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Opinion
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20940
Viewpoint
From the Editor
I
April 26, 2014
Visions of “1984”
t was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking 13...Ó George Orwell, Ò 1984Ó Ironically, it was a bright cold April day when my friend Dave and I were discussing our favorite topic—motion pictures of the 1940s through the 1960s—over a mutual glass of Scotch-on-the-rocks. We made a verbal list of the classic pictures of that era that have been remade in recent years—such as “The Thing” and “DOA” (to name only two celluloid classics)—to lessthan-spectacular result. Among the many genres—from shoot ‘em up Hollywood westerns like “Gunflight at the O.K. Corral” to film-noir mayhem like “White Heat”—I’ve always had soft spot for sci-fi of the mid 20th century. ThatÕ s why, when George OrwellÕ s novel Ò 1984Ó came up during our movie trivia discussion (my opening quote is taken from the beginning paragraph of OrwellÕ s famous novel), I chose the 1956 “1984” Edmund O’Brien film version rather than the grittier 1984 “1984” Richard Burton version as my favorite dystopic film. The 1984 version has become more famous in recent years because it was Richard BurtonÕ s last screen appearance and—if you can believe it—even bleaker than the 1956 version. Curiously, the Academy Award-winning Burton was never knighted, unlike his many stage and screen buddies of the time. If you’ve never viewed the 1956 U.K.-made “1984” you will discover that it’s hard to locate although a scratchy, low-resolution complete version can be viewed for free online on You Tube (search “1984 George Orwell-Full Movie”). As far as I know, this film—unlike several less notable productions—has never been restored to its full monochromatic glory. Directed by Michael Anderson, I prefer the 1956 Ò 1984Ó for many reasons not least of which is nostalgia. I first saw the film broadcast on television in 1964, just one year before the fictional, “devastating atomic raids of 1965” mentioned in the film take place. It fed my childhood nightmare of thermonuclear war that everyone of us, who endured the Cold War era, remember all too well. Then there’s the terrific, ominous Malcolm Arnold music score, the misty, opening aerial glimpse of the fortified police-state of Oceania, and the overall bleak, noirish feel that brings Anderson’s visual version of “1984” to life—and how I would love to hear the Arnold score performed and recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra today. American actor Edmund OÕ Brien breathes life into his role of the paranoid Winston Smith and Britisher Donald Pleasance is superb, too. Actress Jan Sterling is ok here, but itÕ s not her best role; you can see her acting talents better displayed in Billy WilderÕ s 1951 Ò Ace in the HoleÓ . Overall, regardless of the original book or big and little screen versions, Ò 1984Ó remains as relevant today as it was when it was created by Orwell in 1948. The constant distracting warfare—and the endless parade of enemies of the state—described in Ò 1984Ó reminds me of our own political times where third-world wars last for decades, and income classes, genders and races are pitted against each other in an effort to distract them from real social problems such as widening government control‚ from cradle to grave—rule by elites, and everdiminishing personal freedoms. In the 1956 “1984” film, there’s even a nod to one of Orwell’s Outer Party leagues—composed, it seems, of man-hating women—designed to dismantle the traditional family in favor of some Ò progressiveÓ construct thatÕ s more useful to the state. And just like Ò 1984Ó we, too, have manufactured crises designed by the state, performed Ò liveÓ on T.V. by an increasingly one-party news media. Along with a large segment of marginalized, unemployed citizens—and industrial decline, lawlessness, and moral malaise—those of us in 2014 go merrily along; we’re just happy to be “safe”, protected by Big Brother, and entertained by our electronic bread-and-circus devices. And just as the state is attempting to disarm the citizenry, we learned last week that the U.S Postal Service— among other unlikely government-related entities—is quietly buying up large amounts of ammunition. Thus, the 1956 “1984” film depicts the flowering of the modern socialist welfare state that we see around us today, although it began as an Orwellian parody—a la transposing two calendar-year numbers—of England in 1948. Regardless of the calendar year, Ò 1984Ó is never too far away. - Lou Varricchio, the Vermont Eagle
A job well done is worth doing
A
recent survey by the website CareerCast.com came up with a list of the 10 most desirable careers and rounded out the report with the 10 worst careers. IÕ ve always been of the opinion that any job was far better than no job, but then again I come from a different era where we were happy to be employed. In general terms, one looked at their bank account and their lifestyle. If the career path addressed those needs and they were satisfied with the workload, that was far more important than what a poll would tell us about popularity. LetÕ s look at what the survey says are the top 10 careers accordDan Alexander ing to CareerCast.comÕ s Ò 2014 Jobs Rates Report:Ó Thoughts from 1. Mathematician 2. University Professor (Tenured) Behind the Pressline 3. Statistician 4. Actuary 5. Audiologist 6. Dental Hygienist 7. Software Engineer 8. Computer Systems Analyst 9. Occupational Therapist 10. Speech Pathologist Really? A Mathematician outscored all the other career choices and ranked No. 1? At No. 2, just behind mathematician, is the tenured university professor? When I was growing up I just canÕ t remember anyone naming off any of these top 10 positions. I should know since my classmates and I at St. LukeÕ s First Grade class in Erie, Penn., were highly sought after for our opinions on career choices in the Erie Daily Times back in 1960. Nurses, fireman, astronauts, police officers, doctors, and president all rated pretty high as I recall, but not a one is on this list for 2014. So, what are the worst jobs in the 2014 Job Rates Report?: 1. Lumberjack 2. Newspaper Reporter 3. Enlisted Military Personnel 4. Taxi Driver 5. Broadcaster 6. Head Cook 7. Flight Attendant 8. Garbage Collector 9. Firefighter 10. Corrections Officer These careers are now considered the worst jobs one can have? Times have sure changed. What would Clark Kent think today about being a mild mannered mathematician fighting for truth, justice and the American way? ItÕ s hard to understand what the criteria was for selecting these jobs, but it doesnÕ t seem possible that a newspaper reporter nor a lumberjack, for that matter, are the worst jobs. The report goes on to say that a newspaper reporter and lumberjack are at the bottom of the Jobs Rated Report in part due to dwindling hiring prospects. Dim hiring prospects according to the report are a recurring theme among the jobs ranked at the bottom of the report. Income and stress are noted as contributing factors. I donÕ t know of too many jobs that donÕ t entail some income challenges, especially when starting out, and stress can certainly add some excitement to an otherwise boring day. But the work we perform, while to some may seem mundane or of little quality, is a very personal choice and is based on our perception of happiness from our own unique perspective. There is so much more to oneÕ s life vocation then to stack it up against all the other job titles available and then do some sort of comparison. Reports like this do a great disservice to working America. Every job is worth doing and provides some form of public service to our fellow man and to the overall economics of the nation. Pride in oneÕ s work is so much more than the rate of pay and the ease at which one can perform the job. Dan Alexander is publisher and CEO of Denton Publications. He may be reached at dan@denpubs.com.