My cousin Al is in the movie business and he sent me a few DVDs of projects in which he has been involved over the years. One of those films is a documentary called “Trumbo” and it deals with the famous and extremely gifted Hollywood screenwriter, Dalton Trumbo. Trumbo had his life and his career scuttled when he was declared a commie along with the rest of the “Hollywood Ten” by those myopic idiots known as the Committee for Un-American Activities in Washington. He and many of his colleagues were subsequently blacklisted by Hollywood and that dark stain on American history ruined many lives. The documentary is based on a play by the writer’s son, Christopher Trumbo, and among other things features various contemporary movie stars reading letters Trumbo wrote throughout his tumultuous life. What moved me most about the film, other than the exposition of the horrible wrong done to him and the others, was the fact that Dalton Trumbo was a remarkable writer. His letters to friends and family were simply incredible, and they beautifully facilitate the telling of his story. I’ve said many times in this report that I fear that communication skills are eroding in our society. Gone are the days when people actually sit down, organize their thoughts, and write a long letter. I cringe whenever I hear a news anchor say something like “It’s not that big of a deal” or use the word “appraised” when they really mean “apprised”. These days diction is fiction, and grammar is something you learn (or don’t) in 2nd grade, then disregard. My father had a good command of the English language, and he was a better than average writer. He was witty and funny, and I always loved receiving written correspondence from him. I probably aspire to improve my writing skills because of my dad. I see great, albeit not necessarily pecuniary, rewards in being able to communicate effectively. It is because of Dalton Trumbo’s exceptional ability to communicate that I found his story so interesting. The Lohans and the Sheens of today’s overindulged and often over-compensated Hollywood would have buckled under a fraction of the injustice and disgrace Dalton Trumbo endured, and over which he ultimately prevailed. BTW, how about that Charlie Sheen … quite the moron, eh?
The uprisings that have been occurring throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa are fascinating to me, but as usual I’m afraid Western journalists do not do those struggles justice. Whenever I read an article on the web, I’m interested to then read the email threads reacting to the article, sometimes written by residents of the country in question. I’m not sure these opinionated comments paint accurate picture of the issues at hand, but they do provide an alternative point of view. Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, and Tunisia are entirely different situations, and it is clear that, where the U.S. has a strategic interest in the country, the reporting is often skewed. Indeed, the more I read about the Arab World, the less I understand. I delude myself into thinking that if I get several perspectives on an issue, I might be a little closer to the truth. Not since the fall of the Berlin Wall have I seen events unfolding with such historical significance. I am more than a little curious to see how all of this will play out, to see which countries will embrace freedom and which ones will succumb to some other form of tyranny. Simply because the people get rid of one tyrant does not ensure their peace or freedom; look at Somalia. I wouldn’t be planning any sailing trips near the Gulf of Aden anytime soon. Those Somali pirates are murderous thugs, as four American sailors recently found out. I’m pretty sure of one thing: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is not playing with a full deck (is it spelled with a “Q” or a “G”?) . I remember that the guy was a few spices short of a ghoulash back in the early 90’s. I watched a little of a recent TV interview with Gaddafi, and he looks like he’s tripping on acid, the drug he accused his protesters of taking. Perhaps he should switch to Ecstasy. While nobody wants Scarface running their country, this guy might be tough to oust. He’s got piles of oil money and he seems oblivious to Western reprisal. I think the only way we’ll see him disappear is if one of his own generals puts a bullet in his head, not entirely unlikely as he becomes increasingly unhinged.
Spring is just around the corner ... a groundhog told me so.
Written by Jamie Oppenheimer c2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
