I start a new book and rewatched a video that I think quite a lot of. The video is called, THE DEAD (not a horror movie) directed by John Huston, his last film. It stars his daughter Anjelica Huston and Donal McCann. I like it because it is such a civilized film. It concerns a dinner party given at the turn of the century in Dublin. It was adapted from a couple of books by James Joyce. It is a relatively short movie that displays civility and conversation as it used to be practiced. Of course the actors are reading lines, but I forget that soon enough and am entranced by it all. In the final analysis it is a love story about a long dead boy for Anjelica and her memories that surge in upon her.

The new book I started is called: THE DEFINING MOMENT by Jonathan Alter. It is about the first 100 days of FDR's first term. I'm not too far into it yet, but if the rest if anything like the beginning it is going to be an easy read. I have learned many things already, or more fully things I already know. Of course I think the man was the greatest president of the twentieth century so I am a sympathetic critic. I still find it amazing that so many people hated him then and their decendants still do for what reasons I'm not sure. It is without question that he was the architect of the nations recovery from the depression which ended with the beginning of the second world war.