Sunday, December 29, 2013

NYC Mayor Bloomberg Leaving Office - 12 Years a Stave

First appeared on Blogcritics.

bloom 2 abcnewsThere are two ways to look at Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s twelve years in office. One is with the rose-colored glasses of those who think of him as our own version of France's Louis XIV; the other is with the clarity of everyday New Yorkers who are well acquainted with his record. I consider myself the latter, but the former constitutes a significant number of supporters who saw this "Sun King" as a stave, a rung on the ladder to wealth and success, if not comparable to his own exorbitant heights, at least in a stratosphere above the plebian crowd. Based on their view of things, Bloomberg was a very good stave indeed.


Of course, when Bloomberg took office, this city was in shambles. There was the physical wreckage of the 9-11 attacks, undeniably and irrevocably changing the city landscape and emotional psyche. Bloomberg walked into that shattered cityscape with great challenges, and followed in the footsteps of Rudy Giuliani, who due to his leadership during and after the 9-11 attacks, became suddenly proclaimed “America’s Mayor.” It goes without saying he had big shoes to fill, but little did we know that he had a pair of feet the size of Herman Munster's, bloated by an incredible sense of self-importance.


When he took office I recall Bloomberg saying that he was going to rebuild New York, which was a given, but he also promised to make the city “The capital of the free world.” Considering we just got walloped by 9-11, crushing our spirits as well as knocking down two of our city’s most iconic landmarks, this was either a bold case of hubris or someone as determined as Joe Namath heading into the Super Bowl facing almost certain annihilation at the hands of the Baltimore Colts.


His supporters will talk the talk all day long about his accomplishments – more buildings being built, One World Trade Center rising from the ashes of Ground Zero, a lower crime rate, more tourists than ever (just try walking down the street without bumping into someone with a map), film crews seemingly everywhere, and even a budget surplus that probably will be forever unthinkable for the federal government. All these things sound wonderful, but they came at an extraordinarily high price – one that only the exceeding wealthy were willing and able to bankroll to get Bloomberg's vision realized.


Let’s look at the other Bloomberg, who can be compared to the bad Captain Kirk from a parallel time in the Star Trek episode “Mirror, Mirror.” This is the Bloomberg who thought he could take his own personal agenda and make it your own. The most notable fiasco was the “stop-and-frisk” police policy that was obviously unconstitutional even before being declared so. This one thing alone tarnishes his legacy because it not only violated people’s rights (notably blacks and Hispanics who were the most frequent targets of the practice) but it also alienated people the policy supposedly was meant to protect.


Besides that debacle, there seemed to be a growing gap between the haves and have-nots on his watch. This includes the homeless, those who can barely make ends meet (read everyone from the middle class and lower), those who find prices too high and rewards too minimal. As a friend of mine visiting from Nevada asked, “How can any regular folks afford to live here?” We could ask our rich beyond Richie Rich mayor, but I doubt he cares much about constituents who are not part of his core group of 1% supporters.


bloom 1 village voice That is why Bloomberg has so alienated “average” New Yorkers. He has also taken every opportunity to undermine teachers and attack their union. He closed an unprecedented number of public schools to open smaller charter schools – with teachers being paid less, with less benefits, and basically no job security. He orchestrated the ridiculous soda pop ban of big cups (like a customer couldn’t just buy two smaller ones to get the same volume), only to be shot down by a court. He achieved getting “calorie count menus” in restaurants, is probably single-handedly responsible for those hordes of smokers cluttering city sidewalks because they cannot smoke in buildings or restaurants or bars, and hired a school's chancellor with zero education experience.


Again and again, he proved to be the “nanny” mayor, telling people what to do because it was “good” for them. Like an old grandma trying to shove castor oil down your throat, Bloomberg felt he knew what was better for you and he wanted to make sure, just like Big Brother in George Orwell’s 1984, to keep an eye on you. Think of the all the traffic cameras installed, and in general all the security cameras in Midtown especially, and you can just imagine how we are all like the targets of that person Sting once sang about – “Every breath you take, every move you make, I’ll be watching you.”


bloom 3 wikipediaThe election of Bill de Blasio is welcome news for most New Yorkers. The people spoke and the landslide results prove that we New Yorkers want someone who can relate to us. Mr. de Blasio and his family ( his wife is black and children biracial) reflects a city that is diverse, and his common touch, his desire to hear everyday people, and willingness to undo many of Bloomberg’s unreasonable practices are welcome news for a city that after 12 years has had more than enough of being governed by a Louis XIV type, whose mantra “Apres moi, le deluge” more than accurately foreshadowed the fate of the French monarchy.


Fortunately, Mr. de Blasio comes in at a time when we need him most. It’s about time New York City had a mayor who cares and is more interested in the people on the city’s streets rather than those in its ivory towers. As Bloomberg departs, we can only say “Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry.” I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of him, but at least he can be a windbag on his own dime now.


Yes, Mr. de Blasio inherits a healthier and more robust city than Bloomberg did, but he also gets all the detritus of Bloomberg’s policies. We can believe that he will be breaking out the broom and pan and getting to it on day one. That is the kind of mayor we not only want now but desperately need in the “capital of the free world.” Thankfully, under de Blasio, it actually will be a “free” place to live again.


Photo credits: soda jerk-village voice; nanny-abcnews.com; de blasio family-wikipedia

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Santa and the Baby Jesus – Does the Jolly Old Elf Ruin the True Meaning of Christmas?

First appeared on Blogcritics.

santa jesus reapteam.org Okay, Christmas is over – to the relief of parents and guardians everywhere. That is unless you are standing on long lines making returns today, then I am with you thankfully only in spirit. The holiday week is still upon us and, as the song reminds everyone, moms and dads can’t wait for school to start again. In the meantime, presents vie for space in living rooms and all over the rest of the house, and my recycling bin’s cup runneth over.


 In the meantime, I am still hearing something that I encounter annually – the debate over whether Santa Claus ruins the spirit of Christmas. Because of the juggernaut combination of shopping, trying to get the kids to “visit” Santa in the mall, and preparing for entertaining friends and loved ones, the story of Baby Jesus being born in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago does seem to be placed on the back burner.


However, we have no one to blame in this matter except ourselves. If you are Christians (in my case Catholic), you have to make sure that your children know both stories, and that there is in fact a connection between Santa Claus and Jesus – an intimate one that actually makes sense to kids if you explain it to them. In my house during the time known as Advent (the four weeks preceding Christmas), we go about preparing for Jesus.


Each Sunday we light another candle on our Advent Wreath, and we talk about Christmas as being the birthday of a little baby in Bethlehem so long ago. My children come to understand that we are still celebrating that birthday to this day. I also explain that because the Baby Jesus received the first Christmas gifts – from the Three Kings/Wise Men/Magi – someone named St. Nicholas became inspired to do something similar.


stnick-stnicholas.org My kids do go to Catholic school; therefore, they are getting the same story twice at home and in the classroom. In my house we reinforce the idea by quietly celebrating St. Nicholas Day (December 6), and talking about how St. Nicholas lived in what is now known as Turkey a long time ago. They learn that St. Nicholas showed love for poor people, especially children, by leaving small bags of gold at their houses.


After his time in Turkey, stories can diverge depending on parents' personal preferences. My father always said that Nicholas decided that he had to work from a place where he could reach more people, so he started a journey north in a wagon with two horses to get to the top of the world. When Nicholas got to Scandinavia and encountered snow, his horses could not pull the wagon, so he sold them to a family for reindeer and a sleigh. This family had a lovely young daughter, with whom Nicholas fell in love. She, of Claus – I mean of course, became his bride and eventually would be known as Mrs. Claus.


The story can go on and on, but eventually he settles in the North Pole, builds a workshop, and hires the local magical little people – who become his elves. An alternate story is that the elves are the children of Nicholas and his wife. Decide on telling the kids whatever sounds better to you.


When he gets the name Santa Claus – shortened version of Saint Nicholas – and starts getting plump from cookies is usually what my kids like to hear most. He decides on bringing toys to all the children of the world on one night, and he chooses Christmas Eve not to overwhelm Baby Jesus on his birthday but to honor him. This is connected to the first Christmas and the gifts of the men from the east, and Santa is blessed with immortality because he serves the Lord as he goes about his annual routine. All of this is great story telling, but I also use the handy “Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus” that is printed every year in the New York Daily News to remind them that, even though they may hear Santa is not real from their friends, there is a higher authority to confirm his identity.


santa 2 -correctionhistory.orgThis year my son has been so involved and in love with the Santa story, but he is equally engaged in the Baby Jesus one too. He has a small Fisher Price manger set that he plays with as much as his Santa set. He also got to play a donkey in the school Christmas play, so we are still hearing his only line of dialogue “hee-haw; hee-haw!” from time to time. When we are on the street or in the mall and he sees the "Santa" ringing a bell or talking to children, he asks, "That's not the real one, right, Dad?" I always respond, "No, but he is a helper."

The bottom line is that it is adults who allow Santa to overtake the holiday, and there is no need for that. Baby Jesus is not only the reason for the season, but he is the motivation behind everything the jolly old elf does. When we realize that and make sure to share it with our children, Christmas can be meaningful spiritually even as the kids listen for those sleigh bells with anticipation.


 photo credits: santa & jesus-reapteam.org; st.nicholas-stnicholas.org; sidewalk santa-crrectionhistory.org

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

On First Christmas Without Dad - Remembering the Importance of Bing Crosby's "White Christmas"

First appeared on Blogcritics.


white 1It’s one of the best-selling singles of all time, and Bing Crosby’s version of “White Christmas” is still an iconic slice of American holiday pie. Written by Russian Jewish immigrant Irving Berlin, it perfectly captures a time and place in the history of the U.S., and by default, of the world.


On this first Christmas without my father, I miss him terribly but each time I hear “White Christmas” I think of him and his stories of hearing that song during World War II. Having been introduced in 1941, it came at the right time for lonely soldiers as Bing sang the song on radio for the first time that Christmas Day. We have heard of the shot heard round the world, well this was the tune that spanned the globe.


My father spent too many Christmases away from home during that war, but he recalled Christmas 1944 when it still seemed that there was no certain victory for the Americans. Bunkered down in a French town near enemy lines, my father could hear the bombs going off that Christmas Eve just a mile or so away. He and a few of his men (Dad was a sergeant) decided to take advantage of a bottle of cognac they had found in the basement of the house where they were spending the night.


Drinking the delicious drink out of their mess cups, the fellows had a small radio and listened to Christmas songs. As the music played each one shared a story about home, and my father could picture his house, parents, and dogs sitting around the Christmas tree. Dad said when old Bing came on and sang his now famous song, none of these big burly fellows had a dry eye.


When my father and one of his men when outside to relieve the sentry, it was cold and snowing. They noticed a dark figure coming towards them in the woods, and all three raised their rifles. The fellow collapsed as he approached, and Dad and the others discovered that he was a wounded German soldier. They brought him inside where a medic tended to his wounds.


The bombs continued to go off in the distance, and a little after midnight Bing’s song came on the radio again. The wounded enemy soldier glanced up at Dad and smiled saying, “Der Bingle.” My father offered him a mess cup with cognac in it, and said, “Merry Christmas.”


white 2Years later Dad recalled that story wistfully. That German soldier survived and was moved to a field hospital the next day. Dad always remembered that Christmas Eve, and he spoke of the appeal of “White Christmas,” noting that even the Germans liked the tune. There are no doubt many similar stories, but this was Dad’s and he liked to tell it.

 He always noted that “White Christmas” was not just any song. Every time a soldier heard it, no matter where he was stationed, it brought a memory of someone or someplace he loved. Dad noted that soldiers always tried to put up a tree, even near a battlefield. They all weren’t sure if they would ever see home again, but they resiliently celebrated despite the war around them, and the poignancy of the lyrics and Bing’s crooning got to them every time they heard it.


bingWith Dad gone now, I feel a connection to “White Christmas” that is very personal. When I listen to it sometime on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, I will raise a glass of cheer and toast my father. I will not just be toasting him but all those of America’s greatest generation. They fought a most pernicious foe and, if they had failed, the world as we know it wouldn’t exist.


 All these years later “White Christmas” has an evanescent ability to touch us across time, and we think of the "snow" as being a metaphor for peace and love, which is what Christmas Day means to many of us; however, we don’t need snow for the song to have its magical affect. So raise a glass, toast someone you love, and this Christmas will be “just like the ones I used to know.” Now if we could just hear those sleigh bells!


  Photo credits: life magazine; hrworld.blogspot.com, bing-rockonvinyl.blogspot.com

Monday, December 23, 2013

In Defense of “Happy Holidays”

First appeared on Blogcritics.

holi 1I don’t know if people are more thin-skinned these days, but apparently they are judging by the reaction to minutiae such Miley Cyrus’s behavior, Alec Baldwin’s anger at the paparazzi, and this guy from Duck Dynasty (I knew nothing about him or his show until this whole thing erupted). Throw in Geraldo Rivera, Kim Kardashian, Amanda Bynes, and a partridge in a pear tree, and you have a whole Christmas stocking filled with stuff to keep you ranting all day.


 If you have the time and inclination, so be it; but, as John Lennon wrote in his beautiful song, “And so it is Christmas, and what have you done?” If you want it to be that you spent the year worrying about things such as described above, good luck to you.


Three people in my family passed away this year, and there are wars and terrorism and the threat of natural disasters to think about. There’s the economy and the so-called Obama-care (both looking better lately, thankfully), and there are people in need of food and drink all over the world. How you choose to view that world outside your window is, of course, up to you.


Which gets me to this nearly insane argument over whether or not to say “Happy Holidays.” You may have heard recent stories such as the one where a woman was assaulted for not saying “Merry Christmas.” Then there was one about the woman who got fired because she refused to say “Happy Holidays.” Believe it or not there are too many of these tales to even keep track of at this point.


The problem is that you have incendiary guys like FOX News talking heads Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly banging the drum about not saying “Merry Christmas,” and this gets all the worst elements in human nature riled up even more. While real news is out there and needs to be reported, they are wasting their air time complaining about something that seems to be inconsequential at best, but since it has become an issue gaining attention it needs to be addressed.


I only overheard a confrontation in my local Starbucks yesterday that boggled my mind. The barista handed a guy his tall Pike and added, “Happy Holidays!” The guy snapped back, “I prefer Merry Christmas, pal!” He then walked over to his friends and started ranting. “We have to stand our ground and take it back. They need to say ‘Merry Christmas’ or else.”


Now, I started thinking this guy was going to get violent, but instead he stormed out the door followed by his posse of disgruntled reindeer. I got my grande cappuccino and, since I frequent the place, gave the barista a tip and said, “Happy Holidays.” He smiled and said, “To you too.”


I walked out into the beautiful morning shaking my head. I am a Christian and have absolutely no idea why “Happy Holidays” offends anyone. I use it myself when I am in situations in which I have no idea of the person’s religious orientation (which is 90% of the time). “Happy Holidays” covers everything from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, and it is said not to insult people but rather to honor their individuality and respect the dignity of their respective faith.


When I think about it, I use “Merry Christmas” in situations where I am certain that I am in the company of fellow Christians. Obviously, leaving Mass and coming out of the church, I would be saying it. Picking up my kids from school (Catholic), I would wish the teachers and other parents it. But in a place like Starbucks, or in the post office, or the department store, it would be inappropriate for me to wish the other person “Merry Christmas” and therefore I use “Happy Holidays.”


Still it has become a bigger issue, a sort of us verses them mentality, and I just don’t get it. Why does anyone believe that he or she has the right to impose a way of thinking or beliefs on others? Yes, I know that in the long history of atrocities committed in the name of various faiths that terrible things happened in the name of gods. We cannot ignore that, but we can recognize that now, in 2013, we should know better and be better than this.


I use “Merry Christmas” with family and friends and enjoy doing so; however, I use “Happy Holidays” in almost every other arena. I don’t find it offensive, and I really cannot fathom why anyone else does, but people are entitled to their opinions. The thing is when we start to make our opinions an imposition on others, or we threaten them in some way, we are in no way in the spirit of anything resembling a “holiday” spirit. These people become Christmas bullies, and that has nothing to do with the child born in Bethlehem or even that jolly old elf in the red suit.


holi 2So, whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanza, Winter Solstice, Malkha, Chalica, Pancha Ganapti, Festivus, or nothing at all, I wish you peace, love, and happiness this season. I hope everyone will do the same and then the season will indeed be bright.


  Photo credits: hdwallpapersinn.com, imgion.com

Sunday, December 22, 2013

The Elf on the Shelf Has Me Talking to Myself

First appeared on Blogcritics.

elf 2 Okay, I will sound about as Christmas-spirited as Ebenezer Scrooge collecting a mortgage from a poor little old lady, but I have about had it with the Elf on the Shelf. I go around the house mumbling to myself, and I have actually contemplated the Elf’s demise in various forms of torture that would have provided me with great joy.


I thought about saying, “Oops, I dropped it in the garbage disposal” or “I don’t know how his legs got caught in the shredder.” But these little ploys seemed too disingenuous, and no doubt my kids would see through them quickly. Then I thought, “Hey, you’re a writer; think like one.” I have written a story or two about the perfect murder, but then I remembered those guys got caught in the end, so that was no good either.


Then I started thinking about the “Elf Rules.” Those of you without children are no doubt blissfully unaware of the Elf or that he is accompanied by rules of engagement as it were. These rules are in themselves designed to thrill kids and be every parent’s worst nightmare. They are as follows (which you can find, if you so desire, on the little pest’s web site):



“There are two simple rules that every child knows when it comes to having an elf. First, an elf cannot be touched; Christmas magic is very fragile and if an elf is touched it may lose that magic and be unable to fly back to the North Pole. Second, an elf cannot speak or move while anyone in the house is awake! An elf's job is to watch and listen.”


elf 3So each night the kiddies go to bed and I must devise a new hiding place for Sir Elf. “Oh, that sounds easy” you are probably saying or “What’s so hard about that?” Well, try being the designated Elf hider and say, around three o’clock in the morning, you wake up and realize you forgot to hide the damn thing.


I can count at least six nights in December that this happened to me. Picture me flashlight in hand trying to think of a new hiding place in the dark. Stubbing toes and stepping on Legos are part of the punishment derived from my forgetfulness, not to mention not being able to get back to sleep afterwards. Of course, even gentle Bob Cratchit would be saying “Bah, Humbug!” by now.



That does not mean to say that I haven’t devised some good hiding places: the curtains, the refrigerator, the freezer (his cheeks change color in there overnight), the pantry, medicine cabinet, showerhead, and on top of a ceiling fan blade. I do start running out of ideas, and the refrain of “Dad, that was too easy” only makes me want to get rid of him more.



I looked at the rules again and thought, “Maybe I can make them work in my favor.” I devised a plan in which  I could use rule one (an Elf cannot be touched) to my advantage. If one of the kids could be made to touch it, the little bugger would lose his magic and that would mean he couldn’t hide himself anymore. I would be free of the nightly ordeal, finally free of the Elf that is a pain in my posterior.


The next morning my five year old woke with the Elf in bed next to him on the pillow. I hoped to see him running out of the room clutching the Elf, and then I would lower the boom saying, “You touched him! He lost his magic! Etcetera, etcetera!” in my worst Yul Brynner impersonation ever.


But, alas, my son is a quick thinker. He screamed, “Dad! Dad, come quick!” I went into his room and he was sitting on his knees on the bed pointing to the Elf. “Look what’s here!”


“Did you touch it?” I asked. He put his hands on his hips and looked at me like my mother used to do when I did something wrong. He said, “Are you serious? You can’t touch the Elf!”



elf 1I slinked out of the room and down the stairs in defeat. He went off to school and I sat drinking a cup of coffee and staring at the Elf’s pixie face. I had to admit that the kids enjoyed the game, and I do know that their smiling faces and laughter each time they found the little pest was probably worth it.


Grudgingly, I hid the little guy again last night. At this moment he is hiding behind a picture frame on the mantel, his little red hat barely visible. They will find it sooner or later as they search the living room this morning. When they do they will scream with delight, and then I will be off the hook until tonight.


There are only a few more days until Christmas, and then, mercifully, the Elf on the Shelf game will be over. The Elf will be put in the dark attic safely out of the way until next year. When I do have to go up there for something throughout the year, sometimes I can swear I hear a little squeal of the little guy laughing at me, but it’s probably just my imagination.


Photo credits: theelfontheshelf.com

Sunday, December 15, 2013

New York Post Jacoby Ellsbury Headline Offensive

First appeared on Blogcritics.


jacoby post 2The back page headline on the Saturday, December 14, 2013, edition of the New York Post, concerning newly signed New York Yankees centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury was very offensive. Soon as I saw the photo of Ellsbury shaking hands with Yankees’ skipper Joe Girardi with the words ‘Bury the Hatchet blasting across the page, I felt great disdain for the newspaper and its pathetic attempt at humor.


I have loathed the New York Post for a long time, dating back to the despicable front page photograph of John Lennon’s body in the morgue after his murder. Ever since then I have held the newspaper in contempt, thinking it lacked any journalistic integrity that subsequent photographs and headlines (just like this one) only continue to confirm.


jacoby postSo what is my big problem with this headline? Jacoby Ellsbury identifies as Native American - his mother is Navajo. He is the first Major League Baseball player of Navajo descent and only one of three active Native American players (Joba Chamberlain and Kyle Lohse) in MLB. I know first hand from family members who live in Oregon, have met Ellsbury, and watched his rise to stardom that there is great pride in his accomplishments in the Native American community.


This headline is a crude attempt at some warped sense of humor that does nothing but prove beyond a shadow of the doubt that the New York Post is nothing more than a glorified toilet paper. It’s obvious that most of the general public realizes that journalistic integrity is a foreign concept for this paper, a glaring version of the worst humanity has to offer in print.


During the introduction to the media on Friday, Girardi spoke of how happy he was that Ellsbury was now on his team. “You are no longer a thorn in my side.” The only surprising thing is that the Post didn’t depict Ellsbury in stereotypical costume and change the quotation to read “arrow in my side.” You could say, “No one would stoop that low.” Of course, then you wouldn’t know the New York Post.


I believe the newspaper and its chairman Rupert Murdoch owe Ellsbury and the Native American community a sincere and public apology. Judging from the fact that Yoko Ono is still waiting for one, we shouldn’t expect that any time soon. This is just modus operandi for this ongoing excuse for a daily newspaper and the refuse it continues to publish.


Please confine yourselves to picking up copies of the Post from the city’s trash bins and only use it for your bird cages, doggie crates, and on the floor to count paint drippings. Sadly, even those uses are too good a fate for this disgrace to journalism.

  Photo credit: native appropriations.com

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Common Core Wars - The NY State Senate Strikes Back

First appeared on Blogcritics.

testing daily newsA New York State Senate panel, led by Senator John Flanagan (R-L.I.), recently issued a landmark report that could change the playing field in this state regarding standardized testing linked to Common Core State Standards. Not only does the report indicate that “standardized testing should be reduced,” but also that student data must be better protected and standardized testing in grades Pre-K-2 should be completely eliminated.



The report, which used significant input from parents and educators, should rattle the guys up in Albany and in other state education departments across the country. In a galaxy far away and a time not so long ago, teachers were actually able to teach; however, we have entered into a prolonged period of conflict, which I like to call Common Core Wars. At this point there have been those who have tried to remove the yolk of oppression caused by standardized testing that has weighed us down for so long now; however, the evil empire (testing companies, state education departments, and their political lackeys) have long ruled with an iron fist. The “emperor” in this case turns out to be the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the driving force behind Common Core. Is it any wonder that this thing has become the equivalent of an educational hydra that is nearly impossible to fight against?


No matter how impossible the odds seem, teachers, parents, and students have been putting up the good fight for change for the last two years. When the Common Core State standards were dumped upon us, as some sort of edict from on high, we were thrust into an uncomfortable place where teachers were given a new way to teach without being prepared to do so, testing was linked to the standards, and test grades were made part of end of year evaluations that would determine whether or not teachers would keep their jobs and if students could move on to the next level.


citizenship.aie.orgHere in New York, the “rebel alliance” of teachers, parents, students, and some political leaders fought the good fight, even if it seemed that their weapons of persuasion were no match for the imperial might; however, some cracks started showing in the empire’s armor. Parents demonstrated with their children; teachers did the same, and highly respected and experienced people (Diane Ravitch, Catholic scholars, and writers such as Robert Shepherd and Anthony Cody) came out against the CCSS.


Recently, New York State Commissioner of Education John B. King was almost run out of town on a rail by Long Island parents (two towns actually - Mineola and Melville) after he tried to defend the CCSS and the standardized testing connected to it. They shouted him down and led to him canceling a similar event in Garden City. As chief spokesperson for the evil empire, he found that the people are mad as hell and aren’t about to take it anymore.


In the grand scheme of things, nothing changes as of this moment, but the imperial powers that be are starting to realize the rebels are advancing. With the looming exit of New York city Mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the key advocates of the CCSS (and teacher evaluations associated with them) is gone. Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has indicated that he will undo many of the nefarious machinations of Darth Bloomberg, including the rush to close schools and open charters, ignore parental concerns, and minimize the importance of teachers in the educational equation. In short the “rebels” seem to have a friend in Gracie Mansion after twelve years of Bloomberg’s insidious plans.


testing 2 daily newsSlowly it is becoming apparent that there was a misfire with the CCSS. The initial concepts that led to their creation and implementation - that children should learn more deeply and rigorously and be prepared for college - were actually a positive thing. But like all great ideas, there is always some way to warp their trajectory, and this is what has happened here. In New York State, the CCSS were utilized as a means to an end. Why not set up impossible new standards, ill-prepare teachers to use them in the classroom, require that they be linked to standardized tests, and then use those test scores as part of teacher evaluations?


It seems like a pernicious plot from a bad B-movie, but it is the case. It boggles the mind that the evil empire got as far as it did, but there are those in the alliance who refused to back down. We still have a long way to go, but the state senate report is a good sign that things are going to change in Albany. How long will it take for that to reach the classroom? It is hard to say right now, but teachers, parents, and students in New York and all around the nation deserve better. , but we all cannot relax our efforts until we can be certain that the Common Core Wars saga is over once and for all.


 Photo credits: Flanagan and protestors-ny daily news; test-citizenship.aie.org

Sunday, December 8, 2013

The Walking Dead - Midseason Finale: Don’t Look Back!

First appeared on Blogcritics.

dead 5 There have been eight episodes in season 4 of The Walking Dead, and by far this season seems to be more about deconstruction, breaking connections, and setting our dwindling number of core survivors out on their own. With little or nothing left to their disposal, the survivors are in the most precarious situation they ever have been in at this point. Also, they are a scattered flock, and we wonder if Deputy Rick Grimes can once again be the Moses to lead his people to, if not the promised land, at least somewhere that other people live and that will establish some long-term stability.


In this series the most dangerous threat has never been the zombies. Yes, their presence is felt, and they remain a danger, but our survivors are adept at dealing with them by now. Rick, Michonne, Daryl, and company dispatch zombies regularly, so much so that it becomes almost like the guy on an assembly line tightening bolts. This is their daily routine, something they are good at doing, but people like Tyrese and Hershel made it known that it was never easy or something they even wanted to do.


The greatest danger is other humans. At this point people who have survived have grown increasingly desperate, with dwindling resources and increasing zombie numbers, the living must prey on the other living in order to take what they have. Never is this more apparent than when the Governor (going by the name Brian that he saw written on a wall) and his new group come across a band of survivors in the woods. When they come back to see what they are doing later, the people have been massacred and their goods taken. It has become a world of every person for him or herself.


The writers took great pains in episodes 4:6 and 4:7 to show the Governor’s side of things. They built up his character in such a way as to garner some sympathy, to give him a new family and group, but then pulled it all away when he started back on his murderous ways. He vows to protect Lilly and her daughter Meghan, and we wonder if he is appreciating this second chance (since he lost his wife and daughter) or is he using it to gain power. It seems by 4:8 that it is a little bit of both.


The Governor has not given up his grudge against Rick and the survivors. He blames them for the loss of Woodbury (where he once ruled with iron fist), he still retains hatred for Michonne (who “killed” his living dead daughter), and he sees the prison as his ultimate prize. He convinces his new group to attack the prison (they have a tank at their disposal). He promises there will be no blood, that they will force the others out, and take the prize he has always wanted.


There is just one problem. He has kidnapped Michonne and Hershel and promises them no blood will be shed. Michonne is like a trapped tiger; she wants to kill him (she hasn’t forgotten what he did to Andrea). Hershel, the ever wise and true (to use a battered term) moral compass in the series, tells him they can live together. The Governor says it’s impossible, and we can tell which way this will go.


In the prison there has been some stability, but they had the infection that nearly wiped everyone out, and then there is unrest in the ranks. When Rick discovers Carol killed two infected people and burned their bodies, he banishes her from the prison. He worries about what Tyrese will do when he learns that Carol killed his love, Karen.


dead 4So many people have been lost at this point. That when the Governor pulls the tank and his minions up to the front gate, my first thought was that Rick might finally acquiesce. There is just too much lost to lose more. With Hershel and Michonne bound and ready to be executed, I felt that Rick would give, but instead he rises to the challenge of true leadership. Rick explains why they can work together and live together. His argument is compelling and valid. Surely as a group they will be stronger than if they fight each other. No matter how strong Rick’s words are, the Governor has already made up his mind.

dead 1As he stands with Michonne’s katana sword hovering over the kneeling Hershel, Hershel smiles as he hears Rick’s speech. He has always been Rick’s mentor, and now the teacher is assured that his words have been absorbed. Rick will lead and continue with Hershel’s philosophy as he goes. Then the proverbial crap hit’s the fan. The Governor almost decapitates Hershel, the guns start blazing, Michonne attempts to escape, and it is really a viscious battle. Despite having the tank, slowly the Governor’s side is eliminated. Meanwhile, Lilly and Megan who did not accompany the group to the prison, have had their own horror to deal with. Meghan is bitten on the shoulder while playing near the pond, and Lilly carries her lifeless body to the battlefield.


dead 2The Governor, who had kept his biological daughter Penny “alive” after death, has obviously learned from his mistakes. He shoots Meghan without batting an eye (remember he only has one), and Lilly looks on in horror. There is no turning back and, as the title of the episode clearly captures the essence of things, “Too Far Gone” describes every character and the resolution of the battle. As the Governor and Rick finally have their one-on-one fight, Rick seems to be winning but then the Governor gets the best of him. Just when it seems he will tear the throat out of Rick (as he did with the walker in the pit in 4:6), Michonne runs him through with the katana he used to decapitate Hershel.


dead 3Rick’s crew wins the battle, but loses the war as someone has driven away with half the camp in the school bus. Rick and Carl find baby Judith’s car seat empty and bloody, and Tyrese is saved by the kids Carol adopted as her own. At this point people are scattering, the center has collapsed, and the prison is overrun by walkers. Lilly stands over the dying Governor on the battlefield. She raises a gun and finishes off the man who had been her lover and sworn protector of her child. There is some catharsis in this, almost as if Andrea (the Governor’s other abused lover) was there in spirit pulling the trigger with her.


At the end Carl helps the stumbling Rick get away from the fallen prison. As the walkers overwhelm the place they called home, Rick tells Carl, “Don’t look back.” Not that Carl was in danger of turning into a pillar of salt, but there was the idea that civilization had fallen, the world fell apart, and what is next may be worse than what is left behind.


I don’t know about you, but this season has increasingly taken an emotional toll. To lose Carol and Hershel has been hard, but it is even more difficult to imagine baby Judith being devoured. There is also the clear and obvious danger that every survivor now faces, walking into the darkness of a night with nothing but their own hands and experience to keep them alive.


Showrunner Scott M. Gimple promised this early this season when he appeared on the first episode of Talking Dead. He warned that things would get much worse (after Patrick turned into a zombie in the prison shower). Mr. Gimple, you are a man of your word.


Now we have to wait, but only until February. I’m not really sold on these split seasons. AMC saw the benefit of this with Breaking Bad, and it does build up the anticipation of what will happen. It also gives us a long time to think about all the possibilities, but there are these things to think about:

*Who drove the bus away against Maggie’s orders to wait for everyone?
*What happens to the few people from the Governor’s crew now, especially Lilly?
*Did baby Judith die or was she saved by someone?
*Do the survivors have a plan to meet somewhere? I hope it’s not the Big Lot store.
*Who was feeding rats to the walkers and eviscerating rabbits inside the prison?
*Is Carol still alive and is she coming back for “her girls” and what will that do to Tyrese?
*What force killed all those people in the woods and took their things? Will this force reveal itself and be a factor in the rest of the season?
*Can Rick be the leader Hershel always knew he could be?
*Finally, will we ever get to know what’s happening beyond this forest in the rest of the world? Or is this all that’s left?

 We will find out all this and more in February, folks. Until then, Klaatu Barada Nikto!

  Photo credits: AMC