Hot Take

This strikes me as naive.

The argument that Palestine should not be recognised in order not to reward Hamas partakes of the same genocidal logic we see in Gaza: the inability to distinguish between the Palestinian people (maybe 15 million, old of one century or two, rich in culture and history) with Hamas

Why is it up to Israel and the so-called West to define Palestinians? The Palestinians need to define themselves. And as far I can tell, they communicate very clearly to world who they are via their actions and reactions. So when Hamas is elected in Gaza, that tells me something. When Hamas is unopposed in Gaza, that tells me something. When Hamas commits atrocities against Israel and is celebrated, that tells me something. Now perhaps you say: Palestinians don't really support Hamas, they only do so because of fear. But if that were the case, the Palestinians would actually work with and celebrate the Israelis doing their dirty work for them. And I see no sign of that. 

I'll admit for sure, the joe-average Palestinian finds themselves in a very shitty position. But somewhere along the line you gotta decide as a people/group - what's more important: armed struggle against more powerful opponents? Or finding a way to live peacefully amongst neighbors? And they have decided. Wrongly, in my opinion.

This is Right

And in this respect, I am more Christian than liberal - something I never thought of as true. And this entire tweet is incredibly well put.

If I view you as a man with genderist views, I see you as a male who holds a set of beliefs I definitely do not share. But if you tell me to call you a transwoman and expect me to treat you as a female, you're trying to coerce validation of your belief system. /end

A question for me in day-to-day practice - out of politeness, I call people what they want to be called. But is this cowardly? Coercive? Perhaps I shall start calling people trans and be more overt than just adopting the pronouns? 

I Sort Of Follow the News

And I'm totally unclear what Trump was found guilty of... 

Logging

TV: Ripley E2

A careful, black and white, beautiful bookish adaptation of the novel. Period details are chef's kiss - the vehicles, clothes, setting. And then the intro to the Freddy Miles character. Played memorably by Philip Seymour Hoffman in the film. I'm watching. Thinking...did they make Freddy a girl? That doesn't make sense? But no...still named Freddy? Is this a weird male actor? I have no idea what they've done. This morning, I remember how weird it was watching this last night as I was falling asleep. So I check IMDB. They cast Sting's child who identifies as They. So I guess that means no gender. But I kinda just want to know what the fuck I'm watching - a 13 year gay kid or a transgender women....a little internet sleuthing reveals this is Sting's daughter. 

What a strange decision in this show. So much attention to detail to recreate a 1950s show and then they introduce the most 2024 of ideas in a major way. 

We might be underestimating how much influence the show Hamilton had on entertainment. Not for the better, IMO.

Weird Games We Play

One way current practices structurally undermine things like heteronormativity and whiteness - we force students / learners into things like DEI workshops to emphasize the underprivileged and disadvantaged. So it should not be a surprise when these kids come up with "ideas" that feature queer or non-white characters. Because they want audience approval. I see this firsthand - it's almost a default for any writer these days to include some LGBT characters to check the diversity box - and some do it better than others. But then the knife gets shoved in. Because if you're not actually LGBT or a minority writer, you will be criticized in this language, "Are you sure you're the right person to write this story?"

Now the really good or great writers will not fall into this trap. Why? Because they know themselves and have developed a voice. The autistic and stubborn also avoid the fate. But the young ones, the sensitive, the learners find themselves checkmated...

Logging

Book: Pick-Up by Charles Willeford

Picked up this Crime Novels of the 50s collection to read Ripley. Finished Ripley on a high only to start right up on this next one. Here are a few lines that made me laugh out loud:

"Sober, I was always embarrassed about my appearance, but I didn't intend to stay sober very long."

"Gin was my weakness, not women, but with a creature like her...well, it was enough to make a man think."

Gonna read other stuff this man wrote.

Logging

Book: The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Nothing like traveling to get in some reading time and what a great reading time it was. Looking forward to diving into the adaptations of this. Highsmith a misanthropic maniac and wonderful writer. 

Perhaps

The people in charge should be the ones with questions rather than the ones with answers. 

The Proof Is In The Pudding

The overreaction by the stalker portrayed in Baby Reindeer by suing Netflix, etc does a good job of validating her protrayal.

Similarly, the venomous turn against Israel we see in the Global South and progressive West demonstrates why the creation of Israel was so important in the first place. It's a Jewish insurance policy against what the Nazis, Arabs, Romans, and Egyptians all tried to do. History doesn't repeat - but it rhymes. 

ICC

Announces arrest warrants for Sinwar and Netanyahu. A reminder they also issued an arrest warrant for Putin last year.

I am reminded of Ned Stark ordering Tywin Lannister to report to King's Landing to answer for the crimes of his bannerman.   

Logging

TV Show: Baby Reindeer

I deeply suspect all characters in this show would be in favor of freeing Palestine. 

Wisdom

Salman Rushdie on what a Palestinian state would be right now. 

Had I Known That Type of Thing Was Looked Down Upon...

Diddy video. 

Women in the Workplace

This mirrors my lived experience. 

And All Of A Sudden...

The world shifts. This is a remarkable list of political changes for the Dutch government. Are they really doing all this?  

Logging

Film: United 93 

On rewatch, still an astonishing film in my opinion. Just brilliant. I'm not even sure what other films one can compare it to. Battle of Algiers?

Harrison Butker

The difference between Butker and Kaepernick is that Butker is better at his position. 

Ant on Joker

"I just laugh..." "I don't know what we supposed to do..." 

Gut Impression

The West stupidly committing suicide. We are Hamlet. Can't decide upon anything. Can't decide if China manufacturing or global warming a bigger threat. Well folks - what is it? I know what it is. But you don't. You've been lecturing on global warming for years...so much so young folks are gluing themselves to artwork and refusing to have kids...and now we say - hold up, we DON'T WANT cheap Chinese EVs. Huh? Does that mean global warming ISN'T an existential threat?

Europe roots for Ukraine like the war is a soccer match. 

Any NBA coach of the remaining 8 teams would be a better presidential candidate than Trump or Biden.

Logging

Film: Challengers

Zendaya has the swag but not the chops of a movie star. Nor does she have the legs of a professional tennis player.

Encampments

Maybe they are best understood as more affordable rage rituals.

The Sad People

What does it suggest that the folks who claim Israel is committing an intolerable genocide are unwilling to call for the one thing that would tactically end it: Hamas surrender. Or Hamas leadership resigning. In my mind it tells you everything. It means either:

1) They don't actually believe a genocide is happening and are play acting to damage Israel's reputation

2) They want Hamas to survive more than they care about this "genocide"

Maybe It's Always Been This Way

But yesterday I realized amongst young adults that it's more socially acceptable to admit you believe in conspiracy theories about 9/11 than it is to say something as banal and true as the 9/11 hijackers were religious fanatics. 

The Real Lesson...

The Kurds, Uyghurs, and Yoruba people should take away from the Palestinian example is that they just need to start ruthlessly murdering, raping, and sending rockets at their neighbors to get what they want.

Prediction

Hillary on the failures of Palestinians to get a state. 

I am coming around to the Netanyahu point of view - is there any evidence a Palestinian state would be a good thing?

Losers

It strikes me our civilian and military leadership prefer that we and our allies don't win wars. It'd be one thing if they didn't want to get involved with wars - that would be lovely. But we seem to pick the worst of both worlds - getting into wars and not winning them. Totally batshit crazy.

Russia-Ukraine

For the record, if Ukraine had invaded Russia and murdered thousands of civilians, I'd be supporting Russia in the war.

Taleb

Is so far off in his analysis of the Palestinian-Israel conflict it makes me think less of him in other domains. Here, he compares the Palestinians to early Christians.

Did I miss the part in the bible when the early Christians went around murdering and raping the Roman "occupiers?" Or the suicide bombings? Which Book in the new testament features those parts?

Oh...and the other difference...they were fighting to worship the Son of God, not to reclaim some some olive groves that were bought and/or confiscated 75 years ago when they lost a war.

Hamas Accepts Peacefire Deal from Egypt

That's a bit like the Lakers accepting an Anthony Edwards trade from Denver. 

Brilliant Tactic

Jewish students infiltrate pro-Palestinian encampment and sing Israeli national anthem. Protest within the protest. On what theoretical grounds can the protestors object?

The KKK

I bet somewhere some remnants of the KKK are observing these pro-Palestinian protests with envy and thinking to themselves, "why couldn't we get this level of institutional and international support?" 

What An Idiot

Biden calls Japan xenophobic. 

These Terrorists Need Better PR

Wow, they are bad on TV. 

So Obvious This Would Happen

UCLA vigilantes step in to take down illegal encampment. 

If authorities won't enforce common sense, individuals will. This is America.

Please, Please, Please...

I would chip in for airfare if the expelled students took up this scholarship offer to an Iranian University. 

This would be the most incredible natural experiment. My prediction: the Iranians would realize - holy shit, these students are fucking nuts. And the Americans would realize: holy shit, this country sucks.

But it would be wonderful to see. 

Dumb Ideas

We should replace all DEI training with Econ 101 training. Imagine how much better our public policy could be.

From John Cochrane. Uber gave in to pressure and allowed tips on the platform. Drivers loved it as wages went up. That brought in more drivers, led to longer wait times and base pay going down. In end average price/wage right back where they were before= equilibrium response.

California raises the minimum wage. Results are: higher fast food prices, fewer fast food workers. Increases the pace of automation, decreases the amount of fast food profits - a new equilibrium will be found and who will it benefit? Hardly anyone.