I just got home from the 3D version of "Despicable Me". I enjoyed the film, and recommend it to anyone. I didn't know much about it before I saw it-- the film got good reviews overall, Steve Carell did a good job with the main character, and the minions are cute.

It's animated, and in some theaters it's in 3D. I enjoyed it in 3D, and when I got home our babysitter asked if it was worth the $3.50 surcharge to see it in 3D. I figured it was, although it occurs to me now (hours later) that I might be less willing to spend the $3.50 if we weren't in such a secure financial situation. It would still be a really good film in 2D, if that's an issue for you. The charm of the film was not in the 3D special effects, it was the story and characters.

It's about a villain who is getting a little over the hill, and being challenged by a young upstart villain. So the older guy figures out a way to steal the moon as a way to get back on top. He winds up adopting three orphan girls to use to get a shrink ray, but they become a distraction to his mission. I won't give away more, but you get the gist; the film is not about unexpected plot twists, and they all live happily ever after.

Terry always laughed when he saw the upstart villain, Vector, because of his physical appearance. He was a pretty nerdy villain. I liked the main villain, Dr. Gru, largely because of his silly accent and word choices. He used some modern slang, but then had some idiosyncratic phrasing, like a non-native speaker. It was a fresh take on the usual tone of animated villains.

I'm glad I went out to see the show in the theater-- not that it won't be good on DVD, but it was so enjoyable I'm glad I didn't have to wait months to see it.

The full title of the book by Barbara Strauch is, "The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain: The Surprising Talents of the Middle-Aged Mind."
The book was full of information from the latest brain research, which is contrary to what most people have been told all their lives. Sure, you can kill off brain cells through various activities, but unlike what we were told in our youth, OUR BRAIN CAN GROW MORE. And guess what helps your brain grow more better cells? Healthy diet and exercise. Anyone surprised?

There is a decline in short-term memory and processing speed that is associated with middle age (here primarily defined from the 40s through 60s), but for most people it seems to be made up for by better intuition and expertise in life. So although one can't remember facts as well as one used to, problem-solving and wisdom skills increase to offset that, and reduce the need to remember facts quickly.

Also, contrary to the idea of "midlife crisis", most people are happiest in mid-life. The brain automatically focuses on the positive, lets the negative stuff go. The book explains some reasons this might be evolutionarily advantageous.

I recommend the book. It's a heartening anti-dote to our youth-obsessed media culture.

A friend linked to this on facebook, and I like it. It's not only funny, but feminist. Especially the Bronte-saurus part. Here's the video for your amusement:

I watched the Wanda Sykes show for the first time tonight. Not only was it Tivo'd from last weekend, it was a repeat from back when the Olympics were on.

She starts with a monologue, which was to me as funny as most late-night monologues. Then she moves on to a celebrity panel. It seemed a bit awkward at times, but still generally pretty funny. I liked that everyone had a drink. That has been missing from TV for some years now, since everyone went all PC. I think W. S. really hit on something here, that perhaps comedians and actors and stuff would loosen up and be a little more interesting on camera after a drink or two. Do ya think? It seems that so many of the interviews on the other late-night shows are just phoned-in, they are dull, dull, dull. Except for Colin Ferguson, but I suspect that is mostly because his guests are not regulars on the circuit, being on a talk show is a novelty and they are not so on guard, or jaded, or bored, or whatever is the problem with the ones who have been on a bajillion talk shows and are obviously tired of it and just fulfilling their contract.

Let's see, after the panel she talks to some guy, then showed a skit. So far the most surprising thing I've learned tonight is how big her rack is. I'm really curious about what brand of bra she wears, it's totally a feat of engineering, check this out:

Now she's interviewing a single celebrity. At least, I presume he's a celebrity, but I haven't heard of him.

And that's the show. It's not as polished as the late-night shows that have been around for a billion years, but she at least has a different formula, which is something, since most of the others are exactly the same. Monologue, sketches, guest, guest, band. So Wanda's Monologue, Panel, Banter, Sketches, Guest at least is a break from the late-night monopoly. Not to mention, she's not a multi-millionaire middle-aged white guy. That's different, too.

So far, Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves by Sharon Begley is the best book I've read about the brain. It describes various experiments on neuroplasticity and the general function of the brain and brainwaves, and the results of the experiments. Remember how we've all been told that once brain cells die, they don't regenerate? That's wrong. They totally DO regenerate, even in people in their 80s.

And although many brain inefficiencies such as depression, ADD, anxiety, OCD, etc. are largely influenced by genetics (certain people are born predisposed to these afflictions), people do NOT have to live out their lives bound by these things, or beholden to medication to mitigate the symptoms. Their brains can be RETRAINED to function normally. This is an amazing message, and generally counter to what most medical doctors promote. Because most medical doctors went to school before all this was known, and they've not kept up with the science.

Not that an inefficient brain can be changed quickly or easily-- they compare it to an athlete. If someone wants to get really good at a sport, they're not going to get there practicing only 45 minutes once a week. So it is with brain conditioning. You're not going to undo a lifetime to ingrained patterns by going to therapy once a week (or it will take a very long time to see the change at this rate, in any event). But if you practice daily, and really make an effort, over time you will see results.

I recommend this book to everyone, not just people who have diagnosed mental issues. Because the book also discusses ways that even highly-functioning people can improve their minds to ever more optimal conditions. This is all really fascinating, and the book is well-written, easy to read, and without jargon.