If only ...

The Company You Keep is a fascinating failure that just misses being good.

All the performances are good. It was great to see Redford, Nick Nolte and the amazing Julie Christie doing what they do best. I wish they all worked more.

But Redford, Nolte and Christie are all frankly, unapologetically, over 70. Nothing wrong with that. But it would make them all over 40 when the events that start the ball rolling take place. Without giving too much away, they were involved in robbing a bank to fund their underground radical activities and bring down evil corporations. 40 is TOO OLD for that kind of behavior. And, considering the way biology works, they were too old for one of the subplots.

Why didn't Redford (who also directed) set the initial bank robbery in the early 1970s, circa Patty Hearst and the SLA? That would have been easier to accept. And the little girl who plays his daughter? She's too freaking young. What is this 70 something man doing with an 11-year-old daughter? It's distracting. Couldn't they have reworked the plot to make her his granddaughter?

Also, with Boston on my mind, it's hard for me to romanticize political terrorism. It doesn't matter to me if innocent lives are lost in support of radical Islam (Boston) or a gun-hoarding religious freak (Oklahoma City) or the end of corporate greed (this movie). It's wrong, wrong, wrong. Americans should never turn on other Americans like this. We have a system. Work within it.

Sunday Stealing

The Wish List Meme, part one 

1.) What are 3 things on your Wish list and why?   Good health, a big lottery win, and more wishes

2.) What do you miss about your childhood? My favorite Grandpa

3.) What do you do on your spare time on the weekends?  I like my alone time. It rejuvenates me.

4.) What do you appreciate most in your life?  The little things that make me smile.

5.) Would you rather be rich or healthy?  Healthy. (Though I think it's easier to be healthy when you can afford good health care.)

6.) If you could go back in time would you and why?  I think I'd enjoy it for a short period of time. But I'd like to come back.

7.) Favorite game as a child?  Outside? Tag. Inside? Yahtzee.

8.) What is your dream career?  I'd love to be Doris Kearns Goodwin. Her books are wonderfully written and I bet she has a gas researching them.

9.) What do you do in your free time?  Read, go to movies, fart around on the internet ...

10.) Favorite clothing stores?  Carson's (or Bergner's, depending where you live) or Macy's

11.) What TV shows can't you live without?  Mad Men! Oh, Don!

12.) 3 things you need in your life are:  Books, cats, the internet

13.) What can't you sleep without?  Nothing comes to mind. Sorry.

14.) What are you currently a nerd for?  See #8. I loves me American history!

15.) What is your favorite seasoning?  Salt. I'm rather old school in my culinary taste.

16.) What is your favorite wild animal?  Okapi. They're fascinating.

17.) Name 3 of your favorite childhood shows:  I believe these were all segments of the same show, but I'm sticking with them: Rocky and Bullwinkle, Mr. Peabody and Fractured Fairy Tales.


18.) If you could live as a character in a movie who would it be?  Katie from The Way We Were. There were times when I felt like I was living that plot out anyway.

19.) Favorite vegetable?  Peas. With butter.

20.) Favorite Fruit?  Apples

21.) If you had a dragon what would you name it?  Puff. I'd bring him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff.

22.) What do you put on hotdogs?  I like relish. Bright, atomic green relish.


23.) Do you play online games?  I love Pogo.com


24.) What's your favorite way to get inspired?  Washing my hair helps.


25.) Do you have a middle name? Yes

A haircut and lunch

I'm a little blonder today than I was yesterday. My stylist went a little further with the highlights. But

I think it's OK. And if it's not? Well, we don't do it again next time.

My nephew stopped by while I was getting my hair done. He kept me company and then we had lunch afterward. Oh, how he can eat! Pizza, chocolate shake and mozzarella sticks. It was a late lunch, too. He was going to go home and have dinner in just a few hours.

He told me about his morning as a volunteer, setting up rain barrels in a local park. He seemed rather proud of the swath of mud across his chest. I was downloaded on his school trip to Springfield and the Lincoln sites, where he and I have visited twice in the past. We laughed a lot. He's a very interesting, sensitive kid.