WHERE'S YOUR AMERICAN FLAG PIN?

I am fascinated by this outbreak of American flag pins in men's lapels. What does it mean? How did the movement get started? I suppose it must be a means of identification: as in, "I am an American citizen" as opposed to "I am an Egyptian citizen" and that is helpful to dispel confusion. What happens if you are a man, in a suit, and don't have an American flag pin displayed in the lapel? I have heard, although I did not see this, that a reporter on TV asked a candidate why he was not wearing an American flag pin - ( I heard that this reporter was that sweet-faced George Stephanopolis). The implication must be that if one does not consistently wear a flag pin, one must be a terrorist sympathizer. Is this what George Stephanopolis meant?

The pins come in different sizes and degrees of elegance. I was watching a sports event - I think it was the Masters golf tournament (although I am not sure about this) and the three commentators all had enormous flag pins. They must have been 2 or 3 inches wide. The place where the stars would be was set in something sparkling and shiny, like rhinestones or possibly diamonds. All three men had the same pins, but they were not dressed alike. I wondered if they bought them together or if the network had decreed that flag pins were mandatory.

Wearing ribbons and other insignia to show your backing of a particular cause (usually health related) is not new but the negative connotation of this one (Where is your flagpin?") is new. We are all Americans, so there is nothing identifying those wearing them from the rest of us unless they are "super-Americans." Not since Nazi Germany has the wearing of a badge, or not wearing a badge, meant trouble. Remember how brave it was for the King of Denmark to wear a yellow star to show that he and his country were one,and if the Nazis took any Jews they would have to take him?? That was a lapel pin that meant something.

I am going down to my neighborhood Walgreens, where they have everything. I'm going to buy a lapel pin if they have one and put it somewhere on my person even if I don't have a lapel. Maybe then if I run into George Stephanopolis and his cohorts I'll be O.K.

SKIP THESE TWO DREARY MOVIES

I love movies. I watch a lot of them since my husband died- although it doesn't make up for all the missed conversation and laughing. But when you live alone, Netfliix is a wonderful help.

The last two movies I ordered were bummers, though. They were so dreary! And pointless. You wonder why they were ever produced, because I know it is hard for a film to go through everything in Hollywood and finally emerge. Also, these two films both had good critical reviews which says something about the low expectations for films nowadays. No critic ever wrote that the films were dull and lifeless, the plots and storylines uninspired. Wonderful actors were sacrificed on these movies. Don't go to see them! That's my advice.

The first is Atonement. I have always thought that this author (McEwen) is a drag, despite the fact that he has been lionized for another book, equally uninteresting. The plot of Atonement is that a grim little girl makes a false accusation against her sister's lover (Of course, he is the gamekeeper's son in the typical English class thing) and that is that. He goes away presumably to prison, although later he is out and a soldier in World War !. Everybody dies except the mean little girl who lives on doing good works. There are a lot of gaps in continuity in the movie which may be a rough job of editing for the DVD. All in all, Atonement is a real loser from my standpoint, particularly when compared to the wonderful English movies of the past dealing with somewhat the same material. Skip this one. Mr. McEwen needs a little excitement in his life.

Next, another dreary movie, The Savages. I had looked forward to this because I love Laura Linney(who doesn't) and it had another great actor, Phillip Hoffman. It's not their fault that this is a "feel-bad" movie that you wish you had never seen. Being just a step away from Altzeimers myself, I must confess I am not enthusiastic about the miseries of this situation. But in this film, the Altzeimer parent is not the one who makes you most queasy. The real losers are the brother and sister, without an ounce of joy in their lives. The set decoration of their incredibly messy apartments gives you the picture. The portrayal of senior communities (Sun City) and the old folks there is unneccesarily cruel. It's a terrible screenplay. For a contrast, compare this parody to the Julie Christie movie "Away From Her". What do you think?