Our "Elites"

As I've suspected/known from years ago, Pfizer executives held up the vaccine trials for political reasons (ie to avoid Trump getting reelected). These brilliant idiots killed thousands of their countrymen to get a dementia patient elected and provide us 12 years of Trump stealing oxygen ether rather than 8. Bravo you idiots.

An AI Tell

Good writing has a "hang out" quality to it. Meaning on some level you want to hang out with the book, script, author, etc - at least for a bit. When I read AI (and maybe I'm not using it correctly yet), I don't feel this. Everything takes a bit too long. Too many caveats and big, unnecessary words. Everything feels a bit generic. Overexplained. And not very fun. Like you want to punch it. 

Question

What percent of Mandarin speakers around the world immigrate back to China for better lives and opportunity? I figure the answer to this question will tell you a lot.

Newsom

After 7 years of letting homelessness fester in all our major cities, spending billions on "combatting" it, finally Newsom decides to "ban" encampments. What a complete piece of shit this guy is. He trashed our cities and wasted our money for his own political convenience. 

Shameful

Of all the people who knew of Biden's decline, not one called for him to resign. Why not? You call yourselves patriotic Americans? You can yourselves responsible citizens of the world? We had a President with dementia in charge of nukes and the "free world." You think the Russians and Chinese didn't know this as well?

When push came to shove, these folks chose partisan political calculations over wisdom. And the most pathetic thing - it didn't even work! They still lost the next election.

I Suspect

This will not work. 

Trump's prescription drug plan will likely lead to fewer new drugs being developed. 

Logging

Film: The Empire Strikes Back 

Watched with kids...they laughed out loud when Luke reacted to "I am your father." Striking thing to me - the film goes on for another 10 or so minutes after this climax with another climax -- Millennium Falcon escaping from Vader with Luke aboard, etc. Star Wars should be studied not for dialog or special effects, but how editing impacts storytelling. 

Film: The Equalizer 3

Watched over the course of several nights...went to finish the film and realized I had finished it the night before. It was that memorable. I wonder how many days Denzel committed to for the paycheck...my guess is 15. 

TV: Common Side Effects

Good show but has internalized all woke liberal platitudes of the moment which means it can only be admired but not loved. 

The Real Move

Would be to trade war China and vow to protect Taiwan until they get them to halt Russia. But that would take a lot of balls and brains.

Property Destruction

You'd end the campus property destruction tomorrow if you made the protestors pay for it. 

The Pakistani Bomb

Was designed and assisted by China, just for some historical context.

A Common Theme

For those who've started wars recently - Russia, Pakistan, the Palestinians - they all have the implicit or explicit "backing" of China.

Nothing to do with Trump. 

It was Barzini all along. They are testing Western resolve and capabilities.

Logging

Film: Sinners

We are being gaslit with this film, right? I don't remember Blade or From Dusk Til Dawn getting rave reviews...this is a messy mash up I tried to like but didn't give me much to hang onto. Sorry, I'll pack my bags to the gulag.

Nextdoor

My casual observation - a lot of dog-related posts. Must be some type of overlapping demographic. 

Dumber Idea Competition

Is tariffing movies or rebuilding a prison on Alcatraz a dumber idea. I can't tell. The weird thing - and I say this as an "idea" person myself - I prefer Trump's dumb ideas to his opponents who have no ideas (one of the reasons why they embrace wokeness and related concepts).

Yes

Safetyism: if the acceptable amount of risk is zero, the acceptable amount of activity is zero

Trumpism is preferable to Safetyism because it's easier to dismantle.

Movie Tariffs

Everything is a gimmick for attention with the guy and I'm increasing my odds of thinking it will end badly. 

VT

Total world stock now actually up for the year. Question. 2 weeks ago every Trump critic on the planet was using the market drop as evidence of his poor governance. Does the opposite hold? Or is the narrative the market stopped Trump's foolishness? Seems to me he got his tariffs on Chinese goods, got his DOGE, got DEI on the run -- whether the tariffs will be effective remains to be seen...