Some random, undeveloped, uncultured thoughts

 - What's this bullshit you hear actors say that they have learned so much from their children?  What the heck are you actually being taught? "My kids are great, they taught me to be patient." Oh really? So before kids, this was you: "patience sucks!" And then, you had the kid and all of a sudden, you're like, hey, patience isn't so bad... what a crock. Kids don't teach you anything. You don't learn anything. That's not the point. Having kids is not a self-help program.

- The story goes that Ingrid Bergman was so beautiful in person that people would ask her questions just to have the excuse to gaze upon her face while she responded.  I once was with a woman whose face was so beautiful that I realized, sitting across from her one day in a pub and listening to her talk, that I could just stare at her face, perhaps forever, and be endlessly entertained. Is entertained the right word? No. contented? enthralled? I would never get bored, put it that way. I could just gaze at her forever and be contented.  There's something to be said for that power. I thought about this as I was watching Le Samourai the other day, and the enthralling face of Alain Delon -- even to a straight guy. Perhaps it was more admiration, or envy -- I wondered, how much of the French New Wave was simply due to ridiculously beautiful women (and to a lesser extent, men)?  Would Breathless be the same with a plainer woman than Jean Seberg?  I think not.  Those foreign directors were smart. Some of those flicks were pretty good, but really, what made Breathless work was Jean Seberg's face.

- I've been to a few wedding ceremonies lately where the bride has someone read a passage from the Velveteen Rabbit, which talks about a doll that is worn out due to overuse, but even though it is worn out and ugly, it is loved, or something to that effect. And inevitably, the bride is overweight, has let herself go in some major fashion.  Essentially, this passage is saying we shouldn't judge a person by their looks, what matters is inside.  Which is, I'm sorry, bullshit. A person's looks, more often than not, have a lot to do with other qualities they possess, such as respect (for others), energy, drive, work ethic. It's hard to look good, for most people. It's hard to stay in shape.  No, this Velveteen Rabbit passage is so popular because so many people want to be given permission to gorge themselves on whatever they're gorging on, and in general to let themselves go.  Because it takes work to maintain appearances, and some people are just too plain lazy to bother. And no matter how many times you refer to the Velveteen Rabbit, it won't shield you from that reality.