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.