Fresnans must be getting tired of just sitting in the seats at the movies these days. I've been to two movies in the last couple of weeks and I got more than I paid for in my ticket price. Talk about added value for your money -- you get John Travolta, Michael Moore, Michelle Pfeiffer -- and public policy, too! Well, OK!

I caught a screening of "Sicko" and afterward, Will Tranquilli of Fresno was on the aisle passing out flyers titled "Sickened by Sicko?" He was polite, but freely willing to talk about the issue with anyone who asked. His message was, don't let the HMOs buy off our next president. "Ask the presidential candidates to promise not take campaign money from any corporate PACs, lobbyists or executives of HMOs, big health insurers and drug companies," he flyer said. At the bottom, the flyer said, "Paid for by MoveOn.org Political Action, http://pol.moveon.org."

A week or so later, my husband and I caught a Sunday matinee of the movie "Hairspray" and Randy Breugman, Fresno's fire chief, actually appears on the big screen (when the machines are all working right!) He does a commercial encouraging people to upgrade their fire protection to include sprinklers.

There was also a little activist for the arts in the audience. The music for "Hairspray" is infectious, and there were a lot of adults whose feet and hands were tapping. Well, it was just all too much for little Max Rosenthal, who was there with his mother, Aviva, an artist and writer.

Max jumped up and danced his heart out up and down the aisles, unable to contain his enthusiasm. I was up in the stadium seating, and his mom was in the first row. But I could see the silhouette of that little curly head bouncing all over the place. He was just doing what we all wished we could do. Aviva said Max has always been a natural dancer, who just has to move when the music starts. She and Max were kicked out of "Chicago" by when Max was 2 because all that great music and movement was just too much for his little dancing feet. He had to join in. Max hasn't had dancing lessons, but his aunt was a professional dancer, so it might be in his blood.

Get ready, Fresno officials, Max is one powerful spokesman for the arts. A lot of public policy discussions put folks to sleep on the dais. That will never happen when Max is in the house.