Culture, a Weeks Worth

I've been getting a lot of culture this week. I thought I’d share, plus it makes me feel like I’m accomplishing something besides mass entertainment consumption.

Movie The New World
I have to start by telling you I had no idea this story was about Pocahontas. I’m sorry if I ruined it for you just now. Maybe I was the only one that didn’t know. Dan picked the movie so I was expecting a Collin Ferrel discovers the new world and with lots of battle scenes and cannons, scalpings, syphilis, rape, thievery and blood. I was braced for it and was NOT however expecting a beautiful art film with grand sweeping landscapes that made me want to be outside, a wrenching love story and a movie score that evokes the same emotions as ‘Ode to Joy’. Plus, now I get to believe that it was all true – every last bit of it.

Book Confessions of an Ugly Step Sister
It was another addictive story by Gregory Maguire. I ate it up, and enjoyed it even though it was predictable. Although that’s the point, we all know the story of Cinderella and how it ends so I’m not sure why I was surprised that it was predictable. I loved all the talk of paintings and art, it was inspiring to me. All in all a good airplane/beach read.

DVD Thumbsucker
Hi I’m Jenny and I was a thumb-sucker. I remember what it was like to have my parents fret about my thumb and they thought this shameful habit would somehow lead to my demise. Despite, the begging, pleading, bribing, reminders, hot pepper sauce (Grandma), and pretty nail polish I still have an overbite. I don't feel mentally scarred, but I did have a very bad smoking habit for several years. I remember what it was like to have my grandmother come and yank my thumb out of my mouth in the middle of, well, some very private time between me and my thumb; it’s enough to wake one right out of a dead sleep. I remember thinking “It’s just a thumb people!” This movie reminded me of all those things and plus it was very very good.

News The Fear That Kills
"Appalling new evidence reveals that female soldiers serving in Iraq made fatal decisions in their attempts to avoid rape… several women had died of dehydration because they refused to drink liquids late in the day. They were afraid of being assaulted or even raped by male soldiers if they had to use the women's latrine after dark…Sanchez's attitude was: "The women asked to be here, so now let them take what comes with the territory," "

Fashion Pendant
This is the pendant I secretly wish my husband would buy me for Valentines Day even though I would berate him to no end because I would know what he spent on it. (I’ll just file it under “If we win the lottery).

Radio Gauging the Economy via the 'Bad Barista Index' (listen 3:22min.)
While worshipping at the caffeine cathedral Mark Rovner figures out how to “divine the state of the overall economy by the looking deeply into the rhythm of life at the cathedral… Those awesomely talented baristas get lured away when the economy cranks up. They leave the espresso life for better paying and less demanding jobs like practicing law or going into politics…”

TV
Ok I watch enough TV to choke a very large TV horse and I love it all.