At the Show

We finally got out of our Netflix cocoon this weekend and saw my boyfriend's pick "The Queen" (my pick was actually "Flags of Our Fathers" which was already gone-how's that for role reversal?) . It was great. I was interested, of course, because when has Helen Mirren ever been bad? I mean the woman was in both "O Lucky Man" and "Caligula"-she ought to get an award for that alone! She plays a wonderful Elizabeth-commanding, funny and very human-if she's not a frontrunner for an Oscar I don't know who is. And if you think I'm not much of a royal watcher relax, it's a family story about the way people work. Check it out.

What a Relief

No OJ book or interview? What a relief! It's such a treat to see common sense and good taste prevail for once.

Murder Porn Part II

I found out today that though we at Borders are selling the OJ book we will not be promoting it, either in front of store display place or by any discounting, or profiting by it as all proceeds will go to various domestic abuse charities. It seems a fine compromise to me-you're not making the call about not carrying it (a slippery slope indeed) but you're not giving (even if it's through a third party) the guy any money either. I say kudos to the movers and shakers in Ann Arbor-good call!

Murder Porn

Occasionally I think no matter what industry you work in there comes a time when something comes up that makes you ashamed to participate. The new book by OJ Simpson is that for me. The decision to publish his "I didn't do it but here's how I would have" screed by Judith Regan is stomach churning. If you have the luck to brutally murder two people and get away with it I personally think you should shut the hell up about it. Granted he still owes $33 million or so to the families of Nicole and Ron but even if the money from the book is going to his children as I read in one place I think the damage to their psyche from reading their dad's murder porn would have to be worse than any possible financial gain. Jesus, haven't they been through enough?

So I propose that we all band together to ignore this one. Walk by it in the store, turn the channel. Let all Mr. Simpson hear is our roaring collective indifference. Come into my store, I'll gladly sell you something else.

How about some Positive Reinforcement?

Today I went to the dentist to get a fractured filling replaced. Dr T got a little frustrated because my mouth just wasn't open far enough. Where's the positive reinforcement? I open wide and get a needle or drill. Now if he mixed it up some and sometimes when I opened my mouth he stuffed some candy in that would be some positive reinforcement.

Thank God It's Almost Over

Just when you think the political commercials can't get any worse (Rush Limbaugh accusing Michael J Fox of faking it?!) it gets even closer to Election Day and the rabid rhetoric gets ratcheted up still more. And the calling. I have received calls from the Democratic Governor, her Republican challenger-even a solicialist candidate (it is Ann Arbor after all). It doesn't help that here in the Mitten we have proposals on affirmative action and shooting doveson the ballot.

Yeah, nice cut and dried, nonemotional topics there. Nobody will get agitated about those.

I realize there have been politics since the hunters and the gatherers but has it ever been this nasty? Have we ever been this far apart? (Okay I'll grant you the Civil War, obviously that was worse.) I went to a talk by Steve Roberts last night at the Jewish Book Fair here and he proposed that there are no more liberal Republicans or conservative Democrats, the middle has been carved out leaving us wobbly and unbalanced. I'm no expert but it made a lot of sense to me.

One more day then it will be over. Just one more day.