Random Thoughts: June 2013

There is a grudging respect you must have for Edward Snowden. At thirty, he has become the most wanted man in the world by the most powerful country in the world. He gleefully thumbed his nose at the authorities in this country and is now giving us the finger from his current foreign--- and very much anti-American--- location. Some call him a hero, some a traitor. I fall into the latter group. Snowden, a brash, young government worker,  who has worked at various times with the CIA as a technical contractor, and, the National Security Agency [ NSA] as a contractor, has spilled some serious beans about how our government is very much monitoring our every move by invading our privacy. He claims that mass-surveillance of our e-mails, regular mail, and phone conversations is standard operating procedure in governemnt circles. He reasoning: '' To inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them.'' U.S. fedreal prosecutors, who do not share his way of thinking, have charged him with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information, and willful communication of classified intelligence. In short, he is charged with espionage. As I have said , Snowden has his supporters, basically, the people who hate the government and all that it does. That is not to say that, at times, they have valid points. The government is, and always has been, prying into our private lives, while mainting it is for our ''national security and best interests.'' I will grant the point that the government does protect, many times without our ever knowing the facts, with safety for its citizens. Some things I believe are best not known. However much we have the right to know doesn't mean that we should know. Edward Snowden believes otherwise. He believes--- and he expects us to be shocked by these revelations of chicanery and invasions of privacy--- that the government must expose everything, that the people have a right to know. He also has a point there. It is our government, we elect them, we invest our futures with these people, so, we have a right to know everything. But, I come back to the point of if we should know everything. Many disclosures of our secrets have been made throughout the years. This informs the public, but, also puts us at serious risk to our safety. There have been disclosures of sensitive materials that have cost of the lives of agents working in the field. Some were spies, some working innocently at a location that was soon targeted by our enemies. You can have serious debates about the laying out of the information for all to see, but, when it kills people, the discussion flies to another level. That is when you have to be very careful on what you disclose. The ''leaker'' may have the most honorable intentions in his or her own heart. But, honorable intentions do not flow in every human's heart. It should be interesting to see how this all plays out...... The recent passing of actor James Gandolfini still absorbs my thinking. I loved his acting. His Tony Soprano in ''The Sopranos'' remains the template of the future of television acting. No finer performance has graced the small- screen than his [ and, only a dozen or so on the big-screen]. In watching his eulogy across the coverage on TV and the Internet, inevitably, the media would come back to the final scene in the final episode of ''The Sopranos''. The famous scene where it is an open question of whether Tony lived or died. That show, which was broadcast in June, 2007, immediately was cause for conversations and arguments all over the world as everyone had an opinion on his fate. To recap, Tony, his wife Carmela, and his son, AJ, are sitting in a diner awaiting the arrival of Meadow, Tony and Carmela's daughter. The scene starts with Tony sitting alone looking for music to play. He finally selects ''Don't Stop Believing'' by Journey. Carmela soon makes her entrance [ ''A small-town girl, living in a lonely world.''] as the song begins and joins Tony. Then, as this show has always so brilliantly done, the tension rises. We are aware, as is Tony, that there are people in the diner who look suspicious, especially, a man sitting at the counter wearing a Member's Only jacket. Tony scouts the room. He must. That is the life he has made for himself. A person who deals in crime must always be looking over their shoulder for danger. AJ lumbers in as the song continues. There are a few more shots of people around the room, and, once again, the man in the Member's Only jacket. Meanwhile, Meadow is outside trying desperately to park her car. Her parallel parking is not working out as she struggles and struggles. The scene cuts back to the table, where onion rings are brought. The Member's Only guy gets up and walks towards the bathroom, where he enters. Outside, finally, Meadow has succeeded in parking her car. She rushes across the street and through the diner door. Tony looks up, as the song says,, ''Don't Stop...'' and, the screen suddenly goes black. There is the black screen for ten seconds. Then, the credits slowly roll. There is no music, for the first and only time in the show. Immediately, this ending created an uproar among the fans. Some loved it, some hated it. The question about what Tony's fate was is not answered, at least in a clear black and white way. Did the sudden blackout mean that Tony was shot, possibly, by the Member's Only jacket guy coming out of the bathroom with a gun, ala ''The Godfather''? Or, did Tony survive, with a premonition of this was what his life would be like for him and his family, always on guard, always ready for violence? The scene plays both ways. If you want Tony to die, then you are correct. If you want Tony to live and to kill another day, he lives and you are correct. The viewer holds the final piece to the puzzle, actually, there are two pieces. Both fit into the puzzle to end the story. I side with the ''Tony got his'' crowd and was shot. It would explain the suddenness of the ending where not a sound is heard. It goes back to the first episode of that season when Tony and his brother-in-law, Bobby, are sitting in the boat and say that you probably don't even know when it hits you. And, to the film ''Goodfellas'', where Henry Hill says when he is arrested that he knew there were cops behind him instead of wiseguys. If they were wiseguys, Henry says, he wouldn't have heard anything. He would have been dead.  However you choose to believe how this marvelous show ended it is the final moment of a beloved and revolutionary show. With Gandolfini's death, Tony is forever gone. But, he lives on in our memories. An unforgettable character, played by an unforgettable actor. Thank you, James. Rest In Peace, brother...... The BlackHawks win another Stanley Cup!! It was an incredible series, with many people [ including, at times, myself] counting them out. The Hawks had an outstanding season, yes, it was shortened because of the lockout, but, you play the schedule that the league gives you. The Hawks stormed through the regular season, taking no prisoners. Then, the playoffs started and they seemed to lose some focus and energy. They almost lost the series with Detroit-- their arch-rival. The playing of Toews and Kane and Sharp disappeared, along with their much admired defensive play. At times, they looked unfocused, but, they came back and won, as any championship team does. The final series with the Bruins was entirely watched on the edge of your seat. Nail biting went along with your beers and nachos. And, the final game, Game 6, turned all Hawks fans into emotional whirlwinds. Inside of two minutes, the Hawks were down 2-1, and, it looked like the series was coming back here for the final game. But, championship teams never go out quietly and the boys tied, and, then won with two goals in the extraordinary finish. It was nice to win, with this city still starved for championships after decades of losing and disappointments. The usual celebration ensued of crowds in the streets coming out of bars. I often wonder how many people run to the street without paying their tabs. Some bars must take quite a bath on moments like this. The players celebrated on the ice with the media swarming in. An athlete, in any sport, commenting is always a source of amusement. They are commenting on something that doesn't need analysis. They won a title, of course, they are happy. The joy of the celebration is how they express their feelings to each other. There are hugs of joy, as men do who have gone to war with each other. They share a bond that no other person can understand, not even their closest family and friends. They hug and celebrate with a pride for a job well done. And, they also know that they celebrate for us too. We live, at least for a few moments, vicariously through their triumph. The most poignant moment of this triumph must be said. It was involving Corey Crawford, the much maligned goalie for the Hawks. He has taken a great amount of heat from fans in this town, unfairly. He has always played with honor and dignity. It must have grated on his nerves that people questioned his toughness and ability while he played the most frightening position on the ice. But, he handles it with class, and, at the end, was redeemed. He should have won the ''Conn Smythe'' trophy as the most valuable player in the Finals, but, he lost to the media darling, Patrick Kane. But, the moment I liked with Corey Crawford came when he embraced his father. I know nothing of his relationship with his father, but, in that hug, there was only love and deep feeling expressed. Think of the years his family and him fought to get where he is, with junior hockey and slogging through the bad to get to this good. The family must be proud of him, mostly, because he survived the adversity that a sports athlete must endure from the public. I liked that hug between father and son. Media members watching by them were also touched. There will be parades and celebrations in the months ahead for their achievement. Good, lets have fun and be proud! But, to me, the thing I will remember from the championship game is that hug.....