Wednesday, January 22, 2014

The Winter of My Discontent

First appeared on Blogcritics.

snow 1I have said this before but this time I think I really mean it – I need to get out of this climate. I am tired of the winter weather. This time around Mother Nature in her infinitely vindictive way has dumped more than a foot of snow on New York City and the surrounding area, along with 8°F temperatures and a wind chill of -20°F. This is unusual and infinitely cruel punishment, and at this point I just never want to see a snow shovel ever again.


We New Yorkers have been spoiled for many years. For a long stretch of time we could go through an entire winter with maybe an inch or two of snow, or what the looney-toon weather reporters like to call “a dusting.” Over the years we were lulled into a false sense of security by tepid winter days that were dry and uneventful. We were told global warming was taking away our cold weather. Oh, how I long for those years, but they are seemingly long gone now.


Recent years have made me think I am living in Minneapolis instead of the Big Apple. These savage winters have turned our local TV meteorologists into sadistic maniacs. With warnings of “Get ready” and “Another winter blast” they stand before their weather maps as crazed and giddy as a mad scientist bending over a newly animated creature zapped by lightning. They rub their hands together in glee, drooling and overacting like Arnold Schwarzenegger auditioning for his next film, and we have to suffer as we change the channels and find more of the same. Can any station hire a weather person who is not a wacky or colorful character?


snow 3Perhaps I am more sensitive in my condition, but after shoveling in the biting wind, dealing with the cleaning off the cars, and getting them out of the driveway, can you blame me for having fantasies of a sandy beach, palm trees, and the deep blue sea? My back hurts, my feet are frozen, and now I feel a cold coming on. I am very depressed too with some type of seasonal disorder, and all of these maladies I blame on Mom Nature, the weather people, and anyone who is sitting around a porch in Florida wearing a flowered shirt and sipping a margarita.


Of course, I only have myself to blame and I realized that today. As I stood in my driveway and stared at what had to be shoveled, I knew that my strong feelings about hanging on to being “a lifetime New Yorker” are to blame. I’ve always been a proponent of loving the city where I live. I’ve championed the beauty of four seasons and bragged about having the common sense to live in a place where a subway can get you anywhere you need to go like Broadway shows, great museums, and wonderful restuarants.


But how terribly wrong I’ve been. I am plotting my escape. Since I came inside today, I have been looking online at all the places I want to go. There are so many possibilities of warmer places with year round sun, destinations where a shovel is only used to make a sand castle on the beach. I believe that I have to get out of here, and I am going to formulate my plan to do so; after all, I will always be a New Yorker in my heart, and you don’t see Larry David standing around in galoshes and sporting a snow shovel. I can learn to live somewhere else and follow the Knicks, Mets, and Jets long distance. I’ll take the LA traffic, the possibility of Florida hurricanes, or the “dry” Arizona heat. At this point it all sounds good to me.

tropical-beach-21823-hd-wallpapersBy the way, I am sick of building a snowman every time it snows. Who the hell wants to do this after all that shoveling? Yes, yes, I know, the kids expect it. During these long snow days, they also want to play all day, eat snacks, and watch hours of their programs. At least that prevents me from having to suffer through those weather reports. After the kids went inside, I stared at old Frosty as I held my shovel. I imagined him laughing with a sly smile and squinting at me with those sinister eyes made out of coal. I wanted to use my shovel to knock that magic hat along with his head right off his icy shoulders, but then I saw the kids looking out the window and waving at me. Foiled again!


Okay, I know he will melt someday (probably not until May the way things are going). Oh, the slings and arrows of this winter of my discontent! For now I will ignore his presence in my yard and keep dreaming of beaches, flip-flops, and swimming all year round. For now I hope those thoughts will help me get through this seriously cold winter’s night and all the rest to follow.  


  Photo credit: wugange.com

Monday, January 20, 2014

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Newly Discovered Recording Proves Ongoing Relevance of His Message

First appeared on Blogcritics.

king 1There are certain speeches that stand the test of time - Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” John F. Kennedy's "Inauguration Address," and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” among them - and this is because the message is so clearly wrought, the concepts so enduring and universal, that any generation can appreciate and learn from them.


As we mark Dr. King’s 85th birthday today, a story in the New York Daily News reveals the discovery of a new recording of a different, but no less important, speech by the slain civil rights icon. The 26-minute address was recorded and donated to the New York State Museum, where it apparently became lost until an intern came across it last year. Museum director Mark Shaming says that he is “thrilled” to bring this tape to the public, but one can only wonder how something so vital and important could have been allowed to languish for so long in the cobwebs.


Nevertheless, it is now available and well worth your time. As always, Dr. King's words are eloquent and straight to the point. He notes the continued inequity for black people in America 100 years after Emancipation Proclamation, and that we needed to “make its declaration of freedom real.” At that time we were not adhering to the message of hope that it gave to the “unfree world.” He said we had to “reaffirm democracy” by the way we live our lives and conduct business. In other words, not by going about our daily routines as if everything in our country adhered to the “message of equality” that the Founding Fathers put forth so long ago but that the country had yet to realize for all its people.


You can listen to the speech and feel chills run along your arms. This “new” recording will get to you because not only does Dr. King discuss the Emancipation Proclamation, but he also explains his civil rights message and plans for the future. The is an indispensable resource, and indeed “a remarkable treasure” as noted by Board of Regents Chancellor Meryl Tisch.


king 2
Francis Cardinal Spellman, Dr. King, and Governor Nelson Rockefeller.
Of course, this kind of window into the mind of the brilliant and charismatic Dr. King does make you pause and wonder about what could have been if his life had not been cut short. There was so much more for him to do, and as we can see from the world around us, his presence would be just as essential now as it was fifty-two years ago. This is the most salient aspect of listening to this speech - his words still have relevance and hopefully will still motivate people to make a difference in this country and the world.  


We can only wonder what it must have been like to be at that hotel and hear Dr. King speak. Thankfully, this recording allows us a golden opportunity to actually hear his words. Now on this day that we honor him, the most important thing we all can do is to live by them.


  Photo credits: New York State Archives

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols - The Kiss That Changed TV Forever

First appeared on Blogcritics.

Kirk-UhuraIf you love something as much as I loved the original Star Trek TV series, you remember all the little things, like Kirk’s middle name (Tiberius) and Spock’s human mother’s name (Amanda Grayson). That is a given for most Trekkies, but there are also the big moments, the ones that helped define Star Trek as a seminal experience for many members of my generation.



One such event was the kiss - when usually all business communications officer Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) locked lips with skirt-chasing Captain James Kirk (William Shatner). To say that this earth shaking moment was groundbreaking is an understatement - it changed the course of TV history and affected fans and non-fans alike.


Nichols talks about the the kiss in a humorous and humble way now, but in truth it was a juggernaut in how it changed the perceptions of what could happen on television. TV’s “first interracial” kiss had ramifications way beyond the scene and two actors participating in it.


As a young kid watching the show, I had some idea about the importance of it. The context of the kiss was very clear - aliens “forced” Uhura and Kirk to kiss. This was not a kiss of passion but one of imposition, yet the fact that a black woman and a white man had kissed on television had an impact nevertheless. In my mind I saw this as nothing unusual and saw nothing wrong with such a kiss, but it also became clear later on that it did not denigrate either character. Both Uhura and Kirk moved on after this moment and went back to the professional relationship they always had.



UhuraI think Uhura as played by Nichols conveyed very important messages to boys and girls alike. For the girls, she proved to be an excellent role model. While Nichols was (and still is) an extremely beautiful woman, her Uhura never allowed that to get in her way. Her role on the ship is obviously indispensable, and she goes about her duties with a no nonsense approach. It is very telling that besides that one forced kiss, womanizer Kirk never tries anything with her - even he knew that she was off limits.


For the boys watching the show it was crucial to see that a woman could be strong, independent, and yet still beautiful. The fact that every male on the ship treated Uhura with the utmost respect and dignity made it clear to us that this was the way things should be.


These days after movie sequels, other Trek TV series, and the new films directed by JJ Abrams, it is easy to dismiss the original series. Yes, the special effects were anything but, and the sets were obviously a little too much cardboard and Styrofoam, but the most important thing about Star Trek was never those things. There is a distinct and deep humanity shown, a future time when there is respect for all people (and aliens). It depicted a future we can all aspire to even now - one that showed we not only survived our own stupidity but thrived in a world where everyone found a way to get along.


I still love that the diverse cast (including green-blooded Mr. Spock) of characters retained their allegiance to their distinct and special heritages while swearing allegiance to a greater good and the mission at hand. During the 1960s when we had Fall Out Shelters in our schools and still believed that nuclear war could happen in an instant, the future shown to us on Star Trek appealed to us intimately. We could actually work things out; after all, Chekhov (Russian) and Sulu (Chinese) were on board and getting along with Americans like Kirk and Bones.


Unfortunately, there was a negative reaction to “the kiss” by the usual suspects. Nichols recalls that children in the South were told not to watch the show anymore, and she got hate mail and producers became nervous and started cutting her lines. Nichols actually considered quitting the show but had an encounter of the most fortuitous kind - she met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He praised her work saying that she played “the first non-stereotypical role portrayed by a black woman in television history.” Because of this meeting, Uhura stayed on board and remained a vital character on the show until the series ended.


Nichols went on to work for NASA, helping to recruit women and African-Americans. She remains to this day an eloquent spokesperson for the TV series and the space agency. As I see her and hear her speaking now, I only lament that this woman hasn’t been in more TV shows and films in order for us to enjoy more of her work.


NichelleNichols_1120x600_ThumbnailStill Nichol’s portrayal of Uhura in the original Star Trek TV series remains for all to see, and this legacy stands the test of time. Her groundbreaking role opened the door for many more to follow, and “the kiss” remains something visceral in our memories, a signifying moment that for most of us meant things never would be the same. Nichols certainly embodies the concept of the original series - boldly going where no woman had gone before.



  Photo credits: AOL; en. memory-alpha.com; americablog.com

Friday, January 17, 2014

MLB Expands Use of Instant Replay - Changing the Essence of the Game

First appeared on Blogcritics.

mad 2It had to happen sooner or later - and it would have been better if it were later - but Major League Baseball announced plans to expand the use of instant replay in games starting in the 2014 season.


Tony La Russa, who was on the committee to work out the essence of this new ruling, is certainly a guy I respect and admire for his record and professionalism; however, he is advocating the plan as something that is meant to be for the “dramatic miss, not all misses.” While I believe his intentions are earnest, we know that once a door is opened with something like this that we are moving in a direction that will be unstoppable. It’s really a little Dutch boy with his finger in the dyke kind of decision, and we all know the little guy can’t keep that fat little thumb in the hole forever.


Since its inception, instant reply has had an infamous reputation in MLB because it has called into question every play, not just the “dramatic” ones. We have come to a point now that I watch games and really do not appreciate how many times we have to see the same play over and over again. Not only is it tediously repetitious, but it also takes away from the momentum of the game I am trying to enjoy. Yes, announcers love pointing out how the umpire missed the call, but they aren't on the field having to make a split second decision. I wouldn't want to be in that guy's shoes, but I am certainly appreciative that he is there doing the best job that he can.


mad 1The problem with the instant replay challenge as it stands is that the umpires on the field are not going to be reviewing the play. The fact that these replays will be reviewed in MLB Replay Command Center (in New York City) is mind boggling to say the least. How are all MLB games going on simultaneously going to be handled? It also feels eerily like something out of 1984 with Big Brother Bud watching over all. I am certain commissioner Selig sees this (along with his anti-drug policy) as his legacy, but I tend to think of it as something that will tarnish his tenure and ruin the essence of the game.


My way of thinking is this - baseball is meant to be a game of inches. That is how the game has always been played and should be played. The human factor has made baseball an exasperating but exciting game that is America’s pastime because it reflects the drama, conflict, and excitement that we have come to expect. The instant replay dilutes the formula, takes away the human factor, and moves us toward what I fear will eventually be a more robotic and less pure version of the game.


Old timers are scratching their heads now, but how long will it take for this practice to be expanded? My bet is that sooner of later every call will be reviewable, and that even the sacred balls and strikes will one day be called electronically. I cringe at the thought of a game one day being totally digitalized, with all calls being made by an infallible robotic presence.


mad 4I understand that there are many people in favor of the decision, including players, managers, and fans who feel they have been burned by umpires again and again. We think of the lost homeruns, the no-hitters missed by one strike, and the trapped balls that should have been singles. I get that; I really do. This NY Mets fan has seen many calls go against my team, especially a specific called third strike as Carlos Beltran held the bat on his shoulder, but I wouldn’t want to go back and have a robot change that call to a ball. Maybe I am crazy, but that is part of the game I sometimes hate to love.


Of course, we could go on and on, but umpires are professionals who are out there doing their best, who love the game as much as we do, and their presence while sometimes loathed is an integral part of the game. If we take away their role slowly, as we are doing, that will change the game we love forever (sort of like taking Darth Vader out of Star Wars).


I don’t know about you, but I am glad that got to see guys like "Sweet" Lou Pinella have a meltdown because of a bad call. We are moving towards the point where one day (maybe sooner than you think) that will never happen again. What a sad day for all baseball fans.


  Photo credits: ny daily news, pinella-sports-kings.com

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Jack Bauer Will Return in a New Limited Run 24 Series

First appeared on Blogcritics.

Okay, I have the date circled on my calendar. I am certain that all my fellow 24 fans have done the same. The new limited run series begins with a two-hour premiere on Monday, May 5, 2014. I know I am running all the possibilities through my brain, and the fact that the series ended with Jack in such a terrible position only makes all the potential conflicts all the more savory.



24 - 1  Appearing at a press conference to promote the new series, Keifer Sutherland (Jack Bauer), Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe), and showrunner and executive producer Howard Gordon spoke about the reboot of the beloved action series. With the title 24: Live Another Day we get some foreshadowing as to  what to expect, and it all seems in essence downright James Bond-like with the setting and intrigue London has to offer.



We also know that Jack Bauer – the identity at least – is a dead man. When last we saw Jack he was on the run. Ostensibly a man without a country, his family lost to him, Jack seemed a ghostly image on the TV screen as Chloe grimly ordered, “Shut it down!” The screen then went blank and we have been waiting since 2010 to find out what Jack did next.


Knowing Jack Bauer as well as fans do, there is a sense that he can survive anything. His ability to live despite the most harrowing circumstances propels him forward, against overwhelming odds, and he is usually victorious. Of course, because of the nature of his job, Jack is in constant danger, basically cannot have a family, and has long ago thrown the possibility of love to the wind.


24 - 2However, the interesting casting information is that Kim Raver is returning to the series. True fans will recall Kim as Audrey Raines, whom Jack loved and lost (the list is sadly a long one there for Jack). The way we last saw Audrey was in a catatonic state, completely ignorant to Jack’s presence. Jack left her under the care of her father (the terrific William Devane who is reprising his role as Jack’s nemesis James Heller), and they parted ways in less than amicable circumstances.


So there are endless possibilities of internal and external conflicts for Jack (what else is new?). There is also the history of Jack’s actions that will haunt him, with everyone no doubt after this now international fugitive. The Chinese and Russians want him, not to mention an assorted list of terrorists, the FBI, CIA, and NYPD, and they all would like to make him pay for his “crimes” in one way or another. 


The truth for Jack Bauer is always the gold standard as to how he proceeds. When he realized President Taylor (Cherry Jones) had compromised her administration in truly nefarious ways, Jack’s loyalty ended. Jack adheres to a personal code that is unbreakable but causes him nothing but grief; still, one has to admire a man who puts everything before his own well-being and safety to get the job done.


Jack has “died” in one way or another many times for his country – he has faked his death; his heart stopped and he was brought back to life; and his identity has been erased. He is persona non grata in his own country and everywhere else in the world, but Jack will not let that stop him. If he encounters something he deems threatens the safety of citizens and his country (or now presumably the U.K.) he will stop at nothing – absolutely nothing – to get to the finish line.


Obviously, we 24 fans have been waiting a long, long time, and this feels right to us. When the original series ended, many of the fans had hoped for a happy ending for Jack Bauer, but I often noted that Jack is a tragic hero, and tragic heroes seldom have a happy ending and usually end up dead. Jack has lost his wife, lovers, family, and friends. He has lost his dignity, his reputation, and his job. In so many ways Jack has died and yet he refuses to yield, and in that there is always a glimmer of some kind of hope.


24 - 324: Live Another Day brings that hope to the loyal fans and will no doubt attract new ones as well. The series has always given the fans perhaps not what they wanted but definitely what they deserved. With Howard Gordon at the helm again, we can believe that Jack is going to be up against all odds and pushed to the limit of his endurance, but that is, of course, when Jack Bauer is at his best.


I will be counting the days until May 5th. Anticipation is sometimes difficult, but at least we know that Jack is back, and that is not good news for the bad guys in London – or anywhere else for that matter, but great news for us. I will return with a review of the first episode in May.


Until then, as always, Klaatu Barada Nikto.


Saturday, January 11, 2014

Bridge-gate and Chris Christie - Governor’s Presidential Ambitions Are Toast

First appeared on Blogcritics.

luckovichblogEven if you live somewhere outside of the tri-state area (New York-New Jersey-Connecticut) you no doubt have heard about the debacle involving members of New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s administration organizing the closure of lanes on The George Washington Bridge - the busiest bridge in the world. The reason why involves extreme political payback for Mark Sokolich, the democratic mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, who refused to support Christie’s re-election campaign. The fallout will likely mean many heads rolling, perhaps some people going to prison, and the inevitable end of Christie’s political ambitions for a presidential nomination.



If you read the stories in various papers, even the New York Post that usually fiercely defends a Republican on almost any matter, the news for Christie is very grim indeed. Despite his long-winded and rambling defense of his ignorance - and there is no other way to describe his not knowing what was going on - Christie looks incompetent at best or else is a pathetic liar at worst. Either way his presidential ambitions have hit an iceberg and are sinking faster than the Titanic.


There is some talk of this being a conspiracy, and we always hear of those on one side trying to destroy the people on the other. As politics has become more despicable each year, there is no reason why the American people should not see Washington D.C. as anything more than a warped version of Cutthroat Island. Everyone has a plan, an agenda, and some kind of game plan that is nefarious and right out of the plot of a soap opera.


One does get the sense that Republicans never really bought Christie as the frontrunner. He goes against all the things that the Grand Old Party usually holds dear. He is, after all, a Catholic, of Italian ancestry, comes from the Northeast, speaks his mind, and seems quite independent. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, some Republicans bristled at Christie meeting with and praising President Obama. How dare he have a mind of his own and thank anyone deemed unworthy in their limited point of view?


Of course, Republican voices no less wacky than Glenn Beck and others have questioned Christie as the choice to go up against Hillary Clinton. Even despite poll numbers (before Bridge-gate) showing Christie as the only potential Republican candidate as having a chance to defeat Clinton, guys like Beck were saying demeaning things, including that Christie is a “fat mess.” Obviously, Republicans rather run a trim airhead like Mitt Romney whose presidential timber obviously suffered from dry rot.



So did this debacle stem from stupidity, malice, or just the immaturity of a playground mentality that is similar to not getting your way so you take your ball so that no one else can play. If Christie’s people did this without his knowledge it is despicable; if he knew it that is more than appalling - it is criminal. This means Christie will have more to worry about than losing his presidential ambitions - he may be looking at long lonely days on a prison diet.



daily newsChristie came off as contrite in his public apology that went on longer (107 minutes) than that anthropology lecture in your memory of college nightmares. He seemed sincere, honest, but also sort of clueless. There is something so disconcerting here, so unsettling, and that is that Christie’s presidential timber may be as suspect as Romney’s or John McCain’s. Now he is tarnished, damaged goods. His prospects for running for president are history, for if he were to run he would surely lose.



Obviously, more and more information will come out in the days ahead. New documents are being released and stories in various newspapers such as The New York Daily News are tilting negatively and questioning Christie’s apology. The consensus seems to be that Christie was either involved in covering up what his cronies did or just outright lying about his involvement. The callers and hosts of shows on talk radio and the TV talking heads are eating up this story, not to mention the late night comics who are having a field day. While these things are giving us a few laughs, the situation is no joke. Lives were put in jeopardy, commerce was disrupted, and a truly pernicious personal vendetta on a bridge named for George Washington resulted in more than inconvenience. This is a case of our worst fears about the abuse of power becoming a reality. 



wash postThere is a general feeling that Christie has revealed his true colors now. Even if he is as innocent as he claims to be, his choices for people in his administration obviously call into question his ability to delegate and to lead. The level of pomposity shown - no matter how high it reaches in Christie’s administration - proves that this is not government for the people but at their expense.


Whatever revelations come, it is over for Christie - the fat lady has sung and left the building. This is it for Christie, and perhaps he has only himself to blame; however, there are those in his own party who are no doubt silently celebrating his fall. Now they can find someone more suited to their “brand” to go up against Hillary Clinton, which most likely means that Bill Clinton will become First Husband in 2016. That may be the best punishment of all.


  Photo credits: Christie-Washington post and daily news; cartoon - luckovichblog

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Stop The Polar Express – I Want to Get Off Now!

First appeared on Blogcritics.


cold 2 Lake Michigan, Chicago, Illinois[/caption] We lovers of the film The Polar Express sometimes think, “Wouldn’t it be really great to be able to board a train that went all the way to the North Pole for a visit to Santa’s workshop?” Well, as the so called “polar vortex” sends air normally reserved for Santa and his elves this way, I have decided I have no desire to go up there even if I would get a chance to meet the jolly old elf himself.



cold 3No, this air is so cold that you could, as my mother used to say, cut it with a knife. Add to this the 25-mile-per-hour winds, and you get a wind-chill factor that borders on out of this world – literally out of this world. Case in point is Babbit, Minnesota, where it’s -38°C (that’s before calculating wind-chill) and colder than the surface of Mars. This is not just bitterly cold or frigid – it is severe, penetrating (don’t even believe that one about wearing layers), and Arctic-like in its intensity.


So far this winter I have shoveled for hours after two snowstorms, and now New York City (as much of the rest of the country) is blanketed with this cold weather from the North Pole. This is when things crawl to a snarl, equipment fails, trains stop running, and people move as if they are in slow motion. We aren't just numb at this point; we are chisled by the icy air, and the thought of going outside is as promising as that trip to the dentist for root canal.



If you have kids you know that this is the time to “bundle them up” and make them look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy when they walk. My kids went out to school this morning with just their eyes visible, and as I followed them out the door, despite all of my preparation (three shirts, two sweaters, scarf, gloves, and hat with ear flaps) nothing would have kept me warm. Turning the ignition in the car, the engine made a groaning sound – as if to say, “Why are you trying to start me? Are you nuts?”


I have been looking for answers online and TV this morning. My question is – and I’m sure some of you are thinking it too – what happened to global warming? Well, judging from some explanations from the experts, it is not unexpected that global warming could cause these bouts of extreme weather. According to CNN International senior meteorologist Brandon Miller, “different types of extreme weather can result from the overall warming of the planet.”


cold 1Here in New York we have had nothing but extreme weather all year, but especially in the last few days. We had a heavy snowfall last week followed by icy rain (causing the streets to glaze over and pedestrians to lose their grande cappuccinos as they flopped on their rear ends). On Monday the temperature soared to 60°F, creating a thick soup-like fog that would have rivaled anything found in London, and now today we dropped to 4°F and are dreaming of anything but a “white” Christmas.


As many of us face solemn days in this time after the holidays, the last thing we need is winter’s kick in the face. And believe me, that is exactly how it felt when I went out this morning. Jack Frost wasn’t just nipping at my nose; it seemed as if he were ripping it off along with my cheeks.


Watching TV this morning, the meteorologists were like dancing a jig they were so happy. As one of my local broadcasters stood before a map of the New York City area with all insanely low temperatures on it, he seemed positively giddy – like my kids when they learned school was closed on Friday because of the snowstorm. I understand that weather is this guy’s job, but for the rest of us this is nothing to laugh about or to celebrate.


So take all the cold weather tips and try them if you like. Wearing layers didn’t work for me today, although I imagine I would have been much colder if I had not tried it. My father used to say bears have the best reaction to winter – they hibernate, but most of us are not afforded that luxury. If you can stay indoors, do so. Drink your hot chocolate (or brandy if you so choose), throw another log on the fire, and try to stay warm.


hogan wikipediaIn the meantime my family and I have been treated to my niece’s pictures from her trip to  Australia. She is seemingly very happy running around Sydney in shorts and a T-shirt, playing volleyball on the beach, and taking a dip in the ocean. The heck with putting another log on the fire; I’d rather be like good old Paul Hogan and throwing another shrimp on the barbie. Oh, well, I can dream on such a winter’s day.


  Photo credits – cnn.com; hogan - wikipedia

Saturday, January 4, 2014

The Year of the Selfie – Our Obsession with the Unbearable Likeness of Being

First appeared on Blogcritics.

selfie 3 Unless you have been lost in the desert somewhere for the last few years, you probably know what a “selfie” is by now. I have heard endless stories about selfies, and have seen them online and in print so often that they seem to be an expected part of everyday life. On the radio the other day someone said that 2013 had been proclaimed the year of the selfie. Well, looks like 2014 will be a selfie year as well; there is even something called The Selfie Olympics happening this year. Sounds as if those athletes in Sochi will have some competition from those guilty of self-love all over the world.


I have always heard that you cannot love anyone until you love yourself, and what has the selfie done but prove that a lot of people are in love with themselves. It has become a virtual obsession, one that has overwhelmed the way we think about each other and interact with the world. We have been moving towards a society centered on self for years now, but the selfie has all but confirmed our egocentric nature that would make old Narcissus envious indeed.


selfie 2Think about the scope of selfie-mania if you will. We have very famous people getting in on the act. While it seems that it started with young people, predominantly teenagers, the practice has taken off in popularity for all ages. Even grizzled FOX news veteran Geraldo Rivera got in on the act. I guess he was trying to say that if Justin Bieber can do it, why not a senior citizen who is best known for looking for Al Capone’s hidden vault (and turning up nothing but huge ratings).



No, the selfie is something that has the qualities of self-love, but also has elements of exhibitionism. There is no just for me aspect in a selfie, no Emily Dickinson writing poems only for herself. This “art form” is different; selfies are meant to be shared – and with the vast Internet population at that. They are not just sent to friends or loved ones, but out to the whole world to see. Perhaps we can see this as a good thing if we look at the creativity that many people have invested in their selfies. In fact, that is what the The Selfie Olympics is all about. It’s not just a photograph of yourself, but one that is the most original and creative. So maybe the hidden artists within people are being nurtured and encouraged by this mania.



selfie 1Van Gogh painted his famous self-portrait long ago, and he is not alone amongst famous artists who wanted to put themselves on the canvas. There is no doubt something inside all of us that wants the world to see us the way we see ourselves, and the selfie has provided the most simple, fast, and readily available manner in which to do this.


I have looked at a number of selfies before writing this article, and it seems as if the celebrities who utilize this free and easy method of publicity always have a purpose. We can ask ourselves why Geraldo or Justin sent these pictures out, but the result is always starting another conversation about that person, and that keeps people in the public eye in a viable and potent way that was never available before.


selfie 5As evidence of this, let’s look at the most recent selfie posted by Bieber himself. This was after a public outing with singer Selena Gomez. The hot and cold romance between the two appears to be heating up again, according to the the story in The New York Daily News. It seems Bieber enjoys utilizing the quickest way possible to let his fans know they are an item again.


People’s interest in these self-portraits – almost always taken by their own cameras on a smartphone – continues to grow and proves the ultimate power of the selfie, which is an obsession with our own images. Whether this egocentricity is a positive or negative thing will no doubt be based on your opinion of people who like looking at themselves, but either way the selfie is probably going to be around for a long time to come.


selfie 4Why not take your own selfie and let the world see you for what you think you are? Be bold, be brave, and above all make a statement about yourself. You can even send it on to The Selfie Olympics. Who knows, maybe you will be a finalist. Go ahead; there’s nothing wrong with that – it just proves our obsession with the thing that matters most in this universe – ourselves!


 photo credits: geraldo rivera, justin bieber and selena gomes – nydailynews; van gogh-artcyclopedia.com; bieber-celeb-selfies.com

Thursday, January 2, 2014

New NYC Mayor de Blasio and Mike Bloomberg – A Tale of Two Cities

First appeared on Blogcritics.

bill 1You can already see how this thing is going to go when reports in two local newspapers almost completely diverge in the reportage of the inauguration of Bill de Blasio as the 109th Mayor of the City of New York. While Billy Joel once sang about some give and take and The New York Times and The Daily News, the differences couldn’t be any more apparent and indicative of what Mayor de Blasio himself calls the “Tale of Two Cities.”


The story in The News focused on the speakers at the event being divisive and not recognizing Mayor Bloomberg for his 12 years as leader of the city. The article in The Times paints a completely different picture, one of de Blasio as a man who stands for all the city’s citizens but means to right the ship in terms of equity for all and not just a few.


Which story is right? Well, it is long known that The News has been a staunch supporter of Bloomberg, while The Times has been (I hate to use a FOX promo) “fair and balanced” in its approach to him. This means that the paper would call Bloomberg to task when he made his mistakes (which after 12 years were many). Therefore, you need to take the sources into consideration and realize that the article in The News ended with the line, “Hardly anyone spoke for us Wednesday” (at the inauguration). While if you saw any of the coverage on TV or read The Times article, you would get the idea that the speakers were speaking for everyone, but the Bloomberg crowd just didn’t want to hear what they had to say.


Mayor de Blasio has rightly called the last 12 years a “Tale of Two Cities,” and obviously this is a salient observation for anyone who has lived her under Lord Bloomberg’s rule. The disparity between the haves and have-nots was never more apparent than under his watch, where the most important people were clearly concentrated in Manhattan, and certain blocks and areas to be sure got more consideration than others. As for the outer boroughs, people living there might as well have been in Siberia, for in Bloomberg’s mind they were suburbs more than part of the city.


Why people are excited about de Blasio is that he has shared a vision where he will make changes based on what is good for everyone, not those clinking crystal glasses in high priced restaurants or working in their offices overlooking Central Park. No wonder the Bloomberg crowd is upset – they realize that their time is over.


We New Yorkers can remember well that Bloomberg felt that he knew what was right for the city, whether or not we liked it. If Lord Bloomberg deemed it right, well who knew better than he? We can look at the big soda cup ban, the banning of smoking almost everywhere, the pernicious attack on New York City public school teachers, and his disastrous stop-and-frisk as prime examples of his “lord in the manor” philosophy. After all, to him we were just serfs who had to bow to the rule of his iron fist.


If you are not a New Yorker and doubt this scenario of the man who knew not only too much but also everything, please note how when he tried to explain the big soda cup ban that he wasn’t telling anyone what to do, but “we’re simply forcing you to understand.” Just think about that one for a moment. If that doesn’t convince you of his attitude toward the regular people of the city, think of this quotation: “I do think there are certain times we should infringe on your freedom.” Again, this is coming from Lord Bloomberg who definitely thought that he knew what was better for you than you did, and he was going to do everything in his power to prove it to you.


This attitude subsumed the mentality of government for the people to one that could “infringe” in any way it saw fit. Even on the last day in office, he chose to ban E-cigarettes in the city, just as a last jab at New Yorkers to let them know who was boss right up until the end. There was no way people in the streets could ever believe he was doing anything in their best interests; rather, those from the lowest economic class through the middle class understood that Bloomberg’s interests were vested in those with power and prestige.


bill 3Mr.  De Blasio comes into office at a time when he can make major changes for the people who elected him by a landslide. Consider de Blasio’s words in light of what Bloomberg has said. In his inaugural address he noted, “We see what binds all New Yorkers together: an understanding that big dreams are not a luxury reserved for a privileged few, but the animating force behind every community.” This was his reaching out, letting us know that his interests go beyond the elite that Bloomberg courted so shamelessly.


De Blasio went on to promise an “unwavering resolve to do everything possible to ensure that every girl and boy, no matter what language they speak, what subway line they ride, what neighborhood they call home — that every child has the chance to succeed.” This is no Lord in the manor speaking down to us; this is a man of the people who definitely is for the people – all of them!


So we have great hope now – in the outer boroughs, in the housing projects, and in the small, forgotten stores run be people with the American dream. It is clear that the courting of the big corporate types is over, that the drive is to flow resources to assist everyone struggling, hoping to get a little piece of that big American pie that guys like Bloomberg tend to gobble up for themselves.


No one is saying de Blasio will have it easy, or that he will be a perfect mayor, but the wise choice of Carmen Farina to run the city schools is an indication that this man means what he says. His promise to overhall Bloomberg’s devastating policies gives everyone hope that our schools will once again become places of real learning instead of a bastion of over-testing and pounding teachers into oblivion.


bill 2De Blasio’s inauguration provides the kind of hope we (everyday New Yorkers) haven’t seen in a long time. As Mr. de Blasio was sworn into office by President Clinton, it felt something like a new Camelot, as if someone similar to John F. Kennedy had returned to be a progressive leader to take us ahead with a new and exciting vision for the future of the city.



For those who felt Bloomberg didn’t get a proper send off, there are no apologies. After 12 years of his autocratic rule, there is nothing but a sigh of relief from the people on the streets. The Tale of Two Cities should end as soon as possible, and Mr. de Blasio has made it clear that his administration will be about equity for all. Someone did speak for us on Wednesday, loudly and clearly, and most New Yorkers say joyously, “It’s about time!”


 Photo credits: de blasio and de blasio and Clinton-daily news; de blasio family-ny times