Black Kids Socialized Into A White World

I get the authors main point here, although I'm not a fan of reducing all these types of discussions to black and white. I think she's making a smart observation, however, that "socialization" can too easily veer into stigmatization and put kids into boxes they don't belong to make the lives of teachers and bureaucrats easier at the expense of developing kids. It's a challenging situation that requires vigilance on many levels - that of parents, schools, and communities.

Second Home

I'm tempted to mock, but I confess to thinking this sounds pretty cool.

Kids

NYTimes piece on "End of Babies," asks a lot of the right questions and yet feels totally off.

The article focuses on Capitalism as the culprit (of course) and pays a few nods toward declining religion. But what about Culture? We opted for a dowhateveryouwantism Culture. Should we be surprised that a lot of people dowhatevertheywant instead of settling down?

All I know is that in the 1980s everyone mocked the cultural conservatives, but as far as I can tell, their warnings about what was happing inside our culture were more prescient than any other political, social, or technological group.

Bill Maher and Stephen A Smith are both growing on me a lot.

Kapernick

Feels like the folks (myself included) who spotted this Kapernick psychodrama from early on ought to be vindicated by the events of this weekend, but of course, no one who "supported" him will see it this way. People who see the Kapernick as a victim of systemic racism see the world as having a grand narrative of oppressor and oppressee and shoehorn reality into that narrative.

Impeachment 

1) The aid to Ukraine was given and Biden's son wasn't investigated. Suggesting, in fact, the opposite of a quid pro quo.

2) Even had there been something resembling a quid pro quo. Is what Trump wanted "bad"? To investigate corruption? Let's put it another way, if he had done the same to Mitch McConnell's son would the Democrats care? The answer is no.

3) Even if what Trump did was "bad," by framing it around investigating a political rival - does it amount to an impeachable offense? IE does the punishment fit the crime? I imagine a resounding "no."

4) Does Biden's son being compromised stop anyone from voting for Biden? I don't think so.

Standford Students Protest Ben Shapiro Putting Them At Risk

Their rhetoric suggests they are cowards, but dig a layer deeper and the truth is they're tyrants.

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TV: Watchmen S1 E4

Impression: show getting too big in scope too fast and will implode under the weight of its own lofty themes. Like other Lindelof shows, from what I hear.

UPDATE: And Adrian Vite is going to fling himself into space and eventually land on Lady Trillionaire's clock, right?

Evidence of my first thesis.

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TV Movie: El Camino

If you're a fan of Breaking Bad and Greatest Hits albums, watch it.

Fat Landry.

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Book: Adventures in the Screentrade by William Goldman

Should of read this years ago, although I imagine I understand it better now.

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TV: Watchmen Ep 2-3

My new favorite show.

Popcorn Please

Maybe I'm a tad evil, but I'm somewhat enjoying the "Ok Boomer" phenomenon, especially as I am neither a Boomer or a Millennial. Is it too mean to think both groups deserve the headaches they are giving each other?

Clear Thoughts

After reading about her tax plan, hell would need to freeze over before I voted for Elizabeth Warren.

ABC reporters knew about Jeffery Epstein 3 years ago and the story got squashed. Come on! I don't want to believe in conspiracies, but this one is getting preposterous. The conservative twitter universe is right to point out the media rushed to give voice to Christine Blasey Ford and any woman who would make up total BS about Kavanaugh, and yet quashed this story because it wasn't juicy enough!

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TV: Watchmen - Pilot

Vaulted to my favorite show on TV immediately although I suppose that is not saying much.

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Film: Red Sparrow

I was not into it.

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Film: Dolemite Is My Name

One of the better movies about both the creative process and the business of being an artist. I prefer this to The Disaster Artist, I think. And that's high praise.

This Strikes Me As An Interesting Development

The Daytime Emmy's eliminate gender distinction in giving out Young Actor and Young Actress awards, and instead replace it with Outstanding Young Performer.

If I'm reading this correctly, it means there will be one award given per year instead of two.

Might be worth seeing where this goes, because because if there's one thing Hollywood folks enjoy more than being on the cutting edge of wokeness, it would be giving themselves awards.

When they figure out one is less than two, I imagine some people will be miffed.

Stay tuned.

Where Can I Buy This?

An American cheese named best in the world 2019.

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Film: Parasite

Terrific. Pair with Shoplifters.

Huh

Study shows the wealthy and celebrities have not changed their flying habits to reduce CO2.

I'll change my habits when the "leaders" change theirs.

I Wish I Could Draw A Cartoon With the Caption --

NBA players "Can we just shut up and dribble?"

Yikes

Steve Kerr's response to being called out by Trump.

"The same people who are asking me to stick to sports are also asking me to expand my horizons," Kerr said. "I guess that's what I'm hearing. Again, I will speak on the things I'm comfortable with.

Ummm...I take this as a mischaracterization of even Trump's position. Trump is pointing out how willing Kerr is to disparage his fellow countrymen for not agreeing politically but then silent on a NBA BASKETBALL story involving geopolitical foe of the United States. Trump is calling out Kerr's hypocrisy, not suggesting he should become a China expert. And then this:

"As far as North Korea, I don't know much about North Korea. As far as the Ukraine situation, I don't know much about the Ukraine situation. We could just go around the world and maybe I can pinpoint a couple others I'm comfortable about, but this whole thing is so ridiculous. Again, we're fortunate in this country to have free speech. I exercise that. But part of having free speech is also electing not to speak if you don't feel comfortable about something."  

Kerr declined comment when asked if he felt Morey should be fired for sending out the initial tweet. 

"I choose not to be a soundbite tonight," Kerr said. "Probably too late for that tonight. I choose not to be that soundbite."

It sure comes across as craven and a weasel out. Ukraine, North Korea, etc, none of those issues are related to the NBA. This one is. This directly impacts the league Kerr and all the players are a part of. This is what makes the sudden silence so telling and odd. No one expects them to be Chinese history experts, but it is completely wild that NO ONE wants to comment on an NBA GM almost getting fired over harmless tweet that hurts the feelings of an authoritarian power.

The reality is China WAY overreacted to the Morey tweet. They are bullying the NBA in a foolish way. And it's a strange world where these NBA guys are willing to pounce and criticize their own countrymen, President, and fans on issues and then fall silent when a geopolitical authoritarian foe might get their feelings hurt. A lot of folks think this is about the money. I actually don't. I think the NBA guys got flat footed on an issue they don't care about at all. Fair enough. But should've thought about this possibility when they started using the NBA platform to get fans to care about issues they don't care about. It goes the other way too, it appears.

The hypocrisy is what annoys people.

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Film: Joker

A dark, grumpy movie and it seems like Todd Phillips is in a bad mood. It's a bit derivative in that, it just takes the same idea as Nolan's/Ledger's Joker and digs deeper. It pays homage to King of Comedy and Taxi Driver, but this only adds to the derivative nature, methinks. All that said, on a technical level - on cinematic/artistic grounds - come on folks - it was impressive. The story conceit, a small character study of the Joker with about 8 total characters in the film. The acting, the cinematography, the use of dance. It was good. I'm impressed on cinematic level. The cultural level...I don't really know what to say other than I was sitting next to a group of what seemed to me impressionable young men who were cheering when the Joker rose from near death and that struck me as maybe a misreading of the film.

My Suggestion

NBA players wear sneakers with Taiwan flags on them. Double down.

Good Point

Do we ever see the story where the media wonders whether a member of the "liberal block" will "set his (or her) politics aside" to reach a result he or she might regret because neutral application of interpretive principles so commands?

So I Get This Right

Many often vocal NBA folks are keeping silent on the Morey tweet, Hong Kong, etc. Fair enough. They say they are being sensitive to Chinese fans, but of course what they mean are powerful Chinese business interests because even rudimentary "research" into the issue would reveal what is going on - the Chinese communists are circling the wagons.

But as long as the NBA folks are being so "sensitive," let's make clear who is safe to offend and who is unsafe to offend.

Safe to Offend/Hurt Feelings/Disrespect:
Democratically elected President of United States
Police Officers
Veterans of foreign wars and pretty much anyone who thinks the US flag ought to be paid respect.
All Trump supporters
All Republicans
All social conservatives
Hong Kong Protestors risking lives for freedom

Unsafe to Offend/Hurt Feelings/Disrespect/Speak Out of Turn:
Totalitarian Chinese Government and their paid underlings

Am I getting on my high horse? Yes. Is it easy for me to get on my high horse? Yes. But my point has long been: it's also cheap and easy to be "woke." The question: does "wokeness" comes from truly felt values, or is it simply a pose / fad. Unfortunately, I'm cynical on these matters (based on experience) and view the majority of wokeness as a fad and not an expression of deep moral principles.

The Morey tweet brings it into focus.

Jemele Hill

And I've finally found an issue I agree Jemele Hill on. She nails it.

UPDATE: How do I square this with Kap? Easy. There are such things as a positive and a negative right. Neither of these issues are exactly "rights" issues, but the model for thinking works. Kap does not have a "right" to play on an NFL team. But Morey does have a "right" to not be fired for speaking freely. In fact, Kap was never fired at all. He knelt at NFL games and wasn't fired as a result. His situation was quite a bit more nuanced and complicated. This Morey tweet situation isn't nuanced or complicated AT ALL. Morey said what he said on twitter. It alienated a foreign government interested in holding onto power who now insist he be removed. The entire situation is pure capitulation to an authoritarian regime for money.

That Said...

...Think about the fact that the GSW refused to visit the white house, but not a single person associated with the NBA (or sports world) has come out in support of Daryl Morey's position on Hong Kong protestors who are risking their lives to hold onto values we proclaim to care about.

Adam Silver

Has adopted, I think, the exact right tone and approach to dealing with China's anger over the Daryl Morey tweet. Ball's in Chinese government's court on how to proceed and it wouldn't surprise me to see them fumble.

Ouch

Rolling Stone and Matt Taibbi are calling bullshit on the "whistleblower" and Ukraine-gate.

BAER: You know, my guess, it’s a palace coup against Trump. And who knows what else they know at this point.

Trump keeps looking better in comparison to his opponents. If you just read the Ukraine story, the Biden situation seems the most fishy.

He's Not Wrong

The treatment of the tea partiers by David Brooks and the establishment media and politicians gave way to Trump.

Tea Party was polite, inoffensive, and worried about the size of government. Their policy goals were ignored by Washington, they were called tea baggers and racist by the media. And we're surprised they gravitate to Trump?

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TV: Succession S2

Addictive.

TV: The Righteous Gemstones S1

Highly enjoyable. Some great actress discoveries...

Film: The Princess Bride

Noticed this time around Humperdinck and Count Rugen were obviously meant as gay S&M lovers. Clues:

1) Chris Saradon's performance.
2) Chris Saradon isn't the least bit interested in Buttercup, the most beautiful woman in the world.
3) Their couple-esque tiff over Humperdinck being too busy to watch Christopher Guest put to work his torture device.
4) The torture device "sucks" the life out of you.
5) Christ Saradon's performance.

Wonder when the cancel culture comes for Princess Bride...

Oh Greta

Environmentalism is for rich white people, and so is life without religion.

If climate change activists were serious, they wouldn't have its spokeswoman be a 16 year old girl. It reveals their madness, not their rationality.

I'm interested in how the powers that want to take radical political steps to combat climate change have their personal money invested. If anyone who believes the world will end in 10 years has any SP500 funds, I'm not believing them.

Why Doesn't This Surprise Me

Climate change protestors leave NYC a mess.

I'm all in favor of preserving the environment in a reasonable, orderly manner, but I'm not in favor of indulging the neurosis of thousands of privileged liberals.

Rent Control

If there's one thing economists all agree upon, it's rent control is a very, very bad idea.

So naturally, California has passed a state wide rent control bill.

It will exacerbate housing problems in the long run and help those who passed it get reelected in the short run by buying off renters.

0% Interest Rates

Trump calling for 0% interest rates seems to me something a radical Leftist or someone who believes in Sharia Law might say.

Not a good sign for the direction of the world, but I suppose this is what you get when the elites game the system to their own advantage. The masses will fight back.

Are We Supposed To Be Surprised?

Walter Mosley - one of the most prominent working black novelists - is fired from a writer's room for using words that made other writers uncomfortable.

The absurdity is beyond.

Unabomber Manifesto

A strange read.

Please don't take this as an endorsement of mass murder, but everything he says in the manifesto is more true today than when he wrote it in 1995. Sometimes like 4-5x true. Take that as you will.

Wellness At Work

Turns out employees don't need so many wellness benefits to be happy.

I go the other way on this and would correlate wellness benefits with workers being UNHAPPY. What workers need:

1) Good paycheck
2) Autonomy
3) Feedback
4) Coffee
5) Clean bathrooms
6) A little space

The rest is bullshit. I have a benefit at work like flex spending for childcare. Fine, I save in taxes, but it takes effort and work to fill out reimbursement forms. I need much much less of that kind of shit and would rather just take a bigger paycheck and or a higher IRA match. Keep it simple, stupid.

I'm Betting on Hong Kong

Be water.

As powerful and committed as Beijing is, the protestors are part of the revolt of the public. CCP is 20th century, these guys are 21st.

The Public vs. The People

Fascinating Martin Gurri podcast on the revolt of the public.

We "the people" have got a real problem on our hands: the public. They're leaderless and defined by what they oppose and hunt in rabid packs. My prediction: they will eventually go after everyone's money (hint: they already are in subtle ways). They are laying the groundwork for it.

And to study the public, we ought to study infants and toddlers as I see similarities between the two.

This Could Be One of the Biggest Events Of Our Lifetime

What will become of Hong Kong.

Sad

Why are Americans not in more vocal support of the Hong Kong protestors? Protestors are non-violent, want self governance and freedom from authoritarian rule. They are facing down the most powerful autocratic government in the world who threatens the use of military force, who has employed such military force on their own population before, and yet, no one in America gives a shit. Maybe this is part of America's long history of isolation, or maybe it doesn't neatly fit into the current ideological narratives of the moment.

Why don't these Congresswomen who are so vocal against the Israeli state's injustice not equally vocal against the Chinese state injustice? Why don't they promote divesting from China?

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Film: T2

Watched a little bit after reading the script and doesn't hold up as well as I imagined, or the script.

A-Fucking-Men

A good article about Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.

Alfred Hitchcock once said that cinema is life with the boring bits taken out. If Richard Brody wants to see “political protest, social conflict, any sense of changing mores,” there is no shortage of movies now that address social justice and society’s other ails. Tarantino makes an appeal to Aristophanic virtues, those of irony, passion, beauty and song. At a time when everything is soaked in political resentment, his principle aim is not to bog us down with ever more crises, but to distract us from them. He is not interested in New Hollywood’s naturalism or anti-Hollywood’s moralism. He doesn’t care who wins the du jour culture war. His is a bright, prismatic fantasy of Hollywood. It’s ahistorical, it’s a myth. It’s pure Tarantino.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Re-Watch

Takeaways on 2nd viewing:

-Tarantino films are the only films that consistently make me want to make movies. I imagine others in the business feel the same. The vast majority of films - whether good or bad - don't inspire me to want to make anything. I have theories on why this is, but for another post...
-Brad Pitt definitely killed his wife.
-Leo's performance underappreciated - he plays Rick as a stutterer who loses his stutter when he drinks.
-Tarantino writes the story toward set pieces, which is why it feels uneven. He doesn't value "structure" very highly but plants and pays off very well.
-I stand by my initial claim the sequence at the Spahn Ranch is the best in the film, although upon second viewing the Bruce Lee - Brad Pitt dream sequence was pretty excellent.
-The entire movie takes place over the course of only 2 days with a few flashbacks. Night of Day 1 through end of Day 2 comprises about 2/3 of the film -- about 1.5 days. The final third of the film happens on half a day.
-Anyone offended by the depiction of Bruce Lee should be equally offended by the depiction of Steve McQueen which was more cartoonish IMO.
-Tarantino gets excellent performances - in general - from smaller actors without much acting skill, but who possess something right for the part. In this film, Margaret Qualley and the three Manson killers are examples.
-Never bored
-Audience cheered for Leo's flamethrower.
-Audience chuckled at Brad Pitt's line "don't cry in front of the Mexicans."

-OTHER THING: Narrator is used to build tension where we think Tarantino is documenting the Manson murders, but instead reminds us we are in a fairy tale.

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TV: Seinfeld Re-runs from season 6

Greatest show ever -- knew exactly what it was and executed it consistently. Majority of episodes are more subversive and provocative today than any other show on TV.

Jemele Hill

Is a social justice warrior posing as a sports fan.

I promise you she never watched Kap play in his last two seasons. I also promise you she knows nothing about soccer, yet writes about how the women are unfairly paid.

Meaningless Life

On the despair felt by these school shooters.

It’s important to remember that these murders are also, in most cases, suicides.

Robert Putnam chronicled our societal transition to disconnectness nearly 20 years ago in Bowling Alone. Now, we face the daily horror of this stuff and instead of doing anything to change, we double down on the blame culture and discuss gun regulations which would solve and stop nothing.

Once Upon A Time in Hollywood Thought

I wonder if the critics who want more dialog for Margot Robbie simultaneously think the movie is too long.

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Script: T2

Arguably the great action movie of all time and the greatest sequel of all time for the way it ironizes its predecessor.

Book: Black Echo

I was told Michael Connelly was of a different caliber than say, Lee Child. Maybe this is a right, but I nevertheless found this book to be a bit of a slog. Nice twist toward end, but...made me realize something: maybe I don't like the detective (and its cousin, the spy) genre as much as I thought I did. The whodunit aspect are continually unsatisfying and I keep thinking author execution is to blame, but perhaps it is the genre itself...

Mass Shootings

Do liberals honestly believe if Trump didn't get elected or didn't tweet we'd see any less of them?

These mass shootings are a horrible virus. I wish the news would stop covering them. I wish our communities had the resources - both financial and moral that were strong enough to cope with the 3% of folks who are basically nutso and need psychological help.

Why We Have A Populist Uprising Across the World

Rage dad goes viral.

Wall Street promoting "Beyond Meat" to the public while the insiders get out.

Elites wonder why the masses are rising against them? This is why. How many times does this need to happen? Public doesn't grasp the details of how and why, but they know they're being systemically fucked.

Gender

Someone does a gender breakdown of dialog lines by women in all Tarantino films.

Because I know when I watch movies, what I'm most looking out for is the number of dialog lines split by gender, race, class, ethnicity, etc.

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Film: Den of Thieves

A shameless Michael Mann rip off, but nevertheless somewhat enjoyable. Heist details were quite good.

Unpopular Global Warming Thoughts

Is an easy solution to the problem of global warming moving to colder climates of which there are many? Isn't this what earlier humans would've done?

I often hear people talk about global warming, I rarely see anyone taking any action whatsoever in their every day lives to help curb global warming. I will believe we are in a crisis when the people who say we are in a crisis act like we are in a crisis. That said, a few things people could do, but won't or don't:

1) Move to a smaller house
2) Move to a closer commute
3) Travel by car or air less and train instead
4) Make less garbage, and by that I mean not getting Starbucks and all those paper cups with plastic lids
5) Eat smaller portions of meat.

These seem like reasonable ideas and very doable. Yet, I rarely see anyone choosing them.

Drastic, difficult to implement ideas seems crazy to me - so for instance, why do we...

1) Attempt to pass global warming legislation like the Green New Deal which also tries to tackle all sorts of other weird progressive ideas like guaranteed jobs program?

2) Why do we encourage people to give up meat altogether when an easier, more reasonable solution would just be smaller portions?

3) Why would anyone who thinks we are in a global warming crisis not immediately support nuclear power generation as the solution?

Unhealthy

Americans continue to promote and participate in an unhealthy national culture. Our biggest problems are cultural, not political. We continue at our own peril.

Once Upon A Time in Hollywood

Is it strange I am liking the film the more I read about it? Even the "bad" reviews? Or is the film oxygenating like a nice red wine? Why am I thinking about it so much? Why does it make me want to rewatch it over other QT films?

Is this a movie only for Tarantino fans? For movie fans? For those seeking some other way of thinking about our current politics? For people who like movies about male friendship?

Is the film's messiness intentional in some way? Why does he use that narrator? Is it basically a hang out movie?

Did Tarantino just make Zodiac meets Dazed and Confused? Or Jackie Brown meets Inglorious Basterds meets Death Proof?

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Film: Shoplifters

Filmmaking at the highest level.

Marianne Williamson and Reparations

Heard her discussing the idea in more depth. Odd to admit, I'd be open to a discussion about reparations for descendants of slaves as a way to replace race-based affirmative action policies.

Pointless, Illegal, and Impotent

Gavin Newsom is really hitting the trifeca here. He's been really effective as governor, first passing legislation against hair discrimination and now trying to remove Trump from the California primary ballot. Meanwhile, people flee the state because of high housing costs, homelessness is skyrocketing, and we spent something like 40 bil on a high speed rail train that might never run.

Oh vey.

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Film: Once Upon A Time in Hollywood

Still gathering thoughts...

Netflix

Is there a version of the future where Netflix and Lifetime are of equal quality drama?

Liberal Bias In Media

Once you become aware of it, I find it hard to unsee. On my iphone news, I've been getting a lot of articles about Abigail Disney talking about bad working conditions for employees and how Bob Iger is overpaid, etc.

Now, it's not that I disagree with her on substance, but I find her access to the bullhorn strange. First of all, I've never once heard of this woman. Her only claim to fame is being the granddaughter of Walt Disney and having a shit ton of money. Most trust funders and rich kids keep out of the news and don't criticize the CEOs of their grandfather's companies. My point is: the only reason she's in the news is because she's spouting off on topics the liberal news find acceptable -- ie criticism of big business, criticism of Disney working conditions, etc.

I wish Abigail went a step further and talked about what a shit show the Disneyland experience is for customers. Middle and lower middle class families shelling out hundreds of dollars to wait in hours of lines and consume sugar.

My point: she's gets a microphone because there's conflict with a touch of irony and a liberal agenda.

As a counterexample: there is a massive scandal at the Department of Education about thousands of teachers who fulfilled requirements to get their school loans forgiven, but the Department rejecting en mass their loan forgiveness for various little things like clerical errors, not reading the small print, etc. There has been little to no news coverage of this failure by the Federal government to live up to promises made to hard working middle class Americans in financial distress who perform an important job to the future of our country. There are a few scattered articles and good radio piece on the scandal from NPR, but certainly not widespread media attention. Nothing near the coverage Trump receives on a dodgy tweet or even this Abigail Disney thing. This is akin to the government punishing and stealing from teachers serving underserved communities. I mean, can you imagine a more awful thing to do? Many of these teachers dedicated a decade of service only to be told they owe loans plus interest for that time.

The question is why?

And the answer is simple. Because the liberal media doesn't want to make the Department of Education look bad. They don't want to make the Federal Government look corrupt and incompetent when it comes to education policy (which it is) because they want the Federal Government to take a bigger role in education and public education. The scandal doesn't help the liberal policy or political agenda. I'm pretty sure this is why we don't see the media beating up the Department of Education on the scandal. Why aren't AOC and Elizabeth Warren talking about this issue? This issue should be a layup for them. Why? Because it doesn't make just make Trump look bad. It makes all of them look bad. So there's silence.

I also think the Department of Education is fixing the scandal. But since when is this reason for the media to go quiet on an issue? This should be a warning shot to those who propose forgiving all student loans and anyone with big ideas about how to "fix" education from a federal level. The feds have created the student loan mess, can't even execute the existing policies they have, what makes us think such a plan would could be pulled off at all?

Teaching

Reading vs. Knowledge.

Interesting read. Strikes me that a lot of our political vitriol is due to a lack of historical understanding. I mean, these folks pushing reparations act as if this idea hadn't been tossed about before and dismissed for reasons too numerable to count.

Yikes, Trump

So I thought the Dems had lost 2020 with Blasey Ford and all the subsequent nutso positions and decisions, but somehow Trump managed to basically punch himself in the face here.

Instead of letting the Squad and Pelosi just rip themselves to shreds. Instead of grabbing a cocktail while watching the Democrats make themselves unelectable by raising their hands for providing health care to illegal immigrants, Trump weighs in with a non-sensical tweet about the freshman congresswomen "going back to their home countries and fixing them." The most absurd element: only one of these Congresswomen, as I understand it, are even from a foreign country. Beyond being xenophobic, the tweet doesn't even make any sense.

Dumb.

Blasey Ford

When the truth all comes to light - and it will - is the lone voice of reason and truth teller gonna be Melania Trump?

Irony

Crowd shouts "f--- trump" in wake of the women's world cup victory. And they complain about Trump being crass...

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Film: The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Wistful, nostalgic, emotional. At times, boring. At times, beautiful. Not much story and what there is, not particularly well told. A few powerful scenes. Utterly not like what we see on TV. Maybe what need more of.

Anti-Woke Left

Meet the anti-woke left.

Glad We Solved That Problem

Gavin Newsom signs into law regulations against discriminating against hair.

No Ideology or Religion

Rami Malek has conditions on his playing a Bond villain.

Also, he should not have opinions, thoughts, or desires. Last, he will not look like anything either. Oscar.

Too Little Too Late

Joe Scarborough tweets a vent against woke Democrats and Nike and says they're lighting themselves on fire and will reelect Trump as a result.

Trump got reelected when they put Christine Blasey Ford up there knowing full well she was probably delusional.

Whitlock

On the difference between Rapinoe and Kap.

I agree with him. And still haven't watched a second of the Women's World Cup.

Where Nike Stands

They pull shoes with the American Flag from the shelf, along with shoes designed by a guy who supports the Hong Kong protests.

Guess we know who owns Nike now.

Dewey Decimal System

And now they've come after Dewey.

Drunken Epiphany

The reason none of the Democrats can beat Trump is that there isn't a single one you'd enjoy getting a drink with. Think about it. If you ran across these folks at a cocktail party, you'd run the other way. Say what you will about Bill Clinton (maybe a rapist) and Barak Obama (maybe feckless as a leader), if they were at the bar, you'd want to chit chat with them. Am I wrong?

Joe Biden. I'd be awful afraid of long winded one-sided conversations.

Kamala Harris. I can think of few things less pleasant than hanging with KH.

Pete Buttigieg. Snooze.

Cory Booker. I'd be checking my emails.

Bernie. Fun for a few minutes. And then very very old.

Elizabeth Warren. Would feel like you were talking to the school principal.

Tulsi Gabbard. Close, but ultimately, isn't she just kinda weird?

Beto. Good from far but far from good.

Castro. Ugh. As enjoyable as a head cold.

Yang. Nice guy...maybe...smart...okay...I need to go to the bathroom.

Point is this. On the debate stage, the only person who'd actually be fun to hang with is Marianne Williamson and if you want to understand the appeal of AOC...let's be real...she'd be fun to shoot the shit with. Everyone else. I'd choose Netflix.

Question For Democrats

If healthcare is a human right and immigrating to America for opportunity is a human right, shouldn't also housing be a human right? Shouldn't everyone have a house? So lets just add that to the list as well for the "rich" or whoever to pay for while we're on it.

Brief Thoughts On Democratic Candidates

Kamala Harris. She seemed to capture the spotlight and be "on brand" for what the Democratic Party has become. That said, I really, really do not like her at all. She comes across as a joyless scold and completely cynical. She is also backwards looking in the worst way, assuming a mantle of victimhood about her days of being bussed to school in liberal Berkeley California as if she grew up in the South. Please.

Joe Biden. Seems old.

Pete Buttigieg. Too young and without any significant political or business accomplishment as far as I can tell. Maybe is smart and maybe has some good positions, but his most attractive traits are: served in military, gay, rhodes scholar -- all things done in his 20s or before.

Bernie. Comes across as energetic and genuine and clearly makes his points against big business, but I don't agree with his solutions and nor do a vast number of Americans.

Marianne Williamson. Did an incredible job of making herself visible. Seems like she practices Wicca. Kinda like her being in the mix. Would bet my entire live savings she won't become President.

Hickenlooper. I don't think so.

Swalwell. Seems like he's running for Pres in order to get a job.

Gillabrand. I had never heard her speak before and only knew her by reputation. I actually thought she got her POV across well: she's an advocate for women. And I found her more likable than I imagined. I prefer her to Harris because I don't think she is a completely joyless cynic. She seemed to have both broad ideas and elegant solutions for them. I'm not sure her about her priorities or whether those solutions are realistic or legal (ie public funded elections).

Bennet. Somewhat unremarkable, almost like a bad VP candidate.

Yang. Poor guy got ignored. Seems to be his own guy. Like that he's got ideas, even though I don't think they have any chance of gaining traction.

More On Debate...

...didn't watch all, of course, but what Dems fail to account for in demonizing large companies is that many Dems actually work for these companies, want to work for these companies, buy these companies products, and are mostly happy with these companies. That's why they are companies!

The way the problem ought to be articulated is that sometimes the incentives of these companies are misaligned with the public interest. Not only is this more true than reducing all problems to the issue of greed - but also frames the problem towards a workable solution.

Same with this student loan ridiculousness. The students loan crisis is the result of a well intended government policy that created perverse incentives. To pay off loans is a cheap, short sighted solution that will only incentivize more of the very problem we are trying to solve.

A way to approach the student loan problem:

a) Recognize IT IS A PROBLEM.

b) Recognize part of the "fault" lies with people taking on too much debt in an irresponsible manner. Parents and college students are adults and bear responsibility for their own actions.

c) Recognize the colleges bear responsibility for their escalating costs and have chosen to raise costs because people are willing to finance through government sponsored debt.

d) Recognize the government is complicit in the debt crisis by subsidizing loans.

e) Recognize part of the problem is our employment system / ie employers who use college degrees as a screen to weed out candidates.

I think the solution will require attacking the problem on multiple fronts in a "blitzkrieg" method.

1) Incentive companies to abandon college degrees as a screen for jobs that don't actually require a college degree and incentivize "apprenticeship" programs.

2) Put colleges partially on the hook for any and all student loan defaults of their students.

3) Create incentives akin to matching 401k contributions to paying back loans (better than simply writing folks a check).

4) Cap loan amounts students can take. You hear about these extreme cases where students are 100K or more in debt. It's crazy. If it costs that much, go to a different college.

That's just a start.

I Wish

You could bottle Cory Booker's expression when Beto launches into a Spanish answer to a question that wasn't asked.

Elizabeth Warren saying Latinx was an unwelcome sign. I don't know any hispanic folks who self refer to themselves as Latinx, so to hear Elizabeth Warren doing it strikes me as phony, only slightly less than going around calling herself Native American.

As I'm listening to this debate, it seems to me there is consensus amongst the Democrats that everyone in the country - esp women - should get free healthcare and free higher education and all the "big companies" are evil and the cause of our woes.

She's Not My Type

It's ironic to have the President of the United States making uncouth jokes about "serious" matters and late night comedy hosts lecturing him on it to applause, but that's 2019 America.

Fascists

The students at Bowling Green who insist on removing Lillian Gish's name from the theater.

Here's how you know they're fascists -- no one -- literally, no one -- talks about Lillian Gish. She is of no significance to the current culture whatsoever. And yet, they've targeted her. This is insanity and purely about the exercise of power and the attempt to seize control over institutions and minds.

So there's all these people out there who want to imagine themselves brave by standing up to the evil government of the USA and the evil corporations and all the racists, etc. But of course, they aren't brave at all -- this is the trend! They are not punished for their positions as Civil Rights protestors were. They are not put in the crosshairs of the British Authorities as the Colonialists were. They are rewarded and celebrated. See Ava Duvernay, a basically incompetent filmmaker celebrated only for her self-branding as a race-crusader.

The fascists are right here showing their colors and the response by all these "brave" people is the same response from all the sheep throughout history: silence.

23 Million Views

For "When They See Us." Netflix should be required disclose how many of those viewers were sleeping.

As George Costanza Could Tell You

...White females disclosing parole matched at a higher rate than White females not disclosing parole. (while online dating)

Adults in Charlie Brown

You know how they sound? Wa-wa-wa, etc. Listening to a podcast when guys get really into a hockey discussion. I guess I know how most women feel around guys talking about sports... It's like a foreign language.

All You Need To Know

San Francisco bans e-cigarettes. This is the 21st century version of Monsanto creating both the disease and the cure. San Fran / Silicon Valley is where the e-cig is created, then banned within the same borders, and happily exported to the rest of the world. So many layers of dysfunction.

Logging

Film: Booksmart

I am an idiot for being suckered by the trailer. Booksmart is an objectively bad movie. Bad, as in, the story is poorly told. All the major "turns" of the story are false and driven by the sense the story must change direction and not by any emotional logic. The basic visual storytelling tries to hide a "style" behind what amounts to illiteracy. It's like a reading a book with grammar mistakes.

What can be said in favor of the the movie is the casting. It's good. Two main girls have chemistry. Side characters are vivid as well and many are given nice moments. Some standalone scenes and even sequences are pretty good - particularly towards the end. But as a whole, I would not recommend the film to anyone with somewhat decent taste in movies.

There are other major sins. The lesbian storyline(s) have zero sexual chemistry. None. And in doing so, reveals something about the intentions behind the marketing and making of the movie. It's overly concerned with being a female-empowerment, LGBT empowerment, a Girls-can-make-Superbad too kind of film, and swaps any soul that might've been for being "woke."

Go watch Fleabag instead. Or Superbad. Or Sideways. Or shit, even Riverdale.

Ugh

Jemele Hill defends the women's world cup team for scoring 13 goals and celebrating after 9.

The shameful part is that how the U.S. women’s soccer team celebrated on the field will cause more of a stir than whether the players are paid fairly. Despite having won three World Cup titles, earned four Olympic gold medals, and generated millions of dollars more in revenue than the men in 2015, the women sometimes earn 38 percent of what the men earn per game.

If the women want equal pay, they should try marking Mbappe and see how it goes. The reality is they probably play at level of D3 college guys, so the other way to look at it is that they're lucky to be making any money at all.

Freedom of Speech

For those who say what we want to hear.

So Is This Article

The TV is too damn long.

Good For Them

Hundreds of thousands Hong Kongese protest new Chinese extraction laws.

Suspicious

You ought to grow suspicious of your ideological beliefs if the solutions to what you believe are the most pressuring problems involve general immiseration.

Here's CurbedLA touting the benefits of recession to the housing market.

Income inequality would greatly be diminished with a massive stock market fall.

And global warming could be solved by the majority of the worlds 7 billion people returning to poverty level conditions or dying off more rapidly.

Just saying, careful what you wish for.

Fake News

The story about Americans being unable to come up with $400 emergency expense is wrong.

It's actually not just wrong -- it's a lie. Because the folks promoting the story have an agenda and promote the story with the intention of misleading.

I'd Like To Sit This One Out

Chinese audience prefers pale skin actors.

I wish we could put the Chinese Communists in the ring against the "Woke" and just have a Mountain vs. Viper duel and deal with only the winner.

I Kind Like Clarence Thomas

An article on him.

“People who will get very upset if someone said all blacks look alike are really comfortable saying all blacks ought to think alike,” Justice Thomas said.  

“If you said that blacks should not be allowed to go a library, you’d be against that,” he said. “If you said that blacks couldn’t read certain books in the library, you would say that’s wrong.”  

“But now we are so comfortable saying that blacks can’t hold some of the ideas in some of the books in the library,” Justice Thomas said. “That’s absurd.”

He's not wrong.

Movie of the Year, By Trailer

Starting last year, I now believe I can predict the movie of the year by a trailer.

Last year was A Star Is Born. And I kinda still think the first act was the movie of the year.

Here is this year's.

Wokeness is Language

Word usage at NY Times.

The argument against wokeness is an argument about how the woke are changing language to suit their political end goals. The argument for wokeness is that people are finally "awakening" to the horrors of what are around them. See the plot of GET OUT. And it's the most subtle form of delusional thinking we have going today, ranking above 9/11 Truthers, Anti-Vaxxers, Flat Earthers, and those who believe in Astrology.

And Who Is To Blame Now

Democrats control a supermajority in California. The state is solid blue, electorally. And yet, we're in the midst of a haves vs have nots crisis in housing, and opted to do NOTHING about it.

Can't blame Trump for this one.

It's almost like the Dems want the boost in ego one gets by pretending to care for those less fortunate, without actually doing anything to care for the less fortunate. Is it incompetence? Hypocrisy? Greed?

All of the above?

Unsurprising

Charts of how much terms like "white privilege," "unconscious bias," "diversity training," etc have exploded in the last 10 years.