August 2020 - January 2021 Books

 The truth is that my attention has been wandering.  I find myself reading more articles and fewer books.  In part it's perhaps the intermittent openness and closedness of the public library, but my guess is that it's more these crazy times.  Pandemic, a wack-a-doodle as the national executive, the election, an armed gang of white supremacists terrorists storming the capitol building.... it's just all... a bit much.
Here's to more peaceful times in the future.

The Once and Future Witches, by Alix E. Harrow

American Gods, by Neil Gaiman (yes, again)

The Princess Diarist, by Carrie Fisher

Falling in Love with Hominids, by Nalo Hopkinson

The Tempest Tales, by Walter Mosley

When Marnie was There, by Joan G. Robinson

The Overstory, by Richard Powers

Lilith's Brood, series by Octavia Bulter

The Old Guard, by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez

Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah

Freeloaders

 

Freeloaders kinda bug me.

I suppose to have a discussion about freeloaders you'd first have to define your terms, and "freeloader" is a pretty loaded term.  A quick internet seach turns up this

free·load·er

/ˈfrēˌlōdər/

Learn to pronounce

noun

INFORMAL•DEROGATORY

1. a person who takes advantage of others' generosity without giving anything in return.

 That works for me.  

Let's talk about who is not a freeloader.
I think we can all agree that while babies might meet the technical definition of the term, babies are not freeloaders.  Babies are wee humans who need us, who will learn, and grow, and are cherished members of our family.  Elders in care facilities might seem to meet that definition, but again, these are cherished members of our families and whose lives have contributed to our collective wellbeing. 
What about people who use social services like Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, etc?  Nope, not freeloaders either.  These people are making use of public services that were created to support people in need.  Nearly every person who use these services are either adults who have worked and paid into these services, or are minors.  These services have been created to better conditions for all of us individually as well as our nation collectively.
Children attending public school?  Nope, not free loaders, citizens using a system we have decided benefits not just them but all of us.  An educated citizenry is better than an ignorant one.
Veterans using VA benefits?  Quite the opposite, there will never be enough to pay back what they have given to all of us.
You get the picture.

Let's talk about who is a freeloader.
That friend who "lets" you by his drink every single time, and never remembers his wallet when it's time to pay for dinner.  That one uncle who borrowed your car, crashed it, barely told you about it, never compensated you, and never brought up the subject again.  The friend who borrowed your treasured copy of The Hobbit, never returned it, and claims to have forgotten all about it... ya those folks are free loaders.

Who are freeloaders? 
 People who cheat on their taxes. 
Corporations that use our roads to ship their goods, hire citizens educated in our public schools,  then pay those workers so little that even a full time worker needs welfare to get by, and then use every loophole to pay as little tax as possible.
Millionaires and billionaires who got rich using our resources and our labor then pay off politicians to write laws that favor them even more. 
Politicians who get government paid benefits for life after making laws that they and their handlers will profit from.
A millionaire president who has paid $750 annual tax while signing orders that harm his own people - those are the freeloaders.

And I'm sick of it.

The only way our system works is if we all participate, accept our own responsibility, and meet our obligations.  A good citizen pays their taxes.  A good citizen votes.  Every single time.  

It's literally a basic obligation of being an adult part of our society.

VOTE

It's Just for Now

 I talked to a friend today.  She was trying to find the right educational place for her crazy bright 7yo.  She and her partner each work full time at jobs they both want and need.  Oh ya, and there's a pandemic on, and wild fires, and smoke, and a heated election, and protests, and and and and....  On-line school, even at a progressive public charter school, is not working for this kid.  (the busy work alone would be enough to make the kid crazy, but sitting still in front of a computer for that long?!? nope.)  They've got an interview for an in person private school 20 minutes from their house, if their virus protocols seem safe, should they enroll their kid?

I don't know the right answer.  All I could do was ask questions.  

How does it feel right now?  If  you were to enroll at the private school how would that be?  The commute?  The cost?  If you leave the public charter school could you get back in later?  What is your child telling you about what they're experiencing and thinking about their school?  If you chose to homeschool how would that feel?  How would it work?  How could you work?  What would your child do while you're working?

In normal times I might talk about how much social interaction their child needed, but it's not normal times, and none of us are able to get "normal" social interaction.  Even if schools are in person the safety protocols mean that kids can't play together they way they use to, so any concerns about socialization will have to be set aside for now.

For now the question is - what do the parents need to be functional, sane and safe?  What does the child need to learn, be safe  and sane?  Where those things intersect, do that.

Whatever parents decide to do right now?  It's fine.  Short of beating the children, do what you need to do to get by.  Keep your kids as safe as is reasonably possible in the midst of this maddness, but do it while taking care of yourself.  You matter, your health, safety, sanity, they matter, just as much as your kids.

Whatever you do, remember - it's only for now.  It will change.  In a year things will be different, and we don't know what kind of different.  We're all going to have to be flexible and resilient, ready to try new things, and to switch and try something different when that doesn't work.

Do what works.  If it doesn't work, try something else.  Wash, rinse, repeat.

It's only for now.

Jan - July Books !?!

• So, something must have distracted me this winter/spring/summer.... what could it have been?

So, I'm sure I've missed some books :-(

• 
  
  A Man Without a Country, by Kurt Vonnegut
• The Luster of Lost Things, by Sophie Chen Keller
• The Last Wish, by Andrzej Sapkowski
• Circe, by Madeline Miller
• Columbus Day (Expeditionary Force book 1), by Craig Alanson

Mort, by Terry Pratchett

Reaper Man, by Terry Pratchett

All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes, by Maya Angelou

It Can't Happen Here, by Sinclair Lewis

How to be an Antiracist, by Ibram X Kendi

Comedy Needed

I don't know about you but I need some humor in my life.

I made the mistake of listening to NPR as I did a lot of driving yesterday.  Don't get me wrong, I love me some NPR, but the news is more than I can take sometimes.

So I posted a request for comedy movies on FB, and my friends came through. (because my friends are AWESOME like that)

Back at the beginning of the pandemic Hot Dog started us on a Marvel movie marathon, then we did a Harry Potter marathon, then some stuff I didn't remember (edit to note at least some of it was 007 movies, and Bridge over the River Kwai),... right now we're three seasons in to Parks and Rec, which is a lovely show, but I'm ready for a break.  So I'm going to suggest a comedy movie marathon, and hope that since friends recommended them rather than me, Hot Dog will go a long with it.

So, with no further ado, in no order, and probably with some repeats, here are recommendations from my friends.  If you see something missing, let me know in the comments!!

Monty Python

Princess Bride

Young Frankenstein

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Some Like it Hot

Dr. Strangelove

Airplane!

The Producers

Groundhog Day

Waiting for Guffman

Bringing up Baby

Any Chaplin film

Safety Last

The General

Steamboat Bill Jr.

Pee Wee's Big Adventure

In Bruges

Top Secret

Stripes

Galaxy Quest

The In-laws

The Lavender Hill Mob

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Clueless

Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Mr. Roberts

All About Eve

Being There

Heaven Can Wait

Office Space

What We Do in the Shadows

O Brother Where Art Thou

Raising Arizona

The Lady Eve

Little Shop of Horrors

Shaun of the Dead

The Lady Eve

Ninotchka

The Shop Around the Corner

Harvey

Arsenic and Old Lace

Naked Gun

The Thin Man (multiple movies in this series)

Roman Holiday

The Apartment

Trouble in Paradise

Top Hat

Singin in the Rain

Hot Fuzz

The Muppet Movie

Moonrise Kingdom

Flirting with Disaster

Sabrina

His Girl Friday

The Philadelphia Story

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Superbad

Romancing the Stone

Adam's Rib

Miracle of Morgan's Creek

Spinal Tap

A Fish Called Wanda

Team America: World Police

Foul Play

Silver Streak

How to Steal a Million

Batman the Movie

Funny Farm

Amelie

Idiocracy

Planes Trains and Automobiles

Some like it Hot  (Marilyn Monroe)

Paris When it Sizzles (Audry Hepburn)

Love Birds

Palm Springs 

The Bird Cage

City Slickers

Shanghai Knights

It’s Complicated

Mr. Bean (movie series)

Young Frankenstein

Office Space

Space Balls

Harold and Maude

Waitress

Holy Grail

Amelie

Roberto Bernini (not sure of spelling)

Il Monstro 

Johnny Toothpick (Italian comedies)

Best in Show

Mediterranio (also not sure of spelling- Italian Fascisists occupying a Greek Island), Babette’s Feast (also falls into food porn genre)

Pink Panther movies

Mr Bean shows

all Monty Python

Outrageous Fortune

When Harry met Sally

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

RED (with Bruce Willis)

Tintin

The African Queen

Mastermind

The Incredibles

Pirates of the Caribbean

Something About Mary

A Fish called Wanda

Best In Show

Spinal Tap

Galaxy Quest

Eurovision (movie, new on Netflix)

It Happened One Night

Gunless

Second Hand Lions

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Date Night

Hero (with Dustin Hoffman)

The Philadelphia Story

Trading Places

Big

Local Hero

The Holiday

Elf

My Man Godfrey

Son of Paleface

How to Marry a Millionaire

Ghostbusters

The Emperor's New Groove

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

Best in Show

School of Rock

Kung Fu Panda

Rush Hour

Midnight Run

Silver Streak

Blues Brothers

Beetlejuice

Deadpool

Guardians of the Galaxy

Tucker and Dale vs Evil

Better off Dead

True Lies

Benny & Joon

Waking Ned Devine

Spy

The Fabulous Mr Fox

About Time

 Blast from the Past

Bedazzled

A Fish Called Wanda

The African Queen

Second Hand Lions

Groundhog Day

Big Fish 

What we do in the Shadows

Spies like Us

Long Shot

A Simple Wedding

Dioni and Devine Meet the Apocalypse

Bandits

The Secret of Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller)

Liar Liar

Water Boy 

Cable Guy

Series

Life in Pieces (Amazon Prime

Barry (dark comedy, HBO)

FX TV

Performers:
Anything with Tim Conway

Stephen Wright

The Amazing Jonathan

Not comedy but recommended

Greyhound (Tom Hanks)

train to Busan  (Korean)