Snow!

Wow, we're getting hammered by snow; I hadn't even realized we were due for it, but it's really coming down. Not sure how many inches of snow we're due, but it's big, fat, fluffy flakes aplenty. Looks like we've gotten at least three inches, with no sign of stopping at the moment. Fortunately, I'm doing a grocery run tomorrow morning, so we'll be fully stocked.

Plagued

So far, so good. B2's recovering from his sickness, and neither B1 nor I have caught it (yet). There's always that existential dread when gastroenteritis season comes about, where you wonder when you're number's up, when you've managed that one lapse of vigilance that lets that nasty pestilence assail you. I told my boys "Make sure to keep your fingers off your face, and don't share cups food." Which helps, but, barring scrubbing down every possible surface, you can't ever quite know for sure if you're safe. It's like being on a plague ship...

Svartkraft, "The Plague Ship"

; )

Exene claimed B2 was puking all day, so I asked her when, and it turned out it had been only around 1:00 yesterday afternoon, so that was good. He had one lil' bout when I had him home last night, but later was able to keep down some crackers, so that's good. He rebounds pretty quickly. That's the marvelous thing about little ones -- they usually spring back from bugs like this fairly handily. He slept the night through, so I'm hopeful that he'll be good to go today.

I had bought B2 some new sneakers, got him some cool ones from Zappos -- a pair of black Chuckies and a pair of black argyle Vans. He loves both of'em, is stoked to wear them. I'm not part of the Cult of Converse, never was; in fact, it bugs me that there's this arbitrary indie hipster significance to Chuckies, as if wearing said shoes actually meant something. I view them much the way I view tattoos -- if you wore Chuckies in the 50s (and got a tattoo then, for that matter), more power to you. If you became a Converse cult member from 1990 onward (and/or got tats in that time), you're a cultural coattail-rider and a victim of adroit lifestyle marketing. FAIL.

At any rate, I waive that rule with kids' shoes, however, just because B2's lil' feet look so damned cute in Chuckies, and he needs to learn how to tie his shoes properly, anyway, so they're useful in that regard. He's more partial to the Vans, anyway, but he likes'em both. He'll be psyched to try his new sneakers out, I know. And they do look sharp. I just wanted B2 to have two pairs of sneakers handy, so he doesn't burn through one pair too quickly.

Yowzers

B2's got "stomach flu." He was sick last night. Not horribly, honestly -- two major hurlfests in the early evening, then some dry heaves around midnight. He tends to sleep things off when he gets sick, but I've kept an eye on him. I asked Exene to mind the boys, since I was out sick a couple of days last week, didn't want to take any other sick days from work anytime soon. B1's okay so far, so hopefully that'll continue to be the case. I just hope I don't get it, since this one seems particularly contagious. One advantage of being a medical editor is you know enough about pathogens and protocols to have a better chance of avoiding getting sick. But gastroenteritis is pretty tricky, sneaks up on you. I'm really not up for that, so I hope I luck out and don't get this one.

Long Live the King

I'm glad somebody's calling out Marvel's bullshit vis-a-vis Jack Kirby. Marvel would not have existed without Jack Kirby's work. It sucks that they screwed him over so badly. I loved Marvel in my comic collecting youth (hell, I still have some of my comics stored away), but how Marvel has built its entertainment empire has Kirby's ghost left twisting in the wind. Truly vile policy, and the writer is right on the money (so to speak) when they say:

What makes this situation especially hard to stomach is that Marvel’s media empire was built on the backs of characters whose defining trait as superheroes is the willingness to fight for what is right. It takes a lot of corporate moxie to put Thor and Captain America on the big screen and have them battle for honor and justice when behind the scenes the parent company acts like a cold-blooded supervillain. As Stan Lee famously wrote, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

If Mitt Romney is right, and corporations are people, perhaps Marvel/Disney has the capacity to feel shame. In any event, a public flogging has already begun. Cartoonist and educator Stephen Bissette’s blog post calling for a boycott of The Avengers kicked up a lot of dust in the blogosphere. Tom Spurgeon, writing for his well-respected industry website Comic Reporter also framed the issue in moral terms, as did the cartoonist Seth: “The corporate lie about Kirby's role in the creation of all those characters is abhorrent. It's a bold faced lie. Everyone knows it's a lie. No one is fooled. Everyone lying for the company should be ashamed. Stan Lee should be ashamed. What the Marvel corporation is doing might be legal but it certainly isn't right.”

'Nuff said.

Helicopters

Oh, lordy, people. C'mon!

Unconstitutional

Interesting piece in the NYT, about how the Constitution is in freefall as a model for governments around the world. While the NYT tries to blow a little smoke up America's ass near the end, it's clear that this is just another example of how our country is falling behind. It talks about us being a "legal backwater" in the eyes of the world's jurisprudence, and how other countries, such as Canada and New Zealand are increasingly serving as better models of governance. I get it, sadly, although the majority of Americans won't/don't, which doesn't bode well for our future. We are a declining superpower, whether we acknowledge it or not, and as much as we gulp down propaganda of assimilation that tells us we're the envy of the world, it prevents us from honest introspection as to where we are as a country, where we are going, and where we want to be. As much as I'd hate to quote the Bible, Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." -- just don't tell that to the fundamentalist Christians, naturally, with their heretical views of Christianity that seem to hold pride as the most sacred of virtues, and that haughty spirit might as well be the Holy Spirit to them. Speaking of that, this is a good piece, too.

But point is that our country is politically and ideologically unable to navigate this century; we've been on cruise control, not even realizing we've gone off the road decades ago.

Go-Go's a-go-go

How is it even possible that I've loped along in this blog and NOT written of my crush on Jane Wiedlin from the Go-Go's? Or, more particularly, my crush on Jane Wiedlin when she was part of the Go-Go's, back in the day?

Jane was YUMMY! And look at her workin' the 80s hair!

For sure! She was my favorite Go-Go by far. Any time one of their videos would come on, I'd watch, just hoping for glimpses of Jane. It's funny, in retrospect, how the pre-Net world worked -- you had to work for your pop culture! If you didn't see her on MTV or on Friday Night Videos, or in Rolling Stone, it was hard to even get glimpses of the lil' Pop Tart!

I remember hearing about the debauchery of the Go-Go's, thinking "Not Jane! She's just too angel-sweet!" Although she was definitely as much of a party animal as the rest of them, but just had that vibe about her that was like catnip for my early teen self!

Ah, Jane. I'm a sucker for cute, what can I say? And "cute" is definitely a word one associates with Jane Wiedlin. Even her name is kind of cute. I mean, Belinda Carlisle -- her name made her sound like a Heather, and even her sneer kind of conveyed that, like the alpha girl busy giving her frenemies eating disorders with the curl of her lip (although I liked Belinda, too, just not as much as I liked Jane).

I was so enraptured by Jane Wiedlin that it took me time to actually notice what a rotten dancer Belinda Carlisle was (which was, really, part of her sneery charm, honestly). I remember, as a teen, thinking "What is Belinda doing?" but crushing on her and Jane to the extent that I didn't have a proper context for what the hell she was doing. Since then, watching clips of the Go-Go's playing in their prime, I crack up, watching Belinda do her Belinda Dancing thing...

Belinda Dancing, Exhibit A

Belinda Dancing, Exhibit B

Belinda Dancing, Exhibit C

And please note how adorable Jane Wiedlin is in all of these clips. *crush blush*

How to dance like the Go-Go's

(really, this dancing is more sophisticated than Belinda's signature moves, but it's still amusing)

Warm

Can't believe the weather we're having in February. This is easily the mildest February I've ever experienced in Chicago. I remember when Chicago had true winter, like back in the 90s. Nowadays, it feels more like we're living in a greenhouse, or something (har har). If only there were some way of systematically documenting evidence and accumulating data to be able to get information on what is happening, and possible reasons why this is happening, so that people could form theories about it, and maybe influence policy and make changes that might improve things. But, I know, that's crazy talk, right? It's scary when people trust the judgment of a groundhog more than they trust science. "Science" has always been a four-letter word in the US -- hell, it took Sputnik scaring the hell out of the country to even make Americans realize there was a need for scientific teaching among its populations. I think we're losing that thread again in a big way. It stuns me that people claim not to believe in evolution -- but there's nothing for them to believe in with it; the evidence is simply there, and they are simply unable to accept it. The one I always like to trot out is albinism, just because that mutation manifests across the plant and animal spectrum -- mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, insects, amphibians, snails, plants -- while you could believe that angels with white paintbrushes periodically dollop albinism on all of these species, it's far more logical to accept that somewhere in our common ancestry, the albino mutation kink in the DNA occurred, and has ridden quietly on those genetic coattails ever since, as species diverged and diversified (just one example among many; I mean, mitochondria, hello?) Anyway, it's not a matter of believing in evolution, because the evidence is simply there. It's like somebody not believing in gravity -- their failure to believe in it doesn't actually change the outcome when they go toe-to-toe with gravity. I wonder how many increasingly warm winters people will endure before they get it that our climate is changing. How many droughts and wildfires? Freak weather? Etc. Or maybe they'll be likelier to believe that the Mayan Calendar (eyeroll) is responsible? Lordy.

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (2011)

Love the poster for this.

I caught "Tinker Tailor..." after work. Not being a fan of LeCarré, but enjoying Gary Oldman's performances. I thought the movie did a good job, although it's kind of weird to see an early 70s-era Cold War spy thriller done long in the wake of the Cold War's passing. The movie was well-done, with assiduous attention paid to the 70s feel of the era, and with the rhythm and texture of English life at that time. That period detail, and things like the director's clear attention to sound, gave the movie a strong kinesthetic vibe that served to heighten the tension. I remembered snoozing through the original as a kid, but thought this one was well-done, with good montage and intercut sequences, and conveying the sense of paranoia surely endemic to anybody involved in espionage. I thought everybody did a good job in their performances, and there was a lot of subtext running through the story that was both dated (ooh, gay spy lovers) and yet worked in the context of the story. For a remake, it stands very well on its own, I felt -- they did justice to the original and probably surpassed it, in truth. Oldman's reptilian protagonist managed to be both urbane and oh-so-English and a cipher of a man, which felt very authentic -- much the way Max Von Sydow's gentleman assassin character was in "Three Days of the Condor," long ago -- genteel, but with that sense of chill deadliness to him.

Also, was tickled to see Mark Strong get some attention in a movie -- he always does a credible job in the roles he gets, and has that great voice of his, so, well-done, Mark Strong!

"The Grey" (2012)

The Big Bad Wolf gonna blow your house in, little piggy.

I caught "The Grey" after work. Had been impressed by the trailer for it, this gritty survival action movie. I liked it, although it is very much more than simply an action movie or thriller; rather, it's more of an extended meditation on mortality, honestly. This carries all the way through it, from start to finish -- "Don't be afraid." It's not really about man vs. wolves, even though the wolves carry throughout it, and are marvelously presented. Some folks have groused about the use of CGI for the wolves, but they are very effective, and the director makes good use of them. If anything, he uses them with restraint. I wished he'd had more howling with them, although in some scenes, it's done to great effect. Really, the wolves are a metaphor for mortality, or for the ineffable savagery of nature, the inevitability of death, and the futility of man's paltry and hubristic ambitions in the face of it, while at the same time the need for honor and compassion and kindness in the face of it. Death comes quickly and horribly to the characters in the movie, and in so many different ways. It's like the Angel of Death swoops in and *voila* you're gone. And for this to plague a group of men who survived a plane crash, no less, it's even more affecting/haunting.

This is not a comforting, comfortable movie, but it was a well-crafted and -executed exploration of mortality. The plane crash scene alone is devastating and effective, unadorned and devoid of sentiment. there is merely the will to survive and endure in the face of nearly impossible odds.

I don't think it's a perfect execution (pun intended) of the premise; I would have liked more characterization of the characters in it, in other ways than them having actorly talks around the bonfire (the kinds of scenes actors probably love, the chance for monologue), and at nearly 2 hours in length, they could have made more use of moments to bring out that characterization. I imagine people seeing this movie thinking that it's going to be an action flick will be pissed off by it, but the logic of the film is woven throughout it, and, as you reflect upon it, it makes perfect sense, and is as admirably constructed as it is grave. I left the movie feeling pretty down, which stayed with me awhile, and, having been bathed in this frigid Alaskan wilderness for a couple of hours, found the well-lit noise and human hustle-bustle of the streets of Chicago to be a jarring transition. Our culture runs and hides from death, as a whole -- the message of advertising is "enjoy today, forget about tomorrow" and "be young forever!" -- and having come out of that movie, this cognitive dissonance was very apparent.

All of the actors worked credibly within their roles, and Liam Neeson did a good job, as ever. He manages that gravelly gravitas that is well within his comfort zone, but which he brings to bear with that earnest, unadorned nobility. I'm glad that Neeson has managed a kind of late-era action hero status -- you can tell that he's the action hero for the senior citizens/Baby Boomers these days by the fact that he's risen over the years as the go-to guy for these kinds of "old guy kicks ass" movies. It's like as the Boomers take one last, long slide on the banana peel they've been standing on their whole lives, headed for the grave, they cling to someone like Neeson to make it alright.

Anyway, good movie, a serious movie, and one that'll leave you thinking, if you're inclined to think at all. Which means that many people will probably be disappointed and disillusioned, but I wasn't one of them.

Fabulous

I love these vintage Chicago posters! They're so great! It's amazing to think that at one time so much attention was paid to illustration like that, to create these beautiful posters.

Quickly

Can't believe January's nearly over. I wonder how it feels to old people, if time shoots by even quicker for them. When you're a kid, an hour can seem like an eternity, and a month might as well be a year. But nowadays, a month blows by so quickly, seemingly.

The boys are peacefully sleeping right now, very sweetly. I love that B1 sleep-laughs. That really cutes me out. He never remembers what made him laugh, but they're hearty laughs, whatever it is. B2 doesn't sleep laugh, but rolls around a lot.

I'm looking forward to "The Grey" coming out. Hopefully it's at least an entertaining movie. The trailer for it looked promising enough, but we'll see. I'm a little worried, since they sometimes bury crap movies in January, but because it's so snow- and cold-themed, maybe they ran with that. Not sure. But I'll find out, anyway. I'm guardedly hopeful, I guess.

Saw that we were having some solar flares recently. I wish the US would be smart about protecting its infrastructure, but it seems like forward-thinking things like that are not our country's strong suit, anymore. Maybe that'll change. Maybe having massive power outages in the wake of a major solar storm sometime will change people's perspectives. I dunno.

Was marveling that we have 50 million uninsured in this country. There was just an article in the NYT the other day, comparing the US system to the rest of the First World (and, yes, all of those countries have national healthcare), and how much more expensive our system of care is, relative to theirs. We have good outcomes in particular areas, but the cost differences are extraordinary. For the supposedly more efficient private system (with 25% of the overhead tied to the administrative paper-shuffling of the insurance industry *koff koff*), our system is terribly expensive. A huge percentage of personal bankruptcies in this country are tied to healthcare. It's like a slow-motion trainwreck -- more and more employers opting out of coverage of their employees, more and more people unable to get the care they need, more and more uninsured. It's a disaster. And, unfortunately, a preventable one. We'll just shamelessly lurch along with our 50 million uninsured, with politicians (themselves covered by national healthcare, mind you) busy trying to scuttle Medicare and Medicaid and push everybody into the private insurance industry, whether they can afford to pay or not. Disaster.

Although I will qualify it by saying that around 43% of those without insurance are non-citizens. But that still means we have 25 million Americans who don't have health insurance, millions of whom are children and the elderly. That's just a mess. And as more companies opt out of coverage, that number is going to continue to climb.

This is kind of a fun applet, tracking your food spending. According to what I input on this, I spend far more on groceries than most Americans, but I eat out far less than most Americans, too. Maybe it's because I enjoy cooking, I'm not sure. Still, it's fun to see that data compared.

Windy

All of that snow we got the other day mostly got washed away in some thunderstorms. Now it's turning into a windy mess as the temperatures crash again and we're supposedly due for some more snow.

The boys were watching some Star Trek: TOS. B1's favorite episode remains "The Doomsday Machine," as I knew it would be. It was the first episode he ever saw (and I picked that one as the first one because I knew he'd love it so much). We were talking about the nature of the Planet Eater, and B1 had his share of theories about it, which cracked me up. The enhanced DVDs actually work well -- the CGI they used to update the special effects were really well done, are seamlessly woven into the story.