Is Health Care a Right or a Privilege?
Movie Monday and Random Thoughts
A lot of thoughts today, some of them in regard to movies:
1. My cream puff chocolate ganache tart (recipe last Friday) was "to die for." Some people still too full to eat again. I would not use 70 creams puffs nor 2 cups of chocolate and heavy cream next time. Next time, I'm thinking about using a rectangular pan, spreading the ganache on the bottom, placing the layer of cream puffs on it and then covering that one layer with more ganache. Also, I would use orange extract: orange flavor and good chocolate, perfect together!
2. I spent the weekend listening to audio books. I had mentioned this last week and I seem to be continuing with this form of entertainment: audio, not visual.
I've listened to all of Book I and the beginning of Book II of Emma and I still don't like Austen. Oh, I did like the chapter where Emma with the insouciance of the rich explains why Mr. Martin will just not do for Harriet (she sorrowfully expands this theme again later when Mr. Elton, her pick for Harriet, doesn't pan out.) And I did like the chapter where Austen discusses Jane Fairfax's past. But saying that, to me, Austen is so superficial. It's the old question of: if these were your last 6 hours on earth how would you like to spend them? Well, not with Austen.
I did listen to all of Wilkie Collins, Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice; all 28 chapters plus postscript. This book was read by multiple readers which was refreshing. Haunted Hotel "talks" the mystery until almost the end when you get some gruesome bits (pun intended.)
Right now, I'm on chapter 11 of Candide. I think you get the satire in a much sharper form when Voltaire is read aloud; and what a quick read it is.
3. So, I'm being to realize that knitting and audio books go together much better than knitting and movies.
4. Which brings me to two movies: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Twilight.
I was watching HP on Friday night (these movies are turning very dark, beginning with HP and the G of F.) There I am, watching HP and thinking: I know that bright Hermione is going to wind up with that dorky Ron. But why? And then I'm wondering: I get the metaphor of the abusive relationship in Twilight but how does a bright girl marrying 'beneath her' in HP send a better message? Isn't this just another variation on the anti-feminist meme that every girl needs a boy in order to be complete? (Full disclosure: Ron was much smarter in the first HP. Remember? He was the one who played that wicked chess game at the end.)
OK, I'm not going to beat this into a bloody mass but it does bring me back to Twilight which got a royal trouncing from many critics and feminists.
I get that you could have a great drinking game for every time Edward worries about "killing" Bella. I get it, it's right-wing mantra of ex before marriage = death. That's pretty clear and cringe worthy to anyone much past pre-teen.
But why does every movie have to pass the litmus test for the feminist woman? (And another full disclosure: I am a feminist woman)
Maybe it's because I remember the goofy, stupid "bodice rippers" I read when I was so, so innocent. I didn't care if those male heroes were abusive. I just cared that they were male. Oh, it is such a innocently-sensual time; and it lingers so fleetingly.
I know it sounds crazy but I think from the outlook of that pre-teen I once was and all the pre-teens who now are, Twilight is perfect. Yes, it's wackily out of touch with everything we want our daughters to aspire to. Yes, it glorifies the magical anticipation which is never matched by the final realization. But, as I've said before, folks: Chill. (I've been told by an 11-year old girl that New Moon is so much better. Can't wait!)
And that is the last word I'm saying on Twilight.
See you Wednesday.
1. My cream puff chocolate ganache tart (recipe last Friday) was "to die for." Some people still too full to eat again. I would not use 70 creams puffs nor 2 cups of chocolate and heavy cream next time. Next time, I'm thinking about using a rectangular pan, spreading the ganache on the bottom, placing the layer of cream puffs on it and then covering that one layer with more ganache. Also, I would use orange extract: orange flavor and good chocolate, perfect together!
2. I spent the weekend listening to audio books. I had mentioned this last week and I seem to be continuing with this form of entertainment: audio, not visual.
I've listened to all of Book I and the beginning of Book II of Emma and I still don't like Austen. Oh, I did like the chapter where Emma with the insouciance of the rich explains why Mr. Martin will just not do for Harriet (she sorrowfully expands this theme again later when Mr. Elton, her pick for Harriet, doesn't pan out.) And I did like the chapter where Austen discusses Jane Fairfax's past. But saying that, to me, Austen is so superficial. It's the old question of: if these were your last 6 hours on earth how would you like to spend them? Well, not with Austen.
I did listen to all of Wilkie Collins, Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice; all 28 chapters plus postscript. This book was read by multiple readers which was refreshing. Haunted Hotel "talks" the mystery until almost the end when you get some gruesome bits (pun intended.)
Right now, I'm on chapter 11 of Candide. I think you get the satire in a much sharper form when Voltaire is read aloud; and what a quick read it is.
3. So, I'm being to realize that knitting and audio books go together much better than knitting and movies.
4. Which brings me to two movies: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Twilight.
I was watching HP on Friday night (these movies are turning very dark, beginning with HP and the G of F.) There I am, watching HP and thinking: I know that bright Hermione is going to wind up with that dorky Ron. But why? And then I'm wondering: I get the metaphor of the abusive relationship in Twilight but how does a bright girl marrying 'beneath her' in HP send a better message? Isn't this just another variation on the anti-feminist meme that every girl needs a boy in order to be complete? (Full disclosure: Ron was much smarter in the first HP. Remember? He was the one who played that wicked chess game at the end.)
OK, I'm not going to beat this into a bloody mass but it does bring me back to Twilight which got a royal trouncing from many critics and feminists.
I get that you could have a great drinking game for every time Edward worries about "killing" Bella. I get it, it's right-wing mantra of ex before marriage = death. That's pretty clear and cringe worthy to anyone much past pre-teen.
But why does every movie have to pass the litmus test for the feminist woman? (And another full disclosure: I am a feminist woman)
Maybe it's because I remember the goofy, stupid "bodice rippers" I read when I was so, so innocent. I didn't care if those male heroes were abusive. I just cared that they were male. Oh, it is such a innocently-sensual time; and it lingers so fleetingly.
I know it sounds crazy but I think from the outlook of that pre-teen I once was and all the pre-teens who now are, Twilight is perfect. Yes, it's wackily out of touch with everything we want our daughters to aspire to. Yes, it glorifies the magical anticipation which is never matched by the final realization. But, as I've said before, folks: Chill. (I've been told by an 11-year old girl that New Moon is so much better. Can't wait!)
And that is the last word I'm saying on Twilight.
See you Wednesday.
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