Friday, April 22, 2011

Day 47

I've managed to teach the Bink a new trick ("high five") which always puts him in a good mood.  The effort of struggling to learn and being rewarded when he does it correctly imparts a structure to his life, I think, and we all like structure.  Also he gets a lot of treats.  Everytime he gets the trick right he gets a cheerio.  (Or two, if he does it exceptionally well). At this point he can do it more or less perfectly (although he still can't do without lunging forward with his entire body--still can't just bat my hand with his paw, the rest of him motionless).  He's a smart little bear.

I've been listening to a great new band, a video of whom I hope to find and post for your enjoyment.  They're called The Joy Formidable.  Sort of anthemic intense slightly dissonant version of...I don't know?...the Cranberries.  They're way less poppy than that.  The woman who sings sounds a little like Shirley Manson as well, I guess.  I'll see if I can hunt down some of their stuff.

Yesterday I watched the first half of a Swedish movie called Together.  Movie's about a collective/commune of young idealistic men and women living in a suburb somewhere in Sweden in the 70s.  Told from the vantage of two children who are forced to move in to the commune when their parents split up (their mother is the sister of a commune member).  Somewhat disturbing (though probably not intended to be) but it did feel very honest about what it'd be like to live a true communal life.  Lots of jealousy, bickering, tension, chaos.  One member has resolved to be a lesbian, in order to free herself from patriarchal control.  Another has dropped out of college to become a welder, in order to show solidarity with the working class.  Serious conversations about what will happen when 'the revolution comes' occur frequently.  Of course it's a terrible, and thoroughly frightening, environment to raise children.  Kind of reminded me of the two years I lived in Berkeley, though of course we all had our own homes.

Okay, off to work.

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