Scones Are Really Easy to Make

I spent an extended weekend in Texas with Stephanie which was a lot of fun and more than made up for the day of swine flu jokes I endured. The trip down was relatively uneventful. On the way to her house, I stopped by Jason's condo to pick up things to deliver. The only other excitement stemmed from a particularly bad accident involving two semi-trucks which held up traffic for half an hour. Once I arrived, we had four days of merriment. We watched movies, talked about feelings, fell into Lifetime original movie territory, quickly retreated, and baked scones.

Stephanie also read my tarot with her new set of cards. I had asked her to do this since it's a subject that I've been mildly interested in for a long time. (Tarot is one of those things regularly featured on mystery shows such as Murder, She Wrote which I watched religiously for years.) Before we started, she explained that the process was not meant to be mystical or seen as an exercise in predicting the future. I expected to enjoy the reading but was surprised at how active I got in the process. The reading ended up taking roughly four hours, and several times I had strong reactions to the cards. Had I not actually shuffled and cut the deck I would have sworn that Stephanie had stacked it. The cards had very interesting things to say, and Stephanie and I also found quite a few things to say. It was nice to have such a structured forum in which to examine my life. (I didn't ask a question at the beginning since I felt too inexperienced.) Though the question of "how" could be troubling, it does not seem inconceivable to me that the cards and people are connected through the universe and thus ordered on some level. Perhaps my excessive Romanticism and pseudo-Existentialism is showing.

During all this scone-baking and card-reading, we watched quite a few movies including The Band's Visit, an Israeli film about the travails of a police band traveling to a gig from Egypt, The Taste of Others, a charming French film about the events and people surrounding one man's personal journey from being a boring office drone to a person interested in art and love, The Nines, a series of interlocking vignettes about a man who doesn't understand who or what he is and two women who are trying to help him, and Look Both Ways, an Australian film about death and the ways it effects us. We also watched filmed stage productions of Company and Sunday at the Park with George which I checked out from the library.

On the way home, I stopped by Mom and Dad's house. They showed me the new quilts including a beautiful one for me. Dad showed off his new golf club which is one of the most interesting clubs I've ever seen. I'm so glad that he enjoys it.

Remembrances of Days Past; or The Man Who Talked Too Much

Last week I happened upon a wonderful deal on Fiestaware at a pharmacy/gift shop that's merging in with Walgreens. So I coordinated Mom's birthday presents from me and my siblings. (By "coordinated," I mean I bought things and notified them that they owe me money.)

After procuring such a kick ass gift for Mom, I started obsessing about Dad's gift. My dad is notoriously noncommittal when it comes to giving ideas for gifts, and Mom's idea was socks. (I should explain that Mom and Dad's birthdays are insanely close together.) Finally, Joel told me that Dad wanted a hybrid golf club and that his three iron had recently broken. So we bought him a new hybrid three iron, and he used it Tuesday and really liked it.

Jenna was over last weekend, and as usual, we watched far too many movies. We watched The Trojan Women, My Fair Lady, and Anastasia. On Sunday, we visited Grandma and Grandpa and chatted about poetry and graduate school.

I also had a spontaneous burst of creativity and wrote three poems as well as the second part of another and the beginnings of several others. I've been writing much more than I did last year which is very encouraging. Also, I recently took a major step and actually read several of my recent poems to Nanny, Poppy, and Mom. Either they enjoyed them or imagined that I would throw myself in front of a train if they didn't. So my spirits were lifted, and while I can't let them see some of my racier poems and poems dealing with subjects they probably don't want to deal with, I feel that they now have some small idea of the things that I do with my spare time.

Monday evening, I watched George Cukor's The Women which was a lot funnier than I thought it would be. Much like Robert Wise, Cukor is one of those prolific directors who has directed quite a few movies that I've seen and love. I'm a fan of Joan Fontaine, Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard, and Marjorie Main so I enjoyed seeing all of them performing together. Russell especially is a riot to watch; she so ostentatious and relishes every manipulation and drama with almost irrepressible glee.

I loved the movie so much that I needed more and attempted to watch the 2008 remake. Okay, I realize this was a stupid thing to do, but how was I suppose to know that something with so much actresses I adore could be so bland. Maybe it was unfair to try watching it so soon after watching the original, but I doubt that I could have made it past the 24 minute point in any situation. It wasn't even bad; it was mind numbingly adequate.

Since the remake proved unwatchable, I watched Robert Altman's Dr. T and the Women instead since it too sports an eclectic set of actresses that I love. Now, I bought this for secondspin for two dollars, and I was expecting a bad movie and ended up completely surprised. It was so vibrant and funny.

Then I blissfully got online... People hate this film. No, I think that's too lenient. People loath this film. Even die hard Altman fans despise this film, and I have no idea why. It's not as good as Nashville or Short Cuts, but it's still Altman being extremely Altmanesque. It's hysterically funny, poignant, and whimsical. I mean Farrah Fawcett's character is suffering from a "Hespia Complex," a fictional mental condition where women who are loved too much retreat into a childlike state. And despite the ludicrous nature of her condition, the film makes the pain it causes her husband very real.

Now, I'm getting ready to spend the weekend plus Monday visiting Stephanie. (I may have to call in sick Tuesday.) All week I've been stuck at the circulation desk so I'm very tired and looking forward to relaxing. I've also been melancholy for the last two weeks. So much time at the circulation desk has been it crushingly clear that I currently have the same job I had in high school and most of college. This makes me wonder what the hell I'm doing.

Anyway, I'm over it now and hoping that this control that I've recently had over my bad moods will continue to grow. I need to learn to take my natural depression and use it to my advantage. Still, I'm looking forward to visiting Stephanie! I'm sure there will be merriment and spirits, movie watching and possible tarot reading! I've also decided not to bring a large amount of films this time. I'm bringing three things, one that we will watch and two that she can decide yes or no at her convenience. I'm such a good friend.

First, Some Exposition

For the last few days, I've been thinking of some fun semi-regular feature that I could do for this blog. Then I realized that I could simply combine it with a fun film project that I'm already doing. Several years ago, I decided to watch all of the films that have won Academy Award for Best Picture and also all the films that are on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies list from 1997, plus the twenty-three additional films that made AFI's updated 2007 list.

So as I watch movies that fall into those categories, I'll post about them. I would promise analytic essays that invoke intelligent discussion, but most likely the posts will consist of me saying "I like this movie" twelve different ways, namedropping, and musing pseudo-intellectually about that one sentence of Rousseau that I remember. Hell, I may resort to fanfic. I mean, the market could be ripe for the sequel I've written for Casablanca, a buddy picture following Rick and Louis as they drive from Casablanca to Cairo to meet up with one of Rick's old girlfriends.

A Day in the Life Of...

There are many things that I enjoy talking about that the majority of people I know don't enjoy talking about. Countless times I've noticed that glazed expression develop in the eyes of family, friends, and acquaintances as I prattle on about Tracy/Hepburn films or whatever classic novel I'm current obsessed with. Now, there are things that I don't really talk that I'm sure would conversational numbness, and one of these is my job. However, I'm bored at the moment and thought that you should be bored too.

I work at an academic library, specifically in the archives and at the circulation desk.

I suppose the one thing to remember about library work is that everything is counted for statistical purposes. Half of the job is proving that the library is needed. So we mark down every question, book used, and visitor. These are ultimately used to show people that people in fact use the library.

At the circulation desk, I help people check out books, check in books, handle their fines, send faxes, and sundry errands.

I'm also part of the Interlibrary loan team (Go Team ILL!) and mainly deal with outgoing (borrowing) requests. This means processing request for materials made by our students, staff, and faculty. Basically, it boils down to asking a string of lending libraries if they would be willing/able to loan us their materials. A major part of this involves researching loaning policies to make sure that they do lend the type of materials we're seeking and aren't going to charge us fifty dollars. I also take part in managing all requests database which details all incoming/outgoing requests and their statuses. This is generally easy unless it's time for final papers or the occasional person going berserk. (For example when someone first realizes that attempting to get new releases through ILL is cheaper than Blockbuster or when someone wants every recording of an obscure Italian Cat Stevens cover band.)

I'm also the assistant to the archivist which entails lots of research into moldering tomes and newspapers. (Sometimes I get the archivist coffee.) Besides research requests, I handle a large amount of indexing and processing new acquisitions.

I generally like my job and have no real complaints beyond the minuscule pay and the lack of personal fulfillment. I'm not wealthy enough for existential angst concerning my noncareer so I try not to think about. Most positions of this type are transition jobs taken by those who wish to go to graduate school or work their way into a cushier administration gig.

So concludes a day in the working life of a archives/circulation technician. And now, Gentle Reader, I leave you to your own devices and hope that I have made some impact whether interesting you in the field of librarianship or curing your insomnia.

The borrow the mannerisms of Comic Book Guy: Most. Boring. Blog. Ever.

10 Favorite Television Characters

Stephanie decided to do a list of ten favorite television characters so I thought I would join her. Here's my list:

Lucille Bluth from Arrested Development (2003-2006)
"Oh, hello, Buster. Here's a candy bar. No, I'm withholding it. Look at me, 'getting off'."

I laugh at everything that comes out of Lucille's mouth, whether she's belittling her children or joking about her neighbor's widowhood. She's like a Hitchcock mother without the decency to have a limit to the verbal and manipulative cruelty she can reek. Part of reason the show's premise works is due to the fact that with Lucille in their lives, I have no problem seeing how the characters became so dysfunctional.

Bree Van de Kamp Hodge from Desperate Housewives (2004-present)
"I know you think I'm kidding myself, but I'm not. I'm nothing like you people. I just don't have a compulsive personality."

In my opinion Bree is the most satirical character on the show, putting the roast in the oven and the walking past her framed picture of Reagan and out the door of her spotless house to plant drugs in her son's locker. Like Lucille, Bree manipulates but always quietly and properly and if she had learned her techniques from Miss Manners. Bree's antics are always my favorite on the show.

Andy Millman from Extras (2005-2007)
"The happiest day of my life - oh, quick, I'll do the invites and bake a cake and get a press tent."

There are exactly three things from television shows that always make me cry - two are crises of C.J. Cregg and one is the brilliant speech Andy Millman gives in the Christmas special. The time I enjoy about Andy is that he's a terrible person and basically a good guy. His penchant for rudeness and insensitivity come from his failure to obtain his dream of making it as an actor and creating an intelligent sitcom. He's unable to balance his ambitions with the actualities of the world, and it's only when he's sunk to the very depths of selling out that he's able to redeem himself.

Dr. Frasier Crane from Cheers (1982-2003) and Frasier (1993-2004)
"I'm listening."

Though I tend to gravitate toward minor characters, I've always liked Frasier the best. He's urbane and pompous and cared only for the finer things in life. While he seems to have all the answers and a first class education, he's just a man seeking validation and happiness... and the prestige of winning a local broadcasting award.

Hyacinth Bucket from Keeping Up Appearances (1990-1995)
"Rose, you will not commit suicide, I forbid it. No one in this family has ever committed suicide, and I'm sure we're not going to start on the day I'm having the new vicar for tea and light refreshments."

Change my situation slightly, and I could be Hyacinth Bucket and succumb to the wonders of etiquette books, cookbooks, and plans for spectacular candlelight suppers. More than any other television character I know, she wants the world to be a happy place with no pollution, musical galas, and an air of pleasant snobbery. She's just so lovable as she looks down on poor relations and trying to create a beacon of gentility and good breeding in her English suburb.

Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996)
"There's just something that doesn't seem right."

Who wouldn't want the resolve of Jessica Fletcher? Yes, a plethora of her friends and acquaintances have been murdered, but she still continues to write bestselling novels and do some freelance sleuthing on the side.

Murphy Brown from Murphy Brown (1988-1998)
"I hope you're better than my last secretary."

Who couldn't like Murphy Brown as she asks the hard hitting questions and sings Motown standards in a voice that gives Simon Cowell nightmares? My parents watched Murphy Brown while I was growing up so I identify it with my childhood.

Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons (1989-present)
"Wait Dad! Good news, everyone! You don't have to eat meat! I've got enough gazpacho for everyone."

Part of the reason that I finally decided to pick up a book about Buddhism is the episode where Lisa becomes a Buddhist. She encapsulates the motivational dichotomies in my own personality.
I love Lisa because despite her preaching and air of mental superiority, she also enjoys watching violent cartoons and taking part in the brain dead antics of her father and brother. Yes, she plays jazz and read Faulkner, but she also prank calls Moe.

Veronica Mars from Veronica Mars (2004-2007)
"Some girl going wild? As I understand it, it happens all the time in college. I'm on the verge of it right now. "

Veronica is smart and sassy despite the world-of-television odds. When we met her, her best friend has been murdered and her place in the world has been shattered. Most television characters (with the exception of Jessica Fletcher, see above) would fold under these insurmountable circumstances, but armed with a taser and rapier wit, she proves herself to be tough and capable, yet there are heartbreaking moments where you realize just how vulnerable she is.

Claudia Jean "C.J." Cregg from The West Wing (1999-2006)
"Sir, this may be a good time to talk about your sense of humor. "

It was difficult to choose a single character from The West Wing since much of the show's brilliance comes from the interplay between the characters. If you take one away, the both the show and the character become less than they were. (When Sam left, it took a little time for the show to adjust.) However, C.J. is the standout character, the one that I could watch in a different setting and get just as much enjoyment out of it. Strong and opinionated, she oscillates between being to voice of reason and the voice of emotion. She also grows more than any other character, taking on new challenges and relationships as the series progressed.

Honorable Mentions

Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore and Emily Gilmore from Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)
Jessica Tate from Soap (1977-1981)
Brendan Small from Home Movies (1999-2004)

"I like them; I really like them": 10 Favorite Movie Characters

I found another meme floating about the film blogs that I read and couldn't resist its call during my lunch break. The challenge is to compile a list of your ten favorite cinematic characters. This was a lot harder than I thought it would be, and the final list is probably more a list of ten of my favorite characters and not my all time favorites.

Without further ado, here's my list, alphabetized by film title and complete with photographs presented in dazzling WarnerColor! (I'm joking about the WarnerColor.)

Julia Lambert from Being Julia (2004)

"I'm tired, I'm utterly exhausted, and I need a holiday."
Julia is not only a bitch - she's a theater bitch which is much, much worse. She lives as if she were on stage and treats friends and family like minor characters in one of her plays. Yet to me she's lovable and endearing. Perhaps it's cathartic to see someone who can behave badly, get away with it, and still maintain authenticity in their thoughts and feelings.

Matthew Harrison Brady from Inherit the Wind (1960)

"I do not think about things I do not think about."
Apparently, I like showboats. Brady descends on a small town courthouse with an amiable air and the fire of God. His aim is not to prosecute the teacher but to keep Darwinism out of the school. His amiability gives way to fire-and-brimstone passion as he rails science and sin. However, his behind the scenes reasoning isn't against science at all but against stripping away faith from those who need it. Though his passion and hubris are his undoing, you get the feeling that he grasps the bigger picture more than Henry Drummond.

Joey from Interiors (1978)

"What happens to those of us who can't create?"
Joey (far right) is the most damaged and least accomplished of her family. She's not the pretty one nor is she the smart one. She's not the favorite of either of her parents. Due to insecurities and a general artistic ineptitude, she has no idea what to do with any of her bitter feelings or aimless aspirations.

Frank Ginsberg from Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

"I just want everyone to know that I am the preeminent Proust scholar in the United States."
Apparently, I also like failures. Frank does act like a person who just tried to commit suicide or lost his unrequited lover to his academic rival or just got fired from his university job. He seems merely melancholic. When he describes the failed life of Proust, there's more than a hint of respect. You have to wonder if perhaps he patterned his life's mistakes after the author's.

Linda Partridge from Magnolia (1999)

"Now, you must really shut the fuck up now, please - shut the fuck up."
Linda Partridge, like all the film's characters, is having a bad day. However, I get the feeling that most of the characters have generally mundane days while Linda exists in a cloud of angsty drama. She's the woman who always drinks too much, says the exact wrong thing, and displays all the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Adding insult to injury, Linda's horrendously bad day is her errand day. She goes to the doctor to get her husband's prescription, the lawyer's office to go over her husband's will, and then to the pharmacy all while having an increasingly desperate mental breakdown. Fortunately, she's the toughest character in the film, surviving a suicide attempt and an overturned ambulance.

Nina "Ninotchka" Ivanoff from Ninotchka (1939)

"I'm so happy, I'm so happy! Nobody can be so happy without being punished."
As an unfeeling communist, Ninotchka fills her days surveying Russian endeavors and studying architecture and political infrastructure. As a woman in love, she dances and drinks uninhibited; she laughs. After finally finding that existence doesn't have to be bleak, she straddles the line be Communism and Capitalism and shows that the best mode of living is a compromise.

Max Bialystock from The Producers (1968, 2005)

"Shut up. I'm having a rhetorical conversation."
Max is oily and scrupulous as he circumvents the law and seduces a string of elderly women, and yet I always root for him. He's had his fifteen minutes and just won't let it go, won't see that perhaps he was never very good at his job. I'm pretty sure that he's much more theatrical than any of the plays he produced.

Coalhouse Walker, Jr. from Ragtime (1981)

"I read music so good, white folks think I'm fakin' it."
Coalhouse is an embodiment of ragtime, and there's a cool confidence about him when he first encounters the white family caring for his lover and child. However, just when he begins to find happiness and build a life, he's the victim of petty racism that thrusts him and all of his acquaintances onto a path to ruin. His principles are the kind that can't exist in his world. Though his quest for justice and validation takes erratic, grandiose turns, he never seems ridiculous or even unreasonable.

Jack Gurney the 14th Earl of Gurney from The Ruling Class (1972)

"For what I am about to receive, may I make myself truly thankful."
Jack has the misfortune of being born into the ruling class and has spent most of his time in a discreet asylum. When he unexpectedly becomes the fourteenth earl and returns home, he believes that he is Jesus Christ and begins a zany campaign to spread peace and goodwill. His quest to usher in an era of happiness is thwarted by friends and family who can't stand his delusion or its results. A man with a hijacked identity, he remains largely unaware of the animosity the surrounds him.

George from Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966)

"Martha, will you show her where we keep the, uh, euphemism?"
George is a disappointment trapped in a disappointing life and clinging to a shell of dignity. He braves the insults and taunting from his wife with a stiff drink and a series of sneering quips. His resolve to have a dismal evening and worse morning almost never wavers, and it's interesting to watch a man with no purpose be so driven.

"The things I do for that newspaper!"

Libeled Lady (USA 1936 35m)
-Warner Bros. Classic Comedies Collection

d Jack Conway; p Lawrence Weingarten; w Maurine Watkins, Howard Emmett Rogers, George Oppenheimer; c Norbert Brodine; ad Cedric Gibbons; fe Fredrick Y. Smith; m William Axt

Jean Harlow (Gladys), William Powell (Bill Chandler), Myrna Loy (Connie Allenbury), Spencer Tracy (Warren Haggerty), Walter Connolly (Mr. Allenbury)

Libeled Lady perfectly fits the "screwball comedy" label stuck on it. There's loathing that gives way to romance, jaded characters who learn to love, outrageous hi-jinx that would seem ridiculous in the real world yet feel somehow sophisticated on the screen. It's an urbane screwball. It never submerges itself in the absurdity of Bringing Up Baby nor does it completely succumb to the "Idiot Plot" of Top Hat. It's a film built around awry intentions and the manipulation of manipulations.

As with any screwball comedy, the plot makes very little practical sense. Due to an erroneous front page story, Connie Allenbury is suing the New York Evening Star for libel to the tune of five million dollars. This will drive the newspaper into bankruptcy, humiliating its owner and avenging Mr. Allenbury's failed political career. Editor Warren Haggerty employs suave, broke Bill Chandler to pose as a married man, seduce Connie, and discredit her in a public fashion that will get the libel suit dismissed.

Conveniently, Haggerty has a fiancee, Gladys, who unwilling marries Chandler and poses as his adoring wife. After the quickie nuptials, Chandler dashes off to England in order to save Connie from hired paparazzi and woe her on the boat ride stateside. Of course, the attempts of the devious man to integrate himself into the Allenbury family's good graces are fraught with humor and indifference at first sight. Once the boat lands, Mr. Allenbury invites Chandler on a fishing expedition where he and Connie warm to each other. To further complicate things, Gladys is starting to fall for Chandler and may or may not still be married to her first husband. Chandler and Connie may be falling in love. Mr. Allenbury may suspect something, and Chandler and Haggerty start a game of cat and mouse.

Both Gladys and Connie are initially presented as archetypes: Gladys as the opinionated shrew and Connie as the jaded ice queen. Without ceremony of any kind, Gladys arrives at the newsroom in a whirl of aggravation and white roses. Her wedding is being postponed, and she's turned into a woman scorned. She threatens, insults, demands, and laments. As she snarls, we can see why Haggerty was so eager to avoid marriage at the beginning of the film.

Jean Harlow's performance is extremely captivating. She's alternately worldly and clueless. She wisecracks and tosses out zingers and one liners in every situation. Harlow isn't afraid to look comical and undignified either (in Public Enemy (1931) James Cagney mashes a grapefruit in her face - a cinematic incident parodied with great effect in Kiss Me, Stupid). She doesn't bat an eye when asked to help in a fishing demonstration or when appearing in a hair dryer from Hell. As the film goes on, her verbal (and physical) attacks become less pronounced as she developing romantic feelings for Chandler, but she never loses her edge or vigor. By the end, she's shown us exactly why Spencer Tracy's Haggerty is in love with her.

Alternately, Connie is first seen indifferently standing by as her father talks on the phone with the newspeople she's about to destroy. She's aloof and only mildly engaged. Unlike Gladys, she's getting exactly what she wants. Her civil hostility toward Chandler during their maritime encounters . As he attempts to play games with her, she dupes him again and again. However as Chandler gets to know her, he sees her vulnerability and the reasons for her distance. An international playgirl (why is there always an international playgirl/boy?) has to harden herself to keep her reputation.

Like Harlow, Loy is a joy to watch. (She's one of my favorite actresses.) This is one of the 1936 batch of films Powell and Loy did together after The Thin Man (1934). The repartee between the two is fantastic. The success of a screwball comedy rests on clever candor, and these two don't disappoint.

Likewise, the film reminds us of the comedic timing of Spencer Tracy who I saw in dramas such as Inherit the Wind and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner before finding out about his comedies. His character here is the brains of the operation and tries to keep things going and the paper running. He's a compilation of Hollywood types (the career newspaperman, the harassed finance, the manipulated manipulator) who are known for their brashness.

Of course, most of the confusion is cleared up by the end, and the lovers end up (more or less) with the right person. Despite the absurd antics and obligatory drama, the film presents a world that we want to live in, a world where everything works out in the end.

They Came from the 50s and Had Horrible, Horrible Titles

Warning: Mild spoilers abound so beware!

Tuesday TCM had an evening of 1950's sci-fi movies so for the first time this year I decided to watch a film on television. I ended up watching three of the five and would have continued on without trepidation except I had to go to work Wednesday morning.

The first film was Gene Fowler Jr.'s I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958) which has a great tag line: "The bride wore terror." Despite the atrocious DVD cover art and disparaging remarks made by Steven Spielberg, the film was very sleek and well done.

The characters were developed as fully as they could be in the contrived situation. Far from the screaming woman on the posters, Marge Farrell (Gloria Talbott) was an intelligent, resourceful heroine (which are hard to come by in sci-fi). I expected her to descend into hysterics and rush about the film looking terrified and slightly confused. Instead, she did all the things that you're suppose to do after finding out that your husband and several other townspeople are aliens.

One of my favorite aspects of the film was the opening. It begins with two businessmen pulling into a restaurant and discovering a couple making out in a convertible. After trying to antagonize the young lovers, the businessmen continue into the restaurant to find two jaded women at the bar who are checking out a quintet of cynical men, four of whom are wisecracking about marriage and women. Now, any of these stock characters would be prefect fodder for a sci-fi film introduction. They are immediately engaging and personable enough to get a elicit a bit of sympathy when vaporized by alien invaders. However, the first victim is the dashing, quiet man who's nuptials are the next day.

Next, I watched the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers which was by far the best of the bunch. It's a surprisingly chilling film. The fundamental question behind the predicament it portrays is how well do we know the people around us. Do they have our best interests in mind? One aspect of a person or their beliefs can change and alter the way we feel about them.

At the beginning of the movie, Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is telling a psychiatrist his bizarre story. He recalls all the oddities he observed upon returning home after a medical conference but says that he simply dismissed them at the time. It made me think of all the things I come across that seem odd or slightly off and that I simply dismiss. The feelings and emotions of people are covered up large problems with general, disparaging terms such as mass hysteria. I realized how easy it really is to allow others to talk you out of things.

The last film I watched, The 27th Day (1957) was definitely the weakest. Five seemingly random people are abducted by an alien who entrusts each of them with a set of capsules in a box only they can open. The capsules have the capacity to kill all human life in a 3000 mile radius. The alien explains that his planet is dying, and while their moral code doesn't permit them to kill intelligent life, they are hoping that humanity will wipe itself out. The five people reflect the factions of the times so the main conflict is between Russia and the United States though the film was surprisingly compassionate toward both the Russian guard and the Chinese woman who received capsules.

All three films share a wariness about authority. In all three, normal people's lives are disrupted in such a way that appealing to the authorities or following the best course of action is ineffectual and even damaging. In both Married and Invasion the authority figures (policemen, psychiatrists, doctors, etc.) have already been overtaken. In 27th the governments of the individuals entrusted with the weapons are concerned with their own survival over the survival of the planet. Both sides feel that a world without them would be worse than the end of humanity. Turning the weapons and their secrets over to the government has dire consequences.

For me the appeal of classic sci-fi is different from the appeal of other film genres. I watch disaster films to imagine myself in those situation and modern sci-fi to be thrilled by spectacle. However, these classic movies touch on some of my innate fears about losing touch with those around me or finding myself in a situation where I don't know the people that I love. Conversely, there's the fear that I will become someone that family and friend don't know. Also the fear that everything you know and all the rational actions and thoughts won't work in a situation. These movies force one to confront these fears without the availability of an alien entity on which to place the blame.

The Culturing Life

Yesterday I went to a poetry reading by Charles Simic who won a Pulitzer in 1990 and was the U.S. Poet Laureate (I love that word) in 2007. One of the pluses of working for a university is that you are always aware of the special guests and programs that are available.

Beforehand, I did something uncharacteristic and read at the open-mic poetry reading sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council. It was a pleasant if somewhat nerve racking experience. I had forgotten how apprehensive I am reading aloud in front of people who are not Stephanie. I only decided to go a few minutes before I got off from work so I just printed random poems and later thought, Really? I chose this one? I was also a bit daunted by the other people who showed up. One woman performed her poems and had visual aids. Several others expounded on the meaning of poetry. I sat there thinking, I sometimes randomly write stuff down. Mostly, I watch too much television and play around too much on the Internet. I think poetry is cool because it's something that I can do reasonably well and I can't be a doctor. But despite my anxiety, I had a lot of fun and found out about several monthly readings that go on in the area.

The poetry reading broke up about fifteen minutes before Simic entered to do his reading. My favorites were the descriptive poems about his neighborhood and apartments. He also read a wonderful poem about unmade beds, observing them as if they were a breed of wild animal. He had the most wonderful voice and accent, and I came away very inspired and in that lofty frame of mind I get after realizing that the world is full of beauty and sublimity. I'm excited to read more of his poetry and plan to buy a few of his books soon.

Last Sunday I went to a production of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals which was excellent. The play was written in the 1770s, and most of the humor is derived through irony, class mockery, and wordplay so it was definitely the type of play I find enjoyable.

One of my coworkers played the role of Captain Jack Absolute who has come to Bath in the guise of penniless Ensign Beverly. His plan is to woo Lydia Languish, an heiress who wishes to defy her aunt and marry someone impoverished. To further complicate Jack's charade, his father, Sir Anthony Absolute has come to Bath in order to set up an arranged marriage between his son and Lydia. Once in Bath, Sir Anthony starts to fall for Lydia's aunt, the vocabulary-challenged Mrs. Malaprop. Since this is a hybrid of comedy-of-manners and restoration comedy, more people descend on Bath with their own convoluted, drawing room agendas including a country squire and an Irish lord both vying for Lydia's hand, a fretful friend of Jack's whose courting Lydia's cousin, and a host of devious and/or loyal servants.

The entire production was wonderful. It had a great set that sparsely outlined the outside of a Georgian townhouse and employed movable doors to help set up the various rooms. It also featured some of the best costumes I've seen in a college production. They had a very authentic feel to them.

So I've had a culturally charged week so far. However, I've tampered it with copious gaming (The Sims 2 has become more and more interesting to me as it becomes obsolete. The Sims 3 will come in this June and looks like as major an improvement over 2 as 2 was over the original.)
and reading children's literature. I've also been wading through the vast amount of movies I purchased a several weekends ago. So far I've only watched The Spiderwick Chronicles and Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School. From the batch before that, I've watched King Kong (1933), Interview, Be Kind Rewind, and Death at a Funeral.