Paying Tribute To A Real American Hero

Alright, I’ve been quiet on this blog for a bit. I spent last weekend out at the NASCAR races at MIS and was preoccupied. And it seems that all I’ve written about lately has been movie reviews and how well these flicks do at the box office. I feel that it has become stale and does not do the title justice – “Morning Musings”.

So if you are looking for a review of this weekend’s and upcoming movies, here’s the short of it. The Proposal: Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds romantic comedy – OK date movie. Year One: sophomoric comedy attempt with Jack Black and the guy that looks like he could be Dana Carvey’s little brother – hideous. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Shia LaBeouf – women go gaga for Shia, lots of action and CGI FX, should kick but at the box office. Now that’s out of the way, on with what my musings are.

Today is Fathers Day; the day of the year set aside to honor our dads. For ages it has been fodder for the jokes, misconception, and ignoring by the general populous. Hideous ties, Old Spice and the dumb singing fish on the plaque. And dads just looking for a day to sleep in and not having to mow the grass, paint the gutters, or deal with home improvement issues.

President Obama recently wrote an essay on Fathers Day that is published in today’s Parade Magazine. The son of father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas, Obama writes that he observes Father's Day not just as a dad grateful for his two daughters, but also as a son who grew up without a father in his life.

I know what Obama speaks of from family experience. My dad basically grew up without a father; his real dad leaving when he was only 5 and my grandmother remarrying a total jerk and alcoholic we used to refer to as “Whitey the Bullshitter” (pardon my language – it’s what he was called by all in the family). Quite the text book example of a dysfunctional family.

My first marriage ended with my finding my first ex-wife being unfaithful, then her filing for divorce and going into hiding with a new husband, causing me not to see my oldest son and daughter for 12 years. Found out years later that their “step dad” put them through hell: physical and mental abuse, and suspected sexual abuse of my daughter. So when my second marriage ended three years ago with her being unfaithful and her filing for divorce, I was bound and determined not to let the past repeat itself with my youngest daughter and twin boys.

I am not the perfect father by any means. I have made mistakes and allowed the demands of pursuing a career in media, music and entertainment to interfere with my paternal duties as well as my spousal ones. There are moments of all my kids’ lives that I’ve missed out because of this. Moments that I’ll never get back. It’s a loss that is difficult to accept at times.

I continually come across individuals from broken homes, some still kids and others full grown adults, who are and have been affected by it. My own dad is one who finds it hard to show true affection for my sister and me because of the absence of a real father in his life. And it affects the kids in ways that manifest themselves later on in life. Dads who are absent from their kids’ lives, and at times the mothers check out emotionally because of it as well, all have a lasting imprint on the psyche of a child when they grow up to be an adult.

This is why with my kids from marriage #2, I have made the choice to be in their lives as much as I can be. I spend time with them 4 days every week, as well as the usual every other weekend thing. It’s a sacrifice that sometimes puts a crimp in life for me, especially socially. Some women that have been romantically interested in me don’t seem to understand why I have taken on such an exhaustive commitment. They even have shown resentment and jealousy. But my job as dad did not terminate at my kids’ conception. What makes me a real man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise one. I guess you can say that it’s not about me here, it’s about the kids and doing what is right.

The other day I had a discussion with a close friend about just where one finds beauty in this world. In a time where North Korea’s Kim Jong Il wants to send nuclear warheads hurtling through space to wipe out countries for his domination of the world, other evil world players are trying to take over by force, and people in general intent on greed and being uncaring as they can, it seems hard to find where true beauty lies. My point was that love is true beauty.

Love for what is all around you and the appreciation for all the people, friends and the simple things in life. Being out at my family’s property in Brooklyn, MI late on a cloudless night and looking up to see billions of stars. Seeing the smile of a good friend and the laughter that ensues between the two of you as you share time together. Taking in the glories of nature all around us. Hearing your children say, “I love you, Daddy.” This is where I find true beauty in life and the world around me. It’s not “He who dies with the most toys wins.”

As kids we tend to forget the sacrifices our dads make to ensure we grow up right. Many of us have been resentful of them as adolescents. Some kids going as far as contemplating emancipation by “divorcing” their parents. But the truth of the matter is that none of us are perfect, even dads. It’s the dads that are able to take the resentment and rebellion and still show love through it all that make the difference. Even if they have difficulty actually telling us those three words, “I love you” (like with my own dad), remember that sometimes actions speak louder than words.

Happy Fathers Day, Dad, and to all the sacrificing, dedicated and true fathers out there. You are real heroes to children in a world so desperately needing them.

This weeks new movie releases pit family comedy against action thriller

This Friday brings two contrasting films to the screen, both with appeals in different genres that have proven successful in recent past. Both bring well-known stars with them, which should prove interesting results in this weekend’s box office winner. Hopefully it will not be as ‘interesting’ as last weekend’s (see my previous post).

Imagine That (Paramount/Nickelodeon – PG) Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church, Yara Shahidi, Nicole Ari Parker, Ronny Cox, Martin Sheen. The words "Eddie Murphy family comedy" are enough to make me be suspect of this release. Between "Meet Dave," ''The Haunted Mansion" and "Daddy Day Care" Eddie doesn't exactly have a good history in this genre, at least in terms of quality. However, "Imagine That" is quite a pleasant surprise. Based on a clever premise the movie makes good use of Murphy's comedic talents - singing, dancing, voices and personalities - without letting him get too obnoxious. Its feel-good story is a bit predictable; however it offers an irresistible young co-star in newcomer Yara Shahidi, who very much holds her own as Murphy's daughter without being too over the top ‘Rudy Huckstable-ish’. Murphy stars as a successful financial executive who has more time for his blackberry than his seven-year-old daughter. When he has a crisis of confidence and his career starts going down the drain, however, he finds the solution to all his problems in his daughter's imaginary world. A feel good family flick that has a bit of a sappy ending, this offering should prove an entertaining outing for kids and adults alike. My rating – 4 stars.

The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3 (Columbia/Sony – R) Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, Michael Rispoli, James Gandolfini. Loosely based on the Joseph Sargent 1975 classic of the same name, the film is just as much a remake as an observation into how radically the way movies are made and have changed over the decades. While the story, characters, history and intensity once ruled on screen, now it's all about how flashy the production values can be. And The Taking Of Pelham 123 would simply be all that and nothing more, were it not for the powerhouse cast struggling for some dramatic elbow room in between, including Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzman and John Turturro. Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train's passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there's one riddle Garber can't solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape? If going to the movies to get stuck in a subway for two hours doesn’t sound like a great evening out, The Taking Of Pelham 123 probably won’t change your mind here. My rating – 3 ½ stars.

Actual box office figures show "Hangover" actually beating "Up"

Yes, even I can make mistakes. Significantly underestimated by my posting on Monday, The Hangover actually pulled ahead of Up to lead the weekend with a smashing $45 million. While Hangover was upgraded with actual grosses reporting, Land Of The Lost dropped to $18.8 million, showing an even more miserable opening weekend than estimates spoke of on Monday. I had hoped to post this earlier today, but my Tuesday was more hectic than anticipated.

So, here we go...the actual box office figures for this past weekend:

1.) The Hangover - $44.9 million
2.) Up - $44.1 million
3.) Land Of The Lost - $18.8 million
4.) Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian - $14.6 million
5.) Star Trek - $8.3 million
6.) Terminator Salvation - $8.2 million
7.) Drag Me To Hell - $7 million
8.) Angels & Demons - $6.5 million
9.) My Life In Ruins - $3.2 million
10.) Dance Flick - $1,9 million

Guess you can't win them all...

"Up" remains aloft atop this weekends box office

The Hangover and Up battled it out over the weekend to see which movie would finish on top this past weekend. The Hangover was the clear winner on Friday, hitting the jackpot with a $16.5 million opening day, but the Pixar adventure rose up past the new comedy on Saturday and Sunday to lead the weekend. Both films did well for their respective genres, finishing less than $1 million apart for the weekend.

Up claimed the #1 spot for a second straight weekend, with an estimated $44.2 million this past weekend, bringing it’s 10-day total to $137.3 million. Its drop was quite small for a movie performing at blockbuster levels, holding nearly as well as Finding Nemo at the 10-day mark and much better than WALL-E and Cars among past Pixar summer releases.

The Hangover performed better than original expectations, taking in an estimated $43.3 million its opening weekend. It was a much stronger opening than the genre-similar Wedding Crashers, Old School, Harold and Kumar and Dude, Where's My Car?

While The Hangover smashed, Land of the Lost crashed. The adventure comedy starring Will Ferrell, based on the 1970s television series of the same name, struggled with $19.5 million to finish #3. The start was lower than the similar Journey to the Center of the Earth from last summer as well as Ferrell's last TV adaptation, Bewitched.

The other new release this past weekend, My Life In Ruins, finished near the bottom of the top 10 at #9 with a modest $3.2 million. Featuring Nia Vardalos, creator of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the debut was slightly less attended than the start of her last picture, Connie and Carla.

Among the holdovers this past weekend, Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian hung in to claim the #4 spot this past weekend with $14.7 million bringing its 3-week total to $127.3 million. Star Trek saw the smallest slide downward, garnering $8.4 million this past weekend to take the #5 spot. It flew past predecessor Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn to become the second-biggest movie of the Star Trek franchise with $222.8 million in 31 days, and has its sights set to overtake the top spot currently held by the first movie, Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

This past weekend’s Top 10:
1.) Up
2.) The Hangover
3.) Land Of The Lost
4.) Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
5.) Star Trek
6.) Terminator Salvation
7.) Drag Me To Hell
8.) Angels & Demons
9.) My Life In Ruins
10.) Dance Flick

"Lost", "Ruins" and "Hangover" the first matchup at theaters this weekend

Three movies begin this weekend to kick off June at theaters. Quite the variety between them, these films will prove to make this weekend an interesting one at theaters nationwide.

Land Of The Lost (Universal - PG-13) Will Ferrell, Danny R. McBride, Anna Friel, Jorma Taccone. I wish there were a time machine that could restore the little over an hour and a half I lost previewing this one. Somehow director Brad Siberling has managed to mangle this creative and genius 1974 Syd & Marty Croft kids TV show, much like he did with Casper The Friendly Ghost in 1995. Will Ferrell stars as has-been scientist Dr. Rick Marshall, sucked into a time warp and spat back through time. Way back. Now, Marshall has no weapons, few skills and questionable smarts to survive in an alternate universe full of dinosaurs and other malcreatened creatures. Ferrell and McBride do manage to pull out some genuinely funny moments from the sub-par script by Chris Henchy. Lost is almost worth watching, as the set designers have thrown together a Dali-esque world where random artifacts like Amelia Earhart's plane, a crashed flying saucer, and a Bob's Big Boy restaurant rise from the dunes. Matt Laurer (from NBC Today Show fame) makes a cameo, but even Matt deserves a better fate than to watch his career die in this flick. My rating: 2 1/2 stars.

The Hangover (Warner Brothers - R) Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, Jeffrey Tambor. From the director of Old School comes a new comedy about a bachelor party gone horribly wrong. Two days before his nuptuals, Doug and his three compadres head to Vegas for a night they'll never forget. But when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning with major hangovers, they can't remember a thing. Their ritzy hotel suite is trashed and the groom is nowhere to be found. With no clue of what happened and little time to spare, these guys must attempt to retrace their bad decisions from the night before in order to figure out where things went wrong and hopefully get Doug back to L.A. in time for his wedding. However, the more they begin to uncover, the more they realize just how much trouble they're really in. My rating: 3 1/2 stars.

My Life In Ruins (Fox Searchlight - PG-13) Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, Maria Adanez, Sheila Bernette, Maria Botto, Rachel Dratch, Alexis Georgoulis, Ralph Nossek, Bernice Stegers, Harland Williams. Writer and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding Nia Vardalos returns with this uplifting comedy. Nia plays Georgia, who has lost her kefi (Greek for "mojo"). Discouraged by lack of direction in her life, she works as a travel guide, leading a grab-bag group of tourists as she tries to show them the beauty of her native Greece while waiting to land her dream job. Opening their eyes to an exotic foreign land, she too begins to see things in new ways—finding her kefi and possibly love in the process. My rating: 4 stars.

The truth about the “Performance Tax”

Lately there has been a lot of buzz in the radio business regarding the “Performance Tax” legislation being tossed around Washington and on Capitol Hill. This “Performance Tax”, known as The Performance Rights Act, would change law so that AM and FM radio stations would pay performers to play their songs, as is true of satellite, cable and Internet music services. All four music platforms pay songwriters for use of their work.

The Honorable Rep. John Conyers, (D- Michigan) who represents a portion of Detroit, Dearborn, as well as Highland Park and Hamtramck, authored this piece of legislation.
Cries have been heard that this legislation would kill “free radio”, and that it would adversely affect minority-owned radio stations. The other side of the issue cries that they have been cheated for years out of performance rights for their songs being aired on.

In Rep. Conyers district there are a lot of retired performers from the heyday of Motown Records and he is showing a reactive stance toward these folks in his district. But there are many truths that seem to be glossed over here in this issue.

First off, these performers will not receive 100% of this “Performance Tax” collected from radio stations, but only 25%. 50% of the monies collected from this “Performance Tax” will go to the record companies. And this is where I think this whole issue stinks to high heaven.

For many years, record companies have been pushing their product on radio stations to play for free, helping to generate billions of dollars for the record labels on the backs of these performers, as with the case of those retired Motown artists that basically were shafted out of money for years. And radio has played them for FREE…not charging the record companies for air time like they do advertisers and specialty programs.

In this proposed legislation I see no guarantee that any of this “Performance Tax” to be collected would ever find its way into the hands of the actual performers. How I see it, this bill will send money to the record companies, with the biggest ones being foreign owned, thus sending this money overseas for the record companies to decide how much to give the performers.

The record industry has been operating under a failing business model for many years, just like the government says General Motors has been, forcing bankruptcy filings. Record labels regularly send multiple copies of the same song on CD to one radio station, which costs money to replicate these CDs, package and mail them out. They hire people to continually call radio station program directors and pester them to play their song. And they do this for over 4,000 stations in the US. And now they have the gall to charge radio stations for playing artists that they beg us to play.

In testimony on the hill, John Conyers has said “Your will pay us.” Who does Mr. Conyers mean by us? Is this a veiled front for his becoming a lobbyist for the record companies? Mr. Conyers’ ethics as a legislator has been called into question before. In letters sent separately to the House Ethics Committee, the FBI, and the US Attorney's office by two former aides of Conyers in 2006, allegations were made that Conyers used his staff to work on several local and state campaigns and forced them to baby-sit and chauffeur his children. Conyers "accepted responsibility" for possibly violating House rules in this matter.

Conyers wife Monica, Detroit City Council president pro-tem, also has had some ethics problems as well. In January 2009, Detroit's General Retirement System notified Monica Conyers that she owed $5,600 to the City, which included travel advances not spent on business class airfare to London. The pension board also claimed she hadn't submitted receipts for trips to Grand Cayman and Philadelphia. In April 2009, one day after denying the relation, Monica Conyers admitted she helped her brother, Reggie Esters, a convicted felon, obtain a city job that was originally to last four months, but was extended to two years, ending only when Esters' absenteeism became an issue. Esters is reported to have submitted a false resume.

It’s easy in these hard economic times to get riled up when someone has been wronged economically. But radio is not the enemy here. Radio has faithfully promoted performance artists for free on stations over the years, their performances sent to stations on “promotional copy” records and CDs. Last time I checked, the cost of promoting recording artists is the responsibility of the entity wishing to promote them, i.e.: the record companies, not the recipient of the promotional items.

Record companies have had their hands in the pockets of performance artists more and more…record and CD sales, merchandising, and even a percentage of the take at live concerts. I think it’s time that the record industry give back to the performers instead of collecting even more money from radio to line their pockets even more, giving a mere pittance of what they obtain to the artists.

John Conyers and his ignorance to the actual “bad guy” in this whole situation is just another thing from my home town of Detroit that I am embarrassed of. Thank goodness for the Red Wings!