Pink = Unpatriotic?

Gymnast Gabby Douglas was the toast of the world this past week after she became the third American woman in a row to win Olympic gold in the gymnastics all-around competition.

But as has become typical in our quick-to-be-critical world, shortly after her win, people (mostly women) took to social media outlets to denigrate Douglas' hairstyle. One woman asked on Twitter, "So for real though nobody wanted to go to London to do Gabby Douglas' hair?," while another commented, "Gabby Douglas is cute and all...but that hair...on camera." (Douglas was quick to dismiss that criticism, saying she doesn't care what people think.)

The latest round of criticism aimed at Douglas and other Olympic athletes is more ridiculous than that. Apparently Douglas is not patriotic enough because she didn't wear red, white, and blue, opting instead for a pink leotard.

Seriously.

Speaking on the Fox & Friends weekend show with Alisyn Camerota, conservative radio host David Webb said Douglas' attire was part of a broader sense of "soft anti-Americanism," which he feels has grown more apparent among American athletes since the previous Olympics. The radio host also pointed out that those cheering for Douglas did not break out in a rousing round of "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" chants.

"What's wrong with showing some pride?," Webb asked of Douglas and other athletes. (As if the fact that they're representing their country at the freaking Olympics isn't enough a demonstration of pride?)

Interestingly, Webb ignores the fact that the Olympic Committee has denounced overzealous displays of American patriotism almost every time the games make their way to the United States, including in 1984 Los Angeles and 1996 Atlanta. Even during the 2002 winter games in Salt Lake City, which took place just months after 9/11, Americans were told to tone down the chest-beating. Speaking that year about a pre-Olympics tribute to those killed in the attacks, Mitt Romney—who at that time was the president of the Olympics Organizing Committee—conceded that the Olympics are "not our time to talk about how great America is."

Some may say, what do you expect from Fox News? But this type of criticism should not be acceptable. I am so tired of people calling others' patriotism into question if they behave or even look differently than what some person thinks is patriotic.

You know what is unpatriotic? Being judgmental and hate-filled. But there's more than enough of that to go around in this country.

Watch the video.

Book Review: "The Last Policeman" by Ben H. Winters

If you knew the world would end in six months, what would you do? Would you abandon your job and your life to pursue something you've always dreamed of? Would you find that one special person and let them know what they mean to you? Or would you take your own life before circumstances went beyond your control?

In Ben Winters' fantastic new book, the Maia asteroid (aka 2011GV1) is expected to hit Earth within six months, and many people all over the world are moved to do at least one of those three activities. But Concord Police Detective Hank Palace isn't one to let down his guard, and when he is assigned the investigation into the alleged suicide of insurance adjuster Peter Zell, his colleagues and even Zell's own friends and family encourage him just to close the case. After all, who wouldn't commit suicide facing near-certain extinction, and what's the point of solving crimes if the world is going to end anyway?

But Palace has always wanted to be a police detective, and he feels he owes it to Zell to fully investigate this case, even when all signs point toward suicide. Yet he always has a niggling feeling something just isn't right, and the more than Hank pursues his suspicions, the more reality he is forced to confront, coupled with the violence and confusion that accompanies a pre-apocalyptic society. And this throws him more than he wants to admit.

This book surprised and delighted me. I love mysteries and thrillers, and The Last Policeman—the first in a trilogy—brings heart and soul and a simultaneously idealistic and jaded protagonist to the genre. I really enjoyed this book as much because of the questions it raised as I did for the actual mystery and action it provided. I am enamored by Winters' use of language and the way he gave each character a distinct voice, and I hope that Hank Palace will continue to play a prominent role in the remaining books in the trilogy.

Join hands and hearts and voices, voices, hearts, and hands...

Umm, yes, I have been watching Dirty Dancing recently. But I use the song from the Kellerman's end-of-the-season talent show, particularly for one line, sung by Max himself:

What we shared won't be forgotten, old friends are the best.

Having just returned the other day from San Diego, I was fortunate to spend several days with one of my oldest friends, whom I've known since the 4th grade, was super close to in high school, and haven't seen in probably 25(!) years.

I've reflected before on the opportunities I've had to reconnect with old friends, mainly thanks to Facebook. Each time I do, I come to the same conclusion—it doesn't matter how many years have passed, it doesn't matter how different the paths our lives have taken, spending quality time with old friends makes you feel like no time has passed. But at the same time, it is so wonderful to talk with childhood friends as adults, against the backdrop of the memories you've shared.

Anyone who questions the value of Facebook and other social media either hasn't had the opportunity to spend time with an old friend, or has the opportunity to see many of their old friends on a much regular basis than I do. I'm grateful for the chances I've had to see old high school and camp friends in the last few years, and look forward to more chances for these impromptu reunions in the near future.

If nothing else, I look forward to my 25th high school reunion, which may not happen until next summer (25, 26, who's counting). I hope that many of the folks I've had the chance to "talk" with via Facebook are there, because I know I will be!

You've Got to See This: "Lantana" (2001)

Continuing my series highlighting movies you may not have seen (or in some cases, heard of), this week's movie is 2001's Lantana, an Australian movie which did get some acclaim here in the US. (Previous posts in the "You've Got to See This" series can be found here and here.)

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive. And sometimes even when we don't.

A woman's body is found. Police detective Leon Zat (Anthony LaPaglia, in full-on Without a Trace taciturnity) is assigned to investigate. Zat has been cheating on his wife whom, in secret, has been seeing a psychiatrist (Barbara Hershey) whose own marriage is corroded by grief, as she thinks her husband (Geoffrey Rush, twitchy and secretive) is having an affair with a gay patient of hers. Late one night, the doctor skids off a back road, finds a call box, and tries in vain to reach her husband. She sees headlights and flags down the driver.

Leon's lover, Jane, is recently separated, and her neighbors include a muscular unemployed man. One night, Jane sees her neighbor park his truck and throw something into the lantana in a vacant lot. It's a woman's shoe.

The more Leon digs into what happened that night, the more it threatens to upend the lives of five different couples. The twists and turns keep coming, and the discoveries are at times shocking.

This is a tremendously well-acted, thought-provoking, and intelligent movie that will keep you wondering and pondering long after it is over. It's much more a movie of quiet moments than explosive ones, but if anything, that adds to its power. LaPaglia, Hershey, and Rush, as well as some of the supporting characters, give strong, believable performances.

Definitely one to add to your list.

Book Review: "Dare Me" by Megan Abbott

Megan Abbott's Dare Me is a bit of Mean Girls twisted with Bring It On, and even a bit of Heathers, but it's darker and more fun than that.

Beth Cassidy has been captain of the cheerleading squad for years, ruling the squad—and all of the girls—with an iron fist and a razor-sharp tongue, combining fear and actual motivation. Addy Hanlon has always been Beth's lieutenant and best friend, helping her dole out the discipline for the reward of being Beth's chosen one, and together, as senior cheerleaders, they are feared and admired.

And then the new coach, Colette French, arrives. She immediately changes things, ensuring the girls' loyalty only to her, and taps Addy to be her protegé and confidante, which leaves Beth in the cold—but she doesn't stay down for long. Beth uses all of her cunning to attempt to undermine the Coach's authority and her relationship with Addy. And the more fodder Beth finds, the more she uses it to get what she wants, with disastrous results. But in the end, she realizes that what she does want, she can no longer have.

This was a really enjoyable book, as it exposed both the wiles and the insecurity of high school girls hungry for recognition, for notoriety, and most of all, for acceptance and praise. While at times the book veers a bit into melodramatic territory, I thought Megan Abbott did a great job creating an interesting and complex band of characters, more than the typical teen clichés. Obviously, being neither a high school cheerleader or a girl, I can't identify with the characters, but they seem pretty realistic. Definitely a twisted book that might make you squirm a bit, but you'll also be impressed with Abbott's storytelling ability.

Book Review: "The Light Between Oceans" by M.L. Stedman

After fighting in World War I and seeing more death than he can handle, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia to become a lighthouse keeper. Ultimately he winds up becoming the keeper on Janus Rock, an isolated island where a supply boat only comes once every three months. But the hard work and the honor of being responsible for such a majestic and vital landmark is more than enough for Tom, until he meets Isabel Graysmark, a young woman whose playful spirit and zest for life awakens feelings in Tom he never thought he'd be worthy to experience.

Years later, after two miscarriages and a stillborn baby, Tom and Isabel are weathering the isolation of Janus Rock and wondering how to handle the crushing emptiness they feel. One day, a boat washes up on shore, carrying the body of a man and an infant, whose cries awaken Isabel's maternal spirit. She convinces Tom, a man who pays meticulous attention to detail and the rules governing lighthouses all over Australia, to hold off reporting the ship and the baby, just for a few days. And this decision has powerful ramifications not only in their lives, but the lives of their family and friends, and those who wondered what happened to the man and the baby on that fateful day.

In this haunting book, M.L. Stedman visits a familiar plot point—the split second decision that affects the futures of many—but does so in a gripping and affecting way. You know what Tom and Isabel have done is wrong, but you certainly sympathize with their choice and the guilt they feel, but then you realize just how many people this decision ultimately hurts. And Stedman is able to keep you guessing; just when you believe the story will take one direction, you find yourself surprised, but that doesn't affect the power of the story. As one character says, "Right and wrong can be like bloody snakes: so tangled up that you can’t tell which is which until you’ve shot 'em both, and then it’s too late." There is a vividness and a heart to this story that is unforgettable.

Hate is never the answer...

I'm tired of talking about chicken. While I've made my feelings clear, I'd like to believe that most people agree with this philosophy. And sadly, if you don't, we're not really friends.