Notes From My Week...

• Dreamworks is slowly building into a powerhouse animation studio, with Kung Fu Panda a couple of years ago and now How To Train Your Dragon. They've developed a Pixar-like knack in their storytelling, especially as they tone down the dependence on pop cultural references. Honestly, the moments when Hiccup was riding on the back of Toothless, and there was nothing else but the two of them and the sky were exhilarating. The story was pretty standard, with the young boy who was an outcast in his own society, who discovers a basic flaw in that society and manages to lead his people into a new and better way of life and become accepted and valued. The humor seemed less forced than in some other Dreamworks features, and the emotions in the story seemed genuine.


• Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution is a riveting hour of television. In tonight's episode, I think that Jamie found the key to making his revolution a success: enlisting high school age kids who have a vested interest in a healthier diet, have them cook for local movers and shakers who could shake loose the money needed to train school cooks in cooking from scratch for masses, and then give their testimonials to the movers and shakers.


• Indications are that my job duties are about to be shaken up. Nothing official yet, but the signs are there.


• It's been great exchanging messages with an old friend from high school this week (you know who you are!).