To Russia With Love

It came as a shock to me, the first time I was interviewed live by a radio host and discovered that there were actually people listening to us. It’s difficult to remember; it was quite a while ago. At the time, there was an abundance of late night talk radio going on in Los Angeles. I do remember this was a late night affair. The host explained to me in advance of airtime that he would introduce me and begin by asking some pedestrian type showbiz questions before opening it up to call-ins from his radio audience.

We sat there for a moment or two, and then I heard his producer say something like a count down – he got to five, four, three, two, some music came up and the next thing I heard was the host of the show introducing me to his audience as he thanked me for being there. We chatted for about two minutes before he announced his station’s phone numbers. What seemed like no more than a few seconds later, every light on his phone board lit up. I was mesmerized by the action. He informed me, for all to hear, how it was all for me. It was amazing that, at that hour of the evening, people were calling in to talk to da harv.

Thinking back, it does sound silly today. But, it was my first time on the air. Aside from learning there are actually people listening out there, I learned that there were differences in what people heard, thought they had heard, or perhaps wanted to hear. That’s the part that amazed me then, and continues to amaze me even more so today. People can be so bright – it’s scary. But, then again, on the other hand, people can be so damn stupid – it, too, is even scarier.

        

I’m backtracking some thirty or more years ago. It was circa 1978. As a reference, you might find the what’s and what not’s of the time amusing. I’m not going to bore you with the details, but the 1978 highlight was the Sony Walkman. The FAX machine that we find indispensable, didn’t become a really popular business machine until 1990. An Apple was something we’d eat. The human thumb was used only as a signal – an umpire in a baseball game might use his thumb in order to throw someone out of the game. And, only a drunk would try to write a letter while driving a car on the freeway.

“Tweet, Twitter, Text, & Blog”

(Not a respected law firm)

        

Can you believe the U.S. Postal Service still exists? We have all these unbelievably scientific help mates being used by anyone and everyone, yet we still pay people to hand carry a bunch of crappy advertisements to our homes and businesses.  Some of us even go to a post office in order to send out a package. I guess there are people who crave slovenly services.

Then, of course, there are the people we pay whose job it is to take money from us. They call themselves the IRS. These folks work for the IRS because no one in private industry would consider having them as an employee. Can you imagine a prospective employee being interviewed by you and their stand out character traits are rude and deceitful? This group is equally as mentally deficient as those employed by the average worker at the Department of Motor Vehicles. When it comes to scruples, I would unquestionably choose the DMV worker to hire before the IRS agent… at least they answer your questions honestly. Most DMV workers are multi-lingual, or they have the ability to fake it. Many IRS agents speak very poor English. But, whether or not you can understand what the IRS agent is saying is of no consequence. As soon as you offer an objection, a supervisor will assign a different person to your case.

        

Many things have certainly changed since that year of my first radio experience. I complained then, as I complain now, vehemently, all to no avail. With all these wonderful improvements in the way we live our lives, our conveniences are too numerous to keep track of. Everything around us is better… but is it, really?

        

I can only speak out as one man. I can only serve my country as one man. I can only fight against the indignities my government is subjecting me to, as one man. I will fight to protect my family and friends with the strength of only this one man. What our founders had and offered us was the acts of men, banded together in an effort to secure their God given rights as men.

As a child, I experienced the absolute synergism of my country’s people as they replicated the strengths of our founders, and they too banded together with a might and will to win. They were labeled “The Greatest Generation.” But our kids, boys and girls, have equaled the efforts of those before them. Our military is an all-volunteer society of protectors. They are given orders and they respond. They come equipped to cover each other’s back – that’s what they do.

From the “Greatest Generation,” and up until this very day, our military people have not been our problem. These are not our postal workers, our DMV employees, our IRS staffers, or, I suppose, a long list of men who have hung around quibbling far too long. Our military is a totally partisan aggregation of men and women whose purpose it is to protect our American freedoms and us.

BUT I ASK YOU: WHAT IN THE NAME OF HELL HAS HAPPENED TO THE REST OF OUR POPULOUS?

We have our military out there defending our rights. What about what we’re doing as part of the bargain? What about our Veterans’ Administration being behind in servicing the rightful claims of our troopers who gave with everything they had? We’re in the process of increasing the size of our Internal Revenue Service by sixteen thousand.

Our Congress of quibblers should be ashamed of themselves. How, I ask you, can people who have never served in the military feel for those who have served and sacrificed? As a veteran, I’d like to say as simply as I possibly can, “I detest you people who we have duly elected to act on our behalf!”

Your worry and concern is obvious. It is singular – how and what can you do in order to guarantee your own welfare? What must you do and say in order to be reelected?

Have you noticed the “let’s be politically correct syndrome” that grips our country? In the event you haven’t noticed, it began at the top. But, whether it’s the top that represents the origins of implausible correctness, the middle, or the very depths of what people assume to be correct – I remind those who remain with me, that flies are attracted to bullshit no matter where, or on what, the dung heap it exists.

        

It isn’t going to happen, but here’s a “what if” for any and all to ponder. What if it were a possibility when you awoke tomorrow morning to find all the news on television reporting the overnight disappearance of all criminals, and all wrong doing of any kind? Don’t you suppose the necessity for police would also evaporate as well? What if the same network news services reported the miraculous disappearance of racism of any kind? I guess it would eliminate any need for the likes of those who use racism to their advantage like Mr. Al Sharpton, or Reverend Jessie Jackson? The former isn’t likelihood, but the latter has a chance. The point is – race should never be an advantage or disadvantage.

During the course of our last presidential election I made a statement regarding the double standard on almost constant display by our Attorney General. It had to do with an obvious voter intimidation sequence of events that transpired at a voting location. My comment was, and my feelings have remained the same, that the law requires voting locations to be free of undo influences or duress via demonstrations by anyone at said polling location. The men doing the obvious harassment of voters were never properly charged for what was, again, an obvious violation of voter’s rights. My comment at the time was short, sweet, and directly to the point, “Where’s Al Sharpton now?”

One of the white actors within earshot immediately accused me of having delivered a racist remark. Another actor, who happened to be African American, immediately jumped in and called my accuser an asshole. The accuser sulked his ass out of my studio while my unnecessary defender and I merely carried on with our work. It seemed that neither of us had any need for Al Sharpton’s services.

        

The point is, in our society, there exist hordes of people who exist only because of trouble. Point, counter point during a legitimate exchange of thought isn’t to be tolerated.

I think Attorney General Eric Holder is arrogant. I feel the way I do because he has not been forthright. Who cares? If you have to ask, you really don’t know me very well. If I were to write and produce a show about me and the life I have lived, I’d call it “Candid Comedy.”

Is anyone out there listening to this?

The world is apparently paying attention to some degree. Up until a week or so ago, I was unaware of how many eyes were being focused on my work, and specifically where in the world those eyes happen to be situated.

Here, and I do believe in alphabetical order, is a list of the countries where those eyes reside:

1.           Canada

2.           France

3.           Germany

4.           Iran

5.           Morocco

6.           Netherlands

7.           Philippines

8.           Russia

9.           Slovenia

10.         South Korea

11.         Sweden

12.         Turkey

13.         Uganda

14.         Ukraine

15.         United Kingdom

16.         United States

        

As you might have guessed, the United States leads my parade with a whopping 75% of the total. The United Kingdom was also well represented. What is to my great surprise was that Russia and the Ukraine were right up there in the numbers. And, who would have guessed that there would be a few from Iran, and Morocco?

Think about it – da harv is shouting out to the world. My third grade teacher called it… In the third grade, I dominated. It was a live performance. Now, a day comes where I don’t have the foggiest notion as to how much of what I have been writing for the last three years is even remotely being agreed with. My conclusion is that people are simply frightened to put their feelings down in written form. I know for a fact that many actors fervently guard their political positions from publications of any kind. Even some prestigious actors, who you would think were past worrying about where the next job was going to come from, are guilty of it. You’d be surprised at the way many of the actors who come in to audition for me begin to whisper their feelings when others are not around.  What a shame it is to not be able to express one’s feelings for fear of being victimized by an uncalled-for reprisal.

I’ve had actors complain to me about being passed over by a producer because of their political beliefs. In most cases, I believe their premise is not an accurate one. Most actors who miss out on a role can blame it on their lack of skills, more aptly stated, than a producer they think is out to get them because they happen to be a Republican. The real truth about Hollywood is far simpler than that. The vast majority of producers are so involved with themselves and the projects they happen to be working on, that they, in effect, don’t give a rat’s ass about anyone but themselves.

***

Often we direct actors to display some courage of conviction in their interpretation of the role they are preparing to present. Our desire is to effectuate movement, change, and challenge. It’s nothing more than an attempt to portray a small portion of a usually very small slice of life. Rarely does anything with a true sporting chance to succeed ever accomplish its intent – goal wise – without the magic true courage of conviction always provides.

A wimpy director will endanger his actor’s ability to succeed in providing a true and courageous portrayal. Courage of conviction is a must-have in order to lead. Leadership demands conviction. “Wait and see” is not now, nor has it ever been, the profile for true leadership.

If you share my feelings, regarding the proper leadership our country must have in order to continue with our truly blessed lifestyle, take a moment and respond. I’d love to experience the board lighting up for me once again. When it comes to encouragement, the pen is certainly mightier than the sword. In the old days, a person could blame their lack of communication on a pen that was out of ink… not so anymore.

I urge you all to join da harv. Now, is the time for all good men and women to stand up and let it be known – we voted for you and we want our moneys' worth. Tell our servants to – lead, follow, or get the hell out of our way.