Prejudice!

The World's Greatest Cat is floored by how prejudiced people can be.

Prejudice is alive and well here in the good old US of A.

Just not in the way you think it is.

See, people show their intolerance all the time, like they did in the bad old days. Only now the targets are (usually) different. Kathy Griffin once told Jesus to "suck it." And those Christians she gave the figurative finger to by saying it? Griffin made it clear in a later interview to C.B.S. that she couldn't care less about them or their feelings.

Fair enough. But ask yourself this: would Kathy Griffin publicly tell the Prophet Muhammad to do the same thing she told Jesus to? You know full well what the answer is. Kathy Griffin, simply put, is a coward. Sure, she's funny, but she's a coward.

Then again, prejudiced people are cowards. That's why they're prejudiced. Archie Bunker was the most fearful person on earth. To go easy on people who are different than you is to lower your defenses, to leave yourself open to hurt. Better to always be on your guard, to always be on the attack...if, of course, you're a coward.

Still, the fear of prejudice can be taken too far, as well. Just turn on the TV if you don't believe me.

Chris Matthews of M.S.N.B.C., for instance,  is a smart and capable commentator. Or at least he used to be. These days, you see, he's as apt to accuse large swaths of people of racism as he is to give a nuanced opinion of beltway politics. It's too bad, really. Matthews has allowed his fear of prejudice to turn him into a comical reactionary.

Ultimately, it all comes down to this: try to be nice to people. Not just the the people your supposed to be nice to, either.

And not just when it's convenient to.

African Americans, for instance, have been ridiculously deemed infallible by many in the media. Yet I've seen African Americans deal with crap in places where it seemed no one was around to defend them. Again, prejudiced people are cowards.

So just be nice. Or I may have to sick Kathy Griffin on you.

 

On Confidence

The World's Greatest Cat Always Knows Exactly What She Wants.

So I'm doing it. I'm writing my elusive World War One script. I've wanted to do this for years. Years, I tell you! And now I'm actually penning it. Feels good. This post isn't about my creative writing, though. It's about the fact that sometimes you just have to shrug off your fears and get things done.

One of the things about me is I question. A lot. In fact, the art of questioning is something I've mastered. Seriously. I'm Picasso with the inquiries. It takes me forever, if at all, to make a decision.

Truth is, I'm the sort of guy who feels we only get one shot at life, so we shouldn't screw it up. Therefore, I weigh my options obsessively. To the point of inertia. And that's not good. Maybe it has something to do with the fact I grew up with a learning disability. Back then, people with learning disabilities were forever getting beaten down for not getting things "right." Yet the past doesn't excuse the present.

The harsh reality is there's a thousand reasons not to write this script right now. No one may be interested in buying it. Not too many people are curious about the First World War. I'm lazy. My writing needs to be improved. The list goes on and on forever.

I recently found myself actually getting depressed by it.

Then I saw a Floyd Mayweather interview last night where he gave the impression he just does what he does and everything works out. What Mayweather does, in case you don't know, is train and box. And he does it better than anyone. He doesn't obsess over strategy. He doesn't question a million questions. He simply does his thing.

And that's what I'm doing right now - I'm simply doing my thing. And my thing is writing.

Are You Anti-Tebow?

Some people are just bitter because they don't have really cool things.

Are you anti-Tebow?

Do you find yourself happy to have learned that poor Tim was cut from the New England Patriots? Do you hope to never see his smiling face again...ever? If so, you need to look over the list below. Perhaps you're justified in your Tebow aversion. Then again, perhaps not. You be the judge.

Some very possible reasons for being anti-Tebow:

• You're a serious sports fan who feels the guy just isn't that great. This is a perfectly legitimate reason for feeling as you do. You're not really anti-Tebow so much as you're pro-legitimate sports star. If a football player gets as famous as Tebow has, you feel the guy has to have earned it. And, let's face it, Tebow hasn't proven himself to be on the same level as a Tom Brady, or a Troy Aikman, or a Joe Montana, or a Terry Bradshaw, or a Joe Namath, or a... 

• You simply aren't the type of person who falls for hype. Again, this has less to do with Tebow than it does with the way you see the world. Tebow is wildly popular among a segment of the population and that in and of itself raises your ire. If you're someone who avoids Star Wars movies and Bob Dylan songs simply because slavish fandom rubs you the wrong way, you're probably never going to be a fan of Mr. Tebow, no matter what he accomplishes on the field. 

• You don't like Christians. This, sadly, pretty much makes you an idiot.   

• You're shallow and go along with the crowd. Public opinion has largely turned against Tebow, so now you too feel the need to proclaim that you "just can't stand the guy." It's okay. You're just one of those individuals who follows the majority. It's a scary world out there, after all, and survival is priority one. 

         

          Seriously, though, you've got to grow up. Everyone sees through you.

•  You enjoy watching famous people fall from on high. It's understandable to feel this way, but it's kind of pathetic, nonetheless. Chances are you don't know any of the famous people you delight in seeing "humbled." What's more, if you did know them, there's a chance you might actually like them. Jealousy really is the most embarrassing of emotions.

How Stupid Are We?

I'm glad the game was on.

So MTV went wild again last night and people are outraged. Gimme a break. MTV has been pulling this crap for over a quarter of a century now. Society should be used to it. But apparently, society is not. The whole thing raises a larger question: how stupid are we?

MTV has always prided itself on giving the middle finger to parents. That's part of what it's in business to do. I wouldn't be surprised to read as much in the company's mission statement. And while it's true that the people behind MTV are a sleazy, brazen, corrupting influence on our children, it's also true that we all know full well what they're up to.

So why are we shocked that Miley Cyrus got on stage and acted like an insane degenerate last night? It isn't like Madonna, who I believe turned four hundred this past year, didn't once do the same thing. Or Britney Spears. Or Christina Aguilera. Or...

So enough of the hand wringing. Wanna put a stop to MTVs idiotic, sexist and aggressive attempts to affect our culture? Start by not letting your kids watch things like the Video Music Awards. Believe me, MTV will get the message once it looks at its ratings. In the end, it's you, not MTV, that holds the power over your children.

But hey, you knew that already.

The General State Of The Good Old U.S. of A.

The world's greatest cat is tired of all the screaming and yelling on cable.

I had coffee with my old pal Mike Hamel today. While hanging out we began to discuss the state of things here in America. Mike and I may not earn seven figure salaries for shooting our mouths off on cable, but I think it's safe to say we're fairly smart, and relatively well informed. We also have some solid life experiences behind us (life experiences make great reference points).

Here's a few things we agreed on. Perhaps you'll agree, too (then again, perhaps not):

• Things aren't great, but hey, they aren't that bad either. Mike's right when he brings up our grandparent's generation. They had to live through the Great Depression, then had to engage in a fight to the death with some psychopathic maniacs who literally were on the verge of taking over the world. And we complain about our Christmas bonuses???? 

• Just because things aren't that bad doesn't mean we should shut up and be happy. Seriously now, is nepotism the only way to get a decent job in America these days? Also, is it too much to ask for the occasional politician who's good at a being a leader instead of just a candidate? The greatest among us no longer want to dirty their hands by running for office...and that doesn't bode well for the future.  

• Politics should be based on issues rather than ideology. Know who the best talking heads are on cable news? The ones who will actually side with the opposition now and then. Too many people are toeing their respective party lines these days and it's hurting the country. 

• America needs to be seen as a melting pot again: I once told a professor I feared the country was becoming tribalized. Needless to say, the guy got pretty pissed. He even threw out the word "nativist" (weren't those the bad guys in Gangs of New York?) Sorry professor, but we have become tribalized - and we're paying a price for it.  We're either all in this together or we're not. 

Another One Bites The Dust

The World Truly Is A Nicer Place When Justice Prevails

And so now James "Whitey" Bulger is going to spend the rest of his life in jail. After years on the run, it seemed like Bulger would prove to be the one major crime figure who "got away" from law enforcement. He wasn't and he didn't.

Truth be told, however, we shouldn't be surprised. Big time criminals - those of the organized crime and narcotics variety, usually end up being taken down. Sometimes they find themselves behind bars, (John Gotti and Johnny Eng), sometimes they find themselves dead (Pablo Escobar), sometimes they find themselves in exile (Charles "Lucky" Luciano), and sometimes they find themselves hidden away by the government (Frank Lucas).

Nearly always, however, they find themselves far removed from the Olympian heights from which they once resided. In other words, mob bosses usually end up being failures. And that's how it should be. Gangsters are colorful characters, after all. People; especially young, impressionable people, need to see there's a flip side to the seemingly glamorous coin the media presents.

At the moment, the guilty verdict given down to Bulger today by a Boston jury is the top news story in America. It won't be for long. Other, more important matters will be back in the forefront by tomorrow, at the latest. It's nice to see the verdict made the headlines, though. For it will always be remembered as the fitting end to Bulger's bloody tale.

A Sample

The world's greatest cat is keeping her opinion to herself.

Okay, so my script, Hill 391, is out to powerhouse agency, Kaplan-Perrone. These guys have read my stuff before. They've always passed, but they've always been willing to read more. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing they must think there's something to my writing. Why else would they continue to be willing to give my stuff a shot?

Anyway, there's a lot more to getting your work out there than just getting it to the "right places." You've got to give your material some exposure. Which is exactly why I'm making a portion of Hill 391 available on this site today.

The script is a fictionalized account of the Puerto Rican members of the 65th Infantry Regiment - the famed Borinqueneers. Not only did these guys have to face racism, they had to fight like hell against the Chinese army in Korea.

Click on this link to read a sample. In these scenes, Colonel Emanuel Ramon and Major Felix Camacho are forced to deal with prejudice in the middle of an international war zone.

Hope y'all like it!