The Social Dilemma (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Social Dilemma (2020): Documentary. Former execs from Facebook, Google, Twitter warn us of the threat from the addictive design of social apps, which has led to a spike in depression and suicide attempts by young people. But they struggle in saying what can be done. C+

POTD: Old Cataract Hotel

From 2019 11 19 Aswan

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Aswan, Egypt. It shows the Old Cataract Hotel, built in 1899 on the bank of the Nile. "Its guests have included Tsar Nicholas II, Winston Churchill, Howard Carter, Margaret Thatcher, Jimmy Carter, François Mitterrand, Princess Diana, Queen Noor and Agatha Christie, who set portions of her novel Death on the Nile at the hotel. The 1978 film of the novel was shot at the hotel."

Loading More Responsibility on the Police

The death of George Floyd led to a nationwide "Black Lives Matter" movement that reached all the way to Richardson. The mayor marched with and addressed Richardson residents at a "Black Lives Matter" rally at City Hall. The City Council unanimously approved a statement condemning racism. The City Council called Chief Jim Spivey to brief the council on department policies. It all sounded so woke.

But. You knew there'd be a but.

Harriet (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Harriet (2019): Long overdue biopic of Harriet Tubman, a fierce, uncompromising, determined American hero. Reason #101 for defeating Trump: so Harriet Tubman can take her deserved place on the $20 bill. Cynthia Erivo owns the role. More action scenes than speeches. A-

POTD: Felucca on the Nile

From 2019 11 19 Aswan

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Aswan, Egypt. It shows a felucca, "a traditional wooden sailing boat." "They are usually able to board ten passengers and the crew consists of two or three people." "Despite the availability of motorboats and ferries, feluccas are still in active use as a means of transport in Nile-adjacent cities like Aswan or Luxor. They are especially popular among tourists who can enjoy a quieter and calmer mood than motorboats have to offer."

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Tombs of the Nobles

From 2019 11 19 Aswan

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Aswan, Egypt. It shows the Nile River and high above its bank, the Tombs of the Nobles, dating back to circa 2575 BC to 2150 BC. These were not pharaohs of Egypt, but a rank below — the nobility. Given the heated politics of today, I find it comforting to think of that vast span of time that separates us from the politics of ancient Egypt. How many governments rose and fell in the millennia since? No matter what happens to the American Republic in the near future (and make no mistake; democracy teeters on the brink), this too shall pass.

Broadchurch (TV 2013-2017)

Rotten Tomatoes

Broadchurch (TV 2013-2017). A dead boy is found on the beach of an English seaside town. Suspects are everywhere: neighbors and family. Detectives investigate. Focus is not just on solving the whodunnit, but on how everyone in town is affected. Character counts in Broadchurch. A-

#VeryTardyReview

POTD: Mövenpick Resort Aswan

From 2019 11 19 Aswan

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Mövenpick Resort Aswan on an island in the Nile River in Aswan, Egypt. The Mövenpick was our base for exploring Aswan and the Upper Nile. The Nile flows south to north, so the south is Upper Egypt and the north is Lower Egypt, a geographical detail that is endlessly confusing for some reason. In the background across the Nile behind the island that the hotel sits on, are the Tombs of the Nobles, dating back to circa 2575 BC to 2150 BC.

Bonus photos after the jump.

Polka King (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes

Polka King (2017): Biopic of rise and fall of Jan Lewan, a Polish Cold War defector who becomes a polka star and bilks his fans of millions of dollars. A PSA for gullible people. A Jack Black vehicle. He owns every scene, but his Polish accent just isn't up to the task. B-

#VeryTardyReview

The Man Who Would Be Polka King (2009)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Man Who Would Be Polka King (2009): Documentary of the rise and fall of Jan Lewan, a Polish Cold War defector who becomes a polka star and bilks his fans of millions of dollars. A short (69 minutes), low-budget film. Pay attention to his wife, a minor grifter herself. B-

#VeryTardyReview

Innovative Solutions for Texas Health Care

"Innovative Solutions for Texas Health Care." That's the headline on the campaign mailer for Genevieve Collins, GOP candidate for Congressional District 32. It's a fairly big card, certainly big enough to detail what the GOP's "innovative solutions" might be. This is what she offers:

• Health Care That's More Affordable
• Greater Access to Quality Care
• Allow You to Keep Your Doctor

Class Action Park (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Class Action Park (2020): Documentary of a wild 1980s amusement park in New Jersey. Owner cared more for thrills than safety and let kids run the place. The result was something like "Ayn Rand meets Lord of the Flies." Adults reminiscing have fond memories of acting stupid. C-

POTD: A Dog's Life in Cairo

From 2019 11 18 Old Cairo

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the streets of old Cairo, Egypt.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020): A surreal trip by a new couple into the country (and a blizzard) for her to meet his parents. Slow descent into her delusions, or are they his? The kind of movie that your college friends would tell you to watch high. Not for everyone. A-

We Proudly Endorse the Racist

According to an article in Slate, and consistent with my own observations, "In response [to protests], elected officials, police chiefs, and certain other writers say that most police officers are decent people doing a tough job to the best of their ability. They say that while acts of brutality should be condemned and punished, existing mechanisms are an adequate means of doing so. They say that the American system of policing is basically just and effective, not intrinsically discriminatory, and that the country’s police departments are not run by officers who hold personally racist views and are predisposed to violence."

One candidate for President shares these views. He "is critical of officers who perpetrate unjustified shootings and beatings, and supportive of peaceful protests against overpolicing. But he says that 'most cops are good, decent people.' He believes that the existing levels of police funding should be maintained. He does not believe that 'qualified immunity' laws should be changed to allow for easier prosecution of police brutality."

Public opinion polls show majorities of Americans agree. The candidate with those views is Joe Biden. You might think that many police officers would also support this candidate. After all, his positions are in line with their own public statements. Endorsements, however, suggest you'd be wrong.

An American Pickle (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

An American Pickle (2020): Immigrant falls into a vat of pickle brine in 1919 and is rescued in 2019. Just accept the premise. Seth Rogan plays the immigrant and his great grandson. Touching story of reconnecting with family and culture. Not what I expected from Seth Rogan. B-

POTD: Mosque of Ibn Tulun

From 2019 11 18 Old Cairo

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, the oldest and largest mosque in Cairo, Egypt.

Bonus photos after the jump.

Radioactive (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Radioactive (2020): Biopic of Marie Curie. Rosamund Pike plays an unlikable character, a prickly genius. It crams 60 years into one movie, as well as peeks at future benefits and ills of nuclear energy. You'll learn a lot about history, an amazing scientist and kickass woman. B-

POTD: Portrait of an Artist Sketching

From 2019 11 18 Old Cairo

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, the oldest and largest mosque in Cairo, Egypt.

After the jump, what the unidentified artist is sketching.

Random Thoughts: How to Wear a Face Mask

Tweets from August, 2020:

• 2020-08-01: During all that bus time, maybe the Marlins could work on how to wear a face mask.
• 2020-08-03: @JohnCornyn in other words: "Who are you gonna believe, me or your own lying eyes?"
• 2020-08-04: Crip Camp (2020): Documentary about a 1970s camp in the Catskills for disabled youth run by hippies. Fun, games, brotherhood and independence. What they learned at Camp Jened prepared them to fight the government for rights for the disabled, culminating in the ADA. Inspiring. B+"
• 2020-08-04: @jonathanvswan: "Oh, you're doing death as a proportion of cases. I'm talking about death as a proportion of population. That's where the U.S. is really bad. Much worse than South Korea, Germany, etc.?
  @realdonaldtrump: "You can't do that."
  Swan: "Why can't I do that?"

After the jump, more random thoughts.

Remembering the Pandemic

Now that COVID-19 is over (at least according to the Republican National Convention, where it was only mentioned in the past tense), it's time for a pandemic post-mortem. I rely on Ed Yong's article in The Atlantic, "How the Pandemic Defeated America." It's full of ideas to help us next time.

In case you didn't catch it, that headline and first sentence were dripping in sarcasm.

Shtisel - Season 1 (TV 2013)

Rotten Tomatoes

Shtisel - Season 1 (TV 2013): Israeli. Drama about 4 generations of an Orthodox family in Jerusalem. Some humor, more friction, lots of duty and tradition. Brief glimpses into what family and religion mean to each of them. For me, it opens a window on a fascinating culture. B-

#VeryTardyReview

Martin and his Moral Arc

"The mythology of racial progress exerts a powerful hold on our minds." Mythology. That's the thesis of Jennifer A. Richeson in an article in The Atlantic titled "Americans Are Determined to Believe in Black Progress." Maybe I was primed to accept her pessimism. In any case, I kept finding myself nodding and quietly saying, uh huh.

POTD: Courtyard of the Mosque of Ibn Tulun

From 2019 11 18 Old Cairo

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the vast courtyard of the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, the oldest and largest mosque in Cairo, Egypt.

Jayhawkers (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes

Jayhawkers (2015): Biopic of Wilt Chamberlain at U of Kansas. Basketball, racism, and surprisingly, jazz. Director makes the most of a small budget and wooden acting. B&W, dark and harshly lit basketball scenes with a jazz score occasionally raise this sports pic to art. B-

#VeryTardyReview

POTD: City of a Thousand Minarets

From 2019 11 18 Old Cairo

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, the oldest mosque in Cairo, Egypt.

Nowhere in the Muslim world can you find such a profusion of domes and minarets as in Cairo. Rising from the haze of crowded, crumbling streets in the old, chaotic, yet picturesque medieval parts of the city, they dominate the city's skyline. Minarets, indeed, are Cairo's joy and ornament and the source of Cairenes' favorite nickname: "Madeenet el alf Midhana," "the city of a thousand minarets."
...
Among Cairo's "thousand" minarets, Ibn Tulun's mud-brick, ninth-century mosque is said to be one of the simplest, yet one of the most beautiful. Devoid of any surface decoration, it is modeled on the minaret of the great mosque of Samarra, Mesopotamia (Iraq) where Ibn Tulun was born, and features an outer spiral staircase instead of the usual inner one. The idea apparently came from the spiral staircase of a Babylonian ziggurat thought to be the Tower of Babel.

Source: John Feeney.

Q: "We Are the Storm"

QAnon "is a far-right conspiracy theory alleging a secret plot by a supposed "deep state" against President Donald Trump and his supporters. No part of the theory has been shown to be based in fact...Q has accused many liberal Hollywood actors, Democratic politicians, and high-ranking officials of being members of an international child sex trafficking ring. Q also claimed that Trump feigned collusion with Russians to enlist Robert Mueller to join him in exposing the ring and preventing a coup d'état by Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and George Soros."

There's more, much more. It used to be that conspiracy theories floated on the fringe of American politics. Today, they are embedded in the highest ranks of state and federal government. "Highest ranks" is not hyperbole.

Is Criticism of Derek Chauvin Off Limits?

The political cartoon depicts Derek Chauvin. Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. The Richardson police do not have that man in their ranks. No honorable police officer anywhere should take offense at a cartoon condemning the actions of that man. You know where I'm going with this. Richardson Police Officers' Association FOP Lodge 105 takes offense.

Last Tango in Halifax - Season 1 (TV 2012)

Rotten Tomatoes

Last Tango in Halifax - Season 1 (TV 2012): Drama about three generations of an extended dysfunctional family in northern England. Not really a comedy, but there are scenes that are hilarious. At heart, it's about looking for love, sometimes against your better judgment. B+

#VeryTardyReview

Babylon Berlin - Season 3 (TV 2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Babylon Berlin - Season 3 (TV 2020): German. Economic crash, police brutality, public protests, political corruption, a looming fascist takeover, and mobsters. Babylon Berlin is set in Berlin in 1929, but it speaks to America in 2020. Intricate subplots. Rich characters. B+

POTD: Stairway to Heaven

From 2019 11 18 Old Cairo

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the entrance to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, the oldest and largest mosque in Cairo, Egypt.

Project Power (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Project Power (2020): Bad guys do field tests on a new drug that gives people superpowers for 5 minutes at a time. Good guys have to find the source. Violence ensues. Gets a passing grade only because of Dominique Fishback. Oh, and its two Clint Eastwood jokes. C+

To Donald: Sealed with a Kiss

Hypocrisy? Audacity? Chutzpah? I don't quite know the right word for the accusation I wanted to make when I opened my mail yesterday. Inside was a fundraising pitch from Donald J. Trump. Delivered by mail. I know that he has it in for the US Postal Service. Trump is frightened of losing re-election and sees his biggest threat as being, well, people voting. So he figures that the more he can suppress the vote, the better his chances. Hence, sabotage the USPS, since it's predicted that many, many people want to vote safely by mail in 2020 because of COVID-19. So he undermines Americans' confidence in the US Mail.

Long Shadow from Appleton

I was born in Appleton, Wisconsin. During my early childhood, I was blissfully unaware of politics. But Appleton was home base for some of the nastiest politics of the 20th Century. I gradually learned about the evil my hometown birthed and nurtured. In high school, I learned that the cemetery just down the street from my school was the eternal resting place of Senator Joseph McCarthy.

POTD: Egyptian Lamp Pendants

From 2019 11 18 Old Cairo

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a sidewalk display of traditional Egyptian lamp pendants in old Cairo, Egypt.

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Do "Black Lives Matter" in Richardson? As the old saying goes, put your money where your mouth is. George Floyd was killed by the Minneapolis police on May 25, touching off a national movement with the slogan, "Black Lives Matter." There were protest marches nationwide, including two in Richardson (at Berkner Park and at City Hall). The Richardson City Council invited Richardson Police Chief Jim Spivey to brief them on the department's policies, training practices, community engagement, and transparency initiatives. The briefing took almost two and a half hours. I was pleased to learn that RPD's use-of-force policies are already broadly in line with the recommendations of the #8CantWait campaign to reform police departments.

But (there's always a but, and if the council members themselves can't voice it, they aren't doing their jobs), I had some concerns as well. In two-and-a-half hours with Chief Spivey, no one uttered the words "Black Lives Matter." Maybe they all felt that was all taken care of two weeks earlier, when the City Council approved a statement condemning racism. Still, no one identified any specific areas for improvement in Richardson. No one called for change. No one put any money behind the sentiment.

The Umbrella Academy - Season 2 (TV 2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Umbrella Academy - Season 2 (TV 2020): It's 1963. The siblings face another apocalypse. Time travel, civil rights, religious cult, JFK conspiracy, office politics in the commission maintaining the universe's timeline, and more family issues. Fast-paced. Never predictable. B+

Richardson's Budget - Black or Red?

It's August and that means it's time for Richardson budget roulette. Will the proposed city budget be balanced? You'd think that would be a simple question. Isn't the city required by law to have a balanced budget? Well, yes, but it all depends on the meaning of "balanced".

When I looked at this question three years ago, I concluded that the city's 2017-2018 budget was indeed balanced and didn't require use of that sneaky asterisk ("plus reserved fund balance and other financing sources"). After watching this over a number of years, I found that the amount the budget is in the red or black each year is always small. Whether it happens in any given year seems to be a matter of chance.

Women Weren't Given the Vote. They Took It.

For a country that prides itself on its democracy, the United States has forced a lot of its citizens to fight for the privilege of voting. August 18th marks the centenary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which declares that the right to vote “shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” That milestone is sometimes described as having “given” women the right to vote. It wasn’t a gift; it was a hard-won victory on the part of suffragists who’d been agitating for it for more than seventy years, on the basis of their common humanity with men.

Source: Margaret Talbot.

Thank you, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Thank you, Carrie Chapman Catt and Alice Paul. Alice Paul especially was a real badass. She organized a march for women's suffrage down Pennsylvania Avenue the day before President Woodrow Wilson's inauguration. Anti-suffrage rioters disrupted the march while police stood idly by, giving no protection to the peaceful marchers. Then Alice Paul organized pickets in front of the White House designed to prod the president into supporting women's suffrage. The civil disobedience campaign lasted months. Paul herself was arrested several times and finally sentenced to jail for seven months. She went on a hunger strike and was force fed raw eggs through a feeding tube. The publicity of the horrible treatment of her in jail kept the cause in the public eye. After passage of the 19th Amendment, Paul said, "It was shocking that a government of men could look with such extreme contempt on a movement that was asking nothing except such a simple little thing as the right to vote."

POTD: Boys from St. George's College

From 2019 11 18 Old Cairo

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Cairo, Egypt, and shows a group of boys from St. George's College, located in Cairo's Nasr City district and one of the oldest private English-language schools in Cairo. The boys are on a field trip, visiting the same sites we were, and by the looks of it, having as much fun as we were. Kids are kids all over the world.

Upzoning Galatyn Park Station

Source: City of Richardson.

Galatyn or Khrushchyobka?

The Richardson City Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval of an upzoning request for 140 additional living units over and above what the current zoning permits for a new development next to the Galatyn Park DART station.

Losing Faith in the Meritocracy

Americans like to pretend we live in a meritocracy, even when the Black Lives Matter movement smacks us in the face with evidence that we don't. The education system is similar. We pretend that if you apply yourself and work hard, you will succeed in school and life. In reality, it's hard to deny that what school you attended mattered as much as how hard you worked.

The STAAR was a reaction to that. STAAR, for those who might not know, is the school system's standardized test used by the State of Texas. It claimed to identify failing schools, which could then be targeted to change the educational outcomes for many students. George W Bush ran for and won the Presidency in part on his championing education reform that led to STAAR. The result was the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002. Remember that? It was broadly popular once. Now? Not so much. What changed?

Crip Camp (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Crip Camp (2020): Documentary about a 1970s camp in the Catskills for disabled youth run by hippies. Fun, games, brotherhood and independence. What they learned at Camp Jened prepared them to fight the government for rights for the disabled, culminating in the ADA. Inspiring. B+

Random Thoughts: 200,000 Oklahomans Get Health Insurance

Tweets from July, 2020:

• 2020-07-01: 200,000 Oklahomans get health insurance...by ballot initiative. That means they overruled the Republican politicians who don't want the near-poor who can't afford health insurance to get it. Next, Oklahomans ought to elect representatives who share their values.
• 2020-07-01: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is the guy who said senior citizens would voluntarily lay down their lives to COVID-19 to prop up business profits. Patrick is a one-man death panel.
• 2020-07-01: One day closer to the election and there's no sign of a Trump pivot yet. Will he ride "White Power" all the way to November?
• 2020-07-01: Americans could learn from Bulgarians. "Russia Wants Bulgarians to Stop Painting Soviet Monuments To Look Like American Superheroes."

After the jump, more random thoughts.

Seberg (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Seberg (2020): Bio-pic of 1960s actress spied on by FBI to stop her from funding civil rights groups like Black Panthers. Out-of-control FBI; emotional breakdown of Seberg; too much story for 90 minutes. Pick one story. Show it, don't tell it. Good job by Kristen Stewart. C+

Talking Union

Talking Union

If you want higher wages, let me tell you what to do;
You got to talk to the workers in the shop with you;
You got to build you a union, got to make it strong,
But if you all stick together, now, ‘twont be long.
You'll get shorter hours, better working conditions,
Vacations with pay, take your kids to the seashore.

Lyrics: Lee Hays, Millard Lampell, and Pete Seeger

Source: Talking Union.

I grew up in a union household. I'm a big supporter of collective bargaining rights, fair pay, good conditions, etc., etc. I believe that the free market, left to itself, will not deliver these things to workers. Billion dollar corporations simply wield too much power to expect any individual to be able to negotiate a fair deal. Unions help level the playing field. So, if I'm such a big union supporter, what's got me concerned with unions?

POTD: Ben Ezra Synagogue

From 2019 11 18 Old Cairo

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo, Egypt. According to legend, it's located on the site where the baby Moses was found in a basket on the banks of the Nile River. "Egypt's Jewish community is at the end of a dramatic decline, from about 80,000 people in the 1920s to less than a dozen of Egyptian ancestry now residing in Cairo. Accordingly, the Ben Ezra Synagogue functions now as a tourist attraction and museum, rather than as a functioning congregation."

"Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste."

Remember back in April and May when meatpacking plants were hotspots of coronavirus? Do you wonder why they're no longer in the headlines? Do you think it's because the owners reformed how they are run and reopened them safely? Think again. The plants might still be hotbeds of coronavirus. We don't know because governments have allowed the plants to quit reporting statistics of the spread of coronavirus among their workers.

An old political precept is "Never let a good crisis go to waste." The idea is to take advantage of a crisis to advance a political agenda. The Bush administration used the notion to escalate the 9/11 attacks into a war on Iraq, which was not involved in the 9/11 attacks. The saying itself was popularized by Rahm Emmanuel, who saw the financial crash of 2008 as an opportunity to do the things he once thought were impossible. Today's crisis is the coronavirus pandemic. President Trump has proven himself incompetent at combating the pandemic, but that doesn't mean he isn't using the crisis to advance his own political agenda.

POTD: Cairo Alleyway

From 2019 11 18 Old Cairo

Today's photo-of-the-day is of an alleyway in the warren of streets near the Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church (Abu Serga) in Cairo, Egypt.

POTD: Cavern Church

From 2019 11 18 Old Cairo

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the cavern under Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church (Abu Serga) in Cairo, Egypt. It's one of the oldest Coptic churches in Egypt, built in the 4th century and burned and rebuilt and restored constantly ever since. Beneath the church is the so-called cavern church, which legend says is where Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus stayed after fleeing King Herod in Judea.