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TV: 21 Jump Street 2 part pilot 

In it, Johnny Depp didn't love high school, joins the drama club, solves a drug case, and a high school girl develops a crush on him... More elements of the 2-part pilot show up in the film than I would've guessed. But where the film places emphasis is significantly different. The film is a 2-hander and the tone satirical and humorous. The show has humor, some of which is unintentional and of the era. I remember shows like Miami Vice and MacGyver each had similar tonal elements - a strange mix of seriousness, humor (some intentional and some not), and a surprisingly big nod to social messaging (for those who object to wokeness...might want to consider whether it's providing a message or the content one objects to). 

In the end, the message here is listen to your parents and cops.

TV: Adolescence - end "season" which is just 4 episodes...

Another 99% on rotten tomatoes viewing experience. The pitch on this should be - an episode of Law and Order SVU strung out over 4 episodes shot in long, continuous takes. As one might expect this yields both positives and negatives. I find it impossible to believe audiences are impressed by "oners" anymore, but who knows...on occasion this show finds memorable small moments with characters by its formal choice - I'm thinking of the father and the psychologist, in particular. So at times you can appreciate this effort. But in the end, the "mystery" lacks even the psychological truth of a Law and Order SVU. The depiction of the family and community in relationship to the crime is so implausible as to defy reality. If one is offended by how thin the 21 Jump Street pilot depicts of black criminality, one should be equally (if not more) offended by the depth in which Adolescence "explains" white working class criminality - by essentially not explaining it - and suggesting a 13 year old from a decent family would simply knife to death a fellow schoolgirl simply because he was an incel without any prior red light warning signals. Utterly absurd. 

Why Trump Is President

Listen and learn how Democrats couldn't even implement their own policy to expand broadband access.

7 More Bil

If you wonder why we have/need Doge, look no further than CA high speed rail. An absolute heist from the taxpayer to do-nothing bureaucrats and their construction firm patrons. What a joke.

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Film: Den of Thieves 2: Pantera

I enjoy Gerard Butler in this role traipsing around Europe hanging with Serbian jewel heisters. The heist parts are well filmed, but I'm afraid Ice Cube's son weighs down the production. I remembered quite liking the original, so I re-watched the trailer and was like - oh yeah, there were a ton more memorable, chaotic characters in that one. I wonder if this is a sustainable filmmaking model where a filmmaker just basically says: I'm making a batshit crazy Heat rip off and then I'm making a sequel that's a batshit crazy version of Ronin. Maybe it is.

 

Democrats

Opt to die on this hill of trans shit while the costs mount - losing abortion rights, tax breaks for billionaires, continuation of a dysfunctional medical system, out of control housing costs, neutered educational systems, and betrayal of allies round the globe. But you can be accepted at lame social events with other Democrats. Good job folks.

They are electing JD Vance for 8 years with this shit.

Schools

Remember when public schools argued the most fervently for keeping closed during COVID? In hindsight, isn't this totally upside down? You would think schools would've been their own biggest advocates? Shouldn't the schools have been arguing for their central importance to children, families, and the society at large? Instead, they tacitly argued they were the LEAST important institutions in the country.

Their Strategy is Death

"I'm not sure what Hamas's strategy is?" 

Come on people, we regard these folks as rational actors at our peril. They yearn for death and would like to take Israelis with them. It's not complex.

Democrats

I agree if Democrats embraced policies that would prevent medical bankruptcies, providing affordable housing, and raising the minimum wage they could (and should) win. (I don't agree with the minimum wage thing because I actually studied economics, but I can see how it could be politically popular). Problem is, this is fantasy land. Because Democrats controlled congress and the Presidency for four years and did none of the above. And...Democrats controlled California for the past 25 years and did none of the above. So the truth is, either a) Democrats don't actually care about those things or b) Democrats don't know how to deliver government policy. Or both.

So when the Dems who had political power during these times - I'm looking at you AOC, Gavin Newsom, etc - now want us to believe they are shifting and refocusing priorities - sorry, no one buys it. You had your chance. You chose hypocritical COVID lockdowns, high speed rail boondogles, the woke and trans agenda, the green new deal, and forgiving student loans. Everyone was here for it and saw it. 

Okay...

Macaes "I said here on October 9 2023 that if we did not all made our best to pressure authorities in the West, 100,000 or more children would be killed by Israel in Gaza. Today I don’t know anyone who doubts this has already happened."

Strange framing. Never did it occur to him from 2007 to 2023 that Hamas could've been "pressured" to not commit mass murder?

Other strange phenomenon with Taleb and Macaes - their obsession with "debunking" the "propaganda" of Hamas committing mass rapes on October 7th. I'm not a forensic expert on the subject but it would seems to me similar to focusing on how the Nazi guards actually weren't always as bad in the concentration camps as depicted in movies or some official accounts. It's like...okay. And...? So? Perhaps some reports of mass rapes were exaggerated in the aftermath of October 7th just like after every earthquake the numbers of dead are misreported. How does that materially change anything that happened on October 7th. 

It is just such a strange, strange mindset that doesn't grasp the impossibility of dealing with a group of people who elect Hamas to do their bidding. 

The Back Nine

Bought a nice new ski jacket and realized given how I commit to things, it might well be the last one I ever buy.

Logging

Film: Black Bag

Soderbergh and Koepp doing a stylish spy flick with 97% rotten tomatoes? Seems like a home run. But it wasn't for me. Why? Some indecipherable dialog masks what felt to me like an entirely joyless enterprise. I'm all for melancholy, but this felt like a movie about miserable people for miserable people. A few strong plot twists were impressive. I wasn't bored. But never did my pulse raise, never did I feel much emotionally, and never did I laugh or even chuckle. If I want misanthropy, I prefer something like Fincher's The Killer which takes it all the way...

TV: White Lotus s3e5

I wonder if Jason Isaacs ever questioned Mike White and was like - are you sure you need me to be distracted during dinner and leave to make a phone call again? Could I try something else? In case it wasn't obvious, this is my least favorite season so far although Walt Goggins-and Sam Rockwell surprise visit was enjoyable. 

China Offers "Stability"

China out there promoting "stability" as if their foreign and domestic policy is a more desirable model than the US. If you consider active complicity in Russia's aggression, enabling the largest land war in Europe since WW2 and creating the biggest global pandemic in living memory "stability," then...enjoy your stability! Careful what you wish for...

The Phones

While a lot of the smartphone discussion centers around whether kids should have them in school, etc (of course not), the bigger issue might be - should adults be using them as much as we do? For which the answer is also, of course not.

Good Argument

This is a good argument against deporting the Columbia protest leader.  The government should be making the case he wasn't exercising speech, but rather was promoting vandalism, etc. But instead they ARE making the case his opinions/politics alone are the reason he's being deported. I still think the government has an argument that he's a guest in the country and shouldn't be here on a secret Muslim Brotherhood mission to tear down Western civilization from the inside (which is he is attempting to do...and if you doubt this, please read any basic philosophical tracts from the Brotherhood, of which Hamas is a branch). But nevertheless, we are a country of laws and amongst those laws is the First Amendment. Point is, we have the tools to handle this fool and are not using the best one.

What Is A Screenplay?

A blueprint? A self-contained work of art? 

New working theory - a suggestion of a film. 

What I'm Not Gonna Do

Is learn about the nitty gritty details of immigration law to see whether the Trump admin is out of line by deporting a Hamas supporter. From what I can tell the guy seems to be an unemployed grad student with enough spare time to disrupt classes for tuition paying students. Am I worried about the impact to free speech? Let me think about that - how much will we miss one extra robot repeating the same unpopular, anti-western slogans the Muslim Brotherhood's been spreading around the world for the past 50 years? 

Not at all. 

Will this cool radical leftist and Arab students from studying at American universities? One can only hope.

That said, I'm a huge proponent of free speech. He can speak all he wants from his home country.

Trump

Gets Ukraine to agree to a 30-day ceasefire putting the ball in Putin's court. He got the mineral deal, took Zelensky to the woodshed in public. Does this put some heretofore unknown pressure on Putin from within his own coalition? Will this give cover for elements in the power structure of Russia to gently convince Putin to cut his losses and move on? We can't know. But worth a try, right? Better than the meat grinder.

Logging

Film: Only The River Flows

Each genre has about one unbreakable rule - a comedy must be funny. A mystery must be solved. But other than that, a good one. Still...I have yet to love a mainland Chinese film.

Interesting Takes

On Trump, Ukraine, China, etc. 

America dealing with the fact that our allies are much weaker than before.

Let The Local Communities Decide

Haha. Democrat's now saying "let the local communities decide" regarding men in women's sports. Of course this was always the right answer. The only problem was the Democrats deciding to use Title IX and Civil Rights law to impose men in women's sports. Just conveniently forgetting their own agenda...nevermind the cultural pressure imposed by the activists.

Can We Stop With The "Firsts" 

A lot boasting these days about being the "first" whatever whatever to win or become whatever whatever. Here is among the most ridiculous - the first man in England to become naturally pregnant. Of course this is really just a women who took hormones and accomplished what I dunno - all of our mothers and most animals accomplish in the course of their lives.

Logging

Film: Wild Robot 

The most searing critique of this film is that it's made for over-moms. You can imagine this type dragging her child to this film and Taylor Swift concerts, giving the children no space to be themselves, viewing her child as a "runt" who can only survive due to the mother's effort. Munchausen by proxy propaganda.

3 Nights

Taken me 3 nights to get through 40 minutes of White Lotus S3E3. Not a good sign. We've passed peak White Lotus.

Good Luck With That

Palestinian woman says she will "never surrender." Not really sure exactly what she means but that. Oh wait...yes I do. Her people will be further immiserated for the next 75 years.

The obvious thing for the Palestinians to do is give up the violence and get rich and beat the Israelis demographically. But that would require discipline, patience, and strategic thinking.

Democrats

Used to be fun and have their hearts in the right place - standing up for the little guy against the powerful. 

Now...they've become the party of the dysfunctional neurotics - joyless, envious scolds.

No wonder they're losing.

This Bit

Is better than anything in the film. 

Logging

Film: Conclave

My least favorite film of the nominees so far (that I've seen). Ridiculo 3rd act.

Zelenskyy-Trump-Vance Blow Up

I watched the entire interview. Several thoughts:

1) This was not a prep-planned ambush as some in the American media ridiculously suggest. Clearly, it was a formalization of a deal that did indeed blow up at the last minute.

2) Anyone whose ever dealt with a difficult deal in business or law will recognize the emotionality and tone of the discussion. The strange element was that it was all caught on live TV. But don't listen to pearl clutchers.

3) Zelenskyy did indeed "start it" but Vance quickly escalated, rather than de-escalated. I found this dynamic rather odd as Vance had been silent the entire time and it was clearly Trump's show. But Trump then seemed to jump to Vance's defense and get really mad at Zelenskyy.

4) Deep annoyance with Zelenskyy clearly preexisted.

5) I really did not like Vance's escalation, asking a guy fighting for his country and life to come here and "thank" (grovel at the feet) the current admin. Trump and Vance are perfectly willing to fawn over Putin in diplomatic terms. How about giving a guy and a country who are fighting a much larger and more powerful foe a bit of respect for being the front line of freedom.

6) Side note - for those of us few true blue "liberals" who remain, the person in the US we should most worry about is Vance. Trump is a moderate, a deal maker and egomaniac who wants things like peace and economic opportunities to build. Is this such a bad thing? Vance is not cut from the same cloth. This guy is a real deal hardcore social conservative the likes of which we have not seen wielding significant power in the United States. Stop comparing him to other conservatives for a moment and think about this. JD Vance is smart and learning on the job. Consider how Biden sidelined Kamala within the first year of his presidency and sent her to the kids table. She did nothing for four years. Trump is training Vance. He's in the room with Zelenskyy and Putin. This guy is young and in 4 years will inherit Trump's campaign and political apparatus. He stands to be elected President for 8 years. And this guy is hardcore pro-life. He is not joking around on this issue. This guy would abandon Ukraine in a heartbeat. He does not for one second care "what's happening over there." This guy is not what we would call a "man of the world." He believes in "America first" and we will find out what that means. He's a hillbilly, essentially. Is he evil? No. Not at all. But he is also not a liberal. And he's going to run a superpower unless somehow the democrats can get their act together (they won't).

7) Despite the blow up, all the same incentives for a deal exist. And they will continue to exist. 

8) I wish Trump or Vance could articulate this better, but the proper historical consideration here is Germany post WW2. We did not insist on "freeing" all of Germany and go to war with the Soviets over it. The West kept hold of what we could - West Germany and drew a line in the sand. I recognize what Zelenskyy is saying about not rewarding invasion, etc., but ideas are not concrete reality. Europe and Ukraine cannot deter or defeat Russia on the battlefield. They can hold the line and so hold the line is what they will do. They cannot expect America to jump into the fight against a nuclear armed power and risk WW3 for 19% of their territory. It's a ludicrous ask.

9) And here's what needs to be said behind the scenes. Of course Putin will break the ceasefire when he can. So make it difficult for him to do and play for time. Crimea was 10 years ago. So keep your country alive for 10 more years. What happens then? Putin will be 82 years old.