The following is a nearly verbatim account of the (mostly one-sided) conversation between David — most frequently described as the Fourth Susanka Boy — and myself last night around dinner time. Sometimes, Papa, I realize that I’m asking myself all these questions that don’t even have answers. Like “Do your eyes see things differently than my eyes do?” Or “Why do I feel things that you don’t feel?” Or “Why am I even here?” … But I think I have these questions because I’m pretty... Read more
This post could just as easily be named “Jerry Goldsmith Is THE MAN,” but I’d already mentioned Goldmith’s spectacular efforts on behalf of Hoosiers last week, and I’d hate to be repeating myself so soon. Besides, that would have been a clear violation of Listicle Day. (OK, fine. So that was last week. But I want in anyway, because I can’t let my wife have all the glory.) Also, I confess that using “worthless” in the title up there is a wee bit... Read more
Taking a few minutes to slow. Things. D.O.W.N…by way of this astonishing little video from Neil Bromhall, who runs a plant identification site called RightPlants4Me: The acorn was collected in September and filmed in an underground set using a 2-hour interval between exposures. The acorn split soon after it was planted and continued to split during the winter months. In January the first sign of growing root could be seen, followed in February by the emergence of shoot. In March, the shoot broke... Read more
I stumbled across a fascinating clip of the incomparable Orson Welles reading from Melville’s “Moby Dick” a few days back, and was reminded that it is (sometimes) good that the InterWebs exist. Welles at his mesmerizing best, really, and a great reminder that a striking backdrop and hi-tech audio work and images are all well-and-good. But not necessary. …at least not if you’re as magnetic as Welles. Now, I’d heard that he was fascinated by “Moby Dick,” and I’d seen his galvanizing appearance as Father Mapple in Huston’s... Read more
In the throes of motherhood, it can be easy to feel that we’re not spending enough time with our littlest ones. Especially when there are school projects and deadlines looming ahead, piles of laundry that may or may not be actually impeding traffic in the hallway, and yes, Virginia, they DO want dinner. (What, again???) Missing those toddler moments is especially easy if, like me, you are blessed with capable, generous older kiddos who love nothing better than sweeping their little... Read more
Today’s Streaming Video Suggestion (SVS) features an incredible performance from the ubiquitous (but rarely-headlining) character actor J.K. Simmons, a ton of great music — music that, unlike the vast majority of soundtracks, plays an essential role in the story — and conflict. Lots and lots of conflict. And it’s not Whiplash. It’s The Music Never Stopped. And it’s on NETFLIX INSTANT and AMAZON PRIME. And YOUTUBE($) and AMAZON INSTANT($). (I’ve actually recommended it in the past, but there are a much... Read more
Mimicry in Nature is nothing new. But this has got to be one of my favorite examples. That’s a Hornet Moth or Hornet Clearwing (Sesia apiformis), and it’s a great example of what’s know as Batesian mimicry: the “most commonly known and widely studied of mimicry complexes,” wherein “a harmless species has evolved to imitate the warning signals of a harmful species directed at a common predator.” Please be careful not to confuse this with the de Havilland DH-87 Hornet Moth. Which is an... Read more
Last week, fellow Patheotte Frank “YIMCatholic” Weathers sent me this clip. It is good to have friends who understand one so well. “A masterpiece of visual storytelling,” indeed. And Mifune is so, so good. (That’s not a remotely revolutionary or revelatory claim, I know. But still…gosh.) Also, the takeaway is great. “If you like this exercise, try studying any other Kurosawa.” (The 2:35-2:50 section, where the video’s creator gives a quick, back-of-the-envelope way to think about the visual motifs in Seven Samurai, Yojimbo,... Read more
I stumbled across an amazing Mendelssohn video yesterday, courtesy of the always-instructive (and enjoyable) Saturday Chorale website. I loved it , especially because it’s subject, his Second Symphony, is so unlike the other Mendelssohn symphonies with which I am most familiar. But I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. Or when. So I stashed it in a post draft, as is my (too frequent, I fear) want. Then, Simcha Fischer went and posted this: The other day, Mendelssohn’s string... Read more
My life’s complicated. And I love it. Sure, there are times when it threatens to overwhelm. Every day — sometimes, it feels like “every second of every day” — I find myself surrounded by a sea of dependent little humans. A sea that occasionally feels just as likely to wash me away as it is to sustain me. A sea that prevents me from doing as I please, and keeps me from drifting aimlessly and without attachment. A sea of little personalities that renders both my life’s complexity and... Read more
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