2 Questions About Will Smith's Refusal to Leave The Oscars Ceremony When Asked

Yesterday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences revealed it had asked Will Smith to leave the Oscars ceremony after he had slapped Chris Rock, but that Smith had refused. 

This raises two questions.

First, was Smith asked to leave before or after the Best Actor award was presented? Presumably, it was beforehand. I'm sure Smith wanted to stay and find out if he would be named the winner which as fate would have it was the case. Had he left and been named the winner it would have created yet another awkward situation. Who would have accepted the award on his behalf? The Williams sisters? Jada Pinkett-Smith?

Second, when Smith refused to leave why didn't the Motion Picture Academy tell him that wasn't his choice? I think I can take a reasonable guess. The Motion Picture Academy didn't want to escalate an already angry Smith. Had the situation further escalated it might have resulted in the Academy calling upon security to physically remove Smith. With #OscarsSoWhite hanging over their heads, I'm sure that last thing the Academy wanted was images of an African-American man being forcibly ejected from its grandest stage even if the victim in question  was also an African-American man. So whose black life matters more?

The Academy is now reviewing the incident and may subject Smith to discipline. If I were to venture to guess is that he would be prohibited from appearing at next year's ceremony. Traditionally, the person who presents the Best Actress award is the Best Actor from the previous year. 

Now its entirely possible nothing like this will ever happen again. But when someone crosses the line there have to be decisive measures in place to enforce peace and order to avoid a spectacle in which no good comes.

Although with that said, Chris Rock is currently being received by enthusiastic audiences here in Boston and will probably receive a similar reception for the forseeable future.

I Will Always Remember Bruce Willis as David Addison in Moonlighting

 

Like many people, I was shocked and saddened at the announcement that Bruce Willis has retired from acting due to being diagnosed with aphasia. It is a cognitive disorder which inhibits one from speaking and or speaking coherently. It is not clear what caused Willis' condition though aphasia can be caused by a stroke, a brain tumor or infection, head trauma or Alzheimer's, 

In recent years, Willis had trouble remembering lines and even allegedly fired a prop gun ahead of cue. Yet when I saw the photo daughter Rumer Willis posed on Instagram, there appeared something of a devilish, mischievous grin. 

That grin made me think of David Addison, his breakout role in the 1980's ABC dramedy Moonlighting which he co-starred with Cybil Shepherd. In his early days of stardom, Willis was considered a comedic actor. When most people think of Willis they think of John McClane in the Die Hard movies and other action-adventure roles. Perhaps his greatest acting role was that of boxer Butch Coolidge in Pulp Fiction which saw a more existentialist and introspective Willis which perhaps only Quentin Taratino could bring out. 

While it has been more than 30 years since I've seen an episode of Moonlighting, his fast talking charm and silliness is what I will always remember best about Bruce Willis. I have inserted a video of Willis' screen test and it is very clear that he just had it. Bruce Willis might no longer have what he used to have but there is still a glimmer of it in his eyes and in his smile. So long as that remains then so long shall he live.

Why Would Will Smith Stage an Event to Damage His Reputation?

There are a great many people who believe Will Smith's slap of Chris Rock at the Oscars on Sunday night was "staged".

From where I sit, the most obvious question is why would Smith stage an event that would result in damage to his reputation?

If in the highly unlikely event it was staged to what end would it serve? Are they planning on appearing in a movie together? If that was the angle then it is one that got our attention, but I think it's giving them far too much credit. 

Perhaps people watch too much pro wrestling (I've certainly watched my share). I've watched enough to know when it is staged it is for a specific payoff namely for the babyface to get his or her righteous vengeance on the heel. This isn't Jerry Lawler slapping Andy Kaufman on Late Night with David Letterman. Why would Smith cast himself as a heel?

The long and the short of it is that Will Smith stood absolutely nothing to gain by staging an assault in front of a global audience. After all, Smith won the Oscar but he will not be remembered for that triumph (except perhaps for his self-serving speech about being "a fierce defender of his family" like Richard Williams). 

Although while one might question the sincerity of Smith's belated apology to Rock yesterday that wasn't staged either. That was damage control.

U.S. Passes 80M COVID-19 Cases as FDA & CDC Approve Booster For Adults 50 & Over

Today, the United States passed 80 million COVID-19 cases. According to Johns Hopkins University, there have been 80,019,002 cases resulting in 978,645 deaths representing a mortality rate of 1.2%. 

The good news is that the spread of COVID has been slowing. After taking 13 days to go from 78 to 79 million cases, it has taken 29 days (more than four weeks) to go from 79 to 80 million. Let us remember that 2022 began with the country adding 1 million plus new cases everyday via the Omicron variant. So this is a vast improvement. But can this improvement be sustained?

This is only half as good as the 58 days it took to go from 33 to 34 million cases between May 19th and July 16th of last year. But by August 1st, 1 million new cases had been added due to the Delta variant and things went downhill from there. It has taken us more than 6 months to get back into a significantly positive trajectory. And yet COVID cases are on the rise yet again in New York, Colorado, Texas, Kentucky, Delaware and much of New England including here in Massachusetts via the BA.2 Omicron subvariant. Whether this will be followed by a rise in hospitalizations remains to be seen.

Of further note, the CDC and FDA have approved a second booster of Pfizer or Moderna for adults 50 and over. This puts me in an interesting spot as I turn 50 this September. By the time I am eligible it will have been nearly 9 months since I had my Moderna booster. Of course, conditions could worsen which might cause the CDC and FDA to expand eligibility. I can hope I am in a position where it will be safe to wait.

Tiffany Haddish's Concept of Beauty is Quite Ugly

Actress and comedienne Tiffany Haddish was among those defending Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during the Oscars last night:

When I saw a Black man stand up for his wife. That meant so much to me. As a woman, who has been unprotected, for someone to say like, ‘Keep my wife’s name out your mouth, leave my wife alone,’ that’s what your husband is supposed to do, right? Protect you. And that meant the world to me. And maybe the world might not like how it went down, but for me, it was the most beautiful thing I ever seen because it made me believe that there are still men out there that love and care about their women, their wives.

It seems to me that Haddish's concept of beauty is quite ugly. 

But let us assume that Haddish means what she says because it begs questions.

Would the beauty have been augmented had Smith used a knife or a gun in confronting Rock? Would that mean Smith cared even more about his wife?

Let us also keep in mind that Haddish praised Smith's actions on the basis of him being a black man who assaulted another black man. What if Rock had been slapped by someone who wasn't black? And let's say this non-black man happened to be married to a black woman. Would Haddish still be heaping praise?

And let us further suppose it was a female comedian who had uttered the joke about Jada Pinkett Smith being bald? If Joan Rivers were still among us I could easily imagine her going there. Would Haddish have considered it a thing of beauty for a man to strike a woman for offending his wife?

There are many ways one can describe Will Smith's act against Chris Rock. Beautiful is not among them.

Pujols Return to the Cardinals is The Best Thing About The 2022 MLB Season

I was delighted to hear that Albert Pujols will finish his MLB career where it started as he will don a St. Louis Cardinals uniform after signing a one-year contract worth $2.5 million. With the DH now in the NL, Pujols will serve in that role.

Pujols, 42, played with the Cardinals from 2001 to 2011 winning three NL MVPs and two World Series rings with the Redbirds before signing with the Los Angeles Angels as a free agent prior to the 2012 season. Pujols had some good years in Anaheim, but was not the preeminent player he was in St. Louis. His tenure with the Angels ended last season as he split 2021 with the Angels and cross-town rival Dodgers. 

I am looking forward to Pujols being back in a Cardinals uniform for several reasons.

Among other things, Pujols will surely jump into MLB's Top 10 all-time hit leaders. He enters 2022 in 12th place with 3301 hits. With 15 more hits, Pujols will pass Eddie Collins and with 20 more hits he will move past Paul Molitor. Pujols would then need 100 more hits to surpass Carl Yastrzemski and 101 hits to eclipse Honus Wagner. If Pujols collects 135 hits then he surpasses Cap Anson. Should there be 165 hits from Pujols then he passes Derek Jeter for the 6th place on the all-time hit list. This could be a tall order depending on how often he plays. But it will be fun to watch.

It will also be fun to watch and see if Pujols can join the 700 HR club. Pujols need 21 more HR to accomplish that feat. If he does then he will join Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez as the only members of that club. Of course, many consider Bonds and A-Rod's membership to be dubious. There are no such questions where it concerns Pujols though.

Pujols begins 2022 with 2150 career RBIs. Should he collect 65 RBIs in 2022 then he will pass Babe Ruth for second place on the all-time RBI list. Hank Aaron will remain atop the all-time RBI list with 2297. But being sandwiched in between Ruth and Aaron is a pretty good place to be.

It will also be good to see Pujols reunite with his old teammates Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright who were with Pujols when the Cardinals won World Series titles in 2006 and 2011. 

Cardinals fans will be delighted to cheer Pujols every chance they get and he will get a good measure of respect from opposing fans with well deserved standing ovations.

For these reasons alone, Albert Pujols return to the St. Louis Cardinals will be the best thing about the 2022 MLB season. 

I Will Never Look at Will Smith The Same Again

It has been several years since I last watched the Oscars. I rarely see new movies and the only movie up for consideration I saw was Licorice Pizza. 

But the sight of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock in front of a global audience broke the Internet. Some thought it was a work, but uncensored versions of the broadcast from Australian and Japanese TV picked up Smith shouting at Rock, "Keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth!!!"

Moments earlier, Rock had joked about Jada Pinkett-Smith starring in G.I. Jane II. Smith was seen laughing, but this evidently upset his spouse who suffers from alopecia. Then came the slap heard 'round the world.

A short time later, Smith would win Best Actor for his performance in King Richard. In the film, Smith plays Richard Williams the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. Upon accepting his award, Smith made a point of saying Richard Williams "was a fierce defender of his family" before apologizing to the Academy although pointedly not to Rock. 

I'm sure nothing of any consequence will happen to Smith. Even if he never worked again, he is in a position where he doesn't have to work. 

As for me, I will never look at Will Smith the same again. Smith has had a long career in music, TV and movies and has always come across as a friendly, genial person. Of course no one is perfect and we all have really bad moments which we wish we could take back. But the fact that Smith assaulted Rock in front of billions of people makes one wonder how he behaves behind closed doors. Is this really an isolated incident?

Movies are supposed to offer some measure of escape from reality. But with the pandemic, Republicans questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 election and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Smith's slap offers us no respite from reality.

Needless to say, I shall continue my practice of eschewing the Oscars and most of the movies and the stars it seeks to honor. Perhaps I should also avoid checking Twitter on Oscar night as well.

Joan Joyce, R.I.P.

Joan Joyce, best known as the female softball pitcher who struck out both Ted Williams and Hank Aaron in exhibition games, passed away on Saturday at the age of 81. 

Joyce's passing was announced by Florida Atlantic University where she served as the institution's women's softball coach since 1994 guiding the team to 11 NCAA Conference championships and recently attained her 1,000th career win as a coach. She also spent nearly two decades as FAU's women's golf coach. Joyce was well qualified in this sport as well as she spent many years on the LPGA circuit. 

When Joyce didn't play softball or golf, she also excelled in volleyball and in basketball playing on the U.S. national team in the mid-1960's. Over her lifetime, Joyce was inducted into 20 different Halls of Fame including the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame, Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame and World Baseball Softball Confederation Hall of Fame.

Any man who didn't think Joyce belonged in the athletic arena could try to hit her fastball. Although Joyce considered basketball her best sport, she leaves this world the greatest softball player of all time - man or woman.

Sasse Votes With The Jackasses Against Judge Jackson

 

While most Republican Senators were falling over themselves to act like an Ugly American when questioning Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson during this week's Supreme Court hearings, Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse did bring some decorum back to the proceedings chiding his GOP colleagues "jackassery" in their questioning of Judge Jackson:

A huge part of why this institution doesn’t work well is because we have cameras everywhere. Cameras change human behavior. We know this. … There’s a whole bunch of things humans can do if they’re not immediately mindful of some distant camera audience that they might be trying to create a soundbite for.

I think we should recognize that the jack-assery we often see around here is partly because of people mugging for short-term camera opportunities, and it is definitely a second and third and fourth order effect that the court should think through before it has advocates in there who are not only trying to persuade you nine justices, but also trying to get on cable that night or create a viral video.

Sasse's statement came to my attention through my Twitter friend Melissa Quinn Amour. While she was delighted, I took a more cynical view tweeting, "Two cheers. He'll likely vote no just the same as Cruz, Hawley, Kennedy, Blackburn, etc."

Sure enough, this evening Sasse decided to vote with the jackasses against Judge Jackson.

Now I'm sure Judge Jackson will take this in stride as she has the whole week and for her whole career preceding it. Barring all Republicans voting against her and a defection from Arizona Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema, she will more likely than not be confirmed.

But Sasse frankly pissed me off. As crude, cruel and bigoted as Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley and rest of the Republican jackasses are at least we know where we stand with them. Sasse can play nice all he wants but a no vote is a no vote. If Sasse truly wanted to take a stand against the "jack-assery" then he would have voted in favor of Jackson whatever ideological disagreements he might have had with her. This would have been a profile in courage.

There was a time not so long ago when a Republican voting for a Supreme Court justice appointed by Democratic President (and vice-versa) wasn't an act of heresy. Judicial ideology played less of a consideration than qualifications and temperament. In 1994, Jackson's predecessor Stephen Breyer was confirmed 87-9 earning the votes of 33 Republican Senators including Mitch McConnell and Chuck Grassley. But American politics has changed over the past 5 years, never mind the past 30 years.

Mind you, I wrote in Ben Sasse's name as my presidential vote during the 2016 election because of his willingness to speak out against Trump. But as with most Republicans this would soon change and Sasse curried favor with Trump. More than anything else this was the reason I didn't get excited when Sasse chided his GOP colleagues. While he might chide them, he will still vote with them.

COVID Deaths in U.S. Pass 975,000

Today, the United States recorded its 975,000th death from COVID-19. According to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, there have been 975,837 deaths due to COVID-19 out of 79,888,364 cases representing a mortality rate of 1.2%. 

There is some good news here. When the U.S. reached 950,000 deaths on February 28th, it had added 25,000 deaths in just 13 days. I feared that we would hit the 1 million death mark on March 26th - two days from now. Instead, it took 24 days to go from 950,000 to 975,000 deaths. 

With that said, it is cold comfort to the families of the 25,000 plus people who have passed away of COVID over the past 24 days. 

There will also come the inevitable day when the United States surpasses 1 million COVID deaths. It won't come on March 26th, but it will come soon enough. If the rate of death remains constant then we would surpass that ignominious on April 17th. Perhaps the death rate will slow down even further. Who knows? That day might not come until May. Yet it is only a matter of time.  

And when it does come there will be a myriad of stories. But it will only get a moment's attention if even that. After all, the COVIDIOT crowd including defeated former President Trump have claimed the death toll has been inflated (at least while he was still in office). 

Of course, much of America and the world's attention has been focused on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and for good cause with fears that this war could escalate and involve the use of chemical and nuclear weapons. 

But COVID-19 is the greatest single catastrophe in American history. It has killed more Americans than any other act of war, natural disaster or disease we have ever faced. Even if we have found a way to manage COVID-19 it's impact on this country is going to be felt for many years to come no matter how many of us wish it would disappear like a miracle or pretend it doesn't exist.

Trump Gives Mo Brooks The Jeff Sessions Treatment

Alabama Republican Representative Mo Brooks was the first GOP Congressman to announce his intent to object to the results of the 2020 election. On January 6, 2021, it was Brooks who declared, “Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass.” Hours later, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.

But this morning, defeated former President Trump rescinded his endorsement of Brooks' bid for the Alabama GOP Senate bid to replace the retiring Richard Shelby. Trump accused Brooks of being "woke" for having the temerity to tell Trump supporters to put the 2020 election behind them during a rally in Cullman, Alabama last August. Brooks was booed for the suggestion and this soured Trump on Brooks.

A normal person would man up and tell Trump to shove it. But this a Republican we're talking about. Brooks wants Trump's endorsement back. So instead of ripping Trump, he rips Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Not that I give a damn about McConnell, but Brooks should have some pride. 

Yet Brooks seems destined to follow into the footsteps of another former Alabama Republican Senator - Jeff Sessions. It was Sessions who was the first Republican Senator to endorse Trump for the White House during the 2016 GOP Primary. Trump rewarded Sessions by naming him Attorney General. But when Sessions recused himself from the Russia Inquiry regarding the 2016 election making way for the Mueller Investigation five years ago this month, he immediately fell out of Trump's favor. Trump then repeatedly insulted Sessions both privately and publicly. In September 2018, Trump said of Sessions, "I don't have an Attorney General."

Sessions would resign less than two months later. When Sessions attempted to regain his old Senate seat, Trump would endorse Tommy Tuberville. This didn't stop Sessions from donning the MAGA cap and reminding voters he was the first Senator to endorse Trump. 

Jeff Sessions can say he was the first Republican Senator to endorse Trump in 2016 and Mo Brooks can say he was the first Republican to proclaim the 2020 election shouldn't be certified all they want. 

None of that matters. 

All that matters for Trump is being loyalty every day, every time without deviation. Sessions' recusal and Brooks' suggestion that voters move on from 2020 were deemed acts of disloyalty in Trump's eyes. What had they done for him lately? Trump supporting Republicans kicked Sessions to the curb in 2020 and will very likely do the same to Brooks during the GOP primary in May.

Now I don't feel sorry for either Brooks or Sessions. They jumped into bed with Trump. He rolled over on them and instead of being angry they want more even though he has nothing more to give them. Instead of ridding themselves of this albatross, Republicans who want to stay in office must indulge his election fraud fantasies and sing the praises of Vladimir Putin. 

The scary thing, of course, is that millions of Americans want Trump back in the White House despite everything he has said and done. In which case, Americans might be a lot more like Mo Brooks and Jeff Sessions than we want to admit.

Three Possible Outcomes of Canada's Liberal-NDP Agreement in 2025

Yesterday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh announced the two parties had reached a "supply and confidence" agreement which would last until the next federal election which is scheduled to take place no later than October 2025. 

This essentially means the NDP will back Trudeau's Liberal minority government in the event of a vote of confidence in the House of Commons in exchange for the Liberals backing a number of NDP initiatives most notably the implementation of both a national dental care program and a national pharmacare program. 

In some ways, not much has changed. The NDP backed the Liberals after the 2019 election after Trudeau lost his majority and again last year when Canadian voters decided they wanted more of the same. But the arrangement was informal. In the past, Singh has resisted a formal agreement as was the case after last fall's election. In particular, he opposed forming a coalition government with Trudeau.

This agreement will not be a coalition as Singh nor any other NDP MPs will be joining Trudeau's cabinet. The NDP is also free to walk away from the deal at anytime. It is more along the lines of the accords which occurred between the Liberals and NDP in Ontario between 1985 and 1987 which ended 42 years of Tory governments and more recently in British Columbia between the NDP and the Greens from 2017 to 2020. 

If the COVIDIOT Convoy hadn't shut down Ottawa and blockaded the Ambassador Bridge with the Tories embracing the COVIDIOCY, I suspect Trudeau and Singh might not have come to this agreement as it also covers democratic reforms such as spreading voting over 72 hours. Naturally, the Tories detest this new arrangement with interim Tory leader Candice Bergen calling it "a power grab" and "back door socialism". But if Bergen's idea of "back door socialism" is a national pharmacare program she will have a hard time convincing the 90% plus Canadians who support it. 

Assuming the Liberal-NDP Coalition lasts until the next election, I see three possible outcomes:

1. Trudeau earns back a Liberal majority government. Of course, this was his objective in calling an early election last year and things didn't go according to plan. But the Ontario Liberals and B.C. NDP both earned majority governments after their minority accords with the Ontario NDP and B.C. Greens elapsed although much of the policy agenda was initiated by the smaller party. 

2. Should a national dental care program and a national pharmacare program be established, Canadians could also come to the conclusion that they want more of the same just as they did last September and elect their third consecutive Liberal minority government. Minority governments tend to be more responsive to satiating the public appetite.

3. There is, of course, the possibility that all of this blows up in their face should Canada end up with double digit unemployment and/or inflation. In which case both the Liberals and NDP would share the blame with Canadians turning to the Tories like they did when Brian Mulroney became Prime Minister in 1984. Should this come to pass, Trudeau might not seek a fourth term which would leave the Liberals in even more peril. 

But given just how Trumpy the Tories have become this year, I believe the first two scenarios are far more likely.

10 Million Ukrainians Have Fled Their Homes in Less Than a Month

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 10 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes in less than a month since Russia began its invasion. This is nearly 1 out of every 4 Ukrainians.

A majority (approximately 6.5 million) have been internally displaced while the remaining 3.5 million have managed to flee the country. The vast majority are women and children including my colleague's sister and nephew. 

To put this number into perspective, it would be comparable to everyone who lives in Paris or to everyone who lives in the state of Georgia being forced to leave their homes and nearly all their worldly possessions. Most Parisians don't remember what life was like under the Vichy Regime and, well, there is one prominent Georgia resident named Marjorie Taylor Greene who believes Ukraine should just surrender. I doubt Congresswoman Greene has given a moment's thought to those 10 million Ukrainians who have fled their homes and, if she has, she probably believes they are Nazis. 

The Ukrainian people are putting up a valiant fight against the Russian military, but at a very steep price which is only bound to get steeper. More Ukrainians will be forced to leave and even if the war were to come to an abrupt end most would have no home to come back to causing an agony which will last for generations. While Ukrainian refugees might be welcome now once the conflict is over and is out of the spotlight memories will invariably grow short and sympathies are likely to become fatigued and fickle. Can you say Syrian refugees? And who had a big hand in creating that state of affairs? Soon there will more Ukrainian refugees than Syrian refugees and aside from a few honorable exceptions the world will not care a whit.

1967 Was Sidney Poitier's Pinnacle

Earlier this month, I attended a screening of Blackboard Jungle at the Brattle Theatre as part of a tribute to Sidney Poitier who passed away in January. 

Over the past two nights, I returned to the Brattle to see the three films for which Poitier is best known - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?, To Sir, with Love and In The Heat of the Night. 

All three films were released in 1967 with Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and In The Heat of the Night earning Best Picture nominations with In The Heat of the Night. Although Poitier was the centerpiece of all three films, he did not earn an Oscar nomination for any of them although other actors did. Katharine Hepburn won Best Actress for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner while Rod Steiger won Best Actor for In The Heat of the Night and justifiably so. 

Awards or no awards, Sidney Poitier had reached the pinnacle of his success in 1967 and was the most popular movie star in America. A remarkable achievement considering civil rights was still in its nascency. 

While I have seen these films many times on TV, I had not seen them on the big screen. Last night, I saw Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and To Sir, with Love and saw In The Heat of the Night earlier this evening. Here are my observations of each of the three films in the order that I saw them.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Poitier portrays a widowed doctor named John Prentiss who meets and falls in love with Joanna Drayton, a white woman who brings him home to introduce him to her liberal parents Christina and Matt Drayton as played by Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy to inform them of her intent to marry. Their daughter was played by Katharine Houghton, who is Hepburn's niece. As such, this film is as much as Hepburn-Tracy film as it is a Sidney Poitier movie. Indeed, Tracy received top billing for the film. It was to be Hepburn and Tracy's 9th and final film together as Tracy was in severe ill-health. Tracy died only weeks after filming was completed. 

At the time of filming, interracial marriages were illegal in 17 states. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? was released only six months after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled anti-miscegenation laws were unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia. Yet attitudes in America weren't so unanimous. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is the resistance to interracial marriage by both whites and African-Americans as demonstrated by the housekeeper Tillie (played by Isabel Sanford who would go onto fame as Louise Jefferson on the sitcom The Jeffersons) as well as Dr. Prentiss' father played by Roy Glenn. 

Dr. Prentiss' mother Mary while fearful supports her son's decision to marry a white woman. Beah Richards' tender performance of Mary Prentiss would earn her a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Interestingly, although Richards played Poitier's mother she was only 7 years older than him. She would also appear alongside Poitier in a small role in In The Heat of the Night. Cecil Kallaway provided a great deal of comic relief as the open minded Monsignor Ryan. Kallaway would also earn an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. 

In many ways, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is presented like a stage play, but was written strictly for the movies. As with any work of art more than 50 years old some aspects of the film will be dated. But Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? is a reminder that 50 years, indeed 55 years, isn't such a long time in the grand scheme of things. There was a time one could go to jail for marrying someone whose skin color was different from your own.

To Sir, with Love

While adapted from E.B. Braithwaite's novel of the same name, To Sir, with Love is in many ways an unofficial sequel to Blackboard Jungle where Poitier goes from student to teacher. In both movies, Mr. Dadier (as played by Glenn Ford) and Poitier's Mr. Thackeray (a.k.a. Sir) find themselves who have the challenge of teaching kids who don't want to learn and are eager to look for more attractive work. Dadier and Thackeray gradually win over their respective classes with Dadier showing a cartoon film of Jack and The Beanstalk while Thackeray takes them to London's Victoria and Albert Museum. Both Dadier and Thackeray have a single hold out in Artie West and Bert Denham played by Vic Morrow and Christian Roberts, respectively. Dadier fights West and Thackeray fights Denham. But the similarity ends there as West is a psychopath beyond redemption while Denham realizes he's no match for Thackeray and decides he must grow up. Also there were no female students in Blackboard Jungle and thus Lulu to break out into "To Sir, with Love" at the drop of a hat.

There is one interesting contrast between Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and To Sir, With Love. While most of the characters in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner are shocked that a white woman would wed a black man, in To Sir, with Love the white women fancy Mr. Thackeray whether it's student Pamela Dare (as played by Judy Geeson), fellow teacher Miss Blanchard (as played by Suzy Kendall) and even the matronly kiosk lady (as played by Rita Webb) who flirts with Thackeray on the bus in the opening scene of the film. Of course, To Sir, with Love was set in Britain and while the film depicted some racial tension, interracial romances or at least the implication of them weren't so taboo on the other side of the pond.

In The Heat of the Night 

This was the best of the Poitier's triumvirate of triumph in 1967. The pace of In The Heat of the Night is slower, more deliberate and suspenseful down to every drop of sweat. Poitier plays Virgil Tibbs, a Philadelphia police officer who is traveling through Mississippi to visit his mother when he finds himself accused of murder and is brought into to see Sheriff Gillespie as played by Rod Steiger. Soon Sheriff Gillespie learns that Mr. Tibbs is a police officer and a homicide investigator. Gillespie is torn because he knows he is over his head and needs every bit of Tibbs' help as the wife of the murder victim (as played by Lee Grant) threatens to stop building a factory in the town unless Tibbs is kept on the case. At the same time, Gillespie cannot alienate the town's segregationist majority who are already suspicious of him in the first place.

While directed by Norman Jewison, it is the editing of Hal Ashby which sets it apart from Poitier's other films from 1967. Ashby was to In The Heat of the Night what Alan Parsons was to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon. Ashby, of course, would go on to a successful career as a director with films like Harold and Maude (which I saw at the Brattle last month), The Last Detail, Bound for Glory and Being There. Of these three films, In The Heat of the Night is best experienced on the big screen.

Perhaps not surprising, In The Heat of The Night was the best attended of the three films though far from a sellout. The screening of To Sir, with Love had fewer than 10 people. Given the legacy of Sidney Poitier and his recent passing, I thought there would be more interest in these films. 

Regardless, all three films show Sidney Poitier's command of the screen as a stoic figure who can convey authority even with a softness in his voice or a single gesture. Poitier's power shall stand the test of time.

Trevor Story's Next Chapter Takes Place in Boston Plus Other Baseball Stories

Since the MLB-MLBPA lockout ended 10 days ago there has been a flurry of player movement and with it plenty of the stories. But perhaps the most interesting story is Trevor Story. Well, at least from the view of someone who resides in the Boston area.

This morning, Story signed a 6-year, $140 million contract with the Red Sox. Story, 29, has spent his entire 6-year big league career with the Colorado Rockies. He enters 2022 with a .272 lifetime batting average with 158 HR, 450 RBI and 100 stolen bases. Although Story has played shortstop his entire career, he will play second base in 2022 as Xander Bogaerts remains with the team. However, Bogaerts is expected to opt out of his contract at the end of the season and should he sign elsewhere in 2023 then Story would return to short. The only question is whether Story can handle the heightened scrutiny he will face in Boston. 

It is mysterious why the Rockies weren't willing to extend Story (or for the matter Nolan Arenado) but willing to shell out $182 million over 7 years to Kris Bryant. 

The other high profile free agent shortstop was Carlos Correa who to the shock of many signed a 3-year, $105.3 million deal with the Minnesota Twins. The former Astro does have opt out provisions after this season and in 2023 so his stay in the Land of 10,0000 Lakes might be short-lived. However, the Twins have made some other interesting additions such as acquiring starter Sonny Gray from the Cincinnati Reds as well as catcher Gary Sanchez and infielder Gio Urshela from the New York Yankees with Josh Donaldson going to the Bronx. 

With Sanchez's struggles in the pinstripes, I think he is going to have a monster year in Minneapolis. Donaldson, on the other hand, is going to have to have an awkward conversation with Yankees ace Gerrit Cole amid accusations by Donaldson that Cole was doctoring the baseball. Meanwhile, the Yankees have held onto Anthony Rizzo at first base. But he's no Freddie Freeman, let alone a Matt Olson.

I am a bit puzzled as to why the Atlanta Braves were willing to pay Olson $168 million over 8 years but not willing to pay a former NL MVP in Freeman $162 million over 6 years - which is what the Los Angeles Dodgers will be paying Freeman. However, Olson is younger and is a Georgia native. The Braves might have lost Freeman to the Dodgers, but they do gain former Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen for at least one season. 

Some other players who will be new uniforms in 2022. Former Oakland A's third baseman Matt Chapman will wear a Toronto Blue Jays uniform. Andrew McCutchen, late of the Philadelphia Phillies, will be the Milwaukee Brewers' new DH. The Phillies have added the bats of Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber. Andrelton Simmons and Jonathan Villar will toil for the Chicago Cubs. Atlanta Braves post-season hero Jorge Soler will play for the Miami Marlins. 

Meanwhile, Zack Greinke will pitch in a Kansas City Royals uniform for the first time since 2010 as he is less than 200 strikeouts away from 3,000 for his career. Joining Greinke in K.C. is former Reds pitcher Amir Garrett. The Reds also dealt two sluggers in Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker to the Seattle Mariners. While the Mariners hope to end their 21-year post-seasom drought, the Reds have engaged in a full-scale fire sale.

There will be more baseball stories to come between now and Opening Day on April 7th and, of course, during the trade deadline at the end of July. But for now virtually all the big name free agents have a home for 2022. As for Trevor Story, he gets to begin a whole new chapter in Boston.

My First St. Patrick's Day Parade in Boston in 5 Years

 

For the first time in 5 years, I attended Boston's St. Patrick's Day Parade. Of course, it must be said this is the first St. Patrick's Day Parade anyone has attended since 2019 with the pandemic cancelling both the 2020 and 2021 editions. 

Under the circumstances, there was a palatable excitement that I haven't witnessed at previous parades I've attended. Keep in mind, my first St. Patrick's Day Parade was exactly 20 years ago and would become a springtime ritual for me even if I was the sober adult in the proceedings.

My custom would be to walk the route of the parade from the Broadway MBTA station up West Broadway onto East Broadway before on the tiny side streets past the Dorchester Heights Monument (which commemorates Evacuation Day) and then onto Dorchester Street to the Andrew MBTA station. For me, this is infinitely more interesting than New York City's St. Patrick's Day Parade which marches up Fifth Avenue.

However, since 2015, the route has been shortened to exclude the side streets leading to the Monument due to weather issues with the exception of 2019. This year's parade also took the shortened route.

In recent years, I have become more uncomfortable attending the parade. I'm not sure if this is a lingering discomfort from the Boston Marathon attack in 2013, just getting older or a result of increased general anxiety. In particular, there is a logjam of people when West Broadway meets East Broadway. When I attended in 2017, I nearly had a panic attack. But I managed to steel myself because I know South Boston's side streets well enough to avoid the largest crowds while still getting a good view.

I adopted these tactics this year. Admittedly living in Cambridge has its advantages. The Red Line did not get jammed until I got to Park Street. Then things slowed down considerably. But I stayed patient and opted to get off at Andrew Station to walk up Dorchester Street and then took the side streets as I approached the junction of West Broadway and East Broadway. I ended up right between the Boston Municipal Court and the Southie Bowl where I do most of my candlepin bowling. Indeed, I was on higher ground and got a much better view than I might have otherwise. 

Of course, other people got the same idea and soon the area was quite crowded and began to feel uneasy. Half an hour was long enough. However, I stayed long enough to have heard an interesting spectacle. For a moment, I thought I heard booing. As it turned, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was marching in the parade and spectators went "Wuuuuuuu!!!" Kind of like how baseball fans used to chant "Louuuuuu!!!" for Lou Piniella or Lou Whitaker or here in Boston for Lou Merloni. 

Now that I am back in Boston, I think I will continue to attend the St. Patrick's Day Parade for as long as remain here although I will likely partake in it the way I did this year. However, should the original route return next year or some other year I would like walk it one last time just to appreciate it despite whatever unease I might have. I can only hope to have the Luck of the Irish watching over my journey.

Two Years After COVID Have We Reached a Calm or is Another Storm Brewing?

It was during the week of March 11-18, 2020 when life as we understood it in America (and in much of the world) changed. 

In the space of a week, my work and what little social life I had came to an abrupt end. I was bowling in Queens on the evening of March 11th when I learned the NBA was shutting down and that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson had been diagnosed with COVID. Five days later, I swum my last lap and haven't been inside a pool since. Exactly one week later, I was sent home from work at the Chrysler Building. I would never return. 

In the weeks that followed, I would officially be laid off and then subsequently moved upstairs to social distance from my Dad. Seven months later I would find myself in Atlanta. Seven months after that I made my way back to Boston. Although my life has been chaotic, at least I still have one. The same cannot said for 970,000 plus Americans and counting. 

Yet COVID cases have come down in this country significantly with masking measures significantly relaxed although still required on public transportation, but the T is crowded again. I haven't been required to wear a mask at work for several weeks now. In this part of the country, some people still wear masks out of habit. I do tend to wear a mask when I'm inside a grocery store. Again, force of habit. Perhaps it will wane in time, but I'll be keeping a mask at hand for the foreseeable future. 

When I left the Chrysler Building for the last time two years ago today, the streets of New York were deserted. Today, was an unseasonably warm 70 degrees in Boston. People were out and about and outdoor dining was the norm at lunch in Boston's Seaport District and during dinner when I walked on Mass Ave in Cambridge. While some people wore masks even those who did appeared not to have a care in the world. My landlady told me that people want to take advantage of the moment and this was exactly what I was thinking when I walked up Mass Ave.

Yet is there another storm brewing? After all, we had a period of calm in community spread between May and July before Delta hit. Soon we were back to 100,000 plus cases a day. When Omicron hit it would be 1 million plus cases a day. Now another COVID variant, Omicron BA.2 is surging in Asia and Europe. It is more communicable than Omicron and will invariably surge here. The question might not be so much the number of cases but how many hospitalizations will result. My guess is that if restrictions are reintroduced they will be done at the local level albeit in jurisdictions where this is allowed (i.e. Massachusetts not Florida). But then again if people start getting sick at work in large numbers, companies will invariably go back to remote work. 

This is more familiar terrain than it was two years ago. Still, I understand that people don't want to cover this ground again. Then again there are still among us who refuse to take even the first step forward. Which is why I won't be surprised if we go two steps back yet again.

Ralph Terry, R.I.P.

Former MLB pitcher and pro golfer Ralph Terry, perhaps best known for surrendering the game winning HR to Bill Mazerowski in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, passed away yesterday at the age of 86. Terry succumbed to complications of a head injury which he sustained when he fell on ice on New Year's Eve.

A native of Oklahoma, Terry signed with the New York Yankees following the 1953 season and would reach the big club in 1956. In June 1957, the Yankees shipped Terry to the Kansas City A's in a trade which included Billy Martin and would see Ryne Duren join the Bronx Bombers. At that time, the A's were a de facto Triple AAA affiliate of the Yankees where they would send bad influences like Martin and not ready for prime time pitchers like Terry. However, the trade was something of a homecoming as Terry attended college at the University of Kansas City. 

With more big league experience under his belt, the Yankees brought Terry back during the middle of the 1959 season. Terry would pitch in five consecutive World Series for the Bronx Bombers between 1960 to 1964. Despite giving up the HR to Mazeroski to end the 1960 World Series, Terry had a breakout season in 1961 going 16-3 with a 3.15 ERA earning his first World Series ring.

Terry would have an even better year in 1962 when he led the AL with 23 wins and 298.2 inning pitched and would earn the only AL All-Star Team selection of his career. His '62 season was capped off with not only another World Series ring but a World Series MVP, Terry went 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA fanning 16 batters in 25 innings pitched capped off by a complete game four hit shutout in Game 7. However, instead of remembering Terry's stellar pitching most fans remember Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson's spectacular catch off Willie McCovey's bat to end the Series. It would be the Yankees' last World Series title for 15 years. 

Although Terry slipped to 17-15 in 1963, he still had a respectable 3.22 ERA and led the league in starts and complete games. However, despite another World Series appearance, Terry struggled in 1964 with a 7-11 mark with a 4.54 ERA. Following the season, the Yankees dealt Terry to the Cleveland Indians. Terry would have a decent campaign with the Tribe in 1965 going 11-6 with a 3.69 ERA. Terry would return to Kansas City at the beginning of the 1966 season only to end up back in New York - this time with the Mets. He would retire after the 1967 season. In 12 big league seasons, Terry went 107-99 with a 3.62 ERA striking out exactly 1000 batters while walking only 446. 

Following his baseball career, Terry spent many years competing as professional golfer on the PGA Circuit and PGA Senior Circuit. Terry was also fixture at Old Timer's Day at Yankee Stadium. I leave you with an interview Terry did on the day he was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. R.I.P.

Zelenskyy Should Be Judged By What He Says & Does, Not By What He Wears

Earlier this evening, I watched Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's address to the U.S. Congress pleading for the implementation of a no-fly zone over Ukraine and more arms to defend themselves against Russia. 

Zelensky's eloquence was apparent to everyone whether it was in Ukrainian or in English. 

Well, almost everyone.

Peter Schiff, a stockbroker, a conservative/libertarian radio host who once made a bid for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate, objected to the fact that Zelenskyy was addressing Congress wearing a T-shirt. Schiff complained that Zelenskyy was disrespecting Congress and the United States due to his attire. 

Perhaps Schiff tweeted this to get attention and, boy, did he get attention. Just the wrong type of attention.

The way I look at it is that I would rather judge someone by what they say and what they do, not by what they wear. I hold the same standard for myself. But for the Peter Schiff's of the world style shall always triumph over substance. Then again nothing Schiff will ever say in a suit will be a consequential as what Zelenskyy says in a t-shirt.

If you haven't watched it then judge Zelenskyy's speech for yourself. 

The Bravery of Marina Ovsyannikova

While the world has witnessed the bravery of the Ukrainian people over the past several weeks as Russian forces try to render their nation into rubble there are a few brave Russians who are willing to go out on a limb to say what is being done in Ukraine is wrong.

Enter Marina Ovsyannikova. 

An employee of Russia's state owned Channel 1 disrupted a news broadcast with a sign which read "Don't believe the propaganda!!! They're lying to you!!!" while shouting "Stop the war!!! No to war!!!"

The sign was only visible for three seconds. But in those three seconds, Ovsyannikova cost herself both her job, whatever creature comforts came from it and her freedom. She might spend the rest of her life in a Siberian jail or could very well be executed. 

Ovsyannikova knew this full well and recorded a message beforehand explaining her actions and the reasoning behind them. She explained that her father is Ukrainian and her mother is Russian and that "they have never been enemies." She expressed shame for working for Channel 1 stating, "I am ashamed that I've allowed the lies to be said on TV screens. I am ashamed I let the Russian people by Zombified." Ovsyannikova ended her message by calling upon Russians to protest the war. “Take to the streets. Do not be afraid. They can’t jail us all,” said Ovsyannikova.

Marina Ovsyannikova is a brave woman. But it will take more than one brave woman, one brave Russian to stop the war in Ukraine. One can only hope she has lit a fire under the Russian people who do not want one more day of bloodshed.

Scott Hall, R.I.P.

Pro wrestling legend Scott Hall passed away this evening hours after being taken off life support after sustaining three heart attacks caused by a blood clot. Hall had recently had surgery after breaking his hip earlier this month. He was 63. 

I first remember Hall when he wrestled in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in the mid-1980's during which time he held the promotion's tag team championship belts with Curt Hennig. By the end of the decade, Hall was wrestling in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as the Diamond Studd. 

In 1992, Hall would attain stardom in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) when he wrestled as Razor Ramon, a Cuban street thug hailing from Miami. In reality, Hall was an army brat born outside of Washington, D.C. But Hall was Razor Ramon. He was the bad guy. And then he became a good guy with that legendary ladder match for the Intercontinental Title against Shawn Michaels.

As popular as Razor Ramon was, Hall achieved his greatest notoriety in wrestling when he returned to WCW as the first member of the New World Order (NWO) where he would be soon joined by Kevin Nash and then to the shock of the world Hulk Hogan. Although Hall was primarily a villain, he would get cheered when he began a promo with his catchphrase, "Hey yo!!!"

Unfortunately, Hall's wrestling career was marred by alcohol and drug use and WCW even saw fit to use his addiction as a storyline. His addiction caused several brushes with the law and civil lawsuits arising from The Plane Ride From Hell as well as a myriad of serious health problems. However, in recent years, with the help of fellow wrestler Diamond Dallas Page, Hall got clean and sober with the help of Page's DDP Yoga.

Sadly, Hall's health caught up with him this year. It was a fight he could not win. One more win for the bad guys. R.I.P.

Tom Brady's Hall of Fame Speech Will Have to Wait

When Tom Brady announced he was retiring from the NFL last month I wondered if he would thank Mo Lewis in his Pro Football Hall of Fame speech.

Alas his speech in Canton will have to wait because a mere 40 days after announcing his football playing days were done, Brady has reconsidered and will rejoin the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd season in the NFL.

The competitive fires are still there and Brady obviously believes he can lead the Bucs to another Super Bowl title and his 8th overall. 

All I can say is that I wish him all the best and would not be surprised if he adds another Super Bowl ring. Maybe two. Or perhaps even three. That would give him a Super Bowl ring for every finger.

William Hurt, R.I.P.

Actor William Hurt has died of natural causes one week shy of his 72nd birthday. Hurt had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018. 

A classmate of Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams at Julliard, Hurt appeared in many successful films during the 1980's including Altered States, Body Heat, The Big Chill and Gorky Park before winning the Oscar for Best Actor in Kiss of the Spider Woman. Hurt would earn two successive Best Actor nominations for Children of a Lesser God and Broadcast News. 

In the 1990's, Hurt would also earn a Best Supporting Actor nomination for A History of Violence. In this century, Hurt received Emmy nominations for performances in the TV series Damages starring his Big Chill co-star Glenn Close and for his portrayal of Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson in the TV movie Too Big to Fail. Younger viewers will likely remember Hurt's portrayal of Thaddeus Ross in various Marvel movies including The Incredible Hulk, Captain America and The Avengers.

I leave you with Hurt telling a rather condescending British interviewer why he accepted the role in Kiss of the Spider Woman. R.I.P.

Amnesty International Declares Israel Shouldn't Be a Jewish State

Amnesty International has been openly hostile to Israel for some time now. Back in February, they released a report declaring Israel "an Apartheid state."

But earlier this week Amnesty's U.S. Director Paul O'Brien went further. In a speech to the Women's National Democratic Club on March 9th, O'Brien said Israel "shouldn't exist as a Jewish state." 

To say that Israel shouldn't exist as a Jewish state is to say that Israel shouldn't exist at all. In so doing, O'Brien has revealed Amnesty International's true agenda. 

Amnesty International ceased being a human rights organization long ago. It has now become yet another international entity which has seen fit to single out Israel as the source of all the world's troubles. 

Any individual (i.e. AOC) or organization that declares Israel to be an "Apartheid state" simply wants Israel's destruction. As long as one knows that then all of their arguments are specious and superfluous.

As the kids like to say, Amnesty has now said the quiet part out loud.

A Thought for Tatyana & Her Family in Ukraine

Since Russian troops breached Ukrainian territory 16 days ago, more than 2.5 million Ukrainians are estimated to have fled the country according to the UN High Commission for Refugees. An additional 1.9 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced.

For most people, even those horrified by what Russia has wrought in Ukraine, these are only statistics. But for others the horror is far more acute. 

Two of these 1.9 million internally displaced Ukrainians are the sister and nephew of one of my co-workers, Tatyana who has lived in this country for over 20 years. Suffice it to say, Tatyana has been distressed in the weeks leading up to the war and, despite the resistance of the Ukrainian people and its leadership, has shown little signs of encouragement.

Yesterday afternoon, she broke down in tears in front me. "We're dying!!! We are fighting alone!!! No one will help us!!! What can I do?", she wailed. 

In that moment, I could feel her sense of helplessness. What could I possibly say to her? But she was reaching out to me. I had to say something. 

"You're doing everything you can," I said. I then asked Tatyana when she last spoke to her sister. "This morning," she said, "We talk everyday." This seemed to make her feel a little better.

I then asked her which group had been most helpful to Ukraine. She told me it was the soldiers and how she wished she could to Ukraine to fight the Russians. I told her that if she went that would even the odds considerably. This brought out laughter.

While I might have provided a momentary respite from her despair, the fact remains her sister and nephew have no home to go back to as Kharkiv has been destroyed. Where will they go?

Tatyana asked me to get the message out and tell as many people as I could. For what it's worth, here is my message.

Although what has happened in Ukraine has supplanted COVID as the world's top news story for many Americans it is a story which has nothing to do with them. But there are plenty of Americans like Tatyana who have family in Ukraine and yet no longer have a place to call home. We must not only keep them in our thoughts and provide them with a measure of comfort, but we owe to them to augment their voices. 

Let's keep in mind that there may come a time where we have no place to call home and have no one to speak on our behalf because we did not speak up for our neighbors in their hour of need.

Does Blackboard Jungle Still Have Lessons to Teach?

This evening, I went to the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge for a screening of the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle in tribute to Sidney Poitier who passed away in January.

Blackboard Jungle starred Glenn Ford as Richard Dadier, a young teacher who gets a job at a high school in the inner city. Along with Ford, Blackboard Jungle featured the likes of Vic Morrow, Anne Francis, Richard Kiley, Paul Mazursky, Jamie Farr (credited as Jameel Farah) and Louis Calhern. I knew I recognized Calhern but couldn't quite figure out where I had seen him. Nearly a quarter century earlier, Calhern had played the evil Ambassador Trentino of Sylvania in Duck Soup with The Marx Brothers. Despite this stellar cast, Poitier was the breakout star of the film. His very presence on screen was authoritative whether he spoke or not. The same would be true when he went from student to teacher a dozen years later in To Sir, With Love.

Blackboard Jungle broke the mold in the reform minded teacher genre film and had a radical soundtrack full of jazz and rock 'n roll most prominently Bill Haley and The Comets' "Rock Around The Clock". I suspect contemporary audiences would fault the film for a lack of representation of women but had a remarkably ethnically diverse cast for 1955. 

With this in mind does Blackboard Jungle still have lessons to teach? While the film depicted street gang life and classroom violence, it could not have envisioned a generation of students learning active shooter drills. Some viewers will be put off by some of the views expressed such as when Mrs. Didier (played by Anne Francis) suggested that a female teacher who was assaulted at the school (played by Margaret Hayes) might have been asking for it based on how she was dressed. 

The answer depends on whether the viewer is open to learning those lessons. While the times and conventions have changed, there are many public schools where teachers have a difficult time getting through to students and even more so as a result of time missed due to the pandemic. Teachers are still looking for a way to reach their students while being challenged by students who don't want to learn. 

With this in mind, I was disappointed that I was only one of five people at the theatre for tonight's screening. One would have thought a film featuring Sidney Poitier would have drawn more interest. Perhaps that will change later this month when The Brattle features Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, In The Heat of the Night and, of course, To Sir, With Love.

MLB Lockout Ends; Opening Day Set for April 7th

My prediction that there would be no 2022 MLB season will not come to pass. MLB and MLBPA have come to an agreement on a new CBA which last through 2026. 

The highlights include the implementation of the DH in the NL and expanding the playoff format from 10 to 12 teams with the top two division winners in each league getting a bye. The minimum salary and luxury tax shall be increased. Teams are permitted to place sponsors on players' caps and uniforms turning them into walking and running billboards. A joint committee will be struck on the question of defensive shifts, larger bases, a pitch clock and an automatic strike zone. 

Spring training begins tomorrow and Opening Day commences on April 7th - a week behind schedule. There will be a full 162 game schedule with 9-inning doubleheaders making up for lost time. 

I am not particularly excited about these developments. I'm not sold on the DH in the NL or on the playoff format. Nor am I looking forward to shifts being prohibited by committee. Although it is preferable to not having a season at all though I think much of this aggravation could have been avoided had MLB bargained in good faith. Still, I think the owners are happy with Rob Manfred. I'm not to sure how happy the players with Tony Clark.

To be certain, free agent signings (i.e. Freddie Freeman, Trevor Story, Carlos Correa, Clayton Kershaw, et al) will prove sources of excitement. As for me, I'm sure I'll have a small reservoir of goodwill on Opening Day. That is until a game reaches extra innings and a runner is placed on second base even though no hit, walk or error caused the runner to reach base. The long and the short of it is that I probably won't watch much baseball. I don't have plans to go to Fenway Park except perhaps to see Paul McCartney. But I will continue to follow baseball for better or for worse though most likely worse.

Emilio Delgado (a.k.a. Luis from Sesame Street), R.I.P.

Actor Emilio Delgado, best known to generations of children around the world as Luis of the Fix-It Shop on Sesame Street, passed away today of multiple myeloma. He was 81.

Delgado joined Sesame Street in 1971 and remained with the show until its retooling in 2015. During the course of the show's run, Luis would eventually marry Maria played by Sonia Manzano. Many viewers were convinced the two were married in real life. 

Indeed, it was hard to not think of Delgado and Luis as one in the same. A few years back, I did a double take when I saw Delgado on an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Over the years, however, Delgado would appear on other TV shows like Lou Grant, Hawaii Five-O, Quincy M.E. and House of Cards. 

But Emilio Delgado will always be Luis and this is a good thing as he brought a lot of good cheer and happiness especially when he sang. His voice has been silenced but shall be forever heard. R.I.P.

The GOP's Putin Wing: Cawthorn is a Cadet; Trump is Commander

Freshman North Carolina GOP Congressman Madison Cawthorn saw fit to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "a thug." During a speech last weekend, the 26-year old stated:

Remember that Zelenskyy is a thug. Remember that the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and is incredibly evil and has been pushing woke ideologies.

I'm not sure what acts of evil Cawthorn thinks Zelenskyy and his government are inflicting upon the world in comparison to the Ukrainian civilians wantonly killed by Vladimir Putin's regime.  Mind you, this a man who thinks boys ought to be raised as monsters and has claimed there will be "bloodshed" should another election be "stolen." Well, at least we know where he sits.

Cawthorn's remark are intended for an audience of one - defeated former President Donald Trump for Cawthorn is a cadet while Trump is the commander of the Putin wing of the GOP. There may be Republican Senators who don't care for Trump's praise of Putin, but Trump's is the only voice that matters in the GOP. As such those same Republican Senators will gladly endorse Trump in 2024 because they somehow have convinced themselves that President Biden is a greater threat to the country. Last I checked, it is Trump who is a quisling of Putin.

As for Cawthorn, he is a reprehensible fellow. But that very quality is an asset in Trump World. So long as Trump's voice is the only one that matters to Republicans, the more reprehensible Cawthorn is the greater the standing he will have in the GOP.

Fanny Hill at Fifty: A Retrospective Review on International Women's Day

Last month, I reviewed June Millington's new album Snapshots. It included one song recorded during the heyday of Fanny called "The Ballad of Fanny" complete with producer Richard Perry's spoken baritone voice. 

In honor of International Women's Day and June's ongoing efforts to mentor girls and women in music through the Institute for the Musical Arts (IMA), I think it appropriate to honor the pioneering efforts of Fanny with a retrospective review of their album Fanny Hill which is commemorating its 50th anniversary this year. The cover alone of Fanny wearing all black is arguably the group's most iconic image and occupies a special place in the barn at IMA.

After recording their first two albums Fanny and Charity Ball at Wally Heider Studios in L.A., Fanny traveled to London to record Fanny Hill at Apple Studios. Richard Perry was again at the helm as he was for Fanny's first two albums. But Perry would be joined by Geoff Emerick, The Beatles' longtime recording engineer. The result was 11 songs - 9 originals and two covers. 

"Ain't That Peculiar" - A Top 10 hit for Marvin Gaye in 1965, Fanny would have a much different take on the Motown classic penned by Smokey Robinson, fellow Miracles Bobby Rogers and Pete Moore as well his longtime guitarist Marv Tarplin. Whereas Gaye's version is pensive and uncertain, Fanny's is fiery and defiant with emphasis by June Millington's slide guitar. On a personal note, this is the first Fanny song I ever heard albeit the Beat Club version. It's very hard to top the Beat Club because live Fanny is the best Fanny. Nevertheless, Fanny finds a way to take songs and make them their own. The common denominator between the two versions is the presence of percussionist Bobbye Hall, a female rock 'n roll music pioneer in her own right.

"Knock on My Door" - Written by Nickey Barclay and sung by Jean Millington, "Knock on My Door" is written from the point of view from the other woman. This piano driven song features yet another brilliant guitar solo from June Millington.

"Blind Alley" - If there is a Fanny song which should be heard on classic rock every day it is this one with Barclay's Joplinesque vocals accompanying her powerful piano playing. But drummer Alice de Buhr gets the star turn earning every bit of that songwriting credit by stumbling and falling down that alley without losing any balance.

"You've Got a Home" - There is a lot to be said for sequencing on an album and perhaps the best sequencing in the Fanny canon is going from Barclay and de Buhr's hard driving "Blind Alley" to June Millington's introspective yet mesmerizing "You've Got a Home". Although the subject is a male child, the inspiration for this song was Brandi Brandt, daughter of longtime Svelt and future Fanny member Brie Howard-Darling, during her time at Fanny Hill where she was affectionately known as Punkin. June's slide guitar evokes some of the early music of Carly Simon. Of all the songs on Fanny Hill, this was the one I kept on repeat.

"Wonderful Feeling" - This was Jean Millington's lone solo writing credit on Fanny Hill which is a classic minor verse, major chorus song. 

"Borrowed Time" - Side one closed with another Barclay rocker which borrowed from The Rolling Stones particularly with the inclusion of Stones' sidemen Bobby Keys and Jim Price on saxophone and trumpet, respectively. Keys and Price were no strangers to Barclay as they were all part of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour nor were they strangers to Richard Perry as he deployed on Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Schmilsson and Son of Schmilsson. When I listen to "Borrowed Time" I invariably hear "Brown Sugar". This too is worthy of airtime on every classic rock station.

"Hey Bulldog" - As side one ended with an homage of the Stones, side two begins with a Beatles cover. Unless you're a fan of Yellow Submarine, "Hey Bulldog" is something of a deep cut and an unconventional choice to cover. As with "Ain't That Peculiar", I am partial to the Beat Club version. However, the studio recording opens with a sick bass line from Jean Millington which makes it well worth the price of admission.

"Think About The Children" - If June Millington's music has a credo this is surely it. Are you ready to think of the future?/To think about somebody else?/It may be your children's children/And not just yourself. She and her longtime partner Ann Hackler certainly live up to this ethos through IMA. Indeed, when reviewing Snapshots, I made the point that "Letter From The Heart" is a companion piece to "Think About The Children". Nigel Langridge described it as "a sister song." As for the song itself, it is among Fanny's funkiest.

"Rock Bottom Blues" - This song represented two Fanny firsts. "Rock Bottom Blues" was the first (and only) Fanny song in which all four members received songwriting credit. It was also the first Fanny song to feature Alice de Buhr on lead vocal. She would take on lead vocal duties again the following year on "Solid Gold" off the Mother's Pride album. For reasons known only to Richard Perry, he used this particular take when de Buhr was battling a cold instead of one eventually released by Rhino Records 30 years later on First Time in a Long Time The Reprise Recordings she was fully healthy and screamed, "It's so fucking hard!!!" With apologies to June Millington, no one says "it's so fucking hard" quite like Alice de Buhr.

"Sound and The Fury" - The best part of this June Millington penned country sounding song is an uncredited "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow of Flying Burrito Brothers fame on pedal steel guitar.

"The First Time" - Another strong Nickey Barclay banger. While Keys and Price are perfectly fine on "Borrowed Time" and "Rock Bottom Blues", their Mariachi band solo during the bridge is out of place. This space ought to have been occupied by June Millington's guitar. 

Fanny Hill ought to have included their cover of Ike and Tina Turner's "Young and Dumb" which may very well have been their hardest rocking song. Fanny played it regularly live. Why it wasn't included in the final cut of Fanny Hill is one of life's mysteries.

Nevertheless, 50 years after it was first released, Fanny Hill is an essential part of Fanny's discography and a major contribution in the history of women in rock 'n roll. If you have not heard Fanny Hill, feel free to listen online or by ordering a copy at Fanny's official website. 

Biden Bans Import of Russian Oil, Gas & Coal

Amid public pressure, President Biden today announced a ban on the import of Russian oil, gas and coal as well as a prohibition of American investment into the Russian energy sector. 

Although some Republicans backed the ban, this hasn't stopped the GOP from blaming Biden rather than Putin for high gas prices. Of course, much of this is political posturing and grandstanding. Republicans claim we were energy independent under Trump. If we were energy independent then why do we need the Keystone XL Pipeline?

Nevertheless, as I argued that the other day, I doubt most Americans even those sympathetic to Ukraine's plight, are going to tolerate such an embargo for long. Granted, the U.S. doesn't import the same quantity of Russian energy as is done by the EU. Still, this is gonna hurt. After all, the Saudis and the UAE don't appear eager to help us so long as the Biden Administration insists on reviving the Iran nuclear agreement.

I don't think this is going to change Putin's behavior. But it could change the behavior of some officials and oligarchs if they start losing money. If Putin is going to be defeated it will be from within, but this could take some time. Unfortunately, patience is not an American virtue and, fair or not, Democrats will likely earn the wrath of voters already impatient with COVID. 

Baseball is So Full of Shift

The MLBPA has agreed to a demand by MLB owners that they be permitted to give 45 days notice to unilaterally end defensive shifts, implement a pitch clock and install larger bases. 

Currently, the owners must give the players a full year's notice. So theoretically changes in these areas could be made during the course of a season. 

The best I can say is baseball is so full of shift.

It's bad enough that baseball put runners on second base who have not earned their way there during extra inning games, but now the owners want to micromanage the game.

The best way for baseball to reduce its dependency on shifts is for players to hit to the opposite field or to bunt. If shifts are banned then what constitutes a shift. OK, so they don't want the third baseman on the right side of the infield. But does this mean a second baseman can't move four steps to his left? 

The Gary Sheffield, Jr's of the world love this idea because he believes modern players aren't equipped to go the other way or bunt. If that is the case then it is a failure both of imagination and preparation. I remember when the Minnesota Twins would teach everyone who came through their organization how to bunt including David Ortiz who would deploy this skill from time to time. But then a few years ago, the Twins got upset when Baltimore Orioles catcher Chance Sisco laid down a bunt down 7-0 in the 9th inning.

Hall of Famer Eddie Murray often said baseball was a game of adjustments. The fact that players cannot adjust and adapt and now must leave it to the owners to dictate how they play the game only further diminishes my affection for a game I once loved.

Bill Barr is No Liz Cheney

I have not watched any of the interviews former Attorney General Bill Barr has done promoting his new book nor do I intend do much less read his book.

While Barr cedes that Trump is "manic", "unreasonable" and "off the rails" not to mention "responsible" for the events of January 6th, he would nevertheless vote for Trump if he is the GOP nominee in 2024. Barr told Samantha Guthrie this morning on NBC's Today Show, “I believe that the greatest threat to the country is the progressive agenda being pushed by the Democratic Party, it's inconceivable to me that I wouldn't vote for the Republican nominee.”

There Barr has lost me. Barr did not specify which aspects of the "progressive agenda" he thought were a greater threat than a defeated former President who insists he won an election that he lost and tried to violently prevent the peaceful transfer of power. But he need not do so. Barr said all he needs to say and it is enough for me not to take him with any degree of seriousness.

If any Republican who served in the Trump Administration or is on public record having voted or supported him wants me listen then they must adopt the Liz Cheney standard. Cheney voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, but then drew the line after January 6th and has not wavered. Cheney stated on ABC News This Week on January 2, 2022 that Trump "is clearly unfit for future office, clearly can never be anywhere near the Oval Office ever again." 

Any Republican that served in the Trump Administration, voted for him and supported him during his four years in the White House who cannot at minimum echo Cheney's position on Trump not holding public office, let alone the presidency is not worth a moment of my time or yours. Bill Barr's time has run out.