Fred Kaplan reads the new defense budget so you don't have to. Bottom line: We're spending more than ever, but at least we're being more honest about it.
The nation's top uniformed officer testified this morning that he supports allowing gays to serve openly in the military. Admiral Michael G. Mullen is the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. If he'd said the opposite — if he'd said it would be wrong and detrimental to our military, those who oppose Gay Rights would now be arguing that his word was definitive; that if he says that, no one else's opinion matters. Since he said what he actually did say, you can tour the right-wing message boards and see him being trashed as a sell-out, an idiot who's out of touch with his own troops, and maybe even a closet fairy, himself. They're outraged because they know it's over and that we will soon see the day when the policy is amended. (An amazing number of them, by the way, think it was a ban on homosexuals serving in the military. No, it wasn't. It was just a ban on being honest about it.)
According to the Gallup Poll, repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is favored by 69% of the country. It's favored by 86% of Liberals but even by 58% of Conservatives. It passes by 60% of those who say they attend church on a weekly basis. America has not been in favor of this discriminatory policy for a long time. We should have gotten rid of it years ago.
The gent above between Sheriff Andy and Barney Fife is Aaron Ruben, who produced and sometimes directed or wrote The Andy Griffith Show. Aaron, who passed away Saturday at the age of 95, was a tireless creative talent who was responsible for some of the most beloved TV shows of several generations. The Andy Griffith Show was only one, though that alone was enough to get him into anyone's personal Hall of Fame. Others on his résumé included You'll Never Get Rich (AKA Sgt. Bilko), Caesar's Hour, Sanford and Son, Too Close for Comfort, CPO Sharkey and Gomer Pyle, USMC. Before all that, he was one of the top writers in radio, working for (among others) Fred Allen, Burns and Allen, Dinah Shore and Milton Berle.
So it kinda goes without saying that he was a genuinely witty man. What I might mention is that he was also a very kind man, who devoted much of his non-show-biz energy (and a lot of money he'd made in the industry) to helping needy children. So did his lovely actress-wife Maureen Arthur, who most of you will remember as being so wonderful in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
Aaron was very nice to me...but then, he was very nice to everyone. You'll see that if you want to take the 4 and a half hours to watch this video interview with him. Heck, you can tell that if you watch any portion of it. Here's a link to the L.A. Times obit, as well.
Wednesday is the 85th birthday of the great comedian and actor, Shelley Berman. (Wikipedia says he'll be 84. That'll teach you to listen to Wikipedia. Shelley will be 85 tomorrow.)
Shelley came out of improvisational comedy and revolutionized stand-up comedy. In his case, it was usually sit-down comedy. He'd park himself on a stool and engage the audience with sharp observations and engrossing scenes. His first record album, Inside Shelley Berman, is one of the best comedy recordings ever done and he spawned a legion of imitators, not a one of whom came close to being as funny or incisive. And amazingly, at his age, he's still funny and incisive, which may explains why he's still working all the time.
I've had the honor to work with Shelley once and to get to know him a little as part of a group to which I belong, a social group of comedians and comedy writers called Yarmy's Army. I've been meaning to write a little about Yarmy's Army and I will, one of these days soon. But among the perks of being a member is just being around Shelley. At our last meeting, he held the room riveted as he discussed his recent trip back to Chicago to participate in a reunion of his comedy alma mater, Second City.
Do you share my admiration for this man? Of course you do. Well, let's wish him a happy 85. If you're on Facebook, go to The Official Shelley Berman Facebook Page and post a birthday greeting to the man. I am assured he'll be reading the page this week and it would be great to fill it with well wishes, thereby bringing a smile to guy who's made so many smile...and laugh out loud.
Want an example? Here, courtesy of Shelley's webmaster of Shelley's website (where you'll find lots of great info about him and photos) is a clip of Shelley on an episode of Hollywood Palace that aired on November 21, 1964. He's introduced by Arthur Godfrey and he performs one of my favorite routines from Inside Shelley Berman. I've heard/seen this a couple hundred times and it still makes me laugh. See if it doesn't make you laugh...
February 3, 2010
