"Redemption" by Johnny Cash (Circa 1979/80)

Johnny Cash was kind of an enigma. He was; at once; the hottest thing in country, while also one of the most mysterious. Some folks are not aware of the fact that Johnny Cash was against the War in Vietnam. He toured there, entertaining the troops engaged in a war he himself did not believe in, but he believed in all those men and women that were there fighting. These were not volunteers; these were people whose lives had been arbitrarily interrupted by politics. There’s a difference.

While Bob Hope always supported the position of the government, Johnny Cash gave of his time to the people who were caught up in something over which they had no direct control. These were the people he sought to comfort with his deep voice and larger than life heart.

This video is from around 1979, a time in which Mr. Cash had not had a big hit in a few years’ time, choosing mostly to concentrate on gospel music. And, as with anything he ever undertook; from booze to music; he took it seriously, reaching greater heights with each step he took.

About this time Rick Rubin came into his life as a producer. His premise was simple enough; strip away all the band; drums, electric guitars etc; and really get down to the essence of Johnny Cash. The resulting 5 albums which capped off Mr. Cash’s career are proof of the wisdom inherent in that approach. From such diverse offerings as U-2’s “One”, Nine Inch Nails “Hurt” (a #1 hit just before his death) and even former son-in-law Nick Lowe’s “The Beast in Me”, in which he tackles the topic of manic-depression, Mr. Cash was able to re-define his legacy. He was able to expand through the music of other’s, while lending a new take to their works. U-2’s “One” never got through to me until I heard Johnny Cash, alone with his guitar, perform the song.

If you have never heard any of those last 5 albums produced by Rick Rubin; some in Johnny Cash’s bedroom, from his sickbed; you have never really heard Johnny Cash. And that is truly a shame.

"Bonnie Scotland" with Laurel and Hardy (1935)

“Bonnie Scotland” has always been one of my secret “fun” films by Laurel and Hardy. The plot is fairly simple. Despite the title “Bonnie Scotland”, a large portion of the film actually takes place in India, where the boys get into some mischief, by which they manage to save the day.

The film begins in Scotland, where Stanley is convinced that he is heir to a fortune, which turns out to be somewhat true, but not quite what they expected. As a matter of fact, he has been left a set of bagpipes and a snuff box. That’s the beauty of these films. You can start the film knowing the ending; the fun is in the way that they arrive at their goal; or not! Through a set of unusual circumstances Oliver is left with no clothes, and as a result of a misunderstanding the duo wind up in the army, serving in India. 

A Hal Roach Production, directed by James W. Horne, starring two of the best film comics, this film is a true classic which I remember watching many times on a grainy TV set in the late 1950’s. Outstanding support roles by veteran character actors Vernon Steele as Colonel Gregor McGregor, and the ever frustrated James Finlayson as Sergeant Major Finlayson round out this truly classic film. Cleaned up and sharpened in image, these films represent a classic era of film making in America; a time when improvisation was the rule simply because there were no rules.

Carl Ford and Harry Warren. It CAN Happen Here.

For those of you who live elsewhere and may not have heard this story, there are 2 North Carolina State Representatives; Harry Warren and Carl Ford, both pictured below; who wish to establish a State Religion. Harry Warren represents Rowan County, which is a few miles up the road from me. He, and his cohort, Carl Ford, are both working hard for the elimination of religious freedom in America.

I don’t mind Mr. Warren so much; as he is from Rowan County and that explains an awful lot about him and his views. Mr. Ford however, is from my county and has just lost a vote with his mindless ramblings about the Constitution not applying in the separate states, as it says that only "Congress shall make no laws" concerning religion. Apparently Mr. Ford and Mr. Warren think that we are separate fiefdoms from the rest of the country, and as such, the citizenry here are not under the protection of the nations laws.

I try very hard not to let this blog devolve into politics very often, but when you attack; as these two fine examples of what is wrong with America have done; the very basis of the freedoms which we still enjoy here, I can no longer hold myself silent. It becomes incumbent upon me to ask questions of these two stalwart examples of representation about their proposal.

But, that is only possible if they would answer their phones. I have tried; without success; all day Thursday
to reach either of these individuals; ever since breakfast when I saw the article on the front page of the Charlotte Observer. But, just as slugs hide beneath rocks, these two have chosen to hide behind their answering machines.

So, I will ask the questions here; and then forward this via e-mail. I will happily post their individual responses, in the event that either one would care to do so. I will not be holding my breath.

Just what part of the First Amendment do you two not understand? And if you do understand it, then why would you deny this protection to your own citizens?

If it is true, as you state, that the First Amendment doesn't apply to the states, then what other parts of our national Constitution do you hold in contempt?

How can you, as either private citizen’s, or elected officials, hold in such contempt the constitution you honor when you wave the flags at the “pep” rallies to support our troops who fight overseas to protect the very Constitutional rights which you wish to eradicate?

What religion will be the state religion? Will it be mine; which is Jewish; or yours, which is Christian? And what sect of Christianity will be the one selected? Will there be fighting in the streets in the name of God?

Do neither of you see the similarities in your reasoning with that of the terrorists who would impose Sharia law on the entire world? And, will you be content with only having North Carolina under the banner of a State Sponsored religion, or will you look to export your goals to other states under the guise of State’s Rights?

Are either one of you Veterans of the Armed Forces? If not, then back off of my Constitution. If you are Veterans, then please tell me how you can square your belief in a state sponsored religion with the oath you swore when entering the service; which said that you would protect this nation from all enemies, both foreign and domestic?

These are simple questions which deserve some straight answers. Obviously there is an agenda at work here. And, as a citizen of the state of North Carolina; which is part of the United States of America; I demand to know what that agenda is.

Readers, feel free to contact these two misguided individuals using the information listed below. It’s too important an issue to hope that it will go away. It won’t. Unchecked, it will only grow and grow, kind of like a cancer. 

Harry Warren’s Contact Information

Phone:

919-733-5784

704-603-8898

Email:

Harry.Warren@ncleg.net

Legislative Mailing Address:

NC House of Representatives

300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 611

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

704-603-8898

Carl Ford’s Contact Information

Phone:

919-733-5881

704-305-3541

Email:

Carl.Ford@ncleg.net

Legislative Mailing Address:

NC House of Representatives

300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 607

Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

_______________________________________

THANKS FOR STANDING WITH ME!

Thanks to all those who made calls and wrote letters, just as I did. We, the People, can prevail when we put our collective shoulders to the wheel.

"Gandhi" with Ben Kingsley (1982)

I can hardly believe that I have never reviewed this remarkable film here before. I have seen it several times, always with the same shock at the cruelty of the British against a people who merely wanted to govern themselves. Coming about 150 years after the Empire had lost the American colonies, you would have thought that the British had learned something about people and their determination to be free. Just as the United States would later learn in Vietnam, when you fight in someone else’s backyard, you better have the hearts and minds of the people on your side. When you don’t; you’re just “whistling in the wind.”

In this biography of Mohandas K. Gandhi, a simple but idealistic attorney who rallied an oppressed people into standing up for their birthright, director Richard Attenborough has taken writer John Briley’s script to a cinematic height rarely achieved in today’s movies.

Of course, with a cast which includes such luminaries as Ben Kingsley; playing Gandhi; John Gielgud; as Lord Irwin; and an array of the best actors of their time; including Trevor Howard and John Mills; it would be hard to miss in this historically accurate story about the diminutive little man who became the symbol of his people using the philosophy of non-violence to accomplish the impossible.

From the 1920’s through to the granting of Independence in 1947, Mr. Gandhi faced struggles from without, as well as struggles form within. In many ways his trajectory would become the very image of Martin Luther King’s struggle for Civil Rights in the United States several decades later. In both cases the result was the tragic loss of a great leader, even as the changes they wrought through their efforts were beginning to bear fruit.

Stunningly photographed, and excellently directed, this film belongs in every serious collection of cinema. If not for its beauty as a movie itself, then as a statement about mankind and the dilemma of all peoples who struggle to be free.

"Casey at the Bat" by Ernest Lawrence Thayer (1888)

There is no way I can let the start of baseball season go unnoticed without reading this poem, which has long been a favorite of mine. I have posted it here each year and beg your indulgence while I do it again. With nothing new to add to the history of the poem, I’ll just re-post it without further ado;

In 1888 Ernest Lawrence Thayer's classic American poem "Casey At the Bat" was published to much acclaim in the San Francisco Examiner.

There are actually 3 versions of the poem, each one only slightly different. I have used the standard version, which I have posted here before. It has stood the test of time, and has actually been sung by various artists throughout the years. Even James Earl Jones has done a musical version of the piece. But nothing, and I mean nothing, can ever replace the inner voice when reading this poem. The tension, anger and disappointment all come through in the words themselves. With its simplistic rhyme scheme and cadence, this is always a sure winner with younger children, and a great way to introduce them to the joys of winning, as well as the necessity of sometimes coming up short. Now; "Play Ball!"

"Casey At the Bat" by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

The Outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:

The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.

And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,

A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest

Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;

They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that -

We'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,

And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;

So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,

For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,

And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;

And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,

There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;

It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;

It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,

For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;

There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.

And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,

No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;

Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.

Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,

Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,

And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.

Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped-

"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,

Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.

"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;

And its likely they'd a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;

He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;

He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;

But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;

But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.

They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,

And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;

He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.

And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,

And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;

The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,

And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;

But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.

"The Great American Railroad War" by Dennis Drabelle (2012)

This book is kind of about a railroad. It’s also kind of a biography about two of the greatest journalists/authors America has ever produced. It’s also about the Civil War, the Gilded Age, William Randolph Hearst and the robber barons who took loans from the government, with no intention of ever re-paying them. And of course, the book is also about the political patronage and corruption which allowed this system of building a transcontinental railroad to exist in the first place; with a few buffalo and Indians thrown in. Which is to say; this book has it all.

Author Dennis Drabelle has kicked out all the stops in this rip snorting account of how America got linked by two railroad companies; and how they tried to bilk the public out of the money to do it. Drawing upon the writings of both Ambrose Bierce, a fascinating individual, who also wrote “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”; which eclipses just about everything written by Edgar Allan Poe himself; he recounts Bierce’s exploits both before and after the war, painting an indelible picture of the man, and how he became involved in the fight against the railroad barons in the first place.

Of equal importance is Frank Norris, another famous American novelist and journalist, he would go on to write his masterpiece “Colossus”, which was based upon the iconic political cartoon which showed the railroads as an octopus, with tentacles ensnaring the nation. That novel would parallel the work of Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle.”

The book is as much the story of these two celebrated journalists as it is of the railroad itself. The railroad, and the barons who built them, serve as a stage on which the author plays the actions of these two literary icons in a true dramatic fashion, with the only difference being that these events are all true. Each; in his own way; attacked the railroad for all of the right reasons, while never disputing the necessity of a transcontinental line.

The author has delivered a superb history of both the journalists and the railroads which were the center of their attentions. Norris, of course, would go on to write his most famous of novels, titled “The Octopus” after the famous cartoon by Nash, which depicted the railroads as an octopus with tentacles reaching everywhere. And Bierce has gone down in history as one of America’s finest journalists, known for such diverse works as “The Devil’s Dictionary” and a slew of short stories.

A fine book is a wonderful thing; sometimes it can open your eyes to the history which was relegated to the scrap heap; and you can never tell what treasures might lay beneath the surface.

The Last Post

This is my last post. I started this blog on a whim, and I suppose I can end it on one just as well. It couldn’t come at a better time, really. I’ve run out of useful things to say and memories to share; and my own is full, so I figure on going out before this all becomes somewhat stodgy and void of anything important. There’s plenty of blogs left to fill its place, with a lot more to offer.

Some of the blogs out there now even tell you how to think; which is something I’ve never done here, and is one of the many reasons I’ve never gone viral in over 4 years of blogging; I don’t tell you how to think. I want you to do that for yourselves. Sift through the information and come to your own conclusions based on the facts as presented, and then, verified by you; the reader; elsewhere. This is where I have failed.

So like General MacArthur said in his great speech, "And now, as I retire; etc etc; old soldiers never die; they just fade away…”

But, on the other hand, as the saying goes, “The Show Must Go On!” So, I guess that means that this is an April Fool’s gag? Hmm… you’ll just have to look in tomorrow and find out for sure!