Why do we celebrate Memorial Day? I've heard that question often over the years of my life. Some people confuse it with Veteran's Day, and others wrongly identify it as the start of summer. So, what is Memorial Day about?
We celebrate Memorial Day on the last Monday of May every year. It is a United States federal holiday, and it is meant to honor and to mourn military personnel who died in the line of duty.
A Story About Why We Celebrate Memorial Day
Over the years I was growing up, my Dad told me many stories from when he was in the war and about the friends that he lost. One story stood out to me because it was about his neighbor Johnny, whom he had known since he was a little boy. Dad had watched Johnny grow up, and as he left to go to boot camp in Fort Benning, Georgia, 16 year old Johnny was on his porch next door and said goodbye and wished him good luck as Dad got into the car with my grandfather who was going to drive him to the train station.
Years later, my father stayed in France after the war was over because he still had work to do. Dad was deployed in the Bomb Disposal unit working out of the chateau in Fontainebleau, and one day he got a letter from his mother with an unusual request.
His neighbor Johnny had been killed in France earlier that year. The news upset Dad because he remembered the boy waving goodbye to him as he left home. Johnny’s mother asked if my father could find out where Johnny was buried in France and take a picture of the grave since she would never be able to go there to visit it.
Dad and an Army buddy got into a Jeep and drove to the cemetery. When he saw Johnny’s grave he felt compelled to kneel down and say a prayer, and his buddy took a photograph of the moment. Dad sent two copies of the photo (one was for my grandmother) in a letter home, asking my Nana to please express his condolences to Johnny's mother.
About a month later, my grandmother wrote back that even though the photograph meant so much to Johnny’s mother, she sat on the porch crying for hours holding that picture in her hand.
Honoring and Remembering Those Lost
All these years later this story defines what Memorial Day is all about. It is the loss of life in service of your country, and as Johnny's crying mother indicates, there is a deep and abiding cost for the families of all those lost. It is as personal as anything can be, and all the folded flags and bereavement letters do nothing to bring that lost loved back or ease the pain.
So, when you question what Memorial Day is all about, think of Johnny's story. Think about all the other stories of all those lost in all the wars our country has fought. And, if you're a praying person, say a prayer for those who have been lost and their families. Their ultimate sacrifice should be honored and never forgotten.
As the first new Star Wars film since 2019, director Jon Favreau delivers Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, a great new entry that takes us on a rollercoaster ride that only lets up for a few moments here and there. Based on the Disney+ TV series The Mandalorian, the story focuses on the relationship between the once detached bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal) who took little Grogu under his wing and grew a heart.
The Child
Grogu and the Anzellan mechanics
Grogu –whom I (and most everyone else) like to call Baby Yoda–is still the playful childlike version of the same species as the Yoda we knew from previous films and TV series. Like his predecessor, Grogu is blessed with Jedi powers that he employs when necessary. Mando is a dutiful father; however, he does take the child along on dangerous missions. One questions whether it's because the child cannot be left alone without getting into mischief or that Grogu happens to be a useful partner when situations start getting precarious.
The movie begins –I was expecting the opening crawl –with some text letting us know the situation that the New Republic faces with remnants of the Empire still persisting in pockets across the galaxy. For those of you who haven't seen the last three films, this gives you an idea about the origins of the First Order that you will find in the sequel trilogy.
A New Mission
After a rollicking cold open that features Mando wiping out imperial remnants that he was supposed to bring in, Mando and Grogu meet with Colonel Ward (it's nice to see Sigourney Weaver joining the fold) with whom Mando has an agreement to hunt down and bring in these targets alive. Mando apologizes and says that it couldn't be helped.
Mando meets with Col. Ward
After a cute Grogu moment with him trying to steal Ward's snack using the Force, she gives them a new target –Lord Coin (Jonny Coyne) –whom she must have brought back alive. Mando learns he has to travel to meet with the Hutt twins (voiced by Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder) who know Coin's location. He will only receive that information if he rescues the Hutts' cousin Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White) who has been kidnapped and imprisoned.
An Old Friend
Zeb with Mando and Grogu
Mando doesn't like the idea that he has to deal with criminals like the Hutts, but takes on the job because Ward has gifted him a new Razor Crest.Fans of the show will recall his old ship getting destroyed. Mando is working with sometime partner Zeb Orrelios (Steve Blum), whom fans will remember from Star Wars Rebels.
Mando meets with the Hutts and they tell him where he can find Rotta. They want him returned to them quickly, and when he fulfills that job the Hutts will give him Coin's location. The Hutts say that he is working for them now, but Mando corrects them and says he's working for the New Republic not them.
A Sleazy City
A jacked Rotta the Hutt in the ring
Shakari is one of those worlds that is outside of New Republic space, so its main city is like Las Vegas but with much less glitz and a lot more grit and grime. He finds that Rotta is being held in a huge arena where he is fighting like a gladiator in a ring surrounded by a boisterous audience.
Mando wants to help Rotta escape and go back to the twins, but Rotta informs him that his cousins only want him back to kill him since he is the legitimate heir to his father Jabba's criminal empire. It's surprising to see that Rotta is nothing like his father or the twins. Rotta speaks normally not in Huttese like his cousins, andhe's in excellent physical condition unlike the other slovenly Hutts.
No Spoilers
Father and son and a mission
The rest of the way is spoiler territory, but as I mentioned before there are mostly non-stop battles between Mando and nefarious forces. There are a few of those father and son moments that fans loved in the TV series, and Grogu has matured enough that he knows when to use his powers to help out dear old dad.
The film is visually beautiful, so credit goes to cinematographer David Klein, and as it was in the TV series, composer Ludwig Goransson's score –including the thrilling Mandalorian theme song– ebbs and rises to match the dynamics of the moment. Favreau has done a fine job of transitioning the story from TV series to a film, making everything seem appropriately bigger and louder for the big screen.
Executive producer and co-writer Dave Filoni appears in two scenes –a bar scene on Shakari wearing his signature cowboy hat –and as Trapper Wolf the X-wing pilot who is part of Colonel Ward's unit. These brief moments are fun to spot for fans of the series.
The Verdict
I highly recommend this movie. After seeing this film –I give it four and half out of five stars –it is comforting to know that StarWars is now in the capable hands of Filoni and Favreau. This will give fans a new hope for better things to come on the big screen as well as on Disney+
When teaching my writing about literature classes –we cover poetry, fiction, and drama units – I always choose to teach William Shakespeare's Othello for the drama unit. Arguably, Othello is one of old Will's greatest plays, and it is certainly the most modern one.
A Very Modern Story
All the issues that are dealt with in the play – racism, friendship, misogyny, substance abuse, greed, lust, peer pressure, jealousy, infidelity – are very present in our lives today. Also, more than half of my students are not white, so a play about a powerful Black man is something that interests them more than Hamlet, which is about a rich white boy.
A Foreign Language?
Many of my students have had some experience with the Bard because they read Romeo and Juliet in ninth grade – just like I did and many generations before and after me. Still, students are squeamish at first because their thoughts about Shakespeare are what one feels when going to a foreign country worrying about not being able to speak the language. However, Shakespeare coined around 1,700 new English words and phrases that we currently use, so his plays don't have to be read with Google Translate open on their phones.
Some people can say that Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth are better plays – I just accept these opinions as personal preference – but I stand by Othello as the greatest one because it has the most teachable moments in it. One of the most outstanding aspects of the play is its villain Iago. In my mind Iago is Shakespeare's greatest antagonist simply because he is an anti-antagonist. None of the characters know exactly what he is doing until it is too late for them.
Shakespeare's Best Villain
Iago's methodology is so complex and yet unravels in subtle and discreet manner, and he is obsequious to the point of not being obvious about it. This is a delicate thread that Shakespeare sews through each act that only finally finds it mark in Act V when all the feces hits the fan in such a spectacular way. No one goes to watch Othello expecting to see Othello and Desdemona holding hands and walking off into the sunset, and that's the point of tragedy – catastrophe is expected, desired, and perhaps even welcome.
Now, getting back to my students, I find it interesting over my years of teaching the play how their reactions to Iago are very consistent. They are surprised about how a friend could be so conniving and deceitful. I point out that Iago is very blunt about his intentions in Act I Scene I when he tells the hapless Roderigo "I follow him to serve my turn upon him." Roderigo should have realized that if Iago could do this to Othello that he could become a victim too, but he is a fool, and Iago exploits that. My blunt message to my students is sometimes someone is not who you think that they are.
Of course, Iago is a smiling fiend as he feigns friendship with all those whom he will hurt – Emilia, Roderigo, Desdemona, Cassio, and Othello – the depth of his machinations and impact on their lives is devastating. For example, in Act IV Scene III, Iago even comforts Desdemona who is upset because she doesn't know why Othello is angry with her, but we know the reason for Othello's anger is holding her in his arms.
Dramatic Irony
Some students don't understand how these people allow themselves to be duped. It seems obvious to them that Iago is a traitor, liar, and manipulator. I agree with them but then discuss the matter of dramatic irony – the audience knows what the characters do not. In real life that can mean that we can find ourselves dealing with someone like Iago. In fact, I have known someone who was like Iago in my lifetime, and I mention that in class.
Desdemona and Othello in a happy moment
In Act II when everyone in Cyprus– except obviously Iago – is worried that Othello may have been lost in the storm that swamped the Turkish fleet that was expected to attack the island. Iago watches as Cassio consoles an emotionally upset Desdemona and hatches the devious plot to make them appear to be lovers. When Othello charges into the room alive and well, he shares a blissfully loving moment with Desdemona. Iago watches them with contempt and says, "O, you are well tuned now, but I will set down the pegs that make this music."
What Makes A Villain?
In class I discuss the matter of villainy itself. The students will identify what makes someone a villain, and I propose the question: "Does a villain see himself as the bad guy?" To get them thinking in terms that they can relate to, I ask, "Does Thanos from the Marvel movies think he is a bad guy?" They nod their heads, and I follow up by saying, "No, he thinks what he's doing is right even though it's horribly wrong. It's the same with Iago. He believes he has been wronged (Othello promoted Cassio to lieutenant instead of him) and that it's right for him to seek revenge."
In life we are probably going to meet at least one Iago – a smiling and friendly person who will wish to harm us in some way. By reading Othello and discussing what makes Iago so good at being bad, I want my students to realize the warning signs of a frenemy. Iago acts as if he cares about Othello when in Act III Scene III he says, "O, beware my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on." What he is doing is actually planting the idea of the jealousy that he is warning Othello about. It's brilliant, cunning, cruel, and very effective.
Students' Opinions
Othello's anger gets more intense
After we finish reading the play in class – and watching some scenes from the TV movie directed by Trevor Nunn and starring Willard White as Othello and Ian McKellen as a particularly cruel Iago – I ask for students' opinions about the play. Over the years I've heard many comments about how Othello gave up too easily or that Othello made mistakes and shouldn't have believed what Iago says. Othello was a great general and should have know Iago was setting him up. Putting the blame on Othello always doesn't surprise me because that's common as victims are often blamed for what happens to them.
Yeah, sure, but this is easier said than done. I remind them that Othello is an outsider. He is counting on Iago to interpret situations and help him navigate the course to best outcomes. Othello mentions that Iago is trustworthy and calls him "Honest Iago." All the signals he has come to rely upon tell him Iago has his best interests in mind.
No Happily Ever After
I get my students' feelings about this, but I again mention the dramatic irony part. We have all the information to recognize these things that Othello does not. If he knew what we knew, there would be no play – he would have skewered Iago like the dog that he is and gone back to Venice to live a happily married life with Desdemona.
In the end, my students do mostly get it. They also understand my point about being able to identify an Iago that may be in their lives one day. When this happens, I feel like I have accomplished my two most important goals. Number one: I have exposed them to a great Shakespearean play, Number two: I've taught them to be more cautious about choosing friends. I have to say I feel pretty good about both of these outcomes.
When and if you have the time, I suggest you take the chance to watch the Othello movie that I use in my classes for free on YouTube. There are excellent performances and White and McKellen shine brightly!
I was very excited when I learned that Jon Bernthal would be returning to play Frank Castle/the Punisher in a special presentation on Disney+. The title of the event toys with us – The Punisher: One Last Kill– making it seem as if this will be Frank's swan song. To any of the character's detractors, don't get your hopes up.
Bernthal brought this character to life in the Netflix series Daredevil and two seasons of the The Punisher. Bernthal nailed the character to the wall and splattered it with blood, grit, and heart. He embodies the spirit of the character so convincingly – every nuance of pain and suffering is etched on his face and the way he walks and moves. In this way Frank/The Punisher is the least enigmatic Marvel anti-hero. We know exactly what drives him; there is no mystery as to why he does what he does. He is avenging his family's deaths, and it's a very simple equation.
Frank haunted by ghosts from the past
Bernthal co-wrote this special with director Reinaldo Marcus Green, and it is evident in every one of its 51-minute run time. We see Frank down and almost out as he sits in an empty room and is haunted by ghosts from his past and the deaths of his wife and children. We may have thought we had seen this character at low points before, but here he is mired in the darkest depths of despair.
His New York City neighborhood has become engulfed in gang violence that is so horrific that even the NYPD has backed out and lets things run amuck. Frank knows that his wiping out of the Gnucci crime family is partially to blame for the death and destruction happening in the streets, and his emotional cauldron has boiled over, and he has given up and is letting it continue to be out of control.
The old vet and his dog
In the first few moments Green sets the tone by showing a sympathetic old man (John Douglas Thompson) and his little dog. The man wears a Marine Corp hat, so we know Frank would defend his brother. A moment later a gang of creeps attacks the man, and one of the gang members throws the dog under a city bus. If you're like me, you'll be screaming for The Punisher to come out and kick this guy's ass, but he is nowhere to be found.
We see Frank visit the graves of his wife and kids where he leaves a key to a locker that contains all his weapons. He lets them know he is down and out – he is done! Frank then takes out a gun, puts it to his head, and prepares to end it all. How fitting all his enemies would find this result – Frank Castle dead by his own hand. Only a vision of his daughter stops him from pulling the trigger.
A bloodied Ma Gnucci in flashback
As an exhausted Frank starts lumbering home, he is confronted by Ma Gnucci (a terrific Judith Light) who recounts how he wiped out her family, including her youngest son whom she loved the most right in front of her eyes. Frank seems stunned to hear her account; it's a rarity for him because his victims have always been on the wrong side of the law and don't get much of a chance to tell him a story, but this makes it personal.
So, this matriarch of the Gnucci family that Frank dispatched goes all John Wick on him. She has put a bounty on his head – every criminal and low life scum in the city will be out to get him. They say revenge is sweet, and old Ma Gnucci is licking her chops as she drives away in the back of her limousine. It's time for Frank to go back to the cemetery and get that key, but he has no time. He starts to get attacked almost immediately.
While the rest is spoiler material, I can let you know what follows is the bloodiest charnel that is more intense than any other episode featuring Frank/The Punisher before. It is brutal, nonstop blood and guts the rest of the way. If you like this sort of thing, you will not be disappointed.
Frank is back!
The last thing I will leave you with is that this special episode makes everything personal. It also gives fans just what they want from the character, who despite the violence associated with him has found a way to endear himself to the audience. The last scene will not only solidify this fact but have you wanting more.
In William Shakespeare's magnificent play Hamlet, there is a line of dialogue that always haunts me. In Act I Scene 5, Hamlet says, "There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Shakespeare somehow innately knew things he should have not understood in the late 1500s. Was he visited by little green men who gave him information? I think not.
Beyond Old Concepts
Old Will must have known about Galileo Galilei (they were contemporaries) and his use of the telescope to see the skies. Galileo knew that the Earth was round and understood that it was not the center of the solar system and that the sun was, and I believe this inspired Shakespeare's quotation, but there was more to it too.
By the time Hamlet sees his murdered father's ghost in Act I Scene 4, his mind is opened to a new consciousness. Thus, he utters that famous line to Horatio because he has a new awareness of things not of this planet. If there are ghosts, what does that mean about the universe? Alas, poor Yorick, we can only speculate. However, there are those in power who may show us the way.
Government Files Released
The government's release of files pertaining to UAP (Unidentified Anomalous/Aeriel Phenomena) has caused a stir or a yawn depending on your perspective. While I still prefer UFO (Unidentified Flying Object), either way the subject has brought us into a time where we have a Horatio moment. Are we going to accept and believe, or are we going to remain skeptical and wonder if it is all much ado about nothing (sorry, I couldn't resist)?
More than 170 files have been released – some of them going back to the 1940s. There are stories from farmers and other citizens, commercial and Navy pilots, and even NASA astronauts. They tell varying stories about seeing aircraft doing things that we know our current planes and other vehicles cannot or should not be able to do. These are unexplained events that seem to defy what we feel is natural or normal.
UAP os UFO?
I prefer the old UFO tag for these events – simply because it feels more mysterious and open ended. When I think of a UFO, it reminds me of my childhood. I was scared when I heard that word. Little green men could be outside my house, ready to come in and suck my brain out to study it. All the movies and TV shows I had seen didn't help. They always made aliens seem scary and intent on hurting us.
A Revelation
But then I saw E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and that changed things for me. It gave me the Horatio moment I wanted and needed. Aliens weren't evil and brain suckers – they just came here to explore and then wanted to go home. They could play with children, drink beer, and get us in trouble in school. Hey, who wouldn't want that alien as a bestie?
Steven Spielberg– clearly the cinematic equivalent of Shakespeare in our time – knew what Hamlet knew. There were more things out there than we could dream about, and that didn't mean that they were all bad. Why would we even think that other beings from other planets would be malevolent? Because that's what the movies and TV taught us. That guy in the Twilight Zone episode with an eyeball on his forehead basically confirmed our worst fears.
Moving Forward
So, how should we deal with this new information? Although some people are saying it has all been seen and heard before in various other reports, I remain open to understanding that there are many solar systems beyond ours, and many galaxies beyond our galaxy. In the vast configuration of the universe as we know or don't know it, the possibilities are infinite.
Klaatu Barada Nikto
If and when the day comes when we have a The Day the Earth Stood Still moment – an alien craft lands in one of our cities – I want to believe that they will be more like the kind Klaatu than his scary robot Gort. After Klaatu is shot as he is giving a greeting to the people of Earth, Gort is ready to blow us all away. But Klaatu's message –Klaatu Barada Nikto–saves us from being vaporised.
If an alien race comes to our planet, hopefully, we will greet them better than we did in that movie. Klaatu's message was one of peace that came with a warning – other planets won't take kindly to us bringing our warlike ways out into space.
If aliens do come, let's hope that they will be friendly and here to save us from ourselves. Which, by the way, wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.
Please check out this video to get an idea about what has been released and if you think it's significant or not.
It's Mother's Day here in the United States, and I was thinking about some songs that are really apropos for this day. I realized that there are some really great songs about the girl who married dear old dad.
So, here is my very subjective list, and I'm saving the favorite one for last.
10. The Mother's Day Song by Bryant Oden
Here is a song that is funny, but it also tells us about how much Mom does for us everyday of the year.
9. "In My Daughter's Eyes" by Martina McBride
A song by a mom about being there for her daughter. Simply a beautiful song!
8. "You're the Sunshine of My Life" by Stevie Wonder
Another beautiful song about a woman is who the mother of your children and does so much more.
7. "Mama's Song" by Carrie Underwood
Check out this lovely song about what Carrie learned from her mother and how she will use that with her own kids.
6. "I'll Always Love My Mama" by The Intruders
If you're like me, you'll love this one. Even if you are a man who is married, your mother can still be your "favorite girl." The lyrics start at the 3:30 minutes mark!
5. "Mother and Child Reunion" by Paul Simon
As someone who has lost his mother, this song kind of hits harder on Mother's Day. However, I know we will have a reunion one day, and that is comforting.
4. "What Mama Say (Life is Good)" by Jason Mraz
This one is a reminder of all the things your mother ever said to you, and even though it is all in good fun, it really rings true. "You better listen to your mama!" Don't forget that ever!
3. "Mother Like Mine" by The Band Perry
This band comprised of three siblings sings about the "The Lady of the House" in an ode to the woman who raised them right. A lovely song on this day or any other.
2. "Let it Be" by the Beatles
Paul said this song came from a visit by his late mother in a dream. She told him to "Let it be" in regard to the difficult things he was going through (like The Beatles breaking up). Truly a beautiful song that tugs at my heartstrings each time I listen to it.
1. "Ave Maria" by Franz Schubert (as sung by Luciano Pavarotti)
Arguably one of the most beautiful songs ever written, this one always brings a little tear to my eyes. I can remember listening to this song at Christmastime as a kid while Mom decorated the tree. An ode to the Virgin Mary that also reminds us of the ultimate sacrifice as a mother that she would have to endure.
So, there you have it. I know it's a very subjective list, but these are my favorite songs about moms.
Happy Mother's Day to everyone out there. If you still have your mother, I hope that you're able to spend the day with her. If you're far away, there is always Zoom or a phone call.
And if you're like me and have lost your mother, spend some time thinking about her and all the things she used to do for you. I think about her every day, but this is the day that I miss her most of all!
It is May the Fourth! I want to wish everyone a Happy Star Wars day. It is on this day we celebrate the magical universe that George Lucas gave us. So, from here on Earth and all the way to a place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far way, I wish you happiness. And May the Force be with you!
All these years later this story defines what Memorial Day is all about. It is the loss of life in service of your country, and as Johnny's crying mother indicates, there is a deep and abiding cost for the families of all those lost. It is as personal as anything can be, and all the folded flags and bereavement letters do nothing to bring that lost loved back or ease the pain.
