This was another fascinating short movie which I just recently watched on Al Jazeera. In it, we get a story on Lesotho, a small yet independent country entirely surrounded by South Africa.
Of course, we do not often hear about Lesotho. I know little about it, mostly as a result of my studies of South Africa now over the years. But it is usually regarded as an afterthought by many, including those who focus on South Africa, which perhaps understandably gets far more attention.
So running into this video proved fascinating. It delves into the mountainous country of Lesotho, which has one very valuable resource that South Africa increasingly desperately needs: water. But Lesotho is a poor, underdeveloped country. In this video, we catch a glimpse of a tiny country which most of us rarely ever hear about.
It seemed worth sharing here. See the link below, and watch the attached video once you go on the site. It is not terribly long, but it is fascinating. Enjoy!
Women taxi drivers take on Lesotho’s dangerous mountain roads Two brave young women branch out by launching their taxi service on Lesotho’s notoriously dangerous mountain roads 3 Feb 2022:
So anyone who has been paying attention to the news lately cannot have failed to notice the massive protests that have been going on in Israel over recent judicial reform which passed the Knesste, Israel's parliament. These protests have been met by water hoses sprayed by the police, and even some real violence.
The situation is so explosive, that there is now some talk of a possible civil war. This issue is regarded as nothing short of the end of democracy in Israel, effectively. So it really is not all that surprising that it should be so heated.
It seemed to me worth exploring. To that end, I decided to incorporate some videos with experts, who break down and explain this controversy, so those of us outside of Israel can perhaps understand it better. Take a look. Some fascinating stuff here:
A Youtuber Video Short on the situation in Israel:
France just got by Brazil yesterday in the Women's World Cup being hosted this year by Australia and New Zealand. The two sides squared off in Brisbane, and it was a tight game throughout.
France's Eugénie Le Sommer broke through first, scoring a goal in the 17th minute to give France the early edge.
However, Débora Cristina de Oliveira of Brazil managed to tie it early in the second half with her goal in the 58th minute.
Ultimately, however, veteran defender Wendie Renard scored the clinching goal in the 83rd minute to secure the win for France, putting them in first place for now in Group F, and with excellent chances of advancing to the knockout stage.
France's Renard leads by example in World Cup win vs. Brazil by Julien Laurens, Correspondent for ESPN, July 29, 2023:
The reasons for her death are unknown, although news reports early this morning are suggesting that there was no foul play found.
Sinead O'Connor was best known for a cover of a Prince song, "Nothing Compares 2 U.," although she obviously had an illustrious career aside from that as well. She did not back down from controversy, either. Just a few years ago, she very publicly blasted Miley Cyrus, who was at the peak of her musical career at the time.
The most famous incident involving O'Connor was something which I saw when it happened live. Of course, I am referring to her taking a picture of then Pope John Paul II and ripping it up in front of the cameras during the live broadcast. The response was systematic and highly critical, although in fact, the Catholic Church would come under the microscope of scrutiny for wildspread child abuse, and how the Vatican handled it, or rather, mishandled it.
Later in life, O'Connor apparently found peace in the Islamic religion.
RIP, Sinead O'Connor.
Ireland mourns death of 'trailblazing' singer Sinead O'Connor By Graham Fahy and Padraic Halpin July 28, 2023:
We hear much about massive political instability in the rest of the world. Yesterday's military coup in Niger is just the most recent reminder, as I write this, of this fact. There are also major protests in Peru which seem to have grown violent. Indeed, political instability has been the norm for many decades, unfortunately, at least for much of the world.
However, what is new is the political instability closer to home, here in the United States. We have seen increased political tensions as the great political divide seems to widen ever more. I remember feeling that this divide was approaching a breaking point back in the early 2000's, with the polarizing Bush administration's push for an invasion in Iraq. But it really spiked considerably a little over a decade later, with the political rise of Donald Trump, who I believe has been the most polarizing politician in recent American history.
Since then, many Americans speak openly about the possibility - some suggest the likelihood - of a second civil war breaking out. I remember that polls suggested some years ago that up to a third of Americans believed that there would indeed be a civil war. Some Americans have spoken of the possibility of some kind of a national split, which has been fueled by some red states - particularly the former Confederate states like South Carolina and Texas - actively talking about the possibility of secession, which of course is what led to the first civil war.
Now, I will not get into the disastrous consequences of an actual second civil war breaking out. Nor will I mention how another actual secession movement by red states, should it succeed, would likely inevitably have some kind of conflict with the former United States which they belonged to.
However, this video below was pretty fascinating and illuminating. It reveals some of the realities of the full ramifications of such an official split like this, and what it might look like. So it seemed fitting to go ahead and share this video today. Take a look and, if you are so inclined, please feel free to add your comments.
What if the United States DID get a national divorce?
Niger's democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown by the presidential guards, who's duty it supposedly was to protect him and keep him safely in office. President Bazoum had been the first elected leader to succeed another elected leader in the country since it first gained it's independence back in 1960. It was the beginning of an actual democratic tradition.
But that is gone now.
For now, the military forced behind the coup have installed General Abdourahmane Tchiani into power. He suspended the country's constitution.
Niger military coup: What you need to know by Robert Plummer BBC News, July 28, 2023:
Yesterday, I published a blog entry on one point of interest in the Garden State.
Today, it seemed fitting to do another one.
Now this one is not one that I believe that I've seen, much less really visited, before. And historically speaking, it does not go back as far as Dey Mansion.
Still, this was interesting, and it was real history. Thus, it seemed worht sharing here. Take a look at an article about New Jersey's oldest high school, and one of the oldest schools in the country, for that matter. Enjoy!
The Oldest High School in New Jersey is Among the Oldest in America by Shawn Michaels July 17, 2023:
This was a news article that I only recently ran into. Yet, it certainly seemed worth sharing here.
Kurt Vonnegut has been one of my very favorite authors for a long time. I enjoy his writing style, as well as his humanism. I also enjoy his often weird stories, which are unpredictable but fun, and deceptively simple. In fact, he makes a lot of very valid points along the way, and encourages the reader to think about things, about the world and how we treat one another.
Also, I grew up watching some Carl Sagan documentaries. He was probably the main person whom I associated with science, and the fascinating possibilities that could be tapped over time with science and technology. Later in life, when I got to understand and appreciate him and what he was saying more fully, it was more than just his science, but his entire outlook on life which came to impress me.
So it is not all that surprising to me that these two men would win up fostering a friendship between one another. Both were men of science - remember, Vonnegut came from a family of scientists, and was pretty knowledgeable on science himself - and both also were humanists. Thus, it makes total sense that these two men would prove to be friends, and that they would appreciate each other.
The individual bodies of work for both men speaks for themselves. But there is also a genuine warmth and humanity which, I think in these days, we can appreciate more over time. These were men of substance, and in these rather shallow times, it is nice to delve a little bit into their worlds, when legitimate decency and values and a sense of scientific responsibility actually was capably given voice by both. Indeed, that is part of the reason why they are missed today.
Two Good Humans: The Friendship Between Carl Sagan and Kurt Vonnegut BY PATRICK PARR • 23 MARCH 2021
Yesterday, I published a link to a fascinating movie about life in Spain under Franco, which proved tragic for many people. Franco, it should be noted, refused to join the Axis powers despite serious pressure from Hitler, and in fact, took in many Jews who sought refuge from the Nazis during the Holocaust. So he deserves some accolades for that.
However, the brutality that existed and persisted throughout the almost four decades of Franco's rule in Spain were, nevertheless, pretty horrifying. Whether or not he was on board with Hitler's genocidal policies, he still accepted Hitler's help to get him installed in the first place, and his was a fascist regime. So it was pretty damn brutal.
This is a different kind of movie, and in fact, is in an entirely different country altogether. In this short (less than half an hour) documentary, we see one man who loves Viking culture, but hates how it seems to be hijacked by Neo-Nazis. It was interesting, and yet another film which I first saw while watching Al Jazeera lately.
So it seemed worth sharing here. Take a look, and enjoy!
Vikings vs Neo-Nazis: Battling the Far Right in Sweden | Witness
Yesterday, very early in the morning (just after getting off from my overnight shift, in fact), I was passing by Wayne, New Jersey, when I saw a banner for "Historic Dey Mansion," which they also referred to as "Washington's Headquarters." Having some free time on my hands, and with the temperatures still pleasantly cool at that early morning hour (it was not yet seven in the morning on a day that was supposed to be an absolute scorcher), it seemed like it would be a good idea to pay a visit.
Indeed, from July 1 - 29th of 1780, and again from October 9th thru November 27th of the same year, George Washington had his headquarters here. The building indeed looks like an old mansion from Colonial times, complete with s small formal gardens just outside. There is a golf course right next to the place, which I have admittedly mixed feelings about. Still, at least that means that the surroundings are green and appear more or less rural and even pastoral, at least at first glance. In other words, it actually enhances the sense of stepping back in time, to catch a glimpse of those Colonial times, when Washington and the army of American rebels were still righting for independence from Great Britain.
It was beautiful there. And it also made me wonder why I never took my son here. That is something I hope to remedy in the not to distant future. That said, I did take him to Washington's Headquarters in Morristown, not too far away, and probably more famous. Probably larger, too. Dey Mansion - so named because it belonged to Colonel Theunis Dey, is not a National Park like the one in Morristown. However, it has made it onto both the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places.
There is something to be said about Dey Mansion, and the buildings and grounds surrounding it, which indeed to help to make this feel really like you are catching a rare glimpse of what the country might have looked like almost two and a half centuries ago now.
So I took these pictures below, while the place was mostly empty. In fact, I was the only one there for perhaps a good half an hour, and then, there was only one other person. The pictures came out nicely, especially the ones which were taken while there was still early morning fog (in my opinion). So I thought that they would be worth sharing here. Enjoy!
Last night, I watched this movie while tuned into Al Jazeera.
This was very informative. I had heard some things about the Franco regime in Spain, which lasted the better part of forty years. It was an outright fascist regime, with supporters giving the Generalissimo the fascist straight-arm salute as a sign of respect and reverence. Mind you, this lasted until the mid-1970's, three decades after Hitler and Mussolini - the guys who most famously championed fascism, and who helped install Franco in Spain in the first place - had been defeated and discredited.
After Franco died, there could be no justice, because an amnesty law was passed. Basically, it was a law that stated that while there was no denial of wrongdoing, of crimes against humanity, during the Franco years, any discussion or investigations would open up old wounds and tear the country apart. So, this logic suggested, it is best simply to forget and move on, and make sure that it never happens again. In fact, some of the Spaniards who sought justice went to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where they also had battles with the crimes of a former dictatorship. There, they managed to gain some traction for investigating these crimes, although even then, the Spanish government managed to limit it.
Of course, some might suggest that the best way to make sure that it does not happen again is to understand how it happened in the first place.
But I digress. This was a truly fascinating and illuminating look at the Franco years in Spain, and how the country dealt with it - or rather, how it seemed to go out of it's way not to deal with it - in the years and decades that followed.
Fascinating documentary. Well worth watching!
Facing Franco’s Crimes: The Silence of Others The epic struggle of the victims of Spain’s 40-year dictatorship under General Franco, as they seek justice to this day.Read more Published On 25 Jun 2021 25 Jun 2021
You know, the news is often playing at my overnight job. Depending on who is working, it is usually either CNN or FOX News, although we sometimes get some other news channels (more local ones). And you know what? I find myself both depressed and in the need of tuning out when I watch these news channels and programs.
Why?
Well, FOX News should be obvious. It is blatant, far-right propaganda. Sometimes, they cannot decide whether or not they are supporters or critics of Trump. But you can bet that at the end of the day, they stand with what he stood for, if not his particular style. Some there would like to see a new leader take over, like DeSantis. But for the most part, they only go so far in their criticisms of Trump, because they suspect that he will be the one who will win the presidential nomination for the Republicans in 2024.
Then, there is CNN. It also seems to be more of a station based on opinions these days. Most of the programs that play are political opinion programs. They talk incessantly about the elections, particularly presidential elections, which seem these days to almost start as soon as the last one ends. At the very least, these election cycles last about two years. Every now and then, we also get some sort of celebrity news, as well.
Ditto with the local news programs, which are not exclusively opinion shows, but which are nevertheless extremely limited in what they actually do cover. In each case, they rarely cover things that happen outside of the United States with any significant depth or without some kind of obvious political agenda. For example, you are likely not going to get any serious news about China without some kind of rather obvious political slant.
Over the years, I began to turn away from American news. This process started to feel urgent during a trip that I took to Canada, right as the United States invaded Iraq in 2003. Here in the United States, it was all about when we would invade, how we should invade, whether or not it would be most air strikes, or if ground forces would be unleashed sooner or later. In Canada they asked a question that too rarely received any serious consideration: should the United States invade Iraq at all?
So yeah, I began to turn to foreign news more and more. Sometimes it would be the BBC or the CBC, the two foreign news services that tended to be the most accessible here in the United States. Sometimes, I would watch the French news, being French. And more and more often, lately, I find myself tuning into Al Jazeera.
That was where I learned yesterday about how scientists were predicting that the Gulf Stream might collapse, and possibly as early as 2025. The description accompanying every report of this story that I have seen is that such a thing would have "catastrophic" consequences for humanity.
The last time that it collapsed was during the last Ice Age.
Since I did not see CNN or other news stations cover this story - they may have glossed over it briefly, and perhaps I missed it thus, although that itself would be telling, wouldn't it? - it seemed to me that this major news story should be shared as much as possible.
By now, most people accept the reality of climate change. There are serious wildfires burning right now in Canada, in Greece, in Italy, in Spain, in Algeria, and in Tunisia. In recent years, we have seen both record droughts and record floods scattered across North America, and indeed the world. We are living in an age where every year sees new records set (sometimes smashed) in various places around the world. Earlier this year, parts of the Arctic saw record hot temperatures, and much of the North American West, and the American South, are experiencing record hot temperatures. And we are hardly alone in that regard, as this has become a worldwide phenomenon:
In recent days, China set an all-time high of nearly 126 degrees Fahrenheit, while Death Valley hit 128 degrees, two shy of the highest reliably measured temperature on Earth. Phoenix experienced a record-breaking 19th consecutive day at or above 110 degrees Tuesday. And in the Middle East, the heat index reached 152 degrees, nearing — or surpassing — levels thought to be the most intense the human body can withstand.
Yeah, given how extreme this summer has felt - and I live in the Northeast, which has been largely spared the scorching temperatures and conditions experienced in much of the rest of the continent - maybe it's time we begin to actually take this stuff seriously. And at least spread the news when we see headlines like this. Because by now, it seems safe to say that the debate about whether or not climate change /global warming is real or not is over. It's real, and we are only beginning to see the proof of that now.
Below are the articles used in writing this particular blog entry:
Gulf Stream could collapse as early as 2025, study suggests A collapse would bring catastrophic climate impacts but scientists disagree over the new analysis Damian Carrington Environment editor @dpcarrington Tue 25 Jul 2023 11.00 EDT
The heat index reached 152 degrees in the Middle East — nearly at the limit for human survival By Scott Dance Updated July 18, 2023 at 4:13 p.m. EDT|Published July 18, 2023:
This will not be another review of the new Indiana Jones, since I have already done two reviews, one with a spoiler and one without.
However, one thing that also gained a lot of notice with this movie were the technological aspects. Particularly, the de-aging process for Harrison Ford in the opening scenes (roughly lasting about 20 minutes or so).
It was quite a feat. And it went beyond A.I., apparently, which was quite interesting. Ran into this article and thought this would be worth sharing. Enjoy!
No, De-Aged Harrison Ford Wasn’t All A.I. in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ by Bill Desowitz, July 7, 2023:
There was no magic tech bullet for crafting Ford's younger face, so ILM assembled a suite of tools that they strategically used on a shot-by-shot basis.
The Cure broke records this year with their tour. I would have liked to have caught a show, although I did not, unfortunately.
Still, this is newsworthy, particularly since frontman Robert Smith made many headlines with his criticism over extra charges by Ticketmaster when it came to ticket prices for the show.
Personally, I was glad that Smith did what he did, and am pleased that their tour proved to be such a success. Certainly, I agree that Ticketmaster's greed is inexcusable and seems to know no bounds. I wish The Cure well, and hope that other bands and performers will eventually join them, because ticket prices have gotten simply outrageous!
The Cure break touring records despite Robert Smith’s push for low ticket prices The North American tour sold over 547,000 tickets By Liberty Dunworth 19th July 2023:
Okay, so it has been a long time since I gave any real sports updates, which includes the CFL. Guess I've been slacking as of late.
So it seemed like this was a good opportunity to catch up a little bit. The CFL is now approaching the midseason point, with some teams having played seven games. Each team ill is scheduled to play an 18-game regular season.
This weekend started with a Thursday game, when the hosting Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the best team in recent years in the CFL, held off the Edmonton Elks, 28-14. Winnipeg improved to 5-2 on the season, and are in second place, one game behind the Lions, while the Elks dropped to 0-7 on the year, and remain the CFL's only remaining winless team.
On Friday, Montreal Alouettes heading into Hamilton and knocking off the Tiger-Cats, 31-15. The Alouettes improved to 2-3 with the win, while Hamilton dropped to 2-4 on the season with this loss.
On Saturday, the Lions defeated the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders, 19-9. British Columbia remained hot on the year with this win, remaining in first place in the West Division by improving to 5-1 on the year. The Roughriders, meanwhile, dropped to 3-3 on the season, and are in third place in the West Division.
Finally yesterday, Ottawa squeaked out a narrow win in an offensive shootout in Calgary, ultimately outlasting the Stampeders, 43 -41. With the win, the Redblacks improved to 3-3, while Calgary fell to 2-4 on the year with this loss.
Not in action were the Toronto Argonauts, the league's last remaining undefeated team at 5-0, who remain comfortably in first place in the East Division.
Sad news from the music world, as word has passed that legendary singer Tony Bennett died on Friday.
Bennett truly had an iconic career in music, one that stretched back to the post-war years, after he had served at the very end of World War II. But first he fought during the last stages of the European theater of war, and was one of the American troops that helped to liberate Dachau. That was a remarkable fact that I somehow just learned about earlier today. Just unbelievable!
These experiences in the war certainly had an effect on him:
In an interview in 2018 with the Baltimore Jewish Times, he said his experience in the Army “turned me into a lifelong pacifist and it’s my hope that all wars and violence will become a thing of the past.”
He continued to develop his singing career right after the war. By the 1950's, he began to enjoy mainstream success. In 1962, he did "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," which ultimately became his signature song.
Over the many decades, he only added to his legacy, and had numerous musical collaborations with other artists. That included a high profile album release with Lady Gaga just a few years back. He felt like the last surviving member of the "old guard" of singers, which included Frank Sinatra.
I wanted to see Tony Bennett in concert, but never actually managed to do so. However, I did see him once. I was in the city for an unrelated event, and had heard about an appearance that he was making at a Barnes and Noble. I believe it was the one at Union Square, if memory serves correctly. I got there on time to see him physically (see the picture attached), although unfortunately, the event was already closed off, and so I did not get a chance to get an autograph. Still, I did get there on time to catch a glimpse of him (although his talk was pretty much over). That was when I snapped this one and only picture.
He was one of the musicians that it seemed everybody had enormous respect, even almost reverence, for. He will be missed.
RIP, Tony Bennett.
Tony Bennett at a book signing event. I believe that this was back in 2012.
Tony Bennett: Legendary US singer who helped to liberate Nazi death camp dies aged 96 The jazz and pop legend helped to liberate the Dachau death camp as a young US soldier Richard Percival, July 21, 2023:
Okay, so I saw the movie "Oppenheimer" yesterday and published my review of it earlier today. But the movie really fascinated me and got me thinking quite a bit. I researched the historical accuracy of it. For the most part, this movie is mostly historically accurate.
Now that said, I am not sure that everything happened quite like it did in the movie. For example, one thing that I wanted to know after watching this was whether or not President Harry Truman actually called Oppenheimer a "cry baby." Turns out that the answer is yes, although it did not happen quite the way it was portrayed in the movie. Still, the spirit of the thing was there, portrayed symbolically. Oppenheimer by then understands the dangers of his creation, and Truman come across as more interested in hijacking the bomb for his own purposes, as well as seemingly arrogant to the point of incredulity in his absolute certainty that the Russians cannot possibly ever develop their own bomb, even though Oppenheimer makes clear that, by his estimation, they likely will, and that it is more a matter of when, not if.
Some things, of course, we cannot know. Not to give any spoilers away, but towards the end of the movie, we see Oppenheimer imagining numerous nuclear missiles flying past him and going off through much of the globe, presumably launching a nuclear holocaust, although we never actually do get to see the aftermath fully. Still, this also feels true to the spirit, because these are the major and obvious concerns, not just by Oppenheimer, but by almost all of us. The question of whether humanity actually is responsible or mature enough to handle the awesome power of such weaponry is still very much up for debate. Certainly, we accept the stated opinion in the movie that the Nazis very much cannot be trusted in possession of such weapons. But the unanswered question is whether we can be trusted with it. Remember, we recently had a sitting president who asked - multiple times! - why we couldn't actually use the bombs, if we have them. He also boasted about his button being bigger than that of Kim Jong-un's of North Korea. So this movie is asking us to think about issues that are still very much relevant in our times, despite these events having mostly taken place nearly eight decades ago now.
One thing that I wanted to say in the review, but which I forgot to insert, is that this movie likely requires multiple viewings. After seeing it, I was afraid that I had missed the significance of an alarming portion of the dialogue. Turns out, after going over numerous reviews, that seems to be the consensus. That in fact, there is just "too much" packed into it. That despite the three hour mark being unusually long for a movie, it still seems to somehow cover too much and, paradoxically, not enough.
But I digress. For the most part, this movie is historically accurate. And again, it is worth watching. I strongly urge everyone to go out and see it!
Here's What 'Oppenheimer' Gets Right--and Wrong--about Nuclear History By Lee Billings, Jeffery DelViscio, Carin Leong on July 21, 2023:
As soon as I saw the trailer for "Oppenheimer," I knew that it was the type of movie that I really wanted to see.
My girlfriend and I went to the movies together yesterday for the first time in well over three - possibly even four - years, since before the pandemic. It was this movie which we went to see.
Now, this is a three hour movie. And much of it - most of it, frankly - is dialogue. So it might not be the kind of movie that will grab audiences in this day and age. This is unfortunate, because frankly, this was a very good movie, and should be seen (and hopefully understood) by everyone.
So let me make a confession here, before I go into more detail about this movie. Going into it, I was not sure what to think about Oppenheimer, the man. In my own mind, I was unsure as to whether he was more of a hero, someone to be admired, or perhaps more of sinister character, a man who, in his own words, had "become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” Here's the thing: you learn a lot about Oppenheimer, as well as the challenges, and the ultimate triumph - IF a triumph is what it truly was - in developing "the bomb." You also truly do feel as if you are catching a glimpse of what it was like back in those days, particularly the end of World War II, and the post-war world in the years after, the beginning of the "Atomic Age." Yet, I still am not sure what to think of Oppenheimer as a man.
This movie is great. You really feel like you are seeing Los Alamos during the time of the Manhattan Project. The scenery in the movie - from Europe to the Southwestern desert to the college campuses - is visually pleasing. The acting is wonderful, even off the charts in some cases. Emily Blunt looks less like a beautiful actress, and actually does convince you - at least for the duration of the movie - that she is Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer. Robert Downey, Jr. is amazing as Lewis Strauss, making a convincing character arc from seeming likeable Oppenheimer ally to petty and vindictive villain towards the end. And above all, Cillian Murphy is stunning as the title character, portraying J. Robert Oppenheimer, putting on an unbelievable performance. Or perhaps I should say, a believable performance, because you feel as if you are seeing Oppenheimer, the man, himself. Just incredible!
In many respects, this is the story of humanity, of our triumphs, of our paradoxes, and of our self-inflicted defeats. We see them achieving some incredible things, scaling unprecedented academic heights and scoring some stunning, life-altering technological achievements. Yet, we also see a lot of pettiness and selfishness, as well as presumptuousness and arrogance, and by many of the people portrayed on the silver screen. Plus, this is largely based on history, so it has more than just a grain of truth to it. Indeed, it demands us to give some thought to serious, weighty issues in our modern age, and this modern age of ours, arguably, really got going because of Oppenheimer, who has been described as the "Father of the Atomic Bomb." So in a very real sense, Oppenheimer and his team at Los Alamos, New Mexico, very much brought into being this modern, "atomic age" which we are living in.
This movie does everything that I really want in a movie. It educates about events, informs about the people and a historical era in time, it entertains and, ultimately, it challenges the viewer to think about things. Oppenheimer was a very complex man, and the era in which this movie takes place - from the time leading up to World War II, through the war, and then in the post-war "Red Scare" version of the United States at the height of the Cold War, and even offering glimpses of a bit beyond that, in the sixties.
It challenges the viewer to look at the paradoxes of the man and of the age, how Oppenheimer could at once be regarded as both a hero and a villain, a highly disciplined and brilliant man of science, and yet also simultaneously a man who displays outrageous decadence in his personal life, ridiculous ego and, ultimately, a naiveté that helped lead to a demise of sorts. Oppenheimer blindly pursued the goal of developing the bomb by justifying the necessity of developing it before the Nazis did, then simply shrugging this rationale off when he continued developing the bomb after Hitler had killed himself and Nazi Germany had surrendered, and his hubris also allowed him to assume that he might remain influential in the development and use of nuclear weapons and energy after he developed the bomb, only to see it hijacked by politicians and the military industrial complex. And it allows us to view those times, of course, which were somehow simpler in certain respects, yet had multiple layers which come into focus. There are questions regarding the trustworthiness of allies during the war (most obviously Russia/the Soviet Union), with political power games by the United States and a certain arrogance and entitlement that blinded them to the reality of the inevitability of the Soviet Union becoming the next nuclear power. Domestically, we see the paranoia of the "Red Scare" being obviously manipulated for political leverage by cynical and self-serving individuals. We see scientists - not only Oppenheimer - regretting having been used for such destructive purposes, and then tossed aside when objections as to the use of their inventions get in the way of politicians and the military.
Ultimately, this is what movies are supposed to do and what they are supposed to be, in my opinion. They should keep us entertained, and if they inform and/or educate (as this one does), all the better. You can marvel at the special effects - apparently, Christopher Nolan as least claims that there is no CGI at all here, which would be amazing, particularly given the explosions of the bomb - or you can have deep discussions afterward with somebody who also saw the movie, because each viewer may get something very different. This is a very important movie about an enormously significant time period in this country's history, and it does have some clear significance to our own times. I would strongly urge the reader to go and see this movie, and in theaters, if possible, to support movies like this. It was so refreshing seeing a "big" and highly anticipated summer movie (maybe not quite a blockbuster, but still) which has nothing to do with superheroes and is not another mindless action movie, and which both entertains while getting us to think. There should be more such movies like this one!
Last Sunday, Carlos Alvaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in a tough classic five-set victory 1-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.
I reviewed this on Monday, of course. Yet I did not quite realize just how much history was made on that day, in a strange, unconventional way.
You see, Wimbledon has been won by one of the "Big Four" in men's tennis dating back to Roger Federer winning Wimbledon for the first time in 2003. Indeed, the last time somebody other than one of the "Big Four" has actually taken the Men's Singles title at Wimbledon was Lleyton Hewitt, back in 2002. After losing the 2001 US Open Men's Final to Hewitt, Pete Sampras had suggested that Hewitt was the new champion likely to dominate the sport for quite a while. When he won Wimbledon in 2002, this indeed looked like a distinct possibility. And Hewitt did end both 2001 and 2002 as the world's number one ranked man in tennis. But we would soon find out that this new era would be dominated by other names, and not by Hewitt.
Since then until this past Sunday, the Wimbledon Men's singles title has been won by a total of four men: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Federer won it from 2003-2007, and again won it in 2009, 2012, and 2017. Nadal broke through by beating Federer in that legendary final in 2008, widely considered by many the greatest tennis match ever. Nadal also won it in 2010. Djokovic won it in 2011, 2014 - 2015, 2018-19, and 2021 and 2022, and Murray won it in 2013 and 2016.
As much as the "Big Four" (particularly the "Big Three" in particular) dominated the sport for the past two decades or so their dominance was nowhere as glaringly obvious as at Wimbledon. It might not have happened very often, but other men have broken through for Grand Slam titles at the other tournaments during that time. Stan Wawrinka won the Australian Open title in 2014, the French Open in 2015, and the US Open in 2016. Marat Safin won the Australian Open in 2005. Juan Del Portro broke through in 2009 by winning the US Open. Marin Čilić won the US Open in 2014, and Dominic Thiem won it in 2020.
There were other champions at each of the other Grand Slam events outside of the "Big Four." It might have been rare, but it did happen. Wimbledon was the only one where no one outside of the "Big Four" had won in two full decades. No other tournament so exclusively seemed to belong to the men belonging to the "Big Four." So Alvaraz winning truly did seem to mark a symbolic changing of the guard.
The young Spaniard made history. He might have kicked down the door, and we may be seeing the beginning of an entirely new era in men's tennis.
My son pictured here next to an illustration of Tintin, the famous character by Hergé, and the inspiration for the later Indiana Jones character. Both my son and I grew up on Tintin, and we enjoyed reading many Tintin books together. This was taken from the Hergé Exhibit at the Musée de la Civilisation in Québec City back in 2017, which we both very much enjoyed.
Today is the national holiday of Belgium.
This day marks the anniversary of when the Belgians forced the Dutch out of Belgium, and King Leopold I began his rule as the first modern monarch of Belgium.
It is called the Nationale feestdag van België in Dutck, la Fête nationale belge in French, and die Belgischer Nationalfeiertag in German, all three of the tiny nation's official languages.
Seemed like a good idea to recognize the occasion and pay homage.
Before I did this spoiler version of a review of the new Indiana Jones movie, "Dial of Destiny," I wanted to go and see it again.
Late last week, I finally did. And you know what? It was better and more fun the second time around. My guess is that this was because I already went in knowing what would happen, and was not distracted by possible hopes or expectations or the distraction of hoping that it would not be disappointing. I had already seen the movie once before, and knew what to expect. So watching it again meant having an idea already of what it would be like and not guessing, and thus being able instead to just focus on the quality of the scenes.
Indeed, it came across better the second time. I actually liked it more the second time around, possibly because I knew what to expect. The focus was on simply appreciating the movie this time, which came more easily. Now, my suspicion is that the movie was better than my initial impression of it after the first viewing.
So again, this is a review filled with spoilers. If you have not seen the movie yet and wish to do so, and do not want it spoiled, then this is your final warning not to continue reading, as there will be major spoilers ahead.
Spoilers ******Spoilers******Spoilers
Okay, don't say that you weren't warned.
The first twenty or so minutes of the movie feature the de-aged version of Indiana Jones. It takes us back to the golden era of the Indiana Jones movies, as the two best movies, in my opinion, were when the Nazis were the bad guys. Not surprisingly, this is the best part of this movie. It is exciting, suspenseful. A bit too dark, although I understand that they intentionally kept it darker than normal to help make the de-aged Harrison Ford more convincing. His voice is a little gruff and, frankly, sounds old. But otherwise, it was good overall. That said, Jürgen Voller (played very capably by Mads Mikkelsen), the man who becomes the main villain in the movie, is violently thrown off the train when hit in the head (it seemed like he was hit right in the face) by a metal sign post. Yet, not only does this not kill him - and he could have been killed either by the impact itself, or when he was thrown off the speeding train - but it leaves no discernible mark on him at all later in the movie. Not very realistic, and it felt a bit distracting.
Then, we get the modern day Harrison Ford portraying a much older Indiana Jones at about 80 years old. I was afraid that they might make him into a sort of Archie Bunker type, loudly complaining against the loud and disrespectful counterculture of those times, particularly hippies. Yes, it was only too easy to see him getting some cheap laughs by taking shots at them. But they went another direction altogether with it, for which I am personally thankful. There is only one scene, really, where he flirts with being like this, when he is woken up fairly early in the morning crudely when a young neighbor of his is blasting "Magical Mystery Tour" by the Beatles. Indy walks across his apartment shirtless and only in his underwear, and yells at this neighbor to turn it down. When that doesn't work, he bangs on the guy's door. In fact, he is having a party, and this young neighbor simply tells him that today is "Moon Day." Not much later, we indeed find out that there is a parade for the astronauts who just shortly before had successfully landed and walked on the moon, and returned back safely.
After this, we get out first real glimpse into the life that Jones now leads at about 80 years old. He has lost his son "Mutt", who we later learn signed up for the war in Vietnam and has gotten himself killed. That takes care of the absence of Shia LaBeouf, who I actually once heard Harrison Ford hated in real life. One way or another, he was not coming back, so it seems this is how they took care of it. The strain of this loss has proven too much for Indy and Marion Ravenwood. Remember, they had gotten married at the end of "Crystal Skull." Now, we see papers showing that they are going through divorce proceedings. In fact, Indy at one point hides an image of a younger Marion on his refrigerator with a magnet. We also catch a glimpse of an American flag in a triangle box, signifying the less of a veteran (again, presumably his son "Mutt") on one of his shelves.
Next, we see Indy at his job. He is still a professor, only now he is no longer at Princeton University, but somewhere in New York City, perhaps at Columbia or NYU, I am guessing. He is teaching a very disinterested class about Archimedes and the invasion of Syracuse. Some of the students smile at this, but Indy understands the misperception, and makes it clear that he is not talking about the city of Syracuse in upstate New York, but rather, the one in Sicily. One young person - we later find out that she is not a student in the class - suddenly bursts out with very specific answers, which of course gets Indy going on the subject. Thus, we learn all about the dial that Archimedes has built, and which will be the McGuffin for this movie. Briefly, we also already heard the main villain of the movie Jürgen Voller explain to uninterested Nazis that this dial was real, and had no unexplained mythical powers, but worked logically, according to the laws of mathematics. It will not make the man using it an emperor or a dictator, he says, but rather, a God. So thus, by now we have an idea of just how powerful this thing is supposed to be.
Indy's class is interrupted when, for some reason, a bunch of enthusiastic young people come storming in with a television and talk about the parade for the astronauts who landed on the moon, which is going on right outside on the streets at this morning. Class is over, in other words. We next see that Indy is thrown a retirement party. He grumpily thanks everyone for putting up with him all of these years. He walks out onto the streets, and gives a total stranger his retirement gift, which is a clock. The movie began with the ticking of a clock, and the dial is yet another symbol for time. This clock seems to serve as yet another reminder of the passing of time, as well as giving us a chance to see just how disinterested and grumpy Indy has become, seemingly with everything.
From the time that his class was cut short, to the retirement party, and now to the bar, where Indy appears to be attempting to forget his sorrows for a little while with a drink, he has been being followed, although he does not know it. He is being followed by Helena Shaw (played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge), although she, in turn, is also being followed by someone, even though she herself does not appear to know it, by CIA Agent Mason (played by Shaunette Renée Wilson), More on her shortly. In any case, Shaw finally sits next to Indy and introduces herself as Helena, the daughter of Basil Shaw, who is a friend of Indy's and helped him during the opening part of the movie. They talk, and she reveals her interest in finding the Dial of Destiny that Archimedes has built.
There is a history between them, although it is nothing like the other main women in previous Indiana Jones movies, mercifully. Helena was just a child when Indy took the Dial of Destiny from her father, who was scaring her with a violent desire to destroy it. He allows Indy to take it, but on condition that he also promise to destroy it. Indy promises, but never quite gets around to it. Helena was under the notion that the Dial is lost somewhere in a river by the French Alps. In fact, it is much closer, and Indy takes her to show it at his university.
Still, it is only one piece of the dial, and not the whole thing. So it is largely harmless, right? Well, by now, we see that CIA Agent Mason has her team assembled and are trying to also apparently obtain the Dial of Destiny. We find other members of the team, who use sinister methods, killing anyone who gets in the way. Agent Mason is shocked and appalled, but largely powerless to stop them. Not surprisingly, they are led by Jürgen Voller, who has apparently been instrumental in the triumph of getting man onto the moon and safely back. Now, perhaps as compensation, he wants the Dial.
They somehow know that Indy's Dial is at the University, and also somehow know that Indy will be there. Helena takes the Dial and runs, basically leaving Indy to the mercy of the bad guys. There is a bit of action, but Indy is much older and cannot either fight or run as well as he once could, and so he is taken prisoner. Helena, meanwhile, goes onto the roof, and there is a brief Easter Egg of another Harrison Ford movie, "The Fugitive," when he is being pursued by US Marshalls, who observe him from the roof while an Irish St Patrick's Day parade is going on. The parade below is not for St. Patrick's, but it is the same music, and much of the action takes place on a roof, with agents spotting Helena, then losing her, much like the police agents in The Fugitive lose Harrison Ford's character. Interesting Easter egg there.
Indy now seems to be a prisoner. He is being led through the streets, where there is an antiwar protest going on. Evidently, Indy - apparently seriously - starts chanting "Hell no, we won't go!" and gets the crowd to go along with him. He then manages to make an escape, although the chase is on. This is the point where he manages to mount a horse, where he runs past the men who just came from the moon. But he is being chased, and winds up going underground - literally - to the Subway system. He manages an escape, barely escaping death from the subway trains themselves. Of course, he manages. And he gets some help from Sallah, his old adventure buddy from the first and third movie (the two best in the franchise, in my opinion).
Now, here's the thing: Sallah reappearing was initially exciting. But how he was used in this movie was a bit more puzzling. He longs for one more adventure, his words even used in the trailer for the film. Indeed, he tells Indy that there will be an auction of antiquities in Tangier, Morocco. He tells Indy that he is thirsting for jut one more adventure. He takes Indiana to the airport, then tells him he has his passport, and is prepared to go. And then he doesn't go! His presence in this movie is, frankly, basically negligible. You almost question why he was in there at all, frankly.
Anyway, we now are in Tangier. Indy arrives, and goes into the building where the auction is taking place. He surprises Helena, although she has some surprises of her own. She has a crafty ally in the young Teddy Kumar (played by Ethann Isidore). He begins to play a prominent role from this point on. Indy interrupts the auction, but there are powerful people there who want the Dial of Destiny, which includes the Nazis, who show up just on time, and without really any explanation as to how they knew about this. There is a wild chase through the streets of Tangier involving three different parties (four even, because Indy is not really with or even fully allied with Helena or Toddy at first). It is cool, and shows the streets of Tangier, although the scene gets a bit repetitive and goes on a bit longer than it perhaps should.
By the end of the chase, Indiana tells them that he will need him to get the Dial. It seems almost at this point that Indiana takes almost a back seat to Helena and Toddy for most of the rest of the movie. That is not fully the case, although he seems to play almost a supporting role, and is never quite the fierce adventurer that we know from this point on in the movie.
Indy has a friend who owns a boat named Renaldo, played by Antonio Banderas. They go on an aquatic adventure, and somehow find the location of the ship where one of the parts of the Dial of Destiny (remember, it was broken to pieces) is, sunk at the bottom of the sea. There are no sharks, although there are eels, which Toddy jokes are reminiscent of snakes. We all know that Indy hates snakes, of course. Still, the team dives down and manages to retrieve the treasure chest (that's what it seems like it is, anyway). But they notice another boat has come aboard, and seemingly with hostile intentions. Somehow, the Nazis have found them again, and they are once again in charge. They need the translation, but Indy refuses to help. Helena offers her help, so long as they pay her asking price of $100,000, which they do with diamonds, right then and there. She translates, but plays a trick, allowing Indiana Jones to light a fuse, which only hurts the bad guys, and allows the good guys to make their escape on the other boat.
Yes, the good guys make their escape. But they go West, not East, and this is noticed by Jürgen Voller, the leader of the Nazis. And somehow, the Nazis thus figure out exactly where Indy and his group are headed: Syracuse. There, the bad guys somehow manage to isolate and capture Toddy. Helena is distraught, but Indy feels confident that the kid is crafty and will find a way to make an escape. Sure enough, he is right, as we kind of figured he would be, right?
So Helena and Indy go to the Ear of Dionysius cavern, where they find Archimedes' tomb. Of course, the Nazis also know exactly where to go, somehow. So there is the chase, during which time, Toddy attempts two escapes, and manages to succeed the second time around, in the process drowning the big thug character of the villains by outsmarting him. Indy and Helena, meanwhile, are scaling a small cliff, and Indy once again shows his age, outright questioning what he is doing and why he is doing this at his age, and with all of the injuries and aches and pains he has sustained, including an Easter egg for fans, by asking Helena rhetorically whether she had ever been forced to drink the blood of Kali. When they finally get to the grave of Archimedes, they find the other part of the Dial, and also find him wearing a watch, even though back then, clocks had not yet been invented, let alone watches.
Of course, the bad guys come, and they take everything at gun point. Helena makes an escape with Toddy, but Indy is shot, apparently right by his heart, although it looked like it was in his heart. He is basically rendered completely powerless from this point on. Still, instead of killing him right then and there, the bad guys decide to take him along for the trip. By this point, we finally find out - a bit too late, I suspect - why Jürgen Voller is so obsessed with the Dial of Destiny. He is a Nazi, and he wants to go back in time - to just weeks before the official start of the European part of World War II, when Hitler is about to invade Poland. He says that he watched the war and saw every mistake, and that Hitler squandered the opportunity to actually build the Thousand Year Reich. Voller intends to replace Hitler, and with his leadership, to avoid the mistakes made and to win the war. In other words, to build the dominant Thousand Year Reich, which will presumably be the superpower of this new, alternative world order.
Meanwhile, Helena has managed to get a motorbike and caught up with the Nazi's plane taking off, heading towards the time hole, if you will, which the Antikythera of Archimedes managed to accurately predict. They travel through, with Voller expecting to be in Sicily in late August of 1939, then to set coordinates to Munich to get rid of Hitler and take over himself. Only, Indy explains that he has overlooked something. Archimedes did not know about continental drift, and the accuracy of this Dial of Destiny is thus compromised. They might not go back to the time that Voller expects. Voller suddenly has doubts, and demands to pull back, but it is too late. They already go through the time hole, are in fact powerless to stop themselves. And they see a war, alright. Only this is the invasion of Syracuse from the time of Archimedes, thousands of years ago. Toddy, meanwhile, has somehow managed to fly a plane and followed them throughout all of this. The two planes are taken as dragons by the ancients, which probably makes sense.
The ancients begin attacking the "dragons" and do some serious damage, at least to the plane of the Nazis, even though Toddy's plane is magically spared. The Nazis have become obsessed with fighting back against the ancients, and become so blinded by this, that they lose control of the airplane, and things just deteriorate. Helena shows up, and she and Indy make their escape from the doomed plane just in the nick of time. The Nazis are killed, largely through their own blindness and ultimate incompetence and rage.
Indy and Helena actually meet Archimedes, and Archimedes tells Indy that they were always destined to meet. Indy wants to stay here, this was his lifelong dream. Helena refuses to accept this, and ultimately, she punches him out with one shot. Yes, she KO's him. I guess this makes sense, since he is 80 years old, and also, he has been shot in his chest and is effectively very weak. Still, this was a disappointing ending for a hero who has typified toughness, and fought against some massive and fierce fighters, and come out on top. A one punch knockout? That was a controversial ending, and not many people liked it. I will admit to being one of them.
Now, we reached the final part of the movie. Indy wakes up back in his apartment in New York City. the Dial of Destiny is there, next to him. Helena notices that he wakes up, but everyone is all smiles. Then, in comes Marion Ravenwood, the final surprise of the movie. She is simply bringing in groceries, but Indy is clearly shocked to see her. They have not talked in a long time, and Indy's assumption is that she wants nothing to do with him. But in fact, they reconcile. The others leave the apartment and leave the couple to talk. Then, there is a sweet ending which harkens back to the first movie, with Indy asking Marion where it doesn't hurt, and she point to her elbow, and then her lips, where they kiss.
And that's the movie!
Overall, as mentioned earlier, I liked it much better the second time around. That said, there were some aspects of the movie which, frankly, I felt were not as strong. Now, I am not one of those crazy fans who will claim that these new movies "ruined their childhood" or anything. However, I really did not like the whole Indy getting knocked out thing at the end. And if people had a problem with the believability of aliens in the last movie, time travel here really stretches the imagination even more. Also, Voller getting clocked in the head and knocked off a speeding train, then not only surviving, nut not having so much as a mark on him, that also bothered me.
Still, I enjoyed the movie. It entertained me, and somehow this was more the case the second time around than the first time. Is it one of the great movies of the Indiana Jones franchise? No. But it is an ending, and it does certainly have some strengths, albeit some weaknesses, as well. Keep in mind, this is an 80-year old version of Indiana Jones. It does, however, give Indiana and Marion a sweet end together, which I think I like more and more each time I think of it.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny - Spoiler Review
.jpg)
