Roger O Green

Sunday Stealing: COVID edition

Yo-yo

Back in 2008-2011, I used to purloin quizzes for this blog from something called Sunday Stealing. I recently discovered that the site still exists.

And while there were some repetitive questions in the day, I obviously never did any COVID-related ones. Until now. There were actually three quizzes in 2020. While some are going to be dated, I thought I’d answer some of them. The first few are from March 2020.

2. How are you feeling about the Coronavirus?
As though God has a warped sense of humor.

5. Have you changed any of your personal habits due to the pandemic?
Until recently, I saw almost no one.

7. Do you think our politicians are doing enough to curb the crisis?
While I think the current ones are trying, the mixed results of the recent mask mandate rules are oddly unsatisfying. I’m good at being outdoors without a mask, but I’m not feeling comfortable in stores, even if the stores don’t require them.

8. Have you stockpiled anything because of the crisis?
No, and other people’s hoarding made me rather… grumpy.

13. Have any of your plans been upset by the outbreak?
Most of them.

16. Has the Coronavirus upset your mental health in any way?
Undoubtedly, in almost every way. I’m still not singing in the choir, e.g.

April 2020

1 – What is something you are doing due to the pandemic that you normally don’t do? After the pandemic will you continue to do this?
Possibly ZOOM with my sisters. They’re in NC and CA.

3- What is one of the first things you will do when the pandemic is over?
Even before it was all over, I went out to eat on April 6, after my second shot, with my friends Carol, Karen, Bill, and Michael. The former three I’ve known since kindergarten. And in a restaurant rather than takeout. I mean it was technically outdoors, but it had an overhang, so it FELT like indoors.

December 2020

1. Day 1 of serious isolation behavior.
Not going to church was huge.

2. First trip you had to cancel.
I was about to meet my friend, the aforementioned Carol (not to be confused with my spouse) in Binghamton in late March 2020. She was going to visit her mom. I was going to do research on my grandmother Agatha. That blew up. I’m planning to try again in September 2021.

3. Other trips canceled.
Uthaclena and I were going to see a concert with members of Jefferson Airplane and other related groups.

4. Last trip out of town before isolation.
Is Schenectady out of town? Then going to Proctors, but then staying overnight in January 2020.

5. Farthest from home since isolation.
Oneonta, my MIL’s house, about 70 miles.

6. Last Meal sitting in a restaurant before Isolation.
Almost certainly on Valentine’s Day, Sam’s Italian Restaurant?

7. How many books have you read?
Not many. A couple of graphic novels, We Return Fighting. Lots of magazines that had been accumulating.

8. First event you didn’t attend due to virus.
See above.

9. Date and event of last over 200-person event.
See next.

10. Last live music event. Cheap Trick, February 7. Unless you count the kids doing Once on this Island on March 8.

11. Things you are eating more of since isolation.
Wheat Thins.

12. Things you are eating less of since isolation.
Nothing.

13. What restaurants have you gotten take-out meals from?
Subway, all of the restaurants on the last block of Madison Ave, mostly pizza, Indian food, and bar food. Also Sam’s Italian, Caffe Italia.

Also

14. Have you found yourself bored in isolation?
Not bored. Never bored. But frustrated and depressed.

15. Have you gained or lost weight?
Yes. Yo-yo.

16. Do you drink alcohol?
Occasionally.

17. If so, more or less in isolation?
Although the IDEA of getting a little (or a lot) drunk was appealing in theory, it just didn’t happen. Some breakers in the psyche are still working.

18. What entertainments have you explored?
Movies online. Inferior to in-person, but that was the option at the time.

19. Gotten into anything new?
Not really.

20. Have you done crosswords? Board games? Jigsaw puzzles?
No, yes, no. But this was true pre-COVID.

21. Have you cleaned out some cabinet, drawer, closet, etc. thoroughly?
A few.

22. Are you spending about the same amount of money?
Generally less.

23. Done Zoom, Facetime, etc. meetups?
WAY too often.

24. Had a social occasion with a small group of people you consider safe?
There were a couple of people on my front porch last fall, distanced and usually masked.

25. Did you vote? In-Person? On Election Day?
Always. Yes. No, early.

Movie review: Quo Vadis, Aida?

Bosnian war

Quo Vadis, Aida? is a film nominated as the best in the International Feature Film category. It was the entry from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Jasmila Zbanic is the writer, director, and co-producer. The film is mostly in Serbo-Croatian and is subtitled.

The movie is based on true events in July 1995. We see the commander of the local United Nations brigade in Bosnia calling the chain of command. Where are the airstrikes to stem the invasion by the Serbian army? It becomes clear to all involved, including the local translator, Aida (Jasna Đuričić), that no air support is forthcoming.

The Serbian army takes over Srebrenica. Thousands of citizens are looking for shelter in the UN camp. Its capacity is maybe 4000, leaving a sea of 20,000 outside of its gates.

Negotiations take place among the Serbian army leaders, the UN peacekeepers (mostly Dutch), and a handful of local representatives. But the talks are, as it turns out, largely for show. Then we see the UN bureaucracy deal with the invading force, or try, violating its own rules.

Tense

Quo Vadis, the title of a 1951 film, means Where are you marching? And that is most applicable of Quo Vadis, Aida? Every one of the 54 reviews in Rotten Tomatoes was positive, as well as 88% of the general audience. It is a taut thriller, with Aida feeling frustrated that, even as an “insider,” she’s very limited in terms of what she can accomplish.

Anna Swanson of the Globe and Mail writes: “Refreshingly, this is a war drama that doesn’t hinge on indulgent or shameless violence. Instead, it focuses on the heart-wrenching devastation of more offhand cruelties.”

This is a few days during a war that took place in my lifetime that I know too little about. The fine acting, especially by Jasna Đuričić, and the excellent direction and editing make this an important, albeit sad, movie. I viewed this on Hulu.

Planning the funeral of Dick Powell

The late Dick Powell, me, the late Les Green

His family held the funeral for my father-in-law, Dick Powell on May 22, 2021. It was precisely 13 months after he died. Ah, death in the time of COVID, even non-COVID-related death.

The planning meetings, of course, were on ZOOM among my MIL, one of her sons and his family, my wife, my MIL’s pastor, and me. Dick had jotted down notes in his own hand from months before he got sick. His specific plans involved his four grandkids singing a specific song together, but that was requested pre-pandemic. The choir recorded the song, remotely, and other hymns as well.

Who’s going to read the Scriptures? I volunteered for Ecclesiates 3:1-8. Blame Pete Seeger, or maybe Roger McGuinn. Others selected Psalm 23 and 1 Corinthians 13.

Who’ll speak? Someone from his church, a few people from the extended family, and a few from the immediate family. My wife would certainly cite her favorite scripture, Micah 6:8, which is a motto of Dick’s church, “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

At the end of the service, there was a committal to the columbarium, a word I’m certain I’ve never written before in my life.

The immediate family mentioned, plus my daughter was at the church in person with the pastor, the organist at a distance, and one techie, likewise remote, and all fully vaccinated. Everyone else – the church members, the rest of the friends and family – was invited to participate via ZOOM.

The obit

Meanwhile, one family member had worked on the obituary for Dick Powell. If you think writing it a year after someone’s death would be easier, you might be thinking incorrectly. Noting all of his activities and accomplishments had the effect of dredging up some of the feelings of loss, but also of pride.

There are many schools of thought about what’s appropriate content in an obit. Having read thousands – I love a good one – I’m rather non-prescriptive about them. Except that I do like the listing of the familial connections, which will be useful for future generations of genealogists.

In general, waiting to hold the funeral and write the obit a year later than normal created a case of dolore interrumpitur, grief interrupted. And that was undoubtedly enhanced by a certain family estrangement; I shan’t dwell upon that here.

Arthur wrote regarding the death of his husband a year and a half ago. It is pretty much what I realized some months after my father’s death over 20 years ago. “The thing about profound grief is that it’s not linear, and it has no timeline. How many times have I said that now?” Not linear; I’ve said that a LOT.

Dick Powell would have been 85 today.

Composer Hal David would have been 100

About 700 songs

Here’s a list of the songs written by Hal David. Keep reading; it’s very long. While many of them were written with Burt Bacharach, a number of them were not.

As I noted when he died back in 2012, he was far less well-known than his regular writing partner. While I surely recognize the importance of the music, without the lyricist, they’re just a bunch of pretty tunes lacking the resonance of the core message of the songs.

Some of his accomplishments, too many to list:

Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, which was in the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, garnered an Oscar. What’s New Pussycat, Alfie, and The Look of Love received Oscar nominations.

He garnered numerous Grammys. Don’t Make Me Over, Close to You, and Walk on By are all in the Grammy Hall of Fame. He had 40 top 10 songs.

Hal was elected to the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. His work is quoted in “Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations,” and the book of his lyrics, entitled “What the World Needs Now and Other Love Lyrics” was published by Simon and Schuster.

I didn’t link to the same tracks that I used in 2012. And I’ve made an attempt to avoid selecting Dionne Warwick, who I love, on every other cut, though she’s likely recorded half of these songs.

Records that chart on the major Billboard charts in the 1960s are indicated.

Songs

24 Hours from Tulsa – Dusty Springfield

A House Is Not a Home – Ella Fitzgerald
Alfie – Nancy Wilson
(There’s) Always Something There To Remind Me – Sandie Shaw, #52 pop in 1965
American Beauty Rose – Frank Sinatra (Hal David/Redd Evans/Arthur Altman)
Anyone Who Had a Heart – Linda Ronstadt
The April Fools – Dionne Warwick, #8 adult contemporary, #33 RB, #37 pop in 1969

Blue on Blue – Bobby Vinton, #2 AC for three weeks, #3 pop in 1963

Do You Know the Way to San Jose – Neil Diamond
Don’t Make Me Over – Sybil

I Say A Little Prayer – the Overtones
It Was Almost Like a Song – Ronnie Milsap (Hal David/Archie Jordan)

Johnny Get Angry – Joanie Sommers (Sherman Edwards/Hal David), #7 pop in 1962; you don’t hear kazoo nearly enough

(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valence – Gene Pitney, #4 pop in 1962
The Look of Love – Diana Krall

Magic Moments – Perry Como
Make It Easy on Yourself – Jerry Butler, #18 RB, #20 pop in 1962

More songs

Message to Michael – the Marvelettes
My Heart is an Open Book – Dean Martin (Lee Pockriss/Hal David)

One Less Bell To Answer/A House Is Not A Home – Barbra Streisand

Promises, Promises – Dionne Warwick, #7 AC, #19 pop, #47 RB in 1968

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head – Izzie Naylor
Reach Out for Me – Lou Johnson, #31 RB, #74 pop in 1963

This Guy’s in Love with You – Oasis
To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before – Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson (Hal David, Albert Hammond)
Trains and Boats and Planes – the Box Tops

Walk on By – the Beach Boys
What the World Needs Now (Is Love) – Broadway for Orlando, “an all-star group of artists from the theatre and pop world: Sara Bareilles, Idina Menzel, Audra McDonald, Gloria Estefan, Carole King, Sarah Jessica Parker, and many more.”
What’s New Pussycat – Tom Jones, #3 pop for two weeks in 1965
The Windows Of The World – The Pretenders
Wishin’ and Hopin’ – Ani DiFranco
Wives and Lovers – Jack Jones, #9AC in 1963, #14 pop in 1964

You’ll Never Get to Heaven (If you Break My Heart) – the Stylistics

Composer Hal David would have been 100 on May 25, 2021.

Former Senator Al Franken turns 70

liberal talk radio

Al Franken was a writer and featured performer on Saturday Night Live in 1977–1980, leaving when producer Lorne Michaels did. Michaels had recommended Franken to succeed him as the producer, but NBC president Fred Silverman said no, probably because of a Franken skit that insulted Fred personally.

Franken returned to SNL in 1986, then from 1988 to 1995. It was during that period that he did a running bit called “Daily Affirmations With Stuart Smalley.” It was a mock self-help show inspired by Franken attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

The skit series inspired a 1992 novel, titled after Smiley’s catchphrase, “I’m Good Enough, I’m Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!” I’ll admit to relating to that mantra, even if I wasn’t quite sure it was true of me.

Air America Radio was a talk radio network, with a liberal POV, trying (and largely failing) to counterprogram the conservative message. The Al Franken Show was the flagship talk program from 2004 to Valentine’s Day 2007. That was the day Franken announced his candidacy for the United States Senate for the state of Minnesota.

The 2008 Senate race between Franken and Republican incumbent Norm Coleman was incredibly close, each with 41.99% of the vote. After recounts and court rulings, Franken wasn’t sworn in until July 7, 2009. The Minnesota senator had a progressive voting record and was reelected with 53.9% of the vote in 2014.

The allegations

Some sexual misconduct allegations were made against Franken in 2017. One famous photo from before he was in public office he apologized for, and the subject, a fellow comedian, accepted that. Nevertheless, the Senate Ethics Committee announced on November 30 it was “investigating allegations against him.” Some liberal groups and commentators… called on Franken to resign.”

As other accusations surfaced, “more than two dozen Democratic senators, led by New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, called on Franken to resign before the ethics committee could review the allegations.

“Although Franken had asked to be allowed to appear before the Senate Ethics Committee to give his side of the story, on December 6 Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told him he had to announce his resignation by five o’clock or he could be censured and stripped of committee assignments. On December 7, Franken announced his intention to resign his Senate seat. He called some of the accusations ‘simply not true’ and said he remembered others ‘very differently.'”

I do wish he had gotten the hearing he was due, and not just for his sake. Many people believed that Gillibrand, who I’ve voted for multiple times and would select again, was working to get rid of a potential rival for the 2020 Democratic nomination for President.

I don’t buy the notion that she was that calculating. She’s long been a staunch advocate for ridding sexual harassment and assault in the military and might be getting some traction in 2021. Nevertheless, I was convinced early on that she had zero chance of obtaining her party’s support for a White House run in 2020.

Aftermath

In 2019, New Yorker journalist Jane Mayer documented substantial inaccuracies in allegations by conservative talk-radio host Leeann Tweeden. “Seven former or current senators who called for Franken’s resignation in 2017 told Mayer they regretted doing so.”

Here is the Al Franken website, which leads to his podcast (over 110 episodes) and “other stuff.” As he puts it: “A five-time Emmy-winning SNL comedy writer/producer, joins a four-time #1 NYT bestselling author, a three-time highest-rated national progressive radio host, a two-time Grammy-winning artist, and a former US Senator. So, it gets a little crowded in the booth when Al talks about public policy and sometimes political comedy with notable guests. Think ‘The Daily’ without the resources of the NYTimes.”