Where has the summer gone? I barely got to see much movies, and read enough books!
I know that this sounds strange, but to this day, when summer winds down and we get closer to Labor Day, I start thinking about Jerry Lewis and the MDA telethon. Ironically, Jerry Lewis passed away on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017. I’m reminded that he was more than just a comedian but also an entertainer, filmmaker, and philanthropist who made an impact. The obituary over at Entertainment Weekly by Chris Nashawaty highlighted Jerry Lewis’s film innovations, in addition to his comedy work, MDA work, and his time with Dean Martin as an entertainment duo.
So, time flies, and we keep moving on. Remember the past, but look to the future – even if the present is a whole load of mess. Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath over Houston, TX, reminded me of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy – and maybe we haven’t learned much? NY1’s Bob Hardt raised a good point – you could donate your petty cash, “or you start calling your elected officials and make a real plea for something to get done. Cry all you want when you see something sad on your television this week but save some more tears for our friends in Washington D.C.”
Maybe it’s high time we develop real policies – but then again, we have a current presidential administration that had our country pulling out of an agreement that was trying to aim for global cooperation against climate change.
Oh, and Bob Hardt raised a good point in his post about being wary about the American Red Cross. Look, it’s not like I don’t respect the better parts of the American Red Cross’s history, or the successful work it has done or even its good intentions. But, there’s a reason why NPR suggested donating blood but not money to them, per their post on resources to help – the American Red Cross doesn’t know what money will actually go to Harvey relief, according to NPR’s report. So, just consider where your money is going (which, honestly, the American Red Cross has to do a better job themselves about where they put our money).
Anyway, I’ll link to the Texas Bar info on free legal help and other resources. New York State Bar Association has a webpage up to assist with efforts, as does the ABA. More from the ABA Journal.
The summer has been weird, as it is, with human tragedy on the one end of the scale, and the “oh, so this is like a stupid tv show?” on the other end with the shenanigans of the current president (I won’t detail that here; you can catch that elsewhere). But, I’ll share this bright item from ex-Vice President Joe Biden, from earlier this week, when the country was as embroiled as ever on the divisiveness of white supremacists (the very kind of people you’d think we’re all against, despite their having free speech rights), while seeing what would happen with Hurricane Harvey:
You, me, and the citizens of this country carry a special burden in 2017. We have to do what our president has not. We have to uphold America’s values. We have to do what he will not. We have to defend our Constitution. We have to remember our kids are watching. We have to show the world America is still a beacon of light.
Perhaps we’ll finally realize that we have to work together for that more perfect union? We do live in interesting times, but that’s surely always has been the case.
Perhaps I’ll catch up to more blogging as the summer reaches its official end. We shall see!