This Is A Good Conspiracy

Were TMZ staffers cheering Charlie Kirk's death or cheering because of a car chase at the exact same moment?

I Disagree

Mainstream media are reacting to the Kirk killing with the appropriate sobriety. But the Left side of the aisle are still willfully blind to what's happening here. They want to make this an issue of political violence on "both sides" is rising. That is wrong. Straight up. Or even if partially right, it obscures the issue. The issue is political violence on the left has become normalized, supported, and tolerated ever since 2016. The immediate left-wing reaction to Trump's election from the get-go became fantasizing for his murder. No one can deny this. I guarantee every single left winger around the entire country has been in a social situation where someone made a joke about killing Trump. Anyone who says something differently is misremembering or lying. The casual use of terms like "fascist" and "genocide" and "racist" to describe any political opponents is deliberately laying groundwork for violence to be committed against your political opponents. This is the problem. 

Political Murder

There's a chance right at this moment, with the glimpse into the abyss, to move back from it. 15% of the far left crazy liberals won't do it. I can only imagine the thoughts being expressed on Blusky and Reddit right now. But the so-called "rest of them," and the normies who were silent every time they heard their peers quietly make pro-Luigi or "if only the Trump shooter hadn't missed..." comments can indeed, if they want to, stop participating in the madness and put the loonies back into place and force their politicians to do the same.

This Is Actually Correct

A democrat calls boob jobs and filler "gender affirming care." 

Gender treatment and boob jobs DO fall into the same category - but it's called cosmetic surgery. It is not medical care. It's making someone look the way they want to look. 

Now personally, I find this to be a waste of money most of the time but if people want to do it, we live in a free country. And I think it can even be good for some people when used in moderation. The problem with the so-called "gender affirming care" is putting it into the category of medically necessary treatment. Boob jobs are not what we would call medically necessary treatment. The question is about whether medical insurance (government and private) should be paying for these things. I think the answer is quite obviously NO, especially if we care anything at all about the cost of medicine. 

Said Better Than Me

"If you are even 1% happy someone has been shot because you disagree with their opinions, you are the problem."

Right Winger

Charlie Kirk has died. 31 years old. I didn't listen to the guy much, but as I understand it, his schtick was to go to colleges and debate left wingers. Real horrible stuff. Now watch the left wingers push the blame onto him and Trump for "hate speech." Hate speech on the left is anything they disagree with. These people are fucked up and deserve nothing but misery.

Right Wing Violence vs. Left Wing Violence

When is the last act of violence committed by a right winger that received any tacit endorsement or celebration by the mainstream right wing? 

Whereas-

Trump attempted assassination

Luigi 

And now Charlie Kirk

All receive tacit, quiet cheerleading on the Left. Fuck them.

Ben and Jerry

Angry at parent company for not supporting their political attitudes. 

If you want freedom to express political opinion through business, you can't sell out. Sorry. No sympathy.

Sometimes

When I read quotes or selection on the internet, I sometimes don't know anymore whether they are earnest or mocking. 

Sounds Like The Next Thing Trump Should Solve

No one can find the tv ratings of the WNBA since Caitlin Clark injury.

A Conflict

Too many people in China accept being slaves, but too many people in America think they are kings. 

But Bandara Is Not in Control of Ukraine

This analogy falls completely apart when you realize a far right wing lunatic is not the power in Ukraine. 

If Ukraine was indeed governed by a group "worse" than Russia in no way would we support them.

'Mickey (James Gandolfini) May Do Time' Scene | Killing Them Softly

Gandolfini

No one breathes like Gandolfini.

Ned Beatty's NETWORK speech-by Paddy Chayefsky

Was He Right?

Maybe, maybe not. At least consider there is a still a thing as the USA whereas IBM, AT&T, Dupont, Exxon, etc, no longer hold quite as much sway...

Stones

These kids have more stones than Malcolm Gladwell, one of the premier public intellectuals in America. Think about that. 

Bad Idea

Surgeon commits insurance fraud to get his legs cut off. "

Hopper had suffered from body dysphoria since childhood and saw his feet as an “unwelcome extra” and a “persisting never-ending discomfort,” said defense attorney Andrew Langdon.

No words.  

Troll Level: Big Boss

Trump DOJ considers ban of transgenders from owning guns. 

You see the trap he's laid? Is he going to get Democrats to support gun rights? By their own logic, they should support the ban and hope to extend it, but in so supporting, tacitly acknowledging that trans people are mentally unwell. 

Big Boss level.

And You Wonder Why They Don't Thrive

Houthi children vow to drink American blood. 

I think our elementary school kids could take 'em, but most Americans (not me) would not boast or talk about this.

What We're Up Against
 

Logging

TV: Alien: Earth e1+2 

The majority of TV shows the critics laud, I find bleh...I explain why to interested parties...thrillers don't work as good in TV, the ideas are derivative from the movies, acting caliber lower...and then the argument changes to - but you gotta admit, it's good for the TV show. I guess...but isn't that a bit of a bait and switch? I thought it was supposed to be good for an addition to the Alien franchise. Now it just needs to be good "for a tv show?" With a budget far far beyond most tv shows. Married with Children is good for a "tv show." It's made on one set. This seems to have the budget of Avatar. I dunno. I don't think it is good compared to similar scale and budgeted productions. Also, not particularly original. Even the casting seems to remix face-types from the first Alien. But you can't get faces like Yaphet Kotto and Harry Dean Stanton anymore. Too much lotion and shit. Also, why did the Alien slaughter hundreds of people and then just decide to kidnap one of the main characters at the end of episode 2? I'm confused by some stuff. 

Logging

Documentary: The Truth About Jussie Smollett 

The real subject of the documentaries should be the middle aged white ladies who want to revisit the case and believe they've unlocked some huge conspiracy. They are the most fascinating characters in this saga.

Logging

Book: The Sympathizer

One of those books I forced myself to finish and probably cost me reading two other, better books instead. The humor and voice of the author were fine for awhile, the story I did not find particularly meaningful. Like a decent party that goes on for too long. Why shouldn't a novel be 100 pages long? Who established they must be 200 or more and then any important, award-worthy novel must be 300+? When did this come into being?

Elon Is Not An Engineer

Would be like saying James Cameron is not a screenwriter.

The Books...

...also became less pleasurable. 

Trans Rights

Anyone else get the sneaky suspicion something else going on here. 

Logging

Film: The Naked Gun 2025 Reboot

Really enjoyed the first half. But in the second half of the film it cared too much about the plot. You sense the shift when they introduce one really bizarre little sequence that bore no relation to the rest of the film to split it in two. Puzzling. 

Film: Americana

It was a Paul Walker Hauser weekend! I enjoyed this one, landed a real emotional punch in the end that snuck up on me.

Film: A Working Man

I expected better from Ayers...not sure what happened with this movie/idea. Basically, the movie is just Taken but with a bunch of another, not-entirely-related criminal storylines going on in parallel. Really quite odd if you look very closely.

Book: The Golden Compass

Just getting started, but so far one my favorite reading-with-child books...

Infitada

Wouldn't the "anti-genocide" argument be strengthened by not wearing the Hamas outfits? 

Asking for a friend.

The Worst Things

Trump is doing are flying under the radar. 

Yes, the dumbification of the masses is one of the great problems of our day.

Amurrica

We're gonna make a TV show about the Altadena rebuild before we actually do the rebuild of the city.

Our country is so dumb and useless sometimes. Just let China rule the world already.

Complaining About Ukraine Getting Money

The fatass boomers like Bannon complaining about Ukraine getting pensions and Americans not...the one big difference - they're fighting a war, and their fight benefits us.

Sorry Bannon, they didn't weasel into investing in Seinfeld reruns and get fuck you money to do podcasts. 

Immigration

Why don't Democrats just go all-in on legal immigration reform? Make it easier to come to the US legally. Seriously, why don't we just target certain needs like - childcare, or engineers, or farmworkers, or knowledge workers, or restaurateurs, or hot chicks, or whatever the fuck you want?

It's telling they don't. Because a major cohort of the party likes dysfunction and disorder for strange psychological reasons. 

"Fascism"

The best argument against what liberals call fascists would simply be making their cities functional, fun, and livable. Which doesn't seem like such a tall order. Like bus stops that aren't homeless shelters, public parks where families can go and hang out safely, and commercial areas that people can shop and people watch. 

For All The Europeans

Who think Trump is "betraying" Ukraine to Putin, I would like to hear their strategy for the war. Do they plan to win it? How? Do they plan to cheerlead until the last Ukrainian male is dead? Do they expect America to join the war and fight on Ukraine's behalf? Have they weighed the probabilities of these things happening and working? I really don't understand their position at all.

And for the same types - what is their hope for Israel-Palestine? Do they want the US to pressure Israel to stop the war? Keep Hamas in power? Charge Bibi with crimes and put him in jail? And then what? Establish a Palestinian state? What to do with the Israeli state? Does that get to remain? Or become dissolved? Put all Israeli military, etc into jail? What is the plan here? Trials? Do we think the Israelis will go for this? Who will bring this justice? The Europeans? Do they want to sanction Israel until they are broke? Has this plan worked against Russia? I find all their positioning on the world very confusing and naive.

It seems to me, should Hamas stay in power we will see the exact same Oct 7->post Oct 7th dynamic continue to play out. I should think this would be undesirable, hence step 1 - get rid of Hamas. 

If This Is Gen X...

...then I identify as Gen X. 

Logging

Film: Cloud

Many fascinating ideas...should've just been about success and envy, but then got lost in shenanigans and plot holes. Needed another screenplay pass, it felt like. 

Film: Barbarian

Missed this one first time round. Once I got past fundamentally dumb decisions by characters (horror genre suspension of disbelief), I settled in to enjoy it. Not to be taken too seriously but spoiler alert - how and where did they shit living that far underground? 

Guy Who Threw A Sandwich

So I guess he lost his job and will be charged with a felony, but his real shame and humiliation is being caught on video throwing the sandwich and then running away on video. Coward. 

Inheritance Tax

Anyone who believes in inheritance tax or equity in any fashion should first renounce their own inheritance (the one they stand to receive, not one they plan to give). If they remain uncommitted, you know what they propose is just theft.

Bad Books

The thing about bad books - they take so long to read, they really prevent you from reading the good ones.

We Have A Problem

Yahya has become a popular boy name in the UK over the past year. 

"The West" under attack from all sides and I still think we gonna win.

Interesting Take

Look at cities these days. Libertarians were wrong, church ladies were right.

War on drugs is over. Drugs won.

Mistakes

I'd rather China was making these mistakes during the real deal rather than learning from them as they prepare. 

Here's The Proper Response

Fuck off. Go write your own musical and produce your own play and you get to choose the cast.

 

Tons of Problems With Trump

There are tons of problems with Trump, none of which electing Democrats will help solve unfortunately. 

The Horror

Zuckerberg's home school violated Palo Alto city code. Oh no, kids were learning math!

Yep

"The pathetic thing about modern socialists (that you can’t unsee once you see it) is that what they clearly think should happen is that companies should compete under capitalism, so that the socialists can figure out which ones are going to be successful and which ones aren’t, and then the idea is that socialists should get to take over the successful ones, now that all the initial risk is in the rearview mirror."

Socialists and movie critics, cut from the same cloth.

Logging

Film: Spaceballs

Please don't tell my kids or their friends, but I don't actually find this movie very funny. I'll take The Naked Gun any day.

Serenity Now, Insanity Later

ChatGPT earily similar to modern therapy. 

I'd take a homeboy, buddy, friend, even dad-pal over a random therapist any day (exceptions apply to great therapists).

The Only Relevant Question

Is whether the next President will be Vance or Rubio. If the Republicans play their cards right, it will be both for 16 more years. 

Here Rubio points out how France and Macron just enabled Hamas to keep their dumb resistance going.

The pro-Palestinian movement in the West is the only remaining card Hamas has left to play. Their Persian and Arab sponsors have dried up. They are done for, only propped up by the long shot hope that Western pressure on Israel will keep them alive to murder Jews another day and terrorize their own population into submission.

Logging

Film: The World's End

This film basically predicts Brexit. It's about 5 British dudes from a small British town who discover things are a changing in their town (and country). Robot aliens have replaced the vast majority of the people not because of some nefarious agenda, but rather so that humans can become "better" and join the rest of the galaxy in being nice and gentle and happy. It's basically a rejection of the EU-ification of the UK.

Also, you know the film was made before 2016/2017 because they just have 5 white dudes as friends. Made a few years later and you'd have mandatory diversity. 

I Agree With All These Things

And the folks behind Let Grow. 

More freedom for kids.

Logging

Film: Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Texted a friend this:

Poor Cameron's dad. Guy has to deal with a hypochondriac son with depression, probably a wife with similar condition for the past 17 years. He has one peaceful outlet - restoring a Ferrari. Guy works hard to provide for his family and needs this one little thing to take his mind off things and what does his dipshit, ungrateful son do? Destroy it while ditching school and then thinks he's a hero for it.

Other revisionist takes 

--Ben Stein teaching how tariffs don't work in econ class and no one is paying attention. Cut to 2025 when all those dumb yuppie kids are now the MAGA braintrust or the MMT economists

--Rooney is a good dean of students and should have his contract renewed. He does need to stop Ferris Bueller otherwise there will be trickle down effect of truancy across the school.

--Is Sloan British? Why does she have such hairy arms? I guess this isn't a take, but at moments she dips into a British accent. Ferris has a British flag in his room. Or is this just how hot girls in Chicago spoke in the mid-80s

--Is the depiction of the parking attendants racist or not? The only black and hispanic guys in the film do blue collar work and steal the Ferrari, so on the surface they are criminals not to be trusted. But they are also the only people in the film to outfox Ferris Bueller. So are they the true geniuses? The platonic ideal of the film's ethics?

--The film is very patriotic in a way. Bueller tells us he doesn't believe in -isms, he believes in himself. He totally dismisses European socialism by saying: I'm not European. Interesting framing, if you think about it. What does it mean to be "not European". It means he's American. Also consider the Twist and Shout parade sequence. What is going on in this parade? There seems to be some type of German-esque celebration, but the predominant image is that of the American flag. The film is a pure celebration of what some people call "American exceptionalism" embodied by Ferris Bueller himself. 

Good Insight

Nothing wrong with therapy, but it almost entirely depends on the quality of the therapist. Which poses another question: how do you measure the quality of the therapist? What do you measure it against? As a baseline, I would like to see a study that measures well-being against several different paths:

1) Man goes to therapy

2) Man joins softball team

3) Man goes to church

4) Man does nothing

5) Man starts drinking

See who has measurably better mental health in 6 months.

Question

What offer is on the table from the Palestinian side to stop the war? 

Check Sources

When writers use sources to prove the opposite. 

Leaving America

Rich coastal liberals fleeing America prove their critics are 100% right. These are people who don't love and value their country. I suppose that's fine, no one should be forced to love their country. But I don't be mad when your fellow countrymen a) accuse you of it and b) don't care for your dysfunctional values.

Europeans

Have the most hilarious relationship to reality and diplomacy. The Brits weigh in, want a ceasefire by September or else they'll recognize a Palestinian state. Causing Hamas to back out of negotiations since why negotiate when they can get what they want by not?

The Europeans occupy this interesting position where they do not take the blame for any of the things that happen in the world, and yet weigh in with preening moral sentiment and proclamations as if they bear any impact. So Russia invades Ukraine. Everyone in Europe opposes it, yet they do nothing but try to persuade the Americans to help. They don't send troops or arms and don't have any levers to pull but to follow the American lead. And this is in their interest, supposedly. Now with respect to Israel and Palestine - they have no interest in the matter and no power. They yell, hector, lecture both sides and none of it matters. They declare this and that. None of it matters. They blame Hamas, then they blame Israel, then they blame the US, they blame everyone but themselves. And then they make a declaration that will not and cannot be enforced by them or anyone else. Bizarre people.

Logging

Film: Friendship 

Doesn't totally work. Robinson better in sketch bits than say carrying a movie with a performance. A number of things don't make sense, among them why Kate Mara married this guy.

Cognitive Advantage

Zuckerberg thinks Meta glasses will give people a cognitive advantage, but I foresee a corresponding disadvantage in passing down ones genes. Tradeoffs...

The Palestinian Side

If they have such a strong case, why do they fake it so much?

I Agree With This

If you run, you run. You wouldn't have AI do it for you. Same with writing and other things.

I let AI read, but I appreciate human responses more.

Logging

Film: Napoleon Dynamite

Underrated as a kid-appropriate film.

Film: Top Secret

Not kid appropriate...one of the funniest bits in the movie went over my kids head...Val Kilmer gets put into East German prison. His manager comes in and is like I've spoken to everyone - the ambassador, the police chief, the secret service, the CIA, and I still can't figure out how to give my wife an orgasm. Val Kilmer pulls out some sort of anal dildo device and gives it to him. Then he leaves, thanking Val Kilmer for his help. Then Val Kilmer gets out of jail for totally different reasons. Later we find out his manager died because he didn't realize the voltage was more powerful in East Germany. This film is rated PG.

Public Service Announcement

Genes and jeans are two different words. Thank you for your attention to this matter. 

Interesting Take

Does it apply to George Floyd? 

Logging

Film: Eddington

Still processing, but some preliminary thoughts:

-Could you pitch this film as Jaws but the shark is ourselves?

-First reaction was that this felt like a paranoid fever dream 70s movie and I loved it for that

-On second thought I felt like the characters were a bit shallow, like a perception of how people are from the lens of being online but then I wondered if this was intentional

-About 15 years ago this would've been considered an interesting film, but a bit of a hot mess. Today it feels like it will be one of the best films of the year

-Couldn't 100% tell if it was a satire or meant to be taken seriously/metaphorically 

-Do not marry Emma Stone under any circumstances

-I did not find any of the political ideas in the film remotely offensive. Do others?

-Loved loved loved the antifa on private jet element of the film, although I imagine others will poor taste will not. It's the best part of the film and by that I mean the chase and climax.

-Anyone who says the film doesn't tie up neatly into a message is using too much AI.

-One element I like about the film are some important questions about the characters are raised but not answered. For instance, was Emma Stone abused by her father or did she have something with Pedro Pascal or both? Also, what did happen to Pedro Pascal's wife?

-One element I didn't like as much about the film was the sense of place felt completely artificial and fake. Like all these rich woke people liked next door to a reservation in the middle of nowhere. Bullshit. But again, that's why the film feels either metaphorical or satirical. 

Still processing

UPDATE:

-There is a really dumb question that gets asked in meetings sometimes, which is: what is the movie you wish you had written/made? I cannot fathom answering this question, I almost don't even want to talk about it because it's so pointless and dumb and perhaps misses the entire point of writing and moviemaking to begin with. But Eddington might be A answer, although of course I would never say this to anyone who actually asked the question so...

Fascinating and Not At All Surprising

Exercising can be more effective than anti-depressants for depression. 

But where's the money in that?

I Hope So

Reading to your children every night is the best school they will get. 

My recommendations for all parents--

Bible Stories (start around age 5). Get a simple version of the Bible - I use the Action Bible

Greek Myths (start around age 8-9). Someone somewhere recommended D'Aulairies  

Logging

Film: Suzhou River

Been trying to figure out something to say intelligent about the film. I'd say a good watch for cinephiles, especially those curious about Chinese cinema. The movie is poetic, abstract, at times confusing. But nevertheless the filmmaking technique feels innovative and original and somehow works. Basically, the cameraman starts off as a character in the film disappears (and you barely notice) only to reappear later. Great acting, beautiful camera work. But can't say I'll remember the film nor that the film will create a lasting impact on me. In fact, I give it 50/50 odds I've seen the film before and can't fully remember it all.

Film: Napoleon Dynamite 

Never realized this was a kids movie. Makes it better than I remember.

France Announces Palestinian Statehood

Has as much impact as me announcing that I'm a billionaire. 

Next France will announce a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war.

A Picture Is Worth 1000 Words

In some cases. 

Solutions

Real food, go outside, less screens = no obesity for kids (and adults).

A public policy that would help in urban areas is to not let parks, libraries, and other public spaces turn into defacto homeless shelters but of course libtards are too distracted by other issues and concerns to address those matters.

The Baby Bust

Yes, it's a huge demographic problem. Thankfully, there is an easy and fun solution. 

Science

I'm sure the science won't be followed on this one in any meaningful public policy way. 

Scary and Retarded

So yeah, if you take this guy at face value, it's pretty weird. But the thing is, he probably works part time at board game shop and his opponent makes millions a year as a "public intellectual." Maybe this guy should debate Peter Thiel or Elon. This would be like  watching Bradley Beale in a JV high school game. You could be fooled by watching into thinking Bradley Beale was the best basketball player to ever exist.

Screentime

There comes a time in summer where the best screentime policies for children become violated in an extreme manner. Typically around July 20th.

Beginnings

The first half of Taxi Driver is about a guy trying to bed a girl way out of his league.  

The first 25 minutes of The Equalizer is about a hardware store worker trying to read a bunch of famous books.

The first 25 minutes of Falling Down is about two different guys - one trying to get through his last day on the job without incident and the other trying to make a phone call to his estranged wife.

I think this is what Tony Gilroy means when he says "start small."

Be Careful Out There

Chatgpt made a guy think he found a significant scientific breakthrough.

If I were to teach class on using AI, I would include Her in the syllabus. Also I believe, the Seinfeld episode "Serenity Now" should be mandatory viewing in all schools to teach people to beware of easy solutions to mental problems. Serenity now means insanity later.

Logging

TV: Atlanta S1 E2

In jail lock up episode, one of my single favorite tv episodes from any show of all time. 

TV: FNL S4 E1

What they did to reboot this show in S4, genius level. Also, they found Michael B Jordan. Give them some credit.

Script: Taxi Driver

Can't believe he wrote this at age 26. 

Agree

The assessment of Palestine/Palestinians seems to me correct. I don't believe their problems with Israel are uniquely anti-semitic, but are rather political in nature. Or at least they were. No more than Americans in the 1940s were uniquely anti-Japanese. Although, to be fair, the original hostility toward Israel has morphed into what could easily be described as anti-semitism, even if it didn't start that way.

But whatever. The fundamental problem with the Palestinians are refusing to acknowledge their position or to accept their lack of power. I know, they will claims justice, justice, justice. But let me ask this - why do no other communities from this period deserve justice, justice, justice. What of the German citizens who were savaged by the Soviets? What of the Chinese displaced by the Communists? What of all the Eastern Europeans who were similarly "occupied?" To me, it just seems pathological at this point to even care about your great grandparents losing a home. And even if that is wrong, even if you should care, the relevant point is that if you can't actually do anything about it but blow yourselves up or murder random Israelis then it seems like you ought to reconsider your life decisions.

The Game

LA won't let people who lost their homes in the fires rebuild without going through onerous bureaucratic hurdles. Now, they offer to buy the land to put up "low income" housing.

Who knew the Soviet Union reconstituted itself in California. Despicable.

Deadline

Nearly ever headline on deadline about Emmy nominations right now says something about "first time in history..." followed by a fill-in-the-blank. Sort of dilutes the "first time in history" thing... Call it "first time in history" inflation.

Logging

Film: Sorry, Baby 

Positive critical response to this film is a good example of the spread of a negative emotional contagion.  The A24-verse can be said to serve this demographic. It's a bit more whimsical and light than other misery porn entries, yet the defining characteristic of the main character is her contemplation of suicide. Where do these suicidal thoughts come from? I don't want to give it all away, but suffice to say, the "incident" didn't merit that reaction, in my opinion. The word snowflake came into my frontal cortex.

The film also lacks structure and hence a climax. It doesn't feel like it builds toward anything. More like a long, flat line. 

A good "first film" by any measure and impressive achievement for the writer/director/star, but not a great movie, nor my kind of movie at all.

Did like the academic setting, though.

Climate Change

Interesting how the topic absolutely disappeared from the world's agenda the moment national security issues came to the fore.

Underestimated issue in general - timelines. Impossible to focus on long or medium term issues when faced with short term crises.

RFK

Not only normal, but awesome. People giving him shit for taking his family fossil hunting? That's an awesome idea.  

We've Lost the Plot

Since we're talking about whether Superman is an illegal immigrant. As one of my kids used to say, jeez weez. 

Safetyism

This all sounds about right. 

Logging

Film: Howard the Duck

70mm series. Lea Thompson deserved an Oscar. How do you act with a midget in a duck suit? Very impressive. 

Popularity Overrated in Geopolitics

Would you prefer to be in Ukraine or Israel's position? Ukrainians are popular round the world, yet their reality is daily bombardment by an evil enemy who kidnaps their children and wants to brainwash them into being Russian. Their front is a slaughterhouse for their young men. Israel on the other hand is now "unpopular" round the world, but they can sleep at night because their enemies are decimated. 

Who would you rather be?

Point is, the only time it was "popular" to be American in my adult life was post-9/11. So take that as you will. 

Logging

Film: The Searchers

70mm screening at the Egyptian. One of the great pleasures of living in LA. Packed theater. Amazing crowd. Amazing film. Several impressions - surprisingly funny on this watch, a bunch of romantic slapstick bits. Implication in the film that John Wayne is a crook and a racist. The runtime for such an epic film only about 2 hours. It goes by fast. Very economical storytelling. Really, pretty close to a perfect movie. Music though doesn't age great.

Film: A Quiet Place, Day One

Needed something more from this movie. The family, emotional stuff helps propel the other two. This one needed more relationship situations or some good old fashioned alien killing. It had neither, so it just became internal and meditative without frankly much to say about the characters other than they were experiencing trauma. Relying too much on the cat to generate sympathy.

Logging

Film: Crash (Cronenberg)

So many thoughts on this film...but the main one being - the characters have so much freedom back in 1996 compared to 2025. None of movie feels plausible today because the characters would be far too constrained to do what they do throughout the film. And it isn't the government, but rather work demands, social demands, etc. Fascinating. Haunting.

Social Security

Everyone thinks we've got a crisis with Social Security, but I believe there is a fix. The system was designed and sold as an insurance system, but we gamed it into a pension system. Therefore, rich people need to give up on some of benefits that turns their retirements into easy living. The system is meant for grandma to have a roof over her head and get groceries, not to fund an inflation protected annuity for those with assets in the 5-25 million range. The true benefactors under this system are the children and charities who will inherit the unspent assets for people with too much dough to spend in their lifetimes. Is that what social security is for?

Value Investing

Is not in fashion at all. But here's why I tilt. 

Value stocks rise with inflation. So when you need the money, it's there. This is an important point. 

Just read any story about booms and busts. People buy 13,000 square foot homes in Midland Texas during oil booms when they have a huge net worth. 2 years later, they find themselves in millions of dollars of debt, in possession of oil rigs and homes they can't sell for 20% of what they paid for them. The point is not having the money, but having the money when you need it. 

Brains

Most people are too dumb to understand why capitalism works, including myself. But I am smart enough to know socialism doesn't, whereas many of my fellows in the State of California are not.

Code Breaking

People on the internet arguing about Mamdani calling himself an African American on a college application. Let's discuss.

1) Detailed arguments supporting Mamdani inadvertently argue for getting rid of affirmative action. They rest on the point: it's absurd to categorize on race. Exactly. 

2) The offended people are American blacks, an important coalition in the Democratic party. Why? Because Mamdani and everyone else damn well knows what African or Black heritage means. (Mamdani is Indian, okay. That counts in our world as Asian, South Asian specifically).

3) The Mamdani gamble/predicament is that the noisiest and most likely to call foul on the claim of his African American heritage are likely to overlap with his pro-Socialist, anti-Western views. Think AOC, Briahna Joy Gray, etc. These people will give him a pass, I'm positive. An interesting political question will be whether this "group" now outweighs the group who might actually be offended - someone like Stephen A Smith, for instance.

4) The worst case scenario is that we are indeed already in a 1984 type of situation where the unwritten "rules" for this type of thing are deliberately opaque so that who possess "power" dictate whether Mamdani broke the rule or didn't break the rule. Very dark, Russian-esque. 

Deep Risks

1) Inflation

Combat with: hard assets, inflation protected bonds, value stocks, stocks in general, fixed rate mortgage (negative bond)

2) Deflation

Combat with: cash

3) Confiscation

Combat with: nearly impossible to do, but...Roth IRA? Some might say crypto or foreign real estate

4) Devastation 

Combat with: nearly impossible to do, but...community ties in out-of-the-way places? Insurance, if possible?

Many Weird Things

If you were in a coma in the late 1990s and woke up today, one of the weirder things would be to discover that in the Jurassic Park Franchise apparently humans and dinosaurs now live amongst each other? 

That factoid alone would suggest something has gone very awry in the world, perhaps even moreso than Donald Trump being President.

Logging

Film: F1

Perfectly enjoyable but not A-plus level. A hair below the joys of Top Gun Maverick. A bit too long. Poker scene was forced. But still lovely to be in a packed theater with gorgeous images and actors and a classic stranger comes to town story. 

UPDATE/NOTE: Prior to F1, I hadn't seen a trailer. Was there a trailer? I'd only seen posters and heard of it. Meaning I went in with no sense of the story whatsoever. It got me thinking - maybe this is a way to regenerate interest in films - tell us less about them. Then we actually have a reason to go. Often, trailers tell us waaaaay too much. Just give us vibes. Brad Pitt, car racing. I'm in. No need to tell us more. So even though this story was familiar, I didn't mind it. Don't give us so many hints about the story...just let us vibe.

UPDATE/NOTE 2: Is there anything to be made of Joseph Kosinski's mother being from French-Canada, same as Denis Villeneuve, the two biggest and best studio filmmakers out there right now?

What To Do With Dumb People?

Genuinely difficult question. Our answer over the past 25 years or so seems to be: let them feel smart by letting them into college and make "learning" easier. 

The result: far left and far right become pseudo intellectual morons who want to drag the world down. It was so much better when they did blue collar jobs, drank beer, and rooted for sports teams. 

America

Still remains a mysterious place to me.

"People are pouring baby oil over one another"

"It's not RICO, it's freak-o"

Maybe movies are having a hard time because real life so magical. 

Random Thought

An amusing aspect of Brokeback Mountain is how shitty Jack and Ennis are at all their jobs. 

Logging

Film: Love Hurts

More interested in "being a movie" than reflecting life or human existence. The tone doesn't totally work. Ke Huy Quan does a Jackie Chan impersonation. He's not terrible but also isn't Jackie Chan. I wonder if the casting sheet for one the characters read simply: he drinks a lot of Boba. Still, I watched the whole thing.

TV: The Day of the Jackal

Terrible end of the season "twist," undermined the entire show. Reminds one of how cheap and pointless television can be.

Did anyone watch this show? I've never heard a soul talk about it. I go online. Rotten Tomatoes very vague - don't even show numbers. Then go onto IMDB - over 100k ratings. So someone watched. 

But I can't find anything intelligent written about the show on a brief perusal of the internet. Maybe I'll check chatgpt.