• Weekend Wander: a weekly roundup of links, events & resources related to books, reading, literacy & dads too. http://bookdads.com/MEXh #
• The Good Men Project: honest, compelling true stories by men about being Fathers, Sons, Husbands, & Workers http://bookdads.com/Nh8d #
• Documentary film based on the book The Good Men Project, that asks “What does it mean to be a good man?” http://bookdads.com/zTBs #
• I have 6 G00gle W*A*V*E invites to give out to friends. First 6 followers to DM me your preferred email address I'll add for an invite. #
• We have a box of 5 books to win the Book Dads Holiday 2009 Giveaway http://bookdads.com/TyEe #
• I have G00gle Wav e invites if anyone is interested. #
• http://smub.it/dh46 No DRP or gay marriage tonight (NY Senate) – Capitol Confidential – New York Politics – timesunion.com – Albany NY #
• http://smub.it/dh65 This just in: Gay marriage on tap in Senate – Capitol Confidential – New York Politics – timesunion.com – Albany NY #
• The NY Senate is back in session. #
• The NY Senate just stood at ease again. #ILoveNYEquality #
• I'm at work in Albany, but not at the Senate. Unfortunately I'm not getting my work done at all. #iloveNYequality #
• Back in session, #iloveNYequality #
• Yes! Senator Adams has it right! Leave the Bible outside the door. #iloveNYequality #
• I had to stop watching, my laptop battery ran out and it's blocked on my work computer. #ilovenyequality #
• Thank heavens for Twitter on my phone! #ilovenyequality #
• Marriage equality defeated in NY, 24 – 38 #ilovenyequality #
• Now we in NY know who to work toward defeating in the next election. #ilovenyequality #
• Er-u-di-tion is a fun board game for readers from pre-reading to fluency that helps build language skills http://bookdads.com/JpbX #
• City of Ember: faithful adaptation of YA novel about a city isolated & alone indarkness – is there a way out? http://bookdads.com/eK3V #
• The Babe & I: honestly expresses tangle of emotions that can evolve between fathers & children in tough times. http://ping.fm/D7JW3 #
• We're at the Albany Symphony Holiday Concert. http://yfrog.com/au3hvj #
• Waiting for the concert to begin. http://yfrog.com/4f6fghj #
• There are snowflakes on the ceiling. We are enjoying the concert ! http://yfrog.com/1dnj9j #
• Snow day! School is closed and we are having a fun morning. My boss is not happy, oh well http://yfrog.com/3nyg5j #
• Stupidity, Gay Marriage, and the Evolution of Religion http://bit.ly/5Ezy8h #lgbt /via @mattincinci #
• Pennies in a Jar: young boy during WWII misses his soldier father & learns to be brave like him. http://bookdads.com/MdbX #
• Zen Shorts: classic Zen teaching stories told in a child-friendly way by the gentle giant panda, Stillwater. http://bookdads.com/lHfd #
• Check out our interview with Chris Mancini, author of Pacify Me: A Handbook for the Freaked-Out New Dad. http://bookdads.com/z0L8 #

Based on the popular Young Adult novel of the same name by Jeanne DuPrau, City of Ember is an amazingly faithful and effective adaptation of the book on which it is based. One aspect of the film that is different from the book is the strong role that is played by fathers in the film version. Lina’s father is long gone, yet his presence and the history of his own earlier attempt to leave the city hangs over Lina like a ghost. An even stronger influence comes from Doon’s inventor father Lorris, in a wonderfully understated performance by Tim Robbins. Lorris’ advice to his son at first sounds like typical father-son fare: “The main thing is, pay attention. Pay close attention to everything you see. Notice what no one else notices, and you’ll know what no one else knows. What you get is what you get; what you do with what you get, that’s more the point.” Yet it ultimately helps Doon achieve his own destiny, as Doon and Lina replay the joined fates of their own fathers.

Besides Robbins’ appearance, City of Ember is also marked by excellent performances by Bill Murray (who portrays Ember’s mayor), Martin Landau, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Mary Kay Place. The visual design and special effects are just enough to convey the unusual atmosphere of Ember without overwhelming the story, and the same can be said for the film’s soundtrack. Viewers should be cautioned that Lina’s grandmother dies early in the story, but the event is conveyed in a subtle fashion (she passes away during a blackout) and the story moves along so quickly that it may even be missed by very young viewers. There are also a number of mysteries about Ember that are not fully explained in the film, and children with curiosity about these questions can be directed to the book and its sequels for further answers. Overall, City of Ember is an inspiring and family-friendly coming-of-age film, an enjoyable and plausible science fiction tale, and a story that points to the importance of fathers even as young adults are striking out to claim their independence.

The men writing in this anthology all acknowledge the undeniable joys of fatherhood, yet also share the truth that it can also be a challenge that is difficult, painful, and overwhelming. And that sometimes – in ways small and large – it is a challenge that we sometimes fail. These stories also remind us that fathers are sons and workers and often husbands as well, and that these identities and their demands intertwine inseparably with one another. Powerful and filled with a deep honesty, both heart-shattering and inspiring, the stories in The Good Men Project tell it like it is.

• Cicada Summer, story of one girl’s struggle with a terrible loss, & of her relationship with her single father. http://bookdads.com/EOgp #
• Library Journal Names Waiting on a Train a Best Book of 2009: Congratulations, James McCommons! http://bit.ly/8WFBEN (via @chelseagreen) #
• RT @thejoshuablog: MUST READ: "Hey teabaggers – you can't have the country back" ( http://bit.ly/7pi8tg ) #p2 #tcot #
• Hey, Daddy! Animal Fathers and Their Babies – http://su.pr/bookdads.com/4k3F (via @BookDads) #
• Testing the Ice: story of baseball's Jackie Robinson by his daughter combining family memoir & history lesson http://bookdads.com/xPEc #
• Happy Thanksgiving everyone! #

• RT @balmeras: Book em', Guru: 4 Picks for Playful Readers: http://digg.com/d31A9ff?t #
• A Course in Happiness: practical guidance on inner work needed 2 achieve happiness for adults, parents & children. http://bookdads.com/Pvwl #
• RT @21stcenturydad: RT @EarthlingsMovie: Flexitarians on the Rise as Informed Consumers Avoid Meat – http://bit.ly/1ta3rC #
• http://smub.it/deav Dad Blogs | Defining Family in Public Schools, should gay families be discussed? What do you think? Read and comment. #
• http://smub.it/deyh Lesbian and Gay Parents Are Not Better–and That's Okay | The Bilerico Project #
• My Father’s Shop: a teaching treasure of languages & a special bond between a father & son in a family business. http://bookdads.com/4Zxo #
• My Daddy is Pretzel, do a fish, do a bridge. This book stretches your mind and body with father and child yoga. http://bookdads.com/EB1Z #

The Galactic Barrier

Researchers at Northwestern University and Eastern Michigan University are currently running a study focused on understanding how families formed by gay male partners/parents present themselves as a family to other people and how they respond to challenges to their family identity. The questions posed in the study’s survey focus on the nature of social support that the family has received and about issues such as how the family affected the children, as well as the family’s connections to other partnered gay male parents and the gay community.

The research survey can be accessed at www.surveymonkey.com/gaymaleparenting and the first 100 persons to participate will receive a $15 Target gift card. Participating in studies like these is a great way to help build solid support for initiatives that favor our families (such as the current gay marriage debate), by providing scientific evidence to counter ignorance and false claims about our families.  If you have any questions about the study,  please feel free to contact either Kathleen Galvin (k-galvin@northwestern.edu) or Dennis Patrick (dpatrick1@emich.edu).