Belated Thank You, my friend

Dearest Santa!

Imagine my surprise when I received everything on my 2018 Christmas list. I'm so gratified that you noticed my exemplary behavior.

One request, the "Charming Pet" puzzler toy, was too easy for me so i decided to give it to a young puppy, Woody, for whom it seemed more appropriate. And so it is. He figured out the (rather simple) puzzle and was puffed out with pride. It gave him great pleasure. Please remember Woody next here. Here is a photo of my Mama with Woody and his boy:

[ I trust you'll remember my generosity (good behavior) for Christmas 2019.]

BTW, were you surprised and delighted to find the single-malt Scotch and cookies that i left for you close to the fireplace? Did they warm you on your way to the good little girls and boys all over the world?

I shall close by reiterating my sincere thanks (especially for the large package of greenies), hope you'll have a rejuvinating long break from your arduous December schedule, and visit me any time in 2019 and especially--with toys, treats and gifts--at Christmas.  

Love your best pal and buddy, Mercury Murphy Roushanzamir

PS: I really really LOVE you ever so much indeed.

Strangle Hold

 Dear darling Santa,

A year has passed since Christmas 2017. A long arid summer, followed by its opposite, a drenching autumn, and now winter, fast approaching.

As the 2017 photo above attests, my encounter with you (my best pal and buddy) was a tad fraught. It's a photo only a Mama could love.

Still, bye-gones shall be bye-gones and I have my Christmas list ready for your final approval (and action).

Mercury's List of Preferred Toys, Treats, and Gifts 

Red Plaid Flannel Dog Hoodie

A SPOT plush bone with face toy

A SPOT soccer ball

A "Charming Pet" Christmas puzzler dog toy

Greenies teeny treats (the largest bag)

**A new XS iphone of my very own would also be welcome, indeed

Please note, I've been extremely well-behaved this year despite significant health problems. Multiple doctor visits, x-rays, ultra-sound, a trip to the emergency room and a surgery that resulted in scores of stitches. I wore the cone of shame (otherwise known as an Elizabethan Collar) proudly.

I've become ever more attentive to Mama as we've continued to bond over our shared interest in film and Brit TV. As I've learned from a book I've been reading recently, dogs and humans share a "deep interest in friendship, cooperation, and justice." We share much in common but our differences may be what cements the 40,000+ years of living in love, peace, and solidarity. [see Willing Dogs & Reluctant Masters: on friendship and dogs by Gary Borjesson] 

With Papa and grand-père, I've worked diligently to alleviate the many burdens on Mama so that she may spend happy hours watching, reading, and thinking, i.e. her retirement goals.

Finally,  dearest Santa, I wish you all the best this holiday season. Please enjoy your final week of rest and relaxation before your strenuous Christmas Eve travel around the world to visit all the good little girls and boys.

As a (thoughtful) token of my esteem, this year I shall hold the milk and instead leave French cognac and a large-sized chocolate bar (Mrs. Sees) to warm you on your way.

With undying affection and love, your very best friend in the whole wide world,

Mercury Murphy Roushanzamir

PS: I finally got my driver's license. Maybe I share driving responsibilities with you in 2019? I think you could leave more gifts for each child at each visit if you had my assistance.

Emergency Message to my Wonderful (Best) Friend--Santa

Mama's Disastrous Error

I wrote my first seasonal letter to you. Mama typed and posted it, not to my blog but to her own Entertainment and Media Creative Development blog, which may I add is unimpressive (dare I say uninteresting?).

However please use this link to open my personal letter in which I send my very best greetings and provide some guidance on your upcoming crunch time. All of us good little boys and girls all over the world depend upon you. (BTW, although grandpere thinks I'm a boy, I AM NOT)

Love and kisses from your best and most dependable friend, Mercury Murphy Roushanzamir

PS: Don't hold this mistake against Mama this Christmas. xoxox I won't let her make the same mistake again.

Is the shoe horn going the way of the wash board?

Technology is a topic of great interest among tech professionals, scholars, and the general public. But usually the interest is only generated by the latest innovations or futuristic improbabilities.

What has begun to intrigue me is, how in the passage of time, low technologies tend to quietly fade away.

Take for example, the shoe horn.

Who remembers the shoe horn its appearance, history and eventual transformation from a physical manifestation into a metaphor?

Or the paper weight (in a "paperless" society).  Read George Orwell's comments in 1994 on the value(lessness) of a lone silvery glassed-in flower-globe displayed on an aging wooden table.

Wikipedia provides a concise history and explanation of the washboard (but to learn how first uses fade over time, read the disambiguation section).

All of which to say is while high technology, digitization, computerization, mobile devices, etc. and so forth attract far more than their share of attention, some basics should be thoughtfully considered as part of a fleeting way of life. How can we evaluate the impact of loss and change over the 32,000 years of our doggie-human cultural formation?

Thank you, my friends and fans, for any insights you may care to offer.

As always, your pal, Mercury Murphy Roushanzamir

Disgruntled

Sometimes a doggie is in the correct time and place to fulfill their fondest dreams and their rightful place in society. Other times, not so much. I fall in the latter category. 

My heart belongs in the film industry. Acting, directing and editing would have been my forte. Like my favorite star, Asta, I could have been a contender. Asta, star of, among other films, the Thin Man series, never won an Oscar (nor did his co- star, Myrna Loy). But his work has long been acknowledged as first-rate. He claimed his rightful place in the universe.

I am the third generation of the impact of what can only be called: devastatingly bad decisions. Sadly, my rightful place in the universe remains unfilled.

If Grandpere had followed his path, as stand up comedian, screen writer and director, Maman would now be a successful screen and TV writer. If Maman had been a successful screen writer, I doubtless would have become a star of big screen and small (and perhaps even made it to the Broadway stage).

But no. After Princeton, Grandpere attended Columbia Medical and became a physician. Maman earned a Ph.D. at University of Wisconsin. True, each had distinguished careers, Grandpere in academic medicine, Maman, a professor of media studies. 

But what about me? Without the Hollywood/show biz contacts, I've wallowed in an academic environment far distant from my true destiny. Their bad decisions and lack of foresight led to half-lives for them (but that's down to them) and devastating loss for me and for the dramatic arts.

I've made the best of things. I take vicarious pleasures where I can find them: I watch classic films on TCM, indie/ international films on Film Struck, Brit films/TV on AcornTV, TV and film on Hulu, independent productions on Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime. Enjoyable, yes. Suggestive, yes. Even inspiring, yes. 

But, yes I should have been a contributor.  I could've been a contender. 

Best regards to my faithful friends and followers, Mercury Murphy Roushanzamir

Christmas Letter and Gift List 2016

Dearest, darling Santa!

First, thank you for agreeing to meet with me last week. We had a rewarding conversation and I'll just reiterate the salient points and clarify a few others.

Please remember that I've been ever so good this year. Any minor offenses are attributed to irresistible impulse (that's actually a defense to murder under the law) so they're really not my fault (if indeed I did them after all).

Also, take into consideration the wear and tear wrought by an extremely stressful election with dubious outcomes, hence the long list. I shall say no more about that.

With all due respect, love, and hope, my List:

---PetChatz:  a complete interactive and engagement audio/visual system that would let me press a button to ring Maman on her iphone so she can dispense treats and calming scents from wherever she might be (as well as engage in some idle chat)

---an iphone of my very own (I'm willing to take a 6S)

--Feliz Navidog Dog Tee (red)

--Burberry sweaters (2), a Burberry winter coat and a faux fur "puppy and me" scarf for dogs

--L.A. Dog Chevron Faux Fur Cuddle Donut Dog Bed

 --personalized Santa-belly gourmet cookie box

--Hugglehounds candy cane cuddle tuffet toy (the small size) & Hugglefleece Ball dog toy (small)

--2 Fiesta Petware bowls, one cobalt, one turquoise plus a Dog Bone Water Guard Rim place-mat (preferably personalized)

As you know, my friend, I always include a few requests for Maman et Papa. At this Noel, I shall keep those lists brief.

-------------------------------------

*Papa:

a set of real chef's knives

Maman:

iphone 7 (pink finish)

ipad Pro (9.7 inches, gold finish) & a Smart Cover (the Product (Red) color)

Woven Nylon Apple Watch band (the pink & gray color)

---------------------------------

Finally, my best pal, Santa, I hope you've rested well (and eaten and exercised properly) all year long so that your global quest to assure that all good boys and girls receive their gifts is not impeded by ill-health or exhaustion. To that end, I promise to leave some tasty treats for you (water to drink, you must stay hydrated).

As a special bonus this year---and in light of our misunderstanding in the previous year---I have a special gift for you. (it's a surprise -- open it only after you've delivered all the other gifts in every land in the world)

Again, with all due respect, love, and hope, your very best friend in the whole wide universe,

Mercury Murphy Roushanzamir

* This year papa graciously acceded to the girls of the household's many wishes, feeling that the only recently-past political season has been particularly hard on women; he asked me to make it crystal clear that he'll be completely satisfied with the requested set of real chef's knives.

I'm still here, Santa ;-)

Dear darling pal, Santa,

It's only 3 months 'til your big night. I've missed you ever so much over the last 9 months. Have you missed me too?

Here's a photo to remind you of me. Please take special note of my Christmas scarf and the halo of light surrounding me. 

I'll write again soon but, in the meantime, I hope you're well and happy. 

Love from your best friend, Mercury