“The Avengers” is what we tend to look for in movies: escapist entertainment. Superhero films like this one are perfect escapist entertainment. We like the concept of people with special abilities who use them (sometimes reluctantly) to make the world a better place. We watch these characters and wonder what it would be like if we could do what they do. We also, as I wrote a few months ago, like a good villain (if that’s not too contradictory) who can push our heroes to their limits.

In the past few years, it’s been nice to see so many familiar heroes come (or, in some cases, return) to the big screen. What’s made the experience more interesting, and ultimately rewarding, is that a lot has been invested in the story and character development. It’s not just about seeing someone in a fantastic costume defeating the bad guy(s). The characters, like the films themselves, have become more three dimensional. There’s less delineation between good and evil and so many of our favorite characters tend to work within a large grey area which makes for more interesting stories.

I’ve never been a comic book fan, but I am a fan of comic book movies, primarily for the reasons I’ve stated above. Usually I’m just looking for a couple hours of escapist entertainment. With that in mind, I present my

Top 5 Favorite Superhero Films:

1. “Superman” (1978). Superhero films as we know them start here. “Superman” did what, at the time, seemed like the most difficult task to accomplish: realistically depicting a man in flight. The 1950s television series looked kind of hokey and the movie serials of the 1940s used animation in their depiction of what is perhaps Superman’s most famous super ability. By the 1970s, special effects technology had advanced to a level where human flight could be rendered in a believable fashion. And even though that same technology has advanced considerably in the intervening 35 years, this film still holds its own against all of today’s CGI-laden epics (superhero or otherwise).

2. “Batman” (1989). After the success of “Superman,” Batman was the next logical hero to bring to a theater near you. However, it took a decade to accomplish. In that time the Superman franchise deteriorated into something less than super. The last time Batman had been depicted on screen was in the 1960s when Adam West portrayed the Caped Crusader on television in what was a considerably campier and more lighthearted interpretation of a dark tale. With Michael Keaton underneath the cowl and Tim Burton directing (not to mention Jack Nicholson as Batman’s arch-nemesis the Joker), “Batman” brought the character and his story back to its considerably darker roots. What’s fascinating about Batman is that he doesn’t have superpowers. He’s a normal human being … aside from the fact that he’s a billionaire playboy who dresses up as a bat and fights crime as a vigilante. But he does it relying on his own wits and ingenuity. He can’t fly, he doesn’t have X-ray vision, and he’s not bulletproof. He’s a lot like Iron Man only not as cocky or flamboyant. In the 1990s the series took a regrettable turn, but, like so many people, I’ve been pleased over the last seven years with what Christopher Nolan has done to revive it and I very much look forward to “The Dark Knight Rises” this summer.

3. “X2: X-Men United” (2003). 2000′s “X-Men” was a superb film. But what it did more than anything else was set up this sequel. I liked this film (as well as its predecessor) because it didn’t just focus one one character. It’s an ensemble piece. There are multiple characters each with different abilities and what is so enjoyable is watching how they interact with each other. They each have their own story about how they got to where they are, which allows the “bad guys” to be a bit more sympathetic. Unlike the Joker or Lex Luthor, you can understand why Magneto became the man he is. As the war between humans and mutants becomes more of a reality, we obviously root for Professor Xavier and his team but, strangely enough, you don’t necessarily want to see Magneto’s side be defeated … at least not entirely.

4. “The Avengers” (2012). Like the “X-Men” series, this wasn’t about one person, but a group of people who have to work as a team to defeat a common enemy. Each member brings baggage as well as ego, and watching them work together in spite of all that is half the fun. Two things drew me to this film. The first was that this epic project had been in the works for many years and was the culmination of other films centering around the individual characters, starting with 2008′s “Iron Man.” I thought this was a pretty big gamble on the part of the studio because it would almost have to be dependent on each film being a hit (fortunately they were). Secondly, I wanted to see it because it was directed and co-written by Joss Whedon who gave us “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” and “Firefly.” Whedon focuses on character development and writes great dialogue. As usual, I wasn’t disappointed. I particularly liked Bruce Banner’s statement: “The last time I was in New York, I broke … Harlem.” And speaking of Banner, it was nice, after two less than stellar attempts, to see the Hulk finally being appreciated on film.

5. “Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011). I’ve always been fascinated by World War II, which is where Captain America originated. He first appeared in comics in 1941 and was American war propaganda. Steve Rogers is a stereotypical “98 pound weakling” who wants nothing more than to help his country in its time of need. He’s injected with an experimental drug that gives him extraordinary strength and abilities that allow him to help the war effort. He was a morale booster which the country needed at that time. I loved the fact the film didn’t shy away from those origins and I went to see the movie, primarily because it was a period piece. Knowing that it would eventually lead to “The Avengers,” I was also curious to see how they brought the character forward 70 years without aging him. And after seeing “The Avengers,” I’m kicking myself for not having seen “Captain America” in 3D.

I’d love to hear from you. What are some of your favorite superhero films?

Of course, 20 years ago we didn’t have the prevalence of the Internet and only really rich people had cell phones. Today, it’s a different story. Not only do we have cell phones, we have phones that can take pictures and transmit them to anyone and everyone. Lives can be ruined at the press of a button.

A new documentary film aimed at teens that addresses this problem and seeks to end it has recently been released. It’s titled simply “Bully” and follows the lives of high school students and how bullying affects them. The film, while highly praised by critics, was given an R-rating by the Motion Picture Association of America because of frequent use of the dreaded “F-word.” An R rating (for those of you who actually pay attention to these things) means that no one under the age of 17 is admitted into the theater to see the film without a parent or guardian present. Assuming that the ticket clerks in movie theaters actually enforce this rule, that means that many of the people who need to see this film, specifically teens, wouldn’t be able to.

Harvey Weinstein, whose company distributes “Bully,” appealed to the MPAA’s ratings board to lower the rating to a PG-13 so that it could more easily reach its intended audience. The board refused. Weinstein, who has fought this fight before — most notably over last year’s Best Picture Oscar winner, “The King’s Speech” –decided to release the film unrated. Most unrated films are treated by theaters as if they have an NC-17 rating, meaning that no one under 17 is allowed in to see it, even with adult supervision.

According to imdb.com, “Finally, the filmmakers agreed to cut some, but not all, of the relevant language, and the MPAA did agree to re-rate the movie PG-13. The PG-13 version does keep intact all the language in the scene that was the main point of contention between the filmmakers and the MPAA, in which a 12-year-old is physically and verbally attacked on his school bus by his classmates.”

This whole thing concerns me for many reasons. First of all, I think this film is an important one that needed to be made and it needs to be seen by as many people as possible. Clearly bullying has become a real problem in this country and something needs to be done about it. I think the first step is talking about it, which this film obviously wants to do. I don’t think it should be rated R, but I also don’t think that the filmmakers should have edited the film to satisfy a handful of people who are in a position to dictate what is appropriate for someone of a certain age to see. I really feel that parents should be the final judge of what their children see. Unfortunately, I realize that not all parents are as diligent in their duties as mine were.

My second concern is with the MPAA’s ratings board itself. Its members seem to have taken it upon themselves to protect our youth from hearing foul language. I have news for them: It’s not working! If you have a documentary that depicts actual teens actually being bullied, both physically and verbally, then obviously the teen population is already familiar with the words that you don’t want them to hear, let alone say. Bleeping the word and/or blurring the mouths of those who use it, as they do on network television, doesn’t make any difference. We still know what’s being said. The same is true of euphemisms. Let’s be honest — we all know what the “F” in “F-word” stands for.

Which brings me to my biggest concern: changing standards in society. It would appear that in the last 40 years or so, we as a society have become freer and more open in the way we express ourselves. However, in spite of that, especially in the last 20 years, the MPAA has become stricter in its film ratings. (For the purposes of this writing, I’m only addressing language. Sex and violence is a completely different issue.)

When I was in college, a professor in the telecommunications department at Ball State University informed me that a film got an R rating with its fourth utterance of the “F-word.” And when I look at the films of that time, that seems to be accurate. Films like 1995′s “The American President” and 1997′s “As Good As It Gets” both have PG-13 ratings and each use the word or some variation of it three times. 1989′s “When Harry Met Sally…” has exactly four and has an R.

Today, when I listen to commentary tracks on DVDs, I constantly hear filmmakers say things like, “We were only allowed to use the word one time and still maintain a PG-13 rating.” Assuming that films now get an R rating for the second use of the word, does that mean that all those PG-13 rated films of the mid-90s are now inappropriate for younger viewers because they used it more frequently? Should we go back and re-rate all these films to reflect what the MPAA ratings board currently thinks is appropriate for our children? Should a film like 1976′s “All the President’s Men,” which is rated PG, now carry an R? It uses some variation of that word a total of 11 times (yes, I counted!). If the film were to be re-released theatrically, would it have to have a different rating than the one assigned to it 36 years ago?

In the end, I think that the MPAA’s rating board is the real bully in this case. I’m not saying that films shouldn’t have ratings. Films like 2009′s “The Hangover” and last year’s smash “Bridesmaids” are clearly aimed at adults and we need some way of conveying that in a film’s marketing campaign. But in the case of “Bully,” the film has the potential to change lives for the better, particularly those of bullied teens. And yet, the MPAA seems intent on protecting children from hearing and seeing on a movie screen that which they already deal with on a daily basis. Are they really this afraid of words? I can’t decide if the ratings board is prudish, out of touch, or just in denial. Perhaps it’s all three.

We play certain pieces at different times in our lives for different reasons. The right music can make a good mood better and a bad mood tolerable. Music has the power to evoke memories. It can make us dance, it can make as laugh, it can make us cry. It can lift us from the lowest depths and can take us to highs we hadn’t known existed. Whether or not that was the artist’s aim is irrelevant. What we feel when we listen is what matters most.

Some music can almost become part of our DNA. We’ve listened to those songs so many times we know where every drum beat should go. It moves us so much we wave our arms in the air in magnificently flawless air guitar (or piano or drum) solos. (Maybe that’s just me.)

Sometimes its music that made its mark at that magical first listening and stayed with us long after. Other times it may be music we’ve heard hundreds of times, but something happened in our lives that made us relate to it in a different way.

I suspect we all are attached to music that we can’t imagine being without. If we were stranded on a desert island, it’s the music we would want with us. With this in mind, I present my:

Top 5 “Desert Island” Albums:

1. “Abbey Road” by the Beatles (1969). “Abbey Road” is my favorite album of all time, which is odd because my favorite band is actually the Rolling Stones. What’s even odder is that my favorite Beatles song (“Let It Be”) is not on “Abbey Road.” But there’s something (no pun intended) about this album, the last that the Beatles recorded as a cohesive unit, that just moves me. The cover is like a great painting that you can’t stop looking at, and I can listen to the music over and over and still feel that I’m hearing something new. I don’t know if it’s because it takes me back to when I first heard it as a teenager or if it’s because it evokes certain memories. For some reason, I connected with that album in ways I can’t describe. And even though I don’t listen to it as often as the other albums on this list (or even albums that aren’t on this list), that connection has had a lasting impact for more than 20 years. It will always be my favorite album.

2. “Abraxas” by Santana (1970). As my father once pointed out, I was practically raised on this album. According to legend (and Dad tells this story much better than I do), I was a very colicky infant. My parents would take turns trying to get me to go to sleep. One night in desperation, Dad put this album (Santana’s sophomore effort) on the turntable and I went out like a light. For the rest of my infancy, that’s what he would play to get me to go to sleep (along with Santana’s first and third albums). Growing up, I don’t recall ever playing it. When I was a freshman in college I bought it on CD and it all came flooding back to me like some sort of unblocked repressed memory. I knew that Dad played it to put me to sleep (interesting note: 38 years later, it still works), but he had never told me the actual story until the summer of 2000. Now when I listen to the album, I feel closer not just to the music, but to my father as well.

3. “Let It Bleed” by the Rolling Stones (1969). My favorite album by my favorite band. “Let It Bleed” is an eclectic amalgamation of all types of music. You’ve got blues (a magnificent cover of Robert Johnson’s “Love in Vain”), you’ve got country (“Country Honk” — a country version of “Honky Tonk Women”), you’ve got outright rock ‘n’ roll (“Monkey Man,” “Gimme Shelter” and “Live With Me”). You could argue that with the appearance of the London Bach Choir on the beginning of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (my personal theme song), that you even have a smidgen of classical in the mix. For me, that mix of varying styles is what made the album (and pretty much everything the Stones recorded between 1968 and 1972) stand out. I discovered it around the same time as “Abbey Road,” age 17 or 18, and it’s still with me.

4. “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen (1975). In the movie “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” Glenn Holland (played superbly by Richard Dreyfuss) tells his wife a story about how someone once gave him a record by John Coltrane. He played it and hated it. It made no sense to him. So he played it again. He played it again and again and, before too long, he couldn’t stop playing it. He absolutely fell in love with the music. This is exactly my relationship with Bruce Springsteen. Never liked him as a kid. Today I have all his albums. Even though I’ve connected with some others on a deeper level than this one (I’m still trying to figure out a way to thank him for 2002′s “The Rising”), “Born to Run” always puts a smile on my face. From the piano and harmonica duet that begins “Thunder Road,” all the way through the closing moments of the epic “Jungleland,” this album just makes me want to get behind the wheel of any car with a manual transmission and go wherever the open road will take me.

5. “Cheap Thrills” by Big Brother & the Holding Company (1968). This and “Born To Run” are interchangeable when it comes to their position on this list. If you have trouble finding “Cheap Thrills” in your record store (assuming you can still find a record store), look under “J.” Most record stores insist on filing Big Brother under Janis Joplin. I, however, insist that they are not necessarily one and the same. Yes, Janis sang with them and became a star because of them. However, Big Brother existed before she joined them and continued to record after she struck out on her own. This album, their second, was the first to approximate the intensity of their live performances. In fact, much of the album was recorded live at the Fillmore Auditorium. Their self-titled first album was recorded by producers and engineers who were used to folk and jazz music. Consequently, the sound of the album was a bit too clean compared to the band’s live performances. “Cheap Thrills” allowed them the chance to play with things like distortion and feedback and make an actual rock album. The sound is a little raw, particularly on the live recordings, but that’s what makes the album work. Janis sang with soulful ferocity, and the rest of Big Brother played with that same quality, which really comes through on this album.

I’d love to hear from you. What are your favorite albums?

Chipmunk No. 4 apparently was the last one that found its way into the house. The Havaheart trap, still set in the kitchen, has been undisturbed for more than a week.

That tells me that my handyman and I were successful. We scoured every inch of the house exterior and did find a place where chipmunks could enter. A small opening in an attached storage shed was directly adjacent to the wall between the kitchen and family room. That wall is covered by a built-in book case on the family room side, so there’s no way to see if there’s an breach in it. But I’m guessing there is. The bookcase also has a couple of open spaces that were cut out for electrical outlets — perfect chipmunk passageways into the family room.

The opening in the storage shed has been sealed! Problem solved. (And fingers crossed …)

By the way, my friends Harold and Sue had a similar thrilling chipmunk adventure last fall. Their visitor was entering the house through a dryer vent. When they were sure he was outside, they replaced the vent hose. Problem solved.

My friends agree with me: Chipmunks usually are very cute — but not so much when they’re running around your kitchen.

Chipmunk No. 4 apparently was the last one that found its way into the house. The Havaheart trap, still set in the kitchen, has been undisturbed for more than a week.

That tells me that my handyman and I were successful. We scoured every inch of the house exterior and did find a place where chipmunks could enter. A small opening in an attached storage shed was directly adjacent to the wall between the kitchen and family room. That wall is covered by a built-in book case on the family room side, so there’s no way to see if there’s an breach in it. But I’m guessing there is. The bookcase also has a couple of open spaces that were cut out for electrical outlets — perfect chipmunk passageways into the family room.

The opening in the storage shed has been sealed! Problem solved. (And fingers crossed….)

By the way, my friends Harold and Sue had a similar thrilling chipmunk adventure last fall. Their visitor was entering the house through a dryer vent. When they were sure he was outside, they replaced the vent hose.
Problem solved.

My friends agree with me: Chipmunks usually are very cute — but not so much when they’re running around your kitchen.

I was working at my computer early Sunday morning when something caught my eye. As I looked up, a chipmunk scurried past.

Little critters can be startling but they don’t scare me — not mice or snakes, not rodents or reptiles of any sort. Still, one doesn’t care to share a household with them. First thought: How could he possibly have gotten inside? Second thought: How do I get him out?

Just as the realization sunk in that the second question required an answer first, a second chipmunk appeared from the other side of the room and ran in the same direction as the first.

I stock a supply of Havaheart live traps — three to be exact — so I headed for the barn to dig them out. After setting one in the family room and turning to reach for another, I was distracted by a chipmunk scurrying across the kitchen floor. At that precise moment, the family room trap was triggered. It had caught not one but two chipmunks at the same time.

If Chip and Dale where in chipmunk jail, then who was in the kitchen? Alas, this critter invasion tale only gets worse.

While I was trying to figure out where the third chippy — let’s call him Alvin — was hiding, Hercules-the-Terrierizer charged through the room in hot pursuit of … what? Could there be a fourth chipmunk?

With Herc in a time-out (lest he be the undoing of my Havaheart philosophy), I got a glimpse of No. 4 in the office just before he disappeared under the sofa. Unless, that is, he was Alvin. Could he have slipped past me in the kitchen? I couldn’t be sure. As you’ve probably noticed, all chipmunks look very much alike. And they’re quick.

I placed the two remaining baited traps in rooms where there had been sightings, loaded Chip and Dale into the car and headed for the Michigan state line a mile away. If they got in the house once, they could do it again, and I wasn’t taking any chances. Chip and Dale were going to be Wolverines.

Back home again, the two traps still were undisturbed. I re-baited the one that caught Chip and Dale and hooked Herc up for a walk.

We returned home to a welcome sight. Alvin was in the kitchen trap. I quickly delivered him to the Michigan field where Chip and Dale had been deposited, returned home and re-baited his trap — just in case. But there was no hint of any chippy activity for the rest of the day.

But what should greet me this morning? No. 4 (I’m out of names) in Alvin’s trap, munching contentedly on the peanuts that had lured him inside. Now also a newly relocated Michigander, maybe he’s found his friends. If not, I hope he never finds me again.

At this point, I’m at a loss as to how they got in. My handyman is coming Wednesday to help me figure it out. I won’t rest until we do.

By the way, in case you’ve ever wondered whether Havaheart traps work … they do!

Every once in a while, Jonas will come home from school singing a song I don’t know. I admit that it’s a bit strange. Up until he started school, I knew everything that was a part of his world. If he talked about a TV show, I knew it and had probably watched it with him. If he was telling a story and someone couldn’t understand him, I could translate because I had been there and knew what he was talking about. If he started using some sort of new catch phrase, I could blame myself because he had probably heard me say it first. I knew what he knew.

And then he went off to school. His world began to grow. Suddenly I didn’t know every person or point of influence in his life. And it felt strange.

I suppose I’ve gotten more used to it over the last year-and-a-half, but I have been reminded of that letting go since Adelyn has come along. I’ve been through the newborn stage twice before and yet somehow I had forgotten something: how all-encompassing life with a newborn is. Of course I remember in theory how much work it was, but the true depth had somehow escaped my memory. But for the past five weeks, I have been in the thick of it. I am there for every feeding. I have given her each bath. I know the status of every diaper, whether I change it or not. I am aware of how much she has slept, cried, burped and smiled (even if they were just caused by gas) not just today, but every day since she was born. I know her entire world.

That’s how it used to be with Jonas. I knew his entire world. I was his entire world for a certain amount of time. While there are moments when I want to pull him back in, I enjoy seeing him become his own person. It’s when I look at Adelyn that I realize just how much he has grown and become independent. At that moment, I feel an odd combination of happiness, fear, contentment, uncertainty and pride. It’s no wonder my feelings are so jumbled because as parents we must keep them close, while also letting go. I don’t think it comes as any surprise that as parents, we must allow ourselves to be fully encompassed at the beginning. But the surprise comes when we realize that we can’t be their world forever.

And sometimes they will come home singing songs that we have never heard.