Stupid is the New Word

Today Bill Maher, in an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN, noted in a comment about Sarah Palin's supporters, that "America is stupid". Wolf, on receiving a blitz of emails objecting to Maher's characterization, asked Maher to clarify his "stupid" comment. He said, "What more can I say?" indicating he stood by his comment that America (which I guess means Americans) are stupid.

Of course, I consider the source and realize that Maher's only fame comes from flaming others, so like El Rushbo, he is not to be taken too seriously. They are both entertainers taking shots and making controversial (and often truth-shaded) statements to keep their obscene paychecks rolling in.

Yet I still wonder about someone who, even after a chance to clarify, paints all Americans with that broad brush as "stupid". Maybe if Palin got elected to national office, that group of electors might be stupid, but the whole country?

It is becoming more common these days to try to be sensational to get a tick above the next guy's ratings. I can mostly filter that rubbish, but there are actually people out there who believe everything Maher and Limbaugh say. Whoa, maybe there are more stupid Americans than I thought. Never mind.

Are the Unemployed Too Busy?

It has to be terrible to be involuntarily unemployed. The U.S. recession has put people out of work who knew nothing else but work. In other words, they had worked all their lives to make their existence a little better. I am blessed to be semi-retired; working is now a choice for me, but for many millions, it is now down to survival.

I am puzzled by what I heard on the radio news the other day from a representative of the state agency that deals with unemployment. There is now a requirement for the unemployed (who want unemployment benefits) to attend one training meeting to help them with their job seeking skills. This person was announcing the schedule of meeting times in the area for those not working. So far, so good.

Then she went on to say that "If you cannot make any of these meetings, then please call us and we will schedule a one-on-one meeting with you". Cannot attend one of these meetings? What, pray tell, would that unemployed person be doing? What unemployed person would not change his or her social calendar to make this mandatory meeting, especially given there were choices?

We (the government, I guess) must help those who are in these situations through no fault of their own, but is it too much to ask them to attend one two-hour group meeting that benefits them, without having to schedule "personal" sessions for those otherwise engaged?

Stupid is as Stupid Does

I am writing a second blog post today because of the President's comments about the Professor Gates incident in Cambridge. Following is my communication I sent to the White House today.

As a retired police chief I am dismayed and annoyed at the President's rush to judgment in the Gates arrest. Even after acknowledging he did not have all the facts, he stated the police "acted stupidly" in their actions. No one can know what police officers go through each day to be able to go home at night unless they have been on the job. One step outside of procedure can result in injury or death. Unless Sgt. Crowley personally knew Dr. Gates, his actions as stated so far, were by the book. Doesn't it strike anyone as odd that this pre-eminent scholar on all things racial, said as his first words when asked for ID, "Why, because I am a black man in America?"

It is not a stretch to think that a man who has spent his life studying racial bias and profiling would have this hypersensitivity (and perhaps a chip on this shoulder) about any interaction that could remotely be construed as racially biased. In other words, could he be looking for some scintilla of bias to jump on?

The President's words did nothing to advance the cause of less race-based police actions. So much as been done in the policing business to reduce any kind of racial profiling; not enough clearly, but now he has set our efforts back many, many years by his shots from the hip.

Although I am generally a Conservative I became a tepid Obama supporter about halfway through the campaign, and then increased my support as he rolled out his plans for America. My support and warm-fuzzy feelings took a huge hit when he made this intemperate comment. I hope he moves to heal the wounds with police officers across this country, beyond the platitudes about how hard their jobs are, and how they put their lives on the line each day, yada, yada. We all know that. He needs to apologize for his damning comment that reflects on all cops.

There is certainly racial profiling by cops occurring in America's cities. Chiefs everywhere are working to decrease these sometimes blatant actions. These Chiefs need help from the top and not crude responses. I will wait to see how it plays out to see if the President can admit he made a mistake, even if an investigation shows some racial bias occurred in the Gates incident. If that happens, he can resurrect his "stupid" comment if he likes and I would support it. But we are a long way from there today.

"Public Enemies" Should Be Arrested

Die hard Depp fans will watch anything he is in, but those with more discriminating tastes might want to pass this one up. I eagerly awaited the release of Public Enemies, more because it was shot in Wisconsin, using the state capitol building (across from which is my office), the streets of Columbus, and the woods around Mirror Lake State Park, a favorite camping haunt of ours.

The story is, of course, a good one. Everyone wants to vicariously watch crooks and their antics, especially when they have the panache of John Dillinger. We all know the end too, but it is the journey that we want to see and the story was what I expected, knowing some of its history absorbed over a lifetime.

However, my objection to this film was director Michael Mann's use of the camera. It is de rigeur these days to use jerky camera motions for effect. We (the audience) once rejoiced at the invention of the Steadicam where a cameraman could chase the stars through alleys and over fences and make it look like a dolly shot. Now, Mann seems to intentionally revert to the herky-jerky of the old days.

Not only was most of the film shot with JerkiCam, even Norma Desmond would find the close-ups invasive. Mann shoots much of the film as if the camera is a microscope looking to find every pore on Johnny Depp's face (and he does). Closeups and jerkiness combined to make for a nice headache at the end of the 140 minute run. For me, the cinematography was distracting me from the storyline. I forget, did Dillinger still die in the end?

The Reality Show of Hollywood

Hollywood as a concept has always had a certain allure. Although this district of Los Angeles does have geographical boundaries of sorts, it is more of a metonym, allowing a lot of leeway when speaking of anything Hollywood.

The glamour of the 1920s to the 1950s is perhaps the most interesting when most stars did, indeed, live within miles of Hollywood and most studios were also within this small section of L.A. Today, fewer shows are shot on sound stages (mostly TV series that need static sets), so many movies choose to go "on location" for added reality.

Today's movies are still of good quality; in fact the cinematography of most films is excellent capturing scenes and views beyond the long shot. Some is not an improvement, ala "Public Enemies," the newest Johnny Depp vehicle, but much is still intensely interesting and captivating. (See a future post on "PubEnemy).

Most older films with the stars of yesterday like Cary Grant, Bette Davis, and William Holden would draw guffaws from the young folk. Corny lines and cornier plots abound, but there was a certain esprit in those movies that grabs you when you happen to pass one as you surf the 150+ channels for something to watch. To hear Bette say "Fasten your seat belts, it gonna be a bumpy night" is still exhilarating.

There are plenty of stars still living in the Hollywood area: Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills, West Hollywood, and, of course, the "valley", so there is still the mystique and draw of that reality that was, and is, Hollywood. I can't wait to return to absorb more of the Hollywood state-of-mind.

What is This About Heath Bar?

Heath Bar....oh, you meant Health Care.....oh, never mind! Just like Emily Litella (Gilda Radner) would say when she heard something wrong, I cannot believe the variety of interpretations of President Obama's health care plan that are tossed out each day.

I have no desire to get in the middle of this discussion, however, it is a discussion that has to happen and something has to be done soon. Kicking the bedpan down the street one more time is really not an option. Health care (to coin a phrase) is "out of control" and if the industry (the fox) won't fix it (the hen house), then who else to try to make it work but the government?

Oh, I know the rap on government control of anything, but some things have worked. Let's see, I have list here somewhere,....oh, never mind.

But seriously folks, this is a critical issue for every American and something needs to change and something needs to work better than what we have now. Those who WANT Obama to fail so they can say, "I told you so", are the scary ones. Failure is NOT an option to borrow a phrase (once again).

This seems to be the closest we have been to working something out with the doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and other allied health agencies. Some are already on board and some will come once a plan takes shape.

Let's all hope that the President and the Congress (that's a stretch for them, I know) can really reach an accord that gives affordable health care to all. I once believed health care was for the privileged few who had good jobs like I did. How stupid and unfair is that? I now believe, in my conservative bones, that a basic level of health care is a right in America, and as the Fram oil filter man once said (to borrow another phrase), "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later".