On the Horrors of Gaza
I don't doubt the horrors in Gaza, only I see them as being caused by Hamas.
Why do I see it this way? Simple: Hamas takes actions to provoke the horrors. Israel would clearly prefer the horrors to not occur, but don't see an alternative.
Logging
Film: The Talented Mr. Ripley (Minghella version)
Substantially different than the Netflix version and the book, but it works well.
The most immediately different take is the conception of the Dickie Greenleaf character. Jude Law plays him as a romantic, joyous playboy. His charm is addictive and alluring. In both the book and the Neflix show, he's a bit more of a dud - a bad painter - a touch lazy, inactive. Law plays him as a wild ladies man. Plot-wise, he's impregnated an Italian girl who kills herself, a haunting foreshadowing of what will come later.
Damon portrays Ripley as a closeted, ashamed homosexual who loves Dickie and accidentally kills him in a personal fight gone awry. You might call it a crime of passion. He somewhat dumbfucks his way through the 2nd half of the film by deciding to pose as Dickie after an offhanded mistake by a hotel clerk. But the tension built by the scenarios are gripping as hell. The Cate Blanchett and Jack Davenport characters are additions (not in the book) but add several memorable set pieces and close calls in the back half. Blanchett in particular adds a nice layer of tension in the film (she believes Ripley is Dickie the entire time). Damon falls in love with Davenport's character, but tragically murders him in the end. This version of the film portrays a misunderstood man trapped by his twin taboo desires: homosexuality and the hunger to have money. It does a strong job of showing Tom's inability to "fake" his class - in particular the scene with Philip Seymour Hoffman as Freddie Miles - who judges Tom's terrible taste.
Last main difference is Paltrow's portrayal of Marge. Marge in the books is a dolt and a bore. She's a bad writer who Ripley looks down upon. In the final sequences, she's so dumb she actually finds evidence of Ripley being the murderer but misinterprets it. In this film, she knows. And this builds to one of the great moments in the film, a heartbreaking "I know it was you," moment.
In the books and tv show, Ripley is more of psychopath. He's a very internal character - almost like an unheralded artist. He's not in love with Dickie - but instead yearns to be Dicky. One way to interpret his character is that he arrogantly believes he can be a better Dickie than Dickie. This is hinted at when Freddie Miles suggests Dickie has "improved" as a painter when he is actually examining Ripley's artwork. Andrew Scott plays Ripley as an asexual. It takes Ripley's POV from the book - it's hinted at people think he's homosexual but he's either sublimated that so far down, it's disappeared or it's simply a misinterpretation of his character by others. He's also very smart and much more clever. The murder of Dickie feels if not premeditated, definitely something he fantasized about. The decision to "become" Dickie is a role Ripley's been practicing and wanting to play. Ripley loves objects, art, an upper class life. The show and book pay attention to the small details (like an artist would) in how to get away with murders and how to steal a great deal of wealth. And it's not so easy. Ripley sees himself as a latter day Caravaggio - a murderer/artist who must live by his wits to survive and live well. Everyone around him is less intelligent and he outfoxes them. This is a rare case of both adaptations being quite powerful in their own way.
Small additional note: the movie gets off to a much faster start. No time is spent with Ripley's life prior to Europe - he's just portrayed as a poor working stiff for a few scenes. In the tv show and book, he's a conman and broke as all hell. Living with rats.
Logging
TV: House of the Dragon S2E1
The same old music, style, vibes suddenly felt like a different era. It's not that the show changed, but something in the world out there has flipped. Can't put my finger on it. Rather than a zeitgeisty show, it feels like nerdcore hip hop.
And...
...I'd like you to call me Jesus.
In all seriousness, where's the proof Jesus wasn't a black woman?
NY Times...
...has a front page video about an arabic teacher in Norcal discussing the terrible situation of her 21 family members in Gaza. Without question, sad and worrisome, yet she wears a shirt in the video with a picture of the full map of Israel labeled "Palestine" and I would say to her - that! That right there is the reason for your family's suffering. I don't know what to say to these folks - but they've made their own bed. Either they're impossibly stupid or those are crocodile tears.
Agreed
Everywhere you look, there are more screenwriters and producers eager to take great stories and “make them their own.” It does not seem to matter whether the source material was written by Stan Lee, Charles Dickens, Ian Fleming, Roald Dahl, Ursula K. Le Guin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Raymond Chandler, Jane Austen, or… well, anyone. No matter how major a writer it is, no matter how great the book, there always seems to be someone on hand who thinks he can do better, eager to take the story and “improve” on it. “The book is the book, the film is the film,” they will tell you, as if they were saying something profound. Then they make the story their own.They never make it better, though. Nine hundred ninety-nine times out of a thousand, they make it worse.
Indeed. Adaptations should be held to a higher standard than originals. Instead, they've become a marketing gimmick. But all this is to be expected by an shallow, shameless, narcissistic elite culture.
Theory on Exhaustion
You often hear woke people describing their "exhaustion." They often emphasize needing "rest" like they are kindergarteners. Rest is fine. I like 8 hours of sleep. I like recovering after a workout. But that's not what these people are talking about. They are burnt out because they spend their time on unproductive endeavors. You will find the same thing with people who have shitty jobs. But at least with shitty jobs, you're getting money from it. When you're being productive, you feel energized.
Learning
Things I'm learning or re-learning in 2024:
1) Better to swim then eat than eat then swim
2) Timing the cacio e pepe right
3) Chinese bit by little bit
4) You'd be lucky to see Mt. Rainier even when you're at Mt. Rainier
5) Don't give up, but try new tactics
6) Boil problems down to their simplest expression will help you manage them
7) If you eat salty chips you will also want a soda. Better not to eat the salty chips.
8) If something costs more, buy less.
9) If you are watching more sports than exercising, this is a bad sign.
10) If subscriptions aren't worth double their monthly cost, you are likely wasting your money
11) Never interrupt your enemies when they are making a mistake. Similarly, never interrupt compound interest.
12) When in doubt, say "no."
More...
13) Spend some time doing something you are bad at. You will gain humility but also the learning curve is steeper
14) Whatever effort you think it will take, you will need 10x that amount
15) I've never experienced a runner's high but in only 20 minutes of lap swimming I've experienced a swimmer's high multiple times
Simple Moral Clarity
Those opposed to Israel are against even the hostage rescue. Completely unbelievable. The dumbass Westerners that are the audience for this are what allows Hamas to prolong the bloodshed.
Hostage Rescue
It's a terrible tragedy that Israel must kill 200 people to rescue 4 hostages. But if you believe this reflects poorly on Israel, I don't even know what to say. The blame rests entirely on Hamas.
Makes You Wonder
Chinese hiker discovers the "biggest" waterfall in China is a construct - fed by a pipe of water.
And COVID 19 definitely occurred by animal origin.
Disgusting
Biden admin DOJ going after a doctor for "leaking" documents about gender affirming care. These people are using the justice department like big tobacco used the civil litigation system.
For everyone who supports the Trump prosecution, you better hope that you're never in the position to morally disagree with a popular consensus opinion of the time.
Now They Tell Us
Secret cable post-Tiananmen square reveals 10k murdered and in some cases butchered. Thirty five years later, the depth of the truth comes out. I wonder how many in positions of power in the West covered this up and how much money they collected as a result? Clearly, this never leaked before because a lot people didn't want to throw shade on the CCP since they smelled money.
So in roughly 31 years we'll be getting the inside scoop on the lab leak.
Lab Leak
That there was no intensive institutional resources thrown toward answering the lab leak theory - something like the Warren Commission or the 9/11 Commission Report tells us the answer: it was most likely a lab leak and some US scientists were involved with funding it.
Logging
Film: Three Amigos!
Never loved this film. Still don't. Found a slight, more begrudging appreciation for Chevy Chase though. My favorite line in the film was him eating a taco where all the meat falls out. He asks the villagers "Do you have anything other than Mexican food?"
Martin Short is so weird. I wouldn't trust him around kids.
A thing about John Landis: he embodies the difference between movies and film. He aspires not at all toward art - and puts all his energy to make sure the movie functions as a movie. He should be studied in this way. I actually think he kind of mocks the notion of a "film" by some of his shots - he's making fun of cinema like -- look at how pretentious this long lens is -- I can do it without any self importance whatsoever.
Film: Ferris Bueller's Day Off
My son went bonkers for it. Several things to note:
-This is a very patriotic movie. The twist and shout sequence is like an ode to America. It's one of the best random, non-sequitur moments in American movies. Folks like to talk about the Rio Bravo song. Or the "Long Night" Game of Thrones episode where everyone just sits around talking before the battle against the dead. I'd say this sequence is better than both of those because it's straight up weirder in the context of the film.
-Mr. Rooney and all the boring teachers and staff at the school are actually doing a decent job. The level of instruction and content in the classrooms despite being boring is quite high. Voodoo economics. Use of irony and symbolism in literature. I would send my kids to this school. It would be better than 80% of schools today. I think Rooney is in the top 60% of high school principals. The guy is not distracted by trying to change the system, in fact, he merely gets carried away and obsessed with punishing a kid who makes him look like a fool. This is a good goal! He is a man taking action and trying to keep dignity in his institution. Also, Rooney allows Ferris to be Ferris. In fact, he allows everyone to be who they are. The real bad guy of the film is Cameron's father. Why? Because of his absence.
-The film is actually quite an ensemble - several characters go on meaningful internal transformations - Jennifer Gray, Cameron -- and several have quite the adventure, although they don't necessarily change as a result - Ferris, Rooney, and Sloan.
Parent Thought #2034
Whenever I heard people talk about how much their parents sacrificed for them...it bothers me. Parents who let their children know how much they "sacrificed" for the children put too much strange, undue pressure on the children to prove themselves worthy of the sacrifice. Parents should live their lives, love their children, but not act like martyrs. It's poor taste.
Bernie
Is better on the Palestinian question than nearly everyone else who criticizes Israel. Notice, he separates Hamas from the Palestinians and Israel from Netanyahu. Nearly everyone pro-Palestinian conflates Netanyahu and Israel and everyone who is pro-Israel (including me) conflates Hamas with the Palestinians.
An interesting counter-move from the one Israel did would've been to bring Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia into an alliance to take out Hamas together. Probably impossible - but one wonders post 10/7 would something like that have been possible?
TLC and Destiny's Child
Neither are my wheelhouse, but Survivor and No Scrubs are objectively 50x better than K-pop song I've ever heard.
UPDATE: On this weird rabbit hole - Rihanna an artist - the rest of these fools popstars.
UPDATE 2: All I hear when I hear Beyonce is a boring form of female ambition. When I hear Rihanna I hear pain.
I Listened to This Whole Thing
And when Briahna Joy Gray said this, I really wish someone had come in with: "oh, thank you so much for clarifying you don't support murdering ALL Jews." My God.
One thing can be said: I've listened very carefully to the most intelligent arguments for supporting what I'll call the Palestinian position...and remain - on a scale of 1 to 10 of supporting Israel: an 11.
It's Not A War
I find the "it's not a war" people among the most annoying in all the Israel-Palestine discussions...especially because they also call for a ceasefire. Takes quite a bit of chutzpuh to say this thing that both Israel and Hamas and the US and all the world calls a war is actually not a war. Also leads to pointless digressions mostly to service a lame intellectual game.