WING WARS III

This is a wonderful event sponsored by, Atlantic City Weekly and 103.7 WMGM, the radio station.  It is held at the Golden Nugget in their ballroom.  There were 1,300 people in attendance this year.  20 local (and one not so local) battled it out for Wing supremacy – and the battle was one for the ages.  Each of these establishments brings their A-Game – they must.  This showcases their talents around that wonderful delicacy, the Wing (much more often than not – a Chicken Wing). 

Upon entry you are given two tokens – a red chip and a blue chip.  The red chip is to vote for your favorite wing and the blue chip is to vote for your favorite dipping sauce.  Fair enough.  And then you enter the ballroom.  There are ten contenders down either side of the venue, bars in the middle, and a stage with the band, LeCompt playing.  LeCompt is a great cover band.  They did the honors last year and did them again today for Wing Wars III.  Their version of “War Pigs” from Black Sabbath brought a smile to my face.  Great stuff. 

LeCompt

My wife saw that the far-right back corner was the least populated, so we started there.  It was Vic & Anthony’s from the Golden Nugget.  It was a maple glazed, quail wing and it was delicious.  IDK, if quail is a constant on their menu but they should consider it.  Very good first entry.  From there we made the rounds. 

But, before we go further, let’s talk strategy and science.  This is our - my wife's and mine, second Wing Wars.  We have been to the Burger Bash, too.  We now have a little experience when it comes to how these two events work.  We know to bring wipes, we know that if we find a seat one of us will sit so that the other will forage for two wings from each establishment to bring back to the table and enjoy.  We have upped our data collection.  Behold the Wing Wars III Data Collection Form.  Those stains were earned, the notes may look like hieroglyphics, but I can read ‘em – and this is how this blog was formulated.

Data sheet - for SCIENCE!

So, there it is.  My wife would hold down the fort and I would hunt and gather.  Oh, and there was so much to hunt and gather.  But that’s okay – it’s all part of the fun.  We sampled ‘em all – some twice.  As it turns out, wings are temperamental.  It’s best to have a fresh wing.  If the wing sits it can get cold, soggy, and nasty.  Not an establishment’s A-Game.  So, timing is important.  The temp, the texture, and flavor of a wing – all have an expiration time.  Fresh wings need to be replenished since this is YOUR establishment’s good name on the line.  There were times that I was pleasantly surprised.  I think that Hooters and Margaritaville upped their game from last year.  Hooters had their, “Daytona” sauce and Margaritaville did something fresh and fruity – they made a blueberry chipotle wing sauce.  My wife didn’t like it, but I did.  It showed initiative.  There were some true stand outs this time out.  Okatshe, made a tempura battered wing with a ginger scallion & chili sauce which was wonderful fresh but not so good if it was been sitting too long so that the oil can pool.  This wasn’t too much of an issue and it was great.  One contender, The Blind Rhino, came all the way from Norwalk, Connecticut to compete!  I’m glad they made the trip.  Theirs was a dry-rub, brown sugar concoction that strummed all the right chords.  Guy’s Bar-B-Que Joint was able to make a stop at Flavor-town for their excellent smoked wings.  The Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall had a great flavor too.  Their offering was a Citrus Sweet Chipotle wing and it proved to by my wife’s favorite – so much so that she red & blue chipped them.  The VUE Rooftop Bar’s offering was a lime-zest and cumin seasoning with a honey-lime crème sauce.  Very tasty.  Toll Man Joe’s got my blue chip – there was something tangy about their sauce that captured my imagination.  Villain & Saint, for my pallet, did something magical.  

Villain & Saint's alchemy at work

Their offering was something they called, KFC – Korean Fried Chicken that was batter fried with an Asian glaze, and ginger ailoi.  This one earned my red chip.  I fell in love with it.  The fact of the matter is, you couldn’t do wrong with any of these contenders.    

And then there was the judging – the people’s and the judges.  By popular, blue chip, vote the Dipping Sauces were…

Third:            Vagabond

Second:         Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall 

First:              Michael Patrick’s

By popular, red chip, vote the people’s favorites were…

Third:            Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall 

Second:         A.C. Burger Co.

First:             TIE! – The Blind Rhino AND Michael Patrick’s

And then came the professional judges.  And the winners were…

Third:            Villain & Saint (my pick for the shootin’ match)

Second:         Guy’s Bar-B-Que Joint 

First:             Chelsea 5 Gastropub

Other wonders beheld this very day…

Congratulations to all of the winners from this year’s Wing Wars!  All of the contestants, too, including; AC Burger Co., Bill’s Bar & Burger, Blue Water Grill, Chelsea 5 Gastropub, The Blind Rhino, Guy’s Bar-B-Que Joint, KURO, Michael Patrick’s Brasserie, Hard Rock Café, Manco & Manco, Okatshe, Hooters, Margaritaville, Rose’s Garden Grill, Villain & Saint, Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall, Vic & Anthony’s, Toll Man Joe’s, Vagabond Kitchen and Tap House, VUE Rooftop Bar – remarkable offerings, ALL!  You brought you’re A-Game.  The hosts should be congratulated, as well.  This was a Wing Wars for the record books.  I’m looking forward to Burger Bash in the spring – it, too, shall be GLORIOUS. 

NOTE: The data gathered for this particular blog is based upon the descriptions from, “A Wing And A Prayer” by Ryan Loughlin from the January 24^th – 30^th, Atlantic City Weekly magazine, my data sheets, and my notes.  Your results may vary, which is why I encourage you to get out there and to try these establishments out for yourself.  They are worth the trip – even to Connecticut! 

So, There Was This Video...

So, there was this video that surfaced early this past weekend.  It was appalling and it incensed a nation.  Why wouldn’t it?  What was presented in the video was an affront to decency – here we were again, a group of MAGA hat wearing kids tormenting a Native American elder trying to bring a bit of peace to what was an escalating situation between the MAGA kids and some African American group that had been reported as being there as well.  That is what was being sold in the video.  That’s what I reacted to.  “Camera’s don’t lie”, right?  I saw the original video but chose not to push that one forward on my Twitter feed.  Instead I found the epilogue video of Mr. Phillips, the tribal elder, he was in tears saying that he wanted to help defuse the situation.  It was this that I saw and it was this that I tweeted about…

And the Tweet had legs – it was retweeted and, as Twitter does, shared and liked to thousands of other possible users.  The video struck a chord.  Real people are sick and tired of the entitlement and hatred that permeates our nation.  By liking or retweeting the post there is a sense of like-mindedness a sense of “there are still people out there who give a damn that when something is wrong it can be righted.”  ALAS, aye’s the barb.  The dirty trick is that the original viral video was a half-truth.  A half-truth that launched an explosion on social media that we are still feeling the aftershocks from.  For the record, a half-truth is still a lie.  When you lie to support your premise, you cannot claim to have the high ground.  A lot of reactions were generated by this video and it gave cause for a lot of people, myself included, to react and, apparently, to act too quickly. 

To the Covington School, I apologize.  You should not have to shoulder the full brunt of this situation.  In the end we are marked by our deeds and not necessarily our words.  Actions do, in fact, speak louder.  You were waiting on a bus, bad things happened, and they escalated.  The internet took it from there.  I reacted to the information that I had.  This is not a complete, ‘free pass’, the chanting and the ‘tomahawk chops’ that some of you were doing lacked class but you don’t deserve the scrutiny that you have been receiving.  Truth be told, which is something I am extremely fond of, if MAGA hats weren’t involved this never would have made the news. 

“So, who was this third group?”

The third group were the “Black Hebrew Israelites”.  A nearly two-hour video surfaced on Sunday – after the internet blew up concerning the initial video was released.  It showed that the Black Hebrew Israelites were shouting slurs at both the Native Americans and the Covington School group.  The Covington School group started a school chant to drown out the racially charged attacks.  Mr. Phillips saw it as a sign of escalation and, in his way, attempted to deescalate the situation.  There.  That’s about as close to the truth of what happened that anyone sitting at their computer who was not there at the event can glean.  Mr. Philip DeFranco did an excellent piece on the situation.  Apparently, I am in very good company in acting too fast…

"What Really Happened w/ the Nathan Phillips"MAGA Kids" Controversy & The Mexican Pipeline?"

“So, where did the original video come from?”

@2020Fight, was the source of the initial video.  They have been identified and Twitter has shut down their account for spreading false information.  From the link below…  “The Twitter account that helped spread the initial video has been removed. The user -- @2020Fight -- claimed to be a teacher and advocate named Talia from California with a photo appearing to show Brazilian model and actress Natalia Cardoso. In a statement, a Twitter spokesperson said "deliberate attempts to manipulate the public conversation on Twitter by using misleading account information is a violation of the Twitter rules."”  One can no longer claim the high ground once such tactics are used.  Never give away the high ground to those who do not deserve it.  As the old saying goes, “If you lie down with dogs, you will get fleas.”  @2020Fight crossed a line, for whatever reason and, unfortunately, he/she took thousands of people along with them – me included.  Twitter responded appropriately.  Here is a CBS news segment identifying the perp or perpetrators…

“Twitter takes down account that helped spread Lincoln Memorial Confrontation Video”

Please, do me the favor of watching this video (I believe it’s still up).  In it is something I have never seen before.  Something that has affected me more and more each time I see it.  There is a man, possibly a school representative, talking to one of the Native American protestors who have set up outside of the Covington School.  He is wearing a MAGA hat and, instead of screaming at the protester he is talking to him.  In fact, he “suggested they sit down and share a cup of coffee or a meal.” 

This is important.  At least it should be.  Yes, this is important.  You see, ever since the MAGA hat was invented I have never seen anyone attached to one talk to anyone who is opposed to their line of thinking, let alone an offer to share a meal or a cup of coffee.  No, for me the hat has always been associated with screaming, yelling, Kool-Aid drinking, hatred, and rage.  That is all that I have ever seen from MAGA.  Ever. 

Here's the mind blower.  The converse is also true.  I can show you MAGA who feel the exact same way that I do about them.  “The Trump hating crowd does nothing but scream, yell, bleat like sheep, hate, and rage.”  As it turns out, we are more alike than we think we are.  For the record, I don’t see anything that resembles either extreme in the above picture.  I see two men trying to come to some sort of resolution and this – THIS, is what has to happen on a national scale. 

There is a massive miscommunication happening right now and the only way to fix it – the only way, is to communicate.  Yes, I too have been polarized.  These are polarizing times.  But we need to look beyond that.  Sure, this man could be doing it for the cameras, but I don’t think that’s the case.  The camera’s happened to be there.  I believe that this was probably the case for Mr. Phillips, as well.  Both this MAGA hat wearing fellow and the elder, Mr. Phillips were trying to deescalate a situation.  What jarred me is the fact that my assumptions of this fellow in the hat are the same assumptions that, more often than not, leveled against me for being a, “Trump troll” or “Hater”.  Facts are scarce things these days, but the fact of the matter is I’m a centralist with the occasional left leaning tendency.  I’m slightly left of middle on the bell curve.  The lunatic fringe – the extremes of either side have always made me squirm.  They will always be there, but I don’t think I’m alone.  I bet I share that belief of being more, ‘middle of the road’, with people who claim allegiance to the right and to the left.  I don’t believe that our country is only made up of two extremes – us & them.  But the only way to test that theory is to talk and to listen.

So, could this be a watershed moment?  Wouldn’t that be something?  The fact of the matter is we need to talk.  We need to communicate.  Perhaps, “Let’s sit down and have a cup of coffee or buy a meal and let’s just figure this out,” is the sage advice that we need right now as citizens of these United States.  I believe that this gentleman, this MAGA hat wearing gentleman, is correct.  That is a sentence I have never typed before.  We must talk to each other – we are the WE, in We The People.  We need to start acting like it. 

So, what say we grab a cup of coffee?

We have much to discuss. 

Hello Stranger

Okay, so my family and I found ourselves at Wheaton Village recently.  For those of you who do not know what Wheaton Village is, it is a tourist spot in Millville, NJ that has a glass museum and a main street with shops.  Wheaton’s used to be a big glass company in Millville – hence Millville’s nickname, “Glasstown”. 

So, we were wondering along, and found ourselves in the paperweight shop.  There are some amazing and expensive things to see in there – being the “paperweight shop”, most of them are paperweights.  One paperweight caught my eye and reminded me of a viral video that went nova earlier in the year.  Without thinking, I announced to my family and anyone else within listening distance – in this case it was a man in his sixties and the lady who was working in the shop, “This one reminds me of that meme with the naked man!”

The very moment the words slipped from my lips, my brain kicked in with the ‘Say, you shouldn’t say that out loud’ warning.  It was far too late.  “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” I announced to the quintessence.  It was then that I started to giggle.  Then I began to laugh.  Then the pitch of my laughter escalated that way it always does when I’m about to roll on the floor, snotting, & weeping with gut wrenching laughter. 

“Here he goes,” I heard a member of my family say.  “You should get out of here before you knock something over,” said another.

So, I told you that so I could ask you this; don’t these two compliment each other?  First is the picture of the paperweight and, second – is a picture from the stop motion animation short film, “Hi Stranger”. 

The paperweight.

"Hi Stranger."

Here is a link to the short film. "Hi Stranger"  Enjoy. 

I must remember my 'inside voice'.  Alas, that whole, "inner monologue thing" eludes me.

Packing & Unpacking

I intentionally forget things. I pack bad memories and experiences up on a fairly regular basis and funnel them away to be dealt with at another time, on another day.  Maybe.  I can do this and, as it turns out, I can do it with relative ease.  Debilitating heartbreak? Pack it down.  The world has changed forever? Forget and move forward.  Unpack later – or don’t.  Substitute the space left with a distraction or with something happier.  Dwell there.  Rinse, repeat.  Perhaps this is what my Alzheimer’s journey will be like; where I’ll keep making substitutions for the holes and the missing pieces.  I’ll just keep smiling holding onto the shadow of pleasantries long past.  I don’t know.

Most of the time I’m good.  I look back on all of the good things and I smile, I have context on which to hang my memories and, no lie, I have every reason to be thankful.  Still, every once in a while something hits you, unexpectedly.  Case in point: a friend of mine on Facebook posted this, “Do you remember (especially the CCS class of '87) what we were all doing on a very warm day 31years ago today?”  As it just so happens, I do.  It was the day we graduated high school, 6/19/87 and the world was going to hell.  My dad was released from the hospital, University of Penn, that very day.  A tennis ball, sized tumor had been scooped out of his head and I was about to start taking him for his radiation treatments for the summer.  He couldn’t make my graduation but that was okay, he was home with us again.  That was 31 years ago, today.  He was diagnosed with the brain tumor while we, my class and I, were on our senior trip only a few weeks prior.  Due to the aggressive nature of his cancer and the location of the tumor, the doctors did not hold out too much hope but it was a chance and we took it.  The sores, the hair loss, the erosion of conciseness & self (the insidious, cruel nature of diseases of the mind), the loss of speech, mobility, and his body’s failure - each took their toll.  He was gone five months after being diagnosed.  I was 18.  It was 1987 and the world went to hell.       

Every now and again it is important to unpack.  I can say that you never get used to loss.  The world changes and it does not go back.  “Time heals all wounds” – this is a lie.  The world moves on with a hole in it.  This is how it is now.  Nothing can change it.  It doesn’t get replaced.  It is what it is.  So, I made remembering my mission because if I remember then he is still a presence – still an influence.  I am the only one who holds these memories and they will die with me but I have made a point to tell my girls about the man he was – the man he became.  I know it to be true that we do, in fact, stand on the shoulders of giants and that to know me is to know him.  Dan Fogelberg’s Leader of the Band, he sings, “I am the living legacy to the leader of the band.”  I weep when that song sneaks its way onto the radio or over the sound system of the supermarket where I may be shopping.  It hit far too close to home.  To this day, I weep.

The world can change a lot in 31 years.  It kills me that he has not been here to see it.  Paul Leo Scully would have been amazed at how far sweeteners have come.  No saccharin these days.  I have seriously missed his counsel during the last 31 years.  I have often wondered, “What would dad think about this?”  He would have loved Linda, my wife.  He would have absolutely loved his grandchildren.  I would like to think that he would have come to some sort of resolution with Paul & Susan – my half-brother and half-sister, the children from his first marriage.  He owed it to them.  He owed it to himself.  But none of this happened.  None of it could.  For unfathomable reasons, God or fate or the universe had other plans.  If there ever was a plan then healing was, clearly, never on the table.  In the song, ‘American Pie’, Don McLean sings, “And the three men I admire most – the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, they caught the last train for the coast, the day the music died.”  I was at the train station when they left.  The unfillable hole remains, and it always will.  I think of my father every day.  I have done so for the last 31 years.  Usually I don’t unpack so many things but today was special – it’s the 31^st anniversary of my high school graduation. 

My father’s life shaped me, and his death did as well.  I knew what mortality was early on.  I could see the precious, gossamer threads that hold together this thing we call life.  I knew from the age of 18 the importance of appreciating what we have, what we have earned, and what we’ve been given.  It gave me a different perspective than most of my peers and it still does.  I am beyond the unanswerable questions.  We are here and then we are not.  Make the most of that time.  It is precious.  Be kind along the way.  Be someone worth remembering.

Paul Scully II was one of the good guys.

He was my dad.

He came home from the hospital 31 years ago today.

It’s time to pack things up again.  I’ve said far too much or perhaps I’ve said far too little.  It’s hard to tell.  It’s time to concentrate on happier things.  Pack it in.  Unpack it later - or don't. 

Congratulations to Cumberland Christian School’s Class of 1987, wherever you are.

IT'S GONNA HAPPEN

March 4 Our Lives

As a member of Gen X - product of the Baby Boomers who themselves were products of the Greatest Generation I would like to apologize to each and every Millennial who are now left to cleaning up our ignorance, shortsightedness, and complacency.  Good on you, my fellow Americans.  You are an answer to thoughts and prayers.

Your voting base is LARGE - please USE it come November.

The future is yours.

Take it.

The 90th Academy Awards - Part II

The 90^th Academy Awards are now a part of history.  the lights are now dark at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California and Jimmy Kimmel (who did a spectacular job as the master of ceremonies) has left the building.  All the nominee’s seats are now deserted and a percentage of them took home Oscar gold.  As movie fans the Academy Awards are as big as it gets.  Say what you will about elitism in Hollywood and excess – the fact remains that the Academy Awards is the big show when it comes to the film industry and people get passionate about their favorites.  Las Vegas odds makers even get involved and, of course, people who love movies. 

So, now that the dust has settled, we can sit back and compare our picks against those who actually won – to compare the before and the after, so to speak.  I prepared such a list in the blog post just before this one (see: Picks for the 90th Academy Awards).  There are 24 different paths to striking Oscar gold during the broadcast.  In my meager list of picks I only chose 11 – some of the most popular categories, by my humble reckoning.  Emphasis on the “humble”.  The difference between my list and other film fans’ is that I have not seen ANY of the big nominated films.  I choose my picks by checking out reviews (this time on The American Film Buff: American Film Buff, 2018 Oscar Reviews) and by trying to think the way the Academy voters do.  So, how did I do?  Well, let’s find out together.  I’ll put the category, the winner, and my pick in column form – maybe jot down a note or two along the way…

Best Picture – The Shape of Water / Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Actor – Gary Oldman / Gary Oldman

Best Actress – Francis McDormand / Francis McDormand

Best Supporting Actor – Sam Rockwell / Sam Rockwell

Best Supporting Actress – Octavia Spencer / Allison Janney

Best Writing Adapted Screenplay – The Disaster Artist / Call Me by Your Name (NOTE: There was a last-minute change to my pick for this category. Someone reminded me of what happened with James Franco and the #MeToo movement and (on Facebook) I changed my pick to “Call Me by Your Name”.  “LOGAN” was great; however. Exceptionally great.

Best Director – Christopher Nolan / Guillermo del Toro.  I grinned from ear to ear when del Toro won the Oscar.  He is a magical storyteller with a unique eye and a passion for monsters.  His monsters are chock full of symbolism and he wields them like the true master he is.   

Best Original Music Score – Alexandre Desplat for “The Shape of Water” / Hans Zimmer for “Dunkirk”. I didn’t see this one coming. I assumed that it would have been Zimmer or Williams.  ...Man, I should probably watch these movies.

Best Original Screenplay – Jordan Peele for “Get Out” / Jordan Peele for “Get Out”. 

Best Cinemaphotography – Roger Deakins for “Blade Runner 2049” / Hoyt van Hoytema for “Dunkirk”.  I was very pleased hear Deakins’ name read for this one.  Blade Runner 2049 is a beautifully framed film with a unique vision.  As I said in the blog below, “I would LOVE to see Roger Deakins get the nod for “Blade Runner 2049.”  What do you know, he did!

Best Visual Effects – Blade Runner 2049 / Blade Runner 2049.  Out of all of the films nominated this year – THIS is the only one that I went to a theater to see.  (Note to self: you need to get out more.)

So, with help from The American Film Buff and thinking the way the Academy thinks I was able to beat Oscar 6 to 5.  Even without the benefit of seeing any of the films one could tell it was a very close field this year and that is a good thing.  It means that the film industry is doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing – pushing the narrative; the story, further.  Who wins the Oscar?  We do, film fans.  We do.

I’m looking forward to seeing Mr. Kimmel host the 91^st Academy Awards ceremonies.  He is a touchstone to what is real in the land of make believe.  The Academy needs to keep him – even Matt Damon would agree.  As a movie fan, I am also looking forward to all the films between now and then.  …Perhaps, I’ll see one or two of them this go ‘round. 

The 90th Academy Awards

Okay, it’s Oscar time again.  Let it be known that I have seen NONE of the films that are nominated this year.  BUT, I have seen American Film Buff’s reviews of each of the Best Picture nominations (look the works and tremble! American Film Buff's 2018 Academy Noms) and I have stayed once at a Holiday Inn Express.  So how does one pick Academy Award winning films by watching reviews only?  Well, it’s more than that. To do this effectively, one must think like an Academy voting member thinks.  One must get into character, stick one’s finger in the air to test which way the zeitgeist is blowing, use the Force, and choose wisely.  That said, here are my picks for who’s going to be walking away with an Oscar tonight…

Best Picture – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”.  “Why?” lobbyists.  “The Shape of Water”, “Get Out”, and “Lady Bird” are probably better films but they don’t have a chance due to one being science fiction, one being horror, and one with far fewer lobbyists.  Of course, there is always the possibility that “Dunkirk” will slap the Oscar out of Three Billboards’ hands.  I’d be okay with that. 

Best Actor – Gary Oldman.  “Why?” He’s due.

Best Actress – Francis McDormand.  “Why her?”  Well, from what I understand it’s a good performance in a film that doesn’t really know what it wants to be.  She is talented, but I believe her name has been whispered by several lobbying firms in a full court press.  She’d be a fine choice among an excellent group of actors this year.  I understand that Margo Robbie and Saoirse Ronan delivered great performances too.  McDormand, FTW.

Best Supporting Actor – Sam Rockwell.  Not to take anything away from his performance, but Three Billboards has a powerful lobby.  I’d like to see Christopher Plumber take it for the pick-up shots alone, but smart money’s on Mr. Rockwell.

Best Supporting Actress – Octavia Spencer.  This is Ms. Spencer’s third nomination. She won for “The Help” and, although it’s a close field this year, she’s my pick for “The Shape of Water”.  “Why?” The Academy likes will run with a familiar winner. They’ve seen her work – they’ve recognized her, and they’re about to do so again.

Best Writing Adapted Screenplay – “The Disaster Artist”.  I have neither read the book nor seen the film – THAT said, this is going to win.  Special shout out to “LOGAN”, which is, for my money, in the top 10 ‘Superhero’ films ever made.

Best Director – Christopher Nolan.  “Why?” Spectacle.  The Academy enjoys a sweeping spectacle.  Nolan knows how to tell a story and “Dunkirk” was made for the big screen (especially IMAX).  This is a tight field this year.  As much as I’d love to hear the words, “And the winner goes to Guillermo del Toro!” I will not.  From what I understand, Jordan Peele and Greta Gerwig are no slouches either.  That said, tonight it’s all Nolan.

Best Original Music Score – Hans Zimmer for “Dunkirk”.  This will be a close one between Zimmer and John Williams for “Star Wars – The Last Jedi”.  Justifiably so.  Zimmer, by a nose.

Best Original Screenplay – “Get Out” by Jordan Peele.  “Why?” because this is how the Academy works – let the first-time nominee get the writing credit and two films from now, once he/she has paid their dues, THEN give them the Oscar for Best Picture or Best Director.  Mr. Peele will walk away the winner; although, I would not be opposed to hear Guillermo del Toro’s name either.

Best Cinemaphotography – Hoyt van Hoytema for “Dunkirk”.  I would LOVE to see Roger Deakins get the nod for “Blade Runner 2049”, (oddly one of the only films that I have seen this past year), but, “Dunkirk”, will ring in the Academy viewer’s/voter’s memory.

Best Visual Effects – “Blade Runner 2049”.  This is, again, a tight field this year.  Although there are some truly wonderful contenders this year, I have to give the edge to “Blade Runner 2049”. Like it’s predecessor it envisioned the future and made it real.  Dare I say, it is a beautiful offering.  “War for the Planet of the Apes” is probably a close second.

SO, there are my picks.  How about YOURS, fellow film fan?  Who’s walking away with the Oscar tonight?  

Brave, New World

Fresh after the events of Charlottesville, VA I shared a video from Arnold Schwarzenegger on Facebook with an anti-hate message.  You can see that right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN_YIBr0ELM.  I thought that Arnold’s message was pretty on point and important enough to share in my feed.  I thought to myself, ‘Hey, this one’s a no brainer, who could possibly be upset at this idea?’  A Nazi just killed a woman and injured dozens of others by driving his car through a group of protestors on American soil.  I found this to be pretty self-evident – the concept that the Nazis and the KKK were on the wrong side of history.  Facebook, however, had other plans…

One person said, “He’s telling Trump how to write a speech, I didn’t hear him include Black Lives Matter, Antifa, or any other ‘left’ hate group. Shut-up Arnold, go lift some weights.” Another said something about, “The liberal agenda knows to destroy America…” A third defended the torch bearers by saying, “So you are saying that all of the people protesting the removal of the statue are white supremacists and Nazis?  His [Trump’s] point was that not all of the protesters that didn’t want the statue removed are bad, not that the white supremacists are not bad.”  Other points were made but I believe that, you – most Gentle Reader, get the gist.    

I responded...

No. I’m a realist, not an extremist.  I’m a big fan of the Rule of Law. I’m not a fan of the Nazi agenda, the white supremacy Alt-Right agenda, or any other agenda that sacrifices reason at the expense of the American people.  But, getting back to statues, I am a big believer in thinking about what we choose to worship.  Pedestals are dangerous things.  We should be mindful of what we put on them.  Frankly, Indiana Jones was right, some things “Belong in a museum”. 

I too am a big fan of the democratic process.  I am not a fan of Nazis driving cars into protestors.  Bottom line.  Such terror smacks everything that we stand for – or at least it did at one time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II.  Here’s to hoping that this is still the case.  That we, as Americans, can pull together and work together in realization & recognition of the scars of our past and step boldly into the future; where we should find our hope.

Contrary to most empirical information I can collect these days, I still believe that America’s best days are ahead.  …I hope I’m not alone.

They heard an entirely different message from Arnold than I did.  I must believe that they are apologists for Mr. Trump and not Nazi sympathizers, KKK members, or some other cancerous Alt-Right hate mongers.  I don’t believe that – but, before you scream “There are good people on both sides of this issue,” I gotta tell ya, historically, the Nazis and the KKK are on the wrong side of history.  Consistently.  That’s the “Say what you will about Hitler but at least the trains ran on time,” argument and it does not hold up.  “Heritage not hate!” I hear, as well; this is usually accompanied by, “Lefties want to erase history!”

Erase history? No, on the contrary, History is vital.  We must learn from the past but it is imperative that we learn the right lessons from it.  Lessons that appeal to, as Abraham Lincoln said, “the better angels of our nature”.  One cannot erase history by destroying a statue just like one can’t kill an idea by burning a book.  But if hate is put on a pedestal then we have the moral obligation to explain to the generations that follow us why it is wrong.  The lessons that the modern Nazis and KKK learned from the history and the lessons that others have drawn from it are vastly different in scope, and moral credibility. 

 Do you want Nazis?  Because that’s how you get Nazis.

Senator John McCain recently wrote an op-ed piece for the Washington Post on.  He opens the article by saying, “Americans recoiled from the repugnant spectacle of white supremacists marching in Charlottesville to promote their un-American “blood and soil” ideology. There is nothing in their hate-driven racism that can match the strength of a nation conceived in liberty and comprising 323 million souls of different origins and opinions who are equal under the law.”  (see: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/john-mccain-its-time-congress-returns-to-regular-order/2017/08/31/f62a3e0c-8cfb-11e7-8df5-c2e5cf46c1e2_story.html?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.c08f54c61629). Yes, he’s right. I am thankful that there are still leaders who will say it. 

It is an odd time in our country right now.  We forget to talk to each other.  We must remember as citizens not only speak but also to listen.  Of course, we are not always going to agree but we must think for ourselves – make our points, compromise, and move forward.  Bipartisanship is not the evil it has been made out to be.  We must acknowledge and learn from the past so that we can step together into the future – a future where there is no room for hate.  As Americans, we owe this not only to our posterity but to the world.

Thank you, Mr. Schwarzenegger, for this reminder that should not be so complicated of hard to see.  

Chester Bennington

Chester Bennington frontman for Linkin Park has passed. Possibly by his own hand. He was 41 years old. New York Times write up about Mr. Bennington.  

I have seen depression. I have been right next to it, up close & personal. It was thick – like a third presence or person in the room. You could feel it. It blanketed any possible light. It was not redirectable. It didn’t care if you reminded it of all the good things in front of it; of the good things it had. It simply wanted out.

And it got out.

But it missed so much in the process ~ children growing older, being there as a force in their lives as they have grown, being a partner to a widow/widower, it missed friendships, it missed the possibility of joy, and it missed the simple fact that the world is now a dimmer place for their light no longer being a part of it.

We all have storms. We all have seasons. It does not matter who you are.  If you are feeling that the storm is too much, that the season is too long, please, talk to someone about it. You do not have to carry all that weight upon your shoulders. Find someone and talk. There is another side to this. If you don’t know who to talk to please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Call. The world needs your light and seasons do change.  

Farpoint ...It's A Toy Store

The Human Adventure is Just Beginning...

Today is Farpoint …It’s a Toy Store’s Grand Opening.  Last night was the Black Tie, Preview Party.  Two TITANS are joining forces on this adventure: Farpoint Toys and It’s A Toy Store.  Between them are decades of experience in doing what they do.

“Toys?”

Yes, there are toys, lest there be no doubt – oodles of ‘em!  

Oodles, I say!

However, what Justin, Penelope, and Frank (Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman of their new founded Justice League) do goes far beyond going to a Toys-R-Us.  …No, they are curators.  Obtainers of rare antiquities.  Keepers of memories and mementos.  They are story tellers and story keepers.  Community builders who want to share their love of genre with others who share their love of genre.  Simply put, they are fans.  The wonderful thing about the new digs is that it is also a meeting place for fans & soon to be fans to come, to discuss, to have a cup of coffee, and to bask in the communal glow of shared memories and stories.  Yes, it’s a toy store – but Farpoint …It’s A Toy Store is much, much more.

BTW, that's an original Ken Kelly in the corner.

There is a quote from the film, “Serenity” where River Tam asks Captain Mal Reynolds about what the first rule of flying is.  Mal’s answer is on point for Farpoint.  He said, “Love. You can learn all the math in the 'Verse, but you take a boat in the air that you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.”

Welcome home.

Today Farpoint …It’s A Toy Store officially opens!  Farpoint can be found at these coordinates; 5113 Harding Hwy., Mays Landing, NJ, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

Excelsior!  

Happy Birthday to Blade Runner

35-years ago today, 'BLADE RUNNER', one of my all time favorite films, was released.

My father and I were going to see it together 35 years ago but the projector in the theater went down and they gave us passes for a return trip.  More on that story can be found right here: Cinema Reborn at Landis Theater.  ...Sadly, the film did not find it's audience and was out of the theaters before we could get back to see it.  Instead we went to see, "The Road Warrior" later that summer.  1982 was an amazing year for film.

"Chew, if you could only see what I've seen with your eyes."

It wasn't until about 30 years later that I got the chance to see it on the big screen thanks to the good folks from Farpoint Toys & Level Up Entertainment and one of their totally awesome Retro Movie Nights.  I am still thankful for this wonderful opportunity.  The crowd was great too.  We were all fans sharing the joy of a tale that transcended flying cars and shining futures - Blade Runner is really about what it means to be alive - what it means to be human.

One of the enduring questions in the narrative fans of the film keep coming back to, "Is Rick Deckard a Replicant?"  I'll let you decide that for yourself.  I believe that there is enough evidence to convict him and that would mean that he is a prototype of the next generation - a Nexus 7.  We will find out for certain this October when "BLADE RUNNER 2049" comes out.  Deckard is in there and the story will take place 30 years after the events of the first film.

Rick Deckard, 30-years on  

While there will never be another "BLADE RUNNER" there are moments in cinematic history where magic is conjured and a sequel actually furthers the narrative, meets expectations, or - dare I say on the rare occasion, exceeds it.  I have high hopes that 2049 will fall into one of these categories.  If the trailers are any indication then Denis Villeneuve (director at the helm) and company appear to be on the right track.

Agent K finds an interesting hideout.

I have hope for the future and in the dystopia that is the past.  35-years... that time has passed like tears in rain.

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe..."

Happy Birthday Blade Runner.

Reset Button

Too many Thought Police wannabes drinking the Kool-Aid out there.

Let 'em drink.   

Deeply.

As for me, I'm switching things up.  Here is some comfort food of the internet - a cat!

I can't speak for you, Gentle Reader, but I certainly feel better.

Be good to each other.

We're all we've got.

EC



Cat picture found here: Emergency Kittens after a Google search.

Master of Puppets

(Part III of III)

“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” – Voltaire

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” – George Orwell

We begin Part III with the end of Part II... 

One thing is becoming clearer and clearer, it does not matter if you were on the left or leaning to the right – this past election we all lost.  In the first part of this series we admitted that we have a problem and we discussed the concept that freedom of speech must apply to everyone.  In Part II, we discussed how we arrived here, at this moment, in history and where we are at present.  Now that we have come to Part III, we are going to look at who holds the power in the White House and what the future may hold.

With all due respect, there is something not entirely right with our President.  You may be a fan but hear me out on this.  His actions appear to be unhinged.  He has consistently shown that he is more concerned with crowd size at inaugurations and Arnold Schwarzenegger than he is with the daily running of the United States of America.  The appointments that he has made to his cabinet and who have, thus far, been greenlit by the GOP in Congress, are counter-intuitive to the jobs that they should be doing.  This is a consistency and not the exception.  It is as if he is actively trying to implode each section of these branches of government.  The EPA, education, department of urban development, the cuts to PBS & the National Endowment for the Arts, the new head of the FCC, and, to reiterate, all of the appointments Trump has made to his cabinet where he has intentionally chosen people who have no business being where they are.  People who will, if left to their own devices, destroy all the toys in the toy box that they have been given.  The thing is, this was not a mistake.  This was done on purpose and it will continue to be that way.

“Why?”

Because of Steve Bannon.  Steve Bannon wants to deconstruct our government and he wants to do so to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity.  No, really.  In the Washington Post article, “Where Did Steve Bannon get his World View? From my Book” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/where-did-steve-bannon-get-his-worldview-from-my-book/2017/02/24/16937f38-f84a-11e6-9845-576c69081518_story.html?utm_term=.1378093c3da2), by Neil Howe, Howe explains the influence the book that he co-wrote with William Strauss, “The Fourth Turning” has had on figures from the left and the right and, primarily in this article, Steve Bannon.  The article is a very interesting read.  In “The Fourth Turning”, Howe & Strauss argue that history repeats itself, that deconstruction must happen for new construction to begin, and that this process occurs to usher in the new and to dismantle the old.  Howe states, “We live in an increasingly volatile and primal era, in which history is speeding up and liberal democracy is weakening. As Vladimir Lenin wrote, “In some decades, nothing happens; in some weeks, decades happen.” Get ready for the creative destruction of public institutions, something every society periodically requires to clear out what is obsolete, ossified and dysfunctional — and to tilt the playing field of wealth and power away from the old and back to the young. Forests need periodic fires; rivers need periodic floods. Societies, too. That’s the price we must pay for a new golden age.”

“The Great Manipulator” – TIME Magazine, February 2, 2017

To Bannon, Trump is a catalyst to usher in the next golden age.  He can use Trump to usher in whatever happens next, social collapse or World War III – either way, the Fourth Turning comes.  What we have or have had here in the United States is subject to deconstruction – all to make things better by first making them much, much worse.  This is scary for a variety of reasons.  Trump’s campaign slogan was, “Make America Great Again”.  I have always been of the school of thought that America is great but what can we do to make it better.  The powers that be are in the process of intentionally failing us ...to make us better.  I’ll be the first to say that we have problems but I will also say that we can, as a people, make a difference.  The great problem that I see is that we may be too late.  We are proudly marching backwards at an alarming rate.  The damage may already have been done. 

“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” – Bob Dylan

There has been some saber rattling concerning Bannon’s position within Whitehouse as Trump’s closest advisor.  The Wall Street Journal in an article titled, “Donald Trump Considers Major Shake-up of Senior White House Team” by Carol E. Lee, Peter Nicholas, and Michael C. Bender (https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-considering-major-shakeup-of-senior-white-house-team-1491588185?tesla=y&mod=e2tw), discusses some of the rumors concerning how Trump is disappointed with how the healthcare vote went and how Steve isn’t playing well with his son-in-law.  This alleged infighting is, as one ‘official’ puts it, “The crisis this week in Syria has sharpened Mr. Trump’s desire to cut some of the drama out of his West Wing, and he is expected to make decisions soon. The continued infighting has “a very short life cycle...”  Again, this is rumor but if any of this proves true, expect Steve Bannon to remain not too far from the President’s ear.

“The crisis this week in Syria?”

In the last three days Trump did a sudden and complete 180 concerning President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian civil war after chemical weapons were used on civilians and 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched at the Shayrat Airfield, the airfield from whence the chemical weapons were launched.  Good, bad, or other, this is that first direct action from the United States during the Syrian civil war.

Are we closer to that Fourth Turning yet?  

Now, here is the part that truly frightens me.  What if Bannon is right?  We, as a species, do not learn.  We repeat the same mistakes over and over again.  Are we doomed to repeat the mistakes of our past by having history endlessly repeat itself?  I don’t know.  I do, however, know that history repeats itself all the time.  We are heard animals.  We do what we are told and we do so HAPPILY.  We hear, “Oh, look what the liberal media is telling you now!”  We drink the Kool-Aid, we don’t think, and we miss the fact that we have just been USED by the same people in power that fed us the line.  If you haven’t already please find a copy of Orwell’s, “1984”.  Some of the parallels are chilling. 

“What can we do?”

Our best.  That’s all any of us can do in good times or bad.  Our best means that we have to participate, we have to think, and, dare I say, base our actions on rational decisions.  We must seek wisdom and we must discern rhetoric from the truth.  To avoid manipulation, we must examine everything.  Question.  Despite what we have been told – the truth should still mean something.  This is a fact and facts should mean something too.  We need to be good to each other because things are going to get worse.  We need to be thankful for what we have because the line between ‘have’ and ‘had’ is a very thin.  We need to support each other – build each other up because, even now, we are still a beacon of hope to the world and we need each other now more than ever.  Gandhi said, "Be the change that you want to see in the world," well, here's our chance.  Be the light.  Here’s to better times.

Better times, indeed.

UPDATE.

Bannon is Out.  August, 18^th 2017, John Kelly, the current White House Chief of Staff, the man whose job it is to steer the President of the United States through the storms of sailing the ship of state, removed Bannon from the White House.  I hope that it’s not too late, that the damage has not gone too far.  My guess is that Kelly is trying to distance the current executive branch from its “Alt-Right” roots.  Good luck with that, Sir.  The fact of the matter is that, if this is the goal, he’s got a lot of work to do it he wants to drain the swamp.  It has grown far too dark and murky since the last time we’ve spoken about the state of things.  In the time that when I first wrote this blog and now (this update is from early September 2017), our commander and chief has brought us closer to nuclear war with North Korea and has legitimized the Nazi party & KKK in the United States of America.  Mr. Trump basically said, after a Nazi rally in South Carolina where a Nazi ran his car into a crowd of protesters, killing one and injuring dozens more, “Hey, not all Nazis are bad”.

Please, let that sink in. 

The President of the United States of America has elevated and legitimized the Nazi party and the KKK right here, in the United States of America.  Bannon helped establish this Alt-Right presidency and now he’s gone.  I have said it before in this three-part series but it bears repeating, I don’t care what side of the isle you find yourself – we ALL lost when Trump was elected.  Unstable leadership legitimizes instability. 

Be good to each other, fellow Citizens & Gentle Readers, alike.  We are all we’ve got.