Monthly Archives: November 2014
The Game of Life
Spoiler Alert: The following contains content from the November 12, 2014 episode of The Goldbergs
As determined as a ‘hungry, hungry hippo’ and as energetic as a teenage girl hanging-out with her friends talking, Barry Goldberg’s mission towards gaming superiority still may be stuck in the impossible.
Trivial Pursuit is the game and sister Erica his brainy nemesis. Honestly, knowing the author of “The Diary of Anne Frank” is tricky. Anyone could have missed that one…and by anyone, I mean only one: Barry Goldberg. Without the help of the JTP, he was left stranded on an island in the form of a kitchen table chair with nothing but his Big Tasty raps, ka-ra-tay moves and his confused concept of what sitting down means. Nostalgic board game nirvana aside, Barry’s only hope to defeat Erica for title of the smartest person in the world/between the two of them would require a measured approach to studying and preparation.
“I will do everything in my power to learn knowledge!”
While this intellectual battle between siblings brewed at the Goldergs’ kitchen table (under the careful supervision of bathroom break prone Pops), youngest child Adam was facing a ball of a time in gym class…literally. Red, rubber balls to be precise. The most gladiator-like gym class activity, dodge ball, is the pinnacle of survival for any young boy and girl.
True story.
After hearing about such a “barbaric” game, Beverly went into Beverly-mode: yes, Beverly Goldberg got dodge ball cancelled. But after a special isolation exercise by Mr. Mellor focused on Adam, the youngest Goldberg was struck square in the face with one of these balls of life. It left a red mark, which matched the fury of mama Beverly. We all know what happened next, following a slow-motion, fear-driven stroll through the halls of William Penn Academy. Beverly Goldberg not only cancelled dodge ball, but she also got Mr. Mellor fired.
It just got real…entertaining.
After Murray relieved Mr. Mellor from his inaccurate curb address number painting gig (“where’s the 3?”) and enlisting him to help him at his work, the uber-competitive gym teacher proved too intense for his laid-back job in the furniture store (self-high five). Plus, there were just too many bananas…way too many bananas in one drink.
Had Beverly gone too far?
Of course she did, that’s not even a serious question. But it was in the funniest way possible. Still, a gym teacher belongs in a gym, torturing young children with life lessons and sports cliches, rope climbs and world-class dodging. And sometimes that gym teacher who still doesn’t know your last name is pushing you so hard because he wants to instill some relentless toughness in you, preparing you to dodge life’s many unpredictable challenges that not even the all-powerful Beverly can deflect.
And after Erica beat Barry at his own game (literally, he made a game called, “Barrynopoly”), Barry was not only deflated about his surprising defeat, but he candidly disclosed his intellectual limitations to his older sister Erica.
It just got real…for real.
Contests and debates between siblings reveal a special bond, one that extends beyond normal competitive jousting. There’s an uncensored ruthlessness, all in good fun, with added realizations of what’s really at stake. Just don’t say the words, “Chinese checkers” around a particular sister of mine…But just as Erica cheated to ensure Barry got his much-needed victory at Trivial Pursuit (questions from the “junior edition” were discreetly used), so do all of us with siblings to one extent or another. This may include an older sister finally giving in and seeing and laughing at a movie in the theater she had previously refused to admit she enjoyed, just to spend some quality time with her younger brother and validate his choice in comedy. Or this may include going easy on a younger brother during a complex card game, to give him a much-needed win after a stressful week (then my oldest sister crushed me 3 times in a row, but still).
Even a gaming warrior needs to show some heart every once in a while. A true warrior is not only physically and intellectually formidable, but this person is also fully aware of his or her surroundings:
Like a 1980s music video, a warrior also knows how to take it over-the-top for the win!
Big Government’s New Slogan
“…because the American people are too stupid to understand the difference.”
Believable.
You might be thinking that I meant to write “unbelievable.”
I didn’t.
This statement from one of the chief architects of Obamacare, Jonathan Gruber, makes total sense coming from such a high-minded (yet, ironically close-minded) liberal professor at an elite university where there is diversity in everything except thought and perspective. The phrase above promoting the opposite of policy transparency in writing and selling Obamacare to the public and the Congressional Budget Office as to whether it’s a tax and a major distribution of wealth (yes on both counts) should be the front page headline of the week, except that it was said by a liberal academic, so the major networks (NBC, ABC, CBS) clearly view this as unimportant, not shocking to their own personal beliefs or, since it’s damaging to President Obama and the Democratic Party’s ramming through, lies and shocking incompetence surrounding the ACA, it can’t be reported on or mentioned. In so many ways, the strategic deceit behind the structure of this bill gives credence to the well-supported belief that corruption and purposeful deceptions come naturally with big government.
President Obama’s big government is dependent on big lies (Obamacare, IRS, Benghazi, national surveillance of private citizens, targeting of journalists, Fast and Furious, etc.).
Not only does this fit perfectly into the narrative of how President Obama views his opponents (political and private citizens alike), but it confirms a much larger presumption about the theoretical “experts” that hail from the nation’s top academic institutions and the highest levels of government. Not all of them of course, but generally speaking in today’s divisive atmosphere, yes (FYI – Gruber is a professor at MIT). Liberal academic professors and legislative bureaucrats declare themselves (ever so subtly) as the “geniuses” of society and, therefore, the people are secondary (or possibly worse, we’ll have to wait for the next video) when it comes to intelligence. While Gruber’s intellect (well, “intellect”) clearly stems from a disgustingly insulting, trash-filled and oblivious-to-reality gutter, this blog will not step down to his level. Instead, a broader and positively measured reaction will be presented.
The pompous and incompetent statement (made at least twice, according to a new video) by Professor Gruber underscores a critical distinction between conservative and liberal thinkers. Generally, liberals believe that a powerful and influential centralized government is the best aspect of American society. This is where the power and supposedly real intelligence resides. These “geniuses” are smarter than all of us, so, therefore, we need them (their assumption) to tell us how to live, think and spend. Trust (in public and private institutions) is a valuable and fragile asset and once it’s abused or when those in power insult its customers/constituents, reactions of anger, resentment and distrust towards its leaders are undeniably valid and consequential.
Trust is earned, not given.
Conversely, conservatives tend to believe that a limited government is supreme because the best aspect of American society is the people, along with the competitive, innovative-inspiring dynamic of the marketplace. Americans have always and continue to willfully support and promote the virtues of freedom, liberty and opportunity as enacted by our brave, revolutionary founders. That’s really incredible because it’s been more than two centuries and many generations of people who voluntarily support and defend democracy, freedom and liberty without the government mandating such thoughts on the public. However, if Gruber has his way, perhaps free will and free speech will soon come with its own mandate of predetermined thought as set by himself and other like-minded and likely self-proclaimed “genius” individuals.
Yes, government plays a small, critical role and has had some unmistakable victories, like the decade-long mission to land on the Moon. Remarkable. But the real genius and shining, defining characteristics of the successful American society is deeply rooted in the belief in and actions of its people. This list is literally impossible to compile. And it’s the legislative leaders (and its advisers) who realize this, believe this and proudly promote this that will inspire an inherently motivated, intelligent and savvy population that can and will rise to fix any challenge (including healthcare).
That’s the transparent truth.
Serend1p1ty
Having finally watched 2013s, Saving Mr. Banks, which is the story of how the literary favorite “Mary Poppins” finally made its way to the silver screen in 1964 with the entertainingly fascinating steel cage struggle between author P.L. Travers and Walt Disney and his team of upbeat music-writing gurus, one can easily become inspired by Walt’s magical kingdom. Revealed in this cinematic journey is the incredible (and surprisingly unknown) back story of how one of the most popular and highly-regarded Disney films of all-time came to be.
But fear not, no spoilers here. The mention of this movie simply serves as the springboard to reminiscing about a beautiful short-film animation that plays before the 2012 animated feature film Wreck-It Ralph, courtesy of the Disney genius we’ve all come to love.
Just embrace the randomness (though the connection makes sense if you think about it).
Despite living in the midst of the digital era, it’s a pleasure to re-introduce Disney’s, Paperman:
Here’s to hoping for a little magic and wishful thinking today.
It is 11/11 after all…
Happy Monday!
‘Tis no secret that penguins are beloved birds. They are cute, surprisingly graceful in their wobbliness, majestic in water and always dressed to the nines. While Thanksgiving has yet to occur, and some may even grimace at the very mention of Christmas in early November, the television commercial below is really something special.
Department store John Lewis for the win.
Try to see the world a little different this week!