More rapid reviews....

More briefs:

I finally viewed “There Will be Blood,” starring Daniel Day Lewis.  This is a great film, save the final third, which is rushed and compressed.  While the end is powerful, it speeds along at a pace that far exceeds that of the first third, which is dedicated to detailed character development.  But Day Lewis is top notch.  He inhabits his character is a way that few actors can and do.  From his raspy voice to his tension-filled forehead, he conveys without hesitation the anger that burdens his character.   We are not certain why there is such anger, but anger there is and Day Lewis owns it.  The cinematography is top notch and the sound track appropriately supports the story.  This is a movie worth seeing again.

“Day, Night, Day Night” is one odd movie.  It’s about a 19 year old girl who takes as her mission to become a suicide bomber in Times Square.  We don’t know what her motivation is, or what cause she represents.  Dialogue is minimal and even when she meets with her fellow terrorist, there is little said that would help us glean motivation.   Her accomplices,  whose heads are covered with sacks, help her fit her bomb device, give her instructions, and take a few dollars while leaving her just enough money to buy some food before the big event.  They also supply her with a pair of too-large shoes, which make a squishing sound when she walks, although the Foley artists seem to have been carried away with highlighting the sound as she walks the streets of Manhattan.   While on her mission, the young woman buys two large pretzels and assorted sweet treats.  She tries to screw up the courage to do the deed, but decides not to.  When she finally pulls the trigger, the device fails to go off.  She attempts to call her contacts, but can’t reach them.  The movie ends.  Better it had been called “A Day in the Life of a Would-Be Terrorist.”  This story leaves so much unsaid that I am not sure what the intent of it was, other than to show the mundane life of a suicide bomber.  I suppose that has some validity, but it focuses the story on the humdrum life of the main character, rather than on any political considerations she might have had that prompted her potentially suicidal mission.  I would not recommend this movie- it will be two hours invested that you will never get back.

 

The New Trinity Baroque presented its annual Candlelight Baroque Concert.  The program consisted of:

• Torelli: Concerto In G Minor, Op. 8/6, "Per Il Santissimo Natale"
• Bernhard: Weihnachtskonzert "Fürchtet euch nicht!" for Soprano, 2 Violins and Continuo
• Torelli: Concerto for Trumpet in D major
• Scarlatti: "Oh di Betlemme altera povertà" ("Cantata pastorale")
• Manfredini: Concerto Grosso No. 12, Op. 3 in C major ("Christmas Concerto")
• Handel: Aria "Let the bright Seraphim" from Samson, HWV 57
• Handel: Aria "Rejoice greatly" from Messiah, HWV 56
• Buxtehude: Passacaglia in D minor, BuxWV 161
  and
• Organ Preludes by J.S. Bach, Buxtehude and Böhm

Conductor Predrag Gosta again programmed a series of works that demonstrate the strength of his musicians and soprano Wanda Yang Tempko.  The sound of this group is so delicate and diaphanous that it is easy to loss oneself in the music, which for me, is a desirable outcome.  Tempko is a perfect complement- her voice is strong and clear, but she never overwhelms.  I was very surprised by the works of Buxtehude.  They were hypnotic and a very early kind of space music that floats lightly and never lands.  The NTB opens the door to Baroque music in a way that recordings never can.  The delicate sounds of the instruments, which sound harsh on most recordings, mixed with the reverberation of St. Bartholomew’s Church in Atlanta makes the sound light, yet sumptuous.  I look forward to every NTB concert. 

“The Tree of Life” is the controversial movie by Louis Malle, starring Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, and Sean Penn.  For me it was a brave new take on movie making and storytelling that combines brilliant cinematography, wonderful music, and careful character development.  This is not a linear story and it uses images, some of which are created by special effects and others from the Hubble, to underscore emotional points, such as a mother wondering why God took her son from her.  Pitt is perfect as a loving but overly strict father, who is frustrated in his life by an inability to get the recognition he feels he deserves for his invention.  He is also frustrated by the fact that he did not become the musician that he really wanted to be.  Sean Penn plays one of Pitt’s adult children.  For me, his performance was overwrought and melodramatic.  Chastain is luminous as Pitt’s cinematic spouse.  She has few lines, but her expressions and movements say everything.  The heart of the film is the relationship between Pitt’s two sons.  The older becomes a rebellious and depressed boy who reacts against his father’s repression.  The younger son, who dies at age 19, is a loving boy who idolizes his older brother.  Malle’s recreation of siblings playing together is stunning.  He sheds light on their maturating relationship related to trusting, loving, imagining, and appreciating life.  I was particularly struck by the character of the younger boy.  He had musical talent, much like his father, and his love for his older brother was touching.  Even when his brother was threatening him physically, he said “I trust you,” and the older boy did not break that trust.  The music chosen for the film was magnificent.  The film ends with Berlioz’s Grand Messe du Mort.  This achingly beautiful music that underscores the promise of reuniting with one’s lost loved ones.  It was the perfect piece to conclude this grand reflection on youth, innocence, ambition, relationships and love.  This movie may confuse, overwhelm, and bore but it will also create wonder and insight. It is one of the best I have ever seen.  

My short career in the movies

Being an extra on the set of “Parental Guidance” was a great experience.  Yes, there is a lot of downtime, and yes, I only had a few seconds of camera time (that may not make into the film), but I learned a lot.  Here are my observations:

1.        I am surprised at how much movie-making takes place in Atlanta.

2.       I was surprised at how many people showed up to be extras.  My estimate is that 200 showed up to be in the concert hall scene.

3.       Seeing an experienced actor like Billy Crystal develop his line delivery through various takes was exciting.  He became more involved in the character each time the scene was repeated.  Bette Midler was impressive in her understanding of the timing of a scene so that its flow was more realistic and funnier.

4.       Crystal and Midler have developed styles of walking through a set that keeps them from engaging extras and crew.  I can understand that easily enough.  Why would anyone want to say hello to all 300 people involved in a scene.  Of course, the crew is used to seeing the talent more than the extras are, but the self protective style of not making eye contact helps maintain their privacy.

5.       Breakfast and lunch were provided for the extras.  I thought it was decent but others complained a bit about it.  It was free, so I didn’t feel the need to be too critical.  The crew had access to a buffet throughout the day. there is no doubt that extras are at the bottom of the food chain.

6.       I am allergic to the makeup used.  I was very aware that I had something on my skin; maybe with time I will get used to it.

7.       The work day could last up to 14 hours.  Both Crystal and Midler were on set most of the day.  They didn’t retreat to a trailer.  It takes a great deal of stamina to maintain that pace.

8.       There were three child actors.  One seemed to be about five-years old.  Of course a child that age needs constant encouragement to stay focused and to tolerate the need for retakes.  It is also important to allow them to be kids.  But, this young made was told repeatedly how great he is by person after person.  He also had people taking care of his hair and his clothing.  He was hanging around with A-list celebrities and crew.  It is no wonder that some of these young people begin to overestimate their value, and when they no longer have marketability, feel cheated, angry, and unhappy.  It is easy to see why they run into problems as they age.

9.       I was surprised at how each scene has to be planned so carefully and shot multiple times because of camera angles, the substitution of stunt actors, timing, continuity, and acting, including flubbed lines.  I now look at scenes differently when watching a story, that is, I now appreciate how much went into getting it just right.

10.   The good news for film actors is that don’t have to memorize long scripts before each scene is shot.  Since each lasts at most a few minutes, it’s seems relatively easy for the actors to memorize the lines for the next few minutes of filming. 

11.   The scene I was involved with was filmed at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center in Atlanta.  A symphony orchestra was on stage, and a violin soloist had to play a few bars of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto over and over.  She had to stand for some time between takes.  I was surprised that she wasn’t offered a chair.  I have been tired of the Tchaikovsky for some time- it is over programmed in the concert hall.  The repetition for the film did not make me like it any more. 

12.   There are a large number of people on a set.  Each seems to know what to do next.  Because I don’t understand the flow of work, I was wondering how each person knew what to do next, but I know that we all learn our jobs over time and we don’t need a road map on how to do them. 

13.   I admire the steadicam operator.  According to one crew person, the camera and mount weigh about 50 pounds and seems to put a great deal of stress on the camera person’s back.  The operator didn’t seem to wince once. 

14.   The lighting of the set seemed very white.  I suppose that when it is photographed or when the film is in post-production, the light is softened.

I really enjoyed my short career as an extra.  I learned a lot, and I also met many enjoyable people.  I hope that I can land similar parts in the near future.   

The Magnificent Pittsburgh Symphony in Berlin on 9/11

Cape Cod Symposium on Addictive Disorders

Last weekend I attended the C4 Recovery Solutions Board meeting and portions of the Cape Cod Symposium on Addictive Disorders.  It was great to see colleagues with whom I have lost touch over the years.  It is also exciting to see advances in treatment for substance use disorders and to feel the enthusiasm that substance professionals feel for their field.  I also liked the opportunity to talk with adults who know how to listen to others in a mutually supportive way.  Hearing my story was just as important to them as was their story for me.  I am not used to such mutuality!

I attended a session about trauma-informed treatment for men.  I have advocated for some time that men’s issues with body image, sexuality, and abuse should be attended to.  Hearing about the emergence of a substance abuse treatment strategy specifically designed to address these issues for men was exciting.

Asus Transformer

I have not done product reviews, up to now. I purchased an Asus Transformer tablet and docking keyboard and have used both for about two months.  This is one wonderful piece of equipment.  It runs Android 3.2.  The tablet began with 3.1, but Asus has upgraded it three times.  Others complain about Android Honeycomb, but I find it nimble and stable.  After a recent update, the Transformer supports Netflix.  The Android market place has an enormous number of apps, the majority of which scale from phone to tablet size.  With the keyboard, the tablet becomes a netbook or small laptop.  The Tablet came with Polaris, which enables document development that is compatible with Office.  The integration of Honeycomb with all Google products is very good.  The Transformer also allows the user to choose how a web-site sees the tablet.  It can either see it as a “phone” or as a computer.  The latter allows me to see websites in their full glory rather than in phone-app mode.  The tablet provides mini-HDNI output, so I can watch movies and TV shows running on the tablet through my TV in high definition.  I have an app that is no longer available on the market but that enables me to stream movies and TV shows not available on Netflix or OnDemand.   The entire package supports micro SDHC memory, as well as standard SDHC cards.  It also provides a USB port.  I use the tablet as an e-reader.  Both Kindle and Nook apps are tablet-optimized.  Another good reader is Aldiko that has a wide selection of free books. 

I have never owned an iPad, but I must confess that I have had terrible experiences with iTunes in the past and do not ever want it on my computer.  Also, I like Android’s drag and drop capability.  The Transformer is currently available for $350 at a big box store. 

If I had five thumbs, the Transformer would receive them.  

Brief reviews

Brief Reviews:

1.     1.    Jackie Evancho was at Symphony Hall.  I have to give it to the 12-year old young lady.  She has a very good voice and a nice stage presence.  She doesn’t interact with the audience, and the program has a few filler classical pieces, but I imagine a full length concert would play havoc with her voice.  She performed a beautiful “Angel” by Sarah MacLachlan, which was incorrectly attributed in the program to Rossini.  It’s a beautiful song, but a tad dark for someone so young:

Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it okay
There's always one reason
To feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
Oh beautiful release
Memory seeps from my veins
Let me be empty
And weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

In the arms of the angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here

So tired of the straight line
And everywhere you turn
There's vultures and thieves at your back
And the storm keeps on twisting
You keep on building the lie
That you make up for all that you lack
It don't make no difference
Escaping one last time
It's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh
This glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

In the arms of the angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here

2.      “The Rise of the Planet of the Apes” is a fairly good movie. Its premise that the ape’s have their intelligence improved by a drug designed to combat Alzheimer’s in humans is interesting, if improbably.  This premise, however, is a direct descendant of the theme in the 1999 movie “Deep Blue Sea.”  The CGI effects are very good, but would have been better if they could have made James Franco a good actor.  He looked stoned in this movie also.  I hope that this begins a new franchise of the Apes movies. 

3.      I watched the entire “Rubicon” TV show in a two-day marathon.  I take back anything negative I have previously said about it.  It is creepy and spooky, appropriate for a show that deals with spies and espionage.  James Badge Dale is very good as Will, the story’s hero who is attempting to ferret out the truth behind the relationship between his employee, the American Policy Institute, and certain disasters that occurred in the recent past.  Arliss Howard (Debra Winger’s husband) played Kale Ingram (great name, no?) who is a the 2^nd in command at API, but apparently not involved in all of the nastiness.  One episode has Ingram, along with one of his former CIA colleagues dispose of a body in Will’s apartment, using power saws and other grisly instruments.  Howard was perfectly cast in this role and played it with great reserve and unflappability.  The most sinister character is Tuxton Spangler (another great name), the head of API and played by Michael Cristofer.  He is grandfatherly but nasty to the core.  The fictional API reminds me of the Washington, DC consulting firms that are headed up by megalomaniacal owners who believe that only their own thoughts are good and worth attending to.  They also believe that their companies do the best work in the world.  Any company that believes that is the best can’t be the best, since it cannot even see itself clearly.  The offices of API look just like those I have worked in.  A rabbit warren of overly small offices seems to de rigueur for these companies. Finally Truxton Spangler reminded me of someone in my past who acted grandfatherly, promised me a long-term career, and then engineered downsizing my position out the door.  

Questions about Social Security

Questions about Social Security:

1.       If indeed our OASDI taxes go into the Social Security trust fund and do not require funds from general  revenues, how can it be a leading cause of the budget deficit?  And what about:

EXCLUSION OF SOCIAL SECURITY FROM ALL BUDGETS Pub. L. 101-508, title XIII, Sec. 13301(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104Stat. 1388-623, provided that: Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the receipts and disbursements of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund shall not be counted as new budget authority, outlays, receipts, or deficit or surplus for purposes of - (1) the budget of the United States Government as submitted by the 

President, (2) the congressional budget, or (3) the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

2.       

W   Why do we pay OASDI only up to $106,800 of income?  Why should someone who makes $50,000 pay on 100% of their income, while those who make millions or billions have to pay OASDI taxes on only a fraction of their income?  I know the reason, but I think the question should be asked.

3.       If we raise the retirement age to 68 or 69, what happens to someone who loses their job at age 67?  Have you seen any company (other than Walmart) who are willing to hire someone at that age?  Because our society devalues older people, how are they to get employment until they are eligible for benefits?

Cruelty, yes, but democratically determined cruelty

I cannot get too worked up about the events in Wisconsin, Ohio and South Dakota.  The citizens of these states voted for the governments they have.  Last I looked; we still live in a republic.  Now I may abhor what is happening, I think that the citizens of those states should live with the consequences of their votes.  If teachers are laid off and have no collective bargaining rights, so be it.  If women must wait an unusually long period of time and endure counseling before an abortion, so be it.  Voters must experience first-hand how all of us rely on government aid and services.  Our citizenry isn’t very bright (think the sign that said “Keep your government hands off my social security”) and that 20 percent believe that Obamacare has been repealed.  I don’t think we can expect those of limited view to really understand what the government does until it affects them directly.  So, to those who are being injured, physically, economically or otherwise by these events, you have my sympathy, but this is the will of the people.  I personally believe it means that we are entering an era of extreme selfishness and cruelty.  But, the electorate has made its selection. 

Payback is a bitch!

On Thursday, I was anticipating my trip to see the ASO.  I stopped at my mailbox to gather the mail.  And what came screaming out at me?  An ad for Weight Watchers New PointsPlus with “It’s a new day” blazoned over a picture of Jennifer Hudson.  The tag line is part of that awful TV commercial she made, about which I have already made known my displeasure. 

Ageism Rears it Ugly Head

Yesterday I read an article about Calvin Klein. As I like to do, I read the comments that people left. Many said that Mr. Klein looks very good for his age. It brought to mind a joke my Dad used to tell. It seems that this was this 12-year old who was going to his first school dance. He told his father that he didn’t want to go because he was afraid to talk to girls. His Dad advised to ask a young lady to dance and then when they start to dance, say something nice about her. So Saturday evening comes and the young man has been standing alone for about 20 minutes. He screws up his courage and asks a young lady to dance, who had been sitting by herself. They get out on the dance floor and his palms were sweating, but he remembered his Father’s advice. So he says to the young lady “Gee, for a fat girl, you don’t stink much!”


To me this joke is funny because the father’s advice, well intentioned as it was, did not impart good manners, and the boy’s comments reveal his feeling about heavy girls.

To me, comments about a person that include the phrase “for his age (or other similar constructions) informs me about how a person thinks about others in the same category. If someone said, “She’s not loud, for a black woman,” or “He’s nice looking, for an Asian man,” or “She is thin, for a Latina”, we would be shocked and probably appalled. It’s no different when referring to someone’s age.

To me, Helen Mirren is beautiful- not for her age. The same is true for Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergin and millions of other mature women. The same is true for mature men. So the lesson is, next time you see me, you can say I look good, but forget about adding “for my age.”  Ageism isn’t pretty at any age.

Mental Illness on the National Stage

The shootings in Arizona (and the recent school shootings in Nebraska that did not receive much national attention) (see: http://www.action3news.com/Global/story.asp?S=13826122) were sad for those involved as well as for our nation.  I hope that all involved can endure the pain of their losses and find strength as a result. 

My condolences also go to the parents of Jared Laughner, the alleged shooter.  Their pain, shame, and guilt must be tremendous; particularly as they ponder their contributions to his behavior- as we all do when our offspring do something that is unacceptable.  In time, they may come to realize that, in fact, they are not nearly as responsible as they likely think they are.  I hope that they can endure their pain and find strength also.

I am troubled by the national discussion that Mr. Laughner is mentally ill and that he somehow “slipped between the cracks.” No one bothers to define what they mean by “mental illness” so the analysis is particularly specious.  Further, this kind of analysis is wrong on so many levels.  As best I can tell, there seems to be an assumption that only mentally ill people could shoot innocent people in this manner. (Note that we never called the 9/11 perpetrators mentally ill, but rather “terrorists.”  The national discussion after the Columbine shootings labeled Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold as mentally ill also.  Maybe the difference in labeling is that foreigners (especially Muslims) are called terrorists while American killers are “mentally ill.”)

I do not make the assumption that someone who shoots another is mentally ill.  To me, it gives the vast majority of persons with mental illness a bad name.  In fact, people who shoot others are angry, disaffected, marginalized, lonely, unhappy people.  Even with all of that baggage, it does not make all shooters mentally ill.  I have read some of the material written by Laughner that the news media cite as evidence of mental illness.  So far, I have not seen anything that is particularly wild, paranoid, or out of touch.  He may seem angry, disaffected, marginalized, lonely, and unhappy, but so far, I have not seen anything that would lead me to believe he is mentally ill. Because he writes material that is esoteric or focuses on out-of-the-mainstream thought also does not justify calling him mentally ill.  In fact, I was listening to NPR the other day and heard a discussion of poetry on the Krista Tippet “Being” show.  I am way too concrete a thinker to understand poetry and the satisfaction people get from reading it.  But Tippet and her guest talked about poetry in ways that I thought was esoteric and possibly outside of the mainstream.  Tippet kept using the term “the other” to reference people who are different.  If I were like so many discussing the Arizona shooter, I might call Tippet mentally ill, which is likely very untrue. 

If we allow ourselves to tie up Mr. Laughner in a little package called “mentally ill”, we will miss the bigger picture about how people become shooters, for example, what are the political, cultural and societal issues that permit shooting to be an acceptable way to deal with grievances.  We know that there are a myriad of individual, social, family, spiritual issues that make shooting acceptable, but those issues float within a cultural pool.  Let us not fail to address the larger issues while we focus only on the individual and his hypothesized mental illness. 

Finally, if Laughner is found, by competent authority, to be mentally ill, then may we not then say that “he fell through the cracks.”  In fact, there may have been nothing in his behavior that was remarkable (except when people apply present facts to interpret past behavior) that would have caused him to come into contact with a social service agency.  There may have been no cracks to fall through.  Let’s not blame the mental health safety net for somehow failing to see the raging demons in Laughner when there may not have been any that were visible. 

It’s just too easy for us to let ourselves off the hook by saying that shooters like Laughner, Kelbold, and Harris are mentally ill.  To do so says that we want to only hold “sick” individuals responsible rather than examining our own roles in setting the occasion for these tragedies to happen.  Maybe we have no collective guilt, but if we do, let’s be sure we find out why and address it so that situations like Arizona, Nebraska, and Columbine don’t happen again. 

Folk Music?

During a fit of insomnia, I watched one of the semi-annual PBS pitches for funding.  The hawking was wrapped around a retrospective show of the folk-music craze of the late 1950s and 60s.  It was hosted by John Sebastian.  The show was a fascinating look at a phenomenon that I remembered as reflecting and to some degree encouraging the peace and civil rights movements.  I was surprised to hear how bland the music was. Many of the songs had no edge or grit.  The performers often seemed smug and cute.  “If I had a Hammer”, sung by Trini Lopez was a great example of a fine song being trivialized.   In fact, some of it was just silly, e.g., “Don’t Let the Rain Fall Down, “and   “Tom Dooley.” To include these novelty songs with Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” in the same category does an injustice to some really good music. 

There were, however,  some notable exceptions to the white-bread nature of this music. One was “Kingston Town” by Harry Balafonte.  In the video of him performing the song, he was smooth and handsome and he had a wonderful smoky voice.  Another was Jesse Colin Young singing “Get Together,” which became an anthem for peace and brotherhood.  Young continues to have a great voice and passion to go with it.  There was a duet of Pete Seeger and Judy Collins singing “Turn! Turn! Turn!”  Seegar had written the melody for the song, the lyrics of which came from the biblical Ecclesiastes. Collins’ voice was pure and without the cold edge that had come to characterize her more mature voice.  However, this beautiful song was like easy listening music.  In contrast, Roger McGuinn reprised the Byrds’ rock-tinged, grittier version of the song. It was a wonderful contrast to the Collins-Seeger rendition and it was apparent that the Byrds had transformed the song’s lyricism with musical power. 

The most powerful portion of the show, however, was sung by, of all people, Bobby Darin.  This rat-pack-in-waiting singer had written one of the most potent lyrics for “A Simple Song of Freedom:”

Come and sing a simple song of freedom
Sing it like you've never sung before
Let it fill the air
Tell the people everywhere
We, the people here, don't want a war

Hey there, Mister Black Man can you hear me?
I don't want your diamonds or your game
I do want to be someone known to you as me
and I will bet my life you want the same

Come and sing a simple song of freedom
Sing it like you've never sung before
Let it fill the air
Tell the people everywhere
We, the people here, don't want a war

Seven hundred million are enlisted
Most of what you read, most of what you read, is made of lies
But speaking one to one, ain't it everybody's sun
To wake to in the morning when we rise?

Come and sing a simple song of freedom
Sing it like you've never sung, never sung, before
Let it fill the air
Tell the people everywhere
We, the people here, don't want a war

No doubt some folks enjoy doin' battle
Like presidents, prime ministers and kings
So let's all build them shelves so they can fight among themselves
and leave us be those who want to sing

Come and sing a simple song of freedom
Sing it like you've never, ever, sung before
Let it fill the air
Tell the people everywhere
We, the people here, don't want a war

Come and sing a simple song of freedom
Sing it like you've never, ever, sung before
Speaking one to one
Ain't it everybody's sun
To wake to in the morning when we rise
Speaking one to one
Ain't it everybody's sun
To wake to in the morning when we rise

This powerful paean to peace and freedom stills strikes home some 50 years later.  It surprised me that Darin, a wannabe Vegas entertainer, penned this and had the chutzpah to sing it on national television.  Go Bobby Darin!  I hope that it might be heard by Bush/ Obama, Kim Jong Il, Ahmajinedad, Netanyahu,  Bin Laden, the pope,  radical Christians and Muslims to name just a few of the tyrants and warmongers on the world stage today.  

Mining Disaster- an American Tale

It all started when 33 miners were trapped one half mile below the desert surface south of Phoenix, Arizona.  The copper mine where they worked was in a hill composed of dense rock. The miners, five of whom were women and six of whom were African-American were employees of the Arizona Mining Company, one of the largest copper mining concerns in the world.  The country was stunned by the plight of these miners and the cable news services provided non-stop coverage of the event.  President Obama took time to address the nation about the tragedy.  He spoke from the White House Rose Garden about the bravery of the miners and their families and was about to ask for everyone to pray for them, and to urge Congress to appropriate $10 million for the recovery effort and to compensate the miners and their families.   Unfortunately, the presidential teleprompter malfunctioned so the President had to cut his comments about five minutes short.  The noise of the presidential helicopter soon drowned out the proceedings, as the President and his family were whisked away to Andrews Air Force base, where they boarded their flight for a vacation in the south of France.  Soon thereafter, Speaker Pelosi introduced legislation to appropriate the $10 million.  It passed the House and made its way to the Senate, where debate over the measure was intense.  Many Republicans argued that the portion of the bill designed to provide support to the miners and their families was simply another unnecessary government bailout.  They instead moved to cap the liability of the Arizona Mining Company in this situation.  As a result, each miner could sue to recover no more than $5,000 in damages. 

During the debate, TV commentators opined about the maneuvering in Congress.  Pat Robertson said that the mine disaster was God’s retribution for the recent federal court action that ruled “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” unconstitutional.  Glenn Beck decried the notion that the government would involve itself at all in what was essentially a private sector matter.  He urged Christian churches to open their pocketbooks to assist the miners and their families, and urged members of Congress to defeat the aid bill.  Ed Shultz, on CNBC, was outraged that the government wasn’t doing more. He urged that $20 million be appropriated with no liability cap.  He also interviewed both Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who accused the Senators who did not support the bill of being racist, given that some of the miners were African American.  Similarly, Rachel Maddow interviewed attorney Gloria Allred who, on behalf of the female miners, accused the recalcitrant Senators of sexism.  On the O’Reilly show, Maricopa County (AZ) Sheriff Joe Arpaio said that he had reviewed the employment records of the miners and found that two of them may be in the country illegally.  He announced that he would station two of his deputies at the mining site these undocumented workers should they be rescued.  Sharron Angle, Republican candidate for senate in AZ, announced that several Caucasian miners, who were also employed by Arizona Mining, had been found beheaded in the desert.  She urged all Americans to pray that this would not happened to any of the miners now entombed below ground, although she would not address reporters’ questions about whether she was saying that the allegedly illegal immigrant miners posed a threat to their colleagues.

Tea Party members demonstrated night and day in front of the Capital with signs saying “Another Obama Bailout” and “No more deficit spending, even for miners” and “No government funds for Health Care for Miners.”  An elderly couple had to be rushed to the hospital when their oxygen concentrators shorted out in the rain.  Another demonstrator was seriously injured when his electric scooter tipped over.  HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that her department would do all it could to expedite payment for new medical equipment for these brave Americans.

 

After two weeks of debate the Senate was poised to vote on a $4 million appropriation to help rescue the miners and support their families.  The Administration signaled that it was happy with this bipartisan compromise. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) ultimately filibustered the bill and it died. No money was to be forthcoming from the government.  

The Arizona Mining Company had worked feverishly to drill a hole into the stone to enable it to regain contact with its workers.  Everyone was elated when the drill broke through and contact was again made with the miners.  Seemingly in good spirits, the miners asked for some of their favorite food to be sent down.  Thirty three Big Macs and supersized fries and cokes were carefully delivered down the new shaft and the miners were heard cheering to celebrate the arrival of food.  The McDonald’s crporation offered to provide an unlimited supply of it menu to be delivered to the miners every day. 

Mining company officials began to drill a two foot in diameter shaft that would enable them to send  a rescue capsule to bring each of the miners up one-by-one.  After two months of drilling, the new shaft was complete.  The capsule was introduced to the public at a news conference held by Harry Pennington, CEO of Arizona mining.  The rescue vehicle was about six feet long with a diameter of just less than two feet.  After the unveiling, the capsule was lowered in a test run, where all seemed to go well. 

After about a day, Mr. Pennington announced that there were some major technical difficulties with the plan.  Apparently, only about 13 of the miners would fit into the capsule because of its limited size.  He said that his company would do all it could try to address the issue. Unfortunately, it would not be possible to increase the size of the new shaft without endangering the integrity of the shaft itself.  The unionized miners, in a show of solidarity, said that none of them would return to the surface unless all of them could. 

Today, the New York Daily News announced in its headline “Game Over for Dead Miners.” President Obama, at a photo op with Hamid Karzai, expressed his sympathy to the families and announced that violence on the ground had been reduced in Afghanistan.  He also declared that, in its pursuit of Afghani peace, America shows itself again to be the greatest country in the world.  He ended by saying “God Bless America.”

American Public Policy

I have been thinking a lot about the sorry state of our country. For the last 10 years we have had incompetence in the White House and things are looking bleak for the middle class. Our government has been reduced to two- or three-word slogans that define our public policy. Here are some of the most memorable:


1. Redistribution of Wealth (mostly from the middle to the top)

2. Government Takeover

3. Family Values

4. Cut and Run

5. Pro-Life and Pro-Choice

6. Support our Troops (particularly vacuous)

7. God Bless America (and presumably no place else)

8. America- the great country in the world (its more than three words)

9. God Fearing

10. Main Street vs. Wall Street

11. Socialism, Communism, Capitalism, Fascism

12. America is the Greatest Democracy in the World

13. Corporations are People

14. In God We Trust

15. Death Panels

16. Welfare Queens

17. Sanctity of Marriage

18. State of Israel

19. West Bank

20. Anti-Semitism

21. Racism

22. Islamophobia

23. War on Terror

24. War of Drugs

25. Ground Zero

26. Mission Accomplished

27. Weapons of Mass Destruction (a particular favorite of mine)

28. Zionism

29. Nation Building

30. Axis of Evil

31. Nuclear threat (usually applied to a country we don’t like, e.g., Iran but never Israel)

32. Activist Judges

33. Radical Islamists

34. Obamacare

35. Hope and Change (a true bill of goods)

36. Deficits

37. Insurgency (as opposed to freedom fighters)

38. Transformational

39. Old White Men (a phrase that is racist, sexist, and ageist- quite some accomplishment)

40.  Patriotism



I am sure if I were really clever, I could put this to the tune of “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”

Nick Drake

From the Morning- Nick Drake

A day once dawned, and it was beautiful

A day once dawned from the ground

Then the night she fell

And the air was beautiful

The night she fell all around.

So look see the days

The endless coloured ways

And go play the game that you learnt

From the morning.

And now we rise

And we are everywhere

And now we rise from the ground

And see she flies

And she is everywhere

See she flies all around

So look see the sights

The endless summer nights

And go play the game that you learnt

From the morning.

One thing AT&T gets right is finding music for its TV commercials.  The latest, the one that looks like it was done by Christo and Jean-Claude but was not, uses a song by Nick Drake.  The song, titled “From the Morning,” is gentle, and sung by Drake in a melancholy yet intimate way.  I knew nothing about Drake, so found this information on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Drake).  Drake had an all too short life, yet has become an admired artist in England and elsewhere.  If you listen to his other songs, they too are sad, lonely, and isolated.  His use of marijuana, combined with his depression hung heavy over his lyrics and his death.  He died not from a life of excess, as many singers have, but from a life of isolation and sadness.  

Banished

Overused adjectives that I want to avoid:

Cute

Amazing

Wonderful

Fierce

Fabulous

Incredible

And something to be avoided always:

Like (e.g., I was like so happy….)

Photos and Ogres come in various packages

1. I saw “Toy Story III” with friends. It is a movie that I would never choose to see on my own. The animation is skillfully done and the 3-D effects were used with reserve. The film is about the value of family, friends, loyalty, steadfastness, and bravery. It is clearly a fantasy.


2. I saw the latest in the “Shrek” series. This is a movie that I chose to see. It is about the value of family, friends, loyalty, steadfastness, and bravery. It, too, is a fantasy. But I know the characters more so I trust that it’s not just manipulative. I also like Mike Myers.

3. Monday night TV is a wasteland for me, so I grabbing a straws (what does that mean?). This past week “Rizzoli and Isles” debuted and I took a chance on watching it. The lead characters are played by Angie Harmon (Rizzoli) and Sasha Alexander (Isles). R is a cop and I is a medical examiner. The plot was full of holes and the characters were poorly developed. These two women were friends, but apparently had never been to each other’s homes. This is probably attributable to poor writing and an effort to get us familiar with the characters as quickly as possible. Alexander is beautiful and stylish. She is feminine and her character may turn out to be interesting. For me, Harmon is something of a conundrum. She is a former model and has had a series of cancelled TV shows. I think her character is supposed to be plain and not into girly stuff. She put on lipstick to attract an FBI agent, but it was the same color as her skin. Harmon is oddly not feminine. That’s not to say that she is “butch” but she doesn’t have the natural grace that I would expect from a former model. It’s that kind of grace that can’t be taught and thus can’t be unlearned. Sharon Gless also seemed a bit unfeminine in the classic female detective show “Cagney and Lacey”, but make no mistake; Tyne Daly was no Sasha Alexander. I will continue to watch this show, but only because it’s on Monday.

4. HGTV has jumped the shark. The latest “Design Star” contest is a bust. The decorators are given silly tasks, like designing a room inspired by clothing. Each decorator has to have their chosen piece of clothing reflected in the design, and then the judges determine whose clothing is indeed represented. Two of the judges are nearly silent (Candice Olsen and Genevieve Gorder). The third judge, Vern Yip, is a humorless ogre (with all due respect to Shrek). Gorder is not a great decorator; Olsen is, but she seems to have a big budget when designing rooms so they are nice but expensive, and always in the same style. I like Yip- he is known for designing cool modern spaces. But he is just nasty on this show. The judges are seated on chairs without a table. They look so uncomfortable. Olsen looks to be about six feet tall and Yip is about five and a half feet tall. Her legs look like they are everywhere and his don’t seem to reach the floor. Ugh.


HGTV has become a real estate program. It’s all about selling and buying houses. What happened to design? One of its shows deals with selling million dollar condos in New York. If you can afford one of those places, you likely wouldn’t be watching HGTV.

A Tribute to Chicago

To see all of my phtos, click here:http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=64846&id=1510516273&l=3ba90cfc70

Chicago is such a beautiful city. I was fortunate to be there three times this year. The architecture in its downtown buildings is second to none. The city has maintained it classically designed buildings, but is certainly in the forefront of modern design. It seems to have avoided the brutalist mistakes of the 1970’s and the post-modern designs of the 1990s, although some postmodern ugliness does exist. But its new buildings are spectacular. The city planners seem to do so much right in the downtown area. They seem to understand that retail is not the salvation of a city, although there is plenty of retail, and that residences alone are not a panacea, although there is much living space in downtown. This city seems to understand that downtowns must be destinations that have attractions that can be found nowhere else in the area. Yes, there are beaches along the lake but Chicago has more than beaches. It has entertainment, e.g., the Navy Pier, the Pritzger amphitheater; it has water features, e.g., the glass blocks that have pictures of Chicagoans as the water-spouting “sculptures”. The city has the Cloud Gate, the ever-fascinating sculpture in Millennium Park. The beautiful Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum and the Aquarium are built on peninsulas that have wonderful views of the skyline. Downtown Chicago is a place where people want to be, just not those who live in the high-rises. Many other cities could learn lessons on design from Chicago. I think of Chattanooga and Pittsburgh that have done a good job of making their riverfronts accessible and pedestrian friendly. But they lack the energy, and yes, fun that Chicago has given its lake front. In Pittsburgh, the river walks are good for bicyclists and runners- not for people seeking a hotdog, a fun time, or even a restroom.

I spent several hours in the Chicago Art Institute. I thought I die and went to heaven. Its collection of modern art (post 1990) is extraordinary. It has Picasso, Seurat (the” Grand Jatte” in all of its glory), Magritte, Brancusi, Giacometti, Braque, Bolotowsky, Mondrian, and the list goes on. Its contemporary collection is no less impressive. The Institute’s new Modern wing is a study on how a solid structure can be designed to look light

On my last night, I attended a concert in the Pritzger amphitheater. In the warm Chicago evening, it was a thrill to be seated in an outdoor structure designed by Frank Gehry surrounded by magnificent skyscrapers. This is truly America’s city Beautiful.

Fresh Air about Emily Dickinson

I was driving home from Atlanta tonight and caught “Fresh Air” with Terri Gross. She is the best interviewer- she should replace Larry King. She interviewed Billy Collins, for US poet laureate about Emily Dickinson. I admit that I have never liked poetry that much. It always seemed more efficient to simply say what you mean rather than bury the meaning in verse, but I was wrong. Collins talked about the pictures drawn by Dickinson with her words, and he believes that she is the greatest American poet. I found it very interesting that she wrote on in one tempo. In fact, apparently everyone one of her poems can be sung to the tune and rhythm of the song “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” Her various word paintings, each addressing a different facet of her life and our lives, are contained in the same literary form. That makes the richness of her words even greater to me. She was not dependent on meter and rhythm to make her music heard- just the lyrics. It was a fascinating discussion and I appreciate Dickinson like I never have before.

Do laws matter anymore?

Jonathan Turley presents a discussion of why American are becoming so disaffect from their govrnment and the rule of law.  This administration is moving us further and further away from "We the people..." to "We the monied..."  What a sad state of affairs.  I hope we vote out all incumbents but, like good sheeple, we probably won't.  Copy this link:  http://jonathanturley.org/2010/06/15/do-laws-even-matter-today/