Today's pageview zip code

Gary, IN  46403, 46409 - I've definitely driven through these on my way to and from Chicago. I went through the second one on my first trip, on my way around to Oakbrook Terrace, and through the first one when my bride and I made our Chicago trip the following year. We had a great weekend in which we took in a play (Cabaret, with Teri Hatcher) and a baseball game (Orioles at White Sox), and I introduced her to both Maggiano's and Giordano's, as well as had my first Chicago style hot dog.

I just remembered that there was a third trip, too, to set up for a trade show in 1997. In fact, now that I think about the details, I'm pretty sure the trip I mentioned in last week's post actually followed that one, and that this trade show trip was when I visited both Maggiano's and Giordano's for the first time.

As much as I disdain that show . . .

. . . , I don't know which is greater:

• my concern that you don't agree with me about its offensiveness 
• my annoyance (and what underlies it) that you'd rather watch that tonight than finish spending the evening together

What love isn't, or Of Ents and Entwives (fixed)

Ent.	When Spring unfolds the beechen leaf, and sap is in the bough; When light is on the wild-wood stream, and wind is on the brow; When stride is long, and breath is deep, and keen the mountain-air, Come back to me! Come back to me, and say my land is fair!
Entwife.	When Spring is come to garth and field, and corn is in the blade; When blossom like a shining snow is on the orchard laid; When shower and Sun upon the Earth with fragrance fill the air, I'll linger here, and will not come, because my land is fair.
Ent.	When Summer lies upon the world, and in a noon of gold Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of tress unfold; When woodland halls are green and cool, and wind is in the West, Come back to me! Come back to me, and say my land is best!
Entwife.	When Summer warms the hanging fruit and burns the berry brown; When straw is gold, and ear is white, and harvest comes to town; When honey spills, and apple swells, though wind be in the West, I'll linger here beneath the Sun, because my land is best!
Ent.	When Winter comes, the winter wild that hill and wood shall slay; When trees shall fall and starless night devour the sunless day; When wind is in the deadly East, then in the bitter rain I'll look for the, and call to thee; I'll come to thee again!
Entwife.	When Winter comes, and singing ends; when darkness falls at last; When broken is the barren bough, and light and labor past; I'll look for thee, and wait for thee, until we meet again; Together we will take the road beneath the bitter rain!
Both.	Together we will take the road that leads into the West, And far away will find a land where both our hearts may rest.

I don't mean to judge people, or Ents or Entwives.  But it seems to me that marriages suffer when the partners do not submit their divergent callings or interests to their relationship.  It is easy for a relationship that was rooted in deep admiration, respect and fondness to fail to develop into the selfless love that alone is a marriage's life blood if the partners allow their individual passions first priority.  The life together can easily fork into lives apart.

I have to be on guard against this all the time.

Today's words

hortative \HOR-tuh-tiv\ - giving exhortation : serving to advise or warn


librocubicularist \lib-ro-kyoo-bi-KYOO-la-rist\ - a person who reads in bed

The first was actually yesterday's WOTD, and not the "hort" root I'd've guessed.

The second was courtesy of our goddaughter, who proudly acknowledges that she is one. (I used to be all the time, but not so much anymore.)

Two movies

Life of Pi - What a wonderful treatment of an incredible book.  A visual treat, thrilling and uplifting, tragic and victorious.  The interaction between the author and protagonist was a bit flat against the other parts of the film, yet served an important purpose.  And contrary to what the review I heard on the radio seemed to indicate in some of the details it shared, this movie adhered pretty closely to the book, with its divergences driven by the medium.  By and large, I was pretty pleased with it.

It's really unfair for it to suffer so by comparison with Lincoln.  I understand why Spielberg wasn't willing to make this film without Daniel Day-Lewis, who so convincingly becomes every character he portrays, and brought both the sheer physical stature and the dedication to detail to carry off a role that so intimidated him that he first refused it.  This film, as I presume the book on which it was based, was a fascinating peek into the political machinations of Lincoln's day and of the abolition effort. It made clear how politicians sometimes must use their opposition's perspective to win them over, as it was clear even to those who were adamant about racial equality that they could not hope to gain even the abolition of slavery if they clung to the path of true equality which they knew to ultimately be in the right.

Perhaps most importantly, it illustrates how important it is to not allow fear of the future to undermine our willingness to do the right thing now.  We allow ourselves to be paralyzed by the unknown repercussions of doing the right thing.  This is a lesson I learned by experience: even the most dreaded consequences that come to pass are less fearsome in their reality than they are in our anticipation of them.

A quibble about Flight *SPOILER (of the worst sort)*

(I really think that this sort of observation is more revealing than any specific details would be.)

I've been reflecting on how this movie blindsided me, and it finally occurs to me that this had to have been intentional.  Do the director and the studio wish to mislead the addicted into an experience that they build their whole lives around trying to avoid, one that might motivate them to deal with their own issues?  If so, I suppose I can't feel too angry with them for basically lying to the public regarding what this movie is.  But the trailers and advertising definitely created the impression that this movie was about something very different - and less important, really, to most people - from what it ultimately brought home so powerfully.

As an ACA, though, I wish I could have made my own choice whether to see this movie, as opposed to the one they advertised.

If I'd been sitting on the end I'd have walked out, but it was worth sticking it out.

Today's word, but not here

I don't generally like to post words-of-the-day that I already know here, unless they ended up leading me to other related words I didn't know, so I'm not sharing today's here either (okay, ratiocination, to keep from having to click through). But took me a moment to realize that it wasn't a repeat.  I recognized it right away from just a couple years ago, when it was listed as a trending word on M-W's site because of a couple of reviewers who used it to describe the then newly-released Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr. (which is probably the iteration of Holmes which relies on the process the least.)