What Would Anyone Do?

Taking the family out for dinner is always an excursion into frustration at times. Because of predictability, we tend to patronize the same places and even then, the factor of undecidedness rears its ugly head.

The other night, we went to Applebees with the family plus one exchange student from Germany we had been hosting for a few weeks. As the ritual goes, the college student cum ersatz waiter/waitress introduces him/herself and asks what we want to drink to start off. You've been to this drill, so it's nothing new. I order my normal iced tea and procede to peruse the menu.

In my minds eye I notice the throng in various stages of prandial wrangling and say to myself, what should I order? In a fit of autodidactic expulsion, I go off on myself: What would Jesus do? What would Ronnie do? What would Ghandi do? What the fuck will I do?

At this point our garçon du jour returns with drinks and asks around the table what each of us will be ordering. Well, Ronnie, Jesus and Ghandi are dead. They can't help here and two of them wouldn't have a clue as to what to order on the menu or  be inclined to. In this moment of indecision, for something as simple as eating, I came to a conclusion: All of us have to decide for ourselves.

Humans have a rather feckless and lazy habit of relying on others experiences to help them make decisions on how to run their lives, what to do day to day or to help get past a current problem. Some even seem to delve into scriptural steganography in order to find some hidden meaning to life or even what color they should paint their house. Relying on proven experience is a shortcut than can save a lot of pain and trouble. Why pay for the same real estate twice? Right?  On the other hand, it tends to circumvent our own internal rational processes and experiences for a subset of someone else's. It's a template for complacency and manipulation if taken to an extreme. Who cares what Ronnie, Jesus or Ghandi would do. They aren't here, they can't help, and to be honest, they aren't you or I, living in the experience that we are. At some point, we have to make the decision ourselves and that is where the rubber hits the road.

At this point the waiter works his way around the table and it's my turn to put in my order. What will it be? Since having lap band surgery a year ago, I am a little limited to what I can eat and should eat. I avoid the crap with fries, pop, and fried foods. At this point though, I am tired of the sam old, same old. I mean, should I try something different? Shouldn't I strive for change? Should I take the chance and possibly barf, giving the exchange student something to write home about (The lap bad has its own consequences in what you can eat)? Variety is the spice of life, right? At that point,  I circle back to my original thesis, which is to say, What would Ronnie do? What would Jesus do? What would Ghandi do? What will I do? What would anyone do? What is the rational thing to do? What do I feel like doing? It was a fit of analysis paralysis. For me that is deadly. Being a Myers-Briggs ISTP, making quick decisions based on sensory data is a forte. Getting hung up isn't. Usually this happens when there is either too much data or processes. Or I just can't make up my mind. May be I would have been better off asking, What would Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, Mel Gibson (God Forbid), George S Patton or Ulysses S Grant would do. At least they are fellow ISTPs and their experiences a closer to mine than Jesus, Ronnie or Ghandi, who had the same types of personality (ENFJ which by the way, is the most conflictual personality with ISTPs). The clock is ticking, WWJD?

I simply ordered what I always do. The Santa Fe Chicken Salad. It always works for me...Next time though, I will try something different. I promise.

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Signs Of Sanity

There are Signs that Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson is coming to his senses. He sold his house in NY for £10 million quid and has his house in Malibu on the market for  another £10 million quid. Word is that Mel is leaving the US and moving back to Australia with his ex-wife Robyn Moore and his kids.

Mel Gibson is poised to quit the US after selling his mansion near New York.

The disgraced Lethal Weapon star, who faces allegations of violence from his Russian former girlfriend, sold the mock Tudor property, known as Old Mill Farm, for £16 million – £10 million less than the asking price...Gibson has also put his Malibu home, Lavender Hill Farm, on the market for £10 million, according to a property newsletter.

He has told friends that he will move back to Australia - where he grew up after moving from America when he was 12 - with his ex-wife Robyn, who still supports him.

Gibson, 54, is ready to contest the allegations of Oksana Grigorieva, 40, who claims he punched her and hurt their baby, Lucia, in a drunken rage in January. 

A source close to the family said: ‘Oksana’s allegations have united Mel and Robyn and this move is her idea.

I have to say it's probably the right thing to do. Hollywood is such a twisted place and he needs space to collect himself. He was married to Robyn for 28 years before he ran off with the russian putana, and may be there will be a reconciliation. Mel being a catholic, this would make sense. I can't blame him.

Lots of guys go through mid-life crisis's. Some get the expensive sports car, some fool around, and some just get depressed and even decide it's checkout time. Getting old sucks, but I guess it's better than the alternative.

I hope Mel gets help, stays clean, and keeps away from the idiots and idiocy of the world. It's the best he can do. Swing away Mel, Swing away...

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Passion of the Mel: Payback

That didn't take too long, did it? Mel Gibson is fighting back, fighting for his kids, his livelihood and his reputation. He has gone so far as to enlist his ex-wife in sending a sworn affidavit that he never abused her or their children in 28 years of marriage.

That much must be true. While Mel is a drinker, womanizer, and nutty as a bag of squirrels, he doesn't have the history as an abuser. Not of people.

Still, he's lost a lot already: His agent, the agency that represented him, and I am sure plenty of the hollywood elites won't return his calls. Some might say he is done.

I will tell you what though: He surely has enough money to do as he pleases. He could finance his own films if he choses, and I am sure there is talent out there that would still work with him. Look at Mickey Rourke. He came back and won an oscar, so it's possible.

All that being said, Mel has a long and tough road to hoe. The tone, tenor and language on those recording was over the top and he crossed the line. Whatever his pain is, he needs to fix it and fix it permanently. Lawyers may make a lot of this go away, but if he's still the same, I am sure we'll get Mad Mel 3.

As I have said before, I was a Gibson fan. Who wouldn't love the semi-closeted right wing action hero from Peekskill NY? The Right Guy wishes him well and hopes he gets the help he needs. In time, everything goes away.

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PS, I wonder how the conversation between Robyn and him went like?

Mad Mel: Beyond Bad Chromosomes

Mel has truly lost it. He lost his wife, now his paramour, his agent and now his agency. The guy is a control freak. He makes puritans look like the Anton Levey cult.

You know, he has to have been this nuts all his life. This is nothing new and I have to say I am a bit confused about his wife or should I say ex-wife Robin Moore: Was she a saint for putting up with this or an idiot? May be both. It seems his second round honey has it more together and is greasing his heels post haste.

I also want to qualify my particular point of view. I was a huge Mel Gibson fan at one time. Mad Max, Road Warrior, Lethal Weapon, Pay Back, Braveheart, and The Patriot. Even Signs was good. A family member in the business told me it's common knowledge and worse what Mel is about. All I can say is what a disappointment, but then Hollywood is filled with freaks, control freaks and outright nut jobs and other addicts. It's as if this is the place the truly demented go to work out their issues on screen and I guess off. I miss John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Charlton Heston. Now they were men among men.

Anyway, for those that aren't acquainted with the ravings of this particular madman, listen on:
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Mel, Have You Lost Your Mind?

Now for something completely different...The Right Guy used to be a big fan of Mel Gibson, but then he took the piss with crazy behaviors like his tirades at a police officer ("F**king Jews... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," and "What do you think you're looking at, sugar t*ts?") and then leaving his wife of nearly 30 years with whom he had 7 children for some young actress with who he had two more. Not exactly stable behavior.

So now we have Mel going off again. I guess his new squeeze pissed him off and here is his latest tirades:

"You look like a f---ing pig in heat," Gibson reportedly says in the recordings. "If you get raped by a pack of n----rs, it will be your fault."

"I am going to come and burn the f**king house down... but you will blow me first."

"How dare you act like such a b---h when I have been so f---ing nice?"

"You're an embarrassment to me,"

"Look what you did to me... look what you are... look what every part of you is... f**king fake... f**king fake.

"You are the most synthetic person... who the f*** are you?"

It seems Oksana wanted evidence of Mel's insanity and taped these ditties:

"She wanted to get evidence that he was dangerous and violent," says the source. "Oksana's motivation for recording this was to show Mel how mean he was, and because she feared for her life."

Mel, you are are out of your fucking mind. Obviously you've stopped taking your medication (He's admitted he's bipolar) and it's obvious you cannot control yourself. You ruined a marriage of 30 years with the mother of 7 of your children to jump in bed with a young Russian hottie. Word to Mel: You are worth over 500 million, what do you think your money and fame will attract? At the very least, at this point, revel in her talents an live for the day which is about all you had left. On top of this, she has given you two more children. Dude, show some class.

I think we can ask some questions of you Columcille, like who the fuck are you? Obviously more than a few fries short of a happy meal. I have no idea how Robyn put up with you for 30 years...and it only took Oksana 2 years to figure out you are a nut and it's time to say good bye. Take the lithium and zoloft and skip the alcohol, you'll be better off.

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Your honor or your life

I was thinking about one of my favorite movies today, Braveheart, and for whatever reason I recalled a line by Ian Bannen playing the character of Robert the Bruce Sr. The quote was, "All men betray. All lose heart." Nothing is as sad as when as a child, your best friend chooses someone else over you and that betrayal is a foreshadowing of what life is about. What Robert the Bruce Sr was telling his son was that ultimately, it's every man for himself in this life, no matter the political system, religion, national identity, or race. It's a hard pill to swallow as in our hearts, we would like to believe otherwise.

Who are the true believers? Ingrained in most men is a sense of honor. I think most of us feel bad when we betray, and at times it can cut the perpetrator almost as deep as the victim. Yet, in politics in life as well as in government, many will trade such temporal notions such as honor for the short way around the barn. Niccolò would have been proud. Where is the disconnect? There is none for many of us. Just an inconsistent application of principles due to competitive forces in our lives. There are those that have no honor, no sense of shame, of propriety or self perception. They ride high on a mixture of conceit, and arrogance that is fueled by their incompetence, insecurities, and desire to succeed. They have been chosen, but do not wish to be found out for what they are. Deace would call them groupies, or possibly gangsters in training.

Still, those words haunt me like when I was told there is no Santa Claus. Part of being a crusader is that it requires a belief and a consistency in principles that is above and beyond what most would call normal. I think at least some of us want to believe that others believe as we do, but in the end, looking at it rationally, we are all independent operators. So does this mean we should let go of the concept of honor? To grab our socks because others with small minds demand it? Not many years ago, I learned you cannot eat principles. By the same token, it is impossible to live with yourself if you violate or allow the violation of your own sense of dignity, honor and pride. While as men we may betray each other, never betray yourself, never lose heart.

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Guess who is the republican?

This actor and director has a passion for politics and is a republican warrior when he's not on the road. McCain should use Mel as a lethal weapon against Obama, but he won't. Payback is a bitch. 

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