Microblog Mondays - Smart women

My father has been somewhat of a Lothario as he is is working through his grief.

For reasons I don't comprehend, women live longer than men. That means as a straight widower he has his pick of women to keep company with.

He suggested that his popularity was due to the same things that fueled his popularity in college chiefly that he still has a lot of his hair and he still drives.

As for the women he has dated, some I like better than others, but none of them are bad. The other thing that I notice is they all have one thing in common.  Intelligence.

I'm not saying common sense intelligence but I guess an intellectual curiosity that reminds me (rather unsurprisingly) of my mother. I find it funny that my father has a type--and the type is intelligent women.

Like my mom.
Like me.

Microblog Monday--What next

There is a lot of shit going on in the world.
Innocent black men being murdered by policemen on a power trip.
Innocent policemen being murdered.
A horrific attack on adults and children in Nice.
A coup going on--or not--it seems to be unsure in Turkey.
Likely between the time I post this and the time you read this there will be something else unimaginably horrible happening.

Seriously I tried to think of a good post that would somehow lend words to these horrible tragedies.

I want to comfort those who mourn.
I have no words.  How do I tell the families of those grieving their loved ones anything. I didn't know these people and policemen and innocents who were killed. Yet, my world is diminished because they left it.

For the politicians who can't get it together to agree that guns don't belong in the hands of children without a lot of restrictions, I want to do what my daughter's preschool teacher does. When two children are fighting, the teacher sits them down looking at each other. They have to say one nice thing about the other and then put a jigsaw puzzle together. If they refuse to do even that they are put on the "get along" seat until they can. I would like to see Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell on a get along couch and then doing a puzzle.

I want to fix something--and I don't know how to fix it.

How would you fix the world? What change would you like to make that would be snowballing?

Original Cast -- Microblog Monday

Unless you pay no attention to your trending lists, you know that Lin-Manuel Miranda has left his titular role as Hamilton.

This surprises me not at all, as he has a lot of plates juggling and he is incredibly talented. I recall he left In The Heights after around the same amount of time. I did not see In The Heights in the beginning of its run, but I did see it with Lin-Manuel Miranda who had returned to the role of Usnavi later in the production, just as he says he will return to Hamilton. I trust that he will keep his word.

I saw Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal in Rent. Not the original cast, but when they returned again later in the run.  It was brilliant, however, I have to say that the person I saw playing Roger (Adam Pascal's role) later in the run gave the role an extra sparkle. He was the best Roger I have seen.


There is something magical about seeing an Original Broadway Cast. No question. I'd like to say though, for all the whining that I'm seeing that people haven't seen the Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton--I'd like to say. If you have tickets for later performances--I'll gladly take them off your hands.

I believe that Lin-Manuel Miranda will come back to Hamilton, he's said as much. What I also believe is that he would not leave his precious creation in the hands of people who can't act the $*@& out of the role.

Moving along to Shuffle Along--they made the decision--crazy decision--to close when Audra MacDonald leaves one of the leading roles.  Audra MacDonald is good--amazing even, but why close a successful show when the actress' replacement has already been named.  I'm sorry I won't get to see this amazing show.

But I'm looking forward to seeing Hamilton--in a few years.

Doc McStuffins Is More Than Just a Children's Show

Dear Disney,

We love you.

By we, I mean my beautiful little girl, Lotus, and to a lesser extent--me.

My love is the love of nostalgia. I remember sitting in a movie theater, my hands greasy with popcorn, watching Mary Poppins with my grandmother. I was so excited that I recognized her voice as Maria from The Sound Of Music (which I had seen on TV a few days before) I spilled the popcorn on Grandma. She was so excited, she went to get me more. I remember watching The Rescuers with my brother. He had been complaining that he had to babysit and take me to a  "baby" movie. By the end of the movie, he was planning to return with his friend.  That was Disney magic for me.

My daughter is one of the many who watch Frozen at least once a week. More than Frozen is her obsession (and, as a Trekkie  I don't use that word lightly) with your show PJ Masks. The day is not complete unless she can watch one of those episodes and ask the myriad four-year-old questions that come to her mind. She also loves The Lion Guard and, of course, Doc McStuffins.

Through my daughter's love of PJ Masks I watch how important representation is. You see my daughter is Asian, as is Owlette--her favorite PJ Mask. Representation changes "I love that superhero!" to "I could be that superhero!"

Now I hear that you are considering taking that representation away from millions of African-American children. Why would you do this? From everything I've read the show has a massive following and good ratings. It has won the NAACP Award and the Peabody award for excellence. It is not played out. Moreover it started the most amazing adoption storyline. One that again spells representation for many who are not represented.

Let me end with what happened on Christmas. Santa gave our daughter a beautiful "Frozen" doll kit.  In two seconds she was playing with it.  In two minutes Anna's arm broke off. The next day we went to the Disney store at the mall to see about getting it fixed or replaced. The absolutely amazing cast member examined the doll and then knelt down to talk to my daughter.

"Sweetie, this is a bit beyond me."She told my daughter. "But don't worry, We're going to send Anna to Doc McStuffins and she'll send her right back to you as soon as she can."

"Will she need the surgery?" Lotus asked. Tears were filling her little eyes. She had seen the episode where the toy required overnight surgery with the doc.

"I don't know," the lady said. "that's up to Doc."

"Will Doc hold her other hand?"

"I think Hallie usually does that when the doc is busy." Was the response. Lotus considered it and nodded.

"Thank you!" I said to the cast member.

"Don't thank me." She said with feeling. "Thank Doc McStuffins." Then she took my information and two weeks later we had a brand new Anna doll. For months whenever Doc McStuffins was on, Lotus would get Anna and watch with her. Why on earth would you take that away from the employees of your stores?

Please consider this my request to renew Doc McStuffins.