Saturday, November 30, 2013

(VIDEO) WOULD YOU GO INTO POLITICS?







Despite the fact that his classmates in high school and college often chose him to lead them, John remembers himself as a seriously inept student.

Em mentions George Clooney and Alec Baldwin -- it's occurred to her that they might be heading into politics. Even so, John can't see himself running for public office or getting elected, unless maybe he wanted to be the Mayor of his hometown, Knoxville, Tennessee.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

JOHN CULLUM'S E-MAIL TO EM


John Cullum's "Thanksgiving" Email to Em:

I am from a large Southern family of which my mother was the matriarch, and every Thanksgiving was an big, exciting affair with aunts and uncles and cousins, some of which I only saw once a year. Emotions were high, and along with love and good spirits were moments of family squabbles of epic and frightening proportions that sometimes resulted in enduring resentments. This tradition still continues with my nieces and nephews and though we may not give as much thought as we should to the pilgrims and indians, it’s a time when our different families renew their connections to each other and that’s a lot to give thanks for.

But the most memorable Thanksgiving dinner for me was the one a young redheaded dancer made for me in her Artist In Residence studio in New York City. It wasn’t a turkey, just a large chicken, and it never occurred to me that this gorgeous girl could even cook, but boy, she could – all the trimmings, fresh cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes, vegetables and all. I could hardly believe it. There she was, the best dancer I had ever seen, gracefully whirling around a tiny kitchen, whipping up a dinner as good as any I had ever eaten, and all for me. Never had a Thanksgiving meal been made exclusively for me and me alone, and with such love. It was an experience I couldn’t walk away from. And I never did. I guess Emily decided if I was going to keep hanging around, she might as well marry me. Which she did.
John Cullum

Thought this might please you, Em. Your loving hubby.

EM EMAIL to John
holy minorka catfish what a loving darling hug thrill tickle delight this gives me. Very truly yours, your wife

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

O.J. REMEMBERED

What's forgotten is not forgotten.


Oh, that face, blank eyes, that embarrassed, face-aching smile.

I'm picturing:   
Johnnie Cochran -- confident, smooth -- oh, I respected him, but disliked him -- seriously disliked him when he played what commentators called the "race card." And Johnnie Cochran's race card is now, part of our culture, used again and again.

The fashionably dressed Marcia Clark -- she made her appearance every day in a different outfit, distracting us. Why oh why was she was in charge of the prosecution? I didn't feel she was strong or tough, or sufficiently experienced. I can't help blaming her for that "not guilty" verdict.

Kato -- we sneered at him as a sponger who was hoping his friendship with O.J. would pay off. Yes indeed -- it did pay off -- Kato Kaelin became a name and has had a career, sort of, based on what he is.

I liked Mark Fuhrman. The evidence he dug up and presented was so important -- what an awful time he had because he said he never used that no-no-word. Convicted of perjury, the validity of his findings was diminished -- the evidence was dismissed, because he'd used the no-no-word. Was that the beginning of the woeful things that happen to anyone who says nigger?

What happened to Alan Dershowiz, Barry Scheck, Robert Shapiro, the Goldman family? Is Judge Ito still a judge? What's Denise Brown doing now, and O.J.'s pal, lawyer Kardashian,  whose family has ballooned into celebrities that plague us every day  with their nonsense?

O.J. -- all those scenes, the players, those faces expressing their attitudes -- when was it-- almost 20 years ago, and yet it's still so vivid in my mind.

Seeing that monster today in his prison uniform, that fat-face, that face-aching grin -- he's not the hero, not the self-loving, utterly confident guy he used to be. He's National Enquirer news -- caught stealing cookies as he left the prison cafeteria -- a prison guard digging into his shirt -- prison guard throwing O.J.'s stolen oatmeal cookies on the prison floor.

I'm celebrating -- wowy, yay, hurray -- a slob's greed displayed to the world --  the disgraced foolish, self-centered murdering monster O.J. -- yay -- stuck in prison for at least another four more years.

I still see and am still morally disgusted at how O.J. looked as he heard "not guilty." And the other players in the Trial of teh Century, -- where are they, what happened to them? I looked it up -- it's fascinating to note how much tragedy has befallen the "dream team."

The Enquirer said it cost over $20 million to fight and   defend him; there were 50,000 pages of trial transcript, 150 witnesses  involved in getting that not guilty verdict. I find myself thinking for a  second about Casey  Anthony, and what's her name  who testified for 18  days ... her name?  Jodie Arias. Will we ever forget O.J's name?

If you're curious to see what happened to some of them, how they look now, and what they're doing now -- here's ABCs report. 

No -- we who watched the Trial of the Century will never forget O.J. Simpson.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

(VIDEO) JOHN CULLUM ON MOSS HART


Em and John recall a cocktail party they attended at Moss Hart's penthouse apartment.

John recalls how Moss Hart supported and helped his career, artistically as well as financially.