John Adams

I've been Reading "John Adams" by David McCullough. It's pretty fascinating actually. I haven't taken a US history class since I was about 14, and I haven't read too many books on the subject recently.

The Founding of our country was during a pretty amazing time. They had a chance, as Adams mentions, to start a country from scratch. So they brought together ideas of leading philosophers and intellectuals, filtered those ideas through the politics of the country, and came up with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (skipping those few years during the Articles of Confederation of course).

Does our country have problems? Of course it does. There may be days when we want to throw the whole thing out and start over. But generally, eventually, after everything else has been tried out, after few thousand people are killed or suffer in some way, the Country gets going in the right direction.

The other interesting thing about the book is the context. It's hard to say today how I'd feel about the revolutionaries. Most of those who wanted a revolution were radical for their day. I think Boston was a "North East liberal" city even then, resented by the more conservative south.

Adams himself is a fascinating man. He was stubborn, outspoken, witty, eloquent, extremely well read and passionate. It's unlikely independence would have been declared if he hadn't been there to smooth the edges of the dissenters. He was an astute politician.
I can't wait to read more. I'd highly recommend it!

Passover

Saturday night was the first night of the Jewish Holiday of Passover.Passover commemorates the Biblical story of the Israelites escaping Egypt after being enslaved for over 400 years. Remember the movie the Ten Commandments? That's what this holiday is about.

Most Jews observe the holiday by abstaining from foods with leavening in it: no bread, pasta, cereal, cakes cookies, etc.
I mention Passover because it is one of the few times during the year where the Jewish world and the secular world have a visible connection. The other primary one is during Chanukah. Its proximity to Christmas makes it the recipient of token attention in American culture. It's a minor holiday, but it's status is heightened by the secular world.
Passover often occurs near Easter, but doesn't get the attention for the same reason. Passover is visible, first of all, from the Heston film I mentioned earlier: most people have seen it. Also, many non-Jews experience the Seder, the ritual meal on the first and second night (for most Jews) of the holiday. Many churches have them, and many non-Jews are invited as guests to Jews homes. The third reason this holiday gets attention is because it directly effects what Jews eat.
People see Jews eating those lovely Matzah (unleavened bread) sandwiches in the lunchroom at work. Jews might turn down invitations for meals because "they can't find anything to eat there". This experience might be common for very religious Jews who keep Kosher year-round, but for Jews who ordinarily do not follow dietary laws, Passover is one of the only times of the year where our diets would differ from those around us.
Personally, this difference is special. Of course it's frustrating to not be able to get that slice of pizza. But, it's also meaningful. I feel like I'm connecting with the community more than usual. I imagine this experience is why many people do keep kosher. During this week, every once in a while, I think about freedom, about suffering, about those people that can't choose what they eat or drink. These are the reasons I do keep Passover, and part of the reason that the holiday is special to me.

PhD

A good friend of mine just finished her PhD defense today in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. She did brilliantly of course. Her command of the science is a good as anybodies in that room. She may not be as experienced as many of the professors, but she has the raw ability.
I always wonder about myself. I stopped at a Master's degree. At the time, and now really, I decided I wasn't quite passionate enough about the field to go for a PhD. I see some of my friends who have lingered for many years, trying to focus their ideas and their research. I think it's ok to be a bit lost and find your way. In many ways, that's the point of the degree: to show independent thought. I'm just not sure I want to be in that floating state at this point. I'm not committed enough to spend the late nights at the office. I'm not ready to have to stand up in front of faculty and defend my ideas. I'm not ready to be poor again.
So, although I love doing science, and I learn more about it every day, I'm just not at the point where I have to prove my own independence. Can I do it? Probably. Given a push, I think I can work through almost anything. So, perhaps part of holding back is fear. But the other part of it is lack of desire. I think the degree works much better if you've got some passion in it.
I'm just not there yet.
For now, I'll just celebrate with my friend!

Memories

It's interesting how time can sometimes deepen memories. Why do I mean by this? Well, I moved out of my "young" childhood home when I was about 12 into the house that my parents currently live. I have some of the richest memories of that first house. I remember the bar we had downstairs where my grandparents used to entertain some friends when they would watch us for a few days. I remember rolling on my roller skates around the basement, entertaining myself for hours before dinner. Or even that first Atari where I would spend endless weekends playing games (we were only allowed to rent games on weekends).
I remember our narrow hallway, where my sister and I used to close all the doors and randomly bounce superballs (remember those) back and forth along the walls. We also had a living room sofa with just enough space to crawl behind for a really bad hiding space when playing hide and seek. Our kitchen had been remodeled before I was born, so it was laid out quite well unlike most kitchens that my mom would say "are made by men".
The street I lived on during those early years was also wonderful. There were about 5 families with children within about 4 years of me (both older and younger). We'd have involved games of chase, hide and seek, kick-ball and soccer until the sun had just gone down.

All of these memories are vague, but powerful. They are almost unreal: it's hard to believe that I actually lived them. To see that old house again would be hard to handle for some reason. To be back in that neighborhood would be very unreal. But I hope I don't forget those simple memories. They are a place and a time that will never happen again, except in my mind.

The Wisconsin Film Festival

Last weekend I went to several movies as part of the Wisconsin Film festival. I wanted to give a few comments about what I saw. Perhaps they'll be coming to your area.

The first one I saw was "Shiva for My Mother: Seven Days of Mourning".
This was a documentary by Yael Katzir, about the seven days of mourning Yael went through for her mother's death. The film was in Hebrew, with English subtitles.
Yael is an Israeli, whose mother was a native born "Sabra" and her father was a German refugee from the holocaust. The documentary, filmed by her son Dan, shows her reflections about her parents, her siblings, and her adult children. Yael "always wanted her [mother] to hug me and say that I am a good girl, but it did not happen.”
Her mom was a tough, outspoken woman. Her father was a quiet, reflective man whom she knew little about. Her children are loving, sensitive, and very emotionally honest. Her siblings discuss which one they thought loved them best. You can tell that although they had problems like any family, it was a family filled with love.
The film was beautiful, and deals with family relationships that anyone could relate to.

The second movie was "High School Record." This was a mockumentary by Ben Wolfinsohn about, well, you guessed it: an arts high school. It follows four high school students :Caleb, Sabrina, Erin, and Bobby during a few high school days.
Caleb is an odd outsider (aka Geek) who wears outrageous clothing, does screwy things with his hair, and wants to direct a futuristic TV show teaching children how to eat well. Sabrina is also a bit socially awkward, and at the beginning of the film is dating Caleb. She does and says some cruel things, but a good heart is buried beneath. There is also the wacky teacher, who plays guitar, sings off key, wears the most outrageous outfits, and eventually sleeps with Bobby. It's funny and slightly touching. The actors were all amateurs, but they were very believable.
Probably the biggest budget movie I saw was Childstar. This was a witty Canadian film making fun of shallow Hollywood, and our obsession with Child Stars and celebrity. Don Mckellar, who also wrote and directed the film, stars as driver Rick Schiller, hired to drive Taylor Brandon Burns, a child star played by Mark Rendall.
Rick sleeps with Taylor's mother, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. He also acts as the boy's tutor and mentor, as he's the only one who can stand him. It's a clever satire, and who can resist cameos by Alan Thicke and Erik Stolz?
"North Korea: Beyond the DMZ" and "Seoul Train" were two fascinating documentaries about North Korea. The first one, focused on a Korean American girl who took an organized trip to North Korea. As she did, the documentary supplied some context and history to the conflicts between the US and North Korea. The film put a lot of blame to the US and was trying to humanize one of the "axes of evil", but did go to lengths to explain the philosophies beyond North Korea's government. Although it does blame Kim Jung Il for many of its problems, it puts some blame to the United States and the West. It also shows the people of North Korea in a very warm light, particularly when the American woman reunites with her aunt.
"Seoul Train" was about North Korean refugees escaping to China in hopes of resettling in South Korea or other "safe countries". If the Chinese government catches them, it sends them back to North Korea where they are imprisoned, tortured, and almost killed. It focuses on China's culpability in the refugee problem, and on the efforts of some US congressman to address the problem. It was also interesting. The two films together put good context and depth on the Korean/American relationship.
The final movie I saw, was probably the most outrageous: Never Been Thawed.
It followed several characters who collect and trade Frozen Dinners as part of the Mesa frozen Entree Enthusiasts'. Each of them have their own quirks. Shawn, the founder, is a part time dental hygenist and plays in a punk band that goes Christian to try and make money. Shelly, who has a crush on Shawn, is a devoted virgin who works for the Wiliam Jefferson Clinton abstinence clinic. Al is a "smilist", a clown costumed hair stylist who lives with his parents at their retirement home. They meet at the "No Choice Cafe" an anti-abortion coffee house, located near abortion clinics so you can eat a snack while you are protesting. Although the film dragged near the end, it's a hilarious satire of collecting geeks, Christian Rock, religious fanatics, losers, nice guys, and competitive highway alphabet.
I'd recommend all of those movies. If you get a chance to see them, don't miss it.