Florida "Don't Say Gay" Bill

Anyone who thinks teachers are going to care more or be better judges of the best interests of children than parents has neither taught nor parented. Or is a psycho.

Broken Clock

Putin claims Russia being cancelled like JK Rowling. 

He's not wrong. Neither is her response.

What's A Normal Person To Think?

On the one hand, we have Republicans who deny the reality that Biden won the election, and on the other hand we have liberals who deny the reality that that Lia Thomas is a man.

Makes it tough to have a rational conversation.

Good God. https://t.co/q7Zrw3vbXJ

— Andrew Sullivan (@sullydish) March 24, 2022

Disney "Protest"

Can you call something a protest when workers leave their job for an hour or so to walk around the block without any consequence or threat to their jobs? They used to call this lunch break.

Litmus test: if there is no personal cost to an action, I'm wary of what's really going on. In this way, I see the world similarly to Vlad Putin.

If Hollywood Life Were Fantasy Bball 

I think there might be a trade on the table between the LGBT team and the homophobes - LGBT gets Disney, homophobes get Westerns. Everyone happy, right?

Logging

Book: The Big Goodbye by Sam Wasson

Although not technically a book on screenwriting, it's still the 2nd best book about screenwriting I've read (after Goldman's).

Stand Up: All of Sebastian Maniscalco on Netflix

Great discovery.

Film: Hand of God

Halfway through. Not The Great Beauty, but Sorrentino one of my favorite filmmakers.

Film: The Lost Daughter

Finished it. Makes me wonder whether the book was better somehow... Cinematically just not that remarkable. In movies behaving shitty is easily mistaken for character depth...

Excellent Read

Kotkin on Russia, offers alt take on NATO expansion being a root cause of the conflict.

I would even go further. I would say that nato expansion has put us in a better place to deal with this historical pattern in Russia that we’re seeing again today. Where would we be now if Poland or the Baltic states were not in nato? They would be in the same limbo, in the same world that Ukraine is in. In fact, Poland’s membership in nato stiffened nato’s spine. Unlike some of the other nato countries, Poland has contested Russia many times over. In fact, you can argue that Russia broke its teeth twice on Poland: first in the nineteenth century, leading up to the twentieth century, and again at the end of the Soviet Union, with Solidarity. So George Kennan was an unbelievably important scholar and practitioner—the greatest Russia expert who ever lived—but I just don’t think blaming the West is the right analysis for where we are.

Interesting perspective. He also has a bit about how Ukraine has reminded the West what we are. Indeed. 

Logging

Film: The Batman 

Pretty damn impressive. Especially the direction. Patient, tense. Of course it's too long as everyone says. But what to cut? My choice would be the third act machinations -- needed fewer "moves." If Dark Night is Heat meets Batman, this is Se7en meets Batman (with Rorschach VO). 

Pattison's great at Batman and WB must be over the moon. He's better than Bale for the role, IMO. Delicious side performances from Turturro, Colin Farrell, and Paul Dano. In the past, I haven't been a huge Zoe Kravitz fan, but this is my favorite thing she's done. 

The argument against the film, I imagine, will be the same leveled against Joker -- it's nihilistic, glum, empty darkness. Maybe this is all true. Maybe it won't hold up over time. But as a theater experience in 2022, without question worth the price of admission.

Importance of marriage - from the movie Departed

How To Battle Inflation on Personal Level

I don't know how others do it, but I basically live on a "loose budget." So when everything goes up in price, I buy less. Examples:

1) Cut out a road trip, or go for fewer days

2) Thai food take out instead of Sushi

3) Ride bike to work 1 day - it's good for you, too!

4) Rent books from the library

5) Bring your own wine to the restaurant

6) Hold off that lux purchase you were considering

7) Buy a cheaper car. I don't get why people complain so much about car prices. I pick the range of dough I want to spend and get what I think the best, most appropriate car is for the price. I've never been disappointed or overspent this way

8) Splurge on the little (vs big) things 

9) Cut out a subscription if need be

10) Cook at home more or make bigger batches of food to yield leftovers

11) Buy cheaper substitutes - I can go a bit down in quality on my coffee (Lavazza or Whole Foods brands are solid enough), pasta (many options), non-organic fruits/veggies, etc.

12) Buy in bulk. If you care to plan it out, use Costco 

13) Make more money 

Private Business Blockades on Russia

For all these companies severing business ties with Russia from Netflix to McDonalds to GE...how many of these companies have people on their staff with experience negotiating international peace agreements with nuclear armed foes? Just wondering if this is the smartest approach available...

"Follow The Science..."

...when it coincides exactly with the middle aged neuroticisms of suburban women.

Metaverse Application

For the first time, I can see a practical application of the Metaverse - in Vlad Putin's account, he and Russia control vast swathes of Eastern Europe whereas in actual reality, Ukrainians get to elect their own representatives and go work in Europe if they want.

Gender/Sex

I feel like someone needs to explain to me why we have gender at all if it has nothing to do with sex. Why don't we just have individuals?

Pretty Good Thread

Explaining results of the studies arguing for the "Wet Market" hypothesis.  Not conclusive, but pretty strong. Definitely lowers Lab Leak Theory a bit.

Of course this could also lead to a China used a bioweapon hypothesis.

The Other Best Assessment of Ukraine/Russia/Putin Being Passed Around On The Internet

Fiona Hill interview.

Power Politics 101

I said the same thing the other day. He has more authority on the matter:

We should be pivoting out of Europe to deal with China in a laser-like fashion, number one. And, number two, we should be working overtime to create friendly relations with the Russians. The Russians are part of our balancing coalition against China. If you live in a world where there are three great powers—China, Russia, and the United States—and one of those great powers, China, is a peer competitor, what you want to do if you’re the United States is have Russia on your side of the ledger. Instead, what we have done with our foolish policies in Eastern Europe is drive the Russians into the arms of the Chinese. This is a violation of Balance of Power Politics 101.

His larger point is the US foreign policy brought us to this point by encouraging NATO/EU membership for Ukraine.

Side note: I'm not buying the "Putin has gone crazy" argument. That's really a statement of impotence - this idea of no matter what we do, he's gonna do this thing. You can argue "Ukraine should be free to do what it wants?" But if another man's wife flirts with you, they are "free" to do so, but it would be wise to discourage it and not be alone in a room with them. 

And, there's. more good stuff on a moral vs. strategic dimension:

In other words, what I’m saying to you, Isaac, is that when push comes to shove, strategic considerations overwhelm moral considerations. In an ideal world, it would be wonderful if the Ukrainians were free to choose their own political system and to choose their own foreign policy. 

But in the real world, that is not feasible. The Ukrainians have a vested interest in paying serious attention to what the Russians want from them. They run a grave risk if they alienate the Russians in a fundamental way. If Russia thinks that Ukraine presents an existential threat to Russia because it is aligning with the United States and its West European allies, this is going to cause an enormous amount of damage to Ukraine.

One might easily come to this conclusion if instead of studying social justice, we studied maps. 

If Anyone Has Putin's Email...

...someone should forward him the video of Gaddafi's end and let him know he's still got time to turn this thing around. 

Or does he?

Logging

Film: Home Alone

The kids wanted to watch again. So...in light of recent events...

Joe Pesci = Putin

Kevin = Ukraine

Mom = Europe

Daniel Stern = Belarus 

Old Neighbor Man = Joe Biden? Xi Jinping? Suppose it remains to be seen.