Tragedy Shouldn't Come Cheap

A typical year end post for me would be devoted to my favorite things from the past year*, but the news item about the Idaho mother getting shot with her own gun by her two year old  has been a bit diverting. I don't want to come across as more heartless than usual, but I'm irritated by hearing these events described as a tragedy. 

By all accounts, this woman was an experienced - and, presumably, properly trained - gun owner. As such, she must have been aware that something like this was a possibility if she chose to carry a loaded gun in a purse that her young child was likely to rummage around in, but she did it anyway. A lot of Second Amendment enthusiasts tend to be very focused on their rights but struggle a bit with the responsibilities side of the ledger. Sometimes it bites them on the ass in a very permanent way.

Don't get me wrong, I feel bad for the child who will have to live with his unintentional actions - not to mention his mother's intentional actions - permanently. However, if we're going to live in a society where individual expressions of rights are privileged over any broader social responsibility, then events like this are our new normal - patently undeserving of the label of "tragedy".

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*In the interest of not being too curmudgeonly, I really enjoyed the latest album by The Pearlfishers (Open Up Your Colouring Book) and thought Peter Capaldi's first season on Doctor Who was, despite an incoherent finale, the most consistent - and consistently entertaining - season since David Tennant's first. In other news, the revamp/revival of the musical Side Show at the Kennedy Center was terrific (too bad it couldn't sustain a longer Broadway run), the movie Cold In July was a very compelling thriller and A Place To Call Home is a period drama that makes Downton Abbey look like a bunch of children playing dress-up.

No Forwarding Address

I found this week's Republican response to the President's weekly address especially amusing, albeit not in a pleasant way. Arkansas Representative (and soon to be Senator) Tom Cotton observed that the many blessings [a select group of] Americans have in their lives, including those of a material nature, were not the result of their own individual hard work but rather granted to them by an outside entity. I seem to recall the President getting a lot of flak from Republicans when he made a similar comment about business owners a few years back. Now, I know the outside entity to which Representative Cotton was referring was [insert your preferred term for a higher power here], but it's still an example of the Republican Party's rank hypocrisy where the President is concerned. When the President suggests that a "job creator" (to use the fashionable term) owes their success in part to earthly factors, it's un-American. However, when a Republican suggests that said success can be attributed to the blessings of [insert your preferred term for a higher power here], well it's time to break out the apple pie that your mom made. On an individual level, I know there are a great many thoroughly decent - and, yes, truly Christian - Republicans, but the GOP as an entity is a steaming turd of vile hatred that needs to be fired into the deepest darkest reaches of outer space as a warning to extraterrestrials to leave our planet alone until we can evolve into something less hateful.

Liberty Without Responsibility Is Still Tyranny

While I hope that enough sensible voters in states with Senate races show up to keep the Senate out of GOP control, I concede that's unlikely. What's more likely is that, even if they gain control, they won't accomplish anything of substance.

For the avoidance of doubt, this won't be because of obstructionist tactics by the new minority party or even Presidential vetoes but rather because today's GOP collectively has no real interest in making government work. They're not even really a party so much as a family gathering where a small group that's had a bit too much to drink is making it hard for the ones who, despite long-held conflicts, know they really should help to get dinner on the table. Don't get me wrong, the Democratic Party has more than its share of feckless cowards (some of whom are probably lousy cooks) in the Senate, but I'll take them over the likes of Ed Gillespie and Mitch McConnell any day. 

Of course, ultimately it won't make much difference because of a more pervasive problem, one even worse than no-compromise "patriots" who don't understand that the Constitution they venerate was itself the product of compromise. It's the sad truth that most of us are so hung up on our rights that we neglect to consider the responsibilities that accompany them. JFK said it most eloquently, "ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." Until that question is top of mind for all, America will remain the world's greatest example of wasted potential.

No Thanks, I'm Not Hungry

Sometimes I almost feel bad when people around me really enjoy something that I find ponderous and tiresome. Such is the case with the Hunger Games books and the movies based on them. I started reading the books because my wife and older children did, getting maybe a third of the way through the second book in the series.

I'm actually surprised I made it as far as that, because the non-ending of the first book  - which I interpreted as the writer making the final pages deliberately off so readers would feel obligated to read the next book - irritated me. Despite that apparent display of contempt for the audience on said writer's part, I fought on but finally surrendered upon reaching a point in the second book where I felt the aforementioned contempt was now mixed with a desire on their part to make the audience feel beaten up as well. Interestingly, when I tried to watch the movie based on the second book in a fit of boredom on a long flight, I stopped watching at the equivalent point.

That said, the first book is pretty good, owing mainly well-done first-person narration by the character of Katniss that made a story that was overall fairly cliched feel a bit unique. Unfortunately, that point-of-view element was pretty much absent from the movie - not shocking as movies generally don't handle that kind of subjectivity very well - leaving it a well-acted action movie. Let me rephrase that, The Hunger Games is a well-acted action movie beleaguered by the mistaken notion that it has something original to say about the human condition, which is something far worse than simply being an action movie - well-acted or otherwise.

For better or worse, I'm the only person in my house who sees it that way. I'm OK with that.

Did He Get a Spare? No, Ebola Strike!

Walking past the camera crews that had set up shop outside the international arrivals area out of Dulles Airport two days ago, I had hoped perhaps Ebola panic had reached its peak. That hope lasted until shortly after sunrise yesterday as theoretically responsible organizations and even FoxNews continued to stoke a fire whose actual level of combustible material is shockingly low, considering how few cases there actually are in the country.  In particular, we have Syracuse University, who canceled a talk by a reporter who's been covering the epidemic, despite the fact that said reporter has kept themselves isolated for three weeks and is without any symptoms. Even if there were significantly more cases, the perspective being exhibited would still be way off. Call me heartless, but as I consider the potential for a full-blown Ebola outbreak in America I also consider how overpopulated the world is. For the record, I'm not saying that we shouldn't try to live our lives to the fullest - quite the opposite, in fact. As Marvin Gaye said at some point before his father told him "this is the last 45 you'll ever hear", let's get it on! And as one of Gaye's musical descendants later observed, "better live now, before grim reaper comes knocking on your door". As for Syracuse, it's nice to know that other aspects of the university are as embarrassing as their athletics.

Please Keep Me Appraised

Perhaps the most important part of the process of assessing a work of art is reappraising it. First impressions are tricky, with many works that dazzle on first viewing losing some of their luster when the heat of the moment emulates the second law of thermodynamics - with the converse often equally true. The best thing about the stage musical as an art form is the way the medium allows for a new appraisal to be based not just on a new opinion but often on a new production of the work itself. Of course, certain works of art retain their power in whatever iteration. Indeed, whether he's played by Len Cariou, George Hearn or (as seen tonight on PBS) Bryan Terfel, Sweeney Todd remains perhaps the most aspirational figure in the history of music theater - at least for those who feel that cannibalism should be as ubiquitous as it is unintended. Bon appétit.

Robin Bland

After being dumbstruck by the news of Robin Williams' apparent suicide, my initial reaction was to compare his death to that of Kurt Cobain. I quickly realized that would be wrong of me. After all, unlike Cobain, Williams didn't leave behind a little child. Williams' kids are adults, and surely that makes all the difference, right?

All kidding aside, Williams was clearly a great talent, even if he sometimes took the easy road as an actor. He gave terrific performances in Moscow on the Hudson, The World According to Garp and The Fisher King. Additionally, Throbbing Python of Love may be one of the greatest stand-up comedy albums ever. 

Put another way, it's not that I'm not a fan, just that I wonder if I'd be more or less sad if...

A) the (apparent) circumstances of his death were different.

...and...

B) this had happened before he made Patch Adams.

Courting Unintended Consequences

Lots has already been written about the Supreme Court’s (wrong-headed) decision to allow certain so-called Christian companies - most notably Hobby Lobby - not to cover the cost of contraceptives for women as part of insurance coverage as mandated by the Affordable Care Act. For my money, this piece from thinkprogress.org does the best job of outlining what makes their decision truly dangerous to our country. Midway through, you'll find a quote from David Gushee, a professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University. To save you the trouble of clicking on the link, I have excerpted it below. 

“The whole point of establishing a corporation is to create an entity separate from oneself to limit legal liability...therefore, Hobby Lobby is asking for special protections/liability limits that only a corporation can get on the one hand, and special protections that only individuals, churches and religious organizations get, on the other. It seems awfully dangerous to allow corporations to have it both ways.“

Put another way, not only has the Supreme Court seemingly decided that corporations are people, some of them actually get more rights than people. Clearly, the one law that a majority of justices do not understand is the law of unintended consequences, which devours without motive or conscience, let alone any consideration of intention. Their ruling is a victory for those who fail to understand that liberty without responsibility is simply high-minded tyranny and deserves all the scorn we can muster.

Remembrance

I get my middle name from a great uncle who served in World War Two as the tail-gunner in a B-17. He didn't make it back. Admittedly, I don't think of him - or the millions of other soldiers who've sacrificed so much for our country - as often as I should. Nonetheless, I am grateful - hopefully more grateful than I was as a child when I first learned about this part of my family history. The freedoms these legions have secured  are themselves legion, including the freedom to debate and question the validity of particular military interventions. If we can't appreciate the value of that, we probably don't deserve the other freedoms either.

A Queer Sort of Fairy Tale

Like many, I find myself a little unsure what to make of today's monumental legal decision about marriage equality in Pennsylvania. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that my one-time home state has decided that a weirdo of any gender can marry a fellow weirdo of any gender. I just worry about what happens next. In particular, I just hope that the understandable excitement of gaining a right long denied won't lead to people doing anything depraved like having a "fairy tale wedding". Last I checked, fairy tales tend to be filled with death, sadness and regret. Of course, in that regard, most marriages are like a fairy tale. Carry on.

Ginned Up for Bobby?

A few days ago, The Washington Post published a piece about how Louisiana Governor - and 2016 Presidential hopeful - Bobby Jindal is using the story of his conversion to Christianity as a way to appeal to conservative voters for whom religion is a particular touch point. At this point, we all know that politics is the ritualized display of monetized cynicism, but somehow Jindal's current push seems just that much more off-putting to me. It's not that I doubt the sincerity of his faith but rather because he's so willing to leverage (what I'm willing to believe is) a genuine conviction in the service of a political campaign, a process which almost by definition is antithetical to genuine conviction. It doesn't help matters that Jindal seems unaware that, even if he prevails in the GOP primaries, it would be more of a victory for Jindal's Democratic Party opponent. The majority of swing voters he'd need to get elected on a national level aren't going to vote for someone whose speech pattern so closely resembles Kenneth the Page from 30 Rock.

Behold His Mighty Hand

The Ten Commandments is perhaps the greatest bad movie of all time. With such an accomplished cast put in the service of a turgid script and the resources to deliver spectacle on a grand scale, how could it be anything else? What might not be as obvious until you watch it year after year (as I do, thanks to ABC) is that it may also be one of the most anti-Semetic movies ever. Seriously, with the exception of Moses and his right-hand man Joshua, the Jewish people are consistently depicted as a bunch of weak-willed ninnies ready to give up and/or stone Moses the minute things get a bit rough. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if members of the KKK felt it was a bit over the top. However, this epiphany leaves one key question unanswered - will I still watch it next year? Stay tuned.

Blue Jasmine

Though a quarter of a century isn't all that long in historical terms, it's an eternity if pop culture. When Woody Allen made his last great film in the late-80s, it was the era of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Flash forward to 2013, or 2014 for those of us who have trouble getting to the movies as often as we'd like - we seem to be firmly entrenched in the era of women who are well beyond a nervous breakdown. 

For the past couple years, Clare Danes as Homeland's Carrie Mathison had been the poster child for this condition. Leave it to Woody Allen, the man whose movies we're not supposed to admit we watch - let alone enjoy - to present a new icon for these troubled times. Coming as they do on an annual basis, Allen's movies are easy to take for granted, as this year's model is seldom much better - or worse - than the year before's. Every so often, though, Allen breaks that pattern.

Blue Jasmine is such a film, perhaps his best since Crimes & Misdemeanors, which is to say, perhaps his best ever. Cate Blanchett's performance as a woman walking the tightrope between sense and insanity in Allen's latest movie Blue Jasmine is as astounding as it is harrowing, and Allen's storytelling gives that performance the forum it deserves. This isn't just a matter of clever scripting - Allen the writer, the perennial Oscar nominee, has seldom been in doubt. Rather, this is a movie that reminds you that there's more to Allen the filmmaker than semi-detached portraits of well-off New Yorkers.

At age 78, this is most likely Allen's last great movie, but that doesn't seem like as dour a prospect as it might with other film-makers. 20-some years ago, it was a real question his personal life would derail his work as a filmmaker. By any reasonable measure, Allen has over-delivered. More to the point, he's done so in a way that elevates so many others, such as Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins - both nominated for Oscars for their performances in Blue Jasmine. If there's a better argument for ignoring an artist's personal life and letting their work be judged in its own right, I bet Woody Allen could make a pretty good movie about it.

Feeling Gay About Religious Freedom

As much as the various "religious freedom" bills being proposed in state legislatures to allow people and businesses to refuse service based on (supposed) principles bug me, I can't help but think that the opposition to them is missing the forest for the trees. Rather than trying to shame these dumb-asses into backing down, people of good conscience should force them to double down so that they will expose themselves as the vile hypocrites that they are. 

The means I propose is for said people of good conscience to declare support for this law enabling private individuals and businesses to exercise the perverse form of personal liberty it seeks to enshrine if...wait for it...they will drop all efforts to pass laws restricting reproductive rights (and frankly anything else having to do with consensual sex between adults). It's pretty simple, you're either for personal liberty - whatever form it takes - or you're not. You don't get to say I'm for personal liberty except when it involves protecting the rights of a fetus who - by virtue of not having been born yet - has no legal rights yet.

And if they say, they're protecting that fetus because they will have legal rights at some point, they're still vile hypocrites because that's pretty much the same rationale as requiring people to buy health insurance because they'll need it eventually (per the Affordable Care Act). Last I checked, "conservatives" are also opposed to that, so they don't get to have it both ways. In short, either walk the walk or shut your stupid festering mouths you right-wing dickheads! After you've stuck your heads in an un-flushed toilet just used by someone who ate a 12-pack of tacos from Taco Bell, that is.

A Time to Every Purpose Under Heaven

As much as I respect him. the late Pete Seeger was never one of my favorite musicians. He was, however, very much a hero to me. When confronted by the House Un-American Activities Committee, he didn't use the 5th Amendment - Constitutional though it may have been to invoke his right to avoid self-incrimination. Rather, he struck a more pertinent point by referring to the 1st Amendment and the principle of freedom of association.

Simply put, Seeger told the committee that it was none of their business what groups he belonged to, communist or otherwise. For his trouble, he was indicted for contempt of Congress and would spend several years dealing with the fall-out of that exceptionally principle decision.

Seeger told me about this in a phone call a little over five years ago. The ostensible purpose of the call was to clarify some rights questions about the release of one of his old concerts, but that took up maybe 3 minutes of the 20 minute phone call. For the rest of it, Seeger (I can't pretend a sufficient level of familiarity to call him Pete) gave me an unsolicited history lesson.

He told me about the world tour he and his family undertook once the HUAC situation had finally been put to rest. He talked about the Soviet Union and his belief that the post-revolution circumstances had made the emergence of someone like Stalin almost inevitable. Most memorably, he related an anecdote about Eleanor Roosevelt and the eminently graceful way in which she engaged one of her husband's mistresses after his death.

It's hard to recall another instance where such a brief slice of time left me feeling so much more enlightened and just in much in awe of someone. There's a school of thought that one should never meet their heroes, because of the seeming inevitability of disappointment, and perhaps Pete Seeger was the exception that proves the rule. He was never talking down to me - at least I never felt he was. Instead, he gave me lots to ponder and, now that he's gone, a very personal story to tell. I can only imagine how many lives he touched through music or conversation and will always be grateful that I was one of them.

A Perennial Soap Opera Bowl Contender

One of the nice things about being a football fan who's a transplant to DC rather than a native is that it allows me sufficient detachment that I can enjoy "The Burgundy and Gold" for what they are without any hang-ups about what they once were. What they are - and have been since the mid-90s - is a generally poor football team that despite the occasional good season is more entertaining for what happens off the field than on it. This week's firing of head coach Mike Shanahan following several weeks of drama is simply par for the course and only surprising for the way this end result seems absolutely obvious in retrospect.

Four years ago, the tandem of Shanahan and GM Bruce Allen was meant to signify that the lunatics were no longer running the asylum. Four seasons and a playoff loss later, it would seem that Shanahan was the coaching equivalent of the splashy free agents that made the Redskins less - rather than more - competitive. Perhaps the only saving grace relative to other free agent signings is that the $7M owner Dan Snyder will have to pay Shanahan not to coach the final year of his contract doesn't count against the team's frquently shaky salary cap situation.

Allen, for his part, has come out of this season without doing anything remarkably embarrassing, but you can't help but feel that's more a function of how little he seems to have done. Amusingly, for all the flak that Kyle Shanahan has gotten about being the head coach's son, it seems clear that Allen is the true standard bearer for nepotism in the organization. If he didn't have the same last name as one of the few great coaches in team history, Allen would surely have been part of Monday's walk of shame.

If he had a genuine say in the team's roster, then he's part of the problem. If he didn't have any say, it raises the dual questions of why he didn't leave and why fans should have any faith he can improve things. In either scenario, it's hard to accept his continued employment as anything more than the owner wishing to maintain a link with a happier chapter of the team's story. The more things change...