Review: Harlem Shuffle

From Harlem Shuffle, by Colson Whitehead:

His cousin Freddie brought him on the heist one hot night in early June. Ray Carney was having one of his run-around days—uptown, downtown, zipping across the city. Keeping the machine humming. First up was Radio Row, to unload the final three consoles, two RCAs and a Magnavox, and pick up the TV he left."
	Amazon

It's a heist novel. It's a character study of a man halfway between legitimate businessman and small-time crook. It's a study of a society that makes it hard to tell the difference.

Redistricting Scatters Richardson - Congress Edition

Congressional Map 2020

Congressional Map 2022

Earlier this week we looked at how redistricting was going to affect Richardson's representation in Austin. I described it as Richardson being scattered to the winds. Today, we look at how redistricting is going to affect Richardson's representation in Washington, DC. It's the same old story.

Dune (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Dune (2021): I didn't read the book. Movie does a good job of world-building and myth-making. Beautiful look. I was surprised by how much Star Wars borrowed from Dune. Young men of destiny. Tatooine/Arrakis, Force/Voice, Jedi/Bene Gesserit. Was Star Wars the Dune for kids? B+

Redistricting Scatters Richardson to the Winds

Texas House maps

Texas House Map 2020

Texas House Map 2022

What do Richardson and Rockwall have in common? They are both represented by Justin Holland in redrawn Texas House District 33. He, along with Angie Chen Button and Ana-Maria Ramos, will represent Richardson in the new redistricting maps passed by the Texas legislature. (Correction: Plano's Scott Sanford will also represent the tiny northwest corner of Richardson, at least until the 2022 election.) Say goodbye to Jeff Leach, whose Texas House District 67 has been redrawn and shifted far to the northeast in Collin County.

The Last Duel (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Last Duel (2021): Wife of a knight is raped by a squire, which leads to a duel to the death. Movie tells story three times, from each character's perspective. Stories are too consistent to be Rashomon, the times too misogynistic to be #MeToo, the movie messy but riveting. B+

Scenes from a Marriage (TV 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Scenes from a Marriage (TV 2021): Intimate look at a troubled marriage. Series lays the kindling, ignites, blazes, finally settles into a steady burn. Couple talk at each other endlessly but seldom connect. Intense acting by Chastain and Isaac. Worthy homage to Ingmar Bergman. A-

"How Terribly Strange to be Seventy"

"Can you imagine us years from today
Sharing a park bench quietly?
How terribly strange to be seventy."

I wasn't yet twenty when Simon and Garfunkel released the album "Bookends" and I first heard those lyrics from "Old Friends" that would haunt me all my life. Fifty years on, I don't find it terribly strange to be seventy. What I find terribly strange is to reflect on the fact that there are no songs about what it feels like to be 120. The milestones in my life are piling up behind me. The road ahead is becoming less congested. The horizon is ever closer. Melancholy fills me. That is what I find to be terribly strange.