I think there was a POW scene in Magnum P.I. that was a lot for little me. Not sure episode/season.

Honestly, though, coming to the realization at abput 13 that the “General Lee” and the prominent placement for Confederate flags the Dukes of Hazzard represent an American South that promotes white supremacy, Jim Crow laws, and segregation — all antithetical to my BIPOC existence.

The cognitive dissonance involved in the song, pre-programming me to lend them the excuse that they’re “just a good ol’ boys…” — yeah, my parents should’ve known better.

The thoughts I had for Daisy Duke would’ve had me lynched, like Emmitt Till, under that flag. Still might.

As an introvert, it’s actually easier for me to talk to strangers. Fewer attachments, lower risk thresholds, can bail when I need to. Mostly it’s jokes or insights, comisseration and comedy are easy roads in.

Expecting, or pursuing the establishment of, human rights as a subjugate group or “subordinate” class.

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If it’s America… Again, the following:

• target practice

• cheap / unpaid labor

• scapegoating

• entertainment

• political wedge issue

• cannon fodder

• general purpose exploitation

• status symbols

• enemy images

Greed. Ignorance. Intolerance.

Your workout, food, or personal hygiene regimen.

Exploitation, expropriation, or extortion.

Your subjective experience of opening a box, playing a video game, or viewing media.

It’s in because, well, I was surprised that Grey’s Anatomy is in its 22nd season.

Its interesting that interactions here center on the one pop-culture element of my comment and none on the others. Yes, it’s a non-sequitur. It stands out.

Is it because the others are all self-evident? Flogged to death? Too controversial? Not controversial enough? Insurmountable?

• Expensive education

• Cities planned for cars

• 5-day work weeks

• Grey’s Anatomy

• Nuclear weapons

• Racism

And I agree with the others who’ve said:

• Fossil fuels, particularly coal

• Private health insurance

Were you there when it happened to me?

I swear, that one Donald Sutherland scene in JFK had me going for such a long time on the conspiracy bent. I thought it was real.

Who knew, it was Kevin Bacon we needed to pay attention to all along.

Worse, it was produced by Alex Jones.

Seven Seconds by Youssou N’dour and Neneh Cherry (French and English)

• this was my first foray into “world music” in, like Grade 7.

Sadeness by Enigma (Latin and French)

Miserere by Arvo Pärt (Latin)

The Expanse by Clinton Shorter (Old Norse?)

Disappointment by Moon (Russian?)

Also, I lived in Korea when Gangnam Style dropped. It was magical at the outset, but now… well, hyperexposure is a real thing. But, good on Psy for his work.

The Roots (first four albums especially)

Godspeed You! Black Emperor / A Sliver Mt. Zion

Portishead, Massive Attack

Public Enemy

Ah. Oops. Did not know I’d transgressed.

As far as I know, these cycles were written by the post-maker. I just found them compelling, each a visual and visceral view of our inhumanity toward ourselves. The writing is pretty good. The AI is illustrative, though not altogether the compelling element.

In your head, change the name of a food you wish to avoid. I’ve done this with McD’s.

In my head, it’s been called McDicks since high school. I, personally, don’t enjoy eating dicks. So, when I see the sign, and I feel like a Big Mac would go down easy, I say to myself, “I don’t eat dicks.”

It works.

For those who enjoy eating dicks, well, you’ll have to choose another association. Also, I didn’t think the phrase “feel like a Big Mac would go down easy” would be so overtly sexual.

More people need to know about Bernays. Literally wrote the book, Propaganda in 1928. Went on to found the industry of Public Relations. He is the reason advertisers target your subconscious, make you feel bad, an use their products as a salve for the pain they inflict.

Adam Curtis covers the effects well in The Century of the Self. Watch out, it clocks in at just under 4 hours.

Do yourself a favour, watch the directors cut.

Skateboarding. Wingsuit flying. BASE jumping.

All seem like SO much fun. But, Im entering middle age with two kids. Broken bones are not fun. Nor are risks not covered by my insurance, apparently. That’s what my partner tells me anyway. She gets final say on fun.

Or, the insurance company does. Whichever. They’re on the same side: against injury. And fun.

For those who don’t understand these words, I’ll translate: driving a motor vehicle (car, truck, van, or other) with a manual-shift or stick-shift transmission.

In an automatic transmission vehicle, you have steering, gas, and brakes. The car itself decides automatically which gear to be in based on several conditions. This is the form of driving to which most are accustomed.

The rest of us can actually drive.

Ee-ahn’-aw-oh(ng)-oo(ng) for robot to vehicle. And quickly.

It is difficult to get all of these in a single film.

However:

• Art direction that makes you love design.

• Cinematography at such scale and intimacy that you love light, shadow, depth of field, and the rule of thirds

• Writing that makes you love language, references, and lived experiences

• Casting that extols the virtues of interpersonal chemistry

• Editing that forces you to feel pace, tone, and contemplation as the story demands

• A plot that twists, turns, and delivers a gut punch when you least expect it

• A twist-in-the-end that, on reflection (or re-watch), makes total sense.

• Compelling, developing characters responding to irresistible forces that wash through their being

• Murphy’s Laws in full force: failure is an option, main characters can die

e:

• A true, hidden, and/or surprise villain whose perspective you can see and might even agree with.

Good examples:

• Synecodoche, New York

• Michael Clayton

• Sicario

• Requiem For a Dream

• No Country for Old Men