identity

The most depressing baby songs ever: Russian ones

February 6, 2009

In America, we sing songs to babies to calm them down, to get them to go to sleep, and to make them feel safe and loved.  This is not the case in Russia.  In Russia, women sing songs to their babies to warn them of death, starvation, and wolves. And this is sung in a mildly soothing and pacifying voice, one that has been carried through generations of Russian Suffering. In my mom’s case, it was also Russian Jewish suffering. ...

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Movie Review: Waltz with Bashir (ואלס עם בשיר)

February 2, 2009

Ever since I heard about this movie on NPR, I couldn’t wait to see it. The movie, shot in haunting, dark cartoon style , is about the narrator, Ari Folman, and his experiences during and after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. EDIT: Thanks to Matt for pointing out that it was NOT rotoscoping, as I initially thought, but REAL animation, not taken from live shots, which is even more amazing. It begins as he meets with a friend ...

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Crying unabashedly during Disney movies

January 30, 2009

You know how people say, “Well, I really feel old because…” and then it’s usually because they walked to school two miles in the snow with no legs and a harried Vietnamese sniper nudging them along with the tip of his bayonet the whole way? Well, I feel old because I just realized that Beauty and the Beast, one of my FAVORITE Disney movies of all time, will be turning 20 years old in 2011.  That’s unbelievable, because I just ...

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Changing My Last Name: Or, how I totally screwed over feminism

January 27, 2009

When I got married this past October, I remember the happy times: I also remember the not-so-happy times: changing my last name (did I mention, by the way, that I HATE being called Mrs.?) I had this debate in my head for a long time, ever since we got engaged.  Do I change my last name and achieve family unity with my husband, making everything from insurance to office parties easier?  Or do I keep my last name and remain ...

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