Been a student. Been a clerk. Been a salesperson. Been a manager. Been a teacher. Been an expatriate. Am a husband, father, and chronicle.
There are also two TV shows. A pretty solid Canadian production from the late '90s called La Femme Nikita, and an early '10s CW series (I’ve never seen it) starring Maggie Q. I also just found out there is also a 1991 Hong Kong remake of the film called Black Cat and a 1999 Bollywood remake called Kartoos.
All this to say that Luc Besson’s original film is an actual treasure trove. And, perhaps, that Peta Wilson played Nikita really well. Better than Bridget Fonda IMHO.
I’m taking a break from catching up with my son’s reading of Wings of Fire. I’m about to start book eight, Escaping Peril
During this break from the grade school fantasy, I’m currently reading The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz. It was a random choice for me, served up by the algorithm and a few filters on Libby.
Not sure if I’m going to see this one through to the end as 10 more Wings of Fire Books beckon.
As for a recommendation, the last two “5 out of 5” books I read were, The Message and The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates. The latter title, his first novel, is just as accessible as his articles and his latest reflection on America and her role in world affairs, the former title.
December 23, 1995: On a wooden basement staircase, in an empty house, with no heat, with my dog. My parents lost the house. All our stuff had been moved out. Our nervous dog wouldn’t settle. I couldn’t leave him. That was the last night I slept in the house where I grew up.
December 1998: On a basement floor near Ottawa. At least it was carpeted. Hammered after some party near a college. In the night, some angel draped a blanket over me. Best feeling of my life to that point. Some guy’s sister was kind to us.
May 2009: Coober Pedy, Australia. Slept in a hostel that was in a mine. Slept underground in a room with bunk beds and no windows. It was weird. Felt like a bomb shelter.
December 2011: Wadi Rum, Jordan. Slept outside under the stars on a sleeping mat on a rock of biblical proportion. The guy in the tent next to ours was snoring. Loudly. My partner couldn’t take it. We dragged our mattresses out onto a rock 300 m from camp. I reasoned — scorpions were less likely to find us. Coulda been wrong. Still here to tell the tale.
I’ve slept in some weird places.
That RTJ video is one of the few I’ve loved since it released.
Then, I discovered Kendrick Lamar had made a video for Alright. Wow.
Prolly should read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
Not the same, but, some similar elements.
According to Article 27 of the Rome Statute, all wanted persons are equal before the court, including heads of a state or government. No immunities under international law may bar the court from exercising its jurisdiction.
“No international court has ever found that a head of state or high ranking individual has immunity before it, and Article 27 was meant to codify that principle,” [says] “Leila Sadat, a leading expert on immunities and former ICC special advisor on crimes against humanity[.]”
The immunity loophole found in Article 98 (1), according to the judgement, must be read in context and interpreted in a manner that is consistent with the object and purpose of the Rome Statute, meaning that it should not be read to carve out an exception to Article 27’s clear provisions.
… the reference to state immunity under Article 98 (1) is related to the immunity of a state and its property, not its leaders or officials.
Epstein. 'Nuff said. There’s even a herpesvirus.
And Douglas. This may just be in my life. Nonetheless, it is what it is.
What do rank and file military realize they have to start refusing certain orders?
When do the Americans cut off the supply of certain weapons?
When does the Israeli populace see that a radically new direction is needed to secure peaceful relations “from the river to the sea”?
True Grit (1969) or True Grit (2010)?
I’m wary as well. The fact that Karyn Pugliese is out was a sign. Jesse admits his role within Canadaland fairly regularly. That said, I get the feeling there’s now a point-counterpoint vibe to Canadaland.
No episode mentioning Amsterdam yet.
That said, the show hasn’t been the same for a while. I think it started with the White Whale: he knew Assange was getting out.
I hope Canadalandback continues.
Solid link, that. I’ve been watching this story grow. Canadaland… your thoughts?
Anticipating Book > Film (musical?) > Play/Musical
Hopefully, what they padded the movie with is the contents — the politics — of the book. As u/MrVilliam said above:
they took a movie-length two act play and padded it out to chop it up into two movies. And they’ll be rewarded for it. Together, they’ll gross over $1.5 billion, maybe over 2.
Checking out more of Richard Linklater’s work is also highly recommended.
Waking Life (2001)
Philosophy and dreams combine for an enlightening journey. It’s a good rewatch if you’ve not seen it in a long while.
Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), Before Midnight (2013, I haven’t seen this one)
Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy have beautiful explorations of love and the human condition.
Arlington Road (1999)
Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, Jeff Bridges in a taut, pre-9/11 domestic terrorism thriller. I’d pair this with the much better known Denzel Washington film The Siege (1999). Last I checked, this film is not on any streaming platform. Good luck!
Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001)
This Inuit story captivated me. An all-Inuit cast portraying a fable from thousands of years ago. The nearly 3h run time will challenge many. The National Film Board of Canada
Brick (2005)
Fans of Knives Out should really see Rian Johnson’s first feature film. Smart and steeped in film noir, with a fantastic and unique script, this flick starring Joseph Gordon-Leavitt.
An indiscriminate attack on an unsuspecting population using planted explosives and does not differentiate between civilians and enemy combatants isn’t a “terrorist attack.”
What is it then? A “police action”? “Self-defense”?
From AP
A booby trap is defined as “any device designed or adapted to kill or injure, and which functions unexpectedly when a person disturbs or approaches an apparently harmless object,” according to Article 7 of a 1996 adaptation of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, which Israel has adopted.
The protocol prohibits booby traps “or other devices in the form of apparently harmless portable objects which are specifically designed and constructed to contain explosive material.”
Now, as far as a legal distinction, the jury is still out. But, morally, this is indefensible to the point of being state-sanctioned terrorism.
I’d really like to see this done without having the ensemble cast of the Avengers films all claim the same income.
You should read a few good books as well. Might I suggest:
On Palestine by Noam Chomsky, Ilan Pappé, and Frank Barat
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A Dying Colonialism by Frantz Fanon
Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman
Actual journalists like Mehdi Hasan at Zeteo and Amy Goodman at Democracy Now! are doing excellent work on this issue.
Short videos. Reminder that no lock is impenetrable. Also, April Fool’s Day videos are very special.
Video essays. No longer in production, high-quality reviews of some cultural artifacts. He’s moved his operation to Curiosity Stream. Made me realize it’s worth it to pay creators directly for their work rather than having advertisers and platforms like YouTube. Now, if only I had money to pay these creators. Aye, there’s the rub.
Expert film analysis. If it’s not, it sure looks like it is.
Snarky educational. Fun! The best damn flag contest, best takedown of first-past the post voting, and best reflection on how to go forward after hitting YouTube fame. I still want to know if he and Roman Mars have talked flags.
Classic YouTube. 15 years ago, mans took a bunch of other YouTube videos and remixed them into each other, producing meta tracks.
1000 Days. 19 November 2024.
It’s pretty much what it says on the tin, “Harry Potter meets Hunger Games.”… but with dragons as the main characters. The storytelling is good. The characters are tangible, well-developed, and relatable. There are three arcs, the first about wartime, the second is post-war, and the final arc — (which I’ve not started — appears to be about the Undiscovered Country. Reading it as an adult, it’s easy to blitz through. There are fights, stabbings, broken necks, decapitations, and torture. None of it described in visceral gruesome detail, but more as a statement of fact. The stakes feel real. There is also magic, betrayal, surprise, and reconciliation. It’s pretty good stuff.
Target audience, grades 3 to 8 says Scholastic. My little reader is a little younger than that, and he’s obsessed. He still likes Captain Underpants, and he’s starting to get into Pokémon. This feeds the need he has for dragons.