I Heart NPR

I think this is sentiment that most of my friends who read my blog would wholeheartedly agree with. I was first exposed to NPR (or is it PRI?) with This American Life in Dr. P's 2010 course that I took my very first semester of college. I continue to listen to the podcasts today. Of course there was a period when I didn't listen to the podcasts though I continued to subscribe so I had a great avalanche of podcasts that went unlistened to. Last year I got my sister to start listening to TAL and she listens every week. I think that's neat. And then there were periods whilst I lived in Cedar City that I had the radio station in my car set to the public radio station when I was tired of listening to music. Sometime last year I began podcasting PRI's Selected Shorts which is a great program featuring short stories read/performed on stage by well-known actors in NYC. Some weeks are of course better than others depending on the story itself and who is reading it--much of which is determined by individual taste. And recently I started listening to NPR in my car again which is a whole different story. Basically I was listening to the alternative rock station here called 101.9 The End and they had an awesome afternoon show--The Parker Show. And they would review albums the day they came out and play songs from albums that weren't the singles if the singles sucked or they just liked a different song better. They got emerging artists into the studio for interviews and acoustic performances. They played mashups and the cheesy song of the day and it was just really great exposure to new (and old) music. And Parker and Dallan were really great DJs and they were entertaining and sincere and friendly and charismatic. It was basically awesome! And then the station cut the show. It made me really angry and bitter. But I kept listening to the morning show--The Chunga Show--which I mostly hated because I really hate Chunga. I cannot stand the man. But I really like Chelsea and Cort who co-host the show and so I kept listening. And I'm not sure when I decided to skip to NPR or to be more precise my local public radio station (KUER 90.1) since NPR isn't actually a station. And I suddenly realized how I much I really do love NPR. I listen to Morning Edition on my way to work which is always informative. And then Talk of the Nation on my way home which I always gets me thinking. The other day they were talking about education and I wanted to write a whole blog about that, but I was too exhausted. The gist of it was that many colleges are becoming businesses and education is suffering and tuition is just too outrageous and while many of us were always told that college is the key to a successful career that is no longer necessarily true. Anyway, enough about that. I love the British people on The World and I love Salt Lake's own Radio West which is another show that also gets me thinking. They just did one on Doubt: A History about the roles of doubt and belief in society and then another on The Omnivore's Dilemma which made me think a lot more about the food I consume. What I love most about NPR is the breadth and depth of the coverage and that it is there to provide legitimate news. I think local television news is absolute trash the vast majority of the time. It's sensational and exploitative and terrifying--"Could this happen to you?! Tune in tonight to find out!" Every segment is so brief and so produced that I don't think we should really call it news. The other thing about NPR is that it's not talk radio like Hannity or Limbaugh or anyone else who's goal to to polarize and energize the far right or left. I do think NPR is left-leaning but it's still balanced and legitimate. Anyway, I just wanted to share my rediscovered love for NPR which seems to fit with my job as a librarian. I absolutely love the SLC library and downtown Salt Lake. I'm still not really sure what I'm going to be doing or when since I'm a substitute aide. But it'll be an adventure.

I've been listening to a lot of Broadway lately and I came across this video of Judi Dench singing "Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music for which she won the Olivier in 1996. I just wanted to post it because it's a beautiful song and while Dame Judi isn't the most talented singer her acting is phenomenal. I hope you enjoy.



I know this blog is bit disjointed and whatnot, but I need to get something up because I haven't written for a little while. More blog posts soon! Hopefully.

Thoughts

What follows is a random and inchoate stream-of-consciousness style of my thoughts. I have to say that I love narcissistic characters. Sometimes I read a review of a book or film that I found delightful and the other people complain that the characters are shallow, narcissistic, unlikeable, etc. To them I say, get off your moral high horse. There are shallow, self-important, narcissistic people in real life and I LOVE them. Probably because I'm narcissistic myself and I adore people who have been touched with a dash of high school bitchy. "You know what I think it really was? He was a narcissist. I love narcissists . . . you don't have to buoy them up." My friends are having a Death by Chocolate party tomorrow to celebrate Valentine's Day. I'm pretty excited. I'm bringing three desserts which is quite excessive. I'm making a delicious Devil's Food cake that is so moist due to the secret ingredient of beets! You would never even know. We are not going to tell Chris that there are beets in the cake because otherwise he will refuse to eat it. He is a notoriously picky eater. I'm also making a delicious French Silk pie with a coconut crust that is my uncle's specialty. It is pretty simple but so decadent and rich. And finally I'm making a mousse which is just chocolate, eggs, and salt. Yes, salt--it gives it a nice little bite and makes it more interesting. If you want to make good food all you really need is fat and salt--makes everything taste better. Of course, this is not acceptable in our Atkins and South Beach Diet society. I need to make the cake today and the pie and mousse tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be a packed day. I start training at the SLC library tomorrow and I will miss sleeping in on Saturday morning. I haven't worked on the weekend since June. It's been nice. Then I need to make the desserts and buy a wedding gift. My friends Ken and Abbey are getting married. Ken was my best friend in elementary school and we've remained friends since. Abbey and I went to junior high together, but we weren't friends till high school. We were in theater together. And the summer after my sophomore year of college we hung out a lot. It was me, Elise, Dain, and Abbey. Anyway, she and Ken were something of high school sweethearts, but then he went on a mission, and then she went on a mission, but now they're getting married. However, I haven't really spent much time with either one since their missions. But of course I must get them a gift and go to their reception tomorrow night which keeps me from dying of a chocolaty nature and means that by the time I bring my three decadent desserts they will already be tired of chocolate. I think I should also bring Vicky, Christina, Barcelona--it's such a fun film. It's a comedy and it's romantic, but it's not a chick-flick romantic comedy like He's Just Not That Into You or Confessions of a Shopaholic. No, it's a Woody Allen film. I'm reading far too many books right now. I've started Guns, Germs, and Steel which puts me to sleep every time I open it. We decided to read a history book this month. I think I would have preferred Summer for the Gods, The Devil in the White City, or The Big Oyster. I also want to finish this ghost story by Edith Wharton. I'm also reading her finest novel (according to Harold Bloom anyway), The Custom of the Country. I just adore Mrs. Wharton. In the novel, Undine just went to the Opera with high society New York. And then I saw the Gossip Girl episode where everyone goes to the opera. I thought, more than a hundred years later and it's essentially the same scene. And while we may think that our society is more open and free and tolerant, Park Avenue continues to be exceptionally snobbish and puritanical. I am also reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman in preparation for Sigma Tau Delta in March. I should also be reading Curiosity Scribbled the Cat but I'm sorry Alexandra Fuller, I just can't get into it. I also need to decide which Michael Perry book to read. I'm leaning towards Population: 485. Anyway, I also love to read Neil Gaiman's journal--you can find the link on this page. I think I'm going to see Coraline even though I generally hate and fear Tim Burton. Maybe I'll read the book first. Gaiman says that adults usually find the book more frightening than children do. I just want to share this gem of a review too: "Amidst a flurry of the traditional Valentine's Day Hollywood rom-coms, February contains such counter-programing as "Coraline" and "Friday the 13th". Of these two films, I can say with some certainty that one features some of the most genuinely terrifying sequences to hit the big screen in years, while the other is about a killer wearing a hockey mask." That's from Collider. It makes me laugh. I laughed a lot last night when I watched The Office and 30 Rock. They were both hilarious. I was in such a good mood that I skipped down the hall and hit my head on the doorway post. I immediately took two ibuprofen and checked for external bleeding--there was none. I was still wary of suffering a concussion. So far, so good. Liz Lemon met her perfect match in the form of John Hamm who I didn't even recognize. He switched his iconic, quintessential 1960s man's man Don Draper character for Dr. Drew who is a SNAG which is "sensitive, new-age guy." He's much cuter that way.It's probably all the brylcreem. My new crush is Matthew Del Negro who plays Bram on The West Wing. Here he is:Those brown eyes just unstitch me. Yum. I don't really remember what I was saying anymore. And I don't think I can top Matthew here. So just stare at him for a while. Until next time, Ciao!

YouTube Love

This is my first attempt at inserting videos to my blog. We'll see how it goes. I turned in two grad school applications yesterday, and the third isn't due until May which is so odd. I'm going to start working on it before then, but for now I can just do whatever I want without feeling guilty that I should be working on my grad school applications or searching for a second job--on Saturday I begin temp training for SLCPL. So like many people, I waste my hours away on YouTube and here are a few videos I've run across which make me happy. So grab some popcorn and enjoy!

Conan



Adorable Twins



Karen Driving



The Wizard of Oz: Alternate Ending



Lauren Cooper



Lesbian Realtors Part I



Lesbian Realtors Part II



Hope you enjoyed!

Holy Catwoman!

If Christopher Nolan plans to introduce Catwoman in the third Batman movie, then Eva Green simply must portray this character. She would be Prrrrrfect! Who else could do it? Michelle Pfeiffer was Catwoman, but a new franchise and a new generation needs a new Catwoman. Eva Green is indecently, sublimely beautiful and has such a presence that one can scarcely take one's eyes off her anytime she appears on screen. In the handful of films she has made she has played the femme fatale to great effect a couple of times (see Casino Royale). She is possibly the sexiest woman working in . . . not Hollywood, but film. And she has talent to boot. So it is my mission to somehow generate buzz for Green and start rumors so that Nolan at least gives her an audition.

Nolan apparently wanted Cher for the role, or at least that was a rumor. Cher?!? She is a hundred-years old, okay only 63, but still. And even though she won an Oscar, I don't really think film is her forte. Rachel Weisz and Angelina Jolie are rumored to be considered for the role, and they would both be fine. In fact after Green, Weisz is my go-to. Rachel's a major, beautiful actor who has an uncanny resemblance to Green (and Kate Winslet), and she also has a charismatic screen presence. And an Oscar-winning talent. She would be excellent. Catwoman is a large enough role for Jolie and being a major action film, Jolie's larger-than-life presence would fit nicely. Jolie also has a watchable quality. I would also like to consider Penelope Cruz--a dangerously beautiful woman and talented actor. Watch Vicky Christina Barcelona and then tell me Cruz shouldn't be Catwoman.

Here's a handful of other talented actresses that could possibly handle the role and then reasons why they probably shouldn't. First of all Natalie Portman who I think is great. However, she's a little too young and too nice. She played the most wholesome stripper ever in Closer. Lena Olin would be fantastic (see The Unbearable Lightness of Being), but then she's probably too old. But younger than Cher. Audrey Tautou would, like Green, bring a sexy Frenchness to the role. I believe she also did the femme fatale in Dirty Pretty Things which I haven't seen. However, for whatever reason, I don't think she's quite right. Salma Hayek is lovely and busty, but she's who I use when Cruz isn't available, and I think Penelope would be better. Rosario Dawson is beautiful and ethnic, yet she's hit and miss. She's a decent actor but perhaps not right for Catwoman. And Helena Bonham Carter--can't you just see it? It's quite fantastic! Crazy-haired period actress takes on Catwoman. I want to see that movie. However, she's probably a little too old.

So I'm really rooting for Eva Green. If not her then Rachel Weisz or Penelope Cruz. Who do you think should play Catwoman? Please leave your comment.

Twentysomethings

I just received a call from Mike, the guy who interviewed me for the SLC Public Library, and yes, the circulation people skipped past me, but they were looking for someone with more language experience. This isn't LA or NYC, this is Salt Lake people!, but I suppose speaking Spanish is helpful even when living in mayonnaise-white Utah. Of course I'd prefer to bone up on my French (semi-useful) or even learn Italian (totally useless) than Spanish. This is all part of my ivory tower syndrome or complex and whatever you want to call it. And I mean Elizabeth Gilbert decided to learn Italian just to feel sexy again after coming through a harrowing divorce and a passionate affair that ended in messy heartache. I'm reading her memoir Eat, Pray, Love which I am enjoying. I love Elizabeth Gilbert, and she has done some great work for GQ. The only thing is she can be a little glib which sometimes bothers me only because I am glib. I don't know if it's competition or self-loathing or I expect more from her. Anyway here's an example: "What I said to God through my gasping sobs was something like this: 'Hello, God. How are you? I'm Liz. It's nice to meet you.' . . . In fact, it was all I could do to stop myself from saying, 'I've always been a big fan of your work...'" It's funny and it's something I might say if I were writing about a conversation I had with God. Anyway, Mike called me and now I'm going to be a temp for the SLCPL. I will basically be on call and it will be flexible and will probably work better with my current job and life and stuff. I'm very excited!

Speaking of life, I have added a new item to my life-list: running a marathon. Let me assure you that I have not gone insane, but instead have been listening to TBTL. This is a radio show from Seattle hosted by Luke Burbank--not a relation (as far as I can tell)--that I have been podcasting since October. It's great but it's not for everyone. And recently it has overwhelmed my life a little bit. I had a dream that I was in the Kiro studio with Luke, Jen, and Sean. And today I was trying to remember which friend had said or done something when I realized it wasn't a friend at all but something that Jen had said on my iPod. Anyway, Luke ran a marathon and I decided I should run one. What gave me hope is that Luke is not a svelte runner or really very athletic at all, and I know this because he weighs himself at the beginning of every show. He may also be the only person to gain weight after running a half-marathon. Now running a marathon is not something I plan on doing within the year, but many years down the road. However, I need to start training now. My friend Kristyn is running a 5K in April and she turned me onto this running schedule titled "The Couch-to-5K Running Plan" and that seems to be something I could work with. Also, 3.2 miles or whatever it is sounds manageable, unlike say 26 miles. But after running a 5K or two, I may want to try a 10K, and then a half-marathon, and then full-fledged marathon. I feel no need to be a person who runs marathons--plural, active--just the one. In fact if I run a 5K, I may call that good and be done with it.

The reason I am discussing my marathon and life-list is that today is my half-birthday, which seems like a better time to set goals than say New Years. So here's a review of my life-list. I have indeed read an erotic romance novel that was also a gay romance novel so check! (I'm still not ready to add Finnegans Wake to my list though). I am continuing to cook--with friends and by myself--and I make awesome spaghetti carbonara. But I am not as active in this endeavor as I should be. I do enthuse about wine with the help of the Wine Library TV podcast and Gary Vaynerchuck. I have seen a few more Meryl Streep and Mike Nichols films--most recently Heartburn which wasn't great, but we can all blame Nora Ephron for that. I still need to get myself over to NYC and catch a Broadway play. Or even better something on the West End in London while I am living there. I am applying to grad school and hopefully in two years I'll have my Master's. I attended Sundance last year, but unfortunately not this year. I have a couple days left, I suppose. I have not continued with yoga and I need to get myself to a class. There's a writing contest my aunt sent me a link to and I think I'll enter that--perhaps get an essay or short story published. Continuing to study canonical literature has fallen off the path a bit. But I am running a book club which is fun and usually ends up with us getting drunk--also fun. And my friend Rae and I are trying to read all the books that appeared in The Reader. We'll see how that goes. There's a slew of other things on my life list, but these are a few I can work on this year. Along with these, I would like to join Alec Baldwin in his three hopes for 2009. 1) Slumdog Millionaire wins Best Director and Best Picture, 2) Detroit manufactures the most fuel-efficient technology ever (I personally would actually like to see major strides in an alternative fuel source that is not ethanol), and 3) there is no SAG strike. Yes, that would be a good 2009.

Of course all of this ties into the larger issue of twentysomethings. Twenty-year-olds have always been so old to me. Not in a wrinkly way, but just having their shit together and living life. As a twentysomething I know this is not true as many twenty-year-olds do not have their shit together. But sitcoms like Friends and How I Met Your Mother feature mid- to late-twentysomethings living in New York, pursuing professional careers, developing long-term relationships. And so I wonder when I'm in my mid- to late-twenties where will I be in my life? I will be twenty-four when I plan on earning my Master's which is doing better than my brother-in-law who will be twenty-five when he earns his Bachelor's. (It is rather odd to have a brother-in-law who is two years older than I am. But that's Utah for you.) So now that I'm half-way between 22 and 23 every time I encounter a twentysomething in art or life, I wonder where will I be when I'm that age. Sometimes I hope to God that I am so far beyond where certain people are, and other times it would be a fantasy to even be close to what some twenysomethings have accomplished. For now I think I will just take life as it comes--working on my life-list--and try not to be terrified of turning twenty-three this summer.

Nostalgic Negronis

Yesterday, alas and alack, I did not see the SAG awards as I was at a friend's apartment and they do not have cable. Of course even if I had been home it wouldn't have helped since my parents have successfully resisted cable all these years. I may have to see if I can find it on Hulu or something, but not today because grad school applications are DUE Saturday. Technically they're due on February 1st but as that's Sunday, I feel that just to be safe I need to have everything in on the day before. Though usually in such situations there's a grace period extending to the next business day. So I really shouldn't even be writing this blog but applying, applying, applying. But that's who I am--I complain and write blogs and expend all my energy avoiding anything that I must do when I should harness that energy towards productive pursuits.

As I was walking to the parking lot after work today, I saw a young woman wearing galoshes, and I wanted some. It's been rainy the last few days and then yesterday it snowed a helluva lot--accumulating by degrees. So walking is pretty treacherous and generally ends in soaking wet feet on my part. I don't have weather appropriate footwear. I keep meaning to get some boots, but really by the time I drag myself to the shoe store it will be spring. If I do end up in upstate New York next year I will need real boots and a much warmer coat and just warmer clothing in general. But it was fun to see some yellow galoshes which reminded me of "Bulbous Bouffant." If you don't know what I'm talking about it's time for a YouTube journey.

Yesterday, I made dinner with some friends which is for us an all-day affair. We get together and create a menu and grocery list. We then go shopping and start to prepare dinner playing some XBox or watching some movies along the way and getting rather drunk. For an aperitif I made myself a Negroni which I had not had for the longest time. The Negroni is one of the most delightful cocktails ever in my opinion. One cocktail enthusiast has suggested that if the Martini is the Superman of drinks and the Manhattan is the Batman then the Negroni is the Wonder Woman of cocktails. It is composed of an equal measure of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth served over the rocks in an old-fashioned glass and gently stirred. The best drinks are generally the simplest as well, and yet people tend to have a helluva hard time making these classic drinks. Anyway, the Negroni is thoroughly delightful though an affinity for gin and a taste for Campari are prerequisites of a sort. Campari is an Italian liqueur and essentially a type of bitters and is definitely an acquired taste (which I believe can be acquired relatively quickly). What makes the Negroni so great is the perfect balance of sweetness, ka-pow, and bitters. By the way, the Negroni's close cousin is the Americano which is equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth over ice in a highball glass and topped with soda water. It is exquisite on hot summer days.

The Negroni is also great in the summer as when I was first exposed to it. Yesterday when I tasted this exalted drink I was instantly taken back to the late days of June when I made myself Negronis and watched the BBC miniseries Brideshead Revisited which itself features the alcoholic Sebastian Flyte, and I was overcome with nostalgia. I forget if I've already mentioned this, but nostalgia is not simply the fond memories of the good old times; it's much darker. Nostalgia comes from the Greek nostos which means a return home (and we can never return home), or as we all learned from Mad Men "'nostalgia' literally means 'the pain from an old wound.' It's a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone." Yes, indeed. But anyway, if you've never had a Negroni, you are missing out. Make one for yourself or order one in a bar. I've never ordered one in the great State of Utah since it's really only safe to order Margaritas and beers at the restaurants and clubs here. But if you live outside of Utah and trust your bartender go for it! And if not now then definitely in the summer. It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely. Now I want to see De-Lovely again; Ashley Judd was rather good in that movie, and Kevin Kline is always fantastic. And who doesn't love gay sex? as we found out when we watched "All That Glitters" from season four of Sex and the City.

Brave New World

I just watched Barack Obama's inauguration on the Internet since I could not watch it live being at work and all. I enjoy my job very much and it's actually a very nice environment, but there is no time for things like watching political speeches live. So while I was watching it on MSNBC a few things came to my mind that were only tangentially related to President Obama's speech. By the way, isn't it something of a miracle that a black man with the least presidential name of all time--Barack Hussein Obama--is our 44th president? I think so.

I was at Barnes & Noble on Saturday and one of my old managers--whom I liked--was there and it was lovely to see her though also a little odd, because she works (or worked) at the Sandy store and she was all the way downtown at the Gateway store when I saw her. I don't know if she was there just to train or be trained or if she transferred permanently, but it was a little odd. Anyway, I was browsing through the history section because one of my friends thought it might be nice to read a history book for our next book club selection and thus I was skimming the titles and blurbs of books. So far I have the following titles to propose: Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond, Mr. Gatling's Terrible Marvel by Julia Keller,The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (which is more of a true crime book), A Bottle of Rum by Wayne Curtis, anything by Thomas Cahill, and Salt or Cod or The Big Oyster all by Mark Kurlansky. If you have any delightful history books that you have read recently, including those mentioned above, I would love to hear from you.

So I was browsing the US History section and came across such titles as 48 Liberal Lies About American History, The Ten Big Lies About America, and A Patriot's History About the United States. Only the last one might actually be balanced, but of course I haven't read any of them, but they all strike me as conservative propaganda. However, as a liberal it strikes me that conservative pundits like to associate liberals as synonymous with godless, unpatriotic liars. It reminds me of the SNL skit where Tina Fey as Sarah Palin lists the blue states as unpatriotic sections of America and then lists the swing states as having the choice to be either real pro- or anti-American. And of course the whole problem is that liberals and Democrats have taken this type of xenophobic abuse lying down with their tails tucked between their legs. (Or is it laying down? Damn those transitive and intransitive verbs!) Of course the other problem is that I, personally, am a godless, elitist, European-loving liberal and so don't have a lot of room to talk.

So anyway, from what I could tell, these books seemed to believe that the only way we can be proud of these United States is if we have an untarnished history of them, which I personally believe is irresponsible. It may be true that Howard Zinn and revisionist history may have gone too far post-sixties to be as politically correct as possible. I think the way we view history is like a pendulum--it's too bad there is no adjective form for that word (i.e., pendulumistic)--we go from an idealistic, white view of American history to one that is uber-PC and champions multiculturalism. Of course the truth usually lies somewhere in between the two, assuming that truth is an absolute and not relative which I personally believe is true--and we come full circle. How ironic. Go watch Rashomon people! I just finished watching the HBO miniseries John Adams which swept the Golden Globes. Anyway, there's a scene in the final episode where John Trumbull privately unveils his painting Declaration of Independence before John Adams who then eviscerates Trumbull for his idyllic portrait of this momentous event. (You all know this picture--Google image it.) Adams, who was there (some of the time), knows that no such scene was even remotely close to any of the actual happenings at Independence Hall. (I'm sure the same is true for Howard Chandler Christy's Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States.) Adams then gives this speech, or rant, about the fiction which is just another word for so-called American history. I can't give you any of the quotes for IMDB is failing me at the moment. Anyway, I think it's dangerous to ignore the dark times of any history, but perhaps it's also time white men can again take pride for their accomplishments instead of obsequiously apologizing for all their faults--which do exist.

What I really wanted to talk about though is the problem with the Muslim world according to Gregory. In his inaugural address, Obama said, "The world has changed, and we must change with it." Just as the problem with the French is that they are all secular Catholic existentialists, so the problem with Islam is that Muhammad is the seal of the prophets and the Qur'an (or Koran if you prefer) is the final and absolute word of god, or Allah. La illaha illala: no god but God. So the problem is that Christianity modernized and only the fundamentalists believe the Bible to the be the literal word of God though perhaps not the final word. And while certainly there have been wicked Popes, there have also been those who have ushered in new ages. So sometimes it's nice to have a living spokesman for God. Of course the Pope's absolute power was lessened by the Reformation, yet he was and is still an important leader to Christians worldwide. There is no unifying leader of the Islam world. Of course there were the caliphs and Imams who succeeded Muhammad which is a bloody history and led to the bitter schism between Sunni and Shi'a Islam. The Shi'ites suffering from inferiority superiority complex because they are a minority in the Muslim world yet also zealously convinced that their version of Islam is the correct one. Anyway, so you have Muslims with only their local leaders to guide them, who are often also their political leaders--at least across much of the Middle East. I find this to be the main crisis facing Islam and the world at large--there is no unifying leader to interpret the Qur'an and the Sharia, and Islam, a religion born in the Middle Ages, is fundamentally opposed to change and modernity. Islam literally means "to surrender or submit" which directly opposes any questioning, Muhammad is the seal of the prophets, and the Qur'an is the final and absolute word of God. In fact it is so much so, that the Qur'an is only considered to be the Qur'an if it is in its original Arabic. Any translation of the word, which may be helpful as a tool to spread the message, is nevertheless not considered to be the Qur'an. The only problem is that Christianity has made enormous strides in the last six hundred years. I say six hundred because Islam is six hundred years younger than Christianity and yet we expect this younger and more inflexible religion to adapt to our same level of human rights immediately. And it's only in the past fifty years that our freedom-loving America has made real changes in regards to women's rights, civil rights, gay rights, etc. And yet we want to foist these recent changes onto their world which is not necessarily ready to accept them.

Anyway to see these changes may I recommend the music video "Let's See How Far We've Come" by Matchbox 20. I know as a band they get a lot of ribbing, yet this music video is very political and gives me chills every time I watch it. It's a new era of hope and I think we would do well to remember FDR's immortal words: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." I feel a little like watching The West Wing or V for Vendetta or even playing Zelda--anything but working on my MLIS applications. I also have too many books to read. Scribbling the Cat, The Iceman Cometh, Love in the Time of Cholera and I really should read Little Altars Everywhere and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood which my friend lent me forever ago but it's failed to catch my interest. If you've read it let me know if I should invest my time. I also need to see Frost/Nixon, Last Chance Harvey, and Gran Torino before they leave. And Revolutionary Road and The Wrestler come out this weekend. So I will soon be back at you with movie reviews and frivolous Oscar commentary. The SAGs are this weekend. Cheers!