The Literate Kitty

There are lots of self-proclaimed “dog people” out there (like everyone walking their very own Rover, Benji, or Miss Precious between, say, 6 and 7pm), who are allowed to do all sorts of things with their BFF (best furry friend). There are dog parks, sure, and they can go to PetSmart together… but they can also go into a surprising number of other shops, restaurants, and businesses, with Lola the Labradoodle or Sam the Shih Tzu, in tow.   The thing is, that only accounts for about half of the “pet pawrent” population… which begs the question, what about everyone else … namely, the “cat people”? There’s still something of a societal disconnect— I mean, where’s the canine equivalent to “crazy cat lady”, hmm? —about sharing your life with one (or more… no judgement! ) fluffy feline(s), unlike there is with dogs.  As a proud “catmom” (hmph), I’ve heard it all.  They’re so aloof and anti-social! [Baloney. They just have no incentive to interact with you, especially no...

I don’t have kids, but if I did? My biggest worry would probably be how I was gonna put them through college.  Going to university has never been a guarantee in the U.S., but over the last couple of decades, costs have skyrocketed… meaning you either have to be born into money, qualify for a great scholarship, or go into serious debt, to get a degree. So imagine all the things that might happen if a small, private university held a contest each year—one that only a select few students were even invited to compete in—with the grand prize being everything … a full-ride, plu s a year’s employment at a powerful corporation, after graduation. That’s the premise of David Bell’s thriller, The Finalists , one of the most of-the-moment suspense novels I’ve read in a long time. _______________ It’s a typical spring day—hot, sunny, and beautiful—in Eastern Kentucky, when a group of six college students make their way across campus to the prestigious old Victorian heap otherwise known a...

Anyone who really knows me, knows that I tend to shy away from politics, as much as possible.  But, like every other "absolute", there's an exception… and when it comes to the (fictionalized) world of modern Danish politics? I’m SO THERE FOR IT… which brings me to Borgen: Power and Glory [aka, The Best Political Show, streaming anywhere, ever, period], available on Netflix. _______________ But first, a brief history. Borgen (without the colon or afterwords) offered a brilliant look at the political climate in Denmark, airing from 2010-2013 (which I viewed voraciously, as soon as it was available for U.S. streaming). Centering on an up-and-comer—the (fictional) rise to Prime Minister of Moderate-Party-leader-to-co-founder-of-the-New-Democrats, Birgitte Nyborg (the simply-brilliant Sidse Babett Knudsen)— Borgen offered an unflinching look at exactly what such a trajectory could do to a person (and, equally importantly, to that person’s family and to all of their o...

Out of the myriad things that COVID has brought to our lives (masking, rabid hand washing [and/or hand sanitizing], drive-thru testing and inoculation sites, daily infection and death counts, etc.) since early 2020, “delays and truncations of shows” surely ranks way, way down the list of “Things That Actually Matter”, and yet… given the concomitant rise of streaming, it’s nonetheless another happening worth noting. Some shows were affected by mere months—no doubt pushed hard by that aforementioned boost in streaming, as many of us sheltered or isolated at home, with suddenly endless time on our hands—while others suffered much longer delays.  The Welsh show Hidden (or Craith , as known in its native Welsh) was one of the latter; a three-season show, it experienced a gap of three full years between its sophomore and final seasons. But, while that kind of lull could well be too much for many shows to bear, it’s possible that Hidden may have gotten even stronger for it.  _...