Logging

Film: Riders of Justice

Perhaps the best ever depiction of "adult nerd interaction" ever put on cinema. Also, Mads Mikkelsen seeks revenge.

I will be surprised if I like a film more in 2021.

Reading

In the middle ages, narwhal tusks were more valuable per oz than gold. A gentle reminder to those investing in crypto...

Question for Palestinians

What countries other than Israel do not have a right to exist. And why not? 

It's such an absurd framing of an issue. Countries don't have a "right to exist," they either exist or they don't. Does the Ottoman Empire have a right to exist? Does the Mongol Empire? Does Formosa? 

The F***ing Internet

Every time I get down on the internet, I end up finding something incredible. Today that is a youtube channel called gears and queers, where two gay car enthusiasts talk about the BMW F30 series. 

Actual Hate Crime

Jewish men attacked by pro-Palestinian mob in West Hollywood.

Reminder: to this day, Jews are still by far the highest victims of hate crimes in the US.

The Jews should never give up Israel, IMO. That said, the settlers actions are a tactical misstep and possibly a moral one as well.

Yikes

Chicago mayor will only grant one on one interviews to black or brown journalists. 

LA Eating

Maybe it's not new, but it's new to me. Number one thing to eat in LA right now: birria tacos. And if you've had them, you know what I'm talking about. 

Stumbled upon this place in Norwalk: the GOAT of GOAT tacos.

They Didn't!

CNN headline: Bucknell University condemns 'horrific incident' against LGBTQ student community and orders investigation.

Here's what CNN describes as a "horrific incident":

Luong said the assailants banged on windows and doors, swung a metal bar at a flag pole that displays a pride flag and urinated on the front porch.

What used to be called Saturday night in college.

Strange Days

I just perused redfin a bit re: various neighborhoods I'm familiar with in Los Angeles. Routinely saw houses selling in excess of 1 million dollars that I would honestly not live in due to their condition and/or location. And believe me, I'm not very picky or snotty. Or maybe I have become. But I think my broader point is this: prices don't make no sense. 

First Things First

Can anyone explain to me what problem cryptocurrency solves?

Note: giving useless rich people something to speculate on does not count.

Los Angeles Homeless

I would rather see the mayor's home and office turned into temporary shelter for the homeless than the public parks and beaches where tax paying Angelinos go to play, but that's just me. 

I also think we ought to take advantage of the vast spaces alongside Highway 5 or even better, Nevada. Why are these options so terrible? Have you guys seen how much space there is in Nevada? Just build a permanent Burning Man. Is this such an inhuman idea?

Feeling Like the 1970s...

Gas shortages, inflation, and the Middle East burning. Now...can we at least get some good America cinema with it?

Interesting Twist

Anti-vaccers and anti-maskers are turning to masks to protect them from the vaccinated.

Sounds about right.

California Tax Rebate

Also known as the "here's $500-600 to not recall me" bill.

"Feminist" or Psychopath

Jill Filipovic "I want to hear from more men or women who regret having children." 

I could see her mother and father feeling that way.

Logging

TV: Ted Lasso

Full first season. One of the better comedies in the past couple years. 

Yes

"The three biggest actual problems in the Black community - some of which, certainly, are partly rooted in past racism - are fatherlessness (72% O-O-W birth rate), crime (52% of murders in recent years), and academic disengagement (940 SAT). "Police genocide" isn't in the top 50.

Socialism, Household Edition

On a long road trip home with a 5 and 3 year old, we introduced them to Pez. Each child got a Pez dispenser fully loaded. We explained, they should ration them out and not eat all at once.

10 minutes later, our 5 year old had eaten 1 Pez and announced his intention to eat 1 Pez per day for 12 days. Meanwhile, our 3 year old was out of Pez.

So our 3 year old got the idea that the 5 year old should share his candy with him because in his words "You should share your candy."

Biden administration is looking at his resume.

Time For A Change

Driving from SoCal to NorCal for the first time in awhile, the thing I noticed EVERYWHERE is graffiti. It's along every highway stretch I drove, from the 5 to the 152 to the 680 to the 880 to the 101. Graffiti in the poor rural areas north of Los Angeles, to the high tech, high performance, high immigrant areas of Silicon Valley, to Oakland/Berkeley to Marin county. It's everywhere. And it depresses me. I know it's just graffiti. But is it, really? What it says to me: is that we no longer give a shit. It's like a house that hasn't been cleaned, a person who doesn't bathe, it's a sign of a society that doesn't think itself worthy of order. It's a sign of nihilism and cynicism. For all those on the left who speak of "reform" and "improvement," I see zero signs or strategy toward it. No thought. Just mindless envy and cynicism and graffiti.

Old

If you've done any of these things, you are officially old. 

I've done at least 90% of them.