Review of
Bonanza: The Fear Merchants,
episode of the Bonanza television series
Five out of five stars
While this
episode first aired on January 30, 1960, the message remains appropriate for the
latter years of the twenty-teens. There has been a major outbreak of
anti-immigrant sentiment around the world, nowhere more pronounced than in the country
that has accepted more immigrants than any other, the United States.
The premise is
that a major candidate for mayor of Virginia City is campaigning on a strong
and uncompromising dislike of people of Chinese descent. The episode opens with
Hop Sing, the Cartwright’s cook, being beat up by thugs in the employ of the
candidate. When a Chinese boy in his late teens is falsely accused of murdering
a teenage girl, public sentiment runs strong and the only allies the Sheriff
has against a lynch mob are the three Cartwrights.
Much of the
dialog could be transplanted into the modern conversation, where several highly
ranked politicians openly accuse immigrants of being non-American and criminals.
Just as significant are the people that acquiesce in accepting the most
inflammatory rhetoric.
This is a
superb episode, showing the Cartwrights as the upstanding and brave citizens
they claim to be. Without them, Virginia City would have reverted to mob rule
and an innocent man would have been killed by the actions of a cold and
ruthless man.
Review of
The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold,
starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels
Five out of five stars
There is no
western hero more iconic that the Lone Ranger with his faithful sidekick Tonto.
Furthermore, Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger and Jay Silverheels as Tonto are
firmly entrenched as the best ever in the roles. After years of playing them on
television, two full-length Lone Ranger movies were made. This one is the
second of the two.
There is a wave
of crime and terror taking place at the hands of a gang of hooded criminals
that are ruthless. Several Native American men have been killed and there is
uncertainty as to why. The local law is of no help to the Native Americans and
tensions between the whites and Native Americans are growing.
The Lone Ranger
and Tonto ride into this situation and quickly become the primary force investigating
the crimes. Prominent local citizens are the brains behind the crime spree, for
the Native Americans are being killed for the medallions they wear around their
necks. Each is a piece of a puzzle that when put together will be a map to a
lost city of gold.
The plot generally
follows the formula for Lone Ranger adventures, modern viewers may object to
the racial discrimination. For example, Tonto is beat up when he enters a
saloon as there is a policy that no red men are allowed. Silver demonstrates a
high level of intelligence in this movie, challenging Roy Rodgers’ Trigger as
the smartest horse in show business.
As heroes go,
the Lone Ranger was the ultimate in following the law and always doing good without
asking for anything in return. The crime is of course solved and as must be the
case, the last line of dialog is “Hiyo Silver away!”
Review of
What You Must Know About Dry Eye: How to
Prevent, Stop or Reverse Dry Eye Disease, by Jeffrey
Anshel, OD ISBN 9780757004797
Five out of five stars
Even if you do
not suffer from dry eye, this book is worth reading for the information about
the functioning of eyes. Even the thin layer of liquid protection on the
exposed surface of the eyeball is an extremely complicated structure. Until I
read this book, I had no knowledge of this. One fact that seemed obvious in
retrospect is that the blink reflex is the fastest reflex in the human body.
While dry eye
can lead to difficulties and can require medical attention, in nearly all cases
it can be treated and even cured by performing some basic actions. This
includes diet, topical liquids and over the counter and prescription drugs. Dry
eye is a condition that you can have without realizing it, so this book is also
valuable as an element of awareness.
Many popular books
about medical conditions are full of fluff and questionable claims regarding
treatments. This is one that rises above that and is worthy of being kept on your
shelf of medical books for reference purposes.
Review of
The Hero Two Doors Down,
by Sharon Robinson ISBN 9780545804516
Five out of five stars
Written by the
daughter of the great and pioneering baseball player Jackie Robinson, this book
is a slightly fictionalized account of one component of his incredible life. Once
he was established as a star for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie rented an
apartment in an almost exclusively Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn. It was a short
distance from Ebbets Field and Jackie’s wife and son lived there as well.
Stephen Satlow
was an eight-year-old Jewish boy that lived in Brooklyn and was a devoted fan
of the Dodgers. He did in fact live two doors down from where the Robinson
family lived. Before Jackie moved in, a petition was circulated in the
neighborhood stating their opposition to having blacks live in the area. The
Satlow adults refused to sign it.
It was not long
before the Robinson and Satlow families were close friends, a relationship that
remained until this book was written. Stephen quickly became a hero among his
peers due to his friendship with Jackie, for Jackie was a generous man and made
a large number of tickets available to Stephen, his family and classmates.
This book shows
another side of Jackie Robinson, the devoted family man that was also a low-level
community activist. It is a very good story of how small acts of kindness do
make a significant difference in the lives of others.
Review of
PBS Home Video: The Natural History of the
Chicken, VHS version
Three out of five stars
The phrase “natural
history” is generally used to reference a scientific study, albeit presented in
a popular form. That was my thought when I decided to watch this tape and why I
was disappointed. This is not a scientific analysis of the role of the chicken
in human society down through history, but a series of short stories that involve
chickens.
The least
useful is the story about a man that has a very large number of roosters that
crow a lot, causing so much noise that the neighbors have trouble conducting
their lives. After their initial complaints, the neighbors filed legal action
and there are short interviews of the people on both sides. I have no idea how conforms
to the natural history of the chicken.
Another story features
a woman that has a pet chicken that she washes regularly and cuddles with. The
most interesting story is a documented case of a headless chicken that lived
for some time after its head was cut off. It seems unbelievable, but there is
convincing documentation.
While the stories
are interesting, in most cases they are more about relationships between humans
and chickens where the chickens are not quite a secondary partner.
Review of
Indecent Proposal,
VHS version
Five out of five stars
When this movie
came out, there were many people that derided the plot device of a man offering
a married couple a million dollars for a night with the wife. Their claim was
that it was immoral and truly indecent. That is too bad, for it misses the real
messages of the movie.
First and foremost,
this movie is about the power that money gives the rich over those that are
down on their luck and are desperate. They are willing to grasp at any chance
they have to right their errant financial ship. Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson
play Diana and David Murphy, a married couple that go to Las Vegas with their
last stake in the hope that they will win big enough to pay themselves out of
their financial hole. When this doesn’t work, John Gage (Robert Redford) offers
them a million dollars for a night of passion with Diana. After a reality gut-check,
the couple agrees to the proposal.
Tensions mount
between the couple afterwards and the course of their relationship sours. It
becomes a test of what they believe about each other and how they will weather
the emotional consequences of selling out. In the end, the movie becomes a
complicated love story.
Mao Zedong
famously said, “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” What this
movie illustrates is that all power grows out of the pile of cash available.
When people are down and desperate, the person that can offer massive amounts
of money has the power. After all, there must be a way for those seeking power
to pay for the guns and ammunition.
Review of
Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Tales: Vintage
tales from Disney’s most popular animated short films, ISBN
9780789324733
Five out of five stars
Creative genius is not a strong enough phrase to
describe the people at the Disney entertainment company. From the first viewing
of the classic “Steamboat Willie” cartoon through all the early years, they
pushed the envelope and literally redefined the world of animated entertainment
and engaging characters that became stars and household names.
This book contains
images and lyrics from many of the short, animated films starring the classic
Disney characters. Mickey Mouse and his supporting characters are the stars,
but there are a few from the “Silly Symphony” series. As is always the case
with Disney, the artwork is exquisite.
What is sometimes
lost in the viewing of the films is the quality of the dialog. Reading it from
the text will make you appreciate the rhyming structure and why it appeals to
children of all ages. This is not only a book for to be read by and to
children, it is a book that adults will enjoy as well. Cartoons entertain all
people willing to accept them as joyful viewing.
