By An Old Friend
saturday, march 29, 2025 at 07:53:37 p.m. edt
Fun shopping for clothes while black
Slight misbehavior, obviously driven by starvation.
https://x.com/RadioGenoa/status/1905845497245421952
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Arturo Ui on Broadway in 1963
by: A Longtime Reader
to: add1dda@aol.com <add1dda@aol.com>
sent: saturday, march 29, 2025 at 07:13:36 p.m. edt
Arturo Ui on broadway in 1963
Dear Mr. Stix,
Since you were reminiscing about your early theater-going experiences, here's mine:
to: add1dda@aol.com <add1dda@aol.com>
sent: saturday, march 29, 2025 at 07:13:36 p.m. edt
Arturo Ui on broadway in 1963
Dear Mr. Stix,
Since you were reminiscing about your early theater-going experiences, here's mine:
A couple of my high school teachers were big fans of Bertolt Brecht. (One of them even gave me a book of his essays, "Brecht on Theatre," as a graduation prize.) Accordingly I eagerly attended a preview matinee with my mom of the Broadway production of his play, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, in November 1963. The show's opening was much balleyhooed at the time, being its first U.S. production. Brecht had written it back in 1941 while he was in Finland* awaiting his departure for the United States after having bounced around various European cities since leaving Germany in 1933. Arturo Ui was a thinly-veiled allegory (very thinly veiled) about the rise of Hitler, set in gangland Chicago of the 1930s. Brecht envisioned an American audience for it--which never happened until 1963 and later.
I didn't realize at the time how important the people involved in the show were, or would soon be: David Merrick, the producer; Tony Richardson, the director (this around the time that Tom Jones was being released to movie theaters); Jule Styne the composer of incidental music; and handsome Christopher Plummer, age 33, as the lead (with Elisha Cook in a secondary role). Plummer was to star with Julie Andrew in The Sound of Music two years later in 1965.
As it turned out, the show bombed at the box-office, lasting only four days after its official premiere. I always enjoyed going to the theater in New York, whatever the quality of the play, but I don't remember much about this production except for one electrifying moment at the end when Plummer/Ui stands up and, remaining rigid, gives a Nazi salute to signify that Arturo Ui's moment has come. That was magical. I had no doubt that Plummer was headed for bigger things and that I would want to see them.
*If I were David Cole, I'd be making a bad joke about Brecht going "from the Finland Station" (with apologies to Edmund Wilson).
intruder shot, killed after kicking in door, charging occupant with a knife
Sent: Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 06:28:08 PM EDT
Subject: Intruder shot, killed after kicking in door, charging occupant with a knife
| | Intruder shot, killed after kicking in door, charging occupant with a knife www.youtube.com |
| | www.youtube.com |
black supremacist, nys criminal general Letitia James contrived a me-too hax, in order to run gov. Andrew Killer Cuomo out of office; now “Cuomo claims longtime foe ny aq Tish James 'leaked' testimony on alleged 'relationship' with his top aide to boost mayoral candidate”
By N.S.
“Cuomo claims longtime foe ny aq Tish James 'leaked' testimony on alleged 'relationship' with his top aide to boost mayoral candidate”
“former gov. Andrew Cuomo is blaming longtime foe attorney general Tish James after The Post revealed sworn testimony that he was having an “emotional romantic relationship' with his then-married top...”
https://nypost.com/2025/03/28/us-news/cuomo-claims-longtime-foe-ny-ag-tish-james-leaked-testimony-on-alleged-relationship-with-his-top-aide-to-boost-mayoral-candidate/
“Cuomo claims longtime foe ny aq Tish James 'leaked' testimony on alleged 'relationship' with his top aide to boost mayoral candidate”
“former gov. Andrew Cuomo is blaming longtime foe attorney general Tish James after The Post revealed sworn testimony that he was having an “emotional romantic relationship' with his then-married top...”
https://nypost.com/2025/03/28/us-news/cuomo-claims-longtime-foe-ny-ag-tish-james-leaked-testimony-on-alleged-relationship-with-his-top-aide-to-boost-mayoral-candidate/
Friday, March 28, 2025
Unable to satisfy nazis, or racial socialists, or reconquistas, or feminazis, interim Columbia president resigns
By N.S.
"Columbia university interim president Katrina Armstrong to resign, just days after caving to Trump admin demands"
"Katrina Armstrong's troubled tenure included managing the fall out from the anti-Israel protests on campus."
https://nypost.com/2025/03/28/us-news/columbia-university-interim-president-katrina-armstrong-to-resign
"Columbia university interim president Katrina Armstrong to resign, just days after caving to Trump admin demands"
"Katrina Armstrong's troubled tenure included managing the fall out from the anti-Israel protests on campus."
https://nypost.com/2025/03/28/us-news/columbia-university-interim-president-katrina-armstrong-to-resign
Even a one-legged sheboon cannot restrain herself from doing the gorilla in heat hump-hump dance.
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2025 at 10:03:50 PM EDT
Subject: Even a one-legged sheboon cannot restrain herself from doing the gorilla in heat hump-hump dance.
Don't read this: air traffic controllers in bloody physical fight in Reagan national control tower after deadliest plane crash in 15 years
friday, march 28, 2025 at 10:13:03 p.m. edt
air traffic controllers in bloody physical fight in Reagan national control tower after deadliest plane crash in 15 years
Air traffic controllers in bloody physical fight in Reagan National control tower after deadliest plane crash in 15 years
Two air traffic controllers traded punches when a shocking fight erupted inside the tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14548725/Air-traffic-controllers-fight-Reagan-National-Airport-control-tower.html?ito=email_share_article-top
Two air traffic controllers traded punches when a shocking fight erupted inside the tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14548725/Air-traffic-controllers-fight-Reagan-National-Airport-control-tower.html?ito=email_share_article-top
| | dca is the smallest of three major airports serving the Washington, D.C. area, averaging 819 daily takeoffs and landings on its relatively short main runway. www.wusa9.com |
“loco” romo kills two mex in chicago attack spree; stabs a woman later on at a bar
By Grand Rapids Anonymous
friday, march 28, 2025 at 10:10:00 p.m. edt
“loco” romo kills two mex in chicago attack spree; stabs a woman later on at a bar
“(wgn) chicago — a chicago man has been charged with killing two people — one of them his own brother, according to family — and injuring [sic] another person in Gage park on the city’s southwest side over the weekend.
“Robert Romo, 57, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, chicago police announced early wednesday morning, along with three other felony counts: one of attempted first-degree murder, one of aggravated battery/use of a deadly weapon and one of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.
“Romo was scheduled in court for a detention hearing wednesday morning, but according to the Cook county state’s attorney’s office, he was in the hospital and unable to appear. the detention hearing has been moved to monday, as of now.
police say the two attacks, which they believe are connected, both unfolded around 10 p.m. sunday in the 5300 block of south Kedzie avenue.
[Wait, you mean to tell me the cops believe that two separate attacks by the same man, could be connected?!]
“double homicide
“officers were initially called to the scene following a report that someone had been shot in the area. When they arrived, just before 10 p.m. sunday, they found an open door toward the back of an apartment building in the block.
“after officers announced their presence and entered the building, they found two victims dead inside. they were later identified by authorities as 63-year-old Richard Romo and 64-year-old Rita Chavez.
“police say Richard Romo was shot in the head and Chavez had suffered ‘multiple injuries’ to her body. a police source later confirmed to wgn-tv that Chavez had been stabbed several times, and a relative identifying as a cousin of Romo told wgn that Chavez was Richard Romo’s girlfriend.
2 killed, 1 injured [sic] in two attacks in same Gage park block; police believe incidents are connected
“the family also told wgn that Robert and Richard Romo were brothers. “second incident
“the second incident, which police now believe is connected to the double homicide, unfolded a short time later, just after 10 p.m. sunday at just one more sports bar. that business is located next door to the apartment building where the double homicide unfolded.
“police say during that incident, a 57-year-old man armed with a pistol and a knife approached another man outside the bar and followed him inside the establishment. once inside, officers said the suspect — with gun still in hand — walked to the back of the bar, where he then allegedly attacked a 44-year-old woman with a knife.
“the woman suffered multiple lacerations to her body and was later transported an area hospital, where she was listed in good condition.
“following the alleged attack, police say the 57-year-old man — now identified as Robert Romo — was taken into custody, and a gun was discovered at the scene.
“the family member who spoke with wgn said he believed his cousin Richard Romo’s brother went ‘mad’ [he probably said “loco” to the interpreter] and visited the bar shortly after visiting the apartment, but police have not provided any details on what led up to the incidents.”
GRA: Calling Tom Homan. This area is full of potential deportees.
--GRA
friday, march 28, 2025 at 10:10:00 p.m. edt
“loco” romo kills two mex in chicago attack spree; stabs a woman later on at a bar
“(wgn) chicago — a chicago man has been charged with killing two people — one of them his own brother, according to family — and injuring [sic] another person in Gage park on the city’s southwest side over the weekend.
“Robert Romo, 57, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, chicago police announced early wednesday morning, along with three other felony counts: one of attempted first-degree murder, one of aggravated battery/use of a deadly weapon and one of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.
“Romo was scheduled in court for a detention hearing wednesday morning, but according to the Cook county state’s attorney’s office, he was in the hospital and unable to appear. the detention hearing has been moved to monday, as of now.
police say the two attacks, which they believe are connected, both unfolded around 10 p.m. sunday in the 5300 block of south Kedzie avenue.
[Wait, you mean to tell me the cops believe that two separate attacks by the same man, could be connected?!]
“double homicide
“officers were initially called to the scene following a report that someone had been shot in the area. When they arrived, just before 10 p.m. sunday, they found an open door toward the back of an apartment building in the block.
“after officers announced their presence and entered the building, they found two victims dead inside. they were later identified by authorities as 63-year-old Richard Romo and 64-year-old Rita Chavez.
“police say Richard Romo was shot in the head and Chavez had suffered ‘multiple injuries’ to her body. a police source later confirmed to wgn-tv that Chavez had been stabbed several times, and a relative identifying as a cousin of Romo told wgn that Chavez was Richard Romo’s girlfriend.
2 killed, 1 injured [sic] in two attacks in same Gage park block; police believe incidents are connected
“the family also told wgn that Robert and Richard Romo were brothers. “second incident
“the second incident, which police now believe is connected to the double homicide, unfolded a short time later, just after 10 p.m. sunday at just one more sports bar. that business is located next door to the apartment building where the double homicide unfolded.
“police say during that incident, a 57-year-old man armed with a pistol and a knife approached another man outside the bar and followed him inside the establishment. once inside, officers said the suspect — with gun still in hand — walked to the back of the bar, where he then allegedly attacked a 44-year-old woman with a knife.
“the woman suffered multiple lacerations to her body and was later transported an area hospital, where she was listed in good condition.
“following the alleged attack, police say the 57-year-old man — now identified as Robert Romo — was taken into custody, and a gun was discovered at the scene.
“the family member who spoke with wgn said he believed his cousin Richard Romo’s brother went ‘mad’ [he probably said “loco” to the interpreter] and visited the bar shortly after visiting the apartment, but police have not provided any details on what led up to the incidents.”
GRA: Calling Tom Homan. This area is full of potential deportees.
--GRA
He’s learned nothing—Trump goes to supreme court for relief from commie judge Boasberg
By Grand Rapids Anonymous
friday, march 28, 2025 at 11:59:00 a.m. edt
Trump goes to supreme court for relief from commie judge Boasberg
“(zh) the Trump administration on friday asked the supreme court to step in and allow the deportation of venezuelan migrants to el salvador while a legal battle plays out in lower courts.
“alleged tren de aragua gang members are processed at the terrorism confinement center (cecot) in el salvador
the move comes two days after an appeals court upheld a temporary block on the Trump administration’s ability to deport illegal migrants under the alien enemies act.
“in their request, the doj argued that federal courts should not be allowed to interfere with diplomatic matters, the associated press reports.
“‘the constitution supplies a clear answer: the President,’ acting solicitor general Sarah Harris wrote in the request. ‘the republic cannot afford a different choice.
“earlier this month U.S. district judge James Boasberg paused the flights by ruling that alleged members of the venezuelan gang tren de aragua deserve a hearing to deny they belong to the gang. Boasberg also demanded details on two flights on march 15 to determine whether the administration defied his oral and written orders to block them.
“the Trump administration also asked the supreme court to overturn Boasberg’s order pausing flights, and to put that order on hold while they consider that request.
“those orders – which are likely to extend additional weeks – now jeopardize sensitive diplomatic negotiations and delicate national-security operations, which were designed to extirpate tda’s presence in our country before it gains a greater foothold,’ wrote Harris.
“the supreme court has asked lawyers for some of the deported venezuelans to respond by 10 a.m. tuesday to the Trump admin request.
“the doj has argued that Trump had the authority to declare tda a foreign terrorist organization and deport them without hearings.”
GRA: If SCOTUS doesn’t rule in favor of Trump on THIS one, they won’t go with him on any of them.
--GRA
friday, march 28, 2025 at 11:59:00 a.m. edt
Trump goes to supreme court for relief from commie judge Boasberg
“(zh) the Trump administration on friday asked the supreme court to step in and allow the deportation of venezuelan migrants to el salvador while a legal battle plays out in lower courts.
“alleged tren de aragua gang members are processed at the terrorism confinement center (cecot) in el salvador
the move comes two days after an appeals court upheld a temporary block on the Trump administration’s ability to deport illegal migrants under the alien enemies act.
“in their request, the doj argued that federal courts should not be allowed to interfere with diplomatic matters, the associated press reports.
“‘the constitution supplies a clear answer: the President,’ acting solicitor general Sarah Harris wrote in the request. ‘the republic cannot afford a different choice.
“earlier this month U.S. district judge James Boasberg paused the flights by ruling that alleged members of the venezuelan gang tren de aragua deserve a hearing to deny they belong to the gang. Boasberg also demanded details on two flights on march 15 to determine whether the administration defied his oral and written orders to block them.
“the Trump administration also asked the supreme court to overturn Boasberg’s order pausing flights, and to put that order on hold while they consider that request.
“those orders – which are likely to extend additional weeks – now jeopardize sensitive diplomatic negotiations and delicate national-security operations, which were designed to extirpate tda’s presence in our country before it gains a greater foothold,’ wrote Harris.
“the supreme court has asked lawyers for some of the deported venezuelans to respond by 10 a.m. tuesday to the Trump admin request.
“the doj has argued that Trump had the authority to declare tda a foreign terrorist organization and deport them without hearings.”
GRA: If SCOTUS doesn’t rule in favor of Trump on THIS one, they won’t go with him on any of them.
--GRA
Amidst all the media uproar, according to Bill O’Reilly, only 30,000 mex have been deported since President Trump took office
By Grand Rapids Anonymous
friday, march 28, 2025 at 9:42:00 p.m. edt
Amidst all the media uproar, according to Bill O’Reilly, 30,000 mex have been deported since President Trump took office
GRA: His opening stat tonight. Border crossings are down 94%, both of which, “are huge successes for Trump.”
THIRTY THOUSAND—THAT’S ALL? After 30 million (at least) have been pouring in, the last 15-20 years, this is the first number we see?
“Mass deportations” is defined as 30,000.
Okay, got it.
--GRA
N.S.: Then it's just been for show. Without actual mass deportations, say, 400,000 per month, plus an equal number of self-deportations, there will be no substantial reduction in the numbers of foreign criminals on American soil.
friday, march 28, 2025 at 9:42:00 p.m. edt
Amidst all the media uproar, according to Bill O’Reilly, 30,000 mex have been deported since President Trump took office
GRA: His opening stat tonight. Border crossings are down 94%, both of which, “are huge successes for Trump.”
THIRTY THOUSAND—THAT’S ALL? After 30 million (at least) have been pouring in, the last 15-20 years, this is the first number we see?
“Mass deportations” is defined as 30,000.
Okay, got it.
--GRA
N.S.: Then it's just been for show. Without actual mass deportations, say, 400,000 per month, plus an equal number of self-deportations, there will be no substantial reduction in the numbers of foreign criminals on American soil.
TCM’s Film Noir of the Week Saturday Night-Sunday Morning at 12:15 and 10 a.m. ET is Don Siegel’s Count the Hours (1953), with MacDonald Carey, Teresa Wright, and John Craven
By David in TN
friday, march 28, 2025 at 5:11:00 p.m. edt
TCM’s Film Noir of the Week Saturday Night-Sunday Morning at 12:15 and 10 a.m. ET is Don Siegel’s Count the Hours (1953), with MacDonald Carey, Teresa Wright, and John Craven.
A lawyer (Carey) tries to save an innocent farm worker’s (Craven) life who is to be executed. Teresa Wright plays Craven’s wife.
David in TN: Not listed in any noir anthology. It is said to be one of Siegel’s lesser efforts. I’ve never seen it.
N.S.: I’ve never even heard of it.
friday, march 28, 2025 at 5:11:00 p.m. edt
TCM’s Film Noir of the Week Saturday Night-Sunday Morning at 12:15 and 10 a.m. ET is Don Siegel’s Count the Hours (1953), with MacDonald Carey, Teresa Wright, and John Craven.
A lawyer (Carey) tries to save an innocent farm worker’s (Craven) life who is to be executed. Teresa Wright plays Craven’s wife.
David in TN: Not listed in any noir anthology. It is said to be one of Siegel’s lesser efforts. I’ve never seen it.
N.S.: I’ve never even heard of it.
The road to mandalay is paved with rubble and corpses: 7.7 quake hits burma, killing potentially thousands
By N.S.
https://www.wnd.com/2025/03/7-7-quake-turns-myanmar-into-landscape-of-rubble/
https://www.wnd.com/2025/03/7-7-quake-turns-myanmar-into-landscape-of-rubble/
Folks can no longer afford to drown their sorrows: bar Louie has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy — the second time in five years
By A Texas Reader
friday, march 28, 2025 at 07:12:09 p.m. edt
"bar Louie has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy — the second time in five years. the dallas-based pub chain made the filing wednesday, after closing several locations across the ohio, michigan and new jersey [?] in recent days.
[The daily mail editing department must also have filed for chapter 11!]
"popular restaurant and bar chain files for bankruptcy and sparks fears of more closures
"a small and shrinking restaurant chain has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in five years."
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/yourmoney/article-14543611/restaurant-bar-chain-chapter-11-bankruptcy.html
Folks can no longer afford to drown their sorrows.
friday, march 28, 2025 at 07:12:09 p.m. edt
"bar Louie has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy — the second time in five years. the dallas-based pub chain made the filing wednesday, after closing several locations across the ohio, michigan and new jersey [?] in recent days.
[The daily mail editing department must also have filed for chapter 11!]
"popular restaurant and bar chain files for bankruptcy and sparks fears of more closures
"a small and shrinking restaurant chain has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in five years."
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/yourmoney/article-14543611/restaurant-bar-chain-chapter-11-bankruptcy.html
Folks can no longer afford to drown their sorrows.
Alien invading army marches into the uk, while observers stand by helplessly; looks like a horde of ants
By Jerry PDX
friday, march 28, 2025 at 5:43:00 p.m. edt
Alien invading army marches into the uk while observers stand by helplessly. Looks like a horde of ants:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/w98y3eyPmMA
According to the headline, this is Blackburn, uk. Since the uk doesn’t have a land border with the continent, I’m assuming these are boat invaders who likely banded together after landing, in order to form a stronger group that could force its way through the countryside. Either that, or they are coming from a processing center, perhaps being moved to another processing point, eventually to be dispersed throughout the country. Note the islamic dress and that you can tell it’s all men, even from a distance. Conflict refugee fraudsters, every single one of them, guaranteed.
friday, march 28, 2025 at 5:43:00 p.m. edt
Alien invading army marches into the uk while observers stand by helplessly. Looks like a horde of ants:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/w98y3eyPmMA
According to the headline, this is Blackburn, uk. Since the uk doesn’t have a land border with the continent, I’m assuming these are boat invaders who likely banded together after landing, in order to form a stronger group that could force its way through the countryside. Either that, or they are coming from a processing center, perhaps being moved to another processing point, eventually to be dispersed throughout the country. Note the islamic dress and that you can tell it’s all men, even from a distance. Conflict refugee fraudsters, every single one of them, guaranteed.
Stop the presses! on the (witches’) view, somebody said something reasonable!
[“exclusive: the greenland residents backing Trump”]
By Grand Rapids Anonymous
friday, march 28, 2025 at 2:35:00 p.m. edt
I hate to admit it, but Farrah Griffin, on the (witches’) view, made a fairly good comment, talking about Trump wanting canada as a 51st state.
“‘they are much more liberal in canada than most of our population, so if you added their voters to OURS, there’d never be a republican elected again.”
GRA: But Trump wants their revenue and the rest—worry about later. Maybe he wouldn’t count Canada’s votes for 20 years [chuckle].
--GRA
The curious death of a black actor
https://www.nydailynews.com/2015/08/30/les-miserables-cast-member-kyle-jean-baptiste-dies-at-21-after-fall-from-fire-escape/
By A Longtime Reader
to: add1dda@aol.com <add1dda@aol.com>
sent: tuesday, march 25, 2025 at 11:07:08 a.m. edt
The curious death of a black actor
Dozing to the television, I woke up to discover that it was showing the 2018-19 bbc miniseries of the French classic Les Misérables. I knew immediately that it was a fairly recent adaptation since Inspector Javert, among several other cast members, was played by a black actor. Not my cup of tea, this negrification of historical dramas: I certainly didn't care to see Anne Boleyn portrayed by a black woman, as JodieTurner-Smith did in 2021.
Anyway, to find out more about the cast I searched online for "black actor" and Les Misérables and instead came up with Kyle Jean-Baptiste, who played Valjean for a month between July 23 and August 27, 2015 during the second year of the Broadway revival of the musical version. K J-B was temporarily replacing the iranian-born Ramin Karimloo, who had gone on vacation.
It turns out that Jean-Baptiste rates a wikipedia entry for dying at age twenty-one from falling off a fourth-floor fire escape in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn the day after his final performance as Valjean. wikipedia notes delicately that he fell "at the residence that his family were temporarily relocated to after a fire at their primary residence. he went out to view a full moon with a friend, and at around 4 a.m. . . lost his balance on his way back into his room."
Whoever thought that viewing a full moon from your home could be so hazardous? The New York Daily News adds that K J-B occupied the fourth-floor apartment immediately above the one with his parents, and that he had been "hanging out with a woman on the fire escape outside his apartment at 303 Greene Ave. when he lost his balance and fell to his death." The newspaper helpfully includes a photo of the fire escape in question, which looks ordinary and in no way dangerous.
https://www.nydailynews.com/2015/08/30/les-miserables-cast-member-kyle-jean-baptiste-dies-at-21-after-fall-from-fire-escape/How exactly could this have happened? What had KJ-B been trying to do on the railing? For that matter, what caused that fire at his previous home?
One last note: Jean Valjean during most of the story is a middle-aged man, not a youth. Yet the producers chose a twenty-one-year-old as understudy for the role. It seems that race trumps age, along with everything else, in casting.
N.S.: In case ALR wasn't blunt enough, the official story on Kyle Jean-Baptiste (I had to go back in ALR's story to find the name, which I'd never heard before) cannot possibly be true. If he had lost his footing while seeking to re-enter his room, he would have fallen back onto the latticed fire escape floor. In complete contradiction to the official story, he could only have fallen to his death if he was sitting on the fire escape's outer railing--extremely reckless behavior--and leaned back (probably under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol), or someone pushed him over. If there's a third possibility, I don't know it.
As for the fire in his previous apartment--and that of his parents, since the two parties seemed to be a package deal--that had to be either arson or extreme negligence (e.g., someone who, while under the influence fell asleep).
In the matter of the loss to the artistic world, there was none. If you are an audience member during a production with affirmative action casting, either you are there for the purpose of virtue-signaling, in which case you split your consciousness between completely ignoring the bizarre casting and patting yourself on the back and glowing with your moral superiority for appreciating said casting (because you don't care at all about the aesthetics), or your enjoyment of the production is ruined by the perverted casting.
Thirty-odd years ago, when new york magazine theater critic John Simon criticized the communist founder and boss of new york's public theater Joseph Papp (I used to refer to him as Joe Smear of the Pubic Theater) for his completely improper, affirmative action (under the euphemism, "non-traditional," which, of course, only went one way) theatrical casting, Papp's response was to demand that new york magazine fire Simon. Imagine that!
Even when Papp didn't put black actors in White roles, he engaged in incompetent casting. The only production of Papp's that I saw live on the stage was one of Hamlet, in 1986, starring Kevin Kline. The supporting players were wonderful, but Kline was terrible. Mel Gibson was much better, in his movie Hamlet. Earlier, circa 1972, Nana and I had watched a videotaped version of Papp's Shakespeare in the Park production of King Lear, starring James Earl Jones, on Channel 13 (PBS). I still remember all the bodies running around on the screen, around James Earl. I recall nothing but long shots.
Aside from the ridiculousness of casting a black man to play Lear, I later realized a lesson from that botched production that I've carried to today: a filmed play must shun long shots. There is an intense immediacy to watching a play live in the theater. One of the ways (the only way?) to come close to giving the TV viewer such immediacy is through intense close-ups of the protagonist, assuming one has a protagonist who can dominate the stage.
I saw an episode of a filmed, dramatic TV series that did that. The show was an early-to-mid-1970s Western, The High Chapparal. The episode was entitled, "No Irish Need Apply," and the guest star was the great John Vernon, the secret star of Animal House (1978). Vernon played Sean McLaren, the leader of striking Irish coal miners. The director framed Vernon in such intense close-ups, and the dialogue was so strong, that it was like sitting in a seat in the orchestra section!
Someone used to post "No Irish Need Apply" at youtube every few years, I would re-post it here, and then the kk would come along and terminate the guy "with extreme prejudice."
Kurt Schlichter on chief justice John Roberts, supreme mope
By An Old Friend
sent: monday, march 24, 2025 at 01:42:19 a.m. edt
Kurt Schlichter on chief justice John Roberts, supreme mope
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2025/03/24/the-agony-of-john-roberts-n2654296
sent: monday, march 24, 2025 at 01:42:19 a.m. edt
Kurt Schlichter on chief justice John Roberts, supreme mope
A terrific column ...
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2025/03/24/the-agony-of-john-roberts-n2654296
"The Agony of John Roberts"
Kurt Schlichter | mar 24, 2025
Pity poor John Roberts. No, he's not corrupt or compromised. He is simply a man who has found himself at a pivotal time and place in a position of great responsibility for which he is utterly unsuited. He's not a dumb man. He is, in fact, a very smart man – Hugh Hewitt knew him personally in the Reagan administration and testifies to that. I have no doubt it's true. I know many smart people who have similar flaws. As objectively intelligent as John Roberts is, he is unwise, and he is endangering the institution he wants to preserve because he does not understand human nature or the times he finds himself in.
"frankly, I'll take wisdom over raw intellect any day of the week.
"if he had the capacity to lead that he so manifestly lacks, John Roberts could save his institution with decisive and bold action. But that's not who he is. Understand what John Roberts wants. He is an institutionalist who has always wanted to protect the judiciary branch. He wants it to be a fully co-equal branch that is respected by all. But the very actions he has chosen to take – or not to take – in response to the current crisis of out-of-control subordinate courts are guaranteeing that it will fall.
Article III of our Constitution provides for the judicial branch, but it does not expressly provide the judiciary with any powers other than those it earns in the eyes of the other two branches. It cannot self-enforce its decrees. Article I creates the Congress, and the legislative branch has both the power of the purse and the power to impeach to check the judiciary. Article II establishes the presidency, but the Constitution does not specify its checks and balances over the court. That power is implied, and the implied power is for the executive – who runs the machinery of the federal government, including the cogs and gears that carry guns – to simply say "No" to an out-of-control judiciary. This implied power of defiance is as much a check and balance as any enumerated one, and without it, you would have an unchecked judiciary with hundreds of district court judges presuming to micromanage the legitimate actions of the executive branch.
You know, kind of like what's happening now.
Judge Roberts's problem is that he wants to return to something like regular order in the judiciary. What we have is highly irregular order. You non-lawyers need to understand that all these temporary restraining orders and injunctions and so forth are insane. This is not how law is done, either procedurally or substantively. I did litigation for 30 years, including in federal courts (up to arguing in front of the Ninth Circuit), and never saw anything remotely like these antics. So, realize that this is abnormal.
Abnormal times call for abnormal responses, but that's not how John Roberts or his ilk work. Remember, he's a Bushie, the kind of soft Republican who sees his job less as fixing our broken government than managing its gentlemanly decline. We've largely booted them out of elective office, but Roberts has his seat for life. His advocation is protecting his institution. He wants the judiciary to be held in respect and obeyed, but he doesn't want to do the hard, stern work of disciplining his underlings that makes that possible.
John Roberts wants the normal appellate procedures to apply. He's hoping that if he shuts his eyes and pretends that everything is normal, he'll open them and it will all be normal again. This was the main takeaway from his unbelievably tone-deaf response to Trump's, Musk's, and others' frustration-driven talk about impeachment. Now, Roberts was right in theory about what he said, but what we're facing is not theory but practice. Put aside the practical reality that we're not going to be able to impeach anybody, and don't fall for the Internet amateur ambulance chasers who think there's one neat trick where we can somehow get rid of judges by a majority vote because of "bad behavior." That is a reason to get rid of them, not a means. The means is impeachment, and that takes 67 senators. That's never going to happen so we should stop talking about it. They would wear a failed impeachment like Tim Walz would have worn his war medals if he had shown up to earn any. Haven't we learned not to engage in failure theater?
In normal times, the response to a judge over one dumb decision is the appellate process. But these are not normal times. These are not one dumb decision. These are dozens of dumb decisions. And the answer here is not the appellate process because the appellate process is long, drawn out, and deliberate. The goal of this campaign is to use that delay to effectively strip Donald Trump of the ability to govern. To that end, they have sought to wrap him up in a web of orders and injunctions that will prevent him from doing the things he was elected to do. If it was one case or ten cases, you could wait months and months for the appellate process to grind through. Eventually, Trump administration will win most of these cases through the appellate process because they're procedurally and substantively ridiculous. But the purpose of these judicial antics is not to fulfill the letter of the law, but to create friction that improperly prevents political actions that the executive has the right to take. In other words, Donald Trump may live in the White House, but he can't actually be President, thereby disenfranchising the people who elected him.
So, we have a system that is not being used normally and that is not being used for a normal purpose. But Chief Justice Roberts, in his lack of wisdom, refuses to see that abnormal actions sometimes require abnormal responses. As I have said before, he will never be able to normal the abnormal back to normality.
He thinks he can force normality back onto the judiciary by simply pretending the abnormality doesn't exist and that everything is hunky-dory. He can't. He must force normality back on the judiciary by addressing the abnormality directly. That means he has to take abnormal actions in response. Procedurally, he needs to lead the charge to stop the imposition and use of these bizarre nationwide orders and injunctions by giving the circuit courts of appeal clear guidance to end this nonsense. Substantively, he needs to direct the circuit courts to issue stays on district court orders that far exceed the scope of the judiciary's proper powers. And if the circuit courts of appeal refuse to do that, then the Supreme Court needs to issue the orders to enforce its will, even if that means issuing dozens and dozens of orders. The Supreme Court only takes 50 or so cases a year. With over 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration as part of this lawfare campaign, that workload no longer works.
What John Roberts is risking by refusing to put an end to these abuses is the Trump administration putting an end to these abuses by exercising its implied power under the Constitution to check an out-of-control judiciary. If an order issues and no one enforces it, is it really an order?
John Roberts is running out of friends. The leftists hate him. They'll tolerate him as long as he's useful, but he's not going to find any political support on the Democrat side when they come back into power. He's got a little in the tank left on the right, but if he keeps this up, he's going to be running on empty. Roberts still thinks that he can dip his toe into politics to protect his institution (see, e.g., his ridiculous, political Obamacare opinion), but he hasn't thought through how he can do that without any friends to back him up when the executive pushes back.
At some point, unless Robert puts a stop to this misconduct, Trump will simply refuse to obey. And when he does, he will ensure it is over some utterly outrageous order where he is acting both at the height of his Article II powers (like on some issue that involves command of the military or protecting America from foreign terrorists and gangsters) and at the height of his political power (like on some issue where he's on the 80% side of an 80/20 split). He will resist from strength, while the judiciary fulminates impotently from weakness.
Lots of people are asking why Trump is not defying the courts now. It's because he doesn't have to. The Department of Justice under Pam Bondi is doing an incredible job of litigating these cases – I've read a lot of briefs over the years, and the DOJ lawyers are writing terrific ones. The Administration is passively aggressively obeying these orders, being very picayune and literal in its interpretation of them, but it is not outright defying them. Nor should it. Outright defiance of a court order is another 80/20 issue, but 80% of normals right now believe the President should obey court orders. That will change if this keeps up and as Trump highlights the abuses, but right now, America is not politically ready for that fight, and Trump doesn't need to pull the trigger yet.
Yet.
But John Roberts better understands that if it comes to obeying the courts or neutering the executive branch and defying the will of the people, as expressed in the last election, the courts are going to lose. They don't have any cops. They don't have any Army divisions. All they have is their respect, and John Roberts's underlings are busy squandering it.
Sadly, so far, John Roberts has shown no indication that he is wise enough to put a stop to this runaway train of out-of-control judicial election interference. He believes he's acting to protect the judicial branch. He is not. His George Costanza-like gut instinct is always wrong. He would be better off interrogating his gut and then doing precisely the opposite.
A decision point is coming. Decisive action by the Chief Justice could save the judicial branch by restoring the judicial modesty that preserves the respect of the other branches. If only we could be confident that John Roberts was wise enough to do it.
