Left Behind

July 10, 2025July 10, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good afternoon. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here to introduce this week’s blog. I must tell you I am most distraught. My novelist is leaving for the weekend to visit a relative who is having a birthday, and I am being left with…him. I am told the dogsitter will be involved as well. I was very upset about this new development, and I held a round table with Bernard D. Bunny and his little sister Belle. They said they would miss my novelist but at least I would not be left to fend for myself. Ridiculous. I am a magnificent parti poodle who can survive quite well on my own, thank you very much. When I want a treat, I whine. When I am hungry, I whine. When I want to go out and get some fresh air, I whine. All these actions result in me getting what I want. I do need a human to do the work, but how hard can it be to find a human who wouldn’t adore me. My novelist tells me there are bad people out there who would snatch up a little dog like me and use it as training for a dog-fighting rottweiler. Pish-posh. Firstly, I know that it is an urban legend and secondly, I would whip a rottweiler into shape. They may be the ninth smartest dog breed, but I am the second. I likely come from a long line of well-bred truffle hunters. Whenever my novelist wants a piece of chocolate, I bring her a truffle.

That said, I am already deeply depressed about not going with my novelist on her adventure. You would think she would take me everywhere. She takes me to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, I don’t see why she can’t take me to her relatives. I will tell you how the whole ordeal goes next week. Until then I shall continue to work on my new blog story which is shaping up nicely and for now I shall bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

You can check out my books Chicane and all five installments of the Musicology book series Musicology: Volume One, Baby!, Musicology: Volume Two, Kid!, Musicology: Volume Three, Twist!, Musicology: Volume Four, Sweetie! and Musicology: The Epiquad on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback editions. You can also check out Musicology’s web site at www.musicologyrocks.com and vote for who you think will win Musicology!

**STREAM OF THE WEEK: THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE (2025)-HBO MAX**

This week’s movie is a silly, goofy, funny all-out delight and it’s Warner Bros. very first full-length Looney Tunes motion picture. Animation has been strong lately and this film is no exception. Designed in glorious 2-D, what makes this picture zing in addition to having Daffy Duck, Porky Pig (voiced by Eric Bauza) and Petunia Pig (Voiced by Candi Milo) as the leads, is the clever writing and the wonderful debut of the newest addition to the Looney Tune family, The Invader; a marvelous Grinch-channeling villain from another planet voiced by Peter MacNichol. The animation is marvelously true to the original Looney Tunes cartoons, and the story is on point.

When Daffy Duck and Porky Pig were very young, they were rescued from wolves by Farmer Jim (voiced by Fred Tatasciore). The two rapscallions grew up on his farm raising all sorts of ruckus and driving the ever-patient Farmer Jim right up the wall. Sadly, one day before walking into the sunset forever, Farmer Jim lovingly tells the two grown-up imps to depend on each other and always take care of their home. Which, of course, they are terrible at.

One day, the home inspector Mrs. Grecht (Laraine Newman) comes to tell them if they do not fix their roof within the week, they will be kicked out of their house which was left to them by Farmer Jim. Unbeknownst to them, the big hole in the roof was put there by a UFO. Forced to come up with the money for repairs, Daffy and Porky are now faced with the reality that they must for the first time in their young lives get jobs. After being fired from several occupations they appear to find their calling as entry level factory workers in a gum factory after meeting the beguiling and nerdy Petunia Pig who works there as flavor tester. However, not long after they begin their new career Daffy starts to suspect something is running amok there as he begins to witness things that seem peculiarly out of this world.

Les Dangers D’un Pouvoir Incontrôlé

July 3, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good morning and Happy 4^th of July tomorrow. I consider myself a fortunate Canis lupis familiaris as fireworks are banned in our neighborhood. This of course does not mean someone will not shoot some off, but it is a relief to know our neighborhood will not turn into an all-out war zone. From what my novelist told me about this place before I was born, it did not have a fireworks ban and was indeed a war zone with all sorts of explosives going off everywhere lighting the sky on fire. The smell of smoke hung in the air two or three days later. She still will not take me on walks from July 3^rd until after July 5^th. Apparently, she once had an unexpected run in with a patron who was leaving the drug dealer’s house across the street. She was going on a walk with my predecessor on July 5^th, and a firecracker was hurled in her direction by said patron whom she had never even met. Even though she witnessed the drug dealer and his ill-mannered pit bull being evicted from the house by the police one night later that same year after an explosion went off in his house, she still does not take chances during the 4^th of July. Even with the ban. I think that might be a bit extreme but then she is an introverted NT personality type.

That said, if you read last week’s blog you know that my novelist is in a trance. She has been scanning over the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. And I thought, how can I put this insanity to good use. Well, it occurred to me I might take this time to address school clothes. My novelist and I are not influencers. So, we are not here to discuss the latest fashions. We are not trained in that area. But we do have some gentle suggestions based on costume design classes she was required to take at her university.

Avoid fast fashion. Yes, we know it’s cheaper, but you get what you pay for. Even with the higher end fast fashion. Even if you do not care about it greatly harming the earth, know that fast fashion is designed to rip you off. You end up buying clothes and then tossing them away because they are not sewn right or they are made of subpar yarns and fabrics. It is better to buy less clothes of good quality than more clothes of poor quality. If you see something you like, always do a search on the brand to see if it is fast fashion and if it is, choose something else.
Don’t go broke buying overpriced designer brands. You may have the desire to buy a few of these pieces but do not go crazy. Especially if they have a trendy look. You will not get your money’s worth out of them and there’s better ways to save or spend your money.
Choose natural fabrics. Unless you are purchasing clothing for a job or something you must have for a school project, or your medical doctor said you had to wear them, try to always choose natural fabrics. Alpaca, angora, bamboo, cashmere, cotton, hemp, linen, genuine leather, mohair, ramie, silk, wool (especially merino wool which is softer) are amongst your best choices. They tend to last longer and generally feel better. If the item has some elastane (spandex or Lycra) mixed in that is okay. But try to avoid polyester, acrylic, nylon, faux fur, and neoprene as best as possible. The one clothing item I would omit from this list is running shoes or trainers because sometimes that is what you need to wear. But again, I would stick to brands like New Balance, Hoka, On Clouds, Puma and other non-fast fashion shoes.
Choose colors that look good on you. This is not always easy, but you can get this book which has been around since the 80’s called Color Me Beautiful by Carole Jackson that is a good start to figuring out what looks best on you and what colors you like.
Choose clothes that fit you. Some places such as Nordstroms will make alterations to clothing which is wonderful. You book an appointment and go in. If, however, you do not wish to have alterations, make sure the clothes you choose fit you. Just because you like something on the hanger, or on a website, does not mean it will look good on you personally, or it may not be the proper size. If it doesn’t fit you, or looks odd on you even if it fits, you likely won’t wear it much and you’ve wasted your hard-earned money.

Until next week, I wish you a happy holiday and I bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

**STREAM OF THE WEEK: THE TWILIGHT ZONE SEASON 3, EPISODE 3: IT’S A GOOD LIFE-PARAMOUNT +**

Occasionally a television episode will stand out for one reason or another that I think is extraordinary. And it being the 4^th of July I thought this would be a good one. Based on the 1953 short story “It’s a Good Life” by Jerome Bixby which is considered one of the best Sci-Fi short stories of all time, it is also considered one of the most chilling Twilight Zones of all time. Take note when you watch it that Rod Serling’s introduction is a little different than usual here. This is not by accident. He is pointing out to you that the monster in this episode has done something very important: it has isolated its victims.

Without giving much away, the story is based on three things: WWII ended only eight years before the short story was written, there is a fear of nuclear war, and there is a fear of totalitarianism. If we look at our society today, it has been four years since the war in Afghanistan ended for the US, there is a fear of AI, and there is a fear of totalitarianism. If you have ever wondered what the difference is between pop fiction and literature, this episode shows it brilliantly. Yes, the monster may be a child because it’s childish. Yes, this may be a small town because the inhabitants are isolated. But this is not a commentary on child rearing. The child isn’t really a child, and the town isn’t really a town. Everything here, all of it, is metaphorical. Great literature is often metaphorical, presents a strong argument and is layered. It’s not just there to entertain the reader. Remember that the root of the word “actor” means plaintiff or someone who argues a point. This can be applied to novels and short stories as well as film and stage. Look for lots of details in this episode, like what is the “corn field” when we think of the story in relevance to WWII and modern times and even what’s playing on the television in one of the scenes. An absolute must see.

Pandemonium

June 26, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good afternoon. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here to tell you pure pandemonium has broken out. My novelist has had her eyes glued to the computer since this morning because the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Preview dropped today. This for me is one of the most heinous weeks of the year. It is a most dreadful event where she pays attention to the sale but not to me. Alas, I am left to fend for myself as she drills down page after page looking at clothing and bobbles until her eyes are bloodshot and she walks around like she is in a trance. I, in the meantime, have been working on my new story The Dog Doctor which I will be releasing chapter by chapter. But there she sits, absolutely addicted. There is something profoundly wrong with that. Anyway, I am now going to go fetch myself some tea and dog biscuits and stay out of her way until the fever breaks. Until next week I bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

**STREAM OF THE WEEK: HITCHCOCK (2012)- NETFLIX**

Right now, Netflix has a fantastic array of Hitchcock films to watch including some of his very best work: Frenzy, Family Plot, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), The Birds, Rear Window, Vertigo and of course Psycho. And if you are a true cinephile you have seen them all, probably multiple times. If you have never seen these films, cinephile or no, all seven of these are required viewing. If you watch nothing else this summer watch all seven of these movies. Especially the last four as they are masterpieces. Movies don’t get much better than this. So, unless you are watching The Dekalog or all of Stanley Kubrick’s films, stop what you’re streaming right this minute and view every one of these.

Now to this underrated movie from 2012, which is about how Hitchcock went about bringing Psycho to life. One would think a director with as much success as he had would be able to make his next movie without much struggle. But alas, business jackasses are everywhere. Alfred Hitchcock (brilliantly played by Anthony Hopkins) reads the book Psycho by Robert Bloch and is immediately smitten. Not even his collaborator and wife Alma Reville (BAFTA nominee Helen Mirren) can convince him otherwise. He is so determined that no one knows anything about the book before he makes the film he sends his secretary Peggy (Toni Collette) out to purchase every copy.

Because he didn’t make enough money with Vertigo and the studio considered it a failure (If you can believe that. My favorite Hitchcock movie by the way.) they don’t want to finance the film. So, Hitchcock decides to put up his own money and goes to work hiring Joseph Stefano (Ralph Macchio) to write the script, Janet Leigh (Scarlet Johansson) and Anthony Perkins (James D’Arcy) to play the leads and Vera Miles (Jessica Biel) whom Hitchcock had a bitter past with to co-star. In the meantime, Alma Reville has gotten fed up with her husband’s dismissiveness of her contribution to his success and considers starting an affair with screenwriter Whitfield Cook (Danny Houston).

New Story in the Works

June 19, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good afternoon. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here to introduce this week’s blog. I would like to let you know I am presently working on a new tale for the blog or as my novelist and I like to call it a blog story. The working-title is The Dog Doctor, and it is one of the oddest concepts I’ve penned so far. I will continue to keep you updated about it for the future and let you know when I will be releasing the chapters. I will also be trying a new writing process to craft it and we will see how that goes. Otherwise, it has been a rather dull week. Nothing to report really. I plan to spend the weekend relaxing and watching movies…or at least one movie. Perhaps Bernard and I will put up a sheet outside and invite Belle and baby Brendan to come and watch something wholesome by David Lynch. That would make for a delightful evening. Bernard is suggesting The Straight Story while I think the little ones would find Blue Velvet to their liking. Until next week, have fun at the movies and I bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

**STREAM OF THE WEEK: GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (1988)-NETFLIX**

Much like Hobson’s Choice which I featured a couple of weeks ago, here is another film all cinephiles should see. One of the earliest movies from the brilliant Studio Ghibli it is one of their very finest, maybe even their best. Based on the semi-autobiographical short story by Akiyuki Nosaka, this astounding masterpiece is set against the backdrop of WWII Japan but not necessarily focused on war. It is more about society and belonging and the dismissive treatment of a country towards its citizens.

The story starts out with an Imperial Japanese Navy captain’s son Seita (Tsutomu Tatsumi) whose mother (Yoshiko Shinohara) and his toddler sister Setsuko (Ayano Shiraishi) must get to a shelter when an incendiary bombing occurs. Their mother runs for the shelter ahead of them while Seita gathers up Setsuko and her doll. The mother makes it to the shelter, but it is severely bombed, and she dies of injuries shortly after. This leaves Seita and Setsuko on their own.

Seita and Setsuko go to their father’s sister’s house where their aunt (Akemi Yamaguchi) takes them in. Unfortunately, Aunt is a staunch believer in totalitarianism and an all-around bossy jerk (think Skyler White or Nurse Ratched) and forces Seita and Setsuko to sell their mother’s precious silk kimonos to buy rice for the family. After doing so Aunt says they have contributed nothing despite Aunt consuming a large portion of the rice. She also goes against Seita’s wishes and tells Setsuko about her mother’s death and belittles the two kids at every chance. She believes both children should work for the good of the war effort, despite Setsuko being a very young child. Her unrealistic expectations cause Seita to take his sister and leave to try and find a way to survive on their own.

Shower Curtains

June 12, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good morning. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here to introduce my blog. Today the shower curtain rod came down. This was a most distressing event. My novelist had to hold up the rod whilst I hurried over to the computer to watch a video on how to put it back up. It is one of those curved types that is held up by tension. This is the video I watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K03RkODZ42M

And so, this kind man showed us how to take the horrifying tangle of curtains, rod and rings off the bathroom floor and put it back up. Now, we figured out ourselves to remove the curtain and the rings first so hurrah for us (not to mention it is not part of the video). Anyway, I sat and studied his how to lesson intently. Of course, as all wise poodles do, I put on my blue light blocking glasses first as eye safety is paramount. Then I took notes which are never easy to do as one must understand I have paws and no opposable thumbs. I could hear my novelist shouting from the bathroom the blood was running out of her arms so I had bark back that it would take as long as it takes and then proceed to take notes with my paw.

When I finished writing, I hopped out of the office chair, retrieved a measuring tape, and trotted into the bathroom. I took the measuring tape and measured the distance from ceiling to rod to make certain the rod was even on both sides, also a challenge with paws. I then barked the instructions up to my novelist reading them off from my notes. She first had to put one arm down and then the other to allow them to recover and then she set the curtain against both walls and twisted the bar for tension. It was a challenge to get the ornamental ends snapped into place. The one went in without a struggle but the second required my novelist to get out her trusty step stool and angle herself correctly to pop it in firmly. We now have a working shower curtain and both of us learned a lesson in home improvement. I am certain Tim Taylor would be proud. Until next week, I bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

**STREAM OF THE WEEK: BAD INFLUENCE: THE DARK SIDE OF KIDFLUENCING (2025)-NETFLIX**

Female psychopaths are exceedingly rare. Only 1 in 1050 women is a psychopath as opposed to 1 in 150 men. But they still exist and here is your chance to see one in the wild. Not to mention she’s a pedophile to boot. I don’t know about you, but I am not an influencer watcher. I don’t get it. I don’t need someone to tell me what dimwit products to buy with their stupid amateur videos. There are enough professionally made commercials out there hocking uninteresting junk that pimp it better with professional actors, directors and writers. But apparently this seedy low-rent schlock is hot. Especially to grown men who make up 92% of the audience for these kids shows. Picture that lurid debauchery if you will. You’d think this low-rent YouTube content would play to other kids but no. It plays to mentally deranged scum.

Tiffany Rockelle is a reptile who happened to give birth to a human daughter. Unfortunately, the daughter was pretty and talented and so like every garden variety psychopath this female lizard saw dollar signs in her third eye. She started putting Baby Jane Piper into pageants when the girl was three years old. And if that isn’t enough to make you shudder, when Piper turned eight, Tiffany shed her scaly skin, tossed her sweet little cash cow in her car and headed out on the road for Hollywood. Once there, Foxy Loxy started building her own little cult, luring children and their mothers into her cave to devour them. And devoured them she did. She picked up some barely legal sucker to be her boyfriend/director to film videos of the pre-teens hanging out with each other and having a good time calling them “the squad” because “the fresh meat” wasn’t catchy enough. Slowly, she got the mothers to give up their expensive apartments and “save money” by moving the kids into a house where she used the mothers as her minions while she had her boytoy film the kids 24-7. That is not an exaggeration. A typical practice of any psychopath: isolate your victims.

After awhile old Tiffany started doing what she had intended to from day one which is turn the films into her own *ahem* “personal fantasy videos”. And after that her actions became a long list of revolting illegal and immoral acts which you must see to believe. If you happen to read this post and you have any association whatsoever with this Ophiophagus hannah, get out now.

Gigi’s Birthday

June 5, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good morning. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here to tell you last Friday was my birthday. In the past when Tucker was alive, we would break out the Aquadent and have quite the bash. This year, however, I decided to celebrate with decorum. Bernard D. Bunny, Belle D. Bunny and their new little cousin Brendan D. Bunny joined me for high tea this week where we dined on scones, pastries and of course cucumber sandwiches. They were scrumptious. I was licking my paws afterwards. Every year I dream of receiving a diamond studded collar which I most deserve. My novelist, however, presented me with a brand-new Mini Skinneeez leopard instead. Although I adored the dog toy, my dreams of elegance were once again dashed. Sometimes novelists simply don’t understand their poodles. We poodles think big and desire great things. Next year I plan to own a small country and rule it with a benevolent iron paw. Perhaps I’ll even invest in a tiara. If I can’t wear something sparkly around my neck at least I can wear something glittering on my head. Until next week, I bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

STREAM OF THE WEEK: HOBSON’S CHOICE (1954) HBO MAX

Every so often I like to pick a brilliant classic film every cinephile should be required to see. And so, this week I am featuring a small masterpiece by the great director David Lean who also cowrote this magnificent script with Harold Brighouse and Norman Spencer. One might consider it an early feminist film of sorts about an overbearing, sexist father and his much wilier future thinking daughter.

The story takes place in 1880s Salford, England where Henry Hobson (Sir Charles Laughton), a blowhard tyrannical widower, runs a moderately upscale shoe-making shop. He has three daughters and no sons. He endlessly needles his thirty-year-old eldest Maggie (Brenda de Banzie) who runs the financial part of the business, about being thirty and will always remain an old maid. He has selfishly decided that since his wife has died, Maggie will forever take her mother’s place as in his mind she is too useful to lose. His younger daughters Alice (Daphne Anderson) and Vicky (Prunella Scales) each have boyfriends. Alice is seeing Albert Prosser (Richard Wattis), a young solicitor and Vicky is seeing Freddy Beenstock (Derek Blomfield) a corn merchant’s son. Both sisters want to marry their beaus but Henry, upon finding out he will have to pay a settlement for each marriage, refuses and decides they will remain in his shop as well.

One day, a wealthy older woman named Mrs. Hepworth (Helen Haye) comes in the shop and demands to know who crafted her boots. Up from under the floor comes shoemaker Jim Healer (Joseph Tomelty) who looks at her boots and says they were made by William Mossop (Sir John Mills), a gentle ignorant soul but also a highly gifted shoemaker. Mrs. Hepworth demands seeing Willam and when he comes up from below, she tells him she has been to every shoe shop around and he has made her the best pair of boots she’s ever worn. She then gives him a small sum of money as a thank you.

Shortly after, Maggie, who’s fed up with her father, his drinking, and his insults, calls William up at the end of the day when they are the only two still in the shop. She tells him he is a phenomenal shoemaker and deserves a better career. She says she plans to marry him, poach him, leave her father’s shop, and start a shop of their own.

From Meriam Webster Dictionary:

Hobson’s choice : noun
Hob·son’s choice ˈhäb-sənz-
1 : an apparently free choice when there is no real alternative
2 : the necessity of accepting one of two or more equally objectionable alternatives

From Cambridge Dictionary: Meaning of Hobson’s choice in English

Hobson’s choice
noun [ U ]
uk /ˌhɒb.sənz ˈtʃɔɪs/ us /ˌhɑːb.sənz ˈtʃɔɪs/
a situation in which it seems that you can choose between different things or actions, but there is really only one thing that you can take or do:
a case of Hobson’s choice: It’s a case of Hobson’s choice, because if I don’t agree to their terms, I’ll lose my job.

A Brand New Bunny

May 29, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good morning. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here to joyously welcome a new member of the Bunny family brood, Brendan D. Bunny, cousin to Bernard D. Bunny and Belle D. Bunny. I met him for the first time this morning. He is a whopping six inches from his head to his cotton tail and possibly three inches tall. He was rather taken aback by suddenly seeing a gorgeous parti poodle for the first time. I know how much beauty can be stunning to one so young and he scampered off into the bushes. Bernard has invited me to the family celebration, and I have saved the date. I am not sure what type of gift to bring. What should one gift for a baby bunny? I am looking into Bunnies by the Bay to see if there is something his family might find cute or useful. Perhaps a Roly Poly Bunny. That is always a good choice. And a bunch of parsley. I hear bunnies like parsley. At any rate, the whole event is quite joyous, and I cannot wait to attend. I have also alerted my novelist, so she is extra careful when backing out the car. Until next week, I bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

**STREAM OF THE WEEK: DAZED AND CONFUSED (1993)- AMAZON PRIME**

If you have never seen this movie, you really, really should. And it’s the perfect time of year to do so. Set in Texas in May of 1976, the movie is simply one day and night on the last day of school for both high school and junior high school students in a small town. But what a great slice of life this is. Funny, honest and accurately depicted in both costume and setting, this is Richard Linklater’s small masterpiece that sports an unbelievably talented cast of young up and comers, some who would become Oscar winning writers and actors, Golden Globe nominees, huge TV stars, and famous Indi Film darlings. Why can’t all teenage films be this good? They do not cost that much to make and the payoff, if the script is good and it’s filmed right, is huge. There are not enough teenage films about…teenagers. No teen is a superhero. Most teens are not the banal subject of slasher films. And most of them are not much different through the eras whether it be Rebel Without a Cause, Breaking Away, Napoleon Dynamite, The Edge of Seventeen, or The Breakfast Club. I would like to see a lot more of these types of films come out of studios and then I might go back to the theatre.

On the last day of school in May 1976, high school quarterback Randall “Pink” Floyd (Jason London) has been given a paper to sign he must turn into his football coach before the end of the year. It denounces using drugs, sexual promiscuity and in general breaking the law. To say the least, Randall is not pleased. His fellow football players Benny O’Donnell (Cole Hauser) and Don Dawson (Sasha Jensen) encourage him to sign it. His stoner friends Ron Slater (Rory Cochrane), Michelle Burroughs (Milla Jovovich), and Kevin Pickford (Shawn Andrews) tell him its bull and his intellectual friends Mike Newhouse (Adam Goldberg), Tony Olson (Anthony Rapp) and Cynthia Dunn (Marissa Ribisi) are just happy to be invited to the afterschool party.

In the meantime, junior high school students Mitch Kramer (Wiley Wiggins), Sabrina Davis (Christin Hinojosa), John Hirschfelder (Jeremy Fox), and Carl Burnett (Esteban Powell) are getting ready to be hazed and not enjoying it. Darla Marks (Parker Posey) ruthlessly leads the hazing of the girls while paddle wielding Fred O’Bannion (Ben Affleck) brutishly leads the raid on the boys. Already graduated ex-football quarterback David Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey) hangs out with the teens kicking back, saving the party and shelling out good and bad worldly advice.

Rounding out this stellar cast are Randall’s would-be girlfriend Simone Kerr (Joey Lauren Adams), and Mitch Kramer’s older sister Jody Kramer (Michelle Burke).

Washed and Blow-Dried

May 22, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good morning. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here and I must tell you of the unstoppable, inevitable horror that happened to me yesterday. In the morning whilst I was peacefully lounging on my office pillow, ready to begin my illustrious activities, my novelist snatched me up, stuck me in the car, and rushed me off to get groomed. I thought my meltdown would have negated that event. But alas, it happened and happened it did. They put me in a tub and washed, shaved, and clipped me. My nails buffed. My teeth brushed. I came out looking gorgeous, but it was a nightmare to get that way. Whilst I was there, I also got myself into trouble. I am squirmy when I get groomed, and I accidentally got a boo-boo on one of my legs. Going forwards the groomers now require me to get my hair done with clippers with a comb because I just cannot sit still. My novelist wholeheartedly agreed with this decision. That said, here I am with my Lady and the Tramp ears and magnificent makeover:

Am I not the most gorgeous specimen of Canis lupus familiaris you have ever set your eyes upon? You know I am. For now, I will leave you with this photographic masterpiece. Until next week I bid you adieu.

Also, an update on the College Board Test:

The College Board has set up a retake test scheduled for the end of this month for the students who lost 20 minutes/10% of their test time. I am delighted to hear this. I hope they all do well. And thank you to the College Board for rectifying this situation.

MY BOOKS

**STREAM OF THE WEEK: THE ORDER (2024)-HULU**

There is something marvelous about a movie based on a true story told well. And this week’s film fits the bill. The story is based on Bob Mathews, a young man who lived in a small town in the Pacific Northwest called Metaline, Washington who decided to break off from the Ayrian Nation and start his own group called The Order. He was more radical than the older Aryian Nation members and he and his group started blowing up porn stores, robbing banks, and other criminal activities to fund a major national attack over the course of one terrifying year from 1983-1984. They were also responsible for the murder of Denver, Colorado radio host Alan Harrison Berg, for which the Pulitzer Prize nominated play Talk Radio by Eric Bogosian was loosely based. The play was made into a film with the same name and directed by Oliver Stone.

Justin Kurzelseamlessly directs The Order and Zach Baylin, Kevin Flynn, and Gary Gerhardt wrote the screenplay. The movie is based on the book The Silent Brotherhood: The Chilling Inside Story of America’s Violent, Anti-Government Militia Movement by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt.

Grizzled and seasoned FBI agent Terry Husk (well-acted by Jude Law) settles into a vacant field office in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He hopes to encourage his wife and two daughters to move there with him, but he knows his chances are bleak. He begins looking through a case involving the Aryan Nation and its founder in Hayden Lake, Idaho, Richard Butler (Victor Slezak). While engaged in the case, he heads over to the local sheriff’s station where he meets Deputy Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan). Bowden is suspicious there is more nefarious activity going on than meets the eye. He tells Husk a young man named Walter West (Daniel Doheny) has gone missing and he suspects foul play at the hands of the Aryan Nation.

In the meantime, Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult in an excellent performance) and his followers Pierce (Sebastian Pigott), Yarbrough (George Tchortov), and Lane (Phillip Forest Lewitski) rob a bank in Spokane, Washington. This act is part of the beginning of Mathews ultimate plan, to follow the doctrine of a novel called The Turner Diaries. As the robberies continue, Husk and Bowen race against time to figure out Mathew’s ultimate plan and stop him before he unleashes his ever-strengthening army on the United States government.

Students Cheated Out Of Test Time

May 15, 2025May 16, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good morning. Gigi the parti poodle here and normally I am not a reporter, but I must alert you of another faux pas committed by the College Board.

This week students in the Great Pacific Northwest were taking an AP test when a fire alarm went off. The students were required to leave the testing room and file outside for no less than 20 minutes. The alarm was not set off by any of the students taking the test. But rather the alarm went off in a shop class at the other end of the building. College Board has instilled a digital exam in which they did not incorporate into the program a way for the proctor(s) to stop the timer on all the students’ test in case of an emergency. Such an option should be programmed into any and all College Board tests to be used for emergency situations and the proctor(s) should then be able to restart the timer again once all the students have returned from the emergency and are ready to commence the test. At present, only students with disabilities can receive a College Board test where they can pause the test for breaks.

College Board therefore charged the students a hefty fee for a truncated test, cheating them out of at least 20 minutes of test time for a three hour and fifteen-minute test or roughly 10% of the promised testing time. Because of this they have put the students at risk for lower test scores. Lower test scores that could determine the difference of a student having that test accepted or not accepted at the college of their choice. College Board has not offered the students an opportunity to re-take the test, nor have they offered to refund their money.

As you may be aware, the controversial College Board has been sued before for creating unfair testing conditions where students were unable to upload their answers. They were also involved in other illegal activity such as phishing student information on AP tests in 2019 and selling it for profit.

As a poodle, I am appalled that this is what has become education. In my humble opinion, I believe the College Board should either offer to allow the students to take the test again, free of charge, on a designated day clearly offered to them, at the same hour of day, in the same location, prior to the end of the school year, or refund the money in full to all the students who took that test. Otherwise, the College Board has not provided the full and promised services for which the students paid, and the company should possibly be sued by the state for damages, negligence, and possibly embezzlement if leaving out a way to stop the timer in their program in the case of an emergency was intentional. Until next week, I bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

**STREAM OF THE WEEK: BLACK BAG (2025)-PEACOCK**

This week’s pick is from one of my favorite directors, Steven Soderbergh who also did the cinematography and editing on this project as well. This is a smart slick espionage film about trust and a rather profound commentary on marriage written by David Koepp.

Legendary British intelligence agent George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) is told by a higher up Philip Meacham (Gustaf Skarsgård), to investigate the leak of a top-secret software program code-named Severus. The catch is that one of the suspects is George’s wife another legendary agent named Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett). George is happily married to Katheryn and is distressed by the possibility she has betrayed the nation. If there is one thing George cannot stand it’s a liar. George and Katheryn invite the four other possible suspects to dinner. George drugs their food to try and get a few hints out of them as to who might be the traitor. The four suspects include a managing agent named Fredie Smalls (Tom Burke), his girlfriend who is a satellite specialist named Clarissa Dubose (Marisa Abela), an agency psychiatrist named Dr. Zoe Vaughen (Naomie Harris) and her boyfriend, managing agent Col. James Stokes (Regé-Jean Page). Although George does not immediately get the answer as to who did it at the dinner, he gets a lot of answers about their private lives, and the dinner ends somewhat violently. Over the course of the week tensions rise sharply as Philip dies unexpectedly, Kathryn suspiciously leaves for Zurich, and George tries to figure out who he can and cannot trust as he closes in on the source of the leak.

Convenience Store

May 8, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good morning. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here to tell you about my exciting week. First, the trauma: on Friday I was given a bath. As many of you know baths are not my favorite pastime. However, I have done well overcoming my recent phobias and I was able to get through the whole ordeal without a yelp. Second, the reward: I got to travel to my novelist’s relative’s home. That is always a delight. I love the view of the convenience store across the street. I can lie on the couch and watch the comings and goings of customers. From what I understand, someone once drove right into the front and destroyed the entrance and window. I am always on the lookout for a fun romp, and I patiently waited for disaster to strike again. Alas, I was disappointed. No grand event happened. The only entertainment I partook of was watching strangers coming and going getting coffee, slushy drinks and junk food. The couch, however, was most comfortable and I rather enjoyed my occasional snacks throughout the day as I observed the outside world. All in all, it was a wonderful change of pace from the usual weekend at home. Even if I did not get to see a major convenience store disaster. Until next week, I bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

STREAM OF THE WEEK: BANK OF DAVE (2023)-NETFLIX

This week’s pick is a lighthearted thoughtful film based on the true-life experiences of Dave Fishwick, a self-made millionaire from Burnly England. After several years of loaning money to people in his community Dave decided to open a community bank despite the bureaucratic monopoly of HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, and NatWest.

Dave (Rory Kinnear), a likable chap who has a successful business selling vans and mini busses, is fed up with the way the British banks treat the average everyday customer. And so, after being successful loaning out money to people in his hometown, he decides to open his own community bank. He contacts a law firm in London where a couple of lawyers, Clarence (Angus Wright) and Hugh (Joel Fry) are assigned to the case. Clarence sends Hugh to Burnly to handle the work. Hugh, who is very much a city mouse, gets mildly injured on his first day there and meets emergency doctor Alexandra (Phoebe Dynevor) and quickly becomes smitten with her. Alexandra explains to him how the town is in desperate need of a walk-in clinic. Hugh soon finds out Alexandra is Dave’s niece.

Hugh also discovers Dave has a perchance for Karaoke and likes to sing rock songs at the local pub. Hugh visits the pub and gets to meet the locals and understand more about their situation. Though he is not fond of small-town life, Hugh takes a liking to Dave and his cause. Although it has been decades since a new bank has been allowed to form in England, Hugh studies the case diligently and begins to build a case for Dave, which he thinks will outsmart the big banks at their own game.