Thanks...

Thank you to all the people I meet every day that influence me in some way, who teach without knowing, who inspire without trying, who give without expectations, who care without ambivalence, who are open and allow others in, who are authentic in an often cold and dark world. Thank you for not knowing all you do all the time.

Mamma Mia, What Were They Thinking ?

A Greek Island with breath taking views, upbeat music, a sappy love story, Meryl Streep and spandex. You would think with all this you have the formula for a great musical. Some critics have even gone as far as calling it "the next Grease". Hey guys, don't press your luck.

Mamma Mia, starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Amanda Seyfried did not quite live up to its hype. After only a few minutes into the film, I thought anyone that can sit through this is a "super trooper" as Abba would say. I cringed every time someone opened their mouth to sing with Meryl Streep excluded. Not due to the fact that her voice was on pitch, but it was likable. Come on, she is Meryl Streep after all. Streep's acting was right on and believable as usual. She is at a point in her career. I respect her decision to do this role, she has nothing to prove to anyone any more. I expected Brosnan, on the other hand, at any moment to blurt out "Bond, James Bond". He was clad in "Bond-like" attire and could not make me believe him as anything other than the 007 himself.

After the opening credits, I waited for the movie to pick up its pace. It was slow-moving and the musical numbers seemed forced. The movie did not do the staged play justice, which was fun and addicting. The play would make anyone want to run out and buy Abba's greatest hits (which I did). The songs in the movie sounded like mere Karaoke versions of Abba. In today's modern world, a lot could be done to improve the musical numbers at the very least. Auto Tune anyone?

Overall, I left the movie thinking two things 1) wow, good for Meryl Streep. I still see her in the same light. And 2) I couldn't help but think "BLUE". Everything was blue about the movie, the set, the ocean and the way the film left me feeling.

Mama Drama

For the sake of anonymity, let us just say that a certain mom was at a certain park in Burbank, California today with her son. The scene was frightful. Not the children running around, but the lack of concern on the moms' faces when their child would trip, hit or steal a toy from another child. But then again, how could they be concerned about their child when their cell phones, or new blue-tooth head sets were glued to their ears. Thanks to the new Cali law of now cell phones while driving, moms are reverting to making calls during play time with their children. To give the moms the benefit of the doubt, I'm sure they all were on extremely important calls. I even heard one mom say into thin air, aka her bluetooth headset, "You're kidding me, she cut her hair that short."

Although, I'd like to take credit for the creativity of that last line, I simply can't. It was a true statement said by a bluetoothed mother whose son happened to be stealing every toy my son wanted to play with and aggressively doing so.

After removing my son from the situation, because I'm sure it wouldn't have been nice to simply push her son off the toys, I walked away only to encounter further mama drama by another mom. Kudos to this mom, she was not on a cell phone, but instead talking the ear off of someone she befriended at the park about how she needs a break. The "befriendee" was clearly not paying attention. So, I followed my son into the sand box and weplopped down to build a sand castle, when loud mouth mommy comes over to tell me I should make sure that my son doesn't steal toys from other kids and pay attention. I'm sorry, but we were minding our own damn biz lady. You must have us confused for the bluetoothed beasts picnicking on the grass yards away from where their children actually are.

I was so upset that I took my son out of the sandbox and out of the park. Just as I was nearing my car I noticed another mother doing the same. We stood around and chatted that WE the moms who were actually playing with our kids in the sandbox where kicked out of the park. The Bluetoothed Burbank Beasts enjoyed the rest of their afternoon on their cell phones. while their kids bruised each other, themselves and learned Darwin's theory of survival.