It's Better to be Lucky Than Good

That's me with the ball after my team won the Noir Cal championship

If knowledge hangs around your neck like

pearls instead of chains - You are a lucky man!

Takers and fakers and talkers won't tell you.

Teachers and preachers will just buy and sell you.

When no one can tempt you with heaven or hell-

You'll be a lucky man! -- From O Lucky Man by Alan Price

I can’t believe I once shook hands with Muhammad Ali.

I can’t believe that I stood in the North Bank in the Seventies at London’s Highbury Park and watched Arsenal play.

I can’t believe I scored the winning goal in overtime of my sixteen and under soccer team’s state cup championship victory.

I can’t believe that my father sent me to Finland when I was sixteen to visit relatives and I spent a third of the time traveling alone around the country.

I can’t believe I saw a helicopter tear gas me and thousands of others in Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus.

I can’t believe I was a founding member of the Chico News and Review, a paper that is still a going concern over 45 years later.

I can’t believe I have two such intelligent, beautiful, loving and professionally successful daughters.

I can’t believe that I had the privilege of being a public school teacher for twenty years.

I can’t believe that I completed a two year master’s program in one year and graduated with distinction.

I can’t believe that I was at one of the most iconic college football games ever played watching Cal improbably defeat their arch rivals on a four-lateral kick off return through a marching band as time expired.

I can’t believe that I’ve been clean and sober for over 35 years.

I can’t believe that I’ve survived PTSD, drug and alcohol addiction, severe depression, devastating panic and anxiety attacks and yet managed a successful teaching career and been a good father and husband in the bargain.

I can’t believe that I saw Willie Mays play baseball, Joe Montana play football, Jason Kidd play basketball, Bobby Orr play hockey, Thierry Henry play soccer and Bjorn Borg play tennis.

I can’t believe that such an incredible man as Aimo Hourula was my father.

I can’t believe that as a child I saw Present John F. Kennedy speak.

I can’t believe that I’ve been married to the same incredible woman for 36 years and that we love one another more today than ever.

I can’t believe that for the last twelve years I’v been teaching English to people from all over the world.

I can’t believe that I’ve spoken to Liv Ullman, Ethan Coen, Jerry Brown, Willie McCovey, Jane Fonda, Joe Kapp and Pete Rose.

I can’t believe some of the incredible friends I’ve had such as Rick Grizzly Brown (aka Saad Muhammad), Paul Tjogas, Kevin Lindsey, Keith Bray, Carnell Broom, Ed Burns, Mark Norman and Phil Rosenzweig — to name but a few.

I can’t believe that I enjoy a loving and wonderful extended family that includes seven darling grand nieces and nephews.

I can’t believe that my second self-published novel found so many readers who enjoyed the book.

I can’t believe that I’ve been lucky enough to travel extensively seeing such places as London, Hawaii, Paris, Mexico, New York, Rome, Oregon, Berlin, Boston and more with a trip to Spain scheduled for next year.

I can’t believe all the great literature I’ve read, all the great music I’ve listened to, all the great films I’ve watched and all the great museums I’ve visited.

I can’t believe how lucky I am.

The Good Ole Days of Subbing, Boy Did They Suck

For two years after I left my position as a middle school teacher and worked on my TEFL (Teacher of English as a Foreign Language) certificate, I toiled as a substitute teacher in the Oakland Unified School District (there’s actually very little that is unified about the district). It was an experience I’ll never forget — damn it! There were highs, lows, real lows, very deep lows and super deep lows.

Subbing is not the worst job in the world (one assumes). There are no papers to grade at the end of a long teaching day and no lesson plans to concoct. There are no meetings to attend and no parent conferences to endure. When your day is done you can get on with the rest of your life.

Some schools euphemistically call you a “guest teacher.” Some schools treat you as if you are a savior merely for showing up (trust me, you are). Some schools treat you like you have emerged from the primordial ooze. Some secretaries and administrators who greet you are officious, some are friendly some are so confused by all the vagaries of their job and the whirlwind of activity going on about them that they can barely bother to acknowledge you.

You show up, are shown to your room, then you read your lesson plan, which is usually left on a desk. Some are incredibly detailed, some leave much to interpretation and some allow you to wing it bit. The oddest I saw was a note on a TV screen that was merely an arrow pointing to a VCR tape (anyone out there old enough to remember those?). Brevity is the soul of wit.

Then you gird yourself for the first class. You might be awaiting anything from a rowdy, ill-mannered group of sixth graders to a solemn and serious class of seniors in a calculus class. 

Some of the days that are not horrible are deathly boring. Take that calculus class. Your job for the day may well consist of passing out worksheets, taking role then praying to god that no one asks you a question because you don’t understand calculus any better than you do Sanskrit. Usually they don't. They dutifully fill in their work as you surreptitiously do the crossword puzzle.

Some of the days that are not boring can be fun. You can have groups of students who you’ve seen before so you know each other and they like you and vise versa. These are rare.

Some days are mellow like when you do high school P.E. You take roll then toss out a bag of basketballs and sit back. Or a high school computer class where you walk around every ten minutes pretending to care if they’re on task or not and otherwise sit at a computer yourself where you write, or surf the internet or play hearts. I had a three-day assignment like that once at a high school. Easy money.

But then are days where there is absolute bedlam. Students are rude, obnoxious, threatening and destructive. If it’s a good school you can call down to the office and someone will be there lickety-split and offenders will be summarily dealt with. If it's a bad school then you hold your tongue and temper as best as possible.

If I had a bad day owing to lack of institutional support the solution was simple, I never took a job at that school again. In my time in Oakland I crossed over half a dozen schools off my list.

One of the best regular gigs I had was at one of Oakland’s two continuation high schools. That’s where the really baaaad kids go. The ones who are no longer welcome at “regular” high schools. However as was explained me to me, such students are loathe to cause real mayhem because they have parole officers and any offense on their part will result in a return to the hoosegow. I would get tested by students who didn’t know me. A particularly tall large lad would stand next to, lean into me a bit and “mean mug me.” I never flinched and would eventually say something like, “why don’t you have seat?” Once they knew I couldn’t be intimated I had their respect. I was served well by a calmness that I brought to the job that many subs are incapable of. I used measured tones, didn’t get excited and didn’t demand this or that, only insisting upon a modicum of decorum and respect for one another’s person and property.

At the continuation school less than half of students on the attendance sheet would ever show up. Mostly they sat around and chatted (a few did their work!) often about crimes they’d committed or their most recent high. Interesting.

I have a few specific memories from my subbing days that I think are worth sharing. 

• There was a school safety officer at one school who had a large belly and fondness for donuts. One morning before school he had been heard mentioning his preference for donuts with sprinkles on them. Later that day I called down to the office because of a ruckus in the classroom. The portly security officer entered the room and the students immediately started chanting “sprinkles!” He was clearly embarrassed and said, “you all are messed up.” He then turned around and left not having bothered with the problem in the classroom.
• I was subbing in a middle school computer class when one student refused to do his assignment. Worse he was playing a computer game that was making a lot of noise (at least be cool about it, dude). I hailed a passing safety officer who came in and talked to the lad for a few minutes. The officer eventually came to me and said, “he says he won’t do the work.” That, as they say, was that. The officer split.
• There was a student in one class who wouldn’t give his real name and worst of all was creating a disturbance. I called down to the office and a security officer took the lad outside for several minutes, brought him back to the room and said, “he won’t give you any more trouble.” Great, I thought. However a minute later he was indeed giving me “more trouble.” (Contrast this to the school I went to where I had a similar situation. That lad was taken away and I was later informed that he’d been sent home.)
• One of my worst days was at a high school. In the period before lunch it was absolute chaos with several students being particularly wild. Calls to the office went unanswered. However I rejoiced to see a vice principal passing by. I told him all that had happened and pointed out the offenders. Here was his response: “Leave a note for the teacher, she’s pretty good about following up.” With that he turned heel and fled the scene. I was left with mouth agape unable to believe that there would be no immediate help or consequences. It was a two-day assignment so at lunch I canceled the second day and never returned to that hell hole again.
• I was subbing at another high school and having a pretty good day in a history classroom when three of four people entered the room who I was pretty sure were not even students at the school (given their apparent age) let alone in the class. They immediately started a game of craps. Seriously. I politely asked them to desist but they chose to continue. So I stood in line of the flying dice and when they came my way put my foot on them and still politely, but also insistently, suggested they take their game elsewhere. There were a tense few moments during which they evidently weighed their options before deciding to seek greener pastures. I counted that as a huge victory.

Subbing in an inner city school district is not for the faint of heart. It takes patience, tolerance and having an outlet for your frustrations at the end of the day such as a quart of whiskey or in my case a gym membership and twelve step meetings. Anyway the pay was decent and it thus helped keep us afloat until I was ready to enter the infinitely calmer world of teaching foreigners the king’s English. What a pleasant change to be thanked by students when I hand them a piece of paper. I recall on some occasions as a sub trying to hand out papers and seeing students recoil, initially refuse to take it and ask “what’s this?” As if I was a process server. In my current position teaching days are a relative stroll around the park. Between my years as a middle school teacher and my time as a sub, I earned it.

Hey! Get Out of My Country, Ten Great Films Set in Europe During the Nazi Occupation

The Train

I recently noted that among my favorite films of all time are several that take place in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. It’s not altogether surprising as there are so many excellent films that have been made about the war starting from while it was being fought through today — some eighty years later. Nazis themselves are cinematic being ready-made villains that everyone (well, almost) can root against. Occupation by an invading force is always fodder for films. The tension, the fear, the utter outlandishness of it all are all in place. Bravery and resourcefulness will be called upon while collaborators will be ever present. Lives and the future of one's homeland are at stake. Most of the stories told are true (who needs to fictionalize such escapades?) or based on actual events. Here are my ten favorite such films.  They come from varying times with the first made in 1942 and the last in 2009. There are four French films and one each from Italy and Czechoslovakia. There are nine different directors and among them are some of filmdom's best. Three of the films are in my top 100, four others just outside of it and three more I much admire.

Army of Shadows (1969) Melville. The best and most realistic fictional cinematic look at the French resistance ever made. Grim, cold bleak days with brave men and women going about life or death tasks with all the verve of accountants. There are no romances, no dashing figures, it’s too real to play to the audience like that. Collaborators are dealt with coldly and efficiently, lives are of far less importance than the cause. It is both a difficult film to watch and utterly compelling. 

Le Silence de la Mer (1949) Melville.  This is more about the occupation of a single house as a French family must endure a German officer who is billeted in their bucolic home. The family is cold to the intruder who seems a decent sort (well, aside from being a Nazi). He is a former composer whose very essence seems at odds with the uniform he wears. It’s a fascinating look at another of the many costs of war.

The Train (1964) Frankenheimer. Burt Lancaster saves precious works of art from the Nazis. While there is action aplenty, this is many respects a somber film. Lancaster plays a resistance fighter who also happens to work for the railroad. He leads an effort to thwart Nazi plans to take some of France’s most precious works of art out of the country as the allies close in. Christopher Plummer and Jeanne Moreau co-star.

The Pianist (2002) Polanski. Adrien Brody gave an Oscar-winning performance as Władysław Szpilman, the great classical pianist who somehow survived Nazi occupation and the holocaust in the Warsaw ghetto. By turns depressing and inspiring, the Pianist drew some of its inspiration from director Roman Polanski’s own experiences in the ghetto.

Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987) Malle. For me one of the great films of all-time. Beautiful and heart-breaking. Julien is a tween student at a catholic boarding school who befriends a new student named Jean. Gradually Julien figures out that there is something different about his new friend, he’s a Jew. Indeed he is one of several hiding out in the school with the aid of the priest and headmaster. It’s a wonderful story of adolescent boys negotiating relationships; only in their case the Nazi occupiers form the backdrop to the story and ultimately bring it tragedy.

The Last Metro (1980) Truffaut. The story of a theater in the Montmartre section of Paris from early in the occupation through the end of the war. Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu star. The theater owner successfully defies the Nazis, fights censorship and shortages to maintain cultural integrity. The Last Metro was an awards season smash and deservedly so. As Vincent Canby of the New York Times wrote, “a dazzlingly subversive work.”

Inglorious Basterds

Inglorious Basterds (2009) Tarantino. Quentin Tarantino’s fantasy alternate history of Jewish-American commandos going behind enemy lines to wreak havoc among the enemy. “We in the killin' Nazi business. And cousin, business is a-boomin’” says their leader Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt). They ultimately go on a mission to kill the Nazi leadership — including Hitler — who are all in Paris. Shosanna Dreyfus owns the theater where they’ll be convening and as a Jew whose family was killed by the Nazis, she has similar inclinations. It's all makes for a magnificent movie. Christoph Waltz gives an iconic performance as the famed Jew hunter.

Closely Watched Trains (1966) Menzel. This is more the story of a young man coming of age as he embarks on a career in a cushy job as a train dispatcher. He also discovers love but finds the act of making love a challenge. Trains is perhaps the best known of the Czech New Wave. Nazis play a very small role in the film but as was the case in occupied Europe, their presence is constant and unpleasant backdrop to life. They end up being crucial to the denouement.

Rome: Open City (1945) Rossellini. The forerunner of the neorealism movement, Open City began filming only months after the Nazis fled Rome and as the war in Europe still raged. The war-ravaged streets of Rome provided the sets, which, along with the many non-actors appearing gives the film a documentary feel. This is a real, raw, heart-breaking look at the effect of Nazi occupation and the heroic individuals who defied it. Among the protagonists is the priest Don Pietro Pellegrini (played by comic actor Aldo Fabrizi in a masterstroke of casting) a real figure. His story is at the heart of Open City. The brilliant Anna Magnani also stars.

To Be or Not to Be (1942) Lubitsch. We close with lighter fare. The one comedy on the list and it’s an exceptional one. How can it miss under the direction of Ernst Lubitsch with Jack Benny and Carole Lombard starring? As one would expect there are laughs aplenty but they are somewhat muted by the reality of the setting being Nazi-occupied Warsaw. Benny and Lombard play a married couple who are part of an acting troupe. They use their dramatic skills to stymie Nazi efforts to root out the resistance movement. Amazing that it was made during the war.

Did You Just Google Me? Then Drop Me a Line (Contact Info In Post)

Did I look like this when you knew me?

Were you looking for me? Is this someone who decided to google me (I like to be googled but then I've always been  into kinky stuff) and in so doing came across my blog? Well here I am. And who pray tell are you? A classmate from high school? Not as far back as junior high (Garfield) or elementary school (Jefferson). If you go back that far it may interest you to know that both schools have been re-named. The former has been King Middle School for many decades now (I suppose the full name is something like Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Middle School but everyone just calls it King). The latter is Ruth Acty Elementary named for the long-time Berkeley teacher who was the first teacher of color in the district. I had her as a teacher in junior high (hey! Maybe we were in her class together!).

Maybe instead of K-12 we went to college together. Maybe we were on the soccer team or for that matter we might have been teammates on one of the many teams I played on in my youth (when dinosaurs roamed the Earth). Maybe we were in college at the same time but had no classes together. We could have met in the dorm, for that matter you might be an old roommate. I had quite a few in my college and immediate post-college days. 

It would be really cool if we had been on the school newspaper together, the Wildcat. I was recently looking at some back issues on line. Those were great times. Or we could have been fellow co-founders of the Chico News & Review -- even better times.

Maybe we knew each other in Sacramento or Boston or during my European travels.

Say, you’re not an old girlfriend, are you? If so I regret to inform you that I have aged. After all it’s been many decades since we saw one another. I’m sorry if you’re one of the many women I unceremoniously dumped. I was a bit of a cad. Then again I got a raw deal from some of the women I dated too. It happened both ways for me — a lot.

Maybe we were classmates in my later iterations as a student. Maybe we worked together somewhere, Sacto, Boston, San Francisco or Berkeley. Goodness, we could have been teaching colleagues at Willard or EF.

You're not a relative, are you? If so then you absolutely MUST say, hi.

Were we friends? If so I sure hope that having now found me you drop me a line. Hell, if we weren’t friends let me hear from you. Email me: rikuhourula@gmail.com. I like blasts from the past, they help me bathe in the warm waters of nostalgia.

You might even be a former student. There are a lot of them out there. I love hearing from students. You don’t even have to tell me what a great influence I was on your life (though you certainly can).

I especially want to hear from a few people: Ed Burns (the great goalkeeper from Richmond), Carnell Broom (aka Wilford), Keith Bray (we got in touch for a bit awhile ago but then you never returned my calls). Owen Plant, how’s the kid? Becky Tallon, we were pretty serious for a bit but you correctly saw that we weren’t ready, Karen Seccombe, I can’t find any contact info for you — my younger daughter is in your line of work. Jaime Bammert, my last roommate in Chico. Bob Speer, you’re a man I hold in high regard and think of frequently. Kevin Jeys, we did not part on good terms and I regret that. Jason Peltier, always thought highly of you and so glad you’ve done well. Jim Riley, a former roomie and co-worker who was a good dude. Cheryl Gilman, I regretted for a long time not taking advantage of the crush you had on me. Suzie Donnelly, I had a crush on you but you didn’t seem interested and then I met Kathryn….Susan Silvius, I wish I’d made more of our friendship. Debra Gologorsky, I cringe when I think of the letter I sent you from college. You were a terrific person. Mark Norman, we were best friends starting sometime around kindergarten but I haven’t talked to you since 1981. Judy Nakaso, we had classes together from K through 12, you’re the only person I can say that about. Paul McCartney, we were in a band together for awhile in the Sixties (I may be making this one up). 

It would be a shame if you saw this and didn’t at least email a quick hello. The old cliche is that we’re none of us getting any younger. I’ve had several friends, acquaintances, co-workers and kin say the long goodbye in recent years. Some of whom I wish I’d contacted before they shuffled off this mortal coil.

As you can see from having googled me (tickles a bit). I’ve self-published a couple of novels, the latter has done quite well. I’m close to finishing my third and hope to find a publisher other than self for it. I’ve been a teacher of one kind or another for almost 37 years. I’m active in the local Finnish Heritage Society. Been happily married to the same woman for 36 years (if we make it another two weeks). I can tell you more if I hear from you.

So you were curious and found me, take the next step. Let’s go!!!

The Author Expounds on Various Topics Ranging from Guns to Music to Theaters...AND MORE!!!

Margot Robbie

Global warming. First of all, I’m against it. But seriously folks, there has been nothing as bad during my lifetime. I don’t believe that it threatens the planet, the planet will be fine, what it threatens is life on this planet — to date the only habitable one in the known universe. This includes animals and humans alike. Yet people are so damn dumb that many don’t believe in “it” as if climate change were some far out theory proposed by a single benighted scientist. Most troubling is that it’s already here. For so long it was a distant threat, now it’s with us and there are legitimate fears that not enough can be done to keep it from worsening. It’s hard to even read it about anymore so depressing is most of what’s written.

Music today. In the locker room of my gym members are provided with piped in music (not that we asked for it). It is all clearly new…Rock? Pop? What the hell do you even call it, anymore? By any other name it sounds as sour. It is all so bland, generic and uninteresting. I grew up with The Beatles, The Doors, The Who, Hendrix, Joplin, Neil Young, the Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Buffalo Springfield etc. Talk about spoiled. But I wonder why there isn’t even a tenth as much good music today as there was in the Sixties and Seventies. There are no interesting voices. Male singers are high pitched and flat. Female singers have weak voices. The instrumentals are uninteresting. The angry dirge of rap is a sad comparison to the great days of the Motown Sound. Thankfully I have an extensive CD collection.

Gun nuts. From a CNN story on republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s recent town hall: “Haley for the first time on the trail came out against gun restrictions known as “red flag” laws, which allow officials to temporarily take away firearms from people determined by a judge to be a threat to themselves or others. The laws, which have become popular in Democratic-run states, have angered many Republicans and gun rights advocates. ‘I don’t trust the government to deal with red flag laws. I don’t trust that they won’t take them away from people who rightfully deserve to have them,’ Haley said. ‘Because you’ve got someone else judging whether someone else should have a gun or not.’” Maybe it’s simply a matter of playing to her base who evidently prioritize guns over human lives, but my goodness, coming out against red flag laws shows complete servitude to the gun lobby. These people have no conscience and don’t really care how many children are slaughtered by guns. Also we have the continuing theme of not trusting the government which was popularized by the odious Ronald Reagan. It’s a great way for public servants to abdicate responsibility and in many cases put power in the hands of their corporate overlords. So much for the notion of government by the people of the people and for the people.

What ever happened to going to the movies? As recently as three years ago there were three movie theaters in downtown Berkeley, all with multiple screens. There could be as many as a dozen different films playing at a time. Now there are zero downtown theaters with a combined total of zero screens that can show as many as zero films on any given day. There is only one theater within Berkeley’s city limits. Thirty years ago there were eight. There are two theaters that are not far, one in neighboring Albany the other in Oakland near the city limits. I recently noted that neither of these theaters are showing matinees — not even on weekends! In other words it used to be nothing to find and go to a movie any day of the week. Now it’s a miracle to be able to make it to a movie. Streaming is wonderful, convenient and provides endless choices, but I really miss the thrill of seeing a newly released film in a theater. (I believe they were referred to the good ole days.)

Anti-war films. Watched a film called Pork Chop Hill (1959) Millstone yesterday. It has rightly been called a powerful anti-war film. Here’s something I’ve noticed: virtually everywhere anti-war film I’ve ever seen can also be interpreted as pro-war and virtually every patriotic “pro-war” film I’ve ever seen can also be interpreted as anti-war. The mere depiction of battle at once shows its horrors and stupidity and also glorifies it. Every demanding non-compromising officer is an example of steely determination and dedication to the cause and an example of barbarity and callousness. Every dying soldier is an example of heroism and of the horrible cost of war. Pork Chop Hill made war look like a pretty stupid proposition to me but then again so did Saving Private Ryan and that’s as pro-war a film as you’ll ever see.

Phones. Haven’t gone on this tirade in awhile: try working out without your phone. It can be done, indeed I do it all the time. The benefits of not having your phone with you include not being distracted by it and thus better focusing on your purpose in being at the gym (one assumes you go to the gym for exercise) and not annoying people by talking into the damn thing. I noticed someone looking at their phone for at least five minutes before resuming exercise — two minutes worth — then resuming his romance with said phone. Not unusual.

Margot Robbie. This bit is just so I have an excuse to put a picture of the lovely actress atop this post. In truth I think she’s an excellent actress and has graced several excellent movies including Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, I, Tonya and Babylon. We’ll see how this whole Barbie thing works out.

Films I've Watched Lately Some of Which I've Liked Greatly, Plus a Look at Three TV Series Finales

Brian Donlevy in The Great McGinty

The Great McGinty (1940) Sturges. As I’ve mentioned repeatedly on this blog, Preston Sturges directed six films between 1940 and 1944 that ranged from excellent to classic McGinty, The Lady Eve, Sullivan’s Travels, The Palm Beach Story, The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek and Hail the Conquering Hero— there was also one pretty good film, Christmas in July. As a director he’d done nothing before and had five lesser efforts after. McGinty was the first of this incredible run. Brian Donlevy plays a hobo who votes three dozen times for the political machine one election night (and gets paid handsomely for his efforts) then is hired to work as muscle. He moves up the ladder eventually becoming mayor and then governor. Then it all comes tumbling down. McGinty is brilliant satire on politics and like all of Sturges’ best fare, a joy to watch. The film’s only flaw is that flies by much too fast clocking in at 82 minutes.

Days of Heaven (1978) Malick. Terrance Malick is the one director for whom the term self-indulgent surely applies. Much of what he has made in the last few decades is a long, slow slog through cinematic mire. I’ve enjoyed a few but for the most part Malik’s films are sure cures for the insomniac. However he had two gems early in this career, Badlands (1973) and Days of Heaven. The latter is a gorgeous film — all hail cinema photographer Néstor Almendros! Also gorgeous are co-stars Brooke Adams and Richard Gere. I also find Linda Manz as the narrator and younger sister of Gere’s character to be strangely beguiling. Days of Heaven is an example of what Malick could have been making all these years if he gave a tinker’s damn about his audience.

Love Crazy (1941) Conway. One of the lesser of the William Powell/Myrna Loy collaborations (they made fourteen films together). At that it’s still a bit of fun for those of who could watch Powell and Loy sitting around reading the phone book. But as the missus said after we watched Love Crazy, “the script was beneath them.” Due to a preposterous misunderstanding (film and TV “misunderstandings” are notorious for stretching credulity) Loy wants to divorce Powell. He hits on the idea of acting insane so that she must care for him. Hilarity should ensue especially given who are leads are but alas the writers weren’t up to the task. To be sure there are moments but they are few and far between.

Down By Law (1986) Jarmusch. I love this movie so much that it has a place in my top 100 but I'm hard pressed to tell you exactly why. It’s…quirky? Eccentric? Decidedly off-beat? All of the above and more? Definitely more. Three disparate characters find themselves cellmates in a New Orleans (a disc jockey, a pimp and a recent Italian emigre) the first two have been framed the third can argue self-defense. They form a most unlikely friendship in the midst of their despair. Of course they escape and one stumbles into a happy new life tailor made for him. The others seek greener pastures. John Lurie, Tom Waits and Roberto Benigni star as does the soundtrack and the script and direction by James Jarmusch.

The Philadelphia Story (1940) Cukor. How many times have I seen this film? Certainly more than a dozen, maybe twenty times. Like all great films it gets better with each viewing. It stars Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart so that pretty much guarantees a good picture. Roland Young as Uncle Willie and Virginia Weidler as little sister Dinah are scene stealers. The combined efforts of writers Phillip Barry, Donald Ogden Stewart and Waldo Salt are to be lauded as is George Cukor’s direction. Philadelphia Story is most certainly a comedy but the dashes of drama here and there blend nicely and raise the overall story to a higher level. Call it a sophisticated screwball comedy.

The Cranes are Flying

The Cranes are Flying (1957) Kalatozov. A fairly recent discovery of mine this Russian film is subtly anti-war (subtle enough to have gotten by strict Soviet censorship). It’s a beautiful love story too. Two lovers are — as so many were — broken up by war. In this case the Nazi invasion of the USSR. It is an inevitably heart-wrenching and heart-breaking story. There is love, there is hate, there is tragedy and there is -- as ever in life -- hope. Beautifully filmed and acted.

Now a few words on three recent TV series finales.

Succession. The story of the family we loved to hate and by god did we hate the Roys. It was odd to watch such contemptuous people and find yourself at various points rooting for one or the other. They lived in a world of riches that regular folk like myself can only imagine. They bickered constantly, sniped at one another, shifted allegiances at the drop of a hat, held no core beliefs and only wanted more. More power, more wealth. There were no ends to their means other than more. You’d be hard-pressed to get an honest word out of one of them. So, yes, it was compelling. One of the great TV shows of all time. The acting and writing couldn’t have been better. The finale was satisfying and appropriate.

Barry. Speaking of appropriate endings, this show reached perfection in its denouement. Bill Hader has risen, for me, from a favorite entertainer, to genius. He not only starred but wrote and directed this brilliant show that went from comedy to dark morality tale like a slap in the face. It was odd to stay with the title character through all his dramatic changes as his true nature (natures?) became clearer. Hader surrounded himself with an exemplary supporting cast who had rich, clearly drawn characters to embody. I don’t know that there’s even been a show quite like Barry. It’s difficult to classify and impossible not to immerse oneself in.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I was about ready to give up on this program during it’s penultimate season. It had lost it’s early glimmer and verve. But what a comeback! This final season has been great stuff. The centerpiece was Rachel Brosnahan as the titular character (and she was plenty good enough to carry the show) but the depth and talent of the rest of the cast (how does one call them supporting when they offered so much?) raised the show to another higher level. Maisel the show was pure unadulterated fun while shining a rather bright light on sexism and other issues. I miss it already.

The Blogger (That's Me!) Emerges from Depression, Discourses on this and other Topics including Blood Simple

Frances Mcdormand in Blood Simple

Came out of a prolonged depression, first thought: this can’t last. Nasty thing depression telling you things like that. Doesn’t have the decency to leave you alone when you’re not experiencing it. Follows you around like an annoying acquaintance tapping you on the shoulder saying, “I’ll be back, ya know, probably soon so don’t get too comfortable.” 

Lot not to be depressed about. Had a wonderful vacation in Paris and London. Already planning next year’s trip — getting there is half the fun, the ubiquitous “they” say.

The marriage not only survives our travels but gets stronger from them. The wife is an amazing woman who’s endlessly patient when the blackness has enveloped me. She is also good when anxiety strikes, which it often does when the depression is in abeyance. There’s some bloody unfairness for you. The depression passes and in comes the anxiety. Doesn’t always happen that way but can. Worse is getting the depression and anxiety as a set. Double-teamed. Ugly business.

Today the depression was driven away by a visit to the gym. I’ve only recently returned to the gym having had to settle for working out at home in a good example of better than nothing. Actually in the years away from the gym I was able to focus a lot on core work specifically through planks, push-ups, squats and the like. Can still do those at the gym along with other exercises but now can hop on the stairmaster, elliptical machine and do fast-walking on the treadmill.

It’s really good to sweat again. That’s what I’ve been missing. Figure I’ll trim a few pounds in the coming months.

No, I don’t need the depression about. Lord was I feeling miserable yesterday. Every possible thought came with pain. The happiest memory came with a side dish of misery. Hard to get much accomplished. A work day is no problem. You’ve got to work. The depression steps to the sideline while I’m teaching. There ARE limits — thankfully.

Novel is done. Well, it’s all in the hands of the editor. After that, depending on the verdict there could be days, weeks, even months more work. Hoping to have the whole bugger done by the end of the summer. Then fame and riches await. Actually I’ll settle for finding a publisher and enjoying moderate success.

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I’m resuming this on Monday morning (began it Sunday afternoon). Still feeling good. Don’t mind Mondays anymore. I only teach the one class so going to work is no great chore and of course I enjoy my students and helping them speak and write better English. There’s a podcast I listen to every Monday, it’s about my favorite English football team (soccer to you Yanks), the Arsenal. The co-hosts are insightful, charming, witty and do a lot of work for charity through the podcast, the blog and forums. Proud to follow them. The  season ends next weekend. The British football season is a long, long slog starting in mid August and not ending until May. Even longer this season due to the interruption of a Winter World Cup. Arsenal will finish second which is at once disappointing given how many days they were top of the table and a great accomplishment given the competition and how far they’ve come.

Sometimes when you're wearing attire representing your favorite team a perfect stranger will make a derogatory comment about said team. Why do they think this is okay? I've had this happen while entering a cafe, walking down a quiet street, standing outside my abode, leaving the gym. I find it incredibly rude. I see people wearing shirts and jackets and jerseys of a team I abhor but wouldn't think of saying anything to them. I satisfy myself with muttering under my breath. But others.... people are weird. In the most recent case I had crossed a street and a gent going the other way said, "Arsenal is bad." I replied by asking, "why would you say that?" As I continued past him he said, "it's banter." But an adult telling another adult that the team they support "is bad" (never mind that said team is having a great season) is just obnoxious. And what kind of "banter" were we going to have? Exchanges of my team rocks, yours sucks? Pointless if you're anything over nine-years-old. 

On a cheerier note I watched Blood Simple yesterday, the Coen brothers first film (wow, came out nearly forty years ago). Not sure how many times I've seen it (at least five) but liked it so much more this last time. Classic noir. Frances McDormand is terrific in her film debut, especially considering she'd only just come out of acting school. She provides quite a contrast opposite the great veteran actor, M. Emmet Walsh. It's one of the better scripts you'll ever come across and that's something that gets lost in discussing the Coens. Yes, they're great directors but they're equally good as screenwriters. Blood Simple is one of the best film debuts by a director ever.

What's New? The Blogger Has Much to Relate after a Ten-Day Absence

Photo I took at the D'Orsay

While in Europe I posted regular updates on my comings and goings but since returning it’s been virtual silence. I imagine my readers (both of us) are wondering what I’ve been up to. After all being in Berkeley is as exciting as being in Paris or London. Isn’t it? 

On May 1st I returned to work. I enjoyed this very much. I have the privilege of teaching the English language to people from other countries. Most of my students are charming people, eager to learn and willing to put up with my nonsense. I also have colleagues who I get along swimmingly with. The banter is breezy and enjoyable although deeper topics are sometimes explored. Workplace camaraderie is one of the great perks of employment.

The weather here is worth noting. Thankfully we had a very wet winter with enough precipitation to put a dent into California’s worst-ever drought. However — and I speak as a lover of the wet stuff — things have gone a bit too far with rain continuing into April. Warm dry conditions finally arrived while we were in Europe (where it was cold and sometimes rained) but the inclement weather returned here shortly after we did. On Monday I walked to work in the rain (my umbrella got wet — damn it!). It has also remained unseasonably cold with temperatures not exceeding sixty degrees fahrenheit by much or for long. The predicted high for today is sixty-two. As I’ve noted here repeatedly I do not like hot weather but I could stand a few days of warm. Stupid climate change.

My first weekend back from vacation was taken up preparing for my speech at the Finnish Hall for Vappu. Said speech was reprinted on this blog in my most recent post. I love public speaking, unlike many people I don’t get the least bit nervous. I always make sure to know my audience and anticipate not just what I want them to hear but what they want to hear. It can be a delicate balancing act but as a teacher for many decades it’s in my wheelhouse. I prepare meticulously and practice. Warm waves of applause are always welcome. Keeping my ego in check is a struggle but I’ve years of experience in that department as well.

The event as a whole was successful with good food and good music. I am proud to be on the Culture Committee of the Finnish Heritage Society which plans these events.

Last weekend the focus was the Bay Area Book Festival. Usually I attend four to five events but this year managed only two but they were both excellent. On Saturday I saw Adam Hochschild speak for at least the third time. He is undoubtedly one of America’s premier non-fiction writers. Mr. Hochschild was speaking about his latest book American Midnight about the dark period in this country from 1917-1921 when civil liberties were cast aside, lynchings were sadly ubiquitous and immigrants were scapegoated. Parallels were drawn between then and today. But also noted are those who fought the good fight against repression. This will be the seventh of his books I’ve read, his works on World War I and the Spanish Civil War were particularly good.

On Sunday I saw a woman named Ilyon Woo speak about her new book, Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom. It is the story of a married enslaved couple who escaped from the south with the woman (who was light-skinned) posing as a white man and her husband pretending to be her slave. Upon making it safely to the north they toured the country speaking about their experiences. It’s all compelling stuff all the more so for those of us in the audience as among the attendees were ancestors of the couple. 

Speaking of books, I’m currently reading one that I bought in a well-regarded bookstore in Cambridge about the legendary English football (soccer to you Yanks) coach, Brian Clough, Nobody Ever Says Thank You. He was the subject of a film called The Damned United (2009) Hooper starring Michael Sheen. Clough was a brilliant manager who led two different teams (Derby County and Nottingham Forrest) out of the second division to become champions of the top flight. To do this once is remarkable to do it twice is difficult to fathom. He also led Forrest to consecutive Champions League titles. But Clough was his own worst enemy and self-saboted everywhere he went. He was — to put it mildly — a volatile personality who did his things his way no matter whose feathers he ruffled or who was insulted, wronged or badly hurt by his words and actions. He was charismatic, boorish, brilliant, egotistical, charming, bitter, benevolent, mercurial, outspoken and endlessly fascinating (at least from afar). I'll finish the book today and will miss reading about this singular character.

I’ve also been doing my FINAL edit of novel number three and my editor (aka the missus) is now reading it. She’ll be sharing her observations after which I’ll make more revisions. It looks like I’ll finish the damn thing in just under three years. I’m anticipating a Pulitzer for all this time and effort. It has been the proverbial labor of love and any success it enjoys will not give me as much satisfaction as has the writing process.

Speaking of the better half, we’ve been loving the final seasons of three terrific TV shows: Succession, Barry and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. It will be a shame to see them go as they’ve each reached their peaks. Previously we enjoyed season two of Perry Mason. Sadly the writer’s strike has cost the world several episodes of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and the daily charm of Late Night With Seth Myers. Give the writers what they want you greedy bastards.

It’s been nice to be back on the old blogaroo. Perhaps after this final run though of the novel we can get together more often.

In Praise of Finland, My Speech at the Finnish Hall

Follows is the speech I made on Sunday at the Finnish Hall where we were commemorating Vappu, a national holiday in Finland that falls on May Day.

A Finn and a Swede were having a drinking contest. After a few hours of drinking in silence the Swede said: “Good vodka.” To which the Finn replied, “you want to talk or drink?”

Kippis.

We are here today to recognize Vappu a day of widespread celebration throughout Finland. It is a day that has grown in significance and popularity over the years with Finns turning out in huge numbers to celebrate.

Vappu is relatively new in my experience. It was rarely mentioned as I grew up and I cannot recall whether there were even Vappu celebrations at this Finn Hall. If so they were not greeted with the same kind of fanfare reserved for other occasions. I wondered about this recently before discovering  that Vappu only became a national holiday in Finland in 1979 and in those days was mostly celebrated by university students. 

Vappu is a confluence of four celebrations. The first is in recognition of a Catholic saint, Walpurgis (Valburg in Finnish). She was canonized on May first 870 AD for amongst other things, fighting against witchcraft. You don’t see many witches in Finland, so she was clearly effective — for  better or worse. The night between April 30th and May 1st was named Walpurgis Night which Finns shortened to Vappu. I doubt many celebrants in Finland today raise a glass to Saint Valburg anymore. But she could rightfully be credited as the founder of the feast.

By the 1700s Finns were celebrating Vappu as part of the general festivities marking the end of another long, harsh winter and the coming of Summer. You’re probably aware of this Finnish joke: we had a nice summer last year, it was on a Thursday. 

In the early 20th century people in much of the world began celebrating May first as a day to recognize workers, May Day. Thus in Finland Vappuu became a triple celebration. The fourth aspect of Vappu festivities and the one that is now of primary focus, is as a day for students to celebrate the end of the school year.

It is, along with Joulu, the most anticipated time of the year, many young Finns, and doubtless older ones too, start celebrating a couple of weeks before Vappupäivä.

As I said Vappu was not much of a thing when I grew up. My parent’s and grandparent’s generations — who created this hall and made the Bay Area a welcome home for other Finnish emigres — came from working class roots, indeed many hailed from rural areas where Vappu had less significance. 

Besides in the first sixty years of the 20th century Bay Area Finns were in a constant state of celebration. They had come to the United States and both assimilated and maintained their national identity. They were living the American Dream. My father came from relative poverty in Finland but here, working as a carpenter during the building boom, he was making enough money to support a family of four, own his own home and two cars, and through his union have health insurance and a pension. 

My father and other Finns worked hard and played hard. There were always weekend activities and even occasional outings on weeknights. Parties, picnics, barbecues, dances, concerts, ski trips, hunting and fishing, spectator sports aplenty, holiday gatherings. It was a nonstop whirlwind of fun to balance the hard work. Vappu was nothing special if it was thought of at all.

The world is a different place today. Finns don’t see the United States as the land of milk and honey anymore and consequently aren’t pouring into the Bay Area. Why would they? In fact, it’s tempting to ask a Finn in the United States: what are you doing here? You’ve got it so good in your own country! (Well, besides the winters.) While the United States still has much to offer immigrants as well as its second, third and fourth generation citizens, there’s been trouble in paradise for awhile and I don’t just mean Trump. 

But Finland, boy do they have cause for celebration at Vappu as well as the other 364 days of the year. Let’s consider some facts.

Finland is the 8th most educated country in the world according the World Economic Forum. 

Finland has, according to U.S. News and World Report, the sixth  most well-developed school system.

Finland is ranked number one in transparency by transparency international and is the second least corrupt country in the world according to global economy dot com.

World population review ranks Finland the 6th freest country in the world and is fourth in freedom of the press.

World population review also says Finland is second in the world in gender equality.

Our country is 14th in social acceptance of LGBTQ people according to a UCLA School of law study.

Finland is the 6th safest country in the world says U.S. News and World report.

Finland is both third in social mobility — World Population Review — and social welfare spending.

Positive News says that Finland is second in social progress.

Finland has a 100% literacy rate.

A Yale University study ranks Finland third in environmental performance in combatting the affects of climate change and Finland is also the third most environmentally friendly country, this time according to World Population Review.

Finland is also now teaching students how to identify misinformation campaigns and propaganda. Starting this campaign at the elementary school level. Media literacy is part of the national curriculum.

In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Those affected receive a small apartment & counseling — with no preconditions. Four out of five people affected make their way back into a stable life. And all this is CHEAPER than accepting homelessness.

Dads in Finland spend more time with their kids than anywhere else in the world. Both parents get the same parental leave, and employers encourage dads to take time off. 

The maternity package or äitiyspakkaus, known internationally as the Finnish "baby box," is a kit granted by the Finnish social security institution Kela, to all expectant or adoptive parents who live in Finland or are covered by the Finnish social security system.

In Finland, university is free.

In Finland every person who can vote receives a mail reminder about the elections. No registration is needed, and you can even vote at malls and supermarkets!

Finland was ranked Europe’s least angry country last year by landgeist. This must have made our neighbors really mad.

Finland also recently had a prime minister who knew how to effectively mix work with play as evidenced by videos of her dancing and partying.

And finally, Finland’s men’s ice hockey team defeated Russia last year in the Winter Olympics to claim its first hockey gold medal. Hyvaa Sumoi!!!

It’s no wonder that last month the World Happiness Report named Finland the happiest country in the world for the sixth year in a row.

At only 105 years old, Finland is still a relative youngster at being an independent country. It shares a large border with Russia, which, as Ukranians can tell you, is not a terribly comfortable way to go through life. Finland’s recent acceptance into NATO was met with widespread approval, including here in the United States. So it is remarkable that this small country with a population of less than six million has become a model of democracy, equality, social justice and fighting climate change. Things are far from perfect in Finland, the economy is sometimes sluggish, drug abuse is a serious threat and of course Russia is next door. But what this tiny beautiful country has accomplished, what it guarantees its citizens, particularly it’s youngest members and its most vulnerable, the way it protects its environment and plans for its future, the equality enjoyed by its women and members of the LGBTQ community are all things of which we can be very, very proud. 

I don’t know if any of you are of a mind to celebrate Walpurgis, but I’m sure you’re enjoying the end of one of our colder and rainier winters. Raising a glass to the working people who keep the machinery of life going is always a good idea. Many others of you are students or the older kin of students who will soon be successfully ending another school year. So let us celebrate all that Vappu is about but let us also recognize that it is another reminder of our justifiably great pride in Finland and what it stands for today and it’s unbelievable accomplishments.

Hyvää vappua! Ja kiitos kaikille.