Logging

Film: King Richard

2/3 of the way through the film I thought this one deserved best picture. The reality is that Hollywood does three things really well: spectacle, melodrama, and elevating their stars. King Richard does 2 of the 3. Will Smith's performance is strong. The melodrama works. I was completely pulled into the theme exploring the role of the father in the family. Sure, there are other themes, but to me, the overriding subject is fathering. To which I relate. Solid all around performances - the young actors were great - not asked to do a tremendous amount which again was the right choice - their characters were not as interesting or complex. Mother character ably plays a background role and thunders into the picture absolutely killing one of the great melodramatic scenes of the film. Either tennis coaches could garner a supporting actor nomination, IMO. And solid music.

But the most impressive part of the film: they shot the tennis well!

What holds the movie back is the 3rd Act. It drags. I don't see a screenwriting solution. The idea was right, but when your climax is a character walking off court for a pee break with the crowd and characters sitting around...well...it isn't exactly finding its way into great endings lectures. And by necessity, more of the story falls to the Venus character - again the right choice - but our emotions are not with her by this point. Still, I applaud this film. It layers issues of race with sport, family, class, in a vastly more complex and humane way than most films of the last 5 years (yes, I'm talking about you, Get Out).

But the movie is not "cool" and so I wonder whether it'll be given the Green Book treatment (harder tho to do with this one).

Travel Bans

So am I to understand there is still no scientific consensus about whether travel bans help mitigate the spread of COVID?

Crypto

On a recent BS podcast, Haralabob argues for crypto. His points: it's math. Limited supply. Governments are overprinting money, devaluing currencies. Governments can't touch crypto. Crypto is gold for the digital age. 

I don't buy it. It's not math. It's perception. All money is perception. It's a store of value that is only worth something when everyone agrees it is worth something. 

On a practical level, I can't yet buy things in crypto. I can't pay my mortgage in crypto. Or buy groceries. They only reason for me to buy crypto is this idea that it will continue to go up in value. Therefore, crypto is an investment. I prefer my investments to be productive, ie stocks. Or, to think about it more broadly, my own skills and/or relationships. Those, to me, are the most productive investments. 

The best argument FOR crypto seems to be: a lot of smart people are in the space. Well...okay...that's good for them. How is it good for me? If I'm playing poker, I don't want to sit down with Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu. I'd rather play against schlubs. 

And as for the limited supply/can't trust governments argument - aren't real estate and gold more time tested protections? Or, international stocks?

I could - and probably am - very wrong about this stuff. But the real thing that makes me suspicious is that if crypto were so valuable, why would all the advocates be screaming it from the rooftops all the time? If I knew it were valuable, I'd keep my ass quiet, hope the price goes to near nothing and buy it all up. But the flipside is happening. Color me still skeptical.

Oahu Observations

In no particular order:

1. The best $20 spent: sunglasses from ABC store

2. The worst $24 spent (plus $6 tip): French Press coffee at a fancy hotel

3. I could eat poke bowls from Foodland all day.

4. One should be contractually obligated to eat at Zippy's when here

5. The COVID restrictions in Hawaii are the strictest I've encountered. You must supply vaccine proof to dine indoors along with ID, DOB, address, etc. To get onto the island, you go through rigorous vaccine screenings as well. And my casual observation is that wait people, hotel and airport employees, etc enforce the restrictions with conviction. I cannot tell you why this is. The season? The culture in Hawaii? Job requirement? COVID experiences on the island? Tourism being a major industry? Word out on Omi variant?

6. Beach recommendations: Turtle Beach (near Turtle Bay Resort) on the North Shore for kids. Kailua beach on the east side of the island for quiet.

7. With the time change, you feel somewhat disconnected from the rest of the world here. Or at least I did. It feels like at any time of the day, everyone is doing something else than you. I rather like it for a short period of time.

8. Homelessness in Honolulu resembles the situation in LA and SF. It makes one wonder if there is something beyond progressive DAs going on in the Pacific Coast.

9. In my time here, I saw only one movie theater. But there are Red Box kiosks around. 

10. A car is vital

11. Venus was incredibly bright in the night sky

12. Things I wish I had while here: boogie board for kids, snorkel, telescope. But not really worth buying a snorkel or board for 1 day... 

13. Shaved ice was much better in Maui

14. Easy to hate on Waikiki, but as a central place to stay/eat I thought it worked well. If I could do again, I might try to stay in nearby part of Honolulu closer to Al Moana beach. The problem with shacking up on the North Shore or anywhere else is that I imagine it starts to feel very small very quick.

15. I heard sirens all the time in Honolulu

16. In our final night the hotel was evacuated at 4am for an emergency. It turned out a transient slipped into the hotel and pulled a fire alarm.

17. The meals overall were quite enjoyable: thanksgiving plates from a hipster take out spot (Moku Kitchen), Kona Brewery - which was pretty similar to any brewery except you're sitting on a harbor with a beautiful, lush green mountain in the background -- pretty much one of the best views in a restaurant I've personally encountered, and a favorite: shrimp scampi from a food truck in North Shore.

18. Kids get as much pleasure from buying choco pie from a 75 cent vending machine in an Alamo car rental as seeing some of the great views on earth. 

19. I actually felt like reading fiction while traveling. When I got back home for some reason Selling Sunset season 4 was more appealing.

20. Pearl Harbor memorial was ok. Flying off the island it struck me being a bomber pilot would've been a tricky job -- wouldn't their targets be at least a little bit difficult to find? They were flying over places they've never been or seen before with precise targets to hit. Yet, I haven't heard a ton of stories about pilots being unable to find their targets. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough? 

Logging

Films: The Harder They Fall and Clifford The Big Red Dog 

Similar caliber films get put together in a review. I turned off The Harder They Fall after about 10-15 minutes. I don't know if Netflix forces films to be lit in a certain way, but I find the overlit TV look to be atrocious. Say what you will about the GOT darkness -- not being able to see some of the action -- I'd take it any day over watching every single Netflix film (exception - Mindhunter). Anyhow, I'm predisposed to like a Western, but honestly, it felt so cheap and pointless...I just couldn't bring myself to hate watch.

My kids didn't even like Clifford - first hardcore negative film review by the both of them. 

Nu/Omi Varient

So we've got a new dangerous variant out of South Africa. We know little about it or whether the vaccines work against it. No matter, tons of people aren't vaccinated anyway. 

Here's a thought, based upon how we fucked up before:

1) Develop a rapid test with immediate (within 15-60 minutes) results.

2) Get the tests available EVERYWHERE and FAST.

Indigenous People Day Eve

On this eve of indigenous people day, let us remember the genocide and rape committed by indigenous peoples against the neanderthals. We should honor neanderathal land stolen by early humans. 

Systemic Racism

Why do all the cases involving "systemic racism" never quite hold up to actual scrutiny? I mean, it would be nice for those who believe in it to have more of a slam dunk example, don't you think? Rittenhouse case to a rational person pretty much reads as self defense. Jussie Smollett case was absurd from the get-go. Chauvin was convicted. Oddly, the best case they've got is Kaepernick, but that one only really meets the systemic racism case if you know nothing about football or Kap himself. Plus, a bit hard to argue the NFL is systemically racist when the majority of players are African American and there are tons of black coaches and successful QBs other than Kap? The arguments just don't hold up.

The CCP

A thing the world needs to come to terms with quick - within the next 10-20 years the world's largest economy and richest country will be run by what amounts to a smart gangster organization. They just disappeared a gal for her claim she was raped by an old, powerful man. Think about it. 

Now, the world still remains a big place. But the spoils of this world go to people who make the rules and have the resources. If they have the money, the CCP will recruit the talent to press their position going forward. 

Probably Too Much To Expect

That the Right might choose to be a bit circumspect about the Rittenhouse kid and maybe not try and make him into some sort of hero and give him a platform, etc. 

Isn't this episode better put in the rearview?

Liberal Fascists

They don't believe in the rule of law. 

I'm No Economist...

But if you juice the stock market and give people stimulus money while also encountering supply issues due to the virus + virus rules and regulations...inflation is the logical result.

Delta Spikes

In heavily vaccinated places (Gibralter and Israel), along with places with massive lockdowns (China). It does make one wonder... 

Psychos

So it seems we now have psychopaths running our public schools. 

My takeaway is: critics of the liberal project were right- the ideology ultimately collapses upon itself because it cannot provide a robust enough defense against relativism. Which is to say, a liberal has trouble defending the powerful and the morally correct over the weak and evil - which is why so many liberals have trouble with Israel and support the Palestinian cause. Similarly, a boy wants to call themselves a girl and a liberal says - kudos! Go with God. You have the freedom to choose. But the problem is now this: if a boy can be a girl, we liberals must also provide support and institutions to validate this absurdity. So what went from a non-violation of the harm principle, now rather becomes a question of resource allocation. And on what grounds can a liberal defend against trans-education, support, healthcare, and brain washing? There is no defense except in perhaps marginal cases. But people and democracies are not animated by marginal cases. They need a cause. 

Logging

TV: Succession S3 E4-5 

Show is losing it a bit. Getting repetitive and a tad boring. 

Lie

Newsom disappears for two weeks and cancels trip to climate conference to "stay home for Halloween with his kids." If you believe this BS, I have a bridge to sell you.

Personally, I'd be fine with him saying "private matter." But it's pretty hard to simultaneously hold the the belief that climate change is an urgent issue and then cancel meetings about it for trick or treating. 

It would be rather ironic if we find out Newsom had an allergic reaction to the vaccine he's been touting -- almost ironic as Trump getting COVID after downplaying the disease.

My Fucking God

This man nails it.

Also, they propose sweeping changes to K-12 curricula, but you can’t call it CRT, even though the curricular documents specifically reference CRT, and if you do you’re an idiot and also you’re a racist cryptofascist. Also nobody (nobody!) ever advocated for defunding the police, and if they did it didn’t actually mean defunding the police. Seems to be a real resistance to simple, comprehensible terms around here.

Because "they" are a bunch of not-very-intelligent-totalitarian-liars.

Aaron Rogers

"People" are mad because he lied about his vaccine status. No they aren't. They gave Kyrie the same "he's a dumbass" treatment. This is the exact public shaming and ridicule Rogers wanted to avoid, and the public reaction to him getting COVID validates his point.

I'm pro vaccine. I would've gotten the vaccine tested on myself last year before the approval. I think it's the best thing we've built in my lifetime. 

But the question around Rogers is simple: do we have tolerance for grown up Americans opting out of using vaccines? I vote we ought to tolerate it. Others don't. 

And for those who don't, I have questions:

1) How much pressure are you willing to put on the non-compliant? Will you not let them in restaurants? Movies? Will you take their jobs? Not allow them in school? Refuse them medical care?

2) Do you think your pressure will work? Can you reasonably demonstrate the pressure you apply will get more people vaccinated?

3) And with the extra vaccinations you brought to bear with your pressure, how many fewer severe cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have you prevented? Can you show any numbers?

4) How long do you intend to pressure people into vaccinations? Do you intend to require boosters for employment, school, restaurants, etc?

5) How about children? Should children be required to be COVID vaccinated even with the rate of death for children being around 1 in 100,000? Have you seen the list of vaccinations children are already required to take? I count 7-8. 

6) How do we factor in natural immunity? Not at all? Do all those people who caught chicken pox as youngsters therefore need a chicken pox vaccine now, too?

Ouch!

"You are not educated enough to oppose critical race theory. How dare you oppose critical race theory?" Is not a political argument, but rather a class argument: you don't belong. You don't get to question. 

Marvel

Wonder if phase 2 crashes and burns and everyone realizes Robert Downey Jr was worth every single penny (and in fact earned everyone else their salary). 

Candid Health Discussion

We are getting a more candid and open health discussion through our professional athletes than our public health authorities.

“It’s a virus of health, and the most important thing would be educating people on how to live a healthier life,” Rodgers said regarding the pandemic that was exacerbated mightily by comorbidities and especially obesity.

If the public health authorities were properly concerned with "health" they could've been hollering from the rooftops early on -- get in shape, lose some weight, eat better -- in order to prepare your body for survival both against the virus and more generally...

A Week For Moderate Democrats

A bi-partisan spending package on infrastructure! A referendum on CRT in schools! This is why we elected Biden. 

Unexciting, incremental improvements in American life.

Democrats Deny Political Reality

Democrats could moderate, or... they could also double down on calling everyone who disagrees even slightly with a progressive agenda a white supremacist.

Aim for the bushes.

Interesting Take

Mother of boy who raped 9th grade girl: she didn't struggle enough. 

Can someone answer what we're all really thinking: what was she wearing?

Liberals

Liberals: we need to change institutional racism across our entire society, but also we aren't doing it at all and conservatives are making it up. 

The liberal mind has become pathological. 

Math(s)

California working on revising math. Rather than injecting social justice into the teaching of math, why don't we just copy what countries like Singapore and Taiwan do to instruct students. With the goal of being the #1 country in math?

I know the real reason: because that would actually demand students do work and parents and teachers hold them accountable -- things no one in our society wants to do. Since complaining on twitter is a much more productive use of time.

"Reporting"

Hollywood Reporter does an interesting article on the Rust film budget, but uses the passive voice to suggest a narrative where the math does not add up.

Given that a dispute over hotel rooms for crew was part of what inspired much of the camera team to walk off the set on the morning Hutchins died, it is noteworthy that producers budgeted $25,000 for hotel rooms for themselves, an amount to cover five people, and $95,200 for below-the-line crew, an amount to cover 21 people.

Anyone capable of answering a basic SAT question? 

Yep

He's been saying this for awhile:

We're letting a noisy wing of our party define the rest of us. And my point is we can't do that," Carville told Cuomo. "I think these people are all kind of nice people. I think they're very naive, and they're all into language and identity. And that's all right. They're not storming the Capitol. But they're not winning elections." 

and

 "Some of these people need to go to a 'woke' detox center or something," Carville told Woodruff. "They're expressing a language that people just don't use, and there's backlash and a frustration at that."

And to be fair, I've been saying similar things for a decade and am basically told to shut the f up by fellow Dems and criticized as a Republican apologist or worse, a Trump supporter. 

 

Problem With the Big Bang Theory

If you can understand the content of this article, congrats you are smarter than me. Money quote:

While those people who crave certainty in their life might be unhappy because of the new measurement, it's important to remember that there are no sacred cows in science, and scientists are always checking and rechecking even their favorite universal models.

Except of course when it comes to not at all verified or tested pandemic responses. 

Yes It Is

Culture war is code for class war. 

Talking about the yellow-vest movement, French geographer Christophe Guilluy observes: “Immediately, the protesters were denounced as xenophobes, anti-Semites and homophobes. The elites present themselves as anti-fascist and anti-racist, but this is merely a way of defending their class interests. It is the only argument they can muster to defend their status, but it is not working anymore.”

Same here in the US. 

Logging

TV: Succession S3, E3 

Is it just me or is Logan's argument to Shiv about not bearing responsibility re: the cruise line pretty compelling? At least so far...

And I'm sure others have said it, but Brian Cox is out of this world as Logan -- powerful, yet out of time and place, and physically deteriorating. 

TV: Curb S11, E2

LD offers an understated critique of either Netflix or Hollywood - the power dynamics of the studio are thus: white dude named Don Jr in charge with 3 minions who barely speak: a character meant to read as trans, a black guy, and someone in a wheelchair.

He makes no comments about it. It lingers there like the children playing on a noose next to an American flag in a Peckinpah film.