Best Loved Holiday Memories

I was on the train a few weeks ago. There is a towheaded kid in a stroller, maybe 4 and a plump 40-ish Caucasian mother. The kid has his hands over his ears, pushing earbud type headphones deep into his ear canal.

The Mother says "Don't you want to stop listening to your IPod?"

Kid: "No!"

Mother holds up a hardcover picture book "Well," she says in that very 2nd grade teacher way, "I want to read this book, are you sure you don't want to read along with me?"

Kid (hands over ears): "No!"

Mother really tries to work it, begins flipping the pages. I see the book is called "Spin The Dreidel." She begins to read aloud, annoying the entire subway car I am in, full of people uninterested in dreidel spinning in particular and possibly literacy in general. The kid looks up briefly, then returns his rapt attention to whatever he's listening to on his headphones.

I go through three more subway stops hearing all about dreidel spinning, until I finally exit the train.

Questions for discussion:
- Why does a 4 year old need an IPod?
- Is there any way in which "Spin The Dreidel" could possibly compete with an IPod?

"I'm Not There" - shortest movie review possible

Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan could not be hotter. She's cool, she's sexy, if only she was really a man who I could make out with. Alas. Otherwise the film is masturbatory, self-involved, perplexing. For those of us who know nothing about Dylan you'll want to know more, for those who know something about Dylan you'll spend the movie going "That's not right!"

I once had a fight with a guy about other Todd Haynes movie "Safe" He thought it was brilliant, I thought it was painfully boring. The only difference with "I'm Not There" is I'm not the only one who thinks it's boring.

Honorable mentions:
Cate yelling "I still remember your sweet little pussy" at a groupie.
Richie Havens playing a song.