Scuffle at the Park

January 9, 2026 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good afternoon. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here and after searching for the past two weeks our beloved neighborhood cats Demeter the Persian and Madeline the British Short Hair remain at large. We held a meeting this week to decide what to do next because we had no idea what to do next. It was decided that Edison the Manx should be used as bait. It was a nearly unanimous decision…except for Edison who was none too fond of the idea. He protested vehemently. But in the end, we convinced him to go to the park and wait to be kidnapped.

For Christmas my novelist had given me a GPS tracking collar which we attached to Edison. We put Charlotte the Chow in charge of surveillance. The dachshund twins Tyler and Titus were on the ground at the park, one at one side and one at the other hidden in the foliage. Charlotte, Ruffles the Bulldog, Bruiser the Jack Russell, and I were all staked out in Ruffle’s owner’s van which was stationed just across the park in front of Ruffle’s house. I made sure we all had ample dog treats on hand and a large bowl of water.

Around eleven o’clock that night, as Edison sat perfectly still in the middle of the grass, a van pulled up on the park side of the street right in front of Ruffle’s owner’s van. We all heard the door open, and a large figure emerged dressed entirely in black. We watched from the window as he crept stealthily around the front of the van.

“He’s going for Edison!” Charlotte said.

“Is this good or bad?” Ruffles asked.

“Do you think the twins see him?”

“I don’t know but we can’t just sit here and let Edison get stolen.”

“Time for operation deux,” I said.

I hopped on Ruffle’s back, and he pushed the back doors of the van open. We stopped to look both ways before crossing the dark street and then dashed towards the nefarious figure looming over our precious feline. The dachshund twins heard us and each dashed towards the villain, one from the right and one from the left. By this time the monster had scooped Edison into his arms. Edison, not liking to be held by anyone but his owner swiped the beast across the face with his left claw. But this proved to be an act in futility. I leaped off Ruffles back as Ruffles barked bounded around the kidnapper. I barked louder and growled viciously. But the thing of evil was not to be overcome. With Edison slashing and clawing the villain hurried to the van, put our precious feline inside and hit the gas. But this time the criminal made one outstanding flaw: not removing the tracking device we’d planted on Edison. Until next week, I 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 APPRENTICE (2024)-AMAZON PRIME**

Regardless of your take on the subject matter, this is a superb film about a father and son relationship. Not a normal father and son relationship but a relationship between a young ambitious would-be real estate developer named Donald and a ruthless lawyer named Roy. The movie was written by Gabriel Sherman and directed by Ali Abbasi. Be forewarned this is not a movie of caricatures, or humor, or lampooning. This is not a Saturday Night Live sketch. This is a straightforward well-told, well-directed movie based on a true story about two men who form a relationship that is somewhat like Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Especially if you have also seen El Camino. And yes, you may find it surprising, despite where you stand on the political spectrum, that in this story there is compassion and respect extended to both characters. This is less a film about debasing two polarizing psychopathic men but rather a respectful one that helps the audience develop a deeper understanding of who they are, good, evil or otherwise.

Donald (brilliantly played by Sebastian Stan who very much deserved his Oscar nomination) is a young man in New York City in the seventies who dreams of advancing himself and strengthening his father Fred’s (the always fantastic Martin Donovan) real estate business. Donald has grown tired of going door to door in his father’s apartment buildings and demanding the rent. He envisions a bigger brighter New York made up of his own properties. But he needs help because his father is in trouble with the government for discriminating against African American tenants. He meets Roy (brilliantly played by Jeremy Strong who also very much deserved his Oscar nomination) at an exclusive club and the two begin to work together to help solve Donald’s problem.

Roy is a ruthless closeted homosexual lawyer who will tromp across anyone or anything to win his battles. He also throws decadent Romanesque parties which Donald finds himself having to navigate. But Donald is not a drinker due to his older brother Freddy (Charlie Carrick), despite being a successful airline pilot is also an alcoholic. This condition is further agitated by their father’s tyranny and dad’s complete inability to see the future. And staying sober helps Donald stay focused on his goals.

Along the way Donald meets a smart and beautiful model named Ivana (well played by Maria Bakalova) whom he falls in love with, and a controversial political consultant and lobbyist named Roger (Mark Rendall).

Happy New Year! One More Gift for You!

January 1, 2026 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Happy New Year! Since our weekly Thursday blog landed on Christmas this year, we put all five Musicology books up for free for three days. This was the first time we have ever offered all the Musicology books for free. As New Year’s Day has also landed on a Thursday, we are going to give out one more gift. From New Year’s Day until the end of Saturday 1/3/2026, we are offering our blog readers my short novel Chicane for free on Kindle. It is our way of saying thank you very much for reading and subscribing to our blog. We hope you enjoy it!

Here is the link for Chicane.

Good morning and Happy New Year. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here to make my first spectacular appearance of 2026. As you know, the neighborhood pets and I have been distraught over the disappearance of two of our feline friends: Dimiter the Persian and Madeline the British Shorthair. Everyone has been on edge. It has been a terrifying holiday season as neither one has turned up. Dimiter’s heartbroken sister Artemus has been caterwauling every night because her sibling is missing. A haunting sound if I ever heard one. As there have been coyote sightings, I have started buying groceries for Bernard D. Bunny and his sister Belle. This is no easy task at this time of year. The stores are crowded, and it is most difficult for a toy parti poodle such as myself to navigate my way around the store. I finally managed to learn how to drive the scooter. It is a bit of a stretch, but I can turn it on and navigate my way down the aisles. However, I have somehow managed to upset some of the senior customers. One even had the audacity to tell me poodles are not allowed to ride their scooters. How rude.

All the pets in the neighborhood have decided to spend today comforting Artemis. We are all going to her house for appetizers and sparkling water. Tomorrow we will restart our search for her beloved sister. Next week my novelist will restart her stream of the week. Until then, I bid you Happy Holidays. Adieu.

Merry Christmas! Our Thank You to You!

December 25, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good morning and a very Merry Christmas to you all! This is the first time our blog has landed on Christmas Day, and we decided to do something different. We are grateful to everyone who has taken the time to subscribe and like us, and we wanted to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts and give something back. Starting today, Thursday, 12/25/2025 until one minute before midnight on Saturday, 12/27/2025 all five Musicology books are FREE on Amazon Kindle. This is the first time we have ever offered the entire series for free. The books are as follows:

Musicology: Volume One, Baby!

Musicology: Volume Two, Kid!

Musicology: Volume Three, Twist!

Musicology: Volume Four, Sweetie!

Musicology: The Epiquad

Now that my novelist has finished talking, it’s time to pay attention to me. Merry Christmas. I am Gigi the parti poodle and I too wish to thank you for all the support you have given our little blog. The first four books of my novelist’s dramedy satire are a behind-the-scenes look at what takes place over the course of one season of a floundering singing competition reality show. The Epiquad takes place during the four months following the show’s end.

Musicology is about a divorced record producer named Max Buckner whose record label is in chapter 13. Out of desperation, he agrees to be one of the off-stage mentors for the contestants of a TV show called Musicology hosted and produced by his long-time friend Devon Daniels. Devon surprises Max by also hiring a second mentor: the highly successful Ruby Diamonds. Ruby was Max’s first and best client and the love of his life who got away. Begrudgingly, Max and Ruby work together as they start traveling to five different locations across America and holding auditions. But when Ruby surprises Max by telling him one of the contestants is their child, Max finds himself trying to figure out if Ruby is telling the truth and if he really fathered a diva, a grunge rocker, a country singer, an Amish punk rocker or a white guy with guitar or if it’s all just a lie.

Thank you again for all your support and have a very Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel!

Madeline

December 19, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good afternoon. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here to introduce this week’s blog. Not only is Dimiter missing but another one of our beloved cats has gone rogue. Madeline the British Shorthair vanished last week, and everyone is on edge. Especially Edison the Manx. He is quite wound up about the whole thing. Artemus is beside herself because she fears her sister Demeter is lost forever. We are now quite certain whoever is the kidnapper is focused on kidnapping cats. The rest of us Canis lupus familiaris are a bit more relaxed. But we certainly understand and sympathize with Edison’s concerns. The question is why is this kidnapper or perhaps kidnappers stealing cats? I shudder to think.

Earlier this week, we all went to the park to see if perhaps we could locate clues to Madeline’s disappearance. We searched around the fruit trees and the little bridge and around the climbing equipment. We were about to give up when Bruiser the Jack Russell went over to get a drink in the water dish that is set up as part of the water fountain. As he lapped up his hydration he suddenly saw something shiny at the base of the nearby bench. He let out a distressed bark, and we all came trotting over. Sure enough, there was Madeline’s nametag discarded by the foot of the bench.

“What the dickens do you think is going on?” Artemis asked as Ruffles the Bulldog hooked the ring of the tag onto his lower fang so we could all examine the evidence. Charlotte the Chow, who came from a pedigree breeder, sat on her haunches and pondered the possibilities. “Well, she said at last. “It is quite evident someone in the neighborhood is responsible. They show a pattern in the way they are abducting our neighborhood felines. “That’s what I’ve been thinking all along,” Edison the Manx said. The twin Dachshunds Tyler and Titus were so excited about this revelation they ran around chasing each other’s tails.

Later that afternoon I went and visited Bernard D. Bunny. We discussed the idea of the kidnapper or kidnappers being a local resident as we enjoyed a lovely spread of raspberry herbal tea and French cookies. We mutually agreed that a local must be the perpetrator. The next question we discussed was whether the villain was an animal or a human. As Madeline’s tag, much like Demeter’s tag was found without blood or a scuffle we are leaning towards a human. But which human and why? Until next week, I bid you Happy Holidays and adieu.

MY BOOKS

**STREAM OF THE WEEK: THE TRAITORS (2023)-PEACOCK**

In continuing my list of streaming TV shows to watch this holiday season, here is something completely different. I wouldn’t usually recommend a reality TV program for my stream of the week. But there is something extraordinary about this one. Winner of eight Prime Time Emmys, the story premise is so good it makes for a better plotline than most Hollywood movies. The show is hosted by Alan Cumming who does a great job leading us through the twists and turns of this sometimes bizarre always entertaining romp.

Season One is set in Scotland where twenty contestants arrive at a beautiful castle. Alan Cumming welcomes them and after they settle in, they sit around a table with eyes closed. Mr. Cumming then circles the table a few times and taps three of the contestants on the shoulder. These contestants become The Traitors. The remaining seventeen players are called The Faithfuls. The object of the game is for The Faithfuls to figure out who amongst them are traitors and who are not. The Faithfuls do not know how many players cannot be trusted. Every day there is an event in which the contestants can win money to add to the pot. The total pot goes to which ever Faithfuls remain at the end of the game…if no Traitors are left in the game. But if there are Traitors left in the game at the end, then those Traitors split the pot.

Each day after the event, they hold a round table and choose one contestant to banish from the game to try and eliminate a Traitor. And each night The Traitors secretly rendezvous to choose one of the remaining contestants to “murder” or rather to eliminate from the game. The Traitors must lie, cheat and con to stay in the game and the Faithfuls need to figure out who to align with and who not to trust.

What’s great about the game is what an interesting psychological study it is. It’s fascinating, if not disturbing at times, to see how people act under these circumstances. And there is no lack of tension right up to the very end of the season. The show is based on De Verraders which is based on the party game Mafia or Werewolf. The game was created in 1987 at the Psychology Department of Moscow State University by Dimitry Davidoff. I personally wouldn’t recommend playing the game, for the sake of your psyche, but it is certainly an interesting study to watch.

Rain

December 11, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good afternoon. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here to introduce this week’s blog. With the onset of coyotes everyone has been on edge. Especially since Demeter is still missing. The rest of my neighboring pets are quite certain she was catnapped but still, there is concern a coyote may have snatched her up and run off with her. I visited Bernard who has been hiding in his warren with his sister Belle. They are quite afraid of coyotes as coyotes like them very much. I brought some tea and we sat in one of his tunnels enjoying our beverage. Bernard had French butter cookies which went scrumptiously with the tea. He was glad about the rain that came this week. He said it keeps the coyotes away as they like to find shelter during such weather.

We discussed the possibilities surrounding Demeter’s disappearance. It took most of the afternoon, but we decided the most likely scenario was Demeter had indeed been kidnapped. The only thing we couldn’t figure out was who and why. There must have been something we missed. Someone lurking around the neighborhood or perhaps at the park. Someone who had been watching her, plotting, planning, deciding her fate. But to what end? What would they want with a Persian cat? Bernard said he didn’t know. Perhaps to sell her or even something more nefarious. We both worried perhaps her sister Artemis could be at risk too. I thought we might go looking around the neighborhood during the daytime to see if we can find any place or anyone who might look suspicious.

I left Bernard’s just before dark and returned home. When I got home my novelist told me she had some bad news. Madeline the British Shorthair is missing too. I am too shocked to tell you anymore. Until next week I bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

**STREAM OF THE WEEK: NOBODY WANTS THIS (2024)-NETFLIX**

Continuing with excellent streamers to watch over the holidays is this gem from Netflix. I am not usually a fan of romantic comedies that weren’t shot in black and white. But occasionally a sleeper will step into the spotlight and surprise me. Cleverly created for television by Erin Foster and well-acted by its cast, this witty and charming tale of mismatched sweethearts keeps you hooked.

A couple of thirty-something blonde gentile sisters named Joanne (Kristin Bell) and Morgan (Justine Lupe) do a successful frank and blunt podcast about dating. But neither one has had any long-term success whatsoever in relationships.

Then one night Joanne, who is an antagonist, attends a party and finds out one of the male attendees is a rabbi. However, she is mistaken as to exactly which man the rabbi is. She is shocked to find out he is an eligible young bachelor named Noah Roklov (Adam Broody) who has recently broken up with his fiancé Rebecca (Emily Arlook). Skeptical but curious, Joanne begins hanging out with him and they start to develop a budding friendship.

Everyone, except maybe Noah’s goofy but likable brother Sasha (Timothy Simons) do not want to see these two together in any capacity, especially Sasha’s wife Esther Roklov (Jackie Tohn). But the more Noah and Joanne get to know each other the more feelings start to develop between them. Not to mention there are quiet, subtle hints that maybe there is something not quite defined developing between Sasha and Morgan as well.

Coyotes

December 4, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good afternoon. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here to introduce this week’s blog. At two-thirty in the morning Sunday night after lying awake for hours, my novelist got up and went to the kitchen table to play a game of solitaire. Immediately after she’d finished dealing out the cards, she heard a horrible animal sound. She got up and hurried to the window to see what was making the noise. Suddenly, she spotted a coyote heading left. But she still could hear the sounds and was concerned the coyote had harmed a neighborhood dog. She ran to the bedroom and woke me up to tell me about the coyote. I sniffed and listened. I heard the creature. I barked incessantly as my novelist grabbed a flashlight and carefully went outside. When she shined the light down to the right, she was surprised to find it reflected the eyes of a second coyote standing there bathing in the streetlight! She swiftly stepped back inside, returned to the bedroom and told me the situation.

I realized then Demeter the Persian could have run into a coyote when she was out on her nightly stroll. The next day I called together Demeter’s sister Artemis, Bruiser the Jack Russell, Charlotte the chow, Edison the Manx, Madeline the British Shorthair, Ruffles the bulldog, the twin Dachshunds Tyler and Titus and of course Bernard D. Bunny. When I told them the story everyone was anxious. Was it possible Demeter wasn’t kidnapped after all but rather the victim of a prowling coyote? We all pondered the possibility. Finally, Ruffles who originally recovered Demeter’s nametag in the park said, “Wouldn’t there have been blood on Demeter’s name tag if that was the case? Artemis let out a loud sigh of relief. “Of course,” she said, tears streaming down her white fur. “And it hadn’t rained so it wouldn’t have washed off.” Edison the Manx said, “That is good to know but two problems remain: Demeter is still missing, and it is suddenly Coyote season. Bernard D. Bunny shuddered. “I cannot take any chances,” he said. “I will need to stay home and guard my younger sister Belle until the coyotes head out on their way.” The rest of us nodded in agreement. We must all be careful out there as we continue to search for the missing Demeter. Until next week, I bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

**STREAM OF THE WEEK: THE CHAIR COMPANY (2025)-HBO MAX**

Starting last week, I decided it was a good time of the year to put the spotlight on outstanding streamers to watch during the holidays. One of the most surprisingly good shows of the year is this week’s pick: a dark horse for those who are looking for something highly entertaining, addictive, and very different. The show comes from the minds of Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, and the season finale dropped last Sunday so you now have an opportunity to stream the entire first season. If you have passed it over or have not had the time to watch it yet, I genuinely encourage you to give this show a whirl. I will say the final scene of the final episode is downright Lynchian. Where it goes from there is anyone’s guess. To be honest, I almost gave up on the series after the first scene of the first episode which I thought was childish and annoying. But I was delighted I stuck with it because the payoff is quite good.

William Ronald Trosper (Tim Robinson) is a family man. He is married to his lovely wife Barb Trosper (Lake Bell) and has an adult daughter named Natalie (Sophia Lillis) who is planning her wedding and a high school son named Seth (Will Price). Ron has been assigned the position of lead project manager for a new mall development at his place of work Fisher Robay. The head of the firm, Jeff Levjman (Lou Diamond Philips), wants Ron to introduce himself as the lead on the project and give a speech in front of the employees to boost morale. Ron gives a solid speech and then goes to sit down at the side of the stage with the rest of his colleagues. But something terribly embarrassing happens. As Ron goes to sit down in his chair, it completely discombobulates. He lands on his back and finds himself looking up the skirt of his former fellow high school student Amanda (Amelia Campbell).

Ron is mortified by the incident and downright ticked off. He makes a gentle joke on stage to cover his embarrassment. But when the presentation is over, he hides in his office seething with anger and vowing to reign havoc on the chair company who brutally embarrassed him. He locates the broken chair in the garbage and finds the name of the company is Tecca. He starts searching for them on the internet, and his descent down a very bizarre rabbit hole begins.

Rounding out the cast are Joseph Tudisco as Mike Santini, Glow Tavarez as Jamie, Zuleyma Guevara as Brenda and Grace Reiter as Tara.

Happy Thanksgiving

November 27, 2025November 27, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Happy Thanksgiving! It is I Gigi the parti poodle here to welcome you to this week’s blog. Our beloved neighborhood Persian cat Demeter is still missing. The pets in my neighborhood decided to go down to the park to look for clues this week. It was a bit of a challenge as the Dachshund twins Tyler and Titus were more interested in the climbing apparatus and swings instead of looking for our dear missing friend. We did manage to get them to focus on business after providing treats for them. We searched all around the park while it was not raining. I despise being outside in the rain. Everyone was downtrodden at not being able to find anything.

And then, as luck would have it, Charlotte the chow found something: a heart shaped metal tag with Demeter’s name engraved on it. We were stunned. Ruffles the bulldog picked it up in his teeth and we all watched it dangle off his lower fang. Bruiser, the Jack Russell Terrier, was very excited about this and began jumping up and down realizing we had found our first clue to Demeter’s whereabouts. Either her captor had taken the tag off her collar and tossed it in the park or perhaps kidnapped her and came to the park to toss the tag there to take anyone who was looking for her off the kidnapper’s track. Artemis, Demeter’s sister thought this was the place she had been kidnapped because she had noticed Demeter’s tag had started working its way loose from its split ring.

Edison the Manx was skeptical. It is difficult to get a cat or dog tag loose from a split ring. But Madeline the British Shorthair was quite certain it was possible. She admitted to catching her split ring on her claw once while playing on her cat apparatus. Bruiser suggested perhaps there was someone in the neighborhood who had been watching Demeter before stalking and kidnapping her. That we may all be in trouble. I suggested to them we all reconvene after Thanksgiving after pondering the possibilities. Until next week I bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

**STREAM OF THE WEEK: SLOW HORSES (2022)-APPLE +**

Some Apple shows have an uncanny ability to disappoint their audience. A few of note that took a nosedive were Severance in its second season by giving away too many secrets and having no patience whatsoever referring to of course that awful snow episode, and Ted Lasso in its fourth and fifth seasons by not delivering what it hinted at starting in season one. No payoff = complete failure and little to no awards. How do two shows that started out phenomenally end up falling so hard on their faces? Foundation has had Issac Asimov rolling in his grave since episode one with insipid ideas like “feeling the math”. Are you kidding me? What scientist feels the math? The reason for these fiery crashes into mountains stems primarily from the fact that most Hollywood writers, especially those who work for Apple, though good in comedy and drama, fail miserably when it comes to niche writing like science fiction and mystery. Especially science fiction because apparently, they don’t believe in doing their research or consulting with scientists because, frankly, they refuse to understand science (see also Severance). I hate to break it to you but 99.999% of managers (Cobel) cannot come up with science of any kind. And neither could her character. Managers = traditionalists who stalwartly cling to the past. Those are not the kind of individuals who are going to discover the next scientific breakthrough.

That said, the witty, sharp, always entertaining Slow Horses is worth the watch. The show is based on the Slough House book series by Mick Herron and developed for television by Will James Smith who delivers a well-done spy show with excellent acting and solid writing. Herron came up with the idea for the books based on his commuting to work during the time of the bombings in London in 2005.

Slough House is a place where British MI5 agents go after they have either failed or embarrassed the British Intelligence service. The place is an unassuming dump of a building in London and is headed up by Jackson Lamb (beautifully played by Gary Oldman) a brilliant but chronic slob who, when called on, sends his rejects out into the field. Most recent failure is River Cartwright (Jack Lowden who is also excellent here) a young twenty something hotshot who failed in his final stages of becoming M15 and ended up shutting down a major passenger railway terminus.

Also relegated to Slough House are Sidonie ‘Sid’ Baker (Olivia Cooke), Min Harper (Dustin Demri-Burns), Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar), Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung), Shirley Dander (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), Marcus Longridge (Kadiff Kirwan), and Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves) who has known Lamb for a long time.

In Season One, shortly after River’s arrival a young comedian Hassan Ahmed (Antonio Aakeel), son of a powerful family, is kidnapped and his captors are threatening to behead him. The kidnapping turns out to be a setup by MI5 head Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) who has an inside man on the case. But when Diana’s inside man has a major catastrophic incident, she must call on Lamb and his agents to straighten out the fiasco.

Holding a Gathering

November 21, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good evening. It is I Gigi the parti poodle and Demeter the Persian cat is still missing. The Dachshund twins agreed to host our meeting. Ruffles the bulldog was there, Madeline the white and black cat that lives next door, Charlotte the Chow, Edison the Manx and of course Artemis, Demeter’s sister who is still in shambles. Bernard D. Bunny accompanied me and the group of us discussed what may have caused her disappearance. Madeline said she thought she saw her heading down the hill that night towards the park. Artemis said it is possible as her sister loves to take night strolls by the park. The park is small. A swing set, a climbing apparatus, some trees in the back. It is usually a safe place at night, but I pointed out my novelist saw a raccoon the other day. We all shuddered at this. Sometimes there have even been coyote sightings but not recently. Edison said it might be a good idea if we were to still consider she could have been kidnapped. And the park at night would be an excellent place to disappear. Especially since there is a trail that leads through the woods which is short and comes out in a bright area with houses. We all nodded in agreement. But what to do next? We are thinking of going as a group to the park tomorrow to try and see if there are any clues Demeter may have left behind if she was there. I will keep you informed on the matter. Until next week, I bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

**STREAM OF THE WEEK: THE PENGUIN LESSONS (2024)-NETFLIX**

Here’s a heartwarming and poignant comedy-drama told with surprising depth. The movie was directed by Peter Cataneo and written by Jeff Pope and Tom Michell based on Michell’s true-life book about the time he spent as an English teacher in 1976 Argentina. The film varies from the book somewhat as Michell was twenty-three at the time the story takes place, and the arc of the penguin is a little different.

Tom (well played by Steve Coogan) is a risk adverse misanthrope who bounces around teaching at different schools until 1976 when he ends up at exclusive boy’s school St. George’s College in Buenos Aries. The academy is a haven of sorts from the political conflict happening in Argentina. When the school is forced to close for a week due to safety, Tom and his friend, Tapio (Björn Gustafsson) a science teacher at the school, take a trip to Uruguay to pick up women in bars. Tom meets a lady named Carina (Micaela Breque) at a dance club. They spend the night and early morning dancing, talking and walking on the beach. They happen to come across a large group of penguins lying on the sand covered in oil. They appear to be dead, but one starts moving. Carina encourages Tom to save the bird, take it back to his hotel room and wash it. They do and the bird survives. Carina tells Tom she cannot stay because she is married and leaves him with the penguin. Tom then must smuggle the creature through customs and brings it back to the school where Headmaster Timothy Buckle (Jonathan Price) has specifically said the teachers cannot keep pets. Tom hides him on his balcony and day by day the penguin begins to change his outlook on life.

Rounding out the cast are Vivian El Jaber as Maria, Alfonsina Carrocio as Sofia, and David Herrero as Diego.

Demeter is Missing

November 14, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good afternoon. It is I Gigi the parti poodle and I must alert you to something most distressing. Demeter is missing! Demeter the fluffy white Persian cat who lives down the street with her sister Artemis is missing! Bernard D. Bunny alerted me of the news this morning. All the neighborhood pets are on high alert. We have a neighborhood watch here and yet our precious fluffy Persian kitty sister has disappeared without a trace. Bernard is terribly shaken about it and has hidden his sister Belle in the secret burrow. Even I do not know where the secret burrow is located. My novelist seems calm about the whole thing. She said Demeter is a curious cat and has a reputation for prowling around at night. She said she may just be hiding somewhere to get out of the rain. I am less convinced. I believe Demeter was kidnapped. I believe someone took her. But why? Who? I must know. I absolutely must. If they are willing to kidnap as beautiful a cat as Demeter, they are bound to have their eye on a gorgeous parti poodle such as myself. I will have to round up all the pets in the neighborhood and deal with this matter post haste. Until next week, I bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

STREAM OF THE WEEK: SPEAK (2004)-Paramount+

Based on the National Book Award finalist of the same name by Laurie Halse Anderson this film is a must see for all teens. The story is about a fourteen-year-old girl named Melinda Sordino (brilliantly acted by Kristen Stewart). It is the first day of her high school year, but something devastating has happened, and Melinda is not the same girl she used to be in middle school. Her former friends Nicole (Tyanna Rolley) and Rachel Bruin (Hallee Hirsh) have ostracized her. Other students are calling her a “squealer”, laugh at her face and behind her back. All because she called 911 at a party the summer before.

But Melinda didn’t dial the police without reason. Melinda dialed the police because while she was intoxicated, a senior named Andy Evans (Eric Lively) raped her. Melinda is visibly traumatized by the event and is frightened to tell anyone what happened. Her behavior is misunderstood by her well-meaning mother Joyce Sordino (Elizabeth Perkins) and father (D.B. Sweeny), her history teacher Mr. Neck (Robert John Burke), and her new naïve social climbing friend Heather (Allison Siko). What’s worse, Rachel Bruin has started dating Andy.

Melinda finds an outlet for her pain in her art class taught by Mr. Freeman (Steven Zahn) who encourages her to be brave in her art and an ally in her biology lab partner Dave Petrakis (Michael Angarano).

The film is realistic in its portrayal of Melinda’s PTSD behavior and the way victims are often treated by those around them. It is also realistic in how predatory rapists behave: they invade their victim’s space, they use alcohol and drugs to dimmish their victims, and they isolate their victims to attack them. A lot of predatory rapists are repetitive in their tactics. Many, though not all, will plan out their rape out well ahead of time such as college men who pick out a woman in a class, often in Fall semester or quarter, charm her, groom her, and invite her to a party where they get her drinking to carry out their rape. Andy Evens is a good example of a psychopathic rapist. He appears charming at first and then shows signs of narcissism, irritation and violence. It is important to note studies show approximately 50% of repeat rapists are psychopathic.

Psychopathy is hereditary which means a psychopath has a 50/50 chance of siring or giving birth to another psychopath. It is likely Andy’s father, brother and/or uncle are/were also rapists as well. Rapists, psychopathic or otherwise, may also have abnormal white matter integrity in their brains which also have hereditary factors. Thus, it is bizarre that society traditionally blames the sane victim over the mentally compromised predator.

You can read interviews with real rapists and the way they carried out their attacks in the book The Rapist File: Interviews with Convicted Rapists by Les Sussman Sally Bordwell, and Ellen Frankfort. I am particularly fond of this one because many books on the subject will chronicle women’s stories of their attacks. It is more difficult to find books that get inside the rapist’s head. Other books of note are I Never Called It Rape: The Ms. Report on Recognizing, Fighting, and Surviving Date and Acquaintance Rape by Robin Warshaw and Fraternity Gang Rape: Sex, Brotherhood, and Privilege on Campus by Peggy Reeves Sanday.

300

November 7, 2025 ~ gigicatchesair ~ Leave a comment

Good afternoon. It is I Gigi the parti poodle, and today is our 300^th weekly blog. This is a milestone for us as we have not yet quit. My novelist often dreads Thursdays because she knows we will have to post something. It is not always her favorite activity. It is, however, my favorite activity, and like a good novelist owner I kick her with my paw and bark orders. The blog is not going to write itself, don’t you know. Bernard is always encouraging and listens to my exasperation after it is posted. Even as fall is approaching, he has continued to have tea with me in the afternoons and patiently listens to my gripes. Bernard is particularly fond of the green teacup with the gold trim and the dark pink roses painted on the saucer and inside the cup. As for myself, I prefer the white one with gold trim and violets painted on the cup and saucer. We often partake of green tea but on occasion we will try white or even strawberry or raspberry herbal. He tells me this time of year he is growing in his winter coat. He says he must change his diet as well to include twigs, greens, and tree bark. He does not hibernate, however, so we will be able to enjoy the holidays together. We have had to partake of our afternoon meetings indoors as there has been a lot of rain lately. But I do not mind sitting by the window watching the turning leaves fall and the rain drizzle down. I find it inspirational and marvelously moody. I must go now as I hear the kettle whistling and Bernard is already opening a box of French butter cookies. Until next week, I bid you adieu.

MY BOOKS

**STREAM OF THE WEEK: FAY GRIM (2006) & BROKEN ENGLISH (2007)-HBO MAX**

Parker Posey is a terrific actress known for her independent movie performances and this week I thought I’d suggest two of her feature roles. The first one is Fay Grim written and directed by the fantastic Indi writer/director Hal Hartley. The film is a continuation of Hartley’s film Henry Fool. It centers around Fay (Parker Posey) as a single mother living in the city with her teenage son Ned Grimm (Liam Aiken) who has just been expelled. Fay blames the boy’s behavior on his dead father, Henry Fool (Thomas J. Ryan), an ex-con. Apparently, Henry had notebooks he wanted to publish that contain sensitive information that could put United States security at risk. Fay just wants to live a normal life. She wants to get her brother Simon Grimm (James Urbaniak), a famous poet who used to be a garbage man, out of prison so he can help her raise Ned. That opportunity comes in the form of Agent Fulbright (Jeff Goldblum) who sends her to France to find Henry’s notebooks and bring them back to the United States.

The second movie is Broken English, written and directed by Zoe R. Cassavetes. It is a romantic dramedy about a thirty-something woman named Nora Wilder (Parker Posy) who has never been lucky in love. She is a college educated woman working as a manager at a New York City boutique hotel and does her job well. But she feels she is stuck in her position and that her life is going nowhere. She successfully put her ex-boyfriend Mark (Tim Guinne) and her best friend Audrey (Drea de Matteo) together but finds herself on an endless string of blind dates and dead ends. Her mother Vivien Wilder-Mann (Gena Rowlands, Zoe’s real-life mother) is always trying to set her up. One of her attempts is a man named Charlie Ross (Josh Hamilton) who is still clearly dating his girlfriend. Nora’s most recent dating disaster comes in the form of mohawk sporting film actor Nick Gabel (Justin Theroux) who is one of the regular guests at her hotel. After things quickly go south, she ends up going to a Fourth of July party thrown by her friend Glen (Michael Panes) where she reluctantly meets a younger French man named Julien (Melvil Poupaud) who might be the one to change her life.