Posts Tagged ‘Dwight Hobbes’
SOMETHING I SAID: The Animal Factory
Book Review By DWIGHT HOBBES Dwight Hobbes Rule of thumb goes, the book’s better than the movie. Edward Bunker’s The Animal Factory (St. Martin’s Minotaur) and Franchise Pictures is a tossup. Both are brilliant. The novel’s narrative is fluid, with compelling immediacy. Co-screenwriter John Steppling teams with Bunker for an ingenious adaptation. Bunker (Education of a Felon: A Memoir /St. Martin's Griffin,) made his way from the wrong side of the law to a career as screenwriter-actor (Animal Factory, Straight Time). He was “Mr. Blue” in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. Franchise Pictures The Animal Factory protagonist, 20-something, privileged Ron Decker is slapped in prison so the judge can stand hard on white offenders, not just criminals of color. Never mind that Decker, no angel for sure, dealt weed and coke, but this is his first bust. He’s a politically correct scapegoat. Street spawned, veteran of incarceration Earl Boen takes him under his wing, shows him the ropes. In a hellish environment, they become unlikely allies, then fast friends – in an environment where young, pretty Decker can use someone influential having his back. Circumstance irreversibly changes their lives. Some brute thinks he can rape Ron. Earl’s crew convince him otherwise, ganging up to stab the guy, severing his spinal cord. They’d’ve sliced his throat, but, guards were on the way. When a real mess hits the fan behind this and they could wind up serving longer sentences, possibly life, Earl and Ron hatch an escape plan. While adaptation necessitates alterations to accommodate the medium, brought to screen life Bunker’s story loses none of its impact. Indeed, putting faces to the names in a stark picture of their purgatory hits all the harder. Deftly directed by Steve Buscemi (The Sopranos, Homicide: Life on the Street), who’s done more than his share of acting (Boardwalk Empire), the cast lists an indies’ who’s [...]
Something I Said: ‘Charmed’ Revisited
Dwight Hobbes. By DWIGHT HOBBES If something isn’t broke, don’t fix it. So goes the truism. Not always the case. Constance M. Burge’s Charmed (CBS/1998 – 2006) was state of the art pop. Solid scripts, strong cast about three white women waxing supernatural against the forces of evil. Charmed (2018 – 2022) reinvents that wheel, doing a fascinating job of it. Starting with casting Latinas as the leads, something nobody could’ve seen coming. Added to which, one sister is lesbian. And there’s a womanist bent. Talk about pushing the envelope, which isn’t all that surprising, considering Canada’s track record for quality commercial fare, including the supernatural hit Lost Girl. This time around for Charmed, there’s feisty firebrand social protester Mel (Melonie Diaz), sexy nerd cum genius biochemist Macy (Madeleine Mantock) and sardonically easy going college kid Maggie (Sarah Jeffrey). Ace ringer Rupert Evans (Hellboy) is glib, debonair spiritual guide Harry. Valerie Cruz (Dexter, Homeland) lands a fine showcase as Marisol the sisters’ tragically slain mom whose ghost holds the key to their lives. The pilot engages, intrigues throughout, Marisol’s murder setting in motion cataclysmic forces of evil versus good. Whereupon daughters are called on to save the world against overwhelming odds. The intrepid trio prevails, usually by the skin of their necks. A new dimension is how dark the storylines get, at times grim, putting real teeth into it. As well, there’s authentic diversity, which, in the original series went no further than a colorblind, p.c. nod with recurring guest Debbi Morgan and supporting star Dorian Gregory. This Charmed references, among other cultural underpinnings, the African-Cuban religion Santeria and even the soundtrack is a rich blend of styles, not a steady diet of mainstream fare. Notably, where the original steered clear of so much as [...]
Something I Said: Should’ve Been
Dwight Hobbes. Photo: courtesy the author By DWIGHT HOBBES Art Knight should be the next Minneapolis Police Department Chief, but has too much integrity for his own good. That’s how he lost his deputy chief position and got demoted, calling the MPD out for entrenched, institutionalized racism. Knight said the department needs to improve how it recruits, trains and promotes minorities and women, stating the obvious. “If you keep employing the same tactics you’re just going to get the same old white boys.” Chief Arradondo dismayed black Minneapolis at large with that move, since he, himself won his job on the strength of overwhelming black support in a social climate that demanded a change from those same old boys. And, for that matter, racist female cops. In fact, in 2007 then-Lieutenant Medaria Arradondo was part of a successful lawsuit against the MPD on the grounds of an environment hostile toward black officers. One has to believe the publicly pull-no-punches Art Knight, not some platitude-spewing token like Arradondo turned out to be, would bend his back to making real change instead of posturing as an affirmative action token. Mayor Jacob Frey, phony as a $3 bill, has trotted out candidates to nominate: Elvin Barren, Brian O’Hara and, two-for-one token RaShall Brackney. Not one is from the community the next chief will be charged to serve. And you can bet his paramount concern is how well his arm fits up the back of whichever puppet. Knight has been on the force more than a quarter century. As chief of staff he oversaw the community engagement and outreach bureau and led the procedural justice team. Importantly, even before came right out and called a spade a spade, the community trusted and respected him. They still do and would soundly applaud his taking the top job. In fact, such a move would go a long way toward them finally taking any stock at all in a white mayor. Importantly, it would also go a long way toward hopefully preventing [...]
Challenging Responsibility part two
Interview with Amy Koehnen of Ebenezer Senior Living, Part Two By DWIGHT HOBBES Ebenezer holds fast against COVID-19, operating its business of caring for people with exactly that – care. The alley concludes its conversation with Amy Koehnen, Minneapolis Campus Administrator. You have your hands at the wheel. I personally believe in being professionally hands-on. Early on, I went to each site, seven days a week. I keep my fingers in it. No sooner did things become reasonably manageable than the Omicron variant arrived. How do you cope with the curve balls this virus throws us? We made sure staff were vaccinated or given an approved accommodation. Otherwise they couldn’t be employed at Ebenezer sites. Every weekday at 9, 9:30 we do calls to pass along information, ask questions. February 24, the Minneapolis rescinded mask requirements. Except for city owned or managed buildings. Where did that leave Ebenezer? March 13, Governor Tim Walz declared a state of emergency. The Department of Motor Vehicles was open, the day before, when my son got his driver’s license, it was terrible. Human beings were coughing all over each other. Ebenezer had our assisted living and nursing homes shut and lock their doors. Signs said, “No visitors.” It made you want to cry. I can’t count the twists and turns, the different directives we were given. Between the Minnesota Department of Health, Center for Disease Control, Center for Medicaid and Medicare, World Health Organization we have many bosses who tell us what to do. The Ebenezer leadership team gathered all that information, giving it to us and my job was to give it to the staff. Speaking of leadership, it seems corporation CEO isn’t just a high placed suit, but rather cares about people. Absolutely. The mission we have is not just written on paper. John Lundberg and the leadership team genuinely emulate that. Which flows down to the people I work with. Dignity, compassion, innovation. [...]
Challenging Responsibility
Interview with Amy Koehnen of Ebenezer Senior Living, Part One Editors note: When this article was first published online we incorrectly stated that if you are unvaccinated you can work at Ebenezer. This error has been corrected. By DWIGHT HOBBES The corona virus contagion threw South Minneapolis businesses for a loop. Those that haven’t closed are fighting to hold on. On top of which the highly contagious Omicron variant continues spreading across the country, eclipsing those fueled by the Delta variant over last summer: businesses are far from full strength. "There are many places in the country where hospitalizations now are increasing," Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told CNN in December. As of January, the rate of infections in Hennepin County is “very high”, according to the New York Times. Ebenezer shoulders the unenviable responsibility to not only stay in business – after all, the bottom line is the bottom line – but continue providing invaluable human services, for tenants and residents the most highly at risk Ebenezer Park Apartments and Ebenezer Tower Apartments (senior housing), Ebenezer Loren On Park (assisted living) and Ebenezer Care Center (nursing home). As of January 6, Ebenezer complies with the City of Minneapolis’ reinstated mask mandate. On top of which, if you’re not vaccinated, you can't work at Ebenezer. Amy Koehnen, Minneapolis Campus Administrator spoke with The Alley about meeting the challenges these past couple years. Yours is no easy job. It isn’t. But, I have experience. Twenty-seven years in the profession, doing this type of work. For good measure, you oversee a fifth site. The University of Minnesota Transitional Care Unit. It is on the west bank and is connected to the Acute Rehab also at the University of Minnesota. It is licensed as a skilled nursing facility so I am the administrator of record. Although they do [...]
Having a heart for homeless cats
By DWIGHT HOBBES "Pretty Mister" of East Phillips If, as the Good Book says, the Lord gave humans dominion of animals, there are those of the mind that dominion doesn’t just mean being in charge. It means providing care. Accordingly, consider the plight of homeless cats that are hungry with no roof overhead not because they ran afoul of a landlord or having applied for housing are stuck sitting on a long waiting list. They are in their condition because some owner’s child no longer thinks kitty is cute, got bored, and no one in the house can be bothered. Or, because a family moves into a dwelling that doesn’t allow pets and, instead of searching out one that does, they simply dropped the defenseless creature off on the street. From there, the felines naturally procreate, resulting in a steadily increasing population that, overrunning areas, has no way to fend for itself. They make a nuisance of themselves, scrounging around in garbage cans, hiding under porches and in abandoned garages for shelters. Fortunately for them, some folk do what they can to help out. Some feed and water them, leaving bowls where they can eat and drink, close enough to the make-do refuge that the cats don’t starve and can scurry to safety at a moment’s notice. I did this for a clutch of felines who settled in behind my apartment building and an upstairs neighbor complained: “Stop feeding those cats.” At length, she ratted me out to the landlord who didn’t do anything, so she complained to animal control. When they came to the door, I stood my ground. “Who is it hurting for those cats to have a mouthful of food?” Which is how I learned food can be put down for three hours, then has to be removed. “Three hours? What I give them little critters is gone in three minutes.” However well intentioned, this is a stop-gap measure, not a solution to merely help keep them alive. Effective efforts, though, are being taken to more concretely address the [...]
