esrosedotblog

What University of Texas Campus Is Saying About Concealed Guns

The whole "open carry" thing about guns puzzles me.

I grew up around guns. Even if I did not participate I didn't see a problem as they were for hunting. Hill billies love their rifles and a handgun is for sport not for show.

My Dad has a few guns and tried to get me to be proficient but I just didn't have it in me. Sissies are gun averse by nature.

I do not naturally assume that a man's guns is a living metaphor for his genitals. It might help support his manhood in some cultural corners but that is another thing.

I suppose that is part of the whole desire to walk into normal places of business with a gun on your hip.

And so "cowboy".

Straight men are a puzzle to me most of the time but this is one of the most bizarre and confusing gestures.

Isn't it obvious to them that they are penis waving?

Yes, I suppose that it is part of the so-called culture of violence in America. It is also a step over the line of civility.

I have never seen an openly carried gun in my life. Nor have I seen one concealed as far as I know of.

I remember that when my Dad died his guns went to my cousin Jim but I decided that I would keep his revolver for some reason. I couldn't handle it. That gun burned in my thoughts the whole time that I had it.

Still a puzzle.

Maybe it is too many Matt Dillon movies. Perhaps it is fear. Could it be loathing? I like the penis waving example best. Of course.

Labels: gun control

I suppose there is a point in every famous actor's career where leaning to say no becomes hard to do. The challenge of a tour de force is hard to resist.

Hence the evident willingness for Tom Hardy to play both roles in the story of London gangsters, the Kray brothers.

No to too much story. They are twins but the story is the same. Say no to doubling down on the menace of "true life" characters. And on and on.

The result here is a bloated vehicle that could have been more fun and have more movement.

Legend (2015)

This is really a great film but I had to do some of the editing and use the FF. Too much of a good thing is still too much.

I said that.

See? Now they have me doing it.

I am going on and can't stop myself.

But let me restrain.

It is a good movie but not as good as it could be and using the FF earns an automatic 2. Too (two) bad.

Labels: films

Fun to read today that the infection of California liberal thinking voters has spread to other western states.

As Donald Trump Repels Minority Voters, G.O.P. Fears Its Future in the West

Long dismissed as a cowboy territory "the west" has become a revitalized place. Not only have people moved here from back East where them liberals hang out but the rise of the Hispanic vote has become something of a tidal wave.

The advent of Trump has accelerated the process. His bigotry and xenophobia has hit a chord with those who have heard it all before and do not want to hear or see it again.

It finally became clear to people of Mexican descent that they could express themselves strongly at the ballot box and in the rough and tough of electoral politics.

It is my impression that most people here who are from second generation immigrant families have awoken to their strength and are no longer willing to hide and be quiet.

They grew up under circumstances where drawing attention was not a good idea especially if there was some question of immigration status. It became a "mild mannered", well mannered culture.

Not so much now.

Here in California the generation gap is obvious. Older Latinos are more polite and shy. Younger, much less so. No "hat in hand" approaches. Which is a good thing.

We were astonished at the bigotry when we came here.

In California there is such a thing as Latino pride and it is apparently spreading. Hiding out is no longer required or wanted for the new kids. Good for them.

Labels: California, Latino

I watched for the third or fourth time.

Argo (2012)

I really really like this movie. It is not so much the suspense although it does have a beat about it. And we all know the story of the Iran hostages.

I think it is the performances. Ben Affleck who also directed, others including John Goodman and Alan Arkin.

It is fun to watch and to see how the politics of the time played out. Also how we still have the fuckers in our hair today. A safe distance is well advised.

So it is an unexpected 5 out of Netflix5. I certainly did not expect that I would want to see it again but I have. There is the same exhilaration when they, all go see it. Not for me to tell the ending again. Suspend disbelief some though.

I like at the end when they show the real people against the people who played them. Unbelievably close resemblance.

Labels: films

Michael Caine still has great hair.

Even though this deeply flawed film is a bummer. At least I thought so. I am a minority opinion in my house on that.

Youth (2015)

Of course there is a lot of charming or not scene thievery. A competition between the world class muggers.

I will not bother you about the plot, something about an aged out composer resting his last years in Switzerland. And a buddy. And a daughter. An ex wife who is surprisingly an over the top Jane Fonda. You could have fooled me.

It does have Paul Dano as a quiet genius but even he is stifled by a very talky script.

It just edges into a 3 out of Netflix5 because I like looking at old men practice their craft and the new ones learning from them. Otherwise, a shambles. Sentimental nonsense. Balderdash.

There.

That's it.

Balderdash.

Labels: films

My "traditional" flip phone gave up the ghost today.

It would not dial anymore. Just quit.

So I went to AT&T and succumbed to the inevitable.

I got an iPhone.

I have been a long term holdout but I changed over because there is no doubt it is a better phone than alternatives, And the flip is no longer enough to take care of what I would like to do "out there".

I would, for example, like to try texting.

I would like to have the net in one hand.

I like my iPad which I use as an alternative "back yard" computer. I will keep it as a backup but it is too unwieldy for other uses and it doesn't make phone calls.

It is expensive but after the first blush not so much. John already has a tablet phone and so the add-on isn't that steep.

I will have a learning curve. It already feels like I ma holding a brick up to my face. Where do you put your chin? Today I put it on the Stop sign at the bottom. The phone call stopped.

Labels: phone

I am rewatching the Italian mini-series

La meglio gioventù / The Best of Youth which will take about 6 hours in 4 days.

I will report in due course but it remains a wonderful story with very enjoyable characters and situations specific to the times of the film which would be the late Sixties. You remember those.

So do the Italians.

Labels: films

No sun today.

The first very cloudy day in s long run of solidly blue skies and very hot weather.

While it is a bit on the humid side it is still just below the comfortable dew point line of 60%.

And the temperature is below 100 at 3 PM. We have not seen this for a long time.

And the prognosis for the next block of time is similar although the clouds will part.

We are not nearly as obsessed about the weather here as family in Florida.

But we are pretty close to it.

It is weird to me that people who live in a lot of different weather conditions through the year are less consumed with the subject than we are where weather changes very little and is seldom bad.

Marcus and I are just in from a walk and we had at least nine drops of rain fall on us. Discernible drips on the sidewalk.

I hope it does do the forecasted thunder showers. I decided not to water today and am expecting a heavenly gift instead.

We will see.

Labels: weather

Ireland again.

In the twenties. Unrest. Turmoil. The workers, the Church, the British.

This little film was great to watch.

Jimmy's Hall (2015)

Ken Loach. Goes deep into the countryside.

There is nothing new about the events in this wonderful film. What there is are the people and the goings on in rural Ireland when the church and the government fail to pin down a local hero.

I liked it and will give it a 3 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films

Not many alcoholics have a well documented story of the progression of their disease.

Amy Winehouse is the unhappy exception.

A fine singer, came to her glory and then drank it all away. That and other drugs. But the booze was the main thing.

So this film joins the sad parade of movies about failed careers and premature deaths in show business.

Her career was so well documented, we have a documentary which is hard to watch and a bit too long. The fascination of watching a train wreck seems to have gone into decisions about editing and how to present the story.

Of course, I watched it from another perspective than one who had not experienced the disease.

I had to FF because it was too hard to watch some of it but it would be unfair to downgrade the film because of it.

So it is a 3 out of Netflix5. I would not want to see it again.

Labels: documentary, films

John came back from his ocean voyage this morning.

Well, about noon.

To say that Marcus and I were happy to see him would understate the case.

It is nice to get away but getting back together is sweet and happy. Of course, you can't have "sweet and happy" without going away.

One of those paradoxes in life. Paradi? No. Spell check does not like that one.

He had a good time and so did we. Marcus and I enjoyed each other.

It is very nice to see Marcus' evident pleasure at having his family back together again.

He is smiling and staying close to both of us. In the middle.

Quite nice.

Labels: family, Marcus

Today an old favorite.

Breaking Away (1979)

How could it be that long ago when I first saw this.

Time flies when you are on a bike.

This is just one of the best films. Perfect subject for a movie. Good kids, lively action and even nice rich boy villains for the townies to shame.

Since I was a townie with a lot of rich guys around I especially appreciate the class-i-ness of this film.

This is a 5 for me. Seen it many times more than the rating. Ten?

Always something new.

Labels: films

I used to read Breitbart for his contrary views which, while opposite of my own, were often funny and refreshing.

It was nice to read how the other half lived.

Then Breitbart (what a great name) kicked and a new guy took over.

The tone of the web site changed quite a bit.

Nasty, humorless, often prone to spiteful reports.

Paranoid even.

And the guy responsible for that has gone onto the Trump bandwagon to take the reins.

Donald Trump Is The Candidate From Breitbart News

It is basically a right wing tabloid for the internet. See it here.

I made this an open link so you can look any random day to see the crazy.

Labels: Donald Trump, right wing whack jobs

Today's film is a genré busting original.

I think.

But I do not watch that many horror movies.

This one sings.

It Follows (2015)

The thing is that our heroine sees something following her. We see it too. But no one else does.

Are we cuckoo? Is she?

What is the film maker's intent. The critic might ask.

But then that would mean that you failed to suspend disbelief.

This film had me from the beginning.

I saw "it".

There are some flaws that I did see but I did not want to see them and so I covered them up and got back into the pool. If you see the film you will know what I mean about the pool.

Metaphors abound here. And the biggest could be that the film is a metaphor for mental illness. It could also be seen as a metaphor for a girl's coming of age. The fear of, well, the whole thing. The bloody pool.

I was scared. I jumped a few times. I might have chuckled here and there but it is not played for laughs.

This is the kind of film that young actors do so that they can get a foothold in the business and these kids are really really good.

So is the "it". There really is one. Unless we are whacky too.

It is filmed in Detroit and they use this to great advantage. The decayed buildings. The city wide sense of impending doom.

I enjoyed this very much, a 3 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films

When I was a kid, the first constellation that I learned was the Big Dipper, and oh yeh, the little one too.

Second, and very easy to see was Orion. The warrior.

After that, I got tired of star watching and can't remember looking to find another constellation. Too dark, too cold, too little reward.

So, thrilled to see the guy coming up in the east this morning.

Back again, wielding that sword. Flexing all those muscles.

The admiration of the muscles came later.

What the appeal was way back then is hard to figure.

Perhaps the thrill of knowing something no one else I knew knew.

Of course, they also did not care about it.

As is the case today I suppose.

But that is too bad for you.

Here he is again.

Deal with it.

Labels: astronomy

Today's film tries really hard to be too many things.

Love and Mercy (2015)

First and foremost it is the story of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and his rise to stardom then his fall to depression and mental illness.

It is a great anthology of Beach Boys music with some bits of "how they did it" interspersed. It is a two level film with Wilson played young by Paul Dano and older by John Cusack.

I think this is where it begins to fail in its intentions.

The two are not alike and so the viewer must fill in the blanks. Or the dissonance. They also have distinctly different acting styles.

I like both men and that is one of the main reasons I wanted to see this film but the duality and failure to make it work is its downfall.

I did watch it all the way through with only a little FF but that still makes it a 2 out of Netflix5. Too bad. Such great promise.

The NYTimes review at the link loves the movie. I differ.

Labels: films

I went for a manicure and pedicure today.

My first in many years.

I don't know why I stopped doing this. I think perhaps it was the salon I was going to. All Viet Namese with all their chatter. I always thought they were talking about me. The paranoia of the outsider.

But things have been getting out of control lately. My feet need special attention because of the years of running in tight shoes. So the hands get the treatment as a packaged deal.

I have/had a nail fungus. It comes and goes. There is an ointment and there are pills but the pills are bad for the liver and the ointment doesn't seem to work very well.

So I found a new place to go that John has tried out. Not only do they speak English but the family is from Long Beach. A mom and two sons.

The guy who did my nails said it usually takes a year.

Not to get morbid but I don't have that much time.

In any case, it can be cut out and gouged. With regular attendance at the salon I can just take care of it through pruning and trimming.

Too bad you can't see my toes. They look great.

The manicure is not much different than what I do for myself just even all around.

I do not get polish. Just buffing. Enough.

I do like the massage and fiddling around that apparently goes along with the procedure. It is a little touchy feely but I go along with it.

Labels: pedicure

Today's film was a new version of an old genré.

Exploitation films focus on an audience and go over the top. It used to be the black spy thing. The more unlikely the better. Now, here, it is the teen geek.

Dope (2015)

It got very mixed reviews. I am not sure why I ordered it.

A young black man seeks to leave the ghetto and attend Harvard.

Yes.

Right there we have some clues to the film's message.

The kid is a geek and does not mix in.

But in the process of getting involved with some dope dealers and gang bangers he somehow manages a whole string of crazy situations through which he survives.

He even cuts his hair down from a neat square afro to a Harvard acceptable cut.

It is all kind of whacky and occasionally funny but always a little phony and contrived.

I had to skip with the FF so that kills the rating. It would be a 1 out of Netflix5.

Now. Again. Why did I rent this? Dunno.

Labels: films

They are trying to keep the Citgo sign in Boston.

I saw two of them. The first was, as I recall, green and white. Then they changed their logo and the sign went "quiet" for awhile.

It returned in full force color and will, apparently continue for a long time ahead.

Boston Developer Buys Building With Citgo Sign, Raising Preservation Hopes

Here. Take a look for yourself!

Labels: Boston

These people are never happy.

Hillary Clinton’s Edge in a Donald Trump-Centric Race Has Liberals Wary

It is a shitty headline but the story is about the malcontents, mostly Bernie followers, the so-called "progressives" who are unhappy that Clinton is trying to hit the central line, veering into Trump country to take the unhappy GOoPers into her electoral landslide.

Hey, she wants a mandate. And that is how you do it.

These people always show up as the whiners and lose their own message in their self pity and politically "correct" coloring of every issue.

And, I think, they are still mourning Sander's flop and will try to make the other Demos pay for it.

It pisses me off. It is over gang. Grab your jocks (if any), pull up your socks and help get behind the mandated election.

Believe me. You will need the landslide and Clinton when the still Republican Congress shows up next year. I am not believing that any Presidential landslide will take enough House seats to do the jobs that need to be done.

More about that landslide? Here is the polling sage Nate Cohn

Labels: Hillary Clinton, lefty fringe, professional left

Sometimes I rent a movie and am totally surprised to really really like it.

Such is the case of

Me And Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)

There is a lot to like in this film. From the beginning it surprises with its camera work and various unusual perspectives.

It is filmed in Pittsburgh and we see a lot of the city.

The story is rather straight forward. Plot number 12 perhaps of the 13 total. A bit of a twist but you get exactly what the title says.

Somewhere in the middle the main guy lies about the ending so we are pulled along with the trite expectation of a miracle. Good tactic for keeping the sadness at bey for awhile.

It even worked on me.

There are "feels" here so watch out. I had misty eyes at the end.

Mostly young actors with a bit of help from some very good adults. I hope to see more of them in the future.

I would not mind seeing this again. It would not spoil I think. The humor is repayable. Yes. It is funny. That makes it a 4 out of Netflix5.

One more thing. There is an Earl in this. And in the title. Good news.

Labels: films

Time for another vacation.

This time it is John's turn. Going to "ride" on a big ship.

That means there will be some adjustment for Marcus and me.

Walks and such.

But we are up for it.

We will not do anything abnormal. But I will have to do more of the walks and pee-pees.

Marcus is pretty easy about schedules and the whats and whys of things.

He is really the most balanced being in this house.

Nothing upsets. Not even someone coming in the yard although he lets us know that is happening, it is not a raucous welcome.

There are no special plans for this time. Teevee dinners. I will just lie low and wait for the family to resume operations.

I am not a candidate for a cruise. The confinement or the idea of it gives me the creeps. I do not want to have to have meals with others at any time. John says this is not a real concern but I still cringe over the time we stayed at an inn at Yosemeite that had compulsory seating at large tables. Son of a bitch. Torture.

I have seen a movie on the cruise and it is certainly nice. The stateroom is surprisingly roomy. Sea air. Sure.

But I can go to the shore and breath in deeply.

No sailor me.

John was an officer in the Navy. He and my Dad would trade sea stories. Good for them.

Today's film is a long and twisted story of a convicted dope dealer who has one day before he serves a seven year sentence.

Spike Lee.

25th Hour (2003).

It starts as a 9-11 film but quickly loses that heavy kite-tail.

It is pretty good. Edward Norton is the dealer, Brian Cox his father, Rosario Dawson his girl friend and Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a friend who has his own problems. A teacher in trouble with a 17 year old student. Anna Paquin. She is way over the top and needs to get her shit together as an actress. Another child actor growing up bad.

This is an unnecessary side story which is kind of annoying and could be cut.

As for the rest of the movie, pretty good. It is my second time seeing it.

The acting is great and the story holds together pretty well, even the unlikely ending. It stands up to scrutiny and provides a good suspension of disbelief.

It is sordid and painful and overdone but what is wrong with that?

I took two days to see it because I have been time squeezed. It didn't suffer as a result.

I will give it a 4 out of Netflix5. Two times are enough. Maybe too much.

Labels: films

But not bored.

Today was a special meeting of the Condo Board.

We had an emergency. Bad sewer lines in the old section of the complex and the need to replace them.

It all fell apart at about the same time.

Bad but not too bad to be fixed without an added assessment on the owners. We would do almost anything to avoid that.

The fees here are very stable and we believe sufficient for things like this.

It turns out that is true. We have the money.

Just enough.

It is hard to have a Board Meeting in the summer, so many people are gone. But we got a good turnout anyway and will be able to take our first step toward getting things corrected.

The problem is the roots of the trees. The wrong kind. Ficus.

These will be taken out and Mexican Palms put in to replace. These are very shallow rooted and far more appropriate for the desert.

We are told that this problem has been put off for years but we are biting the bullet and doing the job. That feels good.

Labels: condo, landscaping

Good news for the grumps and grumblers among us.

Why it pays to be grumpy and bad tempered

This is my experience.

I grew up with a model for this kind of personality, my Dad.

He was a bit scary at times but you always knew where you stood. Or to put it more directly, I knew where I stood.

And I never doubted his love for me. Not one minute.

But he was a grump and a growler. He could get on a good rant.

This is the thing.

I grew up in a world that somehow honored "niceness" but, in the end rewarded the grump. My Dad won elections against nice guys, the sweet and caring ones. Me too.

But this needs to be parsed a bit. What some people would think is grumpy and mean, others would think of as honest.

A clear disservice to others not to say what we think.

Is that a sentence? Never mind goddam it.

See? Got you off that one didn't I?

Being grumpy does not mean that you can't also be a lovable person. A lovable bastard, perhaps, but still.

In my current life I sit on the condo board. A potential hot bed of anger, trouble, complaint and disquiet.

But we have no trouble. We have the most peaceful meetings I know of among condo board friends.

I think that is because we do not ban anger. We allow a bit of ranting. Finger pointing is good.

I have seen neighbors at war over a tree come in and go at each other. We let it go on. You can learn a lot by listening to a rant.

Once the energy is expended, then reasonable or at least acceptable solutions appear.

But stifle argument? War.

Labels: emotions

So I had a great time doing nothing in my favorite place.

Well, one of my favorite places.

I drove back this morning, early. Saw the sun rise over the mountain at Palm Desert. Wow. One of God's light shows. Every time.

I woke early early and rather than sit on my ass there I packed, got into the car and drove back to the desert non stop.

Not that I was in any hurry to leave or to get home. A nice neutral "it is time" feeling. No traffic. Clear all the way.

Nothing spectacular happened on the trip this time. Nothing ever does. One of the benefits of going to this place.

I like to watch the marina side for closer up people snooping. A nice young man with an aging, sort of decrepit boat caught my eye. He was right near me. The thing is that no one ever looks up at the hotel windows. And I am not the only voyeur.

Actually, his dog caught my eye first. A happy puppy who seemed to think there was no place on earth better than this dock with this human.

Innocent joy. Dogs are great. I could see how he loved his human and did not miss a thing.

The hotel was half empty. I am not sure what to make of that. A tour of Germans broke the quiet monotony one night. Fun to watch them struggle with the language and the menu. Having done the same in their happy land I found it amusing. Not mean, me. Just a people watcher.

Another morning I watched a boatload of historic re-creationists try to get a Balboa type boat going from the dock on the bay side. All paddles and gallywest but they finally got it together. There is a maritime museum in San Diego. I suppose they were a part of that.

The hotel is renovated with a very nice ambience. Greys. Blues. Creams.

The food was as good or better than usual. The breakfast buffet is long gone. A little more pricey but this guy has his french toast down for sure.

Clear weather of course. The air quiet and cool in the 70s. Doors open all day.

I am a happy lover of routine. My days "on the beach" are familiar and pleasant and alone.

We all need some down time.

My husband goes on his vacation on Sunday. A cruise, five days I think. And I will keep the home fires burning.

It is still hot so I suppose that would mean keeping the AC going in mid day.

Labels: holiday

I am on my way to San Diego today for a view of the ocean, well the bay and a marina, and some time alone.

Not alone actually there will be other people there but I will ignore them. After decades on hotels and on my way to training events, I am great at loner-dom.

I hope all are well while I am gone but if not don't say anything until I get back on Thursday,

Labels: vacation

It took me awhile to see this painfully pointed film.

Spotlight (2015)

In which the Boston Globe Spotlight Team uncovers and prints a major series of stories about the clerical abuse that has raged for years in the Catholic Diocese.

We were there at that time. In fact we knew one of the priests from meeting him at a gay resort. Paul Shanley the "street priest" who had one of his boys in tow.

Very interesting guy. A vision of evil.

By now this is well known, the web of abuse cases stretching across the world but this is the first place that the lid came off the box.

There are many familiar scenes of Boston. No movie sets here. The acting is superb. And for a "talkie" film where there is a dense accumulation of data and structure it cuts straight to the center.

A would be willing to see it again making it a 4 out of Netflix5.

Labels: Boston, films

As you may know I am a great fan of The Big Lebowski in which Jeff Bridges gets his identity confused with a guy who has the same name. The "bigger" Lebowski finds out that the lesser one has been scamming on his identity.

The bigger Lebowski was played by David Huddleston and his scenes are memorable. He steals most of them from Bridges and takes a central role in the film.

Sadly, David Huddleston died the other day at a ripe old age.

David Huddleston, the Title Lebowski in ‘The Big Lebowski,’ Dies at 85"

Well, he was old in the film!

He was in other films with Mel Brooks. But it is the Lebowski role that is his premium work.

Labels: best movies

The jokes have started in earnest.

Yeh, I know it isn't funny but we gotta laugh, am I right? Better than crying.

Here we have a classical-flaming-queen-Donald.

I can put this up because, well, I am gay and I can make faggot jokes.

Incidentally, notice that the gestures are all his. And the words.

Labels: Trumpf

Today's movie is a prison riot movie with an unrelenting beat.

Celda 211 / Cell 211 (2011)

A Spanish film that stars Luis Tosar and Alberto Ammann. I have seen them both before. They are great together.

I have seen this one before. And it did not detract from the suspense.

A new prison guard, actually visiting the day before he is to start working, is enveloped in a prison riot.

The prisoners do not know that he is a newbie guard and he disguises himself as a new inmate.

Because he is smart, he is quickly taken up by the leader as a close advisor. All hell breaks loose.

This is not a film of gentle redemption. Awful shit happens. Get ready for it and hold on to your seat.

It is almost in real time. Very few outside shots. Constsant. Unrelenting and very scary. I read that this was filmed in a prison which had been decommissioned and that many of the actors had been prisoners in that same place. It sure seemed real to me.

By definition, a film seen more than once rates a Netflix5.

Labels: films

He said we would miss him and it turns out he was right.

Now, Nixon rises from the dead with some advice to The Donald.

Richard Nixon Speaks: Stop Comparing Me to Trump, Dammit!

In his trademark salty language we are treated to a taste of the old Republican we would most like to hate.

For those who are a little younger and may not remember the crouch and the snarl this is a nice bit of nostalgia in a much nastier time.

Written in fun by Justin Sherin, a playwright based in New York City.

Of course this is partly because the GOoPers do not change.

Sure, The Donald is a cartoon of the type but so was Nixon.

At least Dick had better hair. He was also much more politically astute.

One of the scary lessons from Nixon is that no matter how fucked up you are and no matter how much people laugh at you. persistence might just work in the end. Louder and longer and over and over. Finally, just to get rid of the fucker we will vote for him. At least there are term limits.

Labels: GOoPers

The national intelligence establishment is usually quiet at election time.

Not this go-around.

Ex-CIA chief backs Clinton, calls Trump national security threat

Morell is not the first. Michael Hayden the former head of CIA weighed in the other day on this.

These are the guys who sit with the President when it is time to shoot Osama Bin Laden or to advise when the Twin Towers fell. They have been where Donald Trump should not be allowed to go.

A threat to national security?

Sure.

He not only has a big mouth but he lies and uses information for his own purposes.

This is not a real estate deal. This is some serious shit we are talking.

And these guys are scared.

Labels: Donald Trump, security

I am leery of polls.

But Nate Silver is the gold standard bearer and a dependable source of important conclusions as well as data.

Outfits like Gallup gather information but Silver takes it many steps further to analyze and absorb.

Here, Silver sums up for us after the convention period.

Why a Meaningful Shift in the Trump-Clinton Race May Be at Hand

Silver always sees both sides. Helps us muffle joy and sorrow with perspective.

Things are looking good for Democrats right now. Silver thinks they have a solid foothold for the general.

Labels: polls

Today's film, a documentary, takes on so much that it almost sinks.

But it is always beautiful to watch.

The Pearl Button (2015)

Patagonia. Chile. Dictatorship. Indigenous people. Scenery. Climatology.

All together in a melange which seems to start and stop in a beautiful circle.

I am glad I watched it but once is enough. I get a headache from too much travelogue especially when politics are wedged into it.

A 3 out of Netflix5.

Labels: documentary

Today's film is by Louis Malle who remembers what it was like.

Au Revoir Les Enfants / Goodbye children (1987)

Or at least I assume it is autobiographical.

The Second World War comes to a private Catholic school. Two good friends find that their youth is stolen when one is identified as a Jew in a massive sweep.

There are tears at the end. Innocence is shattered for the young catholic kid but for the jewish kid, it is the end of his world. Off to the camps.

There is a gentle inevitability to the outcome. We know what has happened or is happening as the kids live their privileged lives. But for a few.

Until the end.

This is worth seeing over and over and therefore a 5 out of Netflix5.

It is not unreasonable to think that times like this could come again. There is always a fanatical villain off stage trying to get on. Yes?

This is a Criterion restoration and a very good one. Nothing is lost to time.

Labels: best films, films

Trump is a shit stirrer even in his own Party.

How Donald Trump and President Obama Put Republicans in a Bind

Up until now, he has been able to run the way he wants to. But Obama has put it to the Party to stop him.

Very good.

A bind.

One that is not likely to go away.

Today's movie is an old favorite.

The Warriors (1979)

This one is billed as the "original director's cut" which, as I understand it, means that they interpolated frames of comic book renditions of various scenes.

It is effective and probably unnecessary. The film carries itself very well.

I see this about once a year. I enjoy it immensely. It is an old fashioned cowboy like film. The heroes are wronged, the villains pay and in the background is the dead and dying Coney Island. A sorry commentary on the whole business.

Labels: best films, films

Do not piss off John McCain especially if you are an entitled draft dodger.

John McCain denounced Donald Trump's criticism of the Khan family, saying he does not have an "unfettered license to defame” In a remarkable and lengthy rebuke of his party’s nominee, Senator John McCain sharply criticized Donald J. Trump’s comments about the family of the fallen Muslim Army captain, saying, “While our party has bestowed upon him the nomination, it is not accompanied by unfettered license to defame those who are the best among us.”

Labels: Trumpf