The Problem with "Meritocracy" and its bastard cousin, Affirmative Action/DEI

We replaced the WASPY privilege and the corresponding myths with meritocracy and its corresponding myths. One of the myths of meritocracy are that the people with power and positions hold those positions through their own grit and perseverance. This is why Chelsea Clinton can make a TV show called Gutsy with the theme of "Nevertheless She Persisted." You may recall, Chelsea was raised in the White House and is the closest thing we Americans have to a princess. Now, this myth has some good features. Namely, it gets people to work hard on their own career and not fall into the trap of self-pity, there is a downside: they have no sense of duty or honor.  

We see that with this secret service agent Kim Cheadle. She is a shameless, clueless figure without a shred of honor. Obviously, she must resign. Because whatever failure occurred is her fault. She can't see it, though. Because in her eyes, she followed the best practices she knew and this incident is "bad luck" for her. You saw the same with all these female college Presidents. Nothing, you see, is their fault. Because everything they've done in their entire lives has been against all odds in their own minds. They truly believe they have earned and accomplished these bureaucratic appointments through the sheer force of their own hard work and skill.

UPDATE: Cheadle resigned before I could finish my post. Note, she only resigned after literally everyone called for it. She started to feel unpopular and disliked and got the clue she wasn't welcome at the party anymore. Not because of what I outlined above...

Still...

All that said, I personally prefer Kamala to Gavin Newsom mostly because she's done less. Newsom however is electorally battle tested. Won two terms as Governor and Mayor and fended off a recall. He seems to know something about politics, much as I dislike how he governs.

Democrats Doing It Again

I know people think it's racist when you say Kamala Harris is a DEI candidate, but the real reason she's a problem: she's not battle tested. She's won one real election. She became a US Senator for 1 term running against another Democrat in California. This means she has literally never beaten a Republican candidate except as a VP candidate as part of a ticket. Democrats are doing the same thing as with Hillary - Hillary hadn't won real elections. They thought marrying into power meant something to voters. They though serving as Secretary of State was good experience for winning elections. These things only meant something to diehard democrats who really wanted to see a women in power. Even Young Obama had been both a State Senator and a US Senator and overperformed when he ran against Hillary in the primary. Harris has the opposite track record. She underperformed when running against other Democrats. 

Yes, there is a chance she overperforms in the same way there's a chance every season that Anthony Edwards or Devin Booker or someone rises from a behind position from pack to take an NBA championship. It's just rare and quite unlikely.

Maybe the Dems think this election is lost anyway, so get Kamala out of the way for the future. 

Good Question

Why didn't America use its world historical wealth to build beautiful cities? 

He Doesn't Want to be President

By signing this bill, Newsom signals he doesn't want to be President. 

For Example

An example of what I outlined below perfectly illustrated by this: True Detective Night Country emmys.  

I stopped watching the show. And yeah, fine the creator of the show casting shade on the remake was unprofessional and perhaps in poor taste. But celebrating what was so obviously inferior television. Come on now. Perfect example of sacrificing quality for the feelings of the people who worked on the show coupled with this bizarre obsession with boosting the self-esteem of marginalized groups.

The esteem of the people on the show more important now than the audience. 

Toxic

The toxic combination of DEI, safetyism, and bureaucracy almost got Trump killed. 

On ABC News, the director of the US Secret Service said the "sloped roof" of the building the would-be Trump assassin carried out his attack from was a safety hazard and that a decision was made not to have an agent on it.

Because the point of overly feminized workplaces is to serve the workplaces and not the mission. So here, they prioritized the safety of the Secret Service rather than the duty of protecting the President. This happens nearly everywhere now in America and it's why we're in decline. 

Tim Robbins

Used to be a poster child for deranged leftism, now he seems like a reasonable centrist. 

To anyone drawing a parallel between my film Bob Roberts and the attempted assassination of Trump, let’s be clear. What happened yesterday was a real attempt on a presidential candidate’s life. Those that are denying the assassination attempt was real are truly in a deranged mindset. A human being was shot yesterday. Another killed. They may not be human beings that you agree with politically but for shame folks. Get over your blind hatred of these people. They are fellow Americans. This collective hatred is killing our souls and consuming whatever is left of our humanity.

Time doing a number on us all. 

Assassin

Seems like he was a lonely, bullied kid. My guess: suicide by secret service. 

Sad all around.

Observation

I get these DEI workshop things from work sometimes. Latest one is let's learn resilience. In the past, they offered "coloring" sessions. Often about decompressing, destressing, etc. It feels to me like stuff kids do. I dunno what's going on with these people - it seems like they want to go back to kindergarten or something. 

Meloni Faces

This is my favorite ongoing bit in international news - Meloni faces. 

It started with her "death stare" to Macron.

Now, it's her Biden eye roll and scowl.

What I love about facial expressions - they harken back to childhood and even ancestors - I feel like some of these expressions obviously came from her own mother, father, or grandparents. It's like ghosts from the past reacting to the present.

Marlon Brando Once Quoted 48 Hrs. Back to Eddie Murphy During Dinner

Eddie Murphy is weird, but there's quite a number of glimpses into the old star in this interview. I laughed out loud at the joke toward the end. 

Logging

Film: Axel F

Turned off.

Film: Unfrosted

Okay, but finished.

TV: Presumed Innocent

Not as good as the film I remember, but I'll finish it.  

A Lesson From Joe Biden...

...you can ignore the noisy intellectuals because they have no real influence or power to make anyone do anything.

Israel

Seems to me the timing is right to come to some sort of a deal.

In fact, this Saudi position does not seem crazy.

One thing that needs to be explained to me: why can't Gaza and the West Bank have different statuses? Could a Palestinian State be formed in the West Bank with Gaza TBD after 5 years of disarmament or something along those lines? I can see why Israel cannot be seen to be rewarding Hamas. But at the same time, they don't seem to be able to "finish the job." Israel needs to fight quickly and remain flexible. So why not give the carrot to the West Bank and the PA since they've already given the stick to Gaza?

Ukraine

Fascinating video here of a young Ukrainian guy arguing with some young Russian babes over the internet. He makes such strong, compelling arguments. They are floundering between various innuendos and lies, none of which make any sense even to themselves. Oddly, they cannot even bring themselves to criticize the United States - it almost seems like they admire the US. 

Is there a Palestinian equivalent? And no...I do not mean some European or American leftist...an actual Palestinian who can make a similar argument? Probably not. One of his most compelling points is this: you attacked us. We started nothing. No Palestinian can make the same case. 

Uruguay

Is favored against the US in soccer today. The country has a population of 3.4 million.

World War II 101 - SNL

If you're wondering how we got to where we are.

Big Surprise

Social justice lawyers got the medical establishment to lie and not conduct scientific reviews because they knew transgender procedures wouldn't hold up to scrutiny.

Wow. 

The Debate

Only watching bits...but yeah...it was bad. A couple random thoughts:

-What really makes this terrible for Biden and the Democrats is the dementia patient performance matches with popular perception of the Biden presidency. It would be one thing if things were going well. They are not. The middle east, eastern europe are falling into chaos - exactly what you'd expect with an emperor with no clothes. So this performance validates what we see with our own eyes.

-Many think this is a Biden-specific thing. I don't. It's a Democrat thing. The Democrat worldview is a big package of lies and incoherence. Biden exposes it for what it is: incoherence, brought together for one purpose only: power to redistribute resources. It's the only thing Dems agree on: sucking the public tit. Dems have no vision for this country. Half the party doesn't even like the US. Half the party wants illegal immigration because in it they see a way to win elections in perpetuity. Half the party wants US allies to lose wars. Half the party wants special privileges for minorities - but especially women and blacks. The Republicans can be criticized for being a cult of personality and beholden to a number of crummy ideas. But say what you will about Trump: he at least has a vision for the country. Maybe it's a delusion vision - the entire MAGA idea - but it's going up against no vision. The closest thing to a vision the Dems have is what can broadly be described as wokeness. But half of Democrats don't even like wokeness. The Party a big pile of nothingness - and Biden is the perfect symbol for it. Weekend at Bernies. To support this thesis statement, allow me to present exhibit B: Kamala Harris. She is equally incoherent and her age isn't the issue. She just doesn't know anything. She's got the right optics for the wokies, but with her cynical background of hootching herself out to Willie Brown and being a prosecutor - she alleviates the insiders concern for the fanatics taking over. She's just another emperor with no clothes. The only thing the Dems can agree upon are candidates that express the Party's deep know-nothingness.

Logging

Film: Horizon P1 

While the rest of Hollywood ruminates about the wretched state of the industry, Costner decides to spend his own money to make a throwback, 9-hour, 3-part Western saga to be released in the theater about the American dream. For all its uncoolness and imperfections, I'll take it.

Transrace

Makes a lot more sense than transgender. 

But It Won't Matter To Progressives

The impact of $1000 basic income was slim to none when given to homeless people. 

The thing isn't the thing. The thing, in this case, is providing fake jobs for progressives in government, think tanks, etc. 

Like with the pro-Palestinian protests in the West - the thing isn't the thing. It's just grievance politics and hatred of competition. Anti-capitalism, anti-white racism repackaged.

Imagine

If the Palestinians spent their time doing literally anything other than terrorism for the past 75 years...they could've randomly decided to become basket weavers...and probably would've dumbfucked their way into being world experts at basket weaving by now. And by simply not doing terrorism Gaza would be a Mediterranean tourist mecca instead of what it is. Makes one think.

Film

Logging: Mad Max: Fury Road 

Hadn't watched since theatrical experience - plays significantly better in the theater. Hardy isn't at his best here, IMO. I much prefer Furiosa to this film right now. There are some good parts, don't get me wrong. A lesson in filmmaking - one of the first major set pieces is supercharged by the relationship story - it's the first time Max and Furiosa work together and we see through the action how they begin to trust and respect one another. It's the best part of the film. There's one absolutely cringe dialog scene toward the end of the 2nd act that in addition to being on the nose, was also nonsensical. 

There's a strange beauty in the plot simplicity. We drive here, then we drive back. The final image/scene lands - I wonder if this is one reason why people like the film so much...

China

Observations from a recent visitor to China. Doesn't sound like a place I'd want to be. Internet over there seems to have taken a strange turn.

EVs

Half of US drivers of EVs thinking about switching back to ICE.  All the government incentives can only goose along systems. At some point, they need to work on their own terms. 

Unless electricity generation were to become dirt cheap, I don't see a huge upside compared to alternatives like living close to work. And hybrids. Also, batteries in general seem wasteful to me. 

That said, I prefer the lower pollution levels with at least some significant percent of EVs on the road. 

Mixed feelings overall. 

Data

From Vice website, the article "How to Suck Your Own Dick" substantially outperformed "How to Decolonize My Desire." 

This validates my preexisting worldview.

Logging

Film: Furiosa

Best movie I've seen in the theater this year. Gripping, visceral, action-packed. Got me excited about movies again. The ending was subpar, though. The "feminist" themes are entirely superficial - this movie is about harsh political choices that men must be made to survive. It's also about peacocking. Hemsworth is the most interesting character - does no one recognize this? He is the soul of the film and asks the major questions. Best choice ever: Ana Taylor Joy barely speaks. It was wonderful. Also, her character is a kid for half the movie played by a great young actress. And then there's this Jack character they introduce - incredible! This movie needs to be watched for the colorful side characters, the costuming, and the physical acting staging. I seriously can't go over how good this was. If this was a lower budget film or a foreign action film - something that wasn't "familiar" at this point - it would be one of the most exciting cinematic achievements in recent years. But because one senses a Hollywood sequel with feminist themes or an Ana Taylor Joy vehicle - it dramatically undersells what this film is about.

Note: filmmakers are getting ahead of the marketers - thank gawd... Marketers sell Furiosa and Barbie as feminist tales. Good! Trick the females into seeing the real message - in Barbie - it's become a mom and find meaning. In Furiosa it's - look how tough it is to be a good man in this world. 

I've Noticed

Democrats know no boundaries. It seems like AOC here promoting people from outside Bowman's district voting for him. Which is of course, illegal. Personally, I suspect this happens in my hometown. 

The other thing: this is the guy who pulled the fire alarm. How he's taken seriously anymore...beyond me...but then again, Marion Berry won an election after being caught smoking crack, so... 

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. 

Cal State LA

Something to note: even at Cal State LA, where they were entirely permissive toward the pro-Palestinian encampment - basically just let them do whatever they wanted - eventually they too needed to call the cops to get rid of them. 

Always gonna end the same way with these folks. You can take the band aid off slowly or all at once.

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. 

Putin

Hanging in Pyongyang.

Is this what winning looks like? Begging Pyongyang for guns. Relying on the Chinese for material support. Russians are playing a dangerous game of chess. Ukrainians are their tough brothers. Russia would be doing better as part of Europe and a bridge between China and West. Sigh.

And...

...I'd like you to call me Jesus. 

In all seriousness, where's the proof Jesus wasn't a black woman?

Logging

Film: School of Rock 

A highly pleasurable, classically constructed Hollywood movie. Good for kids.

 Quote

“Never try to convey your idea to the audience - it is a thankless and senseless task. Show them life, and they’ll find within themselves the means to assess and appreciate it.” ― Andrei Tarkovsky

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. 

Logging

TV: Ripley S1

A good case study of whether high level execution at all levels can overcome a lack of passion and vision.

Agreed

GRRM on adaptations. 

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.

Juneteenth

How much less racism is there since we established Juneteenth as a national holiday? 

Pay Elon

The man deserves every cent. I have no problem with CEOs who succeed getting paid. It's the CEOs who fail that should give up their salaries.  

Nice Job Zaslav

Charles Barkley retiring. 

What an absolute group of clowns we have running things in this country.

Thanks Gavin Newsom

In and Out raising prices due to minimum wage increase and inflation. 

Verify You Are Human

I get these buttons sometimes on websites that say "click here to verify you are human." I'm not a huge "AGI is going to change everything soon" guy, but I think they could figure this one out.  

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. 

Logging

Film: Hit Man

A bad combination of corny and moral vacuity. 

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

Austin Powers (1997) - it's a man, man/baby!

For pride month, I owe the audience a succinct visual statement outlining my position on the T issue.

PS - Basil Exposition's acting performance here is incredible.

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.

Weird World Observations

Biking along the bike path, many people use phone earpieces and scream on phone calls while riding. This seems new to me. And strange.

Vaping indoors. I see this a lot now.  

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.

Men's Sports

What's the data on trans men in men's sports vs. trans women in women's sport? I imagine this single data point would tell you basically all you need to know.

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.