Author Archives: Murphy

The Fighting Never Stopped

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Patrick Brogan’s book World Conflicts: A Comprehensive Guide to World Strife Since 1945 is really good. It’s the kind of thing I should read, but I always feel sad when I do.

Here’s the layout: he gives short synopses on what’s been happening in all kinds of countries since WW2. No, he doesn’t cover every country. No, he isn’t without bias. But this book is a great catch-up on stuff that’s been going on.

And stuff has been going on everywhere. When I read his chapter on Argentina, I finally understood the Falkans. I’m sure I didn’t have all of it, but I feel like I have some basic facts.

What’s the deal with Africa? What’s the deal with the Middle east? What is going on in the Phillipines? These kinds of questions pop up in my mind every day. THis book gives me some answers.

It’s really great, and it makes me sad. I wish the world were not so full of trouble.

Go girl!

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Iranian Wins Nobel Peace Prize

“Ebadi, who is the first Iranian and Muslim female to receive the honor, has maintained that democracy and Islam are compatible. A devout Muslim, she has fought against conservative Islamic rulers on behalf of women and children, in particular. Her efforts represent a radical change in a country where clerics maintain strict rules.”

I am very pleased about this. Iran, and all the middle east needs some brave women to stand and be heard.

This woman literally risks her life to do what she is doing.

Bravo!

Top 5 reasons to love the recall

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5. It didn’t drag on forever.

Regular elections seem to go on and on, allowing for a HUGE amount of junk mail a mudslinging. This one got straight to the point: JUST VOTE

4. I got out of work early to vote.

This might not work everywhere with everyone, but it worked for me so I don’t care.

3. With this number of candidates, no one argued with me about “Throwing my vote away” if I vote Green.

It’s not possible to throw your vote away on a governor. Actually, it’s not possible NOT to throw your vote away. Which of these candidates could possibly be taken seriously? Which brings me to my next point:

2. We can debate about “the principle of the thing” and completely ignore the principles of the people

Yeah! Should we be allowed to recall a governor barely a year after we’ve voted him in? there are pros and cons, and it may have NOTHING to do with Gov. Davis’s personal principles. Or any of the candidates morals. “It’s the principle of the thing!”

AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON TO LOVE THE RECALL:

It’s fun! Look at the turnout!

_The Inspector General_

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Danny Kaye, with his curly blonde hair gets to be the inspector general for a Russian? French? town. They can’t seem to decide which it is. But it doesn’t matter, because Danny Kaye isn’t either one.

It’s very silly and funny. Danny Kaye does vocal acrobatics with his sound effects. The main plot device depends on the fact that Danny (a poor gypsy boy) cannot read.

I’d never seen Danny Kaye before. He’s pretty good.

Rebecca

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She is SO bewildered. He is SO un-forthcoming.

What HAS happened with Mr. De Winter’s first wife, Rebecca?

I have to use capital letters, you see. This movie is highly melodramatic. It’s such a great story for it, too. Rebecca, who is the beautiful first wife. The current Mrs. De Winters, whose name I somehow never caught, is left to feel very inadequate and second class.

Rebecca must have been some act to follow, she thinks.

Of course, it’s totally different than she thought. And WORSE!

This is one of those great old classic movies. They over acted, I think because they were still getting used to being able to talk. Over acting was the way you did in the silent movies…

Fat Cat

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So my cat had a little disorder last weekend. I made an appointment for him at the vet, and even though he seemed better by the time the appointment arrived, I thought I’d better keep it.

I’d been meaning to talk with the vet about my cat anyway. He’s fat. About 18 pounds of cat.

YES, he’s big boned, YES, he a very muscular, and YES he’s a little fluffy.

But he’s FAT. I’ve been buying him this high-fiber diet cat food for forever, and it seems to do no good. Therefore, I wanted to discuss the situation with a vet.

The vet looked him over, agreed with me that he’s fat and told me to put him on the ATKIN’s diet. Well, to use the ATKIN’s principles anyway. All meat for the cat.

Cats are carnivores, supposedly. My previous diet cat food choice was high in fiber ‘n’ stuff, and may well have been working against him in his need to lose weight.

He seems to like his all-meat diet.

Gregory Hines

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I was very saddened a few weeks ago when I heard the news that Gregory Hines had passed away. He was so young, I really didn’t expect it.

He was a kick-ass dancer. Wow! I am a fan of him. He can MOVE. He is so smart about it, he can do all kinds of things.

I don’t know what his last role was, I last saw him in Waiting To Exhale. He did not dance in that movie, which is a shame.

My FAVORITE Gregory Hines movie is White Nights. This movie is one of my favorites in general, because it goes into the communist life of Russia. It treats Russia very, very well. Meaning, it gives a really good view of what it was (is?) like there. Some of the things in that movie are difficult to grasp until you’ve actually been to the country. It was so, so real.

Except the KGB parts. I couldn’t tell you about that.

But the part where Barishnikov and Hines dance off, where they are talking about dance and freedom and poverty and culture, is my most most most favorite part.

It is worth seeing. The movie is a treasure.

I am sorry that I will not get to see Gregory Hines dance again.

Def Poetry

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At my favorite open mike night, the only one I go to really, I got to hear Gina Loring.

She huffed and puffed and blew my house down. She’s a poetry slammer, the kind that make me think I can’t write poetry, that I have no idea what it’s about anyway. And she can sing so beautifully. She actually mixes the two, poetry and singing, which is amazing, really.

Really amazing.

She’s been on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, which is a show I have not seen, but have heard great things about.

Amazon does not have a DVD of her performance available (Darn them!). But there is a def poetry on broadway performance. These kinds of things are worth seeing. So check it out.

Donald O’Connor is dead

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This man was incredibly talented, and his “Make ‘Em Laugh” routine in Singing in the the Rain will bring joy to the hearts of many for years to come.

Dancing can be such an expresson of joy and humanness, and I loved the way that O’Connor moved. He loved what he did; there is no way he could have learned the types of moves that he mastered without that love.

The English Roses

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Madonna is writing children’s books.

You’ve probably heard this already, but it is still kind of amazing.

The Material Girl, the Pointy-bra Diva, the perennial object of lust is writing children’s books.

Well, she is a mom now. I am not a mother, but if I ever become one, I could see a certain shift in my life happening.

Madonna seems to LIKE being a sex symbol. And apparently she likes being a mom.

I guess there is room in her life for both.

But it was very very sweet, a nice lesson about not judging people, and being happy with your life. A lesson mothers would like their children to learn.

And all I can say is, “good for you, Madonna!”