keeping mum

keeping mum (dvd) - rowan atkinson, maggie smith, patrick swayze. how could this ever be bad? a rollicking british film, a comedy of errors and mixed up identities, with atkinson's dry humor a pleasure to watch. atkinson is a vicar of little wallop (so english!) with a wife of straying eye, her eager american golf instructor (patrick swayze in a fine role), a promiscuous daughter, and a housekeeper who arrives just in the nick of time to save them all, although she has a few surprising secrets to share. really fun!

What is the what?

what is the what: the autobiography of valentino achak deng : a novel

this is called a novel since it is david egger's creative retelling of valentino's tale, yet it makes the story no less poignant, relevant, or deserving to be read. valentino is one of the "lost boys" of sudan, an ever growing group of refugees that walk to ethiopia in search of freedom from a country filled with strife and civil unrest. this is a sad, clear picture of just a few of the african problems that exist. we often hear now of the tragedies of darfur - sudan is yet another country to be added to the list. sobering reading, but recommended for a greater awareness of our world's difficulties.

ROCK!

okay, this is a must-see...... Metal: A Headbanger's Journey. this was great. an anthropologist, who began as an angst ridden heavy-metal teen, travels around the world studying what makes heavy metal fans so dedicated and NUTS. loved it. lots of wacky commentary by dee snyder and alice cooper et al. and a nice summary of Norwegian satanic bands, which are truly scary. i would show this to all high school students if it weren't for the f..k and s..t words liberally spread around.

oh my goodness..... is Duke seriously only up by 4 points?????? gotta check out the game before bed!

parrots.

The wild parrots of telegraph hill certainly lived up to its hype. well, i like documentaries, remember - for some it might have moved a little slowly. but what a quirky film about a man who loves birds. or more importantly, a man who slows down, takes each day and just enjoys what he loves. which i must add, means he is kinda homeless, but i guess that all works out with his good "bird karma" in the end. a nice glimpse into how obsessions are sometimes not so "crazy" after all. he cared for the birds like we all would for our good friends. if only we humans treated each other so well! good film!

Obama!

the audacity of hope. hmm. i had previously read obama's dreams of my fathers, so i was eager to read this. it was just okay. well, obama seems to recognize all the "big government" problems, and how we need to fix them. well, WHY we need to fix them - not HOW. that was what i left with. he seems like an articulate, thoughtful man with a rare ability to see many perspectives. i think that this was what the book was supposed to cover. as for solutions? perhaps we need to all come up with them together, which is what he was saying. a good perspective, i am trying to read all the candidate's books this year. i guess that means slogging through hillary's bio. ugh. read here to see if i do!

More films

The library has been very efficient this week, but it will be a nice day so i will most likely head outside before anymore viewing. yesterday i watched The Beauty academy of kabul. about a bunch of American women who head to Kabul to start a beauty school. these afghan women had been through so much, and were thrilled at the opportunity to help themselves and their families financially. still mired in a truly patriarchal society, they did have to ask permission for everything of their husbands, and still complete all the household chores after their studies or "day job". made me glad to live here, despite the problems i see. An inspirational film - a tough subject, but introduced with humor too.

Why We Fight

"It is nowhere written that the American empire goes on forever."

This reminded me of the series of frontline shows on the Iraqi war. Why We Fight was very good, infuriating, and perhaps well-timed on "scooter libby day". It refers often to the "military industrial complex" first mentioned by Eisenhower, and shows how our economy is fueled by our need to produce the elements of war. I left convinved that war was inevitable, and necessary based not for "truth or freeedom" or all they say, but for supporting our economy. Again showing how we are all connected in this world, and things are never simple or black and white.

ART?

Who gets to call it art? (DVD)- the story of henry geldzahler, curator at the met. and alos the story of "new" art - wharhol, johns, stella, etc. nice film, kinda amusing. i find artists talking about their work especially entertaining. i admire the creative process, and love to hear how it varies from person to person, bu i also enjoy all the wacky art vingettes. lots of them in this.

The Glass Castle - jeanette walls. horribly tragic, the story of her poor, neglected childhood and how she strove to make living with two irresponsible parents in abject poverty with sisters and a brother "normal". i almost didn't finish it. i quess she is okay now, living as a writer married in NYC. this is currently on a lot of best seller lists. i wonder why so many are drawn to this book. do many share similar memories? does reading it make you feel better that your life is "better"? i am glad she seems okay now.

last week's trip to the library produced 12 DVD's. i request a whole list, and then usually a few come in each week. this pile seems to be a bit holocaust-documentary heavy. i will probably not make it through even one, but they were highly recommended, so i figured i will try.

Other good Dvd's

Since I am using this blog to keep track of my viewing/reading, I thought I'd throw in last week's DVD's.

The World According to Sesame Street. we watch a lot of sesame street here. i didn't realize how international it was! i like the fact the show adapts so much to each country. and good coverage of the cotroversy surrounding the african version, with an HIV positive muppet. i remember when that made headlines as not "necessary" - but in africa, that is seen by thousands of children orphaned by AIDS. it speaks to their reality, and i applaud their efforts.

paper clips. what a great film. i just bought this one, so can share it with friends. proves that history can come alive with the right teacher, and how important it is for us to look at the past and remember always.

went to the MFA yesterday, saw the Paris fashion 2006 show. excellent! and how interesting that i felt like i knew somuch about fashion, thanks to project runway! i looked at all the beautiful clothes (art?) with a somewhat trained eye.

in other news, tim gunn bobblehead came in. he's sitting in the bedroom, watching over our fashion choices. (??) yay!

I'm back! (Again)

About time, I guess. I read so many blogs, and yet i never seem to write my own. I am trying to keep better track of all the books i read and films i see. this will help me log them.

Books of the week:

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee. had NEVER read it. no kidding. great book. should have read it sooner. I guess i can see why it is often banned, because of the language issues (i kept imagining trying to teach it) but i think all modern day kids can get past those issues pretty easily.

Flesh and Bone - Jefferson Bass
Kinda a quick thriller read. A "CSI" kinda quality to it, also a bit like the show "bones". Didn't figure out the killer till close to the end, and i read it in a day, which makes for an entertaining read for me. I find lately i put books down sooner if i don't like them. apparenlty this is a second novel, i have ordered the first.

Film of the week:
Jesus camp. oh boy. lots of ten year olds, chanting and laying on of hands, all at summer camp (isn't this what we all did? no?) i tried to be neutral - i think often evangelicals are unfairly criticized, but htis scared me. especially hos they kept saying they were not political - the blessing of the carboard cutout of george w. led me to another conclusion! also a highly amusing commentary by ted haggard. especially in light of his recent gay (wait - i think he's not gay again?) excursions.... i highly reccomend this slice of american life. we should all be aware of what goes on out there!

good book.

Astonishing Splashes of Colour by Clare Morrall. just finished. excellent book. dark, not too happy an ending (don't want to give it away, but you can see it coming).

why was this so much better than In Her Shoes? better character development. motivation, description, feeling like you are there "in the moment" with the characters. similar plot themes in both, in regards to family secrets. and yet some secrets are meant to be slowly revealed, not dropped all at once. from the author's pen, to reader's ear, i mean.

anyways, i am glad to be visiting fiction again. i will continue to do so, but perhaps under the book list of prizes for now. i am reluctant to only read from the "acceptable" lists - but sometimes you've got to start with someone's opinion, on the way to finding your own!

reading.

okay, went to the library, read In Her Shoes by jennifer weiner yeasterday. i just can't get into this kind of story. took me a little over an hour to read, i admit i was skimming by the end. how can you be bored while you are reading? i took out a number of trade paperbacks yesterday, playful romps throught he lives of average women, commentary on their lives and their shoes and their men.

i have always thought of literature, good literature, as an escape for me. and yet this particular book made me merely irritated. i found myself often saying to the main characters "so get over it" and "deal with it". what creates a good plot for me? a combination of universal dillema, one i can relate to, and a strength in will to solve it. to go beyond the mundane, the ordinary. to create new solutions, gain new insights into one's being and motivations.

i think i am headed back to the biography section this week. those written about have to be intersteing, i suppose - or their bios would never find their way to a shelf. "ordinary" people with extraordinary problems (and solutions?).

one interesting fact - this book contained a number of poems, from elizabeth bishop to e.e. cummings. i recognized them right away - and it was a jerk back into a more substantial, meaningful reality. where did my daily poetry reads go? i felt like someone who reds poetry for a moment - or one who read poetry. back to the economy of words this week. more is less.

harvard museum

harvard museum of natural history. go there. we went there yesterday, and saw the incredible glass flowers. what a nice place. kinda "old school", low-key museum, lots of taxidermy, animals in big cases, yellowing labels, but fun for all. it was nice to just LOOK at stuff, and not need to be so interactive.

vacation begins. i am inspired to make more trips to boston this week. i am lucky my job is going well, and i have no real work for school to complete (maybe a few fun songs). i have been reading so much about people and their creative outlets/pursuits. i am encouraged to try to look into the writing "thing" once again. a book on education, and creativity, and perhaps how teachers are constantly creative when they are most successful.

not sure exactly why creativity fascinates me so much - but i have determined it is the underlying interest in much of what i do. i have been watching the independent film channel quite a bit this week, for example - and what fascinates me most is the bios/stories of writers and actors and how they "made it". not so i can be famous and "make it" too - but just so i can see how they realized their creative dreams, and then so can i. similar circumstances, motivations inspire many of them in their creative endeavors.

great book - Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books. "book people" make me happy. i feel a certain kinship with them i suppose - what could be better than a good book??? speaking of great books, peter senge's newest is headed to me, courtesy of interlibrary loan. hooray! we are very short on cash this month, and i am using the salem library to the fullest extent!

vacation!

hooray for vacation! finally. it's not that i dislike my job, i just need a mental break every once in awhile. i try every vacation to do one new thing, learn one new skill, explore one new world. i most likely will head to boston for at least a day.

my current investigations are in the subject of creativity. i am fascinated by the creative process. it sems to link all the blogs i read, the biographies i read, the conversations i have. why do we do it? why do we need to explore, create new things, learn more all the time? i find this quest for new knowledge to be shared by many, but in many different forms.

i enjoyed studying creativity for my master's. i feel it was not nearly enough investigation. somuch of theliterature, the stories involve finding "your own voice" - in many cases, your own medium and outlet for creative work and endeavors. i feel like i might need a new one. i love fabrics, collage, paper arts..... but not the mess involved. lack of creative space? need for a permanent "studio" to work in? not sure.

this vacation i am also finishing cleaning our spare room, once and for all. many bozes piled everywhere, but filled with things that need to be disposed of. remnants from earlier days, different times. perhpas this physical space will give me mental space as well.

in-laws visit today , and we head to the harvard museum of natural history. i love cambridge - a great start to vacation week!

back again

okay okay, back again. why am i reluctant to write more often? i write email all the time... i think it's the capital letters. or lack thereof, in my case. no more capitals. without 'em, i am easily inspired.

weight loss update: 19 lbs. this is hard somedays. this week especially. i craved cheese and chocolate all week, most likely because i was ill for half of it, and lost 2 lbs at the beginning of the week on the super duper popsicle diet!

i was planning on watching a show, but our dear prez is on, answering questions. i can't watch. it's like a train wreck. with kittens and young children.

i have begun to seriously alter my work schedule - and so far so good, relaxation is occuring. leaves me time for wonderful dinners with my husband, like last night's filet mingon at the wild horse cafe. mmmm. (now maybe that's why i didn't lose weight this week!)

next week - school vacation - yay! i plan on taking some serious personal time, most likely in boston, maybe see some art, create a few new lo-cal recipies. keep working on photography too. i did recieve some rather unexpected, unwarranted and certainly unwanted advice from a relative recently who took my pics to a professional. MY pictures! without even asking? how rude. in many of my creativity classes we discussed the "naysayers" of the world - they do not create, just comment on other's creations. i suspect she is such a person. good thing i will stick to my pictures, and no longer send them around so carelessly!

there goes the prez... time for some vanilla oatmeal, and coffee.

Superbowl!

We're going to the superbowl! What a game! And now, the 2 weeks of hype begins... I stillhaven't bought a Patriots T shirt. I always feel like I should around this time of year - and then I wait for the Superbowl to be over. Perhaps this is the reason they are winning. No T-shirt purchases until after the game!

Superbowl party? Have to think about that one...

SNOW!

Why have i returned to my blog after such an abscence? I have been reading too many others, and have that urge to write again. I am snowed in - 2 feet of snow already.

Updates on places of interest around the web:

coffeepot ghost.

After seeing the film White Noise, I decided to do a little research on EVP, and this quirky site came up. Scary stuff, yet funny.

The Tournament of Books

Now this looks good. I will put the bracket alongside my NCAA basketball bracket. I just finished Charlotte Simmons. Not bad i guess. I am reading Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell now. very good!

Turkey Update.

Talking turkey: Flock of 14 finds refuge in yard

Turkeys everywhere. Apparently a few survived the season of devouring, and have made their home in Scituate's idyllic West End. My parents see these chaps often. They are loud, distracting, and not all that bright. My sister encountered a few on the road - my niece insisted "put the window down, mommy!". No no no, my dear - turkeys stay OUTSIDE the car.

They've Found Jesus!

HALLELUJAH! STATUE SAVED: ‘Christmas miracle,' says man who found baby Jesus on rocks

For those of you who have been following the story.. the statue was found floating in the Quincy river. I watched a clever account of this on the local news tonight. Lots of Moses references, etc. Apparently this scandal was big enough to make reference on the Barnacle show this week.

Reminds me of when the Scituate Town Common elephants went missing. Or the Jambalaya's cow. Why do people take stuff that does not belong to them? Could the police have been out solving greater crimes?

See it!

Okay, so I have once again been very busy this week...

But not too busy to watch a "must see" movie - Control Room. I meant to see it in the theaters, but I seemed to keep missing it. We rented it last night, and were in for a very disturbing perspective on how the news can be, and is, inevitably altered. I have serious issues with calling either Al-Jazeera or Fox News the "right" broadcasting source. I was most reminded of varying perspectives, and how who were ARE always influences what we SEE.

Through all the hub-bub of Fahrenheit 911, this movie missed its day in the spotlight. I wonder if you go into it trusting only American news sources, if you will come out thinking differently. What I appreciated best was the film's simple attempt to tell a story, and not to preach a message. Yes, it did at times seem definitely slanted towards Al-Jazeera's points of view, but it was easy for me to continue to question ALL the news, even that of the film itself.