Suffering the Panthers

I've been suffering the panthers for longer then I'd like. Argument acknowledged; that it is part of being a fan. For better or for worse. Look at the Raiders. . .

Steven Covey suggests that we shouldn't worry about what is outside our realm of influence. It's one of the 7 habits of Highly Effective People for Pete's sake! No wonder fans flock to the Yankees, and the Cowboys. An even more shameless phenomenon is the contingent of fans that hitch a ride on the bandwagon every year. You can expect an infusion of New Orleans Saints fans in the local sports bars, and Drew Bree's "9" jerseys in the halls of campuses around the country. I can't fault them, other than their lack of genuineness. It's all in good fun right?

Not in this country. Sports teams are like politics, your either right or wrong. It's sacrilege to hop from team to team, and just as shameful to be pulling for the "other guy". I love it. Growing up in the south for most of my formative years it was all about college basketball and Duke versus Carolina. There is downright hatred toward the other, and very little recognized respect.

In 1995, as a Pittsburgh Steelers fan I was confronted with a decision to make. A decision of whether to stay loyal to a team that had very little relevance to who I was other than an affinity for the way they play the game. The other choice was to become a Carolina Panther's fan. It seemed like the right thing to do, so I chose the latter. There were some overt signs that I was making the right decision, and like all fans I believed it was a direct message to yours truly (like I shouldn't have missed that game or I forgot my lucky hat). Dom Capers was to be the head coach, the former defensive coordinator of the Steelers. Jerry Richardson the owner of the Panther's franchise, also cited the Dan Rooney's Steelers as his inspiration for the Panthers organization. That's a lot of positive energy.

On the fateful day of September 3^rd, 1995 I was a through and blue Carolina Panthers fan! That day the Panthers played San Francisco and lost by 3 points. Not the desired result, but auspicious nonetheless. This team had something, and it was fun to watch. They played hard every game. Even when they lost they were showing flashes of brilliance. Coach Capers was an x's and o's guy who took notes on every play. He was stoic, and passionate when called upon. He had the southern grit, and the passion for winning that has defined this area for years. He was our guy. His team had tough-guys, and savvy veterans like Wesley Walls and Sam Mills. Players that were loved, and will always be remembered.

He quickly became the scapegoat for Richardson, and the organizations lackluster subsequent years. Enter George Seifert, a sure fire winner with a record to boot. That didn't go so well either. He didn't have the pathos or the mentality consistent with what was expected from a defensive team like the Panthers. In 2002 the Panthers signed John Fox for his first NFL Head-coaching job and fresh off a Super Bowl loss as a defensive coordinator with the New York Giants.

Fox was well liked, and his 2002 team finished 7-9 by playing harder and more fundamentally then many of their opponents. He started a veteran quarterback Rodney Peete who was respected for his leadership and experience. In 2003, he signed a second-stringer out of New Orleans the "Raging Cajun" Jake Dellhomme. The fans didn't have much of an opinion of Jake until his first series at quarterback in the second half of the Tampa Bay game. It was love at first sight. He had the grit, he had the fire, and he had us at hello. He was the right guy for the team, and so was John Fox. The teams dominating defensive line, and the offense finally had a backfield that could stretch the field and control the game. Now, was an exciting time to be a Panther's fan. The bandwagon was full and the team was quickly labeled the "Cardiac Cats" for their late game heroics.

Jake was popular because he made the big gambles and it usually paid off. He wasn't the best athlete, nor did he have the best arm. He had heart. In the south, that means something. We were loyal, and even shamelessly forgiving. This was the state of things over the next few years as the Panthers had a great season, then a mediocre season, then a good season, then a mediocre season, yada, yada. . . etc. etc. The vicissitudes of fandom can be gut-wrenching, but it comes with the condition.

It quickly became hard to be a Panthers fan. The team let some key free agents go. They failed to address a need to sign a good number two receiver, or a tight-end. The offense was never as effective without a power runner, and Foster never lived up to his number one billing. The great talent was withering away, and getting beat up. Julius Peppers, Mike Rucker, Kris Jenkins, Dan Morgan, Steve Smith, and Mushin Muhammad were not able to go on talent alone, the team lacked leadership. The organization failed to evolve with the times, and like any organization that fails to change with the times they failed to be effective with their strategy.

Like I said before, I've been suffering the Panthers for years now. Even after last year's NFC south dominating season I felt like we were on the brink of collapse. This season, we've collapsed. We still have dominating talent but lack the vision to compete in today's game. John Fox is still trying to win with a savvy veteran at quarterback, and a dominating defense. The problem is that experience should limit mistakes. This just isn't the case.

This ineptitude has fans screaming for heads and prematurely discussing rebuilding the franchise. The answer lies at the top. The fish rots from the head down. Fox and Marty Hurney have seen success, and like the way it tastes and feels. They just lack the edge, and creativity to sustain success with thirty-two smarter people competing for the very same thing. (the Raiders Al Davis notwithstanding)

"Coaches who can outline plays on a black board are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their player and motivate. "
Vince Lombardi

"If you can accept losing, you can't win."

Vince Lombardi

2012 and how it made me feel. . .

It only took Roland Emerich a little over 2 hours to destroy the world. Somehow I believe that it would take us minutes. We fecklessly throw around our earnest opinions while practicing indifference towards that of others. Distrust is our modus operandi. Faith is an undeniable and impervious to facts because it feels right. Facts and science are framed and can be framed as nothing more than an opinion. We hold onto our conscience and believe so hard what our heart is telling us, or what we think it's telling us that to confront the probability is to arduous a task nor a noble one in our eyes. Our ignorance is our solace because the very notion that something is unknown or unaccounted for is too terrifying for us to grasp.

Apocalyptic tales have always fascinated me, and in many cases affect me like no other film can. The world is full of so much hatred, Racism, bigotry, xenophobia, liberalism and conservatism, etc, yada yada. These have evolved into something more lethal then opposition or even rivalry. The debate is no longer a progressive dialogue. Most people have entrenched themselves philosophically. The conversation has spilled over into something laced with violent undertones. Greed is pandemic, and knows no one group better than the other. Then the nihilist and anarchists voice pervades our minds and seemingly become relevant.

Then futility is borne from the volatility. It has often been suggested, and historically proven that we are the most likely threats and contributors to our own demise.

Cormac Macarthy's the Road paints a bleak picture at the conclusion of these events. One of the most beautifully written, and haunting stories ever written. His story confronts reality more than the custom Hollywood fare. All of these stories hit too close to home for me when I really get to thinking about it.

Sadly, this genre is more fantasy then the horror films (that reflect the news) that have become so popular lately. In every story, and less effectively in many, the end-times narrative has a spirit of altruism that no other story can capture. The CGI driven theatrics may be the major draw, but the heroics of the characters are what moves me. The triumph of the human spirit despite the destruction of everything we deem as valuable by our checkbooks and attention. Humanity and character is something rarely celebrated and insufficiently exalted in the daily grind. These stories illustrate the grandeur of such selflessness. The real reverence of such an ultimate sacrifice.

2012 is as good as any film under a similar guise. I hope that we can avoid such catastrophe in our time or our children's. The world is fragile, but can humanity overcome such devastation when we hate each other so much?  Is it only in the destruction of these lines that the divide between us is capable of being bridged? Or do I have it wrong and to be human is to hate--to self destruct? Are the nihilist right?  When so much of religious teaching and American philosophy are based on understanding and acceptance how can we as individuals or community look at ourselves in the mirror?

These movies get to me and compel me to think--what will be our legacy? Too much time on our computers, and gaming systems? Have we preoccupied ourselves in pursuit of pleasure? Have we created a virtual Babylon? Do we feel better watching our opinion-of-comfort prevail without another perspective to challenge our very core understanding? All of this is true. That's the horror of it. Like moths to the flame we are impelled towards gratification. This behavior begs the question, is to be human—to be hopelessly drawn to pleasure? It's one of the core principles of evolution. Are we so different from animals?

 

That is why I am drawn to these stories. Because I am no better than the person next to me, nor do I claim to be. I do not live in a glass house. These stories are sometimes listed under science fiction. I guess I am proposing that I wish the heroics of humanity were a little less fictional. Then again it's only 7:07 in the morning and I'm probably delirious. Mad even. . .

Self-Pity begets Daddy Issues? I hope not.

Being a father is something I take very seriously. Some find that hard to believe due to my late night proclivity to solitude or my afternoons sprawled out in one of the local movie theatres. I'm the Norm Peterson of the theatre. I even, question my actions on some occasions. Is this what a father should be doing? Not a question that I like to answer, or more importantly like the answer. Here I am at one in the morning writing a blog, after opening up a vein and contributing to my never-ending opus, after a nice date night with my lovely wife. Why am I still up?

There's so many days when my mind is in 5^th gear, and my body is in neutral. One learns ways of coping with these moments, and then one has to unlearn those same coping mechanisms as they mature. For some it's drugs or alcohol, others it's chasing skirt or other destructive behavior. I watch movies, or find a quiet place on Oak Hollow Lake and read a book. I disappear. . My life's pretty tame in comparison. So I guess that's why I've been okay with it. Either way, we have to discipline ourselves to let go of those childish things and suck it up, and be a man. We have to let go of what once provided us the very solace that balanced us growing up. Should I be buying tickets to see a movie a week instead of spending time with my daughter and son? I know the answer, and it's hard to justify the actions but I do. Please don't judge. I'm a self-aware monster.

It's funny when I tell people about the movies I've seen, or my afternoon plans. They seem to look at me like, is he married? I've even been asked, "How do you get away with that?" My best response, I do.

Late at night I walk into my children's room and give both of them a kiss. I listen to them breathe, and tell them that I love them. Then I walk into my refuge, behind the piles of books and bills and start writing. I harbor the fantasy that one day I could write a book in honor of them. "This book is dedicated to my beautiful and loving children." But would that make up for the absenteeism of a daddy? I don't even know why I would ask that question. I know the answer, yet I continue down this path.

Some nights when I don't have the head phones blasting Bob Dylan, and the fan turned way up I hear Aubrey call out for Mommy. It's touching, and warms my heart beyond anything I could imagine other than one thing. "Daddy", in which she says on a rare occasion. Sometimes, Liam looks at me and smiles, and eclipses anything else in the room. Moments like these are when I say to myself this is what I signed up for, and I'd do it again and again. Yet, I know this is the sacrifice. I reflect on the fact that I didn't have a father in my life until I was sixteen years-old. When I look at my life I see where I missed out on the formative encouragement of a father's love as a child. I had more than enough love from my mother, but it's something that can't be replaced. In many cases I believe that the lack of real father figures can be accounted for as one of the many ruinous effects on modern society. Everyone knows that America has "Daddy issues".

I guess I have some growing up to do. No matter what, my intentions are to be there for my children. Through thick and thin, and hell and high water, I think about them and their safety all day, every day. If I inherited anything from my father, it's his hyperactive anxiety in regards to things mostly out of my control. Despite the lunacy of scenarios that have been offered up to me by my him, I know that deep down inside his heart is in the right place.

Some fathers go out drinking after work, others smoke their brain cells into a haze, and others just don't come home. I'm not looking for a prize, just some understanding as I try to make my way through the world. Just a little less speculative opinion, and a little more sympathy for a man trying his best to balance the insanity of life's web of complexity. Maybe I write this as a way of purging my conscience? Perhaps it's a way of coming to terms with my selfishness? Or a release of guilt for being so self-sympathetic that I have to plug in to another world and unplug from my world as if it was a game of SIMS. Either way, I'm trying to be a grown up in a sophomoric world of hypocrisy, bloodlust, and sensationalism that's destroying mankind in spite of itself in the name of greed and entertainment. It's hard to be a man, much more a father, or a good father.

I look forward to the day when I can take them with me. Buy them an oversized drink, and some buttery popcorn. Find a quiet corner in the theatre. Sit back, and take it all in. Plug in, and unplug. Then again, am I contributing to a future problem? Maybe. . . All I know is that I love my family. My wife is an incredible mom and she does so much for me. She is an absolute saint when it comes to my escapist excursions. I have a lot of making up to do. . . And that's all I have to say about that.

 

"Daughter"

By London Wainwright III

 

Everything she sees
she says she wants.
Everything she wants
I see she gets.

That's my daughter in the water
everything she owns I bought her
Everything she owns.
That's my daughter in the water,
everything she knows I taught her.
Everything she knows.

Everything I say
she takes to heart.
Everything she takes
she takes apart.

That's my daughter in the water
every time she fell I caught her.
Every time she fell.
That's my daughter in the water,
I lost every time I fought her.
I lost every time.

Every time she blinks
she strikes somebody blind.
Everything she thinks
blows her tiny mind.
That's my daughter in the water,
who'd have ever thought her?
Who'd have ever thought?
That's my daughter in the water,
I lost everytime I fought her

Yea, I lost everytime

My Escape to Where the Wild Things Are

 

"There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen."

In the haze of what could only be described as stumbling to the bathroom after rolling out of bed, I couldn't shake the dream that I thought I had. To have experienced the book as a kid was to escape into a fantasy world, an award winning picture book, in which you were the king of monsters. To see through Spike Jonze eyes, is to see the world as a child once again. I awoke to a stark reality. That I was not dreaming. I was indeed in a theatre, captivated by the magic of Maurice Sendak's masterpiece Where the Wild Things Are on the silver screen.

The weight of the world can be incredible. The reality of the eternal nothingness. . . The Infinite Abyss. . . The dog-eat-dog status quo in which, when it matters, we are all out for ourselves. The feeling that no one can hear us, or that we even matter to anyone else. There is heartbreak, lies, and change. All of that begets the explosive anger in us, like a child we lose the ability to be rational. A delayed temper tantrum, that implodes onto the suburban-working class-post-adolescent version of us. The worst version of ourselves, in which adulthood encroaches on us, and we can no longer pound our fists and go kicking and screaming into our rooms. The all encompassing loneliness of being a kid misunderstood amplified by the complexity of inter-office posturing, and TPS reports. We all feel this way sometimes. Just like a kid, staring out the rain freckled window of our room hoping for the sun to come out and warm the pane.

As an adult, we can't afford to be beholden to our emotions. That's a misstatement, we are only human, however we can ill-afford to let them run wild as a kid. Growing up is filled of rights-of-passage, many regrets, and ill-conceived genuflecting to the dreams of children. In the book, and movie Max wants a return to normalcy, to be as it was. Changes in family that he can't understand overcome his ability to tame the beast within, and he runs away. This is more than your standard kid's film. Pixar and 3D would have cheapened the experience, and Sendak's illustrations. This film is a trip, in away. For those so inclined, I would imagine that this would be fun on acid. For me, that's an imaginative leap, and those I am predisposed to. Max's imagination like many of ours is the conduit he uses to grow, and evade the harsh reality of the ceaseless minute during a timeout or the sting of a spanking.

This story impacted me, again, but even more this time. Anybody that knows me knows of my weakness for the story. Escapism is my nicotine, my balance to the pressures of knowing what I know—what an adult knows. Little Max is screaming mad at his sister, and mother. He just wants to be understood. His destructive actions are the only way in which he can convey his feelings. The ends justify the proverbial means, so to speak. By smashing, and tearing through the house he can get their attention. Now they will listen! Just like his friend Carol, played by the incomparable James Gandolfini, he smashes and destroys his friend's huts to express his anger. They just don't seem to understand him, and he doesn't yet understand the pain that he inflicts. Max's mother can't help but to see a monster. As in our lives, we feel impotent to affect our circumstances. I feel like Max a little every day. We all want to run into another world where we can be king. We all want to let the "wild rumpus" start.

As Max shapes the world of Wild Things, he soon finds out that he too is but only a player. A sobering truth for all of us, I thought as I listened to the radio scream at me on why the world is going to hell in a hand basket.

Rivalry is fine, but is this a healthy Rivalry?

I get older, and with that comes life experience. It's humorous to me that others refuse to recognize the opposition to their beliefs as an opportunity to test them. It's as if the validity of your perspective is irrelevant because it is what defines you. You are a valued conservative. Perhaps, an open-minded progressive? Either way, with that, there's a label that is hard to shake. No matter how much you try, that is who you are in the other's eyes. Then there are the fair-minded. Usually the ones that claim to be fair-minded don't know that they are nor are they so inclined to tell you. In most cases, it's an apathy that exists. This can both be a forced apathy out of distaste for either side, or just a prevailing aloofness. That's the three types of people. In a paragraph I just generalized a whole population of Americans. Not a very easy, nor a sharp venture. Although, I believe that I have nailed it.

I've tried, more often than not, to watch Fox News. I listen to conservative talk radio like a moth to the flame. Rare is it that I find their ideas stimulating versus irritating. I do not like to be yelled at as a form of proselytizing. So much of it is name calling and the spinning of "news" to create the story. This is especially true when there is a pressing issue. What I've found is that the dialogue is filled with vicious rhetoric and hysterics. It's hard to look at Glen Beck, beyond listening to him. He yells at you and preaches to you as if you were in first grade. I can't imagine, and then again I see it in the news every day, what power he has on the less educated. The ill-equipped to understand the histrionics and theatrical nature of his program are liable to implode with emotion. He plays into the predisposed prejudices of his viewers. Their innate xenophobia, and sense of fear about losing their way of life causes them to yell back at the television as if it were some form of rally versus an informative program or commentary. He depicts a world devoid of grey area, and superficial examinations of issues that only peal back layers of crazy to substantiate his world view.

The question has been raised about the genesis of this outrage against President Barack Obama and the underlying racial implications. I don't think that it can be denied that there is a racial component. When you look at the criticism of how the president reacted to the Havard-Gate situation in which the esteemed African American scholar Professor Gates was arrested in his own house with a "figures" kind of sentiment. It is obvious that there is some grey area, and one would hope the officer exercised his best judgment in the situation. However, no matter what the officer's intentions were it became a racial issue and fodder for those spinster-media types to make this an "us against them" argument. I do not believe that all of the criticism, like the president says, is racially motivated. Meanwhile, the reality is that the tactics of right have harnessed that very emotional energy with tacit incendiary remarks to inflame the evils of their psyche. The strategist on the right is very aware that this sentiment exists. In the 2008 election, during exit polling voters were actually willing to share that they weren't ready to vote for a black president. Race was part of the story in 2008 and will continue to be a component that cuts both ways.

I really believe that the "townhalls" and "tea-baggers" and all of this outrage that is portrayed as patriotic free-speech on Fox news is the result of Karl Rove politics. These are, by and large, the same opponents to gay marriage and abortion. These are emotionally charged situations where Rove took the polarizing issues of our time such as ten commandments in the class room, "In God we Trust" on our dollars, confederate flags in South Carolina, and gays adopting kids and exploded that to fan the flames of violent opposition against even a discussion about the alternatives. A conversation is diminished as an affront on their faith, and encroachment on their freedom. All nuance or complexity is watered down as politics.

What's more, is the dangers of for profit news sources that have taken this demographic and built programming around their perspectives. The people that spew this filth, the Becks, and Sean Hannitys are the first to admit that off the record they are entertainers. They say this with an air of smugness and condescension, and this is true on both sides. Yet they forgo the responsibility that comes with gossip. They play loose with the facts, and take editorial privilege often to wrap the stories of the day around their ideology. They know who watches their programs. Just like any good business man, "know thy customer" as Peter Drucker said. Unfortunately, the collateral damage is the truth. These shows don't present themselves as anything other than the news. They lack the honesty of Jon Stewart. At least, his show is on Comedy Central. It's a dangerous game.

As a passionate proponent of free speech, it's hard for me to side on the argument against the existence of their voices. My ambivalence is torturing because of the three types of people, only the informed will be heard. Then it's whoever has the loudest voice, or money to get their loud voice broadcast. So the misinformed are dominating the debate over substance. If the republicans continue to pick at the scabs of their constituency to emote support by ad hominem attacks on the issues, and propagating mistruths about the intentions of opposition--the end result will be the weakening of our republic. When the discussion has devolved to the lowest common denominator then we all lose.

The Character of America

I've been an American for 31 years now. I can honestly say that there hasn't been a moment in my life in which I didn't believe America was the greatest country in the world. I have these black and white images in my head of soldiers storming the shore, and the star spangled banner enveloping me with pride. I have this great live album of Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band playing "This Land is My Land" and it still gives me cold chills every time I play it. All of that being said, we are far from perfect. Right this moment, rational minds are debating the future of health insurance in our country. The president just finished speaking on healthcare to the freshly-vacationed, joint session of congress. He laid out his position clearly and passionately. Congress was polarized by two opposing viewpoints both parading as what's best for the American people.

Fortunately I've always had healthcare through my parents, and then as an adult through my job. So do the majority of Americans. For many of us, it seems like a very dangerous game that the president is playing with something that we have never put to the test. We have this security blanket that we rely on to make us feel better in spirit more so then health. Many of us are blessed with health, and we either pray for or take for granted the reality of its impermanence. Just as we are remiss in thanking God and Country every day for our safety, and freedom. We cheer loudly when we are on top. Sometimes we continue to cheer when we are down. That's patriotism. Countries all over the world have a loyal citizenry that would die for their country. Yet, some of us would begrudge them their love of country. Some of us speak of other countries, and even pejoratively say their names as a way of demonizing their way of life. They ignore the facts in lieu of silly jokes, and the demagoguery of its failures. We talk around, and over each other in order to further avoid open-minded conversation. We fling rocks and feckless rhetoric in pursuit of self-aggrandizement. We surrender honest accountability of our elected officials in exchange for a playground argument about why my momma is better than yours. Buried underneath all of the lies and hyperbole are real people. People like my father who loves this country, and served it his entire life. He was in the navy for over twenty years, and worked for the post office for the balance of his working years. He has accumulated so many health issues that he has three insurances, and of the three , two are government provided healthcare. He is vehemently opposed to government healthcare yet he depends on it. I understand his burning zeal for protectionism and self-preservation. Hell, he paid into it his entire life. He deserves his health care. But I don't find that excuses the argument that he deserves his healthcare only because he has served his country and has paid into it. Why is healthcare a commodity to be sold and bartered for a profit? Inherently commodities will be sold at the highest margin to turn a profit. To turn the highest profit, value will be compromised. Especially when the patient has no say so in what alternatives are available. The argument has been made that the American system provides choice. Last time I checked, when you sit down with your employer to choose your health benefit options you might have two choices. A premium option and a basic plan—all from the same company. In most cases with a rationed amount of healthcare dollars available to you, and clauses that prevent you from receiving care on pre-existing conditions. There's a lot of money available to the insurance companies due to the blessed few that rarely need it. Trillions of dollars funneled through a system fraught with corruption. Just like the other industries that have profited so much on Americans the last few decades such as oil, the financial sector, and the military-industrial complex. The voices that have thrown red herrings such as "death panels" and "take over" and "tax funded illegal immigrant care" are the very profiteers of the status quo. Over the last ten or so years the top 5% of Americans have done very well, Wall Street had an exceptional run, the oil industry has continued to have record profits, and military contractors during war time are having a banner decade. This is exactly what has happened, and has always happened, and will continue to happen if we don't make a stand.

I am sick and tired of hearing bought Fox talking heads, and nihilistic radio hosts scream socialism, and loosely try to associate the American government to a burgeoning socialistic dictatorship. They scream less government but they are okay with government getting in between the doctor and the mother, the loving couple, Terri Schiavo's dying wish, the medicinal use of marijuana for cancer patients, and the corporation that would rather turn a dime then do the right thing by their client. They yell "liar" at the president, but scream anti-America because you didn't support a war in which was a lie, and conflate it as being against American troops. They applaud the vicious liars that flaunt bigotry as values, and progressive dialogue as weakness. They do more to harm America in cutting the taxes for the richest of Americans then doing what is morally right—protecting our most precious freedom, the freedom to live. Pride comes before the fall.

Ask yourself this question, if John McCain and Sarah Palin won the presidency and they fired a missile into the heart of North Korea after that desperate cry for attention this summer, or claimed that Iran had a weapon of mass destruction. Do you believe that these same people that shout deficit and conservatism would be against a war with either one of those countries? Even if it cost as much as the Iraq war? Would they still be okay if the president took the war off the ledger and paid for it under the table in freshly printed dollars? (Like George W Bush did) Probably so, they were outraged that the American president deemed it okay to address the youth of America about the importance of an education even after 2 of the last three Republican presidents did the very same thing. I guess the Presidents Fitness Program was socialism also. . .

Please rebuke any falsities or lies that you see out there that claim to be real when they are in fact just an attempt to destroy this man's presidency. Like him, or hate him look at the issue and ask yourself if it's okay for a fellow American to die because of corporate profits? Or is it more American to turn a profit under the patriotic notion of capitalism? If that's the case, I question the "character of America".

Public Enemies Disappoints

 

Public Enemies was a disappointment. Not complete and utter, but failing to live up to my expectations. Much of the critical feedback has been with his choice to utilize "digital High Def" cameras. Anyone that is a fan of Mann's knows of his predilection towards this format. One that he has boldly embraced years before his peers. Me being a fan, I had no issue with this choice. It's a crystal clear picture that reflects a picture more beautiful than life. His passion for the format, fused with sound perfection and chaotic action, masterfully choreographed is an art. In Enemies, he hits all the marks with precision. Where I believe he lacks is his story. Which is a shame considering the topic, and the epic characters. In Heat, Collateral, and The Last of the Mohicans he draws us into the story and projects an intimate portrayal of complex characters, and even more complex situations. I love all three of those movie passionately. I wanted to love this one more. Maybe my expectations were too high?

The movie was as star-studded as any of his other films. Christian Bale has become quite the sensation in the summer with his take on John Connor in the Terminator series, and of course as Bruce Wayne's alter ego. Marion Cotillard is fresh from an Oscar award winning year, and still novel enough to be compelling and void of any typecast. The supporting cast was strong, and looked the part. Especially, Stephen Graham as George "Baby Face" Nelson who lights up the screen with his iteration of the bombastic gangster. Then there was a little known actor by the name of Johnny Depp. I think he had a stint on a popular show in the 80's called 21 Jump Street. It was clear that Depp had put some thought into the character. None of this was moderately close to the presence he has as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirate's of the Caribbean. Granted, he could take more dramatic/comedic liberty with a fictional character, but still disappointing when you know the mythology and history of John Dillinger.

Mann attempts to pit an under-qualified but determined agent Melvin Purvis against the cunning Dillinger. Bale's Purvis is so hardboiled and earnest in everything he does that it just seems stilted. He lacks personality and depth. He is David Caruso's Horatio Cane without the one line quips. It's hard to like the guy, even more to pull for him. The history of "anti-heroes" in film has been well documented but Dillinger is impulsive and free willed minus the fun. His romance with Cotillard's character Billie Frechette (Dillinger's real girlfriend) lacks spark. All of the primary players stories inevitably descend upon each other at a drawn out pace for some explosive battle sequences. When the last bullet is fired and the carnage is splattered and draped all over the elaborate sets it's hard to feel anything. It's a sterile, insipid sensation like driving to work on the scenic route.

Public Enemies doesn't stray too far from the story that Mann did so well in Heat. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are hard to top but Bale and Depp didn't even come close. In both films there is an influential antagonist who has a power over his men and the respect of both sides. The protagonist is daring, and skilled but overmatched by the "villain". (Heat spoiler) De Niro's bad-guy is so well drawn and then acted that it is morally unsettling when he dies at the end of the film. When Dillinger takes that last breath of destiny, it's far less impactful and it should've been. This is where I believe Mann, although still a hero of mine, may have been overmatched with his grandiose reverence to the action of the era. He seems to have overlooked the humanity of the characters and their relationships. 'Enemies wasn't far off from reading a hard-news story on the front of the newspaper. If you don't know the people involved it rarely affects you. This was Public Enemies.

I'm wondering if Mann left out a lot of the dialogue to speed up his 2hour plus film? I for one, would be curious to watch a director's cut. On bluray of course. Those of you that aren't Mann fans might want to save this one for the eternal tomorrow. I'll get back to you on the director's cut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut the Crap

Cut the crap. Do those of you "right-thinking" individuals see who represents you?

Glenn Beck said, "I'm thinking about killing Michael Moore...I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it,...No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out. Is this wrong? I stopped wearing my What Would Jesus -- band -- Do, and I've lost all sense of right and wrong now. I used to be able to say, 'Yeah, I'd kill Michael Moore,' and then I'd see the little band: What Would Jesus Do? And then I'd realize, 'Oh, you wouldn't kill Michael Moore. Or at least you wouldn't choke him to death.' And you know, well, I'm not sure."

"The most used phrase in my administration if I were to be President would be "What the hell you mean we're out of missiles?"

"I'm just so excited... because it's Barney Frank's birthday . . . Let me ask you something. When Barney Frank blows out the candles and everybody's singing Happy Birthday to him and he's like, (Beck began the exaggerated lisp again) "'This is fabulous!' and he then blows (Beck made an exaggerated blowing/lisping noise) out the candles, does anybody else eat the cake?"

Neil Boortz said, "[T]here will be riots in South Central Los Angeles and elsewhere. ... The rioting, of course, will lead to wide scale looting. There are a lot of aspiring rappers and NBA superstars who could really use a nice flat-screen television right now."

Pat Buchanan said, "Our guys" in Iraq "have got every right to have good news put into the media and get to the people of Iraq, even if it's got to be planted or bought." [MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, 12/1/05]

Michael Savage said, ". . .I said so kill 100 million of them, then there would be 900 million of them. I mean would you rather us die than them? I mean what is it gonna take for you people to wake up? Would you rather we disappear or we die? Or would you rather they disappear and they die? Because you're gonna have to make that choice sooner rather than later."

"A fraud, a racket. ... I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot.' "

* On the Democratic Party: "The Democrat [sic] Party is the minority party. ... [Sen. Barack] Obama is a minority, a half minority at least. The membership is made up largely of minority blocs, the Hispanic caucus and the gay caucus -- caucuses that are all against the white person."

Ann Coulter: ""If I'm going to say anything about John Edwards in the future, I'll just wish he had been killed in a terrorist assassination plot."

"I was going to have a few comments about John Edwards but you have to go into rehab if you use the word faggot."

"We need somebody to put rat poisoning in Justice Stevens' creme brulee. That's just a joke, for you in the media."

"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity."

"My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building."

Sean Hannity said: "I'll tell you who should be tortured and killed at
Guantanamo - every filthy Democrat in the U.S. Congress. "

"This is the moment to say that there are things in life
worth fighting and dying for and one of 'em is making
sure Nancy Pelosi doesn't become the [House] speaker."

When the voice of your party, or the party that corners the market of your political philosophy, prolifically projects this nonsensical bigotry and right-wing newspeak it's hard for those of us on the outside to take anything you're saying seriously. When your news outlet broadcasts the "fringe conspiracy theory as a legitimate story, and gives their ignorance wings it's hard to take anything coming from that source seriously.

I'm one that likes to believe that all ideas are welcome to the table when there is a sense of reality to base it on before admittance, or the ability to immediately reject what has been proven to be nothing more than some racist's fantasy. The "birther" movement is by far the craziest idea to have disseminated through the ranks of the right. Then you have idiots like Liz Cheney who dance around the answer in hopes of perpetuating the idea even further. Similar to when the Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton didn't outright reject the idea that Obama was Muslim during the campaign. Do we forget the whole Muslim madrassa controversy that Fox news broadcasted based off of a websites un-sourced story? It was quickly denounced as a lie given wings by these same pundits on their 24/7 platform Fox News. Call it politically cunning but denounce it for what it really is—ridiculous. And dangerous.

When the dialogue should be about why Healthcare should be reformed, and what it should look like-- it's hard to even consider a bipartisan approach when these are the very people that represent the GOP nightly on every news show, and drivel all over the editorial columns of the right wing rags.

Left wing mass media, or media in general (go ahead and say it) has its fringe but it's rarely about these crazy ideas. Hollywood is the refuge of fantasy. Political conspiracy makes terrific cinema. And has a home on the internet with the porn and social websites. The issue is, that the Fox empire has created a niche' that caters to the nut-jobs that liked to be fed this crap on a nightly basis. Fox News was created in 1996 to be the answer to the liberal media establishment. They spoke truth to power during the Clinton years, and had a lot to do with George W Bush getting into power in 2000. Now they give a voice to many of the lunatics that I quoted above my piece.

If you believe that these people aren't the voice of true republicans then look at the 38 year-old front runner for the Young Republicans, Audra Shay who responded to the following post on her Facebook: ("Obama Bin Lauden [sic] is the new terrorist… Muslim is on there side [sic]… need to take this country back from all of these mad coons… and illegals") with "You Tell'em!. . ."

When a Home L and Security memo was being circulated that vigilance was needed in regards to "right-wing extremist" Fox News and talk radio cried foul. Despite the subsequent acts of right-wing extremism there is a failure to connect the dots here, and only few see this.

President Barack Obama was the quickest candidate to have secret service protection and it was reported that he has already received more than other president in office. This doesn't temper the rightwing rhetoric, nor does it bother those that feed off of it every night. This is truly disturbing.

What's sad is that it's tearing this country apart. It's not the president, and his policies. It's the minority party playing with the most obscene of politics out of desperation.

I don't pretend to believe that the left is innocent. I do believe that there is an immense chasm between what ethical leaps that the prominent right-wingers take and the prominent left-wingers. Then the very same talking heads that discharge this putrid apocryphal try to expose the websites like the DailyKos and Huffington for being bias and sensational. Come on, cut the crap. You may be right, but let me introduce you to the black kettle because you're delusional and self-righteous. It would be patriotic to reject the aforementioned reckless noisemakers in exchange for rational dissenters that can move the peanut forward. Come on, cut the crap.

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Happy Independence Day

I took the long way home tonight. I didn't have big plans this year for the fourth of July. My family doesn't grill or have a ritual to celebrate Independence Day. Tonight as I was driving home I decided that I'd drive past the park to catch the tail end of the fireworks. What caught my eye wasn't the array of colors in the sky but the gathering of colors on the hills. It's inspiring to see blacks, and whites together celebrating Independence Day together. Not to mention, liberals and conservatives. Atheists, Christians, Muslims, and Hindus all piled on top of each other, "oo-hing and ahhing".

Now I don't pretend to think that amongst the crowd all is forgiven, and thoughts of their temporary neighbors are of crystal purity. My point, however, is that when America is the focal point we come together as one nation of many people. Many different people. That is what makes us so special. That is why nations around the world aspire to be like us. It's not because of our healthcare system, or our free-market. It's not because of our hip-hop music and movies. It's not because of our pseudo nationalism that some people flaunt in the hopes of gaining political leverage.

It's our ability to live free and together. God Bless America.