Dorian

Instant “kids’Classics

Wall-E (2008)

I loved Wall-E, so so so much. It’s accurate portrayal of the future of planet Earth, the emotions Wall-E developed for work, the planet, it’s survival and mindset and of course for EVE. Most important to the story, that’s done in a way kids and adults can understand and see, is how Wall-Es development is all done by personal growth and kindness and effort. But this movie is overall for the benefits of kids, to see how automation can destroy them in the future both by not going out or connecting with others but also by relying too much on technology (that tries to keep the humans under their control).

Along with the overall notes to humans, I love that so much of this film has no words. The lack of words isn’t because Wall-E nor EVE speak a particular language other than robot either, but because a good portion of it is in solidarity or confusion there isn’t much we can understand by words—but we see their actions which show to be just as important as words, if not more

Up (2009)

Yo! Yoooooooooo, this film was a lot darker than expected. Forget the first few minutes of pure heartbreak, where the hell did this villain come from? I know Scar tries to kills Mufasa and Cruella De Vil captured people and pups for a coat, but still—this guy could have jumped out of the screen to get us—Ring style!

This was an instant classic for kids and adults, because it’s hysterical Carl and Russell are both funny on their own, but they also thrive together as two people who would have the same relationship regardless of their individual ages. Carl is trying to hold onto his youth and have some peace and Russell is trying to be an adult while also having an adventure. While they will usually have opposing ideas and views about things based on their own agendas they do have a similar mindset and will continue to be friends long after this adventure.

PS—Minions (2015), I love, love, love this film. It’s not particularly clever or emotional, just so funny. Even for the fact that the main food they like…is food that looks just like them—what?

Books for ourselves

It is important to remember that books are not always about just telling a story. Books can show us how others live--whether they be Stormtroopers, drug addicts, slaves or someone that has another different story from all the ones that are different from us. 

Yes, we learn about people from their stories, but it doesn’t have to stop there. In understanding one’s life and one’s struggles--we can choose to act, we can choose to push forward, we can choose to help, we can choose to learn more. 

In 15 days it’s Halloween, in 16 days it’s a day of really cheap candy and chocolate, and in 21 days you have the power to vote and make the world how you think it should be. But I hope that’s not your one day of using your voice, your power and the power of listening to someone else’s story. You may not have the best or easiest life, everyone struggles but “a rising tide lifts all boats”--be that tide, raise the condition for everyone

Jim Halpert

Jim's Best Moment: Season Six, Episode Eleven: Shareholder Meeting When he asserts himself as a manager by moving Ryan's office to the closet in front of everyone.

Jim's Worst Moment: Season Three, Episode Thirteen: The Return When he “pranks” Andy by hiding his phone in the ceiling; more because he already saw how Andy reacted in Scranton when Jim put his calculator in Jell-O.

Jim's Best Line: Season Five, Episode Twenty-One: Two Weeks “About a week ago Michael gave his two weeks notice, and surprisingly, there is a very big difference between Michael trying and Michael not trying.”

Jim's Most Memorable Moment: Season Five, Episode Twelve: The Duel When he walks between Andy and Dwight as they shout at each other before their duel. 

We tell ourselves stories in order to live...we look for the sermon in the suicide, for the social or moral lesson in the murder of five. We interpret what we see, select the most workable of the multiple choices. We live entirely, especially if we are writers, by the imposition of a narrative line upon disparate images, by the "ideas" with which we have learned to freeze the shifting phantasmagoria which is our actual experience

Joan Didion

The White Album

Tom Riddle

Tom Marvolo Riddle, oh boy. 

What did we learn from him? About love, courage, bravery, compassion? ahhhhh. No one can say he had an uneasy childhood, and we don’t know if Harry had discovered his magical capabilities one his own without supervision, how he would have ended up or the choices he would have made. But I would believe that it wouldn’t be too different as it is our choices, not chance or circumstance that shows us who we are. 

Relating to him more as with other, previous, erroneous leaders it did always astonish me how the Death Eaters just followed him even thou they all knew him and themselves were less “pure blood” than they were. It ALSO drew me crazy that no one fighting him (except Dumbledore of course) would call him Tom, that would drive him CRAZY and knock him off his game, but, oh well. 

While again I’m not sure about the hypothesis that he couldn’t love because he was conceived under a love potion, I do agree that he really didn’t understand love. So while I agree he probably didn’t love Bellatrix, I do think he cared and admired her, or at least appreciated her loyalty to him. 

Happy New Year loves, please resolve to not be like Tom in the new year, and to do your best fighting your demons.

PS We did get reminded about not too much plastic surgery (hahaha) and with a final annoyance, with all his evil deeds, I am most upset about the timing of Tom Riddles return as Lord Voldemort as it’s influence on Hermione Granger. While I think she should be with Ron, once Lord Voldemort had returned she could not continue any real relationship with Victor Krum as she would focus on the second Wizarding War, she would have gotten to be her own (Princess Belle) great role model. What a GREAT role model as the girlfriend of a Quidditch star: a reader, someone for equal rights for “half breeds”, and a Muggle Born which  already had upset Igor Karkaroff. 

Robert Muller Testimony

Today's Robert Muller testimony highlights a very complicated, a long-haul change in how news and all media are shared, expressed and consumed. 

Both sides don't expect more to be said that has already been divulged in the report. But with the report being 400 pages and written as a legal document, it is confusing for those who do not have experience with law documents, that style of writing and that it is too long for the average American who is working and would need more background to understand the smaller details. Immediately 3% of the US was expected to read the Muller report based on Amazon sales, but buying something off Amazon is not the same as definitely reading the report and definitely not the entire report. Separately, understanding what is written is an entirely different arena. This brings us back to the overall shift in information (both fact and fiction) and the main purpose of today's hearing-- the idea is that those who cannot or aren't interested in all the nuances of the report, be told in a form they are used to so they may understand the majority and most crucial parts of Muller's research and findings. 

Breaking the hearing up and preparing it to be recorded allows us to consume the information how we're most used to it, short clips marked to become viral. But is the official line in the sand, separating the previous time of detailed, historic and verified facts from news and stories that we won't bother with until they can be easily binged; did we cross that line long ago, and if we have crossed it--how soon until we regret it

Hailed, Held, Hung

While my main venture into a library will be for books, as previously stated they are also community centers and should me a resource to increase opportunity and equality of the local residents. A recent episode of Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj looked at another form of inequality, unequal access to the internet.

The internet had become an additional resource all residents in the U.S. and in other developed nations need to have in order to be a successful part of society. Further than the internet, more accurately it’s the instant access to the internet via smartphone but even if not instant the internet has replaced many telephone, mailing and older forms of communication and information access, especially when it comes to research, employment and getting assistance. And again, libraries were part of making up for these inequalities for those who cannot afford, understand or otherwise access the internet.

Unfortunately, again libraries and the communities who need these opportunities and access are hit the hardest. Closing libraries, shorter operating hours and fines related to late library books are creating a further divide. As the world progresses, we have to make sure that not only we don’t leave people behind but that we are doing what we can to rise everyone up together

That’s what i’m talking about

Whoops—

As we work to improve access, equality of access, and diversity some of us will get there faster than others as some have more pressing matters to focus on. For many young girls, their time is mainly taken up walking miles every day to bring clean water home to their families. For them, having a book that describes their personal story or an ancestral connection is first dependent on whether they were in school long enough to know how to read. Other challenges such as those taken on by Malala Yousafzai, deal with female suppression, war and tyranny and of course children who are currently walking hundreds of miles to escape violence, war and famine. 

Not all have the ability to begin to think about education, our stories and our futures as they can only think of reaching tomorrow. But for those that in the midst of this chaos, there is still hope and those who work to bring books to those who don’t have the ease of going whenever they can.

(1)    https://litreactor.com/columns/the-10-most-unusual-libraries-in-the-world

Mr. Ollivander

Today is Mr. Ollivander’s birthday, the wandmaker who sells Harry his wand on his 11th birthday, measures the wand’s of all the Champions in the Tri-wizard Tournament and is held prisoner during the Second War at Malfoy Manor. According to Pottermore he was influential to the wizarding world as he completely transformed wand making when he took over his family’s business. While I would have also liked the previous method of bringing something personal to have a wand made out of, Mr. Ollivander’s method of creating wands from selective materials and selling them to the wizard who had a connection with the wand is both a more logical approach and produced a noticeable change in strength and beauty for the wand holder. 

But there is more to his story....

As with the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Mr. Ollivander was Harry Potter’s, and our’s, first taste of magic. In his wandshop is where Harry first gets to perform just a bit of magic and, as he repeats throughout his years, how much he loves it. While Harry Potter might have been a special case, I believe that Mr. Ollivander was passionate and caring about each new (or older) wizard who came in for a companion in their wand and enjoyed being with them as they started their journey and full embracing the beauty that is magic. So thank you Mr. Ollivander for your passion, compassion, brilliance and heart.