PROFESSIONAL

In the other room, I heard a lot of huffing and puffing, as Chimo was playing with his legos. Then I heard, "Arrrggggg. I need the address of this company, cause these things aren't hanging together. Legos sucks."

After a few minutes of this, I called him back and asked him what the problem was. He said that his spacecraft wasn't holding together. I told him he needed to calm down and then said, "and all you need to do is put some. . . "

He stops me and says, "Dad, don't worry about it. I know how to make modifications to my design. I am a professional. Besides, don't you know that professional engineers are supposed to get mad when their constructions aren't working right?"

And then he returned to his tasks.

MAKING IT

One of my favorite shows is A Chorus Line. I have seen several versions, as well as original clips, and it was covered, of course, in the PBS show about Broadway. I had heard that there was a new documentary, Every Little Step, covering the revival and the effort of more than 3000 performers to earn one of 22 spots. If you like the theater, and have ever tried for a show, there is much in here to really like. Me. . .I can't perform worth a lick, but there was much to pull at my heartstrings and squeeze a little tear. I really enjoyed it, and even the boys sat down and watched a little bit with me. I would never have the stomach to handle the stress and competition. But it also reveals how tough it is to nail a part. I especially liked the blending of old adn new, sampling of a rap session among the original cast (or workshop), that led to the development of many of the roles. I highly recommend this dvd.

DOLLHOUSE

I have come to really enjoy the work of Joss Whedon, especially Firefly and Serenity, as well as Angel and Buffy, but I was somewhat hesitant to get too involved with his latest series, Dollhouse. Perhaps it was the title, although entirely apt for the show, that somehow shooed me away, as well as my hesitantcy to get too involved with television serials because of all my domestic responsibilities, and I hate missing shows (I tend to wait for dvds). When Dollhouse became available, at least season one, I snapped it up and was generally impressed, with the acting, story, production, just about everything. It amazes me that his shows do not seem to find long-lasting popular followings (though he has a steady, loyal fanbase); this series was just cancelled after its second season. Basically it is somewhat of an updated version of Westworld, with a dash of X-Files; humans looking to forget troubling episodes in their past volunteer to give their bodies to a corporation that wipes their minds and then selectively implants personalities to fit the needs of well heeled customers seeking singleminded and perfectly oriented "dolls" to achieve their fantasies or goals. Yes, very sinister and dark, and basically the organization is little more than a brothel, with some specialized services as well. Eliza Dushku is the main attraction as Echo, a troubled activist whose actions cost her a loved one, but something special about her brain fights against complete mental wipe and she increasingly rebels against her ensalvement. There is a very good cast: Harry Lennix as Echo's handler; Fran Kranz as a wacky and humorous genius who handles implanting the personalities; Tahmoh Penikett as an obsessed FBI agent determined to free Echo and bring down the dollhouse; Olivia Williams as the manager of the house; and Laurence Dominic as the stern assistant and head of security. My favorite however is the exotic Dichen Lachman, a Tibetan-Australian actress of long face and beautiful eyes. Many cast members have appeared in Whedon's other projects. One day Whedon will again get to display his talents for a longer running show. Moslty, I wish he could find a way to either revive Firefly, or manage to sell some spin-off of that series.

PETER & MAX

For fans of Willingham's graphic-novel series Fables, comes a novelized treatment of the Pied Piper tale in Peter & Max, featuring Max (the evil older brother and fabled musician), and Peter (his younger brother and brighter piper, who is gifted with a magic flute Max coveted), and Bo Peep (yes, of lamb fame, and Peter's lovely bride). It is a story of disastrous sibling rivalry and jealousy, woven into continuing saga of the Fables community in New York. It is an enjoyable read, quick and light for the most part, even with its dark undertones, and fleshes out well some storylines in the graphics series. Willingham does leave out some information, especially about the group in the Black Forest, and I would have liked to know more about some of the exploits of the thief band. The ending did not surprise me much, but I love the hints given at the end about soem of the stories to come (I have only read the first four of the comics). I enthusiatically recommend this book to Willingham's fans, and think it will draw some new readers to the graphics.

POLITICAL MUSINGS

I am a liberal (in most respects, especially social) and I doubt at this point I am ever going to change. I would not have been terribly upset if McCain had won, but I think Palin was a major mistake. If anything, I think Obama has been a moderate in policy and deportment. He is well spoken, appears to be very smart, and hasn't shown any proclivity for rash decisions. He isn't a laughingstock in the eyes of most of the world (who at best, considered Bush either dangerous or a buffoon). I can think of no decisions of his that have in any way endangered the status of America, and in fact, he probably has steadied it, and like the Republican (or wealthy) anger during the Roosevelt years, all I can say is they protested too much while he basically saved the country's ass. And you simply cannot blow up the rest of the world because you don't like them (that would make us terrorists). I challenge people to provide ONE example of anything Obama has done that is outside the parameters set by our Constitution or legal system. One may not like all of his stands on political and social issues, but he reflects changes occurring in this country (which is what democracy is supposed to be about). If anything, he has disheartened the more liberal wing by failing to make good on some of his promises, which in my mind shows that like every incoming president, once in office he had to take a bit of a reality pill. I submit that the country is actually in better shape than when he came into office (just look at the stock market), and furthermore argue that we would be in much worse shape, perhaps even in a full-blown depression, had not something been done to stem the tide of rampant greed and deregulation of business. Although unemployment is a serious problem, his only option would be to employ some CCC and WPA type programs (I'd be all for that). He has made no executive order that contravenes any established laws that I can think of. He has broken no laws or sacred trusts (as did Bush and Cheney), and as far as I know he hasn't blatantly lied to the American people about any personal or political doings (no girlfriends or affairs, for instance). He seems to have repaired some of the international distrust sown by his predecessors, and almost everyone (even her detractors) have remarked that Hilary Clinton has been a pretty good Secretary of State. Obama has been in office one year, and the country has not fallen apart. Most average people say they feel a little better about things in the country. He definitely supports change, but they largely remain in the realm of Congress. He does not make laws, they do. It is sad that the Republicans and the radical right cannot come to grips with a new America, and cannot get over the fact that a non-white man won the office, and by a decent margin. Much of the ramped-up (and truly false and hypocritical) anger has been stoked and channeled by Tea Partiers (run by and funded by such groups as FOX and led by cheerleaders such as Beck). They are doing a disservice to the country. In fact, the Republicans have been tearing themselves apart internally, often pushing their moderate wing clean out of the party. . .which is good for Democrats. Independents right now determine most elections. Although I believe strongly in the sacred right of loyal opposition, many on the Right are rabid, so blinded by their irrational anger that they simply accept and pass on whatever new conspiracy or criticism that strikes their fancy without really finding out the truth (I think we can go back to Rush for that). And each time their newest complaint is shot down or debunked, they shamelessly reach for another fabricated issue. I do not want the US to turn into a theocracy like they have in Iran (and that is what the radical right religious wingnuts want) or into a fascist state (like Spain, or many South American countries in the 70s). I don't care who lives with whom, what people do behind closed doors, or any of that, as long as they respect others' rights. In fact, I am amazed that Obama has not, for the most part, taken the bait thrown at him, and has remained pretty much above the ugliness. Why. . . he's been positively presidential. Even the radical left never went after Bush's wife and immediate family like they have. Odd that military men supposedly hate him for his stand on "socialized medicine," when of all Americans it is they who have benefitted from the most socialized of medicines in this country. . .the VA and military hospitals. As of today, the political polls seem to indicate that O's approval rating hovers at about 55-57%. Considering the closeness of the election, the heat of opposition, and sensitivity of many issues to be addressed, that is not bad. Bush had an approval rating of less that 30% and Cheney less than 10%. Obama has not been sterling so far, but he has benefitted a great deal for NOT being Bush. If there was an election today (along the lines, say, of the British system), I suspect that Obama would win again.

YEAR OF THE FLOOD

In her new novel The Year of the Flood, Margaret Atwood returns to the dystopian universe she first described in the romance Oryx and Crake, with her vision of ecological disaster and genetic engineering as it is experienced by members of a eco-friendly religious cult known as the Gardeners. In her first novel she concentrates on a love triangle amongst a group of corporate insiders (at HelthWyzer) who are trying to manufacture a new human species, but whose actions lead to the downfall of most of the human race as a body-melting plague savages the populace. In this story a group of societal castoffs, many of whom are ex-scientists and doctors morally opposed to genetic engineering and unethical profit-making schemes of the giant corporations, form a society that venerates "saints" (historical people who fought for the environment, such as Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall, Euell Gibbons, etc.) and establishes a vegetarian (for the most part) commune that tries to avoid waste and warn of future disaster. The members, including children, are only one part of a larger society, and Atwood populates her story with a diverse and interesting group that one roots for. The story is primarily told through the eyes of two women. Toby, a middle-age woman with some holistic training who is saved by the group after she runs afoul of an evil, dangerous killer (who throughout the story hopes to run her down and kill her); she is adopted into the group and eventually earns a position of authority, but ends up stranded in an abandoned spa as the plague spreads. Ren, who was raised in the group, but is later taken back to the corporate compound, only to become an exotic dancer, survives the holocaust by fortuitously being trapped in an isolation ward of the club she works for. Despite depressing aspects of the story, it is remarkably uplifting, much less dour than McCarthy’s The Road, and there are rays of hope throughout. One finds themselves rooting for Zeb (who wants to more aggressively fight against the corporation); Amanda, a streetwise kid adopted into the group, who befriends Ren and later becomes an artists; Mordis, the club manager with a heart; and a small host of other sympathetic characters. I will confess that after a while I just skimmed over the prayers of Adam One (leader of the cult) and the corresponding hymns to get back to the main story, and there are times when events seem too coincidental, but overall, I think this is an even more enjoyable book than Oryx. There are elements that anyone who has been reading postapocalyptic fiction will be familiar. . such as gladiatorial contests for public consumption (such as in the Catching Fire series).

SHERLOCK

Took the boys to see Sherlock Holmes, and surprisingly both of them seemed to enjoy it, although a lot of the humor was definitley over their heads. The acting was very good. I was amazed at how they managed to reconstruct London of that era. I like just about anything Downey is in. I wonder what the Holmes purists thought of it.