Reading His Mind

 Inside Derek Chauvin's head as the verdicts were announced:

Marvel on TV?

 Following up on yesterday's post, I began to think about what Marvel characters, now owned by Disney, of course, I would prefer to see in TV versions as opposed to movie versions--that is, which characters are simply not big enough, popular enough, to need a major motion picture. (Of course, I acknowledge that 20 years ago, no one would have thought Iron Man, Ant-Man, or the Guardians of the Galaxy fit into that mold.)

Anyway, I came up with a few:

The She-Hulk: The major reason I put her in this category is bccause of the way I would want her handled on screen. I firmly believe the only time Jennifer Walters' verdant alter-ego worked as a solo character was during John Byrne's run on the title, when it was treated with a light touch, almost as satire, and with a lot of broken fourth walls. That's an interpretation that I think works best as episodic television.

Luke Cage, Hero for Hire: This should be, essentially, a  private eye show where the detective has super-powers...Shaft with super-strength and invulnerability. I see it as 90-minute episodes, each standing alone, except for underlying plots about Cage's private life.

Werewolf by Night: Sure, it's just a twist on the classic horror theme, but in a movie, there has to be a final resolution to the hero's plight--either he dies or is cured...and then this is just one more version of The Wolf Man. But in an episodic format, especially if we go with the version where Jack Russell can control his wolf form on nights without a full moon.

Tunneling Through Time Again

 

The other day, the FXM Channel (sort of TCM for just 20th-Century Fox films) ran the movie version of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea...and that got me thinking.

Thanks to its acquisition of Fox, Disney now has the rights to all of the Irwin Allen movies and series. And then I pondered, which ones would lend themselves to a series on one of the Disney streaming services? I decided the most likely candidate (after Lost in Space, which has already been done) is The Time Tunnel.

With Disney's bigger budgets and modern SFX, this story of two guys lost in time and the home team trying to retrieve them could be a major success. And it needn't be plopping them down into a big historical event every week. Just a tale of trying to survive and fit in a time period that isn't your own would be intriguing enough and, of course, just as the original series did in its short run, sometimes they could wind up in the future, not the past.

Possibly, it could even be done as more than one new time jump every week. Maybe do it as an eight-episode season, with each story taking two episodes? And with an underlying season-long arc, perhaps one that is linked to the home base and not the time travelers?

Any thoughts?

Belated Birthday Thoughts

 Friday was my birthday. I am 69 years old. I am now 16 years older than my father was when he died, but still more than 20 years younger than my mother was when she died last year. I am nearly twice as old as my oldest child. 

I have reached the age where icons of my childhood--TV and movie stars, authors, politicians--are dying nearly every week. That's actually not surprising, as most of them are about the same age as my parents would be. More disturbing, perhaps, are the reported deaths of those I thought of as my contemporaries, people who are within a decade either way of my own age. I'm not talking here of the unfortunate ones who die from their misuse of drugs or alcohol, but from "natural causes," the same things that might well lead to my demise at some time. These are all reminders of my mortality.

I am not in fear of either old age or death, actually. I expect that, like my mother, I have another two decades in me, decades I will live to their fullest, as she did. On the other hand, I am less than a year from accomplishing the Biblical "three-full-score and ten".

Anglo-Saxon What, Exactly?

 Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, she of the Qanon alignment, is trying to organize an "America First" csucus in the House of Representatives, dedicated--she says--to promoting "uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions"--whatever those are.

Well, if we go back to the real Anglo-Saxon period in England, we're talking about a society divided by kinship, into families and tribes. We're talking about a very loose national identity, rooted in a king (there were actually three Anglo-Saxon kingdoms). Is that the political tradition Greene is alluding to?

Or is she talking about the later English tradition, where all political power was held by wealthy male landowners--one in which she, as a woman, would be merely the chattel of her nearest male relative, whether husband, father or brothers?

Or the pre-Victorian tradition of "rotten boroughs," where the common people were represented in Parliament (and I use "represented' in the loosest of possible terms) by, again, wealthy landowners, often not even part of their own community, who essentially bought their seats from the local aristocrat?

I could go on...because if she even means the political traditions brought to this continent by "the founding fathers." then we are still speaking of a government operated by and for the benefit of white male property-holders. Of course, maybe that is what she means--especially the "white" and "property-holders" parts, at any rate.

Getouttastan

 Who would have thought that, in the 21st Century, the United States would be involved in a conflict that in chronological length rivals some of the great wars of European history--the 30 Years War, the Hundred Years War? I propose that, in the future, we refer to the US involvement in Afghanistan as the 20 Years War.

Actually, if you include the Soviet invasion of that country and the US support of the mujahideen insurgents, it might well be called the 50 Years War.

And still there are those inside our military and outside, who insist we cannot withdraw, that two or three generations of US armed forces was not enough to achieve our goals and another generation (or two) is required. Isn't it just possible that our goals are simply not achievable, absent what was suggested in the early days of the conflict--bombing Afghanistan "back to the stone age"?

Afghanistan has proven to be an impassable wall for literally thousands of years, going back to Alexander the Great. What does it say that the Romans and Byzantines never even tried?

Quick Draw?

 Here's a question I think has not been put forward enough in regard to most interactions with police, and especially the two most recent ones to get national attention (the killing of Daunte Wright in Minnesota and the traffic stop of the Army officer in Virginia): Why were the cops so quick to draw their weapons?

In both cases, these were nothing more than traffic stops. "Hey, buddy, your registration tag is expired." "Hey, buddy, you're missing the rear license plate." In the first case, the Minnesota DMV has admitted it has been delayed in processing registration renewals, so why was this a big deal to the cops? In the second case, the driver had a temporary plate in his rear window--which he pointed out to the police officers--and yet they still treated him as a violent threat.

Are these officers being trained that any refusal or hesitancy to respond to their commands is a life-or-death situation that requires weapons to be drawn? Are they so in fear for their lives even when they outnumber the "suspect" two- or three-to-one? What's more--as the video of the Virginia incident shows--multiple responding officers can result in them giving contradictory orders: "Show me your hands!" "Undo your seatbelt and get out of the vehicle!" (Literally impossible to do both, right?)

Is every suspect now to be considered "armed and dangerous?" Even military personnel in uniform? Will it only stop when the unarmed person injured or killed is a middle-aged white woman?

Behavior Modeling

 In this pandemic, how far does my personal responsibility extend? If I am comfortable not wearing a mask outdoors in non-crowded situations--such as a walk through a suburban neighborhood or a wide-open park--should I worry that my decision is "modeling" bad behavior for those who would choose to not wear masks in other more crowded conditions? Should I worry that my decision to eat in a restaurant--following all the local rules regarding that activity--will encourage others to be more risky in their own behavior, such as going maskless in a crowded bar?

I think not. Extending such philosophy to non-emergency situations, should I be concerned that my decision to wear only a light coat in 40-degree weather will lead others who are more prone to weather-related illness to do the same? Is it a problem that I go hatless most of the year--both in cold weather and in extreme heat and sun? Is that encouraging others to be equally "reckless"?

Reversing this: Is the guy who drives while texting encouraging me to be equally foolish? Or am I responsible for my own decisions in that regard? 

Make your own choices, based on the best information you have about both the community situation and your own.

My Perfect Community

 If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Here are my requirements: I want someplace that has actual seasons, but not extreme ones. That eliminates places like Hawaii or the Caribbean where it is essentially what we'd call "summer" 12 months of the year. It also eliminates places that get really cold on a regular basis.

I want a place with a major city nearby, but not necessarily in that city. I like the things that being near a city provide--theater, restaurants, public transportation. So the northern midwest is out of the question as is much of the Deep South.

I want a place where I can have outside space that belongs to me, to use at my convenience. It doesn't have to be huge--I'm not looking for acres of land, just a decent sized backyard. That probably means the really close "ring suburbs" of most cities are unlikely.

I want neighbors and community, but not to be cheek-by-jowl with them. I want to know I can go next-door or a couple of houses down and find someone to ask for help if needed. And I want diverse neighbors, a community that welcomes people of all kinds.

I want good schools and libraries--not because I have kids but because they say the community cares about kids and families, and education, and civic responsibility. 

Am I asking too much?

Let's Put on a Show

 Here's a question: Name a book or movie that hasn't been turned into a stage production (musical or not) that you think could be successfully transferred to live theater. This is inspired by the announcement that there will be stage production of a story based in the world of Westeros from Game of Thrones. My understanding is that it will not be an adaptation of anything in the books published so far, but a sort of prequel.

 A couple of my thoughts: The Phantom Tollbooth; Beverly Cleary's Ramona books (pick a series of incidents from them and build a plot); Great Expectations; Scaramouche (the film version features the longest duel in movies--imagine that on stage).

Any ideas?

 

Dissing Meghan

 And now there is discussion on exactly why Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is not accompanying her husband, Prince Harry, to his grandfather's funeral. Why is it some people cannot simply accept the perfectly reasonable explanation that her doctor has advised against a pregnant woman making a 6000-mile flight? For that matter, with the attendance limited to just 30 people, isn't it a humane gesture for her to make space for someone with a much closer relationship to Prince Philip than hers? (After all, the prime minister has said he will not attend for just that reason.)

It amazes me how people will seek to find the worst in this woman.

Closing the Gaetz?

 So, Matt Gaetz's  buddy Joel Greenberg has been arrested and charged, after several hours of a stand-off in which he threatened harm to himself and/or others, if he didn't get a deal. No word on what that deal may include, but experts in federal law enforcement say there's no way he got any deal at all without agreeing to talk about others involved in his encounters with under-age women....and the biggest suspected fish in that pond is Gaetz.

And, finally, another Republican member of the House, Adam Kinzinger, has said Gaetz should, at the least, lose his seats on any committees and, at the most, resign or be ejected from Congress. The feeling seems to be that none of that will happen unless and until Gaetz is also officially charged with a crime. Meanwhile, Gaetz continues to operate as a member of the House committee that oversees the very people who are investigating him.

The House ethics committee is also looking into Gaetz. I'm not impressed...the ethics committee is, for the most part, a toothless tiger.

In Memoriam: The Duke of Edinburgh

 Philip Mountbatten, born with the surname Battenberg, was a prince of both the Greek and Danish royal houses. He was exiled from Greece (where his grandfather had been king) with his family after the Graeco-Turkish war in the 1920s. Eventually, he settled in the United Kingdom and, like his uncle Louis, anglicized his name and became a British citizen.

He served with distinction in World War 2 and, as a cousin to King George VI, became friendly with his daughter, Elizabeth, the princess royal and heir to the throne. Despite a bit of familial interference, they were married and had two children, Charles and Anne, before Elizabeth's father died and she became Queen Elizabeth II.

They have had one of the longest royal marriages in history--65 years--and, reportedly, one of the strongest. The Prince has been recognized as a driving force in the modernization of the British monarchy, especially in the early years of Elizabeth's reign.

Binge Thoughts?

 As I do periodically, I ask: what are you watching?

Many of the things Jill and I have been watching are either ending, have ended, or--if they are series that actually stopped production years ago--we have reached the end of what's available. Before I ask for recommendations, let me give you a look at what we have been viewing, so you know our tastes:

Death in Paradise (which just began putting its latest season on Britbox)

Waking the Dead

Hinterland

The Brokenwood Mysteries (New Zealand)

Midsomer Murders

New Tricks

Longmire

Upstart Crow

Wycliffe

Shetland

Vera (completed its most recent season before the pandemic and doesn't seem to have gone back into production)

Murder City

City Homicide (Australia)

Yes, it's a lot of mystery/crime and much of it British. So, can you recommend similar material from the US or  other countries? Or perhaps, to coin a phrase, "something completely different"? FTR, we currently subscribe to Netflix, Britbox, Acorn, Disney, Paramount+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube TV.

Cui Bono?

 The title of this post is Latin for "who benefits?" In law, it's a question asked when there is an issue of financial or other benefit to a person from a crime--be it murder, fraud, or something else. The presumption is that the individual or individuals who gained the most is the most likely culprit.

Who benefits when voting is made more difficult? When the very act of getting to the polls is hard? When proving you have a right to vote is made arduous? Clearly it's not the challengers in an election--they want a big turnout, because it may bring to the polls the people who oppose the incumbents. Smaller turnouts are almost always beneficial to incumbents, who have the name recognition and record to run on; who can, in most cases, rely on those who have voted for them in the past to vote for them again. This is especially true in places where the majorities are very lopsided and have been for a long time.

So, when a legislature acts to restrict access to the polls--by making mail-in ballots harder to get, by "consolidating" polling places, by limiting the hours and days when polls are open--it's a good bet it did not do so to help the minority party. Virtually any voting law enacted by a legislature--whether Republican or Democrat-controlled--is designed to help the party in power.

Trial? Error?

 Have you been watching any of the TV coverage of the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd? I can't say I've been glued to it, but when I sit down to lunch I turn it on and I sometimes catch another 30 to 60 minutes toward the end of my day.

It's fascinating watching the prosecution build its case, particularly as they clearly work to forestall predictable defense tactics. For example, yesterday as the Minneapolis police chief took the stand, the prosecutor took him through a somewhat tedious recitation of his entire curriculum vitae--where he grew up, where he went to school (including high school), what positions he has held in the department, etc. Usually in those cases, a witness's resume will be submitted to the court and stipulated to by both parties....but it seemed that the prosecution wanted to leave no holes for the defense to drive a case through. They wanted it clear that the chief knew every inch of the training, policy, and methods of the police department.

The defense is equally interesting. The strategy seems to be to suggest that department training, policy and practice gives an officer great leeway to operate "in the moment," to make decisions of how to handle a situation and a suspect in terms of the circumstances at that moment....and that Chauvin therefore was acting appropriately. While the chief--and other police higher-ups who have testified--acknowledged that an office must be allowed to act in a manner consistent with the immediate situation, they all insisted that in no way did that permit Chauvin to restrain Floyd in the way he did once it was clear that Floyd could no longer resist and, indeed, had stopped resisting. The chief put it this way (paraphrasing): Once a person is handcuffed behind his back and placed in a prone position, there is no cause for further restraint.

Does violation of that policy and practice make Chauvin's actions murder? I am not entirely read up on the Minnesota statutes, but when you combine it with Chauvin's and his fellow officers' callous disregard for Floyd's physical condition--no attempts to check his pulse or breathing, despite calls to do so from a trained EMT bystander--and it starts to look that way.

Truth, Justice and.....?

 I'm going to ask a question and not answer it myself, because I want to hear what others think.

We all remember the final words of the opening to the 1950s Superman series: "a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way." What is "the American way"? And if it needs to be delineated separately from truth and justice, does that mean it is something more than those virtues? If so, what is it?

I am truly interested in your answers.

Rising

 I attended a lovely church service last night, an Easter vigil, held outdoors with a fire pit, candles and unusual readings, including a singing of the spiritual "Go Down Moses," in place of the Old Testament reading from Exodus.

Of course, as in any Easter service, a good part of the theme was "rising". And that got me to thinking today about our current situation. Are we rising, as a community, as a nation, as a world? In many ways, I think we are--we are rising, slowly and in fits and starts, from a pandemic; we are rising from a political morass of lies, corruption, and partisan stagnation; we are rising from a world of international distrust.

But, in other ways, we may be sinking. Sinking into a feeling that only those who believe as we do (politically, religiously, ethically) are men and women of good will; sinking into a world divided by wealth and poverty.

My hope is that we can rise above that sinking into a dawn of nationwide and worldwide resurrection.

Happy Easter!

Seasoning Humanity

 Every religion has festivals and holidays tied to the seasons. For Judaism, it begins in the fall with Rosh Hashana (New Year) and Yom Kippur coming right around the autumnal equinox. Then comes Chanukah, at the winter solstice and Passover at the vernal equinox. In late spring, just before the summer solstice is Shavuot.

For Christianity, it starts with Christmas, just after the winter solstice, followed by Easter at the vernal equinox, Pentecost in late spring, and All Saint's Day just after the autumnal equinox.

We began as hunter-gatherer and agrarian people, to whom the seasons were important because of changes in the available food. Now the seasons mark our other activities--sports, vacations, school. We are a seasonal animal, as much as birds, insects, and other mammals.

Two Films to Miss

 What's the worst movie you've ever seen? I'm not talking about the acknowledged disasters, like Plan Nine from Outer Space or even Reefer Madness. I'm talking about a movie made by people with respectable resumes and careers, that had reasonable budgets (i.e., not made on a shoestring), and that the filmmakers obviously intended to be successful?

For me, it has long been and remains Superman III, with Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, and Robert Vaughan. I should point out that I saw it at a press screening during the time I was writing regularly for Starlog. I have always joked that it was movie I saw for free and still paid too much. I have steadfastly refused to ever see it again.

Second place would have to go to Ken Russell's abominable attempt to make a movie from Sandy Wilson's musical The Boy Friend, starring Twiggy in the role originated on stage by Julie Andrews (yes, you read that right). I also saw this at a press screening when I was in college, working for the campus radio station. What's wrong with it? Virtually everything--casting, tone (Russell took a light-hearted retro romp and turned it into a dark "behind-the-scenes" story), jettisoned all the best songs (or reduced them to a verse and a chorus, often performed while other action was taking the forefront), and filmed it all in cinema-verite style. Another film I have never made any attempt to see again (and I love musicals!).

April Fools

 No, no pranks...but a brief comment on the nature of the foolish things being said and done politically right now.

Top of the list: The Georgia legislature and governor--in the long run, this attempt to protect Republican domination of state government there can only result in damage to the state's economy and reputation. 

Next is the defense in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis. So far, their plan seems to be to discredit the various eyewitnesses who are testifying. Such discrediting can work when the only record of events is the testimony of those witnesses...but we have multiple video records of the incident, from multiple vantage points and angles, and so far, the witnesses' descriptions all seem to agree with that video evidence.

Third is Matt Gaetz. The Justice Department probe into his relationship with a teen-age girl began under a Republican administration; it's hard to see how he can possibly decry it as a partisan campaign.

Last is those trying, somehow, to make the behavior of the Bidens' dogs into a cause celebre. Really? The best you can come up with is that one of them has harmlessly nipped at a few ankles and one of them (we don't know which) had an accident on the White House floor? I doubt any of this will make the complainers popular with a dog-loving American public.

Lamblike Endings?

 Thirty-one days ago, I referenced the old saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like lamb, and noted that the first half certainly seemed to be true this year.

Whether the second half of the saying is true depends on how you feel about rain, I suppose. Temps are to be in the mid-60s today, which for end of March around here is somewhat above average, but we're expecting rain in the afternoon and evening. On the other hand, yesterday, to next-to-last day of the month, had temperatures near 70 and sun.

April, though, is set to come in cold and raw.

Doctor Doom

 "I'm going to reflect on the reoccurring feeling I have of impending doom. We have so much reason for hope, but right now I'm scared".

--Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control.

 While I understand that Dr. Walensky wants to avoid unwarranted optimism, I'm not sure phrases such as "impending doom" serve any useful purpose in the current situation. No one, not even Dr. Anthony Fauci was using terms that dire even at the height of the pandemic, before we had even the hope of vaccinating anyone, last summer. Beyond being emotionally depressing, I fear such pessimism only strengthens the more virulent anti-mask, anti-vaccine, politically motivated segment of the population.

"Why should I bother with any of this?" they will ask. "The President says we will all be vaccinated by the summer, but his top medical expert says we are 'doomed,' anyway. Why should I inconvenience myself if it's not going to do any good in the long run?"

Not that these people really need an excuse for their behavior, but why give them one? A little cautious optimism is the preferred mood to display, I think. "We still have problems, and normalcy is still weeks away, but the nation and the world are in a better place now than they were just three months ago. Stay the course, don't panic, we're on the right track." That is the appropriate message.

"Channeling" the Canal

 Reports are that the ship that has been blocking the Suez Canal for a week is finally freed, in an operation that took far less time than experts had predicted (it was said it could take another week, at least). Of course, now they have to be sure the ship remains sea-worthy before it makes its way out of the canal.

It's also reported that, in contradiction of earlier news, that the ship went out of control not only because of weather conditions but also, at least in part, due to human error.

This leads me to an image of the captain on the bridge, yelling to the helmsman, "Port! I said port, you idiot!"

Sympathy

 As we go into the 13th month of lockdown, a look at the people I feel sorry for:

The people who have had to deal with the public this whole time (I, luckily, only had to do it for two months, since I retired in May of last year)

Teachers who have had to work out some way to have effective instruction in ways they were never trained for (and I have to wonder how instrumental music teachers have made it work)

Students who have had to learn to cope with all the things that can go wrong in an on-line environment and somehow still learn other new things

Parents who have had to work from home while simultaneously helping their children with on-line school

(And this one my be worse than the last) Parents who have had to work outside the home while their children struggle with on-line school

Clergy who have spend this time trying to minister to congregations they see only on computer screens, if at all. (I especially sympathize with the rector in my own parish, who took over in November and three months later was faced with pandemic and lockdown, long before she had gotten to know most of her parishioners by face, let alone by name.)

There are many more, but those are the ones that come immediately to mind.

Spring Sprung Sprang 2

 OK, this is just a pretense to post this photo of the forsythia in our backyard:

Gym Dandy

 I did something this morning I haven't done in at least 18 months, since before the pandemic. I went to the gym (local Planet Fitness) and used the treadmill. I did about a mile altogether in two 20 minute shifts. I had planned for a mile and a half, but discovered that walking at any real speed with a mask on is more difficult than I thought. In better weather, I'll do it outdoors in an area where I can walk without the mask.

Couple of interesting observations: While the gym wasn't packed, there were still a number of people in there between 8 and 9 AM. And the TV choices were interesting: The four major broadcast networks, ESPN, NBC Sports, TBS, Discovery, CNN, Fox News. What's obviously missing from that lineup? MSNBC, anyone?

Post-Shooting Questions

 I've heard and read several people make the argument that, in the aftermath of mass shootings like those of the past two weeks, we do not need to understand the reasons the shooters took action as they did, that those reasons are irrelevant because the facts of the shootings are plain or because the shooter is dead (as is most often the case) and therefore his motives are moot.

I disagree. First, in the case of a surviving shooter (as in the most recent incidents), there will be at least a hearing and more likely a trial. Motive will always be a factor in court proceedings, if only in determining whether the defendant is competent to stand trial. Second, when the shooter is dead, it is worthwhile to know what drove any human being to such actions, in order to recognize the same problems and situations in other lives and attempt to prevent further tragic outcomes.

I've also seen an argument that "it all boils down to hate"--not the hatred of specific groups that constitutes a "hate crime" under the law, but a generalized hatred of humanity itself, misanthropy, if you will. This seems far too simplistic to me, a way of saying in effect, "well, he was crazy, what can you do about that?"

Alexander Pope once said, "The proper study of mankind is man". If that applies to anything in the modern world, it applies to this.

 

Gun Sense

 In a conversation about gun control in the aftermath of two mass shootings in ten days, a Facebook user was asked. "Why do you need to carry your automatic weapon into Wal-Mart?" The answer given was "Maybe I have no safe place to lock it up while I'm shopping."

My immediate response: "How about behind the locked doors of your home? Why did you feel the need to bring it with you on a shopping trip at all? What did you think you might encounter that would require a weapon that can fire 45 rounds in one minute? Or any weapon at all?"

I am constantly amazed that so many of the same people who refuse to wear masks during the pandemic because "I will not live in fear" carry guns because they are deathly afraid of being attacked while performing normal daily activities.

Some Things I Don't Understand

 I don't understand....

why anyone would refuse to be vaccinated (not just for COVID, for anything), absent a real medical complication--immuno-disease, allergic reactions.

why people cannot return their shopping carts to the storefront or the cart corral in the parking lot.

why people wait until they are pulling out of a parking spot to start a call on their cell phones (and why it's always the people in the biggest honking vehicles who do that).

and, while we're discussing cell phones, why people will walk around in a public space with their phone on speaker, having what ought to be a private conversation at the top of their lungs (really, I do not need to know that your "ex" is in prison again).

why motorcycle riders have to repeatedly rev their engines when stopped at a traffic light (especially annoying because I live right off an intersection with a light).

 

A Shot in the Arm

 I received my first dose of the Moderna vaccine this morning (the second is set for about a month from now). I have to give high marks to the folks running the Delaware County vaccination operation at the Aston Community Center. They were well organized, kept things moving (although, due to the number of people, it took longer than we had figured), and were very helpful. Jill was using her cane and every single person we spoke to asked if she wanted a wheelchair. (She declined; as long as there were places she could sit periodically, she was fine.)

Right now, some three hours since the shot, I feel fine. I don't even have the usual soreness in my arm from getting an injection.

Song Sung Blue

 I miss singing. I haven't sung in public (not even in church with the rest of the congregation) since last March. No performances, no karaoke, not even a Zoom session.

I'm not a great singer. I am a pretty good baritone, suitable to certain kinds of musical theater roles, especially in amateur productions. My biggest asset is being able to act the role, rather than just sing the notes. I can find the phrasing, the pauses, the emphasis to make the lyrics more than just words set to music, but a character's speech on tune. Even when doing a pop tune (I love singing Billy Joel in karaoke!), I find a character in the words and play that.

So, I miss singing.

Spring Sprung Sprang

 Today is the vernal equinox. For those whose Latin skills are lacking, that literally means "spring equal night"--the time when the sun crosses the equator and the day is equally divided between day and night (at the equator, that is; here in North America, that will actually happen in a week or so), better known as the first day of spring. Of course, in the southern hemisphere, this is the autumnal equinox, the first day of fall.

The next major astronomical event will be the summer solstice, when the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer (as far north as it ever gets), the longest day of the year in the north, the first of summer. (In the south, of course, it's the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.)

In September, we can discuss the astronomical events around fall and winter.

Super-Story Telling

 A frequent complaint about Superman is "he's just too powerful, you can't confront him with a credible threat." I think the first four episodes of Superman and Lois put that argument to rest.

How? Well, not by putting him in physical danger...and that shouldn't be the point, anyway. A good superhero story (any superhero, not just Superman) isn't about how he uses his extraordinary abilities to defeat the bad guy (we all know he's going to do that), it's about how he does that and maintains his humanity and his real life. So far, in S&L, the super-powered battles have been a clothesline upon which to hand the far more interesting human conflicts faced by the Man of Steel and his family.\

Spoilers ahead.

Two scenes in the latest episode, "Haywire," demonstrate that. First, there's the confrontation between Clark and Lois over his failure to appear at the town council meeting (because he was summoned to fight Killgrave). Lois knows Clark is right...and Clark knows that doesn't matter, because he broke a promise on something very important to his wife--and maybe to their whole community. 

Second is the confrontation between Clark and Sam Lane over the conflict between parenting and being a hero. Watch as Clark stands his ground and makes Sam back down--not by a physical threat but by the force of his moral argument. Sam put duty before family and was, frankly, a lousy husband and father, whose daughter resents what that choice meant to her growing up. Clark knows he can do better--and will.

And all this comes while still telling a satisfying action-adventure story.

No Campaigns for Me

 As part of the discussion of my most recent letter to the editor of our local paper, a friend asked if I had considered running for office. At one time, when I was younger, not long after we first moved here, I did...but decided against it for two reasons:

1. I was a brand-new resident with only a passing knowledge of local issues (and only one, the new high school, in which I had a passionate interest);

2. I would be a Democrat in what was then an overwhelmingly Republican community, with about as much chance to win an election as I would have to win a marathon (in fact, my odds in the marathon might have been better).

Today, I know more about the community (after living here for 20 years), I am better known in the community (thanks to those letters in part), the community is more evenly split politically (although the township and school board governments are still 100% Republican), but I am still reluctant. Mostly, I think I'm too old now. If the Democrats are going to crack the GOP hold on the township (as they did the county government last year), they will want and need young people to run, so that they can hold office for a long time and maybe even form a base for higher office. I'm almost 70; IMO, too old to begin a political career.

So, my political activities will be limited to supporting candidates I believe in and writing scathing letters to the paper.

Gas Pains?

 A constant complaint I see in the local paper is that gasoline prices are on the rise, and a certain very vocal group blames that rise on President Biden's policies--notably the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline and suspension of new drilling permits on federal land. Of course, the problem is, neither of those decisions have any direct effect on gas prices, and certainly not in the short term we're talking about here.

None of the oil that would have gone through the Keystone XL pipeline would have wound up  in US refineries that produce gasoline. It was all destined for refineries on the Gulf Coast that make products that go into manufacturing plastics used in foreign countries. Any new drilling planned for federal lands now would not have produced oil for years, possibly decades.

What's causing the rise? First and foremost, the OPEC members have all cut production because (after a year of a worldwide lockdown) there's a glut of oil on the world market. Second, as the US comes out of lockdown, more people are driving--but the refineries had cut production over the past year and it takes time to build inventory again.

But I have a question for these complainers: where are you going with that gas in your car? I filled my tank over a week ago...and I still have three-quarters of a tank left. Local traffic is still way below pre-lockdown levels (and I can tell because I live on a main artery). Are you just taking joy-rides, because you're certainly not commuting to work. And business at local stores and restaurants is still way down, so you're not going there.

Why do I have the feeling these are just pro-Trumpers who have to find something to blame Biden for, even though eight weeks of his administration can hardly have had any real impact?

Trivial Pursuits?

 I've enjoyed playing trivia since the earliest days of Jeopardy, back when it aired on NBC at noon and was hosted by Art Fleming. Over the years, I've realized that I have a wide range of knowledge that isn't particularly deep except in a few areas.

Those areas include most forms of pop culture, including film, television, comics, and theater. I'm also not bad in history and geography and language (as long as we're sticking with the Greek, Latin, and Germanic-related words). My science knowledge is OK at the high-school level, but weak if you get any more complicated than that, and I recognize a lot of mathematical terms, but would be hard pressed to apply them properly.

What I know of classical music comes from church, a little high school chorus, and a lot of animated cartoons. OTOH, I have a pretty good handle on a lot of fine art. I used to be good on pop music...but my knowledge and interest in most of what's been recorded in the past 20 years is very low. I'm not hopeless in sports, but my knowledge is a mile wide and inches deep.

I do well, usually, when playing in a bar or something like that. I'm currently participating in an on-line trivia league. Last year, when I first joined and was playing against other "rookies," I routinely won and came out among the top contestants. This year, having moved up to what might be called the "AAA" level, I'm struggling. Still having fun, but learning my limits.

Editorial Commentary

 First off, for the record, the local paper ran the letter I posted here yesterday in this morning's edition. Which leads me to today's topic:

Do you ever write to your local paper? (For those in big cities, this might be a tough call.) How often? Do your letters get published? My letter-writing career locally began not long after we first moved here, as the school district was planning a new high school building and there was a very vocal minority opposed to the plan. I started by speaking up at school board meetings defending the plan and then started writing to the paper whenever something was published by one of the opponents. I became so well known for my stand on the issue, I was interviewed by a reporter for a feature article about the controversy. (The new school was, indeed, built, and is now about 18 years old.)

After that, I started writing whenever there was something I felt strongly about. Unfortunately, the paper carries two very conservative local columnists (one of them is Christine Flowers, of whom I complained yesterday), and I frequently find my dander raised by their opinions. In fact, I have to stop myself from writing in opposition to their every column, for fear of being termed a mere crank. (They used to have a liberal columnist, too, but budget cuts caused them to stop paying these freelance writers; the two conservatives, who have lucrative full-time gigs--Flowers is a lawyer--continued to work for free, the liberal frankly admitted she couldn't justify the commitment to a regular weekly column without being paid. She still occasionally contributes an op-ed.)

I can't remember a time when my letter was not published. I am, probably, more articulate than many of their citizen correspondents, but I am proud to be able to represent the more liberal view as often as I can.

Vaccine Hypocrisy

 There's a columnist for my local paper, Christine Flowers, who seems to have but one hobby horse--abortion. Somehow, no matter what other subject she's writing about, abortion will be mentioned. This morning, she was writing about the COVID vaccines, and sure enough, there was her old wooden mount.

So, I decided a letter to the editor was in order, and here it is:

Christine Flowers' hypocrisy and fuzzy thinking were clearly on view in her column this morning. In one paragraph she says " I want abortion criminalized. I want it banned. I want it to be recognized as the single greatest act of inhumanity in recent times." And, then, just a few paragraphs later, she says " While we can never impose Catholic morality on secular law...." And yet that is precisely what she proposed doing in her earlier stated desire--to make the Catholic position on abortion the law of the land! Which is it, Ms. Flowers?

Later, she goes to great lengths to explore the morality of using cloned fetal tissue initially derived from abortions in developing the COVID vaccines...ultimately deciding that the time distance between the initial abortions in two vaccines makes them more acceptable than the third one, in which the fetal tissue was more recently acquired. This seems to me to be an odd distinction. If "abortion is murder," as Ms. Flowers so often declares, then the date of that event is immaterial--there is no statute of limitations on murder in state or federal law. Which is it, Ms. Flowers?

Finally, she has decided to get the vaccination--indeed, she already has--determining that the benefits of vaccine outweigh the problematic nature of its origins. It seems if research using fetal tissue benefits Ms. Flowers, all is well and good...but, as she has stated in the past, and as her Catholic morality holds, similar research into cures and treatments for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, MS, ALS, and a host of other musculo-neural ailments is anathema and must cease. Which is it, Ms. Flowers?

The Selfish Lockdown

 What's the hardest part of a lockdown? Isolation? Lack of exercise? Boredom? All of the above and more?

I think it's the constant reminders that "we're all in this together," because, plainly, we are not. There are far too many people who have taken the stance that their own comfort and amusement outweighs all the reasons for following the rules. This is not to say that those people constitute a majority of the populace, but they are of sufficient number that collectively they have turned what doctors and scientists initially predicted to be, perhaps, a six-month annoyance into what now looms to be an 18-month marathon.

Think what it might have been like if all the people who felt the need to gather in large groups had not done so; if all those who traveled or partied over the winter holidays had stayed home; if those who thought worshipping together in a closed building was holier than protecting all of us by not doing that had followed the overwhelming commandment of all religions--"love your neighbor as yourself".

We might have been open widely now, instead of in May. We might be cautiously hugging our extended families. We might all be going to our houses of worship. Our kids might be in classrooms.

The problem? For too many Americans, "independence" translates as "selfishness."

Never Satisfied

 Reading some of the online comments from my more-liberal friends, following passage of the $1.9 trillion recovery package and President Biden's speech last night, I have come to the conclusion that some of them will never be satisfied by any practical accomplishment.

I have seen remarks such as "If Bernie were president, that bill would have included a minimum wage hike, universal basic income, student debt forgiveness, police defunding...." and for all I know "peace in our time". Of course, the problem is, no matter who the president might have been, none of that would have gotten through the House, let alone the Senate. Not even all Democrats support all those positions.

There's a line delivered by the Che character in Evita: "Politics, the art of the possible." It's one of the truest things in that play and movie. Every politician has to decide what he wants...and what it is possible to get. He has to remember that not even all the people who voted for him support all his proposals--many simply support most of his proposals, or more of his proposals than those of his opponent. And if he insists on getting everything, he may (and probably will) wind up with nothing, which will disappoint all his supporters.

"Half a loaf is better than none." "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Those are also wise political thoughts. If you get the half loaf now and the public sees that it was a benefit to everyone, you can convince them to support the other half in the future. If you pass the "good" bill now and the public sees the benefits, you can pursue the perfect one later. Medicaid led to Medicare, which led to the ACA. Workers comp led to OSHA.

It's time for the far left in this country to realize that, no matter how much good their plans might do, they need to win first.

I'll Follow the Sun?

 At 2 AM on Sunday, we move the clock ahead one hour. At one time, there were good reasons to do this--when we were an agrarian society, when more daylight working hours aided in a war effort, when streets and roads weren't lighted at night.

I even made sense (or at least more sense) when the amount of the year we spent in "standard" time was greater than or equal to the amount we spent in "daylight saving" time. But it isn't that way now. We now spend 7-1/2 months--something like 30 weeks of a 52-week year--living one hour ahead of the sun...and only 22 weeks in line with the sun.

 If this is a benefit for nearly 60 percent of the year, why not just continue it for the whole calendar and not bother setting the clocks back an hour at the end of October? Sure it will make winter mornings and late afternoons a bit darker...but the overall number of hours of daylight won't change.

Think about it.

Norton Juster, RIP

 

You might not recognize his name, but you know his work: The Phantom Tollbooth.

I read it to my sons, adopting different voices for all the characters: Tock had a growl, the Humbug sounded like W.C. Fields, etc. A brilliant and amusing book, filled with wordplay, number play and just plain silliness....but with a message about using rhyme and reason to resolve problems.

Q About Oprah

 Apparently. the latest QAnon nonsense is that Oprah Winfrey was wearing an ankle bracelet monitor during her interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Not sure what they think she'd be under house-arrest for.

Actually, if I were one of the Q-nuts, the conspiracy I would be touting is that there is a deep plot to re-install a monarchy in the United States, by way of two children in the British line of succession having US citizenship. Archie is arguably a US citizen by birth, because his mother is; and his soon-to-come baby sister will definitely be a US citizen, by virtue of being born here.

Or is that too outlandish for even QAnon?

Who's Canceling Who?

 In recent days, the term "cancel culture" has reared its ugly head again, in reference to the decisions to end publication of six books by Dr. Seuss (a decision made by the company that represents the author's estate) and to drop the word "Mister" from Hasbro's line of "Potato Head" toys (although the male version of the characters will still bear that name and the female will still be Mrs. Potato Head).

That led me to thinking about the worst case of "canceling" in modern history and who was actually doing the canceling. I'm speaking, of course, of the Hollywood Blacklist, an effort in the 1940s through the early '60s by the extreme right-wing in American politics to deny work to people in the entertainment industry who "were or had ever been" (to use the words of the oft-asked question) a member of the Communist Party, had associated with those who were, or--perhaps most insidiously-refused to name those among their friends and colleagues who might fit that description.

It began in 1947 with just ten people, named for refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and subsequently blackballed by all the major film studios in a document that came to be known as the Waldorf Statement. It was followed by the studios demanding "loyalty oaths" of all employees.

By 1950, in a scandalous pamphlet called Red Channels, 150 people were named as Communists or sympathizers. Although no official action was taken, those people were soon unemployable anywhere in the the entertainment industry--film, broadcast, or theater. By the mid-1950s, the entertainers, writers, producers, directors who were essentially blocked from working in the United States numbered more than 200, and included people who had won awards for their work in the past. (A list of them is included in the article linked below; I bet you'll be amazed by the names you see there.)

Some of those who worked behind the scenes (writers, directors, producers, designers) continued to work without credit, thanks to friends who hired them, but could not risk letting that fact be known.

The blacklist was finally broken by courageous people like Alfred Hitchcock, Betty Hutton, Otto Preminger and Kirk Douglas, who hired and gave credit to writers, producers, and composers previously unable to find work in their chosen professions. But remnants of the blacklist lasted until well into the 1970s, in part because of the political stances taken by stars like Ronald Reagan and John Wayne.

Naturally, the conservatives who speak of a "cancel culture" today never speak of their part in the worst example of it in American history; in fact, some of them still point to it with pride.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_blacklist

 

Chasing WandaVision 4 (Spoilers)

 Meh...and even Bah, humbug!

That's my reaction upon seeing the "finale" of WandaVision. I put finale in quotes, because by my lights, it doesn't fit the definition. A "finale" should resolve all the plotlines, bring the story to a satisfying close and not leave loose ends for the audience to contemplate. Because of the post-credit scene, WandaVision episode 9 does none of those things.

Had they left it where it was as the end-credits began to roll (or even with the mid-credits scene--BTW, that was a Skrull who met Monica Rambeau, right?), everything would have been fine. But the post-credit scene, with an obviously obsessed (possessed?) Wanda peering through the Darkhold tome, it remains unclear who, exactly, was responsible for the events in Westview and--if it was Wanda--is she really aware of the damage she did and care about it?

And was there a hint of something more, someone else, in that scene? I'd swear another visage is superimposed on Wanda's in the final split-second, but despite four or five attempts to freeze-frame on the image, I was unable to determine if what I think I saw was real. And that's bad story-telling, too. The ability of the individual audience member to "get" the intent of the creators should not depend on the technology they use. Either show it or don't.

One of the problems with the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been its complete inter-connectivity...to the point that no one movie--or even line of movies--tells a complete story. It's as if, to give an example from a different genre, Rodgers and Hammerstein had decided that all their musicals are somehow connected and you don't get a full story unless you have seen them all, from Oklahoma! to The Sound of Music, including the minor works such as Allegro, Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream.

"Endings" like this one only make it worse.

TV Superhero Stuff

 FTR, I haven't watched the finale of WandaVision yet...and I've avoided spoilers...so no comments on that until tomorrow at the earliest.

I did, however, catch the second episode of Superman & Lois, which I continue to enjoy for the most part. My reservations are on how long it will take for them to completely reveal the secret of Captain Luthor and whether his prejudice against the Kal-el of his planet will affect Sam Lane's already icy relationship with his son-in-law.

I find I am not as bothered by the storylines involving the sons--they may be the only thing that keeps this from being typical Arrowverse stuff about deep conspiracies and dark views on being a hero.

What I Miss

 Well, here we are, just about a year since lock-down began...and the question is, "what do I miss?"

Well, I miss face-to-face communication with people. I've had a little bit over the past 12 months with a limited number of people. I was working for the first two months, so I had my colleagues and customers then. But since May, I've had occasional meetings with people from my church (the rector, the youth minister) as I assist them in dealing with running the parish under lock-down. But little else.

Even in those situations, I miss seeing smiles. Yeah, a real smile shows in the eyes as much as the mouth, but that lower half of the face is important...and a lot of the emotion is simply not transmitted on video.

I miss casual conversation. All my interactions now are scheduled, so that we all know what time we have to be at our computers...and because the technology is not up to handling cross-talk, we all have to take turns (and frequently mute ourselves) rather than have the natural interruptions and interjections of in-person conversation.

If you'd asked me twelve months ago, I might have described myself as an introvert, someone who was happy to work alone. Now, I'm not so sure.

Who Was That Masked Man?

Hypothetical: Around Halloween this year, the CDC announces it believes we have reached herd immunity in the United States. Those areas that have not already lifted restrictions begin to do so--it is no longer mandatory to wear a mask in stores and restaurants, full occupancy is restored, movie theaters and sports arenas are operating, schools have all returned to in-person learning.

Question: What will you do? Will you continue to wear a mask, just in case? Will you start going out to eat again? Will you socialize with friends at their homes and yours? Will you attend large gatherings like weddings? Will you celebrate the holidays "normally"--dinner with extended family on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve services, New Year's Eve parties?

How soon will your life go back to normal?

Mistakes on the Left and Right

 There are moments when I don't know what I despair of the most--the extreme right or the extreme left. Each side, IMO, did things that made them look stupid yesterday.

On the right, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (spurred by a pronouncement from the Archbishop of New Orleans) "urged Catholics to avoid taking the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine and to choose alternatives from Pfizer or Moderna instead because Johnson & Johnson used cells derived decades ago from an abortion to create the vaccine." It called the J&J vaccine "morally compromised". (https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/03/02/archdiocese-new-orleans-johnson-vaccine/) Yes, indeed, your eminences, the death of an unborn child decades ago is more important spiritually than the health and possible death of your congregants in the here and now.

On the left, after urging from a study in 2019, Dr. Seuss Enterprises has decided to cease publication of six of the children's author's works, on the basis that "portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong." The six titles in question are And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot's Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat's Quizzer.  (https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/02/us/dr-seuss-books-cease-publication-trnd/index.html) On looking at the things that were considered in these books, I don't disagree that they are inappropriate by modern standards, but I do disagree with the steps taken. Why not simply publish new editions with the kind of "disclaimers" that companies like Disney and Warner Bros. have placed on some of their older material--that these works represent cultural standards of their time and should be viewed in that context?

In each case, again IMO, the authorities in question simply make themselves look foolish and hidebound.

Conspiracy Generators

 This morning, as we were watching Morning Joe, Jill asked: "What is it that has, in the past decade or so, made conspiracy such a popular method to explain things?"

I suggested the following:

When a formerly majority opinion becomes the minority position, those who still hold that opinion are hard-pressed to explain why their long-held belief is no longer popular--especially if, as is often the case, "all my friends agree with me." They simply cannot believe that the vast majority of the country has altered so greatly or that those who hold this once-reviled position (gay rights, minority rights, atheism/agnosticism, etc.) have legitimately gained power; clearly there must be sinister forces at work.

Hence, a conspiracy: If no one I know supports these ideas, then there must be some small, powerful cabal that is secretly pulling the levers behind the scenes ("a man behind the curtain," if you will). And in an age where powerful communication tools are available to just about anyone, it is ridiculously easy to spread this idea widely. And if you point out that there is no hard evidence for their view, the response is often "that just proves how powerful the conspiracy really is."

It's a concept that has been tried in the past, with somewhat less success. Father Coughlin attempted it using radio, Joe McCarthy with the press and the early days of television, the John Birch Society with pamphleteering. Each had some influence, but it waned as the "gatekeepers"--editors and publishers--pointed out the flaws in their methods and ideologies.

Today, those gatekeepers are no longer as powerful as they once were. In some circumstances, there simply are no gatekeepers. And so, all the nonsense flows through.

Leonine Beginnings

 Proverbially, March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb. Well, it's certainly acting lion-like over the next two days.

Today is wet and damp, starting in the mid-40s and dropping quickly through the afternoon as the skies clear and winds pick up. By tomorrow morning, temperatures will be in the teens with wind chills in the single digits...and it will stay that way throughout the day.

March begins testing out its more ovine characteristics later in the week, when temps rise into the 40s and 50s. What will it be like in 30 days? Who knows?

Chasing WandaVision 3

 Okay, so I've now watched the first eight episodes of WandaVision and I'm still not impressed.

Spoilers ahead:




When did Agatha Harkness become a "bad witch"? In the comics she has always been portrayed as a bit mysterious, as keeping things to herself, but never outright evil. She may always have her own agenda, but she's neither a murderess nor a torturer.

OK...the sit-com parodies were meant to establish part of Wanda's backstory...but four or five of them? Wouldn't two have served the purpose and gotten the story moving a bit more quickly?

Neither Wanda nor Pietro are shown to have powers as kids (unless what Wanda almost does to the Stark device that destroyed their home was meant to indicate that), and Wanda doesn't manifest anything until she contacts that Infinity Stone...so where do Pietro's powers come from?

Finally, if Hayward's concern about Vision is that he was a sentient weapon, how does making him less human make things any better? Or is it that Hayward doesn't want an android with human emotions and prefers one that is simply a machine he can order to do as he wishes? You've got two episodes left guys, it's time to start explaining your villain's motives and aims.

As I've said, if a movie or a book took this long to make sense, we'd stop reading or watching. The only reason I've stayed with this is because so many people keep telling me how wonderful it is and how it's going to end up a masterpiece.

I'm not convinced.

Grocery Shopping

 No, this isn't about the relative safety or risk of shopping in a pandemic. It's about the things that bug the hell out of you in a supermarket.

Number one on my list: There's a line of three or more people at the deli counter and only one employee waiting on customers. The other three are making pre-wrapped sandwiches for later in the day, or stocking shelves with the pre-packaged product. Meanwhile, the line keeps getting longer. As someone who used to work the customer service counter in the same store, I know the manager would have had my head if he saw that situation in my area.

Number two: Employees or vendors who block the entire aisle with the product they are stocking. If the pallet you are bringing out to stock is that big, break it down into a smaller load. Yes, you might have to make two trips, but you won't inconvenience the customers.

Number three: Customers who mosey up the aisle (just to prove it's not just employees who bother me). They're not visibly looking for anything, they just move like they're in the slow lane of the highway with their flashers on.

What bugs you in the supermarket?

Eating Out

 For the first time in months, Jill and I went out for breakfast this morning, to the local Panera. I would not say it was "busy"--certainly not the way it would have been a year ago at the same time of day--and it was appropriately social-distanced. Half of the tables were marked as unavailable, there were floor markings for distancing at the registers. Everyone wore masks, except when eating or drinking.

I felt perfectly safe being there. I'm not sure in what other restaurants we used to frequent I would feel the same way. The local Applebee's seems to be fairly active when I go there to pick up take-out, but I wonder about dining in in places that serve alcohol...the inhibition-reducing effect is a concern.

Commission Commitment

 My best friend, Rich Kolker, asked this morning who could be named as chair of a commission to investigate the events of January 6 who would be acceptable and respected by all sides.

My first thought was George W. Bush. I think it would be difficult for any Republican--save for the hard-core Trumpies like Hawley and Boebert--to object to the only living former President who is a Republican (Trump, obviously, is out of the question). Bush is on good terms with all the Democratic former Presidents, and with the sitting President, Joe Biden. I don't think even the far left wing of the Democrats (AOC, Sanders, etc.) would oppose his being named to the post.

And, though Rich didn't ask about this, I think Pelosi has to give up on the idea of weighting the other members to the Democrats. The general public will see that as unfair, let alone the Republican members of Congress....however, I do think none of the commission members should be current sitting office-holders or likely candidates in the next four years. And a few experts on intelligence and security wouldn't hurt, either.

Comics--Why Dialogue Matters

 There's an ongoing controversy, thanks to a new biography of Stan Lee, about collaboration in comics--who is primarily responsible for the creation of new characters and concepts (and their commercial and esthetic success), especially in the so-called "Marvel method," where the artist works from a rough plot (either supplied by the writer, worked out by the writer and artist together, or done entirely by the artist) and then the writer fleshes it out with dialogue and narration after the art is done.

There's a large part of the comics fan community that supports the idea that the artist is the primary mover...the "real writer and creator" of stories and characters. But, to my mind, this suggests that plot is more important than characterization and that visual appearance is the primary source of success. Let me give an example of where I think that supposition is dead wrong.

It is generally accepted that Stan Lee's plot for the famed "Galactus Trilogy" (Fantastic Four ##48-50) did not include any character like the Silver Surfer, that the Surfer was added visually by Jack Kirby. I do not disagree--visually, the Silver Surfer was entirely Kirby's idea. But is it solely the visual image--striking as it may be--that made the Surfer such an immediate success?

I think not. What made the Silver Surfer a great character was the dialogue Stan Lee wrote for him, the inner dilemma the Surfer confronted between his loyalty to Galactus and his new-found admiration for the human race. While some of that may be reflected in Kirby's art and his notes thereon, it is Lee's putting it into words that makes it real, that makes the Surfer into an interstellar Shakespearean tragic hero.

Looking at Kirby's own attempts at writing dialogue, on the New Gods and other "Fourth World" material, as an example, you can see that, no matter how much emotion and pathos he tried to convey in his art, he could never bring it to full life with dialogue that matched.

If plot were all that mattered, then Kirby would have been a masterful writer; but characterization, as created by dialogue, is just as important...maybe more important. It has been said, after all, that there are only three great plots in all of fiction: Man against man, man against nature, and man against himself. It is the characters and what they do in those situations that make great writing.

Tabula Rasa

 Literally, for the first time since I started this blog in May of last year, I find myself with nothing to say. No political thoughts, no pop culture thoughts, not even any really interesting events in my own life.

Maybe tomorrow.

Party of Three?--Part 2

Today on Morning Joe, there was a discussion of the possibility of a viable third-party in the United States. They proceeded from the premise that about two-thirds of registered voters are independents and would, therefore, welcome a third choice in our elections.

But, IMO, they ignore an important point: Not all of those independents would welcome the same third choice. I figure about a third of them would want a party strongly to the left of the Democrats, another third would want a party strongly to the right of the Republicans, and the remainder would want a party midway between the two existing parties.

IOW, there is no more than about 22% of the electorate that is in favor of any one kind of political party as an alternative. There are around 214,000,000 registered voters in this country...and in the election with the highest turnout in decades in 2020, only about 160,000,000 of them (or about 75%) actually voted. (In most presidential years, the turn-out is more like 60% and in "off-years," often below 50%.)

So, if a third party existed and even all of its registrants voted for its candidate, the best that candidate could hope for is 47,000,000 votes. And if each of my imagined third parties did the same, they would get around the same, leaving 71,000,000 for the Republicans and Democrats to split. In recent years, that split has been virtually 50-50, so each of the two "established" parties would get around 36,000,000 votes. No one would have a majority of the popular vote.

Of course, this ignores that some Democrats and Republicans might vote for one of the third-party candidates. Still, I think a third party--of any political stripe--has a tough row to hoe.

Comics--Past and Future 6

 Continuing this discussion, the last part of which was here. 

 It could be that the two major comics publishers, DC and Marvel, could accomplish some of what I suggest is needed--expanding their readership beyond the current base of superhero fans--simply be reactivating some projects and properties they already own.

At DC, there are three that come immediately to mind:

Blackhawk. This international team of pilots could be portrayed as a sort of flying A-Team, a group of specialists for hire. Or, if you prefer, a variation on Britain's Thunderbirds. Stories could range from warfare to espionage to covert anti-crime missions.

Sugar and Spike. Chances are no one could handle these pre-verbal tykes as charmingly as their late creator, Shelly Mayer, so why try? DC has several decades worth of the originals to reprint. These are the model for successful series such as Rugrats and Muppet Babies...why not re-present them now?

Amethyst, Princess of Gem World. When DC first published this title in the 1970s, I argued it was custom-made for marketing to pre-teen girls, complete with an animated adaptation and a line of toys. But I guess nobody at DC back then was smart enough to see what they had...even after properties like Sailor Moon and Jem and the Holograms showed them the way. Is anyone there (or at their corporate owners) wise enough to see it today?

Marvel has fewer of these types of titles to pick from, as even in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s, they were less diverse than DC. But there are two I think could work:

Millie the Model. Recast it as the beginnings of Millie's career, not the heights of it. Shows like Project Runway and America's Top Model demonstrate a public interest in the fashion world; all that's needed is a writer and artist with the ability to translate that world to comics.

Patsy Walker. This was Marvel's attempt at an Archie copy...but even in the 1950s, they played it as less of a cartoon than its more successful rival. Since Riverdale has indicated that teen love and angst still has an audience, why not see if you can bring that audience to you?

None of these should be produced as monthly periodicals, either....but as a series of graphic novels, with some continuing storylines from book to book, probably published on a quarterly basis and kept continually in print.

Your thoughts?

Who Knows?

 "Nobody knows anything."

That was how screenwriter William Goldman (The Princess Bride, All the President's Men, among others) described the situation of predicting success in Hollywood. I've come to believe the same is true of the future of the pandemic.

On the same day President Biden predicted a return to at least "near normal" by the end of this year, a doctor made the prediction we'd be at herd immunity by the end of the spring. They can't both be right (nor can the pessimists who insist we will never conquer COVID). Frankly, I'll take what comes.

And I'll do, for the most part, what the experts recommend. I say "for the most part" because there are some things I do that they may not feel are safe. I do not feel the need to wear a mask if I am outdoors, largely on my own, including walking in the park. I have no problem with dining indoors at a restaurant I can tell is maintaining social distancing, masks (except when eating), etc. 

I do not live in fear of my life in the pandemic, but I understand that others do.

The Mess With Texas

 The Lone Star State prides itself on its rugged individualism: "We don't need help from anybody...." Well, sometimes you do--and it's much better to be prepared for those times than not.

Decades ago, to avoid federal regulation, Texas decided not to connect its power grid with those of neighboring states in a cooperative arrangement, as literally every other state in the union has done. (Hawaii is the obvious exception, but even Alaska has tied its grid with the Canadian system.) But exempting itself from the regulations that come with interstate commerce, Texas also exempted itself from the ones that demand generation and distribution facilities be able to withstand extreme weather conditions--so its power companies didn't bother. Why not? It's cheaper not to insulate and winterize your fuel lines, right, and how often does Texas get temperatures well below freezing, anyway?

Well, based on this chart, of days when Dallas hit extreme temperature, more often than you'd think

32 °F 0 °C	Year	70 °F 21 °C	90 °F 32 °C
11	2020	261	108
19	2019	244	118
26	2018	244	125
8	2017	287	111
16	2016	277	114
25	2015	262	120
36	2014	243	100
29	2013	257	119
17	2012	278	121
27	2011	258	131

Wouldn't you think you'd want to be prepared for something that can happen as often as 20 or 30 times each year? (And that's just Dallas--other parts of the state, such as the Panhandle and the western hill country, can get much colder more often.)

Oh, and naturally, if you've refused to cooperate with your neighbors under normal circumstances, don't be surprised when they are not quick to offer assistance in an emergency. Normally, in this kind of crisis, we'd be seeing news reports of electric crews from other states--as far away as New York or California--coming to help get the power up and running in the affected area. Haven't seen any stories like that this week. I wonder why.

https://www.currentresults.com/Yearly-Weather/USA/TX/Dallas/recent-annual-dallas-temperature-precipitation.php 

Martian Chronicles

 Believe it or not, there are three exploration vehicles from Earth currently orbiting Mars--one from the United States, one from China, and one from the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE mission, launched from in cooperation with Japan, was the first to reach the red planet. It is currently orbiting to test atmosphere and other conditions on the planet. The Chinese orbiter recently completed maneuvers to put it in a polar orbit, as it searches for likely landing sites, with a plan to put a vehicle on the surface by May or June. The US mission will land its "Rover" later today, using the same "sky crane" technology that successfully put its sister vehicle on the surface in 2004.

It would appear humankind's desire to explore the final frontier has not yet waned.

Nothing Trivial

 I'm very disappointed. Last year, my son got me involved in an online trivia contest called Learned League. I enjoyed playing and did pretty well, coming in the top five (out of 26) in my section. I was looking forward to starting the new season today.

But the administrators (wisely, I think) decided to postpone the beginning of the season until next Monday, because of the wide-spread power outages around the country. Oh well, five more days to go then.

Party of Three?

 Since the 2020 election and its aftermath, there's been a lot of talk about "third parties"...mostly centered around the idea of the centrist part of the Republican Party breaking off from what has become a personality cult and forming a new coalition.

Usually, the example given is the end of the Whig party in the middle of the 19th Century and the founding of the Republican Party. But the original GOP didn't just form out of disaffected Whigs...it also included anti-slavery Democrats who refused to support the Democratic Party's Southern-dominated leadership. Essentially, the more radical wings of both parties coalesced into a new organization--and it required prominent members of both parties to declare themselves as Republicans.

I don't think there's much chance of anything similar happening in the next five to ten years. It would have to be the centrist Republicans joining with conservative Democrats...and there just aren't that many of the latter, certainly not any who are as disaffected with their own leadership as the centrist Republicans are with theirs.

Could it be done by enticing independents, the folk not aligned with any party? I don't think so. There are only two independent members of the Senate (and none in the House), both are from New England, and both not only caucus with the Democrats but they are more liberal than the majority of the Democratic members.

A third party? Not unless some prominent Republican steps forward and makes the move.

Comics Past and Future--Part 5

 Continuing this discussion, the last part of which was here.

Naturally, there's more to making the comic-book industry viable again than just improving the story-telling in the superhero titles. We need to expand beyond those concepts...and I don't just mean in publishing other "fan-favorite" genres and titles, like science fiction, including licensed properties such as Star Wars or Doctor Who.

The industry has to have, as it once did, material specifically aimed at girls and women, at children under the age of 12, or even at adults with interests beyond science-fiction, fantasy, and superhero adventure. Well into the 1960s, the best-selling comic-book in the United States was Dell/Gold Key's Walt Disney's Comics and Stories. Given the immense audiences for current Disney material--Frozen, anyone?--why are there no comic-book adaptations and continuations of those properties?

And other modern animated properties seem to me made to order for comic-book stories: Where is the comic-book version of Minions?

Why isn't anyone attempting a comic book with characters reminiscent of Jack Ryan or Ethan Hunt? Why are there no comic books with a rom-com feel or theme? Why not a costume drama along the lines of Downton Abbey or Bridgerton? Surely there is somebody who knows how to write this kind of material for comic books.

Until we have people working at the publishers who have an interest in telling stories, and not just in superheroes, this industry is on a path to extinction.

Ice Ice Baby

 Well, it was a break from the snow....

Yesterday afternoon, about two, we started to get a misty rain...and I mean misty. It never actually felt like it was falling from the sky, just sort of hanging there. By nightfall, it had begun to freeze on surfaces--notably cars and railings. I had put salt on my driveway to attempt to forestall the freezing and it worked for a while. At 9 o'clock, only a few patches were slick...but when I checked at 11, the whole driveway could have been used to play hockey. I figure the ice was about an eighth of an inch thick.

I had a commitment to be at church at 10 this morning. At 6:30, I got up, dressed and went outside to throw salt around. Things must have warmed some already because, while the ice was still slick, it was clear that some melting was beginning. By 8, the driveway, although not clear of ice, was driveable. By the time I returned from church at 11, you'd never have known there was an ice there at all.

Just rain tonight they say and warmer weather by Tuesday--48 degrees for the high--but possible snow again Thursday night into Friday.

It's already the snowiest February in Philly on record.

Vote-ee-Oh-Doh

 I'm not going to comment on the arguments made by Trump's defense team yesterday for two reasons:

1. I didn't watch all of them.

2. From what I have seen, there was little there to comment on.

I am going to make a sort-of prediction, though. First, what should happen: There should be a unanimous vote to convict. After all, 98 of the jurors were actually witnesses to the events in question. (The two Senators from Georgia had not yet been seated on January 6.) But we cannot reasonably expect that outcome.

What I'd like to have happen: I'd like to see Trump convicted by a vote of around 70-30. I can't honestly expect more than about 20 Republicans to vote with the Democrats.

What will happen: Trump will be acquitted by a vote of around 40-60. I think there are 10 Republican Senators who, allowed to vote their conscience, will vote to convict. Which ones? I think we can count on Collins, Murkowski, Romney, and Toomey. I think Cassidy and McConnell are possibles. I leave the other four to your choices.

Comics--Past and Future 4

 Continuing this discussion, the last part of which is here. 

Let me be clear: I am not suggesting a complete return to the comic books of the 1950s and '60s. Even the kids of today would not accept that. But I am suggesting that a good look at what made those publications far more successful--both commercially and aesthetically--than today's comics is worth doing.

The first thing, I think, is denseness of story-telling. I know that I can pick up any mainstream superhero comic book published in the last decade and finish it in under 10 minutes, in many cases, probably in five minutes. But if I go back to a comic book published even 30 years ago, when the direct market was in its infancy, I could expect a 20-minute read at least. And I could expect,  even in an ongoing serial storyline, a substantive chunk of the plot to be included. I could close the book feeling that I had had a complete experience...not just a snippet.

There's a reason that Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons chose to use a nine-panel grid on nearly every page of Watchmen, to use just one example. They knew they had a massive story to tell, and they had to give themselves the pacing to tell it. There was no room for full-page "money shots"--every square inch of the page had to be given to the plot.

Now, I'm not saying every comic-book story needs to be that detailed, that dense. But it should give the reader at least a feeling of having seen the equivalent of television episode or a short story in prose...and not just the part that falls between the commercial breaks or what would fit on a page or two of prose.

And there's nothing wrong with telling a story that doesn't need to be continued from issue to issue for a year or more. In one sense, writing "short" is harder, I know. But if you insist that the reader must stick with you virtually forever to get a complete story, you're in the wrong business--go write for a TV soap opera.

More on this soon.

Snow Big Deal Again

 Damn! I thought I was done with posts on this subject for a while.

We got about 2 inches of light fluffy snow overnight. I was able to clear the driveway and the sidewalk in about 30 minutes. I'll clear off the car later this afternoon.

Real problem is that it's not over yet. There seems to be some virtual "train line" sending snow and ice this way for what looks like the whole month of February...some form of precipitation every two or three days at least through the next ten days. Next round is Saturday night into Sunday, then again on Tuesday.

Fortunately, nothing predicted in the foot-or-more range yet.

Not Exactly Perry Mason

 I dipped in and out of the coverage of the Senate trial yesterday, so I didn't see the entirety of any one lawyer's presentation, but parts of all of them. And while I think the House managers put on a case that would have done Law & Order's Jack McCoy proud, Trump's defense team was an embarrassment to every trial lawyer in the country.

There's an old saying in defense law: "When the law is against you, pound the facts; when the facts are against you, pound the law; when the law and the facts are against you, pound the table." Well, Trump's team nearly broke the table pounding on it yesterday.

"This trial is unconstitutional, because Mr. Trump is no longer in office." Of course, the only reason the trial is being held after he left office is because Mitch McConnell, who was in charge of scheduling, refused to hold it before Trump left office. It could have begun as early as January 14, because the House approved the article of impeachment on January 13. And, anyway, to argue that Trump is now immune from facing charges made before he left office is tantamount to saying the embezzler cannot be tried for his crimes if he is fired before the trial begins (even if the charges are filed before that happens).

It is clear to me that even if the Republicans win in the trial (as it currently appears they will), they have lost in the court of public opinion. 

Volunteering

 I keep trying to find ways to keep myself busy during the pandemic...and the recent weather has not made that any easier.

My church is one of the places I am increasing my activity. I am now a member of the technology committee--something that a year ago I doubt anyone in our parish would have thought we needed. But we've been recording and live-streaming services on an almost daily basis, as well as holding meetings that way. (Our annual meeting, required by the by-laws and canons, was held by Zoom this past weekend.)

To facilitate all this, we had a streaming camera installed in the nave of the church in December and this afternoon I have a training session on how to control it. This is in preparation for a funeral service this Saturday, which will be live-streamed, because the live attendees are limited to the immediate family mourners.

Has your volunteering increased in the past year?

Comic Books--Past and Future 3

This is a continuation of the discussion I began here: 

 At the end of the first part of this discussion, I said that other media could tell violent stories about people with superpowers better than comic books can....and the proof is in the huge success of the Marvel films and even the somewhat lesser success of the DC movies and TV series. The audiences for these alleged "spin-offs" from the print versions of these characters and concepts are orders of magnitude greater than the readership of the comic books (even if you take the readership of all the comics as a whole).

Most people, if you say "Captain America," will picture Chris Evans, not a drawing by Jack Kirby or one of the more recent artists to handle that character. If you say "Superman," they will picture Christopher Reeve, not Curt Swan's elegant drawings of the Man of Steel. I'd wager a significant portion of the audience for these movies has never even picked up a comic book, let alone read one. This does not bode well for the publishers of those comic books--especially since they are now owned by the companies that make the movies.

It didn't and doesn't have to be that way. Yes, the direct market--the individual comic-book stores and the distributors who service them--rescued the industry from near-certain collapse when the newsstand system that had sustained it fell, hit by recession, changing demographics, and a shift from a mass transit commuting style to the individual car (among other things). But the direct market should have been only a "stopgap" maneuver, a way to keep things going until a different distribution system evolved. Such a system did evolve for the rest of the magazine industry: They found their way into bookstores and supermarkets, in part by changing their price points and packages, making their product as worthy of sales space as breakfast cereals and canned corn.

But the comics industry fell in love with the "confirmed sale" that the non-returnable direct market represented. A sale to a comic-book store was final; the retailer didn't return the unsold product, he put it in his "back-issue" stock. Of course, in time, that actually meant diminishing sales. The retailer didn't have space for lots of back issues of every title...so he started ordering only what he knew he could sell...and the title that was selling 100,000 copies per issue was soon selling only 40,000. (Eventually, the retailer might cut back all the way to only his "subscription" sales on many titles--ordering only for those customers who had told him they would buy every issue of that series.)

So now, with few exceptions, the only place you can find monthly periodicals of comic-book material is in a comic-book store. And if you aren't actually looking for comic books, you have no reason to go there. The idea of comic books as something you'd pick up while strolling through the grocery store, or waiting for the bus, was lost.

And with that was lost the idea of comic books for a general audience...now they were only for fans.

More on this later as well.

It Was 40 Years Ago Today....

Forty years ago today, I was in Silver Spring, MD, getting married. It's hard to believe it's been so long...but the proof is most evident in two wonderful, successful sons in their 30s. There have been rough spots--we have both had periods when we were out of work (never, thankfully, at the same time); we've had arguments, sometimes very loud ones; for the first half of the marriage, we lived in some not-so-great places (a dinky apartment in Amsterdam, NY, my mother's house, a cramped flat in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and an even more cramped one in Staten Island). But for the last 20 years, we've owned our own home in the suburbs of Philadelphia. And we've had friends: Rich, who was my best man and remains an "uncle" to our boys; Cat, undoubtedly Jill's closest friend; the many people we've met through science-fiction fandom, church and theater. The past twelve months have been tough, of course, as they have been for everybody. We've lost family members in addition to the pandemic problems. But, paraphrasing a Sondheim song, "We're still here." Happy anniversary to Jill!