I always pick a “Stained Glass” post when I’m ragging on religion. (This one just happens to be Stained Glass 60.) For a change though I won’t be taking on the Catholic Church: instead I’ll be talking about those wacky Roberts’ boys in Tulsa Oklahoma. (But hey, you probably figured that out from the title, eh what?)
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You gotta love them wacky “Roberts’” boys. First Oral (and I do so love that name!) Roberts tells his television audience that God would “call him home” if his viewers didn’t raise a certain amount of cash (I think it was nine million dollars) for some project or other. Oddly enough, he actually GOT the money--most of it from a Dog Track owner in Florida (with a long criminal record). Now his son Richard has decided to resign the Presidency of Oral Roberts University after being accused of financial management of school funds including multiple remodeling projects on the family mansion, allowing his daughters to use the University Jet (ORU has a university jet???), giving nonacademic scholarships to friends of the Roberts’ children and buying his wife a Lexus SUV.
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In his statement he said he had “had a long talk with God and wanted to fight the charges but God had insisted he resign--because America had become such a ‘litigious’ society.” I don’t live in Tulsa but here in SoCal we have a name for people who talk to God. We call them schizophrenics! Frankly, I don’t know what I find more hilarious--the fact that Roberts might actually believe this story or the fact that he expects us to swallow it!
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Maybe I’m not a very good Christian or maybe I simply lack understanding of God’s Plan. Maybe if I had enough faith God would speak to me. Most likely I’m just too big a cynic to swallow a whopper like this. It boggles my mind that God would insist that Roberts NOT fight the accusations (especially false ones as Roberts insists). Sorry Ricky-boy--if you ain’t fighting this battle it’s because you did something wrong! It is truly sad to think that there are people out there who will take this statement at face value and not question it in the least but that’s a post for another time. In the meantime--has God been talking to YOU?
Today’s post features a fractal called Renaissance Magic 11. The number isn’t important (other than to let you know this image comes from a larger series.) I picked the image because it seemed apropos for a review of the movie Enchanted. (The word “Magic” in the title was a good start and the swirly design and pink-peach-and-gold color palette worked well I thought.) ANYway--on with the review!
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QUESTION: what do you get when a fairy tale princess is exiled from her animated kingdom into real world New York City? ANSWER: the latest Disney Studios release Enchanted--and a pretty darn good movie it is too!
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The basic story but it goes something like this: sweet maiden Giselle lives in a cute little house in a forest where surrounded by her animal friends: she meets and “instantly” falls in love with handsome Prince Edward. Edward’s wicked stepmother Queen Nerissa is determined to keep her crown (since it seems Edward can’t take the throne until he takes a wife) so she exiles Giselle to “real world” Manhattan ("where there ARE no happy endings!") Lost and alone, Giselle finally meets Robert--a sad sack lawyer and single father who ha given up on romance. Edward follows Giselle to Manhattan find his “true love” and is pursued by Nathaniel who repeatedly tries to poison Giselle or at least keep the two lovers apart. In the end the wicked Queen gets her comeuppance and everyone else (even the chipmunk!) gets their “happily ever after.”
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Amy Addams (the best reason to see this movie) plays Giselle sweetly without the slightest trace of irony or smarminess and makes you believe in her magic. James Marseden (fresh from his supporting role in Hairspray) continues his seemingly inexorable slide toward complete and utter “pussy”-dom as Prince Edward--who’s as dumb as he is good looking. Susan Sarandon chews the scenery with great abandon as Edward’s wicked stepmother Queen Nerissa: she’s the perfect embodiment of a Disney villainess. British character actor Timothy Spall plays Nathaniel in full “villainous buffoon” mode. Patrick Dempsey departs from his “Dr. McDreamy” personae to play Robert--and has all the charm of a wet blanket. Rachel Covey is cute-as-a-button as Robert’s daughter Morgan and Idina Menzel (who made such a huge splash as the original “Elphaba“ in Wicked on Broadway) plays Nancy, Robert’s long-suffering girlfriend who has a secret bit of romance in her soul.
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True, you can almost here the clockworks turning as the plot cranks along without a single surprise twist anywhere and a cynical viewer might wonder why none of the characters wonder too much about Giselle’s character. (It’s a fairy tale so the viewer is going to need a healthy dose of “willingness suspension of disbelief” to enjoy the movie.) The animated scenes are lushly and elegantly drawn. The few songs by Alan Mencken (who scored so many of the recent “Disney“ cartoons) and Stephen Schwartz (best known for Wicked) are appropriate and clever if none-too-memorable. The live-action scenes are prettily shot and the direction never gets in the way of the actors or the story. This is a fun movie with broad inter-generational appeal suitable for the whole family. (Only a die-hard “Macho Man” or a very young child would NOT enjoy this movie!) I don’t know whether Enchanted will become an enduring “classic” but it is the best family movie out right now.
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FINAL GRADE: A-
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OK folks, follow my chain of association to figure out why I picked the fractal for today’s post. Today’s fractal is called Jemz. I named the image in honor of a 1980s cartoon called Jemm. (I don’t remember all the details but I know it was about a rock star/model who turned into a super heroine.) Like all cartoon offerings of the 1980s it spawned a line of toys--the tag line of which is “Jemm is truly outrageous.” As outrageous as Jemm may have thought she was--this story is truly outrageous! Truly, truly, truly outrageous!
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Just when you think you’ve seen/heard it all you come across a story that just make you drop your jaw. Buried in yesterday’s evening newscast (11/20) I heard a story that literally stopped me in my tracks! The Pentagon has been offering $3000 bonuses to those who re-enlist for military service then sending demand letters to wounded soldiers unable to complete their service.
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I can fully understand, even support, the Pentagon’s position if the soldier fail to complete their service through some fault of their own but going after men and women wounded in service seems completely beyond the pale. Still, thousands of letters have gone out and the feds are collecting from hapless vets under the threat of tax liens and even jail time.
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Is this some sort of weird policy error or did somebody really think it was a good idea? To me, this policy sounds like a classic case of bureaucracy run amok. Honestly, I dunno: still these instructions came form a government sending men and women off to a foreign country than not having proper resources to aid these brave soldiers when they get wounded. To me there is some sort of huge “disconnect” between the cries of “support our troops” and they way said troops are treated once they come home. What’s wrong with this picture folks? Personally, I find this particularly disturbing is the fact that this story gets about one minute’s coverage on the Evening News (and not all newscasts at that) and it hasn’t even been covered in the local paper.
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If there is a bright spot in this story it is this: a congressman (I wasn’t able to find his name) has introduced a bill to prevent the Pentagon from attempting to collect from wounded soldiers. The story came to light after Cpl Jordan Fox was wounded in Iraq by an I.E.D. He contacted station KDKA after he was billed: the Pentagon “reviewed” his case and decided (mere moments before he went on National TV) that the bill was a “mistake.” Still, one has to wonder how many other “mistakes” were made that weren’t corrected because their story didn’t get the same kind of attention.
No fractal for this post but I just ran across a bit about our embattled County Sherriff Mike Carona that was simply too dishy not to pass on to my loyal readers! Turns out way back in 1998, (December 15, to be exact) our County Board of Supervisors approved a request from our newly-elected Sherriff (that’s Mikey) to reduce the qualifications needed for the position of assistant sheriff. Sheriff-elect Carona’s request came because he wanted to “facilitate a smooth transition” in the Sheriff’s Department and to “allow the new Sheriff the necessary autonomy to select his executive management team from the broadest possible pool of applicants pool of qualified applicants.” (I found that in Frank Mikadeit’s Orange County Register column this morning and had to quote it.) The two men who eventually got the postions (George Jaramillo and Don Haidl) had some ethical questions surrounding them even before they took the jobs.
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I’m not sure why the Supervisors went for it but they didn’t put up much of a fight. (They voted 5-0 in favor.) Yesterday (1120) the Board of Supervisors undid their previous action (with another 5-0 vote and virtually no debate). Now assistant sheriffs will again be required to have a minimum of two years as a Captain before they can hold that position.
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Here’s another fun fact about the whole tawdry affair: before leaving “America’s Sheriff” placed himself on paid administrative leave (at full salary) while he’s dealing with his legal troubles. (The County Supervisors are trying to decide what, if anything, they are going to do about this.) Oh, and with all this the local Republican Party still has not yet made an official request for Carona to resign. My, my boys and girls--how positively “Democratic Party” of you…
I will be reviewing the new animated movie Beowulf so I chose a fractal called Odin. (I did a whole series of fractals representing Gods of various pantheons: since Odin is mentioned in the movie I decided to use it as my image for today‘s post.) Again, I’m stretching a bit to come up with an image for my post but I gotta do what I gotta do to put something up for you.
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Beowulf is a true “classic”. It may well be the oldest surviving work of “English” literature--so old in fact that it is written in Old English from even older oral sources. Frankly I’m surprised it took this long to bring the movie to the big screen: the story of a lusty barbarian slaying monsters and becoming king seems ripe for the big screen.
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This new animated version of Beowulf departs somewhat from the source material to flesh out and connect the two stories. King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) has just built a new “Mead Hall” to celebrate his many victories. But the celebration is ruined by the untimely arrival of the gigantic, misshapen monster Grendel (voiced by Crispin Glover speaking what sounds like old English) who uses the king’s guests as after-dinner snacks. Blond and buff barbarian Beowulf (Ray Windstone) and his men arrive to save th day, slaying the monster after a spectacular battle. The celebration after the monster’s death is ruined by another collection of grisly murders. Horthgar reveals that Grendel has a mother--and she’s angry!
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Here the movie departs from the source-myth. Horthgar has a secret (which I won‘t reveal here) but sends the hero out over the objections of his trusted advisor Unferth (John Malkovich in “high snivel“ mode). Beowulf confronts the demon mother (Angelina Jolie in a role tailor-made for her). Beowulf strikes a “devil’s bargain that wins him a kingdom and everything he could desire--including the old king’s beautiful queen Wealthow (Robin Wright-Penn). Many years later the bargain is broken and Beowulf is forced into final battle with a dragon.
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Director Robert Zemeckis uses the same “motion capture” animation technique he used in The Polar Express. Two years of new technology has made the look of Beowulf somewhat better. Still, the human figures have a rather “Barbie”-like look and their flat dead eyes are somewhat creepy. As a whole the movie is beautifully animated and the battle scenes are nothing short of spectacular. The story is somewhat predictable (even with the new twist) and the dialog is frankly cheesy. Still, it makes for a delightfully fun, if campy, romp.
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Beowulf isn’t quite a classic but well worth seeing for what it is. Some parents may be lured into taking young children to the movie because it is an animated feature. This movie though is NOT for children! It is loaded with graphic (if somewhat cartoonish) violence and brimming with (animated) nudity. If this had been shot with “live” actors Beowulf would have gotten an “R” Rating instead of “PG13”. It is not a movie for young children or those with delicate sensibilities but a lot of those who like action movies.
FINAL GRADE: A-
You’d think with the thousands of fractals I’ve done that at least one would be called “Tempest” (or some variation)--but, No! So instead I settled on one called Sunset Storm: I think the image is pretty and today’s post will talk about several “tempest-in-a-teapot” stories floating around the news. (“Tempest” is another word for “storm”--thus the connection.) ANYway--on with the rant!
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Lets get to the really salacious stuff first… Who remembers those pix of Boxing Champ Oscar de la Hoya wearing women’s underwear? (Those that do--how many of you, like me, wish you could forget???) Turns out super-hot Siberian Exotic Dancer (that’s STRIPPER folks!) Milana Dravnel, 22, is filing a ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR suit against de la Hoya for alleged fraud, defamation, interference with contract, infliction of emotional distress and undue influence. (Remember folks--SHE was the one who sold the photos and went on every TV Show that would book her.) De la Hoya insists the photos were “doctored” and hasn’t really suffered much because of the scandal.
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I wanna know how this broad thinks she can get any cash out of the guy! If indeed, as she alleges, de la Hoya had “fake FBI Agents” harassing her it seems to be a job for the Police--but no! She goes straight for the money? Oh yeah--we all believe she was harassed and intimidated--NOT! In the end this is just another tempest in a teapot. Nobody cares whether Oscar de la Hoya likes to wear women’s undies or not: the only person who should care is Oscar’s wife (and she should care because he was in frolicking in a hotel with a stripper.) As for you Milena--it’s time for you to climb back up your pole and out of our lives babe. Your “fifteen minutes” are definitely over!
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Our next tempest involves Lakers Coach Phil Jackson regarding a comment he made after his team was thorough whupped by the San Antonio Sours. (Here’s a link to a story that features the comment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-NLzjcA3kM .) The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) was instantly up-in-arms over the comment as Jackson was quick to apologize. (Use this link to hear Jackson’s apology on ESPN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-m0xfdID34 .) He was quickly reprimanded (but not fined) by the NBA.
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So--why is this a “tempest-in-a-teapot” story? It’s true that all professional sports are frankly homophobic (however much they pretend not to be). Phil Jackson though is no more “anti-Gay” then anyone else in Professional Basketball. He was playing to his audiences (and the crowd of reporters certainly laughed). Do we fault him for a lapse in taste and/or judgment? I hope not. GLAAD really needs to save their indignation for something that really matters so their complaints won’t be so diluted. If anyone should be upset it should be for Jackson's half-assed apology. (No consequences equals no contrition.)
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Our final “tempest-in-a-teapot” story comes from the John McCain campaign in Hilton Head North Carolina where one of his supporters (Check out this link to view the incident in context http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLQGWpRVA7o .) I wasn’t able to find the name of the woman who made the comment but I saw a bit on Inside Edition where she states she “hates” Hillary Clinton and thinks she is “diabolical”. For McCain’s part he simply looked flustered and tried to laugh it off. He ended up saying he respected “anyone who gets the nomination for the Democratic Party.” A number of groups were quick to criticize him for not denouncing the comment.
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Personally, I have to confess that I’ve lost a lot of respect for John McCain after watching him change his stance on several issues dear to my heart just to go after conservative Republican votes. Still, I feel sorry for the guy here: he was clearly caught off guard in an unscripted moment (and I wonder how any of us would do were we caught in the same situation.) I’m saddened that our political process has sunk so law that we (no matter what side we’re on) resort to name-calling. (Come on people! We got over that by the time we were in High School--or at least should have!) I also wonder what those who objected to his comments (or lack thereof) were thinking when they raised a fuss: doing so is just like handing conservative pundits rocks and telling them to chuck away. Not to bright…
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But in the end who I really feel sorry for is us as a nation. We’re so wrapped up in our “tempest-in-a-teapot” stories that we don’t even think about the really important things in life. Still--I love these stories and frankly I enjoy getting my dander up about them. Ah well--I guess I’m no better than anyone else. Bring on the sleaze!
You have to follow a “chain of associations” to figure out why I chose DUVET as the fractal for today’s post. For those of you who might not know “Duvet” is a fancy word a quilt. Quilts usually go on beds and one wears pajamas to bed. Today I will be reviewing the Musical Theater West production of THE PAJAMA GAME and the chain is complete. ANYway--on with the review!
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Bad seats can really spoil your enjoyment of a show: Robyn and I had seats slightly off center in the fourth row of Carpenter Center and yet my seat was “bad”. As soon as I sat down I knew I was going to be in trouble: the seat was canted about fifteen degrees downward so I began a slow slide forward until butt was poised on the edge of the seat and my shoulders were soon against the seat back--but nothing else was supported! I ended up bracing my feet so using my arms as anchors so I wouldn’t slide. I didn’t move but my muscles started cramping almost immediately. Luckily I was able to move to a different seat fir Act Two but I’m afraid it rather colored my opinion of the entire show. But enough about my viewing experience. On with the review!
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THE PAJAMA GAME is the stuff of Broadway legend: the show (based on the novel 7 1/2 CENTS by Richard Bissel) was offered to famous composer Frank Loesser (of GUYS AND DOLLS fame) but he was unavailable. He recommended neophyte “pop” composers Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (who went on to write DAMN YANKESS the next year). The show also helped launch the careers of Choreographer Bob Fosse and Shirley MacLaine who lived the “Chorus Girl becomes a Broadway Star” when she stepped into a featured role when another actress was injured. The show went on to win the Tony Award for “Best Musical” of 1954, became a motion picture and was a multiple “Tony” winner when it was revived in 2004. The most well-known songs from the show include “Hey There” (You With the Stars in Your Eyes…”). “Steam Heat and “Hernando’s Hideaway.”
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The show is a love story set against the backdrop of labor troubles in a Pajama factory. The union is threatening to strike over their demands for a 71/2 cent an hour wage increase (ah for the days when that actually made a difference in the salary!) but management is determined not to give in. Newly-arrived middle-manager Sid Sorokin falls for “Grievance Committee” Chair Babe Williams, She’s spunky, sparky and totally devoted to the Union. Jealous “Time Study Expert” Norman Hines is carrying on with the flirty-ditzy secretary Gladys.
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To me, this production is a little threadbare: yes, the show is set in a factory but this minimal set looks slapped together. (I was close enough to see conspicuous gaps in the construction--not a good thing.) There aren’t as many dance numbers as I’d have expected: the ones the cast does do look good if they are a bit repetitive. (Every production numbers has a couple of guys doing tumbling runs across the stage.) The costumes didn’t thrill me but they convey the feel of the period. As always, the “Pit Band” (this time under the direction of Daniel Thomas) was first rate. I don’t know how many people were in the Orchestra but they rocked it out.
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Paul Dean, as Sid, is good looking and has a magnificent voice. The duet with his own recorded voice on “Hey There” is one of the high points of the show. He isn’t given much to work with in this part and he still underplays his role. He also seemed to be unable to quite keep up with the groups dance numbers. Darcie Roberts (Babe) does a fine job with her role. Nick Degruccio is a fine comic dancer and singer who is suitably frenetic in his role as Hines. Terra C. McCloed has a great role as “Gladys”: it’s easy to see why this role could make a star--hot dance number and a great “drunken” scene… Robert Pieranuzi as “Prez” is an excellent comedian and Vonetta Mixon steals every scene she’s in as “Mabel.” Nils Anderson channels “Jerry Stiller” as factor owner “Mr. Hassler.” The ensemble does a fine job supporting the lead and featured roles and they do well with what they are given.
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In the end I have to ask myself--did I not enjoy THE PAJAMA GAME because of my “bad” seat or was it the show itself or just this production? Honestly, I don’t know: I know I enjoyed the second half a lot more than the first. (I overheard several similar comments on the way out and I can’t assume that they all had “bad” seats so maybe it was a flaw in the production.) I’m used to high quality productions from Musical Theater West and this show didn’t quite deliver.
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FINAL GRADE: C-
Today’s post begins with a fractal called ALL AMERICAN. I picked it because there is nothing more “all-American” than the United States Postal Service: the image has a lot of red, is pointy and aggressive--just like I feel right now. Here’s the story of my protracted adventure trying to find what happened to a missing package…
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The adventure began Saturday November 3: I was out with the Titian-haired, ever luscious Robyn running our weekend errands. When we got home we found a little peach-colored card from the Post Office letting me know they were unable to deliver a parcel since a signature was required. I had the option of picking it up at the Post Office (some distance away, not easily gotten to) or requesting a re-delivery. Re-delivery seemed the best option so I promptly called 1-800 ASK-USPS and was directed into “Voice Mail Hell”. About 55 punches later (the tune was a rough approximation of “I Want To Rock and Roll All Night and Party Every Day” by Kiss) I learned that I needed to make said request with a LIVE OPERATOR (and the national office had already closed for the weekend).
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So I called back before 6:00 AM Monday morning and got through to a real person after another telephone keypad rendition of “I Want To Rock and Roll All Night and Party Every Day”: since I hadn’t called before 2:00 AM PST time I couldn’t get the package until Tuesday. (Never mind the fact that I needed to make the request through a live persona nd they were CLOSED unitl 5:00 AM PST Monday!!!) Tuesday came and Tuesday went and there was no package. My “regular” mail arrived but nary a sign of the errant parcel. I dialed the “800” number yet again (“I Want To Rock and Roll All Night and Party Every Day”) around 4:00 PM only to be told “we have until 5:00 PM your time to deliver the package. If you haven’t gotten it by then you’ll have to call back to schedule a re-delivery.” Then they hung up on me.
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SO--I called back at 5:01 PM and a nice lady took my re-delivery request--promising the package would be delivered the following day. Wednesday came--my regular mail arrived but no parcel! At 5:00 PM I made yet another call to their “help” (ha!) line. (By now I was getting pretty good at playing “I Want to Rock and Roll All Night…” on the telephone keypad so I was able to add some seriously wicked “air guitar“ moves to it.) This time a kid who sounded like he might have been 16 (at most) said he’d request another re-delivery!
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I told him “no” that WAS NOT an option. (“Sir--you don’t have to yell at me!” That’s not yelling kid!!!) “Isn’t there anything else I can do?” I asked as this annoying little twerp was fraying my last nerve. “Well--I suppose you could file a complaint… Someone who can help you will get back to you within one business day . . .” I readily agreed.
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This afternoon (11/8) I got a phone call form someone at my local P.O. We went through everything yet again and I gave the man on the other end of the line all the info I had. Sadly, I had everything but what he really needed to help me! (My Postal Carrier hadn’t bothered to write the “Tracking Number” on the card she left me--thus making my package untraceable. Later in the day another gentleman called me back so I told the story yet again! At least he had a helpful suggestion: call the company I’d ordered the item from and see if they had the elusive Tracking Number on file. (They didn’t.) At least he gave me a local number to call them so I didn’t have to deal with the “800” number--although I must confess to a certain sadness about not being able to do my “air guitar” moves one more time. (BTW--this Yahoo had to look up the phone number of the office he was working in.)
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Without a Tracking Number he can’t help me: the package is gone and they have no idea when/if it will re-appear. It may have been shipped back to the point of origin or it may have gone back into the mail stream--and from there it could have gone anywhere. My package may or may not re-appear at some time in the future--at this point it's anybody's guess...
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If there is a bright spot in this tragic tale it is this: at least I don’t have to pay for the item the "Post Awful" lost. If the package fails to show up here by November 14 (I wanted it by November 10) the company will re-ship me a new one at no additional charge. Hopefully the “Post Awful” will be more careful with this one because if they don't I'm afraid I'll have a meltdown. (I'd make a joke here about "disgruntled postal employees" here but it would probably get me in trouble.)
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Still, I find myself well and truly frustrated with the USPS. If my mail carrier had done her job properly in the first place there wouldn’t have been a problem. Their “800” number is less-than-helpful and some of the staff couldn’t care less about helping those who call for assistance. It’s no wonder Fed Ex and UPS are getting more and more business. Still they keep raising our rates: if this is an example of how well the USPS does there job on a regular basis they'd have been "out of business" a long time ago if they'd been a Corporation. Here’s hoping I don’t have to deal with the “Post Awful” again any time in the near future--say the next ten years or so…
You have to follow my chain of reasoning for choosing today’s fractal, CRAZY QUILT. But, once you hear my reasons I think you’ll find it makes perfect sense! A quilt is (usually) a bed covering: politics makes for strange bedfellows and this political pairing is strange--one might even say crazy! (See what I mean? It makes great sense!)
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I just heard a bit news that literally dropped my jaw--so much so that I feel like I needed to “blog” about it! Ultraconservative Televangelist Pat Robertson just announced he is endorsing Rudy Guiliani in the 2008 Presidential election. Why is this so odd? Guiliani is a political moderate--pro “Choice” and in favor of gay rights legislation. Robertson (who once said “Liberal judges are more dangerous to the United States than a few bearded terrorists flying airplanes into skyscrapers”) has political leanings somewhere to the right of Atilla the Hun.
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Any political observer worth their salt should be asking themselves “what’s up with this?” Is Robertson and his pals in the Christian Right mellowing their stance on abortion and gay rights? (Yeah right!) Does Robertson think he can “persuade” Guiliani to harden his stance on key issues? (Today’s politics demands a lot of “quid pro quo” so this seems highly likely to me.) Maybe it is simply the fact that Robertson feels Guilani has the best chance to win against Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. Why didn’t Robertson go with Mitt Romney who has values right in line with the Christian Right? (Romney is a practicing Mormon, definitely not what Pat Robertson would call a “good” Christian but Guliani is a self-confessed adulterer and much-married. Such a choice for a Christian to have to make!)
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Personally, I think Robertson went with Rudy Guiliani for one reason and one reason alone. He thinks Guiliani can WIN! I don’t respect Robertson’s political views but I always believed he was committed to his concept of Christianity (however warped I think it might be). But with this move Robertson has sold out his own values and proven himself just to be another politico wrapping himself in the Bible to achieve his own ends. Whatever his reasoning, I’m sure this latest development will make for an interesting Presidential race in 2008.
No fractal today, just a quick correction. In my post I LOVE THE SMELL OF SCANDAL IN THE MORNING (November 2) I mistakenly referred to failed candidate LT. BILL HUNT as MIKE HUNT. I checked the name on several Internet sources and I still missed it. Many apologies for the mistake.
Today’s post begins with a fractal called Atomblast. I picked it because Dwayne “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman did something that may well cause his career to implode after dropping the “N Bomb” several times in a recorded conversation. After watching the story play out for several days I finally decided I needed to put in my two cents.
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All Americans seen to love to raise folk up on a pedestal--and we love it just as much when our newly-created idols come crashing down. The most recent case of this is Dwayne “Dog” Chapman. He was a bounty hunter who parlayed several high-profile captures (chief among them Andrew Luster--an heir to the “Max Factor“ cosmetics fortune and multiple rapist) into a reality show on the “A&E” Channel. He was portrayed as a compassionate badass--a family man who prayed for his targets before he took them in. He was big on sermonizing to the perps--and even reputedly promised to keep in touch and help set them on the straight-and-narrow once they’d done their time.
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The show was hugely popular (at least by “basic cable” standards) and everything seemed to be going great until the National Enquirer got hold of a taped phone call between Dwayne and his son Tucker in which the famous bounty hunter repeatedly used the “N-word”. It seems the “N-word” is tossed around with regularity at the Chapman house: “Dog” was afraid that Tucker’s black girlfriend would report this and cause their “whole career to come crashing down”. Chapman said it wasn’t a racial slur but a comment on the girl’s character.
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This is just wrong on every level! Maybe it’s just me but I really don’t feel anyone should be tossing around the “N-word” lightly. When blacks use the word it gives racist whites the impetus to misuse it. The word doesn’t elevate anyone’s moral character and it only serves to raise bad feelings. A&E was shocked, shocked! that one of their stars had used such language (like their Production Crew had never heard him use the word while they were with him) and put Dog the Bounty Hunter on indefinite suspension. Chapman apologized for his use of the word (and had the good sense not to go on an “Apologymania“ Tour like Don Imus) but it doesn’t seem to have done him any good.
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But here’s the part of the story that amazes more than anything else--and doesn’t seem to be getting much play. Chapman’s son Tucker was the one who sold the tape to the Enquirer--not only selling out his father but his entire family! Tucker Chapman has been keeping a very low profile lately-- I’m sure nobody wonders why? (unless maybe he‘s afraid his Dad will kick his candy ass). Still, I’d love to hear his justification for this: was he blinded by love? Did he feel he needed to expose his father for the sake of justice? (yeah right!) Or was he just a gigantic brat who wanted to get back at his father for getting in his business? Honestly, I don’t know and I doubt I ever will. I’m just amazed that this kid could betray his family like that. Still, family betrayal is nothing new: the kid had to learn it from somewhere--and he very likely learned it from watching his parents in action.
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Will the “Political Correctness” Police manage to nail Dwayne “Dog” Chapman for good and all? I don’t know: a lot of people seem to think the whole thing is just a bit overblown (as do I--yet still I‘m blogging about it . . .) Still, it’ll be interesting to see how this one plays out--especially with the writer’s strike (but more about that later). I’ll certainly be watching . . .
Today’s post begins with a fractal called Coronal. I picked it because the title is almost an anagram for Carona--the last name of our current Orange County Sherriff. I know the connection is tenuous at best but it’s the best I could do for this one.
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Mike Carona is a third-term Sherriff here in the OC, popular with the public and a master of public relations. He somehow managed to get himself tagged as “America’s Sherriff”--thanks to the high profile Samantha Runyon child-abduction, rape and murder case. He is also a big-time politician, well-connected in the county and state Republican party. Sadly, he is also not above using his office to punish anyone who dared oppose him in an election.
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By this I’m talking about the 2006 election in which Sherriff’s Deputy Lt. Mike Hunt had the temerity to run against Carona. Carona had the blessings of the Orange County (and maybe even the state-wide) Republican political machine but Hunt still challenged him. Carona considered this “disloyal” and fought all the harder to get re-elected (even though he had promised to limit himself to two terms). After “America’s Sherriff” handily won that election Carona promptly moved to demote Lt. Hunt and removed him from his cushy post within the Sherriff’s Department. (NOTE: what Sherriff Carona did was completely legal: he was within his rights to make the move. Ethically--that’s another story. His decision was widely questioned by many.)
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So--why am I dragging up something that was over-and-done two years ago? Simple--Mike Hunt accused Sherriff Carona of “peddling favors” to his major contributors--favors like giving his supporters concealed weapon permits (outside of standard legal channels), appointing cronies to political positions then giving them and their families special treatment when they had legal trouble. (The OC Sherriff’s Department severely botched the rape case against Greg Haidl and two others: Greg Haidl is the son of former OC Assistant Sherriff Don Haidl--a former "close friend" and political appointee of Carona’s.) Around the same time Assistant Sherriff George Jaramillo (another former friend of the Sherriff) was indicted on a number of charges, Both Haidl and Jaramillo were eventually charged and convicted. During his investigation, Jaramillo alleged the Sherrif's hands were none too clean either. Wednesday October 31, Sherriff Mike Carona, his wife Deborah and alleged "long-time mistress" Debra Hoffman were all indicted on Federal Corruption charges. (FUL LITTLE ASIDE: Debra Hoffman was the former law partner of George Jaramillo.)
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Sherriff Carona “vehemently denies” all charges (of course) and says that he is “looking forward” to defending himself in court where he expect to be “fully exonerated’ once he “explains” his side of the story. (Right now at least) his bigwig Republican allies are fully supporting him. (We‘ll see what happens as time goes on and more info comes out.) Is he guilty? I don’t know: I believe that he is an arrogant, vengeful man who has made a number of “questionable” ethical decisions in his career but that doesn't necessarily make him guilty. The Department of Justice conducted a long investigation and a Grand Jury believed there was enough evidence to charge him. I have to assume the Feds have something more than the word of a couple of convicted felons on which to base their case--but we’ll never know until trial, will we? Even if he isn’t found guilty the Sherriff’s reputation will be tainted for a very long time to come and I doubt Carona will be supported for higher political on the state or national level. I’ll be watching this one closely to see how it all plays out in the end. It should be--very interesting! God, I love the smell of “scandal” in the morning!
I always pick a “Stained Glass” post when I’m ragging on religion. (This one just happens to be Stained Glass 60.) For a change though I won’t be taking on the Catholic Church: instead I’ll be talking about those wacky Roberts’ boys in Tulsa Oklahoma. (But hey, you probably figured that out from the title, eh what?)
