The Book Game

Booking Through Thursday

Jeanne suggested that we do this again, round robin style. I think it sounds like fun. It'll be interesting to see the book selections. I won't be here next week (see my blog for details, if you're so inclined), so see if you can keep this going for a couple of weeks. Here's what to do:

I'll start with a book, then the first person who comments uses my book as inspiration. Each person after that uses the book of the person above as their inspiration. There will be times when there's an overlap, with two or more people using the same book as their inspiration. When that happens, the next person will have their choice.

Watersphip Down
The Little Prince was made into a cartoon and that made me think of one of my favorite books that was also made into a cartoon, Watership Down. Written by Richard Adams it is a coming of age/quest story whose main characters are Rabbits.

Friday Five

The Silver Screen

1. What is your favorite movie?

Mallrats.

2. What is the worst movie you have ever watched?

Catwoman/Mortal Kombat 2.

3. What was the last movie you saw in the theatre?

Curious George.

4. Sugared or salted popcorn? Or maybe butter?

Salt and butter please.

5. Movie theatre or DVD?

DVD is fine for anything my wife wants to see too, but the cool stuff with explosions and loud noises need the movie theatre.

A Snake in the Grass

A Snake in the Grass

Tendencies sneak up on us like snakes in the grass.
Some of them are our own and we can see them coming,
But others are acquired by the people closest to us.
Those are the ones that actually end up biting us.
Not because we are not ever watchful sentries,
But because we atrophied in noticing in ourselves
that in which we come to expect from others around us.
The old saying is that “you are what you eat,”
But the truth is that you are what your friends serve you.
Before you anger at the snakes set loose on your lawn
Think first of the snakes that you are loosing yourself.

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Administration woes

I am getting a little frustrated with politics in the good ole U.S. of
A. How long has it been since we have had a president that was worth
a crap. Bush 2 sucks and is screwing things up, Clinton was a screw
up, and Bush 1 was so screwed up that he had Quayle as a vice
president. Reagan was better than all of them put together and he had
Alzheimer's.

The presidency is less about vision and doing what is right than it is
about poll numbers. Bush keeps screwing up because he wants to please
all of the people and, by trying, ends up pleasing none of the people.
He ran as a conservative but has been anything but. He wants people
to think that he has ideas and that he is like Reagan, but he is not.
He throws things out to please people, but he has no ideas on how to
implement a plan of action to get them done.

The sad thing. The American people continue to be inundated with
worthless candidates. People who thrive off of the status quo. The
repulicans and the democrats both benifit from the current partisan
bull crap. Polarizing the American public is really good for the
coffers. We need someone with a solid stance and solid policies.
Someone who is going to do what they think is right no matter what.

Where is this candidate, and can he get elected.

If you are this person, please run for president! Please! America needs you.

Turandot

I went to my first Opera on Tuesday. I, surprisingly enough, really liked it. There were no fat blondes with spears, shields, viking hats, or braids. The opera was in Italian, but it was subtitled. The singing was beautiful and the choreography was decent, but what got me was the elaborate stage design.

The stage was set off of a large wooden dragon head with two giant claws, one that held a ball and one that held the emperor. The dragon foreshortened into the painted back drop seamlessly. The ball in the one claw started off silver but turned read as it rose to reveal Turandot underneath. The ball was used wonderfully to represent not only the moods of Turandot but also the sun and the moon. There were pikes with heads on them set up only I did not notice the heads until the suitor had been beheaded. The dragon was too large to move during intermission but the stage design and choreography worked to move your attention to other stage elements, causing you to believe that the characters are indeed in a different location. When the story moves to the marsh, there are beautifully suspended trees and lighting effects that, again, took my imagination to a different place.

Costuming was great as well. The opera is set in China and, being in Tennessee, there are not a lot of Asians to play roles. The supporting cast were very believable. The choice of wardrobes including eye masks that gave the characters a more Asian feel. The main characters did not wear the masks but a lot can be done with make up and styling. The colorful Ping, Pong, and Pang were done very well. I found myself entranced with the painted designs of their facial makeup.

Overall, I was very impressed with the opera. I think Turandot was very good and I applaud the Nashville Opera for the excellent show. If you have not experienced the opera, please do so. From my experience I would recommend Turandot.

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Raising Sci Fi Children

Raising Sci Fi Children

 

          As a fan of science fiction, I feel that it is almost a responsibility to pass this love of the genre on to my children.  In the olden days parents would pass on their occupation, land, and belongings on to their children, but in the modern world this does not happen as much.  Kids are as likely to sell anything from their parents, as they are to keep it.

          This passing of the torch starts out as a form of bonding.  As a father, I see time in front of the TV as bonding time with my child.  Most women would argue that you can not possibly bond by watching TV.  To argue my point, I invite any women to sit in on a conversation between a bunch of guys.  I bet that the conversation is riddled with references to movies and TV shows that all of them have seen, and this is when the discussion is not on those movies/shows specifically.  Common viewing habits create an all new lexicon that is almost indecipherable to an outside listener.  This lexicon unique to father/child, simulates the almost intuitive language that a mother shares with her child. 

          Tradition is another huge reason.  Transformers, Voultron, and He-Man shaped my childhood.  I feel that these shows were integral in my becoming who I am today.  Because of this, I want my children to experience them as well, if for no other reason than to gain some insight on their father.  I feel that The Gremlins and The Never Ending Story are great movies that everyone should watch, especially my own children.  What child should not revel in the realm of imagination that was the original Star Wars movies?  It is fulfilling on some level when my child enjoys the movies that I have picked out for her to watch with me.  It feels good knowing that my child is like me in some way. 

          There is a line that needs to be drawn.  For example, I cannot show my five year old the move Aliens because it is too scary.  This line is not black and white, but a whole lot of grey.  I know how old I was when I saw certain movies, but was that the right age for all kids?  How much violence is too much?  If I show my children this now, will they fully appreciate the subtle nuances.  The Matrix was a great movie, but will it entertain a child that does not understand the story?  These are the questions that haunt me as a father.  Of course, every child is different and you will know when the time is right.

          My biggest fear is that my child will grow away from science fiction and will rebel against me and shun the genre as a teenager.  My children are both girls, and I am not sure that it will ever be cool to be science fiction fan if you are a girl, especially a teenage girl.  The love of science fiction could be crippling to their social life, which in itself is not all that bad.  Maybe, growing up sci-fi will give them an understanding of the people that enjoy such things and see them for who they really are.  It almost seems that I am doing a social experiment of sorts on my daughters.  What will science fiction do to their lives?

          It is natural for a parent to want his/her child to be like them.  It makes me feel good when my daughter asks me, "did you do/watch this when you were a kid."  My yes is a seal of approval, and my daughter cannot wait to try/watch.  When she and her sister get older, I will expose them to more.  The bookshelf is growing with young adult science fiction books.  I already read Where the Wild Things Are as a bedtime story.  I long for the day when one of my daughters picks on of my favorite books off the shelf, reads it, and wants to discuss it with me.  I am not sure what the future will bring to science fiction in the movie/TV/book world, but I do know that I will experience it with my children and that will make it perfect for me. 

Haikus

Haikus

Spring
The leaves in full bloom
Flowers peaking at the Sun
A lawn mower starts

Serenity
Rise earnest mountain
Reach up and touch the soft clouds
Flower petals fall

Supernatural
Supernatural
Fighting ghosts with my brother
Not just spooky ones

Electric Sheep
Do androids even dream
Do they feel jubilation
Alive or soulless

Wolvie
I love Wolverine
Six sharp claws bringing chaos
Look into his eyes

Ender
Fight Ender Wiggin
Destroy all of the buggers
Sacrifice your soul

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