Sunday, January 31, 2010

Baracky is still getting back up

Friday night I watched MSNBC and Barack Obama field some difficult questions from House Republicans. It was 140 vs. 1, and he tackled every one of them with eloquence. Chris Matthews made a great point when he said, As crazy as our American process can be, we elected the best person for the job. He was right.

Some questions were simply filled with false accusations. Take our dopey Georgia congressman, Tom Price. Price said Republicans had an alternative bill for health care reform that wouldn't cost the taxpayers a dime. Obama called him out on it saying, "Tom you know that's just not true." Others were riddled with hard numbers, thinking Obama would be stumped. Nope.

Another question was framed, accusing Obama for tripling the national debt. He quickly refuted this accusation and said he inherited $1.3 trillion and $8 trillion more in defense that wasn't paid for under the previous administration's watch. He made it clear this was before he was sworn in. If you fact check this, you'll find this to be true.

I've found Obama to be very frugal with spending. The only substantial bill was the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. Quite frankly, I criticized this one for being too small. It barely scratched the surface on investing in alternative energy and new energy grids. Conservative and Liberal economists rightfully came to this conclusion. Although only about one-third of this money has been spent, a good portion of it is going to road projects. It's great for the short-term but doesn't seem to lead to long-term employment.

Overall, I'd like Obama to continue confronting these adversaries. They clearly spoke and seem perfectly content on obstructing everything. We're the only Democray in the western world requiring a super majority. This needs to change. If votes came down to a simple majority in the Senate, a lot more could be done by now.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The Tragedies and Triumphs of Hubert Selby Jr.

Sometimes you have to die a few times to live life just once. This is paraphrasing a modern American author who lived an extraordinary life and told it to you through what he knew best. His works aren't for the faint at heart. Their narratives twist and turn with the precision of a surgeon's knife cutting you open very gradually while still fully conscious. Inevitably, you will feel the characters' pain and joy in Brooklyn.

Selby's Brooklyn roots expose you to his everyday experiences and observations. They're immersed with gratuitous violence, drug addictions, spousal abuse, prostitution, and ashes and cinder from the shipyards, hovering on the city's edges with a constant filthy reminder. It was a toxic hell. During these times, including the 1950s, we typically coalesce around a white picket fence, stay at home mom, father who is home in time for dinner, and meticulously manicured landscapes. Utopia. Selby tells a different story.

Start with Harry Black. I know, I know. I'm sure one can have fun when seeing and hearing the name Harry Black. In Last Exit to Brooklyn, Harry is featured as one of the main characters. He works in a production plant, frustrated by the daily grind and toll. The company's management threaten him and his colleagues with laying them off. This is when Harry decides to take it upon himself to stand up to greed and corruption.

Harry works closely with his union's leaders, as he's assigned to work at an office nearby the plant. He rouses his workers that none of them will return to work, until the company meets their demands for fair wages and hours. At this point, the reader sympathizes with Harry's plight and can easily liken him. There's another side to Harry though.

Harry can't stand his nagging wife. She wants him to watch over their infant and sex with her at nights, but his energy is drained. The child constantly cries and shouts when Harry tends to him. His wife loses patience with his lack of attentiveness and intimacy. The frustration builds. At one point, he attacks her and knocks her to the floor. He leaves the tiny apartment and goes where he can find comfort and acceptance.

Negotiations continue to stall between the union and company leaders which is fine with Harry. He continues obsessing about his leadership role and influencing his colleagues to continue fighting company management. Behind this guise, Harry's indulgences for drugs and alcohol quickly turn to addictions. A few colleagues begin bringing kegs of beer into the office. They curse about their circumstances, while Harry takes pleasure believing his leadership will have a life-altering impact on his colleagues. His alcohol consumption increases with a declining impact. Instead of returning home to face his nagging wife, he decides to stay out late with a friend and transvestite who have plenty of bennies (form of methamphetamine).

Georgie, a gay man and transvestite, falls in love with Harry at first sight. Harry teases Georgie constantly, but this doesn't stop Georgie's attraction for him. One night, after taking several bennies, the two decide to fool around. Harry wants to see how Georgie will react after kissing him. After the kiss, he rubs his hands up and down Georgie's body. This consumes Georgie. All he can think about day and night are those few intimate moments with Harry.

Finally, Harry feels like he's in control. He continues handing out signs to colleagues each morning, spends the rest of the day drinking, and still spends his late nights taking copious amounts of bennies with Georgie and friends. Little does Harry realize how weak he really is.

Company management and union leaders finally reached a compromise. Harry desperately tries to convince his colleagues to keep fighting. Management will win. They don't listen and agree to return to work. This drives Harry mad.

All feels lost forever. Harry leaves the office, knowing it's the last time he can be heard. He sees a boy playing at a park across the street and decides to approach him. After a few minutes of incoherent rambling, the boy feels very uneasy. He tries to run away, but Harry grabs him. He eventually overpowers the boy. As the boy struggles, Harry tells him to take off his clothes. He rapes the boy. A couple men walk by and quickly rush to the boy's aid.

They separate Harry from the boy. One of the men grabs Harry, as the other begins kicking and punching him repeatedly. The men just won't stop. After several minutes, Harry is left lying motionless.

This summed up just one of several narratives Selby wrote. Upon publication and distribution, the book was legally challenged in England. After a lower court ruled in favor of an injunction based on violating England's obscenity's laws, the high court sided with Selby.

Yes, this wasn't easy to rehash either. You can merely pass this up as garbage or look at it as a spiritual journey. Some just don't see any light at the end of the tunnel. His works have a profound impact on my approach to writing. I think we can all ask ourselves how we handle life when all hope seems to be lost.

All of my rehashing are recollections of what I read. Anything written verbatim from "Last Exit to Brooklyn" is coincidental. For some reason, I can't copy and paste on here. Check out a YouTube video, "The Life and Times of Hubert Selby Jr." This was one of his last interviews.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

The Lovely Bones

Director Peter Jackson delivered another cinematic masterpiece. Based on my personal favorite and best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, the story is narrated by 14-year-old Susie Salmon. Growing up in the 1970s, Susie loves photography and has a crush on an Indo-Anglo boy, Ray Singh. Her happy-go-lucky innocence is suddenly lost in an instant. Her battle overcoming bitterness, vengeance, and loss is portrayed through awe-inspiring landscapes.

Certain settings show Susie running freely through vast open fields, while others seem more confined in a wooded area. This is where Jackson seems to be at his best. Creative time lapse photography, use of color lenses, and stark contrasts between bright and dark settings captivate the average viewer.

The film is well cast with a newcomer starring as Susie. Susan Sarandon plays the hip, chain smoking grandmother who isn't short of witty banter. Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz play Susie's parents. Finally, Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Stanley Tucci?

Although I highly recommend this film, I was disappointed how quickly it moved. The book depicted a much more gradual turn of events. In the film, the characters aren't shown as they age several years. Second, it was difficult to really connect with the characters. It seemed you really had snapshots of each and couldn't identify with anyone other than Susie. Finally, the film's resolution isn't what was portrayed in the book surrounding a few major events.

I can say with confidence this film will be up for Best Picture and Best Director. Honestly, I hope you didn't read the book. You can view this film with a fresh perspective and like all films versus books, the book will win every time. Although it won't copy and paste here, check out the haunting melody in the film by This Mortal Coil, Song to the Siren. It was also featured in one of my all-time personal favorites, Lost Highway.



Thursday, January 14, 2010

America the Desperate or America the Cautious ?

I've regained my spirit for writing. It left for awhile. There was no passion whatsoever. Now, I'm back to pushing the envelope. Robin and I have decided to date other people. Thus far, I went out with a drunk (literally) who was in a terrible car accident.

She had a free-spirited personality and was honest and upfront in our conversations. Recently, she lost her job. I sympathized with her plight. However, there were a few long-term concerns raised.

She slept over at a married man's house for two days, every time I called there were guys' voices in the background, and she initiated sex on the second date. As a guy, I wasn't going to turn it down. All these red flags along with those closest to me saying I should move on convinced me to end this relationship.

Another one I'm talking to off this free dating website recently lost her job. We cut the conversation short when she said she was about to eat dinner. This had me thinking what is really behind our recession. Is this high unemployment really about a tough economy or is there more to it? This is the next article I'd like to explore for a local publication.

Multiple sources show our unemployment is hovering around 10 percent. Bad. O.k. Are Americans really that desperate to be employed right now? It's even worse for those who are underemployed -- part-time work. This has the number jump even higher to approximately 17 percent unemployed or underemployed. I really think we've reached a monumental moment here. Will we continue to be at the mercy of these unscrupulous employers or will the lower and middle class stand up to greed and corruption?

Today, President Obama announced he's committed to returning all the TARP money back to the taxpayers. This is a good first step. What else? This continues to be the looming question. Companies continue to save by letting the baby boomers go before they can retire. The days of working for a company for 20+ years is now a rarity.

This is what I'm passionate about. Since the turn of the 20th century when coal miners stood up to President Theodore Roosevelt to Cesar Chavez, we need democratic rights in the workplaces. I've had some losses and victories where I'm at now. Health care reform, fighting terrorism, and diplomacy are all vital interests for us. Ultimately, I think it's imperative we reshape our attitudes. I look forward to shaking things up with employers, talking with employees, and those who continue struggling every day just surviving on little to nothing.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

New Year's Resolution

It's time to resolve the problems that continue surfacing in my life. I found a very insightful comment made by Dammerung from my last post. Yes, the most skillfully unscrupulous individuals are the ones who are rewarded in the corporate environment. We're oversized children here. If I can find one mistake a colleague makes, I'll tell someone. This way I can remove the threat. Besides, I'm not sure my position is safe. With this said, I'm committed to ignoring the perpetual "silly season."

I had a long talk with the President of my company. It was contentious and damn well could've cost me my job. That was the risk I was willing to take to speak truth to power. I've now gained a newfound respect for this man. He invested over 3 hours of his day providing philosophical life examples, how in any environment you come across difficult personalities, and most importantly, the theme was centered around avoiding excuses and moving forward to better ourselves. I want to really strive to achieve the latter point.

A few days ago, I jokingly told a colleague "I want to make everyone happy I come across this year." Silly, right? Well, I've reconsidered. There are two objectives I'm focusing on: 1.) Going to work each day with the utmost positive attitude and continuing to perform my duties to the best of my abilities. 2.) Allow my lighthearted nature to shine on others around me, particularly those who do have those tough personalities. I've wanted to be a leader everywhere I've been and albeit a layoff at my last job, I've done well making those around me laugh. This can be done.

I don't want to delve into all the events that transpired over these six months. Quite frankly, it would take up more than several pages on here. It's time to move forward. Recessions are always toughest on the lower and middle class. Employers seize upon these times to pressure employees more than is necessary. They know jobs are very hard to come by right now. It's my hope that others facing similar circumstances continue to persevere and every now and then, hold up a mirror to show the true ugliness where some of those unscrupulous individuals will see their reflections.