"Building A Building" with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse (1932)

Bullying is a problem which has beset mankind for ages. From the first cavemen, up through the present time, there have always been; and probably always will be; those who would use their size, or strength, to impose their will upon others. Although a serious problem, bullying has proven to be great fodder for some of the best comedy ever produced; be it on stage, screen or even in cartoons.
 

Think of Charlie Chaplin’s early films. Wasn’t he always the victim of some bullying type, whether it be an authority figure, or just a plain old rude person? But he always came out on top in his confrontations with bullies, even if only by accident.

The same is true of the Popeye cartoons, in which the intrepid sailor was always up against someone bigger than himself. Bluto was always trying to savage him in a never ending quest for the love of Olive Oyl, only to be beaten by Popeye and his spinach each time. Since school has just begun again, I thought I would address the issue with a cartoon to illustrate the topic of bullying.

In this 1932 release, Mickey is working on a construction site, building a building. Everyone works in unison except for the riveter. He is the big man on site, and let’s Mickey know it. When Minnie Mouse comes along with her lunch wagon, he quickly makes unwanted advances towards her. This brings him into confrontation with the much smaller Mickey, who; aided by Minnie; gives him a taste of his own medicine. They then ride off together on a new joint venture, as evidenced by the sign on the side of the lunch wagon.

Bullying is a real issue in our schools today. With the beginning of the new school year, all parents should take the time to talk to their children about this topic. Give them the tools they need to confront the problem. The first is humor. Most bullies can be laughed away, but sometimes the only choice is to stand up for your own dignity. But, if fighting back is not your cup of tea, then telling an adult at school, and home, are the next best things. There is no shame in being bullied; but there is also no reason to accept it lying down

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Fixing the Capitol Dome

There are at least 1,300 cracks in the dome of the United States Capitol.  And they will cost approximately $61 million to repair and save the iconic fresco known as the “Apotheosis of Washington.” To date, $100 million dollars have been devoted to security at the 2 Conventions taking place this week and next, as the Republicans and Democrats convene to nominate the two individuals that have already been pre-selected to run in this year’s election. This makes no sense to me, for several reasons.

 

First off; if the Congress and Senate cannot find the money; or does not have the wisdom; to repair their own office building, it begs the question of how qualified they are to fix America.

Secondly; this is a glaring example of the self-serving, so-called “public servants” we have working for us. In essence they are the superintendents of this Republic in which we live. And they are letting it fall apart.

 

I cannot understand, nor abide, that we have $100 million dollars available to keep protesters away from the candidates who wish to preside over the very symbol they are willing to neglect; yet are sworn to protect.

 

It boggles my mind that the Capitol was even allowed to fall into such disrepair in the first place. It brings to mind the misadventures of the Truman administration, which had to move across the street to Blair House in 1947 due to the state of disrepair at the White House. That neglect not only caused the President’s daughter to put a hole in the floor while playing piano, but also caused the electrical fire that forced the First family to move to Blair House in the first place.

Why must “We, the people”, suffer such embarrassment at the same time in which our government is willing to spend more than what is necessary to fix this problem on security for 2 worthless conventions? And, more importantly, why aren’t more people angry about it.

Here is a link to the addresses and phone numbers for all the elected officials who work in that sacred building. I hope that you will take the time to call you representative and voice your disgust with how they handle our money, as well as our national heritage. Don’t expect any real results, but savor the moment. And tell them “Robert at Rooftop” said hello.

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml 

Boycott Products from India

Sometimes it is hard to understand the minds of other people. Rajesh Shah, in the city of Ahmedabad, north of Mumbai in India, has opened a store there named after Hitler, claiming that he never heard of the man until a few weeks ago. And then he opened his business. He has a whole story about why he chose that name, but, there can be no logical explanation behind this story other than a love of Adolph Hitler and a hatred for Jews, Gypsies, Poles, Catholics, and the list goes on and on. Doesn’t Rajesh Shah understand that according to Hitler he is inferior? Hitler loved the blonde haired-blue eyed set.

 

Look at Rajesh Shah, proudly holding the card bearing the name of a man who would have enslaved him. Hitler felt that dark skinned people were mentally deficient, and one has to wonder if Rajesh Shah is proof of that assertion. If that sounds harsh, well, you’ll just have to forgive me; I’m only a Jew. Please take note of the smiling Indian policeman standing at the upper left in the photo. If ignorance is bliss, this is the second most ignorant man in the world, behind Rajesh Shah, of course.

 

There is a disturbing trend worldwide towards a surge in Anti-Semitism lately. Take this wonderful photo of Hitler Wine in Italy from last week as an example. In complete violation of the law in Italy, which mirrors those in Germany, banning the glorification of Hitler’s name, as well as the use of the swastika, these morons have released a line of wine cleverly marketed as being commemorative. Yes, let‘s all drink some Hitler wine and don our Hitler clothing in honor of the biggest mass murderer in history.

Personally, I have called the Italian and Indian embassies to voice my concern. While the Italian Embassy seemed to take the issue seriously, the Indian Embassy was virtually unreachable except through a laborious process by e-mail. And even then, the message did not go through.

The best I can suggest; if this kind of thing upsets you; is to boycott all goods from these 2 nations until they decide to join the human race again.

Blues Legends in Europe

Memphis Slim is one of the great artists of the blues-jazz genre. His piano style is unmistakable, somewhere along the lines of Pinetop Perkins, with only an imperceptible pause between chords separating the two musicians. This footage, from an untitled German TV show, dates from about 1964, and features Memphis Slim on piano, where he belongs, with fellow musicians Matt Murphy on guitar, Bill Stepney on drums, and Sonny Boy Williamson on harmonica.

Memphis Slim was one of the first of the American blues artists to see the value in performing in Europe; which he eventually made his home; appearing on German, French and English TV specials devoted to American Blues. These shows really helped to propel the revival in blues music that had already begun with the so-called “British Invasion” of the 1960’s, when white America was hearing rhythm and blues being beamed back at them from the myriad of English bands, all of whom had been mining the music of black American artists for several years already.

Some of the finest blues recordings of the era were made in Europe, where the African-American artist didn’t have to worry about the Jim Crow laws of the American South. Those restrictions kept them from eating and sleeping properly on the road at home, while in Europe they were free to pursue their passion with vigor. And the results of this relaxed atmosphere; in which they were treated as fellow travelers on the road of life; were sessions like this one, where they felt free to play their standard numbers with abandon. This freedom even allowed them to push the envelope a bit further, experimenting with new sounds and redefining blues and jazz, eventually culminating in a jazz-blues fusion.

A remarkable piece of film courtesy of You Tube, this video represents the entire TV performance. Ideally, you will be able to view it all at once, as it was intended to be. But even if you only listen to a few songs at a time, this performance has definitely stood the test of time.

"The Monsters Meet on Court Street" by Batton Lash (2012)

And now for something completely different; I was never much of a fan of comic books as a kid- except for Illustrated Classics and the Human Torch; for some odd reason he really got to me.  But, this latest offering, by veteran comic artist/writer Batton Lash, has a unique and hip premise to it. Monsters, just as people do, sometimes find themselves in need of legal counsel. And where do they go for this type of service? Well, if you’re a New York based monster, particularly if you are indicted in Kings County; or Brooklyn; then Court Street is the logical place. These people; the lawyers as well as the “monsters”; all have the same problems and dramas of us real life folks.

The series concerns the adventures of defense attorneys Jeff Byrd and Alanna Wolff, of the firm Byrd and Wolff, whose specialty is delivering top notch defense for monsters who may find themselves in legal difficulties. Mostly, this is the result of a misunderstanding of the nature of monsters by those other pesky creatures, “human beings.”

In the first case which opens this book, Ms. Wolff is defending a Frankenstein looking fellow named Fritz, who in spite of his legal troubles is overtly concerned with eating lunch. This little twist puts a comical twist on things as the reader wonders just what, or whom, Fritz would like to eat for lunch. His crime was scaring a lab assistant when he suddenly came to life in the laboratory. Ms. Wolff argues; in an almost politically incorrect fashion; that, as the lab assistant was wearing stiletto heels and a revealing blouse, what response did she expect when this dead man came back to life?

While dealing with these types of cases, the two attorney’s assistants, Mavis and Corey, are busy not only providing support for the defense team, but with their own personal lives as well. The cast of characters includes the somewhat mysterious Charles Hawkins, another attorney; of dubious character; who is in love with Ms. Wolff. Their relationship serves as a sideshow to the main adventures as you wonder just what; if anything; he is up to, and how it will affect Ms. Wolff and her partner, not to mention their clients. Hawkins left Brooklyn’s Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood 25 years ago for the tonier clientele offered by Manhattan’s Park Avenue. To me, he seemed immediately suspect; but of what, I could not say.

The book is composed of a current, or new adventure, and also features some of the past exploits of the Counselors of the Macabre, such as “The Appeal of the 800 Lb., Gorilla.” In this case, the attorneys find themselves at odds with their own client, Nicky Gorillo. He has lost his case and Ms. Wolff is handling his appeal when Nicky goes "ape". In the end he is exposed (literally) for what he really is; a thug with a simian mentality. I really enjoyed the dialogue in this one, as it reminded me of so many of the “mobsters” portrayed on TV and in movies.

This collection is the sixth in “The Supernatural Law” series by Batton Lash and his team of artists and editors, and the first foray by me into the world of illustrated literature. Comic books have a long history of being beneath mainstream literature, but these are not the simple comic books of my youth, and in some respects, can be even more difficult to navigate than your average novel. (I’m a big non-fiction reader, so this was really a pleasant “stretch” for me.) It actually takes a bit more attention to the unwritten details to “get” the whole story. This was a big surprise for me; you don’t have to write like Tolstoy in order to convey a story.

The Supernatural Law series is a unique and fun way to delve into the world of “illustrated literature”; it would seem disrespectful to refer to them as mere “comic books”, as they have a dimension lacking in that genre. As I said, as a veteran, and inveterate, reader, this was something new and different for me, and I have to say it was a pleasurable excursion.

"Two Americans" by William Lee Miller (2012)

On the surface Presidents Truman and Eisenhower would seem to have little in common. One was a former artilleryman who saw combat in World War One, going on to become a failed haberdashery owner, before entering politics and becoming President of the United States. He was the last President to have not attained a college degree. The other was a product of the military academy at West Point who never saw combat, but went on to lead the Allied Powers to victory in the Second World War. Both of their Presidencies were bracketed by Harvard graduates. What makes this book so interesting, and the perfect companion to last week’s selection “Red Scare” by Griffin Fariello, is the time in which both men lived and how they handled some of the same problems in uniquely different ways.

These two men from the Midwest, both faced the challenges of their times in very different ways, yet both were deeply committed to a strong America. The differences in their views on dropping the Atom bomb; at a time when Eisenhower was preparing to move all his equipment to the Pacific for the final push into Japan; is fascinating. We had already had success with firebombing cities like Dresden and Hamburg in Germany, and done the same in Japan. As a matter of fact, with the incendiary bombing of Tokyo, as well as other cities, those bombings killed more people in one night than both of the two atom bombs combined. The real reason behind the decision to drop the bomb was that the Nazi’s were already working on a bomb of their own; making it imperative that we develop, and use, ours first.  Had we not, the whole face of post war Europe would have been changed drastically, with the Soviets taking over much more than just Eastern Europe.

Socially, both men were not that far apart. Although not a “New Deal Democrat” by any means, Eisenhower was concerned with the stability of the middle class in the same way as Truman. On the subject of Civil Rights Eisenhower was not as groundbreaking as Truman was. Although Ike favored the integration of the Armed Forces in 1947, he dragged his feet on the Little Rock integration issue, waiting for it to turn violent rather than use his leadership as a bully pulpit for change.

In an engaging and highly readable fashion, the author charts the course taken by both men, from their earliest days, through to the pinnacle of their careers as the respective leaders of the free world. And though there is much difference between the two men, they were more alike than either would ever admit. Ah, but to have the likes of these two running for office now…

"Into the Abyss" with Charles Richardson and Jason Burkett (2011)

This is a film I was prepared to dislike. I only happened upon it when I saw it laying in the living room. Sue had taken it out of the library after I had passed it up. I am not against the death penalty, and this film by Werner Herzog seemed to; at least by the synopsis on the film’s case; be pandering to a more liberal audience in this regard. It was only by chance that I happened to have a few hours free the other evening to watch this film.  And though my mind concerning the death penalty has remained unchanged by the film, in the hands of a master director such as Werner Herzog, the film did make me think about the need for the ultimate penalty, as well as what drives people to commit horrendous crimes in the first place.

 

The main focus of the film is on the death of 3 people, Jeremy Richardson and his mother, and a friend, in Conroe, Texas and told through the eyes of both the defendant himself, as well as the victim’s family. The opening scene, or Prologue, is conducted as an interview with the Minister who is in charge of the death house and is the last individual, aside from the guards, with whom the inmate will have contact. He is very moving when he speaks of how he always asks permission to accompany the condemned man until his final moment on the gurney, and actually lays a hand on the foot of the prisoner so that he does not feel abandoned at the moment of death. I found this to be very impressive. But when he goes on to describing his almost having run over a squirrel in a golf cart one day, and then compares that circumstance to people who have gone astray, he kind of loses me. I can’t seem to make that massive leap from accidently killing a squirrel to actually carrying out a murder. But then I have to stop and think; isn’t that what the state does when it applies the death penalty? Aren’t they, themselves, planning a murder?

I had to dispel that assertion by noting the difference between killing and murdering. Killing is something which is borne of necessity; in order to eat, or protect your own life would be the two immediate analogies which spring to mind. Murder, on the other hand, is most often done for greed, or lust, both emotions which can be controlled. So, then doesn’t that make this a mental health issue rather than a criminal one? Should people with obvious mental problems be put to death? Is the ability to kill someone really a mental defect at all, or just a matter of the utmost selfishness? And if that is true, does the state sponsored killing hold any more merit than the crime of murder itself?

 

The film tackles all of these questions by looking at the case of Michael Perry and Jason Burkett, 2 young men who connived their way into a gated community and then continued to murder 3 people as they robbed the home of the Richardson family. Drawing on interviews with law enforcement officers who were involved in the case, as well as family members from both sides; the accused as well as the victim’s; allows the viewer to analyze the facts as they apply to the questions posed above.

 

There is much more to this film than I have tackled here. This is a hot button topic which touches on the social disorders which make the death penalty an option, as well as exploring the sometimes arbitrary nature of its application.

Although this film may not shake, or even rattle your belief for, or against the death penalty, it is worth watching, if only because it makes you think. And, in the midst of an election year filled with knee jerk reactionaries; and a few real jerks to boot; thinking is in high demand.