January 2017 - Page 5 of 7 - Ramblin' with Roger

Disney movie review: Moana

I could have just used Ken Levine’s review and edited it down.

The family attended a Sunday matinee of the new Disney movie Moana. It was showing several places, but we will always opt for our favored venue, the Spectrum 8 in Albany.

I noted that it reviewed well. After I saw it, I was struggling with my feelings about it. I’ve pushed back against the reductivist that all the Disney princesses are, ethnicity aside, largely clones of each other.

The good:
This movie, fortunately, avoided even a hint of romance
Use of an original tale from Polynesian mythology
The opening, which I found fascinating
A very specific bit of girl power/rebellion that I rather enjoyed
Some funny coconut villains, although they reminded me of certain little characters in a Star Wars movie
A couple of good songs, including one by a villain, called Shiny – I LOVE the Disney villain songs – and You’re Welcome sung by ~~The Rock~~ Dwayne Johnson as the demigod Maui, who is not bad in the role
Maui’s tattoos, which may be my favorite character
The post-credit scene was funny

The not-so-good:
Why do the two main characters, both have names that start with M, Moana, and Maui? Maybe it’s authentic, but it was confusing to some
Someone has studied just how alike almost all of the Disney princesses are, the girl in Brave excepted, with the same large eyes
The character that dies (doesn’t that ALWAYS happen?) reminds me of that wise tree in Pocahontas
A stupid animal that specifically reminded me of the none-too-bright creature in Finding Dory
Most of the other songs, co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame, were OK, but I don’t much remember them – here they are
The story resolution reminded me of another Disney short

Actually, I could have just used Ken Levine’s review and edited it down.

Auli’i Cravalho is quite good as Moana, and the other voice actors were fine. It looks good like a decent Disney movie should, and maybe I shouldn’t state that as a given. In fact, the water scenes look GREAT.

But this is the most damning bit: The Daughter asked The Wife to check the time. I told The Wife that I thought the movie was nice but inessential, and she agreed.

If you’ve never seen a Disney film, you will be in awe of this. If you have seen several, and I have, you’ll likely enjoy it well enough, even as you may have a sense of deja vu. Or maybe, like SamuraiFrog, you’ll really enjoy it.

The preceding seven-minute short, Inner Workings, addresses how the body parts – the heart, the stomach – rebel against the responsible man’s brain. Man just wants to have fun v. do the responsible thing.

It reminded me a little of Inside Out with its internal struggle. It was pleasant, but I wasn’t drawn in as much as other Disney shorts. I liked it well enough, especially the ending, which actually happens in the closing credits. Here’s the Inner Workings trailer.

Right on! for the genericized noun

They are not capitalizing Coke because, in part of the country, coke could be a 7-Up or “diet dr. pepper.”

This newspaper writer I’ve met notes: “MS Word kept capitalizing ‘laundromat.’ I checked, and Webster’s agrees. Westinghouse copyrighted it back in 1947. But. . . . really?” This led to this interesting discussion about all the words that, once upon a time, were capitalized because they were brand names but are not now:

App Store, Aspirin, Catseye, Cellophane, Dopp kit [I had to look this up, even though I’ve had one!], Dry ice, Escalator, Heroin, Kerosene, Lanolin, Linoleum, Mimeograph, Primal Therapy, Thermos, Touch-tone, Videotape, Yo-Yo, and Zipper.

And Dumpster. I mean, what else would you CALL that thing? According to this article: “The alternatives recommended by AP (‘trash bin’ and ‘trash container’) are too vague. And the Times definition (‘trash hauling bin’) is too clunky.” I totally agree. So you’re SUPPOSED to Capitalize it, according to the style books, but almost no one does, except spellcheckers. As someone noted about the Dumpster people, “They really got the hold on it. my goal in life is to invent a thing that’s way more popularly known by what I named it than by what it is.”

And the correspondents seemed to get feisty on this branding topic: not capitalizing Kleenex, or Xerox, or Coke because, in part of the country, coke could be a 7-Up or “diet dr. pepper.” Of course, you always have to worry about autocorrect.

You know who gets REALLY fussy about these: The National Association of Realtors. It’s their members who are known as Realtors, and if you are listing houses in the US, and don’t belong to the association, you are NOT a Realtor.

BoingBoing complained about the irritating mid-word capitalization of brand names such as ProQuest or iPhone and PayPal; I would describe that annoying incaps trend, stealing the phrase, as corporate graffiti.

But I draw the line at the lower case for initialization such as ZIP code; ZIP means Zone Improvement Plan.
***
Logos’ hidden images.

Barack Obama: Born in the USA

When Barack Obama became President, the economy was on the verge of collapse. And now it’s not.

Arthur’s FIRST question to me for this round, about Barack Obama, I took some time answering:

BoyOhBoyOhBoy, have I been waiting for THIS! You asked me a LOT of awesome questions, – I DID! but one I thought of for you keeps popping into my head, and it’s heavy:

About a year ago (and probably early this year), many political commentators were saying that President Obama would be regarded as “one of the most consequential presidents in US history”. Given that the Orange Guy and his Republican Congress are poised to undo everything President Obama accomplished over the past 8 years (and pretty much every good thing done by all presidents, Republican and Democratic, over the past several decades…), do you think the pundits’ assessment is now laughable? Or, will it be that Obama’s image will soar, much as even Bush the Second is already being seen as “not so bad, really…” in light of the Orange Guy about to take over? I’m not asking about President Obama’s legacy so much as to what extent will he be relevant when all his work is undone?

First off, W’s legacy will continue to be in the pits for going into an unnecessary war in Iraq and presiding over an economic collapse ~~unpresidented~~unprecedented in decades.

Also, there are legit complaints I have with Obama, mostly having to do with drones. And I had thought to write a more balanced piece on him after his eight years. But the disinformation about him has been so strong that, like you, I’m not feeling the need to be fair and balanced, to borrow a phrase.

I really can’t talk about Obama, though, without talking about his legacy. And there’s a bunch of things that Agent Orange simply cannot take away:

* He was the first black President, Bill Clinton notwithstanding.

And he had a lot of expectations put on him. I remember reading in 2008, “Rosa sat, so Martin could walk. Martin walked, so Obama could run. Obama is running, so our children can fly.” What a burden!

Barack Obama had the right personal biography to not only get elected but re-elected. Lest anyone think that was easy, you should check out My President Was Black: A history of the first African American White House — and of what came next by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Coates wasn’t always a fan of Obama, but it is clear that it was different for this POTUS than it was for the other guys. (I know you can’t get The Daily Show there, but if you get a chance, watch Obama on the Daily Show, and for that matter Coates on the Daily Show.)

Little black kids now know that anyone – well, any GUY – can become President. (And if AO’s election doesn’t prove that…)

And to belabor the point, he ends up having to worry about whether he’s too black or not black enough, usually with good cheer. NOT a question his predecessors ever had to deal with.

No wonder Luther, President Obama’s anger translator, as played by Keegan-Michael Key, with Jordan Peele, seems so believable.

(Have you noticed, online, the number of people who fail to spell his first name – no, it’s not Barak – correctly? He was President for eight years, people!)

* He didn’t pursue charges against the Bush administration.

There was a strong case for prosecuting Bush officials who designed torture policy, but he was trying not to appear partisan and divisive – which he was later labeled anyway. Given his eventual partisan reputation, maybe he should have, but…

*He withstood the constant racist delegitimization of Tea Party wackos, not to mention, ironically, his successor as President.

From “you LIE,” uttered by a representative during a joint session of Congress in 2009 to Georgia senator praying for Obama’s death – in public, he’s put up with a lot of rubbish. Someone said in 2016 that he invented racism in America, someone with no understanding of US history.

And there are STILL people who believe the nonsense.

*When Barack Obama became President, the economy was on the verge of collapse. And now, it’s not.

A second raise in the basic interest rate recently is a pretty good sign of that. He just reached a record-setting 80 months of job growth. Since 2010, businesses have added more than 15.1 million jobs. That’s longer than any president ever has before.

* He did get Obamacare passed.

Those with a memory will recall it came about because private insurance prices were spiraling out of control. Even the “replaced” product the GOP promises will likely protect those with pre-existing conditions, and those under 26 on their parents’ policy. This NY Times article suggests “a transformation of the delivery of health care may be an enduring legacy for the president.”

* He was THE BEST pro-LGBTQ President ever.

*Osama bin Laden is dead.

And he made the bold decision for redundancy that made the difference between success and possible failure.

*He has released more non-violent criminals from prison than any President

Read about the New Jim Crow why that’s a good thing.

* Barack Obama seemed to enjoy the job, and his pleasure was infectious.

Check out so many opportunities he got to represent the country, most recently, President Obama’s final Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony.

* He’s way better toward the environment than his successor will likely be.

Why We’re Protecting the Arctic

* He is working until the end.

And made it much harder for AO to build his Muslim registry

*All in all, he was a successful President.

Here’s Bill Maher with President Obama on Real Time the Friday before the election. As Mark Evanier noted, “I think history will show this man was a very good president — which is not to say those who were convinced he was a gay Kenyan socialist who was planted in the White House to destroy America will ever admit it…”

Rolling Stone named President Obama One Of America’s Most Historically Successful Presidents. Here are more links, including 400 OBAMA accomplishments, with citations.

From GQ: “More to the point, Obama’s legacy is the sort that gets canonized. Because the first rule of Hall of Fame-dom: The times have to suck for the president not to. Civil wars, World Wars, depressions, and recessions. You got to have ’em if you wanna be great. That’s why we rate the Washingtons, Lincolns, and Roosevelts over That Fat Guy with the Walrus Mustache. Like Obama, these Great Men were dealt sucky hands, won big, and left the country better off than it was before.”

Agent Orange simply cannot undo all of these. If he makes things as bad as I fear he will, it’ll be laid at the table of AO. More nukes to make us safer? No need for government research? Anti-everything people heading Cabinet departments? The contrast will be so astounding that this will make Obama look REALLY good.

AND once Barack Obama is out of office, “I’m gonna stop being polite and start getting real.” He’s not finished yet. So if the Republicans use their guide to screwing the working class, it won’t go unopposed.

Farewell, Michelle Obama

There’s no one as Irish as Barack OBama- Corrigan Brothers

SNL’s Proud, Poignant Rap Tribute ‘Jingle Barack’

A for Are You Experienced -Jimi Hendrix Experience

American compilers often choose the singles to be included on the album, whereas the British saw the single and the album as separate entities.

I have the American version of the Jimi Hendrix Experience debut album, Are You Experienced, on vinyl, but it’s difficult to get to in the house. So I went to the public library and borrowed the CD, which has 17 songs, rather than the 11 on my LP. Not that all the other songs were unfamiliar.

What I’ve long known about the Beatles and Rolling Stones and Donovan and many other artists was also true of Hendrix. The US and UK versions were very different, even when the titles were the same. The picture at the top of the page was only vaguely familiar, but it is the original UK cover, which Hendrix didn’t particularly like. Note that the band’s name does not even appear.

Links are to music, but not every song is represented.

The UK/international version, released May 12, 1967, included:

Side one
1. “Foxy Lady” 3:22
2. “Manic Depression” 3:46
3. “Red House” 3:44
4. “Can You See Me” 2:35
5. “Love or Confusion” 3:17
6. “I Don’t Live Today” 3:58
Side two
7. “May This Be Love” 3:14
8. “Fire” 2:47
9. “Third Stone from the Sun” 6:50
10. “Remember” 2:53
11. “Are You Experienced?” 4:17

The original North American edition, released August 23, 1967, dumped Red House, Can You See Me, and Remember in favor of the singles Hey Joe, Purple Haze, and The Wind Cries Mary, even though they weren’t hits in the US, initially. American compilers often choose the singles to be included on the album, whereas the British saw the single and the album as separate entities.

Notice that even the same songs are slightly shorter on the American iteration. Hendrix liked this psychedelic cover far more.

Side one
1. “Purple Haze” 2:46
2. “Manic Depression” 3:46
3. “Hey Joe” (Billy Roberts) 3:23
4. “Love or Confusion” 3:15
5. “May This Be Love” 3:14
6. “I Don’t Live Today” 3:55
Side two
7. “The Wind Cries Mary” 3:21
8. “Fire” 2:34
9. “Third Stone from the Sun” 6:40
10. “Foxy Lady” 3:15
11. “Are You Experienced?” 3:55

Also on the CD are the B-sides of the UK singles Stone Free (Hey Joe), 51st Anniversary (Purple Haze), and Highway Chile (The Wind Cries Mary).

In any configuration, Are You Experienced is considered one of the best debut albums of all time.

ABC Wednesday – Round 20

The landlord who stole Christmas

The result is than Don was living in a hotel room, at his own expense, for several days.

Don’t you hate it when you go away for the holidays, and you come back to a disaster? That’s what happened to Don Levy of Albany. I don’t know Don personally, though I did see him once in a Rite Aid downtown, but we are friends on Facebook.

Returning on the Greyhound from his mom’s house the Tuesday after Christmas, he found a note from his landlord, NGB Management, that they had changed the lock to his apartment. He had to wait well over an hour to receive new keys. He realized SOMETHING was when he saw a board nailed onto the wall, as shown in this photo he took.

Don, who works for the NYC Comptroller’s office, was told there had been a fire in the apartment next door on Christmas morning, and the fire department had to shut off the electricity to both apartments. He was informed that the fire department deemed his place uninhabitable, though he had no smoke damage.

The place was admittedly messy; Don had suffered a cold the week before, but it was subsequently cleaned up by him and his friends.

The problem now is that the landlord claims that the fire department has to inspect the apartment before they can turn on the power. Conversely, the fire department tells him, logically, that it’s the landlord’s responsibility to get the power turned on. National Grid says the same way thing. He waits, increasingly impatiently, for the landlord to do his job.

The result is that Don was living in a hotel room, at his own expense, for several days, before finding friends to crash with. He is currently weighing his legal options as well as looking for another apartment.

Don is appreciative of folks such as Sean McLaughlin and Richard LaJoy, who have helped him out. But he is anxious to be in his own place again.

I hope he at least gets some fodder for his writings. Don Levy is a local poet who also writes a book blog for Albany Poets.