We Need to Talk About Kevin

I can't believe I had a back and forth email argument with a coworker over Kevin Spacey this morning. My coworker actually said he felt sorry for Spacey after Anthony Rapp revealed that Spacey had come on to him when he was 14 years old. And why, exactly, was my coworker feeling sorry for Spacey? Because he dislikes Rapp. Seriously. He also complained about the "closeted" gay community slamming Spacey unfairly. Huh??? I told my coworker that his feelings about Rapp were irrelevant. The fact that a grown man came onto a 14-year-old is the issue here. Two other coworkers said that they were surprised to hear that Spacey's gay. Seriously. Where have these people been living? Under a rock??? But back to the matter at hand. Spacey's statement about Rapp was ridiculous. He basically said if I was inappropriate with Rapp, it was because I was drunk and my behavior was wrong, but I'm gay, so there's that. Say what now?? The fact that he put his "coming out" statement in with his apology is pathetic. It feeds into the stereotype that gay men are all perverts chasing after young boys. He did the gay community a terrible disservice and, as a gay man, you'd think he would know this. Is he that self-loathing?? Maybe he is. Ugh, just ugh.

Shar-day

I read an article on the NY Magazine site this week that ranked all of Sade's songs in order from best to worst. What surprised me was that they included a song she did in the film Absolute Beginners called "Killer Blow." I love that song and kudos to the author for including that one (even if it was near the bottom of the list)! I used to have the soundtrack to Absolute Beginners on vinyl. The movie isn't great, but there's some great music in it. But back to the Sade list. I disagreed a lot with the writer's rankings. For example, this guy put great songs like "Maureen" and "War of the Hearts" and "Mr. Wrong" at the bottom while putting popular songs like "The Sweetest Taboo" and "No Ordinary Love" in the top ten. This tells me that the writer, Frank Guan, is not a true Sade fan. He fails to recognize the brilliance of lesser-known Sade tracks like "Jezebel" or even "Punch Drunk" a song she doesn't even sing on! I've been a Sade fan from way back when. I had Diamond Life on vinyl when the record company stuck a sticker on the front that told Americans to pronounce her name as Shar-day. I remember this. So I take my Sade music very seriously. I don't just fawn over the radio hits. I dig deeper. I will agree with Guan that "Keep Looking" is worthy of being in the top ten. I probably would have put in the number one spot. It's a great song. The beat, the lyrics, the voice, the vibe: they're all working on that track. People who don't like Sade ain't my kind of people!

Don't Take My Straws!

I read an article today on the Gothamist website that linked to a story in the Washington Post about a movement to stop people from using plastic straws because they're not recyclable and sea creatures get injured from them when they're trashed. Now, I am a fan and supporter of sea turtles and I don't want to see them injured by having a straw up their nose, but I also don't want my straws to be taken away. How about making straws out of paper or some other recyclable material instead. As someone who uses straws religiously (like in my own home), I'm not on board with removing them from my life. Hell, I've already been forced to bring my own bag to the local stores because they either charge you for a bag (hello, Chicago) or berate you for not bringing your own bag (hello, Evanston). Now I can't even sip my beverage through a straw if I choose? Oy! Stop the madness. As someone who often spills her drink on herself (I'm clumsy), I need a straw to move cold beverages safely from my cup to my mouth. (No, I don't use a straw for hot drinks.) I also feel like it's more sanitary when you're in a restaurant with cups that require washing. (Yes, I know washable coffee cups don't usually come with a straw, but I'm willing to put up with that.)

RIP, Robert Guillaume.

Arctic Monkeys

While digging through my CD collection last week, I found one from the Arctic Monkeys called Favourite Worst Nightmare. I'd totally forgotten I had this CD, so I listened to it in my car and rediscovered how great it is. If I had to describe their music, I'd say it's a cross between Oasis and Green Day. The CD I have was probably purchased 10 years ago (or close to that). (Strangely, it's not offered on iTunes either.) I think I bought it initially because I liked the songs "Brianstorm" and "Teddy Picker" but there are other good songs on the CD also such as "D Is for Dangerous" and "Fluorescent Adolescent" (my current favorite, or should I say favourite). I'm not familiar with any of their other work, but I plan to look into it.

RIP, Gord

I read yesterday that Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip died. RIP, Gord. Growing up in Detroit, I became acquainted with the Canadian band via Canadian radio. (Thanks, CBC!) Their live album "Live Between Us" that was, I believe, recorded in Detroit, is one of the best live albums I've heard. I hate I never had the opportunity to see the band live myself, but I've enjoyed their music for a long time.

Uncomfortable Reading

I've been reading about some schools in Mississippi moving to ban eighth graders from reading To Kill a Mockingbird because the language in the books makes some students (and staff, I assume) "uncomfortable." Really? Reading books like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher in the Rye are just part of the drill when you're in public school, right? I certainly had to suffer through books I didn't care to read like Huckleberry Finn when I was in school. Why should the kids today get a break? I'm against banning books even if the language in some might be "uncomfortable." No, I'm not crazy about reading books where people are denigrated like in Huck Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird, but these books reflect a time in American society that shouldn't be brushed under the rug. Kids today need to understand how literature has evolved from stuff like Huck Finn to I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, etc. They shouldn't be sheltered from "uncomfortable" language. They need to learn from that language and have a dialogue about it.

Biblioracle

The Chicago Tribune printed my reading list in today's Biblioracle:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-books-biblioracle-1015-story.html

The books listed aren't the last five books I've read, but they are five books I've read this year that I largely enjoyed beginning with The Underground Railroad (that I finished in January) and ending with Idyll Fears (that I finished a few weeks ago). I wasn't crazy about the recommendation to read Lorrie Moore's A Gate at the Stairs. I've never read Moore's work although I've heard good things. This is the second time someone has recommended that I read Moore's writing. My boss back in the early 1990s recommended that I read Moore's book Who Will Run the Frog Hospital and I never read that. Maybe I should. When I read the description of A Gate at the Stairs, it didn't sound like something I wanted to read. The same goes for the Frog Hospital book when my old boss recommended it. Still, I'm surprised that two people have recommended the same author to me in my lifetime. Maybe I should check out some of Moore's work.

Already?

I saw my first Christmas-themed commercial this week for Denny's. They're offering holiday pancakes filled with stuff like cranberries and covered in creamy sauces. Each "holiday" pancake platter that was shown looked like a sweet, gooey mess. But behind the display of pancakes were Nutcracker dolls and you know what that means: Christmas is coming! It doesn't matter that it's the second week of October and we have yet to get through Halloween and Thanksgiving, Christmas is coming! Every year I feel like the Christmas season gets earlier and earlier. I've seen Christmas stuff out in the stores since September. Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas, but I hate the commercialism of it.

Disgusting!

As I read through the many reactions from Hollywood actors and politicians alike who cavorted with Harvey Weinstein, I have to laugh at some of them: Disgusted! Appalled! Shocked! Really? I have to believe the majority of the people in and out of the industry knew this guy was a dirt bag, yet they looked the other way and kept quiet about his awful behavior because they wanted money and/or fame from him. I read tonight that his wife is leaving him. So, what, she didn't know what her husband was up to? She had no clue her husband was such a perv? I find that hard to believe. And the Obamas let Malia intern for this guy? Crazy (although I highly doubt he tried any stuff with her). Men like Weinstein and Roger Ailes and, hell, even the current POTUS Donny T. (ugh) are cut from the same bad cloth. Fat, ugly, obnoxious guys with a lot of power and a lot of money who treat women like objects and shit on people because they're garbage themselves. I'm just so tired of people making excuses for bad behavior. If you see something, say something. As a woman, I understand how hard it can be for women to come forward and bring harassment allegations to light, but the behavior will continue unless it's called out and dealt with. If someone harassed me, I'd want to stop that harasser not just from harassing me, but from going after someone else.

In other news, I blogged a while back when only one football player was "taking a knee" on the field and I disagreed with it then. My feeling then was that the player should put his money where his mouth is and do something to help resolve the racial injustice in this country like donate some cash to the ACLU or the Southern Poverty Law Center or any number of organizations that fight for social justice. Taking a knee on the field isn't going to help pay anyone's legal fees when that person is arrested on a bogus charge and can't bail out. Now that more NFL players are kneeling on the field, my feelings haven't changed. I'd rather see the players out in the community making a difference and using their vast wealth to help those less fortunate than themselves. But, in the end, I really don't care what they do. I won't work myself into a froth over athletes kneeling at sports events and I don't intend to lose any sleep over it. It's a free country (for now anyway). If you choose not to stand during the national anthem, that's your right.

Movies

I just watched an indie movie called They Look Like People and now I'm wondering WTF was that? The movie revolves around two hipster friends, Christian and Wyatt, in New York who, apparently, haven't seen in each other in some time but are reunited when one shows up on the other's doorstep. The visiting friend, Wyatt, is convinced that some people aren't really people but monsters. It kind of reminded me of the film They Live only without any real action, believable dialogue, or a decent plot. I don't know why I sat through this movie, but I did. What amazed me was that I don't believe I saw one black or Latino person in the movie even though it took place in New York and, at one point, the two main characters were riding the A train to Brooklyn (toward the Rockaways). The A train...with no black folks. Okay. But I digress. The movie goes on and on with rambling, hipster-like conversations between the two bros and the audience is left to wonder if Wyatt, the bearded hipster, is crazy or not. And, by the end, I wondered if I was crazy for sitting through an hour and a half of this nonsense. Moving on.

Apparently a third Sex and the City movie isn't happening because Kim Cattrall isn't interested in doing it. More power to her. As someone who was a fan of the show, I saw the first movie and hated it. I didn't even bother seeing the second. This franchise needs to die already. How many decades are they going to try and stretch this series out?? It was a really good show, but it's time to put it to bed. Enough already.

And finally the new Blade Runner movie isn't doing well at the box office. Apparently, it's not drawing the young audience the backers expected. The original Blade Runner came out in the 1980s and they're just now doing a sequel in 2017? Okay. The kids of today aren't familiar with the original film. Hell, I saw it in the 1980s and I'd have to go back and watch it again because I don't remember what happened. Also I wish these Hollywood power players would stop putting Ryan Gosling in a movie and expecting young people to show up. When is the last time Gosling was a real box office draw? I like Gosling, but I don't think he's a great actor nor do I think he's a box office draw. He hasn't reached Jake Gyllenhaal status yet (that guy is box office poison), but he's getting close. How many chances are guys like Gosling going to get at being a box office success? It's time for Hollywood to throw the towel in for both of these guys. They just can't bring it.

Sure, Donny

So Donny T. wants a senate investigation into the media because one outlet claimed someone on his staff called him a moron. Okay. Sure. Let's get right on that. The senators can call the investigation "Operation: Moron" headed by Mitch "The Turtle" McConnell. Yeah. I'm sure Mitch and the gang will make that a priority. Hell, they're not doing much else at the moment, so why not put them to work doing something for Donny T. The Republican majority failed to deliver on their promise to overturn Obamacare, so Donny probably feels like they owe him a senate investigation to prove he's not a moron. (Is it even possible to prove something lie that? I don't think so. The moronic traits are shown by Donny pretty much on a weekly basis. Sometimes daily!) But I'll throw Donny a bone. A lot of the media is ridiculous right now. During the election, coverage was downright unwatchable on many outlets. If anyone thinks for one minute that these media conglomerates are actually concerned about the well-being of the country and its citizens, then you need to schedule a check-up with your local doctor because you may be delusional and/or have some kind of brain damage. These media corporations care more about ratings (how many people watch their network) and advertising money (how much they can squeeze out of companies that run ads during their shows). Actually providing helpful news to the public isn't a priority to many of these companies. They're more interested in generating buzz and getting money. It's sad how far the media has fallen. There's still good news on TV out there, but you have to search through the crap to get to it. Now the majority of these "news" shows rely on panels of so-called experts to argue and dissect every stupid Tweet Donny T. puts out or every moronic thing he says. There are no winners here. Donny's awful, but so are a lot of the folks covering him. Ugh to everyone!

I Don't Get It

Sometimes, I'm baffled by people's love for stuff I dislike such as pickles (ugh), Game of Thrones (watched the first episode and never went back), singer Kurt Elling (his voice is no bueno for me--sorry, Kurt), the TV show Friends (saw one episode--the one with Brad Pitt--and never wanted to see it again), Downton Abbey (watched the first season and didn't go back for more). We're all different people, I know, but I'm still amazed when large swaths of people love something or someone that I don't. Are my tastes that out of sync with the rest of society? Possibly. I fully realize I have weird eating habits. I hate condiments. Yes, I said it. I hate condiments. No mustard, mayo, ketchup, Miracle Whip, special sauce, relish, whatever. Ugh. I have to get a plain cheeseburger from McDonald's or some Chicken McNuggets like a child. (I do like BBQ sauce so there's that.) I have always disliked condiments. My family ate (and still eats) these things that I found (and still find) gross.

Sadly, We've Heard This Story Before

Once again, multiple people have been killed and injured at the hands of a gunman. I don't even know what to say anymore. I don't understand what could compel a person to just gun down a group of people in cold blood. What is wrong with people? I don't believe all of these killers are mentally ill. Some are just straight-up evil. I used to be the kind of person who believed everyone could be redeemed, but lately I've found myself wavering about redemption. Maybe everyone can't be redeemed. Maybe everyone can't be saved. Maybe it's time to throw in the towel for some folks and just let them drown. RIP to the Vegas victims and RIP to Tom Petty.

Stephen King's It

I saw the new version of Stephen King's It recently and largely enjoyed it although, as a fan of clowns, I thought the film could have used more scenes with Pennywise. However, I realize the story isn't really about Pennywise, but about the children so it's understandable that the clown wouldn't dominate the film. A lot of the special effects in the film were quite good.

Watching the bullies in the film reminded me of the awful bullies from my own middle school years. One in particular, a girl, was so awful that she bullied another girl in school to the point that the girl lashed out and slashed her across the forehead with a knife. You would think this would stop the bully from exhibiting bullying behavior in the future, but it didn't. She was the same awful person she was before she got cut only with a huge scar across her forehead. She still walked around threatening other kids and telling them she and her gang of thug brothers and sisters would give anyone a beat down. I heard many years later that this bully ended up losing her son and some other family members in a terrible car accident. Now I wouldn't wish that on anyone, but I can't say I was surprised to hear the news given that this person was so terrible to others during her younger years. Clearly, some of that terribleness came back on her as an adult. I'd like to think that the bully reformed herself as an adult, but I'm doubtful.