The Time War. It has hung over the new series of Doctor Who. It meant the seeming end of two almost godlike species, whose power made the universe shudder. But the seeds and early shots of the war go back to the very earliest days of Doctor Who, in 1963.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Friday, November 22, 2013
50 Years of Doctor Who - Remembrance of the Daleks - Talking to the Hand
For a final episode to look back to, for the 50th Anniversary, I decided I wanted to look at the 1988 Remembrance of the Daleks. You may wonder why. Well, first, it's a favorite of mine (But I have a love for most all of the 7th Doctor era.). Second, it's the episode that was meant to celebrate the 25th Anniversary, the halfway point to this year's anniversary. Yeah, it's been that long.
JFK Theorizing - 50 Years of Conspiracy
It's been 50 years since a President of the United States was killed in office. Assassinated. And from that moment myths became set in stone. The legend of a new Camelot. The story of an age of renewed optimism quashed. And, the theories about that day started fomenting.
People quickly declared, there's a hidden truth in Dallas. But it's only natural. When powerful people are killed, it seems too asymmetric that their deaths could just be happenstance.
Still, in every other assassination, or attempted assassination, of an American president any talk of conspiracy died down. But with President Kennedy, it persists. In fact, 60% of Americans today think that there is more to the assassination then we know.
It may be that the question is worded so loosely that it increases the final percentage. But overall many Americans still hold to the idea that some group put a plan in motion to kill the president. We can't seem to escape the conspiracy.
The trouble with any talk about a conspiracy here is that no evidence exist to confirm such a plot. There are anomalies to be spun into insinuation. There are coincidences that can be made into damning truths. There are minor facts that can be reborn as revelations. But when all of this can explained away with "the official story", you have to make a leap of faith into conspiracy.
If you want, you can go online, or into any bar and hear a long diatribe about the who's and why's of the assassination. But you can also here a similar diatribe about the World Trade Center destruction, the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the secret truth of President Barack Hussein Obama. None of it means anything. Ir can sound really good. But it lacks the ability to withstand scrutiny.
And that makes the conspiracy all the truer. The heft of facts only hamper conspiracy.
And people are drawn to a good conspiracy. It fills some void in our lives. It balances out life. It all makes sense. Why is the economy struggling? A conspiracy. Why can't I get a job? A conspiracy. Why is the president dead? A conspiracy.
...Because how could a president die on the whim of some loser? It must be bigger. Grander. It's an exciting flight of fantasy.
People embrace the idea that some force was at work, and still is at work, against them. Hiding a secret history. Killing great men. Holding them back.
Not to say conspiracies don't happen. A conspiracy of Southern sympathizers was behind President Lincoln's death. The World Trade Center was destroyed by a conspiracy, set out by a terrorist group. It can all be quite real. And we know about these conspiracies because there was evidence of them to recover and learn about.
But when a conspiracy can't be shown to have substance, it isn't real. (If evidence, real evidence, emerges, that will change things.) So when people grab on and get lost in a phantom conspiracy, it is disconcerting to watch.
I remember that I used to listen to a podcast about the paranormal and conspiratorial. It was a fun show. They joked and enjoyed stories about ghost, mysteries, and aliens. No solid evidence was offered, but it proved a pleasant listen. It was affable.
But one anniversary of the Kennedy Assassination, they did a show about a particular CIA agent tied to conspiracy stories about Dallas. And the whole show was an angry diatribe. Now, being a CIA agent in the 60's, I can believe this guy was tied to plenty of shady operations around the world. But why would I think he killed the president? Because someone says they saw him in Dallas, despite evidence saying he wasn't there?
But that didn't matter to this podcaster, who talked about him being a monster. And it was all based on insinuation, assumption, and the need to place the blame for the presidents death on some greater force. He was raging against a crime that happen more than a decade before he was born. It's more myth to him, and most of us these days.
And for me the trouble is that I can't distinguish any of this from people talking about grey alien conspiracies. They all have the same amount of supporting evidence.
And even if we want to talk about some coherent claim, we don't have that.
Who had killed Kennedy: (Pick one or more.)
You can find SO MANY theories. Everyone is the secret super villain/mastermind. Johnson plotted to kill him. Hoover plotted to kill him. Castro plotted to kill him. How does this all fit together, as each adherent believes their version of history is the most solid and well supported. It's a mess. And, no, they couldn't have come together to plot Kennedy's demise. Life is NOT Murder on the Orient Express!
That's how conspiracy works. You plug in your favorite Boogeyman to bring it alive. It's like how the Anti-Christ gets recast every few years (Hitler -> Castro -> Khomeini -> Gaddafi -> Hussein -> Bill Clinton -> Oprah -> Hillary Clinton -> Obama). Is it the Mafia in the Dining Room? Khrushchev in the Library?
And who actually killed the president? Oddly, anyone, but Oswald. It's odd. You could potentially argue for a plot against the president. (Even as meager as the evidence is.) And tied to the man tied to the weapon, it could make some sense. The idea that Oswald was used and manipulated to kill? Could make sense to some.
But no. He's just a patsy. You can't blame him. He wasn't there. It wasn't his gun. The shots came from somewhere else. ...Yet the evidence says none of this is true. It says he had the means and opportunity to do it. it says he was there. And it says he already had a history of attempted assassinations.
But that doesn't matter. It can't be him. (Heck. There is a strain of conspiracy theory where The Driver Of The Car turned and shot Kennedy...Yeah.)
Now if you are interested in getting to understand this man, you can look at the Frontline show on him. Yes. We shouldn't focus on killers. But conspiracists have made misinformation about this man such a centerpiece of their ideas that we end up needing to look at him, to see passed the myths others have replaced him with. Then we can get back to forgetting him.
Oswald was a pathetic figure. He wanted to be something. The greatest traitor for the Soviets. The greatest ally of Cuba. The man who killed that one general. He wanted to be someone.
And then he saw his chance for history, and took it. It's both human and twisted. It's small and earthshaking/
But that doesn't matter. It doesn't fit "the theory".
From that day 50 years ago we've had bad information. I was watching Jim Lehrer on All In with Chris Hayes last night. He talked about how frantic that day was. He was hearing stories about secret servicemen shot, and reported it. But it proved wrong.
There was a frantic effort, to save the president. People were running to and fro looking for the assassin. It was messy. But life can be messy. People were flooded by a mix of data. But over years we've strained away the extraneous. We've pushed away the unfounded claims. (Examples of bogus evidence. The dubious eyewitnesses on the street. A look at the claims about the medical evidence.) And the result is the story of Oswald taking advantage of the news coverage of the president's motorcade path to plot murder.
But pop culture hasn't liked this. It's not dramatic enough.
So we've gotten books and movies telling us "the facts". How the shadowy figures plotted and drew Kennedy to his tragic death. You have movies like JFK. And as so often happens with :"real life" movies, it's become history for many. But if you want to understand it's severe flaws, go here and here. This may be a good piece of fiction. But it's just fiction. Like the movie 300, Shakespeare in Love, Gladiator, or Braveheart.
But the damage JFK can do is done. It's a matter now of standing up for evidence and empiricism.
And if you want to learn more about the actual facts of November 23rd, 1963, here's the documentary useful documentary from 2003.
And, yes, seeing as I agree with this documentary I am:
People quickly declared, there's a hidden truth in Dallas. But it's only natural. When powerful people are killed, it seems too asymmetric that their deaths could just be happenstance.
 |
| 1964 magazine memorializing President Kennedy |
It may be that the question is worded so loosely that it increases the final percentage. But overall many Americans still hold to the idea that some group put a plan in motion to kill the president. We can't seem to escape the conspiracy.
The trouble with any talk about a conspiracy here is that no evidence exist to confirm such a plot. There are anomalies to be spun into insinuation. There are coincidences that can be made into damning truths. There are minor facts that can be reborn as revelations. But when all of this can explained away with "the official story", you have to make a leap of faith into conspiracy.
If you want, you can go online, or into any bar and hear a long diatribe about the who's and why's of the assassination. But you can also here a similar diatribe about the World Trade Center destruction, the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the secret truth of President Barack Hussein Obama. None of it means anything. Ir can sound really good. But it lacks the ability to withstand scrutiny.
And that makes the conspiracy all the truer. The heft of facts only hamper conspiracy.
And people are drawn to a good conspiracy. It fills some void in our lives. It balances out life. It all makes sense. Why is the economy struggling? A conspiracy. Why can't I get a job? A conspiracy. Why is the president dead? A conspiracy.
...Because how could a president die on the whim of some loser? It must be bigger. Grander. It's an exciting flight of fantasy.
People embrace the idea that some force was at work, and still is at work, against them. Hiding a secret history. Killing great men. Holding them back.
Not to say conspiracies don't happen. A conspiracy of Southern sympathizers was behind President Lincoln's death. The World Trade Center was destroyed by a conspiracy, set out by a terrorist group. It can all be quite real. And we know about these conspiracies because there was evidence of them to recover and learn about.
But when a conspiracy can't be shown to have substance, it isn't real. (If evidence, real evidence, emerges, that will change things.) So when people grab on and get lost in a phantom conspiracy, it is disconcerting to watch.
I remember that I used to listen to a podcast about the paranormal and conspiratorial. It was a fun show. They joked and enjoyed stories about ghost, mysteries, and aliens. No solid evidence was offered, but it proved a pleasant listen. It was affable.
But one anniversary of the Kennedy Assassination, they did a show about a particular CIA agent tied to conspiracy stories about Dallas. And the whole show was an angry diatribe. Now, being a CIA agent in the 60's, I can believe this guy was tied to plenty of shady operations around the world. But why would I think he killed the president? Because someone says they saw him in Dallas, despite evidence saying he wasn't there?
But that didn't matter to this podcaster, who talked about him being a monster. And it was all based on insinuation, assumption, and the need to place the blame for the presidents death on some greater force. He was raging against a crime that happen more than a decade before he was born. It's more myth to him, and most of us these days.
And for me the trouble is that I can't distinguish any of this from people talking about grey alien conspiracies. They all have the same amount of supporting evidence.
And even if we want to talk about some coherent claim, we don't have that.
Who had killed Kennedy: (Pick one or more.)
- CIA
- Cuba
- Cuban Exiles
- FBI
- Federal Reserve
- First Lady
- George H.W. Bush
- Joe DiMaggio
- Joseph Kennedy
- KKK
- Mafia
- Military-Industrial Complex
- Pentagon
- Richard Nixon
- Secret Service
- Soviet Union
- The Smoking Man
- Vice President
- Zionist
- Other
You can find SO MANY theories. Everyone is the secret super villain/mastermind. Johnson plotted to kill him. Hoover plotted to kill him. Castro plotted to kill him. How does this all fit together, as each adherent believes their version of history is the most solid and well supported. It's a mess. And, no, they couldn't have come together to plot Kennedy's demise. Life is NOT Murder on the Orient Express!
That's how conspiracy works. You plug in your favorite Boogeyman to bring it alive. It's like how the Anti-Christ gets recast every few years (Hitler -> Castro -> Khomeini -> Gaddafi -> Hussein -> Bill Clinton -> Oprah -> Hillary Clinton -> Obama). Is it the Mafia in the Dining Room? Khrushchev in the Library?
And who actually killed the president? Oddly, anyone, but Oswald. It's odd. You could potentially argue for a plot against the president. (Even as meager as the evidence is.) And tied to the man tied to the weapon, it could make some sense. The idea that Oswald was used and manipulated to kill? Could make sense to some.
But no. He's just a patsy. You can't blame him. He wasn't there. It wasn't his gun. The shots came from somewhere else. ...Yet the evidence says none of this is true. It says he had the means and opportunity to do it. it says he was there. And it says he already had a history of attempted assassinations.
But that doesn't matter. It can't be him. (Heck. There is a strain of conspiracy theory where The Driver Of The Car turned and shot Kennedy...Yeah.)
Now if you are interested in getting to understand this man, you can look at the Frontline show on him. Yes. We shouldn't focus on killers. But conspiracists have made misinformation about this man such a centerpiece of their ideas that we end up needing to look at him, to see passed the myths others have replaced him with. Then we can get back to forgetting him.
And then he saw his chance for history, and took it. It's both human and twisted. It's small and earthshaking/
But that doesn't matter. It doesn't fit "the theory".
From that day 50 years ago we've had bad information. I was watching Jim Lehrer on All In with Chris Hayes last night. He talked about how frantic that day was. He was hearing stories about secret servicemen shot, and reported it. But it proved wrong.
There was a frantic effort, to save the president. People were running to and fro looking for the assassin. It was messy. But life can be messy. People were flooded by a mix of data. But over years we've strained away the extraneous. We've pushed away the unfounded claims. (Examples of bogus evidence. The dubious eyewitnesses on the street. A look at the claims about the medical evidence.) And the result is the story of Oswald taking advantage of the news coverage of the president's motorcade path to plot murder.
But pop culture hasn't liked this. It's not dramatic enough.
So we've gotten books and movies telling us "the facts". How the shadowy figures plotted and drew Kennedy to his tragic death. You have movies like JFK. And as so often happens with :"real life" movies, it's become history for many. But if you want to understand it's severe flaws, go here and here. This may be a good piece of fiction. But it's just fiction. Like the movie 300, Shakespeare in Love, Gladiator, or Braveheart.
But the damage JFK can do is done. It's a matter now of standing up for evidence and empiricism.
And if you want to learn more about the actual facts of November 23rd, 1963, here's the documentary useful documentary from 2003.
- Part of the conspiracy.
- A sheep.
- Drinking the Kool Aid
- Need to wake up!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
50 Years of Doctor Who, The Five Doctors - Or is it three? Two? Four? *UPDATED*
Old companions would go. New companions would join up. Old Doctors would fall. New Doctors would arise. It was a process. One that would go on for decades. Leading us to the 20th year the show was on the air. 1983.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
50 Years of Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child - In the Beginning
Now that we're introduced to Doctor Who, let's look how it all started, with "An Unearthly Child".
Now, I won't be looking at all the parts of the story, rather focusing on the first episode, in which we are introduced to the characters and the TARDIS. I hope you won't mind, and take it as an excuse to check this first full story out. See how they all survive a brush with the Stone Age.
Now, I won't be looking at all the parts of the story, rather focusing on the first episode, in which we are introduced to the characters and the TARDIS. I hope you won't mind, and take it as an excuse to check this first full story out. See how they all survive a brush with the Stone Age.
50 Years of Doctor Who, An Introduction
It’s finally upon us.
The anniversary week of Doctor
Who. 50 years. That’s quite a legacy.
 |
| Doctor Who - "An Unearthly Child" |
But I am conflicted about whether I should take the time now
to introduce the show? It’s been 50 years. Can I explain that? Should I try?
Well, I would like to write a little on the anniversary, so maybe I should.
So let’s just introduce some of the basics of what we are
talking about when fans bring up Doctor
Who.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Sleepy Hollow Review - Episode 7 - The Midnight Ride - "Thomas Jefferson, that bastard!"
Well, hello there. Another week is passing, and we are almost to the next episode, so I suppose I should get this review out? Heck, as it is I am tempted to look at Almost Human this week. So I better get be sure everyone is up to date on Sleepy Hollow,so no one is behind on beheadings, flashbacks, and Abbie for the coming weeks.
Following on last week, it finally is time for the Horseman to strike Sleepy Hollow. But first, a flashback. What will we see this week? Betsy Ross designing a flag with a secret message? Francis Scott Key's secret involvement with the Revolution? Ah...
Paul Revere.
But, first, what is to come? Finally after the build up of the last two episodes, we finally get our face off of our heroes and the Horseman. It has been a long time in coming (6 episodes to be exact), but it is appreciated.
Through this episode the tension winds up as they try and find the answer to the problem of a Horseman with no head. And when they do have their plan, it will be fun to see them prep it, and then implement it. It makes for a merry and fun chase.
The episode also finally allows movement for a number of characters that have been kept in a holding pattern, some have moved one step forward, others have gotten a lot further. If these characters were going to have a real point, it needed to happen, and I am happy to see their progress.
Overall, by the end of the episode it seems our heroes have reached a turning point. They lept an obstacle they doubted they could master. They've had a great victory. It is only a question now, of what they may yet have to pay for it.
Following on last week, it finally is time for the Horseman to strike Sleepy Hollow. But first, a flashback. What will we see this week? Betsy Ross designing a flag with a secret message? Francis Scott Key's secret involvement with the Revolution? Ah...
Paul Revere.
 |
| Oh yeah? I think it's funny. |
Through this episode the tension winds up as they try and find the answer to the problem of a Horseman with no head. And when they do have their plan, it will be fun to see them prep it, and then implement it. It makes for a merry and fun chase.
The episode also finally allows movement for a number of characters that have been kept in a holding pattern, some have moved one step forward, others have gotten a lot further. If these characters were going to have a real point, it needed to happen, and I am happy to see their progress.
Overall, by the end of the episode it seems our heroes have reached a turning point. They lept an obstacle they doubted they could master. They've had a great victory. It is only a question now, of what they may yet have to pay for it.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Trailers in Short: Superheroic Edition - Doctor Who, Captain America, Justice League, X-Men, Robocop, and...Maleficent? And something curious.
Time for some more trailers, and some more goodies. And let's look at what the heroes are up to.
Let's jump into the old TV time machine, and witness the birth of Doctor Who. See Captain America, the Justice League, and the X-Men strut there stuff. Get ready for Robocop to reboot, let's hope his OS isn't buggy.
But maybe we have room for some baddies as well. Could it be? Has Maleficent risen? And what really happen to Walter White?
Let's jump into the old TV time machine, and witness the birth of Doctor Who. See Captain America, the Justice League, and the X-Men strut there stuff. Get ready for Robocop to reboot, let's hope his OS isn't buggy.
But maybe we have room for some baddies as well. Could it be? Has Maleficent risen? And what really happen to Walter White?
The Horror Of...House (1986)
As promised, we return to horror this week, and look at veterans, family, and home...Well, a house. And what's a better house than one that wants to kill you? (...I suddenly have a craving to watch Monster House.)So, I thought I should visit a haunted house...But it ended up only being haunted by my personal demons...So depressing...
What isn't depressing though is the curious 1986 movie, House. Sure it has a name that might make you either think you're watching the weirdest prequel to a certain Hugh Laurie show, or, the name it self could be so benign sounding you may just keep forgetting you've heard of it. But it was the age of the one word horror movie titles. Jaws. Christine. Cujo. Halloween. Carrie. Alien. Poltergeist. Hellraiser. Gremlins...You get my point. Trouble is, House...It's just not like the others. At least add a definite article.
Luckily the movie is better than it's title.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
DOCTOR WHO: Before The Day Can Come, The Night of the Doctor Must Fall
We still are waiting for the 50th anniversary event of Doctor Who. It is more than a week away still.
But that doesn't mean there aren't sights to see! Pictures of the show are being released. The trailers are coming out. And...we have a short movie, acting as a prelude to the anniversary.
And it's a prelude that brings back an old face you may have assumed you'd never see again.
Squee! So much nostalgia in this opening to our anniversary!
We return to Karn. We return to the Sisters of the Flame. And, we return to the Time War. The horrible war that destroys all.
But better than all of this we return to the 8th Doctor (played still by Paul McGann). It was a pleasant sight. I had assumed we'd be taken to Matt Smith or John Hurt's Doctors. But no. We go back to the moment things start happening going wrong (Or darkly.). The Doctor, as a Timelord, is feared and hated. And the Doctor has tried to avoid a war he can't bare. But he can no longer stand aside, the outsider.
And I like how they bothered to tie him into his audio book adventures!!!
____
For those that don't follow that stuff, Big Finish, a producer of a wide array of audio books, has for years been producing audio adventures. It's been going on since well before the return of Doctor Who to TV. They have also regularly turned to the voice work of the people that played the Doctor, and other cast from the show.
Among their stories produced have been the continuing adventures of the 8th Doctor. He'd last been seen in a FOX TV movie back in 1996. It went nowhere, and he was gone. But Big Finish gave us him back. And along the way he made friends and gained new companions.
And, in the short above, before he changes, he gives them all a shout out in remembrance. It was great to see. The short also ties in his changed look and added sonic screwdriver, further cementing the Big Finish stories into the Doctor Who universe. (Whether you like it, or not.)
____
After all of this time we finally get to see how McGann's Doctor meets him end. Not the most grand death. But he wasn't conked on the head or gun down by a gang either. He was trying to save a life that he learns feared him more than eminent death. It's a little tragic. And it sets him on his path to change.
Also, it's interesting to see that when he becomes John Hurt's Doctor (the War Doctor), he is young. How long on bloody will his Doctor's era be. (Granted we won't see most all of it...Unless they start putting out Big Finish audios and/or BBC books.)
But that doesn't mean there aren't sights to see! Pictures of the show are being released. The trailers are coming out. And...we have a short movie, acting as a prelude to the anniversary.
And it's a prelude that brings back an old face you may have assumed you'd never see again.
Squee! So much nostalgia in this opening to our anniversary!
We return to Karn. We return to the Sisters of the Flame. And, we return to the Time War. The horrible war that destroys all.
But better than all of this we return to the 8th Doctor (played still by Paul McGann). It was a pleasant sight. I had assumed we'd be taken to Matt Smith or John Hurt's Doctors. But no. We go back to the moment things start happening going wrong (Or darkly.). The Doctor, as a Timelord, is feared and hated. And the Doctor has tried to avoid a war he can't bare. But he can no longer stand aside, the outsider.And I like how they bothered to tie him into his audio book adventures!!!
____
For those that don't follow that stuff, Big Finish, a producer of a wide array of audio books, has for years been producing audio adventures. It's been going on since well before the return of Doctor Who to TV. They have also regularly turned to the voice work of the people that played the Doctor, and other cast from the show.
Among their stories produced have been the continuing adventures of the 8th Doctor. He'd last been seen in a FOX TV movie back in 1996. It went nowhere, and he was gone. But Big Finish gave us him back. And along the way he made friends and gained new companions.
____
After all of this time we finally get to see how McGann's Doctor meets him end. Not the most grand death. But he wasn't conked on the head or gun down by a gang either. He was trying to save a life that he learns feared him more than eminent death. It's a little tragic. And it sets him on his path to change.
Also, it's interesting to see that when he becomes John Hurt's Doctor (the War Doctor), he is young. How long on bloody will his Doctor's era be. (Granted we won't see most all of it...Unless they start putting out Big Finish audios and/or BBC books.)
Trailers in Short: Almost Human, The Day of the Doctor, and The Hobbit 2 (Plus Rifftrax Bonus)
Time for more trailers. Two new shows (Okay, one is a special.) and one new sequel. (Plus a mention of Rifftrax.) Thankfully, they are all good news, as I am actually looking forward to all of them.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Sleepy Hollow Review - Episode 6 - The Sin Eater - "Finally a diet I can get behind." *UPDATED*
After an extended break to Sleepy Hollow, for sport, we are back. And what awaits us in the newest episode of Sleepy Hollow? ...Oh! I almost don't want to know! So much is at stake. Will be be live? Will people undie? Will Ichabod get a new set of clothing?
Let's consider what we got.
The truth of the matter is that this episode does advance things. It introduces new players to the field. It also has Ichabod face his past and address actions that haunt him still.
But, like "Cousin Oliver" last time...I mean "John Doe", it touches on the show's themes. It touches on the looming apocalypse and how Ichabod was sent through time, continuing the revelations. And it opens up the spigots more. We now see how Ichabod chose to betray his king. We see how he met Katrina. We see how he became aware of the greater danger that was held in the American Revolution.
It was interesting. And for fans of the show, it takes you further into the show's mythology.
And that is appreciated. The episode also, finally, bring together the Mills sisters again. And while Jennifer is perfectly happy to poke and provoke Abbie some, it has become far less pointed, and far more sisterly.
And the Horseman is coming. Yeah, just like at the end of the previous episode, he's still coming. What? Did he get stuck in traffic? Well, it does seem now that he's more focused on his hunt. (And did one clip from next week almost have shades of The Terminator?)
As it is, I feel like this is part 1 of an unofficial two-parter. We will see how next week fits with this episode to judge it properly.
Let's consider what we got.
The truth of the matter is that this episode does advance things. It introduces new players to the field. It also has Ichabod face his past and address actions that haunt him still.
 |
| "Sir? How many horsemen am I holding up?" |
It was interesting. And for fans of the show, it takes you further into the show's mythology.
And that is appreciated. The episode also, finally, bring together the Mills sisters again. And while Jennifer is perfectly happy to poke and provoke Abbie some, it has become far less pointed, and far more sisterly.
And the Horseman is coming. Yeah, just like at the end of the previous episode, he's still coming. What? Did he get stuck in traffic? Well, it does seem now that he's more focused on his hunt. (And did one clip from next week almost have shades of The Terminator?)
As it is, I feel like this is part 1 of an unofficial two-parter. We will see how next week fits with this episode to judge it properly.
Who Cares for the American Veteran?
The trouble comes in when it's more in words than in action.
We sadly don't have the best history of supporting our armed forces outside of wars. We have been slow learners.
 |
| by Henry Alexander Ogden |
Then in the years after the Civil War veterans again found themselves in need of support. Again, veterans struggled to get aid. In states like New York, there were thousands of homeless veterans. The efforts to help veterans led to the formation of groups like the Grand Army of the Republic, which advocated for veterans. And these groups were needed, as it was a fight to get support. Though Lincoln did get support to form National Asylums for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. -- Also, Confederate veterans were not recognized by the federal government as veterans (But that's the kind of loaded issue you end up with when you have a civil war.).
Things did improve. During the later part of the 19th century some new laws went into place opening up aid to larger numbers of those veterans injured (the burden put on veterans to get help was lessened some). Also a general pension was created to act as a fund for future expansions of pension needs (i.e. future wars). In 1912 the Sherwood Act was passed. This allowed veterans of the Civil War and Mexican-American War to get pensions due to old age.
Then after World War I returning veterans found some aid in slowly expanded laws to help insure them for death. Also $60 discharge allowance was established. Other interest taken was to help rehabilitate and offer job training for veterans that were disabled.
Then when the Great Depression began, it hit veterans hard, a bonus was created. But it was meant to be paid slowly. Large sums of the money was paid in Certificates of Service, which would mature in 20 years. Veterans found they couldn't survive on it. So 10's of thousands began to march, and began what became known as the Bonus March, or the Bonus Army. They made their way to Washington DC, and then camped. Part of the reason they came was to rally for a bill that would have offered them bonuses to survive. This bills was defeated in Congress. After this, they decided to stay and make there presence and problems known.
There were questions of the health and safety in the camps. But in the camps a level of order was maintained. People needed to register. Those that registered needed to show that they had been honorably discharged from service. The ex-soldiers worked to keep order. And then they built sanitation facilities to try and keep things healthy.
But there was also a dislike of the fact they wouldn't leave and were creating bad publicity for the government. They weren't just dissipating as demanded. So President Hoover authorized General Douglas MacArthur to march on the camps with the 12th Infantry, the 3rd Cavalry, and 6 tanks (under the command of Major George Patton). First the cavalry charged the crowds. Then, firing tear gas into the encampment, the infantry entered, bayonets attached to their rifles. They drove out the veterans and their families (because this camp was full of women and children as well). In the process the camps were burned to the ground, and the property of the protesters was destroyed. (Dwight Eisenhower was MacArthur's aide at this time. He wrote the report on the incident for MacArthur.)
In the years that followed, Congress finally passed law to immediately authorize payment to veterans of World War I. And under the New Deal, many of the veterans found employment and support.
But it took a long road to get to the GI Bill. During the post WWI arguing over bonuses many said, that it was insulting to think you have to pay people to go to war. Apparently, it should be an honor to die or be traumatized for your country. Insulting. But this was the attitude.
Still, it became clear that just offering a small stipend to people who you ask to go fight, kill, and die for you is unacceptable. If we are going to have a military, if we are going to be at war, then the armed services and veterans are due the means to come home, reintegrate, and take a valued part in society.
So, now let's look at ipmacts that some think are acceptable for our service people today.
As we've seen this November, SNAP (food stamp) support has been cut. And additional cuts are being pushed in Congress. Add to this the contempt thrown at SNAP users, by conservatives in the United States, that aren't disabled or dare own things like air conditioning.The thing they are choosing to be oblivious of is that of those using SNAP, 5000 are active duty military with family. As well, up to 900,000 veterans are in need of SNAP in any given month. In discussing the impact earlier, we could see that families on SNAP were often struggling. And the new cuts are making things far rougher. In 2012, $99 million in SNAP support was used by military families and disabled veterans
These SNAP recipients, as active duty personnel with family and homes, are exactly the people that conservatives consider as scroungers and cheats. These are the people that opponents of social aid are eager to shame and ostracize.
And the reality that conservatives sadly choose to ignore is that all the social programs they abhor are programs that many veterans need, as do many active duty personnel (not to mention conservative voters). Medicaid, social security, food stamps, cuts to all these and more impact and hurt American veterans. All the conservative states that are currently refusing to expand Medicaid are dealing a blow to all the veterans who struggle to get by in their states. It's shameful.
But conservative state governments are working to keep these benefits from gay members of the National Guard. Specifically, 6 governors are. Oklahoma. Texas. Mississippi. Georgia. West Virginia. Louisiana. These are largely federal funds. But they are attempting to block the payments from being made. At this point, the money coming directly from the federal government will have to be processed specially for gay couples. But money and people tied to the state government will be denied. The idea they are embracing is that they have a right to discriminate and deny support to families based on their sexual orientation, even if they are in the armed services. So the National Guard is being used as a political football by these Republican governors.
Suicides are a continuing issue in the military. There were 350 suicides throughout the armed services last year. Around 8,000 veterans committed suicide last year. Those in and out of service struggle with the stress and impact of their service. There are personal issues at work, dealing with infirmity, and other stressors. And the VA struggles to stay on top of these issues, as does the Pentagon.
And I also wanted to come back to the specter of homelessness. The plight of the homeless veteran persists. This is an ongoing issue that our society is struggling with. Let's look at some of the facts:
- Veterans between 18 and 30 are twice as likely as the rest of the population to find themselves homeless. (8% of the overall population versus 17% of all veterans)
- Over half of homeless veterans are disabled.
- Half suffer from some form of mental illness.
- Two thirds deal with substance abuse.
- Veterans on average find themselves homeless longer than the rest of the population.
- At any time there are around 76,000 homeless veterans sleeping on the streets.
- 1.5 million veterans are deemed to be at-risk of homelessness.
We have improved how we treat and view our veterans and soldier. But we can still do far far better.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
REBLOGGING: Veterans Day / Remembrance Day - What's it all about?
Let's look back and remember a post about why we pause to look back and remember veterans and those lost in war.
Later today, I look at some of the ways that veterans and those in service are "remembered" this year.
November 11th is almost upon us. In the United States we talk about Veterans Day, come November. In the United Kingdom, and it's commonwealth, they talk about Remembrance Day.
Now on programs and at many events people often say, when talking to veterans, that "they honor their service." Which is a thoughtful and good thing to say, but it seems to have become a rote response. A formality before moving on. Say the magic words and think no more on it.
Veterans Day in the US can be the same, have the day out, go to a parade, and move on with little thought. Though hopefully for those of us with family still serving, or having finished, we think on it more.
So, while we do have many large issues to deal with, it is important to understand why we have this day set aside. To remember, and to not ignore lessons and obligations we have as a nation and as a people.
This day of remembrance comes out of the end of World War I. Then it was called Armistice Day. To celebrate the Armistice, an end of hostilities, that was agreed to in 1918. It would fall on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of that year (Someone was in love with some symbolism.).
So a peace was struck. It came in the wake of a global war. It came after the deaths of around 20 million. The war, unsurprisingly shook many. It was a maddening experience. And then there was peace.
In November of 1919, the year after Armistice, President Woodrow Wilson declared the first Armistice Day. And in 1938 Congress to passed law to make every November 11th Armistice Day, to promote world peace. And this, in 1954, was rename Veterans Day to expand those remembered to all veterans, including those that had just served in World War II.
And the tradition continued on from there. Date has shifted back and forth. Laws and proclamations were made. But from the start, this has been an act of remembering those that lost their lives fighting for their country, and those that return home.
In the United Kingdom the traditions hold more to the original Armistice Day. King George V in November of 1919, like it was in the United States. England has taken on a number of continuing traditions to this day. Among those most notable is the image of the poppy. The red poppy is commonly worn, as a lead up to Remembrance Sunday, which was set as the 2nd Sunday of November (This was meant to prevent disrupting the war time services during World War II.). The poppy use is tied to the poem, by John McCrae:
The image conjures the image of the dead across the battlefield. The image of blood. The image of the cost paid in war. A cost that must be remembered, and learned from.
So at 11 AM on Remembrance Sunday, their are two minutes of silence through the country, to remember the costs of war. This is initiated by the of a field gun firing on the Horse Guard Parade, then ended by firing again. Then the Royal Marines have buglers play out "Last Post."
And at Cenotaph in London a ritual of laying flowers:
These rituals can be important to supporting us to remembering what has come to past. WWI was a horrible scaring event. It was an event that should leave anyone with a loathing of going to war. But we still have seen war come, and those who to eagerly call for it. And those that returned from WWI, and other conflicts, have many times not gotten the treatment or respect they deserve from government (The GI Bill was a major change to the treatment veterans received for service.).
So I can only hope as we go into Veterans Day and Remembrance Sunday tomorrow, we think about why we do have veterans, what has been asked from them, and how we look at them (How we really look at them, not what we say for appearance.) and how we treat them (How many think about the Veterans Administration or the related services much?).
And also learn. Stats and facts to think on for Veterans Day:
Get more informed:
Later today, I look at some of the ways that veterans and those in service are "remembered" this year.
Veterans Day / Remembrance Day - What's it all about?
Now on programs and at many events people often say, when talking to veterans, that "they honor their service." Which is a thoughtful and good thing to say, but it seems to have become a rote response. A formality before moving on. Say the magic words and think no more on it.
Veterans Day in the US can be the same, have the day out, go to a parade, and move on with little thought. Though hopefully for those of us with family still serving, or having finished, we think on it more.
So, while we do have many large issues to deal with, it is important to understand why we have this day set aside. To remember, and to not ignore lessons and obligations we have as a nation and as a people.
So a peace was struck. It came in the wake of a global war. It came after the deaths of around 20 million. The war, unsurprisingly shook many. It was a maddening experience. And then there was peace.
In November of 1919, the year after Armistice, President Woodrow Wilson declared the first Armistice Day. And in 1938 Congress to passed law to make every November 11th Armistice Day, to promote world peace. And this, in 1954, was rename Veterans Day to expand those remembered to all veterans, including those that had just served in World War II.
And the tradition continued on from there. Date has shifted back and forth. Laws and proclamations were made. But from the start, this has been an act of remembering those that lost their lives fighting for their country, and those that return home.
 |
| REUTERS/Chris Roussakis |
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
So at 11 AM on Remembrance Sunday, their are two minutes of silence through the country, to remember the costs of war. This is initiated by the of a field gun firing on the Horse Guard Parade, then ended by firing again. Then the Royal Marines have buglers play out "Last Post."
And at Cenotaph in London a ritual of laying flowers:
Wreaths are laid by Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Kent, the Earl of Wessex, the Duke of Cambridge, the Prime Minister, leaders of major political parties and former Prime Ministers, the Foreign Secretary, the Commonwealth High Commissioners and representatives from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, the Merchant Navy and fishing fleets and the civilian services....After the ceremony, a parade of veterans, organised by the Royal British Legion, marches past the Cenotaph, each section of which lays a wreath as it passes.This procession means a lot to those that have served and suffered for their countries. Also for those that mourn family and friends that have passed.
These rituals can be important to supporting us to remembering what has come to past. WWI was a horrible scaring event. It was an event that should leave anyone with a loathing of going to war. But we still have seen war come, and those who to eagerly call for it. And those that returned from WWI, and other conflicts, have many times not gotten the treatment or respect they deserve from government (The GI Bill was a major change to the treatment veterans received for service.).
So I can only hope as we go into Veterans Day and Remembrance Sunday tomorrow, we think about why we do have veterans, what has been asked from them, and how we look at them (How we really look at them, not what we say for appearance.) and how we treat them (How many think about the Veterans Administration or the related services much?).
And also learn. Stats and facts to think on for Veterans Day:
- Veterans are 50% more likely to be homeless than other Americans.
- 75,000 veterans are homeless on any various night in the years.
- 1% of Americans serve in the military, and 20% of all US suicides are veterans.
Get more informed:
- Department of Veteran's Affairs
- VA - Veteran's Day Information
- VA - Homeless Veterans
- National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
- National Alliance on Mental Illness - Veterans and Military Resource Center
The Religious Exemption. It's Principle, Except When It's Not.
The idea is that some businesses are owned by religious people, and those people may oppose abortion and/or birth control, or common sense. Comprehensive health insurance would help pay for things like those listed. So, they should not have to offer comprehensive health insurance to their workers. They should be exempt from part of the law.
And many people love the idea of a "compromise" on this. The compromise being that you just let religious institutions deny people basic preventative health care...cause [holy writing of your choice]. And you let businesses with religious owners do the same. And in exchange, nonreligious owners can actually take care of their employees. It is interesting how saying you want to deny someone something for religious reasons sound reasonable to so many people...But that's for another post.
In July two federal appeals courts decided that it was ridiculous for a business to have a religion, as opposed to it's owners. But that is not where the story ended. Last week the federal appeals court decided to agree on how unfair comprehensive health insurance is on the pious.
...
Requiring companies to cover their employees’ contraception, the court ruled, is unduly burdensome for business owners who oppose birth control on religious grounds, even if they are not purchasing the contraception directly.
“The burden on religious exercise does not occur at the point of contraceptive purchase; instead, it occurs when a company’s owners fill the basket of goods and services that constitute a healthcare plan,” Judge Janice Rogers Brown wrote on behalf of the court.
...It is an interesting point, I grant you. Is it unfair/unconscionable/unacceptable to force people of religious faith to fund and pay money into services that they feel contravene their religious tenets?
Should people be forced to pay for sinful stuff?
Well, I tried to think if there were any other good examples I could draw on for legal rulings. Then I recalled religious pacifism. For some war and fighting is unconscionable, a violation of the will of their god. And, as many point out, tax dollars go to many places in the government, including to the military.
 |
| MPR Photo/Elizabeth Stawicki |
Lucky for us, a Quaker, Priscilla Adams, brought the question to court.
Back in 2003, you may remember it (we were at war), her fight with the government came to a head. Going back to 1996 she had been suing the government, saying that she and others had valid religious grounds to have protections against their money being used to fund the military. As part of her religious convictions. Adams for years had been refusing to pay part of her federal taxes.
The response from the government was to demand that she pay her back taxes, and a 50% penalty. She fought this, and worked to try and keep them from placing a lean on her wages to put money towards wars.
So the fight went up the judicial ladder. And, in 2003, the federal appeals courts rules against her. And then the Supreme Court chose to pass on offering an opinion. The courts had spoken.
The result, you may have religious grounds to not pay a portion of your taxes, but the courts, Congress, and the federal government don't care. Pay the taxes and pray for forgiveness.
That is quite a different view from what we are seeing now. Now when we consider should religious people be forced to fund services that may go to things like birth control, the courts say that it's wrong. (wag a finger) These people cannot be placed in this position. The law says everyone should be able to access the full array of preventative health. But, screw that...Religion. Religion trumps all...now.
Funny.
I wonder if religious pacifist should go to court again? They might have a chance now. Doesn't it follow? Shouldn't these grounds be sound enough for them to fight against tax paying? It does seem like the same strain of argument. Or, do supporters of ACA religious exemptions still hold the old opinion that if religion is getting in the way of funding the military, you should suck it up and fund the military?
I do get a feeling that many might have this attitude. That abortion and birth control are the legit religious concerns, the respectable ones. I'd like to think that's wrong, but at a minimum, I don't see religious conservatives as bothered by the Quaker's plight. They seem like they'd be first in line to condemn the Quakers.
But this ruling may not stand. This will be going to the Supreme Court...hmm. Okay, I' not feeling better with that thought. Will the court have their 90's attitude to religious exemptions? Or, will they have the oppose President Obama attitude?
Half the court is already friendly to attacking access to education, voting rights, and the ACA as a whole. That group will most likely be happy to further establish religious prominence over law. As it is, I think there is already a case coming up that may do this in one way.
I guess we will see. Because we are stuck waiting while conservatives play their petty games. And religious exemptions are such a petty game.
Saturday, November 09, 2013
On Carl Sagan Day
It's Carl Sagan's birthday today. And in remembrance of him and his work today is considered Carl Sagan Day. His efforts to popularize science were invaluable. His advocacy of skepticism, compassion, and appreciation of just how delicate our place ion the cosmos is, inspires so many to this day.
So let's remember him by his words.
What do we do now?
And one of Sagan's last interviews. He talks about his book, The Demon Haunted World (great book), skepticism, faith, importance of understanding science, etc.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
So let's remember him by his words.
What do we do now?
And one of Sagan's last interviews. He talks about his book, The Demon Haunted World (great book), skepticism, faith, importance of understanding science, etc.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Remembering Hedy Lamarr
Today would be Hedy Lamarr's birthday. When she's remembered it's usually for her time in Hollywood, or the recurring joke in the movie Blazing Saddles.
And that is sad. Beyond the acting, she was a brilliant mind. She was a scientifically minded person. An inventor. Past the call of fame, she wanted to use her brains to make her ideas come to life.
And at home, she did that. Her most successful work was in developing a means to use frequency hopping in controls, the controls of torpedoes. Her ideas weren't taken that seriously, though she gave the technology to the US Navy. And from there others took the technology and in later decades made use of it in so many different technologies, right down to what is in your home today (including Bluetooth technology).
So let's be sure to remember this inventor. Remember what she did for science. And, encourage and inspire future inventors around you.
And that is sad. Beyond the acting, she was a brilliant mind. She was a scientifically minded person. An inventor. Past the call of fame, she wanted to use her brains to make her ideas come to life.
And at home, she did that. Her most successful work was in developing a means to use frequency hopping in controls, the controls of torpedoes. Her ideas weren't taken that seriously, though she gave the technology to the US Navy. And from there others took the technology and in later decades made use of it in so many different technologies, right down to what is in your home today (including Bluetooth technology).
So let's be sure to remember this inventor. Remember what she did for science. And, encourage and inspire future inventors around you.
Friday, November 08, 2013
More shorts, more Tales from Metropolis.
Came across more of the Tales from Metropolis shorts that were produced for the DC Nation block on Cartoon Networks.
They make for some fun shorts.
TALES OF METROPOLIS...
They make for some fun shorts.
TALES OF METROPOLIS...
The Horror Of...The Raven (1963)
Halloween has passed now. The ghost have fled away with the receding night, the vampires have climbed into their leaf piles, and the werewolves are sleeping it off. All the fun is gone.
However, there are plenty of horror movies to talk about. And there's no reason to not keep the spirit of the season alive. And what else am I going to do? Get into the Thanksgiving Spirit...? I already eat too much and live in enmity with my extended family.
So, get yourselves back into that spirit. But not too much, alright? We'll start off easy. Something light. Something with a touch of Edgar Allan Poe to it. Something directed by Roger Corman.
The Raven.
...That's kind of a dull opening. Let's go with the titles from the very end of the movie.
Better.
However, there are plenty of horror movies to talk about. And there's no reason to not keep the spirit of the season alive. And what else am I going to do? Get into the Thanksgiving Spirit...? I already eat too much and live in enmity with my extended family.
So, get yourselves back into that spirit. But not too much, alright? We'll start off easy. Something light. Something with a touch of Edgar Allan Poe to it. Something directed by Roger Corman.
The Raven.
...That's kind of a dull opening. Let's go with the titles from the very end of the movie.
Better.
Wednesday, November 06, 2013
The Horror Of...Scheduling, November 2013
November. What do you do with that?! Thankfully Horror doesn't take Diwali, Guy Fawkes Day, Thanksgiving (U.S.), or Remembrance Day, etc off. ...Though I don't think there are any Diwali based horror movies...? ...I should look into if there is any Bollywood Horror.
Still, we have plenty of movies to enjoy. I had been tempted to follow up The Bat with The Devil Bat...but seeing as I recently wrote about not demonizing actual bats, perhaps I should look elsewhere. Like Ravens? So, we will look at The Raven this week. The Roger Corman one, with the amazing cast. (There are a lot of The Raven movies, and I am tempted to look later at the Lugosi/Karloff one someday.)I also have to get back into the returning Sleepy Hollow, which has raced back on to TV this week. So that should be reviewed/recapped by the end of the week. I also am tempted to look at some other shows, at least evaluating their first couple. Agents of SHIELD and Dracula. (You may not like my opinion.)
But as to reviewing in general, I have been contemplating how I wanted to continue reviewing. With ones like The Midnight Hour, the review seems to drag on. So I am trying to refine the recaps more, so they don't get more tedious.
The other issue I have is that it is always tempting to have "theme months". Thanksgiving movies. Christmas movies. Valentine movies. Zombie movies in April. And so on. (But Halloween is special.) But that grows annoying. And you end up not being able to get some great movies because they aren't in theme... So I might leave that type of thematic to the In Short posts.
As to what the other Horror Movies will be this month...I'll update with that later.
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