Rework

Voltaire said: “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” Given the current condition of the world, maybe it’s time to reinvent Him. The godlessness embraced by many does not seem to be working.

Here’s a surprising headline from a progressive paradise lost, from nypost.com: “Newsom directs National Guard to help combat San Francisco’s fentanyl crisis.” He sees the light? With apologies to Scott McKensie and songwriter John Phillips: “If you’re goin’ to San Francisco, be sure to pack Naloxone in your bag…”

How ‘bout this from NYP?: “Shaken by crime, US demand for bulletproof cars skyrockets: $85K protection.” With apologies to William DeVaugn, who wrote Be Thankful for What You Got: “Diamond in the back, sun roof top, armor for the pop…”

From NYP: “‘Entitled’ Gen Z is the most difficult generation in the workplace: poll.” “I’m shocked — shocked…!”

From NYP, more PC insanity: “Rocket Mortgage puts tampons in men’s bathroom to promote ‘menstrual equity’: StopWoke founder.” And to think we used to joke, tease that some men needed them.

I break my Covid silence for this excerpt from an NYP editorial about Cuomo’s coverup: “The new stats put the pandemic’s first-year toll at 36,337 — up 21% from what the state had admitted.” The guy got a five million advance for a book about leadership, obviously complete fiction.

Headline from newsmax.com: “Russia Bombs Own City by Mistake.” Fortunately, no deaths, a few injuries.

Friday night’s movie fix, The Brothers Bloom (2008), was an interesting, complex dive into con artists. Although it’s for people smarter than me, I enjoyed it. The sibling played by Adrian Brody wants out. The one played by Mark Ruffalo persuades him to take on one last caper. The mark is played by Rachel Weisz, an isolated, bored New Jersey heiress, highly intelligent. Japan’s Rinko Kikuchi plays an explosives expert. Despite abundant screen time, she has only three words of dialogue. The tale twists and turns through European locations and includes other experts in the field played by Robbie Coltrane and Maximilian Schell, the latter of whom I did not recognize. The narrator is Ricky Jay, a perfect choice given his experience in such matters. The film was written and directed by Rian Johnson, whose background was shorts and music videos, and who has gone on to great success. He has done Looper (2012), another flick for the smart set, the excellent Knives Out (2019), and he is involved in the Star Wars franchise. He was also at the helm for three episodes of the popular Breaking Bad. 52,000+ users at IMDb have rated The Brothers Bloom, forging to a consensus of 6.7 on a scale of ten. It flopped at the box office. Made on a budget estimated at $20 million, it returned less than six million worldwide, a gap I doubt was made up in secondary markets. It runs less than two hours. The violence is minimal by the standard of most modern fare. I don’t recall much profanity. Those who enjoy works about scammers would like it most. This is another film that would be endorsed by tobacco companies. Those who do not like complicated plotting should pass. I was perplexed by the ending. Here’s a publicity still of the main players:

My thanks to the kind folks who bought books on Bay Parkway on this pleasant day. No incoming — yay!

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