Years Go By, Memories Linger On

I can remember that day.  It was a warm, sunny and eventful day for myself, as I was into my second week of being a student at Hofstra University.  I had morning classes, and had just finished an English Literature course which would be followed by a Political Science course.  It was about 9:30 am that I and my fellow students and professors heard the first reports of two passenger airliners crashing into both World Trade Center towers.  None of us in the room knew what to make of the events, although for myself I did remember the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.  So for me it did not come as much of a surprise to hear of a second incident, this time more fatal than the first.  After a few minutes of discussion regarding our thoughts on the developing matter, a student in the nearby building barged in to announce that a plane had crashed the Pentagon.  There were unconfirmed reports of a bombing in the Washington Monument and a car bomb going off at the State Department; thankfully those turned out to be false.

We and others went to the nearby Bits N' Bytes on campus to watch the news reports coming in.  When I got there, the South Tower collapsed 1 minute later.  Within less than a half hour after that, the North Tower collapsed. All told, with the WTC, Pentagon and a plane crash in Shankesville, Pennsylvania; some 3,000 or so people lost their lives that day.  This included hundreds of NYPD and FDNY officials. The date has been etched in my memory for the last 15 years; September 11, 2001.  I personally did not lose anyone that was family or close friends that day, yet I knew of far too many that faced an irreparable loss.  My father, who had only retired from the FDNY two years prior,  lost several firefighters that he personally knew, including at least a select few from his same ladder company.

For myself, I got home at my usual time, and got back to attending classes the next day.  Life went on, although my perspective of life had irreversibly changed on 911.  I suppose for many, including those younger than me, a day such as the one 15 years ago had its purpose and is looked at as part of a history lesson: maybe life to them has always felt the way it seems now.  Yet, I guess you would have needed to be there during the years, months and even days before 911.  Bill Maher in his book of essays "When You Ride Alone, You Ride With Bin Laden" I think put the 10 years or so before 911 to its proper meaning; the Seinfeld decade.  Yes, much like the famed Jerry Seinfeld sitcom, the era 1991-2001 was one of trends and scandals and ideals and innovations that, with few exceptions, did not matter in the slightest.  How low did it get?  In my opinion, 1998 was the nadir, a year in which the world and particularly Americans were so fixated on President Bill Clinton's affairs with other women.  In case you forgot, Pres. Clinton was impeached though not convicted for lying to a purported grand jury over an extramarital relationship (which was just oral sex) that any sane person would also deny until caught red handed.  As a confirmation of the abject stupidity of the year, Time Magazine had as its People of the Year not only Pres. Clinton, yet also Kenneth Starr; the independent counsel and Iran-Contra figure who quickly faded into academia obscurity.

Well, if the 90's were the Seinfeld decade, it can be said that 911 was the Seinfeld series finale.  All those incidents that were trivial came to nip us in the bud, and the consequences of our collective carelessness came to fruition that day.  For myself, the rest of 2001 was in effect my social political and economic awakening.  I had realized that all I was interested in, from the Clinton sex scandals to the Rep. Gary Condit incident to which politician had an interest in pop culture, meant not one thing.  I had probably started the awakening earlier in the year when I registered to vote and started watching Meet The Press with Tim Russert every Sunday, though I was in that phase of in one ear and out the other with the issues at hand.  That all changed after that September morning.  Many that know me know my ideas and beliefs regarding 911 and the years afterwards.  I am not here to regurgitate what I am aware of and what I feel on this matter.  I will mention that on every Election Day from 2001 onward, and on many Primary Days in recent years, I have voted.  For every elective office and proposition on any given ballot.  And I'm voting this Election Day as well.

The 2016 election however has been concerning to say the least.  Not least of which is the growing reality of a low turnout followed by a perceived apathy among the voting public.  And if it is not apathy, it is certainly a desire to be selfish in approach and temerity.  I am not pleased with this degradation of the issues both foreign and domestic that need to affect a campaign for any elected office.  Believe me, many may not care; but there are those that will do the caring for them, and will inevitably make life worse for the uncaring.  If that means the United States loses its influence on geopolitical issues to a number of developing countries, then that is the fate the US has chosen.

Of all the purported lessons and legacies 911 was supposed to exemplify, none that have appeared in nearly all publications and media are feasible and none are worthwhile.  For myself, 911 provided only one lesson to be learned, though it is a big lesson:  we have been and continue to be willingly conned.  When we stop caring, we should not be surprised that the void left in the socio-political structure will be filled by people and ideas that do not give a flying fig about you.  I am sadly seeing this again, which in these times will lead the populace on a path to ruin.  That is what we should remember when we remember 9 11.  Simply stated, all need to be aware and involved in our social political and economic world of whom we are and what we need to become.  We would be living in a better and more humane world if people stopped caring about their trivial matters and started focusing on the betterment of all in their lives and those that will come after we leave.

As a unique addition to this blog, which I need to write on more often, I can remember a time when popular music and rock music took stands on issues that needed to be addressed.  I rarely hear anything close to a protest song these days.  Here are some that I can remember hearing after 911 and the years that followed which mattered for me in artists stating the truth.

And of course many more .

Not the end of the matter, only the beginning,

Robert

That One Summer: One Hour Photo

It has now been exactly one year since Robin Williams died.  One year in which I and may others keep wondering what has changed since then.  One year that we have been asking ourselves if we were able to see the warning signs of a sad and troubled soul who had a gift for making people better in thoughts and laughter when needed.  When I heard that Robin Williams had committed suicide, I kept thinking to 12 years before, when I and many others saw an excellent movie Mr. Williams was in that I think would have been the game changer in how many saw him.  That movie was One Hour Photo; one of the few times I walked out of the theater feeling disturbed. 

One Hour Photo is quite possibly one of the better movies of 2002, and certainly amongst the creepiest films to have been produced.  It was one of those movies that needed repeated viewing and a thorough analysis to what was just seen.  Like many of the great horror films, it would leave audiences wondering what they had just seen, and unsure of the ending being presented.  In some ways, I think this was due to this movie being written and directed by Mark Romanek; an innovative filmmaker of music videos.  Amazingly, One Hour Photo was only his second film outside of the video music genre.  Yet as opposed to the usual jump cuts and flash photography involved in some of Mr. Romanek's videos (Scream, 99 Problems, Closer, The Perfect Drug, Speed Of Sound), One Hour Photo was sparse in its visual outlook.

Most importantly, what mattered was the story being told and seeing Robin Williams at his most creepiest up to that point.  In short, Mr. Williams played a 50-plus year old loner, Sy Parrish, who spends his days as the photo developer at a CVS knockoff.  Over time, Sy becomes concerned about the dealings of a young family, the Yorkins.  What sends Sy over his limits is a drop off that Will Yorkin (Michael Vartan) delivers containing photos of Will and his mistress Maya (Erin Daniels).  And yet, the troubles and disintegration of the Yorkins, including that of Nina (Connie Nielsen), is secondary compared with Sy's inner turmoil and demons becoming more and more public. 

Now, since this movie was completed in 2002, I trust many of you have seen One Hour Photo.  With that in mind, some important matters relating to plot and storytelling are needed to be clarified. 

Did the kid know his father was cheating?
I think so.  One of the discussions on the IMDB and AICN message boards at the time noticed how Romanek showed the young man playing Jake seem a bit embarrassed at Connie Nielsen's character looking at the photos of Will and Maya at the beach.  In fact, there is no shock coming out of Jake.  I think, and so did others at the time, Jake took those photos of his father and his mistress; likely attending the same vacation at the same beach.  This may also explain how Jake seems to become more deadpan and apathetic during the course of the movie.  I found it to be a rather brilliant move for a film of this caliber.  Any sort of overacting and emphasis on the kid, and this movie fails. 

Why the obsession over a family who is not all what they seem?
Mr. Williams does not at any one moment in this movie give us reason to necessarily hate Sy.  I suppose this is because we in real life have noticed, or perhaps have ourselves been, lonely people without much to look forward to except our version of a hyper reality.  We may look at the photos, videos, stories and ideals of a family or group of people and choose to see only what we want to believe.  If for instance you see a family doing something wonderful while you are not; it is little surprise that any of us would feel even at the least jealous and envious.  Certainly, Sy getting fired and then discovering the photos of Vartan and Daniels kissing ends that form of obsession and unqualified need for acceptance into the Yorkin family, as it were.  This leads to an interesting debate that continues to infest message boards when discussing this movie.

Was Robin Williams' character, Sy Parrish, sexually molested as a child by his father?
The answer is yes.  A movie that is intelligent and disturbing as what One Hour Photo is does not need to explicitly tell you everything.  Mark Romanek has not ever in his fictional movies tried to hammer us with plot points and explicit revelations that are the bane of every cookie cutter horror movie.  What Mr. Williams says to Eriq La Salle at the end effectively reveals both Sy's past and I am certain what has happened to Jake. 

Did Sy take the pornographic pictures at the hotel?
You do not see them as evidence, yet I think those photos were taken and kept by Sy as an insurance policy or blackmail against Will.  The last shot of the movie of Mr. Williams integrated with the Yorkins can be taken as different interpretations as to whether it is real or imagined.  It could very well be real, and that the Vartan and Nielsen's characters will need to acquiesce to Sy whenever he sees fit.  Once again, a rather clever move of storytelling format. 

One Hour Photo remains a great movie to this day.  I had hoped that Robin Williams would have at least garnered a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars; though sadly it was not to be.  Perhaps this was not mentioned or even thought about at the time; yet I think if One Hour Photo had gotten a following similar to many of the horror franchises of the last 10 years, or perhaps even the word of mouth momentum the new Joel Edgerton film The Gift has received, certain career trajectories would have been altered.  I will believe till I am blue in the face that with both Insomnia and One Hour Photo, along with a sharp return to stand-up, Robin Williams was re inventing himself in a way that I think would have provided a newer fan base.  As I said, these movies were quite successful, and a lot of media attention  was made. Yet, and here is the kicker, not getting a Best Actor nomination  may have given Mr. Williams doubts about showing his darker side.  Or perhaps not; his Oscar in Good Will Hunting was quite edgy itself.  And of course, Robin Williams never stopped being funny. 

We may never truly know how he felt.  Unless there is a biography of considerable regard on his life published, Robin Williams' inner feelings may well be considered foreign to us.  Sure, many of us get depressed; a number even think of ending it all.  And quite a few of us do suffer from illness.  Perhaps one day we will know.  None the less, we did have a renaissance in the life of Robin Williams in 2002, a rather interesting life we all looked up to That One Summer.

So was a great life in a weary world,

Robert

PS.  I will have more to say about The Gift coming shortly.  It is though a must see movie.  And I am still working the cogs at getting to upload videos, including my own. 

That One Summer: Live On Broadway

Growing up, there were not many TV channels that showed stand up comedy.  By that I mean, an actual live stand up routine outside of a talk show or some special programming.  One of the few channels to watch both up and coming comics and seasoned veterans was HBO.  And it was HBO that broadcasted the first stand up special starring Robin Williams.  That was back in 1978 at The Roxy; a performance we know was fueled by Mr. Williams' addiction to cocaine yet was quite brilliant.  It must be seen to be appreciated. 

Robin Williams went on to star in quite a few more comedy specials, each shown on HBO.  Also, Mr. Williams became involved with Comic Relief for many years.  Each of those comedy stand up shows were hilarious and insightful.  Indeed, it is difficult to say which one of his specials was the best.  I can tell you that in the Summer of 2002, one of Mr. Williams' stand up shows was broadcasted live on HBO that nearly everyone wanted to see.  I can remember it being talked about days and even weeks afterwards.  It was Robin Williams: Live On Broadway.  And in short, I probably did not laugh as hard and as often as I did that night.

It was not even a year after 911, and for me it seemed that topical social political humor was about to be thrown out the window, as it were.  People then, as now, more interested and comforted in bathroom jokes and celebrity impersonations and parodies.  Yet, by 2002, that was changing and quite rightly so.  Bill Maher may have been the spark that got political humor going again; to say nothing of the likes of George Carlin and others leading the way.  Yet I think that night in July, it was Robin Williams that dared to go all out.  Of course, Mr. Williams always went all out in his beliefs.  A very good example involved this little gem.

"Oh, guess what?  Congress has passed a bill to secretly assassinate Saddam Hussein.

So what they have done, is announce the US' plans to secretly assassinate Saddam Hussein.

I wonder if he knows?"

The audience both live and watching just about fell to the floor laughing.  In that one humorous observation, Robin Williams told everyone what a waste of time and money an invasion of Iraq would be.  That of course was one of many different people and things he made fun of that night.  I honestly do not know where to start with the best bits.

Would it be his Scotsman explaining golf?

His look at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City?

Mr. Williams doing a very succinct Donald Rumsfeld?

His extremely hilarious look at religion?  Which I might add only Bill Maher was on par with in that department?

Robin Williams observing that after 911, not much has changed in New York attitudes? 

His takedown on our at the time growing plastic surgery and medicine for sex fetishes?

Whatever it was, that night Robin Williams showed a vitality and sharp mind that I suppose was undervalued given Mr. Williams' film roles and cheery personality.  Yet, Robin Williams had always been edgy in his stand up comedy.  Go back and look at his comedy specials before Live On Broadway and even afterwards and you will see his genius on full display.  Plus, if you had received the DVD version, there was a lot more where that came from. 

At that point in Mr. Williams' life, it seemed like he was at the top of his influence; possibly far more influential than at any other time in his life.  And there was still more to come from Robin Williams in 2002.  Indeed, by August movie audiences were treated to one of the defining roles Mr. Williams had done in his life and one which, for myself, I walked out of the theater feeling disturbed.  That movie was of course One Hour Photo; a role of his that I had thought would have garnered Robin Williams another Academy Award nomination.  Alas, it did not.  Yet, it was the culmination of a revitalization that should have, if given more of a look, been the spark that changed Mr. Williams' trajectory in his humor and his acting. None the less, we still have That One Summer.

An essay on One Hour Photo is forthcoming,

Robert

PS.  Here in its complete glory is the Live On Broadway special I was talking about. 

That one summer: Insomnia

It was 13 years ago in June 2002.  I was a 19 year old student enrolled at Hofstra University studying Political Science and Sociology at a most interesting time both in our world and for myself.  Of the many events and changes made that summer, what stood out for me was Robin Williams.  He was on a roll, starring in two psychological thrillers and going out on a stand-up comedy tour where he sold out every venue.  No one ever thought of the problems that laid ahead for this genius. 

What I saw first was Insomnia.  It was only the third movie to be directed and co-produced and co-written by a budding prodigy in filmmaking.  His name: Christopher Nolan, having been known previously for his independent debut Following (1993) and then the underground hit Memento (2000).  Both stylish and unique movies that only scratched the surface of this singular talent.  So it seemed a bit curious as to why Nolan would have his next movie be a big-budget remake of a 1997 Erik Skjoldbjaerg low budget thriller based in Norway. 

For those not familiar, the original movie starred Stellan Skarsgard as a police detective investigating the murder of a 17 year old girl in the Arctic region.  Skarsgard's character, Jonas, has problems of his own; namely an inability to sleep which does not help being in the Arctic during the months of full daylight.  Also during the height of the investigation , Jonas accidentally shoots his partner, Erik.  Eventually things come to a head when the killer of the girl, played by Bjorn Floberg, begins calling Jonas and appearing at inopportune times with knowledge of the shooting of Erik.  Now, the original movie was interesting in its own way.  I vividly remember Siskel and Ebert giving it their two thumbs up; Roger Ebert even comparing the movie favorably with the great Fyodor Dosteyevsky novels.  You can find this movie on DVD and Blu-Ray from the Criterion Collection.

So that was the original movie: what about the remake that Christopher Nolan helmed?  Interestingly, it might be somewhat better than the original, upping the ante on the psychological situations and providing a multi-layer approach with many of the non lead characters.  Some of the plot points are similar; only this time it is in Nightmute, Alaska during the months of the Midnight Sun.  As well, Al Pacino plays Will Dormer, a detective with more problems going in to Alaska than initially surmised; namely being exiled from the LAPD after an IA investigation shows fabrication of evidence in the conviction of a child murderer. 

Any time a fellow actor is in the same film as Al Pacino there is bound to be a sense that the actors and the audience are just waiting for some scenery chewing.  Rest assured, there is what we expect from Pacino in at least two interrogation scenes.  Yet, as we have come to expect from Christopher Nolan, the rest of the cast hold their own.  When I saw Insomnia, I was rather impressed with Maura Tierney in one of her breakthrough roles; her character being the hotel manager that moved to Alaska for reasons unexplained.  Martin Donovan did rather well in his brief appearance as Will Dormer's partner.  Also, it was interesting to see Hilary Swank's character get more nuanced and greater screen time than in the original movie.  Yet, by far, the film was elevated exponentially by Robin Williams. 

Williams and his character, now named Walter Finch, does not appear until about 50 minutes in.  Yet once you hear his voice saying to Will Dorner "Can't sleep, eh?",  one of Williams' more creepier roles comes to life.  Here is one such example when Finch explains why he killed the 17 year old.

It just gets more creepier from there onward.  In a way, the action set pieces are among the most realistic in any Christopher Nolan film.  And for those who want to know; yes, the ending is changed somewhat.  However, I think it works quite well. 

Now, getting back to my reasoning for this essay.  I mentioned before that it seemed that 2002 showed us a more disturbing and unsettling public view of Robin Williams.  It was not as if Mr. Williams had not shown it in previous roles.  But for me, those more serious films like The World According To Garp, Moscow On The Hudson, Dead Poets Society, The Fisher King, Toys, Dead Again, Good Will Hunting, and even What Dreams May Come presented Robin Williams in more sympathetic traits for his characters.  And even in his more serious roles, there was always a tinge of his unique humor that would show up if ever so briefly.  It was as if Mr. Williams were saying to us "Look, I still have my laughter and manic style.  This is only a role".  Yet, I suppose when he reached 50, and probably taking a hint from his Oscar winning role in Good Will Hunting (1997) and a late breakthrough performance in What Dreams May Come (1998); perhaps Robin Williams wanted to go a different path.

It started innocuously enough with the dark comedy Death To Smoochie, a movie which I still have not seen.  Admittedly, I was not interested in a story of a children's television star being a prick.  None the less, it was Insomnia that I and perhaps others felt for the first time seeing a character Mr. Williams was playing: in this case Walter Finch, and finding it very hard to root for the guy.  Admittedly, it is hard to root for many of the characters in this film.  Perhaps Hilary Swank and Martin Donovan play characters we can relate to.  Not so with others.  I suppose it makes sense that in this version; Al Pacino's Will Dorner eventually does not deny a reason to shoot the Martin Donovan character early on.  Not to mention, Dorner is cured of his insomnia, so to speak, by dying in the chase and gunfight towards the end.  A bit tailor made for Hollywood; yet the essence of the ending in the Stellan Skarsgard version remains. 

Insomnia was a breakthrough film in so many different ways.  It was Christopher Nolan alongside long time collaborators like DP Wally Pfister, screenwriting brother Jonathan Nolan, and producer and wife Anna Thomas that proved to be making highly acclaimed and financially rewarding pictures.  A bit afterwards, Nolan and Thomas' company Syncopy secured a development deal with Warner Bros; where their films have been financed or co-produced ever since.  Hilary Swank got to appear in her first financially successful movie.  Maura Tierney, Nicky Katt and Martin Donovan were able to successfully become involved in leading roles for movies and TV shows down the line.  And you know something; Al Pacino did not need to go over the top and chew the scenery that much in this film. 

More notably, for a time, Robin Williams starting with Insomnia began to appear in a series of movies and even a Broadway show that had him become the disturbed and yet soft spoken guy who we in the audience are both shocked  and intrigued by.  By all rights, this movie and One Hour Photo which was released in August 2002 should have been the game changer for Mr. Williams.  It really should have been the movies that would have been for Mr. Williams what, for instance, Schindler's List meant for Steven Spielberg: the point of maturity and demarcation in which there was no going back to the old ways.  I believe Robin Williams could have been nominated for an Academy Award for either of those two movies; a Best Supporting Actor nod with Insomnia might have made the ensuing race a heck of a lot more interesting.  Alas, that renaissance did not last long.  Maybe it was for the best.  Yet maybe, if the trajectory in Robin Williams' film roles were of the more dramatic sort, what transpired in his last years on this earth might not have happened. 

Just as Robin Williams was at his A game with his Summer 2002 movie slate; so too was he back in action and better than many of his peers when it came to his stand up comedy tour.  It culminated in late July with his remarkable HBO special, Live On Broadway.  That will be discussed next as we look back at That One Summer.

Happy 4th of July everyone!,

Robert

One Interesting Summer

You know it is Summer when the day is so unbearable, you need to install your air conditioners.  Luckily, my family and I lasted through June 11 without the need to crank up the AC.  It has taken the first and hopefully last 90 degree day in New York for that to change; to say nothing of an Air Quality Alert that went out today. 

All the same, with the start of summer my memories keep coming back to June-August 2002.  A lot of changes and discoveries had come to a then 19 year old male like myself who had begun to explore his place in the world and just the year before had found out; I had Asperger's Syndrome.  The one big celebrity I followed that Summer was Robin Williams.  It was in 2002 that Mr. Williams came back to doing stand-up comedy with a vengeance; culminating in his HBO special "Live On Broadway."  In the realm of movies, Robin Williams had starring roles in two films that showed a deeper and rather creepier side which we all felt was just for show.  Those movies, the Christopher Nolan classic "Insomnia" and the Mark Romanek  underrated "One Hour Photo", were clearly amongst the best films that year.  There was a hope that Mr. Williams would have received another Oscar Nomination for either of those movies.  Alas, it was not to be. 

Little did we know that those movies showed us a inner look into Robin Williams that opened his darker side.  It was that sort of depression, confusion and despair that had seeped into Mr. Williams life for a great deal of his 63 years which resulted in him killing himself on August 11, 2014.  I can only speak for myself when I say Robin Williams' passing has left a void in this world which has yet to be filled; nor could it ever be filled. 

In the days ahead I will be looking back at Insomnia, One Hour Photo, Live On Broadway and some other appearances and interviews Robin Williams had done that Summer of 2002 when it seemed like he was at the height of his influence and relevance.  This is not to say it went downhill from there; far from it.  Yet, in that year, Robin Williams I think had the pulse on the world in what we were going through; what we were feeling; and our deepest and darkest tendencies.  Little did we know how much this was tearing Mr. Williams apart in his private life.  Now we have the clues and the hints to look back in retrospect. 

To give you an idea of Robin Williams' genius and interesting outlook on life, here is an excerpt from his 1986 Live At The Metropolitan Opera TV special.  It is something we all know too well.

Talk to you fairly soon,

Robert

The Root Problem

This past week, I was watching local news stories and reading in New York newspapers the growing number of children and families opting out of the New York Regents Standardized Tests for English and Math for Grades K-8.  These tests are more well known nationwide in different formats as The Common Core.  The Common Core, initiated in 2010 and advancing from the Leave No Child Behind Act of 2002, is a ongoing of series of tests given throughout the school year (September of one year through June the next year) that are used to give elementary, middle and high school students a leg up on using critical thinking and newer approaches to problem solving. 

It is designed to we hope have students in the United States be in close proximity with the achievements of students in most other countries.  For example, students in the US are 27th in mathematics development amongst so called first world nations; this is out of 34 countries.  They are one above Sweden and one below Slovakia.  Think about that.  In the likelihood that High School students will be going to university, and the certainty that at least one math course is required, the math classes will most assuredly Not involve simple arithmetic and algebra and calculus.  These will involve problem solving matters and statistical data that actually make a difference in one's life.  It was the approach I was given in my mathematics course at Hofstra University, including writing essays that involved mathematical approaches to determine the legitimacy of opinions.  If a student does not understand math at an early age, how will that student understand anything for problem solving in post high school life?

Put it another way, and this does tie in with English testing:  knowing only basic knowledge of a literary work such as plot, themes, statements and intent can be explained by any educator until they are blue in the face.  It usually does happen that way.  Once the tests come, and it has occurred in many cases, the questions in multiple choice and short answer form are more specific to the inner details of the literary work more so than in what was talked about in class.  Here is an example:

1.  Explain what the author was attempting to say on our current everyday lives with the shifts in character development towards the end of the novel.  This should be in essay form and will be worth 5% of the grade.

2.  What did the main character eat on page 159?  This will be worth 95% of the grade.

I note this is an extreme look, yet understand the purposes of the value of these questions.  The what did the character eat question is far more important, for one known reason.  It will determine whether the student actually read the novel!  Platitudes and meme knowledge of a novel is one thing; any person would know the answer.  It is more important to read the novel and know of what you write and speak.  If they cannot answer #2, it proves they did not even read the novel.  And since they did not read the novel, they have no idea what the fowl they are talking about. 

This is as if a division problem is solved by a calculator; it is needed, but you do not know how it needed to be divided.  The need to go deeper in thought and approach to anything is of such great importance in this ever changing world in which we live in.  Along with an approach to have students be committed to do what needs to be done in the tests and not just get by. 

It is rather upsetting to me that blame is being put on educators, administrators, parents, society at large, political leaders like Gov. Andrew Cuomo, etc. that are all in one form or another fighting like children.  There is really only one grouping of people that need to be held accountable for the success or lack thereof in tests and life advancement.  It is going to stun and shock many of you, yet these people are:

The Students Themselves!

Look, an educator, administrator, parent, political figure and other adult leader can pontificate, educate, enlighten, open minds and do whatever is necessary on their end.  Yet, it is not them that are taking these tests; it is not them that will be facing newer futures in a more technology driven world; it is not them that are now in a position where university enrollment is more active than even when I graduated from Hofstra 9 years ago.  It is the student that is causing the problem, or will cause the success. 

When I graduated from Farmingdale High School in 2001, there were some 80 or so seniors that were not going to graduate due to effectively being poor students, if not being ne'er do well people at the time.  One of my educators, who also happened to be an important figure with the Farmingdale Federation of teachers and is now retired, mentioned that the not graduating list that year was the largest he had seen in his then 35 odd years teaching.  I assume that list in years hence has only grown, though slightly.  In the end, those kids chose the path to a life without an education as opposed to a life with one.  I guess this is because, particularly when high school comes, students look at school as a social outing filled with cliques, love interests, sports, popularity and other like minded stuff we see in movies and TV shows.  I am here to you it is not; it is the time to learn before we are needed to gather together to get through this thing called life.  When one turns an advanced age, the world pretty much welcomes you with a middle finger if you are not careful.  Everything needs to be earned through knowledge. 

The Common Core is at least a start in the right direction for turning students into actually being ready for High School, University, and life afterwards.  It provides them to think about the correct answer, and not just state the answer.  And it is the indication that a student knew and read the literature and media provided, instead of by meme memory which usually gets twisted into simple parody easily.  And yes, the Common Core gives the true purpose of what a pre-University education should be; a learning apparatus for our younger ones.  It never was for me a social gathering petri dish; indeed while I have attended a 10 year reunion and still will go to future events, I did not go to the prom, and I am proud of it!  I will say that many of my fellow classmates thought otherwise, although they did passed their grades.  For me, the high point was getting out and going to Hofstra University. 

Now for a pop quiz:  here is a music video named amongst the oddest ever made.

Question 1:  Name the song referenced in this Daryl Hall and John Oates hit song from their lyrics.  It is worth 10 % of the grade.

Question 2:  Explain the video that Hall and Oates themselves have difficulty in explaining.  This will be worth 90% of the grade.

Talk to you all soon,

Robert

Bonus question:  I referenced two songs during this essay.  Please name the songs. 

Forensically Analyzing a Senator

Well, now it has been confirmed.  Today, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced, without any pretext, he is running for President Of The United States.  Let me point out that I have no intention of voting for Sen. Cruz.  I have for the past 15 years and continue to believe that New York Democratic Sen. and Sec. Of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is the eventual President we deserve.  When I say we, I also mean for those right wing sorts.  You may have forgotten; yet during Bill Clinton's Presidency, virtually most conservative economic agendas, along with tweaking a few social agendas, were initiated benefiting all.  Indeed, Tim Russert once said that the best thing to happen to Bill Clinton was then Rep. Newt Gingrich.  I did not always agree with the agenda, and have been proven right in the economic problems since.  Yet, it did work.

Sen. Cruz is, none the less, quite the intriguing political figure.  Like many of you, I had watched his speech today in Virginia and was not surprised at what was said.  What did surprise me was the immediacy of declaring a candidacy and effectively setting the agenda for the next year.  This is before many other political leaders, including Hillary Clinton, have announced their candidacy.  This is also before the unwritten campaign occurs; the behind the scenes discussions as to whether or not President Barack Obama decides to run for a third term. 

So what do I make of Sen. Ted Cruz?  In short, I think Sen. Cruz is one of the two Republicans to potentially get the nomination; the other person being Gov. Scott Walker (R-WS).  Yet, there is a lot more that needs to be discussed, and I still am attempting to parse my words and present my thoughts.  With that in mind, I will soon post another essay regarding this interesting character in Sen. Cruz; this one more thorough and analytical.  Here though is a parable by Dr. Seuss that I assume Sen. Ted Cruz has read and is familiar with. 

The highway in modern terms is, I think, organized religion, conglomerates, and multi-national leadership outside the US.  It will leave the uneducated in America standing in their tracks not budging if no one is aware.

By the way, Liberty University is in my opinion not a legitimate university.  It is as legitimate as For Profit Online University, only the latter is a clear joke.  Be aware if you have given personal information to Howard.

Talk to you by tomorrow,

Robert

Vine crap

Social Media is a very important and transpiring form of journalism and enlightenment.  Places such as one's own personal blog, YouTube, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Wikipedia and numerous social political economic websites are valuable hubs of information on our world and ourselves.  Yet, some aspects of Social Media is not acceptable.  A person could use Twitter or their weblog to announce to an unsuspecting populace their need to take a piss.  Indeed, Twitter says in short form what needs to be said in long form.

Vine is equally guilty of this short attention span aspect of our culture.  In Vine, one has between 6 and 10 seconds to do something asinine that maybe younger people find funny, yet I and others would fine disgusting.  This below is not only disgusting and shameful; it is Fucking Disgusting and Shaneful.

I do not know whom these people are.  Judging by the video, they appear to be white males, with maybe a female there or two.  It is apparently clear All on the bus on singing this faux sing a long chant.  It also seems they belong to a fraternity of all whites named the SAE (whatever that means) at the University Of Oklahoma.  They also appear drunk, rowdy, cocky, and perhaps thinking life at OU as being a real life Animal House.  Oh yes; they also hate African-Americans and Afro-Americans to such an extant to say the N word at least three times. 

You know, when I was a school kid, if one person in a classroom or part of a student body did even something remotely this offensive; we all got punished.  I did not always like it; indeed, much of the time only one or two classmates were pains in the rear end.  Yet, our educators would have none of this selective punishment ideal.  In their eyes, rightly or wrongly, we were all to blame.  I again state that I do not know who these SAE members are.  Yet in my view, their silence speaks of condoning this practice.  It says that because of being in a fraternity, they are above all morals and standards.  These frat people are dead fucking wrong.

It is why this day I applaud Sen. David L. Boren (D-OK), whom resigned in 1994 after 16 years upon accepting the position of President of OU where he still is to this day, with the actions taken to clean this filth.  This does include banning and dismembering the SAE.  Here below is Sen. Boren's press conference.

This needs to go further, in my opinion.  In my five years at Hofstra University, I did not join a fraternity.  And I felt I did not need to.  What was once a noble cause has turned into nothing more than a long term party which does not end well for anyone.  How I see it; the fraternity system nationwide needs to be abandoned.  If not abandoned, public registration on how is in these frats need to be revealed.  And yes, that would include the most secretive of societies at The University of Virginia, among other universities.  If you are in a fraternity, your identity must be known.

It is sad to think that in 50 years since the Voting Rights Act, racism including against Afro-Americans and African-Americans, exist and persist.  What is even more sadder is it is in the minds of people who are younger than me; I'm 32.  Last year, a movie was released that got little attention yet fully explores this issue of University fraternities and their racism.  It is named Dear White People.  I got the chance to see it in a theater last October; I enjoyed it and agreed with much of the sentiments.  Sadly, only a dozen or so people were watching the film with me that day; and I was practically one of two white people there.  Please, go see this movie; especially if you are thinking about joining a frat. 

As for those in the fraternity, saying something cursive and direct like piss off is even the tamest I can think at this moment.  Let your shame drag you for all times, unless repentance and reconciliation occurs.

Catch up with you all later,

Robert