...and a happy new year

Christmas week was wildly insane, finding me in the car every day and exhausted at the end. It was fine, I could have been a better person, but I wasn't. Anyway, it has been a hellish year, who knows what fresh hell 2009 has in store?

Perfect movie moment

The Bishop's Wife is one of my favorite movies. It's a romantic comedy that was released in 1947 with David Niven as the harassed bishop, Loretta Young as his unhappy wife, and Cary Grant as a very suave angel. Originally, Niven was the angel, but after some casting problems, Cary Grant agreed to appear in the movie on condition that he could be the angel--which leads to the perfect movie moment. All three are in the back of a taxi, Niven seething with jealous rage as Grant seems to be wooing (and winning) Young. There's this great moment when the two men indulge in some low key, subtle, verbal fisticuffs which is perfect, for what is not said, and what is said with only a look.

Movie making at its best.

Dana Young was originally cast as the bishop, which would have made for a less enjoyable film.

The movie has since been remade (what isn't these days) as The Preacher's Wife with Denzel Washington as the angel, Whitney Houston as the wife, and Courtney B. vance as the preacher. It's not as good, although the soundtrack (song by Houston) was  nominated for an Academy Award. They kept the skating scene, but, well, it's pallid. There are no perfect moments in The Preacher's Wife.

Which makes me wonder why perfectly good movies are remade and perfectly awful ones are not. I guess turning a pigs ear into a silk purse is more difficult than putting lipstick on a pig.

A box of rocks

That beleaguered Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich is in trouble is no surprise, that he is dumb as a box of rocks might be. He was swept into office in the back draft of Republican George Ryan's spectacular flame out. Ryan, you may recall, won re-election even though he was being investigated for the illegal sale of government licenses, contracts, and leased--and for which he is now doing time. Blagojevich, the first Democratic governor in 30 years, promised he was different, honest, and ethical, which really annoyed his father-in-law, Chicago Alderman Dick Mell, who incorrectly assumed that with a relative in the Governor's office, Mell's own questionable dealings would remain untouched. And when they were touched, Mell took the "moral high ground," claiming that his son-in-law was engaged in that great Chicago tradition of "pay-to-play." The family argument died down, but the Feds were listening. Reminds me of those long ago Nixon days, when the president believed that he could do what he wanted because he was president.

Fast forward to 2008, when Blagojevich KNEW he was being scrutinized by the Feds, knew that someone on his staff had turned on him, and went ahead and tried to sell President-Elect Obama's senatorial seat. He may be little, but Blagojevich has enough nerve to light the city of Chicago for eons. Meanwhile, although he is estranged from his wife's family, Dick Mell is considering entering the fray to defend his daughter who is apparently as unethical as her husband--and, if the truth be told, as unethical as dear old dad.

It's difficult to predict what will happen now. Blago, as he is known here in the city of the big shoulders and bigger hubris, is as combative as he is short. The man has made enemies everywhere and can only count on Emil Jones, the kingmaker who is behind Obama. And why is Jones so loyal? Does he admire Blago's political acumen? Are they buds from the hood? Do they share the same political vision? Hell no, Jones wants to be senator, and would follow Blago into hell if it meant Jones would become the next senator representing  the great state of Illinois.

Meanwhile, Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., who learned political blackmail at his father's knee, is shocked--shocked, I tell you, AND appalled, because he would never, ever offer to pay Blago for the right to be called Senator Jackson. Jackson has PR problems of his own, with foes in the House and at home. Clearly, Jackson believes that he deserves the vacant Obama seat and now we will see if he made financial promises to see that he gets bumped from House to Senate.

Ahh, Chicago politics--the days when Dick Daley would shut off the mic of any alderman with whom he disagreed--nice to know it's alive and well in Springfield. The problem with a cheap Chicago pol is that sometimes they don't know when to shut up--even when the feds are listening in.

58 days and counting

It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it and since no one seems to want to, George W has been patting his own back on a job well done.

He is content with the occupation of Iraq. Bush likes to see it as the liberation of 50 million Iraqis--none of whom asked us to liberate them, and few who welcomed the US and the coalition of the greased palms. Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator, but his removal has made Iraq a magnet for suicidal Islamic warriors. And while our casualty count is in the hundreds, thousands of Iraqis have died since the US occupation. The United States has yet to bring democracy, peace or prosperity to the region. But Bush is happy with the outcome of the occupation, which, by the way continues--so how can it have an outcome?

However, Bush did tell ABC's Charlie Gibson, "I think I was unprepared for war." But it wasn't his fault because the 9/11 attack was unexpected.

Bush is also pleased with No Child Left Behind, which any teacher will tell you is an educational disaster. Teachers now teach the test upon which schools are judged and through which they receive federal funds. For example, if  the teacher knows that the test focuses on simple addition, they will not invest in teaching their students anything other than simple addition. The system of incentives and penalties provide strong motives for schools to lie or manipulate data. No Child Left Behind forces schools to ration education guaranteeing mandated skills in reading, right and arithmetic--which pretty much guts programs for gifted children.

Bush is very proud of No Child Left Behind, regardless of what educators say are the serious drawbacks.

George is also very sorry about the financial downturn, accept no responsibility for refusing to crack down on "no money down" mortgages, for ignoring warnings that a financial meltdown was coming, and for knuckling under to the pressure brought about by the same financial institutions who are gobbling up government handouts. Apparently, the banks knew in 2005 that the house of cards was, well, a house of cards and they fought any attempt for regulation. Too bad someone didn't tell Bush--but he's sorry now.