lighting effects, it was the Orange House for a while.

We had a fun Halloween too. The four of us went to the Kennedy School and enjoyed a performance by Willamette Radio Workshop entitled "Tales from the St. James Infirmary." You can read more about the show here. Wonderful entertainment. And they had a great group of musicians - Classical Revolution PDX and Megafauna.

Daring Daughter had great fun trick or treating with her friend. Super Son had good times at a party with his friends. Professor X enjoyed a quiet evening at home while I joined some pals seated around a fire pit on one of the pal's front yards, sipping mojitos and handing out candy. We pledged that next year, we will wear witch hats and suspend a cauldron pot over the fire pit. If this actually happens, I promise to post some photos. Or maybe a video. We could do the "double, double, toil and trouble" scene from the Scottish play.

I feel positively giddy at the notion that I could be a Shakespearean actress.

Now to collect the ingredients. Anyone know where I can get adder's fork and blind-worm's sting?

Menu Mendacity

2009-10-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

Two incidents in the past few days have made me crazy. The first was when we were down in Ashland. We went to one of our favorite restaurants, the Black Sheep. Wonderful meat pasties, delicious fish and chips, a sublime smoked trout and gouda sandwich. Delightful service. Friendly fellow diners. A round of darts. Then the bill arrives. Two of the meals were listed about $3 more than the menu board prices. Yours truly asks the waitress, who apologizes and says "the computer must not have been changed from the dinner prices of last night." She instantly corrects the bill.

But still I am bothered. I do not like mistakes.

This morning I ordered a breakfast basket from an area restaurant. The menu board specifies cheese costs 60 cents more. I want cheese. I order it with cheese, knowing I will be paying more. The menu board offers beverage choices: coffee, OJ, milk or bottled water. I order OJ. Surprise! I get up to the window to pay and learn that the OJ is 20 cents more. I tell them "it doesn't say that on the board." Super Son squirms in intense embarrassment. Manager offers to refund the 20 cents. I tell him it's not necessary; I just hope they will amend their sign and future printings of the menu so that customers can make an informed choice. He says it is impossible to list all the extra charges - "the sign would have to be huge!"

This bothers me.

Do you encounter this type of thing? Does it bother you, too? Or do I need to get a life? I await your reply.

We interrupt this multi-day theatre trip report...

2009-10-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

...for an important message from my second husband, Stephen. Click on his delectable mouth to be magically taken to a link at Colbert Report where you will hear great wisdom.

And if you live in Washington state, please vote YES on Referendum 71. Don't let "the hate that dare not speak its name" win this election. Thanks.

Five Hours Down, Five Hours Back

2009-10-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

Truffaldino (Mark Bedard) and his master, Florindo (Elijah Alexander) in Servant of Two Masters

We spent the weekend in one of our favorite places, doing some of our favorite things. Playgoing, eating at interesting restaurants, browsing old bookstores, talking with actors, and enjoying the pool and hot tub at a nice hotel. As soon as school was over on Friday, we sped down to Ashland, to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Through afternoon traffic and steep, curvy mountain roads made slippery with rain, we doggedly drove, determined to make it in time for the evening entertainment. We needn't have worried; we made it with 6 minutes to spare. All the comfort of an old familiar setting, with old familiar activities...but a few new twists.

One twist was that we were in the New Theatre. Professor X and I had attended a few plays there since it opened in 2002. There was an amazing production of MacBeth that year, done in the round with a pool of "blood" in the center of the stage. As the action progressed, and knives were dipped into the "blood" and actors were smeared with "blood," things got stickier and stickier. Very memorable. We attended a post-play talk where they revealed the secret ingredient of stage blood - karo syrup. I only learned today that there was enormous drama surrounding the production when I went in search of photos to share with you and found a review of the show here. We thought it was a fantastic show.

We also saw a great political show the following year, Mothers Against by David Edgar. It was done with a totally different floor plan; imagine the theatre as a giant rectangle, with seating on the two long sides only, stage in the middle. So we knew there were many possible ways to arrange the audience. The kids had never been to the New Theatre. When we attended the first play, I told them that it would be interesting to see how it might be reconfigured the following evening for the other play. They thought I was nuts. But when we entered the next night, they were forced to admit I knew what I was talking about. If you look at the floor plans on the website, you'll see what I mean. There's a ton of work that goes into changing the entire set and seating between plays. And it happens in a few hours, because the play we saw the first night was done again as a matinee the next day, with the second play performed that evening.

Despite our frequent theatre trips, it was the first time we'd seen All's Well that Ends Well. Wonderful production. At first, I was a little taken aback seeing so many new actors in leading roles. I was reassured when some old favorites - James Edmondson, Dee Maaske, and G. Valmont Thomas, (he'd played MacBeth in 2002) showed up. Veteran actor Armando Durán absolutely delighted as a clown. I was really impressed by the comic talents of the newer women, Kate Mulligan and Emily Sophia Knapp. And we all enjoyed the lead,

Helena (Kjerstine Rose Anderson) and marveled at her athleticism, especially when she swung upside down from a tree.

Servant of Two Masters was our introduction to commedia dell’arte. OSF’s world premiere adaptation of a 250-year-old romp, with original songs, was outrageous fun for the four of us. I'll share more about that tomorrow. Need to clean house in preparation for NaNoWriMo.

Are Some of Us Going Back In Time?

2009-10-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

Note: I don't know anything about this book .
I used the cover to catch your attention. Sneaky me.

Originally, I was just going to share a great link that gave all the details about the iPhone parody I posted yesterday.

But, being me, I got sidetracked by other cool stuff on the blog Waking Up Now.

Then I saw this and felt outraged.

So I did some searching and found this, which gives some links to take action. WARNING: It automatically launches a loud sound clip, so you might want to turn off your sound before you click.

When I look at this man, I think how far we've come.

I've blogged about this issue before. I thought Spencer Tracy's speech settled the matter.

When I read the statement by Keith Blackwell, the ignorant justice of the peace from Louisiana,

There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage. I think those children suffer and I won’t help put them through it…I’m not a racist. I just don’t believe in mixing the races that way. I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom.

I wondered if he has a special bathroom for those friends.

I also wonder if he's unaware of the parentage of his President.

Or if he does know and is angry about it.

Despicable.

But Everyone Else Has One!

2009-10-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

Remember when you were little, and it seemed like all your friends got something, but your parents were super mean and wouldn't get you one? Even if ...um...you didn't actually tell them you wanted it, but they totally should have known because, as I know now, parents have to be psychic to figure out what their kids are thinking?

Well, the fun doesn't end in childhood. I've been remarkably free of feelings of envy about the cool things my friends have (excepting, of course, if those things are plane tickets or travel reservations) until now.

My role model has a new toy. She has even named it. Go take a look here.

And our bff has one too. She is giddy about it. She even played with it last two nights ago at the orchestra concert in which our brilliant sons were performing.

I am not a person who has to have the latest technology or the newest car or the fanciest house or designer clothes.... My needs are simple. As long as my travel obsession and Shakespeare addiction are fed, I am content. But the delight these women are taking in this toy is wearing down my resistance. I will keep you informed if I join their ranks.

Meanwhile, this parody ad cracked me up. I especially love the use of the original, distinctive, perky music. But I am more than a little disturbed about the information - I'd never heard about much of it. Had you?

How to Solve Your Problems - A Musical Answer

2009-10-21T06:15:00.000-07:00

How do you solve a problem like Maria? Climb every mountain, of course.

I've always felt that good art allows you to gain some insight about life. You may not have a major epiphany, but you get to take away something to enrich your own existence. And in musical theatre, you should leave able to hum a few bars and remember at least a snippet of lyrics.

Daring Daughter's Beauty and the Beast mini-production includes Be Our Guest, with wonderful lines like

Try the grey stuff; it's delicious
Don't believe me? Ask the dishes
They can sing, they can dance
After all, Miss, this is France
And a dinner here is never second best
Go on, unfold your menu
Take a glance and then you'll
Be our guest
Oui, our guest
Be our guest!

Okay, maybe that's not the most profound advice. But I will say we never had a bad meal in France. And I'm crazy in love with the fun rhymes and melody of this song.

We saw two other musicals in Portland this past week, Ragtime and Sondheim's Company. Each had extremely talented casts. Each was beautifully choreographed.

Coalhouse Walker (Gavin Gregory) sings to Sarah (Rachael Ferrera)

Ragtime shares a vision of the American dream at the turn of the century, when anything seemed possible, even for new immigrants. Consider this excerpt from the song Success:

[MORGAN]
I'm J.P. Morgan my friends
The wealthiest man on this earth!

[IMMIGRANTS]
Success!

[MORGAN]
You immigrants, look up to me
And you'll see what money is worth!

[IMMIGRANTS]
Success!

[MORGAN]
One day your immigrant sweat
Might get you the whole U.S.!

[HOUDINI]
And if you're trapped
And failure seems imminent,
Think of Houdini,
That fabulous immigrant!
Break those chains with all you possess!

[MORGAN, IMMIGRANTS]
This is America!
This is the land of success!

I'm teaching a course on the American Dream this winter. After reading Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed, I felt more than a bit cynical while listening to this song. Ultimately, Ragtime left me saddened about how much injustice persists in America. It wasn't inspiring; it felt like, well, what it was: a really long novel about a period in American history with unhappy endings for many of the characters. Not that I demand a happy ending (okay, I sort of do), but I'd like a sense of forward movement, of progress at least.

Company was in some ways even more unsatisfying. Sure, the performances were stellar. Great singing. But the characters were mostly unlikable, or at least not developed enough for us to care about them. The problem lies with the play's original construction - it was a series of one act plays, rejected until the playwright hooked up with Sondheim to weave a score around them and tie them together. The result is a series of vignettes in which couples try to persuade a 35 year old bachelor friend that he should get married; that marriage provides one with company. How does it end? Well, I'll just say that Daring Daughter, a person who likes clear resolutions, was displeased.

I will admit, though, that it had more clever lyrics. Consider The Little Things You Do Together:

It's the little things you share together,
Swear together,
Wear together,
That make perfect relationships.
The concerts you enjoy together,
Neighbors you annoy together,
Children you destroy together,
That keep marriage intact.

Or Sorry-Grateful:

You're always sorry,
You're always grateful,
You hold her, thinking:
"I'm not alone."
You're still alone.

You don't live for her,
You do live with her,
You're scared she's starting
To drift away,
And scared she'll stay.

Or Being Alive:

Someone to need you too much,
Someone to know you too well,
Someone to pull you up short
And put you through hell.

Someone you have to let in,
Someone whose feelings you spare,
Someone who, like it or not,
Will want you to share
A little, a lot.

Someone to crowd you with love,
Someone to force you to care,
Someone to make you come through,
Who'll always be there,
As frightened as you
Of being alive,
Being alive,
Being alive,
Being alive.

I'd love to know if anyone reluctant to wed has seen Company, experienced an aha! moment, and then got married. I do know that, watching it, I became annoyed with the pushy married couples, recognized my own similar misbehavior toward some single friends, and vowed to refrain in the future.

My ultra suave second husband Hugh Laurie is a talented musician/singer/songwriter. His compositions help to guide us in our daily lives; they provide a vision and a plan of action to deal with the challenges we face. This is one of the family's favorite songs. I do hope you enjoy it, and comment with your favorite line. There are so many good ones.