IS THERE A BETTER (OR BIGGER) PICTURE?

    

     The 2019 Oscars gave just about everyone something to celebrate as well as criticize.  What else is new?  Even with a more diverse slate of nominees and winners, many people felt the need to shit all over the Best Picture winner "Green Book."  I didn't think it was the best film of last year but I certainly didn't think it needed to be pummeled into the ground either.  Many viewers were upset at civil rights hero and Senator John Lewis for introducing a clip from this film.  Because he felt the film was important, many viewers and commentators rushed to the conclusion that poor old misguided Lewis didn't even see the movie.  How do you know this is true?  Is it possible that someone his age may still have a different world view of race relations than the younger filmmakers who supposedly are more enlightened and 'woke'?  It's certainly possible.  But does that make it right to condemn him for his views?  You certainly have that right but with all the things he has done to help improve race relations in this country, I don't think throwing him under the bus is necessarily the correct response but, then again, that is the exact drawback of social media:  People tweet their first emotional responses without thinking rationally first.  I know this because I see all of the deleted tweets and apologies that occur the next day.
     Spike Lee won his first competitive Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay but apparently turned his back and started walking out of the theater when "Green Book" was announced as Best Picture.  Is this really the message he wants to send to young people?  I honestly don't know.  Octavia Spencer is one of the producers of "Green Book."  Do you think she would have helped make this movie if she didn't really believe in it?  Again, I honestly don't know.
     Personally, I believe Robert Redford should have been nominated for his performance in the 70s throwback heist film "The Old Man And The Gun."  I think it was a very nuanced and gutsy performance.  However, I'm not going to bitch and moan about it.  And do you know why?
     Because I believe we currently have a government that is not working for the people and the decisions they are making are causing ripple effects across the entire world that we will not be able correct any time soon.  Once the proverbial horse is out of the barn, its very difficult to wrangle him back in again. To me, real life and death matters a bit more than winning or losing.  I'm sorry if I seem more concerned about the state of the world than who won what award but I guess I'm just funny that way.

NEVER ENDING MATH EQUATION

    

For those of you looking here to read some story on Modest Mouse (you may have to Google that reference), I'm sorry but it really has something to do with what I'll be talking about here.
     With the brutal attack of cable news pundits from all sides of an issue, you're head might spinning after hearing all the different ways a subject can be turned into an opinion or, in one man's case, actual talking points for the leader of the free world to memorize and regurgitate to the media the following day.
     This is where the political machine has got this method down to a science, even if some of them don't believe in actual proven scientific facts.  One of the most popular phrases in the mathematical or scientific community is to view the question, simplify the actual meaning or expression and then justify why that meaning (or theory) is the 'truth.'  They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  I say the truth is in the emotions of the beholder as well.  Once we manipulate your emotions, we have you wrapped around our finger.  Once the supposed the truth is narrowed down to sound bytes, slogans and headlines; you can easily be persuaded.  This is especially true if you make no effort or have no desire to do your own research to verify what is trying to be proven.  And because people are so busy these days working more than one job, being enslaved to technology, social media and wanting to escape the horrors of the real world, we will be satisfied to just believe the most convincing answer and move on with our mundane lives.
     We want drive-thru answers to questions that require a full fine dining explanations.  Go ahead and order when you're ready.....if you dare.

MAIL FORWARDED TO A NEW ADDRESS IN SIBERIA

 

Everyone is flawed.  We know this but we repeatedly try to make sinners out of saints and vice versa.  There is a difference between getting arrested for shoplifting and being found guilty of spousal assault.  There is no such thing as the court of public opinion but we repeatedly use this nonsensical institution to make final judgments on people who get caught sinning.  We hold our public figures to a ridiculously high standard that they'll never be able to achieve.  We are looking for these people to be heroes when we should be casting our eyes and ears elsewhere.

     If a person is found guilty of something illegal such as having sex with a minor, serves his time, attends therapy, and then proceeds to save several people who were trapped in a burning building, how do we judge him?  Is there any change in perception of that person?

     If a person apologizes for appalling behavior on audio or video several decades ago, do we forgive them or do we severely punish them to make an example to the rest of the world that this type of behavior is never acceptable?  Do we still punish the person after a lifetime of public service and helping the same people who are punishing him?  Will we ever let this person back into public life or will we forever banish them to their own private Siberian-like hell?

     Every incident should be judged on case by case basis-not in the court of public opinion but in an actual courtroom.  To me, this is simple common sense that has been devoured and swallowed by the faceless mob courtesy of social media created for the sole purpose of provoking emotions and knee-jerk reactions rather than laying out all of the evidence in a rational matter and then making your best judgment to find one a upstanding person or not.  And what really qualifies one as upstanding?  Isn't that subjective as well?

     We celebrate national holidays for people we now know were far from perfect people but yet did everything they could to make life better for many of us.  How do we separate private life from public service?  Have we lost the ability to forgive but not forget?

      Going back to my first two scenarios, would you perception change if the person arresting for shoplifting was doing so because they were trying to feed their family after being let go from their job?  Would you perception change if the person found guilty of spousal assault wasn't correctly diagnosed with PTSD after serving in a overseas war causing them to lash out irrationally because of an illness that was overlooked? 

      We know the answers.  How willing are we to roll up our sleeves and face them?  I have a scary feeling that the easy way out doesn't have a return entrance.