Thursday, May 10, 2012

Maurice Sendak, author of ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ other children’s books, dies at 83 - The Washington Post

Maurice Sendak, author of ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ other children’s books, dies at 83 - The Washington Post
  "...Sendak, who died early Tuesday in Danbury, Conn., at age 83, four days after suffering a stroke, revolutionized children’s books and how we think about childhood simply by leaving in what so many writers before had excluded. Dick and Jane were no match for his naughty Max...."
Many children grew up loving the characters in Where the Wild Things Are and  Chicken Soup With Rice as well as other works by Maurice Sendak.  We had a rambunctious cat we called Max who tended to get a wild hair.  At times like that we said he had his "cat suit" on.

His art was distinctive, and generated some controversy due to many finding it grotesque and frightening for children.  I'll go with grotesque, but few children I have known have had problems with it.  Adults, on the other hand.....

He designed sets for such ballets as The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute.

It may be my imagination, but I see echos of Sendak in the creatures in the film Labyrinth.

As long as children read his books and pass them on to their children, Maurice Sendak will continue influence children's literature.

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

FBI: We need wiretap-ready Web sites - now | Security & Privacy - CNET News

FBI: We need wiretap-ready Web sites - now | Security & Privacy - CNET News
"The FBI is asking Internet companies not to oppose a controversial proposal that would require firms, including Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, and Google, to build in backdoors for government surveillance. ..."
This is troubling.  Will more intrusion into our privacy make us safer?  Will this backdoor be used for fishing expeditions, or will it be subject only to a court order?