A brief year end post

Another Christmas has (mercifully) ended.

Another year is about to end.

Another year in which I pretty much blow off this blog is about to end.

Since my last blog post, I went on another Caribbean cruise with my family in July. Otherwise, it's been mainly business as usual. I'm volunteering for Preservation Lansing, going to my normal 7-3:30 job, attending concerts and sporting events occasionally, and that's about it.

One big development in December: it looks like there will be a sequel to my Portland, Michigan book--and by making this public, it means I HAVE to get this done. Early January will be all about getting the proposal sent to Arcadia Publishing. Then, it looks like the early part of 2019 will be fairly busy. I'll be writing a book and my older son will be finishing his senior in high school. January to June could be a bit nutty.

A test post that turned into a rant

It appears that Brainsplotch is back again. I don't know what the heck was going on with the computer I was trying to use, but Blogger was haywire and wouldn't display Brainsplotch or let me do anything.

I apologize for being away from this blog for so long. I think this post will just be some random observations.

I can't even think about Donald Trump without my blood pressure rising. I am disgusted with how he has no problem cozying up to the world's worst dictator (Kim Jong-Un) while alienating Canada's democratic leader. Just think about that for a moment...the President of the United States pissed off CANADA!! Freakin' CANADA!!

Trump is not normal. This presidency is not normal. I pray that we survive this dunderhead's bloated narcissistic, childish reign. I pray that the Dems take over Congress in the midterm elections and we can get impeachment rolling.

If any Trump apologist happens to stumble upon this blog post, don't even comment. I don't want to hear it. Don't try to convince me that it's the "fake media" attacking poor old Donald. I don't need to read any newspaper article or see any TV report to know that Trump is a complete disaster and a terrible human being: it's right there in his rambling, ungrammatical, vindictive tweets. There is no interpretation from a secondary source--it's right there straight from the horse's (ass) mouth. Unadorned. Raw. A window into this man's dark soul.

Rant over for now. I didn't intend that to be a political screed, but there ya go. Now I will try to publish this on the blog and make sure it is indeed working again.

Will this work

Test post to see if Brainsplotch still works.

Lady Bird

I finally saw the movie Lady Bird tonight, after wanting to see it since it was originally released. Now that it has Academy Awards nominations, it's back in theaters. (I don't think it's first run in Lansing lasted more than a few weeks).

 

We don't get a chance to see many coming-of-age movies with female protagonists, and that is what Lady Bird primarily is. Saoirse Ronan (first name ronounced "SIR-shuh," by the way) delivers a nuanced performance as the titular Christin "Lady Bird" McPherson, a senior at an all-girls Catholic high school in Sacramento, California. In an attempt to forge a new identity, Christina insists that everyone refer to her as Lady Bird. (We are not given a reason as to why she chose "Lady Bird" as her new name).

 

Lady Bird is a girl who, despite not being a particularly great student (good, but not great), is not lacking in self-confidence. In this, she is similar to Max Fischer from Wes Anderson's film Rushmore. She successfully tries out for the school play, and bravely approaches boys she likes. She dresses with quirky flare, and has a mischievous side.

 

Lady Bird's biggest conflict is with her passive-aggressive and often cutting mother, who loves her daughter but has a difficult time expressing it.

 

The movie follows Lady Bird through the ups and downs of her senior year, in the aftermath of a nation shaken by 9/11. (The movie takes place in 2002 and 2003). Though the events of that era merely provide background, the characters--to some extent--seem to be suffering through the uncertainty and emotional depression of that era. (It's strange to watch a movie from 2002 and think of it as an historical artifact). We watch the evolution of Lady Bird as she tries hard to both find out who she is and break away from what she views as her stultifying surroundings, only to make discoveries in the end that might have surprised her. (I won't give away too much)

 

Greta Gerwig wrote a good script full of realistic dialogue, particularly between Lady Bird and her mother (played by the always excellent Laurie Metcalf). What I particularly appreciate is that, whether by design or not, she left enough gaps in the storytelling for the viewer to fill in themselves.

 

Lady Bird doesn't break any new ground in filmmaking, but it is a thoughtful, well-written, and certainly well-performed little movie--and a promising directorial debut for Greta Gerwig.